9.19.2011

no matter what we do, it's always you and me and you and it's always me and you


On Monday mornings, Ethan and I attend Mother Goose Time at a local library. Sometimes it's a struggle to get there as it begins at 10 o'clock which is when Ethan normally eats and then naps. I've been trying to switch up our schedule and get him to fall into a routine that fits in nicely with Mother Goose Time and I think I finally managed to do just that. At the end of the storytime, there is a corresponding craft for the older children to do. Ethan started to get hungry and fussy just as the craft began which was actually perfect timing. While the bigger kids colored and glued, I fed Ethan a bottle and then he napped on the drive home.

Ethan loves the singalongs at Mother Goose Time. Today he sat in his Bumbo seat and stared in wonder as all of the voices filled the room. We clapped his hands and he became the wheels on the bus and also reached for the stars to find both Jupiter and Mars. On days like this morning in particular where we're running late for a myriad of reasons from spit-up to lost keys, I do everything in my power to ensure we don't miss Mother Goose Time. All of the tears, stress and cursing at red lights along the way become worth it when I get to watch the way Ethan stares in wonder during the singalongs.

There is nothing that I roll my eyes at more than when parents of celebrities insist they knew their children were destined for stardom from infancy or when parents of infants insist upon their child's brilliance and advancement. While neither of those are my intention (I'm not that far gone yet), mark my words that my little boy loves music. My favorite is when I play music for him and he insists on babbling back or making soft coo-ing noises in order to sing along. He "sings" along to several different songs while intently watching my mouth as I sing along to the music, too, though his current favorite is Brick by Ben Folds. I'm aware that everyone who has read this paragraph is now giving me the side-eye and thinking that I've finally lost it (I swear, I haven't -- it might be close, but I'm not there yet!), but for whatever reason, Brick is the only thing to get him to sleep at bedtime or naptime. Sometimes we sing it upwards of five times in a row before he lets sleep take over his eyelids. (Just try to sing something else and you're back at square one. I learned that lesson the hard way.)

My grandmother was an incredible singer and I like to joke that her talent skipped everyone else and landed with Ethan. Somewhere along the line, someone has to be destined to inherit her voice. (Or so I keep telling my tone-deaf self.)




Tonight for dinner I made Asian Noodle Bowls with Steak & Snow Peas. This was one of my husband's absolute favorite meals before he was diagnosed with Celiac but I decided to recreate it in gluten-free form tonight. It was an easy transition as I used gluten-free stir-fry rice noodles and gluten-free soy sauce in place of soba noodles and standard soy sauce. Whether you're gluten-free or glutenous, here's the recipe.

Stir-Fry Rice Noodles (gluten-free) or Japanese Buckwheat noodles
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into chunks or strips
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Handful of unsalted, chopped peanuts

1. Boil noodles until al dente, drain and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook steak until medium-rare (turning once), 2 to 6 minutes per side.
3. Transfer steak to a spare plate, cover with aluminum foil. Save juices in skillet.
4. Add snow peas to skillet, and toss with juices. Cook on medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add noodles, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons water; cook for 1 minute.
5. Transfer to serving bowls and top with steak and peanuts.




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2 comments:

  1. Awww...it is so fun to watch them get excited about things isn't it? My older daughter started singing a few months ago (she is 2) and it is so fun to listen to her versions of songs - plus, they are normally accompanied by dance moves. :) I hope my youngest loves music as much as she does.

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  2. Aw, I looked at some previous posts too. Your son is so cute!! Thank you for following me! I am returning the favor and looking forward to reading more of your posts. :)

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