Text Message Tuesday

Em: Does Finn get highlights?
Me: Highlights like in his hair? Umm...no.  He just has awesome hair.  He totally gets it from me, although Uriah claims otherwise!
Em: Not hair the magazine.
Me: No shit! :) no he doesn't! I feel like such a dumbass...
Em: U r awesome.

Em: Does Finn get highlights?
Me: Highlights like in his hair? Umm...no.  He just has awesome hair.  He totally gets it from me, although Uriah claims otherwise!
Em: Not hair the magazine.
Me: No shit! :) no he doesn't! I feel like such a dumbass...
Em: U r awesome.

Parade of Sail

The Tall Ships came to Duluth last weekend.  It was a pretty incredible spectacle for someone who's never seen anything quite so...well, tall - and piratey, before.  We met some friends down by the shore to watch the ships parade past us and into Canal Park.  It was a mess of boys - 5 between the three of us (plus one teeny, sweetie girl) and we were joined by two more boys before the afternoon was over.  And as you can imagine, where there is water and boys, there is sure to be wetness and swimming.  The "only go out up to your knees" rule lasted 12 seconds with Finn - he sat down in the lake almost immediately.  I did think ahead and I had a change of clothes for him, but only because wearing big boy undies is still so new and with playing with friends, I wasn't sure he'd remember to tell me when he needed to go, so I wasn't too terribly concerned when he got soaked, I was just hopeful he didn't have an accident, too, or we would have been in a heap of trouble.  I just took off his shirt and let him have at the water; it's where he's happiest, and he had dry shorts and undies for the drive home.

The boys watched the ships for about 12 minutes, and then it was more fun to throw rocks and climb rocks and slide down rocks and lay on rocks and they were entertained for the rest of the afternoon by each other, the waves, the rocks, and occasionally the cannons that the ships shot off.

Next time the tall ships come through (in a couple of years, I'm sure), Finn will be a little older and I think it would be fun to actually go for a ride on one of the ships, or at least go down to Canal Park and look at them up close.  He was just a little too little this year and his attention span is still a little too short for us to brave the masses of people that converged upon Duluth.

The Tall Ships came to Duluth last weekend.  It was a pretty incredible spectacle for someone who's never seen anything quite so...well, tall - and piratey, before.  We met some friends down by the shore to watch the ships parade past us and into Canal Park.  It was a mess of boys - 5 between the three of us (plus one teeny, sweetie girl) and we were joined by two more boys before the afternoon was over.  And as you can imagine, where there is water and boys, there is sure to be wetness and swimming.  The "only go out up to your knees" rule lasted 12 seconds with Finn - he sat down in the lake almost immediately.  I did think ahead and I had a change of clothes for him, but only because wearing big boy undies is still so new and with playing with friends, I wasn't sure he'd remember to tell me when he needed to go, so I wasn't too terribly concerned when he got soaked, I was just hopeful he didn't have an accident, too, or we would have been in a heap of trouble.  I just took off his shirt and let him have at the water; it's where he's happiest, and he had dry shorts and undies for the drive home.

The boys watched the ships for about 12 minutes, and then it was more fun to throw rocks and climb rocks and slide down rocks and lay on rocks and they were entertained for the rest of the afternoon by each other, the waves, the rocks, and occasionally the cannons that the ships shot off.

Next time the tall ships come through (in a couple of years, I'm sure), Finn will be a little older and I think it would be fun to actually go for a ride on one of the ships, or at least go down to Canal Park and look at them up close.  He was just a little too little this year and his attention span is still a little too short for us to brave the masses of people that converged upon Duluth.

Strawberry Insanity

It's been a whole lot of strawberries up in here lately.  The last time we went strawberry picking was 2 summers ago, Finn couldn't walk and it was a hot Iowa day.  Needless to say, we didn't last long in that patch.  We tried to go last summer before we left Iowa, but by the time I got myself organized and had carved out some time in the midst of packing, we were too late.  It's just as well, I wouldn't have had time to do anything with those strawberries last summer anyway, I was just being optimistic.

This year was different and our bounty was 10-fold what we had two years ago.  I've got a board devoted to all things strawberry on my Pinterest page and I can't wait to try a few new recipes.  I managed to make 3 batches of jam.  I used this recipe from The Pioneer Woman because it's really easy and because it's in her new cookbook, which my husband gave me as a surprise "just because" gift last spring, so it was readily accessible.  The pages are now slightly sticky and stuck together.  Try not to shudder at the 10-1/2 cups of sugar per batch.

I've got a list a mile long of what I want to make with all of these strawberries - and considering I have about 5 gallon-sized bags in the freezer, it will surely take me through the winter.

• Strawberry Popsicles are top on my list (although we've been hovering in the high 60s, low 70s, so it hasn't really been hot popsicle weather up here).
• I want to make some more Strawberry Syrup for ice cream and for pancakes and for waffles (and really, anything else I can think of to throw some strawberry syrup on - oatmeal, vanilla pudding...).
• I really want to make some biscuits to go with the jam, and if I'm making biscuits, I might as well make some Strawberry Shortcake - or an alternative, Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake.
• Last summer, to celebrate Julia Child's birthday, I made Strawberry Millefuille, which I will totally be making again because it was so light and amazing. 

I have been using this strawberry ice cream recipe for a couple of years.  It's easy and really, really good. Especially paired with the lemon ice cream that I made a couple of weeks ago.

Uriah requested that I make my mom's Strawberry Glaze Pie, so I did.  It doesn't take a lot of arm twisting to get me to make pie, and since he requests sweet things so infrequently, I like to oblige when I can.  I think my love language is food.

If you find yourself with a plethora of strawberries and need something to make - this pie is a summer staple. Clearly we couldn't even wait to dive into it!  You wouldn't necessarily have to use whole strawberries, although my mom always says it makes for a prettier presentation and I tend to agree.  A simpler solution would be to fill the pie crust with sliced strawberries and pour the glaze over them.

• Baked pastry shell for a 8-9" pie
• 1 cup strawberry juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablepoons cornstarch 
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups (or more) strawberries

To make the juice:  Measure 1 cup of strawberries, crush them, and add enough water to measure one cup.  Simmer for about 3 minutes; strain, discarding the strawberry pulp and keeping the juice.  Add water to the juice if necessary to measure 1 cup.

To make the glaze: Cook the juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick.  This part takes a bit of patience because it takes time for it to get to a thick syrup consistency.  Cool the glaze.

To assemble the pie:  Slightly wash and hull 2 cups (or more) of strawberries.  Arrange in the baked pie shell.  Coat with glaze and chill 2-3 hours.





Could someone please tell these two to stop growing?  2011 and 2013:

It's been a whole lot of strawberries up in here lately.  The last time we went strawberry picking was 2 summers ago, Finn couldn't walk and it was a hot Iowa day.  Needless to say, we didn't last long in that patch.  We tried to go last summer before we left Iowa, but by the time I got myself organized and had carved out some time in the midst of packing, we were too late.  It's just as well, I wouldn't have had time to do anything with those strawberries last summer anyway, I was just being optimistic.

This year was different and our bounty was 10-fold what we had two years ago.  I've got a board devoted to all things strawberry on my Pinterest page and I can't wait to try a few new recipes.  I managed to make 3 batches of jam.  I used this recipe from The Pioneer Woman because it's really easy and because it's in her new cookbook, which my husband gave me as a surprise "just because" gift last spring, so it was readily accessible.  The pages are now slightly sticky and stuck together.  Try not to shudder at the 10-1/2 cups of sugar per batch.

I've got a list a mile long of what I want to make with all of these strawberries - and considering I have about 5 gallon-sized bags in the freezer, it will surely take me through the winter.

• Strawberry Popsicles are top on my list (although we've been hovering in the high 60s, low 70s, so it hasn't really been hot popsicle weather up here).
• I want to make some more Strawberry Syrup for ice cream and for pancakes and for waffles (and really, anything else I can think of to throw some strawberry syrup on - oatmeal, vanilla pudding...).
• I really want to make some biscuits to go with the jam, and if I'm making biscuits, I might as well make some Strawberry Shortcake - or an alternative, Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake.
• Last summer, to celebrate Julia Child's birthday, I made Strawberry Millefuille, which I will totally be making again because it was so light and amazing. 

I have been using this strawberry ice cream recipe for a couple of years.  It's easy and really, really good. Especially paired with the lemon ice cream that I made a couple of weeks ago.

Uriah requested that I make my mom's Strawberry Glaze Pie, so I did.  It doesn't take a lot of arm twisting to get me to make pie, and since he requests sweet things so infrequently, I like to oblige when I can.  I think my love language is food.

If you find yourself with a plethora of strawberries and need something to make - this pie is a summer staple. Clearly we couldn't even wait to dive into it!  You wouldn't necessarily have to use whole strawberries, although my mom always says it makes for a prettier presentation and I tend to agree.  A simpler solution would be to fill the pie crust with sliced strawberries and pour the glaze over them.

• Baked pastry shell for a 8-9" pie
• 1 cup strawberry juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablepoons cornstarch 
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups (or more) strawberries

To make the juice:  Measure 1 cup of strawberries, crush them, and add enough water to measure one cup.  Simmer for about 3 minutes; strain, discarding the strawberry pulp and keeping the juice.  Add water to the juice if necessary to measure 1 cup.

To make the glaze: Cook the juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick.  This part takes a bit of patience because it takes time for it to get to a thick syrup consistency.  Cool the glaze.

To assemble the pie:  Slightly wash and hull 2 cups (or more) of strawberries.  Arrange in the baked pie shell.  Coat with glaze and chill 2-3 hours.





Could someone please tell these two to stop growing?  2011 and 2013:

3 Bitty Birthday Parties

One of my friend's set it up for us to go strawberry picking at a local strawberry farm last week. We went early in the morning.  Happily, it had rained the night before, so there was a cool breeze, and we dominated those rows of strawberries.   Between my friend, Abby and a friend, and myself we managed to pick 16 ice cream pails of strawberries in about 2 hours.  Let me tell you, in case you were wondering, 8 pails of strawberries filled up my entire extra refrigerator as I sorted through them.  I should have weighed them.  Anyway, since then, I have been up to my elbows in strawberries, and feel as though I haven't had much time to devote to writing. Rest assured, I think about writing daily and the insane number of pictures from the last month hanging out on my hard drive taunts me as I make strawberry jelly and strawberry pie and strawberry ice cream.  I've put 5 gallon sized bags of whole frozen strawberries in my freezer and I'd really like to make some strawberry smoothies and strawberry shortcake.

Last night I finally sat down for an hour to sort through some of the pictures.  Holy goodness, there is a lot there.  More to come soon - and probably my mom's strawberry pie recipe, which I made for Uriah last weekend. This season is fleeting and I'm going to soak up as much as I can (both the strawberries and the boy!).

From Finn's 3 Bitty Birthday's last week | at home; with Grandma & Grandpa; with Auntie Sarah:

One of my friend's set it up for us to go strawberry picking at a local strawberry farm last week. We went early in the morning.  Happily, it had rained the night before, so there was a cool breeze, and we dominated those rows of strawberries.   Between my friend, Abby and a friend, and myself we managed to pick 16 ice cream pails of strawberries in about 2 hours.  Let me tell you, in case you were wondering, 8 pails of strawberries filled up my entire extra refrigerator as I sorted through them.  I should have weighed them.  Anyway, since then, I have been up to my elbows in strawberries, and feel as though I haven't had much time to devote to writing. Rest assured, I think about writing daily and the insane number of pictures from the last month hanging out on my hard drive taunts me as I make strawberry jelly and strawberry pie and strawberry ice cream.  I've put 5 gallon sized bags of whole frozen strawberries in my freezer and I'd really like to make some strawberry smoothies and strawberry shortcake.

Last night I finally sat down for an hour to sort through some of the pictures.  Holy goodness, there is a lot there.  More to come soon - and probably my mom's strawberry pie recipe, which I made for Uriah last weekend. This season is fleeting and I'm going to soak up as much as I can (both the strawberries and the boy!).

From Finn's 3 Bitty Birthday's last week | at home; with Grandma & Grandpa; with Auntie Sarah:

3 Years Old | {Birthday Interview}

Favorite Color:  Blue

Favorite Book:  Dinosaurs

Favorite Animal: Elephant

Favorite Food:  Peanut Butter & Jelly

Favorite Fruit:  Honeydew

Favorite Song: A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track

Favorite Toy: Cars & Pick-ups

Favorite Show: Dinosaur Train 

Favorite thing to do with Dad: Play cars & trains

Favorite thing to do with Mom: Go to the railroad

He speaks in long sentences.  He knows Dinosaurs are extinct and he can identify and name a few.  He says "please" and "thank you," usually without being reminded.  He's polite and generous; he loves to give hugs and kisses.  He likes to boss his sister around.  He's almost mastered the potty.  He likes to play mechanic shop with his tricycles (which he pronounces "trike-a-cyle.").  He reminds me often that he "belongs to his dad."  He likes to go to the park and to the library and to the grocery store.  When I take my walk, he likes to get out of the stroller and run ahead of me.  He loves the water - bath, shower, lake, pool.  He asks for "healing kisses" and "healing lotion" when he gets a bump.  He loves books.  He likes to dance and he can quote parts of the movie Madagascar, which is wildly amusing.  When he plays, he's started changing his voice for different characters (if two cars are talking to each other, they have different voices.).  He's always asking what kind of cars we see (Ford, Chevy, Honda...) and he wants to know what every semi-truck is hauling and where they're going.  He loves to be outside.  His chore is to take the compost out to the bin, which he does happily and carefully; he also likes to help with the dishes.  If Abby has a chore to do, Finn wants to do it, too.  He doesn't like loud noises and if something is scary to him, he immediately covers his ears.  He loves to play play-dough and has recently discovered superheros (mostly Iron Man) and Uriah's old Transformers.  He tells me I'm pretty and he loves to help me cook in the kitchen.  

I have mixed emotions about this birthday.  Time is going so much quicker that I ever anticipated, and I knew it was going to go fast.  But this fast?  I count my blessings every day that we are together - me and this boy who made me a mom.  I am happiest when he is close by.  I love his independence.  I look forward to this next year of learning and growing and changing.

Happy 3rd Birthday to my Sweet Darling Lovey.

You are my sunshine.

Finn's Second Birthday here | Finn's First Birthday here | Finn's First Birthday Party here and here | Things I learned about pregnancy here and being a new mom here.

Favorite Color:  Blue

Favorite Book:  Dinosaurs

Favorite Animal: Elephant

Favorite Food:  Peanut Butter & Jelly

Favorite Fruit:  Honeydew

Favorite Song: A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track

Favorite Toy: Cars & Pick-ups

Favorite Show: Dinosaur Train 

Favorite thing to do with Dad: Play cars & trains

Favorite thing to do with Mom: Go to the railroad

He speaks in long sentences.  He knows Dinosaurs are extinct and he can identify and name a few.  He says "please" and "thank you," usually without being reminded.  He's polite and generous; he loves to give hugs and kisses.  He likes to boss his sister around.  He's almost mastered the potty.  He likes to play mechanic shop with his tricycles (which he pronounces "trike-a-cyle.").  He reminds me often that he "belongs to his dad."  He likes to go to the park and to the library and to the grocery store.  When I take my walk, he likes to get out of the stroller and run ahead of me.  He loves the water - bath, shower, lake, pool.  He asks for "healing kisses" and "healing lotion" when he gets a bump.  He loves books.  He likes to dance and he can quote parts of the movie Madagascar, which is wildly amusing.  When he plays, he's started changing his voice for different characters (if two cars are talking to each other, they have different voices.).  He's always asking what kind of cars we see (Ford, Chevy, Honda...) and he wants to know what every semi-truck is hauling and where they're going.  He loves to be outside.  His chore is to take the compost out to the bin, which he does happily and carefully; he also likes to help with the dishes.  If Abby has a chore to do, Finn wants to do it, too.  He doesn't like loud noises and if something is scary to him, he immediately covers his ears.  He loves to play play-dough and has recently discovered superheros (mostly Iron Man) and Uriah's old Transformers.  He tells me I'm pretty and he loves to help me cook in the kitchen.  

I have mixed emotions about this birthday.  Time is going so much quicker that I ever anticipated, and I knew it was going to go fast.  But this fast?  I count my blessings every day that we are together - me and this boy who made me a mom.  I am happiest when he is close by.  I love his independence.  I look forward to this next year of learning and growing and changing.

Happy 3rd Birthday to my Sweet Darling Lovey.

You are my sunshine.

Finn's Second Birthday here | Finn's First Birthday here | Finn's First Birthday Party here and here | Things I learned about pregnancy here and being a new mom here.