2021-23 || running on baby time

It feels like we're in the Brentwood area more frequently now, after moving away. We went back to the Amazing Brentwood to explore the food court with a few other friends, and we all ended up ordering from Chef Hung: 

Fish cakes: 

Fried chicken:

Braised pork on rice: 

Not bad for food court! Obviously not the same as actually braised pork on rice in Taiwan, but this really hit the spot.

I have been feeling so drained ever since the day of four coffees, but even so, I was determined to get things done the other day. We had her one year shots that day, and by the time we got home, I was ready to collapse on the ground. There was no time for that though. I had to put baby S down for a nap, catch up on work, get ingredients for dinner, and start actually prepping dinner (thank goodness H can cook and I don't have to do it all). 

I was determined to make this lemon chicken orzo soup, but was also missing a few ingredients, including orzo. Who knew orzo was such a rare ingredient around this part of town?

 

I tried to support local and walked with baby S to a few different local grocery stores, spent about an hour and a half trying to find the stupid orzo, and eventually drove over to Whole Foods. I guess it was meant to be though, because I had been on the hunt for eucalyptus clippings for a while, and they finally had it in stock.  I'll go where the universe takes me.

This weekend, I had to remind myself that having a child means moving at a slower pace. It's not just that it takes time to get baby S ready to do simple things, but it also uses up a lot of energy to convince her to go along with our plans (diaper changes have become a bit of a wrestling match lately),

Some people might also say that I could use my time more efficiently. 

Maybe we still have piles of boxes left to unpack, and we can't close our closet doors because bags of clothing from our move are spilling out. Maybe the weeds on our front lawn are growing prolifically, because we'd rather push a button to remove a patch of weeds on Animal Crossing instead of doing the actual manual labor. Maybe I'd rather spend an hour and a half walking to different local grocery stores with my baby in her baby carrier instead of driving, because it's hilarious to watch her reactions to the things we see on the street.