picnic

Cel-Ray

In response to Maria's post on this celery based soft drink, I bought some, and it's...interesting tasting. Which is a huge improvement on actual celery. Hopefully all the things I don't like to eat will some day be made into sodas.

Miss Mary

So photogenic. She already smiles for the camera.

The last two are in solely because of the pigtail.

Catching up, etc.

We've been a little behind on our blog. Sorry.
I realized I check all the other blogs in hopes of reading something exciting or new or funny; but we've really been slacking on our own. In truth, nothing great has been going on. Nothing very notable or funny, except that Mary can find matching shoes and knocks at the front door every 20 minutes to go outside. Last Saturday we spent more than 3 hours in the park at three different times. Today we ventured out twice. I'm so glad it is warming up. Everything is starting to bloom. My mom is coming into town this weekend and it will be perfect. We'll take some pictures and post them soon, I promise. We don't have any current pictures because we loaned our camera to some friends in the ward, but we just got it back. So we'll take a bunch to make up for the current lack.
Mary is also in a screeching phase, I just told my mom she had finished with it, when she emerged in full eardrum piercing screams again today. It is really getting old fast. Today, both times when packing up to go home from the park, Mary understood we were leaving and broke into hysterics. She has become an expert tantrum thrower. Because all this is fairly new, we didn't know how to handle the monster, but we've decided to just step over the thrashing child and keep walking. (Don't worry, we don't go far. It isn't like we are leaving our child on the street to be picked up by strangers).
On a better note, we've mentioned before how organized our little girl is. We've got more to add to the previous list. When reading she will set her teddy bear up against the crib and then set a book up for him before sitting down with a book herself. When she is also carrying around her dog she'll put him in teddy's lap. This is all very cute. I guess most of the stuffed animals have developed personalities lately because she has begun feeding and jabbering with them. She'll be a good sister in november. These toys also go on frequent walks about the apartment between the walks we make to and from the park. She has a little stroller and lots of handbags (and miscellaneous items she takes to be handbags, we're not really sure where this characteristic comes from, I don't even use a purse, must be from store windows).
School for Dan is quickly winding down; he only has 3 weeks of classes left. We still aren't sure exactly where he will fit into the global industrial complex when he graduates, but the longer he stays out of the workforce the worse the economy looks, so it's probably time he got back to work before things really go downhill. We'll certainly keep this blog current on where we live.

THOTH!

In central park this week. Thoth plays the violin and sings operatically in a language he invented.

An Easter Egg Hunt

It was a great Easter weekend. Though I wasn't prepared for any traditional activities (egg hunts, Easter dresses, Sunday dinner, Easter baskets . . . ) the important thing was that we enjoyed the day together and had some time to think about what we're truly grateful for. Maybe because we weren't busy doing so many other things we really enjoyed Sunday afternoon. The Missionaries came over for dessert, some friends stopped by and we were able to visit with parents. I am so thankful for our little apartment, the friend's we've made, our family, and so very much for the Savior. Ironically I was asked to give the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting. I was so thankful for the chance to collect my thoughts and have a few minutes to focus on His sacrifice and resurrection. I'm grateful for the little reminders we get, like an invitation to pray, to remember and give thanks.
Beyond that, Mary and I have been playing a new game all day . . . re-hiding empty eggs all over the house. She rolls her little doll stroller around to collect the eggs. Very cute.





Mary's first Easter Egg Hunt was this weekend. She displayed vast amounts of intelligence, quick learning and self control. She carefully picked up each of her eggs and didn't take any others. Her eggs were purple with white polka-dots. She found all of them and choose hers even if it was next to another egg, even plain purple ones. I was really impressed.

Shoes

graduated!

Scallops. The green sauce was really good. This was actually my favorite. (although to picture it how I saw it, think of the below items after spending 2 hours in a tupperware bouncing around in stroller and on subway, this goes for all of them)A many tentacled sea creature which can grow to disturbing and dangerous proportions, if not prepared thusly:

Muscles:
Some sauces, no artificial coloring (not that they even make puce #7 anyway, that's olive btw):

They're monsters:


But they're tasty monsters (she also did the lobster plate in the background):

Amy attended her last day of class today, and it was especially tasty (at least the leftovers that I got to try were).

Mary's hands

have been growing at an incredible rate.

reading

lil' helper

Amy bought m. a little broom since she likes sweeping so much. She's a very organized girl. Besides sweeping, she returns her books to the shelf (really) when she's done reading them, she lines up her stuffed animals in a row, and stands with her back to the wall while waiting for the elevator.

Does it taste as good as it looks?

Depends on who you ask. Amy thought the store-bought crust was terrible, but the ones we had the night before, everyone could agree were delicious.

Walk in the park.

We were meeting Jimmy Dell here, to give him "the process", but he never showed. Oh well...



Mary knows how to enjoy Sunday afternoon walks.

Supporting H&H Bagels

We really like the blueberry bagels they have there, so we do our very best to keep them in business.


Note that M. has the same upper lip scrunch as her mom.

splash!

at the park

mTired

And some zucchini bread, reserved for anyone who visits us.

Cake

This is what Amy did in class on Saturday. They actually don't taste that amazing, but they sure do look nice.

feeding teddy

M shows her motherly instincts feeding her bear. (she had been feeding him real milk, but Amy gave her an empty bottle before taking this video)

She also put him in the stroller and tried to buckle him up. (she's standing behind pushing)

She said MAMA!

Just a few more good ones . . .

View of the Hudson from our roof.

Something else from Amy's class on Sat. This was a frozen mango souffle, tastes like sherbet, and it's really good. This is going to be one that I request to be made at home frequently.


Mary getting ready for a jog (Amy sometimes borrows a neighbor's stroller)


This is our where we live.

Thanks for the new dress Grandma

Winter walk

Sunday evening walk, partly on our roof, partly around the neighborhood.


















Mary enjoyed eating the day-old snow.
















This is my Sam from Cheers hairstyle.

Home Cookin'

Crème caramel. I helped, by stirring stuff and mixing pre-measured ingredients, but I can't really take credit for all of it.

M is a very reverent girl.