bear & lion

here's a peek into the highs and woes of our life

we’re a bunch of sicklings!

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i am in trapped on our couch under two sick kids and a sicko dear hubby. everyone is dripping snot, struggling with fevers and drifting in and out of sleep. 


lion was super-duper sick this past weekend, while the rest of us were fine. then yesterday afternoon, after a long day of being out of the house, as we were getting our new floors put in, bear’s health crash landed into a heap of tears and exhaustion. both of the kids chose to go dinner free and were fast asleep by 6:20pm! bear slept in my bed, and dear hubby snuggled in with lion. i feel better co-sleeping with the sick kids, then we, the adults have a better sense of what’s going on with them in the night. bear woke up a few times to have a drink of water, but basically slept straight through until 9am!


the first sign of sickness with bear are his drippy eyes. it looks like he’s crying, as they drip so much. poor little guy gets so frustrated and there isn’t much we can do about it. he’s had this issue for years and the doctor says it’s totally normal.


lion has been clinging on to us for days now. his fever is gone, but he looks tired and still is kinda lethargic. nobody really has an appetite, so today when i braved the cold temperatures to hit the grocery store, i stocked up on all sorts of smoothies, soups and berries and things. nobody is going to be cooking anything in these here parts for a while. i’m not a super fan of pre-made foods, but it’s a matter of survival, at this point.

hope you and your family are fairing better than us.
time to cozy in with the guys and watch a little tv.

xo, mama lola

silly spoons :: a craft

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bear, my older guy, gets a magazine in the mail once a month, CHIRP. it’s totally cute, age appropriate and makes his day when he receives in the mail.

one of the activities in the january edition, is something called, SILLY SPOONS. it’s a super fun and super creative activity, that both the boys enjoyed doing.



the spoon is the base for your character or animal. you can embellish it as much or as little as you like. my kids refused a lot of help, so they’re spoons are simpler than the ones pictured in the magazine. we used all sorts materials for this project like markers, pompoms, duct tape, yarn, decorative flowers, googly eyes, pipe cleaners and lotsa, lotsa glue!

and, voila. silly spoons for silly times.


they are a bit fragile, but the boys were thrilled with how they turned out and really, that’s what matters most! 

add a link if you do this craft!

xo, mama lola

the talk about privilege vs. right

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* this post was written a few days ago, but i wasn’t quite ready to post it, because everything felt so raw and frustrating still. so, here it is ready for a sunday entry. *

bear and i just had a $hit morning again. there is a definite pattern happeneing on thursday mornings happening at our house; lots of defiance and power struggles from him. thursday’s i keep him home from school and take him swimming at the local YMCA. he loves the classes and has been doing really well. but, his behaviour has been really, REALLY challenging on these mornings. last thursday he hit his brother in the face, then went to push me and well, i just couldn’t handle the thought of taking him into public in a mood like that. so we skipped swimming.

today, the kids played, there was some shenanigans, but nothing out of this world. then i had the kids sit down to a snack, then i asked them to pee and for bear to put his pants on. and well, it was all down hill from there. lion had his pee, i helped into his pants and piled all of our coats and boots at the front door. bear was dancing around wasting time and refusing to listen. i reminded him that if he didn’t get his pants he couldn’t go outside (it’s january and we’re in canada and it’s cold!). he kept up his defiance, and then i got mad and he got mad. and then, it was too late to go swimming and that’s when bear lost it. 

i just don’t even know what to do.

after we both cooled down i went upstairs and we had long talk. i tried to explain to him that his swimming lessons and ballet lessons are a privilege , rather than a right, like clean water, food, our home. he seemed to understand. i explained that he can show myself and dear hubby love and respect by listening to us when we ask him to do simple tasks, like helping set the table, getting dressed, being polite, or helping tidy up. by listening, he earns the privilege of participating in his extra curricular activities. i asked what his response is to his teacher at school when she says it’s tidy up time. well, of course he is positive at school and keenly tidies up a mess. 
sigh.
i’m glad he’s a respectful kid at school and listens to his teachers.



i realize that as his mama, i am a safe person, probably the safest  for him to throw his anger, tiredness and difficulties at. but, sometimes i just don’t understand why he fights me so hard on things like getting dressed, so we can get to swimming on time. he pushes, so i push back and then he pushes even harder. 

it’s a classic power struggle, but it feels like we should have had this fight a few years ago, like when he was three. is five really supposed to be THIS hard? surely i’m not the only one fighting over simple tasks? 
HELP ME!!!

xo, mama lola

skillet gnocchi with sundried tomatoes

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since finding out about bear’s egg allergy almost a year ago, we have had to modify our food intake. my meal planning hasn’t really changed that much, but there are some tings that we really miss. like pasta. normal durham wheat pasta. i don’t buy it, as most of the packages say may contain eggs so i don’t think it’s a risk worth taking, so i buy rice pasta.

but, luckily as the taste of rice pasta is a bit plain and bland, i often substitute with gnocchi, which is basically little potato dumplings. yum!

i found this gnocchi and kale recipe at peace, love organic mommy and i knew had to make something similar, with ingredients that we love. so i did and it was a HUGE hit!



INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
3/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 jar sundried tomatoes
1 large handful of spinach
1/2 red bell pepper
1 portabello mushrooms

1 large package of gnocchi

DIRECTIONS:

1. boil a large pot of water. read gnocchi package for water amounts and gnocchi cooking instructions.
2. in a pan heat oil, add diced onions. sautee until lightly browned. add chopped mushrooms, basil, salt and other chopped veggies, except the spinach.
3. add sundried tomatoes.
4. stir gently, ensuring the vegetables are evenly cooking. 
5. once your gnocchi has boiled, drain water from pot and add pasta to your skillet. continue stirring gently. you want the gnocchi to absorb the flavours of the vegetables and be coated in the olive oil.
6. add spinach. keep stirring. remove from heat.
7. serve in a plate or bowl and top with fresh ground pepper. enjoy!

dear hubby and the boys go gaga for gnocchi. it’s super filling and it doesn’t take much to fill up a belly. 

let me know how you like it!

xo, mama lola

delightful strawberry treats!

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as we start to move closer to the weekend, here’s a little summer lovin’!

for me, strawberries are a sign of summer. and since we are obviously not going to have a snowy winter (again) and, since i am tired of this winter that turned muddy and brown, i have to admit that i am now yearning for some warmer temperatures and some green grass in my backyard. i know, i know, i’m a winter gal, but there has to be snow for it to feel like winter. and there isn’t so i’m ready for a change.
so, to brighten my spirits and yours, and to warm our toes i thought i would heat things up here at BEAR&LION and get the summer ball rolling… with some STRAWBERRY DELIGHTS!


sources
1. strawberry tea from mandee’s candee shoppe
2.rhubarb strawberry tart from simply gourmet
3. strawberry bruschetta from the curvy carrot
5. strawberry shortcake from epicurean mom
6. strawberry jam from mike’s table

xo, mama lola

mr. NO!

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i consider myself to be a very positive person. even during the darkest of times, i have looked at the positive with great optimism and tried to hold onto that a positive language and energy tightly.

[ how can anyone with a face like this be a downer? ]


my eldest son on the other hand, is kind of the opposite. i know this will be surprising to many, but he’s kind of a debbie downer, a negative force that is tough to live with. whatever i say, the first word out of his mouth is “no”. no matter what.

here are some examples:
me: “we’re going to your friends house tomorrow to play”
bear: “no, i don’t want to”

me: “ok, let’s get our christmas pajama’s on and go see the lights in the park”
bear: “no. i hate christmas and christmas lights are stupid”

me: “time to tidy up boys”
bear: ” no way, daba-day”

he’s been talking in this negative way for a long time, so i’m starting to think that he’s really this party pooper kinda guy. sometimes his negative vibe is stronger than at other times; it’s like he cycles through his deep dark moods. 

and, i get it, the kid is almost five so agreeing with me is not a top priority for him, but there’s gotta be something i can suggest that doesn’t evoke a such a quick and sharp NO from him.

right?
but, what is that?



xo, mama lola

night out! freedom!

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as a part of my resolutions for this year, a big one is to start taking care of ME. my goal is to try and make myself whole again, by doing things that i like; spending time with people i love, taking time away from the kids and the household, letting myself have a good time and enjoy life and not feel guilty about it.



so, this past weekend dear hubby and i shipped the kids to their grandparents house for one night. we actually had almost 24 hours of kid free, adult time! it was incredible! we went dancing with friends on saturday night and boy-o-boy did we busta move! dear hubby’s shirt was soaked in sweat by the end of the night! gross i know, but great evidence of a good time!



we drank lotsa fancy drinks, danced for hours and then eventually dear hubby and i dragged our butts home, walking as we couldn’t find a cab! ha! we totally felt like 20-somethings!



i felt such incredible freedom. a feeling i don’t think i’ve felt since becoming a mother almost five years ago. knowing the kids were in good hands with my in-laws, knowing there were no restrictions to our time out or the potential for fun, made it so much easier to go out and have have an awesome time with me peeps! it’s kind of unbelievable we’ve waited so long to send the kids away for a night, but it has always felt like a bad time for a variety of reasons like my health, financial obligations and just the notion of asking a favour of people to hang with the kids, is tough. i realize it sounds silly and what have you, but we have now learned. a new era has opened itself up and dear hubby and i intend to take full advantage of all the people we have around us who want to spend time with the kids! 

on sunday morning, dear hubby and i stumbled out of bed at 10am (yup, we totally slept in), headed out for breakfast and then came home and parked ourselves on the couch for some movie time/ nap time. we weren’t really hung over, just stiff and tired from the intense dancing and the super late night! the kids came home a little before dinner, happy and healthy, and ready to play. i love my kids, but they clearly need a break from me and dear hubby, as much we need a break from them.

can’t wait for our next dance night!
perhaps an 80’s & 90’s theme night? 
hmmm…

xo, mama lola

new year’s resolution check in.

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so, we’re about half way through the month and i’m wondering how everyone is doing with their new year’s resolutions for 2013? what were your resolutions? this is what i said i would do this year.


resolutions can be tricky things. people make them with the best of intentions of keeping them, but 365 days is a big chunk of time. especially if your resolutions are ones that are big goals, like losing a whole wacka load of weight or changing careers or doing something that requires you to save a big pile of cash.

this year my resolutions are big, but in a vague, abstract kind of way. i want to be whole. in order to achieve this sense of wholeness, i have to accomplish things in small steps and divide my life into manageable chunks. so for instance (in no particular order), kids, house, habits, sewing, friends, family, cooking, art, reading, blog, dear hubby, gym, and other.

i was talking with my chiropractor about setting goals and she said the best thing is to set tiny, achievable ones in weekly or monthly increments, which is more likely to set you up for success rather than failure. wanting to lose 30 lbs is a great goal, but to achieve that in it’s entirety will take a long time, a big commitment and a life style change really. but, if you divide that big goal into smaller, easier goals, like losing 5 lbs every two weeks (or whatever), it’ll be easier to psyche yourself up off the couch and exercise. Furthermore, taking a daily supplement that assists weightloss, perhaps from a company like gundry md, will help you to reach the goal without doing a crash diet or over exercising. These supplements also have many other health benefits such as stopping bloating and improving the feeling of fatigue. Smaller changes to daily life is the way to lose the weight.

i’ve divided my life into sections and then i want to make sure i meet some need in my sections monthly, to at least get the ball rolling in my goal to feeling whole. so each month i want to make sure i sew something, read regularly, spend time with my friends, try a new recipe etc etc. i know these goals don’t sound big or particularly life changing, but i find it difficult to find time to do a lot of the little things that i enjoy, as my family takes up a lot of my time and energy.

this month so far i have gone dancing with dear hubby and friends, found some great recipes to try, i have blogged regularly, i have hit the gym a few times, i have left the house in the evenings to avoid the chaos that ensues after dinner, i have seen friends and caught up on things, i have started reading a book i am thoroughly enjoying and i have booked an appointment to have my hair done. by starting small, i feel more motivated and i think in time i can increase my goals.

how do you manage to keep resolutions? or do you work hard in january and then just forget about them?

xo, mama lola

oven roasted brussel sprouts & new potatoes!

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i love oven roasted veggies for dinner. especially during the winter months, when eating lots of earthy foods feels so right. i also love cranking up the oven, as it warms the house a bit more too!

i often make veggies in the oven for my family, the boys love ’em!

INGREDIENTS:

potatoes
brussel sprouts
carrots

1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup maple syrup

*it really depends on how many veggies you use for the oil/syrup ratio.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. chop vegetables to desired size.
2. add olive oil, vegetables, salt and maple syrup to oven safe dish. mix ingredients well and bake in preheated oven of 425F for approximately 30-45 minutes. it depends on your oven for the temperature and time. 
3. mix the veggies thoroughly about half way through cooking.



this bowl of veggies was devoured with some baked salmon and a green salad.


here’s what a dinner table may look like at our house. i love to use table cloths, especially in the winter months. on this particular evening the kids set the table using their plastic playdo mats as placemats, so it goes!

what does dinner look like at your house?

xo, mama lola
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