Happenings Over the Last Week or So.

Lots of Cooking. 

THE BEST TOMATO SOUP EVER. 

Black Bean and Edamame Salad. 

THE WORST POTATO SOUP EVER. 

Eggs with Avocado and Cilantro (my new favorite way to eat them). 

Pan-fried Chickpea Salad.

Lots of Baking. 

A Savory Rosemary Yogurt Cake. 

Elderberry, Cinnamon, Ginger Yogurt Cake. 

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Yogurt Cake (Gluten-Free). Twice. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free). Twice.





Lots of Bickering.

Playing Indoors. Trying not to go Stir-Crazy.

Playing Outdoors on a Warmish, Dry Day. 

A Terrific Saturday Night Play-date. For Babies and Adults.

A Climbing Baby. Improvising until we find the missing piece to our expensive Baby Gate.

Tincture Makin'. Yarrow, Motherwort and Echinacea.

Yoga. After a LONG Time.

A Migraine.

A Broken Down Car.

Lots of Banana Face.

Frozen Fun.

If you are currently experiencing some SERIOUSLY COLD WEATHER, this may be a fun activity for your Kids.

Frozen Ornaments.

The sky is the limit with different themes. But, we made these before Christmas and used Cranberries and Pine Cones.

You could some small toys or other materials from Nature, whatever your Child is interested in right now. We used a Muffin Tin because that's all we had. But, a Bundt pan works better (and stays frozen longer...we learned that the hard way the first time we made these). 

Throw in all the materials, add some twine or ribbon and water and put Outside for a bit. And Voila!

So pretty in the Sun, don't you think?

Happy 8th Months! Anala.

My Dear Little Imp,

On Saturday, you turned 8 months. How we adore you! Your sparkling eyes and your devilish grin!

Your favorite activity right now is to find the one thing on the floor that you know shouldn't go in your mouth and PUT IT IN your mouth. And, then you turn and LAUGH at me.

Fresh cranberries, pine needles, pine cone pieces, Styrofoam, cat food (even though we don't have a cat living with us), stickers, board game pieces, garlic skins and even a piece of glass.(Thank God, you didn't cut yourself or swallow it).Talk about giving Mama some more grey hairs!

I swear, we are not Hoarders and sweep and mop the floors regularly. But, if there is one tiny thing on the floor, you WILL FIND IT. Talk about some serious observational skills.

You have continued to be very, very intrigued by sounds and by Music. You spend part of every day pounding away on your piano. When I sing to you, you often hum along.

Your legs are getting stronger and stronger each day. You love to go from sitting to standing. You can balance standing up for about 20 seconds before you get freaked out and have to sit back down. You do this ALL DAY LONG. You even like the challenge of trying to hold something big (like a soccer ball), while getting up to stand. You've spent a lot of time in the Basement cruising from one end of the futon to the other.

You clapped your hands for the first time. It was hard to tell who was more delighted. You or your Sister? The two of you just laughed and laughed and laughed. Seeing both of my girls giggling and clapping together was one of those Perfect Moments etched on my mind.

You've become very enamored by the wooden scooter Ra-Ra gave your Sissy last Christmas. You spin the wheels and examine every part of it. You just aren't quite as thrilled when Mama puts you on it. Maybe it's a bit too exciting for you, at the the moment.

You love to feed yourself and much prefer that to having someone else feed you. Tiny pieces of bananas are your favorite. It's wonderful having you sit right up at the table with us in the new high-chair Dada and Dadi got you. You look so proud of yourself.

Drinking water from a sippy cup (and sometimes a cup) is one of your activities right now. You seriously, LOVE yourself some water.

Luckily, having your face wiped doesn't produce quite the howls it did before. Thanks for that one. You still hate having someone put their fingers in your mouth to fish something out (who does?). You squeeze your lips shut and furiously twist your head side to side. Sometimes, I mimic you doing this and you think it's the most hysterical thing EVER.

You felt snow for the first time this Month. Let's just say, you're not a fan. You are a fan of Bath-time and water. You went swimming with Daddy this Month and LOVED it.

Teething is not making life terribly fun for you right now. It appears that your top two teeth of starting their journey southward through your gums. Poor Babe.

One of my favorite parts of the day, is when Daddy brings you into our Bed first thing in the Morning. You love to crawl over to your Sissy and wake her up with your slobbery kisses. The two of you wrestle and cuddle for a few minutes. Such Sweetness! Thanks for being YOU...we are so very, very Lucky...


All Our Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Big Sissher



P.S.  Here is your Sissy's 8 Month Letter. She's wearing the same dress that you wore, as well as Mommy, Aunt Mimi, Cousin Caroline and Cousin Katie. So sad you are too big for it now (I had to keep all the buttons unloosen, so you could fit in it during our Photo Shoot). You are growing too fast, My Love!

P.P.S. Here is your 6 Month Letter and all the ones before.

Friday: This Moment

I know I usually show one photo for my Friday: This Moment, but this video clip from this Week stole my heart.

My girls greeting Papa Bear when he came home from work.

Anala Bears will be 8 months tomorrow. Here is a clip of Nye-Nye a week before she turned 8 months. I'm not sure how she could walk so well with those bowed-legs...but she did!

Happy Friday!

Calendar Project. 2013 Photos in Review.

Not sure if this is a Tradition I can sustain, but I am hoping! For the second year in a row, I made Calendars of photos of the previous year. We gifted them to Grand-parents and ourselves. 

I've been pretty happy with the quality of Shutterfly's Calendars (although, because I also use it as my Planner and was in CONSTANT use, the photos became a little scratched).

The first year I made them, I consistently uploaded and added the photos every Month. It made it crazy easy in December to place my order. 

Last year, January through March got uploaded and arranged. And, then you know...My heavily pregnant Self got too busy with the Sassy Toddler. So, the Calendar Project got shelved.

December rolled around. I was determined to finish the Calendar. I stuck the Eldest in front of the T.V. and put the Baby to bed early and then I stayed up very, very late to finish the Project. I think it took about 5 hours. 

The hardest part was narrowing it down to my favorite 5-6 photos from each Month. It was a challenge to make sure both Kiddos got equal-ish face-time. I also have a tendency to take mostly vertical photos. Not a big deal until you have a horizontal slot to fill.

Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend a Calendar Project (even if you don't have Kiddos). So many of us take tons of photos and never print them. This is a way of having some of your photos printed and displayed. It makes a sweet Gift that's both practical and frugal. The best kind, right?

Farewell 2013. You were very good to our Family. Thank-you.

***A big Thanks to my friend Erin for taking the gorgeous, amazing Birth Photos that I will treasure until my last Breath.  She had never been present at a Birth before and was totally game on a days notice to come shoot an "Un-medicated Birth Center Birth."

And, also a big Shout-out to another extremely talented friend, Hilary Flynn, who shot the Baby's lovely Newborn Photos and some excellent photos of my Big Girl.

How lucky am I to have such talented friends? Very lucky.

U.S. Botanical Gardens. "Seasons Greenings" Ends Jan. 5th.

Photos don't do this Exhibit justice. It's phenomenal and jaw-dropping to see, no matter what your age. We went on perhaps the worse day to go (the Saturday before Christmas, on a gorgeous 70 degree kinda day). We ended up waiting in line for 45 minutes, but it was well worth it!

All of the building in the World's Fair Model Train Room and the National Mall Monuments Display are all constructed out of foam and then completely covered in plant material. Pine Cone Scales, Willow, Screw Pods, Grapevine Tendrils, Acorn Caps, Corn Husks, you name it...they used it. Wild!

Several parts of the Model Train Room reminded me of little Fairy Homes. Perfect for any families interested in the Waldorf Tradition.

If you hurry, you can still catch it. Closes on January 5th!

You can find out more information here.

New Years Eve. Family Style.

Hope you had a memorable New's Year Eve.

Ours was low-key with a minimal amount of tantrums and cold hands. Delicious food, some people-watching, some fresh air, a movie, a normal bed-time for the Baby and the ball dropping on the T.V....just what we all needed.

We took the girls into Old Town to our favorite restaurant, The Pita House.

Great atmosphere, reasonable prices, delicious Rosewater Lemonade, fresh Feta and incredibly gracious Servers who don't blink an eye when your kids leave almost a plate full of rice on the floor. Seriously, the folks at Pita House are AMAZING.

We'll not the only family in the area who has stumbled upon this place. EVERY TIME we go there, we see at least 3 other families with kids under the age of 8.

Both girls filled their bellies on awesome Lebanese food and sat in their seats THE WHOLE MEAL. If you know my Eldest, you know what a feat that is for her. What a pleasant way to celebrate New Year's Eve.

Afterwards, we braved the cold and walked through Old Town. But, decided not to buy tickets to Alexandria's First Night festivities. Maybe next year.

Nye had fun running through the empty fountain at City Hall.and admiring the massive Christmas Tree set up there.We ate some okay dessert at La Madeleine (should just had some gelato at Killer ESP) and went home. Bears went to bed and the rest of us watched Despicable Me 2.





Papa Bears, Nye and I watched the Ball Drop and immediately went to bed. It was one of the best New Years, I can remember. Feeling very Grateful and looking forward to what enfolds this New Year.

Wishing you many Blessings and a Joyful, Healthy 2014!