we did it

we finally got around to posting a BUNCH of pictures from the last 3-4 months (on lucaspix) it just goes backwards in time from now-ish to our last days in athens.

i gotta gripe

almost everyone i meet these days says "oh! youre so SMALL!"

well i know they mean it nice, but i FEEL big.. and my scale says im big (160 lbs = 71 kilos).. and my waist is a whopping 104cm = 40 in!!! i'm even a bit bigger than i was with lu at the same week of pg, and he was a big baby (3.75 kilos = 8.25 lbs)

so UGH! if i see you, would you just tell me i look "healthy" please? or "a good size"... nobody wants to be a skinny preggy.

sheesh.

the little man behind the curtains

lucas personality is showing up more clearly these days.. and were not sure if its just because he's at the age where it really starts to show up ... as he develops "social skills" or if it's kind of a phase he's going through. he seems to be shy, quiet and reserved.. observing everything carefully, taking only calculated risks. and is only ever "talkative" at home... is this MY KID? haha.. he musta got that from ph!

also recently .. we just got all the required fabric and a mini sewing machine to make ourselves some curtains for the living room. i'll post before/after pix when we finally manage to finish this project, and sitting here surfing the web in my precious little sans-lucas-free-time is not advancing my cause significantly is it? oh well.

but i'll bet my desire for burnt orange curtains wins in the end. if you know me at all, then you probably know my opinions on run-of-the-mill white plastic miniblinds, and my general displeasure with the color gray (the color of my baseboards, ugh... but at least theyre not beige like the walls!!) and can surmise i'll be acting quickly to remedy this sity-ation. these are important issues.

at least finally after the flurry of activity surrounding the past two weekends in our house, we have a work-area in our basement set-up. it isnt fully stocked with tools and paints and miscellaneous household whatevers yet, but a solid work table, lights, electricity and an adjacent storage cabinet will take you far. next i need some funky old matching pillowcases from the salvation army to hang in the basement windows before i can really feel ready for any projects that may be brewing down there in the future.

okay okay i get the hint

i uploaded a dozen or so pix on flickr now.. it's fall, it's our house (mostly the living room where all the action is), its halloweeen, and a few pix of me & lu horsing around where you can really see my 6-months-pregnant belly. (now at 28 weeks, and 15 lbs heavier)

so go fill your eyes, NI!

root vegetable stew

the day before... cover some dry lentils with water, refrigerate in a closed container overnight

saute garlic & onion in olive oil in the bottom of a BIG soup pot...
then add the lentils & a bunch of chopped root veggies: potatoes, carrots/parsnips, turnips.
top off with water, a boullion cube, red wine, some seasonings (suggest fresh basil/ rosemary/thyme.. but a heaping helping of "italian seasoning" will do)
simmer, stir occasionally, on medium heat for 40 minutes
add a half head of chopped fresh cabbage, push it down into the liquid (or add water if necessary)
continue simmer for 10-15 mins until; cabbage softens

serve (optionally: with a dollop of sour cream & tabasco to taste.. really i prefer crema mexicana & franks red hot, but you get the picture)

thats more like it

the weather made a turn for the better.. okay fall is beautiful.. but who wants to cover up their halloween costume with a stupid coat? nobody. so, lucas was (big surprise) a basketball player and loved carrying his ball all night.. and i was his coach & philippe was the referee..

rightnow im eating candy.. hehe.

we went around the neighborhood gathering candy . this was ph's first time out trick-or-treating ever .. and lucas' too.. and we also stopped at the firestation to see the big trucks. lu was all excited about this - since 'things that have wheels or roll' is a current obsession of his and comprises 85% of his daily conversation.

so i unstrapped him from the stroller and he went towards the truck, but as soon as he realized the wheel was much bigger than him he ran to the safety of my legs, and then up into papa's arms.. awww..

and i think i forgot to mention... this year ph carved his first pumpkin too. at first he was hmm, nah, doesnt sound very fun... but then we went to a friends' potluck dinner where she set up a pumpkincarving table, and philippe went nuts.. he had a blast and even used some of the pumpkin guts as jack-o-lantern "snot" to enhance his finished product.