When winter decided to come up for air, and we were graced with a few days nearing 50 degrees, we could hardly contain ourselves. Fresh air and open windows and romps in the mud beckoned, and we answered with delight.

I found Ryan's first pair of "chorin' boots" and pulled them out for David. It was a good thing, too, because boys and mud are like glue and paper...birds and song...Oreo's and milk, and it was not long before he was tap-tap-tap-splish-sploshing through the nearest puddle.

Ryan, true to form, was off on an adventure. Of course, note that he has his stick in hand- never leave home without a trusty stick.

I hope when these days are long gone, one thing I remember is how much I loved hearing David call for Ryan. He 's doing that in the picture above- pausing to call with all his might...waiting for an answer, waiting to run in the right direction.

Ryan, (stick still in-hand) has found the half-melted snow-cave his dad carved out for him only days before.

And of course, we couldn't take a trip outside without seeing the "ladies". In a few months, we hope to be calling them "mom's." We can't wait! See that one on the right? That's Millie. And she still thinks she is more human than sheep.
We still have one cow (see those horns!?). He has grown a little, too.

It has turned back cold again this week- back down to the 20's and 30's- but oh, that breath of Spring was enough to get us dreaming...and planning...and hoping for brighter, warmer days!

Just Try...

...to keep from laughing as you watch this video.

You can see him looking over the camera- Phil came in during the song, and started acting out the story as Ryan was singing. When his dad opened the door and watched in amazement as his imaginary meatball "rolled out the door", Ryan could no longer contain himself.

I love being a mom.

Easiest Pie Crust Ever

You probably have those recipes- you know the kind I'm talking about. You take it to a friend's house and they rave about how wonderful it tastes, and you think inwardly (or outwardly, if you're me) "if you only knew how easy this was to make..."

For my wedding shower, each attendee was asked to bring a favorite recipe of theirs, and they were compiled into a recipe book that I now treasure. This pie crust, the only pie crust I know how to make, by the way, was a gift handed down to me at this shower. Now, I share it with you.

My mom...my mother in law...my aunt...oh, they make wonderfully crumbly, flaky pie crusts. This crust is more of a sugar-cookie texture, but I find it delicious with many of the traditional fillings. Raspberry, apple, pumpkin, lemon...all go really, really well with this crust.

The recipe originally calls for these ingredients:

2 cups flour

3 TBSP sugar

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup oil

3 TBSP milk

This will make a pie crust (bottom only).

Often, though, I want something on top of the pie as well. So, for apple pies, I add 1/3 more to the recipe, and save 1/3 out when pressing in the bottom crust.

So, my ingredients for a double-crusted pie end up being:

3 cups flour

4.5 TBSP sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup oil

4.5 TBSP milk

What you do:


Take the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) and mix in a medium bowl with a fork.

In a small saucepan, pour the oil and the milk and stir over medium heat until bubbly. You don't want a rolling boil here or anything, just some nice bubbles, so you know it's heated through- a light simmer, if you will.

When it starts to simmer, remove from heat and pour into the dry ingredients.

Mix around until fully combined. Pour 2/3 of the mixture (or all, if doing only a single-crust) into an un-greased pie plate and press down. Poke holes all the way around with a fork (sides, too) to keep bubbles from forming.

For baked pies (like pumpkin, apple, lemon)

Put empty crust in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until just barely browned. Then, add pie filling. and bake to pie's specifications.

For my pie, I added the pie filling (from a jar, got to love those canned goods!) and then crumbled the remaining 1/3 crust mixture on top. I sprinkled sugar and cinnamon on top before putting it back in the oven for another 35 minutes.

If it is a chilled pie (pudding, berry)

Bake pie crust thoroughly at 350 degrees and remove from oven. Cool completely and add filling before chilling in fridge.

I hope you enjoy! And, learn your manners from someone other than Ryan's Hand.

A Winter's Dream

About this time each year, I start to forget what the world looks like when it's green. I love the white, the sweet, quiet blanket of snow that covers a multitude of imperfections in our landscape, but I am ready for chirping birds and warm breezes through open windows and and green.
One can get melancholy, come month three of winter. And though I am still thankful for this time of rest, this time of rejuvenation, what has become a balm to my winter-weary soul is the seed catalog.
Oh, sweet nectar of dreams, plans, and inspiration! In the pictures, there is nothing but lush, perfect produce. Flowers in full bloom. Sunshine poured out on bushels of potatoes. And I soak in each delightful page, the garden growing in my heart and mind with each sub-freezing day that passes.
This year, on the third Sunday home-bound (from snow or illness, alternately) I took down the three catalogs that we had received, and asked Ryan for scissors and glue. We spent the next few hours dreaming of pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, watermelon (!), green beans, popcorn, fresh sweet basil...We discussed the strawberries that had done so well last fall, and the raspberries that need to be moved. In my brain, where the work is magically done and no sweat is involved, the garden is nicely planted, expertly and effortlessly weeded, and produces an abundance of produce. And I can almost smell that sweet summer air just thinking about it now.
Of course, this has not always been my cup of tea. Learning to enjoy gardening has been a real treasure (though, still I could do without the bugs...).
This year I think I might actually plant flowers...unlike me, because I am usually a practical gardener (How much of that do we eat? Is that really a necessary thing to grow?) and quite impatient (why plant flowers now when they won't bloom for weeks, months, even!). And, every year come flower-bloom time, I am sad that I didn't take the time to sow any seed. This year, I plan on breaking that cycle and adorning my table with fresh-cut flowers, planted with patience and cultivated with love. I would love (truly) suggestions on what kind of flowers to plant around my garden.
How do you beat the winter blues?

When Dad Plays

For a kid who loves the outdoors, the winter months of indoor play can seem so long. It takes a stretching of the imagination, these hours upon hours of time without world to explore (with stick in hand).

One morning Ryan was digging around in the game cabinet and found a pack of playing cards with airplanes on the back. He ran into the kitchen and nearly yelled "Mom! Look at this AIRPLANE!" (You would have thought it swooped down in our front yard for all of his excitement). He turned his head to the side and said in a sweet voice "Do you think we could make this?"


"Make this? What do you mean, Ry?"

"Oh, like make the airplane!"

"Oh, I don't know...we could try, I guess. You get started."

And at this point my mom-brain turned back to the stack of dishes and the rising bread dough. Minutes later the silence was once again broken by a now discouraged preschooler.

"I can't do it mom. It doesn't work right."

He pulls me by the hand into the living room, where he has dismantled the couch and the cushions are piled un-dramatically into a heap in the center of the room.

"See? I don't know how to make the wings." He holds up the playing card, still clutched in hand, and shrugs sadly.

"Well...honey, I don't know that we can make an airplane out of couch cushions."

"You see how this has wings, mom? Like this one and this one?" he turns the card slightly so he can see and still show me, and traces the wings of the plane with his fingers. This is important.

But truly, I am at a loss. Airplanes are pointy...couch cushions are very un-pointy.

"Maybe you just need to pretend, sweetheart."

And then Phil walks in. Dads just think differently.

"He is trying to make the airplane with the cushions." I nod at the heap hesitantly.

Ryan is right behind me, pleading his case with Dad. "You see dad? It needs wings like this one and this one."

"Oh, well...let's see what we can do."

Retreating to the kitchen to finish my chores, I only hear muffled voices as the boys work. And then, sure enough, I am interrupted once again. This time, though, by Phil. "You want to go see his airplane?"

And I walk in to the living room to see a boy, grinning ear to ear, thrilled with the results of his real-live airplane. As he sits in the cockpit, ready to take off, I can't help but be delighted at a dad and his creativity.

Dads just think differently...and I'm so glad they do.


Other things we have done to pass the time, sans-TV:

• Go on a bear hunt
• Hunt for letters/colors/etc.
• Play animal charades (using stuffed or plastic animals chosen from a pillow case)
• Play-doh and coloring
• Lots of cooking!
• Cleaning (they do the hand-vacuum, dusting, sorting and towel-folding)
• Play the game of opposites (say this quietly, loudly, be small, be tall)
• Sing songs (hokey pokey, little teapot, if you're happy and you know it)
• Cut out pictures of produce and make a garden calendar for Spring

Our wonderful sister-in-law sent us this book for Christmas, and it has been a lifesaver. They have different versions for different ages, and I highly recommend it. I am thinking about getting one for David's age, because many of the preschooler activities involve items that would be too old for him...but come to think of it, he delights in just running as fast as he can after that big brother of his, anyway. "Toddler Busy Book, idea number 366: Get him a big brother."

Still Three...but not for too much longer.
Oh, how I love talking with my oldest these days. He is such a delight!
This evening, as Phil was talking with him, he started one of his favorite games.
"I love you." (Dad says, quietly, normally.)
"I love you more" (Ryan emphasizes, stifling a snicker)
"I love YOU more" (Dad raises his voice in mock-indignation)"No, I LOVE YOU MORE!" (Though peals of laughter, legs poised to run, expecting a tackle)
"I bet you don't love me enough to pick up all of your toys!" (Dad says playfully, eyeing the enormous tornado that is the play room, a valiant attempt at Tom Sawyer psychology).
Ryan looks sideways at the room, nudges a toy aside with his foot, and says nonchalantly "I don't."
At least we know he hasn't lost his spunk.