She's " tu" "tu" cute!

You know it's a SMALL town when ...

I've probably been to the post office 4 times since we moved. I went to there today, happening to walk into a conversation between some gentlemen and the postal woman. He began to talk about his wife when he turned to me and said, "I'm sure you know her. You're from around here, right?" And as I was about to answer him, the woman interrupted, "No, she moved here about a year ago." I guess my moving in was quite the excitement around town! hahaha!!

Lentil Curry Soup

This was sooooo good and EASY!!!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5-6 cloves of garlic
small red onion or half of a large one, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp Curry Powder (I like the gourmet McCormick Hot Madras Curry)
6 cups of chicken broth
2 small potatoes
1 16 oz bag of lentils
Half of a 16 oz bag of yellow split peas
Salt and Pepper


Heat veggies in Olive Oil til tender. Add Curry. Add broth, lentils, peas, and potatoes. Cook til boiling, then simmer, covered for approximately 1 hour. Blend with a hand mixer.

Kaitlyn turned 6!

It's been a crazy week. I baked cookies, cake, and cupcakes!

Wednesday was Kaitlyn's birthday. I can't believe she is 6 years old! I made her my favorite childhood butter cookies to take to class, just like my mom always did. She came home to a cake with the most delicious chocolate sour cream frosting. Seriously, amazing!

Today was her party. It was my first party. I think it was quite successful, I think I'll pat myself on the back now. I wasn't expecting the parents to drop off their kids, but that's what happened, and thankfully, it was crowded!





I bought a bunch of wooden beads and let the girls make necklaces. They had a blast! And what a great group of kids. I was amazed how well everyone got along! Their teacher lucked out!



Then we had a marshmallow contest. The goal was to see who could build the tallest tower without it falling over. Only two girls were successful. Kaity decided she was just going to make a marshmallow yard.








Kaitlyn had a blast. I was so proud of her. Her manners were perfect, she was grateful and happy. She handled the introductions like a pro! I never could have done it the way she did. There was confidence in her that I never (to this day) had. She shines when she smiles and that's what she did all day! But she does that every day ... At P/T conference, her teacher told me what a joy Kaitlyn is to have and that she always lights up the room! A few days later, the principal called and told me how much she loves Kaitlyn, she says she lights up the room! Happy Birthday, Sunshine!!

5 months of Daisy

5 months old today!



Daisy is good at lots of things.

But mostly, she just wears me out. (As do her sisters.) I don't know what happened, but about a month ago, she started showing signs of separation anxiety and it's only becoming worse.

Look at these cheeks! Are the not the most chewy, delicious looking things?!




She gives great hugs and on occasion, she gives kisses too.



She can't crawl yet, but she started rolling over and she gets around rather well ...

Who won that round?

Sometimes, I feel like motherhood is a game or maybe it's a battle.

Last Sunday, Kaitlyn and Apani were physically fighting in the back seat on our ride home from church. Our 30 minute ride home from church. I tried to help. There isn't much I can do with them so far behind me, other than yell threats. It was a vicious cycle, hit, cry, scratch, cry, bite, cry, back and forth. I was losing my mind. Though I must admit, I was patient. I didn't really yell, not this time anyway. Maybe it was because we had just left church? Anyway ... In vain, I attempted to explain that the only way it was going to end was when one of them decided they weren't going to get the last throw.

After feeling defeated and not in control of the situation, I said, "For every time I have to tell you stop, I will eat a piece of your gum!" Desperate times, call for desperate measures. Gum is gold to them, especially Apani, but I had no idea what kind of can I had just opened.

The fighting continued. I demanded several times that they stop, but they didn't listen. I had no choice. "That's IT! How many times have I told you to stop?"
"10?" Kaity asked, she thought it was funny.
"10 it is." I took out the gum and said, "ONE!" I unwrapped the 1 1/2" piece of pink sweetness and put it in my mouth. "TWO!" I unwrapped another. "THREE!" After 5 pieces, chewing was becoming difficult. Apani, way in the back was pleading with me, "Stop, please, stop. I'm sorry." But ... I proceeded all the way to, no not ten, but seven. I ran out of gum. I told them I had to buy a new pack just so I could eat it all and catch up!

"You're the WORST, mom!" Apani yelled. She stressed worst, that wasn't a typo. Kaitlyn found the whole thing quite amusing. She finds joy in everything. Such a happy little girl. But in this situation, I think she was happy because Apani wasn't. And because Apani finally stopped bothering her.

They stopped fighting. The rest of the way home was pretty quiet aside from the whimpering. I felt like I had won. However, my teeth were killing me. It started to get pretty bad. I had to take the percocet which was prescribed after delivering Daisy. I went to the dentist Monday to see what was wrong. There's a cavity on the nerve...I need a route canal! Seriously? Like I need one of those right now? Every time I figure out what's wrong with one thing, I need to find out why I have pain somewhere else! Really, when is this going to end????

So, again I ask, who REALLY won that round?

What they've been up to

Kaity and Abby had their Student-Teacher Conferences. They went well!

Kaitlyn was said to be such a sweetheart. I knew that already! She is friends with everyone and has an infectious laugh. She struggles when reading aloud but was the only one in her class to score 100% on the reading assessment exam!!! The teacher said she took her time, all her classmates (6) finished before her. I'm so proud, she didn't rush through it and what an accomplishment!

Abby is the youngest and one of the brightest in her class of 19! The teacher even thought I wrote down the wrong year for her birth date! Her overall assessment went well, she was able to recognize more words than the teacher thought. She is shy but social, she is coming out of her shell and joking around. Aside from the lisp, the teacher has no concerns!

Maddy is potty trained!! It's been a loooooooooong, stressful journey but we've finally made it! She was doing an amazing job so we went out the other day and bought her, her own panties. Now she has panties that actually fit. She was waking up in the middle of the night screaming that she had to "pee bad" so I had El bring up the toddler bed from the basement and she has now slept in it for 2 nights and stayed dry in her panties! She's not a baby anymore. I keep the potty in her room close to her nightlight so she can get up when she needs to. I've been dreading the toddler bed. I knew that once we began this chapter, naps would end and bedtime would become a challenge. So far, I've been right. This is the third napless day and NOTHING is getting done around the house. At bedtime, she gets up 20 or so times. It's been horrible...for me. I hate potty training!

I'm so proud of my girls! It makes all the stress worth it! I just need someone to remind me of that in the midst of the 4 of them simultaneously screaming, yelling, or whining.

Oh My Gallbladder!

If you haven't heard, I need it removed. I've put it off for several reasons. One, I've been restricted as to what I can eat, so I've lost a few pounds and I can stand to lose a few more. Another reason is that the surgeon I was referred to doesn't accept my insurance and I keep forgetting to call another one. I swear, my memory is TERRIBLE! Most importantly, I've been having heart palpitations. Before I have surgery, I wanted that looked into because really I'm afraid to go under the knife, especially with this undiagnosed heart condition.* Also, Daisy is so attached to me that I worry about her crying for the 5 hours I"ll be in the hospital, that is if everything runs smoothly. If I need open surgery, I'll be in the hospital who knows how long.

I have a bottle of vicodins and percocets for the pain and try not to use them because I know how addictive they can be.

Things were going fine for awhile. However 2 days ago I had a horrific attack. I guess I got too comfortable eating again. I had to take a pill. I hate those things. I can't imagine how someone could become addicted. They give me horrible migraines! So I went back to my healthy eating and I thought tonights dinner would be ok too. I made curry meatballs with rice and edamame. I used turkey...I thought it shouldn't be so bad. I was wrong. The pain is awful. I had to take another pill and here I sit with another migraine. Someone please remind me to call the surgeon tomorrow!!

I'll post the recipe for the meatballs if anyone wants. I'm so proud of myself. It's my own recipe. I have all these ingredients, but not everything I would need for one certain meal. So after looking through my pantry I thought I could create curried meatballs. And I did. And they were really good! Too bad I have to freeze the leftovers and wait a few weeks for seconds!

*Tests determined that I have a rapid heart rate. Which in a sense is normal. However, what isn't normal is that less than 1% of the time it doesn't slow, which normally happens when sleeping. At one point in the day, my heart was beating 158 beats a minute. It was when the girls came home from school. I'm just really stressed. The dr said I should get more exercise, try to build the heart muscle and see if it helps any. She said the hill I live on would be a perfect place to start. Or, she could prescribe a pill which I politely declined. Daily walking is just one more thing I miss about the city!

Style

that only a 2yo could pull off!

4 months

What happened to my sweet, easy baby? The past few weeks have been beyond stressful. She is already going through separation anxiety (isn't it early for that?) and wants to be held a lot! If she sleeps well, she's much happier, but once the girls get home from school, there's just too much going on. Thus, she's cranky.

Yesterday, she screamed for an hour. It was not fun.



Her personality is blossoming. She has a voice and let's it be known...she's just as loud as her sisters. It's pretty funny.

Celebrating Fall

We went to the Audubon in Sharon for their annual "Enchanted Forest". A guide took us through a pumpkin-candlelit path where we ran into costumed animals who taught the kids a little bit about them. The path ended at the Center where we had hot chocolate and got a hay ride back to our car. It was so cute! We'll do it again, you'll have to join us!

The girls went on a school trip to Hahn's Farm which is by far the best farm we've seen so far on this side of the Hudson. There was a hay maze, a huge hay tower to climb, hay animals, and a petting "zoo". They had a blast, I'm glad I was able to meet them there!







We may skip trick or treating this year because I'm not so sure how they do it, lol! Don't fret, the girls will not miss out. The town of Millbrook gets all festive. So Saturday we'll go over there with one of Kaitlyn's friends for the trunk or treat, cider and donuts, parade, and a possible magic show? That's what they did last year...so I hear. After that we're heading to the hospital where Daisy was born for a bunch of halloween festivities (including horse and carriage rides) they'll be hosting. Sounds like a lot of fun. And if they're not too exhausted, we'll go to the chapel that night for their trunk or treat. So I don't think they'll feel too deprived, but we'll see.

10 reasons to come up here

10 reasons to come see me

1. I'm so awesome
2. The hot chocolate at Belgique Patisserie will have you asking, "Jacques, who?" It's like liquid dark chocolate and is unbelievable. Words can't describe the deliciousness! The homemade whip cream is like the icing on the cake! And they have artisan belgian chocolate, think Neuhaus, but fresher because it's made on the premises rather than imported. But expect to spend a fortune.
3. The corn maize at Ellsworth Hill Farm is really fun.
4. You don't want to miss the fall folliage!
5. I'm still awesome
6. Hodgeson's and Lawrence Family Farms are great farms for kids
7. I know a great B&B for you to stay at ;)
8: The man voted best chef in the Hudson Valley owns the restaurant just down the road.
9. Some great little shopping towns around us: Millerton (voted one of the top 10 in US by Frommer's), Millbrook, Rhinebeck
10. Someone as awesome as me can only have spectacular friends...We miss you awesome people!

I told El the next time he drives into work, he has to take me (and Daisy and Maddy) with him! So I hope to see you guys soon.

Quinoa

Because of my new forced diet, I've had to find some new recipes. Here's one I loved!

Quinoa Tabbouleh
1 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp basil
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 TBL dried mint
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup olives, sliced, I LOVE the Castlevetrano kind.
1 tomato, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Cook quinoa according to package. Let cool. Meanwhile, place all ingredients except olives in a mixing bowl and toss together lightly. Chill at least 1 hour. Garnish with olives.

Serve with hummus and pita pockets. If only I could get some falafels up here!

Conversations with Maddy

Maddy woke up from her nap and said, "Crib hurt me, see?"
I looked at her toe and saw the nail was broken so I said, "Oh, did your toe nail break?"
"Yea," she sadly replied. "New!"
"You need a new one?"
"Yea."
"Where could we get a new one?"
"Ummmmm ... Freshtown."

Family Update

Instead of a 3 month post for Daisy, I thought I give a little on everyone.



Daisy is 3 months old. She's awake more often during the day and I don't think she's too happy about that. She really just wants to sleep and makes sure we know she's not happy. But she's a good baby, generally content just laying in the car seat observing everything. She laughed for the first time tonight. It was totally unexpected but super cute. She's "talking" so much. I just wish she would sloooow down.



And sometimes, she has curly hair. ... Meet Ella! lol!



Maddy's personality has been exploding without her sisters around. She is hilarious and definitely the clown of the bunch. She is very exhausting. With her sisters gone, I have a lot more entertaining to do. She still loves being a big sister, just not when I'm holding the baby. Her tempers get quite heated, but thankfully, she has hit the baby in the head with a toy only 2X.



She gets into a lot of trouble when I'm busy. ...



Abby loves school. Though I'm not sure she likes coming home...she's such a grouch and irritates her sisters. She finds great pleasure in making Kaity and Maddy upset. But she draws only happy pictures so I try not to worry. She wants to be an artist who rides horses when she's grows up.





Kaity is doing so well in school. She got 100 on her first spelling quiz, but she spelled and wroted her words in the right hand column backwards. Imagine the concentration that must take!?!? Her front tooth has been hanging by a thread for months. She looks so silly. I hope it falls out before the other grows in!



El is taking the Dutchess Co police officer exam which would be awesome. Half his day (almost 6 hours) is spent traveling to and from the city.

I am exhausted. I miss sleeping. I don't like 3 hours a night....it's just not working for me. It makes me a cranky mom with little patience for the whining and fighting that occurs the second they walk through the door after school. After 2 visits to the ER, one was scheduled, I found out I have gallstones! Actually had gallstones, in Brooklyn, they dismissed it as gas and constipation. So I'm getting ready to schedule surgery. I'm still struggling to make this place home. I miss going for walks...over here, it's walking to nowhere with no one. Well, Maddy comes along and she whines because she wants to walk, but we don't have sidewalks so it's not going to happen!!!!

So that's it ... in a nutshell.

Apple Picking with Grandma and Grandpa

Now that we're in the middle of the Hudson Valley, we have tons of options. My favorite farms (those that have kid friendly activities) are on the other side of the Hudson so we decided to try a new one and one close to home. Ellsworth Farm

The corn maze was a lot of fun. We must have been in there for a half hour at least, but we did beat some of the other people. Other than that it was only OK. It was fun to get out after a week of rain and another week of rain forecasted.






The Corn Maize knocked Maddy out!

Have you seen this?

I'm patting myself on the back

It's not easy to have the desire to cook. Especially in the humidity. Especially for a usually ungrateful husband. And especially when there are 3 little ones who 90% of the time care more about putting the food back into the pans than into their tiny tummies.

Thus, much of the time, I cook for myself. Meaning, I'm going to cook something that will make me happy. Something I know I will enjoy while I listen to the rest of them whine. YES, we are eating curried chicken again!

I'm addicted to Food Network and the Cooking Channel. I have so many episodes saved so that I can remember all the recipes I want to test. The other day I was watching Tyler's Ultimate and he made pizza. Awesome! How can the girls not want to eat that?! Not to mention, we have tomatoes coming out of our ears. I miss so many things about NYC, BUT I really do love having our fresh herb and vegetable garden.

I decided to use my own sauce with nothing but fresh ingredients. I always make my own spaghetti sauce, but I use canned tomatoes and dried herbs. So I had no idea how much of this or that to use. Let me tell you, it was delish! I don't know how I'll eat other sauce again. The pizza was good too. Kids ate, I was happy. I'm patting myself on the back for a job well done!

I just got to thinking, I should make a ton and freeze it for non-tomato season. I hope I can proportionally figure everything out for a larger sauce.

2 months

Is your baby 2 months at 8 weeks or on the same day of the second month? Either way, Daisy is now 2 months. Where did the time go? In her first 3 weeks she gained 3 lbs. So I was happy to hear today, 5 and 1/2 weeks later, that she only gained 2.4. She is at a HAPPY and healthy, but chunky 13.4lbs! Just look at her arms :o]


If you're wondering, yes that is Glee in the background and Kaity and Maddy singing along.

Forced to shop online

One of the things I miss about Brooklyn/NYC is availability. ... of anything. You can find everything. I miss all the little boutiques and specialty shops.

Daisy is a sucker. She NEEDS to suck. The pacifier is her best friend. At her tender age of, (gasp, 2 months!!) she can easily toss it half way across the room with little to no effort. So I began looking for a pacifier clip. Shouldn't be so hard, right? Normally you can even find them at your grocer. Grocer, pharmacy, family dollar, didn't have em. So we went out a little farther, meaning 20 miles or so. CVS didn't have them, nor the other grocer's. Unbelievable!

I guess I should mention that I'm not just looking for any clip. I need one for a soothie, but still! It's what you get at the hospital and find at the retailers so why not clips for them?

I had to go online. I bought the soothie clip from babies r us. They sent me a blue one which is so bulky and makes it difficult for her to suck.

I thought about getting the Daisy one from Haba ...



but I knew Maddy would claim it or Kaity and Abby would break it.

So I went to etsy. I found the cutest blankies. Look at this one. Minky Binky Blankies I had a hard time choosing, I want them all, but ultimately bought the Love Birds and it's perfect. She altered it slightly for a soothie. Daisy loves it. And best of all, no more dirty pacifiers!



Look at that face! She's so chunky!!

Minty Brisket

I'm not a steak person, but I love Brisket! It's so easy because it just cooks itself. You can put it on the stove and forget about it, literally because the longer it cooks the more tender it gets.

The meat will have a minty taste, but I thought the flavors blended nicely. No, this was delish!! El said it reminded him of gum and didn't care for it. BUT, he just likes salt.

I know my recipes are vague, I'm sorry! Unless I'm baking, I don't measure anything.

Minty Brisket

Rub your beef with Garlic Powder and a little bit of Salt and Pepper. Brown a little bit of oil on both sides. Fill the pan with water til it reaches the meat half way. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer for about an hour. Then to the broth add 1 1/2 TBSP of chopped fresh chives. 2 "stalks" of fresh mint, whole; and 1 lemon, sliced. Continue to simmer for at least 2 hours til meat is fork tender.

You can leave the mint and lemon in, but I removed them to make a simple gravy. Mix equal parts flour and cold water and slowly add to boiling broth.

I wanted to serve it with this, but I couldn't make it to the store so we just had french fries. I will make these potatoes tonight with the leftovers and some asparagus cooked in garlic and olive oil. Yumm!

Success!

I made another yummy dinner. Everyone liked it.

Beef and Mushroom Sandwiches

I baked a rump roast at 325 sprinkled with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. Just before it's done, I threw in a bunch of fresh mushrooms, sliced. If there isn't much "meat juice", add some water.

Let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Slice thin.

Slice you ciabatta rolls in half. Sprinkle both sides with mozzarella cheese. More garlic powder and oregano if you like. Broil til melted.

Add beef, mushrooms with meat juice, fresh arugula, and some picante sauce (I love the heat!)

Maddy chowed down on my sandwich, the girls just got bread and butter with slices of beef. But everyone ate without me having to prepare PB&J sandwiches...thus it was a success!

young Turdus migratorius and young Homo sapien

...
We really aren't that different.
...
We all have the same basic needs.
...
We just want to eat!
...

A Red Robin laid her nest on our porch. We counted the eggs and eagerly waited for them to hatch. All day those little birds would lift their tiny heads up out of the nest and wave them back and forth, mouths wide open in anticipation for the return of their mother. It was so cute to watch. Then we would look down and see Daisy waving her head, mouth wide open!



Daisy is already 1 month!