Margie's little corner of the world

Stocking stuffer idea

2011-10-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

What can I say? The boy loves tape. He went through a 3-pack of scotch tape in one weekend.

I let him because he was quiet and wasn't breaking anything.

Then I ordered him his very own set of 11 colored masking tape rolls. I could only find 8 of his rolls for this picture. He has one roll in each pocket and another in his hand at all times.

He has a particular fondness for taping the floor, doorknobs and chairs.

His sister made a kite and he made a ring and a handle for his water bottle.

Here's a frugal holiday gift idea:

A large empty box (which every parent knows is usually played with more than the toy inside),

with a few rolls of colorful tape,

and maybe a large lollipop for good measure.

What more could a kid want?

Chai Tea party

2011-10-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

It's been incredibly dreary outside this week, so I tried to cheer myself up by having a tea party with my son. I simmered fennel seeds, sliced ginger, a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf, whole cloves, white peppercorns, and cardamom seeds in 3 cups of water for about 10 minutes. Then I turned off the heat, added 2 English Breakfast tea bags, 2 teaspoons of honey and let it steep another 10 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of milk

and voila, a delightful pot of chai tea!

My daughter would have dressed up like she was dining at the Ritz.

My son? Jelly on the sleeve and filthy hands.

He lapped up the tea like a dog.

honorary Indian

2011-10-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

I have two words for you people:

Chaat Masala.

How have I lived 36 years on this planet,

had 3 Indian friends - I'm so worldly, I know,

(One happens to be a midwestern girl whose hubby is Indian, but still)
and somehow missed out on the wonder that is Chaat Masala?

SOMEBODY has been holding out on me!

Manashi?

Malavika?

Jenny?

I have Garam Masala in my cupboard,

asafoetida,

mango powder,

black mustard seeds,

but nobody told me about chaat masala!?

A couple of weeks ago Manashi's mom made this unbelievably tasty cucumber dish for us

and I dreamt about it for days.

I called Manashi in NYC and she walked me through the Indian grocery store here in Georgia
where I bought my very own box.

It cost $1.

Sprinkle it on cucumbers with a little lemon juice and salt.

You can thank the Mukherjee family later.

Patti Digh (rhymes with high)

2011-10-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of putting my own mask on first, I'm going to leave my family to their own devices for the evening so I can hear author/blogger Patti Digh speak at the library tonight. A couple of years ago I ordered one of Patti's books, life is a verb, based solely on the fact that it was illustrated with artwork created by her readers. I read a chapter or two, but mostly admired the book for its beauty. This is not unusual for me. I have 6 or 7 books stacked next to my bed, mostly non-fiction, but I rarely finish an entire book. I picked the book back up a couple of weeks ago and have surprised myself by nearly finishing it. I'm always a little squeamish about self-help books, but there is so much more to this book than advice. It's full of stories about learning to live intentionally and it gives writing prompts to help the readers discover and retell their own stories. One of my favorite sections of the book, Say 'hi' to Yaron, can be read at her blog.

Years ago, Patti Digh's step-father was diagnosed with lung cancer and died 37 days later. That's how her blog got its name. She and her mother helped him die at home, an experience which she describes as both profound and painful. It made her dig deep to discover what she would do with her life if she only had 37 days left.

Tonight she'll be talking about her new book, what I wish for you (simple wisdom for a happy life), a book written for her eldest daughter who recently left for college. It includes lessons she's learned in life, as well as stories and advice from her readers.

Camping on Deep Creek

2011-10-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Over Lil's fall break, we went camping with Alan's sister, Teresa, and her hubby, John, on Deep Creek in Bryson City, North Carolina. We borrowed this pop-up camper from Alan's other sister, Kendra, and now I'm obsessed with getting one of our own. I have no idea where we'll park it, but I MUST have one. It's very compact when folded up and can easily be pulled by a mid-sized car. You just pop it up, plug it in and hook up the water and you're all set. You can get a good one used for about $3,000

and I have fantasies of popping it up in our backyard and making it a room of my own,

a place to escape to.

We were right on the creek, so we went tubing a couple of times.

Sleeping to the sound of the creek was delightful. Is there anything more relaxing than sitting in front of a camp fire? We weren't exactly roughing it, as my husband so sarcastically reminded me. The campground had a bathroom with showers (and only a few creepy crawly things).

The children were so happy. They were thrilled that they got to eat marshmallows every night! Lilly said I'm nicer to her when we're camping. Isn't that another good reason to buy a pop-up camper?

I'm tempted to sell all of our crap and move into an RV,
but then I'd have to home school Lilly.
And she thinks I'm mean now?
No camp fire in the world is large enough to give me the kind of patience that would require.

"Evening" by G.K. Chesterton

2011-09-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Here dies another day

During which I have had eyes, ears, hands

And the great world round me;

And with tomorrow begins another.

Why am I allowed two?

Here we go round the mulberry bush

2011-09-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

(from May 2010)

Until a week ago, that nursery rhyme was the only thing I knew about mulberries. Then our friend, Jonathan, posted ‘mulberries’ as his facebook status. Just ‘mulberries’. He later commented that he was trying to work but all he could think about was foraging for mulberries. He and his wife, Lesley, live in Nashville so I assumed their neighborhood was flooded and that they couldn’t get to a grocery store. Nope, they’re just that cool.

Then Alan informed me that there’s a huge mulberry tree in the field behind our house.

So he carried a bucket down the hill and brought these lovely little berries home.

“What are you going to DO with them?,” I asked. “Are you SURE they’re mulberries? 100% sure? How do you know?” He looked at me like I was the crazy one.

I’ve mentioned that my mountain man has some mad baking skills, but I was terrified to try this suspicious little piece of pie. The crunchy-granola girl in me admires the simple living, back to the land movement and thinks growing and canning your own food sounds swell. I mean, how much more local can you get than these mulberries? But the city girl in me got online, started googling pictures of mulberry trees, and researching the possible side effects from consuming its fruit. I whispered to Lilly, “Let’s wait until tomorrow and make sure Daddy hasn’t poisoned himself before we eat a slice.”

Why was I so afraid of the mulberries? The same reason other people are afraid to eat collard greens, kale, swiss chard, or fennel. We’re terrified of the unfamiliar, but it’s the familiar that’s REALLY scary: double D-sized chicken breasts, antibiotic-laden beef washed in ammonia and chlorine to remove E. coli, fake food filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce let alone recognize. So why was I afraid of eating berries growing on a tree behind my house? Because they weren’t labeled and I didn’t have to pay for them – as if that ensures safety. It’s laughable, I know! The point is, as a society, we’re so completely disconnected from our food. We have dandelion greens and mulberries growing all over the city and hungry people who have no clue that they’re edible. I did eventually try a piece of pie and my exact words were, “This is SO good, I don’t care if it makes me sick.” Lilly woke up the next morning and said, “Daddy didn’t poison himself, so can I eat a slice of pie now?”

God is good

2011-09-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ted Clark once described our church on NPR's All Things Considered. He said, "Oakhurst Presbyterian Church is unremarkable on the outside, but the congregation on the inside is quite remarkable. People from the most divergent backgrounds - middle class professionals, blue-collar and pink-collar workers, welfare recipients, old, young, and very young, black, white, Asian, gay and straight. All seem to feel comfortable there and speak their minds." Today we celebrated our church's 90th anniversary.

The following song is called "White Man" and it reminds me very much of our community of faith and the message at Oakhurst. We are all children of God. There are many other definitions that the world will give us based on our skin color, sexual orientation, education level and economic status. At Oakhurst we're reminded that our primary definition is a child of God. There are no second class citizens at our church. Diversity is a gift.

The band, Gungor, hails from Denver, Colorado and the video was constructed entirely out of felt using a technique called stop motion. It was developed and directed by Goodwin Films.

"God is good, God is good, and he loves everyone."

Quote on parenting

2011-09-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

"Remember you are not managing an inconvenience; you are raising a human being."

- Kittie Franz

400 year old trees

2011-09-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

When we were on our trip to North Carolina, Alan and I got away for a night to celebrate our 12th anniversary.

We spent the night at the Freymont Inn in Bryson, City and the next morning went on a hike in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. It's one of the only old-growth, virgin forests on the east coast. It reminded me very much of a mini-Muir Woods, which was where we were 12 years ago for our honeymoon.

Twelve years ago, when we were younger, thinner, and more carefree,

but no happier

and no more in love.

Separate, separate, separate

2011-09-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

That’s my secret for making one dinner that usually sometimes pleases both the tall and short people in my home. ‘Separate, separate, separate’ is an especially important technique for children of the preschool variety. They want power and they want it now. Food is the only thing in their little lives that they have any control over. As much as you’d like to get your screwdriver and your plumber’s helper, open their mouths and shove it in, that didn’t work for Mr. Parker in A Christmas Story and it won’t work for you.

My six year old will eat raw spinach dipped in salad dressing and she’ll devour a container of strawberries in minutes, but try combining those three items and she recoils in horror. I not only physically separate every item on the plate, I also reserve items while I’m cooking before I RUIN them with too much flavor. The other night I made one of my favorite spring dishes, Seared Tofu with Spicy Black Beans and Mango Salsa, which I discovered years ago in Peter Berley’s cookbook Fresh Food Fast. This is how the dish looks when Alan and I eat it.

For my picky little munchkins, I reserved some of the mango salsa before I added jalapeno and cilantro to it. I also separated the food on their plates like this.

Lilly informed me that next time I make this dish, the tomato is not invited to her mango play date. I meant to reserve some black beans before I RUINED them with ginger, cumin, and garlic, but I forgot. Do you see where this is going? Lilly didn’t seem to mind the beans, but this was Jonathan’s reaction:

It gets even better!

Separate, separate, separate!
Separate the food, but don’t cook a separate meal; unless, of course, you want to. If you have endless money, time, and patience, then go for it. Just keep in mind that “kid-friendly food” is a marketing gimmick, one that didn’t exist 100 years ago.

Don’t feel too rejected when the ungrateful boogers refuse the meal you so lovingly prepared for them. You sometimes have to offer a dish twenty or thirty times before a child starts to like it; an annoying fact, but true. My daughter was a really good eater when she was little. She later went through picky stages and turned up her nose at meals she once loved. On the bright side, she’s eating things today that she refused to touch just last year. If I didn’t give her the opportunity to try a variety of foods, how would her taste buds ever develop and mature? Don’t get too worked up about the food they reject. Just laugh at their full-body shudders, try to refrain from lecturing them about starving children in Africa, and celebrate small victories. We’re all in this thing together.

Play with your food

2011-09-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

from February 2011

As you can see, it took me over a month to recover from snow week. It was THAT bad. This past week has more than made up for it though. My daughter had a week long ‘winter break’ from school and it’s been 70 degrees and sunny EVERY SINGLE DAY! When we weren’t outside playing, we were in the kitchen playing with our food. It’s amazing how much more likely kids are to eat dishes that are presented in unique and fun ways. They’re even MORE likely to try food they’ve had a hand in preparing. Case in point: potato mice.

Sure, the kids may have eaten a plain old baked potato, but they’re still talking about these 3 days later. We got the recipe from this Mom and Me Cookbook, by Annabel Karmel and they were really tasty. You remove the inside of the potatoes, mash them with butter, milk and cheese, and then fill the potatoes back up with the mashed potato mixture. You then add more shredded cheese on top and broil the potatoes a few minutes until golden brown. My daughter had a blast giving the mice eyes, whiskers, ears, a nose and a tail. They were so cute, she didn’t want to eat them (but she eventually did).

From the same cookbook, we also made this recipe for Avocado Frog Dip.

We took rolled up turkey, the frog dip, warm pita bread strips, and a plate full of raw veggies outside and had a picnic on our porch. Now THAT’S fun, simple food!

Slow Food

2011-09-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

Le Creuset, I love you so!! I found this 5.5 qt Le Creuset Dutch Oven the week before my birthday at Tuesday Morning for only $150. ONLY? I know, it sounds like a ridiculous amount of money, but these French Ovens usually cost $230 (on sale) and I’ve been pining for one for years. What makes these pots so highly coveted? After all, a cast iron skillet only costs about $20. These lovelies have two layers of enamel on top of the cast iron, which is a BREEZE to clean up, and is ideal for slow-cooking just about anything. Soup, stew, chili, you name it. No more burning the mirepoix at the bottom of my stock pot! You can brown a chicken in the dutch oven and then stick the entire pot in the oven to roast. They come with a 99 year warranty, so I fully expect to will it to my favorite grandchild. All this and they’re beautiful to look at too.

Over the weekend, we roasted this free-range, organic chicken using this recipe aptly titled the,”Best Roasted Chicken in the freaking world. Period.” I then made chicken stock with the remains.

Beans and rice, rice and beans

2011-09-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

I made a huge pot of Cuban Black Beans on Wednesday and I CANNOT GET ENOUGH! I soaked 1 pound of dried black beans ($1.49) in water for about 8 hours, drained the beans and then simmered them in fresh water with half an onion and half a green pepper for 2-3 hours. I chopped the remaining onion and pepper, which I then sauteed in bacon grease for 15 minutes or so. I also made a garlic paste by smashing 7 garlic cloves together with a pinch of sea salt. When the beans were tender, I added the sauteed green peppers, onions, bacon grease, and garlic paste to the pot, along with the juice of 1 lime. I also added a pinch of salt, oregano, cumin, and a tablespoon or two of red wine vinegar. I served the beans with rice, avocado, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, and pickled jalapenos. The second night, we made whole wheat burritos out of the leftovers. Today, I had more rice and beans for lunch and I look forward to devouring the rest tomorrow. Seriously good, seriously cheap, and the kids liked it!

Taste a little of the summer

2011-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

“Taste a little of the summer, taste a little of the summer, my grandma put it all in jars.” That’s a line from a Greg Brown song, Canned Goods, one of my all-time favorites. My grandma used to can the vegetables my grandfather grew in his garden. My husband is a volunteer at Sugar Creek Garden twice a week and has brought home quite a bounty of summer veggies. Cucumbers and tomatoes and okra, oh my!

I’ve never canned, but should probably learn how. I really don’t cook much over the summer. All I seem to crave is watermelon and peaches. In fact, I could be a raw foodist from June-August if I didn’t have kids and a husband to feed. Wait a minute, raw foodists don’t eat ice cream, do they? Never mind.

Last night, I did cook my favorite braised cabbage recipe and prepared some mac & cheese from a box (gasp). I also tried out this new okra recipe, which was SO easy and deeeeeelicious! Tonight, I have no idea what I’m going to cook. I might cook the same Caponata recipe I made over the weekend so I can use up the eggplant Alan brought home from the garden. I’ll probably buy some bread to spread the caponata on, though last week we just put it on top of nachos, along with some Lemon Feta Dip and hummus. The Decatur Farmer’s Market is this afternoon and Pearson Farm will be selling the last of their Georgia peaches. I’m not sure what else we’ll eat. Maybe ice cream? Let’s see, that’s a veggie, a fruit, a carb, and dairy. Sounds good to me. I can just hear my mom asking, “What about PROTEIN?”

School started back yesterday, which is why I have a moment to blog. The boy is napping (don’t be jealous, he woke up at 5:40 a.m.) and the girl is enjoying the heck out of her first week of school. Who doesn’t love the start of the school year? Brand new school supplies, back-to-school clothes, and classmates. Imagine the possibilities.

We had a lovely summer break and spent lots of time at Lake Chatuge.

Alan picked these wild blackberries while we were there.

Grandma Ashe baked a blackberry cobbler, which I’ll surely dream about all winter.

We hired goats and sheep to eat invasive vegetation behind our church, which was a sight to behold. They ate kudzu and poison ivy like it was chocolate. The company is called EweniversallyGreen and the owner, Brian Cash, can be reached at 678-595-0147.

We must have paid the animals 2 dozen visits while they were there working.
We were sad to see them go.

Jonathan's birthday

2011-09-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

July 2nd, 2011

Three years ago, my bald baby boy came barreling into the world on his due date, and I’ve been chasing after him ever since. He’s loud and fast and has a penchant for headbutting. He breaks things just to see how they’re put together. His favorite song is Kick Drum Heart by the Avett Brothers. He has a habit of sticking his bottom out and chanting, “I got my boo bootay,” like he’s in a hip hop video, and I’m sure he’s going to get suspended from preschool for being a bad influence. He adores his big sister and follows her every move. “Every family has a kid who won’t eat,” and in our house, Jonny is that kid. He’ll eat sweets, of course, and especially loved the dirt on his cake. He gets away with a lot because of this smile.

Jonny's first day of preschool

2011-09-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Planting seeds, in more ways than one.

Summerlicious

2011-05-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

We're gearing up for summer vacation. This summer I hope to focus on the rhythm of our days. I'd like to give the kids (and myself) something fun to look forward to each week, but also balance busy, physical activities with quiet, creative ones. In my experience, the joy of summer dissipates quickly when you don't build a little structure into your day. Our house is small and tends to feel even smaller when we don't get out of the house before noon. Here's our summer bucket list (so far):

*Invite one of Lil's friends over to make body art with homemade Henna

*Start a writing club with Lil
*~~Start Lil's own gratitude journal and "hunt" for gifts to be grateful for together.~~

*~~Decorate t-shirts with fabric paint~~

*Practice hula hooping

*~~Beginning embroidery - buy burlap, an embroidery hoop, a blunt sewing needle, and embroidery floss~~

*Write letters

*~~Catch lightning bugs~~
*~~Stay up late (every now and then) and study the night sky~~

*~~Weekly movie night - FINALLY get around to watching Up~~ & Toy Story I.

*Set up a scavenger hunt with a map and hidden treasures

*~~Braves games~~

*Water balloon fight, ~~running through sprinklers, and the Slip 'N Slide~~

*Write a song with the kids - ~~piano~~ and guitar

*Visit Daddy at work

*Camping (even backyard camping will do)

*~~Spend lots of time with Grandma, Granddad, aunts, uncles, and cousins at Lake Chatuge~~
*~~Take Jonny-boy fishing~~

*Visit Cochran Mill Nature Center (20 miles south of Atlanta)

*Visit Noah's Ark Animal Rehabilitation Center

*~~Blueberry picking at~~ ~~Hard Labor Creek~~

*Hike up Arabia Mountain

*See Martha Speaks at Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts (July 19-31st)

*Visit Squire Boone Caverns, near Corydon, Indiana, while we're visiting the grandparents in Louisville.

*~~Meet Aunt Jessica at Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim's house in the corn fields of Indiana~~

I recently purchased an incredible book entitled Making Make-Believe, by MaryAnn F. Kohl and have gleaned all sorts of creative ideas for our summer vacation. I'm think my kids will be thrilled to make their own TV out of a cardboard box, crawl inside and host their own show; create a miniature garden in a pan with real plants, dirt, rocks and toys; make an edible goldfish container using jello, mandarin oranges, gummy worms, star fruit, etc.; build a sticky cracker cottage (much like a gingerbread house, but with graham crackers and peanut butter); and make our own purple mural, inspired by Harold and the Purple Crayon (one of Jonny's favorite books). The author also recommends setting up a play office, a flower shop, a carpenter's workshop, and my personal favorite: Let's Play Window Washer, because we all know how messy the house gets with everybody home 24-7. Hmmmm, how about let's play housekeeper, let's play masseuse, and then let's play naptime? Notice in the picture above how Jonny is being forced to play make-believe with his big sister dictating every single move.

WOW! Just WOW!

2011-03-18T16:14:00.001-07:00

my girl turns 7

2011-03-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

If you're afraid of snakes, don't look down!

Aunt Jessica, that means you.

Our girl turned 7 last week. S E V E N! We hired Mr. Greg's Reptile Roadshow to entertain her friends.

Lil channeled her inner-Bindi and had a ball with these scaly creatures.

Lil holding a milk snake

Nice bracelet!

Lil passing around a Blue-tongued Skink

This alligator was by far the scariest reptile in the program. Don't worry, there was no touching this guy.

A Mexican Gopher Snake

Lil is one brave kid.

The grande finale - a very large boa contrictor!

And six very happy girls.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

1000 gifts continued. So much to be thankful for.

#4 Autumn leaves

#5 For views out windows. It's one of the things that made me fall in love with our home. So many windows. I love watching as the view changes from season to season.

#6 For this church of ours. I didn't grow up going to church, nor did I really understand why people went to church, until I found this one. The perfect fit.

#7 Our church has 2 choirs, the Sanctuary Mass Choir, which sings African American gospel music, and the Chancel Choir (pictured), which sings more traditional hymns. This year, the Chancel Choir sang Handel's Messiah and it was SO beautiful, impressive, and moving.

#8 We scored FREE tickets to The Nutcracker this year!! Best seats we've ever had too.

#9 Handmade Christmas cards. I never even get around to mailing store-bought cards, but I SO appreciate these handmade cards my friend Kathy makes each year. She started sending them to me in 2002 and they now fill our mantle each Christmas.

#10 The perfect-sized Christmas tree for our little parlor. It, along with our new wall paint color, up-cycled wreath made out of wool sweaters, and handmade Christmas cards made for such a festive living room this year.

#11 A white Christmas for us in North Carolina. We got 9 inches of snow when all was said and done. Alan's childhood friend, Clif, his wife, Trish, and their 3 kids joined us. We saw so many of Alan's good friends during this visit.

#12 Lilly went up and down this hill dozens of times.

#13 A girl and her pal, CJ

#14 I love to watch my daughter dance. She's so graceful, so unselfconscious.

#15 Comice pears are like candy. Juice, sweet, and so good in a salad with goat cheese, pecans, and pomegranate arils.

#16 This one is odd, I know. I'm grateful for the stroller cluttering up my front porch. I know I won't need it much longer.

#16 Old friends. My lovely college roommate came through town with her husband and their son. She still looks like she's in college, but I won't hold that against her. I need to spend more time with old friends. I miss them so.

1000 Gifts

2010-12-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

#1 Jonny got his first haircut. I loved those little red curls, but now his appearance matches his personality. The kid is ALL-boy.

#2 Jonny loves to help his Daddy fix things. Here he is holding the flashlight while Alan reattaches the thing-a-ma-giger to the do-what's-it.

#3 This Norman Rockwell moment of our very own.

Sunday quote of the day

2010-11-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

"When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people."

by Abraham Joshua Heschel

The wonder of make believe

2010-10-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Roasting marshmallows by a camp fire.

Searching the internet with her new laptop.

Some things I love

2010-10-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Freshly painted rooms. Our dining room used to be red and the living room was beige. Thanks to my husband's mad-painting skills, both rooms are now painted Blue Gray by Farrow & Ball. Only 2 stores in Atlanta even sell F&B, but you can order it online if you can stomach the shipping costs. It contains no plastics, zero VOCs, is a clay-based paint and the formula has been the same since 1946. It's pricey, at over $80 a gallon, but in my opinion is worth every penny. The Blue Gray color is warm and has much more depth to it than the picture shows. It almost has a slight green undertone and goes REALLY well with our cream trim & olive green built-ins.

I love that Lil still loves to fall asleep in her Granddad's lap, even though she's nearly as tall as he is.

I love my new bangs!

I love Autumn and this little boy with his bright red hair.

I love my little girl's toothless grin, even though it reminds me she's not so little anymore.

St. George Island

2010-10-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

St. George Island has to be one of the most stunning, peaceful places on Earth. We went for the first time in April 2008 and have been St. George Island-dreaming ever since. I'm not even that much of a beach person, but St. George is different. No touristy crap, very few people, just dolphins, crabs, and sea gulls. We went back a few weeks ago during Lil's fall break, which also happened to fall the week of our 11th anniversary. The rates are super-low this time of year and even lower since the oil spill. They actually gave us $150 in gift cards to use on the island, courtesy of PB. We saw so many dolphins this time, just 20 feet from the shore. The house we rented was comfortable, cozy, dog-friendly and had a 65 foot deck overlooking the ocean. Each morning, we watched the sun rise while eating breakfast and sipping coffee. I've never been so grateful to have early-rising children.

my little mermaid

2010-09-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

When she was 3 years old, Lil took her very first swimming lesson. She sat by the side of the pool and watched the other kids swim for 2 weeks. When she was 4, we tried private lessons. She cried for two hours before every single lesson until eventually we gave up. This summer, when she was 6 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, and 1 day old, the most cautious child on earth took her vest off and swam!!!

Summer Lovin' (part deux)

2010-08-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

Where was I? Tipton, Indiana. My aunt and uncle's storybook-perfect property.

This creek runs in front of their property. We saw an enormous tortoise swimming downstream. Not very toddler-friendly, but oh so picturesque.

LOVE this bridge!

My kids had serious driveway-envy. My Aunt Jessica met us there too. We hope to make our visit a summer tradition.

After what seemed like days and days of driving, we finally made it back to Atlanta. After five short days at home, we went to the lake for a week.

Swimming, boating, water-skiing, biking, eating Grandma's country cookin'.

What would summer be without a slip n' slide?

Bowling with Jonathan....

The highlight of the summer for Lilly and Jonathan was horseback riding in the mountains. That very same week, Lil got to go tubing down the Chattahoochee River through Helen, Georgia. A fawn jumped into the water to say hello.

Back in the ATL, we spent some time with good friends.

Lil discovered Bindi The Jungle Girl this summer, and quickly became her #1 fan. The show is all about animals and Lil now wants to become a vet. She used to want to be a waitress at Cracker Barrel. Must be the biscuits.

Lil lost her 2nd top tooth and officially looks like a 1st grader.

We went to the zoo.

After our day at the zoo, the kids created their own zoo with Legos.

It was WAY too hot to cook, so we ate strange meals like this. We also spent a lot of time at the local Farmer's Market. Lil is becoming quite the locavore. Local peaches, local milk, local eggs. She's a bit of a snob.

Stay tuned.....

Summer lovin' had me a blast

2010-08-08T06:09:00.000-07:00

School started Monday and now I'm reminiscing about our summer. Don't get me wrong, I was ready for school to start, but our summer break was lovely. The perfect mix of go-go-go and lounge around the house all day. A couple of trips, quality lake time, plenty of down time, and a few milestones. Here are the highlights:

Lilly took a class at our community garden called 'The Stream Runneth Over.'

Salamanders and crawfish are cool, but not mosquitos. She didn't even last the entire hour.

While Lilly was getting devoured by mosquitos, I took this sweet photo of Jonathan on a swing.

Please don't grow up too fast, Jonny boy.

The kids and I drove to Louisville and spent some time with Grandma Peg and Pop. Grandma won't let me take a picture of her, but this is her kitchen. Uncle Aaron was Lil's playmate for the week.

He's just as much fun as any 6-year-old.

See? Aaron's friend, Meg, was great with the kids too. I wish they lived about 7 hours closer.

I could really use more babysitters.

Aaron crawled all the way upstairs with 47 pounds of Lil on his back.

He also taught me how to do the vortex trick with my hoop!

From Louisville, we drove to Tipton, Indiana, home of my Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim. We had a great time visiting and the kids had a ball exploring their lovely property. A garden, a creek, woods, fields of corn, and a long, flat driveway. What more could a kid want?

They even have a well-trained dog. I want one of those.

Maybe Daisy could train CJ?

My cousin's family brought scooters over for the kids to play with.

Jonathan had to get in on the action. Cousin Austin was so kind and patient with my kids.

We played badminton (I always have to spell check that word)

and practiced our hooping. A great time was had by all.

And that was just June. Time to get ready for church. To be continued.....

Lil's Kindergarten artwork

2010-06-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

I was SO thrilled when Lil brought these masterpieces home the last day of school!!

Lil's version of Pete the Cat:

Statue of Liberty

Starry Night

Lil's self-portrait

Love

Quote of the day

2010-05-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today's quote comes from Lillian Ashe, age 6, who said, "These shorts are a little bit big. Maybe I shouldn't wear them until I earn a little weight."

A couple of weeks ago, Lil lost her top front tooth. One minute it was there, hanging out of her mouth, making her mother cringe.

The next minute, it was gone!

What a difference a year makes

2010-05-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

I've really neglected this blog lately, partially because I've started a food blog, but mostly because writing about my everyday life isn't much of an escape from it.

I took this sweet picture of Lilly the other night and gasped when I saw it. What happened to my baby girl? She looks like she's 10 years old!

So, I did some reminiscing on iphoto and this is what I found:

Lilly, just one year ago at her preschool graduation, May 2009. The difference between a five-year-old and a six-year-old is mind blowing. Here's a picture of Jonathan that very same day.

Who says bald isn't beautiful? He was just 10 months old, still a baby in a sling.

Of course, a couple of days later, he started to walk.

And here he is today, not even 2 years old and already addicted to the Blackberry. We weren't sure if his hair was going to stay red when he had so little of it. I think the verdict is in.

So, I'm recommitting to this blog. No fancy prose, just pictures of the day-to-day. A time capsule for my children, who are growing up way too fast. An expression of love and respect for my dear Aunts, who long for hand-written letters, but are genuinely appreciative of my silly blog posts instead.

My little girl turned 6!

2010-03-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

My, how time flies. One day they weigh 7 pounds 2 ounces and are waking you up to nurse every 3 hours (or in Lilly's case every 2), and you're thinking you'll never again get a full night's sleep, and the next thing you know they're 6 YEARS OLD! SIX sounds SO much older to me than FIVE. She suddenly looks so much older too, teeth falling out every time I turn around and outgrowing all of her little girl clothes. As every mom knows, size 7/8 is located in an entirely different section of the store and the styles appear to have been designed for Lady Gaga, whoever the heck that is.

For Lil's birthday, we decided to forgo the traditional stressful, messy birthday bash in favor of a big day out on the town. I took 3 of her best girlfriends downtown for lunch at R. Thomas, to a puppet show at Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts, and to Krispy Kreme for dessert. When I told the girls that they will enjoy girls days just as much when they're my age - no husbands, no boyfriends, no pesky little brothers - Lil's friend, Sofi, shouted, "Like Bunco night!"

Lil's buddies, Tatum, Sofi, and Zoe

The owner of R. Thomas does some amazing magic tricks. Lil was SO thrilled when he showed up.

He also has quite a collection of birds which he likes to randomly hand to unsuspecting patrons.

Yes, mom, I washed my hands.

In other less exciting news, my birthday is the day after Lil's. 35 sounds so much older than 34.

Oh well, life is good.

2010-01-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

Thursday afternoon the snow started falling just as I was picking Lil up from school. By Friday morning, there was a half an inch or so on the ground and school was cancelled. While that sounds ridiculous to midwesterners like myself, the roads were very icy and the only salt trucks and snow plows in Atlanta are located at the airport. It's too bad Santa didn't bring the kids snowsuits this year. Jonathan had to wear a Halloween costume to keep warm and Lil wore her rainboots to play in the snow. This makes the second snow fall in a year, which must be some sort of record down here. I've since ordered the kids waterproof mittens called Snowstoppers, which go half way up their arms, making removal nearly impossible. Mwa ha ha haaaaaaa! It probably won't snow again until they outgrow them. Look closely and you'll notice Jonathan's tail.

Where have we been?

2010-01-10T05:42:00.000-08:00

Santa came and left a note, along with too many presents. Our toy to square footage ratio is a little out of whack. Time for Santa to come back for some gift taking.

Jonathan waited until the day after Christmas to be naughty. Who said traveling with a toddler was fun? Oh, that's right, nobody.

It was all worth it though because once we arrived in Louisville, Uncle Aaron entertained the kids while Mommy and Daddy took to drinking.

Joanna and Ryan were in Louisville for the holidays, which is one of the main reasons we planned the trip. I hadn't seen their son since he was 6 weeks old. It was really surreal having our children play together because Joanna and I became friends when we were my daughter's age. Could they look any different? A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead walked into a bar...

While in Louisville, there were snow flurries. Lil and Jonathan ran outside and danced in circles cheering and squealing with joy. Joanna's son lives in NYC and wasn't nearly as impressed as my southern munchkins.

More to come.

A foodie with bum taste buds

2009-11-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, my family has so far managed to avoid the rapidly spreading swine flu. Taking the kids to get their H1N1 vaccine was a hoot, let me tell you. I damaged my rotator cuff trying to physically restrain my five-year-old. She's freakishly strong, and I either need to start working out for next year's encore or I'll have to hire a bouncer.

We did recently have a house guest, one that wasn't invited and stayed entirely too long. It all started when Jonathan was teething (or so I thought). He was incredibly ornery, drooling like a camel, and barely touching his food. Days later, little bumps appeared around his mouth, a result of the drooling, I assumed. Then, Lillian started complaining about her tongue hurting. She thought she had bitten it, but the pain grew worse, as did the whining. I finally checked her tongue and this is what I found:

BLISTERS!!!!! My tongue started to hurt just looking at them. No, wait, my tongue had blisters on it too!!!! I'm never sharing food with these germy kids again. While we never developed the characteristic blisters on our hands and feet, we were diagnosed with an enterovirus, much like hand, foot, and mouth disease. Since Jonathan is the youngest and hasn't had much exposure to enteroviruses, he had the most severe symptoms. Lil was more tired and crabby than usual, but she felt alright otherwise. Adults have been exposed to many of these viruses, so their symptoms are generally mild. Often times, we show no symptoms at all. I just had a very sore tongue.

What was even worse than listening to Lilly whine that her tongue was going to fall off, was that food tasted like moldy drywall and coffee like pond water laced with furniture polish. Even after the blisters disappeared, I was left with a metallic taste in my mouth for days. I didn't cook for a week. The only meal that brought me any pleasure at all was soba noodles in a miso broth with sauted carrots, zucchini, and red peppers.

My tendency toward hypochondria led me to google 'taste loss' and I read all sorts of tragic tales about poor souls with permanently damaged taste buds. Thankfully, my taste buds are happy and healthy once again. Last night, I baked homemade bread and made cabbage with white bean soup.
QUIZ: What's better than the aroma of freshly baked bread and soup simmering on the stove? ANSWER: Tasting it.

Money, money, money, must be funny, in a rich man's world.

2009-10-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been spending money like a madwoman. I'm usually quite thrifty and not much of a consumer, but occasionally I go on these spending sprees like a desperate housewife. It's my husband's fault, really, because he made a comment about how nice it would be to have a comfortable reading chair. I proceeded to sell the Hitchcock table and benches we were storing in our living room, purchase new curtains, a mission style rocking chair, an antique mahogany desk, and a Morris chair from LLBean. Once you get started, it's hard to stop. I still need a chair for the desk and an area rug. Of course, now the room needs to be painted too. The good news is I purchased the curtains for 1/2 price at JCPenney, the rocking chair for $85 on craiglist, and desk for $130, but I paid full price for the LLBean chair. I sold the Hitchcock furniture for $900 and purchased all the above items with that money. I'm afraid the box (I mean, cave) is here to stay.

"But that is not all! Oh, no, that is not all," said the Cat In The Hat. I've purchased autumn clothes for Lillian, new clothes for myself (a reward for losing the baby weight and insurance to not gain it back), and Christmas presents for both kids. I purchased many of these things on etsy.com, which makes me feel slightly less guilty. Alan painted the kids' room with No-VOC paint ($$$) and now that the walls are so beautiful I've purchased artwork to hang. The artwork needs frames. It's a vicious cycle, but I'm having fun.

Grilled vegetable salad with sweet poppyseed dressing

2009-09-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe was OUT OF THIS WORLD!! I forgot how sweet and delicious grilled vegetables can be, especially eggplant and fresh corn. I found this scrumptious recipe on author Cynthia Lair's website Cookus Interruptus. She wrote a wonderful cookbook entitled Feeding the Whole Family, which gives smart tips on feeding your entire family the same dish, even babies as young as 6 months old. I DREAM about her yummy Emerald City Salad and have yet to be disappointed by one of her recipes. I highly recommend her Fried Brown Rice, Edamame Tofu Salad, Lemon Tahini Sauce, Rosemary Red Soup, Asian Noodle Salad, and French Lentils with sage. The only change I made to this recipe was adding grilled corn and serving it with smoked salmon. It was so fabulous!

What's in your fridge?

2009-09-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

I just got home from the Farmer's Market and am mourning the loss of the bounty of summer. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to root vegetables and soup, but will miss the endless supply of melons and mangoes. The good news is, my beloved comice pear will make her return in a couple of months. Also, the leaves are about to change and sweaters will soon come out of the closet. Woo hoo!!

This is what's on the menu this week at our house.
Monday: Grilled vegetable salad with smoked salmon. Tuesday: Roasted brussels sprouts, bison, mushrooms & onions with raw alfredo sauce & PBu, inspired by Heather Eats Almond Butter. Wednesday: Edamame tofu salad with sesame chili dressing. Thursday: Raw zucchini noodles, basil, carrots, tomatoes & alfredo sauce and sweet potato french fries. Friday: We usually eat out on fridays, but Alan has to work, so I'll probably make whole wheat breakfast wraps with eggs, salsa, cheese, and organic italian sausage. Saturday: Vegetable chickpea curry with brown rice, with raita yogurt sauce.

Yes, I cleaned my fridge first and here's what's in it:

top shelf - mustard, pickles, ghee, jerk chicken spice, apple butter, white miso, green curry, walnuts, peanuts, brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, raspberries.

2nd shelf - chock full o nuts coffee, 1/2 & 1/2, Banilla yogurt, plain yogurt, yogurt tubes, salsa, sour cream, cottage cheese, almond milk,

middle shelf - eggs, saflower oil, yo baby yogurt, applesauce, organic green grapes, pineapple, marinara, left-over black bean zucchini quesadilla mixture, tiramisu.

cheese drawer - tofu, smoked salmon, dates, feta cheese, whole grain wraps.

shelf - spinach, bison, organic italian sausages.

produce drawers - carrots, potato, corn, eggplant, okra, cucumber, basil, boston lettuce, red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, portobellas, dill, brussels sprouts, lemons, cilantro, sugar snap peas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, minneolos, apples, limes, ginger.

other treats from the F. Mkt - plums, peaches, bananas, kiwi, chickpeas, onions, soba noodles, dark chocolate, date coconut rolls, edamame, frozen peaches, poppy seeds, cherry tomatoes.

What's in YOUR fridge? What are YOU eating this week? What's your new favorite food discovery?

10 years ago today

2009-09-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

I made the best move of my life and married my sweet hubby, Alan. He is so kind, so generous, and makes me laugh every day. He also makes some beautiful babies, if I do say so myself :-)
Happy Anniversary, babe.

For the love of peanut butter

2009-09-01T06:28:00.001-07:00

I have a hard time keeping the fridge stocked with peanut butter. I've had a passion for nut butters for as long as I can remember. My husband, Alan, often makes "poor man's dessert," which is a mixture of peanut butter and maple syrup or honey. Apples cut into little boats with peanut butter on top was a breakfast staple growing up, and I still eat almond butter with pink lady apples at least 3 times a week. I sometimes add a scoop to my green smoothies and always put some on my oatmeal.

As a child, I couldn't understand why my mom kept our peanut butter in the fridge while other families kept theirs on a shelf and enjoyed it at room temperature. Their peanut butter didn't have oil floating on the top, thanks to hydrogenated fats. My mom knew about hydrogenated fats before hydrogenated fats were uncool. We were also the only family I knew who ate whole grain bread. I don't mean soft wheat bread from the grocery store, I'm talking grainy, brown, frozen bread full of seeds. Thanks to whole grain bread and natural peanut butter, my brother says his lunch was never stolen in middle school.

I've been reading a lot of food blogs lately and kept hearing about PBu. It's a delicious concoction invented by Emily at Curly Top. It's so good there are no words to describe it, so I won't even try. Just buy yourself some natural peanut butter and plain almond milk and mix them together. Emily recommends 1 cup of pb and 2 cups of almond milk, but I like mine a little thicker. Try 1 cup of peanut butter mixed with 1 cup of almond milk and then thin it out if you'd like it thinner. You have to stir, stir, stir for a long time, until the two become one. If you're allergic to peanuts, try it with almond butter. I don't think it needs any sweetener, but add some if you'd like. Cinnamon works well too. You can use PBu on anything - oat bran, toast, salad, ice cream, you name it! It's heavenly!! It's much lower in fat than straight peanut butter, but it tastes just as decadent.

The blog I keep returning to again and again is Heather Eats Almond Butter. In fact, Heather was the first person I noticed using PBu in her recipes. She lost over 100 pounds ten years ago eating a healthy diet. She's beautiful and witty and has learned over the years which foods make her body happy. She and her husband created a recipe they call Marinutta, which is a combination of marinara sauce, peanut butter, and ground flax seeds. AMAZING! We ate ours with some roasted brussels sprouts, ground bison, carrots, onions, and mushrooms. Heather eats hers on broccoli.

Man, I love food. Like Julia Child, I'd rather go food shopping than dress shopping any day.

Into Everything

2009-08-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

"Into everything" doesn't even begin to describe the extent of the mayhem my 13-month old son commits on a daily basis. My daughter was just taking her first steps at this age, but Jonathan has been walking for 3 months. Our house looks like it's been burglarized 90% of the time. Jonathan loves sharp objects, outlets, electrical cords, toilets, you name it. Without fail, when I open the dishwasher, he'll pull out the sharpest knife he can find. He's also been known to take a plate out of the dishwasher and throw it over his shoulder. If anything is left within arms reach, he pulls it to the floor. Paperwork, dishes, toys, clothes, etc. I have to be very careful when the bath is filling with water, because once he fell in head first with his clothes on. He takes his own diapers off, dirty ones, so he must at all times be wearing a pair of pants. He drops items in the toilet, so the seat has to be down at all times. There are so many new rules in our house, just to prevent brother from hurting himself. He can open the oven door by hanging on the handle. If you try to shut a door, better check for little fingers first. Don't leave the back door open, or Jonathan will escape and make a bee line for the deck stairs. He has no concept of falling and repeatedly tries to dive off the bed. The other day at the playground he reached under a friend's stroller and pulled out an aerosol can of bug spray. The good news is, he wears himself out every day. He naps consistently. He smiles almost constantly. He's funny and sweet and everything I dreamed having a son would be.

Kindergarten

2009-08-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Lillian started her first day of Kindergarten last Monday! It's been a wonderful change, for both her and for me. She THRIVES on the structure and routines that school provides, which is something I've always known, but haven't had much luck implementing at home. We're fortunate enough to be in a fantastic school system and even more fortunate to be able to walk to and from school every day. Oakhurst Elementary, "One of the best little schools in the world," is a beautifully renovated school, originally built in 1915, with a lovely outdoor classroom. It's an Expeditionary Learning School, which is the primary reason we moved to Decatur. The Expeditionary Learning model emphasizes active learning and teaching, with all subjects being integrated into a semester-long expedition. You can read more about Expeditionary Learning Principles here. After 5 years of one-on-one time with Lil, I now have one-on-one time with Jonathan. We practiced kissing while sister was at school this week.

Changes

2009-07-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

My baby lost a baby tooth. My first baby, that is. She's not even 5 1/2 and about two months ago we noticed her loose tooth. Last Friday, just as we were packing the van to go to the lake, she came running down the hall yelling, "My tooth fell out!" Then, she started to cry because of the blood and the fact that her mouth felt different. Change is hard. Hard for her mommy too because her first born suddenly looks a year or two older. Luckily, the tooth fairy planned ahead, ordering a tooth fairy bracelet kit months ago. Lil was thrilled when she woke up at 2:00 in the morning and found a lovely box wrapped in a bow from the tooth fairy. She could barely contain herself, whispering, "Mommy, I KNEW the tooth fairy would find me here! I just KNEW IT!"

My etsy wish list

2009-06-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

I could spend hours on etsy.com. Actually, I DO spend hours on etsy.com. I love supporting artists and using handmade items to cozy up my home. This month I've gone a little overboard ordering two pillows and two photographs. It's almost worth getting a job to support my habit. But if I got a job, I wouldn't have nearly as much time to peruse etsy. So, you see my conundrum. For now, please excuse me while I drool.

Our very crowded bed

2009-06-05T11:24:00.001-07:00

Where are my husband and I supposed to sleep when THIS happens? My family has been playing a game of musical beds since baby Jonathan came along. During the day, he naps in our room in a play yard so Lil can play in their bedroom. At night, the kids start out sharing their room, Jonathan in his crib and Lilly in her twin bed. On most nights, Lillian winds up in our bed without us even realizing it. The dog sometimes sleeps in the living room, often on the couch she's not supposed to be on, but other times winds up on our bed as well. I then nurse the baby around 4 or 5 in the morning, put him back in his crib, and crawl into Lillian's twin bed, grateful for what seems like a VAST amount of personal space.

I managed to keep Lil out of our bed for a few years, but when I was pregnant and overwhelmed at the prospect of the sleepless nights that lay ahead of me, I decided there was NO WAY I was going to sleep train my four-year-old AGAIN. I spent the first 10 months of her life trying to get the child to sleep more than 3 hours in a row and then spent the next 10 months trying to get her to fall asleep without me present in the room. She quit napping a year or two before most kids and has required less sleep than the average child since day one. Even when she's very tired, it takes her a long time to wind down. She's quite skilled at negotiating how much time we will spend tucking her in at night and relentless with her seemingly endless bedtime requests. "Tonight you're going to cuddle with me for two minutes, rub my back for five, and then lay with me for 2 minutes." I turn this nightly routine into a math lesson so as to not lose my mind. When my shift is over she whispers, "Now get Daddy. Get me five buddies. Leave the hall light on and don't close the door all the way!" If she gets up to use the bathroom, she isn't satisfied until someone tucks her in again and gives her more buddies. She then spends 20 minutes or so bossing her stuffed animals around. One night, rubbing her eyes sleepily she moaned, "I hate sleeping," confirming what I'd suspected since birth. When her friends were transitioning to 'big kid beds,' I tried for a few nights to do the same, but after escorting her back to her own bed countless times, often kicking, screaming, and collapsing in a heap (her, not me), back in the crib she went. I kept her there until she was over four years old and she'd probably still be there today if it weren't for her brother's arrival. I'm also too cheap to buy a second crib.

During my last trimester of pregnancy, the beginning of last summer, Lilly seemed to sense my need for physical space, and in true spirited-child fashion, that made her even more determined to invade it. No matter how close she got, the baby remained physically closer, and she was determined to protect her territory. Her visits became even more regular when I made the mistake of warning her that I might go into labor in the middle of the night. Once Jonathan was born, he slept in a co-sleeper attached to our bed. Lil didn't want to miss anything and she certainly didn't want to be left out.

So, this is how it happened. I like to think of myself as persistent, but I have nothing on my first-born child. While Alan doesn't love having a child in our bed, he certainly isn't about to have his sleep interrupted trying to correct it. She's going to start Kindergarten in the fall and we figure she won't be in our bed FOREVER. At some point, she will roll her eyes at the thought of sleeping with her embarrassing, out-of-touch parental units. I'm not terribly eager for that time to come. Having a child sleep in our bed HAS to be less annoying than living with a teenager will inevitably be.

Having a second child with a completely different personality than the first has given me some perspective as well. Jonathan has no interest in sleeping in our bed. Even when he's teething and miserable, he seems to prefer tossing and turning in his crib. From the beginning, he has gone down for naps easily and seemed to enjoy sleeping more than his sister. He isn't a nursing connoisseur and only does so for the calories. In many ways, Jonathan is an easier baby than Lil was, but in other ways, he's not. Lil never put anything in her mouth, and he isn't satisfied until he has mouthed every piece of bark on the playground. Lil wasn't fond of outlets, power cords, or slamming doors. She didn't walk at 10 months and she was much more cautious than her rambunctious brother.

I'm now keenly aware that life flies by in seconds. In ten years, the dog may still be in our bed, but I'm pretty certain there will be room for me on the left.

procrastination street

2009-05-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've never thought of myself as a procrastinator since I'm not the type to pull an all-nighter before a paper is due. Sleep has always been too important to me, so I usually finish around 9pm the night before. I do have a tendency to let projects pile up and then crank them out at one sitting. Since I haven't blogged in such a long time, I actually have a lot to share. It's been an eventful month!

doggie kisses

2009-05-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Did I mention we have a new dog? We adopted her from our friend, Nicole, who is moving to Chile. She's approximately two years old and is a mix of beagle and yellow lab. CJ is wonderful with the kids and is as sweet as she can be. We are lucky to have her join our family.

Jonathan is walking!

2009-05-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday night, on his grandmother's birthday, Jonathan took his first steps. He had spent the day acting very needy, wanting to be held more than usual. It's as if he knew he was about to walk away from me. Unlike Lillian, who didn't take a single step until 13 months old and then waited another month to try again, Jonathan is looking to run a marathon at 10 months old. He has always preferred standing to sitting and was much happier once he could crawl. He looks longingly at toddlers like he's studying their every move. He's so very proud.

Dining room table

2009-05-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

As if the dollhouse weren't enough, Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim gave us their 'old' dining room table. It's gorgeous, functional, and easy to clean. We don't have an eat-in kitchen so we eat every meal in our dining room and our old table and benches were small and awkward. I love, love, love the new table and now have plenty of room to make artwork and create scrapbooks with Lil. Check out my beautiful Aunts sitting around my beautiful dining room table.

the dollhouse in all its glory

2009-05-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

Last week, my mom, Aunt Helen, Aunt Jessica, and Uncle Jim came for a lovely visit and they came bearing gifts. Uncle Jim has been working on this dollhouse for Lillian for over 2 years and it looks JUST like our house, inside and out. He and Helen made most of the accessories by hand, including a piano, a crib, a tv (with a picture of orphan Annie on the screen) and a grandfather clock. There are even photographs of our family hanging on the walls. Hardwood floors, real wood siding, and sandpaper that looks exactly like roof shingles. You've never seen anything like it. When it's lit up at night, it looks absolutely magnificent. I imagine our grandchildren will treasure this dollhouse as much as we do. Thank you Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim!

St. George Island

2009-05-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

We went on our first vacation in 6 years (Lil just turned 5, so you do the math). She was a terrible traveler for the first couple of years of her life and would scream for hours on end - even on short trips to the mountains. We also went from 2 salaries to 1 and didn't feel we had the cash for any big trips. Before you feel too sorry for us, I should point out that we spend a lot of time in the mountains and at Lake Chatuge with Alan's family, which is always lovely. But, as for a vacation to a new place that we plan and save money for, we haven't been on one since our trip to Scotland and England in 2003.

So, we went to St. George Island, which is near Apalachicola, Florida in the gulf. It's a barrier island, 28 miles long and 2 miles wide, with a beautiful state park on one end. The beach was clean, the water clear, and the island quite private. We rented a house on the beach and got off-season rates because we went the last week in April and stayed Sunday through Thursday instead of a weekend. We spent hours walking up and down the beach and watching Lil build sandcastles.

Alan's sister, Teresa, and her boyfriend, John, were able to join us for 3 nights. This allowed Alan and I to take a walk on the beach at night while they watched the sleeping kids.

That's something I miss very much and completely took for granted before having kids - going on long walks together, without having to hire a babysitter. Teresa and John also helped cook, clean, and play with the kids, which made me feel like I was on vacation. Together we cooked a delicious seafood boil and also enjoyed fresh grouper one night.

St. George Island has turned me into a beach person. I came back a more calm, joyful, and well-balanced person. I like this new person and I want her to stay.

Lil's dance recital

2009-05-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Jonathan's first green smoothie

2009-04-16T10:37:00.001-07:00

Jonathan thoroughly enjoyed his first green smoothie, which I made with an orange, green grapes, pear, kale, and a banana. Check out that green mustache! It does a mama's heart good.

Siblings - what a gift!

2009-04-16T10:28:00.001-07:00

Lil and Jonathan now play together. She runs back and forth down the hall and he scrambles to crawl after her. His eyes light up when we pick sister up from school. Jonathan is a treasure to us all and I believe he's the most important gift we could have given Lillian. Watching their relationship develop is one of the most beautiful things I've witnessed.

Be gone concrete block

2009-03-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

My very talented father-in-law, Ken, built and installed a new step for my birthday. The old concrete block was quite treacherous and not very inviting. Now I can actually wheel Jonathan down the new step in his stroller without the fear of it toppling over. Ken also helped Alan install new FLOR carpet tiles in our laundry room the very same day. Thank you so much, Ken!

Homemade baby food

2009-03-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Making baby food is simple, inexpensive, and tastes SO much better than the store-bought variety. The best book on the subject is Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. It's the kind of book you'll use for years, long after your child is chowing down on choking hazards. I still depend on one jar of Earth's Best baby food for lunch, but Jonathan's breakfast usually revolves around whole milk yogurt and his dinner around Super Baby Porridge. There are many things you can add to these dishes depending on your baby's age, such as pureed fruits, vegetables, tofu, hard boiled egg yolk, wheat germ, vitamin drops, etc. Super Baby Porridge, which the hallmark of the Super Baby Food diet, is made by boiling ground whole grains and legumes for 10 minutes. The porridge in the picture will last 3 days and was made with brown rice, millet, oatmeal, and lentils. The frozen, organic, sweet potato puree pictured is incredibly tasty and only takes a minute to defrost in the microwave. I try to keep fresh seasonal fruit on hand and puree it in my Tribest Personal Blender as needed.

Something from nothing

2009-03-15T18:24:00.001-07:00

I didn't have a plan for dinner Saturday night, but I threw a few things together and wound up with a dish that tasted better than any take-out. OK, I'm not really that creative, so I followed a recipe from Cynthia Lair's website, Cookus Interruptus. If you haven't read Cynthia's book, Feeding the Whole Family, you must do so NOW. Her Emerald City Salad one of my all-time favorite dishes. I just happened to have all the ingredients for her Fried Rice recipe and Lemon Tahini Sauce. Together they were absolutely scrumptious on top of a mound of spinach. The Fried Rice is made with brown rice, currants, cashews, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, ghee (or butter), frozen peas and green onions. Instead of store-bought tahini, which I didn't have, I toasted some sesame seeds and pureed them with olive oil, which is all tahini is. Who knew?

Where have the past five years gone?

2009-03-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Lillian's fifth birthday was last Saturday and we invited 12 of her closest friends to our home to celebrate, sans parents. Brave? So I'm told. The truth is I didn't have it in me to plan two parties again this year; one for the parents and another for the children. I didn't even clean the house before the infiltration. Four-year-olds are pretty easy to please: cheese pizza, fruit, crackers, cupcakes, goodie bags and sunshine. I'm always hopeful about that last one, but you never know what to expect at the beginning of March. God answered my secret prayers and delivered a sunny day in the mid-70s, just 5 days after the winter storm of 2009. The party was a huge success, thanks in large part to the help of my mother-in-law. I took for granted how difficult it would be to host a party while carrying baby Jonathan in a sling. I'm happy to report that all twelve children went home happy, well-fed, and with no discernible scars. You can spot Lil by the red orphan Annie dress she's wearing.

Jonathan's first snow

2009-03-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

It's a rare occurrence indeed, but when the snow actually does fall in Atlanta, there's nothing quite like it. Kids scamper around the neighborhood in their rain boots and fleece jackets, catching snow flakes on their tongues. Nobody owns snowsuits, except maybe avid skiers, and you'd be hard pressed to find a pair of long underwear south of the Mason-Dixon line. I have friends who don't even own an ice scraper. The only snow plows and ice trucks that exist are located at the airport. When there's even a mention of snow in the forecast, people hoard bread and milk like it's Y2K.

My daughter will be five years old on Saturday and she's only experienced snow four times in her life, including today, and two of those times were while visiting her grandparents in Kentucky and North Carolina. The snow absolutely blew baby Jonathan's mind today. Heck, the snow even blew MY mind and I moved here from Chicago. The best thing about snow in Atlanta is that nobody expects you to go out in it. Except, of course, your children.

Time to baby proof the house!

2009-02-26T05:36:00.000-08:00

Me and Annie both have tap shoes!

2009-02-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

Mmmmmm, swoop swap

2009-02-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I participated in my first soup swap, or "swoop swap," as my daughter kept referring to it. Six moms from Lillian's school each made a huge batch of homemade, vegetarian soup, enough to fill five 32 oz. containers. I made a Red Rosemary soup with beets and lentils, which has become a staple in our household. Check out the delicious bounty I came home with after swapping soup: vegetarian chili, two-bean soup, fava beans and rice soup, roasted tomatoes (which can be used as a pasta sauce or a soup), and green velvet soup. Yummo! I doubt any of us spent over $15 on our soup and we each got five or six main dishes out of it. Anybody up for a casserole swap?

My, what a little paint can do!

2009-02-20T11:35:00.001-08:00

Our kitchen is still tiny, but painting the walls and cabinets has completely transformed the space. As you can see in the before picture, the walls had been long-neglected and looked suspiciously like dingy primer. They're now a lovely, bright, cheerful shade of yellow. The cabinets had previously been painted with garage floor paint and were filthy and roughly textured. Alan and his dad sanded the cabinets, primed them a couple of times, and painted them with three coats of creamy white paint. It was the first time Alan didn't complain about the small size of our kitchen and lack of cabinets.

It took us a few months to finally frame a few photographs and accessorize, but we're finally in the home stretch. My parents are going to buy me a magnetic spice rack for my birthday and I'd like to hang a chalk board for the kids below the photograph of the tomatoes. Next project: the laundry room.

We miss you, old friend

2009-02-11T08:03:00.001-08:00

One year ago today we said goodbye to our sweet dog, Simon. He was 17 years old and had spent 16 of those years with my husband, Alan. When we first met, Al and I would take him on long walks around Candler Park and without fail, Simon would cut in front of me and suddenly stop, apparently trying to trip me. The rivalry grew fierce when he had to give up his spot in the passenger seat of the pickup truck. He didn't hold a grudge for long and we eventually bonded, but Alan would forever remain his favorite.

When I was pregnant with our first child, I heard about a couple who had to find their dog a new home because their baby was allergic to him. I asked Alan what we would do if that happened to us and in a matter-of-fact tone he responded, "I'm sure we'll find a good home for the baby." Lucky for our daughter that wasn't the case and for the next four years Simon and Lilly were like siblings. Sister would pull her big brother's hair and he would take all the blame. Her first word wasn't Dada or Mama, it was Baba, which is apparently baby talk for dog. We, too, started referring to Simon as Baba and he began responding to it. As Lil's speech developed, his nickname changed to Doe Doe, then Dohg Dohg, then Fighme.

I took the little things for granted. It used to irritate me when he'd rub up against my leg and leave a patch of dog hair on my freshly washed pants. Now I celebrate when I find bits of his hair in unexpected places. It was impossible to cook with him standing right under me in our tiny kitchen, but he was the only one who helped me mop the floor after dinner. I long to hear his footsteps, the way his toe nails would click, click, click on the hardwood floors. I miss knowing there was always someone to come home to. We miss you, old friend, dog hair and all.

Why would I want the toy when I can have the box?

2009-02-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Today Lillian announced that she wanted to make a boat. After choosing from the plethora of boxes in our attic, she and her Daddy got down to work. The boat soon morphed into a plane, but in the end they determined that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang would be the ONLY vehicle that could fulfill all their needs.

Boxes are the best! When I was Lil's age, I made a house out of a refrigerator box, complete with windows and a porch, and spent weeks playing in it. Why Would I Want The Toy, When I Can Have The Box? is one of my favorite parenting books. It outlines 101 ways to spend time with your children without spending any money. The author, Rex Bowlby, describes buying an expensive, flashing, beeping toy for his son's third birthday, only to watch him spend the entire day making a robot out of the box the toy came in. I don't think the book was written with the Voluntary Simplicity movement in mind, but it's the best book I've found about living simply with children.

I'm so pleased to have a lead on a large wardrobe box. We may be building a bungalow box in the near future, complete with craftsman windows and a cozy front porch.

Jonathan makes his move.

2009-02-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

Last night, my dear friend Kenzi and I went for a walk with the babies. It's so great catching up with mama friends, especially those you were friends with long before either of you had children. Kenzi's beautiful daughter, Millie, was born just a few weeks after Jonathan and we often joke that they're meant for one another. Jonathan seems to have a similar idea. She's also the little sister Lillian still dreams about.

Our banging wall

2009-02-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

The Creative Family, by Amanda Blake Soule, is a beautiful book full of simple, imaginative, thoughtful ways to connect with your children. I first discovered the author when I happened upon her blog last year and it soon became one of my favorite places to visit. Thanks to Mrs. Soule, we now delight in building fairy houses, have a semi-regular family drawing time, and have gone questing through our neighborhood. Our latest endeavor is creating a banging wall, or a wall of sound. Grab a stick or a wooden spoon and either create some music or take your frustrations out on some pans. Mrs. Soule's banging wall is truly a treasure to behold and ours is, well, a little bit white trash, but Lillian really likes it. It's also a great way to reuse pots and pans that are past their prime. Just a warning, if you have crabby neighbors, you may want to build your banging wall in a discreet place so they're left wondering where in the world all the racket is coming from.

My morning gift

2009-02-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

Baby Jonathan woke me up before the sun this morning. I guess he didn't want to miss this.

Wannabe crafty

2009-02-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

I spend a LOT of time on etsy.com admiring the lovely, handmade goods artists sell there. For Christmas, I bought Lillian a Rainy Day Art Kit from an artist in Alabama. I just found a Waldorf-inspired, felt tree for the nature table at Lillian's preschool. I've always appreciated miniatures and dollhouse furniture, but have lately found myself searching for gnomes and fairies. Maybe it's the dreariness that January brings to Atlanta, but I find the thought of being a creature small enough to hide in the nook of a tree trunk very appealing. Since I'm too conspicuous for such a life and have far too many responsibilities, I need to find something to do indoors that doesn't involve cleaning products, food, or the television. I wanna be crafty!

I checked a book out of the library for inspiration entitled Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects by Salley Mavor. The author describes her childhood as being filled with art, music, and dance. "In our household it was clear that making art was more important than housework." There it is! Where are my priorities? So, I ordered a Little Felt People Kit and a Knitting Pouch Pals Kit from weirdollsandcrafts.com. Both kits are for children ages 7 and up, which is about my skill level. I hope this inspiration carries me through February. It may take me that long to complete, which is fine with me. The dishes can wait.