A New Car

After months of research and consideration, Dylan and I sold our old Jetta and bought a new car last Sunday. The old car was ten years old (120k miles) and though reasonably reliable, it was starting to have some problems pop up now and then. With the "baby years" here, we realized that it was time to upgrade to something with a little more space, and something that would not require any expensive maintenance for at least a few (hopefully five or more!) years.

We kept our options for a new car completely open at first and went from mini-van to SUV to station wagon, finally deciding that we would like the smallest car we could reasonably get away with. Everyone says you need lots of extra space with kids, and that is definitely true, but at the same time, we strongly feel that you can make your life as big as that space you have available. Plus our parents did great with small cars (sedans for the Vaughn family and small wagons for the Graham family) in the 80's and we seemed to fit ok, even with all that soccer gear.

After a few weeks of test driving small station wagons, we zeroed in on the Jetta SportWagen, delighting in the fact that they offer a diesel version (named Green Car of the Year) that gets 40-45 mpg on the freeway. We even get a government tax credit for purchasing this vehicle! We thought we had the car purchase all figured out after driving the automatic version, but then we spent a weekend at Lake Tahoe driving our friend Kevin's stick shift Mazda 3. I learned to drive on a stick shift back in the mid-90's and drove one for the first five years of my driving career. After my ten plus year hiatus, I have to say that I'm in love if it's at all possible to be in love with a style of driving. We were sold (literally!) after the test drive, and purchased the car the next day. The Bird Rock roundabouts that used to be a back and forth of gas / brake / gas / brake, are now a delightful dance between second and third gear, no brakes involved. And navigating traffic on the freeway, more of a fun game and less of a grind. After five days of car ownership, involving lots of driving (three round trips downtown, lots of driving around town and a trip to Target), we have not even used 1/4 of a tank of diesel fuel.

We love our new car!

A Trio of Dinners

Broiled Tofu with Corn & Black Bean Salad (fresh CSA corn, tomatoes, red peppers, red onion, avocado, dressed with lime chili vinaigrette):


Bagels with Smoked Salmon & Pan Fried Summer Squash:


Local Yellowtail over Roasted Broccolini, Carrots, Tomatoes, Garlic & Cilantro:

He Waves

We Have a Wagon Pusher!

Tahoe

Just home from a wonderful trip to Lake Tahoe with Dylan's college buddies and families. Seventeen adults and eight kids in an eight bedroom house for three nights - it was so much fun! The four level house was tucked in the woods up a hill with a big deck, and great kitchen/family room area for hanging out. Pool table and air hockey were in the downstairs living room. We spent time relaxing in the house while babies ate and slept on their different schedules, and groups of people headed out at appropriate times for beach excursions and walks. There was also plenty of time for us all to play with the kids - so fun! After kids went to sleep, we all enjoyed dinner, adult time, and even karaoke and the hot tub. The guys went out to the casinos on Friday night for boys night out, while the ladies stayed in gabbing and drinking wine on the couch. I found myself completely in love with the actual lake, and wish I could have stayed forever swimming in the clear, cold water and looking at the snow-capped mountains in the distance. On the drive back to SF airport yesterday, Kevin taught Connor to use crayons at a diner in Plasterville. A totally awesome trip in every way!

BBQ Chicken Tacos

I realized yesterday that we had a bunch of stuff on hand that would taste really good with the bbq chicken I was planning on for dinner (cheddar cheese, black beans, cilantro, sour cream, red onion). I decided that all we were missing was corn tortillas, and with that final ingredient we would be able to make some killer bbq chicken tacos. After a quick trip to Albertson's for the tortillas, we were ready to go. We sauteed the onions and placed them on top of the shredded Irish cheddar on the corn tortilla. Cilantro was generously sprinkled over that, then came sour cream, black beans, and chunks of spicy bbq chicken that we'd made in the broiler. Served next to a bowl of stir fried summer squash from the CSA and a frosty glass of Sculpin IPA, this was a delicious summery meal. Dylan was pretty excited about it after two hours on the bike, and Connor and his friend Charlie enjoyed the leftovers for lunch today.

Pork Chops with Collard Greens & Roasted Carrots

Every Tuesday night Dylan cooks me dinner. I take a late spin class and get home about 8:15 to him chopping and preheating and mixing in the kitchen. I hop in the shower, and then when I come out there is something like this ready to eat:


I definitely feel spoiled on Tuesdays, and it is something I look forward to all day. I love to cook but there is something really fun about eating a nice meal that you weren't at all involved in preparing. Sort of like going out to a restaurant, only I'm having trouble thinking of a restaurant where I could eat this well.

Dylan's 2nd B-day Dinner

Darin was feeling better, so we had our rain-check for Dylan's b-day dinner on Monday night. Darin & Melissa left Alden with his grandparents and came over around 7pm, after Connor's bedtime. It was like old times with no kids - a very fun thing that the four of us do every now and then. Our kids are awesome, but it is so nice to forget about them for a while and have time to be with good friends just the way it used to be before our lives expanded.

Because of the rain check, the ribs that Darin & Melissa made for the occasion (our friend Tad's killer recipe) were aged for three days before grilling. On Saturday they had been boiled, then rubbed, then marinated, then slow-cooked for the entire day. Then our plans got put on hold, and the ribs got wrapped in foil and left to marinate until Monday (in the fridge). I think the accidental aging was the secret that made them INCREDIBLE. Every bite was like pure heaven, there is no other way to convey it. Melissa made Jen's mac n' cheese and brought a special bottle of red wine, and Dylan and I made a spinach dip appetizer, and a salad (CSA greens, proscuitto, apples, pistachios, aged Romano). We didn't have an attention span to take pictures before or while we were eating because the food was all so good. This is all we've got:


After dinner, we moved inside for some relaxation, and we eventually managed to make room for dessert: vanilla ice cream, with orange sauce (that I made using our CSA oranges). We wrapped things up around midnight - a little late for a weeknight, but well worth it!

My Sweetie's B-day

Dylan has the best birthday possible - July 3rd. Every year there seems to be something fun going on, a day off, and great energy in the air - especially here in PB. I have fond memories of his last nine birthdays ranging from 2002 letting loose on a party boat and staying up all night in our friend's backyard before the Bristol, RI 4th of July Parade (the oldest in the nation), to squeezing in a quick walk on the boardwalk between feedings with our 3-month old last year. Here is our now 15-month-old, having way too much fun with daddy's balloons:


Today was a fun day of opening presents and playing with Connor, however our dinner plans (a baby-less bbq feast at our place with Darin & Melissa) got canceled last minute because Darin got sick with a high fever. So we switched gears and picked up salmon fillets, with plans for a gigantic salad with some CSA and some non-CSA veggies (spring mix, avocado, beets, radishes, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes) and a fruity vinaigrette, topped with a piece of grilled fish. We also had bread from Bread & Cie, and I made a garlic butter mash to spread on the bread so we could have little garlic toasts alongside the salad.


I haven't mentioned it here, but over the past month Dylan has gotten into shape and lost 15 lbs. He started to ride his bike to work, run after work, and just today ran six miles down the boardwalk while I was preparing dinner. In addition to the exercise, he is eating smaller portions, and has stopped drinking beer at night. All of these things combined have made the extra weight just drop away like it was nothing. The best part of it all, is that we haven't stopped cooking all sorts of super-delicious food (veggie-rich, yet accented with butter, bacon, chocolate etc), he is just eating less of it. He is so happy and he looks great!

Despite the general healthy eating that happens around here, a birthday is THE day of the year for cake. We picked up a couple of small cakes from the French Gourmet (our go-to dessert place when we don't bake ourselves) and after an unexpected romantic dinner for two, and a palate-cleansing Netflix episode of Mad Men, we had candles on the cake and singing. Another wonderful dinner, and here's to wishing a splendid upcoming year to my sweet 34-year-old husband :)

Stacking Blocks

Acquaintances and more

My social sphere has broadened since Connor was born, as having a baby/toddler in common is a classic ice breaker and paves the way for interaction and then the friendship that sometimes grows. Staying at home with Connor has led to outings and activities in which we are introduced to all sorts of new parents and kids each day. In the process, I've realized that there are many other moms (and dads) living within just a few blocks of me who are reveling in the same joys and facing the same challenges that I am day-to-day. Sharing parts of my days with them has broadened my perspective, given me fresh ideas and made me feel connected. I especially love that I am starting to run into people I know from around town at places like the park or grocery store and we recognize each other enough to say hi and chat. Having a child has made me feel much more intertwined with my community, and I'm sure that will only become more the case as the school years approach.


Occasionally these social acquaintances turn into something more. I was introduced to Amy in a funny, yet complicated way. Back in February I rode my bike to Via Del Norte park with Connor and put him in a swing, noticing a very cute little guy on the next swing over with a man and woman who appeared to be his grandparents. We struck up conversation, finding out that Charlie & Connor were just two months apart, and also that we had a local acquaintance in common. Debbie (Charlie's grandmother) mentioned that she thought I would get along really well with her daughter-in-law who lived just a few minutes away, and she would get my contact information from our mutual friend. Well, the friend didn't have the right number, then Debbie's number got lost and we were back to square one, not sure how to contact her. We knew the daughter-in-law and son's first names, and found out Debbie's last name through the friend we had in common. Dylan embarked on a Google search, and then sent an email to what we hoped was the husband's current work address (starting with "you don't know me, but I believe my wife met your mother Debbie at the park"), and finally my connection with Amy was forged.

It is so funny that we went to all that trouble, but I had a good feeling about it and I was right. The two of us clicked instantaneously, and we've had a weekly date ever since, alternating houses. At her house, Connor & Charlie get kisses from Ryely, their gigantic black lab, and at our house we experiment with bubbles or walk down to the beach. Amy is from New Hampshire and I'm from Massachusetts, so we have our east coast roots in common. And we just get along super well, with a similar life outlook and sense of humor. Connor & Charlie are perfect playmates too - the same size and just about the same speed. This is one of the greatest situations in life, where a random connection leads its way to a serendipitous friendship (for moms and kids alike).