Puppy Love

Meet Willow.  Willow is a Welsh Terrier we adopted in 2002, only a few months after we were married.  She was our "first kid", so to speak.  She weighed only 5 pounds when we brought her home, was adorable, and so much fun.

Willow's second day home with us - 2002

Willow had a mind of her own, and this fact could bring much entertainment or frustration, depending on how you looked at it.

A failed photo attempt - 2004

But she was very sweet.  Even when she was naughty and had been on the kitchen table while you were out of the house, she was always excited to see you.  And she was a snuggler, which I miss very much, especially on those low-energy-don't-feel-very-well types of days.

Providing some comfort after surgery - 2005

Willow was a wonderful family pet, and "adopted" both boys after we brought them home.  She would grow anxious if she wasn't sure where they were, and would often "guard" them (we did not leave her unattended, of course) where ever they were.  In the morning, part of her routine - after she had been out for business - was to lay in the nursery in front of the crib, always with her back to the baby and watching the door.

Canine Babysitter - 2010

Three years ago this week, Willow fell suddenly ill with a severe case of pancreatitis.  The prognosis for this is usually good, but the vet just couldn't get things to turn around.  I drove her from our vet to another office where she was to see an internist, as a last resort (did you know they have those for animals? I didn't).  She was supposed to stay the night under observation and see the doctor in the morning, but didn't make it. She died only an hour or two before her appointment.

Last car ride - 2010

We still miss Willow, and have not yet gotten another dog. Puppies are a lot of work, especially with two little boys and hectic schedules, but I would really like to - when it will be fair to a dog to do it. I grew up with a dog and would love for the boys to, as well. They've actually been asking for a "real dog", but when we remind them that there will be a lot of poop to pick up, they decide they are not ready yet. Maybe in a few years we'll all be ready? I don't know, but for now, I still miss my girl.

Blueberry Donuts

Our boys LOVE donuts. I don't love donut nutrition facts. Even though I can't always partake in what comes out of the oven, baking is something I love to do, especially with the kids. (Yes, even when ingredients get spilled and a cup of flour ends up on the floor. That's how we learn, right?)

I was excited to try this recipe I found on Pinterest. These still don't qualify as health food, but they're a fun, easy treat at home, and you can still try and select the best ingredients for them - like whole-grain flour, ground flax seed, or organic ingredients. This recipe is adapted from this Strawberry Glazed Donuts recipe, with only a few modifications. YUM!

Baked Blueberry Glazed Donuts

1 c. flour (I used 1/2 c. whole wheat flour + 1/2 c. unbleached white flour)

1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. milk
1 egg
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 c. fresh blueberries, pureed with 2 tsp seedless blueberry jam (I used organic berries and Trader Joe's Organic Reduced Sugar Blueberry Preserves)
1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

Have your kids wash their hands and pull a stool or kitchen chair up to the counter so they can "help". Provide a whisk or spatula to each child to quiet the bickering and resign yourself to the impending mess.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a 6-donut pan with baking spray. Keep the spray out of reach of your children so they don't spray each other with it.

 

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in milk, egg, butter, and maple syrup. Stir until well combined. Stir in blueberry mixture, starting with 1/2 of it and adding more only if needed. Batter should be wet, but not runny. Reserve the remainder for the glaze.

 

Put the batter into a pastry bag or plastic bag and snip approx 1-inch off end. Pipe batter into each well, reserving extra batter. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until donuts spring back when touched. Cool in pan for approximately five minutes and turn onto a cooling rack. Spray pan again and continue piping the rest of batter until all donuts have been made.

 

While the donuts are cooling make glaze.

 

Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar

Reserved blueberry puree

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cups cold milk

 

Stir all ingredients together until smooth. When donuts are cooled dip each into glaze and place back on cooling rack to let glaze set. When glaze has set - if you can wait that long - enjoy! We actually indulged ourselves while they were still warm and when the glaze was just set.

This glaze recipe made much more than what the yield for this recipe needs, so I saved the remainder overnight in an air-tight container, and used it to ice Blueberry Banana Bread the next day (sorry, I didn't take photos of that). Our 6 year old LOVED it! The next time I made these donuts, I halved the icing recipe.

Blueberry Banana Bread*
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. stick butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour (again, I mixed half whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. blueberries, rinsed

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans, 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5.
Whisk together flour, soda, and salt. Set aside.
Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in the blueberries and divide the batter evenly into the loaf pans.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pans on a wire rack. Loosen the loaves and remove them from pans; cool completely. Ice with blueberry glaze and slice before serving.

*recipe adapted from Betty Crocker cookbook.

Annual Review Time

My husband and I recently got through “annual review season” at our respective places of work. He is fortunate to be managing a great group of people, and I’m fortunate to be working with great people. I have always disliked annual reviews, but they’re a good time to receive feedback, guidance and set goals for the upcoming year. (We both received good reviews, in case you were wondering J).

It's funny how a good review can spark some soul-searching. With an expanding role at work, and after a couple of unexpected days at home in the past week with S-man, I found myself pondering my parental performance and goals.

Yes, I realize that each New Year is marked with resolutions - goals like losing weight, saving money, and eating out less. But when we make resolutions we usually focus on only ourselves as seen through our own lens. I’m talking about getting feedback on how we’re actually doing – how well are we functioning in our role in our own family?

Am I modeling the type of person I want my children to grow up to be? Am I spending enough time with them? Am I making the most of the time I do spend with them? Am I giving them enough room to explore life on their own and find their own interests? Yes, this list could go on and on…so, finally – am I over thinking it?

 

And what about my long-term goals? Some day our children will both be involved in more activities after school, and our free time will be come less "free." Is it reasonable to continue growing my career (alongside my husband's) if I want to be as present and involved as I want to be?

This struck me again last night, as I tucked W, our 6 year-old into bed. He asked if we could spend more time together. “Absolutely!” I replied. We decided that it was time for the two of us to have a “date”. While I realize that this request was likely prompted by the fact that his little brother got two whole days of mommy’s undivided attention, it did make me take notice and wonder: what would he put on my annual review? Furthermore, what would my husband put on my review?

 

I suppose the only way to find out is to ask.

Behind every great kid...

So many moms parents find it so easy to be hard on themselves. I am one of them.

 

Taking the Plunge (or not)

Do you know what a polar bear plunge is? Basically it’s a bunch of crazy people who plunge into near-freezing water in the winter, usually for fun, for purported health benefits, or as a fund-raiser. (CNN actually  published an article in January of this year, asking “Are polar bear plunges good for you?”. The jury’s still out).

I am most familiar with the fund-raising variety. This past weekend, my family and I traveled to my home state to support one of these events, which was co-chaired by my brother’s amazing wife. She has been inspired to bring a “Polar Plunge for Special Olympics” event to my hometown for the past four years by their equally amazing son, Hudson, who has Down Syndrome.

There are few words to describe just how cold polar plunging is. It’s COLD. This year, the water temp measured 32 degrees. Fahrenheit. Yes, that’s equivalent to 0 degrees Celsius. Literally, freezing. (Have I made my point?)




Prepping to plunge - after removing ice that had formed on the open water

 

I have plunged twice in the past. Once in 2011 (I'm the dork on the left in the weird get-up and plugging her nose):

Pre-hyperventilation

And once in 2012 (again, the dork on the left, plugging her nose):

A mild winter meant standing in lake water prior to the jump - BRRR!

This year, I was on the fence. Last year I decided that I would alternate my fundraising efforts each year between Special Olympics and Crohn’s disease awareness through CCFA. I didn’t want to be asking my supporters for money multiple times in a year, nor do I want to short either organization.

Despite this decision, I knew I would at a minimum attend the event, but still wanted to plunge. Yes, I still wanted to plunge into 32 degree water. I'm freaking nuts.

I checked with my gastroenterologist, and he did not know of any “GI contraindications” for jumping into icy water. Dr. Google didn’t turn up anything, either. Ultimately, my stomach decided for me. Things had been flaring up and after a week of a bland/soft diet, I was finally getting my Crohn’s symptoms back under control. I decided it would be best not to plunge (thanks for helping me decide, Amy!).

Alas, this is just one more thing that Crohn’s got in the way of. BUT – as with other disappointments, I made the decision to look at the bright side: I still got to attend. I took some photos for my sister-in-law; I cheered on my husband (see him and my brother below - btw, that's a wig, not a real mullet) and the other teams as they braved the jump. I got to be there and hug my sweet nephew and support a wonderful organization. THAT is what the event was about.

Dude, they have much better ups than I do

I’m extremely proud of my sister-in-law (my brother, too!). She’s a fabulous parent and person in so many ways, and the fundraising that these four plunges have brought to the athletes in their area have changed the way they compete. It’s phenomenal.

All in all, there were 210 plungers and over $65,000 raised in this small town of 20,000 people. I didn’t plunge, but I am very proud to have been a (minor) participant - Crohn's flare or not.