Across Country

 

Across the country we sent a birthday package.  Containing lots of handmade goodies including cards and a note written by a Japanese student who is visiting here.  I asked her to write Happy Birthday and she wrote a whole paragraph and then translated it, on another piece of paper, into English.  Also, in the box was a package of local salt water taffy and a water color.

It was fun doing the watercolor.  First we all came up with 21 adjectives that describe the birthday boy.  Then Eli painted a full page watercolor painting.  I cut the paper into small strips. I was just going to put them randomly on a piece of ribbon but noticed how cool they looked when placed almost back together.  We all wrote a few words so everybody's handwriting was represented.  Then I taped them onto the ribbon into a chain of colorful words!     

St. Valentines

Our valentines went across the country this year and up to the city.  Takes a little planing when they have to travel distances. I also bought wooden hearts for the day care this year.  They hung them up with satin ribbon.  I think the biggest hit though was the sugar cookies we made and decorated.  Such sweetness!  I made sure everybody saved at least a few to take home. 

Fourteen

Yummy cake from our favorite local bakery.  I must say this is about the fanciest of this kind that I've seen.  Extra frosting embellishments.  Also, an added pink, silk ribbon around the outside. 

Cards from her brothers.

For some reason I often find my self late at night the night before Emily's birthday looking for something to adorn the middle of the table with.  Something girly that she's had for a while.  Maybe that was a present or had belonged to one grandma or another.  Something sweet and pink.  Something that reminds me of when she was about the age she is in the pictures below. 

Hard to believe that four year old is fourteen.  Seems like I blinked and there she was.  Standing in front of me with her hair slightly curled and her tight skirt on.  Standing in front of me with her layered tank top and new white cardigan on.  Standing in front of me in her skinny jeans.  Standing in front of me with her snow white canvas Vans on.  Standing in front of me challenging every decision I make.  Standing in front of me desperately asking for me to be there for her while she yells at me to go away.

Isn't there some book titled something like that.  "Go away, but first can you take me to the mall".  Fourteen!  Wow!  She likes to remind me that she can drive in two years.  I remind her that she has to keep her grades up for it  will effect her placement in high school.  I cheer for her cheer to keep her busy and fit.  To find her passion. She is navigating her path and I'm trying to steer the boat.  At 14 she is bold, fierce, smart, stylish, trendy, cosmopolitan, funny, tenacious.  All those traits I want to embrace and yet am constantly bracing myself to not get bowled over by their strength.  To come up ready to weather the storm and smile with her.

Happy Birthday Dear Emily!

Salty Sweetness

Happy Valentine's Day!  Eli exchanged valentines at school and made some for everybody in his class.  Emily made some for a select few.  We had all day daycare yesterday and I painted some more hearts to adorn our door.  It was a rainy day and I got to do my own project in between snacks and stories.  If you can't beat em join em.

Today Eli was really excited to make a batch of sugar cookies for dessert.  He insisted on making them himself and wanted no help.  He got out all the ingredients and mixed, stirred and measured himself.   I glanced at the batter and told him it might be good to stir in the clumps of butter.  To no avail.  We just had to make sure we didn't step on the cookie sheet on the floor.

We don't have a working mixer so everything is mixed by hand which takes a bit of work.  When he started to roll it out, it looked quite sticky.  I suggested he might want to chill it.  When I came back into the kitchen it was sitting on the counter with a towel over it.  Like brother like brother.  But this wasn't bread so I reiterated "chill" and carefully put it in the refrigerator.

Then he proudly rolled the cookies out and decorated them with sprinkles before they went in the oven.  When he had his beautiful plate arranged I poured the chamomile tea.  He took a bite of a cookie.  "Huh, these cookies are a little salty."  I took a bite.  "Huh, they sure are."  Then he looked on the counter where he made them.  Sitting next to the bowl was a 1/4 cup measuring cup sparkling with grains of salt.  "Ahhhhh.  The recipe said a 1/4 teaspoon."

Paint Post

Emily had some thank you cards to make and she sat down to make them.  Well, not exactly.  First she said, "I have to get some thank you cards," and I said, "No, you don't.  You can make them."  So she did.   She experimented with different colored acrylic paints.  Then she tried using stamps with acrylic paints but that didn't work as they looked just like blobs of paint.   But  what worked was painting over a mesh like stamp with blues and greens then letting it dry.  When it was dry she put the "thanks" stamp on an ink pad and stamped it on top.  I must say the effect was lovely.  With all the paints and paintbrushes out I got inspired to collect rocks at the beach to paint.  And until then, I think they are lovely in their own right.