Halloween 2011

Happy Halloween!  May your little ducks, firefighters, and princesses have a safe and fabulous time, and may they avoid the worst of the sugar high.  May the rain hold off, the wind stay away, and all the cars keep to the other side of the street.  With any luck you'll be able to put your feet up long before midnight. 

Halloween Eve

Twas the night before Halloween, when all through the house
All the creatures were stirring, especially the mouse.
The spiders were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that trick or treaters soon would be there.


The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of goblins danced in their heads.
And mamma in her costume, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains on an autumn trap.


When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.


The moon on the shadows did seem to glow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a yard full of ghosts were suddenly near.

Ten Things I'm Obsessed With Now

1. Flannel (sheets and shirts)
2. Halloween (costumes, pumpkins, fake spiders and all)
3. Squash, root veggies, kale, and other fall produce
4. Hot spiced cider
5. Library books for my Kindle (more on this later)
6. The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula McLain
7. All things Beekman 1802 (TV show and books at least)
8. 5k races (okay so I mostly walk, but still!)
9. Hunting for autumn colors
10.My fabulous little girl

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Autumn Spices

Warm, creamy, and oh-so-fall, this recipe is a must on the first really frosty morning.  Even if you have to get up early to prepare things, it will be worthwhile once you're cupping that fragrant bowl in your hands.  I hear the recipe also works with cream of wheat, but I have yet to try it myself.  Maybe tomorrow morning...

1 and 1/2 Cups pumpkin puree
4 cups water or milk
2 tablespoons raisins
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 Tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom
2 cups oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional)

Pumpkins at Jubilee Farm

Our friends recently invited us to meet up for a pumpkin hunting mission, and they're chosen destination was Jubilee Farm in Carnation.  We were most surprised to find a farmstead full of activities tucked away down a rural road.  The girls enjoyed the hayride (some are even pulled by great big horses!) and the pumpkin hunting almost as much as we did, but I think they're favorite parts were the pony rides and the chance to shell beans.  The Christmas beans they had on the shelling table were a beautiful mottled purple, and I was amazed at their patience in shelling one long bean after another.  We came away with a monster of a pumpkin and a real desire to go back again soon.

Babies and TV

Oh dear.  Here are two articles about children and screen time that dovetail in a disturbing way.  The first is about the renewed plea by the American Academy of Pediatrics to limit screen time among children and especially among babies younger than two.  Speech delays, cognitive delays, etc, etc, etc.  The second is about all the extra tech time kids are getting, and the forms it's begun to take.  It seems that poorer kids are much more likely to have a TV in their bedrooms where they often watch as much as they like.  The richer kids, by comparison, tend to use computers and handheld devices at much higher rates.  There is great debate about the pros and cons of each form of entertainment, but one thing is certain: kids are spending lots of time in front of screens.

18 Months!

Please inform the town crier; Delphinium is eighteen months old! She's the sweetest little "wobbler" (though she doesn't wobble much anymore. now we're more about running as fast as possible) that there could ever be. She loves baby dolls (especially Bess) and stuffed animals and books, books, books! She also loves to play in the backyard, go for walks, visit the park and the library, and play with her friends. She especially loves when Dada comes home at night, and when her cousins and grandparents come around.


She gives the best snuggles and knee hugs you can possibly imagine. Most of the time she's very sweet and easy-going, but she does have opinions about things, and does her best to let you know what she needs. In the hour before bedtime she often becomes the silliest little person. I'm celebrating Thanksgiving a little early this year.

Get Yourself a Pumpkin

Do it right now today.  Trader Joe's is selling them for $3, so trot yourself down there (or some other grocery place) to buy one.  Why?  Because it will make you think of fall even if it's not very autumnal where you are.  Don't say "I'm not a kid" or "My kids are grown" or anything like that.  You don't even have to carve it if you don't want, but just buy a small sugar pie pumpkin, put it on your porch or your dining table, and enjoy it for a couple of weeks.  They keep very well as long as the shell is washed clean and not allowed to get wet thereafter.  When November 1st rolls around, you can chop it up for soup or pie, and it will still be sweet and delicious.  Halloween is not just for kids and costumes (though those are nice traditions) everybody deserves to have a taste.

School Search Part 4

Well this will certainly not be a very long post. Schools number six and seven were nothing to write home about. Okay nothing GOOD to write home about. The first was an old place with an ancient director, and I'm sure it was lovely once upon a time. Like perhaps in 1987 when it was last updated. It was tired, grubby, and outdated, and the people who worked there looked like they were completely uninspired. The oddest part about it all was the price. This was the most expensive school we've seen so far.


The last school of the day was also the best deal of the whole week. For only $1000 (har!) they will watch your child for ten hours per day (as limited by law) five days per week. They will feed your child three meals and three snacks, put him or her down for naps, change diapers, arrange hair cuts, and in every other way take over the job of parenting for you. In fact, you only need be responsible for getting them there in the morning, and putting them into bed at night. Some people actually want that situation, but most are probably forced into it by circumstance. Either way, it's pretty sad for the kid.

The facility was open, airy, and even clean, but I still do not want to send my girl to a place that specializes in warehousing kids. Also the teacher yelled across the room at one child, and that was when she knew we were there listening. Can you imagin what she would be like when there was no one around but the kids? Thus far we are not overly impressed with the schools on offer. Only one seems like a real prospect to me. It shouldn't be this hard to find quality care.

Baby Sings

As I've mentioned before, our baby is quite a fan of her Kindermusik classes.  She's been bopping along to the tunes and dances since she was only seven months old, and now she's really able to participate.  One of the songs they've been using a lot lately is "Ring Around the Rosie."  She loves the way you hold hands, dance in a circle, and then all fall down. 

She demands that we sing and dance with her (and at least one babydoll) several times a day.  Then I noticed that she was actually singing along!  She can't make the actual words yet, but she is definitely setting her babble to the tune.  I know, I know, one day I'm going to wish she would just sit down and be quiet but not yet. 

Halloween Prep

Most years, October 1st means a shift into Halloween mode. I love the holiday, and I'm so excited to decorate (a little at a time starting with autumn things) consider costumes, and sometimes plan a party. The last two years however, were not so festive. Two years ago I was greenly pregnant at this time, and not feeling up to doing much. Last year I had a little baby and was newly returned from a major trip, so that was a wash as well. This year, finally, I get to indulge my pumpkin passions once again!

I know, I know Martha and her ilk have already been working on this holiday for weeks if not months. While I love to look at the ideas from those over-achievers, I am not that organized. Two weeks before the holiday is all I can manage. Besides, My Dear Husband (MDH) would not be pleased with me if I filled the house with velvet bats and black tulle in late September. Thus I have a big job to do in a short space of time.

My secret weapon is Grandma. My mom is an amazing gardener and seamstress, so the costumes and pumpkins are fiat accompli (if you know what I mean). In fact, she brought us not only six regular orange pumpkins, but also one massive knobbly green monster.  I think all these beauties will have to grace the front of the house because they will stay so much fresher that way.  That means decorating the front door area is practically half done already.  Add our friendly scarecrow, a spooky "welcome" sign, and a string of lights in the window and you're all set. 

The trend these days (in our neighborhood) seems to be these very elaborate outdoor scenes of graveyards or dungeons or other scary things.  While I applaud the enthusiasm, I can't get behind such over-the-top displays.  Not only are they expensive and time-consuming, but they are also often very scary for the small fry.  I prefer to keep my house looking fun and halloweeny, but still warm and welcoming as well.  I guess maybe this is partly dependant on how old your kids are at the moment. 

Now that outside is pretty much done, I will turn my attention to indoors and also party planning.  I have some things I can use from past years, but I will need to either make or buy other items.  As I mentioned before, Martha is a great inspiration, so I'll certainly be perusing her site.  Another one I like is this blog; which is a complete resource for Halloween party planning.  I love the way it has suggestions for the whole party and not just one or two items.  Hopefully I'll come up with a theme and some activity ideas within the next few days.  I'll keep you posted. 

New Baby!

Say it with me now AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!  Yes it's true a brand new baby girl has joined our circle of friends.  She is, of course, as precious as can be.  This is a good thing given the time she's about to give her parents.  Having a baby kicks your butt harder than anything else I've ever encountered. The struggle not only makes you stronger, but it also helps you to appreciate what you have all the more.  Welcome to the world little one.

Back from The Far East

Whew!  We're back again from our big adventure.  We took two plane rides there and two back, and the baby was a trouper the whole way.  She did not cry or run screaming down the aisle even once!  We had a lovely visit with Uncle and Auntie, and we even got to see a little of New York City!  The baby loved Central Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art the best.  Now we're back to real life and tons of laundry.   

Banned Books Week

I know, I know I'm being very bad on the housewife front these days.  I promise to get back to homemaking quite soon, but I just had to mention one of my great passions: books.  Or to be more specific banned books.  Last week was National Banned Books week; the time when we remember that not all ideas are free.  Many people are shocked to learn that books are regularly banned in the United States today.  Most of the time this has to do with parents complaining about books being too much for their child, so they want to strip the book out of a whole classroom, library, school, or even district. 

I do not understand the logic at all.  I absolutely do not want my little girl to read Slaughterhouse Five because she is too young to understand or cope with the very adult themes.  However, that does not mean I want the book removed from the library.  It turns out that my niece, who is much older than my daughter, would benefit very much from reading that book.  Why would I want to remove it from a situation when it can be appropriate and beneficial to so many readers?  It boggles my mind that anyone should be so self-centered that they would try to ban a book just because it doesn't suit them.  You don't see me trying to ban all the sports books or westerns from the library!

Anyway, this is banned books week, as I said, and these are the top ten most challenged books according to the accounting of the American Library Association.

The 10 most challenged titles of 2010 were:




And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, religious viewpoint, sex education, sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit

Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit

The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group

Lush, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group

What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint

Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit

Twilight (series), by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence, unsuited to age group

School Search Part 3

I am very happy to report that school #5 DIDN'T SUCK! Yay! Not only that, but it does not require kids to be potty-trained either. It's greatest downside seems to be that it doesn't open until 7:30am which is too late for me to take her and then get to work on time. This is not a problem as long as M can take her. I don't exactly know what we would do for those few days a year when he was sick or away. With some careful planning, it has the potential to work.


The classrooms were mostly bright and cheerful even for the littlest kids (why do some schools think that babies won't notice if their surroundings are grim?) and I actually saw baby dolls, books, and even a picture of a bunny! They are big on napping (not all schools are), and the kids eat lunches provided by their parents (easier to ensure the vegetarian thing and avoid Ritz crackers). The biggest, most wonderful part is the play yard. All the classrooms open out onto a really fabulous play yard. It's huge, it's full of trees and other mature plants, it has all sorts of great play equipment (some schools have none), and it just makes you feel like you would want to run around and play. When we arrived, we even saw one teacher playing running games with some of the kids. This is the first place we visited where I could picture our girl being happy there.

Mark Bittman's New Book

I’m working my way through another Mark Bittman book, The Food Matters Cookbook, and it is just as good, if not better, than his previous ones. In the past, “foodies” and “greenies” were never found in the same place, and when they were, fighting ensued. It was taken as read that a person who really cared about delicious food couldn’t possibly be interested limiting or altering food consumption. After all, if this hand-made salami tastes SOOO good why would I ever consider NOT eating it?

This is where Bittman is a genius. He has the foodie credentials, but he also has a passion for re-thinking our patterns of consumption. He advocates a reduction in meat-eating because the average American eats more than 200 pounds of meat per year which is an unsustainable level for our country and our planet. He also considers processed foods to be an evil that is causing obesity and illness in much of the population. Of course none of this is news, but he’s pulled together a very sensible and delicious answer to the current food problem.

Did you know that if the average person ate just three fewer servings of meat per week it would be the carbon equivalent of taking all the SUV’s in America off the road? Pretty amazing stuff if you ask me. Besides, if we all swapped our burger and fries for something better, imagine all the weight we might lose as well. It’s a win-win situation to say the least. His book includes 500 recipes that will surely help to steer us in the right direction.

School Search Part 2

School #4 was frightening. I wanted not only to clutch my child and run, but also to grab up all those other poor children who actually had to attend. People often say that they didn't like the "feel" of a place, and I used to think that was such a painfully non-specific way to describe things. Now I understand. Waves of depressing were practically rolling out the door. For starters, this school is housed in strip mall right next to a Chinese restaurant. This means that the whole place smells of eau de frying mixed with old pee. Add to that the poorly groomed teachers, their poor English skills (native speakers all), the huge tvs in every room, and the general air of disorder and grubbiness, and it was just not a pretty picture.


I should have known from the very first since the lobby attendant called ahead in the classroom to let the teacher know we were coming (no other school did this). The teacher then had a chance to get the children together and give the most impressive activity she could muster. It was listening to a book on tape. At the end of the book, one child tried to sing along to the final song and was told by the teacher to be quiet. Did I mention the menu? Ritz crackers and "froot" juice constituted most of the snacks. I could go on for hours. This is what is wrong with America.

School Search Part 1

Daycare center #1 was housed on the grounds of a Catholic church. I carefully inquired before we went as to the religious content of the school and was reassured that it was secular in every way. What we did not expect was the level of orthodoxy, not in religion, but in the Montessori method. Now there are many ways of interpreting the teaching of Maria Montessori, but in this school it meant no toys (only “work”), no cuddling (“we want them to be independent so they won’t grow up to be drug addicts, criminals, or obese”) and no color on the walls or furnishings. While it wasn’t dirty or scary or creepy, it was not the kind of place I wanted to leave my little girl. The expensive car (vanity plate “school”) in director’s parking spot also didn’t help.


Daycare centers #2, #3, and #4 were quite a wide range of experiences. We saw them all on the same day, so it was quite easy to see the differences. #2 was not bad at all. In fact, I think it’s my top pick so far. It is a strict Montessori, but very clean, bright, and even elegant. It also had the benefit of being extremely close to my work which would make me feel so much better about leaving her if I know we are very near each other. The downside of this school is mainly potty training. They require it, and our girl will not even be two and half by the time she has to start. Dicey to say the least.

Daycare #3 was fine. Pretty much everything about it was fine but not wonderful. The littlest kids were housed in a smallish room with a reasonable number of activities sprinkled around. The teachers were friendly, and all the teachers had been with the school for many years (the best feature in my opinion). It was a little shabby, a little drab, and the outdoor play area was downright sad. Aside from that, the biggest downside is that this school runs on a school year schedule, but not the same schedule as my school. This means that there could be whole weeks where her school was on vacation while mine was still in session.