DOVE FAMILY

Our Disney trip is about 4 months away and since you all know that I am a planner and organizer- I have already started to pick up a few necessities for the trip. We have been to Disney many times before and I’m sure many of you have as well. Other than the normal necessities that everyone packs, let me know if you have some nifty ideas that you think I should pack on the trip!!!

We let Matthew pick out a sport for him to take part in this winter and he chose...TENNIS! Not indoor soccer, not indoor lacrosse, not indoor wrestling, not futsal...but Tennis! We lvoe watching him and its such a great sport. I never played tennis in high school. Dave tried to get me to play tennis when we first got together and before we had kids but it was bad. So bad. I did look cute though with a tennis skirt, cute shoes and a cute top.
Anyway..back to Matthew- he loves it. He enjoys going, he really wants to learn and he practices as much as he can downstiars in the basement. Coach Mike is excellent with the kids, patience, spends time with each child and teaches them the right way to hold a racket, the correct swing and he teaches them how to have fun with tennis!

Matthew's art teacher has asked each student to make a paper doll representing one or more of their family's nationality or heritage. Matthew is around the Filopino culture alot- he hears tagalog spoken on Sundays, he hears us talk about the Philippines and he eats Filopino food. He also is aware that mommy is from the Philippines and he is a mixture of wonderful nationalities like Irish, German, English, Filopino, Spanish and a little Italian. So we asked him what he wants his doll to be and he picked IRSIH! We found some cute golf green knickers, shoes and a green vest with a plaid bow tie. The doll even has a green hat with a four leaf clover, the Irish Flag and a pot of gold!

I love being in the kitchen- cooking (or trying to cook) washing dishes, cleaning out the pantry...I know it's a sickness. One of the things I really enjoy is cooking- a new recipe, an old recipe, or something that I came up with on the whim hoping that David and the kids will like it. Most of the time, my recipes turn out ok and edible. There have been times that I have burnt things or thrown out a whole pot since it was horrible. But I try and I enjoy trying to cook.
We try to get the kids in the kitchen as often as possible. Weeknights are difficult since we have so much to do between homework, dinner, packing the next day's lunch, sports etc. But even on these busy weekenights, we try to get the kids to set up the table, clean up their dishes and put away condiments after dinner. So weekends are perfect days when we can get the kids in the kitchen to help out. The kids love to wash the dishes, cook soups, chili, pasta and of course dessert!

I am not a big wine drinker. Back in the day I loved the Vodka, Bombay Saphire, Alize and Kaluha. But even back in the day, I didn't drink to get drunk. I was always too scared to get crazy drunk. Now I can't get crazy drunk if I tried- I get a little dizzy after two glasses of wine and I fall asleep after drinking a bottle of beer. I do enjoy sipping, yes sipping a little glass of wine while I make dinner or during dinner but I am very picky when it comes to wine.

I am no wine connoisseur.
I don't go to wine tastings.
I don't know how to pair wine with dinner.
I don't like cabernet savignon (sp?).
I don't like the dry, rich and bold stuff.

But I do know what I like. I like sweet red wine, sweet white wine and rose colored wine. I don't care what name brand it is, I don't care if it costs me $3 a bottle. If its good, if I like then that is all that matters. Here are a few wines that I do enjoy- cheap? YES. Sweet? Absolutely! If you have some super sweeet red wines that you love- please send the names my way! I would love to try them! Just don't make me try that dry, bold and spicy wine! Here are some of my favorites!

1. Sweet Walter Red
http://www.bullyhill.com/wines/

2. Scooter Trash Red from Clinch Mountain Winery
http://clinchmountainwinery.com/

3. Yellow Tail Merlot and Yellow Tail Sweet Red Roo (coming out this Spring!)
http://www.discoveryellowtail.com/wine/merlot.php

4. Riunite Lambrusco
http://www.riunite.com/

I am loving Pinterest- not only am I gettting craft ideas for us to do at home but I am getting recipes from different people! People who may have gotten it from a cool site, famours chef or regular cooks just like me who like to try new things. My family (except Julia of course) loves Sesame Chicken, however, we are very picky when it comes to Chinese food. Extremely picky. So in the last few years, I have learned how to make good and healthful General Tso chicken and sweet and Sour chicken. I recently found this recipe for Sesame Chicken and it was excellent. We had it last night with brown rice and let me just say--- there was nothing left when we were done! I did put aside a few chicken peices for Julia and didn't mix them with sauce since we all know how picky she is. Its easy to make for 1 person, 4 people or even 8! Check it out!




My Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pin/84090718012233136/

Recipe can be found here:
http://www.alidaskitchen.com/2012/02/lighter-sesame-chicken.html


Lighter Sesame Chicken
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced (or grated)
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 2-inch chunks
Coarse salt and pepper
Cooking spray
4 scallions, thinly sliced
4 cups broccoli florets, steamed (for serving)
3/4 cup brown rice, cooked according to package instructions (for serving)

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, sesame seeds and garlic to make the sauce. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, stir egg whites and cornstarch with a fork until combined. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. (Note: depending on your pan size, chicken may need to be cooked in batches).

A few weeks ago we were invited to a spur of the moment play date and dinner with friends. My friend Amber made us Potato & Leek soup which was a recipe that her mother used to make her. All I can say is WOW. So good. I made it this past weekend and you NEED crusty french bread and butters so you can scoop up all the goodness of the soup. Easy to make, taste great and the best part about it- my kids loved it. Or should I say "kid" as in Matthew only since we all know how picky Julia is. Try it. You will love it!

Leek and Potato Soup:

1 large yellow onion (chopped)
1 lb of leeks (sliced thin-using all of it-green and white)
1 lb of russet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
2Tbsp of butter
6 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of milk (any kind is ok- I used whole milk)

To prepare the leeks –
Cut the end off and slice the leeks open lengthwise (Separate all of the layers out) and place them in an ice cold water bath (either fill a clean sink or use an oversized bowl) Let the sand fall into the water off of the leeks for about 15min.
Once cleaned, pat them dry and them slice them across in thin slices

In a large pot, melt butter on med/high heat (for about 10min)
Add chopped onion, leeks, and potatoes
Sauté them until soft on med/low heat (approx. 30-40min)
Or until potatoes are pretty soft
Bring temp up slightly and add the chicken stock and milk(warm temperature milk)
Heat through for another 10 min.
Turn off heat and let cool to room temp.
Use food processor to puree all and add back to pot to warm through for serving

After giving the kids a good scrubbing, closing the 4th book after we said only 1 book, tucking them in three times and checking the closets, the window, the bathroom and under the bed. It’s time for them to go to sleep. They kids continue to argue, laugh at one another, make faces from across the room at each other, throw stuffed animals at each other as Dave continues to tell them to stop. Dave tells them to go to bed for the last time and comes to our room shaking his head. Then with one more burst of laughter from their bedroom, Dave storms in and with a stern voice says,

David: “This is the last time I am going to say this. Go to bed now so we can have mommy & daddy time”
Matthew: “What’s mommy & daddy time?”
David: “Just go to sleep Matthew!”

Mommy & Daddy time = laundry, dishes, scraping crumbs from the carpet, scrubbing stain stick on jeans, David unclogging the toilet for the 2nd time that night because "someone" put too much toilet paper in the toilet, shaking sand out of clothes from the playground, bills, super gluing parts of their shoes together so I don't have to buy yet another pair of shoes, oh and did I mention laundry??

Now if Dave can just figure out a way for these damn monster to stop making noise at night and waking up our kids- we would have real mommy & daddy time!

As I mentioned in the post below, I had a 30 minutes to myself the other day. I was so excited that I didn't know what to do with myself! Shop for shoes? Go to the grocery store? Get gas?
What should I do? Should I start dinner early? Pack lunches for tomorrow?

I went straight home. I ran upstiars, went to the bathroom by myself and put my pajamas on! Yes I did! Then I ran around looking for the tablet. I opened up the Kindle App, picked a book in my Lirbary and curled up on my little chair and I read a book.


Do you know the last time I read a book without Dave and the kids around? Do you know that I hardly ever read GOOD books and that my nose is usually burried in a textbook, kids homework or other non-chic, kissing, romantic novels? Do you know that although I only had 30 minutes, of sweet time for myself? The 30 minutes was so sweet, so needed I LOVED IT.

I read a racy, raunchy cute, funny and adorable book called "Sleeping in Paris". The few pages I read were so good that I can't wait until Dave and the kids are asleep and I can get carried away in this book.





http://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-with-Paris-ebook/dp/B005TNM736/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329494036&sr=1-3

The other night I realized that there is something I don't do by myself anymore. We take it for granted. Many of you haven't experienced this, but surely I wouldn't change my life over it. I just realized it the other day....

I never or hardly ever go to the bathroom by myself. I never have time for myself in the bathroom! This is something I realized the other day when I was at home by myself for a mere 30 minutes. I went to the bathroom alone. Silence. No cries. No barging in. No fighting. Usually when I go to the bathroom at home, the moment I STEP into the bathroom, someone is following me. As soon as I STEP into the bathroom, someone needs a drink. Someone needs me to turn on their show. Someone hurt their finger or their toe. As soon as I STEP into the bathroom and close the door, someone opens it and asks, "What are you doin mommy?"

The minute I turn on the shower and step in, I hear footsteps in the bathroom of someone having to use the toilet. They do know that we have 4...yes 4 toilets in the house but they have to use the toilet in the same bathroom I am taking a shower in. The minute they hear I am in the shower, someone cries for help. Someone yells for me.

We take our time alone in the bathroom for granted. We don't realize how much that few minutes in the bathroom is just needed. To do your duty. To think. To sit. To have that few minutes of quiet time. To look at the stain on the counter and know you have to clean it. To look at the toys hidden behind the toilet.

I miss it. So I go to work, I go to the bathroom and think I have a minute to myself and I hear gossip. I hear coughing. I hear people talking on their phones. I hear people laughing. I hear people talking about their doctors appointments. I hear other things....I will leave those noises out.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, our kids are tech monsters. From video games, handheld games, tablets, computers, phones and more. Even though they love using technology and its part of our every day lives, one of the things we just LOVE to do is have family game night. We have been doing this for some time now and the kids just enjoy this time. We usually do this on a Friday night when we are not rushed to do homework, bath time, read, or pack lunches.
We let the kids take out all their board games- things from Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Ants in the Pants, Don't Break the Ice, Zing Bingo, Hungry Hippos, Hot Potato, Operation and Perfection and Air Hockey. You name it- we play it!

Matthew's favorites are Zingo Bingo (he always wins at this game), Don't Break the Ice and Hot Potato.
Julia's favorites are Candy Land (she always wins at this game), Hungry Hippos, Zingo Bingo and Elefun.

We have a blast playing these games. Some of them only last a minute or two, but then we break out another game and play again!

My only complaint is I never win- seriously. I don't try to lose so the kids or Dave can win. I actually TRY to win and TRY to play. I just always end up losing.....

Where did winter go? I am not THAT sad that we didn't have a very cold or snowy winter. However, I have two very sad children at home that have been wishing for snow since Thanksgiving! A few weeks ago, the kids were so exicted to see about 1.5 inch of snow and some ice on the ground. Immediately after they woke up, snow suites, snow boots and hats were everywhere and they demanded to go outside to play. Matthew ran downstairs and hauled his big red sled up the steps and he was ready. He went outside where he and his friend Alex were determined to go down a big hill today. He was serious. He was going sledding. Who cares if its only 1.5 inch of snow. It's game time...

So, one of my new favorite things is pinterest if you haven't noticed already. I found this awesome idea for broken crayons! I know many of you have them in your supply box, in your crayone box and in between the couch cushions!

Valentine's Day was never that big of a big deal for me and Dave before we had kids. I know I love him, he loves me, we tell each other every day, so just celebrating our love on one day a year has never made sense to me. I don't need expensive flowers that will end up dying, I don't need a fancy dinner. I just need him.


Since the kids came, do lots of different things with the kids because they have parties and events at school. We make special valentine's day cookies or a cake, make a fun dinner and we now make valentine's day crafts! Check out my pinterest page below to see some of the things we have done.

February is a big month for us- Matthew & Abe both share February 3rd as their birthday and then my nephew Dylan is February 6th. We had another celebration this past Sunday (february 5th) for Dylan and Abe. They had a Superman cake as well as awesome Filopino & American foods. We always enjoy our get togethers especially when it includes a celebration!

Happy 30th Birthday Abe!
Happy 12th Birthday Dylan!
Happy 6th Birthday Matthew!

Friday, February 3rd was Matthew's 6th birthday. I was so excited that I had an opportunity to be at his celebration in his classroom. Mrs. Bitner is a wonderful Kindergarten teacher and Matthew is very lucky to have her as his teacher. His school and teachers make a very big deal in celebrating a child's birthday. They give each child a sticker and make them a cute crown. the child's birthday is announced over the speaker, the teachers and children all greet the birthday child as they walk through the hallways. Mrs. Bitner helped Matthew pass out the cupcakes to all of his friends. Then as a special treat, they had an extra recess afterwards!

A few months ago, we asked Matthew where he wanted his birthday party. He excitedly announced he wanted it at Pizza Hut and he wanted a Lego & Angry Birds party! I wasn't too sure how to pull that one off, but this past weekend, it went off without a hitch and I think everyone, especially Matthew had fun. We purchased Lego sets for each child, made Angry Birds coloring printables and included crayons in the bag. I was so happy to see how excited his friends were to see Lego sets in each of their bags! They ate their pizza so fast and tore into the Lego boxes. They built their lego sets, some helped other friends and I think they really enjoyed it. Matthew's cake was a special Angry Birds cake which was a hit as well!

So happy that the party turned out so well, the kids were happy, the pizza and cake were good and Matthew had a blast.

So my new interest is "Pinterest!. Its a social networking site where people share their crats, recipes, ideas, favorite photos, all things sports, things for the home and more. I like it becuase...

1. I can learn how to make crafty things even though I am not a crafty person
2. I love the ideas for the home, home design and kitchen designs
3. I love the ideas for sports, kitchens, photography, tech gear
4. I love love the recipes

Most of all I enjoy being able to look at so many ideas, try them out and share ideas that you may not see in the stores, on television and even in magazines.


http://pinterest.com/mgdove/

We have created these monster. I whole heartedly accept the repercussions of having tech monsters. That is my new name for Matthew & Julia. Here is the conversation we had in the car the other night:

ME: "Dave- I have to put a patch on Matthew's stuff when we get home."

MATTHEW: "Mom- whats a patch? Is that an iPatch? Is that an app for my tablet?"

Dave and I just started laughing hysterically. Matthew got upset of course because he thought we were laughing at him but all joking aside- it was pretty funny!
David wrote an article in the Baltimore Examiner about this exact topic. We have truly turned our kids to be tech monsters and it is amazing how fast, how quick they can comprehend technology today. We put the cell phones in their hands at a young age, we put them in front of a computer, laptop, gaming systems and now tablets. If I don't know how to play a game, my tech monsters kindly and gently show me how to do it and how to win.

Here is a link to Dave's add:
http://www.examiner.com/fatherhood-in-baltimore/how-times-have-changed-through-the-eyes-of-a-parent