Bliss

This month, between periods of intenst busy-ness, were several moments where I got to truly soak up being home with my kids.

Lucy found a witch's hat I had bought for my self for Halloween, and then decided was to ridiculous to actually wear, and wore it around the house with her white and pink tutu. She cackled "Aaa Aaaah Aaaahh" and told me that she was quite scary but a nice witch. Only in Lucy's world can you be both. She also told her daddy a long story about how she lives in a diamond castle, although to be honest we only understood one word in three that she was saying. And one day we made farm animals out of pompoms, but Lucy wasn't happy until we had drawn them a barn, and mud and food to eat.

Jack is picking up words so fast now. (We are trying to unlearn a few now too) He says so many things, and then he laughs--he is still very difficult to understand. Although it is a lot better than completely his own language like before with a glug-glug sound made deep in his throat for water. And I have more opportunities to appreciate how sweet he is. When we are out and about they are both so chaotic. Jack tends to love to take off sprinting in any direction, or to do things just to drive Lucy crazy (he will sit in the car with his toe touching her seat just to annoy her). In nursery, he is the biggest and pretty much the busiest. But at home, he brings me cups of water in case I am thirsty. Or makes a game out of holding my cheeks and kissing me as long as he can, or until one of us starts to laugh. He tells his fire truck, "It's okay fire ruck, I'll help you. I'll take care of you. It's okay" It's just a different story when we are home, and it's one that I didn't get to see enough when I was away working.

The kids are both giving pretty hilarious answers when it comes to the baby in my tummy. When I ask Jack about the baby in my tummy, he answers, "Oh no Mommy! The baby's sad." I guess he thinks that being in my tummy cannot be a good thing. He now will kiss the baby in my tummy better, but he is still worried about the whole arrangement. Lucy would like to know where the baby in her tummy is. And she is quick to notice when my stomach gets bigger. Best, I think, was after she went to the doctor's with me last time. She came home and told Mema that the baby has a heart, and then that Lucy's heart was located almost exactly where they found the baby's heartbeat on my stomach. It took some convincing to get her to believe that her heart was actually up in her chest. Lucy was so unaware, and she so pointedly ignored Jack at first, that it is really fun to watch them explore this idea of a sibling. She never did that last time.

The Wedding Show

I know that I still owe anyone who actually ever checks this blog pictures from Christmas, but if I wait until I manage to do that, I will be so far behind on what is currently happening that I will never catch up.

Last week Jeff and I did the big wedding show at the Sundome. Really I did it, and Jeff came along because I begged and threatened otherwise (and maybe I threw a few cupcakes, but I have horrible aim so that doesn't really count). You would have thought that I was dragging him to an arts and crafts fair in an elementary school gym! But when we got there, and he saw all the big tents and huge displays, he changed his tune. Next year, he says, we will have to do an ice sculpture, and have food samples (don't ask what happened to this year's food samples). I have to say that I don't quite care what he plans for next year, as long as it is we and not me. He really was helpful, even chatty at the show. It went very well, and I can't blame him for not understanding. It's not like he'd ever been or conceived of going to a wedding show before.



So after much research (thoroughly fantastic that searching wedding websites and magazines all day counts as work) I decided on a black, white and pink display with a patterned table linen. Black is supposed to replace brown this year, and patterns are completely haute--at least from what I "studied". I really tried to keep it simple because I didn't want to go over the top this year; the purpose was to test the waters. But we (I) received really positive feedback. The strawberries were a particular hit, as were the table linens, and the cupcakes. I couldn't understand the fuss over the cupcakes--I literally slapped frosting on them and rolled them in sugar while discussing with Jeff the plans for the show the next morning. But so many comments over how sparkley they were (hello, it's sanding sugar!). I had forgotten that I had picked up some beaded flowers, and I found them at the bottom of one of the bags that I brought with us, so I stuck those on top. I do think that it looked great, especially compared to the competition. It was an excellent opportunity to network and introduce people both to our catering and our restaurant.



I spend most of my day talking, debating whether or not Lucy should sit on the potty or shouting, "No Hitting! No Throwing!" I believe that my voice is quite in shape, but I honestly went hoarse by the end of the event, and I was sore that night and the next day. I was so quiet the next day that the kids were honestly giving me strange looks.



Overall I think the best part about this wedding show, is that there is only one a year. We're still tired from it.

And We're Back!

So it has been awhile since I've updated the blog. Not because nothing has happened, but quite the opposite. So much has changed and happened.

A quick run over what you've missed:

October--

Wood Floors! We tore up our horrible ugly brown carpet, and discovered relatively good floors underneath. They do need to be refinished at some point, but for now we put rugs over the most needy parts. The rest looks pretty good. It was a huge project, a little more than we anticipated, but well worth the results.

Before

After

Halloween! Lucy dressed up as a fairy princess, combining all things wonderful, and Jack was a gnome. He actually loved the hat, and I had to finally hide it so I wouldn't have to fight with him about wearing it to church!

November--

Greg and Kim got married! Jack and Lucy got sick at the wedding, and I feel like I'm still playing catch up around the house. It was the sickest they had ever been with 104 temps, croupy coughs that turned into bronchitis. We were in the ER and the pediatrician's office. I didn't sleep for over three nights straight, but they are alive and fine.

December--

Home Again!! I am no longer working in the lab, although I am going to help with some marketing. But I am mostly home with the kids again, for the first time in a very long time. I feel like I've hardly had a chance to appreciate the change with all the busy-ness of Christmas and the caterings, but I'm looking forward to being with them more and having the opportunity watch them grow up.

Caterings!! We did three caterings, and they all went very well. Jeff and I feel like we are really getting a system and a rhythm to these things down. They were a lot of work, and I'm not looking forward to next December when we will have (hopefully) many, many more than three caterings.

Preschool Program--Lucy did so well in her program! It was adorable. We had front row seats because the teachers were worried that she would misbehave, but she did wonderfully. She got so excited when people clapped for her, jumping up and down. It really was so cute.

Christmas and New Years!! I will post a slideshow later this week with December's pictures, but for now, I'll just say that it was so fun. They love their new toys--a dollhouse, big art easel, new trains and cars, barbies and doll clothes, kitchen food and puzzles. They have spent the break playing and being quite entertained all by themselves, which I think might be my favorite part!

If you haven't heard yet...

We are pregnant with our third baby and due June 25th!! We are all really excited, and everything is going very smoothly. I was a little nauseous in the beginning (I thought that the cleaner for the floors when we pulled up the carpet was making me sick, umm not quite) but nothing too terrible. I've been tired, but that is easier to deal with now that I'm home. We will find out what it is in about a month, so I will let you know when I know. The due date makes for interesting timing, since the restaurant will (hopefully) open to the public June 1st. When we started trying the restaurant was supposed to open this last fall, then January, then February and then in moved to June but we were already pregnant. So I guess June will just bring a lot of good things for our family.

Little Hands and Feet

Profile of the Baby

Fair Day

Homerun the First Time at Bat

We had our first catering as Sage Catering last Saturday. And, we hit a total homerun!

It was a benefit dinner by a nonprofit, First Down Dreams Foundation, to raise money for Children's and Children's Village. We served approximately 150-160 people. They decided to serve the meal buffet style in order to save on cost, so we set up cool buffets with tons of food. The students from YV-Tech helped us run the gig, and they did a fantastic job. It really went off well.

The food was excellent. For starters, we had cucumber cups filled with shrimp cerviche, puff pastry with brie and chutney, fresh clams casino, and parmesan crisps with blue cheese and chutney. For salads we served spinach salad with goat cheese, candied pecans, dried cherries, apples and a bacon balsalmic vinaigrette, bleu cheese potato salad (my mom's recipe) and Pasta caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes and a vinaigrette. Sides included fresh corn salsa and herbed rice pilaf. The entrees were chicken stuffed with bacon, mozzarella, mushrooms and herbs served with a cherry honey mustard (it was a to-die-for sauce, my idea thank you) braised beef shortribs with a cherry barbeque sauce and cedar plank salmon with a lemon dill creme fraiche. Desserts: chocolate decadence, apple tarte tatin and fresh peach creme brulee served in the peaches. It was a beautiful evening, and the food was truly excellent. Although, Jeff at McDonald's on his way home because he forgot to eat some of the leftovers.

The next morning, I awoke to find my feet literally covered in blisters that I didn't remember getting during the event, and a bruise on my shin that I don't remember. My body was sore for days; I haven't done any events like this for a long time. I'm outta shape! And there is no work, like restaurant work. I don't think Jeff hardly moved at all for the whole day afterwards. I had to go to Portland for the day, so I didn't really get a break. Although, the eight hours in the car were much more appreciated than they would have been if I hadn't spent the few days before working 18 hours in order to be ready for the catering.

Eventually we should have pictures of the event. I didn't have time to snap very many myself and Denise Andersen, who took our other pictures, was there. So I hope she got some good ones. I do have some pictures of Jeff and the kids. They worked so hard and did so well. I think it's a real testament to Jeff's abilities as a cook and a teacher that he could take kids, after three weeks of instruction, and pull off and event like this one.

We are, understandably I think, very proud of ourselves after this last weekend. It really was a homerun on our first time up to the plate by ourselves.

Walls Are Goin' Up!

I just might let myself get excited now. The lease is final--we are just waiting for the actual papers to be ready to sign, but all the dealing is done. There is a floor and there are walls. There is something so satifyingly real about seeing those walls and walking through the floorplan that I have studied and debated for months. So I'm going to actually say, I think we might truly have a restaurant next summer--probably in June. Seriously. I took more pictures of the kids on the site, and Jack discovering the big front loaders and such which I will post to flickr soon.

I wrote once about the decision to cater in the meantime. Well, we did decide to go ahead with that, and there are ads that will be going out in October, and we have things scheduled. Just one small problem, we don't have a kitchen. Lucho threw a fit, and I'm still trying to find a way around him or a different space. I would say more, but this is a public space and I don't have anything nice to say. There has to be a way around him. He can't win this. Or there has to be another kitchen. I've probably said too much, so moving on . . .

Our house has more important big news: Lucy Pooped in the Potty!! After a two year long battle of wills, which she has won without hardly a contest, she took herself to the potty without saying a thing, and just did it. All the cajoling, bribing, begging, punishing, pleading, and singing on the potty and she just went to the potty and did it. Amazing! Although unexplicable, I'm willing to call it a success and celebrate!

And now to get our minds literally out of the gutter (I know it's an awful pun, but I just couldn't resist, and I'm typing this late at night) I have discovered the cutest new craft--see pictures. The pink one is a mouse and the green one is a turtle. They are called "amigurumi" and the idea comes from Japan. My kids like them--Jack is particularly fond of throwing the heads around before I get them sewn onto the bodies. They are way fun to make. And, they make me rather happy.

Lucy, the Big Girl Preschooler!

This last Tuesday, Lucy had her first day of preschool. And, although Lucy is no social maverick, we survived. Most importantly, they didn't kick her out.

The night before we had three or four different potty accidents, she spent the entire night screaming at us, and I was convinced they would refuse to have her the next day. I even called my mom, desperate for advice, and ended up arguing with her a little over the best approach. Finally, I just kinda gave up. I mean, we have worked this whole summer to potty-train and prepare her for preschool. There wasn't much left that we could do for her.

So Tuesday, we get ready and despite having to get her immunization record last minute, we were on time. Applause for me because being on time anywhere is a serious feat! It was simply an open house for the first day. A come in, play with the toys and get acquainted with the space and people sort of day while the moms, and a few dads, are still around. Lucy was really excited, which means that she promptly screamed at the teachers for talking to her. Typical. After some soothing, a timeout and a few threats, we finally discovered a toy that she liked, away from all the other people (not a surprise). Jack on the other hand, easily made friends with three other boys who were playing with trains and was content and at home with the entire thing.

The cutest moment to me was when she asked me to take off her sweater, and then took it from me to iron it with their play iron. Precious. Although, Lucy didn't really play with any of the other kids, I was really proud of her. She didn't fall to pieces, and she played very close to the other children, covertly studying what they were doing. She really did well for her. I had a chance to warn the teachers about the potty issues and the screaming, as if they didn't notice. But I'm pretty sure that most the other kids are not that much better potty trained than her, and I don't think she's even the worst screamer that they've ever seen.

On Thursday, she had her first real day of preschool. By this point, I was more worried about having to tell Jack that he didn't get to go, than Lucy going. Again, she screamed a few times, but I guess she calmed down pretty quick. The teachers had me leave her at the door and walk away, which was so odd. Jack didn't mind at all. He got to go to the office with me and flirted up a storm with the girls. Then he went shopping with me, and I guess he thought that I wasn't looking because he tried to slip five different bags of Mike and Ikes in the basket. Sneaky little devil.

After preschool, Lucy said that she went down the slide, and that she likes Mrs. Cutie (it's really Mrs. Koday, but Lucy says Cutie). I don't know if she talked to the other kids. The teachers said that she did well.

Ever since, she's been telling me that she's a Big Girl. She has never once cared before to be a Big Girl. It has never interested her. There was nothing cool about Big Girls compared with princesses, fairies (berries, Lucy calls them) or dancers (dans-swers). And now, all of the sudden, she is a Big Girl. You see, in Lucy's world it is okay for everything to turn upside down from one day to the next, as long as it was her idea first. Of course.