Lots to Do

I'm questioning my sanity.  Ok, not my sanity, but really, what was I thinking?  Friday, the movers started packing the basement and garage.  I baked cake for the Babe's birthday (not for her party- that will require more baking).  We had a house showing, requiring some picking up.  All in all, I started to feel overwhelmed.  Sunday I am having the Babe's 5th Birthday party.  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, will be more packing, and then we are on our way.  This weekend I will be baking for her birthday party, as well as packing for about ten days as once the movers return Monday, if it is not set aside in a specific spot, it will be packed.  That means clothes, food, medicine, and anything the Babe might need for entertainment (DVDs, toys, art supplies).  Plus, a few more errands thrown in, like I must remember to get to the dry cleaner before we move.  There are also a few issues on the other side of the move that will hopefully be settled before we get there.  Lots to do.  It would help if I could sleep...perhaps in a few weeks.

What's in a Name?

Lately I've been entertaining a bit more, trying to squeeze in visits with family and friends that I know we will be seeing less of after our move.  I've come to realize that the Babe has been getting funny with names.  Wives have been called by their husband's names, others by their related title ("I must talk to your wife"), and others by names of different friends.  Sometimes I think its truly a slip of the tongue, but once she has you on the hook, she keeps playing it up. 

A friend recently visited, who the Babe has met on several occasions.  Halfway through lunch she started calling him by another male friend's name.  She knows both well, and knows they are two totally different men (in stature, in ethnicity, and personality).  However, after a few slips of the name, she clearly got a kick out of calling him by the wrong one.  So for the rest of the afternoon she delighted in calling him by the wrong one.  Sometimes it was with a straight face, but a bright twinkle in her eye.  Fortunately he was a good sport.

The Babe is turning into more of a ham, but she's also becoming more demanding.  She was very upset yesterday that our guests chose to sit in the dining room to linger over adult discussion rather than to come and play with her.  After a while, we joined her, but she was definitely put out.  Clearly being an only child has led her to believe that anyone who is in our house is here for her, to either entertain her or be entertained by her.  Of course age is a factor, too.  I do try to instruct her on what is appropriate.  Oftentimes though most people find her precocious, so she gets away with it and the lesson isn't always enforced.   While I want her to be able to play and have fun, I also want her to know what is appropriate and be polite.  I don't think we need to be sticklers for manners, but there are definitely a few things we need to work on. 
 

Allergy Cooking

I did something that I found interesting.  I cooked for another allergy family, only they have at least one different allergen (one that's a top 8 allergen) than what we are dealing with.  What made it interesting was that in planning and preparing our meal was similar to what someone who doesn't have allergies goes through in planning a meal for someone who has allergies.  I hope that made sense.  Basically, I had to re-read ingredients.  I had to make sure there wasn't a risk of contamination in my cookware.  I almost swapped out kitchen sponges, but realized nothing needed washing prior to cooking.  I did take out fresh kitchen and bathroom towels.  Basically, everything I made involved fresh ingredients. 

This isn't too different from what I already do.  One thing I did do was cook in foil.  I made oven roasted potatoes in a pan that I lined with foil, and used a light coating of canola oil.  I made hamburgers in a frying pan, also lined with foil, of just beef, a little oil, and salt.  Salad came from a bag, and farm fresh grape tomatoes.  Salad dressing was made by combining fresh squeezed lemon juice, canola oil, salt and sugar.   Simple ingredients.  Easy preparation.  The meal was tasty, everyone was full.  Clean up was easier than usual courtesy of the foil.  Dessert was just Enjoy Life Cookies, free of the Top 8 Allergens. 

In the end, it was more about getting everyone together.  However, it made me happy to be able to feed them something they enjoyed and was safe.  If you haven't figured it out from earlier postings, I like to feed people.  I don't know why, its genetic, from my mother and grandmothers, and probably generations before.  If I know you have a food issue, I'm still going to want to feed you.  So, friends or family who have food allergies, Celiac, food sensitivities, whatever the "challenge", welcome to my kitchen. 

The Memory of Food

The past few days have been filled with a lot of cooking (and subsequent cleaning) in my kitchen.  Tonight will probably be the last time we have dinner guests in this house.  I've enjoyed being able to have company, be it family or friends.  Hopefully, we will make new friends where we are going, and be able to share a meal.  We will definitely have family visit there, although probably not as much as we'd like. 

This past week we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  While my husband couldn't join us for the holiday, as he was in a different part of the country, I still made sure my daughter and I enjoyed the holiday.  That included a hearty meal featuring brisket as the main course.  Then last night, my parents joined us (and my husband, too), for dinner of chicken soup, turkey breast, a quasi-tzimmes of sweetened and mashed sweet potatoes and carrots, and salad, followed up with chocolate cake and watermelon.  Tonight we are having good friends over for dinner.  The menu, although not for holiday, will feature roasted chicken and potato kugel. 

Somehow, it always comes down to the food.  I think this is true for many cultures.  When I was much younger, I didn't cook much or well.  When I was about thirteen or fourteen I told my grandmother I wanted to have a "house-husband" to take care of the home and cooking, since I would rather be doing something intellectual.  I didn't want to become a "domestic engineer".  She always liked to remind me of this, especially after the Babe came along and I began to cook and bake.  I know she was proud of my academic accomplishments, but I also know she was just as proud of my domestic ones.  For her, family always came first.  She was a great cook, and there are certain foods or smells that remind me of her, like a roasting chicken or chocolate cake.  So food does more then nourish.  It brings people together, as well as provides sensory memories that live on longer than we do.  And on that note, its time to go bake a cake for later.

Maybe

Sometimes it seems as if the Babe is a teenager or even an adult.  This may be by attitude or word, depending on the moment.  Of course I make sure to bring reality back- she's the child and we're the adults.  The other day she was asking for something and I told her maybe.  Her response was, "Well, maybe isn't as good as yes, but its better than no." 

This morning she was funny.  She was asking if Daddy and I had ever gone dancing together.  Well, we've danced together, at weddings and such.  That wasn't good enough.  She wants us to go out on a date to go dancing.  And to top it off, she wants to pick out my clothes and be my stylist.  Yes, she said stylist.  I have no idea how she learned that word.

In the meantime, she is still my cute, precocious little girl.  Soon she will be turning five.  I have to remind myself that she's getting older, and things that I tried to protect her from or do for her, she can do herself.  And if she can't, its time I start teaching her.  While it might be easier or faster if I just do certain things for her, it would look funny if she were a teenager who couldn't cut her own meat.

Countdown

"As the tea kettle said, full steam ahead," (from Higgleytown Heroes).  That's rather fitting right now as it seems we are in countdown mode.  Part of the reason I haven't posted in a while is that we've been busy in anticipation of another move.  We are less than a month away from packing, moving, closing, and unpacking from one state to another. 

In late June we learned that my husband had received a promotion, requiring us to relocate.  By mid-July, he and I were house hunting.  My sister left her family to spend three night with the Babe at our house, and my parents covered the last night, so my husband and I could find a house a few states away from where we currently live.  He left a few days ahead to jump start our search.  The Babe had a lot of fun, and still tells me about certain things she did with her aunt.  She will also mention riding in my parents car (which might have been more memorable for her than the art museum they took her to).  During the three full days I was with my husband, we were able to contract on a house currently under construction. 

Now comes the time where details are important.  We are fortunate that we will have movers fully pack our house.  If we're not careful, garbage in garbage cans could be packed, that's how much they pack.  That means I should be going through closets and drawers to organize or dump unnecessary stuff.  It also means that if I don't do it now, it will be waiting for me in a few weeks to figure out.  We've already gone through our basement and garage.  In addition to this, I need to figure out what items will be essential for the time period that we will be in transition between houses, and therefore not packed by the movers.

What does all this mean for the Babe?  Well, she's sad to leave our house, which we all love.  She's also sad to leave her friends.  I don't think she realizes that we will be further away from my side of the family (currently about an hour away).  However, as I like to look at any of our moves, it is an adventure.  Its better to focus on the positives, so you don't get bogged down in things you can't change. 

I'm hoping we will be able to enroll her in preschool there.  I've already identified a school, and spoken to their administration.  I just need to make sure the physical environment meets my expectations.  Our new neighborhood looks to have a lot of kids in it.  We've told the Babe she'll get to help decorate her bedroom.  In addition, there are a lot of interesting things to do in the immediate area and also within a three hour drive. 

In the meantime, the clock is ticking, and lots to do.

Kitchen Headache

If you don't have a child with food allergies or other food-related special needs, then you may not realize how much freedom you actually have.  We are tied to our house because of this.  There is no last minute stop to pick up a snack or a meal while out.  In addition, we are highly dependent on our appliances.  Nothing fancy, just refrigeration and cooking sources such as a stovetop or oven. 

When we bought our house, I was concerned about what if we lost power because we have an electric stovetop.  While I prefer gas in general to cook on, the other advantage is that if you lose power, you can start a burner with a match (cautiously).

Right now we are dealing with the issue of refrigeration.  The compressor in our refrigerator/freezer is not working now, and we are waiting on repair of it.  For someone without our special food issues, this isn't the worst thing in the world.  You can pick up fast food, eat bread that doesn't require refrigeration, buy meals or meal kits that require little to no work, or eat at friends or family.  We don't eat nut butters, she's allergic to fish so tuna is out, and the only safe bread requires refrigeration after opening the package.  We only eat at home with her.  Her diet mainstays include sliced turkey, hummus, and hot dogs.  Dinner usually is chicken or beef.  We live at least 30 minutes away from a store that carries kosher meat, which is why I usually buy chicken and beef to last at least a week, and store it in my freezer.  And yes, its nice to have filtered water from our fridge, but I can live without that for right now. 

We are fortunate to have a smaller refrigerator in our garage.  Its inconvenient, but better than nothing.  Meals require frequent trips in and out to get what I need.  Again, it could be worse.  A headache, yes.  We also were lucky in that we were able to save most things in our fridge and freezer, although not all, when we realized there was equipment failure.  Anyhow, just feeling frustrated that it will probably be at least another four days before we have it fixed.   Its not forever, just annoying for now.