Climbing Nut

So Peanut has climbed up all over the furniture. Yeah, like Godazilla attacking new york city. This week climbing was pursuit of a piece of candy that was on the table that I had no clue that it was up there. A few minutes after I found him in the middle of the dining table devouring away at Daddy's lemon sugar sticks with a huge grin. Daddy the high places were safe, he was wrong. Child proving is non-invalid clearly at this point. But, I still try so we won't have roasted a Peanut. I like my peanut just the way he is.

Ice Cream Candied Real Pirates

I'm more of a ninja gal myself, but the exhibit for real pirates was so tempting that Mr. Incredible and I went to it. Having eaten my divine ice cream candied malts before the museum having each color was a blast of a different flavor like green apple, dreamsicle and vanilla. Set a great tone to seeing a cool yet disturbing piece of history. Pirates were business men with moral compasses that didn't always point north. This I already knew.

Unlike the Somalian pirates of our day with dinghys and AK-47's,(and Disney's ride was changed from raging after women to raging after food): these pirates particularly the whydah pirates that were highlighted set themselves more in style with silks, beautifully decorated pistols called the George Washington and commandeered a slave ship thus continuing the lucrative trade of slaves adding to the list of goodies they could sell. Rum+Slave=Caribbean style, right?

Why is it that men do crazy things for women? Sam Bellamy the captain took up piracy to gain his love Maria's hand. John King a 8 year old pirate who was willing to kill his mother to join the ranks. What crazy love? And I only thought Disney could make-up such a tale of a warped girl who did anything for the love of pirates. I was wrong! But what scally wag in his right mind would take such a psychotic kid under his wing? In a fight he does have the upper hand no one would suspect a 8 year-old who is willing to brutally torture someone for sport.

The ship that you get to walk through was awesome Mr. Incredible had to get his sea legs on. Interestingly Pirates had a better diet, living quarters and pay then merchant sailors. Who were treated a tad bit better then slaves and low-paid servants-- if paid at all. I questioned if the merchants better then the pirates? After seeing there treatment of people I'm unsure. Or is it a conspiracy to get me to watch the supposedly final movie of Disney's saga of Pirates? Curse you national geographic for making me think that piracy was a great alternative to being a honest laborer! Now, just don't ruin ninjas for me!

Candied Peanut and Soap

Yesterday was Hammond's Candy factory tour which was awesome. Peanut was occupied by a strawberry 1 oz lollipop that he devoured throughout the tour. He looked like a Augustus Gloop with hard candy. Daddy chomped the last pieces of lollipop from Peanut offering to him him it. Peanut was so sad. We went through the store he knew what that sweet stuff was and cried for more until it was out of sight.

Today we made some soap with cocoa butter (the picture is the 16 bar) , our friends we will call them Batman and crew came to watch us. It was so much fun. We realized that with all the cocoa butter we have, during a disaster could be made in to a very lucrative business of chocolate making. Not enough people tell you that self-efficacy is empowering and fun. So when disaster strikes you know where to turn to get chocolaty sweets. Be prepared to barter though!

Fling into Spring

Yesterday the whole family went to the Spring Fling that Colorado Mountain Mamas put on. I love that organization already. We decided to take a loaner hiking back pack around the hike. I've been thinking about getting one to hike with. Peanut was interested at first in what we were putting him in, then was scared to realize once on mommy's back his freedom of movement was restrained, until we started hiking the loop trail where he discovered being high on mommies back afforded him a great view of the birds. Quite a comfortable ride for him, I actually liked it more then pushing a stroller around the trails. One woman who had a BOB revolution stroller had a difficult time managing to push. It was a way fun family event where the Audobon Center had snake hides and other animinal hides that you could touch and learn about the wild life that lived there.

Pow-Wow

March for me symbolizes the annual Pow-Wow which this year we were able to attend. It was awesome! Though the Denver Coliseum has no elevators we saw electric wheel chairs and tons of strollers on the 3rd floors. Which Peanut's City Mini came in handy I just folded in half and carried up the stairs with us. The dancing was awesome, there were cute little 2 year old dancing fully decked out in traditional costume it was so cute to see them.
Fryer concession stand opened up at noon as the schedule said, of course that is one of the many reasons we went, great Navajo fry bread is not everywhere. I was amazing at how they had an event for everyone at the Pow-wow with the storytelling telling, the dancing, the singing, and quilt judging. It was awesome. Mr. Incredible wishes he were of native american ancestry so he could be a warrior.

Imperial potty training

Archery and slow cooking

This last weekend were some fun times. I discovered that I'm not the person you want to rely on with a bow and arrow for food. Yes, that is my arrow wedged in the wall. I got mad skills I know. It was a blast though. With ricochets off the wall and things like moose cream one can not stop laughing. Mr. Incredible was super babysitting Peanut and others as well. He never ceases to amaze me.

Inspired by some of my friends who love curry as much as our family. I challenged myself to make multiple Indian dishes in one day. Having learned from my dear friends in India to make Dol and other dishes. Also having tasted all different regional dishes in India, I decided to make more Northern dishes due to the hot factor but I used the southern flare of coconut milk.

In order to maximize my kitchen space I actually used both my crock pots for the first time to cook. Chicken Vindaloo and Lamb Korma were the dishes I made in the crock pots. The others I did were Aloo Tikka Masala and Patta Gobi Dol. Aloo means potato and Patta Gobi means cauliflower. The Aloo was taken over by me putting to much tomato in it. It looked and tasted more like a version of Indian Italian sauce for pizza. I did it because my beautiful Colorado purple potatoes did not look right in Indian Tikka Masala. The smells of the food and the taste of the Naan, Bhrantas and mint chutney took me back to when I lived there. I love my India! It was all topped off with fresh homemade ice cream delish. Loved it! Thanks to my baker who bravery cooked on the stove and oven instead of a tandoori oven. The Naan and Bhrantas were fab as well as the company that came.

Tiger Mom ate my daughter and the Cinderella Battle Hymn

You may wonder about my title! Well it's the clash of civilizations in parenting literature always fun for all. Two great books on parenting but different views. Very different.
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom. I love the book! A Yale law professor that will make time to teach and be home with her children and in a some what crazy style. Makes motherhood look real and wonderful. She is there with and for her children every step of the way and giving notes. The debate in the news is she crazy? ...Ahh, most definitely, but I don't think one should judge her solely on that! Which Mom is not crazy in one form or another, though? It's a different style of parenting, look at it as such and if you want to change your style do it. She has a clear vision of where she wants her girls to go with music, and school. She wants her daughters to succeed. Great example of hard work.

Cinderella Ate my Daughter I found in the section of Barnes and Noble women's study. Which was odd considering its brand new and in parenting books. It is an informative view on the princess movement. Though the author lacks a clear picture of what she wants her daughter to be. Clearly she does not want them to be princesses entitled and only with beauty and charm. She leaves that realm open to the child, but is shockingly horrified to find out that her daughter wants to be a Disney princess. Still I'm reading it so maybe she will tell us as mothers how to teach our daughters a better way. I don't think so considering her feminist view never takes in consideration that boys and girls may think differently. Though I'm enjoying the Cinderella Battle Hymn which does terrorify me. The Tiger Mom would eat her daughter for lunch while beating that princess out of her because she has a clear vision of what they should do even at a young age. Though that is a debate of the West vs the rest in parenting style. I like the history and education of the book though. Parenting here in the USA is relative.

Gym Rat

Yes, that is me! I love the gym. Swimming, zumba, bikes, weights, yoga you name it. I saw the general manager of gym at chick-fila and you could tell he was scared that I was going to mob him like the masses of women did last week when they heard zumba classes were going to a sign up sheet. My take is this. Ladies and/or gentleman if you only come to the gym for zumba go to a studio that specializes in just that (our latin teacher teaches at one).