Christmas Cookie Prep

It's that time of year:
Holiday Baking!
By the looks of my Kitchen Aid this morning, I've got a lot of work ahead of me!
Practicing some new recipes before gifting any of these new concoctions.
For those of you who bake GF style- any fabulous suggestions??
Let the baking begin!

5 am Runs

I start my days super early now: 5am.
I hit the pavement with the stars shinning bright and the cold air burning my lungs.

It really is the only time of day (or night) that I have the time, or energy, to get back to my basics:
Running.

My moments and minutes to be alone.
To be quiet.
To be lost in my mind.
To push myself, for myself.

Who knows when I'll run another marathon, or stretch and reach to Ironman- but for now, I am still having a love affair with my running.

Gluten Free baking: Quick Tip

This morning I thought I'd try a new technique with our pumpkin muffins.

Normally once all dry and wet ingredients are combined, I load directly into pan- but this morning I thought that maybe if I allow the Kitchen Aid to beat the mixture for a while longer, I could add air to the batter, resulting in a fluffier muffin.

SUCCESS!

In normal baking, over beating can cause the mixture to turn goopy/ glue-ish; this is because of the gluten!
Since we bake without the big G, this eliminated the Elmers result!

Warm, fluffy pumpkin muffins at 7a- happy kids at 7a.

Tree Shopping

It's CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!
For all who know me, they are fully aware of my obsession with this JOYUS time of AMAZING year!!!

I have done a really awful job at keeping Quinn's limitations and sensory sensitivities into consideration during the past 4 holiday seasons. I just get so excited, and caught up in my traditional hoopla that come Christmas morning I have had a fried, falling apart baby girl.

Last year was my last year being selfish.

This year:
No expectations.
No line standing.
No late night Christmas light adventures.
No endless gluten-full cookie baking and deliveries.
No Christmas decor that is breakable and "no touch".
No community services projects.
No caroling house to house.
No matching Christmas jammies.

I'm going to allow my three to start forming new traditions that feel good to them.

Let the FUN, FABULOUS and calm (er) season commence!

Tradition #1. A Tree.
In the past we went to a tree farm that had a santa, music, bazaar, petting zoo...all the ridiculous-ness you can think of. Everything not fabulous for a kid with SPD and Asperbergers.
This year we found (Thanks Am) an incredible farm 2 miles from our home.
A fire pit.
A shed.
A super cool old dog (Rudy) who followed us around.
BEST tree experience we have ever had.

A Family of Five

Finding the time to sit and type...with two hands...seems to be one of my greatest challenges from this Mom of three (still crazy to think/ know I have 3 kids!).
Between breast feeding, chasing a ridiculously active 2 year old, hitting up weekly therapists, cooking, baking, diapering, cleaning, picking up...breast feeding (did I say that already?) these two hands are rarely without something in them.
But this morning:
Crew is asleep.
Carter is eating her second breakfast.
Quinny is at school.
Picked up and cleaned last night.
Finished Enrich All paperwork.
Grocery shopping getting done tonight.
...
I have TWO FREE HANDS!

I have never been more busy in my life, but I have never had more fun either. Having three kids who need you and your love, patience and gumption all day and night is exhausting- but having three kids who give you their love, creativity, smiles, laughter, hugs, and tenacity all day and night...makes it all worth it.

We had a Harvest season full of family, friends, gatherings and adventures:

A Halloween party brought wonderful neighborhood kids, costumes, snacks, crafts and some pretty cool games.

Trick or Treating with our wonderful cousin/ niece Olivia.

Thanksgiving- we hosted at our house. Family and friends filled the tables, food was amazing, and a Disney movie, with our Besties, after was icing on the cake.

We're still a GFCF home. Doing really well with this actually:
We were having some rough weeks with Lou, so I wanted to see if having the family on GFCF was really "worth it". We gave Quinny a few bites of pie crust one day (both gluten and casein filled) and within an hour she was falling apart with any transition and unexpected noise, touch, feeling from others.
She also got a massive tummy ache and pooped her little heart out all night long (yes, I know, mother of the year).


Bottom line: GFCF DOES truly make a huge difference in all our lives. On our hard days, it is difficult to remember how much more challenging it used to be- but I know in my heart (and by experimentation) that GFCF is an incredible gift of healing for our entire family.
So I'll keep baking and cooking while breast feeding.
I'll keep spending more money on groceries and cutting back on play money.
and I'll remember how lucky we are to have found such a wonderful, healing solution for our baby's ailments and challenges.

All in all, we are counting our blessings each and every day:
Three wonderful babes.
Our cozy home.
Loving (most of the time) marriage.
Fabulous community.
And a future looking brighter and brighter each day.

Pumpkin Bumpkins

Our darling trio at the Pumpkin Patch.

Quinny was a bit overwhelmed at this joint- what ever happened to good old fashioned patches, where the hay ride was the biggest event?
Trains, boutiques, tractors, cannons, corn maze, hay maze, slides, towers, tunnels, music...it's overwhelming for me, let alone a kiddo with sensory processing disorder.

From now on, I will be on the hunt for old school establishments that give our children beautiful memories without the mid patch melt downs.

Crew Cotton Snell

Our handsome, calm, sweet sweet little boy:

I was induced on Saturday September 15th due to high blood pressure. I was 39 weeks along and ready to bring this baby into the world.

No epidural.
Two solid pushes.
Healthy baby boy.
Incredible experience.

I spent 39 weeks full of anxiety, juggling all of the 'what-ifs' and 'how the hells' in my mind. It has been two and half weeks of mommy-ing 3, and without a doubt, not a single doubt...life was not nearly as cool without this kid.

I definetly have less time on my fanny.
My organizational skills are a MUST.
My face is (and will continue) to be a tired, no make up palette.

But I have never been happier.
Never been more fulfilled.
Never been more at peace.

Crew, you're an incredible little fella.
You've completed us.