Saturday, January 31, 2009

Morning chat...





So during a morning chat over cornflakes I snapped away the many faces of Bronwyn. These moments are the best. When she isn't hamming and doesn't even notice the camera in my hand, and she just is. I love the things she says, the things she thinks are important right now, the things that she wants to know and the things that she asks. These times are important in our world and in her growth. I hope she will always feel safe and comfortable enough to sit with me and just talk!!



Friday, January 30, 2009

I missed it...

OOOPS I missed my "blogiversary" I have had this blog up for over a year now!! When I started I never thought I would like the experience enough to keep going but now I look forward to snapping photos and recording a little of our world...here is to another year!!!

Surprise...


So coming home from taking the ladies to school, I find this happy snow friend smiling out at me...a nice surprise on a chilly Michigan morning!!

I also got this little quip on a calender a friend gave me for my Birthday for women who do too much, and I really feel it is one of those things we let slip as wives, mothers, and really just as women...we spend so much of our days caring and tending and managing the worlds we move in that we forget to make time for wonder...
"Children can return us to wonder if we let them. We women who do too much need to exert great caution- perhaps even more than most people- not to lose wonder in our lives. It can slip away so quickly and so unnoticed."

I love the time after the girls have just gone to school when I get to come home and light candles and gather my books, grab a hot beverage, and listen to the silence...well usually I would pick silence himself has on RTE News on the ipod this morning which I must say is killing a little of my peace...but this morning calm is something I treasure and makes me smile and brings me a heartful of contentment and puts my crazy world in perspective... Yeah spirit!!!!




And the best part of the time while the ladies are in school...


Is time with this guy!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Shoofly...













So my little lady Bronwyn has been asking for months and months for me to make a Shoofly pie and some spinach artichoke dip. She had heard Ella Fitzgerald's song Shoolfy pie and wanted to know if it was in fact a real pie... after some research we discovered it in fact was a real pie. It was easy to put together, although to this day I cannot stand the smell of molasses!, and it was so incredibly yummy that it is nearly all gone! A complete success and thankfully the Elder Statesman can say she has in fact had Shoofly Pie, now I wonder how long before she asks for Apple Pan Dowdy??
While making the crusts, thanks to the Irishman and his infinite patience, I decided to initiate my new individual pie plates for quiches! Those too turned out lovely and were fun to have a smaller version of the same!
Ella got to help the Irishman roll out crusts, she loves to be in the kitchen! But it was very hard to photograph the live action of it all.
Last night I got to go to a cooking class. It was for tailgate foods, and although I have next to zero interest in any sport that would have tailgating I am very into the foods that come with!! The chef showed us how to make coconut shrimp, Detroit style coney sauce, Bloody Mary's wisconsin style, All day potato salad, and a few other dishes but those were the best. The all day potato salad was incredible, and I am not a potato salad fan! And last night I made the leap to big girl real cooking and bought a quality knife!!!!!!! I am delighted! This is supposed to be your first purchase for a well equipped kitchen and it has been the one I have put off the longest. Our knives wouldn't cut butter with ease so this is such a gift! Cutting the veggies for quiche tonight was a lovely experience! I feel so rich!!!
I have book club this evening, we are discussing Little Women. I made it to yoga today and then got to have coffee with a good friend so feel like this has been a very good day indeed, yoga, coffee, friends, kitchen time, good eats, and books...oh yeah it was a good day!!!


Sunday, January 18, 2009

She's back and he is down...










Ella is back in her form...posing and performing and laughing and talking...and waking me up at 6:47am to check and see if it was morning yet...telling about her Teddy Bear's adventures in the washing machine...her tummy growling so loudly it made us laugh and brought up talk about grizzly bears...and her breaking into a bit of the Spice Girls song Tell me what I want...which left me laughing so hard my face hurt...
On the other end of the spectrum...the Irishman awoke at 2:43am to begin his journey with the bug...which I am still hoping will not take down Bronwyn and I this week...particularly since I have tickets to see The Killers on Thursday...so more tea, trash cans, BRAT foods...and bleach and hot laundry!!
Wishing you all continued health!!!!




Saturday, January 17, 2009

Whirlwind

Life lately has felt like a whirlwind...we have Birthday partied, the ladies have been sick the littlest one has had the dreaded stomach flu that is making its rounds...so between the party prep, the cleaning, the decorating, the baking, and all the laundry accumulated due to the bug life has seemed to be zipping past...so posting here has been very low on the prioity list and even today I feel uninspired with not the right words to convey all I have in my head! So here are some pictures of our journey...


The cake, vanilla and chocolate...

The eight year old with her pre-fiesta food set up...

Fiesta banner that surrounded the living room...

The cupcake tower...

The Grandparents made it to the party...

Birthday cake silliness...

Her new blanket from Stacey...we are a bit horse crazy...
We had a pinata and the house survived the experience...

Ella has a go...


My sad little monkey, couched...



As much as I say Ella is so busy and feel like i spend half my days saying "Ella stop" "Ella settle down" "Ella no", there is no way ever that I want to see her like this...unable to get off the couch and so very quiet... taking little sips of tea and unable to eat without getting sick...nope as much as I would welcome a little calm in our days this is not how I want it to happen...luckily she made it through last night with no episodes and is chatting a bit more than she has in the past few days so hopefully she is coming out the other side of it all and hopefully none of the rest of us find it...

Hoping the rest of you are staying warm and having a healthy start to your new year!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

So...







So yesterday I was out sorting out car repairs and buying Birthday Party supplies, and while I was away John took the ladies to meet friends at the park for some ice play...I come home to find bloody coat, bloody cloths, and an injured Bronwyn. She took a spill unfortunately head first and the ice won. Fortunately no stitches were required and as witnessed by the next few photos she has made a full recovery!
I love the mornings where I can hear the girls playing and imagining and creating. This morning I went into their room to find a whole set up on Ella's bed and the two of them very engaged in a tale. I love the giggles and happy sounds and the light was so good... days are good!
I am a big New Year's girl. That said I will confess I didn't even make it up to see the New Year in! I love the possibilities, the fresh, the hope that a New Year brings, a fresh start. A new opportunity to be more of the person I want to be. A chance to begin again and make choices in a better way to fill my life and my world with only those things and people who lift me up and help me on my path to being an improved version of me. The New Year is also a time to let go. Let go of grudges, and stuff, and relationships that are not positive. It is a time for me to let go of those things that do not fit into the world and home I hope to create. In the way I hope to continue to grow.
So every year I clean and cleanse areas of my home that are the most significant and fill them with hopes of happiness and peace and get rid of any ick that may have clung from the past. I meditate, I burn incense, I burn candles and I visualize all that letting go. I also change the rugs by the doors (more visualization) , I clean the doors (opening up the chance for growth and positive), I clean some of my closet letting go once again of things that do not make me feel like the me I think I am, I change all the beds including all the covers and quilts wrapping myself in fresh ideas and feelings of safety. And I try to get rid of all the no longer needed things so as to rid our home of some of the old so there is more room for the new and the growth I hope the year can bring.
I have yet to make my goal list. I do not do resolutions or things I know may set me up to fail but try to set goals of things I want to see happen in the new year. I have a pretty good success rate as I tape them into my kitchen cabinet so I can see them daily to remind me to make time for the change. Last year, one of my biggest was Yoga!! And I did it! So we will see what this year brings!!
Many wishes to you for peace and letting go and for your new beginnings!