Summertime is calling our name

Quick Summer Recap:

ice cream at the pier

 arts and crafts

sparklers and a pool party on the 4th

Sunset Beach 

feeding baby dolls

swimming so much that our dreams are full of swimming

running head-first into the ocean

time spent with our precious grands and great-grands

grilled corn and smokey burgers

staying up late

learning to walk in flip-flops

Strawberry Season

Picking strawberries has become one of my favorite traditions, mostly because my children love it. Yes, of course they eat as many berries as they put in their buckets. 

This year my boy took it very seriously. He had them weigh his bucket when we were finished, and it was over a pound! 

The girl is a pretty good picker herself, which is impressive when you consider that last year she sat in a stroller the whole time.

We ate local strawberries for a week afterward, and of course we had to make homemade strawberry ice cream. Strawberry picking means that lowcountry spring is in full swing, which puts summer just around the corner. We can't wait!

The difference between girls and boys

It was such a relief when I found out that my second child was going to be a girl. I mean, girls are less active, right? Less climbing, less jumping, less running around and throwing toys and chasing trash trucks and putting out pretend fires. Girls just sit around and play with dolls and organize their hair accessories, right?

Surprise!

In case you were wondering, when Foard was this same age all he did was sit around and read all of the time:

See what I mean? 

The truth is, it's been a rare and much needed rainy day in Charleston, and both children are climbing the walls. I cannot imagine what mothers do in climates that keep them inside for most of the year. Thankfully, last night we had the privilege of swimming with good friends here. Swimming is our new favorite thing, and usually it means a very good night of sleep for all.

Foard and Henry, taking a break from their usual favorite activity: sitting around and reading all day. Yeah, right!

From us, with love

Where have we been? What have we been doing? We've been so very busy...

...growing up

 (not so fast, Stella).

Learning to ride:

And settling into our new house. This is Andy's flag project. He was very, very bothered by flags that stayed wrapped around the poles. We were almost flagless. Then one day he discovered these no-furl gadgets. And now he's back to doing what he does best: sitting on the porch, drinking rum, and talking about how brilliantly our flags fly without wrapping. 

And me, I've been running. A lot. And enjoying magnificent views in the low-country, like this early morning view along Beresford Creek:

More soon, I hope. Thanks for checking back in.

Counting Blessings: Seewee

Before we moved to the lowcountry I thought I wanted to live where I could wear flip-flops year-round. Now that I live somewhere I can wear flip-flops for most of the year, I'm grateful for the seasons. November, December, and January in coastal South Carolina bring cooler temperatures. This weekend was downright chilly, and we loved bundling up and getting out.

My boy stopped wearing diapers, which is truly something to celebrate. It was a lot of work for both of us, but man does he feel good about himself now. His big reward was a bike. On Saturday night we bundled up and loaded up and went to the bike store to let him pick one out. After that we drove to Seewee Restaurant for dinner.

Walking into Seewee is like going back in time. You'll see checkered tablecloths, Nehi soda in a cooler by the door, oysters by the bucket, and grocery store shelves stocked with dry goods. They serve fresh local seafood and as many hushpuppies as you can cram into your mouth (hushpuppies could be renamed hushbabies or hushtoddlers, by the way).

And while the seafood specials are amazing, you can't go wrong with the vegetable plate either. Seewee has some of the best fried green tomatoes, collard greens, and mac and cheese around. We get to Seewee as often as we can, because there aren't many places like it anymore.

Some things don't last forever.


photo credit 1, 2 3

Oven Pancakes

Oh, glorious weekend, how we love you. This was a good one. The light was clean, the air crisp, and there were ghosts and goblins everywhere. Here's how we spent our two days:


Playing on the beach. Fall days are so nice at the shore. It's not too hot and the sun feels good on your skin.

Starting in October the dogs are allowed to stay on the beach all day, and they are everywhere and sooooooo happy. You've never seen so many happy dogs! If you're lucky sometimes the salt air mixes with wood smoke from fireplaces in the houses that line Sullivan's Island.

 

 It's enough to make me want to build a bonfire, roast s'mores, curl up in a sleeping bag and spend the night on the beach. But that will have to wait until these guys are a little older.

Listening to Warren Haynes live coming in through our windows. He was right down the street at the Southern Grounds music festival.

Watching Tennessee get beat by the mighty Alabama. It's a rebuilding year. At least now we have a classy coach, and one who can rock the orange pants with style. And here are the two Volunteers on game day.

Painting pumpkins. It's not the color combo that I would have chosen, but I like to let him do his own thing.

Anticipating moving into our house. We'll be there in four short weeks. I guess I should begin packing us up (what?). Here's what it looks like so far.

Eating soup, soup, and more soup. Recipe to follow later in the week. And for Saturday breakfast this oven pancake which was oh-so-easy and very popular.

Oven Pancake

9 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour (I used half white and half whole wheat)

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all in blender and blend until smooth. In an oven preheated to 425 degrees, melt 2 T butter. I used a cast iron skillet, but a 9x13 baking pan would work too. Next pour the mixture in the pan and cook for 20 minutes.

Serve these with whatever you like. We used strawberries and powdered sugar, but apples, bananas, whipped cream and maple syrup would all work as well.

And finally, sitting in this traffic jam as we waited for the bridge to open on our way home.

Goodbye weekend, hello Monday. The end.

Bicycles and a Tree House

After a difficult week of parenting (skipped naps, our preschooler eating toothpaste and then vomiting all over the house, early mornings and lots of tantrums), Andy and I needed some time to escape from our children. It was his brilliant idea to hop on our bikes and head for the tree house. A tree house and bicycles may seem like a strange way for adults to escape from children, but actually it was the perfect way to spend an evening. With our children with a sitter we packed a picnic and settled in among the branches to sip some wine, listen to the marsh sounds, and watch the boats come in from an afternoon at sea.

via

We aren't sure who built this place, but it sits on the shore of the Wando river on Daniel Island. With nothing to do and a view that looked something like the picture below, it was easy to remember why we moved to Charleston, why we live on Daniel Island, and most importantly, why we married each other. 

via

And since Daniel Island is so incredibly bike friendly we were able to bike home much, much later, maybe a little tipsy from the wine, with no worries about our safety. But not before stopping off here for a nightcap. 

Barges

Thames sailing river barge via

This is one of my favorite songs to sing to my children. My mother taught it to me.

Out of my window, looking through the night

I can see the barges' flickering light

Silently flows the river to the sea

And the barges too go silently.

Barges, how I'd like to go with you

How I'd like to sail the ocean blue

Barges, have you treasure in your hold?

Do you fight with pirates, brave and bold?

Van Gogh's Barges painted in 1888

My son loves this song because he can see barges on the Cooper River from his bedroom window. It's not exactly Van Gogh, but there's something so peaceful about watching ships pass by silently as they head out or return from a long voyage at sea.

Labor Day Weekend

Here are some bits and pieces from our Labor Day weekend with my Dad, Susan, and Stephen on Wild Dunes. Our favorite parts were dinner at Hank's, a rainy afternoon spent together indoors, chasing our children on the beach, and Foard's first high school football game (BE vs. Hanahan).