:: a happy nest ::

harvest.

 

our first harvest of radishes

For the past several weeks, we've been collecting our garden's first offerings: radishes, kale, and chard. 

Thea and I have developed quite a fondness for green smoothies, and the best ones are made with kale harvested from our own back yard.

Here's the basic recipe:

1 banana

1 cup peaches (I often use frozen organic peach slices)

~8 leaves red russian kale

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (if needed, add more)

1/3 cup peach juice

3 TBS vanilla goat yogurt

I like tasting the kale (and so does Thea!), but using less kale and/or additional fruit will reduce the earthy flavor. I've got my finger's crossed that Thea is starting to outgrow her food allergies, and I'm hoping that we'll soon be able to experiment with adding other fruits.

For a weekly peek at our harvest, and to see how it stacks up against two other rva back yard gardens, head on over to the garden wars at rvanews.

cooking together.

mashing bananas

Like most two-year-old's, Thea wants to do exactly what I am doing all the time. Lately, we've been having a lot of fun cooking together. I thought I'd share a few things I've learned as we've worked together in the kitchen.

On days when I am especially tired and/or short on patience, I usually don't even attempt this. I'll either put her on my back in the Ergo carrier, find something to keep her occupied, or wait until her papa can take care of her.

Start with a clean, clear work surface (and hands!), free from distractions. Clothes that can get messy are helpful too.

Have a sturdy stool so that your wee one can easily reach the work surface.

Pre-measure various ingredients to keep things moving along and to help prevent frustration. (I also sift flour, etc. in advance).

Let your little one be as active in the process as possible - pouring, mashing, stirring. Let her have her own spoon to stir along with you.

Have something for the little one to help with during all steps of your process.

Don't be afraid of making a mess!

stirring

So, now it's your turn - what tricks have you learned in sharing the kitchen with your little ones?

tasting

Happy cooking!

grateful monday.

Feeling grateful...

That a certain someone took a nap today.

For long early-morning walks.

For fresh greens from the garden.

For peonies that keep giving.

For endings and beginnings.

That I finally found a non-toxic bug spray that actually works (for me).

For plans to see these two fabulous women later this week.

For nearly five years (this Friday!) of marriage.

For our sweet girl, who helps me to stretch and grow and love with every part of my heart.

What are you feeling grateful for today?

grateful monday.

Feeling grateful...

For long walks on shady sidewalks.

For sprinklers.

For nourishing rain.

For small changes and the big impact they can create.

For weekend days to catch up (a little) on sleep.

For wonder.

For the love I have for my sweet and my girl, and for the ways they love me back.

from the garden : peonies

In our garden, we are fortunate enough to have ten peony bushes - a wedding gift from my mother and step-father.

These flowers are one of my absolute favorite, and my heart skips a beat every time I see dozens of these big, flirty blooms gracing our picket fence. Bliss.

But, I have a confession to make: this is the first year that I have actually brought any of these beauties inside the house. The ants have always scared me away.

This year, however, my mother-in-law shared a little trick with me. Just dunk the blooms in a large bowl of warm soapy water, and then shake away the excess water. I didn't even add soap to my water and it worked just fine. 

As long as the blooms aren't near the end of their (short) lives, they should easily withstand all of the dunking and swirling and gentle shaking.

Enjoy!

Tell me, what are your favorite flowers?

grateful monday.

a patch of buttercups - taken with the Hipstamatic iphone app

Feeling grateful...

For a sleeping tot.

For a freshly weeded herb garden.

For a vase of peonies from our garden. (And for my mother-in-law telling me how to get the pesky ants off before bringing them inside).

For a lovely mother's day celebration, and for time spent appreciating our own mothers.

For fresh paint (inside and out!).

For surprise notes from the sweetest of friends.

For access to an abundance of fresh and healthy food.

For the bok choi I discovered hiding among the weeds in our garden (yes, there really were that many weeds!).

For weather that actually feels like spring.

What are you feeling grateful for today?

at the market.

A weekly trip to the farmer's market is one of our family's favorite spring and summer traditions. We go every Saturday morning that we are in town.

I remember being there the summer after Thea was born. I saw woman that we know - a mama of two small boys - looking cute and fresh in a pretty skirt. It was one of those early days of motherhood when I couldn't remember the last time I had showered. I honestly thought I might never be able to pull of "cute" again.

Of course, those days did pass, and now I find it fun to wear my own sweet skirts on market day.

Our first (and last) stop is always to see "Mr. Blues." Thea fell in love with his loud, soulful voice last summer and as soon as we arrive at the market, she can hardly wait to drop some cash in his bucket.

We love to wander slowly through the market, stopping to visit with our favorite vendors and other familiar faces. I can't tell you how much I love coming home with a big bag full of fresh veggies and other handmade goodness.

This week, the Richmond Waldorf School was there with their giant tub of corn kernels - a hit with the wee ones. Ours was no exception.

This year, we've been ending our morning at the market with breakfast burritos from Nate's Taco Truck. It has been especially fun for Thea, since she has recently outgrown her egg allergy. If you ask her what she had for breakfast yesterday, she'll tell you an "eggie burrrrito." Too cute.

**All photos were taken with my iphone using the camerabag app. So much fun. I love it.**

What weekly traditions does your family have?

the 65 roses project : the hike.

It's been a couple of weeks, but I wanted to post one more update on this project.

I am so incredibly grateful that I was able to participate in my brother's fundraising efforts. All 65 of the roses sold in 36 hours, raising nearly $1000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Thank you so much. In all, my brother and Matt raised over $18,000, and, in total, the 36 hikers raised over $160,000.

John, Thea, and I drove to Banner Elk, NC on Friday to enjoy a pasta dinner with the hikers, supporters, and the CFF staff. During the dinner, my brother spoke about the ways that Caroline's CF diagnosis has impacted their family - both emotionally and in the ways that their life must accomodate her necessary daily treatment. It was very powerful to witness.

The group of 36 hikers rose at 2:30 am on Saturday morning for opening ceremonies and to prepare for the hike's start at 4 am.

Here are some photos from the hike. These were taken by my brother and Matt, and I did a little bit of processing.

After 2 1/2 hours of hiking in the dark, they finally saw the sun rise over the mountains.

 

In all, there was 7,974 feet of elevation gained and 8,719 feet of elevation lost, including 2,136 feet of elevation gained in 2.7 miles hiking up Roan Mountain.

At times, they hiked through dense fog. Towards the end of the hike, they encountered 40-50 mph winds. There was some pretty extreme fallout on the trail from the weather North Carolina experieced this past winter.

The following are shots I took at the mid-way aid station.

 

My brother, Rebecca, and sweet Caroline.

While BJ and Matt continued the second half of the hike, Thea and Baker enjoyed some cousin bonding time. Here, Baker is teaching Thea how to swing on her tummy.

And while we waited for them to return to the hotel, they carefully inspected my brother's congratulatory boquet.

After 30+ miles, the hike was over.

And we were all reunited back at the hotel.

I am so proud of my brother for undertaking this tremendous endeavour, and so grateful that Matt was there to do it with him.

In a recent email sent to those who supported "Team Caroline," my sister (in-law) provided this update on Caroline:

Despite a current cold and two ear infections, Caroline is doing great. We had our first appointment at the UNC Cystic Fibrosis Center this past Wednesday and were beyond impressed. The doctors, nurses, PT's, nutritionist, and other team members were all wonderful, extremely knowledgeable people. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by people with such experience and wisdom about CF. We have decided to continue her care exclusively in Chapel Hill at UNC with Dr. Retsch-Bogart, who is a tremendously talented CF researcher and doctor. UNC is the hot-bed of CF research right now. We're currently considering having Caroline be part of a clinical trial for one of the latest therapies (hypertonic saline) not yet fully proven in infants, but one that has delivered outstanding results in adults.

Again, thank you SO much for your support. I really cannot find words to describe what this means to me and my family. I am forever grateful.

grateful monday.

Feeling grateful...

For a newly painted house (in progress).

For a weekend of family connection.

For the return of farmer's market season.

For Thea's storytelling (Once upon a time, there were two daddies and two mamas and two Theas, and whatever else seems to be in her head at the time..too cute). 

For the chance to witness lots of sweet father-daughter moments this weekend.

For a new weekly meal plan (this is a new thing for us) and the start of a new evening routine. Wish us luck!

For these sweet little hair pins - an instant dose of cuteness.

What are you feeling grateful for today?