Playdate

Daaawg!!!

Superman was no match...

 

the scarf I made for my husband was too easy...

 

and "Tom", the bird I made of my son, has lost his shiny button eyes and his brains.

WARNING: this image is graphic...

 

All this (and more) happened in a matter of days thanks to this puppy.

 

It's a good thing he's cute.

The Amazing Adventures of Robot Cat

Okay, maybe he's not a super hero...in like, the Batman/Superman sort of way. 

He's not even known.  He is simply an idea that has come to be. 

A while back, I had made a stuffed bird for my 4yo son and naturally my 6yo wanted me to make something for him.  Not a bird, or a dog or any of his favorite anmals.  Out of ideas, I suggested he draw a picture of what he would like for me to make.  So here's his sketch...

 

With fabric from my husband's worn out dress shirt, leftover yarn and a bit of polyfil I set out on my mission.  And after a few months of production delay, I presented Robot Cat. 

BTW, he is neither a robot or a cat but we're gonna roll with this.  Who knows what kinds of adventures he will encounter!

Could it be?

Is it really the end of August?

How did the summer slip away so quickly?  Well, I hope everyone has stayed busy and cool in between the relaxing, lazy moments. 

Looking back, I guess we've been busy.  We did a little home improvement by having the house painted and an entry portico installed.  Not quite how I designed the arc but it's still nice...and most importantly, it keep the rain off our heads.

  

I'm still in search of the right lantern.  There are a LOT of ugly light fixtures out there!

We took a trip up north.  First, to the AMAZING Children's Museum in Boston, MA.  We loved this place!  So well organized and all the interactive displays and rooms were VERY well designed.  Check out the main atrium and the incredible 3-story bent wood climbing sculpture!

Then, we visited family in Phippsburg, Maine.  We spent a few quiet days taking in the scenery, having lobster and exploring nearby attractions.  The boys really enjoyed the Maine Maritime Museum and the boat ride on the Kennebec.  I really enjoyed my lobster dinner.

Last but NOT least, we visited college friends who live in Rhode Island.  They recently welcomed their second child and we were so glad to meet him.  We had a great time with them.  On one of the days, we went to the beach at Newport and the shore was covered with red seaweed (or jellyfish)!  Here's Rob spearheading an ambitious sand castle project.  It turned out great and it kept the kids busy!

  

In addition to swim lessons, summer camp, family visits and BBQ's, I guess our puppy has kept us busy.  Look how big he's gotten.  Sniff is a really good dog and silly when he sleeps on his back...

One thing I didn't get to do this summer is garden.  Since the painters had to work near the garden beds, I had to take a year off from growing veggies.  I miss it.  Look how sad the empty garden is.

Next year, I'll do DOUBLE! 

Okay, maybe not.  But I will move forward with gusto!

Next week the doors open at the local schools.  Can it really be the end of summer? 

A Birthday Present for Jo-Jo

I am somehow the mother of a seven year old. 

Boy, does time fly. Seems like just yesterday we were bringing Joseph home from the hospital. This is my favorite picture from those early days (not sure what it says about me).

Of course, I snuggled with him lots. And nibbled his tiny fingers.

We couldn't' tell by looking at that delicious little lump, but my boy would turn out to be quite the little monkey. He started climbing ladders at 18 months. Just a few months later, while visiting Aunt Cynthia in the city, he spied a rock he thought he'd like to climb.

What struck me was how thoughtful and methodical he was about where he put his hands and feet, searching out the best holds. My boy still can't throw a ball to save his life, but climb he can.

Just this past Memorial Day weekend, while visiting my in-laws at their Poconos lake house, he hopped across a couple of big rocks, onto the dog house, and up onto the roof of their little garage (the type with a steeply pitched roof). I don't even know how to explain it, but he didn't go up vertically, he scaled it sideways so he could grip the edge of the roof with his fingers. Here he is perched proudly at the top:

This will give you a little perspective of just how high he climbed:

Joe's birthday was the next weekend, and I still didn't know what I was going get him. As soon as we got home, I Googled "Rock Climbing NJ" and came up with New Jersey Rock Gym, just half an hour away in Fairfield. For $20, I could get my boy 90 minutes of climbing with only enough instruction to keep him from getting tangled in the ropes. I told Joseph about my present on his birthday and we made plans to go the next weekend.

When Joseph and I walked in, he was immediately excited, but he was also a little intimidated by the height of the wall. I explained that he would be in a harness and that his instructor would be holding onto the rope so that if he slipped he wouldn't fall. I explained it all again as the first climber zipped up the wall.

Joe took his turn eagerly, but just a few feet up I could tell he was starting to hesitate. He probably only got about 10 feet up before he decided it was time to come down. "It's too high. I'm nervous," he said. And down he came.

I guess when you're just staring at the wall right in front of you, you don't really know how high up you are. Or have any ability to know that it's not even as high as, say, the roof of the garage you climbed without the benefit of belay or mats. 

He tried three more times, each time bailing out a little earlier. The last time he was only a little higher than my head.

"I want to go home," he said.

There was still 45 minutes left in the class. I didn't want him to leave feeling like he couldn't do it. Or worse, get home and wish he'd stayed. We took a walk. I talked to the woman at the front desk.

"Tell Lucas to take you to the kids' room," she said.

Lucas, our instructor, happily obliged and, for Joe, it was night-and-day different. To me, the wall was only about 5 feet shorter than the wall in the main room. But it was quieter. There were no birthday parties having races up the wall. And, best of all, there was a kids' bouldering wall Joseph could climb on his own while the other kids in the group did the bigger wall with belay.

A couple times up and down and across the bouldering wall, and Joseph was ready to get back in the harness. First time up he picked a spot on the wall he wanted to climb to. Wish we'd thought of that sooner. It let him decide from the ground how high up he wanted to go. He actually zipped right past his landmark -- that blue hold in the shape of a conch shell you can see to his right in the next picture -- and got a little nervous as soon as he realized it.

The second time up, he got to the top. He was so proud. I don't have a picture of it, because I wanted to make sure I saw his little face when he made it. He beamed!

That was the last climb of the day. And as soon as Joe's feet hit the ground he turned around and said, "Can we come back next week? I want to do this again!"

So glad we didn't leave!

Happy Birthday, Jo-Jo!!

Quick Vest

Friends of ours in Rhode Island recently welcomed their second baby.  We are so happy for them!

I made this vest as soon as we got the good news.  It's a pretty easy pattern from "natural knits for Babies and Moms" with just knit and purl rows.  I used Sublime baby cashmere merino silk yarn.  It's so super soft and easy to work with.

 

I love picking out the buttons to personalize the piece.

 

I hope it keeps him warm this Fall!

Puppy Love

 

Someone please explain to me why everyone talks an octave higher when babbling baby gibberish to a puppy. 

Alright, I am guilty.  I mean, look at that face.  Just woook at dat face!!!

Yeah, soooo, we got a new puppy.  The boys have been asking for nearly a year and we finally thought the time was right.  Plus, we were waiting for the right dog for our family and this one is THE ONE.  We found our beagle and corgi mix through Pet Rescue.  The foster family who took care of him and his siblings were amazing.  When we met this puppy we knew instantly that we had found the right pet.

On the ride home, our 4yo named him Sniff.  Turns out, it's a perfect name for the ever sniffing beagle breed. 

Sniff and I had a few bad days of housetraining (must remember to be forgiving) but, knock on wood, he's been accident free for 4 full days...and he's only 11 weeks old!  Okay, maybe it won't last but I'm learning his signs and he's learning the rules of the house. 

We knew our 4yo Dr. Dolittle would be head over heels for a pet.  Our 6yo has been wonderfully responsible and affectionate.  My husband grew up with pets and he LOVES having a dog in the family.  In fact, I think his work stress dissipates faster with Sniff by his side.  Me, I am adjusting to being a "mom" again but I am enjoying the easy demeanor of our puppy and his positive affect on my guys. 

We all have a bad case of Puppy Love.

Tweet, tweet

I loved Kris's post about birds when she wrote it but now I love it more because there is a new bird lover among us.  My four year old has been learning about birds and their characteristics in preschool.  Who knew?!

To foster this new appreciation, I've been getting books from the library so that we can both learn about these beautiful creatures.  (Is it sad that my son knows more about birds than me?  I guess I led an unobservant life as a child...or there were no birds on Staten Island beside pigeons.)  Anyway, LOVE the library!

Today is his last day of Spring Break.  I decided to use some fabric I had around the house to make his very own bird.  This is my interpretation of a female bluebird. 

 

Owen picked out the buttons for the eyes; one black and one red.  He tells me he wants to take it to school which tells me that he likes it.  Yay!

Packing paper

Instead of running out to get one of those cool single cup coffee machines, I asked my parents if I could have their coffee press.  You know, the one I gave them that they never use.  My dad was happy to declutter their home and I was happy to get a "new" coffee press.  My dad carefully wrapped the glass pot in some paper and placed it in a bag for me to transport home.  Here's the paper he used...

       

Am I crazy here or does his "garbage" practice sheets look amazing? 

My dad started calligraphy a few years after retiring.  At this point, it has been around ten years.  Several years ago he submitted work for a traveling exhibit.  His art went to four countries, one of them was South Korea.  Our extended family went to the exhibit and took photos next to my dad's scrolls.  I don't have pictures of that exhibit but I do have two of his scrolls in my living room.

Oh, the framed flower picture is his also.  This isn't even his best work!  There is one piece that has all Chinese 1000 characters perfectly aligned and perfectly drawn that I LOVE.  Their tiny apartment is packed with scrolls, books and rolls of practice sheets.  Incredible.

I am so proud of his work.  He started doing this amazing art so late in his life.  I can only imagine what he would have created if he had started decades ago.  I am truly inspired.

Sick Day = Pancake Lunch

The kids were home sick today. But not that sick. You know the routine: You are called from school to pick up your kids one day, and they are marginally sick. But because the school rule is that you are to keep the home 24 hours past fever break/last throw up/return of appetite/whatever ... it doesn't matter how good they are feeling the next day, home it is.

That's where we are today. 

Hannah's school called yesterday at about noon and said that she had been crying on and off for an hour and complaining that her ear hurt. So, I woke Miriam from her nap, trucked off to school to retrieve the girl, slogged back home, and was just looking for the ibuprofen, garlic-mullein ear oil, and echinacea ... when the phone rang.

"Mrs. Wolff, it's nurse Anglum from Gregory School."

"Oh no. Not you. How's Joe?"

Joe had come in complaining that his stomach hurt and had a fever of 101. Crappity.

So, I dosed up Hannah, put the girls in the car, and drove the block-and-a-half to school to get the boy. I figured a kid with a fever probably didn't want to walk home.

They were mostly fine yesterday. They're even finer today. But here we are, all together on a damp, gray, cold March day.

"Mom, can we have pancakes for lunch?"

Why the hell not?

Seems like a perfect time to share my Dad's own homegrown recipe he calls "Nature Boy Pancakes."

"Oh, give 'em a try," he said to me a few years ago when Hannah and I were out for a rare visit. "You won't want those ol' namby-pamby fluffy white pancakes again."

He was right.

Granpappy's Nature Boy Pancake Mix

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup flax seed meal

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbls. baking powder

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

12 Tbls. dry buttermilk powder (= 1/2 cup + 2 Tbls.)

 

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and store in refrigerator.  

To make pancake batter, mix 1 cup of mix with an equal amount of water to which has been added 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 beaten egg.  Cook on hot griddle or skillet. 

Plain is good, but we also like chocolate chip (cooking on the griddle above), raisin, currant, or any of the more standard blueberry or banana options.

Enjoy.

What's for Dinner?

 

Pizza, until recently, was a rarity in this house. The reasons are numerous: our favorite delivery place closed down, Joseph has never been a fan (seriously, at birthday parties he'd search out the veggie platter intended for the adults rather than deign to eat a slice of pizza!), we worried Miriam had a dairy allergy which meant that neither she nor I could eat it until we sorted that out ...

Poor Hannah LOVES pizza. Many a stranger has remarked at the way she folds her pizza in half and shovels it in NY-style, rather than insist on its being cut into little cubes the way other toddlers seem to. But, save for the occasional birthday party, she has been largely denied.

Miriam's dairy issues have been sorted out (not a true allergy, and cheese and yogurt seem to be just fine), but Joseph would still crinkle up his nose and say "Well, I am NOT eating THAT. You KNOW I don't like pizza," if anyone ever suggested grabbing a couple of slices as an easy way to feed the kids. I even offered him a white slice at the local pizzeria, but he wouldn't hear of it.

A few weeks ago I got a bee in my bonnet. I don't really remember why. But I love making bread and thought maybe, just maybe, if we made pizza at home and I let Joseph help he'd give it a try and, gasp, actually like it.

Wouldn't you know it worked. Now we have pizza once a week. Tonight will be a good night since we have little else in the house and already have plans to eat most of our meals out this weekend.

So, as I get ready to go into the kitchen and make the dough, I thought I'd share the crust recipe that seems to be the favorite (I've experimented a lot) and a few pictures of the work in progress.

For the crust, I've been doing a whole wheat recipe I got out of a recent issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. I figure since it's virtually impossible to duplicate pizzeria crust at home, might as well go a little healthier. Besides, it's Joseph's favorite.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (115 degrees) water
• 2 packets ( ounce each) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for kneading
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)  

 

 Directions

1. Place water in a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush another large bowl with oil.
2. In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar, oil, and salt. Stir in flours with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to oiled bowl; brush top of dough with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands, knead until smooth, about 15 seconds; divide into two balls.
4. Set balls on a plate (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Then freeze in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.
5. Divide each ball of dough into 4 pieces. Using your hands, stretch each piece into a 5-inch disk (if dough becomes too elastic to work with, let it rest a few minutes). Freeze shells on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Stack frozen shells between layers of parchment paper. Freeze in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Bake from frozen.

  

Note: I haven't been freezing my shells. I find I can divide the dough and leave it in the fridge for at least as long as it takes me to finish off a doubled batch. So, I divide my dough and put each little ball in it's own Ziploc bag and take it out when I'm ready to make pizza. By the time the oven is preheated, the dough is ready to shape.

To cook the pizza: Take dough or crust out of the fridge/freezer. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle cooking tray with cornmeal. When the oven is ready: shape your pizza, put it on your pan, and top as desired -- MINUS the cheese.

That's Joe's white pizza on the left. I grind up a little rosemary, mix it with extra virgin olive oil, brush it on to the crust, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Hannah likes red sauce, so I just use whatever basic pasta sauce we have in the cabinet. My favorite is sausage, onion, and mushroom. Adam likes everything and the kitchen sink (though he is much chagrined about the whole wheat crust!).

You will notice that I'm not using a pizza stone. I have one, but honestly can't tell the difference between the pizza I've cooked on the stone and that that I've cooked on this aluminum jelly roll pan. And I don't have to handle a blazing hot pizza stone when I use the pan, so the stone will now forever be reserved for artisan breads.

I digress. At this point, cook the pizza for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add cheese, and cook for another 7 minutes or so, depending on how bubbly and/or browned you like your cheese. (Again, Adam is much chagrined that I use part-skim mozzarella, but it's what they have at Whole Foods, so it's what I buy.)

I think I left these in a little long, but you will notice Miriam up there didn't mind one bit.

Tonight this will be dinner, but it also makes a good afternoon snack for the kids. Enjoy!