mom blogging

First Trip as a Family of Four

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

We survived our first trip as a family of four! This past weekend, B, FW, LM and I took a long car trip to New Jersey for my cousin’s wedding. (Thus the later than typical posting) The wedding was on a Monday, so we decided to make a long weekend out of it, and hit the road Saturday morning, before coming back to Cleveland on Tuesday.

On the way there, we made plenty of stops to break up the trip and also make sure there was some fun involved. First, we stopped at the Shaker Woods Festival, a woodworking festival in Northeast Ohio. B actually bought some handmade wooden brooms for him and FW.

On the way out to Jersey, we also stopped in Pennsylvania to see Mitch, our friend from college. He and his wife, Becca (we went to their amazing lake wedding a few years ago) now live in PA and have a daughter about FW’s age!

FW and their daughter, Natalie, got to play.

It was a perfect place to stop and a great way to catch up. They made us an amazing dinner (there was bacon in every part of the meal) and I wish we could’ve stayed longer.

The next day, we had plans to meet up with my friend Jane, who lives in Brooklyn. It was a gorgeous day, and we decided to visit the Prospect Park Zoo to help entertain FW, who loves any and all animals.

FW also loved all the interactive exhibits.

Jane is one of my best friends from home, and I am so glad we got to catch up and she got to meet LM.

The next day was the wedding! We had the whole day to ourselves, so we first enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. FW liked the waffles.

After, we decided to drive a ways to get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty at Liberty Park.

There was also a playground, so FW was able to get out some energy.

Then, it was wedding time! It was a very traditional Jewish wedding, with many unique customs.

It was great to see my family, most whom I hadn’t seen since Christmas.

Including my brother, Greg, who lives in Berlin.

FW loved seeing his Nonna and Grandpa.

I loved showing everyone LM.

And of course celebrating the BEAUTIFUL bride.

And now we are back to reality … and I’m back to work from maternity leave. It was a nice summer home, and hopefully going back to work won’t be too difficult.

Some questions for you:

  • How many first cousins do you have?
  • Are you done with weddings for the season?

Mary is Married!

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

We had a GREAT weekend filled with good food and celebrations here in Cleveland. Why? My sister-in-law Mary got married!

Thursday night was the rehearsal dinner and it was right in her parents (B’s parents) backyard. We had a great backyard bbq and the weather was perfect!

Some of the food – brisket, pasta, asparagus, salad and bread!

My parents also came into town to help watch the kids during the festivities. So, Friday morning my mom and started the day with mother-daughter pedicures. My feet needed it!

My parents helped watch the kids at the ceremony in the church. FW was pretty good but LM got fussy about halfway through. I was so glad they were there to help out and of course spend time with us!

FW took some selfies while we waited for the event to begin …

After the church it was time for the party! The event took place at an old arcade downtown and it was a beautiful location. FW loved dancing and of course seeing the beautiful bride!

Me and my other sister-in-law hung out as well (we also shared an Uber home since our husbands – brothers of the bride – went to the after party).

B and I got to dance a little after my parents took the kids home. It was nice to have some kid-free time. 

It was a late night, so Saturday was pretty slow. We all took naps (bonus points since both LM and FW napped at the same time that afternoon!) but then went out for a walk in the late afternoon. We stopped a playground for FW.

And then walked to get some pizza! Mushroom, pepperoni and roasted garlic, yum!

After FW was in bed, B and I watched I, Tonya. Have you seen it? I thought it was pretty good. I’m not super into figure skating and didn’t know much about the incident. I know it was a movie, but I still felt like I learned a lot.

Sunday morning, B made us all pancakes! Even a special blueberry bear for FW. 

Then, the four of us went for a run outside. The weather was so much better – low 70s and not humid – and it made it much more bearable than last week’s hot and humid run. I pushed FW, while B pushed LM in the stroller.

Total, we got in about 3.7 miles – my longest(and fastest!) postpartum run to date!

Sunday afternoon was another lazy one – we all took naps again (!yay!) but played outside, went for a walk and played with my newest toy – a RHUMBA! I bought it for Prime Day and LOVE it so far.

That about sums up our wedding weekend. Still one more to go (my cousin’s) this summer!

Some questions for you:

  • Did it cool down near you?
  • Do you have a smart vacuum or robot vacuum?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

This Post Is Mainly Food: One Sentence Per Photo

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 9 Comments

After looking through my photos from the weekend, I realized that it was nearly all food. Yup, all my photos from this weekend are food. With a side of Easter. So here we go- a food-centric post for Easter, one sentence per photo.

FW got to FaceTime with Uncle Greg while he was in the U.S. for a bit – of course while eating his dinner.

The 3 of us went out for some vegan food and I had a really good vegan gyro at Cleveland Vegan.

FW didn’t really like his vegan chocolate chip pancakes. 

I baked – this lemon blueberry cake/bread is reallllly good.

Saturday was brunch with the girls – courtesy of my friend Cuoghi, whose fiancé is a chef – so naturally we started with some donuts. 

And three different kinds of deviled eggs. 

And then two salads (because obviously we need our greens and beets). 

I ordered the French toast – I definitely enjoyed it. 

The steak and eggs was the winning dish, though, which makes sense since we were at steak house. 

Shrimp and grits and pulled pork was pretty good too.

We spent the afternoon chair shopping for the new baby’s room.

And since it was nice out, we spent some time outside!

After a nap, it was time to color eggs with Grandma.

We also played with her dancing bunny and got excited for Easter!

FW and B were twins for the day (wearing the same clothes), in case you couldn’t tell.

Easter Sunday meant finding Easter eggs in the house!

Followed by church, and then a loooooooong brunch with B’s family – we got home at 5:45!

But weren’t just eating, we were posing for photos, too.

And petting dogs.

And even took a short walk to the lake when we were done.

It was seasonably cold for Easter (especially after being 50s on Saturday!), but still great to be outside. And now – on to April!!!

Some questions for you:

  • If you celebrate Easter, do you do an Easter egg hunt?
  • Do you have any recliners or comfy reclining/rocking chair recommendations?
  • Was it warm this weekend near you? It was 50s on Saturday! And then down to 30s on Sunday 😦 

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

Very Merry Indeed – Christmastime in Upstate NY

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

I’m back from a great trip to NY to spend time with my family and celebrate Christmas. B, FW and I were lucky enough to spend nearly a full week there and got in some wintry weather, lots of cookies, gifts and some holiday fun.

Some of the highlights included:

FW and Miso hanging out. He is so cautious of dogs, but Miso is the perfect dog for him. Calm, and pretty nonchalant, and by the end of the trip FW was pretty comfortable with him.

FW and Grandpa sleigh riding. This was the first day before we really got any snow – there was just a dusting, but you can see they still went down the hill!

Family time 🙂 FW can nearly say “Nonna” now!

A little gym time. It was either snowy or icy or “feels like 1 degree” while I was home, so I didn’t get outside for any runs, despite bringing outdoor running clothes. Luckily I was able to use a guest pass and make it to the Y for a few indoor runs.

A visit from Santa! FW was overall interested and not scared.

Family photo! FW loves that bowtie – he wanted to wear it with his PJs!

Plenty of cookies. 

Also, some new toys!

Lots of running around the house and of course a few naps. 

We needed to get out of the house, but one day it was so cold (aforementioned “feels like 1 degree” at one point!), so we went to the NYS museum. It was the perfect place for FW to run around and even have some fun.

It was such a great trip, and while I’m trying to keep up with the holiday spirit and feeling I had when I was home and with my family, but I’m starting to feel the post-holiday blues set in. I’m not sure when I’ll see my parents or brother again, and it’s a little sad to think about that. That, and the frigid temps we’re experiencing this week and I can’t but help to countdown until spring.

Happy MONDAY and I’m linking up with the weekly wraps for today’s post.

Rainy Fall Weekends

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

Happy Sunday! It was a rainy, cool fall weekend here in Cleveland but we still had some fun and were even productive.  Fun and productive weekends are the best kind!

Friday night started with a game watch for out alma mater. We watched BC take on FSU AT Masthead.

Masthead has great food and beer. I tried their vegan pizza and it was so delicious! Sorry for the blurry pic- but you can see it had tofu and peppers and onions.

Saturday was a super productive day where we basically did nothing. Catch my drift? It was one of those days where it was suddenly 4 p.m. and I didn’t know what I had done with my day. We went to the hardware store, and then to the lighting store. We actually outfitted our house with lights and fans and I can’t wait until they come! We ended up buying NINE things –  5 ceiling fans, a bathroom light, a chandelier and 2 lights for our living room.

We celebrated our lighting purchase with some East Coast Custard.

We then did a trip to Target AND Whole Foods to pick up some stuff for the week.

And then it was almost dinnertime! B made us coq au vin, which was SO good and perfect for a cold, rainy day.

Sunday, FW slept in! So we started the day a little lazily with some books and pjs.

The day also included a rainy day walk with B and FW.

And then, we went to Ladies Craft Beer Society! We made different dyed fabrics – I had to leave  before they were done but I can’t wait to see how they turn out!


After family dinner, we started to finally figure out our Halloween decor. We have 3 pumpkins and some spooky lights that we need to put up tomorrow!

Some questions for you:

  • Was it a dreary, wet weekend near you too?
  • What’s a good comfort meal we should make this week?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

Goodbye, Downtown Running

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

This week marked a bittersweet week of running. Why is that? Because it was my last week of running as a downtown Clevelander.

We are moving to the BURBS! We’ll have a house and new running paths and trails and more areas to explore, but I’m going to miss a few things about my downtown running life:

  • Being so close to the running of the bridges – it’s so nice to “run the bridges” either by myself (it’s a 4-5 mi loop depending on what route I take) or with the organized group
  • Being able to run to the flats, the river, the lake, etc.
  • Having a gym in my apartment building for those days when I can’t/don’t wanna get outside – this means a treadmill AND elliptical for the non-running days
  • Being walking distance to SO MANY races (including the Cleveland Marathon!)

So, how did this week hold up? I got in 20+ miles finally – I’m still feeling slow and a little off, but my mileage was back up!

This week’s total: ~27 miles. 

Here’s a scene from my last run across the bridges on Saturday:

And my last picture with FW in the apartment after a run:

Some questions for you:

  • Do you have a gym in your building or a treadmill or elliptical you use?
  • Those of you who live in the suburbs – what do you like about running around your neighborhoods?

Linking up with My No-Guilt Life, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and MCM Mama Runs!

House Reno and LCBS Weekend

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

The time is coming for our stint in downtown living to come to an end. I’ll write more about the house and our move soon, but in the meantime, we are just trying to enjoy every last bit of our lives downtown, while getting everything ready for the big move.

So how do you try to enjoy downtown AND get ready to move the same time?

It’s hard, let me tell you. But here’s one way to do it.

Friday evening started off with a 3.5 mi run for me, followed by some playground time for FW. He isn’t so sure what to think of the slide, but he is trying to enjoy it!

We then walked to the Winking Lizard for a few patio beers.

Then, B went over to the house to do some work, while I put FW to bed and get some packing done. I packed up a box of our kitchen stuff .. there are still probably about a million more boxes to go, yikes!

Saturday morning started out with some time at the house. B, some family and friends had a painting party! He also worked on putting the ceiling up in the bathroom. 

We’re getting there – look at what a difference a day makes! No ceiling – almost ceiling!

FW enjoyed playing around on our gravel driveway … that too is going to be under construction soon!

He totally helped prime the walls, too. 

While over on that side of town, we also took a walk with my friend Lulu. On our walk we saw what she said was a falcon! We watched it eat a mouse. I’m going to have to get used to all the new wildlife that comes with moving outside of downtown, that’s for sure! (I have a picture of it eating the mouse, but I’ll spare you the gory details)

After stopping by the house, it was time to head to LCBS. This month’s LCBS brought us to Jocelyn’s house for felt flowers. I didn’t make the craft this time, but instead enjoyed some beer and watched FW play with the other babies. I’m so lucky to have a few friends with babies!

This month’s beer choice for me:

This is me laughing because Ruby is trying to hug FW. 

Sunday morning started out with a run. My long run for the week was 5 miles – nothing too long (for me), but I’m still getting back into the swing of running after some piriformis issues. It was hard from but I know that I’ll be back to where I was soon, hopefully!

While B was at the house, FW and I took a short walk around downtown and then made some sweet potatoes. He loves them fresh out of the oven. I sprinkle cinnamon on them and toss them with butter 🙂

Then, we headed over to the house to see how the work was going. The whole family was over painting again! 

And then FW and I took another walk, this time in the ‘burbs. He loved playing with the gravel on the driveway.

All in all it was a pretty good weekend and things are coming together at the house! I can take no credit, as I was on baby duty the entire weekend, but it’s amazing what one weekend can do. Will it be ready for us to move in soon? We shall see!

Some questions for you:

  • Are you a DIY-er? Have you bought a fixer upper?
  • Get in any good runs this weekend?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps.

Tuesdays on the Run: Fourth of July Week

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

Is anyone else still wishing it were last Tuesday and we had the day off from work and could be just spending time outside enjoying the Fourth of July? I definitely am! Last week I had off Monday and Tuesday off, and we enjoyed spending time outside with a hike on Monday and a run as a family on Tuesday.  The week included 5 runs, including 2 outdoor runs and one with a stroller:

My favorite run of the week was on Tuesday – B, FW and I got out to the park and got in a stroller run. I pushed FW for about 3 miles and B took him for the last mile or so:

It wasn’t a bad week, but my mileage was much lower than it has been. My legs just felt heavy and tired most of the week – it probably didn’t help that a few nights in a row I got barely 5 hours of sleep. And then yesterday, I pulled a muscle or something in my lower back/butt. TMI? I’m not sure what’s up, but I can barely walk straight, so this week may not include much running sadly 😦

Some questions for you:

  • How many hours of sleep do you get in a typical night?
  • What are you looking forward to most this week?

Linking up with My No-Guilt Life, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and MCM Mama Runs!