Wordless Wednesday: Perfection

Say, make, eat, paint, and play!

Over the past few weeks...

We've said this:

Abby to Elise: "Oh, your picture is EXQUISITIVE!"
Abby to me: "Mom, how do you spell "coronation"?"
Elise to me: "I love you more than $129!"
Elise to my belly, every night: "I love you baby!"
Abby's baby names: Peter or Carrie
Elise's baby names: Rosella, Violet, Daisy, or Tommy

We made these:

We ate this:

Quinoa Cookies

adapted from Loves Food Loves To Eat

• 1 1/2 C organic stone ground whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 C organic unsalted butter
• 1/2 C organic coconut sugar
• 1/4 C local honey
• 2 local organic eggs
• 1 tsp homemade vanilla
• 1 C cooked organic quinoa
• 1/2 C unsweetened coconut
• 1 C chocolate chips (optional)
• Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

• Cooked organic quinoa
• Organic milk
• Cinnamon
• Local, raw honey
• Organic raw pumpkin seeds
• Organic banana
• Unsweetened coconut

We painted here:

And we played this way:

It has been wonderful to be outside... making mud pies, playing in the fairy garden, filling pots with herbs and flowers. We miss our chicken companions - the remaining two, Lavender and Pip, found a wonderful home a few weeks ago. As we prepared to drive them across town, Elise insisted that Pip not only kissed her but was also crying. When I said "Well girls, I think we found a great home for the chickens", Abby brought me to tears by responding with "those chickens will never have a better home than what they had with us". We decided that, with baby on the way, it would be nice to simplify the homestead - I'm sure it was the right thing to do and we found an organic, vegetarian home for the ladies - but I'm already looking forward to the next flock at some point down the road. 

Speaking of down the road... Baby L has 5 weeks left to cook. And I'm enjoying each and every day. I feel great, our weekly check-ups are looking awesome, we met with our doulas and have a wonderful birth plan in place, the babe's room is done, and the big sisters are excited! We still have no names picked out nor are we using the girls' suggestions. And the overall consensus thus far is that this baby has a penis. While I'm unsure of that detail, what I do know is that growing a baby rocks: hiccups, kicks, big sister belly kisses, nighttime bathroom breaks and all. 

The days keep MARCHing by!

Well, apparently March happened. While it's not a month well-documented in words, pictures will have to suffice for a recap:

Abby, aka Robin Hood, learned how to shoot a bow and arrow.

Trees were climbed to new heights.

Tank tops and bare toes returned. 

Charlie continues to have two modes: asleep or absurd (don't get me wrong - we love them both).

We sported our St. Patty's greens and our KU blues. Sadly the KU blues didn't have the kind of run that they had in 2008 - I was pregnant with the girls when we won the championship that year.

Speaking of 2008... on the left is what should have been my 32nd week of pregnancy in July 2008; on the right is my 32nd week of pregnancy this time. March brought us some stress as Baby Lawrence's heart had some struggles. After more visits with prenatal specialists than we had with A and E, a little maturity and extra love seem to be doing the trick - Baby's heart has been behaving and holding steady for the past couple of weeks. And, while my tiny 2008 preemies could easily conquer the world, I happily rub my belly and smile each and everyday that this one stays inside. 

And then there were 2...

In April 2013, we entered the world of backyard chickens... from raising the fluffy chicks in the house to building a coop to collecting eggs. Over that time, I've been the main chicken caregiver. The girls have been wonderful playmates for the flock and good egg retrievers and John is my reliable coop-closer at night. I've religiously cared for the ladies, building their humble abode, keeping them fed (well fed - I've learned that hens love warm oats, a nice bowl of yogurt, or a good helping of quinoa), watered, and clean, freeing them each morning to roam about the yard as chickens love to do. I've spent more time in the backyard, rain or snow or shine, tending to the flock. It hasn't bothered me one bit and, actually, I've quite enjoyed it (except during my first trimester, during which time the sight/smell/thought of the chickens made me wholeheartedly question my sanity in getting them - thank goodness that passed). I've only bought 6 eggs since July, and that's only because I dropped a carton of our girls' eggs. I had to tend to a dead chicken in the Fall when the neighbor's dog feasted upon Plum; I had to rescue a chicken from being pinned to the ground when a hawk attacked Lavender. No problem!

Last week, after dinner out, we got home around 8:30. John headed downstairs to let the dog out which was when he discovered Lavender on the patio. In the dark. Long past her roost-time. Strange? Yes. Worrisome? Not yet. I scooped her up, grabbed the flashlight, and headed to the coop. Hmmmm.... the fence was all closed up around their corner, so why was Lavender out and about? Strange? Yes. Worrisome? Not yet. I opened the fence, chicken still under my arm, and leaned in to stick her in the coop. I gave the doorway a quick shine of the flashlight and was met with two very large beady eyes. Strange? Yes. Worrisome? HELL YES! I screamed. Loud. Girly. Twice. And in that moment, for the first time, I thought "what have I done?".

We learned that night about opossums. Very large, ugly, chicken-eating opossums. Both Lavender and Pip had dug their way underneath the fence and escaped; sadly Peep was not so lucky. After a lot of pacing (with Lavender still under my arm, mind you), us non-farm-folk did the best thing we knew how to do: call someone who is. Within a 30 minutes, and sparing you a lot of details, one of John's co-workers came to our rescue and left with both the opossum and the dead chicken. And I'll tell you what - if you're a city-dweller who wants chickens, make sure in your network of contacts you have "that" person to call. Because I don't know a lot of others who would drop everything to wrastle a giant rodent.

Toss A Toy

Ahhhh.... is there anything better than a little sunshine and fresh air? Why yes, yes there is: Sunshine and fresh air and a clean car and chickens! Perfect score!

Abby and Elise - you spent the afternoon outside yesterday, pretending to be Laura and Mary from Little House on the Prairie. As you can see in the pic, Abby, your pants are soaked from scooping and pouring the remaining snow/sludge/water. Elise, your hands were completely covered in mud, which you so proudly stated "made you look just like Laura", a fellow nature-lover. Abby, you made sure to give Pip some love because, according to you, "the chickens have not been held very much lately", which is entirely true. 

Some dirt, a few containers/pots, shovels to scoop with, fresh air, and a few chickens - those were the ingredients yesterday for happy kids. That's it. And the chickens are really an added bonus - this recipe could easily be pulled off without poultry. Sometimes I just have to sit back and watch the girls as they play as my reminder of how fulfilling the simplicity is. Peruse this blog entry: Why Fewer Toys Will Benefit Your Kids. Each and every bullet-point is an absolute "must" in my book-o-parenting. And if replacing a toy with an extra shovel or trading in the cute shoes for durable outdoor boots gets us one step closer, I'm all in! Yesterday was proof of how worthless toys can be and how much I love the continued influence of Laura and Mary Ingalls. 

First snowfall of the season!

December 22, 2013

Bam! Now it's October.

Here's how I feel about waking up and realizing that it's already October:

It seems like September gave us our last summer hurrah that was much needed. We played in the sprinkler... watered the flowers and made chalk drawings... hatched our monarch butterflies for the third year (this year was our butterfly garden's best one yet!)...

And now we welcome the beginning of Fall with open arms, campfires, and hoodies. Yes, please.

Photo-A-Day Challenge: Day #1: Starts with the letter N

"N" is for nesting boxes. The coop got a little renovation - the girls now have nesting boxes. I went all "Boob Villa", as John says, and built them myself. They are now shingled and caulked. Let's get to laying, ladies, okay?

This is Peep - she's a lovely Buff Orphington. My money is on her for the first egg.

Photo-A-Day Challenge: Day #15: Outside My Window

I enjoy the view outside my kitchen window. Since the Plum massacre, it has become somewhat of a necessity. The chickens are often visible, brainlessly pecking around or cooling off in the birdbath. But I feel like a teacher on a field trip: head count... re-count ... one more time... making sure all are still present. Peep? Check. Pip? Check. Lavender? Check. 

Wordless Wednesday: Paintbrushes Not Required.

How Our Garden Grows

I am so enjoying our yard these days. The green-ness of spring certainly doesn't hurt, but between the children, the dog, the chickens, and the plants - there is just a lot to enjoy out there right now. It's been fun watching the girls' yard discoveries grow and change- as tiny tots, we spent a lot of time on the deck... it was easy to barricade the stairs and the girls could move from the house to the deck independently. We had toys, a water table, and a baby pool in the summer out there! Next came the front yard - a lot to see with neighbors coming and going, easy short walks up and down the street, and the tree swing that was their second bday present. Over the past year, the back yard has become part of their territory - they can go up and down the deck stairs alone and are comfortable playing out there while I'm in the kitchen, watching out the window. 

Here's the latest addition to the back yard - I found this table/chairs while poking around with my mom at one of the awesome consignment shops in North Lawrence:

Our lettuce and carrots are sprouting, protected by my DIY chicken-proof cage:

We added a fairy garden to the deck. Create. A. Fairy. Garden. Do it. My mom put one together at her house, and it was a huge hit. So she made another one. Then we made one here. And started a newer, bigger one in the front yard yesterday. I love peeking at it and seeing how things have been moved... I love listening to the girls narrate why this bird needs to sit here or that stone should go over there. 

The herb pots continue to multiply - my monster sage returns bigger and better every year and we added stevia to the mix this year along with all of the basil that we started indoors from seed. The girls are often walking around munching on a green leaf...

I love a yard with "nooks and crannies". We have plenty of open green space - some of the green is grass, some weeds. We don't spray the yard, we don't dig dandelions - it is what it is. John keeps it mowed and trimmed and perfect, in my opinion. :) But a fairy garden nook here, a chicken coop cranny there, paths between to run up and down... I love how our garden grows.

(Almost) Wordless Weekend

Farmer's Market. Freshly mowed lawn. Early-morning chicken feeding. Singing in the rain. Cookouts and margaritas with friends (not pictured, sadly). And great sleep at the end of the day. We do weekends right - especially when they last 3 days. Stop and smell the roses, people. It's that time of year, as it should be always!

Sweet Mother Nature

Several years ago, I read the book Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv. I also had the pleasure of hearing this author speak in Kansas City. As I'm typing this, I have a feeling that I've probably referenced this book/author/idea previously on the blog... maybe multiple times. His phrase "nature deficit disorder" references exactly what it seems: children do not spend enough time in nature. That phrase and idea had a huge impact on me at the time as a teacher - I wasn't a mother yet. Simple things happened - I was able to get rain boots and galoshes purchased for every preschool classroom in our building... window-birdhouses attached to each teacher's window... books purchased to help guide instruction with a focus on outdoor exploration. 

Here I am - no longer employed as a teacher - but working harder than ever to make sure that my current students never lack in their relationship with Mother Nature. I never have to write a lesson plan. I can go for weeks without purchasing any materials. Each student can pursue her own direction and interest. Every topic can be expanded and used across subjects. Mother Nature is AMAZING!

Over the past week, we did a little owl hunting - barred owls, to be exact:

We investigated pond life as well as family structures among geese:

And we definitely stopped to smell the flowers - bleeding heart bouquets picked by the girls. I wonder what we'll learn tomorrow...

Tostada Tuesday

The Weather Channel says that it is currently 94 degrees outside. Say what? I guess this year's seasons are going something like this: WIIIINNNNNNNNNNTTTTEEEERRRRR, spring, and SUMMER! "It is what it is", right Mom? :) 

Whether it's May or August, the outside temps make such a difference on what goes on in the kitchen. Yesterday, I made a big batch of couscous (Elise requests it daily, while Abby wants "CHICK PEAS!"), browned some local ground turkey, and baked a loaf of bread. All before high-noon. :) The morning cook-a-thon serves two purposes: I don't like adding extra heat to the house in the afternoon AND I like to have our afternoons free and clear to head outside. Since we play a little longer and harder outside this time of year, it's a necessity to add meals to the rotation that can be prepped ahead and put together quickly. Insert tostadas. 

Baked Tostadas:

• Organic corn tortillas - brush with some olive oil and bake or broil until crisp; I did these at 350 degrees for a bit and then turned the broiler on high
• Organic, low sodium refried black beans
• Local ground turkey - browned and seasoned (I added salt, pepper, onion and garlic granules, chili powder, and some salsa)
• Toppings (all organic): onion, green pepper, shredded cheese, lettuce, avocado, sour cream, salsa, jalapenos
• Once tortillas are crisp, remove from oven and smear with beans, top with onions, green pepper, cheese, jalapenos and broil on high until cheese melts
• Add lettuce, sour cream, avocado, and salsa

A hearty tostada was a good belly-filler after our annual adventure to Henry's Plant Farm. This year's plant-list included: tomatoes, peppers, herbs, butterfly plants (lantana, milkweed), and a few others for pots here and there. The veggie gardening all happens at Gran and Grandpa's - we have too much shade. I bought 2 stevia plants - never grown it before but the leaves are insanely sweet and I'm thinking of using it in smoothies? Don't worry - I'll blog about it. :) 

This was Abby and Elise's first visit to Henry's - taken almost 3 years ago, to the day:

And here we are, 3 years later, still chasing that peacock: