Up on Echo Mountain

The guys did a hike today up Echo Mountain while we gals were cooped up. Our son's preschool teacher suggested he go on as many hikes as possible and to let him navigate the territory on his own.
I love these pix that the hubs took:

Coming up roses

So yesterday while us girls stayed home due to crazy teething ( the child not me), the fellows got to hop on a train to the Rose Palace. It's where all the Rose Parade floats made with fresh flowers are housed as they as being put together. A friend of mine had asked if we wanted to come down and see because her family is always involved. Thank you Rebeccah and hopefully I too can make it next year. I asked the hubs to take pictures and he kindly obliged me.

Almost time...

It might be exciting elsewhere but I have just tucked my weary teether into bed & am home for the night. I am feeling sleepy myself but will muster up the mojo for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc & maybe some knitting or needle felting along w a classic movie.
Hopefully the husband has finished getting the little man of the house to bed.
Speaking of classics, here's pre-code era Bette ringing in the New Year...

murky muck addendum

I wanted to come back and post that this was the best gumbo yet we've made. Nice and rich & thick which is a feat considering its gluten-free. It has 7 different greens in it and 5 different kinds of meat... simmered in the pot for 8 hours or so. Happy New Year! Enjoy the gumbo z'herbes pictures..,

Murky muck

I cannot wait to dive into this murky swampy green pot of gumbo z'herbes we got simmering down for New Years!
It's labor-intensive and involves 7-11 different types of greens and 5+ different kinds of meat so is usually reserved for special meals.
It should bring us luck and prosperity if all the greens count for something!
This is Leah Chase's recipe with a few tweaks from Sara Roahen she shared with me. Gotta love having wonderful foodie writer/chef pals.
We made it once before back in our New Orleans days. This is our inaugural Cali green gumbo. Smells like heaven. Can you almost smell it through the screen?

Some New Years eye candy for you

I love me some Shirley.

Ode to my feverish molar cutting babe

Its New Year's Eve and I had hoped for a balloon drop with you at noon at Kidspace just like we did last year. We missed out on a special Rose Parade float preview yesterday. But then there's life happening and other things like your emerging molars take top priority. And hunny girl, I just want you to feel better. As you lay zonked out on my chest, thoughts of chores I could be doing like coloring my hair, mailing out a very late Xmas package to my sister race through my head. Then you lift your sweaty weary sweet toddler head up in a wobbly sort of way and peek one eye in my direction to make sure I am still underneath you. You heave a soft sigh of relief and collapse again on me. All my thoughts of chores drop away.
This is when I feel my place on this planet, my purpose....when I know where I am most needed and I feel your love and know you would do the same for me if you could. I squeeze your hot little paw and send the love right back. Glad to spend my New Year's Eve with you my dear little love.

hello hello

I decided I wanted to start up a blog about the day-to-day with my kids.
 
I have a Facebook page and also an Instagram so that could seem excessive. I do get asked questions on my IG and on FB about where we go on our various adventures, if something I post was made by me, if I could share recipes, questions about the adjustment to school so this could be a good place to answer questions like this and to share information. Regarding FB and Instagram, I know that wall-to-wall kid talk and kid pictures that I love to post aren't for everyone on my newsfeed. So a dedicated blog is a good space if someone wants to see more or know more about our life.
My children are little and my life pretty much revolves around them right now. I know this intense time is fleeting. I will one day look back and try to remember all our adventures. The days are long and I am often worn thin with exhaustion.
I wouldn't trade them for anything though because there are bits of magic tucked into the folds of each day that inspire and fill me with wonder.
This blog is my attempt to capture and catalog these moments...the sparkly pebbles or "treasures" as my son would say.

I also want to stash my crafty (knitting, felting, doll-making) obsessions and food/film talk here too for these are also the sparkly pebbles of my life. So here goes & thanks for dropping by...