I recently started to use Siri on my iPhone. I’m not sure why it took me so long to start using it. I’m not opposed to the technology like some, secretly believing that machines are taking over the world. In my favorite picture of Rodney, he’s disguised as a cyborg, so I’m actually very machine-human friendly.
The actual reason is that I finally got myself an iPhone 5. And all the rumors are true. Siri really is life-changing. I can now command orders like “Siri, send my husband an email!” or “Set reminder: need to buy vinegar!” Siri makes the mundane so thrilling, like I’m living in my own Bourne Identity movie. A shaky camera follows me as I brush my teeth and get dressed for the day. “Siri, call Rodney!”
But one of Siri’s most useful applications is that she helps decode my nearly 2-year old’s language.
For any of you with young children, I’m sure you know the drill. When Emma and I “talk” it generally involves me scrunching my face, looking at her puzzled, laughing in recognition at what she just said, and then turning to Rodney and whispering “I have no idea what she just said.”
To an innocuous question such as “Emma, where are your shoes?” the response is generally “Mini-man”.
“What would you like for dinner?”
“Mini-man”.
“What color is the block?”
“A-bud-ta-day”.
“Where is Emma?”
“A-bud-ta-day”.
Although she’s starting to speak in clear sentences, she still favors a few words that are indecipherable.
I decided to reach out to Siri as a last attempt to break down the language barrier.
Fortunately, Siri with her no-nonsense attitude and quick detective skills, was able to provide a window into my little one’s mind.
“Siri, what is “a-bud-ta-day?”
There’s a big difference between ripe passion fruit and the not-quite ripe variety. Which goes without saying. But with something like a banana you can muscle it out – peel back the greenish skin, chew a little harder, and it’s tolerable. With passion fruit, a nearly-ripe fruit is so puckeringly tart that it’s almost inedible. Which is a long-winded way of saying that the kids need to give passion fruit another chance. Because really, there isn’t a fruit on this planet that smells or tastes better.
ME: Guys, What’s this called?
LAUREN: A plum?
ME: No.
LAUREN: Passion fruit?
ME: How’d you guess?
LAUREN: You were talking about it before.
ME: Oh. Describe it then.
LAUREN: Hmmm. It looks light.
SAM: And heavy.
LAUREN: It looks light and heavy at the same time.
ME: What do you think it’s going to look like on the inside?
LAUREN: Yellow and peach.
ME: Can you shake it?
LAUREN: I feel a little shake in it.
0 commentsWordless Wednesday is taking an exciting new turn this week. This isn’t a permanent direction for our weekly photo update, but over the weekend, I uploaded an Instagram video of Jackson swimming out to Rodney’s paddle board. I got a quick response: “that’s one for Wordless Wednesday.”
Sorry friend, I thought to myself. Instagram videos can’t be embedded into websites.
But of course, it got me searching…and lo and behold – as of June, they actually started to allow it. Who knew? My reaction: “AWESOME!”
Because if there’s anything that I love more than taking odd pictures of kids and dogs, it’s taking odd videos of them.
So enjoy this week’s Wordless Wednesday video edition, courtesy of my dear friend Devon Kennedy – thanks girl, I owe you one.
Now on to the videos: first up, a trip to the Empire Cake to check out their incredible Minion cake. The fact that Sam didn’t immediately notice the 3-foot rotating cake is a testament to their baked goods. Seriously amazing. If you’re ever in Chelsea in NYC, do yourself and your waistline a favor, and check them out.
And I couldn’t leave you waiting for too long before I shared the video of Jackson swimming out to go paddle boarding. What I didn’t catch on tape were the minutes that preceded his swim when he thew a little doggie tantrum about getting left on the dock. There is a reason why the vizsla is dubbed the “velcro dog”. He can’t go a single minute without being in the company of his favorite humans. Which, of course is why I love him…
….and why I let him do this to me:
And with all of the pictures I post of Jackson drinking his morning lattes, I’m sure you’ve been wondering about the logistics behind the order. Does he wait in line? Does he get treated like a human customer? Does he say thank you? Hopefully this clarifies things for you. Please ignore the barking at the end. There’s a dog bully who periodically shows up and tries to steal his treats.
Lastly, if you were wondering why they make the legal driving limit 16 in most states, this might be the answer you were looking for. Fortunately our lake house is in a community where underage driving is not only sanctioned, but highly recommended. This is New Jersey after all, the land of ATV and air chair enthusiasts.
So thanks for joining this week, and hope you enjoyed the ride.
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Maybe you had an inkling from my recent summer salad post that a subtle shift had taken place in our home. Or you saw the new page on the blog called “Instagrammies” (Instagram + Recipes) – quick fix meals prepared in minutes, using the fresh fruit & veg that I find stashed away in the fridge or ripening on my countertops. Maybe you thought out loud “what’s going on with her?, she normally talks about nachos.” But it’s true, a subtle shift has taken place. Lately I’ve been obsessing about healthy foods. Fresh foods. Foods that don’t need cheese or baking or heavy coaxing. Foods that are perfect in their simplicity.
Summer is that time of year where I crave vegetables and lighter food like it’s going out of style. I can’t pass by my favorite grocery store in NYC, Forager’s Market, without running in to pick up some heirloom tomatoes, fresh ears of corn, and organic lettuce. Along with The Challenge, taking the kids grocery shopping for fresh produce has been a great way to get them on board with healthy eating. When they see me ogling zucchini and fondling peaches, they naturally wonder what the fuss is all about.
And yes, I meant to say that: fondling peaches. Preferably gently. Keep your minds clean people. Never squeeze a peach to see if it’s ripe, you don’t want to bruise it, especially the delicate local fruit that wasn’t hybridized for shipping durability. Seriously, don’t do it. The farmers would be upset and we don’t want to anger them because they wield pitchforks, rusted shovels and things of that nature.
Late summer into early fall is the best time of year to visit farmer’s markets and pick up seasonal produce at your grocery store. I can’t tear myself away from these places without filling up my cart or bags with way more fruit and vegetables than I can handle.
Which is why it’s so great to meet people like Melissa Lanz, founder of The Fresh 20, a program that helps people ditch the frozen food and get fresh. Like me, Melissa is on a mission to get people to eat more healthy foods, and get kids on board with healthy eating habits early. She created a smart program for keeping families on track and eating well. Simple-to-use and affordable, her program creates weekly shopping lists and recipes, keeping grocery bills low, and food wastage even lower. It’s pretty awesome, that’s all I can say – I only wish I’d found it sooner.
Melissa’s program has been featured in The New York Times, InStyle, and Inc. Magazine to name a few, and she’s starting a new back-to-school campaign to find out how kids get fresh. As part of her campaign, she’s running a contest: “How do you #getfresh”, asking for parents to submit pictures that show how their kids are getting involved in eating fresh foods. There are some pretty serious prizes too, so check out her Facebook contest here.
So fondle those peaches, pinch those plums, smack those shallots, do whatever you need to do, but take advantage of the season’s bounty while it lasts. And of course, let us know what you’re doing to #getfresh.
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