Rice!

Esme loves rice. Loves it. Will whoop for joy at the mere mention of it. Consequently when we're hankering to eat out, we make a point to frequent restaurants where the ancient grain is readily available. Needless to say we've been eating a lot of Thai and Japanese lately. You'll hear no complaints here. At our favorite Thai spot Esme has been dubbed "Rice Girl" by the hostess. This is because the moment we walk into the joint, Esme starts shouting "Rice!" at the top of her little lungs. A month or so ago we took a trip into New York City. We rode the train in, another Esme fave. Wandered about a bit, then ended up at a restaurant called, appropriately enough, Rice. We used to go there in our Brooklyn days. And lucky for us, they've got a Midtown spot so we were able to stop for a quick dinner then catch our train. This was, perhaps, Esme's perfect day. A train ride, which she still hasn't stopped talking about. Followed by some time in the stroller people watching and pigeon harassing. And rounded out by a dinner of, none other than RICE!

Breakfast is primarily oatmeal these days. It's nice because we've gotten into a routine where I can make us both the same meal. I mix in some banana and apple for flavor and an added nutritional boost. Just about every morning when asked what she'd like for breakfast, Esme responds, "Cereal... hot." She also like her milk, "hot." She's a girl who knows what she likes! She has been mixing it up as of late asking instead for "yogurt" or "pancakes." The former is definitely becoming a new fave. The latter is a weekend thing.

Here she is after having invited her panda to join in.

The other night Kristopher returned from yet another trip out west. This presented the rare opportunity for us to enjoy a weekday dinner together. Ordinarily Esme dines alone for dinner, and Kristopher and I eat later, more towards 8:00 pm. Lately, instead of making Esme her own separate meal, I've been trying to simplify by giving her some version of what we're having. Here's an example:



We enjoyed a stir fry of tofu, spinach and asparagus over brown rice. Esme also supped on the asparagus (which she loved-- yay!), rice and tofu. I added some mango and black beans to her plate. It is unusual for her to clean her plate this well, but she is a pretty good eater just the same. Especially if rice is on the menu.

Hooligan

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Sorry for not posting much lately. I do have a few in mind, just haven't had the time to get them up. For the time being, here's a little blarney from our own Esmé Lilly...







Thanks, Aunt Sasha, for bringing the hoody back from Ireland.

Baby Rich

Welcome to the world little Richard Alexander! We're so happy you're here. Esmé was thrilled to meet her newest cousin this weekend and hasn't stopped talking about him since. I'm sure they'll share many adventures together.

First Haircut

So we decided it was finally time to cut Esme's hair. As a farewell gesture to her wild locks, I gave her pigtails that morning. After running a few errands, we stopped by the local barber shop. True to form she was a trooper, only getting antsy toward the end. Here are some highlights, including a few "after" shots from our day-trip to Point Pleasant the following day.

Ponytail Love

We keep talking about giving the girl a haircut. Her mop is getting pretty wild, but there is something about that wildness I love. After all, this is the only time in your life when not brushing your hair is perfectly acceptable. Also contributing to my hesitation is the fact that we can now pull it back into a ponytail. Grandma gets the credit for being the first to do this. And now I'm hooked. It's just so darn cute.

Playtime!

One of the best parts of toddlerhood I'm learning is watching Esme really engage in and play with her toys. She puts her all into it, and by bathtime she's pooped after a hard day's play. She's given her favorites names, so when she's in need of assistance or would just like you to join in, she can be very direct about it. "Choo, choo" (delivered in falsetto à la a real choo choo, I suppose) means please set my trains up, for example.



Reading is one of Esme's favorite activities. She is forever carrying books over to me, tugging on my pant leg and looking up at me with an inquisitive, "Book?" I indulge her every time, of course, and am amazed at her ability to sit through even the more sophisticated stories. I can't help but take some of the credit. After all, she spent her early nursing career watching me read the entire Harry Potter series back to back. But more likely she's just that kind of kid.

Tea parties are another favorite, and I suspect she inherited the tea gene from Nana. She spends much of the day setting up her tea service (she has two) and moving it around. Often the stuffed snowman she pinched from Sara and Pop's is invited. Though she does seem to get very frustrated by the fact that once he's seated in his chair she can't see him from hers-- makes for very dull company, I suppose. I too have had the honor of taking tea with the girl. She's a wonderful host and never seems to tire of toasting. This is a skill our good friend Lori taught her months ago. She clinks cups with exuberance, yelling "Cheers!" every time.

Home for the Holidays...

The season kicked off with the Winter Solstice, gingerbread cookies and our first real snowstorm. Esme was fascinated by the snow and insisted on being carried from window to window so she could watch it fall from every vantage point. The cookies, too, piqued her interest and by the end of the day she had coined her own term for them, "Ahdi". I turned on the oven light so she could watch them bake which she did with rapt attention, nose practically pressed to the glass. Now for some this would be the moment when you'd want to caution that the oven is hot! and should be avoided! For me it was the perfect photo op.

Kristopher arrived home early to kick off his two-week holiday, so the three of us set out to play in the snow. This was a great opportunity to try out Esme's sled, a first birthday gift from Pop and Sarah. She loved it and was quite happy to be dragged all over the park.













Nana arrived a few days later. She happily assumed Esme duty so we could wrap up our shopping. Before we knew it Christmas Eve was upon us. We visited the Napolis and then the Takacs Clan, and Esme loved every minute of it. Christmas morning brought more presents including an Esme-sized table and chairs set. Esme's reaction was priceless. First she selected a present from under the tree, then she walked over to the table, set the present down and climbed up on the chair– the whole while looking very serious and business-y. Later that day we headed off to the Klopfers for a raucous Christmas day with the cousins and Grandma and Grandpa.

The rest of the holiday was chock full of activities. We celebrated the imminent arrival of a new cousin at Tia Erin's shower. Visited with Aunt Katie, Ben, Aunt Ruthie and Jay. And thanks to Nana, Kristopher and I were able to enjoy a New Years Eve out at the movies, a rare treat indeed.



Happy New Year everyone! May 2009 bring more of what matters most: happiness, health and time together.