It All Started at Mother's

From your Child

2011-06-06T13:30:00.002-04:00

Jora from Domestic Reflections posted this over the weekend and I had to share it with you.

21 Memos From Your Child

1. Don’t spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not have all I ask for. I am only testing you.
2. Don’t be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it, it makes me feel secure.
3. Don’t let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.
4. Don’t make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly “big”.
5. Don’t correct me in front of people if you can help it. I’ll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.
6. Don’t make me feel all of my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.
7. Don’t protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way, sometimes.
8. Don’t be upset when I say “I hate you”. It isn’t you I hate, but your power to thwart me.
9. Don’t take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.
10. Don’t nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.
11. Don’t forget that I can’t explain myself as well as I should like. This is why I’m not always very accurate.
12. Don’t make rash promises. Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.
13. Don’t tax my honesty too much. I am easily frightened into telling lies.
14. Don’t be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.
15. Don’t tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real to me and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.
16. Don’t put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.
17. Don’t ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither.
18. Don’t ever think it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm toward you.
19. Don’t forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be very difficult to keep pace with me, but please try.
20. Don’t forget I love experimenting. I couldn’t do without it, so please be patient with it.
21. Don’t forget that I can’t thrive without lots of understanding and unconditional love, but I don’t need to tell you that, do I?

original author unknown

Hugs!

2011-03-28T13:37:00.001-04:00

My sister sent this link to me. Have you seen it? I LOVE it! http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=hN8CKwdosjE

A Magical February

2011-03-02T13:51:00.004-05:00

February has been a special month in our house over the past 5 years since it is the month we celebrate the birth of our beautiful girls. This year it was extra special because we celebrated in Disney World!

I've always heard Disney World described as "Magical" but never felt that magic as much as I did during this visit, my first as a parent. WOW! There were moments where I was brought to tears over my children's excitement and awe. Although my kids will most likely forget much about our trip as the years pass, I know I will remember and treasure these memories forever!

Woody!

A very special private meeting with Cinderella!

(I have pics of A&O with virtually every Princess and Disney Character!)

Happy 5th Birthday to my sweet little girls!

I surprised myself!

2011-02-03T21:45:00.003-05:00

Yesterday the schools were closed due to snow so the girls had a nice, lazy morning in their jammie's and I had some extra time to work on my valance project. Guess what? I finished them! I like one of them better than the other so I may remake it (I have extra fabric), but that can wait until another time. I might even make a matching mini duvet cover and valance for the girls' doll house master bedroom!

(that was my dresser when I was little!)

I took these pics to show my Mom, but will post them here so you can see the valances. Sorry you can't see much of the beds. I'll try to remember to take a pic when my kiddos aren't in them (as they are right now!)!

Mirror, Mirror

2011-01-29T21:05:00.005-05:00

Before I get into this post I wanted to let you know that I met my goal of getting the down comforters cut, sewn, washed, dried, inserted in duvet covers and placed on my girls' beds that Monday night! They look and, more importantly, feel amazing!! And, we think the current bed skirt color works just fine with the new duvet covers so I was able to cross that dye project off of my to-do list. I'm working on the matching curtains and will post a pic of their room once the curtains are up ("getting it done" goal: 2/4).

****

Kevin and I bought our house as a 'fixer upper'. I can't even begin to describe the dilapidated state this gorgeous house had been allowed to fall into (we have photos that prove we aren't kidding!). We had a plan in place for the renovation but once we started the demo part of the plan, we were pretty overwhelmed with everything. At that point we took a step back and decided to work on one project at a time, from start to finish. I should also mention here that we were both working full time, Kevin was working on his second Master's degree and we were hoping to start a family. So, that's part of the reason why we have not had a door or mirror on our medicine cabinet in our bathroom since 2000! I'm happy to report that my dear Kevin managed to finally build a custom three paneled door for our extremely large medicine cabinet and it is finally done and we love it (although it was much easier for two people to get ready at the same time when you didn't have to step aside to let the other person get into the cabinet!).

The only "before" pic I have but it allows you to see some of our toiletries lined up in our "open styled" cabinet! This is from '09 when the girls were watching Daddy wash his face one morning.

The finished product!

Getting things done!

2011-01-15T13:59:00.004-05:00

I have so many projects that NEED to be completed (1/2 started and left or bits piled somewhere waiting to start). One of my resolutions for 2011 is to GET THINGS DONE! I'm happy to say that I'm on my way...

The thought for the project I'm working on today began months ago. Kevin and I have had a down comforter on our bed that I think has what is called an 'open baffle box' construction where the squares are not closed and the down can shift around. It is a great comforter but it is a pain having to shake the whole king sized thing out to redistribute the down each morning. So, we bought a wonderful new comforter that is perfect in every way. As one who attempts to be thrifty and hates to waste, I decided I could turn our old king comforter into two twin comforters for the girls' beds! We found cute duvet covers at Ikea and the covers and the scrunched king comforter have been sitting in a corner of our room for at least 6 months! This morning Kevin and I redistributed the down and I sewed two tightly stitched seams down the middle before cutting the comforter in half (with only minimal down escaping!). Now I just need to stitch all of the squares of the two comforters so the down doesn't shift, wash the comforters and covers and we'll be good to go! I'm hoping to have the comforters on the girls' beds Monday night. I'll let you know if I do it! :)

Next project: Curtains for the girls' room & dyeing bed skirts to better match the new duvet covers!

By Far, the Best!

2010-11-30T14:14:00.003-05:00

I'm not quite sure where I found out about Portable North Pole but last year I had messages sent to several kids and it was a HUGE hit (it even made a believer out of an 8 year old who was 'on the fence'!). If you've got any little ones in your life, create a special message just for them. Click here and enjoy!

Special thanks to little. lovely. for sharing the 2010 link to Portable North Pole!

Image via here.

Dress Love!

2010-11-27T13:35:00.004-05:00

Several months ago I learned about a designer, Kayce Hughes, with the cutest dresses for little girls (order was placed pronto!). The dresses are not only cute, they are very well made with quality fabrics and attention to detail. I guess I was so focused on the Children's section back then that I didn't even look at the Women's offering... until today. I'm in love!

QUICK! Go check out Kayce's blog here to enter to win one of her Women's Dresses!

image from Kayce Hughes' shop

This Moment

2010-11-16T15:20:00.003-05:00

image via here

I'm sitting here browsing a super, new-to-me catalog called Nova Natural Toys & Crafts based in Williston, Vermont. I love, Love, LOVE everything I see! Check out their website here.

Every Little Bit Helps!

2010-11-11T14:00:00.004-05:00

I credit my paternal Grandfather for teaching me the value of a dollar and for my thriftiness. I splurge every now and then, but for the most part I am a coupon clipping, promo code searching gal when it comes to making purchases. Lately, I've been using Ebates when making purchases online. It's a great way to get a little bit of cash back on just about everything I buy online. It's FREE! Sign up now and get a $5 credit! Check it out here!

image via here

A Visitor No One Wants!

2010-11-08T14:51:00.003-05:00

Last year one of my friends had to deal with a case of lice that her daughter caught in school. I freaked a little at the thought and spent some time online looking for natural ways of getting rid of the little buggers, just in case we needed the information (didn't really find anything that I thought was worthwhile). Fortunately, we were spared the experience.

Recently I learned of a great product line called Babo Botanicals and they have a product combo that is all natural and 95% effective in clinical studies to PREVENT lice! How Cool Is That? I would say that this is a must have product for all families with children in daycare, preschool or elementary school. I'll be getting this gift set to be on the safe side!

image via Babo Botanicals

Oops, they can count!

2010-10-29T14:13:00.003-04:00

We've been getting excited for Halloween and we are now in the thick of it: ballet party Wednesday (done!), school party today (done!), club party Saturday and Trick-or-Treating Sunday. Halfway through and I can't believe how much candy the girls have already collected! In the past Kevin and I would combine all of the girls' candy, put a few pieces of the candy we would allow them to eat in their treat bags, and then we would enjoy our favorite candies and Kevin would take the rest to work for his co-workers to munch on. I was assuming that would happen this year.... until both girls dumped out their candy today after school and counted each and every piece! The jaw of my salivating mouth dropped open and the hope of eating those delicious Reese's cups and Hershey bars at 8:05pm tonight were dashed. Oh well, I guess I'd rather see my girls happily counting than me sadly counting the pounds I would have put on eating all of their candy!

Do you allow your kids to eat all of the Halloween candy they've collected? I'm thinking I'll most likely do some filtering of the girls' stash (sending it to work with Kevin!) so it doesn't hang around for too long.

Have a very safe and Happy Halloween!

Kitchen Confession!

2010-10-28T14:01:00.003-04:00

Wow, things have been busy around here! I usually rely on the time my girls are in school to get my daily house chores and grocery shopping done, but that time during the past week and a half has been filled with multiple routine doctor and dentist appointments, a room parent meeting and other tasks. Since I haven't been shopping and our cupboards are pretty bare, I'm not sure why I started preparing French Toast for the girls this morning. It wasn't until after I had mixed the eggs, milk, cinnamon and a drop of vanilla extract together that I remembered that we haven't had bread in the house for 3 days! So, in an effort not to waste perfectly good food, (I still can't believe I did this!) I cooked up that egg mixture into French Scrambled Eggs! To give myself a little credit I did ask my girls if they would eat it before I served it to them. They ate it all!

Head on over to Mama Seasonings and Shades of Sunshine for some much more appetizing recipes!

PS: I'm relieved to report that I managed to get to the grocery store this morning and we're well stocked once again!

White, Black and Red

2010-10-25T21:55:00.005-04:00

Have you heard about RSA Animate? A friend posted a couple of videos on facebook and I'm hooked! Check it out here. Let me know what you think (& which is your favorite?~ I already know you won't be able to stop at just one!).

After you work up an appetite watching videos and thinking about them, head over to Bull in a China Shop where Tina has recipes for Spaghetti Squash Gratins and Apple Cider Donut Holes. YUM!

Number Seventeen

2010-10-21T14:20:00.006-04:00

This morning as I walked down the steps of my girls' preschool the wind kicked up and the colorful leaves swirled and danced on the sidewalk. I couldn't help but think of Bert from a famous Disney movie and his quote:

"Winds in the east, mist coming in

like somethin' is brewin' and bout to begin.

Can't put me finger on what lies in store,

but I fear what's to happen all happened before."

A&O love the movie and this past weekend we went and saw the Broadway Musical of Mary Poppins. It was so much fun to witness the magic that occurred at Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane and to see Mary Poppins fly! If the show will be coming to a theatre near you, get tickets!

My sisters and I had these spoons when we were little. My Mom saved them and two have been handed down to A&O!

Stop over to see what recipe Jennifer has in store for you as part of The Recipe Exchange at Whisk it Good!

Mani-Pedi Mommy?

2010-10-20T13:38:00.004-04:00

Being the worry wart that I am, I would not let my girls have their nails polished for the longest time (the toxins!). I finally caved when they were around three and I found this great line of products called Peacekeeper Cause-Metics. Not only do they make products with better-for-you ingredients, it is "the first cosmetics line to give donations to human rights issues for women who live in poverty or servitude". Learn more about this wonderful company here.

image via here

PS: I painted my girls' nails two weeks ago with Paint Me Grateful and their nails still look awesome. Unheard of with other nail colors!

Find another great recipe over at Scrumptious where Stephanie is making Crockpot Chicken Spezzatino which looks like it will be Saturday night's dinner at my house!

Is it really October 19th already?!?

2010-10-19T14:06:00.005-04:00

A&O's hand painted pumpkins. Black is a favorite color right now!

It seems as if we have been on the go ever since school started and I can't believe how quickly the days are passing! Fortunately I have been able to stay on top of most things and our Halloween costumes are ready (Mermaid & Little Red Riding hood) and the candy has been purchased for all of the Trick-or-Treaters we are expecting. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have snow for the 31st!
Next week my girls have their first ever field trip to a pumpkin farm about 40 minutes away and I have to admit that my heart was beating quite a bit as I signed the permission slips allowing them to go (buses and all). Parents are allowed to follow the buses and meet up at the farm. I was torn about whether I should stay at home and allow this to be a growing and learning experience for the girls and me, but then both girls found out that some other parents were going and thought they'd like me to be there. What a relief! I'll try to be less of a worrier and stay home for the next one, I promise!

Pretty Mommy's great fall Recipe Exchange continues... please stop by You+Me Equals for Elisabeth's Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas and Miya's Mexichoctofu Pudding, Domestic Reflections for Jora's Homemade Chicken Stock, and 5th Joy for Abby's Hearty Chicken & Cabbage Minestrone. All look soooooooo delicious!

Heirloom Apron!

2010-10-13T13:30:00.007-04:00

We headed over to my parents' house last weekend so I could help go through some things in their basement (my kiddos were busy in the kitchen with "Eema" while I was sorting and digging through boxes!). I was so excited when I opened a box from my Grandparents' attic and found one of my Mom's aprons from when she was a little girl! I ran upstairs and "O" was willing to model. This one is about 60 years old and the fabric is threadbare in places (lots of use from my Mom and me when we were little). I know there are more, and in better shape that my girls can actually use. I'll keep looking!

Today's recipe, Mediterranean Pot Roast, comes to you from Rebecca at The Reluctant Floridian. I'm planning on making this yummy sounding dish on Sunday!

Have you prepared any of the recipes I've been linking to? If so, let me know!

A great way to spend your loose change

2010-10-12T14:19:00.008-04:00

photo from here

This past weekend I was looking through ReadyMade magazine and saw a wonderful product from Greenaid: a seedbomb vending machine. What a great way to green the gray spaces in your community! Learn more about it here.

The recipe swap continues today over at Look Linger Love where Chassity has prepared some yummy White Chicken Chili. Yesterday Danielle of domestic dish shared a Pumpkin Lasagna recipe that I hope to make for dinner on Halloween! Check them out!

Holiday Headstart

2010-10-08T13:14:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to give anyone interested in giving great natural toys as gifts this coming holiday season a heads-up: The Wooden Wagon is having a Columbus Day special of free shipping on orders over $25! Our family loves their products, like this Sunrise Stacking Puzzle (photo from The Wooden Wagon).

Please stop by Under A Pink Moon for Estelle's contribution to the Fall Recipe Swap Michelle is hosting (we hope you're feeling better soon, Estelle!).

Delicious Apple Tart

2010-10-06T22:04:00.007-04:00

Back in the Fall of 2005 I started what would become 4 months of bedrest while pregnant with my precious baby girls. One day I fell asleep with the television on and woke up to a cooking show (not sure which one) where the host/chef was preparing a yummy looking puff pastry apple tart. I was too tired (read: lazy!) to pick up paper and pen to jot down the recipe, but since there were so few ingredients and the instructions seemed simple enough, I thought I would remember it and planned on making it one day.

Fast forward 5 years.

I was grocery shopping last week and a box of puff pastry in the frozen section caught my eye. I remembered that I had a similar box somewhere in my freezer because a while back I had planned on making that Apple Tart and never gotten around to it. Fresh in my mind, I picked up some local apples and headed home to my kitchen to try it out. The whole process from start to finish was E-A-S-Y and the end result delicious! This will now be my go-to dessert for last minute entertaining!

Puff Pastry Apple Tart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed per package instructions)
3-4 baking apples
1/2 - 1/3 cup sugar
cinnamon (1 teaspoon or to taste)
egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll puff pastry sheet, still folded, on lightly floured surface until it is a large rectangle about 9x13 inches. Place on baking sheet and set in freezer.
Peel, core, slice apples and toss in a large bowl with sugar and cinnamon. Let sit for several minutes.
Remove pastry from the freezer and brush with egg wash (keep wash 1/4 inch away from the edges).
Score (but don't go cut completely through the pastry) around the pastry with a sharp knife to create a 1 inch border that will puff.
Place apples inside the border (you can arrange them or just spread them evenly) and dot with butter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are puffed and golden. Cool slightly, serve with your favorite vanilla bean ice cream and enjoy!

photo from here

*We had some leftovers that we placed in the toaster oven to reheat and they were just as tasty.

Speaking of Aprons....

2010-10-06T13:46:00.003-04:00

I love, Love, LOVE aprons! Not only are they practical, they also bring back wonderful memories of spending time in my Grandmother's kitchen learning the basics of cooking and memories of my Mom preparing our nightly family meals.

My girls have basic aprons they received as part of a birthday gift from a friend, and they love getting them on and helping me in the kitchen (they also make great preschooler bibs!). I hope to whip up some cute Anthropologie style aprons for my budding chefs soon... or maybe Mom has those old aprons of mine packed away somewhere? A project for a rainy, fall weekend!

Please don't forget to check out today's fall recipe offerings from Katie at 'the 30 girl': chicken pot pie and pumpkin apple breakfast muffins!

Grab your apron!

2010-10-05T21:59:00.006-04:00

Michelle from Pretty Mommy is hosting a Fall Recipe Exchange and I've signed up (something new and fun for me)! Yesterday Michelle shared a Taco soup recipe I know my whole family will love, and today Torrie at a place to share has a soup and salad that sound amazing!

Bring on the cool weather and stop by daily throughout October for some seriously good seasonal dishes!

Do you Babble?

2010-09-30T14:31:00.005-04:00

My mail carrier, Terry, just rang the bell with a package for me and look what was inside:

Some super cool Hank & Jojo retro socks for my girls that I won on Babble. If you haven't visited Babble yet, you're missing out on learning about great products for family, kids and Moms. Check it out now here!

Goodbye Summer 2010

2010-09-20T14:22:00.005-04:00

It has been cool lately, so when the forecast called for sun and 71 degrees we headed to Nan & Dan's beach house for some end of summer fun and haircuts on the beach!

We're sad to have to say goodbye to summer, but what an amazing summer it has been!

Dare Devils!

2010-08-14T14:40:00.003-04:00

Overheard yesterday morning as A&O were looking out the back door before breakfast:
O: "I guess maybe that wasn't such a good idea."
A: "No."
Lesson learned: Don't attempt to ride your large snow tube down your Little Tikes slide or you'll end up in the ER having a CT scan and staples put in your head.

(for the record, I turned my back for 10 seconds to get food on the grill!)

What a Summer We're Having!

2010-07-27T13:10:00.004-04:00

Wow! We are having the most beautiful summer here in the NE. It has been hot and sunny 98% of the time which is wonderful for us. I'm doing all I can to take advantage of my time with my girls (they'll be in pre-K five mornings/week in Sept!) and the amazing weather. Not much time for posting! Here are some pics from our July 4th weekend.

Summer treats to keep us cool.

We love Parades!

Sparklers!

Watching (loud!) fireworks.

I hope you're enjoying your summer as well.

Happy early Independence Day!

2010-07-01T14:15:00.004-04:00

We were gearing up for a big 4th of July weekend (the forecast is nothing but sun and HOT!) and one of my babes woke today with a fever, earache and sore throat. No ear infection at this point but our doctor has equipped us with a "just in case" script to help get us through the holiday if needed.

Wishing you a sunny, happy and safe weekend!

1st day of HOT 2010!

2010-05-25T22:05:00.002-04:00

...and we broke the pool! Another scorcher on tap for tomorrow. I hope Target has plenty of pools in stock. If it is hot where you are, what's your favorite way to keep cool?

A Simple "Hello"

2010-04-26T14:16:00.003-04:00

Hello! Spring is in full swing here in the NE and we are loving every minute of it. I hope your day is a happy one, wherever you are!

Pure Maple Sugar!

2010-03-21T21:01:00.005-04:00

This weekend was Maple Weekend in much of the North East, which means many of the Maple Farms have open houses with tours and lots of yummy treats. We found a farm about an hour away that was perfect! The beautiful morning was filled with horse drawn wagon rides, treks into the woods to see the tapped trees and sap lines, a tour of the 'sugar shack' and the maple syrup making process, tasty maple cooked hot dogs and eggs (both are cooked in the vat with the steaming syrup), pulled pork sandwiches with maple BBQ sauce and sweet potatoes with fresh, hot maple syrup! After all that, we bought a bunch of syrup, BBQ sauce, maple spread and maple candy to take home with us! Great stuff!

My Grandmother wore an apron

2010-03-19T14:17:00.004-04:00

Lately, when I'm casually browsing online, I find myself at Anthropologie loving each and every apron. Today I gave one of those aprons to my sister as part of her Birthday gift. I actually ordered two and tucked one away in my husband's closet with the words "Mother's Day" written on the package. Can't wait!

Winter Sun

2010-03-17T21:42:00.003-04:00

Blowing bubbles in the late afternoon winter sun

The days are growing a little bit longer and a little bit warmer. Until the ground warms so it is comfortable in the shade, a good spot in the sun will do just fine.

I'll be back!

2010-02-23T09:34:00.003-05:00

So sorry to have been MIA. We've been through the mill this winter with illness, but after double tonsillectomies, adenoidectomies, and having ear tubes put in, we're praying for a better 2010 from here on out!

I hope you are all well and I hope to be back with regular posting in March!

Help Haiti

2010-01-18T14:20:00.003-05:00

Haiti.
Total destruction.
Total devastation.
Please do what you can.
It is needed so badly.

One way to contribute is through the Red Cross.

I ♥ Faces... Best Face Photo

2010-01-12T13:41:00.004-05:00

The blog I ♥ Faces is celebrating their 1st Birthday! This week's challenge is called Best Face Photo and I'm entering this shot of my dear O. Although I have several older pics of both of my girls that I would consider some of my personal Best Face(s) photos, this one was taken recently and also fits the bill.

Having fun splashing in the bath!

I ♥ Faces... Hilarious Outtakes

2009-12-29T14:17:00.004-05:00

Way back in September I tried to get more serious about learning to use my camera. Part of that process was to enter the weekly contests on the I ♥ Faces blog. Unfortunately, that only lasted one week. Maybe I'll be better about it in 2010!

Here I was attempting a basic pic of the girls and something got into A when I asked her to smile. This shot just cracks everyone in our family up. I hope it makes you smile, too!

It has been a while

2009-12-22T21:23:00.003-05:00

So sorry for the lack of posts lately. We've been trying to get out from under what seems like a never ending cloud of illness. Some long lasting colds turned into double ear infections for both girls, with a side of Pink Eye for O. Kevin and I have had the worst colds we can remember having and mine seems to be migrating to my sinuses. Ugh! At least the girls will hopefully be feeling healthy for Christmas.

If you have young kids and you haven't seen this already, I highly recommend that you check this out. My girls loved it and I think it helped my 'on the fence' niece become a believer again!

Cold Mornings

2009-12-05T09:12:00.003-05:00

We're having the coldest mornings of the season so far and it really feels COLD! I'd love to gather the girls up and cuddle together in bed all day to keep them toasty warm, but that's not realistic. What I can do is start their day off with good old fashioned Steel Cut Oats (a favorite since it was introduced at their old Waldorf school as daily snack). No better way to warm a tummy, or two. Especially good with blueberries we picked last summer!

First Snow

2009-12-02T13:48:00.004-05:00

The weather forecast was calling for snow very early Tuesday morning. This was a big deal around here because we were breaking all kinds of records for the latest first snow of the season. Putting some trust in the weatherman, I chose the book Dream Snow by Eric Carle for the girls' bedtime story on Monday night. I think every child in our area had a smile on his or her face when they looked out the window Tuesday morning and saw the very light blanket of snow covering the ground!

The snow had melted quite a bit by the time A&O got out of 'school' and into it, but they had fun just the same. I assured them there would be much more snow coming our way over the next couple of months!

Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-28T13:25:00.006-05:00

Just had to document this: I made a pumpkin pie from scratch and the people who ate it thought it was really good!! Woo-hoo!!

If you ever choose to make a pumpkin pie from scratch, I suggest that you use this recipe for the crust (great for any pie!) and this recipe for the pie. I had significantly less real pumpkin puree and I did NOT use any canned pumpkin so I went with 1/3 of all ingredient measurements and I still had enough filling for a 9 inch pie! The idea of pressing ground pecans and gingersnaps into the pie crust (per the pie recipe) sounded good, so I did that. I was a little nervous about baking the pie on the oven floor (per the pie recipe) so I had it on the lowest rack, which worked really well.

Oh! As far as the pumpkin goes, use a pie pumpkin. Cut it in 1/2, scrape seeds and stringy stuff out and roast in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes (til a knife can slice through easily). Scoop the pumpkin out of the shell and puree. I placed the puree in a strainer lined with a couple of coffee filters and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight to drain out the excess water. It was ready to use in the morning!

I hope you and your loved ones had a very Happy Thanksgiving and you are enjoying a wonderful long weekend. We'll be heading out to my parents' house for Round Two tonight. I LOVE leftover thanksgiving food!

Soaking It In

2009-11-23T20:46:00.003-05:00

I still find it hard to believe that this Thursday is Thanksgiving. We have really been blessed with amazing weather this Fall and we're doing all we can to enjoy every last bit of it. Yesterday we drove out to my parents' home in the country and enjoyed a leisurely walk while looking for the perfect 2009 Christmas tree. Usually we're out looking while trudging through at least a foot of snow and I agree to anything just so we can cut the thing down and I can get back into the warm house! We took a long red ribbon to tag the tree so we can tell which one it is in case it is covered in snow when we head back out in two weeks to cut it down.

Today the girls and I took a walk around our neighborhood and enjoyed the bright sunshine.

They say we may see some snowflakes Friday. I'm not sure about me, but I know A&O are ready!

Big Red

2009-11-18T20:24:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was checking my e-mail on a Friday night and I received a notice that Clifford the Big Red Dog was going to be visiting a cute, independent book store the next day. Clifford is a favorite character of my girls right now, but because the store is a little farther away than most, and I was hoping we could try to sleep in (yeah, right!) and have a relaxing Saturday morning hanging out in our jammies, I deleted the e-mail.

Did we sleep in? No. But the look on A&O's faces when they saw Clifford was pure joy! I'll take that over an extra hour of sleep any day.

A post just so I remember!

2009-11-17T19:55:00.005-05:00

Each day after 'school' I ask A&O how their day was, what they did, if they had fun, what they had for snack, what their favorite part of the day was, etc. By the time Kevin comes home at dinner, I have a pretty good idea what went on (and in detail!) at school and the girls often ask me to tell Daddy about certain parts of their day at school.

Today when I got to the school for pick-up, the girls came running out of their classroom to tell me about something new and exciting that happened this morning. This evening when Kevin arrived home from work:

Kevin: "How was school today?"
O: "Mommy! Tell Daddy about the screwdriver at school today!"
Me: (thinking and drawing an absolute blank... about 15 seconds later I got it...trying to hold back the giggle...) "Oh, drill! There was a fire drill at school today!"

Sounds of the Season?

2009-11-16T20:11:00.004-05:00

We were having a little bit of trouble with one or both of the girls waking up very early in the morning and yelling, "Is it awake time?". Neither girl knows how to tell time at this point so putting a clock in their room and telling them they have to stay in bed until 6:45am would mean nothing. 95% of the time both girls are awake by 6:45am so I decided to put a small alarm clock radio in their room and set the radio to go off at 6:45am. Now, whenever they wake up, they can only get out of bed and talk if the radio is talking. It took a couple of days for them to get the hang of it, but it seems to be working well.

When selecting the radio station for the girls' radio to play, I went with a soft rock/easy listening station. Usually A&O pay no real attention to what sound is coming from the radio. But, this morning Kevin and I woke to both girls yelling, "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!". Apparently this particular radio station has already switched over to the 'Sounds of the Season'. Someone really should write some nice Thanksgiving tunes!

Lucky Me!

2009-11-11T20:23:00.006-05:00

I feel very lucky to have a husband who will entertain the kids after dinner so I can get dinner dishes cleaned up and have some time to check e-mail, talk with a friend, or do whatever I choose until it's time to take the girls upstairs to get ready for bed. We all love this time!

Prayers

2009-11-07T20:43:00.003-05:00

I found out yesterday that my 45 year old cousin, Jennifer, has breast cancer. There was only a 10% chance that a particular biopsy would come back showing cancer and it did. She will be undergoing a mastectomy, reconstruction and the removal of the sentinel lymph nodes under one arm to see if the cancer has spread. There is a 5% chance of that.

Prayers requested for a successful surgery and full recovery with zero additional cancer.

Also, please stop by my blog daily and click on the Pink Ribbon button to the right. Each click helps give a woman in need a free mammogram! Thanks.

November

2009-11-06T15:26:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday morning, November 1, at 7am I was taking down and packing away all of the Halloween decorations. By the time Kevin and the girls came down the stairs for breakfast I had candles in turkey candlesticks as the table centerpiece and a couple of Thanksgiving decorations adorning the chandelier.

Don't get me wrong, I love Halloween. But because the actual holiday of Halloween is one filled with great excitement, frights, and sugar highs, it is almost as if I feel all of those things the whole time the decorations are up.

I'm feeling a lot calmer these days with the warm colors of Autumn dotted throughout the house. There is an excitement about Thanksgiving (yummy turkey with all of the trimmings and pies galore!) but it is a more relaxed, homier feeling. I'm liking it!

All Hallows Eve!

2009-11-01T08:32:00.003-05:00

Well, it was a success. The rain subsided, the wind dropped down a few notches (although the gusts were powerful!) and the jack-o-lanterns stayed lit. We headed out around 6:15pm and stopped by 15 of our neighbors houses. Candy bracelets and M&M's gave a slight sugar buzz before a later than usual bedtime, but for the first time EVER, the girls slept in to compensate for the later bedtime! A HUGE bonus for Mom and Dad. There was the potential of having two voices yelling "I'm awake" at 5:30am (the old 6:30am before Daylight Savings ended!).

(O was a 'flip phone' and A was a banana!)

Gooey and Slimy

2009-10-30T13:40:00.005-04:00

We've been watching the weather forecast and hoping for the perfect night to go into the yard to carve pumpkins and sit fireside enjoying the crisp Autumn air. Unfortunately, the evenings have been mostly rainy and breezy (not a combo you want when you've got little ones just getting over double ear infections). So, around the dining room table it was. We 'gutted' the pumpkins one evening and the girls picked faces and Kevin carved the pumpkins the next (I just realized that I don't have any pics of the carved pumpkins! Stay tuned!).

Why didn't I realize it sooner?

2009-10-23T20:51:00.005-04:00

We've all been fighting some cold/sinus thing. O just finished the last dose of her Rx and is sleeping straight through the night again. But, poor A. This whole week she has been waking up and calling for me at least 3x per night. Once I get to her bedside she has just been asking me to help find her blankee or bunny/mouse/lambie/whatever. I've been assuming that she's been sleeping lightly because she has been stuffed up. Until this afternoon when she casually mentioned her neck or maybe her ear was sore. I looked at the clock and it was 3:50pm. I quickly called the Pediatrician's office and they had one last spot at 4:10pm available. I reached my sister (who just happened to be driving down the road one street away!) to watch O and buckled A into her car seat.

As soon as my sister arrived, A & I headed out. She was talking away in the back seat when I asked her, "Does your ear really hurt right now?" She kind of looked at me with this little smile on her face that told me I most likely was worried about nothing. By that time we were already at the Dr's. office so in we went with my explanation to the Dr. ("I'm not sure if she just said it to be like her sister, or because it really hurts."). The wonderful Dr. quietly examined my babe and then said with a smile, "They really seem to do everything together. She's got a double ear infection, too!"

So, here I am feeling guilty for not figuring it out sooner. I've had several surgeries on my left ear and I know that the pain is brutal. Perhaps it was just starting to hurt? Perhaps they are a lot tougher than I am? Regardless, I'm thankful we could get in to the Dr's. office today and we have an Rx to fix what's wrong. Hopefully my A will soon be well and we'll get back to getting a good night's rest.

South Africa 2005: I wonder if these guys get ear infections?

The Pediatricians' office was hopping!

2009-10-20T20:15:00.006-04:00

Sunday morning O walked into the kitchen holding her right ear and said, "Mommy, I think I have an ear infection". I'm not sure if most 3 year olds can self-diagnose, but based on her past with ear infections, I believed the poor kiddo.

Monday morning I called the Pediatricians' office when they opened and I left a message requesting a 'sick visit'. I've never had to leave a message before, so when 10am rolled around and I hadn't gotten a call back, I called again and was politely told that the nurse would in fact be calling me, but at that point she had 40 messages and requests for sick visits! Knowing that the waiting room would be crawling with germs I arranged for my sister to come watch A while I got O checked out. I was happy I did that after I saw a child in a face mask walking out of the Dr's office with her mother upon our arrival! Our appointment ended up being at 4:05pm and by the time we got into the examining room my poor O was clutching her left ear as well. Double ear infection. Ugh!

When I returned home my other sister called to let me know that she and my nephew had just been to the Dr's office where my nephew had tested positive for the Swine Flu! The office staff made him put on a face mask and he had to leave through a back door!

(Old pic of A&O but I don't have any new, relevant pics to post)

Looks like those germs are out in full force! I'll be using a nasal wash and washing hands like crazy over here. What is your favorite health tip for staying well?

Day In

2009-10-17T21:05:00.003-04:00

We're all feeling a bit under the weather. Kevin and I have some sinus thing going on with headaches and sore throats. A has a little cough and runny nose. O has a headache, sore throat and fever. Fortunately we have zero plans for the weekend so today we stayed in our jammies, played games and generally took it easy (not hard to do when it is chilly and dreary out!). Tomorrow will most likely be much of the same.

I hope you're having a happy and healthy weekend!

Awesome Video!

2009-10-16T21:39:00.002-04:00

I saw this on facebook and think it is just so great. Enjoy & share!

http://www.wimp.com/freakymessage/

Fall Farm Fun

2009-10-13T13:57:00.004-04:00

This year we became members of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) by purchasing a share from a local farm. For the past 21 weeks we've been receiving a box of fresh, local vegetables every Thursday. We've always been fans of "fresh & local" by supporting our Farmer's Market (there is one about two blocks away from our home) but there is an element of surprise with CSA that we wanted to experience: you don't get to choose what you're getting! As a result we've enjoyed the standard vegetables (corn, asparagus, potatoes, beets, cabbage, beans, etc.) as well as those that we most likely wouldn't have purchased (kohlrabi, garlic scapes, tomatillos, bok choy and rutabagas).

This past weekend the family who owns and runs the farm where our vegetables are grown had a potluck dinner on the farm for all of the share holders. Even though the temperature was only in the upper forties, we had a super time! The afternoon started with real popcorn where kids were shelling dried corn on the cob and then popping it. That is awesome popcorn (even without butter and salt!!). Next came a walking tour of the farm and fields. My families' favorite part was picking (or trying to!) carrots and selecting pumpkins off of the vines (my happy, snappy camera batteries died after my carrot photos!).

Mean Mommy taking a pic of my dear O as she went flying onto her bottom when the carrot green broke with the carrot still in the ground!

Finally, there was the dinner. Each family was asked to prepare a dish to pass that included vegetables from their share. I made potato and fennel au gratin using fresh Yukon Gold potatoes, fresh fennel, and fresh garlic (along with gruyere cheese, half & half cream, and salt & pepper). The most creative dish was named Secret Chocolate Cake and it was made with beets!

After an afternoon in the cool, fresh air and a delicious dinner we headed home. It was no surprise to me that we all slept very well Sunday night!

1, 2, 3 Pinch Sniff

2009-10-09T14:21:00.003-04:00

Oh, my silly girls. Today we had an appointment for A&O's seasonal flu vaccine and they were so excited! They spent yesterday giving shots to their stuffed bears and babies, "1, 2, 3 Pinch!," the same way Blue gets her shot in the Blue's Clues book.

So we get to the doctor's office, take left arms out of sleeves, are all ready and the nurse walks in with the nasal mist flu vaccine! I seriously thought I was going to see tears because there were no needles! I quickly distracted their feelings of disappointment with Googly Grape flavored Lollipops and we headed home. Perhaps a band aid each to play with will help, too!

I knew this was coming

2009-10-07T20:37:00.005-04:00

Ever since A&O started preschool I've been hanging multiple works of art much more frequently. We've got paintings in the playroom, living room and kitchen, and collages in the dining room. I spied some sculptures drying on a shelf at 'school' yesterday when I picked the girls up. Where to put those when they make their way home?! I either need more wall and storage space or to be less sentimental. What the heck does a Mommy do with all of these Masterpieces?!? At this point I'm displaying each work for a week or two, then taking photos of them before taking them down and hiding most in the bottom of the recycling bin. But... some just tug at my heartstrings (those little hand prints!) and then those go into the growing pile on the floor in the guestroom. Maybe at the end of the year I'll weed through the pile and save a couple of pieces for each girl.

Did your parents save any of your artwork from when you were a child? If so, what did you do with it? If not, do you wish they had?

Another Year Wiser

2009-10-02T20:12:00.004-04:00

Yep, I had a birthday this week!

On my Birthday Eve I had to leave the house for a while so Kevin and the girls could bake some special cupcakes and wrap presents. When I returned home my little ones looked like they were about to turn inside out with excitement over the Birthday secrets they held. I awoke on my Big Day to hugs, kisses, a handmade card and presents wrapped with love (A&O hid the gifts under their beds so they would be easy to get to in the morning~ they were thrilled!) and the rest of the day was just as perfect. I am truly blessed.

I ♥ Faces... Blue

2009-09-28T20:57:00.004-04:00

If I'm ever going to really learn how to take great photos I've got to practice. I ♥ faces is a photography blog with weekly contests/challenges that I'm going to start entering. This week the theme is Blue. I've posted this 'happy, snappy' shot before and wish I could have had a new, technically correct photo to enter (with a focused face!), but I told myself I was starting this now, so here goes... Hopefully I'll improve as the weeks go on!

The Neighbors

2009-09-26T21:36:00.004-04:00

How do you like your neighbors? We are so lucky to have really wonderful neighbors. Tonight we had our next door neighbors over for dinner because they are moving. They've bought a great old house and have been working night and day renovating the place and it is looking super. I'd say we are going to miss them, but fortunately their new house is right across the street!

It is cool and rainy so it was nice to have the oven on warming the house a bit. First, I put a blueberry pie in the oven to bake while I prepped our meal. I'm usually not a casserole kind of girl but I chose an old family favorite, Chicken Divan (Or "Chicken for Dan" as my brother-in-law Dan would say). Add some rice and an arugula salad and we were good to go.

I think everyone liked it!

Ugh! It only took two weeks.

2009-09-22T14:08:00.004-04:00

Band-aid fun!

I know they say attending school will help build a child's immunity but I was hoping it would take a little longer than this. My dear little A caught a bug and didn't feel well all weekend. Sunday was the worst, with a fever and coughing. Monday was much better and she was able to go to school today. When I asked how the day was I heard about playtime, art projects, snack, and the little girl who threw-up on the rug. Lovely. I have a feeling we might be in for a rough weekend.

Change of Season

2009-09-22T13:57:00.004-04:00

Fall. I think it is my favorite season. Bring on the color!

While Mommy does the laundry...

2009-09-18T12:53:00.004-04:00

This morning while I was sorting clothes and throwing in a load of wash, A&O were busy in their bedroom. Apparently, they were getting their hair done.

After the fun of that wore off they made their way into our bedroom where I was folding laundry. Within seconds the laundry basket became a great source of fun.

It reminded me of when my big three year olds were little not-quite-one year old babes.

We've got relatives in town for a cousin's post wedding celebration so we've got a big family dinner tonight and the big celebration tomorrow night. What are your plans? Have a great weekend!

And Another First!

2009-09-16T21:07:00.003-04:00

Last week Tuesday was A&O's very first day of pre-school! In preparation we had a private meeting at the school the week before to meet teachers "Miss Sandy" and "Miss Ellen" and to see the classroom where all of the fun and learning would take place. We also made a paper chain to count down the days, so A&O were really eager to get started!

As hard as I tried to keep things super calm and orderly, the morning of the first day felt a little too rushed for my liking. We didn't get to take the official first day photo before we left the house, and once we got to school O wanted NOTHING to do with my camera. The best I could do were these shots from the front seat of the van!

Fortunately, our girls were happy (a bit shy, but happy) as we entered their classroom. I got a bit flustered when a boy in the same classroom clung to his father and screamed "DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!", but A&O found that scoping out the fun, new toys was more interesting. I actually had to interrupt them to get a kiss and hug good-bye!

Kevin (who took the day off from work) and I hung out in a lounge at the school for about 20 minutes just to be sure there wasn't any 'delayed separation realization' before heading home. I have to say it felt quite strange to be at home with Kevin and no children. That hasn't happened in over three and a half years! I was feeling emotional but did all I could to keep from falling apart. Kevin mowed the lawn while I did the morning dishes, made beds, and threw in some laundry. When Kevin came in to see if I was ready to head back to pick the girls up I took one look at him and I couldn't keep a few tears from falling. They are just growing up too fast! And with twins being my only kids it was like a double whammy!

We were thrilled to find our girls engaged in an activity when we arrived back at the school. They were happy to see us and excited to tell us all about their day. And there was even talk about going back. I'd call that a super first day!

Another First

2009-09-14T20:40:00.005-04:00

Last summer, after learning of Stephanie Nielson and her almost fatal plane crash, I began reading all of the archived posts on her blog NieNie Dialogues. I just love the way this woman views Life and her role as a Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister and Friend! I have bookmarked many of Stephanie's posts with the thought that I could borrow some of her wonderful ideas and incorporate them into my own family life.

One of those ideas is the tradition of a Family Back to School Feast. Since A&O were starting Pre-School I thought this was the perfect time to start our very own Back to School Feast tradition. Since we were dealing mainly with three year olds, I didn't go too crazy. I hope to create some special crowns that will be presented on Kindergarten Eve (with the thought of using the same crowns each year but adding a little something to them to remind them of each grade).

The table: brought out the good china!

Big half sister J (I'm thinking this is her debut on my blog!)

O enjoying her meal!

A loving her milk out of a glass goblet!

We all had fun and look forward to a great school year!

Firsts

2009-09-11T13:57:00.007-04:00

Television. Kevin and I watch it a little bit (we don't have cable/satellite) but not when the kids are awake. Our girls didn't watch tv until they turned three years old, and what they watch is limited to PBS/Think Bright. To ease the guilt I have for planting A&O in front of the tv so Kevin and I can get ready for the day, I like to talk with A&O about what they watched and tell them stories about things that they have done, just like the characters, so they can relate better to the story.

Last week the two shows that A&O watch had episodes where the characters experienced "firsts." In the one show, Nanalan, the character Mona got her first haircut. A&O watched intently, without taking their eyes away from the television. I think this was most likely because they had decided they wanted to get their hair cut for the very first time. The airing of this episode was perfectly timed. I quickly got on the telephone and made arrangements for my multi-talented sister to come over for the Big First Haircuts.

A&O couldn't have been any better for this big First. They sat still, followed all instructions, and enjoyed every minute!

We all loved their new styles and I was thrilled to see their curls still intact!

Blog Intentions Looking Better!

2009-09-10T13:36:00.005-04:00

My intention for this blog was to post a new post at least every other day, so I would be sure to capture the daily events in my girls' lives and their many developmental stages. Unfortunately those daily events have kept me so busy that by the time I had a moment to blog at night, all I wanted to do was put my feet up and relax. But... we've hit a new stage, a stage that I have dreaded (silly me!) called Pre-school. Today was the girls' second day and I have to say I already feel refreshed by having had almost 6 daytime hours to myself during the week! Today alone I got the beds made, laundry sorted and one load into the washing machine, made & ate my breakfast, started making dinner, made the girls' lunches, cleaned up the kitchen, packed up two returns and dropped them off at the UPS store and ran to the Co-op for milk and fruit! Looks like my evenings will be freed up a bit to blog. And maybe spend some quality time with my husband!! ;)

Yikes!

2009-09-03T22:11:00.002-04:00

Kevin almost walked out our front door right into this the other night. Eewww~ huge creepy Halloween spider and web 2 months early! Kevin grabbed a stick, swirled it around quickly like he was making cotton candy and relocated this fella to the street (at least I think that's where the stick ended up!). Spiders are not a favorite of mine!

It's September!

2009-09-02T20:43:00.005-04:00

Happy September! In my opinion the weather in our city couldn't be any more perfect this time of year. Summer is winding down with warm, sunny days in the mid 70's and the cooler temperatures at night (between 55-60 degrees) remind us that Fall is right around the corner.

Each year around this time the weather forecasters talk of predictions for the upcoming winter. Because we often do get some crazy winter weather, I tend to pay attention to these predictions. Just to be mentally prepared, I guess. Looks like it's going to get COLD around here!

I had to laugh tonight as I looked out the window while doing dishes. A&O must have been thinking about cold weather, too, as they pulled out their sleds to lounge on. Kevin bought them those fun whirling "T" toys on a recent walk past the toy store and they are trying their darnedest to get them to fly. A pretty much has it down, but O is still hit or miss with getting hers to fly.

A congratulations hug when O was successful!

Please excuse the poor photo quality. My little camera was closest to the action tonight!

Lovely!

2009-08-29T14:24:00.002-04:00

I found the blog Lovely List recently. Check out what Brandy is giving away!

I'm hoping the winner is Me!

Taking a 'breather'...

2009-08-25T20:27:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a week. We had a busy week last week leading up to a busy weekend. All was great but Kevin and I are dead tired and A&O are getting back on schedule after skewed naps and two nights in a row with sitters.

I hope you are well. I'll be back in a day or two...

Simple Pleasures

2009-08-17T13:50:00.003-04:00

After having this sitting around for the past year, it was finally installed: a retractable clothesline! I immediately hung the girls' swim towels and some clothes they stripped out of before dinner and I LOVED how it looked. My Mom always used a clothesline and I somehow equate it with "Home". The fresh scent of sun dried sheets and clothes...ahhh...

Good Golly its HOT!

2009-08-15T20:25:00.003-04:00

I can't believe summer decided to show up mid August. I'm certainly not complaining (although hot, humid nights can be tough in a 100+ year old house without AC). I want to get a good dose of warmth before the frigid air of winter comes plowing through. Off to make more ice!

Keeping cool at naptime!

Little Miss Fix Its

2009-08-14T21:23:00.003-04:00

We're doing a bit of work on our house right now. My Mom and Dad came over for the day on Wednesday to help out. Dad did some electrical work while Kevin continued working on our bedroom projects (look for details on that in a future post!). A&O were drawn away from outdoor play when they saw "Pop" carrying tools into the house. Lucky "Pop," he then had two little "helpers!"

Blueberries!

2009-08-13T21:32:00.003-04:00

We finally made it to the blueberry farm! Kevin stayed at home to work on a couple of house projects so my sister Nancy joined us. All decked out in belts to hold our buckets so we could pick with both hands (I should have gotten a pic of that!) we picked for a little over an hour. I knew it was time to quit when O announced that she had a tummy ache. I was surprised to see that A&O actually did put some berries into their baskets to bring home!

After dinner tonight my sister stopped by with piping hot Blueberry Crisp. We added a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and enjoyed!

Have you been berry picking yet this year? There's still time!

Thrills found elsewhere!

2009-08-09T20:20:00.005-04:00

I'm one of those people who like to have the dishes done, toys picked up and each room tidied before going to bed. I also like to have some vague plan for the next day. So last night I looked at the calendar, realised August is well under way and decided we had better go blueberry picking today before all of the berries are gone. I fell asleep with visions of enough blueberries to carry us through next July and humming Blueberry Hill.

Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans. It was hot and humid as I hurried everyone to get ready early this morning, with plans to get out of the house by 8:30 for the 45 minute drive to a wonderful farm that specializes in blueberries and Christmas trees! At the last minute I thought to call the farm to be sure of their business hours and got a recording stating they would be closed in the morning because of thunderstorms and to check back at noon to see if the weather had cleared. Ugh! Not the message I wanted to relay to two kiddos psyched to ~~eat~~ pick blueberries.

As if on cue the telephone rang. It was my sister Nancy who lives three blocks away. I told her my dilemma and she said, "I've got blueberries. Come over. I've got an idea!" Five minutes later we were in her kitchen and she was handing A&O mesh strainers and explaining that they were going to go on a blueberry hunt in her house. My sister and brother-in-law had hidden fourteen small cups of berries throughout the first floor of their house and the hunt was on! Five minutes later we had two very happy girls eating many blueberries (and leftover wedding cake from a wedding last night!). Thank you Nan & Dan!

We'll hopefully be going blueberry picking sometime this week. My mouth is watering thinking about blueberry muffins! What is your favorite thing to do with blueberries?

Best Friends

2009-08-03T21:26:00.003-04:00

This was taken on a recent trip to see my best friend in Cleveland, Ohio. A&O spent most of the evening hanging out on the swings, just like I did when I was little. I remember sitting on the swing set for hours, barely swinging, talking with my best friend. This reminded me of that so much! It warms my heart to know how close my girls are and how they refer to each other as each other's best friend.

Gold Digging

2009-08-01T14:08:00.005-04:00

Kevin recently received a postcard from a local jeweler advertising that they will buy our unwanted gold. Usually most bulk mail advertisements go right into the recycling bin, but with me not working I thought this might be another way of getting extra cash while weeding out the things we no longer use or need (I've been successfully selling baby things on Craigslist and clearing out!). We both dug around in some boxes in storage, found a few pieces of gold jewelry we knew we wouldn't ever wear that had zero sentimental value and headed to the jewelry store. Ten minutes later we had $400+ in our hands! Wooo-hooo!

I heart wooden toys, figurines, etc.

2009-07-31T13:05:00.003-04:00

I was introduced to a wonderful shop by the lovely Amy of The Progressive Pioneer. It is called The Wooden Wagon. The Wooden Wagon sells natural wooden toys (& figurines, ornaments, etc.) from Europe that remind me of the many lovely things that filled my grandparents' house. Even though I entered a giveaway that Amy is hosting for items from The Wooden Wagon, I couldn't stop myself from ordering some Christmas ornaments for my kiddos! Check it out!

photos courtesy The Wooden Wagon

Milestone!

2009-07-24T13:42:00.006-04:00

We reached a milestone this week: I removed the gate at the bottom of the stairs that was installed 2.5 years ago when the girls started crawling.

A&O at 18 months

While we were in Cleveland this past weekend we stayed with friends; friends who have older children so they don't have barricades throughout their homes. Within 15 minutes of arriving A&O noticed the staircases and were drawn to them. They must have gone up and down 50 times, just because they could. When Kevin and I were chatting with our friends and all was too quiet on the kid front, I found A&O on the landing of the staircase with pillows playing house with stuffed animals and barbie dolls. They loved it!

Once we returned home I thought about the reasons I still had the gate up (the main one being that I could move around the house knowing the girls were secure in a childproofed area) and realised that it just wasn't really necessary any longer. We still have a gate in the girls' bedroom doorway and another keeping them out of the kitchen/basement stairs area. I may be a couple of months before I feel I can remove those!

This whole "growing up" thing is moving way too fast!

A Favorite Thing!

2009-07-22T18:26:00.005-04:00

We drove to Cleveland this past weekend to visit my lifelong best friend (I think we're going on 40 years of knowing each other!) and my college roommate. This was a real test for us since it was by far the longest car ride we've taken the girls on. I'm happy to say all went well.

We left our house so we could drive a while and stop for lunch just about when we thought we would start hearing "are we there yet?" After eating a picnic lunch and stretching our legs we whipped out the world's greatest invention: Potty on the Go by Fisher Price. This thing is pretty compact (yet substantial), easy to use and comes with a handy storage bag that holds everything you'll need for a potty break. Since we have a mini van we can discretely have A&O use the potty almost anywhere, never having to worry about finding a restroom. I am also a bit of a germ freak and hate taking my girls into public restrooms because they are rarely clean and they seem to touch EVERYTHING!

Potty on the Go was particularly handy on our return trip when we stopped for gas, coffee and a potty break. We had one little person who was "having trouble going" and she ended up sitting on the Potty to Go in Tim Horton's parking lot for about 30 minutes before "things" got moving. I was so thankful that I wasn't stuck in a restroom stall holding her on a toilet that whole time!

If you've got little ones, I would highly recommend this portable potty chair!

photo courtesy Amazon.com

Falls & Fun

2009-07-14T19:51:00.004-04:00

Each weekend we try to do at least one fun outing, but that has been so hard to plan lately because it has been raining way too much this summer. Fortunately we live in a region full of summer festivals, not to mention major places of interest, so when the sun shines, spur of the moment planning almost always leads to fun, Fun, FUN!

This past weekend was no exception. With a major rain storm forecasted for Saturday morning, I kept my usual date with my favorite grocery store and did the week's shopping. Got home, put groceries away, fed the kids and then settled them for nap. As soon as the kids woke up the clouds broke up and as the sun started peeking out Kevin and I were bouncing afternoon ideas off of each other. Twenty minutes later we were in the van and headed for Niagara Falls, USA!

By the time we parked on Goat Island (part of Niagara Falls State Park) and started walking, it was gorgeous out! We walked up to Terrapin Point and got a close up view (a little too close for my comfort with two active three year olds!) of the powerful rapids and the Horseshoe Falls. Every so often the wind would kick up and we would get pretty wet from the spray, or mist, of the Falls (I was soooo happy I accidentally left my camera at home)! We walked along the park paths enjoying the views and the fun of people-watching tourists from all over the globe. We ate dinner at the Top of the Falls Restaurant and headed home happy.

The sun welcomed us Sunday morning so we hopped in the van right after breakfast and headed back to Niagara Falls, but this time we remembered our passports, so we crossed over to the Canadian side to the Butterfly Conservatory. We had never been to any place like this and were surprised at just how many butterflies there actually were fluttering all around us (and we had to be careful of where we stepped because they were on the ground, too!). Both girls were pretty frightened at first, but relaxed a bit as they saw butterflies landing on other children. So many beautiful butterflies! We exited the Conservatory, walked slowly back to our van through the lovely Botanical Gardens and made it home in time for lunch.

Quite a bit of fun for not having any plans!

Girlie Girls!

2009-07-08T20:38:00.005-04:00

When I was pregnant Kevin and I decided we did not want to find out the gender of the babies before they were born. This added such a fun element of surprise for us but it drove everyone else crazy! I REALLY believed I had two baby boys on board. So much so that Kevin and I only had boys names picked out.

Being the youngest of four girls with no brothers, I can easily say that I am much more comfortable around girls than boys. Because of this, and my deep feeling that I was having two boys, I was terrified about how I was going to handle my little baby boys. Obviously the most important outcome was that I had two healthy babies, but I was so completely surprised and thrilled when the Doctor delivered my precious baby girls. I think someone up above knew that it would be hard enough on me to care for two new babies, so they wouldn't throw the whole foreign male bit into the mix!

It has been so much fun watching our girls develop their own likes and dislikes. They are so different, yet they are so alike. Some days I think I have two daring tomboys on my hands and on others they couldn't be more girlie!

Today was a girlie day. Yesterday my sister painted A & O's toenails for the first time and they LOVE it! They spent much of Tuesday looking down admiring their feet (very funny to watch!). This morning I came downstairs to find them in their dress-up shoes, with toes peeking out, "going shopping". They looked so darn cute!

Rock-a-bye Baby

2009-07-05T21:25:00.005-04:00

It has been a long week. Full of fun, but long.

Up until a week ago Kevin and I were putting the girls to bed in our usual fashion (both of us on the floor in their room until they fell asleep). Unfortunately, the amount of time we had to be in their room had been increasing over the past month or so, from 20 minutes to over an hour. So... last Sunday, after 60 minutes on the floor, Kevin stood up and announced, "I have work to do. I can't stay in here any longer" and walked out. Both girls sat straight up in their beds, looked at me (I was stunned) and O said, "Mommy, you go too!" (stunned even more!). An hour and fifteen minutes later they were finally asleep.

Since that night Kevin and I give our Goodnight kisses and leave the girls' room. There have been many trips back up the stairs for reassuring hugs, potty runs, random questions, etc. The process is getting better but between the girls' new bedtime independence, some major late night thunderstorms and Independence Day weekend events causing later naps and bedtimes, the girls are at least 7 hours short on sleep for the week. For the most part they are doing better than I would expect under the circumstances, but when 'the moments' come, Look Out!

I'm all for fun, but I'm looking forward to a quieter week!

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T15:22:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday to our great country! Celebrated with a parade last night, picnic this afternoon, and possibly some fireworks tonight. Enjoy your weekend!

Is it really that bad?

2009-06-26T13:44:00.004-04:00

Yesterday the girls and I went to Target to pick up some barrettes and beach towels. As we were browsing through the Summer/Seasonal section (already on clearance!) we saw some cute place mats with big sunshine faces on them and I broke out singing the Raffi song Mr. Sun. My lovely Miss A looked at me and said, "Mom, please don't sing." The woman in the aisle with us burst out laughing. I hope she was laughing with me!

Summer Solstice 2009

2009-06-23T21:37:00.004-04:00

"Wow, it's really light out!" I thought as I walked downstairs at 9:00pm after getting A&O to sleep tonight. It wasn't until then that I realised that I completely missed acknowledging Summer Solstice 2009 (in person and on my blog). That might sound strange to some but where I live we often have pretty harsh winters that start early and last late, and darkness is upon us for way too many hours of the day. As a result we generally celebrate summer to the max!

So sorry to you, Summer, for not welcoming you properly! We're very happy to have you here & you're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like!!!!

Okay, so I'm a Mom...

2009-06-23T14:19:00.004-04:00

... and I think this is cute!

Weakness

2009-06-22T21:29:00.003-04:00

I went to my local Marshall's store this afternoon for 30 minutes of 'me' time and what do I see? Cute princess dress-up things that I just had to get. I came home with two Ariel costumes (because A&O had both said they wanted to be her for Halloween) and one Snow White costume. The Ariel costume wasn't much (mermaids don't wear much!) and I loved the Snow White costume (much nicer and more substantial). Both girls had to try on the Ariel costumes immediately but the netting ended up making their arms itch. As Kevin took over dinner making duties, A&O and I headed back to the store so the girls could have a look at all of the choices. They ended up with Snow White and Cinderella. They would wear them 24 hours a day if I let them. Soooooo cute!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T13:45:00.003-04:00

Friends of ours invited Kevin and the girls to a Father/Daughter Dinner Dance (Mommies attended in case of meltdowns and for potty trips~ we just slipped away to the Lounge for some wine until we were summoned by need). It was so much fun getting A&O dressed up and to see them dancing with their Daddy. We all had such a great time!

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad and my amazing husband. Thank you for all you do. I Love You both so much!

Week of deals!

2009-06-19T13:48:00.009-04:00

Have I ever revealed to you how much of a rush I get when I find a great deal? If not, I love, Love, LOVE getting a great deal (who doesn't, right?!?)! This past week has been a super week of deals for me. Take a look:

Awesome 2nd hand rotating teeter-totter in excellent shape: $25 (at least $149 new!!). A&O LOVE it! These were taken right after we unloaded it. They begged to stay on it even after it started raining. (Edited to say that I just something similar on sale in the KMart ad for $34.99. Maybe not such a great deal afterall!! The girls are enjoying it, though.)

Crazy shopping at the Sundance Catalog online outlet:

Super looking and super comfortable Canvas Drawcord Cropped Pants: $9.99 (from $78!!). They ran small so order up a size or two. I got them in the green and the red. Perfect for spring & summer. Trust me. You'll love them!

More super looking and comfy bottoms: Ripstop Cargo Shorts: $7.99 (from $45!!). Sorry, only tiny sizes left now. Love them!

Sundance Assam Tee: $14.99 (from $45!!). Perfect length long sleeves for the long armed gal that I am. Cozy and lovely. I wear it on cool nights now but it will be ideal for fall.

Brontosaurus Black Dinosaur: $9.99 (from $38!!). The perfect gift for a special boy turning 1 next week!

Then, a cyber friend from a Mommies Forum posted about a sale at a local footwear store. A, O & I checked it out and scored some Reebok sneaks for the girls: a steal at $7.50 each (were $42.99!!)

Lastly, an Estate Sale find. A Baby Lock Serger with an exterior in perfectly new condition but with a motor a bit rusty. It appears this was literally used once (misc tools and extra attachments still sealed in bags) and stored in a damp basement. Didn't work so $5 bought me this gem in hopes of fixing it. A good spray of WD-40 and now it is ready for all of the fabric designing ideas I have tucked in my brain!

Have you gotten any great deals lately?

Breakfast Conversation

2009-06-10T22:29:00.001-04:00

This morning I was in the kitchen cutting up fruit and the girls were eating their breakfast in the dining room.

A: "Mommy?"
Me: "Yeah"
A: "I didn't put food in my bellybutton"
Me: "Ugh"

My Little Fishies

2009-06-04T22:06:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite bloggers recently wrote a post about water safety called I don't mean to scare you. But.... Guess what? It scared me! As a result I got on the phone and enrolled my girls in swimming lessons at our local YMCA. They started last Saturday and LOVED it!

Before starting the class the kids sit at the water's edge and the pool rules are explained. The last rule was about telling the instructor right away if you have to use the bathroom. No sooner were the words out and my girls, in unison, say "I have to go potty!" One at a time we marched off to the locker room. I hate trying to slide a wet suit down my own legs, let alone the legs of a "freezing" toddler (x2!).

A class of paddling, kicking, and jumping can really wear a kid out!

Looking forward to the next lesson....

8 Years!

2009-05-26T09:49:00.005-04:00

8 years ago today I married the man of my dreams. I honestly can't imagine living this life with any other. He is absolutely THE one for me and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Happy Anniversary Kevin!

(Sad to say I don't have any current pics of us together on this computer! This one was from a trip to South Africa in 2005.)

I drank a beer... and I liked it!

2009-05-23T21:38:00.003-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I really dislike the smell and taste of beer. Taking the time to "acquire" the taste seemed to be a waste of time. And I'll never forget when my sister brought some beer over to my newly built condo to share with friends who helped me to move in and accidentally spilled two whole bottles on my brand new carpet (I swear I could still smell it the day I sold the condo and moved out 8 years later!).

Well... a visit to some friends' house today involved a wonderful and unexpected experience: Lindemans Lambic Ale (I had the Framboise). Have you ever tried it? This stuff is GOOD! Check it out and let me know what you think!

Have you tried it yet?

2009-05-18T09:18:00.002-04:00

I know I've already posted about this but I am just so excited about my delicious daily breakfast drink (yes, food excites me!) especially since the spring/summer growing season is upon us. The possibilities are endless! ...and my husband who does NOT like spinach is starting to drink them, too.

PS: I hope to be a little more regular with my posts.
:)

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T11:00:00.003-04:00

I thank God my girls chose me to be their Mommy. Today they woke to a small gift to celebrate Mother's Day. They are so loving and I am so lucky!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful Mothers out there!

A Little Raw

2009-05-08T13:56:00.011-04:00

I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis about a year ago. Several of my relatives suffer(ed) with it so I'm not too surprised, but it kind of stinks! In my case it presents itself as fluid on my knees. Within four days of a flare-up it is painful to bend, difficult to walk, and I have to go to my doctor to have my knee drained. Not fun. The good part about it, if there is such a thing, is that the flare-ups occur on one knee at a time, never both at the same time (hopefully I didn't just jinx myself!).

After several painful months I finally gave in and started medication that was to help relieve my symptoms. I say "gave in" because the medication I was prescribed is pretty toxic and has a lot of potential side effects. I did not want to take it but thought I needed it to improve the quality of my life during flare-ups. Three months passed and I was still having flare-ups, along with anxiety from being on the medication, so I stopped taking it. I started asking personal friends, cyber-friends, and various practitioners about alternative treatment and received the same advice from several: go raw!

Google research pulled up a lot of information on raw diets and as much as I want to be rid of my symptoms, I know I could not possibly go 100% raw (I love, Love, LOVE food too much!). I don't eat red meat but I do enjoy poultry and seafood. I also love my pasta, breads, and soups. But, thanks to this post from Progressive Pioneer (via her guest posting on Design Mom) it is easy to commit to eating a delicious raw breakfast everyday. I never thought spinach, banana and orange juice could possibly taste GOOD! (I usually add one or two other fruits to it but not always.)

Kevin and I have become members of Community Supported Agriculture (first delivery of fresh produce in two weeks!!) so we may even be able to have raw lunches as well.

I have also started using unfiltered organic vinegar, turmeric, fish oil and chondroitin/glucosamine in my daily diet. Although I still get some fluid in my knees, the flare-ups have been fewer and farther apart, it has been less painful and the fluid has been going away on its own so I haven't faced a needle since February 16! Woo-hoo! Fingers crossed that my symptoms continue to fade away!

Pearly Whites!

2009-05-01T21:17:00.004-04:00

I'm so glad we were finally able to say good-bye to the pacifiers. I'm happy to report that we've survived and the girls are sleeping better than ever without them!

Another 'first' took place this week when we took the girls to their first dental appointment. I was a little nervous about it and was prepared for a struggle but my two little big girls really impressed me. The appointment went exceptionally well!

I was on the fence about whether to schedule the appointment with my current dentist or with a pediatric dentist. We ended up trying out a pediatric dentist and I think that that decision made a world of difference. Although my dentist is kind and I imagine my girls would like her, the office is a very nice basic dental office. The pediatric dental office was NOT a basic dental office! There were huge, colorful butterflies hanging from the ceilings, fun things to touch and look at, and the hygienist we had must have been trained by Mary Poppins herself!

Each girl took her turn and left with a new tooth brush, tooth paste, and a special prize from the "prize machine". They loved it! When we got back home one of the girls asked, "Can we go back again soon?".

Why didn't they have dentist offices like this when I was a kid?!

Another milestone

2009-04-24T13:23:00.005-04:00

The girls had a doctor appointment Monday to check to make sure the last round of antibiotics had done their job. Thankfully they did. For the visit we saw a doctor we don't usually see and he questioned me on bottle use. O has never had a bottle and A weaned herself around 18 months but, guessing where he was going with the questioning, I admitted that my girls use pacifiers for sleeping. Apparently A's mouth is developing in a way that might require expensive orthodontic appliances if we don't quit the pacifier use immediately.

Considering that we have the girls' first dentist appointment on April 28 and I don't like being told that I'm allowing my children to do something that could cause them developmental harm, the girls and I had a talk on the drive home. Since they are big girls now, starting that afternoon they could just hug their 'pacis' during nap and at night (*note: Kevin was on a business trip and I was scared enough by what the doctor said to do this alone!). The plan was that on Wednesday night, when Daddy returned home, they would be putting their 'pacis' in a very special box and they would no longer use a 'paci'! I tried to sound really excited and it seemed to work. I was very surprised by how well A&O managed to just hold the pacifiers during naps. Nighttime was a little tougher in terms of the amount of time it took to fall asleep, but the pacifiers remained tucked under the covers the whole time. The real test was Wednesday night.

After one final suck on the 'pacis'

the girls slipped the pacifiers into plastic bags,

placed the bags in heart shaped puzzle boxes they received as gifts when they were born

and closed the lids.

After our very happy little ceremonial event the girls climbed into bed and, with reminders of our bribes of a special shopping spree at Target and a trip to the ice cream store, they eventually fell asleep.

**************

Wanted to add that A decided the perfect thing for her to buy at Target would be a red headband. O chimed in that she would like a green one. I really thought they would go for the $150 lifelike pony!

Later, while I was getting A ready for bed, she let me know that she thought she would also like a red bra to go with her red headband!