Pig A Pancake - a lesson in rolling with the punches.

I had decided to make buckwheat pancakes for breakfast.  A friend of mine got us the mix at the Maple Festival in Highland County several months ago.  I love buckwheat pancakes and hadn't taken the time to make them yet.  It sounded like a great idea and Emma was easy to convince that pancakes would be better than cereal this morning.

At the mere suggestion of making pancakes, Emma began quoting the book 'If You Give A Pig A Pancake' by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. 
Emma was ready to make another book real! 

I mixed the buckwheat mix according to the directions, including the yeast, and waited.  Nothing happened.  I mean nothing.  It was a nasty grainy mess!

So plans had to change.  Emma was anticipating pancakes.  Cereal would not do the trick now, at least not without a lot of convincing.  I reached into the pantry for Plan B... some good ole reliable Bisquick.

Ah Bisquick, the cure all for pancake, waffle, or biscuit fails.  When all goes wrong, there is Bisquick.  I mixed it up in my Grandmother's glass serving bowl just so I didn't feel like I was totally selling out.  Everything went smoothly after Bisquick entered the picture.  The pancakes cooked up beautifully and Emma had a great filling breakfast that brought yet another book to life for her.

I received a lesson in rolling with the punches and making the most of every moment (even when they don't go the way you think they should).

Planting Tomatoes

Earlier this spring was beautiful. 

Remember. 

Not this sticky oppressive Summer heat that keeps us from wanting us to wander out into our gardens.

 


Emma and I made the most of those days.

We picked dandelions and made clover crowns. 

And because everyone said we couldn't plant 'out' yet and I had the strong urge to plant SOMETHING... 

...we took to planting seeds in little recycled yogurt cups.

We poked holes in the bottom of the yogurt cups with a granny fork.  Filled them halfway with dirt... then seeds... then a little more dirt.

Watering was a bit tricky since I didn't think to pre-moisten the soil but together we figured out a little slower watering system and made it work.

To be honest these particular plants are still by far the smallest in the garden, but we love them. We gave them their start together. Time will tell if we really get 'fruits' from our labor.  But I'm not sure it matters, the planting was so much fun any fruit will be a bonus.  

The Giving Tree - bringing books to life

 Reading 'The Giving Tree' by Shel Silverstein became Emma's favorite book for our bedtime story several weeks ago. I love reading it as much as Emma loves hearing it. The story is a wonderful contrast of selfishness and selflessness. It is also a reminder of how we can deplete our resources almost without thinking.

I love to bring books to life whenever I can for Emma. She actually gave me the idea of bringing books to life when she wanted muffin mix on a grocery shopping trip after reading 'If You Give a Moose a Muffin' by Laura Joffe Numeroff.

One afternoon I decided to make her a leaf crown to play 'king of the forest'.

I used the same technique with the leaves that I use to make clover crowns and it worked well. It was actually easier for me with leaves, a bit sappy, but easier.

I don't know how other people make them, but I french braid the stems trying to always introduce the new stem from the right side.  The leaf crowns last longer than the clover ones. Emma had fun wearing it, but had to share with her baby Belle doll. Guess I'll have to make two next time.

What books are your kid's favorites and have you thought of how to bring them to 'life'?

95% of My Life

Before I get too much further into this blogging thing I want to make one thing clear. What you will see on this blog is 5% of my life. So many times I look at someone elses blog and say 'how wonderful their life must be!' But I have to remember a little saying that came to my attention a few months ago... "The grass is greener on the other side, because it is fertilized with bulls$%t" (please excuse the language) But it makes the point like nothing I have ever heard. We spend so much of our time looking at other people and seeing only the possitive when we all know there are negatives and challenges in everone's lives.

I do take the time to do some pretty cool stuff around my house and with Emma, but there are plenty of times when the laundry piles up and the floors are in desperate need of mopping and Emma is camped out in front of the Disney channel or her room is a wreck or the swarms of icky bugs are in the yard so you can't play in the yard.... you get the picture.

So it's a normal life, just so you know... I know.

My Cottage Garden

Having a 2 year old inspired me to actually put in a little cottage garden. It started in the area just outside the kitchen porch in 'flower beds' that had been overtaken with the bushes. My husband took the bushes back to almost nothing and I hacked at the dirt and cut through years of the old bushes root systems.

When I say 'hack', I mean that I have this hatchet type garden tool that I use to work up the dirt. I couldn't really till since there are so many roots, but 'the hacking' is good anger management. Mom came and helped with the edging and Emma is happy to just play in the dirt with her little shovel.

It seems that I can't undertake something unless it's going to be a challenge. And I don't tend to do things the traditional way. What fun would that be?


As our little garden grows, I will keep you updated. I can not wait till Emma is picking cherry tomatoes off the vine.

The Unanticipated Blankie

I have wondered how children choose a blankie or a lovey.  I would have thought that having a child and seeing her every day that I might be able to figure out how they come to love one special token.

Yeah right...

Emma has rotated from one special kitty, to a doll baby, and then another special kitty. I kid with my friends at Pufferbellies Toys and Books, that they must put something akin to catnip for kids on their toys because all 3 special things so far have been from their store.

The new lovey that has totally surprised me is her love of a knitted washcloth. It has never been used as a washcloth. Her Nana knitted it and gave it to her as a doll blankie, but she carries it with her most places and sleeps with it most every night.

 

So the mystery still stands. 

How does an object become a lovey? 

It's a question that may never be answered.