Any Given Moment

Kimchi. Say what?

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:43:00 +0000

A while back, this crock came in to my life.

I loved it and looked at it quite a bit; it eventually dawned on me that the number 5 in the crown meant how many gallons it can hold. I ran my hand over the smooth, obviously hand shaped, knob on the lid. The crock was admired daily, but it basically just patiently sat there while I figured out how I was going to -utilitarianly- use the darn thing. AND THEN...

I got a little crush on fermentation after reading Sandor Katz's cult classic, "Wild Fermentation". Suddenly I was throwing anything and everything into that 'ol crock; it is one of my most favorite processes now because not only are the results scrumptious, the concept is so very resourceful! In the winter, I tend to collect up any vegetable left lying around each Sunday, roast whatever it is, and then tuck it into the following week's dinners. Deflated red pepper? Roast it! Limp bits of kale and broccoli? Roast them! Now, with the warmer months, I turn to my crock: Soggy cabbage? Ferment it! Handful of garden radishes from Dad? Ferment them!

With lots of company coming for Memorial Day, I needed to accomplish 2 things today: clean out the fridge to make room, make a side dish for the weekend. After assessing what I pulled from the fridge, KIMCHI was the clear answer. Listen, I barely know how to pronounce it, but it is delicious stuff: healthful and refreshing. Basically, it's a slaw made of cabbage, carrots, and multiple types of radishes. The slaw is brined for 24 hours and then fermented with a ginger hot pepper paste for about 1 week. I'm so over the moon about making it that I even bought the board insert to help make fermentation go that much smoother. Bonus: it's helpful when I make sauerkraut too.

You can find kimchi recipes all over the Internet or, of course in Katz's book. I have found that coarsely chopping the seasonings and then blending them into a paste for the fermentation process works beautifully. If the paste gets too thick, just add some of the brine from your vegetables to it. Most recipes call for a heavy hand with the hot peppers, but I prefer to cut it back by half.

The crock hangs out in my pantry and I check on it daily while it is fermenting. After 7 days or so, I taste it. depending on the level of scrumptiousness, I either let it carry on another few days, or I transfer it into smaller jars, making sure to add enough brine to cover the vegetables, and then store it in a cool, dark spot in my basement.

Friends, I challenge you: Go peek in at the leftover vegetables in your fridge and show 'em who's boss!

19 month baby led weaning update

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:39:00 +0000

You know, baby led weaning has kind of found it's stride in our house. About 3 months ago, we stopped calling it weaning and just called it eating once Ace could walk up to a cabinet and pick out what he wanted for a snack. Once he began to open the fridge to imply he was ready for dinner-STAT. We were just humming right along into the almost a toddler stage (very scientific label) of eating when I realized I had not updated you about our progression. So, to remedy, a post for all you weaners about where we are with food.

(toast, steak)

Back in September (11 mos), Ace was becoming pretty comfortable with the process of eating. He handled food best when it was in big hunks that he could regulate on his own. He was just beginning to grasp the concept of the shot glass and didn't have great odds with getting the liquid in to his mouth. I hadn't found too much that he wasn't interested in trying: salad greens and sadly, avocados, although he will drink them in a smoothie.

(Nutella on homemade tortilla, calcium intake)

From a year until 14 months he put down groundwork for advanced eating skills. Hand eye coordination picked up such that drinking and using spoons and forks because much easier- I didn't cringe each time I offered him yogurt or oatmeal! Cleanup after meal time didn't seem to take forever. This is the stage in baby led weaning where patience pays out. Sure, it was messy when we started and we wasted a bit of food if he played with it, or it got eaten by the dog, but now he emerges as a tidy little eater who usually leaves an empty plate behind. We can even go to the Dairy Barn and he knows how to eat an ice cream cone without dripping it everywhere- Champ and I are so proud.

(muffin, concentrating on pasta spearing)

By 16 months he was consistently in his high chair to share family meals with us, and at the weaning table for most breakfasts and lunches. It is a bit more difficult getting Ace to understand he needs to stay at the table until he has finished his meal; I think this might have something to do with being the second child. If Bear leaves the weaning table (I don't call it that in front of Bear by the way!) then Ace wants to go, even is he's not done. If he sees something at the window, he wants to investigate and then finish eating. The other difference this time around is that Ace does not always want to wear a bib. I can see his little brain working: he looks over at Bear, sees no bib and proceeds to tear his off. Oh the humility! So, I am trying to be ok with no bib unless it's a truly messy meal.

(oatmeal and mandarins)

At a year and a half he is not picky about his food by any means, but his taste buds tend toward his father's love of meat and starches. Champ loves that. The picture shows a pottery bowl and so here's what I have to say about his dishware: sometimes, I don't use any plates and just put the food on his tray; sometimes I use his wooden bowl and plate, but they have gotten cracked from being thrown a time or two; sometimes I use our usual dishes when I can keep an eye on him because he is pleased by it and he learns how to properly treat the dishes. And finally, on the dish note, Ace is learning to clear his place when he is finished and to help set the table before we eat. It can be a real help when I need just one more minute to get a meal on the table!

no photos allowed

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:29:00 +0000

Fact: cameras are not greeted with open arms at dance recitals or Holy First Communions. This weekend I attended both a recital AND a Communion and found myself bumping against these set in stone rules. But I hate using flash anyway! I have a zoom lens! I'm Catholic and can be discrete in church! promise. No matter, neither me nor any other audience member all the day long was going to get a shutter fired off (I'm lucky I got the few shots on the up and up that I did).

I stewed, but my muttering up in the choir loft easily changed to prayer among all those lilting voices. I was a better person for it: even without my camera the importance of the day came rapidly in to focus. I was watching my niece receive her First Communion, a HUGE event for our faith, on the same altar I had delightedly first held her as Godmother. Later that evening, I would watch another niece dance her heart out- graceful, confident, proud. It ended up being the kind of day that overflows with bittersweet gratitude. I barely noticed when the rains began; I almost didn't even miss photographing the weekend's moments as they expanded, billowy and girly sweet.

A good many years ago Champ and I went backcountry hiking out West with friends. At one point we spent days on end traversing Canyonlands, mainly in the Maze District. John Mayer's song, "3x5", was playing on the radio that summer and the pop station had it ingrained in our heads. Evening after evening we'd heat up our ramen noodles and watch the most fantastical light show I had ever (and have never since) seen. It would begin at dusk and go on into the wee hours of the night; starting on the buttes, spilling sunset rays into the canyons turning golden as they scooped up the day hot light. Just when it seemed to end, our eyes would raise and silvery stars would connect into constellations I only knew from books.

Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy's cliche'

And strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky

Are next to mountains anyway.

Didn't have a camera by my side this time

Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes.

There was no way John Mayer was singing to anyone else but us that summer. This weekend he performed an encore. And today- a Tuesday long after the events have ended? The pictures behind my eyes are something worth talking about.

Maybe I will tell you all about it when

I'm in the mood to lose my way,

but let me say

you should have seen that sunset with your own eyes.

Fast and Furious "Hard Baked" Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:44:00 +0000

You can always tell when Spring has arrived in Vermont because every friend and neighbor starts giving you eggs. Lots of eggs from giddy, quite productive hens. A stark change from donning hats and gloves to trudge through snowy months begging anyone and everyone for a handful of eggs.

All these eggs gave me room for failure while trying out a method of "hard boiling" I had seen on Pinterest. But in the end, it didn't fail at all!! It worked amazingly and now we are eating all manner of eggs from sun up to sun down.

Fast and Furious Hard Baked Eggs
- preheat oven to 325*
- decide how many hard baked eggs you want to make
- grab a muffin tin, mini muffin tin, or in my case- a cast iron madeline pan
- place eggs into each individual cup and bake for 25 minutes (or 30 depending on your oven).
- remove from pan, rinse in cold water and store in fridge until ready to use.

And the bonus? My fresh from the chicken eggshells peel off faster than you can say "DEVILED"! No more poking at a raw egg with a needle for this girl, thank you very much.

It's the simple things in life that make us feel productive and competent, right?

Have an eggcellent weekend (you knew that was coming) everyone!

The complete Star Wars Cookbook

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:11:00 +0000

This cookbook has been getting a bit of use among the Star Wars fans in our house. The novelty: recipes AND photos with galactic props on each page... Bear is blissed out by it all! AND many a visitor has remarked on what a good gift it would make for those of THE FORCE ( it certainly was a good gift for us- thanks Grammy!), so I knew it was time to spill the beans.

There is a cookbook out there which you should check out: "The Complete Star Wars Cookbook" will answer all your Star Wars cooking needs!

Like how to make a:

*Skywalker Smoothie*

* Han-Burger*

*Twin Sun Toast*

It's been a fun go of it so far, and there are lots more recipes to try out. Bear has always been a bit obsessed with his "men", so this cookbook is right up his alley: decent recipes to begin with, all tricked out with props and characters-it sends him digging in his Star Wars toy bin every time.

Not much left to say except that if you are hankering for a "Wookie Cookie", then this is the book to get.

On a Monday

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:39:00 +0000

That back there? It was a blog break- perhaps I forgot to tell you about it in advance. Perhaps I didn't fully see it coming, but willingly caved to it once it tapped me on the shoulder. As with any manner of break, it was relaxing and well placed.

I accepted it for what it was and basked in simple family moments full of sun, and dirt, and oh geeze it got late, what will I make for dinner evenings. Let me admit to you, that was all hard to do. I am simply not that type. I once read that Mary Kay kept a 5 point list each day of activities she needed to accomplish; no more, no less, but God help her if she didn't get those 5 things done. For a while I tried paring my daily list down to 5...it didn't go so well. Instead I work like this: make a list that competes with Santa's head count and then struggle daily to make it disappear. As with all those children's names, it never does.

Ideally, I want to get it all done, but the true fun is in the creation of those lists; the organization and solid order given to my typically sporadic thoughts. Competent! That's the word for a list maker like me! Why I can even show you things that were recently accomplished and they weren't even on any of my lists. KABAM.

Bear learned how to independently kayak. Huckle discovered that he likes to swim. You can see him by the kayak, but the yard view is the more comical. If we didn't live on a body of water, he'd be begging me to drive him to the YMCA each day at 6am to join other leisure swimmers in the pool. Leisure is the key word here; he floats around out there for an average of 30 minutes, 2x/day. I never saw a pit bull do such a thing.

Ace was introduced to the Strider bike. Two daredevils at the skate park now? This is going to be good. Champ began work on the boy's bedroom. Bear had his own little space and Ace was still sleeping in our room, but all has changed. They are now in a larger space complete with bunk beds, lots of books, and a closet specifically designed for their height. This too is going to be good.

All was lovely, but the reality is that I'm playing a bit of catch-up now and I feel like you should know that too. The house is toast; laundry is clean, but in everyone's wrong drawers; my computer is slow because it is so backed up with pictures I need to save; I cannot walk across any of our floors without tripping over something. If I was on top of things, I'd take a picture to show you how not on top of things I am- just imagine some and draw camaraderie from that. Eventually it will dawn on me that, in the midst of chaos, I should take a picture so that you and I can both know we are in this together.

Nature always helps, if not heals

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:46:00 +0000

Who cannot be at peace in Nature and it's simple delights on Earth Day? The snow here has just about melted and the animals are beginning to come out to play. I am turning my face to those pleasures today and remembering happy moments from this past week.

{haircuts, the geese are back}

{Practiced using varying shutter speeds through the tips at this photography site.}

{new flooring, "important work" (Montessori term for purposeful activity) after church, lipstick!}

**********************************************************

Moving on will not mean forgetting- so much love to my beloved Boston and it's people...

"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright."
- Henry David Thoreau

A thread of forever and always

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:48:00 +0000

Listen, I won't be offering insight on Boston. The experience was much too visceral and yet comparatively, ours was a fairy tale ending. This blog is not the space to cope and process. Heck, we've mustered up only the briefest oral review for family and friends; it was intense and we seem unable to talk fully about it with any one but those who experienced it. Even then, holding hands in silence and prayer is what comforts us the most as our circle of ten, marathoners and spectators alike, will forever be connected by a hideous, yet kindred thread.

I love Boston with every shivering, pissed off, shocked, determined fiber of my being. It is a palpable ferocity saved for a very select few in my life. It is a love reflecting me at my rawest. My strongest. My most vulnerable. Champ is loved that way, my children are not. They would be crushed under such force and so are on a different kind of list entirely- a safer, more motherly love list; you are more than likely on a version of that list too. Running. Running is on the short list, consequently compounding the roiling landscape of my current mind.

I hear the media has been reporting it's favorite angle of shock and awe. Yes, that was there and need be remembered for the sake of all hurting, terrorized souls. To be blunt, "God bless them" will never be enough. "God help us" barely cuts it. On my knees, desperate, I offer prayers and a parting look at another angle of Boston from the day. Far from that shock and awe and destruction, a step over from even the race and the marathoners, the glory, the passion and despair. The side of the city with a constant hum and a lopsided grin who slaps you on the back and sings "Sweet Caroline" in your ear because it is perennially in a good mood.

I will forever and always love Boston no matter the memories I shoulder from this past Patriot's Day. Much love to all of you in all it's forms.

Beloved Boston

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:54:00 +0000

I would have left this go, but too many of you are worried and I can't put myself to bed just yet anyway. I can confirm that Champ and I and our friends are ok. All finished the Boston Marathon in honorable times (Champ and I spectated this year) and all enjoyed ourselves up until the moments we could not. We had children along. It was intense. We are ok.

I am grateful for our safety and heartbroken over what has happened. I love Boston as fiercely as ever; may God bless over all those involved in the tragedy of today. May God help us heal.

Tell you a secret

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:14:00 +0000

It's not oh so secret at all that I am swamped. We have a fun few days coming up, but in the meantime there is work and packing and cleaning and on and on... bet you have an ever growing list for something, too. I need to do the proper grown up thing and prioritize said list before it swallows me whole.

(Trot contemplates becoming a "grown-up". Verdict: undecided.)

Adieu my friends until the list spits me out on the other side of next week.

xoxoxo,

PS: it was a secret shared among cousins. I know not what was discussed :)

Of mud and ice cream cake

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:21:00 +0000

I'm a bit obsessed lately with birthday candle photography; it's magical to me that a click here and a turn there on my camera can completely change the mood of a picture. It's also cryptic to me as to how much one should crank that dial? I never was great at math, and photography involves such a quantity of numbers and equations that it boggles my mind. To actually enjoy my hobby, I take the "experiment with many different settings until it feels right" approach. So far it's been working well enough and I've actually taught myself a few things along the way. Or maybe it's that my camera is slowly choosing to share some of it's ( I would put a "he" or she" here, but so far the camera's identity remains unclaimed) magic with me.

Champ reports he had a good birthday. It was filled with all his requested favorite things: relaxing moments, junk food, good friends... really good friends who brought steaks to balance out all the Pringles and pizza rolls and Twix and ice cream cake and Toaster Streudels and whatever else forsaken, usually banned from the house food we could get our hands on. Even if hearty, our steak, potato, and salad meal was by far the healthiest dinner we ate all weekend.

Perhaps a few other healthy choices snuck in, but overall it was a weekend full of usual no-nos- enjoyed thoroughly because the luxury was in the rareness and sheer quantity of it all. Yes, it was a birthday that screamed of love and caring for Champ and his health and longevity. Or something like that.

It is beginning to thaw around here revealing hidden objects long forgotten about in the snow, almost like an ever evolving treasure hunt; complete with traps the dogs have planted all around the yard hoping to snare a stray boot or shoe. And the mud, OH THE MUD. Ace lost every battle he fought this week against the mud. There was never a chance he'd win.

The day calls. Stay mud free if you can.

Easter notes

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:18:00 +0000

Our calendar is about to transition from "Easter season" to "Champ's birthday season" (Monday folks, Monday...). It means I need be quick in mentioning Easter footnotes; birthday cake is looming!

It is tradition for my family to take an Easter portrait. We are usually all matchy matchy and grinning our sugary, Easter egg hunt candy smiles. As per tradition, it requires a few takes to get even a decent photo:

Oh, I could keep slapping photos up there as there were plenty of outtakes to choose from, all so stunning in their emotional capture. Can't blame the camera man, aka Dad, for our malfunctions: dogs running in and out of the frame, baby showing off his belly button, all of us vamped up on naughty, but delicious sugar. We settled for these:

Whatever. I'm over it. Perhaps the better woman would say, "Look how accurately our life moments have been captured. These will most certainly be memories some day." Whatever.

*****************************************
Now that I've sacrificed my family for your enjoyment, I leave by mentioning one other member of my family- my Dad. Dad retired on Good Friday (you read that right) and so Easter was a fine balance of solemn observance and eager celebration. Also a jaunt to the Golden Corral which I'm not even going to try and cover here.

The way Dad explains it, retirement sounds quite different than the stereotypical view involving recliners, remotes, and naps. I am glad for that.

(I'll figure out focus one of these days)

You Dad, do not need to sit still as much as you need to: interact with people, play with your grandsons, finish up Mom's ever evolving "honey-do" list, grow the largest tomato ever- the envy of all your neighbors, plan your next cruise, find good deals on camera equipment for your daughter, use your son's law skills to remain playful with your township, enjoy your retirement to it's fullest.

Congratulations, Dad! Keep on playing... now just a bit more at home rather than in the office.

sugar coated paintings

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:46:00 +0000

Bear and I have been on a rainbow color kick ever since St. Patrick's Day; it might have been inspired by the ladder he climbed while trying to find that famous bow of light.

Whatever the reason, we are really into colors right now. It seemed the perfect time to do the M&M painting I read about on Pinterest.

M&M painting supplies: largish bag of M&Ms, paper, paintbrush, paint pots or cups, water.

To begin, Bear sorted his candy into the corresponding cups- gotta love my Fiesta Ware! I added a little bit of water to each cup and then Bear stirred it up.

The M&Ms dissolved to a delightful shade of gray and sank to the bottom of the cup, but the colorful sludgy paint left behind worked quite well and made for some pretty fun artwork. It even dried shiny- an unexpected surprise.

In theory, this should work with Skittles or any other hard shelled candy, but I have no data collected on such things. I can report that a rainbow fruit kabob made for a much prettier, healthier snack than those grey matter, soggy M&Ms.

In case you were wondering...

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:27:00 +0000

~Today at 11:00am~

It's Spring here in Vermont.

Steve Harvey needed me, but I went to the Cape instead

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:30:00 +0000

This past summer my family and I vacationed on Cape Cod like we always do each year. At the same time, the Steve Harvey show called to check my availability for an upcoming show slated to include a segment on baby led weaning- my love. Now this kind of thing? It does not “always” happen. Like ever. Suffice it to say I was thrilled.

This was my chance, my seeming fate to turn a teeny, little blog into a nationwide sensation- all for the love of baby led weaning! I would be following my dream (one of many, many) to make a living writing! Just think of all those babies learning to eat delicious foods! I’d be a Steve Harvey link for friends playing “seven degrees of separation”!

I was directed to look at my schedule while the producers consider if I would be a good fit. I would need to end my vacation early and fly out of Logan to make it in time for taping. It sounded too good to be true, but then, these thoughts: who would go clam digging with my son, Bear? Where would the wife be in this year’s lighthouse picture? Was I willing to pass on Honeydew coffee for some Chicago pizza (a tough call)? My perspective shifted; the cloud of “what in the world is this?!” lifted and just as I realized I had to say no, a producer called to announce flights out of Logan were difficult to come by.

So I went clam digging. We took that lighthouse picture. I sipped coffee and ate my less than glamorous New England pizza with my only thoughts of the show surfacing as Ace housed swordfish and clam chowder like it was his job. My good little baby lead weaner. In the fall, the show ran and I watched it eagerly. Steve Harvey was as funny as ever; the audience cheered. The two knowledgeable baby led weaning women who were showcased did a brave job advocating for our cause and I give them much creed for navigating the murky waters of daytime TV.

Ever heard of the blog “Any Given Moment”? No? Well that’s because I’m still a tiny little site- probably always will be-and yet during the summer of Steve Harvey I discovered that I might not want to run with the big dogs anyway. I think I prefer my small scale life here at our lake, hidden deep in Vermont. And so my tip to you is this: someone may come knocking on your virtual (or otherwise) door someday with an unbelievable offer. Perhaps you will grab it and run like the Dickens, or perhaps you will quietly say no thank you and press the door closed. Either way, fully contemplate that TV show, promotion, free trip… before uttering the “y” word so that you can own your answer and firmly stand behind it. In my case this summer, those fresh clam fritters and salt watery kisses proved to me that I had chosen correctly.

Happy Easter

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Sending you Easter wishes full of God's blessings!

xoxo,

Be brave

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

We unofficially began having Family Home Evenings (FHE) back in 2011. Bear was only 2 way back then and so much has changed! We recently had a trifecta of a dinner and it reminded me that I haven't given a Family Home Evening update in a while.

The triple alignment was:
1. Spring Equinox
2. time for another Family Home Evening
3. Family Motto night

and since all were so close on the calendar together, I figured why not combine them into one killer of an evening. So we did.

Dinner involved shrimp and peas, ice cream brownie sundaes, and a few other foods that make one think of warmer weather. We usually stick to eating with the seasons around here, so all were a bit giddy to have summery choices on the table and say goodbye to the final installments of brussel sprouts for a while (don't fret boys, there are still a few more bags left over from our CSA season).

Nothing can totally convince me that it's truly Spring until all our snow melts, but a festive dinner is a start I suppose. I stopped setting the table to show you the snow out there. See? Not so Springy just yet.

I am using this site to outline our FHE,with tweaks for our own particular needs. This time around we focused on discussing the importance of family and what it means to be a part of our individual family, as well as God's larger family. We discussed the season of Lent too; attention was once again upon the basket on our dinner table.

Ha! Looking at this photo shows how confused I am with my Spring holidays this year. I love St. Patrick's Day, but it is so close to Easter. I opted to combine the two: leprechaun by a rainbow? check. Signs of birth and renewal? Abandoned bird's nest and eggs, check. Golden color to the eggs? Like I said- St Pat's AND Easter. Inside those eggs are 3 reminders for the season: a rosary for prayer, a cracker for fasting, a coin for tithing.

The evening progressed and we eventually got to talking about our family motto for the year- a mission statement of sorts. In full disclaimer, I usually have us do this shortly after the New Year, but this year's been...different. Different in good ways too since this time around Bear was an active participant. His most endearing comments came when offering up possibilities for our motto: love your father and mother! Do not steal!... hmm, can you tell that we've been learning the 10 commandments? In the end we voted on Champ's "Be Brave" as our official motto for the year; a most fitting phrase for us to review in the weeks and months to come.

What kind of traditions do you have?

Bokeh makes me smile

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 01:19:00 +0000

"Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other?"
- George Eliot

May your weekend be all smiles.

For Easter: Preschooler eggshell mosaics

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:03:00 +0000

Remember how earlier this week I said I want to be as up front as possible? Well, for today I'm gonna eat my words: Family! Friends! If you will be seeing Bear over Easter do not continue to read (and pretend like you haven't seen the blog picture) unless you totally want to ruin your Easter surprise; maybe even make a 4 year old cry. Stop reading right now!
*******************************************

We eat a lot of eggs around here, hence a lot of eggshells. I wanted to come up with an Easter craft to use up all those shells, but my searches online didn't quite find what I was looking for. Sure, there are lots of places that mention using eggshells to create mosaic art, but nothing specific to "Easter" and "four year old". I decided to change the data on that kind of search...

Easter eggshell mosaics

eggshells
cardstock in pastel colors
tacky glue
typewriter (optional)
dyes for eggshells (optional)

Save up some eggshells over a period of a few days. Rinse them, peel off the inner membrane, and allow to dry. To give you a rough estimate: Bear made 17 mosaics in all and had about 1/4C worth of eggshells for each of the 6 colors we used. If you decide to dye them, skip the drying step until after color has been added. We dyed some of ours with food colors and others by trying out a few homemade dyes. (I only soaked the shells for 1 hour).

I printed out simple Easter images on cardstock and trimmed them down to about postcard size. If you aren't a wiz at drawing, go right ahead and download the images I used.

Easter images for the eggshell mosaics

Once the materials were all prepped, I set it up so that each eggshell color was in a different container. The templates and glue were close by. I added the glue to each picture and then Bear filled in with the shells. Once filled, he went back and gently crunched down the eggshells with his fingers so that all came in contact with the glue. This was a very satisfying part of the craft.

To label them, Bear typed his name a bunch of times on the typewriter and I tapped out "happy easter". We cut them down into mini labels, then glued on to the mosaics. You can see how it looks in that first picture.

They came out quite snappy and cute. I especially like that we reused our eggshells for this most appropriate holiday. There would be something lacking in an eggshell mosaic of a Christmas tree, but on a chick, duck, bunny's drum, and cross? Perfect!

My awesome teeth

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:22:00 +0000

It finally hit. Daily life has been busy so I've sidestepped, pretending not to notice, but the question boomed in my head repeatedly enough that it needed to be acknowledged. Right around that same time I admitted a few of my teeth really really hurt, but hold that thought for now.

Oooh Neapolitan how I've missed you! It's been too long since I've been to an Italian pastry shop.

It's been over 3 years and questions of my blogging have now bubbled to the surface. What am I doing here? Do I want to keep at it? Blah, blah, blah- just all the usual things long term bloggers eventually ponder and I was mucking about in it looking for a guiding star (asterisk since it's keyboard related?).

Know what else I've missed? Perfect pizza and Connecticut has it- along with cute little boys.

I do like this creative space. I keep it honest and true with most negativity quelled and posts typically pleasant. I do it because that's pretty much who I am and I want the blog to reflect that. But then because of that, because it's "pretty much" but not totally who I am, this blog doesn't always house my voice. It falls flat at times, dull. I post three recipes in a row because I'm having a tough go of it but don't dare type because my family might worry, or even worse, feel the need to kick into action because of something I wrote. Oh family and friends this is not your fault! How dare I speak of being too loved, too cared for. But you do know what I mean, don't you all? If Bear or Ace were ever to express certain such things I'd jump in an instant.

This adorable gal I recently got to know quite well.

Anyway, my life is cheery to begin with and I see (oh how I see) I've got it good even when severely distracted with this or that. I'd just like to push my trembling walk on this tightrope a little further toward raw honesty rather than simple truth. Figure out a balance of who I truly, truly am- recipes still included.

So on that note, ahem, I would like to tell you I recently spent some time in an oral surgeon's office. Sure the surgery part of that sentence is there, but the read between the lines part that always sucks the life out of me is: we don't have dental insurance (although it's not important in this case). There's a reason to tell this story. Champ has a most treasured friend from high school. His name is Steve and because I was dating Champ in high school, Steve became one of my most treasured friends too. That boy's been in school an awful long time, but dedication pays off and now he's an oral surgeon and this story just got good because this past Friday he was MY oral surgeon.

My oral surgeon shared his Legos with Bear.

We pulled up to the practice and saw his name on the placard and I teared up because we know how hard he's worked and because we are so proud of him and because HOLY COW he was about to work on my teeth. I had traveled to Connecticut for this procedure, but hadn't seen the circle so fully until that moment of recognition- this was sooo not just about my darn teeth.

My oral surgeon also knows how to build leprechaun traps.

We stayed at his house afterwards (wait, you don't stay with your oral surgeon afterward? ) and had a marvelous time. It must have been good because I remember quite a bit of it even through my post procedure fog. I remember his amazing wife C (by now a most treasured friend in her own right, xoxo) and their deliciously perfect baby, A. Actually, it was probably the most enjoyable way one could imagine to recover from dental work: caring friends, newborn baby snuggles, and St. Patrick's Day antics providing humor all help to sum up my grateful heart and healing mouth.

Thank you, Steve.

I mean it.

Why Legos instead of giant, easy to see dinosaurs?

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:51:00 +0000

First off - those doughnut pictures of the kids over there. Fasnacht Day and Lent go hand and hand to me, so doughnuts it is. I did grown up in Pennsylvania Dutch country after all.
********************************************

There are projects going on all around this house. The ones I see and focus on usually involve cleaning of a sort, a meal waiting to be assembled, hodgepodge about to be turned into a learning activity for Bear. Champ has his projects, but they are shadowy, hard to find. Most are in the depths of his workshop, but they occasionally turn up in the main house. A galvanized metal magnetic board recently materialized and I was delighted. My desire had been one seen on Pinterest, but as usual Champ topped it; wrapping the metal around the whole wall rather than a picture frame prototype I had shown him. The lesson here is to leave Champ's projects undisturbed because they are usually for me.

Bear's projects I disturb. A lot. I didn't understand about Legos until Champ gently filled me. Those piles everywhere? projects. The pieces I trip over going up the stairs? part of a project. Even the random bits piled on his bed that he has no problem sleeping on top of? Most important project.

My mind is not trained to understand these things, it screams "Mess!!! Must pick up!" whenever I am on the Lego trail. I often have to use one hand to hold the other one back from reaching to pick up the colorful bricks of chaos. My teeth clamp down hard over my tongue before I can shout out angrily about the @$%^! that I just stepped on.

Above all, patience and understanding is what God had in mind for me to learn when I because a Mama. I'm still learning, which is why I don't have the stomach to discuss Ace's version of projects with you right now.

I leave you with this: the past 2 weeks have been full of projects. And really projects, in adult lingo, can mean all that menial, but still pretty important stuff you have to get done each day. It turns into the purest definition when you don't get it done on said day and then have to carry it over into the next day. I am currently working on many, many projects.

Oatmeal birthday cakes

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:49:00 +0000

Winter break ended in much the same way it started, with a birthday party. I wrap the memories with a bow around all the remembered feelings of gratitude and utter happiness for the bonds of friendship I am so lucky to have. Birthdays are the beads on our malas and rosaries that are shiny and bright; larger than usual size and of a familiar, yet spectacular, texture. They beg to not be passed over without pause and celebration.

This winter break ended and I was honored looking back on all the wonder of these past days, months and realizing ours is the space friends and family chose time and time again to celebrate at. Humbled is a good word too since truly all we provide is cake and some conversation, and yet they keep coming, keep calling, keep wanting to share their most special moments in our presence. So to sum it up... break was good.

Sterling died last year on February 29th. Even though that date was nonexistent this year, I missed her and I got angry at myself for considering the date some sort of "anniversary" and then crying over it. Why do we do such things to ourselves? I do not want to celebrate anniversaries of death, rather memories of life and not on a designated day, but this year my mind had other plans. There was that birthday cake though, and friends remember? You see, my friends have my back as much as I have theirs. Don't be thinking it's any other way.
*********************************************
During our time at home, Bear firmly fell in love with Robin Hood: it nicely complements his developing interest in knights and castles and his aim with the bow is getting better such that the dogs don't cringe if an arrow (dull and without a true tip, but still!) wizes by.

Huckle was neutered. That's all I'll write about that. He also doesn't respond well to Jedi mind tricks since no amount of influence could convince him that standing on the glass roof to see inside the living room was probably not a great idea. A bowl of oatmeal got him back inside and settled comfortably around his stitches.

About that oatmeal!!!! I followed up on all the accolades I was reading online and packed up some homemade instant oatmeal packets. OH WOW! We are oatmeal eaters here, I usually make a big pot of it or use the crock pot, but dear Champ most prefers instant oatmeal and he had taken to buying packets to take to school over the winter. Well, since I perpetually mess with his food choices, it was inevitable I'd tackle oatmeal. The verdict is: even if Champ decides to stick with store bought (it's fine honey darling), the boys and I are going to have some of these packets on hand for quick breakfasts or snacks because they are so darn yummy!

I began with the basic instant oatmeal recipe from here and then tweaked it just a bit with: organic instant oats and by using both brown and coconut sugar. I did go with a version of instant creamer because I wanted to see how the recipe would play out, but in the future I might at least switch to instant milk to keep some of those pesky preservatives out. It made a little over 20 generously filled packets which I then flavored individually. Some ideas came from here, but mostly I just used what I had on hand in my cupboards since all manners of spices and dried fruits will work. In the end, I made:

apple cinnamon (dried apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon)
cinnamon roll (raisins, ground pecans, 1/4t cinnamon per packet, sprinkle of vanilla powder. *If you don't have vanilla powder, you could use vanilla extract or vanilla sugar.*)
cranberry orange (cranberries, orange zest, a drop of fiori di sicilia)
strawberry banana (dried strawberries and bananas, sprinkle of vanilla sugar)

Enjoy the day by having an unbirthday party complete with cake and oatmeal. Be sure to invite your friends.

Week to come

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:14:00 +0000

Prezzy Weekend has come and gone. It was busy as usual, but held glimmering moments of family time. That, coupled with visiting friends, made it perfectly wonderful.

We made it to the mountain to ski. AS AN ENTIRE FAMILY UNIT. Hallelujah.

Spent some time exploring our woods and frolicking around outside. There was celebrating to be done too; there are always things to celebrate and smile about:

like birthdays. And setting Huckle up for a picture since he had jumped onto the chair, yawned, and asked for food anyway. That's the way to train a dog, right?
This week is winter break for 3 out of 4 of us in the household (guess which one is still working so very hard?), I'm also going to take a break from this space for a little while.

untutu I talk to you again, find things to smile about.

xoxo,

If I told you they didn't actually eat that many...

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:37:00 +0000

"Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty."* Lora Brody

Happy Valentine's Day.
May it be sweet.

Items of note

noreply@blogger.com (T.J.) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Books. Lately, a few have been circling my shelves: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua (to open my mind to other parenting perspectives. Upon it's conclusion, I determined that I am decidedly not a Tiger Mother), Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (aha, I see why this book swept the nation), and The Constant Princess (abridged) by Phillippa Gregory. Reviews on this one are wishy washy, but I personally found it to be lovely. Perhaps it was because I listened to it on CD during a recent trip with the boys; it was so cozy to cruise down the highway with an accented narrator reading to me while Bear and Ace dozed in the back and I sipped a coffee*. What mama wouldn't love that?

The way I most enjoy reviewing history is through historical fiction. I understand that not all information is accurate and that an author will always put his or her spin on things, but regardless, I'm happiest learning about such history as the Tudor dynasty through a novel. So that's what I read. And I greatly enjoyed it- to the point that I spent some time on the internet connecting the dots of Tudor*Boleyn*King Henry*Catherine of Aragon. Such fun. Next up "The Other Boleyn Girl" also by Gregory, or if I don't feel like crosschecking historical facts, perhaps "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" by Alison Weir. What are you reading these days?
*********************************************

We missed Champ on this trip, but the mountain had snow and he had to work. Problem is, the new nephew was born and I simply just had to meet him.

New nephew is the one in stripes.

And this guy is his actual father, not Darth Vader (all for you, K). I tried to smuggle my nephew back to Vermont; I even promised to play him a book on CD, but his parents said no. Oh well, all the more reason for me to return. I simply have to see that wee man and his amazing sisters again soon.

*life is not always serene in the car when driving solo. Please note.