Intergalactic Cooking

Christian and I could barely contain our laughter when this little library selection made its second (or maybe even third) appearance in Luz's book bag after library last week:


There is no question that there is plenty of love for Star Wars around here. Christian buys SW sheets and p.j.s and figures and books and movies and whatever else he can find and - thanks to Aunt Kate - we have a complete Star Wars pancake making set - so it makes sense that Luz, in an effort to please Christian, selected this book during library. Once, it makes sense, more than that is just a tad strange. She has, on average, one visit to the library a week, which does not leave much time for the endless rows of beautiful books just waiting to come home with her...glossy pages filled with tales of princesses and ballerinas, but yet all we have seen around here, with the exception of a lovely ballerina/fairy book last week, are multiple volumes from a "How To" set of proper pet care that looks something like this:


(truly, we have read about all types of dogs and cats, rodents and rabbits and even amphibians)and then the cookbook. I just don't get it but am, needless to say, entertained by her choices.

In an effort to show my appreciation for her excitement about the cookbook, we spent some time reading through it and selecting a recipe to cook. We agreed on popcorn balls, which, in retrospect, was a terrible idea. I somehow got the recipe wrong and it totally did not work. Round two was this afternoon and we decided to make a variation of Jawa Smoothies. Luz did not really like them but they were well-received by Christian and James. And, at least tasted how I imagine they are supposed to taste, unlike the popcorn balls which we could not even get to stick together.

Here is a pic of Luz and James earlier today, ready to cook:

We had a great weekend. The weather was warm and sunny so we spent most of it outside. We went to the Freret Street Fair on Saturday followed by the Fete Francais and ended the weekend at the City Park playground before dinner at mom-moms. I do not think we caught up on any much-needed rest or the list of chores around the house, but it would have been a shame to waste such beautiful weather inside tackling a to-do list. We can save that for a rainy day.

Luz and James at the Freret Street Fair...fresh squeezed, sugary lemonade:


Taking turns testing out Uncle Richmond's bike while we waited for C to get back with a Cuban sandwich:

W O W

My beautiful grandmother, James and Luz's GG, celebrated a birthday earlier this week and, although I could not be there in person for the cheers because I was making my way home through the lovely Eastern Kentucky mountains, I was there in spirit.

And when I finally made it home very late last night after what seemed like hours and hours of somewhat risky travel through fog and up and down narrow mountain passes and then thunderstorms dumping hail, I saw this picture and it took my breath away:


When I am 84 I would like to be just like her. Happy Birthday GG, with all my love.

Warm Weather Weekend

It is hard to believe that it has been a week since my last post. There is no question that it was a crazy week, but I can usually muster at least a post or two. I have been incredibly busy at work and James has become increasingly challenging to put to sleep at night so the time to write even a quick post has dwindled substantially, along with any bit of energy I had to be creative.

Fortunately, we had a lovely, mostly mellow weekend enjoying the warm weather and I managed to catch up on some of the things I love most - time with Christian and the kids, running, reading, taking pictures and cleaning. Well, I did not really clean, but I did pick up all day every day...toddlers are messy, and so are 5.5 year olds for that matter. Christian took my car to the car wash today too, so I guess that sort of counts as cleaning.

Before I enjoy the last few minutes of my weekend I wanted to share some pics of the kids I took during the soccer game on Saturday...I was playing around a bit with the camera, using some manual settings and I edited the pictures on the computer for a 'cleaner' effect because the pics are not properly exposed. Interesting. I still love the auto setting because I am lazy and don't really have the time to learn enough about the proper shutter speed and f-stop combos...but this was fun,

Loki, Lok, Lokinator, Oakley

Over the past few months we noticed that Loki seemed to be slowing down. His barking slowly decreased in volume, duration and frequency to the point where it is now pretty rare to hear that incessant barking that used to drive me batty. His ability to run 10 miles is long gone, in fact, 3 is a stretch these days. He has lost 8 lbs since his check-up in October and he seems just sort of, well, old these days.

There's no question that Lok, once the main focus of our attention, became second in line after Luz was born and then third in line after James was born, but he has to feel the love. First thing in the morning and last thing at night, I spend a few minutes with him reminding him he is loved, scratching the backs of his ears, tempting him with treats and daydreams of running through the sugar cane fields. We have our quality time together. And, yeah, I occasionally forget to fill his water bowl and maybe he misses a meal or two, but I have always been the one to take him for long walks at sunset and interesting runs around NOLA at daybreak.

It is clear to me, though, that our time with Loki is special right now, and so when the sunlight is just right and he seems so perfectly content I smile and try to remember to be thankful that he is why Luz and James will always love dogs.

Mardi Gras 2011 - Part 3

Thoth Sunday is always the highlight of Mardi Gras for me. After an absolute washout on Saturday for Iris that left us trudging through calf-deep flood waters, the beautiful sunny Sunday was a welcome treat. The crowds were horrendous because the rain on Saturday resulted in the relocation of Endymion from the usual Mid-City route to the Uptown route following Bacchus. The shift is always a total bummer for everyone involved - Endymion in Mid-City is a huge tradition (not one I have ever really participated in, but an important one for Mid-City folks) and adding another parade, especially one with a fan base like Endymion, to Sunday makes for a logistical challenge and an exhausting day.

I know...complaining about a day of parades sounds silly but there is something to be said for simplicity and restraint. In my opinion, there is some merit to the idea that we should return to the old days of one parade a day and one or two stuffed animals per parade.

We took it all in stride, paced ourselves, made friends with territorial parade-goers who roped off large portions of the neutral ground making it almost impossible to get kids to and from the ladders, and most of us made it to and through all of the parades...most of us.

The highlight of the day/night was not even the parades - though Bacchus and Endymion were beautiful to watch - so perfectly bright and big and entertaining - but hanging out with family and friends who made a special trip just for the occasion. We loved meeting new babies out and about for their MG debuts and catching up with old friends and family members we do not see often.

A few other highlights from our week were the annual ASH Krewe of Smocks (despite the relocation to the gym because of the rain), Friday po-boy lunch with the family, and Proteus and Orpheus Lundi Gras night (two beautiful parades - in two totally different styles - old and new).

Mama on the ladder...up there just to catch one of my friends in Thoth...snagged my favorite catch of the year...a set of Saints bobble-heads which were shared with friends and family before I could snap a pic. On Sunday Lucy started out in purple play clothes but it only lasted an hour - she ultimately settled on her go-to pink gown:


Barbara and Auntie Ruthie...boas:


Betsy with my sweetheart - world's best baby ever - goddaughter, Eliza:


Lu and Edward...his first MG...and I think he is hooked...and yes, she is in costume:


Lundi Gras morning...this is how tired everyone was...unfortunately some of us had to wake up and go to work:


Lu with Emma, waiting for Proteus to start...note modified Snow White costume in this shot:


Celebrating Papa-T's birthday...this one is in here to show you yet another costume...this time with a feeble and frightening attempt at makeup as well. Gag.


Mama and Superman, waiting for Rex:


MG day meltdown...Superman had enough:


Headed home after Rex...I get the feeling next year we will not be able to avoid the truck parade:

Mardi Gras 2011 - Part 2

We were lucky enough to have Nana, Papa-T, Aunt Ruthie, and her sweet friend, Barbara join us for the second weekend of MG parades and festivities. They stayed at a bed and breakfast just a few blocks away and had no trouble getting to and from our house on foot for parades. They managed to pack in a ton of activities while they were here. They did not miss any parades, made it to the French Quarter a few times, and still managed to have enough energy to keep up with the kids. It was great to have them around and, honestly, I don't quite know how I would have managed the Thursday night parades without their help since Christian was riding.

Here are a few of the highlights:

The start of Chaos...love the demon/monster heads flanking the float. It is a sub-par picture because my camera was totally uncooperative when I took night photos. I still have not figured out what the deal is:


Nana, Ruthie & Barbara, parading:


Aunt Ruthie & Barbara were interviewed for the WDSU 10 p.m. broadcast that night; they were famous:


Incidentally, that news person did a number of 'stories' MG week from the back of Lucy's original, yellow MG ladder, this one:


It is hard to mistake! Oh, and don't be fooled by the white sweater, she was in a lovely pink, taffeta number that day, it was just a little chilly in the morning.

Papa, not looking too psyched to be up on the ladder again. Check out Luz...Thursday night was the white with gold lame ball gown...such a statement and yet she looked so natural, so comfortable, so matter-of-fact in it all night:


C, Thursday night, looking for Nana, Aunt Ruthie, and Barbara...tacky MG boas ready to go:


Here is Richmond, about to unload some cups (incidentally, maybe I have lost my touch, but I seem to have caught substantially fewer cups this year...wonder if less were thrown):


Another Thursday night float - entertaining satire:


More to come...

MG 2011, Part I

For the past two years I have really enjoyed Mardi Gras but I have also found that I am turning into a bit of a curmudgeon. The crowds tend to bother me more than they used to, the territorial parade goers get under my skin with their roped off sections of land and bottomless buckets of chicken, and the length of the season wears me out. I suppose I just don't have the stamina I used to have and, now that I have kids, there is a new, exhausting, dynamic - there are ladders and snacks and drinks and bathroom breaks and bead sorting and defensive and offensive parade watching and tears and melt-downs and absolute, blithering-fool type exhaustion. That said, I cannot imagine living anywhere else and missing out on two weeks of celebrating.

We spent the first weekend of the Mardi Gras season watching parades with friends who were in town from Atlanta. It was their first MG experience and it was just right - great weather, just a few parades, and not too much of a crowd. I think the they enjoyed every minute of it and headed back to Atlanta with bags filled with beads and trinkets.

First parade of the season...dusk (incidentally, I believe parades look best at dusk):


On the porch...taking a break...looking back at the pictures I see this is when the 14 days of dress-up started...Lu has on an old leotard and skirt here, harmless enough, but it escalated as it got closer to MG...you will see...suffice it to say I washed more costumes than underwear over that two week period of time:


Waiting for the next parade to start...


Enjoying some cotton candy...there was plenty of this going on:


We also visited the float den to check out some of the floats in Christian's parade. I love seeing the floats in the den - such a cool sneak-peek of what the parade will ultimately look like. Lucy and James love it too - mostly because they get to climb on the floats.

Lu, on Christian and Richmond's float:


James, helping Uncle "Ichman" get last year's rain-out beads ready for loading:


Group shot with Karen, Davy and the kids...saying goodbye after a weekend of fun ending with breakfast at P.J.s:

Mardi Gras NOLA

We are wrapping up about two weeks of parades, parties, missed naps and hangovers of all types. Sleep has been scarce, peace and quite no where to be found...but the ballerina fairy princess and Superman enjoyed every minute of the fun and were thrilled to share it all with family and friends.

I will tell you all about it soon but in the meantime I am knee deep in beads, empty beer cans and a house rather in need of cleaning. Until then, I leave you with a pic of the dynamic duo on our walk home after our last parade of the season:

Boy & Globe

For the past week or so James has been having some sleeping issues. He is starting to be scared of "monsters" (I blame that on too much Scooby Doo watching in the afternoons with Luz) and is generally incredibly clingy at night. He is not thrilled about getting into the crib, once in the crib he likes to climb out, and he always prefers to have one of us in the room with him. Christian and I both cave too often. We are tired and he is our baby and it is easier to fall asleep by his side than it is to listen to crying and wince at the thought of him climbing out of the crib.

So on Saturday afternoon, when we were all very tired after a morning of parading, and the band playing around the block kept me from actually falling asleep, I rested and James snoozed and the afternoon sunlight was just perfect and I saw this:


and had to share it.

Luz, Fashion Show

Luz is turning into this really entertaining kid that is nothing like the type of kid I was and I am sort of just watching...wondering where it comes from. She has always been very shy so I am sort of surprised to see some of the things she is doing - packing books that she wants to read to her class, practicing which sorts of questions to ask them about the story and how to best angle the pages so everyone can see; asking to call her friends on the phone; and putting on these crazy plays and concerts and fashion shows when people come over, among other things. Sure, 33.3% of the time the attempts fizzle out and she remembers that people are actually looking at her and, god forbid, engaged...but every now and then it comes together and a quiet morning with a babysitter turns into a very elaborate display:

Channeling her inner Aunt Susan, hairstylist Luz:


An old standby, Dorthy Luz:


A nod to her ancestor, Pocahantas Luz:



My personal fav, pirate Luz, Ahoy:


and, the piece de la resistance, Mater Luz:


Note the incredible attention to detail. She just told me that she wants to dress up as a rockstar for Mardi Gras. Hm, think I need to get the stylist back over here to put that 'look' together.

So...Wow

I am still sort of scratching my head in amazement, wondering just how it happened that everything, well, most everything, worked out this week. I knew it would be an incredibly busy week for me with a client in town, multiple mediations, and a couple of huge deadlines to meet, but I had no idea Luz would get sick and then so would Christian and that he would be non-functioning for 4 days until, finally, a Z-pack kicked in....Needless to say, things were crazier than usual, but I made it through the week healthy and we lucked out with a gorgeous weekend and no commitments (other than a small family reunion of sorts - I will fill you in on that soon). We spent most of it outside when it was daylight and took advantage of the incredibly warm temps to open every window and do some serious Spring cleaning. It feels much nicer and a ton cleaner around here.

Luz and James loved being outside. We hung out with neighbors, walked to the park about 10 times and checked out the new Italian ice store that opened around the block (it is excellent, incidentally, and they sell these delicious, cinnamony donuts which smell incredible and are tough to resist).

We busted out flip flops, played hopscotch and corn-hole, and enjoyed the fresh air. It was perfect.

Jamesy, first flip-flop feet:


Congratulatory hugs:


Hopscotch - yet another one of those really interesting things - James has been able to jump for about a year now - it took Luz until she was 3 to be able to do it - at least I think she can do it - better check:

Parenting Firsts

This guy thinks being chased is the best sport around. He frequently enjoys teetering on top steps and landings. He is fond of jumping on and off furniture without anyone nearby to spot him. It is all in the name of fun. The most recent stunt, however, was born out of total anger, absolute disgust at the fact that he was sent to bed before he was ready. His response was to climb out of the crib, open his bedroom door and descend the stairs where he appeared, red-faced, tear streaked, quivering with ire, repeating "no want to go to sleep".

This guy...really:

We're Still Having Fun

At some point on Saturday night/evening Christian and I can celebrate 16 years of life...together. It was on February 12th, 16 years ago, that we had our first date and I had my first sneaking suspicion that I should probably get used to the person I was watching a movie with because it was going to be something we would do hundreds of times together. My intuition was right.

I am not good with numbers and dates and days and months and years, I only know this because it is scribbled away in the corner of Saturday's block on the motherboard, the calendar that keeps track of our lives, tucked underneath soccer practice and quiz bowl finals, a little reminder about the butterflies in my stomach and the wonder of what lies ahead.

It has been a challenging parenting/working mom week for me and I say this knowing that it is all rather relative...being up at 3 am with a fevery toddler is tough, especially when you have to put in 10 hours of work the next day, but I realize I need to treasure the opportunity to rock James for hours on end when he does not protest my hugs and kisses and be thankful, incredibly thankful, that this is what is tough for me right now.

So, what do we have planned for Saturday night...something wild and romantic you say? I have my sights set on an a big bowl of pasta and whatever is waiting for us on Netflix. I am, after all, planning to run 13.1 miles the next morning. The celebration and the romance will have to be penciled in on the motherboard at a later date.

So, here we are, not quite 16 years ago, this one was taken circa '97, I think, and I know there is just so much to say about it but, c'mon, it was YEARS ago...

Sunny Saturday

After a week of gray skies and cold rain and watching the rest of the country get inundated with snow, we had the luxury of a beautiful, sunny day on Saturday. The last few hours of our day were free so we headed to the park to enjoy some time outside and soak up some much-needed sunlight.

Here is J, in a double hand-me-down sweatshirt - one of my current favorites:


And Luz, dressed for the occasion in a floral headband, because you never know who you might run into at the park:


While we were there a mobile cupcake shop stopped by - what luck! The name of the company is Cupcakes & Co. It is a new business and the girls operating it are lovely so please give them a try NOLA. You can follow their daily stops on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook (in my next period of free time I will learn how to add links for Twitter and FB, I promise). The cupcakes we tried were tasty, but the service and convenience are the biggest perk. I just need to convince them to sell coffee and hot chocolate as well. Stop by their website and see if they will be in your neighborhood soon - www.cupcakesandcompany.net

Lucy's Jams

Christian is a master mix maker and I am generally good about posting the ones that he creates for me so that you can all see what kinds of tunes we are listening to in casa Vaicius. I have not ever posted the track lists from the mixes he creates for Luz but I just could not resist this time. He captures a perfect blend of current favorites (tracks we know she loves because she sings the songs or mentions the lyrics or shrieks when she hears a few beats as I scan the radio for something I can tolerate), stuff he thinks she should love but probably won't, songs that she has been brainwashed to love, and stuff that is just amusing enough to catch her interest.

Here is the latest installment, Lucy's Winter 2011 Mix:

Journey Don't Stop Believing
What's My Name Rihanna and Drake (whoa...this was a mistake, I think)
Baby Justin Bieber and Ludacris (I know)
Empire State of Mind Jay Z and Alecia Keys (this is much better than you think)
Twist and Shout The Beatles
I Want Candy Bow Wow Wow
Halo Beyonce
Mama Mia Abba
Break Your Heart Taio Cruz and Ludacris (her favorite for the past 2 months)
Mine Taylor Swift
Mr. Sandman The Chordettes (she is most fascinated by this one)
That's The Way KC and the Sunshine Band
I Like It Enrique Iglesias
King of Anything Sarah Bareilles (I wish she loved this one)
Help The Beatles
Firework Katy Perry (ugh)
Naturally Selena Gomez and the Scene (hearts SG more than JB)
Billie Jean Michael Jackson (she likes it but is weirded out by MJ)
Love Story Taylor Swift
Rock Lobster B-52's (wow...throwback to the Athens, GA days)

Enjoy!

James, Two Years Old

Here is a little project that I finally (sort of) completed last night. It seems rather simple, but making this little video has sucked up quite a few hours over the past couple of weeks. I enjoyed almost every minute of putting it together and am eager to learn more about the process when I have more free time. There is no doubt that there are some editing issues, probably a few grammatical errors, and a host of glitches with the soundtrack fading in and out (maybe next time I can convince Josh to create a minute or two of something sweet).

I finally settled on a John Lennon classic, even though the song is about a boy named Sean, not James. The second track is by a band called, The Boy Least Likely To, and it makes me happy, just like James. I was inspired to put the video together as I sat down to write a post for James on his second birthday. I felt like I was starting to say the same old things and I just was not getting my point across. James is the baby that makes me want to have ten more babies. He is loving and hilarious and endlessly entertaining and I hope this video does a decent job of showing all of you just what I am talking about.

Enjoy!

James Is Two from Julie Vaicius on Vimeo.