30 June, 2011
This Moment
A delicious moment from our week, not to be forgotten. Thank goodness it's summer! Have a great fourth of July weekend, everyone!
25 June, 2011
When in doubt, make jam
I also recently posted about the almost 40 pounds of strawberries my family managed to pick last week on a trip to Indiana.
Today was one of those days I won't forget easily; one of those days where all in one fell swoop I solved at minimum three "problems" facing me in one afternoon.
- Problem 1: Chris was out running errands all day, and I got up at 5am to run with my CARA group. This meant that I was tired, cranky, alone with the kids, and without any concrete entertainment plans.
- Problem 2: The biomass of the strawberries in my freezer was literally weighing on my mind. Must. Make. Something. I already canned 14 jars of strawberry jam, but, eh, there were 6 gallon-sized freezer bags left.
- Problem 3: Another birthday party tomorrow.
I'm including a link to the recipe here, in case you find yourselves with a surplus of strawberries and rhubarb. It was good. Very good. Bela was in charge of the portion of the jamming that required sharp objects: chopping the rhubarb into pieces and mincing it later in the food processor. Mae was my master strawberry smoosher and sugar shaker.
We quickly churned out 5 half-pints of strawberry-rhubarb freezer jam, and that's when I got inspired.
I ran out and bought a cute child's apron (didn't feel like sewing); I printed out a recipe for Bela's favorite Thumbprint Cookies (you know, the kind you dent with your thumb and fill with JAM?) and glued it to girly paper, and I carefully wrapped up a jar of Strawberry Jam and a jar of Strawberry Rhubarb to use in the making of the cookies. Genius? Maybe. Totally dorky and worthy of some 6-year-old eye-rolling? More likely.
But I can hold my head up high about this one. I even threw in a copy of the freezer jam recipe for the birthday girl's parents.
Happy Birthday indeed.
PS - We threw the thawed strawberry leftovers into the blender and made homemade popsicles with them. It was like killing 4 proverbial birds with one awesome stone.
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| From: Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen |
24 June, 2011
This Moment
A moment from our recent weeks, a delicious and kind of preposterous one that we don't want to forget. Have a great weekend.
23 June, 2011
Father's Day Diorama
Let's get the baby business out of the way here. Yes! We're pregnant! Yes! It was planned! (This has been, by far, the most commonly asked question as soon as people find out we are having our (gasp) third child.) We are expecting our third little blondie to make his or her appearance around Christmas.
Well, it feels like it has been so long since I've spent any time here in this space, and that makes me sad. I use Cicada to sort stuff out, record it, make sense of it, let it go. It's one of my most favorite selfish hobbies, but the truth is that I am just plum tuckered out. Bela and Mae's bedtime has traditionally been my most productive time of day, when I start typing, when I start knitting. Lately, however, baby Strong #3 has been sending me to bed soon after the girls are asleep. Have I ever been so tired in my life?
But life marches on, and we have been busy. There is so much I'd like to record in these pages so we never forget: Berries were picked and jam was made; the tooth fairy visited our home for the first time in 30 years; our green Honda disappeared into the hands of a thief; I spent three hours wheeling and dealing at the Mazda dealership and drove out with a replacement; and Chris and I spent a fantastic weekend in South Carolina full of family and food, fishing and fun.
Because we were away from the girls on Father's day, we did not get a chance to honor the Dad in our family in the way that he deserved. In fact, on Father's Day I caught a plane from South Carolina to Chicago while Chris drove on to Tennessee and Virginia for a photo shoot that lasted several days. This time away did, however, prove to be useful.
The girls and I had been working on a special project for Chris for weeks, but we had not finished. We would mention slyly to him every once in awhile that something was in the works, but they were sworn to secrecy and they did not let me down. My ultimate goal in this endeavor was simple: tears. I wanted him to like his present so much that he cried.
And here it is, without further ado, our first annual Father's Day Diorama:
(please excuse the poor quality photos. Believe it or not we found ourselves at home tonight with only the cameras on our phones)
When we have an opportunity we will photograph it in all its glory, with battery powered stars in the pre-dawn sky (yes, all those wires have a purpose).
We all giggled with excitement and I actually found myself clapping uncontrollably and jumping up and down. As he took in the details his back was to me, but when he turned around I had confirmation that all our work had been worth it. Real live tears, from a man who never cries. Who knew it only took some paint, some glue, some moss, and a whole lotta love. We love you Chris Strong! Happy Father's Day!
Well, it feels like it has been so long since I've spent any time here in this space, and that makes me sad. I use Cicada to sort stuff out, record it, make sense of it, let it go. It's one of my most favorite selfish hobbies, but the truth is that I am just plum tuckered out. Bela and Mae's bedtime has traditionally been my most productive time of day, when I start typing, when I start knitting. Lately, however, baby Strong #3 has been sending me to bed soon after the girls are asleep. Have I ever been so tired in my life?
But life marches on, and we have been busy. There is so much I'd like to record in these pages so we never forget: Berries were picked and jam was made; the tooth fairy visited our home for the first time in 30 years; our green Honda disappeared into the hands of a thief; I spent three hours wheeling and dealing at the Mazda dealership and drove out with a replacement; and Chris and I spent a fantastic weekend in South Carolina full of family and food, fishing and fun.
Because we were away from the girls on Father's day, we did not get a chance to honor the Dad in our family in the way that he deserved. In fact, on Father's Day I caught a plane from South Carolina to Chicago while Chris drove on to Tennessee and Virginia for a photo shoot that lasted several days. This time away did, however, prove to be useful.
The girls and I had been working on a special project for Chris for weeks, but we had not finished. We would mention slyly to him every once in awhile that something was in the works, but they were sworn to secrecy and they did not let me down. My ultimate goal in this endeavor was simple: tears. I wanted him to like his present so much that he cried.
And here it is, without further ado, our first annual Father's Day Diorama:
(please excuse the poor quality photos. Believe it or not we found ourselves at home tonight with only the cameras on our phones)
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| We carried this box into the kitchen and he was visibly puzzled. Front view. |
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| The back view with the battery box only caused more confusion. |
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| And here he is at his finest: Chris the fisherman, with his trusty blue and white hat and the orange bucket he takes on all excursions fish related. |
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| A close up: Doll's body is felted wool. I machine sewed a pair of jeans for little Chris and glued on his hat, stripe by stripe. The girls drew his face and then we attached his fishing pole. The orange bucket is an old spool of thread wrapped in felt with a wire handle. The foreground lake is coiled, knitted i-cord. |
We all giggled with excitement and I actually found myself clapping uncontrollably and jumping up and down. As he took in the details his back was to me, but when he turned around I had confirmation that all our work had been worth it. Real live tears, from a man who never cries. Who knew it only took some paint, some glue, some moss, and a whole lotta love. We love you Chris Strong! Happy Father's Day!
16 June, 2011
This Moment
A moment from our week we'll never forget but wanted to share. Have a great weekend, everyone!
10 June, 2011
A brief history...
... of Mae Abigail Strong, in honor of her 4th birthday.
Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl. We love you so much!
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| June 9, 2007 - Mae's first day |
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| Mae's first bath |
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| 3 months |
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| 4 months |
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| Mae's first camping trip - 16months |
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| 17 months |
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| Black Hills, S.D. 18 months |
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| Oregon Coast, March 2009 21 months |
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| Mae at almost 2; Spring 2009 |
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| Mae - Summer 2009 |
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| Mae, July 2009 |
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| Mae, 2, at the crystal mines. Arkansas. |
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| Mae at Wandawega, almost 3 |
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| Mae, Fall 2010; Wisconsin Sheep and Wool festival |
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| Mae, 3, Garwood Orchards, Indiana |
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| Mae, 3 1/2 ; Black river falls, Wi |
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| Mae, Winter/Spring 2011 |
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| Mae, Spring 2011, at home |
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| Mae, at home, almost 4. |
09 June, 2011
The Birthday Season
We seem to have entered the birthday season around here. We've been to several parties of late and have several more penciled in on our calendar, the most important of which is little Mae Mae's party. Today is her 4th birthday, and this weekend we'll celebrate with some family in Urbana.
With birthday season comes birthday present dilemma. What's a parent in the 21st Century to do? All of this gift buying is causing me a case of mild anxiety. Add your run-of-the-mill birthday present buying guidelines to the fact that these are parties for Waldorf School kids, and what you have here is a pure dilemma, under whose pressure I buckle like a baby every time. After dozens of trips to the toy store over the course of the last 6 years, I have come up with a list of unspoken but generally agreed upon rules:
1) The present must be pleasing to both the giver (Bela), the receiver (the list seems to be never-ending), and the other party attendees. The more oooohs and aaaaaahs from the mouths of the little girls and boys, the higher the value of the present in Bela's eyes.
2) Additionally, the present must be pleasing to the parents of the receiver.
3) It must be responsibly made and constructed with quality, non hazardous materials - preferably in the United States.
4) It must not contain too many small pieces.
5) It must make life easier and not harder on the parents of the birthday girl or boy.
6). It must be age appropriate and suitable for open ended play,
7) not require batteries,
8) and stimulate intellectually without seeming too overtly educational.
9) It must not perpetuate stereotypes (no pink princessy stuff for girls, no guns or random army paraphernalia for boys)
10) And it must be original, creative, and unique. I.e, they don't already have it, no one else is giving it, and it is preferably (in my opinion) homemade.
So, you can see my dilemma. When I walk into our local toy store with Bela, she immediately violates all rules with the exception of rule number 1. She'll pick out a perfectly cute princess make-up set that both she and the birthday girl would probably love, and then I step in with ant farm and she rolls her eyes. When she finally agrees on the ant farm, I notice it is made in China and you have to send out for the ants. (Violation of rules 1, 2, 3, and 5).
Birthday parties - For Bela they are celebratory occasions of pure joy. For me, a killer headache. It shouldn't be this hard, I should send her in the store with $20 and let her pick whatever she wants. The fact that I don't highlights the absence of rule number 11: The present must make ME look good, too.
So it shouldn't have surprised me when I found myself in the middle of a dilemma while purchasing a present for my very own baby girl.
Asking Mae what she wanted didn't help. She described an elaborate present that sounded a lot like our backyard: I want a small patch of grass with some flowers and vegetables growing and a table for a picnic. I want a picnic basket and some food and a blanket, and some birdies and some stairs leading up to our house. We were seriously getting nowhere.
On a trip to Target to buy a very high tech fan to make our 95 degree apartment more bearable, she fell in love with a present that violated rules 1-11.
When she saw this $25 pink piece of plastic she fell in love. She stared at it, she smiled, she pushed its button and listened to it say asinine things like "I can fly; I'm so pretty; Don't you love me?" * She pleaded and she begged and she shook with excitement. Like all parents it warms my heart to make her happy, and so after some foot shuffling and some uncomfortable silence, I said that maybe, possibly, she would get this some day for her birthday.
That night she told Chris all about it. She also told him she would be getting it this year for her birthday and that she was so excited oh thank you Mom, thank you Mom, thank you Mom.
Yesterday, I went back to Target. I stood in the toy store aisle for seemingly forever, I picked it up. I put it down. I went so far as to carry the box to the cashier, but as she scanned my gum and my sunscreen and my beach bag, I couldn't let go of Princess Celestia. I couldn't do it. I couldn't spend $25 on a box of pink junk that lit up and talked and moved its wings. I told the woman I changed my mind, and last night after dinner, over ice cream, I told Mae I didn't think it was a good present. I tried to explain the present rules, I told her it would break. I told her it would constantly run out of batteries. I told her that in the long run she would get little satisfaction out of the thing. And I held my breath.
She smiled and said, O.K,, Mom. And this morning as she opened her Harp from Grandpa and Nancy, her sticker books and hair accessories from Grandma Lou and Paunkie, and her stack of coloring books from Mom and Dad, she squealed with delight.
* Princess Celestia does not actually say these things. Her statements were harmless dribble, but this is how I remember it.
With birthday season comes birthday present dilemma. What's a parent in the 21st Century to do? All of this gift buying is causing me a case of mild anxiety. Add your run-of-the-mill birthday present buying guidelines to the fact that these are parties for Waldorf School kids, and what you have here is a pure dilemma, under whose pressure I buckle like a baby every time. After dozens of trips to the toy store over the course of the last 6 years, I have come up with a list of unspoken but generally agreed upon rules:
1) The present must be pleasing to both the giver (Bela), the receiver (the list seems to be never-ending), and the other party attendees. The more oooohs and aaaaaahs from the mouths of the little girls and boys, the higher the value of the present in Bela's eyes.
2) Additionally, the present must be pleasing to the parents of the receiver.
3) It must be responsibly made and constructed with quality, non hazardous materials - preferably in the United States.
4) It must not contain too many small pieces.
5) It must make life easier and not harder on the parents of the birthday girl or boy.
6). It must be age appropriate and suitable for open ended play,
7) not require batteries,
8) and stimulate intellectually without seeming too overtly educational.
9) It must not perpetuate stereotypes (no pink princessy stuff for girls, no guns or random army paraphernalia for boys)
10) And it must be original, creative, and unique. I.e, they don't already have it, no one else is giving it, and it is preferably (in my opinion) homemade.
So, you can see my dilemma. When I walk into our local toy store with Bela, she immediately violates all rules with the exception of rule number 1. She'll pick out a perfectly cute princess make-up set that both she and the birthday girl would probably love, and then I step in with ant farm and she rolls her eyes. When she finally agrees on the ant farm, I notice it is made in China and you have to send out for the ants. (Violation of rules 1, 2, 3, and 5).
Birthday parties - For Bela they are celebratory occasions of pure joy. For me, a killer headache. It shouldn't be this hard, I should send her in the store with $20 and let her pick whatever she wants. The fact that I don't highlights the absence of rule number 11: The present must make ME look good, too.
So it shouldn't have surprised me when I found myself in the middle of a dilemma while purchasing a present for my very own baby girl.
Asking Mae what she wanted didn't help. She described an elaborate present that sounded a lot like our backyard: I want a small patch of grass with some flowers and vegetables growing and a table for a picnic. I want a picnic basket and some food and a blanket, and some birdies and some stairs leading up to our house. We were seriously getting nowhere.
On a trip to Target to buy a very high tech fan to make our 95 degree apartment more bearable, she fell in love with a present that violated rules 1-11.
That night she told Chris all about it. She also told him she would be getting it this year for her birthday and that she was so excited oh thank you Mom, thank you Mom, thank you Mom.
Yesterday, I went back to Target. I stood in the toy store aisle for seemingly forever, I picked it up. I put it down. I went so far as to carry the box to the cashier, but as she scanned my gum and my sunscreen and my beach bag, I couldn't let go of Princess Celestia. I couldn't do it. I couldn't spend $25 on a box of pink junk that lit up and talked and moved its wings. I told the woman I changed my mind, and last night after dinner, over ice cream, I told Mae I didn't think it was a good present. I tried to explain the present rules, I told her it would break. I told her it would constantly run out of batteries. I told her that in the long run she would get little satisfaction out of the thing. And I held my breath.
She smiled and said, O.K,, Mom. And this morning as she opened her Harp from Grandpa and Nancy, her sticker books and hair accessories from Grandma Lou and Paunkie, and her stack of coloring books from Mom and Dad, she squealed with delight.
* Princess Celestia does not actually say these things. Her statements were harmless dribble, but this is how I remember it.
03 June, 2011
This Moment
It's Friday and time for this moment. A captured moment from our week, ordinary but not. Don't want to forget these ones. Have a great weekend, everyone!
01 June, 2011
Graduation
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| Bela and her Snow Princess |
I was informed early in the day that I would not be allowed to record this show for Chris, who could not make it this afternoon. Although I understand that we, as parents, tend to spend more time video taping and photographing our cherished family moments and life experiences than we spend being present in them (hey, isn't that what Chris gets PAID to do?) I was initially agitated. Why schedule this for the middle of a workday?
My irritation waned as the show started and Mae was situated on my lap. I hid my emotional face in Mae's braids and sat back and enjoyed the show. What a collection of knobby kneed, toothless little wonders they were, and the creativity that shone through in their original puppets was so darn touching. Each child designed their puppet and created a personality for them as well, and the story unfolded from there. There were cowboys and wizards, queens and princesses. And, well, yes. That was it. I suppose in the world of a six year old, is anything else really necessary?
The show was followed by a little picnic in the school yard. The only thing keeping me from sobbing into my cup of homemade lemonade was the comfort of the knowledge that even though Bela is moving on from her beloved school, we as a family are not. As long as we can keep scraping up the tuition, Mae will have her chance to make a wizard or a princess or whatever tickles her fancy when her time comes as well..
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