7QT: Amazing Paintings Edition

I'm trying to keep up some semblance of normal blogging over here, but I'm also transitioning from regular childcare to no childcare + occasional mother's helper, and while things are going very well, I don't have as much time or mental space right now to take pictures, think, etc.  Ponchik is doing well, but still up a lot at night and my brain is just broken right now.  I have some fun stamping-related things to share, but not the time to photograph them at the moment, so stay tuned!  In the meantime, I noticed this cool page on facebook today called I Require Art, and I just had to share a few of the amazing paintings they've posted recently.

-1-

 -2-

-3-

-4-

 -5-

-6-

This one makes me think of the pivotal scene in Anna Karenina when Lev goes out and mows in the fields with the peasants.  That scene taught me a lot about contemporary Russian life and helped me to understand Russians when I was living there and scratching my head over cultural differences.

-7-

Go see Jen and Co. for more Quick Takes!

Bloglovin

As many of you know, Google Reader will be no more as of Monday, July 1st (wahhh!).  I've been using feedly.com for my reader for the past month or so, but I wanted to "claim" my blog on bloglovin just in case feedly doesn't work out.  So if you are so inclined, and looking for an RSS reader, you could give bloglovin a try and follow me there:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Thanks!

Bloglovin'

As many of you know, Google Reader will be no more as of Monday, July 1st (wahhh!).  I've been using feedly.com for my reader for the past month or so, but I wanted to "claim" my blog on bloglovin just in case feedly doesn't work out.  So if you are so inclined, and looking for an RSS reader, you could give bloglovin a try and follow me there:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Thanks!

Foodie Friday: Sweet Refrigerator Cucumber Pickles

I know I mentioned these pickles in my Five Favorites post, but seriously, they are so good they deserve a whole post.  I thought I should give the official recipe here particularly as I'm always afraid of misplacing the scrap of paper that I have the proportions of the brine written on.  As I said, this recipe comes from my Grandma Vanderaa, and I never make them without thinking of her.

Sweet Refridgerator Cucumber Pickles

You can adjust quantities and make more or less, but this is the way I usually make them because my fridge space is limited.

1 c. white vinegar
1 c. warm water
1 c. white sugar

3-4 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced a bit thick (you can slice them thinner, but they don't hold up as well in the brine; alternatively, if you don't like to peel them, you can score the edges lengthwise with a fork before slicing)

In a 7 cup bowl or large mason jar, mix vinegar, warm water, and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved.  Add cucumbers, cover and chill for 8-12 hours before eating.  Pickles will keep for several weeks.

Five Favorites: Forehead Smack Edition

1.  You know how sometimes you think of something simple that makes sense, is more efficient, easy, and ultimately makes you want to smack your forehead for not thinking of it sooner?  Well these favorites include a few of those this week.  To wit: the travel size deodorant.  I confess to being somewhat sensitive about summer sweat and the accompanying aromas, and it didn't occur to me until recently to put a travel size deodorant in my purse to freshen up when I'm out and about and sweating a storm.  Genius!  

2.  In the age of HGTV and Pinterest, I think it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that our houses must always look like they are ready for a magazine spread.  (As in: not lived in by real people).  I'm all for keeping clutter to a minimum and keeping a house tidy, but sometimes it is easier to do the thing that makes sense for the season rather than what looks good.  For example: we set up a small inflatable splash pool on the back patio.  The kids come in and out from the kitchen, and we have wood floors, so I don't especially want huge amounts of water dripped on them all summer long.  We have a small mat for wiping feet by the door, but it isn't waterproof, and kids can drip a lot of water!  So I pulled a large towel out of the closet and spread it in front of the doors.  Works great, looks terrible.  I also hung up the kids' bath toys on the outside of the door so they can use them in the pool.  Again, great idea, works well, looks terrible.

3.  I have a Black and Decker hand vac that I use to keep the house crumb free, and it lives in the kitchen (I have a second one on an upper floor for bathroom use because of our 47 stairs).  The 18 volt battery was spending more time on the charger than in the vac, and since I use it every day, multiple times per day, that was just unacceptable.  (And for those of you who know my mother, yes, I know.  Dust busters R Us.  I'm getting therapy, and I've stopped short of getting a belt holster for it, though).  It finally occurred to me to buy a second battery (and a new filter, while I was at it).  Perfect!  Now I can run one battery down while the other is charging and just switch them out as needed. 

4.  Now that cucumbers are in at the farmer's markets, it is pickle season!  My gram used to make these great sweet refrigerator pickles.  They are so easy--just combine the ingredients, add peeled cucumber slices, and chill.  They don't keep indefinitely, but they do keep a long while (but I challenge anyone who tries them to keep many in the fridge for long anyway).  In any case, making them reminded me of her, and made me miss her.

5.  This dress is one of my favorite things right now.  I bought it on crazy sale from My Baby Jo in January, hoping that it would be a nice postpartum wardrobe boost, and it is da bomb.  It's called the Mrs. Moore Day Dress, and is based on a mid-1940s pattern.  (Here's the same dress in green--swoon!) The dress is hand-made using vintage fabric, and is just fab.  Great big pockets, nice big buttons (the better to nurse in), and a great silhouette.  Add my new vintage summer hair do (I got brave with the big flowers today), and I'm good to go! (And this photo is awesomely blurry because my five year old took it)

State of mind

It started with a cough.

It never fails to amaze me that the moment I start feeling good about life in the city with small children, and getting a good rhythm, something happens to smack me in the forehead and say, "I'm sorry, were you starting to be content and happy?  Forget it sister."  And then I get down and fuggy again for months on end.

I have a newish mom friend who is so positive about life.  She has plenty of moments that are frustrating, and I know that her life isn't all sunshine and roses, but her attitude is just great.  I recently told her that I love seeing her posts pop up in my Facebook feed because it is always a bright spot.  She smiled and said she'd recently gained some perspective on life, and proceeded to tell me about some people she had encountered who were struggling with greater things than she, and it made her grateful for what she did have.  My takeaway from that conversation was that she refused to let the gunk of life bring her down, and that she was going to be in charge of her reaction to the bad stuff.

I've been thinking about what she said since we spoke, and last night, after I posted about feeling positive about life in the city with the kids, Birdie started coughing.  And when Birdie starts coughing, that usually means a sickness cycle is getting ready to slam us, and it may or may not involve hospital stays, but will almost certainly involve doctor visits, extra medication schedules to track, and more lost sleep.  I sat in the rocking chair holding her as she coughed and hacked and cried, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep and felt that old frustration creep up the back of my neck.  But she's been so healthy this spring!  I wanted to scream.  I just started thinking I could take her places without dire consequences!  It is the summer, for Pete's sake!  She is supposed to be better in the summer. I don't need this mess with a newborn baby who is up a lot of the night and needs so much from me right now!  This mantra started swirling in my head, and pretty soon my light airy thoughts had been replaced by heavy leaden frustration, anger, and a sort of resigned mental sighing.

But then I started thinking about my friend, and that conversation, and I realized that my reaction to these events was completely within my control.  I did not have to allow them to make me feel bad, and I didn't need to let them bring me down.  So I took a deep breath, reminded myself that it wasn't the end of the world, and that I wasn't going to let a cough and a junky nose steal my joy.  I reminded myself that she has been a lot better this year, and her flares are much less intense than they used to be.  We are better at managing her symptoms and the overall number of respiratory crises is much decreased.  These are all things to be grateful for.  I also reminded myself that we can roll with the punches and whatever happens, we can handle it.  Inch by inch, I grabbed back that light feeling.  I woke up this morning tired but feeling positive once more.  I know I will have bad moments, times of doubt, frustration, and just sheer exhaustion.  But I also know that I can try to stop myself from wallowing in despair, and to cease feeling like every moment of our lives is a crisis.  It is true, we've had a lot of crisis the last two years, but I can stop feeling like it is ruling me, rather than the other way around.  We don't need to put our lives on hold for 18 months to get through it.  It's going to take some work to undo years of bad habits of mind, and I will have to be especially mindful of my negative thought processes, and work to change them over to positive ones, but I have to do this.  Everyone benefits when I'm feeling good and I think it is worth the work.  

So, I've got this.  I'm good.  And in the meantime, that splash pool is still out back.

Summer in the City

Summer and me don't mix very well.  I'm not a very outdoorsy person; my idea of a good outdoor experience is a screened in porch and a hammock.  I don't do well with the heat; I got sunstroke in high school and ever since, I overheat easily and tend not to feel very well on hot days.  And owing to a unique combination of Dutch and Irish heritage, I have skin so pale as to be almost see-through.  I burn through clothing, people.  There isn't an SPF high enough for me.  Oh, and sunscreen makes my skin burn like I'm being stung by a million tiny insects.  Except for the kind that costs $12.99 for a tiny tube that is basically a single application for me.  (Neutrogena Dry Touch, I'm lookin' at you...)

I think I've mentioned a time or two that we live in a swamp.  I'm not exaggerating; during the Revolutionary War, the regiments of the Continental Army stationed here received hazard pay because the climate was so awful.  Also, we don't have central air conditioning.  Just a lot of ceiling fans and a small portable floor unit that we can vent out of our bedroom window when the heat is very intense. 

But, I have little children with tons of energy to burn, and the best way to burn it is to be outdoors, particularly since our house is so small and the kids tend to fight more when cooped up inside for long periods.  Most people take their kids to the parks, the various spraygrounds, or other outdoor venues during the summer.  Most of these places are in full sun during the day, and lack good places to sit and nurse a baby if need be.  Many of the parks lack fencing all the way around (one particular offender opens onto a major parkway).  The parks  also tend to get overrun by the daycamps in the mornings, so it can be hard to keep track of my kids. Day camps are a great option, but most are for kids who are potty trained and a bit older, so they aren't really an option for my middle two children at this point.  (Piglet starts camp next week, and had a great time at this camp last summer, so I'm sure he'll have a great time this summer.)  But summer in the city has been difficult these past few years.

I mention this not to bemoan my state, but rather to say that I'm feeling rather positive about this summer, for the first time since we've lived here.  Usually I go into the summer months with a siege-mentality, just trying to survive it and slog through the heat-induced misery.  It helps that the heat has stayed relatively reasonable--we had one week of high 90s, and then it has been in the mid-70s to mid-80s the rest of this month.  This time last year we had already been the high 90s and low 100s for several weeks.  So I can't complain too much about the weather right now. 

The other reason I'm feeling positive is that we just bought an inflatable splash pool.  Suddenly my summer seems downright enjoyable!  The kids had a blast playing in it this afternoon; it is easy to inflate and fill (even using a jury-rigged hose attachment from the kitchen sink out to the back), and we can easily empty it into the main drain on the patio so we don't attract mosquitoes from having standing water all the time.  I can sit in the kitchen and keep a close eye on them (and not be outside) and still do some other things like stamp, or quilt, or write, or cook!  Anything I can easily set up and take down from the kitchen table is doable.  Amazing, how my summer just opened up, possibility-wise.

The other reason I'm feeling very positive is that I'm feeling better physically, so I feel more able to go places with the kids and not want to crawl into bed every moment.  That's not to say I'm not sleep-deprived--I am, quite--but I don't have that horrid draggy anemic feeling I've been struggling with for so many months now.  I also have given myself permission to use the car every day if needed to take the kids places.  We are past the point of getting the fearsome foursome around on the bus easily, and there are limits to the number of kid-friendly venues accessible by bus anyway.  Many of the great things to do in and around the city are only easily accessible by car. (Note, I said easily--the bus system here services many places, even those quite far out, but taking an hour or more to get somewhere that I can drive to in 20 minutes, plus having to deal with Birdie screaming or wandering around on the bus while keeping track of the boys and wearing the baby is just not worth it.  Plus, I've been stranded in places with kids that I don't like being stranded whilst waiting for a bus that was 30-45 minutes late.  Ain't nobody got time for that).

I'm also feeling better about establishing a better outing and household routine with the kids, and I'm not feeling suffocated by their neediness right now. The tone of the household has lightened considerably this week, and I'm so grateful for a break in the yuck.  Boo still has plenty of moments, and Birdie is starting to have her share, but I am more level about it all.  Not having crazy-cakes pregnancy hormones coursing through my system is certainly a help in that department! 

So I may be posting more, or less this summer, as I find my way to a new normal and figure out our daily routines.  Who knows?  I may even be able to crank out that novel that I shelved last fall when I became pregnant.  Oh, the possibilities...Happy summer!

7QT: Expeditionary Edition

--1--

Dad, me, and my sister Kari, circa 1984.

My dad had his hips replaced on Tuesday and is going home today!  Woot-woot!  The surgery went very well, (his hips were VERY bad), and he was already up and doing physical therapy by early evening.  Because you know what?  My dad is da bomb.  

--2--

Due to a small miscommunication with Piglet's school/summer camp, we found out last Friday that he was going to be home all this week.  I confess I was filled with dread at the thought of trying to keep the peace with four children, a small house, the summer heat, and all of it for more than a week.  We are making a transition with our childcare, so I knew it was going to be up to me to git 'er done.  And you know what?  I am a rock star.  This week has been good!  I even think if Piglet didn't have camp the rest of the summer (he does), I'd be doing fine.  We made plans for three significant outings this week, and I bought a splash pool for the back patio, so I'm feeling much better about keeping them occupied and not-fighting all day long this summer. 

--3--

So what made such a big difference, you ask?  (Well, maybe you didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyway).  The biggest thing was giving myself permission to take the car out every day.  We've really tried to live in the city and be good pedestrian/public transit users, but with four kids the age of our kids, getting anywhere on foot or by bus is just painful unless it is a quick trip or relatively close by.  Almost everything that is kid-friendly is not super close.  But loading the fearsome foursome up in the Mazda5 and getting somewhere was relatively easy, and reparking wasn't too bad in the early afternoon when we tended to return.  It also helped that all of the outings were with other mom friends with kids the same age as mine, so I connected with other adults while my kids were having some fun.  Win-win. 

--4--

I can say that even though Ponchik has developed a nice little case of colic this week (that tends to hit around 10:30 p.m. and lasts until about 1:30 a.m.) and so I'm a bit more tired than usual.  Gripe water does help, and she just started taking Zantac after a sort of scary reflux episode last week (she is fine), and I'm not sure how much that is doing, but I feel better that she has it as an option.  

--5--

Did I mention we have a new chariot for the kids?  I. love. it.  I want to write an ode in iambic pentameter about this stroller.  It is the Kolcraft Contours double stroller.  The Maclaren Twin Triumph wasn't working well for me any longer for a variety of reasons, and I've been frustrated by my inability to get anywhere with the kids.  We bought it used from another family in the neighborhood, and it is in perfect shape.  We can use it for the two middles, or the two girls, and I love all the seating options (including a car seat adapter!)  It is a bit of a beast, but we are going to lock it up outside and cover it with a heavy duty motorcycle cover to keep out the rain.  My husband bike-commutes, and does the same with his bike, and so far so good. 

--6--

In other news, I discovered my new summer vintage hair-do, courtesy of Tasha's blog.  I mentioned before her most-excellent scarf-backroll tutorial (see take #6 for pics), and I do like that one for summer too, but this style gets all the hair off my neck, and it is fab.  I took a few pics, so hopefully you get the general idea.  Basically, roll the bangs, flat victory rolls on the side, and then twist up the back and roll the ends forward.  Add flowers, finished!  Tasha used some big flowers on her hair, but I'm not quite that brave, so I stuck with some pretty flat ones.  

--7--

I've also been working on Ponchik's baby book and birth announcements.  I have a good friend from college who lives about two hours from here and is a professional photographer, and a few weeks ago I drove up to see her and have her do a newborn photoshoot for Ponchik.  

I used MDS to design the announcement, and with the great print sale that was going on last week, I got a good deal on the finished announcements too!  

 I love, love, love this photo--Emily is so talented!  I made Ponchik's one-month baby book page with it, even though she was a bit under a month when it was taken.  (Click it to see bigger)  It was a Christmas scrapbook page template that I adapted for her baby book.  I just changed the color of the paper flowers and the dsp papers behind the photo to make it babyish rather than Christmas-y.  I love that about MDS!  All the templates are so adaptable.  

I should say that my creative pursuits this summer are likely to be limited to My Digital studio baby scrapbook pages, but I hope the baby love will make up for the monotony of project type. :)

Ok, go see Jen and Co. for more Quick Takes!

No QT today

I'm hugely distracted today.  My dad is having his hip surgery this morning (following a lot of hip-related drama this week...on the other hip!), so I'm a bit concerned about the whole business.

I did get a few pages of Ponchik's baby book done yesterday; I'm hoping to post a few soon.

I'm also getting to a state of tired approaching delirious (it took me three tries and a few lip bites to figure out how to correctly type approaching, which should tell you something).  I found myself scrolling clothing sites this morning even though I don't need anything right now, which is always a good indication that I should put down the keyboard and back slowly away from the blog.  I think I shall watch some Covert Affairs now, even though it is only 10 a.m.

Hopefully next week!