Swinging on Birches

Does this face look like it's capable of doing something mischievous? Yes, you say?  Well, you're probably right.  Especially in light of yesterday's exploits. I have a nutcracker sitting on our fireplace mantel  from when I saw the ballet as a little girl.  Wardie, of course, loves it since it's breakable and up too high for him to reach.  Shocking.  He calls him "man" and loves to hold and play with him.  (I'm not too worried as it's already been well-loved throughout the years, but it is still special to me). So, yesterday I came home from work to my wonderful husband and Wardie, who had been spending the day together.  Wardie asked for the "man" and curiously, he was nowhere to be found.  Hubby thought he had been put somewhere special, but clearly, that was not the case.  So, "man" was missing. Finally, Wardie ran to the stairs and said, "up."  He then proceeded to climb the stairs and run into our closet

I'm not apologizing. Well, that's partially true.  I'll apologize if I do something wrong or if I offend someone of if I hurt somebody.  But, I'm tired of being made to feel bad for who I am. Like everyone else, I'm a complicated human being.  A mixed bag.  When I try and describe myself, I find that I am passionate, happy, tired, angry, loving, excited, wondering, child-like, mature, quick-witted, a slow learner.  I believe in relaxation, but that idle hands are indeed the devil's workshop.  I believe in cooking dinner and ordering a pizza when you're tired.  I believe in a strong family and supportive friends.  I believe that issues should be addressed in a kind manner.  I believe humor can solve many problems.  I believe in technology and in candles.  I believe in helping others to get started, but working to do the best you can to stay on your own two feet.  And a number of other things, I'm sure. I think sometimes that people who have a vo

Ok, another delicious recipe that Wardie loves!  I also love it because it's healthy, cheap and easy--the trifecta:)  I found it in an old issue of Parenting magazine and tweaked it a bit. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas (found in the aisle with the dried beans) 1/2 onion, chopped (it calls for a whole one, but I think that's too much) 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 c fresh parsley leaves 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cumin (I added a bit more of this--it's the crucial flavor) 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (can be a bit spicy for little ones, not necessary) Flour Olive oil Pita pockets (I use wheat ones, which were delicious!) Cherry tomatoes, sliced Lettuce leaves, torn Plain Greek Yogurt Mint, chopped Get some water boiling in a large pot.  Add a little salt and then the chickpeas.  The recipe says to cook these for 10 minutes, or until slightly softened, but I think you need to do this way longer.  I recommend about 20 minutes or so.  You don

Things that I found on the floor of my bedroom tonight: Plastic golf club Kid potty Baby doll Discarded footy pajamas Leap pad Tiny socks

I'm a procrastinator.  (Insert collective 'gasp' here...)  Ok, I know this is a well-known fact to anyone who knows me, but I have a VERY hard time doing little bits of projects to keep up on things.  For example, I can't fold clothes bit by bit, but would rather fold a week's worth of laundry in an evening.  Same with groceries.  Or cleaning. But, I'm worst with papers.  I've had this little room under an eave in our house that I've been dying to turn into a crafty space for quite some time now.  Bryan has all of his "toys" in the basement now, and that space has just been sitting there for me.  And sitting.  And sitting. For some people, this isn't an issue.  But with my weird brain and it's lack of normal functioning, I couldn't let myself do ANY little projects until this room was ready.  And yet, I couldn't bring myself to get through this entire room at once because it was such a big job. So, finally, last Saturday n

I love rhubarb.  Especially when paired with sugar:) This recipe is from an old Ohio State Grange cookbook and is as close as we've come so far to the one Bryan's grandma Mary used to make. Ingredients: 1 c sugar 1 T butter, softened 2 T flour 2 eggs, separated 1 c milk 1 c cooked rhubarb (I cut fresh rhubarb in chunks and boil in a pan of water until very soft) (I added a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg and just a hint of cloves to mine and really liked the flavor) Cream sugar and butter. Add flour and egg yolks, mix thoroughly. Add milk, rhubarb and lastly fold in beaten egg whites. Line glass pie dish with pastry, pour in above mixture. Bake at 425 F for 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 F for 10-15 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and crust comes out clean. Yum! .

Ok, I know these don't sound delicious.  Or kid-friendly.  But, why would I post it if they weren't?  I promise that if you eat these when they're still warm they are delicious.  And easy.  And kid-friendly.  I found this recipe in Kiwi magazine and tried it out multiple times this summer.  Big hit!  It's become my summer addiction once the kale is ready in the garden...yum! Here's what you need: Fresh kale stalks Extra virgin olive oil Sea salt or kosher salt Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Take out a cookie sheet with a lip around the edge.  Tear off the kale leaves from the stalk and spread them out on the cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with a little olive oil and use some tongs to turn them over, making sure both sides are coated.  I find it best to err on the side of not enough oil and then add a bit more rather than having too much on the pan.  Sprinkle kosher salt over the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the leaves are crisp.  (Ok, the smell isn'

Thankfully, we have resolved most of our "kid sleeping" issues. We put Wardie down for a nap and typically, about 5 minutes later, he's out cold. (Except for that one time last week when he was doing laps in his crib and giggling. But, that was a fluke, I think.) At night, we have a routine of songs and milk in a sippy cup and a binky (yes, I know he's getting a bit old for it) and he goes to bed. And he sleeps. Hard. I think a few things have contributed to this. 1. We REALLY try to tire him out during the day. Outside play is a MUST and he needs space to run. And run. And run. 2. We have a consistent bedtime routine. Typically dinner, play, bath, more quiet play, binky, milk and songs, bed. 3. (The real key). We stopped listening to everyone else's advice about sleep a long time ago and decided to do what works for our family. Usually Ward sleeps through the night (about 8:30pm to 7:00am) in his own bed. Except when he doesn't. About every 2 w

Ok, so I think we've all determined that I'm officially not going to be on any type of schedule when posting here...sigh... I was listening to my Pandora at work today when a Sum 41 song came on: In Too Deep. Now, I'm not traditionally a huge fan, but this song is so upbeat, even though it talks about sort of a depressing subject... 'Cause I'm in too deep, and I'm trying to keep Up above in my head, instead of going under Maybe we're just trying too hard When really it's closer than it is too far' I really love it when a song comes on that finds me where I am right now... Some people call it mommy guilt and others would identify my issues stemming from my perfectionist tendencies, but as a whole, I hate being an underachiever. And, if you really want to see me lose it, find me when I'm feeling that way in all aspects of my life all at once. Now, don't get me wrong--I LOVE my life. Not just like, really LOVE. But I have those mom

Ok. I'll try and keep these types of posts to a minimum, especially for those of you without children who don't appreciate hearing cute kid stories all that often...sort of like I am with dogs. I don't really think dogs are cute. Some puppies, maybe. But, overall, I don't like your dog and I really don't want to hear about the stories that include the adorable things he does. But, back to the topic. One thing I've learned as a parent is to never say "never" about behavioral topics. You can say that you'll never let your child jump off a cliff, but don't say you'll never say the things your parents said. Because at some point in the future when your child pushes that button of yours just one more time and you are tired and annoyed and frustrated and wondering where he possibly learned this particular ridiculous behavior, you will say that dreaded phrase. Now, my wonderful son is honestly one of the greatest joys of my life. And, luckily

I was watching an episode of "Who's the Boss?" (remember, old 80's/90's sitcom?) while crocheting last night (yes, I am that big of a dork) and it actually got me thinking about how one choice in life can completely change our path in such amazing and surprising ways. The turning point, the tipping point, a fork in the road, stuck between a rock and a hard place, crisis, an ethical dilemma. We all have them. But, have you ever really stopped to think about those choices and all they lead to? Movies like the Butterfly Effect and The Family Man have been made to explore the notion of how looking at the past and making changes would affect the present and/or future. Robert Frost's famous poem, The Road Not Taken , really addresses that key moment when you make the decision of which path to follow. I read a sci-fi short story once about a man who returned to prehistoric times in a time machine, but he stepped off the path and crushed one bug and it totally

Ok. I know. I said I was going to keep up my end of the bargain and I've already fallen off the wagon. But, I'm back on, I swear...maybe there's some sort of Bloggers Anonymous that I can go to for some accountability...but, I digress. I thought one of the first things I should do was to explain the title for my blog which comes from a great song by one of my very favorite singer/songwriters--Bob Dylan. May God bless and keep you always May your wishes all come true May you always do for others And let others do for you May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung May you stay forever young May you grow up to be righteous May you grow up to be true May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you May you always be courageous Stand upright and be strong May you stay forever young May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of change shift May your heart always be joyful May your

I've been thinking about blogging for a long time. I do have lots of random thoughts that go through my head and as someone who's constantly processing, sometimes I need a venue to share those thoughts--especially when my main daily interactions consist of talking in third-person to my one-year-old son:) But, there are rules to blogging. I mean, nobody wants to read a couple of wonderful posts only to have the blogee (is that a word?) find a million other things to do and slowly stop blogging altogether. No, bloggers have a responsibility to keep going not only for their own sanity, but to continually entertain/inform/provoke everyone else. So, I will attempt to hold up my end of the bargain as long as you hold up yours--blogs are merely diaries without someone to read them. I hope you'll follow along and be a part of this shared experience.