Store Beer Wisely

My brother-in-law started making beer about two years ago. When we were in the US one year ago, we got to taste a few of his brews. Each had a unique flavor and all of them were decent, if not good.

In honor of my brother's wedding (the last sibling of three to marry), he brewed a special batch of richer, darker beer. My sister designed a beautiful label with "SJM" to represent the three married couples. The "S" is for Steinbach. The "J" and "M" for their last names, all in order of our wedding dates. The background is a piece of PJ's art.

Each couple got two bottles and we were each asked to drink the beer on our wedding anniversary. Which I thought was very touching and committed myself to do. And then forgot to actually do.

When we FINALLY got down to trying to beer just a short six months late, we proudly took a before picture.

That was our last smile. Because quite honestly the beer was horrific. Rotten. As if penicillin had gone bad, mixed with some year old eggs, and then joined a motorcycle gang.

Yes, it was that bad.

We actually tried to take another sip. I even poured it into a glass. At that point it became obvious that something had gone wrong. It turns out - who knew! - that how one stores a homemade beer actually matters. It turns out that one is not recommended to allow the beer to get too hot, too cold, freeze (long story), or carried around by a toddler who enjoys rather randomly pulling things out of the fridge and either shaking them about or carrying them around the house for a little while.

In other words, we did a bad job of storing the beer.  As a result it tasted just like it was stored. It sure was pretty though! 

XO

Cincy Zoo Visit

Another way late post :)

While we were in the US, we got to go to the Zoo. It was super hot, super sticky, and loads of fun. This one if going to be light on commentary and heavy on pictures. Enjoy!

Adventures. Adventures.


XO

Why My Brother-in-Law is Pretty Cool

A few weeks before we flew to the States, my brother-in-law turned 25. 25 is an awesome year - right in the middle of a great decade of fun. But for a lot of good reasons, he didn't get to celebrate his entry into his "mid-20s". My sister and I agreed that we needed to do something for him when we all got together in Hilton Head. Brownies we agreed because he likes brownies. Funfetti icing we agreed because that really annoys him. And we knew he would totally get the joke and appreciate it.

So, as soon as we could, we ran out and picked up a box of brownie mix and funfetti icing to bake back at the place we were staying and surprise him for a delayed birthday.

But then we got busy looking at alligators, whipped by jet lag, thrilled by the ocean, eating ice cream, taking bike rides ... and just, well, we just ran out of time. We never forgot; we just failed to bake the damn brownies.

Lets just say the birthday surprise was really delayed.

Then we got back to Ohio and got our shit together (thanks Mom!). We missed the funfetti but finally greeted him with some brownies and a happy birthday song.

Mom with the fabulous brownies and a candle that matched his shirt.

Lets just say that Uncle B was totally not expecting a birthday surprise. When he walked through the front door at my parent's house and my sister, parents, and I started singing the birthday song ... he started to sing along.

He didn't know whose birthday it was but, to quote him, "someone was singing and so [he] jumped in." It was only when we got to "Happy Birthday, dear Bxxxx!" that he actually realized we were singing for him. 

And that, my friends, family, and readers, is why my brother-in-law is pretty cool: he leaps right towards whatever comes his way. There have been times that took my breath away when I heard about one of his leaps, but this kid lands. He might roll a bit or flub the landing, but he lands. When he sticks the landing, he usually doesn't get that what he just did was darn cool. And when he flubs the landing, he brushes himself off, complains a bit (cause lets keep it real, we are all human), and moves on. Moves forward.

Then he leaps right towards the next thing.

Uncle B and his brownies. I missed the leap towards them.

The other thing about my brother-in-law is his sense of humor. At the end of our Hilton Head trip he didn't have any clean shirts and my sister made him borrow one of hers. One of her v-neck, shaped t-shirts. Not only did the guy put it on, and let us make a ton of jokes about the whole situation, he also posed for a series of really ridiculous pictures.

My favorite of the ridiculous pictures.

And that is why my brother-in-law is pretty cool.



xo

Puppies!

We don't have a dog. We probably won't ever have a dog. Another cat? Sure. A dog? I can already see the Mr. shaking his head. There is the whole need to walk the dog; train the dog; find a good babysitter for the dog when we go on three week vacations to the US; etc.

But I like dogs and it appears that all of my family and friends do too because in the past few years almost everyone has gotten a dog. My sister got a massive one and then gave it the massive name 'Coco'.

Riiiiight.

PJ had a sort of complicated relationship with Coco. Coco really liked PJ and was protective of her smallest charge but she's huge and, although she was well-behaved, PJ (and his parents) couldn't quite relax when Coco was around. However, he could ride her like the half-puppy she is, which made everyone involved happy:

Everyone happy with a good puppy ride.

A few years ago my nana got a shy, middle-sized puppy with the very appropriate name Lulu. This relationship was equally as complicated but for the opposite reason: PJ really liked Lulu and Lulu wasn't having it.

"Ooooh, I really like this one!", says PJ.

"How much longer will this kid be here?", says Lulu

There was also middle-sized Booker who wasn't too excited about PJ and PJ wasn't too excited about him - but I think both were tired when they met each other. We'll give that another shot when we visit the US next time. Sorry, no pictures.

Then we got to Pittsburgh. My friend and her husband also have a dog, Freddie Fourpaws. Neither PJ nor Freddie were too excited at the start but that changed quickly when Freddie realized the amazing source of table food PJ was going to be. Then PJ realized how much fun a playmate his size could be. And they were buds all week long.

Freddie would wait for PJ to come down in the morning, come back from wherever we were, and get back in his high chair and start dropping food again already. PJ called out for his puppy, followed him around, tried to share his toys, learned how to "pet" his little friend (relatively) gently, and just generally loved on his friend.

PJ and Freddie playing together.

Little man even started to call out "Freddie" (soft F, non-existent R, strong "eddie!") when he saw his puppy-friend. We tried so hard to catch it and did ... but not quite. What them enjoy each other in this little clip.

xo

A Proud Mommy Moment

Want to know a secret? I'm not a big fan of the ocean. That whole wave in - wave out thing isn't quite what I'd like to feel when I'm standing in water. The truth is that I'm not much of water person in general and if I have to, I'd rather stand in a bathtub or a pond or a lake and even a river (water goes in one direction and one direction only).

But I've seen and felt myself how a mother's reaction can influence the fears and joys of her child and I didn't want PJ's first ocean experience to be led fully by my own uncomfortable feelings. Instead I was hoping for a more PJ-driven experience...and if he ended up acting like the whole water-moving-in-two-directions thing was lame - okay. If not - also okay (in fact, most likely even better).

So when we walked from the house we were staying in while in Hilton Head, along a canal sort of thing where a real alligator lived...

The house we stayed in. Pretty cool, right?

The canal the alligator lived in. Really cool!

a grand total of ten minutes to the beach....

Our little man, chilling in the Ergo.

I silently reminded myself to chill out and let PJ check it out without my hovering or pushing. So as soon as we were all at the beach, I put little man down on the sand, sat down next to him, and took a big breath.

First reaction: what's this?

Second reaction: what's that?

He watched the waves and put his hands into the sand for a few seconds and then he was off. My mom had to pull him back out of the water a few times - he was going to crawl to Europe. Of course, I had totally overreacted and little man was thrilled by the entire experience. Crazy kid. Crazy, ocean-loving kid.

"This sand certainly tastes good. Mom and Dad are in for a surprise when they change my diaper in a day or two."

"Parents who? This aunt and uncle rock"

Frankly, it was a proud mommy moment for myself. It would have been so much easier to hover and transmit my own feelings. But I didn't. And that is pretty cool.

xo

Almost Wordless Wednesday

The sisters and their babies playing a bouncy game.

xo

First Bike Ride

While in Hilton Head our little man enjoyed his first bike ride. It was a wild success and we are now trying to find a baby bike seat for our bikes at home. Funnily enough he made the "vroooom" sound almost the entire time, so I had a motorized bike!

Family Steinbach at the start of the ride. Zoom in for the most adorable face ever.

Second most adorable face ever.

Vvvvvrrrrrroooooommmm!

Uncle B rocking both the bike and the shades.

Aunt T showing 'em how its done.

Half-way through the trip, we met up with Grannie and Grandpa for some food, ice cream, and laughter. 

Grannie and Grandpa chilling under some romantic trees.

Grandpa and PJ goofing it up!

The greatest table in the place, just missing Uncle Frannie, Kiwi, and da-da.

Aunt T has the best taste in necklaces (that her older sister bought her).

Then we headed home the long way. Not the best decision, but da-da got us back on track.

Da-da showing us the way home.

xo