My name is Romy Pepper Talbot, I have Blonde Hair and Brown Eyes and I'm Twenty-Three Years Old. I'm an up and coming pastry chef in one of NYC's hottest restaurants - Le Cirque. I graduated at the top of my class at Le Cordon Bleu in France and nothing has ever gotten in the way of my dream to become a world wide known name in the pastry circuit. Not family, not friends and most certainly not love. I have no time for any of those as they're all distractions towards my life goal.
One night while I'm at work my head chef tells me that a patron wishes to speak to me out in the dining room. I tell him I'm too busy, but he insists I go out and speak to this customer as it is very urgent. I sigh and throw my apron to him before walking out of the kitchen and over to a table where I see one of the most attractive looking persons I have ever seen. They have Red Hair and intriguing Brown Eyes and are dressed to the nines in designer fashion. I do not recognize them and figure they are some prissy rich debutant. As I walk over, a forced pleasant smile on my face the last thing I expect is the cockiest of grins on her face before she point blank informs me of just how terrible she thinks my dessert is.
I'm stunned. No one has ever spoken to me like this or challenged my cooking skills. I retort back and cause a scene in front of the whole room, demanding that she takes back her comment and who does she think she is to insult me in such a way! She simply smiles vivaciously and informs me that she is Althea Laken Godfrey. I'm stunned, she's the newest food critic for the New York Times. I demand that she tries something else that this must have been a fluke. Althea only laughs and walks out. I'm infuriated and storm back into the kitchen.
Once I get home I research more about Althea and find out everything she loves and hates and it turns out the fennel panna cotta would have never worked as she despises anise. I also find out that Althea is one of the city's hottest bachelorettes, they're Twenty-Two Years Old. I work tirelessly for hours to create three perfect desserts based on her favorite flavors - Almond, Guava and White Truffle. I use all my contacts and find out where he lives and at three am that very same night I show up at Althea's apartment.
I knock on her door until she answers and make my demand - that she try my new desserts before they send in their review of Le Cirque. At first Althea is reluctant, but she notices the spark in my eyes and lets me in. I watch her devour my desserts in silence before Althea suddenly asks me to leave. I ask her what she thought, but she refuses to tell me and says that I will find out in next week's paper. I go home feeling worried.
I spend the next week on edge - worried about the paper, but also thankful my boss did not fire me for my altercation in the dining room. When the day finally comes I come into work and am greeted with applause and a giant mash of hugs from my colleagues. The review was spectacular and the highlight of it your desserts. Althea goes into detail after detail and I get flustered as I read the copy of the paper shoved into my hands - I feel my heart flutter and my knees go weak. I only come back to the world when I'm told I have a phone call for me and its from Althea!
I pick up and she does something I never expected her to do... She asks me out on a date! I'm stunned into silence for a few moments, but I do say yes and agree to meet her at her apartment on my next day off. Suddenly, the prospect of love does not seem so frivolous after all.
I have been seeing Althea for a year, but it has been a whirlwind romance from our very first date! Out first date was magical, Althea showed up to Le Cirque to pick me up from work and she even brought me Homemade Carmels. From there she took me out to do a very upscale date; A Private Cooking Lesson with Tom Colicchio ! We had a fantastic time.
Althea and I just have so much in common - it tuns out that we both come from large families and enjoyed having lots of siblings, we both have a fondness for classical french cuisine and we're both huge fans of the Harry Potter Series! After our date Althea and I go for a walk through Central Park and the two of us discuss our desires, hopes and dreams together. Althea's love of writing and food and my own wish to one day open my own restaurant. The next thing I notice as we were sitting on a park bench was the sun rising, Althea and I had spent all night out in the park just talking. Since then I take every one of my days off and spend them with Althea. As much as I have worried in the past that having a relationship might do damage to my career I find that since I started seeing Althea my palate had become better and I'm working harder than before to strive for my dreams because now I have someone to share it with and that someone appreciates my drive and passion.
Our relationship moves fast in that first year and I honestly have no idea how I have lived my life without Althea as a part of it. On the morning of our one year anniversary, Althea wakes me up with breakfast in bed featuring the three flavors of the desserts I fed to him the night we first met - Almond, Guava and White Truffle. There is a Guava filled pancake popper with white truffle shaved onto it and topped with candied almond brittle. I nosh down on it in quite the uncivilized manner given just how tasty the dish is that it is not until I got a for a sip of the mimosa that I notice a box on the breakfast tray and open it up to to reveal an engagement ring! It is a beautiful Vintage Engagement Ring. I say yes without any hesitation and cannot believe how excited I am to be engaged to Althea. However I realize we have so much to do! It takes Althea and I a whole year in and of itself to plan the wedding, but by the time it's done I know it is perfect, the wedding I have always dreamed of.
We've been so busy picking the theme and colors and choosing all the goes into a wedding but we think we may finally have it down, even if it is a little mismatched since everyone wanted something different! I had my dress picked out from the minute Althea proposed, a beautiful Ballgown Wedding Dress. Althea wanted a French Rose, Orange & Pink color theme and we wanted Tulips for the flower arrangements! Althea picked out the most gorgeous gown - Vintage Wedding Dress. The bridesmaids had the most beautiful in L. We all wanted the wedding to be a Large Affair at Le Cirque. I knew that there was no way that anyone, but myself was going to make my wedding cake and so I worked tirelessly on it until I had a wonderful Elegant Wedding Cake..
Finally the day came and Althea and I were married! My head chef - Sirio Maccioni - insisted he cook the meal for us and it was spectacular and was focused on Almond, Guava and White Truffles. The meal was divine! My father and Althea's Father walked us down the isle and Althea's maid of honor even cried as we said our vows! The guests were surprised at how the wedding turned out with so many different styles but everyone agreed that it fit perfectly! There were lots of pictures taken! As the day came to a close we all went to take a well deserved rest.
The very next day, Althea and I left on our honeymoon to France. We spent two weeks having a blast going wine tasting, visiting the Eiffel Tower, truffle hunting, sight seeing around Paris and dining at every restaurant we could!
It has been two years since Althea and I married and went off on our extravagant honeymoon together. We have been living together in his apartment ever since our return back into the city, but recently the two of us have been considering moving out of the city and onto Long Island so that we could start a family there. We know this means both Althea and I will need to commute to work from now on, but both of us want our future children to grow up with a backyard and in a community instead of in a city like Hudson and I had and we did not enjoy.
Althea and I visit some different areas on the island and finally decided on Manhasset. We both take some more time and absolutely fall in love with one home, A Seven-Bedroom Home with a ton of beautiful land, it is gorgeous and another reason Althea and I love it is because it has a very large kitchen equipped with all the fancy gadgets I could dream of, a big pool with a water slide and a huge already set up and life filled herb and produce garden, not to mention some apple trees. It is a little out of our price range, but Althea and I decide that it is a worthy investment. Althea and I made a bid and it is accepted the next day, it turns out that the previous owners are going through a divorce and want to get everything settled quickly, so within a month Althea and I are able to purchase the home and even move into it!
Now, that we have a home of our own and not an apartment, both Althea and I have always wanted pets and decide that now is the time to make a move on it and get a pet! We both settle on a Dog, but there is one problem. We cannot agree on a breed! I would like a Australian Shepherd and Althea would like a Shih Tzu. We both try and make a choice, convince Althea while he tries to convince me that our pick is better. Finally, we both come to a unanimous agreement - we'll get both!
It takes us another month to find a reputable breeder for each breed, but the good thing is they have only a medium sized waiting list, but each are currently expecting half a dozen litters in the next two months and they should just be able to fill the waiting list and have two or three puppies available still meaning we can get one despite the short notice. The time comes sooner rather than later and our puppies are born only three days apart and we end up with little ones of the same gender - Boys. Althea and I decide to name them in a matching theme - Space Theme. We are so excited and spend most of our time when we're not at work playing or codling Atlas and Vega
It's a good thing that we got Atlas and Vega because they've been great experience! So much so that Althea and I decide maybe its time to have our first baby. We begin to search for a sperm donor. Althea and I talk about who will carry the baby, and both decide that we would like to experience pregnancy, and draw straws to see who will go first; you win the draw. Althea's brother offers to be a donor for us, and we are both very grateful for his selfless decision. Ennis Jack Godfrey has the same Red Hair as Althea, but his eyes are blue like his mother's. As the pregnancy progresses Althea and I find out that we're expecting a Baby Boy. After Althea and I spend weeks setting up the perfect nursery for our little one and it looks absolutely stunning - It's a boy's blue room covered in lots of soft plush animals and toys.
The time finally arrives and our baby is born! The labor is fast and I actually deliver our little man only six hours after going into labor, thankfully Althea had decided to work from home that day so she was able to be with me through the labor and delivery. If she had been at work when my water had broken - three in the afternoon - she probably would not have made it back in time to be there for our son's birth.
Our baby is perfect with ten fingers and ten toes and healthy as a horse. I cannot believe that Althea and I are going to have such an amazing little person in our life. They're the cutest baby in the world -not that we're biased or anything and he has my Blonde Hair and surprisingly he has Blue Eyes from Ennis. Althea and I have had a lot of time to think about it and decided we really wanted to thank Ennis for being out sperm donor and allowing our baby to be related to both of us and so we decide to give the baby a first name after Ennis - Jackson. The problem is that Althea and I had a much harder time picking a middle name for Jackson- Althea wanted to name them after a famous writer, but I wanted to name them for a famous chef. In the end, we decided to give Althea two middle names, double the honor and inspiration. We picked Louis after Louisa May Alcott - Althea's favorite author and Ramsay for Gordon Ramsay- my biggest culinary inspiration. Our little man is Jackson Louis Ramsay Talbot-Godfrey and as soon as we look at our baby, we know that this is the name for him. Althea and I are absolutely in love with Jackson.
It has been two years since Althea and I welcomed Jackson. Things have been going well and both Althea and I have been recently promoted in our jobs - the only problem is, I'm not very happy at work anymore. I'm tired of working for someone else's vision and want to orchestrate my own dreams and desires for all things culinary. I decide to talk to Althea about it and they support me fully on my passion and drive, offering to help me as much as they can. I speak with my employer - Sirio - and while they are sad to see me go, they understand and implore me for my drive and promise to assist me as I am one of their favorite proteges. They lead me to possible investors, people to talk to for advice and assistance in garnering the location and products I need. It helps that just last year I won a James Beard Foundation Award so people know who I am and trust that I have a lot of potential in the industry.
It takes me the rest of the year, but I draw up a plan, get proper investors and save up enough of my own money to finally buy a place. I even have a name picked out - Thea and Jackson's and it will feature a simple and light French menu and be more about the pastries and desserts than anything else. I've even invented two special desserts for the menu, one for Althea and one for Jackson and it is made of their favorite flavor, Guava for Thea and Peanutbutter for Jackson. Thea and Jackson's is in Manhasset and I'm a little more than thrilled to have a much shorter commute to work than when you worked at Le Cirque in the city.
It has been a full three years now since Althea and I welcomed Jackson and we feel it might be time to give them another sibling. We begin to look into adoption. We enjoyed our time in France so much on our honeymoon and thus we have decided to adopt from there. It takes a lot less time and only after two months, but we're matched with a baby and Althea and I could not be more excited. I explain to Jackson that they're going to become a big brother and they are feeling upset and I'm feeling concerned by Jackson's reaction.
As the adoption progresses Althea and I find out that we're expecting another Baby Boy, we inform Jackson of the baby's gender and they are a lot more excited now as they wanted a baby brother and they got one. Due to Jackson's reaction Althea and I decide to let him help out with the nursery and let them pick a theme - Fairytale - though we tone it down to slight theme for Jackson's current favorite author, Hans Christan Anderson. After that you all assemble what you need to make the nursery for the new baby. It takes weeks setting it up, but the nursery comes out just as planned - Nursery- and Jackson is very excited about the baby.
The time finally arrives and our second baby is arriving in the airport for us to pick him up. I cannot wait to hold him in my arms and for him to be truly with us all. In our home and as a part of our family. When the women bringing him lands and hands him to us, I hold our little man ever so tightly and never want to let him go. I do though, I let Althea hold him and our parents and siblings come and see him, give him kisses and welcome him to the Talbot-Godfrey clan.
Our baby is perfect with ten fingers and ten toes and healthy as a horse. I cannot believe that Althea and I are going to have such an amazing little person in our life. Our little man has Blonde Hair and Green Eyes. Althea and I have had a lot of time to think about it and decide to give the baby the first name, Dashiell. Althea and I remember how much of a stress it was picking the middle name for Jackson and decide earlier in the pregnancy we actually flipped a coin and I won the coin flip and picked the middle names - Sirius Garrick. Althea and I are happy with the name as when I look down at our button nosed newborn, it feels right to call him Dashiell Sirius Garrick Talbot-Godfrey.
The moment finally comes when we introduce Jackson and Dashiell and despite all prior reactions we worry for a second that something might go wrong, but thankfully Jackson is all wide eyed wonder and glee when looking to Dashiell. He asks to hold Dashiell and Althea helps them become situated and to hold the baby and the four of us sit together as a family and I feel entirely blessed. I only hope the future holds things as bright as they are now in the days to come.
It has been two years since Althea and I have welcomed Dashiell into our home. As many people say, it has been a lot harder with two than with one, but I expected it and honestly both Althea and Ilove being parents even more than we love anything elsewe have ever done and I can only imagine how Twenty-Three Year me would have felt back then if I told them that. I probably would have laughed at myself.
Things are very good though at Thea's and Jackson's and we have been very good and the restaurant has never not had a fully booked Thursday-Sunday since it opened and just last month Althea got promoted to senior food critic and editor at The New York Times. The influx of money has been helpful in living in Long Island which is quite the expensive town. We've even been able to add quite a chunk of money to the college funds you have set up for Jackson and Dashiell. As Althea and I have been doing so well, not to mention I feel like the house is a little empty with Jackson starting kindergarten - Althea and I have decided to expand our family with another little one.
We decide this time that Althea will carry the baby's and my younger brother - Jasper Chadwick Talbot- inspired by Ennis' donation to me, decides to donate for Althea to use. He has Blonde Hair, but he has Hazel Eyes. It takes three months for Althea to get pregnant. When we go to a visit to get the first scan and lo and behold you're expecting multiples - Triplets! It seems more than one of the eggs we implanted ended up taking and while at first Althea and I feel a little worried as we never expected multiples, we knew there was a possibility though and look on the brighter side, we have always wanted a big family and this is just makes it a little faster.
As the pregnancy progresses Althea and I find out that we're expecting Three Girls! We inform Jackson and Dashiell about the gender of their expected little siblings and they react, Jackson doesn't seem to mind ore care, he's just excited he'll be even more of a big brother and Dasheill does not really understand which makes sense since he is so young, but he picks up on Jackson's vibe and is also excited. While it might have been nice for them to to be more excited, as long as the boys are okay with it, we do not mind.
Althea and I decide that the babies will share a room for the first year or two to make it easier on us for late night feedings, changing and other things. We set up a beautiful nursery for them - Nursery. While fixing up a room for the girls we decide it would be maybe a good idea and re-do the other bedrooms in the house. We don't want to make Jackson and Dashiell to feel left out so we let them each pick out themes for their rooms - Jackson picks ends up with a Safari Themed Room and Dashiell gets a Winnie the Pooh Themed Room. Althea and I also redo our room to fit our tastes and it is both simple and elegant. we then decided not to leave out anyone so Jackson, Dashiell and I redid a little area by the stairs for Atlas and Vega - A Little Doggie Pad. Althea, Jackson, Dashiell and I have a very fun time fixing up the house.
The time finally arrives and our babies are born. This time we end up having a planned c-section and all of our family is in attendance, they help us keep Dash and Jackson occupied through the procedure which is thankfully an effortless one, the birth goes fine and takes less than three to four hours and though nurses have to check and look over the babies, in the end they are healthy and content little lasses.
As I look at our babies and hold them for the first time I feel a tug in my heartstrings. Althea and I love them so much already and we could not imagine our life without each and every one of them. Althea and I named them with a coordinating theme, Starting with the letter L, since they were multiples and picked out the names Lavender, Leah and Lydia. Lavender and Leah are identical and have Blonde Hair and Hazel Eyes while Lydia is out little spitfire with Red Hair and Hazel Eyes.
Althea graduated from NYU with a minor in Classical Civilizations and has been in love with history since she was a small child. When we were expecting this time Althea asked if I would be alright letting her pick the babies middle names from some of their favorites they have run into in her studies and past readings. I say yes - I did get to pick Dash's middle names after all - and I just ask Althea to run them by me first and she picked Elizabella Isolde, Silvia Minerva and Severina Aurelia and I have to admit that there is a sort of charm to them and we decide we will use them. Our names fir our little beauties perfectly; Lavender Elizabella Isolde Talbot-Godfrey, Leah Silvia Minerva Talbot-Godfrey and Lydia Severina Aurelia Talbot-Godfrey.
As Althea and I watch Jackson and Dashiell smile, make faces and wave fingers at the girls while they sleep in their hospital bassinets. I just know that our children will be close and be able to rely on one another which is what I have always wished for as I was not close with any of my siblings until after Jackson's birth. Though I know the coming months with multiple newborns will be stressful Irelish the challenge as I know the benefits will far outweigh the sleepless nights and hectic days.
It has been a little under a year since Althea and I welcomed Lavender, Leah and Lydia into our home and while it's been hectic, Althea and I would not have life any other way. Things have been good at work as well. Althea has just sent off her first book - Gluttony and Where It Can Take You - to the publisher and it has been approved and will be coming out for publication very soon. Then on my end, I recently appeared on Food Network Challenge on the Food Network, It was a Halloween cake decorating challenge and we won with a fully out done cake with Tim Burton based designs and amazing sugar work, and it's increased business at Thea and Jackson's by tenfold. Unfortunately, a big wrench has been thrown into our life despite all the good news.....My younger sister is pregnant.
Recently Lana Tansy Talbot and come to both Althea and I in a state of a fit. She is pregnant, just shy of two months along, and not only that, but the pregnancy is the product of a one night stand with a guy she barely knows and has no idea how to locate him. Lana is only sixteen years old and knows she is not mature enough to raise her baby. So, as hard as it is for her to do it, Lana wants to give up her baby, the thing is though, she wants Althea and I to adopt the baby. Lana is worried to give her baby up to someone she doesn't know and out of every adult relationship that Lana knows Althea and I's is the most stable and loving one and she wants that kind of family for her baby. I look to Althea and inform Lana that we need to talk and she accepts and leaves, asking me to let her know as soon as we can. The two of us talk, we already have five kids who are six years of age and under, but our finances are stable, very stable as is our relationship with one another, we both want a big family and have always liked the thought of adoption, after all, we adopted Dash from France. We go over some more pros and cons - having four kids so young and close in age, the triplets are a handful and to add a fourth baby into that mix when they'll just have turned two at the time of his or her birth, but this is family and we do want more children. Althea and I spend two weeks debating on what the right choice is, but in the end come to the conclusion that we will adopt Lana's baby. I call her and let her know our choice and Lana is thrilled.
The three of us sit down and outline an agreement with our lawyer present. In the agreement Althea and I will be adopting Lana's baby and will be given full parental responsibilities and Lana will sign away all rights to her baby, the baby will known that they are adopted when the time is right, but they will not learn that Lana is the biological parent until they are eighteen years of age. Lana will not be the one to inform them and their contact will be of the typical familial role. In addition, Althea and I will pay for all medical bills in regards to the pregnancy. You also include a cause that [cousin/sister] enroll in some form of therapy and or support group in regards to young mothers giving up their babies for adoption and dealing with those emotions and she must be in the program from this point until the end of the full year after the baby's birth at minimum. If there is a fee, Althea and I will pay for it. As much as we want a healthy baby, we want to ensure Lana's well being in the situation as well. The documents are signed and we cannot wait to see this process through.
As the pregnancy progresses we find out that we're expecting a Baby Boy. While we hadn't expected any other children since the multiples, we feel that this baby is still a gift in our eyes and the eyes of our family. Althea and I are thoroughly excited for the new baby. In fact, we set up a magnificent baby shower and while we were worried that Lana might be upset or uncomfortable, she seems joyful and truly happy to see that we are excited to be welcoming her baby. Seeing that makes me feel a lot more at ease knowing that Lana is doing okay with the thought of the adoption still, we've such adoption horror stories and considering that this is also within the family the fear that this could all fall apart is very real, however we are doing our best to be optimistic. While it may make us wait longer for your career, we are at so much peace with it, with our new baby. The next three months breeze by and its time the multiples birthday party, it has a Ninja Theme. Everyone plays tons of games - share some if you like - and has a wonderful time, though, Lavender got into a little trouble - she was chasing Atlas and tripped, hitting her head and had a little bump, but she was okay - Ennis' who is a doctor, checked her out, but everything else ran rather smoothly.
After that, the time came and Althea and I set up a beautiful nursery for the baby - Boy Nursery. It looks fantastic and I joke with Althea that after decorating all these nurseries maybe I missed my true calling as an interior designer. We both laugh as we each know that if I were not working in a kitchen, cooking and baking I would lose my mind. It brings a smile to my face knowing how much Althea truly does understand me and the pair of us hang up the sonogram picture we received at the last doctor visit of our coming baby.
As the baby's arrival nearer and nearer, I start to notice Jackson is acting out more and more, just last night they stole Leah's stuffed alligator and shredded it to bits with a pair of safety scissors, thankfully being a parent to five children I make sure to have a bin of backups in your closet for their favorite stuffies, after giving Leah a new stuffed animal Althea and I had a stern talking to with him that night and Jackson seemed apologetic, but just today I received a phone call that they bit another student while at school and are being suspended for a full week. I drive to the school and pick Jackson up, feeling terribly embarrassed as I load him into the car. However, it does not stop there, when I leave him alone for one second to make lunch, I come back to find Lydia crying and covered in purple paint with Jackson's hands covered in paint as well. I'm frazzled, I put Jackson in timeout, but he just seems gleeful.
I'm at my wits end so I call my Mom and she suggested maybe instead of just simply admonishing Jackson I try talking to him more about why he is doing what he's doing at the next instance if there happens to be one - of course there is one. At the end of the night right before bed, Jackson pulls on Dashiell's hair and makes him cry. I separate the pair and have Althea comfort Dash while I sit Jackson down and try and talk to him, at first I get nothing, but finally, Jackson breaks down in tears and hugs me, asking me not to be mad and that they just want my attention and are worried that with so many younger siblings Althea and I will not want them anymore or love them. It breaks my heart. I promise Jackson that that will never, ever happen that we will love them no matter how many other siblings that they have. I promise Jackson this and make an agreement that once a month Jackson will pick a day just to be for the three of us. The first one will be in two weeks, after Jackson is done being punished for his bad behavior and as long as he continue to behave from now on. It goes smoothly and we all end up having our first Mommy, Momma and Jackson Day enjoying our time going Ice Skating. We dress up in warm clothing and hit the rink and Jackson is a natural on the ice, I fall everywhere, but him and Althea just glide like damn naturals...No...I am not jealous. At the end of the day, Althea and I decide to sign Jackson up for some classes before we leave.
Thank goodness that that is put behind us because just one week after that day Lana went into labor three weeks early! The baby while a little small, is thankfully very healthy. Apparently, early births are common in teen mothers, and it was hectic, but thankfully it went well and only lasted eight hours and Lana even went the whole process sans any kind of paint meds. I honestly have no idea how she did it!
As I look at our baby and hold him for the first time I feel a tug in my heartstrings. He is a handsome little lady, with stunning Blue Eyes and beautiful thick Brown Hair. I love him so much and while unexpected, I ust know this little one was meant to be a part of your family. I thank Lana profusely for bringing this amazing little being into our life, and Althea and I her if she has any first name ideas for the baby and she does, she likes the name Hunter and it fits him perfectly. Althea and I agree to use it and then pick two names in honor of Lana for the baby's middle names, Landry Tanner. Lana is so thankful and cries tears of joy and the three of us hug one another, Hunter Landry Tanner Talbot-Godfrey in the middle of it all.
The three of us stay there for a bit as we watch Jackson holding Hunter while Dash kisses the baby's head and Lavender, Leah and Lydia watch on with wide eyes while Althea's parents keep watchful eye on their beloved grandchild, the three of us feel so warmed at the sight as the other children accepting Hunter as their sibling and can see how much they truly care for one another.
It has been a little under two years since Althea and I welcomed Hunter into our home and while he was a surprise and unplanned, we would not change a thing about our life because having Hunter in it just seems as the world was meant to be. Things have been good at work as well. Althea's book, - Gluttony and Where It Can Take You-, was a roaring success and spent three whole months on the top twenty of the New York Times Best Seller List and Althea has even been considering writing a second book about her experience between her time working in restaurants in their youth verse the world of being a food critic and how they both are similar yet differ. Then on my own end, I've opened my second restaurant location, DLH's Food for All, its a little less high brow then Thea and Jackson's and focuses on being somewhere that is young child friendly while still offering elegant and delicious food for parents of young children who typically never get to eat at these kinds of locations due to the stigma of having small children in restaurants. It's been a huge success concept wise appeared with its duel menu of kids favorites and then aged up versions of the dishes for the parents. In addition you've recently had both of your restaurants featured on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, a famous cooking show! Typically Mister Bourdain isn't one to mix with kids, but he brought his daughter Ariane, and I had my oldest son, Jackson with me and we did a special cooking with kids at both and he said our grown up rendition of mac n' cheese was the best one he had ever had! Since the show it's increased business at both locations, not to mention the notoriety, I've moved up from contestant to part-time judge and have been featured on Chopped multiple times as a judge and couldn't be more thankful.
Things have been good, in fact they really can't be better. Jackson, Dashiell, Lavender, Leah, Lydia and Hunter are all thriving and seem to have miraculous hobbies and passions galore which has both Althea and I tickled pink, glad to see our own fervor and passionate spirits have been passed to our kids.
Jackson adores Art, specifically, he loves to draw and I'm constantly finding him sketching, at first his doodles were honestly just scribbles and not the best, but he's put in so much time, and always spends his picket money on books for improving drawing and ever since two years ago when we enrolled him in an after school arts program, he has just been thriving and while he may not have an innate intuition at first, he tries for it and really puts forth so much effort that he's improving leaps and bounds.
Dashiell has recently found a love for the violin, he's always been musically inclined, playing with music toys over others when he was small and we tried to start him on the piano when he was five, but he just didn't seem to click with that instrument as much and then, he was in a music shop, picked up a violin and that was it, we've had him signed up for lessons twice a week, every week for the year and half and he still rarely ever puts the thing down, I have to inform him he'll be put in time out just to get him to put it down long enough to eat sometimes since he never wants to stop playing.
Lavender it would seem, while the piano was not for Dashiell, it was just perfect for Lavender, she's seemingly connected in its use and her once a week lessons never seem to be enough for her, she always wants to be banging on the keys and while her skill is minimal currently, I think with her continued fervor it will grow and she'll become quite the musician.
Leah adores computer games, anything to do with some graphic design and playing with the storytelling elements of games gets her all excited and while its not a behavior I would typically endorse, she seems to be learning quite the litany of words and stories, and lessons based upon it.
Lydia is our little prima ballerina, she loves to dress up in her tutu and dance around, attending lessons for it once every week and improving leaps and bounds in it, she's always watching ballet on the television and just the other day she asked for a ballet bar for her room for her birthday.
Hunter looks like he'll be quite the musician himself as well, he has a tiny toddlers toy drum set to which he is always banging on and the last time he came with me to pick Dashiell up from his violin lesson at the music school, he pointed to drum set and asked for one for himself to play with and seemed quite enamored by it. When he's a little older, Althea and I have talked about buying him some big boy drums and lessons for it in a year or two when he's old enough.
Recently, Althea and I have discussed wanting more children. We both have always desired a big family, and feel once more that adoption is the right option for us, as in the past it has honestly been one of the most enriching things we have done and we couldn't imagine our family without our adoptive children in our life.
In fact, we were even more touched by the thought of adoption when one day I meet a couple, Tatum and Charlize Aurelia, dining at -DLH's Food for All- with their kids, Tabitha, Flynn and Dexter, and compliment them on just how well-behaved and cute their kids happen to be, I start talking with them, discussing both your own children, career and life as well as theirs and find out that in fact they adopted Dexter from South Korea. Charlize and Tatum talk to about how fulfilling adoption has been in their life and how much they adore Dexter. I talk to them about my own adoption experience with Dashiell and Hunter, and we both discuss the joy its brought us both in our lives, I send them a free dessert in the end, and we exchange numbers and plan to set up a play date with the kids.
The Aurelias become some of our closest friends and we have them over often for barbecues, play dates and family events, as its nice to have another family who understands and isn't awkward about blended families. Seeing Tatum and Charlize with Dexter really does pull at both mine and Althea's heart strings more and we both just know adoption is the perfect option for completing our family.
After some discussion Althea and I decide on Domestic Adoption for our adoption this time, we know there are a lot of children in need internationally, but there are so many in the united states and we'd like to stay close to home with our adoption choice this time.
Althea and I contact an agency and once we meet with them, you have to go over a few choices regarding our application, getting a home visit and having some check ups and the likes, we express some preferences to them afterwards. We want a Closed Adoption because we would rather make it cut and dry and not confuse any child we bring home about the fact that they are a member of our family. We set up an adoption book and include pictures of us all working at the resturants, on vacation in Hawaii and in France, us playing in the pool in the backyard and washing Atlas and Vega. Overall, it's a fun little project. After our discussion you find out it'll probably take anywhere between two to four years for our adoption to process, and that's still just a maybe. Thus, Althea, the kids and I continue on with life feeling some excitement and waiting on our hopefully coming family members.
It's only a year later though, three years since Hunter was born, that we get a call, we''re a little shocked by how soon it is but, we've been matched with a perspective child! Althea and I are shocked, but more than a little excited by it and are soon provided with a dossier of details.
We've been picked by a young teen who has found herself unexpectedly pregnant. She's actually already six months along and expecting a Baby Girl. Her first family choice ended up not working out as they changed their minds on wanting a closed adoption and wanted an open one instead which did not work for her. Thankfully, she found us and believe we will be a good fit for her baby. The three of us get along well, and share a few common interests - cooking, horror movies and then reading Tolkien - which makes her feel more comfortable with the situation and soon enough we have everything signed and prepped and in just three months you'll be bringing home a new bundle of joy!
During the first month after we find out we set to work, including our kids of course, to setting up rooms for our coming family member. This beautiful nursery! It's just thing for out little princess to come.
Finally the time comes and our little princess is born and we honestly cannot believe it. She's brought over to us and with her Brown Hair and Hazel Eyes, we know the name we picked for her is perfect, she's out little Sloane Amaryllis Joy Talbot-Godfrey and once we bring her home we have a small welcome party, just us, Jackson, Dash, Lavender, Leah, Lydia and Hunter, plus our parents, Lana, Ennis, Jasper come and meet Sloane, seeing myself surrounded by my family, Sloane to my parents and I feel my heart swell and I know now that my family is complete, and a sense of peace comes over me as I realize that somehow I truly did manage to have it all. An amazing fulfilling career and a family full of so much light and love. I couldn't be happier.
The Talbot-Godfrey Families
DW: Romy Pepper Talbot-Godfrey [38] [Blonde Hair & Brown Eyes] [Restaurateur]
DW: Althea Laken Talbot-Godfrey [37] [Red Hair & Brown Eyes] [Food Critic]
DS1: Jackson Louis Ramsay Talbot-Godfrey [10] [Blonde Hair & Blue Eyes]
DAS1: Dashiell Sirius Garrick Talbot-Godfrey [7] [Blonde Hair & Green Eyes]
DD1: Lavender Elizabella Isolde Talbot-Godfrey [5] [Blonde Hair & Hazel Eyes] [IT]
DD2: Leah Silvia Minerva Talbot-Godfrey [5] [Blonde Hair & Hazel Eyes] [IT]
DD3: Lydia Severina Aurelia Talbot-Godfrey [5] [Red Hair & Hazel Eyes]
DAS2: Hunter Landry Tanner Talbot-Godfrey [3] [Brown Hair & Blue Eyes]
DAD1: Sloane Amaryllis Joy Talbot-Godfrey [0] [Brown Hair & Hazel Eyes]
Dog: Atlas [Australian Shepherd, 11]
Dog: Vega [Shih Tzu, 11]
Romy and Althea Talbot-Godfrey; with Jackson, Dashiell, Lavender, Leah, Lydia & Hunter + Atlas & Vega
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The Aurelia Family
DH: Tatum Flynn Aurelia [39]
DW: Charlize Garland Aurelia [39]
DD1: Tabitha Agnes Aurelia [10]
DD2: Flynn Isabella Aurelia [6]
DAS1: Dexter Ryan Aurelia [2]
(Adopted from South Korea)
Tatum and Charlize Aurelia; with Tabitha, Flynn & Dexter