Sweet Summertime

We are loving the summer picnic outings these days. We try to pack in a lot of variety by going to a different park each time. But something tells me that this one just might become the "go-to" picnic park. "Our place," if you will. It has so much to offer, without being too overstimulating. There were plenty of quiet, out-of-the-way spots to nurse the littlest guy and keep an eye on the action at the same time:

This park has a pint-sized train running through it every 10 minutes or so. It acts as a great distraction for the little ones while the grown ups scarf down some lunch (before the pleas of "When can we go exploring?" start up in earnest. It's so not about the eating for the kids on a picnic. Well, not our kids, anyway. Eating is merely an obstacle to running around the open space and checking everything out!)

On such a hot and sticky day as this, the cold stream was a welcome pit-stop.

Roo is attracted to puddles like a magnet, but she is rarely outfitted with the right shoes for puddle splashing. So imagine how ecstatic she was when Mom came prepared with water shoes and she was actually encouraged to stomp around in the water as much as she pleased!

Then, of course, there was the requisite rock collecting excursion:

I have never seen so many dragonflies in my life. They were buzzing (do they buzz or flutter or ??) around us in every direction. Check out these shots I snapped of them sitting on the rock next to us in the stream:

Such a lovely way to spend a hot July day. It even makes someone like me (this is my least favorite season) wish for an endless summer. Well, for a few moments anyway.

Colander Cruising

I haven't done a "Snippet of Sunshine" post in a while, so I thought this might be a good one to mention. With each passing day, I am noticing more moments when the children are entertaining themselves, and less moments of me playing Event Planner, if you will. This is huge in the world of parenting. It's especially exciting to see the sibling relationship evolving between my daughter and son. Big sister has an idea, little brother wants "in" on said idea, and she happily obliges!

Take the newest activity to hit our household: Colander Cruising! Roo just decided one morning to use the colander as a scooter of sorts, and she spent a good chunk of time sliding and scooching up and down the hallway. This is the same girl I found "ice skating" on the living room carpet this past winter by putting one bare foot (sweaty, sticky feet work best for this so there's less chance of slipping off the book. Gross, but true.) on a slippery-backed book (library books are great for this as the children's books generally have that plastic cover to protect the book) and using the other foot to push off the carpet: propelling herself around the room on her slippery "ice skate." Although, it resembled skate boarding more than ice skating, if you ask me. Not that I would ever tell her that. But, back to the current favorite:

She had a captive audience. And, being the kind of big sister she is, she couldn't wait to give her brother a spin.

Watching moments like these naturally unfold in our day fills my heart with much happiness. I love seeing the inner-workings of a 4 year old's mind put into action. I really love witnessing Roo drawing her brother into her world of play.

So, that's where I found my snippet of sunshine today. Where's yours? :)

Simple Summer Pleasures...

My goodness! One and a half weeks since my last post. That certainly was an unintentional blogging break. Brought on by the little and big things of life, like chronic health issues with my son (the big), a possible move for our family (also qualifies as big), and my preoccupation with watching tv reruns from my youth (the little). Throw in the typical fatigue (mental and physical) and spending time with my husband in the evenings (my usual blogging time), and there you have it: a while since I've visited this space. But, here I am, so let's get on with it, shall we?

My kids love water. Playing in a sink full of bubbles has long been a favorite for my daughter. Recently, we introduced Rascal to the wonder of bubbles, warm water, and lots of kitchen gadgets for water toys. He's a convert. He totally loved it.

And the set-up? Genius on my part, I must say. I filled up one half of the sink with water and bubbles. I set Roo up on the counter nearest the water. Then I put a bath towel in the other half of the sink, and nestled Rascal right in there. Then, and this is the best part, I settled myself on top of an adjacent counter, book in hand. I strategically stretched my legs across to Rascal's side of the sink, so as to act as a barrier and keep him contained (as you certainly can't trust a newly-turned 1 year old to stay seated at all times). I was within arms-reach the entire time if need be, but got to dive into a good book while the children played. After all, I think children play best when adults aren't hovering over them, directing their activities. I also got to hang back and do a little eavesdropping, which is always fun. Roo's constant cheerful chatter is a hoot. Add to that Rascal's total conversational input (it's not easy keeping up his end of the conversation with his robust vocabulary of 4 words: "uh-oh," "sock," "hi," and "up") and you have yourself some real entertainment possibilities. I should have jotted down some of the back-and-forth dialogue, as there were a few gems in there. :)

Roo discovered how to make a volcano using a large plastic funnel. Just submerge into bubbly water and watch the flow of "lava" out the spout. They did this about 100 times, and it never got old. Don't you just love that about kids? It certainly makes my job easier (not to mention, it gave me time to make a good dent in my book).

It's been so hot and humid that a good drenching from water play was just what the doctor ordered. Plus, now one half of my sink is really, really clean. Everybody wins. :)

Fourth Festivities

Although this recap from the holiday weekend is a little bit late, I thought I'd give an overview of a wonderful day spent with family:

My Mom thoughtfully filled the baby pool and put it in the sun to warm up hours before our arrival. By the time the kiddos got in, it was almost like bathwater!

It didn't take long for Rascal to discover the bubbling fountain on the back porch (my Mom made this, by the way. It's one of many, and all are uniquely different. I love them all. Must see about getting one for my own back porch!)

I love how he squats down a bit, when he's checking out something new that he's unsure about...

Hmmm...my "No touching....it's just for looking" comment was quickly tossed aside:

But we quickly found a way to keep those mischievous hands busy: my Mom gave him a bowl full of rocks and let him drop them down a hole in the porch, where they promptly plopped (with a satisfying clunking sound, no less!) into the rock garden two stories below. My Dad commented on Rascal's persistence-- there were several rocks he thought Rascal would never fit through that hole. But Rascal kept turning and flipping the rocks around and over until he somehow managed to manipulate those rocks through that hole! Typical one year old, I say: if he wants to do something, he cannot be deterred.

There was some time for sitting on the deck before dinner, drinking and snacking and enjoying the trees and flowers in their seasonal glory.

When it came time for dinner, my sister's centerpiece graced the table: freshly plucked from her garden that afternoon:

Any summer BBQ would not be complete without my Mom's potato salad (a million times better than any deli. I think I might have to do a post on it someday).

I love seeing my daughter eat off the same plate I used as a child. Oh, how I loved these plates back then! Even today, I like my food compartmentalized.

We capped off a great meal with super juicy watermelon and peach pie a la mode (I didn't stop to snap a photo of the pie before gobbling it up!).

All in all, it was relaxed, cool, yummy, and it tired the little ones out: just the way I like a summer day to be!

Party Snacks, Part II

As promised, here are two more appetizers that fall into the Savory (and Simple) Category. I really meant to get them posted early yesterday morning in case anyone was looking for a simple party appetizer for the 4th of July. But, there are opportunities aplenty for cool, light, and refreshing snacks for the summer ahead!

Marinated Cheese Squares

1 (.7 oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 Tbsp. minced green onion

2 Tbsp water

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, thoroughly chilled for easy slicing

1 (8 oz.) block Monterey Jack cheese, chilled

1 (8 oz.) block Cheddar cheese, chilled

1/2 cup chopped pimiento or jarred red bell peppers, chopped

Assorted crackers

Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Then cut the blocks of Jack, Cheddar, and cream cheese in half lengthwise. Follow by cutting each half crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Arrange cheese slices in rows in a shallow baking dish, alternating the Jack, Cheddar, and cream cheese. Pour the marinade over the cheese. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours (I love preparing things way ahead of party time!).

Pour off marinade and arrange cheese rows on a serving platter. Top with pimiento or jarred red bell peppers. Serve with butter knife and assorted nibbles.

Greek Tomato Chillers

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

4 oz. feta cheese

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

Cut off tops of washed, cherry tomatoes. Scoop out pulp (if using grape tomatoes, which are quite a bit narrower and smaller than cherry tomatoes, I find it easier to use a grapefruit spoon or the handle end of a teaspoon to get in there and scoop out the pulp). Turn upside down on paper towel and let drain. Mix cheese and onion and spoon into tomato cups (your fingers make a better spoon here -- freshly washed fingers, of course!) Combine oil, vinegar, oregano, and add salt and pepper to your liking. Spoon marinade over tomatoes. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Party Snacks, Part I

With the Fourth of July holiday soon upon us, I thought I'd share some appetizer recipes that have been well-received this past month of birthdays and other family gatherings. Granted, no one in my family is picky about food: you serve it and they'll eat it. But, these are quick and easy to make, so even if no one eats it, at least you didn't slave away for hours in the kitchen.

First up, the savory top-picks (and I apologize in advance for the recipes that are missing a photo--which is almost all of them--I completely lacked the forethought to take pictures last month when I served them up):

Layered Pizza Dip

1 container (8 oz) chives-and-onion cream cheese spread

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup pepperoni, finely chopped

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Bagel chips or cubes/slices of French bread

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grab yourself an ungreased 9-inch glass pie pan or shallow glass baking dish (1 qt. size). Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of the pan. Top with the pizza sauce. Then (I'm sure you can see where this is going, but I'll tell you anyway) layer the pepper, pepperoni, and cheeses on top of the sauce. Bake for 10-15 minutes. You could also microwave it if you are trying to avoid turning the oven on. If so, heat 1-3 minutes or until just hot and cheese is melted, not a roiling (or is it "rolling?") boil.

Serve warm with bagel chips or fresh (soft) French bread slices (although chunks is more accurate. Because have you ever tried to thinly slice fresh French bread without mutilating it? Yeah, we gave up on the slices and just cut it into small hunks for dipping. Still tastes the same, even if not as pleasing to the eye).

Cheesy Bacon Spread

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or scallions

1 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder

8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp

Crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the food processor (I typed that in there because that's what my recipe says, but I always do it by hand because I try to avoid cleaning my food processor at all costs), combine cream cheese and mayo until smooth. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese mixture with the cheddar, chives or scallions, parsley, and garlic powder until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch glass pie plate or shallow baking dish.

Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the fully cooked bacon into small pieces (or crumble with your fingers) and garnish the top of the cheese spread. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm with crackers.

Coming up tomorrow: Marinated Cheese Squares and Greek Tomato Chillers (neither require heating up your house to make -- Yay!)

Oh Where, oh where...

has my clean laundry gone? Oh where, oh where could it be? I washed a very full load of cloth wipes, diapers, and the bright yellow diaper pail liner a few days ago. I remember taking it out of the dryer and folding it. I remember putting it aside because Rascal was sleeping and I couldn't put it away yet (for fear of waking him up). It has disappeared. Gone. Nowhere to be found. I've looked. My husband has looked (well, if you can count his scanning the room from one stationary spot, "looking"), and I've even had my guests keep their eyes open (you think I'm kidding--but, I'm not). I am obsessed with finding this clean pile of laundry.

I've taken a pair of scissors to my prefolds (that I normally use as cloth diaper stuffing) to make emergency wipes. I can't stand the thinness of commercial, disposable wipes. It takes me 3 of those to do what 1 cloth wipe can do. Basically, I am lost without my cloth wipes and diapers and that brand new waterproof diaper pail liner (did I mention that it's bright yellow? How does one lose something of that color??) Why couldn't I have lost a load of something as insignificant as clothes or bath towels? After all, we live in pajamas around here and, goodness knows, I never have enough free time to shower anyway.

I guess this MIA laundry load is so aggravating because it truly hammers home the point that a certain level of disorganization has descended upon this household. I pride myself on being a homemaker. How can I lose laundry in our not-so-big house? What does that say about my skills around here? Me, with my lists and to-do's and homemaking journals. I can't even get a load of laundry safely from the dryer to the dresser one floor up. *Sigh*

My husband says it is probably long gone. Given away with the donation bags last week or thrown away by mistake. I can live with the fact that maybe they were accidentally donated. Perhaps some other cloth-diapering mama will stumble across them. I cannot stand the thought that the diapers and wipes, I so carefully chose fabric for and sewed up during my last pregnancy, are in a dumpster somewhere. Heartbreaking. Heartbroken over some cloth diapers and wipes, you ask? Yes, I'm that weird. Now you know.

So, I've tried to forget about the missing laundry. Don't they always say that something turns up as soon as you stop looking? Well, I'm giving it a try. In the meantime, the children had fun using my empty laundry basket today:

That's the Princess pulling the King in his chariot.

You've got to admire their positive attitudes and the ability to make the best of a situation, even in the wake of things like the economic recession, political unrest, and...missing piles of clean laundry.