A Peek of the Pecks

small successes

2009-05-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Here is an idea as a pick-me-up from Faith & Family. Sometimes I start to feel overwhelmed with what I have to do and how there is still so much to prepare for the new baby (just over 3 weeks away now!!!) etc., etc., so this helped to list 3 small successes, which for mothers can amount to a tremendous success!

1- I cleaned every nook and cranny of my kitchen counter-tops. No small feat.

2- I have been diligent in getting into the Great Outdoors with the boys at least 3-4 times a week; this has proved tremendously worthwhile in the adventures,
exploring and good old bonding times we've had. We're trying to be in different
habitats... visits to the pond, beach, forest, and fields... I'm thankful for
where we live. Also began nature journaling!

3- Refining, refining, refining our curriculum and learning center plans for next
fall. It's ever a work in progress but it FEELS like a success whenever I add in
a nugget of wisdom, great idea or book, or delete/modify current plans. For not
being a huge planner in day-to-day life, I LOVE homeschool planning. Check out
our seasonal notebooks I made: chock full of themes, ideas, feastdays, reading
lists and crafts for each time of year. There will be constant additions to this.

must say

2009-05-18T12:50:00.001-07:00

how much I love Crafty Crow again...

Just entered in the fabric contest!

it's waning...

2009-05-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling less and less inspired to blog these days. The problem is Facebook. Most people who read this blog are on Facebook and it feels rather redundant to post updates in two places. Plus there are some on FB who never read blogs and it's easier to keep up with them there. I can't deal with more than one social network online at a time I think. So, even though I've been posting only monthly or so, don't expect too much from this anymore. Get a facebook account! See our photos, updates and very important ridiculous quizzes there!!!

That said, here's the latest bullets:

Steve is neck deep in EMT classes. They are very time intensive and consuming but I'm really proud of him for buckling down and ploughing through his homework every night. We have 2 more weeks to go and so far this hasn't had a negative effect on our marriage like I thought it might. The communication is still great and we're on the same page with everything. Last night I felt so loved as he even took it upon himself to make dinner and SERVE me and the boys while I was sewing. Then he did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen! I pointed out to my boys how Papa was showing his love for me and the family and they marveled at it. (Steve in the kitchen isn't too common, unless he's rummaging for cookies.) Steve said "That's right boys, this is how you make love to a woman." hahahahaha! I'm so blessed. In addition to the EMT thing, Steve is also one of the coaches for Xavier's T-Ball and that takes up 1-2 evenings a week. Plus Wednesday night bowling league which he does for the chance to hang out with his brother.

I went to the NW Catholic Homeschooling Conference and it was very nice. I loved how the kids all just jumped in and played with each other, big and small, old and young... pick up soccer games for all. The talks were okay, nothing too novel for me since I already have a good grasp on what I want in an education and how I want to accomplish that. But I did get a chance to browse a lot of great vendors and get my hands on a lot of the curriculum that I've only READ about so far (managed to BARELY stay under budget in my purchases). As of now, I'm 33 weeks along and still without any set baby names... have a feeling it's going to come down to the wire with this one! I'm feeling fine, reading lots of books, spending lots of time outside, organizing the home when I'm motivated...

Xavier loves T-Ball; he has a GREAT throwing arm. He likes everyone on his team and this has been an overall positive experience. He's looking forward to going to the Mariners game we got tickets to later this month.

Leo is still his own special self. He's at his finest when he and Xavier are buddies at the moment. His tantrums are slowly becoming both less frequent and less intense; thank you Lord. He still needs some special attentions to help him work through some of his emotions occasionally. He and Dominic play awesome together when Xavier is at his games.

Dominic is a loveable lump of cuddles, preferring his father to anyone else on earth. He cries when he can't play ball at the games with Xavier, he wants to do sporty things all the time and he is the child who is always most eager to spend time outdoors.

There you have it! Here's the boys' Easter picture.

best investments

2009-04-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Okay I know I should probably do a life update or somesuch, but I've not the motivation right now. But I have been thinking lately about toys and the boys playing and such and it's caused me to reflect on what have been the BEST and WORST toy investments in our home. Strange how certain things appeal to us adults but not the kids and vice versa... or how price tag has nothing to do with the appeal on some toys. We like to have a limit on toys in general just because we don't want the boys to get too dependent on being entertained... and I've found that they'll spend more time outdoors and doing creative things than other kids we know just because their own toys are limited. So a couple times a year we gather up toys that we don't use or want and let them go! The boys expect this and are fine with it because they know there is always an 'incoming' of toys they can expect throughout the year on holidays/birthdays and garage sale finds etc. So as long as we have a healthy purging of toys now and again, I have no problem acquiring more.

Okay so in no particular order these are the items in our home that we've gotten the most bang for our buck: I'd love to hear YOUR most loved, best investments also... please share!

Hot Wheels (and other smallish cars):

We've got to have close to 100 cars or so in this house... but they don't seem to get old. They have a wide age-span of playability and they are very flexible with what the kids can do with them... they are a consistent presence in the play here on most days. Check out the new parking spaces I discovered when I opened up the piano the other day. Plus at only $1 each, you get to constantly flush in and out of new additions to the car box.

Unit Blocks:

We've had many little block sets come and go in the home... they've all gotten played with but eventually the paint chips or they just aren't taken care of etc. Unit blocks are a MUST in any home, in my opinion. These differ from other block sets in that they are sized to correspond with each other (e.g. Two square blocks are the exact size of a base rectangle; two triangles equal a square etc.). They are larger, sturdier (maple I think) and inifinitely fun in what the kids can do with them! Blocks around here build houses, race tracks, fire stations, roads, towns all kinds of things. We bought each boy a set for Christmas a couple years ago because they more you have, the more you can create, and they are forced to share and collaborate. The ones we bought were on sale at amazon at the time. A great investment!

Random pieces of cloth:

I'd love to buy some quality silkies like those shown here, but they're out of my price range. But I've picked up basic squares of different cloths at Wal-Mart or garage sales and such and the boys have been able to make capes, robes, ipromptu picnic blankets, and all kinds of costumes. Just a basic rectangle about 3 feet wide/tall or so and imaginations run wild.

Stuffed animals/ Baby dolls:

Now I never thought little boys would get into stuffed animals or dolls so much but they each have their own little boy baby, and we have a plethora of stuffed animals that seem to be constantly flushing in and out of our home and as long as the stash isn't GROWING, I'm fine with that. Generally new ones come in as gifts or from rummage sales etc, but older ones (except the most beloveds) find their way out the door too. Anyway, the boys do all kinds of pretend play with their animals, they dress and feed and wear (!) their babies, drive them around in laundry baskets etc. So while I'm not personally a fan of stuffed creatures, I see that the boys truly enjoy them and do imaginative things with them so they're here to stay!

Balls of all shapes and sizes:

I'll be the first one to admit that our house is a rough and tumble kind of home. Things don't always get taken care of they way we'd hope. Many basketballs, footballs, baseballs, bouncy balls etc., have come, gone, been lost, popped, ruined or roofed over the years. But, we ALWAYS have balls around. And they inevitably get used in one way or another or enjoyed for spurts of time while interest is there etc. And the advantage to this just became obvious to me. For example, people who have musical instruments lying around have a greater chance of raising musicians and just exposing kids to a variety of musical styles... it's the same with balls from all sports. Our kids shoot baskets, throw footballs, catch baseballs, bounce play balls, kick soccer balls etc. And they are all getting better and more coordinated at it. Xavier is in T-Ball this year and he's got the best arm on his team when it comes to throwing and catching (batting, not so much). It's obvious that he's had a lot of experience throwing things around and playing catch with his brothers and Papa. It amazes me to see some of the other kids throw the baseball with astounding inability... I'm talking 6 year olds who don't get the concept of when to release the ball and the thing only goes 3 feet in front of them, it's quite sad. So yes, balls of all types, have been great investments for many reasons.

Markers/Crayons/Colored Pencils/Paints/Paper

These also are in constant flux around here since they get ruined half the time, but I keep a close eye on the GOOD ones we have... but having consistent access to drawing and coloring materials has been essential in allowing the kids to be creative in an artistic way. They do some kind of drawing or coloring a few times a week it seems... and they even go in phases where they'll take a box of crayons, a couple coloring books, and spend the whole afternoon in their room!!!! It's crazy... but I'm not complaining!!!

Fisher Price Little People

I'm talking about the vintage ones as seen in our header here. They've played with the newer versions and will enjoy them for a while if they have them, but they always seem to go back to the old skool ones (which I keep in a giant storage bin and only bring out every so often) that aren't sold anymore (we got ours from garage sales, thrift stores and ebay). I've reflected on WHY they seem to prefer the older ones... I mean the newer ones are brighter, more detailed, make noises sometimes and overall more FUN looking. The old ones look boring in comparison. I mean just look at the picture on the top of the blog compared to this:

So my theory is that the kids prefer the older ones precisely because they can imagine more with them... THEY have to make the noises.... THEY have to pretend they're holding things and that their outfits are interesting or bodies are more than simple shapes etc. I really do believe that "less is more" when it comes to toys and if you give kids ambiguous, simple toys, they'll have much more to play with than the toys that do all the imagining for them.

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Anyway, there's my compendium for now. Empty boxes also get used a lot around here, and anything new, whatever it is, will get loved and played with exclusively for at least a couple weeks. But as it goes, the boys eventually get bored with these and then shuffle back to their tried and true toys...

(Biggest disappointment? We have received some lovely puppets over the years; I have great visions of my kids lovingly setting up a show and creating all kinds of comedies and dramas with their puppets... but alas... they've not barely used them. I wonder if we have a girl that this will change... because I refuse to part with these whenever purge time comes!e)

intercession

2009-02-24T09:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it's obviously been awhile since I've updated this blog. A couple of reasons:

1- My camera is broken. Thank heavens we were still barely under warranty so it's being repaired... but they've been taking their sweet time.

2-We've been really busy!

3-I spend probably an inordinate amount of time on Facebook and much of what I post on here feels rather redundant. I'm thinking about quitting the blog altogether again (I know, I'm such a waffler) especially since most the people who read this blog are now on Facebook so there's that option of keeping up... but I'm not sure.

A quick update before you don't here from me for awhile. I'll be offline throughout Lent; though I'll check my email weekly or so (probably Monday evenings if anyone wants to know).

I'm doing lots of organizing and spring cleaning around the house; it feels like there's so much to do and not enough to do it. But I am well into my 2nd trimester now so that's usually when I'm feeling my best and I need to take advantage of that!
Steve and I aren't coming to any agreements yet on baby names so don't ask! :o)
I'm sewing a lot lately, making lots of mei tais and enjoying that.
Steve is busy being Superman at work and home doing everything he can to juggle all the demands placed on him. He won Sailor of the Year and may be up for more awards this year on a national level! Still unsure of post-Navy plans... we're putting our faith in God and trying to be patient.
Xavier is signed up for Little League this year-- his first go at organized sports. What he REALLY wants to do is play football, but he's biding his time. Leo is getting better and better and simple math equations and letter/word recognition. He's quite a bit more advanced than Xavier was at his age. We're considering getting him involved in Tai Kwon Do... just so he has his own focus apart from his brother-- their competition can be brutal sometimes. Dominic is his little rascally self-- snugglicious still and his terrible twos aren't TOO terrible so far.
Upcoming Peck plans include an overnight date to the Seabee Ball (on Steve's birthday!), babysitting curtesy of my Mother in Law, a WWME retreat weekend in late March, babysitting curtesy of my parents, lots of liturgical Lenten activities around the home ( I encourage you to check out some of the posts written about this season on the old Coffee and Diapers website), a couple different community and church volunteer projects Steve and I are involved in, and a perfect day to celebrate my birthday: Easter Sunday.

So there's all that. Hope all of you are well. And we'll see what kind of conclusion I come to about the blog after 40 days or so. God bless!

crafty crow

2009-01-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

Notice the new link on my sidebar to The Crafty Crow. What a fantastic resource! I can spend hours just perusing the craft pictures and ideas... it's so great to have someone cull so many blogs/websites for great ideas and put it all in one place! So glad to have discovered it....

Planning Part II

2009-01-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

Well, we've all been sick around here with some kind of "Mississippi crud" that Steve brought back with him, but laying on the couch is getting old and I figured I may as well try and piece together a bit more of our curriculum plans.

Dawn over at Sun and Candlelight has a fantastic planning tool with her monthly themes. I went ahead and copied them for my own uses, only changing up some ideas and making things more relevant to our lives and geography here (e.g. whale migration time, special family birthdays/feastdays, local festivals and field trip destination ideas etc.). I also put my book basket ideas on a separate sheet (hence the previous post) since the list is long and only grows all the time. I'm so very excited to get these all printed out and put in nice notebooks that I've taken extra care to decorate nicely (I find that if I put more effort into something, it'll likely get used/appreciated more... of course). Especially useful will be the concept of being able to put in one place all the different crafting ideas and such... I hated throwing away copies of Family Fun magazine for example... but now I can just clip crafts or ideas I want to remember and place them in my monthly notebook. Here is a great post she wrote on how she plans and then organizes hers.

This has been hugely inspirational to me on how to just be more organized with the rhythms of life in general...

Next up, specific curriculum planning on the academic side of things.

Planning Part I

2009-01-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

I've been working like a dog (a happy, interested dog) these past few days researching and compiling ideas for how to stay organized and prepared for next school year.

One thing I've completed is my booklist. While there are loads of great children's books out there, the ones on this list are pretty much seasonally specific. Furthermore, there are plenty of seasonal books that are a whole lot of "twaddle"... so consider this list for the discerning parent who enjoys books about the good, noble, beautiful and true things in life. Good art, good message kind of thing. It's not like every book on this list is a treasure... but every book IS BETTER than some of the twaddle-rific books they pass off as literature these days.

I made this list so I can further implement the concept of seasons, liturgical year and rythym in our day to day lives. Generally we like to check out books from the library on pertinent subjects, e.g., Christmas books at Christmas time etc. But apparently we're not the only ones so if you show up at your library a week before Christmas looking for books on it, you'll be out of luck. This list will help me to get a head start on reserving books for seasons and holidays to put in our book basket. I just put a hold on some February and Valentine's Day books for example. Obviously, you won't be able to get every book on your list, but I like to put as many options on there as possible. To give credit where credit is due, I got most of these titles from Dawn's blog (where I've also been gathering monthly theme pages to be posted here later), the 4 Real Learning Forums, MacBeth's Opinion, Michael O'Brien's booklist in this book, my own bookshelf/knowledge, and Amazon.com reviews/recommendations. It is subject to additions in the future, but my eyes are so worn out from working on this, it may be a while!

So without further ado, please use this list yourselves as a great springboard into the wonderful world of picture books! (Note that it starts in August to match up with academic calendars somewhat...)

BOOK BASKET ALL YEAR LONG

Daybook...

2009-01-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

Outside my window... is gray, gray, gray. Chimneys puffing on rooftops up and down the road.

I am thinking... about next year's curriculum plans. I've been running through so many books/blogs/forums/magazines for research gathering ideas and pinpointing goals for our family. I feel really good about the plan; I just need to sit down now and spend a few hours on Spreadsheet or somesuch getting them all together. I am so very thankful for the freedom I have as a mother and educator to design our own learning plans.

I am thankful... for my dear children. I love the phrase my friend Erin's sister used: "authentically boyish." How I delight in watching them play and learn and work and grow.

From the kitchen... a fresh carrot cake sits on the counter. I unfortunately tried to wing it on the frosting, using regular sugar since I was out of powdered sugar. I don't recommend this; the taste is fine but the texture is all off.

I am wearing... a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, and a blanket. I can never rid me of the chills it seems.

I am creating... starting to make a couple baby carriers for some mamas.

I am reading... never just one book. I always have something informative, something spiritual and something mind-candy going all at once depending on my mood. The informatives are: The Omnivore's Dilemma, and rereading Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home, which I highly, highly recommend. The spiritual is S.C Biela's The Two Pillars. The mind candy is the final installment of the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy: The Cross.

I am hoping... that spring will get here faster than I think it will.

I am hearing... three little boys making sound effects for their cars as they play merrily on the carpet.

Around the house... Christmas decorations are taken down but not entirely packed away yet. A bit of mid-winter organizing needs to take place.

One of my favorite things... is a brand new pair of socks. That's the first thing that came to mind.

A few plans for this week... dinner with a friend tonight, Steve comes home from Mississippi late Wednesday, paying bills on Thursday, Adoration with the Master of the Universe on Friday, curriculum writing, stew simmering, tea kettle whistling, foggy walks in the cold, starting a new chapter book with the boys.

2009-01-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Well, not that people are knocking my door down for business but for what it's worth, I updated my photography website. I thought about getting a professional web designer but I had to remember that my goal isn't to make this a career... it's just a pastime and I have to keep it humble to glorify God. So I used what VERY little design skills I have to make it what it is. I especially wanted to make it clear on the "About" page that I'm just a one-person, part-time lover of photos... not a major professional or anything.

And frankly, I hate listing prices... because I have often done photos for free for families who wouldn't otherwise afford it. And I LOVE doing this and plan on continuing to do this when the opportunity comes up.

But, I have to also remember that I'm performing a service for others and I shouldn't devalue the entire photography business just because I like doing it; it does take time and my family has to to sacrifice to make it happen also. So I threw some numbers up there because from a consumer perspective, I HATE it when businesses say "Call for prices" or the like. I like to know what to expect up front. So there's that.

our rockin' kiddy table

2009-01-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

For Christmas the boys received a nice, quality solid wood table (and we bought two additional chairs so we'd have four total). We've had 2 other kiddy tables before that have since fallen to pieces so we did a bunch of research and really wanted to invest in a nice one this time. So, of course, we're going out of our way to take good care of this table. The first thing we wanted to do was put a protective coating on it so that it would be ultra-protected against spills and such. We found a great bar-top epoxy at Home Depot that is equivalent to 60 coats of polyurethane!! Then Steve told me that we could put pictures or trinkets underneath the coating for it to shine through if we wanted to personalize the table. The table had a great 1/4 inch lip all around the edge of the top that really is perfect for this project. After much deliberation I went through the boys' Stare! game and chose our favorite cards (all retro kiddy prints of some sort) to make a fun border and middle design. Then I decoupaged a single card on the back of each chair to tie it all in. The result is pretty fantastic don't ya think?! The boys love it.

in review

2008-12-31T10:00:00.001-08:00

I loved Joann's idea about posting a year in review... here's my take on it, a photo a month for 2008. This was a bit tough since some months were very busy and full of pictures (June, August) and others had almost nothing on my files (February, November) but I'll give it a go:

JANUARY: meet Scut Farkus

FEBRUARY: exploring artillery bunkers

MARCH: Berry cobbler

APRIL: this was for a contest (that we didn't win)

MAY: Academy graduates

JUNE: loving my Leo

JULY: goofing with the Pope kids

AUGUST: Bride and nephews

SEPTEMBER: taking advantage of the beach a mile away

OCTOBER: in the park

NOVEMBER: if only they acted saintly too

DECEMBER: Christmastime

Warming up after a bath

2008-12-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

This was just too funny...

In the book basket

2008-12-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

Aside from the usual melee of picture books we go through each day, we're immersed in a bit of historical fiction from Clyde Robert Bulla, called "Viking Adventure." Being so roguishly boyish, Xavier is of course in love with this book. I always love to find good books that incorporate a bit of history in with a great story.

I also wanted to share a few of our favorite Christmas books. Now we all know there are a million children's books about Christmas, but only a (maybe large) handful are really TREASURES. Some of these titles are pretty common to other literature-loving mamas, but not all of them. We keep our Christmas books packed away with the decorations and such so when we open up the box each year, it's like rediscovering old friends. These are some titles definitely worth owning... or at the very least reading this time of year. There are plenty of other good books for Christmastime out there, these are just some near and dear to our hearts. (A caveat: you won't likely find these at the library now because aggressive book-lovers and homeschoolers have had these titles on hold for months now.)

The Miracle of Saint Nicholas- a lovely story that offers a bit of perspective into a time/place where priests were persecuted.
B is for Bethlehem- Unfortunately, I don't own this (yet!) but you can't beat illustrations by Elisa Kleven, they are glorious. This is an especially good book for wee ones.
The Donkey's Dream- a true gem that is quite meaningful in its imagery. It tells the Christmas story from the donkey's perspective.
Why Christmas Trees aren't Perfect- A sweet story about serving others before oneself.
The Clown of God- not so overtly seasonal that we pack this one away, but the climax does take place on Christmas Day; it's a gem.
The Legend of the Poinsettia- another sweet story that highlights the virtues of a humble heart.
The Story of the Three Wise Kings- this is a hard one to get your hands on these days! But it's so difficult to find good Epiphany stories that it's worth keeping an eye out.

7th Anniversary

2008-12-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

Seven years ago today two young, dumb starstruck kids got married...

... and believe it or not, they're still more in love than ever!

A profound insight

2008-11-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm reluctant to be considered brilliant or shrewd... but we all know that these 5 question tests can pinpoint personalities with amazing accuracy right?! This is all you need to know about me:

You Are Chess

You are brilliant and shrewd. You can often predict what people will do in the future.
You thrive in complex situations. You deal with contradictions well. You can have many streams of though going on at your mind at once. You keep track of things well. You are very patient. You have lots of endurance, even when your energy dwindles

You Should Live in South Carolina

If you don't want to live in South Carolina, you might also consider:

Alabama
Kansas
Kentucky
New Hampshire
North Carolina

What State Should You Live In?

You Are Granola

You are creative and inventive.
You don't do much the ordinary or normal way.
You like to explore new ideas and lifestyles.
Something isn't for you just because other people do it.
Quick breakfast fixes are definitely not your style.
You're the type most likely to cook yourself an amazing homemade breakfast.

What Kind of Cereal Are You?

You Will Not Be a Cool Parent

And that's pretty okay. While your kids may not think of you as a friend, they will respect you.
You know that kids need discipline and structure, and you're not afraid to give it to them.Just be careful that your strictness doesn't lead to rebellion.It's good to have standards and rules, but you don't need to have an iron fist when enforcing them.

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

You Are 15% Redneck

I'll slap you so hard, your clothes will be outta style.You ain't no redneck - you're all Yankee!

How Redneck Are You?

What Your Pizza Reveals

Your appetite is pretty average. You don't go overboard - but you don't deprive yourself either.You aren't particularly picky about pizza. It's so good... how could you be? You fit in best in the Western part of the US.You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are generous, outgoing, and considerate with your choices. You are cultured and intellectual. You should consider traveling to Vienna.The stereotype that best fits you is geek. You're the type most likely to order pizza to avoid leaving your computer.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

What Your Burger Says About You

You are very gluttonous. Even if you're full, you'll still clear your plate. You are likely a fairly picky eater. And you're secretly a little squeamish about some foods. You are a very open eater. You like many types of tastes, and you'll eat just about anything. You tend to gravitate toward strong, pungent foods. Even if it means having bad breath! You are straightforward, honest, and ambitious. You tend to be direct about what you want when it comes to food. You are emotional. You have a big heart, and you tend to go for comfort foods. You have trouble making decisions quickly. Everything looks good to you... especially at a restaurant.
You are social, outgoing, and a risk taker. Among your friends, you are the first to try a new food.

What Does Your Burger Say About You?

You Are an Onion Bagel

You are spontaneous, savvy, and multi-talented.
You enjoy taking risks, and you're not the kind of person who makes long term plans. Of all the types, you're the most likely to eat something new for kicks. You tend to have something unusual for breakfast... if you even have breakfast at all.

What Kind of Bagel Are You?

You Are 15% Pirate

Arrr, yer nay a gentleman o' fortune, an' ye dasn't make like yer one. Ye rather stay on dry land than take to the seas lookin' fer booty.
Peg legs an' eye patches really aren't yer thing. And parrots scare ye. So stay away from the Caribbean, unless yer prepared to walk the plank.

Would You Make a Good Pirate?

You Are an Apple

You are strong, powerful, and even a bit stubborn at times. You have enough strength to help those around you in trouble. You are adventurous and charming. Many people are drawn to you. You love life, and you enjoy traveling the world. You enjoy fine food, art, and culture. People have accused you of being a snob, but that's not accurate. You do enjoy the best things in life. Unlike snobs, you truly appreciate quality... not just pretend to.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Facelift

2008-11-09T23:18:00.000-08:00

I just needed to do SOMETHING to the blog. So there's my solution. Notice all the links on the sidebar... a couple "real life friends" and a couple 'e-friends' PLUS some other random blogs I frequent occasionally. Have a peeksy huh? These are all much more polished than this little blog here. I've not the inclination or patience to photograph steps to a recipe I made or steps we took when crafting something. It makes for a more interesting read I agree... but I'm trying to get out of the mindset of "Ooh! That would make a good blog post, I better get the camera" ... into the mindset of just enjoying the moment and perhaps sharing it with you all as an afterthought. If you'd like some jolly recipes, I do have to recommend one lovely bit... pumpkin bread (I made muffins... my quickbreads never seem to turn out right). Not just any pumpkin bread... friends, the QUEEN of all pumpkin breads. And please please please know that the KEY to any muffin is the gentlest mixing possible of wet and dry ingredients! Do it by hand, slowly and just barely enough to introduce the wets to the dry! This makes for a delish muffin! So I made this Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread and loved it as is... but my mouth began to quiver with delight when I imagined adding a streusel topping to it (just copy the streusel recipe from something else on that site: type in "streusel". Oh the glory that beckons!!!

So that has been my gastronomic delight of the month, along with making a batch of Tinga up last month. Tinga, you may or may not know, is one of the BEST authentic Mexican foods out there. When I stayed in Cuernavaca oh so long ago, it was hands down my favorite dish. You can't find it here in the US, insofar as I've searched restaurants and such. I used to be a literacy tutor for a Mexican woman back in Cali and she once made a batch up for me and that was the last time I'd had it until recently when I found a recipe for it online. So I'll share that with you if you appreciate GOOD, AUTHENTIC Mexican food. Be sure to follow all the recommendations in my review (my name on that site is "gimmedatcheesecake"... don't ask) That picture on the site is mine too! Enjoy!

Finally, I'm trying my hand at the slide show thing... it takes a million years to load onto blogger apparently so I'm just going to link you to it. These are pictures including Leo's 4th birthday (his cake was a disaster, try not to look at it closely), Halloween, All Saint's Day and the beach... enjoy!

All Saint's Day

2008-11-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

... more photo catch up to come, but here are St. Michael the Archangel and St. Maximilian Kolbe!

You do the math: 1200 sq. ft house x 5 adults x six under age 6 x 13 days

2008-10-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

We've had our dear friends Joe and Steph in town from Utah, and their 3 boys (two of whom are our godchildren). So imagine a smallish, 3 bedroom house filled with 5 adults (my sister lives here remember) and 6 BOYS-- under age 6... for almost 2 weeks!!! Their stay got extended quite a bit because their truck broke down and they had to special order the part for it and it was just a crazy extensive mess. BUT, for all the chaos and constant sensory overload of the past two weeks... it was worth it. It's always good to see those true blue kinds of friends and especially good to get to know our godsons a bit more (they are Leo's godparents) since we've barely seen them since leaving CA.

Anyway, it was an eventful first half of the visit. They have some kind of timeshare thing in Victoria, B.C., so we spent a couple nights there in a lovely room overlooking the harbor. The kids had a blast at the Bug Zoo, riding the double decker bus, going to Miniature World etc. The adults had some fun (mostly after 10 pm when the kids were finally asleep and damage control duty was off, and we got to sit in the hot tub with a nice drink and catch up on life.)

After the trip, their truck broke and we were pretty much incapacitated to go anywhere in one vehicle being so large a group, but we did manage some time at Fort Ebey in Coupeville and got to spend lots of time shooing the boys outdoors to dig in the pea gravel etc.

Now, the house is quiet and the little squabbles and noises of my regular crew seems like nothing... all is well. Tomorrow, Sia (another good friend, Dominic's godmother) is coming to visit (with her two boys, one of our godsons)... so we'll be in the visitor routine again. But these visits are a treat for us. Sometimes we can feel quite isolated from family and friends up here on the island and it's nice to have a flow of visitors occasionally. I suppose I should share some photos... there are too many. I'll pick out a couple faves.

This is our godson Braxton:

This is Joe, Steph and baby Marcus:

This is our other godson, Corban:

This is sweet Dominic's favorite run to a parent with open arms and tongue a-wagglin':

This is five boys in a bathtub:

This is Steve-O at his finest with the boys in Anacortes:

This is the view from the condo we stayed in:

This is the kids wishing we had one of these at home:

This is the view from the front seat, level 2 of a double decker city bus in B.C.

This is Dominic holding one of the MANY bugs he got to handle at the Bug Zoo.

chicken dancing aprons?

2008-10-23T21:50:00.001-07:00

It's just that my amazon wishlist is getting too long. So I attempt to win a gift card by commenting on this fun recipe from The Apron Queen's Reviews!

You can too! Click here!

perfectly addictingly unhealthy

2008-10-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

Have you discovered Amazon's new universal wishlist?! Holy cannoli! This thing rocks; you can put anything on the entire internet, from any store, on your amazon wishlist. Talk about convenience!!! Talk about a way to drool even more easily over things... STUFF. Crimeny, now my husband can never say that he doesn't know what to get me (for Christmas, anniversary, birthday etc.). There are some really outrageously expensive things on my list now... but just for kicks! Hahaha... I need to get away from the internet for a while.

For your amusement, click here.

from the book basket...

2008-10-09T13:34:00.001-07:00

I'm just going to keep small updates on what we're reading here. We finished "The Princess and the Goblin"; it was a smashing hit with the boys.

Now, we're onto "The Cricket in Times Square." Incidently, I have a copy of this book in Spanish too... so maybe we'll play around with some language lessons.

picture parade

2008-10-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

... after all what is a daddy for?

Dominic and Kate playing in a birdbath.

On the boat that took the kids on a boat tour of the Penn Cove Mussel farms.

And the find of the year at a rummage sale, remember Pogo Sticks my 80s friends?

Steve thinks he's still got it in him:

Craft time in Autumn : Making a bear cave for a hibernating bear.

We gathered leaves and nettles and pinecones and such for the inside of his cave and Xavier insisted that he needed a blanket (grass) for the cold-weather nap: the sign on his cave reads: "Good night Mr. Bear! See you next Spring!"

birthday jammin'

2008-09-23T12:37:00.001-07:00

And here are some blackberry jam making chronicles.

Dominic is two years old!!! Before we had a chance to serve his football cake, he dug into it... trying to throw a spiral I guess.

Here he is talking to his peeps on his "cell phone" that Grandma got him... she knows him well!

New outfit, also from G-ma!

And my latest mei tai carrier that I made... Steve says it looks like a 50's linoleum floor. Hahaha! Speaking of that! Click on this link and vote for my poem so I can win a Freehand mei tai please!!! I think mine is like the third one down currently. (Just make sure you click the thumb's UP not thumb's DOWN!)

http://www.togetherbe.com/contestFreeHandMeiTaiGiveAway.aspx

living books

2008-09-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

I borrowed the phrase "living books" from the Charlotte Mason philosophy... here's a great little article describing just what a living book is.

The main core of our entire education program at this stage in life is reading great books. I am so indebted to a couple of sources in helping me to understand the role of literature in the formation of a child and I'm thankful for the great, great resource books on this topic that offer fantastic booklists for children. I love reading booklists in general; but there are some specifically great ones that I can count on 100% to offer great titles to read to the children. The library or school may have booklists and such but they aren't ALWAYS going to include to best or exclude the worst. That is to say, we read books that reinforce our children's understanding of the moral order of the universe and foster appreciation for what is good, noble and true. There's something so loving about reading a long lovely story with a child cuddled next to you, staring out the window with the wheels in his head turning as he imagines the story unfolding. These reading times do more than serve as a form of 'entertainment'-- they expose the kids to rich vocabulary, they teach them that wonderful adventures take place in books so learning to read is anticipated with greater excitement, and most of all, they build a relationship between us... a bridge of comfort and love that will always be remembered fondly. Reading books will be associated with pleasant thoughts and more than anything, I pray my kids are avid readers and critical thinkers and hungry for truth. If they are booklovers... they can always read their way [back] into the faith. The beauty of our faith is that it relies on knowledge and history and truth. There are no gimmicks. If they can read a book, they can discover for themselves where He who is Truth lives.

Anyway, here is a running list of what we've read... not including the hundreds and hundreds of picture books and regular fairy tales and folk tales. The boys' favorite titles, that have made a lasting impression on them and on their imaginative play, are in bold.

James and the Giant Peach

Charlotte's Web

Stuart Little

Winnie-the-Pooh

The Twits

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Pinocchio (this was much more challenging than I would've suspected!)

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

My Father's Dragon

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Matilda

Farmer Boy

... and now, we are reading a lovely fascinating story by one of the greatest storytellers of yesteryear: George MacDonald. "The Princess and the Goblin." I hadn't even heard of MacDonald until I read Michael O'Brien's fascinating MUST READ FOR ALL CHRISTIAN PARENTS: "A Landscape with Dragons: the battle for your child's mind." (I'm not 100% in agreement with EVERYTHING O'Brien says here (more like 99%) but it opened my eyes to the way I evaluate books) And now, in reading this book, I can really see deeper into what it is that makes one book merely interesting and delightful for the child, and a book that is truly great and exposes children to noble thoughts and thrilling ideas. G.K. Chesterton called this book one that "made a difference to my whole existence." And so far the kids are enthralled. (Well goblins will do that to any little boy!)

On another note: we just received the most wonderful craft book! I've looked through a dozen different arts/craft books for kids but most were "same ol', same ol' " or just kind of uninspiring. But author Kathy Ross has hit a goldmine with her seasonal crafting books. We have "Crafts to Make in the Fall" and hope to get all of her other season craft books too. I just love the way the book is laid out. I was surprised at first at how thin the book was... only 30 crafts or so. But they are fun, and rather simple and with great illustrations. And they are original too! So this has been a pleasure...

first week of school

2008-09-08T21:41:00.001-07:00

While other children were boarding the big yellow bus on their way to the classrooms, we started our lessons here at Sacred Heart Academy also. But it is troublesome, I admit, trying to answer questions about curriculum and such. As it is, there's not a nice tidy box we fit in with our homeschooling philosophies. We are life learners. Classical, Charlotte Mason influenced, unschoolers? Hmmm. And I'm not so arrogant as to pretend we have everything set in stone for the next 12 years. We're taking it a day at a time, a child at a time... and the more we read and the more we experience, the more fine tuning will be done to our home education goals.

Right now I can tell you that I'm heavily influenced by a couple thinkers for this period in our lives: John Holt and Charlotte Mason. Add to these names the more than a dozen other education and philosophy and homeschooling books I've read, and I'm beginning to get a pretty clear idea of what I want to accomplish here. Thankfully, Steve is behind me 100% on all of this and entrusts these 'curriculum' decisions to me. Ultimately the goal is clear:

I want to inspire in them a love of learning and the know-how to learn absolutely anything they want to learn. (Light a fire rather than fill a bucket concept here.)
I want to form their characters in a way that glorifies God and equips them with the proper understanding of who they are and who they are meant to be.
I want to give them the resources they need to accomplish that.

Everything else is gravy so long as we keep the ultimate goal in mind. Reading, writing, arithmetic, etc.... these all fall easily under the above umbrella when introduced to the children in the proper way.
So we aren't homeschooling because we think our academics will be superior (even though, they will be.)

We aren't homeschooling because we want to shelter them from bad influences (even though proper formation will occur more readily in a home environment).

We aren't homeschooling to be religious zealots (even though we'll get to avoid the artificial separation of God and other subjects).

We are homeschooling because it is more than an education at home idea... it is a lifestyle that we want to cultivate.

Seeing how Xavier is now six years old, we've gotten plenty of comments and questions about "What are you guys doing for school?" Or "Are you starting homeschooling with him this fall?"

Frankly, we've started homeschooling him since birth. Remember... it's a holistic lifestyle, not just an abrupt termination of fun and play for an introduction to desks and worksheets. So I don't really know how to answer those people. I'm not of the opinion that Kindergarteners need any kind of fancy curriculum. What he needs is a lot of books, large muscle movement, books, meaningful play, books, real life interactions with different people, books, meaningful work, books, casual nature observation, oh and books.

So THAT is my homeschooling plan for this year. Just this week at 'school' we accomplished a lot. I'm so thankful that we have the freedom to do these things:

We played on the foggy west beach, throwing rocks in the water.

We researched and made a big pinata for Xavier's birthday.

We baked and decorated a monster cake.

We went on a hike in the woods with Papa.

We're reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Farmer Boy."

We've been reading lots of picture books.

We went to the Open House at the Fire Department where the boys got to crawl in and out of the engines and fire boat, see a Jaws of Life demonstration, meet lots of great firefighters.

We played legos (always a serious subject).

We went to "K4J" kid's club at church.

And we're still on the hunt for a good piano instructor for Xavier.

So life is good. Tomorrow we'll do some copywork, go berry picking... and of course, read books.

the kitchen

2008-09-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

So I don't have any great "before" pictures so we'll have to make do. Suffice it to say that this was the original 1957 kitchen with built in wood cubboards. None had tall enough shelves to hold a box of cereal... it was the ideal canned foods kitchen. Ugly, wierd pull-out drawers, an entirely rotted floor, so we had to rip all the way down to the sub-floor. A wall oven that couldn't fit some of my cookie trays, and definitely not a large turkey... unusable space; poor layout. Junky, pink laminate coutertop, gorged out, degraded lineoum floor that still looked filthy even when it was clean.

So pretty much anything would be an improvement. Steve has done a fantastic job and he's been working so hard on this for the past 6 weeks. I married a good man. We are at the point now where it's not quite finished... (there are some detailing things to do like base boards, transition pieces, paint touch-up etc.) but it's functional and I suspect the details will happen once they HAVE to happen (i.e., when we get ready to sell the house.) But I am pleased and so... here are some pics of the journey:

The closest thing I could find to a before picture, too bad you can't see the floor:

This is Steve's buddy Brian who traded lots of man-hours in help for many suppers and some beer.

Xavier learning the trade:

"You might be a redneck if you hook up your dishwashing machine to the hose in the backyard during a kitchen remodel."

Steve, The Perfectionist.

And the results!

I have a full-size oven range! I can't wait for Thanksgiving!

Look at this gorgeous (kid-mess friendly) ceramic tile we put in:

So, it's still a tiny kitchen, but it's no longer the wart of the house... it's officially "quaint" and a pleasure to be in!

One of the final touches, this lovely pewter hardware we sprung for:

August

2008-08-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

(For those who've kept us in prayer lately, I thank you immensely, for those who've no idea what I'm referring to, don't worry... we're doing great because God is an awesome, merciful God.)

Pictures of the kitchen should be up next week. For now some other visual updates and a reflection. When I deleted my old blog, it was because I was starting to get on a soapbox about society and issues and things and it wasn't healthy for my spirituality. So I've tried to keep this blog focused on just the kids and basic updates etc. As it is, I'd like to start the occasional chronicle entry of our homeschooling journey too. I don't want to do this because of any reason other than I simply want to share some of the things we are striving for in our home so our friends and family can understand us better--(red flags always go up when people hear that we are homeschooling.) and hopefully clear up some misconceptions about what it means to be a homeschooler. There are a million other homeschooling blogs out there that are way better than mine (just ask and I'll link you) so I don't intend to make this total homeschooling blog... but there may be an occasional post with our happenings and/or our philsophy behind our lifestyle. Because homeschooling isn't just an academic choice for us-- it is a lifestyle choice (more about that later!) For now the picture parade:

I just love this photo... it epitomizes the Peck lives.

Xavier gets ready to be ring-bearer in Aunt Mandy's wedding:

Here are the bride and groom:

Dominic's first plane ride, when we went to the baptism of our new goddaughter in CA.

The only good thing about my yard this year:

And I think I might frame this one for the wall:

a new thing

2008-07-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Very recent and spontaneous decision making has led to an entirely nightmarish, crazy, rewarding spectacle.

It all started with a can of paint. I wanted to simply rid myself of blaw, so I bought a single can of dandelion yellow paint for the kitchen.

But then the ugly pink countertop looked horrid. So we bought new countertop. Then Steve said we may as well update the cabinetry we've beeen wanting to do since the day we moved in.

(The house has the original 1957 falling apart wood cabinets in the kitchen)/

Then we figured we may as well go all the way and do the floors too.

Since we had only a tiny wall oven and cooktop, this also meant getting a new (to us) oven. And the dishwasher apparently was leaking and rotted out the floor decking so a new one of those is in order too.

My oh my, what a project. Today I washed dishes in the backyard with the hose. Steve promised to have the sink in tonight. The whole kitchen was GUTTED. All my STUFF has been in boxes and wagons all over the living room. The backyard is filled with ripped up piles of floor and cabinets with old rusty nails sticking out. The kids are not allowed back there obviously. Which is a nightmare considering it's summer and the living room is filled with stuff.

As it is, he and a buddy from work have been working VERY hard to get this done. Our budget and savings account and credit card have taken a beating... but we figure this'll boost the resale of the house by at least 10 grand. Anyway the new cabinets are in. Countertops in. Sink is tonight. Floor is tomorrow. Appliances next. Then paint touch ups. Oh my. I hate eating out now. We're breaking out the campstove tonight.

However, it is going to look fabulous when finished. We will not likely be painting the exterior of the home this summer like it so desperately needs, but this will be a huge, welcome change. Golden yellow walls, bright white cabinets, pepper blackish countertops, blackish ceramic tile. Kind of a bumble bee look I think... hmmm. Anyway, I'm at the library computer so no pics until it's all said and done.

glimpses

2008-07-10T12:51:00.001-07:00

Recent shots of each of us Pecks:

Me and Nico in a sling I made.

Nico and Leo at bathtime. Yes bathtime. On a hot summer day this sometimes means putting bath soap in the kiddy pool.

Little man testing out his biking skills.

Not so little man charming the camera-girl.

Steve-O acting like a BBQ hot-shot on the 4th of July.

and now.

2008-06-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Since I've always been one to freely admit my moderation problems with the Internet, I'm quite thrilled to be announcing that Steven and I decided to get rid of our lovely, fast, efficient DSL. We are going internet free; the signal will be dropping from our house in 3-5 business days!

Now the legions of fans I have may find my assembled FAQ to be of some help to you:

Q: Does this mean we'll never see you again?
A: No dearies, we'll still be alive. And even online occasionally.

Q: But HOW?
A: There is a Starbuck with free Wi-Fi two blocks from us. We have a laptop.

Q: But your blog is so titillating, how can I manage not knowing the details of your life?
A: Well, you could try writing a snail mail letter; I ALWAYS write back.

Q: Eww... how old fashioned!
A: Indeed.

Q: But seriously, the blog?
A: I suppose I can manage posting pics or pertinent updates on occasion. Monthly?

Q: Netflix?
A: We currently have about 160 movies on our queue... that should hold us over for some time before we need to update it.

Q: Online banking and bill paying?
A: While Starbucks isn't my FAVORITE coffee place, it'll do in a pinch.

Q: Will you still be checking your e-mail?
A: I imagine weekly or so. I still prefer e-mail communication over the phone most of the time.

Q: But what WILL you do without it?
A: Hopefully engage more in the 3D world here... laundry, dishes, walks, music, beaches.

Q: But Ellie, we know you... how will you live without instant access to your homeschooling forums and your Catholic forums and your amazon.com and facebook and the Drudge?!?
A: Someone once told me that God will reward us anytime we choose a greater good. I truly believe not having internet in our home will be a greater good, even if those things weren't "bad" to begin with.

Q: Okay fine, but you can't tell me Steve feels this way too?!
A: There are depths to that man that many people don't often see or take the time to discover. You'd be surprised.

Q: So are you saying the rest of us with internet are bad people? How judgemental!
A: Of course not. The pope has internet, I'm quite fond of him. It's simply what seems to be the right choice for us at this particular time in our lives.

Q: Well FINE, but I bet it won't last!
A: It may not, we aren't totally dogmatic about this. We figured it was a good way to save money, to simplify our lives, and to focus more on the family. If our joy somehow DECREASES because of this, we may be online again soon. But while technology has done fabulous work in increasing human entertainment and pleasure, it has done almost nothing to add to human joy.

another first

2008-06-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

my favorite company

2008-06-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of unsolicited catalogs. Shopping mail order or online does that for you... they sell your name etc., etc., and pretty soon Steve is getting American Girl Doll Catalogs and I'm getting Northern Tool Company catalogs.

As it is, I recently received yet another toy or education catalog that I was just about to recycle before I opened it up.

Oh. My. Word.

Mindware is THE BEST catalog I have now! I love EVERYTHING! It is amazing! I could plan almost our ENTIRE homeschooling curriculum JUST from this catalog for years! Fun. Educational. Clever. Quality. What more could anyone possibly want?!

My kids would love this stuff! More importantly... so would Steve and I!!! Ha, ha, ha. We just spend close to an hour together browsing this catalog. Go check it out, you won't be disappointed.

family portrait

2008-06-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

Okay so I know you're all needing a laugh and I'm willing to oblige since I'm short on sleep and avoiding my sewing machine that needs me at the moment.

This is the photo we tried to enter into a Dream Vacation contest. It had the caption of "Well, we're dreaming big of our family cruise, but for some reason we can't seem to make it out of port." Anyway, there was a bug with the website's entry form and I tried, and tried and tried. I even wrote to their Tech Support but they didn't help me. So I concluded, maybe erroneously, that the whole contest was rigged or just a crock.

So I'm left with this fantastic portrait for your viewing amusement. If Dominic's face had been a little more "engaged" I think it would have been in the running for the $10,000 vacation.

the month of May

2008-05-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

What a month! Got knee-deep into my sewing craze, had my brother up for a week, went to Lacey to visit a shrine, planted flowers in the garden, went to Vancouver for a week, hikes were taken, trips to the city pool, Steve graduated from Firefighter Academy, and tonight our priest is coming to celebrate Mass in our home and to consecrate our family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Happy Feast Day!) So without further ado, the specs:

Steve's graduation ceremony: It was pretty nice! I learned that Island County co-leads the state (along with Bates College) with firefighting accreditations they offer. We are very lucky that not only did he receive his Firefighter I status from the state, he got paid to do so! He wants to go on and get his EMT certification this winter (here on the island also) and set himself up for a full-time career some day. Steve was singled out that evening to receive a plaque and "Chief's Choice" award for most outstanding recruit of the whole north battalion! That's the man I married... puts his heart and ethic into all his work. "If something's worth doing, it's worth doing right!"

These are the recruits for the city of Oak Harbor (they has had South Island and North Island county recruits), and who's that handsome one there on the left??? (Click on the photos for a bigger image)

... receiving his certificate from Senator Haugen who was the key speaker for the ceremony.

... all squared away with his new badge!

*Giggle* Steve stands a little bit straighter when he wears that uniform... I'm so proud of him.

And here we have now the mandatory playground pics of the kiddos...

I just love this next picture of the three boys:

playing in the bubbles with Uncle Nate. and cousin Delion:

And now we have the Hazel Dell Parade. Boy do the Pecks know how to do parades! Check out their sweet setup for the 95 degree heat, complete with a cooler for cold drinks and something like a 50 pound bag of sunflower seeds! My father-in-law gets out there hours before the parade starts to set up in the choicest spot along the street, and they meet up with some family friends and just have a great time! I think I can officially say that this is my favorite tradition on Steve's side of the family and I'm thankful to be a part of it. (We just need to live closer to family so we can do this every year!)

Ha, ha! Writing this out in front of our "post" got most of the bands to march a little crisper and play a tune! School-aged kids will believe anything... :o)

Dominic has a ball and a lap... what else could he possibly want?!

The boys got loads of candy!

Aunt Mandy put beads on Nico and is about to teach him Blackjack... ha-ha!!

Here's the water fountain at Esther Short Park in Vancouver. Dominic took a bit to warm up to the idea:

And if this isn't the sweetest photo of the brothers I've seen in a LONG time!

... the boys looking through photo albums.

... my attempts to turn my thumb green. The kids had fun in the dirt at least!

... and finally, the sweet signs of summer around the corner!

turkey meatloaf?

2008-05-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

I'm just posting this because I heard rave reviews about it and then went to the Food Network site to get it only to find a statement saying it would only be available for a limited time. So... UNTIL I have time to try it out... here it is being saved:

Ina Garten's Meatloaf

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
5 pounds ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.

Real men wear babies

2008-04-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

This is the mei-tai Steve insisted that I keep for us... since he's agreeable to wearing it, I will comply! Dominic loves his Papa more than words can say... (and vice versa)

brotherspeak

2008-04-23T17:17:00.001-07:00

Xavier and Leo sitting at the table. Leo falls off the chair. Leo starts wailing and moans to his brother: "Xaaaavvvviiiiieeeeeerr.... you forgot to saaaaaaaaaaaaavvvve me!!!"

****************

Xavier and Leo playing some kind of game in their room. I overhear Xavier trying to coerce Leo into doing something: "Leo, if you don't do this, you won't be my brother anymore. Don't you want to be my brother?" Leo whimpers: "yes". Xavier yells: "Then DO IT!!!"

Superman etc.

2008-04-23T17:08:00.001-07:00

This is the third child to go through this outfit... Aunt Mandy bought this for Xavier's second birthday; it's been a favorite with all the boys.

And this is what happens when you teach children that once they spill their milk, they will not be allowed any more for that meal; they must have water instead. Some kids just love their milk.

the latest mei tai

2008-04-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

I've finally perfected the technique of what I need to make one of these sucessfully. We zipped over to the fabric outlet last Sunday, I whipped this out today. I still can't believe that something THIS comfortable came out of my sewing machine. The key with all baby carriers is weight distribution. And the mei tai style is awesome for heavier babes...

picture parade

2008-04-14T14:18:00.001-07:00

Hello all, here's the latest:

Steve's trying to keep his head above water as his final month of firefighter training comes to a culmination. We'll both be thrilled when this is finished!

Ellie has been going baby-carrier crazy and since we can't splurge on the hundreds of dollars the kind she WANTS cost, I've resorted to making my own, imperfect but serviceable ones. These are my two guinea pigs. The beige one is called a mei tai and I'm in love with it. It supports the baby's (or TODDLER'S) weight SOOO well... better than some of my store bought carriers. I learned a lot already and can't wait to perfect my technique with following ones.

Xavier is putting in lots of miles in the backyard.

Leo is busy driving Dominic up the wall.

Dominic is a sweetheart, trying to get over the remnants of his cold. Excuse the boys' pasta faces in the bottom photos.

He's so big

2008-04-04T17:09:00.001-07:00

Xavier no longer uses training wheels on his bike!!! We are watching a 6 year old girl today who asked if she could 'coach' him to ride a two wheeler and so Steve took them off and after only about 5 minutes he was zooming around! I couldn't believe it! He was so ready...

news

2008-04-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

First of all, I decided it was time for a new family portrait; and I must say that this is the best I've ever looked in a picture. We are lacking in a "dirty blonde" people for Leo, so the kid with the hat will have to do.

Any news on the family front? Not so much. I've done a couple more photo gigs for small payment so that's nice.... also have another wedding coming up in June. So this convinced Steve and me that it was time to upgrade our camera a bit to better equip it for the professional stuff. And so, we bought an external flash, a diffusion attachment and a camera remote: hooray! Now we can do bounce lighting for indoor shots and have much better control over the lighting. I'll feel 100 times more confident in doing the next wedding than I did in the last one.

Boys are playing hard, we're all still getting over the sicknesses. Leo and Dominic had ear infections and since we've had mixed luck and bad feelings about antibiotics, I went ahead and took matters into my own hands and did a garlic oil drop solution and Hydrogen Peroxide and it's worked well!!!

Steve's working hard as always; the firefighter training continues until May so we'll be excited to be done with these tedious homework nights.

And we were asked to be godparents to our friends Joe and Lindsay's newest baby (she's due any day now) so we are thrilled to add another member to our family. Unfortunately, we can't quite swing taking the whole family out there so just Steve (who was Joe's confirmation sponsor) will be attending the baptism in Utah later this month.

And that's about it for now!

Chocolate Chip Cookies 101

2008-03-27T16:07:00.001-07:00

I could really write a whole essay on the essence of cookies. I've gotten so into baking lately and reading cookbooks for fun and comparing and testing recipes and modifying things. So I'm posting what I consider to be the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe... with a few disclaimers.

Some people differ on what they believe a chocolate chip cookie should taste like. Should it be soft or crispy? Flat or puffy? Semi-sweet chips or milk chocolate chips? In my opinion, a cookie should be primarily soft and it may have a delicate crisp edge but definitely not throughout the center.

People often try to recreate cookie recipes and wonder what went wrong since they followed the recipe exactly. There are many variable in the baking process. As such I'll be as specific as possible if you want these yummies to be perfect.

I can't take complete credit for this recipe... the base of it is a modification off of Steve's grandma's recipe AND the recipe found in the Fannie Farmer cookbook. I tweaked both to come up with the best.

Some cookies will look prettier than these. But the flavor is incomparable.

All ingredients are best to be at room temperature before beginning.

Do not even think about substituting the butter for Crisco. Using shortening will give you puffier, prettier cookies, but the flavor is severely compromised even if you use "butter flavored" shortening. Using real butter also helps keep the cookies tasting great for a longer period of time.

Also, try not to sub out the sugars. Most cookie recipes have a combination of white and brown for a reason. White gives a more delicate crispier taste and brown gives a depth of flavor.

Regarding the chips: semi-sweets are the best. Milk chocolate is too sweet. The combination I do most frequently here is to use 1/2 semi-sweets and 1/2 peanut butter chips. This is our family favorite. (Do not buy the "swirl" of peanut butter/chocolate chips... they use milk chocolate and the ratio of flavors is off.)

BAKING the cookies. This is what makes or breaks the cookie. If you love soft, delectable cookies, never bake them until they look brown and done. They should still look a bit raw in the middle and only slightly golden around the edges. When you pull them out of the oven, they'll continue to set up on the sheets. Don't take them off the sheets for 5 minutes or so. Whenever I follow a recipe, I start checking the cookies a minute or two BEFORE the low end of the times given. This batch bakes for 8 and 1/2 minutes exactly in my oven... but yours may be different.

Without further ado, (this is a relatively smallish recipe, yielding about a couple dozen or so):

1/2 cup butter.
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/8 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup oatmeal (I use whole oats, but I suppose quick oats could be tolerated)
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Cream together the butter and sugars until well blended. Add in the egg and vanilla and blend well. Mix together in a seperate bowl the flour, salt, baking soda and oatmeal. Add this into the previous mix and blend well. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop onto cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes.

generosity gone too far

2008-03-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Xavier says to me (without a trace of malice... just sincere thoughtfuless): "Mom, should we give Leo away?"

Me: "Why would we do that?!"

Xavier: "Well, some poor kids don't have any brothers, they'd probably like him."

Me: "Well, Leo was a gift to OUR family... wouldn't you miss him if he was gone."

Xavier: "Yeah, I guess so."

Easter

2008-03-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

This was my first holiday that we've "hosted"... we always managed to get invited somewhere or be with family for previous days. So it was a nice challenge for me:

The guests:

My sister Marie, brother Nate, Kanesha and their baby Delion. Steve's brother Charley, and a buddy Steve works with on base.

The menu:

Coca-Cola Ham

Sweet Potato Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Sweet Corn Pudding

Deviled Eggs

Fresh Veggies

...and a divine Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting I made that even STEVE loves!

We did a little egg hunt in the backyard and Leo cleaned house, observant boy that he is!

Christ is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Just another day in the classroom

2008-03-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

What better way to learn all kinds of valuable skills and lessons than grabbing some fellow 'unschooling types' and heading to Fort Ebey for the day?! We climbed into the artillery bunkers, explored the long empty hallways of the battery, walked the oceanside trails, examined bugs living in dead tree limbs, balanced on fallen beams, built an awesome fort and played "house", and had an overall great, intellectually stimulating time!

40 days at least

2008-02-05T15:31:00.001-08:00

Well, surgery is still questionable; it looks hopeful but the surgeon is keeping a close eye on it to be sure.

Just writing in to say that I won't be online for any "extra-curricular" activities during Lent. I have a lot of work to finish up in some areas but no message boards, blogs, facebook, or unessential e-mails for me. This is just one piece of the plan to help prepare myself spiritually and practice a bit of self-denial during this time. I will check my e-mail once weekly just in case something comes up. Other than that, I hope you all have a prayerful time for the next 40 days... preparing for the ultimate cause of our faith and joy: HIS Resurrection.

God be with you!

fine

2008-01-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

Surgeon said it's too soon to tell if he'll need the skin grafts or not. The skin buds weren't popping through yet on part of the palm, but he wants to wait until next Thursday to be sure. So until then... Dominic is sure a trooper though. The doctor said that in 30 years of practicing medicine, he's NEVER seen a baby so calm while undressing the wound and probing at it etc. He was dumbfounded.

Okay, here's room pics. The hallway needs to get done too. I think a deep mulberry would compliment the colors... Steve is leaning toward something lighter/brighter like a buttercup yellow or something.

paint, surgery, and the backyard

2008-01-22T21:34:00.000-08:00

Update on Dominic: he has to go in for a consultation with a surgeon to see if he needs skin grafts on his palm. The burn was pretty bad. The doctor thinks it SHOULD heal okay but he has a minor concern about one section of skin... so we'll make an appt. first thing in the morning.

Well after almost two years of living here, we've painted! The dining room is the color of pumpkin pie and the living room is like split pea soup. Steve says it looks like a Jamba Juice. But he likes it a lot... and so do I. We aren't doing the kitchen yet because we hope to someday redo the cabinets, but it's going to be a school-bus yellow when we get around to it. The fireplace looks so great now with the whitewashed bricks against the olive green. It just feels different in here and we are happy about that.

Steve also finally moved the giant play structure out of the gravel pit and into the corner of the backyard onto the grass. It looks so much more "cohesive" back there. Now we can focus on getting the rest of the backyard cleaned up and put back together. We're having a little get-together for the Superbowl and we want the concrete all clear for all the kids to be able to ride around on.

I would take pics but I'm too lazy right now. It's been a long painty day.

updates

2008-01-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

So I think I forfeited my nomination for "Mother of the Year" award. Yesterday, right before church I was ironing my skirt and after I went to put it on real quick I came out right as Dominic had grabbed the hot iron off the table (and he wasn't letting go!!!) and started bawling. After the initial first aid, we took him into urgent care where they gave him "the club" as we call it. A whole half of his palm and his thumb is one giant white blister. Poor guy.So we have to go into the clinic every day for them to redress the wound this week. As it is we are also weaning him out of our bed and room this week... so it's like insult to injury from his point of view.

Leo has the sniffly nose going on lately but that doesn't stop him from sporting his coonskin cap like a true little Scut Farkus.

Xavier and I are reading his fourth chapter book together: The Twits by Roald Dahl. While we still curl up with lovely picture books each day, I'm trying to add more emphasis on longer stories with fewer pictures. This accomplishes three things: one, his attention span is lengthening. Two, he has to start visualizing and imagining things more in his own brain... a creativity we always want to foster of course. And three and most importantly, it exposes him to more printed words. We are taking a very relaxed approach to learning to read and right now I simply run my finger under the words as I'm saying them so he correlates the verbal and written word. Sometimes, if the word is repeated often, I pause and let him fill in the blank. He doesn't suspect that this is a 'schooling' exercise, so as far as he's concerned we are simply enjoying a story together! And we are! Lots of fairy tales and fables and chapter books.

Steve is working hard with his firefighter class; he's loving showing off his knotting skills and quizzing me on CPR techniques. He still is doubled up, working simultaneously on his Home Inspection course through all this too. Plus he's always working on the needs and repairs of the home. He found a rat's nest in the attic last weekend; so we got to spend some of our Home Depot gift certificate money on rat poison--yippee. I wish there was a more humane way to get them out of the ceiling but Steve says not in this case, so I trust him to do what's best. So the one night a week or so that we are both free and clear, is really enjoyed as we watch a Netflix movie or occasionally read together or to each other.

I am trying to get our home back in order here, always organizing and 'purging' (as much as Steve will let me anyway!) of unneeded clothes and things. I wish the weather was a bit nicer but we are making the most of it in the home; I love baking and drinking lots of tea. I have a stack of clothes to mend/alter so that's annoying but I'm doing my best.

So that's life so far, in 2008 for our little clan!

Fuego!

2008-01-05T00:06:00.000-08:00

The boys all decked out in their new firefighter rain coats (courtesy of Grandma Peck), in honor of Steve's new part-time job as an on-call firefighter. This seems to be the career direction he's most excited about. Steve has many interests and many skills but he's been kind of waffling on what he wants to do in his post-Navy life. But once he started these training sessions with the City Fire Department, he seemed to develop a new goal. And I have to say that he's always exhilerated and upbeat when he comes home from it. So that's refreshing... and it's right up his ally in the whole civic service concept. So God-willing this is the tentative future for us. He starts Academy next week!

4th Sunday of Advent

2007-12-23T22:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some images of our home right now. It is a very peaceful place to be... simple decorations. Humble little pockets of joy here and there. We've been doing our Jesse Tree; Steve reads the Bible passages each night to the boys. We've gone through the entire history of Salvation with various Bible stories beginning with Creation. Tonight was the Annunciation, tomorrow the Visitation. Christmas is the Birth of Jesus. It keeps perspective on Who Christ is and What He came for. We've been wanting to start a tradition of the kids MAKING presents for each other. I think it'll help develop their own crafting skills and it's given Steve and I nice one-on-one opportunities to work with the boys on little projects truly made with love for their brothers. Xavier and I cut out all the necessary pieces on felt for the story of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff for Leo to play out on our flannel board. And here below is the little old-fashioned walnut shell boat Leo made for Xavier (well he ate the nut anyway... and helped scoop out the inside of the shell... and he picked the color of the "sail"). It's very sweet watching the boys get inspired to make gifts.

The Jesse Tree... right before this evening's angel got put on for the Annunciation.

The Advent wreath and Christ candle that we light on Christmas Eve and put in a window sill... symbolizing He who is Light of the World.

Hearth of the home.

Infant Jesus, you said "Knock and door shall be opened, Seek and ye shall find." Sweet Lord You know what's on my heart this evening. Please be generous in Your mercy. Jesus, I trust in You. We consecrate our family to your Sacred Heart. Teach us to desire You more. To love You more. May Your blessings and grace always reign in our hearts and home. Have mercy Father...

you know you're raising boys when...

2007-12-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

... they make a jet noise sound effect when flying an angel through the air.

... forget the Nativity Story, they take their figurines and have a death match between the three kings.

''Tis the season..." :o)

Who needs good taste?

2007-11-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

... when you have a moment like this, all decency standards in blogging have to take a back seat!

Windy on Whidbey

2007-11-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

It's begun. Every area of the country seems to have some kind of natural disaster to toil with (heat waves, blizzards, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes etc...) wind storms are the beast here. So far only about 5 or 6 shingles have blown off the roof so that's pretty good compared to last year. Thank the sweet Lord I married a handyman who is able to shimmy up on the rooftop and patch us up in a lovely, effective way. My windchimes have taken a beating though...

Today being Veteran's Day, I got to enjoy a FULL day off with Steve. We listened to the walls creak and shake for a while and then decided to get out of town and face the comercialistic craziness at the Bellingham Mall. It was good to let the kids run around but thousands of other people in NW Washington had the same idea so the place was a madhouse.

So we've had a whirlwind few weeks here. Our friend Rachael came to visit for a bit and that was awesome to see her. I must admit there are things (people) I do miss about our life in California.

So here's some belated Halloween pictures. We aren't the hugest Halloween fans so I was slow to think about any costume ideas so these came together literally that same day from a friend who loaned the Duck and Dalmation costumes to us. Xavier's quasi-viking came out of the toybox and some face paint... and Papa quickly crafting a sword and shield for him out of some spare wood in the garage.

Leo turns 3; St. Francis Xavier; Hiking up Mt. Eerie

2007-10-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

He asked for a cat cake... a cat cake he'll get! Xavier dressed up for All Saints at Mass. The face painted facial hair got a lot of giggles. We were treated with a visiting bishop from Nigeria. Steve's mom came to visit which gave us a good excuse to get outside in the fresh air and hike up Mt. Eerie to be treated to a glorious view of the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Mountain range. She took this great picture of our family (Dominic is on Steve's back, unfortunately.) And finally, we have Dominic doing his trademark snear with Uncle Charley. Please pray for my family... that we put full faith in God's providence and mercy.

Dominic turned One; Beth visits; Whale watching

2007-10-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

He's walking all over the place now... our little one year old football-loving bundle of joy! He's the first kid so far who was not interested in eating the cake; he smashed and threw it all over!

Here Xavier is enjoying little brother's birthday present, his walker wagon. He uses is A LOT. But he also climbs into it and sits proudly like King Tut while his brothers scoot him around the house.

And Xavier's godmother and my dear friend Beth came out to visit last week. It's so good to have godparents be an active, VISIBLE part of our children's lives! Here they are flying kites at the Fort Ebey bluffs nearby.

... And on the ferry to Mukilteo, Leo claimed her as "his girl" while she was here.
And my soon-to-be brother-in-law Eric, generously insisted on taking the boys and me (and his visiting mother, stepdad and fiance of course... Steve had to work) whale watching.

This is what we saw:

(I think that's a distant boat on the horizon.)

memememememememe

2007-10-02T20:33:00.001-07:00

I've been "memed!" by my friend Therese in Australia (we still want to come visit sometime; as soon as that money appears on the cherry tree!!!)

1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?

There's no TLM nearby so it's the N.O. for us.

2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?

N/A

3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be?

Catholic. Either you're Catholic or your not, forget the labels!

4. Are you a comment junkie?

Not so much, only now and then.

5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?

Yes. Some of the time. Sometimes I forget where I have left comments so I don't go back.

6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog?

Yes, but I don't anymore.

7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on?

I don't really know.

8. Which blog is the first one you check?

I have exactly 12 blogs bookmarked, and I only check half of them frequently... as in weekly or so.

9. Have you met any other bloggers in person?

I've met my friends Stephanya, Jess, Erin , Rachael and Paul. And of course Sia and Hope from the old Coffee and Diapers website we ran.

10. What are you reading?

The World's First Love by Fulton Sheen. A book that I'm convinced would convert the hearts of any truly open-minded person within the first 3 chapters. The man is brilliant with words.

Bonus Question! Has your site been banned by Spirit of Vatican II?

No, it has not. I'm sure if they knew me in person they'd ban my existence though.

8 months later...

2007-10-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

We have given our dog away. Luna was a great pup but she deserved a lot more time and attention that we had to give. So after screening dozens of craigslist and freecycle responses, we've given her to a family in Graham, WA. They have a couple acres, another dog and horses. They are a total redneck family... which is good; these type generally take very good care of their dogs. And I felt really good about them when we met them. Anyway, the boys did fine with the transfer, Steve too surprisingly. Having a dog was just more of a commitment than we were ready for. Maybe when the boys get older and can take more responsibility for her.

We've been busy here. Just had Xavier's godmother and my dear friend Beth visit last week. And another Californian friend is coming at the end of this month, maybe a Utahn in between! Oy! It's good to have people visit!

Dominic turned one last month, I've not uploaded those photos yet. Here are a couple from our trip to Tillamook, OR last month.

Thank you Lord

2007-09-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

You know, it doesn't really do any good to get angry or upset about things one can't control. I was looking forward to one of my few moments of solitude and peace (in the shower) this morning, when the whole day blasted me with the realization that I am not in control. Thank you God for relieving me of that responsibility! Say it with me: I am not in control here!!! Glory and praise to Him. And that's all I can do.

Right about 2 minutes into the shower, Xavier announces that he has to use the toilet. Our other bathroom toilet is out of commission as of late since Leo flushed swimming goggles down the toilet; Steve hasn't gotten around to fixing that just yet. So my peace is broken as he spends about 5 minutes sitting on the toilet. As he finishes up, Leo walks in announcing that he has to go too. Not feeling entirely patient as I should have been, I ask if he can wait. He says yes. Dominic comes crawling in about this time and begins pulling the shower curtain open. I try to be calm as I say: "Okay, everyone out of the bathroom, Xavier get the baby out." Then, Xavier shouts, "Ewww, Leo peed his pants!" So I swallow my scream and tell Leo to take his pants off and get out of the bathroom; I'd take care of him later. Finally the boys finish up and I resume my conditioner application pretending nothing bad has happened and ignoring the toxic "aroma" wafting my way.

I get out of the shower and ask Xav where Leo is... "he's going poop on your toilet in your room". "WHAT?!" I shout. Not that toilet... but sure enough, I charge in there towel wrapped around me and he's done his business on the broken toilet that can't flush and smeared himself while getting off too. I clean him up, open the bathroom window, and shut the door... dreading telling Steve about this when he gets home today. So I think it's all finished and I'm about to put my clothes on but Dominic is suddenly silent. Knowing what's happening but in denial all the same, I race back to the other bathroom where he's playing in brother's pee on the floor. So I clean him up... still haphazardly trying to stay decent with a towel around me. I put him in the living room and SHUT the bathroom door this time and go back to my room to dress.

Well, I thought that was the end of it, but when I finally went back to clean up Leo's pee on the floor, I picked up his undies and a giant "patty" falls out. Sweet merciful Father... thank you for the chance to practice love and humility. How else can I react? I live in a home full of wild, rambunctious, body-function obsessed boys and how could I possibly be annoyed and angry and frustrated. This is my vocation. May I honor it with patience and love.

I just ask to be fully dressed for future infractions.

more updates

2007-09-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

Steve got his lim-du extended. He has to go thru more testing. The current, tentative plan is to give the doctor the go-ahead to begin processing his medical board and negotiate with his command when he'll leave the Navy. So if all goes according to plan, and God's will be done, he hopes to have a new job lined up by next April. But this is all subject to change of course. In the meantime, allow me to entertain you with my lovelies:

Xavier turns five!

2007-09-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here's the boy.

Here's the super-snakey cake Mom made. I thought about bringing out a statue of Mary to smash its head but thought that might freak the kids out. (See Genesis 3:15)

Here are the children playing in the bubble machine that was given to Xavier. The cool thing about our particular friends here, is that between 3 families we have quite a party: 10 kids!

Xavier was thrilled with the gifts that came in the mail... and with the new bike/helmet he recieved; he's already put a few miles on that thing. Hmm... I forgot to take a picture of that. Soon maybe. I'm still navigating this new computer system of ours.

This is what our summer looked like

2007-09-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

After the big springtime trip through Montana and Utah, our summer has been relatively tame from the world's point of view. But it's been nice... not once unbearable heat-wise. And very low key, which is just what we needed this year! Some of our summertime activities have included cavorting with Capt. Jack Sparrow, spending the night on the prairie, walking trails along ocean bluffs, learning how to make rope, spending time with visiting family, building a backyard fence, going to a baroque concert, picking wild blackberries, losing shoes in the ocean, playing in the sand and water at Cranberry Lake, watching local parades, screaming into the wind at the top of the ferry deck, cutting out new flannel board characters (see header), garage saling galore, going through an Open House on lots of acreage "just because", reading our first two chapter books as a family (Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web), baking yummy cookies, going to a classic car show, strolling around the Island County Fair, letting Luna pull us in the wagon, playing in countless parks and backyards with friends, getting into trouble with the hose, putting on puppet shows, and otherwise "thriving" here on the island, as a good friend pointed out to me. Just a few images for your viewing pleasure: