I am so glad to be a mom. I hold these days dear and you know how women past this stage of life are always saying "Enjoy these days, they are so fleeting"? I want to look them seriously in the eye and say, "Yes. I am. I really am." Especially as I see Rosie pass out of each stage for what may be my last experience having a child that age, I really do try to enjoy each day, even almost each moment. This not in any perfect romantic sense, because it's such a mess, and I have to say sorry so often and I know I'm not even saying sorry for everything I should be saying sorry for.
This right now is what I always wanted. I just selfishly want more of it.
Millie is learning to ride her bicycle without training wheels, just a couple months after Lyddie mastered it. Little sister wants to keep up so badly! She's reading everything voraciously, even things much too difficult for her reading level, she's picking them up and laboriously sounding out each word, mostly successfully. Lyddie, meanwhile, is in love with Edward Eager and plowing through the Race Across Space reading program I found at edsnapshots. It' a great challenge to me to keep finding a variety of books to expose them to for fun this summer.
I used a portion of our grocery budget this month to buy a bunch of cherries to preserve and I was afraid I would then miss the apricots like I did last year. I love canning- well, mainly I love having jars of sunshine to pull out in the winter to go alongside soup for easy dinners, and apricots are Jesse's favorite. I actually prayed about fruit because I knew there wouldn't be money for it until next payday. I shouldn't have been surprised when some friends from church said they had apricots breaking branches off their tree and would we come pick some? I was so blessed by getting to visit the home of this newer friend; she is always so kind to me and my girls, and it also gave me one thing to give Millie when she had to deal with not being old enough to attend the Kids Camp at church with Lyddie last week. A few jars of apricot halves (hot pack... next time I think I'll go back to raw pack unless they taste phenomenal, but they look much mushier than my apricots usually do), several jars of jam, a dehydrator full of leather and drying apricot quarters. I'm not sure I've even been so thankful for a box of fruit before because it was so clearly an answer of provision to my little prayer.
Big white pelicans in flocks are all over the lower valley this summer, I've never seen this many here before. They lazily circle overhead and they are gorgeous and huge. (Unlike my camera lens which is clearly very dirty in spite of my quick efforts to clean it. Excuse the dust for now, I'm holding out in hopes of upgrading this year sometime).
Strawberries fill the refrigerator and I am tucking them away in the freezer and into jam jars as quickly as I can. The sweet fragrance drifts through the house as the jam simmers and I can't help dipping a spoon in to taste. Crystalline jars filled with these sweet rubies begin the line on shelves in the cellar again, in front of last fall's applesauce and the last jar of summer's peaches that I have been hoarding for a special occasion.
Bicycles are the main form of entertainment all day; at least 80% of the time outdoors (which is most of the day) is spent with little people zooming around the place on their wheels. When not on bicycles, chicks are being carried and talked to and fed and played with. I like to bring my crafting or my book out to the chair and sit nearby listening to their play and getting lost in my thoughts.
Different projects suit my different moods, and as usual, the summer afternoons whisper that fine handiwork is called for, and my needlework comes out. I am getting much better at french knots than I used to be! When I had to rip out all of the Kiddy Vertebrae that I was knitting for Millie, I was sorely disappointed. Somehow I was nowhere near gauge even though my gauge swatch was fine. I think it is because I am using cotton- oh and because the lady at the yarn shop where I bought the yarn told me it was a heavy fingering when it's really a WORSTED yarn according the the Berroco page on Ravelry. I didn't even think to really check the facts. The sweater looked much too large when I draped it over her this weekend, so tada! Four weeks of knitting undone in the course of three minutes. This sweater pattern is written for many different yarn weights so I decided to try knitting gauge with different size needles but I am at a loss of what to do. So I think I am going to try again on a different size needle and see what comes of it. I wish I could say I was confident in going forward but when it comes to figuring out gauge and needle swapping I get a little discombobulated (and I think that's marks the first time I have ever had to write the word "discombobulated"). My Millie girl really likes this color of yarn and I really like the idea of a little cotton cardigan for summer evenings - anything warmer than that here just won't get worn until fall. Meanwhile I put it aside until I had the energy to figure out all of the above and realized that I hadn't finished my red Memoirs mitts. I have only the thumb on the second mitt and then I get to hunt down some lace and buttons for finishing touches. I love how long they are and although I am currently just looking forward to the warm summer ahead, I do cherish the thought of wearing them in the late fall when it gets chilly again.
As for books, life under communist rule, fantastic travel to different worlds, and childhood mischief are all on the menu this week. The books on my nightstand couldn't be more different from one another and I like the variety. The Pastor's Wife by Sabina Wurmbrand (which I just finished) was really interesting and challenging, like most books written about those enduring persecution for their faith. Of course I have known that life under Communist rule is very difficult but I have a clearer picture of what it was like in the U.S.S.R for believers in Christ (and others). I thought Wurmbrand wrote with a lot of discernment about why some people chose to suffer in prisons for their faith while others maintained their position in government-run churches even while participating in the Underground Church in Romania and infiltrating the government. I also came away with a clearer picture of why so many would capitulate and become informers to the government at that time. It made me think of stories I have heard about China and the official churches compared to the house churches there.
Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson: Not for young children, but a really good book series for your older readers this summer if they haven't already read the 100 Cupboards series! I have only just begun Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink and I can tell I am going to enjoy it too; for audiobooks, mainly The Count of Monte Cristo which is moving into the really fun part (on the CraftLit podcast).
Linking up with Ginny for Yarn Along. Would you leave me a note in the comment section here so I can click easily over to see what your thoughts are today? I hope your weather is lovely and that you are healthy and able to enjoy what sunshine may come your way!
It is cold here, so cold. It was 9 degrees outside when I got up this morning and it stayed bitingly cold all day. There are birds everywhere all day long; birds out the window, in the bushes, in the garden. A little bevy of quail has been scurrying around our property and just out in the orchard. The way they dash about with the little plume on their heads bobbing around always makes me smile. The water for the chickens and the dog are frozen solid and I bundle up while the kettle boils and go thaw the water a couple times a day. With the heat lamp in working order we are getting more eggs now than we were in the summer! Our Americaunas, new to the flock this year, are finally laying and we are getting several of the sweetest blue eggs mixed with the brown. This is good because the price of eggs when I look at the store is enough to make my heart race in conjunction with buying feed each month for chickens that just weren't laying. They are pulling their weight now and I feel happier about their existence. :)
January days are for dreaming and planning and scheming here and I bet where you are too. The kitchen cupboards got a thorough clean-out this morning, one of the last categories I had not applied the KonMari approach to yet. The Christmas tree was undecorated and dragged out today, shedding needles in its wake and I am sad to look at its corner empty and drab. My puzzle is nearly finished now and I am hoping I can get it done before the new week; puzzles are good for holidays but not at all for daily regular living.
Gone is the eggnog from the Costco shelves and soon we will be forced to add the unspectacular half and half to our coffee again. My cross stitch and my knitting are getting attention in a way they never do in the warm months and I have finished putting together my first annual booklist for this new year. I will be sharing that soon. Do you create a booklist? Are you excited about checking some to-reads off this coming year? I have several suggestions I'd been amassing over time and I am happy that many of them are included in my plan for the coming year. I am committing myself to reading at least one or two chapters before bed each night in my current book (The Warden and the Wolf King) and it is amazing the difference that seemingly small amount is making in my pace through the book.
Tonight I made a favorite recipe for dinner: Ham and Pasta Skillet Dinner from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. The recipe used to put me off because it looks really boring at first glance but every time I make it, my entire family raves about it and I have to stop myself from eating the entire thing and have a filling healthy side that I can focus on when I want to reach for most pasta. It's so good and so fast to make. I often decrease the amount of oil but otherwise I keep everything the same. It's even better the next day after the flavors blend overnight. Speaking of healthy sides, this Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Balsamic Glaze from Gina at Skinnytaste was a mouth-watering way to use up the sprouts that were about to go bad in the fridge. Yes, I applied the word mouth-watering to brussels sprouts. Don't believe me? Try them yourself! Caramelized roasted brussels are so different than the steamed mash that most people think of.
I have almost reached 8000 steps on my new little fitbit today. Considering my goal was 7000, this is motivating! Want to be my buddy on the fitbit app or on MyFitnessPal? I don't have really any friends there yet but I think it would be good to have some buddies that would challenge me. Let me know in the comments and we can figure out how to connect there.
I hope you are staying warm and healthy wherever you are. I wish you a new year full of joy and peace, good food, and books and creative pursuits.
Love,
Sarah
The snow pictures are a few days old but I hadn't had a chance to even look at them until recently. It was so cold on that little walk that it was very short but nice to get some fresh air.
A lot of cooking happening here lately even though my countertops are currently ripped up until Jesse has time to install the new ones. I haven't taken any food pictures, largely because I don't feel like I have any idea what to do with food photography but I'm going to share links to several of my current favorites, and if you want to drool a little, click through!
These broiled tilapia tacos from Mel's Kitchen Cafe are delicious and so fast and simple, they really do come together in 30 minutes.
My girls couldn't get enough of this skillet creamy macaroni and cheese also from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, another 30 minute meal. And they eat this Roasted Potatoes, Chicken Sausage, and Peppers from skinnytaste like it's candy!
My great-grandmother always made homemade egg noodles in a thickened broth with turkey or chicken for holidays and after she passed away I was the only one willing to try to replicate it. It is a favorite with me and my brothers. I have tried this egg noodle recipe and technique a couple times this month and finally got exactly the result I was hoping for a few nights ago! This feeds us for a few meals and is a great way to use up turkey leftovers and homemade turkey broth. The noodles really are not hard like people make them out to be, as long as you just roll and roll and roll them out so they are very thin. The link above is a great step-by-step guide.
I am usually very boring in the snack department but last week Homemade popcorn balls were a fun treat! Another very easy recipe that made the kids feel like I had pulled out all the stops for their afternoon snack.
It makes me so happy when one of my kids exclaims, "Mom, you are the best cook in the world! You make the best food!!" I am really enjoying the four week winter meal rotation I made up a few weeks ago and apparently they are too!
The days are full yet somehow I'm squeezing in knitting in the evenings. The joy of my days is returning and the discipline of thanks-giving is paying off, clearing my eyes, and helping me see the quiet joys surrounding me for what they are. Curling up on the bed with an already-sleeping two year old, so tired from her refusal to nap in the afternoon these days, just watching her even sweet breaths, resisting the urge to wake her so I can tell her again how much I love her and how glad I am to be her mommy. Watching my two oldest work together to make their own sandwiches for lunch, discussing the best methods of peanut butter spreading and jam amounts. Comforting my girl over the cat who just won't stay home but wants to wander. Peaceful moments in the orchard together gathering leftovers to store in the cellar. Happy October moments.
I finished seaming both sleeves on my Hitofude cardigan. I'm full of hope that simply following the pattern is the right choice here because I was surprised by the fact that it joins after the sleeves are done and is then knit in the round for at least some time. For those of you who have knit it before - can you confirm that I'm on the right track with that or am I totally misreading the pattern? I dropped a couple stitches last night from the end of the needle while trying to do the three-needle bind off for the sleeve seams and panicked. (I'm sure it couldn't have had anything to do with the fact that we were watching the most intense and gut-wrenching Gilmore Girls episode to date... well, on second thought...). I was able to repair it for the most part but not until I had spent the whole rest of the evening trying to figure out how to get the yarn overs and the ssk's back in place. But I did it. Whew.
I couldn't manage to figure out the sleeve seams in the car to the pumpkin patch so instead on a whim I cast on a stripy raccoon tail to go to along with Millie's hood that she plans to wear for Halloween. I'm still deciding how to do the finishing work now to attach it to her for the evening. She grinned big when she realized that's what I was working on.
I made these delicious roll-up blender pancakes for the girls and myself for dinner while Jesse was out at youth group. They were delicious filled with a bit of this summer's strawberry jam. I realized too late that this month is a 5-week grocery month and I didn't stretch the budget and plan like I normally would so I'm hobbling together my meal plan based on whatever we have on hand (which is plenty, just not organized). I do not at all miss the stress of putting together a menu and grocery list from scratch now that I'm using a four-week meal rotation but I do miss the creative aspect of menu planning. A small price to pay, however.
I am still making my way through The Monster in the Hollows about a chapter or two a day. Sometimes I read while sitting outside the girls' bedroom door putting Rosie back in bed over and over again during rest time and, well, at least that way I can get in a few more chapters in a day. I am also reading Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit to Lyddie and chuckling our way through my feeble attempts at the dialect. She thinks the trickster tales are really funny.
Linking up with Yarn Along today! What October moments are your favorite so far?
October. The light changes. I rest in the afternoon while little ones sleep, and when they wake, little warm arms wrap tight around my neck like we've been separated for days instead of an hour. Now begins the season of cooking the way I like to cook; warm foods that you can linger over and that fill the house with goodness. Ohhhh like this baked pumpkin banana oatmeal. I wasn't sold based on the photos but it really was like eating a yummy pumpkin custard or crisp for breakfast. And is pretty low in weight watcher points!
Speaking of recipes, I made a monthly meal rotation for the fall and am loving loving loving the ease of grocery planning when I already know what I'm going to make. This coconut shrimp curry was my favorite from this past week!
We have picked out a tree at the arboretum to befriend for the year, a Freeman maple. It is lovely, still so green but evidence of autumn scatters around its trunk with the bright red, green, and orange leaves who have given up first. I love the way the ends of the branches are deepening to purple and red, like a woman who needs to get back to the salon to dye her roots again.
From our nature walk we brought home so many leaves and I really want to make stained glass windows with contact paper like these.
My mouth is having problems and I chickened out on calling the dentist because I have dentist anxiety. Groooooooan. My gums are a mess and sore, making my teeth sore. I am actually a diligent flosser, often twice a day, but here I am. Hopefully I can get in for a good deep cleaning. Given the choice I would have opted not too inherit the mouth I have.
My phone went for a swim when I fell in the lake in August and so far my phone insurance company has sent me two defective phones following my payment of the deductible. This is harder than it ought to be.
I am finally nearing the end of the sleeves on my Hitofide cardigan. Hooray! Maybe I'll have that section finished by the end of the month.
My sweet four year old Millie is sounding words out. It is such a miracle to watch children learn to read when they are ready and equipped.
I guess that's the news around our little place! What's your favorite thing about fall? I love how everything feelsp like it's wrapping up into itself before the cold winds begin to blow.
