We Need a Zamboni

Elsie and I checked out the downtown skating rink. It was closed the day we went, and there was about three inches of snow covering it. It turned out to be a good thing because that ice was a little slippery. I hope that I can teach Elsa how to skate as well as my brother Chris taught his son Brad. Chris took everything he learned (from the three years in which he skated, right before Kenny Gates whooped his @#% in the 1976 Bay Lions Winter Carnival Skating Competition) and turned Brad into quite a hockey player. Brad, you should be thankful.

Chris still tells that story. He told it again last time he visited. "AAAH! KENNYYYYYYY!"

Elsa's New Food Chart

Ruth came up with a plan. Elsie gets a special treat for every five new foods she tries. This pic was taken right before she tried HOISIN SAUCE to complete her first five new foods goal. I picked up a copy of the musical Annie and we watched it last night (...fun answering the question Daddy what's an orphan?)

Anyway, her five foods were:

BUTTER BEANS

STAR AND MOON FRIES

CREPES

CANNOLI

HOISIN SAUCE

We didn't really know how to make nutritional value a prequisite. The crepes were stuffed with jam and then slathered in maple syrup. The cannoli, was, well, a cannoli. And the star and moon fries were, well, french fries. And she had one butter bean and a pea sized drop of hoisin sauce.

She's moved on to her next five, and so far has eaten MARMITE (this morning with eggs) and FARO. Which is like barley. She ate one grain...

Forgotten Buffalo

Neighbor Mike gave us an afternoon tour of Forgotten Buffalo spots. We hit the Broadway Market where we were able to buy chruscikis, fried dough cookies covered with sugar. Redlinski's Meat Market for polish sausage, pierogis, and kiszka (looks a bit like potato sausage). But the highlight of the trip was lunch at the R and L Lounge. Mike had read that the food was good, but had not been there before. It was about two blocks from the market so we went for it.

Walking in it felt like I was back in Milwaukee. Three older gentlemen at the bar glanced over. The proprietor immediately walked over to us with a smile, greeting us with "and who's this?" She told us to sit in one of the booths on one side of the bar so we plopped down, Henry and Elsa in tow, and she disappeared in back. Later she emerged with homemade pierogis and stuffed cabbage. Turned out the R and L stood for Ronnie and Lottie, the couple who owned the place. Lottie cooked the food for us and even took care of Henry while we ate. And she gave me some solid parenting advice as well: don't spoil them, plant them in the stroller so you can enjoy your lunch, and my favorite- sugar for hiccups!

Christmas Chronicle

Christmas 2008! Rock on!

Christmas Eve Smorgie:

Tomato Bread Dip broiled with Manchego

Crocques Monsieurs - thank you Jacques Pepin!

Shrimp Cocktail

Swedish Meatballs

Warm Spinach Salad

Udon Noodles for Elsie

Cheerios for Henry

Set out some cookies and a carrot for Santa and his reindeer. Kids in bed at 7PM, so Mum and Dad turned on "Tropic Thunder" (3 out of 5 stars...)

Elsie awakens to "something rattling the window". I begin to tell her it's Santa but it's 5AM and I want to go back to bed. I tell her it's the wind, we have a quick cuddle and she falls asleep for another hour. Up at 6, downstairs, "Momma! The carrot's gone!" Mum and Dad fumbling through the dark, because the coffee timer is set for 6:30. Hit brew.

Opening presents in complete western New York winter darkness. Wind whistling through 90-year-old windows I should have put that plastic up listening to "Finest 'Arvest of the Wurzels" while yanking wrapping paper out of Henry's mouth...

A backpack for Dad! Steak knives for Mum! A truck for Henry (ah fun boy toys!) The Barbie Fashion Center for Elsa, because, you know I want to teach her how to shop, and swipe a credit card, and look through several outfits and then buy them all. And included, there are over twenty tiny little items for Henry to choke on such as shoes, sunglasses, and other accessories that will keep us all on our toes in the coming weeks.

"The joy, and gratitude, and ecstasy! They are all indescribable alike."

-Stave Two of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

1-2-3-4

1-2-3-4 Elsa Bean is turning 4

I like counting, counting to the number 4

I see my friends and I see my cake

Last summer I swam in a lake

Oh, I'm turning 4

Oh, I"m growing some more

1-2-3-4 Henry crawling on the floor

Daddy painted a new color on the door

I have my friends named Lily and Ava

Dylan and Claire, and my neighbor Shylah

Oh, I'm turning 4

Oh, I'm growing some more!

lyrics by Elsa (really!)

Swan's

We went to Swan's Market for German food. Dad and Markus had smoked bratwurst, Elsie had spaetzle, Mum and Adina had the combo platter, and I had PUREED SWEET POTATOES AND PEAS! AHH! That lieberkase looked fantastic! Puree that up Mr. Swan!

The King of Thanksgiving

Markus ate several pieces of salami, a half pound of turkey, some acorn squash, two scoops of cranberry sorbet, several samples of the Kaukanna Cheese Ball, was second in command at the Weber throughout the afternoon, read Elsie several books and watched Franklin with her, rocked Henry for a while, fathered his own child, had a few beers and a shot of jagermeister, and wrapped up the whole day by 9PM. Well done, my friend.