Venice

Maybe it's in the genes. Maybe it's that we have Thrasher Magazines laying around everywhere, or perhaps it is that Aaron is always youtubing some sort of loud footage. Whether we like it or not, Nico has been bitten by the skate bug. He has had collosal tantrums over Aaron's board being put away. He gets so excited when he sees a skater, sometimes calling out to unsuspecting young boys, "Go!"

Recently his obsession reached a fever pitch when he found a peice of junk wood in our backyard and baptized it his "brinca" (Spanish for Jump, Nico for skateboard) He took to riding the small plank even if it doesn't have wheels. He sets it up under his feet and throws it down stairs, emulating the 20 stair rail jumpers that his dada watches.

We took Nico to Venice Beach to see the beachside skate scene and the new Skatepark there. Even if you are not remotely interested in skateboarding, the scene at Venice is breathtaking. The concrete park has an awesome view of the waves. There is a multicultural and multigenerational congregation of board worshippers, all taking their falls in stride and trying their hardest to do nothing more than their personal best. Nico was transfixed, whispering "wow" when a skater zipped by him. We brought along his "board" and he was inspired to do some fancy footwork of his own. We realized what an asset Venice Beach is, with its parade of characters and seaside air. We live a mere 30 minutes away from a completely different planet. The beach lifestyle truly feels like a non-stop vacation. We have visited Venice twice this month and plan to make it a regular destination for 2010.

Does he need a helmet already?

Venice Boys by Photographer Deanna Templeton.

One of the most incredible surf shops I've ever seen. This is how retail is done.
Always pack a lunch, and get the best seat in the house.

El Fin

Pretty typography and dramatic ending to Citizen Kane

I just had to share: When we put Nico to sleep we have a pretty set routine. Bath, books and bed. When we are all laying down in the dark ( yes all 3 of us!) Nico likes to say ," Nite, Nite mama. Nite, Nite dada." We both respond with our Nite, Nites. Nite Nites all around. And then right as Nico is drifting off to sleep, he says the cutest thing, "El Fin." Spanish for The End. We usually end every bedtime story with a great big El Fin, so it's only fitting that he end his day with one too. It melts my heart everytime.

On Sleep

Very few topics incite debate as much as the topic of sleep does when it comes to babies. We can safely say that there are two camps with a spectrum of methodologies, soothers, ten step plans, and ancient techniques between them. On one side we have cosleepers (attachment parenting) and on the other we have CIO (cry it out). Let me tell you upfront that I lean on the side of cosleeping. Most of my parenting has been attachment style, naturally and instinctively, the books just solidified my gut feelings. So why is it that tonight I rocked the boat? I picked up a certain sleep training book that someone lent me and that they wanted back. I made the mistake of thumbing through it.It sounded easy enough.
STEP ONE: Say goodnight and walk out of the room.
The next hour was filled with terrible yells and cries.
Nico kept berreling out of the room. As prescribed, I kept walking him back in, only to be tackled at my ankles by my terrified boy. On his last attempt he ran out of his room with Mickey in one hand and his Lion in the other, his face soaked, pleading, "No mama, please no bye!" And that was it for me. That was my weak spot.
I'm posting this tonight from the big hippy futon. He keeps popping his head up every 20 minutes or so looking for me, his trust in me is bruised for now. I'm writing this to remind myself that this is what I signed up for. I chose a harder less travelled path. I can't be swayed by stories of parents with a nightlife. I can't let a cultural norm put pressure on me to conform. I have to choose what is best for my family and to figure out which way we all get the most amount of z's.
I also have to remember that the day will come when Nico won't want to even stand in my bedroom. So tonight I'll snuggle a little bit tighter with him and get reattached. Good Night mamas, Good Night.



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Let's go to the Movies: Oldboy

Aaron and I have been to the movies only a handful of times since becoming parents. Total number does not exceed 5. This has been a hard pill to swallow since the 2 of us love movies. We've become expert TiVoers and have a healthy reserve of movies on deck at all times. Most we've seen before and some we've never heard of. We recently watched Oldboy. It's a movie we ran into years ago on tv buy only caught it half way. This last week we got to see the whole thing and man was it worth the wait.
This south Korean flick came out in 2003, but looks better to me then most present day fantasy flicks. It is pretty gorey, and the ending is disturbing to say the least. I really enjoyed the look of it and the incredible acting too. If you're in the mood for something dark, rent this one.



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Book to read: Food Rules

I'm looking forward to reading Micheal Pollan's new book Food Rules. I saw him on John Stewart the other night and he was so smart and charming. I read his book, "the omnivores dilemma" and came away feeling like my hands were tied behind my back, short of growing all my own food.
His new book looks concise and seems to be filled with smart, easy to follow advice. He told John Stewart that his first rule is "Eat Food." As opposed to eating "foodlike edible substances." That really hit home for me. I should work harder to make good whole foods for my family, skipping the conveniances that in the end carry a hefty price for our health and for the environment. ( How's that for a resolution?!)

I'm actually 4 days deep into an allergy diet. I was prescribed the diet by a naturopath. He felt it was impossible to treat me until I identified what, if any,food allergies I have. So smart! Instead of treating me with claritin and other drugs we are starting from scratch so to speak. While the diet is not even neccesarily healthy, it will reveal what my body is sensitive to. No meat, no dairy, no corn, no citrus, no peanut, no wheat. It's been hard. Lots of fruit, a ton of salad, tempeh for days, brown rice, and pure rye crackers. It's been full of revelations too: #1) I put alot of stuff into my mouth without thinking. I keep catching myself popping cheerios or anything really that I give to Nico. #2) I've been living a slightly Bloated existence. I feel so much less strain in my belly. God, please don't let it be the cheese! #3) I thought I read food labels. Turns out I've been too trusting of some labels. I need to read ALL labels carefully, and not assume it's ok. We recently came into some Oscar Meyer "deli thin" turkey. This is not something I would normally buy, but our family had some and Nico liked it so we took it home with us. Turkey is allowed on my diet, so I pulled some out and added it into a salad. Then before eating it I read the label: high fructose corn, caramel coloring, and a ton of other crazy additives. Really? It's that hard to sell just plain old turkey? Nico won't be eating that again. I mean I knew it wasnt the best turkey. I knew it wasn't free range or antibiotic free, but I truly thought it was at least plain meat. I feel so guilty about giving that to Nico! You can buy a cleaner grade via S.F.'s Columbo meats, available at trader joes by the way, for cheaper.
I'll keep you posted on my allergy diet, 10 days to go.


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Dinner salad

Last week I made this salad for the second time and it was a hit. The original recipe is from martha stewart and can be googled. But I changed a few things namely I used almonds instead of walnuts.

Ingredients

1 ounce raw unsalted almonds (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons white-wine balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
6 ounces haricots verts, or other green beans, trimmed
3 ounces baby arugula ( or mixed greens)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Place almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. ( I always skip this step. I like my almonds raw.)Toast in oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Finely chop, and set aside.
Whisk together vinegar, yogurt, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the toasted nuts in a small bowl; season with pepper. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Set dressing aside.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a colander to drain. Set aside.
Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Return pan of water to a boil. Add green beans, and cook until tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 2-inch pieces.
Arrange arugula ( you can use mixed greens if you don't have arugula) potatoes, and green beans on a platter. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. We've also added a tiny bit of blue cheese on top. Delish!



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