Reading a book in front of a roaring fire, while sipping a spot of hot tea, after a brisk walk around the neighborhood, with chicken stock simmering on the back of the stove...ahhhhh, I had a damn nice weekend. NICE!

I turned the stock into a tortellini soup, with leeks, garlic, and carrots, garnished with chopped arugula and grated parm. The star was the stock, however, long-simmered and rich, yum. Stunning Stacey and Cooper Cuteness (aka my sister and nephew) joined us for dinner (Coop had baby lentils, rice, and sweet potatoes, sitting in Nathan's old highchair, which I love to see in use again). Cooper=Baby Yumminess. He is the best-smelling baby ever, he's positively dreamy. I think I kissed his pudgy cheeks at least 200 times, poor little guy. Luckily, he's used to his mom and dad doing the same so seemed utterly unfazed by it. Just like Nathan, he adjusted quickly to being hugged and smooched regularly, ha.

I wrapped the weekend with a trip over to Suz's for the cackling and talking-sh*t otherwise known as our "Motherhood After Dark" podcast, Feminine Hijinx. I laughed so hard on the way home that I wasn't even driving well, thanks to Maven of Mischief Kim's shenanigans. When I pulled up alongside her at a red light - she in her mini-van, Sweet Action - she rolled down her window, performed an uncharacteristically rude gesture (made famous by Samantha on Sex and the City when describing Richard's cheating ways, and that is all I'll say), yelled, "Yep, that's how I roll!" then peeled out when the light turned green. Peeled. Out. Rrrrrrrrttt... In a mini-van! I was choking, the whole thing happened so fast, and is sooooo NOT suburban mommy (which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, I've always loved that about Kim), damn, I'm laughing again. Maven indeed!