Vroom Vroom

FEO LOOKING UGLY.

Nico came out of the womb saying VROOM VROOM. Lately his car obsession is pretty intense. He loves the movie CARS. Strangely enough, but not so surprising, he loves the bad guy "Chick Hicks" who Nico calls "Feo"(ugly) because whenever Chick would try and hit another car, I would say,"Que feo!"

Riding on the current love of all things auto, I took Nico to the Petersen Auto Museum. This Museum is light on visitors and perhaps is best known for being the spot where Biggie Smalls got shot. That, and the place Aaron used to park when he worked for Skateboarder magazine.

It's not the most popular museum, and never in a million years did I think I would be buying a ticket for entry...but I come away a Petersen Fan!

It's a meticulously kept museum. The cars are gorgoeous. Your kid has lots of room to run and is not in danger of breaking a priceless Rodin sculpture. They have a kids playroom on the third floor with cars to climb, train tracks to set up and uniforms for dress up.

I fell in love with a Studebaker station wagon, and with the museum. Do I see a Membership in my future? I guess the car crush is contagious!

IN A PAST LIFE, I WAS THIS CAR.
WATCH YOUR BLINDSPOTS WHEN CHANGING LANES.
TRYING TO BREAK INTO HOT WHEELS EXHIBIT.
FIRST PLACE PRIZE FOR CREEPIEST EXHIBIT GOES TO:
A 1940's L.A. SUPERMARKET SCENE

Mr. Bones

On this day Nico and I headed out to the Mr. Bones Pumpkin patch in WEHO. This is the patch dujour for Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Celebs,and subsequently pappos, frequent this patch a lot. It's a pretty cute Halloween tradition, despite it's cliche LA status. Last year Seal and Heidi Klum almost caused a near riot. This year, we went on a random weekday and had the place almost to ourselves. Nico played in the hay and I hurt myself in the jumpy castle. The last time we were here Nico still preffered crawling to walking. He's come a long way! I think its incredible...how is Nico not on TMZ?

Beer Bread

I'm still new to baking, so got excited to see this post from the great blog Foodie Farm Girl.(Love her!) I thought I'd give it a try. Seemed easy enough. Some flour, a bottle of beer and some seasoning. It was a great toddler project too, Nico loved mixing the ingredients and pouring in the booze. It looked great in the oven and took on a lovely color and smell. Too bad it tasted horrible. There is a reason I don't drink: I hate the taste of alcohol. Even though it burned off in the oven I could distinctly taste the beer in this warm crusty loaf. So beer lovers, rejoice! Here is your new answer to your boring old sliced bread. As for me, I need to take the big plunge and learn to bake with real yeast. I'll keep you posted.

Boo!

Carving is so cool.
This is the first Halloween that Nico comprehends the jist of the holiday. He is really into the "boo" right now. At school we've made construction paper pumpkins and black cats, which are now proudly displayed in our window at home. We recently carved his first pumpkin (my first in over 15 years!) He helped me scoop the seeds and had a blast. Later we roasted the seeds with olive oil, salt and rosemary and a dash of cinnamon. The house smelled amazing! We bought him O.R. scrubs for his costume. I figured they are the least intrusive. Nico gets so claustrophobic, so I'm hoping he won't even notice this get up. The days of the adorable baby skunk costume are over. We have a few events lined up for Halloween: a pre-party at Fremont's house, a parade at the rec center, and a halloween party with friends. The Meza social schedule is suddenly of a very different nature. Scary!

Washed seeds awaiting seasoning.

Best Things in Life are Free

Out back we found a super long vine that made a loud whipping sound.This toy was a bit dangerous, but under supervision it entertained mister Nico for ages. I love the toreador look Nico has with it in hand. Toys R' Us doesn't have these in stock! Free toys are always the best ones. Give me a rock, a stick or a vine any old day. They are readily available, come in multiples for sharing and are recyclable.

Set it and Forget it

This is one of my favorites for dinner. I love roasting any hardy veggies I have in the fridge. I usually do a medley of Potato( cut into fries), Brussel Sprouts (cut in half), Carrot (matchsticked), and thickly sliced Red Onion. Now in winter I can add Parsnips too! This week I'll add beets to the mix, but off to the side so as not to stain the entire meal. I toss it all in Olive Oil, salt and pepper and roast it uncovered on a sheet at 425 for about 1 hour. It can serve as a main dish or as a side to portobello burgers is a fave around here. The house smells divine and the work is minimal. Nico loves this mix and nothing gives me greater joy then seeing him eat his veg. Any veggies you would add?

Baseball Bubba

At the Girl Company Picnic, Nico found his way into a baseball practice tent with fresh clay on the ground. He looked absolutely crazy when he was done playing. These were too good not to post. Anything that involves baseball is fun for Nico. He's pretty obsessed these days. Sometimes to get him to eat I have to do a pretend play by play with a Gorilla at bat and Abui in the outfield! When does little league start?

The Big Dig

I don't have a nanny or a baby sitter, but I do have mud! This stuff keeps Nico entertained for hours. I love leaving him in a muddy hole making mudpies. All I have to do is refill his water bottles for more mud making. This alone was good enough reason to buy this house. He now says "lodo" (mud) really clearly too. Gotta love that mud.

Summer Lovin'

Highlights to kill for.

Summer is over now so I thought I would publish a fond farewell to the days of sunshine. It was our first summer here on Sparks Street. We spent some great times in the backyard this season. Long dinners at the old table outside. Friends and Family. Getting wet with the garden hose. Sitting under the fan in our bathing suits. Eating watermelon all day. Los Angeles on fire. Planting tomatoes. The big white blanket on the lawn. Pinkberry. Late nights for Nico.
So long summer we'll miss you!

The white blanket was a summer staple.

Hal's 2nd Birthday

BEFORE
Today is Hal's second birthday. He has been Nico's closest friend for about, well, 2 years now. Meaning these guys hung out in while in utero and then were forced into friendship by Rebekah and I since birth. The good thing is they actually get along. Nico used to have a hitting problem with Hal, but since Hal stood up to him, Hal has become Nico's besty. Nico calls out for Hal often after a nap, or when we drive by his house. Hal has a mature sense of humor, patience for days, and a pouty lip to die for. He is an incredible litle boy. Hal and Nico are the cutest pair, ebony & ivory. We love you Hal. Feliz Cumpleanos. NOW

The zombies watching kung fu panda. Watch Hal ham
it up once he realizes he's on camera.