They Are Officially Oregonians

St. George is sick. Oookey sick. This morning he told me that he is finally feeling better, "but my ears feel like we just drove through the Cascades."

Little House in the Big Woods

Well, here at our little house in the Big Woods, we have been enjoying Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods. The last three weeks have been filled with serendipitous events large and small. Just in time for the chapter that includes Molasses-On-Snow-Candy, we had a nice big snow here. We could not resist the urge to try some.

The recipe in the Little House Cookbook was very simple. However, it suggested pie tins, and as all my pie "tins" are glass, we opted for cake pans of similar diameter. Here is Miss. Rosie pouring our molasses candy on our fluffy new snow:






















The consensus? YUM!!

We had a picturesque white Christmas. We've had piles and piles of snow since then and I love, love, love it. We went sledding and I think I had the most turns careening down the slope. I know I did the most screaming (a face full of snow every single time, it was perfect). I definitely ended up in the creek more than anyone else.

Now that the sled is put away, my back and back-side are finally less sore, and Todd is getting ready to go back to work tomorrow, I am ready for the next thing. I want to organize something. I bought myself this sweet little Mary Englebreit planner for 2008. Cute and cheap. I can't wait to use it. But, oh, irony of ironies, I cannot find it...

Shouldn't there be an apple in there somewhere?

At lunch today:

Todd, "This musical selection reminds me of the William Tell Overture."

St. George, "What's the William Tell Overture?"

Todd, "You know, the Lone Ranger music."

St. George, "Ohhh."

Todd, "Do you remember who William Tell was?"

St. George, "Yes! He invented the telephone."

Preparing for Thanksgiving

I sent Todd to the grocery store to buy a 20 pound turkey for under $6. He came home with a $20 turkey that weighed under 6 pounds. At first I was aghast (oh the years I've waited to use that word, thank you, thank you, thank you Todd), but then I gave thanks, realizing the possibilities. Now I am thinking sweet potato quesadillas and turkey tacos. Or something like that. Maybe pumpkin and Italian sausage over penne. This is so exciting!

Logic Has Never Been My Strength

Here I have a very neglected blog. Life has been happening so fast and it has been hard to stop to blog about it. So, I've decided to try to maintain two blogs. That's right. Somehow, illogical as it sounds, somewhere in my funny brain it makes sense to me that it will be easier to take care of two blogs than of one. Trust me on this. Everything is going to work out just fine (where is that maniacal laughter coming from?).

My other blog, Higgledy Piggledy can be found here.

Okaay...

Rose: I love you so much, Mom, I'd even love you if you were totally purple!

A blissful afternoon

While St. George and I played checkers on the front porch, Rose tied up Edison. It was Edison's idea. Each time Rose would wrap the rope around him, Molly would grab the end and pull it tight and then give the end back to Rose to wrap around again.

Molly is good with ropes and knots. Every rope is an opportunity to play tug-of-war.

After a full day, Molly herded the chickens back into the coop (much to elation of Rose, who did not have to coax and carry them in by herself). Molly is a natural shepherd. No barking, nipping or chasing, she did it the right way. Calmly, quietly and firmly, she put those biddies to bed.

Modeling

It was a self-serve dinner last night. I took the breaded tilapia fillets out of the oven, set the dressing next to the big salad bowl, and called everyone to help themselves. Edison helped himself to a nice-sized fillet, and then decided he needed some ketchup (he is his father's son).

Holding his plate in one hand, he opened the refrigerator and bent over to pull the ketchup bottle out of the door shelf. His fillet slide off his plate, onto the floor, at the feet of the dog. The dog stared at it in disbelief. The very magnitude of his luck paralyzed him. Then, he glanced up at us and Edison grabbed the fillet and put it back on his plate, lint and all.

Todd, took Edison aside to deal with the tragedy, while the rest of us went quietly into the dining room. A few minutes later Edison joined us with a new plate and his dad's tilapia fillet. Todd came behind him claiming that he wasn't hungry at this very moment, and hot dogs later sounded like a good Friday night meal. He offered to read the next chapter in "The New Adventures of the Mad Scientist Club" while we ate.

After the joyful whooping, came shouts of "I just need to refill my water glass", "I'm going to get some some salad", "don't start yet." In the clamor and commotion necessary to prepare for such a wonderful treat, St. George quietly, surreptitiously passed his father a large chunk of Breaded Fillet of Fish.

On my way out the door

Ok. I never finished the previous post (though I plan to, because I just can't wait to share the pictures of the kid's new creations), but since one of the errands for today is to pick up some currants for tomorrow's Hot Cross Buns, I thought I would link to the recipe. Twice. Make that three times. Etc.

While Our Connection Was Out ...

With many apologies to our Grandmas, there is no way I can post about everything that we've been doing. However, there are a few things I want to record.

The first is our Lenten study. This year we (again) got sick on Ash Wednesday and so all of My Beautiful Plans will have to be filed away. This year we (again) ended up with Much Better Plans that grew out of our weakness, weariness and desire to honor Our Lord.

We have been filling an Easter basket with items to represent the stories we have been reading in the gospels. Here are a few examples:


From left to right: in the back row, a boat full of fish, the cushion of Mary to sit on at Jesus' feet (while Martha cooked and fumed), the pitcher of water turned to wine at the wedding in Cana; in the front row, Jesus giving His Sermon on the Mount, a yellow basket with fish and bread from feeding the 5000.















From left to right: The storm and Jesus asleep in the little boat, Jesus' footprints on the water, one of the cows thrown out of the Temple courts along with the moneychangers and other opportunists.















From left to right: In the back, one of the children that Jesus encouraged to come to Him and then blessed (with large green eyes and a stylish pink dress), the boat Peter left when he was called, one of the lepers (before healing, evidently he was too weak to stand, he fell over while baking); in the front the turtledoves given for the firstborn son at the Presentation of Our Lord and the sword that Simeon foretold would pierce Mary's heart.














I wanted something tangible, something tactile and kinesthetic. Something that would not only hold the kids' attention, but encourage them to wonder, to think, to participate in some way in Christ's life and ministry. I read a few stories at a time and then send them off to think, pray and create. These items are just a few of their creations. We are having fun and the discussions are wonderful.

All these items are kept in the Easter basket. On Easter morning, the kids will find this same basket emptied of these things, and filled with Delight. A sweet way to begin our Day of Delight!

Love is in the Air

Edison ran into the kitchen last night.

"Mom! There are two more hearts on the Valentine Tree for me!"

"Do you know what they were for?"

"One of them was just for making a star fighter out of Legoes for St. George to play with!"

"That was really nice of you. He thinks you build great star fighters, and he has been playing with it all day."

He hugged me. "I love you, Mom."

"What was that for?" I asked.

"Because you're here, and I'm so happy!"

Peek-A-Boo

My Baby Days seem to have been so long ago, but I remember how fun it was to play peek-a-boo. Baby, thinks you've disappeared for a second, and then, suddenly, you reappear! The delight on Baby's face was such a huge pay-off for taking the time to play this little game.

I imagine peek-a-boo must be a game God plays with us as well. Sometimes we think He has disappeared, and then, suddenly we see Him and we are flabbergasted! He must enjoy our delight at sighting Him again, even though He has been here all along.

Love Stories

Today is the first day of our annual study on Love. The greatest Love Story of all time is the story of Christ Crucified. This holiday belongs to us. The Lord is our Beloved and we are His.

St. Valentine was an actual person, though one we do not know much about. He lived in the 3rd century in Rome. He was a pastor and physician jailed for his belief in Jesus Christ. While it is difficult to sort the fact from the legend, both seem to point to a man who loved God and His people so much that he cared for them without regard for himself and his own safety. This kind of love, offering kindness in Christ’s name, this is worth celebrating!

Each year, I begin to pray for this holiday on February 1st. Here are some questions I ask myself:

1. Am I living in the palm of Your Hand My Lord? If I have been overly anxious, fearful, self-serving, guarded, stingy with time/money/love, help me to confess and turn my back on those behaviours that indicate a lack of trust in Your Love for me. Help me to live and trust in Your Love. Fill me up so that Your Love would come out of my hands, feet, and mouth.
2. How can I show love to my family this year in a way that will encourage them and honor You?
3. Who in my family needs special attention that I can give? How shall I give it?
4. How can I work with You to nurture Your Love in my children?
5. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide our study of Love this year.
6. I entrust (again, again and again) each person in my family to the most awesome love of God.

Family Preparation:
This celebration has given me the opportunity to teach my children to recognize and accept that they are truly loved. It has also helped me to encourage them to show love to one another. I discovered last year a wonderful book by Deloris Jordan. Did I Tell You I Love You Today? points out the myriad (and often overlooked) ways mothers love their children. We will come back to this book throughout the next two weeks as we practice noticing signs of love in our own home.

About two weeks before Valentine’s Day I cut out red construction paper hearts and hole punch them. I add a short piece of yarn to each one and leave them in a box beside my feather tree in a central location. When I (or my husband) see one of my children behave lovingly toward someone, I fill out a heart and hang it on the tree. For dinner on Valentine’s Day, the children and I prepare a large tea party. Just before the dessert course, my husband takes the hearts off the tree and reads them all aloud. The kids LOVE this, they sit a little taller and grin the whole time Dad is reading. It encourages all of us to know that our acts of kindness are not completely unseen.

For our devotions during this season we read “love stories” from the Bible. This year we will read:

1. Abraham chooses peace with his kinsman Lot, he allows Lot to choose his portion of land first(Genesis 13:1-12)
2. Abraham saves Lot, at great risk to himself (Genesis 14:8-16, the rest of the chapter is an example of keeping a promise)
3. Joseph loving his family (forgiving them) (Genesis 50)
4. Obadiah saves 100 prophets of the Lord, hides them and feeds them, during the persecution by Jezebel and Ahab (1 Kings 18:3,4)
5. Return of the Prodigal (Luke 15:11-32)
6. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
7. Jonathan saves David's life (1 Samuel 20:1-42)
8. David keeps his promise to care for Jonathan's family after Jonathan's death (2 Samuel 9:1-7)
9. Roman centurion humbles himself to seek out Jesus and ask Him to heal his servant (Luke 7:2-6)
10. Moses' mother saved his life (Exodus 2)
11. Hannah cares for Samuel's needs even though he is far away (1 Samuel 2:19)
12. The true mother chose to protect her child even if that meant she was torn from him (1 Kings 3:22-28)
13. Esau loving Jacob (forgiving and welcoming him home) (Genesis 33:1-16)
14. John 15:1-17

I'd better go cut out those hearts...

Happy Birthday Mozart!

Mozart was born on January 27th in 1756. That's the perfect reason for a celebration! So we invited some friends and had a party.

For the gift exchange, each participant brought a selection of Mozart's music to play for everyone. All the selections were very different and choices reflected the personalities of the party-goers. Mozart had such a range!

Then we played musical pillows to Don Giovanni,
and pin Mozart on his birthplace:


Then it was time for tea and cake! With the Haydn Concertos playing in the background, we had Black Forest Ham open-faced sandwiches, "Magic Flute" (pirouline) cookies, and a chocolate cake filled with apricot jam (ala sachertorte) and "Happy 251st" written in white chocolate on top.

I owe a great debt to the large group of Papageno's birds that helped us set the mood. Some graced the table with their colorful presence,



others participated in our games, and others stood sentry between the rooms. Thanks again to the plumage patrol!













As we prepared for this event this month we:

• read about his life in Mozart, The Wonder Boy by Opal Wheeler
• listened to The Magic Flute
• learned the definition of a rondo and listened to Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca
• illustrated the Rondo Alla Turca (Rose drew a fountain surrounded by birds and a crowd of onlookers, the water is all different colors and heights--a beautiful representation of what she heard!)
• listened to parts of The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Haydn Concertos, a few Requiems, and other examples of his sacred music
• watched an excellent performance of The Magic Flute put on by Great Performances at the Met and aired on PBS last week
  

Sledding Pictures

More snow pictures:

Over the frozen puddles, and through the woods, to the sledding hill we go...




















The kids are on their way up; Daddy is on his way down
















Rosy Rose
















Whew! It's cold ouside!




















(Actually, Edison built him when we got back from sledding.)

The Fence Posts Wear Marshmallow Hats On a Snowy Day

Several years ago we memorized the poem "Snow" by Dorothy Aldis, and every time it snows someone recites the whole poem.

Snow
by Dorothy Aldis
The fence posts wear marshmallow hats
On a snowy day;
Bushes in their nightgowns
Are kneeling down to pray -
And all the trees have silver skirts
And want to dance away.

Isn't it just perfect for a snowy day?!
It is snowing again right now, but I took these pictures yesterday:












The entrance to our woodland "tunnel" looks golden in the morning light.













The tracks of some large fowl:









Here she is! Rose said, "Look! She is keeping her eggs refrigerated!"













And, as this is a miscellaneous post about various snow activities, here is a recipe for Snow Cream:

Snow Cream:
Mix 2 c milk, 1 c sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla and a dash of salt in a large bowl.
Take bowl outside and set in some snow to keep it cool.
Mix in 16 c snow (I could only fit about 12 c in my bowl and it was very sweet).
Eat immediately!

And after a long day of cleaning, a roast

We have crossed several things off our list, and Rose has kept her clean and beautiful (and re-arranged) room neat for 3 days! I smell hope. Could this be the Year of Tidiness?

I put a pork roast in the crockpot the other day while we were working and wanted to post the recipe, because, Wonder of Wonders, Edison AND Rose both asked for seconds!! I've made this before, but I guess enough time has gone by that it has become new again.


Cranberry Pork Roast
Put a pork roast in the crockpot. In a bowl mash 1 can cranberry sauce with 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup juice (I use orange, but any juice will work), 1 tsp dry mustard and a heaping 1/4 tsp ground cloves (ok, I might end up putting 1/2 tsp cloves in--it's just so good). Pour over roast and cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can serve it with pan juices, or if you like a thicker gravy: remove 2 cups pan juices and put in small saucepan. Bring to boil. Combine 2 T cornstarch with 2T water. Add to saucepan and stir until thickened. Add salt to taste. Pass with roast and mashed potatoes.

A Whole New Year of Goals

This is my favorite time of year. I wonder if the word "favorite" loses any of its meaning if it is used to describe more than one item in a given category? I have so many, many favorite times of the year, but this time of the year is my favorite for its newness. The Second Chance feeling at the beginning of each New Year. The I-Am-Gonna-Do-It-Right-This-Time attitude that takes over me the first week of January.

This year we are training our children to clean their rooms. Re-training, actually. Ok, I know, Todd and I are not experts in this field, but the goal is so worthy. In all fairness, we decided that the kids needed to start with a clean slate. We spent yesterday cleaning their rooms and the hallway and closets between them. By "we" I mean Todd and I, and by "cleaning" I mean throwing away a year's worth of products of our children's creative endeavors, and collections of various precious items bearing a distinct resemblance to um...Trash.

It was dangerous work. Todd was attacked by a monstrous wad of curly doll hair (brunette) that had already successfully devoured several pipe cleaners, chunks of clay and a matchbox car.
I poked my fingers (without the aid of gloves!) into dark, shadowy crevices in search of Little Things and Lego pieces. Finally, I caught sight of It and called, "Carpet Ho!" And knowing the End was near, the Dragon almost slain, that we were almost done, we called it quits for the night.

So we cannot yet call this task accomplished, we cannot yet cross anything off our lists, nor can we begin to model correct cleaning behavior for our children. But never fear! It is still the first week of Second Chances! We have not failed yet! There is always tomorrow, until February anyway...

Our Fall Collage

Julie, at Bravewriter, gave us a family writing assignment. We were to write a "Fall Collage," a piece of writing that included contributions from Mom and each child. We had a good time writing ours, so I decided to post it here:

Fall
Mud boots lined up inside the kitchen door,
wheelbarrows full of crunchy leaves,
the whack of Daddy’s axe chopping wood,
the hiss and pop and smell of the fire in the woodstove,
the mists rising in the early morning,
the pumpkins along the path, not just orange but orange with a hint of nutmeg,
and the sugar maples dropping leaves–
red
green
yellow
orange
brown.
--Michelle (38)

Red
Spiderman
Web
Spider
Ferrari
Race
Thunder
Lightning
Fire
Red
--St. George (8)

Ferrari Red
Santis, Strong Knight of Morcia
Bear
Hunt
Gun
Fire!
Ferrari Red
--St. George (8)


The Kingdom of Green

The Kingdom of Green was a very green kingdom. It had trees that had green leaves and green trunks. The people loved pistachio ice cream. All the houses were green and the castle was green, but not on the inside since that would have been too much.

Once there were four princesses and four princes. The princes had a raft. The king and queen loved their children very much. One day after the royal breakfast, the princesses went for a walk in the royal woods. They went to the sea. Then they were captured! They were tied-up and taken far away. The princes searched for their sisters. The princesses had been taken as slaves! Their beautiful green hair was dyed blonde so that they would not be noticed and could be sold.

They were sold in the land across the sea. They were bought by the royal house there. They had to work so much. Back at the other side of the sea, the princes were sailing on their raft were looking for their sisters! Rose, the youngest, and Sofie, the oldest, and the twins Cora and Nora were noticed by the King and Queen when their hair began to grow. The part closest to their heads looked like green Easter grass. The King and Queen called them to the Throne Room.
“Are you girls from the Kingdom of Green?”
“Yes,” said the princesses. “Can we go home?”
“We don’t want slaves taken from our friends the Kingdom of Green. You may go home.”
“Thank you,” said the princesses, “but we don’t have a way to get home.”
“Do you have any brothers?” asked the King and Queen.
“Yes,” said the princesses.
“Do they have a boat?’ asked the Queen.
“They have a raft.”
“We will tell them to come and take you home. They have probably been looking for you. Are you hungry?”
“Yes, could we have some pistachio ice cream?”
“Yes, your brothers will be here tomorrow.

The next day the princes came and got the princesses. They went home and they lived happily–and greenly– ever after.
--Rose (7)


Brown
Hot Chocolate–with milk and
5 spoonfuls of chocolate
powder piled high
Coffee–with sugar, a handful
at least and a splash
of cream
Tree Trunks–the bark rough and
warm, it scratches
my feet when I climb
Squirrels–they stop and start
like they’re playing a squirrel “Red Light, Green Light”
hurrying carefully to see
what I am–a monster in the tree
Acorns–smooth nuts
wearing little hats
Brownies–chewy, warm
Catfish–small and whiskery,
he escapes back into the creek.
In his place I catch a minnow
and a crawdad
Mom’s Eyes–brown like Mine.
The eye doctor says that any
eye color that isn’t brown is “blue”
My Skin–brown from playing
outside in the sun,
building forts,
catching snakes–one was 3 ½ feet long!
and playing in the barn.
--Edison (9)