{Ben's love of the Olympics; What do you want to be when you grow up?}

Intently watching the Olympics

It has unfortunately been a while since I've checked-in here... They say that it takes 21 days {I think... maybe it is 28?} to form a new habit... couple that with the usual life stuff, and a wrist injury from playing in the all-too-present snow, and sitting down to type just wasn't in the cards. {Plus, when you're laying low in the snow, it gets difficult to come up with fun things to talk about}. 

I know that it is old news by now, but the Olympics are over. But, they were Ben's first Olympic Games, and he was enthralled... so it was a big deal for us.

We had a lot of fun watching them as a family, talking about the different events and explaining them to Ben. When we played outside in the snow {hubs built a toddler-sized hill of snow in the front yard to sled down} he was "snowboarding"... he really got into it. When athletes fell down, he would cry, "Oh no!" and was truly upset for them waiting with baited breath to make sure that they were ok.... {he also showed concern for Bob Costas}. Conversely, when someone had a great victory he was thrilled, and cheered his little heart out. He paid close attention to every event, from Slopestyle to Ice Dancing and everything in between. 

One night, {curious to see what he would say, given his new found love of winter sports and professional athletics}, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He seemed to really think about it, but didn't name any one thing. They only thing he emphatically said "Yes!" to {when I started to rattle off a list of: Olympic athlete, nurse, doctor, fireman, police man, et al...} was Daddy. {Awwww....} 

So, we remain curious... we keep guessing, giving him as much fuel as we can to nurture his imagination and watching him take interest in things... So far our guesses include: dancer, fireman, policeman, librarian? {he loves books}, and so much more. {We obviously have no idea}. But, one thing we can hopefully look forward to is watching him one day with his own kids, {we'll be awesome grandparents}. 

This little girl is incredible! I hope she sticks with design, and keeps having fun with it! {It makes me want to have a little girl...} Kudos to her mom, too!

These photos are adorable... the "dreams" are beautiful and fun. 

{working nights:late night snacking}

I started working nights- again- about a year ago. It's an interesting shift... wide awake while most everyone is resting, drinking coffee at all hours, and eating... stuff.

It's hard sometimes to figure out what to eat during a 12 hour overnight. I know some who prefer not to eat much, if at all- thinking that if they were home, they'd be sleeping and not eating. But, I'm far too hungry to be that restrained. {I think the only way I can ever go 12 hours without eating is if I'm sound asleep after a holiday meal}. 

I have learned that eating a regular meal is a no-no for me... often making me sleepy. I've seen and felt {in my waistband} the effects of giving into late-night, sleep deprived, junk food cravings {sometimes Cheetos from the vending machine are just irresistible}... and sadly, I'm beyond my college days of being able to sustain myself on Ramen. 

So, I snack... every few hours... all night long. 

Popcorn, cereal, yogurt, sometimes fruit {not as portable and quick to grab as I wish}, peanut butter/crackers, Luna bars, nuts {my big treat! we keep them out of the house because of Ben's allergy}... and whatever else I can make myself think of as healthy, but tasty to keep me going. 

Some of my favorites:
- Homemade trail mix- I like to mix it up with banana chips, sunflower seeds, peanuts and whatever I crave at the moment. I make it in a big batch for us all to enjoy throughout the week. 
- My favorite special yogurt treat....
-... because two little kisses go a long way at 3am... 
- A great alternative to hospital coffee. Perks me up, and gives me a little boost of Vit. C. 

{my toddler: bad bedtime}

...sneaking a book into bed...

My sweet, adorable, wonderful boy is definitely in the midst of his "Terrible Twos". Today was full of meltdowns and battles of will. The culprit {we think}: we noticed one of his two-year molars coming in. {Thankfully, that's something we can help} 

I work nights. So three nights per week, it is just my hubs and my son at bedtime. Somehow, my hubs has become the Sandman while me putting our son to bed is kin to giving him espresso and license to cry. 

Tonight, we had a role reversal. My husband was called into work tonight, leaving me home to tame the toddler. Because we are aware of the bedtime drama, {and I had managed the daytime tears} my hubs did the usual bedtime routine of book reading, song, and tuck-in. Of course, Ben crawled right into bed and was seen angelically snoozing on the monitor... 

Then, {I'm pretty sure he heard my hubs getting ready to go}... we watched as he got out of bed, and got one of his favorite books... and then a flashlight... and then a toy. Hubby walked out the door. 

I was ok with him playing, as long as the light was off and he was in bed. {Eventually he would nod off... right?}

As soon as I was comfortable on the couch downstairs ready to watch some Hulu, {yay Mommy time!}, I started hearing the sounds of his trucks, and noticed the light on in his room. {and the pitter patter of his little feet} I attempted using the monitor to mysteriously and invisibly speak to him and tell him to turn his light off and get into bed... 

...one book; backrubs; some snuggling; some begging; and one hour later, he was asleep enough for me to tiptoe out. 

Curious to learn why I can't seem to get him to sleep, I consulted Dr. Google. Turns out, the problem is likely the fact that when he cries in the middle of the night, I hug him; when he has nightmares, I hold him, try to kiss it away, and if its bad- bring him to our bed. {I'm the soft spot- the pushover} Hmpf. 

Maybe these adorable pjs would help?
The book of the night...

{more snow; pretend summer picnic}

Love my grill pan. 

So, for anyone who lives in the Northeast... or along the East Coast in general, we're getting more wintery weather. {I think we should just move the Winter Olympics here...} No matter how much I try to enjoy the winter wonderland I'm surrounded by, I can't help but crave Spring, and the sunshine days of Summer. 

Last night, as we buckled down in anticipation of an expected 6-10 or 12, or 18 inches of snow {I love weather forecasts}, I decided we were going to at least pretend it was warm, bright and sunny... I could almost smell the sunscreen!

It was just me and Ben, since my hubs had to work last night... so I left the menu up to him. Not surprisingly, he chose hotdogs. So, we stopped at the store on the way home from school and picked up some Boars Head (Lite) hotdogs, and shredded cabbage for coleslaw.

Immediately upon walking through the door, we changed into our snuggle clothes {pjs by another name, because to a 2 year old, the idea of changing into pajamas at 5pm is meltdown material}, and fired up the grill pan. 

Pretty soon, we had dished up hot dogs, coleslaw, baked beans and sliced strawberries, and headed to the basement to snuggle up and think warm thoughts...

Believe it or not, it worked! We managed to keep the winter glum at bay {something about the bright flavor of a strawberry just makes everything better}. We even abstained from watching the Winter Olympics for the first night since they started... {because there's no snow when its warm.}

So far we've gotten 10 inches of the white stuff at our house... with more coming, I think... or maybe now it's just ice.

I hope that everyone is safe and warm! I think we're going to go play!

How awesome does this look?? 
I cannot wait to wear sundresses again!! This one is gorgeous! ...I really like this one, too.

{homemade valentines: crafting with a toddler}

Our little disaster area/dining room table

What would be a sweeter gift to receive for Valentine's Day than a card, handmade by a sweet little two year old? Nothing. {My thoughts exactly.}

Fueled by a desire to make out-of-state relatives smile, I vowed to help Ben make handmade Valentines for his grandparents, and great-grands. 

There is nothing like trying to convince your two year old that drawing is more fun than playing with his trains, helicopters and fire trucks.... But, persistence pays off... 

It was awesome to see him light up and be enthusiastic about the process of stamping heart shapes with a carved sweet potato; incredible to watch him with his ever-progressing ability to manipulate crayons, stamps, colored pencils and pens; and heartwarming to see the amount of concentration that he put into things, when given the direction, "let's draw a picture for ____ to say I Love You". He would often stop in the middle of coloring, repeat the person's name, and then return to coloring with renewed sense of purpose... dedicated to creating just the perfect card. There was also the thrill of working with stickers... 

Yes, there were a couple of meltdowns; yes, I even wanted to give up at times {we allotted several days to this project}; but I'm really glad we did it. 

I think that Ben will be bringing many smiles... and have many Valentines. 

Artwork by Ben, flourishes by Mommy. 

My favorite Valentine so far this year... 
I love this one... and this one, too!

I would love to dress my little man up in this... 
I think that these are a great alternative to the usual conversation hearts... 

{meaty monday: stuffed cabbage stoup}

As I mentioned before, I'm not very good at keeping to a Meatless Monday schedule. Prime example: tonight's dinner featured one and a half pounds of ground beef. 

Oh well... we will have meat free Tuesday. {doesn't have the same ring to it, I know} 

Tonight I made what was intended to be a comfort-food Sunday meal: Rachel Ray's Stuffed Cabbage Stoup.*   

I am part Polish, and grew up with Golabki {labor intensive stuffed cabbage}. My grandmother made it, my mother makes it... and I found a shortcut. {someday I will make the real thing... and some pierogi}

This "stoup" was very good. Paired with a buttered roll, it was a warm, hearty-yet-healthy nod to an old family recipe. {hubs had two bowls} I will definitely make it again. 

I think the only flavor that I missed was the depth that gets added to the golabki when it is baked in the oven... maybe I could try roasting the cabbage before adding it to the soup? Next time. 

I am looking forward to seeing how everything melds together for leftovers tomorrow- the recipe says it only makes four servings... they would have to be belly-busting servings. 

The stoup in my beautiful Le Creuset Soup Pot... Thank you Mom!

*My modifications to her recipe were: substituting meatloaf mix for 90% Lean Ground Beef; I used Basmati Rice due to personal taste preference, and cooked the rice in the microwave while I was browning the meat, et al.; I added a dash of sour salt with the initial spices and then a squeeze or so of ketchup {based on a shared family recipe containing both}... oh, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce just because. 

I love these bowls... in my dreams I have a whole set- not just three.

...These spoons are beautiful, and funny! ...Makes me want to go shopping!

{cycle for survival}

Me and my team 2013

Once in a while... if we're lucky, we get to be a part of something amazing. Have one of those spine-tingling, goosebump-making, is-this-a-movie? experiences. 

Cycle for Survival is one of those experiences for me. 

There is a lot of cancer in my family. Typically, it has affected the older generations... But, a few years ago, it decided to strike young. One of my cousins was diagnosed with breast cancer at 31 years old. Thankfully, today she is a survivor. She is an incredibly strong woman with an awesome sense of humor and a big heart- I cannot imagine the world without her- or her new baby girl. 

After being diagnosed, she sought out the best at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC. She is my link to Cycle for Survival. 

Cycle was started by a former patient and has grown into something amazing. Once an event held with a few spin bikes in one small gym; Cycle now takes place all over the country, with hundreds of bikes... and raises millions of dollars. {100% of which gets allocated to research projects within six months}. 

What blows me away about Cycle is the energy. Current patients, survivors, parents, sisters, brothers, friends, and co-workers all affected by cancer {in one of its many forms} fill the gym with the most unbelievable energy I have ever experienced. They share stories, they honor memories... they stay positive. They fill others with hope {even after experiencing devastating losses}. 

Last year, I cried. I smiled. I laughed... I was in awe of all of the amazing people who came together in one room to really make a difference. It was humbling. Empowering. Breathtaking. 

This year, I will do it again. I am proud to say that I am a part of such an amazing event. I am proud of my family's survivors, and of those we have lost. 

I'm gonna help kick cancer's ass.