and 
Pretz. Glico should probably sue P&G for infringement. "Stix" even has the same "roasted" on a "grill" markings as Pretz!
D is growing, maturing and changing every day by leaps and bounds. That sounds so cliche but it's true.
The other day, in the morning, she was sitting on my lap and we were watching Blue Clues. I whispered softly to her that I had to go to work. Immediately, she bolted off my lap and ran towards the front door. I had no idea why she did this. I looked over and saw that she had quickly put on her shoes and then she said to me, "Mommy, I go work with you." It just broke my heart.
Last night, she was being difficult about going to bed. She said in rapid succession, "Don't wanna go sleep. Want to go downstairs and eat cereal." Wow, that's like three concepts in one utterance.
If you don't want to spoil the surprise, then don't read this blog until you read the post before it.
My fairy godmother turned out to be a cute little thief that I work with. She was craving a bag of Doritos that was sitting on my desk so she decided to take the bag and replace it with Pocky. I was none the wiser, having totally forgotten about the Doritos.
I'm still glowing from winning Beyonce concert tickets for this Sunday! Woo hoo!
I don't know who my mysterious fairy godparent is but thank you and I love you.
Why aren't you wearing your pants, I ask my daughter even though I know the answer.
Because Daisy wet them she said.
I knew she was lying.
S, I know you wet your pants, didn't you, I confronted her.
Mom, you heard that?! she said shocked but also with a smile.
Even though I was taking a nap, I was someone awake for the part when she wet herself.
"Why don't you have an umbrella!" I chastise my husband as we stand under a canopy in front of a store.
"My jacket's waterproof," he shrugs nonchalantly and starts pulling on his hood.
I am fretting like crazy because the rain is coming down moderately hard and I know how I hate for my feet to get soaked. I always feel so poor and pitiful when I'm caught in the rain without an umbrella.
"Come back with me to the office," I beg. "I have another umbrella and you can take this one."
He's pretty stubborn and refuses.
I rack my brain for strategies and then what I come up with is just pure genius.
"Look," I said. "My umbrella is pretty shitty." I point to the space where there should be a handle but it's missing.
All of a sudden he's like a kid in a candy store. He gets really giddy and agrees that my umbrella is shitty. Ultimately he agrees to take my shitty umbrella.
Last night I asked if J could give the kids a bath because I felt so exhausted. It was tough for him because they're used to me doing it. Both girls crawled into bed with me. J decided to drag poor D first into the bath by her feet. As she screamed and cried down the hall and into the bathroom, I tried to encourage S to follow her. "Go take a bath with D" I said.
"Why?" asked S. Then she answered her own question. "Because you might trowed up on me?"
This totally shocked me and I hope she doesn't repeat it to anyone else but I simply replied, "Yea". She rushed out of that bed into the tub in a split second.
I relayed her bizarre statement to J and he told me another bizarre statement made by S. He asked her to do something or whatever and she of course asked why. And then proceeded to answer her own question, "Because you might hit me?"
J and I have never hit or threw up on our kids, I don't even know how they come up with this stuff.
I gingerly walk in to my husband's old room to check on my daughter. I find her head resting on her grandfather's lap as he tenderly strokes her hair.
"I don't think she has a fever anymore," he tells me.
And I guess because she's been given so many treats and lots of special attention when we discovered she had a fever, she responds with, "Mom, may I have a fever?"
This morning, I groggily and grudgingly walk downstairs from my bedroom, even though my kids have been awake for 45 minutes.
I say good morning to them. D gives me a grin and is obviously happy to see me. S doesn't really pay any attention to me.
I go into the living room and start sitting down. "I'm sitting down," I announce to them.
"Why?" asks S.
"Because I want to relax, " I tell her.
"From all that sleeping?" S says super sarcastically.
Last night, during bedtime, I waited for S outside of her room. D was sitting on my lap. As usual, she was noisy and I had to quiet her down so that S doesn't get riled up. Shhhh! I say sternly to her. She continues with her babbling and loudly. So I put my hand over her mouth.
She starts licking my hand! Yuck!
I shush her again, still no desired results. I put my hand over her mouth again, this time a little more cautiously. I guess this must be some kind of undocumented toddler reflex, because she licks it again, as if on cue.
Shhhhhhh! This time I'm getting really angry. Her response? She starts chanting a soft mantra, in a whisper, "Beee quuuuiet. Beee quuuuiet. Beee quuuuiet."
"Oh, S, it looks like you lost your earring, " I remark.
"Why, Mom?" she asked. She's in this period of asking why about everything and every situation.
"I guess it must've fallon off and you didn't notice."
"Oh" She was kind of crestfallen.
"Yea, I'm sorry, we're not going to find it."
"I want to be a grown up!" she exclaims.
This time, I'm the one asking, why. "Why?" I said.
"So I won't lose things." she said wisely.
Here's another conversation where any response from me gets a "why?" from her, without missing a beat.
"I want some water," she yelled from the back.
"Want some wader!" her sister chimes in, equally loud and rude sounding.
"Ask nicely...and it would be nice if you gave it to your sister, D first." we remind her.
"Why?"
"Because it would be a nice thing to do."
"Why?"
"Because you're a nice person."
"Why?"
"Because it makes the world a better place."
"Why?"
"Because people appreciate kindness"
"Why?"
"Because it makes them feel good."
"Why?"
At this point, I'm running out of ideas so I start repeating myself.
"Because being nice is good for the world."
"Why am I asking why a lot?" she said an introspective but also comical kind of way.
Wow, my hypochondriac, germ-phobic mother was right about money being dirty. Read this short article, Can You Catch Swine Flu From Money?
"What are the rules of Kidz Club?" I prod S.
Kidz Club is an activity we send her to twice a week and they work on social skills - like turn taking and being polite, etc.
"No hitting!" she says. I don't remember this as one of the official rules, but I play along as definitely I agree you shouldn't hit.
"And..." I reply. "What are the other rules of Kidz Club?" I'm waiting for S to say something like Look into someone's eyes when you talk to them. Or use the person's name when you're talking to them.
Instead I get this...
"No biting!"
"Right...and what else S....what are the other rules?" I'm getting a little exasperated now by these outbursts of obvious social no-no's. So, of course she has to take me over the edge with a societal no-no:
"And no killing!" she yells.
Sheesh. I'm raising a complete punk. Hopefully not a socio-path though....
I just bought $5 worth of Mega Millions tickets. The drawing is late tomorrow night and the jackpot is a whopping $220 mil!
If I win, I guess I wouldn't have to work and would have more time to do returns from my bad decision making from online shopping or from impulsive brick and mortar purchases.
I made a dish that seemed to be popular among a few vegetarians and a baby at our Seder gathering. I was asked for a recipe and here it is, although I'm totally winging it. If you're going to try it, feel free to contact me with any questions, as I'm an intuitive cook and don't measure anything. This recipe is really easy, delicious and hard to mess up.
Ingredients:
Tofu (you can even mix firm with semi firm or soft or even silken (perfect for babies and old folks with no teeth!)-- whatever works, personally, I prefer the softer - these are easier found in Asian markets, as I've noticed places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods often stocks firm or extra firm.)
Soy sauce (I prefer Kikoman brand)
Sugar (white granulated)
Sesame oil (you can substitute any vegetable oil (corn, canola, veg, etc.), I don't recommend olive but in a pinch I'm sure it's fine)
Sesame seeds (optional - seriously it is even though it's called "sesame" tofu. Sesame to me is kinda of like a flavor and color - ppl are expecting a sweetish kind of brown sauce.)
Scallions (optional)
Corn starch
Onions
Water
Cut up the tofu in cubes and set aside. Cut up the onions in small pieces and set aside. Finely dice the scallions if you're using as a garnish (makes it look a little nicer, otherwise tofu in brown sauce tends to look like you know what) and set that aside. Heat the oil in a pan. Stir fry the chopped onions for a few minutes. Then put in the tofu, stir fry a litle and then add in the sesame seeds. Keep stirring the whole time (makes me feel useful). Add some soy sauce and sugar to taste - season it a little too much as you will then add water to create some liquid. In a small finger bowl, use mix together cornstarch (2 tsp?) and a little water, making sure the cornstarch is "melted" and mixed well with the water by using your fingers. When the liquid and tofu is super hot (boiling over), slowly add in the cornstarch and water mixture and stir as you add. Continue until you run out of the mixture. You can turn off the heat after it's all cooked and mixed through - the cornstarch mixture simply thickens it so it becomes gravy/sauce like.
When you're all done, sprinkle the finely diced scallions on top, if you're using that.
If you want, you can add ground meat to it. Cook the ground meat first with the onions. And if you want something spicy, forget the tofu, use ground meat, all else being the same and then add in Korean Hot bean paste (and other chopped veggies if you want), serve on hot white rice and a fried egg - it's kind of like bi bim bap.
Last night I bought myself some Mother's day presents from Josh. I'm looking forward to when they come in the mail.
When it comes to consumption, my husband and I are definitely not two peas in the pod. For one, anything new I get, I want to use right away. I become a deranged individual, looking for ways to remove the tag and even thinking of biting as a solution, if scissors are not available at the counter so that walk out of stores with the item on, be it shoes, clothes or accessories.
My dear hubby on the other hand will keep items in his closet for months, weeks or even years, "preserving" them. He once pulled out a really ratty looking and probably smelly (everything he owns is musty) t-shirt when I requested that he put on something better. I gave a disapproving look and sneered. "What?!" is his response. "This is brand new!" Then he adds gleefully, "I've had it for 14 years!" And before I can continue with verbal attacks he beams, full of pride, "And it's Calvin Klein!"
At which point, I have to burst out laughing. CK was maybe exclusive in the 80s, but in today's world, you can get CK at Costco and it's all made it China anyway!
"That's right. So you have 4 grandparents. 2 grandmas and 2 grandpas," I said to S as we were riding in the car, on the way to tot shabbat.
"Who's my other grandma? There's one at home," she replied.
"Well, Baba is your grandma too, even though you don't call her grandma. And Pa is your grandfather. And your other grandfather lives in Thailand."
A moment of silence follows my explanations as she mulls these facts.
"Who's my other mom?!" she asked.
I chuckle..."You only have one mom and one dad," I told her.
S has been out of school for a week and a half now and I think we were all looking forward to her going back. This morning, I was woken up by a lovely rendition of a verse from Dayenu.
Her sweet voice softly sang:
Ilu ho-tsi, ho-tsi-a-nu, Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim, Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim, Da-ye-nu!
