Pop Goes the Weasel

Ahhhh... Spring (for now)!

2009-03-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

I know there is still a lot of potential for at least one more snow storm (I usually put away the winter gear for good by May), but we are sure enjoying this stretch of warm days in the 60's! Heat wave! It's nice to actually turn the heat off and open a few windows.

Spring is coming! It may not be here for good, but at least it's making an effort!

Well,

2009-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have it. Again. Gestational Diabetes. I know it could be MUCH worse news, given that my family has definitely dealt with more serious health news recently, so this is peanuts, really. I'm just disappointed and need to vent a little. I was told by many that I can dodge it this time around if I eat right and exercise (which I have ALWAYS done), but it looks like my genetics are so deep with this, I really can't dodge it. Both of my grandmothers have/had borderline Type 2 Diabetes later in life, so there you go.

It's frustrating. REALLY frustrating. I've always eaten healthy and have learned so much more about nutrition on top of all that I already know. I've always exercised and we bought an elliptical machine for this cause, too! Oh well. It makes me a bit anxious for what my future health will be with this.

Oh well. I've done it once before, I know how to do it again, and it's just yet another kick of motivation to keep a healthy lifestyle, right?

Onward I go!

Hodge Podge

2009-02-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

I have a good friend from college who lives in Madison and has a son a good six or so months older than Ben. We recently joined the same art class (I pretty much copy-catted her, actually) that meets every Thursday morning and it has been really nice seeing them so consistently! You'd THINK that since we actually live in the same town, we'd see more of each other, but there's always something going on or someone's sick or the schedule changes or... I'm grateful for this Thursday consistent meet-up (and it helps that we paid for the class, so we're ultra committed to making it each week!).

Anyhow, we both keep blogs and we were just saying how there's NOTHING to write about since... well... it's still cold outside. There's still a ton of snow on the ground. We're still stuck inside and don't leave the house all that often. Our creative energy is waring a little thin these days. Period.

So, here are the exciting things that have been going on in our lives that don't have to do with the weather:

1. We found out a few weeks ago we're having a girl! I know, I know, there are those of you out there that think "Well, it's not 100% with a girl," but we drilled my OB after our ultrasound and she said that she never sees mistakes unless it's twins (and still that's very rare). She also said that if the technician wasn't for sure, she wouldn't say anything. So. We're charging forward with anticipating a daughter at the end of May! Marc and I can't agree on a name, but he's getting closer to my side. I often remind him that I'm doing all the work making this baby, so my vote counts for more. :) (By the way, she's a cute little thing! I tried scanning a picture, but the scanner wasn't cooperating.)

2. Here is what Ben made in art class today... a bus! He's getting the hang of going to this class and doing projects, but it's a work in progress. He likes to explore around the room in search of materials that we're NOT using, which makes it challenging to complete his project. This class is so great for kids his age! The teacher is very relaxed, understands where 2.5-3yr olds are at developmentally, doesn't pressure, anything goes... and it helps that the parents are right there, too, of course.

3. Marc, bless his heart, painted our downstairs bathroom! He does NOT like painting and we've given it a long break since painting our whole first floor this past summer. I would have liked to have helped, but the scent from the paint was too much and unhealthy for me since I'm pregnant. Ben and I kept our distance and it didn't take long since it's a tiny space to begin with. It was just a royal pain to do. We also put in new light fixtures, towel hook, and toilet paper thingy. We feel very civilized compared to what was previously in there.

4. I'm just starting a GREAT book, Marley and Me. (I KNOW I'm suppose to underline titles of books, but I can't figure out HOW with Blogger... am I missing something???). If you love dogs and especially labs, this is a must. read. I grew up with always having a black lab and am thoroughly enjoying this book so far. Marc didn't grow up with any pets, but a plethora of larger neighboring animals such as cows, horses, mules, etc, etc. It's a new concept for him to think about having a pet in the house and we agreed that when our kids are older, we'll get a dog. Let's just say, I won't have him read this book. :)

Winter is (slowly) chugging on!

It's so cold, that...

2009-01-28T13:45:00.001-08:00

... we should really put away our snow gear since it's not getting much exercise anyways. It's just taking up space.
... we're making up beyond-the-usual silly games and things to do (hence, the picture).
... Marc and I invested in an elliptical machine since you can't even walk outside because of the ice, not the cold (and I'm trying to avoid gestational diabetes this time around).
... Ben is going on the toilet more! (this isn't a result of being indoors all the time, but I'm excited to share our progress!)
... I have a very detailed plan of how I am going to paint the rest of our house when I can open the windows again.
... I've been making some pretty incredible meals, if I do say so myself.
... we've probably ran the most miles in our house playing chase with Ben in the past month than we have outside in a year. And, the 4-year boys at church are impressed with Ben's increasing speed each week as a result.
... even though we haven't had a big snowfall in weeks, it feels as though we have. The piles are still as high as they were when we made them!
... any temperature about 10 feels balmy.
... the hard corp northerner is thinking about moving back to DC where there are warmer temps in the winter.

Time for a bit of an update, eh?

2009-01-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

There have been several inquiries about my lack of blog involvement in these last few months, so I thought I'd rev 'er back up again and hopefully I can keep up. Frankly, I lost a bit of steam. For those who don't know by now, I'm pregnant with babe #2 and October (my last post) was in the height of my first trimester and I had very little energy to do much of anything other than keeping up with Ben. Those of you who have gone through this I'm sure are shaking your heads, "yes."

So. There you go.

We are 20 weeks this week (I'm due at the end of May) and we find out the gender next week! Ben has a little clue of what's going on, but easily forgets. We've taken him to our appointments and he can mimic the sound of the heartbeat. Every now and then he looks in my pockets for the baby and gets a wee bit impatient why he can't see it yet. I keep telling him, "in a long bit" he can see it. When we talk about time in this house, it's either "in a little/long bit." He seems to get that concept, thank goodness!

As of late, we have been surviving this very cold and snowy winter and coming up with creative things to do indoors, which makes it extremely challenging to burn off that 2.5 year old energy. I'm hoping to sign Ben up for some art classes and find an open gym for little people during the week. We see friends every now and then during the week, but not as regular as it used to be since we moved across town, which is a major bummer. Later this week, it's suppose to hit a low of -40 with wind chill, which is cold enough that I won't even get in the car. Egads.

Ben continues to be hilarious and it feels as though his brain is exploding with growth! He picks up language and songs (with the correct tune yet to boot!) faster than ever. He loves to read books and fill-in-the-blank with certain stories and poetry. We bought him an easel with loads of art supplies and he really enjoys that, along with building legos. My heart just bursts with happiness to see him so engaged in creative play. He thrives with friends who are a little older than he is, possibly because they don't pose as much of a threat for sharing than his friends that are the same age? I'm not sure. He has figured out how to play in incredibly deep snow and loves it, which is a relief since deep snow is all we have (and it's only getting deeper)! While we were at my parent's house over Christmas break, Ben was always the last one in. Well, he pretty much had to come in since he couldn't be outside by himself anyways. He continues to love dogs, trains and tractors.

One major challenge that we're facing is that he won't sleep in his bed through the night. He happily jumps into his bed when it's time and I snuggle with him until he falls asleep. About two hours later, he wakes up and we go sooth him (which takes little-to-no time at all) and then he wakes up again, this time barging into our room and sleeping the rest of the night in our bed. I know that nightmares start at this age, but does any one have any advice? We'd REALLY like to come up with a solution to this before the baby comes and don't want to go backwards with anything. Yes, we have roughly 20 weeks, but these things can take time, too. We've tried fans, tick-tock clocks, music (until the end of the cd), etc, etc. He actually slept a couple weeks straight starting in November through the night without waking up once. Hmmmm...

So anyway, that's us in a nutshell. Hopefully I can keep up with this a little better in the future.

Ben's Activities

2008-10-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to record some of the things Ben has been doing these days. Often, they are QUITE comical, leaving both Marc and I in tears since he makes us laugh so hard.

1. Hiding things: We are discovering little treasures all over the house that we're pretty sure the other didn't put there. For example, finding tractors, trucks and fire engines lined in a kitchen drawer. I found a nice wad of dried play-doh and a chunk of old (OLD!!!) banana in the rice cooker. Oh yes, and the cell phone in the refrigerator. These are just a FEW of the hidden things we have found recently, among so many more.

2. Figuring things out: Ben LOVES to study us doing things. With moving into a new house, there are plenty of projects going on and Ben has to be in the middle of them (like, literally), soaking in how things work. Thankfully, we have a few tool sets for him to play with, but sometimes that's not good enough-- he wants the real deal. Marc and Ben had somewhat of a heated discussion surrounding the measuring tape this morning. When we were at my parent's house this past weekend, the favorite book for my dad to look at with Ben was this book about how things worked, probably for middle schoolers. Apparently, I was a lot like this as a young child--studying things, trying to make things work, and being a pretty good problem solver in general.

3. Copy-catting: A few weeks ago, I noticed Ben was rocking in his chair and nursing his baby doll. He would even say, "odder side!" and switch sides. Isn't that dear? We actually stopped nursing completely right after this happened and he hasn't done this since. He also likes to make sure his animals are feeling okay. He'll notice lamb or turtle upside down and go comfort them, talking quietly to them and saying, "it's o-tay, it's o-tay."

4. One of the greatest joys Ben gives me these days is when we read books for long periods of time and a few hours later, he's acting out the book. His current favorite book for acting out is "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." I'm sure you can imagine how much fun he has with that one! Good thing our bed is on the floor for now.

This stage that we're going through is so much fun! There are definitely some rough spots with the usual tantrums and learning to share bits, but overall, I'm very-much enjoying and relishing this dear, sweet boy of mine.

Coziness

2008-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Marc and Ben built our first fire of the season. I was telling Marc that this felt like completing something in this new house for me, possibly that I grew up with frequent fires during the colder months and had been missing that ever since leaving home 11 years ago.

We had a very cozy evening. I made pumpkin bread (that's actually for a breakfast potluck tomorrow morning, but it still smelled really good), we played, listened to good music, ... just being together.

Cozy.

Fallness

2008-10-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Today couldn't be more Fall-like: clear blue sky, cool air after the first frost, trees changing colors, pumpkins and apples everywhere... ahhh. Like my mother, I totally thrive in this season. It's one of those things I just can't help.

To soak in this incredible time of year, Ben and I met up with the cousins, a few aunts, and an uncle to celebrate Fall. We played in the pumpkins, took a very educational tractor ride/tour of what this little farm does, picked some apples, and ate cider brats with apple relish for lunch (remember, we do live in WI... brats come is all sorts of flavors here).

I'm sure we'll be going back again in the near future only with Marc along next time.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some applesauce to make.

(P.S. Blogger (again!) wouldn't let me download certain pictures... not sure why, but at least there's one.)

Hither and Thither

2008-09-25T08:42:00.001-07:00

Here are just a few things that we've been up to lately (minus the painting, putting up shelves, bean-picking, tomato-picking, etc, etc):

Visiting my grandma in her new digs... and Ben taking to her immediately... a real treat for us all!

Playing at my parent's house in the early stages of Fall

Does anyone know how to start a school???

2008-09-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

It's a cold, dreary day and Ben and I hopped in the car to go to the train table in the children's section of Barnes and Noble. I have to admit that often when we go to places like this, I secretly hope that there aren't any other kids there so Ben can peacefully play (remember, he's at that awkward learning-to-share stage), I can sip my coffee at leisure and snoop around the children's lit section for a little bit.

There was another mother/daughter pair there and the daughter was the same age as Ben. Oh boy. My heart took a small anxious leap and then settled quickly when the two connected right off the bat and played peacefully without ever arguing about who had what.

Of course, we started with the small talk and I quickly learned that the mother is from Morocco by way of Venezuela. We continued to chit-chat and she mentions that her oldest of her three kids is a first grader at a school that she and her friends started. It's a small Jewish school that only has 7 students since there aren't any Jewish schools in Madison.

WOW!!!

I had a whole handful of questions for her about how you go about funding that kind of project, etc, etc and it sounded very impressive. I shared with her about the charter school that I taught at in DC and she was very interested in the language-immersion aspect of it. Let's just say that we both got very excited about this type of education and all the benefits it creates for our kids and she finally said, "Hey! Do you want to start one with me?" ... and I think she was kind of serious.

If I only knew how, I would totally be game!

It was so refreshing to meet this new friend. I hope we do more together, because she hit the spot!

Randomness

2008-09-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

When you're at home with a little one all day and every day, you have quite a bit of time to think, which can often get me into trouble. Here's what my mind's been up to as of late:

* Sarah Palin: (Let's just get this one out of the way, shall we?) SERIOUSLY?!?!?! I really don't know where to begin, really. Maybe that she prides herself with being such a "family person," yet she's willing to (pretty much) abandon her 3-month old baby to be VP. Just about EVERYTHING she stands for (without me going into a long rant), I'm disappointed with (even though you couldn't pay me enough to vote for McCain anyway). How can someone be pro-life and support the war and be a member of the NRA??? I don't get it!!! Also, does it really make ANYONE hopeful that she's so negative? Are people energized by dark, negative, down-right MEAN energy like this??? I'll stop there. I'm probably repeating what most folks have already said a few days ago, so there's no need to continue.

* Leave Every Child Behind: The government needs to take a running leap out of education, plain and simple. Business people don't. get. it. My brother-in-law is a teacher in PA and he was recently telling me that his eighth (EIGHTH!!!) graders couldn't find the U.S. on the map (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), because The Test apparently doesn't cover that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, with the economy going downhill and parents needing more jobs to make ends meet (which are diminishing, to begin with), the kids really, REALLY suffer. HOW are they expected to go to school and focus on learning when their life at home is in chaos (or non-existent in many growing cases)??? This is the kind of thing the government doesn't understand. There's a whole list of things that are supposed to happen before a child is available to learn and if they're not getting any of it at home, forget it. They ain't learning a thing. Of course the ritzy, wealthy schools in suburbia are doing fine and dandy because those kids have a parent at home who can go to their school during the day and volunteer/show support of their learning/be home to spend time with/etc... and then it appears that the teachers are SO GOOD and get all the raises and extra rewards. It's a bit unnerving to hear both presidential candidates talk about education like they know what's best and it's clear they don't get it. No matter who wins, I'm afraid public education is going keep on that downward slope.

My brighter thoughts:

* Ben has been QUITE the hoot these days! He will dance to ANY beat, drive his trains/tractors/trucks on any surface that will let them roll, and talk up a storm filled with expression and hand gestures. He makes me laugh so much! I'm so lucky to be his mama!

* We finished painting the whole downstairs (minus the bathroom) a few days ago!!! It used to be cold and boring white walls and a hideous bear/moose/pine tree stencil border around the whole kitchen and dining room. Yuck. We had a free session with an interior designer as a closing gift on the house and she gave us a really cool plan of what to do. I tried to take a picture and it's a bit dark, but you'll get the idea. It just feels like... ours. Finally.

* A dear, dear childhood friend of mine (our parents were good friends pretty much the second my folks moved to WI) just had a baby girl a couple days ago. She and her husband had quite the journey with getting her here, so it almost feels extra joyful.

* Fall is coming and it's coming FAST! Isn't it so interesting that when spring rolls around, 60 degrees feels SO warm? Then when it's the end of summer, it's an oh-my-gosh-it's-so-cold-we-need-to-bundle-up-and-drink-hot-chocolate (which we did last night) kind of change. This gets me every year.

* Speaking of fall, Ben's napping and I'm going to take advantage of our new cozy walls (I know, I'm such a nerd!) and cozy weather (60-something, cloudy) and go make some oatmeal cranberry bread.

(Excuse the mess... we're still organizing after the paint project)

I was going to load a picture of Ben rolling his forklift on his arm, but Blogger is being a real pickle about letting me get the task done. Sigh.

Privilege

2008-09-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a conversation with a woman at the park who is around my age (I'm guessing) and again, has left me thinking non-stop about her. She has three sons, the oldest in high school and the youngest starting kindergarten, who recently moved from the south side of Chicago after a tragedy that happened. She described her life in Chicago and didn't talk about the tragedy, but I could kind of put together the pieces and figure out what caliber of tragedy took place.

We talked for a good bit while our boys played together and she really opened up to me about her old job that she recently quit and how there were major discrepancies with her pay, even though the store kept promoting her. She went on and on of all the other things in her life that were hard to get, especially with the economy being a bit of a challenge for someone like her to make ends meet.

This conversation reminded me of so many that I've had while living in DC. I was quickly reminded of ALL the factors that fell into place for me that got me to where I am now-- (just as a quick place to start) both of my parents graduated from college/grad school, they were able to provide multiple learning opportunities for us and take time to be with us everyday (and all summer long, to boot!), they paid for our college education, etc, etc, etc, ... I didn't have to lift a finger (except for getting good grades) and it somehow feels unfair.

It's pretty much inevitable that I felt sort of like a schmuck after saying good-bye to this woman and heading home to my nice new house, with a husband waiting for me and Ben after coming home from a day of work, and thinking about the supper I was going to make that night. Our lives would be a dream come true to so many people, even though we don't consider ourselves living "high on the hog." It's humbling to remind ourselves of this.

This woman was heading home to her two older boys and getting excited about school starting, especially the youngest starting all-day kindergarten so she didn't have to worry about daycare costs. She's also searching for a new job and trying to balance her life with spending time with her boys and not working the day away, coming home at midnight every night. She knows what she needs to provide for her boys to have a healthy life, but she can't quite get there.

I think this encounter was the kick-in-the-pants that I needed to get myself involved with volunteering again. To be the listening ear, to be an advocate, to be encouraging, to help push on, to be hopeful, ...

What a find!

2008-08-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

We had a banner morning as we ventured out just 15 miles north to a tree farm, but it's also a pick-your-own vegetables farm in the summer and fall. I (stupidly) didn't bring my camera, as this was QUITE the find! Acres among acres there were 100-foot gardens chalk-full of various vegetables. I've never seen anything like it. There were eight varieties of peppers, three kinds of basil, four types of tomatoes, zucchini, squash, eggplant, and flowers GALORE to pick for bouquets. Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed and wishing I had more knowledge of what to do with all these things. I totally need to go back with more of an agenda.

We got a healthy shopping bag full of basil, 2 kinds of zucchini, 13 tomatoes (pink and yellow), purple and green bell peppers, as well as cubanelle peppers... all for around 7 smacks.

Unbelievable!

Blueberry Boy

2008-08-19T12:11:00.001-07:00

Recharged

2008-08-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we traveled to a wedding for a dear, dear college friend of mine. One of the biggest highlights of this trip (besides the wedding itself) was re-connecting with friends I haven't seen in a few years from my college years and my DC years. It just struck me down deep that both this friend getting married and I had made the same friends from different settings. Well, yes, the Mennonite social scene is kind of like that where we generally have similar lifestyles and views of our surroundings, so I'm kind of not surprised to cross paths with these various folks.

It was a refreshing weekend, to say the least. This group of friends has been a close-knit community since day one of college. We keep in touch here and there and pick up where we left off when we see each other. There were a few missing at the wedding, which kind of made it easier to visit with the ones that were there, given that we weren't in town for very long. Nonetheless, they were greatly missed.

It's just so inspiring to hear what everyone is doing. One family (with three young boys, ages 6 months- 5 years!) is back in the country for the summer, but will return to their lives in South Africa with Mennonite Missions for another three years. Marc and I spent a good chunk of time reflecting on our way home about how this family sets a great example of how to do different things with young children. We'll see what happens with this.

Another couple just bought six acres of prairie and plan to start building a straw bail house next spring. Meanwhile, they are full-time volunteers on a community farm and they keep this AMAZING garden growing as well as do some other community projects during the non-growing season. They were telling me that they have learned so much about gardening, they basically only go to the grocery store for dairy and meat. Otherwise, they grow it themselves... you don't get as local as that!

I could share more things what people are doing, but these are what hit home to us the most. It was wonderful to see Ben interact with everyone and Marc getting to know these friends more.

The wedding was beautiful, the reception was delicious, and the community was inspiring and jolly. I wish it could happen all over again.

Birthday Prayer

2008-08-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Watch over thy child, Benjamin, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be.
Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of his life. Amen.

("For a Birthday" from The Book of Common Prayer)

This prayer is read for birthdays in my family. I'm not quite clear where or when this began on my dad's side of the family, but I know this has been happening for as long as I can remember.

Now that I'm reading it for my child, I can't help but get a bit emotional. Perhaps it has something to do with knowing I'm carrying on a small, yet important and valued, family tradition.

We had a celebratory day of Ben's life today. It was complete with sticky buns for breakfast, rides on his new bike to the park in perfect weather, surrounded by family, and phone calls from grandparents sprinkled throughout the day.

This child is loved.

Happy birthday, dear Benjamin of mine!

Birthday Eve

2008-08-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

I now understand why just about every mother would bring up bits and pieces of their labor stories at birthday gatherings.

"I told dad, 'don't get supper yet, I know she's coming soon this time!'"

Or how LONG women were in labor.

"Oh, back in those days, they would let you go for ever and ever!"

Well, it's the eve of Ben's second birthday and I can't help but think what I was doing 2 years ago to. the. very. second. The anticipation. The pain. The decisions to make. The excitement. The exhaustion. The everything.

Working that hard has never felt so good.

Tomorrow will be the celebration for Ben's birth, but today I'm celebrating our teamwork, dedication and gift of being able to do something this amazing.

Summer has officially arrived

2008-07-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

I grew up with the luxury of having both my parents as teachers, which we all know the best benefits are June, July, and August. I remember constantly going on several day trips to Door County (the "Cape Cod" of the Midwest), spending a few weeks at Camp Friedenswald, going on a major 3-week vacation to either the East Coast or out West somewhere, trips to my aunt and uncle's cabin on Lake Huron, and then ending with an end-of-the-summer trip north to Lake Vermillion (near the Boundary Waters in Minnesota) where my mom's family has been going for the past 55 years(!) every. summer. (Oh, the stories you hear of that tradition!)

My life schedule these days does not include three lush summer months off that I'm so very-much accustomed to due to Marc's job. This has been quite the adjustment and I'm trying to redefine summer that does not always involve a lake or some sort of travel. However, we were very lucky to score a good chunk of days that Marc could take off and we bee-lined it out of town up north to my aunt and uncle's cabin on Lake Huron.

Just EVERYTHING about this trip brings me great joy, even the drive which is mostly driving along the shoreline of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. The picture that I posted is seriously what we saw for over half of our trip. We relaxed, we had a wonderful visit with my aunt, ate really good food (that included fresh Michigan blueberries), canoed a lot, played in the water (which was the perfect temperature), read, etc, etc.

Now, THIS is what I call VACATION!

I'm making this for supper tonight! (I hope it works)

2008-07-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I know... Just about all of the recipes that I have ever posted have been from Rachael Ray, but I can't help it! Wouldn't you be excited about this too?

GRILLED CORN AND SAUSAGE FLATBREAD

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb of pizza dough
1 c plain Greek-style yogurt
2 scallions chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 c corn
1 jalapeno chopped
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 6oz package portobello mushroom caps (I bought 4 caps in bulk)
1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 tomatoes

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on a large baking sheet. Place the 4 dough pieces on the baking sheet and press each out into a 4-by-8-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, scallions and lemon juice.
2. Pile the corn, jalapeño and cheddar in the center of each piece of dough and press the toppings in. Fold over the dough and press all over to seal, enclosing the filling. Let rest in a warm spot until slightly risen, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, arrange the the mushrooms upside down and drizzle with olive oil. Place the mushrooms and the sausages on the grill; cover and grill, turning once, until cooked through, about 4 minutes for the mushrooms and 6 minutes for the sausages. Transfer to a board. Thickly slice the mushrooms and slice the sausage on an angle; keep warm.
4. Press each flatbread again into an 4-by-8-inch rectangle. Grill, covered, until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes on each side.
5. Spread yogurt sauce on each flatbread and layer with the sausage, mushrooms and tomatoes. Fold the flatbreads over the filling and serve warm.

Doesn't this sound FANTASTIC?!?!?!?! I can't wait.

Check out the pictures on http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/no-recipe-zone/grilled-corn-and-sausage-flatbread/article.html

(I can't seem to figure out how to post links by just clicking on highlighted words... hmmm)

Toddler-Appointed Time-Out

2008-07-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

My 23-month old child has told me "bye-bye" after 20 minutes of him screaming and pointing to things he wants. He just woke up from a 3-hour nap madder than a hornet. This doesn't happen frequently, thank goodness (the "madder than the hornet" part)!

I got him what he wanted: spoon (three of them), bowl, cereal, and milk. When he had all he needed, he waved to me and said, "bye-bye." So here I sit on the couch ignoring him so that he doesn't scream at me anymore. I actually looked in his direction to see how he was doing and he was staring at me as if he were just waiting to show me he was in control or something. I smiled at him and without taking his eyes off me, he took one of his three spoons and threw it on the floor and told me "bye-bye" again.

I grabbed the lap-top that was near him and now I'm writing, hearing him nibble on his cereal. No screaming. Phew!

I wonder when I'm allowed to get off the couch and play?

Where is my routine?

2008-07-02T11:16:00.001-07:00

We just moved to our new house two weeks ago today, to be exact. Everything went well with the closing and moving, yada, yada, yada, but I feel like it's taking for-ev-er to make this house feel like our home. It's not just painting over the bear, moose and tree stencils (no joke!) that the previous owners had in the kitchen or all the other little projects that we want to do, it's figuring out our routine and identity in this house. We're carrying on with life like we have been, but we have to think a little harder about where we put certain things or where to get groceries when the co-op is now a 20-minute drive across town and not just a 20-minute walk away.

Sigh.

Or, getting to know this community and the kids at the various parks and figuring out the best route to the library. I saw some bumper stickers the other day on a walk that said, "Secure Our Borders" and "John McCain for President." It's a good thing to have differing views, right? This is another adjustment from our previous neighborhood, which was 110% Obama.

Sigh.

We are happy and doing very well. Ben loves his new yard and the parks that are within spitting distance of our house. We walk frequently to our library and enjoy evening walks on the greenway that goes through a nicely sized patch of prairie restoration. We will have "front row seats" to one of the biggest fireworks shows this weekend. According to our neighbors, our neighborhood buzzes with folks from all over town to see these fireworks since they shoot out from the largest city park nearby.

The neighbors are very friendly. Everyone has a dog (except us... which I'm hoping to change). We are doing much more in our house and yard and feeling like a "normal" summer. Can't complain! All I need is for that sense of routine to settle in.

Cousins, Peas, and Crisp White Sheets

2008-06-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

This past week we took a trip out east to visit Marc's family. It was a week full of splashing in the kiddy pool and sprinkler with the cousins, playing with Amish neighbors, and snacking on fresh peas from the garden. I mean, need we say more? Let's just say that Marc had it good growing up.

We also took a mini trip to visit our old stomping grounds in Washington, DC. It was great to connect with my school kids who affectionately greeted me and soaked in Ben's smiles and high fives. We escaped the 100 degree heat (no joke!) by checking in early to our SH-MAN-CY hotel with crisp white sheets and marble table/countertops and bathroom flooring. Ahhhh. Promptly, Ben hopped on one of the beds and fell into the mountain of pillows. Marc and I took turns going out with friends while Ben could stay happily playing in the pool. Not a bad plan, eh?

Our time in DC felt like coming back home. So much of how I view education and real life is based on what I experienced in DC. There's a tug to go back and be a part of all that again. It was very special to me that the class that I taught the last year I was there, wanted to spend so much time with me and remembered the fun things we did their year in second grade. They remembered Marc coming on field trips and we called him "Mr. Hot Dog." They talked about the songs we sang and the books we read. After being home with Ben and having my teaching career at a standstill, it just about brought me to tears to know that I really did touch these kids and they remember our year together with fondness.

Anyway, we're back after surviving a few long flights and experiencing a cooler 20 degree difference. It's back to packing up our house and rocking our world this next week once again.

Saving Moments

2008-06-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

When life gets overly tiring and stressful, there are also those moments that make me stop and laugh a bit. This child of mine is at an age where just about anything he does is worth recording.

Here are just a few:

I discovered Ben in this moving box singing to himself with giggles every so often. He was feeling mighty clever to have hidden himself so well!

Apparently when I lifted the flaps, I made the party stop. Oops!

Ben will make a tower out of anything that is stackable--blocks, bulky books, play-doh containers, tupperware, etc. Banana slices apparently fall into that category as well!

The Guts to Ask

2008-06-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

Why is it so hard to ask for help? I don't mean to sound like a self-pity party, here, but I've been stuck in pretty difficult conditions these past 6 days.

Here's the scoop:
1. Marc is working his 6th day in a row of a 7-day work shift.
2. We leave for PA/DC on Thursday until the following Friday.
3. Tagged to #2, we close on our new house and move on the Wednesday after getting back and Marc will go back to work until the day of closing. I've been packing up our house while Ben takes his naps.
4. Ben's been taking 30-minute naps.
5. Ben's sick with one of those change-in-weather colds and can't sleep at night, because he's coughing, poor thing!
6. As a result of Ben coughing, he wakes himself up and stays up at 4:30am and I'm the lucky one to get up every time since Marc has to work with people and be alert as possible. This has been 3 mornings in a row.
7. Oh, and our neighbors upstairs decided to place their kiddy pool right outside our windows, so Ben can hear and see the kids playing while he's suppose to go down for a nap. I kindly asked if they could move it (before they even filled it) since Ben will be sleeping and the reply was, "I put it here so it could be in the shade." Ummm... sunscreen and a hat??? I'm not getting into it.

A couple days ago, I was in tears on the phone with my mom, because I'm so overly tired, stressed and upset with my supposedly-really-compassionate-and-thoughtful neighbors. She said she would drop what she was doing to come down and help, but I told her to stay home. WHY DID I DO THAT?!?!??!?! Is it admitting self-defeat? Do I not want to inconvenience someone else for my needs?

I start rationalizing, "ah, it's not THAT bad" and then I'm still miserable. No one is benefitting from this.

Now that it's a few days later, Ben is getting better slowly, we're getting a little more sleep, and my mom is coming tomorrow for the day.

Does anyone else have this hard of a time asking for help?

Water Play

2008-05-28T13:16:00.001-07:00

We actually got a few days of weather that's warm enough to play with water outside and not worry about getting drenched. This brings Ben (and myself) great joy!

While growing up, my parents built a deck in our backyard with a little garden sink with a brass duck on the faucet. That duck faucet with a slow drip has made every toddler that has come to visit through those 20-something years of living there, joyfully occupied for HOURS. No exaggeration. My parents have moved to a different house and I miss that duck more than ever right now.

Anyway, we're moving in a few weeks, so I wasn't about to drag out our kiddo inflatable pool for just a few days. I also know that these few days of 80 degrees are rare and won't stick around for long. Instead, I filled up our cooler and made some soapy water. Between that, a few balls and buckets, and the hose, we had one happy little boy for a few hours.

Now it's a few days later, the cool(er) air has returned to the lower 60's and Ben is wondering why he can't play in the water like he did before. Sigh. Welcome to springtime in Wisconsin, my love. Summer will be back again soon.

Roasted Rhubarb

2008-05-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

I just made this over the weekend and put it over vanilla ice cream. It was SO tasty and INCREDIBLY easy. I happened to have all the ingredients, surprisingly enough. This recipe comes from "Simply in Season" (sorry for all you literary folk out there... I can't seem to figure out underlining or italicizing publications), which for those who are not familiar, is a fantastic Mennonite-published cookbook of recipes geared towards the foods that are grown in each season. This is also an effort for us to think more about where we buy fresh food (including dairy and meat) and support our local farms. For the past few years, I've been making a real effort in buying what I can from local farms, which is actually pretty simple living in Madison. The amount of this awareness in Madison is encouraging and makes me feel hopeful with being on the brink of a food crisis and all. We have one of the largest farmer's markets in the country that surrounds the capital building every Saturday morning. It's very refreshing (literally)! I just got this book for Christmas and it is becoming a favorite.

Here are the goods for the recipe:

4 c rhubarb (chopped)
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c orange or lemon juice
2 TBL candied or fresh ginger root (I used fresh)
1 tsp orange or lemon peel

Combine in a baking pan. Spread evenly and bake in preheated 450 degrees until rhubarb is soft, but retains its shape, about 25 minutes. Stir, cool slightly, and serve over ice cream or yogurt. (We at this after it was completely cooled and it was fine)

I hope you enjoy this!

Spontaneous Visit with My Grandma

2008-05-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

We took a spontaneous trip to a suburb of Chicago to do some snooping around the Crate and Barrel Outlet (talk about some serious self-control in action!) and to pop in on my grandma for an afternoon/evening visit.

She is such a dear! I love my grandma. She's a loving mother of 6, has stories of growing up during the Depression, will beat anyone at Boggle and Scrabble by leaps and bounds, she's hilarious, is gracious and non-judgmental, humble, giving, has been the strength for my grandpa who died of a long battle with cancer 11 years ago, etc, etc, ... the list goes on. I often think of her as such a role model for what I want to be when I grow up. She has faced some very difficult situations in her life and has handled them dignity, grace, and love.

She is amazing.

We had a great time with her yesterday. Ben was a little shy at first, but he was rubbing noses, getting cozy in her chair, and showing off in no time. I hope, hope, hope Ben is old enough to remember these moments.

I'm thinking we'll go back to rub noses and cuddle in chairs again soon. This was so much fun.

Three Pals

2008-05-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

These three boys see each other almost every morning (or just about). The parents enjoy swapping toddler stories/advice, sip coffee and have pleasant adult conversation. These three boys don't really interact with each other yet unless someone wants the same toy or wants to give a hug (or should I say headlock?). They observe each other's whereabouts and copycat sometimes. They want to eat the same snack, even if they don't normally like it. Of course, this is extremely entertaining for the parent spectators!

We have been very fortunate to have found these friends after moving to Madison. Ben and I spent a good chunk of time last year in Wausau searching for little friends/parents that we could connect with at library programs, arranged play groups, churches, neighborhood parks, etc, etc, etc, ... and nothing! Nothing clicked. I've never been able to NOT connect with anyone before. It was strange. It was a lonely, lonely year.

Now we're in Madison, bike paths connect our houses, parks with people who are looking for friendship, and we love it! This year compared to last year is like night and day and we are very. very. thankful.

Shoe Snatcher

2008-05-13T17:02:00.001-07:00

Ben loves to wear other people's shoes. Shoes that are not on anyone else's feet are fair game. I just get a kick out of watching him figure out how to put them on and maneuver around the house. Ah, the joy of having a toddler!

Getting the Cabin Fever Out

2008-05-12T12:36:00.001-07:00

Grandma Time

2008-05-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

For the past few years we have been living in Wisconsin, Marc's mom, Joanne, has been coming for a week in the spring to visit. She helps us so much, it's almost like we're sitting around twiddling our thumbs after she leaves since there's nothing more to do (except for the Ben factor). This week she's keeping busy with taking long walks (while Ben runs) to the nearby gardens, parks and just plain old around. While Ben sleeps, she does little odd and end jobs that add up to be a lot, including the dishes every night and giving Ben a bath. Ben, of course, soaks up this attention like a sponge and can't believe his good fortune that he gets her to himself all week long! It's really quite amazing how together we feel after her visits. We're well-rested, clean, fed and ready for another round of life with just ourselves until she comes around the following spring.

Is there such a thing as balance these days?

2008-05-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

One thing Marc and I have been trying to master is coming up with some sort of a break schedule for ourselves. Having that alone time helps us both step back, breathe, get some energy, and then come back refreshed (or that's the idea anyway). It's hard when we both have different jobs/activities/tasks throughout the day that requires most of our energy.

Marc is an RN at a hospital where he does a lot of physical labor lifting patients and checking off a lot of tasks on his list that are not typically an RN's responsibility (taking vitals, changing sheets, lifting patients, giving baths, etc, etc). He works hard everyday making sure his patients are comfortable and answering to every call. He comes home exhausted and there's an excited 21-month old boy waiting for him to play and a wife who is exhausted, too, because this same little boy ran his mama to the ground.

It's hard, because we both need a break and it's not like we're about to both list off what we did that day to see who deserves a break first. After how many months of this, I'm beginning to realize that no matter how hard we try, it's not going to be the same everyday. That's the way it is with a young child. You keep going and going and going and ...

Carrot Apple Pear Juice

2008-05-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

4 carrots
1 apple
1 pear

Equals this:

A Refreshing Weekend

2008-04-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

It's always such a treat to buzz up a mere 2.5 hours to my parent's house for a weekend. They live on 15 acres of hills, prairie, and woods. What a perfect mix, eh? We were hoping to go up this weekend and enjoy the warm spring air, sit on the various porches/decks while sipping coffee, and play outside without getting bundled. Alas, the weather turned and it was cold, windy and it even snowed a little. Oh well.

We still had a great time. Ben spent a good chunk outside throwing the ball for Maggie (a non-stop border collie) and playing tractor with my dad. Marc and I were able to get a few walks in by ourselves and take a little time to breathe easy. My dad topped off the weekend with a cozy meal and kept a fire crackling.

Ahhh...

Muesli

2008-04-24T12:38:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe I wanted to share that I made recently. While I was in VS in Washington, DC, my housemate enlightened us about this wonderful cereal that she learned to make while spending a year in Germany. It makes a TON and it's SO GOOD (and good for you! HOLY FIBER!!!)! I'm trying to get more creative with this recipe and I think next time I'm going to substitute the mini chocolate chips (GASP!) for dried blueberries or something of that nature. One thing that I enjoy about the process of making this cereal is when I go to the co-op and spend some serious time in the bulk section collecting a cup of this and a cup of that. I find it fun!

Here's the extensive list of ingredients:

12c quick oats (toast for about 10 minutes)
2 c steel cut oats (again, toast 10 minutes)
2 c mini chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate regular-sized chips and ground the chips to make them smaller)
1 c sunflower seeds
1 c peanuts
1/2 c almonds, chopped
1 c sesame seeds
1 c flax seeds
1 c toasted soy beans
1 c wheat germ
1 c wheat bran
4-6 c grape nuts cereal

Mix it all together.

Seriously, this will last for-EVER!

Bike Season

2008-04-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

This spring and summer are going to be MUCH different than last year in terms of Ben's ability to play and move around. Recently, Ben has taken a real liking to his bike that we got for him last August for his first birthday. Over the year, he would sit on it and ring the bell, but didn't REALLY get into it like we thought he would. His cousin actually took much more interest in it and she's much too big for it, but Ben had fun chasing her around the house, nonetheless. Hey, whatever! Just a different kind of fun with the bike, right?

Now that it's (dare I say) summer-like out, Ben has discovered the joy of having a bike. Not only does he pretty much obsess being outdoors with it, he has mastered his footwork, turning corners, and ringing his bell to tell the cat to get out of the way! Needless to say, this is all quite entertaining! All we need to master next is the concept of breaking.

(By the way, Ben insisted on wearing his winter hat during the shorts-wearing day! Needless to say, he played so hard that he soon took it off. We were just amused that he wanted it on to begin with... of course.)

Thank goodness for spring, eh?

2008-04-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

Winter up here in these northern states get to be a bit intense. However, this past winter seriously has to have been the worst. Winter. Ever. Oh my. It brought everything and stayed for a long, long time. Here's just a little taste of what we experienced: 25+ inches of snow OVER our snowfall record last made in 1978 (!!!), every kind of flu/cold/what-have-you entered this house, passed around to friends and family and back again to us, CABIN FEVER, really cold temperatures, everlasting icy roads and sidewalks (you know it's been a long winter when slipping on the road while driving feels a bit too natural), and overwhelming amounts of sad events in people's lives in all of my various communities, to top it off. This was a hard winter to process on so many different levels. I should mention, though, that there were good bits of news of a few babies that were born and they helped bring in some hopeful light to this long winter.

But, we survived! We supported each other with phone calls, sending flowers, having baby showers, hosting dinners, coffee dates, and much, much more. There's still a bit of darkness lingering, but with this warm(er) weather and new life sprouting around us brings me a feeling of hope and fresh starts to a brighter season. There are weddings to look forward to, babies to welcome, a new house to move into, Saturday morning farmers market, getting more involved with our community, ... the list goes on! It is finally warm enough that the windows are open, the heat turned off (during the day), the grass is working on turning green, the trees are budding, the crocuses are out (that Ben so happily stomped on when I was just out of arms-reach ... oops!), and we are spending every moment that we can outdoors playing.

Spring has never felt so good!

"Do you want to help Dada with the doo-doos?"

2008-04-15T21:50:00.001-07:00

Sometimes when I'm talking to Ben and speaking his language, I often stop and giggle to myself at the words that come out of my mouth. Like, "Do you want to help Dada with the doo-doos?" (Translation: "Do you want to help Daddy with the dishes?")

Ben's language has been a treat to watch develop, especially over the last couple of months. It really amazes me at how young children pick up so many new sounds and learn the meaning of words in such a short amount of time. It's a real bummer that your peak learning time for languages is from birth through age 7 (or something like that). There are those people who learn languages really easily (like Marc), and those that don't (like me).

When I was teaching in DC, over half of my students parents spoke Spanish and very little English. Where they were with their English, was where I was with Spanish. HA! Oh, the "conversations" we'd have! When we were getting to know each other and I would speak a little Spanish, they would think that I was fluent and they'd start telling me stories and Lordy-knows-what since I really couldn't understand. I concentrated so hard, trying to understand, nodding as if I was really understanding and only able to identify a few words in their whole story. Oh. My. Gosh. I felt foolish telling them after their long story, "Lo siento, pero hablo un POCO Espanol!" ("I'm sorry, but I speak a little Spanish!"). We would always laugh and then ask their child to help translate for us both.

This system worked most of the time. Every now and then, with the more challenging students, I never knew if they were REALLY telling their parents (or grandparents) what I was really saying. I totally relied on their reactions. I had a student from Albania, who lived with his grandmother, aunt and uncle. To his credit, he came to the school in kindergarten and didn't know any English. He was pretty much fluent and thriving in all subjects by the time I had him in third grade. However, he was a nix-noox, always getting under other kids' skin, bragging about his good grades, needing to always be first in whatever we were doing, and always making up stories (and being the gullible teacher I was, had a hard time with this). He was a real piece of work! His grandmother came to pick him up every day and we had to have a "conversation" about how his behavior was during the day. She spoke NO English and only understood the daily color behavior chart that the school implemented. I just hoped every day that this boy would get all greens so that his grandmother would be happy and I didn't have to exhaust myself trying to explain, with this boy's "translating" to boot. It totally didn't help matters that Albanian was a pretty rare language spoken in DC. Oh, he was a piece of work!

Well anyway... back to the original story... Here is Ben doing the doo-doos with his Dada.

Getting Nosey

2008-04-13T10:34:00.001-07:00

Lately, Ben has been getting a kick out of touching his nose to someone else's. Yesterday morning, he woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6 am and wanted to play "nose-to-nose" with us. Obviously at that hour, we were not in the mood to play this cute game, but of course we did anyway. He went in between Marc and I a few times, giggling in between, touching his nose to ours ever so gently. It's actually quite a hoot since he giggles up until he puts his nose to yours. Then, he gets very still, serious and a little cross-eyed. Sometimes we put him on the table and he makes the rounds with whoever is there.

We love this game... just not at 6 am.

Just a Little of Each

2008-04-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

A few sips of this, plus...

a bite of that; equals a happy mama and wife!

(Not to mention the boys are out entertaining themselves elsewhere for a few hours... and I can just walk down the road to get my Swiss chocolate! Who needs to go to Europe anymore to get the good stuff?)

This boy...

2008-04-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

eats his spaghetti ...

one noodle ...

at a time.

Crustless Tex-Mex Meatloaf Cheddar Pie

2008-04-09T11:21:00.001-07:00

It's not a secret that my family loves food. We obsess about it, really. When we're enjoying one meal, we're talking about what's going to be prepared for the next. When we go on trips, the most important decision to make is where we're going to eat. When we go to a favorite restaurant, we order the same thing. Every. Time. It's bad! Real bad!

Not only do we get into the food itself, but we have heirloom serving dishes and real silverware bought from somewhere across seas way back when that we inherited from extended family who have passed on. This family has loved eating for many generations! (Okay, so we don't eat this fancy all the time, just for special occasions)

Needless to say, cooking is definitely a hobby of mine that I inherited from my dad. My grandmother can't quite figure it out since she spent a good portion of her life keeping busy with feeding 8 mouths, including herself. I'm thinking it's a generational thing since I have the luxury of being home, with one young child, and have time on my hands to prepare fresh, healthy meals. There are many more factors that would play into this, I know, but I grew up in a family where meals were fun to make and we have a great appreciation for all the creativity out there for it.

So, without further ado, here is a recipe I'd like to share. It's from "Everyday With Rachael Ray." Some folks have a love/hate relationship with her, I know. I'm not crazy about all her lingo, but I am crazy about her creativity, level of fresh ingredients, and overall really flavorful meals! I made this the other night and thought it was worthy of passing on.

16 oz jar of fired-roasted red peppers, drained split, and seeded
12 oz (3 cups) shredded Mexican cheese blend (I used the 4 cheese blend, without the seasoning)
1.5 lb ground lean beef
16 oz jar chunky salsa
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 10" pie pan with a light coat of olive oil and line with red peppers.
2. Scatter 1 cup of cheese on top.
3. In a bowl, mix 1 cup of cheese, beef, 3/4 cup salsa, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper until just combined.
4. Press into the pepper/cheese-lined pie plate. Spread the remaining salsa on top. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Spread the rest of the cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes.
6. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

IT'S SO GOOD!!!

Side note: If you actually look this up online (www.everydaywithrachaelraymag.com), it tells you to bake it in less time. I think they made a mistake, because there is no way this would be fully cooked with the amount of time they tell you.

Little Bread Helper

2008-04-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

Today is a cold, dreary April day and Ben and I made oatmeal cranberry bread this afternoon, breaking out his new apron his PA Grandma made for him. He loves to help me in my cooking projects, especially when it consists of soft, gooey, play-doh-like material that he can dig his little paws into. He also likes to play with the leftover flour on the counter and snack on little bits of dough left behind. There was a good chunk left that he snarfed down before I could clean it up. I'm hoping there aren't any tummy aches later this evening!

Baby Lamb

2008-04-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

Out of all the stuffed animals and dolls that Ben has to choose from, his current favorite "baby" is a lamb wearing a cardigan. He rocks the lamb and talks quietly to it as if it's about to go to sleep. It's really dear to watch!

Today, Ben comes up to me with his diaper wipes box and says in a softer voice in some baby mumble I wish I could actually spell out and I suggest that we go change his diaper. Well, when we got to the bathroom, not only had Ben gotten out his diaper pad and had the wipes in hand ready to go, but who else was ready for the diaper change on the pad but Baby Lamb? I just about fell over, it was so darn cute! (Okay, you know it's your kid when you think anything he does is that cute!) I opened up the wipes box, Ben took out a wipe and wiped Baby Lamb's bottom. I helped put a diaper on and off he went to sooth his baby and rock.

(And just a few moments after rocking his baby, he was busy banging on the wall with his hammer... these sweet moments don't last forever!)

Here goes nothin'!

2008-04-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hey there folks! Due to a push or two from bloggers I know, I'm starting my own blog. I'm hoping this will be a fun outlet during my days at home with Ben where I can record the many things we do together. This may include a variety of things: going to the library, co-op, friends' houses, bike rides, reading "Babybug," changing baby lamb's diaper (seriously), etc. Those of you who have (or had) a toddler know how this stage in their lives provide constant entertainment on so many different levels. There are so many things that he's doing these days that I want to remember, this might be the best way for me to do just that.

So, here I go! Happy reading!