Happy Thanksgiving!

The Albuquerque Olsons flew solo this Thanksgiving and it was a very relaxing and lovely holiday.  My brain appears to still be a little broken from not sleeping for 48 hours during Sullivan's cold this past week (I washed my hands with toothpaste and messed up a recipe several times over... but we'll get back eventually).  Despite the lack of cognitive togetherness, our meal came together well and it was a great day of eating, watching football, and resting.

Our day started with a whole lot of attitude. 

Apparently he just needed to be put to work.

Observing.

I decided Thanksgiving morning was the perfect day for my first run in over a year (don't ask what the hell is wrong with me, I already disclosed that my brain is broken).  

Asher aiding in some dynamic stretching.

 Me and fitness don't get along.  I ran about two blocks before saying (out loud) to myself "Well this is stupid."  It took about two hours for my lungs to stop burning and I am pretty sure something is legitimately wrong with my right knee.  Which makes me feel both old and like the universe is telling me I don't have to ever run again.  Ever again.

True love:  I can't eat any of it, but made my family the cheesiest, butteriest, milkiest scalloped potatoes.  While drooling.

Asher helping with the fig cranberry mish mash.  By "helping" I mean he kept eating all the figs.

Observing.

Hello Sullivan.

Dimply, eyebrow-y scowly face.  Hmph.

Cheers!

Harlan found something under Sully.

Sparkling cider.  The actual dinner never stood a chance.

We went Jewish this year, corned beef slow cooked for eight hours.  

Goodness gracious.  We will never do turkey again.

Thanksgiving Cheers-ing.

Thanksgiving is hard.

3 Months

Sullivan is 3 months old.. and Asher found his old stickers.

So serious, tiny little is still recovering from a cold.

Sullivan James at 3 months.

Super chunk Asher at 3 months.

These brothers have my whole heart.

Snuggin' Harlan.

Sullivan & Asher

Happy Baby :)

Piling toys on Sully.

We asked Asher to try laying on his cot... we should have known that we needed to be more specific.

Two year old interpretations.... genius.

Leasck Eyebrow.

Public Service Announcement

I have your next dinner and a great Christmas present idea for anyone you know that likes to cook.   You're welcome!

We continue on our "what makes Sully's belly hurt" adventure and to date know that eggs, soy, and wheat are not Sullivan-friendly (...huge disappointment for me today after reveling for 24 hours in what I thought was a green light to eat fresh baked bread again... huge).  We are just assuming dairy is out since it is the most common sensitivity and takes 2+ weeks to clear your system once you've had it, so we just aren't going there.  Luckily, there is a magical soup that is about the least allergenic meal out there and supremely delicious.  If you are looking for a new recipe this winter, make this soup.   It is really filling thanks to the beans and potatoes (meaning even the most crotchety of meat eaters can't deny that it is satisfying), and it is just plain good.

The recipe comes from the Moosewood Cookbook.  This is the best cookbook I've ever used.  Highly recommend it if you are looking for gift ideas!  Karen and I tried to cook our way through it this summer and never ran into a bad recipe.

Okay Ben just looked over my shoulder and is confused at why the title of this post is Public Service Announcement.  The PSA is that THIS SOUP IS AWESOME AND EVERYONE SHOULD EAT IT.  I thought that was on the level with "hey avoid that preschool, they let unvaccinated kids in" or "there has been a string of burglaries in the neighborhood, remember to lock your car at night".  Apparently
in this house there are differing opinions about what should be shared with the public...

Portugese White Bean & Kale Soup
Ingredients
(makes a crap load of soup)

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
2 TBSP olive oil
2 onions (chopped)
a bunch of garlic
salt (if you are you, about 2 tsps, if you are me, about a tablespoon)
1 fennel bulb (chopped)
1 cup chopped carrots
3 red potatoes (chopped)
2 tsp dried thyme or 1 TB fresh thyme
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 15-ounce cans of white beans (I do one can of northern, one can of butter beans)
4 cups of water or vegetable stock
1 bunch of kale (chopped)
1 lemon (juiced)

**This is a great kitchen sink recipe, if you have other vegetables you need to use up just toss em' in

1.  Chop the fennel, onion and carrots before you start cooking if you need to cook quickly.  Otherwise, drink some red wine and don't panic if things cook a little longer than the steps below say, the soup will be that much better.
2.  In a small bowl pour boiling water over the sun-dried tomatoes and let them soak.
3.  In a BIG stock pot (remember, this makes a ton of soup, about 12 servings), warm the olive oil and cook the onions, salt and garlic for about 5 minutes.  Then add the fennel and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  Then add the carrots, potatoes, thyme, and some black pepper and cook another 3-5 minutes.
4.  Add the tomatoes, beans, and water/stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, and cook covered until the potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes).
5.  Add the kale and sun dried tomatoes (with the water they were soaking in) and cook another 10 minutes.  Add lemon juice, and more salt and pepper to taste.

**Really good with french bread to soak up the broth... really good.

My sous chef eating olives while we cook.

 It's delicious...but it's also so pretty.

One of those days...

Call me crazy, but if hitting his head knocked the naps out of Asher, would re-hitting his head knock em' back in?  I'm ready to try anything.  The day he smacked his face on tile way back in October was the day he stopped napping (confounder alert: that was also the day he stopped having his pacifier).  On days that he does succumb to a nap, it is only ever after at least an hour of screaming and sobbing and multiple escape attempts.   And by then, I mean, what was the flippin' point?  I am so stressed and frustrated and wound up that all I want to do during the 45 minutes that Asher may or may not actually sleep is drink margaritas.   And I've been told you can't really do that when you are home with two small children.  Rules...hrmph.

I refuse to believe that at 2 years old he is done napping (if this was your experience with a child, please do not tell me about it, I need to hold on to the hope that this 'not napping' thing is a crazy phase that he will quickly outgrow).  As I write, Asher is screaming "I'm awake!" from down the hall.  We have been battling for 67 minutes and counting.  Waitress!  One pitcher of margaritas please!

Here is why not napping isn't really going to work for us:

1) He NEEDS his nap.  He is not ready to give up a nap.  On those blessed, miraculous days where he snoozes he wakes up so happy and refreshed and says he loved resting.  On the days when he doesn't, he is a train wreck.

2) I NEED him to nap.  I have work to do.  Not only do I have work to do, it doesn't really go so great for me to stand-up-sit-down-stand-up-sit-down-stand-up-sit-down as I go back and forth between his room and wherever I've set up my "nap enforcement outpost".  That little orthostatic-tachycardia-that-causes-arrhythmias-when-i-go-from-sitting-to-standing thing that I'm dealing with on the daily absolutely hates having to chase Asher around to get him to nap.   When the heart stuff kicks in, my pulse goes through the roof, which tricks my body into thinking I'm in flight or fight mode and anxious which, by golly, I already was since I'm going toe to toe with a berserk two year old.  Double whammy.  So not good for the ticker.

Maybe it is so hard to accept that he is done napping because my expectation (based on observation, anecdotes, and every other kid I've ever known) is that kids struggle to give up their naps when they go to kindergarten... meaning they napped until they went to kindergarten.   So yes, I feel slightly gypped that THREE YEARS of afternoon naps are slipping through my fingertips.

Nap rant over.  For today.  Because Asher isn't going to sleep and I have to figure out what to do with an overtired, flailing hysterical child for the next two hours.

He's lucky he's cute.

It's Wednesday

My sidekick while I work.

When I try to put him in his cradle to free up my hands to type... he just stares at me without blinking until I pick him back up :)

These two are fancy puppy brothers with their paw crossing.

 It was Kora's birthday yesterday!  When did Asher start being the biggest kid at Renae's?

ICH asked that I get a "return to work" letter signed by my doctor.

Good news!  I can play dodgeball...not sure if I can do a chart review though.

Work work work

Working on the strategic plan while someone sleeps on my belly. 

SNOW!

We had our first snowfall today!

Sully's first snow... so not happy.

Best thing about playing in the snow?  The hot cocoa afterwards.