The First Birthday Party

Last Saturday we celebrated Orelia's first birthday with a backyard bash surrounded by all our local friends.

The almost-one-year olds were sent home with pinwheels, paper crowns, organic O's, and goodie bags.

Champagne bottles were popped, and the babies downed celebratory water.

Everyone feasted on Orelia's favorite foods - soft pretzels, watermelon, strawberries, and Chick-fil-a.

Orelia spent the afternoon playing with friends with her Daddy by her side.  Her idea of a perfect celebration.

I was there too, of course.

I couldn't have pulled it off without Natalie and Mitch's help the morning of the party.  They came over early and prepared all of the food while I ran around like a crazy person.

I spent the morning decorating, so it was a huge relief to have them doing all the food prep.

The babies navigated tunnels, chewed on plastic delicacies, and splashed at the water tables.  They quite enjoyed themselves, I think.

Harper's friend Tiggy also came to wish Orelia a happy birthday.

Joyce kept Harper under control throughout the whole party.  The chicken nuggets were a little too tempting for a certain brown dog.

We were glad so many of our friends were able to come celebrate Orelia's big day.

After a couple of hours and a few dozen chicken nuggets, we figured it was time for dessert.  Raspberry, red velvet, and vanilla macaroons were the prelude to the red velvet cake.

Orelia was a bit confused as to the singing portion of the afternoon, but she didn't seem to mind.

She had her very own red velvet smash cake to do with as she pleased.

She was pretty serious about the matter.

Eventually she tasted a bit using her trusty teaspoon.

Evidently it was worth pawning off on Daddy, but not worth taking another bite.

She got pretty into the experience, and I learned why it's called a smash cake.

She thoroughly destroyed the cake like a good birthday girl should.

Once she realized there were balloons behind her, she would not rest until they were covered in cake.

The party ended with crowns and cuddles.

After the guests left and a nap was taken, there were many presents to open.

Orelia's new "bike" from me and John was almost as well received as the tissue paper inside all the gift bags.

Happy first birthday to our baby girl.  We look forward to lots more fun, lots more parties, and hopefully more cake eating in the years to come.

She is One

I blinked and the year slipped by.  Our little girl is a year old.

She ended the day wearing a crown and a smile, surrounded by wrapping paper, balloons, and plenty of new books.  Happy first birthday, Orelia!

Carbo Loading

How can you get three babies to sit still for a photo-op?

By letting them carbo load of course!

Orelia and her best girl friends love some baguette.

My friend snapped these photos a couple months back during a play date.

The fervor with which these ladies can down a piece of bread is not to be believed.

I can only hope our girls remain friends for long enough to eat many baguettes together and laugh at other girls who are scared to eat carbs.  I love these carb eating triplets!

Nap Time Panzanella

Making dinner is a bit of a struggle these days, but John and I prefer homemade meals for the taste and health.  One of our favorite summer meals is panzanella, which is essentially bread salad.  What could be better than a salad made almost entirely of bread?!

I've developed a nap time-friendly version of this salad where everything can be done in advance, and then 15 minutes before you want to eat, you put the bread in the oven.  The original recipe calls for sauteing the bread for 15 minutes while almost constantly minding the stove.  That doesn't really work in my life these days, so I came up with this cheat that actually tastes just as good.

The vegetables can be cut up ahead of time and the dressing can be made in advance.  This method works well for when you're having guests over too and don't want to be standing around cooking the whole time you would rather be outside on the patio.

Orelia samples this dinner, but the only thing she really eats is the fried bead.

A girl after my own heart, so I can't really blame her.

Nap Time Panzanella
Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe

Makes two huge portions of four big portions

For the croutons:
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Garlic powder
1 small or half of a large thick, rustic bread (not fluffy bread) - day old bread is great here - cut into one-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut bread into one-inch cubes and lay out in one layer on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss with plenty of kosher salt and garlic powder.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, tossing once, until cubes are crispy.

For the salad:
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 English cucumbers or 4 Persian cucumbers (these varieties have mild skins instead of bitter skins), cut into one-inch chunks
10-15 basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

For the dressing:
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Black pepper

To assemble the salad, add the cooked bread cubes to the chopped vegetables and drizzle the dressing on top.  Toss until the bread is fully coated with the dressing and serve immediately (otherwise the bread gets soggy).

At My Least Grateful

Come 5:00, or even some days by 4:00, I'm not at my best.

I'm tired from a day that started by 6:00 am at the latest. Orelia is tired too. We are both cranky and eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of Daddy. It's at this time of day when I'm at my least grateful.

I forget to be thankful for my beautiful and generally happy daughter. I forget to be thankful for our lovely house and backyard where I spend my days. I forget to be thankful that we live in literally the best place I can imagine raising my family. Mostly, at this point in the day, I am not grateful for my job as a stay at home mom.

The other day at 5:00 I began to think of my daily tasks in my former life as a lawyer. Every single one I could think of was a lot less desirable than doing what I was doing - pushing my daughter in a stroller, listening to Paul Simon, and passing toys when necessary to soothe.

Sometimes it's easy to forget to be grateful that I'm the one whom Orelia crawls onto, whining that she's tired from the day.

I'm the one who rubs her back and smoothes her newly forming curls. I get to hoist her onto my hip and take her inside for a change of scenery and fresh set of toys. I get to hand her cracker after cracker as we keep an eye on the driveway looking for John.

I'd much rather be where I am than finishing a memo or responding to an email.

So I put in Orelia's favorite CD and keep her away from our sharp corners for the millionth time.

We clap and sing with the music and finish up the day.

Baby in a Basket

Somehow I forgot to post some amazing photos Natalie took of Orelia last month.

We went over to Natalie's house one morning a month ago for authentic bagels and a chance to hang out.  (The bagels in California are generally terrible, but Natalie found a few places near her that sell authentic New York-style bagels.)

Much to everyone's surprise, Orelia seemed to enjoy sitting in the basket for a moment so long as her trusty cell phone was in hand.

Seconds later she toppled out of the basket with a smile on her face.  The moment was gone, but luckily Natalie captured it beautifully.

We went on the front porch for a minute and Orelia was enamored by the loquat Natalie handed her.

Don't get me wrong, it was no bagel with butter, but it was still fun.

She wanted to tell us all about it.

Many thanks to Natalie for hosting us for a wonderful day at her place.

Orelia gets to see her Aunt Natalie almost every week.

She loves her Auntie almost as much as she loves her Monkey.  And that's saying something.