Our Little Clam Digger

It was inevitable that the time would come to let Maceo wiggle off the mat and throw himself - quite literally - into the full tactile experience of sand. For those of you that know me well, watching Maceo roll around in the sand and become totally filthy required some deep breathing. I was literally itching just watching him. I know all the developmental benefits of sand play, but the combination of thick sunscreen and beach sand on a baby must be similar to the process of making commercial sandpaper. All my neuroses aside, Maceo had a blast and was completely unfazed by the scratchy sand factor - even when it lodged itself into every single crevice possible.

Georgetown, Maine

Day two of our vacation in Maine - stopping at a local lobster pound for some lobster rolls and a photo opportunity.

Final Product: Upholstery Project

This entry is very tardy, but I realized that I never posted the final photos of my re-upholstery project. Overall, I love the chair. My only two regrets are 1) the repeat of the fabric was a bit large so I think some of the "drama" of the print is lost because you can't see the pattern in repeat, and 2) the chair REALLY goes with nothing - and I mean nothing - in our house. As you can see from the close-up photo of the back of the chair, I am especially pleased that the covered buttons were able to perfectly integrate into the pattern. It was actually not at all hard to do, but somehow it makes it seem very professional!

It is a great piece of furniture that one day will look nice in a [maybe even our] living room, but not until we distribute the lipstick red chairs, mandarin orange/tomato red rug, and grey-blue sofa that currently make up our living room decor. Since our condo is 1,100 square feet, there is not a lot of space for rearranging. In the meantime, it is sitting in the dining room to be admired and occasionally sat in.

Quilting!

Inspired by the awesome quilt that Aunt Mira made for Maceo when he was born, and a general surplus of fabric scraps that I can't bear to throw away, I decided that I was going to try my hand at making a baby quilt for Meredith and Rico's baby-to-be. I have always admired quilts but never imagined myself as someone with the patience or time to take on a very multi-step craft project that requires so much precision and cutting. I guess my foray into blogging - and reading other crafty blogs - got my juices flowing enough to decide to just give it a try. I am also pretty allergic to patterns and have a hard time interpreting sewing and knitting related instructions that have so many intricate steps and processes for something that seems fairly intuitive. Anyway...Mira lent me a book about basic quilting, and I spent a long evening picking her brain about the basic idea of how to make a quilt. I also consulted with my friend Neema's mother Rita who is a serious quilter. After my mom and I had made 12+ pairs of elastic waistband pants for Maceo, I had a lot of little scraps of fabric left over that were too cute not to repurpose into something baby related. After getting sufficient feedback to suggest that the process is not hard but simply time consuming, I took matters into my own hands and starting cutting.

Despite my best intentions, I didn't really take photos of the process along the way, so all I have to share is the final product. I am posting this here since Meredith and Rico both helped me pick some of the fabrics and gave input into the layout when we were together in New Hampshire at the beginning of July. Hence, the quilt is not a surprise. I wish I had done a better job of documenting how long it actually took me to complete it, but because I did it in so many stages and steps it remains a mystery even to me.

I am very pleased with the final product, and feel inspired to keep trying. I can see how quilting might be a great project to do with a small child since you can do tiny bits here and there. I am afraid that I have a pretty compulsive personality so once this quilt started taking shape, I was hell-bent on finishing it. Perhaps now that I have one under my belt I will be able to approach future projects with less intensity?

PS. Mere and Rico - I will have the quilt in the mail by the end of the month!

Hanging with the Aunties

Maceo is quite intrigued by his own image, and Aunt Mira discovered that he is especially into the Photo Booth application on the Mac. It is still unclear to me whether he understands that the image in the mirror (and on the computer) are his own or just another baby. Either way, he thinks it is awfully funny and likes to ham it up. These photos were taken while Mira and Hana were involved in a serious computer imaging session.

From Baby Touch and Feel "Farm" to the real thing

Aunties Hana and Mira were in town for a quick visit and we packed a lot of fun into 2.5 days. One of the highlights came during a hot and sticky picnic at the Arnold Arboretum. As we were winding down from a meal of prunes (Maceo) and Caprese Salad and melon (adults), a Forest Ranger came ambling through the brush on his sweet brown horse. Maceo has been increasingly interested in animals since spending time with Grandmama Martha's two cats, so this big brown horse was quite a sight to behold. The ranger was awfully nice and let us both touch and pet Liberty (the horse), as well as humored us for some photos.

Storyhour with Grandmama

Maceo is getting increasingly interested in books, and my mom has a knack at making any story a real hoot!

Maceo and Grandmama Martha

Many thanks to Ashely for these beautiful shots!

We're All Grown Up

While in Portland, I was able to reconnect with two dear old high school friends and their kids. To add to the nostalgia, we decided to meet up at Wilshire Park - the site of many debaucherous high school parties. Oh how the times of changed. These days the park boasts a great playground for kids of all ages. Ashley has a sweet little girl named Daisy who is 2 years old, and Laura has three kids: twin 5 year old boys and a 7 year old daughter named Caroline. The weather was perfect for playground lounging and Caroline was showing off her babysitting skills. As you can see from the photos, Maceo determined that the swings on the West Coast were just as exciting as the East!

Adventures in Eating II: How could I forget the cupcakes and charcuterie?

I almost forgot a couple more tasty treats in Portland. The cupcakes pretty much speak for themselves - the coconut lemon was our personal favorite...and trust me when I say we pretty much tried them all:) Vendor: Saints Cupcakes. Maceo looks somewhat dejected in the background, probably because he has been on a steady diet of prunes, oat cereal and sweet potatoes.

Charcuterie plate by Olympic Provisions. The general consensus was that the salami's were great, as were the pickles. The pork liver pate was a struggle for me, and the boquerones were an acquired taste. However, if charcuterie was your thing, this would probably be nirvana.

Spine Saver: Wearing Maceo on the Back!

While in Portland, we did a practice ride with Maceo on the back in the Ergo carrier and he loved it. Now I just need to figure out how to get him into the position without an assistant!

Adventures in Eating

As many of you already know, Portland is one of the most vibrant and inventive cities when it comes to food and restaurants. If I had my druthers, this is the place I'd spend all my money eating out. Every time we visit my mom there are at least 5-10 new restaurants that are being lauded as the best of the best. Unlike Boston, the food is both phenomenal and affordable. For $100, you can go out for a very decadent meal that includes all the elements - including a couple of tasty cocktails. One of the ironies of heading to Portland to eat is that my mom is a great cook and food lover, so there is a fine balance of wanting to try new restaurants and going to farmer's markets to buy the local harvest and play with food together (or at least she and Craig cooking together with me as an occasional chopper/wine glass filler). This trip we did a pretty poor job at documenting all the eating - there were several missed opportunities with no camera available. So you will just need to take me on my word that the eating is phenomenal.


A nicoise salad made from the left-over albacore tuna that we grilled the night before.


A Cast Iron Frittata with fava beans, olives, confit green beans, caramelized onions & feta from a new restaurant called Tasty and Sons. $7.


A polenta and sausage ragu with fresh mozzerella with a fried egg from Tasty and Sons. $8.


A grilled albacore tuna line caught from less than 120 miles from my mom's house. For $5.70 per pound. My mom made the marinade, Craig did the grilling. What a super treat.


A decadent lunch at Pok Pok, a Southeast Asian restaurant in Portland known for replicating serious street food. The serve food found at restaurants, pubs, homes and the streets of Southeast Asia with the majority of the food coming from Thailand, and specifically from the North and Northeast of Thailand. The menu changes seasonally, monthly or at whim. They use local products when possible and practical.

Dishes pictured- and consumed by three very happy mouths - include the following. Please note the bill was $40, inclusing 3 fancy tea/soda concoctions.
-Roasted natural game hen rubbed with lemongrass, garlic, pepper and cilantro served with a spicy sweet and sour dipping sauce. Their signature dish.
-Fresh natural chicken wings marinated in fish sauce, garlic and sugar, deep fried, tossed in caramelized Phu Quoc fish sauce and garlic and served with Vietnamese table salad. The daytime grill cook Ich Truong’s recipe from his home in Vietnam.
-Giant prawns, brined and grilled whole over charcoal, served with naam jiim thaleh, a spicy lime/garlic/chile dipping sauce.
-Fresh wide rice noodles with Chinese broccoli, pork, egg, garlic and black soy sauce stir fried in a hot wok.

Backyard Picnics

Posing by the Roses

Maxin' and Relaxin' In Grandmama's Beautiful Yard

My mother has what must be the largest and most beautiful rose bushes in her back yard. They serve as the backdrop for this backyard pool party photoshoot. It took us until the last day of our trip to pull out the pool, but it was clearly a highlight of the trip.

PS. I opted not to include a live-action shot of the sneaky brown poop that emerged about 1/2 way into the party!