Life as I know it.

menu plan - week of February 23

2009-02-24T14:57:00.002-05:00

I've actually made some yummy meals over the last couple of weeks but didn't have the time and energy to blog about it (due to a lingering cold).

Monday - roast chicken, potatoes and salad

Tuesday - pancakes and fruit

Wednesday - beef and mushroom stew (Canadian Living) and salad

Thursday - short rib ragu and pasta

Friday - chicken shawarma, pita and tatziki

Saturday - napa cabbage salad, marinated flank steak, rice pilaf, sesame asparagus and mushrooms

Sunday - ??? TBD???

menu plan - week of February 2

2009-02-02T12:32:00.002-05:00

Monday - gnocchi with meat sauce and salad

Tuesday -cheater souvlaki, greek style potatoes, salad, pita and tatziki

Wednesday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes and cauliflower gratin

Thursday - pecan chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans

Friday - Chicken and mushroom stew, asparagus

Saturday - TBD
Sunday - TBD

menu plan -week of January 26

2009-01-27T21:19:00.002-05:00

Monday - homemade pizza & salad

Tuesday - Asian pork chops & veggies (Canadian Living cookbook pg.158) with steamed sticky rice

Wednesdays - stuffed peppers

Thursday - homemade gnocchi, meat sauce and salad

Friday - onion & herb swiss steak (Canadian living cookbook pg.132), buttered egg noodles, cauliflower

Saturday - leftovers

Sunday - tbd

menu plan -week of January 19

2009-01-19T20:20:00.002-05:00

Monday - roast chicken, rice pilaf, asparagus & mushrooms

Tuesday - My hubby's birthday - salad, mashed potatoes and cross cut beef stew

Wednesday - chicken stew

Thursday - Tex Mex Gooey casserole & salad

Friday - Mushroom pork medallions (Canadian Living - Make it tonight cookbook), rice, broccoli

Saturday - Swedish meatballs (Emeril cookbook), baby potatoes and green beans

Sunday - leftovers

Menu Plan - week of January 12

2009-01-14T11:34:00.002-05:00

Monday - Life In the Fast Loin (pork chop recipe from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry), Rice Pilaf, Asparagus

Tuesday - chili and garlic bread

Wednesday - Curry chicken over steamed rice (the kids will probably have grilled cheese)

Thursday - Fettuccine Verona (pasta with chicken breast, parmesan, sundried tomato and artichoke) and salad

Friday - Lemon Chicken (Better baby Food cookbook), green beans, Greek potatoes

Saturday - we are having chicken wings from Duffs (the best wings in T.O), fries, salad

Sunday - TBD - my FIL and step MIL are coming for dinner for my hubby's b-day, so I have to give this some thought.

Menu Plan - week of January 5th 2009

2009-01-06T15:35:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I posted anything and I highly doubt that anyone is even reading this anymore. So, I may be doing this for my own benefit. I had been quite sick with my third pregnancy and thinking about food was not something I was very interested in doing. Then came the holidays. But, now we are starting off the new year and my only resolution is to get more organized and I think doing my weekly menu plan definitely qualifies!

Monday - leftovers from my little girl's birthday party (chicken parmesan, meatballs, pasta and salad)

Tuesday - pecan chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus

Wednesday - Get Yo' Man Chicken, rice and corn

Thursday - Melt in Your Mouth BBQ ribs, potatoes and salad

Friday - eating out

Saturday - chicken curry with steamed rice

Sunday - Beef Ragout with Penne Rigate, salad

Menu Plan - week of Novmber 10th

2008-11-10T20:14:00.002-05:00

I got a couple of new recipe books that I am excited to test. One is "Back to Basics" by Barefoot Contessa and the other is Giada's Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis.

Monday - Chicken tetrazzine (Martha Stewart recipe)

Tuesday - Home made perogies and salad

Wednesday - Chicken Vesuvio (Giada's Family Dinners)

Thursday - Parmesan crusted pork chops (GFD cookbook), green beans, rice pilaf

Friday - leftovers

Saturday - meatloaf, mashed potato casserole (GFD cookbook) and salad

Sunday - TBD

Menu Plan - week of October 27th

2008-10-27T10:51:00.003-04:00

This is taking me hours to do this morning because I am sick and my children are pestering me relentlessly!!!!!!

Monday - roast chicken, potatoes, Swiss Chalet sauce (I am buying the kind you make at home) and salad

Tuesday - pasta with short rib ragout, salad

Wednesday - pancakes or waffles (I got a waffle maker for my birthday) and fruit

Thursday - Japanese grilled chicken, sticky rice and sesame asparagus

Friday - Sheppard's pie

Saturday & Sunday - we have dinner plans both evenings

Menu Plan - week of October 20th

2008-10-22T16:07:00.002-04:00

I have been very bad at menu planning lately because I have been so busy, but I am trying to get on track now.

Monday - eating out

Tuesday - gnocchi, meat sauce, salad and apple crisp for dessert

Wednesday - chicken coconut curry & steamed rice

Thursday - Chili, garlic bread, salad

Friday - steaks, mushroom rice and green beans

Saturday - we are having a 60th b-day cocktail party for my FIL so whatever is quick and easy + lots of appetizers later!

Sunday - beer braised beef stew over mashed potatoes - my hubby's fav!

Menu Plan - week of October 6th

2008-10-09T15:52:00.002-04:00

We had a great trip to Scotland but I have been suffering from some jet lag. That is why this post is a little bit late!

Monday - homemade chicken stew

Tuesday - homemade spaghetti sauce (my mom's recipe), pasta and salad

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday - homemade cheese perogies and salad

Friday - BBQ steak, rosti potatoes and sesame asparagus - we need to take advantage of the BBQ weather while it lasts!

Saturday - my niece's birthday party

Sunday - Thanksgiving dinner at the cottage. Not sure if I am going to make a dessert or maybe a vegetable. If I make a vegetable it will be this Rutabaga and Squash Swirl - it is yummy and a nice Fall dish.

All about food

2008-09-20T14:12:00.002-04:00

I have decided to keep my blog up and running, however, the format is going to change. It will be centred on food...what can I say, I am a "foodie". I will still have my weekly meal plans as well as food reviews. My blog actually helps me keep organized because I can go back to see what I have made in the past.

The stuff about my family will now be going into a diary that is not on the Internet.

Menu Plan - week of Sept.22

2008-09-20T13:58:00.003-04:00

Monday - chili and cornmeal muffins

Tuesday - Chicken Tetrazzini I made some last week and it makes 2 batches.

Wednesday - Sheppard's pie and salad

Thursday - marinated flank steak, rosti potatoes and asparagus

Friday - chicken souvlaki, salad, pita and tatziki

Saturday - leaving for Scotland, so the hubby is going to have to fend for himself for a week!

Menu Plan - week of Sept.15

2008-09-15T07:19:00.003-04:00

Monday - breakfast for dinner! Pancakes and fruit.

Tuesday - Chicken tetrazzine, salad

Wednesday - baked fish and chips (Canadian Living), green beans

Thursday - One Pot Chicken Dish over Cheesy Rice

Friday - Curry chicken & steamed basmati rice

Saturday - leftovers

Sunday - burgers, salad and corn-on-the-cob

Time to call it quits?

2008-09-13T16:46:00.003-04:00

I have been thinking about discontinuing my blog. For no real reason in particular. I just haven't been as into it lately and I don't think that many people read it. I could blog about so many cute and funny stories, but don't seem to find the time. I wish I did to keep them as memories for the kids when they are older. So, I have been considering just keeping my own diary that does not need to be censored for public eyes.

For the next couple of weeks I will still do my menu plan, but probably not much else. I am going to wait a little bit to make my final decision.

Thanks to everyone who does come by to see what's new!

Menu Plan - week of Sept.8

2008-09-07T14:53:00.005-04:00

Monday - Spaghetti Bake (Canadian Living Make It Tonight Cookbook) - the recipe makes 2 batches and I froze one last time.

Tuesday - chili, corn meal muffins

Wednesday - Japanese chicken, sticky rice, sesame asparagus

Thursday - pasta with short rib ragout, salad

Friday - cross cut beef stew with mashed potatoes

Saturday - Hoe Down night - going out for dinner without the kids - woohoo

Sunday - leftovers

Menu Plan - week of Sept.1

2008-08-31T21:33:00.001-04:00

Monday - pasta with bolognese sauce, salad

Tuesday - Baked Chicken and Mushrooms, potatoes

Wednesday - meatloaf, potatoes and green beans

Thursday - Chicken Parmigiano Casserole with Fresh Basil, rice

Friday - Beef with Cabernet Sauce, potato bread, carrot & parsnip stir-fry

Saturday - leftovers (chicken parm)

Sunday - leftovers (beef)

imaginary friends

2008-08-29T15:42:00.001-04:00

Since turning three, Love Bug has been very into imaginary play. He is always pretending to do something. Anything from flying in the sky to doing tire changes on his riding toys. He now also has an imaginary friend. It is McQueen, the lead character from the movie "Cars". He is OBSESSED with the movie and now McQueen actually accompanies us on journeys. I don't mean a little toy version of McQueen. I mean "imaginary" McQueen.

If you listen o the Love Bug playing on his own you will hear him talking to his "friend", giving him trouble and generally just playing with him. McQueen apparently even came to the cottage with us the last time I took the kids up. We went out for an ice cream while at the cottage and I forgot to ensure that McQueen was in the car when we left. Love Bug told me that I forgot him, so my step-dad got out of the car (to where Love Bug was pointing) and "tried" to get him in. It didn't work. I got out and tried to get McQueen in and it didn't work. I then opened the window on the van and told "McQueen" to jump in. Nothing was working, so I left.

The Love Bug was devastated. I just wasn't sure how long we should keep trying to get an imaginary friend into the mini-van?!? I encourage his "friend" but it is so hard when you can't see it! I explained that the good news was that McQueen is a car and he knows the way to the cottage. Later that day McQueen came back...thank goodness!!!!!!!!!! And, he has gone on many more journeys with us since then. I really try hard now to ensure he makes it back into the van before we leave now!

Menu Plan - week of August 25

2008-08-28T12:47:00.002-04:00

I am very late in posting this. We were away for a couple of days. We had a great time, but I will leave that for another post.

Monday - steak, potatoes, asparagus

Tuesday - chicken souvlaki, rice pilaf, Greek salad, pitas and tatziki

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday - BBQ sausages and corn on the cob

Friday - pasta with bolognese sauce, salad

Saturday & Sunday - TBD - it is the long weekend, so we'll just play it by ear!

No more mullet

2008-08-20T14:28:00.005-04:00

So, the Missus has been sporting a mullet-type hairstyle for quite some time. It didn't really bug me because I think it is just the way the hair naturally come in. It drove my husband crazy. He was always asking me to cut it. Because she is my baby girl I wanted her to have hair that I could put into pigtails. What can I say? The Love Bug has been getting hair cuts since he was 6 months old because he was born with a full head of hair. I just couldn't bring myself to cut my daughter's hair.

Well, it was starting to look a little like a rat-tail at the back so I finally broke down. My mom cut her hair for me when we were at the cottage a couple of weeks ago. I am glad we did. It looks way better and is still long enough to put pigtails in!

Menu Plan - week of August 18th

2008-08-18T14:50:00.003-04:00

Monday - Spaghetti Bake (Canadian Living Make It Tonight Cookbook) - New recipe

Tuesday - Pork Chops with Mustard Crumb Crust (Canadian Living Make It Tonight Cookbook), mashed potatoes & asparagus

Wednesday - Saucy chicken with tomatoes (Canadian Living Make It Tonight Cookbook) served over rice

Thursday - Deceptively Delicious Mac & Cheese, salad

Friday - Burger on the BBQ & corn on the cob

Satruday - leftovers

Sunday - eating out (I hope!)

Why? Why? Why?

2008-08-17T13:31:00.002-04:00

Lately the Love Bug has been asking "why?" all of the time. It started a couple of months ago but has gotten crazy over the last few weeks. It is difficult to get through a book, tv show or any activity because we have to constantly stop, answer questions and explain everything. I know this is a natural phase they go through and I try my best to answer the questions. But sometimes he get me!

Last week he asked me "Mommy, why do I have to go to bed now?"

I replied "Because the moon is coming up, it is getting dark and everyone needs to get some sleep in the night."

His reply "Mommy, you can still sleep when the sun is up! Why do I have to go to bed now?"

I think I eventually came up with a reason other than "because I said so".

Menu Plan - week of August 11th

2008-08-11T21:43:00.003-04:00

Monday - sausages on the BBQ, salad

Tuesday - chili and homemade corn bread

Wednesday - Japanese chicken, sticky rice and sesame asparagus

Thursday - marinated pork tenderloin on the BBQ, risotto , grilled veggies

Friday -meatloaf, potatoes and green beans

I am also making some zucchini bread this week. While at the cottage last weekend I bought some HUGE zucchinis at a stand by the side of the road. I'm trying to think of what else I can make with zucchini in it!

My baby girl @ 19 months

2008-08-10T20:02:00.002-04:00

Poor Missus...we have been so busy and preoccupied lately that I have been doing a bad job capturing her milestones and funny little stories. I guess it is more important to be spending time with her and being part of the moments though.

Let's see if I can capture the character that she is!

-one of her favourite pass times is colouring. I am sad to say that I actually didn't start this, she just decided one day to tell me that she wanted to do it. She will come up and say "cower". We now have lots of markers and crayons to help her express herself artistically.

-she is already showing sign of toilet-training readiness (I think from watching her big brother). She will say "pee pee" and go running to the bathroom. We will put her on the potty, she will sit there for a minute, get up and then clap for herself. I started buying pull-ups for her to make it easier. I don't think she is truly ready to be trained yet, but she is definitely getting there and has actually gone on the potty a couple of times.

-she know all of her body parts

-she enjoys helping around the house. She will often say "mess!" then run and get a tea towel and start to clean it up.

-she is still a dare-devil and loves to climb. She can now walk up and down the stairs holding onto the railing.

-she loves playing in the toy kitchen especially when I am preparing a meal. All of a sudden I will hear a lot of noise coming from the family room, she will run and take some of my utelnsits and then there will be play bowls and plates on the kitchen table. It is so cute!

-she actually likes to help me bake now too. I will often pull up a chair for her to help mix and add ingredients.

-she refers to herself in two or three word sentences like "I hungry".

-she LOVES shoes and purses. The other day we took her to Winners and she went straight to the shoe section. She picked out shoes she liked, handed them to me and said "shoes on".

The Missus is such a sweet little girl. She has her "moments" like all kids do, but she is very affectionate and full of energy! I love watching her grow and change every day.

Relief!

2008-08-06T18:29:00.003-04:00

Today we went to the Love Bug's appointment with the pediatric cardiologist in our area. He had an echo cardiogram and an EKG done. My hubby watched on very intently and thought the doctor did a great job with the echo cardiogram. The good news is that my Love Bug's heart and arteries look ok...thank goodness!

He still needs to take aspirin for two more weeks and we will go for a follow up appointment in two months, just to ensure everything is still ok. When we got into the car after the appointment I started to cry. I was just so relieved that nothing is seriously wrong with him. I didn't realize how anxious I was about it all until after the appointment.

Oddly enough, my brother had his big annual appointment with his cardiologist at Toronto General today too. His check-up also went well. So, I think today was actually a good day health wise for us (since it has been a pretty tough year so far).

Menu Plan - week of August 4th

2008-08-04T20:41:00.002-04:00

Today the Missus is 19 months old. I am going to write a milestone post tomorrow. I feel like I need to do a good one since I missed her 18 month post due to the Love Bug being sick.

Here is my menu plan for this week. A couple of new recipes, but I am trying to keep it easy.

Monday - Beef stroganoff (Emeril cookbook)

Tuesday - pecan chicken, sweet potato fries, corn - one of the Love Bug's favourites

Wednesday - Homemade perogies and salad

Thursday - Chicken cordon blue (Emeril cookbook), rice pilaf and green beans - I have never made this chicken from scratch before...hopefully it is worth the effort!

Friday - leftovers - the kids and I are going to my mom's cottage for the weekend.

Menu Plan - week of July 28

2008-07-28T12:55:00.004-04:00

Is it really July 28th already?!?!?! Where did July go?

Anyway, this week is short and relatively easy compared to last week. It is the August long weekend, so we have plans.

I am going to be doing a few appetizers though, so will include those at the bottom of my plan. We are having a cocktail party for the FIL's b-day in October and I am trying out some recipes for the party.

Monday- Sheppard's pie, salad...didn't make this last week because we had tons of leftovers from what I did make!

Tuesday - Chicken souvlaki on the BBQ, rice pilaf, Greek salad, pita & tatziki

Wednesday - Beef short rib ragout

Thursday - sausage on the BBQ, salad and corn-on-the-cob

APPETIZERS:

Brie, Apple and Walnut Phyllo Triangles - I have actually made these before and they are really good. A little time consuming to make, but you can make them in advance and freeze them. Put them in the oven before your guests arrive.

Savoury Cheddar Cookies - they are actually from a Hallowe'en recipe (that is why there is a picture of a skull in the background :)

Artichoke Asiago Squares - I love artichoke dips, so am hoping this has the same taste in a different, more portable form.

A trip to the pediatrician

2008-07-22T13:46:00.002-04:00

The Love Bug went to the Pediatrician on Friday. The doctor was quite happy with his progress and wanted us to get some blood work done. So, we went over to the Peds floor at the hospital and had it done there. The Love Bug was a superstar getting his blood taken this time!

I was really hoping that we would know when our appointment at the pediatric cardiologist would be but they just faxed the referral letter while we were there, so we are still waiting. We will likely have to go for a few appointments with the cardiologist over the next year and Love Bug will need some Echo cardiograms. The pediatrician also told us to keep him on the one aspirin a day to minimize impacts to his heart.

I was feeling pretty positive after leaving the Pediatrician's office, but then my hubby looked up the Love Bug's blood test results (he works at the same hospital so has access to these things) and Love Bug's white cell count/platelets are still high and his ESR (this measure the infection/inflammation in his body) was worse than when he was in the hospital. So, I guess he is still fighting it.

He really does seem more like himself though. Not so irritable and he is really hungry. So now we just have to wait for that appointment to ensure there was no long term damage. I'll feel a lot better once that is done!

Menu Plan - week of July 21

2008-07-21T09:59:00.003-04:00

I'm trying lots of new recipes this week, so my hubby is probably scared! I haven't tried any recipes from the Oprah cookbook, so we'll see how that goes. And, I have had the Rachel Ray cookbook for a couple of years, but started going through it again over the weekend looking for new ideas.

Monday - Moroccan chicken with couscous (Oprah's new cookbok)

Tuesday - Ropa Vieja and rice (Oprah's new cookbook)

Wednesday - SHeppard's Pie

Thursday - Pasta with roasted eggplant sauce & ricotta salata (Rachel Ray's 365 day coookbook)

Friday - Turkey or Chicken croquettes with spinach mashers and pan gravy (RR 365 day cookbook)

Saturday - Spinach and artichoke calzones (RR cookbook) - I think I may add some chicken in them too. I love the artichoke pesto that goes into these and have made it and put it on pasta.

Sunday - leftovers/mommy's day off!

Menu Plan - week of July 14

2008-07-14T13:15:00.002-04:00

Last week was chaos, in terms of meal planning. We basically just ate whatever, which generally translates into take-out and not the healthiest of meals. This week I am back on track.

Monday - Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs & salad

Tuesday - Sealed with a quiche (from Eat, Shrink & Be Merry) & salad

Wednesday - Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri (Tyler's Ultimate), rice pilaf, grilled asparagus

Thursday - Kentucky Freud Chicken (Eat, Shrink & Be Merry), corn on the cob

Friday - marinated flank steak, rosti potatoes and green beans

A rough week

2008-07-12T14:55:00.004-04:00

So, I have been a little absent this week. I haven't had the time or energy to blog. It has been a very mentally and physically draining week.

It all started on June 24th. My Love Bug started getting sick with a fever. The very next day the Missus started with a fever. She was miserable. She was so hot (with a fever) and just wanted to sit on my lap and cry "mommy". The Love Bug had a fever too but he was in pretty good spirits. On June 26th we ended up taking the Missus to the ER to make sure she didn't have pneumonia. She had a chest x--ray and was diagnosed with a viral infection. We went home and just tried to keep her comfortable. We didn't have the Love Bug checked out because, again, he was in good spirits, although he clearly had the same thing. The next day I got it and the day after that my husband got it. We cancelled our plans to go to my mom's cottage that weekend in order to rest and get better.

On July 1st we had plans to go to my FIL and step-MIL's cottage. We didn't want to disappoint them so we decided to go even though we weren't 100%. The Missus, husband and I all seemed to be doing better, but Love Bug didn't. He had a couple of days on the weekend where his fever was low, but for some reason, it seemed to come back on Monday and got really high.

Our visit to the cottage wasn't good. Love Bug was having trouble sleeping, wouldn't eat anything and seemed to be burning up (although we didn't bring our thermometer to tell for sure). And, he was so cranky. Unbelievably cranky and yelling constantly. It was very out of character for him.

We came home around lunch time on Friday and my hubby looked into Love Bug's ears (he told us his ear hurt). Sure enough he had an ear infection. So, we figured that was why his fever had come back. We got him antibiotics and waited for them to kick in. Nothing. We kept treating him with advil and tylenol but as soon as it was starting to leave his system his fever would rocket to over 40. Celsius...even reaching 40.5 sometimes.

After 2 days of antibiotics (the proper protocol for treating ear infections) with no results, we took him into Emerg. He had blood tests, urine tests, physical exam and a chest x-ray. None of these are fun with a screaming, feverish, very sick 3 year old. He ended up being admitted to the hospital with Kawasaki Disease. I had never heard of it before. Around 5:30pm I took the Missus home and got things organized while my hubby waited with Love Bug for him to be admitted to the Pediatric floor. Once my mom was able to come look after the Missus I went back to the hospital and spent the next 24 hours there. (I went home for the night and then was there again for the day).

The Love Bug was put on an IV and seemed a little better as soon as he had some fluid in. He has lost about 3 pounds, which is quite a bit for someone his size. They started him on IVIG/Gamma Globulin (which are antibodies made from blood products) and high doses of aspirin (4 pills, 4 times a day). He also got 2 rounds of IV antibiotics while we were there.

He was released from hospital on Wednesday afternoon and we just finished the high doses of aspirin yesterday. He will now need to take one a day for 4-6 weeks. He has an appointment with a pediatrician next week then we will be going to see a pediatric cardiologist in the next couple of weeks. His heart will need to be monitored over the next year to ensure that no long term damage was done from the Kawasaki.

I am so relieved that he is doing better. And really hope that we started the treatment in time (there is a 1- day window of opportunity to minimize long term effects). The fever is gone and he is eating a little bit better. He is still really tired and his mood swings are CRAZY. It apparently is a side effect of Kawaskai disease.

The whole experience has me a bit shocked and I felt like I was walking in a daze. I am being brave and positive though....willing my baby to be better.

Food Review

2008-06-30T12:19:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I wrote a food review, so I thought I would take the opportunity to do it this week since I won't be doing a menu plan. Sorry, but my husband is off this week and we will be out & about, going to the cottage for a bit , etc...

Mediterranean chicken stew with couscous (from Today's Parent) - it was really easy to make but didn't wow me. Hard to say if I would make it again or not.

Lazy perogy casserole (from Today's parent) - again, this was very easy to make compared to making home made perogies. It did taste a lot like perogies, but I'd have to say that I prefer the real deal.

Japanese grilled chicken - definitely a winner. Easy to make - you marinate it in the morning and then just BBQ it at dinner time. I have made it for my family and for other people and everyone really seems to like it. I serve it with sticky rice and sesame asparagus.

Cheater souvalki - another winner for sure. Marinate it over night and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. SO easy. I have a recipe for "real" souvalki which is really good too, but this is something very simple to do if you don't feel like using your BBQ.

Jerk chicken (from Emeril) - this way tasty....I love Jamaican food. Too spicy for the kids though.

Chicken Parmesan (from Everyday Italian) - this was really good and I will make it again. You don't bread the chicken, so it is a lighter version of the classic recipe.

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce- sorry Martha, we weren't a big fan of this one.

Swedish Meatballs (from Emeril) - look out Ikea! These were really good although a little bit time consuming.

Chicken Spezzatino (everyday Italian) - this was a good and easy recipe. Unfortunately, I have some bad memories surrounding this dish - the kids and I has stomach flu right after I made this and seeing the partially digested version of this recipe has put me off.

The origin of chocolate milk

2008-06-24T13:19:00.002-04:00

This weekend I took the kids to my mom's cottage since my husband was working. On Saturday, my mom and step-dad took the Love Bug out with them to do some errands while the Missus slept (to give me a break). While they were out they passed some cows.

My step dad said to the Love Bug "Look at the cows. Those white cows make white milk."

The Love Bug said "Ya."

Then my step-dad said "And brown cows make chocolate milk."

The Love Bug looked at him and said "No Zaidie. Chocolate milk comes from Starbucks!"

Too cute!

Menu Plan - week of June 23rd

2008-06-23T20:08:00.003-04:00

This week I am going to try out a few new recipes from my latest cookbook "eat, shrink and be merry". I have watched the show on the Food Network and decided to see how the book is. What can I say...I love buying new cookbooks!

Monday - pasta with meat sauce

Tuesday - From new cookbook - Chicken Pandemoniyum (chicken & wild rice skillet meal with grated parmesan) and green beans

Wednesday - chili, buttermilk biscuits (as per my hubby's request)

Thursday - Dilly beloved from new cookbook (baked chicken with maple, mustard, lemon & dill) with roasted potatoes and asparagus

Friday - steaks on the BBQ, butternut squash risotto and salad

Saturday - chicken and black bean burritos with a green salad

Menu Plan - week of June 16th

2008-06-17T20:27:00.002-04:00

Sorry, it is a day late. Just didn't feel like blogging yesterday...

Monday - Ham steaks, eggs, toast & fruit (the Love Bug wanted breakfast for dinner)

Tuesday - pasta with bolognese sauce & salad

Wednesday - Chicken with Apple Gravy, Cheesy Rice Pilaf with Peas and Green Beans

Thursday - Cross Cut Roast Beef stew with mashed potatoes (this is one of my hubby's favourites. I have been putting off making it because it has been too hot to have the oven on for hours, but he really wants it)

Friday - steaks on the BBQ, rosti potatoes (recipe from Canadian Living Cookbook) and corn on the cob

Menu Plan - week of June 9th

2008-06-09T20:37:00.002-04:00

I am keeping it easy again this week because the hubby will not be joining us for dinner for half of this week. And, it is summer so I would rather be doing other things than trapped in my kitchen!

Monday - pizza and fruit for dessert
Tuesday - grilled ham & cheese sandwiches, fruit
Wednesday - Chicken tetrazzine, salad
Thursday - it is my anniversary so hopefully we will be going out or ordering in!
Friday - sausages on the BBQ, corn on the cob and salad
Saturday - Mushroom pork medallions, rice pilaf & asparagus
Sunday - Father's day - I'll have to ask my husband what he would like for dinner - probably steaks knowing him!

17 months old

2008-06-04T21:11:00.002-04:00

I feel like the Missus is doing so many new things every day right now that it is hard to keep track of everything. And, because she is sooooo busy, I find it hard to find the time to blog about it. I'll do my best to capture my active 17th month old.

-she is now putting two or three words together in mini-sentences

-she will say "bwess you" if she hears someone sneeze

-she is a complete parrot and copies everything she hears

-she is a daredevil and will climb anything she can find...for example, I constantly find her sitting in the middle of the kitchen table! She will put out a chair, climb onto it and then climb onto the table. She LOVES to do this if anyone has left food on the table in particular.

-that brings me to another point...she eats constantly! She is definitely more picky than she used to be, but she prefers smaller meals with LOTS of snacks in between. Which is really a healthier way to eat anyway...smart girl ;)

-she loves music and you will often hear her trying to sing along to the radio in the car. Her favourite kids songs are "ring around the rosie" and "wheels on the bus". She will sing a few of the words and do the actions.

-she is still a dancing machine - I can't wait to put her in a tu tu for dance classes! I'm not sure how old she needs to be to start though...

-the Missus fits right in at the Love Bug's nursery school. The other kids are used to her now. She will walk in with the Love Bug and I in the morning like she belongs there...pull up a chair and start colouring.

-she loves bouncing balls. She will pick it up and say "ball..bouncy bouncy" and kill herself laughing.

-she loves her "babies" such as dolls and stuffed animals. If we ask her to find her baby she will go get it and give it big hugs. She also like to feed the doll a bottle and give it medicine.

-the Missus likes to pretend making things in the play kitchen and will bring me cups of tea. I'm looking forward to when my kids can do this for real!

-right now she is getting 4 teeth, including two molars. So, she has been a bit cranky at times and it is more difficult to brush her teeth. She will grab the toothbrush away from me and say "mine" "bwuss" and brush her own teeth.

-last, but not least, she knows most of her major body parts...and her favourite is her belly button.

Menu Plan - week of June 2nd

2008-06-02T22:15:00.004-04:00

Monday - chili (I know it was hot out today, but my husband loves chili and we haven't had it in a few weeks).

Tuesday - banana buttermilk pancakes & fruit (my husband is eating out...so breakfast for dinner).

Wednesday - Mediterranean chicken stew and couscous (I didn't get a chance to make it last week because we had leftovers).

Thursday - BBQ's steaks, risotto and salad

Friday - I am cooking for my family at the cottage. I am looking for a terriaki chicken recipe - and will probably make some sticky rice and sesame asparagus.

Hey, it looks like a pretty easy week for me...NICE!

Products I love (as a mom)

2008-05-27T16:40:00.003-04:00

When you are pregnant you starting compiling a list and purchase things you think you might need for your baby. Everyone has their favourite items that they can't live without and they let you know what they are. I think that there is always basic stuff you need and you learn what works best for you once you actually have your baby. And, your need change as your baby, and family grow! Here are some things that I love.

The Kushies nursing aprons - although I am no longer breastfeeding, I loved these things. So easy to fit in your purse or diaper bag and really inexpensive. There are so many different types and styles of nursing aprons out there, but I think this is the best value for sure.

My Fleurville diaper bag - I LOVE IT! I started off with a Roots diaper bag, which was great, but soon graduated to this one. It is stylish and practical. I am so happy I got it.

The Fisher Price booster seat - why did I buy a high chair again? This thing just straps on your kitchen chair, cleans really easily, takes up less room and is portable.

Baby Magoo blankets - I didn't have these for the Love Bug, but have a couple for the Missus. She loves them. They are so soft.

Kushies bibs with sleeves - once kids are feeding themselves it tends to get messy. These are inexpensive and completely cover them.

Gymboree bubble blower - this thing makes the best bubbles ever!

My Pliko P3 (Peg Perego) stroller. It was great when I had just one child. And works well with two because your old child, who may generally prefer walking when you are out, can just ride on the back when needed.

Squishy balls - my kids love them. You can get them from any toy store or even the dollar store, We have tons of them.

Diapees & Wipees - Since I used to sell them, I have a few that I use. Even my hubby doesn't mind taking it with him. It is so handy to throw in any bag or to separate different diaper sizes when you have more than one child in diapers.

Menu Plan - week of May 26th

2008-05-26T13:19:00.003-04:00

Last week I didn't get to make a couple of the items on my plan because we had company one night and had a late lunch the other day, so a couple of those items are being included this week.

Also, I have decided not to plan weekend meals for the summer. We visit a lot and will be going to the cottage, so there isn't much sense.

Monday - from the Canadian Living Make it tonight cookbook: Mushroom pork medallions, potatoes and asparagus

Tuesday - Lazy perogy casserole & salad - New recipe I'm trying

Wednesday - chicken souvlaki, rice pilaf, Greek salad, pitas and tatziki

Thursday - Penne with short rib ragout

Friday - Mediterranean chicken stew with couscous

Menu Plan - week of May 19th

2008-05-20T12:53:00.002-04:00

This is one day late due to the long weekend.

Monday - Fettucine Verona (fresh noodles with grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and cheese)

Tuesday - pizza

Wednesday - from the Canadian Living Make it tonight cookbook: Mushroom pork medallions, rice pilaf and broccoli

Thursday - Japanese grilled chicken, steamed rice, sesame asparagus

Friday - Short rib ragout, pasta and salad

Saturday - BBQ sausages and salad

Sunday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans

The best gift of all

2008-05-13T13:12:00.004-04:00

My husband didn't work last week and picked up the Love Bug from nursery school on Wednesday. When they got home, the Love Bug had made a couple of things for Mother's Day. The first one was a card/sign saying "I love my mommy because..." Can you guess why the Love Bug loves me? Some kids said because their mom vacuums or make dinner, etc. My son said "Because mommy takes me to Starbucks." True, true.

He also had a little bag that he decorated saying "to mommy love Love Bug". I put it on the desk in the kitchen figuring that I would open in on Mother's Day. Well, after lunch, my Love Bug said that he wanted Mommy to "open it now!" He went and got it, climbed up on my lap with the biggest smile on his face. He just sat there staring at me and smiling. When I opened the bag, my heart melted. He had made me a necklace. There were beads on it that he had painted. He was so happy and excited to give it to me. I started to cry (thinking my heart might actually burst). He said "Put it on Mommy." So, I did (and wore it the rest of the day and on Mother's Day). He looked at me and said "Mommy, you look beautiful!" I think I will treasure that necklace forever.

Moments like that are what makes being a mom the most important thing in the world to me. It truly makes it all worth while!

By the way, I did get some other nice things from the Love Bug and Missus (that the hubby helped pick out) on Mother's Day too. I am a very lucky Mommy, that is for sure.

Menu Plan - week of May 12th

2008-05-12T21:00:00.003-04:00

This is going to be a boring week...in terms of meal planning, that is. We have plans for the long weekend, so not too many meals for me to plan (which is a nice break for me).

Monday - leftovers - from the last few nights and brunch yesterday

Tuesday - One pot chicken dish over cheesey rice

Wednesday - Pecan chicken, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cheese sauce

Thursday - Homemade pizza

Friday, Saturday & Sunday - TBD

Mother's Day Brunch

2008-05-10T16:02:00.004-04:00

This Mother's day (and last year as well) I am holding a brunch for my mom. My family will be there as well as my mom, step-dad and my brother's family. Although it is also my day, I really enjoy having family over. And, I especially love having people over for brunch. I love brunch! Is there anyone who doesn't? Here is the menu I am planning for Sunday. I think it covers both the sweet and savory aspect of brunch.

French toast casserole from this month's Today's Parent Magazine - you make it the night before and pop it into the oven in the morning. I think this looks so yummy!

Frittata with asparagus, tomatoes and fontina cheese

Home fries

Peameal bacon

Fresh fruit

Ricotta Lemon Pancakes with a fresh blueberry sauce - I originally wasn't going to make these, but I want to make sure I have enough food and I think my mom would really like them!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

16 months old

2008-05-08T19:15:00.004-04:00

My little girl turned 16 months old last Sunday. It is so weird to think of her as that old...when the Love Bug was that old I was halfway through my pregnancy with the Missus!

The Missus is a very active toddler now- always running and into everything. She still loves to be held though, which I think is just part of her personality. She is in her glory when we have family get-togethers. She just goes to her grandparents and aunts/uncles asking everyone to pick her up.

She has been moving from two naps a day to just one...and I don't think she is always happy about it! She often goes to the stairs and begs to go "night nights" waaaaaay before it is nap time. I have given in to her the odd day and let her sleep for an hour in the morning (so that she will still have an afternoon nap).

I have decided that I love to make her look pretty. I feel very lucky to have both a boy and a girl because there are great things about each. I do love buying clothes and accessories for my baby girl, for sure. And, she loves it too. She is a shoe gal already! Anytime we go into a store, she goes right for the shoes.

Currently, the Missus and I are enrolled in Toddlergym one of the mornings when the Love Bug is in nursery school. She loves it! Her brother liked it when he was her age too. She enjoys both the singing and active play. After the very first class she already knew the actions for the "Sleeping bunny" or "Sleeping monkey" song. It is too cute! Sometimes she will lie down on the floor and look at me with a big smile, waiting for me to sing it to her.

Some other amazing Missus points:
-she already has mini temper tantrums when she gets frustrated..something I think she may have picked up from her brother (when he was going through that phase). Should be interesting when she turns two.
-she can turn the pages of a book and is getting better at sitting still when being read to.
-she is completely attached to her "Bwankie"! She picks it up and rubs one of the corners against her nose as soon as she sees it.
-she is still a climbing machine and you have to watch her at all times (she has fallen down stairs a few times, much to my horror)
-she can take off pieces of clothes by herself and sometimes I find her walking around the house topless.....and always shoeless in the car.
-she surprises me every day with the amount of words she is using and the things she can do!

Food for thought

2008-05-07T13:17:00.001-04:00

I was just thinking the other day about how interesting it is to watch your child's food preferences develop. Both my kids have gone through similar stages. When first introduced to solid foods, they started liking cereal right away. They were also pretty good with fruits and veggies. Meat was another story all together. I had a hard time with jarred meat.
Then they went through a stage where they would try and eat almost anything you put on their tray. And, they couldn't seem to get enough food!

Now the Love Bug is very picky and the Missus is starting to become more so, although she is way more open to trying things than her brother.

Here is a list of the Love Bug's top 10 favourite things to eat (in no particular order):
1.Chocolate (a boy after my own heart)
2.Cheese
3. Ginger Molasses cookies from Starbucks (when asked the other day which Starbucks he wanted to go to he replied "the one with the Ginger Lasses cookies mommy!"
4. Strawberries
5. Pancakes - we have them at least once a week, usually weekend breakfast.
6. "baby oranges" (mandarin)
7. Lunch (which consists of bread or crackers, cheese and turkey - sometimes I ask him what he wants for breakfast and he will say "Lunch!"
8. Kraft dinner with Daddy (because I don't eat it)
9. Chicken fingers and fries (I try to make them healthier and make them myself)
10. mustard - I know it isn't a food, but the guy loves it!

Menu Plan - week of May 5th

2008-05-05T12:34:00.004-04:00

Monday - dinner with my husband's grandparents

Tuesday - Mac & Cheese from Deceptively Delicious & a spinach salad

Wednesday (FIL will be over for dinner) - Roasted chicken with balsamic vinaigrette, mushroom risotto with peas, asparagus

Thursday - Lighter chicken pot pie

Friday - marinated flank steak on the BBQ, Rosti potatoes (Canadian Living) and salad

Saturday - Chicken and black bean burritos

Sunday - Mother's Day...I'm not doing dinner. I will be having my family over for brunch which I will write about in another post

The politics of Cottaging

2008-04-29T14:47:00.007-04:00

It seems like this year that we will be doing quite a bit of cottaging. My FIL and step MIL have had a cottage since I came on the scene. We have been going up there for years, but not as much since we had the kids. The place wasn't that big - it could accommodate us but if the kids were up in the night we were afraid that everyone would hear it. It made for a less-than-relaxing sleep.

Now they have built a huge addition on the cottage so that everyone can be up there at the same time (us and my husband's step-sis and step-brother). And my because my in laws plan on retiring up there in a few years. Here are a couple of pics of the new place. Nice.

My mom and step-dad just bought a place that they will be taking possession of in a couple of weeks. It is about 20 minutes away from my in-law's place. I haven't been there yet but it looks really nice in the pictures I have seen.

Now comes the balancing act. We have to figure out where to go and try to minimize hurt feelings because we didn't spend time at one of the cottages. I know my mom and step-dad totally understand that we will be splitting our time up and am not too worried about that. I am a little bit more worried about my in laws (not terribly worried though) because they have had their cottage longer and we have been spending less and less time there over the past couple of years.

My solution so far is that I will go to my mom & step-dad's place on some of the weekends when my hubby is working...gives us something to do anyway. (And, while I get along greatly with my in laws, I still feel more comfortable around my own mom). On weekends my hubby has off we will go to the in law's cottage. My hubby has 2 weeks off during the summer and we will split time between the 2 places. Sounds good, right? Let's hope it works out...

I'm sure we will figure it all out and at least I know what I will be doing this summer!

My 3 year old Love Bug

2008-04-28T13:53:00.007-04:00

As promised, here is a little synopsis of my Love Bug at 36 months.

He is a very complex little guy. He can be quite serious sometimes and other times he is a clown. He has always had a great sense of humour and knows what can make other people laugh. In particular, he cracks his sister up with almost everything he does.

He has never been the best sleeper. We struggle constantly with naps and staying in bed at night. He is probably outgrowing his nap (sadly) but still needs a couple naps a week for sure.

He has been suffering from night terrors...that is what the night time temper tantrums were about. He will usually wake up crying and screaming within 3-4 hours of going to bed. We just go in and hold him. He usually doesn't make sense and will go back to sleep fairly quickly.

He loves attention at night (other than the night terrors) and will come up with ridiculous excuses to get us in his room, like he doesn't want a blanket on his bed. Um...take it off then silly!
He is so affectionate and I don't want him to outgrow this! He loves to sit on your lap and talk, read books or even watch tv. He will just come up and say "please hold me mommy". Even his teacher at nursery school thinks he is super cuddly.

He talks non-stop. Sometimes he can be on a monologue for 10 minutes. It is nice to have conversations with him now though.

He still isn't potty trained (so sad). He was doing really well for a while and then totally reverted back to going in his pull-ups after he had the stomach flu about a month ago. I need to figure this one out.

He knows all of his colours, shapes and letters.

He loves clocks. He will notice a clock anywhere we go. And, he wants them to turn more. We have to explain that clocks turn slowly unless they have a seconds arm that moves quicker.

He loves cars and the movie by the same name. He has a little McQueen and a bigger McQueen and they are always around - sometimes in my diaper bag for trips in the minivan.

Some of his favourite expressions are "What happened?", "What's that smell?"

His favourite shows are Max & Ruby and Backyardigans. We have a bunch taped on our PVR and he knows and wants specific episodes all of the time...picky.

He is a Starbucks addict already. He know my order and knows his order too...a kid's hot chocolate no whip cream and a ginger molasses cookie. He shares both of those things with his little sister though. And, he loves the Starbucks drive-thrus...which makes it way too convenient for me to take them... a lot!

The Love Bug had an interest in books at an early age and still does. He loves to read lots of books including ones that require a pretty good attention span like Muncsh and Dr. Seuss. His love of reading makes us happy since both my husband and myself like to read (my hubby reads more than anyone I have ever met).

He LOVES to help with just about everything!

I can't believe that he is 3 already. He still had a baby-ish look about him until recently but now he definitely looks more like a little boy. I guess ultimately, he always will be my baby boy though.

Menu Plan - week of April 28

2008-04-27T14:35:00.006-04:00

My husband is going through the busy part of his schedule so I need recipes that are quick and easy this week!

Monday - meatloaf with scalloped potatoes and green beans

Tuesday - Cheater Souvlaki with Pita, Tzatziki and Grilled Vegetables (I think I'll buy the tzatziki though)

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday - Japanese Grilled Chicken, Fragrant Rice
Sauteed Edamame

Friday - Perogies and salad

Saturday - I think maybe Chicken Nuggets from Deceptively Delicious and homemade fries (in the oven)

Sunday - the hubby is off for a week...yeh! So we will have some steaks on the BBQ, mushroom risotto and grilled asparagus

My 3 year old guy

2008-04-23T20:05:00.005-04:00

I started writing this on his birthday, but just finished today.

The day started off well with the Love Bug having a good sleep...yeh! So, he got a sticker on his "Stayed in bed all night chart". He was a little bit grumpy when I dropped him off at nursery school and kept saying "please hold me mommy." When it was time for me to leave he went immediately to his teacher (who he loves) and snuggled her. We had made some chocolate cupcakes with blue icing (as per Love Bug's request) to bring for snack time at nursery school. So, he got to share them with all of his school friends and they sang happy birthday to him.

When the Missus and I picked him up from school at lunch time he was in a really good mood. We came home and had lunch and he opened his presents from us. I decided to have a nap with him so he would rest because I though he has had a lot of excitement lately. It worked and he had a decent nap.

When we got up we went to Chuck E Cheese for dinner. We haven't been there in a while but the kids LOVED it!!! They had a great time playing with all of the games and rides. And, we had pizza for dinner...what more could any 3 year old ask for.

Afterwards we went to Starbucks (Chapters is right bedside Chuck E Cheese conveniently :) and had some drinks. The kids shared a kids hot chocolate and a cookie. What a great way to end the day!

I will post some more about my 3 year old preschooler (yikes - no longer a toddler!) in the next couple of days. I need a little time to reflect and adjust to my baby boy turning 3.

Menu Plan - week of April 21st

2008-04-22T08:11:00.002-04:00

One day late in doing this!

Monday - leftovers from the Love Bug's party

Tuesday - Pecan chicken, sweet potatoes & asparagus

Wednesday - Chuck E Cheese for the Love Bug's 3rd birthday!

Thursday - Curry chicken & steamed basmati rice

Friday - BBQ sausages & salad

Saturday - Chicken & bean burritos & salad

Sunday - TBD/leftovers

Party time!

2008-04-21T12:40:00.004-04:00

My little Love Bug is turning 3 on Wednesday! I can't believe it. We has a very small party for him yesterday (Sunday) at lunch time. It was hard to plan anything this year because my hubby worked Saturday and Sunday this past weekend. And, he is working all of this upcoming weekend. The only time slot we had available was Sunday at lunch time because the hubby didn't start work until 7pm.

I debated for quite a while about whether or not to have a kids party this year. But due to my hubby not having a lot of time and the grandparents WANTING to be a part of the birthday celebration, we just had the grandparents and my brother, SIL and niece over for lunch and cake. I think next year, when he turns 4 (gulp) we will have a party with his friends for sure.

Anyway, I think he had a really great time. He has been asking to turn 3 for weeks now. I believe he knows that birthday = party = cake + presents. When asked what he wanted for his birthday he would reply CAKE! He wanted a chocolate cake with pink icing (something that I'm sure his dad loves). He happens to love cars right now, including the characters from the cartoon movie Cars. So, he got a Car cake with a miniature car on top. It was very cute and he loved it.

We also bought a helium tank and balloons from Costco and filled the family room with 50 balloons. The kids loved it. Are there are kids out there that don't like balloons 'cause my kids go crazy for them!

He was very spoiled (as usual) and got a sand box, water table that looks like a real sink, books, toys, clothes and money for his birthday. After opening every present he would day "Please open this now!" We haven't even given him our gifts yet.

After everyone left he was exhausted and started falling asleep on me. My hubby was taking a nap before his shift, so I decided to load the kids in the car and take them through the new drive-thru Starbucks (as per Love Bug's request). We brought Daddy home a coffee for when he got up too.

When I put Love Bug to bed that night he gave me a big kiss and said "Thank you for taking me to Starbucks today Mommy." I'm not sure why he was so happy to go today because we go every day (it is my vice). I asked him if he had fun at his party and his reply was "Yes! Thank you for decorating for my party Mommy!" So, I guess the streamers and balloons were a hit!

Sick of being sick

2008-04-16T14:00:00.003-04:00

It seems like the last month has been just one illness after the next in our house. It started off with the Missus being sick with a bad cold for a week before Easter. Then, Easter Monday she came down with stomach flu. The rest of the family caught it one by one and the week was a write-off. We had a week off to recover and then Love Bug got a really high fever for a couple of days early last week.

Once the fever broke I thought he was ok. But, he was miserable! He was throwing temper tantrums left, right and centre. It was crazy! Then a couple of days later I started feeling really achy. It hurt to shower. My whole body felt bruised. It turns out that the Love Bug had the flu and was probably feeling horrible (if he felt anything like I did!). He seems to be over it but I am still fighting it off right now and it has been almost a week. Now the Missus has a fever and a runny nose. It just never seems to end!

I have so much I would like to post about but just haven't had the time or energy. Hopefully I will catch up soon.

Menu Plan - week of April 14th

2008-04-14T09:32:00.003-04:00

Last week was a write-off. The Love Bug was sick Monday and Tuesday. Then I had the flu again all week and am just getting over it now. So, I didn't cook a lot last week. I am going to make some of the recipes (from last week) this week instead.

Monday - Chicken tetrazzine

Tuesday - Pork Chops with apple gravy, cheesy rice and green beans (recipe from Rachel Ray that is suppose to be for chicken)

Wednesday - chili and buttermilk biscuits

Thursday - Jerk Chicken (emeril), rice & peas, fried plantain

Friday - going out

Saturday - Singapore noodles (recipe from Canadian Living)

Sunday - leftovers - we are having the family over for lunch to celebrate the Love Bug's birthday, so we will have whatever is left for dinner

Mommy of the year

2008-04-10T14:46:00.003-04:00

This is an award that I will NOT be winning right now. Lately, it has been a bit of a struggle. It feels like we have been constantly battling illnesses the last month which have pretty much zapped me of my energy. Due to these illnesses, the kids have been more to handle too. Particularly the Love Bug who is really a handful these days. It turns out he has been suffering from night terrors. We have developed a system to deal with that which seems to be helping. Last weekend his tantrums actually got better and he was my nice normal guys again - which was wonderful. This week he got sick again and since then has been a holy terror. I haven't had a break in forever and think I need one. I just am running low on patience. I am usually pretty calm but I don't think I having been dealing with the constant screaming and demanding as well as I could be (I have been raising my voice more than usual and am being inconsistent with discipline).

My FIL and step-MIL have offered to take the kids overnight this weekend and I have agreed to it. I am a little worried about it because they have never slept over there without us. And, the Missus has NEVER slept apart from me in 15 months! I know I need the break, but it is stressing me out a bit at the same time.

Walkin' and talkin'

2008-04-07T10:43:00.004-04:00

My little princess was 15 months old on Friday. She has been doing so much lately that it is really hard to keep up with it. On Thursday morning, my husband left for a hockey tournament and didn't get back until last night. When he got back I kept saying "oh ya, she does this now". In just 4 days she started so many new things!

-says Mommy instead of mama - one of my favourite "new" things
-talks and talks! She repeats almost everything she hears. Some of her favourite words are eat, grapes and cheese.
-she follows simple instructions like bringing her shoes to me if I ask her to or will wipe her face
-she knows some of her body parts; belly button, nose and bum-bum
-she will tell me if she has gone to the bathroom in her diaper (I fear she will be potty trained before her brother!)
-she walks/almost runs everywhere now
-she eats NON_STOP and has developed (unfortunately) a real sweet tooth. If she sees anyone with chocolate she goes nuts.
-will help put clothes on and can take off her own top
-in the last week has started switching from two naps to one
-is starting to like books more now. She previously didn't have much on an attention span for books (unlike her brother who loved books at a very early age). She will also help turn the pages. -she is still a big smoocher and now blows kisses too
-she eats well with her spoon and we give her whatever we are eating for dinner
-she loves to climb and we often find her on top of things - like the ottoman, boxes, or chairs
-pretend to "talk" on the telephone. She will pick it up and say "hi" then jabber away.

I know there are more things that I am forgetting since her development seems to have exploded. Oh well, when I remember it will give me more to post about ;)

Menu Plan - week Of April 7th

2008-04-07T10:39:00.003-04:00

Last week turned out to be a little chaotic and I didn't make everything I had intended on making. So, I will try again this week!

Monday - Roast Beef, gravy, Mashed potatoes & roasted asparagus

Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan, noodles and green beans

Wednesday - Hot roast beef sandwiches & salad

Thursday - BBQ sausages & salad

Friday - Jerk chicken (Emeril), rice & peas, fried plantain...I'm feeling like a little Jamaican food right now!

Saturday -Singapore noodles (recipe from Canadian Living)

Sunday - TBD

Freaking out

2008-04-03T14:04:00.002-04:00

My formerly sweet, well behaved little boy has turned into a nightmare since the whole stomach flu thing a week ago. He is a different person. I'm not sure what happened. Perhaps that he is turning 3 in just a few weeks has triggered some strange personality transformation. For the last week he has been a defiant little pain-in the bum. He is constantly screaming to get his own way and almost everything seems like a struggle. He doesn't want to get dressed in the morning, I have to practically glue him to his seat for meals and he is constantly telling me "NO!" I feel like I have to keep correcting him "no thank you mommy", "I would prefer Max and Ruby instead of Backyardigans mommy" etc. instead of a big, loud NO all of the time.

The only good thing about this phase is that he is extra cuddly and likes to have time just sitting and snuggling together. He has always been a fairly cuddly guy, but is more so lately.

I still hope this phase is short-lived because it isn't nice being bossed around by an almost 3 year old! I have been good at keeping my cool but it is trying on the patience, that is for sure!

Menu Plan - week of March 31st

2008-03-31T13:47:00.002-04:00

Monday - leftovers (last week I made a lot of food but we were all sick with the flu so we didn't eat very much.)

Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan (I made the Marinara sauce last week), noodles and salad

Wednesday - Sausages on the BBQ, salad

Thursday - buttermilk pancakes and fruit (the hubby won't be joining us for dinner)

Friday - Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Saturday - Going out

Sunday - TBD

The House of Puke

2008-03-28T09:57:00.003-04:00

That is what our house has been this week! It all started with the Missus waking up at 4am on Monday morning crying. I went in to her room, thought I smelled something, sniffed her bum, all seemed ok so I just rocked her until she calmed down. About 45 minutes later she was crying again. This time I turned on the light and noticed large wet puddles in her crib. It didn't look like barf, but it sure smelled like it!

The rest of Monday consisted of me holding the Missus while she dry-heaved or puked everywhere, then changing both her and I into new fresh outfits. She ended up having a nap over 3 hours long in the afternoon. My hubby cam home and I went to get her to find her fast asleep in a puddle of vomit in her crib. It broke my heart and disgusted me at the same time. I called my hubby to change her while I cleaned out the crib.

On Tuesday night around 9pm we heard a weird sound coming from the Love Bug's room. I went in to find him half asleep puking. I picked him up so he wasn't lying down in his own vomit. He looked at me and said "mommy, I'm sicky. I barfed all over." Yes, he did. I changed his bed and threw everything in the laundry while my husband cleaned him up. About an hour later I was running to the bathroom myself. The rest of the night was a blur. I think I spent half of it on the floor of our bathroom. I think I may have actually passed out a couple of times. When I came downstairs my husband looked at me and said "you look ghastly!"

I found out that while I was in the bathroom that night, the hubby had been making numerous trip to the Love Bug's room cleaning up barf. Good times all round! Wednesday was a complete write-off.

Then at 2;45am on Thursday morning, my husband came down with it and spent all of yesterday lying on the couch with a fever and shaking.

I think we are all on the mend now, thank goodness. Now I need to put away all of the laundry that needed to be done as a result of the illness and finish disinfecting the entire house with our industrial sized container of Lysol wipes!

Menu plan - week of March 24th

2008-03-24T14:10:00.004-04:00

Monday - I have NO idea. My little one is sick and barfy and I don't have time or energy to make anything.

Tuesday - Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce

Wednesday - Swedish Meatballs (from Emeril's "There is a chef in my world"), potatoes, green beans

Thursday - Chicken Spezzatino (from Everyday Italian Cookbook - recipe to follow at end of this post) and some rice

Friday - Beef and cheese manicotti (from Everyday Italian), probably some salad too

Saturday - Hamburgers and salad

Sunday - Leftovers!

*********************************************************************************
From Giada De Laurentiis: Everyday Italian
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 celery stalks, cut into bite-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 14.5oz can chopped tomatoes with their juices
1 14oz can reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 C fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 chicken breasts with ribs (about 1.5 pounds)
1 15oz can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)

In a heavy 5.5 quart saucepan, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the celery, carrot, and onion, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken and press to submerge. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, turning the breasts over and stirring occasionally, until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add the beans and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced to a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.Discard the bay leaf. Let the chicken cool about 5 minutes. Discard the skin and bones and cut the meat into bite size pieces. Return it to the stew and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Here, there and everywhere

2008-03-24T09:56:00.003-04:00

That is how our weekend went. It was a BUSY Easter weekend! On Friday we travelled to Oakville to have dinner with my FIL and step-mother-in-law. My hubby's grandparents were there too, so that was nice. MY FIL and step-MIL were suppose to come to our house today on there way home from the cottage, however, plans changed (unfortunately) and we ended up going there on Friday.

On Saturday we had some running around to do in the morning and then we went to Burlington to my BIL and SIL's house for dinner. When we made these plans about 6 weeks ago we hadn't realized that it was Easter weekend. It is nice for the kids to get together with their cousins though and we really didn't want to change plans. We had a nice time and the kids really enjoyed themselves!

Yesterday we went to my brother and sister-in-law's house in Oshawa. The Love Bug had a great time with his cousin (who is 5 months younger than him). The Missus, on the other hand, not so much. She was pretty tired and cranky and I ended up carrying her around almost the whole time.

We had a nice weekend and it was nice seeing everyone, but 3 days in a row of travelling with the kids, bringing all of their PJs etc, the Missus missing her afternoon nap ('cause she refused to sleep in the car) and the kids staying up past their bedtime...is way too much!

The Missus has had a cold for about a week now and is also teething. Today she woke up barfing. I have had to change her outfits 3 times today (and myself once). I think she needs to just take it easy, so we are stying in today for sure!

Please hold me?

2008-03-19T15:04:00.000-04:00

My kids are pretty affectionate generally, I think. We get lots of cuddles and kisses from both of them. It has been interesting lately though. The Love Bug is in this phase where he will come up to us and say "Mommy/Daddy, please hold me!" It sounds kind of funny hearing this come from an (almost) 3 year old. But, I will take hugs however they come!

The Missus has been a HUGE smoocher lately. She must kiss me about 200 times a day. I will be making dinner and she will walk up and kiss my leg. If I am holding her she will reach over and kiss my lips, face, hair...whatever she can get her lips on. I have been calling her the Kissing Bandit or Smoocherella.

I don't want either of them to stop! This is a good phase!

Menu plan - week of March 17th

2008-03-17T20:05:00.003-04:00

It looks like a pretty easy week for me!

Monday - homemade perogies & salad

Tuesday - One Pot Chicken Dish over Cheesy Rice

Wednesday - Pot Roast with Vegetables, herbed parsnips & roasted sweet potatoes

Thursday - leftovers!

Friday - homemade pizza

Saturday - having dinner at my BIL and SIL's house

Sunday (Easter) - dinner at my brother & SIL's house

How exciting - I don't have to cook for 2 whole days!

Recipe Review - we had some yummy meals last week!

2008-03-12T14:04:00.001-04:00

My menu plan last week was a really good one!! I have some great recipes to add to my repertoire.

The beef ragout with pasta was really yummy! The whole family enjoyed it and it was a bit different than just regular spaghetti sauce that you might make.

The chicken with apple gravy, cheesy rice pilaf and steamed green beans was a hit with the family too. And, it was really a well-balanced meal.

Spanish style beef with rice. I liked it and so did both of the kids. My hubby thought it could use a little more spice. The great thing about this recipe is that it makes double the amount you need for one meal so I used it for another recipe this week (stuffed peppers). My family really liked the peppers. You just add a few ingredients (spinach, cheese, tomato sauce) and stuff the peppers. Even the Love bug, who never eats spinach, really enjoyed them. I think I just might make the rice & beef in advance to use for stuffed peppers next time.

Chicken tetrazzini was really good and the kids enjoyed it for sure. It looks nice coming out of the oven with the Parmesan cheese nicely browned on top. And, it makes a double batch too...so we are having it later this week.

Lighter chicken pot pie - I really liked it and it was super easy to make. The hubby thought there were too many veggies in it, but I thought it was perfect (but I love my veggies). Next time I will put more chicken in it for him!

The Soother Fairy

2008-03-11T10:52:00.003-04:00

So, my Love Bug has been a BIG fan of his pacifier since he was born. We kept wanting to get rid of it but found numerous reasons (and excuses) not to. The big one had to do with Missus being up every 2-3 hours in the night until she was nine months old. We were TIRED and didn't feel like compounding our exhaustion.

Then we didn't want to do it because we moved out of our house and in with my mom for 5 weeks. Then we moved in to our new house and needed to get settled. So, last week I decided that it was time to get rid of the soother! My hubby was working night shifts so I did it on my own. We were originally planning on doing it this week when my hubby was off. I figured...why should we both suffer and did it a week earlier.

The first couple of nights were HELLACIOUS! The Love Bug was up constantly wanting his soother. Then the third night he slept through the night (which is a rare occurrence - soother or not). Since then he has been up maybe once a night, which is fairly typical. We are having problems with naps though and he has only had 2 in the last week. I'm not sure if he is just going through a phase or if he is outgrowing his nap already (since he is almost 3).

Anyways, the way we (I) got rid of the soother is to say the "Soother Fairy" came to take it away since he is getting too big now. He keeps saying that he wants her to bring it back, but sort of understands the concept. Since he actually slept through the night after having his soother taken away, the Soother Fairy brought him a new fire truck one morning. He was pretty excited about that and I don't think he is as angry with the Soother Fairy anymore...thank goodness.

Menu Plan - week of March 10th

2008-03-10T15:41:00.003-04:00

Last week's menu was really good and I will write some reviews later this week. The good news is that 2 of my menu selections last week made enough for meals this week. Yeh!

Monday - Hot turkey/chicken sandwiches with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans (from this month's Canadian Living magazine). **I am going to make extra potatoes so I can make some perogies for next week.

Tuesday - Stuffed Peppers with Beef, Rice, Spinach and Cheese & a salad - from Rachel Ray (the stuffing for the peppers starts with some of the Spanish rice & beef that I made last week. It makes a double batch so I froze one portion for this week).

Wednesday - Rotini with sausage and eggplant sauce (from Canadian Living magazine this month).

Thursday - chili & buttermilk biscuits

Friday - Marinated flank steak on the BBQ, Rosti potatoes and asparagus

Saturday - Chicken Tetrazzini (This Martha recipe I made last week also made a double batch, so I froze some for this week).

Sunday - TBD

14 Month old Missus

2008-03-04T19:54:00.005-05:00

I am a little bit tired today since I was up a lot with the Love Bug last night. We are trying to get rid of his pacifier...something that is LONG overdue but we just didn't have the energy to tackle (with the Missus being such a horrible sleeper as an infant).

Anyways, I am going to muster up some energy here to talk about how my baby girl is progressing at life as a toddler.

What comes to mind first is that she seems to be suffering from some separation anxiety when we are not together. I know this is something that most kids go through, and although somewhat flattering, it really isn't a phase I enjoy. For instance, I joined a new gym - one that has babysitting. I went to Curves for a while but the no babysitting thing didn't allow me to go very often. Anyway...I was in my orientation session and the kids were down the hall in the playroom. The babysitters had to come get me because the Missus was having the meltdown of the century. Not cool.

She is walking more and more now. In the last couple of weeks she has really started taking the initiative to walk on her own. Prior to that it was all about us encouraging her to walk. I'm still not sure if you would call her walking (she doesn't walk far distances or anything) but she is definitely getting there.

She loves, loves, loves her big brother. She wants to do anything he is doing and follows him around like crazy. If the hubby and I make a face or noise, she finds it mildly amusing. If the Love Bug does it she finds it rolling-on-the-floor hilarious.

I have taken her off all baby food (since she has been weaned from the breastfeeding for a month now). I am trying to make more child-friendly meals and she is doing fairly well. For a while she was eating anything and everything, but is now getting a bit more fussy. She is doing amazingly well eating with a spoon already though.

I think she may be teething right now because she has been fussing a bit in the night and has been a bit cranky. It is about time for some more teeth though 'cause she got 6 all at once about 5 months ago and we haven't seen any since.

I must admit that it is fun having a little girl to shop for! She is at an age now where I can by her little clips for her hair and cute little shoes. I LOVE it!

Menu Plan - week of March 3

2008-03-03T10:28:00.004-05:00

Hmmm...it looks like lots of chicken this week AND a lot of new recipes! Wish me luck!

Monday - beef ragout with pasta and a salad (I didn't make it last week because I couldn't find them at the Superstore. Sobeys carries them).

Tuesday - Chicken with Apple Gravy, Cheesy Rice Pilaf with Peas, Green Beans

Wednesday - Spanish-Style Beef and Rice with a salad (Rachel Ray) ***she says that this recipe was designed so that you could freeze half of the beef and rice to make Stuffed Peppers with Beef, Rice, Spinach and Cheese at a later date. So, I guess I know something on the menu plan for next week!

Thursday - Chicken Tetrazzini (from Martha Stewart)

Friday - Burgers and salad

Saturday - Lighter chicken pot pie (from Martha)

Sunday - TBD

Recipe reviews for the last 2 weeks

2008-03-02T14:02:00.003-05:00

I didn't have a chance to do this last week, so I am catching up today.

Singapore Noodles - from Canadian Living Cookbook
This was really good. It had rice noodles with pork and shrimps. The sauce had curry, ginger, garlic and rice wine vinegar to name a few ingredients. Tasted very similar to Pad Thai. We will be making this one again. Not so sure it is one for the kids though.

Homemade pizza - I made the pizza dough myself from Canadian Living (of course). It turned out great. We all had our own pizza that we put toppings on. I think the Love Bug really enjoyed it. Probably something we will do once a month.

Home made perogies - these were really yummy. Just traditional cheese and potato perogies. Even my hubby (who grew up with a polish grandmother making them) thought they were really good. They are a bit time consuming, so next time I think I will make them in advance and freeze them for future use.

Italian baked chicken and patina - from Everyday Italian. So easy to make with ingredients you probably have at home. I'll be making this again. A good one for kids.

Roasted chicken with balsamic vinaigrette - from Everyday Italian. SO yummy and impressive looking! A good recipe for when company is coming over.

Apple pork chops (Canadian Living) with Butternut Squash & vanilla risotto (Everyday Italian) - the pork chops were just so-so. I think I may try a similar recipe for chicken this week to see if it is any better. The risotto was really good. The Love Bug thought it tasted like marshmallows. The hubby liked it but would have preferred the squash in smaller pieces. I will definitely make this again. Making risotto from scratch is time-consuming, but we really like it.

Nursery School Social

2008-02-29T16:12:00.002-05:00

Along with running the Scholastic program at the Love Bug's nursery school, I am also on a social committee organizing a fundraiser. The school is a co-operative nursery school and relies on fundraisers to operate. Part of going to a co-operative nursery school is also having the parents involved in the school, which is one of the reasons why we chose it. I like to be involved.

At first I thought joining this committee was going to be a nightmare. The first meeting was dreadful - too many people. It reminded me of group work in university (which, by the way, I hated). It started off disorganized with a few people monopolizing the conversation...and generally not throwing out very useful (or logical) ideas. The second meeting was better because some of those people were not there. And, our last meeting was great. We accomplished so much and there were only 4 of us. Sometimes I think that large groups are just not as productive (the old "too many chiefs" saying).

The event will be on Friday March 28th in the evening and will be a fun evening for little ones.

Part of the fundraiser is going to be a raffle for baskets. There will be a mom basket, dad basket, kids basket, new baby basket, etc. We have been contacting local businesses for donations and people are being fairly generous. I absolutely hate cold-calling people I don't know asking for stuff...yuk. But it hasn't been too bad so far.

I anyone out there knows of any business that would like to donate a product or gift certificate for a good cause...please let me know!

In to EVERYTHING

2008-02-26T13:55:00.004-05:00

Lately, my kids have been little pains in the butt. I think partly because they are tired of being couped up in doors (we NEED Spring). Every time I turn around , they are in to something. The Love Bug was one of those kids who was constantly opening every drawer or cupboard anywhere we went. We thought he had outgrown this curiosity to get in to trouble. Um...not so much. On Friday my husband spent the morning "child proofing" our kitchen aka installing safety latches on all of our cupboard doors. We had everything safety proofed in our old house, but we really didn't want to have to do this in our new house.

Over the last month or so, my Love Bug will be in to everything he can get his hands on. I'll be making dinner or something and next thing I know, he is walking around with a box of cereal or sometimes a coffee grinder (which made a HUGE mess of coffee grounds everywhere - I was NOT impressed). And, to make matters worse, he now has a partner in crime. Everywhere the Love Bug is, Missus is not far behind (seeing what she can drag out of the cupboards)!

He has already told me "I don't like these new locks Mommy!". I just said "Oh well. Maybe you will stay out of trouble now". Ya right!

p.s. We still need to do child proof our master bathroom so that toothpaste and shaving cream don't get all of the floor...like last week...

Menu Plan - week of Feb.25

2008-02-25T10:03:00.002-05:00

Monday - Beef Ragout with Penne Rigate (new from Canadian living), salad

Tuesday - chili and buttermilk biscuits (What can I say...my hubby wants chili every week!)

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday - Singapore noodles (new recipe from Canadian Living)

Friday - homemade pizza

Saturday - Tex Mex Gooey Casserole (we often refer to this as Mexican lasagna), salad

Sunday - leftovers

Toddler Time

2008-02-20T14:29:00.001-05:00

Today the Missus and I went to a class at a local parenting centre. The program is called Toddler Time and is a music program for kids 1-3 years old. I took the Love Bug there for a few programs when he was little, including Toddler Time when he has just turned one.

I thought Missus would LOVE the program because she will stop and dance to any music she hears - including elevator music. But, I think she was wondering where the heck we were. Poor thing. The only program I have taken her to (except a couple where she tagged along to Love Bug's class) was swimming. I think she was just trying to figure out what was happening today. Don't get me wrong, she definitely enjoyed it. She just wasn't her usual loud, enthusiastic self. I'm sure she will be in to it more next week.

As a side note...I can't believe I am already taking her to programs with "toddler" on the name. It is official now...no longer an infant...so sad...

Menu Plan - week of Feb.18th

2008-02-18T07:58:00.002-05:00

Monday - homemade perogies (lets hope they turn out!) and a salad

Tuesday - Chili, buttermilk biscuits

Wednesday - Macaroni and cheese (from Deceptively Delicious)

Thursday - Beer braised beef (with carrots) and mashed potatoes

Friday - TBD

Saturday - chicken stew

Sunday - Fettucine Verona (fresh noodles with grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and cheese)...I haven't made this in a while! It is simple and really good)

Dinner and a hockey game

2008-02-17T19:30:00.003-05:00

I keep trying to write this post but my children won't leave me alone for 2 minutes!!!!!!!!

My FIL phoned us a few weeks ago asking us if we wanted to go to a Leafs game. It has been a while since we have gone to a hockey game, so we said yes, of course. We decided to meet for dinner before the game at a place close by to the ACC.

We had our babysitters come over again. This time only the older sister was available but she brought a friend to help her out. We were going to be gone for quite a while, so I was a bit nervous about it.

The hubby went and picked them up around 4pm and we left to go downtown around 4:30pm. We ordered pizza for the girls and the Love Bug to make it easier on them. And, I already had dinner for the Missus ready to go - they just needed to feed her.

I don't know about anyone else, but I find I have a lot of prep work to do before we have anyone babysit the kids. I have an "instruction sheet" I have saved on the computer that I always update. I get all of the Missus' food out, cut and ready. Things for the Love Bug out. Their pjs out with diapers. Diapers are labeled because they take different sizes, etc...etc...

Anyways, the kids ate no problem. The Missus went to bed fine. Love Bug got out of bed once apparently. We got home around 10:30pm. Just after we got in the Missus started stirring in her crib. The hubby went to take the sitters home and I went to calm the Missus down. Then I checked on the Love Bug. He was asleep on the floor of his room. He only had one set of pajamas on and still had his pull up on. He was a bit wet. So, I put a diaper on him, changed his pj bottoms and put a blanket sleeper on him. We always put 2 pairs of pajamas on him in the winter because he tends to kick off his blankets when he sleeps.

Overall, it was a good night. We got to go out, the Leafs won the game and the kids were pretty well behaved. I only wish I could have spent a little more time with my hubby. At the game the seats were across the aisle from each other, so I sat with my step MIL and the hubby sat with his dad. It was nice for them to spend time with each other too though.

Weaned

2008-02-15T16:00:00.001-05:00

Well, the Missus is officially weaned. She was actually weaned cold-turkey last week a little unexpectedly. I was going to take her to 2 breast-feeding a day anyway but the process was sped up when I needed to take some medication that prevented me from breastfeeding (more on that another day). I am doing fine and so is the Missus. The first day she kept coming up to me and whined for me to breastfeed her. But the next couple of days went smoother and now she is drinking her homo milk from a sippie cup. We are still warming it up (just slightly) for her prior to giving it to her. She seems to drink more if it is at room temperature. I am proud of her so doing so well!

Now, if only I could get the Love Bug to drink milk again. I had a conversation with MTM about her daughter not drinking milk anymore. I said at the time that the Love Bug is a milk-a-holic and drinks tons. Well, wouldn't you know that a week later he stopped. Apparently he "doesn't like milk" anymore. He will drink chocolate milk and regular milk if I put a tiny bit of my chai latte in it, but that is not something I prefer to do. Hopefully he will grow out of this phase quickly.

Munsch Mania

2008-02-13T20:51:00.004-05:00

For the last few months, the Love Bug has been obsessed with Robert Munsch books. We have to read a few before nap time and a few before bed time every day. He goes through "favourites" for about a week or so that we have to read a couple of times each time we sit down. The first one he became obsessed with was "Smelly Socks". Then it was "Thomas' snowsuit" then "Make up mess" then "We Share Everything" then "Playhouse". The latest book that he is wants read all of the time is "Fifty below zero" which is really quite fitting this week!

I think it is great that the Love Bug loves to read so much and I think that the Munsch books require a pretty good attention span for someone his age. There are a couple of the books that I don't particularly care for (MMM cookies and Aaron's hair), but if he wants to read them, I do.

Now if only we could get the Missus sitting nicely to read books! She doesn't have the same attention span as her brother, that is for sure!

Menu Plan - week of Feb.11th

2008-02-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

I kind of feel like I am more on-the-ball this week so I have planned my menu one day early.

Monday - Italian baked chicken and pastina & maybe a salad

Tuesday
Mashed potatoes
green beans
chicken meatloaf with red pepper sauce

Wednesday - going to my mom's for dinner

Thursday /Valentine's Day
appetizer - baked brie and a baguette
Herbed Rosti potatoes (Canadian Living)
Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Asparagus
Something chocolatey for dessert - yummy

Friday
Apple pork chops (Canadian Living cookbook)
Butternut squash and vanilla risotto

Saturday - going out for dinner!

Sunday - leftovers!

Up 5 times

2008-02-08T21:47:00.001-05:00

Not last night, but the night before, the Love Bug got up FIVE times in the night! He has been going through phases of getting up and/or sleeping in the hallway since before we moved out of our old house. It has just begun to escalate recently to the point that it is beyond irritating. We have tried to be patient and handle things calmly, however, it just doesn't seem to be working anymore. We honestly feel like the Love Bug is just coming up with excuses to get up and just enjoys spending time with us in the wee hours of the morning. I love him like crazy, but seriously, I really don't enjoy the night time visits AT ALL! Neither does the hubby.

So, last night we told him that if he got up even once that we would put a lock on his door. It isn't really a lock. It is just one of those child proof door handles on the inside of his room. He used to sleep with his door shut when he was little, but since he turned 2 he likes having it open.

So, about an hour after bed time he got up...testing the waters I think. So, the door was shut. He cried and screamed like someone was killing him for about 30 minutes. Finally I went in and he was on his bed, his face blotchy from crying. It actually kind of broke my heart seeing him like that but I stayed tough. He aked me "mommy, what happened?" So, I asked him back "You tell me what happened."

He said "I not suppose to get out of bed or lock goes on door". So, he knew.

I explained how much we love him and that we don't like being tough but he is giving us no choise. He settled down and went to sleep.

Around 12:30 - up again. So, lock on door. Crying and screaming for over half an hour. Once he calmed down a bit the hubby went in and calmed him down and explained everything to him again. He stayed in bed until around 6:45 am - which is pretty good for him.

Tonight he is sleeping in our guest room because the hubby is painting his room, so we'll see how he does!

13 months old today!

2008-02-04T14:05:00.000-05:00

It was a month ago today that the Missus turned a year old. I really don't know where the time goes!

Well, the Missus is a very busy little girl. She loves to play with her big brother and we love watching them interact with each other. Sometimes they are just too cute. They roll around with each other on the floor, play with toys and love to play with a big box in our family room (that had some chairs in it). The Love Bug has also taken to help the Missus learn to walk. He will hold her hands and actually try to walk her around the room - it looks like they are dancing and she LOVES it. While they are quite cute - most of the time - they do have their moments where I have to play referee. Who knew it started so young?!?

The Missus is mostly weaned now and drinks milk from a sippie cup. And, we are also starting to give her less and less baby food. She wants everything we are eating and is a bit of a beggar!

She still is not walking on her own, although she does take a few steps if you encourage her. She is getting there, slowly but surely.

She is a very loud and vocal little girl who loves to hear her own voice. We are surprised at how much noise she can make. It is a good thing because she already has quite a few words and can even put 2 words together like "hi daddy".

A few other tidbits:
-she loves to imitate others, both actions and words.
-she likes to "help" around the house and will wipe off her booster seat tray if you give her a cloth
-she can follow some instuctions, particularly will give kisses if asked.
-she is still a HUGE flirt and smiles and coes at men wherever we go!
-she likes to take off her own shirt when we are getting her undressed - and I appreciate the help!

She is growing up so fast...now if only her hair would grow so fast! I can't wait to put it in pony tails and barrettes, but we are still in the baby mullet phase...

Menu plan - week of Feb.4th

2008-02-04T14:03:00.000-05:00

Monday - leftovers

Tuesday - Buttermilk pancakes for Shrove Tuesday & some fruit

Wednesday - spaghetti and meatballs (compliments of my mommy)

Thursday - chicken curry with steamed basmati rice

Friday - chili and buttermilk biscuits (and salad)

Saturday - TBD

Sunday - TBD

Food review : from week of Jan.21st

2008-01-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

Last week I tried a couple of new recipes. The first one was the bolognese sauce from my Everyday Italian cookbook. It was really simple, but quite good. Both the hubby and Love Bug ate it, which is saying something because even the hubby and I have very different tastes when it comes to spaghetti sauce!

I also tried the meatball soup from Deceptively Delicious. Not a winner! It sounded really good, and I think if I made some modifications it might work. For one, the meatballs were the weirdest texture...very puffy and mushy. They actually doubled in size once I dropped them into the soup. Also, it is the kind of soup that is best to eat the day you make it. I put leftovers into the fridge and the pasta soaked up all of the tomato broth.

I was going to make a Beef and Barley soup from my Canadian Living Cookbook but didn't get a chance. I am going to make that sometime over the next couple of days.

Beautiful day

2008-01-29T08:22:00.000-05:00

The Love Bug used to watch Treehouse, but has taken to CBC Kids morning shows now. Part of the reason for his switch is the theme song...hey, hey, hey, a beautiful day. He will actually ask to watch CBC kids by singing the song. So cute!

We have a DVD player in our mini-van which we only use for long trips. Usually a Max & Ruby show will be playing. Lately, the Love Bug has been asking for "hey, hey, hey beautiful day" to be on and we have to explain that we don't get it in the mini van.

My husband had an idea of playing U2's Beautiful Day song as a consolation. Well, the Love Bug really has taken a liking to U2 now - which is great. Yesterday, on the way home from nursery school, he asked for "mommy and daddy's beautiful day". We has previously explained to him that mommy and daddy played that song at our wedding.

We have a bunch of U2 songs on the CD and he likes quite a few of them now. When "elevation" came on he said to me "mommy I really like this song". Good choice!

Menu Plan - week of Jan.28th

2008-01-28T10:04:00.000-05:00

Monday - left over pot roast, roasted potatoes, carrots & gravy

Tuesday - Sheppard's pie and salad

Wednesday - pecan chicken, rice, green beans

Thursday - chicken stew and biscuits (I have a few biscuit recipes that I use including a cornmeal one which I really like. however, I am going to try a recipe recommended by a friend MTM.)

Friday - TBD

Saturday - going out for dinner!

Sunday - Super Bowl Party - possibly chili, burritos and a salad - whatever my hubby would prefer for his little get-together.

Weaning

2008-01-27T21:39:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to wean the Missus for a little while now and have been making a small amount of progress. I have her down to 3 breast feeding a day; one when she gets up, one before afternoon nap and one before bed time. The rest of the day I am trying to get her to drink homo milk from a sippie cup. We realized last week that she will actually drink more of it when it is warmed up for her (which makes sense).

She still wants to be breastfed all of the time though and comes up to me saying "mamama bobobo" which I think is "mommy I want boobie"...we have always referred to breastfeeding as them wanting boobie...I know, kind of silly.

Part of me feels bad about denying her when it seems like she is begging me, but on the other hand, she is almost 13 months old and never took a bottle or formula. So, I do think I deserve a bit more freedom since I have been tied to feeding her every few hours for over a year now.

I breastfed Love Bug until he was 9 months old, but he weaned really nicely once we found a formula that he liked.

Mommy-guilt...the worst!

Fun times with book orders...

2008-01-26T13:47:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or do people not communicate enough and expect too much sometimes? The Love Bug goes to nursery school 2 mornings a week. Because it is a co-operative nursery school they rely on help from the parents - which I am happy to do. I volunteered this year to run the monthly book program for the school. I am happy to do it although it does take time every month organizing the flyers and writing little notes to encourage people to purchase books. I then have to distribute the flyers to everyone, collect the orders, input all of the orders into the wesbite, and then organize and distribute then to everyone when the order comes in. Also, keep track of back-orders.

Not to mention, deal with issues that arise. For example, in December I picked up the orders and noticed that there were 3 order sheets given to me for Book Clubs which we don't participate in. There was no note attached so I thought that perhaps the parent meant to give the order forms to their older child's teacher (not the one in nursery school). Since there was no letter I had to go ask the teacher if they knew anything about it. They had to ask the other parent for me since they weren't in the Love Bug's class. It turns out they thought I could submit the orders on their behalf so their older child wouldn't see the books. Ok, I don't mind doing that but I really think it would have been nice to be given a note of explanation. It did create a bit more work for me. I did it and never heard anything afterwards...like a thank you.

The second incident happened this month. After the Christmas holidays I took Love Bug to nursery school to find a book (in the bag I distribute them in) sitting in Love Bug's cubby basket. Again, no note of explanation. I went home and looked to see if I had made a mistake distributing the books. Nope! When I went to pick Love Bug up, I again had to go ask the teacher what was going on. She told me that the parent didn't like the book and wanted to know how to return it. Again, a note would have been helpful. I said I would be happy to check in to it. I looked up the return policy, typed up a detailed letter on how the parent could return it, and put everything back in to their child's cubby basket.

The next time I was there, I heard someone mention the kid's name and I asked the mother if she was the one who wanted to return the book. She said yes. I explained that if she shipped it back to the company they would refund, exchange or credit her but they didn't pay for the shipping. She looked at me (mildly annoyed) and said "can't you do it for me?" I calmly explained to her that I was a parent volunteer running the book program, and since the company didn't pay for the return shipping, she would have to incur the expenses of shipping it back. At that point the teacher heard the conversation and came in. We had a bit of small talk on whether or not it was a difficult return policy (which I didn't think it was). I then left and haven't heard anything since.

I'm not running the program to get recognition, just to help the school out. I just wish people would maybe respect the time and effort I am putting in to it a bit more.

First steps

2008-01-24T13:31:00.001-05:00

Well, she finally did it! We weren't sure when the Missus was going to walk/take her first steps because she didn't seem ready yet (and the Love Bug didn't walk until he was over 13 months old). We have been practicing having her stand by herself and have been holding her hands walking for a while. Today, while we were at the mall with a friend and her kids, the Missus stood and then took about 3 steps towards my hubby. We were so happy and surprised! We tried again a couple of time but she thought that once was enough.

It was funny timing too because we had just been talking about how she wasn't walking yet. Kids always make liars out of you ;)

Feb.7th

2008-01-24T08:01:00.000-05:00

That is the day that the rest of our kitchen cabinets and pieces are suppose to be installed. We just got a phone call from the cabinet maker yesterday. We are still missing the crown moulding on the top of the cabinets, the gables beside the fridge, a cabinet door, a kit plate under the desk and all of the filler strips. It will be so nice to have it done! Then we can do things we want to do like under counter lighting and the back splash.

Now, we have to get on our builder for the rest of the items that need to be fixed. They started off really well when we first moved in and now they just keep telling us they'll put stuff on a "list" to get done. But, nothing ever seems to happen!

Food review from week of Jan.14th

2008-01-22T06:45:00.000-05:00

Food Review from last week. I tried out a few new recipes for dinner and one new appetizer recipe. I am posting the recipes if I could find them online.

Mushroom pork medallions - from the Canadian Living Make It Tonight Cookbook - these were Really good! I will definitely make them again. The recipe only makes enough for 2-3 people, but it would be nice to serve to company if you doubled the recipe amount.

Warm Potato salad - from the same cookbook above. I made them together and my hubby didn't think that the flavours complimented the pork dish. The warm potato salad had a vinegar-y taste that would probably work better with a more bland meat dish like a BBQ steak. I would make this recipe again though and probably just serve a plainer rice dish with the pork.

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Ginger apricot chicken -from the Complete Canadian Living Cookbook - my FIL stayed for dinner the night I made this and it seems like it was a hit with everyone. It was extremely easy to make and had a nice flavour on the outside. Another keeper!

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I decided to try another recipe from Deceptively Delicious - the macaroni and cheese. When I made it last week I used cauliflower puree in it. Both my hubby and I thought you could taste the veggie, but we liked it. The Love Bug wouldn't touch it and said "mommy, what's that smell?" I even had him "help" me make it to try and encourage him to eat it. When it was done he looked at it and said "Mommy, I don't like soup." I agree with him, it was way too saucy!

I made it again yesterday and this time I used squash puree and I added an extra 1/2 cup of pasta. It turned out really well and the Love Bug ate it for lunch and asked for it again at dinner!

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Hot Asiago Artichoke Dip - from Canadian Living
I made this for the first time on the weekend for our little dinner party. People loved it! It was so easy to make too. I think this is a great appetizer because you can make it in advance and then just heat it up for 20 minutes when your guests arrive. I will be making this again for sure!

Menu Plan - week of Jan.21st

2008-01-21T10:20:00.000-05:00

This week we are incorporating some left-overs into the meal plan. We seem to have a lot of them lately and I hate it when we forget about them and end up throwing them away! I am also going to be making 2 different soups to have for lunches.

Monday
grilled marinated flank steak
rice pilaf
sesame asparagus with mushrooms (all leftovers from Saturday)

Tuesday
beer braised beef roast with carrots & mashed potatoes

Wednesday
Chicken and bean burritos
salad

Thursday
pasta with homemade bolognese sauce (from my Everyday Italian cookbook)

Friday
leftovers!
salad

Saturday and Sunday are TBD right now

Lunches - I don't usually post about this, but since I am planning on making a few things this week (instead of just our usual sandwiches), I thought I would list them.
macaroni and cheese from Deceptively Delicious
Meatball coupe from Deceptively Delicious
Beef and Barley soup (from Canadian Living cookbook)

Adventures in babysitting

2008-01-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

Well, Saturday was my mom's birthday and today is my hubby's. As mentioned in my last post, we went out for dinner on Friday night with my mom and step-dad to one of our favourite local restaurants called Chinook. I love the food there! We had such a nice time.

Our babysitters definitely had their hands full! My hubby went and picked them up around 7pm, so they could meet and get comfortable with the kids before they went to bed. Since the Missus is a social butterfly, she loved the attention she was getting. The Love Bug is a bit shy and took a few minutes to warm up. But, he was comfortable with the babysitters in no time.

We put the Missus to bed before we left so our babysitters only had to deal with one kid. When we were leaving, the Love Bug said "Is daddy going to work?". We said yes since he is used to my hubby's shift work and knows that daddy goes to work at different times of the day. Then we told him that mommy was going to work with daddy, but we would be home in a little while. He gave us kisses and seemed fine.

We got our coats on and heard him ask the babysitters "Where did mommy and daddy go?" They replied "work" and he said "ok". We quickly left (around 7:45)

Apparently, just after we left, the Missus woke up because she pooped in her diaper. They changed her but couldn't get her onesie or sleepers back on...she is HORRIBLE to get dressed and always has been. They eventually abandoned the effort to get her dressed again (she went to bed with just an unbuttoned onesie on) and tried to put her back in her crib, but she kept crying to get out. Finally the younger babysitter said "we are just going to have to let her cry it out" to her older sister. They did and she was asleep in less than 5 minutes.

The Love Bug is a bit of a pain to get to bed because he often gets up several times before finally settling. And, he was true to form. Because of his frequent night visits, we have one of those childproof handles on the inside of his room on his door handle. His babysitter didn't realize this and while in the room with him, she shut the door. She had never used one of those door knobs before and couldn't get out of the Love Bug's room. Apparently both her and Love Bug were at his door softly banging on it and Love Bug was saying "help, help" to get her sister's attention. They didn't want to bang too loudly in case they woke the Missus up. I could just visualize the 2 of them at the door and it really makes me laugh, although I'm sure our babysitter didn't think it was funny at the time.

After they got Love Bug settled and asleep finally, they sat in the family room quietly not watching TV or anything in fear of waking the kids up. Thank goodness we weren't too late! Poor things, how boring would that be?!?

The next day we had 3 couples (friends from my hubby's work) over for a dinner party. Our baby sitter's parents were there and said the girls enjoyed babysitting and would be happy to do it again. I was kind of surprised 'cause it sounded like they had to work hard or their money. But, I'll happily take them up on the offer!

Dinner out!

2008-01-18T13:56:00.001-05:00

I am so excited...we are going to dinner tonight...without the kids. I mean, I love them like crazy, but it is so nice to go out to a nice restaurant without them. Usually we have one of our parents babysit them, but tonight we are going to be trying a couple of our friend's daughters. There are 2 of them and they have both taken the baby-sitting course.

Let's hope they go to bed ok and it works out. It would be soooooo nice to be able to go out for a date-night with my hubby once a month. It would be worth paying for babysitting :)

Food Review from week of Jan.7th

2008-01-16T13:31:00.000-05:00

Last week I tried a few new recipes and thought I would share the outcome.

Hits

The Chicken and Black Bean Burritos are definitely a hit and we'll be making them again soon. They were easy to make, taste great and you can freeze the batch or individually for later.

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/chicken_and_black_bean_burritos.php

Not-so-popular

The fish and chips were just ok. My hubby and I liked the potato wedges, but I have better recipes for tilapia that I will stick to instead.

The Jerk pork chops were ok but not as spicy as I would like them. I didn't care for the rice at all. It has cinnamon in it (which I would normally like) but it didn't work in this recipe. I think if you omitted the cinnamon the rice would be quite nice.

De -Railing

2008-01-16T13:23:00.000-05:00

It was almost one year ago that we moved the Love Bug from his crib into his single "big boy bed". He was only about 20 months old at the time. He made the transition so well. Since he was so little at the time, we put railings up on either side of his bed to help keep him in (and to make his feel secure).

Well, it is less than a year later and it is now time to take them down. Essentially, they are just being used as decorations now. About a month ago he asked us to not put it up when he was going to bed that night. So, we didn't. He has been sleeping without them ever since. My husband and I decided to take them off for good tonight and put them in our very cluttered basement until the Missus moves into her "big girl bed" one day.

Now, if only the Love Bug would toilet train so easily!!!!

Menu Plan - week of Jan.14th

2008-01-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

An interesting week. We are going out for dinner one night and are having company twice because it is my hubby's birthday. Plus, I am trying 3 new recipes!

Monday
Chili
Salad

Tuesday - NEW - from the Canadian Living Make it tonight cookbook
Mushroom pork medallions
warm potato salad
green beans

Wednesday - NEW - from the Complete Canadian Living cookbook
Ginger apricot chicken
roasted potatoes & carrots

Thursday - from Deceptively Delicious cookbook
Mac and Cheese
Salad

Friday
Out for dinner to one of my favourite local restaurants for my mom's birthday (I hope!)

Saturday
We are having a group of friends from my husband's work over for dinner.
Appetizers
Apple brie Phyllo triangles _ I have already made these and have them in the freezer
warm artichoke asiago dip with crostini and baked pita chips
Meal
Napa Cabbage salad - this is good because it makes a lot
Grilled marinated flank steak
Sesame asparagus and mushrooms
Not sure what potato or rice dish to make or dessert to make yet

Sunday

We are having my FIL and step_MIL over for my hubby's birthday.
Beer braised beef roast
mashed potatoes
spinach salad with toasted pecans, apples, mushrooms and my honey mustard vinaigrette

Cookbook Addict

2008-01-14T11:18:00.000-05:00

I am a self-confessed cookbook addict. I got three of them for Christmas alone; Everyday Italian, Canadian Living "Make it tonight" and my most recent addition The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook.

I happen to love the recipes from Canadian Living magazine so decided to invest in a couple of the cookbooks. I find that people (well, at least my family) seem to really like the recipes that I make from them.

I am in the process of doing my meal plan for this week and will definitely be incorporating some new recipes from my latest cookbook. There are so many amazing recipes to try!

I am also going to try a some from Deceptively Delicious which I have had for a while (but just haven't had time to make the veggie purees). I am a bit skeptical of it, but know that a couple of friends have had some success. And, my toddler is VERY, VERY picky these days. He used to be a good eater and now it is so difficult to get anything in him, let alone veggies!

Wish me luck!

The piggie and the owl

2008-01-10T10:35:00.000-05:00

That is my kids I am referring to.

My husband has been working night shifts this week - and is now done. My son (love bug) has been having trouble going to sleep, staying in his bed at night and has early morning wake-ups. He goes through phases like this a lot since he turned 2. I'm starting to wonder if he is nocturnal?!?

This week I have been handling it alone. Last night was so brutal I think I only got a few hours of sleep. He was in and out of his bed (and mine) from about 2:30am until 6:30am. He finally went to sleep again around 6:30 until 7:30am. Needless to say, I am tired!

My daughter (aka the missus) is in that one year old stage where she has an insatiable appetite. As soon as she sees anyone eating, she is right there hanging off of you with her mouth open looking for hand-outs. It is cute. I remember when the Love Bug was like that. There were times when I thought he was going to eat us out of house and home. Now I'm lucky to get a few bites in at meal times!

Menu Plan - week of Jan.8th

2008-01-08T14:03:00.000-05:00

Monday
-leftovers!

Tuesday
Fish and potato wedges with spinach

Wednesday
Chicken and black bean burritos
salad

Thursday
Jerk pork chops
peas, pepper and rice

Friday
Burgers and salad (we haven't had burgers for months!)

Saturday
Pasta with artichoke pesto and grilled chicken

Sunday
Mushroom pork medallions
warm potato salad
some veggie??

A birthday re-cap

2008-01-08T12:10:00.001-05:00

Well, it was an eventful weekend. On Friday our baby girl turned one. We started the morning singing "happy birthday" to her. Afterwards, our 2.5 year old son looked at us and said "is it time for cake now?" Hmmm...I don't think we will have cake at 7:30am...although I must admit that the thought did appeal to me slightly.

At dinner time we gave her a cupcake for her birthday and she got to open one of her presents from us. My hubby went out and bought her a jewelery box that had her name engraved on it. He is such a softy sometimes!

On Saturday my hubby worked but I got ready for our big birthday party - preparing food, cleaning the house, making little thank you gift for people.

We had her birthday party on Sunday morning at 11:30am. It was primarily family, including a couple of my aunts and uncles and my hubby's grandparents. There were about 20 adults and 6 children including mine. I was ambitious and made hams, turnip & butternut squash and green beans with almonds. My mom made scalloped potatoes and my step-MIL made a salad. It turned out to be quite a nice lunch!

I had searched high and low for a pretty party dress for my 1 year old. I finally came across a pink frilly dress, which I wouldn't have pictures myself buying, but couldn't help myself. She looked so pretty! My mom put her hair in a little ponytail for part of the party.

My baby girl was extremely spoiled with present of course! But the good news is that most of it was clothes. She only received a few toys. Clothes are always welcome!

After lunch she got a piece of birthday cake which she definitely enjoyed. It wasn't as messy as the one she received on Friday, but she definitely enjoyed it!

My poor kids didn't end up having afternoon naps that day but they were both so good! Thank goodness 'cause it was a long, but wonderful day!