Easy, healthy whole-wheat biscuits

I try to eat and feed my family healthy foods. I think it actually all started when I watched Food Inc for the first time. And then read In Defense of Food. And then watched Fed Up. And then had gestational diabetes during both of my pregnancies. Basically, I got scared into eating healthy.

One of the first things I did was switch to whole-wheat whole-grain everything. When I stumbled upon these whole-wheat biscuits I felt like I made a scientific discovery. And still feel that way every time I make them. (I can't remember where I found it, otherwise I would have totally given credit where credit is due.) And the best part - you can actually relinquish the whole process to your child. Score!

Recipe below.

Family vaca: Lake of the Ozarks, MO

Phew, it's been a busy couple of weeks. On Friday, June 12th, my brother-in-law got married and it was a little cray cray leading up to it, with all the setting up and details and out of town guests. All fun things, but when you are running on 4 hours of sleep for a couple of days, nothing is fun anymore:) Anyways, the wedding went great and then we took off on our family vacation. We just got back late Monday night and I think I'm still recuperating. 24 hours of total driving, 14 people in one house (13 of which got really sick during the vacation at some point or another), 5 rainy days, 4 kids under 4... It's easy to imagine how it all went, right? But you throw in one pool,  one lake, one boat, one ping pong table, 90 degrees, and a LOT of food and coffee and you got yourself a very fun relaxing chaos:) I always look forward to those times and looking back at the pictures is a little bitter sweet. Already wonder where we will gather as a whole family next. (Last year we were in Charleston, SC... Gosh, how things have changed in just one year.)

And below is a load of pictures...

Annika's first school year in a nutshell

Annika just finished up her last day of the first not quite daycare, not yet preschool school year in her hopefully very long educational career. At what age is it, by the way, kosher to start instilling your goals into the subconsciousness of your kids? Like when you say, you are going to be a doctor or a lawyer? Not that I do that or anything...
Seems like just yesterday I was an emotional wrack, writing this post about her first day.
This school year was great for so many reasons. The best part was when I would drop her off, come home, put Leo down for a nap and have me time. Every Thursday and Friday. For 2 whole hours. All the knowledge and skills Annika got come close second and I'm not even embarrassed to admit it:)
There were other moments worth mentioning too. Like the time Annika picked her nose throughout the entire Christmas performance (1 song), or when she inquired whether her teachers were wearing panties or not, or how she would refer to preschool as work for a while, or call her teachers Mrs. LaFountain and Mrs. LaDampsey all year long (it's just Mrs. Dampsey:)). I'm really going to miss hearing stories about her and having school-related conversations in the car after pick-up. It took her forever to start telling me what she did at school. For the longest time, school was, according to Annika, one big long snack break. But, oh, she would go into such detail about those snacks. Then gradually she started telling me more. First it was tattling (so-and-so pushed me!), then it was bragging (I pushed so-and-so), and then it was denying (I didn't push anybody. No one was even at school but me! We didn't read any books. We didn't sing any songs!). But the most fun part of it all was when out of the blue she would sing a song that I never heard before, or say a prayer that I didn't teach her, or tell me all about how Jonah was eaten by a big fish, or how firetrucks have a long metal ladder to help firefighters save people... It makes me so happy that my independent girl has her own little life that doesn't involve me and that she is happy. Just the best.
I can't believe how much she's grown in one year.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Annika!

Well, Annika's birthday week is finally over. I really wanted to NOT have a huge celebration this year , but ended up celebrating for almost a week. We had a small family dinner on her actual birthday, then she partied it up with her preschool friends with cupcakes and such (I'm sorry, parents, for the behavior of your children on that day!), and finally on Saturday we had a small gathering of friends over lunch and some finger foods. It was so much fun that we successfully forgot about opening gifts until everyone left. 

Thank you so much, everyone, for coming and celebrating our spunky, independent, hilarious little big girl with us:) She has grown so much since last year!

Check out some ridiculously cute kids below...

Indy Mini or a tail of a pseudo runner

Last Saturday I completed my 4th mini-marathon (Indy Mini). It's taken me a week to write about this because this is how long it takes to get over the pain that it generated.
But no, it was great. Yes, the pain was definitely there, both physical and emotional and my ankle is still paying for it, but I loved every minute of it. I think it was the first time when I didn't say "never again" upon crossing the finish line.
I trained for it. Some. I found a training plan that encouraged not to run longer than 30 minutes per day during the week and do long runs on weekends. I liked it, mostly the 30 minutes per day part. Long runs on weekends weren't that doable or desirable or anticipated. I attempted it 3 times, one of which was a total disaster and the other 2 successful. So I would say I was 2/3 ready for the race.
We drove to Indy Friday night and stayed at my sister-in-law's house. On Saturday morning our rockstar family friend Betty came to stay with that kids and Greg and I drove downtown. I started the race strong and was ready to rock. By mile 5, however, the heat was blasting and I was sweaty and already sufficiently tired. At mile 6 I may have asked myself "Why did I do this again?" a couple of hundred times. As we were leaving the Indy 500 track (it's about 2.5 miles and it's smack in the middle of the race... it's a fun little detail and I would have enjoyed it immensely if it wasn't for the heat radiating from the black pavement... geez!), I realized that if I didn't see a porta potty in the next 2 seconds I would pee my pants. Luckily I made it, but sadly lost a couple of minutes to that. Darn nature calls!
By mile 8 or 9 everything everywhere started hurting, burning and cramping and that's when I realized that I was in trouble. Up to that point I was jogging consistently, but now I had to walk a bit. For the next 4.1 miles it was an inner battle. I kept going from almost crying of pain but still jogging to succumbing to my baby-self and walking for a few seconds or stretching a bit. I was so preoccupied by that battle that I didn't hear or see Greg making a scene trying to get my attention somewhere along the road. But I finished, guys. I wanted to make it under 2:09 (which was my time last time 4 years ago), but ended up adding 4 minutes. I was disappointed at first, but I'm over it now and maybe next year I can beat myself:)  Yes, I think I'm going to do this again. Don't tell my ankle.

(* I ran into a friend before the race. *photo taken from here)

San Diego {according to my iPhone}

We've been back home a few days now, but I swear those 4 days in San Diego were enough to set us on the Pacific time. It's true when they say that one gets used to good stuff fast. Kiddies don't care though and it's 7 am wake up every day. Ek!

But below are a few more pictures from the trip. Since my big-girl camera weighs about 17 pounds, I sort of got over hauling it around San Diego and for the rest of the time my phone became my eye.

Our first day there was jam-packed with activity, but we made the rest of the time pretty laid back. On the second day we toured USS Midway, which is a huge aircraft carrier that was decommissioned from the Navy a few years ago. It was the biggest ship in the world until 1955 and it went through Vietnam war.  We spent about 3 hours on it with our audio guides. Later I also visited the rest of the Maritime Museum, while Greg was in meetings. I toured the Star of India, which is the oldest ship still sailing, Berkely (a really cool ferryboat),  and two submarines, a Russian one and an American one. The Russian one (B-39) was a beast! It's really long and has these round holes in place of doorways that make her even more claustrophobic. I almost had a panic attack, especially when I read that even the crew had trouble with being deep underwater in a long narrow iron tube. You know how they were supposed to deal with it? To shut up and get over it. After I read that, I zoomed towards the open thingie on top and climbed out. Spookie! 

We also spent a lot of time eating in the Gaslamp quarter, running along the harbor, drinking coffee and reading at coffee shops and just wondering around. 

We didn't have nearly enough time to see everything (like the much recommended La Jolla and The Coronado Island), but who knows, maybe one day we will be back? Maybe even with the kids when they are old enough to appreciate, say, one of the best zoos in the world:) 

It seriously was like a mini-honeymoon. It was so awesome to not have to split attention with the kids  and for once just enjoy each other's company without being pulled into a million directions. I would recommend trips like that to any married couple with kids. 

Sincerely, your marriage councilor:)

More photos below

San Diego, day I

When a few months ago hubby announced that we were going to San Diego, i was all 'oooo, it borders Tijuana, Mexico, that's cool'. I swear, this proximity to the scariest place (in my mind) was the only thing I knew to be interesting about San Diego.

Boy, was I wrong!

Just our hotel alone has more going on around it than out little village at home has in a year. For starters, it's one of the biggest waterfront hotels on the west coast. There is a tower on top of it which offers views of Mexico. There is the Kansas City Barbecue right across the street, where Top Gun was filmed, there's the little courtyard that used to be a police station in the 30s-40s and still has some original sells for public viewing. From our room we can see USS Midway and that famous WWII statue of a sailor kissing a nurse. 

On our first day, after a delicious breakfast at Brickyard Coffee&Tea. 

Then we did a city tour that included a ride along the harbor. Turns out military is the number 1 industry in San Diego, with the city housing 40% of all US Navy.

We made a quick trip to Balboa Park, which is home to a lot of museums and is a certified botanical garden. Lot's of history in this place. During the war it was overtaken by military. There is this beautiful reflecting pool there, that not only served for physical therapy during the war, but was also used to teach some marines how to swim (yep:)). There are also lots of Spanish style Baroque building that originally weren't meant to be permanent, but were reconstructed to last, because the locals were so enamored with them they wouldn't let them be demolished:)

We then headed to Old Town for lunch at an adorable Mexican restaurant called Casa Guadalajara. So good, oh my goodness. After lunch, instead of returning to our hotel with the buses, we decided to stay and walk around Old Town a little bit longer. A few blisters and some blood on my feet, we took a trolley back to the hotel happy to have gleaned a little history of San Diego.

We ended the day with a waterfront dinner at The Fish Market.

All of a sudden, proximity to the drug cartels of Tijuana is forgotten and I'm so in love with this city, I know I will want to be back. 

a weekend for the win(n)

Last weekend was sort of extraordinary. The weather alone was just the finest, but we also had so much activity that it feels like we can now go another year filled with leisurely weekends, where the only productive thing is to get dressed to go to church:) I'm not complaining, I love those types of weekends too.
For starters, I woke up Saturday morning, swallowed a banana and set of for my long run. 8 miles. In the books. Impressive for me, but not really considering that I have 2 weeks left till my mini-marathon and I'm only at 8 miles. But I think I can, I think I can:)
Right around lunch time, we loaded the kiddos in our bike trailer and went on our first of many bike rides as a family of 4. Annika and Leo entertained each other well. There was this one moment when I looked inside the buggy and saw Annika holding Leo's hand and they were looking at each other and grinning. My heart just about soared off my bike. We had lunch in our little village, rode by the lake, saw lots of people we knew, and visited with friends. Leo successfully passed out on the way home.
After the kids were put down for naps, I made a run to the store, made a salad and a cheesecake for dinner with friends (who, me???) and started painting our front door. It's mint now. In love.
Then we had an awesome dinner on our friends' porch and after that I painted some more, while Greg planted new trees around our house.
I guess I should say it was an extraordinary Saturday, because on Sunday we didn't even get to church. It was a rainy day and all of us had a cozy day inside, complete with chicken noodle soup, whole-wheat biscuits and even a board game.
(photos from last Friday, because I forgot I had a camera during the weekend:))

Easter Sunday

I always remember Easter to be a gorgeous, sunny day. All of my childhood memories of Easter are just like that. I'm not sure if all the 30+ Easters were like that, but I guess that's what I chose to remember. There was this one time I remember in particular. I'm sitting on a bench by my apartment building in Russia. It's early in the morning, but the sun is shining so brightly. I'm wearing a white dress, and happily dangling my feet in the air, waiting for my family. People, wearing beautiful dresses, are hurrying by with their families to catch a bus to wherever they were going. I've come down early because I was too excited to stand in the hallway of our apartment waiting for everybody. And all we were doing that day, was going to the cemetery. That was the Easter tradition in Russia (perhaps still is:)). I'm not quite sure what that means, but I remember enjoying myself.

Just as I expected, Easter this year fell on one of those gorgeous days, without a cloud in the sky. Leo was sick all weekend so I stayed home with him, while Greg and Annika went to church with Oma and Opa. Then everybody came home, we had a delicious lunch with yummy ham and let Annika hunt for eggs in the backyard. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting out of that, but the little candy-obsessed lady would pick up an egg and before you could even blink, open it up and stuff its contents into her mouth. 

Now that I think of it, that is exactly what I expected.

All week I was trying to talk to Annika about Jesus and the meaning of Easter. Once she asked me, "Where is Jesus?". After I said "everywhere", she goes, "Wow, that is a lot of where!"

Yes it is, dear, and it is GOOD! 

We are so thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Thankful for the Resurrection and the promise of eternal life. 

big little girl

Today quite possibly was a day of a new era in Annika's life. Not to sound presumptuous. But.
My little bunny is growing up.
First of all, Annika roamed a store outside of the cart and didn't even break anything. It was the very very first time I let her walk in the store. I needed to just grab a nail polish at Walgreen's and I didn't want to mess with carts. So, I had Leo in one hand and Annika in the corner of one eye. I strategically avoided the candy aisle, but we ended up however walking out with a princess lip gloss and a goldfish container. I couldn't say no, because what if she remembers that day as well as I will? :)
Then nap time didn't happen. And I know she was tired, because on top of preschool, I took the kids to the Y with me for an hour. Leo passes out for 2 hours after the Y and it's a close 2nd reason why I go there. Annika usually does too, because she is worn out. But not today. She just hung out in her room, throwing books all over the floor and singing. I was a little frustrated, because my whole sanity on any given day is proportionately related to the length of naps. But now that she is in bed before 8 (and didn't even get out once to ask for water/story/song/kiss/potty), it's very nice. Off to meet my carb quota for the day and maybe do my nails. The sky is the limit. 

Annika says...

I walk into our bedroom to Annika yelling at my husband's computer.
- What are you doing?
- Trying to wake up the computer.

- Annika, can you sing the Masha song (referring to a song from the Russian cartoon "Masha and The Bear")
- But it's not pleasant to sing the Masha song right now. 
(not sure what was up, because it sure was pleasant 10 minutes ago and about every 5 minutes before then:))

- Mom, I want some raisins.
- How about I give them to you after dinner?
- How about you give them to me now? I think that would be a good thing.

Looking at her name written on her sippy cup:
- Oh no! It's not going to be able to be my name any more. The 'I' is erased. 

One night she was refusing to eat her dinner and kept pushing the plate away.
- Annika, you will eat the dinner I made and you will be thankful.
- I will not be "spaseebah"full. 
(spaseebah is thank you in russian)

One morning as I put her shirt on...
- You messed up my eyebrows mommy!

- Mom, what am I wearing.
- You have a pull-up now, but let's go pee on the potty.
- I have no reason to pee on the potty.

- Give me a kiss.
- But I gave you a kiss yesterday. That's enough.

This next one is not so much funny, but so sweet:)

One evening we were talking about Greg's mommy and daddy (Oma and Opa). Annika asks me:
- Where is your mommy?
- She died sweetie. I hope she is with Jesus.
- Awe. Are you sad?
- I was at first, but I'm not any more. Now daddy, you and Leo are my family and I'm very happy.

A little bit later she gets hurt and as usual wants me to hold her.
- Hug me, mommy. Hug your family.
:)

I just love that girl!

Leo is 6 months old!

I say this all the time, but I'm once again flabbergasted... dumbfounded... and stupefied at how fast children grow up. It seems as though just yesterday morning Greg and I woke up in a hotel room at 4 am to drive across highway to the hospital for my 5:30 am C-section. I can even feel the butterflies I was feeling then. I was so so SO nervous about that surgery and was mentally rehearsing a speech in which I professed my undying love for Greg and Annika, and how I wanted him to find a good mother for our kids if I didn't make it, and how he should never ever wash whites and colors together. I know! But what can you do when you are 39 weeks pregnant in the middle of a very hot summer and it's 5 am and you haven't eaten nor are allowed to eat for the foreseeable future? Pregnant + hangry+ no coffee. A gallon of fluids via an IV did little for me, except maybe made me so swollen that even my ear lobes looked pregnant.

Then they made me walk to the operating room in that gown that had no back. But at 5:30 no one cares (a little part of me did though, no coffee and all). The OR was so cold, my top and bottom teeth couldn't find each other, much like my thoughts. I was so nervous I could barely talk and I kept asking if it was normal to feel so nervous and if I was going to die. Then the anesthesiologist gave me the spinal block and it worked before I even counted to three (mississippylesly). And I repeatedly asked if I was very exposed and if everything was going according to the plan.

I knew I was being cut by the smell of the burning flesh. Awesome! To keep my mind off of the smell, I asked Greg to tell me about work, because that always makes me snooze:) I didn't.

That part was quick and then the doctor and the nurses started pushing on me something awful to get the baby to come out. I thought a car was driving over my chest and all of a sudden I couldn't breathe and once again started asking what was going on and if I was dying. I wasn't. Praise the Lord for the most comforting anesthesiologist who stood by my ear and told me things like, "this is supposed to feel that way... your O2 levels are perfectly normal... it will be over in just a couple of minutes". And it was and we heard a tiny squeal and then it was all a blur of people spilling out stats, one of which stood out the most  - A BOY! 

And I did die, of love and admiration. And I die every time I look at his sweet face that I kiss a million times a day.

Little 6-month stats:

He is a very chill little mister, much like his daddy, who loves observing everything around him, adores his sister (and has a healthy fear of her too:)), sleeps very well (7:30-7:30, sometimes with a little snack once + 2 one-two hour naps), and is a champ eater (95% for size). He sits up and grabs everything in his sight and promptly puts it in his mouth. He can roll, but doesn't like to, much rather prefers lying on his back and chewing on his own toes:)