It’s Been A BIG Week

It’s been a BIG week. Bear took his first step, Coop was bitten by a turkey, finally said please and I got beat up! It’s been eventful I tell ya.

(If you’ve noticed the lack of pictures it’s because I got a new camera and I’m technically challenged in figuring out how to use the new reader and get them from my camera to my computer. I have big plans to get that figured out by this weekend and will have like two months worth of pictures to post!)

Jim came home a little early last Friday (23rd) and the boys were excited in their greetings as usual. This time Bear just stood up on his own and took a step towards dad! It was one of those moments you know you will never forget. It’s rare to get one of the milestone when you are both looking- it was so cool. He gets himself in a lot of interesting predicaments as he gets up but can’t get down yet.

Saturday we met up with Cristina and Todd and their baby Davis for a day at the Life and Science Museum. It was an amazing museum. I can see bringing the boys there quite often so they can learn just about anything and everything. We made our own tornado, felt a cloud, saw way too many snakes, spiders and insects but the coolest was going into the jungle of butterflies. We took a train ride (still not sure why we thought that was a good idea in February) but Cooper got to say his favorite word, “Choooo chooooo.” There were a few temper tantrums as I had to pull Cooper away from other kids toys or when Jim took him out of the sandbox. There is this huge section of types of drums for the kids to play on. Cooper was jamming out. (Side note: whenever we sing to a song on the tv or even when I try and sing ABC’s or Itsy Bitsy Spider Cooper will honestly start screaming and throwing himself down. It’s quite disturbing he hates to hear us sing! Jim’s theory is he is so musically adept and in tune that when we sing he can hear how out of tune we are and he wants us to stop.)

So then we make our way to the petting zoo type area only it’s really not a petting zoo just an observation kind of thing. A random mom points to us and says um he just got bit by the turkey. We were so busy pointing out the cow to Davis and Sully we hadn’t noticed Cooper putting his hand in the turkey’s cage and getting bit! We look down and see Cooper holding his finger carefully but he won’t let us look at it instead he goes to put his hand back in the cage and the turkey tries to bite him again! No harm done but I checked and it said domestic turkey- domestic my ass!

So we get home to make lunch and as we are all in our tiny kitchen Cooper starts flinging open cabinets and flings the pantry door right into my forehead! I couldn’t believe how bad it hurt. Jim tried not to laugh but I could tell he was laughing. On Sunday we were all on the floor wrestling when Cooper just thunks me right on my left eye. I saw stars covered my face and tried to fight back tears. Jim is thinking I’m joking so he jumps on top of me and grabs hold of my eye (right where I was thunked) and starts trying to pry it open. All the while the boys are laughing at my pain. It’s now Wednesday and I still can’t touch the left side of my forehead or my eyebrow. I’m bloging this because I’m not getting ANY sympathy at home for my wounds I’m hoping someone out there will take pity on me.

Wondering what the big deal is about Cooper saying please? We’ve been trying to get him to say please and thank you. He says something that resembles thank you when you give him something but he just flat out refuses to say please. So over the weekend we took a stand. If he wanted some of our drinks he would just have to say please. It took many many attempts and he was at the table eating dinner when he started yelling at the top of his lungs, “Please, please, please, please, please!” while doing the hand signal. We still have no idea what he was saying please for but he’s back to not saying it again.

Other than that our only other excitement was a trip to NOVA two weeks ago and we are now going to a new gym. I got a call on the 9th that my little gym was closing after only being open for three months. I was so bummed because it was so nice to go there, they would come out and get the boys out of the car with me and help me pack them up and play with them the whole time I worked out. BUT it’s turned out to have a silver lining. We signed up at a brand new Gold’s Gym right around the corner with a Kiddie Korner. Can I just say it has been so awesome!! Bear literally beams when we go in there and jumps out of my arms and Cooper just runs in there and doesn’t even look back at me. I can work out for up to two hours and I know they are right around the corner. It’s definitely pricey but it gets me some time and they get to socialize and burn off energy.

GiGi and Chris are headed to our neck of the woods this weekend and we are preparing a birthday bash of epic proportions for GiGi. Cooper is demanding we go all out so I will be sure to take pictures.

Jim is home early tonight and not feeling well. We all seem to have stuffy noses and I’m hoping that’s the extent of it. I guess the downside to the Kiddie Korner is more germs. Well I hope February has been good to everyone!

Snowshoe Trip with GiGi

In January the boys and I packed up and headed to Snowshoe for the week. Chris was going skiing in Colorado and we thought we were going to help out GiGi. I got sick with 2 migraines complete with throwing up and do you know the whole week Mom just took care of me and the boys. She demanded I go get a massage and she would take care of the boys. I will never forget coming back with Cooper having made his first escape attempt from the crib and Bear screaming himself to sleep in GiGi's arms. I walked in and she was sitting in the chair just holding Bear who had fallen asleep while holding a toy and she looked exhausted but then she sparkled. She had had a ball and we laughed and laughed over the whole episode for weeks. Then we took the boys out sledding. She had a blast taking Cooper down the hill and capsizing him! We watched our new favorite show King of Queens and movies and just holed up avoiding the snow. The only other time we ventured out was to go to the top of the mountain for bananas for Cooper. I got too scared to drive on the roads and in the middle of the road we switched and she wheeled us all the way up the mountain and back. I just remember thinking, "That's my Ma!" When we had to pack up we both cried, it had been a week of just enjoyment and pleasure. We hadn't gotten into "our stuff" as she calls it and it was just so nice. A week I will never forget.

Pho Recipe (Adapted so Abbie will eat it)

Given all of our skin issues we've had to stop eating out. We have taken to picking our favorite restaraunt recipes and making them our own. I make a mean burito bowl based off of Chipoltle! In NOVA Jim would eat Pho almost every week and was bemoaning how much he missed his Pho. So we looked it up and I adapted the beef recipie to make a chicken based pho that has become a fast favorite in our house. My favorite BIL asked for the recipe so here it is! (John if you want the beef recipe let me know I can post it too.)

Pho
1 Whole Chicken
1 (1/4-inch thick) slice ginger
2 tbs anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 ounces dried flat rice noodles or- 2 cups brown rice
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1 package fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup minced scallions
2 cups fresh cilantro sprigs, washed and finely chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
Sea salt to taste
Cayenne to taste
Lime wedges for garnish
1 jalapeno

24 hours in advance of when we’re going to have the meal I start my chicken broth. I place a whole chicken in the crock pot or large pot and fill with water. High for 4 hours in the crock pot or bring to a boil in the pot. Skim off any scum. Then pull off all the meat from the chicken but leave all the bones and skin. Add some salt and cayenne and leave on low for 20 more hours. (This makes is soooooo good for you and easy to digest.)

If going to use rice rinse it and place in a bowl. Cover with water and let soak overnight. (Aids in the digestion of the rice.)

2 hours before dinner pull all the bones and skin out of the broth. Add ginger, anise, and cinnamon to simmer.

If you are making with rice rinse the rice and cook with one cup of the chicken stock and water. / If you are using noodles soak noodles in hot water to cover 15 minutes, or until softened and pliable.

While noodles are soaking, bring a kettle of salted water to a boil for noodles. Drain noodles in a colander and cook in boiling water, stirring 45 seconds, or until tender. Drain noodles in a colander. Set aside.

When ready to eat stir in fish sauce, salt and cayenne to broth.

To serve, divide noodles or rice into 4 bowls. Ladle soup over noodles or rice. Sprinkle scallion greens, cilantro, jalapenos, mint and basil over soup and serve with lime wedges.

How Sweet They Are

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

It's been three weeks, yada yada yada.

So, last night, Abbie had an appointment at 6:30PM in Willow Springs, which is like, 45 mins away from where we live. (She said it was a beautiful little area...so I have a feeling we'll be driving down there one weekend to check it out). I had to be home early so she could leave in time. Her appt was to last about 1.5 to 2 hours. Bear nurses every 3 hours. So, putting that colledge edumacation to work, she could be gone for up to 3.5 hours.

That means Bear might end up getting hungry while I'm watching him. My thought, "Pshaw, he'll be okay."

Little did I know.

At 7:30, after all this time of the boys being really good and playing by themselves or with each other, suddenly, Bear decides he's going to fuss, chase me around the apartment, want to be picked up, and eat. So he goes on a 30 minute screamfest.

Now, usually, I can put him to sleep in a matter of minutes by rocking him in the La-Z-boy, but usually not around the 8PM timef rame when he gets hungry. So, I pick him up and we rock and rock and rock and rock and rock...nothing...just screaming............on his part, not mine...although I was close.

Cooper, all this time, is getting tired and is ready to go to bed (minus the big mound o' poop in his diaper). He's played by himself while I tried to work over Bear. So now he stands at my legs, watching me rock and rock and rock and rock with Bear screaming bloody murder. Coop crawls up into my lap on the opposite leg from Bear, sits there about 10 seconds looking at Bear, then says, "Awwww", leans over and gives Bear a big hug. No kidding, within a few minutes, Bear is quiet and starts to fall asleep.

It was the cutest thing. I think they're going to be very close brothers. :-)