Spring is Coming

I can tell this is happening each year in our neighborhood when the daffodils, which are everywhere here, start popping through the mulch. Tulips are coming up too, and yesterday I pointed out all the clumps of bright yellow forsythia around. It truly is my favorite time of year. The weather is getting warmer, finally, and we're starting to spend more time outside with friends, many of whom we haven't seen much since the fall.

Of course, I'm also reminded of all the work that comes along with spring. There is a ton of yardwork to be done, even in our very small yard space. Fortunately, John loves to help with this, so it's really just a matter of finding a dry day to work on it. There's also trips to prepare for - our Spring Break adventures and potentially two camping trips this year as well. I'm thinking about plans for the kids for the summer already too, and appreciating the time we have left of this school year. There's lots of clearing out of old things and cleaning to be done as well, which is always a struggle in our small house.

But this year, as the kids are a little older now, also brings me optimistic hopes for the coming seasons. We can do a few more things now and I'm looking forward to new adventures with them. We were hoping to get down to DC for the annual kite festival this weekend, but the weather may keep us from doing that. So we'll just have to find another activity to keep everyone busy during what's likely to be a wet weekend. I'm sure we will find something fun and we'll have to remember that the rain will just help those daffodils and tulips grow so that next week when we get a break from the rain, the neighborhood will be in full-spring mode. Just the way I like it!

Happy Spring!

We all survived

We've managed to come out on the other end of our week without Daddy and we all survived just fine. We're all a little tired and my sanity might be a little stretched, but it's okay. Matt returned yesterday from his association's annual conference, and he was gone for a full week. It was a long week, for everyone. The kids and I stayed quite busy, so the days went fast and everyone was exhausted at bedtime. The weekend was spent at my parents' house and with good weather there was plenty to do there - gardening, cooking, building the weather changer, and much more. The kids were pretty good this week and I'm so thankful. I was still not feeling all that well, so I needed the few breaks that I got. I'm just now starting to feel a bit better and am very much looking forward to a weekend together for all of us. Matt's birthday is coming up next week, so the coming days will be filled with fun family activities and celebrations and visits with his parents.

I'm thankful to have us all together and am looking forward to being able to enjoy our quality time this weekend. And maybe some blogging and a yoga class or two as well! ;-)

Getting Busy (and Sick) Again

The coming days are going to be hectic to say the least. Matt leaves on Wednesday morning for a full week for his association's annual conference. It's A LOT of work for him, and leaves me with the kids for a week, which is also a lot of work, with no breaks. This week we're full of activities (John starts swimming classes again, and Kara starts her Little Bits class as well), we're also babysitting preschool siblings and already watched some neighbors today. Last night I found out about a deadline I have for my work that is this week as well (and I'm a bit behind the curve on getting the work done). And of course, to top it all off, I've come down with a brand new round of head cold business. Great timing!

It's certainly going to be a push to get through the rest of this week and then on Friday we'll head out to my parents' house for the weekend. It'll be a welcome break for me and give the kids a change of scenery. I think we'll all be ready for it by then.

I can tell it's going to be a long week when on Monday morning I'm already looking forward to Friday afternoon. And even more looking forward to Matt's return. And even MORE to the adults-only trip we're going to take over Spring Break. We've planned a mom and dad only trip to the Outer Banks for four nights and it's a LONG overdue trip that I'm more than ready for now.

For now, I'll have to be content with getting through the next three weeks, day by day, and dreaming of the beach trip to come. Ahhhhhhhhhh......

Recipe - Quesadillas with a twist

This is a yummy super-easy recipe that I like to do for me and Matt, while doing a simpler version for the kids. It works for everyone!

Quesadillas Huevos Rancheros

Put 4 corn tortillas on a cookie sheet. Place in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top 2 of the tortillas with grated monetery jack cheese and 3 sliced hard-cooked eggs. Top with the other tortillas. Bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and top with salsa. Serves 4.

I do this for Matt and I and then will do regular tostadas with cheese and black olives (my kids are weird, I know) for the kids. Pair this with a salad or a soup and it makes a yummy and surprisingly filling meal.

So Big, So Fast

Okay, so this will be two totally unrelated stories about the kids and how big they seem to me today....

First, Kara. This will seem like a small thing to many people, but to me, it's big! I realized this week that she's now able to wash her hands all by herself. I can tell her to go wash her hands or she can tell me that she needs to wash her hands, then she can go into the bathroom, turn on the water, do the soap, wash the dirt away, turn the water off, and dry her hands ALL BY HERSELF!! This is a big step for her (and for me). I am so glad to have one less thing that I have to stop what I'm doing to help her do this. And hand washing is something we do a lot, so to be relieved of having to assist each and every time, is a big deal. But at the same time, it's also the next thing that my baby girl doesn't need me for anymore. I want her to grow up and stay small at the same time. Is that fair???

And second, John. He impressed me today with his fine motor skills. He has off school today and tomorrow, so I was pressed into service to keep him occupied during Kara's naptime, which is typically my time for either a little mommy-break or to get a few things done around the house. I wasn't sure what I was going to be able to come up with for him that would keep him engaged on his own today. But I remembered some small craft projects that I bought before Christmas and tucked away for a rainy day. Well, they came in handy today, even without the rain! The project involved placing these small tubular beads on a plastic form and then ironing/melting them together to make a cool shape. The first step of the project is to place all of these tiny beads into a design. I honestly wasn't sure if John's fine motor skills were going to be up to doing much of this before frustration set in and he wanted me to do it for him. But I was way wrong! He did not just one of these all by himself, he did two whole projects and they turned out great! He's very proud of his new star projects and they kept him busy for quite awhile so that I could work on some other tasks of my own. Win-win for us both! And I was most impressed that my kid was able to sit still and work for so long with small beads and be content. He truly is getting older and it's so cool to watch him do new and fun things with his growing skills.

A super easy recipe - Quick Bean and Pasta Soup

Here's a recipe I recently shared with a neighbor who was looking for a vegan recipe to make. I had forgotten about this super easy and yummy soup, but I thought it might be worth sharing. It's a good hearty soup and could easily be adjusted to include different ingredients you might have on hand or things you might prefer to include. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Quick Pasta and Bean Soup
1 c. uncooked ditalini (tiny, tube shaped pasta)
1 T. olive oil
1 small zucchini, cut into ½ inch or smaller dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1-pound cans cannellini (Great Northern beans)
14-oz. can crushed or pureed tomatoes
2 t. salt-free herb-and-spice seasoning blend (I usually kind of make my own mix of the herbs/spices I prefer…)
1 t. paprika
½ t. Italian herb seasoning blend, or more to taste
2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring water to a boil in a med. Sized saucepan. Cook the ditalini until al dente, then drain.
2. Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook over moderate heat, covered, about 2 mins.
3. Add the remaining ingredients except the parsley, along with 3 cups of water. Turn the heat up and bring the soup to a simmer, then turn the heat back to moderate and simmer the soup gently but steadily for 10 minutes, covered.
4. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the soup along with the parsley. Adjust the consistency with more water if the soup is too dense. Season to taste, remove the soup from the heat, and serve.

Big Girl Undies

This past week we've begun experimenting a little bit with big girl underpants. Very exciting as it means the light at the end of the diaper tunnel is getting a shade brighter. Kara's already enrolled in preschool for the fall, so she's got to be potty trained by September. But I'm pretty sure we'll be fine by then. Anyway, four or five times this week we've put her in underwear, mostly for just a few hours in the late afternoon/evening when we're going to be around the house and accidents can be easily dealt with. So far she's done great with it and has been very enthusiastic about wearing her underwear.

Then yesterday afternoon after her nap, she needed a diaper change before getting John at school. Afterwards, she insisted on wearing underwear. This was the first time we were going out of the house with them on. I was a little nervous, but she was insistent, so I was willing to give it a try. We picked John up at school, played a bit there, went to Safeway, and played out on our street with some neighbors, all with no accidents! I was so surprised. I kept waiting for the last second rush into the house for a potty trip, but it never came. She did so well! Then, of course, within 30 minutes we had a wet underwear experience, followed shortly after by a lovely diarrhea in the underwear experience (totally yucky!!!). So, while the end of the day didn't go so well, she certainly made it for quite a long while doing very well with it. So I'm now optimistic that our diaper days are drawing to a close in the coming months. I'm soooooo ready for that step to come. But I also know that it won't come until she's fully ready for it, so I'm not pushing at all. It sure is nice to see her interested in taking those steps toward that goal though!

What a big girl my baby is getting to be!

More to Come

I've heard from one or two of you that there is interest in some vegetarian recipes. People have a variety of reasons for wanting to eat less meat or no meat, and I'm happy to provide some ideas for anyone who needs assistance. I've been a vegetarian for almost 12 years, and Matt stopped eating meat almost 20 years ago. We have started eating seafood and fish in recent years, so technically, we are no longer truly vegetarian. But I think we both still think of ourselves this way, and most of our regular diet still is vegetarian. Our kids certainly do eat meat (and are quite proud of that fact). Anyway, I have many many recipes and will think of a few of the best to post here in the coming weeks. If you have any requests or specific styles/ingredients you'd like to see, please let me know and I'll try to work those in!

In the meantime, happy cooking!

Snow Finally

We finally got our one big snowstorm this winter, of course not until March, but hey, whose counting? The kids are thrilled and are excited about going out to play in it. It's still coming down and is supposed to keep snowing until mid-morning. It is quite pretty out, but I'm most thankful that we just didn't have any plans or any need to go anywhere today. I can enjoy the snow as long as we don't have to drive in it. And even better, Matt's office is on liberal leave today, as they follow the federal government, so he'll be able to work from home today. So while he'll be working some, I imagine he'll also be able to take a break to come out and play with us in the snow. We'll see what Kara thinks of it all. This will be her first real chance to play in the snow ever, so it could be interesting. And I'm glad to have a chance to make one more use of all the snow gear that we invest in each year, even though we don't get much snow here.

Sleds, snow angels, snowmen, and fun, here we come! Should be a fun day ahead!

Snow and Swim Day

Today we awoke to John's thrilled declaration that it had snowed during the night. Well, it had snowed, but not much and the pavement was wet, with the snow only on the cars and grassy areas. It was quite pretty and the kids were happy to see it. And then throughout the morning it continued to snow and not stick to the ground. Which made the kids happy and made the adults happy - snow with no shoveling, slippery spots, or ice! What could be better!

So, after getting our grocery shopping done this morning, we managed to get the kids over to the nearby Reston Community Center for a swim session. John's had a break between swim classes right now and I've been wanting to get him over there to practice his skills before his next class starts later this month. Anyway, the kids were excited to go and we got our swim suits out and headed over there in the snow. It did feel a bit funny, but it was great. John got right in and swam all around and practiced his back float and acted like he hadn't missed a day in the pool. Kara was a bit skeptical at first, but quickly got over any trepidation and LOVED it. She really enjoyed swimming around in the water, lots of bouncing, and even blew a few bubbles. She continues to be my fearless child in every regard. It was great family fun for us all. Matt doesn't get to come to swim lessons during the week, so it was a great opportunity for him to see the kids in the water and see how far John's come with his swimming since last summer. Now we're all pretty tired. Kara's taking a late nap, Matt's snoozing a bit on the couch while John watches a Thomas the Tank Engine movie.

Truly it was a great family day for us. And now we're waiting for the real snow storm that is predicted to hit our area later today. They're calling for 5-9 inches of snow tonight, so it could be the real snow we've been waiting for all winter. John's dying to make a snowman and we just haven't been able to do it this year so far. It'd be great if it happens, especially since we don't have any plans for tomorrow anyway!