Homecoming Week

Between apple processing and Homecoming week, I have been hopping!
This morning I took a break from the applesauce factory to clean out my stockpot and tie dye a tshirt for Landen to wear tomorrow. After that was done, I cleaned the stainless steel pot again and filled it right back up with apples to boil.
I am done with the applesauce now and was able to freeze several containers for the winter. I feel like a squirrel. I have gathered my food and now I am ready to snuggle in and nap for the winter. Too bad there are many, many acres to harvest before I sleep! :o)
Back to Homecoming . . . today was 50's/Rock & Roll Day. Landen wore a rolled white tshirt and I tried to spike his hair with gel & hairspray. Between his thick hair and the hurricane winds we had today, he was disappointed that his hair didn't stay that way all day! The school cooks dressed up as the band KISS with full makeup. I met my friend Rita, who is one of them, on my way to school and laughed out loud. I can honestly say I have never passed a member of KISS on Highway 20! Pictures from all week can be seen on www.northwestern.k12.sd.us.
Tomorrow he will be ready for Tie Dye day and I have to put just a few finishing touches on the cardboard guitar he will need for the parade on Friday.
Whew! Having a Kindergartener during Homecoming week is hard work. When my kids are in high school, I will have to clear my entire calendar for the week!

Apple Picking

Today our neighbors so graciously shared their abundance of apples with us. Nathan calls their farm the "apple farm" and has been asking all summer when we could go there and pick apples from their three trees.
The boys especially liked using the apple picker. I think they will have a part-time fall job in a year or two!
Tomorrow will be spent making apple sauce and maybe a pie or two. Mmmm! Apples make the house smell SO good.
Have I mentioned I LOVE fall? Well, I do!

Sneaky Trainee

*Part of my reason for keeping this blog is to keep a record of major family events. If you aren't interested in the thrill of potty training, you may want to skip this post.

It may still be too early to tell, but it seems as though God is blessing me with an easier potty training experience with each child. In the past two weeks, it looks as though my daughter may be the easiest one. Teresa is training herself behind my back--literally.
Last Thursday, David came in the house as I was working at the kitchen counter and just as Teresa had gotten up from her nap. I had been putting her in underwear for the previous morning even though I didn't actually expect her to get the hang of it. She wanted to wear her new underwear again and this time I had the time to help her out.
He noticed a funny look on her face and asked, "Are you pooping?" I turned around as she turned, ran to the bathoom and did her business. David and I were clapping and cheering--encouragement that her brothers had thrived on--but she looked at us like she was thinking, "What's the big deal?"
Well, since that miraculous day, we have been busier again and I put the underwear away for awhile as she hadn't seemed interested.
Tonight my aunt and I were talking in the bathroom as our youngest kids were in the bathtub. Out of nowhere, she pointed behind me as Teresa had climbed out of the tub and was ready to climb onto the toilet. I popped on the smaller seat and gave her her new favorite thing--toilet paper. Before I could even hide the rest of the toilet paper roll, I heard an interesting sound. She was actually going potty with absolutely no encouragement on my part whatsoever!
It may still take several months until we are diaper-free, but we are definitely on our way.

My First Try at Chai

This morning dawned foggy and rainy once again. That meant it was a good day for three things--curling up with a good book (yeah, right!), getting a beef vegetable stew started in the crock pot, and trying out my conglomerated chai recipe.
The verdict? Not bad. It needs some tweaking, though. It is not quite the same "pumpkin pie" flavor experience as The Daily Grind.
I agree with most of the recipe authors that the slightly orangey flavor of the cardamom is a must. I think I am going to cut back to 3/4 teaspoon instead of 1 teaspoon next time, though. This is the recipe I used:

Chai Tea
1 cup dry milk
1 cup dry non-dairy creamer
1 cup dry vanilla-caramel creamer (another recipe called for french vanilla)
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups instant tea
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cardamom

The good news is after we are finished with harvest this fall and my oral interp duties come to an end in early December, I can devote the rest of my winter to concocting the perfect chai recipe. Stay tuned!

Little Things

A lot of the time, it is the little things that make my day. Yesterday was filled with all sorts of great little things.
I will start with the earliest little thing. I checked my email yesterday morning and saw one with the subject "Surprise!" from David's aunt Kristi. I was pretty sure she wasn't announcing a pregnancy or anything of that nature, so I was especially intrigued. I was indeed surprised to see her message that she was sending me some cardamom for my chai recipe (and some treats for the kiddos, of course.) Kristi has about a zillion nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, nieces & nephews in-law, not to mention a busy full time job. Yet, she always remembers each of us with a card and letter on our birthdays and several times throughout the year. Thanks again, Kristi!
Then Teresa and I were off to Aberdeen. After two rainy days at home, I was actually glad when the toilet handle broke Tuesday night. Yes! I would be more than happy go to Aberdeen and buy a new one! I also had to find a new jacket for Landen. Last year we went through pair after pair of gloves. He wasn't even a couple weeks into school this year and already lost his JACKET! Our first stop was the consignment store and I found a jacket in his size right away. On my way out, I found all sorts of cute girls' clothes that Teresa will be able to wear this winter or next summer. I LOVE spending around $2 for a nearly new outfit!
My email was another source of blessing when I returned home and received a message from a friend of mine addressed to several area young mothers. She told of some of the struggles she faced with her three children when they were little and how we should appreciate these years, as difficult as they may be. I couldn't stop thinking about that for the rest of the day. Her children are now such pleasant, responsible, hard-working people that I never would have thought they were once colicky, hyperactive, and stubborn toddlers much like my own. It gave me a little boost--a little shot of hope--to tuck into my back pocket when I am knee deep in power struggles and sibling rivalry.
There were other little things--a beautiful afternoon, a productive oral interp practice, a blessedly quiet Religious Education meeting--that helped to make my day.
I wish I could be more in tune with the little things every day. I know they are always there--I just need to be aware of them!

Cookie Update

So, David comes home tonight and tells me he LOVES cookies that way (even if these are a little flatter than what he's used to). Who knew?
Now I have Luxembourg, a few other small countries, AND David on my side. Not a bad day . . . not bad at all.

"Sometimes I get the feeling the whole world is against me . . ."

Sometimes I get the feeling the whole world is against me, but deep down I know that's not true. Some of the smaller countries are neutral.
Robert Orben
Today is our second rainy day in a row. I LOVE rainy days . . . when I can curl up with a good book or a movie for the better part of the day.
When it is the second day having my two youngest cooped up in the house all day, I become VERY ready to see the sun again! I just can't seem to shake my case of "crabby mommy" today.
It is only 10am and we have already played 1 1/2 games of Chutes & Ladders (one is not enough--two is too many), put 1 1/2 puzzles together (again--the same), and finally, baked some cookies together.
I love to bake and it is something I really enjoy doing with my kids. This morning, however, they were driving me up a tree. Teresa was up on the counter measuring the baking soda onto the counter (as I had just turned my back to check the recipe) and Nathan was insisting on putting in the flour, while pouring half of it outside of the bowl. It was a constant battle of keeping little fingers and a coughing little girl away from the mixing bowl.
I finally truimphantly put the cookies into the oven with a minimal mess on the counter and floor and hopefully with as few cold germs as possible mixed into the dough. I divided the doughy beater & bowl between my more-than-happy-to lick-them children.
I explained to Nathan that if he and his sister listened to mommy more often, she probably wouldn't be so crabby. He wasn't sure if he wanted to test that theory or not.
My favorite chocolate chip cookies have oatmeal in them, but I made cookies without oatmeal today because I know that is what David likes best. I found a recipe that looked good on the picture, but as I removed them from the oven my cookies instantly turned into brown, chocolatey puddles. I was looking forward to the little light brown pillows of yumminess I had seen. How disappointing!
I managed to salvage most of them and now have a pile of brown, very thin chocolate chip cookies stacked in a bowl. I know what David will ask when he comes home. "Why can't you ever just make regular chocolate chip cookies?"
Arrrgh! Then I remembered Robert Orben's quote. As long as Luxembourg remains neutral toward me today, this day still has a chance to turn around.

Chai, oh my!

Chai tea has been popular in this country for a LONG time. (At least as long as I have lived in my present location anyway!) However, I am ashamed to admit that I had not ever tried it until this past week. I guess I was afraid of spending a fair amount of money on a drink I was not sure I would like. It sounded Chinese, and although I have no problem with the Chinese population, I am not usually a fan of their cuisine. Thus, I decided to stick to what I knew--mostly mocha lattes.
Well, this all changed on Tuesday morning when I drove up to my favorite drive thru coffee shop in Aberdeen--The Daily Grind. Isn't the name great? I hadn't heard such a great name for a coffee shop since The Central Perk.
I first stopped there on a whim this past summer. I really wanted a coffee on my way out of town, but I had my children with me and did not want to herd them out of and back into the van just so I could get my coffee fix.
As I came upon my last drive thru option, I aprehensively pulled up to purchase my drink. I was hoping the barista wouldn't laugh at me since I don't have a wide knowledge of coffee drinks. She had just resided the building and hadn't gotten a menu posted, so I asked her what she recommended. She was so nice and rattled off a few options. I chose the Creme Brule Breve, which I have since learned is made with half and half. No wonder I love that drink so much!
That was my favorite--until I tried the Chai latte on Tuesday. The newly posted menu read, "Tastes like pumpkin pie in a cup." Now, why didn't anyone ever have a sign like that before? I love fall and the Chai latte exudes the colorful season. YUM!
Unfortunately it is just not feasible for me to drive to Aberdeen every day to visit The Daily Grind, so I decided to make my own chai mix. I have found a few recipes and have decided to combine each of my favorite ingredients. Unfortunately, I have had some difficulty finding cardamom in the spice aisle. One of the recipes I found said that cardamom is the signature ingredient of chai, so I hesitate to substitute something else.
I will have to continue my search. If nothing else, I should be able to find a teaspoon of cardamom somewhere online, although that is one item I would require to be new and sealed on ebay!

Welcome to the family, Duck!

Today it seemed like Teresa was saying everything! She must no longer be relying on the "point and grunt" method to get through life. Even by breakfast, "milk" and "juice" were coming out more clearly than they ever have.
We took a little shopping trip this morning and the first thing I heard when we entered the store was, "Walk." And so she did. She did pretty well and pushed the cart with me for most of the time. The rest of the time she kept up behind me, checking things out as she went.
It was as she turned a corner in Menards that she came upon the dog toy aisle. There he was--"Duck!" She now scampered behind me, declaring "Duck! Quack, quack! Duck!" all the way. If nothing else, I figured this new stuffed green friend would be good speech therapy! I thought, "OK. Carry the duck around for awhile. By the time we check out, you will have forgotten about it."
Not quite. She would only let the cashier scan the tag while she held it. It looked like Duck was coming home with us. She shared her snack with Duck and took him through Walmart (where we found out he squeaks). He sat in on our lunch out with Aunt Amanda and checked out the newly remodeled bank where she works.
Duck has now earned a spot in the coveted bedtime friends circle. (It includes more than just those pictured.) We may have to move Teresa to a twin bed sooner than we thought just so she has room for all of her babies and stuffed zoo.
Welcome to the family, Duck! Sorry, Callie dog, this is one toy you won't be playing with!

Carrots

Nathan is finally adding to his list of food "likes." He now loves fresh carrots--especially straight from the garden. (And I mean straight--with dirt still attached.) Perhaps I should be discouraging the dirt eating, but I am thrilled that he is getting his Vitamin A from something other than a gummy vitamin. A little dirt never hurt his older brother, and he ate it by the handfuls.
We dug up the rest of the carrots this morning. Nathan was so excited to help me make a carrot cake with them. I told him we were making Grandma Shirley's carrot cake, but he said, "It's not Grandma Shirley's carrot cake. It is my carrot cake."
Some people add nuts, raisins, and all sorts of things to carrot cake. I prefer my mom's straight-up carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It MUST have the cream cheese frosting, which by itself is one of my favorite foods.

Carrot Cake
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup oil

Beat above ingredients well.

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 cups grated carrots

Mix the rest of the ingredients, except for carrots, until well blended. Fold in carrots. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes in a 9x13 pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together until blended and smooth.

At the Convention

The weather was perfect in Chamberlain/Oacoma today with hardly a breeze--very UN-South Dakota like! Unfortunately, I only got to spend a few moments outside all day, but I think this might be a fun place to visit when our kids are a little older. There is a beautiful walking trail along the river and is populated enough that I am not deathly afraid of rattlesnakes. (If you know me, that is a reason why I have never been a fan of the river or anything west of it!)
The convention has not yet expressly pertained to coaching Oral Interp, but I have gleaned some information from each session that I can apply to it. (Except maybe the class on making fake blood and bruises. That might come in handy for the spring play.) Tomorrow is the session with the panel of judges telling us what they look for at the state contest. Rachel suggested last night that I stand up and shout, "Liar!" midway through their presentation. :o) (And that is as political as this blog is EVER going to get, so I hope you enjoyed it . . . .)
So . . . because I have just been gleaning so far and not hanging on every word for each hour and fifteen minute session, I have had a lot of time to think. I am finding as I go from session to session that although I like my coaching job and the kids I work with, the art of public speaking is not my passion. This is not anything new--I knew that way back in my high school speech class. Even with teaching, I love the actual teaching part but do not particularly enjoy standing up in front of a large class.
My heart has always been in writing and I keep feeling the need to write--even if that just includes the minutae of my everyday life some days. I am just not sure what God wants me to do with that gift and desire to write. I am not a reporter, I really do not have any ideas or desire to write a children's book, nor do I have any plot lines for the next great American novel. Furthermore, I haven't written a play in over 20 years. (Truth be told, I'm not sure the plays my friends or cousins and I wrote together in the early 80's were real quality stuff, although our mothers seemed to really enjoy them. Or were they just happy they were over?)
For the time being I will just have to be content being one of the million or more bloggers. It is just as well, as God knows I would probably try to pursue it immediately when my family is and needs to be my top priority right now.
I look forward to finding out His plan. Until then, thanks for stopping by my blog.
Good night!

On the Road

This week has been very unusual. David has been gone at farm meetings for most of the past two days and tomorrow afternoon I get to leave on my own educational business trip!
I am SO excited. Well, I am not sure if I am excited for the South Dakota Speech Convention or that I get to spend the night at my friend Rachel's house on the way there . . . I think it is a little bit of both.
This is my sixth year coaching speech activities, but my first time attending the speech convention. I am hoping it will be the educational experience I expect it will. It seems like our team does fairly well locally, but struggles to earn Superior ratings at State. One of the sessions addresses what state judges look for at the State Festival, so I am especially looking forward to that.
Ahh . . . a day and a half of learning more about Oral Interp, meeting other speech coaches, eating restaurant meals without having to tell anyone to sit down . . . and all on the shores of the Missouri River.
It all sounds good to me!

Funny Faces

While most of the group went golfing on Monday, sister-in-law Jodi, friend Abbi, the kids and I checked out a brand new school playground. We all took turns trying out the hardly-been-used swings, slides, rope web, and even bongo drums! The school's name is Camelot and, true to the name, their outside bell sounds like a trumpet fanfare. So cool--it made me wish I could go back to the 4th or 5th grade!
Toward the end of the playground was a play station with a colored window to look through. Each of the kids had to take their turn leaving nose prints.

Green Acres

When I first met David I had just returned from a trip to New York City three months prior and had spent the summer living and working near Minneapolis with my aunt & uncle. It seemed the "Green Acres" theme song was written just for us--even if it did make its debut over a decade before either of us were born. He was all fresh air and "farm livin'". I couldn't wait to get back to Times Square or Park Avenue (which I have yet to do).
To be fair, I never did want to end up living in a big city. I had grown up in a small town and wanted to pursue my teaching career in a small town school--not Public School #-whatever somewhere in Brooklyn. However, where I am is a bit more rural than I had imagined.
Overall I have done better than expected out here in the country, but sometimes I really remember the advantages and how it felt to live in town. We just spent of a couple days with David's brother & his wife at their home. They live in a new quiet neighborhood in one of the larger SD towns. They do not have children yet, but their neighbors do and all of their back yards open up into Rainbow Play Systems Central. All of the children play on each other's swings, slides, and jungle gyms and ours were as welcome as those who lived there. That night we used their neighbors' patio and fire pit (with permission, of course) to sit around, talk and laugh.
It is that neighborhood camaraderie that I miss most about my days of living in town. It is that give and take, the watching out for each other, the passing of cups of sugar and children back and forth, that forges friendships. Yes, I am fortunate to have several neighbors a mile or less away, but it is just not the same as saying "hello" across the property line or across the street like I could do when I was growing up.
David grew up much differently than I did. His family's location--on a secluded farm with parents who were working there--meant that his community was his immediate family for the most part. It is because of this, I think, that he absolutely thrives on being self-sufficient and sometimes gets frustrated if I haven't stocked the freezer with 50 pounds of flour and need to call neighbor Camille for a cup. That's just what we did in town if the grocery store was closed. The next day or week we were happy to run something over to one of our neighbors if she needed one of our pantry staples.
As I was pondering the joys of city life yesterday on the way home, David piped up in the middle of my daydream and once again declared his undying love for rural life.
It looks like I must follow Ava Gabor's lead and say good-bye to city life forever. It could be worse--instead of a dog named Callie, I could be taking care of a pig named Arnold.

When Life Hands You Pears . . .

I have come to the conclusion that my family eats--a lot. The time before last, my grocery bill came to $108.00 and I only went around the perimeter of the store. Granted, I had to buy a bag of dog food and a case of beer, but still! That is a lot of fruit, dairy, eggs, & frozen food!
I have recently made the jump to the BIG cans of tomato soup. Interestingly enough, tomato soup is one of the few foods Nathan will ask me to make and really, really likes. Soon I will need to make 2 cans of tuna fish instead of 1 when we have sandwiches, too. Coming from a family with two girls, one of whom did not eat much (not me), I am entering into uncharted waters here.
Thankfully I do not stress about the grocery bill. It is one of the blessings I continually count that I do not have to choose milk vs. Kool-Aid or toilet paper vs. ice cream because we do not have the money to buy the healthier options or both if we wish. I am not a huge coupon clipper as they are more hassle than they are worth. Instead, I buy store brand items that are usually less expensive than the name brand item minus the coupon offered. As I have previously posted, I do have a few name brand standards--Miracle Whip, Velveeta, Cheerios & Wheaties among them. Since cereal is particularly expensive, the kids only get to choose a "fun" cereal if I have a coupon. This is something my mom did with my sister and me as well.
I am sure the experts suggest that if you want to save money when grocery shopping, it is wise to not take your children with you. Well, not one of those experts have called to offer to babysit, so I took Nathan & Teresa with me last week.
Nathan & I went a little crazy in the produce aisle. Strawberries were on sale, he loaded up the cart with two bunches of bananas (a staple in our house), we decided on a bag of apples, and I chose (I really don't know why) an entire box of Washington pears.
After we got home, I realized that although the pears were delicious, they would not last long enough for us to eat them all. Thankfully, the best part of having too much produce in the house is that you can always add a little butter, sugar, and cinnamon and turn them into something unhealthy! My friend Gretchen suggested I make a Pear Pie. I had never heard of pear pie, but since she is a nationally known food & wine freelance writer, I trusted her. I found this recipe and it was SO good! It takes much like apple pie and is the perfect fall dessert.
FRESH PEAR PIE
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
5 cups peeled and sliced pears
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon rind in mixing bowl.
Arrange pears in layers in a 9 inch pastry lined pan, sprinkling sugar mixture over each layer. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Roll out remaining dough; cut slits for escape of steam. Moisten rim of bottom crust. Place top crust over filling. Fold edge under bottom crust, pressing to seal. Flute edge.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes.

Then yesterday I noticed that with all of our pear eating, the bananas were being ignored. I whipped these up before dinner:
LIGHTER BANANA MUFFINS
2 eggs, beaten
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup skim milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line 12 muffin cups.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs and bananas. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture. Fold in walnuts if desired. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

These turned out very well and were not dry at all. I felt better knowing I hadn't turned my bananas into something totally unhealthy!

I better close this post as the kids and I are heading--where else?--to the grocery store this moring. Even though this family can eat quite a bit, I will try to control myself in the produce aisle today. On the other hand, what's the worst that could happen? Another pear pie?

More Birthday Fun

Landen had a pretty good 6th birthday! Instead of the milk truck he wanted, we got him some new John Deere equipment for his farm. He didn't even notice! He didn't want Teresa to break any of his new tractors, so she went downstairs to get her own. She made several trips around the table with her anhydrous digger while her brothers planted, combined, etc.
We are very thankful for all who shared his birthday in one way or another. Our family is truly very blessed.

Fun Size Corn

Nathan and I picked these tiny ears of corn out of our garden yesterday. Even though they were small, they were very yummy!