My Friend Jenny

For the past several months, maybe longer than that, I have been looking on-line for my childhood friend, Jenny.  I searched on Google, Linked-In and Facebook.  And then, last week, I came across her name.  I was so excited to be able to reconnect with someone I was friends with throughout my childhood and into high school.  We lost touch before the internet and e-mail were even created and when it cost money to call long distance. (I realize I am seriously dating myself!)  I moved to Arlington, VA and she was in Michigan.  It's not an excuse for not keeping in touch, it was just harder then. 

I spent most of childhood growing up in a yellow house in a great neighborhood full of kids my age.  We moved there when I was in third grade.  One of the first people I met was my next door neighbor, Jenny.  I remember that her mom extended an invitation to me to come to Jenny's birthday party.  I was so nervous to go to her party - she was a year older than me and we didn't go to the same school so I didn't know any of the other kids there.  But she made me feel welcome and introduced me to everyone and I had a great time.  In fact, I have so many fun memories of time spent together. 

Random things come to mind when I think of our fun times together - I remember lots of chocolate chip cookies were made (although we would eat half of the dough before we baked them).  I remember her dad would make a gigantic bowl of popcorn every Sunday night (I'm not sure if it was really that often but it seemed like it) and it was deliciously salty and buttery.  She played the piano, had barbies and the neighborhood slip and slide.  We rode bikes all over the neighborhood in the summer and stayed out until the street lights came on.  We had sleep overs (she had a bunk bed which I thought was pretty cool) and one year, after months of pleading, we were allowed to have a "camp-out" in her mom and dad's station wagon.  We thought it would be so cool - but I think we got scared as soon as it got dark out and ended up sleeping inside. 

We remained friends for years but slowly went our separate ways.  I still think of her as Jenny, although I'm sure she now prefers Jen or Jennifer. And I'm guessing no one calls her "Jen-Girv" anymore (my dad's nickname for her).  She was a dear friend and I'm glad to have her back in my life.  It's amazing now how easy it can be to stay in touch with someone now - blogs, Facebook, Linked-In, e-mails, text messages.  But even with all the technology, you still have to take time and make an effort to keep in touch with those who you care about - especially with so many competiting pressures on our time with work and children, etc. 

I'm so fortunate to have many family and friends in my life who I cherish and will take the time and effort to keep in touch. Here's to finding long-lost friends!

A fun night out

I see I have been slacking in my blogging duties... must have something to do with two blizzards in one month and being homebound for several days.  It was quite the experience, good family time but I am glad to be back to our little routine. 

Last night was a great escape from work and the cold and from our little routine.  Bruno bought me tickets to see the Black Eyed Peas at the Verizon Center last night.  I had been gone for two nights at a conference in Florida so I said a quick hello to my girlies and then headed out.  (Of course I was worried about whether Abigail would be good for our babysitter and how she would do going to bed but was quickly reassured by our babysitter that she was very good and went to bed just fine.)  We had dinner at one of our old favorite restaurants in DC - Jaleo and then went to the concert.  We had great seats and the concert was so good!  It was such a nice change of pace from our regular routine and I don't know the last time I stayed up past midnight on a "school" night!

Later this week we are going to see Seinfeld at the Kennedy Center.  I think we are using up all of our social outings for the next six months in this one week - ha!

That's it for now - I have a few blog postings that I am drafting in my head but now just have to find the time to put pen to paper (hmmm... what is the new saying for that - put fingers to the keyboard?)  Stay tuned...

The little moments

It was about 7:15 p.m. last night and I had just put Abigail to bed.  Usually, she will babble for awhile and then fall asleep.  She is amazingly easy to put to bed.  But last night I heard her cry out briefly.  Normally I would just let her cry for a minute or two but I decided to check in on her. 

I picked her up and held her in a cuddly position with her cradled in my arms and she stopped crying immediately. The lights were off but I could see those beautiful eyes looking at me and those long lashes slowly opening and closing.  I held her tight and rocked slowly.  My back and arms started getting tight from holding her but I didn't care.  That pure innocence - that palpable sweetness - I just wanted to soak it in - if even for just a few minutes.  These are the moments I cherish and lock away deep in my memory stash. 

Playing in the snow

We were warned from about last Tuesday on that we were in for a "major snow event" starting on Friday. And the weather forecasters never swayed from that prediction.  Schools were closed Thursday night in advance of a flake touching the ground. I went to two supermakets only to find the shelves bare (for fresh food).  I never knew that people could clear out an entire case of onions!  I was able to grab the last gallon of milk.  There were four pints of blueberries left so I took two and left two.  The prediction was 18-24 inches.  Hard to imagine in Virginia where we usually go many years with no snow at all. But, sure enough the forecasters were right on.  It started snowing on Friday at about 11:00 a.m. and did not stop until Saturday at 5:00 p.m.  In the end, we got about 25 inches of snow.

Bruno shoveled for about 4 hours on Saturday and another three today.  We are dug out (until the next plow comes.)  Speaking of plows, we saw one try to go up our street last night and he got stuck so he just backed up down the hill and turned around - leaving a 5 foot snow drift from his plow in the middle of the street.

These are the steps leading to our basement.

Abigail's ready to play in the snow.

Not too much time for playing - she needs to help.

Grace is supervising...

Grace loves playing in the snow.

Now it's time to rest!

He's dreamy

Grace has been watching the Brady Bunch and has probably, at this point, seen every episode.  (This has been over the course of several months.)  Mark loves to tell the story about one time when he was over and she had just started watching the Brady Bunch.  Grace said to Bruno and Mark, "Peter is so cute!"  Mark said he laughed but Bruno wasn't laughing - ha! 

So Grace asked me the other day, "what does 'dreamy' mean?"  I told her it was just a saying they used years ago to say someone was "cute".  I asked her why she wanted to know and she said, "oh, Mike (names have been changed to protect the privacy of these little kids) is so dreamy - I mean cute!"  Mike is a little boy in her class.  Oh boy, I thought!  Then, on Sunday, we were at a restaurant and Mike happen to be there.  Grace saw him on our way out, got in the car and sighed with a smile on her face.  I started laughing and asked her what was going on.  She said "see, I told you, Mike is so cute!"  Bruno was not laughing - ha!  If this is 6 years old, what will the teenage years bring us - don't answer that!

And the latest on our little Abigail... she loves to do everything her big sister does.  Grace was helping me make a cake and had brought over a kitchen chair to stand on.  Sure enough, a few minutes later, Abigail was dragging a kitchen chair over to stand next to Grace.  She wants to stand on the step stool in the bathroom and brush her teeth, just like Grace.  And she loves to play with every toy Grace is playing with, which, you can imagine, Grace just loves! 

Abigail is also becomming very independent... she wants to put on her hat, coat and shoes - of course none of which she can do by herself!  She had her first temper tantrum a couple of weeks ago.  I told her it was tubby time and she said "noooo". So I let her play for a few minutes and then said it was tubby time again.  She started turning around in circles and saying "no-no-no" and then threw herself face down on the floor and started crying.  Bruno and I started laughing - but I'm sure we wont' be laughing after this becomes common place.  Ahhh - just another phase!

These girls bring us so much happiness and joy and sometimes it's just the little things that make us laugh!

It's somebody's birthday

Happy birthday to me!  I can't believe I'm already 30 - wow - how time flies!  (Yes, you all know I am lying but I can do that because it's MY birthday!) 

On Saturday night, Bruno and I braved the snow storm (only three inches but qualifies as a snow storm in DC) and went to dinner with Kerri and Mark (Mark's 30th birthday was on Friday - I'm still lying but I can do that because it's MY birthday.)  And I now have a new favorite restaurant in DC - Potenza.  It is an Italian restaurant and exactly what DC needed. 

We started with delicious cocktails and generous pours of wines by the glass.  Our server was very helpful with the menu suggestions and brought us warm, homemade bread with a great balsamic, garlic dipping sauce.  Then the appetizers - oysters (I did not partake in that dish but understand they were very good); Arancini alla Salsiccia di Cinghiale - fried risotto balls stuffed with wild boar sausage and provolone; and Polpettine d'Agnello - braised mini lamb meatballs, roasted pepper sauce, pecorino and pine nuts.  The risotto balls and meatballs were delicious!  (I wish I was a food blogger, then I would have remembered to take pictures and I would be able to better describe the dishes other than saying they were "delicious" and "fantastic".)

For dinner, I had tortelloni stuffed with gorgonzola and beef in a tomato sauce, others had Rigatoni and Sunday Gravy - Meatball, spicy fennel sausage, spare rib, brasciole and ricotta; Risotto allba Aragosta -
Maine lobster, braised leeks, and roasted sunchokes; and Scaloppine di Vitello - Veal, soft polenta, prosciutto, provolone sage, sauteed spinach and we finished the dinner with delicious cannolis.  It was all just fantastic! And we had a great time with Kerri and Mark!

Grace and I made my cake yesterday (I love to bake so it's a treat for me to have time to bake)!  I had made the famous Hershey's Cocoa Powder chocolate cake last week and it was decadent - so moist and flavorful - yum! So for this weekend, we went old school - yellow cake with chocolate frosting. 

And I have already had a great morning with happy birthday hugs from the girls and Bruno, presents (tickets from Bruno and and girls for me and Bruno to go see the Black Eyed Peas in Feb - WAHOO!) and birthday wishes from friends and family.  This includes the yearly tradition of my mom singing happy birthday to me on my voice mail - love it!

So, a great way to start the week and I feel so blessed to have so many friends and family to share my special day with!