Mommy Mondays: 18 months

Weight: 27lbs 6oz (+ 19 lbs, 2 oz)

Height: 35"(+ 13")
Head: 19"

Sleep:  It's the same.  Over Thanksgiving was the worst, he was up for hours each night, or up 6 times.  Of course, other nights he doesn't wake up at all.  He still wakes early, although he appears to have dropped his morning nap, so we're down to just one nap a day.  I wish I could say that led to better night's sleep, but well, it just hasn't.

Eating: I figured out our apple issue.  Apparently he doesn't like apple peel.  So I peel the apples and then he eats them.  His eating has been up this month, or maybe he just likes what I'm serving better?  I don't know.  Still a huge fan of grapes.  I keep a big bowl in the fridge and both boys love to help themselves.

Best Moment: I was trying to entertain Thatbaby at a restaurant so I started making "Toddlers and Tiaras" faces at him, the faces the little girls on the show make - duck lips, head nods, tracing hearts around their faces.  And he picked it up really quickly.  But that's not the best moment.  The best moments are the times when he spontaneously starts doing them to entertain us.  Whether it's a quiet moment at the dinner table, or a time when I seem sad.  I've always said that Thatkid is the jokester, and Thatbaby loves to laugh, but Thatbaby is definitely developing a sense of joking himself.

Monthly Wisdom: The above picture convinced me that we cannot have a french door refrigerator.  It is hard enough keeping him out of the cabinets, pantries, toilets, bathrooms, and recycling, our saving grace is that he can't open up the refrigerator.

Goals for the Upcoming Month:
-  Sleep more!

- Another car trip.  I feel like this is going to be a much harder age for it.

Things Thatbaby is doing:

-  More new words!  He's started repeating things we say also.  Some of his big phrases right now are "Buh bye, gotta go,"  "Mo mobo" (more motorboat) and "eat dat."  And while he still doesn't seem to have his brother's name down, he's pretty close with Thatdog.

-  Cooking.  He's my little helper in the kitchen.  He will even drag a chair in there if he thinks I'm making something without him.  He likes to dump and pour things into bowl, and he love stirring even though he's a terrible stirrer.
- Another tooth broke through.  Which I think brings our total to 11.
- We are definitely in the "NO!" stage for just about everything.

- He knows body parts like eyes, ears, and mouth.

- He loves the song "Open Close them" and wants me to sing it all the time.

- While in home depot one day I spun the cart around singing the motorboat motorboat song.  He loves it.  He asks for it all the time.  And it doesn't have to be in a cart, he's happy if I swing his arm while singing it.

- He is big on cleaning up.  He will throw things in the garbage, wipe down the floor or any spills, and lately he even likes washing dishes (which really consists of squeezing the sponge over and over)

- He has started drinking from a regular cup.  I only put a little bit in the cup, but it makes him very happy to drink like a big boy.  And he is so careful about putting it down on the table when he's done drinking.

Sunday Runday: Jingle Bell Run

It's December, so you knew this was going to be coming.  It's our 7th year participating in the Jingle Bell Run!  Okay, so it's my 7th year.  Thatboy and Thatkid's 6th year, and Thatbaby's 2nd year.

This year Thatbaby was big enough to sit up in the wagon all by himself, which he LOVED.  He wiggled and danced and smiled the entire time.

When we went to the tree lighting, Thatbaby missed out on cookie decorating, so when we got to the race, Thatkid made sure it was the first thing we did, so his brother could do it too.  Which sounds more altruistic than it was.  Really, he didn't want me to force him to share his cookie with his brother.

This was Thatbaby's first cookie decorating experience.  And he just didn't understand it.  He didn't want to frost it, and he most certainly did not want to put sprinkles on it.  Really, he just wanted to eat it. 

I loaded him back into the wagon to eat his cookie.

While Thatbaby munched, Thatboy and Thatkid joined the rest of the crowd in warming up with the MC.  Honestly, it was one of the most fun warmups I've seen at a race!

Santa was also present, and both boys received candy canes, but neither was interested in any photo ops.

And then we headed over to the start of the race.  Thatkid decided he wanted to run with me, not sit in the wagon.

So we split up.  Thatboy pulled Thatbaby in the wagon, while Thatkid and I ran ahead.

Typically when Thatkid "runs" a 5k, he doesn't "run" the entire race.  There's a spurt of running, followed by walking while whining, or jumping on to the glider board of our stroller.  For the Jingle Bell Run, the reason we bring the wagon is because after a couple blocks, Thatkid is done.

But this race was different.  Thatkid didn't want to stop and ride in the wagon.  He didn't even want to walk.  He wanted to run the entire thing.  3.1 miles is a long way to go when you're 5 years old, but this little trooper wasn't quitting.  Even though there is a very steep hill along the route, and only one water station.

He was hot, he was sweaty, but I could see how proud he was of himself as he kept on running.  And when he picked up speed to cross the finish, knowing that the cheering crowd was for him.

We finished the race and a little bit of time to sit and wait for the rest of our party.  I missed them crossing the finish line, but I caught them shortly after!

The rest of the family had a really great experience with the run also.  And Thatboy happily donated his medal to Thatbaby.

We headed back over to the Kidzone after the race so Thatkid could build an airplane.

And while he worked on that, Thatbaby played with the inflatable games set up for the kids.

Pretty successful morning!  I love the Jingle Bell Run.  It's not flashy.  They don't do major advertising.  The course isn't my favorite.  But it's one of the best ways we ring in the season as a family.  It never fails to provide a wonderful experience for all of us, and it's great to watch my kids grow as the years go by.

Light 'Em Up: Grilled polenta with mushrooms and gorgonzola

When we start the holiday season, we jump right in.  Over the weekend we attended our town's tree lighting.  We went last year and Thatkid had such a great time I knew we had to return again this year.

For one thing, this gave me a chance to introduce Thatbaby to snow!

Which he loved!  Thatkid got cold relatively quickly but Heaty McHotlegs didn't seem to mind it at all. We couldn't get him out of there.

I ended up taking Thatkid to decorate cookies while his brother played in the snow.

After the cookie decorating, both boys sat for a little face painting.

I'm always surprised at how well Thatbaby sits for face painting.  Thatkid decided they both needed snowmen.

And then it was off to watch hula dancers, carolers, and the main event - the tree lighting!

Thatbaby sat transfixed by it all.  He has a thing for both Christmas trees and Christmas lights, so he was as happy as an be.

After the trees were lit, Thatkid decided he wanted to see Santa.  This was a huge deal because Thatkid has been Santa-shy for the past 4 years.  He likes the idea of Santa, but never wanted to be anywhere near the man in red.  In fact, he had specifically told me that he did NOT want to see Santa at the tree lighting.  

I thought Thatbaby might be equally as interested.  He loves looking at pictures of himself with Santa from last year.  And he went right up to this guy and happily took a candy cane.  But when the time came for lap sitting?  Well he was having none of that.  

But hey, one out of two is better odds than I usually get for Santa pictures!

We made one final stop to visit with the reindeer before heading home for the night.

I'm also starting to get ready for holiday get togethers.  Planning appetizers and desserts that please a crowd.  There's something about cheese that really works for appetizers.  You find it on cheese plates, baked brie, or even a great cheesy dip.   This combines two of my favorite appetizer tricks, cheese and polenta.  I love making polenta ahead of time.  You can cut it into rounds or squares and then top with all sorts of goodies - chutney, salsa, salad, or cheese!  This season I'm topping it with gorgonzola and mushrooms which gives it a warm, tangy, earthy flavor.

 Grilled polenta with Mushrooms and Gorgonzola

1 lb polenta

4 Tbsp olive oil

6 shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

10 oz mixed wild mushrooms, sliced

2 sprigs of thyme, chopped

1 cup white wine

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

1 cup gorgonzola, crumbled

1 1/2 cups Parmesan, grated

juice of 1 lemon

1. Prepare polenta according to package directions.  Pour into a greased pie pan and refrigerate 4 hours.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.  Cut polenta into triangles and and place on hot grill pan for 3-5 minutes, until lightly charred.
3. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook 5 minutes, until translucent.
4. Turn the heat up to high and add the mushrooms.  Cook 4-5 minutes.  
5. Add the thyme and cook for another minute.
6. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Add the wine and reduce cook until it's reduced by two thirds.
8. Add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce is reduced by one third.
9. Turn the heat down to low.  Add the gorgonzola, Parmesan, and lemon juice, stirring constantly until the cheeses have melted.  Pour over grilled polenta.

Crave Wednesday: Picnic Perfect Lobster Rolls

My local supermarket is currently hosting their lobsterfest.  They put up a big tent that takes up a good quarter of the parking lot.  Over the weekend when I was checking out I asked the cashier about it.

"Do you get a lot of people who come for the lobsters?"
"Oh yeah.  We usually sell out."
 "Really?  They're $9.99/lb.  Which isn't any cheaper than they usually are."
"Well, we do get them in from Maine.  And we cook and clean them for you."
"Which you do anytime of year, right?"
"Right."

We got to talking about lobsters in general.  I'm a bit of a spoiled brat when it comes to lobster.  While most people think of it as a fancy meal for special occasions, our family used it as an everyday kind of meal.  Thatdad would bring it home any time it was cheap and we'd have lobster races across the kitchen floor. 

Which means while most people enjoy their lobster on its own, served beside drawn butter and perhaps a baked potato, I have no problem chopping it up and using it like its less lauded shellfish brethren.

Like chopping it up and tossing it with mayonnaise for a sandwich.  Which is not a unique or novel idea.  Lobster rolls are very in right now here on the west coast.  They took their sweet time getting here, but now there are lobster roll trucks, lobster roll restaurants, lobster rolls are everywhere!

What's funny is, lobster rolls are probably the easiest thing ever to make.  The same basic concept as egg salad- lobster, mayo, and some add-ins.  Anyone can do it.  So pick up a lobster.  Cook it or have it cooked for you, and have your own lobsterfest!

 Picnic-Perfect Lobster Rolls (From Cooking Light)

1/3 cup chopped celery

2 Tbsp chopped green onions

1 Tbsp chopped tarragon

3 Tbsp canola mayo

1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 lb lobster meat

4 New-England style hot dog buns, toasted

1. Combine the celery, onions, tarragon, mayo, lemon rind and juice, dijon mustard, cayenne and lobster in a large bowl.  Cover and chill for an hour.
2.  Divide lobster mixture among buns.

Mommy Mondays: Eat in? Go out!

You want to know the true test of parenthood?  Going out to eat with your kids.

Inevitably even the best behaved angels find a way to try your patience when you sit down to eat, whether at home or away from home.

So here are my tips for dining out with little eaters.

1) Deep breath.  It's never as bad as you think.  Chances are no one notices the behavior as much as you do.  And there are going to be other parents in the restaurant.  Even if their children aren't with them.  And although they may not love hearing your children acting up, they understand.  Especially if it appears that you're making an effort, not encouraging the behavior.

2) Just like home buying, location, location, location matters.  Which is not to say that you can only eat at fast food restaurants, but some places are more child friendly than others.  So while we take the boys to an upscale neighborhood restaurant we've been going to for years, the French place down the street is reserved for date nights.  Places with outdoor seating, areas designated for kids, or places where the owners feel like family are other great things to look for in a kid-friendly dining establishment.

3) Timing matters.  Although chances are, if you're dining with kids you already know that.  The fact that my kids are beyond ravenous by 5:30 means that we are often dining in quieter, less crowded restaurants. Breakfast is always more successful than dinner.

4) Manage your expectations.  Thatkid is expected to sit nicely at the table, eat his meal with silverware, and no burping.  We call these "restaurant manners."  They're a little heightened from the rules at home.  Thatbaby however?  Our goal with Thatbaby is to get him in and out and keep him happy.  That means sometimes taking him for walks outside, or bringing snacks and activities.   We also will look at the menu ahead of time and figure out what they'll be eating so we can order it once we're seated and get them their dinners as soon as possible.

Sunday Runday: My New Routine

So when I started my new job in May I lost my ability to take off from my office for a midday run.  I lost the ability to go for a run during the week at all!

In theory, I could get up early and run before work.  But that theory does not take into account the fact that on a GOOD night of sleep I get 5 hours and I don't really want to sacrifice even an extra minute!

So for the past 6 months I've been only running on the weekends.  And I feel the difference.  I don't have a problem with mileage, but my speed has significantly dropped.  Since I'm training for a half marathon in January, I decided it was really time to get back to business.

I worked out a new plan with Thatboy.  Up until last week, I was in charge of both drop offs and pick ups for the boys.  Since their respective school/daycare is near our home, and neither of us work near home, there was no real reason that I was in charge of both, except for the fact that it meant Thatboy could sleep later in the morning. 

Last week, we changed that.  Thatboy now gets up half an hour earlier and he drops the boys off before heading to work.  That one little difference means I could change my work hours.  I now get there an hour earlier and take off an hour earlier.  That extra hour means I can go for a run after work, and STILL pick the boys up early.

I'm loving the new schedule.  I love running after work.  My new job is smack dab in our old neighborhood, so I'm back to running streets I know. 

Streets that feel like my backyard. 

Streets lined with beautiful changing leaves!

So here's to the new!  Let's hope I stay this happy for at least the next two months!

O Christmas Tree: Pork with Apples and Lima Beans

We're big on traditions in our family.  I'm sure part of it is related to my anxiety disorder, but whatever the reason, we've passed this love of repeating the same things every year on to Thatkid.  

The Christmas season officially begins when Santa appears in the Macy's Day Parade.  And so, the weekend after Thanksgiving, we went to pick out our Christmas tree!

This year we went to a new Christmas tree farm.

Thatbaby was only mildly interested in the trees.  Or rather, he was interested....until he saw the tractor.

 

He has obviously entered the tractor phase of toddler-hood.  I couldn't get him off the thing.  I had to pull him screaming off so Thatkid could take a turn.

But we got our tree, and took it home to decorate.  Our decorating movie, as picked by Thatkid was Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  

And Thatbaby had his first taste of hot chocolate.  Which he loved.  Big surprise.

 

 

This year both boys helped decorate the tree,  Thatbaby got the nonbreakables, for the low hanging branches.  Mostly he brought them over and showed me where he wanted them.  Or put them on a branch for me to place.

Thatkid took the higher branches with more breakable ornaments.

And put the star on  the top.

Our finished tree!

And that's where our tree-trimming traditions end.  We don't have a special meal planned after, although that would be fun to incorporate.  Instead we had one of those "odds and ends" kind of dinners. For Christmas this year Thatboy and I are getting each other a new refrigerator, and I'll post more on that another time.  Just know that I'm trying to clear out our freezer now in anticipation for the new arrival.  We had both pork and lima beans in the freezer, which I felt could easily be combined with the overflowing bowl of apples on our counter.  Pork and beans, pork and apples, why not pork, beans AND apples?

This dish finds itself nicely spiced by a combination of sweet cider and some eastern flavors of lemongrass, tumeric, and curry.  It gives it a more exotic feel than your typical roast pork dish.  I especially love the addition of cider, which for me is a quintessential fall flavor.

Pork with Apples and Lima Beans

4 Tbsp canola oil

2lb pork fillets, sliced into thin strips

3 shallots, sliced

1 stalk lemongrass, sliced

2 yellow bell peppers, sliced

1 Tbsp tumeric

1 Tbsp curry powder

2 granny smith apples, cored and quartered

1 1/4 cups apple cider 

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1. Heat a wok over high heat.  Add 2 Tbsp canola oil and heat.  Add pork strips and saute until browned.  Remove pork from wok.
2.  Add remaining oil to the wok and heat.  Add the shallots, lemongrass, and bell peppers and saute for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the tumeric and curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the apples and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the cider to the wok and simmer until reduced by half.
6. Add the chicken broth and again simmer until reduced by half.
7. Stir in the beans, pork, and cilantro and season to taste.