This Kid Cracks Me (and himself) up!

Happy 2nd Birthday Berkey!

Berkeley turned two on New Years Eve; such a lucky kid to always have people celebrating his big day. He woke up to find a new train track with "choo choos." He absolutely loves his trains. Christmas was fresh on his mind, so he was thrilled to see more presents. His brain remembered that wrapped presents=cool toys inside. Grandma(s), Grandpa(s), Great Grandma(s) and Great Grandpa as well as Aunt JaNean all sent him lots of fun things to unwrap on his birthday.

We waited to open some gifts until the evening when some of our favorite friends came over. Gloria and Stef, Nikki and RyRy and Dan and Liser all came for a fun night of food and giggles. They also brought Berke more fun toys to open. Berke loved his new Big Bird, Ernie and Abby dolls.

He loved playing on this new toy from G and Stef; never ending amounts of fun. He had a great birthday. We all sang Happy Birthday to him which he LOVED ( I wonder why he enjoys being the center of attention? That doesn't run in our family). I bought him a cute Elmo and Cookie Monster Cupcake to eat but he wanted no part of them; I guess the kid just doesn't want to eat his friends.

We waited a week to have his big birthday bash, as most of his friends needed to get back into town from their holiday adventures. We had an Elmo themed birthday party, as this is his whole world right now! Our friend Christine made this AMAZING Elmo cake. I absolutely love this cake, it is the cutest thing that ever existed.
Check out her website: http://sweetiebabecakes.blogspot.com/ she is open for business.

Here is a Birthday set up, complete with our new fish friend, Dorothy.

Look at all of Berkeley's adorable friends! This is the best picture of the 10 I took, I am sad you cannot see little Lina behind Berke, but there is no way to get a perfect picture with 7 kids ages 1-3 years. From the left we have Lina, Berkeley, Quentin, Enzo, Charlotte, Soren, and Lily. Each of these cute kids have such fun personalities and wonderful parents. We are lucky to have so many super friends with such fun kids.

Kids love balloons, Berkeley could play with them all day. He and Q really had fun going crazy with these red balloons. Gotta love the static hair.

RyRy and Berke
RyRy is Berke's favorite friend currently; at night sometimes Berke wakes up and just talks for a while and then falls back asleep. Usually he just says all the words he knows a few times randomly, mostly all the Sesame Street characters names. I have noticed lately that he has added RyRy to his list. It goes something like this, "Elmo, Oscar, Cookie, RyRy, Big Bird." He is always asking for RyRy. Whenever his little friend comes over he is so thrilled; he runs up to him and brings him all his toys so they can play together. Luckily RyRy is a good sport and loves to have fun with the little guy.

Berkeley and his Daddy
Berke is very attached to his daddy right now. For some reason for the last 2 months Berke has been calling his Daddy...Mommy, which C is less than thrilled about. So for now, we are both "Mama". Berke spends a lot of time with his dad and therefore they are very close. He has no problem when I leave for work or go somewhere, but when his daddy leaves he gets very sad. These two are such close little buddies and I love it. They are always laughing, being goofy together and just having fun. Berke is lucky to have such an amazing father and role model in his little life. Just this week, we were all getting ready to leave, I was walking out the door with Berke and C went to turn off a light in the house. Berke started crying, saying "Mama? Mama?" He walked through the dark house trying to find his daddy cause he didn't want to go outside without him. So adorable.

My little monkey
I love my little two year old. It is crazy how fast the past two years have gone. I love to brag to everyone about my handsome son. I love this little man so much and am grateful for the way he inspires me to be a better person.

Happy Birthday Buddy! We love our little Elmo fan.

A huge thank you to all our friends who came out to celebrate our little man's Birthday. We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful East Coast "family" and to be able to associate with such unique and amazing individuals.

Meat Free for an Entire Year

It is hard to believe it has been an entire year since we made the decision to become vegetarians. It has been interesting to see all of the reactions we have gotten as we have "come out." I think it is safe to say that my family thinks that we are truly out of our minds! They are meat and potato type of people and don't really try a lot of new foods and if they do, I can assure you it is gonna include some sort of meat.

I think some of my favorite responses are:
"So.....what do you eat?"
"Well, I actually like meat."

Let me just set the record straight here people; there are MANY things you can eat besides meat. Not all dinners have to center around what meat you have in the freezer. I would challenge all of you who still eat meat, to try to be vegetarian for just a week. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with all the yummy foods that are out there that don't require meat.

Secondly, I don't eat meat because I don't like it. I LOVE the taste of meat (as I remember it) and did not become a vegetarian because meat tastes gross. In a nut shell we stopped eating meat due to the way animals raised for eating are being raised and slaughtered. We don't feel it is healthy for our bodies and it is very cruel to God's creatures. We felt this was the best decision for our family and have not regretted it.

Things I have learned this year:

• The meat I crave most is a nice turkey sandwich. I really haven't missed red meat at all and my cravings for meat decreased greatly after about one month of not having meat.
• Going out to eat hasn't been too challenging; there are usually quite a few options on the menu for us to chose from. The hardest places to find something vegetarian are the big chain restaurants surprisingly. Big Chains like Chili's, Cheesecake Factory, The 99, etc have proven to have the least options. I get very frustrated with menus who don't start off vegetarian and then give you the option to add meat for an additional cost. What happens is you get charged the full price of a meal, lets say a salad, but you don't get the meat which costs the most money. I REFUSE to do this, and have learned to stay away from chains. Being in Somerville/Cambridge area has many local restaurants and this is never an issue.
• Getting fast food is nearly non existent for a vegetarian. When you don't eat meat, then going through the drive thru to get something quick isn't really an option. However, Burger King just came out with a pretty yummy veggie burger and we did try that once. This has saved me with my love affair with french fries, as I can never justify going through the drive through for just a bag of greasy fries (ok, I may have done this on two occasions).
• I have felt much healthier since becoming a vegetable eater. I rarely get sick to my stomach any more and have not dealt with any stomach bugs during the year. This is a huge change for me.
• We now eat a lot less fried foods, as well as greasy food. I feel that this change has really helped in my weight loss.
• I didn't die without turkey on Thanksgiving. There were plenty of other delicious foods to eat and we had a wonderful holiday.
  

Over all I would say it has been a very positive experience that we plan to continue.
For Christmas we received The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen; it is quickly becoming our favorite cookbook. It has many wonderful and creative vegetarian meals that are amazingly tasty! We had this recipe on Monday night and it was VERY delicious; there really are so many things you can make without meat. Try it, you just never know, you might like it!!! (Even you Dad!!!!)


Mexican Pepper Casserole
45 minutes to prepare, 40 minutes to bake

1 Tbs olive oil
2 cups sliced onion
6-8 medium sized bell peppers (a mix of colors, if available) thinly sliced
4-5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
black pepper, to taste
cayenne, to taste
2 Tbs. flour
2-3 eggs
2 cups yogurt and/or sour cream
Optional Items:
1 tsp dried coriander, 1 tsp dry mustard, a handful of freshly minced cilantro, 2 cups sliced jack or cheddar cheese, paprika for the top

1) Lightly grease a 10 inch square pan or its equivalent. Preheat oven to 375

2) Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven. Add onion and saute about 5-8 min over medium heat, until the onions begin to soften.

3) Add peppers, salt, cumin, dried coriander, mustard, black pepper, and cayenne. Saute another 8-10 minutes, then sprinkle in the flour. Cook and stir another 5 minutes, or until the peppers are very tender. Transfer to the baking pan.

4) Beat together the eggs and yogurt or sour cream. Stir in the minced fresh cilantro. Pour this custard over the peppers. Top with slices of cheese, if desired, and dust with paprika.

5) Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes until firm in the center and bubbly around the edges. Serve hot with rice and beans and or warmed tortillas.

We served ours over rice and beans and it was really enjoyable to our taste buds. We added the cilantro and cheese to our casserole and found it to be wonderful.
Next on the list this week is Gado Gado; an Indonesian extravaganza: Yellow rice on a bed of spinach covered with vegetables, tofu and hard boiled eggs. I will let you know how that turns out.

Here is a blog my friends and I (mostly my friends) contribute to, if you are look for other vegetarian recipes. Hope you find it helpful!
http://www.legumesamis.com/

TWO

Happy Birthday to my sweet 2 year old!

2010

We have been incredibly blessed this year; 201o has brought nothing but good and happiness to our little family. Here's a review of all the fun we've had:

January - We began vegetarians (that's right no meat or fish for a year now). Berke got his stylish glasses. Christian taught a writing class to freshman at Brandeis University about Country Music. We saw the movie Avatar in the theater (1 of the 2 movies we got to go to this year).

February- I took a Tap Dancing class through Cambridge Adult Education, Christian and I went on a surprise date for Valentines to a Murder Mystery Show (thanks again Julie for sitting the boy!)

March-We worked hard at school and work. Stayed warm inside.

April- Christian took a trip to Fargo, North Dakota to see his piece, Flux Flummoxed, premiered. We cheered on the Boston Marathon Runners, I bought a new bike and Berkeley got a bike seat. Many fun family bike rides around town.

May- Christian took a trip to his home town, Show Low, AZ to be a guest lecture at a college there as well as to hear the White Mountain Symphony play one of his pieces. He was able to see his parents and both brothers during the trip. I went to Seattle, WA to be a brides maid in Julia's wedding. I FINALLY got to see Sugarland, one of my favorite country music duos. Our family took a weekend trip to Portland, Maine and explored the town and enjoyed time away from our busy schedules.

June- McDuff turned 5 years old. Christian took off for a week to attend a music festival in Norfollk, CT; while he was gone my dad came for a visit. We had fun going to the aquarium, the zoo, and Crane Beach. Berkeley is finally old enough to go into nursery at church!!! I was released as Young Women's President. We attended a real live Polo Match and attempted to live like the other half.

July- Went to the Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach, we went Camping in the Berkshires and attended a concert at Tanglewood. I was called to serve in the nursery at church. Meanwhile Christian continues to slave away in his primary calling with the 7-8 year olds. Berkeley took a water babies class at the local pool; he did great kicking and jumping into the water.

August- We went to a Red Sox Game. I went with some gal pals to Oqunquit, Maine for a fun weekend get away. I quit my job at Ethos doing Elder Protective Services and started a new job as a Hospice Social Worker. The week between jobs we took a family vacation to the Cape and Martha's Vineyard; we did a lot of biking and playing in the sand. We enjoyed going whale watching and seeing lots of amazing hump back whales. Christian started back at school teaching a Music Theory class at Brandeis.

September- We went with our friends Stef and Gloria to the Berkshires over Labor Day weekend and stayed with Gloria's parents. While there we attended a Garlic Festival, went on a treasure hunt, Berkeley peed on a couch in a restaurant and we became corn hole champions. I completed my first Triathlon. We took a trip to Vermont with Ryan and Nicole; stayed in a fun cabin, went apple picking and enjoyed the fire place and fall colors.

October- Finished the Tuft's 10K with a group of women from my church. A visit from Christian's parents. A visit from my mom; highlights were the Head of the Charles Regatta, and going to Salem dressed as witches. Berke was a giraffe for Halloween and enjoyed trick or treating this year. Christian turned 32. We celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.

November- Finished my first 1/2 marathon. Christian passed his oral exams; ABD BABY!!! Turned 30 years old! Christian and my ladies threw me a fabulous SNL birthday party. We saw Harry Potter in the theater (2nd movie we saw together in the theater this year.)

December- Took a day trip to NYC with my friend Kelly to enjoy the lights and Christmas Spirit. Saw The Addams Family on Broadway. Saw Jersey Boys on Broadway the next week. Attended the traditional Cambridge Wreath Making Party. Christian made lots of Christmas Candy (I ate way too much). Had a wonderful Christmas! Berkeley turned 2 the last day of the year!

We hope 2011 brings us as much accomplishment, joy and fun as 2010. We do hope we will get to see more family in 2011; please note this may be our last summer in Boston, so if you want to plan a trip....do it NOW! We look forward to the challenges, goals and outings of the new year.
We hope 2011 finds you all healthy, wealthy and wise!!!

Happy New Year!

Snowed In

Yesterday we had a big ole snow storm here in Boston. When this happens the city calls a snow emergency, which means cars can only park on one side of the road. When an entire city parks their cars on the street this can cause a major problem. It also means when it snows, you pick a spot and you DON'T move. So yesterday, we did lots of projects inside and had a pajama day!

Besides taking the opportunity to put all our Christmas decorations away, we seized the opportunity to "re-do" Berkeley's room. This was an emotional project for me, much more than I had anticipated. We decided after Christmas we would get rid of his changing table and the rocker to give him more space to play and make room for his Christmas toys. I realized how attached I was to this precious rocker; this simple piece of furniture holds so many dear memories. This room has been set up this way for two years now and it was hard to think it would be different. Before Christian took my chair to the basement I "snuggled" with Berke one last time in it; that lasted all of 5 seconds. It made me realize how fast that little baby grew up and I suddenly wanted another baby again. I realized that wasn't going to happen, so I made peace with my chair saying good bye for a time (but not before begging Christian to find another spot in our home for it). I know it will be around for the next little spirit that joins our family.

I purchased this new rug for Berke's room, I think it is pretty fun.

After a lot of work decluttering, finding missing toys under furniture, and furniture assemble, this is how the final product turned out. It really opened up the room quite a bit, and now Berke can be a crazy boy with lots of space to play.

Once the rug is in place it will be finished.

PS- As I write this I am wondering why my kid is being so quite....oh yep, he has something he is not supposed to play with and just tried to hide it from me. Clever kid! I cannot believe he is going to be TWO on Friday!!!

It's a Wonderful Life

The Christmas Season came and went so quickly this year. We had intentions of doing many more holiday related activities, but time got away from us. Gingerbread house making will be on the top of the list for next year, as it just didn't happen this year. We did do many wonderful things however, and one of our most favorite traditions is our Christmas Eve Party.

This year was our 4th Christmas in Boston; can you believe it? We really enjoy spending our holiday with our little family. The stress of traveling over the holidays has been less appealing to us in our "old age" and we have stuck around our home with our little family since our move to the big city. Since we started staying here, we have been hosting a Christmas Eve party for friends who are also staying in the area.
This year was a huge success! We had quite the aray of dietary needs with our guests; we had vegans, vegetarians, and people who needed their food gluten free. Christian pulled it off like a champion! He made a vegan and a gluten free eggplant Parmesan as well as stuffed shells (not vegan or gluten free) and it was delicious! We had quite the fun crowd this year with 5 families coming over to join in the eating festivities. We also played a killer game of Christmas Pictionary, decorated sugar cookies for Santa, sang Christmas Carols (Lisa and I did a mean rendition of "Santa Baby"), watched Berkeley crunk (see below video), and just had a good time laughing and visiting. The night went so fast, but it was memorable indeed.

That night, Santa Clause came and brought Berkeley lots of fun toys!

Christmas morning we enjoyed our traditional monkey bread and fruit, followed by hours of opening and playing with presents. McDuff LOVES opening presents; luckily he was around to show his little brother how this was done. McDuff got a variety of doggie treats, a ball and a stuffed hedge hog and was grateful that Santa Paws did not leave him out.

One of my favorite presents is my new blue tooth. I do most of my chatting with friends and family in the car, so this little gadget will be quite handy.

I purchased t his movie for Christian as it describes him to a T!
(The Absent Minded Professor)

Berkey got lots of fun toys and musical devices this year. I thought he was very clever to discover that his symbols were just the size of his electric drums and he could use them both to create "heavenly" tunes.

Just rockin' out with the Elmo guitar!

We had a wonderful Christmas! It is always bitter sweet; I love all the fun ramping up to the holidays, the day of, and then POOF, just like that it is all over!
Thanks to all who gave us such thoughtful gifts and treats!
We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family, to be privileged to have such amazing friends here that we consider to be family as well, and to be able to celebrate the birth and life of Christ during this special time of year.