Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 2008 has been a special year for us, especially with the addition of this (little?) guy to our family! He will be 3 months old on New Years Day and he makes us so happy. There are so many good memories and things to remember about this year but now it is time to look ahead to 2009 and make more memories. A few new things come to mind for the coming year. Greta starting pre-school and taking more gymnastics, Fieldin learning to crawl and walk, visiting friends on the east coast this spring, Jeff taking the put-put fishing boat out to teach the kids to fish.... I am already excited about 2009. Have a wonderful and safe time saying good-bye to 2008 tonight.

The Poor Oat is Under Rated

I like oatmeal. I really do. I find it comforting. I think oatmeal gets a bad rap most of the time. There were a few years in my mid-twenties when I would not eat an oat unless it was in a cookie. This was my cheap frozen pizza and take-out phase of life that I hope not to revisit along with puberty. At some point between then and now, oats found their way back into my pantry and an old love was rekindled. Even Miss Greta shares my love of oatmeal. For a girl that calls kalamata olives and mushrooms her favorite foods, it's no surprise to me that she would find oats appealing. Here is our favorite oatmeal recipe.

I start with Irish oats. Add them to boiling water. Drop to low heat and cover for 5-7 minutes. Then I steam in frozen marion berries, blueberries and black raspberries(I never knew these existed until recently). We like to add a side of apple for a little crunch.

It's also good with just frozen strawberries or blueberries. If you are still gagging at this point and vowing never to eat oatmeal again add some maple syrup to make it a little sweeter. If you really hate oatmeal you may need to add ALOT of maple syrup at first and slowly wean yourself off of the stuff. It worked for Jeff.

What Happened to Little Greta?

my little lady, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

So today was one of those days when I look down at Miss Greta and realize that she has turned into the most amazing young lady. Here are just a few things that I love about Greta right now at 3 1/2:

She is so nice to her little brother(except when he drools on her), I love watching her draw and write, she comes up with the greatest stories about anything from lightbulbs to flowerpots, her lyrics to the tunes of age old Christmas songs can't be beat, she is a better baker than me, she loves skirts and rain boots even more than her momma, she has good manners, She critiques my hair...wait, I don't love that, She is my buddy, she laughs at my jokes (knock knock-who's there? Water. Water who? Water you doing? yes I know, she puts up with alot), She loves playing with cars while wearing a tiara and last but not least ,I love that she's my Greta.

Snowed In

snowed in, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

We have unburied ourselves just in time for another storm to grace us with MORE snow. I love snow but I have one request. Hey, mother nature, this time send some good packing snow for snowmen and snowball throwing. We are up to our necks(well almost) with the fluffy stuff which would be great if we lived on a ski slope...but we don't.

I want this in my size

Gretas art, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

Miss Greta drew the most wonderful picture titled "Baby Astronaut and Earth". The moment I saw it, I knew it was meant to be on a onesie for Fieldin. I dropped all my projects and got busy embroidering. I find this picture very fitting since Fieldins world revolves around his big sister right now. He thinks she's the coolest (so do I little buddy).

No Coal Here

Well, Santa did good. The kids are very happy so we are very happy. We are still buried in snow and didn't get to go on our yearly Christmas hike, but we did get to play, sled and make some snow angels. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Snow Falling

Snow Falling, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

I knew I said I wouldn't be posting but wanted to share this shot I took of falling snow. This was taken from inside our house and took a little patience on my part but I am so happy with the outcome.
Just got done watching White Christmas. Love that old movie, it doesn't seem like the holidays without watching it once. If only I could look so elegant riding in a train car singing about snow.....

The Longest Day of The Year

Yes...That would be December 24th. When you think the anticipation of opening those presents under the tree is going to kill you. Luckily it doesn't. Ask any child, or an adult who is child in heart( Trust me, I know where each of my presents are under our tree this year) and they will all tell you that Christmas Eve is without a doubt, the looooongest day of the year.
So I will be back on December 25th with some pictures and stories. The next couple days I am at Gretas disposal for Operation Bribe Santa, meal preparation to do for our Orphans & Castaways Christmas day dinner ( I really do hope our friends make it home to their families despite this weather but will be So happy to have the ones that can't celebrate the day with us)and to finish up holiday art projects and enjoy this time. Merry Christmas to All and I hope Santa brings you what you wished for. Much Love.

Babbitt Bliss

joy, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

The one thing I always look forward to after a morning of sledding is knowing that I will be drinking a mug of hot cocoa very soon. Thought I would share our Babbitt bliss recipe with you. Let me know how you make your cocoa extra special!

I don't measure ingreds so bare with me..
cocoa powder
milk
pure vanilla
cook on medium heat. Then top with whipping cream and pure sugar peppermint sticks. We like Bob's Olde Timey peppermint candy sticks. They melt in the cocoa and in your mouth. So lovely!

Snow Flakes falling on Fieldin

Snow Flakes falling on Fieldin, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

Fieldins first time in the snow. He loved it. He only was able to stay out for a short time but he loved the snowflakes falling on him. Then he got to go inside and watch daddy and sister speed sled down the street which he very much liked.

I Am Very Cold....

It is cold.. It is wearing armwarmers in the house cold. It was -3 when we ran out to get some groceries. This very long cold streak made me have to dig deeper in our winter bin for reinforcements. This is where the Foxy lady hat comes in. My parents/sister probably don't even remember this hat(correct me if I am mistaken). This great hat was a gift from my sweet grandpa who passed away when I was seven. It happened in December. I am not one to hold on to "things" for sentimental reasons but I can't part with this hat. I told Greta where my hat came from and this conversation followed:
Me: This was from my grandpa who is in heaven. I miss him.
Greta: My grandpa is a long drive away too. I miss him too.
Greta: Does your grandpa have cheez-its?
Me: (big laugh) probably, I am sure heaven has lots of cheez-its. (or it wouldn't be heaven)

The holidays are always a good time to remember those that have passed or that we don't see as much as we would like. Be extra thankful for those people in your life. I sure am.......

Cookies = Presents

We stayed up way past our bedtimes. Luckily, sleepiness can be cured (quickly!) with a spoonful of frosting with a side of green tree sprinkles. The cookie making was great. We ate some. Broke some. Dunked some. Laughed at some. And of course, squirreled some away for old St. Nick. We know he is all about the cookies....

Gretas gift to Santa

Gretas gift to Santa, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

We found something else he finds funny... Jeff and I played a game of tag team shoveling tonight and are finally unburied for a little while. We also got an unexpected visit at our house from Santa. He dropped off some candy canes for the kids and Greta was very excited to see him! Thanks for stopping by Santa! See you in a week...We'll have cookies waiting!

Our town, how I see it...

Finally Finished, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

SO I am finally done(except for ironing) of my embroidered towel for Jeff. Its main purpose is to cover his breads and nummy baked goods while they cool (it's mostly to keep my hands off them). I made it out of linen and sewed a decorative edge around it then add ed some fun with the pom poms. Some of you may recognize the Charlie Brown tower and the big lentil plant. I embroidered my favorite things from our town.

Your Request is granted......:)

I knew I should have posted the playdough recipe along with my post, so per the requests here it is! Happy playing and I have found it keeps best in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 months! Greta just pulls it out of the fridge when she needs it.

Playdough

1 c flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tbs vegie oil
Food coloring

Combine dry ingredients into a saucepan. In a bowl combine wet ingredients(including food coloring of your choice)Gradually stir wet ingreds into the dry ingreds until mixture is smooth.Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until a ball forms. Remove from heat and cool. Have the munchkins knead the playdough until smooth. Then it is time to play.

He Giggles

1st laugh, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

Today Fieldin let out his first laugh, and not surprisingly at me. I managed to get a photo of him before he stopped. He is smiling more and more each day and today he finds the word "uffda" very entertaining. We are getting LOTS of snow, and really enjoying watching it fall.

Greta & Fieldin by Greta

Greta & Fieldin by Greta, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

I think it is the only use for cream of tartar..

Feel free to correct me on this but is there any other use for cream of tartar besides making homemade playdough?

We have been spending many days inside due to the single digit temperatures here on the Palouse. So today was make more playdough day, in a pretty shade of red velvet cake (our fancy talk for red). Greta kept busy"working at a pizza shop" making "enormous alligater pizzas" and "wormie noodles" for when daddy came home for lunch. "I know his stomach has to be growling" she said. In the end daddy had PB&J. Smart move daddy.

We are supposed to get 4-8 inches of snow tomorrow. How's the weather where you are?

This Never Happens

After three very long rest time stories by mommy, these two slowly fell asleep at the same time. Isn't there a mommy medal for this sort of accomplishment? I guess my reward was a half hour of free time. Should I catch up on reading or laundry? Maybe make myself some tea? I ended up not doing any of these. I went the smart mommy route and snuggled in bed with them and took a quiet nap. Maybe I will get lucky at rest time tomorrow...yeah, probably not!

This Would Not Pass Inspection

We woke up to snow(finally!) Saturday morning(and this morning too!) and after a little sledding and snow ball throwing we spent most of the day hibernating inside. It was a perfect day for making our annual ginger bread house. This reminds me each year why I am not an architect. I can add building structures to my "don't do so well" list right behind somersaults. Greta did a great job with her lollipop trees and beautiful roof top decorating and Jeff was happy to build marshmallow snowmen and attach the graham cracker chimney. Fieldin watched from his swing and was glad to be in his happy place. We ended the day making more homemade ornaments and I got to sneak in some time to knit mittens. There is just something wonderful about being inside on a cold snowy day.

Silent Night

Once upon a time I lived under our Christmas tree. I slept, snacked, poked at presents and watched t.v. under that special glow. The only things that could take me away from it was the school bus and snow (which we didn't get much of). Tonight, these two were making their own memories.

** update**After relaxing by the tree, we took the kids to look at lights and through a very fun drive thru nativity scene. Greta sat on my lap, which was a good thing. Our Greta is not afraid of ANYTHING but she got a little spooked by the Roman soldiers. Note to self: Do NOT take her to Rome.

Rudolph on the Roof is Too Dangerous

Before I begin, I just want to say,yes, I have way too much fun with my camara AND Gretas toys...

So the flying reindeer topic came up last year when Greta was going through her "I wanna be a pilot stage" Which I still think she would like to be a pilot, but I was informed yesterday that she would also like to be a newspaper delivery girl so she can ride her big girl bike all over town. As long as she wears a helmet, I said. Anyway, last year she was EXTREMELY concerned about Santa and the reindeer landing on the roof. "It is very dangerous, they need to land on the driveway, it is safer." I can still hear her tell me this daily. We told her we would give Santa the message. Christmas morning came with a light skiff of snow on the driveway and front yard and much to all our surprise,we saw little foot prints everywhere imprinted in the snow. Were they Reindeer tracks? Greta thinks so. Were they tracks from a rogue dog? Probably not, right? The topic came up again this year and I agree Reindeer landing on our roof is cause for concern and not too good for our shingles. I will cut this post short, since I need to email Santa the 2008 approved landing zone for our home before he finishes his flight plan. Sounding off....

He Snorts.....

So, our little Fieldin is 10 weeks now and I thought it was a good time to give an update on him. He is just starting to show us his personality so we have much more to learn, but here are a few things we do know about him:

He has a strong right hook, He has the fuzziest head, He never pees on Jeff(They must have some kid of deal worked out), He LOVES his swing, His smile makes us all smile, He is very sweet and mellow unless he is hungry, When he is mad, his bald head turns bright red, Before he lets out an angry cry he snorts three times like a pig (Greta finds this hilarious), He loves wearing his Santa suit, He has to be where the action is, He doesn't like to sleep...., He coos and makes lots of sounds and we swear he says "hi" and "helpme" sometimes, He loves looking at windows, He is extremely strong, He doesn't like us laughing at him and he ADORES his big sister.

We love you little buddy.

Gretas Christmas Tree- Love it!

The Advent Calendar Doesn't lie

Maybe it is the lack of snow here on the Palouse. Maybe it's because I am not prepared. I just can't believe there is only 16 days till Christmas. I can only believe this to be true because the advent calendar said so.. and it never lies. Greta makes sure of this. Those little numbered windows are opened every morning...First thing. Not one is overlooked. It is her duty to see what fun picture lies beneath window #8. So this morning half groggy we opened the window (to find a pic of a cake ???) and then I felt panic. The shopping, the Christmas cards, the undone decorating.. but then I saw this shadow on my wall (From my stocking holder) and I realized it will be ok. If that stuff doesn't get done. It doesn't get done. So I am going to enjoy the next 16 days and maybe hope for a little snow along the way.

Monday Night Knitting Group

7 p.m....Cool coffee shop. Nice Women. Fun Conversation. Smelling coffee. Mastering double pointed needles. Being called by my real name for two hours. Now I look forward to Mondays.

What motivates you on Monday?

Mission Accomplished

We found him, and yes, he was ready for his photo op with us. Greta also hunted down Rudolph, Frosty, Two nutcrackers, Saint Nick, A big Bear and also found the gingerbread haus. Good thing we wore sneakers to keep up with her. Sometimes I wonder how she has so much energy and excitement about things.... I figured it out after I spotted poor Father Christmas in the crowd. I grabbed Gretas hand and ran after him yelling "Father Christmas, Father Christmas" like a Christmas crazed 5 year old. Oh man, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it.......

See you next year Father Christmas. After all these past years, I am sure you will be expecting me.

Greta & Butch

Greta & Butch, originally uploaded by inthewheatfields.

WSU Alumni Holiday Party 2008

See you on Monday

I'll be back on Monday. We're taking the weekend off and taking the kids to Leavenworth. It has become a holiday tradition. Finding Father Christmas, downing lots of ginger bread cookies and wassailing our way around town to check out the holiday lights. Father Christmas if you're reading this, you better watch out the Babbitt's are coming to town. Get ready for your photo op.

A Little About Me...

I've lost my post-college ambition. My career driven angst is over. Right now I am a mom, and I started this blog for a reason. About a year ago I was lucky enough to realize that I was in my prime. Now with two small children and an active life, I am blessed. I am sure I will have another prime of life, but one more quiet. This will be a time for my hubby(also my best friend and travel partner) to explore. It will be a time when I can see the the delicate features of my children on the faces of my grandchildren(oh how I will spoil them). But, right now, my life is loud, fun, full of life and love and I want to remember it always. So, each day I take life in and always find something in my day worth remembering. Then I write about it. I have found a creative outlet and a forgotten love of writing. Now, enough about me....

We'll see.......

One of the hardest parts of parenting for me is saying"no" without Miss Greta knowing I am saying "no". Don't get me wrong, I can say "no" when needed but I am bombarded with questions all day that all deserve the reply "No way chickadee" but to cut back on the amount of melt-downs I usually go the passive aggressive route and say "we'll see". I have been gliding through these past 3 years spewing out "we'll see" a million times a day and I thought I had her fooled. I was soooo wrong. Two nights ago I asked Miss Greta if she was ready for bed. She looked at me and gave me her devilish smile that ALWAYS means trouble and she said very sweetly "We'll see...." At this moment I knew she had me. I asked innocently "So are you ready for bed?" and she said" Mommy, we'll see means NO.." Well played Miss Greta. Since then every time I ask her a question I hear " we'll see mommy, we'll see" I guess I forgot to tell Jeff about this new development and I heard her use it on daddy. Seconds later I hear"Raylene, did you hear that, We'll see means NO" Yes sir, it does. So for the next year I am just going to have to "think about it".

At The Tip Top Of The Food Pyramid

The resident bakers in my house made S'mookies last night. Two peanut butter cookies with marshmallow cream and melted chocolate in the middle. Are they good? yes. Will consuming a batch take a few years off my life? Time will tell. The folks that developed the classic Food Pyramid would, I am sure, place these at the very tip-top of the food pyramid. S'mookies would be standing on the shoulders of eggnog also competing for that coveted top spot. The recipe follows if you want to try them. The only way they could get any more unhealthy, would be to replace marshmallow cream with lard. I don't suggest doing so, please don't send me angry email.

Peanut Butter Cookies:

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/3 c packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, beaten

3/4 tsp vanilla

Filling: 1/2 cup chocolate chips ( they are already bad for you so might as well use more than this)

2 tbs unsalted butter

1/2 cup marshmallow cream

preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour and baking soda in a small bowl set aside. With a spoon, mix butter, p-butter & brwn sugar in med bowl until smooth. Add egg, vanilla and then add flour mixture. Stir until combined well. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten with a fork; bake 8-10 minutes. Let cool for 10 min and then refrigerate for 20 mins ( good time to do jumping jacks and burn some calories for what is to come)Place choco chips and butter in the microwave for 1 min then let stand 30 minutes until slightly stiff. Heat marshmallow cream for 10 seconds then spread on cookies. Store cookies in fridge.

Now I understand...

...how important coffee is. I used to be so content with just tea. I was always anti-coffee. I was arrogant, didn't think I needed it, kind of like how men never need band-aids. "I am strong" "I don't need that stuff". .. But I do need this stuff. Lots of it. Every morning. I take mine black with out any froo -froo syrups or delicate creams. I never understood how people could drink "that horrible smelling stuff". Now I am a convert(and have the coffee breath to prove it) and I am proud to share caffiene induced headaches with others and I won't ever have it any other way. Cheers! I will drink this next cup o' joe for you.