Sleepy Love

After my last post which was late last night or very early this morning, however you want to look at it... I went to bed all smiles and content.  An hour later, Gabe was up, which he does a lot and usually falls right back to sleep after coming into our room and getting sandwiched between Don and me.  But for the second night in a row and the fourth or fifth time in the past two weeks- he didn't fall back to sleep until almost 6 am!!!!!!!!  AHHHHHHHHHH, I feel like I have a newborn again and try to keep myself from counting the hours, or lack of hours I will be sleeping.  I have been falling in and out of sleep while he talks, tells me he wants an apple, or a movie, or picks at my shoulder... one of his habits.  I kept reminding myself of the beautiful sigh the night before, and feeling so guilty that I was so irritable.  Around 3 this afternoon I felt like a zombie and Don brought me a coffee, THANK YOU!  I stood in my kitchen, toys strewn about... dishes piled up... veggies on the counter to be cut for dinner... and I just whined.  I wanted to cry, but I was too tired.  I didn't know where to start.  Finally Don and I got the kitchen clean, dinner made and we didn't trip over the fire engines and dinosaurs and break an arm while doing it.  Days like today make me wonder how people with more on their plate do it.  I only have one child... sometimes I think he counts for 2 or 3... but still, only one.  How the heck did my great grandmothers all raise 8, 9, 10 kids?  And no Sesame Street to give them a break... and they had to use outhouses!!!  Pleeeaaaasssse baby... sleep all night long tonight.

Sweet Love

It's the simple things that have me falling deeper and deeper in love with my little boy.  Like when he was all curled up, with his tooshy in the air and his shirt was creeping up his back enough so that the small of his back was exposed, and i kissed his soft back, and he laughed a brief, quiet, sweet little laugh.  Like when I told him you shouldn't use an umbrella when it's lightening and he said, "you get fried," and I said with a laugh, "yeah," and he said with such innocence and sadness... "then I not have a mama!"  Like when he wraps his whole body around me and holds on so tight and I know there are only a handful of years left for that kind of devotion, and I have to hold on as long as possible.  Like just now, when I checked on him before going to bed and he let out a precious, perfect sigh... the sigh's that only a baby can make... the one's that melt your heart.  Yep, that is the best tumble I will ever take in life... falling for my boy.

Sailing the high seas and into the crib

I started to read "Robinson Crusoe" to Gabe tonight, the Classic Starts version.  He's digging it, and so am I.  We almost made it to Chapter 4 before he drifted off.  This is my new idea (in a long list of many) to make bedtime a little easier.  We've been reading picture books to him before bed since the day we brought him home from the hospital, starting with "Goodnight Moon"; but lately he needs something else to help him fall asleep.  I think we may try Harry Potter next.  Plus I get to read a good book too, so everyone's happy!!

The only question he had so far was "what is punch?"  Robinson "lost all [his] fears in a cup of punch and a rowdy good time."  Well punch is... kool aid of course.

Halloween vegan chili

Happy day after Halloween, or as I like to call it Happy Birthday to my father in law!!!! Last night I made the most fabulous vegan chili mmm mmm good. Very simple:

1 onion
1 clove garlic
handful of sliced mushrooms
a couple of peeled and cut carrots
1 peeled and cut sweet potato (about an inch or 2 for both potato and carrot)
1 can each of black beans, cannellini beans, and chick peas
1 can crushed tomatoes, or something similar
1 15 oz can veggie broth
carroll shelby's chili kit
olive oil

saute in olive oil onions, let them cook a bit add whole garlic clove, mushrooms, carrots, sweet potatoes and cook until onions are good and soft.  add beans, tomatoes, veggie broth and the seasonings from the chili kit. simmer for about an hour or until potatoes and carrots are tender.  add masa flour as directed on the chili kit.  top with your favorite toppings: avocado, raisins, peanuts, salsa or salted pumpkin seeds are all fabulous vegan options!!!

the next day when you want to heat it up, but it's really thick, add a little apple cider.  yummy!!! i'm eating it right now!!!!!!

p.s. now you can eat all the candy you want since this is so healthy!!!!

p.p.s. i think gabe ate 8 lollipops last night, i had to pry the last one out of his hand... now all the candy is hiding:)