Broccoli Discovery

That little Lucy will poo-poo peaches, sweet potatoes, squash and other sweet fare that I offer her. Yet she will gobble down two servings of broccoli in one sitting.

Will wonders never cease?

Recent Conversations between Darin and Erika

This Morning While Getting Ready for Church:

Erika: Honey, do you think you could teach me how to read music?

Darin: Maybe.

Erika: Is it too late in my life for me to learn how to play the piano?

Darin: *smiles* No.

Erika: But could you teach me or would that not be a good idea?

Darin: *silence*

Finishing Lunch After Church:

Erika: Honey, what do you recommend as the best way for me to start learning to play the piano?

Darin: Oh, maybe I can find some beginning workbooks.

Erika: Really?

Darin: Yes, but let's do it after Thanksgiving.

Erika: So, when you say, "let's do it", does that mean that you can teach me?

Darin: *pause* Honey, I think you're too busy to start up a new hobby right now.

Erika: But I love my hobbies! *grins*

Darin: I know you do. *smiles*

Erika: They keep me interesting... and mysterious!

Darin: Yes, Honey.

Erika: Darin, am I still a mystery?

Darin: Yes, Honey.

New York Pictures

After I met up with Darin in New York and had a FABULOUS time with him there, he had to continue in his business travels and go to Pittsburgh. Yesterday he came home and we are all very happy to be reuinited! He was away for a total of two weeks and he missed a few Lucy milestones (first two teeth broke through and she began sitting upright unsupported!).

The two of them are spending some time catching up right now, and I just love hearing all the giggles and joyful shrieks coming from Lucy's direction! She sure loves her daddy.

Now that Darin is back home, so is the camera! I finally have my New York pictures so I thought you might enjoy seeing some of them:

Manhatten Skyline at night.

We had an awesome view of this and the Statue of Liberty from our hotel room!

I LOVED Central Park- it was very beautiful with all the fall colors!

I became the "new bird lady" in Battery Park...

The Statue of Liberty was awesome to behold.

The only shoppingwe did on 5th Ave. was at FAO Schwartz. We picked out Lucy's very first baby doll there. Here I am with Lego Harry Potter, Hagrid, Hermione and Ron! How fun is that?!

Darin with Lego Chewy and Darth Vader!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art:

Seeing Mamma Mia on Broadway was great fun:

What a fun place to visit. I must say, I hope I get the opportunity to visit again someday. There's only so much you can fit into three days. But even if this will end up being my only visit to New York, I will be content. I'm thankful I even had this opportunity, and that Darin and I were able to share the experience with each other!

Payback

When I was a baby I began to give my parents a tough time when it came to meals. I refused to eat my fruits and veggies. I never thought about how much difficulty I must have put them through. Until now.

Lately, meal time with Miss Lucy has been a battle. Strained, solid and otherwise prepared foods offered to her just haven't been to her liking. I thought you'd enjoy seeing the view I have from opposite the high chair these days:

"Okay, I'm not sure I like this"

"Now I'm SURE I know I don't like this!"

"What is it going to take to get through to you, Mommy?"

Some might call this a coincidence. I call it payback.

The Broadway Musical That Made Me Cry

Darin and I just had our first trip away together... without Lucy. This was a pretty big step for me. Darin had to do some traveling on the East Coast for work... he first left a week ago yesterday and he won't be back home until Friday of this week. On Thursday of last week, I left Lucy with Darin's mom and dad and flew out to meet him in New York City for a five days. It was a great trip!! Though I missed Lucy very much.

One of the MANY great things we were able to experience in the city was going to see the Broadway musical, Mamma Mia ON Broadway! (Darin says he deserves a Husband of the Century Award for taking me to see this play out of all the choices-I have to agree!) Those of you who have known me since I was at least in high school, know how much I've always loved the Swedish pop music group from the 70's, ABBA. My relationship with ABBA began with my mother and sister introducing them to me with our family's old record player and ABBA LP. Further along I became rather famous for my creative dance interpretations of ABBA classics, and I still enjoy bonding with my Swedish grandma over ABBA songs. The play, Mamma Mia was inspired by and uses all ABBA music for its score. So I'm sure you can imagine my excitement about seeing this show in New York!

It's a super-fun, feel-good kind of a show that makes you want to jump down with the cast and join them in dance and song. Don't worry, I didn't. I knew I'd pretty much be thrown out of the theater if I did. You wouldn't think that a musical with so many toe-tapping vibrant, musical numbers would turn me to a crying, blubbering mess. But a duet in the second act between the two main characters, a mother and daughter, pretty much destroyed me. "Donna" was helping her daughter "Sophie" get ready for her wedding that day, and she became a bit nostalgic in the process. Cue the tear-jerking song, "Slipping Through My Fingers".

Considering that I was away from my own baby girl at the time, I cried through the entire scene and had a hard time getting myself back together even when the scene changed to another happy-go-lucky number. I must be a glutton for punishment because I just downloaded the song and have listened to it a couple of times since. I still can't get through it without kleenex in hand.

So I thought I'd invite you to enter into my misery by sharing lyrics from the chorus of "Slipping Through My Fingers" here:

Slipping through my fingers all the time

I try to capture every minute... the feeling in it

Slipping through my fingers all the time.

Do I really see what's in her mind?

Each time I think I'm close to knowing... she keeps on growing

Slipping through my fingers all the time.

Okay, I need to hear from all you mothers out there. Especially those who have daughters that are grown or nearly grown. And especially my own. Is this what being a mother is going to be like from here on out? Is every little heart-wrenching song or scene in a movie that captures some aspect of the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships going to do this to me? I have a feeling the answer is yes.

I don't know if I can stand it. But I do love it.

Being a mother to a daughter, that is.