8 is Great!

To the boy who is always two steps ahead of me…you’re 8 now! You were born one month after 9-11. You came at a time when the world changed in an instant. You were hope in the midst of confusion. New life starkly born into a dying and fallen world. It was always fallen, but I never noticed it like I did in 2001. It was a difficult year on many fronts, but you brought hope and joy to our family. How eight years have come and gone so quickly, I can’t understand. It’s the cliched saying of a mother or father, but it’s cliche because it’s true…where does the time go?

You’re quick at everything you do, Gabe. God has given you a good mind. You are our budding linguist…our first to talk (at 15 months) and now able to do verbal gymnastics better than most kids I know. You are genuinely witty and, as Dad notices frequently, good at thinking outside the box. And speaking of boxes, you like to salvage any that you can for future projects. In fact, you like to salvage many things…like chicken bones. We all still marvel that you thought saving them under your bed for your imaginary dog was a good idea. Last week you wanted to tape a pancake to your bed because Luke made breakfast in the shape of everyone’s initials. You have a perpetual sweet spot for babies and are excited to have another brother whom you may get to room with.

You love 2nd grade and are reading up a storm. You look up to your big brothers as if no one else matters though you all can fight pretty well too. I marvel how you and Ty can play all day on any given theme: from cowboys to soldiers to horses to star wars. Amelia cried the first day you moved out of the Sunday School you were in together. She holds pretty tight to you too. You are our middle child in so many ways, but as I see our family grow, I see the middle is the glue that binds them all together. You are reflected strongly in each of your siblings and of course in our lives.

I pray in the coming year that you will feel the great extent you are loved. That you will grow in wisdom and stature with God and men. May you humbly learn to look to Him! Happy Birthday dear Gabe!

The birthday snack idea came from Gourmet Mom on the Go.  If you give it a try, make sure to follow her directions and use paste rather than liquid food coloring.  I didn’t and had a gloppy mess, so we reverted to white crayons which worked out just as well though not quite as authentic.

Putting Up

From our garden boxes, originally uploaded by kedsrus.

The one thing I asked for both Mother’s day and my birthday this year was garden boxes. My husband did put in two 8×2 raised boxes, and much like they say about tatoos, I think I’d like some more.

It was a great learning year and I made notes for next summer, but I want to be able to “put up” (to borrow a term from previous generations) more than what these little boxes afforded us. They graciously fed us green beans and cherry tomatoes all summer. We’ve had red cabbage slaw and hot peppers in soup and salsa. But I would like to do a whole lot more beans as well as dedicate a whole box to vertical plants so I can put those Ball canning jars my Aunt Cynthia gave me to use.

Either way, this was one afternoon’s yield. The kids loved giving me progress reports and would pick what they found–ready or not at times. We had 3 little pumpkins. Two rotted on the vine as it got a blight, but this one made it’s way into muffins.

It was the summer of jam around here this year: strawberry, black raspberry, currant, concord grape–all sitting on our shelves waiting for winter. We were gifted much and also did our share of picking. The kids were eager helpers in picking…mostly because of the all-you-can-eat fruit factor, I’m sure.

And that brings us to the fall…routines, rhythms, and reason all in full swing. I’m looking forward to enjoying the fruits of this labor during the bleak months when I may need a reason to put a smile on my face. The memories we made ought to help do the trick.

Noticing Things

I’ve been trying to slow down a little and capture the remarkable things simply waiting to be noticed.

Like this cute little thief among the tomatoes

Or my mom’s dear hands tending what she picked from my Grandpa’s vines

The amazing process of change

How glorious a flower can be

Two sweet faces that look very similar when I pause to see it

The kitchen crew when we camped over Labor Day

The stew that brought some stress to the weekend, but was enjoyed by us all.

So long, old man winter

This could very well be my last pot of chicken noodle soup of the winter.  We’ve had a week of weather which tells my internal clock that old man winter isn’t long for this world.  The light is coming earlier and staying later.  The rivers are swollen and the ground is squishy beneath our feet.  We took a hike last night and the wind was warm.  Aaaah!

We nearly did a little dance at the thought of full-on spring.  Though winters can be brutal, they make rebirth all the more sweet.

Welcome color.  Welcome cheer.  You are more than welcome here!

I splurged on some lovely note cards and a scrap bag from Anna Maria Horner this week.  Her aesthetic is growing more beautiful to me with time.  I was debating between her new book or another for my birthday wish (not till June).  I think I’m going with her’s.  Maybe it’s the fact that she’s having her sixth child that also makes me feel akin.

Kinda like an old cellar

I’ve always thought the space under our basement stairs would be perfect for a second pantry. Like my Grandma’s fruit cellar, I could store canned goods in plenty as well as hide the lunch stash from after-school noshers, and keep extra water, paper and bulk products easily at hand.  It’s been a notion that wouldn’t go away, and my dear dad made it a reality this week.

Here’s dad hard at work.

Here’s kids hard at play. My kids love this classic book, and their favorite page is the last one where a similar sort of “bed” is shown. They had plans to sleep there that night, but my paper towels and ketchup bottles were calling.

Here’s the almost finished product.
It still needs some paint and a door, but the usable space is 100% improved from what it was.   The bottom 2 shelves will hold nine 5 gallon buckets each. I’m planning to get several empty buckets from our local deli and then fill them with pastas, flours and rice via a bulk order from the Health Food Coop in which I participate.

And not a moment too soon because the appetites on these boys are on the rise..and how!

Catching up

Since I seem to be playing catch up around here, I thought I might as well keep in that vein and post something about each of the kids.

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of volunteering in Gabe’s class. They had a thanksgiving feast and then I stayed to watch gym class and music. It was so much fun to be there with him. I need to do this more often–for all of the kids. It was worth the effort to get there. And thankfully he was excited to have me. I always worry they’ll be like “mom! why are you here!” But he wasn’t at all, so that was good he was happy to see me.

Amelia got her haircut and her father was the stylist. Kevin was helping her comb through her knots and said enough is enough. Her fine hair gets so easily tangled. Ten minutes later she had a cute “dump cut” ala dad.

I liked hers’ so much, I decided to cut mine too–yes, myself. I thought, well Kevin can just fix it. Turns out it was a bit too challenging for him, and I went to a stylist instead. She gave me exactly what I was looking for. Whew!

Luke loves to fish and went over the summer with my dad and mom on the lake. Here he is helping prepare them (from the freezer) for dinner. Kinda neat to know that he caught our dinner. Kinda sad that his mother’s recipe made them taste like cardboard. We ate them anyways and look forward to more in the future. Gotta get a better recipe before then.

He is wearing his sports goggles because he has lost 2 pairs of glasses in 8 months. Uuugh!

Here’s Britta’s hilariously toothy grin which she flashes every time she’s up to something. Here she found a Dum Dum sucker on the ground and was having the time of her life. We got some video too, but those teeth speak volumes about how much she enjoyed it.

Happy Jack is consistently the last one at the dinner table. Often he goes straight to bed from the dinner table because 1. he has sat there so long it’s bedtime, or 2. that is the consequence for his’ not eating. At least he still has a smile on his face in between bites.

I realize this picture looks very scary, it’s just the way Ty tilted his head in at the last minute that made it so. Rest assured he was perfectly safe and supervised as he whittled away on a bar of soap in efforts to earn his Whittlin Chip for Cub Scouts. It’s a great (smelling) way for beginners to practice.

Well I think that’s all for now. Hopefully I can post a bit more regularly throughout this month.

Gratitude is an attitude

I know I’m a little slow on the uptake.  Can it really be December 6 already?  Yikes!  I wanted Thanksgiving to linger a while longer…it’s my favorite!  Here are a few pics of some fun traditions that we enjoy during this season of thanksgiving.  I’m posting them so I remember them.  These are last year’s finger puppets that we made on a whim.  So simple, but a great way for the kids to tell and recall the story of the Pilgrims and Indians.

This recipe came from Family Fun originally and has become one the kids keep me on the hook for–Pilgrim Hats. They are just marshmallows dipped in melted chocolate chips and placed on upside down fudge rounds to make the cutest hats. If we’re taking them somewhere I put a yellow frosting buckle on each one. If we’re the only ones eating them, we skip the buckle and grab one or two before they’re all gone. Yummy!

Ty read the most touching short story for school called Molly’s Pilgrim. I have a real soft spot for children’s literature and every once in a while (and I’m sure I’m not alone in this) I come across a book that brings me to tears as we’re reading. The kids all stop and look at me confounded while I pull it together. This was one of those books.

His homework assignment was to make a clothespin pilgrim like in the story. We both enjoyed this project and I was thankful for the chance to work on it together.  He named him William.

Incidentally our basement flooded on Thanksgiving morning due to an aquarium mishap. Not exactly what one wants to do while the Macy’s parade is rolling. It was a challenge to keep a grateful attitude, yet there is always so much to give thanks to God for, even in the midst of struggles.  I was also very thankful that turkey dinner was NOT at my house that day.

So now it’s officially onto advent season.  It’s a wonderful time of year.

Chips fall where they may

I had planned on making pomanders with these dried apples, but when I snuck one out of curiosity, they tasted too good.  They taste just like the overpriced apple chips you can buy at the store.

Here’s how I stumbled upon them:

slice 5-6 apples thinly on their sides (so the star is in the center)

place on a baking try in a single layer

bake at 200 degrees F for 3-4 hours (makes the house smell so good)

let cool for 1 hour; store in air-tight container

I will core them next time, but the stars are awfully cute too.  My biggest struggles with food is finding satisfying, healthy snacks.  This is all of the above for me.

Today was such a long day! I had to cancel and reschedule one cub scout meeting and a Bible Study that were to be held at our house over the next 24 hours due to a virus that has hit our home.  I spent the day on the phone, running some necessary errands and consoling a cranky and suffering child as much as possible in between.  My compassion wears thin sometimes.  I’m sorry for that.  Meanwhile my counter tops and floors filled with the remnants of 8 peoples’ stuff quicker than you could shake a stick at.  Somedays the Bahamas sound extra good!

Maybe a good night’s sleep [fingers crossed] will bring a brighter day tomorrow.  Till then.

Bumper Crop

We went apple picking at my Grandpa’s house last month. He lives on one of my favorite pieces of land (second only to my brother’s) on which he and my Grandmother raised their 7 children. Feeding them with the various fruit trees they planted and the garden they all tended, he’s lived there nearly 60 years.

These trees are still feeding his family…children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  To us, it’s the best place to pick apples. Five apple trees produced in abundance this year. We’ve had 3 rounds of this organic, bumper crop since September. (thanks Mom, for the extra pickings!)

We made applesauce last week.  This week we will make Freezer Apple Pie Filling originally from Debi Taylor-Hough, and miscellaneous other things.  The abundance should surely get us through our winter apple cravings.

My friend Sara let me borrow her Squeezo food press.  It is so fast (and after Googling it, apparently expensive) and was a lot of fun to use.  Even Jack-Jack helped.  I canned that afternoon and tried some other things for the first time that day…like homemade yogurt; and though I was exhausted at the end of the day, it felt great.  Because it’s not everyday that our kitchen is so fruitful.

The Goops

The Goops they lick their fingers, The Goops they lick their knives;
They spill their broth on the tablecloth-They lead disgusting lives.
The Goops they talk while eating, And loud and fast they chew;
So that is why I am glad that I Am not a Goop. Are you?
Table Manners
By Gelett Burgess

I learned this poem in first grade and it has never left me.  I used to quote it often to my children, but forgot about it for a while.  It’s making a comeback!

What’s the big deal about manners?  They are sometimes pretentious and often uncomfortable–especially from a child’s point of view.  But when all is said and done, they are important. They amount to considering your neighbor before yourself.  They are in place on other people’s behalf.   Thank you Mr. Turner for an excellent reminder in Sunday School of how to “consider your brother before yourself” (Phillipians 2).

My children’s manners need bumped up a bit.  They deteriorate quickly and if we are not eating regular, family-style meals together, they go unchecked even longer.  So I’m poking myself to get back on the wagon and raise the bar.

Not exactly pertaining to manners, but in the same ballpark is a great post on teaching children how to set the table from Flip Flops and Applesauce.   Amelia enjoyed it.  She colored and cut this template out and has learned to set the table as a result.  I’m going to print a few more for the boys.

Every once in a while we do a theme dinner to pass the winter blah months.  Maybe a formal meal with lots of forks and extra saucers is in our future.  We’ll see…the best laid plans, ya know.  For now, “please chew with your mouth closed” and “sit with your bum on the chair” works for me.