Lions and tigers and kitty cats

Since we don't let Bee watch TV or videos, occasionally we need some distraction during that witching hour between arriving home from work and eating dinner.  When all else fails, I have resorted to showing her photos of animals on the Internet. She picks the animal, I Google it for photographs.

My favorite one this evening: a male lion in full roar, jaws agape. I asked Bee, "What do you think that animal is doing?"  

She immediately said, "Laughing!"  

Muffling my own laughter, I answered, "After a fashion, Bee, yes he is. . .but it's more like he's roaring."

Home sick. Homesick.

Well my cold got the best of me and I decided not to be one of those people who show up at work saying, "Oh my gosh I am so sick!"  And then they proceed to infect everyone in the office.  (Thanks people.)  

I went back to bed after David left for work and slept until almost 11, which is quite a record for me.  I think it has been about three years since I have slept that late.  

I woke up and was doing a pretty good job hiding out in my room, but came out in search of food about 30 minutes too early.  Bee likes her babysitter but she loves me and it was "all Mama time" once she remembered that I was still at home and not at work. 

Putting her down for her nap was a nightmare.  I can put her down for a nap. The babysitter can put her down for a nap. However, evidently the combination of the two of us there was not working routine-wise.  Two hours later. . . 

Poor Bee. I think she is getting sick too. How can she not?  I have been washing my hands and trying not to kiss her but still, we're inevitably in close contact.  

So being at home and having a whole day, or most of a day, to myself sounds really nice in theory, and it was, but now I am wishing David home. It's too weird being here with the babysitter here. I am not a good patient. 

This morning, I was able to pull myself back into a deep sleep by concentrating very closely on my memory of the beach house that my parents have rented for us a couple times in the Outer Banks, NC.  It was a delicious daydream, thinking about the salty air, slightly worn beach house, and early sunrise runs on the beach with Max and Bee in her jogging stroller.  The wonderful feeling of being on vacation and being free to relax.  Going bargain hunting at the outlets with my Mom and my sister.  Eating fried seafood anything.  It's so nice to escape from the reality of being sick, Eastern Europe and the weekly grind, for a time.  

Slow

I am in my bathrobe and pajamas contemplating the big pile of dishes David has left me. He and Bee are off at church. I declined to join them. My cold has arrived and I am a bit under the weather, so to speak. 

Sleeping in this morning helped a little bit. So will the pot of ginger tea that is steeping right now.  

I still really want to go to Starbucks, my weekly indulgence, later this morning. We shall see if I feel up to it. We definitely have to go out to the market.  

My job while the family is at church is to plan the meals this week.  

Later today:  

--Laundry.

--Maybe a slow walk with Max in order to get some fresh air.

--Resting so I can go to work tomorrow.

 

How sweet it is. . .

I woke up at 2 AM this morning, thinking that it was 5 AM and time to get up and ready for our day trip (which was long, yet interesting and just a bit overwhelming).  The thing that I did notice at 2 AM was that my throat really hurt.  There has been a horrible cold virus going around my office and I fear that I may be the latest victim.  

I have been drinking hot tea and bread with honey and went to the pharmacist and got some strange medicinal cough drops.  There is no luxury in being sick once you're a parent, so I am doing everything in my power to not be sick, to just "say no" to virulent viruses.

David, the wonderful man that he is, not only drove me 7 hours round trip to a cheese festival today, he also made me butternut squash soup for dinner. From scratch.  With homemade vegetable stock.  And he cleaned up.  

It was so much work, and all because he wanted to make me feel better. The result was pure love in a bowl, garnished with warm chunks of squash, onion and rice.  How sweet it is to be loved by him.

Cheese festival

Just a short post because I have a long list of things to do tonight before I try to go to bed early. We are leaving the city at 7 am tomorrow (the only way to beat the traffic) to drive into the mountains for a shepherd's festival. This is the time of year when the shepherds bring their sheep down from their high mountain pastures and celebrate the end of summer. There will be local cheese and plum brandy, as well as a competition for the most beautiful livestock. It will be a nice break from city life, and Bee is very excited to go see the animals.  

The longest month

This week. This month.  They both seem to be moving by at a snail's pace.  David and I have had, between the two of us, an after work event every night this week.  We have been alternating coming home and taking care of Bee. 

 The reception I went to fortunately ended just after 6 pm so I am home early-ish, and off to go have some family time before we both crash for the night.

Craving

I could never grow tired of ice cream.  

My favorite is mint chocolate chip, the bright green kind, mind you, covered, and I mean covered with rainbow sprinkles.  (I used to call them jimmies but most people north of the Mason-Dixon line have no idea what that means, so, sprinkles it is.) For the perfect ice cream archetype, mint chocolate chip ice cream-sprinkles combination should be precariously firmly stacked on top of a sugar cone (the brittle pseudo waffle cones with the sharp point at the bottom).  

In Europe, mint chocolate chip ice cream is a weak imitation of the American kind. The chips are slivers, the ice cream is a pale mint color as opposed to bright green dye. It's disappointing so I usually order something else.  However, you know what Europe has that America does not? Gelato!  Think ice cream that doesn't melt as quickly with a more intense flavor.  Hazelnut gelato is nothing short of a revelation.

In Germany, where my sister lives, everything is expensive with the exception of the lowly ice cream cone.  One scoop still only costs one Euro.  David and I visited her in May. The last morning of our vacation I spent a perfect thirty minutes sitting in the sunny town square, eating a chocolate ice cream cone and reading American Vogue, while Bee napped in her stroller.  That was heaven.  

Tonight I had vanilla frozen yogurt topped with a few pieces of extra dark (85%) chocolate.  My plan was to melt the chocolate and pour it over the yogurt, but the chocolate was too dark to melt. So, I broke it into pieces and enjoyed it as a topping.  Ice cream is one treat I could never give up.