at the end of summer

I decided at the beginning of the summer that a few day trips to the beach would be good. Well, summer went by faster than I imagined, and we didn't make it until the end. On the Thursday before school started, we went to the beach. We had a picnic, spent a few hours enjoying the sun, sand, and salty water, and then we headed home. I think eating dinner in the car on the way home was almost as good as the fun we had at the beach. They were so good, and I'm so glad we made it there before the end of summer.

our mud kitchen

My newest project idea (and construction request for Brian) is a mud kitchen. We had the shelving, and I found the rest of it at a local re-use store, The Scrap Exchange. It's the kind of the place where you can spend hours, wandering around, scratching your head, and you either figure it out or you don't. This project was perfect for what the store has to offer, and I left with a pile of stuff (for only $11.23). I'm still patting myself on the back for that one.

We put it together a few weekends ago, and it's been a hit. The timing was good, with the weather cooling off a bit, allowing for more comfortable backyard play. It's much dirtier now, due to all of the wonderful dishes prepared and served. (We've had lots of fun with this kitchen.) I've learned along the way that dirt, sand, and water are really all you need to keep everyone happy.

The last picture shows shutters that the kids painted and that Brian will attach eventually, after I get around to sealing them.

imperial moth

If it weren't for the fact that the sight (or thought) of a cockroach turns my stomach, I could have been an entomologist in a former life. Since both of my children have decided at one point or another that they'll grow up to be bug scientists, we have something in common.

So - when I found this imperial moth in the yard - I knew (or hoped) they would appreciate it. It was huge, with a wingspan similar to the luna moth, but with a much thicker body. Sarah was more focused, maybe because she realized that this wasn't something we see everyday, or maybe because she wanted to make me happy. Eric came and went, wandering off to do something else and then coming back to check on the moth (and to ask when we would be finished looking at it).

When we came back inside, I looked it up online and found out that it's related to the luna moth, both of which are in the Saturniidae family. One interesting factoid about the moths that belong to this family is the lack of mouth parts or a digestive system in adults. Their sole purpose is reproduction, and they live for less than a week.

That is, unless a bird picks them off sooner. The imperial moth's numbers are in decline, possibly due to light pollution. The theory - the moth doesn't move fast enough after resting near a light at night (at its size, how could it?), and the following morning it becomes quite a feast for a now-fat bird.

her second first day

After reading a book last night about the first day of school, I asked her if she was nervous. "No. Last year I was. But this year I know what to expect and I have friends and I know the teachers," she said. She woke up early today, at 6:15, and couldn't fall back to sleep. She was happy and excited. When we arrived at school, she waved at several people (little and big), gave her kindergarten teacher a hug, and then settled into her new classroom. She gave me a kiss goodbye and got to work, without so much as a glance up when I said goodbye for the second time. She was ready to be there, and it felt so much better this time around.

on this (important) day

This morning, when Brian wished me a happy anniversary, I didn't respond appropriately. With open house last night and school starting tomorrow, I temporarily forgot today's importance. It's not like I didn't know that the 24th is our anniversary - it's just that my thoughts and preoccupations were focused (as usual) on our children. (I could also use the excuse that I often have no idea what the date is, but that seems weak.) So, when he wished me a happy anniversary, I said, "Shit." Thankfully he was humored, rather than hurt, by my lack of attention. (Part of what I love about this husband of mine is his good, easy nature.)

Next year is our tenth, which seems big, happy, and important, and I promise - I won't forget.

fudge pops

We made fudge pops the other day, and they were good. If one considers the ingredients we used, the goodness is apparent. Here's the recipe, in case you want to try a bit of frozen heaven before summer comes to an end.

Alton Brown's Good Eats Fudge Pops

Ingredients
(We made 9 pops with this recipe.)

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) heavy cream
8 ounces (1 cup) whole milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Special Equipment: popsicle molds

Procedures

1 Place chopped chocolate into a medium glass mixing bowl. Set aside.
2 Combine heavy cream, milk, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until cocoa is dissolved and mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes and then whisk gently until all chocolate is melted. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
3 Divide the mixture evenly among the molds and place in the freezer. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until solid. Fudgepops can be held in the freezer for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

jumping in

One evening at the lake, before dinner, they had a jumping contest. They invented jumps - ones named "flying guitar" and "superhero" and "cracked egg" and "blue whale" and then they tried to copy each other's moves. "Let me show you again" and "like this?" along with a lot of laughing and splashing was heard over and over again. I couldn't imagine a better way to pass the time . . .