Veggie Tales

A friend sent this home with me today.

Straight out of her garden; like- still kickin. If it could kick.

Actually she sent this times 3 but this is what I cooked for a late lunch.

As I was prepping it to roast, Adrianna kept closeby

curiously eyeing it and asking lots of questions about its taste.

You KNOW Adrianna has never even put a piece of this

within her personal bubble, much less in her mouth.

She IS asking though.

Baby steps.

I took one of the tiniest heads off, after roasting with course garlic

but before adding the balsamic browned butter.

I casually handed it to her figuring she would

play with it until it looked like baby food.

SHE PUT IT IN HER MOUTH!

Not sure what she did with it as she has learned

to swallow pills now

but she sure did her disappearing act, very quickly.

Solomon however really, really loved what I told her about

WHY a person MIGHT not enjoy eating asparagus.

Actually the after effects.

He is probably still laughing.

I, personally, think it was worth it.

Yeeeeeum.

Moved

A friend and I were walking recently

and came across this, beautifully carved out of wood.

It is carefully detailed and true to scale,

that is-lifesized.

The photo really does not do the piece justice.

I know my friend was commenting on many aspects of it

but I don't remember what cause I sorta went to a different space.



Last weekend was the annual piano Student Achievement Testing at Hope College.

In the past, this day brought a week of formal terror ending in arriving

much too early, leaving long intervals to sit. And wait. And worry.

And eat the free doughnut offered as a 60 second distraction,

which always, always becomes a nuisance while performing.

Now that we have some years of experience, we (Franchesca and myself)

actually arrive feeling calm with just enough time to warm up

but not extra time to fret. Or eat deep fried flour and lard.

She has grown to enjoy the college warm up rooms,

with their squeaky doors that don't fully close and open windows (this year anyway)

allowing students to hear who is playing what and how well.

 The instruments are obviously an inspiration

to press on despite doubts.



 This year with the eerily warm weather,

the halls were especially filled with the smell of nerves, impatience, fear.

This year the clock appeared to move faster than usual,

theory tests felt easy, performance came first, our teacher was running aural awareness,

sight reading was kind.



 And then, she was finished.

Walking around campus in 80 degree weather was a nice bonus.

Franchesca went home to bake cheesecakes,

I went the opposite direction in search of myself.

Around 7pm Franchesca listened to a voicemail

from her piano teacher, revealing her final score.

This is always a fun way to end SAT day.

I set a goal long ago for the kids to try for during SATs,

one that they have always met and surpassed.

This year was no exception though I am not allowed to mention numbers.

Just part of client confidentiality as her main PR rep,

a job that pays well and has amazing benefits.



What's in a name?

We have had nicknames for all of the kids.

(Actually, not just the kids but that is another post.)

Some were simple mispronunciations

of their names by the (then babies.)

Some are more representative of their personalities, their likes, looks and even sounds.

That is where Moosebop came from for Adrianna.

You'll have to ask her...

My fondest nickname for her though is Turtle.

Oh yeah, we add Ann on to everything too, even animals,

sometimes even boys.

Not sure if it is after my mother, sister or the fact that

one syllable names go nicely in the middle.

So, Turtle Ann it has been.

She has always been the frogger, fisher, the turtle getting kid.

I remember her in a skirt and mud boots,

slowly wandering around the pond for hours with her net

catching and releasing the warmth induced, sleepy paints.

We have noticed that the older she gets,

her pace sometimes resembles, well the turtle.

Especially in the morning.

I found this print framed, for a fortune of course.

So I bought just the print and Doug created this frame,

leaving most of it natural, clear-coating the 4 corners.

One thing she wanted for her birthday

was a room makeover and the frame corners match the wall color.

We did celebrate her birthday twice as Nathan was sick on her actual birthday.

The kids take birthdays very seriously and if one person

is absent or unable to partake in the meal and cake,

the festivities are put on hold. They make that call too.
I think that is sweet.

Who's kidding who?

They all have a secret pact, ensuring the same treatment

should they ever be sick on a birthday.

So while Nathan suffered, Franchesca and Solomon

worked to make her day special.

The kids love trick wrapping gifts and sending each other

on wild goose hunts via rhyming (or not) hints.

AJ is more the straightforward, give me the gift type of girl

(like me)

but she plays along, albeit often confused and sometimes dazed,

honestly preferring the cake over anything wrapped.

So she got some stuff, ate some candy, went shopping with me, did Starbucks (with me)

had one wall painted and waited...for cake.

And boy did she wait.

Just like a tornado, moving ferociously from one town to the next,

leaving its victims unable to prepare, so did that illness.

It stole my voice for nearly a week

and my mind for nearly 3.

AJ was the only survivor, escaping unscathed.

So last weekend I had scheduled some time out for myself,

but before any other virus could appear,

the girls decided to attack the cake making themselves.

Adrianna wanted a raspberry cheesecake and a turtle cheesecake.

Avoiding the spring form pan, they used Keebler crusts.

I had bought carmel, dark chocolate, raspberries,

but never did order those pecans from Georgia.

If you've never had pecans shipped from the farmer, do not.

Local stores will not like you.

You will never buy Diamond brand again.

The missing pecans allowed Solomon to indulge in more

than the chocolate cake that was made with him in mind.

Happy Birthday Turtle Ann.

Without an E.

Postponed

Franchesca got it too.

We still have not have the cake party.

But we will. You know we will.

Adrianna is the only person in the family

to not get sick.

Don't worry.

We celebrated and it included sugar.

Just not her cake.

Soon.

Up next: T minus 1

Adrianna's last year as a non-teenager

Nathan was sick on AJ's birthday.

He still is.

So am I.

Stay tuned.

Left Behind

I'm back.

This post has been sitting in Drafts

waiting for me to FIND TIME.

Time was lost, it could not be found

by me, anyway.

This is what the younger 3 request when the big guys are gone for the weekend.

Any season, any weather.

Pop. Any kind will do.

Because they got left behind.

Some sort of junk food,

(playing up the fact that Big Guys bought 10 Snicker bars

to help give their bodies something to live off of while sleeping in and on the snow.

Suggested of course, by BSA).

During warmer weather the junk food request is due to the

cheese, cracker, sausage, Poptart menu that big guys adhere to.

Huge bags from the library are necessary as well.

Some of us, select movies.

Some of us, eh hem, choose books.

Lots and lots of books.

The last campout, you remember, the weekend it snowed?

Solomon found himself entertained by using various methods

to fill his cup as close to the top, without overflowing.

And photographing his success.

He also formulated knee pads to encourage the girls to go sledding.
While it was really the books and or movies calling to them,
they blamed their snowpants being wet at the knees.
He is a smart one, that kid.

I personally did not eat the chips.
Or drink the pop.
I did however, devour a fairly hefty trilogy that was calling me.
Everybody has their survival gear.
Now, you know ours.