Eerily Similar
Many of you know that Gigi and Lulu are not the girls’ real names, but just nicknames that are based on their real names. Gigi has been “Gigi” since she was born, and Lulu has been always been my “Lulu.” That’s why I was completely shocked when my friend Deb texted me last night and said, “You know about the Gigi and Lulu books, right?” And then I woke up this morning to a library book on my doorstep... Read More
Running Scared
It started out as your typical gorgeous day in Suburbia… then we realized what day it was. Some of us were excited… Some of us were not. The backpack and hydration should have given it away. I had a runner on my hands. To avoid tofu, there was no distance she wouldn’t go… no terrain to rugged. Luckily, I had the manpower to bring her in, and a few tricks up my sleeve. Namely this: Incredible. The makers... Read More
Summer Bummers
After six days of above 70-temperatures, summer is getting a lot of lovin’ in this house. As a mom it is deeply ingrained in me to not play favorites, not even with seasons. It’s as instinctual as licking a napkin to wipe a sticky face, using a bare hand to grab a booger out of a tiny nose or asking anyone and everyone if they need to use the potty before we leave. (Good job, Pea Daddy…you get a chocolate chip!) In the interest... Read More
I Have Something I Want to Tell You
While I do have many things I want to tell you, I am actually referring to Gigi’s new favorite phrase. Like most of Gigi’s habits, including refusing to have even a stitch of material touching her shins or forearms at any time, or the collecting of used Band-aids in her ballerina princess jewelry box (that was a fun discovery), I have no idea where she came up with this one. However, for every sentence Gigi spoke this weekend, she prefaced... Read More
Medium Raw Giveaway Winner
Hey Peaps! It seems the blog and I have been on the fritz today. If only I could cram Saltines and Gatorade into my hard drive and make it all better… Speaking of salty, I’m here to announce the winner of the autographed copy of Anthony Bourdain’s Medium Raw. Pea Daddy is a few chapters into it (his own copy, not the winner’s–I assure you there are no root beer stains on the pages), and he says that I should have... Read More
IT Happens
The girls were invited to a pool party yesterday. I am a big party pooper (note the foreshadowing) and did not want to go. I made a very logical list of excuses reasons not to go: We didn’t know the birthday girl. We were invited by a friend of the birthday girl, because apparently we are just good people to have at a party. I’m negotiating an appearance fee schedule right now. We didn’t have a birthday gift for the birthday... Read More
The Replacements
Gigi has had Vacation Bible School each morning this week. It’s been fun to have a little one-on-one time with Lu, even if it is just dressing up like transient ballerinas. Sometimes you really should just let your dreams die. Gigi was very concerned that she would miss Lu all week while she was at school, but in her always humble way, she was even more concerned that Lulu would miss her. Always thinking of others, that one. What better... Read More
I Like it Medium Raw (Giveaway)
A wise man once said, “You don’t have to agree with someone to want to sit down and have a beer with him.” I completely agree. And that is why last night, I was overjoyed to sit down and have a beer with that wise man, Anthony Bourdain. Alright, I didn’t really sit down and have a beer with him, but I did get to sit in the seventh row of his speaking engagement in Portland, and as far as I’m concerned, I had a pretty... Read More
No Reservations
Pea Daddy and I are off on a special foodie-related date (the post title may be a dead giveaway) and won’t be home until way past bedtime. I’ll be back with a recap tomorrow, but in the meantime you can pop over here and check out my Body for Life wrap up. Don’t wait up for us! Read More
That’s a Wrap!
I’m a lucky lady to have spent Father’s Day with the men that I love. Brother Aaron, Dad, me All of the men that I love. Dad, Papa Oscar (back in his overalls!), Uncle Jeff But our Father’s Day started this morning at home sweet home with the guy that my girls are so lucky to have for a dad. As sweet as home may be, I have a lengthy list of requirements for my next house. They are, in no particular order: An office: when... Read More
Strudel Therapy
Every day this week, I’ve woken up thinking this is going to be the day that I start to feel normal again. This will be the day that I make my grilled tempeh with peach pineapple salsa, whose ingredients are teetering on the edge of going bad in my refrigerator. This will be the day that I am able to tell you, in a charming and humorous way, what the experience of cleaning smoothie out of a harmonica is really like. This will be the day... Read More
NuNaturals Stevia Winners
Gigi was quite disappointed when she learned we would not be shooting another video to announce the NuNaturals Stevia Winners. I think she had images of being a lotto girl and calling numbers. That girl has goals, I tell you. Using the Random Integer Generator, the winners of the NuNaturals Stevia gift packs are: 4–melissab sorry to hear about your gramps…lots of prayers and thoughts his (and your) way. when i need a good cheer up i... Read More
Peas on Film: A Smoothie for Pea Daddy
Don’t you deserve another Peas and Thank You vlog? You’re saying, “No. We left you hundreds of messages of love and support and this is what you give us?!” Yes. Yes, it is. I’m not going to take pictures of the Diet Coke I drank from the hospital vending machine. I had no witty anecdotes about the two bowls of cereal and pickles I ate for lunch. Pea Daddy obviously got a smoothie for dinner. Trust me, this is... Read More
Day Away Giveaway
Hey Peaps. I’m not myself tonight. My grandpa had a stroke yesterday. He’s stable now, but when I haven’t been at the hospital, I’ve just wanted to snuggle on the couch with these two, and dig into the double batch of Peanut Butter Blondies I made for my dad’s birthday, which was also yesterday. I took half to the hospital and the other half…nevermind. So I will do my best to put on my big girl panties tomorrow... Read More
A Battle of Dills
As much as I fear the backlash I’ll face when the girls are teenagers, I’m more excited about watching the strong, young women they’ll become. The way I see it, I’m already having wardrobe and music disputes now, so how much harder can it be? I’m raising the girls to speak their mind, whether their opinion is “mainstream” or not. If there was any question, screaming from your crib at 6:30 a.m., “I... Read More
Truth in Advertising
Once upon a time, in a life before veganism and episiotomies, I had dreams of working in public relations or advertising. I blame it on Who’s the Boss?. I didn’t really know what Angela Bower was doing all day as Vice President of Wallace and McQuaid, but it meant she got to wear suits with enormous shoulder pads, tell people what to do and hire a hot, male housekeeper. I was sold. Over the weekend, the advertising world called to... Read More
One Fine Day
For all the days that I complain about dealing with diaper blowouts at the indoor park, having to clean toothbrush holders under the eerie watchful eye of Pea Kitty, intervening during peanut butter finger-painting on the couch and having sleep interrupted by announcements of, “There’s diarrhea in my crib!” there are some days when I absolutely appreciate that I have the best job in the entire world. Wait, what do you mean I never... Read More
Unspoken Rules
There are some guiding principles in our house that have never been said out loud. Until now. Pea Kitty is the sole responsibility of Pea Daddy. This cat hates me. I’m afraid I might die soon, though, because the last two nights in a row she’s curled up in between my legs while I sleep. I know it’s not for affection. I suspect she is acting like the nursing home cat that visits the elderly patients that are about to pass. ... Read More
Stars In Their Eyes
For whatever reason, the girls woke up this morning wanting to go stargazing. Gigi was on the hunt for a map of the solar system, so she dug out these books you may have heard your grandmother talk about once, called “encyclopedias.” Lulu’s response as she watched Gigi juggle the multiple obsolete volumes, “Wow, Sissy, that’s a lot of ‘casiopedias’!” Without question, she is a genius and was referencing... Read More
A Couplet to Cobbler
Brownies are wonderful, cupcakes okay, but for a party on a Monday, one week after the month of May, I wanted a berry cobbler. We started the day with dancing and fun, some tap and meteorology rolled into one, behind the clouds, there hid the sun, so we made a berry cobbler. We started with blackberries, they ate a few, some were sweet, some tasted like pooh, Out went the black, in came the blue, Into our two berry cobbler. Black and Blueberry... Read More
Get Me to the Greek
Hello, old friends, it’s been awhile. I’ve been sparing you from a Saturday post each week intentionally. Granted, you may think it is fascinating to follow Mama Pea and crew as we navigate multiple stores in a forty-five mile vicinity of our home, trying to stock our refrigerator and cupboards for a weekful of meals and cookbook recipe testing. However, I do not find it so fun to try to whip out my camera in the middle of Trader Joe’s... Read More
It’s a Girls’ Night
I love my husband, truly. But we also enjoy a night when it’s just us girls. When Gigi found out that Pea Daddy was going out to watch the NBA Finals with friends tonight, she excitedly asked, “Is it a Girls’ Night?!” I confirmed her suspicions and then asked her why she liked Girls’ Nights so much. “Because we get to spend time with you, Mom.” Apparently she’s forgetting the other 15 hours we’ve... Read More
The School Board
After the frivolity of yesterday, it was time to get back to work today. A new tradition I’ve started in our home is to leave amusing messages on the whiteboard for the family to find each morning. Gigi’s learning to read, so it’s the thrill of her morning to race downstairs and try to decipher whatever moronic message I’ve left. “B-b-b-be sure to dr-r-r-ink your Ovaltine?!” Sometimes the messages are inspiring,... Read More
They Can’t All Be Winners
It’s true. They can’t all be winners. Bear that in mind throughout life. Please also bear that in mind throughout this post. If I had to pinpoint the exact moment in time when this day went in the crapper, I’d say it was about…4:09 a.m. I take that back, if I had to pinpoint the exact moment in time when this day went in the crapper, I’d say it was about 12:13 a.m., when I finally tore myself away from the DVR... Read More
