Jack's 5th bday

Jack is 5 today and it is hard to believe!!! It just seems like yesterday that after 15 hours of labor that included 2 hrs of pushing, I was looking at my new baby boy. It feels like I blinked and now he is this big boy. We had an awesome day today!! I woke Jack up with breakfast in bed. It was his favorite blueberry pancakes with a small amount of syrup and bacon. We played with his different toys for awhile and then we ventured out. We were able to eat lunch at our restaurant, spend time with both sets of grandparents, go to rite aid to get his favorite cars, and go to the Sullivan's for a mini play date. We had cake and presents at our house after dinner and then Jack played some more. Overall, I think his bday was a success. He is having one more celebration at my parents house this Sunday!

My nephew

My nephew won his wrestling regionals this past weekend!! He is a model to all involved in any sport because he demonstrates all the qualities an athlete needs: heart, determination, strength, knowledge, and courage. He has been wrestling with a torn ACL for several weeks. He has states in 2 weeks and we are hoping he can win it all!! Good Luck Josh we love you!!!

Jack's bday party

Jack's bday party was a huge hit!! I had it a week before the actual date because many schools were having mid-winter break and i thought the moms would enjoy a day of not having to find an activity for their kids. We had it at Bounce U. This place is a huge warehouse with giant moonwalks. The kids had so much fun and the place was electric with all the happy children running around. We served lunch and cake afterwards and the kids were still energized from all of the excitement of bouncing. Jack is obsessed with Hot wheels so it was very appropriate that he received many hot wheel gifts and he recevied so many other cool things like a giant frisbee ( perfect for the spring days ahead) and a spider man web blaster. We were happy we had our party there because Bounce U did everything for us and I mean everything. I never lifted a finger for anything. They even wrote a list for me with the names of his guests and the gift they gave jack. I heard from other parents afterwards that their kids slept for several hours after the party. Jack is the energizer bunny so he keeps going and going so no nap for us. I am looking forward to this Thursday because my little guy is going to be 5 yrs old!!!

Our Weekend

Our weekend was filled with bad weather!!! We had a massive amount of freezing rain, so the roads were a nightmare. Jeorge got pulled over in the alley of the bakery where we buy our bread because the officer thought he was drunk. He told him that he was slipping on all the sheets of ice and was trying to regain control of his driving!!! It finally warmed up and melted most of the ice but it refroze at night, so we had another day of dangerous roads!!

Jeorge had a blood sugar episode which scared me to death. He has type 2 diabetes and his sugar is usually in check. However, on Sat morning at 8 30 I got a call from one of our employees telling me to come get jeorge. They said his sugar had shot to 300 and that he was barely awake and needed me to come get him right away. I was panicked so I called my mom immediately( she is a nurse) for advice. She told me to give him some water and to have him rest for an hr and retest. In that hour it lowered to 120 and I was relieved!!! I had my mom get me a book so I could read more about it and get us on the right track with our diets. I have a lot to learn about the disease and the foods that are safe ,and the ones that should be eliminated.

Our weekeend ended on a great note. My brother and sister in law had a belated bday party for my father in law. It is always great to see the family and catch up. I wish we had more time to see everyone, but we all have hectic schedules. Jack loved seeing his older cousins 18 and 21 respectively, and his aunts and uncles!! He said the dogs were creeping him out and kept trying to chase them around the house. My sister in law Tammy made an awesome lemon cake and I made her take a pic of it!! Lemon cake is my favorite!!! My father in law got a ton of great gifts. My favorite was 2 tickets to the Pistons game this week from my brother in law Jeff, he has season tickets!! Jack's main highlight was blowing out the candles on the cake with his Papa!!!

Recent pics of the baby

James is growing up so fast!! He is going to be 6 months old on Febrauary 23rd. Here are some pics my friend Polly took!!! Also, Jack is going to be 5 yrs old on February 28th!!! We are having a party at this new place called Bounce U which is a giant warehouse with huge inflatable moonwalks. The kids get to bounce for 1.5 hrs and then we do cake and presents for 45 minutes. The best part is the people at bounce do everything for you. I can't wait!!!

Jewish News Article

2/8/2008 11:20:00 AM
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The Maple Leaf Cafe297 E. Maple RoadBirmingham (248) 723-1222Hours:Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.Price Range:Breakfasts: $5.50-$13.95Lunch entrees: $9.50-$14.25Sandwiches, burgers and salads: $7.25-$9.25
PLATINUM: All's Fare- Daylight DelightBreakfast and lunchtime treats await hungry diners in Birmingham.BY JUDY GALENS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAANIt's an age-old lesson: Things are not always as they appear. Glance through the window at the Maple Leaf Cafe, and find a narrow restaurant with vinyl table coverings, vintage photos lining the walls and the grill right up front, reminiscent of any greasy-spoon diner. Once inside, however, you'll find this new restaurant is anything but ordinary. Using fresh, high-quality ingredients - with an emphasis on organic and all-natural foods - chef-owner Jeorge Swanson has created a menu bursting with inventive flavor combinations.Open since October, the Maple Leaf attracts a crowd on weekends and during the weekday lunch hour, and with just 10 or so tables and a handful of counter seats, it fills up quickly. You'll likely wait for a table, but use the time to ponder life's big questions: Breakfast or lunch? Sweet or salty? Burger or salad? At the Maple Leaf, there are no wrong answers.Breakfast offerings include a number of egg dishes, including a build-your-own omelet option and a host of tempting egg scrambles (all made with organic eggs, natch). Highlights include the Mediterranean scramble, which tosses together eggs, fresh spinach, feta and Greek olives, and the sweet-potato scramble, which combines sweet potatoes with mushrooms, scallions, bacon and havarti cheese. All are accompanied by toasted fresh breads and homemade jams.The Maple Leaf also presents several sinful pancake varieties - from bananas Foster to sweet potato to coffee-malt crunch, which folds almonds, oats and chocolate chunks into malted mocha batter. You'll have trouble resisting the Voodoo French toast, with hunks of challah dipped in a yogurt, honey, vanilla and egg batter and topped with toasted coconut. Feeling more virtuous? The breakfast banana split consists of fresh fruit, yogurt and house-made granola.The lunch menu includes traditional, hearty fare like secret-recipe meatloaf and ultra-rich macaroni and cheese as well as more innovative entrees like crab cakes drizzled with raspberry honey mustard and fritters made with butternut squash, cheese and arborio rice. The sandwich list includes vegan and vegetarian fare among standards like tuna, chicken salad and grilled cheese. But even here, the usuals are enlivened by details like feta cheese and lemon oregano aioli on the grilled cheese and a slice of pineapple atop the tuna melt. The Maple Leaf also ventures into burger territory, offering half-pound patties with a variety of toppings, accompanied by large, beautifully crispy french fries. While the kids menu is limited, the Maple Leaf Cafe is definitely family friendly, a detail that fits right in with Swanson's worldview. After working long hours and late nights as a chef at Lily's Seafood in Royal Oak and Sweet Lorraine's in Southfield, Swanson longed to be his own boss and create his own menu. He envisioned a restaurant offering only breakfast and lunch, in part, he says, because Birmingham needed a breakfast place. But more important, the daytime hours allows him to be home in the evenings with his young children. Running the Maple Leaf Cafe, says Swanson, gives him "the freedom to do what I want to do" - whether it's reading a bedtime story to his kids or having a menu that includes a version of eggs Benedict made with crab cakes. Fortunately for diners at the Maple Leaf, Swanson's freedom translates into wonderful food.

Brotherly Love

It is so nice to see my boys interact. James is getting so big, he is 5.5 months old and weighs 19.2 lbs!!! I must have some gold in my breast milk, LOL!!! Jack's favorite thing to do when he first wakes up is to hold his baby brother. I am so happy he is not jealous and loves him very much!!!

Trader Joes

Jeorge and Jack went shopping recently at Trader Joes. They were standing in line to check out when Jack spotted a vintage car that he liked behind the managers counter. He immediately ran over there and told the woman that he loved the car and asked if he could have it. She said I'm sorry little boy, but this car is up here for a display for the Dream Cruise. Jack replied " Nice lady I will work really hard for this car" and with that she gave it to him!! It made his week!!!

Candidate Matchmaker

Eccentric Article

Chefs add new spice to Restaurant WeekBy Jay M. Grossman STAFF WRITER
Jeorge Swanson and Andrew Craig are the new chefs on the block.
Swanson runs the Maple Leaf Cafe that opened its door in October. Craig is the chef partner of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, which opened in March.

They're participating in the third annual Restaurant Week, Feb. 4-8, in which customers can enjoy a three-course meal at some of Birmingham's finest restaurants at bargain prices - lunch for $15 and dinner for $25.
Both chefs are at the top of their game, but they play in vastly different arenas.
A candle-lit environment of mahogany and white linen greet customers at Fleming's, located on the first floor of the Burton-Katzman building at 325 N. Old Woodward. From the expansive wine collection to the signature dessert tray, every detail in the dining room is decidedly posh and swanky.
Craig, 29, spent his entire career with Fleming's, joining the franchise in 1997.
"I love this area," he said about Birmingham. "I come from Ann Arbor and the two areas are very similar ... it's that downtown feel where the residents support their community very well."
Blue jeans and organic food rule the day at the Maple Leaf, at 297 E. Maple Road. Historic photos grace the walls, while a customized countertop created by Swanson himself features old vinyl LPs from the Stones and Zeppelin, baseball cards, comic book covers, floating scrabble pieces and the Three Stooges.
The menu is just as eclectic, offering Voodoo French Toast and Five-Star Meatloaf. All the meals are prepared with organic or natural ingredients, a wholesome approach that Swanson said was inspired by his parents.
"My dad's a holistic medicine man and my mom's an astrologer," he said, smiling. "My parents are hippies."
He knows the area well. While growing up in Royal Oak, he held a part-time job at the old Harmony House store in downtown Birmingham. He even owned his own record shop at one time, in the Caribbean.
Behind the grill, he's a master. Before opening the Maple Leaf, Swanson, 42, held court at Sweet Lorraine's in Southfield, the Big Fish Seafood Bistro in Madison Heights and Lily's Seafood in Royal Oak.
"I feel comfortable in any restaurant situation," he said.
Visit http://www.enjoybirmingham.com/ for more information about Restaurant Week, including all the menus.


Zoom PhotoMaple Leaf Cafe owner Jeorge Swanson shows off the Voodoo French Toast.

Sick

YIKES!!!! Our whole house has been sick this week. Jack was the one who was hit the hardest. He started the week with an inner ear infection and pink eye and then he developed a horrible chest cold. We found out the hard way that he is allergic to amoxicillin because he broke out with the worst rash I have ever seen all over his body. We had to take him to the pediatric after hrs clinic because he was miserable. Luckily, his reaction did not impair his breathing. I am happy to report he is almost back to 100%. James had an inner ear infection with a fever, but he is well now. Jeorge has bronchitis but is on medicine and doing good. I am just tired from taking care of everyone all week. I am looking forward to watching the superbowl tomorrow. I haven't decided who I want to root for. Jeorge wants the Pats to win because he wants Brady to go down as best qb ever, because he was a Wolverine. That way, all the sports radios guys can't knock the Big 10 because we would have the greatest Qb of all time from our conference.