Alas, two of the hens were indeed roos.
I think we were in denial.
**Come on people, your "hens" are CROWING and are twice as big as the other 2, very docile, chickens!**
Andrew rounded up the big boys, formerly known as Goldilocks and Ethel and took them back to the chicken farm. The farmer gladly threw our roosters into his rooster pens and swapped them out for two new little ladies. Andrew brought back a Silver Laced Wyandotte (like Ethel but female), and a Brahma, which is white with a black collar, and white fur-like feathers down to her toes. Very stylish, but completely impractical in this heat!
I knew I might be in trouble when Andrew asked if he could name one of the new hens and I could name the other. Based on Jemimah's small chick gastrointestinal issues giving her the nickname "Poopy Butt", I was slightly worried. I agreed to the deal and Red and Jemimah are now joined by the younger pair of hens: Milk Toast and Matilda. Can you guess who named who?!
From the start Jemimah made it VERY clear that she was the boss of the coop. If chickens could experience the effect of a birth order, she'd definitely be the bossy firstborn. Don't ask me how I know this.
After a few pecks, poor little Milk Toast was so intimidated that she hid under the food bin until Matilda was near enough to sit next to for support. Red doesn't seem bothered by the new chicks, which makes me glad because ole Poopy Butt...urr...Jemimah is enough of a bully to contend with by herself. The farmer said the new girls may be picked on (or is it pecked on?) for a while, but will grow and bullying shouldn't be an issue. We shall see. I wish I knew how old the little ones are, to give us an idea of when they might start laying. Time will tell.
Goldilocks and Ethel, it was nice knowing you. May you be able to contend with the bigger roosters at the chicken farm, make lots of new baby chicks, and someday end up as nice juicy chicken dinners. You never knew how easy you had it in the Borne coop!
June 29, 2011
June 24, 2011
Muffins belong in pans, NOT on my tummy
Word of warning:
6 weeks out from having a baby, do NOT attempt trying on your fun summer clothing from the previous year. Especially do not try on any of your swimsuits. Don't even think about it!!! Sure you've lost a bunch of weight and you're feeling a bit more confident, but there are a couple of sneaky pounds that like to rest right where your pants (used to) button, and the top of your skirt (used to) zip. I'm telling you, DON'T DO IT!
Ignoring this warning may lead to:
Your feeling like too much sausage stuffed into too little casing. Or, it might give you a renewed desire to get outside in the blistering heat and burn off those last couple of pounds. OR, you may have bouts of uncontrollable sobbing, remembering your thinner self...which may depress you even more and lead to throwing yourself on the floor, and stuffing Little Debbie snack cakes into your mouth. You already feel fat, so what the heck?
As for myself, I'm going to opt for feeling the sausage effect, enjoy my looser waist-ed clothing, and keep up with the crunches until the rest of me can fit into last year's wardrobe. Cute clothing, I'll be back!
P.S. Having to deal with a couple extra pounds is completely forgotten when my girl gives me one of her cheesy toothless grins!
6 weeks out from having a baby, do NOT attempt trying on your fun summer clothing from the previous year. Especially do not try on any of your swimsuits. Don't even think about it!!! Sure you've lost a bunch of weight and you're feeling a bit more confident, but there are a couple of sneaky pounds that like to rest right where your pants (used to) button, and the top of your skirt (used to) zip. I'm telling you, DON'T DO IT!
Ignoring this warning may lead to:
Your feeling like too much sausage stuffed into too little casing. Or, it might give you a renewed desire to get outside in the blistering heat and burn off those last couple of pounds. OR, you may have bouts of uncontrollable sobbing, remembering your thinner self...which may depress you even more and lead to throwing yourself on the floor, and stuffing Little Debbie snack cakes into your mouth. You already feel fat, so what the heck?
As for myself, I'm going to opt for feeling the sausage effect, enjoy my looser waist-ed clothing, and keep up with the crunches until the rest of me can fit into last year's wardrobe. Cute clothing, I'll be back!
P.S. Having to deal with a couple extra pounds is completely forgotten when my girl gives me one of her cheesy toothless grins!
June 23, 2011
Produce
Here are photos to show you how the garden is doing.
Behold, the Behemoth Zucchini!
Maters, anyone?
Behold, the Behemoth Zucchini!
Maters, anyone?
June 17, 2011
Squash Salad
It's hot. Really hot. A fresh-from-the-oven kind of meal isn't so desirable when it's 101 degrees outside! In attempt to stay cool and avoid the stove, I've been encouraged to find recipes that can be served and enjoyed straight from the fridge. When it regards our bumper crop of squash, imagine my delight in finding the below recipe in the latest Everyday "Food" magazine. Once again, hats off to you, Martha Stewart.
Following suit with most recipes, I did my own bit of tweaking, but here's what's (NOT) cooking for dinner at the Bornes tonight.
Squash Salad:
2 med. sized yellow squash thinly and unevenly sliced
1/4 red onion, cut into slivers ("Slivers" is a fun word.)
1 T. EVOO
Juice from 1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/2 c. Greek yogurt (Is it just me or it this stuff really sour cream in disguise?! If you don't have this yogurt, just use sour cream. Seriously.)
1 tsp. chopped parsley or basil (I used basil, dried from our garden. The fresh stuff would have been good too, but it's entirely too hot to attempt such a venture and not risk heat stroke.) ;)
1 tsp. chopped mint leaves
Coarse ground salt and pepper to taste
Mix up all of these ingredients in a medium sized bowl and chill before serving.
I'm planning to serve this with chilled asparagus hinted with vinegar, sauteed onions and beef burgers (minus the bun). I'm so excited.
The tartness of the yogurt combined with the lemon and herb is very refreshing.
Following suit with most recipes, I did my own bit of tweaking, but here's what's (NOT) cooking for dinner at the Bornes tonight.
Squash Salad:
2 med. sized yellow squash thinly and unevenly sliced
1/4 red onion, cut into slivers ("Slivers" is a fun word.)
1 T. EVOO
Juice from 1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/2 c. Greek yogurt (Is it just me or it this stuff really sour cream in disguise?! If you don't have this yogurt, just use sour cream. Seriously.)
1 tsp. chopped parsley or basil (I used basil, dried from our garden. The fresh stuff would have been good too, but it's entirely too hot to attempt such a venture and not risk heat stroke.) ;)
1 tsp. chopped mint leaves
Coarse ground salt and pepper to taste
Mix up all of these ingredients in a medium sized bowl and chill before serving.
I'm planning to serve this with chilled asparagus hinted with vinegar, sauteed onions and beef burgers (minus the bun). I'm so excited.
The tartness of the yogurt combined with the lemon and herb is very refreshing.
June 15, 2011
Mozzarella Zucchini Recipe
As forewarned by Erin, I planted more than 1 zucchini and squash plant and we have seemingly been over-run with the produce. After sending some home with friends and family, AND the fact that Andrew can still be caught with the garlic salt shaker grazing after work, we've finally caught up and are now waiting for more.
It's been a satisfying thing to use produce from our garden to make our dinners and the other night was no exception. I had the last pick of the zucchini in the refrigerator and found a great recipe from my "Everyday Food" magazine. I tweaked it a bit, but it turned out to be a hit.
Here's how it's made:
Slice zucchini in quarters or halves and lay on a broiler-proof or tin foil wrapped and greased baking sheet.
Mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of (rice) vinegar, 1 teaspoon of fresh, chopped oregano, and 2-3 seeded and chopped plum tomatoes.
Stir these together and evenly spread over the zucchini. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper then bake for 10 minutes at 350*. (You may need to bake it for less time because you don't want it to get mushy!)
Once baked, remove from the oven and generously sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese on top.
Before returning the pan to the oven, using oven mitts, move the highest rack to the top oven space. Turn on your broiler. Place your pan of cheesy mozzarella zucchini on the top oven rack and broil for 6-8 minutes (at 2 minute intervals) or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
Remove from the oven, let everything cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!
This turned out to be a new favorite of Andrew's and mine. Or maybe it was the bacon served with it? I think the next time around I'll turn this recipe into more of a gluten-free style pizza since it would be excellent with meat (perhaps, crumbled bacon?!) and veggie toppings before adding the cheese.
As you can see from the picture below, I had excellent help in the kitchen! My food safety training has not allowed bare feet near food, but we came to an agreement. Olivia and I decided that she could help since her feet are yet to touch the ground, she agreed not to kick the pan, and obliged to model the food. I've got myself a little sous chef! :)
It's been a satisfying thing to use produce from our garden to make our dinners and the other night was no exception. I had the last pick of the zucchini in the refrigerator and found a great recipe from my "Everyday Food" magazine. I tweaked it a bit, but it turned out to be a hit.
Here's how it's made:
Slice zucchini in quarters or halves and lay on a broiler-proof or tin foil wrapped and greased baking sheet.
Mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of (rice) vinegar, 1 teaspoon of fresh, chopped oregano, and 2-3 seeded and chopped plum tomatoes.
Stir these together and evenly spread over the zucchini. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper then bake for 10 minutes at 350*. (You may need to bake it for less time because you don't want it to get mushy!)
Once baked, remove from the oven and generously sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese on top.
Before returning the pan to the oven, using oven mitts, move the highest rack to the top oven space. Turn on your broiler. Place your pan of cheesy mozzarella zucchini on the top oven rack and broil for 6-8 minutes (at 2 minute intervals) or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
Remove from the oven, let everything cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!
This turned out to be a new favorite of Andrew's and mine. Or maybe it was the bacon served with it? I think the next time around I'll turn this recipe into more of a gluten-free style pizza since it would be excellent with meat (perhaps, crumbled bacon?!) and veggie toppings before adding the cheese.
As you can see from the picture below, I had excellent help in the kitchen! My food safety training has not allowed bare feet near food, but we came to an agreement. Olivia and I decided that she could help since her feet are yet to touch the ground, she agreed not to kick the pan, and obliged to model the food. I've got myself a little sous chef! :)
June 13, 2011
Bundt?
In the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" there is a scene where the engaged couple's parents meet. They are about as different as night and day. The groom's mousy mother brings a bundt cake and as the Greek mother walks away with it, she suspiciously looks at it before loudly announcing: "It's a cake! I know! Thank you! Thank you very, very much." Then she whispers to Aunt Freida "There's a hole in this cake!"
A couple months ago, Mom had come up to visit to help me ready the girl's room, and in the midst of her visit, we inevitably went garage sale-ing. It's what we do.
At one of our stops I found a bundt pan. Grandma and our friend Nancy always turned out delicious bundt cakes, so after reasoning I had cabinet space for such a device, I joined the ranks of bundt-cake-making-ladies. (Say THAT 3 times fast!)
Not ever having made a bundt cake before, I did what any modern housewife does with most anything...I Googled it. "How to make a bundt cake." As with anything, there were a plethora of posts, opinions and ways to make this kind of cake, but I believe I've now figured out my own style.
Our church has a potluck after service every Sunday so when it came time to prepare something to take, my decision was obvious. BUNDT CAKE, BABY! I mixed up my ingredients and it seemed to be such a hit dessert at lunch that I made one the following week...and the week after that. I made different flavors each time, but started getting teased a bit for my predictability. ;) Last night our pastor's family hosted a party at their home and not having done any baking in the last month I knew exactly what I wanted to take. We arrived after everyone had eaten, but it still didn't take long for the belated cake to disappear.
Since I am such a generous person I'll share my secret to a delicious chocolate bundt cake. First you have to harvest cocoa beans at exactly 75* and slow roast them for 2 hours before grinding them to add to your cake batter. Next, you gather the wheat from your local wheat field. You must be wearing wheat gathering clothing or else it doesn't count for your Proverbs 31 woman medal at the end of all this. Once this is done...
Okay. I can't keep this up any longer.
So really, all I do is throw together a chocolate cake batter in with a box of instant chocolate pudding and a generous handful of chocolate chips, pour it in my lovely greased bundt pan, and bake it for 45ish minutes. When the cake is cooled I run a non-stick spatula around the edges to separate the cake and plop it on my cake plate. For the icing I mix together 1/2 a stick of softened butter, 2 tablespoons of chocolate powder, a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and a teaspoon or two of water. Whip this together until it's smooth and drizzle it over the top. That's it. It's so easy and so incredibly delicious that I'm almost embarrassed that I didn't harvest the cocoa beans at 75*.
A couple months ago, Mom had come up to visit to help me ready the girl's room, and in the midst of her visit, we inevitably went garage sale-ing. It's what we do.
At one of our stops I found a bundt pan. Grandma and our friend Nancy always turned out delicious bundt cakes, so after reasoning I had cabinet space for such a device, I joined the ranks of bundt-cake-making-ladies. (Say THAT 3 times fast!)
Not ever having made a bundt cake before, I did what any modern housewife does with most anything...I Googled it. "How to make a bundt cake." As with anything, there were a plethora of posts, opinions and ways to make this kind of cake, but I believe I've now figured out my own style.
Our church has a potluck after service every Sunday so when it came time to prepare something to take, my decision was obvious. BUNDT CAKE, BABY! I mixed up my ingredients and it seemed to be such a hit dessert at lunch that I made one the following week...and the week after that. I made different flavors each time, but started getting teased a bit for my predictability. ;) Last night our pastor's family hosted a party at their home and not having done any baking in the last month I knew exactly what I wanted to take. We arrived after everyone had eaten, but it still didn't take long for the belated cake to disappear.
Since I am such a generous person I'll share my secret to a delicious chocolate bundt cake. First you have to harvest cocoa beans at exactly 75* and slow roast them for 2 hours before grinding them to add to your cake batter. Next, you gather the wheat from your local wheat field. You must be wearing wheat gathering clothing or else it doesn't count for your Proverbs 31 woman medal at the end of all this. Once this is done...
Okay. I can't keep this up any longer.
So really, all I do is throw together a chocolate cake batter in with a box of instant chocolate pudding and a generous handful of chocolate chips, pour it in my lovely greased bundt pan, and bake it for 45ish minutes. When the cake is cooled I run a non-stick spatula around the edges to separate the cake and plop it on my cake plate. For the icing I mix together 1/2 a stick of softened butter, 2 tablespoons of chocolate powder, a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and a teaspoon or two of water. Whip this together until it's smooth and drizzle it over the top. That's it. It's so easy and so incredibly delicious that I'm almost embarrassed that I didn't harvest the cocoa beans at 75*.
Tragedy
Strains of the Bee Gee's song "Tragedy" are playing in the background as I type this blog entry. It's rather appropriate.
Yesterday, in the midst of a visit from a dear friend, Andrew entered the house looking a bit sad. He announced to us that he'd found the skunk. He exited through the back door only to return a few moments later looking even more sad. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it wasn't the skunk he'd found...but it's offspring. Yes, the Sir was really a Sally, and sadly, it was in the process of increasing the skunk population when last week's battle occurred. This knowledge might explain Sally's insistence and determination to return to her home after it had been flooded. What in the beginning was a sort of exciting attempt to encourage a skunk to move on has become a tragic tale of a brave mother skunk trying to raise her offspring in a rural town in Texas. (Can you tell I'm having a bit of fun with alliteration? Okay. Just checking.)
Poor skunk!
Poor offspring!
Poor Andrew!
I think finding the little skunk was a bit of a Boo Radley moment for Andrew. Sally wasn't an evil boy skunk with devious plans to spray and attack his wife and child on their way to the garden, but a Mommy skunk just trying to find a place to have her little ones.
When my family lived on land there were countless times we'd find stray animals dropped off on our property. We couldn't keep all of them, so if the pound wouldn't take them, Dad had to deal with it. I recall a time when someone dropped off a pit bull. The pound absolutely refused to take it, and with no one else wanting such a dog, Dad had to shoot it. Dad didn't get any enjoyment out of doing such a thing, but that kind of a dog wasn't safe to have around his family, so he did what he had to. Though I knew pits were typically dangerous and was scared of the animal, I begged Dad to tell me when he'd buried it so I could shed a few tears and lay flowers on it's grave. It hadn't hurt any of us, but it could have. The risk was too great, so it had to go one way or another. That was one of the many moments I learned that life on "the farm" isn't always pretty or easy. Sometimes you have to do difficult things to protect your family or property. Andrew did what he needed to. RIP Sally Skunk.
Yesterday, in the midst of a visit from a dear friend, Andrew entered the house looking a bit sad. He announced to us that he'd found the skunk. He exited through the back door only to return a few moments later looking even more sad. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it wasn't the skunk he'd found...but it's offspring. Yes, the Sir was really a Sally, and sadly, it was in the process of increasing the skunk population when last week's battle occurred. This knowledge might explain Sally's insistence and determination to return to her home after it had been flooded. What in the beginning was a sort of exciting attempt to encourage a skunk to move on has become a tragic tale of a brave mother skunk trying to raise her offspring in a rural town in Texas. (Can you tell I'm having a bit of fun with alliteration? Okay. Just checking.)
Poor skunk!
Poor offspring!
Poor Andrew!
I think finding the little skunk was a bit of a Boo Radley moment for Andrew. Sally wasn't an evil boy skunk with devious plans to spray and attack his wife and child on their way to the garden, but a Mommy skunk just trying to find a place to have her little ones.
When my family lived on land there were countless times we'd find stray animals dropped off on our property. We couldn't keep all of them, so if the pound wouldn't take them, Dad had to deal with it. I recall a time when someone dropped off a pit bull. The pound absolutely refused to take it, and with no one else wanting such a dog, Dad had to shoot it. Dad didn't get any enjoyment out of doing such a thing, but that kind of a dog wasn't safe to have around his family, so he did what he had to. Though I knew pits were typically dangerous and was scared of the animal, I begged Dad to tell me when he'd buried it so I could shed a few tears and lay flowers on it's grave. It hadn't hurt any of us, but it could have. The risk was too great, so it had to go one way or another. That was one of the many moments I learned that life on "the farm" isn't always pretty or easy. Sometimes you have to do difficult things to protect your family or property. Andrew did what he needed to. RIP Sally Skunk.
June 9, 2011
Warshing Soap
Last year my Mom showed me and my friend Abbey how to make our own laundry detergent. Mom got it from her friend Claudia who got it from her daughter, my friend Ruth...so in my book, it's like the Amish Friendship Bread of laundry soap. Compared to the cost of regular detergent, it saves a boat load of money. It's also pretty simple to make, doesn't contain any weird chemicals, dyes, or fragrances that many of us are sensitive to. I'm especially glad to use this now that we have a little one with sensitive skin. There are numerous recipes on the internet, and it can be made many different ways, but below is the form that turns up in the Borne's washing machine.
Ingredients:
1 cup Borax powder
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 bar of Ivory soap
Tools needed:
1 large mixing bowl
1 grater
1 cup dry measuring cup
1 whisking utensil or blender
Grate the Ivory soap into the large mixing bowl and pour in the cup of Borax and cup of Washing Soda. You can pour this mixture into a blender to chop into a fine powder, or use a whisk to break and blend together. I made up a quick double batch this afternoon and saved clean up time by pouring the powders & grating the soap straight into my soap container. It was start to finish within 10 minutes. Because it's an effective, concentrated kind of laundry powder, I only use about an eighth of a cup for a normal sized load of laundry. If there are clothes with some tougher stains coming down the line, I'll add a bit of oxy-clean, but otherwise this does a great job of cleaning.
*Note: This mix won't suds like a typical detergent, nor will it have an overpowering smell, so don't be tempted to keep pouring until you see sudsy bubbles or smell artificial flowers from the peaks of a thousand hill tops.
Ingredients:
1 cup Borax powder
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 bar of Ivory soap
Tools needed:
1 large mixing bowl
1 grater
1 cup dry measuring cup
1 whisking utensil or blender
Grate the Ivory soap into the large mixing bowl and pour in the cup of Borax and cup of Washing Soda. You can pour this mixture into a blender to chop into a fine powder, or use a whisk to break and blend together. I made up a quick double batch this afternoon and saved clean up time by pouring the powders & grating the soap straight into my soap container. It was start to finish within 10 minutes. Because it's an effective, concentrated kind of laundry powder, I only use about an eighth of a cup for a normal sized load of laundry. If there are clothes with some tougher stains coming down the line, I'll add a bit of oxy-clean, but otherwise this does a great job of cleaning.
*Note: This mix won't suds like a typical detergent, nor will it have an overpowering smell, so don't be tempted to keep pouring until you see sudsy bubbles or smell artificial flowers from the peaks of a thousand hill tops.
Trouble in Paradise
I know I've mentioned the friendly little skunk that decided to move from our neighbor's house to under our outbuilding. After about a week, seeing a burrowed dirt mound and catching whiffs of skunk was getting on Andrew's nerves, so he and a friend covered up the hole with a slab of concrete. The next morning we found a freshly burrowed hole right next to the previous entrance. Grr. Andrew took the shovel and filled THAT hole in only for it to be re-excavated the next day. How defeating, right?
Things came to a climax this weekend. Andrew had had enough. My folks were here over the weekend so Dad and lil sis joined Andrew in on the battle. They threw the garden hose down the skunk hole and flushed him out. The skunk emerged (I'm told) looking like a wet cat and made a dash for the space under Andrew's shop. A series of events involving squirts of skunk spray and several plinks with a pellet gun led to Mr. Skunk high tailing it for another neighbor's yard. There are of course a few details I will refrain from disclosing for the benefit of the P.E.T.A (the People for the Eating of Tasty Animals).
With the skunk having moved on to happier hunting ground, we thought our worries were over...until the other morning.
Andrew heard it first. Then Mom and I heard it. Thinking it was the baby making a noise, we checked on her to find she was asleep. A few moments later we heard it again, this time more distinctly which led me to look out the back window to discover the source. Friends, imagine my confusion when I looked out to see that Ethel (of the Red and Ethel pair of hens) was crowing. We're talking an "URRRRRR-ur-URRRRR-ur-URRRRRRRRRRR!!!" that could rival Mary Martin's rendition of "I Wanna Crow" in the original stage play of Peter Pan.
Andrew had seen Goldilocks crowing the day or two before, but now Ethel was at it, too! After a bit of research on the ole Googlizer, we're left with the knowledge that we may have two very dominant hens that are crowing in the absence of a rooster, OR...Goldilocks and Ethel are dudes. I sincerely hope it's not the latter, or else I may need to stock up on a few recipes regarding winner-winner-chicken-dinner. :-P I'll letcha know how it goes.
Who dun it?
Things came to a climax this weekend. Andrew had had enough. My folks were here over the weekend so Dad and lil sis joined Andrew in on the battle. They threw the garden hose down the skunk hole and flushed him out. The skunk emerged (I'm told) looking like a wet cat and made a dash for the space under Andrew's shop. A series of events involving squirts of skunk spray and several plinks with a pellet gun led to Mr. Skunk high tailing it for another neighbor's yard. There are of course a few details I will refrain from disclosing for the benefit of the P.E.T.A (the People for the Eating of Tasty Animals).
With the skunk having moved on to happier hunting ground, we thought our worries were over...until the other morning.
Andrew heard it first. Then Mom and I heard it. Thinking it was the baby making a noise, we checked on her to find she was asleep. A few moments later we heard it again, this time more distinctly which led me to look out the back window to discover the source. Friends, imagine my confusion when I looked out to see that Ethel (of the Red and Ethel pair of hens) was crowing. We're talking an "URRRRRR-ur-URRRRR-ur-URRRRRRRRRRR!!!" that could rival Mary Martin's rendition of "I Wanna Crow" in the original stage play of Peter Pan.
Andrew had seen Goldilocks crowing the day or two before, but now Ethel was at it, too! After a bit of research on the ole Googlizer, we're left with the knowledge that we may have two very dominant hens that are crowing in the absence of a rooster, OR...Goldilocks and Ethel are dudes. I sincerely hope it's not the latter, or else I may need to stock up on a few recipes regarding winner-winner-chicken-dinner. :-P I'll letcha know how it goes.
Who dun it?
June 7, 2011
Best laid plans
Yesterday was my birthday. The older I get, the more I realize how very little I know. I should know by now that plans are extremely subject to change and that instead of keeping a calendar, it's probably just best to buckle up and hang on. *Sometimes shutting up might not hurt either b/c I have rather large feet that are hard to get out of my mouth. ;)
I laugh to think of where I was just a year ago. I'll spare you the details but here's what the year included:
A trip with my Dad to London over Spring Break, Andrew proposing(!), finishing up teaching, Andrew completing his degree (WHOOP!), my quarter-century b'day, getting married, honeymooning in Cancun, Andrew job searching, getting pregnant, Andrew getting a job, our living out of our suitcases for a several months before moving to a town neither of us had ever been to before, being in a apartment before finding a house, moving into the house and finally getting all of our stuff out of storage (after 6 months!), finding a church and a doctor, getting settled...and in the early summer, having a baby!
I was talking to my Grandma on the phone yesterday about what a year it's been. She said she's convinced that only young people can handle so many changes, because it would send an older person over the edge. She laughed as I agreed but assured her that I'm pretty sure I saw the edge a few times. :-p
It almost feels cliche' to say that "the Lord is faithful", but after such a year, I feel and know this truth deeply. God has been so gracious to me and my husband in this last year and while I may not want to relive that seemingly extreme amount of change ever again, I will look back on it, knowing the Lord carried us through. He truly is faithful and I pray that we are more Christ-like people for having been given the grace to walk through such an eventful time in life.
Though grateful for what has transpired in such a short amount of time, my prayers have been something along these lines: "Lord, thank you for everything You've done in our lives this past year...could we please maintain where we are for a little while?
I laugh to think of where I was just a year ago. I'll spare you the details but here's what the year included:
A trip with my Dad to London over Spring Break, Andrew proposing(!), finishing up teaching, Andrew completing his degree (WHOOP!), my quarter-century b'day, getting married, honeymooning in Cancun, Andrew job searching, getting pregnant, Andrew getting a job, our living out of our suitcases for a several months before moving to a town neither of us had ever been to before, being in a apartment before finding a house, moving into the house and finally getting all of our stuff out of storage (after 6 months!), finding a church and a doctor, getting settled...and in the early summer, having a baby!
I was talking to my Grandma on the phone yesterday about what a year it's been. She said she's convinced that only young people can handle so many changes, because it would send an older person over the edge. She laughed as I agreed but assured her that I'm pretty sure I saw the edge a few times. :-p
It almost feels cliche' to say that "the Lord is faithful", but after such a year, I feel and know this truth deeply. God has been so gracious to me and my husband in this last year and while I may not want to relive that seemingly extreme amount of change ever again, I will look back on it, knowing the Lord carried us through. He truly is faithful and I pray that we are more Christ-like people for having been given the grace to walk through such an eventful time in life.
Though grateful for what has transpired in such a short amount of time, my prayers have been something along these lines: "Lord, thank you for everything You've done in our lives this past year...could we please maintain where we are for a little while?
June 2, 2011
Eww, Mom!
It's happened. I am THAT Mom. Do I need to confess, or is this just a naturally progressing thing that happens to new Moms? Since I'm shocking myself a bit, I'll got ahead with this as a confession...
I pick Olivia's little boogers. Gimme a break. I can't help it if I want my daughter to have unobstructed breathing use out of her nose!
I wipe the crusties out of her eyes (product of a clogged tear duct) at random and it would appear that she's already agitated by this fact. Who wants eye crusties?
I have begun using my clothes as an excess milk-catcher, snot collector, and general purpose burp cloth. Okay, so it's not like I have much of a choice, but perhaps I should invest in more Oxy-clean? Humm.
Now for my big confession:
I...I...I...licked my daughter's forehead.
Umm, this one requires a bit of explanation. I already do a teensy bit of saliva induced hair-control, but this one is note worthy.
Since we've been on a restricted diet to get rid of the thrush (what I loving refer to as the yeastie-beasties), I have been indulging in a small handful of raisins, raw almonds and chocolate chips to make things seem not so bleak. The other day I was snuggling with my girl and enjoying my snack at the same time. When she woke up for me to feed her, I was alarmed to see something dark smeared on her forehead. It wasn't any color of poo I'd seen so far, no less in such an obscure location. Upon closer inspection I discovered that one of the chocolate chips tried to make a get-away and melted a trace footprint before managing a full escape onto the floor.
With the burp cloth just out of reach, my maternal instincts kicked in and declared that the obvious thing to do was to lick the chocolate off of my child's head. I gave a lick before the socially-acceptable voice inside me yelled in a horrified voice: "This is weird. You look weird! You are LICKING YOUR BABY'S HEAD!" With only a smudge left, I ignored the voice and finished my clean up work. While I don't plan to make a habit of this, I do think I will be a bit more careful not to be so messy. AND if a similar situation occurs in public, that it would probably be best to reach for a wipe instead. ;)
Many years ago at a family reunion in Kansas, I recall my baby cousin getting attacked by ants and having them washed off with a nearby water hose. As soon as the ants were gone, my Aunt gathered up her baby and immediately began drying her off with her shirt. It seemed odd to me that my Aunt didn't think twice about trying to keep her shirt clean. As a new Mommy, I'm starting to understand that we'll do just about anything (and then some) for our babies. Even lick chocolate off their head.
I pick Olivia's little boogers. Gimme a break. I can't help it if I want my daughter to have unobstructed breathing use out of her nose!
I wipe the crusties out of her eyes (product of a clogged tear duct) at random and it would appear that she's already agitated by this fact. Who wants eye crusties?
I have begun using my clothes as an excess milk-catcher, snot collector, and general purpose burp cloth. Okay, so it's not like I have much of a choice, but perhaps I should invest in more Oxy-clean? Humm.
Now for my big confession:
I...I...I...licked my daughter's forehead.
Umm, this one requires a bit of explanation. I already do a teensy bit of saliva induced hair-control, but this one is note worthy.
Since we've been on a restricted diet to get rid of the thrush (what I loving refer to as the yeastie-beasties), I have been indulging in a small handful of raisins, raw almonds and chocolate chips to make things seem not so bleak. The other day I was snuggling with my girl and enjoying my snack at the same time. When she woke up for me to feed her, I was alarmed to see something dark smeared on her forehead. It wasn't any color of poo I'd seen so far, no less in such an obscure location. Upon closer inspection I discovered that one of the chocolate chips tried to make a get-away and melted a trace footprint before managing a full escape onto the floor.
With the burp cloth just out of reach, my maternal instincts kicked in and declared that the obvious thing to do was to lick the chocolate off of my child's head. I gave a lick before the socially-acceptable voice inside me yelled in a horrified voice: "This is weird. You look weird! You are LICKING YOUR BABY'S HEAD!" With only a smudge left, I ignored the voice and finished my clean up work. While I don't plan to make a habit of this, I do think I will be a bit more careful not to be so messy. AND if a similar situation occurs in public, that it would probably be best to reach for a wipe instead. ;)
Many years ago at a family reunion in Kansas, I recall my baby cousin getting attacked by ants and having them washed off with a nearby water hose. As soon as the ants were gone, my Aunt gathered up her baby and immediately began drying her off with her shirt. It seemed odd to me that my Aunt didn't think twice about trying to keep her shirt clean. As a new Mommy, I'm starting to understand that we'll do just about anything (and then some) for our babies. Even lick chocolate off their head.
June 1, 2011
By the Sweat of Your Brow
Outside of the sweet baby bubble...things are going and growing well in the backyard.
While I've been inside tending to our little chick, Andrew has done an incredible job being a new Dad, on top of maintaining his title of Chicken Wrangler and Green-Thumbed Gardener. He's been really attentive to keeping things watered, fed and weeded.
The chickens are big and though they seems to have thinned out a little with the onset of early summer heat, you can definitely tell they've matured. Their legs and feet have gotten really thick, their feathers are fully grown, and their waddles are red and well, waddly. They are still well practiced beggars and on several occasions I'm sure they've wondered if that thing I'm carrying in the pouch is a treat for them.
Thanks to my hubby's hard work, the garden is thriving. He's turned into somewhat of a mad scientist with our "farming" ventures. He's currently growing a batch of grubby worms to feed to the chickens for protein, and has given the garden a few loving sprays of 100% Beet Sugar Extract (Shrute beets of course). He fertilized for the first time just a day or so before some good rains came in, so from my perspective the garden had doubled in size within just a few days.
So far our highest producer has been ****drumroll please***....the yellow squash plants! I can't say I wasn't warned that they'd kick out more than we could consume, but we've had some fun with harvesting our veggies. A few days ago I went out to find Andrew in the garden after a long day of work. He had a strange bulky looking object sticking out of his back pocket. It was the bottle of garlic salt from our spice rack! When I asked him why in the world it was there, he whipped out his pocket knife, cut a ripe yellow squash, sliced a piece for each of us and sprinkled it with the garlic salt! I've gotta say, it was delicious. We've also picked a couple zucchini, an okra (yes, just one), 2 jalepeno peppers, and a good handful of beans.
On the harvesting horizon are a plethora of tomatoes, a fat cucumber, and several good looking ears of corn. Andrew loves corn. With a passion. So, despite the fact that there are about 8 healthy ears of corn popping up, he has continued to mourn the fact that he didn't plant more. Like a whole field of it. I'm not even joking. You simply cannot fathom how much this man loves corn. The other day he asked if we could have a dinner entirely comprised of corn. Not to put a wet blanket on his hopes, I might make a few other things that aren't so umm, well...starchy. lol
Though I was the one to start a few seedlings in the beginning, Andrew has done a fantastic job as the "laborer of the soil", fulfilling his Biblical role in toiling the ground. I am so proud of my farmer-man and it's SO much fun to begin harvesting some of our produce!
"Beans, beans, the magical fruit..."
While I've been inside tending to our little chick, Andrew has done an incredible job being a new Dad, on top of maintaining his title of Chicken Wrangler and Green-Thumbed Gardener. He's been really attentive to keeping things watered, fed and weeded.
The chickens are big and though they seems to have thinned out a little with the onset of early summer heat, you can definitely tell they've matured. Their legs and feet have gotten really thick, their feathers are fully grown, and their waddles are red and well, waddly. They are still well practiced beggars and on several occasions I'm sure they've wondered if that thing I'm carrying in the pouch is a treat for them.
Thanks to my hubby's hard work, the garden is thriving. He's turned into somewhat of a mad scientist with our "farming" ventures. He's currently growing a batch of grubby worms to feed to the chickens for protein, and has given the garden a few loving sprays of 100% Beet Sugar Extract (Shrute beets of course). He fertilized for the first time just a day or so before some good rains came in, so from my perspective the garden had doubled in size within just a few days.
So far our highest producer has been ****drumroll please***....the yellow squash plants! I can't say I wasn't warned that they'd kick out more than we could consume, but we've had some fun with harvesting our veggies. A few days ago I went out to find Andrew in the garden after a long day of work. He had a strange bulky looking object sticking out of his back pocket. It was the bottle of garlic salt from our spice rack! When I asked him why in the world it was there, he whipped out his pocket knife, cut a ripe yellow squash, sliced a piece for each of us and sprinkled it with the garlic salt! I've gotta say, it was delicious. We've also picked a couple zucchini, an okra (yes, just one), 2 jalepeno peppers, and a good handful of beans.
On the harvesting horizon are a plethora of tomatoes, a fat cucumber, and several good looking ears of corn. Andrew loves corn. With a passion. So, despite the fact that there are about 8 healthy ears of corn popping up, he has continued to mourn the fact that he didn't plant more. Like a whole field of it. I'm not even joking. You simply cannot fathom how much this man loves corn. The other day he asked if we could have a dinner entirely comprised of corn. Not to put a wet blanket on his hopes, I might make a few other things that aren't so umm, well...starchy. lol
Though I was the one to start a few seedlings in the beginning, Andrew has done a fantastic job as the "laborer of the soil", fulfilling his Biblical role in toiling the ground. I am so proud of my farmer-man and it's SO much fun to begin harvesting some of our produce!
"Beans, beans, the magical fruit..."
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