Before I dig in:
My first blog post had hits from all over the world (I don’t think I know anyone in Russia)! Totally unexpected and really cool. Thanks everyone! Anyway… to err on the safe side, my husband (“B”) and I decided that nicknames are more appropriate for our babies… not really sure if that ultimately makes any difference, but I thought it would be fun anyway. I asked them what they wanted to be called and my oldest son said “Jet”. Which he has never been called a day in his life… until now for the world to see. I think you all know my second son “Mighty” by now. I don’t think I could change that nickname if I tried for a year. And finally, little bird girl will just be “Bird” which is not really a stretch either.
Back to business…
After our stellar weekend and ok Monday, today we woke up to… snow. Jet (this is going to take some getting used to) looked out the window and said, “Oh man, this is definitely not a sign of spring.” Secretly, I’m a little relieved. When you live in a place that sees so few sunny days, you have to get out and make the most of them… leading to sheer exhaustion that doesn’t catch you until you go back to gray. At that point, a day inside is restorative. It’s a time to catch up with the inside workings of our home (i.e. the laundry beast, the sink full of dishes, the legos ALL over the house). It’s hard for me to balance the chore obligations on those sunny days, when all I want to do is play. So today, I clean, regroup, and listen to my newest music love: Lhasa de Sela. Her pandora station is perfection in world music.
The boys and I did go rock climbing last night! Unfortunately, I couldn’t climb because I didn’t have a belay partner. I was bummed hard core but I settled for belaying the boys which was probably just as exciting. Man, did they rock! I had a predetermined idea that Mighty would be the one to fall in love… but Jet blew my socks off. It was a real lesson in problem-solving and strategy for him. Learning where to place this foot so that this hand can reach to move higher. I didn’t expect that his brain would be working as hard as his muscles. I think it was a good medium for him because he tends to lean toward activities that require more thought. It was fun for all.
Despite our recent days of adventure, we managed to whip up some easy and delicious meals. B made his version of migas for breakfast Sunday and I will be certain to share his recipe soon. It’s a true Austin meal and sooo good. Sunday night, I made my favorite go-to meal: Brown Rice Salad. I love this one because you can really use any veggie you have on hand. I’ve made it with peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, left over chicken, tofu… the list goes on. Here’s the version I made this weekend, and I think this particular combo of ingredients worked well together.
I’m still trying to be happy about spring… Perhaps it feels the same way as I do. After it’s dizzying and dramatic entrance, it needed a short break. It’s taking a little cat nap, down with the newly emerged crocus and skunk cabbage under our fresh blanket of snow.
