Hey did I tell you Easter was tons of fun this year?
He’s whee-lee scar-wee:
Look he’s not so scary:
The hunt:
The hunter in action:
Oh wow:
The loot:
Come back next year Easter bunny:
It’s a late recap, but here it is. Easter was a blast this year. Mazie was old enough to really be able to celebrate spring. Although you’ll see from our atire, it was FREEZING. But anyway we decided to celebrate spring anyway. The Easter bunny brought lots of fun things to explore nature: a new bird feeder for outside the window, garden gloves to help Mummy and Nannie, an adorable egg shaped chick that sprouts grass for hair, and some water colors. Of course there were lots of sweets as well from the best candy store in the world — the Chatham Candy Manor. OOOh are those chocolates good. I think Mazie thought so too.
Updated April 23th: Lots of folks have asked my about Mazie’s adorable attire in the last two pics. Although in these it looks like PJ’s it’s actually this lovely mandarin-style jacket with satin ribbing and frog closures. The farbric is an amazing garden print with sweet peas and other country garden style flowers. My mom picked it up for her at this thirft shop in San Fran on a trip out to see a dear friend Sarah.
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I’ve been meaning to post this
Robbie took Mazie to the beach one Saturday when I was suffering from the nasty cold that seems to have plagued everyone this year.
Can’t wait for it to be warm enough to dip our toes in the water.
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Fresh baked bread doesn’t last long in our house
Although feeling rotten again (seems like I’ve been sick for a month and a half) Mazie and I made bread on Friday. It’s one of our favorite activities together. Well cookie making tops the list, but I can’t make cookies multiple times a week. They don’t last long around our house either, which would be a big problem for my ass.
Friday morning:
Saturday morning:
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Gluten free cookie experimentation (I guess that’s what I’ll call it)
Well as you may have seen from my tweets Valentines Day was celebrated in dribs and drabs here due to a kid with the flu and a mummy with one of the worst migraines she’s had in years. Anyway, we spent yesterday afternoon attempting to make some lip shaped butter cookies, which would eventually be dipped in chocolate. Cute huh? Like a black and white cookie where one lip is chocolate-y and the other is plain. Well things didn’t turn out like that. I’m getting much better at my GF baking, but it’s still really frustrating. Things just don’t work the same and it’s like learning a whole new set of chemistry rules. Anyway, there were some learnings and lovely moments. Here’s the recap. I modified a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, switching out the regular flour with the Whole Foods All Purpose Flour blend I’ve come to like. The first batch were rolled, cut, and placed onto a silpat baking sheet. Then straight into the oven. 
As you can see, not such a great result. They spread out too much, getting thin on the edges and browning too quickly. Also, almost unrecognizable as lips. So next time around, I rolled, cut, and placed them on parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Then I put them in the fridge to set up for a bit. Like a charm. 
These turned out much better. They didn’t loose their shape that much and consequently cooked more evenly. The next set were rolled, cut, and placed right on the cookie sheet (no parchment). These too were placed in the fridge before cooked in the oven, but alas with the same poor results as the first batch. 
See same thing, spreading out and browning too much on the edges. So here is the big learning for this and other cookie cutter cookies. Roll, cut, place on parchment on a cookies sheet. Refrigerate for a bit before putting in the oven and allow to cool a bit on the sheet before you take them off and put them onto the cooling rack. Ok so onto the Chocolate dipping saga. It was a total disaster and I’ve done this before so I don’t know what the hell I did wrong. First I tried the microwave. The chocolate broke. Then I tried the double boiler. The chocolate broke. Then I tried the mircowave again. The chocolate broke. As you can see the cookies never got dipped in chocolate. 
After this very frustrating baking event, I had to give myself a little mummy time out in the bedroom. After a minute or so Mazie came in and said, “It’s ok Mummy. It’s ok”. Then she gave me a big hug and said, “It’s ok Mummy it happens some times.” She was totally right. It is ok and it does happen sometimes. I think sometimes I want everything to come out like the picture — baking, crafts, our living room, etc– but sometimes the picture isn’t the best way. These were the best cookies we’ve made yet, because I learned a lot. Not only about my GF baking, but that might child might be one of the smartest people around and my best friend.
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A dose of spring in the winter
I’m so excited about the completion of my latest project. It was my first attempt at making a pair of socks. Just a simple knit three purl one rib and a stockinette foot, but look how great they turned out. I’ve always heard people say there is nothing like a hand knit pair of socks and you know what? They are totally right! They feel so good on my feet. One is a little bigger than the other because I was a loose knitter at the beginning of my sock adventure. However, once you put them on, no one is the wiser and my feet don’t seem to notice either.
This yarn (I’m sorry I can’t remember what it is or find the sleeve) is such a lovely dose of spring color in the middle of winter. I’ve already started my second pair of socks. I’ll give you an on the needle preview soon.
This is another nutty week in our house. I’m only just starting to recover from this HORRIBLE bug plaguing me for the last couple of weeks. Mazie’s birthday is tomorrow and I can’t believe she is turning two. I’m having a harder time with two than I did one. When she turned one I thought oh this is so great she’s one, but two seems like such a big milestone for me. It seems like a transition from having a baby to having a kid. Part of me feels like oh my god she’s been here for two whole years and the other part feels like I can’t believe she’s only been around for two years. Life would just not be the same without her.
Party festivities will commence this weekend and she is very excited. She keeps talking about how at the party we’ll have cake and ice cream, balloons, all her friends will come, there will be presents, and we’ll sing and dance. Seriously, could you ever ask for more than that in a birthday? What a great thing to be turning two and to be surrounded by singing dancing friends and family who are all eating sweets. Anyhew, lots of preparations in the days to come. I’ll share the results with you in the coming days.
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Why I’m not a fan of the bathroom at Michael’s
Public restrooms are never an enjoyable place as we all know. However, I’ve recently become even less of a fan of the bathroom at Michael’s (the craft store). On a trip to Michael’s for some pre-Christmas craft supplies and I should have known better than to have several cups of tea before our journey, but it was one of those mornings when I needed more of a pick me up than usual. You know late nights, restless sleep, oh and say a toddler.
So half way through the trip, off to the ladies room with Mazie. I headed for the handicap stall because Mazie was recently the lucky recipient of an American Girl doll bitty baby, which she insists on bringing everywhere with us, and the regular stall would be a bit cramped. Bad move.
As I’m sitting (well attempting to squat without sitting) in the far corner of the stall, my child decides it would be prudent to suddenly learn how to open the stall door and run out. Again remember, multiple cups of tea here. So of course I scream all sorts of you you get back here young lady’s, which does result in her return, but not of the guilty conscience. She’s now empowered by the fact that she can indeed open the door and do what she wants. So, again still squatting here, she now throws her new Abby doll (aforementioned brand new American Girl bitty baby) on the floor. The public restroom bathroom floor people!
Which of course results in many more pick that up young lady’s. Well now she’s mad and has decided (reminder still peeing here) that it would be a good idea to shove Abby under our stall to the stall next door, which of course is not acceptable to me nor to her, because now Abby is in the next stall and she’s not. Thus, logic would dictate that she crawl under the stall…public restroom floor here people…to the stall next door.
Now I’m finally done ridding myself of the massive amount of tea I previously ingested, gussy myself up, and then throw open the door of the stall next door to retrieve my child and an Abby doll that both need to be sanitized head to toe.
Seriously people, can’t a mummy use the ladies room with a bit of dignity? Anyhew and this is why I’m not a fan of the bathroom at Michael’s
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My budding artist
As Mazie is getting a little bit older I’m working to get her more involved in crafting, cooking, and making things with her hands. This year for Christmas Maze and I ventured to a paint your own pottery studio to create some utilitarian works of art for gifts. We also made our own wrapping paper.
This image is of Mazie making the wrapping paper for Robbie’s birthday present, which was shortly before Christmas. I discovered these paint pots by Crayola Maybe you all have them, but they were new to me and are wonderful for her age. Paint is messy people let’s face it, but at least these are less enticing to use as a makeup brush like a regular paint brush is for Mazie, which was a major challenge during the whole paint your own pottery experience.
I know I’m a little biased, but admit it… this is good stuff from a toddler.
Here we see the artist in action and saying “cheese”. BTW the bib is from Mimi the Sardine, which I posted about back in November 07 Also note in the background our very first (mine too, yes I’d never made a gingerbread house before) gingerbread house. More to come in a post about our Christmas related things. Yes yes I know it’s over, but give me some time I’m writing a blog while working and raising my child. It takes time people.
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I never knew the makeup counter could be so great
I had such a wonderful moment with my daughter yesterday. She really is all girl. She loves her babies, her mini toy stroller, cooking, and makeup. Every morning when I put my makeup on, she drags her bathroom stool over and shouts “meeeek-up, meeeek-up” so I fluff her cheeks with the brushes and pretend to put on eye shadow. Then lift her up and say oooh how beautiful and she grins ear to ear.
Yesterday, I had to take a trip to the mall to C.O. Bigelow to get some new face cream. I had tried to be economical and bought cheap stuff at the grocery store, but my face broke out everywhere. So much for frugality.
Anyway, so given the immense choices and my love of all sorts of girly Jams and Jellies, I decided I was also in the market for a new lip gloss - Leighton Meester, Gossip Girl style. So I plopped Mazie up on one of the stools next to the counter and the gal at the store brought a few choices over for me to try. They have these little disposable brushes so you don’t contaminate the tester, which Mazie took to be her own personal set of makeup brushes. We stood there together with the gal from the store for about an hour, trying lip gloss on Mummy and pretending to put various kinds of makeup on Mazie. All the while, the other women in the store came over to oooh and ahhh over how beufitufl Maze looked in her new makeup.
She was having so much fun. Smooching her lips, pretending she was putting on lipstick, using the brushes to “dab” on blush, and getting really close the makeup mirror to admire herself .
What a great afternoon for Mother and Daughter. One hour of complete and utter girly fun. Robbie says he wants to come with us next time we go the makeup counter.
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You know she’s my daughter when…
The New Kids on the Block were on the today show this morning. As soon as they started to sing Mazie started dancing. She thought they were awesome. Big smile, arms going, lets kicking, bouncing up and down. Yes my daughter is a New Kids on the Block fan.
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