Letters From Mommy

Hats

2009-09-06T20:52:00.000-04:00

You've been experimenting with quite the assortment of hats lately:

Gravy

2009-09-02T19:17:00.003-04:00

Daddy and I have have been engaged in an argument about canned tomatoes for going on 10 years now. When we were newlyweds the conversation typically went something like this:

Me: "I picked up some tomatoes to make sauce tonight."
Daddy: "Those are Progresso."
Me: "So?"
Daddy: "They aren't Cento."
Me: "So?"
Daddy: "My mother uses Cento."
Me: "So?"
Daddy: "So, I'm not eating sauce made with crappy Progresso tomatoes."
Me: *runs to store to buy proper tomatoes*

I've since learned to never buy a tomato product without Cento written on the can, and the discussion has evolved into:
Daddy: "I like the pureed tomatoes better than these crushed tomatoes."
Me: "Last time I used pureed, and you said you liked the crushed better."
Daddy: "My mother uses pureed."
Me: "I have your mother's recipe right here. It says, 'pureed or crushed.'"
Daddy: "That's wrong. I'm sure she uses pureed."
Me: "Then go ask your mother to make you the sauce!"

So, hopefully you won't be nearly the pain in the ass your father is about this, but just in case you feel the urge to utter the words, "My mother uses ____," here are the correct sauce parameters. Bone-in pork chops. Cento crushed tomatoes. Cento tomato paste. Barilla pasta. Extra garlic. Chopped parsley. Fresh parm. Fresh romano.

Storytime

2009-08-30T18:44:00.006-04:00

Historically, you have viewed stuffed animals as construction material to build giant landing pads. This way you have something soft to crash on when you parachute off the couch. I'm happy to report that you're expanding your horizons. While dive-bombing the sweet animals is still a favorite pastime, you've discovered inanimate objects are easily bent to your will, which makes them great playmates. Last night you arranged your favorites, Silly Lion, Alien, and Blue Doggie, on the couch for a reading session.

Note to readers: the adorable fleece stuffed animals in the photos are from Beeposh. They also carry apparel and fun Mommy treats--I used my Beeposh tote at the pool all summer!

Whee!

2009-08-12T20:46:00.000-04:00

My favorite picture from Mamo and Granddaddy's annual summer trip:

Poetry

2009-08-01T20:39:00.002-04:00

When I was a little girl, my Mamo taught me poems. I would recite them for my Mommy when she came home from work. Your Mamo has continued this tradition, and you learned your first poem last week. It was one of my first poems, too!

Home Again
Home again, home again
From a foreign shore.
But, oh, it fills our hearts with joy
To be at home once more.

Roses and Diamonds

2009-07-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds around my neck."
--Emma Goldman (1869-1940)

Actually, Emma, what I'd really like is a maid.

I first read feisty Ms. Goldman's roses and diamonds quote back in high school. At the time I remember thinking, "Yeah! Me too. Diamonds suck." I associated diamond necklaces with charity balls and snottiness and Hermes scarves. And, as a soon-to-be college student (and rather feisty myself), there was likely some sort of distaste for the symbolism of it all. Seems kind of like a dog collar. A shiny dog collar, but a dog collar nonetheless. Plus, flowers are pretty! Who wouldn't want flowers? I now know the money doesn't have anything to do with it. Those roses probably cost more than the diamonds. Fifty bucks every other week for ten years adds up to a pretty awesome diamond necklace!

But seriously, when I think about this now, I see the effort involved in the respective gifts. A diamond was chosen with care and excitement, saved for over a long period of time, presented on a special occasion. It also takes a great deal of thought for a man to keep fresh flowers on his love's table. Every few weeks he must replace them and spend that extra bit of time devoted to her happiness. Those are the true gifts--time, thought, effort--that make a woman feel special. I'm lucky to have Daddy, who has given me roses and diamonds...and all of those unspoken gifts...during our eleven years together. I'm glad you have his example to follow.

By the way, I'd prefer to have roses AND diamonds. Why choose?

-------------------------------------------

I tried desperately to place Ms. Goldman's quote in context. I can't find the original source for the life of me. For all I know, she isn't even talking about flowers and roses as gifts from a man. If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it!

Just for fun, I've included another favorite Emma Goldman-ism:

"If I can't dance then it's not my revolution."

She would have been a heck of a dinner companion, don't you think?

So There.

2009-07-20T07:49:00.001-04:00

You: "Crap!"

Daddy: "Oh no, Jason, we don't say that. It isn't nice."

You: "But that's what you say, Daddy."

I Like to Whisper, Too!

2009-07-19T19:22:00.002-04:00

As I type, I can hear Daddy putting you to bed over the monitor. When you are settling down for the night you whisper. I know, hard to imagine considering your daytime voice, which I estimate to be about 130 dB. But at night it is all cuddles and whispers. Just now, you softly said, "Baby Jesus is going to look out for me." Sometimes you like to run through everyone in the world who loves you. Everyone from Paddy the dog to Aunt Teri to baby Micah loves you, and you aren't satisfied until we run through the entire list. Other times you ask us to tell you, "What else is fun?" And if you're thirsty you simply whisper, "Milk." It is one of my favorite times of day, bedtime, and one I'm going to miss when you're all grown up.

P.S. See the movie, Elf (2003) for the title quote!

Summertime Fun

2009-07-05T20:00:00.001-04:00

Baseball is your latest obsession. Since the incident several weeks ago involving your baseball and my head, I've learned to stay out of the way when you're playing. Today you spent a couple hours hitting balls off the tee:

You also like to name the Red Sox starting lineup. Your favorites are Kevin Youkilis and Dice-K Matsuzaka (both mentioned below) as well as Big Papi, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Dustin Pedroia.

Sometimes you like to tell us where you're planning to hit the ball. Here, it is "far far away in the grass." And, lest Uncle Dave V get worried, you also noticed the football :) You have quite the spiral going on, which I'll have to capture on video later.

Photography

2009-07-05T14:55:00.003-04:00

Mr. B was over at the house yesterday for an Independence Day picnic, and I got a fantastic picture of you in return for the chicken sandwiches and ice cream we served. Very convenient to have such a skilled photographer as a friend (especially since I can't seem to focus a camera). Thanks, Mr. B!

A Date

2009-07-02T14:28:00.004-04:00

You and Miss Georgia had a fun lunch date today. You even got a kiss!

Playtime

2009-07-01T20:00:00.000-04:00

You love to play. You play with books, trucks, trains, blocks, friends, bubbles...you name it, you play with it! These are some of your all-time favorite activities:

Judah. You two have such a fun time together:

Legos...you count them and build towers:

Pretending you are a conductor on the Thomas Railway:

Sweeping the floor!

Reading, especially with your cool sunglasses on:

Decorating shipping boxes with stickers and markers:

Shame on me.

2009-06-26T19:28:00.004-04:00

Oh Jason. I have been a terrible blogger. The good news is, we've simply been having too much fun for me to sit down and write you a letter! You are such a blast lately--easygoing, happy, conversational--and I love every minute we spend together. I know my account of Spring 2009 is woefully inadequate, but here are a few thoughts:

- We spent a wonderful week on the North Carolina shore with Mamo, Granddaddy, Aunt Kathy, Uncle Lenny, and Uncle Matt. You were afraid of the waves but had a grand time playing in the sand and looking for seashells. We celebrated your second birthday on the trip, and your favorite gifts were a bundle of helium balloons (from Aunt Kathy) and a Bertie the Bus model (Mr. & Mrs. H***).

- It rained on at least 24/26 days so far this June. You've been so bummed! No park, no playing outside, no tee ball, no bubbles...finally I embraced the weather and we spent an entire afternoon jumping in puddles. You are a big puddle jumping fan.

- You learned to drink from a regular cup.

- Iran is a mess and I'm praying for the folks over there.

- We had a lovely bridal shower for Aunt Michelle, during which Daddy, Grandpa, Uncle Bubba, Uncle Dave V, and Uncle Dave F thought it would be a good idea not only to bring you to the shower venue for lunch, but to allow you to run wild through the throngs of Italian women in attendance. Given your smashing good looks and charming personality, it wasn't a terrible disaster :)

- Michael Jackson died yesterday. The news is streaming MJ coverage. Such a tragic life...so much talent, so much wasted. I do love his music, though. Nothing else like it.

- Your current stats: 31 pounds and 36 inches.

Two Years Ago...

2009-06-05T20:39:00.000-04:00

Since I didn't get around to starting this blog until you were nearly a year old, I thought it would be fun to show exactly how much you've changed. Here you are on the day you were born:
And here you are now:
Maybe things aren't so different, after all!

Happy Birthday to You!

2009-05-28T19:38:00.001-04:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, my sweet little boy! We celebrated on the North Carolina beach with Mamo, Granddaddy, Aunt Kathy, Uncle Lenny, Uncle Matt, Mr. & Mrs. Hodges, Napoleon, Josephine, and Paddy. You got lots of fun presents, but your favorite part was devouring the rainbow sprinkle birthday cupcake. There was so much icing up your nose you sneezed sprinkles all night!

Overheard

2009-05-12T20:00:00.002-04:00

Your facial expressions and word choices are constant sources of amusement lately, as you are in the midst of a massive language acquisition phase. Intensity is the name of the game when it comes to your emotions and opinions, which leads to a lot of lip-biting on my part while I try to hold in my giggles. Here are some of my favorite Jason quotes:

"Oh no, that's a puma!"
Despite our suburban location, you keep hoping to spot a puma in the grocery store parking lot. The eternal optimist!

"Jason scared the peacock."
You scared the bejesus out of a peacock one day at the zoo, and he returned the favor by squawking loud enough for half of New Jersey to hear it. You still have dreams about that peacock, often talking about him in your sleep.

"Skip, skip, skip the balloon"
Instead of the song lyrics of "Skip to My Lou."

"Jason, what are you doing? Jason's playing with the blue lego (or fill in the blank)"
This is funny stuff. You talk to yourself, asking questions and then answering them.

"Put it right HERE."
You definitely know what you want.

"I need Mommy's lemon."
Although come to think of it, you don't just WANT things, you NEED them.

"That's a good muffin"
Overheard at sushi dinner, after you hijacked Daddy's california roll.

"She's crying. She's sad. She wants his Mommy."
Upon hearing a little girl crying at the store.

"Jason's laughing. Jason's funny!"
I agree :)

"Ouch! That hurt your hiney! Mommy kiss it."
Cute now, but not permission to tell me to kiss your ass when you're older.

"Big monkey read the book. Look, big monkey, it's a parrot fish."
You like to read your stuffed animals bedtime stories, making sure to point out all the important details.

"Let's do-it again! Once more time!"
You think these two phrases are synonymous, not quite grasping the meaning of "once."

"Ayudame! I'm stuck."
Thanks to Diego, you even know a few Spanish words!

"Hola Mommy. Adios Mommy."
Another point for Diego and Handy Manny.

"Ohhhhh, pancake..."
Funniest moment ever while pining over a pancake at the diner.

"I need a hug...mmm that's a good hug, Mommy!"
This never fails to get a smile out of passersby.

"I ludyou"
I love you, too!

Welcome, Spring!

2009-04-28T12:57:00.003-04:00

Spring is here, little man, and nothing could make you happier. We've been playing outside, picking up sticks, planting seeds, visiting the park, shooting baskets, watering plants, listening to birds sing, blowing bubbles, and generally having a great time in this gorgeous weather.

Oh, and you've discovered tee ball.

Zucchini Bread

2009-04-14T13:25:00.004-04:00

There are those of us who bake, and there are Bakers. My Grandma Ginny was a Baker. The Southern kind. She did not fool around. Grandma taught me to let the eggs and butter come to room temperature before mixing, use one of those special tools to level off dry ingredients, always sift the flour, sprinkle muffin tops with sugar for extra crunch, warm cookies on a warming rack, and double the icing measurements so there is some left over to freeze and have as a midnight snack.

Unfortunately for you, I do none of those things. You will likely grow up with flax seed and applesauce in most of your sweets...and (gasp!) I will probably use my finger to level off the unsifted whole wheat flour. Sorry!

My favorite Grandma recipe is zucchini bread. Her sister-in-law, Gracie, shared it with her many years ago, and it is divine. I've included it here, exactly as she wrote it, and transcribed it below. Since it is perfect as is, I'll try to refrain from the flax seed substitutions and let you enjoy the real thing!

Zucchini Bread

Sift together:
5 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon

Place in a large bowl:
5 eggs, beaten lightly
3 1/2 cups sugar, blend into eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil & 3 tsp vanilla extract (Blend slowly into egg/sugar mixture, then blend well.

Add dry ingredients to egg, oil, etc mixture, mixing only until moistened.

Add 3 cups grated zucchini, one 15 oz can crushed pineapple, well drained, 4 ripe bananas, mashed, and mix well. Pour into 3 greased & floured 9x5x2 1/2 loaf pans or 1 9x13x2 pan. Bake 1 hr @ 350. Cool in pan on rack 10 mins then on cake rack. Can freeze. Good toasted.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T16:10:00.003-04:00

J,

Most of our days are spent in a pleasant rhythm of laughter, cuddling, playing, learning, and the occasional meltdown. You are so damn cute that I usually don't mind the tantrums or difficult moments.

Every now and then (contrary to my own mother's reportedly blissful experience parenting a toddler) you make me nuts.

Easter Sunday, 2009, was one of those days.

The moment we stepped into church, you began screaming, "No go to church! No see Baby Jesus!" And the day went downhill from there.

Happy Easter.

Just so you know...

2009-04-04T20:05:00.002-04:00

April is "Donate Life Month" and a good time to remind family members of one's organ donation wishes. I have strong feelings about organ donation that Daddy and my parents are already aware of. So this year I'll let you know my preference.

I am an organ donor. I didn't check the box on a whim. I'm 100% on board with slicing and dicing everything to help others live more meaningful lives. Don't hesitate for a second if you are asked about donating my organs; I've already made the decision for you. Just say yes!

Not a fun topic, but important for you to know.

Bath Time

2009-04-03T12:38:00.001-04:00

This is what happens when I leave you and Daddy alone:

Blueberries

2009-04-02T12:12:00.009-04:00

You like blueberries. A lot. You like them enough to eat about a pint per day, in fact. You eat so many blueberries I was compelled to calculate the cost of your habit (over $100 a month if you're interested). Today we ran out during lunch, and you were not pleased.

Peanut Butter

2009-03-24T13:25:00.003-04:00

While shopping yesterday, I noticed that my favorite peanut butter (contains: peanuts) is 43% more expensive per ounce than the popular brand (contains: peanuts, corn syrup, sugar, hydrogenated oils, salt).

How can that possibly be the case? Are peanuts that much more expensive than corn syrup? All they have to do to manufacture my PB is grind the nuts and pour the product into the jar. The other brand requires measuring, mixing, stirring, and who knows what else. Not to mention peanuts go into PB with very little effort (they are simply dried after picking), while the other ingredients require entirely separate processing routines before arriving at the PB factory.

I can just see the PB executives in their conference rooms. "Oooh, let's take out all the superfluous ingredients, simplify our manufacturing process, and double the price!"

Hmpf. Perhaps I should buy some Smucker's stock.

And They Wonder...

2009-03-09T20:49:00.003-04:00

Earlier today, I made the mistake of leaving you alone in the kitchen for approximately 7.2 seconds. I returned to find this:
We cleaned up most of the mess together, and then you played downstairs while I vacuumed the disturbing quantity of sugar off the kitchen floor. This is what you decided to do with your freedom: And they wonder what stay at home parents do all day??

Money Advice

2009-03-05T13:27:00.002-05:00

When it comes to money, I recommend sticking to these rules:

1) Don't buy what you can't afford.
2) If you must borrow money, have a plan to pay it back.