Hurray For Grandmothers

Okay let me start off by saying that the brownie recipe from Barefoot Contessa that I posted in my last blog is a MUST TRY.  I finally had the opportunity to make them yesterday during one of Lyla's naps and they are delicious.  It was also actually my very first time making brownies from scratch (I typically take the easy way out and go for the box). Pat on the back for me!

So enough about brownies and chocolate...  I was recently speaking to a good friend of mine who also gave birth a few months ago.  She had mentioned that her little boy was fast asleep and that her mother in-law was watching him so she could run out to the super market.  I started to kind of giggle and poke fun at the fact that it is funny how a home starts to resemble a prison in the first few months of raising a child.  I was explaining to her that Lyla had been ill for a couple of weeks, so our outings were very limited. I also mentioned that the other day when we were in need of some items from the grocery store I gladly grabbed Garrett's keys and headed for the door before he could even offer to make the trip.  Don't get me wrong I love spending time with Lyla but a girl needs some fresh air.  When the only outing you have made in 2 weeks is a lovely stroll around the block...you go a little loco (that means crazy for all you non-Spanish speakers).   To top it off, my car is no longer drivable (even after spending a fortune over 6 months to fix it!) and Garrett needs his car because he has officially started coaching baseball.  This means that I have no access to a vehicle until Garrett gets home, which is typically in the late evening.  She assured me that things would get better over time and that with Spring here that the warm weather would help tremendously. In the mean time... grandmothers come in handy....

The other day my mother in-law came over to drop off some of our clean laundry.  Yes that is right...she is the best.  Since it costs us $4.00 to do laundry for a small load (that comes out damp from the dryer) Garrett's mother has been coming over to take our laundry to help us out while I am at home with the baby.  At the same time Lyla had decided to nap, so I was able to put our clothes away and clean up the apartment a bit.  My mother in-law helped out by doing some dishes (which was remarkable because doing dishes is my least favorite thing).  It is always nice to have a little help here and there.

Days prior I had mentioned that I really wanted to check out The Rugged Bear because I had heard that the store was going out of business. For those of you that don't know, The Rugged Bear is a children's clothing store.  I thought it would be a great time to maybe get Lyla some clothes for when she gets a bit bigger.   After cleaning the apartment, my mother in-law handed me her keys and suggested that I make the trip to check it out.  Score!  It would be a quicky, but at least it would get me out of the house for maybe a half hour or so. This is one item I ended up buying:

Too cute and it isn't pink!  I can't tell you how may pink clothes that Lyla owns.  The second she was born everyone started buying us pink.  I like pink, but I think colors like purple and tangerine should get the spotlight too.  I was super thankful for my mother in-law's help.  It is amazing what a little alone time can do.

Yesterday my mother and sister came over for a visit.  Again since I do not have a car, I usually end up going to the grocery store when Garrett gets home.  Since this week he is out a bit later, I wanted to have dinner ready for when he gets home (since he is typically starving by the time he walks through the door).  My mom suggested that I make Shepard's pie and came over with all the ingredients I was missing.  To top it off, she ended up making it for me.  She loves to cook!  She had to tone it down from how she typically makes it since Garrett hates onions and pretty much every vegetable imaginable. Yes, I know,  he is a dream to cook for.  It was pretty fantastic to not have to cook for a night.

It is funny because after Garrett and I were married we often went back and forth about moving closer home to our parents.  I was pretty content living 40 minutes from our parents and a half hour from the city, but Garrett really wanted to be back in suburbia.  I finally agreed because, of course, family is super important to the both of us. Now I am so very grateful.  Lyla is surrounded by people who love her, and we have help from the people who made us who we are today.  There is nothing better than that.