Author: <span>Nadya</span>
Life is keeping us quite busy lately. We are packing, unpacking, organizing, re-organizing, and looking forward to being finished with this latest move. I am looking forward to spring, to the end of winter coats, layers, bundling, colds, and all this rain.
The girls have found a way to really play together and it is a joy to watch. Eliza is learning to share and Sophia is coming to terms with the fact that Eliza is still learning. I accomplish more around the house while they play together—because they play together.
On a balmy winter’s day, we reaped the rewards of getting rid of our storage unit and unpacked the tricycle. This one has been around for ages—it was originally my nephew’s, then it was Sophia’s, and now it is just right for Eliza. Here she is on our Tour de France Old City this past Sunday.
The tour included a trip to La Colombe where we indulged in a cup of steamed milk and a bit of conversation. I don’t think it is ever too early to have little dates with your kids. Dates, coffee, tricycles… what’s next?
What long weekend? We spent ours cooking, cleaning, packing, packing, unpacking, packing, unpacking, and … packing. We saw family and stayed mostly indoors trying to cope with the frigid temperatures.
This picture reinforces that there is no need for cupboards full of toys to keep children entertained. All or most of what they require is in their heads and their curiosity provides the best entertainment of all. We have downsized our toys by 75% and couldn’t be happier.
It snowed again on President’s Day and we decided to turn a dreary, snowy afternoon into an impromptu science lesson. While no longer frigid, it was still cold and so we brought the snow inside and observed its properties under a variety of conditions. We touched it, scrunched it, melted it, and even licked it.
The girls spent Saturday at my parents’ house. Sophia also spent time crafting with my sister and Eliza got a special visit from Alex that afternoon. I truly believe that just like a PhD or Esquire, aunt, uncle, are titles and must similarly be earned and maintained to be relevant and applicable.
Lastly, but most deliciously, I am trying out weekend meal-prep for the workweek. We made raisin and turkish apricot kugel, cauliflower and walnut salad with a lemon and parsley dressing, seared lime shrimp tacos, pico de gallo, guacamole, shrimp cocktail, beef stew, and chocolate brownie cookies. It was quite a lot of work to accomplish but we’re reaping the rewards of that labor all week long.
When you find yourself up and ready for the day before the kids have woken up, there is but one thing to do: make a leisurely breakfast and have a cup of coffee.
Never underestimate how incredible the human spirit is and how much resilience it can provide. I was especially reminded of this in the last few days as our household was caught in the perfect storm—we moved, had a sick child at home, and we maintained our regular working schedule. I suppose Evan and I do like to do this, to compound our lives at certain times and undergo periods of surreal stress. The last time we did this was when we moved from Maryland the very same weekend my sister-in-law got married. We were in the bridal party and so was Sophia. Oh, and let’s not forget that I had a three-month, nursing baby. It was incredibly difficult but we emerged stronger from that experience and perhaps that is what prepared us for this move.
In any event, the move isn’t complete and I really hope that I won’t need a change of linens in the middle of the night because my linen closet at the old place, for example, is still full. There are no complaints, no regrets, just sharing that life is hectic around our parts and this is why this blog has been a bit sparse as of late.
The girls don’t understand, nor should they have to, that moving wreaks havoc on your everyday life. As such, we have tried to maintain a sense of normalcy for them choosing to organize and unpack their rooms and possessions first. We have continued to bake, cook, and entertain family.
It has been a while since I shared anything in this space; We’ve had a few busy weeks and aren’t sure when we will see a slowing down. I am surprised on how much our family’s dynamic is changing as Eliza gets bigger; This photo was taken on Sunday when I decided that only a roasted chicken dinner complete with wilted spinach and potatoes was in order to bring a bit of comfort to our table.
I decided to involve Sophia and Eliza in the cooking instead of occupying them with their toys and activities. The girls enjoyed being able to help and see how their chopped potatoes turned into roasted ones that were golden and delicious.
I recall that, when Sophia was just an infant, I would never be able to make a home-cooked dinner from scratch on my own. But as the months went by, I adapted and learned how to keep her occupied while I cooked. Then when Eliza came along, I couldn’t imagine being home with the both of them and managing serving their meal, much less cooking one. It is retrospections like this that confirm that, as the wise elders in my family say, this too shall pass.
It was only a matter of time before our hopes for a mild and mostly snow-free winter were dashed. And so they were this past weekend when a monster storm blew through our parts bringing with it upwards of 2-3 feet of snow.
I was actually excited for the snow because the storm was coming in over a weekend and we didn’t have to fret over school closings, childcare, and maintaining reasonable work hours. As such, Evan and I hunkered down with the girls focusing on family time and cooking.
I made a Dutch Baby for the first time ever and it was such so easy and yet, it tasted so luxurious. The fact that it warmed up our apartment and filled it with a rich and comforting vanilla aroma was an added bonus. It was so, so good in fact, that I made it again the next morning. I’ll have to be strong and hold myself off from making it again too soon.
Evan cooked his famous fried rice and a chicken/vegetable stir fry. I’ve no pictures of it, just happy bellies as evidence of his spectacular culinary prowess. Old City isn’t in a rush to dig out so we stayed close to home and finished the weekend off with homemade calzones. Ricotta, wilted spinach and tomato sauce calzones to be exact. They were better than I expected, took less time than it would to order take-in, and were much, much healther. Moreover, they’ll make excellent, not-sad-desk-lunches for a few days this week. It’s a win!
In between all the cooking, playing, play-doh, legos, and much, much else, there was plenty of time spent outdoors in the snow. Brr…