Empire Mines

Yesterday we met some friends out at Empire Mine State Park in Grass Valley. It was a beautiful day and we got a chance to snap a few shots of the kids. Afterwards we headed to Nevada City for a fantastic meal at a little restaurant called "Posh Nosh". It was my first time there but I have a feeling it won't be my last. It was yummy! We had such a nice day. I'm posting a few pictures from the cottage area of the park below. You may notice that there are more of Anna than of Lauren. Photographing Lauren is like trying to take a picture of the wind. You'll notice in one shot that I was so happy to just have her standing in one place for a second that I failed to notice she was only wearing one shoe!! Oh well, one of her favorite Mother Goose rhymes is "Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John". Maybe she was just channeling the whole "one shoe off, one shoe on" vibe. Hope you like the pictures.

An apple a day

...helps keep the doctor away or so I’ve heard. I’ve always liked apples. I thought they were fine as long as they were peeled for me or baked in a pie. It wasn’t until this time last year that I began a true love affair with the little red fruit. Last year was the first time we visited Apple Hill in Camino, CA. We visited on opening weekend. Never in my life had I tasted anything like the Golden Delicious apples we picked from the trees at Denver Dan’s. We had such a perfect day topped off by apple strudel and apple pie and couldn’t wait to get back. We had no idea that as the apple season progressed our idyllic Apple Hill would turn into (as one of our friends put it) "Apple Hell". On our second visit traffic was bumper-to-bumper, all the u-pick apples had been picked and the lines to get a slice of apple pie...well forget about it. This year we decided to try to beat the rush once again. We headed out to Denver Dan’s on Friday, the day before the majority of the orchards open for business over the Labor Day weekend. Once again we had the place to ourselves although we were told that our sweet Golden Delicious apples may have been a little under ripe. So, this time we went for McIntosh apples instead. They were still succulent, delicious, and heavenly. I had no idea there was such a difference between store bought apples and those freshly picked. In my next life I want to own an apple orchard. Here are a few pictures from our afternoon.

Resist the Princesses...

is the name of an article I recently read. I found it after doing an internet search to see if I was the only person who wondered "Where are all the Disney mothers?" Can they really all be dead? The new “Little Mermaid” movie is now out on DVD and in it we're supposed to learn what happened to Ariel's mother. I had already been curious about that, as well as wondering what the heck happened to the moms of Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, Cinderella, Pocahontas, Bambi, Nemo and Lilo. Okay, okay, we do know the whereabouts of some of those moms. It reads like the poem about the wives of Henry VIII; MIA, MIA, dead, dead, MIA, shot by a hunter, eaten by a barracuda, and killed in a car crash. Anna has also noticed and even asked if all the mothers died from breast cancer. I mean, really, what is Disney thinking? Do they feel they can't have a heartfelt message about the trials and tribulations of a young woman if her mother is around? Not that any of the princesses are out there trying to make ends meet, finish a thesis, and support ailing, aging parents but still...c'mon. I guess a few princesses do have to fend for themselves but at least they have a support network of dwarves or mice at their beck and call. Now let's talk about Shrek III (not a Disney movie, is it???), there are some princesses willing to kick a little heiny and take some names. At first, when they learn the castle is being invaded and Fiona says, "We need to get out of here", they all assume "the position". When Fiona asks what they're doing, they respond, "Waiting to be rescued." Fortunately, Fiona convinces them they can take care of themselves and from that point the princesses become serious contenders.

Anna has been totally taken in by Disney and what little girl wouldn't want to be? There are beautiful dresses, shoes, and tiaras. I do get that...especially the shoe thing.

Lauren, however, must sense some type of conspiracy. She's never wanted to be around the Princesses, even when surrounded by the safety of family. Her survival instincts kick in and she wants to get away!

I mean, don't get me wrong. I enjoy the Disney movies and the music. I just want a few moms to be included in there once in a while. To Disney: Get your act together. Little girls need their mommies too!! ....and by the way, please don't ban us for this little tirade. We'll be dropping by for a visit later in the year and my girls (especially Anna) would never forgive me if I managed to get us barred from the "happiest place on Earth". If that were to happen, Anna may decide to include me in the laundry list of missing moms. Thank you for your time and have a nice day. :)

Here's a link to the article: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-brooks27mar27,1,1615725.column

Motorcycle Mama

"Yahoo! I’m riding my motorcycle. Yahoo!" I could hear Lauren outside singing the other day and opened the door to hear the above song. She was riding her bicycle and had the handle bar turned around backwards. When I asked her why they were backwards, she responded that it turned her bike into a motorcycle. She loves anything that is even slightly "tom-boyish" and would spend all of her time outside with Thurman ( our dog) if she could. Poor Thurman...he's so patient with her despite the fact that in an effort to keep him by her side, she locks him out of his room, bungee cords him to the jet ski and occasionally tries to ride him like a horse. I walk outside to find them in some of the funniest situations. Usually when she comes inside she smells like she's been rolling around with Thurman. Anna will refuse to sit by Lauren because she says "Ooh, she's tooooo stinky". Lauren has two responses to this...she either breaks down into tears or attempts to sit even closer to Anna in order to harass her. The two of them love each other but have such different personalities. I read a quote that said, "Sisters are different flowers from the same garden" and that is definitely the case in our family. Anna loves to be a princess and wants to wear a dress every day. Lauren's outfit of choice is a pair of underwear and her wellies. At the toy store, Anna asks for the life-sized doll while Lauren wants the monster truck. Lauren likes dogs, and cats, and horses, and lizards, and bugs. Yet, when you brush her hair and say, "Turn around and let me see.", she asks, "Do I look beautiful?" She seems so strong-willed most of the time and Anna even calls her "stubbo-ren" (Anna's pronunciation). At the same time, she can be extremely sensitive and sweet and lovable. She gives the best "monkey" hugs and just likes to say "I love you" through the day. Every morning when she wakes up, she calls (screams more like it ) from her bed, "Come pick me up while I sleeping, sing me a lullaby and carry me downstairs". Her tone will become more and more plaintive until you get there but as soon as you open the door, she flips over and pretends to be asleep. She dances like she's a contemporary, hip-hop B-girl and ends the performance sitting on the floor with her index finger pointed at you and her thumb sticking up. Her two favorite songs to sing are currently the "wedding song" and "Ring Around the Rosey". She's started a game called "Roly Polies Save the Day" and has started talking about the "Cana-g-ian geese" that she saw flying over the house. I asked her the other day how she got to be so smart. I was surprised that she knew the answer to a question I had asked. She replied, "I didn't know and then I knowed". Having children is like that. Before they're born you can't possibly begin to imagine how much they'll change your life or how much you'll love them. That happened to me....one day I didn't know but the next...I "knowed". :)

Throwback Thursday

I saw the idea of a "Throwback Thursday" on a cute blog the other day and thought it was a great idea. Here are two pictures of our babies when they really were babies. Doesn't it crack you up when little ones say, "I did that when I was little."? Maybe they'll just always be little to me.

Anna, 8 months

Lauren, 8 months

Storytime with the Peanut Gallery

I've been toying around with the idea of video on the blog for a while now. I had to wait for Doug to get home to clue me in on how it should work. So, I think we'll give this a shot at least once a week and see how it goes. Today's "Video Wednesday" will be "Storytime with the Peanut Gallery". We read a lot around our house and the girls can "read" a few books from memory. :) Anna actually can read quite a bit already but in the video below she has this story pretty much memorized. These videos may seem a bit long but I'll try to keep the ones in the future a bit shorter.

Note: To be able to hear the video scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "stop" on the project playlist gadget. Otherwise you'll have competing music and video and as the girls would say, "That's not good". :)

Bountiful Blessings

On Sunday, I turned 37. I didn’t jet off to Paris nor was I showered in diamonds…in fact, this birthday was even better than all of that. My husband came home four days early. As I’m sure other military spouses can attest, even four days early after a 70-day trip feels like you’ve hit the jackpot. I mean that’s an extra 96 hours you get to spend with the one you love. We drove to San Francisco on Saturday to meet him at the airport. The girls made “Welcome Home Daddy” signs and I got them each a small bouquet of red, white, and blue balloons to carry. Of course, by the time we actually made it there, the sweet little bouquets had turned into one massive, knotted bunch but in the girls’ eyes balloons are balloons no matter the condition. There was a ton of traffic that day and I was so worried that we would be late. I wanted to be there waiting to greet him once he exited those doors. We parked and pretty much walked/ran to the arrivals lobby. The girls had to work together to carry the mass of balloons and I got the biggest kick out of them running through the airport with balloons in tow. They had already made sure to tell everyone at the carwash, the party store and now the airport that “Daddy was coming home today and we were making him a party in the airport.” Remember what I said about balloons? If there are balloons...it’s a party. We rounded the corner from one direction as Doug was rounding a corner from the other. I pointed him out to the girls and they kicked their run up from super-sonic to light speed. I think the main phrasing of their excitement consisted of “Daddy, my Daddy, my Daddy.” Well, I, of course, had to bawl a bit. He looked so good and I was so thankful that he had made it back safely. A few days before his return, I had exchanged an e-mail or two with a good friend of mine from high school. She and her husband and children are currently residing in Texas. She has said repeatedly that she’s an Alabama girl through and through and Alabama is where she would prefer to be. However, she wrote that not long ago her husband went away for a week with work. As she put it, God soooo reminded me why our family made this move. I need a husband and my kids need their Daddy!” I can’t agree more. The mood in our house is so much more “joyful” when Doug is home. I can just see “it” in all of our faces and I hear it in the girls’ voices and in their laughter. Life is just better when we’re all together. Before I joined the military, I’m pretty sure I took my family for granted. All of those holiday meals together, birthdays and anniversaries celebrated as a family...to a teenager it was just another boring family obligation. Well, many years down the road, with a family of my own, and separated by thousands of miles from those that we love, those moments have taken on a new perspective. We should always try and appreciate any time we have together as a family. Every second of it is important and precious. I’m so looking forward to a time in the near future where I’ll once again get to share those special moments with family. For now, I’m just thrilled, elated, ecstatic, joyful, and grateful that I have my little family all under one roof again. I actually have the cutest picture of Doug and the girls taking a nap the day after he came home. It was after my birthday “party”. Doug grilled for us and he and the girls made some special cupcakes for me. I began straightening up the kitchen while Doug took the girls upstairs for a story prior to naptime. I could hear him reading and also hear the girls’ corresponding giggles (I’ve been told that Daddy just makes the stories funnier...perhaps it’s the Scottish accent he puts on while reading). A few seconds later there was just silence. Surely they couldn’t have gone to sleep so quickly, I thought. I went upstairs and in fact, they were all passed out, exhausted I’m sure from the birthday festivities. The girls were in their bathing suits (dry, of course, since they were attempting to convince us to go to the pool). Anna was upside down in the bed while Lauren was perched on top of two pillows. It was so sweet and I had to grab a picture. Doug won’t let me post it...I’m going to start referring to him as the Blog Regulatory Committee or BRG. Still, it just reinforced all of those warm fuzzies I was already overcome with...there’s nothing like being with the ones you love...

School Days, School Days...

Dear old golden rule days.
Yes, it finally happened...our Anna started Kindergarten. I knew it was coming and as any parent would be I was thrilled and horrified all at the same time. It seems like she just learned to crawl and talk and eat solid foods. When in the world did she turn into a little lady ready to venture into the world all on her own? We've been preparing for several days now...practicing our nighttime and morning routines. We even walked the route to school yesterday morning just to see how long it would take us. Over breakfast this morning, I asked her how she was feeling. She replied, "My tummy is in a bit of a knot but I'm also very excited." It was a beautiful morning and the four of us enjoyed the "journey" (Anna's choice of word) to school. Lauren must have been feeling the excitement as well for once we arrived she told Doug not to put her down because she was a little nervous too. All the kindergarten rookies including our baby lined up outside Mrs. Warren's classroom waiting to enter for the first time. Once inside, we all partook in a scavenger hunt designed to help the children find their name tags, cubbies, play areas, and restrooms. At the end of the hunt the children were instructed to take a book and sit on the carpet waiting for the other students to finish. By this time, Anna was already angry at a male classmate who had refused to share a coffeepot in the play area. As I headed her toward the rainbow rug and book rack, she made several comments regarding some people's failure to play nicely! She was still complaining a few seconds later, so I walked over and reminded her that we wanted to start the day on a good note, happy and not sad. So, she took a deep breath and counted to ten. By this time, Mrs. Warren came over and led the children in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the story of "The Kissing Hand". Everyone then blew a kiss to their parents and siblings and we were sent on our way....just the three of us...somehow empty and full all at the same time. It seems like the end of her babyhood but I'm trying to remind myself that it's also the beginning. She has so many exciting times ahead of her. I keep thinking of the saying that goes, "You can give your children but two things, one is roots, the other is wings." So, we walked home, knowing our sweetheart would be fine...she's ready for this new venture, well loved and "well-rooted". At lunchtime, we made the trek back to the school, where she flew back into our arms with a huge smile on her face, excited, happy, talking non-stop, and no longer nervous at all. Once we got home, we surprised her with homemade "Back to school" cupcakes and a balloon bouquet in her new school colors. Her response was, "This is the best back to school party ever." I just smiled...it's her only back to school party ever but that didn't make the compliment any less pleasing to her mommy's heart. So, we all sat down and while the girls dug into their cupcakes, I took a small bite of mine wondering what the next day, month, and years would bring. I know I've said it before but it all goes by so fast. We need to treasure each and every moment. Life is good and I'm so very thankful.

Portrait of an Artist

All my life I’ve been surrounded by creative and talented people. I’ve often thought in my case the creative gene must have skipped a generation. Anna certainly inherited it as she’s very artistically inclined. She loves to draw, paint, and write. I’m constantly amazed by her artwork and her imagination. She even says she wants to be an artist when she grows up. Of course, that changes from day to day. In fact, just last week she decided she wanted to be a snake charmer. I’d prefer she take the artistic route but that’s just me. Speaking of me, the older I get, the more I want to create something as well (other than just breakfast, lunch, and dinner). I’ve really been enjoying playing around more with photography. There are so many other artsy areas I’m interested in as well. I just need to learn to manage my time more efficiently. Until then, I’m having a great time living vicariously through Anna and her work. As you'll see, she's quite prolific, so Grandparents, get ready...artwork will be coming your way soon.


Sit back and enjoy some of her masterpieces!

Conversations with the Peanut Gallery

My grandmother often stated she wished she would have written down the things that my brother and I said while growing up. The girls come out with some of the funniest phrases and stories and I’ve been trying to remember and jot them down in a notebook when I can. How important it is to keep track of these little gems was made even more apparent to me the other day when life seemed to come full circle. In one of my previous posts I mentioned that Anna told me my face looked old but she still loved me anyway. One of the stories I do remember my grandmother telling me was of the time I asked her how old she was when they bought their home. She gave me an age and I apparently responded, "No, Grandma, I mean was your face old and wrinkled like it is now or was it young and smooth like mine?"

Here are some of the funnies from the past two weeks.

“Lauren, remember Santa??” This is one of the newest phrases being used constantly around our house. The song says that Santa knows if you’ve been bad or good. So, Anna has been reminding Lauren of her potential lack of gifts from the jolly old elf if she refuses to cooperate. Cooperation usually entails Lauren playing the role of the prince at a wedding or having tea whenever Anna decides it’s tea time. Apparently, it seems to work. Lauren says "Oh yeah, okay Anna." Hmm...maybe I should give it a try the next time I'm looking for some help straightening the playroom.

The girls have really made some huge advances in their swimming this summer. At the pool the other day, they jumped in and immediately started sticking their heads under. They were a little overly excited though because every time they came up they would cough their little heads off. I told them they needed a break and to sit on the side of the pool for a moment to catch their breaths. They did as I asked and then Lauren looked at me and said, “We’re okay, Mommy. We just need some oxygens.”

Yesterday the three of us headed to the mall to shop for some back-to-school clothes for Anna. We didn’t have much luck although we traipsed back and forth through the mall several times. The girls were such little troopers and really hung in there with me. Lauren finally decided she’d had enough and was ready for lunch. She took my hand, looked up at me and said, ”Mommy, I’m empty.”

I recently got a pedicure. I’m ashamed to say that the girls don’t often see my toenails painted. My hands just aren't steady enough to do it myself and so I treat myself to a spa pedicure every once in a while. Afterwards, when I went to pick them up from the babysitters, Anna gave me a big hug and then gasped when she saw my feet. “Mommy”, she said, “I like your toenails! Who bought them for you??”

On one of our drives to base Anna looked out the window and saw a field with round hay bales. She got so excited and said, “Hey everybody, look...hay balls!”

With a new baby on the way we’ve been having a lot of discussions about where babies come from and how they end up in a mommy’s tummy. Anna woke up the other morning and her first question of the day was,

Anna: Where did God get all those bones?
Me: What bones?
Anna: The bones to make all those people.
Me: What people?
Anna: All those people in their mommies' tummies.
Me: Well, uh….
Anna: Maybe he got them from the dinosaurs.
Me: Well, uh….I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way.
Anna: How many people are there anyway...about a dozen?
Me: More like billions.
Anna: Wow, a dozen billion, that’s a lot.
Anna: Does God ever sleep?
Me: Well….
Anna: I bet he rests in a chair.

The girls have started saying a nightly prayer for their new baby brother or sister. They also like to kiss my tummy and say, “Night, night” to the baby. Two nights ago Anna decided she would also sing the baby to sleep with a lullaby. It went something like this:

Lullaby and good night,
Sleep tight little baby.
It’s warm and cozy in mommy’s tummy
And you don’t need a blanket.
There’s lots of good food
That Mommy ate for you.
I love you little baby
I can’t wait ‘til you’re born.

After the song ended another discussion of potential baby names ensued. Anna decided we should go with Violet for a girl. While Lauren thought Peanut would be a great name for a little boy.

Just another week with my two sweethearts...sigh...life is good.

In a Nutshell

Doug has mentioned several times that life can be a little crazy when you’re living in a house filled with girls. Since he’s been gone almost 70 days, I thought it might be a good idea to remind him of the wonderful insanity he’s been missing out on. We may be a little nuts but we’re nuts about him!! Still counting the days, honey. We’re almost there and we can't wait!!

XOXO--The Cuckoo's Nest

Sunflower and Blackberry Recap

I had no idea that the sunflower seeds from our friend's birthday party would produce such huge sunflowers. Here's a picture of one of our three blooms:

We've really been enjoying our blackberries from the farm. In addition to the mixed fruit cobbler we've also made "Mixed Berry and Spice Muffins" and "Blackberry-Lime Tartlets". Both recipes are from the "FatfreeVegan" blog.

Mixed Berry and Spice Muffins

Blackberry-Lime Tartlets

The girls and I made these this afternoon. When they tasted them they asked, "Can this be our dinner?" I guess that means they like them. :)

This week I learned from my children that:

1. Disneyland was built by maj-gick.

2. Bananas cure hiccups.

3. Bad guys are people who haven't had a shower in 30 years.

4. If you're tired you have a black eye and it's time to go to bed (dark circles under your eyes).

5. If we weren't humans, we would probably be potatoes.

6. Daddies make their babies silly.

7. God has a beard and wears jeans.

8. My face looks old because of all those lines on my forehead but Anna still loves me anyway.

9. Kids would work hard like the ants in Aesop's fable (The Grasshopper and the Ants) if all they had to do was gather marshmallows all day.

10. Angels are here on earth. There are two living under my roof.


This picture was taken at the zoo on Friday. We were looking at a beautiful green parrot when a group of older kids walked by and started to say things like, "Hello. Meow. Want a cracker?" The parrot mimicked them and the girls were blown away. What followed was a rapid fire burst of words directed at the parrot in an attempt to hear him speak again. The words were coming so quickly and the poor parrot tried to keep up. Apparently it had never run across anyone like our children. After a few weak "hellos" and "meows", the parrot grabbed onto the wood of its perch with its beak and just began to loudly squawk non-stop. I decided this was enough trauma for the avian in one day and shooed the girls onto the next area as quickly as possible.

Operation Veggie Strike

I know how many servings of fruits and vegetables we should have each day. I know, but...it's not always easy to get that many into the girls. Thus the establishment of "Operation Veggie Strike". I had seen a condiment tray used effectively on "The Vegan Lunchbox" blog and thought I should give it a try. I purchased a tray at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and filled it up yesterday. I'm not going to hop on a Navy jet, land on an aircraft carrier and declare, "Mission Accomplished!" a la George Bush but I will say that we had a very successful first day. The girls snacked on the fruits and veggies on and off and at day's end the tray was pretty much done. Now, of course, the novelty could wear off quickly but it was such a satisfying feeling to look at that empy tray and know where all the food ended up....in their tummies! Today the tray is filled with blackberries, cantaloupe, apple slices, more edamame, broccoli, cauliflower and a little baked tofu. Wish us luck! Here are yesterday's goodies:

Bowling Anyone?

I once read a quote by Martin Mull that said "Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your head." I don't know about that but I do know our girls love to bowl. There's something about the whole bowling alley experience that is just a lot of fun. It's "cool" to put on the nifty shoes and apparently totally necessary to only have pink balls to bowl with. I wouldn't know as I've never been very successful at bowling. Maybe they can teach me a thing or two. We met up with some friends at Beale's bowling alley the other day and let the girls play a game together. The bowling alley has a rail set-up just for kids so there are no gutter balls to contend with. They also have a rack the girls can set their balls on and push to head them toward the pins. I think they need to offer something like this for those of us adults who might be a little bowling-challenged!

Blackberry Adventure

The Song of the Blackberry Fairy
My berries cluster black and thick

For rich and poor alike to pick.

I'll tear your dress, and cling, and tease,

And scratch your hands and arms and knees.
I'll stain your fingers and your face

And then I'll laugh at your disgrace.

But when the bramble-jelly's made

You'll find your trouble well repaid.
--Cecily May Barker

The girls and I picked blackberries at Amber Oak Farm in Auburn yesterday. Fortunately, these blackberries were a thornless variety and so we didn't end up with scratches or torn clothes. We did, however, come away with stained fingers. It was so worth it though as we had a really nice time. It was a beautiful day with a nice breeze. Shade was provided by the berries as they are grown on wires above ground. I was thankful for this after a conversation with my mother about rattlesnakes prior to our departure for the farm. The girls would have continued to pick all day if we could have. We all tried to remember that it was just the three of us and there were only so many blackberry recipes we could make. Anna reminded me of "Bubba" from Forrest Gump as she came up with a billion blackberry recipe ideas. We started with a mixed berry cobbler last night. I thought it tasted great but the girls opted for a cookie as dessert instead. I bet if I'd put ice cream on it they would have eaten it!! We have two other recipes lined up for today and then I think I'll attempt to freeze some to share with Doug when he gets home.