Here is a video of Madeline. Just listen real close! Super cute.

There are so many apples out there right now that Madeline and I decided to make a French apple tart on Saturday night. We are trying to bake a lot over this break and looking to find a few specialties! She LOVES to help me whenever I am working in the kitchen and I love that she does. She seems to genuinely enjoy it. Here she is rolling out the dough and counting!

This weekend was busy with birthday parties on both days. Saturday morning, Charles had his 3rd birthday party. Rather than having it at their house, they rented out the judo hut. One thing that I really dislike about working full time is that there are so many fun classes and activities that happen during the day that Madeline just can't do. This little place was pretty cool. The kids were just able to run around and do pretty much whatever, everything was soft so if they fell, getting hurt was not really a problem. Not much crying went on. I think Charles was hit at one point by a girl but other than that, it was pretty tame. Madeline took awhile to warm up as usual but once she saw all of the fun things to do, she jumped right in. She apparently has a knack for balance. She found this little balance beam pretty fun. At first she had her socks on but when we turned around, she was pulling them off for better traction. She was serious about doing it well, arms out and all. That's Liz in the background...She also really likes to hang on bars, she has done this for awhile. She hangs and rocks her legs back and forth to get herself swinging. Pretty fun.
I am finally starting to cook a little bit again. It's weird how I just have no interest in food this time around. Nothing ever really sounds good. For 4 months it has been this way. For the last two Sundays however, I have been working my way back into the kitchen. I won't say that I'm not sick on Sundays but just less sick and not until later. So I need to strike when I can and get cooking done early. I made Aebelskivers which are really just pancake balls but that just doesn't sound as appetizing. I try and keep breakfast a little bit exciting for Madeline, I don't want her eating the same thing every day, I like her trying new things all of the time!
Anyways, there is a picture, they were pretty tasty.
Now, what am I going to make next Sunday??

Being pregnant, as you most know, leaves one feeling pretty emotional. I am a wreck lately! I am partly joking but also, a little serious. My hormones are messing with me.
I wake up at 3 every morning and lay there thinking about everything I have ever done wrong, everything I need to get done in the next couple of days, everything I need to fix, bills I need to pay, calls I need to make, students I need to talk to, trips I need to plan...funny, it's never about the house I should clean! Still, is this going to end soon or am I just doomed to be a nut job for good!?
Thank goodness for my fabulous and wonderfully patient husband. He has taken up a lot of (all of) the slack since I am basically sick 24/7. How did I get so lucky?!

Here is what the universe sent to me yesterday:

Shall I remind you, dearest Stacy, that the reason you care so much, sometimes even worry so much, is because there still exists between you and life, a passionate love affair.

And because of this, everything's going to be just fine.

xxoo,
The Universe

I love these. This couldn't have come at a better time. Ahhhh...cleansing breath.

Oh, and Iron and Wine, Sodom, South Georgia is a great song.

I know, here I go again, apologizing for not posting but as you know, my mind is occupied with other things these days. All I can manage at the moment is that new picture of Madeline at the top of the page! I will get something together soon. I have a bunch of pictures and videos of Madeline to post and plus a lot has been going on in our lives!
Thanks for always checking back!

It's so easy to just put videos up. They kind of speak for themselves and I can just do less writing!
Here are a few funny ones from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!



Here are two. I have more but don't have time right now. The first one is from our trip to San Francisco. This is in Golden Gate Park. We stumbled upon some sort of group dance lesson. It was so cool so I had to take a video.
The other one is of Charles and Madeline. He discovered her little ABC magnets and wanted to sing along for Madeline. She was unsure of him touching her stuff at first but then kinda got into it. They are super cute! Now she has started singing her ABC's too!

Yesterday, Madeline and I went up to Addie's house for a little visit and for some raspberry pickin'.
Madeline could not eat them fast enough.
Here is a video. Enjoy.

Madeline is very a very caring girl. She always wants to make sure we get a little try of whatever she's enjoying. Check it out.

So, yes, it has been a very long time it seems since I have entered anything! We have just been so busy since school has been out that today I think was our first day to just be at home with a relatively clean house and feeling like we could relax.
Anyways, there are a lot of photos to post so I will put some up of our trip to Calistoga with Mike's family, Madeline and my cake from yesterday and whatever else I can find.
There is also a very cool video.
Madeline is on fire right now. She is SO quick with new words and everyday, she is surprising us with something new.
She is really into Winnie the Pooh right now and also, has found a love of honey, probably something to do with Pooh. But she yells, "POOHHONEY!!" and spins in circles laughing. She has had a few of those honey sticks that we bought at the farmer's market and well, it was love at first taste.
Tonight, we also smoked a whole chicken breast on the bbq and she could not get enough of it! Holy cow, she probably ate half of a breast by herself. Her love of sausage is so weird. If she had just sausage for every meal of the day, she would be pleased as punch..."saussaus and eggies" is what she always asks for but she hardly ever eats the eggies but always the sausage. We get the kinds with no nitrites. Well, enough babbling! Here are some photos of the last couple of weeks!

So, this is wine tasting with Leslie. The guys took all of the kids while the ladies went out to lunch and did a little wine tasting. We are at Rombauer and I could barely slow the car down before she was out the door and hopping on the cow! (We dared her and well, of course she couldn't turn down a dare!)
These pictures of Mike and Hank are from the oyster fest. Some booths had HUGE oysters and they could barely choke them down...













That is a picture of the cool house we rented. It's actually a small bed and breakfast but we had the whole thing. I think it only sleeps 8 anyways.





Here is Madeline with her cousins. They were fast friends and she pretty much could care less about where I was, she just wanted to hang out with Emma. And Emma is SO good with her too!



That plate down there is what I had for lunch. We went to the CIA restaurant and I got the lamb kufta, it came with falafel, tzatziki some micro greens of course and crispy pita! YUM.






This is Madeline and her friend Hope, our neighbor. She came over and they painted one day. They had a ton of fun!




Sorry, the photos are all out of order because I can't figure this thing out! I am going to do two posts so that I can do it better on the next one!

There will always be people in your life, Stacy, who hold you back, who cost you too much, and who fail to see all you've done for them. But, of course, they're just there to teach you that you do have time, that you'll always be rich, and that your own high standards are all that matter.

You knew that,
The Universe

And here I thought I was the teacher. Silly me.

So all in all, it's better to live as if there are no "do-overs," so that you won't need one. But I thought I'd share this with you anyway, to work in the bits about fear, mistakes, and how precious today's opportunities really and truly are.

That's my message today. Well, it's part of it and it's the part that I like. We'll see what we can manage to do with our day today!


First, everyone needs to get fed:


Okay, now we are off...this is actually my attempt to get Madeline to take a nap because she just won't go with us home all day!
I will post more pictures later from our week at home.

Here is a video of our little independent girl! She is so determined to do just about everything herself.


And this video just speaks for itself...

Messages from the universe.


You just never know how close you are, Stacy.

Best to assume "very, very, very."

Verily,
The Universe

Ever heard of this? It's funny yet, usually, so true. Even though the messages make me smile, I am usually also thinking, "woah, totally. How did they know just what to say?"
It's this website called tut.com and they send messages as often as you like and they are just little daily messages that say something poignant. I look forward to them every morning!
This one from yesterday can probably be taken more than one way but I take it to mean, get off your ass, what are you waiting for, this could be your last day! I think that's a great way to try and live your life...anyways...
So, Madeline is doing great these days. She just got over a wicked cold/cough. It's horrible to hear such big and deep coughs coming from such a little girl. We have gotten rid of the crib and we gother a little toddler bed. She so far, loves to jump on it and play with her little animals. Sleep? No, not yet. Next week during break when her and I are home alone, we will be working on this.
Anyways, I am off to cook dinner!

Dinner on Friday Night.

Mint Sambol
Cauliflower Dum
Bangla Dal with Lime
Bangla Slow Cooked Beef with Browned Onions and Chapatis

How can I put into words how much I love South Asian foods? I have decided that what I want to do is move there, anywhere in the region really, and learn how to do the food the right way. Then, move back and do Fine Dining Asian food. There is just so much flavor and so many layers to one dish that it makes me crazy. I just don't understand how they eat like this every day. There are so many steps and ingredients to each dish...there much be an easier way...this is my new quest! To find out how they do it so easily! Anyways, that's my dream this week. Next week it could and probably will be something completely different.
Here is a picture of the dinner!

Here also, is a video of Madeline thoroughly enjoying Christmas music. She could not get enough of the piano playing snowman! She has learned a few new moves. She has some pretty good rhythm and it's only getting better. Last night we found out that not only does she like OCMS's Wagon Wheel song (ofcourse) but she LOVES the band and all of their music. She danced for the entire cd and for the entire set that they played on Austin City Limits. Maybe she has lots of great dancing in her future!