Reasons I enjoyed last night

Reason #1: The fabulous weather. Sunny, bright, but not overwhelmingly hot like a few weeks ago. The boys had to be dragged inside at the end of the night.

Reason #2: That adorable curl, perched on top of his forehead. I have a hard time not running my fingers through it constantly.

Reason #3: Alex helping with the homemade pesto. For some reason, it sparked his interest, and he helped with harvesting the basil from our yard, the adding of ingredients (of which he wanted to continue beyond the usual basil, oil, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic... Stefan stopped him when he suggested sage), and the turning on of the little food processor. Too bad he only tasted a small amount. I'm thinking this interest is a good first step. The next step might be actually eating it.

Reason #4: Alex eating his vegetables. It may have been under slight duress, but at least he was eating them.

Reason #5: This little guy digging into his peas as if they were candy. Five helpings later--yes, FIVE--he immediately got up and resumed his playing. Life's too short to waste too much time on eating.

Reasons #6 and #7: The wine (oh, the wine, after a long day)... paired perfectly with the delicious food. Homemade pesto... roasted potatoes and heirloom tomatoes from Tantre Farm (and peas from the freezer... but hey, Jameson loved them!). The flavors blended beautifully--even for someone like me who doesn't usually like raw tomatoes. We just feasted on this simple meal Stefan pulled together.


Reason # 8: Cute brothers that still like to play together. For a good long time after dinner--and before dinner, come to think of it--they played on the swings and in the sandbox together. I stepped inside for a moment and heard, to my great delight, a storm of giggles from the backyard as they romped in the grass.

This isn't to say that they get along every single minute or anything. No, there are occasionally spats, or one poking another with a light sabre. Then Alex, showing his dramatic side, "Jameson HIT ME, Mama," as he throws himself on the ground. Then the corrections that hopefully lead adjustments of behavior. But hey, if that's the price of life with these two characters, I'll take it!

For more pictures of this fun night, click here.