Pancake Artist

This morning I made pancakes decorated with chocolate chips for the girls. Caitlin likes it when I use the chips to make smiley faces. Sometimes you get a chip that is a little misshapen. I happened to have dropped one oddly shaped chip as one of the eyes of the smiley face. That face came out looking really weird. In fact, he looked a little sinister, like maybe a criminal mastermind. Or, maybe I just need more sleep.

Merry Christmas

The family and I had a wonderful Christmas this year. I loved the gifts I got but my favorites were the ones I gave. For my family I got Gwen & Caitlin's preschool handprints framed. For my brother, I sent him on a scavenger hunt with money inside each clue envelope. For my husband, I got him the DVD "Julie & Julia" and the book Polar Obsession. The children got too much fun stuff to be named. And I was delighted that Gwen decided to give gifts with her own money this year. I got delicious peppermint drops and Caitlin and Jeff got chocolate.

Mother Nature & Heavenly Peace

Mother Nature snowed us in with a good foot and a half of snow today. The errands I was supposed to run, the dance and Kung Fu lessons I was supposed to take the kids to, the cookies I had to make for visitor's day to the ballet class, the party tonight and the entree I was supposed to make for it, all cancelled. It was almost as if Mother Nature sat on me and said "You're not going anywhere." Instead, I stayed in my PJs for a really long time, I finished a mystery novel, I drank my coffee, made a snow angel, I caught up on my laundry and I worked on a knitting project. It used to be that being snowed in was a chore, now I think I love snow days.

Later, dude!

I hated saying goodbye to Sally tonight. We had so much fun together: doing a little window shopping in Old Ellicott City, watching movies, visiting museums, going to my favorite cafes, swapping books, singing old songs out loud in the car, and overusing the word "dude."

Sally, stay safe over there, and hurry back. There is lots more fun to be had together. And the family room is all yours! Thanks for visiting with us!

Pardon me, Mr. Warrior, have you seen my skin anywhere?

Sally and I visited the Terra Cotta Warrior exhibit at the National Geographic building in DC today. The exhibit was amazing, truly amazing. To think that now, over 2000 years later, modern people cannot reliably create and fire pottery pieces the size of the horses that were found at the excavation site. And the warriors were so detailed, each one unique! The attention to detail was outstanding. I highly recommend the audio tour, both Sally and I got a lot out of it. The final warrior on exhibit was fantastically detailed and realistic as well. I stepped up to take a good look at his armor because, oddly enough, he was not surrounded by an exhibit rail and you could get quite close. As I lean in to inspect the armor details, the warrior suddenly moves! I practically jumped out of my skin. (I may have screamed a bit too, but my recollection is a little hazy.) It was an actor and a darn good one at that. Sally was back a little ways and admits that she jumped too. But then she just stood and snickered while I tried to get a normal heartbeat going again. At least she's a doctor. I'm sure if I actually went into cardiac arrest she would have stopped laughing long enough to do a little CPR. Maybe.

A Tale Requiring a Stiff Coffee and Possibly Therapy

Now that my hands are steady enough to type, I'll reveal my latest trauma. It started out simply enough, I was to go take the bird netting off the blueberry bushes. We had left it on by accident, it is almost invisible actually, at least until it is covered with snow and you can see all the valleys and peaks of the netting. So, I start to remove the net. It is not as easy as it sounds, the snow has frozen on bits of it so it is covered with small icebergs, chunks of mulch, sticks, AND ... a frozen, deeply entangled snake. Yes, snake. I wish I were joking here. Shudder.

So I extract the net from around the bushes and try to pry the snake out with a long stick. Bits of snake peel off, but the snake is still really really stuck. So, using a garden knife (and making little girl shrieky noises) I extricate the snake and whip it, via long stick as far into the brambles as possible.

And now I am having a cup of coffee to sooth my nerves. I think large quantities of chocolate might be required before I can move on from this dreadful experience. Shudder. Again.

St. Nick is just awesome. Not only does that big guy magic himself down a chimney, he gets really wholesome treats. And, my kids being equally awesome, they loved everything he brought. Here is a list: a piece of fruit, a mini-bag of chocolate chip cookies, chocolate coins, a book, two Christmas-themed pencils, a pair of wool socks (just in time for the snow) and a pair of handmade felted-wool mittens. Nicky must like Etsy just as much as I do.

In other news, I have decided that my imaginary farm is going to get a pair of alpacas. OMG, those guys are so cute. Jeff can name the goats, but I'm going to name these guys. They will never be dinner.

Fireplace

Today Caitlin had a Nutcracker performance at the Fairhaven Retirement Community. The residents loved having our company perform for them, they were so appreciative. And after having travelled through snowy roads and more snow coming down, there and back, both of us were so tired. We curled up at the fireplace and read books together. For a while, Gwen practiced her cello for us and, maybe I'm prejudiced, but I think the girl sounds pretty good. It was just so lovely and pleasant. Then Caitlin and I curled up on the couch watching a nature documentary with Jeff & Gwen. (BTW, it was a little graphic on the mating habits of hedgehogs, but I digress.) And with Caitlin curled up literally on top of me, we both fell sound asleep. And now that both girls are tucked soundly in their beds, there is a good chance that St. Nick is going to come and leave a few treats in their stockings.

Harping for the Howard County Nature Conservancy

It has been years since I played the harp in public, but I got talked into playing for the Howard County Nature Conservancy's Winter Craft Show. Just as I arrived, a light fluffy snow started falling. When I went in, they positioned me right by the back window. I got to play my harp, looking through the strings to the snow dusting the trees and fields of the nature preserve. I usually feel incredibly tense playing in front of an audience but this time I felt so relaxed, so peaceful. I felt really connected to the music. It was one of my best performances ever.

In Poor Taste

We were driving through lovely farmland on the way to cut our Christmas tree and daydreaming about moving to a house with enough land to raise a few chickens. I suggested that perhaps we get a few miniature goats as well. And my meat-loving husband said to his vegetarian wife, "Sure, if we can name it Tasty!"

Fairy on the Shelf

I decided to give the "Elf on the Shelf" tradition a go in our house. Only, I wasn't about to buy some cheesy made-in-China-of-who-knows-what-materials elf. So, I got the winter fairy from Magic Cabin, my favorite natural toy catalog. She is so gorgeous, with a light blue sweater and the softest white hair ever. Her name is Crystal Tinselfrost. So, last night I put her on the shelf intending to surprise the girls in the morning. Well, this morning, as I tried to inform the girls that Santa's elf/fairy was going to keep an eye on them, I was promptly informed that I was sadly mistaken. Their points were as follows:

a. This was a fairy doll from Magic Cabin. They know that blasted catalog from cover to cover. This fairy simply did not escape their notice. Any they would like to know where all her accessories are.

b. She doesn't have a real mouth and therefore won't be reporting anything to anyone.

c. Knee and elbow joints are made of buttons, further proof of her not realness.

d. Santa's elves are tiny and invisible. Everyone knows this. As this doll is a good 12 inches and clearly visible, she is NOT, repeat NOT one of Santa's elves.

e. If she is an elf on the shelf and may not be touched, then they can't play with her. This is bad. They sneakily started small. Could they make a house for her out of blocks? (Sure.) Could they make a pillow for her? (Sure.) Could they put her in the house with the pillow? (ok) Can they keep her out to play with forever and FOREVER and not just at Christmas time, please, please, please mom, PLEASE. (oh, good heavens)

I think I lost. We have no elf on the shelf. We have a new fairy toy and her name is Laura.

Thanksgiving

I would like to give sincere thanks that Gwen and I were able to attend our Thanksgiving Feast. Steve & Michelle and their daughters Alex and Elizabeth came over for dinner, but Gwen and I were not there to greet them. We were at Howard County Hospital's pediatric emergency room. Gwen swallowed a piece of apple (sliced with the skin peeled off) without chewing it. It got lodged in her esophagus and hurt like the dickens. She also keep spitting up. We tried water and eating a piece of bread, but that just came choking back up. So it was off to the emergency room we went. Gwen had a CT scan to confirm an obstruction in her esophagus. Yes, it was there and distinctly apple-slice shaped. However, after being in the hospital for about two hours, listening to me read Little House in the Big Woods, and relaxing a bit in the dimly lit room, the apple piece finally went down. She sat up suddenly and said, "I don't feel it anymore." We stayed there long enough to drink and eat a bit and verify that food was staying down and then they released us. We made it home in time to have dinner with our friends and for that both Gwen and I are truly thankful.

My Personal Stylist

While I was putting the breakfast dishes away this morning, Caitlin swished into the room to show me the ensemble that she had put together for the day: a blue tunic-style shirt with colorful butterflies all over with a pair of berry colored yoga pants that exactly matched the berry in some of the butterflies in the top. The items were bought separately, so the matching thing was a coincidence. But, Caitlin, with her eye for style and color, knew a good thing when she saw it. Impressed by her choices, I asked her to help me pick out my clothes for the day. I picked out the jeans, and she picked out a top. She was so excited to help me pick out my clothes! It was such a treat to see her consider her options and, with the confidence of a experienced fashionista, decisively select the top.

The Other Daughter's Dress

My dear husband took the older daughter out to get her Christmas dress while I was home with a terrible cold. They bring it back and it is lovely, it is twirly, it will match her sisters AND it is dry-clean only. Awesome.

The Dress

I mentioned to my dear husband that I was going to have to take the girls shopping for a few new pairs of warm pants for winter. A guilty look suddenly came over his face. "What???" I ask. And he confesses, "I took Caitlin shopping for a Christmas dress yesterday." More guilty looks. "It is polyester." He knows I hate polyester. "Caitlin loves it."

When I saw the dress, I knew what he meant. Caitlin had to have picked out this dress. It was red with puffed sleeves and the skirt was ruffled and embroidered to within an inch of its life. And it had crinoline underneath. And, the coupe de grace, it had a matching doll's dress. OMG. It is a polyester nightmare to be sure, but it is Caitlin's polyester nightmare. And she looks like a princess in it.

I guess it could be worse. It could be dry-clean only.

Perfect Day

Today was about as perfect as a day could get. We started by going to the Baltimore Farmers Market and getting the most AMAZING apples. We picked up some honeycrisps that were just slightly smaller than Caitlin's head and, oh, so sweet and tasty. We got wonderful fresh veggies including shallots, garlic, broccoli, chard, as well as eggs and some meats for Jeff. Then we had breakfast at the City Cafe. Coconut lattes are the best way to start the day. After we unpacked all the food, we went on a family bike ride to Lake Elkhorn. We stopped at the Sewell's Orchard Fall Festival and did the moonbounce. Then, to top it all off, Amanda came over to babysit while Jeff and I finally had a calm and relaxing meal at Le Bistro Blanc where everything was quite literally wonderful. Ok, can we do this day over and over again?

Smiley Pancakes

Caitlin was helping me make pancakes this morning. She was in charge of chocolate chip distribution. Her first few pancakes were very liberally sprinkled, but then she made one that touched my heart. She made a smiley face pancake, because I sometimes make smiley faces for her and Gwen. I can't help but think that one day she'll be making smiley face pancakes for her own little girls because that the way her mommy did it when she was little.

True story: Last night Jeff and I were having dinner when we were greeted by the restaurant owner. After he left I told Jeff that I think he owns the incredible motorcycle we saw out front. I joked with him, "I can just tell, I'm psychic." Jeff put his fingers to his head and said "OK, what number am I thinking of?" and I immediately answered, "pi". The look on his face froze, except for his eyes which stared at me shocked. Yep, I guessed right. I'm not really psychic, I just know my husband really, really well.

No Shopping Challenge

I have decided to give myself a challenge. No clothes/shoes/accessory shopping for one whole year. I told my husband about this and, after he quite laughing (and that took a while), he asked what he should give up. Well, my jaw practically hit the floor. Usually, this sort of thing is not my husband's cup of tea. Even better was the challenge he came up with. He is going to give up take-out containers. Naturally, we completely forgot when we went out to dinner tonight. So, we decided the terms would be this: He get three free passes just to get in the swing of things. Then, for every takeout container that he gets, he pays a $5 penalty to the Sierra Club. Sometimes, I just think my husband is the coolest.

There's Food in My Dirt

Dinner tonight is Amy's cheese pizza with carrots and beets straight from our garden. Time from garden to table - less than 1 hour.

Tally-ho

We took the Blueberry girls to the Renaissance Festival today. I am kind of in a state of shock at how much my delicate, petite, fairy-princess of a six-year-old loved the sword fighting. She liked it; she really, really liked it. Nevermind that the broadswords probably weigh as much as she does. Her eyes lit up and she laughed and laughed and clapped and clapped. She refused to try any other amusements until the show was completely over. I sincerely pray she didn't understand a word of the banter between duels, as it would make a sailor-on-leave-after-a-three-year-tour-of-duty blush up to the tips of his ears. Unfortunately, she was able to quote some of it later so I may be getting a call from the teacher after school tomorrow.

I took a two hour bike ride today. It was GORGEOUS. The weather was just right, mild and breezy. The streams were sparkly. Even the trees seemed cheerful.

Unfettered by convention

Gwen is such an original.  Today Gwen told me she was planning to wear her new sweater for the first time.  She comes down wearing it INSIDE OUT.  She liked the pattern on the inside better and she thought she looked really cool.  Can you argue with that?  No? Me, neither.