Sunday, July 23, 2006

More Sleep Deprivation

(Originally posted on Sunday, July 23, 2006 by Tim)

Last night was a rough night. Dalton has become more complicated than feed or change me when I cry and I?ll go back to sleep. He?s been looking around a lot more over the last day or so. He still isn?t really focusing on anything yet. Cat says he likes to look at contrasts between light and dark.

Last night he was fussing for the first half of the night and feeding and changing didn?t seem to get him back to sleep. At 3am, Cat asked me to take him away so she could get a little sleep. I carried him into his room and tried rocking him in the dark. He wasn?t having any of it. I then turned on the light and he calmed down and started looking around. I spent the next hour changing his position, shaking a rattle near him, and singing to him ??over the ramparts we watched??. I?m pretty sure there were a few diaper changes in there as well.

It?s partly our fault that we?re sleep deprived today. Dalton was sleeping pretty heavily from dinner until bedtime. At 9pm we decided to watch a movie while he was sleeping rather than go to bed. I hope we?ve learned out lesson. We?re at out of movies for the moment so tonight should be safe.

Speaking of singing, yesterday?s post reminded me of the time I got through Canadian customs by knowing some of the ?Star Spangled Banner?. I had flown into Montreal for a friend?s wedding but had not brought a passport or a birth certificate. It was pre 9-11 and I didn?t think I would need one as all you need is a driver?s license to cross the border. I was stopped by a really cute customs agent with a French accent (which made her even more cute). After explaining that I didn?t know I needed more than a driver?s license, she said, ?OK, I?m going to let you prove to me that you are an all American boy. Sing for me the Star Spangled Banner.? I was flustered and didn?t know the words any better than I do today. Worse yet, I was so nervous that I started with ?My Country Tis of Thee?. I eventually got on the right song, managed most of the words correctly, and she let me through. I still wonder if she was flirting with me. I didn?t have the guts to ask her for her number (or whatever you do with French Canadians).

It?s been three days of squash meals and we are starting to beat back the beast in the garden. Yesterday, Cat and Carol made a yummy squash fritter recipe. I?ve posted it below in case you encounter a squash invasion yourself.

Yellow Squash Fritters
1 big squash (lots bigger than they let them grow for the grocery store), 3 ½ cups grated
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs beaten
8 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons cornmeal
Oil for frying
½ tsp salt
repeated vigorous grinds of pepper until chef is bored

Squeeze grated squash to remove excess water. Combine with the parmesan, eggs, flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Knead together with hands until reasonably mixed. Pour a thin layer of oil in a pan. Add a quarter of a cup of fritter mixture to the pan and heat over medium heat until golden brown*. Flip the fritter and cool the other side until it is also golden brown. Feel free to cook as many fritters as will fit in your pan.

We served the fritters with crystal Thai sauce. It is a very sweet and hot sauce that we?ve made to go with our spring roll recipe. I?m tired and it?s a little complicated so I?m not going to post it tonight. Suffice it to say that any sauce that goes with fritters is good with this recipe. I think they would be great dipped in maple syrup, but what isn?t.

*The fritters will be bright yellow if you?ve used yellow squash.

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