Soapapilla Cheesecake

One of my all-time favorite's made it to another party last Saturday! I knew I wanted to make this delicious treat for a get-together hosted by some friends for a birthday. It was a hit (once again), and realizing that I've never posted the recipe, I didn't want you all to miss out. It's super quick and SUPER yummy!

SOAPAPILLA CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS

·         1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened

·         1 cup white sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         2 (8oz) crescent rolls

·         1/4 cup melted butter

·         1/2 cup white sugar

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2.      Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth; set aside.

3.      Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough and use a rolling pin to shape each sheet into a 9x13 inch rectangle. Press one sheet into the bottom of the 9x13 baking dish.

4.      Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough, and brush with melted butter.

5.      Stir together 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cheesecake.

6.      Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool 10+ minutes before serving.

Here's one of the few pictures I snapped while at the party. We were just having too much fun with all the kids, food and drinks to stop and take a picture! That's Peter (the birthday boy) with a hose in one hand and a beer in the other. He's one klassy kat.  :)

My How Things Change

Sometimes as I watch Drew experience and take in the world around him, I stand back and have a small chuckle to myself. My thoughts trail back to the months and months of "research", message-boarding and consumer report reading I did before I even met him in person. I've posted here about preconceived notions that I had early on, but since then it's amazing how things change in general. 


I don't know what it is about pregnant women, but I've never googled so many questions and spent so much time on websites learning about 'what to do and don't do' with a baby. I'm sure many of you did the same thing  before your little ones came, telling yourself you were officially mentally prepared for a baby due to the hours you've spent online. I personally imagined small things like years of keeping Drew in our grocery cart cover to ensure germs wouldn't touch his skin. Or not using the word 'no' often in our household to form a positive environment and constantly loading the kids hands up with sanitizer. I can't fathom how much time I spent reading what others suggested online instead of realizing that my instincts would trump them all one day. 


It was probably within 6-8 months of Drew's life that I noticed I had forgotten to clean the highchair before he sat in it. Or I noticed his shirt had food all over it and it didn't really bother me. I noticed we really didn't use our grocery cart cover anymore and eventually that I was using the word 'no' with him a lot. All of the ladies from the message boards pop in my mind from time to time and I think how they would feel about me. Would they judge how I've become as a mother? Or have they fallen into a similar, much more carefree role in their lives? 


I'm excited to NOT be on message boards and google 80 million things before we have another child. Although I've only done it only once, I feel confident in trusting myself and my pediatrician for that first year of life. To me, they are a waste of time now and only make you second guess every little action you do, or forget to do as a mother. My friends, mother, mother-in-law and pediatrician have all provided me with plenty of suggestions/techniques that have molded me into a better mother.

Anyone else spend hours and hours on message boards pre-baby like me?

Splash Pad

I think I've posted enough pictures on here that everyone gets the idea of how much Drew loves the pool. He really has no fear of falling in from the side into our arms and would walk right into the zero entry portion if we let him. I'm not sure what changes with him when he's around water NOT in a pool, but he's definitely much more timid and nervous.

Armed with 80spf lathered all over, we headed to a splash pad and here's how Drew looked the first 10 minutes:

Quite unlike how we though he would react, he instead stood off to the side all shy and stiff. After a while, and with a lot of coercion from us, he finally warmed up a bit and was able to touch a few of the streams.

Eventually he became less nervous, but for a kid who loves jumping into a pool, it was a sight to see! Here's a clip towards the end where he was a little more adventurous. (You'll have to excuse my motherly encouragement cheers).

We FINALLY Did One!

As you may recall, we've signed up for THREE 5K's over the past year now and didn't run a single one! Whether it was pouring rain or freezing temperatures, we had to punt them all for Drew's (and our) health.

Finally, yesterday we completed our first 5K as a family! Derek did all of the stroller pushing and our time was nothing spectacular, but crossing that finish line as a family felt so good. We were mostly just glad that the weather cooled off to around 78 instead of the 90's we were experiencing a week ago!

(all iPhone pics as I forgot my camera)

Can't wait for more!

Daycare #3

I've posted here before about my internal struggle to decide if working or staying home with Drew was the best option for us. Ultimately, working won that battle leading to the next hardest decision as a mother; where to send your child to daycare. My perfectionist self is currently transitioning Drew to his 3rd daycare here shortly and I vow to not stop until I find the best group of people that I can. I HOPE that I'm done and this new school is our home, but we'll have to wait and see!

I began researching locations only a few months into my pregnancy calling around asking for child/teacher rations, educational activities, teacher retention and so much more. I ultimately really like a school about 2 minutes away that seemed to have it made and to top it off, they even had a wait list of about 7 months. That can only mean it's a great school, right? I soon found that they really didn't have a wait list and just liked to 'look' more enticing telling pregnant mothers that there was a wait, yet they always had a spot 'open' up right before the mother came off maternity leave. That factor didn't bother me too much as the main two teachers in the room loved Drew and he seemed to always be happy there.

Fast forward until he was about 9 or 10 months old. The facility was behind a bit on moving kids up and it was looking like he wasn't leaving the infant room until he was about 13-14 months despite it really being for kids 12 months and under. That was frustrating as the amount of space in the infant room was TINY. Granted he was a late walker, but we're talking kids crawling on top of each other. On top of that, the 12-18 month room teacher had just left and I wasn't the most fond of the new, cold teacher who would be with my child 8 hours a day.

I then considered a Montessori school as Derek and his siblings were all brought up this way and loved it. I found what I thought was a great group of people at a school about 15 minutes away. I dreaded having to jump on the highway each day but the place was clean, filled with toys and seemed to have a great energy. It was all fine and dandy in the beginning until I began to see things that I wasn't really pleased with. I felt my blood boil as I would hear a teacher utilize an extremely stern voice with a child and really didn't like that a couple of the best teachers were leaving. I didn't agree with them letting sick children back into school so quickly and it seemed a lot of the 18 month room teachers were not really interested in doing anything other than sitting and watching the kids play around them. Knowing Drew was moving to the 18 month room soon I weighed my options (again) for his future.

And then the call came.

It was from a catholic school right down the street with whom we'd been on the waiting list for almost a year!   One of our friends had recently moved her son there and they love it. And I loved it last year, but figured we'd never make it there knowing there was a looooong wait. When my mother in law and I took the tour it just seemed so incredibly wholesome and education-focused. The Sister who runs the place has kept it a well-oiled machine filled with teachers who have been there forever and families who don't ever want to leave. With a ratio even better than the last two places, the proximity being wonderful and genuinely loving people on the staff, I know this will be the best option for Drew. Although it's even pricier than the last school, the money I'll save on gas should make up the difference and, quite frankly, the cost is a low priority on the totem pole. Also, if we end up in Cleveland for longer than expected, it's the private preschool and kindergarten we wanted him to attend anyway. Score!

I'm honestly hoping this is it. I don't like moving him around as he does get attached to teachers and routines, but I feel confident that this place can provide a better education, more love and a lot more quality attention for our son than the last two. I can't wait to get him settled in and making friends that he'll grow with over the next few years. Fingers crossed we have found our weekday 'home' for Drew as I don't think Derek will let me move him again!

MJ Cirque Show!

I bought tickets to this show 16 months ago and have counted down the days/weeks since. I LOVE me some MJ and Cirque shows and having them come together was a definite 'must attend' event for me! I had assumed the show would sell out, but it didn't and we even got our seats upgraded to a lower section.

Let's just say that it was worth the wait. The best words to describe the show are magical, powerful and awesome. I would highly recommend you see this show when/if it comes to a city near you!! Even if you don't like Michael Jackson, the people watching at a show like this was amazing. Everything comes out of the woodwork for a show like this!

Merriment With Mimi

I hope each of you have grandparents that love their grandchildren like mine do. It's just so fun to watch the joy on a grandmother's face when their grandson walks into a room and how animated they are when reading books or playing with toys. I'd secretly record Lesa when she was with Drew as an example for you, but she'd probably kill me.  :)

We've had such a wonderful time with Mimi in town and Derek and I have enjoyed a few nights out with friends, a really nice dinner and we even got to get groceries sans a toddler. Only parents would understand why that last point made the list of exciting things we did! I even went to see Magic Mike with Mimi adding to our list of awkward movies that most girls and their mother-in-laws should not see together. But it's always fine with mine and we both enjoyed it!

Here's a quick snapshot of some of the pictures of Drew and Mimi from this past weekend. And yes, that's an owl in the lower right corner. I snapped it at a nature center we visited as I think it was one of the cutest owls I've ever seen!

Not Your Plain 'Ole Zoo Post

Well.... maybe kinda, but I'm not sure of many zoos that you can do/see these two items below!

Item A) Feeding a giraffe!
I mean really, how cool is that! We've been many times to our zoo and never saw anyone standing in the 'feeding' area. I assumed there was a standing lawsuit after a giraffe bit off a finger or something and they had to temporarily suspend all feedings. But nope, here we were walking over about 2 minutes before they opened it for a short session. We were 4th in line and I couldn't hold in my excitement to feed the giraffe watch Drew feed the giraffe! Drew and I both hold onto the piece of lettuce as the huge tongue came out to snatch it from our hands. It was really amazing.

Item B) Live Fawns 10 Feet Away!

We've all seen deer in the wild, and maybe you've seen tons of fawns too, but have you ever been 10 fee away from a fawn? When Mimi and I took Drew to the zoo Friday morning it was nice and quiet with not many people around. We ended up on this side path that was more like a nature walk when we spotted them. At first we just saw the mom, but then a few yards back down trotted two fawns that were simply adorable. They really did get within 10 feet of us! 

Lastly, but not really crazy exciting, we rode the little train around Australia in which we had not done before! Thanks again Mimi for the fun at the zoo, but more specifically for Drew's TWO new stuffed animals! 

A Mess-Free Fingerpaint!

Yep! It's yet another amazing Crayola invention for toddlers who prefer to get as messy as possible and for mothers who can't handle crazy messes. It's non-toxic, doesn't stain clothes and even smells decent!

You simply let them dip their fingers in the 'paint' and then let them 'draw' on the paper. You can quickly see that it's just a boring pattern on the paper, but the fact that they make it come to color themselves is what's special. You could tell Drew was understanding that he was bringing color to life and he liked it!

The 'paint' is clear and goes onto the paper super easy. It really was super easy to use and clean up this past week when we painted with Mimi!

Attack of the Bees

So we have this white, flowering plant that must have an incredibly vivid scent to a bee. You see, for probably a week now, bees have been swarming to get the pollen. And we're not talking little bees that don't bother me, we're talking HUGE bumbles. These things are so big they look like furry yellow and black rodents with wings. Thankfully, this blogger likes to include pictures in each post meaning I put my life on the line so you could see what I was talking about. I mean, do you see the fur and those claws on his legs?

When I went out there, I think I spotted 5 of these and then another few that weren't so monster-ish in girth. I wish that I could have put my hand next to it for size reference, but the fear of bending down for a picture was enough for me!

  

Drew // 18 Months

Dear Drew -

Wow. 18 Months. I don't even know where to begin this blog other than to say Wow. I feel like I was just posting your 6 month pictures and now you are already a year and a half! You have really changed so much since you turned a year and it's fun to watch you grow. Although you are still an overall mellow toddler, you are definitely more curious about the world around you and finding stuff to get into. I love the looks you give us when you find something new to play in that you aren't sure is allowed or how upset you get when there is an extra sock or dryer sheet floating around in your crib. You are our little organized child who still loves to push things around like your laundry basket, chairs or our ottoman.

Ever since you were itty bitty, you've loved animals. I think it started with our dogs, but since then it has turned into a deep love where you squeal with delight upon seeing any animal now. Going to the zoo will be a regular outing with you which makes me super happy. I can't even count how many animal sounds you make, but it's the gestures that warm our hearts. When you make an elephant nose with your hand or thump your chest like a gorilla it's simply adorable.

Right now your appetite is really good. You will try almost anything and you make the cutest face when something is cold or tart. You love your milk and water and have enjoyed a few sips of our pops and milkshakes from time to time. You are a carb kid, though, just like mommy. If there is bread or crackers around, you'll munch on those forever. Overall you are pretty good with fruits and veggies and you get upset if there is watermelon in sight and you aren't eating it.

You still have a full mouth of teeth except for your second molars which we're expecting soon based on how early your other teeth all were. I still bet that you could fill up a gallon container with slobber each day as it still runs out non-stop, especially when you are self-soothing your gums with your hands. I'll take slobber any day over sickness! Knock on wood, but you have been healthy for a couple months now which is a record! This leads me to sleeping where I still feel blessed. You go to sleep anywhere from 8-9 and wake anywhere from 7-8 each morning. Your naps at school can be only an hour to 1.5 hours, but at home they are generally 1.5 - 2.5 hours. I do miss your 4 hour naps!!

What amazes me the most in the last few weeks is how much you are jibber jabbering! Your inflection and tone perfectly mimics that of an adult and your sentences are so funny to try and figure out. You seem to have complete conversations with us in your own language and it's crazy how much you 'talk' now. You have been repeating almost all of the words we ask you too and soaking up more and more each day. The funniest one is when we ask where your 'tush' is during naked baby time and you point to your bottom. :)

We couldn't have asked for a better addition to our family and I'm so excited for this next 6 months with you. I love you with all of my heart, deeper than you'll ever know.

- Mommy

Grandparents Recap #4

To wrap up our weekend with both Mimi and Grandpa, we drove to Chagrin Falls. It's a gorgeous little town with an all-American feel where landscaping is perfect and flowers line each driveway. The following day the sights were just a wonderful as we head out to Mapleside Farms to enjoy the fresh air and grab some sweets from the bakery.

The final 'task' with the grandparents was to build Drew's new Thomas The Train railroad set that they bought him! He loves playing with this new set and will for years to come!

Thanks for the visit Grandpa and we're glad you get to stay for a while Mimi! You are both wonderful grandparents to Drew and you can see how much he loves you both!!

Grandparents Recap #3

I realize that this week the posts will be picture-heavy and pretty pointless. But sometimes that's how I like it. Just simple and quick. It's a fast and fun way to share recap pictures with our friends and family who live far away.

Back to the recap post.

On Friday, we took Derek's parents to Put-In-Bay Island out here on Lake Erie, but made a pit stop on the way to drive through the Kalahari Safari. Considering cars go about 3 mph, we let Drew out of his seat to experience all of the animals!

Then it was across the fairy and to our first stop on the island; a Butterfly house.

It was disgustingly hot, but was worth it. I've never seen so many butterflies in one big area and Drew loved chasing them around! I think we all had a butterfly land on us at some point or another. 

As we began to sweat from every part of our bodies, I cut back on pictures, but I couldn't resist sharing this particular progression. Drew has been on carousels before, but the heat must have made for a bad ride on the island. He hadn't even made it the first whole rotation before giving the lip and jumping into daddy's arms. Thankfully, there was a bench that he enjoyed sitting on and watching us each time he went by. Can you see the beginning of a major upset face in the first picture?? And the leaping onto Derek in the 2nd picture? 

All in all, we had so much fun on our 'island retreat' with Mimi and Grandpa! Thanks again for the delicious food and treats while there! 

_____________________________________________

Instagram dump:

Grandparents Recap #2

Still braving the 96 degree temperatures, we went to the park one night with Mimi and Grandpa and watched as doggies chase sticks and birdies hop around in the grass.

I love this one of the three generations...

And these pictures of Drew with Mimi were just over one year apart...

Tonight we took Grandpa back to the airport and miss him already. We're excited, though, that Mimi gets to stay up here with us for a while!

Children's Museum

When we visited this museum earlier this year, we knew we'd want to get a membership once Drew was a steady walker. What better time to kick of our membership year than with grandparents in town! This place is really neat and there's so much for Drew to do. It will be great for a cold, winter day that it's too frigid even to go sledding.

Drew played in water, drove buses, examined Mimi's xrays and Grandpa's ears and loved every minute of it!

It's pretty much a staple now to eat at Angelo's whenever we have family members in town. I think each set of grandparents as well as all siblings now have been exposed to this DELICIOUS pizza that quickly became our all-time favorite wen we moved here!

America's Bday Celebration Recap

This week we're hosting Derek's parents up here in Tha Cleve. I LOVE having family in town for the obvious reasons, but I think I secretly look  forward to unhealthy food and date nights with my husband the most. :)  

To start of their fun, we celebrated the 4th by attending a parade and sweating out about 10 pounds each. It's hard to tell by the pictures, but we all were literally drenched by the time we walked back to the car. The storms from the night before left the humidity soaring at ridiculous numbers. We tried to focus on the parade and colorful floats, but we ended up jetting before it was over in fear that we were actually melting. 

What else is there to do on a hot 4th then jump in the pool to cool down? 

Maybe eat some delicious, grilled food and munch on some chocolate dipped strawberries?

Either way, you must close the 4th of July with some great fireworks. Unfortunately, due to an "electrical issue" this was the first year in my 31 years that I didn't see a display. ARGH! We did see a couple test fireworks but no big display this year.  :(

Hope you had a great 4th as well!