Speaking Spanish

As you may remember, Little Miss knows a little Spanish. Today, she was counting her toys and informed me that she was going to count them in Spanish. She's since learned to say "cuatro", but she really only counts to 10. So, she starts counting her trains and figurines. She counts to ten and insted of continuing with once, doce, trece, she says diez y one, diez y two. She had the right idea down and I liked that she was counting above 10. It made me laugh quite a bit.

Best Friend, Minnie

Little Miss goes through phases with her favorite stuffed animal, but when it all comes down it, Minnie always comes back. I also think it's because the Disney Channel has been advertising a new Minnie movie soon. (Sidenote: I have to remember to record it if it airs on tv or maybe an Easter present if it's a DVD release.) She likes her stuffed friends on her bed, the more the merrier, and she'll hug them, but she doesn't necessarily cuddle when she sleeps. So, it was just adorable when I walked in last night and saw her hugging Minnie in her sleep. I just had to take a picture. I know she's going to love meeting Minnie in person this summer at Disney World.  Plus, what's really adorable is that Minnie was a gift from Aunt, Uncle and Cousins before Little Miss was born so she and Minnie go way back.

Where is that Mysterious Thumbkin?

Little Miss sang Where is Thumbkin all weekend. At various times, she'd say "Where is pumpkin" which is the cutest, but now she kind of says Thumbkin. The "TH" sound is still tricky for her. Anyway, without further ado, here is Little Miss singing:

Skipping a Beat

I wanted to take this time and space to recommend you read Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen. I was lucky enough to win an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in a contest. The book really takes off in the first chapter, and the author is super lovely. If you have a chance to read the book, do let me know your thoughts, and, if you have nice things to say, you can find the author on Facebook and Twitter. The book is not my usual genre of romance, but I branch out every so often (more often than not lately). I suppose, if I had to choose a genre, it's kind of in between Women's Literature and Chick Lit.

Connecting the Dots

Little Miss has been showing the very early signs of reading in that she's noticing familiar letters on signs. She also is identifying letters in words. Last week, we spent a half hour naming words that have the letter "S" in them. She also points to things constantly and wants to know what they say. Last night, she wanted to know what her fork said. I told her it said "Gerber". Then, she turned it over and asked what it said. I had no idea so I peeked and then told her it said, "China". Her face lit up and she said, "Just like where the Wonder Pets went to save the panda!" I think it's kind of cute how she can put her tv shows into other situations and connect the baby panda to her fork. I'd normally say she's the smartest kid ever, but the same kid ran into a table at school last week because she wasn't looking where she was going so we clearly still have some areas on which we need to work.

Weekend Update - Busy Bees

We had quite the busy weekend!  On Friday night, I raced home and had Little Miss dropped home early.  We changed into our Disney princess outfits (I had an Ariel t-shirt on and she dressed as Snow White), and we met Husband in the city to see Disney on Ice.  Little Miss was happy enough to be on the Metro.  She was even more thrilled to see her favorite princesses ice skating!  She had a blast and her eyes were wide open the entire show.  She was allowed one keepsake and chose a magic wand.

The next morning, we got up early (for a Saturday) and drove to Wisp Resort where my parents have a townhouse. We settled in and had some lunch. Mom, Sister and her boyfriend and Nephew were there. Later, we met Dad and went ice skating.  Little Miss loved it, but as it was her first time, it was a bit challenging.  So, she took a half turn or two and called it a day.

On Sunday, we took the kids skiing. Little Miss informed us she wanted to go all the way to the top of the mountain. So, we took her to the top of the bunny hill.  She rode the Magic Carpet lift all the way up and her aunt helped her ski all the way down three times.  After the third time, Little Miss was more than ready to go home, but it's still fun for her.  She actually wants to snowboard, but we told her she needs to ski first.

We mostly watched a movie on Sunday night and then took the big drive home on Monday. You can see Little Miss and Sister (and Nephew right in front) skiing in the video below:

Genius!

Unfortunately, the genius to whom I refer in the title is not me. I bought an iPod Touch around Christmas. Little Miss has a couple of games on there which she enjoys. Since Christmas, she can now turn on, locate her game and play. She can also open other applications and make changes if I don't supervise her well enough. Because she doesn't know my password, it is nearly impossible for her to purchase anything at least. The other day, I was on the PC on Facebook and noticed that I had a new status update. It was a bunch of random letters and symbols. Little Miss was on the couch looking at my Facebook page.


The infinity symbol refers to my ride home last night which, yes, does seem like eternity sometimes, but that is not why I chose the symbol. I discovered that Little Miss also knows how to go into my song library, play songs and also put my music on loop. I don't know what's worse - the fact that Little Miss can manipulate my iPod that well or the fact that it took me 20 minutes to realize that the same song was playing on loop during my drive home.

Weekend Update - Books, Chocolate and Flowers

I owe you two weekend updates. Because I have the memory of a puppy, they'll be brief. Two weeks ago will be very brief. Two weeks ago, we went ran errands on Saturday and picked up a new wireless printer (and groceries). Then, on Sunday, we went to the indoor pool where Little Miss was thoroughly tired out. It was a nice weekend. Low-key family time.

Last weekend was a big busier. On Saturday, I was pretty much gone all day. I had book club at lunch time where we discussed the book. Then, afterwards, I stayed behind at my friend's house and we watched two movies and did pizza delivery. It was a good day. Then, Sunday, it was a lazy day. I did go to the mall with Little Miss to pick up a few things - a prescription and ice cream (though I didn't eat mine, it's still in the fridge).

Then, on Monday, Little Miss received her Valentine's Day present from us - helmet, pads and roller skates! She seems to enjoy them. They're only at Stage 1 which is basically marching as the wheels are fixed. Stage 2 has wheels that only move forward and Stage 3 has anything goes. On Tuesday, Little Miss celebrated Valentine's Day at school (last weekend, she admitted to liking a boy - the only boy in her class - in a sing-song voice). She came home to find that Husband bought her roses. He also bought me a dozen roses as well. She picked the pink and left the orange ones for me. It was very sweet. 

Tackling Fear

I have to say that Little Miss has never really been afraid of anything.  However, she had a healthy disdain for the vacuum cleaner.  When we cleaned up after our Christmas tree this year, Little Miss hugged (HUGGED!) Mrs. Vacuum.  It was great progress.  Yes, you read correctly.  It is Mrs. Vacuum.  We think she's shacking up with Mr. Broom, but Little Miss has never really confirmed to whom Mrs. Vacuum is married.  Furthermore, it is Miss Moon.  Evidently, Miss Moon isn't as lucky as Mrs. Vacuum and is still looking for Mr. Right.

Also, last night, Little Miss ran into a pitch black room.  After not being a big fan of the dark, she just ran into the room.  It was a proud moment.  She told me she wasn't afraid because there were no monsters.  Such a big, fearless girl.

Is That Your Final Answer?

There's no photo of the event so this will have to do.  It is a good representation of the mess.  Same location but, instead of clothes, there was a Little Miss and a lot of books.  We went to put Little Miss to bed and noticed the gigantic mess.  So, we asked her if she made the mess.  She looked at us and said no.  So, of course, the next question was, who took all these books off the shelf?  Her first answer was "I don't know."  When pressed, her second answer was the books fell all by themselves.  Yep, all by themselves.  She was so honest-looking and so earnest in her answer that Husband had to leave the room to laugh himself hysterically while I was left to ferret out the truth, get her to clean up her own mess and discipline.

Some Mad Men Fun

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Movies Watched in January 2011

1. Black Swan
2. Howl
3. Shutter Island
4. The Kids are Alright

Books Read in January 2011

1. Just the Way You Are by Barbara Freethy
2. Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

I did not read a lot this month, been too scattered. Plus, the month was busy. It started with Husband in the hospital and then Little Miss had the stomach bug, and things were just busy. This month, I read a book on my Kindle app on my iPod. So, when necessary, I will link to the version of the book I read.

For Call Me Irresistible, it is indirectly part of a series, but it's not necessary to read the previous books so I did not list them. I'm a stickler for order so if I say you can read a book on its own, you can. It was a fun read. Hopefully, more reading during February, but I'm definitely off to a slow start (despite it being the first day of the month).

Storytime

Little Miss loves books.  She has her favorites - The Little Engine that Could, The Snowy Day, Pancake Pancake, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Lately, she's been "reading" by herself.  With some books, she knows portions by heart so she'll "read" the book from memory.  However, with some books, she is not familiar with the text so she'll make up the story based on the pictures.  Last night, we were lucky enough to snag it on video.  I'm not even sure what book it was, but I think it's a Poky Little Puppy pop-up book about Christmas based on the fact she mentions Santa and cookies and milk (and the beautiful puppy).  Enjoy!

Weekend Update - Our Big Girl

Last weekend was a busy one. We did as little as possible on Friday night. I made homemade pizza and went to bed early. Luckily, Husband cleaned up because I was really only interested in wine, pizza and bed - in that order. In case you were wondering Rex Goliath makes a super tasty Pinot Grigio. 

Anywhoo, on Saturday, Little Miss and I had a quiet morning and then the three of us went to Ikea.  It was a little overwhelming and Husband lost his patience, but we were successful in buying a big girl bed, mattress, and bedding.  Also, we bought Little Miss a treat for being a Big Girl.  She picked the bed.  It helped her embrace all the changes if she had some ownership in the decisions.  So, even though a little of me cried inside when she chose a bed that did not match the rest of her furniture, she was very happy.  I would have even been happy with the version of the bed that came in natural but she chose the blue.  The In-Laws came over for dinner for a belated Christmas exchange and dinner - also a guise under which to get Father-in-Law over to put together the new bed.  I wouldn't trust anything we put together for Little Miss.

On Saturday, Sister and Nephew came to pick us up. We did a quick lunch at McDonald's and went to Baltimore to Port Discovery. The kids had a blast. It was 3+ hours of running, climbing, drawing, and playing.

They loved the water room. They could discover what sank and what floated. They could play with boats, legos and other items in water. They could make a giant bubble around themselves and spray water to musical instruments to make noise. Unfortunately, my kid is the one who walked in front of the water. The museum supplied raincoats and crocs though (which my kid also didn't want to wear) and had a heat lamp and dryers before you left. Let's just say my kid was damp even after we got home, but she had a blast (and wore layers so she was only wet on the outside - it never went through the sweater).

The kids were exchausted when we left.  Little Miss fell asleep first after putting up a good fight.  I gave her permission to rest and, within seconds, she was out.  Nephew fought a little harder, but before long, both kids were out until we got home.  Our little troopers.

Because she was a Big Girl, Little Miss got to pick out a treat at Ikea. She wanted a tent. So, we bought her the little tent, and I put it together last night. She says she really likes it though she's yet to really be inside of it. It's really a coincidence that she has a hat on outside of the igloo. It's not that cold in our apartment.  Sunday night, Husband and I had a nice dinner and watched a movie. It was a nice cap to a busy weekend.

So, busy weekend, but we got through it. Little Miss has been great about the new bed. She also had to say goodbye to her pacifier. We had prepared her, but it was still a little rough. However, both nights she's been in her new bed, she hasn't gotten out once. She stalls, but she did that with her crib, but she'll stay in bed. She does like to climb out in the morning and did so on Sunday. Husband awoke to a little face next to his saying, "I awake, Daddy!"

Future on Wheel of Fortune/Jeopardy!

Category would be Before and After.

The answer would be:  Lead singer of matchbox twenty who is useful on the Island of Sodor. 

The question would be:  Rob Thomas the Tank Engine.

Little Miss and I were in the car listening to my iPod.  I had no tolerance for kid music today so I made her listen to my iPod on shuffle.  A Rob Thomas song came on, and she was listening.  She tilts her head and goes, "Mommy, who's this?"  I tell her Rob Thomas was singing.  She waits a beat and then says "Just like the train!"  I agreed to which she responded "I'm so smart."

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

Some of you read this on Facebook the other day.  For those who didn't, this was our conversation at the dinner table the other night.

Little Miss:  Daddy, you're a boy.  Mommy and me are Girls. 

We both nod at this.

Husband:  What's the difference between boys and girls?

Little Miss:  I don't know.  Tell me, Daddy.

Husband looks at me.

Me:  Tell her, Daddy. 

Husband:  Boys have a penis, and girls have a vagina.

This has been our answer to this recurring question.  At this stage, she seems to accept that answer without any follow-up questions.  So, she thinks about this information and then says:

Little Miss:  Boys are penises...

I laughed and couldn't disagree, but I did set her straight.  I mean, come on, sometimes, boys are penises.  She is a wise one.

(NOTE:  You should be able to click on the photo to enlarge it if you have trouble reading it.)

What I've Been Cooking Lately

2011 is my year to try new recipes.  The first thing you have to know is that I follow recipes.  I'm not an cook that cooks with instinct.  I can't put my own spin on things.  Husband is more like that than I.  He'll research recipes and then whip up his own creation.  I like a list and instructions.  Anyway, I've tried a handful of new recipes that have worked and hope to keep the trend up.

First, I baked cupcakes for the first time.  OK, they were from a box, but I've never done it before so it counts as something new.  Plus, Little Miss thought I was a superhero practically for making them.

Second, I made Honey-Teriyaki Chicken (photo above) with Snow Peas with Toasted Almonds. I actually made this twice.  It came out different both times.  Basically, the second time, it was less sweet.  Plus, the second time, I burned my almonds and added the lemon juice.  I think I liked it better the first time with no burned almonds and no lemon juice.  Of course, the time I burned the almonds was when I was cooking for a friend and not just myself.

Third, I made Tomatoes Provencal. These were pretty good. The lemon zest was strong, and I didn't even put the whole amount into the dish. Still, it wasn't bad, added a bit of freshness. I made these for friends, and we ate them with steak and potatoes and they were a perfect light side dish. They do not heat up as well unless you rebake, but the tomato moisture gets absorbed into the breadcrumbs. 

Snow Peas with Toasted Almonds
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook until golden and fragrant and butter begins to brown, stirring frequently, about 11/2 minutes. Add snow peas and shallot; sauté until snow peas are crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and serve.

Honey-Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, mix honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Transfer chicken and sauce to baking sheet.


Bake chicken, skin side up, basting occasionally with pan juices, until well browned and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve chicken drizzled with pan juices.


Tomatoes Provencal
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh plain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
Leaves from a few sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 large tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch slices

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish. In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups fresh plain breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, leaves from a few sprigs fresh thyme and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.


Arrange 4 large tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch slices, in prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly; season with salt and pepper. Top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until tomatoes are tender and crumbs are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

I will say that I used a 3-quart glass dish and lined with foil.  Also, I baked for the allotted time and then put it under the broiler for a few minutes until browned.  I think I'd rather some more thyme. 

Movies Watched in December 2010

1. When in Rome
2. The Social Network
3. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Books Read in December 2010

1. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
2. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
3. Beastly by Alex Flinn
4. Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume by a variety of authors
5. A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas (NOTE: This is part of the Wallflower series. Details can be found here, but the order is Secrets of a Summer Night, It Happened One Autumn, The Devil in Winter and Scandal in Spring.)
6. Rough Riders series by Lorelei James (NOTE: The order of the series can be found here.)

I actually have had A Wallflowers Christmas forever, and I thought it would be nice to read during the holidays. It was quite cute. A word of note that the last series listed is erotica so don't go checking it out if you're not into that type of thing. It's extremely graphic. If you do like that sort of thing, it was well done for the genre. There was an actual storyline with a touch of romance.