Roasted Chestnuts and sleeping on the floor
Our 2 y.o. insists he’s outgrown his toddler bed. ”It’s too small for me,” he says, and, to prove his point, refuses to sleep in it at night. Rather, he sleeps on the floor with his head on his pillow and his blanket wrinkle free. ”I want it everywhere!” he proclaims when I tuck him in. Because there’s nothing my boys like more than right angles.
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Not that he sleeps.
Last night, at bedtime, I got on the floor beside him, hoping to coax him into closing his eyes. Bedtime around here is like Dominoes. You need to push the first one over for the rest to fall.
So I rubbed small circles on his back; I rubbed his head. I made up a story about a big boy with a sword, and then I sang a song about a bear. And then finally, I was so tired that I let him pluck out strands of my hair just so he’d be quiet while I slept. Which probably isn’t a good idea once you’re in your thirties. You never know if it’ll grow back.
It didn’t hurt. Much.
Then our 4 y.o. crawled out of his bed and curled up beside us on the floor. Because if there was a chance his little brother’s ploy could result in a new bed, he wanted in on it, too.
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But it was heaven holding their sweet bodies close to mine, with their breath on my neck, their fine hair tickling my face. They won’t be my babies forever. Oh, excuse me. My big boys.
Now that I’m feeling nostalgic, I’ve decided to make roasted chestnuts. Not that I’ve ever eaten a roasted chestnut. It’s just that they were in a song I used to listen to, so they remind me of family and home. And an open fire. And snow.
Roasted Chestnuts, adapted from Start Cooking:
Preheat oven to 450.
Cut small X in each chestnut to allow the steam to escape.
Chestnut2
Place the chestnuts in a baking pan with the X facing up.
Remove from the oven 20 – 30 minutes later, when the shells burst open.
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Then peel; make sure they’re not too hot that you burn your fingers.
These were yummy roasted, soft and squishy and nutty.
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Mmmm – I haven’t had roasted chestnuts in years – and this is the perfect time of year to make them.
I remember bedtime struggles all too well. Some nights it’s comical, some nights you want to cry from exhaustion.
We converted my son’s Ikea cot into a bed and for weeks he kept saying, Papa, why you break my bed
But thankfully, he’s gotten over that! Roasted chestnuts yesterday…..and planning on making a soup with them, well with what’s left of what I didn’t eat :-0
Kind of wished we had done that back in the day when there were still chestnut trees along the streets of South Hill.
I was just reflecting on getting one of my boys to sleep last week, I can relate! I’ve never had roasted chestnuts though. I’ll put it on my mental list of things to try.
Thanks for stopping by today and taking the time to comment! I appreciate it.
Kim @ iwantaminivan
My kids would love to do this. They love picking chestnuts up when we go on walks.
Oh, I feel your pain about getting kids to go to sleep. Argh. I remember holding my daughters door closed as she screamed her head off and tried to escape. So glad those days are way behind me.
But my biggest laugh came from the roasted chicken. I seriously laughed out loud. Is it me or did it look like a giant crawdad? I’m sure it tasted great. The angle of the pic was too funny, though!
Sorry, just noticed the roasted chicken was another post.
Pingback: Holiday Recipes: Roasted Chestnuts | Nibblers
I have been reading a few posts on here and have picked up some great info. One thing I have found which works well for a good nights sleep, feeling more relaxed and focused is binaural beats. As strange as they may sound (excuse the pun) they are a very powerful method of relaxation.