March 2008 Archives

Ever since I've become a mother, I can count the number of days I've been healthy on one hand. Right now, I am experiencing a strange underwater sensation due to an ear infection. I'm completely deaf on my left side and I keep swallowing and yawning, trying to rid of this stuffed up feeling. It's not really working.

Fortunately, Kumi's immune system is getting better and better and she is thriving. Yesterday, she turned 20 months. She's starting to form sentences now (e.g. "Pumi outside shoes on" and "Bathtime, night night yeah?" and "uh-oh no-no yucky WIPE!"). She still has difficulty pronouncing the hard "c" sound so she calls herself "Pumi".

We've been busy in the last month attending music classes, enjoying playdates and having a good time all around.

Alas, it hasn't all been peachy. Lately she's been getting up in the middle of the night, screaming "Mommy! Mommy!" I bring her into bed with me and endure the thrashing about as she sleeps acrobatically. I haven't been sleeping much...I think she's teething again and when she allows me to get a glimpse into her mouth, I do see sharp little ones pushing their way through swollen gums. Poor thing.

Spring is everywhere and our streets are filled with lush cherry blossoms. In addition to the monthly online journal, I keep a somewhat weekly illustrated journal. Like the online version, it's almost entirely dedicated to the shenanigans of Kumi. This is one well-documented girl! I started the journal about 7 months ago as a way to incorporate drawing and painting (I use watercolors) on a regular basis. You can see one of the recent pages below -- I had cherry blossoms on my mind.

What I've really noticed in the last month is how much she plays by herself now. She'll line up dolls and have a little tea party or I'll find her squirreled away in a corner reading to herself. Next thing I know, she'll be begging me to let her drive...

Please bear with me as I fix some Movable Type issues I'm having. I've reverted to the default version for now, but a new banner and other nifty things are forthcoming. I'm also aware that my site looks a little wonky in Mozilla and am trying to make sense out of my scary coding done four (four!!) years ago.

For the time being, here is a cute picture of of Kumi and her friends making pizza. My friend took the shot as I was busy trying to pass around the toppings. As you can see, Kumi is chomping on raw pizza while her friends diligently decorate. It was so much fun!! I made the dough from scratch using a combination of wheat and white flour to make it a little healthier. It was surprisingly easy and very yummy and the kids absolutely loved the whole process. I told my neighbor about it later and she said "that's very Montessori of you." I did feel a little like I was channeling Martha Stewart, if anything.

Here's the recipe:

1 tsp fast rising yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose white flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup water

For the topping:
1 cup pizza sauce (I got mine from Trader Joe's)
1 8 oz package of mozzarella cheese
Assorted chopped vegetables and anything else you like on your pizza

1. Mix the wheat and white flour together
2. Combine half the flour mix with the salt and yeast. Stir to blend. Add 1 cup of water and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth
3. Add the remaining flour a little bit at a time while stirring. When the dough gets too stiff for the wooden spoon, begin kneading the dough (I kept it in the bowl while kneading). Continue to add little bits of flour until the dough is smooth but still quite moist. This takes about 10 minutes
4. Grease a bowl with a splash of olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise for at least an hour in a warm, draft-free area. **according to the recipe I used from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything", the dough should double in size, but my dough remained pretty much the same size but was slightly puffier. The crust came out great so don't be discouraged if the dough doesn't rise.**
5. While the dough is rising, chop up your favorite toppings. I used green bell peppers, grape tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, onions and left over parmesan chicken.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
7. When the dough is ready, divide them into as many pieces as you like and create your pizza masterpieces!
8. Cook for 12-15 minutes

Due to a wretched flu that hit us all and a week-long vacation to Indiana, I haven't had a chance to work on the monthly update. Aside from the debilitating flu, the last month has been a blast. Kumi's really talking now, identifying so many things around her and in books. She has full conversations by herself and lately she's been calling me "Mommy" instead of "Mama". Dada is still Dada though. She seems much more like a little girl than a baby nowadays, and the other day MF sounded a little sad when he said "she doesn't smell like an infant anymore".

We had a wonderful time in Indianapolis. Kumi was really comfortable with all her relatives (she quickly mastered "Grama" and "Grapa", scoring huge with the grandparents) and loved every minute of the visit. There was snow -- something she wasn't too thrilled with -- and a mind-bogglingly fun trip to the Children's Museum and a drive to southern Indiana and lots of family time. It's been three days since we've been back and she still says "Grama?" occasionally.

I've also been busy with illustration and sewing/knitting/crafting projects these last few weeks. My goal is to soon start posting those on the blog as well. Mostly, I dream of totally purging our apartment and re-decorating...or at least re-upholstering. I made a Flat screen cozy, which inspired me to attempt a slipcover for our tattered sofa. Alas, the material is still folded and collecting dust on said sofa. Maybe next month...I'll have more updates on the trip and crafty things to share.