Archives for March 2007

Cookies or Lard?

March 28, 2007 Leave a Comment

Emma and her new bubble machine

Every Saturday and Sunday morning Elena and I have what is affectionately referred to in our household as, a “Monster Breakfast”. This typically consists of freshly cooked pancakes with a nice warm cup of hot cocoa, or a scrambled egg omelet with onions, ham, and cheese. When we are feeling particularly voracious we will include freshly cooked bacon or sausage (although we haven’t done that for a while). We also include a nice warm cup of “cafe con leche” (coffee with milk). Over the years I have established a tradition of sorts where I celebrate the end of a long week, and the goodness of this fantastic feast, by dipping a delectable Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate “Milano” cookie into my coffee, and then eating the moist heavenly wafer. This technique really brings out the sweetness in the chocolate and for that one moment, there is peace and harmony in the world. Upon my return from that temporary state of bliss, Elena can always be found staring at me from across the table with a look of utter repulsion. You see, Elena doesn’t think much of the Milano, or its unassuming dry outer shell that gently and inconspicuously protects the chocolate treasure that lies within from undiscerning eyes. She doesn’t get that it is not meant for any but the most discriminating of pallets. “Dry nasty cookies” she calls them. “And how disgusting it is that you dip them in your coffee”, she says as she retrieves a buttered piece of toast from her coffee and consumes its greasy remains.

So over the last several months I wondered in private, if Emma would have the distinguished pallet required to appreciate the subtle beauty of a carefully crafted cookie? Or would she have the coarse, barbaric taste buds that craved sugar and lard? This weekend we got our answer. Emma, like her Dad, is a “Cookie Connoisseur”. Welcome to the club baby. You made your Daddy proud. Of course, this does mean that Mommy will have to double-up on our Milano inventory if I’m gonna have to share now. 🙂

Emma eating Dad’s favorite cookie

Filed Under: All, food

Emma’s Tech Tip – Pando

March 24, 2007 Leave a Comment

Do you have a really big file you need to email someone (say 42 Mega Bytes of pictures) but your email program won’t let you send any more than 4 Megabytes worth of attachments? Enter Pando to the rescue. Pando is a free file sharing application that allows you to send up to 1 Gigabyte worth of attachments in a single email. The tool integrates nicely with programs such as Microsoft’s Outlook and is simple to use. Pando accomplishes this apparent miraculous feat by sending your files to a server and automatically attaching a link to their location in your email. The recipient simply clicks on the link to retrieve the content. It’s fast, it’s simple, and solves the problem of email size limitations once and for all.

Note: Because your files are sent to Pando’s server you should use caution when using this service. They do claim that your files will be encrypted and privacy is maintained, but as with anything in life, you never know. If security is an issue for the file in question, then don’t take chances with any Internet service.

Filed Under: All, technology, tips

Pictures From The Fair

March 20, 2007 Leave a Comment

Emma and Owen posing for a quick photo opp.

This weekend, Elena, Emma, Jessie and Me went to the local fair. The theme was “Yesteryear Village” where we saw replicas of Saloons, Stables, Houses, Fire Stations, Churches, School Houses, etc. from the early 1900’s. It was a beautiful clear, sunny day, and the temperature was just right (a breezy 74 degrees). There were a lot of activities to do and Emma had a great time playing around and making arts and crafts. We met up with her buddy Owen and wandered around the fair together. The first attraction we encountered were the pony rides. Emma seemed to be somewhat indifferent to the animals until I tried to sit her on top of one. Although I was standing right next to her and promised to hold her the whole way through she immediately started to shake her head from left to right and began to wail. I tried to calm her with reassuring words but in the end we had to abort the mission. Perhaps next time.

Next it was time for a little ring toss with Daddy…

…and some of Emma’s world class kisses.

A pirates Hat…

A quick snack…

A walk through the garden…

Some arts & crafts…

And a picture with a mule named Ted.

Filed Under: activities, All, Elena, Jessie, Mark

At the Park with Mommy

March 12, 2007 1 Comment

Elena and Emma have been spending a lot of time at the park lately. Emma likes to blow bubbles, kick the soccer ball, go down the slide, and ride the swing. Emma is signing more and more these days. Words like “dog”, “bird”, “flower”, “apple” “ball”, and “duck” have made their way into her vocabulary which she signs frequently when she sees them at the park. She is like a little sponge these days and will also sign words Elena and I use while we are having a conversation. She is like a little interpreter for the hearing impaired.

Emma enjoys playing with her shovel but doesn’t like to get sand on her hands. She gets this from her Daddy. 🙂 In this picture Emma has fallen down and refuses to touch the sand to pick herself up. The look of dissatisfaction is aimed toward her Mother who is encouraging her to stand up on her own. In cases like this, Emma prefers to be rescued without soiling her fingers.

Filed Under: All, park, signs

Waiting for the plane…

March 5, 2007 2 Comments

Emma at the RDU airport waiting for the plane.

We just came back from a two week trip to North Carolina where we spent time with Elena’s Mom, Frank, Pititi, Rosy, Jackie, Alex, Vicki, Marco, Mario, and Anamarie. We had a great time with them and it was sad to leave. Emma has grown a lot since the last time I posted. She is now running and can kick a ball without loosing her balance. Like her cousin Matthew, Emma is able to climb off the bed (air mattress) and onto the floor. She does this in a controlled way by moving her legs to the edge of the bed and easing her way down. When she wants me to put her on the floor she says the word “down!” in a very commanding tone and uses both hands to point to the floor.

Happy Birthday wishes to Emma’s Godfather Rob and to her friend Ian.

Filed Under: Alex, All, Anamarie, Frank, Jackie, Marco, Mario, Myriam, Pititi, Rosy, Vicki