It was a very busy weekend. The long weekend is always full of lots and lots of kids. All the activities that go with kids, and all the food that kids love. The first long weekend of the summer is usually the time most people plant their gardens and their flowers. It is patio season openings and cold beer drinking. Well, maybe not so much when you have kids, but I am pretty sure someone was on a patio drinking a cold beer with friends..lol.
Over the weekend we had some friends over; friends with kids. You know what that means? If you don’t know what it means, I will tell you. It means cooking your meal with kids asking you for a glass of this and a cup of that. It means trying to calm kids down from their sugar rush from all the desert, the ice cream and the pop they happen to sneak.
Having a meal is just not the same once you have kids. Using a knife to cut your steak is a luxury because that means you do not have a kid on your lap, or close enough to your plate. Drinking a glass of wine is also something that just “changes.” The wine is the same, but for some reason it just does not go down as smooth as it once did when we were without children. But just the same, we drink it.
The day was fun and almost accident free, until the end of the night when my guests went home and my son was outside trying to get every ounce of sunshine that was left, when I suddenly heard a scream and then a “Oh my God...mommy, mommy, mommy!!!” I ran to see what had happened and I see Joseph holding his nose. Apparantly Joseph’s friend fell on his nose and face, and blood was streaming down his nose and from his lips. “Great”. Thankfully he was ok and all the kids finally had lights out.
The next day it was another “What the heck are we going to do today with the kids?” So I decided to take them to my aunt’s house. When we arrived, we were greeted by my aunt, uncle, and my 2 cousins. We sat and just began to chat. The kids were running around playing with the sprinkler and filling up water balloons, and the rest of us were sitting around the outdoor patio set. My cousin Victoria (who is 20) was chatting about life and what she was planning to do for the night. I just looked at my kids running amuck and I laughed. She then asked me, “Don’t you wish you were 20 again?” and I very quickly said, “NO WAY!” My aunt began to laugh because she “got it”. Victoria was very puzzled. She was curious to know why I would not want to be young again. I then explained to her, “I have been where you are, I do not want to go there again. That means I would have to do the whole “getting my first job” thing, “finishing school thing”, and then the “marriage thing”, “baby thing”, and I would have to start all over again.” I explained to her that I am looking forward to raising my kids, to watch them grow into adults. My aunt said, “Vic, she wishes she was me right now”..lol. and I laughed and I agreed. Victoria was confused because she thought it was weird that I didn’t want to be younger and that I looked forward to being 50. Anyone with kids gets it.
We don’t want to fast forward their little lives. We want to enjoy every God given day with them, but we definitely do not want to go backwards. We look forward to celebrating their graduation day with them. We look forward to celebrating their wedding day with them, and we look forward to celebrating the birth of their own children.
I do not look at these young girls that I see and wish I was them. Ok I admit, I miss having the little legs, and butt they have, but I do not want to be there again. I am happy with the days I am living. I am happy with the experiences I have gained along the way. I wish I knew then what I know now, because that’s the funny thing about being young; life does get better. Life changes and you learn to appreciate all the things you may have thought were boring 10 years before.
While we were sitting outside yesterday my cousin still didn’t get it. She thought that I should be envious of her fun free filled life. She thought that I would rather be sipping a glass of wine on a patio downtown. She thought that I would rather be making plans to go up North with my friends, she thought I would have rather been with single friends over the weekend and not friends with kids, and she thought I would rather be 20 years old. She will understand one day that we do not wish to go back. She will understand one day that we were her, not so long before. She will understand that a weekend with friends and family is a good weekend. She will understand that we really do love our life with kids and chaos. I looked at my confused cousin and said the words that my own father said to me once, “Where you are, I was; Where I am you can only hope to be.”
That’s my peace today!
Grilled Veggies with Shrimp (optional)
2 zucchini
1 eggplant
2 carrots
1 red onion
1 cup mushrooms
1/2 broccoli
1/2 cauliflower
1 cup olive oil
4 tbsp balsamic vinigar
salt and pepper
1 bunch chopped basil
2 tbsp oil and garlic (set aside)
Shrimp (Optional)
Cut or slice all veggies any shape you like. Put all veggies, shrimp (optional),and basil in a large bowl. Toss with oil and balsamic. Marinate for an hour in the fridge. Pour into a bbq veggie basket and grill for 15 minutes or until cooked but still somewhat crunchy. Remove from grill and add a little drizzle of oil and chopped garlic.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
1 label does not fit all
Monday night we celebrated my 9 year olds birthday party with his friends. His birthday was last month but because we were in transition of moving, he had to wait to have his party. He invited 15 boys from his school and he planned an outdoor hockey game.
Now a day’s many children suffer from allergies; something foreign to me when I was growing up. For some reason, allergies did not exist back in the day. I don’t remember my mother worrying about the food she would be serving at the parties, because kids were able to eat anything and everything.
I was very careful when I bought the food for the party. There are some kids in Joseph’s class that have specific food allergies. I planned to order pizza, make some chicken nuggets and fries. I went out on Sunday to prepare for the Monday night festivities. I read all the labels and I felt confident I was prepared. The cake was peanut free, and to be safe, I bought certified Nut free cupcakes for the children who suffer from a peanut allergy.
The party began right after school and everything was set up outside. I cut up some oranges, veggies and dip, some spreads with pita, and the pizza and other food was almost ready. The mothers who have children with allergies come prepared. In a total of 17 kids there was 1 boy with diabetes. His mom asked me to note what he eats because she needed to give him the appropriate amount of insulin. 1 boy brought his own food because he has a gluten allergy. 2 boys had peanut allergies; 1 boy a wheat allergy and another boy is allergic to sesame seeds.
I was very careful preparing the food. There was no peanut anything in sight and the party began. My friend Brenda (who is a mother to 1 of the boys) was there to help and another mother who has 2 boys with allergies was also there. The boys came periodically to munch on some snacks while they were playing and waiting for the food. As I was speaking to Luke’s mom (Diana), one of the boys (with the sesame allergy) says to me, “Diana, my tongue feels funny.” I stopped and looked at him and quickly asked, “What’s wrong?” I began to panic and tried to figure out why this kid who has an allergy would be saying something like that? I quickly asked him what he had eaten and he told me the pita bread. I ran to the kitchen to read the ingredients on the package (again) to make sure there are no sesame seeds and I realized it was ok and safe for him to eat. I just thought he was mistaken and that he was ok. Then he told me he ate the hummus that was there. I thought ok, it should be fine there is no sesame in that. I WAS WRONG! Apparently there is sesame paste in hummus! Only after I saw in small brackets that tahini is made with it. I again began to panic and I didn’t know what to do.
Diana (Luke’s mom) was an allergy expert so she quickly took action. She grabbed her purse and took out the Benadryl; I grabbed the phone to call his mother. I did not know what the heck I was going to say to this mother who trusted me with her son. When she answered I said, “Please don’t panic but Leandro had some hummus.” She automatically said, “oh no.” Then I freaked out again. She asked me some questions, “Is he coughing? Is he breathing ok? Is he swelling up?” I felt like I was in a daze and I did not even see what else was going on around me. “Oh my God, what should I do?” Diana grabbed his epi pen in his knapsack and was waiting. Leandro’s mom was on her way.
He seemed ok. He was not coughing, swelling or breathing funny. He did have a little rash on his lips and he was rubbing his eyes. I was trying so hard to keep calm but it was almost impossible to do. I began saying, “I am such a bad mother, I can’t believe what I did.” I had no idea that hummus has anything but chick peas and garlic? I kept an eye on him until his mother got there.
I kept approaching him and making sure he was ok. At one point when I went over to see him and look at his face he looked at me with his cute eyes and innocently asked me “Am I going to die?” My heart just stopped. I tried hard not to cry and hide under a rock and I said, “I will die before you..I promise.” I walked away and felt like I was the worst person in the whole world.
His mother arrived shortly after and assessed him. The Benadryl had helped and he was doing fine. I apologized over and over and she reassured me that it was not my fault and that he knows not to have hummus.
When I was planning my son’s 9th birthday, I thought about the food; I thought about the loot bags, and I thought about the entertainment. I thought I knew about the special risks for the kids with allergies. I thought I knew that an allergy is common and easy to plan for. I thought I knew that I should know what is safe and what is not. I could not have been more wrong. Ordering a cake that is peanut free was not enough. Reading the labels to make sure there are no nuts was not enough. Deciding if I should get vanilla or a chocolate cake was not enough, even if it guaranteed to be peanut free. Peanut free does not guarantee allergy free for all, because when it comes to allergies, 1 label does not fit all, and Monday night I experienced it first hand.
That’s my peace today!
Nut free Cupcakes
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake holders or grease if you are not using holders. In a bowl whisk flour, salt and baking powder. In another bowl cream butter and sugar for 4 min. Add egg 1 at a time, beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternatly with milk in the butter mixture. combine and scoop into pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Now a day’s many children suffer from allergies; something foreign to me when I was growing up. For some reason, allergies did not exist back in the day. I don’t remember my mother worrying about the food she would be serving at the parties, because kids were able to eat anything and everything.
I was very careful when I bought the food for the party. There are some kids in Joseph’s class that have specific food allergies. I planned to order pizza, make some chicken nuggets and fries. I went out on Sunday to prepare for the Monday night festivities. I read all the labels and I felt confident I was prepared. The cake was peanut free, and to be safe, I bought certified Nut free cupcakes for the children who suffer from a peanut allergy.
The party began right after school and everything was set up outside. I cut up some oranges, veggies and dip, some spreads with pita, and the pizza and other food was almost ready. The mothers who have children with allergies come prepared. In a total of 17 kids there was 1 boy with diabetes. His mom asked me to note what he eats because she needed to give him the appropriate amount of insulin. 1 boy brought his own food because he has a gluten allergy. 2 boys had peanut allergies; 1 boy a wheat allergy and another boy is allergic to sesame seeds.
I was very careful preparing the food. There was no peanut anything in sight and the party began. My friend Brenda (who is a mother to 1 of the boys) was there to help and another mother who has 2 boys with allergies was also there. The boys came periodically to munch on some snacks while they were playing and waiting for the food. As I was speaking to Luke’s mom (Diana), one of the boys (with the sesame allergy) says to me, “Diana, my tongue feels funny.” I stopped and looked at him and quickly asked, “What’s wrong?” I began to panic and tried to figure out why this kid who has an allergy would be saying something like that? I quickly asked him what he had eaten and he told me the pita bread. I ran to the kitchen to read the ingredients on the package (again) to make sure there are no sesame seeds and I realized it was ok and safe for him to eat. I just thought he was mistaken and that he was ok. Then he told me he ate the hummus that was there. I thought ok, it should be fine there is no sesame in that. I WAS WRONG! Apparently there is sesame paste in hummus! Only after I saw in small brackets that tahini is made with it. I again began to panic and I didn’t know what to do.
Diana (Luke’s mom) was an allergy expert so she quickly took action. She grabbed her purse and took out the Benadryl; I grabbed the phone to call his mother. I did not know what the heck I was going to say to this mother who trusted me with her son. When she answered I said, “Please don’t panic but Leandro had some hummus.” She automatically said, “oh no.” Then I freaked out again. She asked me some questions, “Is he coughing? Is he breathing ok? Is he swelling up?” I felt like I was in a daze and I did not even see what else was going on around me. “Oh my God, what should I do?” Diana grabbed his epi pen in his knapsack and was waiting. Leandro’s mom was on her way.
He seemed ok. He was not coughing, swelling or breathing funny. He did have a little rash on his lips and he was rubbing his eyes. I was trying so hard to keep calm but it was almost impossible to do. I began saying, “I am such a bad mother, I can’t believe what I did.” I had no idea that hummus has anything but chick peas and garlic? I kept an eye on him until his mother got there.
I kept approaching him and making sure he was ok. At one point when I went over to see him and look at his face he looked at me with his cute eyes and innocently asked me “Am I going to die?” My heart just stopped. I tried hard not to cry and hide under a rock and I said, “I will die before you..I promise.” I walked away and felt like I was the worst person in the whole world.
His mother arrived shortly after and assessed him. The Benadryl had helped and he was doing fine. I apologized over and over and she reassured me that it was not my fault and that he knows not to have hummus.
When I was planning my son’s 9th birthday, I thought about the food; I thought about the loot bags, and I thought about the entertainment. I thought I knew about the special risks for the kids with allergies. I thought I knew that an allergy is common and easy to plan for. I thought I knew that I should know what is safe and what is not. I could not have been more wrong. Ordering a cake that is peanut free was not enough. Reading the labels to make sure there are no nuts was not enough. Deciding if I should get vanilla or a chocolate cake was not enough, even if it guaranteed to be peanut free. Peanut free does not guarantee allergy free for all, because when it comes to allergies, 1 label does not fit all, and Monday night I experienced it first hand.
That’s my peace today!
Nut free Cupcakes
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake holders or grease if you are not using holders. In a bowl whisk flour, salt and baking powder. In another bowl cream butter and sugar for 4 min. Add egg 1 at a time, beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternatly with milk in the butter mixture. combine and scoop into pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Friday, May 14, 2010
I already had the baby
Yesterday I went by to see my sister and her new baby. She just got home from the hospital and she was resting upstairs. She was tired and sleepy, and baby Elizabeth was also snoozing away. I looked at my poor sister in bed. She was battered and bruised. Her arms had the needle pokes and so did her hands. She still had the wrist bands from the hospital on, and she had tape marks from the bandages pretty much everywhere. I couldn’t help but remember the first days of being home from the hospital after having my kids.
Being pregnant (for me) was wonderful. I felt good, I ate what I wanted and I was able to gain weight without feeling the guilt. I enjoyed every day of the 9 months I had to have my kids. I figured I would deal with the nonsense of weight loss later on. It doesn’t take much time to go from feeling beautiful and pregnant to feeling fat and ugly. Once you give birth the afterglow of pregnancy is far behind and so are all the cute stares and comments you get from complete strangers. I have not met one person who does not think a pregnant woman is adorable and precious. You are woman with child. You then become woman with “fat stomach”.
Everyone has their own advice to give you. “Breast feed and the weight comes off faster” or “don’t worry you’re weight will go back to normal after the swelling goes down.” So we wait. So we breast feed...and nothing. The last 10 pounds still belongs to someone else and we somehow do not remember having this body before we were pregnant?
A woman gives up a lot more than her freedom when she has a baby. She gives up the “why don’t my jeans zipper up anymore?” She gives up the “Do you want this shirt; it will never fit me on my boobs anymore?” It doesn’t mean that you won’t get back into shape. It doesn’t mean that you will never look great again. It just means that you will have to work at something you may not always have time for.
Our lives change once we have children. We want to go to the gym, but we may not have the time. We want to go for walks with our girlfriends, but our kids may not go to bed in time. We want to eat healthier, but we may not be able to sit down and actually eat what we should. A man may gain weight with us, but with 1 week of drinking extra water, they lose 10 pounds. That’s just the way it is.
I know my sister will bounce back and get back to her “old” self soon. I will look at her and think she looks beautiful and back to normal, but she probably won’t be satisfied until she can zip the jeans back up again. I eventually fit back into everything I wore before baby aliens invaded my body. I had the feeling of “OMG am I ever going to be me again?” but it happened. I didn’t think it would, but it did.
Yesterday I remembered a “situation” days after I gave birth to my twins almost 2 years ago. I had gone for a walk with the older 2 and there was a neighbour outside watering her plants. I felt pretty good; I even think I thought I looked good..lol. So she looked at me and said, “Holy Di, when the heck are you going to have those twins? It feels like you have been pregnant forever.”...lol..Well now I can laugh, but at the time I wanted to run in the house and hide...so I answered (knowing she would feel like crap)..” I had them 2 weeks ago.” She quickly said, “OMG, you were far, I couldn’t even see you”..lol. I actually felt bad for her because she is a mother and she knew how that must have made me feel. She made an innocent mistake.
A woman eventually gets back into the game. Although it seems foggy and blurry at first, we do get there. Sometimes we just don’t feel like working out. Sometimes we just don’t feel like eating healthy. Sometimes we just want to go to the drive-through and order a Big Mac. It’s ok to feel like that. It’s ok for my sister to feel like her insides are hanging out and to feel like she has been hit by a MAC truck and to see her husband walking around comfortably in his clothes he wore last week, because eventually she will zip up the jeans and button up the shirt again. She will become the woman she was. She will walk proud with her daughter in hand encountering another woman (who just gave birth) and she may accidentally ask her, “How many months are you?” and get that ever dreaded response no woman (or man) ever wants to hear...”I already had the baby.” Oops... and then she will continue on her merry little way, feel bad, but know that woman will eventually fit in her skinny’s again, just like she did.
That’s my peace today!
I made this a lot when I wanted something good but healthy
Buschetta Pita
3 pita breads
1 or 2 ripened tomatoes diced
1 clove garlic
fresh basil
salt and oregano
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup olive oil
Slice the pita in half and brush with oil. Bake in oven for 10 min at 375 degrees. In a bowl mix all the ingredients and the remaining oil. Once pita is ready evenly spread the tomato mixture on all slices of the baked pita.
Being pregnant (for me) was wonderful. I felt good, I ate what I wanted and I was able to gain weight without feeling the guilt. I enjoyed every day of the 9 months I had to have my kids. I figured I would deal with the nonsense of weight loss later on. It doesn’t take much time to go from feeling beautiful and pregnant to feeling fat and ugly. Once you give birth the afterglow of pregnancy is far behind and so are all the cute stares and comments you get from complete strangers. I have not met one person who does not think a pregnant woman is adorable and precious. You are woman with child. You then become woman with “fat stomach”.
Everyone has their own advice to give you. “Breast feed and the weight comes off faster” or “don’t worry you’re weight will go back to normal after the swelling goes down.” So we wait. So we breast feed...and nothing. The last 10 pounds still belongs to someone else and we somehow do not remember having this body before we were pregnant?
A woman gives up a lot more than her freedom when she has a baby. She gives up the “why don’t my jeans zipper up anymore?” She gives up the “Do you want this shirt; it will never fit me on my boobs anymore?” It doesn’t mean that you won’t get back into shape. It doesn’t mean that you will never look great again. It just means that you will have to work at something you may not always have time for.
Our lives change once we have children. We want to go to the gym, but we may not have the time. We want to go for walks with our girlfriends, but our kids may not go to bed in time. We want to eat healthier, but we may not be able to sit down and actually eat what we should. A man may gain weight with us, but with 1 week of drinking extra water, they lose 10 pounds. That’s just the way it is.
I know my sister will bounce back and get back to her “old” self soon. I will look at her and think she looks beautiful and back to normal, but she probably won’t be satisfied until she can zip the jeans back up again. I eventually fit back into everything I wore before baby aliens invaded my body. I had the feeling of “OMG am I ever going to be me again?” but it happened. I didn’t think it would, but it did.
Yesterday I remembered a “situation” days after I gave birth to my twins almost 2 years ago. I had gone for a walk with the older 2 and there was a neighbour outside watering her plants. I felt pretty good; I even think I thought I looked good..lol. So she looked at me and said, “Holy Di, when the heck are you going to have those twins? It feels like you have been pregnant forever.”...lol..Well now I can laugh, but at the time I wanted to run in the house and hide...so I answered (knowing she would feel like crap)..” I had them 2 weeks ago.” She quickly said, “OMG, you were far, I couldn’t even see you”..lol. I actually felt bad for her because she is a mother and she knew how that must have made me feel. She made an innocent mistake.
A woman eventually gets back into the game. Although it seems foggy and blurry at first, we do get there. Sometimes we just don’t feel like working out. Sometimes we just don’t feel like eating healthy. Sometimes we just want to go to the drive-through and order a Big Mac. It’s ok to feel like that. It’s ok for my sister to feel like her insides are hanging out and to feel like she has been hit by a MAC truck and to see her husband walking around comfortably in his clothes he wore last week, because eventually she will zip up the jeans and button up the shirt again. She will become the woman she was. She will walk proud with her daughter in hand encountering another woman (who just gave birth) and she may accidentally ask her, “How many months are you?” and get that ever dreaded response no woman (or man) ever wants to hear...”I already had the baby.” Oops... and then she will continue on her merry little way, feel bad, but know that woman will eventually fit in her skinny’s again, just like she did.
That’s my peace today!
I made this a lot when I wanted something good but healthy
Buschetta Pita
3 pita breads
1 or 2 ripened tomatoes diced
1 clove garlic
fresh basil
salt and oregano
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup olive oil
Slice the pita in half and brush with oil. Bake in oven for 10 min at 375 degrees. In a bowl mix all the ingredients and the remaining oil. Once pita is ready evenly spread the tomato mixture on all slices of the baked pita.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
She's all grown up now
Yesterday my “baby” sister had a baby. She had a baby girl by c-section at St.Mike’s hospital at 11:30am. This is her first baby. She is a very proud mother to a very beautiful baby whom she named Elizabeth.
We all knew she was going to have a c-section because it was already pre-planned. We also all knew that it was going to be a baby girl. Her and her husband Bryan got married last May and quickly decided to start a family. It feels like 9 months just flew by and before we all knew it, their baby came into the world.
As me, my sisters and my parents were waiting in the room for Bryan to bring out the baby we were laughing and chatting like old times. It was the “original” family. No husbands or kids were there, just the 5 of us (minus the baby of the family who was about to become a mother). We joked, we poked fun, we laughed and we reminisced. We were all very excited about this new arrival to the family. This was going to be the 7th grandchild to my parents and they were just as excited as they were when their first was born.
It was a little after 11am when they took her in and the whole hour of waiting felt like 10 hours. As we were in the hallway, and then listening in at the OR door...lol..we were excited to see this new little person. Finally, Bryan came out with this little pink bundle. We all ran toward her. All I can say is that she was 1 of the most beautiful baby girls I had ever seen. She had these red lips and black hair and the cutest little cry. It was a moment of instant love.
Bryan was a doting father and he was so proud of what he and Gina had “made” together. A short time later, the nurses wheeled my sister in to recovery room. We (as annoying as we are..lol) all ran into to see how she was doing. I looked at my “baby” sister who is no longer a baby, and I felt like crying. She is 8 years younger than me so it always felt like she was so young. Although I was younger than she is when I had my first, it felt like she was too young to be a mother. That was until I saw her with baby Elizabeth. She took her in her arms and she was a “mom”. My little sister was now a mother. She had her beautiful baby girl in her arms. I could not believe how natural she looked.
Motherhood just happens. It is something that you just “become”. It happens from 1 minute to the next. One minute you are pregnant, and the next you have a baby you nourish and automatically love. My sister has now joined the realm of parenthood. She now understands all the love and pain you feel when you become a mother. She now understands our own mother’s love for us.
She had just come out of a major surgery, she was tired and sore but she knew what to do. She knew how to feel. The nurses help you out, family gives you advice, and your mother just wants to take away all your pain from surgery, but it is my sister who was able to feed her daughter. It was my sister who was able to calm her cry, and it was my sister who will take her home.
Growing up, I always looked at my sister as little. Somehow she caught up. She was no longer so far behind; she was right along beside us. I remember the days of when she was in her crib crying, and the Halloween she dressed up as a Martian. I remembered the birthday when my friend and I had to entertain her classmates into having fun in our unfinished basement. I remembered her prom and how beautiful she looked, I remembered her wedding day, and then I remembered the night she told us she was pregnant.
My sister is a beautiful new mother now. She has a brand new life ahead of her. I am very proud of the person she has become and I wish her and her new family all the love, health and happiness in the world. I don’t know when it happened, but it did. My little sister is all grown up now and she has her own family to love and to take care of and somehow it all seems so natural now. Congratulations Gina and Bryan!
That’s my peace today!
this is a perfect recipe after having a baby
Pastina Soup with garden veggies
1 pack egg noodle pastina
1 bunch fresh spinach
2 carrots chopped
1 celerly chopped
1 white onion chopped
1 bunch parsley
1 whole peeled tomatoe
salt
Fill a pot with water and put all the veggies into it. Boil for 30 minutes and salt the soup. Add pastina and boil another 10 min. Add grated cheese (optional)
We all knew she was going to have a c-section because it was already pre-planned. We also all knew that it was going to be a baby girl. Her and her husband Bryan got married last May and quickly decided to start a family. It feels like 9 months just flew by and before we all knew it, their baby came into the world.
As me, my sisters and my parents were waiting in the room for Bryan to bring out the baby we were laughing and chatting like old times. It was the “original” family. No husbands or kids were there, just the 5 of us (minus the baby of the family who was about to become a mother). We joked, we poked fun, we laughed and we reminisced. We were all very excited about this new arrival to the family. This was going to be the 7th grandchild to my parents and they were just as excited as they were when their first was born.
It was a little after 11am when they took her in and the whole hour of waiting felt like 10 hours. As we were in the hallway, and then listening in at the OR door...lol..we were excited to see this new little person. Finally, Bryan came out with this little pink bundle. We all ran toward her. All I can say is that she was 1 of the most beautiful baby girls I had ever seen. She had these red lips and black hair and the cutest little cry. It was a moment of instant love.
Bryan was a doting father and he was so proud of what he and Gina had “made” together. A short time later, the nurses wheeled my sister in to recovery room. We (as annoying as we are..lol) all ran into to see how she was doing. I looked at my “baby” sister who is no longer a baby, and I felt like crying. She is 8 years younger than me so it always felt like she was so young. Although I was younger than she is when I had my first, it felt like she was too young to be a mother. That was until I saw her with baby Elizabeth. She took her in her arms and she was a “mom”. My little sister was now a mother. She had her beautiful baby girl in her arms. I could not believe how natural she looked.
Motherhood just happens. It is something that you just “become”. It happens from 1 minute to the next. One minute you are pregnant, and the next you have a baby you nourish and automatically love. My sister has now joined the realm of parenthood. She now understands all the love and pain you feel when you become a mother. She now understands our own mother’s love for us.
She had just come out of a major surgery, she was tired and sore but she knew what to do. She knew how to feel. The nurses help you out, family gives you advice, and your mother just wants to take away all your pain from surgery, but it is my sister who was able to feed her daughter. It was my sister who was able to calm her cry, and it was my sister who will take her home.
Growing up, I always looked at my sister as little. Somehow she caught up. She was no longer so far behind; she was right along beside us. I remember the days of when she was in her crib crying, and the Halloween she dressed up as a Martian. I remembered the birthday when my friend and I had to entertain her classmates into having fun in our unfinished basement. I remembered her prom and how beautiful she looked, I remembered her wedding day, and then I remembered the night she told us she was pregnant.
My sister is a beautiful new mother now. She has a brand new life ahead of her. I am very proud of the person she has become and I wish her and her new family all the love, health and happiness in the world. I don’t know when it happened, but it did. My little sister is all grown up now and she has her own family to love and to take care of and somehow it all seems so natural now. Congratulations Gina and Bryan!
That’s my peace today!
this is a perfect recipe after having a baby
Pastina Soup with garden veggies
1 pack egg noodle pastina
1 bunch fresh spinach
2 carrots chopped
1 celerly chopped
1 white onion chopped
1 bunch parsley
1 whole peeled tomatoe
salt
Fill a pot with water and put all the veggies into it. Boil for 30 minutes and salt the soup. Add pastina and boil another 10 min. Add grated cheese (optional)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Happy Mother's Day
This Sunday is another Mother’s Day. It is a special day of the year that highlights and recognizes the job of a mother. Kids prepare for it at school and husbands prepare for it in the morning of it at the nearest Shoppers Drug Mart..lol. It is a day that is dedicated to all the hard work we mothers endure all year round.
Every year it is different for me because the kids are getting older and their crafts are getting more professional looking. They bring me home special cards and poems in English, French and Italian too. I look forward to it because they are so proud to show me what they have done.
Mother’s Day to me means so many different things. It means that I am honoured by my own kids and it means I can do the same to my own mother. It is also a very hard time of year to people that no longer have their mother’s here on earth. I cannot imagine how painful that must be. I think the worst thing in the world (besides losing a child) would be to lose a mother.
A mother is more than just the woman who gave birth to you or raised you. It is more than just the woman that made you lunch every day and dinner every night. It is more than just the woman who cheered you on from the sidelines of the soccer field. It is more than the person who praised you in front of her friends.
A mother is someone who cleans your scrapes when you fall. A mother is someone who cooks your favourite meal on your birthday. A mother is someone who runs to your aid in the middle of the night when you have the stomach flu. A mother is the person who rushes you to the doctor when you tell her you have an unusual pain. A mother is someone who calls her friends to discuss some teenage issues you are going through. A mother is the one that you want to share all your wedding plans with, and she is the person you want to be standing beside you when you are about to become a parent. She is the one you call and ask for advice when your child is running a fever and you do not know why.
A mother has all the answers to the questions you did not even think of yet. She has all the remedies for all the little ailments that we suffer from. She is the person that will stand beside you when you are scared waiting for results in a doctor’s office. And she is the one that will cry harder than you if you didn’t get the answer you were hoping for.
A mother is a person who will never compete with you. She will never want you to go through all the mistakes she went through, but she will be smart enough to know that you will have to go through it on your own. A mother is a support group. A mother has her own support group.
A mother understands the pain of a broken heart. She understands that there will be many boys in your life but there will only be 1 man that will treat you the way you need to be treated. She understands that no man will ever be your father. She understands that sometimes you need to have a good cry. She understands that sometimes you need to have a good drink. She understands that 1 pair of black heels is not enough.
A mother is the woman we all hope to be. A mother is someone we always end up becoming. A mother is a role model for daughters. A mother is a role model for her sons. A mother is someone I always wanted to be. A mother is something I am so proud that I am. A mother is something that will always be the most important job in the world. A mother is someone that you will not be able to replace. A mother is someone you will always cherish. A mother is someone that always has your back. A mother eventually becomes your best friend.
This Sunday is a day to honour all mothers. It means more than the flowers in the vase, it means more than the chocolate in the box, it means more than the perfume in the bottle. It means you have been lucky enough to be a mother, to know a mother and to love a mother! Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful women who we call Mom.
That’s my peace today!
These cookies are my kids fav that we make together
Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs,beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl by hand. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Add chocolate chips by hand and use a wooden stick to stir. Drop 1 tbsp of dough, 2 inches apart. Cook for 8-10 min. (we prefer 8 min because they are extra chewy.
Every year it is different for me because the kids are getting older and their crafts are getting more professional looking. They bring me home special cards and poems in English, French and Italian too. I look forward to it because they are so proud to show me what they have done.
Mother’s Day to me means so many different things. It means that I am honoured by my own kids and it means I can do the same to my own mother. It is also a very hard time of year to people that no longer have their mother’s here on earth. I cannot imagine how painful that must be. I think the worst thing in the world (besides losing a child) would be to lose a mother.
A mother is more than just the woman who gave birth to you or raised you. It is more than just the woman that made you lunch every day and dinner every night. It is more than just the woman who cheered you on from the sidelines of the soccer field. It is more than the person who praised you in front of her friends.
A mother is someone who cleans your scrapes when you fall. A mother is someone who cooks your favourite meal on your birthday. A mother is someone who runs to your aid in the middle of the night when you have the stomach flu. A mother is the person who rushes you to the doctor when you tell her you have an unusual pain. A mother is someone who calls her friends to discuss some teenage issues you are going through. A mother is the one that you want to share all your wedding plans with, and she is the person you want to be standing beside you when you are about to become a parent. She is the one you call and ask for advice when your child is running a fever and you do not know why.
A mother has all the answers to the questions you did not even think of yet. She has all the remedies for all the little ailments that we suffer from. She is the person that will stand beside you when you are scared waiting for results in a doctor’s office. And she is the one that will cry harder than you if you didn’t get the answer you were hoping for.
A mother is a person who will never compete with you. She will never want you to go through all the mistakes she went through, but she will be smart enough to know that you will have to go through it on your own. A mother is a support group. A mother has her own support group.
A mother understands the pain of a broken heart. She understands that there will be many boys in your life but there will only be 1 man that will treat you the way you need to be treated. She understands that no man will ever be your father. She understands that sometimes you need to have a good cry. She understands that sometimes you need to have a good drink. She understands that 1 pair of black heels is not enough.
A mother is the woman we all hope to be. A mother is someone we always end up becoming. A mother is a role model for daughters. A mother is a role model for her sons. A mother is someone I always wanted to be. A mother is something I am so proud that I am. A mother is something that will always be the most important job in the world. A mother is someone that you will not be able to replace. A mother is someone you will always cherish. A mother is someone that always has your back. A mother eventually becomes your best friend.
This Sunday is a day to honour all mothers. It means more than the flowers in the vase, it means more than the chocolate in the box, it means more than the perfume in the bottle. It means you have been lucky enough to be a mother, to know a mother and to love a mother! Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful women who we call Mom.
That’s my peace today!
These cookies are my kids fav that we make together
Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs,beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl by hand. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Add chocolate chips by hand and use a wooden stick to stir. Drop 1 tbsp of dough, 2 inches apart. Cook for 8-10 min. (we prefer 8 min because they are extra chewy.
Monday, May 3, 2010
"I hate everybody but my parents"
We have been living at my parents’ house for the past week and a half. Our house is quite not ready so we had to bunk with the old folks for a while. It has been nice to be home. I probably would not do it for a very long time because I do not really miss my father reminding me that we have to walk in the kitchen every morning with a great big smile. (Even if it is 6am)
My parents have had a pretty busy year. They have been busy with all 4 of their daughters. A little bit here, and a little there. My older sister was living with them for a while they were waiting for their home to be ready, then we moved in right after, and my younger sister is having her baby next Monday. They have a lot going on, but they do what they can to help us all out.
My father is famous for being our “delivery” man. He is the kind of man that would get up from the couch at 10pm and go to Mac’s to get us a bag of chips because we felt like eating something salty. He just turned 70 and thank God that he has the energy of a 30 year old. He will do anything for us...and he does. My mother is also very helpful. She will whip up a meal last minute on a Sunday if we show up with all our screaming kids. She will do anything for us.
Yesterday I went to my house to start cleaning up the top floor so we can start putting our clothes away this week, and my parents came with me. My father was installing my door handles and my mother came along with 3 mops, 10 dishrags and a bottle of Pine Sol. As I was passing the vacuum, I looked up and I saw my mother in the tub scrubbing the tiles and then I looked over and saw my father screwing in the handles. At that moment I felt very lucky. I felt so fortunate to have my parents. We sometimes forget that we have them around because we are so busy living our own lives and asking them for favours, that we forget they are our parents.
These are the people that raised me and made me who I am today. They are the 2 people who love me unconditionally. They truly believe in me and my children and are proud of every little accomplishment we achieve. They are the 2 people who would give up anything for me.
As I stood there looking at my parents, I began remembering all the heartaches I gave them when I was growing up. All the times that I didn’t want my friends to see them drop me off or pick me up from a party. All the times I wanted then to just go away for a weekend to give me my own space. All the times I had to fib to have a good time with my other teenage friends. All the nights they stayed up waiting for me to get home safely. All these years later, they are still here by my side when I need them.
They have taught me that as a parent you do so much for your kids to make them comfortable and to keep them happy. They have taught me that I will still love them even when they say no. They have taught me that the things in Toys R’Us do not show love. They have taught me that being a grandparent is a lot less stressful and tiring than being a young parent. They have taught me that you never “finish” being a parent. There is no punch clock or calendar they follow. It is a never ending commitment of love.
As I stared at my parents working away yesterday I thought about a time my little sister was small. She knew already at 8 years that parents were special. She knew that parents were more than just parents. I don’t really remember what was going on; all I remember is that she was upset for something my sisters and I had done. As she had gone to her room, she shouted at the top of her lungs for the whole house to hear...”I hate everybody but my parents”...lol...we all just looked at each other and laughed. As angry as she was, she knew that the people who brought her into this world were the people she can never hate, and I guess 20 years later I finally understand what she really meant.
That’s my peace today!
Cheesy Bread
1 Italian loaf
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded provolone
2 whole cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Slice bread open like a book. Rub the garlic on all the bread. Sprinkle both cheeses in the bread, close and rub oil on outside of bread. Place on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 min (until cheese bubbles and is melted. Cut into 3 inch pieces.
My parents have had a pretty busy year. They have been busy with all 4 of their daughters. A little bit here, and a little there. My older sister was living with them for a while they were waiting for their home to be ready, then we moved in right after, and my younger sister is having her baby next Monday. They have a lot going on, but they do what they can to help us all out.
My father is famous for being our “delivery” man. He is the kind of man that would get up from the couch at 10pm and go to Mac’s to get us a bag of chips because we felt like eating something salty. He just turned 70 and thank God that he has the energy of a 30 year old. He will do anything for us...and he does. My mother is also very helpful. She will whip up a meal last minute on a Sunday if we show up with all our screaming kids. She will do anything for us.
Yesterday I went to my house to start cleaning up the top floor so we can start putting our clothes away this week, and my parents came with me. My father was installing my door handles and my mother came along with 3 mops, 10 dishrags and a bottle of Pine Sol. As I was passing the vacuum, I looked up and I saw my mother in the tub scrubbing the tiles and then I looked over and saw my father screwing in the handles. At that moment I felt very lucky. I felt so fortunate to have my parents. We sometimes forget that we have them around because we are so busy living our own lives and asking them for favours, that we forget they are our parents.
These are the people that raised me and made me who I am today. They are the 2 people who love me unconditionally. They truly believe in me and my children and are proud of every little accomplishment we achieve. They are the 2 people who would give up anything for me.
As I stood there looking at my parents, I began remembering all the heartaches I gave them when I was growing up. All the times that I didn’t want my friends to see them drop me off or pick me up from a party. All the times I wanted then to just go away for a weekend to give me my own space. All the times I had to fib to have a good time with my other teenage friends. All the nights they stayed up waiting for me to get home safely. All these years later, they are still here by my side when I need them.
They have taught me that as a parent you do so much for your kids to make them comfortable and to keep them happy. They have taught me that I will still love them even when they say no. They have taught me that the things in Toys R’Us do not show love. They have taught me that being a grandparent is a lot less stressful and tiring than being a young parent. They have taught me that you never “finish” being a parent. There is no punch clock or calendar they follow. It is a never ending commitment of love.
As I stared at my parents working away yesterday I thought about a time my little sister was small. She knew already at 8 years that parents were special. She knew that parents were more than just parents. I don’t really remember what was going on; all I remember is that she was upset for something my sisters and I had done. As she had gone to her room, she shouted at the top of her lungs for the whole house to hear...”I hate everybody but my parents”...lol...we all just looked at each other and laughed. As angry as she was, she knew that the people who brought her into this world were the people she can never hate, and I guess 20 years later I finally understand what she really meant.
That’s my peace today!
Cheesy Bread
1 Italian loaf
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded provolone
2 whole cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Slice bread open like a book. Rub the garlic on all the bread. Sprinkle both cheeses in the bread, close and rub oil on outside of bread. Place on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 min (until cheese bubbles and is melted. Cut into 3 inch pieces.
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