Morristown Mama Drama is two Morris County moms with two different perspectives– one from the land of Mardi Gras (New Orleans, LA) and one from the land of WaWa (Bucks County, PA)–sharing insights and tips from the trenches. We met in Morristown when our oldest kids were 6 months old and have been navigating this delightful, and sometimes harrowing, journey together ever since. Check out our latest escapades and local recommendations right here on Morristown Green.
You know what goes well with motherhood? Wine. A staple of any mom gathering is a collection of reds and whites, sparkling and still, bottle and boxed. Everyone brings something, and most imbibe more than they intended or realized. There’s just something about a nice glass of wine (or something stiffer) with friends or solo, which so perfectly complements the many flavors of motherhood. We’ve compiled our own degustation–our favorite pairings that go best with some of the haute nuggets of parenting.
Pungent and Salty
Wawa: All year long you look forward to your summer vacation. Fresh Adirondack mountain air, crisp, clear lake water, hiking, kayaking and not having to cook or clean up.
One of the highlights is breakfast at the best spot in town. House-made rosemary dijon sausage, fresh cinnamon honey butter for the pancakes, pure local maple syrup and a full page of the menu dedicated to Eggs Benedict. Just the best.
You get there. The waitress remembers you; the booth is cozy with a great view of the lake, and the mocha latte is rich and creamy. It’s like coming home. Breakfast arrives and your food waits while you do the necessary buttering of, blowing on, and cutting up of your kids’ pancakes.
You take one perfect bite of crabcake Eggs Benedict when the 3-year old stands up and says “my belly hurts.” You make the rookie mistake of asking questions instead of taking action. Do you have to poop? Do you feel like you’re going to throw up?
The answer to these questions is always GET THE KID TO THE BATHROOM! But you don’t do that; you’re hoping this will somehow turn out to be a little gas pocket that needs to escape, and then everyone can go back to their meal. But that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?
Just as you’re deciding a trip to the bathroom is, in fact, in order, up and out pours a pungent mélange of bacon and chocolate milk. Chaos ensues. There’s crying; there’s shouting, clothing is removed in the middle of the dining room.
All the while, your nearly perfectly intact breakfast taunts you from the now befouled table before you leave it behind to escort the little one home for a bath. When the day ends, it’s only fitting to mourn your breakfast (since you’ll be too embarrassed to go back to the restaurant till the last day of vacation) with a drink. You need the concoction to toast your long, lost eggs.
Mardi: When in the Adirondacks, the site of “Turning Point of the American Revolution” for the Continental Army, may we suggest you slip out of your Tony Birch sandals, load up your musket, and fix yourself a Rattle-Skull, described as “a potent mix of seasoned porter, rum, brandy and sherry,” followed by a chaser of flip, “which included eggs as much as for protein as presumably for taste.” Having missed breakfast and all.
Crisp and Complex
Wawa: When you’re a work-at-home (slash SmartWorld) mom, you’re constantly juggling trying to seem like you’re 100 percent there for your kids and 100 percent there for your clients.
Your email says, “Sure, no problem at all changing the time of that conference call at the last minute,” but your brain is saying “okay, so now I won’t have a babysitter during the call, so I have to do the grocery shopping in the morning so that’s out of the way so I can have the baby nap in the car on the way back so I’m not worried she’ll wake up grumpy and crying during the call and then get the groceries unpacked so I can give them lunch early so I can have them done and cleaned up and set up with a show that doesn’t have commercials, so they will be quiet for the duration of the call and that will last long enough for me to review the materials before the call actually starts.”
Usually, you make it work because that’s just what you do. But on the days when a client calls unexpectedly, with you on speaker, with a new contact you’ve never met before and in the midst of the introductions, your 4-year-old shouts from the bathroom for you to wipe his butt, you may be ready for a nice glass of wine at the end of the day.
Mardi: A lovely Sancerre. Crisp and summery. You can imagine you’re sipping a petit verre at Les Deux Magots in Paris while soaking in your kid’s Barbi-lined tub. (Who decided master baths shouldn’t have a master bathtub?)
Bathtub wine is the ultimate indulgence. Add in an historical bodice ripper like my current, My Dearest Hamilton and maybe a few drops of lavender essential oils (at $70 a bottle, use sparingly) and you can cleanse away the smell of poo that embeds itself under your fingernails, no matter how many times you wash your hands. Nothing washes it away like a good ole fashioned southern soak.
Take care with your wine glass; opt for a low bowl, short stem. Also, it’s the only time you will get to read a novel, so enjoy. And don’t forget to lock the door. Mommy is indisposed…..
Bold and Astringent
Wawa: There are just those days. The kids can’t keep their hands to themselves. They can’t share. They can’t occupy themselves. They can’t listen. And you just…can’t. But what you can do is treat yo’self to a nice glass of red after you put them away, uh, I mean to bed.
Mardi: May I suggest a lovely Malbec. Strong like a touro. This wine reminds one of bullfights and matadors, of a worn leather satchel Hemingway would carry on a dusty trail. Malbec is bold without being uppity; it’s like a slightly buck-toothed cousin of Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.
But on those days when a certain 4-year old grabbed her little brother by the neck and squeezed, refusing to let go, walked out of Time Out, spit-sprayed at her mother then finished with a gusty: “I don’t love you. You’re not my real mommy” (thank you Tangled for giving my blonde haired/blue eyed child the idea that her dark, curly-haired mother might be evil Mother Gothel), may we suggest a Grey Goose Martini with three olives or just two shots of vodka, no chaser, like my Russian ancestors.
Local Tip:
No matter what kind of day you’re having in Momland, there is a drink that will pair perfectly to help you smooth out the transition from day to evening. And there is a great place in town to find the right bottle. Cambridge Wines (10 Lafayette Ave.) has a vast selection and even delivers booze (free Morristown delivery) right to your table at BYOB’s or to your home in town. Mention this column and get a 10 percent Mama Drama discount. Y’all tell ‘em Mardi Gras Mom sent you. 😉
Questions? Comments? Suggestions for future column topics? Feel free to reach out to the Mamas by commenting below, or by dropping a line here. We look forward to hearing from you!
First world problems. Good grief.