First Blush

Monkey & Peanut have shown curiosity over the years over what wine is and how it's experienced. They've been able to look and sniff but obviously, they can't drink. We've found a way to do "wine" tasting with the kids. These fabulous juices are 100% varietal so the kids can taste what cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, and chardonnay taste like.

Monkey - who is a lover of all things sweet - says these are too much for her. She's tried them diluted and likes it better that way. Next she's going to try diluting with seltzer water, which should give a slight tart to battle the syrupy sweet.

Peanut likes them but doesn't discern a lot of difference at this point. She does enjoy drinking what the grown-ups drink and will match her juice choice to our wine choice whenever possible.

Puddin' likes the colors of the bottles. Yellow is her favorite.

I drink cheap wine.

One of the things I set out to do when I started this blog was to keep up skills useful for the wine world. While I've certainly been drinking, I haven't blogged about wine in a long time. Somehow taking the time to think deeply about it was too much work.

Part of the problem is my wine budget. When I left the world of frequent freebies I was faced with two choices: drink much less frequently or buy cheap bottles. That was an easy decision to make. Wine with dinner makes the "stop talking with your mouth full" comments seem much more genteel and sophisticated. The cheap easy drinking stuff we have most nights is quite enjoyable as a grown-up moment after the kids are in bed. It's rare that I find one to get super excited about, though. I know what fabulous wine tastes like and this isn't it.

As a former wine professional, it's hard to admit that I'm drinking sub par wine. It's like a literature professor reading a trashy romance novel; or a physicist attributing static electricity to magic; or an Oscar winner wearing K-Mart flip-flops on the red carpet. These things just aren't done. The reality is, I was never at that level in the wine world. I hung around knowledgeable people and gathered the tidbits I could from them but since I was usually distracted by things like handsome physicists or raising the darlings I didn't put in the kind of effort needed to be a genuine wine snob. Maybe one day I'll go back to it and get the training & experience I need. Until then, I'll just keep the bar as high as I can without dipping into the college funds.

For the record, I'm currently enjoying Edna Valley Cabernet. (2008, I think.) It's a pretty familiar brand, which wouldn't usually be my first choice, but it's reliable and I found it at a fabulous price. [Bargain hunting and wine together. While wearing cute shoes.] When I poured the first glass I took a moment to sniff and it was heavenly. For one brief moment I believed I was back in the tasting room and was ready to be stunned. In reality, the taste isn't quite as heady as the aroma. There's plenty of  cherry and chocolate, with leathery tannin but there isn't much after taste so I don't feel like I'm getting the full bang for my buck. I want more. I want a little more depth to the flavor, and maybe some changeability as the wine works it's way through my mouth. Still, this glass is an enjoyable way to end my day. I hope you, too, have found a tasty way to wash the stresses away.

Post 101

In my couch-ridden flurry of words yesterday I managed to get up to 100 blog posts. I like marking milestones so here I sit, writing post #101

In the academic world, 101 signifies the basics or an introduction. Writers and publishers often use 101 as a seemingly random number meaning a lot. [101 Uses for Cow Manure; 101 Ways to Save the Astroturf; 101 Questions to Ask Your Future In-Laws.] Of course, I'm also required by marital vows to know that 101 = 5 in binary.

5, as a discussion topic, isn't going to get me very far. [Unless you want to hear about my upcoming birthday - on the 5th of a winter month. I'm a big fan but am honest enough to admit that most of the rest of the world doesn't care.] I don't want to spend time coming up with 101 examples of anything so that idea is right out. I guess that leaves me with the back-to-basics idea.

I went back and re-read some early posts to remind myself why I set out to blog in the first place. Here's how I described myself in my very first post: I'm introverted, quiet, serious. I am independent. I crave solitary contemplation and study. I'm also married with two gorgeous step-daughters, a precocious toddler, a dog and a cat. I'm outnumbered....My reason for writing is simply to stake my claim, to stand my ground, to try to keep my sense of self and my sanity in the midst of loving these voracious minds and hearts. I love my family and I love my life. Mama just needs a little space.

A year and a half later, many of those needs are still the same. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of sanity to spare but I'm grateful for my little space away from the high volume of life. Thanks for coming to visit me here. And if you find any spare serenity feel free to send some my way.

Food Matters

Stan and I are often on the lookout for kids-eat-free deals. We're also on the lookout for kids meals that offer balanced nutrition and good portions. These two things do not often match up but we recently found a standout example.

Food Matters is an unassuming little spot in a mostly residential area. I thought for sure our GPS was steering us to the wrong spot. When we pulled up I was pretty sure we'd found the corner bar. We forged on, though, and were rewarded with some great food.

I had a Turkey Cranberry Wrap with roasted root vegetables and Stan had an Angus Beef Burger on Brioche with another one of the fabulous sides (which I can't remember.) The big surprise was with the kids meals. None of the options for main course or side were fried. Main courses were simple enough to be kid friendly but have flavor profiles that I wouldn't mind consuming. The kids had just as many green and orange veggie options as the adults did.  Of course, Peanut still chose all white carbohydrates so it's not fool proof. Monkey, on the other hand, chose sauteed spinach and scarfed it down with gusto. They were both delighted with their food and enjoyed having wider options.

The one downside was the TV prominently displayed in the dining area. Our kids couldn't keep their eyes off the screen. We talked to the management and they are apparently in the process of fixing the problem, moving the screen over to the bar area.

For the record, my other go-to for healthy kid meals is IHOP of all places. They've made some great changes to the way they do food so that there are plenty of options for low calorie kid meals.

Nerd Chic

I've tried to write up a catchy story to go along with this picture but nothing I've come up with can compare to the fabulousness of Puddin' rockin' her nerd chic. Therefore, please enjoy and feel free to add your own stories in the comments.

11 Things for 2011

Puddin' and I have been fighting a cold for a few weeks and since neither of us have been very good about sitting still and resting, we're both still struggling with the nasty cough.  We got through Peanut's birthday yesterday (Happy birthday my dear!) and her humongo nutrition project is almost done. I've got to rest up quick so I can get to work planning her Mystery Mansion birthday party coming up soon.

So, since I'm confined to the couch for the day, I'm spending WAY too much time online. I can finally get to that New Year's post I've been meaning to write.

I don't do standard New Year resolutions. I don't like putting that kind of pressure on myself. I do enjoy pondering and planning though. A new year gives me a good excuse for reflecting and setting some goals. Here are some things Stan and I would like in the coming year:

1. Play more games as a family
2. Let the kids get messy with crafts
3. Share my passions with the family
4. Incorporate scripture into our daily lives
5. Practice music more often
6. Laugh more when the kids are around
7. Be creative daily
8. Read the pile of parenting books by my bed
9. Get out and hike
10. Give the kids more one-on-one time
11.  Let the kids make their own mistakes

Evidence of Listening

Puddin' is playing with a bright blue stuffed "marshmallow" Peep. She put the poor dear in time-out for some unknown infraction. When she finally took him out she said in her sweetest voice "Even though I'm mad at you I still love you." I think she may have actually listened during our don't-pee-in-your-pants conversation this morning.

Then she proceeded to repeatedly throw Peepy-Peep on the floor. Maybe I don't want to take credit after all.

The Big Green Tofer

I've been wondering when Puddin' would cease to be a toddler and move on to the preschool category. She loves letters and numbers but that's fairly normal for the age (2 months shy of 3.) She enjoys "reading" stories to us more than having them read. Maybe that's a little ahead of the game but not much.

Today, on our walk to the pick up Peanut, Puddin' recognized 4 of the letters reading "Toter" on the side of a neighbor's trash can. She missed the second "t" because the font had a pronounced serif. She proclaimed it an "f," which is what it would have been if it had been flipped vertically.

I'm stunned. And now, undeniably, I am the mom of a preschooler. I told Puddin' as much. "Why, Mama?" "Well, you're growing a lot and learning new kinds of things. How does it feel?" "Good."