Tulipa Murillo

Linus Victory Turns Four

2011-08-29T05:59:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe, that four years ago, on this day, I experienced the most terrifying day of my life thus far. It wasn't tragic and the outcome has been wonderful. But I must say that I am honestly not "over" that day. Hence, unless the Lord wills otherwise, Linus is our number LAST child.

And we are so thankful that the Lord has blessed us beyond measure, with a boy who is

silly...

...and handsome...

...and strong...

...and daring, even when he's scared.

Did I mention silly?


Or handsome? And growing!

I know many of you that are reading this, walked and prayed through that experience with us. And for that I am so grateful. I know even more of you know and love our little boy nearly as much as his momma and daddy. For those who'd like, I've included the links to the story of my pregnancy with and delivery of our sweet, sweet Linus Victory.

Happy Fourth Birthday, sweet boy! We love you SO much and look forward to watching you grow and learn and develop into the man that God wants you to be!

Dear Blog,

2011-08-24T16:55:00.000-04:00

I do really love you. It's true. And I desire to update you on a regular basis. But obviously, it's just not happening. You see, the truth is that I've become keenly aware of the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. And I have to be careful about how I use them. And there are these three little people (and their daddy) that are a priority for me.

I'd much rather spend time with them doing things like this...

...and this.

And watch them play follow the leader...

...and enjoy people movers.

I'd rather eat really expensive, fancy desserts, like Napoleons and eclairs, with them at the Pavilion Cafe

while I drink coffee, of course.

I'd rather see them enjoy watching (and almost fall) into fountains...

...and be outside when the sky looks like this...

...and pretend to be tigers...

...and learn about mammals.

O.K. so I'd rather not experience any more earthquakes with them, while exploring DC, or anywhere, for that matter. But I was glad we were together for the experience, that's for sure!

I'd rather see helicopters circling the Washington Monument with them, though. That part was cool.

So you see, bloggy, my dear, you've been dropped waaaaaaaay down to the bottom of the priority list. (As if you didn't already know.) I'd much rather live life and make memories than document every last detail.
And I love my family more than you.
There.
I said it.

I will update you, when inspired to do so and when there is time. And I WILL NOT feel guilty for neglecting you. It won't matter much to me, in 11 or so years, when Amelie turns 18, that you've been neglected. It would matter, however, if she or Violet or Linus had lacked attention from me, because of you. I've learned this lesson the hard way and I'm just trying to be honest here. So, I'll see you around, Tulipa Murillo.
Eventually.

Edited**: What is another way to say...

2011-06-17T09:30:00.001-04:00

347,133,600 seconds?

5,785,560 minutes?

96,426 hours?

4,019 days?

574 weeks?

132 months?

That'd be 11 years.

11 years of being married to the man of my dreams.

Sure, there here have been challenges and bumps along the way. But there has been far more love and laughter, for which I am ever so grateful.

It's been, by far, the best 347,133,600 seconds of my life.

And here's to millions more...

** Rachel ~~included at tad bit of self-promotion~~ asked a great question in her comment:

"Where'd you get those awesome charms?!?!"

Great question, Rachel!

I meant to include that tidbit of info in my original post, so I'll add it now. My good friend, Rachel, is a Stella and Dot stylist. And I bought these adorable little charms from her a few months back. I LOVE them! Stella and Dot has some beautiful pieces! And fortunately, for our anniversary, Duncan gave me a gift certificate for Stella and Dot, so I can buy MORE beautiful jewelry from Rachel!! You see, Duncan often looks to the list of traditional and modern anniversary gifts to decide what to get me. He says it's because he's not creative. But I think it proves him to be very creative. And the eleventh anniversary happens to be steel or costume jewelery. Hence the gift certificate for Stella and Dot! (He said he thought I'd like that better than one to Claire's. I think he's right.) So, why not check out Rachel's site? She's awesome. (How was that, Rachel=P?)

Plattor

2011-06-08T23:18:00.000-04:00

When I Googled "plattor," all of the search results were in Swedish. When I tried "plattor swedish pancakes," the first result was an online recipe that my cousin had created. Does Google know that she's my cousin? Or are my family members the only ones that call these tasty treats by this name? Lorna's recipe is the same one I use. We have these about once a month. And on a recent occasion, Amelie learned how to make them. Hot stove, cast iron, and all! She's such a big girl, I can hardly even stand it.

And as with most things fine motor, she was an instant expert.

Oh, and where have I been since March, when I last posted? I've been living life. That's where. And now that school is out and life is a tad slower, I hope to catch up a bit here, in the next month or so. Unless life gets in the way, that is.

Violet Turns Five!!

2011-03-15T09:59:00.000-04:00

The focal point of any birthday, around here, is The Cake. Each person gets to choose what they want on their cake. And then Mommy does her best to accommodate any and all requests. It is often a topic of conversation for months prior on one's birthday. In fact, it's not unusual to discuss what you want on your cake, next year, the day after your most recent birthday.

Consequently, the night before any birthday involves much preparation. Here's a bit of what the scene may look like:

Each cake also includes the name and age of the birthday girl or boy. I got a bit carried away with this one (since the requests were numerous..."a garden and a fence and the sky and a sun and some clouds..." ...you get the picture) so I had to be creative.

The other tradition is presents on the couch when you wake up. I grew up with this and I love it. Kind of like your very own Christmas morning.

Cake inspection usually happens first thing. This one met with approval, I fairly certain.

Cheese!

Since this was a school morning for Amelie, we were a bit pressed for time.

But Violet managed to open all of her gifts.

Violet's birthday was on a Wednesday this year. On Wednesdays, I do morning carpool and stay for Amelie's cello lesson. Violet nearly always comes along, but it's not her favorite time of the week. So, very kindly, our frieghbors invited Violet over to play (which allowed her to stay at home a little extra, while Daddy got ready for work, when she could play with her new stuff). Then she got to play with her good friend, Lucy. After cello, Linus had a Playmobil playdate with his buddy, Rock, which lasted through lunch. So Violet and I got to have lunch out and head to her ballet class. After ballet, we picked up Linus and headed home for a nap. A nap? On her fifth birthday? Yup. Violet is my sleepy one. And, as she protested, I reminded her that she didn't want to be a grumpy birthday girl at her birthday dinner. She conceded, but sticking her thumb into her mouth.

The garden cake.

Birthday dinner involved Aunt Carol, and Bowie Grandma and Grandpa coming over. Violet chose "chicken"(steak), noodles and cut up veggies for her birthday dinner.

Grandpa and Linus

Linus, Grandma, and Amelie

Aunt Carol and Violet

Approval, yes?

Happy Birthday, Sweet Violet Ella!

We love you and, Lord willing, look forward to many, many, many more birthdays!!!

Violet's Garden Party

2011-03-14T10:11:00.000-04:00

Back at the end of January, Violet celebrated her upcoming fifth birthday with a few friends. She wanted a reprise of her first birthday, with a garden theme. So a (very simple) garden party is what she got!

To begin, Violet and her guests decorated ~~styrofoam cups~~ flower pots that had been previously personalized.

After they were decorated, we planted three kidney beans in each, so each party guest could experience a growing beanstalk over the coming weeks.

Violet, the fruititarian, snuck some strawberries before it was time to eat. Being that it was her birthday and all, I let her.

We played "Pin the Bumble Bee on the Flower." Amelie, Violet and Linus decorated the flower themselves.

Bet you never would have guessed.

Time to eat! Pizza (thanks to Papa Johns), berries and veggies were on the menu.

The Big Kids: William and Amelie

Rock and Lucy

Violet is excited. Can you tell?

Calico Critters!

Strawberry Shortcake!

A beautiful, purple, twirly dress

"Violet" cupcakes--purple petals and yellow centers.

Violet was quite pleased with them.

I'm a simple kid's party advocate. And this smile confirms my feelings about simplicity!

We're Really Very ODD Around Here Lately

2011-03-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

We returned from our Seattle trip yesterday and the blog posts are swirling around in my head. (Not to mention the girls' birthday posts!) But the mountain of laundry needs some attention, among other things. So in the meantime...

We went to Menchie's back on Amelie's birthday. And while we were eating our froyo, I realized how very odd we are these days.

These cuties are the 7-3-and-5 kind of odd.

Or is that the 7-5-and-3 kind of odd?

Or how 'bout the 3-5-and-7 kind of odd?

No matter their order, they are such blessings!

Ready for the Week

2011-02-21T07:48:00.000-05:00

Always my dream....to have every piece of Amelie's uniform clean and ready on Sunday night...so rare I had to capture it on...jpg.

Happy Valentine's Day: Dinner

2011-02-15T09:03:00.000-05:00

We finished our day with a fancy "are-Grandma-and-Grandpa-coming-over?" dinner. Based on that question that was actually asked as we were setting the table, I've decided that our family-of-five needs to eat in the dining room more often. Just 'cause.

Violet and Linus and I worked on these decorations in the morning.

Here are my cute little decorators waiting for dinner to begin.

I made a heart-shaped meatloaf. Daddy's favorite.(The meatloaf. Not the heart-shaped part. Although I think he got a kick out of that too.) It was served with mini ravioli, broccoli, and carrot and pepper sticks.

My cute helpers and I made this dessert too. Here's the recipe.

Hope you had a fabulous Valentine's Day too!

Happy Valentine's Day: Lunch

2011-02-14T12:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day: Breakfast

2011-02-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is a family affair around these parts.

Apple and pancake hearts was how we started our day!

35: It just keeps getting better!

2011-01-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

I turned 35 this past Saturday. The kids were SO excited about my birthday and did a pretty good job of keeping secrets. I was awoken to presents on the couch: a family tradition.

Here I am with three of the greatest gifts God has ever given me!!

After presents, we headed to Silver Diner in Laurel for breakfast. To all of you locals: if you've never been there or haven't been in a while, you need to check it out! We had a wonderful time at breakfast...can't you tell?

Violet's dirty face should say it all!

Back at home, these three cuties and their daddy decorated my cake.

I assured Duncan that this is what the counter looks like after I've made homemade butter cream, as well. It's not a neat and tidy job!

I even caught this cutie sampling the frosting!

Here we are with the masterpiece!!

What is this masterpiece, you ask? Well there was much discussion as to what picture I should have on my cake. (After all, birthdays around here are all about the picture that Mommy puts on your cake!) It was asked which was my favorite princess. (Snow White, of course. Is there any other?) But then it was brought up that I love the Little House series of books. So there was quite a dilemma...one that wasn't solved until just before the decorating occurred...but I, the peacemaker, decided to ask for...

Snow White on the Prairie!

Perfection, no?

I think she looks perfect standing in the doorway of her very own Log Cabin on the Prairie!

And please note: the M and Ms are "m" side up--for Mommy, of course! Such attention to detail!!

It was delicious, but even better, filled with lots and lots of love. I'm so thankful for children who want to make my day (and cake!) special and for a husband that makes it happen.

Life just keeps getting better, folks!

Even if my age now rounds up to 40, who cares when life is this good?

Premature Teenager

2010-12-03T05:48:00.005-05:00

-one "ipod" with ear buds (Duncan's old PDA)

-one baby~~doll~~ to babysit

-one netbook under the fingertips

-one six year-old trying to

FREAK ME OUT!

Please slow down the clock, dear Lord!

Flashback to Homemade Summer: Corn Tortillas

2010-12-02T10:22:00.002-05:00

What's needed?

masa harina (corn flour)

water

salt

That's it. Oh, a tortilla press would be nice (although you can just use a rolling pin) and a dry skillet is a must. I use my non-stick griddle, so as to cook five or six tortillas at a time.

Once you mix the ingredients, you cover the dough and let it sit for an hour or so before working with it.

I follow the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill masa harina bag. Pay no attention to the hammy ham.

Here's my tortilla press. I got if from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

You line the press with plastic wrap or waxed paper. I find the plastic wrap to be more durable. Place the ball of dough near to the hinge...

and when it's pressed, it will look like...

this!

~~Itty, bitty sumertime~~ Amelie likes our homemade corn tortillas, can you tell? She's also quite the ham bone.

Duncan claimed he didn't like corn tortillas. Until he had these. Fresh off the griddle. Suuuuuuuuper yum.

They don't last very long (duh--no preservatives). So make sure to use any leftovers within a week or so of making them.

Anastasia Mansion

2010-12-01T05:04:00.002-05:00

The day before Thanksgiving, Ducky (Duncan's sweet momma) took us girls to tea!

We girls got dressed up, grabbed our bears, and headed to the beautiful, Victorian Anastasia Mansion!

Anticipating the goodies!

Each girl got her very own teapot, filled to the brim, with...

LEMONDADE!!

We love our Ducky!

Yummy treats!

Me and my sweet girls.

Me and my sweet MIL.

I call this one, "All Done with Manners and Decorum"

After tea, those of us that were antsy, walked around the mansion and took pictures with the mantles and such.

Violet took a liking to this Victorian Doll.

I LOVED the purple mantle!

Being penguins under the penguin mantle.

Trying on tea hats!

If one is good, two must be better, right?

My gorgeous girls!

They had so much fun on this porch swing!

If you're ever in Erie, PA, I HIGHLY recommend Anastasia Mansion!

Thanks for a great outing, Ducky!

Helping Make the Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-30T11:33:00.001-05:00

Linus talks Ducky through the whole process. Every. Single. Step.

The Stages of Coloring

2010-11-29T08:13:00.000-05:00

It should be noted that upon seeing Amelie's landscape, Violet tried to replicate the sky and grass on her picture. And no, we didn't turn these in for free donuts.

T.V. Brains

2010-11-19T05:40:00.000-05:00

My kids LOVE to watch t.v. And I let them. More than I ever thought I would. It affords me some time to think, gather my thoughts, take a break, or eat an occasional, quiet meal by myself. They all like t.v. and would watch much more than the allowed one hour a day, if I let them. They've all gotten quite good with the remote, even!

We try to let them watch as much commercial-free t.v, as possible. When we recently acquired real cable (as opposed to the uber-basic type that simply allows us antenna-free viewing), for football season, I realized why my children never knew what to ask for at Christmastime or their birthdays. They'd never seen commercials! Because, boy did they start asking, once Diego became a standard selection! Thankfully Netflix has all three seasons as a View Instantly options. Even Diego is now commercial-free! (Have I mentioned how much I dislike Diego?)

However, they could watch this kind of t.v. all day...

...and I'd be just fine with it!

Big Reveal!

2010-11-18T21:36:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,
allow me to introduce to you...

VOLCANIC SOFTWARE LLC!

Duncan has started a company! It's official and completely legit!

My oh-so-talented and creative husband has created an Android app and has put together a (very-much-in-its-beginning-stages) website. I'll share that with you when it's good and ready.
And the app which we've launched tonight?

(See us all clicking the mouse together? I know. Cheesy, right? That's just how we roll.)

It's a game called Name That Song!

If you own an android phone, have $1.50 to spare, and have music on your phone already, then
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Head on over to your Android Market and BUY IT ALREADY!

So that's it.
No baby, no moving, no new jobs, no weddings and NO PUPPY! Just a new business venture about which we're very excited. Thanks for being excited with us!

The Kind of Post I've Always Wanted to Write...

2010-11-18T08:24:00.000-05:00

O.k. So not really. I just think it's fun when a blogger teases her readers with the news of a

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

That's right, folks. In the very near future, I'll be revealing some

BIG NEWS

that's very exciting for us here at the Tulipa Murillo abode. After we get a chance to do some celebrating this evening, I'll be sure to come on here a share it with all of you. Got your minds going, don't I? Anyone want to take a guess?

Friends

2010-11-10T11:07:00.000-05:00

Amelie and William

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Super Linus!

2010-11-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

Even super heroes are able to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules to cut bread rounds with their daddy.

Genuinely Helpful

2010-11-02T05:53:00.007-04:00

Transcript:
L: "Amelie?"
A: "Yeah?"
L: "Do you like the noise that I'm doing?"
A: "Yea!"
Me calling from the front door, at 3:00 in the afternoon, in my pajamas: "Amelie, take a short video of him!" (Always thinking of the blog, ya know.)
A: "I am!"

Afternoon Snack: Customized

2010-11-01T20:34:00.001-04:00

Anyone wanna guess what and for whom?

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:16:00.000-04:00

Amelie enjoying being at the center of things, for once!

Our group minus Georgia--she's the bumble bee in the photo above.

The three cutest trick-or-treaters I ever did see!

And their feet.

Here, Duncan is showing them the Tootsie Roll and Tootsie Roll Pop commercials from when we were kids. You can't see it in this shot (however, you can in the one above it), but Violet had to go and fish out her Tootsie Roll Pop, just to hold it, while watching the commercial the second time.

All around, a much better experience than the H1N1-oween of last year!

Christmas Card Photo?

2010-10-23T20:12:00.000-04:00

FAIL!

We had a fabuloso time at Counsell Farms, as always, with the McDermotts, however.

Thanks, y'all!

Hey, It's Fall Y'all!

2010-10-21T20:14:00.000-04:00

Sock Me in the Stomach, Why Dontcha.

2010-10-12T07:55:00.001-04:00

"It just feels better when someone tucks me in."

That would be my biggest girl. Amelie. My sweet one who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. The one who was the oldest of three at the ripe old age of three and a half. The one who I shoo off when she asks to be tucked in again, after getting up from bed for whatever reason. "You're a big girl." I chide. "You can handle it." "I've already tucked you in!" "Go!" I demand. Ugh.

She's only six and a half! She's only in first grade!

She isn't perfect, by any means. But she is so good to her younger sister and brother. She is so helpful to me in so many ways. And while I don't want her to grow up too fast (She still likes to watch Barney. shhh... don't tell anyone!) I do require a lot of her. She's very mature in many ways and has always been very pensive. She's compassionate and passionate and has really big feelings for someone so small. But:

She's only six and a half! She's only in first grade!

So, thank you Lord. Thank you for the middle-of-the-night snuggles from my "big" girl. Thank you for giving me joy when she asked me to tuck her in upon being told it was time to go back to her bed. Thank you for her whispered reminder to my heart:

"It just feels better when someone tucks me in."

Of course it does!

She's only six and a half! She's only in first grade!

And I'll tuck her in for as long as she'll let me.

Riddle Fun: Solved!

2010-10-09T14:58:00.000-04:00

So what is this mystery word?

If you haven't had a chance to read the riddle yet, here it is again:
There's a word in the English language which ends in "s" and is masculine plural. When you add an "s," it turns into feminine singular. What is it?
And now for a hint--

These are mine.

Do you have it yet?

It's:

Princes and Princess

Neato, huh?

I thought so.

Thanks to Lynn (who inspired the idea for this post and correctly answered via text), Missy, and Jocelyn for playing along and answering correctly!

Guess, what? You each have won a prize!

Lynn gets unlimited babysitting, whenever mutually agreeable. (Oh, wait, she already has that.)

Jocelyn gets on-the-spot-at-our-home care for her family if she and her husband ever happen to be struck with food poisoning while visiting us. (Well, she already got that back in December of 2008.)

And Missy gets two mornings of free childcare for her two or three sweet little girls(she chooses whether or not to share her brand new peanut with me), whenever we can mutually agree upon some dates. (And that is actually a prize! For serious!)

So congratulations, ladies! And thanks for being faithful readers, commenters, and, most importantly, in-real-life friends.

See what happens when you play along here at Tulipa Murillo? You may even win something! (And don't remind me about those cookies for my 200th post. I'm such a loser. Obviously, I need to give away mostly prizes that I've previously given to the winners. It's the ultimate in re-gifting, I suppose.)

Riddle Fun

2010-10-07T09:10:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Lynn's post of yesterday, I thought I'd share my favorite riddle with y'all. I heard it many years ago on Car Talk on NPR. This was one of their Puzzlers.
Here goes:

There's a word in the English language which ends in "s" and is masculine plural. When you add an "s," it turns into feminine singular. What is it?

As always, I moderate all comments. I won't approve any until tomorrow night. That should give you some time to think...

We've Come This Far By Faith

2010-10-03T19:36:00.000-04:00

We've just finished a weekend of celebrating God's work over the last 25 years at Reformed Presbyterian Church of Bowie.

We've only been there for just over nine of those years, but boy, are we grateful! It was a wonderful weekend of playing, visiting, seeing old friends, and recalling what the Lord has done in this body of believers. Duncan had a chance to speak at the gathering on Saturday evening about raising young children at RPCB and what a blessing it is.

There was a theme chorus of the weekend: "We've Come This Far By Faith." And we can't get it out of our heads today! I had a chance to record my girls singing it this afternoon, so I thought I'd share their cuteness. But more importantly, I thought I'd share the words, which ring so true at RPCB. And for that, we are ever so grateful!

Here Violet sings in her typical manner.

And Amelie sings, in an atypical manner. But the words are true, no matter how they're sung!

The words are:

We've come this far by faith

Leaning on the Lord

Trusting in His Holy Word

He never failed me yet

Oh' Can't turn around

We've come this far by faith!

Albert A. Goodson (b. Los Angeles, CA, 1933) wrote both text and tune in 1956 for the Radio Choir of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois, where he served as minister of music.

Nearly Two Months Later...

2010-09-28T21:35:00.000-04:00

I know my readership has been sitting on the edge of their seats. Ya know, wondering, if we ever came home from vacation. I can tell by all the comments that you've left me showing your concern.

*Ahem*

So, if I'd blogged over the last two months, this is what you would have read about...

1. Great Wolf Lodge ROCKS! It costs A LOT of money, but was so enjoyable. I believe they have pretty good deals during the school year (hello, homeschoolers!) But I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with kids younger than mine. Unless they're fish.
2. Violet wanted to become one of "Mr. Powell's girls" in Williamsburg. But she needs to wait until she's 16. She's still talking about it. We bought Linus a musket. A toy one that is.
3. We took a carriage ride around Williamsburg. Violet loved all of the craftspeople. Especially the blacksmith. It was 100 degrees the two days we walked around.
4. Linus busted his chin at Great Wolf Lodge, but got Dermabond and no stitches. So he could keep swimming.
5. Duncan and I went on dates EVERY NIGHT WE WERE IN WILLIAMSBURG! How luxurious is that? My parents gladly stayed in while kiddos were sleeping.
6. We came home and within hours greeted a family of six, The Armes of California, who stayed with us for the weekend! It was a blast! The Culps joined us for the day on Saturday. (Holla!)
7. We celebrated our friend, Anna's, fourth birthday with her at her beautiful new home!
8. We had to say goodbye to our cousin/nanny, Megan, after a fabulous summer together. We miss her=(.
9. Linus turned three on August 29th. He had a baseball birthday. There were hot dogs. There were peanuts. There were crackerjacks. And there were many of his most favorite people on the planet.
10. Amelie got sick with a fever/sore throat virus, so we couldn't go to OCMD for Labor Day weekend. We missed time with our dear friends, the Rohals, but got loads done, including cleaning out (most) of our garage!
11. Penn State Football began! (and we've got cable to prove it!)
12. Amelie started first grade on Tuesday, September 7th. All day for the first time! She's doing so well and LOVING every minute of it!
13. On the very same day, I started homeschooling Violet and Linus for pre-school. I came up with goals for each, lesson plans, and a basic framework for our day. It's very simple, but I'm already seeing some of those goals on their way to being met.
14. We got to celebrate our freighbor, Georgia's, first birthday!
15. Violet, Linus, and I went to a story time at the National Aquarium, where we have a membership. It was great fun!
16. Violet got a stomach bug, which made it so we weren't able to go to back-to-back birthday parties for our friends Rock and Linnea.
17. Duncan and I got to go on our annual date night to a National's Game.
18. Amelie started taking cello lessons, which means we are now proud renters of a quarter-sized cello! She's ECSTATIC!

And that about catches us up. Blogging has become something on my "TO DO" list, and while I want to still do it, I don't want it to feel like a burden. My "Homemade Summer" series was burdensome for me. In fact, I still have several posts for it in the queue. Perhaps I'll get to them in a flashback or some such device. For now, we'll all have to be satisfied with now and then. And for your viewing pleasure. Can you match up the pictures with their corresponding statement above?

So, I know you've been DYING for a new post, so as to have a reason to leave a comment. Go for it, y'all!!!

Day One

2010-08-09T22:05:00.000-04:00

Favorites at Jamestown:

Amelie: the ships

Violet: grinding corn

Linus: 1-2-3 BOOOM! (the rifle shooting demonstration)

Favorites at Great Wolf lodge:

Amelie: the wave pool

Violet: giving Mommy a shower

Linus: the yellow slide

My Three with Three of their cousins each from my Three siblings' families

2010-08-06T16:26:00.002-04:00

Got that?

Whew!

We love our aquarium membership!

We brought three of our cousins there earlier today. I realized we had one child from each of my siblings' families.

Four Munros represented in this shot!

Jack is holding Linus. He's my brother, Eddie's, youngest and was born the spring of my sophomore year of college (1996).

Matthew, with Violet, is my sister Kathy's middle. He was born twelve days before Duncan and I started dating in the fall of my senior year of college(1997).

Megan has Amelie. She's my sister Karen's youngest. She was born the day after Thanksgiving of my senior year of high school(1993).

I must say, that with all of this help, it was my easiest trip to the aquarium EVER!

I love all of our nieces and nephews. And I love how much they love our three little ones!

Such sweet relationships!

What?

That first shot a little squinty, you say?

We'll remedy that! Good thing Megan has this thing about sunglasses. And that she had a few extra pairs in her purse! And thanks to Jack and Matthew for being men and smiling through the glare.

Well, there you have it.

Half of my parents' grandkids visit the National Aquarium in Baltimore!

Next time, maybe it'll be the whole dozen...

(Missed you Erin, Patrick, Derek, Austin, Allison and Sarah!

You too, Nate and Katie!!)

Blue Toes

2010-07-29T21:18:00.000-04:00

I always let the kids give input on what color I should get my toes painted when I get a pedicure.

Linus won out this time.

Since, as Linus would say,

"Blue's my favorite."

His reaction upon seeing my toes peeking out of my sheets and blankets this morning was totally worth it.

And the pedicure?

The BEST I've ever gotten.

Robert Andrew is soooooo worth it.

Homemade Summer: Peanut Butter "Surprise" Balls

2010-07-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

So Homemade Summer has meant the end of store-bought snacks, for the most part. As we have run out of things (animal crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, fruit snacks, etc.) I haven't replaced them on my next shopping trip. Rather, I've been on the lookout for wholesome, yummy snacks that I can make at home. The one featured in this post has probably been the most successful, in that everyone likes them, they are fairly healthy, very portable, and relatively easy to make. This recipe doesn't even use an oven which means children can easily help and the house stays cooler in these hot summer months. I can tell you that I've made most of my forays into homemade-ness once or twice. However, I can't tell you how many times I've made this recipe! That's how many times I've made it! I do know that the last three times have been double batches. And that lasts about a week.
All that being said, let me introduce you to Peanut Butter "Surprise" Balls!

Here's a peek at a bowl full o' ingredients.

And the "SURPRISE!" ingredient.

And an action shot of me making them late one night.

And the finished product!

I've adapted this one from a recipe for Honey Milk Balls in, you've guessed it: the More-With-Less Cookbook!

Peanut Butter "Surprise" Balls

adapted from recipe for Honey Milk Balls in the More-With-Less Cookbook

Combine in a bowl:

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter (I use organic and natural)

1 cup powdered milk

1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

3/4 cup toasted wheat germ

chocolate chips

Mix well, then knead by hand until blended. Shape into small balls formed around a single, "surprise" chocolate chip.

So obviously, the chocolate chips aren't a surprise anymore. However, they were the first time! You could mix it up and use craisins, raisins, peanuts, etc. Something different every time! Or a mixture of "surprises" in each batch.

My kids LOVE these! Even Violet-if-it's-not-made-in-a-factory-I-don't-like-it-and-I-won't-even-try-it-Ella. Yeah, Homemade Summer hasn't been Violet's favorite. But she likes Peanut Butter Balls!

Morning Sky

2010-07-26T21:40:00.000-04:00

Homemade Summer: Granola

2010-07-23T06:02:00.000-04:00

Super simple.

Suuuuuper yummy.

Not too sweet.

Great on yogurt or with milk poured over it. Just fine on its own for a quick snack.

Simple Granola

from the More-With-Less Cookbook

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Combine in a large mixing bowl:

2 c. whole wheat flour

6 c. rolled oats

1 c. coconut

1 c. wheat germ(I used toasted, since that's what we have on hand.)

Blend together in a separate bowl:

1/2 c. water

1 c. oil

1 c. honey or corn syrup

2 t. vanilla

1 T. salt ( I used a little less, since it seemed like a lot.)

Add blended liquids to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spread out on 2 greased cookie sheets and bake 1 hour,stirring every 15 minutes or so, until dry and golden. Store in covered container.

My Little Puddin' Pop

2010-07-22T05:38:00.003-04:00

Sore throats make it ok to have pudding pops for breakfast.

Bill Cosby would be so proud.

I was thankful for an opportunity to capture some of my ~~little~~ big guy's best expressions.

This is the "What are those girls doing?" face.

A genuine smile.

Pensive.

This is the "silly voice" face.

"Winking."

My sweet boy.

I can hardly believe he'll be THREE in just over a month!

Mmmmmm...

Homemade Summer: Corn Chips

2010-07-21T08:47:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I made these for the first time. I get many of my homemade ideas from the internet, however the other place I regularly use is our More-with-Less Cookbook. It's got LOADS of ideas for not-what-you-normally-think-of as homemade: crackers, cream-of soups, ketchup, whipped topping, fruit gelatin, salad dressings, and much more. Last week, I made some corn chips to go with our dinner of confetti rice squares.

I LOVE how the evening sun enhanced the colors in these photos!

Here's the recipe:

Corn Chips

from the More-With-Less Cookbook

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine:

1 c. yellow cornmeal

2/3 c. flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

2 T. dry milk solids (I always used powdered milk for this ingredient, which I assume is the same thing.)

Stir together in a separate bowl:

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. oil

1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/8 t. Tobasco sauce (I didn't have this so I didn't use it.)

Add liquids to dry mixture and stir with fork. Knead a little until smooth. Grease two cookie sheets and sprinkle each with cornmeal. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half directly onto cookie sheet with floured rolling pin, rolling dime-thin. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, garlic, onion, or seasoned salt. Run rolling pin over once more. Prick with fork. Cut in squares or triangle. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

I chose to use paprika, so they would look pretty. And while they were very attractive, the flavor was too much for my kids, who didn't care for this first batch. In the future, I'll opt to use something else. But there will be a next time! These are a great accompaniment with a meal and a great snack--if there are any leftovers!

Pudding Fun

2010-07-19T09:34:00.000-04:00

Duncan loooooves pudding.
I don't.

It's become a joke because nearly every time we go to the grocery store together, he manages to put some boxes of pudding in the cart.

Since making instant pudding is so easy, I've done it more than a few times in recent months.

One time, I even got all creative and fun.

Notice the different hair textures?

Yep.

That would be personalized puddings.

Since it's homemade summer around here, and we used up the last boxes of pudding to make frozen pudding pops during last week's Festival of Fevers and Sore Throats, I'll be attempting homemade pudding really soon.

Chocolate.

And chocolate-peanut butter.

Mmmmm....

Maybe I'll just learn to love pudding yet!

Good Morning!

2010-07-14T06:53:00.000-04:00

Gotta love the off-centered-first-thing-in-the-morning-unshowered photography sessions.

And the not-cleaned-up messes from many-days-before that are behind us.

I've got two things to say 'bout all that:

Welcome to my world!

I LOVE it here!!

Violet's Dramatic Flair

2010-07-13T06:24:00.001-04:00

This is another one of those long videos of one of my children. Please feel free to skip it unless you desire to see Violet "in a moment." She is often in her own world, using whatever props she finds nearby to create it. Unfortunately, I picked up the camera in the middle of this cute story that she was sharing. The back story is that she was going to "do a play" with Daddy. She's sharing the storyline in this video. I especially love her use of the phrase "truelove." I know I'm partial, but she is just so. stinkin'. cute!!

The Last Load of Diapers. Ever.

2010-07-12T08:53:00.000-04:00

Since it's been eight days since Linus has been out of diapers, I think it's safe to make this announcement:
After nearly six and a half years of cloth diapers, the Saladas can claim to be
D-O-N-E:
DONE!

Here's the diaper pail waiting by the washer for the last time. This is our second diaper pail. The first succumbed to mildew because of some former methods we used.

When we started, we had a different washer. Our current washer allows us to customize and save cycles. Duncan made one for diapers. Now that we won't be using it anymore, I wonder if we'll think of something else to customize?

Sure we still use one disposable diaper each night for Linus and will until the current pack is gone. Then we'll go cold turkey and see how it goes. He's had a few accidents and doesn't initiate much, but seems to have great control. He even naps without a diaper! I'm sure we'll have some set-backs, but we're very encouraged by Linus' progress!

Last week I kept having to pinch myself.

Duncan says that all of this talk about being DONE with diapers is sure to produce another Salada baby.

I'm pretty sure babies aren't produced by talking.

Guess we'll all just have to wait and see...

Homemade Summer: Pretzels

2010-07-09T06:05:00.004-04:00

We've made them twice and while they are a fine snack, they aren't my favorite. We'll keep tweaking it. Here's the recipe I've used--the "hard pretzel" version.

And here are some fun pictures from the first time we made them--back when Amelie had her two front teeth and much more hair than she currently does.

If you give them a try, let me know how they turn out!

Things I Never Imagined Letting My Children Do...

2010-07-08T08:56:00.000-04:00

Back when I was a perfect parent (ya know, BEFORE I had children), I NEVER would have let my children do this.

Can you tell what they are doing?

How about now?

If you guessed:

Take off all eleven cushions from our sectional couch, add in various blankets and throw pillows to create a diving board pool so that they can jump off the coffee table (jump off the coffee table!?!?!) and "splash" into it, you are correct!

I am sooooo the ~~craziest~~ coolest mom ever!

A Lesson in Contentment

2010-07-07T06:34:00.010-04:00

So my mid-Atlantic friends, do you remember this?

Remember how SICK of the snow we all were come the end of February?
I DO!

Well, here we are, full of complaints (myself included) about how H-O-T it is! Let us sit back and remember how tired of all of the layers upon layers of clothing we had to put on (and put on our children) just to walk to the car. Let us remember the back-breaking shoveling we did for hours on end, just to have to do it again in a few days, when the snow was dumped on us again.

And let us revel in the moment, whether it be a cold moment or a hot one. Let us appreciate with whom and where we find ourselves--regardless of the conditions outside.

Live for this moment.

This very one!

And be thankful!

(Note: This post is for me just as much or more than the next guy.)

Summer Cut and Wide Open Spaces

2010-07-06T08:59:00.000-04:00

Daddy has threatened to buy a blender.

I can hardly stand the absolute, utter cuteness...

Squirt Gun Selections

2010-06-24T06:44:00.003-04:00

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, Grandpa started it!

Helloo From the Erie Zoo!

2010-06-23T07:26:00.004-04:00

We just had to grab a family photo with the zebras!

(Sooo diggin' this shot, but the way. Thanks, Ducky!)

How to Tell You've Had a Good Day at the Lake

2010-06-22T21:10:00.000-04:00

1. Get on some warm clothes after an afternoon full of fishing and swimming.

2. Snuggle in on Daddy's lap for a story before dinner.

3. Listen to the story while waiting for dinner.

4. Fall asleep while Daddy reads.

5. Don't wake up when dinner's ready, even though you complained about being soooo hungry, while you were still awake.

6. Go to bed at 6pm and sleep all night long.

Ten

2010-06-17T09:30:00.003-04:00

Ants are in the kitchen,

The fascia's falling down,

The garage it is a mess,

But a home, for eight years, we've been blessed to own.

Three kids, they aren't perfect,

Our parenting's not by the text,

Toys we have too many,

But love and laughter in our home are the perfect mix.

Ten years seem so full,

But have gone by in a blink,

We've grown and changed by leaps and bounds,

And, most importantly, in the Lord we are linked.

Cheesy poems aside, I'm so thankful to have been married to you, sweet Duncan, for ten years! I look forward to "tens" more and all that they'll bring our way!

Homemade Summer: Laundry Soap

2010-06-16T21:21:00.001-04:00

There are many, many recipes to be found online for homemade laundry soap. Many of them are for liquid soaps, in which I wasn't interested, even though, almost exclusively, I've used liquid detergents for my adult life. The quantities were just so huge and I wanted to be sure we liked it before I made a huge batch. So, I chose one of the powdered recipes that was comprised of four cups of this stuff:

That would be Borax (found at Target), Fels-Naptha soap (found at Ace Hardware), and washing soda. (No, not baking soda, but rather washing soda. I know. I had never heard of it either before this endeavor. Found at my local grocery.) The recipe, from tipnut.com, is as follows:

2 cups Fels-Naptha, finely grated
1 cup Borax

1 cup washing soda

Mix together, store in an airtight container. Use two Tablespoons per load of laundry.

And by the way, two cups of the soap is roughly the same as two-thirds of a bar of the soap. The hardest part of getting started with this was actually finding the materials. Amelie helped me grate the soap for the first batch, using my old-almost-on-its-way-out, Pampered Chef grater. It was simple. I didn't really like the way the Fels-Naptha smelled when I first got it. Thought it to be a bit overpowering. However, grated up, into small bits and mixed with the others, it has a fabulous scent. I do believe that my laundry has never smelled better!

So far, I don't notice any differences in how our clothes are washing. When I made it the second time, I doubled it. And as far as the cost? While I'm not one to figure out how cheap it actually is,

considering the materials cost less than $10 all together and are able to make many, many batches, it has to be cheaper than conventional laundry detergent.

So over here, in the midst of Homemade Summer, we're all about the homemade laundry soap.

The homemade dishwasher detergent?

Well, that's gonna need some tweaking.

But, more about that another time.

OCMD

2010-06-15T08:44:00.000-04:00

~~A few weeks ago~~, Last month, we took our second annual pre-season trip to Ocean City, MD. This year we went for less time, since we chose not to take Amelie out of school. It was quicker, but just as fun as last year!

Amelie loved the beach--especially jumping in the waves. She couldn't get enough!

Violet's favorite part was the sand and shells. Most def.

Linus too loved digging and tossing sand around. After all, the beach is just a giant sandbox!

While I'm not a huge fan of this photo of myself (as is the case most of the time), it epitomizes how joyful I felt to be at the beach, with my family, on a Friday night.

The kids love these stools and ate most of their meals while sitting on them.

After breakfast, we ventured to the beach, tried to fly our kite (not windy enough) and touched the water for the first time.

Linus was not a fan of the waves, stayed away from them most of the time, but tried to be brave and ventured closer a few times.

Amelie got buried and while I'm not meaning to be in the lotus position, I'm trying not to mess up the burying process.

After a necessary trip to The Fractured Prune, we ventured down to the Boardwalk.

Our first time at Trimpers, was moderately successful. Only two ride operators had to return our tickets because someone changed their mind about wanting to go on a ride. Only.

So, we have some tentative kids. Wonder where they got that trait?

We're so thankful for good friends that share their blessing-of-a-beach-condo with us!

Homemade Summer

2010-05-28T19:39:00.001-04:00

Having watched Food Inc. earlier this year, I haven't been able to get many of its images and ideas out of my head. It immediately prompted us to seek out and purchase over 60 lbs. of grass-fed beef from Hedgeapple Farm. I won't purchase conventional beef ever again to feed my family. Period.

Historically, Duncan and I have never been every-day-processed-food kind of folks. Sure, we've eaten our fair share of fast food and Doritos. We've also been known to enjoy Oreos and frozen pizzas. And since we've had kids, animal crackers, pretzels, goldfish and other store-bought snacks have become staples in our home. However, we've never purchased many pre-packaged mixes nor frozen foods and have had nearly exclusively homemade bread for the majority of our marriage. So, we've started out this new portion of our food journey with the idea that over processing is BAD and homemade and from-scratch is GOOD.

An idea from Food Inc. struck me more than any other, I think. The gist of it is that human diet has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous thousands of years before it. Seriously? Yes. With the invention of mass-produced food, we've traded wholesome and quality with over-processed, nutrient-lacking crap. Pardon the vulgarity. But "progress" has poisoned us. And is poisoning us. And will continue to poison us. Think of it--food allergies and intolerances seems more prevalent than when I was kid, as does autism. Infertility seems rampant. And obesity? (Including my own! And yes, I'm considered "obese" by medical standards in that my BMI is over 30.) Type 2 diabetes? I don't have anything to back up these "claims," rather, I think it's interesting stuff worth considering.

All this to say, I've been on a mission to become more aware about from where our food comes. And while I'm not growing my own wheat to harvest and grind (yet), I do buy an awful lot of flour, both white and whole wheat. (King Arthur is our choice.) I'm also not mining my own salt, but buying that as well. However, with these staples, along with others like sugar, yeast, baking powder, and others, we are able to make a lot of things in our kitchen that we used to buy at the store. As I've mentioned many times before, Duncan makes 99% of our bread. In the last six months, he's added crackers and doughnuts to his repertoire. I've had a recipe for flour tortillas for a couple of years that I've tried several times, but haven't really liked. I recently made corn torillas and they were yummy! This inspired the recent purchase of a tortilla press. Still waiting for its arrival. Of late, I've made our own hamburger and hot dog buns, as well as pita bread. I always make my own pancakes, waffles, and muffins in huge batches in order to freeze some to have for future breakfasts. As I've gotten into cake decorating, so I've also gotten into homemade cakes and, more so, frosting. Oh, heavens!

But recently, we're stepping it up a notch. If you are friends with me on Facebook, you may have seen my recent status updates including my forays into homemade-ness. This past week, there's been laundry detergent and pretzels. And there's much more to come! So stay tuned for details of the detergent, pretzels, and much, much more!

Forward Progress

2010-05-05T13:50:00.000-04:00

If you don't know Amelie, Duncan or me and if you don't know the struggles we've had, than this longish (2 minutes or so) video won't mean much to you. Please don't feel like you have to watch it. I'm posting it here so that those of you that know and love Amelie can share in the tremendous success that she had yesterday at school. At Amelie's school, all kindergarteners do a Family Tree Presentation. For Amelie, this was no small challenge. But she worked hard and persevered. She has come so far over the last couple of years! Duncan and I are ever so thankful at how the Lord has been working in her life and for the adults surrounding her whom God has used in the process. So, without further bragging and mushiness...

Introducing, Miss Amelie Salada!

Dear Blog,

2010-04-27T10:37:00.000-04:00

I know you must feel neglected. I think of you often, but am working on shifting some priorities in my life, and... well... to be blunt, you're not near the top. I've got a camera full of photos waiting to be put onto the computer and I'm sure, once I take care of that, I'll share some with you. I really do love you and the outlet that you are for me. I've just needed some time to try and create some new habits and to break some old ones. And, quite frankly, you are an encouragement in some of the habits I've been working on breaking. All this to say, I haven't forgotten about you and I do plan to add more to you, in good time. Thanks so much for your patience.
Fondly,
Nancy

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

2010-04-04T20:23:00.000-04:00

For me, this is what today, and every day for that matter, is all about. If you've never heard this song, I'd encourage you to click here to hear it.

In Christ Alone

Stuart Townend, Keith Getty

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Who can guess...

2010-04-02T16:50:00.000-04:00

...what we did today?

Sister Like Sister

2010-03-10T13:37:00.000-05:00

My sister is so cute and now, SHE HAS A BLOG! She's the marvelous mom to Erin Jane, Patrick, and Megan. She and her family annually invite us to their favorite local pumpkin patch. She also is the maker of the gingerbread houses that we decorate each year. There is far more to my eldest sister and her spoiling of us and many others. Why not stop on over and encourage her by leaving her a comment? Cause ya know, ALL bloggers LOVE comments (hint, hint). I mean, it's not WHY we blog or anything. But the thrill of seeing we have a comment is exhilarating! Any who, this post isn't about me. It's about Karen! Check her out at The McDermott Zoo!

Changes

2010-03-08T21:08:00.001-05:00

Since it's just about done, I want to share some images of the ~~destruction~~ transformation of our back yard.
I took the first three photos back in December when I noticed the tree cutters a few houses down. Shortly after the new year, we were asked for our "consent" to remove any and all trees on our property that were taller than and within ten feet of the power lines. I put that word in quotes because we either had to consent or know that we would be responsible for the cost of any damage that our trees caused to the power lines in the future. A few people around us are taking that risk. But it seems that most folks are "consenting."

We only actually had two trees on our property near the lines and only one had to be removed. This row of hemlocks belonged to our backyard neighbor. They had planted the trees many years ago. They made the "forest" in our backyard.

They provided a lot of shade and a pleasant illusion of being in a more rural area. Sort of.

In the photo below use the fence and umbrella as a frame of reference.

Really different.

All of the wood piles will be removed in a few weeks, we're told.

Our freighbors have been affected as well. This is a shot in the direction of their yard.

We're trying to remain positive and flexible. Honestly, I get a sinking feeling in my gut when I look at these pictures. There has been some talk with our back yard neighbors about what they're planning on doing to replace the missing trees. I'll be sure to update once the transformation is complete.

And the biggest bonus?

With more sunlight, we're BOUND to have a better veggie garden than two summers ago, right?

Flashback Friday

2010-03-05T06:30:00.004-05:00

I decided to look and see what pictures I took one year ago today. It looks like I was getting my floors cleaned this time last year. Those Target squirt bottles have been good for hours and hours of watery fun.

Have a great weekend!

Mermaid Hair

2010-03-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

Ya gotta love that smiling face of a little girl that is pleased as punch with herself.

This going-under-the-water thing is new for Miss Vi.

I'm thinking it just may progress further, once we can get some pool time in.

I really try to relish each season while it's here. But after experiencing a winter that is more brutal that what we're used to in these here parts,

I'M READY FOR SPRING!!

Every Morning...

2010-03-03T08:08:00.000-05:00

Duncan finds each one and gives them at least one hug and kiss...

Then he meets them on the other side of the picture window and knocks, throws kisses, and hugs...

And then everyone on this side waits...

...to wave to daddy as he leaves!

Amelie started this tradition and I think I'll be sad if it ever ends. There are times, albeit they're rare, if it doesn't happen just right, that Daddy is summoned back, via cell phone. And he comes. Gets out of his car. And knocks again. Gets back into his car and waves until he's out of sight.

Such a good daddy.

Prom Dress

2010-03-01T21:36:00.001-05:00

During high school, I was blessed to travel to Europe twice for spring break. In 1992, my friend, Diana, and I, along with a group from our high school, traveled to France and Spain. We created treasured memories on that trip. There are things that we still laugh at when reminiscing about that adventure. In 1994, our senior year, we traveled to Italy and Greece.

Oh. My. Word.

What a blast!

This time two other friends joined Diana and me for this amazing trip. We had so much fun! Unanimously, I think, our favorite stop was the Island of Capri. It was so amazingly beautiful!

Here are few scanned shots from my 35-mm camera circa 1992ish:

My friends Jill, Diana, Grace, and me with the beautiful water scape behind us.

The most exciting part of the excursion was finding my prom dress in a shop on the island. Grace and I went in and found dresses after much deliberation and consideration. We felt so sophisticated! To have Versace prom dresses that we'd bought in Europe! Certainly, you can't get anymore exciting that that! O.K. So, I'd never even heard of Versace and didn't notice the name in the tag until years later. But still--prom dresses from Italy!

I'm slightly embarrassed by the lack of fabric, but I was 18 and thought myself to be quite glamorous.

We didn't plan the black, white, red theme, but it certainly made for great pictures!

Oh, and where is that dress these days?

This might give you a clue:

In the dress up box, of course! A while back, Amelie discovered the dress in my closet. It was still there, since I couldn't bear to part with something that was attached to such great memories. (The story of my cluttered life, actually.) She asked if she could wear it. I hesitated briefly and then thought better of it. Why NOT? Her daddy had already made it clear that NO lady was leaving the house in it. Ever. So, why not add it to the dress up box? She's had so much fun in it. It makes her feel like a grown-up and it's being put to far better use than just hanging in my closet. And since her daddy will forbid her from wearing it when it actually fits her, why not now?

Funny for Friday

2010-02-26T14:50:00.000-05:00

Duncan has been dying for me to share these on the blog. They were taken the same evening of this one. So if you'd like to laugh a little (or a lot in our cases), watch our silly Amelie below.

And you thought she was the reserved one, eh?

Kneading Bread

2010-02-25T07:29:00.001-05:00

A snowstorm activity--

I LOVE that we always have homemade bread! And I love how patient Duncan is in letting the kids help him. He's such a fine example to me!

Amelie Muriel Turned Six!

2010-02-24T21:06:00.000-05:00

We hit the six year anniversary of becoming parents last Friday. Our eldest, Miss Amelie Muriel, turned six. In some ways, it feels like I've been a mommy forever. In other ways, I feel like this was last week:

And that this was just yesterday!

But that is not the case.

We've been blessed to have Amelie for six years so far. And it's been a wild and fun ride!

This year, when asked what she would like as a birthday gift, she insisted the only thing she wanted was a jar of apple sauce. So that's what she got! Initially, at least. On the jar was a note. (You can click on the picture to read it.) She had to follow clues to find each of her five gifts--two from grandparents and three from us.

She was tickled by the lone jar of applesauce on the couch where, normally, all of the birthday gifts are placed.

The first clue read: To start with, go & take a look,

A Ducky gift is where you'd find a chapter book!

She had to bring each one back and read where to go next.

This clue read: This place used to have lots of puzzles and games.

But now there's a gift from the Birdies which in the mail it came!

And then:

The next gift is under a gift to you,

On the very birthday that you turned two!

It's painted and used to color or eat.

The present is where you put your feet!

The second to last clue said:

Many things you watch in here.

On a big rectangle they appear!

Where you sit and snuggle is another gift.

Just give the comfy blankies and lift!

Found it!

The last clue was:

The last gift is hidden on the floor.

Where daddy and even mommy snooze and snore.

Get down on your knees to discover a treat.

Under blanket & mattress & even some sheets!

Finally the last gift...

All the gifts!

I love how Violet's hand is on Amelie's leg in this one.

The doggie that walks, barks, and sniffs its bone. Definitely a fave.

A dress for Amelie and one that matches for Rebecca!

When determining what kind of party Amelie wanted, she decided that since her birthday is close to his, she wanted an Abe Lincoln party. This evolved into a Penny Party. On Friday night, this boiled down to the cake you see below and some chocolate pennies as favors that I found on Amazon.

Here's the birthday girl with her penny cake--not my best work, but Amelie LOVED it!

That night we had some friends and family over for a dinner of breakfast: eggs, bacon, plattor (Swedish pancakes), melon, and an orange juice punch.

After dinner, Amelie opened her gifts.

Our party photographer needed to add a self portrait.
Everyone, meet our freighbor, Rob.

Grandma and Daddy watched as Amelie opened gifts.

The birthday girl mugs for the photographer.

The photographer didn't want to miss the opportunity of having a self-portrait with Rebecca!

Amelie has always struggled with being sung to on her birthday. But she did a fabulous job this year. Still no eye contact, but no freaking out either. And even a slight smile! And this was the biggest group since her first birthday!

Amelie also got a new nightgown with one to match for Rebecca. I think that her smile says it all! It was a great day!

The next morning was the Penny Party with some of Amelie's school friends. This party involved penny rubbings, a penny hunt, and a penny toss.

The whole gang!

Opening gifts.

The menu included "penny" pancakes, bacon and applesauce.

Dessert was ice cream adorned with chocolate pennies.
Interestingly, Amelie determined that if she were to have a friend party, she didn't want a cake and she didn't want them to sing "Happy Birthday" to her--one time the night before seemed sufficient! And you know what? It was her birthday, so she should be allowed to call the shots about such things, dontcha think? I did think it was funny, however, that nearly this exact group had sung to her during school the day before!

This beautiful girl is growing and changing by leaps and bounds.
It's such a joy to witness!
We love you, Amelie! We are so thankful to have you in our lives!!

The Cutest Valentines EVER

2010-02-24T10:09:00.001-05:00

The first day we received mail after the huge snow dump, some of the best things to get in the mail were delivered--Valentines!

Allow me to back up a bit. Our children only have big cousins. Eleven of them. They all spoil us and lavish us with attention. But Megan pulled out all of the stops this time! She sent three personalized, hand-crafted Valentines. Granted she too was home from school for days and days, missing that precious time of her sophior year. (You a junior yet, Megs?) But still. She made these ADORABLE valentines for her baby cousins! How sweet is that?

Here are the receivers of said valentines, showing off their cards.

Linus' with the intricate, self-portrait style.

Violet's with the cutest poem I think I've ever read.

(It's normally taped to the sliding glass door upon her insistence.)

And Amelie's with the delicate pop-up feature.

And here's a picture of the creator, Miss Megan, on Christmas Day.

Thank you, Megan for loving us and doing so many special things with and for us. We love you!!

Violet Ella Turned 4!

2010-02-17T21:06:00.001-05:00

When Violet learned that her birthday fell on Groundhog Day, she decided, months ago, that she wanted to celebrate with groundhogs come February 2nd. I scoured the internet and found very little, save for beer cups and cocktail napkins, that had to do with this holiday. Fortunately, Family Fun had this recipe in their archives. It was a life saver.

Violet loved the idea, so we went with it.

Here are the finished products.

A close-up.

And the mess of the process.

Here is the fabulous birthday banner my friend Missy made. Check out her etsy shop. So stinkin' cute!

Here is the birthday girl with her presents and her siblings.

A little alone time with her gifts.

Checking out her Step 2 Pastry Chef set. Quite possibly the cutest toy in existence.

And the parasol she wanted, so she could pretend to be Mary Poppins on an outing in the country.

And a pink soccer ball! She loves pink and she IS going to be a soccer player when she grows up!

During the day, our friend Cecilia was over. After lunch, Violet, Linus and Cecilia had Pinkalicious-inspired cupcakes for dessert.

And Violet and Cecilia showed me "how many" they are. (Cecilia will be 4 in May.)

At night, we had a few friends over for Chick-fil-a nuggets, chips, melon, and cut-up veggies. Many of Violet's favorites.

The Fixes were there. The Rohals were there. Our freighbors were there. And Bowie Grandma and Grandpa, along with Aunt Carol.

We finished out the evening by enjoying those Groundhog cupcakes.

Violet, who is so full of sweetness, had a marvelous day. She kept exclaiming, "Mommy, I LOVE my birthday." or "Thank you for my birthday, Mommy, I love it."

We love celebrating you too, Violet Ella! We can't believe it's been four years since you looked like this.

Based on your 10lb 10.5 oz arrival weight, we thought you'd be playing football by now! But instead you are dainty, petite, and seen gracefully prancing here and there more often than not!

We love you, Sweet Violet, and are so excited to see what the Lord will do with your life!

Alternative Ways to Watching TV

2010-02-11T08:33:00.001-05:00

Do you have any idea how hilarious Kipper is?

Maybe Duncan and I will try watching Lost like this next Tuesday night.

It's sure to enhance any television viewing experience.

Painting in the Snow

2010-02-10T10:06:00.000-05:00

Sure, I'll eventually post the obligatory "Blizzard 2010" pictures. But just thought I'd show how we're passing the time over here. This endeavor was good for an hour.

And now we have a new table cloth to boot!

Hope you're warm and safe wherever you are!

Cleaning Crew

2010-02-06T20:43:00.000-05:00

Sometimes they are genuinely helpful. And one day, if we encourage them and keep allowing them to do stuff, it will sooo pay off.

I love my cute little helpers.

Wordless Wednesday: Amelie-Mommy

2010-01-27T21:22:00.000-05:00

The B-L-E-L-E!

2010-01-20T21:33:00.001-05:00

Yes that's the book for me!

I stand alone on the word of God!

The B-L-E-L-E!

Violet will be four in just under two weeks.

And she's very cute.

And she's very smart.

We still have to work on that spelling thing, however.

Do you wonder who she is looking at while she's singing?

That would be her reflection in the sliding glass door.

Sometimes she looks in the bathroom mirror and makes herself cry by making sad faces.

After she was done singing Starry Sky on Christmas Eve, she informed me that she was ready to sing another one.

I think we're in for it with this sweet and adorable, yet oh-so-dramatic performer.

Birthday Surprise!

2010-01-19T21:01:00.000-05:00

The morning after my birthday, Duncan let me sleep in pretty late. After being awake for an hour or so, he mentioned that I needed to take a shower and get dressed in something fairly nice. Why, I asked? He wouldn't let on to any details. I accidentally knew about something that my sweet friend, Lynn, had going on as a birthday surprise for me, but I knew no details including when or what or where. So, I inquired if this was "the thing with Lynn" and he cut me off and told me to get in the shower.

So I did and was picked up by Lynn shortly there after. We had a long, luxurious car ride to our destination.

Oh, and our destination?

Tea by Two!

Now if you know Lynn, you know she all about teas: hosting teas, attending teas and tea houses, planning teas, drinking teas. Yep, she's a tea aficionado, if you like. And having heard good things about this particular tea room, she wanted to try it out. And surprise me for my birthday at the same time! How sweet is that?

Any establishment with a purple door has to be good.

I loved this bucket of tea dishes that adorned the garden.

A tad too chilly to enjoy the rocking chairs--maybe next time!

The front porch was decorated with wintery greens. Can you see those wall hangings?

They spell out "tea!" How cute is that?

This is the window by which we sat.

And there we are on the other side of that window!

It was a lovely afternoon and a lovely surprise.

And even more so, Lynn is such a lovely friend!

Thank you, dear Lynn!!

Birthday Recap

2010-01-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

Duncan and the kids made me a cake last Sunday night while I was at church. (Alone. Since Linus had a fever two weekends in a row, I had missed two Sunday mornings in a row. It was SUCH a blessing to attend a worship service, from start to finish, by myself. I love my family, but to worship without distraction is something I don't take for granted.)

The necessary smelling of the cake batter...

Must smell good!
In every picture, they are all saying "CAAAAAAKE!" That is what one says when photographed with cake batter, right?

And then to be photographed with baked cakes requires the utterance of the same word.

Can't you just hear it?

"CAAAAAAKE!"

Individual "CAAAAAAAKE!" shots--

I came home from church to a home that smelled of freshly baked cake. Duncan put the cakes in the freezer (a trick he learned from me) until they would be decorated on Thursday night. He said they had a great time making the cakes and I love the photos he got as a part of the process.

On Friday morning, bright and early, I got my present (the Under Armour jacket I'm wearing) and the card Amelie made all by herself.

She also made me a book which had a page of what she loves about me and a page of the things she loves to do with me. It included extra blank pages, as well, for me to use for lists and doodles. She's such a sweetie.

Violet was at the worst of her current cold overnight and had spent the majority of the night in bed with me. I got some extra snuggles from her.

And here is the magnificent cake that my sweet little family made for me. Tulips are my favorite flower, so Amelie's idea was to put some on my cake. Linus had informed me (incorrectly) that they were putting "sprinkles and Baby Jesus" on my cake. Oh well, I guess that's an idea that could be used next year.

My parents and my aunt came over for dinner. My mom brought my favorite meal: chicken marsala, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Sooooo yummy!

And then we got to eat my beautiful and yummy birthday cake!

Here's our little family.
Such a sweet husband. Such sweet children. So much for which to be thankful!
And the day after my birthday?
Well another surprise was in store for me.
That'll be coming up next...

34 and Thankful

2010-01-15T13:22:00.002-05:00

Today, I turn 34.

As I've approached this birthday, I've had a hard time remembering how old I was already and how old I was going to be.

Weird or normal?

Don't know.

But thankful, all the same.

Thankful that I have a sweet husband that is more amazing than I could ever convey in words.
Thankful that I have three amazing children who love me, want to be with me, and yearn for my attention.
Thankful for the circle of friends around me, loving me, challenging me, encouraging me, and accepting me.
Thankful for my Savior. And thankful for the church He has us in. Oh that church that I don't know what we'd do if we weren't there.
Thankful for our extended family, who loves us and supports us. Who wishes we could all be together more, but is also just thankful for when we're all together.
Thankful that I'm in pjs still.
Thankful that ~~my pastor's wife~~ my friend, Barbara, came over to visit today. And that my house wasn't the tidiest and that I wore my pjs for our visit. And that she didn't care. That she came to see me.
Thankful that my husband now drinks coffee. That we can bond on that level.
Thankful for the birthday cake that my little family made for me. Can't wait to see how yummy it is--probably the yummiest ever.
Thankful that the kids and I had a successful cleaning morning: Amelie dusting the cobwebs, organizing the shoe rack and cleaning the picture window. Violet cleaning the upstairs bathroom floor and the picture window. Linus washing the sliding glass door and the kitchen chairs. I LOVE when it actually works and we're genuinely productive. And when I remain cheerful and patient.
Thankful that the Lord is molding me more into His image.
Thankful for the birthday card Amelie made ALL BY HERSELF and that she's getting into the gift-giving thing, in general. That she's becoming so thoughtful.
Thankful that I don't have to go anywhere today!
Thankful for the book and the couch and the cup of coffee that I'm going to enjoy after I post this.
Thankful for YOU, even if you never tell me who you are =).
(Note: There are 15 thankful things, not 34, if you're one to count. 15 signifies my birthDAY number and my brother & cousin's soccer number--always my favorite number because of these things.)

Dear Netflix,

2010-01-12T21:03:00.001-05:00

Please don't worry. We'll be sending back that copy of Mary Poppins to you shortly. I know we've had it since before Thanksgiving. It's just that we really, really, really love it. I don't know how many times we've watched it, either in part or in whole. Our favorite scene is Step in Time. Or maybe it's Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. No, no. Surely it's I Love to Laugh. That part is hilarious. We love when Bert goes up to the ceiling. But then there is Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. That's my husband's favorite. And his rendition makes us all love it. We also really love One Man Band and Let's Go Fly a Kite. Those are probably our favorites. Or is it A Spoonful of Sugar? Well, I imagine that you can see now why it is that we've had your copy of Mary Poppins since November. We just love it too much to send it back to you. The good news is, however, that we should be able to send it back to you early next week. Our brand new copy of Mary Poppins is scheduled to be shipped by Amazon this Friday. We did choose Super Saver Shipping, however, since you've been so kind in letting us keep your copy for so long. What's a few more days, right? You know, to save a few bucks? Anywho, we really appreciate your willingness to share with us for so long. We've thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, gaining a new appreciation for a classic movie, while bonding as a family. Please know that when this disc is returned to you, it won't have warts or smell of barley water. It will, however, be very sweet and fairly pretty. And it will be sent with lots and lots of love.

Spitspot,
Nancy for all of the Saladas

Suspicious Comment

2010-01-10T10:32:00.000-05:00

Before I reject this comment, I had to share it:

"Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!"

Did someone I know leave this? Or is it spam? Decide for yourself or confess to leaving it!

Oh Bubber...

2010-01-05T17:12:00.000-05:00

...you are so worth every penny that Uncle Charles spent for you.

You may get everywhere...

...but no matter. You're a cinch to clean up. Way easier than play-doh or moon sand.

And you're good for at least an hour of at-the-table-while-mommy-makes-dinner fun. Oh, Bubber, I do believe I'm in love with you...

Linus' First Haircut

2010-01-02T22:44:00.000-05:00

Linus has been looking a bit shaggy these days, as you can see in the sweet photos below. Curls everywhere, sticking out willy nilly, likening him to Bozo the clown, according to his daddy. Duncan has wanted to take the trimmers to Linus for about a month now. And then I was convinced. So, today was the day.

Very different than the experiences of his sisters, Linus received his first haircut at Daddy's Barber Shop which is located right inside Our Kitchen. Just after dinner and before his bath, Linus was stripped down and a towel was draped around his neck with a clothespin to fasten it. First there were scissors. Then there were clippers (or daddy's beard trimmer, as it were). Allthewhile, watching youtube videos of the Spiderman theme song on my netbook. He did really well with only slight whimpers now and then.

And I must say, he looks quite handsome. (And I've got a labeled ziploc bag full of his wispy curls.) A new phase of life indeed.

No babies in this house!

Update: Mommy and Violet Sing A Christmas Eve Duet

2009-12-25T14:12:00.003-05:00

Update: I've now made the video public, so everyone should be able to view it without a problem.

Original Post:

Back in October, while listening to The Singing Bible, Violet took quite a liking to Starry Sky--the Christmas song in the box set. I asked the girls if they'd like to sing it at church on Christmas Eve.
Amelie?
As far as she was concerned, I was crazy for suggesting something so horrible.
Violet?
She agreed heartily.
When I explained that she'd be in front of the church and that there would be a lot of people watching her, she replied, "And you'll hold me up so I can reach the microphone?"
Yes I will, sweetie. Her stipulation was that I sing with her.
So we sang this song over and over and over.
We sent the mp3 to a friend who wrote it out as sheet music for us.
We obtained a pianist and flutist.
And then we were given an opportunity to sing it at our church's Christmas Eve Service.
Here's the awesome video that our friend, Deb, shot for us. (Thanks, Deb!)

It was a blessing, beyond measure, to learn this song and to sing it with my daughter. I'm thankful that it was a blessing to so many during the service of lessons and carols.
Oh, and Amelie?
She let me know that when Violet and I were singing, that she "changed her mind." That "it looked fun."
Maybe it'll be a vocal trio next year...

Just In Case You're Not On Our Christmas Card List...

2009-12-24T08:51:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Saladas!

Salada Snipets--tiny bits of our 2009
check in with us throughout the year at www.nancylynn15.blogspot.com

This past year has been a FULL one--full of blessings and laughter. Full of driving and playing. Full of reading and dancing. Full of loving and singing. Full of arguing and mediating. Full of training and disciplining. Full of asking and answering. Full of talking and talking. Full of pretending and imagining. Full of worshipping Our Great God as a family-of-five and with our church family. Full of learning and growing. Full of not-so-much-never-enough sleeping. Full of blogging and visiting. Full of working and church website updating (www.rpcbowie.org). Full of book clubbing and Bible studying. Full of movie watching and date nighting. Full of baseball and football watching. Full of grace and forgiving. Full of, by God’s grace, doing our best to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Amelie

age 5
half-day kindergartener
ballerina
underwater swimmer
flower girl
avid reader
tooth loser
training wheel bike rider

Trips:
Jan-Duncan and Nancy to NYC.
Feb-Nancy &kids and her mom to Raleigh, NC
May-to State College, PA and Ocean City, MD
June-to Findley Lake, NY and Solon, OH
July-Nancy and kids to Bethany Beach, DE
August-to Canaan Valley, WV
Nov-to Ocean City, MD and Erie, PA for Thanksgiving

Violet
age 3
three day a week pre-schooler
ballerina
soccer -lover
flower girl
mouse clicker
fruit devourer
prolific smiler

We are now highchairless, cribless, mostly bibless, often strollerless and soon-to-be diaper less. (A mommy can hope, right?) This is the longest we’ve gone, since Amelie was born, without adding to our family. Lord willing, we’re moving on to the next stage of life. Whatever that means…

Linus
age 2
nine word sentence creator
Spiderman-lover
avid digger and mud attracter
baseball and football devotee
food scarfer
song composer
ring bearer

We are all about following Jesus: not just at Christmastime, but all year ‘round. We believe it when we read His words recorded in the Gospel of John: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There are a lot of different and confusing messages out there. Our prayer is that each of you may come to know Jesus-even today! We share these things not to condemn or offend--that’s the last thing we desire. Rather we desire all of those we know and love to share in the peace of Christ, which passes all understanding. We can’t fathom living this difficult and burdensome live without the Lord. He is our hope. He is our life. He is our rest. May you know the love of our Sovereign God in sending his Son 2000 years ago so that we may be saved from our sins and have life eternal. May you know Him this Christmas and always!

With Much love,
Duncan, Nancy, Amelie, Violet, and Linus

Linus Loves Snow

2009-12-22T22:06:00.006-05:00

Way back when, Linus developed a relationship with grass.
Clearly, he feels just as good about the snow.

Update: Sharing Christmas 2009

2009-12-21T15:32:00.005-05:00

Can't express enough how awesome the two foot snow fall has made things seem magical 'round these parts. I've got tons of pictures from the last few days that I'll post eventually. But without further ado...
Welcome to our home!

Santa and a display of greenery greets you at the front door.

Our tree peeks out from the picture window.

Our tree is new this year. When putting away our former tree last year, I broke the built-in stand to the point of no return. I wanted to try to fix it with super glue, but Duncan assured me that the $25 tree we bought back in 2002 was destined for the landfill. And that it was going to be ok.

"The stockings were hung on the railing with care..."
Isn't that how the poem goes? No?
Well it's how it goes at the chimney-less house!
The greenery is a new addition this year.

I've incorporated live (or at least once-live) greenery this year as well.

Here you can see Amelie's gingerbread house from school, a poinsettia plant that my aunt gave us, and a Santa cookie jar we were given by our neighbors last year. These things adorn our kitchen table.

Amelie made this for Duncan and I at school. She wrapped it up in tissue paper she found on the dining room table and made a big deal about waiting until Daddy got home from work last Friday to give it to us. Super cute.

Violet made this at school. Enlarge it to read the poem.
It made me tear up.

This Christmas season has been full of baking and making at our home.

Today we made pine bark--some to eat and some to give away to neighbors and friends.

We've already made Caramel Meltaways, Grandma Munro's fudge, Chex mix, and sugar cut-out cookies from my Grandma's Betty Crocker cookbook.

Thanks for stopping by to see some of our Christmas this year!

Head on over to Megan's to see her beautiful home decorated for Christmas as well as the other blogs that are participating.

Original Post:
Megan is hosting Sharing Christmas once again this year. I've been looking forward to participating, but haven't been able to catch a break the last few days. There's a reason that I'm unable to post about on here (and probably never will be, so if you know me and you're curious, just give me a call.) The other reason can be summed up in the photo below.

That's right folks.
We can't seem to shake this stuff!
So, be patient and please check back later this evening for this year's installment of Sharing Christmas.
In the meantime, please feel free to browse the installments of Sharing Christmas 2007 and Sharing Christmas 2008.

Oh, How Far You've Come!

2009-12-20T19:15:00.004-05:00

Two years ago, Amelie was a three year-old who attended pre-school two days a week. Her Christmas concert performance, which can be seen here, shows perfectly the temperament of our Amelie of that time. Shy, timid, undesiring of the limelight.

Flash forward two years and you'll see an Amelie who participates fully at her concert which was watched by hundreds of people that filled an entire auditorium!

I know it's hard to see and a bit on the wobbly side (I had a certain two year-old little boy on my lap), but Amelie is in the middle row, the third girl in from the right, with a red bow on the side of her head. Most importantly, you can see her mouth moving.
The entire time.
Take a looksee--

We're so proud at how far our Amelie has come and are so excited to see how very far she'll go.

Post Stealing (Also Known as the Easiest Post Ever)

2009-12-15T19:58:00.003-05:00

Don't you wonder what I was doing on the evening of November 14th? Oh, come on...I know you do! So click here and here to find out. I was camera-less that evening, but fortunately, my partners were not.
Enjoy!

First Loss of Tooth

2009-12-09T20:26:00.001-05:00

On the Sunday evening of November 15th, Amelie wiggled and wriggled her first tooth right out of her mouth! Being that she's only 5 and 3/4 years old, I was completely unprepared for such an event. (I lost my first tooth two or three month after my 7th birthday!) She was quite pleased at her accomplishment, as might be evident from the photos below.

What was really fun was finding out that my packrat-ness came in handy. I knew exactly where to find my tooth pillow from my childhood. I threw it in the wash and exchanged it under the pillow (with a little cash in the pocket of course) for the tooth that Amelie had put under her pillow in a plastic bag. It was so very exciting!

And following suit with our MO, we don't "do" the tooth fairy. We talked about it, explained that some people believe that it's real, but we're all in on that secret too. And it's a good thing, since Violet overheard us talking about the T.F. in passing and started to panic and ask all sorts of questions. "Who's coming into my room? Does she have wings? Does she fly?" Hilarious. I wonder why more kids don't ask about these characters coming into their homes to take or leave things. It's all weiredness, if you ask this mama.

Worship Preparation

2009-12-08T08:09:00.003-05:00

One Sunday morning, Duncan taught Linus something that he was sure to be able to use during that morning's worship service...

On Cloth Diapering

2009-12-07T15:04:00.006-05:00

Amelie 4.19.05

Since I started this post on August 1, 2008, it's high time that I finish it, dontcha think?

As I'm nearing the end of my diapering career (at least I HOPE that I am--in more ways than one), I think I'll share my thoughts and experiences with cloth diapering. Recently, I received an email from my friend, Kristi, who is expecting her first baby in the near future. She asked a series of questions which I've pasted here in this post. I think they'll work quite nicely in giving a summary of our cloth diapering career.

To start, the best advice we received, was to wait to start with cloth diapering until your baby is two months old. At that point, the pooping is less frequent and therefore the cleaning out and washing of diapers is less daunting of a task. We waited at least this long with each child and have been willing to stick it out for the long haul. I've heard of many folks that start using cloth diapers with their brand new baby, are so overwhelmed with the task and are overcome by the desire for the ease of disposables, that they throw in the towel and do away with cloth diapering all together. Having a brand new baby is incredibly overwhelming and we were so thankful for this recommendation.

OK, here are Kristi's questions interspersed with my rambling answers:
1. What type of cloth diapers have you used - prefold, fitted, all-in-ones? If you have tried multiple types, which is your favorite? and 2. Do you have a favorite brand?

Primarily, we've used pre-folded diapers from Gerber. We found a good deal on a package of all-in-ones sometime back, and found that we didn't like them. They weren't supposed to be bleached and therefore didn't get very clean. We decided that since they were so cheap ( a 5-pack for $15 down from $50) we'd take our chances in bleaching them. We did, they got cleaner, but still never as clean as the Gerber ones. With the Gerber pre-folds, we've used four types of wraps or covers which have all been fitted and closed with either snaps or velcro. (Duncan's stipulation with cloth diapers was that there be NO PINS! And we've managed to avoid pins completely.) The four types and my reviews of them are as follows:
*Gerber (discontinued, as far as I know)--they were fine for a while, relatively inexpensive, however over time the velcro became quite sharp so that it irritated baby's skin. Also, the waterproofing wore off over time.
*Especially For Baby (Babies R Us brand--also discontinued)--these were softer and didn't have the velcro issue, however they weren't tight enough around the legs to always control leaks and they seemed more water resistant than water proof
*Bumkins--my favorite by far. The velcro tabs are such that they don't irritate, waterproofing hasn't worn off (bought them three years ago), have lasted, are the most expensive. (On another note, Bumkins also makes some of my favorite bibs!)
*I don't remember the name of the fourth kind, but they looked like this (the ones with the snaps)--these were great as well, were expensive, and lasted for all three kids. Although by the time Linus had outgrown the last one, it was on its last leg, had to go in the trash and couldn't be passed on.

3. How did you handle changing dirty cloth diapers while away from the house?
With Amelie, we were gung-ho and used cloth diapers all the time except for overnights away from home. I carried plastic bags with me--sometimes a grocery-type bag, other times a ziplock that I reused. I would used regular wipes to clean up the child and then fold up the dirty diaper in the wrap like you would a disposable (since the wrap was usually dirty and couldn't be reused), put it in the bag and would clean it out at home.

4. Did you use cloth wipes too? If so, how did you use them?
With Amelie, we did use cloth wipes. We bought two dozen little white wash cloths and folded twelve of them them in on each other so that they'd pop out of a Pampers wipes container. Then we'd made this solution in an old Koolaid crystal container:
a teaspoon of baby wash
a teaspoon of baby lotion
fill the container 2/3-full of warm water
put on lid and shake vigorously
pour over folded wipes already in Pampers container

After use, these wipes could be put in the diaper pail and be bleached along with the diapers. We did this for Amelie and some for Violet. Since then, we've just used regular wipes. The biggest drawback with using store-bought wipes is that it makes the bathroom trashcan stinky, as the wipes can't be flushed.

A few more thoughts:
Diaper wraps can be used multiple times before washing. I generally don't use them twice in a row. Rather, I let them dry out before reusing. Obviously, when poop gets on them, they are banished to the washing machine.

The Diaper Duck is a fabulous contraption. Buy one.

As I've already mentioned, we were super gung-ho with using cloth with Amelie, as she was our first and only at the time. As we've added to our family, we've become more relaxed (lazy?) and have used more disposables along the way. My philosophy is that any amount of cloth diapering that you do is good for the landfills and good for your budget.

We used them overnight, at home, until Amelie was 10 months old. At that point, she started leaking through by 11 o'clock nearly every night. They sell "overnight" cloth diapers and inserts and things. We just decided to put her in a disposable from then on and have followed suit with subsequent children.

When using exclusively cloth diapers, we had to wash them about twice a week. We rinse and spin the diapers and then wash them on a vigorous cycle with detergent and bleach.

We've had two basic diaper pails during our career. The first we would fill 1/3 of the way with water and add a splash of vinegar. (This drastically cut down on the odor.) There were two drawbacks, however. This pail with diapers and water was extremely heavy. We kept it upstairs (that's where the changing table was) and I often had visions of slipping while carrying a full pail down to the laundry room. Fortunately that never happened. The other drawback was that, with all of the moisture, the pail got very mildewy and wouldn't come clean. We ended up pitching it, conferring with a cloth diapering friend, and started NOT filling it with water. Also, after every load, we wipe out the pail with disinfectant wipe. This has prevented the growth of mildew in our second pail.

So there you go. I'd love to answer questions that anyone might have. Feel free to leave them as a comment or to e-mail me. If I get enough questions, I may just have to do a follow-up post!

Ballerina Beauties

2009-11-10T12:50:00.000-05:00

We just finished our second eight-week session of ballet at the local community center.

Oh, how I love my sweet ballerinas...

...and their baby brother too.