general musings

In Which I was THAT Parent

Leave a comment

I never intended to be that parent.  The one who thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to bring a kid everywhere with them.  You will never see me with a baby at the opening night of the summer blockbuster. I won’t be the one with a kid at a boozy “fest” concert. And before Tuesday night I would have never, ever been the parent leading her toddler to a table at this city’s best-known posh restaurant. But circumstances were such that our not-quite-3-year old daughter has now been to one of Cleveland’s premier high-end restaurants.

Usually when it’s not abundantly clear that kids are welcome and expected (usually evident by a kids section on the on-line menu or by seeing it for myself during a kid-free visit), I will call a restaurant first. I got a green-light from the Greenhouse Tavern before we sampled their fare. I called Crop Bistro first when we were thinking about a family dinner there and I stopped by Saravá one day to see if kids are welcome.  However, there are some places that I don’t think I would even ask – places that cater more to the date-night or adult-night-out crowd and even if they allow kids, I don’t think it’s appropriate*. One Walnut, Fahrenheit, & Michael Symon’s famed Lola would all make that list.  But Lola is exactly where we found ourselves on Tuesday evening.

A friend was in town from San Francisco for one night and was staying right by E 4th Street.  When he realized that the Iron Chef’s place was right there, he wanted to see if we could get in.  To be fair, Mark did go in and talk to the hostess before we even took M inside and she gave us the all-clear.  But oh boy, the LOOKS we got as we crossed the restaurant!  Some of the other patrons seemed to recoil in horror when they saw our cute sundress-clad girl.  I felt awful because in all honestly I would totally be recoiling if the situation was reversed.  I went into hyper-mom mode – being very alert to every sound and movement she made, and doing my damndest to make sure she didn’t disturb anyone around us.

Once we got settled into our booth (thank God we had a booth!) things were fine.  We are lucky that 80% of the time M is very good in restaurants.  I had toys and snacks in my purse to appease her and without even asking the server brought her a glass of milk. When she did start to get a bit lively Mark & I took turns bringing her outside to see the people, flowers and street musicians of E 4th Street. She tried a bit of the beef cheek pierogi but then decided that those awesome Lola fries were all she wanted to eat (can’t really blame her!). And sometimes the price you pay for bringing a kid into an adult restaurant is that they eat a dinner of french fries and milk. But it keeps them quiet and busy so it’s all good.

Dinner was fabulous if a bit hard to enjoy with all the toddler wrangling. Mark and I knew from a previous visit that the portions are large so we split the pierogi appetizer and the pork chop entrée. Once again we both wanted to lick our plates clean. And to anyone who was also in the restaurant on Tuesday night – I hope the presence of our little girl didn’t bother you too much, I promise it will never happen again.

*edited to add: I don’t think it’s appropriate for two reasons: 1) Most people go to places like that for a relaxing evening away from kids and 2) it’s really hard to fully enjoy the meal when you are busy making sure your kid doesn’t cause a scene. So even though Chefs Widow – someone who has lived and breathed the restaurant scene from the inside – says not to sweat it, it still do.

Sewing is not a Superpower (or maybe it is)

3 Comments

We are in the throws of potty training around here and having some success. At home we use pull-ups most of the time but daycare is of the “anti-pull-up” philosophy so M can go through up to 4 outfits a day there. It’s kind of like having an infant all over again. 

After a week or two of doing laundry every single night just to keep the kid in clean duds at school I got fed up.  On Friday she and I hit the discount-store circuit in search of cheap princess undies (the ONLY princess stuff she’s allowed to wear) and scored some “irregulars” at Burlington Coat Factory for next to nothing.  She now has a dozen freshly laundered pairs for school, complete with her name in Sharpie on the waistband. 

Now for the clothing question.  Mark already purchased a couple of cheap shorts  (can I tell you how much I love that Garanimals is back and costs only about $3 per item?) but they weren’t enough.  This girl needs to have a stash of at least 4 things to wear at school at all times.  This drastically cut down on the rotation of warm-weather outfits in the drawers at home.  So faced with a long weekend and with a stack of fabric still sitting on the shelf she now has two new sundresses to add to her repertoire:

MagDress21

MagDress3
It’s impossible to get this kid to stand still AND look at the camera in the same moment

These were made using the instructions found here, which I found from Sweet Juniper Woodcraft (I pink puffy heart Wood for finding these great, easy projects).  This dress is incredibly easy and anyone with a machine who can sew a straight(ish) line can crank one out in fewer than 2 hours.

The first one I finished on Saturday morning while M and Mark were at the Farmer’s Market.  I hung it up just inside the door and when she came in she squealed “my new dress!” and started pulling her clothes off in anticipation of putting it on.  The dragon dress I finished that evening while she was sleeping and hung it at the bottom of the stairs. Sunday morning she put it on over her pajamas and declared it a “perfect princess dress!” (okay, kid – if you want to think navy-blue Chinese dragons are princessy, please continue).

I loved the instant satisfaction of making this dress along with the feeling of being a magician when I take raw fabric and turn it into something awesome. I want to make more but I think 2 dresses are enough for M. Instead I’m planning on using 2 coordinating fabrics to make dresses for my cousin’s girls (one is nearly 2, the other 6 months old) for when we see them next month. That way I can still get my seamstress on while looking like a superhero-sewing mama to my family. Because you know, it’s all about me after all.

Vegas, Baby

1 Comment

I just returned from my 4th work-paid Vegas trip in about 15 months.  Prior to these visits I had never been to the Sin City. I have learned a great many things on my recent adventures and I thought I would share.  Keep in mind that these observations are that of a Midwestern mom who was there for work, not some crazy party girl there on vacation.

  1. I’ve stayed at several very nice hotels on the Strip – Paris, The Venetian, Treasure Island, and the Bellagio.  And in my opinion Venetian wins for the nicest room.  Bellagio was a close second but the Venetian is all-suite so the room was enormous and it also gets bonus points for having a fantasic sit-down vanity in the bathroom (the TV in the bathroom didn’t hurt, either). Some people don’t care as much about the room since they spend all their time gambling and drinking; but for me the room is a big part of the trip (see #6).
  2. Vegas is hella-expensive.  I have never left one of my 30-hour trips without dropping about $200 on cabs, a drink or two and dinners.  My breakfast on Friday morning was an iced coffee and blueberry muffin which cost me almost $14. Drinks are $10+, dinners are easily $40 without drinks & tip, shows are over $100 a ticket.  Yes, you can get free drinks if you are gambling, but those servers don’t come around the penny and nickel slots too often.  Water from the gift shop is $3, Diet Cokes in the vending machine are $3, too (but the machines accept credit cards – how nice!). And there is no “running to the drugstore down the street” (see #7).
  3. People-watching is free and very entertaining.  Having cruised the Strip several times I can tell you that you see everything along the way.  It’s most fun when you have someone with a similar mind-set so you can play games like “fake or real?” & “hooker or girlfriend?”.
  4. The casinos are all pretty much the same – smoky, loud and easy to get lost in.  The Bellagio gets credit for being the cleanest and least smokey and the Venetian is the stinkiest since they pump in some perfume over the smoke – not a good mix. If you are people watching on the casino floor the Bellagio is fun for all the high-rollers and wanna-bes; you can get a good laugh from some of their antics.  The Luxor seems to have the seediest clientele and is also fun for people watching.  I’ve had the best slot luck at Paris and The Venetian.
  5. I think one of the most overlooked things to do is catch a lounge act.  There are some really good and some really cheesy cover bands playing the strip and both are equally entertaining. This is also a great place to people watch.  I think Paris is one of the best for a good free show and so far shows at the Bellagio & Luxor tend to be cheesy.
  6. There is nothing like ordering room service in Vegas.  Even if you just order a snack or dessert you get 5-star treatment. And kicking back in a king-sized bed while you open your remote controlled curtains to watch the Bellagio fountain show with a key lime bar and a Diet Coke on a white-cloth covered table is heaven.
  7. Wear comfortable shoes.  Leave the platform stripper heals to the 22 year olds and strap on some flip flops because that jaunt to the next casino will take you 20 minutes by foot.  Distances are deceptive in Vegas – you can leave the Venetian, walk for 10 minutes and…still be in front of the Venetian.
  8. You get pretty used to seeing girls in their hoochie-best at all hours of the day.  Add to this the truck-billboards of strippers and call girls and the people stationed every 10 feet along the sidewalk passing out cards with nude girls selling “girls to your room in 10 minutes!” and I am always shocked to see people pushing kids in strollers around.  There is no hiding the sex industry in Vegas, it’s not really a place for children.
  9. A trip to Fremont Street (AKA the old strip or downtown Vegas) is worth it. This is where you will get your $9.99 surf & turf dinner and see the lights of Vegas like you imagined.  It’s seedy, gritty and great.  The slots here play out in real coins, not with a voucher. I hear that the Pasta Pirate serves great food, but it’s always packed.
  10. Despite what you think, things are not all 24-hours a day in Vegas.  On my first trip we went to a show that ened around 10 PM.  We figured we could hit a buffet afterwards when we would be good and hungry. We walked through 3 casinos and every buffet and restaurant was closed!  We were starving and ended up eating at the Pyramid Café in the Luxor which was like eating a Denny’s for 4x the price.

So there you have it – my take on Vegas.  As my sister will tell you I really do think the best thing about the city is it’s great hotel rooms – I tend to call her to rub it in that I have a TV in the bathroom. I head back out there in the fall and meh – there is such a thing as too much time in Las Vegas.

This Old House

1 Comment

I love old houses. I adore the charm, the craftsmanship and the history. Our first house – in Toledo’s amazing Old West End neighborhood* – was a 1912 bungalow and it was love at first sight (tiny kitchen and all). We didn’t do much to that house other then some paint and a few new plumbing fixtures. Our current home in Shaker Heights is a much larger colonial which needs some cosmetic and mechanical work.  Of course when you prefer old houses you usually give up some conveniences like central A/C and, in the case of both our houses, a dishwasher (but we cut out a cabinet a few months ago and put one in and for the first time in 7 years didn’t have to hand-wash our dishes).

What I’m saying is for us old houses fit best even with the trade-offs.  Because in a newer house you don’t always get the moulding, the solid wood doors, the built-ins or the glass doorknobs over brass plates and locks with keys. But a few nights ago we realized why the modernization of the lock was such a good thing.  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you probably saw my update about M locking herself inside our bedroom and the lengths we had to go through to get her out.  All the bedroom doors in our house have old-fashioned keyholes and skeleton keys.  We hardly ever use them and the keys mostly reside on the top of the door frame.  Apparently the key was in the lock on the inside of our bedroom door because M somehow managed to not only slam the door shut but turn the key.

My first reaction was to laugh – I couldn’t help but think that we had joined the ranks of the millions of parents who have some dramatic story about their kid locking themselves in something – a room, a car, a garage, etc.  Mark didn’t have the same outlook and got mad at me for laughing.  We tried to get M to turn the key but she didn’t quite comprehend the request.  We tried using a key from the hallway, but with the key in the lock from the other side we couldn’t get it in. We took the doorknob apart but discovered the lock was a separate mechanism and we still couldn’t unlock the door.  I still was laughing at this point – much to my husbands dismay – because I figured we could go in through the window since we never remember to lock them. The thing about old wood windows is that they are usually pretty lose in the frame making it easy to open from the outside if they are unlocked – not so great for the heating bill, but perfect for breaking and entering. Then M hurt her finger as she was trying to turn the inside key and started to cry.  I stopped laughing and barked at Mark to go get the ladder and go through the window.

I told M to get down to the floor so I could see her under the door and she was so pathetic – “mama, come closer to me! Kiss my boo-boo!”.  Then I could hear Mark trying to open the side window without any luck.  The noise scared M and I felt awful that I couldn’t comfort her.  Mark moved around to the front window and managed to get it open and as I watched through the keyhole M went over to see what he was doing.  When he climbed in and opened the door I said “M, daddy saved you!” and she said “Daddy, you my Prince Eric!” (Little Mermaid reference).  M was none worse for the wear, I was laughing about it again and Mark was mad at me again for laughing.

You gotta love old houses with their old locks and loose windows.

——–

On a related note, we are starting to get estimates to replace/upgrade the 90-year-old electrical system and replace the original boiler.  Hold me.


*Seriously – the OWE is like a magical place: porch parties, close knit neighbors, super-low taxes and amazing houses.  It had it’s downfalls (piss-poor school system and crime) but man I miss the old ‘hood.  Good thing we are going back to visit during the OWE Festival this weekend.

Wednesday Tacos

1 Comment

A few years ago I started randomly receiving a “lady’s magazine” in the mail (Ladies Home Journal, Woman’s Day or some such nonsense).  I never ordered or paid for this subscription and yet I got it every month for at least a year.  Whatever magazine it was, it was pretty much geared to the 30-40 something housewife so I was NOT the target audience.  The only thing I ever looked at before pitching the whole thing was a feature called 1-2-3 Recipe. Each month they had some crazy concoction made of only 3 ingredients and there were some interesting things featured.  But one of those recipes makes a near-weekly appearance on our table. I’m pretty sure I found this before M was born and she loves it now.  Both Mark and I have made it for work potluck lunches and we are always asked for the recipe.  I love how easy it is and how flexible it can be.  Here it is: our go-to meal in less then 20 minutes.

1-2-3 Taco’s (as written, as close as I can remember)
1 lb ground beef
1 package Knorr/Lipton “Fiesta Sides” Taco Rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Brown the beef in a saucepan and drain the fat.  Add the rice & 2 cups water, stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 7 minutes.  Add in beans and heat through.  Serve as filling in taco shells top with your favorite  accrutements. (They cheat a bit with the 3 ingredient list since they tell you to serve in a taco shell which should totally be counted as ingredient #4).

Now here are my riffs on the theme:

  • Use any protein you want – we’ve done beef, turkey, chicken, buffalo and even meatless protein crumbles.
  • If you don’t want to add the Knorr stuff – use minute rice and your own blend of taco seasonings – just follow the package directions for amount of water and cooking time.
  • Or use precooked rice (leftovers work great) + taco seasoning for an even faster meal.
  • Add 2 or more cans of black beans to stretch the recipe for a crowd.
  • Add in veggies – we almost always add 1/2 bag of frozen corn and diced tomatoes.  When they are in season we add 2-3 diced red or yellow bell peppers, too. Maybe some cilantro if we have it around.
  • Make sure to add extra spice if adding a bunch of extras or it will be bland
  • Serve in shells or tortillas, over greens for a taco salad or just scoop some into a bowl and top with some crushed tortilla chips.
  • To take it to a potluck, cook it the night before and then transfer to the crock to reheat.  Take sour cream, salsa, & cheese so people can assemble their own.

We are NEVER with out the ingredients for this dish – I buy Trader Joe’s canned black beans in sixes.  It takes about 15-20 minutes and all three of us like it.  It can be pretty healthy if you use ground turkey or chicken breast, add in veggies and are careful with your toppings. This easily feeds all of us for 2 dinners and gives Mark and I 3-4 lunches – more if we add in extra beans and veggies. It’s cheap, too… under $10 for 8-10 servings.

Try this out for your family and let me know if they liked it – and share your own riffs on the recipe!

Hoop Dreams

Leave a comment

I’ve never been much of a pro sports fan.  I love college football, but couldn’t care less about the NFL.  Basketball at any level I could take or leave.  Then we move to Cleveland and there is this guy:

lebron-james-slam-dunk

and these guys:

group_cavs
Wally (aka in our house: Zoolander), Joe, Delonte (my favoriate Cavs player), & Big Ben Wallace

and for the last year and a half I’ve been a huge Cavs fan.  We’ve gone to a couple of games and we watch them ALL on our 52″ LCD at home. I know their plays, I know their stats and I LOVE this game.

They took the  momentum back in game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals last night and I cannot wait for game 6 on Saturday.  Me…a NBA fan – I would have never predicted this, but it is so much fun. All I can say is One Goal, baby.  One Goal.

cavslogo

Quickie

1 Comment

First – another Oliver + S Lazy Days skirt.  This one took about an hour including making the hem “ribbon” from fabric.  The fabric has been sitting im my mom’s basement for nearly a decade – it was just enough for this adorable skirt.  M loves it and had to wear it to school today.

 newskirt

And also – I want this:
Madsen Cycles Cargo Bikes
and they are giving two away. How fun would it be to ride to the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, or haul M and a friend to the park?

A Birthday Party Manifesto

Leave a comment

M is 2 ½ and in daycare.  Her room has kids from about 18 months to just over 3 years old and in the last few weeks we have been invited to FOUR 3rd birthday parties.  Each invitation says that the party will be at some kiddy gym or activity space around town.  And to each one we have politely RSVP’d “no”.  Because COME ON – they are 3!  Do they really need to have a party, with outside friends at age 3?

I’m all for birthday parties, I think it’s a fun way to celebrate a child and reflect on all the milestones of the past year.  But I also think that these celebrations are fundamentally for the family and family friends of the kid – not the entire preschool class.  For one the kid is not going to remember if she had 2 hours of screaming chaos-like fun with her school friends or a day to play with her family who dote one her; either way she will remember having a special day and feeling loved.  Second, I just don’t want to spend my weekends making small talk with other parents I don’t know while we all silently judge the behavior of each other’s kids.

So here it is, my Birthday Party Manifesto: we will not be hosting any birthday parties for M’s classmates in the near future.  Nor will we be attending any.  I think 5 might be a good age to have a few friends over for some giggly fun.  But for the next couple of birthdays at least it will be just be our family (including the cousins she so adores) and maybe a close family friend or two. 

Because quite frankly the thought of a houseful of toddlers terrifies me.

cousins
This photo has nothing to do with this post other then to show how happy M is with her cousins – taken this weekend at Kingwood Center

Still Here

1 Comment

It’s been a ridiculous 24 days since my last post and just about every night I’ve felt like I should be writing but I haven’t wanted to bore you with my constant whines of “I wanna be pregnant and I’m not!”.  Because that is pretty much all that’s been on my mind.  And of course all I see are pregnant women EVERYWHERE.  And M has been telling everyone that she’s getting “a baby brudder from the hospital” which raises eyebrows and then I have to assure them – no, I’m not expecting…I swear.  So there’s that.  It’s been nearly 4 months since the miscarriage and I am ready…more then ready.

Moving on – vacation was great, but a bit rushed.  Mark got home from 4 days in San Francisco the evening before we left, then had to work during 2 of our vacation days.  However, M got to spend a ton of time with her cousin who lives in Florida so that was a major bonus.

ben_maggie

And now that the weather has gone from snow to 85 degrees in the space of 4 days our lives are filled with yardwork, outside play and exploring the area.  Today we ventured out to the South Chagrin Reservation Metropark to an area I read about here and discovered a wonderland stream perfect for playing.  Shallow, slow water, 2 little waterfalls, tons of fish and tadpoles and a flat (not rocky) riverbed begging to be waded on. We all had a great time and M got soaked.  We will be back there a lot this summer as it’s the kind of place you could just sit in the stream and play on a hot day.

river

river2

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far

3 Comments

We are leaving for Hilton Head early Sunday morning to join my parents, brother and newphew for a week at the beach.  I remember as a kid we used to spend a week or two every summer at a little apartment on Clear Lake and our huge Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser station wagon would be packed to the seams, with the three of us kids and the dog fighting it out in the backseat.  I never imagined I would turn into my parents, and yet I just finished writing typing up a list that starts like this:

Camera
Chargers (phone & camera)
Floaties & life jacket
Bike helmet
Air mattress
Noodles
Golf clubs
Sand toys
DVD player & DVDs
Backseat toys & books
Diaper Bag
Snacks
Beach towels
Beach blanket
Beach umbrellas
Beach ball
Sunscreen…

(yes, I type my packing list – shut up)

Hopefully our smaller, modern station wagon will hold it all.