Let There be Food

I can't really cook, even on a good day. And I'm fine with that because Minh can (and usually does). Lately, I can barely even throw four things in a lunchbag for Tai. Let's blame the pregnancy? Or the recent illnesses being passed around the household? Whatever the reason, I can't really think more than about 20 minutes ahead of the present moment.

So when 5pm rolled around today and we suddenly realized we had no plans for dinner, I suggested making "breakfast" but Minh was not feeling it. So we decided that I'd heat up some something frozen from Trader Joe's while Minh and Tai read books. (Gone are the days of me doing anything in the kitchen without Tai pawing at my thighs asking to be picked up to "see stove" or "see something in sink"). So, knowing I only had 10-15 minutes before Tai grew tired of reading with Daddy, I grabbed an assortment of items from the freezer and started warming them all up.

Without really thinking.

So tonight we dined on Mushroom Risotto, Creamed Spinach, and Mini Tacos. Blech. Each one was pretty good, but the combination of the three is just bizarre enough to turn your stomach. Right now our insides are wholeheartedly asking, "WTF?"

So after Tai went to bed Minh got into one of his cleaning/nesting zones. On top of throwing out a bunch of clutter and re-organizing a closet he took an inventory of the fridge and freezer, looked up recipes online, made a shopping list, and headed out to Big Y. He has "real" meals planned for us for the next FOUR days. Four days? Will we even be living here in four days? What will the world be like in four days? I just can't picture anything so distant in the future.

But, apparently, there will be food.

Pick a Theme, Will Ya?

The other day Tai must have been going a little stir-crazy from being cooped up in the house because he decided to (concurrently):

(a) wear his baby doll on his back "in the ergo"
(b) wear his cowboy hat (who says cowboys don't tote their babies on their backs?)
(c) play his little Asian drum (a-la Karate Kid Part II)
(d) fix all manner of things around the house with his toy hammer

This kid does it all, man. He does it all.

Bits & Pieces

We had the Big Exciting Ultrasound yesterday and learned that this baby has all the right parts in all the right places, including a vagina that looks (to me) like a foot. But I guess that is normal.

So, yeah, it's a girl.

First (and Last?) Getaway

Even though in my pre-motherhood days I scoffed at couples who waited until their child was over a year old before getting away for a night or two alone, here I sit with a two-year old son, having never left him with anyone overnight. Well, I've left him with Minh and Minh has left him with me, but we've never gone away together and left him with a third party.

So it's about damn time. We figure we need to hurry up and do this before the second one comes and we end up waiting two more years!

And we happen to have these wonderful friends (who happen to read this blog) who have offered to let Tai stay with them for a night or two while we escape. Their daughter is Tai's age and they go to "school" together, which means that (a) Tai will have a great time and (b) Tai will actually serve as entertainment for their daughter. I'm confident that the adults will be able to just sit back and relax while the kids play. They also have similar a parenting philosophy to us, and perhaps can even whip Tai's attitude into shape while we're gone.

So the plan is this: we dump our kid on them for a weekend and go away somewhere to relax. Then, a bit down the road, the dump their kid on us and do the same. A pretty sweet deal, really. Now we just need to iron out the details.

First and foremost, Minh and I need a place to go. I don't really want to drive more than an hour or two and we don't need all that much in the way of entertainment. A couple of nice restaurants, a comfy hotel bed (and no one to wake us up at 6am), maybe a movie theater or museum or some nice places to shop? Normally we are the outdoorsy type, but I'm guessing this trip will be sometime between now and April. And we're not skiers. Suggestions?.....Leave me a comment.

It Must Be Instinct...

How do kids know what to do with meat on a stick?  It must be some primal code written into our DNA.  We're born seeking out warmth, and milk, and meat on a stick.

The other night I set down a chicken satay skewer in front of Tai and prepared to explain to him that it is chicken that can be eaten right off the skewer.  I thought I might even have to demonstrate so he'd know it was food and not a toy.  But before I could even open my mouth he picked it up and started gnawing on it.  In fact, the boy who is not a huge fan of chicken these days ate THREE chicken skewers, presumably because it is so fun to bite meat off of a stick.