Halibut and a Puddle

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . .  finding Anna splashing in a dirty puddle wearing her new, white shorts.  Why did I buy white shorts for a toddler???

. . . my Iranian neighbor once again expressing her awe that I am such a calm parent.  I keep assuring her that I am the diametric opposite of a calm parent on a daily if not hourly basis, but she doesn't believe me.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . the big kids helping each other figure out a game.

. . . practicing the piano, and having Joy and Daniel both come stand next to me because they wanted to play something, too.

. . . making a yummy smoothie.  Anna has decided that every fruit except apple is out of her diet, but she happily drinks smoothies so I always make sure to share some with her.  It's a handy way to get fruit (and usually some veggie--huzzah for spinach!) into her.

. . . visiting friends and talking about random things.  We also shared our baby boy news and the second half of our blue cake with them.  Joy originally wanted to wait a few minutes before explaining why the cake was blue, but after about ten seconds she couldn't wait any longer and spilled the beans.

. . . trying a little French cafe that Phillip found through yelp.com.  The place was relaxed and unassuming, as if they felt their food was so good they didn't have to try to impress you by looking fancy.  And they were right.  I'm not usually a fish fan, and adding poached egg and bacon to a salad just sounded weird, yet both were delicious.  It's amazing what you can do with quality, natural ingredients and good cooking technique.

As I ate, I reflected that American food is often a sad reflection of our culture.  Americans tend to want big portions with overbearing flavors, and they're willing to sacrifice quality to get what they want faster and easier.  As a result, we miss out on the rich, subtle sophistication of real food prepared really well.  The more I eat good meals made from real ingredients, the less satisfied I am with things that come from a box or a can.