Gingerbread magic

Gingerbread houses!  Gingerbread houses!  I have been wanting to make gingerbread house with the kids since I was pregnant with N.  I fantasized about it, I plotted, I looked longingly at the kits at the stores.  But, I never made it happen.  

Why?   Why.  Well, let's be honest, while I'm crafty in my imagination sometimes my execution leaves a lot to be desired.    And the houses on the boxes looked "easy enough" but I knew my house would never look like what was on the picture and yes, rationally I knew it didn't need to, but still and all... there was an intimidation factor.  And also, I know the person who created This (OUT OF GINGERBREAD!):

by Laura Widner

 so you know, I may have had over exaggerated  expectations about what a gingerbread house should/could look like.

AND there's the idea of the mess.    Now, you wouldn't know it to look at my house some days, but I'm really not a fan of messes.  Or rather maybe I am a fan of the mess, I'm just not a fan of the clean up. So, when I heard that the fabulous Laura Widner aka Pastrygirl was offering a gingerbread house class I was intrigued.  Someone (again the fabulous Pastrygirl, who you should totally check out, if you haven't!) would make the pieces to the houses,  provide all the accoutramant AND take care of clean up?  I was all over it.  Signed us up and away we went.

We divided up into teams. Boys and girls.  And I think it worked out.  Although, I must confess that I thought L and I would have a simple house.  She likes details and I thought our house would be "cute".   Um... well, "Cute" is one way to describe it.   CANDY APOCALYPSE is another way...

Ms L, really wanted to load on the decorations.  My favorite detail, you cannot see in this photo (which is adorable, if I do say so myself!)  is a piece of red licorice which falls down one side. I thought it was just more decoration  nope "it's an emergency rope for getting out in case of fire, or flood or hurricane"  (must be the daughter of an stage manager!)

I love the house Patrick and N created.  Simple and sweet.  And they did it together.   From the icicles to the walkway, their house says "home".  N decided they would make it a seaside cottage and he asked Laura to help him sort out blue MnMs for the water, and wafers for the sand.   I just love they way my children's imaginations take flight every chance they get.

  

We had such a good time, we asked if we could pre-register for next year's class!   (And maybe after the holidays I'll tell you what happens when children eat too much frosting... but that's for another story!)

Happy Holidays~

Thanksgiving 2012

Things I am grateful for:

Patrick and the kids.  They are the reason I get up every day.  They bring me more joy and love than I ever imagined.  Even on our worst days, I know that Patrick and I are good parents who are raising pretty awesome kids.  And, if I get to know that every day, how lucky am I?

My sisters.  In the past 18 months we have mourned the death of two parents, planned two funerals, emptied a house of 45+ years of stuff, sold our childhood home, traveled to and from Iowa countless times (some more than others) and yet our sisterhood remains intact.  You hear the horror stories of siblings fighting over estates (big and small) and while it hasn't been a perfect journey, as no journey with siblings with strong personalities and ideas can ever be, we found our way to mutual agreement on almost every issue.  I am so proud to call these women full of love and laughter my sisters.

Mid-West Friends and family.  I am so very grateful for all the friends and family who came together to help my sisters and me this year.  Aunts, Uncles, cousins,  friends from college, high school and yes, even grade school came to the house at 5110 Ovid.  They made countless trips up and down the stairs tossing things into the dumpster(s), making trips to Goodwill, food pantries and recycling centers. They fed us, they housed us, they cried with us and laughed with us.  They broke bread (and splashed wine) with us.  They filled us up when we had no more to give.  I am so blessed by all these people.

My  writing group.  We write, we laugh we cry, we write a little more.  We write, we share, we read, we write a little more.  Sometimes we share a glass of wine (or two) but mostly we share our stories, our lives and push each other to be a little bit better than we were when we walked in the door.  I am grateful for their inspiration, encouragement and belief. We fly a little higher for knowing each other.

All of you.  I am so grateful for you that stop by my page, read the words I share with you. You encourage me to keep posting.  You praise me publicly, you send me private messages when something I write touches you.  You remind me that I am a writer and that I should continue to put pen to paper.  You make me fly.  

I am also grateful for:

John and Debby Wohlmut (who are the TOPS!)

Chocolate

Patrick's graduation from Grad School

Grant and Alana Byington

Our Village of friends/family who help shape our children with love and laughter

red wine
Reverend Anton DeWitt and the congregation of First Congregational UCC (Portland)

Mindless "crime-porn" TV
Denise and Scot Wicker

Cracked pepper Lentil chips

Pandora's Broadway show-tunes station

library cards

My book club
SBB #1

Girls night out (I need more of these)
Fr. Michael Amadeo

Date nights ( I need more of these )

President Barack Obama

Family movie night
Trudy Bradley

Did I mention my husband?
Spaghetti
Julianna
Skippy John Jones
Dr Who
A roof over my head
Jen Raynak
Slappycakes
Nutella
And you... yes you!
And so much more...  I am grateful every day.

Halloween 2012

I know, I know, I've been remiss in keeping up with the blog of late.  It's been a busy autumn and it doesn't show signs of slowing down any time soon.  I promise to write again soon, meanwhile here's some photos to tide you over.

To my friends on the East Coast, I hope you are up and running and not reading this w/generator power and by candle light.

Harry Potter

Baby Wolf

Baby Wolf Dumbledore and Harry Potter

Smith girl(s) the next generation

If people took photos back in the day like we do now, there would be hundreds of photos of my sisters and I in this pose (and/or variations)  One leg tossed this way and another that way. Slumped down into a good read and oblivious to the world.  Welcome to the wonderful world of books Ms. L.  It's a great place to get lost.

a Viking in the house

The mighty viking takes a moment out of his morning to "inspect" a book for his sister.  He later went back to perfecting his defensive stance with his sword.  (All this before 8am)

morning activity

I am not a morning person, never have been.  Even after almost 8 years of living with kids who are hardcore morning people, I have not adapted.  This makes for some very long days, especially as  they "Rise and shine and face the day". Usually, with a plan of action ready to go.

Sometimes that plan is nothing more then to curl up on the couch with a good book (more than likely you'll find N doing this), other times there are full on dragon invasions to defeat.  And then there are plans like the one from yesterday.  Yesterday, N and L woke up  and decided they needed to make pillow for their animals, both stuffed and imaginary (the animals, not the pillows)

They pretty much took care of it all themselves.  I heard the planning and the plotting through an early morning fog, after all it was only 6:45 and while I was headed to the shower, by no means had I actually started to "rise and shine and face the day" .   So, when L asked for the sewing basket I just handed it off to her, without much thought.  

Imagine my surprise when a little head popped into the shower a few minutes later asking if I could thread the needle for her!  "NO, I cannot!"  "Okay, I'll do it myself",  And off she went to do just that.

By the time I had finished showered and getting dressed Patrick ( who is a bit more with it in the morning, still does not have much patience for shenanigans until after his coffee)  had the kitchen table cleared off and the kids were getting ready for breakfast.   L was bummed that the sewing had to be postponed,  I assured her it could be finished after-school.

Ms L, never one to let an idea go, came home from school ready to finish what she had started.  (N, meanwhile had new library books to read and opted out of the sewing circle)  We had a to start over a bit, as Ms L was attempting to sew 5 teeny strips of fabric into a pillow.  With a little assistance, she cut out one bigger piece and figured out on her own that she could fold it and then just sew a seam.  And that's just what she did.  She sewed and stuffed her teeny pillow and proudly showed it off.  When asked what animal or Barbie she was going to give the pillow to she said, "Oh, it's for N's puppy.  She needs a good night's sleep".  And with that she gave the pillow to her brother and Bo (beau? Bow?) - "Like the puppy at the White House" - did indeed get a good night's sleep.

The return of the Costume Box

We have two boxes, one is the dress up box and ome the costume box.  Why they are different, I don't know. But they are.  The dress up box has hats, masks, wigs and various dresses, cowboy vests, chaps and so on.  The costume box has the Batman and Storm Trooper costumes and  witch's dress, frog and turtle costumes, as well as various capes and a leopard costume from 197?? (my mom made it)

baby turtle

Teenage Mutant Nija Turtle

The littlest witch

Clone Pilot 

Anyhow, the dress up box(es) live in the kids' room and the costume box lives in the shed. One is accessible at all times, and the other requires an parent to get it out.  Once talk of Halloween begins the   kids ask for the costume box. And I'm only to happy to oblige.

It's all the delivery my friends

Sombrero made in church to celebrate Mexico's Independence Day.

Yesterday was "Welcome Back" Sunday at our church.  This is basically the first Sunday after school starts and everyone decides that maybe it's time to quit skipping regular services and get back to it.  I'm a firm believer in Church/God is everywhere, particularly in the summer.  So, we tend to slack off the services in the summer and get out and find Him/Her in the natural world via walks and camping etc. 

This year as the kids gathered up front for Children's time I am delighted to see there are more kids and a new teacher.  (We have great Sunday school teachers, but they all could use a break from time to time)  He tells all the kids a story.  It went something like this:

There was a man who gathered enough sticks to build a fire in the cold evening air.  It was cold so he invited others to join him around this fire.  Everyone who came brought a stick with them.  Sticks that could be used to keep the fire going.  As the evening wore on, the fire began to die out, but no one was willing to put their stick on the fire.  One man, who was poor looked at the main across the way, who was clearly rich, and thought, "he should put his stick on, why should I be first?"  And the rich man thought, "Why should I be the one to take care of all the other people, the should put their sticks on."   Another man looked around and thought, "these people all have the same skin color, I'm not sharing my stick" and still another thought, "Why should I share with that man who's different from me".  And on and on.  You can imagine what eventually happened, the fire died out and all they had left was a pile of useless sticks and cold.

The kids all got the message right away, "they should share!" "Who cares what color they are!"  "They should have worked together!"  came the responses.  And then just as things were winding down and the kids were dismissed for class, N raised his hand.  "I know what that's called, " he said.  The teacher turns to N and puts the microphone up to his mouth and says, "Yes, N?"

SEX discrimination!!  (cue uproarious laughter from entire congregation and all eyes on Mom at the back of the church....)

Welcome back indeed my friends, welcome back...

hot enough for you?

I just never know who or what is waiting for me when I get home after a long day.

Jacks

Teaching the kids the fine art of playing jacks this evening.  So far we've lost a super ball and a jack.  Super ball went down a hole that went under the sidewalk.  I made the mistake of saying, "I hope nothing bites us in there".  Yeah, no one's going after that ball now.  Still have hopes that the sparkling light of setting sun will bounce off the missing jack and our eyes will catch it. 

(ilovemom.      I've been word bombed by the boy!!!)

photo of the day - big brother's rock

Having mastered tying his own shoes, N offers to show L how to tie her shoes.  This photo makes me very happy as I see a shining example of how much these kids love each other.  Nice reminder in the midst of a week of squabbles and quibbles.

Harvest Fest 2012

The calender may say summer, but if you stand very still in the early morning air and take a deep breath you can smell fall already.  I'm ready.  It's my favorite time of year in Oregon.  Well, truth be told I like August - October.  The dog days of summer that melt into autumn and keep on rolling until Halloween.  The days just seem ripe with promise.  Promise of a good harvest, promise of the new school year (I still buy a few supplies for myself every year. The smell of a freshly sharpened #2 pencil makes me smile every time), promise of warms days and cool nights, promise of blazing colors and of course promise of the upcoming hibernation.

John Deere tractor 

In honor of the coming months we piled the family in the covered wagon (okay, the beat up Suzuki) and headed out to Sauvie Island to the first Harvest Fest of the fall.  There was a hayride and the corn ma(i)ze. There was the cow train (ow, ow, ow.... those cows need to get some shock absorbers) and a hay pyramid.   There was a whole new set of memories to create, and I'm pretty sure we made more then a few.

checking the clues to get out of the ma(i)ze

That's right honey, give us a smile.

getting bigger!

Whoa, I'm almost 4 feet tall!

"Neema" always had fun.

Too cool for words.

Even Mommy climbed to the top of the hay pyramid

Imagination drives the day

I think we're lost...

Kudos to Patrick

So, this post is going to be about Patrick.  He doesn’t get much press around here.  Usually it’s all about the kids or me.  Which is really a shame because he’s a pretty terrific guy and he’s very much a part of our lives, what with being my husband, the father to the aforementioned kids etc etc.  So, this ones for him.

Patrick has had a pretty terrific summer.  He’ graduated with his Masters from Emporia State University’s School of Library and Information Management (SLIM as they called it) and had a full on production of his play “Continuum” produced.  Both of these things are wonderful accomplishments, but when you think the past year we’ve had I think they become even bigger.

In case you missed it, in the past 12 months my father passed away, I spent 3 weeks in the hospital and another 3 weeks at home recovering, my mother passed away and over the course of time I spent a total of over 4 weeks in Iowa.  (Which is going to be a story to tell in and of itself!)

Now in the midst of all this chaos Patrick kept the children fed and happy, the bills got paid and he kept his job, there were papers to write, presentations to give and re-writes to be done on the play, dishes to be done and laundry to be folded.   Oh, and he tended my incisions and comforted me when I thought I’d never recover. He ferried kids to birthday parties and kept up Friday night movie and pizza tradition. He was like the Energizer Bunny, never stopping. And if that wasn’t enough he did all this while managing to keep his 4.0 grade average.  It never once slipped.  I MEAN COME ON!  WHO CAN DO THAT?!?  Patrick Wohlmut that’s who.  When lesser men would have thrown in the towel (and to be fair, there was a point when I thought he would) he kept his wits about him kept his eye on the prize and just kept doing what needed to be done.

We are just so lucky to have a man who is as passionate about his family as he is about his school work and his creative endeavors.  He is a modest man when it comes to his parenting skills. He will often say that I am the better parent.  I say the jury is still out on that one.  (I mean let’s face it there’s puberty, teen-age angst, curfews, body piercings, boy/girlfriends and my own menopause to get through.  So, you know there’s a long haul to go before giving either one of us a “Better” rap then the other.)

Patrick would also be the first one to say that he didn’t do it all alone.  We had a “village” of family and friends who rallied around us and kept us sane and afloat. But, I am still so very impressed and proud of how he kept his head about him and stayed the course.  I know he was stressed, I know there were times when he thought it was too much and he would never see the end, but for the most part he kept that from us. (He also found that running was a great stress release) 

Summer is over and Patrick has landed a part time job at Washington State University (Vancouver campus) as a reference librarian.  He starts his training today.  Go Patrick!

Feeding the fish

 

Ms L remembers to feed the fish after lights out.  

 

Photo of the day "17"

17: the number of the times I said, "Oh, look it's another Lego" today when we were cleaning the house.  (This creation is courtesy of Mr N.)

photo of the day

You're never too old to need your Daddy.

LOVE

Kindergarten circa 1972

Can you believe it, Ms L starts Kindergarten in 2 weeks.  That means N will be in second grade. Where does the time go?    Flashes from my own kindergarten days danced in my brain this week.  Here are just a few of those flashes:

The first week of Kindergarten Susan Stevens lost her red tennis shoe down the storm drain in the school yard.  It was raining and so she had to hop all the way to the doorway of the school.  She then made her way to the classroom, a gaggle of concerned girls by her side consoling her with pats and smiles.  I am sure she expected sympathy from Mrs Reasland, I’m sure we all did.  After all she lost her RED! shoe.  (I in my clunky orthopedic shoes with the metal braces attached to them coveted those shoes) None of us expected that she’d get in trouble.  And yet she did.  She was deemed, “irresponsible and foolhardy” and these words followed her the rest of the school year.  She became an example to us all anytime someone was careless with an object they were admonished with, “you don’t want to be like Susan and her red shoe do you?”   Even at the tender of age of 5 that phrase rang so harsh in my head and I felt it in my gut every time I heard it.  I hope somewhere Susan has a closet full of red tennis shoes (and pink and green and blue ones, too).

“Look Out, Mrs Doodlepunk” was my favorite book in Kindergarten.  I loved how the heroine of the story got the better of Mr.Frizzboy and his squirt gun.  In addition to simple drawings there was a map at the end of the book that showed exactly the route Mrs Doodlepunk walked her baby and where Mr Frizz boy hid in the tree.  That map was fascinating to me, I would stare at that map and trace her route endlessly.  What that map represented to me I cannot say, perhaps I was in awe of the freedom Mrs Doodlepunk had to be able to go all around the neighborhood without her mommy.   One day I got to read the book out loud to my kindergarten classroom.  I felt pretty grownup sitting in the little chair while everyone else sat on their mats in a semi -circle around me.  It may have been my first taste of a large captive audience and I loved it!

Does anyone else remember the smell of the blue mimeograph pages?  I loved that smell.  I loved to go into the supply room and watch Ms Gloria run off the sheets for the classrooms.  That smell meant worksheets and coloring sheets.  It meant learning.

I remember taking naps on towels we brought from home that we stored in cubbys in the middle of the room.  We only went 1/2 days and just before noon we'd nap.  Or we were supposed to nap.  I don't remember if anyone actually ever napped, except maybe that's what Mrs Reasland was doing with her head down on her desk.  I do remember that Kevin Snodgrass and Doug Reasland (the teacher was his GRANDMA!) would push a hot wheel back and forth between them as quietly as they possibly could.  I'm pretty sure they weren't supposed to do that, but they did.  And it seemed like they never got caught.

Apple butter - we made it for Fall Festival/Open house.  I make it now for my family most years and it brings back such memories.  Some are good, and some are sad... but that tale is for another time.

I loved kindergarten.

photo of the day

Part of the new mural on the Keller Auditorium

Just under the wire for the promise of a post a day.

This image is from a mural on the wall of a the Keller Auditorium in Portland.   It's a wonderful new mural by a local artist.  Once I know his/her name I will share credit.  This image is my favorite from the mural.  It reminds me of popcorn and the Day of the Dead. Someday I'm going to celebrate the Day of the Dead and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.

Despite all my issues with the Catholic Church I love the traditions that include the Virgin Mary.  If her story is true it's one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Photo(s) of the day

"Daphne Rooter Weasley"

At the thought of another photo N fainted

Summertime and the Crime Porn is fine

Summer time and my brain turns to mush.   Not too many serious thought roll around my brain this time of year and laziness sort of creeps into my every day living.  My already lackadaisical attitude towards housework falls into almost a non-existence state. It does get fired up if company is coming.  (Although the definition of company gets looser in the summer, too.  Have you been to my house before, then you’re FAMILY, no need to clean for you!)  

There are new definitions of clean through out the house:

Kids Room: is there a path that you can safely get from your bed to the bathroom in the middle of the night?  Okay, you’re good

Living Room- Again clear path for walking.  Are the clean clothes at least folded and is there room for at least on adult or two kids to sit on the couch.

Kitchen/Bathroom- floors aren’t sticky and there’s nothing growing in any of the areas with water. 

The Yard - Can the lawn mower dudes run the mower without running over a barbie-pokemon-soccer ball-wagon? Cool.


My evenings consist of lounging around with the kids, the Olympics were an awesome excuse to watch more tv in two weeks then we normally allow in a month’s time.  Once the kids are tucked in I wave to Patrick as he heads out for a jog and surf the tv until I find some crime-porn to watch. (Patrick’s definition of all the serial crime shows I can’t seem to get enough of, even if I’ve seen it 6x already).   When Patrick gets back from his run I’ve probably shifted from a sitting position to a reclining position, using the pile of folded laundry as a pillow.  (You need clean underwear?  Check the dryer or the couch)

Now this isn’t too say we haven’t had a busy summer. Oh, lord no.  We’ve been camping, boating, walking, swimming, hoola-hooping and practicing for our own Olympics.  There’s been Puppet camp and Invention Camp.  There’s been bar-b-ques and many random evenings sipping wine with good friends. Summer reading, hikes and concerts in the parks.   Patrick finished Grad school, opened a play and is getting set to give the commencement speech at graduation in a couple of weeks.

There have been concerts by the kids featuring songs from “The Sound of Music” as well as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and original songs by N & L to round off the bill.   We’ve been treated to the kids penchant for turning every car ride into a rolling opera (my personal favorite includes a battling vocal duet about Skippy John Jones the Siamese kitten who thinks he’s a Chihuahua ).

Whew.. For a lazy summer it’s been a busy one.

Eventually my thoughts will turn to the end of the summer and the new school year. In about two week’s time I’ll get obsessed with the messy house again. That dresser in the kids room with the broken leg, yeah that’ll get replaced.  Those holy tennis shoes and to small rain-boots, time to replace those too.  (Who notices feet growing when you’re barefoot or in flip-flops all summer?).  Too small clothes will make way for things that fit and are appropriate for public viewing. (Don’t really care how they mix and match their outfits, but we do insist that underwear be worn under their clothes and also not on their head when headed of to school) 

There’s calenders to be filled with school events, dance classes, dentist appointments and theater rehearsals.  Patrick will begin looking for a library job in earnest and I’ll buckle down and get my stage mangers kit ready for another season.

But...before all that there’s still a birthday adventure at Oaks Park on the books and a secret trip to Enchanted Forest.  There’s more ice cream in the fridge and berries for pies.  There’s a pool party and traveling relatives to entertain. 

There’s also no shortage of crime porn for lazy hot summer nights, so if you’re in the neighborhood bring over that bottle of wine, pull up a corner of the couch and sink right in. The viewing is fine.

N interprets Edelweiss

N does his own take on Edelweiss.  

Sewing

Ms L informed me that she was going to make some clothing for her dolls, Barbie (c) and baby.   "I need some material."  Now, as a stage manager, I may have a basic sewing kit on hand, but material, not so much.  So, Ms. L called my sister Robbin and asked if she had any material.  I expected that Robbin would have some material and would offer to share it.  Low and behold not only did she have material but she came over and helped Ms L make a skirt/dress for her Barbies (c) Pinky-Purple Pie and Rapunzel.

Ms L did most of her own sewing, I was so impressed and in awe.  I am not a seamstress and certainly don't remember having the patience at 5 to sit quietly stitching.  I remember at the age of 10 or 12 fancying myself to be Laura Ingalls Wilder and I dressed in a long skirt and a bonnet and sat on a small stool doing cross stitch.  But,  that was a short lived phase and I enjoyed the dressing up and imaging Pa Ingalls was my father more then I ever enjoyed the sewing.  (And then there was that disastrous wrap skirt I made to earn my sewing badge in Girl Scouts).  I am so grateful to have sisters who are skilled in this department and willing to share their passion with Ms. L.

There were a few tangles, or "Spaghetti messes" as Ms L called them.  Robbin patiently helped her untangle them and Ms. kept on working.  I think that Ms. L expected to be able to make several outfits in one day.  She spent several minutes trying to figure out how to make a shirt for Rapunzel to wear with her skirt. "Should I make a t-shirt big enough to fit me or what?"   Luckily, she was distracted enough by life that she wandered away and Robbin was able to escape without having to freehand a shirt pattern, too!

Version one, it's a skirt!

Version two, it's a dress!

Ready for fun. (I made the purse)

Poor baby was distraught at not getting a new dress and well...