lady cordelia

a weekend of bagels, baseball and brevity.

Homemade bagels from this wonderful baking book that I use a lot.

Homemade tomato sauce from this awesome blog that has inspired me (and countless others) beyond measure over the years.  (More about that another time, perhaps?)  And: yes the jars are empty because the tomato sauce is cooking.  Ok?  Use your powers of imagination to see the tomato sauce in the jars and you just saved me (and yourself) from yet another digital photo.

Homemade ball player who cracked her bat with a hit right after this shot was taken.  Wow. 

Oh, and guess what!? My kids are so very, very, very brilliant and artistic and funny and warm and generally delightful.  Ohhhhh...I know it's a little immodest, or show-offy, or something, to mention such things.  But, come on, don't all parents feel like that (most times) about their kids?  I would hope so.

A 5-year-old (girl) who hit the ball so hard and spot on she cracked the bat?  A little three-year-old outfielder yelling "I got it, I got it!" Brilliant. I tell you.  Sheer Brilliance.  I would love to say they got this sports "edge" from me, but not so.  When I filled out my high school application and it asked what sports I participated in I wrote in the large space provided: "I hate all sports." 

Another neato thing this weekend was: frozen watermelon spears which I didn't take a photo of cause I'm PMSish and therefore fully and totally flawed. (I'm actually somewhat flawed without the PMS but the flaws just don't bother me as much.)

My kids have no flaws and I have at least several on a very good day.  That is how I see it.  I am very honest here.  You can always expect that from me.  Isn't that nice to know?

As far as the "brevity" in this post goes.  I guess I missed the mark.  Trying to be more succinct in these August Break posts.   Failing.  See!  A flaw.

linking with Amanda for Weekending and....

 

the joy moments of eating with the seasons

Here are some "Joy Moments" of the week:

lil' farmers.

happy ducks are good producers.
do you like fresh duck egg omletes with....

fresh herbs?

or how about some pizza with homemade whole wheat crust, garden tomoates and basil?
EYY-YO! (That's my Italian soundeffect. Say it in an Italian accent and you'll see what I mean.)
I'm still working on throwing the pizza dough up in the air.  I'll get there.

linking this yumminess with soulemama and joy pockets today.

Have a delicous weekend.

 

 

I like you.

I like you duck egg.

I like you little thrift-store baskets.

I like you completed (and funky) knitting project done with very cheap yarn.

 
I like you new Kitchen Aid Mixer.  You are so cool especially because when I could finally afford you, my mama went and bought you for me.  Sigh.  I love my mama.   I like you art class that I take with my kids and  just started yesterday.  (Eventually when I complete the sketch I will transfer it onto canvas and paint.  Yes.  I like chickens.)

I like you book  that I just finished.

I like you Amanda Lindhout who I caught on the news last night and I thank you for devoting your life to helping feed the world. 

I thank you for reading my blog.

I like you.

  

today I am joining yarn along and...

 

 

A Weekend of Letting

This weekend was about letting things be easy.
Raji was allowed on my bed.
He would rather be on my bed than eating duck poo or leftover steak. 
This is saying something.
So, sometimes, I give in.
(Only in the morning when I know he hasn't crossed paths with the ducks yet.)

I was so tired on Saturday.  I had to let go.  I could do nothing.  This is not normal for me.  I was so deeply tired I thought I might be quite ill.  Seriosuly ill. (And no I am not pregnant my husband ran -not walked- to get snipped as soon as baby #2 was halfway out.) 

Anyway: I tried to encourage the girls to leave me alone for a nap. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  I know.  That is just pure humour.  I'm funny that way.  Always here for your amusement.  But I really did try to get them to leave me alone.  I was desperate.

Three-year-old came in my room as I rested in bed.

Kid: Hi Mama!
Me: Hi honey.  Mama's real tired.  Can you go play in your playroom for a little bit and let Mama rest?
Kid: Ok.
she leaves room.

five minutes later.
Kid: Hi Mama!
Me: You can stay here only if you lie down and rest with me.  You have to be quiet and not talk.
Kid: Ok.
Climbs on bed.
It is quiet for 1.5 seconds.  (Not 15 seconds, mind you.  1.5.)
Kid: Mama!!!  Guess what! Chloe LOST her puppy.  She doesn't know where it IS.  I know where my puppy is.  IputhiminthecartandItookhimtothestorecauseIknowhelikestogotothestore. MY puppy does.  He likes that.  My puppy does.  Cause.  Well.  He. He. He likes dog bones. Ya.
Me: That's great.  Can you go play puppies with Chloe now?
Kid: No. Chloe LOST her puppy.  She doesn't know where it IS...
Me: (interupting) ya, ya.  Ok. 
Kid: Mama.  I love you.  You are the best mama in the whole world.  I never want another mama. I'm thirsty.
Me: Thanks hon.  I love you too.  Ok.  Let's get you something to drink.

And I'm out of bed.
Life with a 3-year-old.
Today I overheard her say: Chloe, you and I's can share it!
This makes even a very tired mama chuckle. 
This is what keeps mama going.
You and I's.
Gosh darn it. 
I love that.

Today, Sunday, was much better. 
(All about that tomorrow.)

joining Amanda for Weekending and....

 

Joy Moments

A sweet Summer moment to save and remember.
(Linking with Soulemama for This Moment.)

And thank you Tracey for letting me know I can post more than one pic during August Break. I hope you're right.  And thank you MJ for making me feel like I can stretch the boundaries of blogging.

In that case, I'll link with Monica for Joy Pockets:

This is most surely a Joy Pocket.

A nice man with a nice margarita.  Joooooooyyyyy.

Straight-up chocolate chip cookie dough. Nothin' fancy or gourmet about it.
Get. Real. It. Rocks.
Bake.  Freeze. Feed cranky kids frozen cookies on 95 degree day.
Joy Pocket.  Big time.

And here's another little Joy Pocket for the week.   ( Oh gosh.  Ain't she though?) 

Have a wonderful Summer weekend with lots of sweetness (and maybe a little salt.  If you like that kind of thing.)

Deep Summer

*I decided to join in the fun and try out "August Break" for the rest of the month.  The purpose of the break is to take a little pressure off the expectations of blogging by focusing on just one photo a day.  With words or without words.   I was going to pass on The Break because I often like to use more than one photo per blog entry and babble on and on and on.  But, then I started to think it might be kind of cool to focus around only one photo per entry- maybe it will actually end up being a little bit of a challenge to me.  And that's never a bad thing where creativity is concerned. *

I'm kicking my August Break off with a photo that really says "deep summer" to me.  These days we are into sprinklers, swimming lessons, smoothies, the water park by the lake.  These 90 degree days won't last, so might as well dive in now and take August for all it is worth.  (Look close in this picture and you'll see naked Barbie flying through the air.  Now THAT looks fun.)