Three for September

The start of a new school year always seems like a goal-setting time to me.  Like January, we're all kind of starting over again, right?  Plus fall is my absolute favorite time of year (barring the fact that my tomatoes have all officially succumbed to the blight, and we are now tomato-less until next summer. Horrible thought!).

Anyway, I decided that I want to start picking a few things to work on every month.  And then hopefully by the end of the month they will be habits, and I can move on to a couple more things the next month, and just keep improving.  So that's the basis for this, although some will be accomplishments rather than habits. 

So here's what I want to do in September:

1.  Run a seven-minute mile.
2.  Read my scriptures for at least ten minutes a day (I have really struggled to fit this in since Isaac stopped    nursing, since that was my scripture time--it's usually just been a quick couple of chapters when I'm half-asleep).
3.  Say, "Yes," to the kids, at least once a day, when I would usually say, "Not right now," or "Wait just a minute until I finish this..."

There are lots of other things I want to do, but we'll start here.

What about you?  Want to join me?  What do you want to work on next month? 

so this is why they're sick

I just found Juliet and Isaac playing this game:

Isaac licks his finger, then touches it to Juliet's tongue.

Juliet licks her finger and touches it to Isaac's tongue.

When I said, "Gross!  What are you doing?" Juliet told me, "We are sharing."  Please note that both of their noses are flowing freely.

GROSS.  No wonder they're always sick.  Seriously, where do they come up with this?  How am I supposed to keep everyone healthy?

But Neil is sick too.  Honey, have you been "sharing" with the Mucus Twins? 

things

On Friday Abigail came home with a homework assignment that required a recent picture of her.  I realized that while I have sixteen thousand pictures stored on our computer, I haven't actually printed pictures since she was eighteen months old (Juliet doesn't exist in our photo albums; there's nary a whisper of Isaac).  Oops.

So we had a quick photo-taking session.  As I was uploading the pictures later, I realized that I haven't taken pictures of the kids for quite awhile.  Another oops.

Last week I felt like I had lost some of my zest for life.  It's been really busy.  It's always busy.  But in the last three weeks, a lot of my energy has been diverted into a) cramming in quality time with everyone before Abigail goes to school b) getting my classes up and going and c) running, running, running.  I keep feeling like a wimp for not running a full marathon, but then I realize I have no idea how I would fit in another 25 miles a week.  (Well, for one I'd probably sleep less, like my brother-in-law who gets up at 4:30 to go running.)  And now that I think about it, this week was also rough because Isaac, Juliet, and Neil have all been pretty sick (on that note:  checked in with Isaac's doctor and he'll continue on daily breathing treatments at least through the end of September).  Plus we watched our friends' kids for 11 hours on Saturday. 

So things have been feeling a little more frenetic than energizing.  Hopefully soon it will all become routine and I'll be back to photographing every little thing the kids do and reveling in kitchen creations. 

Speaking of kitchen creations, I feel like I've finally got the mozzarella nailed down.  Look for a tutorial on Friday!

Foodie Friday: Zucchini and tomato tian with Parmesan breadcrumbs

I know, I know.  I've been a real slouch about posting recipes lately.

My little sister Elise called me on Tuesday from Provo.  "I need the recipe for that zucchini and tomato thing you made," she said. 

I figured if a college student who had been back at school for less than 24 hours was making that request, I should probably post the recipe for everyone.

So here.  Enjoy.  It's really good.  I promise. 

So does Elise.

it's done

the picture does not do it justice.  which is my error. 

"I hate this room," I said to Neil one day.  We were lying on our bed and I was staring at the moss-green walls and lying on our moss-green duvet (an unfortunate coincidence that made me feel like I was floating in a swamp ever since the very first night we moved in to this house and I realized our bedding exactly matched the previous owner's paint job).

"Oh," he said.  "I'm sorry."

"No," I said.  "Like, I really really hate this room.  We've redone every other room in this house, but this room is the reject room.  I hate the wall color, plus the paint is scratched and there are big holes from window treatments the previous people ripped down.  Our bed is sitting on the floor.  The treadmill is the focus of the room, it's always too hot, and our clothes are in plastic bins in the closet because we have no dresser."

"Okay," he said.  "Let's fix it."

o we have.  It's taken a few years, and to be honest with you, it's not completely done.  The finishing touches that really pull it all together--lamps, clocks, artwork, textiles--those may have to wait until we're done with school.

But the ceiling fan he installed last year was a lifesaver during my last summer pregnancy.

The Craigslist dresser has made getting dressed a delight (no more sorting through plastic bins!). 

Even though our repainting job on the walls wasn't quite the blue I anticipated, it's lightyears better than the green swamp.

We finally have the all-white bedding I've been suggesting for the last eight years (and yes, it has stayed remarkably clean).

But.  The biggie.  The beautiful bed that he designed and built himself (using a teeny little hand-held rotary saw)...

Is done.

And it's gorgeous. The pictures really don't do it justice, but the headboard and footboard are both planked, there are multiple levels of trim, and it's just beautiful. 

*******************************

Here's the Craigslist before on our dresser (there's a matching nightstand too). 
Check out those bows along the top of the mirror.

And the after--new paint and hardware.  Plus I ditched the top jewelry drawer because it blocked off the mirror.  And I pried off the stupid bows with a knife. 

stress dreams

I read once that dreaming about your teeth falling out is a classic stress dream.  Neil has these all the time, but I never have, until last night.  I fell asleep at 9:30 out of sheer exhaustion and slept all the way until the alarm went off at 5:55 (running time!).  Here are the two dreams I remember:

• Abigail's kindergarten teacher told me she was moving her to the lowest-level literacy group because Abigail keeps decorating all her letters (the literacy group was just in the dream, but in real life, Abigail comes home every day and tells me "today I wrote my name AaaaBbbbbGgggAaaa" etc. or "Today I drew strings on all my letters so they could hang from the ceiling."  So I feel caught between wanting to encourage creativity, and wanting her to write properly so that her teacher knows she CAN write properly, since they're doing all the competency testing right now.
• I walked into class to teach and every time I smiled, another splinter came off my teeth.  My students muttered to each other, "Wow, she'd be beautiful, except for those hideous teeth!  I can't even look!"

So yes.  I am feeling a little stressed right now.  Some of it I expected--Abigail starting school, plus Neil and I starting up again.  Neil starting work as a TA again, which means earlier mornings and later nights.   Half-marathon training.  Trying to preserve all the garden produce (fortunately or unfortunately, the tomatoes have not produced anywhere near what they have in years past, thanks to the hideous blight that has swept across our county...).  Trying to squeeze in quality time with Neil and with the kids somewhere in the midst of all this.  Adjusting our day around drop-off and pick-up times.  Neil and I spent a lot of time last week trying to figure out what we could do to streamline our lives and function more effectively.

But there are also things I have NOT expected.  Meal-prep, for one.  I can't start making dinner when I used to, because it's right when Abigail gets home.  And she's hungry, and I want to talk to her about her day and help her with her homework.  Last week we ate a lot of zucchini and tomatoes (minimal prep time!). I'm realizing that I need to completely rethink the way I'm cooking and the kinds of meals I'm preparing to accommodate this (I used to do a lot of meal prep at lunchtime, but that time's gone now too because I need to drop her off at school).  I know we'll work it out, but it's a little stressful until we do.

And the biggie: Juliet locking herself in the bathroom every day when I say, "Okay, kids, put on your shoes, it's time to take Abigail to kindergarten."  (Or when we need to go pick her up.  Guess what?  On the second--the second!!--day of school, I got to be the frantic parent chasing the bus trying to retrieve my five-year-old, who hadn't recognized her stop because I was late, due to peeling screaming Juliet off the carpet when she didn't want to go meet the bus.  AWESOME.)

Heads-up to those of you who visit our home:  as of tonight, there will be no more bathroom locks.  Just so you know.

****

Please don't read this and panic, if you are related to me. :-)  I really am okay.  Just on the run, so to speak.  And there have been many wonderful peaceful moments in the last week.  Probably more than usual, since I'm making a big effort to have quality time in the mornings before Abigail leaves, and cram in my to-do list while everyone's napping. 

Bad, Worse, Worst

Bad: getting an email from the brand-new dept. head saying that course websites won't be available until August 1st.

Worse:  August 1st comes and goes; dept. head never responds to emails or phone calls, finally emails everyone to say they'll be ready by August 16th. 

Worst:  Frantically working every spare minute that children are asleep to finish course websites in five days before the semester begins.  Goal:  no working while kids are awake.  Goal is met.  I'm completely and utterly exhausted, but the courses are finished.  Students are emailed and begin registering.  THEN HE EMAILS AND SAYS THAT HE CRASHED THE SERVER AND THE COURSES ARE GONE.  At 2 pm on Saturday.  The semester starts Monday. 

I have gone through all the stages of grief in the last two hours.  Lots of denial, lots of tears.  And screaming.  And more sobbing (it is so. Much. Work.)

Now I'm frantically trying to cram in 30 hours of work into the next 7.  And rebuild two (very large) websites that I had lovingly perfected and tweaked, clicking on every link, checking every comma. 

In the words of Joseph Conrad:  "The horror!  The horror!"

summer's last hurrah

Last Friday Neil left work a little early and we drove up to the beach. 

It was an interesting drive, what with all the Chicago weekend traffic (and Juliet throwing up while we were in stop-and-go traffic, hence the absence of her clothes.  Like the iPod earbuds?  That was the only way we could get to stop trying to escape the car. She and Isaac were in very loud agreement about their distress at being strapped in place).

Fortunately, the beach was every bit as wonderful as the drive was miserable.  The water was warm enough to be pleasant but cool enough to be refreshing.  The air was perfect.  The beach wasn't too crowded and the waves were gentle.  The kids were ecstatic.


 We played in the sand and the water until the sun went down, stopping occasionally to refresh ourselves with grapes, baguettes, Brie, and ripe tomatoes.  Abigail started a mammoth collection of shells, all of which mysteriously disappeared by the time we left.  Jooj crawled around in the surf with her chin lifted free of the water, pretending to be a killer whale.  Isaac chortled with glee as he crawled up (and pushed over) every single sandcastle we made.  And splashed us all.   The kids and I had a sand fight out in the water until Neil made us stop.  (We all had a LOT of sand in our hair that night.)

Oh, and the wind gave Isaac the coolest mohawk ever.  People walking along the beach kept stopping to tell us how darling he was. 

Abigail told me when we were leaving that it was the most perfect day of her life.  I must say, it was pretty darn awesome. 

my littlest sisters

From left: Elise, me, and Rosalind on Sunday just before dinner

First day

With her best friend Elise--who fortuitously is not only in the same kindergarten class, but they sit next to each other at school AND on the bus.
How much luckier can you get?

Home again

Aunt Rosalind (pictured) and Aunt Elise were there to welcome her back

She and Jules hung on to each other for a long time before we walked home

The backpack she picked out herself (Lands' End).  She made sure
I got a picture.

not done yet...

I ran 7 miles before breakfast this morning.  That will probably be my major accomplishment today, so I'll just blog about it now.

Too bad I can't go back to bed, right?  Oh well.  The world is pretty nice at 5:45 am.

wish I'd remembered my camera

Last night I ate this.  And yes, it was every bit as tasty as it looks. 

I love visiting teaching.  I really really do.  Even when it doesn't include dessert, but really, I love visiting teaching.  It is one of the highlights in my life--I love my companion and I love the fact that the sisters we visit have become friends.  I love the fact that every time I talk to my companion over the phone to discuss our available times for the month, we end up talking for an hour.  The fact that we have been companions for four years never ceases to amaze and delight me (if anyone in the RS presidency is reading this, please don't switch us!! :-)

Sometimes I feel lonely and mournful because I just don't see as many friends or have as much time for talking to other women as I did five years ago.  Visiting teaching helps so much with those feelings--what an inspired program!  Not only do we have a chance to take care of each other's temporal needs, but visiting teaching can fill a real void in our emotional needs as well.  The hours that I spent tonight sitting with my companion and one of our sisters (we were celebrating her birthday) were the highlight of my week thus far--we sat there long after our desserts were gone, just talking.  It was wonderful and rejuvenating, and our conversation gave me so many things to think about.

One thing I really appreciate about visiting teaching is that it gives me a chance to get to know people that I probably wouldn't have much contact with otherwise.  I have learned so much from the women I visit and the women who visit me.  Sometimes I'll read a new assignment and think, "Hmm...that should be interesting," but inevitably, it is perfect for something I need to learn or experience.  There is always something that I change about my life after I have been visited or gone visiting.  I often end up doing research on something we talked about, or trying new recipes, or checking out a book that someone loved. 

My visiting teachers right now are amazing--they always remember what I'm interested in and often bring by something that is tailored for something I'm passionate about right now (and let's not forget the magical lotion my visiting teacher concocted when the gnats tried to kill me). And I will never forget the way my first visiting teachers in this ward (who sadly have both moved away) were right there when Neil had pneumonia the first time and was very, very, very sick--I was practically in tears when I opened the door and one of them was standing there with dinner and said, "I just felt like you needed this today" (plus she brought us these really amazing Oreo truffles).  Her companion was over the next morning with a whole slew of ready-made foods for Neil and the kids, plus flowers for me.  Which was totally heart-warming, especially since I had told neither of them that he had pneumonia--they just felt impressed that I needed them.  And another set of visiting teachers took over last year when I had surgery, and organized meals and childcare for a week before I really knew what was happening. 

I know I already said this, but I love visiting teaching.  So grateful for it. 

image

still not wanting to blog, but wanting something of a record

Last week was a whirlwind.  I canned tomatoes, salsa, peach chutney, and dilly beans.
It may not sound like much, but it was a LOT.

Juliet's birthday was on Saturday.  I think she had a lovely day. 

One of the components of Juliet's birthday dinner:  heirloom tomato and peach salad (we also
had honey-grilled salmon, roasted green beans, and extremely decadent brownies).

Abigail peeling garlic for the dilly beans

The day we processed 30 lbs of beans.  It took us literally all day--we started at 9:30 am, took a break from 5-7 pm, and finished around 8:30 pm.  The girls were amazing little helpers.  Seriously.  Amazing. 

And some pictures before church on Sunday (and Jooj's awesome bathtub hair).  Don't you love Isaac's tie?  And I wish Juliet's dress came in my size. 

ending

Today is the first day that Isaac hasn't nursed at all--he's gradually been transitioning to a sippy cup over the last month.  As always, I'm torn between sadness and relief (and guilt that I feel relief).

I calculated that out of the last 6 years, I have spent 4 years and 11 months either pregnant or nursing.   That's a lot.

I know some people really love nursing, and I have to admit, I always feel guilty and sub-par when I read about how wonderful their experience has been.  My first experience with Abigail was not positive--it was almost unbearably painful every time and she finally quit nursing at 6 months.  I cried for weeks whenever I gave her formula, because I felt like I'd failed her.  When Juliet was born, I was determined that we'd make it to a year, and we did, despite 9 ear infections that had drastic consequences for nursing (she finally had tubes put in on her first birthday).  Isaac has been better, but still extremely uncomfortable. 

It seems like lately there's been this huge pro-breastfeeding movement, which I completely support, but I also  end up tormenting myself about what a lackluster mother I am because I don't love nursing the way everyone seems to think I should.  And because I have absolutely no desire to nurse my babies past a year (I start weaning over the month following their first birthday).  I think it's great that other women choose to keep nursing, but for me it's such a battle to make it to a year that the idea of extending it--voluntarily, and when my baby will happily drink from a cup--is absolutely agonizing. 

So this is for all of you who see your baby spitting up your own blood, who struggle to produce enough milk, who grit your teeth in pain when your baby latches on, who moan with despair when the baby screams in the middle of the night, who pump milk and syringe it down your child's throat when they have an ear infection and refuse to nurse, and who heave a silent sigh of relief when your child prefers the cup.  I'm right there with you--and we are not lackluster.  :-)

sort of update

Isaac claps his hands whenever he stands up...

We have a slight case of library addiction.

Close  to finishing the bed...

Jules is three on Saturday.  Two days ago at lunch she coolly informed me--completely
out of the blue--"Mommy, soon I will go to college.  You will be all alone
with no little kids to play with."

So many tomatoes.  So. Many. Tomatoes.

Abigail's new favorite dinner:  grilled lime-marinated fish.  I must say, it's utterly delicious.

I love how happily all three of them play together--this was on Monday
while I was making dinner.


Sorry that this post is a little lackluster--the truth is, I just haven't really felt like
blogging lately.  We have been so busy these days--the garden requires constant
attention, Neil and I are both running 5 days a week, Neil is doing a lot of work at night,
and I'm trying to get my classes ready for the semester starting in a couple of weeks. 
Plus, all the normal time with the kids and housekeeping things.  It's just busy and
quite frankly, there are lots of things that are more important than blogging.
So I may not be around much for the next little while. 

Universe 3, Rachael 0

In the past twelve hours, I have:

• chipped one of my front teeth
• poured boiling water all over my foot
• flattened the back of my hand against a 400-degree oven.

impressive, huh?

true story:  when I was younger, I was moderately accident-prone.  in a year or so I managed to chop off a finger, jam my bike pedal through my foot, smash everything in my ankle to the bone, develop a pressure ulcer from said ankle that resulted in a six-inch split in my leg, and other assorted ailments.  I remember once being woozily wheeled into the ER and one of the nurses greeted me by name.


here's hoping I'm not going for some repeats...I already have WAY too many scars. 

Ruth's Asian adventures

My little sister Ruth (doesn't she look radiant?) and her husband Jordan are living in Hong Kong this summer--Jordan is spending 12 weeks there to prepare for opening up the Asian offices of his company.  They'll go back to school in fall and finish up their degrees (then likely move there permanently), but my family has been avidly following their adventures here.  Make sure you check out all the pictures--they always have very interesting captions!

PS--Two me-related things that speak to Ruth's organizational skills--not only did she--while on the other side of the world--call me on my birthday, but she planned ahead before she left and delivered a gorgeous set of yellow Le Creuset pans in person.  While in the midst of planning an overseas move.  Ruth is the kind of gracious, organized, and perennially well-put-together person I dream about being.  One disquieting thing about my sisters growing up is realizing how far they've all surpassed me--last week Mary Beth entertained my children for hours on end while simultaneously figuring out her schedule for her last year of law school and graciously accepting an editorial position on a law journal.  Abigail and Juliet firmly believe that Rosalind has the prettiest jewelry and tells the best bedtime stories in the world--I'm almost nervous to see Elise in a couple of weeks!! 


PPS--my girls have Aunt Ruth on speed dial--all you have to do is press "1" on their play phone.  :-)