So I just got back from a road trip with my sister and all three of our kids. We drove to my mom’s house near Rochester, NY. We rented a minivan, so we could drive together, since both of us have regular cars. We have not graduated to minivan ownership yet. Ten hours on the road with my two two-year-olds and her three-month-old. It was only 7 hours of actual driving, but we had to make lots of stops.

Some highlights of our trip. . .

Two days at Finger Lakes CFO. . . a camp that we went to every summer when we were growing up. It was really great to see so many friends that I haven’t seen in years, but I have known for so long. I mean, these people have known me since I was, like, eight years old.

We had a picnic at Harris Hill with some of our extended family, just like when we were kids, except now we have a new generation of kids. It felt so familiar, even though it’s been probably twenty years since the last time we went there. There is a kiddie amusement park. We took Emily and Erica on the carousel, but couldn’t get them to go on the horses. So we went round and round on the little benches.

Sarah and I sang a song, “All I Am,” by Reuben Morgan, at my mom’s church on Sunday, just like when we were teenagers. I played the piano and sang background vocals. Sarah and I had similar feelings about this. . . that it’s crazy how even with so much performing experience, doing it in a place like that stirs up so many emotions, memories, and old insecurities. Of course there is so much love and support for us from the people there, so it’s all in our heads. . . but these sure can be powerful feelings.

We went to the Strong National Museum of Play, in Rochester, NY. It was awewome. Emily and Erica’s favorite part is the child-size Wegman’s Market. Real shopping carts, just their size. . . real-looking fake food to load into the shopping carts. . . and real checkouts with real conveyor belts, just their size. The older kids run the cash registers, and even give the little shoppers a real receipt! And, of course, when Emily and Erica figured out how to press the button that prints out receipts, we printed a lot of receipts. We also went to a butterfly garden, had hot dogs at Bill Gray’s, and the best part is that we got to do all of this with some of my dad’s family who we haven’t seen for a really long time. Emily and Erica got to ride on a carousel again, and by the sixth or seventh time, they both went on the big horses. Emily tried it first. It took a lot more convincing and reassuring for Erica, but when she finally did it, she had a blast. They loved going “up and down.”

I got to see my mom’s new house. Yes, my mom just bought a house, for the first time in her whole life. It’s just so exciting that she has a place all her own. And it has a really nice yard.

Emily and Erica are already asking to go back to Grandma Lynn’s house.

There is a little playground right next to us, and we walk over there all the time. Taking the baby doll strollers is the best way to keep the girls from asking me to carry them home.

Erica

Emily

Erica walking home.

“Come on, Mommy!”

Nine years ago today, we got married. Joel, you are the best. I am so blessed to be with you.

I have been a mom for two and a half years. This “being a mom” thing has completely changed my life. I feel so blessed. And so amazed by my little girls. They are growing up so fast. They used to call me “Ommy.” Now they call me “Mommy.” One day Erica called me “Deborah.” We got that one figured out. . . “Daddy and other grownups call me ‘Deborah,’ but you guys call me, ‘Mommy.’”

Anyway, nothing makes you appreciate your own mom more than experiencing all this, and trying to imagine everything that she went through to help you get from baby to grownup in one piece. I love you, Mom.

We took Emily and Erica to an Easter Egg Hunt at church today, and they keep calling it the “Easter Egg Hunk.” They are really into the plastic eggs, and don’t seem to care much about whatever’s in them. They ate Tootsie Rolls for the first time. Yum. I like Tootsie Rolls.

For two years I have I have been pushing the double stroller with one hand, while pulling a shopping cart behind me with the other hand. . . like a train, making my way through the grocery store. This shopping cart has changed my life, or at least the way I shop for groceries. I *heart* Wegmans.

Happy Valentine’s Day to my man. Joel, you are the best.

We are taking a break from Elmo at our house. I like Sesame Street. What’s not to like about the old songs such as “Who are the people in your neighborhood?” and “Captain Vegetable.” I like Super Grover, Bert and Ernie, and The Count. My girls like Elmo. Even before they turned two, one of them would occasionally pick up the “mope” (AKA remote), point it at the TV, and start saying, “Elmo. Elmo.”

Thanks to the miracle of TiVo, we can, in fact, watch Sesame Street whenever we want to. So we’ve been watching Sesame Street, usually not more than once a day, usually while I make dinner. It keeps the girls happy while I try to get something done. However, they don’t really want to watch Sesame Street. They want to watch the last twenty minutes of Sesame Street: Elmo’s World. And when Elmo goes off the screen, replaced by Mr. Noodle or whoever else, they start chanting “Elmo, Elmo,” until he comes back.

How did the Elmo-love begin?

I blame the diapers. I have no idea why, but we used only Huggies diapers for a long time. But then one day I bought Pampers, and naturally, I tried to make the diaper-changing experience as fun as possible by pointing out which character was on the next diaper. “Oooh. Big Bird. Big Bird is on your diaper this time. ”

Before long, Emily and Erica were making requests. They wanted the Elmo diapers all the time. But after a while they started asking for Zoe and Ernie. Joel and I got pretty good at sneaking on the unrequested Grover and Big Bird diapers. But then the girls started to check. So now I’ve gotten pretty good at convincing them to wear whatever diaper I grab first, but it can be a tough sell.

So, we need a break from Elmo. He talks in third person all the time. “Elmo wants to sing a song. Can you sing a song with Elmo? Elmo wants to ride in a fire truck. Elmo wants to use the potty.” How are our kids going to learn to speak correctly if they are listening to this everyday?

And then there was the episode about fish. Elmo counted fish like this. . . “one fish, two fishes, three fishes, four fishes, five fishes. . . eleven fishes.” Then he sang “The Fishes Song.” Am I missing something here? Did someone go change the rules, and forget to tell us? Didn’t we all grow up reading “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish?” What’s going on here, people??!!!

So, we are taking a break from Elmo.

My girls like to eat this. My husband likes to eat this. I like to eat this. Who wouldn’t like to eat this?

The sauce is what makes it oh so good.

The Crust
1 1/3 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp yeast (or one envelope)

I make the dough in my bread machine. Put the water and oil in first. Then the salt and flour. The yeast goes on top, very carefully kept away from the water. The dough cycle on my machine takes two hours. Of course you could also mix everything together the traditional way, knead, and allow the dough to rise. It’s enough to make two 15-inch pizzas. One time I did make three pizzas, but it took a lot more work to roll it out thin enough. But, hey, we got to eat more pizza. I use a pizza stone dusted with corn meal. After you roll out the dough, let it sit for about ten minutes. Lightly brush on some olive oil. Now it’s ready for the sauce, mozzarella, and toppings. Bake at 425 degrees, on the lowest rack in the oven, for ten to fifteen minutes.

The Sauce
a medium-size onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
28 oz. can whole Italian peeled tomatoes, packed in puree (if packed in juice, add 2 tbsp tomato paste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
black pepper to taste
sprinkle red pepper flakes to taste

In a saucepan, saute the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Chop the tomatoes, then add the tomatoes and the puree to the sauteed onions. Add the garlic and seasonings and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and simmer the sauce uncovered, for about 20-30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before using.

This is not normal weather for January. It is so good to have all the windows open.