a healthy meal

one more thing... I tried to make a healthy meal the other night, brown rice and broccoli with almonds and sunflower seeds and I threw chicken in there... and it didn't go over well. It said to let the rice simmer for 40 minutes and I did and I guess I should have checked it because it burned.

And another name for the kids.... Bugaboo

What's in a name?

So those of you moms out there, you know what it's like to pick a name out for your child right? You read the baby name book as soon as you are pregnant and write down a bunch of names and then consult with the spouse and find the most fitting one right? Well, we did that but I want to let you know what I call my kids on a given day:

Van-

Van

Van-o

Baby

Baby Van

Tootsie

Pootsie

Boobie

Buby

Big Boy

Monster Mash

Adam-

Adam

Love

Buby

Buddy

Bud

Hot Cakes

'my special boy'

Adam will refer to himself as 'A big Tractor Boy' and he calls Van 'Roger Dodger' on occasion. Chip will call Van 'Vandle' and Adam 'Adamite'. And those are all I can think of right now but I am sure there are more. And thank you to BP and BB's mom for telling me how to get the pics on here. :)

Mom confession seven

When I became a stay at home mom, I decided I was going to really 'cook' meals. When I was working, it was really a drag to decide what to eat and what could be prepared quickly. Now that I was home, I decided to experiment in the kitchen a little more. When I got married, I received a meat loaf pan from a woman as well as a meat loaf recipe. I never made it but when I started the 'cooking kick' I did and it is wonderful! We eat it all the time now.

I am not sure if it is because I have kids now and I am really starting to look at the ingredients of things but I am amazed at how much salt is in things!! For the past two weeks my husband was working 2-10 so I was making our main meal at noon time and then just having a light lunch at dinner time. I opened a can of soup one night and I was like, holy moley! I had no idea the amount of salt! And of course all of the processed foods are high in salt like Rice a Roni or mac and cheese, etc. And in this month's Parents magazine, there was this whole article addressing the issue of salt and it gave a bunch of alternative suggestions. I wrote a bunch down and I can tell you about them if you want some day.

So a few nights ago I sat down with my trusty cook book and wrote down a bunch of things to eat. For me it's the side dishes that are difficult. We don't use canned vegetables, don't eat too many frozen dinners, and don't use the salt shaker really. I wanted lower sodium soups and side dishes though. Today at the grocery store I bought a bunch of different things- egg noddles, pearl barley, orzo, risotto and brown rice. I also brought along that little list of suggestions like Chicken of the Sea reduced sodium tuna, and Clasicco no sugar added pasta sauce. I will let you know how it goes over. But last night we had a reduced sodium soup and it wasn't bad. Tonight that plan is broccoli and brown rice. My husband is going to be like, what is going on? But I have the time to do it. The other thing is my aunt and sister in law both eat really healthy meals. We go to my aunts every Monday after Little Gym and she has delicious meals, and they are healthy. Like one dish she made was a shallot, an apple, rasins and steamed spinach. It was sooo good and I have made it a few times. I bought a bag of spinach today.

Don't get me wrong, I am not like heath nut. I had cheese doodles last night and ice cream cake. But I just sort of feel like I shouldn't give my kids mac and cheese packets as often as I do.

I have the cutest picture of a salt shaker but I can't figure out how to get pictures on here unless they are actually ones I have taken. I am going to have to get some assistance.

Mom confession six (since there are 2 threes we skipped five) got that? :)

Ok, this is a little crazy one... I seem to have a little crush on my chidrens' pediatrician! I thought I kept it pretty well hidden but my husband called me on it a few months ago. It's kinda a running joke actually, I accuse him of liking Rachel Ray and he accuses me of liking our pediatrician. I said to him one day, how did you know? He was like, you get giddy every time he comes in the room!

He's not attractive I don't think, and according to Parents magazine, it's very common to like your pediatrician. I think it is because he is very soft spoken and maybe I like the fact that he knows more about my children medically than I do? I don't really know. But I enjoy bringing the kids to the doctor.

Today was one of those days. We had the well check ups and since the kids are 3 days apart, we can book the appointments back to back. Chip wasn't able to go with me because he had some sort of really bad flu or something and no I didn't go and see the doctor alone- Ha! My mother in law went with me. They all know I HATE the shots, I mean no one likes them I guess but I always plan the appointments when Chip is off and even though he was, he couldn't go with me. The nurse told my mother in law, you would be surprised how many mothers can't do the shots or cry. That would be me.

Anyway, I fortunately (or unfortunately for me since I can't see the Dr. :) ) have two very healthy children. I don't know if it is the all healing powers of breast milk, farm fresh air, or not being in day care, but my kids don't really get sick. Adam hasn't been to the Dr since his last check up at 2 years and Van just went once for croup. All in all, two healthy kids. And they are still on the growing 'curves'. I can't really tell you percentiles because I didn't really look but Van is 19 pounds 6 ounces, same as Adam at a year and 31 1/2 inches long, a half an inch longer that Adam at a year. And Adam is 38 inches long and 29 pounds. So that was that for the day.

Three years ago today...

my life changed drastically. Well, probably not EXACTLY three years ago since I think it took a little while to sink in but three years ago today, I became a mom. There is no ‘trial’ period for becoming a mom. There is no practicum or training period; you are pregnant one day, and a mom the next. For me personally, it took a while to adjust to my new role. I was never completely responsible for another human being before besides myself. I was now the person in charge of feeding and making sure another person was happy even though I wasn’t really sure on how to do that. And it took me a while to find exactly the best way to do that. Before I was a mom my role was teacher, wife, and independent woman able to do as she pleased. Then I suddenly found myself staying at home, not really having a group of friends, not happy with my body, struggling to feed my baby, and most of the time tired. It took me a while to adjust to say the least.

But now, three years later I am at a totally different place. I couldn’t imagine working at this point, I have a group of friends, I am happy with my body and I can feed both of my children. My kids are the world to me. I couldn’t imagine my life without them. I love waking each morning to the sound of them and I love kissing them to bed each night. I feel like in a way that they have become who I am at this point. My world revolves around them and that is ok to me. My career can wait; I will never get this time back. We are building what we want our kids to become...

Let me just tell you a little about my three year old. :) I really make it an effort not to brag but I am going to give you a quote in a book I read once and I think it is so true,

‘There is only one beautiful child in the world and every mother has it.’
Isn’t it the truth?

I feel though that I have a beautiful, bright, energetic, obedient, polite and talented little boy. I really do. And I am just so damn proud of him. I honestly think he is the best thing going and so blessed to call him mine. I am so pleased with the little boy he is becoming. He is a hard worker, has an amazing imagination, is friendly and is always trying to please. He makes me laugh every day. The innocence of a child is a beautiful thing.

We celebrate his birth today. And I celebrate that I am his mother.

Happy Third Birthday Adam!

Today we had Adam's third birthday party. He is actually three today as well. We had 5 little friends over as well as Adam and two little babies (one being his brother.) Everyone seemed to have a fun time. We played pass the pickle, played with toys, had lunch, opened presents, and had cake and ice cream. We gave Adam a police man outfit as well as some other things but you can see him wearing it in one of the pictures, he really liked that. All in all, it has been a good day.

One year ago today...

I received one of the greatest blessings of my life. Our little Van Willis was born at 9:38

in the evening. (Chip said we were going to have a reinactment of the labor from beginning to end and that would have started about 45 minutes ago. :) ) Van is a wonderful wonderful child. I often tell people, if I could clone him I would have probably ten more kids. He brings such joy to my life. He came home from the hospital sleeping through the night, he was a wonderful feeder and just an easy going baby. He is a delight and I love him more than words can describe. He has such a laid back personality, doesn't want to bother anyone and I call him my mush, he just likes to snuggle in and love you. I couldn't imagine life without him and it breaks my heart to see he is a year old already. My sweet sweet boy.

Happy Birthday Van!

Today we celebrated Van's first birthday. I had a little lunch with my inlaws and parents over. We had lunch, cake, sang Happy Birthday and opened presents. Adam seemed to enjoy Van's presents more than Van did. Van did look proud on his little trike though. I purchased that primarily for this summer when we go to the Jersey shore and Adam rides his bike on the boardwalk, I think Van will enjoy his too. We had a nice day celebrating the birth of our boy.

Haircut

Today Van got his first haircut... on his birthday. He looks so old to me now. Chip was getting his haircut the same time Van was so I didn't have anyone to take pictures of Van when he was 'actually' getting his haircut. But here is an after-shot.

It's totally official....

We have a walker! He just took off today, and I mean really took off. This is two days shy of his first birthday. Before today it was just here to there but now he is off and running.

Pictures

I got the boys' pictures taken for their birthday. If you would like to see them, here is the site:


https://www.searsphotos.com/view_roll_images.asp?sesstype=4&sessid={F3BCB814-B59C-47BC-8FE6-E12F3DEA904A}&url=dep_order_portraits.asp&tag=748DCC609C5F4CEDA76663B326C611051E9F40519D6F41439A4AED8A1AAA3144

Van wasn't so cooperative but I still think they turned out pretty good.

I am member of the clean plate club!!!!

My mother in law started this 'Clean Plate Club' thing. Basically it is just a ploy to get the kids to eat. And it works, lemme tell ya. If you finish your plate, you are a member of the 'Clean Plate Club.' And everytime Adam finishes, he yells, 'I a member of the Clean Plate Club.' And now we have moved onto the 'Clean Bowl Club' and 'Clean Cup Club'. And he'll tell you that you are a member as well if your plate is clean. This is something I want to remember about my boys when they were small.

Oooh-whoa-oooh-whoa

In case you were wondering, that was the theme 'sound' to American Idol. :) Do you ever have

events or sounds or smells that bring you back to a time in your life or reminds you of something? Well, every time American Idol starts their season off, I am reminded of the time when my boys were born. And it's sort of funny because they were both born around Valentine's Day, but that doesn't do anything for me. Honestly, I can't even remember what we did the Valentine's Day before Adam was born. Oh, wait, I remember having steak because a midwife told me to eat a lot of protein and that would make my blood pressure go down (because it was high). But it's not like every time the Valentine's stuff comes out (like the day after Christmas) I get thinking, oh, birthday time. But when American Idol starts, I get sad and think, oh no, another year has gone by. Both times when the boys were born, we were watching American Idol in the hospital, well at some point in the labors anyway. Adam's had just begun and Van's was pretty much over, it he was born at 9:37 pm. I told Chip last night, well I know next week they will actually have the contestants because we were watching them last year when Van was born, (and his birthday is one week from today.) (Not when he was actually BORN of course.) :)

And tomorrow we are going to this FFA dinner and we went last year and I remember being very sore and ready to have a baby. Funny what a difference a year makes. And then they are starting this heart-a-thon on the radio. I remember clear as day listening to that while on bed rest with Adam and I was scrapbooking baby boy pages, ready for him to come. Isn't it funny the things you remember?

A fun day

Today Adam and I made some cookies. Actually, we made them last night, he loves using the cookie cutter. And then I realized last night, I didn't have a jar of icing and didn't feel like making it. So today I made some. I iced and he decorated. We had three different jars of colored sugar but he liked the pink the best. I told him what a good decorater he was and he told me what a good cookie maker I was. He then also told me that he makes pies. When I asked him what kind he said ABC pies, and G pies, and S pies. I have no idea where that came from. But we have been having a fun day today. Before we went to the barn we made a snowman (in the rain) and then we decorated cookies and after lunch we played with playdough. And now everyone is asleep. :) Another mom confession I have is that I love brand new soft playdough, and I love the way it smells!

Bringin' the snow inside

We got Adam a sand and water table around his first birthday. A friend of mine told me that at her son's 'school' they do a sensory table everyday. I got a bunch of ideas online of things to do with a sensory table and once in a while, we break it out. At Halloween I put the pumpkin guts in there, he plays with rice a lot, and this is the second time I have brought the snow inside. Last time I put food coloring in there and made it red. Adam has his mittens on and is going to town.

I'm in my house mommy

Today Adam has discovered he can fit in one of my cabinets. He put out my Silpat cookie mat and told me that is the mat to his house, and he lives in there. He has a potato in his hand because that is where I keep them. He wanted me to go in and 'turn the Christmas tree on.' I guess he has a Christmas tree in his house. I love it!

Baby Products

I have my little area up here where my computer is and my scrapbooking supplies as well. I usually scrapbook and go on the computer when my kids are napping but there are occasions where they are up here. I have a little basket of toys for them but what Adam likes to do best is get into my scrapbooking supplies, and dump the basket of toys all over the floor. So what my mom suggested was to 'clean out' this other room opposite of this room and put out a bunch of toys for them so they can play. Well, let me just give you a little look as to what is in that other room.

Since is seems like in the last three years, I have either been pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or I acutally have an infant, all of the 'baby' things have accumulated in that room. And now since none of the above is actually going on in our lives, we don't need all those things over there. You may wonder, how much can an infant actually accumulate? I mean it is about an eight pound little bundle, what do you need right? Well, for some reason, we have lots and lots and lots of stuff. Here is what I moved out of the room today- a large baby swing, a bassinet, a baby bath tub, a BIN labeled 'infant toys' (oh yes, infant toys), a baby gym, a BUMBO seat, a large back pack carrier like if you were going to hike into the wilderness which I have only done once and he got really heavy really quick, a breastfeeding pillow which I have never needed because I seemed to hold them ok, various sizes of diapers Van grew out of, two diaper bags that you get from the hospital each time you have a baby, a vibrating seat, a tub seat for the mom to sit on while she is bathing the kids, a beach cabana and an infant seat/gym/thing that is covered up in case you went outside, and I am sure much much more I can't really think of right now.

The thing you are probably thinking is, why don't you get rid of the stuff you at least don't use. Well, I actually just dropped off 2 large garbage bags full of stuff at this consignment store a few months ago. People just give you things sometimes and it just adds up. I was thinking when I was at my sister in laws a few weeks ago and she lives by Amish people, what do they do with their babies? Mine moved from the swing, to the bouncy seat, to the gym and back again in between feedings and changings. Well, now I have a place for my kids to play though. I grabbed a bunch of toys for them today that I am bringing up here and it was like they never saw them before, it was cool. I have accumulated a bunch of things myself in this house too I guess, but I am not going to tell you how much I weigh. :) And let's not get into the things that we actually use NOW that are downstairs for the kids. Holy Moley.

Mom confessions #3 and #4

I CANNOT get a carseat out of my car. I mean I could the 'carrier' out of the base but I could never get the base, or the bigger seats that my kids are now in, out of the car. I need to work on that.

and

I feel so much better about myself when I am wearing fancy shoes.

Seven things I love

I was tagged by Alana to list seven things I love and here are seven things that I have thought of in the last day or so:

1. Being able to raise my kids on a farm.

2. Adam's imagination (it's so fun to see and hear this thoughts)

3. Baby Van's disposition, so laid back and happy.

4. Living close to my parents, inlaws and brother, what a blessing to have such a support system

5. Being able to stay home with my kids in this precious and every so fleeting time in their lives

6. The fact that sometimes when my husband goes to bed a little before me, he leaves the bathroom light on for me and he kisses me on the cheek before he goes to work. (I know they are little things but like a friend once told me, it's the little things that can drive you crazy, but it's the little things that can make you happy too.)

7. And being pregnant. (I'm not now but I do really love it. I love growing a little person inside, it just really agrees with me. I would be a surregate but Chip isn't really a fan of that. :) )

And I tag Keri and Beth because they are the only other ones I know with blogs. :)

Look at that hair!

Oh yes, this is his daily hair do! Ya gotta love it. You can sort of see the little curl going on in the back of the second picture and I guess on the first too. I am coming to terms with the upcoming haircut, even though I don't know if it will help. :)

Mom Confession #3

I am not sure if this is something that should bother me but it kinda does because I obviously feel sort of guilty about it. Pretty much each and every day after we go to the barn, Adam goes to my mother in law's. Not because I make him, but because he wants to. So our day pretty much starts out as us waking up at 7:30 (nice, I know, I LOVE it) and we eat breakfast and putz around and get to the barn by around 8:30 or so. When I get back into the house it is about 10:30. Every day though when we are done, he says, "I'm going to Mama's." And she is more than happy about it, she loves having him, she never complains or says she doesn't want him.
She always says he is no trouble and does his own thing. Pretty much I know what happens, they go home, have a snack and he plays. He has lunch and takes a nap, then wakes up plays some more and is home for dinner. I ask Chip like once a week, do you think I should make him come home? Do you think it's bad he is up there? And of course he says no, he's happy, they like having him, I wouldn't worry about it. I guess my issue is I feel like I am home to be home with him, but I am not. Granted, I am home with Van and I feel like I get to spend more time with him reading, and working on puzzles and little things that pretty much Adam would be doing for him, or taking away from him, so that part I am happy about.

I think a couple of things are going on here. I think that Adam enjoys going up there because he gets undivided attention from his grandparents, and he isn't being told to share with Van, don't take that away from Van, be nice to Van, let Van play, etc. But he does intereact with him in the mornings and in the barn and when he comes home after dinner. Maybe I am making a bigger deal out of this than I should but I sort of feel bad. My plan today was to bribe him to come home with the rice table, painting or making a craft but Chip took him on the tractor and then I went inside. When Chip came home, no Adam and he said, 'He wanted to go to Mama's.' And it has become sort of a routine now I guess. But I just realized, when the cows go out in a few months, we won't be going to the barn anymore and maybe he won't go up there as much. We will see.

Birthday Time

In 22 days, my oldest son will be 3 and in 19 days, my youngest will be one. But let's not think about that right now. :) Adam has gone to a few birthday parties in the last few months and he is SO excited about his birthday. We are doing an Elmo theme.... again. :) Ever since he was one he has had this Elmo doll and that is his comfort object if you will. It is an old tickle me Elmo that my nephew had and he is actually ten today. We did an Elmo theme last year for his two year old party. But when I asked him this year what he wanted, he wanted Elmo again. He doesn't know many of the characters out there because he doesn't really watch a lot of tv but I gave him the options of Bob the Builder, Curious George, Big Tonka trucks (but not John Deere because I really think I will be doing that for the rest of my life.) We even went down the Party Store aisle and he still wanted Elmo, so Elmo it is. But in case you were wondering who he wants at his party... Daddy and Santa Claus. :) Gotta love it.