From the doghouse...

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noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:50:00 +0000

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Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:18:00 +0000

Easter was a big event for Mateo this year, though he frequently kept saying it was his birthday. Don't bother correcting him,though, as he'll likely snap back telling you you're wrong.

At Mima and Papa's house he not only got to hunt eggs all over a big backyard, but he also got to skip his nap! Thrilling indeed. He needed some direction here and there, but he found all the eggs but three. (Those eggs were found later, but unfortunately one of the dogs had found them first and, ahem, peed on them.)

The Easter Bunny was hiding in the tree. I bet you can spot him faster than Mateo did!

Mateo had so many eggs that he needed an assistant to hold a spare egg holding bucket.

Some of us wore bunny ears.

Some of us attempted to fly kites.

And one of us climbed a tractor.

Sometimes dogs have the most fun.

This one is just plain handsome.

All good things do come to an end, though. Thank you to Mima and Papa for serving delicious enchiladas and cake, and creating a fun Easter egg hunt for Mateo. He had a wonderful time hunting for and then examining his loot.

(P.S. I apologize for the large thumbnails, resulting in extra scrolling, but I had already put them up that way and decided to call it quits.)

Kite flying.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:32:00 +0000

After a very odd day (I started the day off being sick, and then later I went to a friend's house to chase a bat - it had flown away on its own), we bought Mateo a kite (Buzz Lightyear!) on a whim and then stopped by to fly it. It started off rocky, as we had installed the cross bars the wrong way, but soon enough it was up and flying high.

Mateo held it on his own for a long time. He did a really good job and says he's excited to do it again.

Peru Posts FYI.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 06:14:00 +0000

For those of you wanting to read the full posts from Peru it might do you good to click here. Otherwise, you can always read previous posts by clicking on a month in the archives listed at the bottom right.

A Family Day.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:05:00 +0000

The day started slowly. For me, anyway. Everyone else seemed able to get out of bed, but I had a really difficult time. A Saturday morning shower helped, as did a quick batch of pancakes. At Rafi's urging we headed off to the bike sale at Mellow Johnny's (Lance Armstrong's bike shop here in Austin). I really liked the first bike I tested and had it set aside with my name on it. It was a hybrid with straight handlebars. But then while I tended to Mateo, Rafi kept looking and discovered this beauty:

Say hello to my new bike! I need to think of a name for her. I still can't believe I own a $1700 bike. Now, I want to make it perfectly clear that we did NOT pay that much for this bike. The sale was really REALLY good, so I got it for 60% off. I just love it when the discount is higher than the actual price!

And for our money I not only got this beautiful bike, but I will also be receiving a custom bike fitting (which I'll do next week), a woman specific seat, a year of brake and derailleur service, two tuneups, and an espresso (they have a coffee shop inside) included for free.

Thank you, Rafi, for my new bike! It's much nicer than what I would've ever picked out for myself, and it inspires me to ride again. And thanks to Victor who dropped everything to come help us with our bike decisions, and thanks to his wife Ingrid for coming with him! Oh, and a big thanks to Mellow Johnny's for not only giving me a kick a$$ deal on my bike but also for providing a fun atmosphere, music, and free food and beer!

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All that biking got our tummies to growling, so we grabbed some healthy lunches and drinks and headed to Zilker Park for a nice picnic. There was evidence in every tree of kite catastrophes from the kite festival a couple of weeks ago. We sat under a nice shady tree, and our friend Andres joined us. Mateo and Rafi had lots of fun running around.

Eventually we lured Mateo into the car with the promise of a cookie. He ate half of it, handed it back, and conked out for the rest of the ride home. It had been a long day for all of us. He watched a Veggie Tales movie and then went to bed early. Rafi and I stayed up working - he on actual work stuff and me on the Peru blog posts. Going through 510 photos is a lot of work! (Hence why I didn't edit any of them.) And now that I'm all caught up, I hope to get back to my frequent, but short, blog posts.

Peru - Day 5 - Victor and Ingrid's Wedding.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 04:04:00 +0000

At last! We've finally come to the real reason we traveled to Peru in the first place - the wedding of our friends Victor and Ingrid. First, I want to say how very ultimately happy we are for the two of them. They are both wonderful people who I know will have a joyful life together.

Their wedding took place in Lima at the Iglesia de San Pedro. It is a beautiful church. Victor looked giddy as he waited for his bride, and when Ingrid walked down the aisle to the sound of an operatic choir, it just took my breath away.

The reception was also spectacular. We arrived at the Garden of the Museum of Art and were welcomed by a wonderful spread of appetizers and cocktails, huge bouquets of white flowers, and happy friends. Rafi was especially happy with the sushi bar. I liked the champagne myself.

And as you can see by the rest of photos, the party afterward was awesome! I danced until my feet (or side ache) could dance no more. We even tried to leave once, but we missed the bus, so back we went for two more hours of dancing!

Thank you, Linette and Arturo, for bringing your camera to the wedding!
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Around 3:00am we finally gathered ourselves and reluctantly headed back to the hotel. We showered quickly, grabbed our luggage, and headed off to the airport. Long story short, every flight (three) we had was delayed, but thanks to Rafi's great planning (he left ample time between flights in case of such an occurrence) we made it home around 1am the next morning. The flights were long, we were exhausted, but we were so happy to be home. I missed Mateo so much at nights that I actually would turn to the side table to check the non existent monitor next to me.

Thank you, Mima, for giving up your Spring Break to stay at our house with Mateo and the dogs and cat. Mateo obviously had a super time because the next morning he said "I don't want Mommy and Daddy. I want Mima." Ha!!

Peru - Day 4 and 5 - Lima.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 02:10:00 +0000

Our check out was at 9am, so we scarfed down a quick breakfast, left for the airport, and flew back to Lima. After a quick hotel check in (Casa Andina Private Collection of Lima) the four of us, Linette, Arturo, Rafi, and I, had an interesting lunch at Fiesta. As my regular readers know, this year I am trying new foods. But I have to be honest. The only things on the appetizer plates I could handle were the corn and the dehydrated crab. I still don't have the gumption to try anything with tentacles.

The previous few days were so full that Rafi and I opted to just nap and lounge in our hotel room . When we woke up we were running late, but we got ready just in time to leave for Victor and Ingrid's welcome dinner. Alas, I have no photos of this, but it was held at Restaurant Huaca Pucllana. The food was delicious, and the room was really nice because it was essentially outdoors. There were some pre-Incan ruins there, too, which when lit up at night looked really amazing.

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After a good night's rest Rafi and I decided to do a little exploring in Lima. The one place I had been dying to visit in Lima was the Convent of San Francisco. And it didn't disappoint. Rafi was excited to learn a lot of the cedar wood that was used in carvings originated in Panama. I was most impressed with the piles and piles of human bones. They were separated by type in various "cells." Each cell was four meters deep in bones, which I found astounding.

The Museum of the Inquisition highlighted the story and instruments of torture from the Spanish Inquisition. Men were hung by their wrists, held in stocks until their muscles cramped, strangled, stretched, and whipped. Women were water boarded. It was a very quick tour, but it ended in an interesting underground walk that showed some of the cells that people were kept in for six to eight days at a time.

Our walk back to the Plaza de Armas was hot and sweaty, but we were greeted by a real treat. Completely on accident we showed up right during the changing of the guards in front of the governor's palace. The Dragoon Guards march every day at 1pm around the entire square, accompanied by a marching band. The horses would "dance" sideways. We really enjoyed watching and listening and felt very lucky to be at the right place at the right time. Here are two small videos I took with my iPhone: Number one and Number two.

It took us a while, but we did finally find our tucked away lunch spot, Tanta. The service was slow, but wow, I had my favorite meal here. It was lomo saltado, and it was lomo delicious! And here I enjoyed my last Inca Kola.

Peru - Day 3 - Cusco Tour.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:38:00 +0000

Though Cusco had been our home base for our other excursions, we didn't actually tour Cusco until the third day. That morning we were able to take it easy, as there had been rumor of a transportation strike. Whether or not that happened we couldn't tell. Either way, we walked to Jack's Cafe, which was definitely more of a gringo hangout. The food was marginal. I tell you, I had pancakes FOUR times while in Peru, and not one time were they really very edible. Thankfully the other food made up for it.

A while after our brunch we met our guide for our afternoon city tour. We started at the Temple of Qorikancha. The ruins of Qorikancha were really well preserved, its walls once covered in gold.

In Qorikancha the windows are all lined up. If you stand on this rock, you can see how precise the workmanship is.

When the Spanish took over the temple, they removed the gold and covered the walls with plaster and frescoes.
Here is the only remaining fresco.

This painting is the size of a wall in our house, if not larger. Painted by Miguel Cartagena, it depicts important stars and objects in the sky and how the Inca interpreted them. Unfortunately my angle was a little off, so I'll refer you to this photo to be able to see the llama, fox, and other figures as well as a more in depth explanation of the painting. If you click on the second picture you can see a close up of how the painting was made - with dots.

And here is Linette with a dog in a hat. Oh wait, that's a lamb, hehe.

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo was quite incredible, as it seemed to never end. Altars were all around us. It is known for having the "Black Christ"; however, the wooden figure is black from the smoke of candles in the past and is not related to the race of Jesus. I enjoyed most a huge painting of the last supper. On the plate before the apostles was a cuy (guinea pig), which was indicative that a local person had painted it.

The Plaza de Armas was very busy this afternoon, for the Cathedral of Santo Domingo was anticipating the arrival of a new statue of Don Bosco (St. John Bosco). Groups of students in traditional garb were there to perform dances and ceremonies welcoming the new addition. We didn't stay and watch, though, as we had one more excursion to do.

We drove out to Sacsayhuaman (pronounced similarly to "sexy woman") next. The ruins were great, but Rafi and I couldn't get over how lush the short green grass was!

Notice the "holes" in the rocks. These were where they put the ends of their support poles to assist in holding everything up.

Do you see the puma paw? The puma was a sacred animal in the Inca tradition, as was the snake and condor.

As our guide said more than once (more than ten times really), "notice the inclination of the walls. Why is this? This is because the Inca made it anti-seismic."

Tambomachay was really interesting, too. The waterways created by the Incas are still working today. Supposedly its source is an underground spring. It was once used as a place of bathing for people in high places.

This woman was nice, but that llama had an odor.

We did drive by two other places (Puca Pucara and Qenko), but at our request we did just that - drove by. By this point even I (the lover of all things tour and education related) was feeling quite exhausted.

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Four very tired people had dinner at Tunupa in Cusco. We enjoyed our food, but the show was the best. I nearly got the you-know-what scared out of me when a masked devil popped up right behind me. It only got worse when he drug me to the front "stage" and made me dance with him. Lots and lots of spinning on a full stomach. He was quite the comedian, though, as he kept making me "dip" him lower and lower - and I could barely hold him up! My cheeks were hurting afterward from laughing so hard.

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It was this night, in the wee hours of the day, that Rafi had his bout with altitude sickness. He looked yellow and felt cold to the touch. And then he started shaking. We turned on the oxygen machine and I consulted Dr. Google just in case, but after a while the shaking stopped, he felt better, and we both got some rest.

Peru - Day 2 - Pisaq.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:33:00 +0000

Finally we arrived at Pisaq. The views were quite incredible. The hike itself was tiring itself, as the altitude is still quite high; but the effort was worth it.

Can you see the holes? The whole mountainside was full of them. They are graves. The Incas used to bury their dead in holes in the side of the mountain. The bodies would be in the fetal position, and they were entombed with the locally grown crops, flowers, silver, and fabrics and weavings. They are now empty, however, due to looters many many years ago. The Incas believed in Pachamama, or Mother Earth. I have tendencies to believe in this same way, so the idea of returning to the earth, in a mountainside, no less, is very romantic to me.

And here we are all with are hearts racing but smiles on our faces!

I ran up ahead so I could get a shot to show a bit of how our trail really was on the side of the mountain. It's too bad that cameras don't really capture true depths, or you'd be able to see how far down it really was to the bottom. I'm not sure how anyone could survive a fall from up there.

In the middle of this community area there is a large roundish rock with a small protrusion. It has a wall around it, signifying that it was special. Our guide Jose said that they probably believed it was a center point that the sun would revolve around, and that they used it as a sundial for the seasons.

I liked this cave. We had to duck and walk through in a single file.

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After this long day we were really ready to get back to our comfy beds at the hotel, Casa Andina Private Collection. This hotel was wonderful. The staff were always very helpful - and generous! All four of us were upgraded to suites at no charge. This really was one of the best beds I've ever slept in.

I really loved the ceilings, too.

This was our balcony and view. Fantastic.

After we got back to our rooms and refreshed ourselves, we had a nice dinner at Cicciolina. Rafi and I both had the gnocchi, and it was splendid. I also enjoyed a maracuya sour (like a pisco sour but made with passion fruit juice).

I believe it was this night that I had my only issue with altitude sickness. I had neglected to take my evening Sorojchi pill, and while I wasn't nauseous and had no headache, my heart was pounding so fast and so hard that it hurt. Once oxygen was brought to our room I felt better within a few minutes and quickly fell asleep.

Peru - Day 2 - Traveling.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:37:00 +0000

After Ollantaytambo we went to Tunupa, a restaurant, and then traveled to Pisaq.

Tunupa was nice. There was a buffet with lots of things to try. I really like to try new foods, but I'll admit I stayed away from the olive mousse. Blech. Our meal started traditionally with a pisco sour. Pisco is the local liquor, and a pisco sour is made with pisco, lime juice, sugar, egg white, and a bitter on top. It tastes like a Mexican martini, or fairly close. We didn't get a good photo of pisco sour, so here's a link to view one.

The restaurant was located by the river there in the Sacred Valley, and we ate our dinner while listening to these men play their pan pipes. There was also a traditional lady there selling goods.

We liked these parrots, too.

After a filling meal we were back on the road traveling to Pisaq. I took many, many photos out of the window.

See the red "balloon?" This is a sign that the local beer is for sale there. It'll cost you 1 soles, or about thirty cents.

This was my favorite photo. I just love her red sweater against the monochromatic nature of the background.

Peru - Day 2 - Ollantaytambo.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:17:00 +0000

The drive to Ollantaytambo (say that three times quickly) was very interesting. I enjoyed seeing this local bus. Our guide was even excited to see it, as he said the people in it were from the highlands, and they don't come down too often. Notice their traditional garb and the manner in which livestock are transported.

The walkways are very straight and are from the Incan era.

This we found hilarious.

The steps at the ruin site in Ollantaytambo lead up to an area used for religious purposes. The stones at the bottom are more crudely stacked, but the stones that make up the religious areas are worked completely smooth. They also have tighter seams (again, no mortar) and are larger in size. It's amazing to imagine the thousands of people and number of lifetimes it took to create something like this.

This area is actually Pre-Incan.

This was my favorite part. Can you find the face?

Maybe this will help. Look for a long face with two eyes way up top, a nose and mouth down low, and a beard underneath.

This is a rock that was started and never finished. It's colossal in size.

This wall is special. It was the center of this special area and at the top. It also faced the rising sun on the summer solstice, the Incan new year. It's very faint, but you can still see the symbols that had been carved into it. If you're not sure of what you're looking at, look at this and then see if you can see it.

Peru - Day 2 - Chinchero.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:14:00 +0000

Our second day in Peru was pretty lengthy and packed, so I'm going to take this one location at a time. We woke up early and had the hotel breakfast, which wasn't good but it filled our bellies well enough. Jose and Jorge picked us up at the hotel and off we went!

On our way out of town we noticed a few interesting things. First, there are many houses built into and on the sides of the mountains. Jose, our guide, told us that the poorer people build the houses themselves, so it does happen on occasion that they collapse, resulting in injuries and even deaths of the families that live there. In the car we discussed how these same mountain views in the states would house only the rich for hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. I found it interesting. Farming of potatoes, beans, and corn can be seen everywhere, as well.

In Chinchero we saw some Incan ruins and a beautiful cathedral. The stones of the walls were all hand carved by the Incas. No mortar was used. It's amazing how perfectly the stones fit together. Farmers were still tending crops there, much like it must've been done hundreds of years ago. Like all the other cathedrals in Peru, no photos were allowed inside, so we had to settle for the exterior.

The people were very friendly, but quite honestly they were also trying to sell things. We ended up purchasing two alpaca scarves and some fried noodles. I wish I remembered the Quechua name for them. They tasted like slightly stale sweet cereal. The scarf is cool because you can invert one end, creating a hat, and then wrap the rest of it around your neck as a scarf. I think it will be very useful during the one month of winter we get here in Austin, hehe. The children were fun to watch and reminded me constantly of Mateo.

Peru - Day 1.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:22:00 +0000

During Spring Break this year Rafi and I were fortunate enough to vacation in Peru. Mima (my mom) graciously gave up her own Spring Break to stay at our house with Mateo. I was pretty nervous about us both leaving him (really nervous, actually), but I knew he was in the best hands.

After a full day of travel (three flights), we arrived in Lima. That night we walked across the street to the hotel, spent the night, then walked back to the airport to catch our plane to Cusco. This is where I will begin our story.

We met our friends Arturo and Linette at the airport. Our flight to Cusco from Lima was roughly an hour. Right before we all boarded we took our Sorojchi Pills. They contain aspirin, a diuretic, and caffeine, which together all help ward off altitude sickness. These later proved themselves to be miracle pills. After landing we didn't notice too much difference in our breathing until we walked up a ramp, which resulted in some wheezing and racing hearts.

We were met by our guide Jose and driver Jorge. This was the first time Rafi had someone waiting for him holding his name - exciting!

The hotel was a short drive from the airport, so I shot what I could.

The four of us decided to heed some well given advice and took it easy the first day. Our hotel was fantastic, and provided us coca leaf tea upon arrival. Coca leaves are illegal in the states, as you'll be charged with possession of cocaine if you have one, but they are perfectly legal in Cusco. The tea tastes like most any other tea, but you do not get high or feel weird after drinking it. It's a local custom that helps you adjust to the altitude. Though we made jokes about Rafi being addicted, the truth is that it's like poppy seeds are to opiates. Harmless. The hotel itself is very quaint, with the rooms looking down over the courtyard.

That afternoon we had a light, yet interesting lunch at the Inka Grill. As I have mentioned a few months ago, I had resolved this year to be adventurous culinarily. Our starters included trout and beef carpaccio with ceviche. For dinner I had the cuy (guinea pig) and Rafi had the alpaca (like a small llama). The cuy was very fatty with little meat and tasted like 75% chicken and 25% duck. The alpaca had the texture and taste of a pork chop with a hint of lamb. We enjoyed them both. We also had "huacatay," which is a sauce made from a local mint. Most of us didn't like it, but I did. We dipped homemade potato chips (potatoes are a staple crop in Cusco) in it. Dessert was a beautiful presentation of a curly crisp topped with ice cream. You'll notice in the future that we took lots of photos of our food!

After eating we started to notice the altitude affecting us more as the blood went south to digest our food. Our friends went back to rest at the hotel, but Rafi and I decided to walk around the Plaza de Armas. The views from this center of Cusco are amazing. It really makes you realize you are in the Andes Mountains. The architecture is very old, as the buildings are literally built on top of Inca walls. We visited Iglesia La Compañía de Jesús, a cathedral with shrines covered by gold leaf. Underneath the building is a crypt and tunnels that connect all four cathedrals in town. Unfortunately, all of the cathedrals and museums we visited in Peru don't allow photography (video, flash or otherwise) inside, so our photography was somewhat limited by this. Our tour guide did take a photo of us from inside the building, though. She had taken us into a hidden passageway behind one of the shrines.

The rest of the day I think we just took it easy. The bed and pillows in our room never felt so good.

My heart.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:21:00 +0000

Obviously I've been a bit slow with my blogging lately, but I've been crazy busy. Pathetically, I haven't been busy with anything other than cleaning. I recently got back into my cleaning routine, but somewhere along the way I got a little carried away. Before I knew it, I was doing heavy cleaning for many hours a day. On the plus side, everything is feeling fresh and organized in the house, so I am feeling accomplished as of late.

Mateo has been so cute lately. I often tell him "you're my heart." Tonight after reading his books to him he said to me, "Mommy, your reading is good." That was sweet enough, but then he added "You're the bestest my heart." And he kissed me. Made me melt all over.

Mateo's Three Year Well Check.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:35:00 +0000

Mateo had his three year well check this morning. Since he was in the doctor's office a few weeks ago for a flu test (swab up the nose), he wasn't too thrilled about being there. But he had his starfish keychain in his hand to squeeze to give him bravery. (The results of which are debatable.) Anyhow, he's in the 15th percentile weighing in at 28 pounds, and he's in the 25th percentile measuring in at 36.5" tall. His iron levels were healthy, and his ears have healed from his double ear infections a couple weeks ago.

What he didn't like was the thumb prick for the iron test and the Hep B vaccination. (They had a shortage previously, so he got his today.) What I'm not liking is that we will need to do physical therapy for his toe walking. Sigh... This will be our second time doing physical therapy with him, as he did it for a good 8 months during his first year for his neck issues. We do what we have to do.

Other notable milestones:

Mateo loves to talk. He is starting to make up his own stories or act things out from books or shows (Thomas the Tank Engine and Veggie Tales). He loves to help around the house. Lately I've been having him sort and put up silverware when I empty the dishwasher. His little broom provides lots of fun for him, too. Let's hope it lasts!

Thomas the Tank Engine and all Thomas' train friends still occupy most of his playing time around the house. He gets down on an eye level with them to talk to them, play with them, and act out various "rescue" scenarios. It's pretty cute.

Mateo has also taken on a parenting role in that he corrects his mother (ahem) when she says "yeah." He says, "Not 'yeah', Mommy. 'Yes.'" Sheesh.

He also really likes singing songs - the sillier the better. He's known his alphabet and the sounds since he was age 2 to 2.5, but now he's showing interest in reading. He can sight read simple words like "cat, dog, frog, bug" and a few others. We're still working on sounding words out. He has "spelled" two words so far - OGW (agua) and LGO (log). One of my biggest hopes for him is that he loves to read like I do.

He still has issues with textures - doesn't like certain foods (any kind of pasta, plain meats, veggies) and doesn't like to touch certain things (fingerpaints, gooey foods, etc.), but we're working on it still. He's been showing a desire to control more things in his life - clothing choices, food choices, etc. So we let him - even if it means a Thomas the Tank Engine shirt over a dinosaur pj top.

Obviously Mateo is doing great and has fun every day. He makes us laugh and brings us more joy than we ever imagined. :)

Snow in Austin!

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:14:00 +0000

Today we had nearly a full day of snow in Austin. It was awesome. The flakes were huge and fat and fell heavy from the sky.

So she wouldn't miss out on the snow while she was traveling, I took some pictures across the street at my neighbor Deanna's house. Her desert century plant presents quite a juxtaposition to the snow.

Here's the field across the street from our house.

The dogs enjoyed the snow, too.

So did Mateo. We made a snowman. He has peanut butter pretzel eyes and a baby carrot nose. He's a little grassy, but we like him.

I offered "snow ice cream" to Mateo, scooping some fresh snow from the hammock, but he got completely grossed out yelling "yucky yucky yucky!" when I took a bite. Boys... *rolling eyes*

Happy Birthday, Mateo!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:03:00 +0000

My baby boy is now "free" years old. We celebrated his birthday at The Little Gym of Austin. He and his friends had a grand time! The Little Gym teachers gave Mateo tons of special attention, which he was eating up. The party started with some free time in the gym and bubbles.

Then the kids got birthday cake stamps on their hands. Mateo got three - one on each hand and another on his forehead. After they played with balls and danced to a song, they brought out the air truck. The children sat on it while it inflated and then jumped on it. It was a HUGE hit.

Then they brought out a huge wheel and gave the kids rides on it.

Once all the little hands were sanitized, they formed a birthday train, with Mateo at the front. Boy did he love that!

Next came food and cake! We served sandwiches, Veggie Straws, oranges, and strawberries. We were so proud of Mateo - he blew out his candle at the right time and with only one try!

Obviously our friends and family were very generous. Mateo has played with pretty much every toy more than once. He was a happy boy!

A Big thank you to everyone for the lovely gifts, but mostly for spending your time to celebrate Mateo's birthday with us.

The Poisonwood Bible.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:51:00 +0000

It's not often that a novel requires 3am bedtimes, but this one does. It's a fascinating read about a family (father, mother, and four daughters) who leave the life they know in the southern USA to live in the African Congo during the 1970s. The country's fight for survival amid corruption, assassinations, and political turmoil is the backdrop for the fight for every day survival by those of the people. The jungle is harsh and unforgiving, but the villagers rise to the challenge. At the end of the day, the members of this white missionary family, each in their own way, learn that while they can't change the jungle, the jungle does change them.

I highly HIGHLY recommend this book. Five stars.

Pancakes make everything better.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:02:00 +0000

Mateo has the flu. I have the flu. We're praying Rafi doesn't get it. Mateo also has double ear infections. That said, he's still playing with his trains and is relatively happy. I, on the other hand, haven't been. I'm still functional, but this thing has been dragging me down. I'm sure not being able to call in sick to my job of motherhood might have something to do with it. I think, though, that the worst is behind us. Mateo is on antibiotics for his ears, and I've been trying to rest in between meal making, cleaning, changing diapers, etc.

Due to our illnesses we missed the Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast at Mateo's school. I had planned to volunteer to cook, but I assumed most people would prefer not to have a sicky hacking over their breakfast. Instead, I made pancakes for dinner - with sprinkles, which made Mateo very happy. Here he is "helping" me make them:

I can't believe my baby turns 3 years old in five days. Ack!

Valentine's Day Party.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:17:00 +0000

Well, Mr. Sickly is still sick, so we didn't actually ATTEND his Valentine's party at school, but we swung by to drop off his Valentine's cards for his classmates. Originally Mateo was supposed to help me decorate the cookies with food markers, but since he was sick I did it myself. Each kid got a cookie, Diego Valentine with heart shaped sucker, pencil, and two tattoos. I kind of overdid, but I think I was subconsciously making up for him missing his Christmas party due to Christmas in Panama.

After we got back home Mateo was super excited! He got a candy gram from his Mommy and Daddy (pink thing he's holding up) and his decorated bag full of Valentine's loot. For lunch he insisted on unwrapping every piece of candy and sampling it all. I managed to get some peanut butter pretzels and oranges down him somehow, but the great thing about kids this age (unlike most adults, me included) is they really don't over indulge on candy. He had a few pieces and then was done. If only I could manage to do that!

Mr. Sickly.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:21:00 +0000

Mateo suddenly came down with a nasty cold. He's got a fever, sore throat, runny nose, and drainage that makes him gag. Poor kiddo. Some time on the couch watching Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs is making him feel better.

Life of Pi.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:12:00 +0000

Pi, a young Indian boy, is on his way to Canada with his family when their ship sinks. The story that follows is of his time on the lifeboat. It's a fascinating read that keeps you turning the pages with an ending that makes you go BACK and read the details again. I love books that have a great ending twist. It's a tale of religion, adventure, survival, and of how the human mind can save us from madness when we need it most.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:39:00 +0000

This weekend Mateo's school hosted a Valentine's Dance. There wasn't too much dancing, but there was a dessert buffet!

There were some games, too. Mateo had to stuff Rafi's shirt full of balloons.

I had to hold up some marshmallows for my partner to eat. We lost, but I still got to take home a pink Tupperware prize!

Rafi entertained the kids by showing them how to rub a balloon on your head and make it stick.

Hopefully we raised a good amount of money for the school. It's a great school, and Mateo loves it there.

Spring Fever?

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:00:00 +0000

It seems that I caught Spring Fever in January. For the last few weeks I've been hard at work, all day long, going through every single drawer, cabinet, box, shelf, closet, and room in this house. It's been a struggle some days to stay motivated, but I just keep thinking about how wonderful it will be this spring when all this hard work is already done! Then we can enjoy the good weather when it comes. (Hopefully it comes soon, as we need warmer temperatures to refinish our patio furniture, though since Phil saw his shadow this year, I'm not placing any bets.)

Mateo and Rafi are very excited about this:

Mateo is excited because his favorite buddies are in his room. Rafi is excited because now it gives purpose to him having saved them from a movie theater years and YEARS ago.

So, yeah... not much else going on around here; nothing too exciting to post about. I'm hoping to get the house all finished up by March, because in March I WILL have something exciting to post about. We're going to Peru!

One last mention - Happy Birthday to both Rafi's mom and my mom!

Birthday Heartburn.

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi C.) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:49:00 +0000

Well, I'm 32 now. And if that's not enough to give you heartburn, the following will be.

This year for my birthday I really just wanted to cook. I wanted to cook things I've never cooked before. Rafi thought I was nuts, but I enjoyed cooking with the wind in my hair. Okay, no wind really, but I was moving fast. Well, I thought I was moving fast until I looked at the clock. Dinner was eventually served an entire HOUR after I had promised it. Sorry, guys.

These recipes are from various sources - my new cookbook, a television show, and a magazine. Warning: The photos are unedited, full size, and were taken as an after thought. In other words, they're pretty bad.

Asperitif: Saracco Moscato d'Asti 2009. We've been over this before. It's divine. It has half the alcohol content of a regular bottle of sparkly, so you can drink it like soda! Oh, wait, I guess that's a bad thing.

First Course: Baked Brie with Cranberry Habanero sauce; Gruyere with Honey; served with water crackers. My Brie didn't melt quite to the degree I like it, but it was fine. The cranberry habanero sauce was sweet with a mild kick. It keeps you coming back for more just to figure out what the kick is. The Gruyere with honey is always a crowd pleaser.

Second Course: Apple and Pear Salad with Toasted Pecans and Parmigiano-Reggiano on Mixed Greens in a Balsamic Vinegarette. I love a salad with fruit. This one had TWO fruits. I'm in. I must confess I made a mistake, though, in the making of this salad. It wasn't supposed to have Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. It was supposed to have Gorgonzola, which I do have in my refrigerator. Truth is... I forgot. Would it have added another flavor profile to the salad? Yes. Was it still delicious anyway? Yes.

Third Course: Paprika and Parsley Steak Skewers. I won't be making this one again. First off, cutting a huge roast into cubes isn't my idea of fun. Secondly, the marinade was lacking. It contains lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper. What it's missing is garlic, onion, and some heat. I think I'll leave the steak cookin' to Rafi.

Dauphinoise with Pancetta and Gruyere. Hello, evil one. Nice to meet you. Please come back again sometime. Not only was this dish fun to eat (hey, it has potatoes, milk, heavy whipping cream, and tons of Gruyere), it was fun to make. I used two disc attachments on my new Cuisinart food processor (my recent Christmas present) to near instantly shred the cheese and to effortlessly slice the potatoes into thin slices. And I had my best friend Tina as my sous chef, so I didn't have to peel a one of them! After you crisply fry and then drain the pancetta, you simmer the potatoes in the milk and whipping cream. Then you drain it, reserving the milk. Layer the potatoes with the cheese, pancetta, and season with salt and pepper. When you finish, you top it off with more cheese and pour the milk mixture all over. Baking it in the oven lends it a bubbly brown crisp top that can't be beat. Next time (after I lose the 5 pounds I gained eating the thing), I'll switch up the cheese and add onions. Everything is better with onions.

Homemade French bread. Can I claim it's homemade if I technically just dumped stuff in a bread machine and turned it on? Yes, let's say I can.

Fourth Course: Baked Grapefruit and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with a Merengue Blanket. Now this one is interesting. Very interesting. Segments of grapefruit (I used a Texan pink grapefruit), are tossed with brown sugar and vanilla and then separated into ramekins. After making some merengue with a couple egg whites and sugar (way easy), a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is added to the ramekin, which is then covered completely by the merengue. Baking the dishes for 6 minutes makes the merengue golden brown and pretty. It's a beautiful dish to present to your guests. But let's get to the eating part. There's a faint crunch when you put your spoon through the merengue. And then you get confused. The various textures are really interesting - grapefruit pulp, cold and creamy ice cream, warm and foamy merengue. It's a dessert that keeps you coming back because you can't decide if you like it or really, really like it. And I think my verdict is that I really really like it. The grapefruit's tartness offsets the brown sugar sweetness perfectly. I would imagine this will become a staple dessert for us, as it takes much less time than baking a cake. Plus it would be fabulous with raspberries, blackberries, apples... I wonder how it would be with "exotics" like mango or pineapple? I think Rafi will enjoy the experimenting.

And now back to the topic of heartburn. You know what makes it worse? This mess:

But sharing my efforts with appreciative (and gifting!!) friends made it all worth it. Thanks to Tina and Greg for my arm weight thingy (ha!), and a HUGE thank you to my husband. Rafi helped me do the grocery shopping, clean up, and he gave me a few surprises - a key lime rum cake, a really awesome JBL iPhone docking station for the kitchen (also thank you to my mom for that!!), and a very generous gift certificate for massages. I do love him so!

So on that note I think I'll take my Pepcid and think about all the great things that my 32nd year has in store.