Mama!!!

When you discover you're pregnant and then have that new little bundle of you joy you dream of all sorts of things. Dream of the day your child will walk, say his/her first word, or something as simple as what color their eyes are going to be. Although I imagined all of that, I also dreamed of the day my child would call me Mama, because although you get called "Mama", or those sleepless nights remind you of your new, huge responsibility, you get that realization when that little person calls out to you.

I think some Moms get tired of hearing "Mama, Mama, MAMA". I can see that because days get long sometimes and you're just tired. I just am not one of them. I love my son calling out to me either for happy reasons, upset reasons or just because he needs me. Its still touching to me...something as simple as being called by the most awesome title you will ever get...its still amazing.

Our usual nightly routine is my husband putting our son to bed. Why is it? In the days he didn't want to sleep, he didn't try to pull the "poor me" routine with his Dad like he did with me. I'll raise my hand and admit I am a TOTAL softy. My son could just reach his little hands out, call me over and I'd snuggle with him or (gasp) take him out of his crib. Tonight...it was a little different.

I'll knock on wood when I say this, but my son has been awesome with going to bed for the most part (there are a few exceptions) for a while now. Tonight he was tired, so he gathered up his favorite pillow and stuffed animal and requested to go to bed. My husband was ready to take him to his room, but then I got the call, "Mama". I was a bit surprised to tell you the truth, but I was happy about it. I gathered up my little snuggly bear into my arms (pillow, stuffed animal and all) and walked him quietly to his bed. I fluffed up his pillow, straightened his blanket and put him into his crib. He looked at me with those beautiful green eyes, smiled and said, "Mama" in the most content and beautiful way. Smiling I said his little prayers, prayed for our family/friends, for babies born and unborn and for all the poor forgotten souls. Gently I kissed his little face and said goodnight.

...just a little simple but awesome word, "Mama" just made my night. I love you little guy. Sweet dreams.

The Post Below....

I hate to say it...I hate to say that Russia lost. I am so disappointed with the turn of events in that game. I don't think I've been more heart broken about a loss since...well since the Capitals lost in the playoffs last year. What a sucky game. Should of pulled their goalie earlier, should of worked more as a team...should of done this and that...but what can you do? For Russia its over. Now lets cheer for the USA team! Please don't disappoint! If the US loses...I'll cheer for the next country....I just don't want Canada to win the gold.

Speaking of the Olympics...I'll tell you that I am already excited for the next Winter Olympics? It will be in Russia. So looking forward to the opening ceremony, etc., I am HOPING and WISHING Lubeh does some sort of performance for it or are shown somewhere...somehow. I half joked, but was half serious about asking my husband to get the Russian channel for just the Olympics.

Till then...GO USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Olympics...and Hockey

If you have yet to tune into the Olympics, then tonight is THE night to start. Tonight in men's hockey Canada and Russia will face off. It will be an intense game between two great teams, but my HOPE, my WISH is for Russia to win it all.

Even though my husband is Russian, and I take great pride in that...I love the Russian players...as so many are Caps (or former Caps) players and that's my team. Ovechkin I am sure will not disappoint and I am hoping to see great plays by Semin and Fedorov as well as many other Russians with distinguished and recognizable household names. I hope to see Crosby cry tonight...

Maybe JUST maybe I would have half a heart for the Canadian team had they NOT completely dismissed and snubbed Mike Green. My other hope later in the year is that Greeny boy can hold up the Stanley Cup, look Canada in the eye (after they lose the gold of course)and say "big mistake...big, big mistake."

GO RUSSIA!!!!! Давай Россия!!!

Best Commercial

Talk about tear jerker! I cry every time I watch this. Love, love love this commercial!

Two Year Olds

While attending church on Sunday, my little guy got a bit to squirmy and we had to retreat back to the crying room. Thankfully it wasn't full and had just one little girl with her Daddy. The Dad looked at my son and sincerely said, "I miss having a two year old boy." He went on to say how his first born (a son) is now nine and the other three or four (can't remember) are all girls. I thought to myself "what do you miss about a two year old boy?" With a two year old you have poopy diapers to change, temper tantrums, the obvious inability to sit through church half the time, etc., etc., Then I thought to myself,as stressful this age sometimes is and as much work as it is...I kind of like it too.

So I decided (per my list making self) to write a little blurb on what I love about two year olds...more specifically my two year old.

I love...

~reading stories all snuggled up in a blanket together. I know story time will be fleeting and I'll miss that...even though I've read some of the books a MILLION times.

~how bubbles are absolutely amazing and fun. Its nice that a $1 item can bring at least thirty minutes of pure glee.

~how much my little guy loves to help and how seriously he takes it rather it be helping unload the dishwasher, watering our plant, giving his Dad a drink, etc., I know that won't last too long, but I hope it will!

~that my little guy loves to sing his babbly little songs loudly and with enthusiasm. I hope he will always love to sing, but for me shyness set in and I no longer sang in front of my parents except for rare occasions.

~when you do something that absolutely pleases my son that he claps and has a little Chester cat grin. I'll take an encore any day.

~that their little opinionated selves can be quite humorous. For instance, if my little guy is sitting between his Dad and I and we start talking while he is watching a movie...he'll shush us. He'll also shush people at church if they are talking! I find that cute.

~seeing the pure glee on my son's face when he gets to see his Grandparents and the Grandparents happy expressions when they see how happy their grandson is about seeing them.

~the fact my son loves to color, because I love to color too. It gives me an excuse!

~dressing them up in cute clothes. I don't do dorky, but I like being the one who picks things out. Although I think it will be a while before my son actually cares. I think girls tend to care a lot sooner.

~watching my son and husband bond together. Its amazing thing to watch. I can't get enough of watching them snuggle up together, read stories, building tracks for my son's railroad cars, etc.,

~that my son loves watching Disney cartoons. Yes some of it can be quite repetitive (he's really into dogs), but I get to rewatch or watch new cartoons too and I LOVE it.

~that my son is not shy about busting a move when he thinks a good song is on. He loves Russian music (Lubeh) and Elvis Presley. What a mix huh?

~watching my son discover something new and the thrill on his face.

~that I have an awesome excuse to buy my favorite cereal...because someone else likes it too!

~how serious my son is about blessing himself before every meal and folding his hands in prayer. Its adorable!

I could continue a list of all the things I love about my son and how awesome I think he is. I do agree that two year olds are often difficult and you often have your hands full, but there are so many other things that are just awesome about them that kind of melts all that other yucky stuff that isn't so cool away.

What do you love about your two year old or what did you love about the stage when your kid(s) were two?

Kisses Please

Last weekend my Mom set out to get a beautiful wreath and a box of chocolates for the Priest's Mom at our local church to give on behalf of the ladies club at church. She went to three Michael's to find the perfect one. She took a lot of thought and consideration into making sure what she got would not be too tacky, not geared to one specific holiday, and that it was around the right size. Obviously when you're buying for the Priest's Mom, who is a very special lady, you want to get something perfect.

After church, my Mom set out with my 2 1/2 year old son and the President of the ladies club to the Priest home a few steps away from the meeting hall. She knew my son would love to help as he takes his request for assistance VERY seriously. They knock on the door and he was a perfect gentleman as the Priest's Mom warmly welcomed them into her home. The President held out a box of chocolates to the Priest's mother and she humbly accepted giving the lady a hug of thanks. It was now my Mom's turn but she also had a helper with her. My little guy very carefully handed the wreath over. Seeing that the other lady got a hug of thanks, he wanted one too, so he went over and hugged her (awwww). She is quite the grandmotherly type and thought that was special. He then puckered up...he wanted a kiss too! The Priest's mother obliged giving him a nice smack on the lips and all the ladies giggled at my little man's persistent request. She then talked to him a bit telling him what a great wreath he picked out and how lovely it was. Jokingly my Mom was thinking, "I go to three Michael's stores and he gets the credit! Go figure..."

I find it humorous my son's requesting kisses from ladies, especially the Priest's Mom. I don't think I was ever that outspoken even when I was that little, especially about things like that. Thankfully Father John has yet to ask why his Mom is being petitioned for kisses....

Boys Will Be Boys

I am sure some parents have some qualms about the title of my post. It isn't to allow boys to be bad, naughty or what have you. There is just some make up that make boys be boys just as there is make up that makes girls be girls in the way they act at times...its in their DNA.

As said many many many times on this blog, I don't really differentiate too heavily on girl toys vs. boy toys. Do we go down the pink aisle of Target in search for girl toys? I'll be honest and say no. However I don't have an issue with my son carrying around one of my old purses he dubbed his, playing with his kitchen set (some people said this was a "girl toy"...thats silly), taking care of stuffed animals like they are babies, etc., I believe its important just as if I had a girl to let them play and be kids. I think boys learning more domesticated things like cooking, cleaning and caring for stuffed animals like they are his babies is a good thing. If I had a girl I wouldn't care and almost encourage if she was into sports, playing with cars, and "fixing things" with play tools. I think overall it rounds their character.

I will say that there are just things that are embedded deep within a boys or a girls DNA that distinguishes them as whatever sex they are. You can read articles upon articles that will say girls tend to color earlier then boys and that boys tend to be able to throw things like a ball better then girls when they start developing those skills. Its not stereotyping/categorizing them...its just the way they are.

Over Valentine's weekend, I bought my son a blue and red baton. Its a little baton that is filled with water (I think) and glitter that will go up or down depending which way you move it. I thought it was cool. My husband was whatever with it. My son loved it. During the weekend we also had my husband's Mom and boyfriend over. My husband and I honestly like the boyfriend. He's been around for a few years and we enjoy his company as he's a nice guy and treats my mother in law right. At one point he saw my son pick up his newly bought baton from the corner of the room and was aghast!. He was jokingly (but jokes have truth behind it) asking why we had bought him a "girl toy". No sooner then he said that, my son takes the baton and swats a ball with it like a hockey stick. There was no twirling or doing dances with it (not that it would bother me any), but like a typical little boy...he used his new toy for the purpose he saw fit...and used it like a hockey stick. Thats my boy! I smiled and told him, "Its not a "girl toy"...its whatever he makes it out to be."

I'm not angry at him...not even annoyed by him asking why I bought my son a "girl toy". I think categorizing things and saying things like "oh no you can't play with that" just because its this or that does not make sense to me. If the kid can enjoy a toy for what it is or even make believe that it is something else like a hockey stick, then why not? I say go for it. And maybe, just maybe with him playing with all these "girl toys" it may make him a better husband, a better Dad and be able to actually perform domesticated duties. For one I am thankful my husband can cook, because I sure as hell can't. I'm glad that his Mom didn't say "thats girl stuff", because if she did, we'd be eating a lot of mac and cheese.

Something New

Yesterday afternoon I decided I would do something I haven't done in a really, really, really long time...cook something out of the norm and something I haven't done before. I decided to make piroshki. Piroshki is a traditional Russian dish that is made from a yeast dough that is filled with either a mixture of meat, potato or cabbage. I had a pound or so of ground beef, some onion and rice...so why not make something yummy?

I started out fine. I sauteed the onion, made some nice minute rice and mixed in a bowl of uncooked ground beef. I had prepared dough the night before (it is a miracle I pre-preped like this but its a must with this recipe)and started patiently spooning out clumps of dough one by one, rolling it into balls and flattening the little balls into circles with my hand. I had a pretty good rhythm going after I made about 12 of these suckers, but quickly found out had too much meat and not enough dough...crap.

So back to the drawing board of wondering what to do with the meat b/c I am not letting it go to waste. Hmmm...Why not try another thing I have not done before? I went over to my computer, pulled up another Russian recipe and started making blinchiki (another Russian staple that is essentially a crepe that can be filled with just about anything). While mixing the crepe recipe, I browned the meat and set the oven to cook the piroshki. I am sure my husband listening to all the banging, mixing and scampering about was wondering what the hell was going on, but he was smart and stayed clear out of it. I made the first blinchiki wrapping meat ever so delicately like a burrito into the yummy crepe...its not folding and not staying together. Okay...I tasted it anyways and seriously had to pat myself on the back b/c I nailed it and got the thumbs up from my Russian hubby after he tasted it. I needed to make the crepe with less mix..maybe it would stay together...nope not the mix...its too thick..added milk...still too thick. Forget it...we'll just be careful and eat it daintily and not like savage beasts killing its prey.

In the end I had still too much meat. Seriously? I thought about making some kotleti...another thing I haven't made. I gave up. I was tired. The piroshki was done...not perfect but I know how to improve it next time and there was tons of blinchiki. I figured the koleti could wait for another day.

...did I mention I don't cook? Can I get a "hell yeah" for my accomplishments?