MommyCoddle

Let them play

For the past few weeks, the girls and I have been watching episodes of From the Top. It is series on PBS (which we watch online). Each week, young, extremely talented musicians gather on stage at Carnegie Hall to be interviewed and play a piece with pianist Chris O'Riley.

My children are glued to these shows. They get so caught up in the passion of each performance, I sometimes catch them clapping furiously at the end. (I catch myself doing it sometimes, too.) Sometimes, I stand in the background and watch the performances and find myself getting teary, as memories of my musical childhood come flooding back. Memories of the man that walked me through my musical journey from my tender elementary years all the way to high school. His story, our story deserves more attention than I ever give it. 

I know exactly what those young performers are feeling as they close their eyes and sway and get lost in the music. As they sing it in their heart and play it with their hands. I know and remember exactly what that feels like.

Last week, after the girls finished an episode, I quickly jumped right in to dinner prep. I was feeling behind. School time had overflowed into "get dinner ready" time. I had company coming for supper, my kitchen was still torn apart, I still had so many things to do in order to get it ready by the time they arrived.

The girls quickly scurried out of the wake of my kitchen chaos and found shelter in the dining room. I heard them rustling through papers, scooting chairs across the hardwood floor, but I didn't pay much attention. I was in a rush.

After several minutes, I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to get this done on my own. From the kitchen I called for Emma, "Emma! I really need your help in here. Can you please at least come and get all your school books off the kitchen table? And then help me make a salad?"

I stopped for a second to be sure she had heard to me, to listen for her response.

I'm so glad I stopped. I'm so glad I listened.

In response, all I heard was the piano. Notes, some beautiful, some not so much, floating out of the dining room and into the kitchen. Her sister turning the pages of music spread before her. I peeked through the pass-through window of the pantry to spy her at the piano--hunched over the keys, eyes closed, hands poised and dramatic. Her sisters clapped furiously at the conclusion of her song. Mary announced, "That was the wonderful Emma Balint on piano!! And now, I will play a beautiful song for you." They switched places at the piano and Mary climbed up on to the stool.

I interrupted them for a moment, "Emma did you hear me just calling you?"

"Yes. I just wanted to finish."

"Emma. Never mind. Keep playing. I'll finish."

"Are you sure?? Are you mad?"

"No, absolutely not. Keep playing. I love it."

I turned off the radio in the kitchen so that their performances would seep into my hurried world of cooking and dishes and table-setting.

I am so glad that I let them be. I am so glad I stopped and noticed that moment. I am so glad that I realized sometimes, their play is more important than my frustration and overwhelmed moments.

Let them play.   Let them play.

soccer mom

Emma has just begun playing on her first ever soccer team. I can't tell you how much I'm loving it. I sit there on the sidelines and can only think about how big my girl is getting. Then I look across the field to another team practicing--a group of girls that look like they might be in high school--they must think my girl--this one that I think looks so old now--is just a pee wee.

When did she learn to run like this? When did she learn to get knocked down and get right back up again without any tears? When did she learn to set her jaw and run for the goal like that? When has her smile ever been so big?

Meanwhile, for her sisters, the hour long practice time is losing its charm. So I've started packing entertainment (along with dinner for Dan and multiple water bottles). I've been bringing a little entertainment for myself as well--some stitching I've been creeping along on all winter.

Last night when the practice was over, I looked around me and realized how quickly we'd made this little space of grass look a lot like our home--traces of dinner and drinks, toys strewn about, discarded flip flops, a camera. It doesn't take us long to settle in. And make a mess.

The big excitement last night was the acquiring of the team jerseys. This is big, big stuff. They are royal blue and now the girls have been given the assignment to come up with a team name before their first big game on Saturday.

Emma had to ditch her idea to be Tigers, "since they're not blue", and is pondering her father's idea of "The Wave".  But I'm sure she'd love to hear your ideas as well....She didn't like my idea--the Jellyfish. C'mon? What's wrong with that?

come along

Amanda took you to the waves.

Stephanie took you on an evening drive.

How about a humble trip out to the coop to let out the hens?

Ye Olde Skool homeschool

We've been revisiting some of the classics around here this summer--dyeing batches of Queen Anne's Lace, listening to Peter Pan and reading about George Washington and Ben Franklin.

We've kept up with a light school agenda, since our school is pretty light year-round. This summer Dan has been taking over a lot of the "school time" with Emma, and I've really enjoyed it! :) I may even venture to say I'm becoming quite spoiled.

Call us old-fashioned but Dan has been having Emma practice her penmanship. He came home from work one day with this list he called, "Rules of Civility" and he has her write one or two rules each day.

Some of them are revisions from George Washington's rules of civility, and the others are his own creation. Some are things we are trying to address at home (Do not slouch at the table.) or when we are out (Do not run and play in Church.) And while in this isolated setting, they may sound uptight and strict, I can attest to the fact, that in just a few short weeks of this, they have really made an impression on the girls. And in turn, cut back on the amount of nagging and reminding I have to do.

It is like having a mantra. It is something that the girls can call to mind to help them remember how to handle a situation where they might be floundering. And I hear them reminding each other of the words and lessons they are beginning to memorize (all while improving their penmanship).

RULES of CIVILITY

Show interest when others are talking.
When talking about God be serious and respectful.
Wait for others before eating your dessert.
Do not talk with your mouth full.
Do not slouch at the table.
Do not speak badly about others.
Listen more than you talk.
Be careful to keep your promises.
Do not listen to secrets about other people.
Do not be too interested in other people's business.
Do not point.
Think before you speak.
Speak clearly. Do not mumble or whisper.
Make eye contact when talking with others.
Do not correct your parents in public.
Do not run and play in Church.
Do not complain.
Associate with good people.
Do not brag. Compliment others instead.
Do not talk with dirty language.
Do not dress sloppy or overly fancy.
Do not be angry when corrected but thankful.
Do not look down on other people.
Always give guests the best.
Include others in your conversation.

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Also, thank you so much to Brandy for including me on The Lovely List. It's a pleasure to be in the company of so many wonderful ladies and beautiful blogs. If you would, take a moment and pop over to say hello. You might even want to poke around a bit. There are lots of great artists, blogs, photographers to discover.

friday favorites ( on a monday )

Hello and wow. I started this post on Friday, and now it is suddenly a new week. I survived what was being called the "hottest week of the Summer". Phew. Our house is pretty bearable for having no air-conditioning, but there were a few days there that I was pretty pathetic. I hope we're over and done with that. My brain fries in this heat and humidity.

Because it's been awhile, a few favorites and discoveries to share with you!

The butterfly traffic in my garden. I keep wanting to pick some blooms to bring inside, but I hate taking them away from the butterflies and honeybees.

Seeing my oldest on the soccer field.

Petite Pattern Book - Simple & Natural and Free Style Scraps - Girlie --books from RAM publications.

They are great little books full of patterns and drawings--and each book comes with a CD tucked in the back cover, so all the designs and artwork are yours to use! (for personal use only, of course)

 

 

Make stationary, design your blog banner, create cute labels for your child's schoolbooks, print onto fabric. The ideas are endless. Such a great little resource to have tucked away. I love mine.

Penny Leaver Green sewn pictures.

Bird Jam : I've written about it before, but it still is getting a lot of use in this house.

A new food blog : Under the High Chair

Vroom Solo: Okay, I have to confess, this was sent to me for a review. But if I didn't really love it, I wouldn't share it here. It's like a miniature central vac for any room of your house. It tucks under your counter, inside a cupboard, wherever is convenient, and has a retractable hose. I have mine in our upstairs laundry room/bathroom. Between the lint and junk that falls out of the dryer, the number of haircuts that I give in that room and all the traffic, it's probably one of the places I vaccuum most often. And of course, the vac is never close by. This is such a convenient little gadget (with incredible sucking power). I really, really like it.

A Cetacean Study by enormouschampion

A good reminder, for me, for all of us.

Happy Monday, friends!

Preserving Greatness

I'm dropping the ball.

If I look up from my laptop at this very moment, and cast my eyes across the kitchen, there is  a countertop overflowing with produce from our garden. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, corn....I've lost my canning and freezing mojo. Want to hear a few of my excuses?

It's hot.

I have only one working burner on my stovetop. (sometimes, two on a lucky day.)

I have no freezer space.

I needed some inspiration. So this weekend, I stood in front of my shelf of cookbooks and looked for the one I thought might provide it. I grabbed  The Joy of Cooking , which rarely lets me down, and then reached for one I don't look at often enough, my More-With-Less Cookbook . If you don't have this cookbook, it is worth adding to your library just for all the small words of wisdom tucked around the recipes. It's like having a book filled with your grandmother's notes. The book is filled with the mindset of using what you have, saving and preserving your bounty. It was just the inspiration I needed.

It got me thinking that there had to be another way, besides heating up my little kitchen with pots of boiling tomatoes, to preserve some of this garden goodness that we've been waiting for all year.

That's when I decided to dig deep in my closet and pull out the dehydrator my mother-in-law threw on our moving truck when we left Wisconsin for Maryland, a few years ago. I've used it once. For a large batch of apples, that apparently I was the only one who truly appreciated. 

I read online that the small, sweet and meaty tomatoes are the best for dehydrating. So I went to the garden and picked every single ripe small and meaty tomato I could find.

I washed and topped and sliced tomatoes, loading every single tray in the dehydrator and feeling quite proud of my little discovery.

I carried the dehydrator over to the only plug in the kitchen that I knew wouldn't blow the fuses in the whole house and plugged it in.

Silence.

I jiggled the cord. Smacked the lid down a few times. Banged it around on my counter. And searched for an "on" button, thinking maybe I'd forgotten how it worked.

When Dan came inside for lunch I was disheartened.

"I have this whole thing chock-full of tomatoes and it's completely dead. "

He got that glint of excitement in his eye, only a man can get, and went looking for a small screwdriver. While the girls and I sat the kitchen table eating our tuna fish sandwiches, he sat with the dehydrator across his lap, wires and fans and heating units hanging off in every direction.

After testing it with that little beeping pen that announces the presence of electricity with it's squealing beeps, he knew it was losing power somewhere and there was only one more thing to do with it--take it to my uncle's shop. 

He came home an hour later empty-handed and said something about a "diode" and that it couldn't be fixed.

But...my uncle had the exact same one in his basement.

And so, my friends, long story longer, I have successfully dehydrated my first batch of tomatoes. This may be my summer of the dehydrator. I wonder what other things I can suck the juice out of?

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Winners of the giveaway from Friday:

Cooking Fun goes to:

Gen:

Fantastic books, thank you for the wonderful giveaway.

Crafting Fun goes to:

Sarah said...

Both books look great - always looking for new ideas!

Congratulations! Please send me an email (found on the About Molly page) with your contact information and I'll pass it on to the publisher!

Show & Tell : Crafting Fun, Cooking Fun

I have to confess, I judged these books by their covers. When Rae Grant contacted me to see if I'd be interested in review copies of her two new books, I took one look at the covers--with their vintage illustrations and drawings and immediately said yes. They reminded me of the old go-to Betty Crocker cookbook from my childhood.

And when I got them in hand, the goodness went beyond what was on the outside. I like Rae's note to families on the first few pages:

Crafting Fun : 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids is a collection of classic childhood projects that kids and families can use all year long. It's a ticket back to a less busy time, and a reminder of how much fun it can be to make and do simple things.....Like a family dinner, crafting brings kids and parents together and allows for a quality time that the TV or computer just can't provide.

The first Book, Crafting Fun: 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids , is a collection of classic crafts categorized by season. Though many are new, some are the time-honored, best-loved crafts of our childhood. The book has clear, simple directions that make it easy enough for even the youngest crafter to be involved, and older crafters to work through independently. Animal track casting, seashell candles, natural dyes, paper chains, and tinsel stars, there is definitely something for everyone.

Her next book, Cooking Fun: 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids would make a great first cookbook, gift, or addition to any kitchen library. I love (and appreciate) the helpful sections at the beginning which give how-to's and insights on kitchen tools, measuring, cooking terms, equipment and equivalents. Baked apples, heirloom brownies, icebox cookies--can you tell which section my children turned to first? Aside from yummy desserts, the book is filled with great recipes to make with your children in the kitchen.

Find Rae's blog here at My Little Hen

and her Author's website : Crafting Fun For Kids

I have one copy of each of Rae's books to giveaway this weekend. Leave a comment on this post and I will pick and announce the two random winners on Monday.

Happy Weekend, friends!

swimming in the deep end

Last night after dinner, we ignored the dishes and headed down to the stream. I've been itching to take Ruby down there for quite awhile, because I had the feeling she was ready to really enjoy the water. To really swim. The last time I'd been down there with her, she was still pretty shy, only exploring the shallows, not ready to swim in the depths.

Last night, was a different story. Before we even made it to the stream crossing, she was already in and completely wet.

Then Dan started throwing her a stick, just barely into the deep water. She went bounding after it not even phased when her feet stopped touching the rocky bottom and she started to swim.

She'd bring the stick back to shore, stand as close as she could to the nearest human and shake.

Then she'd sit there whining. She'd look at Dan. Look at the stick. Look upstream where she wanted him to throw it. The communication was uncanny. Over and over and over again he played with her. Deeper. Farther. Bigger sticks.

She never tired.

We gave in first.

"We" meaning--me, Dan, Emma, Mary. Elizabeth could have stayed all night.

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I'll back later this afternoon--power blogger that I am---with a review and giveaway. Stay tuned!

Life in motion

A few weeks ago, I was sent a FLIP Ultra HD to review. I have to admit, I've been a bit covetous of them for quite some time. The stick it in your pocket, your swim bag, take it anywhere, aspect is so appealing to me. And sometimes, it is nice to see little glimpses of life in video form. I know in a few months, a few years, my children and I are going to really enjoy looking back on these little bits of our daily lives.

I also discovered that not only is it ridiculously simple to transfer my videos from the FLIP to my computer, it is also ridiculously simple to add music to my movies--a great way to drown out the whining and bickering siblings, and the dog barking in the background. And anything, set to music, just seems so much more romantic, doesn't it? I mean, put Elizabeth to a soundtrack and I'm practically drawn to tears.

And for the record, the washable paints? Not so washable. Darn. I loved that dress.

Untitled from molly balint on Vimeo.

And of course, a little tribute to our Mallard ducklings. Who are really no longer ducklings, but more like teen-aged ducks. We finally moved them out of their pen and give them free reign around the yard each day.

I have to admit, when Dan brought the ducklings home several weeks ago, I was a bit miffed. Ruby had just gotten back from the ER and I was feeling like I had a full plate. But there is something about ducks that is just so much fun. I think the best part is that it is so easy to make them happy. Water? They just can't help themselves. They love it. And it is so easy to give it to them. We decided that it is time to invest in a kiddie pool. I think they've outgrown the storage tub, don't you? They've certainly outgrown coming into our upstairs bathroom. Soon, we might let them in on the little secret that there is a cool, flowing stream just a short walk away. But we have a feeling they might never return.

Untitled from molly balint on Vimeo.

more information on the FLIP Ultra HD can be found here.

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The winner from Katie's last post :

Lucky number 5, Susan is our winner! Please email me at Katie at DesignerDigitals dot com and I'll send you out the download links!

Thanks for all the wonderful comments this past week!

ribbons and recipes

**this is a republish of my earlier post which seems to not allow anyone to view the comments.**

Last Tuesday afternoon, Emma and I found ourselves scrambling around a sticky hot kitchen. While I gave her directions on measuring this, leveling that, and "do you know what it means to cream the butter and sugar?" and "you should really crack the eggs in a separate bowl first, but we don't have time for that."; I also fielded the whining from a jealous little sister, "You never let me do anything in the kitchen!" and tried to comfort and keep tabs on my three house guests who I worried were wilting in the heat and bored out of their minds.

For the two days prior, we'd lost electricity in a storm that seemed to settle in and swirl around our valley. And so this day, fair day, we were left to prepare almost everything.

We were multi-tasking wonders--between baking and measuring, she'd do another touch-up on her painting. I'd dry the paint with the hair dryer while she wrote out the labels for her photography--I don't want to talk about how many times we had to redo the labels.....while the cake baked, she changed her clothes, threw her hair back in a ponytail and we searched for our gate passes and read through the all directions one more time.

I quizzed her on things I thought the judge might ask about each of her projects:

What kind of paints did you use?
What's the name of your cake?
At what temperature did you bake your cake?
What kind of camera did you use?

And I tried to give her gentle nudges of things she might want to share with the judge:

You could tell her that the eggs are from your own chickens.
You could tell her the story about how you finished your painting and then your little sister got into the paints and covered it in black.
You could tell her how your mother is this amazing photographer who takes stunning pictures and she taught you everything she knows and she has this photography project called ha......(kidding. i didn't say any of that. of course.)

And right on schedule at 4 o'clock, we all loaded into the car, her bag carefully packed with half a cake on a pretty teal plate, her photographs and her painting of a sheep. We made our way to the fairgrounds and found the judging table for the Clovers--the children who aren't quite old enough to be full-fledged 4-Hers yet.

She walked up to the table. And I stepped back.

The judge was sweet--overflowing with compliments, asking sweet simple questions, nowhere near as difficult as those she'd fielded from me. And I smiled as I heard Emma tell the judge the story of the ruined and rescued painting.

And then her things were carried away, into the big home arts building under the green flag of clovers. Set on display among other children's projects--birdhouses and scrapbooks, knitted turtles and cross-stitched pillows, model rockets and strawberry jam.

When we came back to the fair Friday night, I believe she entered the fairgrounds skipping. So proud of that little white card in her hand that proved she was a card-carrying 4-Her. So excited to show her Daddy her projects on display and dying to see those silky green ribbons she knew would be hanging from each one.

So, I thought this morning in honor of the sticky hot fair days that are behind us, I'd share Emma's recipe for Sour Cream Pound Cake. A recipe given to me years and years ago, which we've since made our own. It is so good and just the right amount of sweet. One of the judges even arrived at Emma's table, fork in hand, "I just have to try this cake." And afterward, I heard her whisper in Emma's ear, "You make one awesome cake little girl." and she reached for one more slice.

Enjoy.

COUNTY FAIR CAKE

3/4 c. butter, soft
2 1/4 c. sugar (and that's why it's so good)
4 eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. baking soda
3/4 c. sour cream (i like to make it an overflowing 3/4 cup.) (can also be subst. w/ yogurt)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. lemon extract (optional. we never add it)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. To creamed mixture add sour cream and flour mix, alternately. Starting and ending with the flour mix. Mix until just blended after each addition. Stir in flavorings.

Pour batter into a greased and sugared (that's the key) bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan onto a wire rack and continue to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

ribbons and recipes

Last Tuesday afternoon, Emma and I found ourselves scrambling around a sticky hot kitchen. While I gave her directions on measuring this, leveling that, and "do you know what it means to cream the butter and sugar?" and "you should really crack the eggs in a separate bowl first, but we don't have time for that."; I also fielded the whining from a jealous little sister, "You never let me do anything in the kitchen!" and tried to comfort and keep tabs on my three house guests who I worried were wilting in the heat and bored out of their minds.

For the two days prior, we'd lost electricity in a storm that seemed to settle in and swirl around our valley. And so this day, fair day, we were left to prepare almost everything.

We were multi-tasking wonders--between baking and measuring, she'd do another touch-up on her painting. I'd dry the paint with the hair dryer while she wrote out the labels for her photography--I don't want to talk about how many times we had to redo the labels.....while the cake baked, she changed her clothes, threw her hair back in a ponytail and we searched for our gate passes and read through the all directions one more time.

I quizzed her on things I thought the judge might ask about each of her projects:

What kind of paints did you use?
What's the name of your cake?
At what temperature did you bake your cake?
What kind of camera did you use?

And I tried to give her gentle nudges of things she might want to share with the judge:

You could tell her that the eggs are from your own chickens.
You could tell her the story about how you finished your painting and then your little sister got into the paints and covered it in black.
You could tell her how your mother is this amazing photographer who takes stunning pictures and she taught you everything she knows and she has this photography project called ha......(kidding. i didn't say any of that. of course.)

And right on schedule at 4 o'clock, we all loaded into the car, her bag carefully packed with half a cake on a pretty teal plate, her photographs and her painting of a sheep. We made our way to the fairgrounds and found the judging table for the Clovers--the children who aren't quite old enough to be full-fledged 4-Hers yet.

She walked up to the table. And I stepped back.

The judge was sweet--overflowing with compliments, asking sweet simple questions, nowhere near as difficult as those she'd fielded from me. And I smiled as I heard Emma tell the judge the story of the ruined and rescued painting.

And then her things were carried away, into the big home arts building under the green flag of clovers. Set on display among other children's projects--birdhouses and scrapbooks, knitted turtles and cross-stitched pillows, model rockets and strawberry jam.

When we came back to the fair Friday night, I believe she entered the fairgrounds skipping. So proud of that little white card in her hand that proved she was a card-carrying 4-Her. So excited to show her Daddy her projects on display and dying to see those silky green ribbons she knew would be hanging from each one.

So, I thought this morning in honor of the sticky hot fair days that are behind us, I'd share Emma's recipe for Sour Cream Pound Cake. A recipe given to me years and years ago, which we've since made our own. It is so good and just the right amount of sweet. One of the judges even arrived at Emma's table, fork in hand, "I just have to try this cake." And afterward, I heard her whisper in Emma's ear, "You make one awesome cake little girl." and she reached for one more slice.

Enjoy.

COUNTY FAIR CAKE

3/4 c. butter, soft
2 1/4 c. sugar (and that's why it's so good)
4 eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. baking soda
3/4 c. sour cream (i like to make it an overflowing 3/4 cup.) (can also be subst. w/ yogurt)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. lemon extract (optional. we never add it)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. To creamed mixture add sour cream and flour mix, alternately. Starting and ending with the flour mix. Mix until just blended after each addition. Stir in flavorings.

Pour batter into a greased and sugared (that's the key) bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan onto a wire rack and continue to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Digital Scrapbooking 101 : Layered Templates

The first bit of business is our winner of the Shutterfly Photobook from yesterday!!

Congratulations goes to... lucky number 12... Leslie!
Please email me at katie at designerdigitals dot com and I will send you your code for your free Shutterfly 8x8 photobook! enjoy!

One of the quickest and easiest ways to get started scrapbooking with digital is by using layered templates and Adobe Photoshop Elements [Please note these templates only work with Adobe Photoshop Elements]. There is a large assortment of styles, themes and even complete albums that give you a jumpstart on your page and leave the personalizing up to you in the store at DesignerDigitals!

You can do very little personalizing like I did taking Children Layered Template

 

and simply adding my pictures and journaling

 

or you can take it further and add in more elements to personalize the page further

for example, I took Hugs & Kisses Layered Template 5

 

and added in paper strips and a cut heart too! making it more unique!

 

All of the templates come with simple instructions that explain how you can easily 'clip' your photos to the placeholders in the templates using the 'group with previous' option. And if you get stuck, there's nearly always some around to help you out if you just post on the boards at DesignerDigitals!

So if you're wanting to get started in digital and don't know where to begin, I suggest starting with templates and as your comfort level grows so will your understanding of digital!

If you'd like to win a copy of the Hugs & Kisses Layered Template Collection [a $29.99 value], simply leave a comment about what part of digital scrapbooking is drawing you in by 6pm EST Sunday, August 2nd for your chance to win!

Thanks for playing along! I've enjoyed sharing my passion with you! :)