rain

The skies turned dark against the setting sun and gave us a glimpse of the rain we've needed all summer.  The drops that fell were oversized and fell heavy from the dark sky.  Unfortunately, like so many times before, the rain seemed to just tease us with these infrequent drops, thunder and dramatic skies.  We are so hopeful that we might be in the rain's path soon.

flowers for daddy

"Daddy, I picked these for you!  You know, the poky ones with purple flowers...where the honey bees live?"

"Smell them!  I added some leaves {basil} from out back so they smell good too."

George

My little one just loves Curious George, or George, as we call him.  When I heard he was hosting a special storytime at a store in town, I knew we had to go.

We drove across town and were the first of the eager beavers there.  George was running a bit late and my little one took full advantage of the time to discover all the wonderful children's things in the store.  Of course, when George finally showed up, she was too engrossed with all the toys and pretend goodies a kid could ask for, and didn't really even seem to care that "George" was there.

Finally, after prying her away from the little strollers and doll beds, we walked to the back of the store to see "George."  All morning, she cried out "GEOOOOORRRRRGE!" and waved her hands when we spoke of going to see him but when she saw the oversized monkey, she screamed and became paralyzed with fear.

She wanted nothing to do with the large monkey--nothing at all!  While all the other children sat and listened to a story, she played in the pretend kitchen.  

Every now and then she would turn her head and look to see if the creature was still there...on the other side of the store.  She seemed to get a kick out of being able to play but still looked up with a mixture of fear and fascination at George.

She was finally persuaded to take part in the George storytime when they placed crayons and paper out on the tables.  She immediately found a spot at the overly decorated little table and enjoyed coloring.

After a few minutes, she stood up with her paper and purple crayon {her sister's favorite color}, pushed in her chair and walked over to where George was posing with excited little kids for photos.  I thought this must be it!  She will walk over to George and show him her picture.  

NOPE...she found a spot on the floor, in the middle of the crowd, and laid down on her tummy to draw.  I was slightly taken aback by her bold move but she seemed happy and content to just draw with George in sight so, against my better judgement and the funny looks from the other mothers around me, I just let her enjoy drawing on the floor.

When we began to leave, she walked up to George and said the biggest "BYYYEEE" I have ever heard.  She was never so happy to hop in the stroller and leave.  I guess for now, we will just enjoy George on PBS and in storybooks. 

simple summer: eating seasonally

via

Before I spent my days feeding little mouths, I never thought so much about what I put in my mouth.  Somehow, nourishing little bodies has dramatically changed my eating and shopping habits.

I am often amazed at what having and raising little ones does to change and better ourselves.  

Eating seasonally has evolved in our household.  We used to buy the same fruit and veggies all year round.  A few years back, I noticed how much sweeter the berries were in the summer and how sour they were in the winter.  This remarkable change in taste, prompted me to buy fruit and veggies that were in season.  By doing this, we also began to try new foods that we would have otherwise never bought.

To check and see what foods are ready to eat in your area now take a look here.  It gives me great ideas  and recipes on new fruits and vegetables to use in my food at home.

You can also check out the farmer's markets near you too.  That is a great place to shop for produce that fresh and is in season. 

Now, don't get me wrong, we still pick up fruit that is not in season due to cravings and picky eaters, but being aware of what is in season has widened the variety of foods we eat.

little collections

We love rocks.  Especially the smooth ones that have been rubbed silky smooth by the water on Lake Superior.  We have a sack of them at the bottom of the linen closet.  They often make an appearance on a lazy weekend day or long afternoon.  Sometimes, they are placed on an old dish rag and lined up ever-so-straight.  Other times, they are put in little piles according to their size or color.  We often find many in our sack that remind us of speckled  bird eggs.  Most of the time, we reminisce about the cool summer morning on the rocky beach when we collected them.  

i remember

I remember standing in the University bookstore, after shopping for the last of the semester's textbooks, in shock over what I thought I saw on the television that was perched in the corner.  Did I understand it all correctly?

I remember feeling frozen along with the suddenly silent bookstore as we all listened to the CNN breaking news.
Was that really what I saw?

I remember sitting in the middle of the lake on a boat, disturbed by the strange silence that filled the skies above. The lack of air traffic in the days following was alarming.  It made it feel so real even though we were so far away.

Tonight, I remember those who lost their lives and those who lost their loved ones.

simple summer: salad

I recently discovered such a tasty pasta salad from this wonderful blog.

She cooks so many fresh and healthy items.  So many of her foods come right from her garden or from nearby farms.  Yum!

 This recipe it too good not to pass along.

Enjoy!

A Country Farmhouse

Simple Summer Feta, Spinach and Olive Salad

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette

2 garlic cloves, pressed

7 cups whole wheat spiral pasta (cooled)

3 cups chopped spinach

1/2 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 

 Combine cooked pasta (cooled), spinach, olives and feta. 

Toss with the dressing, which combines the olive oil, balsamic and garlic.