Sliding Into Spring

I saw into the near future today and it was chaotic but a lot of fun!  Temps hit 70 in Boston and Jill and I hit the playground after work.  It was our second visit and Jill seemed to discover one of the slides.  Eight steep metal steps up and a decent angle decline to the ground.  I carried Jill to the top and we went down the slide together.  That was the last time I carried her.  Jill climbed the steps on her own (right, left, one foot per step) with Mom's hands on her bum 12 more times.  Yes, we went up and down the slide 12 times, bouncing in excitement at the top and laughing out loud at the bottom each time.  She loved it!  We also played on the swing and made a mess in the sand.  I can't wait for spring!

The Irish Italian

With her big brown eyes and Italian hand gestures, Jill is surely a Musante.  She looks so much like Tony that one of my friends at work, Polly, calls her Antonia.  But since everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day - and Jill does share some Irish ancestory - she dressed this morning in her kelly green shirt, a gift from her buddy Cadence.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Time Change Playground Style

The morning is dark and the sun comes up later, but the evenings bring the chance to get outside.  It's 6 p.m. and still somewhat light outside.  Let's take advantage of this!  I took the girls (Jill and Rachael) for a quick walk around the block then decided to turn down the dirt side street to the playground Tuesday night.  Our neighbors and their kids were there and Jill wanted out of the stroller and fast!  She navigated the uneven grass terrain well, stopping only to greet Marilyn (the 22mth old neighbor) and their new dog, Doug.  Rachael and Doug hit it off.  Tony had a serious Dad moment when he turned right one street early to visit us at the playground instead of driving straight home.  I told him he couldn't miss Jill walking around with the other kids and checking out the slide, swingset and other equipment.  Marilyn, on the other hand, was busy going down the steep slide and doing angels on her back in the dirt.  A preview of the craziness to come!

Monday Night Martinis

Monday night blues?  Nope, not here.  We drink martinis, Guinness and vodka on Monday nights.  We don't mess around.  I'm exaggerating obviously, as this group of Moms hasn't seen many baby-free nights, nevermind together.  We started at the Bell in Hand then met Al at Houston's for some fun drinks and sushi.  We had a really good time catching up - the wine didn't hurt either!  Al was nice enough to give me a ride to the T station where my car was parked. 

What did I find upon my return home at 8 p.m.?  Jill asleep on the couch with Tony.  She boycotted napping the entire day with my Mom then passed out cold before 6 p.m.  A mess, I thought.  I pictured her bathed, fed, diaper changed and fast asleep.  Not at all.  We woke her at 8 to swap out a fresh diaper, suck back a bottle and pass out again.  Right?  Wrong.  She drank her bottle then went wild like it was 7 a.m. and she was ready to play all morning.  Ummmm it's 9 p.m., I thought, and I was planning on plopping in the tub, possibly with another glass of wine.  I was planning on playing with pictures and blogging.  I was planning on continuing my selfish non-Momness for the evening. 

Then again, I was sad of the thought of not seeing Jill at all that day.  Time change troubles?  Nah, not until the fall.  Ha!  Wrong again.  Jill didn't fall asleep until almost 10 p.m.  Are we continuing the party and I missed the memo?  We had to wake her Tuesday morning (typically she's up and ready to go by 6) but her schedule regulated itself at day care where she ran herself ragged, napped for two hours and went to bed more or less on time Tuesday night.  Success!

Birthday Weekend

Thirty-one.  Not quite sure when this happened since it seems like a few weeks ago I was a freshman in college.  That much time has passed?  I don't know when.  It is because Tony and I have been together since the beginning of sophomore year?  Sometimes it seems like only a few weeks ago.

I spent my 29th birthday (yes, again Kathleen) with Jill.  We drove into work then played at home.  My Mom put Jill to bed at her house and Tony and I went to Curley's with Mel & Brian, Mandy, Jess and Jess & Scott.  Laura & Brian came later for drinks.  One of the things I realized this weekend was that I love going out on Friday nights.  It felt like Sunday afternoon and it was only Saturday.  A second thing I noticed was that birthdays never stop being fun.  Lucia made a sign for my cube at work.  Patricia brought in mini red velvet cupcakes.  Texts and emails - some from friends far away or friends I haven't spoken to in awhile - flooded in (not really but it felt like it).  I got presents.

What?  I'm 31 not 13, and yet my Mom still packed shiny gift bags with funky earrings, perfume, flavored lip balm and a new sports bra because - she informed me - mine are nasty (a benefit or not of your Mom coming over every week to watch your child and sometimes swap laundry and empty the dishwasher).  I wasn't expecting presents (ok, maybe something small from Tony) and yet received some of the most thoughtful cards and gifts.  A block of classes at Healing Tree Yoga, Lululemon pants, a massage, gift cards to Kohl's, Old Navy and Barnes & Noble, wow!  Once Jill was born, we knew the center of attention had shifted.  The "Princess" as my parents called me had passed her crown.  The main attraction is most certainly Jill, and for good reason.  But this weekend, I felt remembered, appreciated and loved.  It was very nice :)

Saturday came and I was somehow not hungover.  We tackled Market Basket at full force where the Laughing Cow cheese I so love was a whole dollar less than Hannaford's.  Our extra large carriage was overflowing and paper towels and dog food took up the shelf space underneath.  Evaporated fat free milk, chicken broth and cornstarch were hiding somewhere in the cart along with other ingredients to continue my culinary conquest.

The smell of baking butternut squash filled our enormous 1,000 sq. ft. home.  I tried a chicken pot pie recipe from Weight Watchers. 

CHICKEN POT PIE

Ingredients:
1 cup reduced fat Bisquick
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed
2 cups cooked, chopped white chicken meat
2 cans Campbells fat free (Healthy Request) Cream of Mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a casserole dish (at least 2 inches deep) with Pam. Mix together veggies, chicken and soup. Pour into casserole dish. In another bowl, mix Bisquick, milk, and egg. Pour over the top of chicken mixture in the casserole. Bake for about 30 min or until crust is golden.

Separated into 4 large servings, each serving is 6.5 pts., which I count as 7.  Half-points are pointless.

So again, this is a Weight Watchers recipe.  There is no cream, butter, salt, or anything that makes food delicious.  So when my mother-in-law, Kim, visited from northern Vermont on Saturday and tested the pot pie, she - like many Musantes - added a decent amount of salt. 

Kim left Burlington, VT that morning where the temps were stuck in the 30s and a couple feet of snow still line the sidewalks.  She came to our house where the snow has all but melted and the sun was shining for the majority of the day.  What a nice change that must have been for her.  And of course it was nice for us to have her visit.  Family, friends and throw in a little sunshine too - what a weekend!

On Sunday, we baked sweet potatoes for weekday eating and took a stab at beef and beer stew.  Recipe to follow.  Again, Weight Watchers.  Recipe yields 4 servings for 6 pts. each.

BEEF AND BEER STEW

Ingredients:
1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
12 oz lean beef round, roast, cut into cubes
1 medium onion(s), chopped
1 item(s) (medium) bell pepper(s), chopped
2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced (or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic)
2 medium uncooked potato(es), peeled and diced
24 medium baby carrots, about 1/2 lb
1 cup(s) fat-free beef broth
8 oz light beer
1/4 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp paprika

Instructions:
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, pepper and garlic; cook until beef is browned, stirring, about 3 minutes. Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth and beer (I used Bud Light); bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir together evaporated milk, cornstarch and paprika in a small cup; add to beef mixture and stir to combine. Cook until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving. 

Like the chicken pot pie, the stew was tasty but nothing out of this world.  What do you want for only 6 pts!

Special Visitor

Nana visited from Vermont this weekend.  It was wonderful to have her! 

Jill Takes Genzyme

Jill and I ventured into Cambridge today.  It was the first time I'd driven to work and I did a fine job through thick traffic and idiotic pedestrians.  This was Jill's second visit to Genzyme; her first was a long time ago before I headed back from maternity leave.  We visited co-workers.  A good number of friends were able to see Jill, which was nice since it's been so long.  It was a pleasant surprise for some and I could tell Jill lifted spirits on such a dreary day!  Thanks to Kate for taking these pictures with her fancy phone!