Grass stained knees

sad news and water fun

Thought you might want to know how the bird saga played out...Yesterday morning started with Jon waking me around 7 to tell me that the snake was sleeping IN the fern, the fern which was of course now boasting an empty nest. I promised I wouldn't post pictures of the empty nest and the lumpy snake and so there is none. Quite honestly, I didn't even see the snake. I told my sweet husband to please remove the fern with the snake still inside and place it far into the woods so our paths had no chance of crossing because I was terribly afraid of what might become of the awful creature if I actually laid eyes on it. Let's just say that I have a machete and I'm not afraid to use it.

As I stood at the kitchen window looking out at where the fern had hung I saw the mama and papa bird flying around the crime scene, back and forth, back and forth, then stopping to perch on a branch. There they sat, heads turning side to side with such puzzled faces...looking, looking for the fern and their lost babies. They were so obviously confused and bereft. The whole thing still makes me sad.

Now for the happy.

The boys have been having a great time getting reacquainted with the hose and their old friend the wading pool this week. It is truly amusing to see that it is still such a hit. Seriously. They have gotten so big and it has become so small by comparison that it is little more than a puddle for jumping, but my goodness sometimes big fun is packed into tiny things!

They watched Nemo this morning for the first time in about a year. Hence the reason for the mask- lots of reenactments of P.Sherman's dive. This proves tricky in 3 inches of water.

Then it just turned into a splash pit.

Look at that smile, pure joy on that boys face. Does he look like he's in need of a sandwich or what? Man he's a skinny little thing. If he would just stop shooting up so fast and maybe slow down the pace of his running around, he might actually maintain some of those calories we stuff into him all day long.

Well, while the boys enjoyed the pool I managed to get some packing done today. In the morning we are off on a road trip adventure. We shall be gone for two whole weeks. It's very unlikely that we will have access to the computer while we are away so I'm pretty sure things will be quiet here for a while.

We will see you when we return with tales of adventure from the road.

Be well friends! 

yard report

So it's springtime here. That means lots of bird nests filled with sweet little piles of blue speckled eggs are all over our yard. It always tickles me to watch the mama and the papa birds scurrying around, during the construction process. I can almost hear that mama bird fussing at her man, complaining about how the twigs and pine-straw he brings back will never do and then I imagine her shouting in a huff  Oh, I'll just do it myself!, the whole scene reminds me of this book.

What we learned last spring, is that the arrival of the springtime bird nest building means the arrival of something much less amusing or wonderful.....

It is impossible for me to articulate for you what happens to me when I walk around the corner in my yard, minding my own business, thinking about gardens and fresh air and perhaps what's for dinner and nearly step on this. Honestly, I'm sure it would be funny if caught on video because my reaction is always the same, let's just say it involves a whole little screaming at the top of my lungs and dancing legs with flailing arms routine, which you would think would send the creepy creature running for his life, but maybe snakes don't have good ears? The thing is that snakes undo me. I can do spiders, any bug really, and worms and live fish on a hook and frogs and toads but snakes....UGH. Horrible. They make my skin completely crawl! Look at the way it's body looks like it has swallowed a bed spring, the whole coiling body, shiny, scaly skin. It makes me want to wretch.

This is a shot of "Gavin" who was named by Samuel last spring. He is totally harmless and incredibly long, not much less than 5 feet in length. Apparently I am supposed to be happy about his presence in our yard because they are territorial and keep the copperheads away, or so the legend says. And believe me copperheads and the thought of my small children being bitten by one of them while they are happily playing is not good, not good at all, so if Gavin and his friends keep the copperheads at bay, then I have resigned to try to make peace with their presence. Even if I can't shake the feeling that they are a creature of Satan. I'm pretty sure that I learned that in bible school, you did too right?

These are the babies who hatched out of the eggs from the photo above. They are about 2 weeks old and living in the fern hanging by the back door. The boys and I call them "our birdies" and have been peeking on their progress for weeks now. My how they have grown and become incredibly loud, screaming for snacks at all hours of the day. We have watched the mama and papa running back and forth trying to appease their appetites, trying to satisfy the chorus of peep, peeps. Well I guess we weren't the only ones who heard the chorus....

So this is the scene that met my eyes this afternoon. See what I mean about the coiliness of that body, does it make you want to gag too? This is not Gavin, he's much too short. There he was perched on the railing directly under our baby birds. This is the exact same scene that played out last year. Last year's snake was relentless in it's pursuit, and I'm pretty sure he actually got his meal because one day the birds were happy and screaming in their warm nest, the next day there was only silence.

Well, it didn't seem right to stand idly by and do nothing ( I would not make a good National Geographic photographer....) so I went to the screen door, mind you that puts the beast about 2 feet from me and yelled loudly, nothing. I banged things, nothing. Do you know what I had to do....I had to get a broom and literally uncoil his nasty self from the railing. He dropped down onto the patio and guess what? Ten minutes later I saw him slithering right into the crawl space vent under the house.  Blahhhhhh!!!! I guess we will have to see if the babies are still in their nest this morning and if we are so lucky, snake patrol will continue today. Oh, Joy.

Since I have probably already ruined your breakfast anyway, it seems only fitting that I should share with you a photo of this amazing specimen, found a few weeks ago. He was so giant, like 3 inches around. Pretty amazing huh? You know what....if I could make some sort of deal with mother nature to ensure that we never, ever had to see another snake in our yard, I'd be happy to have 100 of these guys crawl all over my body. No kidding, I hate snakes that much.

breath of fresh air

Ahh...did you hear that? It was a sigh of relief.

There has been a shift in the air here, both figuratively and literally. The jasmine in the yard is in full bloom and with temperatures creeping into the mid 80's the last several afternoons, it's almost as if the blooms are simmering in the sunshine, infusing everything with their sweetness. The scent is pervasive, almost overpowering outside, but I've found it creeping into the house too, in places like the kitchen window while doing dishes, or waltzing through the screened door while sitting in the playroom. It sneaks up on you ever so subtlety, embracing you like a warm, sweet hug. It's really wonderful. I wish there were some magical way to capture it and send you just a whiff. I'm pretty certain it would make your day!   

Since Friday and the closing ceremonies at preschool, there has been a gentle shift in the mood here as well. We are officially on summer time. No more outside obligations, welcome relaxed mornings, no more rushing through breakfast, goodbye scurrying to find shoes, we are on our own time. All of a sudden it feels like there isn't a care in the world except to just enjoy the moment and each other. We took advantage of our leisure to pull over and watch the horses in the field near our house. There are two new foals this spring. We have marveled at them numerous times while zooming on our way to other places. Suddenly it feels like there is lots of time to just pull over and observe all sorts of things. Hurray for that!

We had a really great weekend. Saturday morning started out fantastically with a score of 2 lbs. of fresh organic asparagus from our favorite store. I came right home and made the freshest, most delicious asparagus soup. Oh, it's good, really good, smooth, creamy and flavorful but not overpowering in an asparagus way. Don't fret, I'm about to share the recipe with you so you can taste it yourself, and you will be so happy you did, I promise! We also enjoyed quite a bit of gardening time and visiting with some dear friends who we hadn't seen in much too long. I managed to get some sewing done, something for myself even. I'll share with you soon. It all finished up with a fresh strawberry pie this evening. I know you're probably thinking that's a lot of pie in as much as one week, but really it just seems wrong not to take advantage of those berries while they are at their peak.

I hope you all enjoyed your own wonderful weekend as well!

Cream of Asparagus Soup  (Adapted from this recipe )

1 pound fresh asparagus, One 48 oz container chicken stock, 3 Tbsp butter, 3 leeks (whites only, well rinsed), 3 cloves garlic minced, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 C heavy cream

Trim the tips from the asparagus. Cut the woody stems from each spear and reserve. Cut the remaining stalks into 1/2 inch pieces. In a medium pot, bring the chickens stock and the woody stems to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard, reserving the stock.

In a medium stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped asparagus stalks, salt and pepper and continue cooking, while stirring for an additional 2 minutes. Add the reserved broth and simmer until the asparagus are very tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat.

With a hand immersion blender or in the food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Return to medium heat and add the cream and reserved tips. Cook, stirring until the soup is warmed through, about 3-5 additional minutes.   

Still breathing

Ugh. This. week. I can not believe it is Wednesday evening already. My apologies for the disappearing act around here, all I can say is it's hectic here and I can't seem to get myself in front of the eight ball. Preschool finishes up on Friday and it feels like there are a million events packed into these last few days. Samuel has been battling a fever for the last two days, which would make it seem like life would slow down, except that really all it has meant is that I have been running around in the evenings trying to play catch up and get errands done as we were home bound all day. I'm trying to prepare for an upcoming trip, one that will have us traveling for two weeks at least. Trying to schedule dog sitters and car check-ups and all those other leaving town necessities, it's all making my mind feel crowded and exhausted.

There's no way to sugar coat it, the last few days have left me feeling pretty grumpy. The end of school for Samuel has me in such a weird place emotionally. I can not believe he will no longer be a "preschooler". It seems like yesterday that he was walking through the front gate on his first day, three years old, his first venture away from home and us. It feels like someone just slapped me in the face, screaming Hey, your kid is almost 6, and by the way, he's growing up! I know I'm supposed to celebrate these milestones, but sometimes, truthfully they just leave me feeling plain old melancholy. Not to mention the fact that The Schoolhouse is one of those places where I wish he could go and play forever. I'm heartbroken for him that after Friday it will no longer be his play space anymore, and I'm dreading the moment that this fact actually downs on him. It's going to be an ugly moment.

On the other hand, the end of the school year means that my time on the board of directors is coming to a close. I can't lie and say that I'm not relieved. It has been a really rewarding experience, and I have made some really great friends along the way, but it has proved to be much more time consuming than I could have ever anticipated. So it will be really nice to feel like my full focus can once again be the family and our life here at home. Of course the end of school also means the beginning of summer. While summer is my very least favorite season weather wise, it is my favorite time of the year as far as the pace of our life is concerned. I'm really ready to embrace getting up late and letting our days play out any which way they choose. I'm also looking forward to some visiting and traveling, So for all of that I'm grateful.

On a completely unrelated note, Caleb has been spending tons of time painting. Hence the photo above. He has become a little painting machine. A million times a day he appears at my side, his little voice asking Can I paint please? If you popped in on us this week you would most likely find him on the back porch rolling layer upon layer of paint all over the dry erase board on the outdoor easel. And today, the back door, the picnic table, his brother and the dog. good times. All I can say is thank goodness for washable paint!

Gracious, this post has become incredibly wordy....if you are even still reading at this point, thanks for bearing with me while I vent.  I hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Edited to add: This just in....it turns out there was strep throat at the birthday party we attended on Saturday. I guess it is safe to say that a trip to the pediatrician will be had tomorrow.

kitchen news, the strawberry kind

Yesterday felt like Thanksgiving. I stood at my kitchen counter from about 8:30 in the morning until the moment dinner was loaded onto our plates and we sat down to hold hands and count our blessings for the day. I awoke with the intention to wash and hull the berries from our trip to the farm. I was also hopeful to create a strawberry pie for my dear husband, who really enjoys himself some strawberry pie. It seemed like a good full morning's worth of kitchen time. I'm not sure how the rest of it happened. I suppose it started with a request for pancakes for breakfast. I couldn't think of a good reason why not, so we made pancakes. This was followed by an impulsive desire to bake fresh bread. It sort of felt like I would be in the kitchen anyway, wouldn't it be nice to have some bread baking? Then it was time to make the pie crust. Even if you don't make pie, do yourself a favor and go to the link, write down the recipe and stow it away for that day, someday in the future, when you are called upon to bring pie to someone's house for dinner. I promise you will be so grateful you did. It is the only pie crust recipe I ever use because it is by far the best, flakiest, easiest to make pie crust ever.

Here is a glimpse of our finished pie. Can I just say...... hooray for this pie!!

It needs to be said that I am not a pie girl. I am a cake girl. I am a moist and chewy cookie girl. I will choose chocolate over fruit every time, but this pie was stupendous! It was the most amazing combination of sweet, juicy berries and salty, buttery crust. Add the bonus of fresh whipped cream on top of that and it becomes a little slice of heaven. Truly. I've never made a strawberry pie before. If you would like to try it yourself the recipe can be found here, with of course the crust recipe from above (prebaked). You will be so happy you did.

After the pie was assembled and setting up in the fridge, I looked at the giant pile of berries still staring at me and I thought...... maybe some jam. I've never attempted jam before. I tried this recipe. I'm not sure if it was me or the recipe but I found that it needed to cook twice as long as called for in order to achieve any bit of thickness. My impression at this point is that it might be more suited as an ice cream topping rather than something to be spread on toast but it has a lovely, yummy flavor.

I must say that as I stood at the stove stirring a bubbling pot of homemade jam, with the warm smell of fresh bread in the air, I began to feel like maybe, just maybe, I was the littlest bit worthy of the company of those church ladies that we shared the strawberry patch with. And that kind of feeling makes spending the entire day in the kitchen seem worth it, to me anyway.

Happy Friday everyone!   

strawberry adventure

You know you have hit the height of spring when you are standing in the middle of the strawberry patch with that familiar carton in hand. This was our morning yesterday. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and warm, but not too hot with the perfect amount of breeze. We joined other mama's and small children, grandmothers and grandkids, with a large helping of church ladies tossed in for good measure, all searching for the perfect berries to fill our baskets. Sticky fingers, drippy chins, muddy knees and everyone debating how many more could fit into the baskets, already overflowing. There was faint chatter, mainly from the church ladies, of strawberry pie, strawberry jam, strawberry shortcake and who had the most legendary recipes for each. Farm fresh berries, plump and juicy and warmed in the sun. I ask you, is there anything better?   

Now the question remains, what will our tasty treasures become? Ah, what a tasty dilemma.

A mother's gratitude

Today, on this day that mothers are remembered and celebrated, I find myself remembering with gratitude all the women in my life who have ever "mothered" me. Of course my own mother sits at the top of that list, but along with her, countless others who have nurtured my spirit, embraced me with friendship, offered compassion, shared their wisdom and taught me innumerable skills. They are the people who have helped to mold me into the person I am today. It is because of them that I am the least bit prepared for the monumental task of raising my own children. 

Of course this day has me overflowing with gratitude for the gift of my boys whose very existence, grants me the privilege of calling myself a mother. On a daily basis they teach and challenge me, one minute testing me to my limits and the next, filling me with unspeakable joy. Being their mother has changed me forever. It is the very best gift. I am incredibly blessed.

As it turned out, this day was less than ideal. The weather was rainy and despite the best laid plans, Jon ended up with a migraine, forcing him to spend most of the day in bed. So instead of a day filled with pampering and celebration, it felt much like any other, and not the best. These clouds are a glimpse of the stormy skies that passed over our house this afternoon. We spent a small bit of time huddled in the pantry as a tornado passed about 5 minutes south of our house. I have to say, not much strikes fear in a mama's heart like the words of the weather forecaster announcing that a giant whirling tornado is 15 minutes west of your home, traveling straight for it, and advising you to please take shelter.

Thankfully, we were spared, but my mind keeps coming back to those families who weren't as lucky this weekend. There's not much like mother nature's fury to remind you just how tenuous life is. But tonight, I go to bed feeling grateful for the small and the large blessings in our life.

I hope you all had a mothers day filled with moments that made you feel appreciated, cherished and grateful for your own blessings, both large and small.

morning bike ride

It occurred to me yesterday that there are only about 3 weeks of preschool left. This means that in 3 weeks Caleb and I will loose our mornings alone. For as much as we both love to have Samuel with us, it does feel special to just be the two of us. I can't say that our alone time is packed with amazing adventure, often just errands or chores, but it's just us, which makes it different. Usually, a book or two gets read or a train track gets built between laundry loads or funny little chats happen while rolling around the aisles of a store. We both enjoy the opportunity for him to bask in my undivided attention.

So yesterday with great intention we set out on a little biking adventure. (don't worry mom, I wore a helmet. This photo was taken the day we brought the bike home) With juice cup in hand and camera in the backpack, we set off down the road and stopped many times to capture things along the way.

While many of the things we saw were things we see everyday, much of it could only be appreciated on the back of a bike...the cool breeze on your cheeks, the scent of green grass in the air, the warmth of the sun on your arms. By far, the best was the joy of taking it all in, together with my boy. Just the two of us. 

Weekend notes

bare feet swinging in the breeze.....

a giant pile of worms diligently accumulated by our little men.....

a stolen opportunity to scoot down to the pond for some alone time with my boy.....turns out he is much more open for deep discussion with a rod and reel. Good to know.

Nice catch....papa. Yeah that's right, Samuel and I spent an hour without a single bite. Jon came down for 5 minutes to retrieve us for dinner and reeled this in. I guess I should be grateful, I'm still trying to convince him that fishing is fun!

a sweet photo of Caleb enjoying a snack at a street festival on Saturday....just because I could gobble him up.

May Day

Yesterday was the May Day/ Mother's day celebration at preschool. Our preschool is a wonderful, magical place every single day of the year but May Day is by far, the very best day ever. Sunshine, flower crowns, little girls in dresses, silky ribbons, children's laughter, the sweet melody of the flute in the air, the whole thing feels like a fairy tale, like a leprechaun might jump out from behind a tree and start granting wishes or something. It is a beautiful celebration of spring, flowers, music, mothers and all the wonder that is childhood.