May Long

You know what is even better than a three day weekend? A four day weekend! I had Friday off, so Violet and I spent four whole days together. Jeff was busy studying so we had some serious mummy-daughter bonding time. We tried to take it easy for the most part. We just hit up the playground, ate our first Dee Dee's cones of the season, ate homemade burritos with friends, ran a race/cheered for a mama and celebrated with much deserved TIBS treats. Oh, we also celebrated a certain man's birthday. Jeff turned 29 on Sunday and we ate hot dogs and drank beer to acknowledge the occasion (that is actually what he wanted to do). I was only okay about snapping photographic evidence of our shenanigans this weekend, but here is what I have.

xo

Em

{some of the first bare legs of the year}

{I couldn't possibly pose for another photo}

{first outdoor cone of 2014}

{Vi and I documenting the momentous occasion}

{market imp}

{scooty mc scooterson}

{my cutest cheerleaders}

{love that face}

{I really hate every picture of myself while I am pregnant, but I really want to document this pregnancy -- I deleted every picture of myself from when I was pregnant with Violet and I don't want to do that again!}

{running with a baby in my belly!}

{yes, yes I do}

{hey, who ran the race?}

baby pond's nook - round 1

{1/2/3/4}

We have a pretty tiny house, with a very tiny room we plan to use as a nursery. Jeff is, however, currently using said tiny room as a tiny office. Until his exam is over in a few weeks I can't really get my hands on our little baby nook/nursery. (I hesitate to use the word nursery because it really is a very tiny space...except for if you want to buy our house, in that case it is totally a third bedroom...)

I have a few ideas and I bought the cozy rope rug I showed you in my collage. I also ordered that crib and I plan on making my way to ikea in a few weeks while we are in Ontario to celebrate my sister-in-law's wedding. There is no better place to buy simple white furniture! A dresser can act as a change table, right? I initially had my heart set on wallpaper but the ones I like are bananas in terms of price ($300 for one tiny wall - that seems like a lot, no?). I thought maybe a large print (like the long-horn steer photo above) would look good above the crib, but I'm still not sure. The room is so tiny there really isn't room for more furniture so I thought I'd use some floating shelves to add a little more storage. I also keep buying woven jute baskets when I go to Target. I figure they'll be good for storing blankets, diapers and small toys.

I am afraid of colour (other than grey) on walls, so I am thinking I'll stick with a neutral theme, but what do you think? Is this looking a little drab? I guess I have to consider curtains and lighting too, right? Anything else I am missing? What colour could I add as an accent? Red? I love tiny hearts, but are those too girly? Does that matter?

Help!

xo

Em

Santiago Cake

Yesterday was Mother's Day and despite the fact that Violet treated me to an early gift (gastro bug for her) we had a lovely day. We kept a low profile, given the aforementioned tummy trouble, but we did head to Bauer St. for a BBQ yesterday afternoon. I volunteered to make dessert and I decided on Santiago cake. Have you tried it? Well, let me tell you a little story about Santiago cake and how it almost became the cake that never was.

A couple of years ago Jeff bought Ferran Adria's cookbook entitled "The Family Meal". Sounds approachable, right? Wrong. I should have known that the granddaddy of molecular gastronomy wouldn't define family meal the same way I do. Pork belly? Polenta? Sardines? All yummy, and things I would love to try to cook at home, but on a weeknight? For a family meal? Forget about it. I make weeknight meals like fajitas or turkey burgers, and those are my fanciest offerings if I am being honest. Then again, I don't own the world's most highly regarded restaurant, so there you have it. Mr. Adria and I operate on different wavelengths. Anyway, Jeff loves this cookbook and frequently mentions how we should integrate poached salmon with two weird sauces (sofrito? picada?) into our weekly rotation. Any time you want to start making supper, my love, any old time. Anyway, I've sort of built up a secret disdain for this cookbook and I have been really hesitant to try any of the recipes.

Jeff has mentioned Santiago cake at least a dozen times over the last two years. My mum can't tolerate gluten and Santiago cake is gluten free. Better still, it is gluten free in a yummy way (almond flour) not in a weird, complicated way (xanthan gum). Despite this, I shrugged off the idea of making it every single time he brought it up. On Sunday I finally agreed to try Jeff's long anticipated cake and I admit it is delicious. Yes, Jeffrey, you read that right. It was so good! I should have made it years ago. Honestly. Equally importantly, the cake is so easy (okay, maybe The Family Meal is a decent title), it is basically almond flour, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. It doesn't get much easier than that.

I imagine Europeans eat cake like this for breakfast (I stand to be corrected since I can count my experience with European breakfasts on two hands, but indulge me here). It is simple and understated, but somehow kind of classy. This cake doesn't have to try too hard. You know what I mean? Like, if you put it next to a big ol' donut or a cupcake with sky high icing it would be like those other desserts are trying too hard or something. I served the cake with fat, ripe raspberries and it was perfect. We had it with coffee after our first outdoor meal of the season. Really, it would have been hard to beat.

You should make this cake. Don't wait two years. Don't make the same mistake I did!

You can find the recipe for Santiago cake here. (Just fyi, the recipe says to grease the pan with butter and flour it, but all it did was grease the pan with coconut oil and line the pan with parchment paper and it worked).

xo

Em

Easter 2014

Nannies and Aunties from away have been requesting an Easter update! We have had a lovely four day weekend. (I suppose it is rather early to call it, but three out of four days have been great). We've managed to squeeze in a neighbourhood egg hunt, lots of visits with Nanny and Pop (Vi's great grandparents), a church concert, and of course our annual family Easter dinner aka the only time any of us eat lamb all year! Jeff even took the whole day off from studying yesterday. I think that might be the first day since Christmas that he hasn't either worked or studied (and most days he does both)! Violet and I have a low key day in store, a little Frog Pond action this afternoon, but other than that just hanging out enjoying our double digit weather (fingers crossed!).

Here are some pictures I snapped this weekend.

xo

Em

{Isleville egg hunt with our neighbourhood besties}

{two peas in a pod}

{not sure what is going on here, but I picture the song "Happy" playing in the background}

{I'm sorry, is it 1950?}

{Vi hugging her baby bro}

{street dance party}

{this photo captures Vi's essence!}

Pippi!

Last week Violet and I finished reading Pippi Longstocking. It was such a cute story. It had Violet belly laughing almost every night. That Pippi, such an imp! She was obviously the inspiration for Violet's weekend hairdo, although Vi was quite disappointed I couldn't get her braids to stick straight out. It is so fun to be able to read longer books with Vi now that she is a little older. I've been collecting children's classics since she was a baby and now we actually get to use them. (They were totally cute on her bookshelf this whole time, so no regrets on the early purchase ;) ).

I thought Vi might be ready for chapter books about a year ago and I asked her which one she'd like to start with. She choose Black Beauty, which I had never read. I thought I knew the story, well, I knew it was about a horse, but other than that I was in the dark. Spoiler alert: during the first chapter a young man dies and a horse is shot. Violet didn't find this as disturbing as I did, but it was the super moral undertone that really turned me off. The young boy was being reckless, he made bad choices and so he died. Oh, and the innocent horse's dealth was his fault too. Way too heavy for a four year old. Back to Fancy Nancy it was!

Earlier this winter we decide to try chapter books again. I asked the trusty staff at Woozles what they recommended as my next two choices were just as inappropriate as Black Beauty. (Huckleberry Finn -- (a) so hard to read aloud (b) race and class issues I'd rather not explain to my curious child at this point and Anne of Green Gables -- perfect in every way, but slow and boring when you are used to picture books.) They suggested Stuart Little -- of course! We started with Stuart (big hit), moved on to Charlotte's Web (again, big hit and not as devastating as you would have thought at the end) and then we branched out to Pippi. So fun! We just started reading The Borrowers this week, and I'm not as into as the other books we've read together, maybe because I didn't read it as a child myself.

What about you, do you read chapter books to your kiddos? Did you like being read to as a kid? I need more suggestions. I think she is too young for some of my faves (those mentioned above, and also The Hobbit and Narnia), but maybe not. I would love your suggestions.

Oh, also, Violet has suggested Wilbur as a good option for her baby brother's name. What do you think, Wilber or Dash?!

xo

Em

weekday reading (for the weekend)

In case you hadn't heard our news, we're having a BOY! Jeff tried to restrain his obvious joy, holding back a fist pump and muttering something about, "as long as the baby is healthy", but he was grinning from ear to ear all day yesterday. Violet was also tickled blue when she heard the news. She said, "Mum, I didn't even have to ask Jesus for a brother, he just knew how much I wanted one." What can I say? Vi and Jesus operate on the same wavelength.

Equally exciting, today is my father's birthday. For those of you who know him, you know he really is the sweetest man around. We're having a BBQ at our place tonight, one of the first of the season. I did my best to make pecan pie last night, but I am really not gifted in the pastry department. I tried Martha's crust with butter since shortening freaks me out, but I'm wondering if it will be more like a shortbread than traditional pastry. Who am I kidding? Shortbread crust sounds amazing! Opps, back to my dad! I'm excited to celebrate with him tonight and to make him feel special. He spends all his time doing the same thing for others, so it really is the least we can do.

Here is some reading for your weekend (I'll go ahead and assume you're busy tonight).

xo

Em

Children's food preferences start in the womb? My baby is going to LOVE breakfast sandwiches. Jeff makes the best ones ever!

We're going to a BBQ tomorrow too and I'm bring a salad. I might try a gluten-free version of this little number. Yum!

A beautiful article about prayer  (via Cup of Jo)

Men in tights. So wrong, right?

A six hour work day? Reason number 456 to move to Scandinavia.

Jeff I told you shopping is an educational experience for children. That is why I do it. So selfless...

What kind of entertainer are you? Fun quiz!

Such a sweet little swim suit.

girl or boy?

Today is the day!

In a few short hours Jeff and I are heading to the IWK for our 20 week scan. We are on the 7th floor, which means one thing to Halifax mamas -- we'll be able to find out the sex of our baby, today! At least I am pretty sure that is what that means. Fingers crossed.

Do you have any guesses? What do you think? Another little girl, a mini-Violetta? Or a boy?

Violet wants a boy. She would like to name him Dash so they can be like Violet and Dash in The Incredibles. We just might be up for that! I think she knows deep down that a boy may be less likely to play with her toys and steal her clothes in the future, but she hasn't articulated that, she just knows she wants a brother. Her biggest fear is that the baby will have straight hair like the kind she lusts after and the kind her best friend has. So really Violet wants a boy or a curly haired girl. Anything but a sister will gorgeous pin straight hair will do.

Jeff wants a boy too doesn't care as long as our baby is healthy. That is a fact, but I'm sure he'd like to even out the estrogen/testosterone balance in our household (which would probably take an army of men, if we are being honest).

I honestly don't have a preference. I know girls. I am one and we have one, which brings me both great comfort and great fear about bringing another little lady into this world! A boy would be a new experience and it would be cool to get to raise a little man too. I am just so happy to finally be pregnant, I don't really care what is in there as long as it is healthy. I'm not picky!

I'll let you know tonight. Eeeek! So excited. Seriously, such fun!

xo

Em

ps -- all those cute (very expensive) clothes are from j crew baby.