Thursday, November 29, 2012

.....for every season turn, turn, turn......

......Elsie's 5th birthday was heart warming and her celebration continues as we shimmy and shake our way to her disco party this Saturday.....there will be more to come on how she has welcomed the ripe old age of five.....

......but tonight, however; I sit down at my computer to reflect on seasons for a moment.......over the next two and a half weeks we have 7 trips planned to the city.....we will be celebrating birthdays, recognizing Christmas, and holding tradition near and dear to our hearts.....now, before I pour my love out for my NYC friends, I want to acknowledge the women who have shown our family such grace in CT......we have truly been welcomed with open arms and it has been so uplifting......I am encouraged by those we have met and know that there are new besties that will come from this quaint little town......but as a good wine needs its time, so do these friendships......

......tonight was trip one of the seven trips.......

.....and the bar has been set high......

.....shortly after arriving back to NYC and retracing old steps on familiar sidewalks, my girls were silently whispering to their friends amidst the excitement of seeing a movie together to celebrate sweet Violet's big day......two blocks over, I gathered at a round table on the upper west side with baby boys and old girlfriends.......we toasted and we laughed.....we broke bread, we shared stories, we cried, we listened, and we nodded at each other encouragingly.......and when the 90 minutes was over, I was well fed......mind, body and soul.....

....no, we don't see them daily; but the monthly visits are gratifying.......we have certainly made our fair amount of trips back since September and alternatively, we have already been fortunate enough to have had two sets of NYC visitors within one week......



.....the girls have been ecstatic about our guests and the reunions remind me of the best things about new chapters......

.....you blend a bit of the old with the new......and over time, the chapters begin to tell a story.......

.....a story that has sweet parts and sad parts; just as there is always a fair share of joy, pain, anxiety, bliss, and chaos throughout a good read.....



....there will be sickness and health, love and indifference, happiness and suffering, silence and chatter, clarity and confusion.......


.....our lives are told in seasons and for some of us, the season is welcomed and for others, we want the season to pass.....

....and for the friends that I huddled with tonight, well; they need the season to pass.....




.....so they can see hope in the break of a new day......


.....we have been fortunate that our chapter has been a good read this year.....many points in many chapters that were full of suspense and grand turning points, but a good end to an extremely action packed chapter......

....we have been blessed with a healthy home and thriving children who have rolled with many firsts......change that at times felt scary and unclear for all of us, but bestowed upon us a new way of life.....

....and as our story is unfolded, as your story also takes its course and for many of our friends who are all facing their own season; their own chapter that is filled with so many emotions.......we need to need each other.....




....a new season is coming, dear friends.....the sun is setting on fall.....and with winter, there will be rest, hibernation, self reflection, and cozy places to burrow until it's time to spring into something new.....a chapter waiting to be unfolded.....


....grab the ones you love and hold on tight for the ride....


.....thankful for my old.....


.....embracing my new.....

     Elsie- PreK house project

....love you very much Davian, Sara, Julie and Cristen......

Friday, November 23, 2012

.....the one who made me a Momma.....

.....Thanksgiving Day.....

.....I have loved the holiday even before she was born.....besides Christmas, minus the commercial side of the it, Thanksgiving has always been a favorite.....and five years, 8 months ago, the Dr. told me our baby's due date would be Thanksgiving Day.......

......perfect.....

.....after a miscarriage, the heart break that followed and then the many months that passed before we were able to conceive again; there wasn't a more tender day out of the 365 days of the year that was better suited for the arrival of this child.....

.....and the day after Thanksgiving, one day passed her due date, the contractions began......and when she took her first breath and they passed her to me, also revealing that this miracle child was a baby girl, I changed.....

.....and I will never be the same.....




.....and now when the anticipation of Thanksgiving arrives, I am immediately brought back to the time when I was awaiting the arrival of my first baby.......I can still remember everything so vividly when I close my eyes.....the electricity in the city, the colors that changed late in Central Park that year, the cold snap that arrived the night she made her grand entrance into the world.....

......combine that with the love of cooking in my kitchen with traditional and new recipes surrounded by my family and good friends and I become one sappy soul the third week of November......

.....yesterday was good.....yesterday was comfy.....yesterday was the five of us settling in on day five in our new house......and we celebrated by pushing all the boxes and chores aside and we whipped up a traditional feast that Stefan and I loved......the kids?.....well, they liked the store bought rolls......so maybe next year......


.....although, the girls loved being helpful in the kitchen.....as the two of them pulled dried wheat bread apart, I heard them have an exchange that went something like this....."Elsa, I LOVE you"......laughter......."Cal, I love you too"......"this bread tastes yucky"......"should we ask Momma for a better snack?".......silence.....laughter.......both of them in front of me two minutes later asking for some Halloween candy.......



......be still, my heart.....

.....not that the exchanges always go like that.....lately, it's been a lot of arguing, so I was pleased they decided to love each other on the day of thankfulness......

.....it was a slow day.....the girls were in and out of the kitchen......Brody made his pit stops to pull out the sippy cups and plastic plates from all the drawers beside where I was working and Stefan would swing in to help cook.......then he'd flip though the channels to find a good game on for a bit until he and the kids decided to make the mother of all tunnels with our lingering boxes......



.....and for as much hustle and bustle as we have had lately, I can tell you that it was nice to spend some time alone in my kitchen.......it was heart warming to hear the kids play one room over, to be able to concentrate as I tried to pull the traditional meal together (I have not cooked Thanksgiving in 8 years since we usually spend our day at the parade).......and to have space, sunlight and a full, noisy, good smelling, happy home was so gratifying.....





.....actually, it was perfect.....




.....and what is even better is that tomorrow, we get to celebrate Elsa......putting her to bed tonight reminded me so much of being a child and the extreme excitement that is ignited by having a birthday.....her crown is ready to be adorned for the day......and she has already asked all of us to please call her "birthday girl" all day long......

....anything for you, babe.......

.....sweet dreams.....


.....the last five years of my life have been so fulfilled.....heavy with joy and laughter, yet also plagued by the temptation to worry constantly.....you are my blessed child, Elsie.....you are a ray of sunshine and a compassionate soul who loves others deeply........a giver, a pleaser, a competitor, a winner, a leader and a follower......a listener, yet a conversationalist.......a thinker, a fact finder, and a girl with a quest for knowledge.....a lover and peace maker.....an independent and bright, sweet beautiful girl who loves time alone, just as much as you love being with your your best friends.....






.....see you in the morning, sunshine....can't wait to celebrate you turning five......

.....thank you for being the one who made me a Momma.....

....I love you.....

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

.....new look, new face and rock the vote part 2......

....I have learned so much about myself in the past year....one thing for certain is that I do thrive on busy, crazy and hectic times because it is through the chaos and bustle that I fully submerge only to savor and relish in quiet.....I enjoy managing and prioritizing a hectic household, yet I also enjoy a peaceful evening with my babies snuggled beside me and Stefan wedged in the middle of us all.....I completely disengage from any distractions and it is in those moments when I am completely present......

......I am a libra, after all......and although I do not know anything about astrology or follow horescopes, I do know the the libra sign always has a scale to sum it up in one picture.....ebb and flow, baby.....ying and yang....it's a balancing act and Momma does love to balance.....

.....in between packing, moving, unpacking, organizing, preparing for Thanksgiving and prepping for Elsie's fifth birthday on Saturday, I also decided this blog needed a facelift......it also needed to tell a better story and accurately describe who we are as a family.....so my talented, patient and creative set of other eyes, Jacquelinne from Smitten Blog Designs managed to make the changes and did them beautifully.....

....I humbly introduce you to Our blessed beautiful suburban story and credit my old high school friend, Nikki who emailed me with some new name ideas upon our recent move out of the city......I don't know how she has time to think of creative names for my blog when she just had a set of twins, adding two more boys to her family of (now) six is beyond me......just another Momma in my life that I admire, respect and draw to for inspiration......

....I am thrilled with the new look and the new name, but plan on keeping the same family, same content and same adventures for those who choose to check in and read.....

....I am also thrilled to announce that Circle of Moms has nominated this blog for another category in the Mommy blog world......thank you to those of you who voted for me in the Top 25 NYC Mom blogs.....we won that category and now we have been recognized for Top 25 Family blogs....I would love your support as this blog continues to gain readers, introduces me to other Mommas in the blog world and allows me to capture this precious time with my children.....

....you can vote once per day until Nov. 29, 2012....



....thank you for your support, for reading and for sharing your life with me too.....

.....savoring it all......

Friday, November 16, 2012

......home at last.......

.....the five hard working movers just pulled out of the driveway......we have three exhausted, yet giddy babies tucked in bed adoring their new bedrooms even as they dream.....the girls told us a million times tonight how happy they are.....the empty house echoes the sound of laughter and excited little people planning on where their belongings will go as we begin the unpacking process tomorrow.....


....we made it....we are finally home.....

.....there will be big things to come in this little place we now call home.....God is so good and His blessings are abundant.....

.....the kitchen boxes are begging to be opened so I can fill empty bellies in the morning.....

.....more to come.....

Sunday, November 11, 2012

......let it slide.....

.....within 9 days, we had a hurricane and a Nor'easter.......crazy weather that has paralyzed routine, devastated families, inconvenienced many and taken our fall season to a temporary screeching halt; leaving us startled and wide eyed at an early taste of winter......


.......school was canceled for a week after the hurricane and we began this past week with delayed start times......somewhere in between, Halloween came and went; being postponed and re-planned so many times that we threw in the flag and stated we were happy with the trunk or treating we were able to squeeze in.....

.....with such a break up in schedule and limited resources in our proximity, since most of southern CT lost power; we bunkered down and tried to make each day special in its own way......the girls love to help me cook, so we made the first batch of *butternut squash soup.......


....it never fails to warm the belly and I don't hesitate reaching for seconds because it's delicious without adding heavy creams or butter......the recipe is at the bottom of this post.....

.....we have crafted, read extra books, stayed up late and I have let all good, healthy habits slip down the tubes......we have eaten breakfast for dinner and had our dessert for breakfast......as the snow blew in, the girls quickly remembered the tradition that we started last year......

......the first snow of the season brings a special morning to kick off the snowy time of year.......

.....ice cream sundaes for breakfast...... 



.....Elsie wasn't in a sundae mood, so she and Brody opted for Italian ices......


.....and clearly, I am not too focused on table manners in this temporary living situation either.....I think my little man spends more time on the top of the table than pulled up properly in his booster seat.....



.....as if snow isn't enough of a high for toddlers and preschool aged children, the addition of dessert for breakfast ignites the same amount of excitement as if we were going to Disney World.....



.....and they could hardly wait to play......


....Elsie didn't care that she was soaking wet when when she was finished playing.....all of her water proof snow gear is still packed up since we are on our last few days of living in limbo.....if she had the chance, she would roll, scoop and stomp in the snow all over again; only after she made a row of floating snow angels, however......gear or no gear, nothing matters when the first snow day arrives.....


.....and not much else matters to me regarding order in the home since we are in countdown mode.....

.....we move again in five days and it will feel so, so good to finally be settled.....we will have endured 10 months of uncertainty......eight months of showing and maintaining a spotless NYC apartment and trucking the kids up to CT to look for homes......challenged mostly by keeping their hands off other people's belongings (the first time I took Elsie with me to a home, she was sitting on the couch eating a banana she found in their fruit bowl within 2 minutes)......the last two months we have spent living in a temporary apartment so we could be in CT by the time school began, only to find the house two days later.....

.....so with that kind of timing, Stefan and I banned all unpacking from the temporary apartment and for the last 8 weeks, we have searched half taped boxes for the raincoat, humidifier, winter clothes, brown fall clogs, coral hand bag or casserole dish that I just have to have at that moment.....it is usually a half frantic search, as I always seem to identify an item I have to have on the way out to school.......my clothes are separated in three different closets, so I make three pitstops to pull on my under garments, my jeans and lastly, my top; ultimately meaning I walk around half naked most of the time.....so in the spirit of finding the silver lining of living like nomads, Stefan will miss the half naked part of this living environment......

.....ultimately though, with all of the messy chaos and disarray for this type A, organized, counter cleaning soul; all I can do is let it go and relish in the last few days of living without order.....and there is something liberating about that, too.....so in our last weekend of temporary living, we are savoring our last moments of our NYC transition.....

....we eat a lot of left over Halloween candy.....


....we have dunkin donuts for breakfast when it isn't even a weekend....


.....I allow Elsie to craft, color and work on her book anywhere in the house.....eventually leading to marker scribble scrabble on the floor, walls or couch when Brody comes in like Swiper the fox and sneaks off alone to assert his territory......we sure do talk about our future playroom a lot, but for the time being; I say sure to whenever and wherever she wants to work......


.....over the last few weeks, I have thought to myself, if I am going to let order and routine slide over for mayhem and disarray, why not do it whole heartedly?......I will enjoy getting the family back on track with healthy habits, having a place for everything, creating better morning and night routines, and assigning new roles for my little helpers to keep the house up.....for now, though, we are enjoying our small moments and basking in the excitement of moving our family of five into our first home.....

.....although, apartments will always be near and dear to our hearts.....


....Brody hides when he has been caught sitting on the glass table, bathing his fully dressed self in the bathroom sink or after he has colored something other than paper......

....I think I may try this trick and cover my eyes for the next 5 days and hope that by the time I open them, all will be done and ready for the movers.....


....no such luck.....

.....and lastly before I go collect my scissors and masking tape, thank you to all of the men and women who gladly serve our great country.....


.....our family will certainly take time today to give thanks for all the service and sacrifice so many others make for our freedom.....

*Butternut Squash Soup
-1 3-5 lb squash
-2-3 Cinnamon sticks
-Nutmeg
-Salt and pepper
-6 garlic cloves diced
-1 medium onion, chopped
-64 oz of chicken broth or stock
-Oil oil

Cut the squash into small pieces and place skin side up/flesh down on a cookie sheet. Pour water onto the cookie sheet so that the water covers the cookie sheet in its entirety. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until squash is soft. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, while squash is roasting, toss garlic and onion in 2-3 T of olive oil. Simmer until translucent.

Once squash is cool, cut the tough skin off the squash. Roasting squash in the cookie sheet will make this very easy. Add squash to the garlic and onion and toss over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 32 oz of chicken broth or stock (I like stock better because I find it to be more binding, but either will work). Add 2-3 cinnamon sticks. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Let all of this simmer for 30 min on low heat. 

Blend ingredients together. (I use a hand blender, but you can also pour into your stationary blender). Add broth or stock as you blend for desired consistency. Remove large chunks of cinnamon sticks. Add more spice based on your personal preference. 

Serve with a warm baguette or a tossed arugula salad with cherry tomatoes.

Dairy free, Vegan and low fat!

Delicious!