merry christmas!

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

the big payback

This is Matt's third season coaching at East. He finished his first season with a better record than expected but season two was a clunker. Last year there were still some players left who came up under the old coach and were unwilling to meet Matt's higher expectations. Despite starting the season with considerable talent, the lack of team chemistry ultimately killed them. It was Matt's first losing season ever - as a player or as a coach - and it didn't feel good.

But Matt LOVES a good challenge. And even more, he loves being the underdog who suprises everyone in the end. Which bring us to season 3, the season Matt has dubbed "The Big Payback", going as far as to even put the phrase on the back of the team's t-shirts and play the James Brown song before each game.

Last night was the first test and they pulled it out, beating their east side rival in a thrilling game that was decided by a basket from his senior point guard with 10 seconds on the clock.



(This was also a team they didn't beat at all last season and was noted in the pre-season polls as one to watch, while Matt's team wasn't expected to do much of anything.)

Afetr the game, Matt went back to the locker room and wrote at the top of the dry erase board - THE FIRST PAYBACK, and the name of the school they just beat. The second test comes on Saturday against a team that made it to the state championship last year. I think they might just be able to pull it off.

And you want to know why high school basketball games are so fun? Because when you win like they did last night, the crowd does this:

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new school

This week has been big for Matteo at his new school. Yesterday he pooped on the potty at school for the first time and this morning was the first morning he said goodbye to me without tears. He just puckered up, gave me a quick smooch, then stuffed his hands in his pockets and shuffled right on into the classroom.

We're really happy with how it's going for him. He seems to be adjusting really well and there are so many more things going on to engage and inspire him. At the new school he has enrichment classes that include Spanish, cooking, music, drumming, art and yoga. Two year olds doing yoga! I love this place.

Each Friday the school sends out an email newsletter about what each class was up to. Here is this week's report from his room:



Toddler 3 children preparing a terrarium for the classroom

"This week’s project, prepared by our beloved Robin, was building a terrarium. The children got to scoop layers of pebbles, charcoal, and dirt. There was lots of discussion on what plants need to live and grow. A terrarium is a perfect environment for watering with a spray bottle, so after your child “squirts” you goodbye with a spray bottle at the waving window…they can spray the plants in the terrarium.

The Enrichment Program has been really exciting to watch in our classroom. The children have been heard using Spanish words after Juan leaves, pointing at the book during story time and saying, “Blanco.” And at the end of cooking class everyone’s bellies are very full, because they eat all of the ingredients before it hits the bowl! “More pumpkin purée please” (to our surprise), while making pumpkin scones one Thursday and eating all the apple slices from the very cool apple peeler/slicer on apple crisp day last week. This week, we made Wisconsin Ingredient salad. And, during music, Lynn sang old favorites like, “Over the River and Through the Woods…” before Thanksgiving and brought special bells for us to ring."

thanksgiving weekend

My mother and brother came to visit for Thanksgiving and the weekend was spent eating, watching basketball games, eating more, and traveling to IKEA to pick up furniture for Matteo's new room.







I've been cooking a lot. Thanksgiving dinner, of course, (which I give myself a B- for, it wasn't my best I have to admit) but lots of other stuff too like pumpkin waffles, this spinach and gruyère strata (always a crowd-pleaser), and leftover turkey and dumplings. I'm getting better at cooking for people and am learning that making hearty, cold-weather foods comes much easier for me.

One lesson I learned the hard way this weekend, don't set a dirty dishes outside your kitchen door! Our kitchen is tiny, so I set the hot roasting pan outside on the concrete while we used the rest of the counterspace to wash and dry the other dishes. When my mom went to go get it, an opossum was licking up all the juicy turkey scraps that were stuck to the bottom of it. Eeeeew. No matter how much bleach I pour on that thing I don't think I'll ever be able to use that pan again. Kevin and I also saw him when he came back for seconds. That sucker was HUGE and totally going for his.

In more pleasant news, Matteo is a great help in the kitchen and this year we made the gingersnap pie crust for my traditional pumpkin cheesecake together.



I want him to appreciate food and the process of making it. I think my favorite part of the whole weekend was Saturday night when I was cooking up the strata for Sunday's breakfast. He came in the kitchen, looked up at me sweetly and said, "Smells pretty good, Mama!" I thought I was going to melt faster than the butter in my pan.

Here's the recipe for our special cheesecake. It's adapted from Cooking Light so it's fairly guilt-free.

Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

crust:
37 gingersnap cookies, coarsely broken (about 9 ounces)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

filling:
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare crust, finely grind gingersnaps in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake crust until color darkens, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

4. To prepare filling, place cream cheeses in a food processor; process until smooth. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and next 4 ingredients (through pumpkin); process until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time; process well after each addition. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 50 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off; partially open oven door. Cool cheesecake in oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours.

half birthday cake

Sometimes I wonder if I go over the top celebrating the little things. But I think in this case it was definitely all worth it. Matteo and I made a half birthday cake afterschool - blue with trucks on it just like he wanted - and he was thrilled.

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two and a half

Matteo's new teacher just called to let me know he's doing okay. When I left him at school an hour ago he was crying so it was a welcome relief to get a call saying the crying subsided and he eased right into "work" with the other kids. He was nervous about not being able to wear a diaper to school and I was glad to hear his teacher told me she'd give him a couple of days to get used to the room before making him go undies-only.

For the first time ever he has to bring his own lunch to school with him. I packed him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the shape elephants, pirate booty, a clementine and an organic applesauce squeeze. I also included a small photo of us. He looked like such a big boy carrying his lunchbox in with him and hanging up his own coat when he arrived.

He's talking so much now. He can tell me when he has bad dreams and what they're about (raccoons and owls). He can tell his Dad how he serves himself snack at his new school. He sings songs (Old MacDonald is the current favorite) and makes up jokes ("Knock knock", "Who's there?", "MAMA MEATBALL!") he can recount stories of places we've been and things we've done and I especially love hearing him talk about experiences he had a few months ago, when he wasn't able to communicate as well. He remembers just about everything.

Today he turns two and a half. He's so full of life and laughter and he makes my heart a little bigger each day.

halloween!

I picked Matteo up from school early so he, Kevin and I could walk in the neighborhood Halloween parade. After that we went trick or treating for about an hour and then finished off the night with spooky pizzas for dinner (I sliced fresh mozzarella to look like ghosts.) I hope you all had a happy Halloween as well!



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the last day

Today is Matteo's last day of school before he moves to his new school next week. He's been here since he was four months old and we've grown very attached to the teachers. I shed more than a few tears this morning and I'm sure there will be more when I pick him up for the last time this afternoon.

This is a very bittersweet transition. Matteo had some challenging behavior issues this spring and at the beginning of this school year where he was being really aggressive with other kids. I felt helpless and terrible but his teachers were really supportive and comforting. I know it's time for him to move on, and there are so many wonderful things waiting for him at his new school, but I'm nervous. I also worry about him leaving his friends. I know he'll really miss them.




As a goodbye gift, the teachers made him a photo album of pictures of his class and a scrapbook with pages from each of the other kids.









Goodbye for now Wee Start. We look forward to seeing you every day again next fall with Baby #2!

happy halloween!

Here are some photos from last Friday's Halloween party downtown and a few of us carving pumpkins Monday night. This afternoon we'll be walking in the neighborhood Halloween parade, going trick-or-treating and then enjoying special spooky pizzas for dinner!

downtown madison halloween party

pumpkin farm

Last weekend we went out to Eugster's Farm for their Fall Festival. They have baby goats you can bottle feed and a kitten house! Argh! So much cuteness I can't stand it!

buttercup squash soup

Last week's CSA box came with some nice winter squashes so Matteo and I made buttercup squash soup for dinner. This is a Food Network recipe that was provided with my weekly CSA newsletter. It was easy to throw together and came out great.



Buttercup Soup

3 Tablespoons of butter
3/4 C coarsely chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded coarsely chopped
1 buttercup squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 C chicken stock or water
1/2 C cream
Salt and pepper
Sliced scallion and diced red pepper, for garnish

In a large pot, melt butter and cook onions until tender. Stir in carrots, potato and jalapeño and toss to coat. Stir in chopped squash. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Puree soup in blender in batches. Return to pot and stir in cream. Season to taste and garnish with sliced scallion.



I also made cooked up the Brussels sprouts that came in the box last week. They were tasty but stunk up the whole house! Is there a way to cook them without leaving such a strong, lingering smell?

new school

When Matteo turns two and a half (in less than three weeks!) he is going to move to a different school. He'll be switching from his daycare to a Montessori school where he will most likely stay until kindergarten.



He went to visit his new class for the first time on Tuesday morning and absolutely loved it. He even cried when it was time to leave. He's been at the same school since he was four months old and I wasn't sure what he was going to think of such a big change. But he dove right in, greeting the other kids, playing nicely with them, and helping himself to snack all by himself. I was so relieved!







We planned our visit so he could be in the class picture for the year, and when it was time to line up to go get the picture taken he got to be first in line. He was thrilled!



The new classroom is a little smaller than his current classroom, and there are more than twice as many kids (and almost all of them are boys, what a crazy bunch that must be!), but the Montessori method is based on purposeful independence and order and I think it's a good fit for Matteo. I attended a Montessori school from two and a half through the first part of kindergarten and still credit that experience to instilling in me a lifelong love of learning.





We're all going to miss our friends at the old school, both the kids and the teachers who have been wonderfully supportive and nurturing these last two years. But it's exciting to see Matteo move on to a new environment with new challenges where I know he'll thrive.