a taste of spring in January (and a peanut butter sandwich recipe)

The weather this weekend has been amazing. Upper 60's. Light breeze. Sunny skies. Today the temperature is back down to the mid-40's and it is gloomy, but with the threat of snow early this coming week, even the 40 degree temperatures seem like a treat.

On Friday, I took the boys to the zoo in Tulsa to enjoy the warm winter day. Liam was so excited to go see the aminals. The promise of a train ride and a carousel ride before we left was enough of a bribe to keep him on his best behavior while we toured the zoo.
Liam is still at that stage where anything and everything is potentially scary, so animals that weren't behind a thick pane of glass were a bit too much for him this time.

The crow cawing behind a wire screen? Frightening.

The adorable marmoset scurrying about the rainforest exhibit and coming within a couple feet of us? Absolutely terrifying.


But the enormous fish safely kept back in their tank? A favorite.

This hibiscus in the rainforest completely caught me off guard. A tropical flower never seemed so exotic, such color in the middle of winter's grays and browns.

Back outside, Liam found the one remaining pile of snow from the last storm. It needed some stomping.

We found a picnic table for lunch: clementines with apple peanut butter miso sandwiches.

This is one of our favorite sandwich fillings, adapted from Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family.

I like to mix up a batch and keep it in the fridge for quick, easy, and, this time, on-the-go lunches. It is just sweet enough and doesn't make the bread soggy like jam or crystallized like honey, and the probiotic boost from the miso is good, too.

The original recipe calls for almond butter, but I only sometimes have it on hand. It also calls for apple butter instead of the applesauce that I use. Either variation is good.

Apple Peanut Butter Sandwiches with Miso

Mix the following together and enjoy on bread as a sandwich filling:

1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons white miso

Liam really likes this sandwich spread, and would eat it in a bowl with a spoon if I let him...

I have already introduced River to peanut butter since the allergy testing we did in November showed he didn't have any reaction to it. He also likes clementines.

After lunch, we made our way over to the train. Liam was very concerned when I told him to pose on the tracks for a picture. Mama, the train is going to come and squish me...

While we waited for the train, I let Liam make one of these souvenir coins. He enjoyed the process and then was especially fascinated watching other kids take their turns.

After the train ride, we went on the carousel. Even though he has been on it before, while strapped to me in the Ergo carrier, this was River's first time officially riding one of the carousel animals, a seahorse. He smiled the entire time, bouncing up and down with glee.

Liam chose the shark, again, and obviously had a good time. I stood between them, holding Liam's hand and River's waist band. It's these silly little moments that make me really feel like a mom. And I love it.

the one where the washer eats my feather pillow

and that's all I am going to say about that...

Yesterday was my mom's birthday (Happy Birthday, Grammie!), and River and Liam painted her a picture for the occasion.

This was River's first experience with paint.

I made a batch of warm cornstarch paint, following the recipe in First Art, because I knew River would want to taste it. The "paint" is made from water, cornstarch, and food coloring, so even though it wasn't exactly tasty, it was edible.

I stripped them down to diaper/undies and then let them go for it.

Liam jumped right in.

River wasn't so sure.

But he got over his initial hesitation and really enjoyed experimenting with the textures and colors.

He snuck a few tastes.

But then he decided it was better on his hands than in his mouth.

Never one to mind a mess, Liam liked it on his hands, too.

They smeared, smooshed, and squiggled the paint mostly on the paper. I took the finished dried painting and framed it along with some pictures of the boys in the painting process to give to my mom for her birthday.

We went to the Olive Garden to celebrate last night, and I brought the gift to give her at the restaurant. We had lots and lots of people stop at our table to tell us how much they liked the painting...what a great idea it was..and so forth. It was fun to start up conversations with complete strangers about kid's art, although Gabriel was mortifed by all of the extra attention...


Painting is a River-approved activity.

Somehow, I can't embed the video through You Tube in the same post... so now it's a separate post.

Fingerpainting video

snowy days

Our snow from last week is gone now except for small patches on the north side of our house, but we bundled up and enjoyed the snow a few times before it melted away.

Liam thought the snow was perfect for scooping with his trucks.

We don't have a proper snowsuit for River since we never got one when Liam was his age. Without an older brother to take in the snow, the need just never presented itself. But now there is a big brother who wants the little brother to come out and play.

It's a good thing that big brother has two snow pants and coats, so we over-bundled River in all of the too-big gear and put one of my hats over his helmet. If anything, I think he was too warm despite the 20-something degrees outside.
Liam pushed him back and forth on the sidewalk since the snow was shallow enough that the wheels on the wagon could roll.

But then they (meaning Liam) were done and ready to come back inside for some hot chocolate.

We left the snow to Hopkins and his fluffly warm winter coat.


.....

Speaking of our cat, I think it is now as official as it can get: Coleridge, our black hunter, is gone.

Since both cats are indoor/outdoor, coming and going as they please, it was a week or so before Christmas when I realized that I hadn't seen Cole in a few days. I held on to hope that he would reappear, but I haven't seen him.

In a lot of ways, I like it better this way if I have to lose a cat. The not-knowing. I am not allowing myself to entertain the hypothetical situations too much. It's easier to simply say he's gone.

But I do miss him. He was an awesome cat.

cleaning and not burning house

I spent the majority of my time last week cleaning our house. A little here. A little there. Trying to rid it of any germs hanging around for another chance at making life miserable.

I kept the laundry going: load after load after load. I am so grateful for our energy efficient washer and dryer...

Liam thought all of the cleaning was great, especially washing all of his and River's toys.

He even got over his fear of the vacuum cleaner and nearly caught it on fire. I didn't realize that some ashes near the woodstove still had live coals mingled in with them, and then next thing I knew, the vacuum was smoking and flames were shooting out the hose attachment! Aah!

I quickly turned off the vacuum and unplugged it, cutting off the incoming rush of oxygen that was feeding the flames, and hurriedly removed the smoldering bag and tossed it onto our snow-covered driveway.

Liam was wide-eyed through the whole ordeal.

With a new bag in it, the vacuum works great. And I learned a valuable lesson: never vacuum ashes (or allow the 2-year old to do it) unless I know for certain that they are as dead as a doornail.

We are enjoying a much cleaner house. I'm not sure how long I can keep it up with my two little mess-makers, but as long as we don't incinerate any important appliances, I'll call it good.

bordinos!

Crystal and Micah joined us to celebrate my birthday a few nights ago with the Bordinos gift card I won from our local NPR station's holiday giveaway.

Bordinos has been voted the # 1 restaurant in NW Arkansas for a number of years in a row, and now I know why. The food was delicious. The restaurant's ambiance was classy. And they have valet parking. That last bit's a rarity here in Arkansas. We, of course, parked our own car a few spaces away...

We started with the cheese board: gorgonzola, chevre, manchego, parmesan, and another tasty hard cheese I can't recall. And then it was on to the entrees:

Crystal: Portobello Mushroom Lasagna Ricotta Béchamel, Mozzarella, Smoked Gouda, Basil Pesto
Micah: Hanger Steak Medallions Braised White Beans, Spinach, Mushroom-Truffle Butter
Gabriel:Ricotta-Chèvre Gnocchi Smoked Duck Confit, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Basil Pesto
Me: Chicken Tesa Brussel Sprouts, Winter Squash Puree, Truffle Marsala Cream Sauce

My memory isn't that awesome: the menu is online here.

And for dessert:

I have been craving tiramisu for months and months. Delightful.Gabriel had the chocolate mousse dome.

And Crystal took care of this ginger cake. As amazing as the food turned out to be, the best part of the evening was being with our best of friends. You know, the kind of friendship where the conversation easily flows from breastpumps to iphones.

It was a great evening. Thanks, KUAF.

kale smoothie goodness

Yesterday, I made a kale smoothie following this recipe on Shutterbean. It was delicious, packed with vitamins and green goodness.

the skepticLiam wasn't impressed with it.He did take a few sips, but then he was done.

But this guy likes everything I give him (except refried beans, which made him gag and shudder...)

He really really really liked this kale smoothie. He finished his own serving and then sipped up the rest of Liam's with a straw.

Here he is saying: I love kale smoothie. I need more kale smoothie. Yum yum yum.

birthday weekend

What's worse than being sick on your birthday?

The entire family being sick.

But just when I was starting to feel really pathetic and sorry for myself, these arrived on my doorstep:

Thanks, Rachael

And a lot of family and friends called with well-wishes, and there were even a few cards and packages in the mail. It really did make my day to hear from all of you, so thanks and thanks again.

The birthday package from my in-laws included some daffodil bulbs, and the weather this weekend was mild enough to get them in the ground.
A little time outside did all of us some good.

Especially this guy, who is finally on the mend.

My mom took us all out to breakfast at Mimi's. It was the most food I'd eaten in over a week, and it was wonderful.

For my birthday dinner, I made this Thai Steak Salad Over Soba Noodles from Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family, except I didn't make it until Sunday because none of us felt up to eating it Saturday night.

And for my birthday dessert, I wanted cherry pie because I love it and Gabriel hates it, so this is the only day each year I can make it without any complaints. But because cherries are clearly out of season, I had to go with a frozen variety, and all I could find were frozen bing cherries at our not-so-favorite big box store. I followed this recipe from Everyday Food Magazine, and it was good even if it lacked the flavor a sour cherry pie would have delivered. Not to worry, a scoop of real vanilla ice cream makes everything palatable. Yes, I have been testing how much dairy River can handle. A little cheese here, a dollop of ice cream there. So far, so good.


So now it's Tuesday, and Liam is back to his usual self, which means I am scrambling to keep up with him. I, however, seem to have come down with a sinus infection, so I still feel rotten. My doctor called in a prescription for me this afternoon, so I should start feeling better soon. One can always hope, right?

And the hero of the past couple of weeks, my mom, has come down with the flu, but since she had clearly been exposed, she is on Tamiflu and already feeling remarkably better.

And Gabriel, finally home from his business trip, has a bad chest cold. So the sickness saga continues.

Don't you just love January?

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by Amanda.

still recovering {orange carrot ginger juice}

That flu knocked me off my feet for 5 days. I am feeling much much better now. Weak and congested, but at least no more fevers or body aches.

Liam came down with it on Monday, the same day Gabriel left for a week long business trip.

It's a good thing that my mom is amazing. She has been staying with us every night, making chicken soup, helping with middle of the night demands from Liam (a popsicle at midnight? Sure.), bringing in loads of firewood, and taking care of our chickens out back.

I took both boys to see the doctor yesterday. She confirmed that Liam likely has the flu even though we opted not to put him through the testing, and River has a still lingering chest cold. However, they both also have ear infections and conjunctivitis (pink eye). So now they're on amoxycillin and eye drops, along with tylenol for their fevers.

Things could be better.

Today, Liam is feeling well enough to be cantankerous. A good sign.

.....

Over the last week, I've had a lot of broth, toast, and tea with extra honey (the only thing which seems to soothe all the coughing). 

But today I made this, and it's amazing: 

Orange Carrot Ginger Juice
I found the original recipe here on Shutterbean, but I left out the bell pepper because the flavor grosses me out when I am ill.

Basically, just toss the following into a juicer:

• 7 clementines, peeled
• 2 carrots
• thumb-sized knob of ginger, peeled

I drank it all on my own, but technically it makes enough for two decent-sized servings. Liam wasn't interested in trying it, but River enjoyed a bit diluted in his sippy cup.

It will be nice to get back to normal eating, but this and Grammie's chicken soup will get us through in the meantime.

-----

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.



.....

I have been sick all week. Actually, sick since Christmas, but things have only been bad this week. Sore throat, congestion, coughing, fever, body aches: the works.

Gabriel came home at lunch time yesterday and today to help care for our boys so I could do a lot of nothing. I finally went to see a doctor this afternoon in hopes that I had something treatable.

The nurse came in, listened to me rattle off my symptoms, and asked if I had been exposed?

What do you mean, exposed?

To the flu?

Oh, well not that I know of, but I have been out in public, doesn't that count?

Apparently, it does. I tested postitive for the flu. That test, by the way, was the most awful thing I have ever endured in a doctor's office. I was totally not prepared to have two long swabs pushed deep through my nostrils into my sinuses. Awful.

To all of you I have seen in the past 7-10 days, you have been exposed. Deepest regrets.

And since I first fevered on Sunday, I'm at the tail end of it and wouldn't benefit from tamiflu. So, now I wait it out.

My boys are making me soup for dinner. Things could be worse.

-----

this is how we roll

-----

confessions-and-other-diaper-tales

I have two confessions to make:

1. I rarely (read almost never) hang our cloth diapers on the line to dry. That picture up there, I took it months ago. And I felt so accomplished then that I felt the urge to snap a picture to commemorate the event.  I haven't line-dried a load of diapers since.

And since I don't line-dry our diapers, the PUL lining in the covers is starting to break down, cracking in places and completely disintegrating in others. Too much heat does that. And then they leak.

So now we are down to just a few covers that are still in good working order (and, yes, I am still running the remnant through the dryer), which leads me to my next confession:

2. I bought disposable diapers for River to wear on our St Louis  trip since we didn't have enough covers to get him through 3 days without washing. And not only did I purchase disposables, I opted for the Target brand instead of the Seventh Generation ones we have used for other trips. They were half the price, and 'twas the season for penny pinching. And they had cute polka dots.

Today, I have served my penance.

At the doctor's office, River (wearing one of the aforementioned polka dot numbers...because I may as well use them up while they still fit...gah!) had the mother of all blow out diapers. While we were waiting for the doctor to come back with some adjustments on his helmet and the diaper bag waited on the backseat of the car.

After the appointment, I ran out and grabbed the diaper bag and went straight to the bathroom.

It was a mess. Completely up his back and running across his shoulders. And since he is still breastfeeding every 4 hours but is also eating three meals a day of table food, there were chunks. And it was stinky.

I wriggled him out of his soiled clothes, and mopped up what I could with the diaper.

Have I mentioned that I didn't have any wipes on hand?

Instead we used the paper towels dampened under the faucet, which were prone to disintegrating.

This clearly wasn't working, so I ended up sticking him in the bathroom sink and giving him a bath. After a pat down with more paper towels, he was clean and dry. I put another polka dot diaper on him, a spare change of clothes, and that was that.

.....

In other news, the orthotist was impressed with River's head-growth. In the month-and-a-half since our first visit, River's head circumference has increased by nearly 3/8 inch. He even re-checked the measurement, saying that he has never seen a baby River's age with such rapid growth, which is why we are already seeing a lot of results. His head is obviously much rounder than before we started with his helmet. So, it's all good news.

-----