memory

I am so grateful for the way this blog has changed what I photograph. Before blogging, I wasn't as consistent in documenting the small details of our lives...now there are lots of photos like the ones above. Years from now, many of the things that happen each day will be erased from my memory. Those many little things I think I could never possibly forget, but then I naturally just will. I'm so glad I have these to jog my memory about the mundane snippets of my boys' childhood that are precious in my mind.

a spring weekend

Our weekend contained:

the beach
planting trees
sleeping with the windows open
picnics
blossoms
margaritas
baseball
an outdoor birthday party
birds everywhere
church
lingering daylight
bare feet

Happy Monday!

for the weekend

These are the only scones I ever make. I think about making others, but can't bring myself to do it. We love these too much.

Downtown Oatmeal Scones
from Pasta & Co By Request by Marcella Rosene

2/3 cup dried sour cherries
2 dried apricot halves (1/3 ounce), cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup plus 3 tablespooons flour
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350F.

Soak the cherries and apricots in hot tap water for 15 minutes.

While the fruit soaks, place the buttermilk and egg in a mixing bowl. Without stirring the mixture at all, add the oatmeal and let it soak for 10 minutes.

Drain the fruit well and add it to the buttermilk mixture. Do not stir.

Place the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and butter in a food processor bowl equipped with a steel blade. Process until very well blended.

Using a circular motion, gently fold the flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture. Do not overstir.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and pat it onto a round about 1 inch thick. The dough will be very sticky. Do not add flour, and do not knead. Lightly flour a knife to keep it from sticking to the dough, and cut it into 6 equal wedges. Place the wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. Check, and if necessary continue baking another 4 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 6 scones.

heart rate

These were found when tidying up - musings of a six year old....

a perfect day

Thank you all for your concern and good wishes for Abbott yesterday! He woke up with all three loose teeth intact; the front two came out before breakfast. The remaining loose tooth isn't bothering him. Whew - disaster averted.

Alexi and I got to spend the day together at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival while the boys were in school. Times of leisure together like this really help keep the whole thing going. Sometimes they're hard to make happen in the busyness of family life, but they are so worth it for the whole family. It was a perfect day!

weekend report

I hope you had a most enjoyable weekend! It was a perfect, sunny, springlike weekend here. Just right for baking, lots of play time outside, and an outdoor evening at the Mariners. Unfortunately, the weekend ended in a rather dramatic way - three of Abbott's upper front teeth were knocked loose while wrestling at bedtime. The teeth injured are baby teeth, fortunately; we're going tomorrow for xrays.

Some things I'm looking forward to in the week to come:

* a visit to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
* helping with a teacher appreciation lunch at Abbott's school
* book club (Dealing With Disappointment by Elizabeth Crary and Mindset byCarol Dweck - parenting books)
* a luncheon in support of Childhaven

What are you looking forward to this week? Happy Monday, my friends.

May There Always Be...

I find myself humming this lullaby from time to time:

May there always be the sunshine,

May there always be blue skies,

May there always be my mama,

May there always be me

What do you always want there to be?

the incubator of greatness

Unstructured time is the incubator of greatness. - Ken Dryden, hockey legend

Last night Abbott and Cal started spring hockey. Spring hockey consists of weekly three on three games, no practices. At the orientation after the game, the organizer said that this program had been set up because, given the climate in Seattle, our kids don't get free play time on ice as children growing up in colder climates do; that the program was designed to give kids unstructured time on ice with other kids. He proceeded to quote Ken Dryden as cited above. Exactly. Here's what our unstructured time at home has looked like lately.

(campfire next to tents)

back outside

Our days are still mostly cool - it was 39 degrees at one point during the day today - but we're getting out there and enjoying the brisk spring air, the chance to be outside for so much longer each day. Playing in the woods around our house, tidepooling, biking, games, digging...

It feels so nice. And it is only just beginning.

Easter weekend

Our weekend was full of family, friends, chocolate, pink linen, some crafting, baseball, the magic of the Easter bunny...what more could a person want? I hope yours was glorious!

Abbott was a hard-working first baseman at Saturday's game:


Easter vigil Saturday night:


My boys were happy to wake up Sunday to their Easter baskets and some eggs to find.


The boys loved their treasures, and have since set up a spy station under Abbott's bed, now that they have a spy scope.


I wish you all a very lovely Monday morning.

days of pink

(top two images taken from our house)

Over the past couple of weeks I've been shocked by the pink that's been jumping out at me. A striking contrast to the greens and browns in the background that have made up the colors of our winter. And yet - every day I'm finding more and more signs like these - and the sights are becoming a little less striking each time as the transition really gets underway. Trees are blossoming, flower buds are opening, the days are lengthening.

Ribbon Egg Cards

I am thrilled to have Brooke Reynolds as a special guest today. Brooke is the former senior art director for Martha Stewart Kids and Martha Stewart Living, a book designer, and mother of two. Her blog, Inchmark, is always a source of pleasure and inspiration for me. She generously came up with this Easter craft for me to share with you; I can't wait to make these with Abbott and Cal!

RIBBON EGG CARDS

I'm always happy to come up with something I can make from the things I already have around the house. I'm sure I'm not the first person who has thought of using ribbons and ric rac to make Easter egg cards, but if you want to try and make some of your own, here's how to do it. For these cards you need: an assortment of ribbons and ric rac, white paper and envelopes, construction paper, scissors, and some tape.

Cut your construction paper so it fits nicely inside your envelope when folded in half. This will be the outside of your card. Cut the white paper so it is 1/8" or so smaller than the construction paper on all sides, this will be the inside of your card.

Depending on the size of your card, cut out an easter egg shape out of cardstock or any heavy weight paper.

Trace your egg template on the front of your card (see how-to below). Cut the egg shape out of the card while leaving the edges intact (you can do this with an exacto knife or by poking a pair of scissors inside the egg and cutting around the shape).


You'll now have an egg shaped window on the front of your card. Choose a few different ribbons or ric rac that look nice together. Cut the ribbon so it's just long enough to extend a bit past both sides of the egg (see how-to below).


Play around with the placement of the ribbons on the egg before taping them down. Move your ribbons to the side and flip your card over, so you can tape the ribbons to the backside of your egg window (see how-to below).


Now you'll need to attach the white inside card to the construction paper (which will also cover up your tape and the messy ribbon ends). Using a glue stick, glue the white paper to the construction paper.. making sure to get all the edges and leaving the "egg" area as glue free as possible. Center the white paper on the construction paper, and press firmly together.

Refold your card and write an Easter message..and mail or hand deliver to loved ones!

a sign of spring