April Showers Bring More May Showers?

After an incredibly dry spring, summer and fall last year, I cannot get over how wet it has been this spring. Not that we are complaining, we need the moisture (obligatory mantra in Denver), but this week has been a hard one.

Mark Loidolt flew out to visit us on Friday. It was a nice evening, and Sophia and I took a ladies trip to DSW and we picked out a cheap pair of water sandals for me off the clearance rack and a bottle of nail polish for her. Paul and Mark were on the deck enjoying a beer, so we joined them and painted Sophia's nails before we sent her off to bed. We had a beautiful Saturday! Paul and Mark spent the morning and afternoon in Ft Collins at the New Belgium Brewery and some rabbit cheese place, while the kiddos and I went to a fabulous birthday party for Anni who turned 3! It was at a nice park in Lakewood near our apartment, and the kiddos spent hours playing on the great play set, watching a man and his son fly a neat bird kite, feeding the ducks and geese, chasing millions of bubbles, eating great food and cupcakes, and running and playing some more. When I got them home around 1:00 they both passed out for about 3 hours they were so worn out. Sunday, Paul and Mark went to a Rockies game before Mark had to fly back to ND, and that day I was feeling a little tough. Monday and Tuesday I felt awful and between the fever and head/neckaches I was completely useless. Today I was feeling much better, but the kiddos and I are getting some apartment fever from not getting out since Mass on Sunday morning.

Flannel Friday and nail polish!

Posing like Daddy does for his Insanity picture!

Mark and Paul in da Flannel

Silly Leo. He will kneel like this forever.

Sophia was helping me start my tomato plants, and she was having a grand time playing in the dirt for the pot we are going to fill with flowers.

        

 
These two are so cuddly!  I was taking my shower to look out and see Leo so angry as he was trying to stuff TP in the toilet. I made Paul take a picture. Poor Leo!

Listening to some music, and watching some home videos of her and Leo.






        Below: Sophia and I got to go solo to gymnastics, so I got some
        pictures. She really likes the tunnel, bar, and jumping on    
        everything.

                

My gold star for today was keeping all electronics off including the tablet, tv, computer and her vreader. This was nothing short of a miracle considering it was cold, cloudy and raining all day, and we have had a challenging week. Adding to the fun was the lack of naps from either of them and Leo teething.

We did everything we could think of to pass the day: played in the tunnel, read books, made cookies, baked a spaghetti squash (which Sophia cleaned out herself), played in the rain until we got too cold while Leo took his first nap, washed all the bedding in the house, they jumped on my bed while singing the monkey's on the bed song, played little people, banged pots and pans in the kitchen, took baths......

By 4:30 I was running out of ideas, and noticed that all the pillows were on the floor already, so we did a quick clean up of all the other toys on the floor and played Hot Lava for a good hour. (Our version was tickle lava, where you get tickled mercilessly if you fall off the pillows :)

Leo thought it was great just chasing us around as we "hopped" back and forth from the pieces of furniture. Even Paul joined in when he got home so I could get the grilling done and food on the table for supper. Mission Accomplished!

The place was a disaster by the end of the day, but we made it through. Now both kiddos are sound asleep, Paul did the dishes while I did pickup duty, and I get to sit for 5 minutes. Here is to hoping that my mattress pad is dry before I have to make my bed before I crash for the night. Stupid thing takes all day to dry with the plastic backing.... and it is too expensive to replace to risk it in the dryer.....

Food: Nourishment for the Body!

I have come to realize how much I LOVE food as of late. Not just any food mind you... but quality, flavorful, creative, healthy food! I used to be so picky, and anything that was not in the cheese or bread family was pushing the borders of what I liked to consume. Thankfully, living in both Madison, WI and Denver, CO, traveling to different parts of the country with my husband's family as well as meeting so many different people from all walks of life has taught me to stretch myself and my palate. It is only in the last two years that I learned that not only do I enjoy a wide variety of spices, that I actually like Indian, Japanese, Thai, African, and a whole host of other foods I had always been too afraid to try! I have been on a journey of learning to cook things I have never even had, and to use vegetables I never even knew existed. Thankfully, my husband will eat virtually anything, so experimenting has been a lot of fun. I have also really been drawn to the social side of meals. Food is not just about our bodies need for nutrients to perform basic functions; food is tied so intricately to the social fabric of most societies. When we get together it is to commune over a meal, or to socialize over some food and wine. It seems that where there is found virtually any gathering of people, some form of food is there.

My love of food goes even further though, I find that I also like the whole kitchen. Dishes do not seem a chore to me (granted I do have a dishwasher that is my right hand man), rather I feel that having a clean, uncluttered kitchen makes me feel that I have indeed accomplished something for the day (namely feeding and caring for my family, and then cleaning it up!).

So as my love of food and experimentation has grown, I have decided that I am making it a goal to try one new recipe and share it each week. It can even be as simple as the side dish I prepared for dinner tonight. We were introduced to this side dish when we had a lovely evening with some fellow FOCUS staff and their families, and this was a great addition to any grilled meat.  I hope you enjoy!


Greek Spaghetti Squash

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp onion (I used spring onions)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small can of sliced black olives
1 Roma tomato - cut into small pieces
3 heaping Tbsp of feta cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
Fresh basil

To begin, split squash down the middle and clean out the seeds and pulp. Place halves cut side down on a pan with a little bit of olive oil. Cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes until it is tender.

The olive oil really melds the taste of the squash.

Allow the squash to cool. Meanwhile, add some garlic and onion to the olive oil in a pan and heat until aromatic. Add the tomatoes and heat through. Use a fork to "pull" the "spaghetti strings" of the squash so that  they are almost like noodles. Add squash to the pan for a minute, stir until coated and then pour the whole mixture into a dish. Add the feta cheese, olives and finish with a touch of lemon juice and fresh basil. Toss and serve warm!

The finished product! Such a tasty and filling way to add some more vegetables to a meal! (Note: I was out of basil and had to skip it... but will make sure I have it next time)

*Warning: my food rarely looks pretty.... I care much more about the taste ;)

Stubborn Old Man Winter

This year couldn't be more polar opposite than last year. April 2012 we were already dying of heat stroke and had the air conditioning on already, and this year I am shoveling 3-4 times a week. Native Coloradoans tell me that it is usual to get a really good dumping a few times in March and April, but we are getting slammed with snow 2-3 times per week! I guess I should have seized the opportunity to take the kiddos to the park a month ago when we were having 75 degree weather and it was dry out. Good news is that the snow pack is 98% and we really, really need the moisture. Hoping for some serious green in the near future.

Other then weather, we keep busy. Paul has had a lull in travel this month, so it has been nice having him around, although it is very hard to keep a stocked fridge when he is here inhaling everything all the time. Leo isn't helping me there either as he has decided that baby food or mashed/pureed food of any kind is for the babies and birds and he is neither one. This morning he ate a whole 4x4 in slice of egg bake complete with potatoes, chunks of ham, mushroom, peppers, cheese and eggs. I will be making lots of egg bakes in the near future. His other favorite is Indian food with curry and naan, although chicken tiki marsala in a diaper is the nastiest thing I have ever seen or smelt... and that is saying a lot coming from me! He is getting more motile by the minute, pulling up and walking around everything. He also likes getting into and eating everything, so I am busy spring cleaning and putting things out of reach of little hands.

Paul is loving his Toastmasters Club, and since he won table topics one week was eligible to compete in a competition. He really enjoys it and it is helping him to stretch himself and become a better speaker. He aslo got to get out and do some golfing; just hitting range balls and putting, but he enjoyed being outside and getting back into the swing of things (he he, I love puns). He will be traveling a lot more for next few months as FOCUS is getting ready to do placements for the next school year and summer training is around the corner. Our family travel schedule will get buck wild come the end of May through the rest of the summer, and we will be doing several cross country jaunts. I am praying that the kiddos do well. All right, enough jaw flapping and on to the good stuff (pictures!).

Did I mention he LOVES spaghetti? He is also cutting 4 teeth on the top, so his new amber necklace has been helping keep the crabbies manageable.  

Sophia loves being read too, and she has memorized half of our books. 

After Mass a week ago, there were a bunch of First Communion kids all dressed up in their suits and white dresses. Sophia freaked, and wanted to wear a white dress and pretty flowers on her head. This was my best rendition using odds and ends around the house. She walked around like this the rest of the day.

AND.... more snow. Old news, but still fun.

At least Paul was off that day so they spent lots of time playing outside.

Sophia doing a little light reading: The Mystery of the Transfiguration 

Bouncy fun

He loves smiling and his fingers!

Dishwasher dash! All he needed was some motivation in the form of a plastic measuring cup.

They play really well together, especially with Soph's castle. Who knew that thing would provide hours and hours of fun. 

The Parenting Battle

It has been a rough day for my psyche, and I feel very acutely today the uncertainty and weight of the path we call parenthood. How do I go about raising my little ones to become good, holy people who will go take the world by storm and change it for the better? My heart is heavy as my search seems to lead me to more indecision and is fueled by the "Mommy Wars" that seem to pervade every nook and cranny of many conversations and the internet. Attachment parenting, sleep training, spanking, time-outs, voice tone, vaccinations, food choices, public education, homeschooling, and blah blah blah. Anyone have a brick wall I can borrow, or better yet a really good pair of earplugs?

I find it frustrating that we spend so much time tearing each other down, and less building up, supporting and truly loving one another and our children. Why do we spend so much time arguing about the best way a good mother should love her child, and do more for those children who have no one to love them at all? I mean no two children are the same, we are all different and have different love languages. Why then are we trying to shove everyone and their children into a single little box?

We sleep train our children when it is age appropriate, especially if a problem exists that is causing a child to lose too much sleep so that it is adversely affecting them and the rest of the family. I am trying so hard to learn not to raise my voice, but that is challenging. We choose not to vaccinate until they are older. I am trying to do more developing virtue, and less discipline. I hope that I can lead through servant leadership and example, not through fear and coercion. This is who we are, and what works for our very own little family. I don't know what works for you and yours, but be who you are and live that which is important to you and helps your family grow and be happy.

At the end of the day, a few things stick out to me. I want my children to know without a doubt that they are greatly loved unconditionally by God and their parents. I want them to know Christ our Lord and Savior, to have a personal relationship with Him, to imitate Him and to practice virtue throughout their life. How will we go about instilling these in them, that I am unsure. I want our home to be one in which they will always feel safe, loved, and free to express themselves just as they are. I can only pray that I am shown guidance through prayer, that I can learn to fail and pick myself back up again, admit my wrongs, and exert mountains of love and patience.

 I refuse to take offense when others choose to raise their children differently or make vastly different decisions than we have chosen to make. Nor will I judge or look down on their choices. We all have our own road to holiness, and God calls us to many different challenges and to meet those challenges in different ways. May God bless you on your road and may we all meet at the end in paradise.

M

Leo's 1st Easter

Just after we got back from Fargo, Paul's parents arrived to celebrate the rest of Holy Week and Easter with us. It was nice that Paul and I got to go to our first Holy Thursday Mass in a long time as G &G stayed home with the sleeping kiddos. The week was fun, Good Friday was very dreary as per usual, and we made cookies to frost for Easter. Holy Saturday we hung out and dyed eggs and frosted cookies and watched the new 007 Skyfall. Sunday was a very beautiful day! Sophia loved trying to find all the eggs hidden all over the living and dining room. Mass was very crowded as usual even though we were over a half hour early. John and Paul's co-worker Holly came for dinner, and we all stuffed our faces so much I couldn't eat until Tuesday... no exaggeration.

A tired Sophia getting some Grandpa time!

Learning how to color Easter eggs

Daddy's egg in the orange dye

concentrating

Grandma W back from the store

LEO!

Two peas in a pod... they are so fun together.

The Easter bunny strikes again... He is a funny looking bunny....

Easter morning, look at all that grass and those eggs.

Ready for Easter Mass.

Changed and getting ready for company and dinner.

Lounging and balloons.

Daddy built a sweet Easter train track...hours of fun until Leo destroyed it :)

Happy boy loves his spoon and bananas

Many travels over and spring has arrived!

It has been a very busy new year, I am so behind and cannot believe it is April! Happy Easter to all! We had lots of travels and a great many visitors the past few months. Both sets of grandparents were her multiple times as were several friends from out of state. I have never washed so many sheets and towels in my life. We decided to take the whole family on a few of Paul's work trips so that we could meet all of the teams he oversees in Duluth, Mankato, Fargo, and Bismarck. We had a blast, but time changes, very early and very late flights, and teething children make life ultra interesting.

Other wise, they are growing like weeds. Leo is crawling around like a maniac and has two front teeth. Sophia is growing with leaps and bounds and loves Cinderella, playing with her blocks and wooden train set, and is eating us out of house and home. Our biggest accomplishment these past few months was to move the two of them in together in Sophia's room. It is so nice to have our room back, and Leo is not waking up 4 times at night because of us coming in late or getting up early. They play so well together, and I am working on sorting out things and doing some spring cleaning.

Our mom's group Magnificat Moms has been very busy. I am the TLC person, so I help organize and deliver meals to new moms and with the baby boom this spring, I have been delivering a meal almost once a week. I am also helping to plan our Easter party and egg hunt for the kiddos next week. Sophia and I are filling lots of eggs, and next week we will be making a bucket load of cookies to decorate!  We are keeping busy!

On the home front, we are trying to decide if we will move from our apartment. Lots to think about, and decision and details to follow soon I hope :)

Alright, here is the best part! A few pictures of all our happenings. :)

We love trains at our house... hours of fun!

 
Sophia, Leo, and Mandie

Grandpa G pulling Sophia around the yard

Penny, Grandpa, Sophia and Mandie coming back from a snowshoe trek on the frozen lake... Skittles in tow.

Snow angels!

It was a beautiful day and we were having a blast!

Grandpa and babies Susanna and Leo

Plastic container just the perfect size for a Leo bath! He loved it!

Paul trying to do push-ups with two very silly girls along for the ride.

Addy and Sophia having too much fun.

Leo, Mandie, Sophia, Addy, Ruth (with baby L on board) and Susanna