Monday, February 25, 2013

.....choosing where to dwell.........

....today was a tough day.....lots of over tiredness in the house.....plenty of whining, yelling, arguing, negative tones, not feelin' like sharin' attitudes......a few accidents that caused a lot of screamin' and demands for bandaids......and it all escalated to a swat on the tush for my oldest because sometimes a little has to understand the seriousness of disobeying.....

....but sometimes flipping through my daily camera roll gives me a dose of what I choose to focus on at the end of a day like today......I choose to dwell on the good.....the moments of time, although maybe brief; that were caught in a happy moment on a day that was enough to put me over.....


.....I said goodbye to my friend Eva two weeks ago tonight.....she died four days later and I am so abundantly blessed by how God granted me one last opportunity to be by her side.....Her funeral was on Thursday and she has been heavy on my heart for months, although especially now.....


.....I met Eva through a church event that I did with another friend......every Thursday we would set up the basement of the church and have stations of toys for littles......a book nook, a train track, a pretend kitchen, a baby doll area for the budding nurturers......mommas would chat and drink coffee and we would play with our children until it was time for a short bible story and a craft......week in and week out, it was just a handful of us from church, as we waited to see if any neighborhood mommas would join us.....it was discouraging that our event wasn't growing like we had hoped and there were many days we wondered why we continued to stick with it?.....

.....Eva walked in on a gorgeous spring day when I thought, certainly no one would show up to an indoor event; especially with a Manhattan blue skyline and warm weather after a brutal winter.....but she surprised all of us.....

.....I will never forget her sporty attire and how she pulled it all together so well......her converse were loosely laced, her sheer cotton scarf was wrapped stylishly around her neck and her skinny jeans had holes in all the right places.......he blond hair was pulled back effortlessly and her beautiful smile radiated the room....radiated it.....

......her blond boys trailed behind, unsure of the new place; but looking to their momma for cues that this new place would be safe, okay......even fun.....


....Eva came every Thursday from that point on and her friendship bloomed with all of us......she also got involved with our church and our bible study.....I am so humbled at how God used that event in the basement, which to us felt pointless; but to Him was part of his master plan.....he honored our efforts by knitting Eva into our group, revealing himself to her and giving her such a strong network of friends and family to hold her hand during the last two years of her fight with cancer.....

....Eva knew this and she chose to be thankful for it.....


......when I was a new momma of three in NYC, I remember Eva offering to help me get home from our church play date when Brody was a newborn.....Elsie was only a young three year old and Callie was a young two.....I only had two spots in the stroller and neither girl was thrilled about having to walk home......Brody was still too tiny to wear in my carrier and we had not bought our kick board for Elsie yet.......Eva asked one of her boys to get out of her double stroller so that Elsie could have his spot.......she walked my route with me, pushing Elsie and her youngest son; all while she carried Johnny on her shoulders for four blocks.....a win win for all....

.....people stared and she smiled back, but only between her encouraging words of how sleep would come again one day, I could do it with my eyes closed and when could she take my girls off my hands so I could have some quiet time around the apartment......

.....you see, Eva chose to find good in all things.....she made the decision to find the pure in the un-pure,  and she basked in what she did have, opposed to what she did not have.....

....she rid herself of joy suckers and instead, applied her efforts to choosing good, love, kindness and faithfulness.......


....she braved chemo until it stopped working.....coming off her 10 hour cocktail; only to read her boys a story at night, tuck them in and then catch up on the laundry.....the mundane things that most of us complain about were a state of mind for Eva.....she chose to find joy in every little thing.....

.....I miss her terribly, but am left not only with her memory; but the inspiration that there is beauty in all things.....

.....today, tomorrow and all days ahead, as long we we make the choice to find it......

....my ballerina turns four tomorrow and I have more cupcakes to frost.....


....how very blessed I am....

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" -John 11: 25

Saturday, February 23, 2013

....pan"cake" play date.....

....I have written many times about how our family throws birthday parties on the odd years......so far, it has worked well for us......big bashes at 1, 3 and most recently, 5......and quiet events with plenty of festivity for 2 and 4.....I am not sure it will last forever, but it is a good balance of showing our children that celebration comes in many forms.....

....some years, we do it big.....other years, it is a low key intimate way to ring in a new year ahead.....on the even years, the birthday child gets some special time with Momma and Daddy......we have seen Sesame Street live.....we have taken a little one to see the Macy's Day balloons being filled with air, we have had good meals with dialogue only revolved around the one we are celebrating.....

....this year, our blooming almost 4 year old performer wanted to see a real show, so we are off to see Mary Poppins before the famous nanny leaves Broadway for good.....

....and because I realize that half of the fun is blowing out candles and laughing with besties, we had a play date yesterday morning with 8 friends and I served pan"cakes"......


.....inspired by pinterest, I whipped up a batch of birthday pancakes......half flour, sugar and eggs and the typical other breakfast pancake ingredients; but with an additioanl few heaping spoonfuls of yellow cake mix added to the mix.....throw in a few colored sprinkles and you have yourself several littles cheering and begging for breakfast!.......


....now my photo did not turn out half as amazing as the one that initially inspired me......I had 11 excited babes waiting for the delivery of the sweet cakes and some frosting that was not the exact consistency I was going for.....so I snapped fast before the liquid sugar puddle began to drip and before my rowdy crowd turned into a full on brawl.....


....one thing is for sure, the birthday girl did not mind how the frosting turned out.....



.....and neither did any of our sweet and rowdy house guests......


.....the recipe is below for you to try this at home.....adults and littles alike will all savor them......

Cake Batter Pancakes
Dry Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cake mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Other Ingredients:
½ cup multi colored sprinkles
Syrup (or a Quick Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3-4 tablespoons milk)
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions:
Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Preheat griddle to 325º-350ºF and spray with non-stick cooking spray (or grease with butter).
When griddle is ready to go, add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Lastly, fold in the sprinkles. Scoop 1/3 – ½ cup portions of the batter onto prepared griddle, leaving space between them. Cook until bubbles start to form and bottom side is golden brown. Flip and cook until remaining side is golden brown also. Remove to a plate and cover until ready to serve. Repeat with remaining batter.

.....Enjoy!....


Friday, February 15, 2013

....the 11th Valentine.......

....we have stayed home for the last 11 Valentines we have spent together......our first Valentine's date was the night I learned Stefan could cook....he spent hours making a red sauce that was incredibly delicious and better than anything I had ever tasted at a restaurant.....since that evening, I vowed that for every February 14 we spent together; all I wanted was his cooking.....no restaurants with price fixes, no crowded waits; just the two of us at home making something out of our norm.....

....so after the babes were tucked and snoozing, he got to work.....

....last night was his first veal milanese.....he added an arugula, tomato and parmesan salad with lemon dressing.....

.....ah-mazing......


....I didn't have the same zeal for the kids' meal.....at 6pm, an hour past their usual dinnertime, I announced that they were having red and pink pancakes for dinner.....Momma wasn't prepared for as busy of a day as it ended up to be.....but no one was complaining about breakfast for dinner.....


....these are the easiest pancakes to make from scratch and the recipe can be found here......

....I hope your day was filled with love, great meals, smiling babies, cuddly pets, chocolate, an interesting book, good friends, handmade Valentines or whatever else makes you happy.....

....the Melting Pot giveaway goes to commenter #9, Sara H.....Ah, Melting Pot! Tim and I had the brilliant idea to go out to dinner there when Graham was just about 12 months old.... Just the age when they want to grab everything, of course! So we have a boiling pot and sharp sticks and a grabby baby and let's just say it was one of the least relaxing meals I have ever had! I think we would have a lot more fun there now that Graham is 3 :).....

....Congratulations, Sara! Enjoy your night of fondue!.....

....Happy three day weekend to all......

Monday, February 11, 2013

.....savoring and a fondue giveaway......

....we are still digging out of 20 inches of snow and the big joke in our house is that Daddy dodges all the good ones.....

....Stefan made it back within hours of the roads being closed when hurricane Sandy lurked a few hundred miles away.....he was forced to leave a business trip in Texas and could only make it to DC.......he had to drive through the first bands of the hurricane as it approached the coast in order to make it home to us.....for this recent blizzard, which was named Nemo, apparently; he was not so fortunate....poor guy had to wait it out in sunny south Florida with some clients and a fishing boat.....

....and so the kids and I holed up and waited it out.....



....we snuck out to play while Brody took his nap and it was a good thing we opted to leave him bundled in his crib......the snow would have devoured him.....my girls didn't make it out for too long, as their snow boots kept getting caught under snow drifts and we ended up wading through the snow in socks, frantically looking for boots that are too big.....

....so, we'll focus on the happier times before the wet feet.....


....the girls were in and out of the house, torn between wanting to have fun in the snow; but suffering from cold and wet body parts.....I focused on digging the car out and after an hour, my car was once again a bright, but slushy red.......shoveling snow is quite the workout and upon the last dig, I lay down to rest and I think I could have fallen asleep if it hadn't been for two little ones finding their way back outside to carouse me indoors so I could give them snacks.....


....and so I went....

....but not without Elsie testing out the snow lounging too.....


.....a few glimpses of how we have been savoring over the last few days......

......Weekly pizza parties.....

......my friend Gina and I alternate hosting and we pick one weeknight and break from cooking.......we order food, talk til we are hoarse and let our children tear up our houses......last week was my turn to host and I extended the invite to some other friends in the neighborhood.....there can never be too many little people running around my house and I love a full table......




.....although we may have to teach the boys some manners.....they ate the cheese plate that was designated for the Mommas....


....my waist line was grateful.....

.....new bunk beds.....

.....need I say more?......

.....our girls have been waiting for months for these beds and lately it is a race to climb in and have a spot of Momma or Daddy to lie down and read......

....sweetness for all......


.....Coach Adrian.....

.....in three lessons, this man has taught my girls how to swim.....face down, arms reaching and pulling,  and diving for rings......they are doing it all.....


.....fierce and fearless.....

.....I am awestruck by their bravery and for Adrian's ability to draw it out of them.....


....verging on four.....

....she is creative and hysterically funny......she is curious, adventurous and girly in a tomboy sort of way.....



.....there are moments when she takes my breath away and I have to pinch myself to ensure this is my life and she is really mine.....I call her my little runt since she has been the smallest of my litter.....two pounds smaller than both Elsie and Brody as newborns, but she can pack the punches.....she is changing into a little girl right before my eyes and in a little over two weeks, she will be four......


....and her brother and sister are equally as unique and lovable, too....raising babies doesn't get much better for me, even on the long days when the snow keeps us indoors for a long, long time.....


....fondue.....

.....this post is a good time to announce new sponsorship on this blog.....when I initially started this blog, the sole purpose was to document and archive the present time for our family....as our family has grown, my time has become scarce......finding time to blog has been challenging with the demands of three young children, their activities, having an active lifestyle, being an attentive wife and maintaining our home.......so with careful consideration and a solid plan, I have started to accept blog sponsorship.......

 ......my goal is to promote products, restaurants, art, events or anything creative that also meshes well with my family.......since this blog will always focus on my children and husband who inspire me daily, the sponsors will be choices that coincide with them.......

....fondue is one of my favorite ways to enjoy good food and conversation, so the Melting Pot was a perfect choice to be my inaugural sponsor.....


....one commenter will be randomly selected (random.org) for a $90 gift certificate to the Melting Pot......

.....winner will be selected Thursday afternoon at 1pm EST and will be announced Thursday night.....gift certificates are only being accepted for the Darien, CT, White Plains, NY and Westwood, NJ Melting Pot locations for this giveaway.....

....and with all of that to savor and enjoy, she said good night......

Thursday, February 7, 2013

....the DIY Valentine from a non DIY kind of gal......

....I attend a weekly group with several mommas on Thursdays and it is one of the highlights of my week.....I am always inspired by our discussions.....I laugh at the stories of other households, I learn new perspectives and find myself reflecting back on our group's conversation throughout the week.....my mentor momma, who facilitates our discussion, has said many times that each of our children has been given to us so that we may be stretched.....raising babies is not supposed to be easy.....and as much as I could spend time blogging about the serious stuff that can get a crowd of mommas into deep and spirited discussions; for now, I will keep it light.....

....Elsie is begging for french braids every morning......I am sweating at the thought of staring down at her golden blond, beautiful head of hair waiting to be woven.......I secretly sigh when I hear the question from her lips......I keep attempting; trying, pulling, combing through the hair to avoid lumps.......I shake it out and start over when I notice the braid is a tangled mess once I get to the bottom......

.....but I will not give up and this braiding thing is certainly stretching me......


....now, I assure you that when my mentor momma told us our children would stretch us, she was not referring to something as basic and simple as learning how to french braid.....however, there are deep stretches and warm up stretches and I know that these small bends are preparing me for greater flexibility......

.....both girls love to craft.......again, I am stretched......I do not like crafts.....the mess bothers me, I frustrate easily,  the store Michaels overwhelms me, opposed to inspires me.......crafting is simply not my forte.....and over the last three years since Elsie has been coloring, gluing, painting, sculpting, sprinkling and tracing; she always asks, want to do it with me, Momma?......sometimes I oblige, cursing the crafts in my head and wishing we could curl up and read a book instead and other times I tell her that I can not craft today.....

.....as Valentines Day glared at me when February rolled around and the conversations about stretching have hovered over my daily routine, I decided I would be the one to initiate something she loves.....

.....Elsie, do you want to make homemade Valentines cards this year?......

.....I wish I had a video of her response......

......the following DIY tutorial is for the mommas like me who need an easy, cute craft that doesn't leave glitter in your hardwood cracks for months, doesn't require a lot of concentration or skill and simply makes your children happy and ecstatic to address cards to the ones they love.....plus, you eat popcorn while you cut, trace, glue and tie.....I browsed pinterest a few weeks ago and found a cute pin that lists several Valentines sayings.....we selected one and thought of our idea.....

......I promise this is not a DIY that vows to be easy; when really, Martha Stewart would be challenged......I see those DIYs on pinterest all the time.....they are some of the most beautiful creations and I pin those ideas just to go back and look at them, not because I actually think I will do them someday.........gorgeous centerpiece ideas, DIY hair bows, hand made gift bags for parties, amazing creations in the kitchen of food manipulated to look like snowmen, daisies, or real watermelon ice pops......I know confidently that I will never be able to duplicate those details.....

....but this is the easiest Valentine craft you will ever do......


.....find some construction paper, scissors, glue, twine, a hole puncher, something circular sized proportionately to what you want for your card.......a pen, a few markers and some snack size pop corn bags......


.....we used a lid that also looked like a hot air balloon.....we weren't sure if our nursery school would allow us to attach the popcorn.....luckily, the popcorn idea was approved; however, the back up plan was to make our circle look like a balloon and the twine would be the string.....my waist line is lucky we can go with plan A, as we would have had a lot of popcorn left to devour for the rest of the winter.....


....we cut simple hearts out of construction paper and glued them directly to the card.....we changed the message style for each one, based on where Callie ended up glueing them......


....punch a hole in the card and the plastic popcorn wrapping, attach the twine to the card, tie to the popcorn and wollah!.....

....now that is crafting for mommas like me.....


.......here's the lesson.....

.....my girls could have cared less what the craft was....the fact I was at the table with them cutting, punching, glueing and chatting with my little ladies is all that mattered.....



......and the Valentines day cards are far from perfect......in fact, Callie proudly glued several hearts on upside down and thought her idea of flipping them was spectacular.....



.....as mommas, we will be challenged, stretched, stumped, awe struck and bewildered......and while this is all happening to us, all our children will notice is whether or not we were present.....

....Happy Valentines Day......

Saturday, February 2, 2013

....be mine, all mine......

.....it is hard to believe that February is upon us, as it is usually about now that I begin my spring count down.....this winter has not been very cold and it certainly makes a difference to have a yard as an outlet for the girls to get some fresh air while Brody takes his naps.....but February, oh February.....the month of love and the month that will mark four years since I became a momma of two.....despite the cold, I do love this month; although I think I would love it a bit more if I was taking a week or two enjoying Florida's sunshine......

......February is also the month when all of the summer camps in town are beginning their enrollment process, which has everyone talking about what to do with the kids for the summer.....now, I am certainly not judging the Mommas who choose camp all summer long.....some Mommas work, some have their hands full with new babies or caring for ailing family members......I learned a long time ago that each Momma has her threshold of what she can handle or wants to handle, for that matter......each family is different and what works for some, may not work for others......I am not opposed to camp, although only in moderation.....a day here.....a few days there.....a week of half days......

.....but there are so many options......so many places that are vying to entertain children.....there are the camps that promise to educate our children so they are completely prepared for Kindergarten......there are soccer camps, swimming camps, sailing camps, gymnastics camps.....the list goes on.......and possibly this camp idea is new to me since I never went to camp as a kid......I played......I swam.....we went to the beach......we had "wonderful Wednesdays" with my Mom when we would go on a special adventure.......we built forts, we raced our bikes, we had car washes in the driveway, practiced gymnastics in the front yard or picked lemons and limes and sold them on the corner for five cents each.......summers are what we lived for and I want my kids to have the same memories......

.....certainly, there can still be fond memories if they are spent in camp.....I know many adults who have warm and sentimental memories from their camp experiences......I suppose my disdain for being on a constant schedule doesn't help the cause.......but the truth is, I think that playtime around the house, with neighbors, at the beach and and with good friends is essential for creativity......I don't want to start the habit of having to be enrolled in an activity to have fun.....ballet, gymnastics, art and swimming lessons have been great classes that we have taken over the years; but for our family, it all has to be balanced....and summer camp would make our scale lopsided.....


....is it tempting to send the kids off while I can get some much needed only one kid on the hip errands done?......yes, absolutely.....but then I would miss out on watching them truly play......



....or better yet, the joy of actually playing with them.....




....and honestly, the times when I am the least inspired are usually the weeks when I have not fully engaged with my kids.....it is when we are busy with routine, haven't carved out enough time for play and have missed out on time with friends for all of us......their social desires to interact with new pals are not met and my opportunity for connection with my Momma friends leaves my well dry......I tend to show up to my blog on weeks like that, expecting to capture a snapshot of our life; and I end up staring at the screen with a lack of words or emotion.....


.....as exhausting as the moments with my children can be, they fuel me.....they ground me, and they remind me of the many ways for which I am grateful......



....the unstructured days with my babies are the ones that I enjoy the most.....and because of that, I simply don't want them in camp all summer.....I hope I make it worth their while and they look back on good memories spent together in the summertime.....a combination of friends, a full house, late summer nights, lazy mornings, road trips, playing in the rain and wiping the salty, sticky smell of sunblock off their skin at bedtime.....

.....and I hope for stolen moments with my babies one on one.....



....I am feeling protective and emotional about my children this week.....I registered Elsie for Kindergarten and sometimes it is the small acts in my responsibility and routine that stop me in my tracks.....

.....she will be spending most of her time here from age 5 to age 10.....


....and I am already feeling the need to hold her a little tighter, as it is only a matter of months before she is no longer all mine.....


....I also tend to feel a bit more sentimental when I am being blasted by cupid's arrow......

.....and speaking of love, what are your plans for Valentines Day?.....if you are local, consider a night of fondue.....The Melting Pot is offering a special menu the week of February 13-17th.....if you haven't tried fondue yet, it is an experience you will thoroughly enjoy.....


....we are certainly preparing for homemade cards, red hearts, pink accessories and enough chocolate to our heart's content.....



.....be mine......

.....she is mine......

.....and I plan to keep her to myself as long as I can......