Button Pushing

My baby just turned on the TV in the office. She promptly grinned, announced "nah nah own own Momma." I think she might have said "Nelli Nelli, on on, Momma." Not that she really did and not that she really knew. But that's what it sounded like. I'm just waiting for her to turn the computer off. It has a tantilizing blue power button. It's only a matter of time. :)

Alien Squashes...

Go make this.

Make it now.

It's so amazing you'll want to consume this food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And guess what - you'll have enough leftover to do just that! :)

Spaghetti Squash with Lemons and Capers

• 2 large spaghetti squash (aka one GINORMOUS genetically enhanced squash the size of two large ones will also work well. Not that I would know. (: )
• 4 T. EVOO (Or you can just eyeball it - I'm not generally a huge fan of exact measurements...which is why I'm not a baker.)
• Kosher or Sea salt and Fresh cracked pepper (I'm a believer in coarse salts and peppercorns. They are so much more flavorful - I PROMISE!)
• 8 T. butter (or less - I did 6 T. and it was fabulouso!)
• 2 T. capers
• 1/4 c. diced zucchini (I added more)
• 1/4 diced red bell pepper (Again...I added more)
• 2 chopped garlic cloves (Not in the original recipe...but how can garlic possibly destroy a recipe?!)
• 4 T. fresh lemon juice (I also zested the lemon)
• 4 T. chopped parsley
• 1/4 julienne tomato concasse (I had to look this one up...)
• freshly grated pecorino romano cheese (again...I added this one!)

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut squash in 1/2 lengthwise and remove the innards. (Easier said then done - I was literally hacking at my toy-poodle sized squash with my newly sharpened Wustof knife. It took For-Ev-Ver -- name that movie) Slick down the squash halves with evoo, salt and pepper. After that you can give yourself a nice little exfoliate - evoo and salt! :)

Place halves face down on a baking sheet and cover with foil. (OR you could totally disregard the foil instructions and just bake the suckers!) Cook until the rind gives way slightly to the touch or feels a little soft - 20 minutes (NOT. At least a half hour here.) When they are done, scrape out the meat with a fork. Be amazed that the flesh falls out just like spaghetti -- the squash GROWS that way -- HOW COOL! I always thought the fork made it look like spaghetti -- boy did I get a surprise!

In a hot skillet melt the butter and cook until dark brown. Add capers, zucchini, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until tender. Add lemon juice and parsley. Season with sale and pepper - because you just can't add enough! :)

Mix squash, butter sauce and tomatoes together. Place in a GINORMOUS dish, sprinkle with cheese and garnish with parsley. ta-da. You're done! :)

Tiny Hands

There's just something about tiny hands exploring the world around them. Those pudgy little fingers with razor-like nails. The unexpected grasping and turning and inspecting that occurs between thumb and forefinger.

Nells has a petite quality to her hands. They already remind me of mine. My mom's. My Pawpaw's. Her folds and creases are deep. I envision them turning into road maps for her grandchildren to traces with their rolly-polly pointer. I can hear her tell her daughter "I don't mind. It's developing their fine motor skills."

For now, she crunches leaves and twirls twigs and discovers sights and sounds between the planes of her fingerprints. She giggles. She laughs. She squeals with delight because her hands are teaching her.

This darling babe of mine will be grown someday--

but for now I will stroke and squeeze and cuddle and hold those

tiny hands

of hers.

Sometimes you just need to snuggle and cuddle with your favorite blankie. :)

Styrofoam.

Last night as we sat down for dinner I stepped on something under the table. 'Stupid dog toys' I thought to myself. Imagine my shock and dismay when I picked up a styrofoam plate with three bite shaped chunks missing. "Conrad," I inquired, "Do these look like dog bites or people bites?" We looked at Homer and then to the midget in the high chair.

She promptly scrunched her nose and bared her half grown-in 6 teeth, screeching "Gia!" and raising her hands in victory.

It appears she won and eluded our my notice all afternoon with her styrofoam crunching. I think the three missing pieces to the plate might have something to do with her lack of appetite yesterday. She refused food - but man did she suck down those bottles! :)

Pack away your plates when we come visiting people -- and poison control be ready -- I have a sneaky feeling your number will be embedded in our memories and on your caller ID!

A Penguin Lives Here...

To Tricksters and Treaters

And Penguins Galore

I hope you had

A Halloween without gore

We giggled and goofed

and road to all of three houses

But didn't see many kids

at least ones dressed as mouses.

But Nonnie and Pawpaw

and Great Uncle and Aunt

All said "Please sit down"

and we said "Oh, we just can't..."

"...there are things to do

for our penguin you see..."

"...like take out her pigtails

and wash behind her knees!"

And so our first Halloween

Ended with a bang

As our hair we did wash

And lullabies we sang.

"Holy TP Batman!"

Once upon a time silence was blissful. Silence was comforting like a large, snuggly blanket. Then I had Sesame. Then she became mobile. Now silence is the most terrifying sound in my home. After 7.921 seconds of eerie, echoing halls, I begin to tremble with the terror of what - or who - I will find breaking a rule. Homer isn't sinless in this house. So today when Sesame disappeared from sight and all I heard was "thump, thump *giggle, squeal* thump" I began to tremble.

I rounded the corner of our entryway to find this sight in the half bath.

This is the most appropriate time in her short life that the pterodactyl/gremlin face has surfaced to date. Clearly, she found the toilet paper.

And clearly, she had a good time playing with the physics of said toilet paper.

This is her "Crum! I'm caught!" face. I love it even more because she has toilet paper hanging form her mouth. I'm sure we'll have some interesting poops here in the next few days...

Again - TP on the tongue.

What is she doing!? Does she really think she'll make it very far with TP in her mouth and her hand!?! I wasn't born yesterday Nells Bells!! This Momma is in control of her child and will reprimand her where is appropriate.

And clearly I did an A+ job with the parenting today. That's right - I let her climb the stairs - TP in hand and mouth - while I punished her took photos. I'm such a great Mom. :)