Cozy Living

Two Ways Not to Make Caramel Apples

Beautiful, aren't they?  Gorgeous...and inedible.  Oh, yes, I now know not one, but two different ways not to make caramel apples.

This is my first autumn of trying to be a domestic-ish supermom in the food department.  We're eating seasonally, cooking more from scratch, making pumpkin cakes, baking bread, eating apples and onions just like Almanzo Wilder, so of course we should try making caramel apples, right?

Attempt #1: Melting caramel candies.  Easy enough: unwrap and heat.  Started in a double boiler on the stove, but when it was taking too long, I tossed it into the microwave, and voila! Perfectly melted, sticking so nice and evenly, just the right tackiness to hold onto the various things we were rolling them in...I was formulating my blog post in my head about how I'd found the most wonderful easy way of making gorgeous caramel apples and how I really am the next Martha Stewart.  

Beautiful. Crunch. What? Could that be my tooth cracking from the rock-hardness of this beautiful confection?  I think it might be. The boys LOVED making these, but their poor little teeth couldn't even bite through the caramel, it was so hard.  I, on the other hand, persevered, as I do so love that perfect combination of crisp apple and sweet caramel.  Alas, the teeth do need to be used for other things on future dates, so even I had to give up.

What to do? Well, seeing as I can't bring myself to waste perfectly good fruit, and the rock hard caramel came chipping easily off, I thought I'd give it another go and do it right this time.  I quickly removed the offending caramel from the apples, and this time I'd cook it over the stove.  

Attempt #2: Found a super easy recipe on familyfun.com with just brown sugar, butter and water.  Now, in their defense, I didn't really measure exactly because my brown sugar was all in one big rock hard clump and all attempts to microwave it back to life had failed.  Please tell me I'm not the only one. So I guesstimated.  And failed.  These poor apples were subjected to yet another attempt to cover them, with this try not sticking in the slightest, but quickly sliding off the smooth apple skins and resting on the wax paper in a pool below. 

I do hope you did not visit today looking for a caramel apple recipe, because I do not have one.  Do you?

Beachy Bonding Time

We're safely home from our family camping reunion, saturated with salty water, covered in ashy dirt, and full of new family memories.  We had an afternoon of digging and romping in the beach sand, two evenings of s'mores by the fire, and a healthy dose of playing and being together.  And if anyone wonders where I get my competitive nature, let me just say that our weekend also included a kite making & flying contest, a survival fire making contest, a trac ball contest, and a rousing game of musical chairs, courtesy of my cousin Kendy's lovely singing.  Oh yes, this is what our family calls fun.  

You've heard the phrase, "The family who plays together stays together"... cheesy, but definitely true for our family.  I only hope that my own boys will still like hanging out with me when Greg and I are "old folks at home," as I so affectionately call my parents.  

Only my dear uncle Don would think to bring the boys back issues of his magazines: "Trains" and "Equipment Today," which has page after page of pictures of and articles about construction equipment.  Come to think of it, it could be that it is only my dear uncle Don who has ever heard of these magazines.

I love this family 'portrait' of us just living life together...the boys and I eating popsicles while Greg keeps working on the fire making contest.  Yes, now we've revealed who does the real work around here.

How Tyler spent his Saturday afternoon...oblivious to the mud covering his body, but hanging on to the all important baseball cap, which he can be found wearing at all times, even when running around our house naked.

the kite flying contest, which my dad and brother in law Rob won for actual flying, as well as my cousin Becky, who won the 'most creative flyer' award, as she ran with her kite on a six foot string, just hoping it would defy all odds and soar.  Better luck next time, Becky.

Sunrise over San Elijo State Beach...

and sunset.

Family fun...

and family bonding.

I'm off now to do some family bonding with my own two trying little boys. I'm ever so tempted to focus on the fact I'm exhausted by the cold that's settled into my exploding sinuses, and that the boys' "rest time" was far from restful for any of us, and that my little pocket of afternoon silence wasn't as silent as I expect it to be.  There was no time for 'official' meditation, prayer, and renewal, but there was a brief time for writing and reflection, and I'm finding that God can speak peace to me through that time, too. Thank you, Lord, for beautiful photos and words, and for the strength to change my attitude.  

As Helen Keller said, "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."  

I'm off to improve mine.  I hope your day is wonderful.  

The Year Round Outdoor Life

April 2007

Sometimes it's hard not to be jealous as I see the crisp fall weather pictures from various parts of the world.  Here we are, in another 90+ heat wave.  This is unusual, but it does come with the territory here in Southern California.  My roses are confused.  This picture is from last year, but outside my door right now the roses are blooming like crazy.  

I got to thinking about our heat, and realized how blessed we are to have this kind of weather where we can be outdoors, in nature, all year round.  I know some of you can't imagine Christmas without snow.  Growing up, I couldn't imagine Christmas without going rollerblading on the boardwalk at Huntington Beach.  Rather than be annoyed about the extreme heat today, I'm going to be thankful, especially since we're heading out to our annual family reunion camping trip on the beach today!  The boys favorite cd right now is a Veggie Tales sing-a-long, and there's a song that reminds me to be thankful:

'A thankful heart is a happy heart.  I'm glad for what I have, that's an easy place to start.'

I'm remembering this as I look back at some favorite old pictures of our adventures outside in the past couple years.

January 2007

March 2007

Annual family reunion campout on the beach (we're leaving for this year's today!), October 2007

Christmas Eve 2007

The Rose Parade: January 2008

Our meadow: January 2008

San Diego Train Museum trip for the boys' birthdays: February 2008

Around the neighborhood: February (yes, February!) 2008

Our first pool trip of the year: March 4, 2008

I do hope you're enjoying your beautiful fall weather, wherever you are.  As for me, I've decided to enjoy the heat around here.  Happy weekend to you all.

Daily Life in Pictures and Words

This week I'm participating in Ali Edwards' "A Week in the Life" project, at the end of which I'll have a small scrapbook album documenting the everyday events in a regular week in our lives.  This is the kind of thing that I wish I had from my grandparents or my parents.  How did they deal with the stresses of everyday living, especially without all of the modern conveniences we have now?  What did they do day in and day out?  How much did their groceries cost and what did they buy?

I think I'm going to try this every few years, just to give a glimpse of the stage of life I'm in as I go.  Imagine how different my everyday life will be in five years...  I'm really enjoying photographing the little meaningless stuff that adds up to be so meaningfully "us."

I'll be putting a little journaling onto each of the days of the week in my scrapbook...a schedule, some little tidbits about the day, what I was thinking about, what our moods were.  My thoughts on faith throughout the day and the way my prayers transform my attitude will have a big part in the book, too.  My faith is such an integral part of my life that it's sometimes unnatural for me to write about topics close to my heart without delving into my faith and why I value certain ideals in my life.

Have you ever been forced to play that horrible baby shower game, where they give everyone a clothespin and you can't say the word "baby" or someone can take your clothespin as her own?  I hate that game.  The moment it starts I simply say "baby" and get rid of the clothespin so I can simply enjoy myself.  I know, I'm such a poor sport.  At times I feel like I'm playing that game here on my blog.  Trying not to offend or sound preachy with my thoughts on God, trying to stay neutral and sound universal.  But it's hard to talk about the everyday things in my life without talking about the One who keeps my life afloat, both physically and in my spirit.  I'm ready to give up the clothespin.  I hope it won't seem presumptuous of me to share about my own faith, knowing that your faith is most likely different from mine.  It may be taboo, but you'll be seeing a bit more writing about my own faith around here, because I'm simply not me without it.

Our faith is important to all of us, really, whether we trust in God or the government or our network of friends and family to sustain us in hard times and rejoice with us in good times.  We all turn to someone when we're proud or we're struggling, even if it's only to ourselves.  I hope when I mention the One to whom I turn throughout my everyday life, you can still follow along here and be strengthened in your own faith, or be challenged to think about what's sustaining your own everyday.

Here are some everyday moments from Monday through Wednesday.  I'll share more soon.

Ty helps with the crock pot stew.  At dinner that night...me: "I hate it when no one eats the dinner I work so hard to make." greg: "Then don't make stew."  

haircuts...jake's came out a little uneven in front...just in time for picture day.

greg's usual late evening pose...with the t.v., the remote, the favorite chair, and the cat.  I'm still in denial.  But her name is Mittens Elizabeth, which means the boys just couldn't let go of calling her Mittens, but mostly we all call her Ellie.  (Thanks for your votes on names.) And she's such a sweet kitty.

Finally taking a walk again, and the tire's flat.  Trying to change it.

On our walk...taking a break as the boys play at the park...to read my current book, which I'll post about (along with her other wonderful books) soon.  I love the walking shoes, park bench, lenscap, pen and book...so everyday for me.  (Well, except the walking shoes part!  Gotta get back into that.)

Dyeing the halloween costumes.  What a project.  "Tub dyeing...it's easy!" proclaimed the instruction manual! Ha.

Jumping on the bed during quiet time (which around here means 'go upstairs and play with your brother and work everything out on your own' time.)

Sunset in the corn maze at the pumpkin patch last night...I told you we go multiple times in October!

Mountain Retreat

It's hard for me to express in words the significance of this weekend's mountain retreat.  Have you ever experienced a tipping point in your life, where everything that seemed to be unrelated is coming together just so, and you suddenly realize it's been leading up to something big?  A time when so many small, seemingly insignificant and unrelated things have been happening in so many areas of life, and a pattern suddenly reveals itself, pointing you clearly in one direction?  

Remember those digital hidden pictures that were so popular in the 90's - the ones that looked like pretty computerized patterns, but if you stared long enough, the nonsense was organized by your brain and you could suddenly see a three dimensional butterfly in the chaos, or a plane flying out of what had seemed to be a picture of nothing?  That was this weekend for me.  I could feel the experiences of my past, the learnings of the present, and the voice of the One who so lovingly and gently guides my future all coming together to point my life in a new direction.  It's indescribable.  Now comes the really hard part: moving forward with courage. (Sorry to be so cryptic...sometimes its the most personal thoughts and emotions that are the hardest to explain, especially to those closest to you.)

The beautiful mountain setting where Fall was really happening wasn't too bad either.  I brought home a mug full of Fall for the boys to enjoy.  

 

Pumpkin Patch Photo Tips

Aaaahhh...the weather may still be hot, the leaves may still be green, but we know it's fall around here when we begin our annual visits to the pumpkin patch.  This is perhaps my favorite place and time of the entire year to take pictures of my boys.  I look forward to this all year round, and I LOVE the pictures we take there.  Considering that I saw so many moms there this year trying to capture that perfect pumpkin patch picture, I thought I'd throw in my two cents about how to get some good ones.

1. Go right when the pumpkin patch opens, or just before it closes.  The lighting for photos is muted and soft in the early morning and just before sunset, and the patch is usually less crowded, making it easier to get shots without other people's kids in them.  Avoid the weekends.  The middle of the day is the worst time for photos, because it's crowded and the direct sunlight overhead causes crazy face shadows.  Or best of all, go on a cloudy day, when the light is diffused just perfectly!  If you are stuck there at noon, move into some shade (not dappled shade...it makes uneven shadows on the faces)  The photo of Jake above, from last year, was taken as the sun went down...I love the warm glow.  Hasn't he grown up this year?

2. Go more than once!  We take advantage of October by visiting the pumpkin patch two or three times.  That way I can view one of the times as a "photo shoot" more than an outing, knowing that on at least the first outing, my main goal is to take pictures.  I don't feel like I'm missing out on the moment if I know we'll be back again.  If you plan on using these for a Christmas card or a scrapbook, like me, consider dressing the kids in the same clothes each time you go, so that your pictures will all coordinate on your future cards or scrapbook pages. (I realize this sounds totally contrived, but really, they wear the same clothes every now and then anyway, so why not make sure they wear them to the pumpkin patch each time?)

3. Look for different textures in your background...old wood fences, bales of hay, dried cornstalks all contrast nicely with the soft skin tones in your photos.  Just make sure the tree trunk and the cornstalk aren't sticking straight out of your kid's head!  This photo of Tyler from last year has such nice contrast in it (and speaking of boys growing up...can you believe how big he's gotten in a year?!)

4. Take tons of pictures.  I think I downloaded over 400 pictures from this, our first visit to the patch.  I know, I know, but if you keep your camera set to continuous shooting mode, you can get the perfect expressions on your kids before they're gone.  And when you get home, DELETE most of them.  My current folder holds 41 photos from those 400, which is still too many for me, so I'll probably get it down to 25ish in the coming weeks, as I only keep the very best.  If you take a lot of pictures, you're bound to get at least a few fabulous ones.

5. Don't dress your kids in orange or in bold patterns.  My favorite is jeans and a plain, richly colored shirt or flannel.  You don't want your kid to blend into the pumpkins in the picture or their shirt to be the focal point of the photo.

5. Let the kids be silly...don't order them around, don't tell them to smile, just follow them around, snapping pictures as you go.  Every once in a while I'd say to the boys, "Okay, if you'll sit here and take a few pictures, then we'll go in the hay maze again afterwards." Also, stay for a while and let them enjoy themselves.  That's when you'll get the natural smiles.  I got lots of these lame (but funny) pictures...

in order to get to this picture below, my favorite.  They only gave me these natural smiles after the pumpkin they were sitting on fell over...pumpkin-lanche! They thought this was hilarious and we spent probably 10 minutes causing pumpkin-lanches as I took pictures.  Be patient.

6. If all else fails, bribery can work.  Not for my Tyler, who's in the "here's my horrible fake 'cheese' smile" that I do not want in my photos.  But if your kids are older it might work.  Our bribe for Jake was an Icee for everyone to share with our picnic lunch. Which I probably would've bought anyway, but he doesn't have to know that.  

Here's one of my favorites from last year...a friend asked me if I set this up, and the answer is, not particularly...the boys are used to holding hands in public places so I can keep track of them, so that's nothing new, but I did ask them to hold hands as the walked to the hay maze, even though it wasn't crowded, and I just held back and took this from behind them. 

Happy Fall to everyone!  I'm going to the mountains for a retreat for the weekend (aaahhh...silence, peace, quiet, renewal.) See you next week.

On the Third Day of (handmade) Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me...

 

With all of the play with toy dinosaurs and cars and such around here, I thought the boys might enjoy having a person to do some imaginative play with.  So a few months ago I asked them if they'd like a doll to play with.  Tyler said, yes, he would, but Jake said NO WAY...dolls are for girls.  Hence, our "Camping Guys" were born.  My neighbor suggested Jake might like it if I called it a "guy" instead of a doll, and I brought them out for the first time while we were camping in Yosemite.  I had looked into the Waldorf type dolls out there, but the ones I found were all around $70ish and I just couldn't see spending that much since I wasn't sure the boys would like them.  So here's what I did:

1. trace the shape of a man on large tracing paper.  Make him a pudgy man because he needs some room for seams, especially on his arms, legs, and neck.

2. cut him out and trace him onto two pieces of fabric (in my case, some extra cream colored fleece type material.

3. Embroider his face.  I just did a few simple stitches for the nose, a flat mouth (so he can be mad or nice or sad or whatever the boys feel like making him), and a couple french knots for the eyes.  If it's not a surprise, your recipient might enjoy choosing the eye and mouth color (not to mention the hair, clothes, etc...)

4. If, like me, you do not envision yourself designing and sewing a bunch of doll clothes, embroider some clothes on him now!  I just gave each guy a pair of shorts and a t shirt.  The boys insisted on belly buttons, too.

5. Putting right sides together, sew the two halves together, leaving a section open for turning him right side out.  (I left a portion of the inside of one of the legs open.)

6. Add the hair.  I made curls by knotting the end of a doubled piece of yarn, and repeatedly putting the needle through to the right sides and then back out (to the wrong sides that I could see since I hadn't turned him right side out yet) and then knotting it again, leaving some slack so that his curls could be pulled out long once I turned him right side out.  I'm sorry this is so hard to explain.  Basically I'm taking a very slack stitch with a doubled over piece of yarn, then knotting it before starting the next slack stitch.

7. Turn him right side out.

8. Using a chopstick or toothpick pull the curls of yarn so that the extra loops of yarn are now showing as hair on the outside.  (I'm realizing now I should've taken pictures of this part!)

9. Stuff him with whatever you'd stuff pillows or stuffed animals with.  Keep pushing it in there tight so his arms and legs don't end up floppy!

10. Sew the last seam shut. 

11. Sign and date your work in case this guy becomes a well loved guy to pass down.

The whole process probably took me three or four evenings to make. (spending an hour or two each night...while watching t.v. with Greg...the hair took the longest!)  I'm sure there are some wonderful doll patterns out there, but if you're looking for a simple one to make right now, give this a try.  The only thing we had to go out and buy was the yarn for the hair.  Let me know if you make one of these...I'd love to see it!

And did you notice that little Tyler wanted rainbow colored hair for his guy?  Yes, it quite suits his personality, my bright spot of a boy.  I'm going to throw these guys in the washer soon, as they had some adventures in Yosemite.  I'll let you know how they hold up.

Getting Back Outdoors

The past week has been one of post-vacation cleanup, returning to normalcy, and hiding out inside from the insane outdoor heat.  But this week will be different.  I'm remembering the beauty of the outdoors and am determined to reconnect with the fall, now that the winds are blowing in some cold air for us.  

This week is a busy one for us.  It's funny as I say that, how different "busy" is today from what "busy" was to me a few years ago.  I've spent a few years paring down our outside commitments to purposefully take our family from stressed and hurried to slow and meaningful.  I really feel that we don't connect with each other when we're rushing about from one thing to another.  So yes, a busy week here means we have one thing on our calendar each day (playdate, dinner with friends, visit to my sister's place, school pumpkin patch field trip, etc.)  During this thankful season I'm grateful for the work I've put in to bring our family to this place, where I feel rested and peaceful instead of harried and off-center. 

To inspire me to get outdoors again this week, I'm looking over my favorite photos from our trip.  Happy Monday to you.

We do not have a cat.

We do not have a cat, and I have about forty photos to prove it.  

Tyler is our most avid animal lover, and from the moment he started toddling he has always wanted to pet and touch and love any cat or dog he saw.  He really is pretty gentle, so the animals don't seem to mind.  Everyone was especially thrilled when this little kitty started spending hours sleeping on our patio chairs, right outside our family room window.  When we discovered she will meow on cue when the boys do, and that she doesn't seem to mind crazy children, we were even more excited.  But no, we do not have a cat.

Here are some pictures of the cat that we do not have.  Playing with the new toy that Jake made her...

Snuggling on Daddy's lap during late night t.v...

Putting up with Tyler...

  

Waiting for the boys to bring her yet another plaything...balls, trucks, yarn...they're currently trying everything out to see what her favorite playthings will be. 

Yes, we brought her into the house, which freaks me out a little bit.  But she has no collar, is terribly underweight, and meows so lonesomely every time she sees us look out our window.  We haven't seen any lost kitty signs, and I have no idea if she has a home.  She devoured a little bowl of milk and of tuna last night and this morning, as if she hadn't eaten in weeks.  And she really is so cute. 

Those of you who haven't known me long might be confused as to why I'm so conflicted about this kitty.  It's just that I have always known an indoor pet was not for me, and as our yard is too small for a dog (our favorite pet of choice) it went without saying that we would be petless until one of our boys was dying for a snake or something much more manageable.  (I know, I know, it's odd, but a cat who might possibly bring fleas into my house and could possibly cough up a hairball is much more frightening to me than a snake.  As sweet as this kitty is, after holding her, I do feel imaginary fleas itching me all over for the next hour. Snakes I don't mind.)

So even though we do not have a cat, here are my questions for you: 1) what would you name this sweet girl?  So far "Mittens" "Bootsie" and "Ellie" are in the mix (since she seems to be wearing white sox on her paws.)  2) is it possible for a kitty to be flea free if she's an outdoor cat who only visits inside while supervised  3) how do you keep a cat from shedding everywhere

In conclusion, in case you were wondering, NO, we do not have a cat.  But I'm a little worried that a cat just might have us.

Pumpkin Love in Pseudo-Summer

Our October Summer has cooled down by about ten degrees, and the evenings are getting cool.  I am still wearing long sleeves and pants, in hopes that the weather might cooperate, then finding myself changing into a tank top when I find out that all I'm really getting out of it is sweaty.  But as I mentioned before, that doesn't mean I'm not going to celebrate Fall!

I LOVE decorating inside my house for Autumn.  I am lucky enough to host our Thanksgiving dinner each year, so I feel like the decorating is all worthwhile, knowing that lots of people will appreciate it along with me.  We also do a lot of entertaining for church, and I like knowing that the atmosphere here is festive and fallish, even when the outside world is not.  So here are some glimpses around my fall house right now.  Nighttime candlelit pictures would be so much better, but these will have to do for now.  Our dining room table is above, which I set for Thanksgiving about a week or two beforehand, just so I can enjoy the sparkling of the glasses for a little longer!  I'll be sure to post a picture when the time comes.

...and a closeup of my favorite decorating element...these little stones come in every color.  Ikea usually has a few colors at a time, or you can get them at other decorative stores sometimes, too. I use them all the time in decorating.  Just sprinkle a few around the edge of your display and it seems to finish it off just right.

And aren't these little turkey salt and pepper shakers wonderful?  I need to ask my mom where I got them.  She remembers these things.

My mantle, which is pretty much the same as usual, plus a few pumpkins and a fall quilt I made years ago but have nowhere really to hang right now.  Mr. Turkey here has a wife, but she's currently indisposed...Tyler has adopted her and she might be hidden under a bed somewhere, just calling for her Tom to come save her.  Poor little turkey. 

Our kitchen island (oh, I'm just still thrilled that I chose wood, even months after our remodel finished!  Even better that my dad and my uncle and I made the island together.) now decorated with an easy to move fall arrangement, including some flower shaped napkin rings. I love using odd things in my arrangements.  Pomegranate from the farmer's market today, inspired by Selena.

And what would fall be without some kind of pumpkin cake?  I  cheated  did the smart thing and used good old Trader Joe's Pumpkin bread and muffin mix, because I knew I wanted to make these adorable little pumpkin cakes.  

They're made with miniature bundt cake pans, and you can put one on top of the other to make a real pumpkin shape, or just leave it as half a pumpkin.  Drizzle orange frosting over and finish with a tootsie roll that you soften in the microwave and twist and stick in the top with a toothpick, or if you just don't have the time to make a special trip out for tootsie rolls, you can pipe a little thickened frosting in green on the top for stems.  We host our church's Young Families Fellowship every other Friday, and I love having an excuse to a) clean the bathrooms and b) make fun desserts like these.  But seeing as I have 30 people arriving in less than three hours, I better scoot.  Today I told you about the turkey Tyler adopted, tomorrow I'll tell you about the creature who's adopted him.  See you.

Is this Autumn?

May I tell you something?  It is 99 degrees right now.  No, I am not exaggerating, and no, it is not a typo.  It is seriously 99 degrees outside. What?!   Now, I do live in southern California, so I'm perfectly aware that Summer generally lasts through most of September, and I've come to terms with that.  But really, the second week of October?  While everyone else around the country is thinking about pumpkin cookies and seeing the leaves change color, our weather is painfully delusional.

What is a girl to do when the Summer heat overstays its welcome? Well, if the girl is me, she vacillates between embracing it (i.e. buying a 4 lb. box of local strawberries at Costco to pretend that it's really July) and fighting it (i.e. buying several jars of Trader Joe's seasonal cranberry orange sauce and buying loads of mini pumpkins and gourds to decorate the house with.)  I chose to do both.  So when it's February and all of you cold weather folks are wishing you were here, please remember October the 8th, and be thankful for your cozy Winter homes.  And as for me and my fellow southern Californians, tonight I will take my family to the pool, and then come home and promptly bake some spicy pumpkin bread to fill the house with the scent of fall.  No wonder everyone else around the country thinks we are weird.  

On the Second Day of (handmade) Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me...

_{^{...a castle, and it was all free!}}

Today, after several months of playing, the boys and I finally dismantled our castle.  You had a castle, you ask?  Why yes, we did.  And it struck me as we joyously ripped it down, that this could be a perfect Christmas present for those of you with kids in the early imaginative play phase.  I love that it was free, we made it together, it required imagination and ingenuity, and it encouraged the boys to play on their own. It didn't add to our pile of plastic toys, and it was also quite fun to rip apart and race cars on the rubble.  The ripping is still going on full force as I type.

I got this idea from Family Fun magazine early this year, and immediately began collecting cereal boxes.  When we had other large boxes (new mirror, new shades from our remodel made a perfect turret) and toilet paper and paper towel tubes (perfect cannons and lookouts) we added those to the growing pile of castle supplies.  It took several months to collect enough, so if you like the idea, start collecting now.  Or get your neighbors/relatives in on it.

On building day, my aunt Krissy, who's always been my creative "mom," came to help us, and luckily brought tons of pizza boxes that she'd bought at Smart and Final, although I'm wondering if you could get some from your local pizza parlor?  We gathered the supplies we'd been saving, plus tons of masking tape, and began making "bricks" of two cereal boxes or pizza boxes taped together.  Krissy brought some old matte board from previous framing projects, and with a razor she cut those stair-step-up-and-down thingies that go on the top of the walls (oh, dear. I'm too lazy to find out their official name right now.)  I had thought we'd use the toilet paper rolls for that, but her cut matte board was much better because it left room for the dinosaurs to stand on top of the pizza boxes and defend the castle. 

It took most of the afternoon to put it all together, and the blue fabric Krissy brought to be a moat was a nice touch.  Of course, we had a drawbridge for over the moat, too, and fierce stuffed animals to hide in the water.  We did most of the work while Tyler was napping (ah, the good old days), but Jake was in on it all.

I love the idea of giving the boys a pile of boxes in an open corner of the house somewhere, along with a few castle books as a Christmas present.  Maybe they could unwrap a treasure hunt clue that leads to a wrapped book somewhere in the house, that has another clue and leads to the pile of stuff with a picture of a finished castle!  Then we could spend part of Christmas day making the castle together.  Perhaps even some princess and knight's costumes would go well with this? (big old t-shirts with rope belts and duct tape along the bottom cut into zig zags.  The duct tape will keep it from raveling.)  It sounds like such fun that I almost wish we hadn't already had our castle fun.  But maybe some of you can have a Christmas castle.  And if you're lucky, you'll find some loving adult to sacrifice a night for a "sleepover" like our Nonna did.

Here's one last look that shows the turret (and the nursery mural I painted while pregnant with Jake...which will NEVER be painted over!)  I've got quite a few more handmade ideas swirling around in my head, (and yes, some are for adults!) so keep checking back here for more!

Home Sweet Home.

We've just returned from a beautiful week in three perfect spots: Bass Lake, Yosemite, & San Francisco.  We are refueled, reconnected, worn out, and happy.  Tonight I will just share a few favorite photos before collapsing with contentment onto our much missed bed.  Good night.

raspberry picking in Bass Lake.

canoeing...

...and blowing dandelions.

 

tree huggers in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (just inside Yosemite National Park)

skipping rocks (or trying to) on the Merced River, just next to our campsite

the sheet fort in the woods

a favorite hike by the stream

late night games with Amy & Rob, who conquered Half Dome, by the way!

the boys (and the ever present flashlight) by the campfire, all tuckered out.

the Golden Gate Bridge at night, as seen from the front of our hotel on the third leg of our trip

...and as seen early next morning by the bay.  Each morning we woke up, fueled ourselves with free croissants and coffee on the front porch of the hotel, then walked across the lawn to this deserted and beautiful spot.  Aaahhh...

one of my favorite moments...flying our kite on the hotel lawn with the city and the bridge as a backdrop.  Can we say blessed?

And I'll leave you with a view of the breathtaking Yosemite valley, where every pathway lead me to say, "Oh my gosh, look at this! It's gorgeous! I have to take a picture here."  And so I did.