Cocooon of Chaos

From the vault...

 I found this in an old journal...

 Ava is 2.5 and just recently has been chatting it up to herself all the time. I finally interjected yesterday and asked who she was talking to
A: "Hannah, mummy."
Me: Hannah, your cousin?
A: No! Hannah my friend.
me: A, we don't have any friends named Hannah, do we?
A: Yes, mummy, sitting next to me.
Me (finally catching on): Oh, well Hello, Hannah.
A (staring at me): She say Hola, mummy.
Me: Hannah speaks spanish?
A: Yes. She's this (holding up her pinky).
Me: Oh, she's only one?
A: sighing, No mummy she's this big. Has three dogs, two cats, no sister like Lily.

Later that day at dinner, she's laughing hysterically and Devin and I can not figure out why so we ask:
DH: A, what is so funny?
A: Slithery the pink snake is tickling my feet.
This is Slithery's first appearance, but I'm sure not the last.

********

Her imagination has only grown tenfold and although she is testing her boundaries at every opportunity, I feel so incredibly lucky to be a part of this little girls' life.

Washington D.C.

Thanks to my father-in-law, we recently visited Washington D.C. and to say I was impressed is an enormous understatement. The trip was organized to honor my husband's grandfather who was buried in Arlington National Cemetery and celebrate his service to our country.  Besides the bitter cold rain, which by now we have learned that every vacation we go on is a rainy one, the trip could not have been better.  It is amazing to walk through the various monuments and be humbled by our history as a country. One of the most powerful for me, personally was the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial; seeing all those names who died is still something that brings tears to my eyes and a coldness to my heart. So many families have lost loved ones in the name of one thing or another and I can not imagine the pain they must have endured and continue to endure.  As we were walking through, Ava asked me, "Mummy, why do we go to war?"  I must admit, I had a hard time answering her. Is there an easy answer to that question? I'm still wrestling with that one, actually.

Girls loving the insects at the Natural History Museum

So, because of the rain, we were limited to indoor activities. Our chosen two were The Natural History Museum and the National Gallery of Art.  The Natural History Museum was breathtaking for all ages. The girls ate everything up and their excitement continued the entire museum, which is quite impressive. Ava's one request was to "see the pretty paintings" and she was ecstatic at the National Gallery of Art. The musuem itself was so grand and beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes.  Upon leaving, Ava stated, "y'know what...I'm going to make pretty paintings like this someday." And you know what, I truly believe she will.

On our last day, we had a late flight and the rain stopped so we did a speedy trip through the Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, the Washington Memorial,and Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. Walking amongst the shadows of so many others that came before me either demanding, fighting, or dying for something they believed in is a feeling that I will carry with me forever.

 Devin and girls at The Lincoln Memorial

Egg Carton Bats!

I've never been much of a Halloween person, but frankly now that I have kids, I just love it.The idea that for one day you can be anything you want to is enticing, whether you are 5 or 50. So, we get rather crafty during this time. Up first this year was egg carton bats (I could easily fill a book with egg carton crafts) and they came out quite cute...

Materials:

Egg Cartons cut into individual circles

black and/or brown paint

black and/or brown construction paper

googly eyes and/or sequins (this year we chose to make our bats flashy)

glue or glitter glue (again, flashy bats this year!)

Paint egg cartons your chosen color. While they are drying, cut out bat wings in matching color and choose eyes for your little creature. Using a stapler, staple the wings to the egg carton, centering the bats head on the wing. Glue on eyes and make a face with the glitter glue. Voila...flashy bats!

Ava's tragic story

While getting ready this morning, Ava barged into the bathroom relaying me the following tragic story:

I have something terrible to tell you, Grammy. My parents while they were sleeping were taken away and shipped off to sea. The problem is my birthday is in two days and I'm afraid they will not be back by then. Isn't this terrible...I just don't know what to do. They sent me a message to be at the beach at 2 a.m. because something will be there for me..the shipwreck. A pirate shipwreck. The pirates are maybe my friends but I don't know, so that's why I don't know what to do. Is it time to go to Target yet?

If I could bottle one fourth of her imagination, I can not imagine the places I would go.

Ava typing her book....

Good Fall Friday

Rainy fall day today and despite the inevitable cabin fever that will set in mere months away, it was a lovely day with the girls indoors being crafty, creative, and even getting some cuddle time in, too. Below is the recipe I use for play dough and vary it for whatever season or interest we are in as a family. I'm not sure you're ever too old to play with play dough--it is a great way to release tension--and I find most kids prefer the texture and pliability of homemade play dough over store bought. (It usually lasts a month in a sealed plastic bag.) Today, the play dough turned into a two hour activity starting with basic molding and cutting then turning into the girls making food for the restaurant they created for their dolls. I hope they never lose their imaginations, although, like the impending cabin fever, may be inevitable, too.

Fall Play dough

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of salt

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons of oil

1/4 cup of cream of tartar

2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, whatever smells like fall in your spice pantry

food coloring (we mix red and yellow to make a beautiful orange)

Mix all ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly, to prevent sticking. Let cool for 10 minutes before putting in a plastic bag. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

I should first state that I am an unabashed cookie lover. Nothing pleases my palette more than a warm cookie fresh from the oven and being pregnant has only enhanced my cookie adoration. That being said, I try to practice some form of restraint and only bake cookies twice a month, although with the fall weather arriving, I know I'll be searching for new and exciting cookie recipes. And I do believe baking is a great way to involve kids in the kitchen; it is a great lesson in math, science, and pure pleasure! Below is a recipe I doctored up a bit and adjusted to fit my tastes.

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
1 1/2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup raisins and dried cranberries, mixed
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and cranberries.

At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. In my case, because I am dealing with two impatient children, I bake one sheet first for them, then chill the rest of the dough to bake an hour later. To be honest, there is not much difference between the two, the chilled dough cookies do seem to be slightly softer.

The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet (in the sake of being green, I use a silicon cookie mat, which I picked up at Target for $3). Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Make a cup of tea and enjoy!

Fall Bounty

A day of apple picking, pumpkin selection, tractor rides, hay rides, hot cider and cider donuts. Days like these are why I live here....

Picking their pumpkins...they picked one for the baby, too....

enjoying the cider donuts

On the hayride with Mr. Bump and Lily

All in all, a lovely day of leaf peeping up north...and an early bedtime this evening.

 
 

Kids in the Kitchen

 So, my little Lily has now taken a huge interest in the kitchen. Every night, Ava goes off with me to do something, usually drawing or reading, and Lily joins Devin in the kitchen. She loves to cook and is full of so many questions. It thrills me to end that each of our children shares a passion of mine or Devin's: Ava is a voracious reader like me and Lily is sparking a passion for cooking.

One of the greatest things about having kids is the never ending learning process. Both Devin and I strongly agree that whatever they are interested in, we encourage and them along their own path.  We are amazed at how much we learn with them. So, yes, we let our three-and-a-half year old mix things, touch things, and get messy. (The above photo was after testing out the new Trader Joe's all natural instant pudding, which was a huge hit, by the way.)

The nice thing about having my kids in the kitchen is they truly understand the value of food, which is enormously important to me. My kids know that their food is grown, not just found in the grocery store. Through experience, they know that it is important the way in which we treat our food source. A farm we were members of had a litter of piglets and we had the fortune of watching them grow into large pigs. But, one day when we arrived to pick up our vegetables, the pigs were gone. I, of course, anticipated this talk and treaded lightly yet found after explaining the process of how we eat meat, that my girls completely understood and appreciated what was happening in front of them.  Occassinally, at the dinner table, Ava will announce, "y'know, I know this cow was treated right, so it is okay to eat the steak." For some, this is no big deal and I am not trying to be an elitist by assuming that everyone can afford, or have the immediate resources, to be so selective about their food source. But, I do however, hope this trend of caring about what we and our children consume continues for future generations.

Happy Friday to all.

"I didn't know Mummy's could have hurt feelings..."

So began a long discussion with my five year old today after she screamed, "you do nothing for me!" What prompted this outburst was my asking her to clean up the 25 hangers she took out of her expectant brother's closet and spread about the floor. She has been unusually fresh and feisty lately, but I have chalked that up to starting kindergarten, the idea of another sibling coming relatively soon, and Devin's travelling. I have let more than I normally would slide in this house but I could not tolerate this today. So, I told her to go sit in the rocking chair so we could both cool down. I walked down the stairs trying to conceal my crimson face and broken heart and she sat in the chair and wept. After a few minutes, I climbed back up the stairs and told her, "Ava, Mummy is not angry at you, but I am very hurt. You hurt my feelings by what you said. It made me sad when you told me that I do nothing for you when Mummy thinks of you every moment of the day." Her sobbing reply was, "But Mummy, I didn't know Mummy's could have hurt feelings."

And this of course prompted a discussion that just because I am a mummy does not mean I do not have feelings. She understood, we hugged, she apologized and then said, "I just love you so much, Mummy." So, yes all was forgiven, she is only five which I honestly tend to lose sight of because she is so eager to be an adult and behaves much like one. But, like most of my adventures in parenting, this got me thinking...I've never been the one to hide my emotions in front of my kids but I do know of some people that do not let their kids see them cry. I don't understand this. I want my kids to know that I am a human, first and formost, and I will make mistakes, in and out of parenting. I think hiding this from my kids will only provide a false image of what a person is...I don't want my kids to think they can do it all, because trust me if anyone has tried, it is me and you can not do it all. Something has to give. I choose to be crafty, artsy, and playful with my kids instead of putting them in front of the telly while I dust. That is my choice and I don't knock others that do otherwise, but this idea that we are Superhumans is absurd.  So, a little rant on a rainy afternoon....

On a separate note, we made yummy oatmeal raisin and cranberry cookies today, which once I have more than 2 minutes, will post the recipe.

Uncanny Fall Weather

It was unseasonable warm today and after being stuck in the house with a rotating sickness, we packed up and headed out. Playing at the park, nutella and peanut butter sandwich picnic, and pirate treasure hunt on the beach. A perfect day.

Frigid Water Run

Look at her...may she never lose her love of life