Musings on the Simple Life

February 15: I love

2012-02-15T10:10:00.003-05:00

going into Ben's office for lunch! Can you spy Ben and a baby next to the lunch truck (which serves amazing sandwiches, by the way. Who ever knew egg was such a wonderful topping?)? Ben works with an extremely sweet group of young men who seem to take genuine joy in having our kids come and run around their office, or spin around office chairs, or color on their whiteboard. They're sort of kids at heart themselves, so there always seem to be toys and games around anyway. And they seem to be especially forgiving if we bring cookies, which I think is a fair deal.

February 14: I love

2012-02-14T10:53:00.003-05:00

old videos. Here's a little Valentine's day song for you from four years ago, when Zosia was just a tiny one.

We're just getting ready to go by Ben's work with some cookies, and then it's back home to make Ben's favorite for dinner: lasagne. I am training the girls as waitresses, and they are quite excited to serve us at dinner. Perhaps a romantic dinner at home is just what cupid ordered on this chilly day.

I hope you're having a wonderful Valentine's day!

February 12: I love

2012-02-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

having a reason to get a little festive on the coldest weekend of the year. With our balmy winter, I had forgotten what real winter feels like, but oh my oh my, it feels cold, especially on bare legs when you're going out on a date with your husband. I suppose tights are merited in the middle of winter. Settling in for an afternoon of valentine making is much more weather-appropriate, and after gathering a bit of Valentine's day inspiration, we gathered our supplies and got to work! If you're still looking for some cute printable valentines, check these out! We found some mini magnifying glasses at the local party store (six to a pack as party favors! Quite the deal), and couldn't resist our little nose glasses. You know, we have a special fondness for glasses given that they're sort of our Ben's trademark in the family. Who doesn't love glasses?

(photo of Hugo at a playground last week unrelated, but doesn't he look proud of standing up all by himself? This boy has raced into the realm of mobility at breakneck speed).

We're playing along with I love again this year... head on over to check it out and join in.

February 10: I love

2012-02-10T09:30:00.002-05:00

a lunch date with Ben! It feels so silly and thrilling to be out with no kids. And of course we had to try out the new burger place across the street from his office. Because we seem to be on the quest for the perfect burger in Norther Virginia here's the verdict: excellent burger, toppings and sides, but we weren't so much fans of the brioche bun (too much bread!). And the company? 5 stars.

February 9: I love

2012-02-09T08:37:00.002-05:00

lunch in the stroller on the way home from preschool. It keeps the kids quite occupied, happy, and focused. And it has the added bonus of no cleanup! Yesterday's menu: whole wheat nutella sandwiches, apple slices, and sliced peppers. Although at 43 degrees, it was just a bit chilly. Perhaps mid-February winter has finally decided to arrive? Now if I could just find a way to feed Hugo in the backpack, too...

I believe this is year three of joining Kerry for her February I love ritual... go on over, have a look, and join in the fun!

February 8: I love

2012-02-08T10:52:00.003-05:00

epic train tracks, courtesy of a morning with just my Lily. I've come to rely on these mornings every now and then. Time to take a deep breath, regroup, and make some train tracks. Doesn't every woman need such a thing?

February 7: I love

2012-02-07T10:54:00.002-05:00

dressing up in daddy's glasses. Remember when those used to be mine?

a thrift store outing with the kiddos. Today's trip yielded:

5 books

1 puzzle

1 dolly high chair

3 shirts for Hugo

1 shirt for Lily

1 cardigan for Zosia

hrmph. I forgot to get something for myself.

the beautiful biology of attachment. Hugo has started crawling, an it melts my heart that every single time I put him down somewhere, he ends up right at my feet. He's a bit of a mama's boy, this one. And I can promise you, I am savoring every bit of it. Mothering this little baby is absolutely perfect all the time: even the parts that might seem not so perfect, like the fact that a stuffy baby ended up in mama and daddy's bed for the night after he threw up all over his swaddle. Even moments like this, I close my eyes and say "thankyouthankyouthankyou" for the gift of this baby. And that is just as attachment should be.

Feb 6: I love

2012-02-06T07:55:00.003-05:00

ties

Sunday afternoons

sister love

polka dots

this guy.

And how was your weekend? The camera is getting sent away to get looked at. Sniff sniff. I think that last clunk onto the ground is the one that did the trick.

February 5: I love

2012-02-05T12:04:00.004-05:00

Some Sunday mornings, you really do need the promise of the best latte in town to have the inspiration to get out of bed and go to church.

And often, it's those same Sundays that you have an epiphany in church, while you're standing in the back holding a 20 pound baby, listening to a homily about preaching the gospel with gentleness and love. Gentleness and love. Amen! And you're thankful for all that gentleness and love, because you still might get some of the new mass parts wrong.

And then you quite joyfully trot over to the coffee house that shares a parking lot with the church, and traipse in there with all your kiddos and love every last drop. Oh yes, it was worth it to get out of bed.

February 3: I love

2012-02-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

Too sweet. It will make you smile.

Fly Away

2012-02-02T17:13:00.002-05:00

Ben woke me up this morning and told me it was raining. Even half asleep I squealed and said, "I get to wear my rain boots!" When the girls came out to breakfast, there was a wrapped white package on the dining room table: a present for a friend's birthday. They colored until it was time to go, and it looked so cute: Zosia, Lily, and Hugo each made their way into the wrapping.

We then spent the morning with airplanes and observation towers: a kids dream come true, I tell you! The volunteer helping kids into the plane noticed Lily, laughed, and commented, "She's a ham, isn't she?" Boy, did he have her number. It's fun to have a kid that lights up a room full of strangers like that.

In other news, snack started out as oranges cut unto stars but soon grew into cheese, graham crackers, ham, and milk. Boy can we eat a snack!

And what would a nice afternoon be without some pretend play? "Princess and scuba divers" is the title of today's one act play. Why have I never thought of that combination before?

I'm joining Kerry and friends again this year in the I love series! I'm looking forward to settling into the groove of some daily observations!

This Crawling Thing

2012-01-31T15:17:00.002-05:00

There you have it, friends. An official crawl. From a pile of blocks over to mama, straight for the phone. This boy seems so innocent, and yet he makes good time, especially when something exciting is present. His favorite seems to be power cords. Yes, these are the days in which I have realized that my house is not at all babyproofed. Nor am I exactly sure how I will get it to be babyproofed. After all, he has big sisters who like to play with all sorts of things like shells, beads, dominoes, and legos. Perhaps certain babyproofed "zones" without these toys? One floor of the house with baby safe stuff, with another for choking hazards? Or I could temporarily replace some of those tiny tiny toys with other things that are more baby friendly?

Here's where I need your advice! How do I do this?

Weekend Wanderings

2012-01-30T09:49:00.002-05:00

Pink rainboots, delivered just in time for some sunshine.

Valentines Decorations are making their way up. What better way to make February festive?

Painted toenails, big and small.

She's suddenly seeming so big. Quite the delightful company for some girl time.

Daffodils, inside and out. Is spring playing a trick on us?

On the Move

2012-01-27T19:41:00.004-05:00

I believe I'm ready to make the call: Hugo is a crawler. After weeks of scooting, rolling, and awkward flailing, he has it down, and can get into all sorts of trouble. Alright, Hugo! Now the fun starts. Lily has already figured out she has to watch out.

Would it shock you to learn hamburgers are our guilty pleasure? With not one, but two amazing burger places in the hood, we are spoiled. One has better burgers, but the other has sweet potato fries. It's a tough call, I tell you! The order is generally 2 cheesburgers with some interesting toppings, one hamburger with ketchup, mustard, and one pickle, one hamburger with just ketchup, and some fries to share. And if we've been good, two chocolate shakes to pass around. Bonus points to anyone who can guess whose is whose. I'll call Hugo "The French Fries Grabber," although it actually looks like Ben is the one who's about to grab Lily's fries.

All in a Day

2012-01-26T19:19:00.002-05:00

I'm still sans camera over here: but you know what's funny? Since using my phone to take pictures, it's actually become easier to chronicle little things. I suppose it's something about being liberated from that clunky camera that makes it easier to capture candid moments here and there. When I look over my pictures from the last few days, they seem to speak more to what our daily experience is around here. We spent the day with our table covered in drawing paper. It lasted us through a playdate, a quiet time, and served as a lovely tablecloth for dinner.

While waiting for some papers to print for an upcoming birth class, I popped over and enjoyed a cup of tea all by myself. For old time's sake, I bought a newspaper to go with it, but after reading a few pages, just put the paper down and enjoyed a moment of lovely peace. News is overrated.

And what would the day be without a nice evening routine? How did these guys know the drill so perfectly well? And now, just as the kids are all tucked in bed, I slip out the door for a little get together with the neighborhood ladies. Isn't it amazing how much life fits into one single day?

New Recipes

2012-01-25T11:17:00.002-05:00

We have been enjoying Every Day Food shows and recipes for the past few weeks now. Simple, tasty, and usually a little bit interesting, plus the recipes are well organized and easily accessible on their website. Last night's menu: Braised Mediterranean Chicken and Polenta from the "Cheap Cuts" episode (of course I am a sucker for such a title!). The girls have been quite the hands in the kitchen! I didn't have to chop a single vegetable last night. Just the thing to mix things up in the kitchen.

What have you been cooking?

These Midwinter Days

2012-01-24T15:58:00.003-05:00

He's sitting! After a week of "sitting up boot camp," in which we helped him practice sitting up all on his own whenever we thought of it, he is an absolutely proficient sitter, thank you very much. Did you know that children in cultures where babies are worn tend to sit later than others ? In many, they actually walk before they can sit up, because sitting is just not all that natural a position for babies (and let's face it, Hugo is usually either in a carrier or on his tummy scooting around)? This was my consolation as I realized that Hugo was on a slightly later sitting timetable than our other kids. You've got all the time in the world, kiddo!

Puzzles, train sets, legos, and large amounts of coloring have filled these midwinter days. Today it has warmed up, and I can't wait to chase the kids around outside for a bit.

A piece on our chalkboard entitled "The solar system," made by Zosia. I love all the little planets around the very big sun. We are a little obsessed with the solar system right now. Star gazing, constellations and mythology fill our evenings. This is a pretty amazing universe we live in, isn't it?

Odds and Ends

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Alright. It seems I'm without camera for a few days here (did you know a camera card can just up and split in two? It can: it happened today!). Well, in the meantime, here are a few pictures from our snow day, and a few little housekeeping points.

(The daffodils had already come up, thinking it was spring, and now they're coated in snow. Come on, little guys, you can make it!)

I've added a couple of lists: "On My Nightstand" features books I'm reading through (usually in a slow, meandering sort of way). "We're Reading" shows whatever books I'm reading with the girls. I'll do my best to update both of these lists on a weekly basis.

I'll be back with a few camera pictures over the coming days. It seems there are just so many new exciting things around here to capture and share!

A Birthday Present

2012-01-21T14:18:00.005-05:00

It's always so hard to come up with a good present for a post-Christmas Birthday. Not only does it have to be a good present compared to other birthday presents, but it has to be a good present compared to Christmas presents. And with Ben's birthday falling on December 28th, he truly does have a Christmas birthday. Whew!

(steel cut oats, blueberries, almonds, and raw milk. The best!)

This year, I knew just the thing: the most perfect, wonderful present I could think of. The opportunity to sleep in, one day a week, for the whole year.

(We're not actually sleeping. Nor are we, apparently, very good at pretending)

I had some doubts about my ability to keep up with it: getting up with the earliest riser. I have been known to like sleeping in myself. But so far, it's the best! I get up with the first one or two little ones who are awake, and get some lovely time in a quiet house. I make coffee, light a candle, and today, even made some delicious steel cut oats for breakfast.

And I suppose the truth is that Ben doesn't even like to sleep in that late. Which is good, because I think we would miss him too much.

And today, not only did he wake up to coffee and a hot breakfast, but a blanket of snow. Magic!

From Ben's Phone

2012-01-18T12:15:00.005-05:00

Because I always love seeing what other people find beautiful and interesting, here are a few pictures off of Ben's phone over the past half year or so (all pictures his, except, I think, the one of Ben hugging a Christmas tree). It was fun for me to get a different perspective into this little family of ours! I hope you enjoy it, too.

Balance

2012-01-12T20:14:00.002-05:00

Have you all heard of balance bikes? I'm sure you have: they're basically little bikes without pedals or gears. The idea is that toddlers can learn how to balance using these bikes (doing something called "coasting" in which they run up some speed and then lift their feet up). Then, when they are really really good at coasting, they can switch to a regular old bike and all they need to learn how to do is pedal.

See? That's coasting! "Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause" gave Lily an actual bona fide balance bike (Lily firmly believes Mrs. Clause is involved in the present delivery, however, she does not enter your home, because, "She's shy.")". We realized that Zosia's "big girl bike" was both a bit too big for her and over her head. Our solution? Ben took the thrift store bike we bought for her a year ago for $2.99 and took off the pedals and gears. According to Ben, all you need to do this is 2 wrenches, a screwdriver, a hammer, and some elbow grease. I'm only wishing we had thought of this in time to do it for both girls!

Ta da! And then when it's time, you can always put the pedals back on. For now, we're loving the balance bikes: it's amazing how quickly the kiddos pick up on it! We're balance biking all around the neighborhood these days.

Snow Day

2012-01-09T14:52:00.002-05:00

I'm calling today a snow day, just because it's the closest we've gotten this year! With flurries coming down for the past couple of hours, it has given us just enough time to run outside and try to catch a little snow on our tongues. I'm taking this as a good omen of more snow to come. Come on, we have to go sledding at least once. And in other news, I successfully made a fire in the fireplace! Clearly magic is in the air.

Window painting

2012-01-06T11:23:00.005-05:00

With the weather finally dropping below freezing this week, we've been getting more creative with indoor play: it seems that on the coldest days, the humidity in our house condenses on the windows, making it just perfect for window painting, which in our house means taking a paintbrush to the condensation (much cleaner than using actual paints!). It is quite fun, great writing practice, and (this is probably saying something about the starting cleanliness of our windows), makes the window cleaner than when it started!

How have you been biding your time indoors?

What to eat with your coffee

2012-01-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Our beloved hazelnut balls.

Apparently, rolling the balls is the perfect job for a four year old.

And placing the nut in the center is the perfect job for a two year old.

This is what our progress looked like when I whisked Hugo away to go down for his afternoon nap,

and I kid you not, all of these cookies were complete when I came out of his bedroom ten minutes later (albeit a bit less organized on the cookie pan). Could I use this as proof that three kids can actually be much easier than one? They make cookies.

Hazelnut balls are a bit of a family tradition around here (I should say have been a family tradition for Ben's family long before I entered the scene!). It really doesn't feel like Christmas without them. Well, this year I bought and ground all my hazelnuts, and then just sort of got busy, started going crazy making handbags, and all around dropped the ball... hazelnut ball, that is. Well, I'm happy to report that today we took that hazelnut flour and made these oh-so-delicious cookies which are my absolute favorite accompaniment to a cup of coffee (of which I usually enjoy at least two of in the morning!). These are gluten free, and quite filling because they're made entirely of nut flour. So if you have a bit of extra cooking energy leftover, give these a try!

Hazelnut balls

Yield: 80 balls

80 whole nuts
550 grams hazelnuts, ground (about 4 1/2 cups ground)
1/2 t salt
500 grams powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
2 t vanilla extract
4 egg whites, slightly beaten

Mix in order given, except for whole nuts. Use hands to mix. If too sticky use more nut flour. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Make each piece into a roll, and cut into 10 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. (this year I just let the girls make their own balls, and the results were just as good!) Press the whole nut into the center of the cookie, one per cookie.

Prepare cookie sheets with bees wax candles (rubbing them), paraffin, or baking parchment.

Bake at 325 for 20-23 minutes.

Enjoy!

At the Table

2012-01-03T09:29:00.003-05:00

We have a new table guest around here. Where we used to place Hugo on the floor nearby for our meals, or take turns holding him, he is now a full-fledged, table-sitting member of the family. And in the past three days or so, he has started making quite an oration if he does not have an equitable share of the meal! His favorites so far: oatmeal, banana, avocado, and egg (my breakfast portion has gotten smaller because Hugo nibbles up so much of it!). And we have found that we can usually buy a few minutes of adult-eating time if we feed him cheerios one by one. I think it's time for me to pull out that trusty manual baby food grinder to place on the table so we can start grinding some of our food up for him! What fun to have a new member at the family table.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T19:44:00.003-05:00

Wishing you a joyous and blessed year! Just two sets of sisters ice skating together around here. Quite great fun (and quite a good exercise!). Thanks to the expert instruction of Aunt Irene, Zosia skated around the rink before evenings end. Quite the way to ring in the new year!

The Week in Photos : Part II

2011-12-29T10:26:00.006-05:00

Here was the plan: get away the day after Christmas with my whole family. Go somewhere beautiful where we could spend time together in the absence of other distractions. We found a place, packed up and left, driving with dreams of snow covered mountains.

It was beautiful: a lake overlooking ski slopes, a little cabin with a wood burning stove. It rained, my parents couldn't make it because they're in the middle of a move, but we all made the best of it.

We spent two days reading, warming up by the stove, chatting, and cutting out paper dolls. The girls were very excited to get to sleep in little "closets" (hideaway beds in little nooks).

And we couldn't help ourselves: we went for a traipse around in the cool rain by the rocky shore of the lake (the girls and I in ponchos, Hugo in a rainproof backpack, Ben in a raincoat, and Great-Aunt Basia at our heels). It was refreshing and perfect, and we did warm up eventually after a good soak in the tub.

I'm sure there will be other years with skiing and sledding and all sorts of wild fun, but this year we were happy to curl up together!

Hope you guys are staying warm, too!

The Week in Photos: Part I

2011-12-29T10:17:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas, friends! Somehow, quite unexpectedly, I spent the last week entirely unplugged. And of course, when life is the fullest (and there are actually the most things to take pictures of!) I seem to just sit down and soak it in rather than take pictures. But, pulling out my camera card, I realize there are bits and pieces of our last week documented!

Homemade Christmas stockings for the girls... somehow I pulled it off at the last minute.

Two girls ready to go to our Polish wigilia. Bows are mandatory.

Christmas pajamas waiting on our beds when we got home from our traditional Polish Christmas feast. Did you know that Santa comes for Polish and German Children on Christmas eve (I mean, Santa can't possibly get to all the kids on one night, right?)? And since our girls are a little of each, they get a little something on Christmas eve.

Not one but TWO Jesus babies in our lovely nativity, now supplemented by a beautiful Haitian nativity set. I have no idea how this will impact our kids theology in the long run, but for now it seems harmless.

And then a super relaxed Christmas morning at home. Hugo seems to appreciate the hand puppets.

Some embers in the fireplace.

And of course some Christmas loot. Initial mugs and a pipe for Papa Bear, retrieved from the stockings.

And here's my Christmas confession. Our tree is STILL NOT DECORATED! Can you believe it? Perhaps this afternoon we'll do it. I mean, we are still well within the twelve days of Christmas, right?

Sending Christmas love to you and your family!

Gathering Around the Light

2011-12-22T16:44:00.004-05:00

Today is the winter solstice. Or, "the shortest day of the year!" as my little 4 year old likes to explain (and yes, I do beam with pride when her teacher tells me she explains this stuff to the class... what a little smartie pants). In previous years, this might mean that we do a special little craft that involves light, or make something warm and delicious to eat, or some other little ritual celebration of this day: the depth of darkness, which has a certain beauty to it.

But this year, the solstice has not really been on our minds, because not only is today the shortest day of the year, but it is the day that our beloved Aunt Irene and Uncle Robbie join us for their winter break: a day that we have all been waiting for for weeks, no months.

We will light our advent candles, and gather for a meal together, but the real light and warmth will be shining from our own hearts on this day! It is such a deep and simple joy to be with the ones that you love, in person, as a family.

So today I wish that each and every one of you may find that same warmth and light in your midst. And with that, dear friends, we are off to the airport for a welcome! Yipee!!

This and That

2011-12-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

We made a little gingerbread house. From a simple kit from the store, but the girls ran straight to it in the morning to take turns looking at it. We also have some little gingerbread men we've been handing out as a special treat to spare that little house. So far, so good.

On Saturday morning Zosia and I snuck out, just the two of us, for a little special date: the Nutcracker at the Puppet Theater at Glen Echo. For those of you in the DC area, this little puppet theater is an absolute gem. The show was cute, and I loved holding Zosia's hand and having her sit in my lap. Four is big, but also little. I didn't take my camera, but we came home to two happy little ones spending some wonderful time with their Omi. Today we were in the car listening to classical music and Zosia recognized the nutcracker music before I did: perhaps we have a budding musician on our hands?

And then we realized that we somehow had several dozen apples in the fridge. The solution? Some yummy pear-applesauce that has just about been finished off as of today. Who says that applesauce cannot count as a vegetable dish at the dinner table?

A Few Simple Gifts

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Are you in the Christmas homestretch? Somehow, regardless of how well I plan, I run out of little gifts for all those people that I love. I've learned it's nice to have a few simple homemade gifts on hand to spread Christmas cheer. Here are some tried and true favorites:

How about some homemade hot chocolate mix? Here's some we received from some friends last Christmas, and it was deLIcious! Here's a recipe to try.

A country angel ornament is a sweet and thoughtful gift. We've made these before, and I think I might make a couple this year because we have the materials on hand.

Perhaps a coffee cozy for someone you love? I made this one years ago, and just heard that my friend uses it almost every day. Again, it's something so quick and easy if you have some fabric scraps on hand.

As you can see (above), I'm a sucker for monogram mugs, and *love* this little diy tutorial you've probably seen around.... now I just need to find some cute white mugs at the thrift store.

And then we always stock up on extra boxes of chocolate, bottles of wine, and homemade chex mix... and that way we have something waiting for even the most unexpected of visitors.

And now I would love to hear from you! What little homemade gifts do you go to during the holiday season? Are there any you can get the kids involved in?

Sending you much holiday love!

Lickety Split

2011-12-15T10:36:00.004-05:00

Warning: If you're a family member and hoping for a Christmas surprise, you may want to read no further! Christmas secrets are being divulged below!

Christmas making is in full swing around here! This past summer, when I saw some thick upholstery fabric on sale in bright colorful prints, I couldn't resist. I knew just what I would use it for: some tote bags for women in the family (of which there are many!). After all, there are so many bright colorful women in my family, and I have learned that a tote bag is always nice to have around. Last year I made several classic totes to give as gifts: they were a hit, but I was looking for more of a messenger bag style, and I stumbled upon the lickety split pattern: so cute, and really quite fun to make! And even though the pattern is $6, I've already made eight and have several to go, so I think it's worth it!

Here's what I like about it: it's reversible. Above is one of the totes one way.

And reversed! And it has a total of four pockets, which is handy for keys and wallets and things like that.

Also, I learned that one yard of fabric can actually make two bags (if you're willing to patch one of the sides together from two pieces of fabric), so I threw in some tote bags for preschool teachers, because they're just so wonderful. And of course, most importantly, they really are lickety split to make, even from little pieces of time stolen here and there.

Any other christmas crafting happening out there?

A Christmas Work Day

2011-12-14T08:13:00.004-05:00

What should you do if you're realizing that you're in a bit over your head with this whole Christmas business? Why, put on your elf hat and get to work! That's what we did yesterday after I realized that due to our particularly low key and introspective Advent, Christmas needed some attention.

Peppermint bark is a good place to start, because not only is it delicious and a nice present, but when eaten, it will give you energy for the other stuff.

The paper whites seem to know it's time to get festive, too! Will they still be blooming at Christmas?

Packages need to get wrapped, and then sent. Did you know you can print labels at home and schedule a delivery? I am quite thrilled by the discovery!

There's one of the elves! Working on a little holiday card garland, made simply by punching two holes and threading (not unlike the orange garlands, come to think of it).

Perfect!
And what's that? TWO elves with packages in hand, delivering gifts to some neighbors. Ah, yes, it seems that our little Christmas work day was just what we needed!

When All Wrong is All Right

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Another little something from the archives this week while try our hands at some holiday baking:

It's been one of those days-- well, a couple of days, really. The handle to our car door broke. We moved mountains to borrow a car, scrambled to get out the door this morning to our doctor's appointment (to that wonderful pediatrician all the way across town), to drop off that trusty old car of ours. One thing after another: a lost wallet, a dirty diaper, a muddy dog. And then when we had finally let out a sigh of relief, when we had imagined that we were in the clear, the final blow: that appointment that we had thought was today was tomorrow at 9:15. It was just becoming comical-- a comedy of errors.

As our morning routine had been going so wrong, Ben and I had started listing things we were thankful for, things that were going right-- the change in attitude kept us going, seemed to override all these little blips. But then on the silent ride home from the doctor's office, the practice of gratitude became slightly more difficult.

We came home, had some coffee, settled the kids into their routines. And flipped open to our daily Advent reading, which somehow has this way of speaking so eloquently to our current dilemmas. Today's words for us:

"Keep your eyes on the prince of peace, the one who doesn't cling to his divine power; the one who refuses to turn stones into bread, jump from great heights, and rule with great power...; the one who touches the lame, the crippled, and the blind, the one who speaks words of forgiveness and encouragement... He is the source of all peace."

And then there was a glimmer of clarity. Because there is beauty, and even sacredness in those moments that are "all wrong." Sometimes when things don't go the way they're supposed to-- when our best efforts result only in mistakes, when our hopes fall like dominoes, one after another, we enter into the realm of the divine. A divinity that came not through power, but meekness, who did not cling to divinity, but chose powerlessness. That divinity is the source of all peace.

Tangerines Have Seeds

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know that tangerines have seeds? I apparently did not, when, three weeks ago, I bought a large bag at the grocery store. "Oh, we love these," I thought. But then I got home and realized that tangerines have seeds. And are difficult to peel. And therefore are not the ideal food for a family with little kids. At first I just thought Ben and I would eat our way through them, but then my lovely sister showed me some pictures of citrus garlands, and I knew what I needed to do! So if you, too, have mistakenly bought tangerines, or if you have a surplus of citrus, or if you just like having a little extra Christmas cheer, this one's for you!

Slice your citrus into small rounds and place on a baking sheet (mine is lined with parchment because it makes everything easier).

Place in your oven on lowest heat (ours is 170) for approximately 10 hours. When done, they will be pliable but dry.

Now string your citrus rounds onto thread. I've seen it done with ribbon, too, but I prefer the minimalistic look of lightly colored thread.

And then hang near some light and enjoy! You could also easily make some Christmas tree ornaments from these or use in other crafty ways. They have a faint citrus sort of smell and look colorful and cheerful.

Filling the Darkness

2011-12-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

We are busy little elves running around in preparation for the holidays, so today I bring you a little something from the archives:

Every year I am presented with a similar challenge during the winter months: How can I make the long, dark evenings feel as full and vibrant as those of the summer months? Certainly there will be less activity-- more quiet, more introspection, more time huddling indoors. That is the gift of the season: stillness. But too often stillness morphs into emptiness, loneliness, despair. We even give names to this lack of substance: seasonal affective disorder, depression. Names to a very real experience of feeling that something is lacking, that our sunny full days have disappeared into darkness.

I am still trying to cultivate a love for this season, for the simplicity it ushers in, for the way that the cold sends us into our hearths to light a fire. We make more of a "to do" of dinner in these months, spending longer around the table, having an official dessert course. And I make sure to get outside with the girls for as long as possible during the daylight-- one or even two hours-- which makes spending an evening inside feel a little more "right."

I realized that there is a beautiful wisdom to the fact that here in Virginia, the most holiday-filled time of the year falls during the darkest months. We fill the cold emptiness with a silent hope, with quiet preparation and aromatic baking. Those of you who know me well may have noticed that I have been filling my own heart and mind with a craftiness that is uncharacteristic of me. And a certain joyful member of our family has filled her own time to mastering the art of crawling this past week-- certainly a change of seasons in our family life (can you say babyproofing?). We seem to take up more household projects during the winter than in the summer-- I know there is along "to do" list that I am already dreaming of completing. And we are much more likely to have guests over for supper during these months-- small and large alike. But no matter how busily we try to weave a little cocoon for ourselves this season, the facts remain the same; it is cold, it is dark, the trees are empty. Our activities do not change this. And maybe there is a certain beauty and wisdom in such scarcity.

How do you pass your winter months? How do you fill the darkness?

A Thrifted Infusion

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember that Ben, ahem, I mean Santa, was quite good to our family last year and brought us a play kitchen. Quite some play kitchen for a woodworking novice, if you ask me! Oh, well I guess Santa has his elves to help him, right?

We have been through varying phases with this kitchen. The kids will play with it for a while, then forget about it. Isn't it that way with all toys? We occasionally use it as a piece of furniture. When I'm teaching a class, I put a monitor on top of it.

The other day while I was at the thrift store I picked up a few kitchen-y items: a new pitcher, a small pan, a ceramic bottle. I actually intended them for our real grown up kitchen. But when the girls claimed them as their own and played with that kitchen nonstop for several consecutive hours, I realized that they were meant for those little hands. And just like that, our little kitchen has a second life! I'm trying to take note so I can actually plan this sort of thing next time...

The Christmas Picture

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

(last year's winning picture)

Oh, it seems that these simple words can instill dread in the heart of any parent. For starters is the issue of getting everyone in the picture together. We have lots of pictures of the kids, and a handful of each of the parents with some kids, but ones of everyone together? They just don't seem to happen. But a Christmas picture is more than this. It is a picture of everyone together, smiling, or at least looking at the camera, free of debris, spit up, with hair combed. Talk about an idealized picture of life.

(Christmas 2009)

And yet here in our family we love Christmas pictures. We eagerly open envelopes during the Christmas season, hanging those pictures of friends and family members somewhere special where they gather up over the holiday season. It is so special to see all of those families changing, growing, and growing up. So we participate, too, year after year. And we love looking back on Christmas cards from years past. I hope to hold on to them so the kids can laugh at them one day, too.

We have been procrastinating with our "Christmas picture" this year. Three kids and two adults all awake, clean, attentive? Whew! Finally, on Sunday, we realized that if we did not order some Christmas cards soon, they would not go out before Christmas. And so we all combed our hair, set the camera timer, and cleared some toys off the floor. We sat down and smiled. No, actually, that is not what happened. We sat down, Hugo pulled Zosia's braid, Lily squinted, and Ben chewed on something. Exhibit A:

And then there's the issue of the computer screen (on which we had just finished watching "Miracle on 34th Street"). Okay. So you reset the camera, sit back down, count to ten, and smile. But the girls aren't smiling. And Hugo is just so interested in that braid! Exhibit B:

I think Ben's look of resignation (and my look of over-enthusiasm) speaks volumes. What have we gotten ourselves into? Folks, we ended up taking TWENTY FOUR pictures. And not because we were looking for a perfect picture. Such pictures do not exist. We were just looking for a picture in which everyone was looking at the camera, looking somewhat normal. "Wait, should Selma be in the picture?" Ben asks halfway into this.

Yay or nay? What do you guys think? Then there's the moment that the two year old of the family starts crying because her sister is saying "Cheese and candy!" instead of "candy and cheese!" when the camera clicks. Ah, the trials of being two.

Okay. We need to regroup. We need a miracle. No, what we really need is potty humor. And so, dear friends, it is with some embarrassment that I confess that our "winning" Christmas picture was taken while yelling something like "Potty!" or "Spit up!" or "Goober poop!" I have my dear husband to thank for the last one.

We actually had quite a good laugh about it in the end. And that is just as it should be.

And drumroll, please, this year's Christmas picture, funny and juvenile, and imperfect, just like our little family:

At This Age

2011-12-03T14:30:00.003-05:00

Ben and I spent the other evening looking through old family photos, and it tickled me to come across some pictures of each child at almost six months. Can't you just see each budding personality in those eyes (above: Zosia, Lily, and Hugo)? And those cheeks! I'm glad to know that at least some of my babies had nice chubby baby cheeks. Come on Hugo, you've clearly got to up your game!

Ah, six months is just on the cusp of something new. I'm too curious to know what the future holds for this little one.

A little christmas embroidery

2011-12-01T21:07:00.002-05:00

Our evening routine with Zosia goes something like this: after the other kids are in bed, we gather in the sofa and read the latest installment of Little House (currently On the Banks of Plum Creek, quite the page turner). We used to read these books during the day with both girls. I read the entirety of Little House in the Big Woods before I realized Lily wasn't really listening (and it was pretty much over her head), so during the day when Lily is around, we do simpler picture books. And in the evening, we get to do Zosia's favorite (and ours): Little House.

Have I told you how Zosia has internalized the storyline? She is ma. She wears an apron (even requesting to sleep in an apron), bustles around the house doing little chores here and there. She calls Ben, who is pa, "Charles." As in, "Good night, Charles! See you in the morning, Charles!" I get to be Mary (the eldest) Lily is Laura, quite appropriately, and of course Hugo is baby Carrie. My mom, I am told, is the horse: let no one ever minimize the love of a grandmother to play along with such games. Ah, but I digress.

The other day, during this reading time, as Ben was reading, I was sitting and working on a little Christmas embroidery project. Zosia was right next to me. And her eyes were glued on what I was doing. I had to ask her to move over a bit, because her attentive eyes were so close that I was nervous I would prick her with my needle.

Today, she asked if she could have a sewing project. Sure, I thought. If stringing popcorn worked so well, then why not colored thread on cloth? At the beginning of her quiet time, she looked like this: working away. And when I checked in on her an hour later:

Ta da! A Christmas tree, complete with a ladder she added "so I can climb up and put a star on top." I think ma would approve.

Popcorn Garlands

2011-11-29T11:51:00.005-05:00

Today I learned a few thing about making popcorn garlands.

Just about anyone can participate (notice the look of complete concentration. I love it!)

BUT, the popcorn has a way of disappearing. Caught red handed, Zosia!

And I think the window is a fine holding place until we get a tree. We used plain old needles and thread and a big batch of plain popcorn. I'm wondering how long it will keep. Any tricks of the trade out there?

First Sunday in Advent

2011-11-27T10:17:00.009-05:00

See, I was so busy, I didn't even have a chance to say Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all of you who celebrated had a wonderful day: oh, I am so thankful for a fridge full of leftover turkey. Those of you who know me well know that Advent is one of my absolute favorite times of year. Every year's Advent is a little different, which makes it absolutely thrilling to be here at the first Sunday of Advent. What little epiphanies does this season hold for our family? What things will we learn, grow to understand, or see in new ways?

We are all on a journey of faith together. Taking the time to sit down together as a family to reflect on this season, on what it means to have divinity in our midst, is a way that we can all grow together in faith. So of course I was absolutely giddy to pull up our holiday decorations from the basement, to have my two girls spend the whole afternoon playing with the nativity together. With our "Swinging Christmas" pandora station in the background and a fabulous fire built by my husband who is finally getting into his firemaking groove, it was perfect!

I'm not exactly sure what this year's Advent rhythm will hold. I do know that as soon as we set a "routine," the children will hold me to it. Ben and I like to do a little reflection together in the morning, often from this book. Old Befana has become a perennial favorite around here, and a big stack of special holiday books has been pulled from storage. Perhaps a special holiday craft or treat is in order?

We shall see! Let the excitement begin.

Holiday Preparations

2011-11-22T15:56:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving preparations, you must be thinking, right? You, like I, may be hosting Thanksgiving dinner in just two short days, complete with two turkeys. Perhaps you, like I, need to clean your house. Perhaps you, like I, have just plenty to think about that needs to get done this week, no, that needs to get done today. So really, Thanksgiving is what should be on our minds. Right?

No (and perhaps this is a bad case of procrastination). You see, for the past several years we have set out to have the materialistic part of Christmas prep done before Advent even begins. I am not the best shopper to begin with. When done in the busiest time of year, when everyone else is also shopping, and when I am trying to quiet my mind in preparation for the birth of Jesus, whew!

So this past week, I have been bustling around trying to convince myself that Christmas is actually occurring this week. Not the real Christmas, but the presents part of it. You know how we are: we try to make as many of our presents as possible, try to give meaningful gifts, etc. But there are still little things that need to be purchased, whether they're books, socks, or supplies for your crafts. I may or may not have even spent this past weekend listening to Christmas carols (oh, I know, what a bad Catholic thing to do!).

There are a lot of things we will be doing in the days following Thanksgiving: spending time with friends and family, perhaps spending some time outdoors, and this next Sunday, starting the hard work that is waiting for something pretty magnificent to happen (Zosia just walked up to me and said, "Mommy, I want Advent to be short this year, because I really want it to be Christmas!" I get the feeling!). And in the weeks of Advent, I hope to make many thoughtful things, share our bounty with dear friends and beloved family, and really enjoy what it means to be waiting for Jesus to be in our midst. But thankfully, going to the mall will not be on my schedule.

I'll try to be back here between now and Thanksgiving, perhaps to share a favorite recipe. What are you making? Where are you going?

(And for those receiving gifts from us, don't worry, I haven't already made this year's Christmas cookies. These pictures are some of my favorite things from Advents past).

A Few Smiles for you

2011-11-17T15:08:00.002-05:00

while we take a bit of a break to restore the family to full health. Ah, at the end of the day, life is quite good.

Leaf Raking

2011-11-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Lily is quite happy, because not only is it leaf raking day, but she has a secret.

Something wonderful is hidden within these leaves.

Ta da!
(photos by Ben)

I think that leaf raking day must be the best day of the year: not only do big piles of leaves magically appear all over the yard, but you get to play outside all day and even eat all of your meals outside!

And for the adults it isn't all bad, either. Especially at the end of the day when we all collapse next to an outdoor fire, some other tired out neighbors pile into the yard, and we all just relax, chat, and roast hot dogs.

This must be suburbia's equivalent of a harvest day.

Dream Catcher

2011-11-11T10:55:00.003-05:00

We have quite an elaborate bedtime routine that includes, among so many other things, praying for our dreams. Each girl loves the moment when we ask her "And what would you like to dream about tonight?" The list begins, "Merry-go-rounds, ice cream, chocolate, my family" and goes on and on. Lily in particular will come up with the most creative answers ("Stars" "raccoons" and many more). Zosia has been learning about native Americans in her preschool class, and was quite tickled by the idea of making her own dream catcher: a beautiful physical illustration of what we had been trying to tell her all along. God protects our whole selves: our waking selves, our sleeping selves.

Here's how it works. The dreams that are floating around the room enter into the web. The bad dreams are confusing, confused thoughts, and they get caught in the web. They stay there, and get eaten by that spider (the bead in the web). The good dreams trickle down to the feather that is hanging from the dream catcher, and drift right down to the sleeping mind.

The verdict this morning? It worked! And don't we all need more dreams about ice cream? Yes, I do think so.

About the Baby

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

You all must be wondering about Hugo. We spend so much of our day oohing and ahhing at him that it's a miracle that every blog post is not about him. We are actually obsessed with him, every single member of the family. Especially the girls. They are at once his mothers, his playmates, and his most enthusiastic fan club.

Sometimes I sneak him into my bedroom just so I can spend five minutes snuggling him all by myself. It's selfish, I know. But he's simply in quite high demand, I'm sure you understand.
Well, it turns out that such fame isn't necessarily the best for taking pictures. This weekend we placed him on a blanket in the warm autumn sun and thought, "Here. Now we will take some pictures." Selma ran up to lick him, the girls surrounded him like bees on honey, and then he spit up.
Oh, we all had a good laugh. And this guy? He is just his good old self. Level as his dad. Tall like his sisters. Curious and attentive to all of the life that is happening all around him. He is quiet, but never shies away from the chance to interact with anyone who is interested. He loves to "stand up," but spends more of his time mysteriously scooting a few feet in one direction or the other while we aren't looking. Is he crawling? It certainly doesn't seem like it, but how is he getting around so well?

Yes, it seems that a special place had been waiting for Hugo in this family of ours all along.

Apple Crisp

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

The apples are delicious, seasonal, and abundant. And we really are quite content to just eat them any which way: straight off the core, sliced with cinnamon on top, dried. But sometimes it's worth it to indulge in a wonderful seasonal treat and this is where the Apple Crisp enters stage. It's delicious, fresh, and a bit easier than a pie.

This afternoon I was quite tickled to find myself in the kitchen with just my absolute favorite kitchen helper while the littlest two were resting (read: napping and taking a somewhat but not entirely quiet time). She did all of the apple prep thanks to our handy-dandy-on-loan-to-us-apple-peeler-and-slicer. These are so wonderful for little kids to use!

Have I mentioned that four is really a wonderful, magical age? If you find yourself in a situation where a toddler age might be rubbing you the wrong way (and haven't we all been there?), just remember that four is amazing. Truly graceful, inquisitive, and so incredibly sweet. Quite possibly the perfect age. And now for this apple crisp.

We made two: one for the family, because it is one of Ben's favorite's, and one for a sweet neighbor, because don't we all need to show someone a little love each day? Zosia was quite excited, and sat down to enjoy a nice hefty slice after the other kids were in bed and she had finished her reading lesson.

Apple Crisp

6 apples (we used cortland, which were grown locally), peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crisp Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick utter
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup shopped pecans (or walnuts, or almonds)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl combine apples, sugar, flour (but just the tablespoon and a half) and cinnamon. Turn the mixture into your baking dish (a 9X13 works, but we used two smaller casserole dishes)
2. Make the topping. Combine brown sugar, butter, flour, oats, pecans and cinnamon in your mixing bowl and mix together until the mixture is uniformly crumbly.
3. Distribute the topping over the apples and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Enjoy! What have you been baking lately?

Side View

2011-11-04T10:39:00.003-04:00

Months ago (years ago, really) I had the hope of embarking upon a family silhouette project. I got about as far as one silhouette and then got derailed by who knows what. When I found this tutorial, I realized I had to give it another try. One trip to the thrift store and one rummage sale later, I had my plates all lined up (nothing too fancy... we could upgrade to more vintage-y plates at some later date should I find them). When we had some friends over, we embarked upon the project, and voila! I actually think the one of Selma (at the bottom) just might be my very favorite, although each silhouette really does bear the likeness of its subject.

A few tricks we learned along the way. Don't use too much Mod Podge: a thin layer under and a thin layer over your paper cutting is best. You can add "pearls" through getting creative with a hole punch. And I later learned you can even diy your own plate hangers (ours are courtesy of Target).

Those who know me well know that I move our furniture more than I switch my outfits, but I think these guys are here to stay!

Recycled Paper

2011-11-02T10:22:00.010-04:00

The other day we were sitting together around the breakfast table. I asked the girls what they would like to do together, and Zosia, without hesitation, declared "Make paper." She had actually said she would like to do this a couple of times before, but on this day, I thought, "Okay, why not?" After sitting together for a few minutes around my laptop looking at youtube videos of recycling paper, we knew what we needed to do.

First, assemble your supplies:

a tub of old paper (junk mail, scraps from cutting projects, even tissue paper or tissue itself works!)

A piece of mesh fabric or a screen. I put it in a cake pan that was not fully closed, but as we went, just put it on a plate and drained it slowly. So I guess all you need is the mesh and a plate.
Flower petals or leaves. This is optional, but a nice touch.

A piece of felt and some towels (I found that cloth diapers are best, as they are super absorbent. You could also skip the felt if you don't have it and just do a towel or cloth diaper)

And a blender. Okay. Now rip your paper into pieces, fill your blender with it, and fill it with water. Blend (pressing down as necessary between actual blending: it should have plenty of water and be pretty easy to blend).

Now it should look like this:

Pour it back into that container, and mix in your petals or leaves:

Now here's the step I don't have a great picture of because I was too busy actually doing it: ladle some of your mixture onto the mesh cloth which is on a plate. Gently drain it out with your hands as the paper mixture settles, spreading it carefully as you go. When the whole plate is covered with a thin layer of "paper", invert it onto your felt, which is resting on a towel or cloth diaper:

Now pat, pat pat. Of course both girls loved this. You may need to get in there and press down quite firmly (the more dry your paper now, the sooner it will be fully dry).

Gently peel away the mesh cloth, and you have something like this:

The girls couldn't resist leaving a hand print:

Wait for a few hours, and your paper will be dry enough to gently remove from the towels onto a drying rack. Now just leave it, preferably in a sunny warm spot, for a day or two (we ended up finishing the drying process in a warm oven, actually: although you would want to watch this closely).

And despite how messy it may look or sound, this was actually quite an easy activity to do with two toddlers helping. All that required clean up was the tub, the blender, and a few damp cloths to toss in the dryer.

Have you recycled paper before? Any tricks of the trade?

Halloween Fun

2011-11-01T08:00:00.002-04:00

Woo hoo! What a day. Between a "Let's Pretend Parade," pumpkin carving (and seed roasting, of course) and bona fide Trick or Treating (and candy eating) we are quite wonderfully spent.
I do love Halloween in this little neighborhood of ours. It is quite well loved, well decorated for, a little spooky, but very neighborly.

Lily agreed to march in the parade as long as she was holding Zosia's hand.

She changed her mind when she realized this would entail getting separated from me. I ended up joining the parade to keep Lily at ease. Ah, what a precious attached little child.

Zosia, on the other hand, marched right along, directing the other kids in her class as she went. Isn't it so much fun to see a child's personality in a new context? To think that my once shy Zosia would be such a little leader. Amazing.

When a neighbor heard that Ben couldn't find any pumpkins at the store this weekend (what? No pumpkins the weekend before halloween? I guess you're supposed to shop early), she brought one by. We wasted no time carving it up (I saw these and couldn't resist!), and then had so much fun strolling from house to house this evening, saying hello to neighbors, mastering the ins and outs of trick or treating, and even scoring some wine for the adults.
Of course the girls dumped their overflowing bags of candy upon arriving home and got to eat a whopping four pieces before bedtime. I do think it wouldn't really be Halloween without a bit of a tummy ache.

How did you spend your Halloween? What are your neighborhood traditions? And what are you doing with all this candy?

(and to give the full low-down on dino costumes, tails were made using this tutorial, hats were improvised using the base of the Oliver + S hat with bear ears, and green clothing was thrifted and turned slightly more dino-ish with added felt).

Happy halloween!

2011-10-31T09:11:00.006-04:00

We've been prancing around dressed like dinosaurs every day now for several days, but I can finally say: Happy Halloween! More details about the costumes later, but for now I'm off to get ready for our Let's Pretend Parade. I think everyone deserves a few extra pieces of candy today, don't you?

From the Mouth of Babes

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm out on a walk with Lily and Hugo. He's on my back, she's holding my hand, stopping along the way to notice little things here and there. The day is absolutely breathtaking, and it's one of those moments that I'm filled with indescribable gratitude.

"Lily," I say. "What would I do without you?" And I mean it: this little girl who has such a spunky, joyful spirit, who literally gathers the family together (as in, walking around the house, taking each person by the hand, and bringing them to a central location).

She thinks. She furrows her brow. She puckers her lips (those of you who know Lily know what I'm talking about). And she gives her very best answer. "Clean up?"

(and note that the above tidy row of shoes was not me cleaning up, but rather Zosia, who is now deputy of the shoes by the door)

Yarn Along: Halloween Edition

2011-10-26T10:32:00.004-04:00

I wish I could say I was knitting up a storm or deep into some wonderful work of literature, but around here I've been doing little things here and there: a little Halloween sewing (almost done!), a little Martha Stewart Living reading. And the in-betweens have been filled with so much wonderful time playing outside, chatting with Ben, and even a little tidying up!

Oh, but I couldn't resist this little tutorial for a spiderweb frame (it's made out of yarn, does that count as knitting? I hope so). I actually just did the project in the last half hour while Lily was curiously looking on.

And here are some of our favorite seasonal reads, largely found through this wonderful list. Christopher's Harvest Time is definitely the favorite: and I have had to stretch my read aloud abilities through making up lots of little songs to accompany the songs in the book. Do you guys do that, too?

Linking up with the yarn along today!

Baby Boom, Bundt Cake, and Big Bear Hat

2011-10-24T16:47:00.008-04:00

We are in the middle of a veritable baby boom in our neighborhood. Every six months or so, all the ladies of the neighborhood gather together to shower an expectant mother and new baby, which I think you'll agree is the best type of get together.
I believe in the last two years something like fifteen babies have been born in a one block radius. Of course we're thrilled, because that means a wonderful community of children for our own kiddos to grow up in. And all those cute little babies!

Ben took the wee ones out on an errand while I made a present and a bundt cake for our little shower. I was so pleased with the result. One brown sugar bundt cake to go with some pumpkin ice cream I had made the day before. One cute bear hat from the Oliver + S Little Things to Sew, in wool felt and a plaid I decided was colorful enough to be truly gender neutral (for our neighbors who don't know the gender of their baby). I was quite pleased, that is, until the kiddos got home.

Do you see who's wearing the hat? Yes, Lily. After I tried it on Hugo and realized that I made my hat entirely too big for a newborn. Oh well. Babies do grow, right? (note: I'm sure the pattern in the book is just right... it was my mistake in trying to size down from the 4t size I had already traced onto parchment paper).

Travel Book and a Pencil Roll

2011-10-21T10:53:00.011-04:00

Last Friday night before our beach trip, I had a brief moment of panic. I usually run by a store and pick up lots of those dollar items for a cartrip. A yo-yo, a new pen, a pack of cards, a box of goldfish. And then I will hand them out bit by bit to keep the kids happy and entertained throughout a road trip. Well, it was almost bedtime on Friday, we were leaving first thing in the morning, and I had nothing. Or so I thought.

Did you know you can make your own little notebook by sewing some paper together? Simple take about a dozen pieces of paper and one slightly more sturdy piece of paper: I used the thick piece of cardstock that came with this paper, or you could use cardstock, or probably even thin cardboard. If you want to get fancy, you can print some coloring pages like these, simply by adjusting your printer settings to printing two pages to one sheet.

Now crease all of your paper down the middle (this will be your sewing guide). Sew along the crease. For those, like me, who had never sewn paper, this seems like it wouldn't work, but it truly does. Just go for it. Then bend quite firmly along the crease, and you're done!

If you want, you can then draw some simple figures (Lily requested each member of the family. Can you guess who this is?) for the kiddos to color in. Or, you could bring some stickers along and use it as a sticker book. Because everything in this house needs to be differentiated, I put an initial on each book to make ownership clear.

Next up, the pencil roll. Simply take two pieces of felt (I used green I had on hand from our halloween costumes).
Take two pieces, one slightly taller than the other, sew around the edges, and then sew a little pocket for several colored pencils (or crayons, or markers) just by sewing a line along the two pieces of felt. Use the size of the pencil as a guide. Sew two strips of felt (or two pieces of ribbon) onto one side, and you're done. You've seen these, right?

Just roll up the pencils (I sharpened old colored pencils that were lying around the house, and the new delivery system made the girls think they were brand new), tie it with the two strings, and you have a perfect travel pack! These are brilliant, because otherwise (at least in our house), the pencils get lost or end up all over the car.

It felt a bit silly to be doing a craft project right before a big trip, but it worked! For our 3 and a half hour drive, we had two girls happily coloring in the backseat. Even Ben was won over by the end of the drive, and I was quite thrilled to be able to use up things that were already around the house.

What are your go-to activities for road trips? Any good games out there?

Farm Trip

2011-10-19T14:31:00.010-04:00

It wouldn't be fall without a trip to the farm, and today we were especially lucky, because it was Zosia's first preschool fieldtrip, and not to just any farm, but to a very special farm right up the way from our house.

This little farm lives right smack in the middle of suburban developments and has done so for 45 years: I remember stopping at it for fresh tomatoes as a girl, and I feel very optimistic about it still being an adorable little farm just right where it is when Zosia's children are in preschool.

How do they do it? Here we are in an area of the country that is known for its outrageously expensive land, and there they are, year after year with their cute little farm stand filled with produce that they grow right here in Fairfax County. They have really managed to develop their truly tiny farm into a sustainable staple of this area. I'm sure there are still countless challenges for a small farm (the orchard behind this farm closed a few years back because it was just too expensive to stay afloat), but what an inspiration to see a group of people face them with such hard work and innovation.

They have developed a CSA program, started the first cohousing development of the area, and they are regulars at area farmers markets. This year our own appreciation for this farm has grown even more as our sweet friend Michelle has been bringing us weekly bags of overflow produce from her CSA.

Here this little farm is able to sustain its CSA members with such bounty that there are piles of food left for the taking (and what isn't taken is donated to area food banks). And we have been enjoying everything from mint to eggplants to greens whose names I can't even pronounce.

I beamed with pride when Zosia was the only kid in her class who knew what a greenhouse was, or boasted of composting with worms at home. I know there's no such thing as "Farm Class" at school, but isn't some knowledge of where our food comes from worthy of our children's time and attention?

Today I am filled with thanks that such a place exists and that we live in a time where our society has really started to value the gift of a local farm. And now I just need to figure out how to cook bok choy. Any suggestions?

We're Back from the Beach!

2011-10-17T20:13:00.014-04:00

Don't you think it's just food for the soul to see the ocean once a year? I think I am hooked on fall at the beach: it's mild, peaceful, and such a lovely way to spend a few days. We definitely did this vacation right: we went somewhere not far from home, invited three grandparent figures (my parents and aunt: I think a 5 to 3 adult to child ratio is just about right), and planned something simple (camping is a great adventure, but if you're going for rest, a simple beach condo is the way to go). It was absolutely perfect! The girls adored the sand, we all got some wonderful rest, and Ben and I even got to go on some dates. Success all around.

Highlights included finding a baby horseshoe crab shell (not pictured), a real live baby crab (above), and flying a kite oh so high. Do you see our little tent? We brought it with hopes of providing a sleepy nook for the little ones, but a gust of wind swept it away and it was packed it up after just half a day. Even so, I just love that tent next to those big buildings. And there's my mom with the girls, and the beloved Basia with Hugo. I wish I had more pictures with my Dad: he must have been off for one of his exercise walks.

I'm off to finish lots of sandy laundry and try to organize my mind back to real life, but I just wanted to pop by here to say hi and share a bit of our adventures!

Has anyone else been to the beach lately?

Storytime Warm Chocoalte

2011-10-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

My favorite new tradition involves three things I love: chocolate, reading, and my two little girls. In the afternoon, right after the littlest one goes down for a nap and right before the older two take a "quiet time" (which is rarely truly quiet, but that's a totally different story), we sit down for a reading time.

Simply us three ladies, a favorite book and three cups. Our current selection is Little House in the Big Woods although occasionally Lily insists upon choosing another book, in this case Rikki Tikki Tembo, a favorite.

And each girl gets just enough hot chocolate, which seems to go down quite quickly. I actually just make it warm chocolate for this reason.

Storytime Warm Chocolate
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cocoa
2 teaspoons sugar
a pinch of salt

In a saucepan place sugar, cocoa, pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of milk. Stir over medium heat just until the mixture is smooth and incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and stir until the mixture is warm to the touch. Divide evenly among three cups, choose a favorite book, and enjoy!

The Stops on the Way

2011-10-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Just the daily walk in these parts. You simply must stop at the little gnome with his tree door. Have mushrooms been growing like crazy where you are, too? The girls are allowed to stop and pick some dried flowers on the way (I rescued this family's run away dog once, so I'm sure they won't mind). "What's that little girl wearing?" you might ask. "Is it a ski mask? A bike helmet? Mittens?" Yes. I simply have no explanation. And Zosia would like you to know that she can hang like a sloth. Not a bat, but a sloth, because sloths hang with both their hands and their feet. And there's me and Hugo, the sling team chilling out on the bed when we get home.

I adore our little neck of the woods, and there's few things to get a morning going like a nice little walk around the neighborhood. What are your favorite stops on the way?

Yarn Along: October 12

2011-10-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

My knitting is off my needles and on the two little ones I intended it for! Woo hoo! They are quite happy (and silly) as you can plainly see. And I have been reading some amazing books: At Home, which I was so excited about that I actually preordered in paper back, but was then promptly comandeered by another adult in the household who will remain nameless (who is just the best, and so gets away with such things). I have been lucky enough to have a few pages read aloud to me, and we will then embark on the dance that is two people reading the same book at the same time. Does this work?

And then in the conflict resolution category of things, I have been reading Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, which has been a very helpful way of resetting and recommitting to gentle parenting (why is it that we need so many reminders to do something so simple?).

And then I am lucky enough to have a loaned copy of Playful Learning (thanks, Michelle!), which is just amazingly beautiful and interesting. I actually had to put it down for a day because I was just too excited to read it properly the first time around.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone is up to in the Yarn Along!

Button Tins

2011-10-11T08:00:00.002-04:00

One absolute delight of the past month has been the time I have with Lily on the mornings that Zosia is at preschool. It is so fun to do things that she loves at her pace with no one but cute little Lily. I will admit, the first few weeks of our new routine, I went a little Lily crazy and did things that she loves at the cost of oh, housekeeping, cooking, that sort of thing.

I think we've found a new equilibrium. We do a few special one-on-one projects or trips and then I also set her up with some fun activities she can do by herself while I run around the house keeping things going, or while I nurse Hugo. Above: an old favorite, a bowl of buttons and a muffin tin.

It never ceases to amaze me how entertaining this activity is. There's sorting, piling, mixing, and I even noticed Lily actually talking to her buttons. Each one has its own personality, I guess. Ah, the joy of simple things.

Smocked

2011-10-06T08:00:00.002-04:00

I had been eyeing little things to sew for a few weeks now, and finally justified purchasing it because I had a concrete project in mind: a smock. Actually, two smocks. Because so many things seem to come in pairs of two around here.

And this, above, is just the smock I wanted. Something long sleeved (because little arms can get messy), with pockets, that snaps in the back. And I figured I could make some of the other projects from the book as Christmas presents for the little ones in our lives.

I think that nary a day passes that does not involve painting. Watercolor painting, usually. Sometimes tempera, if we're feeling adventurous.

I was tickled to find a colorful Ikea duvet cover at the thrift store (it usually retails for $22.99, I just learned), for $2.99. I bought a red sheet for the sleeves for two bucks. I love those little animals: each girl got to choose which ones she wanted on her pockets.

We didn't waste any time putting them to use.

Paint brushes in the pockets, of course.

And out we went for an afternoon of painting in the yard. I am happy to say that both smocks are now covered in paint. Much to my delight.

(and for those on the fence, I do really love the book: so many adorable little projects. I am already getting ready for another)

Yarn Along: October 4

2011-10-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

My, my, my. Wasn't I here a few weeks ago waxing about how I was just about to finish Lily's sweater? And here it is, still on the needles, albeit with a sleeve and a half more than where I left it. I guess knitting gets the backburner when life's little obstacles get in the way. But I am happy to report that after a couple of weeks of such little obstacles (sniffles, and long commutes, and the ever-present household chores), we are all feeling back in business. And even during those challenging couple of weeks I have made some progress, and it is close, oh so close to being done.

I'm going through Little House in the Big Woods, one chapter a day, with the two little girls, and we all love it and love to recount what we read to Ben at the dinner table. I really believe those books never get old, don't you think?

Oh, and I must add, I was sitting right there, beside the cute little baby and the knitting and the book the second before and after I snapped the photo: doesn't it look just a bit precarious? And you'll see the handiwork of two little "gardeners" who took out the dirt from the basil pots and did some planting of their own on our deck. I suppose God gives us rain for a reason.

Linking in with Ginny and friends at the Yarn Along today!

Tiny Sewing Lesson

2011-10-03T22:26:00.003-04:00

This weekend Zosia decided she wanted a sewing lesson on my machine. We were having just the perfect weekend for this sort of thing: not too much structure, and yet everyone was busy with some little task, and so I took a break from the little project I was working on for the girls to give her a "sewing lesson." This consisted of roughly tracing her dollie, and then allowing Zosia to sew the straightaways. To give a bit of a disclaimer, Zosia is my very careful child: she is just 4, but a very cautious, risk-averse 4. Even so, after letting out a sigh of relief that she still had all of her digits, I heard the pitter patter of little feet and realized that Lily also wanted a sewing lesson on my machine.

This had to look different, and so Lily just looked on while I, very roughly, sewed a dress for her dollie, too. She seemed very happy with the arrangement.

How exciting to think that these little ones will be able to make things all on their own!

A Haircut

2011-10-03T09:57:00.003-04:00

I gave him his first haircut this weekend, this little three and a half month baby. I think he's quite pleased with the whole state of affairs. Life is pretty good for Hugo.