Family | Peaches Prattlings

{October 29, 2017} Happy FOURTH birthday Princess L!!!

FOUR? Wait, she was just a baby? Now she’s FOUR? WOW!

I still remember the day CS told me she was pregnant with baby number two! LB was going to be a big sister! Oh wow! I also remember being in Las Vegas a few days before she was born, man did I want her to come out so I could meet her! But alas, JJ would have to wait…sigh.

And then I got to meet her and it’s been a treat! It takes her a minute when we see each other, she’s a cautious little person, especially since we don’t see each other often, but when she warms up, oh wow…hugs, smiles, silliness, curiosity, love.

I love seeing what the kids come up with when they play, together and by themselves. Princess L has a wonderful imagination, there are times when I visit and the kids are all doing their own thing, I love seeing what her mind comes up with to do or play by herself.

Sometimes she’s shy and lets others lead and other times she asserts herself and takes control and the lead. She’s creative and cunning, smart and sassy at times, loves learning new things and showing you what she’s learned.

Oh boy, does she love and look up to her big sister, LB! There is nothing like seeing these two doll babies together. She follows her around like a little sister and then she chases her…like a little sister!

When she decides what she wants to be for Halloween or gets something I send her from my travels, or for her birthday, that’s when I get to put a big smile on that sweet face. I love thinking about what I’m going to get her that is just for her. When I was pulling pictures of Princess L together for my Facebook post, it’s amazing the range of expressions and emotions she has, just with a look, a grin, a thought.

This little munchkin is one of the loves of my life and I look forward to watching her grow and learn and become the amazing person and adult I know is coming, but right now, the sweet, happy and special little girls she is.

Happy FOURTH birthday Princess L! JJ loves you oh so very much!

{October 28, 2017} A mitzvah, a family event

Today, PSM and I attended a family event together.

PSM’s first cousin’s son, JK, became a bar mitzvah today. What an honor to be included in these family events. I’ve been to other family functions, holidays, parties, this is a little different, these events are more formal and special.

I got in last night, did you love my hotel room!? PSM went to the dinner they were having at the hotel where most everyone was staying and got to spend some time with his family, they are a fantastic bunch of people and so close, it’s special.

This morning, we went to the synagogue to watch JK take his place among the congregation, become an adult and lead us through his Torah and Havdalah. He gave a great speech, chanted the prayers and Torah and Havdalah portions so well, he made his family, friends and his congregation proud.

Years of study and practice go into learning the prayers, preparing for this special day, spending time working with the rabbi on the prayers, working with the cantor learning to chant the prayers and readings, working with his parents preparing his speeches. All of this culminating to a very special day for everyone, of course, most importantly, the bar mitzvah himself.

Hard work should be well rewarded and after such a ceremony, we celebrate! The first, was right after the service, we had a small luncheon and then later in the evening, we had a good old fashioned party! It was at the Empire Room on the NY State Fairgrounds.

There were appetizers, drinks, dinner, dancing, games for the kids and time to spend together catching up, making new friends and just enjoying being together and participating in the joy of the day and the pride his parents and family felt.

This was a true celebration! Mazel Tov to JK and his family.

{October 24, 2017} Happy Birthday GM!

October 23rd was a vey special day, my Grandma M’s birthday.

This was my mom’s mom, one of the grandma’s MGS is named for, has her exact name in fact. She definitely takes after her namesake!

She was an amazing grandmother, fun, funny, sometimes when she didn’t even realize it! She taught me to play cards like poker, gin, casino, solitaire. We used to stay up playing gin all night. The woman was relentless! She knew what I had and what I played! “Are you sure you want to play that?” What? It was freaky!

She used to organize trips to Atlantic City for groups, arranged everything, from the buses to the casinos, made sure everyone got there and back. She was politically active, working the voting polls every election, campaigning for Cancer Care.

She was an amazing cook, well, when it came to Jewish food, anything else was a challenge, but her specialties, oh man, wow! We loved to tease each other and it was our thing, she would make applesauce and no matter how much sugar she put in, I would ask her if she added any, not enough! She would gasp and then threaten me with a plau-uch and a chamaliah [spelling not sure!] That’s a back and front handed hit to the tush, all in gest of course! “Why, I’m going to give you such a chamliah and a plau-uch!” Oh no!

There were so many things I loved about my grandmother, she was fantastic and stubborn and smart and traveled and would include me in so much! She would do take me to the theater to see a musical, The Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in New York City each year was a tradition. I remember her taking me to Coney Island as a kid and riding the Log Flume, the aquarium, the zoo, the park, wherever the adventure took us. Next year, I’ll tell you some more fun stuff! Why give it all away, we’re going to be talking for a long time!

Could we fight and disagree, you bet your sweet bippie! Did we kiss and make up, you bet your sweet you know what! She was fierce and protective and feisty and argumentative and curious and loved life, how could you not love her? I know I did.

Happy birthday, if I could be half the grandmother you were, I’m gonna rock! I love you.

{October 22, 2017} Time with my girls

I don’t know if you have heard me talk about my girls, my nieces, EJS and MGS. Oh well maybe once or twice, ha ha!

This weekend, albiet short, was the chance to spend one on one time with my sister, which you know is rare and a date with just me and my girls. How happy was I?

GES and I went somewhere, more will be revealed later, some quality time at lunch then retail therapy. I’m really good at encouraging her… to spend money! She got some great stuff! For the first time, there were more shoe options for her than me! I’m an eight, she’s a five, what are the odds?

We got home and the parents went out for dinner with friends and it was me and my girls!

Turns out no kid appropriate movies were in the theater so it was mac-n- cheese for dinner and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They both curled up with me, MGS on my lap and EJS next to me and laughed and talked about the movie.

After, no fights, just teeth brushed, jammies on, hugs and kisses and lights out. That was easy.

I am leaving early in the morning to go back to Chicago, big dinner meeting tomorrow night. Extra hugs and kisses since I won’t see them again until Thanksgiving.

{October 15, 2017} The Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Date night! I’m home, on a date with my honey on a Saturday night!

The, first, Kingsman we loved. I haven’t read the graphic novel, but I want to, but I loved the movie. I thought it was clever and funny, inventive, and just violent enough to be ewe, ouch and yeah! And the toys! You might call them weapons…

The only issue I had with the movie, no, the unbelievability of the entire plot? I totally got into the movie. Samuel L Jackson’s speech pattern, lisp, whatever you want to call it, awful.

It’s been a while, but The Kingsman are back. This time, an equally annoying villain. To be honest, she’s just not my favorite actress. Now, in her defence, she played a fabulous nut job!

The basics were the same with some twists. There is an evil in the world that wants to wipe out the Kingsman and see their product take over the world or at least hold the world hostage for a price.

We start in England, following our favorite agent, Eggsy, doing well and we see where his training took him in the first movie. Then boom, explosions and his world, with the Kingsman is torn apart. He and Mark Strong, one of my favorite roles for him, end up traveling to America to enlist the help of The Statesman, the ‘yank’ version of The Kingsman. This time, instead of fine men’s tailor, this group is in Kentucky making fine whiskey, led by Jeff Bridges.

There was action, adventure, plot twists, violence, cool toys, ok weapons, bad guys, and gals, agents and a common enemy to rally against. While there were some great characters, there wasn’t a lot of character development. In the fittest movie it was a combination of bringing new recruits, watching one in particular, Eggsy, become the man and agent he is today. I get that this wasn’t about watching another new agent, but a little backstory on the other side would be good.

Big surprise in the middle that helped with the plot twists and action, and there was a lot of action, which I love and some of it was a bit ridiculous, but it worked for the movie.

Do the Kingsman and Statesmen save the world? You betcha. Do they do it in style? You betcha. Will there be another Kingsman movie? Part of me wants to say you betcha. Will I see it? You know it!

{October 12, 2017} Happy FIRST birthday CDL!

My baby had a baby.. and now he’s one! What?! I remember when I became a mom, a little different than “the normal channels” so to speak. The wasband had two kids, a girl, TYL, ne TYH, and a boy, WCH, we called him by CH, which is what he’s known as. She was seven and he had just turned eight. I remember when they started spending the night, I had new mom syndrome and loved it! By that I mean when I couldn’t sleep, and at the time, I could sleep! I was constantly checking on them, watching them sleep, and when I did sleep, it was a very light sleep because I would hear them turn over in their sleep! Forgot about hearing them cough or sniffle! The time we weren’t in each other’s lives was the hardest for me, but when we reconnected, wow! Ok, I could talk about them for days, but I need to tell you why we’re here! My baby, TYL, is a mom of a ONE year old! What! One minute he’s there, growing inside her and the next minute…a wonder! I met him when he was a few weeks old and like all my grandbabies, the second we met, I was in love! Well, from the sonogram, but seeing him, holding him, the sweet new baby smell, wrapping his little fingers around my hand and my heart. He didn’t do much at that stage, they don’t, except capture your heart and mind, watching him look at everything with wonder and curiosity. Seeing TYL as cool and collected mom, thinking she was a mess, but she was beautiful, that day and everyday, but this is a new kind of beauty. She is the mother of an amazing little person! CDL is a smart, precocious, precious, funny, silly, goofy, smart, curious, inquisitive, cautious, fearless, fabulous, little person. He embodies the best of his parents, I even see his uncle, CH, in there. He loves his mommy and daddy, he loves to laugh, play, snuggle, explore, learn, try. He’s a wonder and today, October 11th, he’s one! Happy, happy first birthday CDL, I love you and I can’t wait to watch you grow and smile and celebrate so many birthdays together!

{October 11, 2017} Three new vegan meals in two days? Yum!

I’ll take it!

One of my favorite vegan restaurants in Chicago, Native Foods has launched its new menu and I have tried a few things between yesterday and today.

I couldn’t believe it, vegan bagels, lox and cream cheese? What?! Yup! A bagel, unfortunately plain, but wait! The cream cheese was made from cashews, it was creamy and light and tasty. The lox was thin sliced carrots, but it’s the way they marinated it smells and tastes like lox, wow! They offer it just like a ‘real’ lox platter with capers, lemon and onions. Doesn’t it look fabulous?!

Last night, I ordered from True Foods, we’ve talked about it before, I hope you remember! I ordered a pizza with butternut squash, onions, spinach, cranberries and almond ricotta! Wow!

I also ordered guacamole with chips and Winter Squash toast, this had brussel sprouts and toasted hazelnuts. Yum! Think I was able to come close to finishing? Not a chance, guess what was for lunch!

Tonight, I went back to Native Foods, with LJ this time. I ordered plantains with two different dipping sauces and for dinner, chicken and waffles! The syrup was maple siracha, a little too spicy for me, but the ‘chicken’ and waffles, tasty!

Dessert was our favorite oatmeal cream cookie, which we shared, so rich!

Don’t the pictures make you hungry!

Day 5 of 7 Challenge!

{October 10, 2017} O M G…La la la love!!

My friends and family so know me!!

Look at what SDL and Miss A gave me for my birthday! Anyone who knows me knows my favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz! I love everything about it, I even have my “Dorothy Converse”! Converse/Chuck Taylors that are covered in red sparkles!

The way my Monopoly connection started was when LGR gave me a Wizard of Oz version and it kind of took off from there, people gave me a bunch of different versions. Love it!

I got a bag with Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers, “There’s no place like home” so true! It feels like I’m coming home when I’m with my friends. There was a Wizard of Oz Mad Libs book, can’t wait! A coloring book and colored pens, love! Great for my travels, I can’t wait to use it on my next long flight home!

The last, possibly best, gift of all! A t-shirt from Miss A…BAE Best Auntie Ever! O M G! A title I wear with pride! And she helps make me a BAE!!!

Thank you so much SDL and Miss A, you made my big day extra special! I love you both!

Day 4 of 7 Challenge:

{October 8, 2017} OMG! I am such a lucky JJ!!!

Today I got the best text!

I get some awesome texts quite often, but today… extra special.

As you know, I have a fabulous add important responsibility this time of year. Halloween costumes for my nieces and grandbabies. I’ve been getting them ordered and delivered over the past few weeks and they have been arriving over the past few days.

For me, the absolute best part about all of it, hearing how much they love their costumes and seeing their faces in their costumes. As soon as they are all in, I’ll tell you what each one wanted and got.

Well, the reason I’m telling you all of this is that today, Baby A got his costume and he loves it. Along with a photo of him in his costume, adorable! I got the picture below with the text message attached.

He painted a picture in school of his house next to my house!!! And he painted it for me!!! Think I was excited? Speechless? Teary? Think I’m turning into my mother? You bet your bippy!!!

I am such a lucky auntie and JJ! Thank you!!!

My day 3 of 7 photo. I like this challenge!

{October 1, 2017} An easy fast…A happy birthday!

It’s my birthday! And I’m fasting! What a combo, but it’s been great day!

I’m in Denver for the weekend, I’ll tell you all about it. I got in last night a little before 10pm, got the rental car, a Ford Mustang. Well, when I got to the assigned spot, no car, so when I asked the guy at the preferred desk, he said, what happened to the car? Well, that’s why I’m here! So, I had a choice, a Mustang or a Mustang. Um, I’ll the the Mustang… convertible!

PSM was asleep when I got in, just about that time, DLP texted that she was in Denver too! Well alrighty! I set up the bed in the living room and started working in my time and expenses. PSM got up a little while later and when DLP got there we all caught up. Then crashed!

Got up today with the sun, that was nice. It’s my birthday! This means presents and calls from my family!! The cards from my dad all played music and sang! Do you see the awesome JJ with pics from my grandbabies??? I am so lucky and spoiled!

Then sent DLP and PSM down to breakfast. Turns out, I wasn’t missing much, this hotel did not impress.

After breakfast, showers and get ready, off to the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k Race Expo. Only thing missing, CKM. We did this race and volunteered several years and such a blast. At the expo we picked up our packets with the bibs, jackets and maybe an extra treat or two. I have a story about that later.

After the expo, adventure! Drop the top on the car and head to Boulder for some sightseeing and fun. You never know what you’re going to find! Oh… the guy in blue! There was a Sonic convention happening in Denver. Different stores from all over the country compete! Customer interaction, car hop, whatever! These guys were the judges and were waiting for the teams and would welcome them with those hand clappers, so fun!

After Boulder, back to the hotel to cool and make dinner plans. I asked my friend AM if he, his wife NM and their daughter, A could join us. AM could, love seeing him when I’m in Denver. I can’t believe we’ve known each other for over thirty years! Wow!

We were going to go to City O’ City, that vegan restaurant I told you about the last time we were here. Who knew we needed a reservation! So, we went to another restaurant owned by the same people called Watercourse. Yum! It was all vegan! I broke my fast with a glass of water and a delicious chai made with coconut milk and cinnamon.

We had ‘wings’, which were lightly fried cauliflower with different sauces for dipping. Even came with ranch or blue cheese dressing with carrots and celery! We also had spinach and artichoke dip! Yum!

Main course, I had southern comfort food, deep fried cauliflower, like chicken, mac-n- cheese and salad. A Cuban for PSM, breakfast sandwich for AM and risotto for DLP.

Dessert time! I ordered a banana and caramel shake, didn’t think to ask, but after my ears and tongue started to itch, umm what’s in this? Coconut milk yogurt, bananas and soy milk, what? Uh oh! That explains the itching! Benadryl will clear that right up!

Then came the cake with a candle in it! A birthday should have cake! And singing! Thank you!

After dinner, back to the hotel for Bemedryl and, talk to you and say thank you for all the birthday wishes on Facebook.

I am so lucky! Thank you all!!

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