bellevett

book list: new books.

our library trips lately have been fairly epic.

 

the new book section appears to be freshly stocked in the kids room the last few weeks and this means lots of stacks of books around the house.......  and lots of "buuuk" aka book, "mowwww" aka more, and geeeen aka again.  sometimes i am busy doing something when these requests are being made.  sometimes i feel like reading something a little more compelling than that of "go dog go".  but i never ever turn down a request for book reading.  books have proved to be a source of comfort, inspiration, entertainment, and education for me throughout my life, and i feel that taking the time to read anytime i am asked too is one of my more important roles as a parent. 

some of the happiest times in my childhood came on library day.  where i lived, the library was in a small little mobile building, it might have had 600 books total. it stayed there until i was in middle school, and then they build a big nice library beside our school.  my dad took me once a week and i remember filling up my bag full of books, going home, and reading late into the night.  i read a lot of good books and a lot of fluff books, baby sitters club anyone?  i remember discovering period novels about girls my age or older and being enthralled by the ways of life, i never felt like i could get enough, and still cant!   little house on the prairie is still one of my favorite series. 

my goal is to constantly capitalize on crosby's curiosities and interests anytime i am able.  slowing down and enjoying "go dog go" or "curious george goes to the library" 3 or 4 times IN A ROW is a small price to pay, truly.

here are a few newly released kids books from our library that crosby is loving:

Train Man by Andrea Zimmerman

this is the book for kids who love trains.  it describes the imaginations of this little boy, and the book is from his perspective.  it is also a great book for discussions about younger siblings.  in the book, the narrator, a little boy, has a little brother who isnt yet able to play with the trains, but he cant wait for them to share that passion.  he describes his dreams of being a "train man".  he says "all aboard" and "choo choo" several times, so for that alone, crosby gives it two thumbs up.  he has even figured out which pages those words come on, and will now "read along" with me.  i think this book could appeal to children from 16 months up to 4 years old.  it is simple, but the subject matter is well loved by sooooo many children!  crosby has become the train addict so this book has been a recent favorite.

 

Monkey's Friends by Ruth Brown

monkey's friends has become a favorite.  i have been scouring used book stores looking for a copy for us to own.  in this book, monkey is on a journey and meets lots of friends along the way.  every other page is a half page for the reader to guess which friend he has met next before turning the half page.  the writing has a good cadence and rhymes as well, which really meets the needs of so many readers who are in between the ages of 1-3.  the art is also really nice, and would be a great book to attempt to recreate as an art project! 

Otto the book bear by Katie Cleminson

i just love love love this book.  crosby likes to have this one read to him but it isn't a repeat book- meaning it doesnt get an again or more, but then again, i think it is really a book for ages 3-6.  otto is a book bear who comes alive at night.  something happens, and he has to set out on a journey to find his place in the world.  the idea of characters coming alive at night is magical to any child (or adult).  the illustrations are perfection.  i must own this book asap. seriously...........   

 

i was inspired to write this post by bird and little birds, library mondays.  ahhhhh!  i love that blog! 

 

but, seriously, along with some knitting, some canning, and lots of mountains/ outside time, books are whats goin on in our land at this moment.

 

oh!  and i will link up with yarn along from small things on wednesday to let you know what i am reading (and knitting!) these days. 

canned crockpot applesauce and more- a few instructions.

 

i am really into my crockpots right now.  i actually have 2.

and i use them both all the time..... several times this season i have used my crockpot to slowcook something that i was going to preserve for the winter. 

it really does seem too good to be true.

but it isnt.

 i use the slowcooker on the high setting, put everything in, as the canning recipe specifies, and i walk away for a few hours or 5, come back, put into hot sanitized jars and can in the water bath for the specified amount of time. 

there was a time in my life when i was able to stand in front of the stove stirring a big pot of applesauce, tomatoes, or strawberry jam.   this season of my life, with an active 18 month old and a husband who is currently remodeling our home, does not include leisurely stirring a pot of strawberries or apples to put by, and i am learning to accept that. 

but, that doesnt mean i gave up on my food preservation efforts. 

i have learned to take advantage of what i have, which is an 18 month old who is eager to help for small periods of time and a husband who is eager to let the 18 month old help him hammer nails in to the wall until he looses interest. i have an amazing apple peeler that was 20.00 that might have been my best investment yet.  it peels and cuts the apples into rounds and takes about 15 minutes to peel, core, and cut 30 apples.  seriously, it is no kidding amazing.  its similar to this one, but mine is from mast general store. below are my recipes for applesauce and apple butter.  if you have come into some apple wealth and not really a whole lot of time, this recipe is made for you.

 

slowcooked applesauce

25-30 apples

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

a half of a vanilla bean, cut down the middle to expose the beans *optional!

1/2 cup of water or apple cider

peel, core, and chop your apples.  (alternately, you could skip this step and just chop the apples, core, peel and all and then put through a food mill or sieve before canning.) place in crockpot until completely and totally packed full.  my slowcooker is a 6-qt and i can fit anywhere from 25-30 apples in it.  adjust your spices if you can fit less or more.  after its full of apples, i add the lemon juice, cinnamon, and water/applecider.  i tuck the vanilla bean down into the apples, if using.  i turn my cooker on med/high, and cook for about 5-6 hours.  after about 4 hours, i usually take of the lid and mash the apples for good measure, but its not that necessary!  once the consistency is right, i turn off the slow cooker and get my water bath going if canning.  (if making applebutter, see below)  if you havent canned before, check this website out!  ladle into sanitized pint jars and process in a waterbath for 20 minutes. you could of course just put this directly in the fridge as well! this recipe makes 5 pints of applesauce. 

here are some good resources on canning. please consult a book like the ball blue book of canning if you have never canned before!  i am by no means an expert.

 

to make the applebutter:

slowcooked apple butter

25-30 apples

1 1/4 cups of sugar/ maple syrup/honey

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

a half of a vanilla bean, cut down the middle to expose the beans *optional!

1/2 cup of water or apple cider

peel, core, and chop your apples.  place in crockpot until completely and totally packed full.  my slowcooker is a 6-qt and i can fit anywhere from 25-30 apples in it.  adjust your spices slightly if you can fit less or more.  after its full of apples, i add the lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and water/apple cider.  i tuck the vanilla bean down into the apples, if using.  i turn my cooker on low, and cook for about 15 hours or over night. alternately, you could cook on high for 8-10 hours.  after about 4 hours, i usually take of the lid and mash the apples for good measure, but its not that necessary! put all of the apple butter through a sieve to get a nice buttery consistency and return to the slow cooker.  if it taste right, then i turn off the slow cooker and get my water bath going if canning.  you might want to add more sugar if you think it needs it. if you havent canned before, check this website out!  ladle into sanitized pint jars and process in a waterbath for 20 minutes. you could of course just put this directly in the fridge as well! this recipe makes about 8 half pints. 

 

 so if canning or crockpotting isnt really your thing, try dehydrated apples. (last picture) i assure you they will be your thing!  dehydrate your apples at 130 in a dehydrator or the lowest possible setting in your oven.  just place on racks and let them go for 5-6 hours.  they last for several months, but i never have found out how much longer beyond that, because they are always gone before i know it.

 

 

yarn along.

 

 

i started this adorable sweater ohhhhhh, about 4 years ago.  i wasnt doing so well with the lace pattern for some reason and ended up ripping it out except for the cabled collar.  it has stayed in my ravelry queue waiting to be resumed. 

everytime i looked in my yarn stash, this yarn made me feel guilty because it was just sitting there. i had a terrible feeling i would end up taking it to goodwill in 20 years, completely unused.  i tried to find something else to do with it but i didnt have enough for any other project and the yarn was discontinued.

fast forward to the beginning of this summer.  i decided i needed to get the sweater started back up so i picked it up in may and began again.  i discovered i was missing the most important page of the pattern which contained the lace leaf pattern, so i had to contact the designer and explain that the last time i downloaded the pattern i had saved it onto my old hard drive and now i needed access to the lace leaf pattern!  she is incredibly nice and sent me a new pattern out right away.  crisis averted, i was back on track. 

after being side tracked with a few other projects, i ended up working on the lace leaf cardi again seriously in august.  while spending a long weekend in roanoke va with my most knitterly (actually, she crochets like a mad woman) friend, knitting my fingers off, i ended up in the worst case scenario: i ran out of yarn.  i had looked all over the house for my last ball and never found it.  i kept weighing the ball of yarn and i thought it would make it.  i found out during my knitterly weekend that i was terribly wrong. 

and yes, i repeat, it is discontinued. 

ravelry to the rescue, i found one person willing to sell me their last three balls in their stash.  i received them this week and i am working like a mad woman to finish it before something else terrible happens. 

what is concerning me about this situation is that i know i bought 6 balls of yarn.  several situations could have happened:

1. i ended up cutting and throwing away some of it that got tangled and knotted beyond repair while ripping the sweater out the last time.

2. i have lost a ball of yarn in the house somewhere and i will find it as soon as i finish the sweater.

3. my gauge is very very wrong and and i measured myself incorrectly resulting in using more yarn than the pattern intended.

pleeeeaaasssseeee dont let it be situation 3.  i cant handle that after avoiding so many disastrous situations concerning this little brown sweater.

i am almost to the waistband, so time will tell.  i will keep you updated.

***********

as far as my reading goes, i have been really into poetry lately.  i seem go in phases, i will devour novels for months, then move to short stories, then spend a month in poetry.  i FINALLY found a copy of Mary Oliver's New and Selected Poems at our used book store, so i snatched it up. the problem is, i keep reading the same 2 poems over and over.

the other collection that i am obsessing over at the moment is Adrienne Rich's the dream of a common language. when i first began this collection i was not really into it.  it seemed too emotional and too angry, and i just couldnt really connect with it.  but, every poem has such a different voice, and once i really started to understand her voice, i really began to become obsessed.  in a big big way.  also, really, i cant get the title out of my head.  seriously.  it is such a powerful statement in and of itself.  goodness.

i have about 5 books from the library sitting beside my bed, waiting on me to get started.  but the truth is, i have been saving my novels and short story collections for some upcoming down time that i have planned. 

 

so there you have it.  my readin and my knittin.  what more could you possibly want to know????

 

have i told you i have a goodreads account?  if you are on goodreads, i would love to see what you are reading! 

i am linking up with ginny today from small things for the yarn along.

 

child led art: painting.

i began noticing Crosby's interest in art when he was around 13 months old.  he was constantly taking my pens and trying to imitate my constant writing (i am a list maker and constant journaler- is that a word???).

i went out and got him a mixed media sketch book and some decent crayons.  similar to these.

 

we did some coloring and made finger paint.  (recipe below)

 

 

then when he seemed interested in a small watercolor set that he recieved from the library, i made some liquid watercolors for him to paint with. 

 

since then, our art has expanded and he has become even more interested in doing art almost everyday.  Last week, i set up a small art area for him so that he can have easy access to his art supplies whenever he is interested.  more on that later.

being a montessori preschool teacher for several years before Crosby was born has given me so much insight into following the childs lead with art and practical life activities.  today we made some more finger paint, and he was the most involved today that he has ever been in the creation process. 

 

after we were done with the stirring and measuring, i put the pan on the stove, and let him continue to mix his own concoctions of sugar, salt, and water to keep him distracted while i was stirring the paint on the hot eye.

he taste tested, i am sure it was delicious.  and he made some sugar clumps. which are now on the floor, actually, the dogs probably scarfed that right up after they were dropped.....

i just taped a sheet of paper on the end of our cabinets. (an easel is in the works for a christmas present for this guy)

toddler art is messy and you never really know how much interest there will be until after you do it.  here are some tips i have learned on toddler/preschool art from my montessori teaching time and the past few months with crosby:

• its always going to be messy.  keep the attitude i have: there's no point in keeping a clean house since it will be messed up anyways.  you will save yourself the energy of cleaning!  see, i have helped you already.
• keep the steps to a minimum.
• try not to direct.  once they are interested, try not to interfere.  they become very disinterested with directions on how to do something.
• anything that involves pouring, scooping, stirring, is usually successful.
• use vibrant colors. i always use gel food coloring for crosby's art projects.  i think its prettier.
• let them help with clean up.  i put crosby in the tub with a few very small (a head cant fit in them) buckets of water.  in a few of them, i made bubble water.  i also gave him all of the bathtub toy scoops.  he pretty much cleaned his whole body up while i was able to clean the floors and put the paint away.  i checked on him every minute or so (we have a small house) but when he was done playing he was clean!  and that is so much better than trying to clean him off with a rag while he arches his back and runs away!
• keep a sketch book.  most of the time, our everyday art stays in the sketch book.  it saves on wasting paper.  our sketch book is currently full, so i used this big piece of white paper.  i like the mixed media sketch book because it holds up to watercolor, finger paint, stickers, crayons, markers, and colored pencils.  this helps me not have so many pieces of paper floating around the house and it seems really interesting to crosby to look through the book. 
• use small amounts of ingredients.  i give small portions of paints, markers, etc.  it is easier to clean up spills and helps with keeping them from being overwhelmed with the project.  with liquid watercolor, there is one drop of food coloring (gel) and about 2 teaspoons of water per color.  when its accidentally turned over, it is soooooooo much less of a mess.
• when they are done, take the cue.  today crosby got up and started walking around after he had been painting for a while.  i took that as the cue he was done and said "time to wash" (his favorite thing!  what child doesnt love messing around in the water???).  once boredom sets in, don't force it, even if they have only done the activity for a minute or less.  it will work out for no one.  things start getting spilled, and it will be frustrating for parent and child. 
• make it homemade.  obviously, i don't make crayons or markers, but i do make the paint.  i do this so that i know what is in it because crosby still thinks its important to taste everything that even closely resembles food or beverage.  it doesnt concern me because i know what is in it.  

 

here is my finger  paint recipe:

2 cups of water

1/2 cup of corn starch

3 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

gel food coloring

put water in a saucepan and add dry ingredients on top.  bring all to a boil on the stove and continue stirring constantly.  separate into containers and add food coloring.  these will store for a week or more in the fridge.  when you take it out, add a bit of hot water and stir to get it to become more runny.  it gets really paste like. 

 

 

ohhh!  also, you will have to endure some bad pictures, see above, for a bit while i figure out my manual settings on my camera.  its time for me to step away from trying to edit my images and get it right the first time, i apologize ahead of time for this!

 

long hot summer.

 

we spent a fair amount of time on the road this summer. 

we visited so much family for extended periods of time.

we backpacked.

we canned 75 pounds of roma tomatoes.

we swam.

we wrote, and wrote some more.

we picked berries.

we visited friends.

we made friends.

we played farkle.

i knitted a few sweaters.

i sewed a few shirts.

we tore out our bathroom.

we built half of a new one.

we i are am forcing ourselves to be ok with unfinished projects.

we read books.

and more books.

and we went to the library on days when the heat was unbearable.

we now have a walking, talking, book reading, song singing, art making, train loving little boy.

summer happened, and now i am ready for fall.

as a matter of fact, i have a few bushels of apples on their way to me right now. fall is almost here.

 

I stopped writing and updating this blog after crosby's 1st birthday, mainly because i was spending so much time on the computer, and i needed a limit.  i officially deleted my facebook account and it turns out that i think that was more of a problem than writing a few sentances here on ye old blog. 

facebook never made me feel good like writing a blog post does. 

writing is good for me.

onward and upward.

 

 

 

picture mostly unrelated.......

 

so it turns out that on crosby's birthday, he pretty much felt terrible. 

i was initially disappointed x 100 that his birthday was so sad, compared to the thoughts that i had in my head of how we would celebrate it: with a hike, and fish for dinner. (two of his most favorite things at this time.)

  i just wanted to celebrate it a certain way because, really, it was the beginning of the new us. the new family system.  and i wanted it to be a happy and eventful day that cody and i would talk about and remember fondly. 

turns out, we probably will remember this birthday with great joy.  obviously, the whole sick aspect was rather undesirable, but the constant napping, cuddling, and book reading on the couch was quite nice.  we have eaten homemade broth and soup all week long, and it has made for an extra nice warm constant supper- as it continually cooks in the crock pot.  while crosby was napping in between us on the couch on his birthday, we may or may not have eaten 2 whole boxes of valentines candy- just the two of us.  i cannot say that if this was true, that i regret it.

it turns out, this week has been a long week of doing just what we were doing last year this time.  crosby sleeping in our arms, catching up on downton abbey on the computer (or soccer games for cody), and lots of knitting (for me at least).   cody and i have spent more time on the couch this week than we have in possibly months. 

yes, i do believe we will have very special memories of the week of crosby's first birthday.  because, just like the birth of the sweet boy, things do not always go exactly as planned.  But finding great joy and solace in such simple times that are not at all what i had in my mind will most definitely be my new favorite plan. 

 

 

ps.  i took the above picture earlier this winter.  i really love it.

today is the day.

last year at this time, i was holding a sweet and precious hours old newborn baby crosby.

i still havent forgotten that holding that floppy little body for the first time and flowing with emotions that i had never felt before.

i will never forget holding the tiny bundled baby and hoping i would never have to do anything ever again beside hold that tiny baby in my arms.

crosby has never ceased to amaze us with his greatness.

i mean really, i cant tell you enough that crosby has truly been one of the sweetest and most joyful beings i have ever been around.  he is the type of child that makes you think that you should spend your life making babies because obviously this one turned out in true perfection.

he has brought us so much joy.  and in fact, when he is around, he brings so much gentle happiness that its hard to leave him.... which might explain why we rarely, if ever, do.

he has made me watch in wonder.

he has shown me how to truly live in the moment.

he has taught me to slow down.  because time doesnt.

he has taught me how precious and wonderful the world really is.

he has shown me how to notice so many positive things in this world where i once was able to notice so many negatives.

he has shown me how miraculous life really is.

 

we had a small celebration this past weekend.

i made a small cake for the birthday boy.  which was mainly a small tiny cake with a lot of fresh whipped lightly sweetened cream.  and some sprinkles in the shape of a c. 

he was given a few small and large gifts.

we celebrated.

so today, on valentines day, such a surprisingly fitting birthday for such a loving and cuddly child, we will probably go to get a very small milk steamer (his first taste) at a local coffee shop.  we might go to the bookstore afterwards and read every book he picks up.  and we might just play with all of his new toys and have a nice salmon (his favorite) dinner.  whatever we do, we will be thanking our lucky stars for such a perfect year with a perfect boy.

 

 

 

 

 

weekending x 2

 

 

 

so the past few weekends have been just the sort of weekends i have needed most.

both were made up of relaxation and productivity.

truth be told, i have been a bit preoccupied with a project here in my little land.  and that project is a new quilt for my boy for his first birthday.  which is coming up next week. on valentines day.  also known as my baby boys first birthday.  so, i deemed it fit to begin sewing him a quilt 2 weeks before, cause that's just what i do.  so, the knitting has been put down and all other interests have been put on hold until this quilt is finished.

except.........

we did find our way out doors 2 weekends ago when the weather got to a point where it should have been considered a sin to stay indoors.  it was still a bit cold, but the sun.  oh the sun.  it was quite nice.  seeing as though this winter has been unseasonably weird and totally unpredictable, seeing sun after months of overcast and rain and 50 degrees with no snowflake to be found, the sun was a welcomed player.

i dug up my beets and one lone carrot, just to see how it was doing.  i planted some arugula and some french breakfast radishes, just for kicks.  who knows, we may not get below 40 degrees at all this winter.  i am proceeding forward with my plans.  after all, the farmers almanac does seem to back up the claim that we will most likely not have any substantial winter here in the valley. 

i pulled up some spinach and re-mulched the kale. 

i turned all of our cover crops on our other two beds.

crosby took the whole garden bed terminology to heart and took up residence laying and rolling in the bed like it was his personal space. 

sourdough bread was made.  and....... meeeh. it needs some work i tell you.  i wont give up yet..

last night i made a giant salad and i used some pickled beets that i canned last summer.  they were by far one of the tastiest things i have canned ever.  and i now remember why i always plant so many beets.  also, the miniature beet eater in the family had some fresh beets last night roasted in the oven with salt, pepper and olive oil.  yes. they were Tasty.  capital t.

the truth is, i have begun my new pinboard on pinterest for my future farm. and i am seriously craving some fresh foods right now.

but, before i get into all that, i have a few days left to finish a quilt that i spent all last night seem ripping out the border after i saw a mistake that i just couldn't ignore.  so, the farm talk will have to wait for a few more days. 

happy tuesday.

the past and the present.

 

about a month ago, cody and were out alone, enjoying some sushi that was i think made from perfection, and then some beers made from awesomeness.

something about being out alone without crosby made us think of a few of our favorite memories, prechild.

this visit from the past was surely because we were at a place that we most likely wouldnt bring crosby, and this place was a place where would go in the years pre marriage, and prebaby, and prehomeownership, and pre real jobs.  read: during college.

we remembered all of the decisions, mistakes, and awesome times.  we thought about how weird it was to not know responsibility at all, and how free you are from any actual obligation, aside from the table waiting job and the classes.  we laughed and thought about those times, and how fast they went by.  they were like a brief flash. 

not one of the mistakes we thought about or the money we spent on something that we would never do now brought up any feelings of regret.  because that time was then in that moment. and we lived it. and we saw it, and breathed it in completely.  and then we moved on.

our conversation moved on to the present, and crosby, and our funny memories we have made in the past few months.  and then of course onto random topics of what we have recently heard on the radio or read on the internet. and then our conversation trailed off into future plans and goals and then the beers were done, and we went home to our warm house to be in our present.  with the snuggly baby.

i know that in a few short years, we will be looking back to this moment with our like minded friends, and our kids and babies will be teenagers and adults.  and we will look back at these times and know that we lived them fully..... breathing in the babies, laughing at the millions of pounds of poop we cleaned off cloth diapers, and the glasses of wine or beer we would sip preciously while watching portlandia after an especially hard and exausting day of wood splitting, diaper washing, fussy teething whining, and constant, necessary and often exhausting baby wearing.

as one of my friends on facebook recently quoted:

"time keeps on slipping slipping slipping, into the future." 

 

memory ocd.

 

 

it would in fact be true that i have been m.i.a. from this space for the last couple of weeks- much to my disappointment.  the past few weeks have zoomed by.  which has caused me a wicked case of trying to compile memories from the last few weeks in a matter of minutes.  because, you see, i have an obsessive need to keep track of all of my memories. which i do in this very book:

daily i try to sit down and catalog at least one memory from the day.  one little moment that i hope i can remember next year when i look back.  i have always good intentioned with my journal- but when the choice is presented, and the contender to journaling is sleep, sleep almost always prevails.

so, yes, this past weekend, in an effort to get semi organized before crosby turns one, IN TWO WEEKS, i went through a year of pictures to make a book of the past years highlights.  this year, i believe i am going to do it monthly, because this book is certainly going to be at least 100 pages.  does shutterfly even make a 100 page photo book?  anyways, i was going through all of the 400+ pictures and never found my face without a smile.  cody, crosby, and i have made some major memories this year.  and some of those memories came without photo proof.  which is why i keep the red daily journal.  so i can jot down brief moments that i just simply CANT FORGET.

because when we lay down with crosby, and he is dozing off to sleep, and his awesomely perfected sleepy playlist (patting myself on the back) is playing, i work through a series of memory exercises, in which i try to remember all of my favorite memories from the last few months. 

because it has almost been a year.

and this time is so fleeting.

it has almost been ONE YEAR people.

some knits. and gifts.

 

a few simple gifts for christmas.

the pear and hat were knitted by me.

pear was knitted from itty bitty toys book, and i added some bells inside so that it would be appealing to such a rattle lover.  the hat was made from this aviatrix pattern. 

a wooden knob puzzle and a book from us.

abc blocks from a family friend.

a few small wooden trains from a cousin.

a wooden xylophone and a tambourine for this music maker lover boy was perhaps his favorite gift.

another favorite? this walker wagon from nova naturals. which he is crawling with.  this boy is such a fast crawler, why would he have any reason to actually walk? 

we intend on keeping holidays small, always, just a few simple gifts and lots of merry making.  this season was perfectly that.