First Day of School (and a recipe)

Better late than never, right?

Kate started preschool and is more than excited about it.  She has the same teacher Anna had last year and we all love her, so we're happy about that.  Kate was with me every time I dropped Anna off or picked her up, so she was already very familiar with the routine before it all started.  When I took her the first day she marched right into the classroom and only after much pleading did she even turn around to give me a glance.  I'm very happy to have her there.

On another note...I've become one of those mothers.  I'm homeschooling Anna for kindergarten.  I made the decision a few months ago and as the time got closer and people started questioning my decision, I felt a bit of anxiety.  But now that we're in the middle of it, I have no regrets.  I'm glad we're doing it and I think it will be good for all of us.   Right now I'm just planning on doing it this year, but I'm not 100% on that yet.  It really depends on our experience this year and the schools where we live when she starts first grade. 

Now I just need to go make me a prairie skirt and a bonnet and I'll really fit the part.  :o)

And for those who asked, here is the soup recipe:

Butternut Squash Soup

3 leeks, chopped, white parts only (you can use an onion in place of this)

4 medium carrots, chopped

5 Tbsp. butter

3 lbs. buternut squash, peeled and cubed

6 c. chicken broth

3 medium zucchini, peeled and sliced

 2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 c. half & half

1/2 c. milk

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Saute leeks and carrots in butter for 5 min.  Add all but half & half, milk and cheese.  Bring to boil. Reduce heat.  Simmer for 30 minutes and then let cool until lukewarm.  Puree in blender in batches.  Return to pot.  Add half & half and milk.  Reheat, but do not boil.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese.  

**My sis in law gave me a great tip.  If you bake the squash first, it makes it very easy to peel.  I put it in the oven for about an hour at 200.  

This soup is wonderful.  I like to serve it with Peasant Bread.  Meghann, I hope you don't mind if I share your recipe for this!  This is really easy to make, just be sure you leave yourself time for it to rise.  

French Peasant Bread

2 c. hot water (not boiling)

2 tsp. yeast

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

Stir everything together until all is dissolved.  Then add 4 c. flour and stir.  Dough will be sticky.  Let rise for one hour in a bowl.  Grease cookie sheet with olive oil and then sprinkle with corn meal.  After dough has risen, split it in half.  And then you literally plop the two globs of dough onto the cookie sheet.  Let the two heaps rise 45 min. to 1 hour.  Bake at 425 for 10 min.  Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Note: the bread is best if you brush it with olive oil before, during and after you bake it.  Enjoy!

Farewell to Summer

As much as I mourn the end of summer--the flip-flops, watermelon, BBQs, lazy pool days, and late sunsets--I do love the Fall.

I love the Butternut Squash soup, apple pie, hot chocolate, pumpkin cookies (is there a food trend here?), sweaters, escape from heat and humidity, gorgeous Virginia colors, and of course the holidays.  I think the best thing about Fall is the way it smells.  Fall smells good.  But I don't like tying shoes.  Not mine, not theirs.  

Now, if only Spring followed Fall.  

(And this has nothing to do with this post...but Kate just said, "Mom!  Luke is wreaking havoc!"  Are you kidding me? )

Little People

I seriously can't figure out where summer has gone.  I know it's like that every year, but this year it's gone particularly fast.  Looking back, I think it's mostly because I've been so consumed with a baby.  And here we are, heading for Fall...the time Luke was born last year.  How can that be?

It's so fun to see his personality developing.  He army crawls like nobody's business.  And he's got these viper hands.  He sees what he wants and he goes in for the kill.  Sometimes he'll be looking up at me grinning and out of nowhere he goes for my face!  Nothing like a finger in the eye.  My favorite thing about him is that he's a total mama's boy.  It does somethin' for my confidence when I walk into a room and someone is beaming from ear to ear and starts waving his arms just because he's thrilled to see me.  

The other day I left Luke at home with Barrett while running some errands.  Climbing into the car I reminded the girls that it had been like this--just the three of us running around--not too long ago and Kate said, "It was weird without Luke."  I totally agree.

Protect the Ponies!

Last night we were watching the projected path of "Tropical Storm Hanna."  Realizing it was headed our direction, I thought it might be wise to check on a few of our supplies.  I took the opportunity to overhaul our 72 hour kit, which needed some help.  As I was wandering around the house gathering diapers, changes of underwear and other odds and ends which had not yet been added, Anna got pretty curious. 

"What are you doing, Mom?"

When I tried to carefully explain that a big storm was coming our way, it only solicited further questioning and even a bit of panic.

"Where are we going?"

Again, I tried to explain that we weren't planning on going anywhere, but that it's always good to be prepared just in case.  And really, at times like this, you start to think about what you value, what you'd want to take with you in case you really did end up in a position of having to evacuate or something.

It was quickly quite evident which items were high priority on Anna's list as she ran yelling from my room, "Kate!  We need to pack up our ponies!!"

I'm glad to report that the ponies are safe.  I think the girls were actually kind of disappointed today when all we got was a little rain in the morning.  As they looked out the window at the drizzle, they kept asking, "Is this the hurricane?"