kiddos

kiddos

Sunday, January 30, 2011

From One Mom's Kitchen to Another



I would never go so far as to call myself a "foodie"...mainly because I don't have the budget to go to all the fine places and do all the traveling that I think is needed to really experience Food. However, I do love food. I sit and read cookbooks and obsessively pull recipes from magazines. I read about cooking online and am a member of every recipe site. I LOVE to cook.

I have always loved to cook. As a young girl, my parents had us cook at least a meal a week for the family. I love preparing delicious food and watching my family enjoy it. My Dad's favorite, roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, biscuits, and sliced tomatoes. I quickly learned other Southern favorites like black eyes peas, rice, fried chicken. I pride myself in making great comfort food. My lasagna, arancini, Chicken pot pie, chili, chicken chili, enchilada casserole, oatmeal raisin cookies, butter pecan whiskey cake...all dishes that I happen to do REALLY well.
I recently taught myself how to make salted caramels...and at Christmas time, my husband and I made batches and batches of maple cinnamon rolls (see Pioneer lady for recipe).

HOWEVER~

I am currently dieting for the first time in my life. Yes, I was one of those people who was naturally thin and active and diet never really entered my mind..if anything, I worked at keeping the weight on. Then I went and had three kids in three years, and suddenly, I joined the ranks of most of the women in the USA...and I must diet.

I have been waking at the crack of dawn and working out each morning...only to find that diet is 80% of getting fit, no matter how much you work out and run.

So, I needed to develop some healthier recipes, lower in calories but still delicious and comforting...because I just won't eat bland cardboard flavored food.

This has been a challenge, as I love to bake and my "healthy banana bread" was pretty mediocre.

I have gotten some pretty amazing recipes out of my new venture though.

I thought I would share on my blog a few of my favorites, my recipes or amazing finds. All will be tried and true.

I have considered taking photos of my food and putting recipes (I LOVE those sites)...but frankly, at this point in my life, I do not have the time for such things. Leave that for the Real "Foodies".

This is for the Mom's who work 40 hours a week, come home from work to three screaming kids and have to wear a baby on your back while quickly whipping together a dinner... you are the ones who will get the most out of the tips I have to offer.

Don't worry, I will not pull a Jessica Seinfeld and try to find ways to hide brussel sprouts in birthday cake - but I am going to aim for easy, quick, healthy and delicious foods that are both mom and kid friendly.

I don't strive to be a "Top Chef"...In fact, I am guilty of setting off the fire alarm at least once a month.

BUT, I am one of those mom's who wants my kids to be excited to bring their friends home from college for some of mom's famous roast, and I want to be the mom who makes the best cookies for class, and to hear my husband praise my cooking.... and I think that most of the readers of my blog have the same goal: To Be Queen of our own Kitchens!

For now I will start with the basics and hope to hear any comments or tips from all of you...I am encouraging input from other mom's like me....so we can all be culinary experts in our homes.

Now, We don't eat out much, for lack of babysitting, money and time...so I have learned to keep our kitchen fully stocked in order to cook things on a whim.

I will start by listing the basic ingredient must haves for delicious, fully flavored meals...(I keep other things like frozen broccoli, and frozen chicken nuggets and hot dogs on hand as well, but this is because my children do not yet have sophisticated palates).

Ingredients I have learned to keep stocked and can always be found in my kitchen are:
Broths (chicken, beef, and vegetable)
Produce: yellow onions,potatoes,carrots,celery,garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes
Meat: If you eat meat, keep a stock in the freezer of your preferences. I like to keep lots of boneless skinless chicken breasts on hand because it is a go-to dish----look for sales
Canned: coconut milk, evaporated milk, beans: kidney, all kinds of white beans, black eyes, black beans, etc)
canned green chilies
canned tomato sauce and paste
canned tomatoes
canned corn, cream corn
Cheeses: pre-shredded: cheddar, Parmesan and Italian blend
frozen:peas, corn, broccoli
Worcester sauce, lime, and lemon juice
all kinds of boxed pasta
red wine (yes, for drinking, throwing in sauces and just making life happier)
dried spices (I have these fully stocked but find the following to be most essential):thyme, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, basil,mint,seasoned salt,curry
extracts:almond, maple,vanilla, mint
and of course:flour,baking soda,baking powder,sugar : brown, white and powdered

I realized that the key to great cooking, regardless of healthy or basic are a few key ingredients. For the purpose of this blog, I will just say that I have been trying to determine which key fresh ingredients do I need to add to my stock list in order to be able to add a bit of gourmet to any recipe. So far, I have come up with this:

red onion
Rosemary
Olive oil
goat cheese
pine nuts
really great sea salts (invest $8-15 at William Sonoma- they will last forever and truly make a difference in anything to which they are added)
A pepper grinder
balsamic vinegar

Yes, so far, just those few little extra ingredients added to a otherwise stocked kitchen...and it is amazing the added level of flavor and sophistication.

For example: I was in charge of snacks for book club Friday night. I worked all day...and had 1 hour to put everything together and drive to Spartanburg.

I made three dishes...
caramelized onion tart-lets
white bean, rosemary, walnut dip with toasts
Ritz topped with cucumber and Italian cream cheese

The women in my club were raving (doesn't it always feel good to hear another lady's praise) and calling me Martha Stewart (but not in a jail bird kind of way). It felt good and was all because I made a small stride to have a few special extras in the fridge.


I hope that with this and future blog excerpts, as well as input from my pals out there...we can put a little more homemaker into our busy lives...isn't that what is most important anyway.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

emily1

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Saturday, January 15, 2011

Our Clever Bluebird

Daddy announced today that Bluebird had gotten a hold of his wallet and that he could not find any of his credit cards. We looked around...found a business card or two (which, in an unrelated story, Bluebird ate an entire business card yesterday)...
But no other cards were anywhere to be found. No credit card, no license, no insurance cards, no Cracker Barrel gift card, no Best Buy Rewards card...just empty wallet with an expired student ID and a business card for a used bookstore.
Finally I just suggested that we ask her.
She was sitting pretty at the counter and I said "Bluebird, what did you do with Daddy's cards from his wallet?"
She said "blah blah blah table blah blah blah drawer, blah blah blah stuff, blah wallet blah"...and pointed at our living room.
We looked around...no trace of any of the cards.
"Bluebird, where at? Show us" and I picked her up and we followed her as she babbled all the way to a large three drawer chest...and pointed to the small slits between the drawers...she smiled very proudly!
After some fishing and opening and closing, we were able to recover all of his cards, which Bluebird had tucked safely throughout the chest.
Thank goodness we asked her, because we would have never found them there.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Flying High

This actually happened a few months ago...but I thought of it tonight and I just didn't want to forget it.

My sweet Boy. He currently loves all things Super Hero. He loves his cape. He loves sing out the tune to the Superman theme song...
da da da...dadadada....da.da.daaaaa.da.da.da.daaaaa.da.dadadadada...da.da.daaaa

(Did you get all that? haha)

I was sitting on the porch watching as he ran up and down the hill of our yard. He would get going fast with his arms stretched forward and his cape would blow behind him....over and over and over.

He came to me with a pretty good scrape to his knee. He asked me to "kiss it Mama" (because my kisses have ultimate healing powers).
I said "wow baby, that is a pretty good boo-boo, what happened?"

"I was flying too fast, Mama".

Monday, January 10, 2011

Stitched and Loved


wow...two posts in one day...
it is a snow day...no work, so I have some extra time.

The kids had a little extra energy also...and they were pretty much running wild while Daddy waited for the game to start and I made dinner and washed dishes.

Running, yelling and then, inevitable screams. This is pretty much routine in our home...

Bluebird, who may get a name change soon to Bruiser, had her second ER visit...that girl has spent more time in the hospital in her two years than I have in 34.
Go figure that she would choose the one day that the roads are covered in 6 inches of snow...
I considered gluing it myself...Daddy asked me to stitch it...does he honestly think I would ever consider stitching my own child, with no meds and sewing thread? Not a chance. I may be a medical professional, but I am all mother when dealing with my children. If they cry, I cry. I'd never be able to stitch for all the tears blurring my own eyes.

Anyway, here is my girl and all I could think was what kind of scar this would make and of all the people I know with eyebrow scars and I knew we had to suck it up and get the girl to the ER.

She is a lucky one, because Daddy is an Oregonian (Go Ducks) and this snow really didn't phase him too much.

So...I put a Lightening McQueen band aid across the wound, we bundled her up in snow boots and coat...and she said ..."Go to doctor for eye".
Being the mother I am, I had a brief thought they could get stuck in the snow for days and freeze (as IF we were IN Oregon), so I grabbed a gallon of water, a box of cheeze-its, a cup, and two blankets...just in case...you can never be too safe, right?.

I stayed home with Boy who showed me exactly where Bluebird bonked her head. He also told me how "The Good Guys Rule and Good guys get the girl". I said "Who is your girl?" (I expected him to say Mommy)...but instead, he said "Bluebird is my girl".

Daddy and Bluebird made it to the ER without a glitch and she earned three stitches and some M & Ms.

When they got home Boy was waiting...the first thing she said was "Where is Boy?". She was so eager to tell him all he'd missed. "Boy, blah blah blah doctor blah blah blah hospital blah blah blah face." He ran to her and looked at her stitches...Then Bluebird AKA Bruiser opened her arms wide and gave her Boy the biggest hug ever. He kissed her.

This was repeated a few more times before I got them to bed.

Life is Good.

Cranial Nerve I

Ok...so the title of this blog is nerdy, I know...and I thought about "Scent of a Woman" (but I knew I would be writing more than just that... and then I thought about just "Smell" or "Scent"...but both sounded a little gross...so I went nerdy (yes, I am one of those people who knows all the cranial nerves, what they do and how to test for them). If you can think of a better name though...throw one out.

Why am I writing about the olfactory nerve?

well, I have always had a pretty keen sense of smell (I would like to compare myself to Guster from Psych -those of you who love this show as much as I do know what I mean.

Isn't it funny the way a smell will take you right back to a place and time or person.
Kind of like a song remembers when...well, the smell remembers when.

Certain smells you miss or are afraid of losing.... I have heard of people not washing personal items of a loved one lost. And I get it. I can smell Daddy on the pillow beside me, even when he is not there....it is quite comforting.

Any time I smell patchouli...I think of my pal Justin. A bearded, folk band friend. Not only did he always smell of patchouli and tobacco...but when I smell those things, it takes me right back to my little duplex on Boone...sitting in that old green chair I got at the Goodwill. I would drink my tea and he'd smoke a pipe and play the guitar and we'd talk about whatever....
My favorite patchouli story is when he held the door open for two sweet old ladies...One of the little old women said to him: "Young man, you stink.".

Ahhh, Justin, I miss you my friend.

My least favorite smells paper plants and sulfur. Tuna fish and boiled eggs (although yummy). And I cannot stand the smell of those stores in the mall....you know, Abercrombie, and Hollister...places that I can hardly stand to walk past for fear of having an asthma attack (and I don't even have asthma).
I guess now I am really showing my age, right?

As much as I love smell, I buy scentless everything...free and clear detergents, fragrant free lotions and household cleaners. I like to think I am raising my kids in a more natural holistic home. Plus, my hubby IS asthmatic and so I stopped burning incense years ago.

Flashback...wedding night, 2006. We had our wedding at a beautiful bed and breakfast...we had our first night as a married couple in the little guest cottage. It was quaint and lovely. A bed with crochet type coverlet. Fine china and a big tub in the corner. Smells: cedar, potpourri, and some sort of Clorox powder. One of these smells put my groom into a fit of asthma. In the excitement of the hour, he had forgotten to bring an inhaler...so we took a drive at 4 am on our wedding night to find an all night pharmacy. He lived!!!...now we can look back and laugh....hilarious..... the smell remembers when.

That brings us to some of my favorite smells....I love the smell of garlic and onion cooking...and vanilla, coffee, oatmeal raisin cookies, bacon, fresh bread, cinnamon rolls...those scents make my mouth water.

Oh, and who doesn't love to stick their nose deep within a wine glass and inhale?

I grew up with horses and I love the smell of barns....leather saddles, boots, manure, fresh cut hay, feed rooms, and horses themselves smell so wonderful to me.

I also love the smell of puppy breath. This will sound crazy, but I even kind of like the sweet sour smell of breast milk poops. Or anything baby for that matter. Baby powder, Baby lotion, Baby breath, Baby feet.

The smells of children. Rain boots, maple syrup, grassy, salty, sweaty...that stinky child smell is by far my favorite.
Clean or dirty, I can be found several times a day with my nose nuzzled deep into one of my child's heads...and if you listen closely, you will hear me memorizing everything I can about their smell at that moment.

My dogs, when not farting, have a very comforting dog smell.

Speaking of farts, one of my college friends told me that she felt comforted by the smell of her own farts....hahahah...I still laugh out loud when I think of that. Reminds me a bit of Superstar (please tell me everyone reading this understands that reference)!!!

My cousin visited my office recently and immediately said it had a hospital like smell...like alcohol pads, hand sanitizer. The smell of clean...ahh...the smells of work.

I always know I am close to my hometown because I start smelling fresh bread from the Pepperidge farm plant. Who had the fabulous idea of placing a Pepperidge farm right next to the exit for L-town? It makes getting off the interstate and turning for home feel comfortable. Ahhh...the smells of home.


Fall has always been my favorite season, because you can smell fall in the air. People start using their fireplaces, chopping wood, sharpening pencils, brewing stews, chili and coffee.

Summer has its inhaling moments as well...fresh cut grass, meat grilling, blueberry muffins, chlorine, soil, thunderstorms and sun tan lotion.

I have never had a personal scent, the way some women define themselves with perfumes. I haven't worn perfume in as long as I can remember. In my field of work, my patients are sick enough without me putting them into a fit of dry heaves because I wanted to define myself with smell.

Someone recently told me I smelled like the beach. I wasn't sure what to make of that...he said it was a compliment...but that burned tanning bed smell was all that came to mind. yuck.

Seinfeld's Kramer wanted to market a beach perfume...so maybe it was a compliment...

So, What is my scent? (imagine me pretending I am a wine and trying to detect all the flavors): coconut, mint, tea tree oil, Noxzema, cinnamon, urine, baby spit, garlic, onions...
I wonder what my pillow smells like when I am gone?

What are your favorite smells?

That olfactory nerve is a wonderful thing!!!

....tune in next week for cranial nerve VIII.....

Sunday, January 9, 2011

insanity, pure insanity.



Parenting is pure insanity.
It is 9am. I have already fed three children, watched Monsters, Inc. Done a load of laundry. Unloaded dishwasher. Bathed and dressed three children, and myself.
Husband has left to relax (which means he is off running 15 miles in 19 degree weather).

I type this as my three year old son is standing next to my rocking chair and yelling as loud as he can in his highest pitch.
Is he mad?
No, not at all.
He is just practicing his scream (I mentioned that we watched Monsters, Inc. this morning).
I have a wiggly bottom baby in my lap who has a fistful of my hair and desperately wants to slobber all over this keyboard.
Bluebird is doing all she can to get Boy to chase her...and he does, and now they are both screaming.
What am I doing?
I am rocking in my chair, trying to get some blogging done.
My cousin visited recently.....she said that while I was checking my email one morning she watched the insanity. I had one kid on my boob, another trying to put a hat on my head and another climbing on my back...and she said I never stopped typing.

Insanity!!!!
..........................................................................................................................................................................
OK....now I am standing at Bluebird's dresser, with Buttercup in a sling, and I am looking over her head to get some blogging done(she was getting restless in the chair).
Boy is wearing two Superman shirts, and Superman underwear (backwards so he can see the picture). He is playing with his Superman toy in Bluebird's dollhouse...
.......................................................................................................................................................................

There is now slobber running down my left hand and right thumb. I have already stopped three times during the course of writing this to wipe my keyboard, put a shoe on a teddy bear and fasten a cape.

This is my life. Insanity.

Boy is still practicing his screaming
..........................................................................................................................................................................

Yes, I just had to walk away again to get onto Boy and Bluebird for being unsafe. They are crazy climbing monkeys. Especially Bluebird, so nosy and into everything...there are no heights to which she can't climb.

I recently read "11 steps to take before you have kids" (I will attach below because it is hilarious)
...it compares toddlers to adult goats....and ya know....they have a point.

Try taking three adult goats with you to the grocery store...make sure they stay by your side, don't get in anyone's way and make sure they stay quiet and do not destroy anything...now, you can't use a leash because someone will surely think you are a bad parent if you do...and don't scold too loudly either, because someone is bound to judge you for that as well.
Just use your eyes to keep the goats beside you and quiet.

Now, for all you non-parents out there saying, "just spank their bottom"...well, try that with the goats and see how well it serves you. Now try yelling at them. OK, now put them in time out. Better yet, put them in their room and close the door (they won't get mad and destroy anything, promise).

I think I have mentioned in previous blogs about all the opinions I had BEFORE having children.

So, Daddy and I live with three adult goats.
It is Insanity. Pure Insanity.

Last night as I settled into bed I just burst into laughter at the happenings of our day. You have to laugh or you'd go insane....wait, I mean, laugh because you ARE insane!
..........................................................................................................................................................................
OUCH! Boy just ran into my ankle as he raced his Bat-mobile across the floors. He likes to get going really fast and then glide at the last part...He does this 100 times a day (looks fun, I'd do it too if I only weighed 36 lbs).

Bluebird just got way to quiet and I found her sitting on the bathroom counter eating cat food. Yes, my beautiful perfect Bluebird loves cat food and dog food...might not eat a dinner I slaved over, but loves pet food.
Maybe I should save time and money and just give her a bowl full of pet food for dinner.

No, I am not ever going to actually do that...don't worry. I am not that insane....yet.

Oh, and let me just add that the dog just came to me with water dripping from his mouth that I am pretty sure came from a bowl other than a pet bowl.
Dry the floor......................................................................
....................................................................................
Bluebird is now mad because I took away the cat food and just threw a binkie across the room (like I care?)I actually want to get rid of the binkies...but she always finds a new one and it is just another additional challenge in parenting..................

Boy just told me to put the baby down and hold him because he hurt his own ankle and needed a "hug-a-me and a kiss on the boo-boo". Now Bluebird and Buttercup are crying for Mama hugs as well. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Ok, just back from sitting on the floor in order to be able to answer all three cries for hugs.
How did I do this?
Two babies in the lap and one by my side, wrapped in my spare arm. Then I felt a wetness on my lap...yes, Bluebird tinkled in her Elmo panties. She is changed now.

...my jeans were not too wet and should dry quickly...

They are content again ...Boy and Bluebird are in the crib, marching to and fro...Buttercup is laughing at them.............................................................................
For a split second, everything gets quiet and all I can hear is the chiming of a`baby toy...-to the tune of Go to Sleep- bing bink bink, bink bink bink, bink bink bink bink bink bink bink bink. ...........................................................................................................................................................................
"AHHHHHHH" (just Boy practicing his scream), Bluebird thinks he is hilarious and screams in between fits of laughter.
..........................................................................................................................................................................it is quiet again...I find Bluebird sitting next to the toilet pooping in her clean Gabba Gabba panties (she is still working on this potty training thing, and since she is only two, we aren't rushing her----it is so much fun)
Insanity!

So, this is about 45 minutes of my morning....this will go on for another 10 hours or more until we get them to sleep tonight.

Insanity!

Have I showered today? No.
Is my house clean? No. (in fact it resembles a trailer park after a tornado)
Am I hungry? Yes.
Have I had my caffeine? No.
Do I have the faint smell of urine? Yes
Did I chase a naked little girl around the yard in 20 degree weather yesterday? Yes

Ahhh, the screams and the laughter....the noise....it is so absolutely wonderful. A smile spreads wide across my face...

yes, We are insane, Thank God!




As promised:

11 Step Program for those thinking of having kids
by Amy Lawrence on Tuesday, 04 January 2011 at 10:24

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2

Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3

A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5

Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6

Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7

Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Wonder Pets, and the Wiggles. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.


Lesson 10

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.


Lesson 11

Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.


This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!





Friday, January 7, 2011

Snuggle me! Cuddle me!


This painting is an original of Daddy's. Isn't he a wonderful artist? He would disagree and say he is retired!
I know this one is special because it is Daddy and Boy.
This is when it all started....
Once upon a time this man was a rugged, starving artist who lived on Coca-colas and cigarettes... now living in the burbs, sipping green tea and can often be heard singing tunes best known from the Wiggles.
I like to say I can take the credit for this transformation...and it all started when he fell head over heels in love with me (wink ;)) ..and I suppose, that was the beginning....but I can honestly say that this man is absolutely, 100%, head over heels for his children.

I have mentioned in previous blogs the way that Daddy loves to cuddle with his kids. Boy likes to say "Snuggle me, Snuggle me". Bluebird says "Daddy, cuddle...CUDDDDDLLLLEEEE".


The other night I walked into the bedroom and Daddy and Buttercup were laying side by side...with there bodies positioned just the same and I had to take a mental picture and try to memorize this beautiful moment. She looked exactly like him.

Boy's sleep patterns change all the time and his most recent pattern basically has him waking at 3am and coming into our room. Daddy will then take Boy and they go to his room for the rest of the night, giving me and Buttercup the entire bed to ourselves.....which I must say is quite nice (even though I miss Daddy's "soothing" snoring..haha).
Boy ran in the other morning and said "I slept with Daddy last night...it was so nice and cozy".

I must admit, I give him grief. Strangers stop him and tell him what an amazing dad he is...my response to that is -what?? just because you are out with your three kids, doing what mom's all over the world do every day...and you get a great dad compliment? How many women with their hands full get complimented? None. In fact, I think I have gotten scornful glances from people wondering why one earth I have three kids under three and don't I know what causes that?
Yes, he does what ALL Dad's should be doing. He takes an equal role in parenting, but he also takes his role a step further and he does a damn good job at it. In fact, I often think he is better at this whole thing than I can ever imagine being.
No wonder strangers stop him...a sexy, rugged, ex-artist, no longer starving, green tea drinking, volvo driving (with three car seats in it), baby wearing, GOOD dad.
No, I take that back. He is not a Good Dad, he is a GREAT dad.
HE IS A SNUGGLY, CUDDLY DADDY WHO MAKES OUR KIDS FEEL SAFE, WARM AND COZY!