Snow Men

Sunday's afternoon activity was making snowmen with the kiddies.

Thank you to Binah Bunch for the idea and to Chevy for the sock contribution.

But Why?

A popular question among the kids in my house these days is, "Why"?
As in:
Parent: "Please don't stand too close to the baby when you're sick because you could give her your germs."
Child: "Why?"
Or,
Parent: "After you eat some lunch, you can have dessert."
Child: "Why?"
Here's another one:
Parent: "Go wash your hands off since they're all sticky from glue."
Child: "Why?"

You get the idea.

So, in answer to the question of "Why?", I thought of the following motivations for starting this:
1. As an outlet for the frustrated author in me
2. To provide some, hopefully, helpful tips on parenting, cooking and living that I've picked up, mostly through trial and error
3. To communicate with far-off family and friends
4. As a fun way of "keeping a journal," like my mother always tells me to do
5. As a tool to procrastinate from more pressing tasks

I also figured I would have the market cornered on blogs posted by young, working moms with toddler-aged children, since who else would be crazy enough to spend the time writing one?

Things that Make Me :)

I decided to keep a running list of little things that make me happy. Here's what has come to mind, in no special order. Feel free to add your own in the comments.


1. Covering my 2-yr old and her doll up with a blanket on the couch

2. Getting into a bed with freshly-laundered sheets

3. Wearing socks to bed in the winter

4. Osem onion soup mix no longer contains MSG. My cholent will never be the same.

5. Finding the last missing puzzle piece under the couch.

6. When your 2-yr-old comes over to give your finger a kiss after you get a "boo-boo"

Kids Say the Sweetest Things

My 3-yr-old son has a habit of coming in to my bed in the early hours of the morning. He especially likes cuddling up next to my 5-month-old when she's with me.

As I was feeding the baby, bleary-eyed at 7am, my son told me I looked "beautiful" and "pretty."

While I was touched by his cuteness, I am taking him to the eye doctor next week.

The Magnificent Menu

Despite getting my credit card statement and having 3 runny noses in the house, I have been in a good mood this whole week.

Why?

I made myself a weekly dinner menu. I feel super-organized and in control. I am Martha, hear me roar. No last minute runs to the supermarket to pick up missing ingredients. No panic as 5pm approaches. Just a calm and happy mom.

I sat down Sat. night and took a few minutes to take stock of what I had on hand and write down the following list of dinners for the week. Feel free to contact me for recipes.

I highly recommend taking the time to make yourself a weekly menu, too. Now, if I can only do it again next week....

Sunday:
Shabbos (Weekend) Leftovers (chicken, rice, zucchini, apple-cranberry bake)

Monday:
Garlic Bread (made from a whole-wheat roll I had left from previous week)
Pumpkin Bisque
Sauteed Tofu with Salad

Tuesday:
Tilapia with Shallot and Lemon Sauce
Quinoa with Corn, Black Beans, Red Pepper and Tomatoes
Dessert - Chocolate and Cinnamon Buns (we had company)

Wednesday:
Ground Turkey Burritos with Grilled Peppers and Onions, Corn and Black Beans (and homemade tortillas)
Guacamole

Thursday:
Baked Ziti
Corn Schnitzel - for my husband who's allergic to tomatoes, white flour, cheese, and everything else good in this world
Salad

Friday and Shabbos (Saturday):
Stay-tuned

The beauty of the menu is that the prep for one dinner can lead into the next. I used some corn and black beans tht I had left over from Tuesday as additions to Wednesday's burritos. Part of the noodles that I'm going to make for Thursday will be set aside for the third meal on Shabbos. It's all about planning to avoid those extra steps.

My Cutie-Patooties

Is there a Pteradactyl in the House?

My 5-month-old daughter has discovered her vocal chords. It's like living with the Jurassic Park soundtrack playing in the background. G-d bless her.