a picture perfect pause

To err... human. Yeah, that is me, to be sure. So - gonna have to pause this 21 day experiment. I just found our that the photo books I ordered online actually have an expiration date.

It is in less than 2 weeks. I have to go through thousands of photos and pull out the ones I want to use to make some baby books for the girls. I also have photos all around my computer as I tried different software until finally settling on Aperature.

Any and each spare moment I have will be used exporting pictures to this photobook website and then I have to, ahem, "get to" rearrange them and attempt to write some meaningful stuff too.

And in addition, the plan is for me to go out of town this weekend through Monday. We shall see.

Okay, til then (the last day to put my order in is the 13th...) so, don't be surprised if you don't see an entry til then, but didn't want to not post why I am not posting.

Yes, I work well under pressure. Sabine is almost 4. I have been saying I want to get her a photobook since she was born. How do I get motivated to do it? Pre-purchase the book with a deadline - it's the only way.

Kid Friendly Quinoa Veggie Balls (baked) recipe

Leo will start her 3x a week mornings at Creche or daycare. We do the acclimation tomorrow, so we will go together for one hour and then the next day together and then the next day she will stay one hour alone and then 2 hours alone. We shall see. I may not have mentioned that Leo is not, nor has she ever been a particularly easy baby. She resists sleeping, has never accepted a bottle or a pacifier (which I would have liked when she had the colic for the first 3 months), only now can deal with her car seat (things improved when she was no longer rear facing), doesn't care for the wrap or the stroller much, hates having her diaper changed, doesn't like wearing a sun hat even when the sun is glaring in her eyes and generally is just a persnickity little bugger.

Food is similar, but improving. Sabine was easy peasy, would and still does eat anything you give her. Now, she may decide she doesn't like it (I think that has happened maybe twice) and not want to eat more. Leo is well, Leo. She has never tolerated bananas, avocados or any baby puree. She likes cucumbers, fresh figs, salmon and steamed broccoli the best. In my quest to help her eat more and thus (fingers crossed) to someday sleep through the night, I am always trying new finger foods for her because gods forbid should you try to feed her!

Since this blog is called Transition Kitchen and it promises to occasionally include recipes, I have decided to throw a couple in for you:) This recipe was a winner and Leo enjoyed it quite a lot and I will be making it again. The cool thing about it, is that you can change up the ingredients to keep it interesting but maintain the moist texture and finger-foodness about it. Enjoy!

Toddler Quinoa Veggie Rounds

2 cups shredded pumpkin
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup steamed peas
2 cups cooked quinoa (well strained)
3 eggs
1/2 cup-3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or whatever flour you like)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used chedder)

Sautee the pumpkin in the coconut oil til it becomes very mushy
mix everything up together
use your ice cream scooper to make perfectly sized/shaped balls on parchment paper
bake for about 20 minutes at 180 Celsius.

 These are a bit bland, but good for your toddler. You can add salt/pepper/curry/etc, pumpkin seeds, flax, shredded carrots, zucchini, peppers, garlic, spinach, etc.

We dipped ours into plain, full fat yogurt.

For better or for worse

Yeah, so when I said it was a 12 hour drive yesterday.... I understated this undertaking big time. More like 2.5 day to 3 day expedition involving driving an oversized, crikkity old van from middle of nowhere Morocco to a ferry to Spain to then drive through Spain to France and finally arrive at his parent's house near Belfort, France. WORSE!

So, now Hicham is probably going to take a big boat. How cool is that? Instead of all the hulla-ballo mentioned above, he and his mama (and the old van) will take a berth (with a cabin) direct from Morocco to France (36 hours) and then drive 6 hours to the house. Nice, simple and relaxing. Lucky guy. BETTER!

Meanwhile, I will be left to my own devices where my mind will inevitably wonder HOW in the hell single mothers do it ... every day and every night for years!

Sabine and Grandpere on his DIY swing in the house in Morocco

So, his trip will be probably pretty darn close to what one might call a vacation. But not the first time he has done this trip, hardly. Hicham and his family (parents and 4 siblings) made this road trip every single summer he was growing up. I asked him what the kids did in the car for all that time. He started out idyllically saying they read books, played games and looked out the window. Then I asked, "and bicker"? Yeah, he admitted, lots of that too.

I find it absolutely incredible that we have such very, very different backgrounds and yet we found each other in North Carolina and have been together now for nearly eight years. Also, that experience for Hicham, back and forth Morocco/France enabled him to become the person he is today. But being from France (and his fervent studying) gave him the agency to go to Duke to eventually meet his future wife. But his parents have deep roots there and they have worked hard to maintain them. For me, coming from the USA, it is much easier. America is everywhere. My culture is the one to which others are compared (for better or for worse).

___________________________________Next topic___________________________

Today we visited the "alternative school" or "Ecole Nouvelle" called La Source in a suburb of Paris. This is perhaps best left to be discussed in another post since I have quite a bit to say about our search for a school for Sabine (and eventually Leo). I am relieved and excited to say that this school is absolutely exactly what I want for my children. The director said that there are lots of bi-cultural kids there :)

She cannot start for another 2 years until she is six so in the meantime, we will be looking for our new apartment in earnest and saving up the moula. So, we are now entering home limbo land but happily there is no rush. Updates on this will be forthcoming.

So, that's all for tonight. time for some down time with Downton Abby!

Before the Kale Party

Missed yesterday, but well - hell, Hicham's dad was here. He arrived in the afternoon exhausted and weary both from illness and his travels. Poor guy comes in the door and his number one fan, Sabine, was raring to play and talk his ear off. So, Hicham took her to the park and I put Leo down for a nap and he napped on the couch

Living in a (nearly!) 800 sq. ft apartment was quite luxurious when it was just Hicham and I - but then one kid and then another one... now it is quaint. When someone comes to visit, we now recommend a hotel. But, since it was H's sick dad, obviously that is out of the question. So, on the couch he slept. But he didn't mind, in fact he said it was like in Morocco.

Kale

Okay, cool.  Later, we had dinner and put the girls to bed. It was then I was planning to blog, but then I remembered that it was the Kale Party in Paris. I mentioned it to Hicham and he suggested I go. By now, it was already 8:30 and it ended at 11pm. It was tempting though. So, I did all the research regarding metro times/walking door to door. I determined it would take about an hour. By the time I got dressed and so on and left, I would arrive realistically about 10. Then we discussed me driving. Yeah, me driving alone in Paris on a Saturday night. If you have been following this blog, you would know that I have spent thousands of hours and euros on doing just this. BUT NO.... I'm too scared. Pathetic. I have hitchhiked in bumfucknowhere, Guatemala. I have driven motorcycles in Kathmandu. I have I have swum in hightide in Thailand, nearly drowning. But, driving in Paris makes me shit my pants.


I decide it is time to break out of my comfort zone and live a little (more). Then I research the parking situation. Write down the address of the parking garage and the walk from the garage to the wine bar. Now it is already 9pm. But, I am going. Then lightbulb and then, "Hey Hicham, maybe you can come with me since your dad is here and the girls are asleep"?

His lovely, kind father insists on it.

Hicham agrees because I pressure him. Of course, HE has to redo the research and look for the parking garage locations cuz that is the guy that I married. He says he found one closer and 10 minutes later, we are in the car and I am behind the wheel.

This is exactly what I need, to do this drive with a supportive and loving husband at my side encouraging my every gear and lane change. HA! Regardless, it proves helpful as on occasion I am befuddled as to what the hell is going on around me. It all goes well and we drive to the garage. This turns out NOT to be close at all to the wine bar and we walk for what seems like forever up and down little cute streets, crossing giant 4 lane intersections, passing brasseries, bars and cafes. The breeze is light and the temp is fresh and we are two long legged people rushing down the street passing the cool, high heeled Parisiens smoking and strolling slowly. I am having the time of my life (no sarcasm either).

Yup, that is what having kids does to you. Just walking down the street without them feels like we are at a party. Listening to the environment around us seems as though we are in a strange, exotic land. Not carrying babies, carriers, bags, water, snacks, extra blankets, sun screen, toys, hats feels as though I am nearly naked.

We can't find the place .. almost. We arrive at the end of a loooong street at 10:45. Okay, so we have 15 minutes to have a glass of wine and eat something made with kale. That's cool. Our standards are so low now that taking turns at the beach to swim for 10 minutes each makes the entire packing hell worth it. Snippets of pleasure have become blog entry worth.

Of course, I had the wrong day. Yeah, place was closed and in fact it is next week. Hicham won't be here because he is going to Morocco to drive his mother back in his dad's car. That trip will involve a 6 hour ferry ride and 12 hour drive through Spain. I will be alone here with the girls. Not sure who is going to have a better time.

Anyhoot, after seeing the place was closed, Hicham suggested we stop and have a glass of wine somewhere else. Shoulda-coulda-woulda... but no, I said we better get home because Leo generally (YES STILL!) wakes up around midnight for a feeding (regardless of what I do, so don't think I am encouraging this).

For the return, we slow to Parisien pace and stroll back and enjoy the time, walking together just me and him. Him and me. It is really nice.


So, I didn't blog - I went for a 20 minute walk in Paris instead. Voila!


If, btw you are interested in going to the actual kale party on Oct 2, here is the link:

http://thekaleproject.com/2013/09/national-kale-day-verjus-giveaway/