I just became a soccer mommy

I recently commenced a first foray into soccer mom-hood. So far, so good. So far, he loves it. Especially the scoring 2 goals in his first game ever part. So far, I like it. Especially the watching him play with wild abandon and a grin glued to his face part.

Happy Campers

Camping. I like it. These little ones, though, they love it, and seem born to a life in the wilderness.  The dirt, the sunshine, the grub, the sleeping bags, the trees, the critters, the sounds.  It's only natural they love it at this point: they need only show up and have a grand time in great outdoors whilst all the prepping and planning duties rest on the shoulders of the grow ups.  Nevertheless, we bid a happy adieu to summertime with a quick family camp out in Swan Valley.

Tin foil dinners, check.

Tent, check.

S'mores, check.

Big stick, check.

Dirty little boys, check.

Midnight visit from a moose, check.

Happiness, check.

Happy Valentine's Day

I've tucked little love surprises into these bright red bags, plus our traditional jar of love mix for Mr. J, hand mixed by the little ones. All ready to greet them in the morning. I love my three loves. And they love pizza. so, later, it's mini pizzas, heart shaped of course, with heart shaped pepperoni. of course.

Greetings

traditions?

this was my first attempt at the tradition of building gingerbread houses with Mr. J and the little ones. Now I know why I've never done it before. And why I probably will skip this tradition for the rest of my lfe.

gobble

menu, check. cranberries, check. "turkey"artwork, check.  Looks like mother nature intends for us to have a small celebration of thanks, just the four of us. Snow and ice have made "over the river and through the woods" much too hazardous. it's ok, I suppose. Thankfully I know a fabulous stuffing (or dressing?) recipe and have a turkey breast on hand. I always thought Thanksgiving meant big gatherings and lots of extended family and friends even though my childhood rarely saw such celebrations. I longed for them. I want my children to know holidays like that despite our distance from all our family members. Sometimes it's nice to be just at home, other times it's good to be with the clan. Blast this stupid Idaho weather. But we'll make the best of it. Starting with the stuffing (or dressing?)

Our Favorite Stuffing
3/4 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup butter
3 yellow onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 TBSP fresh sage, chopped
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
6-8 cups cubed very dry cornbread (croutons)
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 1/2 cups chopped tart apples (i.e. granny smith)
1 cup raw cashews, toasted
2 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
2 TBSP fresh thyme, chopped
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Saute sausage in large skillet over medium high heat until just cooked through, crumbling with a spoon as you go. About 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and discard fat. Add butter, onions and celery to the pan and saute  until tender, 10 minutes or so. Add to sausage along with herbs and cornbread. Stir to combine.
In another bowl, combine cherries, pecans and chicken stock. Add to cornbread & sausage mixture until moist but not soggy. If it's too dry, add more chicken stock. Season to preference with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 1 hour. Uncover, and bake until top is golden, about 20 minutes.

disneyland, more pictures

upper right: after splash mountain, totally sopping wet and drenched and rearin' to go again!
nanuk: wide-eyed bewilderment at every turn, in this case, during Monsters, Inc. but never any fear.

already they are asking to go back. me, too.

disneyland, in pics

a smattering of the fun times, including a meet-n-greet with a first sweetheart, shoulder-napping at Pirates of the Caribbean and meltdowns in the stroller. totally worth it, i say.  warning: many pictures to follow.

totally and absolutely certain he's going to get that sword out of that stone. the veins in his stubborn little neck were bulging.  I'm so happy we did this trip now, when everything is still magical to my little guys. 

m-i-c-k-e-y

we took a little trip this weekend. betcha can't guess where:

we had a grand time of it, hobnobbing with mickey and the gang, getting our kicks with pirates and princesses and a runaway railroad or two. and those fireworks? they get me every time. pineapple floats, ice cream cones, and a fantastic parade were just some of the highlights for me and for my three guys.

a bushel and a peck

a friend told me about a little apple orchard not far down the road, and we happily discovered it just in time for picking. a perfect way to spend a gloriously bright and warm october afternoon. trees so full of apples the branches touched the grass below, making it easy for my little ones to get in on the fun. notice the half-eaten apple in the little green bucket. now I've got a bushel or two (how many in a bushel anyway?) ready for applesauce-ing and pie filling. 

in a pickle

extra happy to discover the latest issue in my mailbox upon my return. I have a little pickle fan in my family  so today we made our own batch of "quick pickles" per the magazine. just the right activity for this afternoon, and easy for Piglet to participate. Tomorrow we'll know if they are tasty or just pretty to look at.

***update: very tasty. and pretty to look at.

long time gone

montana. beautiful. everywhere. 

the last few weeks have included 1900 miles and 30 hours of interstate driving, 8 billion loads of laundry, 2 packages of licorice, 5 books on cd, 3 hours at the dentist, 6 hours at the mall (I was held captive), some travel bingo, some travel i spy, 5 repetitions of Miss American Pie, dozens and dozens of ee-i-ee-i-o's, not nearly enough sleep, and enough family drama to drive us home early. The breathtaking vistas between here and there, plus new precious memories with dear ones, surely make up for the short lived unpleasantness. but now we are home and settling back into bedtimes and mealtimes and pouring my  juice in the morning while still in my pjs. tending my humble garden and playing in the backyard with my little boys. Though my wanderlust is a chronic condition, and I so rarely feel homesick, it sometimes is just wonderful to just be home. wherever we make home to be.

 windmills at the columbia river gorge. enormous. 

snoqualmie pass. gorgeous. 

splash

splashing, laughing and two rounds of yee-hawing on the carousel at Porter Park

clearly, Nanuk is thrilled with his pony

today I

....was serenaded by a devilishly handsome little guy
...and later by three lovely little ladies
...became an official Idahoan (i know, I know)
...was hugged
...was surprised. four times.
...did not fix breakfast, lunch, or dinner
...felt cold, and then warm
...talked to extra special friends
...ate guacamole
...was wished well by wonderful peeps near and far
...am grateful and fortunate
...snuggled with my little ones
...felt loved

Hello, June

June, like september, always feels like a changing of the guards in some way. It's a happy month, I think. Last week marked a closing chapter in Mr J.'s life. His last last day of school of sorts. Bittersweet, but mostly sweet with profusions of gratitude for changing this student's life or helping that student realize passing grades for the first time. Parents cried. Students cried. Mr. J did not cry. He packed up his books, and more books, and more books, and waved goodbye, ready to move on to bigger adventures. One chapter completed all on his own, no handouts. Another chapter begun, all on his own, no handouts. He'll do well there, too. And so, June begins anew.

I love June: school is officially done,  days are warmer (supposedly...oh how I wish they were hot!) but the nights are mild. Strawberries are in season. I'm fairly certain I can put away my sweaters. In June we cook outdoors most of the time. We ready ourselves for a trip in July. Father's Day is near, which I like so much more than Mother's Day, flip flops are standard, my prairie fire crabapple tree is blossoming, and the actual first day of summer greets us this month. I think we shall celebrate.

life in the fast lane

the weather has been dreary, and the natives have become restless. So despite the torrential rains, we trekked up the highway for an afternoon of bowling, complete with neon lights but without cigarette smoke. Suffice it to say, Piglet beat us all but we had a great time. It took me a bit to get mentally past the idea of sharing sweaty shoes and nasty bowling balls, but I did get past it. Nanuk was content to squeal "ball! ball!" and stuff his little face with snacks while his big brother dominated the bumpers.

blustery day

The wind is howling, and I think it might be raining, too, but the wind is blowing the raindrops away. The sun keeps trying to peek out from behind the gloomy clouds but is thwarted in each attempt. I fully expect to see my neighbor's patio furniture go twirling past my windows, Wizard of Oz style, with my just-bloomed tulips right behind. Not what I was hoping for at the end of April, when my toes tingle for sandals and little boys ache to be out of doors for the sake of being out of doors. Alas, Mother Nature, like most of the rest of the world, doesn't really care about my opinion on the matter.

I'm trying not to be blue about it, so today I will lounge in my sweats on the couch with an arm around each babe, one on my lap and one snuggled into my side. We will watch Winnie the Pooh and read picture books and make a cave and go on a bear hunt. Maybe bake something. We will sprawl  on the big bed together and giggle and roll and bounce and tickle. I will kiss plump rosy cheeks until little voices squeal with laughter. I'd like to say that all three of us will take a nap, but that will probably turn out to be a lie. Today I will let wiggly little boys toss the clean laundry out of the basket over and over. I will fantasize that my home actually is as clean and tidy as I try to make it. We will build little log cabins and I will fix something retro and cozy for dinner, like sloppy joes, but better. (We like to call them sloppy josés).

It will be a good kind of blustery day.

antiques

When my parents came to visit for Nanuk's birthday last week they brought piles of candy, toys and clothes for my boys (too much, of course), and this:

It's a secretary, and it's probably 100 years old. my mother's grandparents purchased it at a garage sale and eventually passed it along to her. It stood in the entry way of my parent's colonial for over 20 years.  Then they moved and no longer had a suitable "wall" for it. My mother has boo-hoo-ed for months on end about how it must stay in the family and we must cherish it, but nobody else would take it. Now it's mine. More ornate than my preferences, but I like to mix things up a little bit so I think I can make it work eventually.

My issues are thus: I don't care for the finish (why does it still smell like varnish?) and I'm not thrilled with it's current placement in the corner of my front room. Mr. J insists he likes it where it is, but I'm fairly certain that's because he doesn't want to move it downstairs to an alternate location in the guest room.

Do I dare paint it? white? yellow? A major undertaking for sure, but maybe worth it in the end...

a little celebration

a little invitation
a little cake (note: purchase clear vanilla extract in the future)
a little festivity
a little surprise or two
a little party favor (bouncy balls would have been fun, too)

Christmas Eve

visions of sugarplums soon will be dancing in these little noggins