this week

This week we've been really enjoying the company of my parents.

 They spoil the kids rotten, and they make the work for these mama's hands light.  And I haven't had to go grocery shopping this week!  And I've cooked a lot less.

 The littles are playing together well this week.  We've had grumpy moments, but they really are starting to become pals.

 This week we've been visited by some turtles.  We get a lot of box and snapping turtles around here, so we make sure and let the littles know not to touch ANY turtle.  We'll see how long they listen to me.

 This week the iris started to bloom.  And Rowan is already going around picking them.  They are just so frilly and feminine.

 This week the roses are just starting to peek out, and if last year was any indication, we'll have roses blooming until November.

 This week the lily of the valley is on its last legs, but little nosegays that my mom and Rowan have picked keep the house smelling so sweet.  But the sage is in full beautiful bloom!

And this week my mom helped me put in my herbs in planter boxes right outside the kitchen door.  I am so looking forward to walking out, snipping off a couple leaves, and throwing them into whatever I'm cooking.

What was your week like?

mexican skillet

As the days get warmer and the sun sticks around for a while longer, we start doing dinner a bit differently.  We might start up the grill, or I might make a big salad (salad is Fletcher's favorite meal- true story) or I throw whatever vegetables we have on hand into a skillet in various combinations.  I happened to have jalapeños, avocados and cilantro in the fridge, so I was either going to make guacamole or a skillet meal.  Since we had no chips, skillet it was!  There are no hard and fast rules about these meals, but here is what I put into this one.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned would all work)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 small avocados, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
small bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 limes
1/2 cup prepared salsa

serve with tortillas, chips, or rice
serves 4

First I chopped and prepared all the vegetables.

Next I sautéed the onions and peppers in olive oil on medium heat for about 7 minutes, and added the garlic and jalapeños for an additional 3 minutes.  While those vegetables were sautéing, I lightly mashed the black beans with a fork, so they would mingle into the mixture a bit.

I added the beans, tomatoes, cilantro, corn, salsa, and the juice of one lime to the mixture, and turned down the heat to low, just warming them.  I turned off the heat, and added the sliced avocados on top right before serving.

Brian ate his mixture in a tortilla with cheese, extra hot sauce, and sour cream, and I had mine just in a bowl with the cheese and sour cream.  We both squeezed extra lime on top.  So quick, easy, and delicious!

the party

Rowan has quite a few classmates at school, and we made the decision to invite them all over for her party.  I made the (wise) decision to have the party last exactly 2 hours.  Which, if you were wondering, is just enough time for eating pizza, playing pin the crown on the princess, singing Happy Birthday and eating cake, and opening presents.  That was it!  And Rowan couldn't have been happier.  She remembered her manners, opened each present with a "ooo, it's just what I wanted!" and thanked everyone for coming and for the gifts.  Right at that 2 hour mark, she began to get a bit crabby, though, so the very sweet and polite Rowan was traded in for a tired and cranky Rowan.  I could not be more proud of how well she did, though.

It's a funny business to me, these birthday parties for 3 years olds.  Come on over!  We'll give you too much sugar, and then make you watch someone open presents of toys that you can't play with!  It'll be fun!  Luckily it actually WAS fun, and no one got the jealousy bug while Rowan was opening presents.  She's even shared a bit with her big brother.  I call that a success!

I also call it a success that while Rowan wanted a "Princess Party" I was able to (mostly) keep the brand named, Disney stuff out of the equation.  Don't get me wrong, I don't object to Disney and their princesses, but I like a more handmade feel to a party.  And Rowan didn't mind.  She was originally going to wear her Cinderella dress up dress, but my parents saved the day by bringing her a beautiful purple dress from their trip to Mexico!  There was one Disney princess that made an appearance in the form of pin the crown on the princess, but I drew her on a poster board myself, so even she was handmade.  Rowan also requested the color purple for decorations, and then added in blue for the boys.  Actually, it was just for one boy, the 12 year old son of friends.  She adores him, follows him around, calls him her best friend, mostly because he is so sweet and kind to her.  So purple and blue it was!

I always put up a photo garland of some snapshots of the birthday girl/boy for their parties.  And Rowan requested purple flowers.  So of course papa got them for her.  He's a sucker like that.

It was a fun party, and I was so thankful for the extra helping hands from my parents.  Rowan had a great time, and I learned that I don't have to break myself to make a fun party for the littles.  And that ordering pizza instead of making the food is just fine.  Especially since it's Rowan's favorite.

My baby is 3!

3 years old!

We all know that time can fly by so quickly.  This is especially true when we watch our children grow. I know it's trite, but I REALLY DO feel like Rowan was just born.  I can remember it all so well, and when I think about her as a baby, it is so clear to me, I am almost surprised to find that she is a little girl now.  Three years old.  Her birthday is Sunday, and we are having a little birthday party with her school friends tomorrow.

As I prepare for her party, I keep wondering when it was that she turned away from the tantrums and needs that is the terrible twos.  She has become sweet, caring, and kind.  With a few tantrums still thrown in there.

 Rowan's favorite food right now is pizza and pineapple.  Not together.  She loves anything to do with the Disney princesses, much to my dismay.  But she also loves to play trains with Fletcher, so at least there's a balance.

 She loves to wear dresses and ballerina skirts, but insists upon wearing pants under them.

She adores cats and dogs, and has two favored stuffed doggies that she sleeps with every night.

 Rowan loves to tend to flowers and plants.  Watering, picking flowers, and smelling flowers are among her favorite pastimes.  She has a very unique way of smelling flowers, ha!

 Dance parties are frequently requested by Rowan, with an emphasis on the Hokey Pokey.  But she really will dance to anything, anytime, anywhere.

 She has a great sense of humor, even at her own expense.  Rowan enjoys a good knock knock joke.  She also enjoys a bad one.

 She is my little shadow, and will join in any activity or chore I have to do.  Folding laundry?  She'll help me unfold it.  Cooking dinner?  She will insist upon standing on the chair next to me and helping chop vegetables or stir a simmering pot.  No, I don't let her.  She just tries to insist.  Tending the garden?  She will overwater the plants, and then step on them.  She makes any chore 10 times longer,  but she's such a cheerful companion, I can't complain.

 Although Rowan is my little shadow, she is a papa's girl, through and through.  Every morning she wakes up asking where he is, and is bitterly disappointed the 5 days of the week that he is at work.

She is a blur of painted nails and ponytails.  She is a tagalong to Fletcher, and they are sometimes partners in crime.  She gives hugs to everyone, and hasn't met a stranger yet.  Which is sweet, and scary too.

She is turning 3 on Sunday.  Did I mention it feels like she was just born?

Rowan, you are such a bright spot in Mama's life.  Your sweetness and compassion are evident even at 3 years old.  You are passionate about many things, and your emotions can run hot, but that is part of why I love you so much.  You're a little beauty, but mostly because of the sweetness that shines through.  I love you!  

so much

So much to do.  It has been a bit of a hectic week, and I feel like my wheels are spinning.  I've been getting ready for Rowan's birthday party this weekend (!) and for my parents to visit.  We haven't seen my parents since Christmas, so I'm pretty excited to see them.  But with visitors there are always beds to make, towels to wash, etc. because I forgot to do it after our last guests.

We've been working on our garden.  We may have been a little overzealous about our seed and plant purchasing, and I may have over estimated the size of our garden.  Well, we packed it in with vegetables and other odds and ends, so I'm hoping something will come up!

Brian roto tilled out the garden, and we've all helped plant it in.  I'm excited!  And only a little dismayed at the thought of pulling weeds on a daily basis.

Spring has been beautiful lately, so the littles want to be outside as much as possible.  So I've been enjoying everything blooming around us.  The wisteria is just gorgeous to me (and to the bees) and I'm sorry to say the blossoms have mostly been blown down.  I wish my blog was scratch and sniff, because these smell so so good.

I've been cleaning up a lot, working on little somethings to send out to people, and listening to a lot of Johnny Cash.  I can't say why, but he really gets me into a "work" frame of mind.

And most of all, I keep pausing in my day to take in my little girl.  Rowan is turning 3 on Sunday, Mother's Day.  So my baby is definitely a little girl now.  I keep hugging and kissing her, and she's been letting me more than usual, as if to say, "It's ok, mama.  I will still let you hug and kiss me for a little while longer."

How about forever, little one?

ten year trinkets

Brian and I have followed along with the traditional wedding gifts for the past 10 years.  Year one- paper.  Year two- cotton.  Year three- leather...  Some have been difficult, some have been easy.  Like the year Brian was building a deck, the traditional gift was wood.  Easy.  The year that was fruit proved a little more difficult, because what do you give?  A fruit basket?  That's romantic.

Year ten happens to be tin for the traditional gift.  The modern gift is diamonds, so I'm second guessing this decision we made 10 years ago.  Really shot myself in the foot there.

I searched for the perfect tin present for Brian, and came up with tin army soldiers from the 1940's.  I know, not practical.  But personal and I knew he'd love them.  He and Fletcher love to line up and play with Fletcher's green plastic army men, so it was a pretty easy choice for me.  Brian gave me a lovely little antique tin jewelry box.  I love decorative boxes for some unknown reason, so he picked perfectly for me, also.

I found the little box filled with toy ephemera when I went to take these pictures.  The littles apparently approve, too.

And Brian never goes wrong with flowers.  What woman doesn't like flowers?  I'm not a huge rose fan, but Brian said these were too gorgeous to pass up.  I agree.

Our neighbor babysat, and Brian and I went out to a fancy restaurant and just talked and laughed.  It was perfect.  We want to take a mini-trip later this summer to really celebrate, but we will have to wait and see with his work schedule.  It's nearly impossible to plan ahead.

Those ten years went by in a flash.  I wish I could pause time and just revel in how happy and loving we are right now, all these 10 years later.

thanks so much for all the well-wishes and congratulations!  we read and enjoyed every comment.