Swinging on Birches

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 le...

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...