Mah Birthday 'Weekend'

This morning, I woke up groggy to the sounds of Beau brushing his teeth in the bathroom.  I glanced at the bedside alarm clock that hasn't been used in three months and smiled at the thought of Cruz still asleep in his magic room upstairs.  Soon, Beau was bedside, happily serenading me with 'Happy Post-Birthday To You!  Happy Post-Birthday To You!'  Yes, after four days of celebrating yours truly, I can finally say we are all birthday'ed out around here.  Even Cruz, mister party animal himself, had a hard time getting out of bed this morning.  Because even after the world's most killer party comes to an end, there's a sigh of relief to be found in popping the last few, die-hard balloons and returning back to normal life.  So, relieved and ready for the day's normal agenda, my 28 year old self crawled out of bed and faced the first day of her new year...
 

We celebrated in style this weekend, not just my birthday, but the end of one amazing summer.  We celebrated with some firsts and some favorites, some busy and some quiet, some rain and some drop dead gorgeous weather.  Beau gave me sole power in planning the weekend, and I made sure to include things that not only make me really happy, but things that scream summertime in completely obnoxious ways.  After all, you might as well go out big, right? (Which reminds me, I'm still a little bitter that my mom forgot this said birthday crown on Sunday night...)
 

Friday, we celebrated with a night out with friends, outdoor seating at The Brown Bottle, and a plate of some really delicious chili pepper penne paired with a glass of red.  We celebrated a chilly night outside in a pretty outdoor space at Tony's, the inaugural lighting of the flaming heat lamps, and a tasty rum shot that I could have had another of.  Afterwards, we tip-toed back to our place to find three tuckered out cousins, and equally tired, but content grandparents.  I'm convinced I will never grow tired of watching my dad rock one of his grand-babies to sleep.
 

Saturday, we celebrated the three of us.  A morning of wiffle ball in pajamas, a hand-crafted blanket tent for books in the backyard, and my first ever flea market.  Beau found a $20 bill in his wallet (after realizing flea markets don't accept debit), and I felt like a kid in a candy store, scouring the tables of vintage merchandise for just the right thing to spend my money on.  I loved the furniture and glassware, but most of all, I loved the stories that seemed to simmer from each and every item.  I suddenly felt like a historian, desiring to research and document and bring to life the unique stories of each Ball jar, and each scuffed-up wooden chair.  I settled on a tall glass coffee jar, two very old Sesame Street Golden Books for Cruz, and an old red Coke box.  Next, I'm keeping my eyes open for a chair to refinish for Cruz's room...

Saturday night, we celebrated with one of my most treasured summertime pastimes - a picnic.  I've had my eyes on Alice Wyth Lake all summer long, a quiet, lesser-known sister to the more noticed George Wyth Lake in Waterloo.  I wanted effortless and easy, so we went with pizza on patchwork.  We explored the trails a little, skipped rocks into the lake, and tested the waters of our new tent frame.  Cruz was in such a good mood, and we had loads of fun under the golden light of a setting sun.  We ended the night with a stroll down Main Street, a lavender-infused lemonade spritzer and caramel latte at Cup of Joe, a game of Cribbage on the deck after Cruz went to bed, and open windows and the sounds of crickets lulling us to sleep.
 

 

Sunday, we celebrated with rain.  Rain that ruined plans for a grill-out with my parents and in-laws, and sent us to Sakura, our local hibachi grill, instead.  Cruz was completely in awe of the master chef at the grill, and I think most of us missed the show because we couldn't take our eyes off of him!  He sat perfectly still on Grandma Mary's lap, and ate his fried noodles like a champ.  Cruz was in seventh heaven to have both sets of grandparents here at the same time, and he happily introduced them to his new room, his window seat, and his most prized book collection.
 

Monday, my real day of birth, I celebrated with a clean kitchen and a pitcher of lemonade with lavender, an hour of alone time at Panera, a free bagel, and some quiet time to blog and think.  We celebrated with yet another August afternoon with windows open, fresh veggies from the garden, some books, a shade tree, and a quilt-covered tent made for two.

And finally, we celebrated with something I've always wanted to do --- a tried and true New England style seafood boil, complete with shrimp, sausage, crab legs, sweet corn, taters, and a heavy dosage of Old Bay.  My family joined us for a feast to be remembered, a feast we devoured around a table covered in newspaper.  Charly showed us her batting skills, Cruz copied everything she did, and Hayes had lots of snuggle time with Grandmas and Aunts and yes, cousins.  Cruz LOVES holding his baby cousin.
 

  
We ended the night with a strawberry cake, 28 candles (a long ways from 16), and two kids on my lap trying their best to sing the Happy Birthday song along with the rest.  We sang, we laughed, and we stuffed ourselves with seafood --- the perfect combination to celebrate another year passed.  
 

  

Wow, no wonder we're partied out!

Looking forward to just a few more special days at home with Cruz before my new adventure starts.  I have lots of reflecting and writing to do, but it may have to wait.  After all, we've got a tent and a whole lot of books to read.
 

  
Thanks to everyone who expressed birthday wishes, and especially to my family for putting up with my tendencies to go slightly overboard.  And to my husband, for making not only my birthday dreams, but my life dreams come true.  And oh yeah, for this killer new camera lens, too ;)

I love it.  
 

                                                                

Stay Classy, 28

My birthday weekend (we celebrate for days around here) began just the way it should --- wiffle ball in pajamas in the front yard, sidewalk chalk on the driveway, and a diaper change in the back of the Kia because it was much easier than trying to lure Cruz back in the house. 

I’m not sure how the three of us ended up outside in our pajamas on Saturday morning, but I think it had something to do with the cold fall-like air traveling through our open windows and into our cozy beds that morning. We were under a spell, so it seemed, and our trance involved bare feet, laughter, and a killer batting average by this soon-to-be birthday girl. We laughed at how ‘unrefined’ we looked in our front yard, and that we were probably decreasing the housing value of our neighborhood as we played because we looked that good. Our joke was only amplified as we pulled out of our driveway for a trip to Lowes and saw a neighbor pointing and yelling at the bottle of grape soda accidentally left to fend for itself on the top of our SUV. 

Stay classy. 

Today I am 28 years old. Today, I wanted to write something flowery and meaningful – a perfect reflection on my life as a twenty-something, a proud mom to a sweet little boy who thinks he’s turning ten instead of two, and a young woman with a budding career, about to embark on a new job and a new adventure. But, blame it on my busy end-of-summer to-do list, my slightly fuzzy head, and my longing to spend as much time as I can wrapped up in playtime with Cruz, but I’m just not feeling sonnets today.
 

The more I think about it, the more I realize it’s actually something bigger. It seems the longer I live and the more experiences I have, the more I realize life is really pretty simple. It’s about happiness, and family, and figuring things out as you go. It’s about doing the best you can, even when things don’t go as planned, and striving to be good and thoughtful and understanding to others, even if they’re different from you. And most of all, it’s about balance. Striving for a peaceful equilibrium between the happy and sad, the having too much and not enough, and the times when you feel you might explode from happiness, and yes, the times you want to pull your hair out from madness. 

These moments mold us and shape us into humans. And when our balance gets a little uneven, we readjust accordingly. We replace a night of blogging with a game of cribbage with Beau, or put the camera away and rely on our mental one instead. We laugh, and we cry, and we learn to be okay when plans go awry. After all, if you don’t, you won’t really notice how mesmerized Cruz was at the hibachi grill or how he quietly tried to copy the movements of the chef because you were still sulking about the rain ruining plans for an outdoor grill-out. After all, it’s part of the equilibrium. Just as it’s important for us to go out and create our own happiness, it’s also important to sit back and let other forms surprise you.
 

Today I am 28 years old, and most of all, I am happy, content, and blessed. I feel more content and happy in this place than I ever have before, and sometimes I hold my breath just waiting for it to change. I still have a lot to learn, and all too often I let one of the sides of my scale get a little heavier than the other before I feel the urge to readjust. Because just as you can’t be sad for too long, you can’t really appreciate the happy until you’ve felt some of the heartache. 

Today, it seems fitting to write some things I have learned about myself at 28 years old. Some truths, some simple and some personal, but all very real and present in my life. 

  

At 28, I've learned...

...there’s no greater art gallery than a driveway full of sidewalk chalk 

...accomplishment can come in many forms – a full night’s sleep in a new ‘big boy bed’, a national presentation, or a home-cooked dinner, three nights in a row, set on the table at suppertime

...God’s plan is an amazing thing and His grace has allowed me to give up the control I so often desire – because I've learned that I can’t control what my job looks like any more than I can control when that next baby will come, and it’s when things don’t go the way I have planned that I really learn just what I am are capable of 

...I have a thing for flea markets 

...I love to travel, (and can even make my way around an airport by myself), however, there’s no greater feeling than returning home after some time away

...to celebrate milestones, anniversaries, and birthdays as if it’s our last. And when there isn't an occasion to celebrate, make one up

...family is everything
 

...I need to strive to be more thoughtful to others. To compliment strangers, reconnect with old friends, and send cards to new, to remember and recognize birthdays and hard work, and celebrate others’ accomplishments as I do my own 

...when all else fails, throw a dance party in the living room

...I’m more comfortable at home on a Saturday night than out on the town 

...there’s nothing more fulfilling than a freshly cleaned kitchen 

...a closet half-full of a few valuable pieces is far better than one chock-full of ones I really don’t need 

...the key to the perfect pie crust is vodka 

...I am the curator of my family’s history, a job I do not take lightly. I love filling our family’s glass display cases with memories we will talk about and laugh about for years 

...it’s okay to admit that I am mildly obsessed with trashy reality TV, and that I have a slight crush on Jeff Holm, Philip Phillips, and yes, Christian Grey 

...to appreciate good food and drink – and to make memories with them

...that Mumford and Sons is the best accompaniment to bath time.  And dinner time.  And pretty much every time.  

...that I love sushi 

...that taking pictures is more than a hobby for me. It’s truly cathartic and I have a need, a longing, and a desire to tell stories through this lens of mine 

...to welcome each and every emotion that comes with motherhood – there’s a lot of them, and not all are the amazing, sugar-coated ones.  There’s hurt and pain and guilt and regret – and that’s okay.

...painting with Cruz is worth the mess...always 

...I love being pregnant, and pray I will be again

...there is nothing more important than the home you create for your family 

...Even though I tend to gravitate towards family, friendships are still necessary and important.  I long for close friendships in my life – for Tuesday morning coffees at home, friends who love my babies as much as I do, and friends that bring out the best in me. I pray I can open up and invite new and old friends into my life, my space, and my heart. 

...that Pinterest really is the new Facebook 

...that this blog is a sort of lifeline for me, a chance to live life’s moments again, and document our history, a history that goes too damn fast. It’s a vessel that allows me to slow down time, record moments, memories, and feelings, and I sincerely worry about getting too busy to continue its journey. 

...that my parents and in-laws are more than parents, but friends. 

...that God gave me Beau and he keeps me happy and grounded and thankful every day of my life
 

...a kind of love that can't be described in words – a simple, perfect love that changes me and makes me strive to be better every day.
 

Life is full of learning, and lessons, and love.  Lots and lots of love.
 

Cheers to 28 years!  Stay classy.  

A DIY Friday Post

  
With Cruz Man's 2nd birthday just two months away, I've had birthday party fever lately and have spent many lazy summer afternoons dreaming up ideas for his celebration.  Since procrastination has never really been my thing, I do better when I work out some ideas and split 'em up in baby steps.  When I can manage to do things this way, projects become de-stressors instead of added stress.  There's therapy in DIY projects, and baking, and really anything that provides a little peace, a little quiet, and a little break from the day-to-day normalcy and motions of life.  

I've been working on this birthday wreath for several weeks now, completing a little at a time until it was finished.  I made one for Cruz's first birthday party, too, and thought it added so much to his goodie table.  Most of all, the wreaths are easy to make, inexpensive, and versatile - you could experiment with lots of colors and themes.

Here's what you need to make your own Birthday Balloon Wreath.
 

  

-One straw wreath with plastic wrap (I found this at Jo-Ann's.  Make sure you keep the plastic wrap on while making the wreath, as the straw will get a little messy if you remove it.  
-One bag of floral pins - I also found these at Jo-Ann's
-An assortment of balloons - whichever colors you love or just have laying around the house.  I think I used four packs of 72 balloons (red, yellow, green, and blue).  

Alternating by color, just sort of fold the balloon over and push the pin through and into the wreath.  Since I will most likely hang the wreath on a door, I didn't bother covering the back of the wreath and focused on making the part you do see full and fluffy.
 

  

It's best to work at a little at a time, because the floral pins will hurt your finger after awhile.  It's fun to make, however, pretty effortless and mindless - a great accompaniment to The Bachelor or the Summer Olympics :)
 

  

Happy Friday!  We celebrating this mama's birthday this weekend, and more importantly, a weekend forecast of 70-degree weather!  A weekend with the windows open is about the best birthday present I can think of after this hot, hot summer.  

Quin-What?

That's right, another recipe for you, something I've wanted to try for so long that it eventually made its way on the Summer Bucket List because I am more likely to do something if it's written on paper.  

Give me a 'Q'!  Give me a 'U'!  Give me an 'I', 'N', 'O', 'A'!

What's that spell?!?!

{cricket, cricket}

I'm not sure I've ever cooked something that I had to look up the proper pronunciation for.  For the first couple of weeks, Beau and I had more fun trying out different pronunciations for the word before we finally caved and let the audio on dictionary.com let us in on a little secret...

It's pronounced, 'Keen-Wha'.

Perhaps it was its name (which sounds like one of Cruz's battery-operated toys when it's about to kick the can), or the fact that we found it in the organic grain section of Hy-Vee, or that it comes from a plant called goosefoot, but I was a tad bit skeptical of quinoa.  Contrary to all the recipes, features, and Pinterest pictures I've seen highlighting the rare seed this summer, it looked bland and boring to me, so, it sat in a bag in our pantry until just last week.

We were grilling salmon fillets on cedar planks and I wanted something light and healthy to go with it.  I spotted the bag of quinoa in the pantry and decided to give it a whirl.  And to my, and especially my bacon-loving-meatarian husband, we were very impressed with the results.

  
It was fresh, colorful, and really delicious.  We served it cold, with a variety of our favorite vegetables and fresh lime juice as sauce. It really holds the flavors and creates something a little spectacular in your mouth.  Have you ever heard food critics use the phrase, 'the flavors were dancing in my mouth?'  I realize now they were eating some quinoa ;)

Before I give away the recipe we used, here are five interesting facts about this lovely little seed...

1.  Although one might think quinoa is closely related to a grain or cereal, it is actually called a pseudocereal, and is most closely related to beets, spinach, and tumbleweed.

2.  The Incas treated quinoa as a sacred crop and referred to it as 'the mother of all grains.'

3.  2013 has been declared the International Year of Quinoa by the United Nations.

4.  Quinoa is full of protein, and is an excellent source of fiber, calcium, and is gluten-free.

5.  Quinoa has been a popular food in Central and South America since 3000 BC.     

   
Recipe for Summertime Quinoa

  

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped 

1/4 cup banana pepper, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped 

1 teaspoon curry powder 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

1 lime, juiced 

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds 

1/2 cup minced carrots 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

salt and ground black pepper to taste 

1.  Pour the water into a saucepan, and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then pour in the quinoa, recover, and continue to simmer over low heat until the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape into a mixing bowl, and chill in the refrigerator until cold. 

2.  Once cold, stir in the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onion, curry powder, cilantro, lime juice, sliced almonds, carrots, and cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill before serving.

What about you?  Ever had quinoa?  What are your favorite add-ins/dishes/meals using the stuff?  What other weird foods should I be adding to my repertoire?