Halloween!!!!

Holy cupcake day!!! I somehow managed to bake and decorate 4 yes 4 dozen cupcakes yesterday. 3 dozen of which went promptly to Ethan's class party and the remaining dozen will be going to our church's Harvest Festival cake walk. They turned out really well for a rookie attempt at decorating, pastry chef I am not. Unfortunately they taste just like giant sugar cookies which I have an affinity for so Ethan's 3 dz was closer to 33.

Tonights plan is to trick or treat Eric's work (a retirement home) at 4, get home by 5 for homemade pizza with Ethan's friend and mom, then the whole clan will trick or treat the 3 or so blocks to church's party, play there, then trick or treat back home where multiple bottles of wine will surely be opened in an attempt to regain our sanity. Costumes are as follows, Elijah is a dragon. I bought it last year 90% off (woohoo) at Target, so he's all warm and cozy. Ethan wants to be the Hulk, costume also bought last year at same Target sale. Elaina on the other hand wants to be a princess. Alright, it's going to be like 37 degrees outside not exactly flouncy, frilly, princess weather. So my plan which I started warming her up to earlier in the week was to be a Dino-princess!!!! niiiiiiiiiice! Ethan had a plush dino costume he wore a few years back, I know its really warm, we're putting a tutu, crown and fairy wings on it and voila, dino-princess. I realize this is the last year I'm going to be able to get away with this. But right now mommy logic still prevails! Now to figure out how to dispose of all the candy while making them think they ate it all. Last year Eric simply took it all to his work to fatten up all his co-workers/customers. Ethan still talks of the injustice. I'm thinking a good handful a day taken out till a more manageable level is attained. That is of course after all the mommy and daddy candy are taking out. All normal chocolate, that includes anything not made into a Halloween shape, will be sequestered to the freezer. Anything toffee/butterscotch/carmel can't possibly be truly enjoyed by a child so those too will be hidden in a parent stash. Tootsie Rolls will also have to come out, what better way to subdue a sweet tooth than with a chewy, fat free treat. Anything nostalgic will probably have to go, they don't understand the subtle complexities of a Sugar Daddy or a Bit O'Honey so why bother them with it. Now to figure out what goes best with out Halloween booty, maybe a bit of bubbly is in order...
Dinner last night was chicken, broccoli, rice casserole. I think everyone makes one for potlucks and such but I love that we've always done ours w/pepper jack cheese so its nice and creamy and spicy. Didn't managed to make spaghetti sauce yesterday, I was knee deep in batter.

Oh Elijah...

"I go poopy like Chloe!!!"

Great, that would explain what Chloe is eating and smeared all over her side.

Elijah my baby is potty training. I’ve tried a few other half hearted efforts but now it's game on. To be done with diapers brings a tear to my eye, NOT! I've been elbow deep in someone else's bodily functions for six and a half years and would like to now narrow the list to simply, me. I figured it was time when he demanded I put his diaper on him, um no. He's smart, he knows he can go whenever, where ever in a diaper, without one, not so much. My baby boy.

Elijah's the last of the empire. Let me just say the patch is no longer my choice for birth control, Eric has sought out a more permanent solution. But alas, life finds a way and as I sat in my car eating the Hostess raspberry filled powder sugar donuts that I drove to 3 different stores in a frantic search for, the light bulb went off and I went to Walgreen's for a test. Not just a test mind you but one of those new fangled digital ones so as I sat there staring at it the word pregnant magically appeared before my eyes. Luckily at this point Eric simply laughed when I told him through my tears. I was off the chart scared. Persevere we did and I even managed an au natural birth which I truly wanted and with that my baby birthing is done. This of course was after my water broke at home and I made everyone go to Jack in the Box for an enormous spicy chicken sandwich and fries, I knew they would keep me as soon as we went to L&D and food would be banned till Elijah appeared.

Elijah is so easy going, does everything his older sib's do and often just as well. Except for being a 'cluster feeder' (he nursed non-stop from about 4pm-2am every.single.night.) he was a great baby. He's of course finding his voice now and saying "no!" alot more but he is 2. "I do it" is the phrase of choice. He plays with his sister all day and does awesome at any playgroup. With an affinity for being naked, I know our neighbors must think we're some back woods family that lets our kids run around without any clothes in the dead of well fall. But honestly I can dress him 12x a day and they all miraculously dissolve off of him seconds later. I no longer look down upon the parents of the barefoot kid playing in the street. Elaina goes to school next year and we'll have 2 solid years of bonding, my babe, my snuggler. His laugh is infectious and you can’t help but giggle at his indescribably deep voice with his "I not" response to most requests. I love ya goof ball, hopefully not more than you'll ever know.

wine last night was mediocre at best so will probably make a batch of spaghetti sauce using it today and see if some resemblance of flavor emerges from being open all night. Sauce on the other hand should be great, I picked up some hot Italian from Thundering Hooves, made from happy pigs, their products are so amazingly good.

Puppies and other neurotic beings

I will first say that I'm well aware that this post should be about Elijah. But since it took me a full week to write about Elaina I figure I can take a little time to formulate my thoughts on my youngest. Being that its 5am and I'm on the computer thanks to our latest edition, I figured I’d honor her w/a post. Chloe as I have named her, is a 10wk old English Springer. Seriously the cutest thing you've ever seen and w/possibly the sharpest teeth ever honed by the breed. We've always had dogs. I grew up w/an English Springer who had puppies. One of which (Chloe) we all wanted to keep but sold off any way, hence the name. We also had a Bassett, everyone should have one at some point in their life simply for comic relief. When my husband and I moved to AZ we got a Brittany pup and soon after another that I 'rescued' from animal control. Both of which died this summer so the search for a new family member kicked into high gear. I of course thought the kids would go nutty for a puppy and possibly watch a little less Sponge Bob in the pursuit of her affections. Unfortunately puppies have teeth and for the first week the kids became all too aware of this realization, escaping instead to the basement where she didn't want to venture. They have since started 'playing', and I use that term lightly, with her. It consists mostly of picking her up and carrying her around or playing puppy toss to get her riled up then sprinting around the living room like a true pack of wild animals till the instigating child eventually trips and gets nipped all over any soft region exposed, which considering they all spend a vast amount of time naked could really be anything! We wanted a dual purpose dog, one to guard the girls out back from any cats and two, to be a hunting companion for my husband and I guess three, to save Elaina from having to retrieve any ducks from an icy stream. So here in lies the problem, how do you train a bird dog to leave the girls alone while still making her a good hunting dog. This answer hasn't been brought to the light yet but so far it consists of letting her flush the chickens as much as she wants to encourage her talents. The girls oblige for a while, scattering, running, brwaaaaking, until a point. When enough is enough all they have to do is stop. Turn around and look at her. She hits reverse like nobody's business, alpha dog she is not. Now that it’s almost 6am she is finally back to sleep under my chair, a spot she'll occupy for hopefully the next 12 years or so. Like newborns, they are cute for a reason. Who can resist that face at 4:30am? I've got coffee, the fire is going and some time to myself for a change, I guess I should thank her. Maybe after one more cup. Dinner is ground turkey natcho's dont think I really need to put a recipe on here just make nacho's but use ground turkey, I love an easy dinner! vino later tbd...thinking Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red, eric brought it home the other night to try as house alternative, review later!

Elaina

My nemesis. Where to begin. I love this girl, yes it's true. Here come's the but, but man she will be the death of me. Elaina started off easy enough. She popped out on the second push and barely cried. She slept constantly and almost completely through the night from the get go, we were in heaven. That should've been my blazing red flag, but no. She now practice's free will to the n'th degree. Currency she has none. Not monetary currency but psychological. All threats are idle, do/say what you will, take away stuff, put in time-out, swat that little bottom and it's all the same, she will endure and she will win. Later in life this will be her greatest asset, her employer will beat her down and she will come back fighting, life in general will hand her those lemons and she will stomp the last bit of juice out of them. The sky is truly the limit for that girl and I fear for whom ever stands in her way, she will take you down. Luckily some things are starting to click as far as pre-k is going, she is now obsessed w/spelling her name and watching enough Leap Frog movies has led to her knowing alot of sounds the letters of the alphabet make. Elaina loves all animals and Im not remotely exaggerating. This summer I found her pushing her new pet worm on the swing and if Ethan kills a spider she is more than happy to pick it up and throw it away, certainly more than I can say about me! Elaina waited longer to do almost everything, crawling, walking, talking, potty training. But the second she realized she could, she did. There was no transition period, no starting off slow. She waits till she can do it perfectly and she does. She's a thinker aka plotter. I never turn my back with out fully accepting the consequences. Silence is not golden and I doubt it ever will be. She loves to help me, possibly more than I actually want help but Im starting to embrace it more. She will make an entire meal with me start to finish and couldnt be happier. I know she needs to feel useful and can see her glow with pride in her accomplishments. My girl, one day we will go for tea and a mani/pedi. Right now I'll be content with her incessant pleas to go hunting with dad. In every roll of your eyes and every deep sigh you emit, I see myself. In loving you, I am loving me. I want to curl up and hold my little girl tight maybe if I can catch her nodding off she'll let me. Elaina, I love you more than chocolate chips. Grilled chicken w/Penzey's Northwood's seasoning sooooo good and a no brainer, along w/cheesy mashed potatoe's and the last of this year farmer's market corn. There's a Guinness in my future, my husband loves me and brought some home last night.

Ethan

Thinking about why I'm even doing this whole "blog" thing Ive decided its more a memoir for my kids. Hopefully one day they will read it and know deep in their hearts the real reason mommy went wacky. Reason number one being my oldest Ethan. I feel like I should apologise 100 times for all the ways we already completely screwed him up and possibly set aside some money for the psychiatric help he will surely need. Yes Ethan I would love to say we planned for years, anticipated every twinge in my body as being the beginnings of your life within me but you my love were a complete surprise. Our marriage being on rocky ground (familiar ring?)I had an epiphany after I got my head out of the toilet and did some quick math, I called Eric to find out when and if he would be home tonight. yes things were that bad. He responded by wondering if I was going to be there, thinking I had packed my bags. not so much. I had said for better or for worse and I'ld be damned if I was giving up and now w/a baby it was sink or swim time. We hoisted ourselves up after the initial shock and got full swing into rebuilding our marriage and making a "happy" home for our child. We got every book and watched way more "baby story" than should be allowed. Eric dove in head first too and loved spouting off the daily changes I was going through, "hey honey you should have to pee more now because your bladder is squished and stuff might be leaking from your boobs!!!!" thanks hon. Ethan came into the world w/two parents that couldn't have loved a baby more. He screamed while he was still coming out and stopped as soon as I said "hey there, so you're the one kicking me" he then started up again shortly there after and hasn't stopped. Eric carried him all over the neighborhood at 3am I have still never seen a daddy wear a baby as much as mine. Ethan has always been the extrovert, happy in any situation and so sensitive I often wonder how he can care so much for humanity while pouncing on his siblings at the same time. We will never forget Ethan's favorite phrase as a toddler "don't worry mom it won't hurt, it just tickles!" Eric became fond of saying it too, hence elaina and elijah, HA! You'll understand that later Ethan my boy! Forever wanting to be dad's hunting partner, while practically crying in the fabric store for his own knitting needles. He's the master of any hobby he takes up w/the imagination of the greatest authors of all times. If only we could get him to focus or care about any of them. When his teacher recently sent home sign ups to help w/future holiday parties I asked Ethan which I should help out with. He said "mom what do you think is more important? a holiday that celebrates candy or the baby Jesus? which do you think you should help on?" um gosh if you put it that way. I thought I was the one dispensing the guilt here! My theory is that by having a boy first clears any doubts that you would want another child. Ethan loves me unconditionally as I do him. I have never doubted his affection, it overflows in buckets. You may have been a surprise but the best things in life often are. Im not living my life by my plan any more and Ethan coming along was step 1 in the journey to where we are now in our marriage and our faith. He will always be a lap kid and that's OK w/me, one day (at least I think) he wont want to sit and cuddle and all too soon he'll be looking to cuddle someone else. Right now he's mine, girlfriends beware you have some serious shoes to fill.

knit one, purl two...

Here we go. Drawing from my father's vast array of talents/love of any hobby Ive now decided I want to try knitting. With winter fast approaching and my garden needing less tending I figure this would be a good time to start. I have a friend that says she can teach me (we'll see about that) it doesnt seem like rocket science and am now wondering if a good book is all I need. Ive actually wanted to try it for a few years and just never had the time with the kids needing so much attention but now that they are amusing themselves a bit more on their own I think I might be able to give it a go. I picture long, fluffy scarves wrapped securely around each child, dressed in a warm, sweater w/a pattern of their choosing on the front, *snicker* um right. I have a vision of sitting on the couch in the evening, snow falling outside, a glowing fire sending its warm arms all around us as I sip my '94 Warre's. "oh honey!? I could use some more blue-cheese w/my port, please" the knitting needles clicking away as the pattern from some exquisitely spun and baby soft yarn evolves right before my eyes into an heirloom my children will surely pass on to their own brood. Unfortunately that is the dream, the reality is I will have finally settled into my spot on the couch after relegating the kids downstairs for 242nd time to "PLAY NICELY W/EACH OTHER!!!" I cant get the fireplace to light because the pilot has gone out mysteriously AGAIN so Im wrapped in the one 1 blanket I have kept w/the least amount dog bite holes in it and FINALLY settle w/my same glass of '94 Warre's in my attempt to make it aaaallllll better, when the frantic pounding of feet on stairs from my previously sequestered children come full bore into view onto me and sending wine, needles, yarn and dreams flying. oh and eric's eatten all the blue cheese. hehehe sorry had to throw that in. So we'll see how this goes, not sure when Ill start it yet, I have to email my friend first to see if she can help, oh I need sooooooo much help.
Last night's dinner was this soup I love. I actually got the recipe about 15 years ago from the newspaper it was a soup from Olive Garden that they were running on special at the time (no I never had it at Olive Garden so I dont know how it compared) I then tweaked and made it my own and really need to remember to make it more often, 1c each carrot, onion, celery sauteed in 1/4c olive oil w/3 cloves garlic and 6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (cook till soft about 10min) add 2 cans drained and pureed garbanzo beans and 1 can chopped tomatoes (I also puree the tomatoes since my kids wont eat them if they see them) 1 tbls finely (no one wants to eat a twig) chopped fresh rosemary and chopped cooked chicken (I use about 6 chicken breast tenders or 2-3 whole breasts) let simmer together indefinitely to marry flavors, before service add about 1c cooked pasta (I like bowties, penne or rotini) salt and pepper to taste and top w/Parmesan at table. so good especially w/fresh bread sticks!