New Home: My New Neighborhood

I've been trying to explore a little bit of the area.  I haven't been too great at getting out, but I love the area that we are living in.  We are just outside the city enough to feel more like a neighborhood.  I feel very safe and it's great to be able to walk to dinner, ride our bikes to the subway station or play out in the yard with the neighbor girl.  We have been to the farmer's market both Saturdays that we have been here and the fresh produce selection is great.  Yesterday they had music for the kids and the week before a craft table set up for kids.  This week, we saw a little guy that Munchkie goes to daycare with and his mom, we stopped to chat and found out that they are kind of on the same path we are and live just a few streets away from us.  I was then getting a cup of coffee at a coffee shop on a bike (yes, on a bike) and made a comment to a woman standing next to me.  Next thing I know, we found a connection via a mom website we both belong to and they welcomed us to the area. 

Tonight we went to a church that we have been looking forward to attending and we really enjoyed it.  We met several families around our age and a teacher said to me that there was another new couple she had just met that was living in the same neighborhood we were. It turns out that this couple lives on our street just a couple blocks away.  To top that, he graduated the same master's program that Munchkie's Daddy did (and the same year) and they have a mutual friend.  They moved here at the beginning of the summer (from the same town we just moved from) and told us such great tips about the area.  Where to buy meat, which little store has the best produce, etc.  It feels wonderful to make connections and even to find tips about the area.  I am beginning to believe that this truly was a good move for us and I hope to continue to explore and find great things in our area. 

The transition to this new area is such a different transition than the previous one we made three years ago.  The culture shock that we experienced moving from the Midwest to the Northeast was something we didn't expect.  I have been bracing myself for months to be prepared for another culture shock, but instead of have been shocked by how friendly and helpful everyone we have encountered has been.  We have already met more people in the couple weeks we have lived here than we did in months of our previous move.  Previously every single relationship that I had was a result of my work, and here I haven't even started working and already have made connections.  This is amazing to me. 

The downside to living in this area I have found is that Target is not very convenient to get to and Walmart is a ridiculous drive.  While this is kind of devastating, it will probably be good for our bank account.  Not making frequent trips to these stores will help me realize what's really important.  I won't be buying unnecessary things that catch my eye and maybe I can even spend the wasted time wandering the aisles being more productive in my life or even doing something like riding my bike to improve my physical fitness, or lack thereof.

Here is a little view of my new neighborhood.

The main street that we live off of has a beautiful view of the city.

The farmer's market on the town green. Plenty of tents set up with everything from fresh pastries to every kind of tomato possible to stone ground chocolates made right here.

Making a maraca at the kid's craft table with Munchkie's Mimi.

All of the amazing things we purchased at the farmer's market.  Fresh produce that we enjoyed every bite of.  Just look at the variety of tomatoes!

This restaurant caught my eye the first time we came through the area.  It has open windows, small tables and an interesting menu.  We could hardly pull Munchkie away from the window to eat her food, she loved feeling the wind blowing on her face as she watched the cars go by.  My lemon and ricotta cheese pancakes were wonderful and Munchkie had fresh squeezed orange juice for the first time.  She was so confused, she would take a drink and say "this an orange mommy?" and I would say, "yes, it's orange juice."  She was say ok and take another sip, then again say "this is an orange."  She didn't realize that orange juice was actually supposed to taste just like an orange.

We found this indoor playground when we went to check out the Habitat for Humanity Restore.  Another mom said that it was really good for those days when the kids can't play outside.  A big open space with lots of things for the kids to play with, and free wifi for the parents.

  

We saw these birds all lined up on the roof of the house next door, just hanging out.

 

We went to a restaurant down the road from us that specialized in southern cooking.  Munchkie's menu/coloring page said "Selections For Future World Leaders, Humanitarians and Rock N Rollers"

This is our church, it starts in the evening, which is perfect for us since we aren't morning people.  Tonight they had a bbq afterwords and we were able to meet quite a few people in the church. 

 This beautiful pond in a public garden is right in the middle of the city.

 I love this contrast, beautiful green grass, with a carousel and a park, surrounded by skyscrapers.

On-the-Road Project

I saw a post about making headbands on a blog I just recently discovered.  I don't usually tend to wear headbands because I can not usually find any that are strong enough to hold back my super thick hair.  Especially at work I think that I should wear headbands more often because it's the worst to be in a germy room, hunched over a patient and have your hair fall in your face.  The last thing I want to do is to reach up with my now germy hand and touch my hair and face.  The thought has crossed my mind several times that I wish that I had a headband.

Repurposing Tshirts into 5 strand braided headbands

Munchkie also has bangs that are so thick that by just walking outside her face turns bright red and the bangs start getting damp with sweat.  I intend on growing her bangs out and think that during this process headbands are pretty essential.  That is, if I can get her to keep them on her head. 

I'm trying to come up with some things that I can entertain myself with during our really long car ride that is coming up soon.  These headbands seem so easy and quick that I can hopefully pound out a few of them before we even get to the Midwest.

Photo by Our Tiny House, used with permission

My friend just recently made some for herself and also a super cute headband for her baby with some tshirt material as well.  They are so cute and look so good on both of their heads it really made me think that I need to get in on this headband action.
Our Tiny House's Braided Headbands

And how cute are these little bow tshirt headbands?
Our Tiny House's Bow Headbands


Check our her blog, she has all kinds of cool craft projects!

A Sheltering Tree

Friends are so great.  Sunday one of my good friends and I went to a Cherry Blossom Festival in the Little Italy part of town.  It was cold and there was only one tree with actual blossoms on it, but it was nice to walk around, look at the venders, chat, drink some horrible church lady coffee, watch older couples dancing to the band backing up a Frank Sinatra imitator and enjoy the fresh air.   
Sometimes you need to just take a break for a little bit to enjoy the simple things in life.  I am so thankful for all of the wonderful friends I have in my life.

Friendship is a sheltering tree.  ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Aquarium Day....... Again....

I have been reading a book that my good friend sent me "I Don't Know How She Does it" by Allison Pearson and while I can relate to a lot of what is happening in the book, it also makes me feel so much better that maybe I do hold my life together.  I have laughed quite a bit in understanding of the situations and feel like there is finally a book I can relate to while being a working mom.  The pure exhaustion, intense guilt of going to work and desire to "make up" for the time spent away from family.  The book makes me feel legitimized in my feelings and helps me know that I am not the only mother who both loves and hates her job at the same time.  I hate to go because it's so hard to leave but when I'm there I love what I do.  Still, I think of the sacrifices that could be made to stay at home,  not leaving my daughter in the care and control of someone else.

In the book the main character, Kate Reddy, talks about what an awesome responsibility parenthood is.  She says that YOU decide what to teach your kids.  It's up to YOU to help them form their beliefs, morals and ways of life.  What you say, your children believe and your life is an example to them.  She talks about how hard it is to not want your kids to drink juice, but then you aren't there every day to enforce these rules, someone else, that you are paying to grow close to your child, is the one who decides how the rules are followed through.

Now all this to say that I have been overly sensitive lately about having to go to work and leave my daughter in the care of people whom I barely know.  I am giving them my daughter and my hard earned money.  Something seems slightly wrong about this.  So in my guilt, I have been trying to do fun things with Munchkie on my days off.  We have gone to the aquarium weekly for a couple of months now because she loves it so much.  We went to get our car washed several times in the last couple months just for fun, and I let her walk along beside me in Target because I want the time we spend together to be happy memories for both of us.

This week when we were at the aquarium I noticed (and obviously was bothered by it, or I wouldn't be blogging) that the other moms were giving me this look.  We go first thing in the morning, just minutes after the aquarium opens, on a weekday when there aren't many people there.  The moms look at me and give me this look.  The only way I know how to describe it is "Aren't you just so glad that we get to stay home and do things with our kids?  We are providing so much more to them by staying home and enriching their lives with outings such as the aquarium."  I really am not imagining these looks.  At first I thought I was just crazy, but then I realized that every single mom gave me that look.  And the two dads that were there with their children had almost guilty looks on their faces.  Probably similar to what I was feeling, the "I work so much and spend so little time with my children that I take them to places like the aquarium so we can have a good time together and talk about it for several days afterword while I continue to work and not be home."  I wanted to punch these moms in the face and tell them that they have no idea.

While Munchkie and I were at the children's touch and explore tank, feeling sea stars and crabs, there were three moms, with their kids running around uncontrolled, talking.  I overheard their conversation and had to roll my eyes.  They were discussing the academies they were applying to get their kids into.  The one mom asked if they had been to visit a certain academy and the responding mom waved a hand in the direction of a crazy young boy running around saying "well I don't know if we would be able to get in because we have to work on such and such."  The boy couldn't even talk yet.  Seriously?  You spend your days discussing what you have to work on with your preverbal toddler to get them into an academy so they can be ivy league material?

This reminded me that there are many positives about the life we live.  Munchkie goes to a daycare where she is surrounded by kids of many different backgrounds and ethnicities.  She is learning to work well with others, use manners, share, respect those around her and look up to children older than her. She is well loved and knows that Mommy and Daddy can relax and have fun with her. We both work and she sees that working is a necessary part of life.  Munchkie understands that household chores are shared by both Mommy and Daddy.  She knows that she does not get everything she asks for and that she needs to work to achieve her goals.

While it still kills me to go to work, I also know that we have our priorities straight.

Lenten Sacrifice

With each year that passes the season of Lent becomes more meaningful to me.  Throughout the year I find that I am making sacrifices for a variety of reasons.  Some are selfish, some out of necessity and some because I'm a wife and mother.  Each year there is a period of time in our lives that demand us to spend some serious time focusing on sacrifice and bettering yourself in a way that is different than the time of resolution making for the New Year. I realize each year how important it is to have this designated period of time to focus on how I can become a better and stronger individual, wife, mother, family member and friend. 

I recently read this article from KitchenStewardship.com and it made me start thinking even more about the importance of the preparation for Lent.  I did a quick google search which of course took me to the most reliable source, Wikipedia.  So naturally that's where I decided to get my basic Lent information from.  The time of Lent is in remembrance of the 40 days the Jesus spent in the desert alone.  For this time he fasted for the forty days and was tempted by Satan three times.  While he was tempted he was able to prevail against the devil by using scripture as his arguments.

So this means to me that I need to focus for these forty days on several things.  I need to figure out what is something I depend on that would be a difficult sacrifice for me to make.  I need to examine my life and find what consumes my idle time, keeping me from becoming a better person and christian. Then I need to focus strengthening my relationship with this man who made so many sacrifices for me (and I don't mean my husband or father).

After much examination I have determined my plan of attack for this season of Lent.

• I will be giving up sweets because this is something that I crave and feel like I "have to have."  I have given up sweets each year but I also struggle with it each year because I am tempted every time desert crosses my path during these forty days.  
• Munchkies Daddy and I have decided to give up TV.  We know that we spend a lot of time wasted in front of the television and want to find other valuable, productive ways to spend our time.  
• During this time I am also going to spend time daily in prayer and devotion.  I find time daily to waste time online, in front of the TV or doing who knows what.  I want to spend some of that wasted time studying the Bible so that I can have the strength to get through difficult times in life.

So for tomorrow, Fat Tuesday, I will spend my last day until Easter eating chocolate and watching chic flicks with a good friend.  And then my plan of attack starts Wednesday morning.

Good food Good friends

When you have kids, sometimes Ikea is a huge adventure.

This weekend we had some college friends come and visit with their dog and one-year-old son. I was reminded again of how great it is to have life long friends. There are some friends that you know no matter how far apart, no matter how life turns out or how long you go in between calls, you will always be friends. It's good for me to have these kinds of friends because I'm not so great at keeping in regular touch with people, even if I am living a town over.

While our friends were here we wanted to give them the full east coast experience (as we do with all first time visitors), however with two kids sleeping/napping schedules, we didn't really get to go out and see much. So we mostly just had food that is more available on the east coast. Isn't that what people enjoy the most? I know I do!

We made lobster rolls on fresh bread, pulled some soup from the freezer and threw together a salad. I happened to think it was delicious.

Our friends appeared to have enjoyed it as well.

Lobster Rolls

1-2 pounds fresh/defrosted frozen lobster (can use smaller amount of lobster and add shrimp or scallops as well)

4 cloves fresh garlic

1/2 tablespoon butter

2-3 tablespoons melted butter

1. First I sauteed the garlic in the pan with the 1/2 tablespoon of butter on medium heat.
2. Then I added the lobster, don't put too much in the pan, only enough to cover the bottom.
3. The lobster only takes a couple minutes to cook.  You do NOT  want to overcook it!  You'll know when the lobster is done because instead of being "squishy slimy" it will feel firm when cooking utensil is pressed on it.
4. When the lobster was finished cooking there was quite a bit of water in the pan that came from the lobster.  I dumped this out and then melted the additional butter in the pan.  Then I poured the butter over the top of the lobster in a bowl.
5. We were pulling the rolls from the oven just as the butter was melting, talk about perfect timing. The rolls are cut like a hotdog bun (which can be used as well) and the lobster placed inside.  You can also slice the buns and "toast" them, cut side down, in a pan with a teaspoon or so of melted butter if you want.

 Rolls

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
7/8 cup water

1. Put all ingredients in a breadmaker and put on dough setting, or take out before it starts to bake if you don't have a dough setting.
2. If you don't have a breadmaker, mix together until forms a dough.  Let rise for 45 minutes.  Knead.
3. At this point form the dough into the shape you want and place on the pan you will be cooking it on.
4. Let rise for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Good friends and good food are just what we needed to take our mind off of the anxiety of waiting for answers to the uncertainty of our future.  A little break to enjoy being in the moment and not to worry about the future was much appreciated.

Friends are friends forever.......

I haven't been able to do much except work, sleep, repeat the last several days.  Ugh!  However, it was for a great cause!  MY FRIENDS ARE COMING!  I get so excited when people come to visit, and these friends are forever friends.  Munty and I jokingly called each other husband and wife while in nursing school because we spent more time with each other than anybody else, including our boyfriends.  I am so excited to pick them up from the airport that I am not even tired and really need to get at least a couple hours of sleep after working last night.  Here are a few pictures from my past that I went looking for this morning and they bring up all kinds of memories!  I can't wait for a great weekend followed by a week of vacation from work!

This is Munty and I freshman year of college headed to our very first nursing clinical.

Munty and I at our nursing "capping."  Yes we had to wear actual nurses' hats.

Munty and I a few weeks ago when we went to Illinois.  Oh how our lives have changed since that first day of clinical!