Barry is out of town. Can you tell by my frequent posting? Let me tell ya– I am not cut out to be a single parent.
But even though I’m exhausted, there are parts of my day I can look back on and smile.
Monthly Archives: March 2012
these two
My life is messy– as in snot encrusted, dog hair covered, crumbs on the floor, fingerprints on every door, little bits of cut up paper everywhere messy. I have friends who don’t let their kids play with play dough or paint because of the mess it makes. Sometimes I wish I had rules like that– and the spotless windows, counters, and hardwood floors to go with them.
But would I trade days like this– the self made masks, spaceship controls, jammies turned costume kind of days– for a house that stayed clean for hours on end?
Never.
(I can say that now that they’re all in bed and I’m alone with the mess.)
a birthday boy
We’ve had a couple of birthdays in our family. One a month ago, one a week ago.
About a month ago my littlest boy turned 3. He’s a rough and tumble, imaginative little guy.
These are the only pictures I have on my camera of his big day. We went to Monkey Bizness as a family to celebrate and I think all the photos and videos are on Barry’s phone.
These are quintessential 3 year old Hunter pictures, though. He is in costume almost every waking moment. Either that or in pajamas. He’ll get dressed and ready for the day and then the next time I see him he’ll be back in his jammies. If his Darth Vader t-shirt and red pants are clean (clean is a relative term here, read “not so crusted in filth that they still feel comfy”) he’ll leave them on for the whole day. He will not wear stripes. I bought a few new clothes at Gymboree a few weeks ago and he would rather die than wear the striped shirt I got him. Stripes are not cool. Darth Vader is cool. Spider man is a distant second. Stripes do not even register.
The Darth Vader costume was made by my friend Jodi. It is awesome! We visited her and her family for an evening over Thanksgiving and Hunter came downstairs in the full Darth Vader costumer. Jodi thought he was so cute (her son had outgrown the costume) she sent it home with us! (as well as a Bobba Fett costume and a Storm Trooper helmet) How sweet and generous is that? Hunter loves it and wears it everywhere I will let him.
I do draw the line at the helmet and cape, though. Just the suit gets to go to the store.
Oh, 3. So fun. So hilarious. So exhausting.
LOVE HIM!!!
The Organic Family Cookbook :: a review
A couple of weeks ago I received a copy of The Organic Family Cookbook by Anni Daulter to try out on my family. Living with it for a little while has given us ample time to peruse its pages and try out recipes.
It is certainly a beautiful book to look at. The styling and photography lend a wholesome, rustic feel, using enameled cookware, antique silverware, handwritten garden signs– showcasing the food in a way that just makes you want to take a bite. It uses a lot of fresh seasonal produce, which is hard to come by this time of year, but we made do. I think my favorite recipe is Bodhi’s Warm Berry Quinoa with Honey Butter for breakfast and it is so yummy with juicy thawed frozen berries.
The green Garden Breakfast smoothies were a big hit. The whole time we were drinking them we were quoting this Kid History video. “I know it’s gween, but what else is about it?” It’s seriously funny, so click the link and go watch it. If you’re a mom like me, trying to get healthy food into your kids, it will be painful.
The Whole Roasted Herb Chicken with Roasted Veggies and Dark Chocolate Dipping Sauce will be talked about for ages at our house. We had asparagus that night too, and I’m afraid my kids will always think we need to have chocolate sauce with asparagus from now on.
Most of my kids will not touch squash, but there weren’t any leftovers when my husband made Nuturing Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan Crisps.
I added a few staples to my fridge, trying my hand at making mayo for the first time– Tofu Mayo to be precise. We have a little bowl of Dill Dip in there (using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream) as well as Honey Butter.
It’s not a comprehensive cookbook, but a good one for inspiration. It’s written in a friendly, conversational way with the added bonus of giving you a glimpse into the Daulter family’s life, their garden, their traditions, and what’s on their table. I always love finding things that encourage and enhance family togetherness.
Thanks for the cookbook, Anni!