New mittens

Many people are counting the days to spring. I can't blame them after the bizarre amounts of snow we have gotten lately. Last week we got at least 14 inches of heavy wet snow, the most I can remember in the 5 years we have lived here. So many people are complaining about the weather. I nod my head and smile when they talk about how tired they are of the snow. Secretly I am LOVING it. I feel like a kid again, minus the excitement of having a snow day off from school.  The beauty I see out my window in the early morning after a night of snow is a feast for the senses: the quiet of the snow lightly falling, the pristine white blanket covering the ground and trees, the feel of a snowflake as it touches your nose and the coolness on the tongue as it quickly melts away.
All this cold weather has me itching to get sewing again. Isaac needed some new mittens and I found a pattern here to serve as a guide for a quick little project.  He is thrilled with his new mittens and I am motivated to make him a few more pairs.



I even taught the boys to make snow tunnels and caves, something I don't think I have done since I was Isaac's age.

More winter weather is expected to arrive tonight, this time freezing rain..



Wanted: Calm and Quiet Afternoons

After a very busy day on Saturday with two birthday parties at our house, Sunday I wanted to do nothing more than a lot of nothing. I even stayed in my pajamas most of the day which never happens..maybe once or twice a year. I had loads of dishes to wash, mountains of dirty clothes piled high, and new toys scattered everywhere. I really try to keep in my mind the idea of keeping the sabbath as a day of rest, it often doesn't work for me as a busy mom, but we try to keep Sunday a family day. We were all lazy, played with the kids all day and watched football.  Monday is usually a catch up day and I did get caught up for the most part.

Although I still had much to do, I couldn't resist stealing away a few minutes of solitude while my younger two babes nap. Am I a horrible mother for saying those few moments-which don't happen that often-when they are both asleep are my favorite time of the day? What is better than a cupcake, ice cream, hot coffee, and a good book?

Afternoon solitude is great because I am not yet as exhausted as I am at the end of the day. I love to read. I used to have a problem that bordered on an addiction-buying books. I have since changed my ways (ok truth be told I still buy too many children's books).  I now get the same thrill going to the library and bringing home lots of books on any variety of topics.

I know in a few short years all my boys will be gone to school all day and I most likely will be back in an office working. That makes this time all the more sweet because it is something I treasure and am intentional about. They take their naps, I get a little break, and both of us come back together refreshed. The dishes and laundry can wait....

This moment..........

A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, lovely moment I want to remember. Inspired by soulemama.

Trying something new

I love cookbooks and am always looking for new inspiration and recipes to try. Sometimes the recipes work for me, sometimes they don't.  I got a new cookbook for Christmas. It is called Feeding The Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. The basis of the cookbook is cooking using whole foods; something I always try to do. I have tried 4 recipes so far and we were on a winning streak until tonight. Tonight I fixed a Japanese style soup that was beyond our comfort zone. It had several ingredients that I haven't tried before and one I hadn't even heard of before-wakame. I took a trip to the Asian market today and picked up some wakame, miso and tofu. Although my son Isaac is a picky eater, he tried the soup. However, he didn't like it (not a big surprise). He kept asking me what the dark green leafy stuff was (the wakame) but I couldn't bring myself to tell him, as he surely wouldn't eat it if he knew I gave him seaweed for dinner!  Turns out also my husband doesn't like tofu. We have been married nearly 10 years and I had no idea-I guess it never came up in conversation. So, the soup was a bust and I will be stuck eating the leftovers alone...

Sledding

Yesterday I had the chance to go sledding with my two older boys. Fortunately, we have a nice hill behind our house and it is always fun to be out with them and feel like a kid again. We had only gone down the hill once when my oldest, Isaac, decided he wanted to check out the stream a little beyond the bottom of the hill. This journey to the water led us to follow the stream and to many animal tracks in the snow.  Soon, we were on our way, crossing under a bridge, walking through brush, and over logs making our way in the fresh snow downstream. We had a great time speculating what animal made which tracks, where they were going and why. Then suddenly, for just a few seconds, I saw a beautiful red headed bird with a black back and white front. Suddenly I felt so aware of my surroundings and blessed to be where I was at that moment. It was a moment I wanted to savor. I had never seen that bird in my backyard before and I live so close to where we were walking. I have always loved watching birds but have never learned to identify many of them. I asked for and received a bird book for Christmas, a newer version of one my mother had when I was small.  When I got home and looked up the bird, I found out it was a red headed woodpecker.
We did end up sledding more. We sled until my feet were so cold they felt like blocks of ice. It was a good day; lots of laughs, snow angels, and even a few snow balls too.

Cleaning house...

One of my hopes for the New Year is that I will be able to get my older two boys more involved in doing chores and keeping their things picked up.  A few days ago a little package from Amazon arrived. Isn't Amazon great? You can go shopping online, compare prices, read reviews and then in a few days a package arrives. All this without the hassle of dragging the kids to the store, begging you for stuff they really don't want but "have to have" and then find out the store doesn't have what you want or you have to settle for something similar.  I just bought a Bissell sturdy sweep cordless sweeper. My almost 3 year old Benjamin loves it! He will hardly even let me use it because he wants to clean all the time! What I like about it is 1. it is steel construction and sturdy 2. it is small and a good size for a preschooler 3. the handle comes in sections that can be adjusted shorter for small children. It has come in very handy for all the many messes my children make throughout the day without dragging out my big vacuum.

Here is Benjamin with his new "toy"

Cleaning windows

Snowy Day

The weatherman says we are supposed to get several inches of snow tonight. Last night we discovered we were out of home heating oil! Luckily we got that taken care of today before the snow comes. All this cold weather had me thinking we needed a soup today. My youngest has been sick, so an easy crock pot recipe fit the bill. I found a nice chicken posole recipe that was very easy and delicious.

CHICKEN POSOLE
(Source: Family Circle/September 2008)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
2 (15 oz. each) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 medium-size onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
2 large chicken bouillon cubes
4 c. water
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite cut diced tomatoes with jalapenos, drained
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine, garlic, chicken, hominy, onion, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, bouillon cubes and water in slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 5 hours.
Remove cover and stir in tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper until warmed through. Serve immediately. 8 servings.

Today is a new day...

Welcome to my blog and Happy 2011! I hope to share in this blog some of the adventures of our family with three little boys ages 6 1/2, soon to be 3, and 12 months. I will post our crafting, sewing, baking, and otherwise fun activities as we explore the world around us.
We are a bi-cultural family. My husband is from Mexico City. I am a Midwestern girl (and always will be at heart) transplanted in Pennsylvania.
Most everyone makes New Years resolutions. After years of enjoying mama crafting blogs and wanting to start one of my own, I am taking a baby step forward while I still find my way around here to get up and going. My biggest resolutions are usually related to self improvement, but also this year I must finish projects I have started and finally finish all these 1/2 finished craft projects-including a quilt I started in 2002!