Toddlers Love Thai!

Well, I barely survived another work week. The pollen is killing me.

On a higher note, I declare Little Buddha to be both baby-friendly AND toddler-friendly.

Last fall when the kid was 6 months or so, we ate lunch there amongst the office crowd, and the staff did not bat an eye. Tonight, I ordered a side dish of veggies for the kid to accompany homemade meatloaf and yobaby yogurt, two of the few food items I can count on him eating. The baby- well, toddler now- nibbled on the carrots, which is more than he's ever done with ANY other veggie in his 13 months of life... and then... HE ATE A TON OF BROCCOLI FLORETS OUT OF MY HUSBAND'S BEEF WITH BROCCOLI.

THE KID- ATE- BROCCOLI.

You go, Little Buddha! And as usual, my green curry went so great with a beer. Now baby's in bed with a full tummy, and I'm getting blog time!

I did have to painstakingly rip up the broccoli into teeny florets because they weren't that soft, but a mom will do anything to feed her baby right, so that was nothin'. And now I know if I douse broccoli in something good, he'll eat it.

Feeding a toddler is hard. Suddenly they refuse to eat that easy pureed baby food, and you have to scramble to figure out what they WILL eat. And you HAVE to get food in them, or they won't sleep. My kid will eat ground beef and turkey like it's candy, and he will let us spoon feed him yogurt, although tonight he insisted on trying to feed it to himself, which was very, very messy.

Tomorrow I'm going to try steamed broccoli florets with peanut sauce. I bought 3 toddler/kid food books this weekend. I'm going to try to find some more easy recipes, because I detest cooking. And his meals have to also work for my husband and me, because I am NOT making any more food than I absolutely have to. I HATE COOKING. There is so much else I'd rather be doing. So- MUCH- else. Click here to read more.

NFL Draft and Stamford's Vlad Ducasse

Geez Louise.
A line in an Advocate article, about the UMass tackle from Stamford High being drafted by the Jets, caught my attention:

Ducasse, who said he met with Jets officials in Stamford as recently as last week, bounced around a conference room with about 50 people at Morton's Steakhouse, holding a long embrace with his older brother, MacArthur, who was sent to Stamford from Haiti with Ducasse seven years ago by their father.

Geez Louise. Sent to Stamford by their father! Can you even imagine. I wonder who took care of him- I assume he stayed with family. And obviously some people from Stamford High gave support:

The most emotional moment of the evening came when Ducasse shared a bear hug with his high school coach, Kevin Jones, who served as a father figure and mentor to the player, who arrived in Stamford not knowing much English, and even less about football.

It is really amazing what a person can do with the right support system. Ducasse's dad made a tough decision to send his son away to a place with more opportunity, and it seems like his son's talent, drive, and determination took over from there. But there must have been a lot of people caring about him along the way, because a teenager can't do it alone.

In many respects, Ducasse's story is as compelling as Michael Oher's, the subject of the movie "The Blind Side." Ducasse was discovered at Stamford High School because he stood out in the hallways and was encouraged by friends to try out for the football team. During his first year at the school, his grade point average went from a 2.7 to a 3.8.

A cool story, and I hope to read more.
There are some great pics you can look at with the article. It looks like Ducasse's Dad was there for the draft, so I wonder if he came up to the US later?

I haven't seen the movie Blind Side, but I read the book when it came out and loved it. Click here to read more.

"Kevin" Movie Filming Downtown?

I hear there are yellow movie signs for Base Camp downtown! I myself drive a work-daycare-home circuit with the occasional jaunt to a restaurant with easy parking (read: not downtown), so I have NOT seen these signs!
My source says the movie is labeled "Kevin" and there is sign on Wash Blvd near the park, and a Base Camp sign somewhere on West Broad. If anyone knows some scoop, please tell!
Maybe baby and I will stalk the park set if it sounds interesting. Or maybe baby and I will just go somewhere else and post some fake yellow signs with another random word.

Look for signs like the one above- but that one's from a couple years ago, the DeNiro movie I think. Click here to read more.

Advocate Dishing Just the Dirt I Want

I don't mean to be a gossipy jerk, but I kind of like that the Advocate has two gigantic photos of the officer who was just suspended for punching a woman in the face last summer.

I like that they went there.

People want to know who this guy is, and the Advocate is letting us know. I appreciate that, because from many of the earlier newspaper articles, he sounded like an aggressive guy that you'd want to avoid. Thank you, Advocate, for making that easier! If that's not the job of a local paper, I don't know what is. DISH IT.

You know "The Dish" column in the paper, with local celeb sightings? Well, I love that column, but the giant photos of that officer are good dish too.

I don't mean to be mean. No one is perfect, and I hope that officer is getting the help he needs to do a better job in the future. Being a cop is hard, but that's no excuse for lashing out in a tough situation. Click here to read more.

Advocate on Coalhouse!

Innnnteresting!
Melanie Barnard just reviewed Coalhouse Pizza in today's Advocate. It's worth a read for some ideas of what to try on your next visit.

I can't really agree that Coalhouse is "often with a line outside," but then again, I don't ever get to go out to lunch during the work week, so maybe there are hordes of diners out in Bull's Head at noon.

Melanie emphasizes the wide variety of types of food that Coalhouse has, which for me is a good point since my husband and I have different food tastes. We haven't gone there often enough for me to have tried much, though, except the pizza and salad, so it might be some months before I can give an opinion on any weirder food options.

Also, I really cannot afford to eat out like I used to. Daycare breaks the BANK, man! I am so not joking!!!!



Click here to read more.

Bull's Head's Got Ya Covered

First of all, why is it called Bull's Head? No time to research now if I hope to actually post something... I was home with sick baby today so feel justified in ignoring him for a few minutes to blog!

Recently we are loving Bull's Head for the food options. Last week I got Tabouli Grill for lunch two days in a row. Their Greek salad is so fantastic, huge and healthy, and I love the addition of the sweet (but spicy?) peppers. (I'm from rural Virginia, I don't know what those peppers are called.)

We also like Coalhouse Pizza, because although I am not SUPER in love with the pizza, there is a great selection of unusual pizzas and I like their salads a lot. And hey, any pizza is pizza, afterall, so I'm not even sure why I'm complaining. I think because the crispy crust is a little hard to share with the baby, maybe. Although he's crazy for the meatballs on the meatball pizza!

I now love Hawley-Lane shoes not just for my comfortable old lady shoes, but for a good selection of kids' shoes.

I'm about to visit Zen Spa and Nails, because my other nail place doesn't have the made-famous-by-Rihanna yellow that I need. It's not florescent, it's straight up yellow.

And I am a huge fan of the newsstand/convenience store, because the people who run it are always nice to me, unlike the one of Bedford St.

And Kaleidoscope Kids has those adorable Angel Dear blankie friends that are so soft and lovable- great baby shower gift.

And Sal's Pastries if you need something sweet!

OK, off to enjoy our Coalhouse Pizza takeout, since I'm still not sure baby is feeling awesome enough to hold it together in a restaurant, although in general he's a fantastic dining companion. Click here to read more.

Downed Trees Galore!

My friend, as we speak, is trapped on North Street in Greenwich. He had to get off the Merritt at North Street because of a downed tree... and now they are stuck on North Street because now there are downed trees on either side of them! I am glad to be indoors with my baby, husband and sister, and white wine, and delivery from Thai Chi.

He just said to me, "I can't even ask anyone to bring me food." Click here to read more.

TAP Cafe at Palace Theatre... Drinks and Music Thursday!

This TAP Cafe thing sounds really cool! I didn't see this event, which happened last night, until today, but I'll be looking out for the next one next month. I caught wind of this one at the Fairfield County Happy Hour Club site:
TAP Café (Thursday At the Palace) -5:30-7:30pm

The Palace Theatre in downtown Stamford is launching their own monthly social event for young professionals and area residents alike. They will be featuring live entertainment from Irish Fiddler and Dan Tessler, as well as drinks and appetizers. Cost for the event is $20, but includes 2 drinks and appetizers.

The Palace Theatre is located at 61 Atlantic St, Stamford, CT 06901

I think this sounds like it's worth a try!

I will say, I think they should lower the price to $10 and have people just buy drinks. Twenty bucks is kind of a lot. Click here to read more.

NY Times Reviews Aria

Rather, Patricia Brooks reviews Aria, the year or two old Italian resto in the shadow of Trump Tower. She gave it an OK, which I'd agree with based on our one visit there. My risotto was OK.

I will say, the ample space between tables might make Aria baby-friendly, but it's a pretty upscale setting. However, with the state of the economy, I'd say babies should be pretty welcome in any restaurant these days if it means their parents are spending money.

And let me tell you, the moms will probably order a glass of wine, and then a second. Click here to read more.

Maple Syrup and Baby Turtles: Stamford Museum & Nature Center in Winter!

When I went to SMNC 2 summers ago, pre-baby, I mostly looked at the animals outdoors. I went last week when my sister and her kids were in town, and I feel like I finally really got to enjoy the place. It was really cold, and there was still some snow on the ground. We walked around and looked at the llamas and sheep and horses, but we also spent time in a few indoor places I hadn't bothered to look at before.

1. The turtles and scary snakes house! For a Saturday in winter, it wasn't too crowded, I think because we got there after 3 pm. It was so cool. There were baby turtles, and big lizards... and it was nice and toasty.
2. The maple syrup house! From outdoors, it looked closed, but the maple syrup boiler was steaming away. We got samples of syrup and a pleasant speech about syrup from the not-hard-on-the-eyes maple maker.
3. Gift shop. I didn't make it to that part. Had to feed baby in car.
4. Museum. My sister and the kids went to the actual museum at the top of the hill and they liked it.

I highly recommend Stamford Museum and Nature Center for a visit, year-round.

This post is not too exciting, but with a full time job, other blog, and baby- oh and husband and friends- and a major sleep deficit- I think I need to lower my standards a tad.

The SMNC has a maple syrup event this weekend:

Our Annual First County Bank Maple Sugar Sunday event is just around the corner – this Sunday, March 7, at Stamford Museum & Nature Center from 11 am to 3 pm.

Visitors will be able to see a wide range of techniques used to create maple syrup including colonial and modern methods. Games, crafts, face painting and story telling are just some of the fun activities planned for this annual festival! Visitors will even get a chance to taste sugar on snow – a sweet maple treat! Our famous pancake brunch will also return to the Bendel Mansion (main building) featuring our own fresh maple syrup! We will also have a “chef showdown” featuring local chefs Frank Daniele(Frank & Julio’s Complete Event Planning) and Robin Selden (Marcia Selden Catering) going head to head in a maple themed cooking challenge! Visitors will have a chance to sample their creations and vote for their favorite. Click here to read more.

Vinny's Backyard BBQ Cooks Beef Perfectly

You should read that as a headline: "News Flash! Vinny's Backyard BBQ Perfectly Cooks Beef to Different Degrees of Doneness for Three People!"

I am serious. My father-in-law, the beef connoisseur, said the beef in his steak sandwich was done perfectly: medium-rare. I asked for my burger medium well, and it was so. The mother-in-law wanted her burger medium- it was so! And the husband, as always, liked his ribs.

There is something wonderfully reassuring about a place where you can go and get a decent burger with good fries. The place is baby-friendly but not overrun with kids, the bar is huge, lots of TV with sports on... I love the place. Granted, the food is not diet food, but... it's enjoyable.

Vinny's is pretty much the extent of our eating out these days, although we do plenty of delivery food when my "meal planning" falls through: Thai Chi, Republic Grill, Michelina's, Kit's Thai Kitchen, Little Buddha, and occasionally Pearl East.

My baby, right now, is licking his reflection in the mahogany end table. That's funny. Click here to read more.

Visit Stamford on the Cheap- for Haiti!

Malerie, author of Stamford on the Cheap, will give $5 to Save the Children Haiti for every comment on her post. I think that is awesome. Please stop by and comment, then take a gander at the rest of the site! Click here to read more.

Aggressive Driving Knows No Age Demographic

Of all the people to blow through a stop light and nearly rear-end me, I did NOT expect it to be a gray-haired lady in a Saturn! I KNOW she saw me! I drive a huge white car! Yet after I came to a full stop and pulled into the intersection, there she was, right on my butt!

"Jesus Christ!" I said out loud to myself and the baby (who's now almost walking, and right now, crawling under his Leapfrog Learning Table).

All I could think was, that lady has gotta be a Stamford native to be driving that confidently. She tailgated me up to the stoplight, looking irritated that I was driving near the speed limit, then roared off toward the Merritt.

It kinda shook me up. Now I don't know who I'm safe with.

But you know who drives worse? Men in minivans. Men in minivans, with no kids in the car. Click here to read more.