The Soccer Game

The Saturday before Mother's Day Cetty had a stomach bug. The poor thing threw up all day until nothing came out and then threw up some more.

It was so bad that she hardly stood up that whole day, even though we were at one of her favorite places, Bry's mom and dad's house. At one point she fell asleep with her blanket on the cold tile floor. 

On Sunday she still had a fever so I stayed home from church and was tempted to feel sorry for myself, especially since I recall the girls being very sick last year on Mother's Day. It's like they were doing it on purpose or something. 

But then after church Bry took a shift so Poppy and I could go to my mom and dad's where my entire family was. And this happened…

Uncles and cousins, big and little, playing soccer together in the spring grass while the sun set. It was one of the most peaceful, breathtaking evenings. The kind that makes you realize how thankful you should be. 

Look, I Cooked a Real Dinner

First off, I love good food, and I even enjoy making it from time to time. But when our schedule gets busy (or I get lazy and bored), I find myself reverting back to simple pastas, stir frys, and maybe even the occasional pan of scrambled eggs. Whatever I can whip up in under a half hour. 

There was one day, however, that I spotted a bowl of unidentified something in the back of the refrigerator and realized that it was chicken stock…real, homemade chicken stock. Note: This was my first and probably last time making homemade chicken stock. Mostly because I never buy whole chickens, or really meat of any kind. And of course after all that effort I had forgotten completely about it. 

So, I decided to make soup and then also decided to use up the various other things in the kitchen that would soon be reaching their expiration date. I realize that doesn't sound very appetizing, but it worked out and no one got sick. Another side note: I do realize menu planning is economical and efficient, but there's something about me that likes the challenge of opening the refrigerator and creating a meal on the spot with the random ingredients I find there. I mean, the rush is basically like being on Chopped or Top Chef.

Anyway, I ended up with a hearty vegetable soup that included black beluga lentils, a favorite high-protein ingredient of mine. It was abnormally flavorful and I now realize why people use homemade chicken stock. Maybe I will make it again sometime.

I also had a butternut squash that had been hiding in the cupboard for a couple of months. It seemed a little dry inside after scooping out the seeds but OK. So I baked it until it was soft, mashed it, and combined it with roasted onions and brussels sprouts (another favorite ingredient) glazed in balsamic vinegar and topped everything with cranberries. That was pretty delicious too.

I'd say the meal took me a good hour and a half to make. Unfortunately, Bry ended up working late so I ate by myself at the kitchen counter before leaving for Bible study and by the time Bry was home the butternut squash/brussels sprout dish was no longer warm, and I don't recall any words of praise from him later about the meal. Kind of demotivating for the "making great dinners" cause.

I continued to persevere however, and a couple of nights ago ended up with another new meal that I was happy with. A revamped (and healthier) version of fish and chips. I cut parsnips to look like french fries and roasted them with olive oil and minced fresh garlic. Poppy was convinced they really were french fries, even after I told her they were parsnips. The fish was nice mild cod that I baked and topped with a crazy, muddled fresh basil concoction. I actually got out the mortar and pestle for this experiment, so go ahead and be impressed.

So that's the latest excitement in the kitchen. I thought a little blog post might help encourage me to put that extra bit of effort and creativity into our food. Meals are a lot more fun that way. 

My Prima Ballerina (as well as thoughts on having a child in ballet class)

We just finished up fall and spring semesters of ballet class for Poppy. I have always loved ballet and even took a few classes in high school and college, so I was excited to see Poppy naturally drawn to it. Not that she's a prodigy or anything, she just really likes it. 

Her pediatrician was also happy to hear I had put her in classes because she thought it would help with balance (According to the doctor it may be a while before Poppy is ready to ride a bike…which may have been her way of telling us she may not be the athletic type). In addition to balance and poise, I've found ballet to be a good opportunity for her to work on focus, attention to detail, respecting authority, socialization, and following instructions. And of course it's a beautiful art form that also incorporates music and physical activity. So while I understand why some may be uncomfortable with the dance scene, I feel like there are a lot of things going for it. I will stick to ballet though versus less classical forms of dance like jazz or hip hop.

We'll be taking a break this summer for swimming lessons, VBS, etc., but I plan to start up again this fall. And next semester I'm going to try to be more intentional about getting to know and talking with the other moms. Though this is not something that's easy for me to do, I think the studio is a great environment to meet other women in the community. Does anyone else struggle with that, especially during the isolated, having babies years? 

Prepping for her first class in her mouse slippers because her ballet shoes hadn't arrived in the mail yet.

Her studio and adorable spring semester classmates...

 

To finish the spring semester there is a grand finale ballet recital, which is actually kind of a big deal. The studio offers classes for all ages and types of dance, so there was a lot of variety and some very talented dancers.

Personally though, I thought Poppy's class was far and away the best of them all (or at least the cutest).

Her teacher requested that the dancers wear lipstick and blush because as Poppy informed me, "The lights are so bright they will wash us out, and so the makeup is just to make us look normal."

So tiny in the halls of that big high school, yet at the same time seeming strangely grown up these days...

 And there she is, the little one in the back row (maybe a bit washed out) with arms and legs pointing just as long and straight as she can stretch them. She did a fantastic job. So serious and focused. Oh, and they danced to "Tale as Old as Time" from Beauty and the Beast, which is hands down the best fairy tale ever.

 Celebration hugs with daddy after the recital…and she may have even received a bouquet of pink flowers from this guy who is starting to think he'd be just fine with a family of girls, girls, and more girls.