Carpe Diem

"The days are long, the years are short."  Someone wise said this, I am not sure who, about parenthood.  I ought to remind myself that.  Everyday.  Even now that things seem a little more under control.

This is Sophia when she was 7 months old.

I don't remember much from that time but I keep a stack of photos that give me a glimmer of it.  My husband often criticize me for taking more pictures than necessary instead of enjoying the moment.  Well Honey, this is why I do it- to capture the memories.  It's for my heart.

I remember when Sophia was an infant that I often got overwhelmed juggling work and caring for a young child.  I would cry to my husband and he would remind me, "but this {having a child}, you said, is what you dreamed of..."  I just felt like smacking him in the head!  Then I would laugh through my tears because he is right.  But why, why does it have to be so much work?  Between the sleepless nights, diaper changes and the constant breast feeding, days did feel like eternity.


Then poof! 


This is her now.  

It seems like it was only yesterday when she first said dada.  Now she goes on talking jags using more and more words like humongous and scrumptious.  Sometimes at the dinner table we forget to include her in our conversation then she'd ask, "what are you guys talking about?"  The other night we were talking about how at her one year old check up, the substitute pediatrician told us she wasn't saying as much words as she should.  My husband joked - that doctor should go on a car ride with Sophia now.  We both laughed.  Sophia, listening to the whole conversation then said, "Are you making fun of me?  If I don't talk I get a stomach ache." ..... We laughed our hearts out.

I like it when older parents tell me to carpe diem.  "It goes by so fast, enjoy it."  At times it seems like there is a twinge of regret mixed with it.  In fact, when I said those words to a couple of friends with kids younger than mine, there was a feeling of I should have enjoyed it more along with it.  Sophia is only three but I feel age 0-3 went by as quick as a blink of an eye that I didn't get to enjoy those years to my satisfaction.  There is a little bit of a guilt there.  And I bet many working mothers (and fathers) feel the same way.

I will not however dwell on the times I missed out on, but rather I will try to enjoy the present. To carpe diem is what I'll do.  Now is so much fun.  I mean, just look at this!

Our child literally made us stop what we were doing, and had us sit on the sofa to watch her sing and dance.   I need to savor times like these. And without being asked to do so, I should make more time to just watch   and be mesmerized by this beautiful sweet little person we have been blessed with. Even though there are other things to worry about, I need to be more present in the few hours that I get to spend with her - listening intently as she speaks, teaching her and learning from her at the same time.  I need to stay focused in the moment  instead of being lost in my own thoughts.

When I am an old lady and Sophia is all grown up and moves out of the house, I want to be able to let her go without regrets.  I want to be the proud parent with a deep sense of satisfaction that I was able to spend many meaningful times with my daughter.

Lately this kale chips is what we have been enjoying together.

I have been making these kale chips to serve as appetizer in the evenings.  Sophia loves it!  She eats them like she eats roasted seaweeds.  And the best part is that it is so easy to make.  You simply toss them in olive oil and sea salt, then roast them in the oven for a good 12 minutes at 325°F.  I like to buy the packaged kale at Trader Joes because they are prewashed.  I don't need to rinse and dry them.  Drying the leaves is quite a bit of work and it is important that the leaves are dry before they go into the oven.

You will see a bunch of different ways to make kale chips online but I keep mine simple for now.  They are good with just EVOO and sea salt, but you can also add other things like, vinegar, garlic, cumin, etc. if you are feeling fancy.

Roasted Kale Chips

1 bunch kale (lacinato or dinosaur kale) or use the prewashed bag of kale from Trader Joes
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Wash and dry kale.  Dry it well using paper towels.  Cut off the ribs/stems then tear leaves into large pieces.  

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil (for easier clean up).

Pour a good amount of olive oil in your hands then toss the leaves with your greased hands. Arrange leaves in a single layer on the baking sheet then sprinkle with salt.  You only need a little bit of salt.  You can add more  after it's cooked it you think it is not salty enough.

Roast kale in the oven for about 12 minutes.  Ovens are not the same so check the kale on the 10 minutes mark.  If it is not crisp enough at 10 minutes, keep cooking making sure to check every 2 minutes or so.

Remove from oven and let it cool a bit.  Then eat it.  Eat it all in one sitting.