Pretty Pretty Princess

I've mentioned Matilda's princess obsession before, and Kim and Eric sent Matilda and Evelyn 2 adorable princess dresses for playing dress up with. Here's a clip of Matilda examining and playing with her dress the night she got it.

She slept in the dress that night, she just refused to take it off!

And the song she is singing at the end of the video is Tale as old as Time from Beauty and the Beast.

Queen of the Mountain

What is easy to see here? Evelyn being naughty and standing on an upturned laundry basket like it's no big deal.

What's not so easy to see? She has Matilda pinned under there!

Don't worry, they thought it was as funny as I did.

Potpourri

Just some random snapshots and updates today:

Matilda is absolutely crazed about princess movies now. Here she is, riding "Samson" (Prince Philip's horse from Sleeping Beauty) and carrying her magic wand. The princesses are never far from her mind. Her teachers at preschool say that she sings all the time. She is singing at least 50% of the time she's awake at home too. She can read double digit numbers now, and joyfully read all the aisle numbers to me at the grocery this week.

They are so cute wrapped up in their towels after bath. They also like to give each other hugs and kisses while we get ready for bed. They share stories now before bed and they both sleep through the night. Mostly. Evelyn had all 4 incisors come in last week, so that was a little rough.

Matilda likes to watch movies in a laundry basket now. Under that blanket, the basket is full of little balls. She thinks this is awesome. Evelyn thinks it's awesome too. Matilda does not think it's awesome when Evelyn tries to climb into the basket with her. She shouts for help and yells about being crowded and "Evelyn is in MY basket!" The words "my" and "mine" are appearing with more regularity around here now.

Evelyn loves to pose for pictures now. She brings me the camera and says "CHEESE!" and then gives me happy shots like this. She had her 15 month check up last week and she's just over the 90th percentile for height and weight, coming in at 27 pounds and 33 inches. She's sturdy and healthy and took her shots like a champ. She's also a little daredevil now, giving me heart attacks as she stands on her rocking horse or tries to climb on top of furniture or into windowsills. She has taken a fair number of bumps and spills recently, but it has done nothing to deter her adventurous spirit. She has also been channeling her viking heritage and loves to rampage through the house pillaging every shelf, bin or basket she can get her hands on with pure glee. Luckily, she's also showing interest in learning to put things away!

Also, this:

Culinary Adventure

Ed has begun to make sausage! He has a grinder attachment for the mixer and has been studying two treatises on sausage making and charcuterie and has made a batch of Danish sausage and a batch of spicy Sicilian sausage. Next up, he plans to branch out from the world of fresh sausage making and try some dried, cured, smoked and fermented recipies including pancetta!

Sausage making is actually a much more complicated endeavor than I would have imagined, but he's studying and learning and so far having nothing but success!

A Very Happy Birthday

Turning 30

Ed took me to Madrid to celebrate my 30th birthday! It was, by far, the best birthday I've ever had. Jim and Joanne watched the girls and we were able to spend 5 days in Spain.

We arrived in Madrid early on Sunday morning. We checked into our beautiful hotel, The Hotel Ritz Madrid, and discovered that no one else in Madrid seemed to be awake yet, so we took a nap until it was time for brunch! The Ritz Madrid was celebrating their centenial celebration this year featuring some special events and a centenial dining menu highlighting particularly successful dishes served for special occasions since opening in 1910. We had a beautiful room decorated in olive, ruby and sapphire, with high celings, mirrors and a huge window. There was a cornice above the bed that resembled a crown and held decorative drapes that surrounded the plush headboard. Fleur de lis were stenciled in pannels on the walls and the room was lit by a chandelier and sconces. It was exceedingly comfortable and we loved the old world elegance, as well as the extraordinarily attentive service. After brunch we took part in a centuries old Spanish tradition--the siesta--and ended up sleeping through the afternoon. We woke up just in time to walk through El Bario de las Letras and try out a handful of tapas bars around the Plaza Santa Ana before heading back to the hotel for a little more sleep.

Touristing

The next morning, I woke up feeling 50 IQ points smarter and well rested for the first time in 3 years. It was exhiliarating, and we were ready to really see what Madrid had to offer. And thus, began our daily routine in Madrid--enjoy the luxury of sleeping in, folowed by consulting the guide books before heading out to walk, shop, eat tapas, drink beers and people watch as we wandered all over the city.

Of course we didn't sleep and drink our entire trip away (although, that doesn't sound like a terrible plan!) We spent hours at El Museo del Prado viewing sculptures, paintings and sketches in the world's largest collection of Valazquez, Goya and El Greco works, as well as a stunning hall full of Rubins. We also took time to visit El Museo del Jamon where we enjoyed cervezas, jamon iberico and lomo and debated whether or not we should attempt to smuggle a whole Iberican ham back in our luggage. We decided not to. But I still sort of wish we had...

Jamon in it's stand, waiting to be sliced thin and devoured.

On the morning of my birthday, we got going earlier than usual. We walked to the Plaza Mayor and arrived while it was still mostly empty. We looked around before the shops opened, checked out the scupture and architecture, shivered a little in the cool morning (temperatures peaked between 45 and 55 every day, and it was pleasant in the sun, but cooler of course in the morning and evening) and moved on to visit the Palacio Real de Madrid. We didn't plan for it, but we arrived just in time for a very special changing of the guard ceremony. This solemn changing of the guard only happens 10 times a year (first Wednesday of the month except August and September.) The ceremony lasts 40 minutes, involves 450 people, 105 horses and a 5 song mini concert presented by the Royal Guard's Music Unit. We arrived just in time to watch the ceremony through the gates, get a fantastic view of the recessional parade, recieved the official program for the concert and enjoyed the music while having drinks and sharing a tasty grilled calamari lunch across the Plaza Oriente, soaking in the early afternoon sun, before touring the palace.

El Oso y El Madrono (The Bear and The Strawberry Tree, the symbol of Madrid)

After the palace tour, we ambled back towards the Plaza Mayor. We made a stop at the Mercado de San Miguel to look around. The market is beautiful. The high celings and glass walls give it a feel of an outdoor market although it is inside, and each small booth offers something unique and delicious--from fruits and fresh fish to cheeses and pastries. There is also a bar inside and most stalls have a tapas offering made from things they sell. Madrilenos stroll around the market sampling dishes and drinking beers or wines in the eveining, while earlier in the morning you'll find people doing proper shopping. We looked, but didn't stop to eat, there was only an hour or two of sun left in the day and we wanted to sit outside in it. So, we returned to the Plaza Mayor, which was now full of tourists and locals packing the sidewalk tables the bars and cafes had set up, enjoying lunch, tapas, wines and beers while watching street performers. We saw everything from Mickey Mouse and fat Spiderman to people dressed as statues and a beautiful flamenco dancer before we finished our drinks and continued our walk back to the hotel.

Marcado de San Miguel

On the way to the hotel we shopped or stopped whenever something caught our fancy. We took some pictures in Puerto del Sol including the statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, which is the city's symbol, and the Tio Pepe bilboard--that cheery little bottle of sherry is everywhere, and is actually sold wearing a little red plastic matador jacket and a tiny hat. Ed tried a glass and didn't find the drink nearly and pleasant as the packaging, but it was everywhere!

Ed at Plaza Mayor

It was getting dark as we returned to the hotel. We had time to rest our feet a little and get cleaned up before our 9:30 dinner reservation at the Ritz. Ed was dashing in his suit and I enjoyed having a reason to wear my new evening gown. We began our dinner in the opulently appointed, candlelit dining room by opening a bottle of cava. For a starter, we shared a plate of semi wild jamon iberico. For dinner, I enjoyed one of the hotel's centenial specialties--a steak tartare that was delicately seasoned, perfectly balanced and delicious, and made to order--they even brought me a taste to check the seasoning before serving it! Ed ordered from the special seasonal wild game menu and enjoyed hare in an apple braise with a piece of seared foie gras on top. The braise was amazing. It was so rich and velvety, the hare was exceptionally tender, and you could still taste the apple in the braise--it was hearty and warm, but not at all muddled or dull. For dessert, Ed had an apple dish with thyme ice cream and a glass of jerez muy viejo while I indluged in a dark chocolate mousse--presented with a candle for my birthday! The whole meal was perfection, start to finish. Afterwards, we strolled across the hotel lobby to the fancy Ritz bar where we had a couple drinks before calling it a night. It was a perfect birthday. I can't imagine a better way to turn 30.

Another gastronomical highlight of our trip was visiting Botin, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. The building has served as an inn since 1590 and been serving public customers since 1725 and is still using the same wood fired oven! We were seated in the cellar--the part of the building that has been serving food to paying customers the longest. The walls and arched ceilings were built of hand made bricks. It was warm, cozy and comfortable, and the white linens and waiters in white jackets lent the night a special aire. We were seated just above their ancient wine cellar. It was hard to refrain from asking to go down the tiny stair case, pull back the old iron gate and brush some dust off the aged bottles to see what treasures might be down there, but we contented ourselves with just a couple peeks. As soon as our food came, the wine cellar was all but forgotten. We ordered the house specialties--suckling pig for Ed and lamb for me. Each dish was rustic, filling and delicious! We rounded out our meal with a bottle of cava and a cream cake on the waiter's recomendation. A band arrived towards the end of the meal playing traditional Spanish tunes. We couldn't help but smile when they told the crowd they were playing to save up for law school before coming around with a hat for tips.

Botin

As the days went by, I became more confident in my meager Spanish I had managed to learn from studing the library's online program for a couple weeks and we didn't have any trouble getting around. We spent long afternoons walking through the city and enjoying plazas and the Buen Retiro Park; went out for tapas and drinks nearly every night (and savored the illicit pleasure of a Cuba Libre made with Havana Club 7 year rum, which is absolutely delicious, even if they use lemons instead of limes); and even went to Hemingway's favorite bar! It was a magical trip, a perfect birthday and a spectacular second honeymoon all in 5 days.

We had such a great time, we're already thinking about where to go next!

Stuffed

Cuter than a Yugo full of clowns, but just as crowded:

Busy Baby

Here's a clip of Evelyn in action. She does this forever, pretty much every day. As long as she doesn't get the cap off, everything is good.

My Children are Delightfully Strange

Matilda requested a mustache the first time I told her she could wear some make up.

Who is that mysterious mustachioed munchkin?

Evelyn LOVES underpants. She raids any underwear drawer she can reach. Imagine her excitement when she found Matilda's drawer full of training pants. Typically she just holds them, throws them, sling-shots them, or tries to put them on her head, but I think she looks just super like this.

to the rescue!

Unrelated: Evelyn had a quick check up at the Doctor today. She is 26 pounds (90th + percentile) and 33 3/4 inches tall (WAY off the chart!) Still a big, healthy, happy girl.

The Education of Matilda Gustafson

Matilda started Pre-School on the 11th at Kids Play World in a twice a week morning Montessori program. We packed up her backpack the night before with her change of clothes and school supplies. She was so excited about her first pair of scissors and all the different colors in her bag. I dressed her in a plaid skirt for the first day of school and it was snowing. She wore he boots, french braided pig tails and her cute little pea coat--and of course her back pack!

She wasn't nervous at all. As soon as we walked in she said, "Mommy! Look at all the cool stuff!" and got right down to playing. Like most of the kids, she had no trouble when it was time for Daddy and I to leave. Only one little boy was upset and even his mommy was able to leave eventually.

On her first day of class they learned all the pupils names (there are 13 children in the class), played games, sang songs and made drawings tracing their hands. They also talked about princesses, Matilda has a new love for Cinderella and is apparently in good company with her peers!

She has class again tomorrow and is very excited to go and see Miss Stephanie and all her friends! I hope she retains this level of excitement about school for the next 20+ years she's bound to spend in it!

Look who's talking, too!

Now that Evelyn has mastered walking, her vocabulary is growing daily it seems! In the last week she has learned to say "daddy" (instead of dada), "no," "ho ho ho," and "Laddie."

She has mastered mama for quite some time, as it seems to get her whatever she needs quickly.

She's also been trying out "Romper" and I have a reliable report that she's been working on "grandma" and "grandpa" too!

Party Girl

I know the pictures are a little fuzzy but they were too great not to share. Please be sure to notice the little purse. She loves that little purse.

(and the glass is plastic, in case anyone was worried about that. Oh, and empty.)

Farming

Evelyn got a farm for her birthday. It has little animals, a farmer and makes animal sounds.

She and Matilda love it!

We've done some "farming" of our own--that is the lone watermelon our garden produced this year.

Apparently, hers is not a watermelon farm.

Trick or Treat

For Halloween, Evelyn dressed up as a bumble bee and Matilda was a pirate! They did a great job trick-or-treating. We visited about a dozen neighbors and at each house Matilda said "trick or treat?!" as well as, "happy Halloween," and thanked them politely. By the end of the excursion, her bucket was so full she could barely carry it. The girls shared some M&Ms when we got home and then Matilda jumped on our bed while cheering for about 3 hours burning off the sugar high. We ended the evening with dinner and a showing of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Matilda is just now starting to accept that Halloween is over, and I'm sure she'll be even more excited as it draws near next year.

Anticipation

Last year, at this time, I was headed over to the hospital to begin induction of labor. I knew we would meet Evelyn the next day. Tomorrow, she will be one. It seems impossible that a year has already passed.

The Retrospective

You'll have to forgive me for making this a two part series instead of a 12 parter. All the goodies are still there, life just got busy.

When Evelyn was one month old, she attended her first Geneva Christmas Walk, she celebrated her first Christmas, we took photos for the Christmas card, and she met her extended family--the Greene family side as well as Aunt Kim and Uncle Eric, and her godparents, for the first time. She also smiled her first smile.

When Evelyn was two months old, she rang in her first new year, went out in the snow for the first time, started lifting her head, and laughed her first laugh.

When Evelyn was three months old, she mastered sitting in the Bumbo seat, celebrated Valentine's Day, and "played" with her sister.

When Evelyn was four months old, she was really getting big, she could roll over, got her first tooth,

When Evelyn was five months old, she started crawling, celebrated her first Easter with candy and a fancy Easter dress, met her Great-Aunt Mona, took her first trip to Door County, and enjoyed her first swim.

When Evelyn was six months old, she mastered sitting, celebrated her first Mother's Day, and took another trip to Door County where she got to try out the new swing set.

When Evelyn was seven months old, she spent a rainy afternoon playing in a fort with her big sister, she kept my on my toes by going over or through any obstacle--never around, she was baptized, she showed her sister how tough she is, she started pulling herself up to standing using furniture, had her first tastes of cheerios and fruits in her mesh feeder, her bald spot filled in, and she celebrated her first Father's Day.

When Evelyn was eight months old, she celebrated her sister's second birthday, she stole a fist full of coleslaw at a family fish boil and demanded to eat adult and baby foods from that point on, and started cruising.

When Evelyn was nine months old, she received and fell in love with a play kitchen, spent a hot summer day at the sprayground, attended brewfest and played in a fountain with her godparents, and was frequently reciting her first word: Mama!

When Evelyn was ten months old, she realized she was trapped, she learned to climb the stairs, started saying, "Dada," and started trying to clap.

When Evelyn was eleven months old, she got her first passport, she admired the pumpkin Daddy grew in the garden, she started hiding in cabinets trying to find Matilda when she was hiding, she got seven teeth, she started kissing, and took her first steps.

New

This will be the first in a 12 day series revisiting Evelyn's first 12 months in the 12 days leading up to her birthday.

As a newborn, Evelyn did the standard newborn things. She slept, had her first bath, and celebrated her first Thanksgiving. Although she looked like her sister's twin at birth, it only took a day or two to realize we had a completely different baby on our hands. Evelyn was a great eater and took wonderful naps from the start. Sleeping through the night has never been her strong suit, but she hardly ever cried--only when she was hungry or wet. Her sweet, content nature has remained unchanged through this first year.

Fall

Fall is here! The weather is finally cool and crisp, the leaves have turned (half the trees in our neighborhood are already bare!) and we just harvested our pumpkin!

Matilda is really psyched about Fall too. She loves seeing the pumpkins and can't wait for her sister's birthday and Halloween. She had a nice time running around at the farmer's market and picking flowers.

She particularly loves all the "baby pumpkins!"

Indian Summer

The World at our Fingertips

The girls have passports now! Passports for babies... it's adorable. Where should we take them?

Mommy's little helpers

We've been busy doing chores today.