Never underestimate the power of....

1. a playdate/dinner date with my sister and her kids this afternoon.

2. a brother in law (who may or may not be a geek) that is capable of taking apart my broken computer and fixing it. All the while talking to me about the parts using words I actually understand!

3. a husband who cleans and cooks with abandon. I came home yesterday to find food in the fridge and clean toilets.

4. a poodle who is getting groomed today (and a new peanut butter bone, which she loves, from the beauty shop).

5. a vacation to Mexico on the horizon.

6. a girl named Mia who has made the switch to her big girl room without a SINGLE problem. In fact, she wakes up and calls my name from her bed, all the while perched on the mattress like a baby bird on a branch. Does she know she can actually get out and roam around? Don't tell her because I think this is brilliant. She waits patiently for me to come and wish her a good morning and escort her out of her room...every single baby doll and stuffed animal coming with us of course.

7. a job I really really like. (Who else has the time on a Friday to blog from work? And, no, my lazy Fridays are NOT the only reason I like my job....but it's a part of it...I'm not going to lie.)

8. weekends...even though I have a job I like. Time at home is like a gift I get to open every Friday afternoon.

We take you Barack....

What a day. Such immense pleasure I took in hearing our new president take his solemn oath and speak afterward. I think the vow to lead this country is just as much as ours as it is his. I listened intently (on the radio with my students huddled beside me) and understood his message to be more than just what HE would do, rather what WE ALL need to do. Reviving our nation is too big a job for one man - even a great one. It's everyone's responsibility to create change.

Mia napped for the first time in her big girl room. V left a proud message on my cell phone that said, "This is not only a great day for the American people, this is a great day for the Pellegrinos. Mia is officially asleep at this hour in her big girl bed." I noted the sense of success in his voice (and maybe even some competition) because the last three days have been napless, as I have been at the helm of the ship in trying to get her to do it! V, a.k.a. "the baby whisperer", is a MASTER at getting Mia to fall under his spell. Of course, he got her down easily.

I am thinking that maybe she needed a new president to feel totally secure in falling asleep in her new surroundings. For that Obama, I love you even more.

National Western Stock Show

We went this morning to the Stock Show (STOP sow as Mia was calling it). We made a bee line straight for the part that we knew Mia would love - Children's Ranch Land, which is a little petting farm with a lot of ridiculously tame goats, a few bristly pigs, and a couple of big nosy llamas. She was in heaven and kept saying things like, "Oh come here you silly goat!" or "Give me some hugs little piggy." I was a bit worried about the rather large llamas that looked me directly in the eye (always a bit disconcerting) but Mia could have cared less about their size and tooled around between their legs on her way to the next goat to pet.

V is recovering/in the midst of being sick with some kind of food poisoning so needless to say we weren't really in the mood to explore the activities and shows available. We essentially paid 20 dollars for parking (we got the tickets for free) for a wild time in a petting zoo. Oh what we'll do for the enjoyment of our kids.

I can tell you I saw a lot of livestock poop and urine, men in tight tight pants, cow butts lined up like tired soldiers during down times of battle....their faces busy moving while they chewed their cud, and some really cute young cowboy types that ALMOST made me want to be a cowgirl, for like an hour or two. I did have the opportunity to talk to one of them and the only thing I made sure to ask was if he treated his cows nicely. Did they get to run around outside? Did they get to graze on REAL grass and hay? He assured me that they did and that the only time they were penned was when they went to slaughter. I just couldn't be a cowgirl...the whole slaughtering thing would break my heart day after day, season after season. I couldn't do it. I know it's the life cycle and it's a necessary part of surviving but I just don't want to hear about it.

I will say I liked the smell of hay and leather and animals. But it was congested and almost a bit sad. I don't like seeing animals so man handled. I just wanted to take them all home and let them graze around my house by themselves.

That's just what I need to make my life easier....a whole mess load of livestock roaming around my property.

Strange but true....

Whenever I give Bijou one of her dog treats, I feel like a Eucharistic minister.

I stand at the cupboard, pull down the bag of big dark brown bones, and pat my leg. She lopes over easily - effortlessly. She sits immediately, with her head slightly bowed.

This is a time of total submission in a dog's life. Dare they make a wrong move, they know that treat may immediately disappear.

I bring the treat to her mouth, which she parts just slightly, and never ever ever - not even once - has she gone to grab the treat from my hand before I begin to place it in her mouth. Her eyes are downcast, with heavy lids, and she sits - waiting reverently - until I say, "Good girl. Go lay down."

She then disappears and I'm left feeling a bit creeped out in my kitchen. Like I just served my dog some kind of divine sacrament.

Keep in mind, Bijou only feels holy during that small daily ritual. Usually, she is jumping on newcomers, eating scraps off of the table, pushing closet doors open to find dirty underwear, and grabbing socks right off of human feet to ensure a good chase.

I'm thinking of initiating opportunities for confession along with her daily communion.

A few of my favorite touches

Mia's "big girl" room is in the final stages of being move in ready. The furniture is painted (more shabby than chic but more cute than not...I'm happy). We're working on finishing hanging some of her wall decor and adding final touches. Her art wall, with work she completed in school, was a huge hit and she walks it studying each image like she's in a museum. I wanted her to add her own flare to the room, giving her some ownership of it. Mission accomplished. She loves her bed and adores her new embroidered pillow, telling us repeatedly that "it spells my name!" I have a few more tedious projects left (anyone care to help me tie butterflies from fishing wire from her curtain rod??) but for the most part, Mia's FOR RENT sign is just about to go up in her "baby room." Good timing because I think I might know of someone who will take the vacancy this spring.

My gift today

V made a list of the top 100 reasons he loved me when we first started dating, almost 10 years ago. The best list of all time. The most ingenious reasons a man could love a woman. The list was written on spiral paper and is still tucked away in its original envelope up in a keepsake box of mine. I reciprocated soon after with my top 100 reasons and a tradition was born. He updated his list one year for a Valentine gift and I followed suit. V is creative like that - generous in spirit and time. It will remain one of my most favorite and cherished gifts of all time. Kind of like the gift he left tucked into my ratty old running shoes when we lived in Boston and we were broke. Shall I say I was broke rather. New shoes weren't in my budget and I had worn my shoes all around the trails of Boston, leaving most of the tread on dirt paths and busy streets. I woke up one morning to find a gift certificate for new shoes tucked inside my well used old ones with a simple note - "For you Meg. From me." He always knows just what to give to lift a weary soul, to relax a busy mind, to remind me that he loves me like no one else really does.

He called me this afternoon and said to watch the video on the camera. I found this little bit of his day and another sweet gift was given, the precious and irreplaceable documentation of his love for Mia (and footage of his homemade meatballs, which remain some of the largest (and best) in the whole wide world). They, in great V fashion, do the best activities together. They cook, take the train, go the library, hit museums, parks, and unique restaurants and shops. We try to leave each other trails from our time spent away from one another so that we can sniff each other out at the end of our time apart. Scraps of happy moments, bits of conversations, hunks of Mia's unending growth and development....we leave it scattered behind us, careful to drop it in places in which the absent partner can find it. That trail always leads back to the missing link....either me or him - "my family" as Mia calls us.

People assume that our relationship suffers because of our work schedules. On the contrary actually. We're forced to communicate in creative ways, to spend stolen moments just admiring and being together rather than analyzing and planning for another opportunity to seek quality time. People have suggested we try to get away, which, I won't deny, would be fabulous. But, at the same time, we "get away" whenever we're together. If "get away" means refueling, relaxing, partnering up, and just enjoying each other, then we do that a few evenings a week....just enough to recharge for another hike in which we dutifully drop crumbs from our packs to help each other find home.

(NOTE: the video is sideways and I can't seem to alter it just yet. Give me time folks. This is all new to me.)

Happy Haircut

Mia got her haircut today. Her fro was becoming unmanageable so I kind of reluctantly went to chop her curls into a bob. Her curls are now even curlier, as to be expected, and she has lost the "on my way to a Bon Jovi concert" look. At the salon, a children's salon, they did her up Barbi style complete with a zig-zag part and bows. The stylist then asked, "Do you want glitter spray?" I was quietly horrified at what was happening but kept a smile plastered on my face. Mia excitedly said, "Yes!" and admired her new glittery done up do in the mirror. I bit my tongue so as not to ruin the moment for Mia. She was thrilled with the glamour of the whole occasion. I flashed forward to dances, homecomings, dates, proms, etc. I'll have to quietly admire her spunk and spirit if she continues to choose glitter spray, all the while giving subtle beauty hints about less actually being more.

We followed up the beauty treatment with dinner at a restaurant. Just us girls. She kept looking into the window as the night descended upon us. It was dark. I said to her, "It's a beautiful night isn't it Mia?" assuming she was admiring the depth of the blackness that had quietly spread itself before us, how quickly it enveloped us in our cozy corner booth. She answered, "No. I'm looking at my new haircut!" and went back to starring at her reflection backed by the night sky in the window. That's my girl.

The Adventures of Bijou and Mia

We took the wagon out for a stroll today. "Everyone" came with us. (Aren't you in the know? "Everyone" includes Bijou and all the teletubbies.)

A turkey for us

Today was turkey day. I've had a turkey thawing in my fridge since Wed. and today was the big day to test my culinary skills. I was successful. The bird was juicy and delicious if I do say so myself. I have to say this turkey business is a lot easier than I thought it would be. A few tricky endeavors could have prevented a success - proper amount of thawing time, temperature of oven, and length of time in the oven - but once you master these little hurdles, it's pretty brainless really. I didn't do anything fancy. I didn't brine. I didn't rub on a thoughtful and time consuming rub (just butter and fresh rosemary). I didn't even baste the thing. And I was successful. We have a new meat thermometer that I trusted and shizam....a turkey dinner was born. I served it with fresh steamed veggies and called it a day. The gravy was terrible (from a packet) as was the stuffing. Next time, I'll step it up and try to do these things from scratch. I was so focused on the turkey that everything else came secondary.

This is my last day of winter vacation which I'm sort of mourning. I had a hard time getting into the groove but now that all of that holiday business is behind me, I'm loving the time to get stuff done and to be home with Mia. We're almost finished painting the furniture for Mia's new room and I'm really hoping our terrible job translates to vintage with a patina quality. That's the look I'm going for. V will pop his head in every once in a while from the garage, our new painting studio, and shout, "Does distressed mean like weird patches and stuff?"

Wish us luck.

Another Treasure

My sister in law just sent this picture she found of my Dad holding Mia on Nov. 22nd, 2006. Mia was only a month old. Every photo of my Dad that is unearthed becomes another treasure of sorts.

ABC Time

I promise this won't become a "vlog" but I'm so excited about my camera. Another video to share. Then, a long video hiatus. At least a day or two.

First Video Ever on La Dolce Vita!

I did it! This was much easier than I thought too. While the video is ridiculously boring (it was an accident after all), you can still get a taste of Miss Mia ("Meeza Meeza" as she's been calling herself lately - a pet name of mine that I'm afraid she thinks is her actual name!) Please disregard that awful looking woman pretending to be Mia's mom on the left hand side of the screen. Unfortunately, I couldn't be in the video so I asked this other pregnant woman with a weak new haircut to stand in. I'm actually much cuter than she is.

My favorite part of the video? "I want to do it again!" stated excitedly by Mia at the very end. We hear this A LOT every day.

Butterfly Pavillion

V is off today and tomorrow which is like a slice of heaven. We rarely both have days off together so it's always a treat. We took Mia to the Butterfly Pavillion and she had a blast. She LOVES all creatures - great and small - so this place was a perfect choice for a morning get away.

She pet a starfish and a crab. She held a tarantula named "Rosie". She chased butterflies and carefully read the signs along the paths. And she loved the magnifying glass. She kept saying, "Look at my eyes!" because she knew it made her eyes look huge.

The most exciting part of the morning was discovering our two year old digital camera takes videos. It was a complete mistake that it happened, just a chance encounter with the wrong button or something. I am busy now trying to learn how to post videos on my blog. I have successfully e-mailed one. And saved it to my harddrive. But now what? I checked the manual and was shocked to see how much this little camera does. The past two years I've been declaring the thing a pile of garbage and now I realize, it was simply misunderstood. Poor camera.