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Friday, August 10, 2012

Scary Sounds

Kids can be so creepy and I wasn't aware of this until my 18 month old son introduced me to what a toddler really is. Realize Alex is the first of everything for me regarding babies and now he is the first toddler I have ever been around. And wow. He is doing some creepy freaky shit! So someone in my family taught him "scary sounds" and he looks at me and hisses. Yep. Hisses. I work with him a lot on doing "nice mommy" and petting me gently as practice for his little brother coming in two months. He sweetly caresses my arm, but the devil is in his eyes and it's so obvious! Its torture not laughing, but its a serious lesson I am going for. Alex will act so sweet with this look on his face as I repeat, "Nice Mommy" and then he will pinch the shit out of me or go for a smack. In all fairness he's getting much better with A LOT of positive reinforcement, but I did have to turn to "time outs" as he's been biting me for saying no or taking something away from him. No biting Mommy! Ok he's only had one time out, but really?! Biting me?! I'm just waiting for him to have an imaginary friend or pull some, "Mommy I see dead people shit." I'll freak. I grew up across the street from an ancient slave cemetery ok. The street I grew up on was made in the late 80s, way after those slaves were dead and buried, and guess what? There's no way that the housing developers didn't totally go through some unmarked or some of the poorly marked graves to build our luxury homes. Hell yeah they did. The lights went off on me in the bathroom a few times, there were always footsteps in the hallway upstairs, a door swung shut for no reason a few times, and a few other times candles have been randomly burning or blown out. So uncomfortable. And my childhood best friend Colleen, who lives two houses down's house was way worse. Mine was nothing compared to the shit that went on over there. Her ghost was a super Nirvana fan and her cd player always repeated Penny Royal Tea and shut off other artists and so much other stuff went on you would never believe it. So yeah my kid acting like the exorcist got him isn't cute. It isn't funny. And he better not have an imaginary friend or see dead people in our home (Grandma's ok its haunted fair enough) because I don't want to handle it at all. I know you're only given what you can handle in life. And I'm working on handling two babies under 2 years old, finishing school, and somehow in the back of my mind wanting a puppy. A puggle I think. Or a boston terrier awwww. I'm crazy. And my husband works on average 5-6days a week most of the day until 1-2am and that's an easy week. My summer's are on the Jersey shore where my son can be outdoors and swim and play in the grass, not be on the hot NYC streets and playgrounds every single day.  I miss New York. I miss my bed, my husband, cooking, my bodega, and Fresh Direct. I need to start brushing up on trigonometry so I don't stress too much the spring semester, my first one back after the baby. 2-3 more weeks and Alex and I are going home! I have barely cooked and I haven't done laundry since June. (I'm not allowed to touch my mom or grandma's washing machine, done even ask) Everything I've eaten has pretty much come from the farm at the corner, my Uncle 's backyard, or the ocean two blocks away. Oh yes and the local bakery which I am on a first name basis with. And after the baby comes (or even during his arrival) my best friend Lindsay is flying in from Costa Rica to help me out and help isn't even the word I can describe when I expected to be on my own with a newborn and toddler, a husband who doesn't get much time off, and no family coming to my tight NYC space. So she's a blessing. She can help with the most important part: Alex. And his feelings. If he doesn't take to his brother and his mommy with another baby very well right away I'm going to be so hormonal with a newborn on my boobies trying to reason? No, toddlers don't reason I have learned. This expert's blog on kids said not to expect your toddler to get excited about having a sibling because it's like my husband trying to get me excited for a new younger wife he'll be bringing home for my company that I will be expected to help take care of and cook for. Oh hell no. (well unless she's super hot and... well hell no) Alex will be fine. As long as he's not hissing at the baby, we get over this hitting and biting phase soon, and I have my bestest friend to have a beer with me then we will not just be absolutely fine, but it's going to be a great experience and I am so excited for this little baby to join our family!!! 9 more weeks!!!

Look Mom!

Alex wearing his new hat that he picked out all by himself!!!

This laugh and smile is what I live for everyday!!


Teaching Alex drum rhythms.  He is obsessed and quite good too!!

SUMMERTIME PASTA is my favorite dish that I eat about twice a week. Alex loves it and especially loves the trip to our local Jersey farm where they have some little animals for him to pet.

1 lb thin linguini or angel hair
1 quart or 2 pts cherry tomatoes
1 green pepper (cut into julienne strips)
1 orange pepper (julienne strips)
1 zucchini (cut into rounds)
1 squash (cut into rounds)
1 large onion (cut into julienne strips)
1 can veg broth
A bit of white wine
Loads of garlic chopped
Handfuls of fresh herbs (I'm using lemon basil which is the best type of basil ever and parsley)


These little piggy's are messy from playing at the farm all day
Our goodies that with a baguette + pasta made an $8.95 meal for 4 people

The secret to this dish is roasting the cherry tomatoes on 350 for 45min or until they explode open covered in chopped herbs and generously drizzled w EVOO, salt + pepper

Brown garlic in EVOO. Add onion, 2-3 tbs butter, and peppers. Throw in 1/2-3/4 can of veg broth eye ball it. Stir. Pour in a few rounds of white wine. Cook over low-medium heat until soft. Throw in raw cuts of zucchini and squash and the roasted tomatoes and cook until zucchini + squash's colors brighten yet are still a bit firm to the bite. Serve over pasta.

Serves 4