The day started out well. FINALLY the two week break from music class ended and off we went this morning, too early, so we stopped at a park. We played on the fiberglass horses in the old west area, dug in sand for a bit, found a really cool rock that we decided to keep.
Music class was great as usual, and Jonah spent the whole time clinging tightly to me as usual. He always gets SO SHY in class, and then as soon as we get home and for the rest of the week he’s singing the songs. One new development: he actually put away the instruments each time it was time to, rather than clinging tightly to them and crying or screaming. NO! DRUMMMM! NO!
And then it started to rain, which I was totally unprepared for. And then my back started hurting more than it has been. And Jonah seemed tired. Or maybe that was wishful thinking. Poor guy. I put him down for a nap at noon, which he didn’t agree to, though he didn’t complain about being left to play in the crib with a bottle and a book for half an hour. I gave up, took him out, played with him for another hour, my energy completely sapped by the pain in my back, so really just lay on the floor next to him while he played. Fed him lunch without a bib. Yogurt and spinach everywhere, especially in the buckles of the straps of the high chair. Fabu.
Stripped down and put nearly naked boy back in crib at 1:30 for the second nap attempt, which also failed. He was in there for an hour anyway while I lay in bed and tried to nap myself. He may have been quietly playing or actually napping for a portion of that time, hard to say.
Then I gave up again, got him out. Handed him a Pokiboh (popsicle: coconut and milk — yummy) and sat him down on the kitchen floor. And called my friend Emily to cry because how was I going to make it through the next three hours with my back and my tiredness and this rain and our 36 stairs altogether daunting me from leaving the house for any external stimulation.
From the kitchen I could hear Jonah saying “Like it!”
So that was good. I kept talking to Emily and following Jonah around the house. Sitting/ lying down wherever he landed.
And then he started a game, sneaking up behind me (as much as he can really sneak) and popping around my shoulder and saying “Boo!”
Too cute. I figured I could make it after all. Got off phone. Played BOO for a while.
Then I wanted to do dishes. And he wanted to play with the big bin of cat food. So I let him. The closest thing we have to an indoor sandbox. “Scoop!”
Madness.
Then he got hungry again. So I fed him per his demands: Bowlies! Pinash! Beanz! Sauce! Hummos! Bagel! — most all of which ended up coating is playsuit in a thick layer of paste from neck to ankles –which led him to being nearly naked again. And then he asked for something to put on his gums (as indicated by his effort to put his entire boo boo bunny in his mouth). He’s got more teeth coming in, though not in the usual order. There’s that one, seventh tooth on the bottom, and one more on the same side, further back. So I gave him frozen mango pieces to teethe on.
…and while all that was going on, I prepped chicken to marinate for dinner.
Which leads me to the recipes.
I took the following three recipes and made up my own based on an improvisational combination.
The main recipe in this escapade is from my brilliant friend Leila.
I didn’t have any paprika left in the jar though, so I used chili ancho instead (smelled both, considered it a reasonable match though I also gave the smoked paprika a momentary thought). I cut the recipe by 1/3 because I only had two pounds of boneless chicken breasts. And I didn’t have cumin seeds so I subbed powdered.
And then I tasted the marinade and it was too savory and chili-y for me.
I cut the chicken breasts into strips and coated them in the spice mixture, per this recipe which I saw prepared on TV yesterday and was the inspiration to begin with — the only problems being I don’t have preserved lemons or artichoke hearts, and not enough time to order the featured guest chefs’ special spice mixture online although I’m sure it’s fabulous as it incorporated all sorts of unusual things like lavender. They didn’t marinate but cooked straight away. Took leila’s cue with letting the chicken sit in the fridge, covered.
And then Jonah requested Meyougick! So I loaded up the latest Spare the Rock podcast (I love love love this kids’ radio show) and set Jonah in front of his drum and started blogging.
So now Scott is home, the boy is getting ready for his bath.
I’ll be browning and baking the chicken per the Paula Deen guests and then serving with… something.
Update: The chicken was delicious with a little yogurt; paprika would be better than chili powder.