Look Who's Walking Too

I've got TWO toddlers now! Congrats to my happy little boy--even Daddy taking away a piece of chewed paper doesn't take away your giggles.

Homesewn Luxury

A few weeks ago we finally were able to buy a new box spring and mattress for our master bedroom. This was a purchase that was planned, delayed, replanned, and so on for at least two and a half years. Whenever we had the money in the budget some unforeseen expense would come up that was more urgent. Since we are a pay-as-you-go kind of family, charging what is basically a non-emergency expense was out of the question. So I waited. Sometimes with patience, other times with resentment or self-pity. The entire mattress issue became a spiritual issue for me. I spent time in prayer about it.

Fortunately when the time came we found a great mattress that was well within our budget with a little left over. It's near-double depth compared to the old mattress meant that we would need new sheets too. So I turned my online research skills from mattresses to sheets.

My husband is what some call a "hot sleeper." Not only does he feel hot at night but he heats up the bed and sheets as well thus affecting us both. I found out that our old high thread count cotton sheets may have been making things worse as the tight weave makes for softness but less breathability.

I also discovered that 100% linen sheets are the gold standard for hot sleepers. Unfortunately, they are also extraordinarily pricey. It isn't uncommon to find them on sale for about $800 for an entire set. So with a little disappointment, I went to Target and bought the lowest thread count cotton sheets I could find. They were good, but I kept fantasizing about how much better the $800 linen sheets would be.

One morning it occured to me that I could make our own sheets. While they would need to be pieced together from 60" cloth they would still be linen. I was unable to find any online instructions on how to sew your own queen-sized sheets from fabric--I suppose you have to be a little nutty like me to even want to try. So for posterity, here are my instructions and lessons learned. I'll try to add some more how-to photos in the future.

A queen flat sheets is 92x102 inches finished. In lieu of making a fitted sheet, I decided to make two oversized flat sheets, one of which can be folded with hospital corners on the bottom. That way they would be interchangable. I also needed four pillow cases, 20x32 inches finished.

I found a great online store to order the fabric from. I must have been in a fog when I ordered the fabric because I only got 8 yards when I really needed 17. Somehow I lost sight of the fact that each sheet required two three-yard lengths. Don't make my mistake!

In any case, here's the how-to for a single sheet:

Cut two lengths of cloth at 3 yards each. One will be the center panel and the other will be split down the middle to form the two side panels. Depending on the desired final width (full, queen, king) you may want to split the second piece into three panels, a side panel from each edge (you'll want to work with the selvege, believe me) and the remainer cut out from the center piece. I chose to just keep the extra width to make it easier to use as a bottom sheet and to be able to use if we ever upgrade to a king-size bed.

Prewash, line dry, and press the fabric. Then pin the raw edge of the side panel to the selvege side of the center panel. Because you are working with such an expanse of fabric, you'll want to pin carefully. Sew a 5/8 inch seam. Press flat, then press open. Trim the raw edge of the seam down to a 1/4 inch. Fold selvege edge of the seam over it and press. Sew near the edge of the selvege. This is called a flat-felled seam. It encases the raw edge and results in a sturdy flat seam similar to those you'll find on a pair of blue jeans. Repeat the same on the other side of the center panel with the second side piece making sure the flat felled seams are on the same side of the sheet.

Double fold the bottom edge of the sheet (1/4 and then 5/8 inch) and press to form an encased hem. Stitch the edge through all three layers.

Single or double fold the sides of the sheet--since they are selvege edges you don't need to worry about fraying.

Double fold the top edge of the sheet (1/4 and then 4 inches) and press to form a thick encased hem. Stitch through all three layers. This is the area where you may choose to do a decorative stitch across the top. I preferred the simpler look. These are positively monastic and deliciously so. I would refrain from hemstitching like you see on tea towels though as that basically weakens the sheet which is intended for heavy duty use. I imagine after a year or two it would tear sort of like perforated toilet paper.

Pillowcases

Pillowcases were much easier for me. Cut a 44x36 inch square--a little less than one full yard of 60 inch cloth. Fold it over width-wise to form the pillowcase shape. Stitch along the bottom and side. I did a straight stitch first and then went back over with a overedge stitch on my machine similar to an overlock/serger stitch. Basically I wanted a no-fray finish without having to turn under the seam. Then double fold the open edge of the pillowcase (1/4 and then 4 inches), press, and stitch through all three layers close to the folded edge. Again, if you are going for a decorative stitch this should be the place for it. No hemstitching though!

Here are a few things I would do differently next time...learn from my mistakes:

• Buy the correct amount of cloth in the first place! 17 yards, not 8. Doh!
  
• Don't bother with prewashing the fabric since there is a lot of wiggle room in the final dimensions. Prewashing just created a pressing and edge trimming hassle I think.


• Pin, pin, pin and pin before stitching. Yes, it's a straight stitch but as I mentioned earlier a little bit of slippage over the course of a 3-yard length makes for a huge uneven edge. While I did pin, next time I'll do it about twice as much to avoid that problem again.
  

So far, we've been sleeping on the cotton bottom sheet with the linen top sheet until I can make a second order of linen. I find that it feels so wonderful to be in linen sheets but it does take a little getting used to if you are accustomed to silkier sheets. The best adjectives I can use to describe it are "soft and crisp." Oh, and it is much much cooler but yet still cozy. Apparently linen sheets are a study in contradiction...like the phrase homesewn luxury I suppose.

Lake Radcliff

Last month we took a day trip to the Lake Radcliff Recreation Area in the Davy Crockett National Forest. Tim and I packed up hiking clothes, snacks and the backpack in the truck before going to Mass on Sunday so we could make the 1.5-2 hour trip right after leaving church. The autumn colors were just beginning to show--as much as they show at all in southeast Texas that is.

Lake Radcliff is a wonderful outdoor resource. The entry and camping prices are very reasonable. During the summertime you can swim in the man-made lake. There are separate camper and tent camping areas so we like that it is relatively quiet unlike, say, Village Creek. The tent sites have easy access to water and flush toilets too. By the lake they have boat rentals, a snack bar, and a changing area. The best part of this area in my opinion though are the wonderful trails.

We hiked along the Tall Pines trail for about 1.5 miles and then circled back on the 4 C's trail for a total of about 3 miles. Xavier walked the whole way. He enjoyed looking at the huge pine trees, looking for acorns, and seeing beetles and bugs that I pointed out to him. And of course, he always looks forward to the trail snacks.

We plan to go back this month for a tent-camping overnight trip with the boys. The last time we did this I was about 4 months pregnant with Jack! We've just been waiting for it to get cool enough to enjoy.

Self portrait.

Tall pines indeed!

A treasure on the trail.

Xavier enjoying an orange.

Jack loves the backpack.

Photo Dump!

I can't believe its been a month since my last post. Tim was out of town for a week and then the boys and I have come down with a nasty cold. I've been in survival mode and even using *gasp* disposable diapers for more than just night times. I have had "post to blog" on my to-do list for ages.

Xavier practicing fine motor skills with beans, jars and spoons. If Xavier one day becomes an accountant, this "bean counter" photo will be priceless!



Jack enjoying the bounty of sticks in the back yard. This little guy is becoming positively addicted to his outdoor freetime each day. He plays and explores quietly while I hang laundry, turn the compost, or rake leaves.
Jack proud of his discovery of Xavier's green crayon--yum!
Xavier's pig craft. I whipped this one up on the fly one day when Xavier was obsessed with pigs. It stays on our fridge although Xavier does like to take it down from time to time and have a conversation with Mr. Piggy.

Camping with the Kiddos

Last weekend we took the boys camping at Village Creek State Park. It was our first time camping in nearly a year and Jack's first time ever. The weather was perfect: overcast and breezy. Positively chilly by Texas standards.

After setting up the tent and organizing the gear, we took the boys on a 1.5 mile hike past a slough. As far as I can tell, a slough is a fancy word for a ditch. We saw lots of birds and Xavier even spied a bunny rabbit. For an afternoon snack I gave the boys pudding: vanilla for Jack and chocolate for Xavier. The caffeine in the chocolate must have made a beeline to Xavier's brain as he spent the next hour or so running around the tent.

Unfortunately, Jack is still putting everything in his mouth these days so he spent most of the time in a backpack carrier or the arms of Mom or Dad.

Getting the boys settled down at night was a bit of a challenge. We made the mistake of forgoing a bath time ritual which resulted in neither boy wanting to go to bed. Xavier frantically tore off his pajamas (I stopped him when he was getting ready to rip off his diaper) and insisted on putting his dirty t-shirt and bluejeans back on. He slept in them.

Jack woke up around 4 a.m. and was just about to tackle his sleeping brother when I whisked him out of the tent. After an hour and a half of shushing and rocking, we both went back to sleep. We didn't wake up again until 7:30 a.m.

I was reminded that it was five years ago to the day that Tim and I went on our first camping trip together in the Shenandoah Mountains just outside of Washington, D.C. I remember waking up on the second morning of our trip and thinking to myself, "If this guy asks me to marry him, I think I'd say yes." Sure enough, about three months later, he did and I did. Wow, how time flies.

All in all, the trip was a huge success. Next time we'll just put the boys down a little later after a sponge bath and only bring vanilla pudding.

Toddler Poetry

A Morning Observation*

I see leaves,
Leaves fall down,
I see leaves fall down from the trees.

I hear birds,
Birds in the clouds,
In the white clouds in the sky.

I want more toast.


* As spoken by Xavier (age 2) at the breakfast table by the picture window.

Delight in the Little Things

Who knew a thermal bag could be so fascinating? WARNING: This video is moderately long, somewhat bland and no dramatic climax at the end...only grandmas and baby lovers will find this remotely interesting.

Masters Degree in Homemaking

Yesterday I went grocery shopping with a good friend with the goal of helping share a little bit of my money saving techiniques. It was chaotic to say the least. I just pointed out items in the produce section that were a good bargain, tried to explain PPU comparisons, and grocery timing all while we were maneuvering two huge car/carts with two toddlers and a baby in tow. I mistakenly was trying to do too much too fast. Upon reflection later in the evening, I realized that it has taken me a while to accumulate what I know about shopping frugally.

I didn't have a job for the first six months of my married life. One month was taken up by our fantastic honeymoon in Vermont. One month was consumed by combining our households and moving to Beaumont. The remaining four months are what I refer to as my time earning my self-taught masters degree in homemaking: home finance to be exact.

I used to grocery shop willy nilly. I had no idea what things cost. Price of a bell pepper? No idea. When it would be in season and therefore cheaper. Again, no idea. Were fresh peppers more or less expensive than frozen ones? What?!

But during those easy, kid-free days of my early marriage, I tackled homemaking the way I had tackled other workplace challenges. I started out by reading. A lot. Blogs, library books, websites, coupon clubs, anything I could get my hands on. I made a price book with a spreadsheet program. I made a list of the top 30 items we buy each month and comparison shopped at three grocery stores, the dollar store, and even snuck into the Sam's Club without a membership card. I'm sure I raised a few eyebrows as I just went down the aisle with my notebook, pencil and calculator in hand. As a courtesy I bought a small item at each store (with the exception of Sam's). As my husband reminds me, I even went to the "ghetto" grocery store across town to see prices were cheaper there. For the record, I was horrified to see that they were the same or MORE expensive for the same items. I tried various methods of couponing and quickly realized that brand loyalty was a thing of the past for me. Oh, and I realized that I'll never pay full price for a craft item again thanks to coupons from Hobby Lobby and Joann's. I got familiar with the thrift stores in town and I garage-saled a lot.
Even after starting paid employment up until I had my first child, I still read and read some more about how to save money and run household finances efficiently.  

I am so greatful for that time because once kids came along, doing the hard work of getting up to speed as a homemaker was pushed to the side in favor of reading books, websites, and blogs about raising kids.

Now, I'm no expert on frugal living yet. There are ladies out there in the blogosphere that feed a family of six on $50 a week while using mostly organic foods. I'm not there yet, and perhaps I'll never be. At a certain point I have to accept that there is only so much scrounging around for deals that I'm willing to do. I love the hunt of a good bargain and a penny saved but I'm not ready to make it my sole focus. I do think that to be successful at this, you need to make it a hobby. Amy D., author of the Tightwad Gazette book series says that she only has hobbies that save money or are at least spending neutral--none of those $100 trips to Hobby Lobby for her! I have taken her advice to heart. My hobbies are more likely to be baking, sewing gifts, and vegetable gardening than the golf, shopping, and dining out in my single years.

I know a lot of people are trying to trim budgets these days. In the case of my friend, she's working towards savings for a positive financial goal. Others are thrust into frugality school by necessity such as job loss. If you have the time and interest in running a tighter ship when it comes to your household finances, I'd recommend these three guidelines:

Go slowly at your own pace. What is good for someone else might feel like extreme deprivation for your family. There are many, many ways to practice good financial stewardship as a homemaker. Most of them take time though. If you have a lot of free time, like I did in the early days of my marriage, than you will be able to make changes more quickly. But even I revert back to less frugal ways when things get hectic around here with guests in town or if Tim is away on business. Sometimes you just don't have the time and energy to find the good deals, make a meal plan around it, and cook from scratch each night. Something's gotta give. Which leads me to guideline number two...

Don't measure your sucess by comparing yourself to others. There is no way I could do what I do with our home finances if I worked a full-time or even part-time job. Homemaking is a fulltime endeavor for me so I can do things that others can't do. At the same time, I'm relatively new at this. I'm sure the real frugalistas out there could cut my spending by at least another 30% without us feeling a pinch. It's all relative and you can't enjoy your progress if you are constantly comparing yourself to others. Also, try to refrain from getting too sanctimonious about how much you save/other people "waste" on groceries/clothes/whatever. I fell into this trap at first. If being frugal is going to make you a judgemental prig, it isn't worth it.

Find enjoyment in it. Some folks love the couponing game. I'm not as crazy about it since we try not to eat as many processed foods but for those who do, a lot of money can be saved this way. I've turned scratch cooking into a source of pleasure for me and the boys. At least one day a week be bake and freeze muffins, bread, bagels, cakes, you name it. Gardening is another source of fun although we're nowhere near feeding ourselves primarily from what we grow. I LOVE finding a good closeout deal at the store or blithley walking by a false sale--that's a product labelled as if it is on sale but my price book indicates that you can get it for a much lower price at other times of the year. I LOVE passing on sale information to like-minded frugal folks.

All of this brings me back to my failed grocery store tutorial from yesterday. It was a crash course. Because we were both shopping it was hard not to compare what each of us put in the cart. And because we went at a busy time of the day with somewhat cranky and hyper kids, it wasn't the leisurly fun that grocery shopping can be at other times. I broke my own three rules! Despite all this, my friend still did fantastic and managed to cut her spending by about 15-20% on that one trip. Which I suppose should be guideline number four: just do it!

Nature Study

If you're wondering why there are fewer photos of Jack than Xavier these days, you have to understand that my baby is an omnivore. He is particuarly partial to paper these days. By the time I realize he's pulled down a magazine he's eaten all but a quarter-sized portion of a subscription card. So often when I'm getting the camera, he's getting into mischief and doesn't end up photographed. Here's a little photo essay of nature study at MaMere and MoMo's house that illustrates the situation beautifully.

Hats N' Things*

The boys and I heading out for our morning walk. MaMere would be proud that Xavier insists on all of us wearing hats. Of course, we are hardly out of the driveway before Jack pitches his out the stroller or takes it off to munch on. Xavier keeps his on until we get to the little park and says, "Ma, hold dis."
Xavier, where is your belly button?

Xavier, where are your eyes?
Xavier, where is your tongue?
Xavier, what are you doing now?

I sitting in the sunbeam...I see pic?!

*Just thought you might be getting tired of the Photo Dump title.

Way Too Early, Way Too Often

Thanks to my sons, I've been up at rediculous hours most days this past week. This morning Jack woke up at 4 a.m. Usually he'd just go back to sleep. Xavier, however, must have gotten up in the middle of the night to play with toys and fallen asleep on the floor, halfway under his bed I might add. So Jack wakes up, doesn't see big brother in bed and thinks its time to get up for the day. So when I go in the room I have the choice to either try to put Xavier back in bed and calm Jack or whisk Jack out the room before he wakes up Xavier. I chose the latter and together we watched Willie Geist's "Way Too Early" on MSNBC. While I love Willie, I wish I got to see a little less of him.

UPDATE: Xavier awoke at 5:55 a.m. upon hearing Dad run the blender. When I opened the door to the boys room he shoved past me like a Black Friday bargain hunter, ran to the kitchen and demanded a "Shake! Shake!" Methinks it is going to be a long day.

Father Pine

Thanks to the very creative Catholic mamas over on the 4Real Forums we got the inspiration this summer to make Father Pine to help us follow the liturgical seasons here in our domestic church. Lexy painted him and I made his green ordinary time vestments. Unfortunately, Father Pine has been hanging out on our mantel in green for several months now despite several church holidays that called for other colors.

Last night I decided to get back in the swing of things and whipped up a red chasuble and stole for Father Pine to help commemorate today's feast of the martyrs, Pope Cornelius and Bishop Cyprian. A little lace hem tape made a nice trim don't you think?

The reality is that until the boys are older, I am the primary target of all the religious education. Until I started reading up on domestic church family activities I had no idea how much I didn't know about the traditions of the Catholic church. Following the feast days helps dip a toe into Church history while using the liturgical colors helps us prepare for the big calendar events: Lent, Advent, Christmas and Easter.

This looks familiar...

Vaguely familiar.

Boys in Cars

We were so lucky to have Xavier's BFF, Ethan, with us for a few mornings last month. I love love love watching them interact during imaginative play. Here's a little sample. Sorry for the abrupt ending, I had to prevent fraternal domestic violence.

My Brother's Keeper

I've had a few folks ask me lately about where I stand on the current healthcare debate and the prospect of blogging about it has really forced me to nail down my thoughts on the issue.

First I think I need to state that I have access to the best available healthcare today. We have comprehensive insurance through my husband's workplace and are avid users of our Flexible Spending Account. Growing up in a medical family I rarely went to the doctor--a habit I've carried into my adulthood. I was well into my 20s when I realized that most people went to the clinic when they had the flu that was creeping into pneumonia--I just had a relative or doctor friend call in a prescription. While I don't ask for medicines anymore, I still often go to family members for informal second opinions or medical advice. These informal medical consults were invaluable when I was paying for my own health insurance when I was a sole PR practicioner. All of this is to say that any form of healthcare reform probably won't affect my access to healthcare on a day to day basis. Although we are a healthy family, I estimate that about $15,000 a year goes towards our healthcare expenses--that includes the portion our employer pays for our insurance but excludes all but separate insurance costs for my stepdaughter. I can only imagine how much families who aren't in perfect health would spend.

I've also worked in my mother's clinic, as a PR consultant for medical companies and medical associations, and in a medical school and hospital. The maze of insurance reimbursements, Medicare rates, and referral systems is dizzying. My OBGYN's malpractice insurance is likely the equivalent of four years of our income. When Jack was in Texas Children's Hospital, day after day we saw the crowds of uninsured families crowding the first floor waiting room for the ER--for curable things like strep throat and migraines that had exaccerbated to emergency conditions. I have no doubt that the current system is disfunctional and costs are in rising loop that defies common sense. Access to decent basic healthcare is shrinking and there are powerful interests that can mimic and thwart true American interests.

When I form opinions I rely on my two guideposts: my moral grounding as a Christian and my civic values as an American. Now I'm not going to proclaim what Jesus would do with healthcare because I don't know. I'm sure I could find bible quotes that support any political position. But my faith tells me that there is inherent value in human life--even when a particular human may be less than perfect. I am particularly called to care for those who are set apart from typical society: the poor, the widowed, the sick. These are the people that Jesus cared about. I cannot say, well my family is fine so I can ignore these other folks.

There was a time that most hospitals were intertwined with faith communities--they still retain the vestigial titles of Hotel Dieu, Christus, Baptist, St. Mary's, etc. although they have long since been purchased by larger hospital companies. Even most community hospitals (founded by the local taxpayers acting collectively) have sold themselves to larger companies. We have all but divorced the collective or missionary purpose of healthcare from the practicalities of it.

On the flip side are my American values. I favor capitalism. While there is certainly a principle of free enterprise, I would argue that there is also a strong foundation of community collaborative effort in this country. While the Declaration of Independence promotes the "pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" they followed it up with the Constituion with,

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
States of America."

The problem with a blind devotion to free enterprise and letting the markets working out the details is that markets treat people as consumers--things. Healthcare is about profit now, not mission. As an American I am called to see people as my brothers and sisters, as fellow citizens. As a Christian I am called to see people as children of God. So I want to regard people as inherently sacred and not objects. But if we make capitalism a straw man, we fall prey to the communist trap which holds up the collective good in the form of the government as superior to the inherent value of the individual.

That's the push pull that I approach healthcare with. I don't want to destroy business altogether (even the immorally run ones) or ignore the struggling sick people (even the despicable ones who will take advantage of any system). Here's what I want:

• affordable access to health insurance
• reduced liability to doctors with tort reform
• uniform and streamlined billing and reimbursement processes
• incentives for improved personal health practices

With my taxes I currently pay for healthcare for those 65 and older, poor children, the disabled, the military, the native americans and veterans. I'm not asking for equivalent comprehensive, government-run healthcare for the rest of Americans...just access to decent basic care without risking financial ruin.

This week I took about 15 minutes to call my senators and representative to see where they stood on healthcare. Ted Poe and Kay Bailey Hutchison's offices simply stated that they were "against a public option" but didn't have further ideas. Senator Cornyn at least had a few positive bullet points and a website to give me. I let all of them know that I supported healthcare reform and that I am their consitutent. I encouraged my friends on facebook to do the same.

Now I know that at least 50% of my facebook friends hold different political views from me and may even oppose healthcare reform in its entirety. But I still hope they make a few phone calls even if they counteract the effect of mine. That's where my collective American values trump my personal interests.

I'm willing to be flexible with the ultimate policy changes but what I'm unwilling to do is accept NOTHING. I'm unwilling to accept a pseudo-policy engineered by monied, profit-driven interests or extremists. I've worked for grassroots projects and engineered "astroturf" projects as well. Astroturf works only if individuals let it. Astroturf folks pass out black and white hats, they namecall, they separate people. In short they turn us away from seeing people as children of God and see them as objects/obstacles. I find that immoral, unChristian, and unAmerican.

I believe in our country. I believe in democracy. I believe in the decency of the American public. I believe in the pursuit of greatness as a nation. I pray for God's guidance in our continued growth.

Photo Dump

Jack is officially pulling up on furniture now--a mere one week after he learned how to sit up on his own. They say second children learn to move fast and boy is that true with this little guy. Unfortuantely going up, up, up means a lot of going down, down, down. He's a tough little guy though and hardly cries when he topples over.

All this standing and cruising means that we have to say goodbye to footie sleepers and hello to big boy pajamas. Its a bittersweet moment for this mama.


Xavier on a hike with Dad. That's his tiger backpack behind him.

The family and friends at cousin Matthew's 4th birthday party.

Tot School -- #3

This past week in Tot School we've been focusing on shapes. Here are the boys having a little fun with circle-shaped stickers from Kroger. Those baggers never listen to me when I ask them to only give Xavier and Jack one sticker each and instead usually give them about 10. Fortunately, Xavier only puts stickers on people right now. Jack doesn't seem to mind.


Xavier continues to love doing "crafts" which means using scissors, glue and paper in any permutation. I cut out simple shapes from construction paper--sets of three. I asked Xavier to pick out certain shapes and then we sorted them. We worked on the concepts of small, medium and large as well as shapes. Then we glued them to the paper. Xavier still hates to get his hands sticky and instead points and tells me, "Right there!" to indicate where a piece should go.



In the realm of practical life, Xavier is learning how to set a table. He's been "cooking" his Wonder Pets for quite some time now. This morning while I was doing housework, he put them in bowls, set out napkins, forks and knives, and told me to, "Come see, Mom." We had a nice imaginary Wonder Pet snack.



I scored some .25 cent watercolors during the Target back to school sale. Here's Xavier with his first attempt at using them.

Yogurt: Set It and Forget It

I've been on a scratch cooking kick lately. The thing about cooking from scratch is that once you start doing it, it becomes progressively easier. No, really. You know that you have the basics in the house: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, yeast, milk or milk powder, eggs, oils and butters, and spices. It means that whipping up a batch of muffins, pancakes, bagels, or cookies is just a matter or measuring out what you already have on hand. It is almost as easy as dumping a box mix in a bowl and adding egg and oil. But with scratch cooking you know exactly what you are feeding your family.

Xavier has loved to help cook since he was about 18 months old. I'll measure and he'll put things in the bowl. He "stirs" and then I stir after him. He can put paper cups in the muffin tin. He likes to watch things bake through the oven's glass door. One of the easiest ways to scratch cook is to find catch-all recipies. I have a basic bread recipie that can use honey, brown sugar, or any other kind of sweetener, as well as butter, olive oil, veggie oil or any other fat as the, well, fat in the recipie. I also have a basic muffin recipie to which I can add overripe bananas, raisins, even leftover mashed sweet potatoes. Scratch cooking is a great way to use up leftovers and boost nutrition at the same time.

A few weeks ago I found an online recipe for yogurt that didn't involve getting a yogurt maker (which just means one more one-use gadget cluttering my small kitchen) or using a heating pad (I'm a little squeamish about using non-cookware for dairy products). Instead this recipie used one of my favorite tools: the crockpot! Here's the recipie itself. I find that letting the yogurt sit a little longer than 8 hours (say 10-11) produces the best results. I put the finished product back into large and small yogurt containers I've saved from store-bought in the past. Just make sure to use a sharpie and masking tape to label the "use by" date on each container.

Now here's how you can extend the recipie even further. If you have fruit that is just this side of overripe, puree it in the blender and freeze into ice cubes. When you're heading out the door, pop a cube into a small single-serving container, fill up with yogurt, pop it in the diaper bag, and you're good to go with a snack.

Another way to extend the useful life of your yogurt, mix it at a 1:1 ratio with water and you have "buttermilk." Make pancakes, pound cake, salad dressing, veggie dip or any other recipie you have that calls for buttermilk. In the past I've always avoided them because really, who buys buttermilk? What do you do with the leftovers?

Lastly, don't forget to freeze a few cubes of yogurt (equal to 1/2 cup) for using to make your next batch of yogurt.

Work

I've been on a rabit trail lately about the American tradition of work. It all started when a mom at the library recommended checking out DVDs (free!) for some at home date nights with my husband. She and her spouse had just finished the Showtime series on Henry VIII called The Tudors. Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry, this was high on the racy sex factor and not so much with the history. Tim and I made it through about 2-3 episodes before deciding this just wasn't worth our precious quiet time together.

But the idea of watching premium cable series through the library's DVD program triggered my memory of rave reviews of HBO's John Adams series. So I requested that and received it the next week. We both really liked this one. More history, more character development, etc. It makes me want to read the biography that the series is drawn from.

Two things stood out to me: one was how Abigail Adams seemed like a great role model for the modern homemaker. She was educated, thoughtful, supportive, hard-working, and loving. She also worked. She may have planned meals but she also scrubbed windows and floors too.

From there I ended up checking out a book from the children's library entitled Home and Child Life in Colonial Days. It was clearly too advanced for Xavier -- in fact it was just an abridged version of an adult book. But I found it fascinating. Again what impressed me was how much work occupied time back then. Even social events were centered around work: spinning, building, land clearing, and quilting just to name a few. It was considered patriotic to be self-sufficient when possible and neighborly helpful when needed. Pride came from providing for your family and your accomplishements, not from material possessions or leisurly pursuits. The latter illicited enjoyment rather than pride.

All of this makes me realize how little we actually do during each day compared to our forbearers. Sure I do a few loads of laundry a day but that mostly consists of putting things into a machine and pressing buttons. Same with washing dishes. Same with vacuuming. How much of my day do I actually spend engaged in actual work versus leisure (web surfing, talking on the telephone, reading books, sending e-mail).

The past few days I've been trying to find the joy and peace in work, actual work. Not just spot cleaning on the fly but planning and executing. The funny thing is that while I still get about the same amount done each day, I've found that my entire attitude with respect to work has changed as I try to be diligent but not perfectionist. How? I give whatever I'm doing my full attention and when I'm done, I'm done.

I've also tried to be more mindful about what I find satisfaction in. Is it the neatly made bed and tidy room or is it the fashionably painted bedroom and coordinating bedding?

Views from the Hidden Homestead

Clockwise from upper left:

1. The compost bin that Tim and I built. It holds over 54 cubic feet of compost.
2. My garden clogs and well worn gloves ready for 5 minutes of work here and there.
3. Baby clothes hanging in the sunshine.
4. Clothespin basket.
5. Reissentraube heirloom tomatoes.
6. Bird bath left by previous owner. A favorite stalking spot for the local cats.
7. Hand tools for spot gardening.
8. Birdhouse painted by Lexy.
9. The potted herb garden which provided basil for tonight's pesto.

We love our backyard! It is beautiful and functional. I hope to extend the vegetable garden into another bed. Of course our front yard is a fright. Just your standard shrubs and desperately in need of weeding.

Tot School -- Sensorial

We're back on the Tot School wagon. Actually, we never really stopped, I just stopped posting about it. I've been taking a combined approach to Xavier's early education--Montessori meets Charlotte Mason for the most part. In layman's terms, self-directed progressive learning mixed in with lots of books and outdoor time.

I've been trying to make most of our Montessori materials. In addition to being much less expensive, most of the materials are easy and fun to make with a little bit of ingenuity. I find the suggestions in Elizabeth Hainstock's Teaching Montessori in the Home very helpful in coming up with alternatives. I love looking at the "real" materials at Kid Advance and other similar websites and figuring out how to make similar items from what we have available. Fortunately, my materials don't need to be quite as durable as those for a classroom of 10-20 kids.

I do find though that beauty in the materials themselves is very important. Xavier (and perhaps all kids his age) has a keen eye for asthetics and beautiful materials draw his attention unlike anything I've ever seen. Here's Xavier with a set of color tablets that I painted using some wooden blanks. They are meant to be homemade versions of these. I'm fairly happy with they way they turned out.

I have introduced these to Xavier before but each time he got easily distracted or frustrated. Each time I put them away for a few weeks before trying again. I suspect if I had Montessori training, I'd have a more sophisticated assessment of his response but I figure if it isn't fun or educational, we just shouldn't do it for now. To my surprise this week he was fascinated by them. He quickly caught on to the names of the colors, the concept of matching and even making patterns with them. After about 15 minutes, he progressed to turning them into imaginary doors by saying, "Open, shut. I shut doors. I open doors!" While this sort of imaginative play might be frowned upon by Montessori purists, I couldn't help but smile. My boy has an exquisite imagination.



We later moved on to cutting paper. Xavier is getting more and more adept at puting his fingers and thumbs into the scissors and cutting little strips of paper.

This week I'll try to paint more tablets to be ready for when Xavier is ready to graduate to this activity.

Photo Dump!

When I haven't posted in a long time I rely on a nice set of cute kid photos to put me back in my readers' good graces.

Xavier holding his new clothes! Thanks grandma!

Jack with his new rompers.

I don't love that big huge blue recliner that came as a package deal with my husband four years ago but it does hold the folks I love quite nicely.

You've heard of duelling pianos? We've got duelling laptops!

Jack in a self-made baby in a blanket burrito.

My Future Golf Partner

Happy Birthday, Dad! Thanks for teaching me how to play (and buying pretty much every piece of equipment I own!). I'm passing along the family obsession. We're on our way to having a foursome!

Just a few photos

Xavier in his new ABC "jama top."

Jack just on the verge of crawling.