Seven Notes - From the Mouths of Babes and Other Stories

1. Filet de Poisson a la Bretonne - I have not done a post on Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a while. I have continued to try recipes. Although, not as frequently. There are just none I felt I needed to share, lately. However, last night I made the above recipe. This involved poached fish, julienne carrots, celery, onion, leeks, and sliced mushrooms, with a creamy white wine sauce. This recipe is as lovely as the rest. The sauce was the best part. In a guilty moment, when I dropped the skillet into the sink for washing, I found myself licking the last little dredges of sauce from the pan and spoon—the shameful things fine food will cause you to do.

There are a host of poached fish and sauce recipes in this cook book and I have to say they are among my favorite recipes. I have always used the same white wine to poach and make my white wine sauces each time, which has given all the dishes the same taste. I can imagine that if I were to use a different wine it would have a different flavor.

Next up Chocolate Mousse.

2. Weaning - We have mostly weaned Kristiana. She did not make a big deal of it. She pretty much did not care as long as she was fed. However, there are moments here and there that she wants to nurse for comfort, so I oblige. She was nursing once a day and is tapering into once every other day. Of course, I miss it, so I am happy to have these little moments with her. But, between being bitten and the open all night wet bar, I am sure that it was time to slow the nursing.

These days I am getting significant amounts of sleep and I am waking up heavy and groggy. It’s a strange sensation.

3. Good Sleepers - Since weaning it has become very easy to put Kristiana to bed in a dark room with a bottle and she goes to sleep after she finishes the bottle. No fuss, no mess. Of course it’s going to be a nightmare to break her of the nighttime bottle habit. But, that is for another day.

4. Not Sasha! - Alexander has informed us that he is, “not Buddy, not Sasha, not Alexander. I am Alex.” It saddens my husband and I, because we love pet names for our kids. We are having trouble adjusting. Alex tells us over and over until we use “his” proper name, “Dad, not buddy…I am not buddy…not buddy, Dad.”

“Okay, okay, you are Alex.” Or “Who are you then?”

“I am Alex.”

I don’t know what suddenly got into him about being called by, “Alex.” I have a feeling it has something to do with preschool.

5. The Twilight Zone - Speaking of things Alex has told me lately. He has been telling me the strangest things lately. I do not know if it is because he is using his imagination, or if he just doesn’t remember correctly, or does not know how to express what he means. I have been trying to get to the bottom of it all by asking more questions, but with little kids you have to ask your questions wisely otherwise you can lead them into making up stuff, or making it up yourself and they will agree with you.

For instance, Alex told me about a dream. At least I think it had to be a dream. It was first thing in the morning and he said. “I go far away. I go out the door and far away. By myself.”

“Where did you go?”

“Ride pony.”

“Was this a dream?” (See how this is leading him.) He thinks a moment. Then nods his head yes. I asked him to tell daddy about the dream. So he starts telling my husband and when we get to the pony part, my husband interjects,

“Oh you rode a pony like at the fair.” This leads Alex to start telling us about the fair, which we do not think was a part of the dream, but what he was remembering about the fair.

Maybe I should start looking at which direction his eyes are looking and if he’s looking left I will know he is making it up and if he looks right I will know he’s just thinking about it…I’ll let you know if that helps.

5. Time to Celebrate  - It’s the Clayton family birthday month! Happy Birthday, Brian, Andrew, Alex, Renee and Kristiana’s not in November, but close. I think we should shoot to have all our kids in November! It’s a great month to be born.

6. A Little Something in My Stocking - For my birthday and Christmas, I am getting a very big present. I will share what it is when it arrives. I am excited! It’s all I can think about. I feel selfish for it, but my husband assured me I deserve it. I like my birthday’s proximity to Christmas and Thanksgiving. It’s in between two fabulous holidays. Further, if I want a big gift—which if I get a gift, I want it to be big and special or nothing at all—I can say it’s for birthday AND Christmas, and that justifies the expenditure.

7. Miracle - I read a blog about a miracle today and it made me tingle. When I had this reaction, my thought was that it touched me so, because it must be true. Check it out Here.