Santa Came to Charleston

There is so much build-up to Christmas, and then it happens in just one magical day. We made a paper chain. We had an advent calendar and an elf that visited us every day. We made popcorn for our neighbors, lit luminaries on our street, and rolled sausage and cheese balls to devour on Christmas morning. The children brought home approximately 100 pieces (each) of Christmas-themed preschool art, most of it covered with glitter.And then the big day arrived.

Here they are on Christmas morning, waiting to see if Santa came.

One is very tired, and the other doesn't quite know what she's waiting for, but she always manages to have a good time. And he did come!

 Among other things, he brought a remote control car for Foard and a Cinderella castle for Stella. Now she asks all the time to watch "C-Bella" and it has become my her new favorite movie.

To continue the celebration, we went to the cabin after Christmas and got in plenty more Mimi time and some good cousin time too, with Elk and Eve.

 Can you tell that Stella loves her? And who wouldn't.

Stella got to wear her Christmas dress only twice, so I'm awfully glad I got some pictures. Isn't she lovely?

And so that my sweet boy does not get left out, I'll post this photo of an amazing hike we did together on New Years Eve at the cabin.

He has really grown up lately, and I'm so proud of him. 

It took a couple of weeks after Christmas to readjust, but now that we are it is NICE to be back in the sweet, comfortable, predictable routine. Here's to 2013 and all it will bring!

How We Halloweened

Although the lead-in to Halloween was WAY too long this year (my fault for putting the decorations up on October 1st), the big day finally arrived and my little fireman and fairy were not disappointed. Because all of the houses in our neighborhood are raised, our neighbors take Halloween to the streets which makes it WAY fun. It really was a special night full of bonfires, spiced (and spiked) cider, and so much candy that our teeth hurt. 

We began in the usual tradition: with a big pot of chili and my mom's Mexican cornbread recipe which is the best thing you'll ever put in your mouth. This meal is the ONLY way that Halloween can begin. It's a tradition carried over from my childhood when my mom did her best to fill our bellies in hopes that we wouldn't eat too much candy (it didn't work, then or now). 

My little ones seemed like old-pros at trick-or-treating and really were the last ones standing in our neighborhood. Like last year, they'd have kept going if people weren't turning off porch lights. And now, as usual, I'm very happy to be finished with Halloween and moving into the season of gratitude. Right now I'm grateful that my mantel no longer looks like this: 

And of course, as usual and most of all, I am grateful for these little guys and the fact that I get to experience everything for the first time through their little eyes.

And now can we please put up the Christmas tree?

Mexican Cornbread:

1/2 can cream-style corn

1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal

2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 or 3 jalapeno peppers, chopped fine

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients lightly in a bowl, reserving half the cheese to pour over the top. Pour into greased baking dish and add reserved cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

We (don't) hate math

When your kids get to preschool age, things start to get really fun. NOT all of the time. We still watch too much TV and trash the playroom and get on each others' nerves. But when your child becomes deeply interested in the world and able to communicate, there are so many fun things to do. Like math!

Foard has been really curious about numbers lately. He'll hold up his fingers for me to count (Mommy, guess how many this is? Seven! And if I take one away...six!). And he loves to count things like leaves and coins. So I searched the web for some preschool math activities. What did our parents do without the web? There's some great stuff out there that is right up his alley.

Today, we did this. And he loved it.

I made a number tray out of a muffin tin. I wrote numbers 1-12 on Post-its (Mommy, twelve is a big number. It makes me tired). Then we filled the holes with the correct number of beads. 

 I like these beads because they present opportunities for so many different games. After the first round of counting them in the tray, he made sure the colors in each tray were the same. We could also use them to spell numbers or words.

It was a great way to use his "big boy time," which is code for his sister is sleeping and I need something to do to entertain him. There are more great preschool math activities here, along with other educational games and activities. But really, what DID our parents do without the web?

Collecting Walk

What is it about this time of year that makes us want to go out and collect things? Last fall we went for a nature walk, Foard holding a bucket and Stella in her stroller. This year she got a bucket too!

They took their collecting jobs very seriously. The boy is really into leaves right now, and he found some good yellow and red looking ones. He also found lots of rocks (heavy), crabs, sticks and a few acorns. And there was plenty of time to stop and rest and observe things around him, like the tide coming in.

Stella didn't put much in her bucket, but she pointed out things across the Wando River ("boat! boat! moon! moon!") and covered herself in dirt. She loved it.

After the walk the little collectors played in the water in the Daniel Island children's park and swung on the shore of the Wando, watching local fishermen pull in their catch. 

We may make these sweet little animals with our findings, or we may be content to just count them and arrange them. We'll be doing lots of activities like this now that the weather is getting cooler. And I will need to keep them busy, since it's only September 12th and Foard is already asking if its Halloween time yet and when we can get our Christmas tree.

All of our little beauties in the bucket.

Here We Come Preschool

I wasn't sure if this summer was ever going to come to an end. I mean, it was glorious and....LONG.  The lack of structure was nice at first but by August we were all climbing the walls. Don't we all love the beginning of school? The colorful school supplies lined up in stores remind us of cozy routine and the comfort of structure. We know that even in Charleston, where walking to the mailbox is still a sweaty endeavor, fall is just around the hot and buggy bend. 

My little ones don't quite know how to feel about the beginning of a new school year yet, so I was filled with anxiety for them. Will I always have jitters on the night before their first day of school? I felt exactly the way I did before my own first days: nervous, excited, full of anticipation, unsure what to expect.

My boy was just plain excited, as much about the new shoes he picked out as anything else.

He even wore them to breakfast. Did I mention that they are HUGE?

This year he will be eating lunch at school, which is a new thing. He picked out a Lightning McQueen lunch box and found a simple note inside today. He is not able to read yet but can recognize a few words and symbols like Mommy, <3, and Foard. Last year his favorite activity was the playground, and this year he can't wait to do art.

The girl was having a great morning until we got to her classroom. She skipped along with her brother, unsure what all the fuss was about but excited by the mood in the air.

It will take her awhile to adjust to school days, but I know she'll do it. She's a social little thing. She especially enjoyed our walk and picnic lunch in the Old Village during the hour between her pick-up and her brother's. (Seen on a chalkboard in a store window: "The things you take for granted, others are praying for.") I am looking forward to that rare regular hour with just her and me.

The first day of school is such a mixed bag of emotion. In addition to my happiness at having six hours a week all to myself for the first time in two years, of course I was sad to drop them both off. Mostly I think about how different they are from this time last year, and how much this school year will change them. Already they seem more mature than they did when I dropped them off. Is that possible? They'll be totally different kids in May, and I'll never be able to get these little guys back again.

Sweet and Salty Days (and cookies)

Hello, August. What happened to July? 

These are the dog days of summer for sure. There is no escaping the heat and no escaping my preschoolers. It's not that I don't enjoy their company. It's just that occasional absence makes the heart grow fonder, and we have had not a single break from each other for quite a while.

Thankfully, we've had some diversions, like learning to ride a pony...

(she was much less nervous than her brother)

And of course some salty mornings on the beach, which never get old...

 I have loved watching them playing together. The older they get, the more they like to hang out. And lately they've been snuggling up together like puppies on the couch. 

We have several friends who've had new babies lately, so this weekend we made these salty sweet cookies to share with them. They turned out so good they didn't last long at all.

Salty Sweet Pretzel Cookies

makes 24

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces

Sea Salt

First:

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Next:

In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture in batches and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and preztels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Last:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of dough and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Mash the cookies down a little on the pan to help them spread, leaving about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe adapted from here.

Happy birthday America!