MommyCoddle

off the cutting room floor

The back of my National Geographic magazine has a page that shows one picture that didn't make the cut. One picture that was tossed aside and didn't make it into the preceding pages of stunning photography. Yet there was still something special about the photo. Special enough to rescue it from the cutting room floor and share it at the close of the magazine.
When I go through my week there are many posts that get written in my head that never make it to the blog. And there are many pictures that get taken but never shown. So today, I decided to rescue a few of those shots from my past week or so and share them here together--off my "cutting room" floor, if you will...

There is the picture that is one of my favorites I've taken in a really long time--shot holding my camera out the car window, feeling warm and blessed for the beautiful place where I live and wide open spaces.

The sunset shot, on the same evening that really captured the colors my eyes were seeing.

A day of lingering in the parking lot of the farm, watching the girls roller skate. The lingering that put me in the right place at the right time, to hear someone's cries for help, who was seriously hurt.

The post that made me notice and appreciate an early morning with all my girls in the kitchen with me.

The climax of the Star Magnolia tree outside my grandmother's porch.

The pillow--made for my dear college girlfriend--who sent me "the" envelope--and asked me to put together a package that would reveal the surprise to her and her husband. The pillow says, "oh boy!".....

The rainy day of math disguised as games...that started out so fun, but soon turned to attitude problems and then ended with me, sitting on the floor by myself wondering what happened.

Sometimes it makes me sad, when an idea or a moment, doesn't get shared. Because more often than not, I forget those moments. I've been keeping a five year journal now for the past six months. When I flip through old entries, I'm amazed while reading those four or five lines I jot down each night, how much I've forgotten. It's just the nature of life, I suppose. So maybe I'll start doing this a little more often--rescuing a few photos, a few stories off the cutting room floor at the end of the week. Then just maybe they won't be completely forgotten and that simple sentence or picture will remind me of a moment, a lesson learned, or a beautiful view that I don't want to lose.

home improvements:: the short version

Living Room: Pretty much done except for sanding/painting floors.
Formerly stinky blue carpeting, peeling, dirty walls that wouldn't take paint.
I sat down at the computer about an hour ago and started writing what I intended to be a quick catch up post, filling you all in on "the new house" that we'll be moving in to shortly. I wanted it to be nuts and bolts with a bunch of pictures. But as writing late at night will do to a person, it turned into a very long version. An unloading session of sorts. An "I should have been telling you guys about this all along and now there's way too much to say" kind of post. So instead of deleting it and losing all those thoughts and feelings and impressions, I gave it its own page and gave you a choice. Want the nuts and bolts? This post is all you need. Want the long, sitting in my living room catching up with a good friend version, it's on its own page found here. Or listed on my right-hand sidebar.

The first thing Dan did? Rip up pink carpeting from the stairs.

In the meantime, for you nuts and bolts readers:

We've been living in a two bedroom apartment on my grandparents' farm for the last two years. It's been a wonderful blessing to be here, be close to my grandmother, my father, my family and live in such a beautiful place. But at the same time there have been hard things, like the fact that my bedroom is technically in the living room, the living room is technically in the kitchen and my desk is technically at the front door. Oh, and I have three small children, and my wonderful husband up here in the garage apartment, too.

The kitchen--will have to wait. Can't afford to do everything. I'm cursed with another white floor.

So we're moving just around the corner, almost within sight distance, to a small farmhouse on a few acres. A generous opportunity given to us by family. A fixer-upper on the inside, and a lot of mowing and gardening on the outside.

The dining room: Rotten floor, as in fall through to the basement. Still very much in progress. The new floor is shown in the living room shot. It's acclimating and waiting for "work week".

Dan has done all the work on the house by himself. It has been long. It has been hard. He's been away from us to work on it a lot. But what would I do without him?

The "six and under suite". Pegs were a little surprise to me, from Dan. I want them everywhere. Really.

This weekend he's going to Wisconsin, getting a big old moving truck and bringing all our stuff out here. We'll move in shortly after. His brother, also a carpenter, is coming with him and staying for a week to work on the place, too.

The upstairs bathroom. Scares me.

I can't wait to be reunited with all my things that have been in Wisconsin storage. I might shed tears.

I'm excited. I'm anxious. I'm ready. Though it's all a little bittersweet, closing this season of living on the farm.  But a new season is just around the corner.

pretty...funny

More of my obsession with the Magnolia tree...I remember last year, noticing the full buds, and then next thing I knew it was brown and wilting. I missed everything in between those two phases. (maybe it had something to do with a newborn baby?) Anyway, I am determined to watch the changes more closely this year and pay more attention to Spring before she slips away...

The first batch of the farm's spring kittens were born on Tuesday. I hope my children don't see this picture because they've been given strict orders NOT to pick up the kittens until their eyes are open.

In other randomness:

This afternoon the girls and I went over to the "new (old) house" and I finally remembered to bring my camera. So hopefully next week, you can see some in-progress pictures. We're hopefully just a few weeks away from our move-in date. hopefully.

I'm planning on printing out the questions and getting to work on my "About" page this weekend. Should be a fun way to pass a rainy weekend.

And Emma and I just made the BEST little recipe this afternoon. I'll share that next week, too.

Finally, a conversation I'd like to remember:

Me: What is chicken made from?
Mary: CHICKENS!!!!!

Me: What is orange juice made from?
Mary: ORANGES!!!!

Me: What are pork chops made from?
Mary: PORCUPINES!!!!

nice.

happy weekend, everyone. see you Monday.

sunday afternoon :: monday morning

::Sunday afternoon::
Dan is over at "the new house" working to get walls mudded and paint on trim. I'm working my way around the house, trying to regain control of the weekend neglect before the new week starts. The front door of our porch slams open and Emma is there yelling for my help, right away! quickly! I go to the door and she's standing there in her plum-colored fleece and bright green knit cap (mine)--with the spool of kite string in her hand. Except the spool is empty. I peek out the door and see a faint line of string--from her hand, over the roof of the house, above the oak tree, above the barn--to a brightly colored dot of kite flailing in the sky. "I wanted to see how far out it could go. Then it pulled me all the way over here and into the trees. I can't get it down." Barefoot baby on my hip who's enjoying the show, we carefully tug the stubborn kite out of the sky, holding our breath as it tangles in the bare limbs of the oak tree three times before falling to the pavement.

::Monday morning::
Elizabeth is standing at the rails of her crib, squealing. I can hear Emma and Mary in the same room squealing and laughing too. A long wooden board--the adjustable shelf from an old bookcase is propped against the overstuffed chair in Elizabeth's room--a makeshift slide the girls have invented. They are sitting on dishtowels and sliding down the two and a half feet of board and laughing hysterically. Simple joys.

Spring is slowly sneaking in making subjects for my macro challenge plentiful. Everything seems ready to burst, though the landscape still looks a lot like winter when the sun isn't shining. Robins are boldly singing from the treetops and tugging tangled worms from the soft soil. Spring peepers are now just part of the sounds of night. But they still catch my attention when I walk outside. I'm eagerly watching the Magnolia in front of the "Big House". Each branch is in a different stage of openness. More here and here.

Happy Monday, everyone.

up close and personal

macro project 1:30

I just lost this whole post...firefox "closed unexpectedly" on me. It's never as good the second time, so you're going to have to settle for it in list form this time. I don't have the heart to go back and find all my links...

1. Either I'm going to have to start working on my autobiography, or I'm going to have one heck of an "about page". Wow. When a girl asks for questions you all sure do come through! I don't think there was a single question I didn't like. I spent many a laundry-folding and dish-washing session pondering your fabulous questions. And since they all can't be answered in a little old about page, I'll think I'll tackle some here over the next few weeks. Thank you for all the great ideas!

2. I've joined orange flower's 30-day macro photo challenge. (here is where I had lots of links to other creative projects on the web...) I'm jumping in a few days late...but I'll just start my 30 days, today. I'm really looking forward to this. I love that little macro button on my camera, and I've been in the mood for a good creative project.

3. You can pre-order the latest issue of MixTapeZine right over here. I wrote an article for this issue which was one of my "I can't write under pressure" deadlines from the last few weeks. I won't give you details on my review, but if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you can probably determine which favorite author I've written about.

And finally, some news from the home front that might bore anyone outside of my immediate family... (okay, might bore anyone but my husband):

*Did I ever tell you that the way I discovered Elizabeth was ready for some solid food (like Cheerios) was when I found her pounding the cat food? It's a constant battle in our home because I'm always forgetting to put the bowl up on the counter before putting Elizabeth down on the floor. The girl's got cat food radar. She always knows when it's down. And don't worry, I don't let her eat it. A simple, "Elizabeth???" Is there something in your mouth??" will cause her to spit all slimy contents into my palm.  She only has the occasional fit of lock jaw and refuses to give it up.

Emma has realized that if she plays with my hair while I'm at her bedside giving final kisses and hugs at night, I'll stay there for a ridiculously long period of time. Last night, when I attempted to pull my weak, relaxed body from her fingers that were twisted up in my hair she said, "Mom. Just let me play with your hair one more time while I count to 100." And I didn't even stop her when her brain got stuck on a loop between 40 and 60. How can I resist?

At Emma's riding lesson today she finally got it. Posting at a trot.(oddly, a video of a video) She's been working so hard to figure it out, but it's just one of those things you need to feel--like riding your bike without training wheels for the first time. I'm proud. And her sister is getting impatient for the day when it will be her turn. She's getting sick of sitting on the fence.

the birds and the bees

The birds:
I made cutting boards for my family two years ago in this sparrow shape and I've been wanting to do something else with it ever since. So last week when I had my sewing machine out, I tried a swallow-shaped pillow. However, I don't think they are going to work as a pillow. I haven't stuffed them yet, but I think they'll lose their shape and charm when stuffed. Now I'm thinking they'd make a great applique on a pillow....any other ideas?

My purpose for having out the machine was to make two of these friendly little turtles--a favorite homemade toy in our home, who are now wrapped up and safely on their way to a very, very, VERY patient family.

The bees:
Melissa sent me an email this week, asking me to blog about a very important project. The Great Sunflower Project is an effort to attract and count honeybees in personal and community gardens. If you sign up for the project they will send you a free packet of sunflower seeds to plant in your garden (or even a pot on your deck). All you need to do in return is take two bee counts (according to their simple instructions) and send in or fill out their online count. The whole count will take less than 30 minutes. I'm going to do it as a school project with Emma and Mary. I hope you'll join Melissa and me and be a part of this important project. (I'd love to know if you decide to join in!) Here is an article in the NYTimes about our honeybees in peril.

The birds and the bees:

First of all, no. I am not pregnant. But that doesn't stop me from getting inspiration from an amazing new book that April at Chronicle Books sent me last week. The book is called Nursery Style and it is by Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter of the California-based store, Serena and Lily. I love these kinds of books because I find so much inspiration and ideas packed into them. And I love paying attention to the little details--the artwork, the pillows, how the toys are put away, how an armoire is utilized, the curtains.

1. image 1, 2. image 2, 3. image 3, 4. image 4

Even though the book is aimed at nursery design, there are still so many great ideas in this book for anyone decorating a home with and for children.(stefani, I thought about you with those silhouettes in image 3. Can you do that?! :) So baby on the way or not, this book is full of beautifully designed living spaces, new ideas and fantastic tips and hints for decorating. And April, I want everything on page 74 and 75.

Happy Weekend everyone. Sign up for your bee count, read a good book and take it easy.
See you Monday.

fresh air

The house is quiet tonight. Elizabeth has been tucked in her crib for quite some time. Emma went to bed extra early after a meltdown. Dan fell asleep on the sofa after a tough day at work. And Mary was my sidekick, helping me finish up the last dinner dishes, setting the table for breakfast and sneaking off to her bed "quiet as a church mouse."

When I disappear from my blog, like I did last week, it is usually a sign that I'm overextended or something in my life is leaving me uninspired. And to be honest, I'm rarely that busy, so generally, it's the latter. This last week, it has been continued battles with my dear six year old. Is there something about this age? Is it spring fever? I'm not sure, but I'm pulling out all my parenting know-how, all my former teacher know-how, all my "someone I know tried this" know-how, and I'm having little success. I love the girl for the way she feels her way through life, and dives into everything to the fullest--but at the same time--she feels everything and dives into everything to the fullest. It means lots of emotions, and ups and downs, and hurt feelings, and disappointment, and frustration....phew. I can hear my mother's wisdom in my ears, "This too shall pass." I'm holding on to that truth.

So for me, it means I need to work harder to find my moments to refuel and relax. I found one moment this evening--dinner was warming on the stove, Dan and the girls were off on a quick errand and Elizabeth was asleep. I stuffed the baby monitor in my coat, a pair of scissors in my back pocket and headed down to my grandmother's gardens for something to brighten up my table.

The sun was golden and the air was perfectly crisp. It was the breath of air in my lungs that I needed in order to face the rest of my evening with grace and joy.

And now, a quiet house, a kitchen "put to rights" (to quote Mr. Berry), some daffodils on my table, a dark house, except for the glow at my desk, and the prospect of a warm bed and a good book. Another breath of air in my lungs, a release for my mind and my heart and I'm ready to face another day with joy and grace.

And I hope you'll see me here again tomorrow. That will be a good sign.   

dinner, revisited

Hello, I'm still here. I owe my disappearance from this blog to a writing deadline that was using up my brainpower, another round of (milder) sickness hitting the youngest two, and just too many sunny days. Although Elizabeth seems to have the worst of it now, but she had a milder case of the flu when we were all suffering with it the first time around. I see sick eyes in this picture....

I finally finished my mobile for meg's mobile swap last week. It is a variation of the one hanging over elizabeth's changing table, which she is demonstrating in this picture, needs to be raised a wee bit! And instead of hanging it on an embroidery hoop, I attached a few fabric leaves to a willow branch and hung the swallows from there. If you haven't seen the mobile swap flickr group, you must check it out. There is some amazing work floating around--(one of my favorites being the one meg made...)

So this week I planned my menus again, just dinner--and spent a little more than last week--$131. But last week I think I did a better job of using some of the things I already had in my pantry and made some old standby meals. This week I tried two new recipes. Several people have asked me to share what I made, but let me warn you, we are a very meat and potatoes type of family. Well-balanced and colorful, yes, but meat and potatoes. This is nothing fancy, all very simple menu items....

Monday (b/c the planned roast didn't defrost):
Cream of Broccoli Soup
Baked potatoes
salad

Tuesday:
Marinated chicken
Couscous
Broccoli
Tomato/Bocconcini cheese/Basil tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Wednesday:
Meat Loaf
baked sweet potatoes
homemade corn bread
salad

Thursday:
Spaghetti with turkey meatballs
homemade bread
salad

Friday:
homemade pizza--
"white" pizza--chicken, artichoke hearts, spinach, a bit of bacon, mozzarella cheese.

tabouli over mixed greens--
this was a first try for me, the tabouli. I made it from a mix out of a box and it was no good. But I want to find more grains to include in my menus besides rice and couscous, so if anyone has any suggestions?)

(and I think we had some applesauce in there somewhere...)

So there it is. In all it's (lack of) glory.
Now I'm hungry....

sweet reunion

Do you ever have dreams that make you wake up in a funk? Early this morning I woke up from a dream where Dan told me I should start looking for my own place to live with the girls, that I needed to move out. He was so polite and emotion-less. It was horrible. Then, in the dream, I was crying to my sister about it all and Dan walked in--"Listen," he said to my sister, "I didn't want to be in charge of leftovers, but she made me. I'm sorry." To which I remember, in the dream, looking down at a container of whipped cream cheese that was in my hand.

Ah, yes--those early morning, weirdo dreams. But I still made Dan get in bed with me for two more minutes before he left for work, just to be sure he wasn't leaving me over cream cheese and leftover spaghetti.

The picture above is how Sunday evening ended for our family--the girls taking turns standing on the desktop and having church. They're actually quite good at it. "Dear Jesus, I hope you are proud of all we're doing here today." And she makes us recite a little liturgy, too. Mary handles all the singing. And for the record, they do it with completely sincere hearts. So much so, that I almost feel uncomfortable, if I sit on the sofa and flip through a book while they have "church".

And after everyone was in bed, I had a little reunion, all alone, at my kitchen table. It was so good.

test tiles all in a row

playing around with a fish-shaped scrap

the leftovers, and hands that will now need lots of hand lotion.

don't stand on my right...

because I won't be able to look at you. I slept funny on my neck last night and now it's killing me to turn my head to the right. I'm trying to slowly stretch it out, but man oh man, it hurts!

We've had another one of those lovely stay home all day kinds of days. The sun finally showed its face today and I keep finding Elizabeth in this square of sunshine on the floor. She crawls away from it, picks something up, and somehow manages to always plop back down right in the middle of it. Must feel warm on her back.

On Monday my girls and I had the pleasure of having Mama Urchin and her cutie pie kids come to our house to visit. As we sat together in my living room--both our (cow)girls off together somewhere outside, Mary nestled in beside her on the sofa and T mesmerized by the "penguin game"--I was amazed at how quickly we fell into a 'groove' of friendship. It was absolutely wonderful and comfortable. I felt like we'd been friends for a long time. We went for a walk around the farm, ate her yummy soup, and sat and talked until our children melted. Come back soon, friend. **edited to add: if you want to see what we sent one of the urchins home with, go here**

I've also been meaning to show you this lovely piece of pottery I received in the mail from my friend Melissa. I've admired her pottery on flickr for awhile and she's FINALLY opened up an etsy shop (I'm digging this honey pot!) and started her own blog. This sea urchin vase was one that I admired for awhile and she was so kind to send me one of my own. I love it because it will be perfect for those tiny bouquets that little hands bring me all summer long. And for now, it's helping my baby fern take root.  Thank you, Melissa. I really love it.

Miniswap partners went out today. So if you didn't get an email from me, please let me know.

Happy Wednesday, friends.