Minivan Mama to 2

Whoosh!

2011-05-27T10:56:00.003-04:00

So today is the last morning of preschool for Kara for this year. Did you hear that whooshing sound? For me, that's the sound of this school year blowing by me in record speed and leaving me feeling a bit windblown and battered. It's been a year of lots of ups and downs and many, many bumps. I must admit that I'm glad to have it over (at least for Kara and soon enough for John too) and am ready for the adventures this summer will bring for us.

Let's do a quick review of the last year: kitchen renovation, summer vacation and lots of time at the pool, 1st grade for John and year 2 of preschool for Kara, fall soccer and finally losing a tooth for John, MAJOR flood in the basement and kitchen leading to all kinds of hurdles and problems and stress for us all, allergy/reflux issues for John and just allergy issues for me and Kara, the unexpected passing of my dear Aunt Martha just a few months after she had retired, Matt's appendicitis surgery and recovery, another flood in the basement (much less dramatic this time, but still water in the basement - not fun), a great spring break trip to Nags Head, NC, me becoming president of the preschool board for next year, and many plans ahead for a fun and adventure filled summer.

This summer will bring: a third trip to Lancaster, PA to go to Dutch Wonderland (a kids' theme park that is fabulous), more wonderful veggies from our CSA, finishing up John's baseball season, finishing up repairs on the basement, yet another renovation project (this time the kids' full bathroom, which needs to be fully gutted and replaced - what fun...), a road trip to Maine to attend a celebratory party in honor of my Aunt, closely followed by a road trip south to Topsail Island, NC for our annual beach week, then football, tennis, sports and arts camps for John, and lots of time at our neighborhood pool with friends, before the school year begins and John will go into 2nd grade (how on earth did that happen so soon??) and Kara will start her final year at our preschool (oh my baby!).

Are you tired yet? I am....I know for sure by the end of this summer I will feel pretty windblown and battered too, but I am looking forward to having less unexpected bumps along the way, less stress, and way more fun.

It's been a tough year for us and for our family for sure. But it has also brought me a new respect for my support network. I have been forced to ask for help more times in the last year than ever before. And for those of you that know me, that does NOT come easily for me. I am always willing to help out my friends and family, but I have a very hard time asking for help myself. But everyone I have asked has been very willing and very supportive and wonderful to us. We have gotten through this year in large part due to the love and energy of those around us. It hasn't been pretty and it hasn't been easy, but I am hoping we have survived, learned a few lessons, and will find the road ahead just a little smoother than the road behind us.

Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed for that. I certainly won't hold my breath for it though. ;-)

An Update

2011-03-08T15:14:00.003-05:00

So yet again, time seems to pass too quickly for me to take the few moments to sit down and type out a post about one of the many many things that I think each day would make a great blog post. To my defense, life has been very very busy and exhausting lately. I'm continually hopeful it will slow down, but as usual, the pace only seems to gradually be picking up. I've got no idea how parents with four or five or more older kids keep up with all that must be on their schedules. I'm having trouble keeping up with two and one is still in preschool!

One of my recent, and on-going, adventures involves the preschool we attend. This year I am serving as the admissions officer and have been spending a lot of time on the phone and at the school answering questions, giving tours, and basically being a full-time cheerleader for the preschool. Which I love doing. It's been a lot of fun to meet new families and convince them as to why the school would be a great fit for them. We had our open house last week, which is when we open up registration to new families for next year. I had been hoping that my role would slow down after that night, but no such luck! Now we get to follow up with everyone who has applied and start the paperwork process required to get all the kids enrolled for next year. Oh, what fun! It is truly fun and I have enjoyed it, but it has taken up more time than I had expected.

The kids have also been busy bees. Swimming, gymnastics, playdates, and various princess parties have overtaken Kara's quite busy social calendar, in addition to her 3 mornings of preschool each week. John is keeping busy with schoolwork, sports activities, ice skating, losing teeth, and dressing up as Thing 1 for Dr. Seuss's birthday last week. He's reading like crazy and has recently started getting an allowance. We'll see if the money goes towards a sports item or a new book. He's also continuing to challenge himself with new math skills. They're both growing like weeds and already are looking forward to all kinds of adventures this summer.

With the warmer weather we've started getting out and about. Seeing neighbors emerging after the super-cold winter we've had is nothing short of wonderful. All the kids have grown, lost teeth, gotten a new baby sibling, or had other adventures they're dying to share with each other. It's a fun time of year and we're so ready to embrace it.

Speaking of which, I think it's time for me to get to the bus stop! Hopefully I'll post again soon...but if I don't, you can probably find me at the playground instead. ;-)

New Year, New......Hmmmm.....

2011-01-10T13:01:00.005-05:00

So far the new year has only brought me congestion, achiness, and most recently, a LOVELY cough that I'm becoming convinced is not likely to leave my body much before February. It's been a GRAND start to the new year. Not.

Fortunately, through the fog of sickness, I truly can see that the year ahead holds promise. We're finally getting to the end stages of the flood recovery process. We're still purging, donating, organizing, and packing away our things that were uncovered during the flood and the reconstruction. But it is coming to an end. The basement looks better than ever. There is a new couch, a new tv (albeit still in the box), a lot of new plastic storage bins, new shelving in the laundry room, and A LOT less stuff overall. We're getting there. The process has been long and painful, but we know in the end it will be worth it. And now we can finally see the end in sight. I can't tell you how good that feels.

The end of 2010 could not have come sooner for us. For although the year had many high points, we also endured a lot of challenges for us and for those around us. It seemed like every high was immediately followed by a new bump/diversion/illness/whatever that made it impossible to stop and enjoy the high point. We're hoping that 2011 holds more calm moments (although with the 4 and 7 year olds around, it's not likely to be all that calm), more healthy moments (again, a challenge with young ones around), and more enjoyable moments for us and for all those we love and care about.

For now I'm holding that hope and holding on to it with all my might. I know there will be challenges and bumps in 2011, and we will meet them head-on and hopefully get past them with minimal disruption. That is my hope for us and for all of you in the new year.

Bang, Bang, and More Banging....

2010-12-01T10:04:00.004-05:00

For those of you who haven't heard about our fall adventures, let me update you by saying that currently I'm sitting up in my bedroom, surrounded by piles of boxes, toy bins, books, coats, bags, and all kinds of stuff. My room looks like one of those hoarding shows. Truly. There is VERY loud banging coming from downstairs as I pray that our new kitchen isn't getting damaged as the wood floors are getting ripped out in the kitchen and dining room. On October 5th (a date I believe I will remember forever), we had a flood in our new kitchen. The water only ran for 2 hours, but it caused a nightmare of disaster for us. The basement was pretty much destroyed, along with many of our things that were in the basement. The wood floors in the dining room and kitchen were determined to be damaged enough to require replacement as well. It's now December 1st and we're still working on the renovations. The new wood floors go in today and the basement carpet goes in later this week. Then only a few minor things need to be finished up and we'll be done with the contractor's portion of the work. Then comes the "fun" of putting our house and lives back together.

Currently there's dust and boxes everywhere in the house. I get overwhelmed by even looking around at our lives. It's depressing. I have friends who are going through much worse situations than this, and I try very hard to find things to be thankful for, and I know it could be a lot worse for us too. I try not to complain, but find myself venting to anyone who will listen. I'm sorry to all my family and friends for being a real "downer" right now. I'm trying to keep some kind of normalcy for the kids, but they're beginning to see through the facade and are getting as cranky as I am about the insanity that is our home.

Home. That's a word that inspires comfortable, loving, happy feelings. I guess my problem stems from the fact that our home hasn't been any of those things for almost 2 months (not to mention the 2 months of kitchen construction we just went through this summer), and I don't know when it will feel like that again. I am quickly reaching the point of darkness where I don't even know where to start trying to put our life together so that we can feel like this is our home. I want not just my house back, but I want my HOME back. I want to feel good walking into my house and have it make me happy. Right now I'm happiest elsewhere, anywhere, just not here. Here makes me sad, overwhelmed, and downright depressed.

I know that although there is a LOT of work ahead for us to reassemble the house, once it is done it will be great and we will have a lot of new family space for us to enjoy and use as a family. I am trying to see that light at the end of the tunnel. But staying focused on that light is very challenging at best, and is easier on some days than others. Today feels like a hard day. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. One can only hope.

Thankful

2010-10-01T15:11:00.008-04:00

I spent this morning at Kara's preschool, being a Helping Parent in the classroom. These days that I get to spend with a room full of preschoolers are always exhausting, but also always so rewarding. I appreciate that I get to know my children's friends. I get to see them interact. I get to see them grow, learn, and change as the year goes on. I also get to know the families connected to these children. I have made wonderful and dear friends through our preschool. My children have made strong friendships themselves from preschool classmates. And now in Kara's class this year, her playgroup friends are all together in the class. This playgroup has been going for three years now, longer than any other group we've been involved with. There are five girls, five moms, and five (about to be six) older and younger siblings connected with the group.

After preschool today we had the playgroup girls over for lunch and a birthday celebration for Kara's 4th birthday. It was a very casual, low-key party, I almost wouldn't call it a party, more like just a playdate. But I had so much fun watching the girls, chatting with the moms, and enjoying the fact that we have all established friendships that will last for many years into the future. I value this group and these bonds so much.

I said to a neighbor this morning who is very sick and will be undergoing cancer treatment in the near future, that it truly does take a village. We bond together as moms, parents, neighbors, and friends to help each other in so many ways and for so many different reasons. Then this afternoon I was reminded how strong my village is. I am very very thankful for all the members of my village and couldn't imagine our lives without them. And sometimes it's a really good thing to be reminded of that.

So many changes...

2010-09-16T13:22:00.009-04:00

Tis the season of change, I guess. The leaves start turning beautiful fall colors. The kids go back to school. The season of vacations comes to an end. Fall activities start getting going - sports, camping trips, and much more. I generally like change and can roll right through a fair amount of change without much thought. This season has thrown me for a loop and I don't feel like I'm ready for all the changes that have been coming our way.

The change in the house - the kitchen project (which yes, I know, I still need to post final pictures of) is mostly complete at this point. I do catch myself every now and then going, oh my gosh, we really did this to our kitchen! Wow. It's a BIG change in our house and how we function as a family. We do love it, but it's definitely a life changer.

The change in routines - school, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, squeezing in some exercise, maybe some yoga too, volunteer commitments, and back to a few evening meetings as well. It's all good and in many ways, the kids and I were really ready to get back to having some regular routines in our lives. It's just now that it's all getting going, I'm having a hard time catching my breath in between activities, much less taking a few minutes here and there to plan for the upcoming bigger things on the calendar - Kara's birthday for example, and our trip to Maine in October. I obviously haven't figured out how to squeeze in that downtime for me that I need so badly...maybe once preschool is truly in full swing and I start getting my three mornings a week of peace?

There's been a number of changes in the lives of those around us. I recently had a childhood friend's husband pass away from a battle with leukemia. He was 37 years old and left his wife and two young children behind. I haven't kept in touch with her over the years as well as either one of us would have liked to, but I'm hoping this change in their lives will bring a change in that too. It's a very sad situation, although my friend seems to be dealing with it as well as can be expected. Over the past several weeks I've heard about a number of people dealing with or dying of battles with cancer. It's all downright depressing. But it has resulted in a change in my life too, an appreciation of each day and each moment we have with those around us. My friend's husband, Russ French, was an amazing man, friend and father and inspired many around him over the years. He lived a good full life and I want to aspire to be more thankful and respectful of all that is good in my life. Yet another change.

Then, of course, there is the change of season. Fall brings beautiful colors of changing leaves, of the rich-colored mums on front stairs, and yummy smells of apple cider simmering on the stovetop. Camping trips, fall farm visits, and football are also things we enjoy this time of year. Kara's birthday will come up quickly, then Halloween, and before I know it, Thanksgiving, which I will be hosting this year. I do enjoy the change of weather that comes along with the season as well. This summer was filled with hot hot days at the pool, which certainly was fun, but I could do without quite so much heat. The cooler weather leads to wearing jeans and sweaters as the breeze blows a bit more, and this I just love.

So in this season of change I am also very thankful for all these changes in our lives. Most of them are positive changes and we're ready to continue to roll through them. Maybe I just need to sit down, blog about them a bit, put it all into perspective more often, and that will help my brain wrap itself around all the craziness in my life. The changes come no matter whether we're ready for them or not. It's how we face the change and embrace it that counts.

Final Weeks of Summer

2010-08-10T07:23:00.005-04:00

So we're already into the final four weeks of summer. I can't believe it's gone so fast, and at the same time we have four potentially LONG weeks ahead of us. John's in a half-day camp this week, Kara's in a short morning camp next week, and then it's just a lot of together time for the duration. I'm hoping for warm days and lots of pool visits paired with a few bigger outings that will keep the appropriate balance of exhaustion and interest going to minimize the bickering that will ensue if I let boredom set in. Can you tell I'm a little apprehensive about this? I'm trying my best to be optimistic, but I'm not the type of mom who can go, go, go and keep up the energy and manage everything else too. I can handle a fair number of activities, but only if it comes paired with some downtime too. I'm hoping we can manage without too much yelling (me), screaming (them), hitting (them), and time outs (everyone). That's my goal. I know, it's lofty, but we're going to try. I'm going to do my best to be the mom with lots of ideas, some active and some relaxing and even a few productive things squeezed in for good measure. We'll see how it goes.

I'm also hoping to squeeze in a few posts here and there and finally get around to posting pictures of the final kitchen project. It is done at this point and we are loving it! What a difference it has made in our house and in our lives. It will continue to develop as we continue to grow into the space and figure out how to maximize our enjoyment of it. Sometimes hard work does pay off and it's fun to enjoy the grown-up pleasures that we've been looking forward to.

Stay cool...and look for more posts soon!

Wow, life has changed...

2010-06-16T14:00:00.007-04:00

Well, as I sit here typing this, there are electricians upstairs working away at the wiring for our new kitchen. The walls are gone, support beams have been moved, new appliances are ready and waiting, and life has gotten crazy. The process has started and each day we get a stronger vision of the final result. We are going to love it. The interim is a bit messy, to say the least. The fridge is in the dining room. The toaster oven and microwave is in the basement. The sink is either in the bathroom upstairs or the laundry room in the basement. Things are everywhere and it's not easy to put a meal together. Everyone is being reasonably patient so far, but we'll see how long that lasts as the time goes on. It has been over a week without the old stove and not quite a week yet without the kitchen sink. We're adapting as best we can, but it certainly isn't easy or convenient. But it is definitely wild to watch it happening each step of the way.

I'll try to be better about posting through this time and posting a picture or two for those few readers I have left that aren't on Facebook. ;-)

For now this is what we have.....

Thankful Thursday Again

2010-05-13T07:05:00.002-04:00

I've been filled with great blogging intentions, but yet again seem to fail in the process of getting my thoughts out while in front of the computer. But that's not the point of today's post. I realized that it's Thursday and some time ago I got into doing a "Thankful Thursday" post and thought I would do a quick list this morning....

Today I am thankful for:
1. the still sleeping kids upstairs (yesterday was an over-tired doozy of a day, so hopefully some additional sleep will improve everyone's mood this morning)
2. the means and ability to plan the approaching kitchen renovation
3. the energy to get through the coming days
4. the plans that we have to go camping this weekend - we haven't been out camping in over a year and a half and I'm getting excited - although there's A LOT of work to do to get us there, but it will be all good in the end.
5. great neighbors and friends that I can totally rely on again and again and know that it's okay because I will support them over and over too
6. my dear husband
7. all the mother's in my life who help remind me that I'm not as crazy as I often feel
8. an amazing preschool family, which I am so excited for next year as Kara will have her entire playgroup in her class - yay! It's going to be so much fun for them and me!
9. the grapefruit half that's waiting in the fridge for me for breakfast this morning
10. the coffee in my cup and the coffee I'll get later this morning while I'm waiting for the van inspection

Thanks for reading!

An apology

2010-04-19T22:00:00.004-04:00

So I feel like I would be remiss tonight if I didn't first apologize to Kara's preschool teacher, Mrs. Kelleher. Not that she'll read this tonight, tomorrow, or ever, for that matter, but I do owe her a huge apology. Tomorrow my daughter is going to be a complete bear. My crystal fortune telling ball is a bit fuzzy, so I'm not sure when the evil side will present itself. No doubt it will reveal itself at some completely inopportune moment, and likely she'll be an angel tomorrow during school, but the ugliness will come and I hope our lovely teacher, who I adore, isn't the recipient of the nastiness. I'm convinced I will be battered and bruised by the end of the day tomorrow.

Today started poorly for my dear Kara. After a tantrum of her own, I lost my temper with her, resulting in a very ugly interaction between us, all before we even left for the bus stop! We had a decent morning, followed by a playdate for her and John, then a late nap, and then several more tantrums during a very long and painful bedtime process. As Matt and John were trying to watch the Caps playoff game tonight, she kept repeating how she wanted her mittens. Over and over and over and over... No limit of explanation that it was April, not mitten weather, if she's cold she could use a blanket, etc, etc, etc. was good enough for her. She needed her damn mittens. Then, later, she insisted on having socks to sleep in. I gave her instructions for how to get her socks (by first brushing her teeth), and after much misery and non-compliance, I told her she was done, had lost her chance, and then the bawling really began. She just couldn't get it. There was lots of crying and screaming.

So it was a late, long night for my dear daughter. She's going to be tired tomorrow. There's preschool in the morning, then lunch and nap/quiet time, then playtime, early dinner, and t-ball practice right up until the kids' bedtime. It could be a busy, good day or it could be a long, painful day for us all. We'll see how it goes. But I figure it's a good idea to get my apology out ahead of the ugliness. It's one thing to have your kid take out their anger/frustration on you, but it's another thing entirely for them to take it out on the schoolmates or teacher.

I'm really sorry Mrs. Kelleher. I'm trying, really hard. But in the end, I'm just really sorry.

A Week is a LONG Time

2010-04-16T06:50:00.006-04:00

Well, we've come out on the other side of Matt's annual conference trip and we all managed to survive. Matt was in San Jose, CA for a full 8 days (well, 6 days really, with 2 travel days), returning to Virginia on Wednesday of this week. He's still a little jet-lagged and overall exhausted from his trip, but he's here and we were all very happy to see him. The kids and I managed to survive the week with a few minor skirmishes along the way, but nothing too major, which was pleasant. We stayed VERY busy and apparently that was the key.

We had playgroup, a preschool puppet show, t-ball meeting and first practice, lots of time at the neighborhood playground, a barbecue at a neighbor's house, t-ball parade/picnic/and another practice, picnic at Lake Fairfax, a few errands, more playground time, cleaning the house a bit, more playgroup, a vision screening, and even a movie night thrown in for good measure. We had one more t-ball practice cancelled due to rain, so we went with some good friends to hit the kids' night at the local Silver Diner - included a kids' movie and crafts, which my kids loved since they'd never been to Silver Diner before. All in all, the week was good. Kara napped most days, John's usual short-day Monday was extended to a full day as it was a snow make-up day, which I was just fine with this particular week. I even squeezed in a couple of walks and a pedicure! We had all the usual bumps in the road that you have when you're being a single parent for days on end, but we managed to get through it and even enjoyed most of it.

Now I do fully admit to coming out the end of it being completely exhausted, but there's no time now to rest. We are now to the point of needing to get moving on more decisions on the kitchen project. I had no idea how many decisions there would be with this project! Wow! I'm trying not to get too overwhelmed, but my goodness. We've got our basic design down. Have the fridge picked out. Know pretty much what we want for the sink, dishwasher, cooktop, and oven/microwave. I sat down last night and figured out where most of our kitchen stuff will live in the new space, which a good friend of mine (who has a background in kitchen/bathroom design) strongly recommended that I do (thank you Alexandra!). And it was so very helpful to go through that exercise. I now have a much better idea of what pull-out options I need, and what other features make sense for us, and what we just don't have the room for. It made me feel much better about it all. But now we need to move forward on making some appliance purchases (yikes) so we have time to get them ordered, if needed, for our June target date. It's amazing to me that we're actually heading forward with this project, a little overwhelming, a little anxiety-inducing, and A LOT exciting. It's going to be a huge improvement and we're going to love the final product, getting there is another story, but I'm keeping the end result in sight, and we'll get through. ;-)

Just like this last week with Matt gone, we got through that, and we'll get through June and then we'll be able to breathe a sigh of relief...until the next big hurdle! Well, the hurdles hopefully will be a bit smaller than the major kitchen remodel, but you get the point.

Makes me wonder

2010-03-12T13:58:00.007-05:00

Sometimes life throws curve balls at us. Sometimes we see them coming and can prepare, other times we get hit blindsided. I've been hit blindsided a few times myself and know others that have had it happen recently. Sometimes it's easier when we can't prepare, so we don't get anxious or nervous. In watching some friends go through some ridiculously awful things, I'm amazed at how different people manage their lives and how the instinct for basic survival can take over and power us through it all.

It takes strength, courage, love, confidence, support, and a never ending supply of patience to get through things that we think will break us. We've all faced tough times, some worse than others. Reaching out for support from those around us is critical. It often feels easier to curl up in a ball and try to forget the rest of the world exists than to face the problems. And sometimes we really need to do that for a bit, allow ourselves to grieve, mourn, release the sadness before it consumes us. But then, life requires us to unfold from the ball, stand up and figure out how to move forward.

I recently read a book written by John Edwards' wife, maybe a year or two ago. I knew a little bit about her, that she had battled cancer and that her husband has chosen infidelity in a painfully public way. But I didn't know that they also had a son who was killed in a fluke car accident at the age of 16. Her cancer was in remission and has spread (at least at the time she wrote this particular book). Her marriage, which had been her rock, was irreversibly shaken. She thought she could count on him, but it turned out she had to figure out a new way to live, to find new reasons to face each day and make them count. She's done that with her life.

The book describes the path that Elizabeth Edwards took to find meaning in each day. She details her own journey and recognizes that each person needs to find their own path through the rough patches of life. No one way will work for everyone. The important part is to pick up, decide that life is worth living, and find a way that will work for you.

Of course, this is easier said than done. I know that. Life is hard and filled with potholes, but it's also good and filled with joys. I try to remember that on my own dark days, and to provide the support others around me need as they navigate their journeys. The road of life is bumpy, but it is filled with love and joy too. People are resilient and strong, as long as they're willing to let themselves be.

A Few Updates

2010-03-11T21:33:00.010-05:00

Life, as usual, has been busy, to say the least. I'm coming (slowly) to accept that the pace of our daily lives is much faster than I'm used to. Even our "down" days seem to fill up quickly with impromptu playdates, errands, and many other random, but wonderful, activities. I spend a lot of time feeling harried and rushed, but I'm trying to remind myself that it simply means that our lives are full and rich with loved ones and fun times.

The kids are growing and changing daily, which always surprises me. You'd think by now I'd be used to it, but they still bring new joys and challenges every day. John's more than halfway through kindergarten, doing swimming classes, tae kwon do (after a bumpy start, he's finally enjoying it), and about to start t-ball this spring. I'm loving listening to him read to me or to Kara and seeing the pride it brings him. He's a great guy. And Kara is my little bundle of personality - the good and the challenging! She's very funny and enjoys life in ways that are completely different from John. They get along so well, I find it wonderful and curious at the same time. I hope that doesn't change too much as they grow older.

We are also in the throws of contemplating and planning for a kitchen remodeling project. With any luck, we'll be without a kitchen for the month of June and by mid-summer will have a drastically improved kitchen to love and enjoy. We'll see if we can retain some sanity and get through the process!

This week I have added to my regimen of medications and a new doctor to add to my growing list of contacts. With the beautiful weather we've had this week, my allergies decided to knock me on my butt. I was in complete misery! I couldn't believe that it could feel so bad. It didn't take much to convince me to go see an allergist, as soon as possible. So, I did. Thank goodness. I had a very interesting visit, during which a set of allergy medications was given to me along with a diagnosis of asthma and medication to deal with that as well. I've never been diagnosed with asthma, and I'm not sure why it's bothering me so much. Over the last few days, I've thought about it a lot, and I can think of lots of symptoms that I just ignored or neglected that clearly indicate I've had asthma symptoms since high school, at least. But I'm still not ready for the label of "asthmatic." I know my case is mild compared to many, but I also think it's probably worse than I am ready to acknowledge. I feel like I've got enough medical labels for someone in their mid-30's and I'm not ready to add another one. And I KNOW that doesn't change anything and my ability to acknowledge it has no bearing on the actual problem. I am taking the medication that was prescribed to me, but still am not quite ready to fully embrace the diagnosis. But I am breathing better now!

This too shall be faced and dealt with, I know. Along with all the other challenges we have in our lives. Right?

Life is good, busy, crazy, and wild, but GOOD.

Thankful Thursday!

2010-03-11T21:24:00.003-05:00

I'm baaaaaccck! :-) Well, I'm intending to be back. So, since it's Thursday, and at one point in time, quite awhile ago, I was doing thankful lists on Thursdays, I thought I'd start with that.

Today, I'm thankful for:
1. GREAT new allergy medication (that's finally working after a long week of misery)
2. a fun morning with Kara's preschool class on their first field trip
3. some amazing mom friends that I adore
4. having the energy to finish a project I've been procrastinating on for a month
5. the 3-hour nap that Kara took today
6. the bright future ahead
7. the warm sun of the past few days and the time to get out and enjoy it
8. the upcoming visit from my sister-in-law
9. the ability to possibly see our kitchen dreams come true and
10. my kids, husband, family, and friends, without whom I couldn't survive.

More to say in a separate post, I'm going to leave this as just being thankful!

To Dream....

2010-01-31T22:31:00.011-05:00

We've spent our weekend having some good family fun, being very productive and dreaming, a bit. It snowed here over the weekend, somewhat unexpectedly, so we definitely had some fun snow play time. After all the snow in December, I got myself new snow pants, a new coat, and new snow boots (thanks Mom and Dad for the early birthday gift), and then I was convinced our winter snow season was over. Fortunately, I was wrong. And I got a chance to test out all my new gear before our upcoming snow tubing trip - and it was great! I was dry and warm and happy in my new gear. Happy Mommy, for sure!

Most of the rest of the weekend was spent working indoors on tearing apart and repairing Kara's closet in preparation for her new closet system, which the kids and I are going to pick up on Monday morning. Kara got to take naps in our bed and even slept on our floor one night - which she delighted in and John was very jealous of.

The other event of the weekend was our first meeting with a contractor to talk about the kitchen remodeling project. A close friend of mine gave us a referral for her contractor and we met with him this morning. The meeting went very well and he shared some ideas with us and we are looking forward to seeing the proposal he works up for us. But for now, it is still dreaming. We have some other research-type work to do before we decide exactly which path we're going to take on this HUGE project, so there's still a lot of steps before the dreaming becomes a bit of reality. I'm hoping we can make it happen in the early part of the summer when our schedule is light and we can have lots of picnics and pool-side meals. Time will tell, but there's a lot of dreaming and a lot of optimism.

Tuesdays are supposed to be easier!

2010-01-19T06:47:00.004-05:00

On a normal week, my Tuesdays and Thursdays appear to be my easier days - Kara's got school in the mornings and then naptime in the afternoon - lots of Mommy time! John has swimming after school and then it's a pretty quick routine of dinner, bath, and bed after we get home. On paper it looks so easy. Today will NOT be easy.

Coming off a 3-day weekend is never easy, to start with. We spent a good deal of time this weekend looking at kitchen stores and doing a lot of window shopping for our upcoming kitchen renovation, which was not particularly interesting for the kids. They did well with it, but it was a lot for them. So technically today feels like a Monday, a transition day...not easy. Add to that the fact that I agreed to host our playgroup tomorrow morning and the preschool board meeting tomorrow night. This leads to me basically spending the bulk of today cleaning my house and making it presentable for the morning fun and the evening adults. On top of making sure I have enough food and drink to keep all guests happy (for me, this is the easier part). To make the day a little more challenging we also have a doctor's appointment for John in the afternoon, after school, but before swimming. I just hope I can remember that I need to go pick him up a bit early, rather than waiting for the bus later. Also, at the beginning of the school year, I signed up to provide snack this week (of all weeks!!) for John's class. I've got food for 3 of the 4 days already, but am hoping that I don't forget about Friday.

There are a few other wrinkles in the schedule during the rest of the week and then....ta-daaaa - Matt's out of town working this weekend! The light at the end of this tunnel is pretty far away right now. It's all good stuff, and I honestly wouldn't change any of it (well, except the part about Matt being out of town). I truly do work better under pressure. I just am still a bit overwhelmed with the magnitude of it all.

I just hope I'll still manage to squeeze in some time to play with the kids and enjoy my life. Because through all the madness, I really do enjoy it and everyone in it.

I did it

2010-01-13T12:50:00.003-05:00

So, after posting the other day about trying to make more "in the moment" time with my kids, I managed to actually do it this morning. Kara's now in a swim class that is smack in the middle of the morning. For good and bad, it prevents running bigger errands, but also gives us some time after John's left for school before we have to be heading out to swimming. So this morning, I showered before anyone else was awake so I wouldn't lose my "Kara time" to my basic hygiene needs. Anyway, after we got back from the bus stop, Kara and I picked a project that she's been begging to do - a doll-fairy making kit she got for Christmas from her Aunt Caroline - and sat down to work. It was a bit advanced for her skill level, but I think she enjoyed doing it. I know I loved seeing her face at the completed item. The glue is still drying and we'll have to improvise some different wings for her as the kit's wings had some glue complications. Anyway, she's pleased as punch that we found the time to make the doll and my guess is even if we never get back to finishing the wings part, she'll get some play value out of the doll as it is.

It felt so good to take the time this morning to really be here with her and do the doll project. I'm hopeful it will make me inspired to be better about this with both kids. This afternoon's after school plans involve a bit of homework with John and then breaking into his new crayon maker that he's been begging to do!

Back to the Blog

2010-01-10T22:31:00.010-05:00

Alright, so it's been months since I posted here and, to be honest, I've missed it. I think about postings in my head and haven't gotten them down on the computer. I can say we've been busy, which is true, but I also think I just needed to let go of one commitment for a little bit for my sanity and, well, the blog was it. Thus, the message in this post...read on.

Every day every parent doubts their ability to be a good parent. You spend so much energy and thought making parenting your primary focus and yet you still worry that you're not doing enough or not doing it right. It's totally overwhelming and stressful and makes your head spin on a daily basis.

I grapple with this regularly - load up on activities vs. spending quality time at home with my kids. Letting them play independently vs. engaging them in constant play. I love my kids more than anything and they astound me each and every day with their humor, charm, intelligence, sincerity, generosity, and so much more. Many days I feel like I didn't do enough - maybe I didn't do enough arts and crafts with them, or I didn't do enough reading, or I didn't limit their time in front of the tv, or hundreds of other "I didn't"s.

But deep down, I do know that I did. I do spend a lot of time doing all of those things with my kids. I just wish, so hard, that I could wipe away all of the extraneous things in our days - grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry - all the stuff that must get done, but that takes away from my time to "just be" with my kids. If only those things could fade into the background and I could spend all the quality time I want with my kids, for just a day, or two, or three.

But life isn't about "if only"s, any more than it should be about all the "I didn't"s. I am struggling with remembering to appreciate each moment and making the most of the time we do have. I am cleaning through a lot of the clutter, emotional and physical clutter, in our lives to allow me more energy and time to enjoy our life and enjoy the moments as they come.

Wish me luck.

Life Never Slows Down

2009-11-09T14:00:00.007-05:00

For a long time, I kept saying,"when things slow down, I'll get back on track" (or get organized, or get to one of those many projects on my to-do list, etc.). But it's slowly dawning on me that that day never comes. Life with my active young kids and our busy schedule just never seems to slow down. Summer wasn't slow. The school year has been nothing close to slow, well, except for all our many sick days, which just don't count as "slow days" when anything productive can get done. Maybe instead of waiting for a slow time, I'll figure out how to squeeze in more project time, or just be better able to accept that this is not a time in my life when I'll be able to do the "fun" things I want to do!

So, let's recap what the fall has brought us so far:
- sickness...lots and lots of sickness
- a speedy trip to Maine with lots of family fun
- more sickness
- swimming lessons for both kids, which has led to major progress for John and his willingness to go underwater! Yeah!!!
- Kara's birthday and a variety of small, but fun, celebrations for her
- fall soccer for John and a lot of fun times with friends playing soccer
- progress on upgrading Kara's bedroom from a nursery to a big girl room, which also included selling off our crib and dresser set. Very hard for me to part with, but it was definitely time to do it and I'm glad to have the space for new things.
- starting to think about a major renovation of our kitchen. While this is totally scary, it is also totally necessary and I'm excited about all the possibilities.
- the start of life with homework for John. He's been excited to work on it, so there's been a smooth transition on that front...thank goodness!
- Halloween! It was my first year without pre-decided costumes for either child, and boy was that hard! John decided early on that he wanted to be Scooby Doo, and thanks to a very generous neighbor, that was easily achieved. Kara, after MANY MANY switcheroos on costume choices, finally settled on being a "scary, bad, black cat." Boy, was she scary...well, more cute than scary, but it was an easy costume, for which I was very thankful! ;-)

And I'm sure there's much more, but it's been such a whirlwind lately that it's hard to remember all of the things that have taken place in between our various illnesses. I'm always hopeful that I'll get back to posting more often here, but it's so hard to tell if I'm going to meet that goal or be busy taking care of sick children instead. Any guesses as to which one I'd rather be doing???

October = Illness

2009-10-15T10:33:00.002-04:00

Around here it seems that October cannot get by without bringing the first of the season's many cold bugs into our home. Kara's third birthday was October 3rd and she had a slight cold then. By the next week, it had passed on to John...and then turned into croup. Fortunately the croup part only lasted about two days, but the cold lingered on for him. After missing most of the week of school, we packed up and headed north to Maine for a long weekend, visiting my extended family and enjoying some fall color. During the whirlwind trip, I came down with the cold. I felt okay the day we drove back, thankfully, but have spent the last 3 days being pretty miserable. And finally, not to be left out of anything, Matt woke up this morning declaring his body's submission to the cold as well. I'm truly wondering what it would be like for our family to stay healthy through October. The last few years have consistently resulted in a thorough spread of illness through our household. It's unfortunate, for many reasons, but mostly because we all truly enjoy fall and all the many fun activities there are to do during this season. At this point it looks like we may need to scale down our fall activities we had planned for this weekend so we can just get some rest and recuperate. So tough.

At least we were able to enjoy Kara's birthday and our trip to Maine was great. A lot of good family togetherness and seeing my grandmother for the first time in two years was also good. Her older sister (just turned 90!!) was able to come out from California and that was great too. My grandmother has severe dementia, so may not have known who anyone was specifically, but definitely had some recognition of those around her and certainly was happy to see her sister after many years. It was a very special visit. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins and I got to visit with my brother and sister-in-law, which I always enjoy. It was kind of a crazy trip to make for a weekend, but it was well worth it.

Now we're on to finishing off October with a potential camping trip next weekend, soccer games, starting swimming lessons, and of course, Halloween. Kara seems to be changing her mind on her costume choice by the day. She clearly doesn't understand yet that her options might be more limited than she thinks! Working on that....

I'm optimisitic that my blogging will become more frequent again soon. Once my head cold diminishes and I have a clearer brain, I'll get back on top of things...or maybe I'll get better about accepting that I'm always behind and figure out a way to enjoy it all more instead. Hmm, I think I might like that idea better!

So I'm officially crazy!

2009-09-25T14:11:00.003-04:00

Well, at least I'm thinking it must be, otherwise I would not manage to totally over-commit myself like I do. One look at the calendar in our kitchen makes it clear to any rational person that we have a few too many things going on. I don't know how to make any of it "go away" and I'm scared to think about how much behind the scenes work has to happen to make it through it all.

I am volunteering my behind off, because I believe in supporting the schools, and of course, also so that when I do eventually go back to work I can show that I was not totally resting on my laurels and eating my yummy bon-bons (which is clearly what all of us stay-at-home moms do, right?). So I managed to get into the position of serving as VP for my daughter's preschool board. This one shouldn't be too big of a deal - not too much work for this position, mostly just meeting attendance and a project or two. Then at the Back-to-School Night for John's kindergarten class I managed to sign myself up to be the class parent. Not entirely sure what I was thinking, I guess mostly that I wanted to enthusiastically support the teacher and the class. yikes.

Yeah...so those are two biggies for me for this year. Add to that swimming, soccer, and ballet. Add to that bus stop runs twice a day, trying to squeeze in some walks for me and Kara's playgroup. Before long I'll also be trying to get some more time for doing my website work with my old employer too.

Did I mention that Kara's birthday is in a week, John's follows in December, on top of all the holiday fun. And my mom had major knee surgery this week, so I'll be trying to get in some visits and be helpful to my parents as they work through the recovery/rehab process for her (which is going extremely well so far, so that's great).

Like I said, CRAZY!!! No doubt about it...just crazy....

Another Week of Firsts

2009-09-18T14:20:00.004-04:00

So last week was a big first - John starting kindergarten. This week was also full of firsts for us....

1. Kara's first day of preschool - went GREAT and she loved it. (and I loved it too!)
2. Kara's first day of ballet - also went GREAT and couldn't have been cuter.
3. First (of many) Back-to-School Nights for Matt and I - we enjoyed it and learned a lot about what John's days are like and are looking forward to a great school year for John.
4. First time I had to talk with John about bullies. A bus-ride incident with a neighbor kid resulted in a big conversation that I wasn't really ready to have so soon into school. But all seems to be okay for now.
5. First time John cried when the bus came. Wednesday morning, out of the blue, he cried when the bus pulled up that he didn't want to go to school. After so much excitement about school, I was baffled. Got in the car, drove to school instead, and all was better...for now. Today again had a bit of hesitation, but no tears, and got on the bus without a problem.
6. First preschool board meeting of the year for me - oh joy....
7. First drop-off birthday party that John will be going to (tomorrow) - should be a lot of fun. Matt's going to do a Daddy-daughter activity, so I'll get an hour and a half to myself on a Saturday morning. Ahhhhhh...Not sure what to do, but I'll enjoy it!

Anyway, you get the point. It's been a crazy, stressful, and fun week around here. But we're all really wiped out. The weekend ahead is almost as busy and will undoubtedly be fun, but I'm having a bit of trouble gearing up the energy for it! Thus my mantra right now is Power Through!!!!

And We're Off...

2009-09-11T14:12:00.004-04:00

The first week of school has been a true success. Besides some issues with the bus schedule that seem to be working out gradually, everything has gone very smoothly. And John couldn't be more happy. While walking home from the bus on Tuesday afternoon, I asked him the standard, "So, what did you do today at school?" His response - "I'm so excited about going back tomorrow, that I can't even talk about today." What pure joy! It didn't give me the slightest clue into what had happened during the almost 7 hour school day, but it let me know that he was happy and had a great time at school. Any worries or concerns I might have had about things were quickly dissolved with his enthusiasm. The last two days after school, he's given me the same response, so I'm gathering that things are continuing in the same happy trend for him during the day.

I am glad to know that we will have a chance to get more of a glimpse into his daily life next week, when Matt and I get to go to Back-to-School Night. We'll get to meet his teacher (again), and explore the classroom, and hear from her more about what kindergarten life is really like. But until then, I'm just thrilled that he's having fun and enjoying his days at school. How cool is that?

The BIG Day

2009-09-07T09:24:00.004-04:00

So our world is going to change tomorrow. Not only is summer officially over, but my oldest child goes out into the world, gets on a big yellow school bus, and goes to kindergarten. I knew the day would come, yearned for it even. But now it's looming over me like a dark cloud and I'm not particularly thrilled with it.

He's totally ready for this step. If he had to spend another week at home with me and his little sister, I think we'd all go nuts. He's ready for a schedule again, ready for new learning opportunities, ready to see some friends, and ready for everything else that goes along with this step.

Me? I thought I was ready. Maybe I convinced myself that I was ages ago, so that when the time came I would have brainwashed myself into believing it wouldn't be so hard. I was wrong or maybe I didn't do a good enough job with the brainwashing. I'm a mess inside today. Mostly I'm proud - proud of my son, who is strong, confident, caring, and sweet. But part of me is also nervous - nervous for all the changes that come with entering elementary school - all the social upheaval that we're heading into, all the many things that he'll be exposed to on the bus and in school with kids that are so much older than him. He's still my little guy and I hope he'll always be that for me. He's still so young and innocent (mostly). But that will change tomorrow when he gets on that bus. It may not be an instant change, but it will gradually shift for him and for us. I guess I am ready for the academic challenges of kindergarten, but not so much for the social challenges.

John is a great kid and I can't imagine him being any more ready for this step, but I just wish I felt more ready. Although truly, I'm not sure I'll ever be fully ready to let go. Fortunately the time comes regardless of my readiness.

Aha moment!

2009-08-30T19:32:00.003-04:00

So 2 nights ago, during bathtime, I had an Aha! moment and it was just reinforced a few moments ago as Matt is doing bathtime tonight. My kids are, for the moment, still getting bathed together in the tub. But when it comes time to start washing hair we always get resistance. And it can be ugly. Which makes bathtime turn into a miserable time for everyone.

On Friday night, I was doing bathtime with the kids (because in our tiny bathrooms really only one parent can do the washing of the kids at a time, so we try to take turns doing our "chore" of bath duty). It occurred to me that there had to be a better way to get them to be more willing in the process. I first asked for a volunteer to go first with hair washing. No volunteers (surprise, surprise.) I declared (much to their surprise) that I would count to 3, if I had no volunteers by 3 then I would pick who would go first and that everyone would lose books at bedtime. If I did get a volunteer, then that person would get to pick the first book to be read at bedtime. :-))))) Hee heee heeeee! Guess what? I got a volunteer! John picked up on the threat very quickly and volunteered shortly after the "one" sound started coming out of my mouth. Kara was very dismayed that she didn't "win" the right to pick the first bedtime book. But, most importantly, everyone was a willing participant in the hair washing process.

Then comes tonight. A few moments ago...both kids in the tub with Matt at the bathtime helm.... He tells them he's going to use the same process that I started last time and before he even got to the counting, Kara says "Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee first!!!" Cue the AHA!!! moment for Mommy!!

I love it beyond words when a parenting trick pans out just the way you wanted it to!! There's not much sweeter than that. Mark one in the column for Mommy tonight. I love it.

Pictures to Come!

2009-08-12T07:17:00.002-04:00

So you may have noticed a serious lack of pictures lately on the blog.... Well, I've been trying but the link to upload images to my posts has not been working for some unknown reason. This morning as I fiddled with it a bit, I just found a work-around for it and obviously just got a picture to upload with my other post. So hopefully that will continue to work and I'll be able to post some more pictures of our summer fun adventures. Sorry if things have been a little heavy on the text and light on the images lately!

Kara's Lesson

2009-08-12T07:08:00.004-04:00

Yesterday there were more lessons learned around here. This time mostly by Kara. One lesson I learned is that we may be closer to giving up the nap than I would like to believe. On Sunday and again yesterday, Kara spent her naptime in her crib, but not sleeping. She was singing away, happy as could be, but definitely not sleeping. Then comes the second lesson...when she decided she was done, she climbed out of her crib and came downstairs. Hmmmm. Previous experience (a.k.a. John) leads me to think that we may be ready to move out of the crib and into the toddler bed. The timing on this is not great since I'm also preparing to make efforts on the potty training front and get both kids ready to start school shortly. I'd prefer for everyone to be getting enough sleep and be well-rested, happy kids during the day...things are just easier that way...for everyone. I've been trying to convince myself that Kara's transition into the big bed will be easier than John's was (it was almost a year and a half before he was regularly sleeping through the night again after moving beds.) It has to be easier this time, right?

All I can say is thank god for coffee. I may need a lot of it in the coming days. And a lot of patience.

Always Learning

2009-08-10T21:33:00.007-04:00

One lesson I've learned during my parenting years is that if you pay attention, you can learn something from your kids every day. Some days I learn multiple things, other days I learn one thing, but maybe it's a big one. Today was a big day for learning around here. Time will tell what the kids came away with after today. All I know right now, tonight, is that my kids taught me two big lessons today.

1. Kara had a horribly cranky, fussy, grumpy day. Starting at the moment I walked into her room this morning to get her out of the crib (she just grunted and didn't want to be touched, but also didn't want me to leave the room...lovely...) and ending at bedtime when she melted down after a tantrum she was throwing resulted in the loss of bedtime books for her. She managed to pull it together enough for a few snuggles before getting into the crib, so at least there was a moment at the end of the day that wasn't filled with her screaming or grunting or crying or making other hysterical noises.

The lessons I learned from Kara today were twofold. First, the quickly approaching age of three is going to challenge every level of patience that I have and I anticipate it being a very very long year ahead for us all. Second, and more important, is that even through the rough spots, there were quite a few moments of her sweet tender side today, and I need to remember to cherish and enjoy each and every one of those every single day.

2. The second lesson was from John. This weekend we went to the pool each day with Matt, who doesn't get to come with us very often. For some reason, I got it stuck in my head that John really needed to work on getting more comfortable with going underwater. The kid has started going down the slide and can swim (doggie-paddle) across the length of the pool, and here I am pushing him to get that face in the water! I realized at the end of the second pool trip that John was getting way more anxious about the whole thing and was never going to be comfortable with the idea, much less be able to do it with me forcing it on him. After he was in bed last night it occurred to me how ridiculous I was being and that I needed to just back off. The summer and the pool should be about having fun and hanging out with friends, which is what we've been doing and loving so far this year. I intend to continue that trend for the next four weeks.

So with that lesson learned yesterday, I started the day off today with John by apologizing to him for my inappropriate behavior at the pool. I told him that there would be no more pushing for the underwater stuff and that he should enjoy the pool and have fun. Go down the slide, swim across the pool, and play games with your friends. And go underwater only if you want to, and only WHEN you want to. It was not exactly easy to give a very sincere and heartfelt apology to my son, but it was so necessary and I felt so much better once I had done it.

Two big lessons learned today. All in all, I love my kids and all the lessons they have to teach me about love and patience and life.

Tennis Camp and More

2009-08-04T07:11:00.004-04:00

So this week is John's tennis camp. Not an intense thing, just half and hour of some kids learning some of the basics of tennis. He enjoyed it yesterday, but it was hot. Today is going to be even hotter, so it could be brutal on the courts by 10:00. But our plan is to go pretty much straight to the pool from camp, have lunch there and play with friends until Kara poops out and has to have her nap. Then the afternoon will be more relaxed with the only requirement being to get our bag of CSA veggies.

My non-athletic kid has picked up some athletic interests of late, much to my surprise. He continues this summer to surprise me with his increased swimming skills - swimming the length of the pool, going down the slide unassisted, cannonballs, etc. And now he's signed up to do soccer in the fall, and seems to be enjoying the tennis this week. It's funny to me how much he's doing and enjoying all of it. I can tell he's getting stronger through all of it too, as he keeps trying his skills at the monkey bars at the playground and he's able to do more and more each time.

At this age my focus has been to expose him to lots of different activities and see where his skills and interests land. It's been an adventure, almost bordering on being that mom who is running her kids around crazy without any downtime...but not quite to an extreme...yet. We'll definitely slow down in the fall with John starting full-day kindergarten, giving him time to get adjusted to the new schedule and demands. But it's great to me to see his growing interests in athletic activities and I'm going to do all I can to encourage and support that. I'm just so proud of my little man, who doesn't seem to be so little anymore.

New Blog to Check Out

2009-08-04T07:06:00.002-04:00

I have a neighbor and friend who just this week has started a new blog that is really worth checking out - Manic Mom's Monthly Menus. If you are a mom and are looking for new recipes and cooking tips, Erin's site is awesome! I am already excited to try some of the recipes she's got posted. She's a great person and really likes to cook for her family. She's got some great tips and explains how she's adapting a recipe based on cost and food preferences, along with ideas of how she might do the recipe differently next time or alternatives to try.

Check it out and I hope you get some helpful information!

The Games We Play

2009-07-29T07:15:00.004-04:00

We are a game playing family. And by that I do not mean electronic, video games, I mean board games. Before the kids came along, Matt and I would often spend a Friday or Saturday night playing games, just the two of us. We don't do that so much anymore, but we have recently started to pick it up again a bit. But the neat thing is now that the kids are a little older, there are a lot of board games we can play with them. Even Kara is getting into the gaming action. We've got a few that are just her speed, a few more that John can play on his own and we have to help Kara with, and a few that are just beyond Kara for now but that John loves.

The last few nights after dinner there has been enough time before bed to squeeze in a game or two. Monday night it was all of us playing a game called Bendominos. Then last night Matt and I were still finishing dinner and chatting, while the kids started to play checkers. I keep a careful ear out when the kids are playing a game by themselves to make sure all parties are being involved and no one is taking over or getting upset. Last night I heard John saying that Kara was winning and he was clearly going to lose this game. But it said it in sort of an awestruck kind of way, not like he was upset about it at all. Then on her next turn, he was still helping her out and suggesting moves for her to make. It was so great to listen to him willing to try to help her win the game, knowing that would result in his loss. I know that won't last much longer before his "help" becomes sabotage instead, so I really enjoyed hearing him being very sincere and trying to teach her the skills of checkers. By the way, he ended up winning the game anyway, but it was all amicable in the end. :-)

Zucchini Parmigiana

2009-07-27T07:50:00.003-04:00

We love this easy summertime recipe and I thought it was worth sharing with everyone. Hope you can try it and enjoy it the way we do!

Zucchini Parmigiana
6 medium zucchini, sliced thin
2 red or green peppers, diced
1 onion, sliced
1/4 c. tamari (soy sauce)
1/2 t. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
14 oz. tomato sauce
4 c. grated cheese (mozzarella, swiss or muenster)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients, except tomato sauce and cheese, in a large bowl. Stir well. Transfer half of the mixture to a large, lightly greased casserole. Pour one-third of the tomato sauce over the mixture. Top with one-half of the cheese. Pour the remaining mixture into the pan and then another one-third sauce, the remaining cheese and then the rest of the sauce.

Bake covered for about 1 hour or until the zucchini is tender. Serves 6-8.

TV Challenges

2009-07-23T20:16:00.003-04:00

Shortly after our beach trip, Matt was able to work out a deal with our cable provider to bundle our phone, cable and internet services for a lower rate than what we had been paying previously. In a tough financial year, with no raise for Matt (we’re thankful he still has a job), we’re looking at ways to save some money instead. There was a chance this was going to mean a change of phone numbers for us too, which I think we’re going to manage to avoid…thank goodness! The installation was on Tuesday of this week, and it means that we now have a cable box. Somehow we have navigated the world of cable without having to get a box for many years now. Not sure how we did that, but boy did it make things easier. Not only do we have a box, all the channels are different, and I can’t seem to find the shows I like to watch (not that summertime tv is much to watch anyway). This afternoon John asked to watch a dvd we have from the library…should be simple, right? NO. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to get the darn thing to work. I had the cable box on and off, the tv on and off, and all combinations of the above. Nothing worked. Then when I was ready to quit trying it (and wait for Daddy to come home), I couldn’t get it back to having the box on and tv on and actually working normally again. It took me another 5 minutes to get it back to showing regular tv and I’m still not sure what on earth I did. Now I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, but when it comes to these ridiculous electronic set-ups that no one ever seems to actually understand I am baffled. It really should not be that hard to watch a tv show or to get a dvd to play for my kids. No wonder so many parents just do not let their kids watch any tv at all. After another experience or two like this, I’ll be done too! Bah!

Jelly Beans?

2009-07-23T15:27:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, after writing the post about the potty training, I was all focused and ready to move forward a bit on the process. So after Kara's nap I changed her diaper and asked if she wanted to use the potty. She was a bit skeptical at first, but then I suggested that if she went tinkle there would be a jelly bean for her (which I always swore to myself I would NEVER do - ha!). At that her enthusiasm soared and she immediately went in and did the deed. Feeding off her energy, I pulled out a pull-up and asked if she wanted to give that a try for the afternoon. She considered it carefully and decided she'd prefer a diaper instead. I tried to convince her to try it, but she just wasn't buying it. So we came downstairs and got the jelly bean. I started to unload the dishwasher and then she announced she needed to use the potty again...so she could get another jelly bean. After reminding myself that this is what potty training is like, we marched back upstairs and she dripped a few more drops out, we cleaned up and got another jelly bean for her effort. She tried to do it one more time about 3 minutes later. I convinced her it would be better to wait until she felt the need to go, and later I felt guilty about putting her off mainly because I didn't want to truck back up the stairs, but oh well. Two things were made clear to me: 1) CLEARLY I need to get a second potty for her for the main floor bathroom and 2) I still need more energy to get through this.

Of course, today we haven't done anything in the potty at all the whole day. Whatever energy I had about this yesterday must have left the premises. Wonder when I'll get it back.....Hmmm....

Pending Potty Training

2009-07-22T13:52:00.004-04:00

So, like I mentioned yesterday, potty training is looming on the horizon for us. Kara is supposed to be potty trained before starting preschool in September. But she has not shown quite enough interest in it yet for me to be ready to make the big effort that it takes. This summer so far has been too busy for us really to take the time to stop and focus on this "project." In a few more weeks, John will be done with camps and then things will (in theory at least) slow down for us. I'm trying now to gear myself up mentally for the process of potty training once that time comes. Part of my challenge is that Kara is fiercely independent and will not take kindly to any situation in which she feels like she doesn't have control. If she's truly not ready to do this, it just will turn into a battle and no one will win. I'm so not looking forward to it! But it is an effort I feel like we have to start soon so that we might have a chance of getting through it before preschool starts. So today I'm vowing to pick a time on the calendar in August when we do the whole spend up to a week (some say it only takes 3 days) and go nowhere and focus on the potty training. Sounds like a fun week to me...NOT. But it must be done and my attitude about it needs be strong and positive. Here we go, on the potty training express! Who hooo!! (Wish me luck...I think I might need it.)

To Do List

2009-07-21T14:36:00.005-04:00

Upon returning from the beach my to-do list grew by leaps and bounds. Our grand plan was to enjoy our beach trip, come home, and put a moratorium on our spending. Great idea, right? Well, unfortunately, it's just not going to work.

To Do List:
1. Clean House - well, the vacuum is only half working, need to replace it before things will get truly clean the way I like to keep the house, which is by no means a spotless house, but I still definitely need a working vacuum.
2. Get new phones - just got updated phone service and new digital/high-def cable service today, so now the phones can get upgraded too (ones that are not a big pain in the butt to dial the numbers will be a big improvement).
3. Get school supplies for John - he needs a new backpack and a TON of school supplies from a list the school gave us.
4. Get new tennis shoes for the kids - both kids have worn out their current shoes, hoping to hold them through the rest of the summer, but will need new ones for school...not to mention that mine are getting older too.
5. Get new shutters, gutters, railings, and molding around the front door - $$$$$$$$$
6. More work to be done on the inside of the house too - $$$$$$$
7. Find and apply labels to John's jackets, hats, etc. for school.
8. Get Kara potty trained - fun...NOT.
9. Figure out new decorations/arrangements for Kara's room once she's out of her crib - $$$$$
10. Purge, purge, purge, purge, and purge - truly, we could not possibly need this much stuff!!

And that's only the big stuff on the to-do list. As you can see, most of these items involve spending more money, many of them are non-negotiable items, some are more expensive than others (thank goodness), but all need to get done sooner rather than later. I was hoping the pace of the rest of the summer would be a little more relaxed, but I'm guessing that's just not my fate this year. Add in a lot of time at the pool, garden, and other outdoor activities, and the summer is almost done. I'm not even caught up to where I should be now, there's no way I'll be ready by the end of the summer! Oh well, I guess I'd better just have a mojito and enjoy the day instead.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

2009-07-20T21:30:00.004-04:00

Sorry there hasn't been any posts in a bit, but we've been busy bees here. We just got back from our week at the beach. Today John started his third week of summer camp - nature camp this time. Our master bathroom renovation that has been ongoing for approaching three years has finally been completed as of today. It's just been an all around crazy time lately.

Our beach trip was great. The kids and I hit the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond and spent a few hours in their AWESOME children's garden. Totally worth a visit if you're ever in the area. Matt took the train down and met us in Richmond to start the trip. We drove the rest of the way to Topsail Island, NC the next day. The kids watched Little Mermaid and Cinderella for the first time and loved it. They were thrilled to get to the beach the next day and play in the sand and waves. They spent the next 6 days playing like crazy and exhausting themselves (and us). It was so much fun. The group of family and friends that we stay with is totally great and the kids adore them all. One day we even rented inflatable ocean kayaks and took them out. John wished he was big enough to go out in them, but was content with filling them with water and sitting in them on the beach with Kara. We had a really fun trip and we are all ready to go back.

Now to get through the rest of the summer!

A Couple of Noteworthy Items Today

2009-07-07T06:58:00.003-04:00

1. Yesterday while we were at the pool celebrating a good friend's birthday with super yummy cupcakes (thanks Heather!), John actually swam the entire length of the pool on his own. We've been practicing the swimming in shorter lengths, but this time I kept moving back and he kept going. Pretty soon we were almost the entire way across and so we kept going and he made it - no swim vest, no help from me - all on his own. I was so proud of him. I think he surprised himself even! Now if he can just start swimming with his face in the water he will be all set! Each time we go to the pool lately he's been trying new things and doing great, so I have every confidence that by the end of the summer he'll be more comfortable with the underwater aspect too. For now I'm perfectly happy to celebrate his big doggie paddling successes!! Yay John!!!

2. Today we pick up our first bag of summer vegetables from our CSA. We split our share with a neighbor again this year, so they actually picked up the first bag last week and now it's our turn. I'm very excited to see what yummy veggies will be in our bag. The kids always get excited too, even if it's not always stuff they're going to eat. But they are often willing to try things that come in the bags, more so than if it's something I just pick out at the store. Ohhh goody!

3. The last notable item for today is that Kara will be having her first haircut. That's right, her first EVER haircut. Yes, I do realize that the poor girl is approaching three, and she's got a seriously crazy mane of hair. But it is beautiful hair and until now I haven't been able to bring myself to have any bit of it cut off. Finally now though, it is time. She's got a ton of dead ends that are only continuing to get worse and tangle more and more. And with our beach trip next week, the wind will not add good things to her hair situation. So I made her an appointment with my hairdresser for her very first haircut. I have been going to my hairdresser for over twenty years now and she also cut John's hair for his first haircut (of course, he was 5 months old, and had a full head of hair). We talked a little bit at dinner last night about what the haircut experience would be like for her. Kara asked if it would hurt. :-) I told her no, that other than a little bit of combing her hair out, the cutting part would not hurt at all. I'm excited to watch her go through this rite of passage, but the reality is this truly will only be a trim. I'm not quite ready to cut it short or anything so dramatic, but hopefully it will make the brushing process easier for us and maybe we'll even get some more of her lovely curls as a result. My baby is really growing up.

Bedtime Stories

2009-07-06T21:58:00.005-04:00

Tonight at bedtime John asked Matt to tell them a bedtime story about Scooby Doo and some new zany adventure for Scooby and the gang. After getting in their pajamas and brushing teeth, the three of them snuggled into our bed and listened to the crazy tale that Matt created for them. I was reminded of a long ago phase in our parenting life when John was having trouble sleeping through the night. It was quite a LONG phase in our life...like the almost year and a half following his exit from the crib. At some point toward the end, Matt started telling John bedtime tales centering around none other than Thomas the Tank Engine. John requested Thomas stories pretty much every night and we almost ceased reading any bedtime books during this time. But the stories were pretty creative and lengthy and John had strict expectations for them. There could be no repeat stories, they had to be a certain time length, and there had to be a lot of crashes and "confusion and delays" involved. It became increasingly difficult to appease his growing need for these stories. But he had miraculously at about the same time started to sleep through the night and we were going to do anything we could to encourage that behavior. So Thomas stories lived on, for quite a long time, around here. Tonight's Scooby Doo story reminded me of that long ago time, and hopefully Kara's imminent exit from her crib won't result in so many sleepless nights for us all. Or Scooby Doo may become a more regular bedtime character for us.

Sleep well my children.

Soccer isn't so bad afterall

2009-06-30T13:45:00.003-04:00

This week John is doing a sports sampler camp through the Herndon Community Center. He's doing it with a good neighbor friend and it is in the mornings from 9-11am for just this week. Yesterday, and again today, they focused on soccer. Other sports they might do include: t-ball, basketball, golf, and football. In the spring of 2008, John participated in a popular kids' soccer program and hated it. He had been really excited about it, but then when there were too many new kids all at once, it was awful. Ever since he's been pretty much against any efforts to play or try a different (a.k.a. smaller) program. But after two days of soccer exposure at this camp, he's very interested in it again. Today, on the way home, he even asked why we don't have goals at our house. Really? Well, probably because you hated soccer three days ago! Anyway, now I'll have to be creative about finding new ways to engage this interest on his part and see if I can keep it going. He's also very interested in t-ball, so I'm hopeful that they'll do that one day this week too so he can give it a try. Camps are such a great way to give new things a try!

The Sun Shines Again

2009-06-24T06:57:00.002-04:00

The first part of this summer has been so rainy here many people we know started talking about building an ark. Which was very hard on the kids and I, to spend so many days cooped up indoors and not drive each other nuts. Finally, this week the sun has decided to grace us with it's wonderful light! And I couldn't be happier about it. We've been getting outside each day so far - to a big park, the pool, and the playground all in just two days. We even walked over to our playgroup location yesterday, which was a lot of fun too. The kids have been sleeping better, as have I, after all of our outdoor activities. We have also just been having fun getting to spend so much time with our friends. It has really been great. And it's just now Wednesday morning! The next few days is only going to bring more warm weather, which means more time at the pool and more time with friends! Yahooo! I feel like summer just finally got here and now we can run around and truly enjoy it. Bring on the sunshine and warm weather!

Thankful Thursday

2009-06-18T06:23:00.002-04:00

I'm up early this morning, with a totally quiet house, so I'll do a second post while I can think in peace.

Today I am thankful for:
1. the quiet of the house this early in the morning.
2. the really good book I'm reading - The Red Tent - a must read for anyone who hasn't read it yet!
3. a quiet, unscheduled morning ahead.
4. the playdate we have planned for the afternoon with preschool friends.
5. a dry house on a rainy day.
6. beautiful Kara and her long crazy curly hair.
7. sweet John and his loving caring funny personality.
8. a hubby who is taking some big steps right now.
9. some really great mom friends, without whom I would have trouble making it through the day.
10. a weekend ahead without travel.

Changes Looming Ahead

2009-06-18T06:07:00.006-04:00

I have been feeling a little funny lately and couldn't quite put my finger on why, until yesterday. As I was walking with a neighbor in the early morning hours and we were talking, I realized that there are a lot of big changes coming in the not-too-distant future for my kids. John will go to kindergarten (that's probably the biggest change coming at us), but is also working hard on getting better at riding his bike and thus will be ready to take off the training wheels before long, and is progressing with his swimming skills too. Kara has a bunch of pretty big things herself - preschool starting in the fall, which forces the issue of potty training this summer (yikes), and another biggie - moving out of the crib and into a big girl bed (which pushes me into doing a complete redesign on her room - ugga). All of these life changes are coming within the next couple of months and I'm not sure I'm totally ready for them! Some days I wish I could just press the pause button and stop so I can better appreciate things now before the changes start coming at us. But truly, I know that can't happen so I do try to take a breath now and again so that I can be more in the moment for myself and for the kids. Most of the time it works. ;-)

By the way, just had to share an awesome dinner I made last night for Matt and I. Felt like the ultimate nutritionist meal, but it was quite tasty! Brown rice, with salmon with yogurt dill sauce, and steamed broccoli on the side. The broccoli and dill were both from my parents' garden. The salmon dish was so easy - just grill or broil the salmon, however you prefer. The sauce was just blending up 1/4 c. dill with 1 clove of garlic. Then blend in 1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 c. plain yogurt. Drizzle it over the salmon. That's it! So easy and so tasty! I used some of the sauce on the broccoli too for good measure. I've been trying hard lately to find good healthy meals for us and definitely felt like I accomplished that last night. Score 1 for Mom!

Rainy Day Memory

2009-06-17T13:52:00.004-04:00

This morning my father-in-law provided me with a little break and took John for the morning (thank you Grandpa!!). I took advantage of just having one child and went out to run a bunch of errands, even in the rain it's easier with one kid! Anyway, as Kara and I were driving around I remembered a funny day a few years ago with John. He must have been about Kara's age now, maybe a bit older. We were in the car and we started telling jokes. I remembered an old classic knock knock joke.

Me: Knock Knock
John: Who's there?
Me: Banana
John: Banana Who?
Me: Knock Knock
John: Who's there?
Me: Banana
John: Banana Who?
Me: Knock Knock
John: Who's there?
Me: Orange
John: Orange Who?
Me: Orange you glad I didn't say Banana???

We must have done the joke 10 times over and he was laughing hysterically. The best part was that I was laughing too, even though I'd heard the joke so many times before, mostly due to his cute little voice and the inflection he gave it when he said "Banana Who?" The "Who" part went up about 4 notches in pitch to make this funny little question when he said it. I couldn't stop laughing at how cute it was and he couldn't stop laughing because he just thought the joke was so funny. It was a great day.

Busy Saturday

2009-06-13T14:43:00.002-04:00

Today has been productive and busy and fun already and it's only 2:45! We so rarely have a full weekend with hardly any plans, it's very nice. I got up early and went to our farmers market with a neighbor, without our kids. ;-) The weather was perfect and there were so many beautiful fresh veggies there. So yummy. Once I got home, we got the kids geared up for a walk/bike ride down to the preschool. John's getting much stronger with all the bike riding lately, and his confidence is growing as well. It's great fun to watch him learning and figuring it all out. Anyway, then we had an easy lunch all together and while Matt and Kara took naps, John assisted me out in the backyard. I've been wanting to take out a much-too-happy butterfly bush for some time now, but the rain and our schedule hasn't given me an opportunity. Today was the day! I started clipping it back only to discover that the ground was soft enough (thank you rain!) that I was able to just pull out the bulk of the roots! Yeah! I was able to do a lot of other work on trimming rose bushes and weeding that I wasn't thinking I would get to today. It all left me feeling very productive and pleased.

Now if I can get to the pool, menu plan for the week ahead, and get a shower in before dinner, this day would be just about perfect. Oh yeah, I guess I also need to figure out what dinner is going to be! Well, I'm not going to rush into these things!

Dutch Wonderland

2009-06-13T14:29:00.006-04:00

For those that live anywhere near us and have preschool aged kids, you have GOT to take your family to Dutch Wonderland! It's in Lancaster, PA, which is about 2 hours and 45 minutes away from Reston. We went last week for a couple of days and had a great time. Dutch Wonderland is a theme/amusement park geared totally for kids aged 2-7. It had all the traditional rides, games, shows, and park-style food options, only it was all kid friendly. There was nothing there that John couldn't ride! Some things he needed to do with a grown-up, but he was riding roller coasters, swings, boats, bumper cars, slides, trains, and so much more. And he loved it all! There was also plenty that Kara could ride, by herself and with an adult. It was fun for all - no child was left behind! There was also a water-play area that we didn't go into, but it looked like fun as well. We went for a few hours on a Sunday evening, and then went back on Monday for the day. It was not crowded, since it was early in the season, which allowed us to ride everything we wanted with very few waits. The kids had a great time, the adults were exhausted just trying to keep up with the kids! Clearly we will need to build in an annual theme park trip into our budget for the future.

We spent two nights in Lancaster, which allowed us to relax and enjoy the trip without feeling rushed. The last morning before we headed back we stopped in a nearby Amish "village"/shopping area to browse some stores, have a snack, and see some animals. There is so much to do in the area, we had a very hard time deciding what to do!

This trip was a birthday present for me from my parents and it was a great gift and enjoyed by all! Thanks again Mom and Dad! :-)

Pool Slide - Here We Come!

2009-06-11T07:56:00.003-04:00

Well, after all those swimming lessons this winter, I'm seeing the fruits of John's labors. Yesterday afternoon we ventured up to our neighborhood pool for the first time this season. We've been to several other pools already, but this was the first time to the one we're likely to get to the most this summer. Anyway, we went with a neighbor and her two boys for a quick swim before some thunder forced the lifeguards to close down the pool for awhile. As we got into the pool the water seemed pretty cool to me, but quickly felt better, thank goodness. The kids all had a blast with the swimming and splashing. Then they started asking about going down the slide. The guard said it was okay, so up John went. He had his swim vest on and was very excited. He came flying down and went splashing into the water and was thrilled! He went down about 10 times and loved every minute of it. I was at the bottom with one arm extended for him to grab, but several times he missed me and was on his own - going all the way under and coming back up. With a few blinks and a moment resting on the side, he was ready to go again. It was really great to watch him be so much more comfortable in the water than he has ever been before. I have no doubt that this summer will be great for him with LOTS of swimming time with and without his swim vest on. Bring on pool season, I think we're ready!!

Thankful Tuesday

2009-06-02T15:34:00.002-04:00

I'm feeling really tired, but really thankful for many things today, so I thought I'd share:

Today, I'm thankful for:
1. My husband and kids.
2. Many many great friends and great moms
3. Our fun playgroup that came over this morning. I enjoy it more and more as our group has grown.
4. The many great preschool families that we have grown to know so well over the last year or two. Many playdates and fun times are on the calendar for the summer to keep us connected to the preschool families and I'm very thankful for that.
5. All the activities that are already on our calendar for the summer.
6. A warm, sunny day.
7. Kids that sleep through the night....mostly.
8. John, who has grown so independent and is constantly challenging and charming me in the same breath.
9. All of the kids' grandparents that we get to do so many fun things with.
10. Long-distance friends that I miss dearly, but am happy to know that we're still good friends.

Alright, I believe Kara's waking from her nap, which means it's time to go to the grocery store! On the run!!!

Great Start to the Weekend

2009-05-24T07:59:00.004-04:00

We are in the midst of a holiday weekend and boy, is it a good thing there is an extra day this weekend. We'll need it to recover from the first two days of the weekend!

Friday afternoon we had John's preschool graduation, which was wonderful and sentimental (more for me than for him I think) and exhausting. Then that evening we went to Friday Night Live in Herndon, Va for an outdoor concert, picnic dinner, and hanging out with some good friends. We met up with a neighbor family there and just had a great time. It was fun for the kids and the adults and the weather was perfect for it. All in all, it was a great day!

Then Saturday (after I went to the farmers market in the morning) we went down to my in-laws' marina and spent the afternoon on their boat. We opted not to take the boat out due to wind conditions and the crowds reported to be out on the river. But instead we went for a great swim in the marina's pool, where John was thrilled to show off his new swimming skills, and then just relaxed on the boat to enjoy the fabulous day. Afterwards we went back to their house to have a big traditional cookout. A great day all around. The kids did well, staying up late for a second night in a row and Kara only had a short nap in the car. I'm expecting to see some behavior issues today from both of them, but that's certainly understandable. Today I think we'll try to stick closer to a normal schedule for them.

The great thing about a holiday weekend is that even though it already feels like we've had a very full weekend, we still have 2 more full days to enjoy! Yahooo!!!!

1 is Almost Done

2009-05-22T08:12:00.004-04:00

With preschool, that is. He finished up the season of swimming lessons yesterday, with the grand result of being "graduated" up to the next level - after a lot of hard work. It was really wonderful, but hard to say goodbye to the wonderful instructor he's had for most of the winter. I'm hopeful Kara may get her when she starts swimming classes in the fall.

The bigger event though is that today is John's last day of preschool. It's so hard to imagine that he's all done with preschool. Our school experience has been SO positive. I just can't say enough to praise our school and teachers and school families for making this be such a wonderful place to start our schooling. John has grown socially and academically there (even though academics truly aren't their main focus). I keep feeling like I'll miss the school, which is just silly since Kara will start there in the fall and I'll continue to be on the board of the school. My involvement is nowhere near being over, but John's is, and for some reason I'm having a bit of a hard time with that.

John is totally ready for kindergarten, and is finally getting pretty excited about going to school too, which is great. Last night I went to a gathering of the preschool class moms with the purpose of assembling scrapbooks for the kids of their year at the preschool. I had so much fun chatting and laughing with these wonderful moms. And the pictures, whoa! These kids have grown and changed so much over the year. I never did a book for John from last year's class, so I was starting at the beginning, 2 years back. It was so funny to look at how young he and his classmates looked from the previous year. Amazingly I got through all of year 1 and started on year 2 before we all got tired and called it a night. But the fun was immense and I'm hopeful that I will actually finish the project with John's help over the summer. I also think we'll have enough room in our book to include a few artwork pieces, of which we have SOOOO many. I'm excited that we'll have this great collection of pictures, projects and memories of his days at the preschool.

Thank you to Hunters Woods Preschool for all that you have given to my son and my family and countless others. It's been a wonderful two years for John and I look forward to the coming years with Kara.

Thankful Today

2009-05-20T08:13:00.004-04:00

I woke up this morning feeling very refreshed and thankful, so I thought it'd be a great day to do a "thankful" post. Here goes....

Today I am thankful for:

1. a beautiful spring day (and entire week for that matter)

2. a very restful night's sleep for me and Matt and for the kids

3. a relaxing morning with nowhere to rush off to

4. great friends that we played with at the playground yesterday

5. my yoga class last night

6. the long walk I was able to take yesterday

7. the coming summer break...coming quickly, but I am looking forward to it

8. the great preschool that John has been able to experience for the last 2 years - great teachers, great kids, great families

9. a wonderful and supportive husband

10. the green nail polish that's on Kara's toes and the wonder that it has inspired in her - she keeps being amazed when she sees her own "green pretty toes" - too cute

There are many many more, but I'll save those for another day. Time to go enjoy this fabulous day!

Early Veggie Season is Here

2009-05-20T08:01:00.003-04:00

Our Reston Farmers' Market has been open for 3 Saturdays now (at Lake Anne, 8-12 on Saturday mornings). I missed the first week, but made it over the last two weekends and was richly rewarded for my efforts. Kara came with me both times, which made for a nice mother-daughter outing for us. The tents were many and the produce was plentiful. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety I found so early in the season. I was pretty sure it was going to be sparse pickings, but was totally wrong. Over the first two weeks I found salad greens, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, strawberries, cucumbers, snap peas, onions, lettuces, radishes, zucchini, yellow squash, even some early tomatoes, and much more. Many vendors were selling plants - flowers and herbs, and also some veggie plants. Along with the dairy vendors (from which I purchased some fresh feta - heavenly), there were also several vendors selling meat and eggs. It was amazing and inspiring. Both weeks I came home with a full bag of delicious produce for us to feast on and feeling great about the fresh, local, organic food I was going to put on our family's dinner table.

It made me very ready to start getting our veggie bags from the CSA. But that season won't start for another 6 weeks or so. In the meantime, I'll be very happy to frequent the lush farmers' market we are so fortunate to have. Supporting these local farmers is a great side benefit, but the high quality of the food is the best reason to go! So please, oh please, visit your local farmers market. Go often and buy, buy, buy!! And then ENJOY the fruits of your efforts. I promise it will be well worth it!

Our First Crush

2009-05-13T20:16:00.007-04:00

There was a girl.... Isn't that how it always starts? I can't believe I'm already starting a statement about my own child that way. But...well, there is this girl...in John's preschool class, named Cristina. She's positively charming and adorable. She was in his class last year and this year and John has been buddies with her all year, but it seems to have stepped up a notch or two over the last couple of months. They're inseparable now, holding hands, hugging, making pictures for each other, and even professing love and planning marriage! It's so sweet. They both have been known to cry and moan for the other when they're apart and awaken before they should in the morning if it's a day when they'll be seeing each other before school. Don't get me wrong, they're not a mushy-gushy-in-love kind of pair. But they are definitely more than the buddies they used to be. They play very well together, are interested in similar things and also respect each other's divergent interests too. They're pretty good about including other kids in their play, but they will also stick together when they're ready to move onto other activities.

The hardest part for me is that this all has developed at the end of the school year. We're a little over a week away from the last day of school. And while they do have a school picnic the following week, their class time together is coming to a close. It's kind of sad for me to think about it. But the positive thing is that Cristina's younger brother will be in Kara's preschool class next year. So our contact with her family is guaranteed to continue and hopefully we'll be able to keep them connected in some way. I can't imagine the relationship will stay at this intensity for long after school's over, but it is good to know that it won't entirely fade away either.

My little boy's growing up. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's scary, and sometimes it's just too darn sweet. Thank you Cristina for seeing the good in my son and being such a good friend to him. He loves you too.

All About the Moms

2009-05-11T21:02:00.006-04:00

As usual I started off this Monday morning with a severe energy shortage. We had a very busy and full weekend. But I wouldn't have traded a minute of it.

Friday night I got the chance to hang out with a few of my mom friends (without the kids) and had a great time. We so rarely get to see each other without the little ones around, but when we do get together we laugh, share, dance, drink, and enjoy the time to be adults!

Then Saturday morning I took Kara to the Reston Farmer's Market and was amazed at how many vendors were there with so many yummy things to eat. It was impressive and made me yearn for the summer veggies that I know are in our future. How wonderful. With only limited cash in my pocket I purchased asparagus, strawberries, spinach, a head of romaine, and a bag of mixed baby greens. I also ran into both of John's preschool teachers and relished sharing the experience with Kara on such a gorgeous day.

Kara and I headed home (after a run to the regular grocery store for our staple items) to prepare some food for the evening's meal for which my parents were coming over. We took a break after her nap and all four of us went over to a neighborhood playground social event. The weather was wonderful and many neighbors came out to the meet and greet. The kids enjoyed the time to run and play after all the MANY days of rain we've had lately. Then we headed back home just in time to meet my parents as they arrived to celebrate my dad's birthday (last week) and Mother's Day (a day early). We had a great evening with them - yummy food and great wine and a very nice visit.

Sunday morning I took the chance to sleep in just a bit before we were back at the entertaining thing again. I was up and cooking and preparing for a visit from Matt's parents for brunch/lunch for Mother's Day. Matt and the kids went and got flowers and bagels for our own breakfast while I worked on getting lunch together. Then we had a very enjoyable visit with the Rankins. They even took the kids out on a big walk while Matt and I cleaned up after lunch and had a few moments to rest a bit. After they left, Kara took her nap and I changed clothes and took the opportunity, on another gorgeous day, to take a long walk by myself. It was so nice! When I got home, Matt and John went off to the pet store and I even got a little snooze in. What a Mother's Day! After Kara woke up, we took the kids' bikes outside and spent the rest of the afternoon riding bikes and hanging out with neighbors. Later Matt prepared dinner (cheese fondue - YUMMM!!) and we were all so wiped out. The kids got into bed and we were not far behind them. I think I could have slept all day today I was so tired.

This morning was a little hard to get going, but it was worth the fun and good times we had all weekend long. I am not sure I could handle another weekend like this anytime soon, but I am thankful for all the family and friends I was able to share time with this weekend.

Happy Mother's Day!

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!!!

2009-05-07T13:13:00.004-04:00

It's been raining here for many, many days straight. I'm starting to wonder if the sun will ever come back out. Well, I guess I know that it will, but it's been hard with two young kids to be trapped indoors all this time. Keeping the kids entertained and getting them enough exercise has been a challenge of epic proportions. This afternoon we're supposed to get a bit of a break in the rain and I'm hoping that we'll get out for awhile, for a walk at least. This has made me start thinking about what I'll do this summer when I don't even have preschool time to myself during a rainy day.

The summer has all of a sudden filled up. We now have four weeks of various camps (sports, nature, tennis, oh my!) scheduled and a week at the beach. Starting at the end of June through July and into the start of August we are going to be busy. Well, at least John is going to be busy. I hope he does okay through it all and maintains the excitement he has right now about these camps. Kara and I will have to find ways to get her some activities too. And then I'm hoping to add swim lessons in to the mix as well. We'll see.

And then I'm looking forward to having some free time in early June and in August to just play around and enjoy some lazy summer days before John starts kindergarten. My goal is to make as much of these days as I can. I feel like a chapter is going to come to a close in September and while I'm so ready for school to start, I'm also sad to see our flexible, less scheduled days come to an end. John's been an amazing kid to watch grow and learn. He's funny, curious, loving, and so very enjoyable (well, most of the time).

I had someone recently tell me they thought my kids were so even-tempered all the time. I was surprised, since I see the intensity of their tempers regularly. But I also realized that clearly, while they feel comfortable expressing things with me (which is great), they also know that in the classroom or other public places, other expectations apply. That's a hard thing to learn, even for adults. And it's something that is hard to know whether your kid has learned or not, since they'll always behave differently around their parents. I am crazy for my kids, while they sometimes do make me crazy, but they are mine and I am so proud of them both.

Most summers have come with a sense of dread as to how I was going to fill all those many summer days. This year I'm looking forward to finding new things to learn with John and Kara and the many days of fun with family and friends.

Thanks...Oops!

2009-04-28T14:39:00.004-04:00

I just realized that I haven't done a "Thankful" post in quite a LONG while! I got off track with the blog altogether for awhile and totally forgot about those posts. So here's my musings for today:

I'm thankful for:
1. John's enthusiastic swimming experiences & his awesome instructor
2. Our fabulous playgroup friends - Alexandra, Megan, Sonja and Diane
3. The warm weather we're having right now - I know it will cool down soon, but it makes me excited for the summer.
4. Cute summer dresses for Kara and her girlie side coming out in full form!
5. Definitely thankful for allergy medicines!
6. All the great upcoming activities on our calendar to spend time with our friends and family. So many things to look forward to!
7. My health - ITP seems to be staying away - yeah!!!
8. Great neighbors - the warm weather has brought everyone back outside to play and socialize and I love it!
9. The kids - they may drive me nuts some days, but they're great most of the time and I love them dearly.
10. The hubby - he works so hard and makes it possible for me to stay home and care for the kids - Thanks Honey!!!

Have a Thankful Tuesday everyone!

Swimming Again

2009-04-28T14:31:00.003-04:00

So John started swimming lessons again this morning. This will be the last session of classes before the summer and John's loving it. He's made so much progress this winter with his skills. I'm constantly amazed by him. He's had great instructors and it's been a great winter of classes for him. I'm so glad I kept him in classes for most of the winter. His instructor, Miss Linda, told me today that he's very close to being ready for the next level of classes. We'll see. He has to jump into the water on his own and swim back to the wall in order to move up. When I told him that after class today, he said that next time (which will be Thursday) will be the last day of this level for him! What enthusiasm! I don't think they'll move him up mid-session, but I don't know. The other three kids in his current class are much further behind skill-wise than he is. So it would be nice if they could move him up, but I don't know if the policies at the community center will allow that. Anyway, he's excited and enjoying his swimming classes and I'm so proud of him. I learned yesterday that our neighborhood pool will be offering swimming lessons this summer and so I'm hopeful that we'll even be able to keep up our classes over the summer too.

Pool season, here we come!

Potatoes are Wonderful

2009-04-28T13:58:00.003-04:00

So I thought I'd share a recipe for scalloped potatoes that is actually quite light, but very tasty, very flexible and very easy. I clipped this from Cooking Light many years ago.

Scalloped Potatoes with Cheese
1 garlic clove, halved
Butter-flavored cooking spray (I just use an olive oil sprayer)
6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
2 T. margarine, melted
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/2 c. (2 oz.) shredded Gruyere cheese
1 c. skim milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub an 11x7 inch baking dish with cut sides of garlic halves; discard garlic. Coat dish with cooking spray.
2. Arrange half of potato slices in dish; drizzle with 1 T. margarine. Sprinkle with 1/4 t. salt and half of pepper; top with 1/4 c. cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
3. Bring milk to a boil over low heat in a small saucepan; pour over potatoes. Bake uncovered, for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Makes 7 servings (size: 1 c.)

This recipe can be used with virtually any variety of potatoes (trust me, I've tried it with many), and also with many different kinds of cheeses. We had mozzarella in it last week and it was super yummy! Anyway, give it a try and enjoy!

Spring Pounds? Yikes!

2009-04-26T20:18:00.007-04:00

So I've spent most of the winter feeling pretty good about my weight, despite the fact that I was getting virtually no aerobic exercise (I do love my yoga, but it's certainly not aerobic). Somehow I managed to eat with minimal restrictions and did not see any pounds creeping on. Yet recently, of course as spring and summer approach, I was appalled yesterday morning to find out that I have gained about 9 pounds in the last couple of months! I knew that things had shifted a bit and I had put on some weight, but never felt like it was more than just a couple of pounds. Saturday, as we had a hot summer-like day, I had to dig out some shorts to wear to the preschool picnic and chose a pair I knew to be fairly loose. They weren't so loose. They were not tight either, just not the same as I remember them. Not good.

Two years ago I was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder (ITP - immune thrombocytopenic purpura) and a thyroid condition. I spent the summer of 2007 on steroids for the blood disorder and started taking thyroid medication as well. My weight (which was already not where I wanted it to be after my 2nd pregnancy) was bouncing all over the place. At first I managed to lose 5 pounds, then I gained about 12. In the fall once I was off the steroids, I was able to shed those pounds, but it was slow going. Now I'm still on the thyroid medication, and will be for the rest of my life, and I think it has an effect on my weight. Last summer/fall I had lost some weight with zero effort on my part - no exercise and no change in my eating habits. I blame it on the thyroid condition. Now I've put on a few pounds and I blame it mostly on my own habits - still low exercise and some very relaxed eating habits. But I also wonder if the thyroid condition has righted itself a little and now might be working against me a little bit. Impossible to know without a blood test, but definitely a possibility.

It's a little frustrating because I never feel like I know whether my body is working with me or against me anymore. The blood disorder could come back at any time and get pretty serious before I'm even aware of it (there are virtually no early symptoms to ITP) and the thyroid condition is not full of tangible symptoms either. It's hard to know whether what I'm feeling is simply exhaustion from chasing the kids around all day, allergies, or just fatigue from being out of shape (which I definitely am).

This weekend the weather here was very hot, so we were able to get outdoors quite a bit. I was able to sneak in a fair amount of exercise and felt pretty good about it by last night. Since stepping on the scale yesterday morning, I've even made some adjustments to my eating habits and made better snacking and meal decisions over the last two days too (with only a few slip-ups...). Hopefully I'll be on the road to a healthier, and happier, me. I really can't afford to buy all new clothes for the summer! Motivation is the key, and right now I'm really motivated!

Our Easy Week? Not!

2009-04-26T08:10:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I thought (mistakenly) that this past week would be a light week for us. We were between swimming class sessions, which is a 2 time a week activity; I thought I might not have to work at the preschool; and I finished up several bigger projects that I was working on for my old employer. It turned out that the weather was pretty good, so we spent large parts of our days outside, playing and exploring. We had a few errands to run, but were mostly free of actual time commitments. Then it turned out I also had to work at the preschool on Thursday and Friday afternoons, which I don't mind because it is lots of fun, but it is a day that I don't get to putter at home during school. Thursday I got to work at the science table and helped the kids dig at a decaying log in search of bugs and worms. So much fun! The week was pretty much non-stop, which I guess I really should have been able to predict. It seems anymore that unless one (or more) of us is sick, we are just on the go, all the time. It's good for all of us, but it is also pretty exhausting! And doesn't leave much time for blogging. ;-)

We'll start swimming again this week for John. We have one more Little Bits class for Kara. And we have our playgroup one morning as well. It's shaping up to be another busy week ahead. But again the weather is supposed to be pretty good, and that means lots of time outdoors with friends. Good for all! My attitude just feels better when we've had a day that has been spent mostly outside exploring and playing with our friends.

Yesterday afternoon we attended the preschool's family spring picnic. It was a very hot day -over 90 degrees! But the turnout was great and no one seemed bothered by the heat. The kids ran around for 3 hours straight and played so well with their friends. The food was good and we were all wiped out by the end. We came home, did a quick bath for the kids (to wipe off all the sweat!) and then straight to bed (after drinking a fair amount of water). It was a great day for everyone who could make it and reminded me about all the fun activities of warmer weather days. It felt more like summer than it usually does in April. I even had to dig in a box to find a pair of shorts to wear. But the picnic was definitely a success. A great family time for all.

Helmets and TV

2009-04-19T07:48:00.004-04:00

Who knew that it's better to watch morning tv cartoons with bike helmets on? Well apparently my kids knew this tidbit. They are both currently watching "Little Einsteins" and are wearing bike helmets! Kara started it, but John thought it was a good idea as well and immediately put his one helmet on too. It's too funny.

We have been outside enjoying the wonderful spring weather the last few days and that has also meant several opportunities to ride bikes. They definitely need the practice, so it's been good for them. And thus the helmets didn't quite get put away last night when we came in from outside. So upon seeing the chance to wear the helmets again, they insisted on putting them back on. You never can be too safe! Hee hee.

Happy Spring!

Fishing

2009-04-15T07:48:00.003-04:00

So one of the favorite activities John was able to do with my Dad last week was to go fishing. They went twice and caught one fish the first day and two the second time. John's very excited about being able to keep the fish, instead of having to catch and release them. So Dad made sure they went someplace where they'd be able to keep the fish. I'm not quite sure why John's so insistent on keeping the fish, since he's not all that interested in eating them. But like any good grandfather, Dad kept the fish, per John's wishes, and brought them home.

Instead of eating them, John was apparently interested in dissecting them. I was not much into biology as a child, so this intrigues me. But John was very excited to relate to me upon our return how they had taken apart the fish's eyes, head, and body. For example, the fish eyes have black "gooey" stuff inside them - yuck! Anyway, John was very scientific about the exploration of the fish insides and was thrilled to find that one of the fish had egg sacks inside its belly, and that the egg sacks had "thousands" of eggs in them.

It was one of those stories that as a parent you think it's a great experience for your child to have, clearly he's interested in science-type things, but you're SO glad you didn't have to be the one to experience it with him! Thanks Grandpa!!!

Chili dinner

2009-04-14T15:42:00.003-04:00

As I was making my Mom's basic family chili recipe today for two preschool families who recently had babies and also for our family dinner tonight, it occurred to me that this would be a great recipe to share. I've given it out to many friends over the years and it is a favorite of ours. It's a basic chili recipe that uses ground beef. Of course since we don't eat meat, I use the vegetarian fake ground beef crumbles (sold by Morningstar Farms or Boca - both good and easy to use). So I thought it'd be a good recipe to share with others. It's easy and very yummy. Enjoy!

Mom's Chili

1 lb. ground beef
2 small onions, chopped
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 t. salt
1 T. chili powder
2 t. oregano
1 beef (or veggie) bouillon cube
1 T. cumin seed
1/4 t. cayenne

Brown the beef and onions. Add the other ingredients and simmer over low heat for one hour.

How much easier can it be?

Can we have more Spring Break?

2009-04-13T13:18:00.004-04:00

We are back to things as normal around here, well, we will be tomorrow when classes, playgroups, and preschool resume for us. Last week was Spring Break for us. The kids had a FABULOUS week with the grandparents (and the grandparents are still speaking to us, claiming they had a great time too, so that's good). And Matt and I had a GREAT week in Kitty Hawk, NC without the kids! It was a very fast four-night trip, but we had a lot of fun. We ate dinner out every night, eating lots of yummy fresh seafood and enjoying the relaxed pace of child-free meals. Our days were very relaxed and pretty much schedule-free (since life at home is definitely NOT schedule-free). We shopped, walked on the beach, ate a lot, and played games. The highlight of the trip was probably the hang gliding (well, that and not waking up to yells of "MOMMY!!" each morning). The day we went hang gliding, the wind was pretty strong, making it a lot easier for everyone in the class to take flight, but also a little hard to tolerate standing on the top of a huge sand dune for 3 hours. We had a blast, but were very exhausted by the end. All in all the trip was big success and reminded us that the kids will be fine without us and we definitely need to do more small adult-only trips in the future.

In the days since we've been home we've had Easter, the joys of unpacking and getting resettled all while Kara's been sick. She came down with a fever and the blah's at the end of the week (I'm suspecting a light case of the flu) and has continued to be on the tired and cranky side since we've been home. Nothing like a clingy toddler to make you wish you were back at the beach! Easter was good, just us, just at home, not too exciting, but good family time together. The kids hunted their eggs, we had a yummy breakfast, then hung out most of the day. John helped me to make fresh noodles for a lasagna dinner (the best with fresh noodles) and we got out for a walk around the neighborhood before a nice early bedtime.

It's been a good start to our spring, but of course as it always does the list of chores has grown while we've been having fun. The yard is in desperate need of a spring cleaning (things are starting to grow and bud, and I haven't cleaned up the old stuff yet!), the house needs to be cleaned inside, the kids' closets need organizing, we have a few items that need to get cleared out (a.k.a. purged!), and the list goes on and on. For now, I'm looking toward getting through tomorrow - we start back to swimming class for John, playgroup for Kara, back to preschool for John, and then YOGA for me tomorrow night!

My motto right now - take each day as it comes - enjoy and cherish. It goes by so fast, even though it doesn't always feel that way. Three families in our neighborhood have newborns now and it has really reminded me how far we've come in such a short time. Sometimes I miss that newborn stage...and then I'm just glad for where we are today.

Fondue - Yummmmm!

2009-04-03T08:17:00.008-04:00

This week was Matt's birthday and in order to celebrate last weekend we had a family fondue night. Fondue is one of our favorite special meals. We've never done it often exactly, but before the kids we did have it for special occasions, birthdays and anniversaries. This was only the second time we've had it with the kids. And John absolutely loved it! I was expecting them both to just eat the bread pieces without dipping it into the cheese, which is what Kara did. But John actually really got into the dipping process and ate a ton of the cheese fondue. It was a great family birthday dinner!

So I thought I'd share the recipes for the fondue I made last week and the one we will make next week on our beach trip. The first will be a pizza fondue recipe, which I know sounds odd, but it really is yummy. The second is for a basic swiss cheese fondue and is very simple and is our favorite. I hope you enjoy!

Pizza Fondue
14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1/2 c. tomato salsa
4 c. grated cheese (cheddar/jack)
Fresh ground pepper to taste1 large loaf crusty bread - cut into 1" cubes
Assorted veggies - cut into bite sized pieces

In the fondue pot, use a pair of knives to chop the stewed tomatoes into bite sized pieces or smaller. Add salsa and bring to simmer. Adjust heat to prevent boiling. Slowly add cheese by the handful, stirring regularly to melt evenly. Reduce flame and grind pepper over the top. Makes 6-8 servings.

Often for the pizza fondue I will do the cooking part in a pot on the stove and then once it's all melted, then pour it into the fondue pot. Melting 4C. of cheese takes awhile and doing it on the stove saves the fondue burner. Just a tip.

Fondue Chablis (our favorite!)

1/2 lb. swiss cheese
1 1/2 t. flour
1 clove garlic, sliced in half
1/2 c. chablis (or other dry white wine)
1/4 t. salt
pinch pepper
pinch nutmeg

Grate cheese coarsely and toss with flour. Rub fondue pot and wooden spoon with garlic and then discard garlic. Pour in wine, heat. Add cheese and flour. Stir until melted, then add seasonings. Serves 3.

We often have this one with a big salad and the rest of the bottle of wine. How yummy!!!

Silly Putty

2009-04-03T08:02:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we had a first around here. There was a silly putty in the hair experience! Yes, I know, it's hard to believe, but it did happen. Late in the day, as I was about to start making dinner, the kids were playing nicely together and I was puttering on the computer. Then all of a sudden they come running over to where I am and tell me that there is silly putty in Kara's hair. I looked and it was a big chunk of silly putty now nicely wrapped up in a sizable section of hair. Lovely.

Her hair is finally long enough (and occasionally she's willing) to put it up into pigtails or headbands. Cutting it now would likely take off her beautiful curls and make it short enough to not be able to pull it back. I was about to cry when I saw how much hair was being affected by the silly putty.

After a few declarations of amazement and frustration directed at John (who truly felt very badly for what had happened), I then got Kara to sit down and I gently pulled out as many strands of hair as I could in order to avoid having to resort to the scissors. I was actually able to get out most of it, but it took 15-20 minutes and was very challenging to do. Kara was a super champ through the whole process and John pretty much sat quietly and watched me. He went and got everything I asked him for and was very cooperative for the rest of the day. Anyway, I was able to whittle it down to just a small section of hair that was thoroughly entangled in the silly putty and then the scissors did have to come out. I was VERY thankful I only ended up having to cut a tiny bit of her hair. It really could have been much much worse than it was.

In the end no one will be able to tell it ever happened, except for me. But it was quite the surprise that I really was not in the mood for yesterday afternoon after what has been a very long week. I hope today is a quieter, less eventful, day!

A Walk for Sunshine

2009-04-01T08:23:00.006-04:00

I am about to finish reading a fabulous book written by a man who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1998. The book is titled "A Walk for Sunshine." He used the hike as an opportunity to do a fundraiser for Sunshine Home, a collection of group homes and services for individuals with mental retardation and other disabilities located in Ohio. The cover of the book says he's raised over $100,000. His original fundraising goal was $10,000.

It's a well-written account of his experiences on the Trail and provides insight into what a person must conquer during such a trek. Weather, animals, gear, other hikers, motivation and other obstacles must all be overcome to reach the final destination. It's quite an impressive task.

There was a time in my life when I thought I might section-hike the AT. I've never aspired to do a thru-hike, but section-hiking appealed to me. Who knows, someday that might still happen. It's a nice option to be able to say you completed the AT, without the intensity and grit required for a thru-hike. We'll see.

The AT is something that has always been around during my youth. I spent a lot of time camping and hiking when I was growing up. And have done many day hikes on the Trail. It's a beautiful place and I always find hiking a very peaceful and serene experience, not to mention the fabulous exercise it provides! Reading this book has reminded me of how valuable a resource the Trail is and how close it is to us. I am now inspired to get out and get on the Trail sometime soon! Anyone want to join us??

Spring is Coming

2009-03-27T08:39:00.003-04:00

I can tell this is happening each year in our neighborhood when the daffodils, which are everywhere here, start popping through the mulch. Tulips are coming up too, and yesterday I pointed out all the clumps of bright yellow forsythia around. It truly is my favorite time of year. The weather is getting warmer, finally, and we're starting to spend more time outside with friends, many of whom we haven't seen much since the fall.

Of course, I'm also reminded of all the work that comes along with spring. There is a ton of yardwork to be done, even in our very small yard space. Fortunately, John loves to help with this, so it's really just a matter of finding a dry day to work on it. There's also trips to prepare for - our Spring Break adventures and potentially two camping trips this year as well. I'm thinking about plans for the kids for the summer already too, and appreciating the time we have left of this school year. There's lots of clearing out of old things and cleaning to be done as well, which is always a struggle in our small house.

But this year, as the kids are a little older now, also brings me optimistic hopes for the coming seasons. We can do a few more things now and I'm looking forward to new adventures with them. We were hoping to get down to DC for the annual kite festival this weekend, but the weather may keep us from doing that. So we'll just have to find another activity to keep everyone busy during what's likely to be a wet weekend. I'm sure we will find something fun and we'll have to remember that the rain will just help those daffodils and tulips grow so that next week when we get a break from the rain, the neighborhood will be in full-spring mode. Just the way I like it!

Happy Spring!

We all survived

2009-03-26T14:17:00.004-04:00

We've managed to come out on the other end of our week without Daddy and we all survived just fine. We're all a little tired and my sanity might be a little stretched, but it's okay. Matt returned yesterday from his association's annual conference, and he was gone for a full week. It was a long week, for everyone. The kids and I stayed quite busy, so the days went fast and everyone was exhausted at bedtime. The weekend was spent at my parents' house and with good weather there was plenty to do there - gardening, cooking, building the weather changer, and much more. The kids were pretty good this week and I'm so thankful. I was still not feeling all that well, so I needed the few breaks that I got. I'm just now starting to feel a bit better and am very much looking forward to a weekend together for all of us. Matt's birthday is coming up next week, so the coming days will be filled with fun family activities and celebrations and visits with his parents.

I'm thankful to have us all together and am looking forward to being able to enjoy our quality time this weekend. And maybe some blogging and a yoga class or two as well! ;-)

Getting Busy (and Sick) Again

2009-03-16T18:42:00.006-04:00

The coming days are going to be hectic to say the least. Matt leaves on Wednesday morning for a full week for his association's annual conference. It's A LOT of work for him, and leaves me with the kids for a week, which is also a lot of work, with no breaks. This week we're full of activities (John starts swimming classes again, and Kara starts her Little Bits class as well), we're also babysitting preschool siblings and already watched some neighbors today. Last night I found out about a deadline I have for my work that is this week as well (and I'm a bit behind the curve on getting the work done). And of course, to top it all off, I've come down with a brand new round of head cold business. Great timing!

It's certainly going to be a push to get through the rest of this week and then on Friday we'll head out to my parents' house for the weekend. It'll be a welcome break for me and give the kids a change of scenery. I think we'll all be ready for it by then.

I can tell it's going to be a long week when on Monday morning I'm already looking forward to Friday afternoon. And even more looking forward to Matt's return. And even MORE to the adults-only trip we're going to take over Spring Break. We've planned a mom and dad only trip to the Outer Banks for four nights and it's a LONG overdue trip that I'm more than ready for now.

For now, I'll have to be content with getting through the next three weeks, day by day, and dreaming of the beach trip to come. Ahhhhhhhhhh......

Recipe - Quesadillas with a twist

2009-03-16T18:37:00.002-04:00

This is a yummy super-easy recipe that I like to do for me and Matt, while doing a simpler version for the kids. It works for everyone!

Quesadillas Huevos Rancheros

Put 4 corn tortillas on a cookie sheet. Place in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top 2 of the tortillas with grated monetery jack cheese and 3 sliced hard-cooked eggs. Top with the other tortillas. Bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and top with salsa. Serves 4.

I do this for Matt and I and then will do regular tostadas with cheese and black olives (my kids are weird, I know) for the kids. Pair this with a salad or a soup and it makes a yummy and surprisingly filling meal.

So Big, So Fast

2009-03-12T16:11:00.007-04:00

Okay, so this will be two totally unrelated stories about the kids and how big they seem to me today....

First, Kara. This will seem like a small thing to many people, but to me, it's big! I realized this week that she's now able to wash her hands all by herself. I can tell her to go wash her hands or she can tell me that she needs to wash her hands, then she can go into the bathroom, turn on the water, do the soap, wash the dirt away, turn the water off, and dry her hands ALL BY HERSELF!! This is a big step for her (and for me). I am so glad to have one less thing that I have to stop what I'm doing to help her do this. And hand washing is something we do a lot, so to be relieved of having to assist each and every time, is a big deal. But at the same time, it's also the next thing that my baby girl doesn't need me for anymore. I want her to grow up and stay small at the same time. Is that fair???

And second, John. He impressed me today with his fine motor skills. He has off school today and tomorrow, so I was pressed into service to keep him occupied during Kara's naptime, which is typically my time for either a little mommy-break or to get a few things done around the house. I wasn't sure what I was going to be able to come up with for him that would keep him engaged on his own today. But I remembered some small craft projects that I bought before Christmas and tucked away for a rainy day. Well, they came in handy today, even without the rain! The project involved placing these small tubular beads on a plastic form and then ironing/melting them together to make a cool shape. The first step of the project is to place all of these tiny beads into a design. I honestly wasn't sure if John's fine motor skills were going to be up to doing much of this before frustration set in and he wanted me to do it for him. But I was way wrong! He did not just one of these all by himself, he did two whole projects and they turned out great! He's very proud of his new star projects and they kept him busy for quite awhile so that I could work on some other tasks of my own. Win-win for us both! And I was most impressed that my kid was able to sit still and work for so long with small beads and be content. He truly is getting older and it's so cool to watch him do new and fun things with his growing skills.

A super easy recipe - Quick Bean and Pasta Soup

2009-03-10T16:56:00.003-04:00

Here's a recipe I recently shared with a neighbor who was looking for a vegan recipe to make. I had forgotten about this super easy and yummy soup, but I thought it might be worth sharing. It's a good hearty soup and could easily be adjusted to include different ingredients you might have on hand or things you might prefer to include. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Quick Pasta and Bean Soup
1 c. uncooked ditalini (tiny, tube shaped pasta)
1 T. olive oil
1 small zucchini, cut into ½ inch or smaller dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1-pound cans cannellini (Great Northern beans)
14-oz. can crushed or pureed tomatoes
2 t. salt-free herb-and-spice seasoning blend (I usually kind of make my own mix of the herbs/spices I prefer…)
1 t. paprika
½ t. Italian herb seasoning blend, or more to taste
2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring water to a boil in a med. Sized saucepan. Cook the ditalini until al dente, then drain.
2. Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook over moderate heat, covered, about 2 mins.
3. Add the remaining ingredients except the parsley, along with 3 cups of water. Turn the heat up and bring the soup to a simmer, then turn the heat back to moderate and simmer the soup gently but steadily for 10 minutes, covered.
4. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the soup along with the parsley. Adjust the consistency with more water if the soup is too dense. Season to taste, remove the soup from the heat, and serve.

Big Girl Undies

2009-03-07T07:44:00.003-05:00

This past week we've begun experimenting a little bit with big girl underpants. Very exciting as it means the light at the end of the diaper tunnel is getting a shade brighter. Kara's already enrolled in preschool for the fall, so she's got to be potty trained by September. But I'm pretty sure we'll be fine by then. Anyway, four or five times this week we've put her in underwear, mostly for just a few hours in the late afternoon/evening when we're going to be around the house and accidents can be easily dealt with. So far she's done great with it and has been very enthusiastic about wearing her underwear.

Then yesterday afternoon after her nap, she needed a diaper change before getting John at school. Afterwards, she insisted on wearing underwear. This was the first time we were going out of the house with them on. I was a little nervous, but she was insistent, so I was willing to give it a try. We picked John up at school, played a bit there, went to Safeway, and played out on our street with some neighbors, all with no accidents! I was so surprised. I kept waiting for the last second rush into the house for a potty trip, but it never came. She did so well! Then, of course, within 30 minutes we had a wet underwear experience, followed shortly after by a lovely diarrhea in the underwear experience (totally yucky!!!). So, while the end of the day didn't go so well, she certainly made it for quite a long while doing very well with it. So I'm now optimistic that our diaper days are drawing to a close in the coming months. I'm soooooo ready for that step to come. But I also know that it won't come until she's fully ready for it, so I'm not pushing at all. It sure is nice to see her interested in taking those steps toward that goal though!

What a big girl my baby is getting to be!

More to Come

2009-03-03T17:49:00.003-05:00

I've heard from one or two of you that there is interest in some vegetarian recipes. People have a variety of reasons for wanting to eat less meat or no meat, and I'm happy to provide some ideas for anyone who needs assistance. I've been a vegetarian for almost 12 years, and Matt stopped eating meat almost 20 years ago. We have started eating seafood and fish in recent years, so technically, we are no longer truly vegetarian. But I think we both still think of ourselves this way, and most of our regular diet still is vegetarian. Our kids certainly do eat meat (and are quite proud of that fact). Anyway, I have many many recipes and will think of a few of the best to post here in the coming weeks. If you have any requests or specific styles/ingredients you'd like to see, please let me know and I'll try to work those in!

In the meantime, happy cooking!

Snow Finally

2009-03-02T07:22:00.003-05:00

We finally got our one big snowstorm this winter, of course not until March, but hey, whose counting? The kids are thrilled and are excited about going out to play in it. It's still coming down and is supposed to keep snowing until mid-morning. It is quite pretty out, but I'm most thankful that we just didn't have any plans or any need to go anywhere today. I can enjoy the snow as long as we don't have to drive in it. And even better, Matt's office is on liberal leave today, as they follow the federal government, so he'll be able to work from home today. So while he'll be working some, I imagine he'll also be able to take a break to come out and play with us in the snow. We'll see what Kara thinks of it all. This will be her first real chance to play in the snow ever, so it could be interesting. And I'm glad to have a chance to make one more use of all the snow gear that we invest in each year, even though we don't get much snow here.

Sleds, snow angels, snowmen, and fun, here we come! Should be a fun day ahead!

Snow and Swim Day

2009-03-01T15:28:00.003-05:00

Today we awoke to John's thrilled declaration that it had snowed during the night. Well, it had snowed, but not much and the pavement was wet, with the snow only on the cars and grassy areas. It was quite pretty and the kids were happy to see it. And then throughout the morning it continued to snow and not stick to the ground. Which made the kids happy and made the adults happy - snow with no shoveling, slippery spots, or ice! What could be better!

So, after getting our grocery shopping done this morning, we managed to get the kids over to the nearby Reston Community Center for a swim session. John's had a break between swim classes right now and I've been wanting to get him over there to practice his skills before his next class starts later this month. Anyway, the kids were excited to go and we got our swim suits out and headed over there in the snow. It did feel a bit funny, but it was great. John got right in and swam all around and practiced his back float and acted like he hadn't missed a day in the pool. Kara was a bit skeptical at first, but quickly got over any trepidation and LOVED it. She really enjoyed swimming around in the water, lots of bouncing, and even blew a few bubbles. She continues to be my fearless child in every regard. It was great family fun for us all. Matt doesn't get to come to swim lessons during the week, so it was a great opportunity for him to see the kids in the water and see how far John's come with his swimming since last summer. Now we're all pretty tired. Kara's taking a late nap, Matt's snoozing a bit on the couch while John watches a Thomas the Tank Engine movie.

Truly it was a great family day for us. And now we're waiting for the real snow storm that is predicted to hit our area later today. They're calling for 5-9 inches of snow tonight, so it could be the real snow we've been waiting for all winter. John's dying to make a snowman and we just haven't been able to do it this year so far. It'd be great if it happens, especially since we don't have any plans for tomorrow anyway!

New yummy treat!

2009-02-28T20:34:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I just HAVE to share this new yummy super-duper-couldn't-be-easier treat recipe! I got it out of the Valentine's Day suggestions from one of the parenting magazines this month. I didn't make it in time for Valentine's Day, but it will be a hit at any time of the year. This one will definitely be added to my list of favorite treat recipes. It comes together really quickly and is only 3 ingredients and it's so yummy! You'll just be amazed. I promise!

Cupid Clusters

3 cups Yogurt Burst Cheerios or other similar whole grain cereal (I did use the brand suggested this time, but clearly it will be yummy using just regular old cheerios too.)
1/2 c. chopped dried strawberries (I couldn't find them at the store, so I used dried cranberries, and I imagine it will be yummy with any dried fruit you might choose.)
1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Place paper liners in 24 mini-muffin cups. Toss the cereal and dried fruit in a medium bowl. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave on high for a minute, stirring it frequently. Combine with the cereal mixture. Spoon into prepared cups and refrigerate until the clusters are firm, about 5 minutes. Makes 24.

Sliding Doors

2009-02-28T14:16:00.004-05:00

Ever spend any time wondering what might have been? Particularly if you had simply missed a train or picked a different register line at the grocery store or similar innocuous experience? I try not to spend my brain power on these kind of what ifs because truly they are simply what ifs and nothing can change what actually happened in the past. But every once in awhile things like this do pass through my brain and cause me to ponder the possibilities. It's not that I have big regrets in life, I don't (at least not of the big stuff anyway, a few smaller ones maybe). But just hearing about some of the things - good and bad - that happen to other people makes me appreciate where I am in the world and in my life. Yesterday at the preschool coffee gathering I hosted one mom was sharing a story with us about a child who had a massive tumor at birth and was basically given very slim survival chances. The infant was given chemo during his first week of life and has had a very bumpy road to travel. But the child is now 14 months old, the tumor is virtually gone and while he still has many health challenges, and it's anyone's guess as to the potential developmental delays that may come, the outlook for this child's life is much much better. It made me comment about how fortunate I feel to have had two pregnancies that were so mundane and easy that it made me almost feel guilty. The possibilities for mutation and problems are astounding during each and every pregnancy. And our diagnostic skills are amazing now so that so many of these things are known ahead of the birth, which helps when plans and preparations need to be made for special cases. Both of my pregnancies were relatively easy, low-risk, and thus ordinary. We had one sonogram for each, and did not choose to do some of the chromosomal tests that might have revealed any problems, and had no ultrasounds done. Thus each time as the birth drew near, I could not help but wonder if my babies would be healthy or if there would be some problem discovered that we would not have been prepared for. I knew we would love the baby regardless, but what if.... Each time I was so thankful when my infant was snuggled up with me and I knew they were perfect, tiny people. The miracle of life truly is a miracle. There are so many things that need to happen at just the right time, in just the right way, for things to work out the way they should. I thank my lucky stars each day that they did for my family.

Rough Week

2009-02-26T13:32:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been a seriously rough week for me. I had to work in the preschool classroom the last two days and it was crazy in there. You could just see the built up winter energy bouncing off the walls. Even kids that are usually so well-behaved were having trouble sitting still and listening and following directions. It gave me a new appreciation for preschool teachers everywhere. Then on Friday I'm hosting a coffee session for the mothers of the preschool class. Should be plenty of fun, but adds a lot to the workload of the week. Add to all this the fact that yet again we are plagued with drippy noses. John's got a hefty cough, which seems to be mostly limited to nights and early mornings, along with a stuffy nose. And Kara has a super snotty nose and is tired and cranky.

All this adds up to one very tired and overwhelmed Mommy. I've definitely been doing some stress-eating this week, since I haven't been able to take much of a break. I keep trying to remind myself not to do that, but it is one of my biggest vices. Cheese, chocolates, pretzels, and any other snack foods I can find. Today during preschool is my one real chance for a break, and I really should be doing some of the MANY things that need to happen before tomorrow. But I just can't seem to make myself do anything productive. I need to relax and slow down, even if it's just for a while. The other stuff will happen, not sure when, but it will happen.

I'm going to continue my relaxing session, and try not to feel too guilty about it. ;-)

Books to Ponder

2009-02-23T15:13:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to share a few recommendations on books with you. For those who don't know, I am an incredibly slow reader, so I don't actually get through a lot of books, but I do thoroughly enjoy reading and try to read as much as I can. Matt frequently chuckles at me at night when I'm reading and actually moving my lips as I read. Oh well, at least I try!

Anyway, I just thought I'd share a couple of things I have read recently or am reading now that might be interesting to some of you...

1. I was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood. By Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile. This book was loaned to me recently by a mom friend and I read it in one weekend. It was really funny and definitely made me think about some of the stress that I inflict on myself and whether any of it really makes sense. It also helps to confirm that you're not the only one who inflicts this kind of stress on yourself, we moms ALL do it! A great read for sure.

2. New Parent Power by John Rosemond. This one was recommended on my friend Tricia's blog and I checked it out from our local library. I was at first doubtful about this guy's philosophy, but the more I read the more sense it makes to me. He reminds us that in previous generations, a marriage was the true center of the family and the kids came second. In today's culture that has flip-flopped and it's not a good thing for anyone involved. He gives some good tips on how to redirect our parenting energies and put more responsibilities onto our kids and help them to develop into more independent individuals, rather than the more dependent lifestyles that many young adults are pushed into today. I can't say that I've agreed with all of his arguments, but it has certainly made me think about a few things and has already helped me in dealing with some issues I've had lately with John. Something worth checking out.

3. Omnivore's Dilemma, A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. And I'm getting ready to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, which will be along the same vein. These works support the local organic agriculture movement and go to great lengths to demonstrate some of the downfalls of our current factory farming, farm subsidized, cross-country transported agriculture system. As a direct result of my reading Omnivore's Dilemma we subscribed to our CSA last summer. I've made purposeful shifts in the groceries that I do buy at the store, produce and other products. It has forced me to re-evaluate the processed foods that I put into my own mouth and into the mouths of my children. We have no idea what long-term effects all the food processing will have on the population, and I want to make sure my children are at the low end of exposure for it. Anyway, it was a life changing book for me and I advise everyone to read it at some point. It's a heavy, long book, but is definitely worth reading.

Hope you enjoy!

Summer dreams

2009-02-19T14:07:00.004-05:00

So we've signed up again with Potomac Vegetable Farms to do a summer food co-op. They are part of a growing community of farms that do cooperative sustainable agriculture (CSAs). They provide a weekly bag of organically locally grown vegetables to you for a fee that you pay early in the year. PVF does it's registration in February for the summer. You can sign-up for spring, summer, and fall seasons. They also offer eggs and flowers in addition to giving you three different size options for your basic veggie bags. We did this last summer for the first time and I'm totally hooked. What a fabulous way to support a local business and know that your food is not filled with pesticides and other chemicals. We shared our regular-sized share with a neighbor and it was awesome. We alternated weeks picking up the bags and it worked out perfectly with vacations. So we're splitting our share again this year and hoping for great gardening weather this summer!

Since doing this last summer I've also noticed myself thinking a lot more about our food choices. I'm certainly buying more organic products, but also looking for prepared foods with fewer ingredients, healthier choices, less processed ingredients (such as high fructose corn syrup) and more local products. It makes me feel better about what food we're putting on the table and into the little growing bodies of those that sit at our table. It's a choice that for us is worth the cost, for now and in the long run.

Not snowing in Alaska

2009-02-18T07:54:00.003-05:00

This is a short funny thing John just said to me. As we're watching our morning cartoons and also watching the snow come down outside the door, John declared it is only snowing in Virginia. I said "Oh really, and how do you know that ?" He replied, "Well, I went to Alaska this morning and it is not snowing in Alaska." With a completely comical look on his face. It was too funny. What a cutie!

So it is snowing this morning, not supposed to amount to anything and eventually will change over to rain and just be a yucky day for us. But it sure is pretty while it comes down now.

Too long!

2009-02-17T14:24:00.003-05:00

I just logged into Blogger and realized that Feb. 5 was my last post. Clearly it's been too long since I posted anything. Sorry about that! My biggest reason for that is that I have been sick. Mainly a really nasty head cold, that I thought turned into a sinus infection, but my doctor wasn't sure. Anyway, I am now finally starting to feel a bit better, still kind of run down, but better. Of course, after almost 3 weeks of being sick, now Matt is down with the cold. :-( The kids are both healthy, for today at least. We'll see how long that lasts though.

We just returned from spending a long weekend in Bryce, VA, which is a small ski resort area just under 2 hours from here. We rented a big house with my parents and some good friends of our family and spent the weekend together. It was great. John was finally old enough to go snow-tubing for the first time. He loved it. And we did a bit of hiking, snow tubing, lots of eating, drinking, games, and toured a local potato chip factory (Route 11 Chips - they're awesome!). The kids enjoyed having so many adults around to entertain them. I appreciated all the extra help keeping them occupied while I was still recovering from being sick. We came home yesterday and we were all pretty exhausted.

Now I'm trying to find the energy to get the kids out with their bikes later today for some exercise. It will be good for them and for me, but I have to find the motivation! And then yoga tonight and a preschool board meeting tomorrow night.

Speaking of preschool, I dropped off the forms today for Kara to go to preschool next year. She will be going to the same school John has attended, which I love. She and I are both so excited for this. Technically with her October 3rd birthday, she misses the birthday cut-off of September 30th. But the advantage to returning to a school you know is that they're willing to bend a bit on that rule for us. Kara will be totally ready and it will give her a sense of doing something that her big brother has done. He'll be off to kindergarten next year, so we'll still have plenty of one-on-one time while he's gone. But having her in a 2-morning program in the fall, will also give me some Mommy-time! Yippeeee!!!!

Gotta run, I can hear that naptime is over for today. Hope you're all fairing well and may health be in your homes more than it's been around here!

Super Swimmer

2009-02-05T20:29:00.005-05:00

So this entire fall and winter I've been enrolling John in swim classes. At the end of the summer he was really ready to learn so that he could swim without his vest on, but with Kara in tow, my ability to work with him was very limited. So, not guessing that Kara's swimming status is going to change next summer, I am determined to do all I can for John to be a stronger swimmer before the summer. That means swim lessons. And a lot of them. We've done 3 classes so far this fall and winter. I decided that we should take one session off (mainly to give us a break of the twice a week routine of getting to the pool). Then we're already signed up for the remaining 2 sessions before the summer. He should be so ready for the outdoor pool season!

After many days of being quite nervous to even have water on his face, along about mid-December, he decided it was okay to put a wet washcloth covering his face. Then he thought pouring a bowl of water in the tub would be okay. Next thing I know he's putting his face right into the water, in class and at home. What a turn-around from where he was not long ago! He's even jumped into the pool with his teacher (who I just LOVE!), so that he went under the water and came up and was totally fine.

Today was his big day though. It was the last day of this session and he managed to do a full fledged independent back float! The first time was for 5 seconds, then 20 seconds and then he did it about 3 or 4 more times just for practice. He said it was relaxing! It was so amazing to watch his achievement and how proud I was of him. This kid wouldn't even get his face wet 2 months ago and now can float on his back on his own. I am a very very very proud mom today.

One day down, three to go and doing okay

2009-01-31T10:03:00.003-05:00

Well, we've made it through the first 24 hours of another work trip for Matt. He left dark and early yesterday morning and will be back after the kids go to bed on Monday night. After a long week of snow, ice and sickness, I was not looking forward to a long weekend of single-parenthood. In the past when he's been out of town for more than a day or two, I've typically spent at least part of the time retreating to my parents' house for some assistance and a reprieve from some of the hassle of cooking and cleaning. But this time as the trip approached and various activities have arised, I decided to try and duke it out on our own. And so far, so good.

Last night after the kids went to bed, a couple of neighborhood moms came over and we just talked, ate, drank, and laughed (a lot!) until almost 1:00 am! I had a blast with these ladies and am very thankful for their friendship. It was so much fun. So even though I'm a little tired today, it was so worth it!

Today's plans include a possible library trip, a haircut for John, and hopefully (if all goes well) dinner at a local restaurant where the kids can get one of their favorite meals - chicken quesadillas. My in-laws just called and offered to take the kids off my hands for a couple of hours today to give me a break, but I declined since I'm feeling pretty confident about our ability to get through today. Everyone's in a good mood, has eaten a big breakfast and are excited about our plans. I'm very optimistic about today.

Then tomorrow's plan is go maybe get to the grocery store in the morning, then a big party at the marina where my in-laws have a boat. The party is all afternoon, will have tons of food, drinks, door prizes, and fun. It was a blast last year and I'm really looking forward to it again this year. Then after the party, I'm going to come home to watch the superbowl with the kids, have a good, normal bedtime and then chill out on my own for the rest of the game. I thought I'd be lonely or unhappy spending the game by myself, but I'm actually looking forward to it. Not sure why exactly, but I guess I'm just ready for some low-key activities. We'll see how I feel by the time the game starts, but anyway....

So, it'll be a full weekend of plans, nothing terribly exciting (except for the marina party), but lots of fun. Hopefully the kids will stay happy and enjoy the time as well. I guess it's that I've now been a mom for long enough that being on my own for a few days just doesn't scare me the same way it used to. It's a challenge, and it is exhausting, but it's not overwhelmingly scary anymore. I love my kids and they're at a great stage right now. Very playful, more and more independent, and can be entertain themselves a lot more than they used to (together and separately).

I think it's going to be a good weekend for us all. But still, wish me luck!

Feeling like a sick, claustrophic germaphobe

2009-01-28T12:02:00.005-05:00

Well, today is yet another sick/snow day here. The snow storm gave way to ice and rain today and thus school has been cancelled. Major bummer. I NEEDED John to have school today, desperately. Matt has after-work plans tonight with a friend, so it starts out as a long day for me. Add in no school for John and no little kids class for Kara (due to the pneumonia and the snow/ice day). And then add in the cold brewing in my chest that I woke up to find this morning. Then consider that we have, for the most part, been cooped up inside for days already. Makes for a not very happy mommy and some rambunctious kids. We can't invite other kids over to play because Kara still had a bit of fever last night. Can't go outside in the ice. I guess today will be filled with lots of games of Sorry!, some tv (although the kids are pretty bored with that option by now), maybe some reading, and me trying to figure out how to keep them occupied while I get some rest...or if that's even possible.

So now I'm just feeling claustrophobic or sick of my house and also just tired of someone in our family being sick all the damn time. I can't stand the germs and yet, am baffled as to how we seem to breed them in our household. I'm not big on cleaning, I'll totally admit that. But I do what I have to do to keep the house clean most of the time. And then I'm big on washing hands with the kids. John still has a tendency to find a way to get a finger in his nose, so he gets the brunt of my hand washing efforts. And yet, we still have illness. I know, this time of year especially everyone is sick. But I'm tired of it. Can I veto the next four rounds of illness for our family? Please. No, well, I guess it didn't hurt to ask. I just hope this bug doesn't take me down for the next 10 days. Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kara's Down, Really Down

2009-01-27T14:54:00.003-05:00

Well, after continuing with her fever issues for another couple of days, I finally called and got us in to the doctor this morning. Thank goodness I got an early appointment, since with the snow we (finally) got this morning the roads were pretty messed up. Anyway, after a quick listen to her chest, and a lookie in her ears, he told me that she has a "touch" of pneumonia, often called "walking pneumonia", and a double ear infection. Yikes! Until today, my kids had never had an ear infection and the only time antibiotics had been given was eyedrops for John last year when he had pink eye. It was something that was pure coincidence, since we have had our share of sicknesses for sure, but I was quite proud of it. Anyway, Kara's now on antibiotics and will hopefully improve quickly. Otherwise it's back to the doctor for x-rays, etc. She really hasn't seemed all that sick though. She's been playing and eating, just slowing down when the fever kicks in. Boy am I glad to have gotten her in to the doctor!

The biggest bummer of it is that today it has finally snowed enough that the kids can go out and play in the snow. Shovel it, throw snowballs, make snow angels, and have some fun. Except for Kara. The doctor recommended keeping her indoors. What a bummer! So, fortunately, a wonderful neighbor offered to take John out with her kids to play in the snow. (THANK YOU Heather!!!) So at least he got out for a good romp with his friends - great on multiple levels for him. Maybe by the end of the week we'll be able to get back into our routines and have some fun again. ;-) Of course, then Matt will be leaving town for a couple of days for a work trip...always fun for Mom! Ah well, today we've had some extra tv time, hot cocoa, and I hope to make a big bowl of popcorn soon. If I'm going to be stuck inside with sick girl, I may as well enjoy it!

Trash vs. Weather Changer Project Possibilities

2009-01-26T16:26:00.003-05:00

One of the fun things about having young kids is their ability to see something special out of something adults might overlook. Since last summer John has been working on "The Biggest Art Project Ever" when we go out to my parents' house. This project is going to become a weather changer (yes, I know, it's not likely to be successful, but boy, is he hopeful). He's painted, screwed, hammered, and more in the process of building the weather changer. He's also collected a lot of items for possible use in the weather changer. We try to get out regularly to walk around our neighborhood, often in search of friends, or just to get out of the house for a bit. Everytime we do (or even when we're at home or anywhere, for that matter), he's in constant search of items to collect for this project. We can be walking along, and what seems like a piece of trash, or a rock, or other item that many of us would walk by, he'll put it into a bucket or bag to bring home. It then gets placed into a box in our closet called the weather changer box. That's where we collect these things until the next visit to the grandparents' house. It's absolutely hilarious! At first my reaction was to try to discourage this process, but it's true recycling, and although I won't let him collect everything he tries to bring home (I do have some limits with this stuff), there really is no harm in a few sticks, rocks, and maybe an old tissue box being saved from the landfill for awhile.

I'm not sure the weather changer will ever really be completed, but he's having a great time working on it. And it's helping to remind me that things we often overlook might be useful in creative ways.

Good Hubby Points

2009-01-25T14:31:00.003-05:00

Until last weekend, Matt and I had not taken an adult-only trip since the kids were born (well, except for our trip to the hospital when Kara was born, but I'm not counting that!). So it was clearly time for us to do that, for us and for the kids.

Matt surprised me by planning with his parents to watch the kids for a night during the holiday weekend last week. I was so surprised and excited! Serious good hubby points were earned! He got the arrangements settled with his parents and then let me in on the secret so we could decide together where we would go. After a bit of discussion about the various local options (and considering the inauguration craziness in the area), we decided to go up to Frederick, MD for the day/night. The grandparents came over on Sunday morning, and we headed out. The kids hardly noticed we were leaving and did fine while we were gone. Matt and I did some shopping and had a nice lunch, then checked into our hotel, and relaxed for a bit while watching the football games. It was so nice to do things on our own schedule and not worrying a bit about the kids! Then we went to a wonderful tapas restaurant called Isabella's (this dinner is why we chose Frederick as a destination). It was fabulous! We walked around a bit after dinner and headed back to the hotel. A little more tv watching and then some very restful sleep made for a relaxed end to a fun day.

We got up the next morning, enjoyed a breakfast at the hotel and then headed home. The kids were happy to see us, but clearly were not dying for us to come home either. A pleasant way to come back.

The trip made us realize that we need to allow ourselves to make trips like this one more frequently. We were gone for only 24 hours, but it was a good way for us to rejuvenate, individually and as a couple. We're already planning another trip away in April and it will be for at least 3-4 nights. I can't wait.

We're sick again!

2009-01-25T14:19:00.004-05:00

Well, not all of us are this time, fortunately. So far (and I'm totally knocking on wood), Kara's the only one with the sickies. But, she's really got it good this time. She's had a fever for a couple of days now and a super drippy nose and a cough that kind of comes and goes. The fever has gotten up to 104.2 and 103.7 the last two nights, so she's been pretty miserable and unhappy. Not my usual happy funny girl.

The rest of us are trying like heck to stay healthy and trying to keep John occupied while keeping Kara at home. John and I went to a dinner last night at our good family friend's house. We stayed super late, and John and I both had a very fun time. Matt was able to get Kara to bed early and then enjoyed a quiet evening to himself, so I think it was good all around. But we're all definitely in need of some time out and about. It's been a long couple of weeks of bitter cold temps here lately and the kids are really starting to show it. Even John's preschool teacher said the kids were a little crazy in the class this week since playground opportunities had been limited recently. On Friday we had a brief warm up and all the neighborhood kids were outside and excited to see each other and played like crazy. At that point, Kara wasn't showing signs of her illness, so even she got some outdoor play time. It was good for kids and moms alike!

Hopefully Kara will rebound soon from the sickie bug and we'll be back on track to health and fun times for all. She's a sad puppy right now, for sure!

Smart Santa

2009-01-14T16:09:00.004-05:00

This year for Christmas I decided months ago that Santa's gift to Kara would be a play kitchen. After much deliberation and online researching, I ordered one before Thanksgiving so that I would have time to assemble it before the big day arrived. With some last minute scrambling, I did manage to get the whole thing assembled (which was not the easiest task) and set up for Santa's arrival. I knew this particular item was going to be popular with both kids and even debated about giving it as a gift to both of them, but ultimately we decided that John should get his own gifts and let the kitchen just be for Kara. Well, with another gift of play food from my parents to add to the collection, the kitchen is complete. And was a rousing success on Christmas Day. So much so, in fact, that John later declared that Santa had brought it for both of them. Kara insisted the kitchen was hers. We had to remind John, much to his dismay, that the kitchen was in fact Kara's, but she was required to share it with him. I purposely bought one big enough for them to play together with it, knowing this might be an issue. Both of my kids have always flocked to play kitchens at other people's houses, and fortunately, are doing the same thing with ours now. When I'm in the kitchen cooking meals, there is often one or both of the kids in the play kitchen "cooking" up something. Kara loves to come offer people the ice cream cones and grapes. While John likes the bananas. The other day I made homemade french fries, and Kara immediately went to her food collection and pulled out the french fries to offer everyone. My little chefs now have a kitchen of their own to create in! I love it!

Finally Better...Now on to the New Year!

2009-01-12T14:48:00.005-05:00

Well, I think we're finally recovering from the very nasty head cold that Matt and I were inflicted with last week. We were truly down and out for a full week with major head congestion. I just can't believe we were so ill with so few symptoms, but it was really just a head cold. And TONS of snot!

Anyway, after being very slow and uninteresting for the kids all week, we did manage to get out on Saturday morning and go over to the nearby Udvar-Hazy Museum, which is part of the National Air and Space Museum in D.C. It was an excellent follow-up for John's space lessons he's been doing at school and the museum itself is interesting and huge. Lots of room for the kids to wander and roam a bit, while we looked at a few things and everyone seemed to enjoy getting out of the house. I forget how close by this activity is to us and it really is a great resource.

Now it's Monday again and I'm finally trying to get back on track after the holidays and last week's sickness. I feel like my new year is just now beginning, while everyone else has been going for almost 2 weeks now! I'm behind on just about everything - laundry, cleaning, thank you notes, and even some work. I did manage to clean the bathrooms today, and hope to get to the floors later.

We got out early this morning for a Target run, per John's request. He decided to take some money out of his piggy bank to go and buy a train or two. So, since we didn't have pending plans, and I'm always willing to put off my housework, we headed out to Target. We counted his money pile first, he had $13.03 in his bag. I traded out his coins for my dollars for ease of the transaction. And he went straight to the Thomas the Tank Engine section of Target. After much careful deliberation, he selected two vehicles to purchase, Diesel 10 and Alfie. Diesel 10 is one that he has been wanting to get for quite some time now, so he is very pleased now to have it in his collection. And Alfie is a construction type vehicle (an excavator, I believe), so that's also a good addition. I'm proud of the way he decided which ones to buy. He could have brought a lot more money (he has quite the piggy bank), or nagged me for more money once he realized how much things were going to cost, but he didn't. He asked how much each thing was, and what he would be able to afford with the money he had in his bag. Then once his decision was made, he stuck to it through the rest of our shopping and was pleased with his purchase afterwards. I was very proud of his big-kid approach to the process and I believe he is too.

And much to my surprise, Kara didn't fuss a bit about John getting something from the store and nothing for her! She was happy to hold onto the container of goldfish crackers and didn't seem to notice that she wasn't getting a new toy. I know that won't happen many more times!

The week ahead holds a few busy days for us - swimming twice for John, Little Bits class for Kara, gymnastics for John, a doctor's appointment for John, and topped off with a yoga class for me. Should keep us all busy during what looks to be a bitterly cold week. I'm sure more adventures and stories will pop up this week, and I'll be sure to share them soon!

The Best Mommy Ever...for the moment

2009-01-08T21:21:00.004-05:00

Tonight while I was making an easy dinner (because yes, I am STILL fuzzy headed with cold germs), John was helping me by squeezing lemons for the chickpea and broccoli salad recipe that Matt and I were going to have. I asked John if he'd be interested in having some shells and cheese (the kind from Trader Joe's - his favorite). I got a resounding YES! Then I slyly said, "And I thought I'd slice a zucchini and put it on the grill pan." This is one of his favorite veggies. He was so excited and asked, "for me? Did you pick that out just for me?" I confirmed that I had picked out those options knowing they were popular with the five year old in our house. The next statement was, "Wow, you're the best mommy I ever had." I said "Thank you."

Well, I was the best mommy until bedtime when we had to have a time out to calm down before bed. Ah well, at least I had the title for a bit. What more can a sick mom ask for?

Yet Another Cold

2009-01-06T16:46:00.003-05:00

So for the last few days we've been plagued with runny noses. I think one day John even had a bit of a cough. Nothing too bad, but still annoying and keeping us indoors for most of the weekend. Now John is mostly over it, Kara is clearly feeling okay but has a runny nose, and Matt and I are right in the thick of the cold. Today is the worst day so far for both of us - congestion, achiness, and that super annoying fuzzy head feeling. So Matt stayed home sick today. And I would have too, except that he was sick...and the kids aren't! Of course the weather is totally yucky today so we can't even get the kids out to the playground or outdoors at all. All I want to do is curl up into a ball, take some nyquil, and go to sleep. Don't even ask me what dinner will be - I haven't got a clue! I just lost at checkers to John (who's never beaten me), and I wasn't even trying to lose. I've been able to occupy the kids enough so they haven't watched an exorbitant amount of tv today, which often is what results when one of us is sick. But I did just relent to watching a new dvd they got for Christmas so that I can relax a bit and figure out some kind of food to serve them for dinner. I'm not sure Matt and I will even care what we eat, but they sure will.

I'm hopeful that since the kids have gotten over this so quickly, that Matt and I will soon follow suit. We have too much going on this week to get bogged down with yet another cold bug. So all you germs - just SHOOOOO!!! Out of my house!!! I want my head back!!!

Broken Record?

2009-01-05T20:23:00.003-05:00

Why when you become a parent do you inevitably become also a broken record? I remember being annoyed with my parents as they kept repeating the same several mantras over and over again throughout my childhood. And now I find myself doing the same thing with my kids, already! At bedtime tonight, we got the kids upstairs, into pjs, and ready for books earlier than usual. Great! We said we'd have extra reading time. So we read three fairly long books before it was time to hit the hay. John had picked out two of the books and Kara had picked one. Then we tucked everyone into bed, and as we were doing our kisses goodnight, John started to whine about how we could have read a whole bunch of Charlotte's Web instead. Well, while that is true, he got to choose two of the books we did read! Argh! So I immediately burst into my mantra of "we'll have more time tomorrow to read from Charlotte's Web" and "we should appreciate the books we did get to read, instead of whining about the one we didn't get to." He whined a few more whimpers as I was walking out of the room. And I immediately felt like the broken record of parenthood has clearly settled into my home and my life.

Maybe it all does work eventually. I don't know. I hope that with each time I repeat the parenting mantras about being kind, sharing, being responsible, etc. that they will sink in further and further into the personalities of my children and then, later on in their lives, these whispers of reminders will help them become amazing individuals. It's hard to remember that as an end goal when the daily whining is so strong and loud.

Does anyone else feel like a broken record?

Old Friends, Good Times

2009-01-05T14:56:00.003-05:00

We had a visit today from a family that used to live across the street. They moved to England for about 2 and a half years ago, when John and their oldest boy were about 2 and a half years old. We've seen the wife and two older children about once a year since they left. Today they came as the whole family (hubby, wife, and the 3 kids). It was a wonderful visit. When they moved away John and Vincent were truly best buds. I had become very dear friends with the wife and had a very difficult time adjusting to life after they had left. The boys played well together and the two couples enjoyed spending our Friday nights eating pizza and playing games late into the night. It was a very special time for us. Then they moved away and we've kept in touch. Although, I will admit, I have not done as good of a job calling or writing to them as I should. Sometimes it's just too hard to think about all the things we're not doing together, but most times it's just hard to find a good time to talk on the phone due to the time difference and the kids' schedules. Anyway, they were all here today and we had a GREAT time. It was good to see them all - the newest addition to their family is only 5 months old. It was an easy and pleasant visit and reminded me about how much I enjoy them and miss them.

I want to say Thank You to Gretchen and Lou for coming by today and sharing some of your brief time here in the U.S. with us. I know your time here is precious and I truly appreciate that you were able to squeeze us in. We miss you a lot and it was great to see you all today.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-29T21:01:00.003-05:00

We have finally (mostly) recovered from a whirlwind of a Christmas week. We had good visits with family, fantastic presents, fun games, great food, and a lot of great memories. Matt's sister Caroline was in town for a week, so we managed to pack in four visits with her and Matt's parents during the week. It was great for us and even better for the kids, who adore their Aunt Caroline and don't get to see her all that often since she lives in Kentucky. We spent Christmas Even with my in-laws and Christmas Day with my parents. The kids were exhausted by the end of it all, and yet they still were wishing for more presents to open! I'm starting to think that it's too much to do a big birthday fuss for John in mid-December and then Christmas a few days later. It's overwhelming for him and for us!

Anyway, the holidays were full of fun and family and very good food. We enjoyed our visits with everyone and at the end had a couple of weekend days at home to ourselves to relax and recover. Now we're trying to figure out what our New Year's Eve will entail. Right now our plans include the kids and I going to a kids' show at Jammin'Java (a local coffee place/small show venue) with a few friends of mine from college and their kids. Then we're heading back to another family's house to hang out, play, and eat until the kids decide the evening is over! ;-) Should be a lot of fun and although it will be low-key, I am looking forward to a fun afternoon and evening. And a very Happy New Year!

Hope you have all had a happy holiday season and have a wonderful start to your 2009!

Also, thanks to all who helped me get to 300 hits on this blog already!! Yeahhh!! And I promise to get back on track with more regular posts again in the new year! (It's one of my more important resolutions this year!) ;-)

Whispers

2008-12-23T11:15:00.003-05:00

Each year since I was in my early teens, my mother has made an advent calendar. Until a few years ago, it was for me. Now she makes four of them - one for each of her grandchildren. This is a slightly different advent calendar though. She gets 24 small presents, wraps each one and ties it to a ribbon. Then each morning of advent, the recipient gets to come downstairs and open the bottom present on the ribbon. It's a lot of fun and even though the gifts are fairly small items, it's exciting to find out each day what awaits you.

This year is the first time that Kara has had her own calendar. And the kids have been very good about opening them together so far. The other day though, Kara had gotten up early and was watching some tv before John came down. Once he gets up, he's ready to do the calendar and has had a hard time waiting for Kara to be ready. So this particular day, he asked Kara if she was ready to open her advent present and she said no. He asked several more times, with no change in her response. Then he changed his tactic. He went over to her and softly whispered in her ear about the benefits of opening her present sooner rather than later. It was so cute. And a moment later, she was jumping down off the couch ready to go find out what the daily treasure was. It was so sweet and definitely a little funny. He's figuring out that often he can convince her to go along with something he wants to do if he just acts sweet towards her. They're getting more mischievous as a pair!

I can hardly wait to see what the little whispers might result in during the new year!

The Holidays are Upon Us

2008-12-21T07:37:00.005-05:00

Last night we managed to get everyone dressed and out the door to go to a holiday concert that my mother-in-law sang in. Her chorale was singing with a band and doing a variety of holiday songs. It was a very nice concert and the kids seemed to enjoy it. Well, John actually managed to sit through almost half of it before getting the wiggles. And Kara sat for about 5 minutes before the concert even started and then was on the move the rest of the time. Fortunately, it was held at Fairfax High School, so there was plenty of room to wander the halls around the auditorium during the concert with all the other 2 year olds who were just not going to sit through the show! Matt and I took shifts and the kids made a fair number of new friends.

As I was taking Kara down to go for a walk I was reminded of a very eventful trip we took 3 years ago to Austin, TX to see my sister-in-law's doctoral graduation ceremony, when John was just 2 years old. The trip getting to Austin involved flying into Chicago on a very snowy, stormy night. We were on the first plane for 9 hours, then had a terrifying cab ride for another hour, ate dinner at midnight, slept on the airport floor, and made the rest of the trip to Austin the following morning. WITH A 2 YEAR OLD. All in all, it took us 24 hours to get there. The next day was the actual graduation ceremony. I'm not sure why we thought that John would sit through the event. Of course, he didn't. Not for one minute. I spent the entire ceremony out in the hallway, again with the other kids and their parents. It was okay, but I was a little bummed to have come all that way to have missed the whole thing. But, I digress....

So we did the holiday concert, saw another Santa, and got dressed up in nice clothes for a fun evening out. We drove home through some neighborhoods nearby to see holiday lights. It was a good evening. John and I baked cookies yesterday and Kara helped frost and decorate them. It was actually the first time I had ever made frosting, so it was an experience all the way around! We've been enjoying getting more and more holiday cards in the mail each day. And the kids are certainly enjoying their advent calendars this year. It's been a good season so far and I'm looking forward to all the holiday joy the coming week is going to bring for us.