The Sound of Laughter

I love the special relationship my girls have. This morning Elizabeth made Abigail laugh so hard that A was snorting.

A Half Cake for a Half Birthday

My baby girl turned six months old today. How has the time flown by so quickly?

At six months old she can:
Sit unsupported and play with her toys
Smile, laugh and coo
Roll all over the place, in both directions
Push herself backwards with her arms, so we have to pull her out from under the furniture a lot
Giggle with her sister
Boing in her bouncy swing (often with sister jumping beside her)
Boing in her megasaucer (also often with sister jumping beside her)
Sit at the dinner table with us and play toys
Eat her own feet
Be worn by Mommy & Daddy
Sink her fingers into Nina's fur
Eat paper and straps
Smile at many people, especially if she's being worn by Mommy

And today she got her first two teeth!

We had a half cake tonight, to celebrate her half birthday. Well, Mom, Dad, & big sis did. Baby girl had some applesauce, which she found strange but interesting. Watching her explore her world is so much fun, and it's delightful watching the sister relationship develop. We love our girls so much.

Flags

It would have been easier to give medicine to the cats than to get my children out of the house on time yesterday, so we were late leaving and then the gas light came on, and I didn't have a cell number for the person we were supposed to meet. And I hate being late. I was never late to things before I had kids. Let's just say that there was an abundance of grouching in my car, most of it coming from me.

While sitting at (yet another) red light, I looked out my window and noticed two strangely familiar flags. And then I realized why they looked so familiar. I happened to be stopped right outside my old work, where for three years I had stared at those two flags out my office window while wishing and praying I could be with my children instead of at work. I really liked my job, but I missed Elizabeth so much.

It can be so easy to get caught up in the little stresses of life, and so easy to lose sight of the big picture. I am so thankful that I get to spend every day with my girls.

Outside in February

One of the wonderful things about Virginia is that we get these occasional warm days in the middle of winter, a chance to catch our collective breath between the slush and ice storms. It's 58 degrees today, warm enough to go outside for impromptu concerts, walks, and playing in the mud. Elizabeth found some wood scraps on the porch and made a "bench" of her own. An excellent afternoon.

Happy Day After Valentine's Day

Thank you to my husband for the lovely poem, and for the art on the dining room mirror. I am honored to be your Valentine.

Black Bean Soup

I came up with this the other night, when I wanted lean protein and lots of veggies for dinner. I also wanted to take advantage of a stretch of mid-afternoon quiet time to do the food prep, so I could focus more on the kids during the pre-dinner grouching hour. It's wheat-free, dairy-free, and soy-free.

Black Bean Soup

8 Servings

2 T olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

3 cans black beans (approx. 15.5 oz ea), drained and rinsed

2 c corn kernels

2 carrots, sliced into circles

2 stalks celery, diced

3 c chicken stock

¼ c lemon juice

½ white wine (I used Dr. Beckermann Auslese Rheinhessen)

1 t dried cilantro

salt & pepper to taste

tortilla chips for garnish

Over low heat, saute onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes.

Add beans, corn, chicken stock, carrots, celery, lemon juice, wine, and cilantro. Cover and increase heat to medium until soup simmers. Decrease heat to low and simmer 2 hours. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.

Ladle into serving bowls and top with a scant handful of crushed tortilla chips.

Flummery!

Today I decided to make something warm and filled with blueberries. A special mid-week treat for my husband to say, "Thanks for working 6 days a week and only sleeping 4 hours a night or something crazy like that."

At lunch, Elizabeth and I perused cookbooks. Should we make a pie? A slump? A flummery!

We made the blueberry flummery in Keep Cooking the Maine Way by Marjorie Standish. It was delicious and I'd make it again, but the best part was that we had an excuse to say flummery as much as possible this afternoon.

One can substitute the word flummery in all songs containing the word "Figaro," by the way.