4/19/09 Heat Wave

It was HOT today! A few days ago we were shivering in a biting wind, and today was an unseasonable, at any time of year here, 90 degrees. I'm a lizard in this hot weather, I love it. I could spend the whole afternoon sunning myself on a rock if my children would let me.

This meant I could put Katrina in the one cute summer dress I have for her, not that she really let me take a photo, as she lounged around in the toasty backyard. At least she happily permitted the dress.

Before she arrived in the backyard after a shopping trip with Dad, I'd been having fun practicing ping-pong with Julian, but she and her demands quickly put a stop to that.

Both boys managed major knee-scrapes today, the sort that has them anxiously looking for Mom, Julian in tears and Gabriel hopping from the intensity of the injury. Some cleaning, kisses and brightly-colored band-aids restored all limbs to full function.


Katrina is working on giving up her nap -- after an hour and a half of yakking continuously in a Pak'n'Play crib (that worked two days ago!), we gave up and she played outside for the afternoon. When brothers weren't bothering her, she was engaged in a digging, moving, and sorting project for over an hour. Dave said it took a shower and two baths to scrape the dirt off her, and even then she looked like she still had a layer left. That's-a my girl!

My philosophy on dirt is: the dirtier you got, the more fun you must have had! I guess some Moms might get upset about the new dress thing.

Mom and Paul and I walked around downtown Los Gatos this afternoon, crowded with other sightseers and window-shoppers, wallets firmly closed with a steely paranoia. In different economic times, especially with my mother there to confer with, I'd never make it out of Williams-Sonoma without buying something. Instead, we happily looked over the various items and chatted about what we could have used in the massive flurry of cooking we've done this week. It was fun to see the expensive frittata pans they sell, using a wonderful recipe for a leek-gruyere frittata to help sell said items -- that I adapted this morning to a single hand-me-down cast-iron skillet a former boyfriend left behind, with great success. Our Sunday brunch included French Toast, a bowl of freshly-cut fruit, Pavel's Russian yogurt, maple-brushed baked bacon and the leek-gruyere frittata. Mm-mm-MM. I've put on 5 pounds in 6 days. Or is that 6 pounds in 7 days? At least I had some help consuming the yummy blueberry mini-muffins and mango mousse and pear clafouti I couldn't resist making.

Alas, reality rushes back in after when Mom and Paul depart for cloudier and colder pastures back East tomorrow morning. School starts again, work resumes. How many days 'til summer?

4/19/09