Summertime

My summer is almost over. I only had seven weeks off and now i realize that 4 of those weeks have passed and only 3 more are left. At first I was really worried about spending all that time at home with Gideon alone. I filled the days with activities and outings. And now, though it is intensely difficult at times to be alone with a little person whose needs and demands always supercede your own, I'm very glad that I had the chance to get to know my little one a lot better. It is amazing to see how much he has changed and now he's going to be a year old.

But what else, have I been doing, you may ask.

Well, when Gideon lets me, I have been:

Watching TV
The complete Jane Austen-They're replaying all of these Masterpiece Theatre miniseries on our digital PBS station. Ad nauseum. Suffice it to say, can I watch another adaptation of Sense and Sensibility again and again? Apparently, I can. I liked Persuasion particularly.

Penelope-Christina Ricci is a self satisfied pig. Fact or Fiction?

Death Note-Bizarre anime series about this sociopath who wants to control the world. Very Japanese.

Project Runway Five (finally)-It's definitely too early to tell who I like, but I'll tell you that I was annoyed they kicked Jerry off. Yes, the raincoat was ugly and somewhat stupid,but it was fully lined! It wasn't some pathetic collection of trashbags sewn together in a loose and hideous fashion.

Reading Books
David Sedaris-His new book was PRETTY funny (not as entertaining as Me Talk Pretty Someday) but the last chapter was incredible. He is just that quirky and self effacing.
Jumpha Lahiri-Her newest collection of short stories was along the same course as all Lahiri stories-but the first two from Unaccustomed Earth made me gasp for breath. Some Amazon reviewer called it melodramatic but I thought they rang too true.
Guns, Germs and Steel-I'm trying to get smart. It seems very common sense but in amazing detail and great examples.

Eating Well

I have a secret. That you can not tell my pediatrician. I feed Gideon... table food. A LOT. I don't check for nuts. Or eggs. Or wheat. Or whatever the heck you're supposed to check for. One day I put something in his mouth and he ate it. And I have been addicted ever since. I don't give him eVERYTHING I eat. But I take risks. I play Russian Roulette with my baby's palate.

Given that, this week I am cooking things that I think he will be able to eat.

Korean Chicken Stew: He has to get these flavors in, people! I'm not going to put in the spicy sauce, so it will be a tasty soy infused chicken, potato, carrot and onion concoction.

Mac and Cheese with tuna: This is my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe with a can of tuna thrown in. Babies over twenty pounds can eat one ounce of tuna a week. I will probably just pick out the tuna, since I don't think it's that soft.

Pasta e fagioli: Pasta and bean soup. I like to use my hand blender to puree this for gideon so he can eat it all up!

I am definitely going to try to go to eat dosai this week. I must have dosai. And that is that. Then gideon will eat dosai. but will he EAT dosai?

Spoiled.

Gideon's birthday is coming up! Yes, one year ago he popped out of my oven two months early! The topic is birthday presents.

I have been pretty open about saying that I do not want to spoil this child. But then I enter a store. And I want him to play with the things in the store. Which requires using the cash.

I know there are better ways. There are flea markets and yard sales and even Value Village. But can I help that the Target is so shiny and clean and available to take my debit card?

Here is the list of things that I may or may not be getting.

1. Stride to Ride Lion

Gideon has nothing to ride on! Nothing to walk on! Except a laundry basket and some folding chairs, which I am fairly sure are not that exciting for him.

So he needs this:


We tried it out at Babies R Us and though he was mostly pushing it around on his knees and adamantly refused to mount it, I think he will like it more as he gets older.

2. Baby Mozart?

At my mom's house lives a keyboard that I bought one summer to teach myself how to play piano. I even took lessons. This ... did not work out. So now the keyboard lives at my mom's house with a cover over it in my old bedroom. When my mom takes Gideon upstairs, he goes straight to that room, pulls the cover off and begins to pound on the thing, not realizing that it is powered by ELECTRICITY and that the red button must be pushed for the noise to happen. The keyboard has all these jazzy features and electric rhythms and the like, so usually he ends up playing some pretty strange stuff. But now he could have:



The "Baby Grand" piano.

3. Alphabet Blocks

I have been eyeing these at the Target for a while. He has a "sea" themed set we got at a church tag sale, which he actually likes, and I AM a teacher, so what the hey.




4. Busy Ball Popper



Busy. Balls. Popping. Enough said.

Chris insists that we are buying him too much stuff. I agree. But then I see THIS:



I need this. My baby needs this. He needs this outfit and he needs those shoes and he just looks so classic and cute and ORGANIC.

I'm not getting this (yet). I know historically speaking that Gideon will forgo most toys in favor of the lid to a tupperware container which he will wave hysterically in the air, alternately chomping on it and smiling wildly like, LOOK!!!! A 25 cent plastic lid!!! I love it more than anything you could possibly buy me. But I must try.

First Update in...Oh who's even counting anymore???

At least it's videos and photos!!

FIRST he starts with this stuff:


Gideon Starts Crawling from Jane Yang on Vimeo.


Then he moves to ... THIS???

Stairs? Yes Please from Jane Yang on Vimeo.

And photos, which I occasionally remember to take, because this baby is growing FAST!

Restaurant Reviews

We haven't been eating out a lot lately, since the gbaby has decided going anywhere loud at night will cause him to shriek in distress and sleepiness. But thanks to his halmuni and ha-bi, we got to go to Central last Friday.

It's on Penn across from the Post Office Pavilion (right next to TenPenh). My favorite was the "faux" gras-which is actually chicken liver pate. I LOVE pate, but something about this pate elevated to an even higher level. Keep that bread basket coming, please. Ever since Europe my love of excellent bread has intensified. Now it seems I can tell the difference between the good stuff and the dreck. And apparently all I've been eating is dreck. In Europe, what we know as sandwich bread doesn't even count as bread.

I got the hamburger, which, as far as I can tell, took care of my caloric needs for the next few months, and yes, it was worth it. Really good cocktails too.

For Mother's Day Chris took me (and gbaby) to Del Merei Grille, which is next to that really good Indian restaurant in Del Ray. Though it was very good, and I like trying new things, I almost wish we had gone to the Indian place, because I miss that place. The Mother's Day brunch was really reasonable, plus unlimited mimosas and really good coffee.

A few weeks ago we went with Jeff to this Wheaton landmark, Moby Dick Sushi. It used to be a seafood restaurant but kept the name and changed the genre. It was quite good and a great value too. Only 8 bucks for a huge lunch bento. Definitely recommended (right across from Wheaton Plaza or whatever it's called now). The gbaby was very good at both restaurants. He sat in a highchair, played with a toy, and did not cry. We definitely held him more when we were at Del Merei Grille. Our saving grace at Moby Dick was the spoon from our miso soup which made an excellent toy.

I'm going to start my own toy company that sells stuff babies ACTUALLY want to play with. The merchandise will include plastic containers, toothbrushes and pieces of blunt edged paper. I'll make my fortune!!!

Who knows when I will go to a restaurant next? Only time will tell.

What I eat

Sunday: Really good New England Clam Chowder, but the question is: Did it make me sick? I got very nauseous afterwards, but Chris ate just as much as I did and he did not. In short I took a pregnancy test and I think it's a stomach flu.

Monday -aka- Tonight: Spam Fried Rice, if I can get my act together.

Tuesday: Pasta with Cauliflower, Garlic and Anchovies. I love anchovies with pasta.

Wednesday: Steak

Thursday: Hot dogs. Chris wants. I don't ask. I get to have baked beans with it though, my fave.

Friday: I am hoping we can go out for Indian, at least take out. We'll see.

Saturday: Guests over for a BBQ lunch. I think I'm going to do yogurt cumin chicken kebabs, maybe some burgers. I'm also doing Macho Nachos. Not sure what else yet.

Dinner Lately

Has been a bit of a toss up.

Sunday: Zucchini Frittata using a recipe Jenni gave me. It was very yummy and very fast. It probably would have been better

Monday: I did a simplified version of this Ground Gyros Platter. It was pretty tasty.

Tuesday: Linguine with White Clam Sauce turned into cappellini with white clam sauce. It was pretty good, but I think I'm Clam Sauced out.

Wednesday: Sausage with Rice.

Thursday: Chick Fil A. The chipotle is not opening until April 25, we found out.

Friday: I believe we are having ramen noodles with egg today. What culinary adventures await us next week?? Stay tuned to find out. Or see you in a month. Whatever floats my boat.

Updates

Movies I've watched (a lot on airplanes)
Becoming Jane At first I hated this. Then I liked it. In the end, I only like James McEvoy more and Anne Hathaway less.
Juno I'm sorry y'all. Overrated.
Atonement Cried.
Namesake Cried.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age Eh.
Paris, Je'Taime Cried.

Shows I'm Watching
Top Chef-who to root for...hmm, I just don't know. I think I like Richard Blais. One, his restaurant is called "Trail-Blais." It's in Atlanta, so I just have a preference there. And he LOVES Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in an authentic way. That's charming. I hate his hair, and his arrogance and it's quite likely he didn't have many friends in elementary school, but I am rooting for him.

Battlestar-It's BACK baby. If you are not making time in your life to watch this show, then I'm sorry, but your life is a little less rich than it could be.

Real Housewives of New York City-I hate all the wives in this one, but especially Alex. My favorite is the Countess that used to be a model.

Lost-Still loving it.

Books I'm Reading or Have Read
Margaret Atwood-Moral Disorder
Geraldine Brooks-March
Philippa Gregory-Boleyn Inheritance

Europe

Was gorgeous, cold, very successful.

Memories:
Watching dubbed Super Sweet 16 on French television.
Running into Jan at the Tibetan restaurant in Amsterdam.
The ladies in the Red Light District leaning out of their windows to gossip with eachother.
Snow falling over the canals.
Wittebeir
Climbing up an insane number of stairs in Notre Dame for a windy but gorgeous view, only to realize that in order to get to the "top" we must climb, yes, even more stairs.
Musee de Orsay
The basement of the Louvre
Napoleon's Rooms
Sparkly Eiffel Tower
"Chitterling" Sausage
De Bakkerswinkel
Karamel Stroopwaffels
Fraisoo
Millais at the Van Gogh

Gideon!

Is sitting up.
Is eating solids.
Is grabbing for everything.
Is communicating more.
Is turning into a toddler.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Chastised

Yes, many people who have noted how long it has been since I have updated this blog, I am aware that this blog has deprived you of contact with what is now obviously [sarcasm intended] the only reason I have to live, but the wolves that keep attacking me when I go near the computer only recently starved to death.

So below you will see some pictures that were taken of Mr. Chubby Cheeks over the last month or so. In addition I am posting some videos, and a little photoset that I hope to add to every month (near the 14th or thereabouts). Thank you for letting me know that you DO want to see pictures of His Chubbiness, and the exclamations of surprise at how much he's grown. Because we see him every day it's hard to see how much he's changing, maybe reality will hit when he leaves for college.





The above album is best viewed backwards.

Want video?


Sleeping from Jane Yang on Vimeo.


Conversations from Jane Yang on Vimeo.

More Pictures Now!!!!

Overdue

I need a new camera. I took a million pictures but they are all so blurry. I've joined the anti-flash revolution. Now I need a camera to come with me.

Turkey Turkey

Thanksgiving was lovely but I am seriously at a place where I never want to cook again.

Nightly suppers are turning into nightly take out and it's getting vicious with the hamburgers people. Any suggestions on quick and inspiring suppers would be appreciated.

For example, these sound good but does anyone seriously think I'm going to make this as a side? I don't think so.

One by one my pregnancy cravings have just been dropping away. Chipotle?-over it. Pasta-it's done. Pizza-no more.

I don't want any more cheesy, gooey, carby stuff anymore. It just doesn't have the same appeal. As sad as that is, what does my appetite long for now?

So initially I had thought i'm going to make really consistent menus, like pasta Mondays, soup Tuesdays, sandwich Wednesdays, yeah. that um, is never going to happen. It's more like McDonalds Monday, McDonalds Tuesday,... OK it's not that bad, but you see where this is going.

What I really need is one day of cooking then three days of recovery.

Man

More blogs, about food?
http://www.smittenkitchen.com/

right now i should be...showering.

Race man, Race

So I'm watching the Amazing Race last night, which I haven't in years because it gets kind of tedious when they play out the same old story lines over and over again ("we're dating--are we really right for each other?") with the same inevitable ending ("he's abusive! get away!!").

This season looks interesting because it features all sorts of DIFFERENT stereotypes like "goths!" and "hippies!" and Chris even notes, "granolas!" which are like hippies with money.

Immediately we notice the Asian-American team, Ronald and Christina, (ethnicity unknown apparently?), and all their Asian fervor. In my search for their ethnicity I come up with this link to Rice Daddies, a blog about being an Asian-American father or perhaps father to an Asian-American and all the stereotypical media confrontation we AAs deal with. Now I'm not a powerhouse in this community, having majored in WOMEN's studies versus ASIAN studies, but I thought his blog was linkworthy.

In this blog, I saw he accepts pictures of babies for his banner, and it said "Hapa babies are more than welcome." What are Hapa babies? They're half Asian-half Caucasian--Hapa babies are Gideon! Gideon is a Hapa baby. That's when the race thing really came out for me. There is a category for my child, one that is fettered with the many connotations of race in America (many not good, some just plain weird.) I'm not finished with my thought process yet, but I would recommend everyone read this article from this weekend's Post. My Favorite part of the article is about how "Whites"--are we allowed to say that now?--don't believe racism still exists, or that is as pervasive as it still is and because "white people 'control the discourse on what constitutes race in this country," says Paula Rothenberg, a senior fellow at City University in New York and author of "White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism."

I better put that on my goodreads list.

Anyhoo the whole point being that the reference to "yellow fever" sent me into a tizzy from which I have not recovered. More thinking on this will occur, no doubt.

Many cool blogs have been discovered from this initial interest in Ronald and Christina's ethnic background, and this conversation with self and others must be said (I believe).

Blogs to read later:
Rice Daddies
Racalicious
Kimchi Mamas

Note I have not read all the blogs above so if one is a crazy fascist group posing as a blog, please disregard.

Fabulous

Fabulous guesses everybody but there was only one winner!!

Nonny Jan-that's right, only grandma Ratke knew the final picture for what we supposed it could be (because it was totally made up and unintentional).

Picture one!: A representative of the Lollipop Guild. This would make sense, because it's Nonny's favorite movie. This is actually a Christmas outfit with the onesie turned backward. He can never wear this again because I bought a Newborn size like a dumbass.

Picture two!: A pea pod. This would also make sense, because Nonny bought him this costume. When I showed this picture to my students they were confused, with guesses ranging from a piece of candy to "dots" to "a vegetable thing?"

Picture three!: A boxer!! "Like Rocky?" Nonny asked? my alternate and also acceptable answer would have been: Backstreet Boy. We thought of both as we rolled his sleeves up.

This was my first week back at work and I think my body is going haywire trying to produce enough adrenaline to handle the load. There are definitely two realities in this world: Pre and post parent. There is seriously no in between.

CRap

It's NaBloPoMo, and I forgot to blog yesterday. I suck at this. I could have totally blogged too, I just didn't.

Let me tell you what makes me happy.

Dosai.

That is all. (for now, not all that makes me happy.)

Happy Halloweeeeen!!

Guess what Gideon dressed as? He has three costumes!

Costume 1:


Costume 2:


Costume 3:

Coolest Thing Ever

Want to see the coolest thing ever? I made this. OK not really. I found a site that makes this. Consider the possibilities, people. CONSIDER!!!!!!