Milk

 

I should probably start thinking about transitioning Ben off of the bottle completely, but I'm really not in any particular rush to do so.  He only drinks from one when he has his milk and drinks from sippy cups for everything else.  But he LOVES it.  Whenever it's time for his bottle, (when he wakes up, after naps, before bed) he will excitedly run to the couch to get in position :)

 

He also will alternate which hand is holding the bottle while the other softly strokes his cheek.  It's SO cute.  He does the same thing when he is settling down for a nap in his crib - just gently "pet" his cheek until he falls asleep. 

Meal Planning: Week of April 1st

Woah...April already? 

Review of Last Week:

• I LOVED the chicken sausage and quinoa stuffed squash.  (Thanks, Brenna)!  It was simple, and didn't require too many ingredients, and I will definitely make it again.  It made for a great lunch the next day, (since, duh, Greg doesn't eat squash).

• The turkey spaghetti bake was good, too.  I made mine with chicken.  Ben devoured it for dinner 2 times and once for lunch.
• Pineapple pork kabobs - yum.  We had them on Thursday night, after Greg mowed the lawn, on the back deck, with an ice cold beer.  It was lovely :)  Springtime is the best.

 

Sorry for all the photos, but I wanted to document our first dinner on the deck since we have moved.  We LOVE it here.  Very much looking forward to all that Spring and Summer will bring :)

 

 

And one outtake...:

 

• I Didn't make the stew this week - I ended up juicing the kale instead and making sweet potato fries to go with the kabobs :)

The extended forecast is looking nicccccccccccccccce.  (How sad is it that mid-high 60's is so thrilling around here)?  I am eager to (have Greg) BBQ a lot this week - so the more of our meals that can be cooked outside, the better.

This weekend, we have some friends coming over on Saturday evening for dinner.  I'm hoping that we can put the patio furniture outside and at least enjoy a cocktail out there before it becomes too chilly.  (Might need to invest in one of those outdoor heaters they sell at Costco....someday).  The plan is to have blackened cod tacos and margaritas!

Sunday is Easter, and my parents are coming over for brunch, egg dying and possibly an egg hunt for Ben :)  My mom is making her delicious danish puff, and Greg and I will make scrambled eggs, bacon and mimosas!

And for the week:

Monday:  Grilled tandoori chicken and risotto.  (Trader Joe's has a delicious mushroom risotto that is quick and easy).  Greg's marinade is amazing and simple - teriyaki sauce and tandoori spice.  Try it.

Tuesday: Steaks and grilled vegetables

Wednesday:  Boboli Pizza and salad.  I've discovered a new favorite homemade recipe: prosciutto and "power greens" (or arugula) with a pesto/alfredo sauce.

Thursday: Burgers with sweet potato and parsnip fries.

Friday: Our rescheduled dinner date with the Pieper's (Ben was too sick for us to entertain last time).  I'm taking next Wednesday-Friday off, and I'm tempted to slow roast something "fancy" since I will have the time to do it....but I cannot land on a recipe quite yet.  I'll probably end up meal planning for this night and doing the shopping for it next week.  Stay tuned!

Ice Cream

Track and Field

 

 

On Monday after work, we took another walk up to the local junior high school to burn off some energy and soak up some sun.  It is so fun to be able to allow Ben to roam free with so much wide, open space.  

 

Another Haircut

I think this was Ben's third....or maybe his fourth (?) haircut.  They have become increasingly difficult as Ben becomes more aware of what is happening.  This last time, when we strapped him down in his chair, he started to cry. 

The girl cutting his hair immediately pulled out the bubbles to try to cheer him up, and I watched (in fear) to see if it would calm him down or worsen the situation!  And then, she pulled out the big guns:  A sucker.

This was probably his second ever taste of a sucker, and the first time I allowed him to hold it himself and go to town. 

It worked.

Girls (Plus Ben) Night In

On Friday night, Maureen, Maeve and Rachel came over to have a lazy night in with me and Ben.  It involved pizza, a homemade berry crisp, a LOT of wine, girl talk, and lots of rowdiness for Ben and Maeve. 

 

I asked Maureen to bring her camera, and Rachel managed to capture some great photos of the little ones.

 

Yoda Ben

A Slow Eater

I remember when I was little, my friend Lisa used to make fun of me for being the slowest eater on the planet.  I definitely am not anymore, but Ben sure is.  Check out the videos my mom sent today of him eating his yogurt:

And 45 minutes later...:

Springtime in Bothell

Meal Planning - Week of March 25th

Review of last week:

• The cream of tomato soup was SO good.  Greg and Ben highly approved.  Ben especially loved dipping his grilled cheese into it.
• The crock pot beef carnita tacos were amazing as well!  2 for 2 with the new recipes!
• I discovered a new favorite juice recipe: Pineapple, Mango, Ginger with a dash of vanilla.  I rarely buy mangos, and in the process of buying some for juice, I discovered that Ben LOVES them.

We recently purchased a cheap, $20 BBQ grill to hold us over until Greg finds his "perfect" new outdoor grill.  It has me yearning for warm summer nights where I can enjoy a glass bottle of chardonney out on the deck or patio while I watch Ben play in the yard (or in his sandbox that I am determined to build for him).  I came across this add in the new Target "Threshold" catalog, and am hell-bent on creating a similar outdoor atmosphere:

 

I have already purchased a set of twinkly lights, we have the patio furniture set, we brought Greg's super old (but surprisingly nice) table and chairs from the house he lived in when I met him 8+ years ago (that had been being stored by his old roommate all this time!) and I bought a new set of outdoor/plastic plates and bowls. 

 

 



Now, all we need is the freaking sunshine and warm weather!

 

This was a massive tangent all to say that I am planning to have Greg do a little grilling this week in anticipation of the months to come!

 

Monday: Turkey Spaghetti Bake with salad.

 

Tuesday: Pineapple Pork Kabobs with rice.

 

Wednesday: Leftovers!

 

Thursday: Slow Cooker Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Kale Stew

 

Friday: Chicken Sausage and Quinoa Stuffed Squash

 



The Ingles, lately (and photos)

It amazes me sometimes how quickly the days/weeks/months are going by.  The fact that it is mid-March right now, and that Ben is just days away from turning 18 months old, just seems impossible.

I feel like the three of us have settled into a nice, happy routine lately.  There definitely have been moments over the past several months where it has felt as though I wasn't balancing everything well.   I have felt at times that I wasn't giving enough focus or I didn't have enough drive at work.  I have noticed how hard it is to keep up a consistent yoga practice when there are simply too many other things to take care of.  I have had moments with Ben where I have wondered where my chill, always-happy baby had gone.  Greg and I have felt the shift that happens when you use up all of your patience with your kid, that at the end of the day, you have less of that for one another.

The good great news (and the reason I am blogging about it now) is that, just like with everything else in life, there will be moments that you feel great and in control, and others where you simply do not - and that with time, things will get better and we will learn how to adapt to the situation we are in. 

After Ben got sick last week (while simultaneously cutting two enormous molars), I gained a shift in perspective.  I felt SO thankful that we simply had health insurance and were able to take Ben to Children's without the financial worry.  I felt even luckier that Greg and I have jobs that allow us to take time away from work to nurse him to health.  What a wake-up call it is when you realize how much these things matter - and how many of the other things we tend to worry about are small and unimportant.

This week, my boss came into my office and told me how much he appreciates how hard I'm working and from the sounds of it, the program I am managing will be expanded this year!  He told me how well he thinks I'm balancing work and being a mom, and told me that family always comes first.  He reaffirmed that my in office/work from home situation is working out great for him - that the results of my work has proved to him that I am capable of being trusted to complete work outside the office.  It was such a nice thing for him to say, and I feel so lucky that my work community is so supportive.

Over the past 7 days, I have attended THREE yoga classes (a record post-Ben) and I can tell such a difference in my mood.  Greg is pumped about the guys night he has scheduled for this Friday, and I'm excited that he is going to get a break from everything for the evening!  I've been cooking a lot of our meals, (and doing a lot of juicing), and have purposely cut back a little on my yoga teaching commitments and social events in order to relax a little and soak up this time with my family.  Spring seems to be just around the corner (hopefully!) and I'm eager to spend more time outdoors with Ben.  

Ben, too, seems so happy these days!  After he recovered from his virus (and after his teeth came in), he seems like a new kid!  There has been a lot less whining.  (Thank God).  He has become a fantastic eater. He is constantly running, jumping, climbing, and balancing on things - and he LOVES to nap.  Lately, he will walk into his room and stand by his crib when it's time for him to nap and then HAPPILY lay down (and sometimes will giggle) when I put him inside it while he waits to be tucked in.  (And he is napping twice a day, STILL, often for 2+ hours each).

Anyway, I'm happy and thankful and life is good! Om.

And now, pictures!

Climbing and balancing Exhibits A and B:

 

Being a good eater Exhibits A and B:

 

 

Being adorable:

 

 

(LOVES to hold hands in the car).

 

Boot model.

 

Being a sissy:





 

 

On the carousel at the zoo.

 

I couldn't possibly love this little goofball more :)

 





 

 

 

 

Meal Planning: Week of March 18th

Quick Review of Last Week:

• The Braised Lamb Shanks and Creamy Polenta was good.  Ben LOVED using a spoon to feed himself the polenta - he couldn't get enough of it!

• We didn't make the tostadas, but plan to this weekend.

Monday:  Honey Sesame Chicken and rice with salad.

Tuesday: Cream of Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Wednesday: Out for dinner - I'm thinking Fish and Chips since we didn't end up doing that last week...

Thursday: Crock Pot Beef Carnita Tacos and homemade guacamole

Friday:  Pizza and Salad

Morning Cartoons with Dad

Overcoming Fears

Sick Baby

 

This was not the first time that Ben has been sick, but it definitely was the worst he has experienced in his almost 18 months.  On Wednesday evening, my friends Kim, Shauna and her baby toddler Bronson came over for dinner.  The night was one of those nights where NOTHING was going right.  The dinner I had made (taquitos) looked disgusting, so I had to scramble and come up with a plan B for us to eat, the water heater started only heating water to lukewarm, and Ben literally cried from the second they arrived until the second they left.  I attributed his fussiness to either teething (as his fingers rarely left his mouth that night) or just being a pill and wanting my undivided attention - but we soon realized that he felt warm and was likely under the weather.

 

The next day, his temp got up to 103.3.  I took him to the walk-in clinic, and after checking him out, figured it was just a virus.  They gave me clear instructions that should his temp rise above 104 or approach 105 to go directly to the ER.  That night, it did - so we did!

 

The three of us spent a few hours at Children's, which really is such a fantastic place to be if you have a sick baby.  I felt really lucky for the care we received, and even luckier to go home with our baby (knowing so many people there didn't have that opportunity).

 

Ben spent most of the weekend with off and on fevers, but he seems to be on the mend now!  The only positive about the last few days is how snugly he has been!  Him sitting still for longer than 10 seconds is a rarity.  I definitely prefer my busy, constantly on the go child :)

Meal Planning: Week of March 11th

Review of last week:

• The recipe for roasted vegetables was really good.  I'll be making it again.
• The taquitos were gross.  I will not be making them again.
• We didn't cook last night and probably won't be cooking tonight due to the sick baby we have on our hands.

This week is going to be tough one for me to spend too much time with food prep as I have staff meetings Tuesday - Thursday.  I will still be done with work at the same time those days, but after the types of meetings we typically have, I will likely be DRAINED at the end of each day and ready to focus on drinking - not cooking ;)

Monday:  Boboli Pizza - Greg is in charge of dinner tonight, and he makes a mean boboli that Ben always loves.

Tuesday: Braised Lamb Shanks (slow cooker) with creamy polenta and salad.

Wednesday:  Dinner out, grabbing take out, or heating up something frozen!

Thursday: Black Bean Tostadas with Avocado Corn Relish

Friday:  Corned Beef and Hash and Black & Tans over at the Christensen's house!

Tuesday Night Lights

 

One of my favorite things about our new house is our neighborhood.  It still amazes me how quiet it is, and I try to get out and take a walk with Ben as often as the weather allows.  Last night after dinner, the three of us took a walk up the street and eventually found ourselves at Ben's future Junior High School.  I told Greg that I wanted to walk around the campus and check it out, but before we got to that, we could see that the lights on the football field were turned on and some sort of team practice was taking place.

As we got closer and closer, we saw one of the nicest football fields ever at a middle school - MUCH nicer than my high school field and track were!  We took a lap around, watched some kids during their soccer practice, and talked about how we imagine it will be like when Ben is their age - him attending school here, practicing with his team after school - with Greg coaching and me as the team mom ;)

GO KNIGHTS!

Magic Carpet Ride

Day Off and Last Weekend

Last Friday, Greg and I took the day off work.  We had planned to head over to Leavenworth for a day and night, but decided against it at the last minute.  We figured there were plenty of things we could entertain ourselves with here at home.

In the morning, Greg had a doctor appointment (since it's hard for him to find the time to do it on a work day).  Ben and I took a quick trip to the fabric store to pick up some foam for the bench seat cushion my mom is going to make for us!

 

After Ben's nap, we took a trip to The Children's Museum - which is always a really fun time!

 

 

And sometimes, splashing in puddles is more fun than the exhibits ;)

 

On Saturday, Greg wasn't feeling well and needed to sleep off whatever bug he had - so Ben and I did our own thing.

 

We made omelets for breakfast:

 

 

We organized our (way too many) toys:

 

 

And we tried to figure out a way to open the door and wake daddy up:

 





Swim Lessons!

Ben had his first swim lesson this weekend!  By "lesson", I of course mean he was held by Greg the entire time as the teacher led them through various activities and songs, and by "swim", I mean he was assisted in paddling his arms, kicking his feet, and getting used to the water.  He really seemed to enjoy it, and it will be fun for him and Greg to do this for the next 6 weeks!

 

He should be all set to enjoy the warmer water when we head to Palm Springs next month :)

 



 

 

Swim diapers!