Hello Tooth.

Do you see it?  Hidden in the darkest dark and wettest wet of caverns.  There is a solitary tooth. 
A bit hard to see in photos because the reflection off of the drool obscures the view.  Oh.  And the tongue.  Serious that tongue is everywhere at the same time.  We have a very Freudian Oral stage happening in Boise.  (riveting, right?)
Close your eyes and think of a slug leaving a slime trail where ever it goes. Do you see it?  That's Henry.  Totally Henry. 
So, betwixt the slime and the tongue, I fought the good fight trying to get a decent photo of The Tooth.  The number of photo close ups of Henry's mouth that I took is a wee bit embarrassing.  I mean if someone were to steal this computer and scroll through the recent photos they would be aghast at my collection of pictures of the lower half of Henry's face.  Seriously.  I need to delete some of these.

Lens on her world

Elliot had some fun with mama's camera the other day.  She was able to capture the couch, the living room, the side of my face, her foot, the couch piled with bills I set out to pay, her guitar and tool box (see the camera strap hanging across the photo, so cute),  my pants (multitasking: nursing Henry, knitting) and a door. 

She was so proud of herself.  As well she should be.  Gorgeous shots, babe. 

In other news, Izaak and I are suffering miserably from The.Worst.Head.Cold.Ever.  The little ones are unscathed from it surprisingly.  But let me tell you.  Being home alone with 2 kids and T.W.H.C.E is ridiculously hard.  Ack.  (Pity party invites are in the mail). 

Elliot was throwing a fit and instead of swooping in to nip it in the bud - I was like yah you go for it, girl.  I hear what your saying, This sucks, yell it out.

I had a fit with her vicariously.  Because - I know I'm the adult here -but I've been wanting to throw a fit all day 'cause my nose and my ears are plugged.  I think I am slowing suffocating.  And a fit would be so refreshing. Maybe, a bad mom moment but my face hurts and this totally sucks. 



Funny-ish websites to waste your time

Today's topic:  Facebook

Funny Status Updates.  I especially thought that the list of worst status updates reinforced why Izaak and I deactivated our accounts.  But then we did this blog thing- so we can't act too self righteous.

Antics and semantics

This is what happens when a love for Laura Ingalls morphs to all things Pioneer and then to cowboys.  And then when let's play cowboy-pioneer becomes let's play cowboy and hunt pirates.  An obvious evolution. 
 

swinging her lasso

And when a parent tries to de-violence-ify cowboys & pirates it is not very easy

Elliot:  Let's play cowboys and kill all the pirates (poised with toy 6-shooter, thanks Maia)
Izaak:  Well, let's not kill them, we can just disarm them. 
Elliot:  Okay we will hunt pirates and chop off their arms. 
(get it arm/disarm.  ha ha)

I cannot find the cord for the camera so that I can upload the treasure trove of photos on it.  I cannot find it anywhere.  My frustration is at maximum.  Where is that thing?  Just stupified where it could have gone.


Happy Monday

Emergency bean dip and hummus recipe

I mean should you ever have a need for emergency bean dip...this turned out nicely.  (No photos but it is tasty)

• in a food processor you will throw in say about 1/2 an onion, 1/2c salsa, 2 spoons of sour cream, a can of beans (3 cups, any kind, drained).  That is all estimates...easy to tweek to your specifications.  

Or, you could easy throw together some hummus.

• 1 can chickpeas (3 cups-ish, drained), 1-2 garlic cloves, 1/4+ olive oil, 2T lemon juice, 1-2 t cumin.  All this in the food processor (sometimes I splash in some H2O if the consistency needs to be creamier).

I make double hummus recipe and it is gone almost before I get the lid off the cuisinart. Just saying.

Urban Homesteading & Books to get & Pigs (mostly)

I get that urban homesteading is quite the trend now.  I totally want to get in on it.  But my landlord (izaak) won't let me keep chickens in the apartment (what?).  So, I must read voraciously until we move and have more space for all my new theoretical hobbies (beekeeping, chicken keeping, home brewing and well there is more but Izaak is already exhausted by this SO I don't mention anything else out loud)

Well.  Although I want to play city-lot-farmer...I hate the over use of the phrase urban homesteading.   Homesteading conjures up vision of Homestead Acts, Manifest Destinys, 160 Acres of land, Covered wagons, and cannibalism. (did I lose you with the cannibalism?).  It is a wee bit lame to then equate what American families did 150 years ago with city slickers wanting 3 chickens and a 4x8 raised veg bed.  Right?  Am I alone on this? 

Regardless (or irregardless, or without no regard.  Thanks mom) I recently read two books that I am putting out there as GOOD.  I think I have already talked JJ and Mariana into reading them...But why stop there?  let's spread then knowledge on how to butcher a pig that you raised on your own little city lot (CC&R be damned).  Both of these books are in the scrolly list of books on my sidebar.  Go look.  They are there.  I swear.  If you click on the scrolly book list you will go to Amazon. But Half.com is where I buy (fyi)

• The Backyard Homestead

AWESOME.  Nearly inspired me to get a pig.  Until Izaak reminded me that I am a vegetarian and raising a pig would be next to useless (but not entirely useless, like if I had a heart attack.)...and that in our 9 years of marriage we have purchased probably less than 10 pounds of pork meat for him. The book was exciting enough to make me forget all of that.

• Made From Scratch

a memoir about a lady who went from cubicle-rat to urban homesteader in a couple hundred pages.  Full of whoopsie mistakes and how-tos.  But nothing too deep.  BTW that reminds me.  When is something FULL vs being CHOKE FULL? Isn't full, just full?  I think full is like pregnant or dorky.  A thing is or isn't, without being a a spectrum, or partially.
Now what do you think about that?

And on this Valentines: Actions louder than words

To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.

Mohandas Gandhi

Finally! Pizza dough recipe

Well.  Here is the pizza dough recipe that I have teased about posting...but somehow have slacked about doing.  I am posting this this morning so that EVERYONE can make Friday Night Pizza Night TONIGHT!  Its all the rage.

Izaak uses 1 cookie sheet and 1 pampered chef stone. So, halve the recipe to make only one.

Traditional pizza dough
3 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
4 1/2 c flour (I like all Red Mill Whole Wheat pastry flour.  Izaak prefers 50/50 with white flour)
2 teaspoons salt
pinch of suga'
2 tables olive oil
*Yeast + 1/2 cup water in bowl.  stir to dissolve.   (set aside a few minutes)
*flour+salt+sugar.  Then add yeast mixture+olive oil+water (up to 1 cup but less if needed for right texture) once all combined...
*knead dough on lightly floured counter top until smooth and elastic (3 min?) Transfer to large bowl, spread a bit of oil on top of the dough- cover with cloth or plastic wrap to rise for 1 hour.  It should double.

Then roll it, pat it, spread your toppings, express your unique palette of tasty combinations...bake @425-450 until done 12-15 min.  I should think.

Optional enriched dough
same as above EXCEPT instead of 4 1/2 cup flour use:
4 cups flour
1/2 cup soy flour
3 Tables ground sesame seeds

Spiritual parenting

I am an expert on parenting (what?) so long as the topic does not deviate from diaper changing and teeth brushing.  In all other things the what is best to do gets fuzzy.
So, I read.
And hope for the best.
I am currently reading through a book Spiritual Parenting by Hugh and Gayle Prather. I did not get out of the first chapter before I read something that got me chewing and thinking.

All the we teach our kids by consistently trying to correct them in anger is that we believe deeply in anger as the most effective approach to difficulties.  Is that what we want to model?...Parents who get angry with their children and won't give them a birthday present...who go for hours or days refusing to speak...these parents must remember that it is not now, and never has been, our heavenly Parent's function to turn against us. Likewise, it is not the parents' function to turn against their child.  It is the child's function to turn against the parent - if that is what happens.  And very often adolescents appear to do just that, even as we have so often rejected a God who doesn't reject us.  (author's bold, pg 5)

While at home during the day with 2 little ones, I keep circling back to the thought that if I correct this issue/moment/episode with anger is that the most effective approach? Am I modeling anger as a tool for problem solving?   Not that a 3 year old does very much to warrant anger - but at the end of the day when feeling tired and under siege from all the preschoolness it is necessary to guard our selves.  As an extension, this could apply to how we treat our spouses.

Do we believe deeply that anger is the most effective approach to difficulties?
 

Words with Friends. Do I need to say more? But I will anyway.

Dear Izaak... I feel somewhat relieved that you are not the only words junkie out there.  But still.  It is a wee bit pathetic that you have talked to me about #2, #7 and #10. That I (an avid NONplayer) could read this list with complete understanding. That "QI is a real word" was a recent dinner conversation starter (though not a real word according to spellcheck btw).   That there is a group of people like you out there?!  Shocking.  I find it all very shocking.   

With much ado I link you to:

Eleven signs you might be addicted to Words With Friends

 

happy birthday Grandma DebDeb!!!

Elliot wants to know where you are having your party...

What wiggles and drools and is cuteness all over? 

Need a hint?

 

This little guy.  All of 5 months old already.  I don't believe it.  He is playing so happily with his toys....and then suddenly spies his mama taking pictures.

  

Flap flap flap.  The camera cannot keep up with his flapping and waving antics.  

 

 Look out mama, not paying any attention.  Henry grabs at the camera strap and pulls it down...going for a snack attack.