Yummy Lasagna!

For our New Year's Eve dinner party (that unfortunately didn't happen because our friends and their kids got sick), I made my famous lasagna. I have always loved lasagna and it has become a bit of a specialty for me. It can easily be converted into a meatlovers meal, but considering we're vegetarians, this is how I make it:
1. Use whatever veggies are available in the fridge and need using up.
- Today I used 2 large cloves of crushed garlic, half of a large onion, the rest of the red and orange peppers (a bit more than half a pepper), 3 carrots, and 8 ounces of mushrooms. Soften veggies in the frying pan with a bit of oil.

After the vegetables are soft, add the marinara sauce.

2. Boil 12 lasagna noodles and drain when soft.

3. Mix cheeses together with one egg - I used a tub (15 ounces) of ricotta cheese, 2 cups of mozzarella/parmesan/italian cheeses with whatever was left of the cheddar I shredded and put in there too.
4. Layer the lasagna
- Put sauce on the bottom
- 3 lasagna noodles
- 1/4 of the cheese mixture
And continue with the layers (4 layers total = 12 noodles)


Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour.
ENJOY this yummy, delicious lasagna in large quantities!

Christmas 2009

Here's a belly picture of me and "baby sister" on Christmas Eve - I'm 20 weeks in this pic!

Christmas Eve we spent as a family of three (and a half). We went to church at 5pm and then came home to make a yummy dinner. We opened our Christmas Crackers (an English tradition in which we pop open a cylindrical tube to find a paper crown, a small toy, and a usually not-so-funny joke to share) and read the Christmas story in Luke 2.


Chloe and Daddy after we popped open our Christmas crackers on Christmas Eve

Christmas Day we opened presents with Will's family via Skype. They got to share in the enjoyment of watching Chloe open all her fun presents. We even got a special treat - we got to talk with Chloe's great-grandparents!


Chloe looks so sweet all dressed up for Christmas!

After Skyping with Will's family, we headed toward my hometown. My mom's side of the family is so large, the only place we'll all fit is a rented hall so that is where we celebrate Christmas. The kids had fun running around and we even had a visit from Santa! Chloe was not so happy with Santa and said, "No yike Santa," and "Santa's scary." Needless to say, she did not sit on Santa's lap this year :)


Chloe playing with Grandma!

Later in the afternoon, we headed toward my parent's house. The roads were icy, so it took us a while to get there. That was fine with Chloe - she napped until we arrived at Grandma and Papa's house! Christmas evening, we opened presents and had a fun time with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew!




Hugging Madeline - a gift from Grandma


bath paints from Auntie


Very excited about Elmo bubble bath!


Trying out Papa's new winter hat!

IT'S A GIRL!!!

We trudged through the snow, which was a big task considering they hadn't plowed our street yet, and made it for our scheduled ultrasound! The baby was moving around a lot during the appointment (could it have something to do with the Christmas cookies I consumed before leaving??) so the pictures are a little blurry. Nevertheless, we got to see pictures of our precious little one. She has 10 fingers and 10 toes, her heart, kidneys, stomach and mouth all look great, she weighs approximately 12 ounces and the estimated due date is May 13th. Because of all the movement, the tech couldn't get a great shot of in between the legs so she had me go to the bathroom to give the baby more space to move. That did the trick! When I came back, the baby was in a new position and we got to see that she is a girl!!! I was so sure it was going to be a boy, it took me a couple of hours to digest this news, but I'm glad we found out now rather than when she arrived in May! Wow, another girl! I can already picture my little girls in tutus and tights preparing for their dance recitals :)












Have a wonderful, warm and wintry Christmas!!

15 week check-up!

I realize I've been neglectful of the blog since I started my new job, but I will try to post more often now that we've all gotten into the routine of things! A few things to look forward to:
The Yates' visit to the US - pictures to post
What it's like being a mommy with a full-time job outside the home (the good, the bad, and the in-progress)
The fun things Chloe is doing!
And updates on the new little one. We should find out the sex in 4-5 weeks!

After work today, I went in for a 15 week check up. Most mommies don't go in until 16 weeks, but with next week being a holiday, I decided to go a week early :)
Despite very few of my regular clothes still fitting, I have only gained 3 pounds. I'm not sure how the math on this one works out considering the massive amount of food I consume in one day and the fact that I have to wear prego pants, but according the the scale, I'm only up three pounds. My blood pressure was higher than it normally is (even during my pregnancy with Chloe) 124/74 but still in the normal range. I had a salty lunch so that may be the cause of the higher than normal for me BP. My fundus is measuring 15cm so the expansion of my middle is right on track! And then, for the most amazing sound, I got to hear the heartbeat of the little one!!! It's beating about 152 beats/minute. The only complaint I have is these headaches that won't seem to go away. My doctor suggested that the source of my headaches is dehydration and I think she's probably right. I don't get headaches on the weekends because I'm on my own schedule and can have all the water I want and go to the bathroom whenever I want. Unfortunately, as a teacher, I don't have that privilege! But, I will try bringing two water bottles with me during the day to see if that improves the pain in my head!
The very last part of my check up was the H1N1 vaccine. Even though I probably already had it, the doc said it wouldn't hurt if I got the vaccine just in case. So, a poke later, I got to leave.
Look for another baby update in four weeks!

H1N1?

Sunday evening, driving home for our old/new church, I got hit with the nasty virus! Chills, fever, bodyache, sore throat, and ready to conk out, I had a few bites to eat for dinner, filled the hot water bottle, and went to bed. Monday morning, very very early, Will flew to the east coast to do some filming which left a very weary me home with Chloe. Thankfully, daycare is already paid for, so that's where she went for the day. I, however, watched an episode of Gilmore Girls and slept all day, getting up in the afternoon to shower and then have another rest.
I took off work Monday and Tuesday and will hopefully be back at work tomorrow. So, does this mean I have H1N1? And if I had H1N1, then do I have to get the vaccination?

A bit of an update

So, how did I get myself into this situation? It all started on Wednesday, Aug. 26 when I was going out of my mind crazy with two uncooperative toddlers running around my house. Then a phone call from a school wondering if I was still interested in the reading teacher position. YES! I am still interested, thank you for calling! So, how about an interview tomorrow? Ummm.. well, my in-laws are flying in and I need to coordinate with my husband and I have two toddlers to keep in mind....so sure! Let's say 1pm, enough time to put the girls down, drive to the school, interview and be back in time to kiss my husband as he walks out the door to drive to the airport to pick up his parents. Whew!
Thursday comes and the interview goes very well. The in-laws arrive on US soil safely, although wearied from their long journey. I give the heads up to the family I currently nanny for about the job interview and potential outcome.
Friday morning 8am: I get a phone call asking if I'm still interested in the job because they thought I was a perfect candidate and wanted me to join their staff. Yippie!!! But, you want me to start when? Monday morning? I have two toddlers to keep in mind. And my daughter's birthday is on Tuesday and we already bought our tickets for the State Fair so I'll definitely not be in that day. But okay, why not?
The hunt for daycare begins. Unfortunately, the place we had in mind that we found in the spring no longer had an opening. Crap. Now what?
Monday comes and I go to work for the first time in over two years. Strange. I can't remember the last time I was away from Chloe for this long. Definitely bittersweet. Blessing #1: Thankful to have a job, one that is really a dream job for me, but missing my baby.
Blessing #2: to have my in-laws here! They were super at volunteering to watch Chloe during the day. We had to give them a lesson about how to put on a diaper (it had been a few years....) but once they figured that out, they were ready to play! When I got home on Monday, they were exhausted. They were definitely not used to chasing a toddler all day!
Blessing #3: the family I nanny for already had childcare set up for this week and then they were going on vacation at the end of the week.
Frustration came and doubts were flying in my head about if this was really the right thing to do especially as we continued to call and visit daycares/preschools and either they had no space until January or we visited and it didn't feel right.
Blessing #4: Two weeks into my job, Chloe finally started full-time daycare at a place we love and it's close to our house.
She is adjusting well and flourishing in her new daytime setting. She has already made lots of friends and her vocabulary is already expanding. She gets along well with everyone and is such a loveable little sweetheart. The only bump we've faced is naptime. Today and yesterday she finally took a decent nap but prior to these two days, she had only been sleeping from 40-60 minutes and by 6pm was a total bear!
Oh, and with all this other stuff going on, did I mention that I'm taking a Tuesday night class to finish my reading license?

JOB!

Yes, that's right, I finally got a job! The classes I've been taking at Hamline to obtain my Reading Specialist license have paid off and I am now a full-time primary reading teacher!!! I applied for the job about two weeks ago, got a phone call on Wednesday, Aug 26, interviewed Thursday, was offered the job Friday and started Monday! Thankfully, my in-laws have been visiting this week and along with my husband's lighter work schedule, they have coordinated taking care of our sweet little girl. I'm very excited to start working with the first grade students on Tuesday!
Now, there's an issue of daycare/preschool. What a task! We have called what feels like hundreds of places and have visited several with no prospects. We're visiting a Montessori school tomorrow and two Christian daycares on Tuesday so hopefully one of those works out as we start school on Tuesday....

City Slickers invade the Horse Town

A friend and co-worker of Will's invited us to a state park yesterday to go for a ride on his horses! It was perfectly beautiful weather and we had a lot of fun playing outside. Will and Mark took a two and a half hour trail ride with the horses and Chloe and I just took a stroll around the grassy area. For your viewing pleasure, here are a few pictures!
Daddy and Chloe petting Dusty

Will on Daisy Mae

Where Chloe and I hiked


Chloe resting after our hike

Chloe and Mommy riding the horse

What a great day we all had!

Babies on the brain

This is what I've been thinking about lately

Click here to view these pictures larger

My darling daughter will be two years old in just eight days and I cannot fathom the idea!! When she turned one, I was so excited at her newfound independence and was celebrating all the milestones and accomplishments from her first year. Now, as we embark on birthday number 2 (technically 3, right?) I am astonished that a year can go so quickly and I want to make time stop. Even for a moment, can I just cherish my sweet little toddler who is so full of smiles, hugs and laughter? Her energy inspires me and her presence makes me want to be a better mommy and a better person. What is it about this baby girl that makes me want to hold her forever?

Click here to view these pictures larger

Sometimes Learning Hurts

This past week has been filled with mirrored images into my soul. That's the thing about marriage: it's no longer me, on my own, with only myself as a responsibility or the only one to reap a consequence. When you're married, everything you do affects your spouse in some way or another. I'm just going to be honest here: Lately, I haven't been very fun to be around. I'm grumpy, tired and have a poor attitude. I'm worn out from chasing after the toddlers and am increasingly anxious about not having found a job for this quickly-approaching school year. My time is sucked away by cleaning, laundry, field trips and diapers. And instead of seeing these tasks as a blessing and an opportunity to serve my family, I have been feeling defeated and depressed. Through the course of my day, I try to keep my head high but when the evening comes, unfortunately, my husband is the one to receive the short answers and the frowning face along with inability to give another ounce of myself.
While Will and I were reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller the other night, I read aloud this quote and it hit straight to the conviction area of my soul: "If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether or not we are really following Jesus." If you can't say Amen, you better say "Ouch!"
That is exactly it. My pride has been doing all the acting - I had/have this complex that says something on the lines of, "I deserve better than this. This isn't what I signed up for. I'm wasting my time and my life away by menial tasks that mean nothing to anybody. I'm not appreciated. I'm not loved."
If I can step back from my self-deprecating why me attitude, I can hear the voice of God speak straight into my heart. “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."
And this prayer, that was said two thousand years ago by Paul rings as true to my life today as it did to the Ephesians then:
"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."
And I fall to my knees in gratefulness and thankfulness for the treasures God has entrusted to me. What a wonderful I life I have indeed.

Rain oh rain

What do we do when it's raining outside ALL day long?
Well, for starters, we definitely play soccer in the house! During my pregnancy, Chloe was very active and Will always joked that she was going to be a soccer player. I'm thinking that "joke" may very well turn into a reality. She loves to play ball and, if I may brag, she has quite the advanced kicking skills! This morning we were playing in our upstairs hallway. She started at the end of the hallway, gave the ball a gentle kick, ran after the ball and proceeded to kick it with determination, making the ball fly clear across the house. Move over, David Beckham, Chloe is storming the field!
After nap time, we headed for the play area in our mall. Chloe loves to play with the "big kids" and she also enjoys sitting on the rides!

Here she is riding in an apple, traveling into the deep of Richard Scarry's storybook:


And driving her tractor - two of her favorite things in one!! Driving and tractors!!


The rain also gave me a chance to get some much-needed cleaning done. With the in-laws arriving in a week, I've got some motivation to scrub the toilets, sweep the floor and wash the bedding. There's nothing like company to kick-start the neglected to-do list!
I'm so thankful for the rain. I think this whole summer we've mowed our lawn four times so we definitely NEED the refreshment! And it has given me a break from watering the tomatoes myself ;) Here's a peek at one of the tomato plants. They are doing incredibly well and I took this photo after I picked the ripe ones.

Add to the Beauty

"We come with beautiful secrets.
We come with purposes written on our hearts; written on our souls.
We come to every good morning with possibilities only we can hold.
Redemption comes in strange places. Small spaces calling out the best of who we are.
And I want to add to the beauty. To tell a different story.
Shine with Your light that's burning up inside."
~Sara Groves
A few years ago, sitting near the front row in a concert hall, Sara Groves sang these lyrics. And I have been forever changed. She told this story of a lone man, sitting on a chair in the midst of war and bombing during the Croatian-Serbian conflict, playing his cello while the buildings around him were being blasted, crumbling to the ground. He played his instrument despite the ash piling up at his feet. He played because he wanted to be a protest for beauty in the midst of chaos.
Sometimes this world feels like it's at war. I mean, literally speaking, war is an active verb in many places in the world at this moment. Afghanistan, Iraq, tribal warfare in Africa, deforestation in the Amazon leading to the destruction of native people. But I also feel like it's more than dropping bombs and firing weapons. The war is seen in the eyes of a homeless woman holding up a sign that says "Money for food & medicine" and war is seen in the stomach grown overripe in a child starving for nutrition. War can even be as close to us as our sharp tone or impatience with our spouses or children.
In the midst of chaos, of a housing market downturn and an unforgiving job market and an unfair and much-too-expensive health care system, I want to be a protest for beauty. I want to protest with my life. To tell a different story. A story of a God who loves us enough to give us the peace that transcends understanding. A story of a marriage that, despite the ebb and flow of romantic love, flourishes because of perseverance and the commitment to become a better person. A story of a mom who sometimes has to sacrifice her desires to create and shape a family. For that homeless woman whose heart is broken, I want to provide for her the things she needs. For the hungry kids, I want to give them food.
I want to add to the beauty to tell a better story.

Toddler times Two

Well, it's official: the honeymoon phase of having two toddlers is OVER! At first it was really fun having two almost two-year-olds running around, chasing each other, playing, and dining together at our little blue table from IKEA. Then the tantrums set in. The pushing (yes, my baby girl started pushing her friend this week), the whining (lots of whining), double diaper duty (and inevitably one of them has a smelly substance in their pants), extra dishes to wash, and fewer places to go for outings (I have to make sure they're in a contained space at all times). This is what it's like with twins. CRAZY! And of course, I can barely sit down during the day because as soon as I put the girls down for their naps and clean up the kitchen, one of them wakes up!
But look at these faces!




Could they be any cuter?

Hey Good Lookin'! Whatcha got cookin'?

Inspiration comes in many forms and mine is usually not found in the kitchen... until recently. It all started with a New Year's resolution to improve my cooking skills and learn how to create more homemade foods. I made Chloe's babyfood when she was an infant, but beyond the food processor, my kitchen skills were below average. My mother-in-law, who is an excellent cook, is my inspiration to learn more about food preparation along with the late Linda McCartney, whose cookbook I have used so much it has permanent food stains :)
So, what has been transpiring in my kitchen in the past few days?
Hand-made, no bread machine here, white bread!

here's what the inside looked like (notice I say "looked" because it's all gone!)


Tonight's specialty: Pizza! We bought the garlic-flavored dough from Trader Joe's (so you just add a bit of flour and roll it out) and the tomatoes I picked right from my garden!


Yesterday, when Will went to the grocery store, he picked up some "yucky" bananas. Every so often our little neigborhood store will bag up outdated bananas and sell 11-12 for 69cents!! I can make two loaves (or one loaf and 2 dozen muffins) for super cheap!
Here's what the bananas look like with all the ingredients (minus the flour):

All mixed up, ready to go:

And fresh out of the oven:

What does Chloe think about the banana bread dough? She's "helping" mommy clean up our baking mess :)

My banana bread recipe:
4-5 bananas
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs of milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
Mix in order. Bake 325 degrees for one hour.

Guest Blog: Daddy, Chloë and Keys

So Chloë loves keys; perhaps because of the janglyness and shinyness of them. Many a time we have kept our anxious little one preoccupied in on a car ride by giving her a spare set of keys. But this isn't always a good thing. Mummy was at Bible study so Chloë and I went to story time and took mummy's car, which is quite fancy with electric windows, central locking and such.
Coming home Chloë spotted the shiny metal dangling near the steering column and started to yell "KEEEEEYYS. KEEEEEEEYYS!" "Chloë, we're nearly home," I replied. "You can play with them when we get home". Pulling in to the garage, true to my word I handed the keys back to Chloë, still strapped safely in her car seat. As I rested in the driver’s seat after a fun adventure, Chloë amused herself jingling the keys and pressing the panic button so the car horn beeped.
After a moment I got out of the car, closed the door and walked round to Chloë's side, tugged on the backdoor handle and. And nothing. It was locked. Hmmm, I thought. I walked back to the driver’s door and tugged the handle. Locked. "C h l o ë..." Peering through the window, there she was, legs splayed, arms all over and the key's central lock button still moist from her thumb. Several moments passed.
With my faced pressed against the window, very annoyed now, Chloë dangles the keys outside of her car seat and yells "Allll doooone."
"Chloë honey, press the button. Button. Press the button. Press it," I encourage, exasperated.
"Beep. Beep. Beep." Wrong bloody button.
Dangle, dangle. Press. Press. Click. Finally, sigh of relief as the door unlocks. Good job Chloë!

Marketing

I had a revelation this morning: parenting is all about good marketing! While Chloe was persistently asking for "more choo-choo" for her toothbrush, I thought, "Oh, what a wonderful child to be so concerned about dental hygiene." Umm... yeah right. She hated brushing her teeth until the glorious day I discovered children's starter toothpaste that doesn't contain floride and the outside is decorated with Thomas the Tank Engine (one of her favorite characters besides Paddington and The Gingerbread Man). Immediately after buying the toothpaste and bringing it home, she had to try it out! She has been in toothpaste and toothbrushing heaven ever since. Without the "choo-choo" she refuses.


Another example of good marketing has been in the eating category. C has never been a great eater. The word "picky" does not do the girl justice. For a long, long time the only foods she would eat were bread, cheese, and almost any type of fruit. Yup, that's it. I didn't have the chance to take pictures of my child with food all over her face because she didn't eat anything messy. Last week, I decided to make the girls mac & cheese. What kid doesn't like mac & cheese? B (C's BFF) loves mac & cheese and that is why I bought it in the first place. Obviously, until this blessed day, Chloe had NEVER eaten pasta of any kind. She refused. She stuck out her tongue so the food would slide off. She closed her mouth so tightly, I thought her lips would turn blue. But this day was different. The pasta was in the shape of Scooby-Doo. There were dog bone shapes in the pasta! How cool is that? After pointing out this fact and chanting the kids rhyme, "Doggie, doggie, where's your bone? Somebody stole it from your home," Chloe actually took a bite! I almost cried I was so excited! My daughter ate pasta! She ate something that normal people eat all the time! All it took was pasta in the shape of doggie bones and then she took a bite.
Marketing. Fun stuff she likes. Then, maybe she will be more apt to try new things. Maybe.

A Reflection of sorts

What is it about a woman all dressed up in the latest fashions with three inch heels, with perfect makeup and a not a hair out of place, stepping into a very sexy car that stirs up a bit of envy in me? As the girls and I were leaving the neighbors after a visit with their little guy and the two doggies, a friend of theirs was just stepping into her car to begin her day in the corporate world. And she looked amazing. And powerful. And successful. And she uses phrases like, "Eliminating my competition." And I went to bed last night with wet hair (so you can imagine what it looks like in the morning) and I was wearing jeans, a tank top and my keens while chasing two little girls around all morning. Still wearing my glasses. At least I got to brush my teeth. Seeing a woman like that makes me see my life differently. My life is amazing and fulfilling but in such a different way than someone who is single and successful with her own business. My day consists of going on walks to the park, teaching the girls to take turns riding the bike while the other pushes the bubble mower, picking out new books at the library, singing songs with silly rhymes and animals as the subject. Most days I'm lucky to get to sit down for a bit and relax or do a bit of reading. In some ways it feels like the life chosen for me but honestly I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything. I get to use phrases like "Safety first" and "No push; gentle touches." I get to institute snack time. I get to take the girls to the splash pad and play with them and teach them about caring. It would be nice to actually get to wear fashionable clothes and put makeup on everyday but I think I look pretty cool driving a Ford Fusion with two carseats in the back holding two smiling toddlers.

Flu in July?

Unbelievable. For the first time in 10-15 years, I got the flu. I have no idea how this bug crept into my life, especially in July of all months, but I'm sure Chloe's night-waking and my very interrupted sleep didn't help my immune system. It hit me like a Mack truck on Monday about noon and by 5pm, I was practically unconcious (save for running to the toilet) for the next 24 hours. As a result, I've done nothing but sleep and try to keep down some gingerale. Will took care of Chloe yesterday morning while I slept and then I took over after naptime. Neither one of us get paid sick days and since I stay home with the girls (mine and I nanny for my friend's little girl) there is no one else to take over when/if we get ill.
I've been moving very slowly and could hardly stand more than one minute until today. Thankfully I don't get sick very often as Chloe has very little patience for a Mommy who doesn't want to play and chase her! Just for fun, here's a cute picture of "my" girls!

Family Trip to Milwaukee

I think we're finally recovered and rested from our very fun family vacation to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All 3 of us flew to the great state of Wisconsin last Wednesday morning; Will returned Fri morning and C and I returned Sat. night. During our excursion we, along with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and very cute nephew, explored many fun areas of Milwaukee. Some of our highlights included watching the Twins beat the Brewers at Miller Stadium (GO TWINS!), visiting the Harley-Davidson Museum, playing at the park along Lake Michigan (one of the five great lakes), touring the Jelly Belly factory and experiencing different climates and atmospheres at the Mitchell Park Conservatory (otherwise known as The Domes). Despite the grueling heat during our trip, we had a wonderful time. Chloe was an awesome traveler too, playing quietly and reading books on the flight there and napping on my lap on the way home. On Friday and Saturday I was a "single parent" as Will had to return home to work, and I have a renewed admiration for all real single parents! I was exhausted from having to do everything - all the chasing, meal preparations, organizing, packing, daily routine stff, etc. People who are parenting solo deserve a huge amount of respect and applause for their hard work!
Overall, we had a magnificent time in Milwaukee! However, I told Will that our next vacation should be one for just us :) I'm sure we can talk the grandparents into watching our darling little girl for a weekend!

Family Photo at the Twins/Brewers Game


Chloe testing out a Harley-Davidson motorcycle!