MommyCoddle

Mary, the angel and a star

This seems like old news now, but every time I look at the pictures, my mommy pride starts oozing out of all my pores. So I had to share. Emma, Mary and Elizabeth had their theatrical debut this December in our church's Christmas play. My sweet friend Lori, (thankfully) re-wrote a horribly cheesy play into a classic nativity story.

Mary played Mary, Emma was the angel and Elizabeth was the star that the wisemen followed to the stable. Mary had no lines, but was on stage for most of the play, including during her "pregnancy"--a balloon stuffed in her dress, which when Jesus was "born" she pulled out of her shirt and threw on the ground...and it floated and danced across the stage for the remainder of the play.

I warned Lori that I didn't think Mary would be able to pull it off. When push came to shove, I thought she'd chicken out. She is so shy and worries so much about people laughing at her (sometimes, this worries me about her, I have to admit), I couldn't imagine her feeling brave enough to go on stage in front of so many people. But after I had a confidence-building talk with her about why people might be laughing, and that they weren't laughing at her, she embraced the role. She pulled it off and is already talking about doing it again next year.

Emma was an angel and delivered a mouthful of lines with volume and clarity. She's had her lines memorized since the first evening Lori put the script in her hands. But for her, the evening was more about the wings and the glittery white dress than anything else.

And Elizabeth. Dear Elizabeth. She was the star that the wisemen followed to the stable. At the proper cue in the play, Dan was supposed to strap the cardboard star I had made onto her back, strip her down to her little white onesie and send her wandering across the front of the church.

Dan got so caught up in the play, he nearly forgot. She made it to the stage, the star thrown over her overalls and red wool sweater at the last minute, just as she turned the corner in front of the audience. And wander she did. Across the front of the stage, up the aisles, onto the stage to pick up Mary's "pregnancy balloon" and check out the baby Jesus, and over to me at the piano. I think she wandered around the church for the rest of the play.

We've created a monster and haven't gotten her to sit still in a church service since.

I sat behind the piano for all of it to play and sing the carols. I missed most of the play except for a few lines. And Dan sat awestruck in the pews, completely caught up in the moment, with my camera and Flip sitting untouched beside him.

Oh well. Some things are better left for our own memories, I suppose.

Of course I did maul my children with the camera once the play was over. But Elizabeth had already wandered into the kitchen, tasting each of the Christmas cookies and then throwing them in the trash.

More Christmas catch-up coming soon....
...as well as the news of a new project I'm working on with Emily, and some exciting "newness" here on mommycoddle as well.

Cheers!

{Guest Post}: Emily shares about Hanukkah

Two weeks ago, I was out running errands with the girls and we saw a sign that said, "Happy Holidays". My children asked what that meant and why it didn't just say, "Merry Christmas". I did my best to explain to them that at this time of year not everyone celebrates Christmas and I used the example of my "bloggingfriendEmily" (that's how you say her name in our house), who's family celebrates Hanukkah.

This of course, required me to explain to them more details about Hannukah and as I fumbled through I realized my description was falling short. And I told them I would just have to ask Emily to tell us a little bit about how her family celebrates Hanukkah and all the wonderful traditions that surround this holiday.

So I am so happy to turn things over to Emily on my blog today. Enjoy her lovely words and beautiful photographs. If there's anything I've learned about Emily, in getting the chance to get to know her in person, it's that she lives her life very thoughtfully and mindfully. And that same mindfulness and thoughtfulness overflows into her relationship with her children.

Thank you Emily for taking several moments out of your holiday season to share this with us.

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I was thrilled when Molly asked me to write about Hanuukah for her blog.  But also overwhelmed – there’s so much to say about this holiday, about any holiday.  So I asked my kids.  I asked them what they’d want Emma and Mary and Elizabeth to know about Hanukkah.  and this is what they said:

*they said tell them about the miracle of Hanukkah.  Not the part about the one drop of oil lasting for eight days, which everyone thinks is the miracle, but is actually a legend.  Tell them about how the tiny Jewish army of the Maccabees beat the great Syrian army to regain their religious freedom and their holy temple – that’s the real miracle.  (you can read more about the story of Hanukkah HERE.)

*they said tell them that presents don’t have anything to do with Hanukkah.  That Jews in America saw their Christian friends exchanging gifts on Christmas, then Jews adopted the custom.  tell them that traditionally, and in Israel still today, people don’t give presents on Hanukkah – they give coins to children.  That’s all.  (which is why we have chocolate coins, or “gelt” on this holiday.)

*they said tell them that Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday for the Jewish people.  Unlike some holidays when we don’t work or go to school, and instead we go to synagogue to pray - on Hanukkah people work and go to school (unless it falls during winter vacation like this year!).  and there are no special Hanukkah services in the synagogue.  We celebrate this holiday at home.

*they said tell them that we celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a “menorah” or “hanukkiah” which is a candelabra with nine arms – one arm for each of the eight nights of the holiday, plus one extra arm for holding the “shamash” or “helping” candle.  each night, when we light the “hanukkiah,” we strike a match and light the “helper” candle – which sits apart from the other eight candles (maybe it’s taller than the others, or off to the side.  somehow it’s separate.) – and then we use the “helper” candle to light the other candles.  each night, we light the number of candles according to the night of the holiday – so on the first night, we light the “shamash” and one candle.  on the second night, we light the “shamash” and two candles.  and so on until we light nine candles on the eight and final night.  we light 144 candles over the course of the whole holiday!

*they said tell them that we like to play the dreidel game during Hanukkah. And they said tell them that we sent them some dreidels in the mail so they can play too!

*they said tell them that we eat delicious fried foods on Hanukkah – latkes (fried potato pancakes), and jelly donuts - because of the legend of the oil.

that’s what they said.  These are the things my kids wanted emma and mary and elizabeth to know about Hanukkah.  There’s so much more, of course.  I wish I could tell you everything.  I wish you could hear the singing.  And see the lights shining from the candles on the hanukkiot.  And smell the oil from the latkes frying.  It’s a beautiful holiday.  and I’m thankful to molly for the chance to share a bit of it with you here. 

I do hope you enjoy your holiday season – whatever holiday you are celebrating.  And I wish you much peace and joy in the coming year.

No "Naan"-Sense bread

I've been trying to write this post for four days, but we've been busy. You know, learning to read the newspaper, pulling all the cushions off the sofa and jumping on them, those sorts of things.

Now there's just way too much to share, too many pictures to show, so I'm going to have to pace myself and stick with the original post.

But first I just want to whine about the fact  that I am really dying this year without a sewing machine. Mine is broken, thanks to a nasty attempt at sewing with knits. The machine is not worth the repair that is needed and a new machine is nowhere in the budget right now.

And of course, THIS would be the holiday where my children are asking, begging, for the majority of their gifts to be handmade. Little House on the Prairie bonnets. Little House on the Prairie aprons, Little House on The Prairie sleeping caps, dresses....I'm dying, folks. Anyone have a sewing machine they want to rent me for a week?? Ugh.

Anyway, I'll figure it out.

I'm having a hard time with the Christmas shopping this year. Feeling like my children really don't need much, you know? And they aren't asking for a lot either, which is kind refreshing.

Will you tell me what you are getting for your children this holiday season?

It always gives me ideas and if nothing else, late winter brings several birthdays in this house and I'm always looking for ideas. Do tell, and I promise I'll keep the secret.

My original intent with this post was to share a new recipe for Naan and to share my ugly, poorly lit, "Mom can you stop taking pictures of the bread so we can eat?" photograph .

I've been on this Naan-kick lately. It tastes so good with everything--soup, stew, salad, pasta. And I'm always buying the painfully expensive package of it at my grocery store. I figured there had to be a way to make it at home.

So I went to my Joy of Cooking cookbook which has yet to fail me. And lo and behold (which sounds like something my mom would say), there it was. I even had all the ingredients.

It is so simple,turns out so yummy, and is so dangerous. Just what my waistline needs--a simple, easy-to-make white bread.

Here is the recipe from The Joy of Cooking, with my commentary:

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Combine in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer:
2 cups bread flour
1/2 teas. salt
1 1/4 teas. active dry yeast

Add:
2 Tbsp. melted butter or vegetable oil (I used oil)
3/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk, at room temperature (I used b'milk and helped it along to get it to room temp via the microwave. Because room temperature in my house, is the same as the inside of my refrigerator. I'm not kidding.)
1 teas to 1Tbl of water, as needed (for me, it took way more than 1 T. to get my soft ball of dough formed)

Mix on low speed until a soft ball of dough is formed. Knead by hand or on the low speed of a mixer with the dough hook until the dough is smooth and elastic. (I recommend not kneading it on top of the spot where your children just spilled hot cocoa mix. Just a recommendation. Though turned out rather tasty.)

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours. (this is where I take my dough in near the woodstove. I will say, the first time it hardly rose at all. But I went with it and it still turned out fine. Bubbly and good.)

Punch the dough down and divide equally into four pieces. Roll into balls, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. (or while you go outside and lock in the chickens for the night.)

Place a baking stone(wish I had one) or inverted baking sheet (have one) in the oven and preheat to 475 degrees. Roll out each ball of dough into an oval 8-10 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Brush the tops with melted butter.
Add toppings, if desired--poppy seeds, scallions, etc.

Place the dough topping side up with as many ovals as will fit without touching directly onto the baking sonte or sheet. Bake until each oval gets puffy and just begins to turn golden 6-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and bake remaining dough. Drizzle over the baked bread, 1T melted butter (optional).

Serve warm.

Now go forth and bake Naan. I'll catch up more next week.

Baking with Kids, (and the answer to a question many have asked)

My kitchen is getting crowded. There is a little girl in this house who is nudging me out in order to let her give the world of baking a try--solo baking.

And no, contrary to this first picture, it is not Elizabeth--who finds my ailing KitchenAid Mixer very mesmerizing. Rather, it is Emma.

So I've begun the search for some easy, starter recipes. Recipes that require a few ingredients and simple instructions. Eventually, I'd like to pull them all together into her own recipe box.

To help her have complete independence, I've been "illustrating" the recipes for her. Don't laugh at my crude drawings, please. At least Emma knows what they are!

This recipe is one of her favorites--Peanut Butter Kiss cookies--and she can make them completely on her own except for a little help with measuring the sticky peanut butter. It may be time to add a WonderCup to our kitchen supplies.

If you'd like a copy of Emma's recipe card, be my guest:::click to get the recipe card::. Meanwhile, I'd love to hear some of the simple recipes in your repertoire, or the recipes that your children enjoy making by themselves in the kitchen. I  love the idea of Emma being able to enjoy baking and preparing things by herself. I know she loves that rush which comes with doing something "so grown-up" all on her own and it also gives her a way to do something special for her family.

As our recipe collection grows, I'll do my best to share them here. And please, share yours as well. I'd love more to add to our bank of recipes. And it will give me a chance to work on my drawing skills. :)

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I also wanted to point you in the direction of Amy's blog, doobleh-vay. She asked me to take part in her "Inspire Me" series, sharing three things that inspire me, along with a few inspiring links. Be sure to stop by and  take a look. Amy is also behind the great etsy shop Little Alouette. She and her husband make beautiful wooden toys that are classic, simple and adorable. Thank you, Amy for including me in this series. It was good for me to take the time to put some of my inspiration into words.

Also, if you follow my Bushel and A Peck posts on babycenter you'll know that two weeks ago, I (bravely, I might add) wrote a post about some homeschooling frustrations. The post got a lot of comments--some well-meaning, off-base advice, some support, and some attack. Someone even told me that they thought homeschooling should be outlawed. Hmmmm...

Anyway, a number of people who left comments asked me to address why I homeschool. Honestly, I was pretty hesitant to share. In fact, I'm pretty hesitant to talk about homeschooling much at all on the babycenter blogs. I just don't want to hear all the negativity. (though there were a lot of supportive comments on my first homeschooling post.) But when I thought about it more, I decided to go ahead and share my reasons for homeschooling. It's easy to talk about it here on my personal blog--so many of you homeschool and those of you that don't, don't give negative reactions to the fact that I do. And I'm really, REALLY thankful for that. But in the end, I decided that these are MY REASONS for homeschooling, not some philosophy on how schooling should be handled for all children, not some mindset I'm trying to shove down the throats of anyone who will listen. There will always be nay-sayers and furrowed-brow onlookers. So, for those of you who have sent me emails in the past and asked for me to share my reasons for homeschooling you can check out my post, "A Bushel and A Peck: Week 22: Why I Homeschool."

when nothing is something

The other day, while I was making dinner, I handed Emma and Mary each a piece of thin wire. I told them to "sculpt" something while I worked on dinner. Emma immediately embraced the idea, wrapping it around knitting needles, fashioning birds and tree branches; while Mary struggled to make hers look like something.

"I can't make anything! I don't know what I'm doing!"

I told her that it doesn't have to be anything. It could be shapes, or a design or just bent in a bunch of different directions. And that sometimes nothing, is something.

I think it was a good little lesson for her--the middle child who always struggles to keep up with the things her older sister is doing. Who is frustrated when she can't write her letters like Emma, or draw a horse like Emma, or figure out a Math problem, like Emma.

With the notion that nothing can be something, she was freed up to create whatever she wanted, and seemed to let go of her limiting expectations.

I want my children to know that not every creative project has to look like something recognizable when it is "finished". That the process and the act of creating is just as enjoyable and important as the outcome.

A lot of ooohing and ahhhing over "nothing", from her Mama, also helped.

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I just started a new series of interviews over at Babycenter, where I'll be interviewing some creative mothers, asking about their craft, how they learned, how they incorporate their children into their creative projects. I'm not sure how many interviews I'll share, but I may be asking a few of you, to take part.

My first interview is Fabiola Perez-Sitko of Fig & Me.. Our virtual paths crossed just a few weeks ago, and now three of her beautiful dolls are hiding in my downstairs closet until Christmas morning. They are the girls' special present this year and their other gifts under the tree will be compliments to the dolls. We are keeping things simple and budget-friendly this year.

I also wanted to let you know that I am always looking for crafty tutorials or ideas to link to on the babycenter blog. I write a crafty feature each week and highlight lots of crafty finds around the web. If you are doing something that I need to know about, please shoot me an email or leave me a comment on this post. The babycenter blogs get A LOT of traffic, so it's a great way for you to let people know about your blog, as well, if you like.

Right now, I'm on the hunt for great holiday crafts, so please send me any and all links and I'll check them out! I have a crafty round-up post scheduled for the end of next week.

Crispy, Buttery, Crunchy: Sugar Cookie Perfection

I had no idea that somewhere between the apartment and the move to Thomas Run, my set of very small cookie cutters disappeared. When I went searching for them in the drawer that holds "all odd kitchen things that I'm looking for", they weren't there. I could only find a cow, a scottie dog, a jumping deer, and a small circle I use to make clay buttons. So these will have to do.

These aren't exactly the most festive of holiday cookie shapes. In my mind, I kept thinking about "maids a-milking....cows?" in order to classify the cookies as "Christmas-y". But the girls were downright demanding that they be "cows jumping over the moon". And is it just me, or does a Scottie Dog not just scream Christmas to you? Okay, maybe I'm pushing it. Oh well, red and green sprinkles, seemed to do the trick.

Anyway....I've always thought of myself as a chewy, soft cookie kind of girl. But these cookies when rolled out paper-thin and cut with small cookie cutters are buttery, crisp and crunchy.

This is a family recipe. I hope I don't get ostrasized for sharing it....

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla.
(You can also add a drop or two of almond extract. Almond flavor makes my stomach turn. I leave it out.)

Mix the butter, eggs and sugar. Add the flour and vanilla. Divide into 4 balls, wrap, and refrigerate over night or at least 3 hours. Roll out thin--(this is the key). You may need extra flour. Decorate. Bake at 350, for about 8 minutes. (but watch them carefully)

And if I remember, I've also frozen a few balls of the dough for later. I set them out in the morning to come to room temperature and they are ready by mid-afternoon.

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PS. I've somehow managed to royally screw up my blog in my attempt to change domain names--all this technical stuff is bogging me down. So if your feed is not working, or if no one shows up to read my post, I'm going to blame it on technical difficulty. I hope I have some answers tomorrow.

Country Living Christmas

Two years ago, when one of Emma's favorite farm cats was killed, my uncle's first words to her were, "Emma, life on the farm is tough." This summer when one of our guineas"disappeared", again his words to her, "Emma, life in the country is tough."

And so this afternoon when I looked out from the upstairs window and saw a large red-tailed hawk sitting in the juvenile oak tree in our backyard, staring at my five clueless guineas scratching in the flowerbeds below him, those words started playing on a loop in the back of my head.

But, I didn't let it stop my attempts to save my poor guineas from a traumatic attack or even death. I called for the dog and flew down the steps and out the door, ripping the scarf from around my neck, flinging it over my head and making all kinds of growly, intimidating shooo-you-big-mean-red-tailed-hawk kinds of noises as I came busting out the front door.

And then he jumped...in a downward swoop towards my guineas. It was like slow-motion. And if it hadn't been for my trusty dog, who was 20 feet ahead of me, heading out towards the field, I think we would have lost one.

Life on the farm is tough. But you better believe I'm going to do everything in my power to keep my little outdoor brood from harm. Phew.

Now if they'd just stay off the road, I might be able to relax a little more. I've come to get used to a car passing by the house, hearing it slow down, honk it's horn and then carry on. And peeking out the window I see the guineas and the rooster casually walking from the roadside, business as usual.

Moving on to less traumatic thoughts, I'm really excited about having our first Christmas here in the Thomas Run house. I haven't decorated a house for Christmas since we were living in Wisconsin three years ago. And even more exciting is that this house is so much more, "me", closer to my true style, not the Victorian, "closest thing I could find to east coast charm in Wisconsin" house that we used to live in.

My favorite way to decorate, especially on a budget, is with lots of natural materials--greens, dried flowers and seed pods, holly berries. Baskets, fabric, candles in the windows...oh, don't get me started.

Here are few pages from this month's issue of Country Living that I clipped (tore wildly) from the magazine, full of inspiration:

top secret (and a giveaway)

The things inside this notebook are top secret. But it's a good thing I don't have a house full of readers because I've been known to leave it open on the kitchen table. Although I will have to keep a close eye on Emma this year. There are a few things I'm sure she could figure out.

I've been keeping this Christmas notebook for the last three years, following the tradition of my mother and my grandmother. Both had black books full of Christmas lists, presents purchased, filed neatly under years and names. It was always so tempting to peek into my mom's book. It had all the answers. But I never did. I am such a good daughter.

We have looked back in recent years though, remembering what we got in Christmas of '86 or '92. It gets me all nostalgic for roller skates with keys and snoopy snow cone machines. (Okay, never got the snoopy snow cone machine, but boy did I want it.)

So my Christmas journal is pretty simple--a list of names down the side of people I need to buy or make gifts for. A column for ideas and a column for the actual gift that will be given in the end. I tell you, that idea column has come in handy many times, especially when birthdays roll around and I'm out of ideas. There is a nice list of things that were not purchased or made and it gives me fresh ideas.

In the back of the journal I tuck the Christmas cards from the previous year so that I make sure I don't miss anyone on my list. That top card is my sister's family. They definitely win the award for best card almost every year. That's my niece there in the picture hanging on the neck of their donkey, Noah.

I'll be back tomorrow with some more Christmas inspiration. Can you tell I'm excited about our first Christmas in the Thomas Run farmhouse??

And speaking of holidays and giveaways....I'm giving away a PALM CENTRO over on the babycenter blogs. I feel like santa claus. Don't miss your chance to enter and win it! I'd love to see one of you all win!! (but that will be completely up to the random number generator, of course!!)

Thanksgiving round-up, or take-down

::Chilling out after the meal::

::creative ways to burn off your Thanksgiving meal...family wrestling matches. We pushed back furniture, cleared the floor, matched people up. Even had a cowbell to signal the beginning and ending of rounds. My sister's kids sure know how to 'rastle'::

::songs from the coffee table. I think this is BINGO.::

::match after re-match of Memory with two intense competitors::

::blowing bubbles in your pajamas::

Hope yours was a good one, too!