What is this?

This, Robbie, is snow!

Our snowman has (sadly) already melted . . . 

Christmas Fun and Winter Weather

Adam and I helped Emily and Michael build graham cracker houses yesterday evening. They did all the decorating with just a little candy snitching.

My friend sent me her recipe for royal icing that worked extremely well.

1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

3 large egg whites

Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Increase speed to high and beat 5 minutes.
(You can use your left over egg yolks to make my favorite Christmas treat, English Toffee Squares)

A light dusting of snow fell Sunday night, and Monday morning Emily made the most of it and fearlessly skated in her cowgirl boots on the icey back patio.

Birdie

During our Thanksgiving vacation in Mesquite, Nevada, Adam and I played 9 holes at the Casa Banca golf course. It was my first time playing on an actual golf course, which is hard to believe considering how much Adam LOVES golf. We had a lot of fun together, despite my inability to consistently connect the club and ball. We played a scramble, which means we each take a shot from the tee box, then we pick the best of the two shots to hit our second shot from, and so on. The ones we took of mine were overwhelmingly the final putt in to the hole from no more than a couple feet.

The funny thing was, we were in sunny Mesquite expecting blue sky, but that day it happened to be raining. I also hit a birdie on one of the last holes, which is good or bad depending on how you read it.

Sharing Fall Photos

Michael with Dad in our backyard

Robbie with Mom at Herrick's Farm 

Robbie in part of his teddy bear costume

Halloween costumes--used what we had around the house (mostly) and kids got to be just what they wanted. Mike's a cat wearing his favorite shirt, and Em's a my little pony unicorn.

FuzziBunz

My sister loaned me all of her cloth diaper supplies.  Along with some simple cloth diapers with covers, she also gave me a few deluxe covers called FuzziBunz, which are very nice but a little bulky!

I'm trying them out for one month to see how things go.  So far so good.  I actually wish I had started earlier.

Biggest dislike -- They take more time to change (for me anyway).
Biggest plus -- The soft, cloth material.
Biggest concern -- making sure they're washed really well.

Anything for a drink of water

We had some friends over for dinner Sunday evening, and while our kids were busy playing, the adults were busy chatting away. Somehow, we started talking about how our kids always need a drink of water before bed, and that the kids would be happy to use anything for a cup, be it a bathtub toy, the cup the toothbrushes sit in, or anything that will hold water. 

Well, after we had this conversation, I looked in the kitchen and saw Emily opening the fridge to get a drink of water. In her hand was a giant empty Quaker Oats container. She poured some water into it, then took a big drink before setting in on the counter. We couldn't stop laughing. Yup, anything for a drink of water. 

Absolutley, Definitely Yucky Dinner

Wednesday afternoon, Mike and Emily made me some of what they called "yucky dinner". 

Here's their recipe in a nutshell:  just mix a bunch of leaves, sticks, pine needles, and moss together in a flower pot, then serve. 

After cooking it on the stove, Emily called me away from my yard work for some of their grub. While I was "eating", she kept dishing up more and more yard debris into my pot until it was overflowing. I told her that it tasted yucky (seemed only appropriate), but she reminded me that it was not gross; it's supposed to be yummy.

~

One afternoon, Emily and I thought we heard Michael waking up from his nap, so I sent Emily to peek in on him.  She quickly ran back downstairs to tell me,  "Mom, Michael is absolutely, definitely not in his crib!" There was no doubting the shock in her voice. I was just as surprised, until I remembered that instead of putting him down for a nap in his crib, I had put him down in my room. He was absolutely, definitely still sound asleep.

They're back!

After raking up all those leaves, they are just slowly returning . . . 

So, despite all my efforts, I have leaves covering my lawn again plus some sore muscles. 

Ah well. 

Goodbye Leaves!

The leaves from our oak and maple trees are leaving the branches to cover our lawn. A friend and I filled 30 bags with them today. I enjoy raking leaves, and fortunately raking leaves outside is usually fun for kids, too. It's supposed to start raining tomorrow, and it may not stop for a few months, so today was the day to rake.

Ivan y Martina

I just love this picture of Marta dancing with Ivan. Ivan es de La Ciudad de Mexico. 

She is visiting him in his hometown for two weeks. 

He's a great guy; they're a vibrant couple; and he just happens to be a lawyer.

2008 Summer Garden Tour

One of the best things about the house we are renting is the garden. Our landlords have a garden spot that they've been composting for years and years, as well as grape vines, raspberry bushes, and strawberry plants. Adam and I share an appetite for gardening that was well satiated this year. We did some work, but mostly we just watched the garden day after day as it miraculously transformed itself from a big dirt box to a lush green garden.

 

Raspberries--kids loved eating these.

 

View of the grapes leaves and "baby" grapes. The grape vines are prolific and find their way across the fence and into the neighbors pine tree. 

We were delighted to find some celery plants growing in the garden.

Made some pickles from our cucumbers.

Another pleasant surprise--watermelon. Great look, little flavor.

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Adam always wants to have fresh herbs, so we planted basil and cilantro.

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We planted 5 or so tomato plants. 

Our twin pumpkins.

 

The Andersen family gave us four pumpkin plants. We put them in and they soon outgrew their garden corner and spread to cover the lawn. We harvested 6 pumpkins; we'll be carving them tonight.

Most of our tomato plants spontaneously came up throughout the garden. Adam transplanted t welcome volunteers to the spot on the left corner of this photo. Bush beans are pictured on the right corner of this photo.

 Picked plenty of beans that are now in the freezer.

The Kids' Garden

Emily and Michael scattered a lot of sunshine, seeds, and water  in this corner of the garden. Lots of stuff came up, mostly volunteers.

This beautiful plant (I'm not even sure what it's called) was from a seed that Emily planted during a sunbeam class : )

We'll be moving next summer, so we may not have a garden. We'll really miss it, but for now we're ready for the break this winter will provide. Until then, we still have green grapes to turn into slime juice, and a lot of green tomatoes that we need to can as soon as they decide to turn red.

Our little men

We love our two little boys. Our big boy would tell you that he loves monster trucks, race cars, cars, and my little ponies, which he adds after hearing Emily say the same. Our baby loves to laugh and smile with his family, chew on toys, move, and eat whatever we put into his mouth. He's still so little, but so much bigger than when he first joined our family. 

Like my Gramps would say, we ought to put a brick on their heads so they stop growing! Their sweetness dusts our lives when we look into their dancing eyes and endearing smiles, and when we steady their jumping feet and hug their little frames. 

We can look back and laugh at our little mishaps, like the time I put Robbie down for nap and returned down stairs to discover Michael spreading jam with a spoon on our living room armchair. It didn't take but a moment for him to get into mischief. We also look forward and marvel that someday, they will grow up to be men. Every day, they are getting bigger. Knowing that makes the present all the more precious.

"Love ... little boys every day. Little boys are so precious."

Agnes Rand in Where the Huckleberries Grow

Dora's Ranch

 Emily was so excited to head out on Friday for Dora's Ranch. Of course, we weren't really going to Dora's ranch, but that's what she though I said. We were going on a trail walk at Dorris Ranch, a 250-acre historical site with a pastoral feel that is especially appealing during the harvest season. Ever heard of filberts? First one to tell me another name for filberts wins! Dorris Ranch is known for its many filbert tree orchards.

On our trail walk the kids stopped frequently to gather filberts, pick up sticks, and drive the rusty old tractor. We followed a "self-guided tour", the details of which were shown on a pamphlet we picked up at the entrance. We hugged an incense cedar tree, checked out a massive maple tree, viewed the old barn and pump house, and enjoyed a view of the Willamette River.

Emily wanted to dress up like a cowgirl in her cowgirl boots and jean jacket for the occasion. Robbie just wanted to sit in his comfy pack and contently chew on the soft cushion until he fell asleep. Nothing like breathing in the fresh air of the great outdoors!

Pick Me a Blackberry

Blackberries grow everywhere here. You can find them on the side of the highway, in the fields, creeping through the backyard fence into the yard, everywhere!

When we travel to Nevada for Thanksgiving break, we want to share (and have had requests for) these Oregon-grown berries. With this in mind, Adam and I headed out for a walk Tuesday evening to fill a bucket. We picked about 10 cups, just enough to make 2 quarts of canned pie filling.We cooked up the pie filling, then poured the dark blackberry yumminess into quart jars and finished canning them just before midnight. All in a day's work!

If you want a book that will make your mouth water for berries, you ought to check out the children's book, Jamberry. It is such a delightful book to read. If you haven't read it, please check it out at the library and share with me what you think.

I love to ate, ate, ate

Apples and Pears

It's funny that kids will eat what they normally wouldn't when you make it fun. The other day, my neighbor brought over 16 lbs of pears. She and I split 32 lbs from the church farm in Medford, OR. I used to dislike pears, and haven't eaten one in years. I do like them canned, so I got them to can. I thought the pears weren't ripe and told the kids to not eat them. Instead, I let the kids carry a couple around in a little lunch paper sack. Mikey pulled one out and took a bite and we discovered that they were ripe, and they were really, really good! I've been missing out all these years!!

Today, the kids and I were peeling/coring/slicing apples with one of these apple peeler/corer/slicer tools for canned apple pie filling. Emily started to eat the long spiral strips of apple peel that are left over after peeling, etc., the apple. I was very surprised that she would eat the apple peel, but when it comes in spirals, who can resist?

By the way, the website canningusa.com is worth checking out for home canning recipes, how-to videos, instructions, and photos. Their motto is "If I Can, you Can!"

Preschool Post

Emily went to preschool today. Twice a week, she will go to the home of one of six mothers involved in our little coop. Each of us six moms will be in charge of teaching once every six weeks. Being the poor college students that we are, I applied to put Emily into the headstart program, and though she did get in, Adam and I decided not to go that route. For many reasons this coop was the better preschool option.

To help Mikey feel apart of the group, I let him decorate his very own carpet, just like Emily. I thought he might be sad to see her go, but after today, I don't think Mikey will miss Emily. He enjoyed playing with her toys that are usually off limits when she's around to say so. Right now, Mikey is circling the couch and every time he comes close to Emily's play area she says, "Don't play where I am playing!"

Dump Truck v. Flower Blossom

As Emily's father, Adam believes Emily has a great ability to argue and reason with opposing forces. To help her practice crafting better arguments, Adam and the kids decided to play "courtroom" together. Today's trial lasted nearly an hour. The children were riveted. 

"May it please the court, my name is Flower Blossom, and I represent myself." . . . 

"Vroom vroom, beep beep." Toy Van has to translate for Mr. Dump Truck, who only speaks the language of trucks.

Emily oversaw the 6 My Little Pony jury members. She said little, but commented on the nice necklace one horse was wearing, reminded her dad that the girl ponies needed to sound like girls, and scowled at the audience (me) for laughing and disrupting the trial. She also objected when Flower Blossom referred to her as a "little girl" and not a "big girl". 

The case Summary: Mr. Dump Truck (Mikey) sued Flower Blossom (Adam) who allegedly was not talking nicely to Dump Truck when he delivered potatoes to Flower Blossom. Flower Blossom allegedly said the potatoes looked like rotten eggs.

The jury initially ruled in favor of Mr. Dump Truck, but then changed their mind, ruling  in favor of Flower Blossom. Michael, in response, threw his Dump Truck to the ground and quickly popped his pacifier into his mouth.

Hiking tikes

My friend and I went hiking this morning with our children. We had a wonderful time.

We were quite the group--two moms, three kids, two babies in slings. It was unlike any hiking I've done. I like to move up the trail fast; the children like to pause, pick up acorns, look for blackberries, point out the trees, or just sit. I'm looking up while they're mostly looking down and all around.

Look at those dirty fingers! Just be glad they aren't in your mouth.

A friend recently made this sling and let me borrow it to break it in. Robbie likes to sit in it cross legged like a little Buddha.

Emily and Mike--two little tikes that like to hike.