Walkie Wednesday

I love Autumn! Even though it’s still 100+ degrees here(stupid Southern California heat wave!), you can still tell that Fall is on it’s way. The days are getting shorter, kids are back in school and the shops are hawking Halloween wares.

30 years ago this time of year would have been heralded with a walk to the bus stop with my mom and an inexpert covering of my textbooks in old grocery bags. 20 years ago I would have improved my textbook covering, ditched Mom and walked to school myself – high hair mini skirt firmly in place as I walked through fallen leaves in new wing-tips.

I spent the Autumns of the mid-late 90s walking around campuses with half my weight in books strapped to my back, save for 1997 – when I spent a drunken Fall in Brussels. Yeah, cobble stones and warm Belgian waffles make for a fine Fall.

The noughties were spent in the much more Fall-friendly climes of London and Vancouver. London was all about bundling up in a pea-coat and sitting in a warm pub; Vancouver was all fire-colored leaves and hot coffee. Well, everywhere is hot coffee for me, but it’s different in Fall.

I was still sort of able to go on walks when we moved to London – long, aimless walks past parks and Victorian homes. My favorite Fall memory of London was starting graduate school, wandering through Bloomsbury in the brisk Fall air. By the time we got to Vancouver my walks were shorter, but no less reverential to the weather gods who could produce a cool, clear day with a gentle breeze to blow orange leaves from the trees.

Now that The Boy is more aware of his surroundings I’m wondering how he’ll respond to Fall. Will he love pumpkin-flavored things as much as me? Will he appreciate jumping into piles of fallen leaves? Will he resent being forced to wear the Yoda costume I got for him for Halloween?

Being a Mom With MS

Last week's bout of stomach flu made me realize many things; that Hubs does get sick sometimes; that I can, with great difficulty, look after The Boy even when suffering from a nasty MS relapse(fever is the devil for folks with MS); that the awesomeness of In N Out is not so awesome as to be able to withstand the stomach flu.

Mostly it made me realize, or come to terms with - I'd long ago realized - that no matter how hard I try or how much I wish, I am not like other mothers nor will I ever be. I am a doting, motivated devoted mom, but I am sick. Chronically sick, and my heart absolutely breaks thinking about it.

I will never get to walk through the park hand in hand with my son, teach him how to ride a bike or do any of the other things I mentioned in this post and that sucks more than anything else has ever sucked! Ever!!!

I just really felt like getting that out there. So now I can move on from debating the merits of getting a maid or a "mother's helper"(I decided against them) or using a harness for walks if I'm in my scooter(I got one, but haven't used it yet as he's still relatively fond of his stroller), to figuring out the ideal time to get an adapted van.

Oh well, I guess I'd be looking at mini vans in a few years anyway.

Foodie Friday

We were terribly sick this week, first The Boy, then Hubs, then me, so I’ve been seriously slack in keeping up with the blogging. We all had a stomach bug that the wee’un picked up from somewhere, presumably by chewing on something he shouldn’t have.

Needless to say my big plans for eating little fat have taken a serious nose dive. Our Friday night at the fair was a nutritional disaster. The days that have passed since then haven’t been particularly healthy either. I tried making some healthy turkey meatballs but they were so dry and terrifying that I have yet to try them(The Boy has enjoyed a few though). I had some In N Out on Wednesday, but promptly threw it all up. I went to bed shortly after.

The waste of a perfectly good burger, fries and milkshake notwithstanding, my main lesson of the day was that I will never get a day off. Ever! Well, at least not for the next 18 years or so.

As bad as I felt, The Boy still needed to be fed, changed, red to and played with. His own improving condition neither knew of nor cared that I felt like I’d been hit by a bus. The bug alone made me feel like a gigantic pile of poo, but the fever the bug brought meant that I moved at the speed approximating that of a glacier, that my limbs felt as though they were tethered to lead bricks.

We got through it, but only just. But as horrible as that sounds, I’m proud of us. I was incredibly sick, knocked on my butt by both the stomach flu and MS but we managed okay. In fact we managed better than okay! I never broke down in tears and The Boy seemed quite happy so, it was actually a success really. Go team!

In Search of Cloth Trainers

Though I bought my first Bum Genius 3.0 at a fancy schmancy boutique in my hometown and filled out the rest of my early stash of Bum Genius 3.0s from diapers.com, the place where I learned the most about cloth diapering was a website called jilliansdrawers.com – the online arm of a shop in Ithaca, New York. (Also a place made famous by THIS post at Young House Love – I’m not one to normally give a shout-out to the popular kids, but I thought it was cool that they actually visited the shop).

It was from Jillian’s Drawers that I got almost all of my wipes(Imse Vimse), my Kissaluvs dipes and my Thirsties covers. Love them!

At first I was looking at them again when I started researching cloth trainers, but then I discovered a local store has cloth trainers as well. The bad news is that the local store doesn’t have the cloth trainers that seem to be the most highly recommended – Imse Vimse brand.



They do have Little Beetles though



So what should I do? Just order some Imse Vimse from Jillian’s Drawers? Get a few of the Imse Vimse dipes from Jillian’s Drawers and a few of the super cute Little Beetles(a brand that is front and center at both Jillian’s Drawers and my local store) to see how they work and to support local business? Should I see if his cloth diapers hold out until he’s old enough to slip effortlessly into using big boy underwear? Am I over thinking this?

What to do? What to do? Good thing The Boy, despite making huge developmental leaps as of late, is nowhere near ready for training pants.

First Trip to the County Fair

We went to the fair this weekend. Hubs was fairly dubious about the whole thing, but was curious to see if The Boy would be more aware of the animals than he was when we went to the zoo a few months ago.

He was! And our trip to the fair was a huge success. He snorted at the pigs, baaa'd at the sheep and goats and mmmmm'd at the cows. And there I was thinking the animals from his Little People farm didn't resemble the actual animals enough to teach him anything meaningful.

Anyway, here is The Boy taking in some of the fine culinary offerings at the fair.


And looking at some cows


And taking a break with Mama in front of a ferris wheel.


It was a good time.

And Some Pics of Cuteness

Just 'cuz.

Coming back from a lunchtime walk with Dad



Showing off my teeth



With Mama at the zoo

Foodie Friday

My week, or half-week as it were since I started on Wednesday, of the MS-friendly Swank diet didn’t go exceptionally well, but it went better than expected considering my love for hamburgers and all things dairy.

Wednesday went pretty well – made the switch to almond milk for my tea and cereal and had broth and udon noodles for lunch. Met some friends for dinner and even passed up some of my favorite fried chicken and mashed potatoes for some angel hair pasta with tomatoes.

My one slip-up – and it was a biggie – was having dessert. Figuring I’d been so doing so well the rest of the day, I indulged in a very chocolatey and very creamy cake.

Thursday was about the same; I did well for breakfast and lunch, but then – having to use the ground beef we’d bought before I decided to eat MS-friendly – I made and ate a Shepherd’s Pie.

Onto today. I’ve been good so far, but am hoping to get The Boy to the County Fair, so I’ll probably be eating a corn dog for dinner and deep fried Twinkie for dessert.

Oh well, it’s progress. And I can shoot for having a few all good days next week.
But in the meantime, in honor of the approach of my favorite season, here is my favorite Autumnal food.

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake


Have been baking it with my mom since high school. Originally from Gourmet magazine, now to be found on epicurious.com.

Hope it's a wonderful weekend.