Posted in Knitting, Learning, Outings, Uncategorized on Sep 29th, 2009
Over the weekend, we took advantage of the Smithsonian’s annual free pass day to visit the World Forestry Center, located right across from the Oregon Zoo. The building is light and open, and the exhibits are well designed, educational, and attractive to children.
There were displays appealing to many senses – here Firecracker is smelling the [...]
Posted in Changing Seasons, Moderation and Economy, Mothering tool kit, Our home on Sep 28th, 2009
Some friends recently asked how we share sleep with our youngest while he’s in cloth diapers. Overnight leaks are a worry, even with doublers and the “good covers” saved for night time. To safeguard the mattress, we don’t use expensive wool mattress pads (which sound fabulous, but are way out of the budget) or those [...]
Posted in Birding, Crafting, Learning, Outings on Sep 25th, 2009
Kortney at One Deep Drawer told me about the congregation of Vaux’s swifts in NW Portland, and this week we made it over to the Chapman School to see them. For a bird nerd like me, it was a huge thrill.
We set up early, with hundreds of other families, enjoying our picnic dinner (homemade hummus, [...]
Posted in Books and Reading, Learning, Playing/ Free Exploration on Sep 23rd, 2009
We’re studying Africa off and on lately, primarily because the girls’ interest in the continent was sparked by their favorite musician’s recent work in Malawi. I picked up this felt Africa playset at the thrift store on sale for a quarter, and it was a big hit. Along with Dana’s music, we’ve been listening [...]
Posted in Crafting, Learning, Moderation and Economy on Sep 21st, 2009
Like most children their age, the girls are prolific artists (esp. Little Hen, who loves her water colors). Our living room was looking pretty bare, and despite amassing a substantial collection of their artwork, it’s just not in the budget to get anything professionally framed right now. Why should that prevent us from displaying their [...]
Posted in From my kitchen, Locally grown, Uncategorized on Sep 19th, 2009
Final count from the Barlett harvest:
20 – 1/2 pints of Caramel-Spice Pear Butter (sorry, secret recipe!)
18 quarts of pears in light syrup (some spiced, some with lavender, some vanilla)
12 quarts of pear sauce (which we all discovered we prefer to applesauce – it has a wonderful buttery quality)
oodles of pear crisp and pear upsidedown-gingerbread cake
about [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Sep 15th, 2009
I need to take a break for several days – I may be up for one post in the next week. I need to get my real life in order and get some sanity and perspective back in my parenting. Be back soon! Thanks!
Posted in Books and Reading, Mothering tool kit on Sep 14th, 2009
Little Hen found this book at the library two weeks ago. The topic is one that has interested her for a long time, and she read the book , cover to cover, as soon as we got it home.
The basic massage routine takes 5-10 minutes, but there are several techniques described in the book, and [...]
Posted in From my kitchen, Giving, Moderation and Economy, Outings on Sep 12th, 2009
Today Firecracker and I are attending our church’s fall kickoff of our monthly Ladies’ Breakfast. The pastor’s wife is hosting at her house, so we thought we’d take her (and her daughter – Firecracker’s friend) a little hostess gift when we go.
Earlier this week, we went to to the thrift store and picked up a [...]
Posted in Giving, Moderation and Economy, Sewing, Uncategorized on Sep 10th, 2009
Little Hen and I finished the first scrap doll quilt in a while with more of a fall color scheme. We made it for a friend who’s daughter has a birthday coming up.
Actually, there wasn’t much to it -the four main blocks were in the middle of a big bag of fabric scraps I had [...]