This coming week will be nothing short of eventful - especially with my husband leaving for Toronto early tomorrow morning. He will be not be flying through New York. If he was, the flight would already have been cancelled. It remains to be seen if Hurricane Sandy will cause any delays for him getting to his destination or his return home on Friday night. I'm reminded of the time my husband traveled to London during the Icelandic volcano eruptions. He had to stay in London for a week longer than anticipated. We're hoping for the best with Sandy.
This morning's breakfast was not the typical Sunday fare. I would have preferred to have eggs alongside avocado slices, dark rye bread, Parano cheese, and green bell peppers. Instead we had cake with coffee. No scones, no puffy pancake, no oatmeal. Simply cake. The kids did request bread after the cake. We ran out of honey and the next "best" thing was Justin's chocolate hazelnut spread. Something much more tasty than Nutella, but still not what I would have liked them to eat this morning. Such was the start to our October Sunday.
The day seemed longer than usual. Of course, when we sit down to breakfast by 10:30 on a Sunday morning, the day will naturally be much longer than previous Sundays when we breakfast around noon. Although I would have preferred not to get in the car and run errands today, it was not to be avoided. We needed milk. And something for a late lunch. While my oldest went with me in the "baby car", the younger two stayed home with Papa and built a plane with the Fischertechnik pieces...
...and finished the Space Shuttle. I'm sure Saffron felt left out when she noticed that the model was completed without her. Despite that, she proceeded to take apart a few pieces and put them back on.
Cinnamon ran around with her favorite costume, now torn and far too small for her. It was a fairy costume that Saffron got for her 2nd birthday...four years ago. Cinnamon wears it on an almost daily basis. If I let her wear it to school, she would. She also likes to run around with her sunglasses. Ones I bought her a few years back. I can relate to Cinnamon's sense of style. She really reminds me of me when I was younger. Seemingly mismatched clothes that somehow work together. She definately has her own sense of style.
For a late lunch, I decided on ready-made beef brisket from Whole Foods despite the fact that we had leftover lentil soup. While we were waiting for the lean brisket to be sliced, Saffron was reading the word "Texas" on a nearby sign advertising something or other as local. She commented on how the "a" in "Texas" was silent. I tried correcting her until I realized that it does in fact sound like it is silent. I mean, you don't really say "Tex-ass" do you? Children can teach you a thing or two. You just need to listen.
I knew that the kids would like the meat better than the leftover lentil soup which they ate with much persuasion last night. Plus, it was quicker than having my husband grill filet mignon steaks outside on the charcoal grill, not to mention much less expensive. My preferred way of eating the brisket slices is wrapped in a toasted flour tortilla and topped with chipotle barbeque sauce and arugula. Simple and quick.
We had our Sunday late afternoon tradition of coffee and dessert. Today it was an assortment of imported German sweets, including Lebkuchen and Marzipan Stollen.
The kids love this tradition as do we. Whenever we're in Germany, we do this on an almost daily basis. Sunday is a better option for us and more special when it's once a week - and during the colder months.
The evening carried on with the children playing upstairs with the Carrerabahn with their Papa. Sagey was helping to put the cars back on the the tracks until he decided he'd rather relax with his elephant and lion in the middle of the large track layout. The layout that's been set up in our game room since early this year - January, I believe.
I'll have to get around to racing my new car. The one that's still sitting in its box since last year. It was fun watching the cars race by while the madeleines were downstairs cooling. I was glad to have completed those cookies for Cinnamon's Fall Party tomorrow.
The day was filled with games and sweets and lots of time with Papa before his trip to Toronto. It will be one eventful week indeed. Here's to hoping that Sandy doesn't cause too much damage to those in its path. It looks like one dangerous storm.