Party Time

This weekend we partied 4 year-old style with an apartment full of little boys and Lightning McQueen. It was a huge success. And I mean HUGE. I don't know what happened, but Tyler and his friends must just be the best behaved, most likable little guys I know. They played so well together - no fighting over toys, cupcakes or paint. I was prepared to feel exhausted after spending the morning with nine 3 and 4 year-olds (and Audrey), but as the party ended I was so invigorated and grateful for all of these wonderful families we know, who are such great friends to us and our kids. Even clean-up was a piece of cake. If all birthday parties were this easy I would gladly throw one every weekend. The best part: Tyler felt very special, and had a blast. He helped me plan every single part of this party, from the theme, to baking cupcakes, and packing favor bags. It was such a simple, age appropriate little party. Many, many thanks to all those who came out to help us celebrate our guy Tyler.

The decor

Each part of the house was assigned a different Cars character.

We painted little wooden race cars that Tyler and I found at the craft store. Similar to this idea, but we bought our own supplies. The boys took them home as part of their favor bag. It was a huge hit. (Next to me are Jonah and Joaquin).

Oliver

Tyler and one of his best preschool buddies, Matias.

Tyler's race car

Tyler's other favorite preschool friend J.P., Grandma Tait, and Audrey.

I know this photo looks crazy, but if you can tell, Adam built an awesome train track. I think the boys could have spent the entire morning in here. Train heaven. (Buddies Kevin, Adam, and Mason are in there, too).

Cupcake time

I had to include this precious photo. This is baby Isaac - the newest Low addition. Audrey, being obsessed with babies, wanted to hold him sooooo badly. She sat here holding him for about 10 minutes, completely still and gentle. Amazing. She was in heaven.

Four

Here is Tyler in the birthday hat they gave him at preschool, but would not wear at preschool. I knew when he got home he would put it right on. They sang "Happy Birthday" to him at preschool, but he would not stand up in front of everyone. I didn't think he would, but I also knew that he'd talk all day long about how they sang to him, and how much he liked it - even from his seat. This is what I love about four. I feel like I really know this kid. I know it won't always be this way, but right now Tyler and I have our thing going on. We know each other. Sometimes he surprises me, and I love that, too. He is this fantastic little person. We talk. We have full-on conversations that make sense, about things that I really care about, too - not just trucks and trains, or mac-n-cheese. He makes me laugh. Like really laugh, because he says something silly or clever. Some days it feels like this is the person I've been waiting four years to know. Trying to decipher his needs and wants through cries and baby talk. And here he is today, just telling me. Having an opinion. Being himself. And I like him. A lot. Happy Birthday to my not-so-little-anymore Tyler. Every day with you in my life is the biggest gift. And being your mom truly still is the greatest joy... I have a feeling it always will be.

Bedtime Story

I love reading this book to Audrey. It's especially perfect for any little one obsessed with babies. And you get a guaranteed kiss at the end. Our favorite nowadays.

Birth Notes

I wasn't a blogger when my kids were born. But I did have a MyFamily site with girlfriends from my ward in Astoria. The other night I was wasting time on-line and went back and found these posts from when Tyler and Audrey were born. Tyler's birthday is this week, so maybe that's why I was slightly sentimental and searched these out. Here they are for record purposes.

On Tyler:
(Originally posted Oct. 6th, 2005)
Yikes! We just found out we're having a boy! Needless to say Adam is very happy. I am excited too, of course, but this will be uncharted water for me since I grew up in a house with my mom and two sisters. But the ultrasound went great and everything looks good. It was weird to see his little alien-looking face. Just wanted to let you all know our newest news! We're excited!

(Originally posted Feb. 24th, 2006)
Hey everyone - just wanted to let you know that our little guy will be making his debut tonight. I met with my DR this week and everything is going really well. I'm dilating, baby's really low and in position, and I'm having contractions, etc., so he said if Adam & I wanted we could go to the hospital tonight and get this thing moving along. We thought about it for a day and decided to go for it. So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers tonight. We are excited and actually feel pretty calm and laid back about everything (hopefully we're not in complete denial!).

(Originally posted Feb. 27th, 2006)
Here is our guy Tyler. He was born Sat. the 25th at 10:13am. He weighed 6lbs. 11oz and was 19 3/4 inches. We weren't sure what to name him (originally it was Brandon), but finally decided on Tyler today when we were getting discharged. His middle name is Davis after my step-dad. He has all this brown hair. We're doing well... recovering at home now. 13 hours of labor, and it wasn't too bad. Pushing went really fast. He was out after 11 pushes. He's such a good boy and sleeps all day I think. I hope he isn't starving because he is so hard to wake up to eat! Breastfeeding is a challenge.

On Audrey
(Originally posted Nov. 12th, 2007)
Just to further prove Kristy's theory that "Everyone is Pregnant", I am too. I'm almost 13 weeks along and the baby will be here around May 22nd. We're pretty excited and Tyler of course has no clue. They'll be a little less than 2 1/2 years apart. We had a pretty stressful DR. appt. a few weeks ago where we couldn't hear a heartbeat and thought things might not work out, but turns out I just wasn't as far along as I had thought. Needless to say we waited a bit before telling our news. Anyway, things look good and we have since heard the heartbeat several times. I'm just waiting now to feel less nauseous and tired (ugh!). Good thing Adam is unemployed (thanks to the strike - another UGH!) and has been around to be Mr. Mom lately. Anyway, that is the latest Tait news.

(Originally posted Jan. 2nd, 2008)
Baby #2 is a GIRL!!!!! We are excited and a little surprised.... but mostly very excited of course. Everything is going smoothly and the due date is May 20th. Please pass along any girl names (that you aren't going to use) because we are clueless! (Front runners are Audrey, Riley, and Scarlet).

(Originally posted May 16th, 2008)
We had the baby this past week. Audrey Kathryn Tait born May 14th. (Kathryn after Adam's mom). She was 5 lbs. 13 oz. and 18 inches. She is itty bitty. I am just now getting settled back home from the hospital. The delivery was crazy. I had what my DR thought was false labor all day because the contractions were never that close together and I was only dialated to a one or two. Adam and I went to dinner that night and had to leave the restaurant because all of the sudden the contractions came very close and very strong. Anyway, we ended up in the hospital by 9:30pm and had her at 11pm. I had to have her without the drugs because it all happened so fast and I was almost a 10 by the time we got to the hospital. It was kind of nightmarish, but it all happened so quickly there was no time to think. My DR almost didn't get there in time for the delivery it was so fast. I have to say, if I have another child someday I would like the drugs! Even though yes, the recovery was easier.... but still. OUCH! We are all doing well though.

Monday, Monday

Even at 9am Audrey did not want to get out of bed today. Guess she partied too hard this weekend. I finally got her to face the day, with promises of scrambled eggs and blueberries for breakfast.

On the other hand, Tyler had been in train land since 7am.

Friday's Treat

It might seem too cold for popsicles on the east coast, but out here it has been warm, sunny, and beautiful. We made these homemade popsicles yesterday to enjoy today. I've been trying to use up a half gallon of buttermilk I bought a week ago, so they were the perfect experiment. And a lot of fun for the kids. Healthy, too, at 75 calories a pop.

Banana, Berry, and Buttermilk Popsicles

1 1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk
1 banana
1 1/2 c. frozen or fresh berries
1/4 c. honey or agave syrup

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour mixture into popsicle molds and freeze. Makes 10 pops. Enjoy!

Cook in the Kitchen

A woman's work is never done. Audrey spent the morning making her favorite, "Zippa" - aka pizza. (Perfect little apron made by Grandma Tait).

No I did not put her up to this one. According to Audrey your nose is a perfectly practical place to stick your finger(s).

Mmmmm... How does it taste?

Chef's approval.

A Must Try

Kage left a recipe in the comments section of one of my posts. It was this one. You must try it. It is delicious. A keeper. Bookmarked. It's all veggies which doesn't bother me, but Adam picked up a roast chicken at the store and voila - dinner. Tyler ate all the mushrooms. Follow it to a T. Simply delicious.

Cousin Catch Up

Adam's sister Jodi and her kids were in town last weekend. We spent Sunday with them, and it made my day to watch Tyler and Audrey play with their cousins Carson, Kayleigh, and baby Emma. Sadly we were terrible picture-takers (I blame Adam), but the good part is we were having too much fun catching up to worry about playing photographer. We miss them already. Carson and Tyler were pretty much inseparable. My favorite quotes of the day:

Carson (who lives in Utah): "Tyler, I love it when you come to California to play."

And Tyler: "Me and Carson are mud lovers."

Clearly.

The Games

Are you watching the Winter Olympics? I wasn't too into them at first, mostly because there is so much on TV this time of year. But after watching some of the Opening Ceremonies last week, and a little speed skating and skiing on Saturday, we got hooked. My friend's brother is this guy. He competes this weekend. I always say the bobsled is my Winter Olympic sport. Just stick me in one of those sleds and push me down the hill. That's how I'll get my gold medal. Seriously, winter sports are some of the most dangerous out there. These athletes are brave, (and a little crazy). Major risk takers and adrenaline junkies. And Vancouver... don't you wanna go?!

Valentine's Goodness

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day, but since having kids, and a guaranteed date, it's not that bad. *(Side note: I have had some hilarious Valentine's Days in the past, pre-Adam, that I need remember to blog about at some point)*. In our little family, I want the day to be simple. Simply serving those you love. Spending time together. Art projects, and let's throw in some chocolate. I'm lucky to be married to a guy who is always willing to take me out, so Saturday night we are heading to dinner and a movie. Sunday morning I will be filling these with goodies once again, and I will make a batch of delicious bran muffins with cherries (not my ideal Valentine's Day breakfast but I need to use up some buttermilk), fresh strawberries and greek yogurt on the side, and peppermint tea. We are heading to Adam's parents' house for dinner, otherwise I would make these peanut butter cups for dessert. They'll have to be a post-holiday treat. Happy Valentine's Day Weekend. What are you doing to celebrate?

Homemade

I don't mind the box valentines - they remind me of being little. But just in case I want to try my hand at being craftier next year, I want to remember these ideas. This one that Sarah posted. And I saw these on Design Mom today. How perfect and (most importantly) simple for those of us who like just a little craft.

And speaking of things homemade I found on Design Mom... Hello, Mr. Darcy:

I don't know what I would do with a dish towel like this, but oh how I love Pride and Prejudice. Especially the BBC movie starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Sigh. Adriana and I would watch it over and over when we lived in our little railroad apartment in Queens. We had our favorite parts. We were Jane and Lizzie. It's the perfect Valentine's Day movie to watch this weekend. I think I'll start tonight.

Be Mine

Any parent of a preschooler's kitchen table might look like this at some point this week. We spent the morning being crafty and snacking on candy hearts, getting our Valentines together for the class party tomorrow. It was actually really fun. Tyler is into using scissors right now. Every evening he says, "Can I do cutting?", and sits at the table cutting construction paper for quite a while. Audrey was pretty much into the candy... and a little coloring, too. Tyler said (completely unprompted), "Mommy, I love you because you do everything with me. That's why I love you". My heart melted just a little.

Happiness Is...

Root beer floats on Game Day when your mom and dad don't usually let you drink soda. Mmmmmmm.

Can't Win

I am having a Can't Win weekend. This morning was rough for a bunch of reasons. I am deflated and living under a fog. One of the challenges of motherhood is that you can't freeze time, step away, and deal with your personal crap. Everything happens all at once. Like juggling. So far I haven't quite mastered juggling. Audrey is challenging me. Tyler is playing so nicely by himself, but Guilty Mom is whispering in my ear, "You should be playing with him". Oh, Guilty Mom. She's been gone for quite some time, but is rearing her ugly head today. "You shouldn't be so hard on Audrey," she says, "She's so little". "You shouldn't have snapped at her like that, she doesn't understand". It's all a little true, but I'm coming off three loooooong days without a break, when this week was supposed to be Adam's hiatus week but he got called in to help with the show's latest webisode. One thing I am getting better at is knowing when I need a break. Not pushing myself to the breaking point, but recognizing the signs that lead up to it, stopping, and giving myself breathing room and space. Adam will finally be done later today, and I don't want to cook or clean. I want to play with my kids without watching the clock and have joy in being their mom, not the sole caregiver of the day. I want a shower. I do not want to plan my Sunday music lesson, but oh well... gotta fit that one in somewhere. I want to catch up with my DVR, or finally rent Whip It. And I kinda want to eat chocolate, drink yummy tea, grab a little perspective and say, "Goodbye Guilty Mom". Be kind to myself. Feeling full on simple, happier things.

Superbowl Eats

Who loves Superbowl Sunday solely for the food? Pretty much my entire family. We aren't huge football fans, but it's fun to put out a yummy spread and munch away while (kinda) watching the game, and (mostly) watching commercials and the half-time show. Past years I've enjoyed doing loaded baked potatoes. This year, I'm not sure exactly what the menu will be, but here are some ideas of things it might include:

Rachel Ray's Feel-Good Potato Skins
Healthy Seven Layer Dip - very easy to make healthy by the way.
Buffalo Chicken Salad (or BBQ Chicken Salad)
Health(ier) BBQ Chicken Nachos - maybe something similar to this.
I'm toying with making these because my kids would eat them up.
And there's always good ol' frozen pizza.

Dessert will definitely be Diet Root Beer Floats. Pick up some diet root beer (we like A&W) and a gallon of Edy's/Dreyer's Vanilla Yogurt Blends. Mmmmmmmm. What are you eating Superbowl Sunday?

Full House

I watched these adorable kids last night while their parents went out to dinner. Oliver and Abby. We've known them since before Abby and Audrey were even here. They are really sweet kids, and great friends to mine. The four of them kept me on my toes all night. PS - Audrey is wearing her ballerina outfit because Abby wanted to dress her up. Adorable.

Starring Quinoa

Have you heard of quinoa? It's very popular right now. I thought it was a grain, but I just found out it is actually a seed. It's very good for you, and way high in protein. Today I made a favorite lunch recipe from my friend Sarah. Here it is:

Quinoa Salad with Vegetables and Feta

1/2 c. quinoa
1 cup water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots (I use pre-shredded because I'm lazy)
1/2 c. minced red onion
1 c. diced red cabbage
1/4 c. minced sun-dried tomatoes (from oil packed jar, drained)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard (I like the whole grain kind)
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp. feta cheese (I use reduced fat)

Cook quinoa as directed on the box. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and add green pepper, carrots, onion, cabbage, and sun-dried tomatoes. In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, and oil. Pour over quinoa and vegetables and toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon salad onto individual plates and sprinkle with feta cheese. Enjoy!

I like to double the amount of quinoa and then you have lunch for about four days. Make it Sunday and enjoy all week. You can even use any combination of vegetables, add broccoli, toasted almonds, take out the tomatoes if they're not your thing, ditch the cheese, double the dressing if you like it saucier. It's really versatile and yummy.

Emily told me about this blog and I can't wait to try quinoa for breakfast.

Doesn't this look yummy? It's breakfast tomorrow morning.