Dream Date

I've always liked asking Jonas (and everyone) "favorite" questions, but it's harder and harder to come up with ones that I don't know the answer to the longer we're together. Thankfully (kind of), Jonas has a tendancy to change his mind about substantial things (like what he wants to get his BA in) and forget to tell me, so sometimes I'm surprised by the answer even if I ask him something I've asked before.

Last night as we were falling asleep, I asked Jonas what his favorite candy was, and he didn't know. I don't know what mine is either, except I remembered just now that officially, it's double salt black licorice.

My next question was, "what is your dream date, if money and time and place weren't obstacles?" He said he'd want to eat at NOMA with me, and I approve of that answer. I love being the person he wants to experience life with. I actually have the original NOMA cookbook, but haven't looked through it in a long time. One of the most recent episodes of Parts Unknown that we watched was entirely about NOMA, and it was pretty amazing. The tasting menu for one person costs $267, so thus the "dream" aspect of a date there (plus, it's in Copenhagen). Here are some images from the cookbook/restaurant to give you a sense of the vibe. It's been ranked as the top restaurant in the world for the past several years in a row.

I'd never really contemplated what my dream date would be, but I came up with it pretty quickly, and it is pretty dreamy. Here goes: First, this date involves a private yacht that magically drives itself, but at some point, a personal chef appears and then goes away again. We would be sailing in warm, clear waters so that we could find some caves to swim in and explore without it being scary or cold. After our swim, our magical personal chef would cook a big, fabulous lunch for us (and do the dishes), and go away. Other parts of the day include catching our own fish to BBQ for dinner and a fancy suite with a spa, large shower, and a bed with candy and kittens. But the kittens are magically free of any guilt on my part for not staying with them every second. Other things I wouldn't cry about: unlimited comic books, full body massage, frozen yogurt (with taro flavor, at least) and popping boba (lychee flavor), this (thankfully, this happens a lot with my husband), and discovering a lost ship on our swim. [images 1, 2]

Some real dates I'm looking forward to in the next few months are brunch at Marisol at the Cliffs in Pismo and trying the new ramen shop in SLO. Here is a Pinterest board I keep of other date ideas in our area. 

What would YOU do on a dream date? 

Wedding Inspiration: Paradise

I get so excited when I see a wedding that's not run-of-the-mill, but then again, though I wanted my own wedding to be unique, it still ended up with a very classic vibe. It's hard to step out on too lofty a limb on one of the biggest days of your lives! That's why I love moodboards - I can make up infinite wedding themes and ooh and ahh over the pretty pictures, without the stress of actually making it all come together.

I think a destination wedding would majorly stress me out, but a destination elopement with bright colors, great food, turquoise waters, and parrot-colored attire? I'm so there.

I call these colors Papaya, Citron, Paradise Berry, and Bright Teal. 

Image Credits (clockwise L to R): 1., 2., 3., 4., 5. 

Try This At Home: Coconut Milk Shrimp Ceviche

Jonas and I love the restaurant Luna Red in SLO for their unique menu choices and lovely atmosphere. On my first visit there, I got hooked on their shrimp ceviche. The menu mentions the main ingredients in the dish, but I decided to try my hand at recreating it at home, and meshed with this other ceviche recipe I found, here's what I came up with.

Time: 30 min prep, 30 min marinade
Servings: appetizer for 6 adults (or adventurous and ravenous toddlers)

What You'll Need:

• 1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 5 to 8 limes, depending on size and juiciness 
• 1/2 large cucumber, deseeded and diced
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro, chopped 
• 1/2 to 1 (depending on the desired heat) green jalapeno pepper , de-seeded and minced 
• 2/3 of a 14 oz. can of coconut cream (thicker than coconut milk)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, depending on jalapeno heat)

Home made tortilla chips for serving 
Caviar limes (aka finger limes) for garnish (SB farmer's market has them) 

Directions:

1. Peel and clean the shrimp first, chopping them into bits about the size of your fingernail. Juice the limes and fully cover the shrimp with lime juice. Let the shrimp sit in the lime juice for 30 minutes in the fridge - the lime will "cure" the shrimp, turning them the pink-and-white opaque of cooked shrimp, super nifty! 

2. Next, chop the cucumbers and salt them in a sieve placed over a bowl - the salt will help the cucumbers release some of their liquid so you won't end up with runny ceviche, as well as salt flavor to the whole dish. The longer you let them sit, the more water they'll release, so get this step out of the way early on so they have time to do their thing. 

3. I threw the jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro in to my manual food processor and chopped them to a small dice in one quick step. 

[if you're making your own tortilla chips, you can use any time left waiting for the shrimp to finish to start on those]

4. When the shrimp is ready, pour off a little more than half of the lime juice (you can just toss it, you're not using it later) and combine with the cucumber (shake off excess liquid that may still be dripping) and minced veggies. Pour the coconut cream over everything and combine. You can use more or less cream depending on the consistency you want.

5. Add cayenne to adjust the heat, if desired. Squeeze caviar limes over individual portions for extra pretty presentation. 

Now & Again

This morning, I couldn't even bring myself to tell Ishmael to stop pulling every inch of floss out of the floss container. Resistance is futile, sometimes. He doesn't want to go behind the curtain so I can take a cool picture of him, he only wants a rotten peach (or "apple", as he calls it), NOW. While running around the kitchen after breakfast, he smacked his elbow on a cabinet knob and needs me to pick him up and make it better NOW. When I'm cooking with spattering lava-hot oil, he inevitably wants to be in on the fun NOW - I know because he wedges himself in between my legs and wherever I'm standing, stands on my feet (which has become very painful), and rocks on my legs and looks up with saucer eyes and wide-open mouth saying "up?!" until I pick him up or tell him "no" and move out of the way, resulting in a waterfall of snot and blubbering. You have to see that "up" face to understand why most of the time he gets picked up, no matter how pregnant I am or how far away I have to stand from whatever I'm trying to cook.

If I'm trying to read a book or look at something on my phone, NOW is the time he must sit on my lap and read too. If I'm enjoying my dinner, NOW is the best time to commandeer my lap and challenge my ability to keep my food on the fork in the 3 feet between my plate and my mouth. Everything with toddlers is best done right NOW. I'm not a total pushover nor do I give him everything he wants, exactly when he wants it, but having a little guy teaches you that your time is not always your own, and sometimes what he needs is more important than what I was already doing. No matter how convenient, it is one of the best feelings when your child needs your comfort NOW when he's feeling hurt, vulnerable, scared, or sad.

As for AGAIN, you guys all know about this if you've ever spent time with children. Or my husband. Jonas and I are very different in that he is content to go to the same restaurant (if he finds a good one) for just about every date, where as I rarely want to go to the same place twice, even if I loved it the first time. When time is finite, I want to fit in as much variety as possible. Jonas on the other hand, wants to spend his time enjoying the few things he knows are worth his time. Especially earlier in our relationship, when we were most polarized on this issue, it drove me a little nuts. But I remembered this passage I read ages ago in G.K. Chesterton's "Orthodoxy", and it helps me appreciate Jonas, and now my toddler who wants to play the same game or sing the same song 72 times in a row, or as Chesterton puts it, "until you are nearly dead."

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” 

Isn't that the most beautiful way to look at the endless cycle of "agains"? I love imagining God as giddy as a child, or a child as giddy as God, taking never-ending joy in doing the same wonderful thing over and over and over, until we're truly dead.

I was feeling overwhelmed and short tempered this morning, especially since I have started to feel uncomfortably close to giving birth in the last 2 days and there's still a lot I want to accomplish before that happens. Remarkably to me, however, I am about 2 weeks in to essentially being a stay-at-home mom, and I'm loving it! I was nervous that I'd be bored and soon grow resentful toward Ishmael, but I had an afternoon without him yesterday and it just felt quiet and I almost decided to go to sleep, which I don't usually feel when I'm staying active with him. (here's a photo of what I'm eating as I write this - pizza, tootsie rolls, tums - thanks to my husband for bringing me this special order. Proof of pregnancy, if I know anything)

I think it's harder not to resent my spouse for working outside of the house and then spending leisure time at home when I still see so much work to be done around the house. Thankfully though, Jonas appreciates that I work at home, and that helps me feel less in danger of getting SAHM syndrome where I feel stifled as a person. Like I said, today started out with me feeling a little more frazzled than I have been feeling. After a few hours of me-time during Ishmael's nap that helped me snap out of my funk considerably, I decided to take him across the street to the Discovery Museum, which neither of us had ever been to before.

I can't believe they charge $8 for children (unless they're under 2, lucky us), and I think I would have been considerably underwhelmed if I'd paid $8 for Ishmael's admission, but since he was free and my admission was only $4, it was a well-spent 2 hours of our day. I was quite surprised at how much he enjoyed it, actually! He ran around from station to station, excited about almost everything, and even warming up to play tunnels, which he's sometimes wary of when he can't see the other end. His favorite things were the tractor (complete with a special way to shift gears) and another little car with a wheel he could turn. He was even running up to other kids to watch what they were doing and wait his turn, though the other children helped me recall that I do not like children in general, Sam I Am.

There was one little boy who was probably 7 who was not in the little car when Ishmael ran up, but when Ishmael tried to get in, the boy got in and would have shoved Ishmael to the ground if I hadn't caught him! I think I was too shocked to chew that kid out like I probably should have. Another little boy didn't want Ishmael to ride a little rocking horse that he wasn't riding himself because the horse "needed to be alone in its pen". When the little boy protested when Ishmael started to ride the horse anyway, Ishmael realized that his behavior was making the other boy unhappy and ran out of the pin, hiding his eyes, which he does when he's ashamed or someone he admires tells him "no", like my dad. It completely shatters me when he does that, and I fiercely want to scoop him up and let him know it's okay and that he didn't do anything wrong (in the horse instance, at least).

Other kids, man. They're real jerks.
I'm sure my kids will have some majorly jerkish moments too, but for today, I'm so thankful for my sweet little guy and that I have these few weeks to spend a lot of time with him and all his NOW and AGAINs. 

Look With Your Eyes: Geoffroy Amelot

My favorite kind of Lego creation. I'm sure he's not the first to use Legos as color pixels in artwork, but this particular use makes me extra happy.

By the way, this series of artwork I'm posting in between more substantial posts got its name because "look with your eyes" is what my dad used to tell my siblings and me when we'd be at a museum or somewhere else with things to look at, but that we weren't supposed to touch.

Out of the Cul De Sac

My friend Suzanne posted on Facebook today, "What SHOULD a country be? What should its citizens be proud of as a national identity, as national characteristics? What should it not be proud of?", and although my first reaction is that the answer will be different for everyone (for better or worse!), I don't know exactly how I would answer those questions, and that got my wheels turning. 

I love this song. I think it's a beautiful love song, but I also love the tones of exploration, freedom, and perhaps immigration, which I'll touch on later in this blog. 




When I think about my political, or even patriotic leanings, I'm well aware that I'm a product of my environment. It's easy for me to think that my view on the world, which is pretty narrow in some areas, is simply reality, but I appreciate when I can see past that and realize that anyone who considers their own views to be the way everyone sees the world is kidding themselves. When I am in those moments of realization, it helps me reevaluate what I believe and why. That being said, most of the people in my life are pretty conservative, politically, and some are grossly rude in their vocalization of their opinions. I could link to some of the nastier memes I've seen, but I like to think myself above sharing them with any more eyes. I'm aware that I don't have a lot of exposure to the opposite side, though I know it exists, with equally disgusting displays of opinion on the other end of the political spectrum. As it is in my small slice of culture, my disdain for the hypocrisy of a lot of conservatism (particularly when it comes from those who bare the name of Christ and then defile it through their hate speech toward other humans) has led me to be a firm moderate, which reads almost like a radical liberal in my circle. As followers of Christ, should we not be both as wise a serpents, and as gentle as doves? I openly admit my struggle to be both wise and gentle in my response to those that I find both foolish and harmful, and I realize that if can't control myself, I am not in a position to contest anyone else's words.

I wanted to explain that only to give you some background on where I stand politically, and the reasons I'm moving in the direction that I am, even if that reason is often a reaction to others as much as it is my own convictions about particular issues. I say "as much as", because I don't want to downplay that I do think issues through for myself as opposed to simply deciding to resist the larger culture around me. I don't seek to be irritating or rude or hateful when I express my own beliefs, but sometimes I do seek to unsettle people in an attempt to get them to question their beliefs or behavior. I know that not everyone appreciates that, but I do it partially because I appreciate it when someone brings something to my attention that causes me to see an error in my own ways and then I am able to alter my thinking and actions. I think any one of us would be crazy not to want to be righted where we're wrong. Granted, I may not have the skill or the obligation to convince many people of the things I think they're wrong about, but I genuinely feel that I have a calling (pardon how conceited that may sound) to be a challenger, if not a persuader. 

Having grown up in another country, I feel that my perspective on America and being an American is different than a lot of people who grew up here. Although I am, in general, an Obama supporter, I too have questioned and worried about the apparent trend in the dwindling of some rights and freedoms in the past few years, despite the fact that most of the freedoms that are in question (gun ownership, privacy of information) are not things that I feel the need to be completely unhindered in. I assure you, I have felt pangs of anxiety and sadness over what I see happening in this country, BUT, I am far from thinking the country has gone to hell. I firmly believe that history and nations show a repeated cycle of rise and decline, and that America will fit in to that - whether we are truly in decline is up for debate, in my book. Even if we are, that doesn't completely trouble me in the grand scheme of things. I don't believe it's possible to maintain "greatness" forever, nor do I believe America started out as great or as smiled-on-by-God as a lot of people do. While I think my expectations of America started out lower than many, I think my hope for it is greater. [image]

In comparison to all other countries I have ever lived in or visited, I can confidently say that we have been and are still so very privileged and free in this country. Although it would be foolish not to fight for the things that we consider to have made us so privileged and free, I wish there was a greater sense of awe and gratitude for what we do have. A constant doom-and-gloom attitude doesn't contribute to a healthier state, in my opinion. 

Without trying to sound too doom-and-gloom myself, I find my faith in democracy dwindling. Not only from the standpoint of feeling like my voice doesn't affect how the country is run, but whether the model itself is even the best idea. When I see America trying to impose democracy on other struggling nations as if it's a cure-all, I stand back and grimace. Democracy seems more and more like communism to me - an excellent idea, but a system that can't be sustained very well in the long run. As I mentioned above in a slightly different scenario, I find it arrogant to assume that our way of thinking ("democracy is best") can or should be applied to everyone else. I'm not sure that democracy IS best for every country, not only because of any flaws in democracy itself, but because other nations are built on different cultures and principles which may not thrive under democracy.  In the case of many of the countries involved in the Arab spring(s), I think it was noble and necessary for the people to rise up against their corrupt governments, but is democracy then the next step, when the people don't share the same beliefs about what the next form of government should be? I don't know the answer, but I find it embarrassing that we push democracy so hard on other countries, particularly when it seems to be falling apart on our own turf. Democracy has god-like status to many Americans, yet consider that neither we nor our children dream of becoming president when we grow up anymore. 

I'm not sure what that speaks to more - our deep-seated loss of faith in the democracy and the ability of our government to affect change, or a new and better understanding of democracy as we focus on affecting change in one smaller area in our lives that we find important, rather than thinking the only way to have power or influence is to be the president. For better or worse, I think Americans have come to see the position of president in a much more real light - regardless of the person who is president, the position has less power than we thought. As discouraged as I feel at times about my voice or vote mattering at all, I think it would be fundamentally un-American to give up because of that. In the words of Margaret Heffernan, "she had freedom and she [is] ready to use it". Just because my vote may not seem to matter (side note: do we only feel that way when things don't turn out the way we voted for them to turn out?!) doesn't mean I don't have the freedom to speak and act out in other ways - politically and socially. We have almost unparalleled opportunity in this country to say and do what we want in the name of furthering causes that are important to us, even if we have to focus on taking much smaller steps than something like a presidential policy. 



Even so, I definitely feel that pull to give up on failing social systems. I used to be staunchly against getting federal aid of any kind that I may qualify for, but don't really need. Low income housing, WIC food, money taken off our PG&E bill based on how much we make - I didn't want to be a freeloader and further break down systems that have, in part, been ravaged by people taking advantage of them and/or thinking they deserve what is actually a gift. But the further along I go, the more discouraged I feel about maintaining ideals like that. It's hard to get by when everyone else uses what's available to them to get ahead, and in the end, I ask myself what the point is of resisting free help. I already paid for it all in taxes anyway (though somehow the government gives us more money back than we paid in taxes? Not that I'm complaining, but they wonder why this country is broke). Giving in to that cycle is kind of what gives me a soul ache. 

I love this country, and I think my fellow Americans do too. Sometimes love drives us to do stupid things out of fear, when we feel that our treasure is threatened. Yet, what does love mean, if not that "the odds are irrelevant - do whatever the hell you can, the odds be damned." A "hopeless problem" does not deter you from doing any and everything you can. Those are sentiments of Lawrence Lessig in his talk about how .05% of money givers to campaigns control the outcome, or have what we call "influence". But, he points out, imagine you have a child with brain cancer and what you would do to save that child. We would not consider any odds, no matter how tipped against us, to be irrelevant. For the love of America, all is not lost! 

If I could heal one American wound, it would be our immigration system. You know who I think are some of the most patriotic people of all? New immigrants! They appreciate the United States in a way that many of us don't. I'm grateful to have a small

taste of that having spent over a decade living outside the United States and then moving back, even if I didn't have to struggle to be accepted legally. 

Sometimes I feel left out of some deeper level of patriotism because my 9/11 experience, which I think defines patriotism for my generation in some ways, wasn't on US soil. Other than stories about kids being hurt, 9/11 stories are the surest to make me tear up, and that makes me feel intrinsically American. In the end though (and the road there is a different story), I'm so grateful that my experience of living through 9/11 has given me the foundation for that little bit of change that I am seeking to affect in the US, and it has everything to do with protection of immigrants and asylum seekers, especially when they're coming from countries that aren't on good terms with the US. Isn't that what America is about? Don't we have a big lady hanging out at the entry way to this place tattooed with the words, "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me." Why don't we focus on THAT when we talk about the values this country was built on that we're losing? [image]

I get completely disgusted when people go on about how our nation was founded on Christian principles, and we've now turned away from being a God-fearing nation. Bull shit. There's no such thing as a Christian or God-fearing nation, and we sure as hell never were one. God isn't obligated to bless America, and why should he? We aren't and never have been set apart from the rest of the world in his eyes, and the creation of America as we know it wasn't his pet project. Oh, and P.S., our forefathers weren't pillars of the Christian faith or infallible in any way. They were politicians (granted, with many wise and commendable ideas and traits) just like we have today. Why do we insist on clinging to their ways so blindly? Nations, times, and people change - it's okay for us to amend laws and practices created over 200 years ago when the founders had absolutely no way of knowing what their fledgling nation would be like centuries later. We think people who haven't adapted to the last 200 years of life are cooky, so why do we think that sticking to a national code that's 200 years old is always the right thing to do? 

This country was founded on greed and hostility, as well as a need for a place of asylum. Why do we gloss over the greed and hostility, and get rid of the asylum, one actually great part about our beginnings? Furthemore, if we're so worried that our country is losing ground on the world stage, wouldn't the diversity and fresh pair of eyes and new talent brought by immigrants and asylum seekers only aid in making us more relevant and competitive as a nation? Immigration is the issue closest to my heart because I think it is very closely tied to the future and health of our nation. I think there is nothing more hurtful or disgusting than American citizens forgetting that they're only where they are at now because America once let their forefathers in as immigrants. 

Let's get out of our suburbs and our cul de sacs and use the freedoms we have to ensure that our kids have a great, if different, America to live in 50 and 100 years from now. Did you know that the term cul de sac is a French term meaning "bottom, or ass, of the bag". "The cul-de-sac especially, with its uterine shape and having the word 'sac' in it, gave me the feeling that I spent my early years coddled and sheltered in an asphalt womb" (source). Remaining sheltered and blind to our role in a world that is increasingly interconnected is folly. 

As frustrated as I get in the face of bigotry toward immigrants, I love this quote used by Jeff Speck in his excellent TED Talk: "Americans can be counted on to do the right thing after they've exhausted the alternatives." I have hope for this country and I believe in it, even when it's a big pain in my ass. We fight for what we love, right? Or in Biblical terms, where your treasure lies, there also is your heart. As Sarah Vowell put it, "when I think about my relationship with America, I feel like a battered wife. Yeah, he knocks me around a lot, but boy, he sure can dance." Sometimes America and Americans really hurt me, especially when I see how I contribute to the parts that make my soul ache, but I think there is still great potential here. 

So back to Suzanne's question,"What SHOULD a country be? What should its citizens be proud of as a national identity, as national characteristics? What should it not be proud of?" To me, at this point in my life, I think my country should be a safe place, a mother with arms wide open to embrace those who need her. I am proud of my fellow citizens who work diligently to give others the opportunities that we have has American citizens, and I'm proud of my fellow citizens who utilize their freedom to make some small mark on this planet, even if they'll never have the chance to give the president a piece of their mind, change his mind, or be the president themselves. We should never be proud of being exclusive about what we've been given. This independence day, let's remember those who want nothing more to be in on this dream, and think about about how we can make that dream a reality for as many people as possible.  

June 2014

I went on maternity leave on the 26th, and I am LOVING IT! Chilling with Ishmael before his world is turned upside down, extra time to cook, catching up on writing projects, staying up later than usual to watch shows, being free to make day trips, even doing some cleaning - it's a sweet time before a different kind of sweet (and exhausting) time with a new baby. Plus, it's summer time. :) I can't get enough. [image]

Watched: I saw that Bram Stoker's Dracula was available on Hulu the night it was going to expire, so I stayed up late and watched it by myself. I'd never really sought it out before, despite my love of Dracula, because, well, it was the 90s, but I thought it was pretty good! Although some key story elements were different (such as Meena being in love with Dracula), I was delighted at how closely the movie followed the book for the most part. I was surprised at how demonic and sexual parts of the movie were, though. Still, pretty impressive! // Jonas and I started watching the new show Crossbones about Blackbeard. It's decent and still has my interest, so that's something! We also watched season two of Orange is the New Black, which started out weak, I thought, but by the end of the season, it was back in all it's incredibly-written and acted glory. We're 2/3 of the way through season 3 of Sherlock (so yummy), and I've just started watching Anthony Bordain's Parts Unknown, which is better than I expected. It's a pretty amazing look into some places in the world that aren't known well in the West, or perhaps known for only one [often violent] thing, such as Columbia for drugs or Libya for Qaddafi and Benghazi. Although Bordain strikes me as somewhat of a d-bag (sorry, mom), he's game for just about anything and is good about being culturally sensitive, which not all travel show hosts are. His crew filmed a camel being butchered, which I managed to never see during my time in China, and was kind of shocking. The show is a little less food-centric than I expected, but I don't really mind.

Heard: Although not totally fitting with the summer mood in general, I've been listening to King Creosote and Jon Hopkins' album "Diamond Mine" every chance I get.



Tasted: This months hits were this shrimp and dill pasta salad, sweet potato fries with sriracha mayo, and green gazpacho (Jonas loved it, I wasn't blown away). I also made ebelskivers and dutch babies which were pretty yummy, but no special recipes. This seven-layer lasagna was also not too shabby, but it took SO long to make (days), that I question whether it's really worth it. It left me thinking I'd let other people who make killer lasagna make it and go to them when I want some, and stick with things I love to cook that are amazing and less frustrating. Similarly, I made this chocolate and candied kumquat tart, which was very time consuming. I get it in my head to make these things, despite not having much of a sweet tooth! It wasn't thrilling at first, but I left it at my parents after I'd made it and when I went back a few days later, the chocolate part had really set and chilled properly, and it was kind of amazing. // Right next to a place I love to shop for Thai ingredients in North Hollywood (Seafood City), we found this incredible noodle shop that recently changed its name or Ras Noodle. It is the real deal, and you should definitely go get their noodle soups, which you won't commonly find at other Thai restaurants. // We spent the day at Avila with our dear friends the Gees, and stopped at Avila Barn for lunch. I was really impressed with what their little deli/ice cream shop had to offer - it seems bulked up from previous seasons. I didn't get anything (except tastes of Irish Cream and Swiss Orange Chocolate ice creams, both delicious - I was quite impressed with their whole ice cream selection, and I am a great critic of most ice cream menus), but I eyed the Banh Mi sandwhich on their menu, the Ollaleberry Cake shake, and the Peaches N' Cream dessert (your choice of ice cream topped with fresh peaches, whipped cream, and pecan crumble). Yeah, they haven't seen the last of me....

Browsed:

• Did you know Google has a patent search function?
• This photo essay is a really interesting look in to how beauty is defined the world over. One woman sent her photo to photoshop artists in different countries and asked them to make her look beautiful. The results vary wildly (some are kind of hilarious to me). 
• This list of the crazy things we find ourselves doing as parents had me guffawing on my bed. I haven't yet let someone pull my eyelashes out in order to keep them quiet on a plane, but I DO understand a situation in which that scenario could arise. 
• A fun blog post about a mama who decided to say "yes" all day to her kids instead of no on top of no, as usual. "Yes you can ride a roller coaster that will probably make you vomit. In fact, you can ride it twice." 
• On the banks of a river in Thailand, fireflies light up en masse, in sync. It looks both gorgeous and alien.

Experienced:

• My brother Jonathan graduated from high school, one of the only members of his class to have held a 4.0 GPA or higher for all 4 years! Proud of him, and I'm really going to miss him when he moves to San Diego for school. 
• We spent a few days in North Hollywood with extended family to celebrate the life of my great grandma Peggy and help sort through her things. It was great to see family, and a very interesting time in general. 
• Ishmael and I got to go to our little friend Birdie's 3rd birthday, which was incredible because her mom Kenna is a professional party planner. Ishmael went straight for the adult desserts (macaroons) and loved riding all the trikes, wagons, and scooters in the driveway. 

Check out my instagram to see some personal photos from the month.

Boys: Ishmael is not a kid short on personality. He likes to beat box (who taught him that?!), dance with his hips, look at people out of the corner of his eyes, make animals noises, and drum with bamboo sticks on everything. He loves when we pray before meals and always throws his hands up and says "hooray!" (or his equivalent) at the end of the prayer, which is a habit I'm loving adopting. He hates to have his sleeves rolled up and he is inexplicably quite agitated if anyone tried to clean their toenails around him. He loves to start the dishwasher for us, and congratulates himself about all things well done ("good boy!").  He also says "thank you" for everything, but in a kind of flippant way (it's strange and eye opening to have your own voice parroted back to you), like a teacher might say to a kid who did something that was required, regardless of how the child handled it, "thank you!" (with an uptick in tone on the "you"). We went through a rough patch with discipline this month, where he wouldn't listen about anything, but we seem to have gotten over that for the time being, and everyone is happier. He also seems very clingy and wimpery (but in a fakey, "please cuddle me" way), which the doctor confirmed is him reacting to the pheromones I'm putting out as I gear up to have another baby, even though Ishmael has no idea what that all means! Our bodies are crazy and amazing. We've had a few instances of poop smearing after waking up from a nap this month, but hoping that will right itself once we wrap up potty training with real undies and access to the toilet from his new big-boy bed, which he stays in overnight (and for naps!) like a total champ. There's no way our next kid is going to be this easy. Ishmael fell off the kitchen counter this month, which was pretty scary for everyone, but seems completely fine. // Baby #2 is kicking me hard enough to cause pain, but it's all good, I'm still looking forward to meeting him. He's projected to be another big boy (at least 8lbs) and apparently it's likely that I'll have to be induced again, but only time will tell. We're still waffling about his second middle name, so hopefully we can nail that down soon. I've been thinking a lot about different styles of childbirth, and though I respect some aspects of the ultra-natural childbirth movement, I found this article refreshing.

Loved: Being close to my due date and still feeling great (and my favorite Instagrammer liking some of my #maternitystyle photos), and an excellent, powerful, and moving sermon about divorce at our church. // In case you're not up on my favorite color of the moment, it's been pink, hard-core, lately. [image]