The kiddo scattered her peanuts all over the backseat of the car, so I was giving her a little scolding while I unbuckled her. She looked up at me with her halo of curly blond hair and her big blue eyes.
"But I'm cute."
Hoo boy.
12.19.2013
12.15.2013
Cuddly
The kiddo had a babysitter last night, so today she keeps coming to me, giving me a hug, and saying, "I'm so GWAD you're HEWE."
12.06.2013
American foodways
A lot of the connection I have with my ethnic heritage is food-related, some of it near-term (the Minnesota-specific, Scandinavian-influenced, and Midwestern parts), some more remote (the Mennonite parts and the Danish aebleskiver, which I inherited from my mother, despite the Danish ancestors being in the paternal part of the tree). My in-laws also eat in a typically Midwestern way, with an overlay of traditional New Mexican flavors.
So I often think about the how the foods I feed my daughter differ from what I experienced growing up. Tonight, the kiddo was watching T.G. spoon beans and rice onto a tortilla, and I said to her, "Daddy is making a burrito."
"No way!" she said, "It's not a burrito; it's a tortilla."
At 23 months, I'm sure I had never even heard the words tortilla or burrito. Mexican food meant tacos. We didn't have tortillas, we had soft-shells for our tacos. I'm pretty sure the first burrito I encountered was a McDonald's breakfast burrito. Or maybe something more enchilada-like at Mrs. Lady's in Okoboji.
I feed my family a lot of Asian-influenced food, American-style Chinese, Thai, or Indian. Then there are the Turkish, Middle-Eastern, and Mediterranean flavors we like. Even in the realm of something as "normal" as Italian food, I first had fresh, soft mozzarella cheese on a ham sandwich in Italy when I was 15. Now even the supermarket in my small, rural hometown has two or three varieties. I make and freeze my own authentic-ish refritos, and I've done New Mexican chiles rellenos and posole from scratch.
On the other hand, roasted chicken, meat-and-potatoes meals, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and tuna salad are all in frequent rotation. Some of my family traditions that the kiddo has had include thin, crepe-like pancakes; ham-green bean soup; tweback; pfeffernusse; schnetke; cucumber salad; portzilke; and cherry moos. I still need to introduce her to verenike, canned/stewed beef (with the delightful Low German name dampfleisch), kringles, cheese buttons, rommegrot, lefse, aebleskiver, and borscht (which in our tradition is cabbage-and-tomato based, not beets). Maybe lutefisk, or not.
One's family heritage comes out in a lot of unexpected ways. My little Northern-European mutt says noodles; a quarter-Italian of the same age whom we know says pasta.
So I often think about the how the foods I feed my daughter differ from what I experienced growing up. Tonight, the kiddo was watching T.G. spoon beans and rice onto a tortilla, and I said to her, "Daddy is making a burrito."
"No way!" she said, "It's not a burrito; it's a tortilla."
At 23 months, I'm sure I had never even heard the words tortilla or burrito. Mexican food meant tacos. We didn't have tortillas, we had soft-shells for our tacos. I'm pretty sure the first burrito I encountered was a McDonald's breakfast burrito. Or maybe something more enchilada-like at Mrs. Lady's in Okoboji.
I feed my family a lot of Asian-influenced food, American-style Chinese, Thai, or Indian. Then there are the Turkish, Middle-Eastern, and Mediterranean flavors we like. Even in the realm of something as "normal" as Italian food, I first had fresh, soft mozzarella cheese on a ham sandwich in Italy when I was 15. Now even the supermarket in my small, rural hometown has two or three varieties. I make and freeze my own authentic-ish refritos, and I've done New Mexican chiles rellenos and posole from scratch.
On the other hand, roasted chicken, meat-and-potatoes meals, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and tuna salad are all in frequent rotation. Some of my family traditions that the kiddo has had include thin, crepe-like pancakes; ham-green bean soup; tweback; pfeffernusse; schnetke; cucumber salad; portzilke; and cherry moos. I still need to introduce her to verenike, canned/stewed beef (with the delightful Low German name dampfleisch), kringles, cheese buttons, rommegrot, lefse, aebleskiver, and borscht (which in our tradition is cabbage-and-tomato based, not beets). Maybe lutefisk, or not.
One's family heritage comes out in a lot of unexpected ways. My little Northern-European mutt says noodles; a quarter-Italian of the same age whom we know says pasta.
12.05.2013
Impossible
We've been having this exchange regularly for the last month or so.
Me: How old are you?
Kiddo: Three months.
Me: No, sweetie. Say "Almost two."
Her: A'most... two?
Me: How old are you?
Her: Three months!
Fortunately, I think I finally got her trained into the right answer today.
Me: How old are you?
Kiddo: Three months.
Me: No, sweetie. Say "Almost two."
Her: A'most... two?
Me: How old are you?
Her: Three months!
Fortunately, I think I finally got her trained into the right answer today.
12.04.2013
Bossy
Kiddo was going to bed at Grandma's house.
Me, sappy: I love you.
Her: Turn the light off.
The next night—
Me: Goodnight!
Her: Close the door.
Me, sappy: I love you.
Her: Turn the light off.
The next night—
Me: Goodnight!
Her: Close the door.
11.24.2013
Are you sure?
We had to stay late at church, which means both lunch and naptime are delayed, so we got a quick lunch at Wendy's. I handed the kiddo a chicken nugget.
"Chicken nu'et. This is food?"
She remains skeptical of Arby's "roast beef," too, so I think we can conclude that she is much wiser than the rest of us.
"Chicken nu'et. This is food?"
She remains skeptical of Arby's "roast beef," too, so I think we can conclude that she is much wiser than the rest of us.
11.23.2013
11.16.2013
Stealthy
Kiddo is pursuing a fly around the apartment with the flyswatter in a less-than useful way.
"Come back! Come back! Oh, fwyyyyyyyyy! Wake up!"
"Come back! Come back! Oh, fwyyyyyyyyy! Wake up!"
11.15.2013
Pots'n'pans
The kiddo brought me her apron to put on this morning, and then she ran for the kitchen.
Her: C'mon, mama, mama, c'mon. DO DISHES!
Somebody call Mom Judy, I think I got a kitchen girl.
Her: C'mon, mama, mama, c'mon. DO DISHES!
Somebody call Mom Judy, I think I got a kitchen girl.
11.04.2013
Color commentary
I walked into the living room, where Kiddo was watching the Steelers/Patriots game. She turned to me.
Her: Fa' down and BUMP!
She turned back to the screen and held out her arms for a hug.
Her: Aw right, foo'ba's. Hold you. Kisses a' better.
Her: Fa' down and BUMP!
She turned back to the screen and held out her arms for a hug.
Her: Aw right, foo'ba's. Hold you. Kisses a' better.
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