Birthday Blast

We had a great time celebrating Brett's birthday yesterday!

I ended up taking Brett to Dave & Busters while my parents came and watched the girls during their normal naptime. We had a good time! I can't remember the last time I'd been to a place like that. FYI - I LOVE SKEEBALL. I became addicted to it back in high school, and I could stand there and play it forever. Brett will tell you that I have one heck of a bank shot. Brett was determined to win at this NFL football passing game. He didn't do too bad! Much better than me! There's nothing better than laughing until you cry while carrying a bucket full of paper tickets. Sadly, our ticket-winning effort only earned us two superballs for the girls and a deck of Colts playing cards. No big stuffed animals for us, but we still had a great time. And while stopping for gas and bags of ice on the way home, we picked up two frozen slurpies and got random frozen headaches all the way back to the house. It's good to feel like a kid again!

The food for the party turned out amazing. Many thanks to all the people who helped by bringing food and drinks or helping in preparations. We ate almost all three racks of ribs, and the rest I sent with Brett to work today. Thank goodness for crock pots too! I left potatoes and mac n cheese to cook while we were out in the afternoon, and everything was ready by the time we got back. We got to visit with all our family and some friends that we hadn't seen in a long time. Brett's cake was a total hit! I had fun making it!

Unfortunately, we did have to deal with Sophia falling asleep in the middle of dinner, which always makes for an interesting evening, night, and next day. She and Claire were up quite a bit last night, and after Brett left at 4:30 this morning, I ended up with Sophia tossing and turning in my bed. Needless to say, I'm hoping for a community naptime this afternoon!

Weather forecast looks pretty darn bad for the rest of the week. We're supposed to get some nasty snow and ice starting tonight and going in to Wednesday morning. I never like it when I hear "blizzard warning." I haven't heard that on the news since we lived on the east coast. Thankfully, we have no where to go in the next few days, so we'll just hunker down and stay warm at home. I will have to go out and blow the expected 10 inches of snow off the driveway. That will be thrilling. Why is it that Brett is always GONE when it snows? And then he comes home, and the snow has miraculously stopped? Lucky guy. Let's hope he doesn't get stuck up in Canada like he did last week. He's overnighting in some small town in New Brunswick. I just hope he gets home because we get to enjoy him for FIVE DAYS! YAY! It's the first time in, oh, probably five years that he will be home to watch the Superbowl!

Which makes me think...I need to start planning a Superbowl menu...

Happy Birthday

Happy 31st Birthday, Brett!

Still loving Clarian North

Our doctor visits went really well this morning! The girls did a great job. I think it helped that we got to the office, like, 15 minutes early. Nothing is worse than tearing the kiddos away from the waiting room toys and dragging them back to an exam room when we've only been there for a few minutes. Plus, getting there early means that I'm not panting and rushing my way everywhere.

Sophia weighed in at 34 lbs and is 37 inches tall. She's pretty much where she was at 2.5 year's old, but she's a little taller. She was a trooper too because the nurse asked if I could get a urine sample from her. Seriously? She's only really been potty trained for, oh, three weeks. We tried anyway, but I just couldn't get that little dribble in the cup. Oh well. Sophia was keen on the fact that she sat on the "big people" potty, as long as I was holding her up there. It was quite a sight.

Claire weighed in at 24 lbs and is 32 inches tall. She has grown a lot! When she was a year old, she weighed in at just over 18 lbs. And she's been between 18 and 19 lbs since she was about 5 months old. It's good to see that number go up! Plus, it's proof that all that eating she's been doing lately is doing some good, and my need to put her down more often because she's getting heavier is warranted. Claire had a few shots, which she, of course, hated. But, I think the crayon-shaped band-aids perked her up quite a bit.

When I scheduled Claire's next appointment, I had quite the wake-up call. Yup, we'll have three kids by the time that appointment rolls around. So I scheduled Claire's 2-year and baby-yet-to-be-name's 1-month appointment for the same day. Wow. Talk about a slap in the face. So who wants to help me haul all three kids to the doctor's in July? I'm taking offers now.

After going through appointments (and feeling gypped because this doc NEVER gives out stickers or prizes at the end), I decided to take the girls down to the cafeteria at the hospital for lunch. I know what you're thinking. Cafeteria? Really, Sara? How is that special? Um, did you read my post I ♥ Clarian North Hospital or my other post I ♥ Clarian North Hospital Even More? First of all, all three of us ate for less than $10. Score. The girls got a rockin' grilled cheese, and I got baked cod with two sides. Yum. And this place bakes the most amazing cookies. Amazing. So, I consider this place to be a self indulgence. And we didn't eat drive-thru food or have to get in and out of the car in the cold one more time. 

So if you come visit us in the hospital to see baby #3, take some extra time, and go to the cafeteria for a coffee and amazing cookie. Tell them that Sara sent you!

Random thoughts

I think I've inherited my father's knack for concocting random dinners with whatever might be in the fridge. It's fun. REALLY fun. And this dish that I've made up is a winner. You can make it in under 20 minutes. Everybody in the family likes it, which, other than hot dogs or chicken nuggets, is one of the only things that all four of us agree upon. So, here goes the recipe:

Spaghetti (make as much as you need)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove crushed/minced garlic
6-8 chicken tenders (plain, NOT breaded)
2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced and seeds removed
1 head of broccoli, steamed
     OR
1 bunch of asparagus, steamed
basil
shredded cheese (mozzarella or or parmesean)
salt and pepper

Boil water, pour in spaghetti, and boil until al dente.

Boil water and steam broccoli/asparagus. (If you don't have fresh, use the steam-in-a-bag veggies.)

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes transparent.

Add chicken tenders, seasoned with salt and pepper. (My kiddos like the chicken tenders for some reason. I think they're less intimidating than a whole chicken breast, and they cook a lot faster.)

When the chicken is cooked through, add a few dollops of the chopped basil that you can buy in the tube. I use the Gourmet Garden basil. In you like fresh herbs but don't want to have to buy them every time you cook, I'd invest in some of this. I love it. It's my secret weapon.

Add chopped roma tomatoes and broccoli/asparagus and stir until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over spaghetti. Sprinkle with cheese. Yum. Serves 4-6.

In other news, I received the two pair of Crocs shoes that I bought through Zulily a few weeks ago. I think I spent around $30 for two pair of new shoes, including shipping. SCORE! I'm so ready for spring.

So I got on TicketMaster today after seeing an ad in the paper about Sesame Street Live being at the Murat in downtown Indy. Would that be FUN?! The girls would so love it! Then I saw the ticket prices. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! SERIOUSLY?!?! The cheapest tickets were $22. No way I'm paying $88 for this family to go watch Elmo and Big Bird dance across stage. We'll stick to watching them on TV.

We're looking forward to this weekend because we get to celebrate Brett's birthday. YAY! And you know what that means. I get to cook my little heart out. My plan is to make the cake on Saturday. I found this awesome Colts design online the other day, and I plan to tackle it head on. (Tackle it...Colts...funny.) On Sunday, my parents are watching the girls during naptime, and I'm taking Brett out for a few hours. It should be fun. Then, I'm making RIBS for dinner. Oh heaven. Ribs coated in Montgomery Inn BBQ Sauce, which, you know, is the king of all BBQ sauces. We used to import it from Indiana when we lived in NY.

Now all we need is for Brett to actually make it home from work. He's been stuck on Toronto since Tuesday. The snow in Newark is so bad that no flights can get in. Hopefully, he'll get out of there tonight and be able to make it home late tomorrow or early Saturday. Tomorrow will be day #5 of single parenthood, so, you know...it would be nice to have him home.

So far this week, we've tackled the library, which resulted in 3-hour naps for both girls and a 1-hour snooze for me. We went to the grocery store today, which is an event within itself. We've made cookies, and I tested out my sewing machine by making a little wallet for Sophia. I think I've done, like, 12 loads of laundry since Monday. Ugh. I finally posted some of our wedding pictures on Facebook, in honor of our 5th wedding anniversary. Go look at them if you get a chance. I've finished a bunch of freelance work too. It's been a good week so far. Tomorrow, we're going to the doctor for the girls' annual checkups. I found this new recipe for double chocolate cookies that I may tackle too.

Happy Belated Anniversary

 
Happy belated wedding anniversary to us! It's been just over five years since Brett and I were married. Five years doesn't sound that long, does it? Here are a few little things that have happened in the adventure of our marriage, so far:

We have moved ourselves and/or our belongings from:
Phoenix, AZ to Albany, NY (Brett)
Lafayette, IN to Albany, NY (Brett)
Lafayette, IN to Albany, NY (Sara, and yes, those are two separate trips)
Boston, MA to Albany, NY
Apartment to townhouse in Albany, NY
Albany, NY to Lafayette, IN (for 3 months)
Lafayette to Noblesville, IN

Brett has started a new job as a first officer with his company. He has upgraded to captain, become a check airman, upgraded to a new plane, and changed bases five times (Albany, Charleston, WV, Albany, Dulles, Houston, Newark).

I have worked for a newspaper, a university, a software company, and myself.

We have made major purchases, like our first piece of furniture, first new TV, first car, and first house.

We have had two beautiful little girls and are awaiting our third baby, which will hopefully (and finally) be a boy!

We have attended weddings, lost loved ones, dealt with illness and surgery, loved family time, battled with mice, refinished (or are still refinishing) furniture, planted flowers, shoveled snow, taken vacations, lived through sleepless nights, cried with our children, and loved through it all.

It's been an amazing ride so far. Here's hoping that the future is just as exciting as the last five years!

Does it get any better?

It's Friday, and we're off to Lafayette until tomorrow because it's a total girl weekend. Tonight is Mom's Night Out, which is (supposed to be) held every month. We haven't met in, well, a long time, so we're all ready to get together and laugh...a lot. In honor of Mom's Night, I cracked open the Julie Child cookbook once again and decided to make crepes with fillings of orange butter, strawberries, caramelized bananas, and Nutella. Oh...my...lord. I can't wait. I'm making the crepes right now. Is there anything for beautiful than this???

And then tomorrow, I'm going out to breakfast with my mom and sisters, and we're all going for pedicures. Can't wait! Can't wait!

Brett left for work this afternoon and will be back on Wednesday. Bummer to that. But we're all pretty much over our sickness, and we're ready to do things like go to the library and have people over to visit. I'm thankful for that.

We managed to get this little video of the girls this morning. Enjoy. Tell me, does it get any better than this?

SNOW!

Hey, it's OK...January 10, 2010

This past week's adventures included LOTS of green snot, even more coughing, Pixar movies galore, graphic design for the President, the beginning of potty training, and a ton of laundry. Dancing a group jig with these awesome ladies.


Hey, it's ok...


...to be the mom who has to take a shower everday, and by everyday, I mean every morning at around the same time. I really cannot live my day unless I have a shower. You could say that I'm a shower addict. (When Brett and I are ever at a hotel, I take as many hot showers as I can just because I know we have great hotel water pressure and I don't have to pay for the water.) Consequently, my girls have become major fans of Pixar movies because I always put on a movie while I take a shower. With our new TV came the cancellation of cable and the emergence of DirectTV, which in turn came with DVR and three free months of Starz. We've been recording every Pixar kid movie we can. My girls love the movie Bolt so much that Claire will hand me the remote and say "Puppy! Puppy!"

...to share sickness. Hey, we're family. We share everything. I feel bad that I shared my deathly cold with Claire. She woke up the other morning with green snot streaming down her face. The next day, she started with the choking cough. Ugh. It's awful. We had some long nights and some days where naps just didn't go very well. We're on the mend now, thankfully, but we're still not well enough to, like, go to the library. Here's what our week pretty much consisted of:

Claire randomly falling asleep while I rocked her.

The girls snuggled on the couch, watching a movie.

Claire, randomly falling asleep on the floor while I filed old bill stubs.

...to not be able to walk anywhere in the house at a normal, adult pace because you constantly have an 18-month-old walking in front of you.

...to get insanely excited when a client subcontracts me to do a job over the weekend for a display for the President. Oh yes. I said the President. Very cool. I got the job done in good time and sent off to the printer. Then the client calls me up and says, "Oh yeah. Obama canceled his trip to the Albany GE plant." Major let down. Oh well. I'll still get paid for it.

...to have a serious addiction to pickles. If they sold tiny baby Kosher dills in bulk, I would buy them.

...to mildly regret starting potty training. Sophia is doing an amazing job. I'm not going to take her out of the house for any extended period of time, but still, she's getting it, slowly but surely. We've sort of been quarantined in the house because Claire and I have been sick, so might as well start potty training while we're here. I guess I'm just getting tired of washing a load of tiny undies every single flippin' day. If you feel like you need to go, go in the potty and NOT in the panties that I have to then change and wash...again. Seems like common knowledge to me, but I have to remember that it's NOT to Sophia.

...to realize that, even though we've been stuck at home with colds and potty training, it's still been pretty darn fun. You learn a lot about your kids by just observing them sometimes, and Sophia and Claire are really starting to play together now. I think Claire is starting to understand more and more everyday, and her vocabulary is getting larger. We did have to venture out a few nights ago before the snow hit. I was in need of milk and eggs, so we had to go to the grocery. Sophia was so stinkin' good while we were there, and when we were all back in the car and driving home, she said, "My have LOTS of fun. Let's go back tomorrow!" Think she's been staying home a lot lately?

...to take three days to clean your room. Yes, I said three days. Brett and I haven't really kept up our room since, oh, Thanksgiving. If people come over to visit, random stacks of paperwork and miscellaneous objects get chucked in the bedroom, and the door is closed. Not to mention the clean laundry that somehow never gets put away. So this week, I took a day to just put away laundry. Another days was spent filing old paperwork and bills. And the third day was spent straightening, cleaning, ripping down my old sewing station, and putting up my new table and sewing machine that I got for Christmas. It was my reward to myself for getting everything clean. I haven't used my new machine yet, but believe me, I will VERY soon. It's amazing how big our room feels now. The girls have taken to running around in circles in all of the open space.

...to adapt a Julia Child recipe and make one darn good roasted chicken. I love my new enamel cast iron casserole dish. LOVE IT. Thank you, Brett, for my anniversary gift.

Butter...among other things

Is there anything better than butter? 

Think it over, any time you taste something that's delicious beyond imagining 

and you say 'what's in this?' the answer is always going to be butter. 

The day there is a meteorite rushing toward Earth and we have thirty days to live, 

I am going to spend it eating butter. Here is my final word on the subject, 

you can never have too much butter.

Julie Powell, Julie & Julia

As much as I LOVE my new "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," I think it's going to be the source of some major weight gain for this pregnancy. And the sole reason is this: BUTTER. I've fallen in love with butter and anything that is baked, sauteed, sauced, or poached in it. Sigh. We're going to have to do some major walking outside come spring, or we're going to have a 12-pound baby.

I've also discovered that cooking can bring me out of any funk that I may be in. There was a general lack of motivation this morning. Claire was up extremely early, and her nose was a river of green snot. Lovely. Sophia woke up pretty early too. After getting everyone ready for the day, I decided that, yes, I WILL make that orange sponge cake. Yum. Sophia helped me juice the oranges and whip up all the ingredients while Claire watched. And for the first time, something that I made with whipped egg whites actually had some volume when it baked. Score! Sophia had so much fun that I decided to use the leftover tomato paste in the fridge and make some homemade pizza sauce along with dough. Sophia had fun kneading and rolling out her dough, and both the girls made a mess of the cheese while they topped their pizzas. And after all of that excitement, BOTH girls laid down for naps, so I had a little time to myself. It was wonderful.

And then this evening, I decided to finally boil the artichokes that I had in the fridge, and I made some homemade hollandaise to dip them in. FYI - hollandaise turns out SO MUCH BETTER when you make it on the stove rather than in an electric mixer. Eureka. Hey, I burned calories while whisking the stick and a half of butter in to the egg yolks. So dinner for me consisted of a whole artichoke, hollandaise sauce, and then orange sponge cake with fresh berries. Probably not the healthiest, but it was good. And Claire was dipping her green beans in hollandaise by the end of dinner. Yup, that's my daughter.

So after lots of time in the kitchen and two loads of dishes run through the dishwasher, we are all happy with full stomachs. And best of all, Brett is coming home late tonight, which is a day earlier than expected. He started the last bit of his training, so it's back to a normal work schedule for all of us. But there is a pizza waiting for him in the fridge, so all is well with the world.

Hey, it's OK...January 4, 2010

The past few weeks have included a wonderful Christmas, many different sicknesses, some time off, and snuggling with the kiddos. Sharing the chaos of life with these awesome ladies.

Hey, it's ok...

...to suck it up and shovel the driveway once again when Brett pulled out his back. Oh well, it was good exercise, and Sophia covered the front yard in snow angels.

...to be insanely thankful for old friends and time spent with them.

...to live vicariously through a cookbook. Yes, I said a cookbook. This year, my in-laws got me the full cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child. Oh dear. So far, I have poached eggs (which I LOVE), made my own hollandaise sauce (which was heavenly), made beef bourguignon (which took FOREVER but was amazing), braised broccoli, and baked a homemade pound cake. I'm in love. And I have WAY too much butter in my fridge now.

...to finally call my OB and admit that, yes, I need an antibiotic for this nasty head cold and sinus infection. After 5 days on a z-pac, I feel a bit better. But somehow, the sinus infection that I had caused me to get pink eye. Did you know you can get pink eye from a sinus infection? Yup. It's gross and nasty. I feel like I'm going to infect everyone in sight. So I've self-quarantined myself, which means the girls are also holed up in the house and bored to death. Hopefully it will all end soon.

...to relish in the fact that Brett had two glorious weeks off of work. For once, he was home for Christmas, our anniversary, and New Year's. Yeah, THAT won't be happening again in the future. It was great being able to bum around the house with the kids and visit with family. Yesterday, his work called and told him he needed to get on the evening flight to Newark to finish out his training. Bummer. Wish they would have given him more notice instead of, "Hey, get on a plane in 6 hours."

...to have a mental freak out when I realized that, yes, I have started my second trimester.

...to watch these videos every time I need a pick-me-up.