S-P-E-L-L

This week introduced our family to the wondrous world of The Spelling Bee. I thought it would be fun (or at the least, interesting) to register the girls for this right of passage in the world of the elementary-school-aged-child.

So I did.

And then I thought, (approximately 5 seconds after hitting the send button on the registration form), that perhaps I may have gotten myself into more than I could handle. Maybe. What did I know about studying for a Spelling Bee?

The school sent us the lists from which we were supposed to study. 400 words for them to be "very familiar" with. (Oh my.) First through Fourth grade level words. Words that ranged from "red", "many", and "can" all the way to "wordiness", "receive", and "disassociate".

I loaded the words on the handy-dandy spelling practice site we favor, and let them go at it. 7 lists they worked through on a daily basis. 7 lists filled with words that they knew well, and those they'd never heard of.  For 4 weeks they practiced. We practiced. I double checked that they were completing their on-line practice. We spent hours in "mock" Spelling Bee run-throughs.

Say the word. Spell the word, (SLOWLY). Say the word.
Say the word. Spell the word, (SLOWLY). Say the word.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

As the big day drew near this past week, they were all spelled out, and I had grown weary of forcibly turning every moment into a Spelling Moment around our house. We were f-r-i-e-d. Collectively.

It was with absolutely no expectations that I entered the Bee that day. We signed in and took 3 seats in the front row. Me in the middle; the girls on either side. "Just have fun, sweetie," I encouraged them, answering their questions of worry with smiles.

"But mom, I think all these kids look like better spellers than me," Ashlyn fretted, snuggling deeper into the side-hug she'd burrowed into.

"I think everyone looks excited to be here, sweetie," I soothed, trying to calm. "I think you all look ready to go up there and have fun and spell some words." She nodded; unsure.

On my other side, Caedance looked equally daunted, but ready to go. Get it started. Get it over with.

The Bee got underway and I sent my littlest angels up to do their best. Whatever that would be. I was unsure how they would handle the pressure of being up there, in front of everyone. Unsure if they'd be able to spell the word they were given. Unsure if they'd be still. Be quiet. Stay in line. All the worries that come with first experiences of anything.

I just wanted them to have fun.

I didn't realize I was figuratively "holding my breadth" until the end of the fourth round. They were still in there. Not out yet. They were confident. Clear in their spelling. They were standing in line. They were still.

They were smiling.

I exhaled and smiled too. They were on their own and loving it.

Caedance eventually went out by beginning the word "Last" with an "A". She caught herself right away...more meaning that "A" to be like a filler..."umm". But rules are rules and she was out. Even when being announced as Out, she smiled as she made her way to me.

"Oops!" she laughed as she took her seat.
"Oops," I agreed as I snuggled her close. "Good job, sweetness. I am so proud of you."
"Even though I made a mistake?"
"Oh yes," I held her closer, "Even so."
We continued watching the Bee.

Ashlyn soldiered on up there. Round after round. Until there were just two spellers left; Ashlyn and another little girl. Word after word these two spelled; round after round; another and then another.

And then she misspoke the "W" in "wordiness" as more like "ubYOU" and was out. She spelled it right, but was out for that mispronunciation. She sighed and sat down. Slightly annoyed, but (I think) happy with herself.

She came in second place.
Not too shabby for a first time out, I think.

They each got ribbons for their accomplishments. And a My Little Pony from me.

They had worked hard. And did better than I could have hoped. And they had fun.

And they're already asking about when next year's Spelling Bee is. :)

The Raindrop In The Deluge

You know that old saying, "When it rains it pours"? Have you ever wondered why it seems to only apply to mildly to excessively stressful situations and not to happy and exciting things?

You just never hear anyone saying, "Boy oh boy, I just got a new job that pays 10 times my old salary. And guess what? Yesterday I got a phone call that said all my student loans were forgiven. I know right? And then today...TODAY...I won a brand new car."

Listen for it all you want, but generally these are not the sort of events you'll hear strung along under the tag line, "When It Rains It Pours". Though don't I wish they were.

We recently had a deluge of mechanical failures at our house. In the span of 3 short days, our van (our dear family truckster) broke; our microwave caught on fire and expired on us; and our dishwasher decided (mid wash) it could no longer go on. 3 days: 3 separate events.

It started to feel as though our house had caught some appliance/machine disabling disease and everything was at risk. It also felt like we would be better served standing with our wallets open so all the money could fall out.

When it rains, it pours.

But there are bright sides in even the nastiest of storms, aren't there? Moments to be had. Memories to be made. Lessons to be learned. If only you look closely enough. Right? If only you can see each raindrop for what it can be, rather than what it seems like it is.

As we debated the cost and wisdom of getting our van fixed versus replacing it with a New To You sort of vehicle, I realized how much that old red thing meant to me after all; how many memories I have tied to it. It's the vehicle I drove while pregnant. It's the one that rushed me to the hospital in preterm labor. And it brought my babies home safely for that first time. Though it may be categorized as "Just A Car", that great Red Barron in the garage spans the Before & After in our "Family" memories: from picking up cribs, lugging home baby shower gifts, and hauling one tired pregnant lady from one doctor appointment to another; all the way to that first drive home with them---with all those nervous glances in the baby mirror, and that first family vacation, and onwards to today. I didn't appreciate how much that all meant to me, silly though it may seem, until we had to look at perhaps moving on. I can't tell you how happy I was to be able to get it fixed in the hopes of driving it around until it just falls apart.

And the glimmer of happiness in the failure of my kitchen appliances is two fold. Firstly, (and I mean...really, now), who doesn't want new appliances? Shiny and new with scores of buttons with unknown purposes, just waiting to be discovered. (And if you happen to decide to begin the switch over from black to stainless steel, that's all the better, right?) Another lesson gained from my 4 days minus a microwave and 7 days without the dishwasher is that Dan is no danger of my up and deciding to go Pioneer Gal on him. Nope; he can cross that right off his list of worries. Turns out, I'm a modern girl with an extreme love for modern conveniences. (Secretly, I've always suspected this to be the case, but at least now I have the data to back it up).

For the moment we're settled with the new shiny things in the kitchen and the well-running thing out in the garage. The calm between the rainstorms, you might say. And not that I'm asking for it to happen or anything, but if my refrigerator keeps acting up, I think the lesson there might be that a stainless steel fridge with water & ice through the door is the right thing for a happy kitchen. (I'm just saying).

Thinking Thankfully

Another Thanksgiving is rounding the corner once more, giving us all another chance to be still for a moment and reflect. To think. To thank. Together.

At our house, as I've already mentioned, Turkey Tom shares real estate with Saint Nick and manger scenes, but we appreciate him nonetheless.

This thoughtfulness in mind, I asked the girls today what they were thankful for.

Caedance is thankful for our dinners--be they large or small, well planned out and presented with care, or thrown somewhat haphazardly on the plate a la Hectic Mom, whether eaten at the table with family, or picnic style on the floor with a family movie. She's thankful for them. She appreciates them, and is aware that not every one has the blessing of knowing a meal is coming every evening.

"I'm actually quite thankful for what we have for dinner every night, Mother. I feel bad for those who don't have that."

I love her heart.

Last week we visited a local food bank and took a tour around the huge facility, hearing about their programs and how they help our community every day of the year. Both girls are eager to volunteer and do what they can to help out.

Ashlyn is thankful for her family. "I love the fun we have together, Mama. I love that you all take care of me and make sure I'm okay. I love that you love me. I love you."

Did you read that first line? She has fun when we're together. All of us. The weight of those words is precious to me. How many times have I been tempted to get a few more loads of laundry folded, or wash some more dishes, or put some stuff away, rather than sit and be engaged in whatever activity we were doing? The pull of those Adult Responsibilities can be strong and hard to ignore; there is always something else that needs to be done. Urgently. But I try, I really do, to stay those whispers of work left undone to just sit in the moment and be with my family. Playing  game. Watching a movie. Reading a book. Talking. I try to be part of whatever present we are in rather than bowing out to my To Do list.

And she sees that. They both see that. That sentence is proof that my children see this sacrifice, this giving of my undivided time and appreciate it. And they have FUN when we're together.

I love that. Very much.

As for me, well, I'm thankful for each of them. Their differences make them as unique as their similarities do. I have been blessed by the good days of raising and schooling them, and the tough days as well. There is always something to learn when you're around kids all day. They are a mirror held up to my face, pointing out my own strengths and weaknesses and giving me an opportunity to either grow and flourish, or stay the same and wither.

This may seem cliche', but they make me a better person in every way imaginable.

And I am thankful for that too.

Early Christmas

Today I come to this post with a Cyber Declaration of sorts. Here it goes:

It's November 9th and I already have Christmas decorations up. What's more is...I am proud to say it. And once and for all I shall declare it loudly: I Decorate Early For Christmas. So take that.

For years I've hid my early-Christmas glee in the shadows, decorating only the back part of our house so that no one driving by our house could possibly spy the merry twinkle of multi-color lights coming from the family room. It was just our little (dirty) secret. No one need ever know.

But the simple fact of the matter is, come November 1st, I'm ready to give orange and black the old heave-ho, ready to unroll the holly and deck the halls.

Now I know you might be chastising me about rushing through Thanksgiving and all that, but let me tell you right up front that, in my mind, these two holidays go together perfectly. Hand in hand.

Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate our blessings; to gather with family and friends and cherish the memories we've shared in the past, while building new ones for the future. It's a day set aside to just enjoy what you have and not worry about the rest of it. For one whole day.

Here's the thing, for me that defines Christmas too. Only it's not just a day---a set of 24 hours. It's an entire Season to reflect on blessings and family and friends. A time to be grateful. Forgiving. Kind.

For all the materialism that Christmas has gathered around it throughout the years, the commercialism that vies greedily for the spotlight rather than sharing it with a silhouette of a simple manager, I still find it to be a time of being thankful.

Honestly, come All-Saints Day, I'm ready for a change in pace and attitude, aren't you? I'm ready to think candy canes and reindeer; twinkle lights and evergreens. Songs that sing of peace and love, of kindness and generosity, of hope and truth, just have a way of uniting us all amidst our differences. For this one time of the year, it seems, people are okay with the things that set us apart. It's like we can all agree to disagree and be together as mankind.

I like that.

And sometimes it seems a long trek from one December to another, doesn't it?

Maybe this is just my personal view but around our house, we're not exchanging Tom Turkey for mangers and St. Nick; they're getting along just fine together, thank you very much.

And for that I am very thankful.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

In a previous post, I declared that making soup was like filling your home with sunshine and rainbows. And making homemade rolls to go with that soup was like inviting unicorns to the party.

Want to invite the unicorns over for a playdate?

Here's a recipe that lures them right on in.

I've been making these rolls for so long that I've memorized the recipe. Which is saying something since memorizing any sort of bread recipe can be tricky, and perhaps a bit fool hardy.

But there it is.

I got this recipe from a bread machine cookbook by Donna R. German. They're consistently perfect--just the right texture with a subtle sweetness that doesn't overpower whatever you're serving them with.

Perfect with soup.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp yeast

Put all ingredients into pan according to your manufacturer's directions. For mine, that means adding all the liquids first. Select dough cycle--on my machine that is 1 1/2 hours. After the cycle completes, divide dough into 9-10 parts; shape into balls. Place each ball into a greased muffin cup. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise until doubled--30 min. to 1 hour. (If you set your oven to 170 you can proof your rolls faster). When doubled, you can bake as is or brush the tops with egg white and sprinkle with coarse salt. Yum.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Watch for over browning after 10 minutes--you may need to put a piece of foil on them.

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

Okay, so here's the solid truth: I am a soup junkie. I am. Really.
I celebrate the stuff in all its various forms and presentations. And the only thing more intoxicating than eating it is making it.

Especially on a cold, wet, gray day.

Making a pot of something that involves the magical word "Simmer" is like harvesting sunshine and filling your house with rainbows. Add homemade rolls and that's like inviting unicorns to the party.

But I digress.

A favorite of ours around this time of year is a super easy to throw together one. Chicken Mulligatawny. Even the name sounds fun, don't you think? I like the way it rolls off the tongue....mulligatawny.

Here is the recipe for this great soup that even my picky eater children l-o-v-e.

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 green peppers (or red & yellow too), chopped

1 large tart apple, cubed

1/4 cup flour

1 cup cooked rice

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

2 whole cloves

1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

2 TBS dried parsley

black pepper

2 cups milk

In a soup pot, saute onion, carrots, celery, peppers, and apple in butter until onions are translucent. Add flour, stir till well mixed. Stir in tomatoes, rice, curry powder, cloves, tomatoes, sugar, broth, salts, and parsley. Stir well. bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Stir in milk, simmer on low to reheat.

This soup is great the next day, (as most soups are), so leftovers are a bonus. It also freezes really well. I've been known to make a double batch and freeze part of it for another gray day when I'm in a hurry and need to have dinner made like 15 minutes ago. You know those days.

Enjoy!



Loved Beyond Limits: Happy Birthday, Girls.

This week holds a very special day for our family; the anniversary of the day we became parents. (Otherwise known as The Girls' Birthday).

They'll be 8 this year and I find myself, as ever and always, both amazed and positively alarmed at how quickly time has passed. What happens upon the birth of a child that suddenly negates all rules of time and space? How can time go at once so incredibly fast, and yet completely slow in other respects?

I just don't get it.

I seem to be viewing this annual celebration in a different light as the Birthday Girls.

They are excited for the honor of turning 8; ready for the upping of that age-identification. Ready to truly be Eight Year Olds. Growing up.

As for me, well, I'm just trying to figure out where exactly the last 7 years have gone. How is it possible that I have the clearest memories of bringing them home; caring for their preemie selves; of being eye dryingly, mind numbingly tired...as if it was just yesterday. Yesterday. Not 7 years ago.

How does that happen, I ask you?

In any event, we will celebrate this year's upping of the age in grand style; A Build A Bear party. There will be friends. There will be family. There will be giggles and fun.

And there will be two newly minted 8 year olds as well.

Happy Birthday, Ash & Cae.
You are both rare and sparkling gems whose beauty and lies both inside and out. Your kind hearts, caring minds, and loving smiles brighten my days and bring such joy to our lives. Thank you for blessing us with your indefinable essences. You are loved beyond measure, adored beyond words, and loved without limits.