July 30.
July 30, 2011. Michael took the boys to Jiu-Jitsu for their first official class today. He said they did awesome! There was another 7 year old boy there as well. So, they are officially BJJ students now. While the boys went to class with Michael, I took the girls to the Farmer's Market downtown. I haven't been at all this year, so we were really excited about getting down there and supporting our local farmers. We made huge progress in getting goodies for our fridge this morning. I got a "Family Package" of grassfed/pastured beef and homemade kiwi jelly from the Oliver Family on River Run Farms. We picked up two chickens from Chucktown Chicken. I met the pork man for the first time. Many of my friends have raved over his porkchops and bacon. So, I got bacon, pork chops and a pork shoulder - that we will cook tomorrow. I also restocked our raw milk from Miss Celeste Albers, and I gave her some very special honey from Maine as a thank you for our chickens (long live the memory). We bought beautiful blackberries, plums, turnips, and greens from Owl's Nest Farm. And, last but not least, the girls and I drank homemade lemonade from "papa" in the last tent at the market. We barely got everything to the car (and, of course, we had a potty break and two scraped knees in the middle of all of the shopping). I did break down and go to Whole Foods for my new favorite drink - Kombucha. And, then we headed to the new Trader Joe's grand opening. I am glad Trader Joe's is there - for no other reason than to create a little price competition for Whole Foods. After restocking the pantry, we all met at home for lunch and short naps. All of us fell asleep - I think the drive took it out of everyone more than we wanted to admit. Then, we made good on the promise to go swimming at the beach today. We all went down to our beach - first time since June. By the time we got to the sand, it was in the low-80's and breezy - and the water was like a bathtub. I have to say it was nice not losing my breath when my big toe hit the water. After outdoor showers for everyone, we headed in for the night. The girls played dress-up while we cooked - you would think they are going through wardrobe withdrawals. They have three dresses on simultaneously, bows from head to toe, sunglasses, hats, high-heels and jewelry on every appendage. The boys just hung out in their room and tried to keep the girls out. Michael and I roasted two of our organic, free-range chickies. Dinner was yummo. We put the hot pepper vinegar that my dad made for me (he used the peppers from my garden) on the collard greens. Thanks Cowboy Papa! It was delicious. We all sang Aboola Boola during dinner - the kids LOVE that song, and then we all ate three different types of chocolate and had a taste test. Talula loves white chocolate the most. Bowen and I prefer the milk chocolate. And, Michael, Mina and Kells all say the dark chocolate is Number 1. I cannot believe they are all asleep after the chocolate fest...Good times.
July 31.
July 31, 2011. We continued to unpack today. It is taking us longer to get settled back into the house than it did for us to organize ourselves for a month long trip. Uncle B came by for a morning visit with Ailey. We so enjoyed seeing them again. It's amazing to see how much Ailey has grown. She is eight months now. Time goes by so quickly. Michael and I were just talking about the boys tonight. They really seem so much older to me now. They all played most of the morning while we visited with Uncle B and Ailey and drank our coffee. Then, we all headed to the beach for a couple of hours. The water was perfect! There was a lot of swimming and boogie boarding and playing in the sand. After the beach, we all ate a good lunch and had some quiet time. Michael stayed with the kids while I went to the gym for a run/walk. I have taken almost three weeks off from running because my back and hip were bothering me. Anyway, I walked 13 miles today on the treadmill (with a bit of running in the mix). It was nice to get back into it. I hope I will be able to do the half marathon mid-September with my friend, Alice - we are going to spend the weekend in Asheville, NC. It's supposed to be the most picturesque (and the most difficult) half-marathon in the country. And, then I'll followup with the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30 in Washington DC (running with my friend, Tara). Hopefully, my 39 year old body won't fail me...While I was running, Michael roasted the pork shoulder that I bought from the Pork Man downtown. We ate leftover greens and the lima beans that I soaked last night with the pork shoulder. The meal was delicious. All of the kids loved it too. I think we are over the hump with dinner time quarreling. For the most part, they will all eat or at least try anything we put on their plates. I have Louisa to thank for teaching them to love food. I hope to carry on that love for food at our table. They love to cook; they love to help set and clear the table; they love to harvest the veggies from the gardens. After dinner. we had story time with all of the kids and then tucked them in (they are all sleeping in the bunk beds tonight). Michael and I are going to watch one of our shows tonight - it will be the first tv I've had since leaving for Maine last month. I haven't missed it at all. It's also been interesting to see how the kids are adapting to the No TV rule during the week here. They haven't asked for it since we left for Maine. I do think there are redeeming qualities to movies and some television programs. So, I think we are going to implement a Friday Movie Night and a Saturday Game Night. This will allow for our family to plan what everyone wants to watch and give us all something to look forward to - deliberate television/movie watching. I have to get up at 6am tomorrow - as it is that time of year to signup the girls for youth soccer on IOP. So, I'm going to sign off.
August 1.
August 1, 2011. What a day! I got up at 6am to sign up the girls for Fall Youth Soccer at the IOP Rec Center. Last year, I missed the sign up day by two days and there were 20 people on each of their age group waiting lists. So, I went an hour before the rec center even opened. I guess that's where the term "Soccer Mom" comes from...Is this what is to come IF soccer sticks with either of the girls? After breakfast, I took all four kids to see Dr. Basha - our dentist on Daniel Island. Each of them got their teeth cleaned and got a toy from the treasure chest, and no one had any cavities. The odds were against us - with so many mouths and all. The dentist did, however, recommend Bowen get an orthodontist consult. I have to blame this on the Enright gene :).
While we were on Daniel Island, we met Cowboy Papa, Grammy, Aunt Allison and Aunt Sheryl for lunch. We hadn't seen any of them since before our Maine trip, so we all enjoyed the visit. Bowen started feeling sick during lunch, and by the time we got home he had over 102 fever - it climbed to 104. So, he is definitely fighting off something. A cool bath and some Motrin brought the fever down a bit. We gave him soup made with bone broth and plenty to drink; hopefully, he will feel better when he wakes up tomorrow.
Miss Kay and I spent over two hours viewing my bee hives this afternoon. We added a fourth box for the bees to begin storing their honey. This box will be solely for our family's enjoyment. They are so productive right now. There could be up to 50,000 honeybees in my colony right now. See my Bees section on the blog if you are interested in details of today's hive check. Tomorrow, I will take the girls to Miss Kay's house. I plan to help her check each frame in her hive as well. We need to make sure there are no issues going into the height of the summer - hive beetles, mites, inactive/dead queen, irregular patterns in comb, etc. Looking forward to sharing their liquid gold.
While we were on Daniel Island, we met Cowboy Papa, Grammy, Aunt Allison and Aunt Sheryl for lunch. We hadn't seen any of them since before our Maine trip, so we all enjoyed the visit. Bowen started feeling sick during lunch, and by the time we got home he had over 102 fever - it climbed to 104. So, he is definitely fighting off something. A cool bath and some Motrin brought the fever down a bit. We gave him soup made with bone broth and plenty to drink; hopefully, he will feel better when he wakes up tomorrow.
Miss Kay and I spent over two hours viewing my bee hives this afternoon. We added a fourth box for the bees to begin storing their honey. This box will be solely for our family's enjoyment. They are so productive right now. There could be up to 50,000 honeybees in my colony right now. See my Bees section on the blog if you are interested in details of today's hive check. Tomorrow, I will take the girls to Miss Kay's house. I plan to help her check each frame in her hive as well. We need to make sure there are no issues going into the height of the summer - hive beetles, mites, inactive/dead queen, irregular patterns in comb, etc. Looking forward to sharing their liquid gold.
August 2.
August 2, 2011. After dropping off the boys at an all day soccer camp, the girls and I went to Miss Kay's house (our old neighbor in Wild Dunes) to help with her bees. We were much more efficient today - as we finished in a little over an hour. She has a beautiful bee hive, and we added another box for her honey as well. The girls played dress-up with her real fur stoles and hats - yes, I panicked a bit when I realized these were not thrift store items. And, Mina snuck away several times this morning to sing to Stella the poodle. She is absolutely an animal whisperer. Lula is getting much better, but Stella was in her kennel per Lula's request.
We went out to lunch on Sullivan's Island. There is a new restaurant - something something taco mama...anyway, it was not good. We won't go back. Even Michael couldn't finish his taco. I think the emphasis was on quantity over quality. I don't think they focused on any local or organic markets and the food was just not good. The highlight of the lunch was I ran into Sarah, the lovely woman who took our chickens from us when Animal Control gave us a week to get rid of them. She sent me the following email, along with updated photos of our chickens:
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Our cat Frida protects all the hens in the backyard, but they are definitely a pack all their own. Bronaugh likes to herd them since she is a herding dog, but she never hurts or injures them. In fact, she is tender and gentle with them, gently nudging their butts to round them up. But where she tries to round them up to, we never know, and neither does she. They tend to hog most of the feed we put out for them and we have to secretly feed the other four hens. Each morning, they come to the back porch, and if I am carrying the feed low enough, they try to jump up to the feed container. I also think they try to trip me up, hoping I will spill some since they are ready to eat! One day, we caught one hen being broody and trying to incubate 12 eggs! She was not happy when Matt retrieved them from her, so I think they try to find secret spots around our backyard, but Matt's a step ahead of their little game. Just like ladies, they certainly are talkers! They are little chatterboxes for sure. The one in the shed next to Matt's motorcycles I like to call "shop hen" since she is very inquisitive and wants to lend Matt a helping "wing". She's my favorite since she seems to be runt-like, but quite adventurous. They are happy, healthy, safe and we are taking great care of them. We can't wait until our little girl-to-be can pet them and enjoy learning about their habits.
We went out to lunch on Sullivan's Island. There is a new restaurant - something something taco mama...anyway, it was not good. We won't go back. Even Michael couldn't finish his taco. I think the emphasis was on quantity over quality. I don't think they focused on any local or organic markets and the food was just not good. The highlight of the lunch was I ran into Sarah, the lovely woman who took our chickens from us when Animal Control gave us a week to get rid of them. She sent me the following email, along with updated photos of our chickens:
**************************************************************************************
Our cat Frida protects all the hens in the backyard, but they are definitely a pack all their own. Bronaugh likes to herd them since she is a herding dog, but she never hurts or injures them. In fact, she is tender and gentle with them, gently nudging their butts to round them up. But where she tries to round them up to, we never know, and neither does she. They tend to hog most of the feed we put out for them and we have to secretly feed the other four hens. Each morning, they come to the back porch, and if I am carrying the feed low enough, they try to jump up to the feed container. I also think they try to trip me up, hoping I will spill some since they are ready to eat! One day, we caught one hen being broody and trying to incubate 12 eggs! She was not happy when Matt retrieved them from her, so I think they try to find secret spots around our backyard, but Matt's a step ahead of their little game. Just like ladies, they certainly are talkers! They are little chatterboxes for sure. The one in the shed next to Matt's motorcycles I like to call "shop hen" since she is very inquisitive and wants to lend Matt a helping "wing". She's my favorite since she seems to be runt-like, but quite adventurous. They are happy, healthy, safe and we are taking great care of them. We can't wait until our little girl-to-be can pet them and enjoy learning about their habits.
Michael and the boys went to jiu-jitsu tonight, so I took the girls on a beach picnic for dinner. We hung out for a couple of hours, had pb&j's and collected shells. Then we came home and started unpacking our clothes from Maine...Yes, the house is a wreck! Everything HAS to be unpacked tonight, because tomorrow I have a cleaning lady coming to get us back on track. Then, I plan to cancel our cleaning service. It is difficult for me to reconcile cleaning ladies and simplicity.
August 3.
August 3, 2011. So, I hesitate to even write today's blog because I am too tired to recount today's events. I got up at 3am this morning (loaded two sleeping girls into the car) and picked up Uncle Joey for a day trip to Sparkle City. We spent the morning with my grandmother and Uncle Roy in Cowpens, SC. I took a couple of pictures of my great grandmother's house (which is next door to my grandmother's home). See below. After our visit, we dropped off a small gift and handmade card to my Aunt Wilhelmina. We had lunch with Uncle Trey and Mimi and visited at Mimi's house for a while. The girls really loved spending time with Mimi's new puppy, Winston (white pomaranian below) and Uncle Joey's black pom puppy - Bentley, Uncle Trey's cat - Izzy, and Mimi's cat - Cleo. Four animals and three generations under one roof on a 100 degree day in Spartanburg...I walked in the door (to a clean house, mind you) at 6:30 PM. Quick dinner, baths, storytime, dishes and an episode of HOUSE. Now, I am on my way to bed. Long day all around! Family Love.
August 4.
August 4, 2011. I took the boys to soccer camp this morning and then headed to Barnes and Noble for a bit of girl time with Lula and Mina. We spent quite a bit of time in the children's book area - it's one of their favorite pasttimes. Lula picked a few books that she would like for her birthday; I picked up The Black Stallion for Bowen's summer book report (he started reading it in Maine); and, we got a small gift for my good friend, Lizl (who is due with her fourth baby next week!). I also took the girls to my gym for the first time. There is an inside playground for children to play while the parents workout. So, I was able to run 6 miles this morning while the girls made new friends. After lunch and naps, I took all four kids to visit Lizl (and her three children). I cannot imagine being 9 months pregnant in this summer heat. But, she looks amazing! As we drove up in our driveway, we were surprised by a visit from our good friend Ms. Tara (and the latest addition to her family - Georgia, a baby goat). We got to help feed this six day old goat tonight - what a special moment for our children. Thanks Auntie Tara! Tomorrow will be a quiet day at the beach for all of us...One more week before school is back in session. And, I'll have the girls solo - which I am truly looking forward to. Georgia on My Mind...
August 5-6, 2011.
August 5-6, 2011. I took the girls to the gym both mornings - the boys were at soccer on Friday and Jiu-Jitsu on Saturday. The new ritual on Saturday mornings is really working out. I ran 6 miles on Friday and 7 miles on Saturday. I think I am finally on track again. We spent a lot of time cooking this weekend. We pickled red onions. We roasted red onions. We roasted roma tomatoes. We soaked beans for the Sunday meal. We made yogurt. We made basil oil. With a little planning, we have found that we can have "assets" in the fridge for side dishes and snacks. We will slow down on Sunday to plan the meal for the upcoming week and make more "assets" that will allow us to play more, cook less, and eat amazing food throughout the week.
We had our first official Movie Night on Friday night. This was the first tv the kids have watched since June 28th (with the exception of our drive to/from Maine in the car). We watched Rango. Not a great movie, but the kids would have been happy watching QVC or BBC - withdrawals from TV is putting it mildly! Saturday was supposed to be Game Night, but we had Uncle B over for dinner. So, the kids played games without us. We will do Family Game Night tonight. They are all old enough to play Old Maid, Go Fish, Memory, War, Uno and a few others. It's pretty fun sitting around the table (all six of us) enjoying time together with no outside influences. Some of my greatest memories are of my cousins and aunts and grandmother sitting around the dining room table or on the front porch playing Canasta and Progressive Rummy until all hours of the night.
I have really seen a huge difference in temperment and level of imagination with the children since we have slowed down life a bit (and minimized technology influences). I am just amazed how simple the solution was - and how much we fought it. There are very few tv references any longer; there are no more requests to play a game on my phone; there are fewer combative situations and inflamatory words exchanged. I know it is hard to believe that our angels fight or are cruel to one another - that's only because we are really good at hiding the chaos and craziness :). Seriously though, I have read that children need time to just "be" and to work out how to "play fair." They are mastering how to compromise, and - more importantly - they are learnging how to entertain themselves and eachother. With less technology stimulation, the "bar" is lower. It is becoming much easier for them to figure out how to survive...together...in a very small house...
Uncle Pancakes dropped by on Saturday for an impromptu visit - he was on Isle of Palms looking at a bicycle to buy second-hand. I LOVE the fact that he felt comfortable just stopping over. We have been trying to get together with him and Shelley for months, and the best laid plans just fall apart. So, I think we all need to resort to "just popping in" for a short visit more often. That's what life is all about - open door policy for family, friends, and our children's friends. The house may not always be "pretty," and we may all be in our pjs playing UNO, but you are welcome to visit.
I just finished reading The 100 Things Challenge. It is about a guy who has been a spokesperson against American consumerism for quite a while and realized he was not walking the walk. So, he decided to live with only 100 personal possessions for one year. He didn't force his family to follow his lead, but his personal challenge became quite a topic for discussion and learning with his three young children and his friends and colleagues. I would love to say that this is my next move, but I don't think I could do it. I do think I am going to challenge myself to stop purchasing non-essentials for a specified amount of time. I'm working out the details and will put on the blog...stay tuned.
Side note: Please say a prayer for no rain tomorrow...I promised Lula that we would spend the morning at the beach tomorrow - rain or shine. She slept with her umbrella by her bed (I think she is hoping for rain. She LOVES umbrellas!).
We had our first official Movie Night on Friday night. This was the first tv the kids have watched since June 28th (with the exception of our drive to/from Maine in the car). We watched Rango. Not a great movie, but the kids would have been happy watching QVC or BBC - withdrawals from TV is putting it mildly! Saturday was supposed to be Game Night, but we had Uncle B over for dinner. So, the kids played games without us. We will do Family Game Night tonight. They are all old enough to play Old Maid, Go Fish, Memory, War, Uno and a few others. It's pretty fun sitting around the table (all six of us) enjoying time together with no outside influences. Some of my greatest memories are of my cousins and aunts and grandmother sitting around the dining room table or on the front porch playing Canasta and Progressive Rummy until all hours of the night.
I have really seen a huge difference in temperment and level of imagination with the children since we have slowed down life a bit (and minimized technology influences). I am just amazed how simple the solution was - and how much we fought it. There are very few tv references any longer; there are no more requests to play a game on my phone; there are fewer combative situations and inflamatory words exchanged. I know it is hard to believe that our angels fight or are cruel to one another - that's only because we are really good at hiding the chaos and craziness :). Seriously though, I have read that children need time to just "be" and to work out how to "play fair." They are mastering how to compromise, and - more importantly - they are learnging how to entertain themselves and eachother. With less technology stimulation, the "bar" is lower. It is becoming much easier for them to figure out how to survive...together...in a very small house...
Uncle Pancakes dropped by on Saturday for an impromptu visit - he was on Isle of Palms looking at a bicycle to buy second-hand. I LOVE the fact that he felt comfortable just stopping over. We have been trying to get together with him and Shelley for months, and the best laid plans just fall apart. So, I think we all need to resort to "just popping in" for a short visit more often. That's what life is all about - open door policy for family, friends, and our children's friends. The house may not always be "pretty," and we may all be in our pjs playing UNO, but you are welcome to visit.
I just finished reading The 100 Things Challenge. It is about a guy who has been a spokesperson against American consumerism for quite a while and realized he was not walking the walk. So, he decided to live with only 100 personal possessions for one year. He didn't force his family to follow his lead, but his personal challenge became quite a topic for discussion and learning with his three young children and his friends and colleagues. I would love to say that this is my next move, but I don't think I could do it. I do think I am going to challenge myself to stop purchasing non-essentials for a specified amount of time. I'm working out the details and will put on the blog...stay tuned.
Side note: Please say a prayer for no rain tomorrow...I promised Lula that we would spend the morning at the beach tomorrow - rain or shine. She slept with her umbrella by her bed (I think she is hoping for rain. She LOVES umbrellas!).
August 7.
August 7, 2011. Michael slept in until 9:30 am. That is a record for him - even before we had children. I got up early with the kids - around 7am. We played cards and read books (see Bowen's photo below - he likes to read early morning in his underwear). When Michael woke up, we went to the beach with a picnic lunch. It was a ridiculously gorgeous day. We stayed until about 2pm. There were awesome waves, no undertoe, a cool breeze, clear skies...We should have brought the surfboard - perfect day for surfing. When we all took a nap, Michael began dinner preparation. We had a delicous meal: braised beef short ribs, creamy polenta and black beans - bright red cherries for dessert. I put the recipe for the short ribs on the recipe tab. They are "company good." After dinner, we all played Black Jack and Indian Poker. We used dried black beans for poker chips. Kelly beat everyone. Michael was the first to lose all of his beans. I taught Bowen how to play Double Solitaire, but I think I forgot some of the details - as we ended up "tying" IF that is even possible.
Pop Pop sent me this picture of Mina in the Camden Harbour. It is such a cute photo of her taking in the view. It is beautiful up there. I think I am a bit more nostalgic than I would be normally - as it is over 100 degrees right now! The only way to survive right now is to be on the beach...I don't know how folks inland are making it this summer.
Tomorrow, I plan to get up early with the kids and drive out to McClellanville, SC. We are going to pick blueberries at Blue Pearl Farms. They are naturally grown and chemical free. They also have an abundance of muscadine grapes - hopefully, we will be able to pick those as well. This is part of my plan for supporting the local farmers - and creating "assets." I plan to get 10-15 pounds of blueberries to have on-hand for the year. I can bake with them, make jams, put in smoothies, etc. Will let you know how it goes...It's gonna be another scorcher. Blueberry Love.
Pop Pop sent me this picture of Mina in the Camden Harbour. It is such a cute photo of her taking in the view. It is beautiful up there. I think I am a bit more nostalgic than I would be normally - as it is over 100 degrees right now! The only way to survive right now is to be on the beach...I don't know how folks inland are making it this summer.
Tomorrow, I plan to get up early with the kids and drive out to McClellanville, SC. We are going to pick blueberries at Blue Pearl Farms. They are naturally grown and chemical free. They also have an abundance of muscadine grapes - hopefully, we will be able to pick those as well. This is part of my plan for supporting the local farmers - and creating "assets." I plan to get 10-15 pounds of blueberries to have on-hand for the year. I can bake with them, make jams, put in smoothies, etc. Will let you know how it goes...It's gonna be another scorcher. Blueberry Love.
August 8.
August 8, 2011. Happy Birthday Uncle Joey. and I took the girls with me to the dentist for a second visit in the last week.
So, we ended up postponing our blueberry picking outing today. Mina woke up at 2am this morning with a 103 fever. She wasn't able to shake it by morning, so we decided to keep today pretty low-key. We've been fairly busy over the last couple of weeks, so a quiet day served us well. We did keep one appointment that was necessary: Talula going to the dentist again. Lula hit her front tooth sometime in the last couple of weeks. We really don't know when it happened, but it is very sensitive to cold and hot (and now it is turning grey!!!). I am trying not to be vain, but who wants her daughter to have a black tooth. We'll see how it goes...the crazy part of the dentist story though is he recommended she get a root canal. I cannot even imagine putting a 4 year old through a two hour dental procedure...
Anyway, on the way home from the dentist, we went to Whole Foods to buy a very special cheesecake cupcake (Uncle Joey's favorite) and dinner for Joey. Today is my brother's birthday. The boys spent the afternoon with Uncle Joey and Auntie Meaghan. We gave Joey a copy of my favorite cookbook Nourishing Traditions. And, the boys made him loom/loop potholders. On the way home from Joey's, Mina took a turn for the worse. By the time we got home, Mina's fever was 104 degrees. Motrin and gingerale for Mina...Let's hope she pulls herself out of it.
I cooked Lovey's famous meatloaf tonight - with a delicious candied carrots dish from Michael's new cookbook - A Year in My Kitchen, with fresh cherries and fair trade chocolate for dessert. I also put my name on a waiting list for the online master gardener course at Clemson University. It is a 12 week program - with another 40 week volunteer requirement. I would LOVE to do this course. I think I'll have to wait for the next one to start though - as there are 20 folks ahead of me on the wait list. We will all benefit when I actually learn how to do what I feel I was born to do in the garden. Garden Lady Love.
So, we ended up postponing our blueberry picking outing today. Mina woke up at 2am this morning with a 103 fever. She wasn't able to shake it by morning, so we decided to keep today pretty low-key. We've been fairly busy over the last couple of weeks, so a quiet day served us well. We did keep one appointment that was necessary: Talula going to the dentist again. Lula hit her front tooth sometime in the last couple of weeks. We really don't know when it happened, but it is very sensitive to cold and hot (and now it is turning grey!!!). I am trying not to be vain, but who wants her daughter to have a black tooth. We'll see how it goes...the crazy part of the dentist story though is he recommended she get a root canal. I cannot even imagine putting a 4 year old through a two hour dental procedure...
Anyway, on the way home from the dentist, we went to Whole Foods to buy a very special cheesecake cupcake (Uncle Joey's favorite) and dinner for Joey. Today is my brother's birthday. The boys spent the afternoon with Uncle Joey and Auntie Meaghan. We gave Joey a copy of my favorite cookbook Nourishing Traditions. And, the boys made him loom/loop potholders. On the way home from Joey's, Mina took a turn for the worse. By the time we got home, Mina's fever was 104 degrees. Motrin and gingerale for Mina...Let's hope she pulls herself out of it.
I cooked Lovey's famous meatloaf tonight - with a delicious candied carrots dish from Michael's new cookbook - A Year in My Kitchen, with fresh cherries and fair trade chocolate for dessert. I also put my name on a waiting list for the online master gardener course at Clemson University. It is a 12 week program - with another 40 week volunteer requirement. I would LOVE to do this course. I think I'll have to wait for the next one to start though - as there are 20 folks ahead of me on the wait list. We will all benefit when I actually learn how to do what I feel I was born to do in the garden. Garden Lady Love.
August 9.
August 9, 2011. We were supposed to visit my college friend in Columbia, SC today. I was going to leave Mina with Michael to rest and recover from her fever, and I was planning to take the other three with me. Tina has four children and homeschools three of them (her oldest just stopped homeschooling and is in Middle School now). I am so impressed with her ability to be wife, mom, chef and teacher. She's one of my heroes! Unfortunately, we had to cancel today, because Mina woke up at 7:30 am with a 105 fever. With all four kids, I have never seen a thermometre read 105. I panicked. Thankfully, my doctor's receptionist comes in at 7:30. She told me to bring her in immediately. After process of elimination, we narrowed her condition to either strep throat or appendicitis. Fortunately, the strep culture came back positive. However, her strep is serious strep! She still has a really high fever and terrible stomach pains. I feel so sorry for her. She is just hanging out...She is on an antibiotic now (and Motrin for the fever).
So, tomorrow - depending on Mina and company - I will drive to the blueberry farm with the other three kids and we will pickup 15 pounds of blueberries (and a couple of pints of muscadine grapes). We are looking forward to those special treats.
While Michael and the boys went to Jiu-Jitsu tonight, Aunt CC and Uncle B and CC's Dad (Stan) took Talula for a walk on the beach. She was going stir crazy, so I really appreciated the break. It allowed me to bring Mina out of her bedroom for a bit. Apparently, Mina is highly contagious. The last thing we need right now is 6 cases of strep. While Lula was at the beach, I went through my Nourishing Traditions cookbook and began planning some snacks and lunch items for the family. Here's a sample of what I am planning to buy and cook over the next few weekends (see below). A lot of these items can be made and frozen or will keep in the fridge for quite sometime.
HOMEMADE SNACKS:
- Macaroons
- Merengues
- Applesauce
- Almond Bars
- Lemon Sherbert
- Baked Tortilla Chips
- Ginger Snaps
- Carob Chews
- Nutty Snack Bar
- Yogurt
- Granola
- Smoothies
- Flourless Muffins
LUNCH ITEMS:
- Boiled Eggs.
- Raw Cheese.
- Banana Bread.
- Whole Wheat Pancakes.
- Crispy Whole Wheat Pancakes.
- Rollups (Spinach, Provolone, Cucumbers, Carrots).
- Rollups (Bacon, Apple Slices and Cheddar).
- Rollups (Chicken Salad with nuts, oranges, apples, and grapes).
So, tomorrow - depending on Mina and company - I will drive to the blueberry farm with the other three kids and we will pickup 15 pounds of blueberries (and a couple of pints of muscadine grapes). We are looking forward to those special treats.
While Michael and the boys went to Jiu-Jitsu tonight, Aunt CC and Uncle B and CC's Dad (Stan) took Talula for a walk on the beach. She was going stir crazy, so I really appreciated the break. It allowed me to bring Mina out of her bedroom for a bit. Apparently, Mina is highly contagious. The last thing we need right now is 6 cases of strep. While Lula was at the beach, I went through my Nourishing Traditions cookbook and began planning some snacks and lunch items for the family. Here's a sample of what I am planning to buy and cook over the next few weekends (see below). A lot of these items can be made and frozen or will keep in the fridge for quite sometime.
HOMEMADE SNACKS:
- Macaroons
- Merengues
- Applesauce
- Almond Bars
- Lemon Sherbert
- Baked Tortilla Chips
- Ginger Snaps
- Carob Chews
- Nutty Snack Bar
- Yogurt
- Granola
- Smoothies
- Flourless Muffins
LUNCH ITEMS:
- Boiled Eggs.
- Raw Cheese.
- Banana Bread.
- Whole Wheat Pancakes.
- Crispy Whole Wheat Pancakes.
- Rollups (Spinach, Provolone, Cucumbers, Carrots).
- Rollups (Bacon, Apple Slices and Cheddar).
- Rollups (Chicken Salad with nuts, oranges, apples, and grapes).
August 10.
August 10, 2011. What a gorgeous day! It promised to rain all day, but held off until dinner time. Mina is still sick today, so Michael watched her for me while I ran a "marathon" in the VW minivan with the other three. We ran a few errands near ION, picked up milk and eggs from ION Health, and headed to pickup our already picked blueberries from Blue Pearl Farms in McClellanville, SC. What a fabulous farm. They have a beautiful piece of property with tons of blueberry bushes (they look like mini-trees or really tall bushes). I don't think I have ever actually picked blueberries. Talula convinced me that we had time to pick just a few on our own - while Mina rested with daddy at home. The boys chimed in - and in two minutes flat we all had white baskets and were walked over to the blueberry patch. I was so surprised. They were soooo easy to pick. We ended up picking 5 pounds on our own in about an hour. You just choose a limb and slide the berries off without smooshing them into the basket. We had a gentle breeze and plenty of shade, so it was a lot of fun for all of us! And, I had such a nice chat with one of the owners (Robert). He and his wife, Cheri, bought the farm about five months ago. They are so sweet and helpful and welcome visitors. It is all organic - they are actually in the process of getting their certification (it takes 31 months and costs quite a bit). I highly recommend this farm to anyone who wants to stock up on blueberries before the season ends. There is a "Blueberry Jam" festival on August 21st that we plan to attend. You can take a look at the details on their website: www.bluepearlfarms.com. After leaving the farm, we dropped off 5 pounds of blueberries to Dr. Alan Comen's office. He split the berries with my girlfriend, Lisa Hartley. They were at the right place at the right time...Maybe next time, you will benefit from our children's labor. It's always fun to share! So, all in all I came home with 15 pounds of blueberries, 7 pounds of green muscadine grapes, and 4 pounds of pears. I plan to make that blueberry buckle tomorrow! And, I need to figure out what to do with the grapes and pears...
After quiet time today, I took the boys to the IOP Rec Center for a two hour game of Dodge Ball. The rec center is really good about organizing free athletic events throughout the year when school's out or when weather's bad. While they were gone, the girls and I had a very big art project where we taped butcher paper along the entire length of the breakfast table and drew all sorts of very fun pictures. Art time with the girls helps me gain such insight into their thoughts, feelings, abilities, etc. SO FUN!
Mina is finally on the mend. Thanks to everyone who has asked about her. She had a 104-105 fever for almost three days straight. But, after lunch today she began to rally. And, tonight she was eating dinner with all of us and keeping up with the best of them in dress-up, cowboys and cowgirls, and American Idol. After bedtime stories, we tucked everyone in. It's 9pm, and I'm exhausted. I hope to actually get a solid night's sleep tonight...There is no way I could go back to sleepless nights with babies...That ship has sailed. Just the last couple of nights with Mina have turned my world upside down. Welcome back to us Little Mina.
After quiet time today, I took the boys to the IOP Rec Center for a two hour game of Dodge Ball. The rec center is really good about organizing free athletic events throughout the year when school's out or when weather's bad. While they were gone, the girls and I had a very big art project where we taped butcher paper along the entire length of the breakfast table and drew all sorts of very fun pictures. Art time with the girls helps me gain such insight into their thoughts, feelings, abilities, etc. SO FUN!
Mina is finally on the mend. Thanks to everyone who has asked about her. She had a 104-105 fever for almost three days straight. But, after lunch today she began to rally. And, tonight she was eating dinner with all of us and keeping up with the best of them in dress-up, cowboys and cowgirls, and American Idol. After bedtime stories, we tucked everyone in. It's 9pm, and I'm exhausted. I hope to actually get a solid night's sleep tonight...There is no way I could go back to sleepless nights with babies...That ship has sailed. Just the last couple of nights with Mina have turned my world upside down. Welcome back to us Little Mina.
August 11.
August 11, 2011. Miss Kay and I took the kids to see Winnie the Pooh today. We drove about 20 miles to the only theatre around that was still showing the movie. It was very cute - and definitely the kind of movie children should be watching at this age. I think this movie got lost with the bigger box office films (namely, Harry Potter). I placed another order this morning for blueberries from Blue Pearl Farms. I gave some away to Miss Leola and we all ate quite a few this afternoon for a snack. And, I still plan to give a few more pounds away...Miss Leola gave me a beautiful jar of Peach Jam as a thank you. Bartering can be very fun!
The kids played so nicely this afternoon - again, I really think the absence of television has strengthened their bond (and definitely helped them learn to work through their disagreements - which still occur frequently). I placed an order for 2 half gallons of raw cream from a source I have West Ashley. I'm picking it up next Wednesday and will make raw butter out of it. If anyone wants butter, let me know. I also made some fresh granola - using Aunt CC's recipe. It was yummy - we all had it after dinner tonight. And, I made some yogurt tonight - it's in the warm oven now and will be ready for breakfast in the morning. And, I have a call into Lovey - I'm hoping she can share the blueberry buckle recipe with me. I made it in Maine and it was amazing. I want to make it tomorrow and bring it with me to Pawley's Island this weekend. It's perfect for a late afternoon snack or breakfast! After the Ecstacy, the Laundry. Gotta get back to work now. I have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow - we are going to the aquarium in the morning, grocery shopping after lunch, and babysitting Ailey tomorrow night - and then we leave early Saturday morning for a couple of days on Pawley's Island (with Aunt Shelley and Uncle Pancakes). Goodnight.
I just signed a pledge on line to help end children's hunger in our country. Please take a moment to visit the site. It takes two seconds to sign your name and find out more information if you want to help. http://nokidhungry.org/spread-the-word
The kids played so nicely this afternoon - again, I really think the absence of television has strengthened their bond (and definitely helped them learn to work through their disagreements - which still occur frequently). I placed an order for 2 half gallons of raw cream from a source I have West Ashley. I'm picking it up next Wednesday and will make raw butter out of it. If anyone wants butter, let me know. I also made some fresh granola - using Aunt CC's recipe. It was yummy - we all had it after dinner tonight. And, I made some yogurt tonight - it's in the warm oven now and will be ready for breakfast in the morning. And, I have a call into Lovey - I'm hoping she can share the blueberry buckle recipe with me. I made it in Maine and it was amazing. I want to make it tomorrow and bring it with me to Pawley's Island this weekend. It's perfect for a late afternoon snack or breakfast! After the Ecstacy, the Laundry. Gotta get back to work now. I have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow - we are going to the aquarium in the morning, grocery shopping after lunch, and babysitting Ailey tomorrow night - and then we leave early Saturday morning for a couple of days on Pawley's Island (with Aunt Shelley and Uncle Pancakes). Goodnight.
I just signed a pledge on line to help end children's hunger in our country. Please take a moment to visit the site. It takes two seconds to sign your name and find out more information if you want to help. http://nokidhungry.org/spread-the-word
August 12.
August 12, 2011. Thank Goodness It's Friday! It has been a long week. I am happy to say that Mina is much much better. She hung with us all morning with no complaints. She did take a 5 hour nap after lunch...Still a little slow, but definitely on the mend. I took all four kiddoes to Whole Foods. Yes. It was a bit much trying to do real grocery shopping with all four of them. I have found it makes life easier if each child has a job at WF. So, Lula was my picker. She was responsible for taking whatever I was buying off the shelf and putting it in the grocery cart. Kells was the cart pusher. Mina was the taste tester - she tasted all of the samples BEFORE anyone else was allowed to. And, Bowen was the list master. He marked off each item as we found it. This "game" got us through the shopping event with no tears or broken glass; however, it doubled the length of time to get the shopping done. We had sushi for lunch (I picked up sushi from Whole Foods). It was pretty good - the best part was watching Talula eat the rainbow rolls. She loves the tuna and salmon - and truly appreciates the ginger. When the girls took a nap, the boys went over to Miss Kay's house for an impromptu art lesson. They painted scenes from the Winnie the Pooh movie we saw yesterday. The highlight of their evening was playing basketball with Miss Kay's highschool son, Max. Max also gave them one of his basketballs. Kelly said he wanted to get Max to sign the ball, because he was so good. We also got to babysit our little niece, Ailey, this evening. She was so fun to have around. The girls just went googoo over her. Once I got Ailey to sleep, the kids had movie night with daddy - Rio. And, I baked the famous Blueberry Buckle from Maine. With all of our yummy blueberries, we need to figure out ways to eat them. So, we will bring this to Pawley's Island with us tomorrow. I think the crew there will enjoy it. Bryan and Corinne just came to pickup Ailey. So, we are heading to bed. It's been a long day. I hope for a full-night's sleep tonight. Happy Birthday Pop Pop in Maine.
August 13-14.
August 13-14, 2011. We drove to Pawley's Island on Saturday morning. I haven't been there since I was a little girl; I had no idea it is only an hour from us. It is a beautiful drive - just right up 17 North. We were invited to spend the night with Aunt Shelley, Uncle Pancakes, Braxton, Christian, Aunt Sheryl and Uncle Chris. We had a full house - but it was so much fun. We spent the day at the beach - the boys hung out with some fisherman who was trying to escape from his wife and his kids. He caught a 5 foot shark (we saw the tail coming out of the water), and he also got an 18 inch sand shark. He let the boys hold the shark, and all of the kids got to feel the shark's skin. Uncle Chris brought a ton of sheephead fish that he caught recently; we bought a ton of local shrimp and crab cakes from the famous Pawley's seafood shoppe; and we ate my homemade blueberry buckle for dessert. It was a feast. The kids loved the fried fish and shrimp. We ate on the 20 foot long wooden table on the screened porch. There was a beautiful breeze. We stayed up until midnight catching up. We regretted that just a bit when all the kids woke up by 7am. Coffee and a boat ride perked us right up though. Uncle Chris brought his boat, so we all took turns going out on it. They all had an amazing time. So much fun...The pictures show how much fun everyone had. We stopped by Blue Pearl Farms to pickup our last few pounds of blueberries. I gave some to Aunt CC on Friday night, will give some to Tara tomorrow, and I'm taking some to my friend, Tina, in Columbia tomorrow. I think I'll keep the rest for my family. They are just so good that I had to share. We called Lovey and Pop Pop tonight through Skype - that was our first time doing that with the kids. We need to reach out to other family members and get them on Skype. It was so easy, and the kids loved seeing John and Louisa LIVE. It has been a long weekend. I'm off to bed!
August 15.
August 15, 2011. We had such a fun day with my old college friend, Ms. Tina. She has four children (Garrison, Abby, Madison, and Anna Kate), and she homeschools the three girls - Garrison is in a private middle school now. She is a pretty amazing woman! She has a beautiful relationship with her children and her husband. So, it was so fun to hang out with her and her family today. We caught minnows in the pond next to her house; the kids played dressup for hours (see below Talula in her favorite costume); we had a lovely lunch on the backporch; we always have good conversations; there was a bit of water "fighting" in the mix; and then we headed home mid-afternoon. When we got back to Charleston, we picked up our raw milk from Dr. Comen (I promised to make yogurt for a couple of friends this week), ran into Whole Foods to buy my new favorite drink, Kombucha (I plan to make it this weekend - first time!), and Chic-Fil-A for dinner. No judgement please! It was a very long day. Yesterday was a very long day. And, tomorrow will be an even longer day - with the first day of school for the boys and preschool for the girls. I wanted to get the kids in bed by 7pm and then make homemade banana bread for the kids' breakfast tomorrow. So, it was a weak moment.
It's now 9:30 pm. Lunches are packed. Clothes and shoes are put out. Brush, hairbows, water sprayer, toothbrushes, and backpacks are waiting for the four little ones to wake up tomorrow at 6:00 am. All of the laundry is done. No dishes in the sink. Full belly. Life is Good.
It's now 9:30 pm. Lunches are packed. Clothes and shoes are put out. Brush, hairbows, water sprayer, toothbrushes, and backpacks are waiting for the four little ones to wake up tomorrow at 6:00 am. All of the laundry is done. No dishes in the sink. Full belly. Life is Good.
August 16-20
August 16, 2011. Phew! The first week of school is under our belts. Bowen started 2nd grade today - since he's in Montessori, he has many of the same kids in his class and the same teacher for 1st-3rd. So, there has been little to no adjustment for him. Kells has a new teacher this year. He's in first grade. He is adjusting well. I think I am struggling more than he is. They are growing up! Thank goodness I still have the girls. I am so happy that we kept them home this year. It's been such a nice change of pace. The workload is like we only have two children with all of the benefits of four. Let me explain. I only have to get two kids ready for school everyday - two healthy breakfasts, two packed lunches, two sets of homework, two bodies to dress and groom, etc. The other two just hang out and wait, laugh and play, sleep and snuggle. Once I get the boys to school, then I have two children again. This time, the girls are ready for their day. I can "homeschool" them, do activities and outings with them, etc. And, when I put the girls down for an afternoon nap, then I drive to pickup the boys from school. I really don't have FOUR kiddoes until 3:30pm...So, I'm refreshed in the morning for the boys, mostly together during the day for the girls, and a bit tired but ready for our evening together as a family. Michael was out of town today, so I was solo - that made the day a bit tougher. Because Michael was out of town, I tried to end on a highnote all around...so, I took the kids to the beach and had a picnic dinner. They LOVED that - especially because it was a school night. What a treat for them. Only downhill from here.
August 17, 2011. We picked up Michael from the airport at noon, and we took the girls to lunch. After lunch, the girls and I made yogurt and butter with the raw cream that we picked up from the West Ashley barber shoppe (Gear's). I was disappointed in the butter quality. I think the fat content in the cream must have been much lower than the cream we had in Maine. I barely made a 1/2 cup of butter with the 2 cups of raw cream. I paid $30 for a gallon of the cream, so it is definitely cost prohibitive to make the butter with the cream we get here. I'll have to continue my research on butter options. The yogurt we made turned out beautifully though. The consistency is getting really good - I used the Yogourmet starter and some leftover yogurt from my last batch. Maybe that helped enhance the thickness. We had Tara over for dinner tonight. She broke the news to us that she and Leighton are moving to NY. I was so sad to hear the news. I am sure we will visit, but NY is a bit farther than two blocks away :(. When we told the kids that Auntie Tara and Uncle Leighty were moving, there was total silence in the car. After about 5 minutes, Mina said "Mama, I have an idea. How about Uncle Leighton moves to NY and Miss Tara stays here? I can write that because I am sure Leighton doesn't read my blog...But, I had to laugh when Mina began working the "problem."
August 18, 2011. Today I mowed my first lawn. I know it's hard to believe that someone could go through 39 years of life without mowing a lawn, but it's true. I had to call my father-in-law to tell him - I know he would appreciate the strides I've made. I had a revelation while mowing...I'm going to build a bat house. The mosquitoes here are outrageous! I have over 15 bites on my arms and legs from those buggers. Not fun! I went to a local hunting shop to buy a "Thermacell" device - Uncle Chris had one at Pawley's last weekend. It keeps all of the mosquitoes at bay for about 250 square feet. It's very reasonably priced (about $35). I was under the impression that it was just a CO2 cartridge, but it actually is a butane cartridge with a pesticide cloth inside (Trans allethrin). This pesticide is known as an endocrine disruptor - simply put, you don't want that poison near your children (or your honeybees). So, the next best thing: a bat house. John Enright sent me a PDF on how to build it yourself. I have to admit, my DNA makeup points me in the direction of BUYING a bat house - not building one. But, i am trying to change. It looks quite simple. I just need to see it as a "family project" next weekend.
August 19, 2011. So, Cowboy Papa called this morning at 7:00 am saying that he and Grammy want to pay for Bowen and Kells to take horseback riding lessons throughout the year. This is an entirely new world for me. I have no idea even where to begin in researching a place. It is such a generous offer. I haven't even told the boys yet, as I need to find the right place and the time for it to happen. Will keep you posted on how we progress there. Today was a work day...Well, nothing glamorous; no bringing home the bacon. I just cleaned out the sunroom (this will be the room we do our "homeschooling"). I also organized the girls' and boys' rooms, the attic, and the laundry room. It is such a good feeling when progress can be seen! I am suffering from it though. I think I stirred up all kinds of dust, so I cannot breathe! I have gone through several boxes of kleenex today already!
August 20, 2011. I took the girls to lunch with Auntie Tara at Jack's Cosmic Dog. We had bluecheese coleslaw and pickle hotdogs with mustard - and softserve icecream. What a meal. I am sure this meal would not be approved by Weston A Price, but it was so delicous and so worth it. The girls had such a good time! They danced around and pretended to play all of the old pinball machines. They even paid a penny to get their fortunes. After school, we met my friend Lisa Hartley and her children at the Scramble park in Ion. Bowen and Kells love to play with Camden. The girls love Davis. And, we met a new friend, William - he is in Kelly's classroom. Tonight was movie night. So, we watched Time Bandits - an old (very dated) movie that Michael thought the kids would love. I cleaned out some of the drawers in the kitchen during the low-points. We made it through the first week of school for Bowen and Kells - and my first week with the girls NOT in school. Congratulations to my good friend, Lizl Kotz. She had her fourth baby this morning - Ryder.
August 21, 2011. Party day. Jiu-Jitsu for the boys. A jump castle birthday party for the girls. The girls had such a good time hanging out with all of their Sundrops Montessori friends at Michael and Matthew's party. Then, we all went as a family to Ms. Tara's Kid Day Party. Michael grilled hotdogs. The kids painted banners in the garage. The girls dressed up in Good Will prom dresses - with Miss Donna's help (and wore Tara's Manolo Blahnik heels). The photos of this day will say it all...
August 22, 2011. Sleepy day. I am so stuffy from cleaning the house this week and weekend. I guess I am not used to dusting. So sad! I will just have to build up my tolerance...Right now though, I am soooooo sick from allergies. I can hardly stand it! I've taken two showers today. Changed clothes a thousand times. And, I'm still miserable. We didn't leave the house all day! I don't know if we have ever done that. All six of us just hung around. We played games. We watched movies (gave the kids a pass for a free movie - because Friday Night Movie Night was a bust). We cooked three lovely meals together, and Talula helped me make homemade icecream with some of the raw cream I got from Gear's.
So, I've done a pretty slack job at keeping up with the blog this week. I will get back on track tomorrow. Lunches are made. The girls and I are volunteering at the Cancer Center Healing Gardens tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how that goes. Good Night.
August 17, 2011. We picked up Michael from the airport at noon, and we took the girls to lunch. After lunch, the girls and I made yogurt and butter with the raw cream that we picked up from the West Ashley barber shoppe (Gear's). I was disappointed in the butter quality. I think the fat content in the cream must have been much lower than the cream we had in Maine. I barely made a 1/2 cup of butter with the 2 cups of raw cream. I paid $30 for a gallon of the cream, so it is definitely cost prohibitive to make the butter with the cream we get here. I'll have to continue my research on butter options. The yogurt we made turned out beautifully though. The consistency is getting really good - I used the Yogourmet starter and some leftover yogurt from my last batch. Maybe that helped enhance the thickness. We had Tara over for dinner tonight. She broke the news to us that she and Leighton are moving to NY. I was so sad to hear the news. I am sure we will visit, but NY is a bit farther than two blocks away :(. When we told the kids that Auntie Tara and Uncle Leighty were moving, there was total silence in the car. After about 5 minutes, Mina said "Mama, I have an idea. How about Uncle Leighton moves to NY and Miss Tara stays here? I can write that because I am sure Leighton doesn't read my blog...But, I had to laugh when Mina began working the "problem."
August 18, 2011. Today I mowed my first lawn. I know it's hard to believe that someone could go through 39 years of life without mowing a lawn, but it's true. I had to call my father-in-law to tell him - I know he would appreciate the strides I've made. I had a revelation while mowing...I'm going to build a bat house. The mosquitoes here are outrageous! I have over 15 bites on my arms and legs from those buggers. Not fun! I went to a local hunting shop to buy a "Thermacell" device - Uncle Chris had one at Pawley's last weekend. It keeps all of the mosquitoes at bay for about 250 square feet. It's very reasonably priced (about $35). I was under the impression that it was just a CO2 cartridge, but it actually is a butane cartridge with a pesticide cloth inside (Trans allethrin). This pesticide is known as an endocrine disruptor - simply put, you don't want that poison near your children (or your honeybees). So, the next best thing: a bat house. John Enright sent me a PDF on how to build it yourself. I have to admit, my DNA makeup points me in the direction of BUYING a bat house - not building one. But, i am trying to change. It looks quite simple. I just need to see it as a "family project" next weekend.
August 19, 2011. So, Cowboy Papa called this morning at 7:00 am saying that he and Grammy want to pay for Bowen and Kells to take horseback riding lessons throughout the year. This is an entirely new world for me. I have no idea even where to begin in researching a place. It is such a generous offer. I haven't even told the boys yet, as I need to find the right place and the time for it to happen. Will keep you posted on how we progress there. Today was a work day...Well, nothing glamorous; no bringing home the bacon. I just cleaned out the sunroom (this will be the room we do our "homeschooling"). I also organized the girls' and boys' rooms, the attic, and the laundry room. It is such a good feeling when progress can be seen! I am suffering from it though. I think I stirred up all kinds of dust, so I cannot breathe! I have gone through several boxes of kleenex today already!
August 20, 2011. I took the girls to lunch with Auntie Tara at Jack's Cosmic Dog. We had bluecheese coleslaw and pickle hotdogs with mustard - and softserve icecream. What a meal. I am sure this meal would not be approved by Weston A Price, but it was so delicous and so worth it. The girls had such a good time! They danced around and pretended to play all of the old pinball machines. They even paid a penny to get their fortunes. After school, we met my friend Lisa Hartley and her children at the Scramble park in Ion. Bowen and Kells love to play with Camden. The girls love Davis. And, we met a new friend, William - he is in Kelly's classroom. Tonight was movie night. So, we watched Time Bandits - an old (very dated) movie that Michael thought the kids would love. I cleaned out some of the drawers in the kitchen during the low-points. We made it through the first week of school for Bowen and Kells - and my first week with the girls NOT in school. Congratulations to my good friend, Lizl Kotz. She had her fourth baby this morning - Ryder.
August 21, 2011. Party day. Jiu-Jitsu for the boys. A jump castle birthday party for the girls. The girls had such a good time hanging out with all of their Sundrops Montessori friends at Michael and Matthew's party. Then, we all went as a family to Ms. Tara's Kid Day Party. Michael grilled hotdogs. The kids painted banners in the garage. The girls dressed up in Good Will prom dresses - with Miss Donna's help (and wore Tara's Manolo Blahnik heels). The photos of this day will say it all...
August 22, 2011. Sleepy day. I am so stuffy from cleaning the house this week and weekend. I guess I am not used to dusting. So sad! I will just have to build up my tolerance...Right now though, I am soooooo sick from allergies. I can hardly stand it! I've taken two showers today. Changed clothes a thousand times. And, I'm still miserable. We didn't leave the house all day! I don't know if we have ever done that. All six of us just hung around. We played games. We watched movies (gave the kids a pass for a free movie - because Friday Night Movie Night was a bust). We cooked three lovely meals together, and Talula helped me make homemade icecream with some of the raw cream I got from Gear's.
So, I've done a pretty slack job at keeping up with the blog this week. I will get back on track tomorrow. Lunches are made. The girls and I are volunteering at the Cancer Center Healing Gardens tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how that goes. Good Night.
August 22.
August 22, 2011. I feel like I start each day's blog with "What a busy day...". So, here I go again. It was a very busy day. Michael and I took the boys to school this morning at 7:30, so we would be able to work out at the gym for a full hour before his work day began. Then, the girls and I met Miss Kay at the gym and caught a ride with her to the Hollings Cancer Center's Healing Garden. She is in charge of volunteerism and responsible for making sure the healing garden is in "good order." So, the girls and I "signed up" to go every Monday morning to water the gardens and to weed the beds and to do general maintenance. There is a beautiful fountain and all sorts of winding pathways and hidden benches. The girls had a great time - and eventually they will understand what we are doing there and how great it feels to do something nice for someone else. At some point, we will install a healing garden at a patient's house. I think that would be such an experience.
I made dinner tonight for my friend Lizl and her family. There was a terrible storm here this afternoon. They spotted a couple of tornados and are predicting that Hurricane Irene may hit Charleston on Friday this week. We have plans to spend the night with Uncle Pancakes and Aunt Shelley if that happens. Bowen found a new purpose for my bee suit today - he wears the suit now to put the trash barrels on the street on Trash Day (see photo below). We had a great roasted chicken for dinner with steamed green beans and apples/carrots with brie cheese. Clean plates all around - followed with homemade whoopie pies. Delicioso.
I ran 5 miles today at the gym and will run 13 tomorrow. I have about 2 1/2 weeks to go before the Asheville Half Marathon - and then about 6 weeks for the Full Marathon in DC. My friend, Alice, hurt her hip, so I'll run the Half by myself - My mom will come to Asheville with me, and we'll have a girls' weekend.together.
I'm simmering the chicken bones from dinner tonight - will make a soup stock overnight and use it for a soup for tomorrow's dinner. Will let you know how it is. Had a chicken noodle soup the other night that was inedible (new word for the kids)...We roasted the chicken with habenaro peppers inside for flavor and forgot to take the peppers out of the carcass before making chicken broth - it was so spicy that we all were watery eyed and panting. We all learned from this small mistake...
I made dinner tonight for my friend Lizl and her family. There was a terrible storm here this afternoon. They spotted a couple of tornados and are predicting that Hurricane Irene may hit Charleston on Friday this week. We have plans to spend the night with Uncle Pancakes and Aunt Shelley if that happens. Bowen found a new purpose for my bee suit today - he wears the suit now to put the trash barrels on the street on Trash Day (see photo below). We had a great roasted chicken for dinner with steamed green beans and apples/carrots with brie cheese. Clean plates all around - followed with homemade whoopie pies. Delicioso.
I ran 5 miles today at the gym and will run 13 tomorrow. I have about 2 1/2 weeks to go before the Asheville Half Marathon - and then about 6 weeks for the Full Marathon in DC. My friend, Alice, hurt her hip, so I'll run the Half by myself - My mom will come to Asheville with me, and we'll have a girls' weekend.together.
I'm simmering the chicken bones from dinner tonight - will make a soup stock overnight and use it for a soup for tomorrow's dinner. Will let you know how it is. Had a chicken noodle soup the other night that was inedible (new word for the kids)...We roasted the chicken with habenaro peppers inside for flavor and forgot to take the peppers out of the carcass before making chicken broth - it was so spicy that we all were watery eyed and panting. We all learned from this small mistake...
August 23.
August 23, 2011. Michael had to go out of town today, so all of us took daddy to the airport before school this morning. Once I dropped off Michael at the airport and the boys at school, the girls and I went to the gym. I ran 5 miles on the treadmill. I am really struggling with running in the heat - it's so humid and buggy! I have been making my list of to-do's for the hurricane Irene preparation. It was such a strange day, as everyone was worried about the potential hurricane coming up the east coast, and then we all felt the aftershocks of an earthquake in DC. The Washington Monument is cracked - it was the most significant earthquake in DC in over 100 years.
Bowen has decided he wants to be a "sharp" dresser. So, he has been keeping me busy in the laundry room. He picks out his clothes each night - and loves the "layered" look. This would be pretty cool if I weren't the one who had to wash three shirts of his for every one of Kelly's. He also wore his seersucker suit today. While wearing his "good suit" he helped build a small bookshelf for Talula's room. Very funny scene.
I picked up our 5 gallons of raw milk from Dr. Comen today at Ion Health. I also gave him some of the butter that I made. I hope he'll be able to give me insight into what's going on with the fat content...
Aunt Sheryl spent the night tonight. She came over at 4:30, so I could go to the Back To School Night at East Cooper Montessori Charter School (ECMCS). I got to meet Kelly's teacher and see how his class will be run. I feel great about both teachers that the boys have. The Charter school is truly a special school. I feel so fortunate to have the kids on a Montessori track. Kelly read us two books tonight before bedtime (and Bowen acted them out). There was great fun all around - as Aunt Sheryl was the substitute mommy while I was at the school. I made a homemade chicken noodle soup tonight. I kept it simmering for a couple of hours (the kids ate, and we ate a few hours later). Mistake! The soup got all gummy. It was a shame. The soup was so delicious and nutritious the first hour of simmering :). Once Michael got home, we visited with Aunt Sheryl a bit. And, then we all headed for bed. LONG DAY...
Bowen has decided he wants to be a "sharp" dresser. So, he has been keeping me busy in the laundry room. He picks out his clothes each night - and loves the "layered" look. This would be pretty cool if I weren't the one who had to wash three shirts of his for every one of Kelly's. He also wore his seersucker suit today. While wearing his "good suit" he helped build a small bookshelf for Talula's room. Very funny scene.
I picked up our 5 gallons of raw milk from Dr. Comen today at Ion Health. I also gave him some of the butter that I made. I hope he'll be able to give me insight into what's going on with the fat content...
Aunt Sheryl spent the night tonight. She came over at 4:30, so I could go to the Back To School Night at East Cooper Montessori Charter School (ECMCS). I got to meet Kelly's teacher and see how his class will be run. I feel great about both teachers that the boys have. The Charter school is truly a special school. I feel so fortunate to have the kids on a Montessori track. Kelly read us two books tonight before bedtime (and Bowen acted them out). There was great fun all around - as Aunt Sheryl was the substitute mommy while I was at the school. I made a homemade chicken noodle soup tonight. I kept it simmering for a couple of hours (the kids ate, and we ate a few hours later). Mistake! The soup got all gummy. It was a shame. The soup was so delicious and nutritious the first hour of simmering :). Once Michael got home, we visited with Aunt Sheryl a bit. And, then we all headed for bed. LONG DAY...
August 24.
August 24, 2011. I took the day off from the gym. I just couldn't get it all done. I took the boys to school this morning, while Michael and Aunt Sheryl chatted about religion and politics over a cup of coffee. I got the house in order and prepared breakfast for the girls and myself. Then, we spent the morning at Barnes and Noble reading stories and picking out "birthday books" for Talula's wish list. There is a common thread among all of the Enright children. They LOVE books and they want to OWN their books. The library is just a disappointment and is there to be tolerated on rainy days, but it is really just a stop gap. They NEED their own books. I grew up worshiping the library. So, I just don't get it. Anyway, after an hour or so at the book store (I bought Gone With The Wind for myself and for Aunt Allison's birthday), we went to Ye Ol' Fashioned Ice Cream for lunch with Aunt Allison. Tomorrow is her birthday. So, we all got BLTs and celebrated her big day. It was great to catch up with her. The girls LOVE Auntie Allison - she is so "girly girl." Talula asked her for fairy slippers for her birthday...New to me. After lunch, we planted some Asters and pulled some of the summer climbing vines that were pretty burnt. We will spend the next couple of weeks weeding the gardens, pulling old, tired stuff and replacing with good late summer/fall items. I also need to figure out when we should plan to lay pinestraw - as the yard is a bit bare right now. We had a playdate with Ava Grace from Sundrops today. Ava is Talula's best friend from Sundrops. She is a sweet little girl, and T misses her dearly. So, it was so nice to pick up Ava early from school and let Lula, Mina and Ava play together for a couple of hours at the ION playground (The Scramble). We had a good chunk of time for the girls to play, as the boys started afterschool tennis today. The tennis class has come a long way since last year. They made several changes with staff and methodology. So, the boys said it was so fun and they learned a ton today. I made Chicken Parmesan for dinner with sauteed zucchini and leftover homemade whoopie pies (pretty much two chocolate brownie cookies with vanilla creme in between). Everyone is bathed, fed, brushed, dressed, read to, and bedded down. We are getting watch a bit of news - to catchup on whether we are evacuating tomorrow. I have a very long run tomorrow - I am going for 17 miles at the gym. But, tonight I am not doing a thing except snuggle on the couch for an hour and then off to bed. Will let you know how the run goes...Runner's Love.
The secadas are out in full-force...They seem to be warning eachother of the storm to come. Talula walked a dog today at the park. Mina ate zucchini without any trouble (and two helpings of chicken parm). Earthquake aftershocks this week. Hurricane Irene on her way. Kids are getting along. What's going on???
The secadas are out in full-force...They seem to be warning eachother of the storm to come. Talula walked a dog today at the park. Mina ate zucchini without any trouble (and two helpings of chicken parm). Earthquake aftershocks this week. Hurricane Irene on her way. Kids are getting along. What's going on???
August 25.
August 25, 2011. I ran 18 miles today. If you think that sounds painful, then let me clarify it was 18 miles on the treadmill - which is even more painful! In this heat and humidity though, the treadmill is the lesser evil. I was pretty much out of it the rest of the day. Corinne played tennis with the boys today. It was so nice for them to have two tennis practices in one week. The girls and I played with Ailey at the IOP rec center park. We had an easy dinner (Brie and apples, yogurt with honey, toast with almond butter and raw milk. Today was also my first time volunteering at the school. I'm trying to figure out how to get my mandatory 40 hours of volunteering in...It's going to be tough now that the girls are not really in school.
Michael is at Jiu-Jitsu. I've just finished my list of to-dos for tomorrow - we have to do quite a bit to get ready for Irene. It looks like the hurricane is going to pass by us, but we want to be prepared just in case...
I'm exhausted. It's only 8 pm, and I'm heading to bed...I'm taking the girls to visit my Aunt Patsy and Uncle Marlyn tomorrow morning with my dad and then on to lunch. So, a busy day tomorrow...
Michael is at Jiu-Jitsu. I've just finished my list of to-dos for tomorrow - we have to do quite a bit to get ready for Irene. It looks like the hurricane is going to pass by us, but we want to be prepared just in case...
I'm exhausted. It's only 8 pm, and I'm heading to bed...I'm taking the girls to visit my Aunt Patsy and Uncle Marlyn tomorrow morning with my dad and then on to lunch. So, a busy day tomorrow...
August 26.
August 26, 2011. School was cancelled today due to potential weather from Hurricane Irene. The weather actually didn't turn out to be anything too bad - yet. But, you never know. I got up early and picked up groceries for the week from Whole Foods. Then, I took dinner to Uncle Marlyn and visited for a few minutes. My aunt Patsy gave me some peach jam that her husband (Jim) made. Apparently, he is a canning freak these days. I have canning equipment envy! Then, Michael and Kells secured the beehive to the ground with tent stakes and bungi cords. I was worried that the winds from the storm may blow over my hive or a limb may knock it over. After the kids had a very small amount of quiet time, we all went for a walk to the beach to see the big waves. There were tons of surfers out there. I cannot even imagine trying to surf those waves. Bowen made his first friend-to-friend phone call today. He called his friend, Camden. They chatted about all sorts of silly things for almost 30 minutes! I remember those days of LOVING the phone. Now, I just text. I am actually considering turning off our home line. We never use it. I'm getting ready to cook dinner. I thawed some beautiful NY Strips from River Run Farms, am making a top-notch salad with heirloom tomatoes, avocadoes, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, homemade croutons, pine nuts, and some sort of cheese, and just put the sweet potatoes (Bowen's favorite) in the oven. Talula has found the Boggle Jr. game. She has spelled Pie, Pig, Bird, Stop, and Dog all by herself. Kelly and Mina are in the sunroom putting puzzles together. Bowen is dressing up like a cowboy. Michael's on a conference call. I need a drink! Rain; No School; Long Weekend; Four Kids; Husband Working; Crazy Mama. Signing off early tonight. Just signed up for the $5 Challenge through Slow Food USA...Check it out. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/
August 27-29.
August 27-29, 2011. Labor day weekend. Michael took the boys to jiu-jitsu this morning. They are really enjoying the class (they go twice every week). And, they are really excited to be doing jiu-jitsu with their dad. It's pretty cool to see them train together now. I dropped the girls at Corinne's house for a playdate with Ailey. Once I was kid-free, I headed West Ashley to the Clemson Extension office for a half-day seminar on planting a garden from seeds and creating a healthy organic herb garden. It was quite a nice class - and the people were so nice. I really wanted to sign up for the Master Gardener class through Clemson; however, it is full for the rest of the year. I will keep it on my radar, because it would really help me get the yard together. I have so much to learn about organic gardening. I went to Lowes after the class and picked up some flowers for the front porch and the pots on the back porch. The six Enrights spent the afternoon in the yard - cleaning up sticks from the storm, weeded the gardens, and planting the new raised beds with one last round of cucumbers, squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and big boy tomatoes. I am excited to get the next harvest, as we kind of missed our summer harvest - being in Maine for all of July.
August 30.
August 30, 2011. I got my hair cut and highlighted today. It was an absolute necessity. I hadn't been to Unhwa Salon since before we went to Maine (back in May). WOW! I can attest to the fact there I have no grey when my hair grew out. However, my hair is much much darker than it was 5 years ago. You can tell I'm pushing 40 :).
We had a playdate with Bowen's good friend, Oliver, today at the Scramble. He is a very nice boy - I actually met his mom a couple of months ago when we got our chickens. Oliver's family has four chickens as well. They have a lovely house in Old Village with a beautiful backyard and a very funky chicken house. It was so fun to see!
We had a playdate with Bowen's good friend, Oliver, today at the Scramble. He is a very nice boy - I actually met his mom a couple of months ago when we got our chickens. Oliver's family has four chickens as well. They have a lovely house in Old Village with a beautiful backyard and a very funky chicken house. It was so fun to see!
August 31.
August 31, 2011. Kells stayed home sick today. As you can see in the photo, he was given the "sick tv," so he could watch dvd's in bed between naps and meds. Once everyone else got home from school, they all disappeared. I actually had time to straighten up the house, do a load of laundry and make a pretty nice dinner. When I realized how quiet it was...I went to the boys' room to see what the kids were up to. Well, as you can see from the photo, they were all in Kelly's bed watching a movie (I think they were all going through movie withdrawals). They couldn't help themselves. By the end of the evening though, Kells was recovered. I think he may have been suffering from "soul fever." It's been a long month with a lot of long days - he's just playing catch up.
September 1.
September 1, 2011. Today I checked my bees with Ms. Kay. We looked at each frame to make sure there wasn't a beetle issue and to see how much comb had been built out in the newest box. They are doing so well. There were definitely some beetles that we need to deal with (I will start putting soapy water and laundry detergent under and around the beehive - so the beetles cannot multiply). We need to start making a plan for harvesting the honey. It will probably be time by end of September.
Also, we came over to Miss Tara's house to see a box turtle that Mr. Leighton found in the backyard. He wanted to let the kids see it. Well, we took it home and are going to keep it for a pet for a while. I did just read online that box turtles in the wild are few and far between - and that you should not take them on as pets. So, I will begin breaking the news to the kids that this is not a new Enright addition...
Also, we came over to Miss Tara's house to see a box turtle that Mr. Leighton found in the backyard. He wanted to let the kids see it. Well, we took it home and are going to keep it for a pet for a while. I did just read online that box turtles in the wild are few and far between - and that you should not take them on as pets. So, I will begin breaking the news to the kids that this is not a new Enright addition...
September 2.
September 2, 2011. We picked up Ailey from her house early this morning and took her to the Aquarium. It was her first visit to see the fishies - and the girls haven't been at all this year. We had such a nice time. Ailey had such a good time. We had a really nice girls day - while Aunt CC cleaned the house and got ready for her house guests from Florida. It's really such a blessing to have cousins just a couple of blocks away from each other. There will be many more of these outings. We love you, Ailey!
September 3-5.
September 3-5, 2011. This weekend was a total blur. It was the long weekend, so we had so many plans to catch up on so many things with the kids, each other, the house, the yard, etc...We got pretty much nothing accomplished - other than, we had a beautiful dinner with Tara and Leighton. It was last minute - Tara had packaged and frozen pork belly from her time on one of the Geogia farms this summer. She offered to share it with us. So, she and Michael cooked it together. And, the lentils that Michael made were out of this world. We've done lentils a couple of times over the last few weeks, and this batch was perfection. I made a blueberry streusal - it was so easy and delicious. We had our first glass of wine - a toast to Tara and Leighton's move to upstate New York - since July. Of course, the children LOVED having them over. Wilhelmina is Uncle Leighton's shadow...they will be missed. Talula was so happy that Tara brought over Geogia - the kids took turns feeding her a bottle of goat's milk and took her for a walk in the yard. I do believe there is something so special about her goat. It is not possible to be down about anything when she is around :)...Georgia is welcome anytime!
September 6.
September 6, 2011. Michael took the girls to school this morning, so I could do my long run. I only have about a week before my Half Marathon in Asheville, NC. So, I ran 10 miles on the treadmill at the gym - my stomach has really been upset, so I wasn't able to run the 20 that I had planned to today. I picked up the girls from school and took them to the beach for a couple of hours. Then, we picked up the boys - Bowen had guitar afterschool and Kells went to Homework Club. After rushing home from these activities, Michael headed out for Jiu-Jitsu with the boys. The girls and I played Memory and House and Indian Poker. We picnicked on the back porch and visited with Aunt CC for a while - she and Uncle B are off to Maine in the morning (so they dropped off a birthday card for Talula). This was a pretty quiet day altogether. The girls and I are enjoying the quality time together. Tomorrow is Lula's big day. She'll be 5! She made me spend the last few hours practicing my singing, so her birthday song will be perfect. We promised to all wake her up with our singing Happy Birthday tomorrow...
September 7.
September 7, 2011. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Lula and (sort of) Mina. Happy Birthday to you.
Our first stop this morning was the flower shop. I let the girls pick out their own bouquet of flowers - both chose baby roses (hot pink and light pink). Then, I took the girls for their first manicure and pedicure (Lula picked blue sparkles for her fingers and green sparkles for her toes and Mina picked hot pink sparkles for fingers and toes). I also allowed them to go to Target this morning to buy a "personal" gift - Lula picked out a plastic tea set and Mina picked out a plastic microphone. They are thrilled with their purchases from China. Both girls got haircuts from Unhwa hair salon - Christina (the girl who cuts my hair) spent an hour cutting and styling their hair, and then the receptionist, Lauren, put a piece of sparkly tinsel in their hair for the party.
We celebrated Lula and Mina's birthday with my Charleston family today. We met for lunch at Vespa on Daniel Island. My dad (Cowboy Papa) and my three aunts (Sheryl, Allison and Madeleine) came to the celebration. There were a few others who were invited who couldn't come. It was not the most ideal way to celebrate Lula's birthday, but it allowed us to see some family on her special day. There were some lovely gifts for the girls - and they loved having Happy Birthday sung to them!
And, last but not least, we picked up Tara after school, and we all went to Jack's Cosmic Dogs for a birthday dinner. We played video games and bleu cheese slaw dogs and softserve ice-cream. The goat, Georgia, even made a cameo for Lula's birthday - wearing a birthday card.
A perfect day for everyone all around. I'm wiped out...Good night.
Our first stop this morning was the flower shop. I let the girls pick out their own bouquet of flowers - both chose baby roses (hot pink and light pink). Then, I took the girls for their first manicure and pedicure (Lula picked blue sparkles for her fingers and green sparkles for her toes and Mina picked hot pink sparkles for fingers and toes). I also allowed them to go to Target this morning to buy a "personal" gift - Lula picked out a plastic tea set and Mina picked out a plastic microphone. They are thrilled with their purchases from China. Both girls got haircuts from Unhwa hair salon - Christina (the girl who cuts my hair) spent an hour cutting and styling their hair, and then the receptionist, Lauren, put a piece of sparkly tinsel in their hair for the party.
We celebrated Lula and Mina's birthday with my Charleston family today. We met for lunch at Vespa on Daniel Island. My dad (Cowboy Papa) and my three aunts (Sheryl, Allison and Madeleine) came to the celebration. There were a few others who were invited who couldn't come. It was not the most ideal way to celebrate Lula's birthday, but it allowed us to see some family on her special day. There were some lovely gifts for the girls - and they loved having Happy Birthday sung to them!
And, last but not least, we picked up Tara after school, and we all went to Jack's Cosmic Dogs for a birthday dinner. We played video games and bleu cheese slaw dogs and softserve ice-cream. The goat, Georgia, even made a cameo for Lula's birthday - wearing a birthday card.
A perfect day for everyone all around. I'm wiped out...Good night.
September 8.
September 8, 2011. I had a lovely morning with my good friend, Alice Kendall. She and I got a coffee at Metto Cafe and caught up. I had planned to volunteer at the school this morning, but they weren't ready for me. Michael was out of town this week, so Tara came over tonight to help me with the "goody bags" for the birthday party tomorrow - the girls have managed to drag out their birthday all week! I am exhausted. How did this happen :)...We have a group of friends meeting us at the rec center playground to celebrate the girls' birthday. It has gotten pretty large - because it's for both girls (and we invited siblings and, of course, parents). So, there should be over 30 people there. Most of the friends are from Sundrops - the school Lula and Mina went to last year. So, that will be a great reunion for everyone. Lula, especially, loves staying home with me, but she really misses her friends from last year. So, we are all looking forward to the gathering. I will make mini-peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and mini-pimento cheese and cucumber sandwiches for snacks - and I just ordered 36 mini-cupcakes from Whole Foods. Tara and I just made 36 individually wrapped jelly beans bags with a ribbon and a personalized thank you note. They turned out beautifully! Ms. Donna - a good friend of Tara's - loaned me a cooler cart. It will hold the ice, sandwiches and drinks...And, she also let me borrow a 3 gallon lemonade server. The kids will LOVE serving themselves lemonade! Should be quite fun. I recorded President Obama's speech tonight. He has put together a "jobs package" for America. So, I am getting ready to watch that now - I hope it's a big package that makes a huge difference to the lower and middle classes in this country.
September 9.
September 9, 2011. Today, we celebrated the girls' birthdays at the IOP rec center's playground - this was the "friend" party. All of their best friends came to celebrate - Reeve and Rose Kotz, Sophia and Hadley Kendall, Davis and Sophie Hartley, Ms. Tara, Ms. Donna, Ava Smoak, Michael and Matthew Mazzoli, Ainsley McKenzie, Lydia Meyers, Isabella and Joseph and Dylan Ranucci, Luqui and Ben Labarca, Gloria Ilderton, and all of their parents (and Michael, Bowen, Kells and myself). There were almost 40 people at this "low-key" celebration. I'm not sure how it turned into such a "party." It was very fun though...Everyone had a great time. See all of the beautiful photos below that were taken by Ms. Tara (thanks Ms. Tara)...After the party, Tara joined Michael and me for a rib, macncheese, and slaw "thank you" dinner. There is no way the party could have happened without her help and support.
September 10.
September 10, 2011. I was so excited to take the girls to soccer this morning. This was their first game. They are on the same team and felt like big kids playing on the big soccer field - the same field that the boys play on. They put on their soccer cleats and umbro shorts and their team shirts (Sharks). They looked so cute! They practiced for 30 minutes and then scrimmaged for 30 minutes. They were spent by the end of the session. They cannot wait for next week! After soccer, the girls and I visited Ms. Leola for about an hour. The guys were still at Jiu-Jitsu, so we had some good girl time. Ms. Leola gave Talula her birthday card and a baggie filled with a reese cup for each of the kids. She was so excited - never had Reeses before. Everyone took a nap after lunch - including Michael and me. We had Miss Anna - a babysitter from College of Charleston - watch the kids tonight for our anniversary. We will be married 14 years on September 13th. We had reservations at Lana's AND Carolina's for tonight. We couldn't decide what we were in the mood for. We ended up cancelling both dinner reservations and going to see a movie - DEBT with Helen Miran - at the Cinabarre theatre. The movie was just okay, but we really had a good time just catching up and hanging out! We need to do that more often. It's hard to find a balance between alone time and family time. We LOVE hanging out with the kids and we feel like we need to take advantage of all of our family time now - as the kids are growing up so fast! But, we end up burning out and not even realizing it. So, we made a pact to get back to regular date nights.
September 11.
September 11, 2011. Happy Birthday Uncle B. Hope you are enjoying lots of lobstah in Maine with your woman. Beach day. Watching squirrel build nest in hollowed oak tree. Finished homework for the week. Girls took long nap. Huge breakfast with proscuitto, cinnamon sprouted toast, scrambled eggs, and raw milk. Watched True Blood season finale. Looking forward to gym. Took most of the week off because of stomach bug...Starting to feel better now. Signed up for the online courses to start my own business. This photo is of the kids hanging on the back porch watching a squirrel build his nest in the hollow of an oak tree in our back yard. They were fascinated watching the squirrel break off tree limbs with his teeth and then stuff them into the tree's hole. They were on the porch at least an hour watching our furry friend's home construction.
September 12.
September 12, 2011. First soccer practice for the boys. They LOVE it. The team is great - and the coach is so laid back. They will begin their games next week.
September 13.
September 13, 2011. I spent the entire morning in Miss Leola's yard. We moved empty pots, dumped dirt, planted bulbs and ground covers, etc. I plan to spend some time each week with her - helping her get her yard ready for winter. She LOVES her gardens and is just not able to do what she used to. And, she has SOOOO much knowledge to share with a newby gardener like me.
Bowen had his first guitar lesson with Ms. Lara - he took a break over the summer. So, he is very excited to get back into it! Kelly went to his first "homework club" - which is an afterschool program with individual tutors for homework assistance. He got all of his homework completed for the week. I was very impressed with the quality of the assistance. That really helped me this week - as Michael is going to be in Texas for most of the week. There is a lot to deliver on Fridays with two kids at school and two kids home! And, I leave on Friday morning to go to my mom's house. I am dropping the girls with her for the weekend, and I am going to run the Half Marathon in Asheville, NC. I am not nervous about finishing the Half at all; however, I wish I had been able to train a little more regularly. I have had so many "hiccups" with injuries, stomach aches, kids' fevers, etc. We will see how it goes.
The girls went to their first gymnastics class at the IOP Rec Center. They were so happy when their old friend, Celia, from Sundrops was in the gymnastics class as well. We hung out afterwards and played at the playground until my mom came here for a short visit. She brought her new dog, Winston, to visit the kids - hoping to get the girls used to the dog (mini-pomaranian) before our trip to Spartanburg this Friday...Talula still has issues with all dogs!!! I think she may be okay with little Winston though...
Today is our wedding anniversary. We have been married 14 years! The time has flown by. I am so grateful we found each other and have grown in the same direction over these years. We have four amazing children and an incredible database of memories - and photographs :).
Bowen had his first guitar lesson with Ms. Lara - he took a break over the summer. So, he is very excited to get back into it! Kelly went to his first "homework club" - which is an afterschool program with individual tutors for homework assistance. He got all of his homework completed for the week. I was very impressed with the quality of the assistance. That really helped me this week - as Michael is going to be in Texas for most of the week. There is a lot to deliver on Fridays with two kids at school and two kids home! And, I leave on Friday morning to go to my mom's house. I am dropping the girls with her for the weekend, and I am going to run the Half Marathon in Asheville, NC. I am not nervous about finishing the Half at all; however, I wish I had been able to train a little more regularly. I have had so many "hiccups" with injuries, stomach aches, kids' fevers, etc. We will see how it goes.
The girls went to their first gymnastics class at the IOP Rec Center. They were so happy when their old friend, Celia, from Sundrops was in the gymnastics class as well. We hung out afterwards and played at the playground until my mom came here for a short visit. She brought her new dog, Winston, to visit the kids - hoping to get the girls used to the dog (mini-pomaranian) before our trip to Spartanburg this Friday...Talula still has issues with all dogs!!! I think she may be okay with little Winston though...
Today is our wedding anniversary. We have been married 14 years! The time has flown by. I am so grateful we found each other and have grown in the same direction over these years. We have four amazing children and an incredible database of memories - and photographs :).
September 14.
September 14, 2011. Rescued a "brain fruit" from the school yard today. Took the girls swimming at my friend Lisa's house. Ended up having lunch with her and playing with her 1 year old daughter, Sophie. Tennis was cancelled due to weather today. So, we got home quite early and began the evening rituals: unloading groceries, pickup all toys, read books, cook and eat dinner, bath/shower time, and evening story time. We got up at 5 am to take Michael to the airport, so we all have had a VERY LONG day!
My online, self-paced Simplicity Parenting certification course begins tomorrow. This is something I have been interested in for a very long time - and everything I really have a passion for falls under this "simple living" umbrella. I will update my blog with all of the insights and information I attain over the next few months...Stay tuned. Keep reading.
My online, self-paced Simplicity Parenting certification course begins tomorrow. This is something I have been interested in for a very long time - and everything I really have a passion for falls under this "simple living" umbrella. I will update my blog with all of the insights and information I attain over the next few months...Stay tuned. Keep reading.
September 15.
September 15, 2011. I spent the entire morning doing laundry - the beautiful part of being a mom of four! I also spent a couple of hours cleaning out the boys's drawers. They have grown so much over the last few months - they cannot wear half the shirts and pants. I will do the girl's room next week and try to get them ready for the Fall. I ran 3 miles today - tried to keep an 8.5 minute pace. I am not a fast runner at all - I just didn't have much time to spend at the gym today, so I thought I could push it from a time perspective. Felt pretty good. I will do another short run in the morning and then run my Half Marathon on Saturday. Michael got home from Texas today. He spent a couple of hours this afternoon catching up with the kids while I took my first Simplicity Parenting online course. I am very excited about this endeavor. It is a natural extension of everything I have been living the last three years. I will graduate in December with a Degree as a Simplicity Parenting Consultant. So, over the next few months I plan to create my business plan. Will keep you posted. So, tomorrow Michael and I plan to take the boys to school and then go to the gym for an hour with the girls. After the gym, we will drive over the bridge to have breakfast at Hominy Grill. Then, we will head off for our girls weekend with my mom. Can't wait for some of that Hormel bacon from Hominy...
September 16-18.
September 16-18, 2011. Well, the highlight of the weekend was my Half Marathon in Asheville, NC. I ran it in 2.29 hours. The time really isn't all that great, however, the course was probably one of the toughest I had ever run. So, I was thrilled to finish - and was happy with my time. It was a cloudy and chilly day, but the run itself was ridiculously beautiful! The neighborhoods I ran through were so amazing, and it was so cool to run around the UNC - Asheville college campus. The logistics were spot-on. I parked in a parking garage that was 20 feet from the starting line. There was an indoor mall with several pristine restrooms that never had lines! There was free food and beer from EarthFare after the race - and a lovely little coffee shoppe that I went to after the run (got a latte and a homemade pimento cheese wrap). I will post photos when they come in...
The other great part of the weekend was that the girls and I were able to spend the weekend with my mom. My mom watched the girls on Saturday morning while I ran the race. Because it was raining, they bonded over breakfast and movies! That was as good as they wanted it. And, Talula really got some good "dog time" with Winston. Her fear of dogs is waining. And, Lula and Mina got some good time in the kitchen making dinner with Mimi - while I sat in the recliner with a heating pad...
We came home on Sunday afternoon and let all of the kids get reacquainted. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs - and taste-tested 6 different flavors of gelato - the gelato was leftover from the boys' weekend (Michael and the boys made ice-cream sundaes with all sorts of "organic" toppings). They had a great time! It'd been a while since they had some good guy-time...and, the girls enjoyed not having to share the spotlight either.
The other great part of the weekend was that the girls and I were able to spend the weekend with my mom. My mom watched the girls on Saturday morning while I ran the race. Because it was raining, they bonded over breakfast and movies! That was as good as they wanted it. And, Talula really got some good "dog time" with Winston. Her fear of dogs is waining. And, Lula and Mina got some good time in the kitchen making dinner with Mimi - while I sat in the recliner with a heating pad...
We came home on Sunday afternoon and let all of the kids get reacquainted. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs - and taste-tested 6 different flavors of gelato - the gelato was leftover from the boys' weekend (Michael and the boys made ice-cream sundaes with all sorts of "organic" toppings). They had a great time! It'd been a while since they had some good guy-time...and, the girls enjoyed not having to share the spotlight either.
September 19.
September 19, 2011. Michael took the boys to school this morning, because we were catching a ride with Miss Kay to the Cancer Center AND he had to unload two HUGE "luvsacs" for the school. We donated these two oversized high-end beanbags to the boys' classrooms because they were so large that we could hardly fit them through our front door. These were actually part of our "basement project" in Northern Virginia. I think we actually had six of these beanbags for the kids to hang out on...What were we thinking? Anyway, they are very nice - and even nicer somewhere else. The girls and I spent all of the morning in the gardens at the Hollings Cancer Center downtown. It is such a nice project for us to do with Miss Kay - and the girls are making some friends there. Every time we go, there seems to be some sort of a connection the girls make with one of the patients or family members of a patient. Their innocence and desire to be there are so refreshing to the folks who have to be there! The girls raked all of the dead leaves, put all of the clippings in the recycling bucket and had a picnic by the fountain. Fun and work woven together...The boys had soccer practice in the rain this afternoon - and LOVED it. They said this was what real athletes do...And, the girls played at the IOP Rec Center playgroun - in the rain. Everyone was soaked. Again, fun had by all! Michael made a beautiful meal - and Bowen helped with all aspects (pork chops, rainbow chard, and fresh local pink-eyed peas). We planned to make ginger snaps for dessert (and for Miss Leola - as these are her FAVORITES); however, there are not enough hours in the day. So, we bought some fancy ginger snaps from one of the local bakeries - ate them for dessert and gave some to Miss Leola. Late night tonight all around. Kids didn't go to bed until 8:45. Michael and I are going to watch CNN for a short time and then lights out. Good night. Love. PS My camera on the iphone died a couple of days ago. Until we get it fixed, the pictures may be absent for a while...I'll work on using the real camera, but it's a bit bulky.
September 20.
September 20, 2011. Happy Birthday Aunt Kimmy! Hope you are enjoying your big 4-0...I cannot believe how OLD we are getting :)...It's been a really great day. I took the girls to preschool this morning and spent several hours in my garden, mowed the grass and got caught up on laundry. We all had lunch with Michael and then took the girls took a short nap. The girls had gymnastics this afternoon post-nap, and Michael picked up the boys from guitar. Then, we all played at the rec center for a bit. It is so nice to live so close to the rec center. It really has been a gift for our family. We go almost daily - the kids love to ride their bikes or scooters there - I just dropped off our bikes (Michael's and mine) at the bike shop - hoping they can tune them up and get them ready for fall riding. Our goal is to avoid "needing" a golf cart. The last thing we need is another excuse to be lazy! Miss Tara came over tonight to go over my "business plan" for the Slow Life venture. I am really excited about the classes. I made another batch of yogurt today. The kids eat it for breakfast and take it to school with them for a lunch snack. The trail mix I made last week seems to be a hit - dried cherries, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, dried apricots, pumpkin seeds and carob chips.
September 21.
September 21, 2011. I took the girls this morning to see Cowboy Papa and Grammy's new house. It's lovely - and they are so excited to be in a larger place that gives them more space for entertaining. We had lunch at Chic-Fil-A - and I let the girls play in the indoor playhouse. They LOVED it - I think it was the first time they have actually done that. The boys played tennis afterschool. They are both doing really well and LOVE the sport. It was raining this evening, but they kept soccer practice on. Bowen said this was a "real" sport - since they didn't just cancel because we got a little rain. The girls got soaked playing at the rec center during the boys' practice. They had such a great time - playing in the rain! We grilled out kabobs and read tons of stories before bedtime. Michael and I watched a bit of news, and I'm heading to bed early. We will get up early tomorrow and go to the gym after taking the boys to school. I need to increase my mileage this upcoming week. I have about 35 days left before the Marine Corps Marathon. I just booked my flight today. It will be quite something to have 5 or 6 hours to myself on October 30. Hopefully, there is beautiful weather. I almost backed off - as it's quite a lot all around to leave town for a weekend and have Michael watch all four kiddoes without any help - especially with all of his traveling lately. So, I am grateful that Michael insisted that I follow-through with this goal. I know I won't regret going.
September 22.
September 22, 2011. I picked up Celia (my friend Sydney's daughter) from Sundrops for a playdate. Celia's mom was out of town for the week, so we helped out her dad, Nick, with childcare. Talula and Mina love Celia. They used to go to Sundrops with her and they do gymnastics with her now (Talula and Celia just learned how to do a proper cartwheel). We all went to the Waterfront Park after school. I met my friend, Lisa Hartley, and her children there too. It was nice to chat with Lisa while all the kids played. I took them all to Chick-Fil-A afterwards for a "snack/dinner." It began raining, so we picnicked on the back porch. It's tough balancing playdates, preschool, house work,volunteering, gardening and home work...We have been in school exactly one month. I'm counting the days till it gets easier :)...
September 23.
September 23, 2011. I went out to dinner tonight with some girlfriends. It was so nice to get out on a Friday night - and have a nice meal out. We almost went to Husk downtown, but we got caught up chatting beforehand. So, we missed our reservation. We ended up eating at Crave near the Isle of Palms connector in Mount Pleasant. It was just so-so, but the company was great. It was late when I got home...I gave everyone kisses and tucked them in (including Michael).
September 24.
September 24, 2011. We babysat Ailey tonight. It was a gift for Uncle B's birthday - and also a true gift for our children. They really enjoyed having Ailey around for the night. She came over about 5pm, so we had a couple of hours to play with her before she fell asleep for the night. Ms. Tara surprised us with a visit this evening - to give Wilhelmina and Bowen their birthday gifts. She visited for a few minutes - taking a break from her packing (and waiting to pickup Leighton from the airport - he spent the last week in California). At the last minute, we invited Tara and Leighton for dinner - I couldn't bear to think they were cooking in a half-packed kitchen at 8pm on a Saturday night. We stretched a skirt steak and salad. It was fun and sad all wrapped in one. It's our last meal with the Derr's. Who knew she would become one of my best friends - especially in such a short period of time. The children are going to miss them so much! Michael made a beautiful dinner - as usual. Bryan and Corinne didn't stay out late - and ended up coming back for Ailey before Tara and Leighton left. So, we ended up having a nice grown up visit with the six adults - and five sleeping kids. That doesn't work out often :)
September 25.
September 25, 2011. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Wilhelmina. Happy Birthday to you. My dear heart, Wilhelmina, is four years old now. My baby is not such the baby anymore. She wants to grow up. She is happy to be four and wants to be a little lady - not a little baby! It's a good thing we have Ailey and Christian in the family to help me with my baby-fix (and just as they begin to grow out of babydom, Joey's newest addition will join the family). Joey and Meaghan find out whether they are having a girl or boy on October 5. I'll keep you posted. I'll be an aunt again. So, today was not the day I'll write in my Simplicity Parenting journal. We had a fantastic time as a family - and what an adventure. But, amusement parks are truly not our thing. Well, they haven't been until today. Michael and I planned to take the kids to Bowen's Island for a "family birthday" celebration - it seemed like a great place to celebrate three September birthdays. However, the restaurant is closed on Sundays - and the weather was spotty at best. I was sure it was going to rain here. So, after a couple of hours online and a few hours of conversation over the weekend, we decided to take the family to Carowinds - which is a pretty large amusement park in Charlotte, NC. The kids were in heaven! We seriously had the entire park to ourselves. There were hardly any families there. We didn't have to wait in any lines. We packed our own food from the local market, so we ate very little of the theme park's food (we, of course, had to share a large bag of pink cotton candy). We got there right when it opened (noon) and it started to rain there at 5pm - the perfect time to head home (three hour drive). Everyone was in bed by 9pm. So, it was a very long and fun-filled day. The adventure will be hard to top.
September 26.
September 26, 2011. The girls and I planted 17 flats of flowers today at the Cancer Center downtown Charleston. Ms. Kay is so happy we have chosen this project for our community help this year. The girls love it - and there are so many folks at the center who appreciate those gardens (and the short bits of conversation with Talula and Wilhelmina). I decided to let the boys skip soccer practice tonight, since they will miss the game on Wednesday night (they'll be at sleepaway camp). So, I let Kells have an afterschool playdate with Hadley - his best friend from Sundrops. Hadley is such a nice little boy - my good friend, Alice, is his mom. So, they ended up having a great visit. Bowen and I went to Target to pickup all of the "stuff" on the camping trip packing list. there wasn't too much - but they needed flashlights, extra underwear, disposable toothbrushes, body scrubbers, etc. So, it was fun to pick out all of those goodies. Bowen is such a planner, so he brought the list and a pen to check off what we bought. We decided to celebrate Wilhelmina and Bowen's birthdays tonight - as Michael will be out tomorrow night for Bowen's actual birthday. We gave Bowen and Mina their presents from us. And, we enjoyed our butter cream icing chocolate cake for dessert.
September 27.
September 27, 2011. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Bowen. Happy Birthday to you. We have a tradition in our family of waking up the birthday girl or boy with the Happy Birthday song. It has worked really well - and the kids LOVE it! However, I missed the song this morning. I made sure Talula reminded Michael of this tradition...And, she did. So, Bowen got a Happy Birthday song at 6:30 this morning. I'm not so sure he appreciated it as much as one would have hoped - he's not much of a morning person though...I got up at 5am and left the house at 5:30 for one of my long marathon runs today. I ran 22 miles (around Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island). I walked and ran it - my knee is quite sore from the Half Marathon - so, I wanted to make sure I took it easy. I think I'll be okay for the DC Marathon - I will run a 24 mile run in two more weeks, and then the big day is October 30 (26.2 miles). Joey got me a very discounted room at the Renaissance Marathon in DC, so Tara and I will stay there on Saturday night. She and I will be able to go out to dinner Saturday night and catch up on her new place in NY - and then get up at 5 am for the marathon Sunday morning. The rest of my day should have been spent in a hot bathtub or
September 28.
September 28, 2011. We dropped the boys off at school this morning - they are off to Camp St. Christopher. The school takes all of the 1st-3rd graders to a three day (two nights) sleep away camp about an hour from here. Bowen went last year - and this is the Kelly's first year going. I decided not to chaperone this year - as both boys will be together. And, I am sure they will have a great time! We mailed letters early in the week for them to open each day at camp (and Pop Pop from Maine emailed a letter as well this morning). So, hopefully they won't get homesick...Michael and I skipped the gym this morning since I had such a big run yesterday and spent the morning at Metto Cafe (Latte for her. Americano with light cream for him). Then we took the girls to Whole Foods to shop for dinner tonight. We decided last minute to have Tara, Leighton and Charlie (Tara's dad) over for Tara's favorite meal in the Enright universe - Chicken Bread Salad (a recipe from A Year in My Kitchen). We had a great visit with The Derr/Webb crew. They will be missed...I spent most of today in the gardens - we replaced the herb garden in the back with a shade garden (the herbs were moved to the garden boxes on the side of the house, so they could get more sun). We added a rosemary bush in front of the fence and plan to plant a butterfly garden in the Spring). The yard will slowly become what we want from it. It has so much potential. It just takes time...We are not used to waiting for it all to come together. We want immediate gratification...I can honestly say that the gratification is now coming from the "journey" - not just the "destination." I think this is because we are part of the journey - we haven't just outsourced it in order to enjoy the final product...
September 29.
September 29, 2011. I was supposed to have my friend, Sydney Cook, over for coffee and a beach walk this morning, but she called with an emergency. She just bought a house on Sullivan's Island and found out there is deadly black mold in her walls. She is not sure what the extent of the damage is, but it doesn't look good. She is meeting the environmental specialist at her place this morning. I hope she is able to resolve the issue with minimal effort and money...Just to be safe, I am going to call someone to come out next week and check our house. Living at the beach is risky, so you just have to stay in front of the problem. So, even though I was disappointed Sydney was not able to make it, it worked out fine and my girlfriend, Camille Labarca, (my old neighbor from Daniel Island) came out to the beach and we took a long walk together. The girls were in pre-school, so were had a good three hour visit. It was so nice - and totally kid-free. We got exercise and got caught up on all the family, school, work, and neighborhood gossip (all positive stuff)...I picked up the girls from school and Michael and I took them out to a local sushi place for lunch. The girls, Michael and I made a last minute trip to Miss Tara and Uncle Leighty's house for a final farewell. They are leaving in the morning for Upstate New York. I cannot believe they are moving. Exactly one year ago, we were moving into our new house on Isle of Palms and they were moving from California down the street from us (without knowing they would be three blocks from us). What a blessing to have Michael's childhood friend move so close to us. I had only met Tara and Leighton twice (at their wedding and at Lovey's for dinner once). I had no idea what to expect - but she became one of my truest friends in such a short amount of time. She will be missed tremendously! I cry Tara...Michael had jiu-jitsu tonight, so we rarely do a big dinner on those nights. So, when he went to BJJ, I took the girls to the beach for a sunset picnic. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in swimsuits on the beach. These times are why I love living at the beach...Who else can do impromptu pb&j's on the beach on a school night? What are you waiting for...
September 30.
September 30, 2011. We skipped the gym today - and slept in instead. I took the girls to Whole Foods to buy groceries for the weekend (The IOP Connector race is on Saturday, so we are going to try to not leave the island for grocery shopping this weekend). The girls and I took the car to the VW dealership for service - and luckily they had a loaner available (this was in my agreement when I bought the VW - It is no fun to hang out at the service department alone, much less with four children). So, Lula, Mina and I spent some time at the Red Cross visiting Grammy. She was working at the Mount Pleasant office today, so we showed up for a quick visit - and I ended up donating blood while I was there. I haven't donated blood since college. It was much more of a big deal than I remembered. It was not painful and it went smoothly; I was just surprised at all the paperwork that is needed. It makes sense to mitigate risk...I guess I was just so impressed at how many people give blood (because it's not just a pop-in...). It takes at least 30 minutes (and there were a few people donating platelets - which takes 2 hours). Anyway, I highly recommend it. They were so kind and it was easy to give the girls a snack and some OJ - and I did my thing. The employees there were so special and really helped out with the kids, so that I could do my thing in peace :)...Grammy gave me a very cool "purse holder." It is something you can put on a table or counter or bar and hang your purse safely - off the ground - in a public place. It's this cute little amethyst jewel that fits in your purse. Very cute! At 3:00, we picked up the campers. I really missed the boys. It was so weird to have them out for three days. The house was so quiet - not quite right. We all missed the boys and are so happy to have them back. Except I am not so happy about all of the dirty laundry that came back with them! We were looking forwar to a quiet night with the six Enrights, but Uncle Joey and Auntie Meaghan called at 5pm asking if they could see the kids for a few hours. We have been wanting to see DRIVE for the last few weeks with Ryan Gosling - so, we went to Cinnabarre for a low-key dinner and movie. The movie was so good - and it was so nice to chat with Michael over a beer (which we haven't done in MONTHS) and see a grown up movie and hold hands and pickup very sleepy kids and pour them into bed at 10pm...We stayed up and watched a recorded show on DirecTV and went to bed at a decent hour. A lot packed into one day...totally worth it. Love my family.
October 1.
October 1, 2011. Happy Rabbit Rabbit Day. That's what my grandmother Rose would say on the first day of each month. It was supposed to be a fresh start - some sort of year-round "Spring" - or opportunity to let go of the ick from last month and start over. Talula is sleeping over with Aunt CC and Uncle B tonight. It's so weird to only have three kids here tonight. The dynamic is totally different. Who knew that three children would be "cake"? Michael took the boys (tired and bleery-eyed from camp) to jiu-jitsu this morning. The girls cleaned the house, watered the gardens, and got ready for the girls' soccer game. Michael and the boys met us at the game. It was so fun. Wilhelmina is not really into soccer - just getting the coach to fix her pony tail and hugging Lula on the field and running off the field to kiss me every now and again...Lula is great though. She hussles - and had two assists this week. She likes to actually make the goal - but she is beginning to get joy out of helping the team. Uncle B and Ailey came to the game...everyone was happy to see them. The boys helped Michael grill steak tonight - I steamed some sugar snap peas and made a fresh fruit salad and pulled out some cheeses left over from our visit with Tara and Leighton. Dinner was delicious! Then, the three kiddoes entertained Michael and me for at least an hour with gymnastics moves and "graceful" ballet (not to mention the 30 minutes of guitar karoke)...Good times.
October 2.
October 2, 2011. Since Lula spent the night last night with Aunt CC and Uncle B, everyone slept in a bit more than usual. We made a big breakfast around 10:30 am (Scrambled eggs, proscuitto, fresh fruit with dried cherries, and cinnamon toast). Then, we headed out to pickup Lula from her sleepover. She had a great time with CC and B. She took a bath with Ailey last night, watched Snow White and Lion King, and grilled out hamburgers (not to mention ate pancakes for breakfast). After we picked up Talula, we headed to Cowboy Papa's and Grammy's new house. They are planning to move in next weekend, and they wanted us to see all of the work that had been done. It's beautiful. They are very proud of the house - and it will be such a treat for them once they are moved in. I think they have great neighbors - and a gorgeous view of the marsh. Good times...We took the kids to Rio Grande for lunch - My good friend, Camille, goes there often with her husband and raves about it...So, we slowed down to try it. I have to admit I never really feel great once I go to a Mexican restaurant. So, no review from us. I just don't think I can think about Mexican food for a while - way toooo many chips! Michael told Bowen Rio Grande translated into Big Fanny - instead of Big River. I think I may prove him right on that one! The girls took a really long nap this afternoon and Bowen spent the afternoon working on his homework. Kells asked me yesterday if he and I could spend some time on the beach together today. He wanted to see the sunrise together, but I wasn't up for a 5am wake up call. So, we took a 2 hour walk down the beach. We had some nice chatter, found a beautiful conch shell and huge sand dollar. He and I had races on the beach and practiced running away and screaming if a stranger tried to steal him (you had to be there). No dinner for the crew tonight. Rio Grande did us in. Early night for the kids. Looking forward to a great week! Love. Quote of the day: You have to be my maid. I am the boss. (Talula to Wilhelmina while playing house.)
October 3.
October 3, 2011. I let Michael sleep in this morning - for some reason, I couldn't sleep past 6 am. So, I got up, made breakfast for the kids, packed the boys' lunches, and headed out for school. Once I dropped the boys off at school, the girls and I went to the gym. I ran 9 miles and they hung out at the kids' gym. For lunch, I made a picnic and Michael and I took the girls for a picnic on the beach. Then, Quote of the day: Talula asks: Mommy, Should I start looking now for a person to marry because I don't know that many boys right now. (Bowen says - You really only have like 25 years to find your husband).
October 4.
October 4, 2011. I went to the gym this morning - and ran 10 miles. I feel my body breaking down. The marathon is right around the corner. For some reason, I really feel the pounding on my left hip and knee these days. I plan to keep the marathon simple and slow - I just want to finish it before they let all of the crazy DC and VA drivers back on the roads. The girls went to preschool, so I was able to get caught up with my personal stuff. I was supposed to have a coffee this morning with my friend, Alice. But, I canceled at the 11th hour. I needed some quiet time today. The girls went to gymnastics after school and I got to spend some time with Sydney Cook and Celia. Then, we had two hours of soccer pictures for all four kids. I didn't buy any of the photos - but I felt like I needed to be there for the team photos...So, it was a late night - and Michael went to jiu-jitsu. I'm wiped out. Kids in bed. Going to bed myself.
October 5.
October 5, 2011. I couldn't get it together today. I ran at the gym for an hour and then brought the girls home to watch tv - while I did laundry. The day was lost! The boys had a soccer game tonight. They did such a great job. This is the first year that the organized team sports actually makes sense for them. They LOVE soccer. They LOVE their coach. They LOVE their team. And, they are pretty good. Bryan and Ailey stopped by to see a bit of the game. What a gift to have family so close to simply pop-over for a short time mid-week. Happy Birthday Cousin Ansley!
October 6.
October 6, 2011. Bowen is the only one in our family who has managed to drag out his 8th birthday for an entire month! I went to his classroom today with homemade treats and attended the "around the sun" montessori celebration. I brought in photos of Bowen when he was little and gave anecdotal stories for each year of his life. Their montessori school is so special. We are so fortunate to have won that lottery! I took the girls for an afternoon treat with my friend Lizl and her girls (Reeve and Rose). We went to the Chocolatier shoppe in Ion. They have delicious bite-sized chocolate candies of all shapes and flavors. I had a milk chocolate caramel with sea salt and the girls had raspberry dark chocoate hearts. Then, we worked off our calories at the Scramble - the park in Ion that the kids love to go to. And, the highlight of today was my weekly Simplicity Parenting class. The women in this group are so amazing! They have so much to give and are really inspirational. We all had to present our first paper today. I was simply amazed at how well-written, educated, insightful, well-rounded, forward-thinking they all are. I learned more in reading their papers, than I did in my own studies the last year! What an experience! Happy Birthday Cousin Scott!
October 7.
October 7, 2011. This season's final sea turtle release on Isle of Palms was today. I planned to take the girls, but time got away from me. I took the girls to have a picnic lunch with Auntie Meaghan, and I went for a long walk on the beach. The weather has been gorgeous - windy, sunny, cooler than usual. Then, I picked up the boys from school and dropped them at Uncle Joey's and Meaghan's. Joey and Meaghan took all four kids to see Lion King in 3D this afternoon. While they were at the town center movies, I met Mary Raue (an old dear friend from Old Town Alexandria, VA) for a Cooper River Bridge walk. We had such a great time catching up. I miss her and her family so much. She is having a girls' weekend with her mom and three sisters in Charleston. Michael and Bryan met at the Marina for a beer to catch up...that rarely happens! I picked up to-go sushi and the kids and headed home around 730. Very simple, gorgeous, day.
October 8.
October 8, 2011. The girls had a soccer game this morning at the rec center. That center is such a blessing for this island. It really is the glue for the young families. There are so many great activities going on...preschool, gymnastics, open basketball, organized sports, crafts, etc. We spend a lot of time up there. We packed a picnic after the soccer game and went to the Mount Pleasant Skateboarding Park. The boys have been asking to practice their "tricks" for a couple of weeks. So, we took them over there for a few hours. The girls played on the playground next door. And, Michael and I just talked and watched and ate and sunbathed. Uncle B came over this afternoon for the long awaited sleepover with Bowen. He has been looking forward to this night since his birthday. They are having him over to spend the night, make their own pizzas, and go to Fort Sumter tomorrow morning. The will all have a blast - the kids are all so different when you separate them from the pack! We had a date night tonight. Michael's friend from Jiu-Jitsu (Chris) and his wife (Julia) met us at Lucca Trattoria downtown Charleston. It is a quaint and beautiful little Italian restaurant with a rustic wine bar next door. So, we got there early and talked over a glass of wine and waited for our friends - and our 830 reservation. The meal was yummy. The company was delightful. It was a late night - but we had a great time. It was much needed kid-free time away.
October 9.
October 9, 2011. Bowen went to Fort Sumter with Corinne and Bryan this morning. So, I made french toast for Michael and the other kids. We talked to Michael's parents on the phone for quite a while this morning. They had just returned from their Boston trip. Somhow, I was roped into promising Kells that I would take him to Target to buy Pokemon cards - I really don't understand what the fuss is all about. They are some sort of trading cards with point values. Anyway, he was thrilled with this $5 purchase - definitely not one of my finer simplicity moments! The kids spent the afternoon playing soccer in the rain in the front yard. The sky just opened. They were in disbelief that we LET them continue to play! Life is short. Play hard. Right? My beekeeping equipment came today. We picked it up from the vendor downtown...So, we will be able to extract our honey tomorrow and Tuesday. Stay tuned.
