Day 71

This morning, close-reading Cairn pointed out a funny typo on one of my previous entries. (Particularly as an editor), I'd like to say that this is a rare oversight on my part. But that's not even close to the truth. I'm a sloppy blogger. You could probably go through lots of my posts and find loads of errors; unfortunately, most are just plain wrong and not at all entertaining like, say, "auto-correct errors" on the iPhone which I sometimes leave on purpose, for giggles. 

Happy Valentine's Day!
This little Danmade monkey always has some love for me.

I have a theory on my sloppy blogging: I write this thing mostly at night when my brain is tired (excuses, excuses, yeah, yeah - but hear me out)... I find that when my brain is tired, it processes words in the most interesting ways. I think I wrote "downtown" instead of "downton" because, come on, how often do I write "downton"? (Um, never.) But I write downtown (which Pittsburgh Dad most certainly would pronounce "dahn tahn") sort of a lot ("let's just meet downtown..."). 

Similarly, when I'm tired, I find I struggle with homophones (think: to/too/two or there/their/they're). This is so fascinating because even though I write the wrong word, I always know the correct choice. It's like my brain just goes on autopilot and plucks whatever same-sounding word it finds first. I've asked my sister--a speech language pathologist--if sleep deprivation could cause this and she said that it's quite plausible. I think that this would make fascinating research for some grad student, don't you?

On a positive note, here's a cool bit on why you might think better when you're sleepy--or drunk. 

Day 70

Given that I've worked at a food magazine for nearly six years and I fancy myself as someone who knows quite a bit about food, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I thought that this popcorn--purchased yesterday at Healthy Living as a treat for me and Jon--would pop up in a variety of vivid colors. Alas, I was wrong. Must be some sort of fancy "heirloom popcorn." (Smile.) In any case, it was quite tasty.

From this... to fluffy white (with a couple of yellow) poofs.
Can you believe it?

And here's a secret: You needn't have an air popper to make delicious popcorn. All you need to do is stick 1/3 cup of unpopped kernels into a brown paper lunch bag, roll it down once or twice and secure it with a piece of masking tape and then hit the "popcorn" button on your microwave (assuming there is one). If not, just popcorn it the way you would the packaged microwave popcorn, the kind of the fake buttery smell. When the pops slow down, it's done. Dump it into a bowl. Sprinkle it with a little water and shake in a tiny bit of salt. Mmmm... 20 calories per cup, my friends.

I had this nice little snack (a whole grain, it is!) after returning home from a relaxing evening with Lisa and Ri. We "watched" The Bachelor and I got my first taste of Courtney, who sure does make for obnoxiously great TV. But you know what? Put me on that show with those sharks and I would have created fabulous drama. If there's anything I fear more than driving, it's sharks--you know, growing up in Western Pennsylvania and all. I know it doesn't make sense so I'm blaming Marcy the babysitter who let me watch Jaws when I was 5. 

Day 67 - 69

A few things I learned this weekend:

1. Jon and I love making valentines at LEAST as much as Jules does. While poor Kai was napping on Saturday, Jon and I took care of Kai's whole classroom while Jules glittered his own glam cards. I hope we don't end like up these crazy helicopter parents who CALL THEIR ADULT KIDS' BOSSES. Seriously, people? How can you even pretend that might be ok?

2. It's good to get outside for a run with a friend, even if it's 20 degrees. 

3. It's good to get outside for a bit, even if it's 9 degrees.

4. Don't get the Greek pizza at Papa Frank's. Stick with the meatballs.

5. (But) I still aspire to be a vegan. Or at least a little more veganish. (I have a bunch of well-loved vegan cookbooks actually and I'm psyched to start cooking from this website Vegan Yum Yum, recommended by my friend Shannon who is vegan).

6. Like running, reading quiets my ruminating.  

7. Jon is a HUGE Downtown Abbey fan. Who knew?


Update: Thanks to a close-reading friend, I'm aware of the error in #7. ("You're an editor, Nicci! How did this happen?" Well, I have a theory.) But it's sort of funny--and really funny when you read Cairn's comment (below)--so I'm leaving it. Enjoy! 

What did you learn this weekend? 

Day 66

I am not one to wax poetic on the virtues of Vermont, particularly in February. In fact, two weeks ago, I literally told Jon, "I will have lived here for 10 years come June, and if I'm lucky to live a long 80 or 90 years that's way too much of my life spent in Vermont." Harsh but I meant it.

I still miss New York. It's loud and in your face, like me. In the city, you're constantly meeting quirky people who, like me, don't feel 100 percent (or let's face it 17 percent) comfortable on skis or mountain bikes. And here's what I really miss: Walking to work really early in the morning (that's about 8 a.m. if you're in publishing) and passing by the deli guys who are rolling up gates, hosing off sidewalks and putting out fresh flowers while the scents of coffee and egg sandwiches waft out from inside. Lately, I've even been fantasizing about Pittsburgh. It's close to my fam. People don't all look alike. It's a city. I like cities.

But, today, well, today was a great Vermont day. I think it helps that I really like my new job. (Oh and the fact that it's been almost 40 degrees). And on my way to work, I was sort of sad that while our office move to Shelburne in two weeks will save me 5 minutes of my 40-minute commute it will also eliminate the best part of my drive (aside from the part where Jules, and now Kai, say "Hi, Mr. Buddha!" with such great enthusiasm): that turn in Charlotte.  If you drive south on 7 you know the one, the one where--BOOM!--suddenly it's all lake and mountains and gorgeousness. And if you look to the right you'll see a golden hay bale–studded field where, if it's the right season, you might see wild turkeys roaming. And then there's more lake, more trees, more mountains. I dig cities, remember? But this vista gets me every time.

And then there are the "new" friends (whom I saw tonight) who aren't new any more: I've attended their bridal and baby showers, danced with them on stages, and with them shared much wine and many vegan desserts. We've swapped clothes and baby gear, crazy stories of adventures past and our pithy (or apathetic) impressions of books. Yes, a decade spent in Vermont means 10 years of not living somewhere else. But it also means a lot of awesomeness. And for that, I am grateful.

Day 60 - 65

60: Pizza, wine, cool women AND pizza, cupcakes, drums + crazy kids.

61: More pizza, more cupcakes + a bouncy castle. Happy #4 Ava! "Family" dinner with Ri, Chris and crew. (Miss them next door... know anyone cool looking to buy a place in the Burlington's NNE? Give me a shout!)

62: Swimming, snoozing, Super Bowling. Go GIANTS! 

"Go, GIANTS!" (again and again) - Kai Guy

63: Back to work! (Loving my new job...)

64: Writing, writing, writing. Cooking, cooking... quick run. Dancing Elmo. A Purple Honker (definitely the most skilled dancer of the bunch.) Ernie. Bert--who was dressed as a scuba diver in one scene, which prompted Jules to ask on the ride home:

"Why was Bert a sea swimmer?"

A sea swimmer? Ah... a scuba diver. But doesn't "sea swimmer" make perfect sense? And doesn't it sound just so perfectly... British? I love these little JuJu Bean phrases. And I know they won't be around forever: Jules will learn the "right" words and he'll use them instead. Julian's "last day" will fade into "yesterday"...  sigh. Or maybe, just maybe, he'll just keep calling things like he sees them...  my little poet. 

65: A friend suggested I connect with the woman who writes this AWESOME blog.

And this will be a long day. In part because I am writing this blog instead of the copy that is due first thing tomorrow a.m. But that's OK. I like to write at night. 

Day 59

Asked what his favorite thing in the whole world is, Jules responded "costumes." 

Come again? Costumes?

Well... I'd say that donning matching apres-ski outfits just "apres" you've woken up and are about to go to school sort of counts as dressing up in costumes. I aim to please.  

And looking at the photo below I feel grateful for...  

... the cuteness of little-boy bed head (honestly, I think bed head is cute on boys of all ages)

... the sweetness of brothers who like to sit close

... the television that (clearly) mesmerizes them in the morning while I finish packing lunches. Bad mommy!

Fact: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
no television before age two.  Really, none?

Day 58

Part of my new job is to develop products that help people improve their health. In brainstorming these solutions, questions about how to remind someone to do healthy things (like log her lunch in a food diary or go for a walk) come up... Should we use SMS messages? Emails? Push notifications?

I say let's bundle a 3 1/2 year old into the platform. In the last two days alone, I've had the following consults with Jules, my pint-sized health coach:

This morning, pulling apart after a hug, we discussed the importance of regular skin checks. 
Jules, pointing to a skin tag on my neck (one that I probably should get checked out): "I don't like that, Mom. You should get it off.
Me: "You're right. I should probably have the doctor check it out."
Jules: "Yes, Mom. The doctor could take that off for you. Go to the doctor. Get it off."

Hey Mom! You forgot your helmet.

Today, driving to school, we covered the dangers of eating on the go and distracted driving... 
Jules: "Mom, what are you eating?"
Me: "A bagel."
Jules: "Can I have some?"
Me (putting it away because I didn't want to share, I was starving): "I should probably put this away while I'm driving."
Jules: "Yes, you could choke." and then... "What if you spilled the coffee all over the car, Mom? Would we need to get help from a policeman or a fireman?"
Um... no... unless we it caused me to wreck. Aha! Another safety reminder. 

Yesterday, while helping him to brush his teeth, we discussed my dental hygiene.
Jules: "Mom! You need to brush your teeth right now. You're going to get holes in them."
Hmm... Maybe I should reprogram him to deliver the "floss" reminder. I am a very good brusher. But I am admittedly a non-compliant flosser.

And in addition to delivering simple health reminders, this "prescriptive preschooler" feature could also push you to do better, to set your aims higher... Last night, hearing me tell Jon that I squeezed in a few miles on the treadmill, Jules asked, with great enthusiasm: "Did you put on your Santa suit and run a marathon today?" Um, no, honey, not today...

So that's not quite as crazy as it sounds. (But it was only a 5K)