I have so many little matters to tell you of, that I cannot wait any longer before I begin to put them down.
May 7th, 2010 by ECM
so Tommy has been accident-free, including a 7 hour car ride yesterday and overnight last night, except for one time this morning. Something about Grandpa and Grandma Willett’s house seemed to help him connect his mind to the potty. But I’m not going to say much more about it so I don’t jinx myself…
May 6th, 2010 by ECM
This week we got to take Tommy out to fly kites that Grandpa picked up in his recent trip to China. Tommy loved it!
May 5th, 2010 by ECM
“We often speak of a family circle, but there are none too many of them…In a true family circle a father and a mother first clasp each other’s hands, liking well to be thus clasped; then they stretch out a hand on either side, and these are speedily grasped by children, who hold one another firmly, and complete the ring. One child is better than nothing, a great deal better than nothing; it is at least an effort in the right direction, but the circle that ensues is not, even then, a truly nice shape. You can stand as handsomely as ever you like, but it simply won’t “come round.” The minute that two, three, four, five, join in, the “roundness” grows, and the merriment too, and the laughter, and the power to do things. (Responsibility and care also, but what is the use of discouraging circles when there are not enough of them anyway?)”
–Kate Douglas Wiggin, Mother Carey’s Chickens (1911)
May 4th, 2010 by ECM
This is my current favorite dish. I’d eat it every night, but I have mercy on Derek and Tommy and only make it once a week or so. It’s adapted from a Giada de Laurentiis chicken parmesan recipe, and it skips the dredging with egg and breadcrumbs to make it a lighter meal.
Eggplant Parmesan
1 eggplant
a lot of olive oil
2-3 T. Italian seasoning
1/2-1 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Wash your eggplant. Slice the eggplant in 1/4 inch thick slices. I find that our breadknife works best for this because it pierces the skin. (If you want to salt the eggplant and let it sit out to get excess water out, you can, but I never do.)
Mix olive oil and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and quickly dunk the slices in the oil mixture, coating both sides. (If you let the eggplant sit in the bowl, it will soak up all of your oil. )
Fry slices 1-2 minute per side in a large oven-safe frying pan over medium heat. When browned nicely on both sides, stack them until the entire eggplant is fried.
Dollop spaghetti sauce onto each stack of eggplant.
Add a generous spoonful of mozarella cheese and a pinch of parmesan to each stack.
Bake the pan in a 500 degree oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is browned. (In this picture, my sauce was so thick that it didn’t really seep down around the eggplant, but it usually will.)
Serve on its own or over whole wheat pasta! Yum!
May 3rd, 2010 by ECM
Saturday I headed out one last time to a huge Chicago rummage sale to do my shopping for Tommy’s summer clothes. I came prepared this time–a laundry basket, a camping chair for my 2.5 hour wait beforehand, good reading material (last time I just had my Bible and read the entire book of Ezekiel, which is nice and all, but a little much in one sitting). Anyway, it was great–I spent a little more this time because of a few non-clothes items, but all the clothes were $1 or less. Here’s what I got for $46:
Derek totally didn’t care when I tried to show him, for for those of you who do, that’s
5 pairs of 3T shorts
6 pairs of 4T shorts
1 pair of 4T pants
2 pairs of 4T PJs (I said I’d never buy licensed character clothing for my child, but if Lightening McQueen PJs help Tommy use the potty before bed, I’m willing to do it.)
4 3T tshirts
7 4T tshirts
1 4T long sleeved shirt
1 4T swimsuit
4 pairs of socks
2 pairs of shoes–water shoes for the pool/beach this summer, and tennis shoes for the fall
2 bags of warm weather tights for Elizabeth
5 sippy cups (I took them out of the packages for the picture)
2 snack catcher cups
2 packages of safety latches
*contented frugal homemaker sigh*
May 1st, 2010 by ECM
Yesterday we could barely stay inside–besides naptime, we were soaking in the sunshine! The kids loved their “pick-mick” lunch, and we’re hoping for many more now that it is warm!
Apr 30th, 2010 by ECM
Every morning, the kids are so excited to see each other again. They both smile and babble and hug and kiss each other like it’s been way more than 12 hours since they last hung out! They are truly each other’s biggest fan…
Elizabeth gets compliments for her mohawk all the time, but Tommy’s hair is long enough to make one, too! (I think we’re due for a summer haircut…)
Apr 28th, 2010 by ECM
We have been working hard on the fact that Tommy can only be rough with big boys, not little boys, and not girls of any age. Tonight as I was singing him his nighttime hymn, he idly swatted me in the face. I stopped and told him not to hit Mommy ever, even as a joke. I sang another verse. It happened again. Discipline. I started singing the last verse when Tommy asked, “Mommy, can I hit bears?” It didn’t compute. He went on–“Can little boys be rough with stuffed animals like Big Bear?” (Big Bear is bigger than Tommy.) As I was thinking of a good response, he decided, “I can hit my big stuffed animals like Big Bear, but not Clarence.” “And not anyone else’s stuffed animals,” I told him, making a quick escape lest we discuss the intricacies of stuffed animal abuse for the next half hour. Ah, boys!
Apr 28th, 2010 by ECM
