Birdy is 6 today. Birdy. My baby. Lots of you were pregnant at the same time as me, and you are doubtless feeling this too, this head-shaking kind of how-did-it-happen soaring and aching of the heart. Oh!
Here she is, with the doll's sleeping bag that our dear friend made for her. There's something so funny and sweetly old-fashioned about this picture. You'd never know that just one minute later she hiked up her dress and wagged her bottom at me, sing-songing, "Look at my bu-utt, look at my bu-utt." Such a delicate flower, that Birdy.
In other news, there is a facebook "fan" page up! Or maybe it is a "group" page? I don't know. Thank you so much, Loretta Craveiro who is not, I swear, *me* or even someone that I know personally. I am not sure what will happen over there, but I am grateful.
And in other other news, there are roasted chickpea snacks here, for all you salty-snack cravers out there who want something healthier than Cool Ranch Doritos. (When they discover that Cool Ranch Doritos are actually healthy, I will be eating them three meals a day.) We're brainstorming other seasoning ideas besides the curry powder, which is delicious, but not for everyone. Please let me know if you try anything delicious.
Enjoy the snow, if you're out here with us. Or whatever brightness comes your way!
xo
Birdy is 6! That kills me. I remember when you announced you were pregnant with her, on Babycenter after that camping trip with 2 1/2 year old Ben. Sigh... It's going too fast, for yours and mine.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Birdy! My son just turned 6 in Feb. Must be the age, he too has what we call a 'happy dance' where he all of a sudden starts dancing with his 'bottom' in the air. go figure. It seems like just yesterday that we were lifting it up to change a diaper! :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Cool Ranch Doritos are *healthy,* but they *are* gluten-free. ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy, happy birthday to Birdy and much love to all of you!
<3
Happy Birthday, Birdy! (And happy birthday, mama!) I remember when you announced your pregnancy, too. Our kids are similar ages. And I'm so glad to hear that my almost 6 year old daughter is not the only one who is butt-obsessed.
ReplyDeleteokay-- made the chickpeas for breakfast this morning (seriously). Fantastico, although I am now thinking I need to go to the store, decipher what ingredients make cool ranch doritos taste like cool ranch doritos, and then season the chickpeas in said fashion. Which would mean I have a chemical plant in my kitchen, and that the chickpeas would no longer be remotely healthy. Sigh. We'll keep hoping for healthy junk foods, I guess (I was like, woo doritos are gluten free? that's something, right???)
ReplyDeleteI love that Birdy has not lost her, um, delicate nature to the wonderous age of six! Sort of like Max the other day, when he leaned on my pelvic bone and I yelped. He said, surprised "Oh! Sorry Mom! I didn't think your penis (can I type that?) was right there!" When I went through the whole anatomy thing with him, he just shook his head sadly and said "You really, really don't have one. Too bad for you."
And proceeded to shake his tail feather at me in "na-na-na" fashion all the way out of the room.
sigh.
Happy, happy birthday Birdy. And have a great (although I'm sure freezing) day too, Catherine.
ps-- my kids think "toliet works" would be a fantastic game-- Noah said he'd send allowance money to get the low down, should it be created:)
and I'll write about barfopoly some day. right now, Justin is gone and it is too cold and so all I can talk about is how we dance. it. out. with periods between each word, apparently:)
Happy Birthday to Birdy!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Birdy! I started listening a few months ago, when you still did podcasts. For a few days I listened to all the back episodes and tried not to giggle outloud (didn't work).
ReplyDeleteNo way. Birdy is not six--it can't be!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to try the chickpeas. We LOVE the black bean dip.
Happy birthday sweet girl!!!!! My Maga is six, just a few months older than Birdy, and my "babies" are 4 and 2! I look at them, and I don;t recognize my own kids! They grow soooo fast!!!
ReplyDeleteWe're having a sringy sort of weather in Utah; it's in the 60's. I'm sure winter will come back with a vengeance and we'll have snow until June, like last year ... sigh...
"springy sort of weather" not sringy. I hope you know what I meant!
ReplyDeleteTry smoked paprika and a bit of salt as the seasoning for the chik peas. It became my favorite combination for pumpkin seeds last fall. You don't need much, otherwise the intense smokiness gets a little bitter. But Mmmmm.....
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Birdy! I really miss your parenting columns after reading you since inception on Baby Center (my son is a little younger than Ben). I hope you'll be able to share more of your insights here. The food columns are great, but I'm greedy and want both.
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ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, dear Birdy!
ReplyDeleteAnd Happy Birthday to you too, Mama. All these years now of so eloquently writing about your time with these beautiful children, and putting into words what so many of us cannot. These kid birthdays are for us moms too, although in less of an antsy, eager for gifts and goodies way and more of a slipping off to the side to tear up and rub our bellies as though we are still pregnant way...or maybe that's just me.
Either way, I wish a wonderful day to your entire family! And I love Kate's idea for working on the cool ranch chickpeas...there has to be a way!
Happy Birthday, Birdy! I, also, have been following you since the beginning on Baby Center and I can't believe it's been that long!
ReplyDeleteWow, happy birthday to Birdy!
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I'm currently reading your book, Waiting for Birdy, as I await the arrival of my second son in 18 days or so. I've enjoyed the book so much so far - I laughed and cried - your stories and feelings were so much like my own during this wild time.
It's crazy how time flies...and a little scary too...
Awww... Happy Birthday Birdy! How exciting. I joined the ranks of fans on the Facebook thingy too ;)
ReplyDeleteI just saw on the Facebook "fan" page there are now 88 members in the Catherine Newman Group. Thanks for the shout-out Catherine! I would have figured out a way to post a photo of you, but didn't want to invade your privacy...like some crazy internet stalker. I am a huge fan, and for years have loved to read your column. As a mother of two kids (12 yrs and 3 yrs) there were some weeks I really needed to laugh, and you say it like it is...Thank you! Sincerely, Loretta Craveiro
ReplyDeleteI tried the chickpeas last night and they were so very, very tasty! I split them out into snack sized portions before I tasted and I'm glad I did, otherwise I may have eaten the whole (double) batch! The cheeto lover in me even liked the neon yellow finger stains :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Birdy!
ReplyDeletecool ranch huh -- well, buttermilk powder, tons of salt, and dried salsa flavoring (all available at king arthur flour or penzy's spices online I'd think)
ReplyDeletesounds like it would be worth trying
actually dried salsa flavoring is really yummy, its what my favorite rice crackers are covered with
caleb turns 6 on the 16th -- such a crazy age, with first grade looming in the distance for my little one
astoria, you are my hero. I'm totally putting in my king arthur's order tomorrow. And I'll try not to salivate all over the place while waiting to give that combination a try:)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Birdy! My oldest just turned 6, and I think he's your soul mate, butt jokes and all! It really does feel like we blinked and they were 6.
ReplyDeleteAnd yay for the Facebook fan page! Any excuse to tell Catherine we love you!!!
Wahoo about the FB page! I joined up right away. I feel very "cool" to be your FB friend. :)
ReplyDeleteMy oldest baby will be 6 this year as well. Luckily I still have two after her to make me a little crazy and a lot grateful for the moments we have.
So, so hard to believe. I, too, remember the Babycenter camping trip column.
ReplyDeleteMine are 4-1/2 and 2-1/2, which probably seems like tiny babies to you now, but which seems unbelievably big to me.
As always, thank you for your wonderful years of writing and loveliness.
Happy Birthday to Birdy, a beautiful little girl.
ReplyDeleteThe Facebook page is already up to 221!
I've also joined the Facebook group "I Want my Wondertime!"
Happy 6th birthday to Birdy! My son, Ben, turned 9 on March 3 and I am having the same thoughts. How did this happen? Wasn't I just pregnant? Wasn't I just rocking him to sleep at midnight?
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Birdy! My son (first) turned six on the 2nd, so just a day away. I remember those columns so long ago, reading them throughout my pregnancy, thinking at least one person I knew was running in parallel somewhere.
ReplyDeleteWe made your recipe for caramel corn on Sunday when Atlanta got its first and probably only snow of the year. Our neighbors were very appreciative for their bags-full.
Happy Birthday, Birdy!
ReplyDeleteMy eldest is 6. She lost her first tooth this week, and announced that it means she's growing up. "I know, so cut it out!" says Mommy.
The night she lost the tooth she said to me, "Do you know how the ToothFairy gets things to the kids?" No, do tell. "I think she uses a delivery truck. Because there are a lot of kids, and she's just a *little* fairy." Sounds right to me. Smart thinking, kid.
Happy 6th Birthday Birdy!
ReplyDelete& Catherine thanks for the link! I may have to do a little online shopping tonight =)
I joined the Facebook group. Yay!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the link. I heart Etsy. I just ordered some awesome sounding reusable sandwich bags from there a couple of days ago.
Related to such things, you demonstrated your lunch packing talents recently...any suggestions for good, sturdy drink containers? The plastic ones we've tried tend to wind up cracked, and I get so flippin' tired of plastic everywhere anyways.
I only have to post again because the word verification now is "shire." My nerdy self was immediately encased in warm hobbity goodness at the sight of it. :P
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Birdy!!
ReplyDeleteyou might try a combination of garlic powder, cinnamon, and salt for a seasoning. Tastes great on sweet potato fries as well.
Can I just say that gluten is actually good for you? Unless, of course, you're allergic to it, in which case, you are allergic to all wheat products. I'm not sure if people were joking about it or not, but my cousin used to think it was bad for you because she had seen labels in the organic supermarket for all the gluten free products. Those are just for people who are allergic. Gluten is the protein of the wheat, so the gluten you can buy at the store in the baking aisle is about 80% protein. I use some in the pancake batter every time so the kids don't get the frantic no protein crash that you would from say, eating a bag of cool ranch doritos and being too full for anything else! Or from eating pancakes and syrup with no protein. It makes for particularly good waffles, too. Oh, yes, and happy birthday, Birdy!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Birdy! My son is about to turn three and it is SHOCKING how fast it goes, especially when some days seem sooooo loooooonnngg :-) Try minced garlic and fennel on your chickpeas, added in the last five or ten minutes of roasting. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI want you to know (I know I'm not leaving this comment in the exact right place) that I successfully prepared chicken breasts the other night with the delicious wine sauce. See, I'm 30, and I've been wondering how the heck restaurants and other normal people are able to cook the chicken breast and make it taste good. I would have NEVER known to put a little butter with a little olive oil. I was very, very proud of myself. And the mushrooms were delicious too! I just have to say thank you in a big major way for printing out every little detail about how to do it. I've needed those instructions my whole LIFE! :)
ReplyDeleteMy Jennifer has also just turned 6. The first word she learned how to spell was 'butt.' And she shakes hers a lot! My two have the dreaded peanut allergies and this recipe might just satisfy my craving for nuts and if they like it too that would be a huge bonus. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDear Catherine, I am only 7 years old .But I love your blak bean dip.Me and mom and my brother made it.I thinck I should ask my mom if you have any new recipes.from Olivia
ReplyDeletep.s. I also like chik peas
Oh my goodness, Birdy is 6. You don't know me, but I feel like I know you! I read that Babycenter blog throughout my pregnancy with MY 6 year old, Nina, and loved every single minute. Happy belated birthday, sweet girl.
ReplyDeletejust feeling some post-wondertime saddness and was popping in to see what you are working on these days.
ReplyDeletehappy belated b-day to birdy.