I Love You Moma

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Staying Sane

BFF & baby.

Having a new baby is a wonderful thing, but it can also be challenging and very isolating. In an effort so stay sane and take care of ourselves, my "BFF," far across the country and I decided to make a weekly "phone date." Since we are being "modern moms," we use webcams and GMail instead of phones, but you get the point. We talk about things that frustrate us, we talk about good things that have happened, we talk about what our next steps will be to keep ourselves healthy and happy so we can continue to be the best moms we can be. This has been so good for me that I just wanted to share the idea. If you are a mom, new or old, ask yourself if you are making time for that special friend? When was the last time you talked? Do you have a mom friend (especially a new one) who could use a little sanity-check? Perhaps a standing engagement is in order. ❀

Ok, I confess. I also wanted an excuse to share the super cute picture.

Reindeer Farm!

Saturday we took some friends & their children out to the Reindeer Farm in Palmer. The afternoon began with pumpkin picking, then a hay ride over to the "corn maze." The corn maze was really a hay-bale maze, but whatever --  the kids had a blast looking for the "Corn-Maze Clown" & the "Tootsie-Roll Bandit." I have to hand it to them, the maze had us stumped for a while, but we made it out without having to call for police assistance, like some people. After we were shuttled back to the barns by tractor, the kids finished up with a pony ride. 

Yes. A pony ride. 
Did Rowan break his equestrian moratorium & actually get in the saddle? Scroll down to find out.

Headed for fun.

Picking pumpkins! (Sort of.) Everyone bundled up in the pumpkin patch.

Reindeer!

Hayride: enroute to the Maze.

The "Corn Maze"

Made it out of the Maze. More adventure to follow!

So, did he do it?

Yeah Baby! :)

Crafty Chris ❤

I have been holding off on this post, thinking I would get an opportunity to photograph the rest of his concrete creations, but darnit, the good weather is over. So, I present to you one of several brilliant yard-art items fabricated by my talented hubby. He got the inspiration from an article at the Instructables website & went for it!

Concrete bowl. Other creations include a variety of lovely globes.

7 Months Old! (Whoops!)

Everyone has come down with some kind of plague this week so I am just now realizing that it is the 12th. Oops. 
Hawthorn reached his 7 month marker without fanfare. Luckily for us, we went for a short walk that day to soothe the congested & sleep deprived Changeling. As usual, photos happened, so we have one we can share to mark the occasion. Happy belated little bay-bay!

Just getting back home & geeze, it's cold out here!

Adventurizin'

I borrowed the term from my ever-so-clever cousin Lauren. It is the perfect way to describe the excitement & fun of exploring culverts when you are a five-year-old. :)

Exploring under the roadway in Sutton, AK.

For Dr. Tappel ♥

Ok folks, we need to get a video to the pediatrician & gmail won't handle the file. So, this video is for the doc. (We figured posting it here was better than putting it on YouTube for every random Joe.) 

Our doctor requested that we tape any suspect behavior for him. What you will see here is nystagmus: rapid involuntary movements of the eyes. There are many causes, so don't freak out.

Enter October!

As you know, yesterday was the beginning of October & I discovered that Mister Rowan had been up to seasonally appropriate artistic endeavors. I found this in his precious Paul Frank notebook: 

Seasonal art, rendered October 1

When asked to discuss his work, the artist simply said it was a pumpkin with vines & an apple on top. The kid has his seasonal imagery down. Interesting that he chose to do it, unprovoked on Oct. 1st.

In other news, the Changeling has discovered his shadow. This makes for a dynamic, albeit eerie partnership. Bedtime is now about seeing what "the other guy" is doing & complaining until we are set up face-to-face with him for some mutual arm-waving. As a bystander, I must confess that the relationship has an unearthly quality & is fascinating to watch. 

Me & my shadow.

Wild Walk!

Sunset over the sea with Rowan.

Last night we took a walk in Kincaid Park with Uncle Blake (Chris's brother). This was our first opportunity to hang out together this year & what an adventure it turned out to be! The park was chock full of creatures, mainly moose. Here's the count: 1 squirrel, 1 ptarmigan, 2 yearling moose, 2 single cows, 2 sets of mama/baby moose pairs & a bull/cow combo, making a total of 10 moose! We actually found ourselves sandwiched between the a mother/baby pair & the bull/cow pair on the trail so we had to exercise a certain amount of patience since the mama moose on the downhill end was ticked off & no one wanted to test the bull's mood further up the hill. Some people just took to the brush & bushwhacked their way out, but that wasn't really practical w/infant, stroller, kiddo, etc. So, we took the time to drink in the beauty & awesomeness of one of Alaska's signature species. (As always, click on any photo to see larger.)

Typical trailside moment in AK.

Pretty little yellow cup fungi. (Just had to include them, hehe)

Lord & Lady.

Spectacular, he was.

Ptarmigan. Forgive the fuzz, had to act fast in the dim light.

I was so into the tree I forgot to zoom in for this shot.

Sun over the sea.

A seaside bench along the Coastal Trail.

Blake & Baby.

Daddy & Baby. Heading home.

Perfect way to end the day.

Sun setting as we wait for the moose to clear.

I also took a couple of videos; one of the yearlings & one as we attempted to pass mama moose & baby. We were with a bunch of people, some with dogs (as you will sort of see), all trapped between the mama/baby pair & the cow/bull pair. We all began walking enmasse, mama got pissed off & we all quickly turned back, lol. It was pretty funny, but also a bit of an adrenaline boost. The point at which everything gets all willy-nilly & you see a random dog, arms & legs is when mama made aggressive gestures, turning us all back to our safe zone. Ultimately, we came home with two cups of cranberries & some great memories. Ah, recreation in Alaska... not your average walk in the park.

 Oh yes... & thanks to Chris for throwing off the best shot. :P

Walk Like a Cat...

Baby has a new personal trainer. Very motivating!

Autumn in Anchorage

Let's celebrate this beautiful but brief season in pictures...

 Searching Anchorage.

 Berry picking, Eagle River Nature Center.

May your Autumn harvests be bountiful!

Mmm... from the Mound. (The Pitcher's Mound, that is.)

Well, we all (particularly Rowan) thought it would be fun to do a step-by-step, recipe-style post about mushrooms. (Even though he does not really like to eat them.) Rowan is really into those cooking videos on the Food Network website, so this is kind of a photo-essay version. I think it would be fun to let him make his own cooking video, but that is going to take a bit more time/effort/coordination/planning/you-name-it. We'll call this a trial round. ;)

Recipe: Mushrooms from the Mound
aka. Fried Shaggy Manes (freshly harvested from local baseball field)

Before you get started: Map out where you are going.

Step 1: Drag family outside to nearest baseball field, making sure it is a) Autumn, b) cool weather. Dress appropriately -- it is always helpful to wear bright colors to ensure you will not get lost out on the field. 

Step 2: Let four-year-old chase Canadian Geese around for several minutes. (This increases concentration & acuity of four-year-old.)

Step 3: Locate some Shaggy Manes (Coprinus comatus), aka., Shaggies, Shags, Lawyer's Wigs.
They should look like this:

NOT like this:

Step 4: Carefully collect your mushrooms, taking care to be sure they are indeed Shaggies & making sure not to take any that have begun blackening. Carry them in a basket or paper bag. Do not use plastic, unless you like slime. They need to breathe. Do your best to keep them as clean as possible when collecting. This will save you much effort in the next step.

Step 5: Clean your Shaggy Manes with a soft brush. A paintbrush works very well for this. They are very fragile & will get slimy with water, so dry cleaning is a must. When you have cleaned them, they should look like this:

Step 6: Slice your mushrooms into large pieces. Shaggy Manes are too delicate in both texture & flavor to cut into small pieces. 

As you slice, watch for critters. Cut them out. Critters are not part of this recipe.

Step 7: Melt butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add Shaggies. 

Sautee for 3-7 minutes or until they look like you want to eat them. Add salt to taste.

Step 8: Toast baguette slices. Top with Shaggies. Yumbo!
Variations: Shaggy Manes have a very delicate, sweet flavor. Try adding sauteed onions or garlic in moderation so as not to overwhelm the mushrooms. Try tossing them in pasta or just eat them right out of the pan with a spoon. Of course, if you are Rowan, you will give them a big Thumbs Up! & then refuse to eat them. Bon Appetit!