The Saturday 7: July 15-21

1. I'm 38w6d pregnant today. Some new symptoms came around this week that make me want to believe I'll have this girl soon. Late Monday & early Tuesday my body felt horrible. Specifically my belly. I just wanted to hold it up all day, I felt like my belly itself was going to fall off. Ha wouldn't that be an interesting way to have a kid? :) So while people have been telling me for the last 6 weeks "you've dropped!" "wow you're a lot lower!", I actually think I felt the dropping this time!
2. We're just about as ready as we can be for the little one. I mentioned a few things a couple weeks ago I still wanted to do, and now our bags are packed, I have a breast pump I'm borrowing from a friend (will get some new parts for it after talking to a LC at the hospital), I got a package of newborn diapers. Still need to get a bassinet, but I'm hoping to talk to a family at church tomorrow about theirs.

3. I sewed a ring sling this week (the one-layer ring sling on the linked page is the one I made). I'd like to be able to carry this new baby around and still have my hands free for housework, helping Abby, etc., as well as things like grocery shopping and church. I had a gift certificate to a sewing store so I was able to get fabric and supplies for only a few dollars out-of-pocket! I added some decorative fabric and a zippered pocket, and am really pleased with how it turned out! (yes that's a stuffed bear in the photo...)
4. Abby is becoming a little more social at library storytime. All last school year, when we would go for the half hour program with a couple other kids her age (18 mo.--3 yrs.), she wanted to just sit on my lap the whole time. The first few weeks of the summer program (18 mo.--5yrs.), she did the same thing. This week I asked if she wanted to sit on the floor with the other kids, and she actually did! She still doesn't really participate in the singing and dancing too much though, but we're making progress. :)
5. Rocky and I went and saw the new Pixar movie Brave yesterday. A friend took Abby to the zoo with some other kids, so Rocky and I had a lunch date! (gift cards to Celebration Cinema and Panera are awesome :)  We love Pixar movies, and this one did not disappoint us. What a great story/message, and beautiful graphics! I highly recommend it to anyone. Although some points were a little scary for young kids. 
6. We're making progress on the basement again. We spent a lot of time purging and sorting papers this week, and moving things into the garage. Now we've put some studs and insulation around the exposed foundation (half-walls) and the bedroom and office are just about ready for drywall (need to put a couple more outlets in first). Slowly but surely, we'll get it done! 
7. My favorite cute things Abby has started saying this week: "uh oh, where ______ go?" and "what _____ do?"  aka "where did daddy go" or "what is opa doing?" 

Have a great week!

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The Saturday 7: Post seven things that happened to you this week. Just a quick summary. Things you might not necessarily write a whole blog post about. Idea taken from Sadie's Lovin' Life with Lucy. 

Book Talk Tuesday: ...in search of...

Last night Abby and I went to storytime at the library (a weekly thing during the summer) and afterward while she played with the puzzles I searched for more books to check out for her. We've been working our way through all the Curious George ones they have (she's been obsessed with him lately), and now I'm looking for a new series.

So I need your help!!!

What books do/did your young toddler(s) enjoy? Others that Abby really likes that we've already gone through the whole series are Llama Llama, and If You Give a ___ a ___ . Some of the older George books get a little long for her...

So that's your mission, if you choose to accept it. Give me your input. Ready? ... Go! Comment please! :)

Super simple sweet summer salad

Like the alliteration there in the title? :)

I've been craving fruit a lot this pregnancy (don't go telling me that means it's a girl [although it is] 'cause I've been craving red meat too). But as much as I love grapes or berries or even watermelon, I'll end up buying them then they'll sit in the fridge. I don't feel like chopping up the watermelon, or eating plain berries after all.

The solution I came up with a week or two ago: fruit salad. Something I could mix up quickly and make a big bowl of, and serve as a side dish on these super hot summer days, or eat as an afternoon snack. I searched online specifically for a "grape salad" recipe that used things I had on hand.

And then I decided to invent my own... (although I'm sure someone out there has made it like this before...)

And it only has 3 ingredients.

Ready?

• 1 block cream cheese (softened)
• 1 container Cool Whip (thawed)
• whatever fruits you have on hand and want to throw in and use up
  
  Beat the cream cheese until smooth, beat in the Cool Whip, fold in your fruit. The first time I made it I used grapes, sliced bananas, and diced peaches. The second time I didn't have the peaches but had blueberries. 

IT'S THAT EASY.

And my hubby even asked for seconds. Then thirds. And my 2-year-old daughter loves it.

It's going to be another hot, dry week. Time to use up some more fruit...

Supermarket vs. Farmers Market vs. Your-Own-Home-Market...

Photo courtesy of mushanga

Last week I made my first trip of the season to a local farmers market. I'd never been to this particular one in years past, so I didn't know what to expect. What I found were 6 booths, each offering something different (which was nice, so I didn't have to feel bad about buying something from one person vs. another!). There were blueberries, raspberries, zucchini, radishes, lettuce, broccoli, honey, and wool/handcrafted items. After paying $4.50 for a quart of raspberries and $1 for 4 zucchini, I headed to the grocery store for the rest of my shopping.

At first I found myself thinking "$4.50 for raspberries?? Yikes!" But I bought them anyway, knowing how much my hubby likes them. And when I got to the grocery store and found they were charging $1.50 for a 6 oz container of non-Michigan berries, I didn't feel so bad.

There's something about picking up fresh produce from a farmers market, where you know the fruit and veggies were grown locally and probably picked within the last 12-24 hours. Sometimes "organic" food like this might cost a bit more than if it was purchased from a grocery store, but as you can see from my raspberry find, not always...

Of course, growing your own produce from a seed packet is ultimately the most rewarding. Knowing the work you've put in to making your crop happen, the planting and weeding and watering and harvesting, just seems to make it taste better. :) And makes you waste less. I try so much harder to eat -- or at least preserve -- every last bit of produce from my garden, where I've been known to toss things from the store that don't get used up before going bad.

But there will always be certain things I just won't grow at home. I haven't had any luck with broccoli or melons. There's a tradeoff of how much effort I put in vs. how much production I actually get. Or if I want to make a big batch of jam, I can't do that with the handful of berries I harvest from my own plants.

How much of the produce your family consumes comes from a supermarket? A farmers market? Your own garden?

The Saturday 7: July 1-7

1. On Tuesday (the 3rd) the three of us went with a group of friends to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. We were originally not going to take Abby, but were having trouble finding a sitter for the afternoon (the evening was no problem). So since her admission was free, and there would be two other little ones going, we decided to bring her! And I'm so glad we did! She did fantastic on the car ride, through the rain delay, and the game itself.  They lost, but it was fun. We even got a little certificate for it being her first game. :) Abby loves to say "Go 'igers!"
2. She has been talking in 2-4 word sentences a ton lately. A lot of the time I can understand her, or figure out what she's saying based on context, but a lot of the time I just smile and nod or reply "oh really?" 
3. Abby knows all of her colors. At least the normal ones. We can ask her "what color is this?" or "where's the red ___?" and she knows it. Her favorite color seems to be yellow. I pulled out Candy Land this morning and asked which color person she wanted to be and she picked "wewwo!" :) (we didn't actually play the game, she just sorted the colored cards!)
4. In just the last few weeks Abby has also really started to act like a two-year-old. Oh my goodness, the attitude and independence and stubbornness and crankiness! I'm so glad she's still taking a decent afternoon nap so I can regain my sanity... I'm just praying we can work through some of this before baby comes!
5. We had our first-ever garage sale last weekend. About a month ago we realized we needed to do a lot of purging of our stored stuff in the basement if we had any hopes of finishing the basement properly! We had a ton of books and some random stuff, plus Rocky and I both went through our closets and purged our clothes. We ended up making a decent amount of money, so we were happy! And we just got a card in the mail that the Salvation Army is looking for donations of clothes and small household items, and will pick up bags and boxes on our street next week! So we don't have to cart our leftovers somewhere! Score!!
6. I can't believe how hot it's been. Of course this has to be the summer I'm pregnant... One of our local tv stations gave these statistics: "Grand Rapids at 104 tied Phoenix AZ on Friday and beat Tucson by 6 degrees. It was warmer in Lower Michigan than along the Gulf Coast. The average high temperature for the first 6 days of July for G.R. is 97.8. Today (Saturday) will be the 11th consecutive day with a high temperature of 89 or higher. It’s also likely to be our 17th day of 90-degree heat this summer. Through Friday, Grand Rapids has had 6 days of 95 or hotter. Miami, Florida hasn’t hit 95 yet this year."
7. I'm trying to think of everything that needs to be done before baby comes. I think we're pretty much set except for packing our bags. And setting up a crib/bassinet/pack n play in our room. And sewing a sling/carrier. And making sure I have a decent breast pump. And getting a box of newborn diapers (I keep waiting for them to go on sale...). At least I got all of the newborn clothes and receiving blankets washed!

Have a great week!

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The Saturday 7: Post seven things that happened to you this week. Just a quick summary. Things you might not necessarily write a whole blog post about. Idea taken from Sadie's Lovin' Life with Lucy.

Five Minute Fridays: Story

It's been awhile since I've done a Five Minute Friday post. Sometimes I get writer's block and I don't know what to write about. FMF solves that! Hosted by Lisa-Jo (aka Gypsy Mama), here is what it's all about:

    

1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 
2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community...

So here we go! Today's prompt: Story.

GO.

"What's the story, Wishbone?" goes the little jingle from the PBS show I remember watching as a child. A dog (a Jack Russell Terrier to be specific) would daydream about playing the main character in classic stories, from Tom Sawyer to Pride and Prejudice to Robin Hood and many more. It was a great show to give kids a basic understanding of classic literature, most of which was too far above their own reading level.

I received a Kindle for Christmas, and am loving the immediate access I have to so many free books. I have not bought a single book yet for it. Many fiction and non-fiction books cycle in and out of being offered for free, but any classics and out-of-print books are always free. While I've spent most of my time reading Christian fiction (easy reading, just for fun), I've started reading a handful of classics too. Actually, the very first book I read on my Kindle was The Adventures of the Swiss Family Robinson.

We often think generally of "stories" in terms of fiction. But biographies are also stories. And you and I are writing a story for our kids each day we live. So what's your story, _________ (insert your name here)?

STOP.


(I added the link and picture after.) Doesn't look like much writing for five minutes worth. :-P Oh well, I guess I'm out of practice. Join me! It's so simple! And remember to link up here!

Unbelievably Hot!

I never thought I'd think of the 80s as a cool down.

Many who know me know I'm not a fan of summer. I never have been. I grew up without air conditioning, and without access to a pool or lake (unless you count the little blue kiddie pool and buckets of water to stick your head in). I grew up on a small farm, where this time of year was spent getting our animals ready to show at the county fair. No matter the weather. It always seemed whatever day we picked to shave the goats turned out to be one of the hottest of the summer... 

(one of the few pictures on my computer of my 4H days - a scanned image from a newspaper article)

Since becoming part of Rocky's family, I've been able to enjoy time at "the Lakehouse". Rocky grew up spending his summers going to waterski competitions. While I'm not a skier nor do I enjoy tubing on the lake, I do like simply taking a dip in the water on a hot day. We frequently spend Saturdays and Sundays at the Lakehouse, and Abby is starting to appreciate the water too.

Unfortunately, the last few days have been (and the next few will be) HOT. And when I add an almost-full-term pregnancy on top of my already distaste for summer, even the lake hasn't been enjoyable for me. I'll be glad when things cool off again -- even if it's just the 80s. Thank goodness our house is air conditioned! (although I'm scared to see what our electric bill will be for this month...)

We're setting record temperatures here in Michigan. Have you been experiencing a heat wave/drought too? 

I'm still here... and so is she.

photo by riafnall

No, my lack of posting has not been because of a certain little girl's arrival... It's just been a busy last few weeks. Rocky and I went with the high school youth group to the Alive Music Festival in Ohio for 5 days, then we were involved in VBS at our church, and we held our first-ever garage sale! Needless to say, I'm pretty tired. But July is a new month, and we [purposely] did not plan much of anything for this month.

I'm so ready to have this girl and move on. My due date is 4 weeks away (July 29), but I went a week over with Abby... My goal this week is to pull out all of the newborn and 0-3 clothes and get them washed and organized (and figure out how to fit both toddler and newborn clothes and stuff in the same room...) and maybe get our bags packed. After that... bring it on! :)

Want to know what I'm looking forward to the most about being done with this pregnancy? Other than having a brand new, soft little girl to hold??

• Not sweating all the time. I'm one who doesn't like summer anyway, but the last two weeks I just can't seem to stop sweating... it's pretty gross.
• Getting my back back to normal. I've had issues off and on with my deep lower back for years, but this pregnancy seems to have really aggravated it. The last few months it's only bothered me if I've done something like walking or gardening without stretching first. Now that things have softened up and loosened up even more, every day is pretty painful.
• Being able to lay on my stomach again!!
• Taking ibuprofen. Tylenol works for headaches, but for soreness and muscle pain (like my back!), nothing beats ibuprofen. 

I have my next checkup this afternoon (36 weeks), and then I'm at weekly appointments until the little one is here!

Do you have a pregnancy story where your first was late and your second was early?? I'd love to hear about it... ;-)

Kids and gardens

Lorraine Johnson's book City Farmer begins with a story about her 10-year-old nephew who had never seen a "real live" (freshly picked) pea. The pod-like thing in her hand that she was shelling had him completely confused. When she finally got him to taste a fresh pea, his response was one of surprise and pleasure:

"It's sweet, not mushy, not like canned peas." I offered him another. Pretty soon we were shelling at a great rate, stuffing little peas in our faces, talking with our mouths full. It felt like a minor triumph, winning this pea convert through direct contact with something so recently attached to a stem. 

--City Farmer, p. 1-2

I remember my days in 4H and FFA where we would host special events for elementary school kids to see and touch real live farm animals. The joy and amazement on their faces when they saw a cow or a sheep or a chicken for the first time in their lives was unbelievable. So many children today are "city kids" who never get to experience where their food comes from any more than a trip to the grocery store.

My personal background obviously gives me reason to jump at any chance I have to take Abby to the county fair, or to an apple orchard, and most recently to planting and caring for my own garden. I love getting out there every day and pulling a few weeds and giving the plants some water. Abby has learned how to squeeze the nozzle on the hose to help me water my flowers in the front yard, and when her pool is full in the backyard she will take her little watering can and help me water the veggie plants.

I can't wait for the days this summer when she'll help me pick peas (not too far away!) and beans. I know from last year that she enjoys eating them raw. :) And as she (and our other future kid(s)) get older I hope to encourage their knowledge early on that the grocery store is only a stop on the journey our food can take to get to us.

If you have kids, how do you teach them about their food?

Seasonal Celebration and Conscious Consumption

"One of the defining features of our time
is the slow and steady erosion of seasonality."

-Lorraine Johnson, City Farmer

During my pregnancy I've had a few cravings here and there, but nothing too terribly strong. Except I did find myself gazing at various fruits at the grocery store. Longing for them to be on sale. Jumping at the chance to get the occasional "cheap" strawberries or watermelon -- which tended to be those that came from Florida or California versus South America... and weren't really all that "cheap".

About three weeks ago I saw sweet corn in the front and center display, and got a half dozen. One of the [few] things I like about summer is sweet corn. The month of August usually consists of fresh boiled or grilled corn-on-the-cob at every dinner meal.

Wait... August? But this was the end of May... Oh of course, this corn came from the southern U.S...

Lorraine goes on in her book City Farmer to say "As the specificities of seasonal changes get lost, we progress into sameness. And it's in the sphere of food that the loss of seasonality can be felt most acutely. One by one, the foods that once marked a particular period of time -- a window of taste - have devolved into a condition of always available."

As I'm becoming more interested in growing my own food and visiting farmers markets for those foods I don't grow, I start thinking about growing seasons and which crops are ready when during the summer. I know that peas are early, cherries are in July, and zucchini are in August. Sure, all of these foods are available pretty much year-round, thanks to other states and other countries. But have we lost some sense of excitement and anticipation, or "celebration" as Lorraine calls it, in regards to our fresh food? "Ho hum, it's just another pear, like the one I had last month, and the month before that, and the month before that, every month in fact."

Putting aside all conversation about "food miles" (the arguments about how far our food travels before we consume it), don't you agree that a basket of green beans picked five minutes ago from your own backyard or a few ears of corn purchased at your local farm stand just taste so much better when they're in season?

Not to mention those fruits and veggies purchased in season are soooo much cheaper...

I'm thinking I'd like to try and choose the produce I get from the grocery store based on seasonality. It's easy to do at farmers markets or your own garden since that's all that's available... But walking into a regular store and seeing a display of watermelons or asparagus out-of-season can be so tempting...

What do you think? Are you a seasonal produce-eater, or do you enjoy the availability of it year-round?