mommy confessions

~Not long ago, I came to the sobering realization that my 7-year-old is way better at mentally adding two-digit numbers than I am.

~I'm getting ready to order our 2010-11 curriculum, and I'm feeling strangely excited about it.

~After participating in six baby showers during the first half of the year, I am feeling quite relieved that the next one isn't until October or so. It's been quite a year for our church body!

~I sometimes let my children buy me time by sending them to entertain their baby sister will I dry my hair, finish lunch, etc. They're great at it, too!

~I've discovered that I have a terrible weakness for sweetened foods with almonds. I could eat a half a jar of almond butter (which has a touch of honey) in one sitting.

~My toddler drives me to comfort eating.

~My boys are going to be gone next week, and while I will miss them, I am eagerly anticipating giving the house a good cleaning shortly after they leave...and then enjoying the fact that it will pretty much stay clean until they come back home.

~I am also really looking forward to some literal "quiet time."

~Owen has finally been doing better with potty training, and I'm terrified that he'll "lose it" while he's away.

~I've been dipping into my personal spending money in order to support my summer berry habit.

~I've discovered salami made with grass-fed beef at the farmers' market, and I am head over heels about it. Seriously, I get giddy.

~There's a new natural grocery about to open in town, and I'm so excited I could wet myself.

~I secured a dozen chicken feet from a friend who raises meat birds, intending to use them for chicken stock. (They're fabulous, I hear.) But it turns out that I just don't have the guts give them the necessary scrub-down before dropping them in the pot.

why drink raw milk?

If you've ever wanted to learn more about why people choose to drink raw milk, well, then ...this is your lucky day.

Here we have a fascinating interview with Mark McAfee, the
founder of Organic Pastures Dairy near Fresno, California. It's admittedly a little long (50 minutes), but even the first 10 minutes is worthwhile. I was riveted as I listened, and found myself thanking God again and again for creating such a wonderful source of nutrition!

Milk: the original recipe.

I really encourage you to take a few minutes to find out about this amazing stuff. You won't regret it!

(don't forget to scroll down and turn off the music first)

Baby, I Like it Raw from Sickly Cat Network on Vimeo.

"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food."
~Hippocrates

Indeed.

"Not Me" Monday

Greetings to you on this Monday! It's time for another round of "Not me!" Monday, the blog carnival created by MckMama over at My Charming Kids. Please feel free to check out her blog, it's quite charming, itself.

While visiting our city's Art Walk on Saturday, we definitely didn't stand in line 45 minutes, just so our boys could get balloon "animals." And we certainly wouldn't do that when our two little ones were both in need of a nap, Jeff and I hadn't eaten lunch yet, it was after 2:00 PM, and we had to stand in direct sunlight, with only Elise sporting a hat. No way! That would be utter foolishness...

After a few nights of Jeff getting home late from work, I was not positively giddy at the thought of getting out of the house by myself...for a Pampered Chef party. That might be a little embarrassing. So...nope, not me!

I totally didn't leave my family to eat leftovers in my absence, while I dined on summer salad, bread served with a variety of olive oils, and strawberry trifle. Absolutely not.

Speaking of the Pampered Chef, I certainly wouldn't have taken a monetary gift given to me months ago by my husband, with the words "Go get a massage. Or a pedicure. Or whatever you want," and spent it at the party. I mean, what kind of woman would end up deciding to spend the money on kitchen gear? Really?

I am positively not addicted to the salami I've found at the farmers' market, even if it is made with 100% grass-fed beef, and is devastatingly yummy. So, I didn't buy not one, but two sticks this weekend.

It's been nearly three weeks after returning home from the beach, and Elise's suitcase is definitely not still in her bedroom, waiting to be unpacked. I am way more organized and motivated than that.

I really don't get a great deal of enjoyment out of watching Elise's birth video, and I definitely haven't watched it at least half a dozen times since her arrival. Nope, not me! And I'm not feeling at all wistful for the babymoon. I really didn't enjoy those quiet days where my primary job was nursing the baby, and people brought me water and snacks. I mean, really...who would?

such sweet sorrow

Kyle, hovering near Elise while I hold her: I always give Lisey a kiss before I leave her.

Me: Is that right?

Kyle: Yeah. And sometimes I kiss her nose.

(He kisses her nose.)

Me: That's nice, sweetheart.

Kyle: I like to hold her hand too...

Me: Aha.

Kyle, in a voice her reserves only for his sister: Hi, Lisey-piece! Hi!

Me: You love your baby sister, huh?

Kyle: Yeah.

Me: I'm glad to hear it!

Kyle: So I always give her a kiss before I leave. And I always tell her goodbye. Goodbye, Lisey! Goodbye! I'm going to the other room now...

never thought I'd say *that*

1) "Owen, please stop putting that chopstick up your nose."

2) "Because it's one of her bodily fluids, that's why. So no, you don't need to taste the bubbles she's blowing."

3) "No, you may not suck on her finger. If you want to kiss her hand, that's fine, but you may absolutely not suck on her finger."

4) "Okay, that's enough talking about blueberry poop. I am really, really sorry that I brought it up..."

where's the beef?

In our freezer, of course!

Yes, we did it again. This summer we purchased 3/8 of a cow (what a funny fraction...last year we got a quarter of beef, so this is a bit more), grass-fed, from a local rancher. I could not be more pleased! And I am so happy to have a replenished supply of meat in our freezer.


Hooray for the return of red meat! Just in time for grilling season. Yum.

for your viewing pleasure

bring it on!

It's been a long time coming (due to the lingering cold and rain in my area), but at long last, the CSA baskets are back! CSA, you may recall, stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's a great idea, and I am so pleased to be able to participate again.

We're going through a different farmer this year (when I contacted our first farmer, in March, they were completely full!), but I'm confident that we're in for another good experience. Also, for a small extra fee, they'll deliver the basket to my house! That's worth a lot to this busy mom of four.

The first basket of the season included: raspberries, Walla Walla onions, yellow onions, mixed lettuce, kale, red potatoes, radishes, and sugar snap peas. I can hardly wait to see what the summer and early fall will bring us!

life on the beach

Our family recently spent a few days on the Oregon coast for our family reunion. As always, we had a great time.

Kyle could not get his fill of beach time. He spent hours building in the sand, digging, and finding treasures.

Jeff and the boys got their kites going!
At one point Benjamin's kite got away from him. I have no idea how, but before I knew it, he took off down the sand, running as hard as he could. I held Jeff's kite, and he took off running after Ben. They ran and ran...I'd guess maybe 50 or 75 yards. I watched them with my heart in my throat, unable to tear my eyes away.

When I saw Ben lurch forward and land on his stomach, my heart sank. There was no doubt that he had lost his kite. Certainly his heart would be broken. Jeff caught up with our fleet-footed son as he began to rise, and he helped Ben as he slowly stood up. I fully expected to see him come back down the beach in tears.

Suddenly, though, I noticed something. The kite was not drifting away! To my amazement, I felt my eyes fill with tears. I was so glad for him, when I had been completely certain that his beloved snake kite was gone forever. After Ben and his dad trudged back, they told me that Benjamin jumped and landed on the kite handle. It seems like quite the gamble to me, but the boy reclaimed his kite.

Still, it was a while before my eyes were dry again. All over a boy and his kite. Motherhood is turning me into a sap.


My kids are such beach bums.

Look at my buried treasure!

Elise and her daddy got in some good father-daughter bonding time. She caught many a nap while being worn by him during our time away.

But the real reason we made this trip was to celebrate family. Here are Jeff's paternal grandma and grandpa. They have been grandparents to me also, and we cherish them. They've been an amazing example of faith and commitment, and they will leave a powerful legacy. Here is a photo of Bob and Yvonne with just some of their great-grandchildren.

All in all, a wonderful trip. But even wonderful trips can tucker a fella out!