Patience.

 

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Formally Evited...

I am so busy this month, I almost postponed it...but I just couldn't.  Sioux Falls friends, find all the info here.

Cupcakes.

Hudson and I made some cupcakes this morning to surprise the girls after school.  (They are espresso, by the way, so we'll see if I regret the choice at about 4 pm...)

While making them, I realized that I can only come up with three kinds of people when it comes to cakes:

1.  They hate cake.

2. They like cake OK, as long as it doesn't have "too much" frosting, and "too much" is relative.

3.  They view the cake as a mere vehicle to the true adventure that is the frosting.

Hudson is a 3, and, I might be one too.  Depends on the type of cake, for sure.

An (Almost) Autumn Dinner

Tonight we had Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder, Salad Greens, and Baked Apples for dinner.

The pork just needs to sit in the oven all afternoon, and then needs to rest for an hour before cutting in.

And so in that hour, you have just the right amount of time to create and bake the apples.

It's a lovely (pre) Autumn meal (with lots of leftover apple cider- no complaints here).

Also, is it Friday tomorrow?  Bring that on.

Recipe for Said Bread

You can find the recipe for this Rosemary Focaccia for free at America's Test Kitchen.  (Yes you do need to register, but it's free.)

And even better, you can watch the episode for free as well.

It's just right on it's own, no dipping oil etc. required.  Perfect next to the Tuscan White Bean Soup we're having tonight.

I like fresh basil for the top- no one in our family prefers rosemary.  And if I were you, I'd use a smidge less salt in the pan, that's just me.

(It's very, very good.  I made sure to try some before I posted this...)

Update

So, an update, on this day three of life-after-school-started.

Everything is extremely simple.  The school routine, life at home with Hudson, all of it.

The girls (of course) love their new school.  No one is surprised at that-  we've been excited and prepared for it for months.

Hudson doesn't mind being home with me at all- he loves it.  He's feeling very grown up, and loves having the school room, the CD player, the cats, the dogs, the toys, the books, the colored pencils, the paintbrushes, the puzzles, me, and the Wii all to himself.  At his core, he's very sweet and relational- he loves to talk to me all day, about everything, but that's nice- otherwise the house would get a little lonely.  He's never, ever, done anything (besides sleep) alone, and while he does love it when his sisters come home, he really likes this change.

Speaking of after school, I really get excited to pick up the girls and hear all about their day.  They are home by three, and we've got plenty of time to snack, play, read, and etc. before dinnertime at 6:30, so in many ways life doesn't feel that different to them.  They were all amazed at how little actual work they do at school, they're making lots of friends, they all have superstar teachers, and think their packed lunches are the bee's knees (though Patie was impressed that they serve corn dogs at school). 

When sibling conflict is eliminated, parenting becomes a breeze.  Amen?

We now have a LOT of "free space" in our day, since it's just H and me.  So, we are still exploring all that can mean-  everything is just so much simpler when a) I only have one child and b) I'm not in charge of teaching four children anymore.  We have always had tons of time in our day to be creative, to play, etc, but now I've got so much more flexibility in just about everything (running errands, etc) with such a free schedule. 

Today we dropped the girls off, got all of our groceries for the week, came home, and had everything put away by 9 AM.  Now we're spending the morning listening to The Decemberists, making focaccia, finishing some work I needed to do, and also we ate a tangelo.  Next we might go to the park or maybe paint like yesterday, who knows.  It's not bad.

First Day.

Sharpen your pencils! 

We decided last January that we would finish up school at home and transition to public school this fall.  Everything just seemed to align in that direction, so it was actually a very simple decision.  So- we've had a looong time to look forward to today and it was really, really exciting to get going this morning.  I was maybe more sentimental about it a couple of weeks ago but by today, man, we were just ready to do this thing.



I've felt so grateful as we've made this transition, looking back on four priceless years of homeschooling and how essential they've been to our family's identity, our minds, our relationships with one another, and the culture of our home, and I'm grateful to be in a place where all of our kids seem so ready to move on together to a new season of life, building on that foundation. 



Frankly, my kids are amazing people.  I am SO PROUD of them!  I can't wait to hear all about their first day this afternoon.



Life is going to change- a ton- but I do still have this guy at home for 2 more years, and that's fine with me.



Grasshoppers (are creepy).

Trimming

I took the girls to get their hair cut this afternoon with our friend Katie.

Lily requested a shorter hair cut and she wanted bangs (so her hair wouldn't be in her face so much at school).

She absolutely LOVES it.  She's told me over and over how much she likes it, and that she feels pretty and cute and "a little bit funky".

Grace opted for a shorter cut too, which really surprised me, but I'm glad she went for it- I love how her curls bounce up with a shorter cut.

Patie DOUBLE surprised me by saying she wanted exactly what Grace got (except she had Katie blow dry it a bit, so it's a different style today).

And Hudson?  He just waited around for them to be done.

Weekend.

Jim planned a four day weekend last week.  The kids (and the dogs) went to Grandpa and Grandma's Minnesota farm for one last hoo-rah in the country before school starts next week.  We went out Friday night, slept in Saturday morning, and then packed up and drove to Omaha for the weekend.

We hung out in the Old Market on Saturday afternoon,

Then went to the Balloon and Wine Festival that night.

It was crowded, but fun- and nice to get away.

Monday we worked on things at home, and the kids were back in time for Lily to attend Kindergarten Orientation that night, and then for Grace and Patie to meet their teachers Tuesday night (the girls are attending a local elementary school this fall).  We really like all of their teachers a lot and we're all excited for a new school year to start (but a few more days of summer are OK too).

Up.

Stretching Out.

We've got just two short weeks of summer vacation left.  Kids, no matter how busy we are, I promise I'll do everything I can to make them great.

Save the Date!

Save the date! I'll be hosting the second annual autumn wine and cheese tasting on the evening of Friday, September 16.

Formal e-vites to follow in a few weeks.

(You may now return to your regularly scheduled summer plans.)

Overcome

Ten thousand glimmering like coals in our chest
Ball bearings drawn to the magnetic breath
Of ten thousand weeping with wings on their tears
Amidst ten thousand voices for ten thousand years
For ten thousand graves yawning unlocked and unlatched
Now ten thousand holes with rocks on their backs
Ten thousand tombs gaping wide singing the praise
Of ten thousand bodies unlaced and unlaid

As the ten thousand highways unfold their doors
For the ten thousand standing on Nineveh's shores
Where the blood of a husband silences wars
For the girl who rises to meet him
And she sings

World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome
By my song and the blood of a son

Ten thousand rivers
Run red like my veins
Where the bones of men hum
Like a rattling cage
For sinew to cling to
And wind to remain
In ten thousand lungs
For ten thousand days
Breathing like a choir
Of holes in the ground
Where the cynical have lain
Where the cynical go down
Save the gravity of time
Lets go of her drowned
Like ten thousand sparrows
Unlocked and unwound

As the ten thousand highways unfold their doors
For the ten thousand standing on Nineveh's shores
Where the blood of a husband silences wars
For the girl who rises to meet him
And she sings

World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome
By my song and the blood of a son

Ten Thousand, by John Mark McMillan



Keeping Watch

Our carrots are behind a bit (like everything else in our garden after a late Spring).  But we're checking them every day, hoping to catch more of this.

Girls' Trip 2011

The girls and I took a trip to MSP last weekend.  We did the same thing last year, except Daddy came along.  This year we made it just us.  Jim and Hudson stayed home and did guy stuff.

It was 100% lovely.  Just relaxed time together, a great drive, with the girls reading books to themselves or out loud to one another most of the time, and just talking for the rest. Grace navigated the GPS and we made sure to take our time everywhere we went, because that was the point.  We ate girl food, took the Impala, not the Voyager, I drank a lot of coffee and didn't lug the Canon with me, we swam at the hotel pool, and we had plenty of time to try out every single thing at Ikea.  Of course we wrapped up with a stop at American Girl, with long-saved money in Velcro wallets ready to spend on things that have been debated, long-considered, and long-awaited for from worn out catalogs.  We spent two hours in the store with Jane, our very sweet and accommodating personal shopper, and left thrilled.



It was not one of those vacations that leave me feeling a need for a vacation from my vacation before I get back to real life.  It was actually really relaxing.

It's a nice little tradition- just a little time to get away before school starts. 

Almost Four.

Raw Apple Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce

Understand that this Raw Apple Cake Recipe contains some very warm memories for me- my Great Aunt Mary didn't have children, and did not like children, and did not let us touch anything in her house, but she made amazing apple cake.

Here's an old recipe I found for this excellent, good, basic cake...  Note the baking times.  Ah, for the days of non-exact cooking.  (Just bake it for 35-45 minutes- checking after 35.  Take it out when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.)

I don't know what she used, but if I were you, I'd use 2 apples for one batch-  one Granny Smith, and one sweeter apple, here I used a Fuji.

And then, there is the warm caramel sauce.  Find a recipe online or use a favorite- it's simple, don't buy a jar of caramel- You can do it!  It's just cream, butter, brown sugar, maybe a little salt, and a dash of this or that.

Apple season is nearly here in South Dakota.... this cake is perfect for a spur of the moment Saturday afternoon of baking, and it makes good muffins too.

It's very hard to screw this up.  Let me know if you try it.

Last Dates of the Summer

Alas, the coffee drink was not mine.

Here are the remaining class dates for the summer-  if you've been putting it off, join us!  I won't be offering classes again until later this fall.

Classes at the MoVM are fun, relaxed and friendly little groups, and the classes are held here, in beautiful Downtown Sioux Falls.

DSLR Basics - Technical introduction to your DSLR camera - Tuesday, August 9.

Creative Basics - Creative inspiration and skills for anyone with a camera - Tuesday, August 16.

Natural Light and Portraiture - Introduction to seeing and using light, and photographing people, for anyone with a camera - Tuesday, August 23.

All MoVM classes are held from 7-9 PM and cost $25.  Contact Jessica at the Museum to register at 605.271.9500.

Want to just DO THIS THING all in one day??

You can attend one, two, or all three sessions of the next Workshop for Zambia, right here in Sioux Falls.  Click here for complete details, and click here to find and share the event on Facebook.  All donations are tax deductible and support Zambia missions.

Have a great week!

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