about the phone

Out of the blue one day, around the age of five, Abbott said, 'I dream about having a wallet and a cell phone.' For the past six months or so, he's followed up on that dream, or at least part of it, repeatedly asking for a phone of his own. His persistence in the face of adversity ('no') has been somewhat astonishing. He hasn't complained; merely soldiered on. Followed up politely at regular intervals. He left me a note on my desk last week, asking when he might (underlined) get a phone.

The whole thing has been a bit puzzling to me. He rarely talks on the phone with his friends. He texts a couple of his cousins, and one of his great-aunts, from my phone. We restrict video games (he gets to play a minute for every minute of piano practiced) such that whether the phone is mine or his, the play time won't increase.

Yesterday he brought it up again, and we had a family discussion. He pointed out that he is careful with his possessions. He's been very responsible with the camera we gave him for his birthday. He keeps the battery charged. He tends to leave it home when we travel, because he worries about losing it. He manages the camera's memory card independently. With this track record in mind, we decided to let him have one of our old iPhones. We're not paying for cell service, so it only works where there is wireless access. If he is discovered using the phone for games without permission or other inappropriate use, it will be confiscated.

Right away, he started exploring the voice recognition software he's seen Alexi use. He dictated something, and then wanted to erase what he had written and start something new. Alexi started to describe the somewhat circuitous route he takes to accomplish this. After hearing the explanation, he raised the possibility of a simpler way of swiping from top left to bottom right directly on the text before them, then tapping 'delete'. As he suggested this, he did it, and it worked! We were impressed and told him so. He then explained the connections he'd made to reach the idea of trying this simpler, more direct way of interacting with the text. (Alexi wishes he'd thought of his a long time ago!)

This morning, before school, he used his phone to read three New York Times articles, this blog, and check the weather. After school, set up a calendar for himself. He used the calculator function to check some of his homework, and the timer to keep track of his piano practice.

So far, so good.

from Sunday evening

I've been thinking about making pasta since I took a class about it at The Pantry a while back. When my sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I asked for a pasta machine. Since opening the gift, I've admired it in its box on a shelf, and daydreamed about using it. Probably not until after hockey season, I've told myself. We're just too busy this time of year.

Yesterday, unexpectedly, Abbott's scheduled game in another town got cancelled. So he read a (an entire) book. Cal and Alexi worked on the Lego Imperial Shuttle Cal got for Christmas (recommended for ages 16 +). I did a long-overdue overhaul of the playroom. The cats reveled in it all. Then I got to work on pasta dough. Abbott joined me in the kitchen and said that, actually, he'd like to make the pasta. So I sat at the table and we chatted away the rest of the afternoon while he worked.

I hope your weekend was a nice one.

morning, evening

Top: morning, leaving the neighborhood. Bottom: coming home. Instagram.

Have a great weekend.

for me, for you

Last week, as the snow started to fall, I stocked up on just about everything that looked good to me, without a particular plan for most of it. Like a cook for a battalion heading off to war, I suppose - I don't know exactly what we'll be dealing with, so I'll take some of everything, please. One subsequent snowy afternoon, I looked through my vegetable bible, searching for something to do with the head of cauliflower I had at hand. I came across a recipe for soup. I tend to stay away from garden-variety cauliflower soups, with their combinations of butter/cheddar/flour/cream in varying proportions. I just don't like them. What caught my eye in this recipe was the addition of mustard and creme fraiche, and cheese other than cheddar.

We've moved on from last week, thankfully. Cabin fever started to set in. I've restocked the pantry; the leftovers are gone; the sun is shining and the temperatures have warmed. But I don't want to forget about this soup, and I don't think you should, either. I'm writing it up now, so I don't lose track of it. The flavor is complex and well balanced, and everyone liked it. No small accomplishment in a house with kids.

In the words of Mr. Slater: 'I do believe in the power of soup to restore our spirits and to strengthen and protect us.' Sing it, Nigel.

A soup of cauliflower and cheese
from Tender Volume 1, by Nigel Slater

50 g (3.5 tablespoons) butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
one head of cauliflower, broken into florets
2 bay leaves
200ml creme fraiche
1 heaped tablespoon grain mustard
120 g (1 1/2 cups) Gruyere or strong Cheddar
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

to finish:
2 slices dark rye bread
1 heaped tablespoon grated Gruyere

In a heavy large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic, and cook until soft, stirring often. Add the bay leaves, and remove from heat.

Boil the cauliflower florets in about 850 ml water over medium heat until tender to the point that a fork will slide in easily, 8-10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and its cooking water to the onion mixture. Bring everything to a boil; add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for fifteen minutes, until the vegetables are 'truly soft'. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaves and allow the soup to cool slightly.

In two batches, puree the soup in a blender. Pour the mixture back into the pan and stir in the creme fraiche, mustard, and grated cheese. Bring the soup slowly back to a simmer, and serve. Or, if you like, finish with toasted bread, as described below.

To finish, toast the bread on both sides, cover with the grated cheese and let it melt under a broiler. Cut into triangles and float them on the soup.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Wednesday

Thought-provoking - Changing Education Paradigms by Sir Ken Robinson.

Grassdoe - some of the best visual storytelling I've seen in a while.

More tomorrow. xo

Tuesday

Cal and I spent just shy of two hours traveling fifteen miles this evening. The downside of city life. The upside was being stuck enough to listen to the State of the Union address, and discuss it bit by bit. I found myself looking at others in the surrounding lanes, wondering if they, too, were listening. If the collective unconscious was more than just shared frustration.

Happy Tuesday.

Monday

Color startled me, all day, after a week of monotone white. Heaps of snow here and there remain all over the city. And the sun shone. I felt like a mole, blinking, above ground after a long winter's hibernation.

I restocked the pantry.
I got the car serviced.
I ordered new (chartreuse!) placemats to brighten things up a bit around here.
I went to the hardware store and bought a snow shovel, and supplies for making a longhouse - ahem - for Abbott to use in making a longhouse.
I vacuumed and did a load of laundry.

It feels like things are just about back to normal around here, and that makes me just a little bit sad.