Proud Moment

My husband turned on the T.V. in another room this morning.  The announcer's voice was blamming on about what I thought was the superbowl (clearly I'm not into sports...).  He called to my daughter:  "Mae, come see what these girls are doing!!" 

I thought, "this is it! This is the moment where she is being told to watch the cheerleaders and not the MEN playing the sport".  My  heart sank, but I rationalized it with, "well, those professional cheerleaders ARE amazing athletes, and just because they are wearing short skirts doesn't make them any less of an athlete," along with the other litanies I had repeated to myself and anyone else who would listen when *whispering* I was a cheerleader. 

*Okay, I was never THAT kind of cheerleader!*

I told myself we weren't endangering her gender realities or her self image or feelings about the condition of her bellybutton for the rest of her life, because they are just cheerleaders!  and they ARE girls!!  And it is okay for girls to be cheerleaders!! But I was also planning a loooong lecture on her ability to play ANY sport, including cheerleading if that was her desire because girls aren't relegated to the sideline sports...  blah, blah, blah....

I turned the corner into the living room wiping my hands and preparing to start my amazing mother lecture series to see a ladies' moguls competition on that damn t.v.!!!  My husband hadn't called her in to see cheerleaders (not that there is anything WRONG with that) at ALL!!  He was showing her how those skiers were leaning forward and, "see how fast they turn??" and "YOU could ski like that, too, Mae!"

I'm a proud mama and a proud wife.  Those bumps skiers kicked ass.  And so does my husband.

Giant Plates and Cowboy Boots. Or: When I Grow Up.

I saw a woman interviewed on Tyra once (don't judge.) who had described a man's personality by what shoes he wears.  She wrote a whole book about it. 

I also saw a woman on a morning news show talking about being able to categorize a marriage and even its future by how two people sleep:  spooning all night = one is in charge and the other likes to be taken care of, a happy ending was surely in their future.  Back to back sleeping CLEARLY screamed the inability to look each other in the eye and most likely deep seeded hate.  These poor souls where on the freeway to divorce.

As I was unloading my dishwasher for the millionth time I was doing a little categorizing of my own.

After eight years of life as a stay at home mom with half of a normal salary to support the 5 of us, my shoes are in a very sorry state and don't even deserve to be photographed.  I'm pretty sure my husband and I sleep in the same bed, but if you asked me which directions, I'd be unable to answer - we are so happy to get ANY sleep at this point making it to the bed at all is an accomplishment. I do however, spend a LOT of time in my kitchen feeding these starving, chirping birdies who depend on me.

I've always known that we were a "top shelf" dishwasher kind of family; tons of bowls and glasses, not as many plates.  Today though, I realized my grown up size plates are sadly sitting untouched in  my cupboard.  Why don't we use the big plates?  

Does our lack of use of adult size plates mean my husband and I have thrown in the towel and eating on the "salad plates" and even on occasion flower or pirate ship shaped plates mean our romance is dead forever?  

Does it mean I'm horribly lacking complete meals?  I do feel VERY proud when I make a real dinner, and the definition of real to me is one that didn't come from a frozen cardboard box, so who on earth is making enough sides to fill up one of those gigantic plates?!  If I served a typical dinner I've prepared on such an enormous plate, the amount of white space would blind my family and then working on food presentation would be dashed forever.

Do the stacks and stacks of plastic Ikea cups and plates mean we have NO pizzaz?  That our love life is dull and scratched like the once gleaming plastic that caught my eye that day at Ikea? That we are on the road to paper plates covered with hamburger helper with a side of koolaid? 

Do the dusty boxes of my wedding china that languish in my closet mean that I'll never entertain again?!

I'm pretty sure it means we are into our 8th year of baby parenthood and that it will all come back to us and we'll grow up and use the good china some day.  I can't really think about it right now, though - the timer just started shrilling telling me my family's dinner from a frozen cardboard box is done.  I think I'll pick the pirate plate tonight.

You Should Go HERE for Valentine's Day!

 I seriously adore Pix patisserie.  They opened right after my first baby was born and I've sort of watched them grow up with him.  I went to a bridal shower while I was newly pregnant with my second baby and they had a dessert table by Pix.  Oh.  The love affair was cemented.  You know how everything tastes like manna from heaven when you are blissfully pregnant??  (Shhhh!  mamas out there!! I know sometimes things taste evil and will NEVER cross your lips again, but some girls don't know yet and there ARE some preggo GOOD times!)  I was in one of the "these bits of heaven have made my life better" preggo moments and we feasted on Framboise, Pâte de Fruits, The Pixie's, and of course their French Macarons.  It turns out, that the fact that my skirt was riding incredibly high over my new baby bump DID have to do with being preggo, but the sublime tastes didn't.  Everything is even better now. 

I could write volumes about their Macarons, but you must just go there and try them.  OR order them!!  The colors are perfect, the crisp outer shell and creamy insides, ugh.  They are perfection.  The colors are perfect to coordinate with any party color scheme, as well.  (That reminds me, I have to order some for my son's First Communion party.) 

If you are here in Portland, Pix is hosting a lovely Valentine's Tea.  Treat you and your sweetie, or your daughter, or your mama to heart shaped macarons, oysters on the half shell, plenty of chocolate and a bottle of A. Margaine, Brut Rose Premier Cru Grower Champagne.  "Enjoy a total of 16 sweet and savory bite sized treats per person and 2 pots of tea from Townshend’s Tea House. $100 per couple including Champagne ($60 without)"

OR, order the Take-Out…Make-Out! ~ A Chinese pagoda box perfect for 2! Includes 2 truffles, 2 heart-shaped French macarons, Cocoanuts, Champagne Bubbles and a demi of sparkling wine. $23 with wine, $13 without:

 OR, holy crap, they have HEART shaped macarons!!!  They come in Chocolate, Raspberry or Fleur de Sel Caramel.  I'm dying...

Pix is very local, and very, very, very good.  I can't make it to Paris any time soon, so I let their gorgeous French atmosphere swallow me up, sip some strong coffee and nibble these little pieces of heaven and dream.

Valentine Cards For the Classroom

The kids picked out some Silly Bands valentine packages the last time we were at target, but I just can't be happy with them!  They are cute and I know the kids will like them - once they get home since they are no longer allowed in their school! - but I've never been happy with JUST a package from target!  I loves me some Target, don't get me wrong, but I've been thinking about cutting and gluing and folding and punching paper to give them a more hand made feel.  Imagine my delight when I came across these adorable designs from Scenerie!!  They are lovely, adorable, and more than just a card!  These will be transformed into finger puppets when my daughter's kindergarten class gets home:

 And I can just hear my son's second grade class going crazy over these adorable optical illusion cards!!

All they have to do is sign their names and tie a little ribbon holding the cards to the Silly Bands, and we are done!