Crunchy Peas

Tag- I'm it!

(I took this picture last night out our front windows, it was a spectacular double rainbow out in the wheat fields- we could see the whole arch.)

Mary Beth of Salt and Chocolate tagged me for the "Six Unspectacular Quirks" meme. The rules are

* Link the person who tagged you
* Mention the rules in your blog
* Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours
* Tag a new set of six following bloggers by linking them

Okay, here are mine:

1.  I have NEVER, not one time, EVER mowed the lawn.  (my brother always did it, and now Carl.)  I wouldn't even know how to turn the thing on.

2.  I can only eat from one group of food on my plate at one time.  For example I wouldn't take a bite of salad and then a bite of rice, and then a bite of meat.  I would instead eat all my salad and then move onto the rice and then onto the meat.  OCD I know.

3.  Yesterday I ate a candy bar.  A Reses Fast Break to be exact.  This is something that I also NEVER do (like once every 3 years).  I am too embarrassed to buy them, like they are contraband or something. Carl happened to bring one home and so I indulged.  It had 450 calories and 22 grams of fat.  I enjoyed all of it.

4.  I hate standing in dirty water.  I would never make it barefoot in a public shower, or standing in line at the water slides.  It totally creeps me out.

5.  I am growing bored with my beige walls and wish my kitchen looked like this. (the second picture w/ the red chairs)  Isn't that cheery?

6.  I have a re-occurring nightmare where all my teeth fall out. One by one I keep loosing them throughout the dream until they are all gone. I am not sure how to analyze that one, but I am sure it must mean something. 

Well don't you feel better knowing those 6 useless things about me?  Let's hear yours.  Consider yourself tagged.

ps. Wow! you ladies like to talk laundry.  I loved hearing from all of you.  For those of you who asked, regular white vinegar works best!

Bits and Pieces

There is no way that I would ever be clever enough to find a way to tie the following things together...so I will just slap them together and you'll just have to be okay with that.  Alright?

First off, let me just say that the warmer weather is so great.  It does, however, require that I shave my legs more than once every two weeks and paint my toes so that the bruise on my big toenail doesn't show. (I dropped a 15lb hand weight on it- at home thankfully and not at the gym. I don't swear very often....but that moment definitely warranted some serious profanity!)

Laurel Baby and I were matching in our navy sandals. You can't see her toes very well, but our polish was the same color. Try and ignore the dirty floor. And how come squishy soft legs are so much cuter on her?

Yes indeed, it is so nice to be wearing lighter weighted clothes.  I have been waiting to wear this dress since I bought it at and end-of-season sale at Jcrew late last summer.  It was like torture passing by it in the closet each frosty April morning.  I must say that it is easier to dress the kids too- especially girls.  Dresses and sandals all the way. No more looking for matching shirts, pants, socks or anything else!

 

The garden is coming together.  Actually it has been nice having a few extra weeks to prepare the ground.  I wasn't as ready as I thought I was.  Obviously it needs a bit more mulch around the borders, and I still need to dig up some space for corn and squash (the squash will grow on the ground beneath the corn stalks)  Oh yeah, and just out of the frame to the left is a slope up to the back fencing.  That is where the watermelon will go.  Any gardeners out there?  Do I have things laid out right?  Do any of the neighboring plants hate each other? 

The zucchini is really ready to make it's journey outside- flowering already! I get so nervous putting my starts out.  You nurture these little plants inside for months,  watering, feeding, coaxing growth...it would be so sad if they didn't make it!  I think I'll wait one more week.

And this is new (the car, not the husband :)  Laurel is begging to be let back in her new favorite play place.  Carl has been such a long suffering man when it has come to vehicles in this marriage.  He has always taken my "automobile hand-me-downs" (meaning that when I am through trashing it- he takes the old car and I get a new one.

With temperatures over 90 degrees most of the summer and deep snow in the winter, we felt it was appropriate that he have air conditioning and all wheel drive (two things he has never had- I told you he was long suffering).  When I first met Carl he was driving a beat up old Chrysler New Yorker. For our first date I prayed that he wouldn't come pick me up in that thing.  Thankfully he borrowed his mom's.  You've come a long way baby.

where the rubber meets the road

It's 8:15am, girls dropped off at school (except for Laurel Baby), I have 2.5 hours of free time- what do I do next?

A.  Make a beeline to my favorite downtown coffee shop? (very tempting!)

B.  Go back home and do laundry? (not so tempting)

C.  Get real about getting in shape and exercise? (ugghhh)

D.  Kidnap my husband and fly a private jet to some lovely tropical island where we sip fruity drinks all day and sink our toes into the sand. (probably not a realistic option)

Answer: C

It wasn't all that bad.  I had a fun little friend with me.

We chatted (er- maybe it was more like I eeked out a few words between gasps of air) about the trees,

 

and made a pre-season visit to the "secret beach".

All the fruit trees are beginning to bloom and it is so, so pretty around here.

It is amazing what intricate theological discussions one can have with a two year old about The Maker of All Things when surrounded by such beauty. 

Me:  Laurel, who made that pretty tree?

Her: um, God.

Me: Laurel, who made those noisy geese?

Her: um, God.

Me: Laurel, who made the bright sunshine?

Her: um, God.

Me: Laurel, who made you?

Her:...thinks about it... "God did!" (with great enthusiasm)

Me: Why did God make you?

Her: love (spoken in a soft voice with her head tilted to one side)

Isn't that simple?  Just a one word answer summed it all up.  I was blessed.

May I suggest?

This for your next breakfast?

It is a pomegranate smoothie and boy was it yummy (recipe from Every Day Food 4/08 I think).  Here's how you make it:

1 C berries (I used a couple of frozen strawberries and the rest were frozen raspberries)

1/2 C Pomegranate juice (I used Langer's straight from the jug...fresh is not necessary)

1/3 C or 3 oz of silken tofu- yes, tofu...trust me it is really good!

2 T honey

1/4 C ice

Blend, drink, enjoy, feel healthy, wonder if you are really drinking tofu.

Also, there is this for your next afternoon snack:

Roasted Garlic Cheese

Late July Buttery crackers (or Ritz)

Slice, stack, devour, resist the temptation to break out the wine at 4pm.

And for your next movie viewing, please consider this:

North and South (TV series from BBC)

Join Netflix, stream all four episodes in a row, fall in love with Mr. Thornton, watch again and again.

The week is off and running!  I have a huge pile of fabric that I hope to attack sometime in the next few days.  Results coming soon!

**ps thank you for all your sweet comments about my hair.  I am no longer pouting about it- I may even learn to love it!!

Makeover

My dear sweet Tante spent her entire afternoon here yesterday. With just a hammer and some nails, she totally gave my living room a new look- rearranging what I already had.

I wish that we had taken a "before" picture because the difference is amazing.  I couldn't get the whole room in the shot-- I almost fell to my death from my perch on the ledge of the staircase.

Here are a few things that she taught me about decorating.

1. Always use odd numbers to group things (ie. pictures, knick knacks, etc)

2. Hang pictures low, at least down at eye level.

3. Vary heights.  Your eye should go up and down as you look around a room.

4. Keep the room interesting, create opportunities for your guests to discover surprises.

5. Old and out of shape women (I include myself) can move any piece of furniture when they get excited about decorating-- we know because we moved my huge, heavy armoire approximately 6 inches.

I am so grateful to her for coming.  I always enjoy my time with her, and my room looks so much better.  She promised to come back and tackle another one next time.

Also made over was my mop.  I am much less excited about this change.  Almost 8 hard earned inches hacked of my hair.  It is just a whole lot thinner and shorter that I had pictured.  Oh well, it is not like an arm or leg or something...it will grow back.

New shoes too.  Flats are becoming a compulsion for me.  Perhaps it is their resemblance to ballet shoes that makes them so endearing.  Good thing Old Navy makes them cute and CHEAP!  These were $11.70 online.

I must tell you what my husband did for me yesterday.  I left the house in a raging mess as I overslept and scurried to get the girls off to school on time.  After dropping them off and keeping an appt. I was to meet my Aunt back at the house for our afternoon of decorating.  I was feeling pretty overwhelmed and upset because the house was going to be so gross for my company and I wanted to make her a nice lunch too.  With dread I pulled into the driveway with only 30 minutes to attack the house before my Aunt was due.  I was strategizing about hiding dirty dishes and sweeping crumbs into a corner in order for everything to look somewhat presentable. As I walked inside, I couldn't believe what I saw.  A perfectly, PERFECTLY clean house.  My wonderful, handsome, thoughtful, considerate husband had some compassion on my plight and stayed behind us that morning to clean the house.  We're talking vacuuming, dishes and all!  Isn't that just the sweetest thing that you have ever heard?  It was such a treat for me.  Truly, I don't deserve him- well maybe a little.

Have a great weekend!

First and Last

Hi!  This is me:

And this is what I did Sunday:

My first time skiing in about 10 years on the last day of the season. I grew up skiing. I have mentioned that before.  I have also mentioned the correlation between the number of years it has been since I have skied and the number of years that I have been married.  My sabbatical is over now.  I am hooked again.  And, whether or not he likes it- I am hooking my husband in too.  The kids won't be far behind.  With free Free FREE season's passes for next year (Carl does the mountain's website) for the whole family...there are no longer any valid excuses.

I went with my friend Camille.

She shreds! (see, I picked up some lingo when I was up there.)  Her husband Brian also came along.

He shreds too, but seems to be better at plowing through his brown glass bottled beverages carried around in his backpack.  I was giggling all day at the amount of alcohol consumption I witnessed on the mountain (not just my friends).  I guess all those people don't really care about physical coordination when they are flying down the side of the mountain at high rates of speed.  Me...I needed all the strength I could muster. A lot has changed in the 10 years that I have be out of the loop.  For one, people wear helmets now? I still haven't figured out how to look cool in mine yet.  Also, I was pretty sure that the rental guy had me mixed up with someone a foot shorter than me when he handed me skis that I was much taller than.  They are so much shorter that the ones I grew up on!  And the tickets are now attached to your ski coat by a little zip tie...no more metal hangers.  Each time I skied up to the chair at the bottom of the mountain I was scanned like an item at the grocery counter.  Freaky.

I completed the rite of passage that each new skier to the mountain must complete...I touched the bomber wing of an airplane that crashed there years ago.  It is supposed to be good snow mojo or something like that.

I also ran into a sign that my peeps back home would appreciate :)

Great view huh?  That is the Columbia River in the background.  It looks like a painted backdrop.  The weather was fairly clear. It was a great day and I am not too regretful today.  I wasn't sure that I would make it out of bed this morning, but I am surprisingly not sore!  Maybe it'll hit me tomorrow?  So, I did make it up for the first time in a long time, on the last day of the season...can't wait until next year!

3 numbers

1: Number of births attended yesterday. A quick, intense birth- a few scary moments...but thankfully a very happy ending. Do you like my official footwear for Birth Assistants?

7: Number of exact years that my oldest daughter has been alive.  Today is her birthday. CANNOT believe that she is that old.  I sure love her. 

18: Number of cupcakes made for the 1st grade class today. Okay, so after having been up all night- making cupcakes was not something that I was thrilled to be doing this morning.  I used this box mix, piped on the frosting, and tossed on some sprinkles.

A few other odd n' ends:

What do you think of this haircut?  I am pretty sure that it wedges up in the back. Seriously considering it.

Have you heard this song?  I have.  At least 10,000 times today.  LOVE IT. Not so sure that it is a good thing that my kids keep walking around singing "...keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding..." wonder what their teachers will think about that.

I know I have been very lame in the crafting department.  Lots of inspiration coming in...not much going out.  Dining room curtains are in the works (ordered my fabric in a slightly different color.)  Pics to come.

Check out Morgan's recipe for lemon curd.  I made some and it is super yummy.

keeping it real

All I have to share today is that this is me post workout sans make-up...

and this is what I am doing today:

(I only took 2 days off! I'm sure it breeds in there)

color

Warning: this post is vain, frivolous, and totally useless--but I don't have much else to write about today.

(forgive my "third position ballet stance", old habits die hard)

I have been trying so hard not to buy black, brown, gray or white.  Color, my wardrobe needs color.  I am finding it very hard to dress myself these days.  It is such an "in between" time in the seasons right now.  Do I wear short sleeves?  Are ankle pants allowed right now?  Is it too early for flats without socks?  Clearly I think way too much about this.  I love fashion- always have, however, I am not so sure that it loves me back.  I know what I like and what I think looks good in the magazine...but putting it together for myself is tough.  So, I took a little risk with my funky green shoes and chartreuse scarf today.  Also, I was able to muster up the courage to wear my thrifted vintage coat for the first time.

Spring weather, cute shoes, what else can a girl ask for?  Well, maybe this bag to pull it all together!

Two Bracelets, One Day

(I have always dreamed of having smooth flawless olive toned skin with dark green eyes and blackish hair- alas I am a bit pink and mostly white with some ruddiness thrown in.  Try not to let my housewife hands detract from the jewelry.)

From Emma. She knows that I like the look of "simple and understated".  She stapled the pom-pom to the yarn.  When I asked her how she was able to make the yarn just the right length for my wrist she said, "I just measured my own and then added a tiny bit more because you have skinny bones Mom."  I do lover her dearly :)

From Carl.  What was that I just said about simple and understated?  Oh never mind.  Diamonds are good too!

Happy Friday!!

one and two zeros

The high temperature today was 26 degrees.  We have been finding many ways to keep warm (besides turning the thermostat up...I broke down.  It now hovers at 72)

snuggly sling naps,

and warm toasty scones with honey (lots of honey if you are under the age of 6).

Also sharing the warmth with cozy crochet birthday gifts.

**note to self: in the future, do not expect 7 year old boys to jump for joy over handmade yarn items- especially when the gift opened just prior to yours was a set of pro-wrestling action figures!

In other news, this little blog is now home to 100 posts.  When I started it back in August of last year I wasn't sure where it might go. I find it hard to believe that I have had 100 things to talk about (fairly certain that my husband will disagree here).  Writing it has caused me to look intently for the smallest significant moments in each day. I am glad to have record of them here. Thank you for sharing those snipits of time with me, and for leaving your thoughts as well.

To show my gratitude I would like to host a "give away".  I have a couple of projects in the works right now that I would just love to share with you! Leave comment and I will choose a winner on Friday.

looking back, looking forward

2007 You were lovely, a platform for many fond memories.  Looking back, my favorite moment was watching my girls put their feet into the pacific ocean for the first time ever.

The image is of pure joy as they felt the salty water around their ankles and the sand wiggling under their feet. Forever it will be seared into my mind... almost as blissful as the moment I first laid eyes on each of them at the moment of birth.  Our time spent at the beach was truly a highlight for me.

Looking forward to 2008 brings several emotions. First -there is disbelief. I cannot believe that we are standing on the brink of another year!?!  I am sure that time is speeding up. Second- there is bittersweetness. Where have all the babies gone?  Three young ladies live here now.  My children are growing so fast.   And thirdly- there is anticipation.  I like fresh starts and new beginnings.  Perhaps that is why I tend to be a morning person.  I like aiming higher.

My New Year's Resolutions could best be divided into three categories (yes, I have really spent that much time thinking about it :)

* TAKING BETTER CARE OF MYSELF (This one is always hard to write, I prefer taking care of others)

+ In terms of nutrition, be a "do as I do" kind of mom.  No more sneaking unhealthy food when the kids aren't looking or after they go to bed. They are starting to figure it out.

+ Find fun ways of sneaking in exercise.  Just because I don't make it to the gym doesn't mean that I can't find some other way of fitting it in (ie. dancing with the kids, or playing tag, building a snowman, etc.)  It doesn't have to be so grueling, so scheduled...just heart rate raising!

+ Floss at least once daily.  I don't know why I have such a hard time making this a regular habit!

*TAKING BETTER CARE OF MY STUFF  (I am blessed with a lot of nice things...I need to take better care of what I have.)

+ One word, laundry. Treating stains, delicate cycles, hanging dry, DOING IT.

+ Be diligent about cleaning, tuning, and regularly scheduling maintenance on all appliances and automobiles.

 

+ If something breaks- Can it be repaired? Can we find another use for it? Stop using the "throw it away and buy a new one" philosophy.

*TAKING BETTER CARE OF OUR EARTH (reduce, reuse, recycle really does describe it best)

+ Cut waaaaaay back or totally eliminate plastic. Already I use fabric shopping bags, and mesh bags for my produce...but I am addicted to zip-loc sandwich bags. A solution?  I ordered this to help me. Yep, I am really going to start washing and re-using them.  Go ahead, laugh now.

+ Use cloth napkins over paper towels. I am in the process of making more. Besides, they are prettier. And, funny enough, our manners seem to improve when we use them.

+ opt out of several catalogs that come my way.  I shop online anyways.

It shouldn't be that hard right?  Pretty simple, now keep me to it! Thank you to all of those who have left little snippets of your thoughts here along with mine.  I love your comments and it means so much to me that you peek your head in here every now and then to say hello. 

Happy New Year to all of you, here's to a great 2008!

Moments of Sanity

Busy days call for little times of quiet sprinkled in.

A bowl full of dried lentils occupied Laurel long enough for me to get the dishes done and make a few phone calls.  (of course a good sweep was needed when she was finished.)

Spiced tea with strawberry cheesecake jelly beans (which I stole from the stash that is supposed to go to school for gingerbread house decorating later this week) after the girls went to bed.

A few more days (exactly 3) and then we will be on Christmas break (exactly 3 whole weeks).  We are all staggering towards the finish line. 

This is such a busy time of year...don't forget to stop and stir the split peas and taste the jelly beans!

8 random things

I was tagged by both Cindy and Jessie to list 8 random things about me.  I have done a post like this before...it is so hard for me to think of things to write!  None the less, I gave it my best shot.  My list was pretty boring, so I decided to spice it up with some pictures.

#1.  I think that you can learn a lot about someone by looking in their refrigerator.  Here is mine:

What did you learn?

#2. I purchased and prepared Brussels sprouts for the first time ever today.  I have eaten them before (at restaurants or at other people's homes) but never known how to fix them.  I made this salad.

Pretty darn yummy!The recipe is not on line, but it comes from Everyday Food, the 11/07 issue.

#3. Earlier this fall I backed into the garage door from the inside.  I don't know what I was thinking.  The back door of my van was open as well and I started backing out before the garage door was all the opened. 

It wasn't too noticeable, and the door still worked-- I thought I had gotten off.  Now that the weather is much colder it is acting up. Only opening half way.  I had to come clean.

#4.  I wear this lipstick.

#5.  I hate folding laundry.  It usually piles up until we are so sick of searching through it to find something to wear- that I break down and tackle it. I saved this movie to help me through.

#6: I also think that you can learn a lot about looking inside at the contents of someone's purse.  Here is mine:

Huh, usually there is at least one pair of children's socks and a half-eaten banana or something. Guess you caught me on a good day.

#7. Whenever I get on a health kick (which I will get on as soon as I eat this last chocolate truffle) I go back to this book:

 

New workout clothes help too.  Did you know that is the number one reason that I don't make it to the gym every morning?  Because I don't have anything to wear!  Pretty pathetic I know. Well, no more excuses- the clothes are ready and the alarm set.  Tomorrow is the day!

#8. I love ironing.  Isn't it great to make all the wrinkles disappear.  Don't you wish that you could do that to your face?  When I was little my mom used to let me practice ironing pillowcases.  I usually find something to iron everyday.  I can't remember where I learned it, but I like to iron my pants inside out.

That way, you can get under all of the pockets and stuff.

Okay, well, that wraps up 8 really non-interesting things about me.  Hopefully Melissa, Grace, Erin, Amanda, Tiny Happy, Laura, Morgan and Alisha will have something more exciting to say!! 

Here are the rules:

*link to the person who tagged you
*post the rules
*name 8 things others don't know about you
*link to 8 other bloggers

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you a day of warm family gatherings, scrumptious food, and humble gratitude.  Happy Thanksgiving!

"Let us praise Him, in fact, for everything that we receive from His generous hand, for although we deserve little, He provides an abundance.  The sweetest and loudest note in our thankful songs should be of redeeming love.  God's redeeming acts toward His chosen are forever the favorite themes of their praise.  If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our hymns of thanksgiving.  We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, lifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged.  We have been led to the cross of Christ- our shackles of guilt have been removed.  We are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and can anticipate the time when we will be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.  Even now by faith we wrap ourselves in the fair linen that is to be our everlasting array and rehearse our unceasing thankfulness to the lord our Redeemer." --Charles Spurgeon

busy bees

Like all of you I'm sure- we are busily preparing for the Thanksgiving Holiday tomorrow.  Amidst all the preparations (I am responsible for: pickles, olives, rolls, and pies) we continue to keep the day's true purpose in sight.  Yesterday evening when I braved the crazy madhouse that was the grocery store with my three children (who were hungry and tired) the giving of thanks did not flow so freely. I came home to find 13, yes 13 catalogs in my mailbox.

 

The thought of ordering every Christmas gift from my cozy computer chair crossed my mind.  I am not much for crowds, and after the grocery store was completely frazzled.  I only wish that I had gotten the early start that I had intended to on all of my gift-making. Don't worry Carl, I was just browsing :)

After watching the movie we were inspired to try some Ratatouille (above in my bowl).  I used this recipe and added some pasta shells for kid appeal. I didn't seem to work.  We liked the movie better than the actual dish.  Oh well, now we can say that we have tried it.

Lots of baking for me this afternoon.  Plenty of pies to be working on.

Carl is finishing up at the office.  The ski resort opens this weekend and their website has to be up and running.

Emma was getting a jump start on her ornament making.  She has been working on some fabric scrap balls.

Right now, Hannah is working on a nap  (a bit jealous of her).

And Laurel baby, well, she is busy working on her 2 year molars.  We will all be giving thanks when they finally arrive. Poor girl.

First Snow

It started falling last night. We were so thankful that it stuck around until morning.  It is so pleasant to be greeted by the cheery bright white glow of snow.  Even as an adult there is a sense of giddiness that comes with the first flakes of the season.  Laurel Baby couldn't resist get some real hands on action.  The gloves game off almost immediately.  She was only 8 months old this time last year, so she doesn't remember. One of the best parts about being a mom is watching all of those discoveries that your children make.

Ems did her best to start a snowman, she was really scraping it together.  I was glad that I planned ahead this year and dusted off the old and ordered new winter gear.  It was at the ready early this am (8 freezingish cold am)! 

We enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood and had some warm cocoa later.  It is so nice to be on vacation!  Everything is much more relaxed.  Including our choice of clothing (kid's choice).

Non-matching stripes were perfect for our first snow day (a little lazy movie watching too!)

Keeping track

Not much crafting going on here the last few days so I have at the ready some very non-useful information for you. I really did keep track of these things for one day.  I know, totally lame.  In any event-  May I present "The Numbers of Me"

36:: number of pictures taken to try and get a good one for this post- just so that you aren't totally bored.

29.25:: the number of years that I have lived

830:: number of days that I have spent pregnant

930:: number of days that I have spent breastfeeding

3323:: number of days that I have been married

66.75:: the number of inches that I am tall

2:: number of pillows I sleep with

0:: number of broken bones I have suffered

2:: number of cavities that I have had

1422:: the number of feet above sea level where my house sits

200:  number of sunny days per year in my town

9:: number of inches of annual rainfall here

27:: number of inches of annual snowfall here

.25:: the number of hours spent watching TV in the last 24 hours

7:: the number of times that I said "wash your hands"

8:: the number of phone numbers that I have had in my life (I can remember all of them except 1- during college, which explains a lot)

7:: the number of times that I wiped someone's face

7:: the number of times that I ate something

5:39:: the numbers on the clock when I woke up.  (my snooze button gives me an extra 9 minutes- I have it down to a science)

2.5:: number of cups of coffee I drank- decaf

33:: number of miles driven in one day

3:: number of months that I have procrastinated getting my license renewed after it expired this summer.

2:: number of times that I changed my clothes before deciding on what to wear (really good- usually more)

1858:: number of calories eaten...but really who's counting?

4:: number of years that I wore braces as a youngster

0:: number of times that I have been to a concert- weird huh?

228:: number of steps to my mailbox- one way, not sure how accurate this number is.  I assigned Emma the job of fetching the mail.  She came back empty handed and frustrated because there was no mail today!!! Columbus Day. 

4:: number of phone calls made-not counting the calls to my husband :)

12:: number of diapers changed

17:: number of times I washed my hands- see above

6:: number of times I checked my email

9:: number of emails received

11:: number of hugs received

14:: number of kisses given- we are pretty smoochy around here

There you have it!!  Not too exciting, pretty straightforward.  Maybe you learned something. Moving onward. 

orange

It's a bit busy around this crunchy house...I will catch up soon, but for now- here are a few bits of my new favorite color (don't worry blue and green, I will never leave you.)

new sweater

pumpkin spice cake- recipe here

passing the time in the parking lot at school- waiting for kids

at the farm stand

Happy Friday!!

tinkering

Currently, my camera and I have a strained relationship.  I cannot for the life of me seem to get it to take pictures that are in focus!!  Super frustrating.  I would like to think that if I spend a little less money on these (why must they give them all cute names?  "the polka-dot Lia blouse" ugh!), then I could save up for this.  We'll see.

Anyways, what I was trying to capture above, was the lovely coffee I shared with my friend this morning.  We just sat a looked at them for a while before we sipped.  They have a special little place for kids at my favorite local coffee shop.  So, the babes came along drinking their chocolate milks at a nearby table with plenty of kids books to read.  My friend and I felt somewhat frumpy sitting there amongst all the laptop/briefcase carrying business types coming in and out.  For one small moment I wondered, "am I missing out on something? you know, not working."  It might be kind of fun to get up every morning and put on a suit, to have people calling me on my cell phone for reasons other than to ask me what we are having for dinner.  They all looked very important. 

But then again, the only demands upon my day came in the form of three little girls- who in turn, think that I am pretty important too.

Especially when it comes to moments like these.  Besides, that suit might look kind of cute with a little peanut butter and jelly smeared on it!

the company I kept

We had a friend over this morning.  It is good for us to have scheduled play time.  I know that sounds stupid...but really it forces us to have some structured time where we only play.  No dishes, no folding clothes, no talking on the phone-- and best of all, no TV (can't even tell you the last time I sat down to watch.)

It is funny to watch peers interact.  I love waiting to see who will "lead" the play and who will follow (and for how long). Hannah usually follows because her older sister is always bossing her around.  But when she plays within her own age group...I am always surprised to see that she is quite comfortable leading the way.  She has learned from the best.  Pretty funny when she says in her most syrupy voice, "no, I think that we will do it my way this time okay?"  Of course it is not really a question to be answered.  There are all kinds of opportunities to learn about sharing, being generous with our things, taking turns, and listening to the ideas of others.  Sometimes they look at me like, "would you just leave us alone and let us work this out our own way lady?"  Laurel bit Hannah today and actually drew blood.  So you can see that stepping aside is a tempting option...but not very safe.

So, that is how my morning was spent.  We made this for lunch.  Yummy.  I added a sweet potato and also a sprinkle of nutmeg. It would be great with some cornbread. 

I have a couple of projects that I am working on and hope to share them soon.  I am also working up to the idea that I'll have to put the garden to sleep before long. 

An intervention might be necessary...I cannot stop wearing my flip-flops.

random things

I always enjoy reading these lists when other people write them...here's mine

10 Random Things About Me (in random order):

1.  I am not afraid of heights.  I attribute this mostly to riding the chair lifts up the mountain while skiing as a child.  However, I am pretty darn claustrophobic.  I attribute this to being trapped head down in sleeping bags by my older cousins.

2.  I wear this perfume. 

3.  I hate it when anyone touches my bellybutton.  Hate it!

4.  If money were no object, I think I would drive this car.

5.  I am not really an animal lover.  I don't hate them...but my life seems fairly complete without a pet (this cannot be said of my daughter Emma, who every day asks for a dog or cat- we are still in talks)

6.  I cry at every birth I attend.  I keep waiting for this to stop...I just can't seem to help myself.

7.  I am a bit of a hypochondriac.  Getting older doesn't help, neither does webmd.

8.  I always wanted to go to a college where I could join the woman's crew team.

9.  I am a pretty terrible swimmer- I sink.  Maybe there is a reason that #8 never worked out for me.

10. Please don't talk to me when you are brushing your teeth and all that foamy white toothpaste is running down your chin.  My college roommate/cousin used to do this to me all the time- just to see me gag.

clogs and pointes

It was about 20 degrees colder here yesterday than the day before.  Autumn is giving us a bit of a preview.  It is infringing on my last week of summer.  However, I think I may be ready to move on.  I found myself making brownies yesterday, and dusting off the slow cooker.  And (if you are my husband, this is where you stop reading) these lovelies arrived yesterday.

Quite fallish don't you think?  They are a bit clumpy- but don't worry, I'll break them in.  I ordered them from Hanna Andersson - only they were full price when I ordered them, ugh! (I told you to stop reading Carl).  Don't you love European sizes?  I do.  It reminds me of when I used to shop for these.

I dusted off my pointe shoes and tried them on again. Like Cinderella, I do this from time to time just to convince myself that they really are mine. Fondly, I remember wearing them for hours on end. Chacott Copellia II 39 C's - Still fit.  That is the great thing about shoes right?  Ten years later, like an old friend, you pick up right where you left off.  Everything is familiar.  They support you, accommodate you, conform to you.  Shoes never betray you the way bathing suits and jeans do. 

You know, ballet flats are all the rage now.  I especially like these (fun colors). Once, for a character I was playing, I got to dye my shoes a beautiful aqua color- I am pretty sure they worked better in that shade.  Or, maybe I'll just wear my old blochs and  pas de chat around the house. My kids think that I am nutty.  Nuts are crunchy right?

8:22 am

Breakfast eaten, lunches made, kids delivered,

dishwasher running, washing machine washing, bread baking, cartoon watching/cheese eating,

 

Sewing machine sewing,

Phone calls made,

Garbage day remembered,

Its a good day!!

a recipe

It's been a whirligig of a week.  Mama is in need of some real down time.  I would like to share one of my favorite recipes with you in the hopes that you might have the opportunity to try it out for yourself soon!

RECIPE FOR RELAXATION:

**note: in order for this recipe to be a success, it will require two parts "sleeping children", and equal parts of "daughter in school" and "husband at work".

Ingredients:

1C. coffee (brewed strong with lots of foamy milk)

 

1 Jar of avocado/basil scented candle

1 pile of pillows and blankets blended with 1 bundle of magazines and or catalogs

Finally, 1 skein of yarn and shiny hooks (better if it is wool)

Mix thoroughly and enjoy!!!!

PS I love green!