Nothin Could be Finer....

than living in Carolina. We spent the afternoon on a bike ride along the American Tobacco Trail today. This was the first time that we have taken Ethan's bike and let him ride with us. Usually he is in the bike trailer with Owen, but we thought we would give it a try today. We were not able to ride as far, get as much exercise as we usually do, but it was so much fun watching him take off on his own. He even fell over once but got right back up and hopped back on. I think he really felt "big" today not having to ride in the trailer. We probably rode a mile or a little more, which when you think about it, is quite a distance for 4 year old legs. And then we went to Harris Lake Park so the boys could play on the playground. They had a lot of fun and it felt great outside. The colors around here are just gorgeous now. The peak in WNC has probably come and gone by now, but we are just starting to peak in the Triangle area. I absolutely love this time of year. Note the picture of the boys with Owen in the BACK of the trailer. I swear I tightened his seat belt in the trailer as tight as I thought was possible and he still managed to slip out of it. I think he spent most of the ride hanging out the front trying to pick up leaves. He is going to be my extreme sports kid.

Let the Canning Begin....

I am venturing into yet another new territory - canning. With all the tomatoes I received from the CSA this week, I felt like I needed to do "something" with them, else I would surely lose a few of them. And well, since I usually use tomatoes when making homemade spaghetti sauce, I thought why not can them? I called my mother in law this morning and she told me exactly what I needed to do and it was so incredibly easy. Put the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water and let them boil for about 10 minutes or so. You want the skins to start cracking so you know they will be easy to peel off. In another pan, boil your jars and lids so that they are sterile. When the tomatoes are done, pull them out one at a time and peel the skin off. Then cut the ends off. Get your first jar out of the water and put about a tbsp of salt in the jar and start putting the tomatoes in the jar until it is almost full. Put the lids and rings on and wait for the familiar POP sound so you know they are sealed. Easy! Now I have two jars of tomatoes to use this winter for homemade spaghetti. I hope the CSA has a greenhouse so I don't have to wait until next July to start receiving tomatoes again. :-)

Ye Creativity Runneth Over

This week at preschool the boys were talking about vegetables. Ethan came home everyday talking about squash, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. The different colors of the vegetables, how they grow, etc. It was very cute. Here is the cooking project they worked on this week. I thought it was adorable. The original Mr. Potato Head. He named it Power Ranger Black. I am still unclear where he got that from unless from one of the other children. We have never watched the Power Rangers here. Hmmm.........


Owen's class is too small for such projects like these, but he did do an art project this week with paint and corn on the cob. They ran the corn on the cob through a tray of paint and then painted a piece of paper with it. Very cute. It is amazing to me the things they actually learn at preschool. I have my moments that I doubt my decision to continue working, but then there are days when I think maybe I did make a good choice.

$15

I received my first box of veggies from a local CSA today. I received everything you see below plus 1lb of organic pork ribs. All the veggies were $15 and I added the ribs on for an additional $4. I am so thrilled. This is my first time participating in a CSA so I only signed up for the winter season, but I have my name on a wait list for a spring/summer/fall 09 CSA. If I truly eat everything over the next few months I am definitely going to invest in it for next year. For those that don't know, you invest in the farmer by paying them upfront for a share of their crops. For me, this was $15 a week times x number of weeks through mid to late January. If I get on the list for the 09 CSA, it is going to be more like $500 or so, but that will be my families veggies for those months and the shares tend to be larger in the warmer months. My struggle is going to be coming up with recipes to use the veggies or learning to can or freeze them. Tonight I was on a mission to find something to make with red peppers. I think I have settled on a chicken dish with red peppers and thyme. Next week I should be getting about 2-3 pounds of sweet potatoes - YUM! So if you have never heard of a CSA before, you should google it and see what you think. The benefits for me far out way the risk of having a bad crop. I love that my veggies come from a mom and pop farm within a short drive from my house. Not flown or trucked in from other countries or across the US. I also love it that I know they have been picked within a day or so of me getting them - the fresher the better. There are many resources that I reference on a consistent basis. Local Harvest, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Edible Communities, just to name a few. Check it out. I think you will like what you read.

YES WE CAN!

Trick or Treating - Or Maybe Not????

We didn't get off to a good start tonight with our trick or treating prep. Chris cooked dinner so I could get a run in (I am trying to run daily so that I can run a 5K at the end of Nov) and neither of the boys liked daddy's cooking. I ended up making them each half of a PB&J and Owen ate it happily. Ethan - not so much. The deal was eat your green beans and the PB&J and you can go trick or treating. Ethan did not want to cooperate. So after Owen ate we got dressed and headed out the door, being sure to stop on the porch to tell Ethan "byyyyyeeeee."Cruel, yes, being a parent, yes. I left instructions that if Ethan ate as I asked he could come out later with daddy. I think they went round and round for awhile until Ethan saw all the other children coming to his house taking the candy that he thought was his. Suddenly PB&J was a small price to pay. Both boys had a blast trick or treating tonight and Owen is just wonderful at saying trick or treat and thank you. He was completely bessotted with people giving him candy and all he had to do was say trick or treat. He just couldn't believe it. Mind you, he is not a candy junkie like his brother but still, he thought it was pretty awesome. Chris and I are going to a Halloween party tomorrow night, our first night using a babysitter - EVER! We are only going to be down the street, but still a big step for us. I am going to be a sorceress and he is Zorro. It should be a lot of fun. Anyway, here are some pics from tonight. Happy Halloween All!

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming....

We had another great night at swim lessons tonight. Ethan is getting so brave about putting his head and face in the water. He took huge strides in the last session with Mr Mack and was even nominated Swim Super Star - I will post a link to the write up when the swim school posts it. But tonight, he did even better than before. Tonight he started putting his face down in the water while he swam and practiced coming up for air and going right back down. YAY! I was so proud of him I almost got choked up. :-) He has come so far from being scared to leave the steps of a pool to now jumping in, doing the back float and tonight putting his face in to swim. I am so proud of him! And the best part of all of this is even when he dips underwater, he comes up with the biggest smile on his face. I am such a proud Mommy!

Just Trifiling.....

Yum-O!

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

Last weekend we took the boys to Dillsboro, NC for the It's a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown train ride/weekend. This is our second year going and we had so much fun. We were lucky enough to have Aunt Jan and cousin Kallie join us this year which made the weekend that much more special for the boys. We boarded the train in Bryson City and took about a 30 minute ride to what seems like the middle of no where, I think the name of the town was St Paul. There in the middle of a huge field is so much for the children to do. The bobbed for apples, roasted marshmallows, went trick or treating, met Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy, navigated a hay bail maze on hoppers, got tattoos, colored, bounced in a bounce house, took a hay ride (are you out of breath yet?) and finally got to choose a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch. It was just awesome! After a long afternoon with Charlie Brown, we headed to the Jarrett House for the best home cooked dinner you could imagine. The chicken and dumplings are probably the best comfort food I have ever had. And an evening in Dillsboro wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Chocolate Factory. Ahhh.....what a great trip!

Cake Class #2 - Check!

I finished up my second cake class tonight, the Fondant and Gum Paste class. I have to admit, I doubt I will use very much from this class but it was certainly interesting and I learned how to make some pretty cool things. I had no idea all the things that could be made to decorate cakes. We made lots of different kinds of 3D flowers, but my favorite was the thing we made tonight - a little box. I thought it turned out so cute.

NC State Fair Fun

We took the boys to the State Fair last week and I think Chris and I had as much fun as they did. The boys loved the cotton candy and the rides, Chris loved the ribbon fries and I loved the (get this!) livestock! Makes me laugh out loud just typing it, but really, the cows were enormous, the piglets too cute, the roosters gorgeous and the goats, well you all know how I feel about goats. I really wanted to bring them home with me. Interestingly enough, the poultry tent (again - makes me laugh typing it) was one of my favorite exhibits. I never knew all the gorgeous colors and patterns that roosters can come in. We also got to hold baby chicks and ducks and Ethan in particular liked this part. Owen tried patting them but it reminded me too much of the movie Of Mice and Men when Lenny was patting the rabbits. Another of my top favorites was the petting zoo. We all got to pet and hand feed goats, llamas, alpacas (my new love) and get this - camels! They were all wonderful. One other exhibit that got my attention was the Got to be NC tent. Over the past year I have really gotten into learning about NC and all the wonderful attractions, parks, products, etc. that we have here. This particular tent was chocked full of NC products. We purchased a jar of BBQ sauce that was too die for. If you ever see this sauce in the store be sure to pick up a bottle, it was delish! We were there for about 5 hours and enjoyed every minute of it. I can't wait to go back next year and who knows, I may just be able to bring home some livestock.

I want one! (or 10)

Lately I have been on a "salt of the earth" kick. Trying to live more simply (well, aside from my upcoming trip to NYC - a girl needs a little Tiffany's once in awhile), purchasing grass fed beef, free range chicken, eggs, organic pork, etc. I signed up for a local CSA and will start getting my weekly rations in November. I am trying to take baby steps towards living more lightly on mother earth. So, my aspiration right now is to eventually own several goats, a couple of alpacas and throw in 2 miniature donkeys just for companionship. My husband and I took our children to The Goat Lady Diary today to "get my feet wet" so to speak. They were having their fall open house and I loved it! I felt like I had died and gone to healthy heaven. The veggie gardens were abundant, the animals peaceful, the flowers gorgeous and the goat cheese - YUM! I loved the Basil and Garlic and the Orange flavored ones. And have added a cheesemaking kit to my Christmas list this year. I can make cheese right? Anyway, enjoy the photos. I think I had more fun than my children and I know I had more fun than my husband. I don't think they get wifi on the farm. :-)

One Word - Chocolate!

I had my second cake class tonight and we were able to practice different decorating tips. I took a chocolate cake in tonight to decorate, complete with homemade chocolate icing - YUM! We practiced making stars, wiggly lines (for lack of a proper term), handwriting, and the base of a rose. So far the bulk of what I have learned is how to make different consistencies of icing for different purposes. I am certainly no professional, but I am having a great time and learning little things that I can do to make my boys' birthday cakes better. And the best part of the night - coming home and my little men waiting up for their mommy to rock them to sleep. Ahhhh.......melts my heart.

2 Steps Forward and a HUGE Step Back

We were doing so good. Ethan did awesome in his last soccer practice. He loved swim lessons Thursday night and then something happened today. I don't know what else I would have tried damage control but at today's soccer game he absolutely refused to even go on the field. *sigh* His preschool teacher from his previous class came to watch him today and maybe that was it. He is only 4 years old and could be experiencing performance anxiety. Oh dear. We all sat around patiently and at times not so patiently trying to tell him how good he is, how proud we are of him, heck even bribing him with donuts and new Wii games. Nothing worked. He wasn't budging. So the game ended, we walked back to the car and that was that. We will try again next time.

Let them eat cake!

I had my first cake decorating class last night. I cannot tell you how excited I am. I love making the boys birthday cakes. They get so excited as their birthdays approach and we begin to talk about what they want, what supplies we need to buy, etc. Just from the first class I already know why certain things in my previous cakes haven't turned out the way I expected. The sky is the limit with the knowledge I am about to gain. I can't wait to decorate my first post-class cake! Here are a few photos of some that I have already done.

And He's Off!

Tonight was a big night in our home. We went for a family bike ride only the significant difference tonight was that Ethan rode his own bike! He did awesome. Chris is doing such a great job teaching him how to stop with the brakes, move to the side of the road for cars, etc. We didn't take our normal long route, but it was a long enough ride that his little legs were probably soar. He did so good! Won't be long until he is ready to set off on the Tobacco Trail with us. Yipee!

Whew! I think we are over the hump....

Ethan had his first soccer game 2 weeks ago. It was the kick off to the fall soccer season and appropriately named Super Soccer Saturday. His team played two games, don't fret, they were only 15 minutes each and 30 minutes apart. The first game he predictably clammed up, cried, wouldn't leave my side, wouldn't talk to the coach, nor even look at her. All I could think was, you have got to be kidding me, did I really just pay $100 bucks for a t shirt that is too big and bug bites all over my legs???? When he continued to refuse to go in and play I told him we were going home. Owen was running all over the place, bugs were biting me, the sun was blazing down and overall, it just wasn't fun. Well, he refused to leave. Great! The first game came and went without him so much as getting off my lap. Between games, Chris took him to the side and started kicking with him. He started to loosen up a bit and then the coach came over to kick with him. Next thing you know all the kids on the team are around kicking and playing. I am thinking, we may be on to something. Time for game two. YES! He went in and not only did he run up and down the field and play - he SCORED! This was just the confidence booster he needed. He turned around to look at me and of course I was clapping for him. The sweetest grin came over his face and suddenly the bug bites seemed worth it. He was having fun. This past weekend his Aunt Jan and Uncle Alvin came down to see him play. It was only a practice but they still scrimmaged 2 on 2 for about 5 minutes. Every time he got the ball or kicked it in the net he looked up for his Aunt Jan to make sure she was watching and every time she was clapping and overjoyed that she could be there watching. He loved it. We went out to eat after and then to get ice cream. I think we have successfully conquered the soccer hurdle. He genuinely seems happy to want to play and proud of himself afterward. Next is swim lessons. Wish me luck. :-

1st Pair of Soccer Cleats

We have signed Ethan up for soccer starting mid to late August so went shopping yesterday for the things he will need. We bought his first pair of cleats! They are so cute! Black and white addidas, size 10, so tiny. We tried them on in the store and then he ran across the way to make sure they would stay on his feet, etc. He came back and said "mommy, these make me super fast!" Then we moved on to the shin guards, socks and shorts. The shin guards can't be more than 3 or 4 inches long, and again, so cute! When we got home Ethan immediately wanted to put all his "stuff" on and go outside and kick around with Chris. They had so much fun and for a 4 year old, Ethan can kick pretty good - and a lefty. Whoever said moms need little girls and dads need little boys is way off. I am so excited to see Ethan play. We are out of town for the first practice but should be able to catch up when we return. I will keep you posted.

1st X Rays

We have had a very eventful day today in the Bordman house. It all started yesterday evening when Owen thought it would be a good idea to jump off our deck. It is not too high, but still he is only 2 and the 4-5 feet height is a bit much for him. He took a spill and turned his ankle. He wimpered slightly but quickly got over it. I didn't think much of it until he was still limping this morning. I took him to school then called his doctor. They were able to get him in for x rays at Wake Med then an appt at the doctor's office to get the results. He did pretty good during the x rays after he realized it wasn't going to hurt. The x ray tech asked him if he wanted a treat for being so good and he said "yes, chocolate." We left the hospital and then went to see his doctor. Good news, it is just a sprain. He is still limping and didn't like it at all when the nurse was trying to rotate his ankle and poked around it. We are home now, just finished dinner and hopefully are in for a good evening. He has no fear whatsoever. Goodness only knows what I am in for as he gets older.

Bayou My Baby

This is going to be another post about Owen.......he likes for me to sing lullabies to him at night while I am rocking him and I usually sing Hush Little Baby and occasionally I will sing Bayou My Baby. I don't know if any of you have ever heard Bayou My Baby, but I swear it is just something my grandmother made up when the boys were infants. It has no words except Bayou My Baby, over and over and over again. Well, tonight I finished singing two rounds of Hush Little Baby, which by the way, Owen is starting to remember the words and then he said sing My Baby. I said what do you mean, my baby, and he said again sing My Baby. So I started singing Bayou My Baby and that was exactly what he wanted to hear. He even started singing it with me. I sang it over and over several times and tried to stop and he said no, sing My Baby. So I did it a few more times until he started to get sleepy. Very sweet. Who would have thought a song that I thought my grandmother made up on the spot would be so popular.

My Owie B

It seems like I have written a lot about Ethan lately but haven't had much to say about Owen so this post is all about him. Owen has always been an affectionate child. Aunt Jan once said you haven't been hugged until you have been hugged by Owen. He is so lovable and cuddly and when he hugs you and hugs tight and close up on your shoulder. Here lately, maybe over the last week, he has been waking at night between 11 and 12 has been wanting to get in our bed. I used to refuse and try to rock him back to sleep but recently I have just been getting him and bringing him to bed with us. He still likes to play with my hair while falling back asleep but he is becoming more respectful when I tell him that's enough. This usually happens if I have a headache and he is pulling or if he is picking my hair up and dropping it in my face. He usually goes back to sleep really quickly and for the most part I do too. The biggest reason I have stopped fighting him about staying in his bed is really selfish. I love waking up with him. I remember when Ethan was around 2-2 1/2 and it never failed, he woke up grouchy 90% of the time. Crying and whining, just really unpleasant to be around. And still to this day he can be this way if things don't go his way right off. Meaning Chris doesn't rush downstairs to get his orange juice for him. But not Owen. He always wakes up with a smile on his face and usually when I wake up he is snuggled right up next to me with his head on my shoulder. I just love it! Ethan is very much into electronics and I think will end up being a daddy's boy, but not my Owie B. He is a mommy's boy through and through. Here are a few pictures that his day care teacher has taken recently that I think are just adorable.

Tigger Fa-mi-ly

I am so excited about Ethan's latest accomplishment. It may seem trivial to some, but this latest achievement is huge in my book. A couple of weeks ago, Ethan had his 4 year check up. One of the questions Chris was asked was whether Ethan could draw people yet, even stick people. He said he didn't know, we had never tried it. So that evening Chris showed Ethan how to do it and it did it effortlessly. Fast forward a few weeks......I picked Ethan up from preschool on Monday and he was busy at the table drawing. He proudly looked up at me and said "look mommy I drew you and daddy and Owen." And he did! You may wonder why I am so proud of him over this, well let me tell you. He is turning into a little boy and with that comes the awareness that maybe, just maybe the world doesn't always revolve around him; that he cares about other people in his life and thinks about us even when we are not present. The fact that he drew everyone else first and saved himself until last and yet didn't even get to finish with drawing himself, I think speaks volumes. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but for me, this was one of those moments as a mom that you stop and say to yourself "I must be doing something right." I will try to post a picture of his family art in the next couple of days.

American Tobacco Trail

We headed out again today to ride the American Tobacco Trail. It will eventually connect Apex to Durham but is currently a work in progress. We made up our mind that we were going to ride 8 miles in and 8 miles out. However, around 6.25 miles we couldn't go any further. You see, there are gates along the way and just enough room for me to squeeze the boys trailer in between them. When we reached the gate at 6.25 miles we couldn't fit. :-( Not sure why they decided to make that gate way slightly smaller than all the others, but nonetheless we went as far as we could go. Owen slept most of the way which made for a much more peaceful ride this time. Ethan didn't have anyone to fight with. We turned around and started back towards the car and decided to stop for our picnic. Owen was waking up and they both needed to get out and stretch their legs. We stopped for juice boxes, raisins and applesauce. The last time we did this I had forgotten to bring spoons for the applesauce so the boys had to kind of squeeze the container and slurp the applesauce out. Today though, when I started to pack the cooler, Ethan went to the silverware drawer and retrieved 2 spoons. He told me "we can't forget these this time." It amazes me the things he remembers. Anyway, we had our picnic then hopped back on our bikes to make our way back to the car. Whoever tells you this is easy, is lying to you. The boys probably weight about 30-35 pounds each, the trailer another 10 pounds or so and then the cooler was maybe 5 pounds. All in all I was probably pulling about 80 pounds or more. Whew! I was beat when we finally arrived back to the car. I think the total ride was a little over 2 hours and about 12.5 miles. I love it, despite it being difficult at times. It was especially wonderful today because the boys didn't fight until the ride back when Owen was awake. Hopefully we will be able to go again next weekend.

Arts and Crafts with Ethan

I worked from home today so that I could take Ethan for another arts and crafts project with the Holly Springs Parks and Rec. We did this last month and made tie dye t-shirts. We both loved it so much we signed up again for July. Today was even better. We made three projects. A bug catcher out of a mason jar, a stepping stone with his hand print and a bird house. He had so much fun decorating all three and especially painting the bird house. I will try to post photos later this weekend. I love being able to do these little things with him and continue to struggle with the decision to become a stay at home mom. There are a couple of books on the topic that I would like to read, although ultimately it is going to be my decision. For now, I cherish these mom and Ethan times and look forward to Owen getting a little bigger so that he can participate as well.

Bike Ride

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a new bike and a trailer to pull behind so that I could ride and pull the boys in the trailer. I thought it was a great idea. Both boys got in the trailer at the store, we hooked it up to the bike and I pulled them around the parking lot. They seemed to love it. Sold. So we bought it. Fast forward a few weeks and come to find out, Ethan hates it. I am really not sure why. I pedal as fast as I can so that he gets a thrill of going fast, but nonetheless he mostly cries the whole time we are out, which is never less than an hour at a time. Weekend before last, we took the bikes out to the American Tobacco Trail and rode about 5 miles into the trail, stopped for a picnic, then rode the 5 miles back to the car, roughly 2 hours of riding. They had toys, sippy cups, snacks, books, you name it, I tried to throw it in the trailer to keep them occupied. Still, Ethan constantly asked me "are we done yet?", "can we go home now?" etc. So tonight, instead of fighting with Ethan about going for a bike ride and getting out of the house for some fresh air, I let it go and just Owen and I went. We had a blast! We chatted most of the way about things we saw, sprinklers watering people's lawns, dogs, children playing, you name it, we talked about it. This was probably the most fun I have had since buying the bike and the trailer. It doesn't mean that Ethan is going to get his way every night and get out of coming out with us, but for tonight, it was just me and Owie and it was so much fun!

Ahoy There Matey!

Someone once told me time flies once you have children. It seems they told me this when I was in the midst of up all night nursing sessions and I thought to myself, if only it would fly by maybe one day I would actually get some sleep. And here I am, 4 years later and I can honestly say, yes it does. I always become very nostalgic around my boys birthdays. Like today for instance, 4 years ago today, Ethan was only 4 days old. I hadn't yet learned to burp him and my husband and I were literally up from midnight until 6 am with a non stop crying baby that we had no idea what to do with. I suppose at 6 am my precious bundle of joy accepted his parents didn't have a clue what they were doing and finally gave it up for some sleep. 4 years later, he sleeps like a dream and finally, I do too. Tomorrow we are celebrating his 4th birthday at Marbles Children's Museum. He is into pirates right now and they have a large pirate ship with dress up clothes to boot. He is so excited his friends are coming to celebrate along with his Aunt Jan, Unkin Navin, Mimi and PawPaw. So as I take a moment to look back at baby pictures and update his baby book I can't help but admire the wonderful little boy he is becoming. And maybe, just maybe, I will shed a little tear and long for those all night nursing sessions again.

Monday, Monday.

Mondays are always the most hectic days of my week. Not only b/c, well, it is Monday, but the boys have gymnastics on Monday evenings. They absolutely love going, so as stressful as it is on me to rush, rush, rush on Monday, it is worth it to see their faces light up when they raise their little arms and say "Ta Da!" Ethan has especially surprised me with his coordination and sense of balance. He is always so proud of himself after class. Owen on the other hand still manages to be a handful. That probably doesn't come as a surprise to those of you who know him. But whew! He really gives me a run for my money. He is still learning to wait his turn and follow directions but is really doing great, all things considered.

This week doesn't appear as if it is going to be particularly busy for us so hopefully I will have some time to gather my thoughts and decide where I want my blog to go. I hope to discuss what is going on with the boys, life as a working mom, and maybe, just maybe, I will be able to rediscover the woman I was prior to becoming mom. You know, the one that reads, exercises, meditates and even enjoys a great bottle of cabernet occasionally. You know the one I am talking about. So sit back, log on and join me in this next chapter of my life.

Let the journey begin.

tgh-b