TEETH!

Captain has 8 teeth.  He got them all at once when he originally cut them.  It was rough on him.  Because he got so many at once, it's been awhile since he cut anymore.  I've noticed he's been fussier than usual and, this morning, he was chewing on his fingers.  So, I stuck my hands in there.  He is growing 2 on the bottom right and one giant one on the bottom left.  Plus, he's growing 3-4 on the top.  It was hard to tell because, by then, he wasn't happy with my fingers in his mouth and was biting down pretty hard.  Poor little guy!  

Maine 2015

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Books Read in August 2015

1. Servicing the Target by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Shadowlands series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Taking the Heat by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of the Jackson Girls' Night Out series. You can find more information here.)
3. Thrill Me by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Falling Under by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is part of the Ink and Chrome series. The order of which can be found here.)
5. Caged by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is part of the Mastered series. The order of which can be found here.)
6. The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
7. Running With the Devil by Lorelei James

Just some trashy books and The Hundred Foot Journey. They were all entertaining. Good summer reading, I suppose.

Papal Visit

So, the pope came to Washington DC today. Most of the city stayed home. Metro was a mess, but it always is. This was actually unrelated to the pope but to a blown transformer. Traffic and Metro traffic were lighter than usual allegedly. Regardless, because my office window overlooks one of the pope's scheduled stops, I wanted to try to make it in. I'm glad I did! You can see more photos on my Instagram.

Hi! #popefrancis #popeindc #popewatch

A photo posted by @princessapr on Sep 23, 2015 at 8:49am PDT

Pope! #popefrancis #popeindc #popefrancis

A video posted by @princessapr on Sep 23, 2015 at 8:55am PDT

August 2015 Weekend Update

You'd think I would be able to keep up if I do this monthly.  You'd think wrong.

The first weekend in August, we got up way too early to do family portraits.  I took the first picture.  We paid to have the second taken below.  I think I'm underpaid.  We went to brunch afterwards.  Little Miss wasn't feeling well, but she stuck it out.  

The next weekend, we went to Maine.  It was a mixed bag.  Poor Husband had to work and couldn't go.  Captain spent the first hour in the car screaming before he fell asleep.  It was a rough car trip up.  We finally made it no worse for the wear.  It turns out Captain hates the beach - he hated the sand and water.  Both kids had a stomach bug at different times.  Poor Little Miss was sick about half the trip and spent it on the chair with a bowl on her lap.  She started to feel better on the way home.  

We did celebrate my grandfather's 90's birthday while we were in Maine though.  That was a lot of fun.  It was clearly before the stomach bug hit.  

The following weekend was fairly quiet.  We went to the In-laws' pool and hung out with the nephews.  The next day, we got Captain's haircut.  It was traumatic for all involved.  It's growing out nicely though.

The last weekend was a busy one.  We went to a friend's pool which Little Miss says is the best thing ever.  She wants to go back.  After, we head home and had the in-laws for dinner for their anniversary.  It was a nice evening especially because I made the food the night before so it was relatively low key.

The last Sunday, I took the kids into DC.  We went through the Newseum and walked around - mostly grabbed snacks.  I always forget, but Little Miss had a bloody nose in the cafeteria, but she is such a champ with things like that.  She just sat while we waited for our order.  

She enjoyed the Newseum.  We skimmed a bit of it because of content, but I explained a bit to her.  It's interesting what parts really grabbed her.  She was flabbergasted at the idea of East/West Germany and any kind of censorship of news and information.  She found a good amount boring, but it ended on a high note because she got to be a "broadcaster" in front of the green screen at the end.  We spent about 5 hours there so I consider it a successful day.  Plus, you can't beat the rooftop view.  It was nice to have the balconies so the kids could have some outside time.  Captain finally napped halfway through, but he also appreciated the time spent walking outside.

It really was a great summer (and not over - wait until you see September).  I did a lot I've never done before like the Shakespeare Library, Library of Congress, Newseum, National Building Museum.  There are only a few other things on my tourist bucket list.  To be so close, it's a shame not to take advantage of everything - even the few attractions for which you have to pay.  *g*

New Food of the Week

I am making a conscious effort to encourage Little Miss to eat more than the few meat dishes and plain pasta. So, a few years ago, we did New Food of the Week. This went well for a little while, but I didn't keep up with it. So, I told her we're going to do it this time. So, she helped me pick out a dish. She specifically asked for a green vegetable. After deciding against peas, she chose asparagus. So, I made brown butter pasta with asparagus and bacon. 

Brown Butter Pasta with Asparagus & Bacon Recipe 
YIELD: Serves 4 to 6 

Ingredients: 

• 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped (optional) 
• 12 ounces uncooked bowtie pasta 
• 1 half stick Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt (1/4 cup) 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 pound asparagus, washed, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream 
• 2 green onions, sliced 

Directions: 
Cook bacon and chop up, if using. Bring a pot of water with plenty of salt to a boil. Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain pasta and add back to pot. While the water is boiling, add butter to a nonstick skillet and cook on medium heat until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Once the butter is browned, working quickly, turn heat off and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Remove butter and garlic and place in a clean bowl. Set aside. Add 1 tablespoon browned butter back to the skillet and turn heat to medium. Add asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream to pan along with remaining brown butter. Cook for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour asparagus and butter mixture over pasta in large pot. Mix pasta together. Serve with green onions and bacon (optional).

She declared the asparagus a win, but the overall dish wasn't.  She doesn't care for butter so that's probably why.  I'm glad she liked the asparagus.  So, we'll see what's on the menu for next week.

Books Read in July 2015

1. Complications by Atul Gawande
2. Insider by Olivia Cunning (NOTE: This is the first book of the Exodus End. The band featured has made a cameo in her previous series - book list is here.)
3. Opening Up by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is the first book in her Ink and Chrome series. You can find more information here.)
4. Unraveled by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is the third book in the Mastered series. The order of which can be found here.)
5. Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is the first book in the Cedar Ridge series. The order of which can be found here.)
6. Kiss Me by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
7. Holding Holly and Chasing Jillian by Julie Brannagh (NOTE: This is part of the Love and Football series. The order of which can be found here.)
8. Master of Freedom by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Mountain Masters and Dark Haven series. The order of which can be found here.)

I did a lot of reading. After a spell of heavier books, I jumped back into romance. I'll admit there was a mix of down and dirty and sweet so be wary if you use this for recommendations. Complications was my rare non-fiction book. I liked it. The author made things easy to follow. It gave great insight in a clear, concise way. I'd recommend it and I'd even go so far as to say I'd read his latest book.

Movies Watched in July 2015

1. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
2. Trainwreck
3. Magic Mike XXL

Little Miss and I watched Alexander which was an adorable, silly family movie. Then, Husband saw the first movie in years in the theater. He put his money where his mouth is and followed his girl, Amy Schumer, to her big screen debut. It was a pretty hilarious movie. I'd see it again just to catch the jokes we missed from laughing so hard. It's a bit naughty for those who don't like those types of films though. Friends and I saw Magic Mike XXL, and it is a movie you need to see with girlfriends. It was fun and silly and everything you'd expect.

And so it begins...

Little Miss has always had questions about, well, everything.  So, following up baby talk with periods seemed natural.  Luckily, she hasn't bridged the gap between the cycle and birth and asked about that yet.  She is totally disgusted by the entire menstruation process.  She is also really angry that it seems that girls have to deal with this and boys do not.  I'm hoping that she forgets about it for awhile.  Otherwise, she'll waste these next few years being an angry emotional stress ball.  If I have to deal with all those emotions, there better be hormones attached to them and not just because the world is unjust.  She should start to work fighting gender inequality some other way.  I don't think she'll win a battle over Mother Nature.  

LBS

Little Miss took a few days to travel with her cousin and my parents.  Captain was pretty good without her and loves the attention.  However, he did spend time looking at her bed and playing with her things.  He was extremely excited when she returned though.  For convenience, we put him into bed a few minutes before her.  He screamed his head off for 10 minutes.  He'd stop crying whenever she came into the bedroom and then start up whenever she left.  As soon as I tucked her in and left, he was more than content with his big sister in his sights and stopped crying in the middle of a sob and fell asleep.  Vacation should be interesting.  They're sleeping in separate bedrooms.  I don't know if there's a cure for Little Brother Syndrome, but he has an aggressive case of it.

July 2015 Weekend Update

It turns out July was a busy month!  We spent the Fourth of July with the Inlaws.  It poured so we were inside eating and watching the fireworks on tv, but we did get about 5 minutes in the pool.  The nephews were there as well, and the cousins had a good time together.

The second weekend was Nephew's fifth birthday party.  It was an Ironman theme (though many of the other superheroes made an appearance).  Captain and I went in theme clothing - though Captain didn't care for the mask.  It was a good time.  I can't believe Nephew is 5!  

The next day, Husband played golf with a friend's husband while Captain, my friend and I went to her pool.  It was really nice, and the pool was beautiful.  Little Miss was in Florida with my family.  We had a lovely dinner at my friend's house before heading home.

The third weekend, I met friends for Thai and then we went to see a movie.  After, I got to pick up Little Miss after a week away.  It was nice to have her home, and everyone was thrilled to see her - but no one more so than Captain!

The fourth weekend, we mostly just ran some errands - Target, the library, the grocery store.  It was busy and hot, but Little Miss loves to just drive around and be helpful.

Towards the end of the month, I took some time off.  I took a half day and brought Little Miss to work with me.  She loves coming to work.  She watched a movie and mostly hung out and write me little notes.  My parents met me at my office after lunch.  Then, we all went to The National Building Museum which I've never been to before.  There is a "beach" exhibit currently which is basically a giant ball pit.  It was insane.  It's been many years since I've been in a ball pit, and it was much easier as a kid from what I remember.  Little Miss made a friend, and had a blast though.  We had dinner and then headed home.

The next day, I met friends from out of town and out of country.  We did The Library of Congress, The Folger Shakespeare Library, walked by The Supreme Court, Dupont Circle, went to The National Geographic Museum, and drove by some other sites.  A local friend hosted us for dinner, and it was a really good time.  I got to do things and see some sites I don't normally (or haven't ever) see.

If I Was President...

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Little Miss has been writing in a journal all summer.  The teacher gave her some suggested topics.  One topic was If I were the President, I would...  This is what she wrote:

Make sure everyone can go to a good and safe school.  Make sure everyone can go everywhere.  Give moms and dads more time off to be with their kid.  Make sure everybody does the right stuff.  Make sure everyone has food.  Give kids Monday off.

I've really enjoyed the writing assignments because it's really given us insight to what she thinks about.  I'm feeling much better about taking a day off to do some sightseeing with just my Little Miss next week now.  

The Birds and the Bees

Last night, Little Miss said she wished she and Captain were the same age because she wanted to know what it was like to be a baby.  I explained that you forget what it's like to be a baby because memory and language isn't developed enough.  I could tell her what it was like for me when she was a baby, but no one can really know what it was like for her as a baby.  She then rambles and said she wanted to adopt a baby.  I gently told her that that's a great idea, but we are a two-child household and all done.  She corrected me and said, "No.  I want to adopt when I'm older because I don't want stitches."

Ah.  I told her that was still a good idea, and she can do what she chooses.  I then told her that you don't have to get stitches if you have a baby.  That was only one way babies are born.  So, of course, she asked what the other way was.  So, I told her.  Her eyes got very big.  Then, she pretended to throw up.  A second passed.  Another.  She then says, "But how does a baby fit?"  I told her that the passage stretches to accommodate a baby when it's time.  

Then, the eye rolling and (fake) gagging really went into high gear.

I'm glad that I didn't have to explain how they got there in the first place.  And also glad that I don't have to worry about grandkids for awhile.

My Least Favorite Part of Parenting

Seriously, feeding children is the bane of my existence.  I hate it.  I'm thrilled that Captain is not a picky eater.  I'm thankful that he doesn't throw his food like his sister.  However, I forgot how messy self-feeding is.  Last week, I gave him shrimp salsa for dinner (recipe posted last week).  I picked out the onions and gave him the tomato, shrimp and avocado.  I also microwaved some frozen corn up for him.  I fussed around while he sat in his chair eating.

I turned back, and he had smooshed avocado all in his hair and all over his face.  I just ran the bath immediately.  He had avocado in his onesie.  It was just everywhere.  He thought it was hilarious. Plus, I got the distinct feeling he knew how messy he was and how grossed out by it all I was.  Boys.

Sort of walking!

To be honest, Captain is still a bit lazy.  He will walk a little everyday though.  He is very proud of himself.  He's great at standing.  Until he can walk as fast and strong and confident as when he crawls, he won't.  Still, progress!

Siblings

Little Miss has been gone for a little over a week.  She went to Florida with my family.  Captain missed her greatly.  He had trouble sleeping and just wasn't quite himself.  His face lit up when she walked in the room.  However, he has enjoyed getting Daddy time.  Normally, Little Miss is a Daddy's Girl so Captain is stuck with me.  He's been enjoying uninterrupted Daddy time and space.  He was not happy to share the lap.  However, he loved having Little Miss read to him before bed again and have her walk him around and play with him.  They play so well together and so quietly.  They'll just sit on the floor and talk, and she'll "teach" him things.  I wonder how close they'll be when they're older with the age and gender difference, but they have a strong foundation at least.

Books Read in June 2015

1. Landline by Rainbow Rowell
2. Suddenly One Summer by Julie James (NOTE: Julie James has many recurring characters, but she writes so you can pick up her books at any point. There is a cameo by a character from a previous book, but this one stands alone more than others.)
3. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
4. Looking for Alaska by John Green

I really liked Landline. It was a little woowoo with the magic landline, but I liked the story about marriage. It would be a good discussion book on readers' views on the main character or if readers agreed with the ending. I really like Rainbow Rowell's books a lot. I just wish there were more of them. It was a pretty great month for reading - the quantity may have been small, but the books were good. I think I liked the other Liane Moriarty book better, but this was good.

Disney Magic

Little Miss is in Disney this week with my family (Parents, Sister, Nephew, Aunt, Uncle, and one cousin and his girlfriend). It seems like she's having a blast. We certainly miss her - and no one more than her brother. We get her back this weekend.

Movies Watched in June 2015

1. Spy
2. X-Men: Days of Future Past
3. Togetherness
4. Inside Out
5. Captain America: Winter Soldier
6. A Million Ways to Die in the West
7. Whiplash
8. Edge of Tomorrow

I saw Spy and Inside Out in the theater. Both were hits! I had Whiplash and Captain America on DVR so I finally cleared those out. The rest were on some streaming service. Togetherness is a show on HBO. I binge-watched Season 1. I'm going to try to watch Season 2 when it's released, but we'll see. I like everyone on it. It's kind of a sticky little dramedy.

Ned a fresh appetizer?

This shrimp salsa was super tasty! I did add avocado and you could probably add black beans. I'd add a little more salt than I did, but the cilantro made the whole dish. Unless you hate cilantro, then obviously don't add it.

Skinny Shrimp Salsa
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: a little over 1/2 cup • Old Points: 2 pt • Points+: 2 pts Calories: 74.9 • Fat: 0.9 g • Protein: 12.5 g • Carb: 4.4 g • Fiber: 0.9 g • Sugar: 0.2 g Sodium: 278.2 mg

Ingredients:

• 16 oz cooked peeled shrimp
• diced fine 4 vine ripe tomatoes
• diced fine 6 tbsp red onion
• finely diced 3 tbsp jalapenos, diced fine (more or less to taste) 
• 2 tbsp minced cilantro 
• 2 limes, juice of (or more to taste) 
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt 

Directions: 

Combine diced onions, tomatoes, salt and lime juice in a non-reactive bowl and let it sit about 5 minutes. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, taste for salt and adjust as needed. Refrigerate and let the flavors combine at least an hour before serving.

I let it sit overnight, and it made a big difference. I didn't add jalapenos because I'm a baby. I kind of really eyeballed it. It did make a lot. We fed 4 adults and a baby/toddler and had a LOT leftover.