Ornaments Take 2

Made a second batch of ornaments today... this time for the two older kids to cut out and give as gifts. I used a different recipe.... 1 cup applesauce and 3/4 cup of cinnamon. But then I added more cinnamon (I have no idea how much) until I like the texture and feel of the dough. The ornaments are much darker than the last batch, in part because I 'floured' the counter with cinnamon, not flour. Also, the cinnamon I used was not three years old bought at Big Lots but was a new container bought last week.

I rolled the dough out thinner than the last batch, and already it seems to be hardening.

Kids liked the project. Hands got good and dirty and the smell of cinnamon is filling the kitchen. The dough is by far some of the most pleasurable I have ever worked with and kids seemed to agree. 

First batch ornaments almost done

Here are the ornamnents that I made over a week ago. It took over a week before I was confident that they were dry. Today I decorated with glitter. 

Waited for 9 years....

... to do this. Really wanted to do this when I got home from India the last time. It felt like it would be a neat symbol of ALL that India represents to me. But I spent the last nine years worrying about what others would think or say.

On Wednesday last week, Marc and I had some rare time to ourselves. When our Starbucks break was dominated by someone's loud gossip, we left. Marc asked what I wanted to do. I told him. So he not only took me, he paid for it and watched get it done.

In case you are wondering, it did hurt like crazy, and there was a lot of blood.

But it is definitely worth it.

 

Commencing the Holiday Season

Tonight we commenced the Christmas season. For I don't know how many years now, this is the movie we watch on Thanksgiving weekend. Marc says he remembers it being a tradition in his aunt and uncles family. But we've done it often enough so that it is our tradition now.

Happy Holidays!

June Cleaver

Marc and I just spoke on the phone. He asked if it would be cool if he came home from lunch.

I said, "Of course, but we've had a VERY vacation day and I'm not even dressed yet. So just know you're not coming home to June Cleaver."

He said, "I'm not even married to her. That would be very inappropriate."

An explanation

The kids and I were supposed to go to Freeport today to meet my sister and her friend Hannah with Baby Penelope. We got five days of work done in four, just so we could go. This morning we woke up with Caleb and Anna sick, again. So we stayed home. And that is why I have been abnormally productive on my blog. Please don't expect it to happen again : )

For My Sister

Wassail
1 cup sugar
1 qt. water
12 whole cloves
4 sticks cinnamon
4 whole all spice (or 1/2 tsp)
1 whole ginger (1/4 tsp) - hmmm I wonder what that means, 1 whole ginger ?? I've always used the ground stuff
3 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice or four lemons
2 qts. apple cider

Boil water, sugar, and spices for 10 mintues
Add juices.
Add whiskey or vodka to individual servings.

Happy Holidays!

Ornaments

WARNING: Do NOT eat. This is only meant for decoration.

1 cup ground cinnamon
1T ground cloves
1T ground nutmeg
1 T ground ginger
1 c drained applesauce (I don't know how to drain applesauce, so I just used applesauce)
2 T white craft glue
Flour

1. Combine the spices in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the applesauce and glue.
3. Work in all the ingreadients with hands until ingredients are mixed thoroughly, mine was almost spongey.
4. The recipe I'm copying says at this point you can add food coloring, but I'm not sure what the point would be.
5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to approx. 1/4 inch thick.
6. Cut dough with cookie cutters.
7. Make a hole at the top of the ornament.
8. Lay out flat to dry in room temp. for several days (one recipe recommends turning them over).
9. When completely dry, thread the ornament. I'm thinking about using glitter glue to at least outline the ornaments.

These smell really yummy, and are supposed to keep their smell for quite a long time. I also read that you could add a bit of essential oil to it to refresh the smell.

The Mother of Invention

The morning started with Caleb being, well, Caleb. A boy, noisy, active.

The morning started also with me being, well, me. A mom still waking up, quieter by nature, liking a peaceful environment.

As I once again asked Caleb to please us an indoor voice, I had that familiar twang of 'am I just asking him to be something that he isn't?' Then I found myself telling him firmly "Go downstairs, turn on the lights on, and run and scream and do what you want to do. You are a boy, it has been raining for five days, and you have every right to want to be active and noisy. However, this is my home too, and I have every right to want to be able to eat my breakfast with some sort of peace." After he tried to argue out of it and realized I wasn't budging, he and his sisters went downstairs.

Soon the noises of children being children came upstairs. With the stereo loud enough I couldn't tell if they were arguements, getting hurt squawks, or having fun noises. I even managed to begin a menu for next week and ponder the weekly task of a grocery list.

After having ten of these blissful minutes, I was able to go downstairs and enjoy their noise. As I watched them play a game with fabric laundry baskets and nerf balls, I had an idea. I went into our storage room (also known as the 'I don't know where to put it room") and looked for a hammer and nails. Then I put two nails into two facing ceiling beams. Voila! Basement basketball.

As I moved on to getting the laundry started, the phrase 'necessity... the mother of all invention' came to mind. And I was especially delighted that whoever thought up that phrase knew that it woman, and especially a mother, who would come up with all creative solutions.

Perspective

I owe my friend Renee thanks for posting this on her blog:
http://www.miniature-earth.com/

When I grow up...

Anna announced tonight at dinner, "I want to be a preacher, like dad and mom."

*sigh*

Pottery

Tonight was the night to pick up my work from five weeks of pottery through our regional adult ed. None of my projects were done on the wheel. And the whole glazing thing sort of still baffles me.

The class was fun, although an odd assortment of women taking the class. Some were there for the joy of pottery, and some were there to just crank out loads and loads of Christmas crafts. I went hoping to meet people. Pottery class in Maine is not a place to meet people.

But I have gravy boat (upper left hand-I've been wanting one for eleven years!), two new mugs (will report on their coffee worthiness tomorrow), and six little hands that are marked with name and year, so that in twenty or thirty years the kids can tell their kids, this is how big my hand used to be. Am I a sap, or what?

Little Girls

As we did an impromptu photo shoot before church this past Sunday, I realized that I no longer have a toddler and a baby. I have two little girls. What a joy to watch them grow....

Parenting Report Card

Anna just followed me into my little office hole.

"Sometimes you're the best mom, mom." And just before I could feel too all warm and fuzzy she completed her thought, "And sometimes you're not."

That about sums it up.

Google QOTD

Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?"
Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."
- Charles M. Schulz

Carrot followup

Caleb was so thrilled with his work as Junior Carrot Peeler, he asked if we could PLEEEASE keep the peels in the sink until Daddy got home from work (6 hours later in the day). As a compromise, we took a picture, let the disposal take care of the peels for us.