Monthly Archives: August 2013

I Didn’t Exactly Mean to Order That Bushel of Peaches…

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Laura

…but I was a little lazy and forgot to change our order from the week before. Oops! Several hours and lots of hot water later along with the help of a wonderful neighborhood grandmother (to occupy the children),we have 24 … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking | 2 Comments

Oh Yeah! A Blue Ribbon For Me!

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Laura

I won! I’m the official first place winner in the 2013 Maryland State Fair category N-5, “Dolls and Stuffed Animals – Toy or game other than doll or stuffed animal, no wood.” How’s that for a happy smile? Thanks to my … Continue reading →

Posted in sewing | 16 Comments

Assessment Time for Operation Quiet Time

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Laura

Now that we’re several months into Operation Quiet Time, I figured it’s a good time for a formal assessment. Currently, I give it a C+. Generally speaking, we only manage about 45 minutes of quiet time. If I’m lucky, those … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie | 2 Comments

Mesmerizing (but screen-free) Activities (for two-year-olds)

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Laura

Here are a couple favorite activities as of the past couple weeks, guaranteed to keep Ellie thoroughly occupied for at least a half hour, if not longer. 1. Cutting paper I knew that box of scrap paper from teaching would … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, parenting | Tagged screen free activities | 6 Comments

I Am An Official Exhibitor At The State Fair!

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Laura

Inspired by my Aunt Zona, I entered something for the State Fair this year! Although I handed over Maria and Clara’s color books, I kept Violet’s so I could enter it. Then I promptly forgot to do anything about it … Continue reading →

Posted in sewing | Tagged Home Arts Buidling, Maryland State Fair | 8 Comments

Why “Eat, Play, Sleep” Doesn’t Work For Me (and our kids)

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Laura

A fairly common piece of parenting advice for new moms (particularly when their babies are newborns), is that their babies should be on an “Eat, Play, Sleep” schedule. They should nurse, then have awake time, then fall asleep on their … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, Mark, nursing, parenting | Tagged Eat Play Sleep, nursing to sleep | 11 Comments

What Children Want Most From Their Mom [isn’t necessarily what they should get]

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Laura

Here I am again, talking about balance. Here’s my other recent balance post. Several weeks ago, I started seeing this article linked to in several places. The author talks about how baking bread is a really soul-nourishing practice for her … Continue reading →

Posted in parenting, reflecting | 4 Comments

Headbands Evidently Are Not Allowed to Belong to Mamas

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Laura

Dear Cousin Selah, Thanks so much for making this headband for my mama. Silly you forgot that headbands are really for little girls so I’ve taken the liberty of “borrowing” the headband. I know how to put it on all … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, family | 1 Comment

Port Discovery With Yiayia

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Laura

Yesterday, Ellie, Mark, and I joined Yiayia for a fun morning at Port Discovery, a children’s museum in downtown Baltimore. We started in the tots room, for kids under three. Ellie loved the sand box! Then we moved on over … Continue reading →