At the Library

This week's library program was an interactive story time theater performance of Pecos Bill. We took our neighbor, Sarah, with us and all four kids had a great time. They were really laughing through out the entire show!



After the show, we went in to the library for books. Of course we had to pick some books about Pecos Bill and other American folk tales. The boys also turned in their reading logs. This week they got to put their names on the wall. There were also Whataburger certificates and a small toy. The toy just kills me! The pre-K to 5th graders were given plastic hand clappers while the older kids were given small bookmark craft kits. 50+ little kids running through the library playing with clappers! I'm not sure who's idea that was but perhaps it needs a little rethinking. Oh well.

We found lots of new to us books to read and got Sarah signed up for the reading program. It was another fun afternoon at the library.

Back Home!

11:28 PM!

Chaz was due back tonight but instead came in the door late last night. It rained almost the entire time and then they predicted a pretty severe storm so it was decided that it would be best to come home a little early. Despite that, he had a great time and is already looking forward to next year.

edited to add:
He is very proud of his bravery! His tent mate moved out because there were spiders. Chaz slept alone in the tent - with the spiders and wasn't afraid. To much.

Off at Camp

We spent Sunday driving north to take Chaz to Cub Scout camp. He was so excited (first sleep way camp!) and a bit nervous, too (first sleep away camp).

Since it was Father's Day, we decided to make the drive more than just a long car ride. We were driving up with a few other parents so we couldn't make any unscheduled stops along the way but we did have plans to stop for lunch. Instead of grabbing some fast food, I decided to pack a picnic. It was the perfect opportunity to use our new picnic blanket. (more photos of that to come)

We had a lovely day and by the time we headed home, Chaz was so much more excited than nervous. It will be a little strange with out him here this week but I know that he'll be having an amazing time at camp!

Farmer's Market

This week at the farmer's market we noticed:

- the summer squashes are increasing in size, number, and varieties
- the peppers are making an appearance
- the strawberries are almost done
- the green beans are much less plentiful
- the peaches smell amazing
- more people are showing up to shop
- a couple of regular vendors are missing
- southern peas were only available for 2 weeks
- the tomatoes seem just a little bit more special (no health risks with these!)

Happy Birthday, Chris!

missing tooth courtesy of a foul ball at baseball practice

Today is Chris' birthday! I didn't make him write out a list of interesting things about himself. We did have a nice little family celebration, though.

We went out for burgers and wings (birthday boy's choice) and came home to blackberry peach cobbler. Chris isn't a cake eater but he loves pies, crisps and cobblers so cobbler it was. I love peach cobbler but I never make it because all the recipes that I have make a bicuity type topping that never really cooks properly. The tops is dry and bland and the underneath is raw and gummy. Then I found this recipe! It is now officially my favorite cobbler recipe. Stephani really knows her way around the kitchen! Last night we made her tomato pie which was also wonderful.

Chris likes to keep his birthday simple. The boys made him some paintings and we gave him new grill tools (we caught the last set on fire!) He had a good birthday and that is all that matters, really.

Summer at the Library

It's Thursday and that means library day! Our town library has a lot of great (free) programs for the kids during the summer. Today there was a demonstration by a yo-yo world champion. Chaz loves yo-yos so he was especially excited to see this performance. They were all mesmerized!


click for bigger

She had yo-yos, tops and diablos - which were new to me - and really did some amazing things with them. After the show, we headed in to the main part of the library and searched for books about yo-yos.

The boys also turned in their first summer reading logs. The prize for week one was a certificate, a pencil and a certificate for a free ticket to the Texas Rangers. We also picked up our week two log and we are ready to go!

Getting the Right Fit

I've been buzzing along at my sewing machine. (I really need to figure out a better place for it!) I wanted some new summer clothes and the best way to get just what I want is to make it myself. So far I've got 4 skirts and 2 tops. The skirts are perfect but the top patterns need a little tweaking. Thanks to the library, I now have a better idea of how to do that. As soon as I can get some good photos, I'll share my new wardrobe in the making.

Cookie of the Week

Yes, I am still making cookies! Well, I missed last week and I haven't even thought about this week yet, but let's not talk about that. I have a few recipes to share from the past month.



These are so good! A little rich and buttery but that is not neccesarily a bad thing! We had these for breakfast as well as dessert.

English Matrimonials

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 sticks butter, cut into pieces
1 12 ounce jar of your favorite preserves ( I use peach)

Mix all ingredients except Apricot Preserves. Press one half of the mixture into a buttered 8 inch square pan. Spread the preserves over the crust. Sprinkle second half of mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes or until light brown. Let cool completely, then cut into squares.



This is one of my favorite cookies. It always makes me think of my grandmother and I'm not exactly sure why. I don't really remember her making these but I always think of her when I make them.

This is a two-fer recipe. You make a batch of butter cookie dough and divide in half. Half goes to these cookies and half gets wrapped in the freezer for another cookie recipe that I'll share later or another batch of these.

Basic Butter Cookie Dough
1 lb butter softened
1 1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large egg yolks *
2 tsp vanilla
4 2/3 c flour

Beat the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour until combined well.

* save the egg whites and freeze for later use.

Jelly Bowl Cookies

1/2 batch of Basic Cookie Dough
3/4 c jam (I like Strawberry)

roll the dough in small balls and place on a prepared cookie sheet. Using your thumb, press an indentation in to the dough to for a little bowl. Fill will a small about of jam. Bake at 350 for 12 min.



There is not much really to say about these cookies. They are kind of light and crumbly (in a good way) with a great taste of honey. It's a simple cookie that stores well.

Honey Tapioca Cookies

1/2 c butter, softened
1/3 c honey
2 Tbls brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 c tapioca flour
1 1/4 c rice flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter, honey and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg. Add remaining ingredients and mix for about 2 minutes. Roll in to tablespoon sized balls, slightly flatten and place on a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.



What can I say about chocolate chip cookies?! Everyone loves them and these are no exception. The kids (mine and the neighbors) have no idea that they are made with whole wheat flour so you can sneak a little more whole grains in to their diet (let's just not talk about the sugar, though!) The whole wheat flour gives them an almost nutty quality. You can't go wrong with chocolate chip cookies!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 c butter, softened
4 eggs
2 Tbls vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 3/4 c whole wheat flour
4 c semisweet chocolate chips

Cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and baking soda until well blended, then mix in the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips last. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets so they are about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to brown at the edges.

To Market, To Market

We didn't buy a fat pig but I think we might have done a little jig or two. What's a Saturday morning without a little dancing?!

Our farmer's market is in full swing. I love going each week. Greeting the familiar faces. Discovering what has come in to season this week. The weathered farmer sneaking a strawberry or two to the boys. Coming home with a very full market bag and new ideas.



Each meal is the same - "This X came from the farmer's market!" Chaz and most especially Topher get so excited by this. Edmund is coming around. For awhile it was "What difference does that make?" but I think he starting to get it. The boys are so much more willing to eat things when it comes from the farmer. Topher even ate a tomato! That's big around here.



Farmer's Market 2008

week 1: tomatoes, spring onions, baby turnips with greens, red leaf lettuce, butter head lettuce, spinach, eggs

week 2: tomatoes, spring onions, green beans, mushrooms, chard, red leaf lettuce, butter head lettuce


week 3: broccoli, wild garlic, baby turnips with greens, red potatoes, eight ball zucchini, strawberries, eggs


week 4: summer squash, onions, red potatoes, tomatoes - large and small, green beans, green plums, roasted garlic pasta


week 5: green beans, strawberries, peaches, kirby cucumbers, patty pan squash, lemon grass soap, vegan chocolate chocolate chip cookies, whole wheat oatmeal raisin cookies


week 6: kirby cucumbers, green beans, pink-eyed purple hulled beans, zucchini, peaches


week 7: tomatoes, kirby cucumbers, pink-eyed purple hulled beans, summer squash, red potatoes, jalapenos

An Evening Walk

Just a little walk after dinner. Sometimes it a little trip to the park. Sometimes it's just around the block. Last night it was to a field not far from here. A field full of tall grass and wild flowers. A field perfect for running through and getting lost in. I have a felling that the time will soon come when this field will be under construction but for now, we'll enjoy it as it is.



And perhaps bring a little home with us.

Summer Reading

Sumer means more trips to the library! The boys are really thrilled that this year there are no required summer reading lists nor are there any mandatory summer homework packets - from the school, at least. There is always some learning but "Mom work" is much more fun than "school work".

This week we made our way to the library with open minds and no lists. We also signed up for the Summer Reading Program. I remember going to the library with my sister every summer to sign up for the reading program. There was always some special prize for the child who read the most books during the summer and it was always my sister that won the prize. I think at some point she was asked not to sign up so other children had a chance. We were pretty voracious readers but my sister really took the cake!

Now everyone is a winner. The boys aren't competing against others or even against themselves. The requirement - read 20 minutes a day for seven days. After seven days, bring in the log, get a small prize and a new log. Easy peasy for my boys, at least. I've got my own voracious readers. I think Chaz could give my sister a run for her money!



This week the boys came home with almost 20 books between the three of them. That should probably last them the week. (I hope!)

After the Rain

1. After the Rain :: Leap!
2. After the Rain :: Mishap
3. After the Rain :: Barefoot

Another one for the Six One Way Project.

Just boys doing what boys do!

Class of 2008!

Edmund graduated from elementary school today! I can't believe it. It's all happening too fast. This was the last year that all 3 boys would be in the same school. Edmund is off to (the big, scary) middle school in the fall. ::sigh::

The school had a small "graduation" ceremony this morning for the students. The class sang a couple of songs and there was a slide show highlighting the year. There were various awards and then the students were given the report cards and dismissed. I think being able to leave school at 9:30 while the rest of the grades were there until 1:30 was one of the big highlights of the morning!

Edmund was honored with an Accelerated Reader award. We are so very proud of him. He went through a period of time when we really had to struggle with him to get him to read. He could read - he just didn't want to. We are most proud of the hard work he did this year. The beginning of the year was a bit of a struggle for him and he really turned himself around. His grades really reflected that too.

I'm proud of all my boys. They were in a bit if a tough spot in the fall - adjusting to a new school in a new state and all that but they really did shine! We'll be doing a bit a of celebrating this weekend.


5th Grade Graduating Class of 2008!

New Bag!

I took part in a little spring-time bag swap recently. We were to make a Pleated Beauty Bag from Bend-the-Rules Sewing for someone and then someone else would make one for us. I've wanted to make one of these bags for awhile so this seemed like a fun way to do it.



This is the bag I made. I really liked it - very springy without being to...too. (If I do say so myself) I almost wanted to keep it for myself and I may have to make another with the same fabric sometime in the future.



This is the bag I received. It's so me! I've used it constantly since it came in the mail. I love the shape and size of this bag. It's really a great carry all with out being completely "utility tote" looking. This one is exactly perfect!

Art and the City

After weeks of planning and re-planning, we went off yesterday for a day of art and culture at the Dallas Museum of Art. I really wanted to see the bluebonnet paintings byJulian Onderdonk before they move on.

The paintings were beautiful. I could have lingered much longer. The boys, however, were anxious to see more. They really enjoyed the museum. They were impressed and inspired by much of what they saw. They found the sculptures and carvings a bit more interesting than the paintings but many paintings captured their attention as well. Several times I had to remind them not to touch. The texture of the oil paintings was just too tempting.







There were so many things I would have liked to have been able to take pictures of at the museum. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed in most of the galleries and those that do are often too dark (no flash photography). The outdoor sculpture garden was fascinating and would have been perfect for a picnic. However, it was much too hot to spend very long out there.





We ventured out in to the city for some lunch. It seems that either the museum district of Dallas is short on restaurants or we had the misfortune of heading out in the opposite direction. We found a pub that was open on a Sunday afternoon and were able to kick back and relax for a bit. We worked up a thirst with all the walking we had to do to find the place!



We all really enjoyed our day at the museum. There is really so much to see - we need to make a return trip as we didn't make it through all the exhibits. It's such a family friendly museum, too. There were comfortable sitting areas in many of the galleries with books about the exhibits, the eras and the style of art to browse. There is also a hands on gallery with a space to create and lots of touch and feel exhibits. This weekend the theme in the creative studio was found objects. We were all able to make our own masterpieces out of little bits and bobs of recycled materials.



This was the first of our summer trips. It really was a great way to kick off our Summer Staycation!

Hello!

I didn't mean to take a little break. I had plenty to talk about and photos to share but I got busy with so many other things that needed to come first.

I've been doing some research and making some plans. There have been trips to the library and the farmer's market. There was a small local festival and one of us went camping. My sewing machine has become a prominent feature at the dining room table (I really need to find a better place for it). My kitchen has been full of hustle and bustle and lots of good food. Projects have been worked on. List have been made and things are being crossed off.



The boys have had field trips and projects. There have been TAKS tests and fitness tests. We've made paper chains to count down the last days of school. They've been preparing for class parties and field day. There was a Mother's Day tea and Cub Scout and Boy Scout awards. We are getting ready for a graduation!

Life has been moving at full steam. We've been busy but we've been happy -- just as it should be.

Menu Day

More and more veggies are showing up at the farmer's market! Last week's spinach was replaced this week by Swiss chard. A few mushrooms are popping up and green beans are in abundance. There are still Spring onions but they are not quite as plentiful. And then of course there are several varieties of salad greens and big juicy tomatoes. We are just starting to enjoy this week's bounty and I'm already looking forward to what next week's visit to the market with bring.



Sunday
Roast Chicken
Tuscan White Beans with Chard
Sliced Tomatoes
Buttermilk Lemon Ice Cream

Monday
Black Bean Tacos with
Roasted Peppers and Onions
Classic Beef Tacos

Tuesday
Mushrooms and Spring Onions over Pasta
Celery Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Mozzarella

Wednesday
Spicy Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Grilled Spring Onions
Mixed Greens Salad

Thursday
Green Bean and Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts
Grilled Tuna

Friday
Rigatoni with Sausage Ragu
Anna's Caesar Salad
Bread Sticks

Saturday
Burgers on the Grill
Tomato and Green Bean Salad
Grilled Potatoes
Peach Dream Pie

Found

Week 6 of the Six One Way project.

1. Found :: Hidden in the bed
2. Found :: Left in the kitchen
3. Found :: Forgotten in the tomatoes

I'm constantly finding things that the boys have left laying about.

Chaz is never with out a book. One morning I found a book and a comic tucked in to the mattress frame as well as two audio books slipped under his pillow. It's no wonder it's a struggle to get him up some mornings!

One of Topher's favorite pieces of clothing are these cowboy boots. I think at this point they are about 2 sizes too small but that doesn't stop him from cramming his little feet in to them. It doesn't matter what he is wearing - jeans, shorts, pajamas - in his mind, it's always appropriate for cowboy boots.

I went out to water the tomatoes and found this ferocious little guy guarding them. I'm not sure who left him there but there was a lot of Jurassic Park play going on in the garden this week.

Just Because

Chris brought these home to me


... just because.