Halloween Pics!

Daniel is a scarecrow (I decided) and Emma is a ballerina (per her request).

This year the costumes were super easy - or I was just lazy. I started both of them at 11:30 at night. I knew that I was going to be up for at least 2 more hours because I started canning my applesauce so late! lol I was lucky that everything for the costumes I already had except the black tulle. Really! It was a super frugal costume year - unlike *cough* last *cough* year *cough*.




We went to a city sponsored trick-or-treat walk around and then had candy - er dinner and afterwards Tuan took them out around the neighboorhood. Emma had fun seeing the costumes of the few kids who came by.

While Tuan took them around the neiborhood I sorted out the candy that D is allergic to and replaced it with some treats that he can eat. I was glad that it all went so smoothly.

Burned out on politics?

I'm a bit burned out on politics. However, I realized that I never responded to Jill when she asked if I supported Obama. At the time of that post I did support Obama and was planning on voting for him. But since that time September 3rd and the Bailout has happened. I cannot put my support behind a candidate that voted for the bailout. It is a dealbreaker for me. The thought of McCain/Palin becoming president scares me spitless. Yet my initial fears that my vote would be wasted or dissapear with a 3rd party vote are no longer there. I am voting my consience and feel wonderfully at peace.

This is a great video clip of the candidate getting my vote this election. It's only 7 minutes long and talks about civic freedom.


One last thing. Did you know that being a republican and a good mormon are not mutually exclusive? Whoduthunk?!! Elder Marlin Jensen of the First Quorum of the Seventy calls for more political diversity

"Jensen, who was called as a general authority in 1989, said high church officials lament the near-extinction of the Democratic Party in Utah and the perception -- incorrect though it is -- that the GOP enjoys official sanction of the church."

There have been lots of political and other posts that didn't involve pics of my adorable children on here so I figured it was time for a return to my normal blog format. That is - posts that are pictures with some explanations! lol

New Bikes! Updated!!

Ok - these pics have been sitting in the que for forever - I don't know why I haven't posted them yet. After scouring garage sales all summer I finally stumbled on the right price for the right product. Voila!

$50 for Tuan's bike (which I always ride when pulling the kids - gotta have the 10-speed. And toys. And groceries! LOL) and only $10 for mine!

Now - the bike trailer was not from a garage sale. People just don't sell them at garage sales. We got it new from K-Mart. $100. Ugh. But - it is more than paying for itself in fuel prices and my waistline! lol

I love my bike. It's vintage and just so me!

And the kids seem to like it as well. After a long morning at the park they just couldn't stay awake.


Ok guys - I don't know where my brain was ysterday when I was posting this. I left some stuff out so now I'm editing it in:

I bike all over town with this trailer. It is so awesome being able to go to parks further away than we can walk but not too far with the trailer. And I needed to go to k-mart to get some new self-sealing tubes and found a 25 quart stockpot on sale. So I bought it (needed a tall one to can my quart jars) and put it in the back section behind the kids! For some reason it is easier to get the kids back in the trailer and buckled up than it is to get them into their car seats and buckled up. Hmmmm. :P

There is a bit of upkeep. A bike chain, bike pump and new tubes. We should have just bought new self-sealing tubes (LOVE these!) and replaced them right off but we waited until the current tubes got too punctured to patch. Trust me - just get the self-sealing tubes. They are really quite reasonably priced - $7 I think.

My favorite part? Seeing the car sit in our driveway while Tuan goes to work and I get around town with the kids. Happy for our bank account and happy for the environment!

Swashbuckling Through Parenthood

Errol Flynn was an early 20th-century film actor
who often played the role of a swashbuckling hero.
He truly was a masterful swordsman.

When asked how he handled his sword with such grace,
he was known to have said he held it as if he were
holding a small bird.

If held too loosely,
it would fly away.

If held too tightly,
it would be crushed to death.

The key to his mastery was staying tuned in enough
to *feel* that just-right place between too loose and
too tight.

Today, as you interact with your child, pay close
attention to your feeling of "holdingness."

Are you holding too loosely?

Open your heart and hold your child
closer to its warmth.

Are you holding on too tightly?

Relax your grip and trust that All Is Well.

http://dailygroove.net/swashbuckling

Don't just hover your mouse over this vid and these links. Click on them!!!



http://supportedthebailout.org/

http://fedupusa.org/

Russion Proverb

I will link you to this blog post because it is well researched and echoes my feelings almost exactly. Plaase read it. Here are the highlights.

"There is no shame in not knowing; the shame is in not finding out." If the Russians can figure that out, don't you think we ought to be able to too?

So, FIND OUT!

Before you vote, acquaint yourself with the candidates' positions. ALL the candidates' positions (did you even know that there are Third Party Candidates?) ... and not just the major party ones and the sound-bite positions you get from the nightly news:

Barack Obama on the Issues (Democratic Party)

John McCain on the Issues (Republican Party)

Ralph Nader on the Issues (Independent)

Bob Barr on the Issues (Libertarian Party)

Charles O. Baldwin on the Issues (Constitution Party)
(Baldwin's website was not working, so I provide the party's website)

Cynthia McKinney on the Issues (Green Party)

Alan Keyes (American Independent Party)
(I had trouble finding a direct link to Keyes' stances on his website, maybe you'll have better luck)

Read through their stances. Then evaluate where you stand on the issues ... and not just where pundits, the nightly news or your party affiliation says you should stand, but deep down ... where you stand on the issues and then vote for the candidate that most resembles those feelings.

Does Barack Obama really represent your concerns and values?

Does John McCain really represent your concerns and values?

Does a Third Party Candidate better represent your concerns and values?

Don't just be a voter ... be an informed voter. I can respect a voter who votes for the opposition if they vote from an informed place. I can't respect a voter who doesn't think (or worse, doesn't care) about what their vote represents and stands for.

Remember, the Russians have the right idea: "There is no shame in not knowing; the shame is in not finding out."

Nestle-Free Week

October 4-10

Over the weekend I was feeling particularly frustrated and helpless about my ability to voice my opinion and make a difference with my actions re the financial bailout robbery.

But when I came to post about the Nestle boycott, I realized that I can see the effects of my actions. Last year, after denying for years that the boycott had support, Nestlé's Global Public Affairs Manager owned up to Nestlé being 'widely boycotted'. Independent research has found it to be one of the four most boycotted companies on the planet. See:
http://www.babymilkaction.org/press/press6july07.html

In the past Nestlé promoted its formula with pictures of chubby babies on labels and by sending marketing staff dressed as nurses into hospitals. Today these practices have changed, thanks to marketing requirements adopted by the World Health Assembly, legislation implementing these measures and our work with our partners in monitoring company behaviour and promoting the boycott. Yet Nestlé's latest practices are only slightly more subtle. It presents its formula as containing 'brain building blocks' and suggests that it 'protects' babies, all the time knowing that infants fed on formula do not develop the same as breastfed infants and miss out on the protection provided by the living anti-bodies and other protective factors in breastmilk. They are more likely to become sick and in conditions of poverty, they are more likely to die.

Global monitoring conducted by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) finds Nestlé to be the worst of the companies. And as market leader it sets trends others follow and so drives down standards. As we have exposed recently, in South Africa not only the Department of Health was critical of its marketing practices, but also its competitors, who filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority - they lost and may feel compelled to resort to push similar promotional tactics through the regulatory loophole Nestlé has created. See:
http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/2008/07/nestle-driving-standards-down.html

It is regrettable that the boycott continues to be a necessary tool to put pressure on Nestlé and to raise awareness of its marketing malpractice. But the new Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Paul Bulcke, has, like his predecessor, rejected the plan put to Nestlé for saving infant lives and ultimately ending the boycott. Instead Nestlé tries to divert criticism with expensive Public Relations initiatives and underhand methods such as those described above. The changes it makes are grudging. More boycott action will help to persuade it.

Please take the initiative this year to boycott Nestle. Use your buying power to its greatest advantage. Here is a list of products to avoid:

IMPORTANT NOTE: This list includes all products from which Nestlé profits. So Nestlé ice cream is listed because, although Nestlé sold the company, it continues to receive payments for use of the brand name. We welcome new information regarding changes in ownership, but please remember that headline stories about brands being sold do not usually give all the details of the deal. A product is only removed from the list when we are reasonably confident that all links to Nestlé have been cut .

Coffee - Nescafé including:
Alta Rica, Black Gold, Blend 37, Cap Colombie, Cappuccino, Caro, Decaff, Expresso, Fine Blend, Gold Blend, Kenjara, Nescafé Ice, Organic, Partners Blend
Dairy products
Carnation, Coffee-Mate, Extreme Viennois, Fussells, Ideal, LC1, Munch Bunch yoghurts, Rowntree yoghurts and ice creams, Simply Double Ski yogurts, Sveltesse yogurts, Tip-Top
Confectionery & snacks
Aero, After Eights, Animal Bar, Baci Chocolate, Black Magic, Blue Riband, Breakaway, Caramac Chocolate Cuisine*, Colgate Dental Gum, Dairy Box, Dairy Crunch,Double Cream, Drifter, Fab Fruit Pastilles, Heaven, Henri Nestlé Collection, Jellytots, Kit Kat, Kit Kat Chunky, Lion Bar, *Lyons Maid Ice Cream, Matchmakers, Maxibon, Milky Bar, Munchies, *Nestlé Ice Cream, Polo, Quality Street, Rolo, Rowntrees Fruit Gums, Smarties, Toffee Crisp, Toffo, Tooty Frooties, Walnut Whip, Willy Wonka, Yorkie
Contact lens care
Alcon
Mineral/bottled water
Aqua Panna, Aquarel, Buxton, Contrex, Perrier, Pow-wow, San Pellegrino, Santa Maria, Valvert, Vittel
Other drinks
Build-up, Milo, Nesquik, Nestea
Processed meals
Buitoni pasta & canned foods, Herta Maggi, *Osem/Tivall, *Rowntrees Jellies
*Cereals
Cheerios & Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon and Golden Grahams Clusters, Cookie Crisp, Shreddies, Fibre 1, Fitnesse, Force Flakes, Fruitful, Golden Nuggets, Nesquik cereal, Shredded Wheat including: Bitesize, Fruitful, Honey Nut Shreddies: Coco and frosted
*Cosmetics
Biotherm, Body Shop, Cosmence, Garnier, Helena Rubenstein, Innéov, La Roche-Posay, Lancome, L'Oreal, Matrix, Maybelline, Metamorphosis, Plénitude, Redken
Pet Foods
Arthur's, Bakers, BETA, Bonio, Felix, Friskies, Go-Cat, Go-dog, Gourmet, One, Pro Plan, Purina, Spiller's, Vital Balance, Winalot

Creative Democracy

A conversation with my daughter when she was five:

"What's that sign, Daddy?"

"That's a political sign for the upcoming election."

"What's an election?"

I did my best to convey the abstraction of democracy
to a 5-year-old. "Do you know what voting is?"

"No."

"Okay... Pretend we're deciding what to make for
dinner, and we're choosing between pizza and
spaghetti. Each of us gets to vote for which one we
want... Which one would *you* vote for?"

"I want pizza AND spaghetti!"

Suddenly *I* was the student, and the lesson was
clear: either/or, win/lose thinking is not something
our kids are born with. It's learned. Even if we don't
actively teach it to them, we teach it passively
whenever we take scarcity and competition for granted.

Today, pay close attention to your decision-making
processes -- your private "elections." Are they based
on scarcity and competition, or abundance and
creativity?

Are you willing to concede your contentious elections
and surrender to the creative process?

http://dailygroove.net/creative-democracy

Fellow Americans, this amendment is what your government just passed.

Did you know?

Did you care?

Do you care?

Seven better uses for the bailout’s $700 billion

Seven better uses for the bailout’s $700 billion

1. The nation's infrastructure
2. The nation's largest solar power array in the desert near Gila Bend, Ariz.
3. Health care.
4. Reduce carbon emissions.
5. Port expansion for global trade.
6. National security.
7. Education.

Top 5 Reasons to Vote Against Paulson's $700 Billion Bailout

Top 5 Reasons to Vote Against Paulson's $700 Billion Bailout

1. BAILOUT'S INHERENT FISCAL INSANITY COULD MAKE PROBLEM WORSE
2. EXPERTS ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SAY THIS BAILOUT COULD MAKE THINGS WORSE
3. THERE ARE CLEARLY BETTER AND SAFER ALTERNATIVES
4. ANY INCUMBENT VOTING FOR THIS PUTS THEMSELVES AT RISK OF BEING THROWN OUT OF OFFICE (and I have informed mine of this.)
5. CORRUPTION AND SLEAZE ARE SWIRLING AROUND THESE BAILOUTS - AND AMERICA KNOWS IT

Only a few days left!

I can't imagine any of the regular readers of my blog not voting but this is such a great vid I had to share it.



Declare Yourself dot Com

Only a toddler . . .

could find that position comfortable to nurse in!

Divide and conquer

It's supposed to be the opposite, no?
Emma and Daniel have perfected the art of divide and conquer.

Me: Ok guys, you have 5 more minutes to play at the park.
Emma: Noooooooooooo!
Daniel: Noh!
M:4 more minutes.
E & D: No!
M: 3 minutes left.
E & D: No!
M: 2 more minutes, guys.
E & D: No!
M: 1 more minute!
E & D: No!
M: ok, I'm going to get our stuff together and then it's time to go!
E: Mommy, I'm still playing!
D: WING! (swing)
M: Ok - let's go guys.

Em promptly runs in one direction while D runs off in another.

Divide

and

Conquer!

Sheesh.

I'm not sure why they look so serious. They each put together their own outfits. We were dancing to Shady Tree. They were having lots of fun - honest!

Tandem Trike-ing!

Wow - is that what I really sound like? Yeesh.

Available lap anyone?

Daniel wanted Tuan to sit on his lap. He let him sit there for at least 30 seconds! hee!



Then Emma wanted me to sit on her lap! I think I lasted for about 50 sec. lol

Are you registered to vote? Part 1

Take 3 minutes and find out if you are registered to vote. If you aren't - register! The deadline is coming up in a matter of mere weeks!

http://www.voteforchange.com/index_obama.php#

**UPDATE**

Dale brought up a good point in his comment on Part 2.
I felt a bit embarrased that I hadn't ever heard of "vote caging" before and needed to look it up. But this article "What the Heck is Vote Caging" states that "Last week was the first time most of us heard about vote caging. It shouldn't be the last."

So - what is this voter caging stuff?

"Vote caging is an illegal trick to suppress minority voters (who tend to vote Democrat) by getting them knocked off the voter rolls if they fail to answer registered mail sent to homes they aren't living at."

"The Bush-Cheney operatives sent hundreds of thousands of letters marked "Do not forward" to voters' homes. Letters returned ("caged") were used as evidence to block these voters' right to cast a ballot on grounds they were registered at phony addresses. Who were the evil fakers? Homeless men, students on vacation and—you got to love this—American soldiers. Oh yeah: most of them are Black voters.

Why weren't these African-American voters home when the Republican letters arrived? The homeless men were on park benches, the students were on vacation—and the soldiers were overseas."

This info was used to block/contest absentee ballots - actions that can have quite an affect on an election's result.

Now - I'm not sure if by following the link I provided above could lead to vote caging. Yes, you provide your mailing address. But you also must enter your driver's liscence number or the last 4 didgets of your social security number. So there should be no letters sent unrequested or to faulty addresses.

To avoid all of this just grab your phone book - look under the "quick reference guide" for the heading "voter registration". Walk, ride, drive, call or mail your information to the address provided and voila! You can vote for whichever candidate you feel best represents your views!

Are you registered to vote? Part 2

WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE
(paraphrased from a forward I received)

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.


The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.

(Lucy Burns)
And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

(Dora Lewis)
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging,
beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because - why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

HBO's movie 'Iron Jawed Angels' is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say.

I am ashamed to say the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

What would those women think of the way that I use, or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now. It's not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.

HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

technology

My, I seem to be enjoying this walk down memory lane! lol

This is Emma (11 mos) multi-tasking on the potty.


This is Daniel (22 mos) multi-tasking on the potty.


I guess technology has changed a bit?

And what good is a movie w/out cookies and a sister to share it with?

Craft desk

We were using a wooden board stacked quite precariously on two plastic drawer sets (you can see them stacked to the left there) for a craft desk. Any time Emma or Daniel would climb on the board it would tilt and fall off. Once Em was left dangling from that ledge behind her! Needless to say, this arrangement was less than satisfactory. We have a really nice neighbor who mentioned that he had a desk in his house that wasn't being used and would we like it! Well, of course! Heck yeah! (is that my Okie roots showing? lol) We moved it one door down and are LOVING it! It is a great, well used, mark-able desk that holds both the kiddos weight great!

In fact - just the other day Em and D wanted to make a dinosaur craft. Tuan and I were helping them and by the end of the project Tuan and I were making the dragon while Daniel had coaxed Emma into jumping off of the desk onto beanbags! So I think the desk is a hit!

Some beanbag jumping - just for fun!

(I have a better clip that I''ll get up just as soon as I figure out how to rotate it.)

Just chillin'

Daniel does the Funky Chicken Dance!

Does it get any cuter than this?



















psssst - The correct answer is no. :oP

How time flies

Wow - I got rather emotional when I looked at these pics side by side. I just can't believe how much my kids are growing up!

This first pic was taken Dec 2007.

This pic was taken Aug 2008.

I didn't plan to match blankets and poses (more or less) it just turned out that way. Off to sniffle over a brownie. Or two! lol

Unfortunately it is the children who suffer

Artificial baby milk found tainted by the banned industrial chemical melamine

So sad on so many levels.

I wonder if these dangerous attempts to cut corners with products and produce would be greatly reduced if we as consumers demanded fair trade conditions from our suppliers. Not only voiced it but backed it up with our spending money.

The quoted mother wonders what she will feed her child - "they (artificial baby milks) all have problems".

Hear is some food for thought. What would we feed our baby's if there was no artificial baby milk?

Puzzles Galore!

Emma loves puzzles. I don't talk much about unschooling, but this fits into that category. Emma always finds the puzzles in the piles of toys where ever we go. And since I know that she loves to put them together, I'm always on the lookout for ones I think she would enjoy.



The bunny pic is one of three wooden puzzles we got her for her 2nd birthday.
The spiderman puzzle (are you surprised at the subject?) is one she snagged at a garage sale.
The fairy is actually 6 cubes for a 6-in-one puzzle she found at a local toy shop. I thought it would be too hard for her but, silly Momma, she puts them together with and without my help!
The space puzzle is a 3-d picture and she found it at a craft store.
She helped me choose the fish floor puzzle.

I took that pic right before we acquired another puzzle -



Yep - Emma loves puzzles! lol

New Couch

We got a new couch! We were waaaaaay overdue for a new one as I had already re-covered it once. The movers got it set up (did you guys know that you're supposed to tip furniture delivery persons? - oops!) and this is the first thing Em and D did to test it out. I was worried that D and I may react to the micro-fiber (100% synthetic fabric) but our (or at least my) days of itchy reactions are over - yay for gluten-free! And I lurve that it is so very easy to clean!

Wordless Wednesday

I keep seeing these posts in the blogsphere. Since there doesn't seem to be any particular reason for this pic other than I love it I figured I try this WW stuff out.


Although - it's not wordless anymore, is it? ;o)

LMAO!! I just realized it's not Wednesday either! It's too funny - I have to leave it!

A friend comes to visit

One of my very best friends (and fellow musician) from college rearranged his whole schedule to drop by and see us! Emma started off shy but very soon was his best friend.




Thanks for visiting KC! Hope your summer went great!

Organic pork - 150 lbs of it!

My sis found a great organic pig farm. She and her dh generously offered to load and transport our pig to the slaughter house. It was a deal we couldn't refuse! So we scoured garage sales for chest freezers and ordered a pig. When we got the boxes we enlisted the kids for help catalouging the cuts and getting the frozen meat into the freezer. Did I mention that it was frozen? Yep - very cold on little hands. So I quickly scrounged through our box of misc. cold weather stuff. Poor D had two colors of mittens because that's all I could find.


"Daddy, this meat is heavy!!"


"Is that my bacon Mommy?"

Then we got D and Em to "flex" their muscles. Enjoy!

I love how the last flex turns into him scratching his nose. lol

Cool kids

Trampoline + glow sticks + warm late summer evenings =



TONS of fun!

Turkey legs and trains

Every July our town holds a "Western Days" parade with local bands and vendors in the city park. We happen to live a 5 min walk from city park (yes - we're spoiled!) so we stayed for lunch. I have always wanted to get a turkey leg and it was pretty much the only option that our food allergies allowed. Emma dug right in - D wasn't so sure about this object we were eating! LOL


I love this pic of D on Tuans lap watching the parade together.

Emma and Daniel loved - LOVED! riding the train. This guy charged $2 per ride. He is at nearly all big functions at the park - he makes a killing w/ his train!

Daddy Rocks!

Literally!


Emma and Daniel painted this rock and I added the words. It was such a fun way to show Tuan how much he means to them.

Every day when he walks in the door they run and hug his legs with cries of Daddy!

We all love you, Tuan!

hmmmmm

Well - I tried to be all fancy-schmancy and have my blog post scheduled posts. But it didn't work. Bummer. Anyway - I'll just post them manually!

Not happening!

I made some baked tortilla chips. Emma really liked them. She didn't want to share them.

But you may not have gotten that from her expression. Or maybe you did! LOL

Crochet

Several of us crafty moms got together a swap of playfood items. Every thing was handmade out of natural materials (no acrylic). It has been a big hit! So much so that I have joined another swap which will be over soon. You should see the looks that I get when I tell people who ask that I am crocheting a hotdog! LOL


I got carried away looking for cute clothes to crochet for Em and found tons of patterns. This one went together pretty fast but the flowers (which I added, they were not originally on the pattern) took some tweaking. At first the yarn was too heavy and the brown center looked silly.


This skirt pattern didn't call for any color changes, but i was running out of rust colored yarn. I think the result turned out rather nice! And Em loves how the skirt twirls!

I originally made this purse to carry clothespins in while hanging laundry. While I was making it, Em asked me to make her a bag.


So she chose the colors she wanted and I made one for her.


An interesting side note - Em's favorite color is black! When she has the option, she will always choose the black one. I love it!

Videos!

I have been MIA for a while. To redeem myself I offer you some fun videos of the kids from the past two months. Enjoy!

I LOVE this site. http://www.poissonrouge.com/
There is so much to do. Emma found this section and spent a good 20 minutes playing it over and over and over again. Giggling just as loud each time!

Ahhhh - remembering the cooler days of spring.

I barly had the hammock set up when she hopped on and started swinging. It had been in storage for about 2 years so it took a little practice bet not much!


Later I snuck to the door to catch her singing a book to herself.

They really do play together every now and then!

Wheat and "Booten"

Hilarious!

Bush sucks!

This woman made this dress. I want this dress! That is all. :o)

Definately a winner

Daniel and I got glutened. That is a story for another post. The result was a fiery outbrake of the rash we have been trying so diligently to clear up. I am now fairly convinced that my not being completely thourough in eliminating all sources of gluten from his diet has been the cause of the slow but steady worsening of his excema. Now that I think I know the cause of the rash I have decided to slowly trial the foods I have been avoiding. Since dairy takes a minimum of 2 weeks (!) to clear from my milk I decided to trial cocoa. Yes, before cheese if you can believe it. :o)

I thought this recipie looked delicious and I was not dissapointed!

Here are my attempts at being all artsy-fartsy with the photography.




The sorbet I made out of rhubarb from my generous sister's garden patch, the mint came from mine.

These. are. so. good. It might be the 1 1/2 cups of sugar in them (well - it did make 3 doz cookies) but I really, really loved them. It has been over a month since I had any chocolate at all. They are truly decadant. And they are the first recipie with buckwheat flour that I have liked. I'm not a fan of the buckwheat flavor.

Daniel likes to take one bite out of each cookie and then go for the next one. I tried to take a pic and a little hand snuck into the picture. :o}

What have we been doing? Gardening!

I wanted to start out small. But when my starts come in packs of 4 not two and I just can't bear to throw away any plant (couldn't find anyone who wanted cabbage or brocolli starts) and onions come in packs of 40 (!) - ditto, my garden just seems to be getting bigger every day!

Some updated pics of my boxes.


My bocolli and cabbage are huge! Just had to brag ;o)

Carrots finally starting to look like carrots.

Some pepper starts that my Aunt Kathy sent over with my dad. Thanks Aunt Kathy!

Lovely snap peas that hopefully will start letting me help them up the trellis soon.

Planting corn - they have all popped up now!

Thornless raspberry roots that my Dad brought. 5 were looking great, then one came into contact with D's bouncy ball. lol But I think it will come back.

Emma's garden. She has one pea plant, about 3 of her carrots made it, 3 flower plants from seeds her cousin Hannah sent her and 4 corn stalks. She loves her garden and has tons of fun taking care of it.

Last year a friend gave me a petunia plant. No matter how many blooms Em and D pulled off, that plant kept putting out more blooms. So I got some for the kids to pick this year. Emma even snagged four from a local nursery float parade handout!

I landscaped this area for my herb garden. I got the bricks for free from a friend who was only too happy to have me remove them from her yard! lol I couldn't find a good before picture (forgot to take one) but here is D halfway through.

Finished! Now I just need to figure out what else to plant that doesn't need more than 6 hours of sun. Any suggestions?