Ballerinas

There was truly something magical about Isabella's first ballet recital. She was so excited and happy for it. She was very sparkly and rainbow-y. I think her happiest moment was when she received her bouquets of flowers, following her class' performance of the "Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog. The flowers were a surprise for her and the look on her face was sheer joy. She kept asking, "Are these for me?" We ended the day with a strawberry shortcake topped with little ballerinas that I found on www.Etsy.com - the best website for finding sweet and handmade gifts. Even John sat back to enjoy the performance without any disruption. Okay, I bribed him with fruit, playbacks of the pictures of my camera, and then in a moment of desperation a Yummy Earth pop.

Summer Rhythms

Music Man is a teacher so he has more time off in the summer which is always nice. We usually greet the summer as a timeless entity before us with big hopes and plans, that we usually don't see come to fruition. After 6 years of this, I decided to come up with a regularly weekly plan that I hope will help us get around to some of those plans! We just plan for the morning so as to leave afternoons open for all of us, as that is when Music Man heads to his business and the kids and I hit the pool.

Mondays - Nature Walks for the whole fam
Tuesdays - Weekly Outings (Zoos, Aquarium, Lakes, Fish Hatchery etc)for the whole fam
Wednesdays - Ballet for Isa & Work for Music Man
Thursdays - Preschool Coop for the kids and I & Work for Music Man
Fridays - Paperwork/House Repairs for Music Man and I while Grandma watches kids (You know the stuff that you can never get done with the littles around)

Here are a few pics of our summer to date.

Beet Kvass Day 1

My first post in 3 months and it is about beet kvass! I had to post these pretty pink pictures of this fermenting beverage. It is so good and so healthy and so much fun to make with a good friend. I have been making it for about a year now, but made a quadruple batch with my neighbor. You can find the recipe in the Nourishing Traditions publication.

Here is what Sally Fallon has to say about it, "This drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are just loaded with nutrients. One 4-ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments."

Apparently Ukranian homes are never without their beet kvass.

With local organic beets regularly available, my friends and I are trying to stock up for the winter. Since this is a fermented beverage, it is stored in a cool place. I will post more pictures on day 3 after the fermentation is complete so you can see the deep vibrant color of the kvass. We ran out of whey (poor planning on my part) so we used raw milk yoghurt instead which yields the same results. That is why you may see some white particles in the picture. We will reserve some kvass as starter for the next batch. Oh, and there will be more batches. I am happy to pass along one if you would like to sample.

One Hundred Mini Heart Attacks

"Daddy time" usually takes place in the evening after dinner while I am washing the dishes. I literally have my back to what goes on the living room, but I have an idea of what goes on. It involves jumping and throwing. Oh, and I get to clean up after it's over. Pillows (lots of them), blankets, mostly just furniture disarray. My kids know or I am laying down the law so that they will "know" that games they play with Daddy are not games they play with Mommy. Why? Because I am the party police? No! Because I am weak of heart and stomach. Oh, yeah and add overly cautious to that and a hint of the fact that I am my mother's daughter. Tonight, just as "Daddy time" had gotten revved up, I got called in to supervise because Music Man had to duck out for a few. The craziness had just gotten underway and could not be easily undone.

I just had one hundred mini heart attacks. When Music Man returned, I tried to steady the butterflies and I simply said never again. He smiled and said, "Yeah, kids, let's go! They're fine - what's wrong with you?"

What's wrong with me? I am their mom - that's what's wrong with me? I don't do rough play - I just do dishes!

Chalk in My Pocket

My dear and very talented friend, Regina, just launched a new website on creative education for little ones. If you are a mom looking for fun and frugal ideas to make it through the rest of this bleary winter with your children, this is the website for you! Homemade puffy paint for bathtub, apple chips for a mid afternoon snack, lovey dovey hearts for Valentine's Day (next year that is) - it's all over there. I know her in "real life" and she truly is that cool:)

Stop by for a visit, but don't spend your whole day there, as you easily could!!!!!



http://www.chalkinmypocket.com/

With Gratitude

27. a good day after a really bad one

28. Music Man playing after dinner with the kids, "Daddy, get me and throw me!"

29. familiar faces at Mass

30. my cousin Marieannette's penne alla vodka recipe without the vodka

31. a balmy afternoon outdoors with the kids

32. a toddling little one continually in awe of snow

33. the helpful ways of Ballerina girl

34. an unexpected Valentine's day gift from a thoughtful friend

35. the first words of Little man (mama, dada, papa, water, ball, book, more, go)

36. an evening out with neighboring moms

37. a good month for Music Man's business

38. rediscovering the Little House series with Ballerina girl

39. a Sunday nap

40. help with the kids from Grandma and Papa

41. laughing on the phone with my only sister

42. catching Saturday night EWTN cinema with Music Man for the first time in months

43. learning the story of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes

44. trying out recipes from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook

45. making sure my littles wake up to something special on Valentine's Day just like I did when I was a kid

A Mother's Sabbath

Dave took off to the park with the kiddies. I helped get them ready with last minute changes, bathroom breaks, and snow suits, boots, gloves, and hats. That only took every bit of 30 minutes. And then I tried not to close the door on them as they were leaving. Really, though, I felt like I paid my dues since I tackled the snow gear and was going to spend the time tidying and preparing a nice dinner. Did I enjoy my 60 minute Mother's Sabbath? Heck ya. One glass of chianti and 2 chocolate hearts later, I was looking forward to their return.