We want our mommies too!

Children get sick. When you are a mother, you know children get sick, often. We worry, we watch, we wait, we book doctor’s appointments, and we hope it just goes away. We don’t sleep at night because we are pumping them with Tylenol, cold compresses and checking to make sure their fever is down. We ensure they are drinking enough fluids and we have a stock of popsicles for their sore throats.

The more children you have, the longer the process is to eliminate the germs and viruses. Our husbands..Ha...that is all I can say. They end up getting their “man” colds and become absolutely useless. They lay on the couch, asking for tea, camomile, and back rubs..lol..this is when you want to call their own mothers and tell them to come and take care of their own kid..lol. So we have our kids calling for us, AND our husbands needing us.

Yesterday my 5 year old began running a fever, because of everything going on right now, I am a little nervous, and worried about her, and my other 3 kids. I began feeling little aches and pains of my own, in my back and my neck. I drink a tea, pop a Tylenol and continue to take care of my kids. I slept with my daughter last night because I had to make sure she was ok, and that she is not breathing too fast. While sleeping in her “big girl” bed, my 8 year old started screaming for me. I spring up, run over and see what is going on there. He is telling me (in agony) that his ears are hurting him, badly. So I basically spent my night going from one bed to the next, to check on both of them. In the morning, my husband wakes up quite refreshed and tells the babies to “leave mommy alone and let her sleep” This is when you think of involuntary manslaughter, as an option..lol..So I role out of bed and again, I feel some aches and muscles pains, I pour myself a tea, pop a Tylenol and continue my day.

A mother’s job is never done. We are like the Energizer bunnies, we keep going and going, and going. We don’t stop for anything, if we are on a mission. Our kids come first, point final. There is nothing more important to us, than them. We put our own feelings, schedules, and activities aside for them. It is just our duty.

Yesterday when I was feeling a little fluish, I too needed, and wanted my mommy. I remember the days when I was sick in bed. She would come in my room, put a cold compress on my head, take my temperature, leave me some homemade chicken soup, and tuck me in. When I got sick, I knew I could count on my mother to comfort and take care of me. I never stopped to realize if she was tired, or if she too, was feeling sick. I didn’t even notice. I am sure there were many times she did not feeling like taking care of 4 sick kids, making dinner, doing laundry and disinfecting the germs, but she still did it. She stayed up all night with each of us, making sure we got through it ok. She lacked sleep and strength, but she did it for us.

A mother is not “allowed” to get sick. We are the last ones we think about when we have others to take care of. We can’t lie down and shake off the flu symptoms because we have more important little people to take care of. Mother’s are selfless; we want our kids to be healthy and to get back to normal. Mothers DO get sick, we do feel the aches and the pains and we do occasionally feel like vomiting too. The only difference is that we suck it up and forget about it. One thing I will tell you....if we do get sick, we want our mommies too!
That’s my peace today!

Lentil Soup
1 can of lentils
2 chopped carrots
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup white rice
1/2 white onion diced
1 celery stalk
3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp olive oil

In a saucepan, heat oil, sautee lentils, carrots, celery, onions, salt and pepper. Add water, bring to a boil, salt again and add rice. Cook on med-high for about 40 minutes.

It's a wonderful world

How lucky are we to be alive today? I say, very. We live everyday with the knowledge of everything. We have the ability to travel to anywhere in the world, call anyone in the world and research any place in the world. We can go shopping, without any cash on us. Plastic, is all we need. I remember my grandfather (when he was still alive) did not want to pay debit anywhere because he just didn’t “get” the concept. He didn’t trust the fact that the bank was directly taking money from his account. He was born in 1919 and he couldn’t fathom the thought.

I was born in 1974 and the world has definitely evolved since then, and continues to. I cannot believe the advancements that we have been alive to see. Advancements in medicine, technology and communication. We treat people the way we want to be treated, and we are now beginning to realize that race, or the colour of someone’s skin, does not matter. Recently, we witnessed the first African American President elected in the United States. That was evolution at its best, and we were here to see it.

We have the ability to communicate with people with the touch a few keypads, and with the click of a webcam. We can now see people that live half way around the world. We have the ability to write our thoughts on a website and pass on the information, to anyone who will listen. This is the world we live in today. Some people may think that sometimes this is not always a good thing. If you don’t want to be reached, you have the ability to stop it. We can contact people from our past and present by signing up online to things like Face book and Twitter.

I remember the days of typewriters and 13 stations on television. Now we have MAC’s, and satellite tv. We have pharmacies open 24 hours and walk in clinics open on Sundays. There is nothing we can’t have or buy, thanks to things like EBay and Craigslist. We can order anything online and have it in our home within 5 business days. We can send packages across the country overnight, and we can download music, the day it is released.

The world we live in, is an amazing one. Whatever we want is at our fingertips. A tv is no longer just a tv. Now there is HD, and LCD, and all that extra stuff. Cars are becoming Hybrid, because we are beginning to care about our environment. We no longer accept pollution and toxins in our air. We recycle because we know that it helps. We try to use less water and electricity because we know it is important.

Life is beautiful, life is grand, and life is full of opportunities. Live life and love life! Next time you are driving, take a look around you. Look at the trees, look at the grass, and look at the beautiful sky. Take a look at the children running, the older people walking, and just take a look at all the beauty. I promise, once you truly look what is right in front of your eyes, you too will see, it’s a wonderful world.
That’s my peace today!

Veal Shank with mushrooms and potatoes
1 pound veal stewing pieces
1 package of whole mushrooms
1 white onion, cut in large chunks
2 white potatoes, cut in large chunks
1/4 c brandy
1/4 c flour
1/2 cup beef broth or water
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Pour flour in a bowl and then toss veal in, coating all the meat. Remove and put aside. Pour olive oil in heated pan, and brown veal. Lower heat to medium, add brandy and cook for about 10 minutes. Throw in cut up potatoes,mushrooms and onions, add beef broth or water and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for about 25 minutes (until potatoes are cooked).


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The Golden Years..will just have to wait

My parents left last night for their frequent trip to their condo in Florida. They do this at least every 2 months or so. Every time they leave I feel a little sad. Even though I know that they will be back in exactly 16 days, my mommy and daddy are not around the corner.lol. Although I feel sad that they are gone, I also feel happy for them. They have “earned” their trips to Florida.

My parents raised 4 children, they were and are, very good parents. 8 years ago they decided to buy a getaway in North Miami and they have been enjoying it since. I like to tease them every time they leave. I say things like, “Ma, I can’t wait to be you 1 day, please take me in your luggage.” She always answers me with the same response, “Well, I was you, and now I am me, and my job as a mother is STILL not over.”

I have to admit, I sometimes feel a little envious when they plan their trips. I know that they will get there, plop their arses on the couch and do whatever they want to do. They don’t have to make meals at a certain time, they don’t have little kids tugging at their legs, asking for juice, and the only people they have to bathe, are themselves. They passed the tiring days of parenthood. They passed the days of staying up all night with children and fevers. Those days are over for them. Now they are enjoying being grandparents. They get to spoil our kids, stop by, and give them candy..and then, they get to leave..lol.

My mother always tells me to enjoy these years. She tells me, “You’re young; these are the best days of your life. Your children are still at home with you, under your roof, enjoy them now.” I understand and I do agree with her. The days of parenthood do fly bye, and I know before I know it, they will be applying for University. I know that I should be enjoying every little situation, and every little cute advice my kids give me, but sometimes, I just want to sleep..lol. Is it so hard to ask for a night of more than 4 hours of zzz’s. My mother also told me that when I “can” sleep, I won’t be able to sleep, because apparently the older you get, the less you want to sleep.lol.

I guess sometimes in life we are never really content with the moment we are living in. We want to be older when we are teenagers, we can’t wait to be 19, or we can’t wait to be married, or we can’t wait to be mothers and so on. We always get stuck in the trap of thinking something else, must be easier than what we are doing. My parents were me; they had days with little ones running around the house, and now they are reaping the rewards of all their hard work, and I say good for them.

Last night when my parents were on that plane, (I am not going to lie) I kind of wished I was on my way to the same destination. But then I took a look around at my 8 year old showing me his great test results, my 5 year old daughter was brushing her Barbie’s hair, and my 17 month old twin babies were running toward me, wanting a kiss. How could I want these days to fly bye? How can I want to hurry up and fast forward my younger years with my kids? How can I wish I were 60 years old, on a trip to Florida away from them? I have not yet earned my place on that plane, there are still many more lessons I must learn. There are still many more tears I will have to wipe away, and there are still many more stories I must listen too.
After seeing my parents away, it made me realize that I am not yet ready to leave yet. It made me realize that there are still so many more wonderful years and experiences ahead for me, and my kids. It made me realize that I am not yet ready to trade in a trip with my kids to the Golden Arches for a trip with my husband in our Golden years. That will just have to wait.
That’s my peace today!

Sausage Submarines
4 Italian sausages
4 submarine loafs
1 red pepper, sliced
1 white onion, sliced
1 package of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
oil for frying

Bake the sausages in the oven, covered for 45 minutes at 400 degrees, or you can grill on bbq. Meanwhile, put all veggies in pan with oil and fry until tender (about 10 minutes). Remove cooked sausages from oven. Slice the bread and open like a book, place sausage in bun, top with veggies and sprinkle cheese. Place on a baking pan,convection in oven at 385 degrees for about 10 minutes (until cheese melts and bread gets toasty)

check out www.yummymummyclub.ca

Moments

We wake up every morning, usually with pretty much the same routine. It usually starts with a shower, breakfast, and so on. When you have kids, sometimes, mornings don’t run as smoothly as we hope. From running, to crying, to playing, it can just go on, all day.

Motherhood is anything, but easy. Days at home with children, are very challenging ones. You have to grab every inch of your being, not to lose it. Sometimes it works, and sometimes, not so much..lol. Kids are constantly testing our patience, our heart strength, and our brain cells. We must be alert, awake, and on our toes. The days that we spend with our children are filled with a mixture of laughs, screams, and sometimes tear (our tears..lol). There have been many times when I was home, that I would just sit and cry. I would ask myself, my sisters, my mother, my husband and my friends, why I ever had children in the first place? They would laugh and answer with the same response, “You wanted them, you said you would die if you couldn’t have them, and you always wanted a big family.” So then I say, “Oh ya, now I remember.” I lift myself off the couch, gather my snotty tissues, and continue my day.

Children are the most wonderful people in the world. They are innocent and they are our little miracles. They are also, just kids. They don’t know that they are driving us nuts. They don’t know that sometimes we want to run away, and they don’t know that sometimes we just want to cry and escape in our minds. We are adults, we get it. We know how to behave, we know how to be patient and we know that leaving a piece of chewed up gum on a couch, will not come off easy. Kids don’t have the same thought process as we do. We expect them to, but they don’t. When they think they can grab the stack of plates to “help” us set the table, they don’t know, until they drop all the plates, that they were just too heavy for their little hands to carry.

We try not to scream when they drop the bowl of cereal on the rug. We try not to punish them when they leave the freezer door open for all the meat to defrost. We try not to flip out when they poo in their pants for the third time, in one day. We try. That is all we can do. We know that days at home with kids are filled with stress and chaos. We know that days at home with kids are sometimes frustrating and nerve racking. We know that days at home with our children, are not going to last forever. We know that days at home with our kids will be memories one day.

We know that days at home with our kids, are not always pleasurable and fun. We know that sometimes we have to reach in the bottom of our patience bag and take a breath. Most of the times, these little stressful incidents are part of life at home with kids. Most of the times, we move on and continue the rest of the day. We know that we will have a cry on the couch, questioning our jobs as parents. We know that it is not going to be the last time we wonder why our kids don’t always listen. We know that is not going to be the last time we pick up the phone to find comfort in our friends. We will need them to remind us that, as long as we have kids at home, we will have these little issues. They will remind us that life at home with kids is challenging, tiring, and hard. Most importantly, what they will remind us is that these are only moments in our lives. Moments in our lives that will be tough and trying, that don’t last all day, all week, or all year. These hard moments will pass, and we will laugh about it, not at the time, but moments later, when we have something else going on.

Our lives are a combination of little moments in time. Some will be funny, some will be frustrating, and some may leave a mark..lol. Just be prepared when these moments “happen” we know, just as fast as they came, they will be quickly gone.
That’s my peace today!

Italian style Mac and Cheese
1 pack of curly big elbow macaroni (I buy Molisana brand)
2 cups whole cream
2 cups whole milk
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup shredded parmesan
1/4 c of chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Boil pasta as directed, salt water. In a 9x13 pan, butter the bottom and sides. In a bowl, whisk the cream, milk and parsley, 1/2 of all 3 cheeses, pour in bowl. In another bowl, mix the remaining cheese, spread evenly on the pasta. Sprinkle fresh ground pepper. Place in oven at 450 degrees until cheese bubbles and slightly browns. About 20 min.

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Do what YOU want to do

Most of the time, as parents, we make decisions based on emotion. We do what we “feel” is good for the better of our family. We make our choices based on the fact of how something makes us feel. Nobody likes to feel scared, nobody likes to feel naive, and nobody likes to feel vulnerable.

We have a very important role when we become parents. We have to do research, talk to doctors, and talk to other mothers, for their opinion and their advice. We become confused and overwhelmed, and when this happens we panic. We don’t like the feeling of “not knowing”; we don’t like the feeling of “not guaranteed.”

We have been flooded with information these past few days about what to do. Yesterday, my whole day was spent on the phone, on the internet and on email. I was communicating with other mothers about what they are going to do. It is a pretty important role to make a decision for our children. We are torn between a new vaccine, and a very scary flu. If I don’t vaccinate then I could be putting my young children at risk, and if I do vaccinate, I am giving them something that I don’t want to give them.

I have decided to sit back, relax, and wait. I am not saying that I will never give them the shot. I may do it in a few weeks from now, I may not. I just don’t want to feel pressured to give my kids something I don’t know anything about. When our backs are against the wall, we most always make irrational decisions; we may not usually do, on a normal basis.
I think that everyone needs to make their own decisions. Don’t base it on the mass opinions; base it on your own. We are all scared, and we are all in this together. We shouldn’t criticize other people’s decision, no matter what it may be. In times like this, the worst thing you can do is make someone else feel like their decision was the “wrong” one.
Let’s continue to talk, share and understand what’s going on. Don’t do what your doctors tell you to do; don’t do what your friends tell you to do, just do what you want to do. You may not know the answer right now, but at least YOU will be responsible for your own decision.
That's my peace today!

Lemondrop Shots
We are all under a lot of stress lately, what better way to calm our nerves then with some alcohol..enjoy this shot with friends, just please remember to drink responsibly..lol

Grey Goose Vodka (as much as you need)
salt
Lemon wedges
shot glass

Wet the rim of your glass, dip in salt. Pour vodka in glass. Lick salt around rim of glass, down the vodka and suck the lemon. A few of these and you won't care about anything else..you may even forget you have kids..lol.
ENJOY!

Keep the Faith

In life, there are many things we can think about that will drive us nuts. We can research and read about things that will make us worry. We are inundated all day long with statistics and information about all the “bad” things that can happen. If we want, we can sit down all day long, and just worry.

Recently, we have been warned and bombarded with information on H1N1 virus. Vaccinate, don’t vaccinate, we have been hearing it all. We must make decisions for us and our children on what we THINK is right or wrong. The media is causing panic and stress to ensure we take the steps to receive the vaccine. There are no studies, it has not been around long enough, do we trust it? We have heard of deaths among young, healthy children. We have heard of long term side effects of the vaccination. All I can say is.....ahhhhh! Please stop, please stop causing worry and stress, to an already stressful world we live in.

We worry when we fly, because of terrorism; we worry when we get in our cars, because of accidents; we worry about lumps, because of cancer; we worry about e-coli, listeria and salmonella in our food; and now we must worry about flu like symptoms, because of swine. Our jobs are hard enough trying to ensure our children are eating healthy, getting enough rest, and doing well in school. Do we have to add panic to the mix?
There are too many hours in a day to sit down and think about all the bad that can happen. There are too many avenues of illness and danger to worry about. We are constantly wondering if our kids are safe, healthy and are not talking to “bad” people. We constantly doubt ourselves, and our decisions, as parents. We must stop this! We must just enjoy our lives, and take it, for all the good it has to offer.

Life is precious, life is special, and life is sacred. We must wake up every morning and fill our bodies with positive attitude. Let us put happy thoughts in our minds. Let’s stop this worry over everything the media wants to brainwash us with. We need to stand up, and be strong and we sometimes need to plug our ears, cover our eyes, and unplug our TV. We need to dig deep in our hearts and we need to gather our strength. We need to rely on our own gut feelings, not on the recommendation of strangers and the media. We need to tune out all the negative feedback, and opinion. We need to feel confident in our choices and our decisions. We need to be diligent, cautious, but at the same time, we should not second guess or decisions.
In worrisome times, we can only rely on our beliefs, and our beliefs of a higher power. We are only humans, we don’t know everything, and we cannot always prepare for things larger than us. This is when we must be positive in our own thoughts and in our own ideas. We need to remain calm, composed and more importantly we need to keep the faith.
That’s my peace today!

Caprese Salad
4 large tomatoes
1 tub of large bocconcini
bunch of basil
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and oregano for taste
10 Kalamati olives (optional)

Slice tomatoes into thin slices. Arrange on a large plate. Slice bocconcini into thin slices and arrange on tomato slices. Wash fresh basil and arrange on each slice. Salt and oregano on all slices, and pour olive oil evenly to cover each slice. (You may add Kalamati olives if desired)

A daughter is a daughter..for life

At 8:42p.m, on March 17, 2004 my very precious daughter was born. She was my second child, but she was my first little girl. I cannot tell you how happy I was, how elated I was, and how surprised I was. My husband and I were convinced that we were going to have another boy, so when the doctor placed her on my stomach, tears ran down my face. I couldn’t believe that God gave me a daughter. I now had the perfect family.

I immediately bought PINK. Pink everything. Pink clothes, pink rattles, pink toys, pink bottles, anything pink. I wanted to let the world know that I had a little girl. She was an amazing baby, always happy, smiling and just plain sweet. We had a connection from the beginning. She was very attached to me, and I to her. She was my new little friend, visions of her and I shopping, giggling, and bonding is what I was waiting for.

When babies are born, they are neither girls or boys, they are just babies. They do not have characteristics or personality traits, that reflect their gender. Their likes and dislikes uncover by about age 2. Once Maria-Alicia began to show her “true” girly traits, I just adored it. She is such a girl. She is delicate, soft, fashionable, but yet she is assertive, confident, and very, very sneaky..lol. I can read right through her little fibs, my husband is not quite there yet.lol. She can get him to do anything she wants him to do. She has a way to coddle, and butter him up. He smiles and does what she wants. I am a grown adult, and my father still runs, when I need something. It is just a fatherly/daughter thing you do. Little girls have a special bond with their daddies, that never goes away.

Mothers and daughters also have a special bond. We imagine how life will be when they grow into young adults, all the changes they go through physically, and emotionally. We were there once, and we understand what they will go through. We try very hard to prepare them for life as a woman. All the pressures, and expectations that come with that role. We try to prepare them for the mean girls, and the occasional, not so nice boyfriend. Our jobs as mothers to our daughters, is to teach them to be confident, tough, and sensitive. We try to teach them, that life is not always fair, and that sometimes we may have to bend the rules, to get what we want. We try to teach them to use good judgement when they encounter a person, or a situation that they may not be prepared for. We try to teach them, with patience, comes good things.

Mothers want the absolute best for their daughters. We want them to be strong and independent. We want them to be able to learn how to make their own money, and we also want them to know how to spend it. We, as mothers, are our daughter’s role models. They look to us for guidance, and support. They look to us for love and affection. There will be a stage in our daughter’s life where they will want to break free from us, and we must be careful to ensure they come back. We must ensure that we steer them in the right direction, because it may be bumpy at times.

God blessed me twice. I am grateful for my 2 daughters. They bring pleasure and happiness to my life. I know how lucky I am to have 2 little friends. 2 little fashion models, and 2 little giggly, silly, munchkins. I know that they will be my lifelong friends, even during days they may not “like” me, or my rules. They will know, just like I did with my mother, that I only want the best for them. They will know that I will always be there for them. They will know that I love them unconditionally. When you are blessed with daughters, you will know, that a daughter, is a daughter..for life.
That’s my peace today!

Pasta and Ricotta
1 pack spagetti
1 container ricotta
1/4 c milk
4 springs chopped parsley

Boil pasta as directed. Leave in strainer. Meanwhile, pour ricotta and milk in the pot the pasta was in and heat until smooth and creamy. Add pasta and toss. Serve in plates and sprinkle fresh parsley.