THIS Moment (10/14)

Can it truly be possible that the last this moment I did was back when Felix was 9 months old?  I'm so sad!  So much has changed for all three of my little people these past 9 months.  Lots to catch up on.

Louise Adele (4 years old!)

Louise! You turned four at the end of August.  Four feels so wonderfully you.  I had to fill out some questions for your preschool and one asked what do you like most about your child? I was afraid I was going to run out of ink with my responses.
You are still our sweet easy going girl.  Even when you are sad or mad or frustrated or disappointed you can get your feet back under you pretty quickly.
You take such incredible care of us all.  You are the first to run and help Felix when he's found himself in a pickle, you happily fetch and grab whatever I need you to and are turning into quite the little household helper.
I see lost of skills emerging in you which is so fun.  You can be incredibly organized.  You love to fold meticulously and line up your clothes and shoes.  Reading quietly is still your favorite.  You love to play games and have such patience when you need to wait.  You love to cook and help me in the kitchen.  I think you're ready to start making some things all on your own.  It's exciting!
Now that Ainsley is in school all day you and Felix get lots of together time.  You two are quite the pair.  You play so well with him and he loves you so much.  When are are sad he sidles right up to you, pats your back vigorously and gives you kisses until you are better.  It's so dang cute.
Your art is amazing.  You have started drawing very detailed pictures and I love the happy smiley painted people you bring home from preschool just about every day.
You have now mastered writing your own name and are starting to sound out big words to write.  You are your sister are quite the pair drawing and writing away the afternoons.  I love watching you figure it out and develop a love of learning.
You are incredible Louise. I love you to bits.

Ainsley May (5.5 years old)

My big kindergartner girl.  We made it!  You leave the house happy every morning and come bounding out the door with excitement each afternoon.  You favorites at school are recess (of course) all of your special classes (Spanish - in particular, library, music, art, PE), and reading time.  Nearly every day I see you talking to a new friend or holding someone else's hand to cross the street.  You are thriving in this great social environment and while it's still hard for me to let you go, to not be with you every waking moment of the day, I'm so happy for you.
We are getting into a new groove with your big kid work.  On top of school you have a homework pack each week, which really is not too much, but enough that we need to set aside time for it each evening.  You are mostly very excited to do your work and I'm finding ways to build on some things you are working on with fun games.
You still love to read to me from your Dick and Jane book and work on some workbooks I found a while back, but math games are your favorites right now.  It's been so fun to see you and Louise work together to count and write numbers.  I love learning with my big girls.
We are still trying to find our afternoon groove with you.  you come home so happy and excited and then tend to deflate a bit as the evening wears on.  You say you hate to be alone in your room but I know you need alone time to decompress a bit so we're figuring that out.  Once daddy comes home I like some one of one time with you.  It does us both well, and our weekends are great.  Perhaps it will always feel bizarre to have you gone during the day but we're figuring it out.
I love so much big girl and am so proud of you!

Felix Daniel (17 months old)

I've gotten lots of comments lately about how big you look and act.  It's true.  You're full on in toddler mode and it's crazy to me.  You now refuse to sit in the backpack carrier for preschool drop offs so you toddles around going any which way you pleases.  You are INCREDIBLY difficult to take anywhere because you are so busy.  Just yesterday we went to get Ainsley's eyes checked for kindergarten and it was pretty much a nightmare.  My back hurts constantly for stooping down to coral you or to hold you on my hip to contain you, but goodness you're cute.
You are starting to notice the world around you more and more. You've observed that your sisters get their hair done in the morning and you very much like having your hair done too.  You know that getting on shoes and jackets means we're going "out!" and that's just about your favorite thing in the world.  You know to say bye bye and HI! You are signing lots and we communicate pretty well.  You little voice is just the sweetest.
You love parks, slides and climbing are your favorites.  You love to push around your wheelbarrow outside and ride in the wagon.  When we are inside your favorites are playing in the sink, dancing, reading books and the train set.
I love our mornings together little guy.  If you're up too early you still sleep sometimes, but most days we play together.  You are so sweet and fun and relatively easy going (as long as you can move!).
You aren't a big eater but eat big when you like something.  Eggs, any fruit, pirates booty and hot dogs are you favorites, though tonight you really put away those polenta and lentils so you never know.
Gosh, I love you little boy.  You are the best!

Here's to not waiting 9 months to post about my kiddos again.  They're growing up way too fast.

Food This Week (10/20)

I'm still thick in the I love fall! zone of meal planning.  It's made life so much easier to be excited about what I'm making, plus I've been slowing stocking the fridge after large meals or double portions of things so I'm feeling much more comfortable knowing we have back ups if I lose my zeal some night.  Yes!

Lentils and Polenta (my awesome neighbor brought over a bath of her famous lentils,  she serves them every block party with delicious creamy polenta. I can't wait to scarf them tonight!)

Bolognese and Salad (I never made it last week so we still have the meat in the freezer)

Squash Soup and Ciabatta rolls (also never made it to the table.  Yay for family being in town and delicious take out!)

Mini Cheese Tortellini and Chicken Sausage bake with Peas and Carrots (I wanted something I could give to Ainsley for lunches at school, she likes a good home hot lunch every so often)

Swiss Cheese Chicken Bake with rice and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Spinach and Baby Greens Frittata (somehow frittatas have become my "thing".  We eat at least 3 a month.  Yum)

This week I also need to restock on homemade snacks so we're going to pump out some muffins and roasted nuts here in the next few days.  The last batch of muffins lasted us almost a whole month. I just pulled them one at a time from the freezer when we needed them.  

Oh, and Saturday I made snickerdoodles, and there are two left.  If you're looking for a good cookie cook book This One has absolutely never failed me.  Best recipes ever.

Happy Cooking this week!

Minnesota Weekend

We're back from an amazing four day weekend in Minnesota and even though the combined driving time totaled over 16 hours it was well worth it.

I was expecting it to be a great weekend.  We had planned to visit the corn maze and the apple orchard, visit Ian's family in St Paul, watch my dad's (Minnetonka Varsity) undefeated soccer team WIN again.  I did not expect to walk in at 10:30 at night and see my sister, brother in law and two week old nephew nestled on the couch.  I was so excited!!!  It was such a special treat to get to see them and new baby Rory.  And it proves once again that my sister is a rockstar.  I cannot imagine traveling with a two week old (and a first baby to boot!) and she did it like a pro.

We had such a great time. The weather could not have been better (though it does leave me aching for sweeping tree line views upon our return to urban life).  Friday we went to the apple orchard.  It was a blast.  The kids had fun filling our two giant bags of apples and then playing on a giant slide and train.  That night we went to my nephew Connor's soccer game.  It was so fun to see him play!  Saturday we went to the corn maze in Shakopee.  It's our second year and was just as fun.  The girls loved it all, especially the fast slide and the corn pit.  Felix was a bit reticent at first about the corn, but loved it soon enough.  We ate corn dogs and cheese curds, filling the gap that missing the state fair always leaves, then headed back up to watch some Minnetonka soccer.  It was SUCH a fun game and made me very nostalgic for high school.  The team has the section final tonight and I have my fingers and toes crossed for them, though I don't know that they're going to need it, they're amazing!  Saturday night we had a big family dinner.  All 8 grandchildren sat for a photo.  Sunday we went to St paul to visit Ian's family.  It's always so fun with them, and much much calmer ;o).  Monday we went out to breakfast with the Minnetonka family that was available.  I ran over to the Once Upon a Child across the street and just so happened to find the perfect size 6 pink hooded fleece for Ainsley to replace the fleece she lost already this fall.  Then it was time to head out!  It's amazing how much we can pack into a few short days.  We miss everyone, and that crisp clean Minnesota air already.

Now that we're back we're starting fall right in the face.  Just over two weeks until Halloween (oh man am I glad I have the girls' costumes done!) and then I feel like Thanksgiving and Christmas and snow and winter will be upon us before we know it!  As much as I love all that, I love fall just as it is.  I'm just trying to be present here and enjoy it as much as I can.

I'm excited for my meal plan this week.  Perhaps it's that I have one less meal to cook thanks to the four day week,surely it's because my mom gave me a bunch of her CSA veggies for inspiration, at any rate it feels possible!  It helps that my littlest guy is such a happy kitchen helper and that we can get lots of prep done just us two in the mornings.

Crockpot Applesauce with Pan Fried Pork Chops and roasted cauliflower

Roasted Eggplant Dip and Mediterranean Pork with pita bread

Winter Squash Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk and mini ciabatta rolls

Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles and roasted broccoli

Spaghetti Bolognese with baby greens

With one leftover day thrown in there on Friday we should cruise right through the weekend.  Ah, lovely.

I hope you all had a great long weekend (Chicago) and enjoy your short school weeks in MN.  Love!

**the stroganoff and the eggplant dip were the hits of the week.  The pork wasn't as flavorful as I'd hoped.

I Want to Remember

We leave for Minnesota tomorrow.  It's rare that we get a long weekend trip in this days. I'm pretty stoked.

I'm sitting amongst two loads of last minute laundry.  The house is in relative shambles, Ian's muttering Mandarin on the couch next to me (ok, learning in earnest but trying to be quiet so it sounds like muttering).  It's pretty quiet.  I'm reflecting.

This past week has been incredible.  I have wanted a week like this for forever.  

This week I stopped being afraid (and I'm pretty sure my supplement finally kicked in to boot).  I feel like the best version of who I am right now.  

I've embraced mornings with my little guy.  We usually run an errand or do a household chore, then it's off to a tiny tot park, just for him.  He squeals with glee as he runs wherever he wants.  I watch in wonder remembering 4+ years ago when I was in the same place with just Ainsley, then 3 years ago with just Louise.  This incredible circle of life, I feel so grateful to witness.

After preschool pick ups and lunch and rest time and kindergarten pick up I am usually bushed.  It's so hard to scrape myself off the ground at 3pm, perk up for my big girl who is just getting her first taste of me for the day, and have some fun.  There's been so much survival in those hours for me, really since Felix was born, to thrive and soar from 3-5, feels nothing short of miraculous.

Yesterday we biked up to a park we hadn't been to in ages.  Usually the three go their separate ways and I stick with Felix, making sure he doesn't toddle too high or too far.  The girls settled under a tree to do some "work" they brought.  I watched them run and giggle and come back to their pages on their clipboards.  I let them go a bit far from my sight, knowing that with each other they were safe.  Then Felix and I found them and we all frolicked.  At one point Louise tumbled to the ground, flopped onto her back and stared up at the clouds with her hands behind her head.  Felix and I joined her while Ainsley ran about collecting crab apples and fallen leaves.  I sunk back into childhood for a moment with them, remembering cloud gazing and carefree afternoons.  It's a moment I'll hold with me forever.

That evening I rejoined our neighborhood book club.  Pure exhaustion and anxiety had gotten in the way of my attendance since Louise has been born.  I so enjoyed it, am so excited to be back.

Today was almost better.  After picking Ainsley up we walked to the library, picked out movies for our road trip and board books for Felix, my new book club book too.  The girls colored tons of coloring sheets.  Felix wandered and played.  We headed home, grabbed a snack and drove to one of our favorite north side parks and played for over and hour.  I love parks with green space, lots of room to run and play.  This park has an amazing spider web and climbing walls.  They are all in heaven there.  As much as I love being home with my kids getting out on these gorgeous fall days has been good for my soul.

I want to remember this feeling, of capability and calm and hope and fun after so many months of hard.

I hope you all have had a wonderful week.  I'm excited to share our Minnesota adventures when we return!

October Fun

Life just keeps chugging along over here.  It's crazy to me that it's already October.  The girls' Halloween costumes are all sewn and waiting, now just to figure out how to concoct Felix's.  It's tricky when the girls have such specific visions!
My moorings keep changing.  Now Felix is off his morning nap so I keep him up until we pick up Louise.  IT was an adjustment at first and I sure missed those morning hours to myself but I am loving time alone with mhy little guy.  We go to toddler parks and story times just for him, play in the house, read books (his favorite!), just enjoy a bit of relative quiet.  When Louise joins us and it's just the two of them, oh boy, the sweetness!  Those two are such pals.  She's always been so sweet with him but now that he can reciprocate her love it's even better.  He finds her to hug her and kiss her all day long.  IT's so precious.
Louise is growing so much.  She takes such good care of everyone and is the first to notice when something needs doing.  I have been battling with the thought of sending her to kindergarten next year and it's as if the universe is slowly nudging me.  It's breaking my heart a bit, but so wonderful to see her growing.
Ainsley still LOVES school.  I was able to go on a small field trip with her class today to the local library.  It was so fun to meet them at school and walk up together.  She was so sweet, wanting to hold my hand and sit with me the whole time.  I love that my big girl still needs me lots.  I sure miss her while she's gone all day.
We're still making the most of our afternoons.  I feel like I'm going against the grain by opting out of rambunctious parks and activities in the afternoons but I so cherish our family time and now that Ainsley's gone all day it's our only time together.  This weekend we made some fun wreathes with leaves from leaves we'd collected on walks.  Yesterday we made pumpkin bread and played a jack-o-lantern dice game and made a big haunted house math game.  The girls LOVED the haunted house.
Today I'm hoping for a fun art project and a nature walk. It's gorgeous out.
I'm almost finished with Ainsley's sweater and hoping to get lots of knitting done on our trip to Minnesota this weekend.  Ainsley has a four day weekend for school so we're taking advantage and getting a quick trip in.  We're hoping to go again for Thanksgiving to meet our new sweetie nephew/cousin Rory (Julie and Sim's son!) so we'll get lots of Minnesota time in this fall.  I'm excited.  I miss it!
I hope you all are having a great start to October.