..back to school..

And so begins another school year. Can you believe it? I can't. This week we had the first day of school for the older two...3rd and 1st grades. The littlest will start her first year of preschool in a week or so, although she is almost a full year older than her siblings when they entered the same grade (so it goes for a November birthday). It will be a busy year, indeed.

One of the biggest stresses, for me, is packing my kid's lunch. It is not uncommon for me to open the lunchbox at the end of the day and find a lunch barely touched. I realize that within the allotted 10-15 minutes of their lunch hour, they may struggle to finish the entire lunch. More often than not, however, I feel as though they are just disinterested in the contents of the lunchbox itself.

This year, I am attempting to make them responsible for their lunch. They will have the task of putting  together their own lunch for the day. In addition, I will take the opportunity to talk to them about what constitutes a well-balanced meal. Left unchecked, these children would choose a piece of bread and a handful of chocolate chips for lunch. *sigh*  Thus, my lunch chart was born.

I took white boards that we had laying around, and I created different magnets of possible lunch choices. I did this using cardstock, double-stick tape, scrapbooking scissors, laminating sheets, and self-stick magnets I had lying around the house. Is it terribly obvious that I am a former teacher?? In creating the choices, I broke down the food groups as follows: protein, vegetable, fruit, and grain. To me, that constitutes a well-balanced lunch. I opt out of the "sweet," simply because that will be the only thing eaten (and I speak from experience, here).
 

The choices are color coded, so that the kids can recognize when they have a balanced lunch. Proteins are red, vegetables are green, fruits are yellow, and grains are blue. Some choices are mixes, but the colors reflect that. Their task is to choose a combination of available items so that they have one of each color, at least. My hope is that by giving them the freedom to choose what is inside their lunchbox, there will be an increase in the likelihood they eat a bigger portion of it. My preschooler is also getting in on the fun, even though she will eat lunch at home.

After their choices are made, it will be up for approval from the parent. When approval is given, then we'll get down to the business of making the lunch. Ideally, the lunch will be made the night before, but there are certain items that are best made the morning of. Either way, having this responsibility fall squarely on the shoulders of the kids will be a big relief for this Momma. I'm sure there are roadblocks to be faced as the school year progresses. I am hopeful that by arming them with a certain amount of autonomy , and the knowledge of how to best nourish their bodies, much less time will be spent eating the leftover lunch after school.

A girl can dream, anyway.

..summer rewind..

Admittedly, my posts have been few and far between, but there are a few reasons.

Isaac's first tennis tournament - 3rd place finish

flag football game

ONE:  Three kids going in twelve different directions. I take full responsibility for this one, since I filled July with everything I could. Flag football had already started, but we added in tennis lessons, there was Vacation Bible School, a Lego class was squeezed in there, and we cannot forget the girls' dance lessons.....seemingly their most favorite part of summer so far. Add to that trips to the local tennis courts, parks, and getting together with friends, pool time, and you have a string of days that blurred one into the next. All in the name of exhausting our children. 

Newly finished patio area

New dry storage shelves...thank you, dear hubby

attempting to weed out/organize my own crafty goodness

TWO: Home improvements. We are trying to move. As it stands, my husband works 2 hours outside of town, and we are tired of living separately during the school year. It certainly could be worse, I know. But we have dragged our feet long enough and need to get our house into "selling condition," whatever that means. There have been many projects undertaken this summer--building shelving, painting, sticker removal (not my favorite), decluttering, and landscaping, to name a few. Organization and staging remain on our list of things to do, but those are best done a little at a time.

Blowing off some steam...or smoke, rather...

...with some old sparklers.

THREE:  Impatience. When I have found myself with free moments, I have been choosing to enjoy those as simply as I can. Whether it's sitting down to knit a few rounds, sew up a headband, or even have an uninterrupted conversation with my husband, I have found that sitting down to write about what's going on in my life currently is something I haven't wanted to do lately. There is a point when you are so overwhelmed, that you just need to take a step back. And this blog was where I took my step back.

But there are many things to share, I promise. We are getting ready for a new school year, and with it a whole new rhythm. This fall will be different, as we start new lessons, navigate new schedules, and my youngest will begin her first year of preschool. It feels more like New Year's to me now than on January 1st.

So here's to those new beginnings....and the stories they will bring.

..vacation..

Oh my stars. Our summer is almost over! July has been fraught with busy-ness, and now August preparations are in full swing. I did, however, promise to share with you some tidbits about our trip out West. It seems like a long time ago, but in reality, it was just a little over a month ago. Strange how many memories can be jam-packed into a little over a month.

 view from our hotel: Hot Wheels loop

The summer started with a trip to California to see family. We don't tend to do much touristy stuff when we travel, as our trips are more focused on the people we're going to see. My kids were happy enough to see the Hollywood sign (as seen in 'Alvin and the Chipmunks -- the Squeakquel').

Starting in LA, we visited with my husband's cousin downtown. It was quite a sight to behold as they set up for the XGames right outside our hotel. We also drove a bit further north to visit with a dear, old elementary school friend that I see once in a blue moon. I think my most favorite thing about seeing her and her family is how it never feels like much time has passed since I saw her last. Our friendship, to me, is just effortless.

fun at the aquarium

 

When we made our way back to the OC, we were able to spend some time with my mom's family. My aunt braved the Aquarium of the Pacific with our family, and we enjoyed seeing the amazing creatures great and small. I think the favorite part of the day was when the kids had the opportunity to touch the stingrays...or run through the dolphin sprinklers. It's a toss up.

 touching stingrays

For the remaining time in California, we made ourselves comfortable at my cousin's house in Laguna Niguel. We tried to keep things simple, so that we could spend time with my other cousins on my dad's side of the family, whenever it was convenient for them. And there was the added bonus of keeping a 3 year old's nap schedule in tact....priceless.

 framed succulents....my favorite!

My kids adored their free time. Most of it was spent outside swimming (my son learned how to dive to the bottom of a 10 ft. pool), snuggling with and keeping in line 2 adorable Puggles (Frank and Stella), playing at the park or on the tennis courts. There was also some down time spent playing indoors, but no one could stay indoors too long with the beautifully mild weather....one of California's draws, to be certain.

how I wish I could grow these fruit trees where we live!!

 

I just love to catch up with family and friends I don't have the luxury of seeing very often. It's a special time to reconnect, relax, share stories, and just have fun. One night we had an amazing Mexican fiesta, another night my husband and I created an Indian extravaganza (ok, in fairness to the hubby, he did most of the cooking, but I did make the naan). But the real joy came in the laughter and love that we shared.

Definitely a trip that will have to be made again sooner rather than later.

.."can"-do attitude..

We just returned from a week and a half in sunny California. It was a wonderful trip, and one that was long overdue. Having hailed from the OC (but moved to IL when I was very young), I have many extended family members still living out there. It's a long trip to make, and we don't get the chance to make it often. I'm always so glad when we do. More on that later...

Right before our trip West, I began to panic because I hadn't yet taken advantage of the strawberry harvest that was coming to a quick close. Two days before we were set to leave, I made the impulsive decision to buy 9 quarts of strawberries from a local farm. I chose the pre-picked variety, since I had missed the picking in these parts. We've had such a warm spring, strawberries came and went early.

So home I drove, with my strawberries and their sweet, luscious aroma filling up the car. I had big plans.

I am relatively new to canning. Over the last 4 years, I have read and experimented. I started with jams and jellies, since they seemed to be the easiest (which they are not). Each year I have attempted a new item to can: relishes, pickles, vinegars, fruit butters, pasta sauces/salsas. It's been a great way to extend my harvest. This year my new attempt will include the use of a pressure canner.

 I follow a basic recipe nowadays, depending on type and amount of fruit, but like to "doctor it up," so to speak. I am also particularly fond of jelly, although it would never win a contest, since it's always cloudy.

A couple of Christmas' ago my husband gave me one of my most favorite "cookbooks." It's not really a cookbook, but, for me, license to experiment. It's called the Flavor Bible, and it lists different ingredient pairings that go well together. It has been an invaluable tool in adding subtleties to my jellies and jams, not to mention other off-the-cuff concoctions.

I perused my bible, and under "strawberries" found two ingredients that piqued my interest. I decided to make a Lavender-Strawberry Jam and a Strawberry-Champagne jelly. Adding much more than one other flavor was putting my harvest at risk, so I opted to keep it simple.

Once the decision was made, the work began. Washing, hulling and chopping 9 quarts of strawberries is no joke. After preparing the strawberries, I mustered up the energy to make the jam. Instead of just putting lavender flowers in the jam, I instead chose to use a tea ball, so that the jam wouldn't end up with lavender bits. In the end, it was the right decision, as the jam has that hint of flowery goodness. Unfortunately, upon opening the jam, I discovered that the jam didn't set properly, so it's more of a sauce. But a heavenly sauce that will accompany ice cream, angel food cake, or any of a wide assortment of dishes.

I did not have enough energy to make the jelly in the same canning session, but I did cook the fruit down and put it in the jelly bag. If there's one thing I've learned (and prefer) about jellies, it's that the fruit can be a bit blemished, and you can drag out the process. Once I collected the juice, I stored it in the fridge to be dealt with after our vacation, and worked furiously to pack and prepare for our trip the next day.

Fast forward to today. Today I made jelly. I decided to make a half batch of Strawberry-Champagne jelly, as I was nervous about how it would turn out. This was all experimentation, after all. I am happy to say that it turned out just fine. You can definitely taste the champagne...and it's not an overly sweet spread, which is a nice change.

My last jelly will be a plain strawberry jelly. I think it's only fair to the kids. Their palates haven't appreciated my flavor combinations in the past.

I did manage to set aside a jar of strawberries that I just froze. They are a marvelous addition to smoothies, after all. Plus, I love how the jar looks in my freezer. Have I mentioned red is my favorite color?

Now, I wait for cherries and black raspberries........

..tennis birthday..

My son is 8 today. 8, really?! I cannot believe that this little man, who gave me such grief as a baby, has grown into such a neat kid. To clarify what I mean by grief, this child of mine hated sleeping, and to be fair, still does. Now, however, he is instructed to let his mother sleep if he decides to get up at some god-forsaken hour in the morning. Thankfully, he is capable of finding his own breakfast, as long as any sugary treat is hidden or kept under lock and key.

For his 8th birthday celebration, he opted for a tennis birthday. We try to keep things simple for our celebrations, so I was a little nervous at first about the cost. Turns out, we probably spent more money on the cake than the actual "tennis" part. We found 2 instructors, who gave an hour lesson to 8 of our son's closest friends, at a local tennis court.

The instructors were perfect. Enthusiastic, patient, creative, and LOUD. But what do you expect with a bunch of boys? There were some great games, fantastic hits, and bizarre moves. Such fun to watch. My husband took the smaller kids onto another court with a friend and they made their own games and drills for the smallest on the guest list. *and by small, I am not referring only to height.

In retrospect, this was the perfect birthday party for my sport-lovin' son. We had a few snacks and some cake after the lesson, and had to drag (yes, drag) the kids off the tennis courts to open presents. We could've done without the presents and snacks/cake for all they cared. With these boys, it was all about staying in motion. And stay in motion, they did. Tennis, football, tackling each other, chasing each other...there was very little sitting done by any of these young men (and young ladies).

A party is not complete without a proper "thank you for coming" gift, so I put together some bags with a few notions and treats.  And my gift to the parents? Worn out kids. You are so very welcome.

It's hard to believe it's been 8 years. We are very proud of this young man of ours. He is quite the athlete, with tennis and flag football his current sports of choice. He excels in math, and loves to figure out how things work. He is gentle and kind to his younger sisters. He is almost a carbon copy of my dear, sweet hubby. It's been fun watching this boy grow, most of the time. But I'll excuse those little character flaws on this day. On this day, I will celebrate the boy that he is, and the goodness he has brought to our lives. Sooooo much goodness. And laughter. And amazement. That I had a part in creating this life is something that I will treasure, always.

Happy birthday, my dear, sweet Isaac.

..mary, mary, quite contrary..

My garden is growing quite well, thank you. We have finished the radishes, and have harvested some peppers, cilantro, and parsley. But I am getting ahead of myself.

parsley, mint, basil, cilantro

 

I felt I was doing so well with my gardening, that on a recent trip to a local nursery, I picked up more gardening goodness. Enter thyme, rosemary, 2 heirloom tomato plants (names escape me, and I don't keep those plastic tags), 4 pepper plants (2 red bell, 2 cayenne), rose geranium, dill, parsley, basil, lemongrass, and mint.

 thyme, rosemary

Initially when I started this container garden, I had planted 4 small pots with mint, dill, parsley, and basil. After planting my seeds, carefully fertilizing and watering them gently, I looked through the booklet that came with the seeds. I wanted to make sure that I was putting them in the correct light, keeping them watered just enough, in the hopes of enjoying a bounty of herbal goodness.Then I saw the expiration date. It was staring me in the face, all faded and worn. 2003. Crap.

 rose geranium.....smells heavenly

I remained optomistic. Surely some seeds would prove hardy enough and show me some love. And I truly thought that I had beat the odds when I saw small little leaves start to sprout up. I watched and waited, expecting these leaves to grow and change into leaves that were more familiar, more like the herbs I was anticipating. Instead, I got a lesson on what weeds look like. That is all that filled my pots....weeds.

do you see all those peas?

 

And I decided to start over. This is where my new plants come in.

 tomato and peppers

 

I opted for small plants, not seeds. After acquiring these herbs and vegetables, I carefully put them in their new pots. Success. No more weeds, or, at least, now I know what those mangy creatures look like. And all is well with my garden.

strawberry pot

I think the only other thing I will add to my garden is some cucumbers. I plan to put those in the empty space left by my radishes. And my peas? I haven't yet eaten any of them, but they are covered with pea pods. I am waiting until they are swollen just enough. I have a few tomatoes and a couple of peppers as well, but I am trying desperately to keep my girls from yanking these burgeoning fruits from my plants. What about my strawberries, you ask? Well, the plants continue to flower, and now that it's June, I think I will let them go (I have been pinching them off up to this point). The plants seem to be thriving, and a couple of the ones that seemed dead, have now returned, albeit much smaller. I hope to enjoy some strawberries soon.

more strawberries

 

It continually surprises me how much pride I have for this little garden. There is so much satisfaction derived from going out and finding something to use for a meal. Whether it's a radish for a salad, or some cilantro for a garnish. To me, it's far more appealing to turn to a patch of earth for my food than to the inside of a refrigerator. And as it turns out, the more I utilize the herbs and veg in my little "patch," the more it produces. Who knew? (Be nice, I'm still a novice).