This Moment

Playing along with Amanda today... in her words: 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Through the Lens(es) of these Children

It might have been noted in previous posts that Henry had a little creative influence in the photo cache the last time I went through Audrey's camera. He's also pirated my phone's camera a few times. It wasn't hard to see that he needed his own means of capturing his own moments, in his own time. So when his birthday rolled around, voila - his very own camera.

Fast forward a month, and it's already time to make more room on his device... he's done filled it up! So, what has he been up to lately? Well...

Not to be outdone, of course, Sister had to have her photos dumped too...

It seems like Audrey has transitioned to videos these days, as most of her camera space was taken up by 5-10 second shots of the floor with ambient background conversations. And just like Sister when she first got her camera, most of Bubba's photos were of the same thing multiple, multiple times, or so out of focus all that could be seen was fuzziness.

No matter how odd, indecipherable, or blurry the stuff is that comes off their devices, however, it's always viewed with eagerness by those of us who can't help but be enthralled by these little glimpses into their worlds... and little glimpses will probably be what I seek as a parent forever more. How lucky I am that at this stage, they can so easily be acquired!

Our Happy Place and a Flatbread Recipe

Sun. Wind. Sand. Killer farmers' tans.

Hundreds and hundreds of black and orange stinkbugs. Weeds. Fire ants.

The watchful eyes and cheeps of our girls in their coop, waiting for bugs and lambs quarters.

Our garden is our happy place, and yesterday we spent all day out there. We pulled weeds, we hunted beetles for a "swim" in soapy water, we tied up our taller-over-night tomatoes, we marveled at our giant pumpkin and tried to influence it to sprawl away from said tomatoes.

We even let a chickie out, to roam the paths under the watchful eyes of the Chicken Friend.

By the end of the day we were sweaty and hot, and getting into the kitchen to fire up Scarlet and crank out a hot meal didn't sound very appealing. However, we did have leftover grilled chicken, we did have baby greens and tender herbs from the earliest garden sprouts, and we did have the basic stuff for our trusty, favorite flatbread recipe- eureka.

Easy, Basic Flatbread

Makes 6-10, depending on how big you want them

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup warm/hot water 

1 tsp sea salt

1 TBS good olive oil

In a medium-sized bowl combine flours, salt, and oil. While stirring, slowly trickle in warmish-hot water until
firm dough forms (you may or may not need the entire 1/2 cup). Allow dough to rest for ~20 minutes.

After dough has rested, pinch off about golf ball sized lumps and roll to about the thickness of a tortilla on a
floured surface. Grill on a hot, dry griddle or frying pan until dough puffs up and toasts in spots.

Keep flatbread warm and moist in a clean towel. Leftover
flatbread makes awesome "pita" chips if you cut into
wedges, toss in a little olive oil, and bake for ~20-30 mins in a
250-degree oven.

We filled our flatbread with chicken salad made from our leftovers and greens, and had a few boiled new potatoes on the side, tossed in fresh dill with a little butter and olive oil. It was a simple dinner that didn't heat up the house and took just a little over 30 minutes to prepare- things we love in an almost-summertime supper.

Aaaaaaand then we were right back out in the garden, this time with the hose, and I didn't mind at all that we missed bath and bed time by almost an hour. How could I, when our happy place makes us all so... well, happy?

Our Weekend :: Right Now

Our weekend saw...

...gymnastics cancelled, Mama and Daddy sleeping in until almost 8am, happy kiddos at breakfast, and a long ride in the trailer behind the lawnmower.
...a visit from Grammy and Gramps.
...the burning of the latest- giant- brush pile (in small batches), two meals cooked over the coals, lots of sunblock, s'mores, and cold margaritas.
...time spent indoors in the cool of the air conditioning, the first major garden wilt from temps reaching over 90, and multiple batches of iced tea.
...happy, happy kiddos almost all weekend long.

Right now, I'm looking back on our weekend and focusing on all that made it good. This is what I choose to bring with me into the start of the new week, this is what I want lingering into these kickoff days as the business we resume starts tying my stomach back into knots. Being an adult isn't always fun and games, right? But at least there are moments that give all the un-fun stuff a little perspective.

So as we all go back at it today, may we keep with us a little perspective.

Happy Monday.

"Don't You Need to Take My Picture?"

This kid.

Last night, while the bath tub was filling and Sister was running around, this kid told me that when he was a grown-up he used to drive Daddy's truck, but now he's a kid and he has to let Daddy drive it. Then he climbed up on the potty, gave me a look that was half Elvis, half deep contemplation, and said, "Mama, don't you need to take my picture?"

While he was on the potty.

And then he waited, thoughtful Elvis with drawers around his ankles, for me to get my camera.

Oh, Bubba, when you get on to me right around your high school graduation for having all these delightful pictures of you, let the record show that you asked me to take them (well, most of them... this one for sure).

How many more moments will I get like this- the innocence, the contentment, the openness? Never mind if they cause a bit of a blush in later years, those rosy cheeks will be well worth it if these moments can be saved, in some form, so that they're never forgotten.

And so, I grab my camera. I make little notes. I happily log these fleeting days, and I tell myself not to let too many slip by without notice... and I quietly wish that if ever I come close to missing something important, I'll be reminded with, "Mama, don't you need to take my picture?"

This Moment

Playing along with Amanda today... in her words: 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

May Day 2014

Here's a branch of snowy May,

A branch the fairies gave me.

Who would like to dance today

With the branch the fairies gave me?

Dance away, dance away,

Holding high the branch of May.

Dance away, dance away,

Holding high the branch of May.

Plant your herbs, weave your baskets, press your flowers, sip your mead and mix up your crullers or sponge cakes, May is here! And however you celebrate it- with a nod to Beltane, Flora, or Persephone herself- there's no going back now... winter is gone and those long, warm, busy days of spring and summer are upon us once again!

Happy May Day!

See our previous May Day celebrations: 2013, 2012.