Puppy Love

Munch, 4 and Ginger, 8- The dogs FINALLY no longer view Munch as the baby...especially now that she frequently is charged with feeding them dinner!

Spangly Heart Cookies

Lately, I've been giving Munch more and more responsibility in the kitchen. She measures out ingredients for me, mixes things up, and (most exciting to her) she's gotten a chance to cut up celery using a "real" knife (one of my paring knives). Munch's cousin recently passed a cookbook on to her and we finally got around to trying one of the recipes.After going through the recipes, she decided on the "Spangly Heart Cookies". I liked that the recipe used reasonable quantities of ingredients for Munch to handle and that the straight-forward directions were also accompanied by a picture so I didn't have to explain much.
A few days ago I picked up a brightly colored set of measuring cups and spoons for Munch at Cost Plus. I figured it would be easier for her to remember the various sizes if they were also different colors.Once I softened the butter in the microwave for her, everything was easy for Munch to mix by hand. The only other thing I did for her was crack and separate the egg- she didn't want her hands to get dirty!Munch has also been wanting to wash the dishes herself, so she got going on that while the cookie dough chilled in the refrigerator.After a quick chill, Munch rolled out the dough and cut out the heart shapes before brushing on an egg white wash and sprinkling the cookies with pink sugar.Transferring the cookies to a rack to finish cooling-Just like the book!A proud Munch-

BOOM! (aka The Sky is Falling)

I've posted before about how much I like our little town. For such a small place, it's always impressed me with its variety in dining options, the nice waterfront and the events held there, and more recently, the fiscal responsibility city leaders have demonstrated in recent years. Of all these things though, the city's 4th of July fireworks have always been the clincher for me.
After years of hiking to cold and windy hilltops overlooking various parts of the San Francisco Bay just to see a hint of color lighting up the fog, I can't imagine ever getting tired of walking out my door to the end of the block and seeing an incredible fireworks display. I remember our first summer here, and our surprise at seeing the RV's staking out places around the harbor the day before. Now it's a habit of AudioDad's to return from an early run on the morning of the 4th to announce the number of people who have already set themselves up for the display that won't happen for another 12 hours.
Another thing I love about our fireworks is the up-close, neck-craning view you get. That was until the city installed the big lawn and we got to enjoy the show lying down, with the sparks seeming to fall right on us. I remember that year was also our nieces and nephew's first 4th with us and as they lay on that new lawn, they were more than a little terrified of death by sparklers. Needless to say, with that close proximity, the fireworks are loud...and you feel their heat. You can usually tell the newbies to the show as they tend to be the ones who are picking up their children and running for safety.
We were definitely looking forward to sharing the fun with Munch once she was born. As it turned out though, we haven't gotten to enjoy a full show ever since. At six months old, she was sleeping so well and I wasn't about to throw it off. The following year, she began to show more and more sensitivity to loud noises, and would burst into tears at things like the loud whoosh of a public toilet flushing. We ended up carrying her home just seconds into the first burst, both of fireworks and tears! When she was two, she was fully aware of, and consciously avoiding, anything that she knew was startlingly loud- school bells, sirens, hand dryers, and of course, she continued to be wary of those public toilets. As much as I tried to prepare Munch for the fun over the next couple of years, she couldn't tolerate more than a few seconds of fireworks before covering her ears and begging to go home. This year was no different.
Munch and I talked about the 4th being our country's birthday. She walked around the waterfront with AudioDad to check out the crowd and listen to music. The neighborhood put on a block party and she got to play with all the kids. Munch even knew she was getting to stay up significantly past her bedtime. A few minutes to 9 PM, she eagerly waded through the crowd of people waiting for the fireworks show to begin, and she felt like a really big kid. I thought we had a pretty good chance that this was her turn-around year. And then, BOOM! Back at home, I knew our dog was having a heart attack and cowering under the nightstand. And Munch? Hands to ears, freaking out. So we scurried home, me encouraging her to at least look at them (she wouldn't), trying out the big headphones offered by a neighbor (still, no), and getting her up to her room. But as we walked past our new neighbors, sitting on the roof of their garage and enjoying their first fireworks display here, it occurred to me that we might be able to see the show from inside the house. So, on the floor of Munch's room, I calmed her down, opened up the curtains, and she finally was able to enjoy the spectacle. (Opening the window a crack, however, was quickly rejected.) This was how we watched our fireworks this year-
We'll try again at Christmas...

Munch Goes to Texas

A couple of months ago, Munch and I took a trip to Texas to visit the great-grandmother she's named for. Grandma was turning 99 and we hadn't been back for a visit since Munch was an itty-bitty-THAT actually may have been our very first plane trip with Munch and I remember being so cautious that she didn't continually push against the seat in front of her with her legs resting just so. The amount of luggage we hauled was incredible- carseat, pack & play, all those diapers, and numerous changes of clothes!
Contrast that with our latest trip- Munch and I were supposed to travel with my parents, so AudioDad was staying home. But unfortunately, one of my oh-so-sharing students also shared his bronchitis/pneumonia with me and several other kids, which I then passed to my dad (sorry, Pops!), along with my bonus gift of pleurisy, which landed him in the hospital, unable to travel with us. Long story short (and many commas later), I got just-enough better, just in time to travel as scheduled with Munch...but without my parents.
But, I'd NEVER travelled alone. And I wasn't so sure about heading out for the first time with a four-year old in tow. Just thinking about the luggage, waiting in the airport, managing my air-sickness, renting the car, navigating the roads, staying in the hotel WITHOUT AudioDad overwhelms me even now. If this was to work, I figured Munch had better carry her own weight...literally. Off we went to Target to pick up a large rolling backpack- her little preschooler- sized one would NOT do. Luckily it was covered with Disney princesses and Munch was ecstatic to use it-
So our plan was set- we'd check our big suitcase, Munch would haul the travel snacks and activities, and I'd have a small carry-on with other necessities (gum, baby wipes, change of clothes, water bottle, pretty much what I haul around every day!)
Our arrival into Love Field went really smoothly- it was easy to get around and didn't feel too crowded. Despite being rush hour, driving into North Dallas on the toll roads was a cinch compared to what I sit in everyday. At the hotel, Munch chose to have her own bed...and took up every bit of it!Our next few days were spent sleeping in- we never got used to the time change, swimming at the hotel, and visiting Grandma at her assisted living facility. Munch made fast friends with many of the residents and loved visiting them at the various tables in the dining room. One evening, we picked up dinner at our favorite BBQ place and brought it over-
Our trip went by too quickly as always. But I was so glad for Munch to have her own memories of her great-grandma, since we talk about her so often. Munch also got to meet her Grandpa's brother and his dog, Sadie. It took her a while to get the concept that Grandpa has a mother and a brother!As we were leaving, Grandma gave Munch one of the stuffed toys she keeps on her sofa. Munch just adores her Brownie and took such good care of her on the plane ride home!

Fathers Day

I've said before how much I enjoy holidays and special occasions now that Munch is old enough to participate and understand the event. Fathers Day this year was no exception. I knew exactly what Munch would be making for Daddy this year- a painted self-portrait because he's threatened numerous times to steal the one she made her grandparents last Christmas-So as soon as he left for work, Munch and I got busy. We started with sketching out the picture on the canvas-
Once we got to painting, Munch began with the background, then the main body. Unlike the last time we made a self-portrait six months ago, Munch had a very specific idea of how she wanted this painting to turn out and the colors and designs she wanted to use.The finished portrait is very her- the only problem was keeping it a secret for the next week!
The morning of Fathers Day, Munch also wanted to make her dad breakfast in bed. I'm not that huge a fan of finding crumbs in my bed though (and it doesn't work that well when you have dogs!) Instead, we made his very favorite chocolate chip scones. I've been letting Munch have more responsibility in the kitchen lately and she did really well! First, she sifted the dry ingredients-Next, she mixed in the chocolate chips...and yes, she immediately asked to taste everything!After the cream was mixed in, we worked on kneading the dough and I cut it into squares. Munch brushed melted butter over the scones and sprinkled on the coarse sugar-The scones turned out beautifully- and both dad and daughter were full of smiles-
Later, we headed out to meet my family at Brix for lunch. I LOVE their Sunday buffet brunch and we were incredibly lucky to get a small patio all to ourselves!Munch made herself a lovely plate of shrimp, fruit, and assorted charcuterie and cheeses. It was a gorgeous day in the Napa Valley and we took our time enjoying the restaurant's gardens after lunch-before heading over to Oxbow to pick up some cupcakes to send home with my dad. Munch perused the assortment and ultimately chose a gluten-free chocolate cupcake, in a show of support for her favorite cousin and BFF who was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. It was yummier than I expected!