The weekend in pictures

Our weekend was quiet and family-based, just like I like it. "That's the way, uh huh, uh huh. I like it. Uh huh, uh huh"(K.C. and the Sunshine Band, in case you are wondering) (and no, I'm not feeling very much into dancing to disco music. But it did pop into my head.)

RWF and I had a wonderful date night on Friday.  We were literally driving downtown when I decided on the restaurant (remember, we had two reservations because I couldn't make up my mind).  I said, "I'm feeling Beekman Street, not Maestro's." and RWF replied, "I know that you're feeling it..." (probably because I kept talking about its menu). So that's where we went.  And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.  Every bite, I had an audible reaction, "Mmmm..." or "Oh my gawd..." I hate it when I am eating with people and someone else does this, so I really should not do it myself. I did control myself a little. But sometimes, the food is so good that you can't help but show your appreciation! The food was incredibly delicious, fresh, and sourced from local farms (hooray!).  I loved our waiter, who answered my million questions and never looked annoyed, or over at his other tables distractedly. He answered all my questions or would run back to the kitchen to get the answer from the chef (at one point, RWF joked to him, "Next, she's going to want the farmers' names, and the names of their dogs...."). I loved sitting in a quiet, intimate setting across from RWF.  RWF always wants to have serious conversation.  He doesn't care about the Grammys, the latest celeb gossip or whether I should cut my hair. He wants to talk about The Future and Make Plans. So we did a little of that. Mainly, we just enjoyed good food together.  After reviewing the past year, we both figured out that our last real date night was....(drum roll)...when I was pregnant with Gianna!  Isn't that crazy? It was early summer, and I was a very big and very hungry (pregnant) date. We remembered that we have been out together one other time, an evening fundraiser that did not qualify as a "date" or quiet time together. So now we plan to make date nights a monthly thing. Hooray!

The only downside was I came home and discovered that my babysitter does not do dishes.  I wrote her a check and sent her on her way after getting the full report on Bode and Gianna. Then I walked into the kitchen to discover that every dinner dish, utensil, cup and bottle used while we were away was sitting on the counter, waiting to be washed or put into the dishwasher. It was such a bummer.

Isn't she pretty in pink

Saturday we (finally) hung a curtain over the ugly mini blind in Gianna's bedroom. I picked out a pink ruffled cotton, and it gives her room this warm, almost psychedelic pink haze all day. It is beautiful (or, at least I think so).  Gianna seems to like it, too.  It also makes her room a touch darker, which is great for naptime.

Babylein and her dada share chopsticks fun

Saturday evening, we ordered Thai in, and it was delicious.  I ate a whole order of Pad Thai by myself, save for a small spoonful I doled out to each of my other family members. Bode ate all the spring rolls. RWF ate most of the yellow curry and rice. Gianna ate bits and pieces of everything.  After dinner, she sat in a big chair by RWF and played with my empty container and one chopstick (Note: I didn't eat out of the container! I just set it on the table when I realized I was about to just finish off the whole order, so why keep walking back to the counter to refill my plate?).  At one point, I looked over at Bode and I swear I could see a visible change in him since he started preschool. While we cleaned up the take-out and the kitchen mess, Bode danced around with his baby blanket. He eventually asked me to knot it around him, and ended up wearing it as a dress.

After a bath, Bode asked me to knot his baby blanket again, and then he put it on his head. I said that he looked like he was a bride, wearing a veil. But he corrected me. "I'm a doctor!" he insisted.  He went to bed, still wearing the veil. An hour later, I would run upstairs and check on him, fearing suffocation or strangulation. The veil was still perfectly attached to his sweet head while he slept. I pulled it off.

The bride

The doctor

Gianna is (suddenly) enjoying story time before bed.  After a bath, we all pile into our bed with books.  She immediately lays her head on a pillow, drinks her "ba-ba" and listens to the story. It is such a nice, recent change in her.  I can't remember when Bode started really enjoying books. I just remember that I read with him from day one, and he always seemed to enjoy it.  I don't ever remember him being uninterested in books, or completely flat-out refusing to look at a book (like the Mia Gia has). I just remember him sitting with me and studying everything with those big blue eyes. But maybe I am forgetting. Maybe it is a development, age-appropriate thing.

The doctor and lovebug enjoying story time.

Sunday was spent unpacking my hospital bag, cleaning and enjoying family time. My method of dealing with the hospital bag that I loathe: I dumped it upside down, everything fell out on the floor and then I quickly sorted it into the dry cleaning pile or (literally) threw it into my closet (my closet is another post all to itself). We also packed RWF's suitcase for his trip.  I stuck some Valentine treats into his suitcase when he wasn't looking. Then we all played outside together.  It was super windy and cold, so we didn't last long.  I made a delicious "enchilada lasagna" for dinner. This was a new recipe, and I  used it because of the ingredients I had on hand. Bode helped me prep everything and then put it all together. After we put the "lasagna" in the oven, he decided that his green bowl would make a great hat.  

Disclaimer: no food was put into this bowl after he put it on his head!

Bode was beyond tired by Sunday afternoon, challenging us on everything and crying easily over much.  I think he was exhausted by preschool, and then ski lessons on Sunday just wiped him out.  He was in bed by 6:30 on Sunday.  We didn't hear a peep from him until 7:30 the next morning.

Do you see the heart shadow on the wall?  Do you see the beautiful, round, stripey baby belly?

And that was our weekend.  Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I have mixed emotions.  The "heart" part of Valentine's makes me wince and think about my mother.  And yet, my mom loved celebrating holidays.  She was a big kid, in that she loved decorating for, and celebrating, all holidays. I got really sad checking the mail this past week. I know that my mom would have sent us all Valentines, a lot of chocolate for me, and something special for Bode and Gianna. I want to celebrate because I know that is what she would want me to do. Ever since Bode was a baby, I have told RWF that we will celebrate holidays. This is because I have great memories of holidays, even every day occasions, being made special by my mom. I want to do the same for our babies. Celebrating holidays makes a few days out of the month more fun. Why not?!! Life is hard. Why not enjoy the little things when you can.  I have some Valentine surprises for the babies.  I also plan to make cupcakes or sugar cookies with Bode Wm., my little sweetheart/sous-chef, tomorrow. 

xo