Five Faves - friendship, chess tourney, cupcake wine, Skippy, 2 year olds when they're not impish, and confessions of a neurotic mom

~1~ Uzma and her family are neighbors of ours that have been friends for 5 years. We've been through a lot together. Summer in Texas, summer in Texas, and summer in Texas. That's enough to bond people for life.  But also school carpooling, birthday parties, bike rides, park trips, playdates and tea time. This family is moving away in a few months (not sure how I'll face this summer without her!) and will be sorely missed :(  

~2~ Our Mister D had his first chess tournament. He did well for his age group, considering he hadn't been playing for several months (monopoly has become the new obsession). We were so glad he had a good time!

~3~ Skippy Jon Jones. Have you read this book? Reading with a Spanish accent is muy importante. Doesn't matter how bad you think it sounds, you HAVE to get into it. It's about what an imaginative Siamese Cat does when he goes to his room for time out. Heartwarming, wholesome and silly, and there is a whole series! (age range - 4-9) 

~4~ This wine has become my favorite this week. That is all. 

~5~ I've had an adorable yet very impish two year old on my hands for the last couple of weeks. It's a trying stage, involving melt downs over getting in the car seat, not wanting to hold hands while crossing the street, not eating anything which isn't covered in chocolate and clapping and laughing any time he does something naughty, like pouring drinks out on to the floor.  It's definitely more adorable the third time around, but still not my favorite. Moments like this however, are. :) 

This doesn't count towards a favorite, because it would be weird to "favorite" something I wrote.  But here are my Confessions of a Neurotic Mom: Little Did I Know, for ACNM this week. It was personal to me, and I struggled a bit to put it "out there," but I did so with the hopes that it would bless someone who may be seeking encouragement in dealing with doubts in the beginning of parenthood. God is good, all the time!

Five Faves - Funky alcove, carpet railways, Girls Getaway, a beetle, Chicken Francese, and love always wins.

~1~ Favorite thing, cool faux patina tree alcove for sheltering cherubs, at Round Top, Tx.

                                             
                                       


~2~ Favorite moment, civil engineers of the future unite!

We were all sick this week. When one person improved, the next would get a fever. I cancelled nearly everything on our schedule for the whole week. Not gonna lie, it. felt. awesome.  We just played trains, raced cars, read books, watched movies and played monopoly. I think we're on the upswing, and I am so grateful for good health. It is good to be reminded how thankful we should be every day!!!


~3~ Favorite place, Our Lady of the Ascension in Moravia, Tx.

I had the chance to spend time with some incredible ladies this past weekend in a sweet, old farmhouse in a small Czech-Texas town.  We went for a walk in the woods, prayed the rosary together, enjoyed wine and the peace and quiet under the stars in a pitch black night, told stories, slept in and went to Mass in a church over 100 years old. (and that's old for the South!) :)  Here we are pictured with Lorraine Deem, who was baptized in this church when it was brand new. She began the first "blog" in the area, a column which ran for nearly 30 years about Czech history, culture, recipes and happenings. We had to have a picture with her. :) 

~4~  Favorite bug? Introducing the chocolate chip beetle. Oh, all right. That's not its real name.

                                   
                                 

~5~ Favorite meal, Chicken Francese ala Skinny Taste. 

This was easy, and yummy! I was supposed to serve it with angel hair pasta but all we had was macaroni and cheese. I'm sure that was a major culinary faux pas but it won't be the first time!

Love Always Wins

All pleasantries aside, this was actually quite a terrible week. Tragedy hit our nation, our state and even our town. I think we have all felt a little helpless, hearing the stories and seeing the images of the suffering happening all around us. I know my prayers are the best I can offer as a mother of young children, but I crave to help with my hands, too.  This neat lady I know thought of an idea. A group of wonderful ladies are going to be working together tomorrow to bake pies to bring to relief workers working in West, Tx as we speak. I can't promise a perfect crust, but I can promise a pie baked with love. And I hope our little bit, from our little corner, will help people to remember that love always wins.

Thank you Jesus, for the gift of life. 

Five Favorites: Bossa nova, ceviche, an unusual rosary, cradle to grave siblings, baby birds and my post for ACNM

~ 1 ~  Bossa Nova.

                                                             Bebel Gilberto, think I could pass for her? 

This genre of music speaks to a part of me deep inside that I can not explain, as if it is summoning ancestors from beyond who awaken deep nostalgia in my blood. While I can not claim Brazilian blood,  I do have Portuguese ancestry on my Indian side of the family, my maiden name is actually Portuguese in origin.  I grew up in South Florida which is beautifully blended with New Yorkers, Latin Americans, Europeans and everyone in between. I loved growing up in a city which taught me about other countries and cultures. And I love this song, by Bebel Gilberto, daughter of Joao Gilberto, called Samba da Bencao.  Their musical relationship reminds me of Ravi Shankar and his daughter Norah Jones, another father/daughter favorite pair of mine. Here are the words in English.  Listen here.   It feels like the world is full of possibilities and dreams when I hear this song. Do you love it??? You must!  I don't think I'm cut out for the samba, but maybe I could pull off Flamenco, I certainly have the temper for it. But my love of Spain is a post for another day.....


It's better to be happy than sad 
Happiness is the best thing there is 
It is like a light in the heart 
But to make a samba with beauty 
It's needed a bit of sadness 
If not the samba can't be made 

To make a samba is not like telling a joke 
And who makes samba like this is worth nothing 
The good samba is a kind of prayer 
Because samba is the sadness that sways 
And sadness is always hopeful 
Of one day not being sad any more 

Put a little love in the cadence 
And you'll see that in this world nobody wins 
The beauty that a samba have 
Because samba was born in Bahia (Brazil) 
And if today it is white in it's poetry 
It is very black in it's heart 

~2~  Ceviche

Flowing with my spanish theme, my friend Josie Gutierrez  who now lives in Austin with her beautiful family, introduced me to Ceviche. Have you ever had it before? It is usually prepared with crab meat, but we made it with shrimp. It's is a perfect light summer food, and goes very nicely with Bossa Nova I might add. Serve it with cheese quesadilla wedges and your husband won't say "this is all we're having for dinner?" (oh yes he did!)  Recipes from SkinnyTaste like ceviche and buffalo chicken lettuce wraps have been helping me lose weight slowly (after 2 painstaking years of looking like I ate my former self)  Myfitnesspals tracks it all for me, and many skinnytaste recipes are compatible with Weight Watchers point values and already listed in the database! 

~3~  Lego Rosary

We are making strides in preparing for First Holy Communion weekend.  Banner has been made, suit has been bought (but still need a jacket and shoes).  We are going to pick up some food and a cake on the way home from Mass and have a sweet little family celebration. Dominic's Godparents live in Oregon now and can not make it out, but we have some proxy godparents willing to stand in. :)  We bought this lego rosary for him that came recommended by Catholic Icing, because I couldn't resist.  It's not the forever keepsake rosary, but I think the godparents will help on that one. :)  We are very excited for our first child to receive the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist. We have been talking about it for so long, I can hardly believe the day is almost here!

~4~  Happy Siblings Day

Okay so this is 8 years ago. I think this is how I will always remember my siblings though, looking this way.  I can't live without these people, even when they drive me crazy. I read once in one of my sociology classes that of every relationship, only a sibling relationship lasts over the course of one's entire life. We only know our parents half of our lives, we only know our children for half our lives. But our siblings go through it all with us, cradle to grave. May God watch over us and always keep us close, no matter what happens! 

                                      

Speaking of siblings, check these ones out.  We found these baby birds in a watering can. We're afraid to move the can, even though it's precariously tilted sideways hanging out of our backyard bin of outdoor toys.  St. Francis, please watch over these baby birds! 



~5~  What I wrote for ACNM  this week. 

                                                            The Old Guitarist, Pablo Picasso

What to say (and not say) to someone who is depressed.  I know I've mentioned the book "Never Give Up: My Life and God's Mercy" before.  At least a few (hundred) times? :)  This book is revolutionary and turns our cultural values on their heads, in that it gives dignity to people who suffer with mental illness and feelings of worthlessness. Not celebrating mental illness, or glorifying it, but acknowledging the pain of an "invisible disability" as part of God's saving plan for those who suffer.  I wrote this article as an introduction for friends, family members and co-workers who want to understand more compassionately, and hopefully be able to reach out with more confidence.  The article got nearly 700 views and over 200 facebook likes, and the author personally commented on it with thanks! I was floored!!! I pray it can make a difference in someone else's life as I know it has made in mine! 

Doris and I in Austin when she was completing her Ph.D dissertation at UT this Fall. We're hanging out on the Zilker Zephyr, cuz that's how we roll!

And one of my forever favorites, Happy Birthday, dear Doris! Doris is a kindred spirit, sister of my heart, forever friend from my hometown in Florida, and proof that you can truly can find your forever favorite peeps in public school. Doris and I used to be mixed up often in grade school, and I could make her burst into laughter (and sometimes tears) with a single look.  Fellow band geek, fan of literature, art history, world cultures, classic films and all things 80's, we were always sure we were separated at birth somehow. Currently she is in Chile, where she can be found when she is not living in South Florida or Austin, with her chef extraordinaire husband Patrick.  I hope I will get to see her again soon! Love you, Dor. 

                                 

        A few of my favorite Florida peeps, birthday girl is to the right of me. But a very important one is missing, Khania, a post for another day! 

Come and share your five favorites from your life at MoxieWife too! 

From firetrucks to Escher, and "Look What I Can Do" night.

After finishing his documentary on firetrucks, he sat down next to me on the couch to look at Bronius' favorite Escher book. You never know what this guy is going to do next!

                           
                               Today we went up to Milo's preschool for his "Look What I Can Do" night.

                             
                                            The school labyrinth is still a family favorite.

                                And how many times have I walked past this tree and not seen her face?

Milo shows us his favorite solar system puzzle.  Daddy forgot to take pictures, but he did a few other jobs too :) 

Weekend highlights....birthday, archery, readers, bread making, spinners and a new suit!

               Happy Birthday, Uncle Steve! (he's not 81, we just couldn't find a 3 in the drawer so we used an 8...shhh he never noticed!) 

                                     M is proud of his newly acquired archery stance!

  These guys can get along now and then. 

                                D baked bread on his first holy communion retreat this weekend.

              Then while Daddy played in a wedding, we went to the park to spin off some energy.

                 And then we got a great deal on a suit set for Mr. D's First Holy Communion. I think he's one handsome kiddo.  We're so excited for him!

Five Faves - Paperman, Faux Roman Shades, Easter trio, Repurposing achanging table and Outdoor washing station

Some of my treasured blog diva friends are doing the 5 favorites and I must say, coming up with 5 neat things is easier than 7 on some weeks. :)  And the rolling deadline I can appreciate as a writer ;) Thanks to Jen Fulweiler for taking over and to Hallie Lord for hosting!

~1~

This sweet animation short by Pixar, Paperman, to help us remember we are made for more than what we do.

~2~
                                  


My Mom made these faux roman shades for our art room. I love the colors and the print, and now we have a little sunshine in this room where creativity blooms! Thank you, Mom.


~3~

Here's our handsome Easter trio. I am still lamenting the fact that we missed our chance to get a full family photo, but much of that had to do with children running away and absconding with candy while we talked with friends after Mass.

                                   

~4~

I thought this was neat. Have you seen some of these options for repurposing your changing table? I'm on the fence about repurposing ours as a server in the dining room, because, that seems a bit like repurposing a hospital bed for a dining room table.  It could work....but maybe there's something better...


~5~

Preparing the environment

                                

Jonas is showing great interest in putting things together, and putting things away, which is a big milestone in early childhood development (one apparently I still haven't reached). I decided to set up an outdoor washing station for him, which consists simply of 2 plastic bowls and a scrub brush. He loves his plastic zoo animals, so he scrubs them and rinses them with a baster and dries them with a towel.  And repeats! :)

All I know is that this is MUCH better than him hanging off my leg and whining for snacks. Yes, in fact it is possible to be a daydreamer and co-exist happily with children if you can just prepare the environment. Kids want to be useful, they want to have a purpose and stretch their abilities as much as we do! And having fun while developing fine motor skills ain't half bad, either! :)  If you like this, check out my pinterest board of Montessori inspired activities for toddlers and preschoolers!

Here's a little bonus of 2 year old cuteness. :)

Cue the confetti, I'm with my little sister!