August 19, 2011
May 05, 2011
125/365
first light
June 25, 2010
are you ready for the weekend?
well, i am! by the time you read this i will be on my way to west virginia. by. my. self!
one of my very best buds in this world, emily, is getting married, and i am taking the whole weekend to myself to travel there, hang out with all of my very favorite people, and cheer emily on. it's gonna be great! i am so, so excited!
but, as excited as i am, i'm also a little nervous. this'll be the first time in 7 years that i have been away from my little ones for more than a day... and this will be three whole days!
i think it'll be great for me, and i'm so happy to be spending time with my friends. but i know i'll be missing the kiddos like crazy, and probably will be crying before i hit the state line.
stig will be home with them for the weekend, and i know they will all be fine. they'll have fun. stig will probably let them watch tv all day, which they will love. they'll leave toys, dirty clothes, and dishes all over the house, and will have wrestling matches on the bed (which drives me crazy! -- they'll fall off!). but he'll read them bedtime stories and tuck them in, and maybe make pancakes in the morning (their favorite!) and give them tons of maple syrup.
and i'll be fine. i'll have fun, and maybe even have an uninterrupted conversation! i won't know what to do with myself without someone to keep track of, or someone to make food for, or someone who needs some mama-ing.
but i do need a reminder (that last longer than a few hours) that i am more than a mama. for so long that's been my main gig, and it's one that i do pretty well and enjoy immensely. it's familiar and comforting, and it's my most favorite thing to be. but i think i will be doing myself good to get out of my comfort zone a little more, and reconnect with the rest of me.
so, i'm off! i'll be back in a few days with an update and some pictures, and lots of fun memories.
and in the meantime, i've got one of griffin's hot wheels in my purse, and one of adella's tiny animals in my pocket.
xo
p.s. the photos are some garden pics that i took this week. everything is so pretty now... there are more pics over on flickr!
one of my very best buds in this world, emily, is getting married, and i am taking the whole weekend to myself to travel there, hang out with all of my very favorite people, and cheer emily on. it's gonna be great! i am so, so excited!
but, as excited as i am, i'm also a little nervous. this'll be the first time in 7 years that i have been away from my little ones for more than a day... and this will be three whole days!
i think it'll be great for me, and i'm so happy to be spending time with my friends. but i know i'll be missing the kiddos like crazy, and probably will be crying before i hit the state line.
stig will be home with them for the weekend, and i know they will all be fine. they'll have fun. stig will probably let them watch tv all day, which they will love. they'll leave toys, dirty clothes, and dishes all over the house, and will have wrestling matches on the bed (which drives me crazy! -- they'll fall off!). but he'll read them bedtime stories and tuck them in, and maybe make pancakes in the morning (their favorite!) and give them tons of maple syrup.
and i'll be fine. i'll have fun, and maybe even have an uninterrupted conversation! i won't know what to do with myself without someone to keep track of, or someone to make food for, or someone who needs some mama-ing.
but i do need a reminder (that last longer than a few hours) that i am more than a mama. for so long that's been my main gig, and it's one that i do pretty well and enjoy immensely. it's familiar and comforting, and it's my most favorite thing to be. but i think i will be doing myself good to get out of my comfort zone a little more, and reconnect with the rest of me.
so, i'm off! i'll be back in a few days with an update and some pictures, and lots of fun memories.
and in the meantime, i've got one of griffin's hot wheels in my purse, and one of adella's tiny animals in my pocket.
xo
p.s. the photos are some garden pics that i took this week. everything is so pretty now... there are more pics over on flickr!
June 24, 2010
checking in...
hi there! i've been drowning in this pool of photos from our trip to atlanta last weekend, and i have finally sorted through them (there were over 650!) and uploaded a bunch onto flickr.
i highly recommend that you click here to view the slideshow!
we had a super-fun time. mostly, it was great seeing papa and pippi (it had been waaay too long since we saw them last!). we also had a bunch of fun things to see and do: the amazing georgia aquarium, the atlanta zoo, the parks and playgrounds, seeing the downtown sights, and some quality pool time too.
it was wonderful to get out of town, and what better way to kick off summer vacation?!
this week has been a nice quiet week of being home together: library outings, garden tending, crafting, reading, cooking, drawing and building, science experiments, swimming, and more. griffin and adella (though they are driving each other batty at the moment) are SO happy to play and be together all day. they are so sweet. despite the usual sibling squabbles, they are keeping each other very busy... they're outside in the yard (usually in pj's still) as soon as the sun comes up, and have been happily playing and hanging out together. i love watching the games they make up and the way they cheer each other on!
i've got more to post, soon. right now i've got to get these kiddos ready for a trip to the nature center!
happy thursday :)
June 03, 2010
as the saying goes...
when life hands you lemons,
make lemonade!
we were handed a pretty big lemon today, when we took the car (the camry) in to have a clinkery sound checked out and learned that the clinkery sound (which had turned into a big clackety by the time we got downtown) means that our car need a new motor.
then on the way home, it stopped. dead. and not the fix-it-with-a-jumper-cable sort of dead.
we're not talking about a few hundred dollars repair, not even a few thousand dollars repair. we had it towed back to our house so we can decide what to do with it.
as big a blow as this initially (and suddenly!) was, i'm actually feeling a little optimistic about it all. i know, i'm even surprising myself! it might be all part of my big master plan. i'll fill you in later.
anyway, we spent most of the day at home. when adella got home from school, she suggested we make lemonade. i'd never heard a more perfect idea!
the kids did all the work, together.
and we all enjoyed it.
lemonade IS the perfect remedy for a lemon of a day!
p.s. i used our standard recipe: 4 lemons, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar
p.s. want more nostalgia? click right here -- i'm sorry but i just can't help myself from taking these trips down memory lane...
(hey! i just wanted to clarify, in case it sounded like i was saying that our car was a 'lemon'... it was not. we'd had the toyota for about 5 years or so -- it was a great car! we've had only very minor repairs the entire time we owned it. it was older, but not ancient, and i'm not sure why the motor went bad. it just did. it is an unfortunate situation, but not a lemon of a car!)
make lemonade!
we were handed a pretty big lemon today, when we took the car (the camry) in to have a clinkery sound checked out and learned that the clinkery sound (which had turned into a big clackety by the time we got downtown) means that our car need a new motor.
then on the way home, it stopped. dead. and not the fix-it-with-a-jumper-cable sort of dead.
we're not talking about a few hundred dollars repair, not even a few thousand dollars repair. we had it towed back to our house so we can decide what to do with it.
as big a blow as this initially (and suddenly!) was, i'm actually feeling a little optimistic about it all. i know, i'm even surprising myself! it might be all part of my big master plan. i'll fill you in later.
anyway, we spent most of the day at home. when adella got home from school, she suggested we make lemonade. i'd never heard a more perfect idea!
the kids did all the work, together.
and we all enjoyed it.
lemonade IS the perfect remedy for a lemon of a day!
p.s. i used our standard recipe: 4 lemons, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar
p.s. want more nostalgia? click right here -- i'm sorry but i just can't help myself from taking these trips down memory lane...
(hey! i just wanted to clarify, in case it sounded like i was saying that our car was a 'lemon'... it was not. we'd had the toyota for about 5 years or so -- it was a great car! we've had only very minor repairs the entire time we owned it. it was older, but not ancient, and i'm not sure why the motor went bad. it just did. it is an unfortunate situation, but not a lemon of a car!)
May 31, 2010
she's a comfy cozy cat
so sweet and cozy.
(and here's a glimpse of the playroom corner too.)
i think she's got the best spot in the house. especially on this rainy, rainy day.
(and here's a glimpse of the playroom corner too.)
i think she's got the best spot in the house. especially on this rainy, rainy day.
May 21, 2010
today it rained all day
so the kids snuggled up to watch a movie,
while i annoyed them with my camera.
i'm glad i didn't miss this moment though.
May 19, 2010
rice table/water table
(or, maybe the best $4 i ever spent)
several years ago i bought this cheap plastic under-the-bed storage box, threw in some plastic dinosaurs and a couple of big bags of white rice, and hoped adella would be into it.
she was. here's the link! my goodness it seems like so long ago...
later, once griffin came along, he loved it too. and it's easy to pull out, play with, and then put away. usually there's a little clean-up involved, but the kids are pretty good about not making a huge rice mess.
a few weeks ago i was itching to buy the kids a sand/water table (um, they're way more pricey than you might think) to play with outside on the porch, and i remembered the box.
it just took a few minutes to dump the rice into a big garbage bag, find a few new-ish tools and toys to play with, and fill the box with water.
and look! they love it. i mean, really love it.
every day that it's nice and sunny, they spend hours on the porch splashing around in it. of course it usually ends up drenching them, but that's to be expected -- and it's part of the fun!
griffin approves my endorsement of the plastic box filled with water.
total side note: i just got stuck sitting here, looking through LOTS of old blog posts, and watching all of the short videos (in the 'home videos' category). WOW. SO MUCH PRICELESS STUFF THERE! (in all caps - yes - for real) i'm so glad that i have them to look back on.
xo
several years ago i bought this cheap plastic under-the-bed storage box, threw in some plastic dinosaurs and a couple of big bags of white rice, and hoped adella would be into it.
she was. here's the link! my goodness it seems like so long ago...
later, once griffin came along, he loved it too. and it's easy to pull out, play with, and then put away. usually there's a little clean-up involved, but the kids are pretty good about not making a huge rice mess.
a few weeks ago i was itching to buy the kids a sand/water table (um, they're way more pricey than you might think) to play with outside on the porch, and i remembered the box.
it just took a few minutes to dump the rice into a big garbage bag, find a few new-ish tools and toys to play with, and fill the box with water.
and look! they love it. i mean, really love it.
every day that it's nice and sunny, they spend hours on the porch splashing around in it. of course it usually ends up drenching them, but that's to be expected -- and it's part of the fun!
griffin approves my endorsement of the plastic box filled with water.
total side note: i just got stuck sitting here, looking through LOTS of old blog posts, and watching all of the short videos (in the 'home videos' category). WOW. SO MUCH PRICELESS STUFF THERE! (in all caps - yes - for real) i'm so glad that i have them to look back on.
xo
April 20, 2010
we ::heart:: spring
we've been happily busy this past week, enjoying the beautiful spring weather. and i've just uploaded oodles of photos to flickr, so please hop on over and check them out.
click right here to see a slideshow -- it's fun!
(i think the pictures do a better job of summing up our days than i could, anyway!)
xo
March 22, 2010
some cooking with the kids
the kids have been helping me make meals more lately. for a while it was so hard, because griffin was all over the place, helping one minute and touching everything with his gooey hands the next minute, and it was very difficult to give adella the attention and direction she needed in the kitchen. plus, it might have been dinner time, and everyone was tired and cranky. many times, i hate to say, it ended on a sour note.
but lately, we've found a nice little groove and it's been working. i've found some nice, easy, non-exact dishes that the kids can do (mostly) by themselves. this is good because it keeps me from hovering too much, and it gives them the freedom they need to experiment and have fun, but still turn out an edible creation. and they love it! they are so proud.
we've been doing a weekly family movie & pizza night for while now. last week i planned ahead and got everything together ahead of time, so that we could all make our own little pizzas.
and our recent favorite kitchen creation -- pasta!
i had no idea how easy it was to make simple, fresh pasta. it turns out -- it's really easy, and really good! a little flour, egg, oil, and salt (for the basic version) and just a little time, makes a big bowl full of yummy hearty pasta.
the second time around i pureed spinach and added it to the dough (and omitted the oil) -- it came out beautifully!
the kids really like turning the crank on the pasta machine (which i've had for a LONG time, but had only used for polymer clay until now. of course i cleaned it well.) and adella enjoyed cutting the noodles.
it would be fun to find some tiny cookie cutters and make little pasta shapes too!
here's the basic recipe i used, in case you want to try it:
2 cups flour
2 XL eggs or 3 large
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
whizz it in the food processor, then turn it out onto a floured board and knead it a little. cover and let rest for about 15 minutes. then, roll it super flat using the pasta machine (or a rolling pin if you're really good) then cut it into strips, boil for a few minutes, and eat!
