Paint, plaster, paint some more...

No more ugly center line yellow!

We keep on plugging away on the never ending project that is the Hupp Mansion.  (How ridiculous is that name for a house?)  We decided to tackle rooms one at a time, starting downstairs.  First, we painted over the horrid center-line yellow in the den.  It was sooo ugly.  I don;t know that we are in love with the color it ended up - so more paint may be in its' future, but it IS better than the color it started out.





Looking back the other way, in the distance you can see the scaffolding in the dining room...



The dining room is our current project.  We've been working on it a few weeks.  The center part of the house really was all just kind of beige - and not well painted in the first place.  We found that before we can even begin painting, we have to remove about 20-30 nails PER ROOM from the plaster walls.  (Some places had 6-8 nails being used to hold up ONE frame.)  Of course, this means holes that have to be patched.  Also, the house is over 200 years old.  Plaster cracks.  So there has been a right substantial amount of plaster repair going on.  We also had that pesky 5.4 earthquake a month or so ago.  Yep.  New cracks.



The dining room has been painted, plastered, patched, painted some more - sanded, trimmed out, and did I mention painted?  We are getting close.  Of course, we haven't touched the windows or the doors yet.  That is something that is just going to have to wait until spring.

My children are pot heads

I don't know what the fascination is, but all my boys like to wear pots on their heads.

• Big soup pots - check.  
• Little pots with handles - check.  
• Colanders (ok, not really a pot, but they live in the pot drawer) - check.

I think it is my husband's Y chromosome.  This is just not the sort of thing girls go around doing.

All it takes is one of them to go get a pot and the other ones tear off to the kitchen to get their own. I wish I had gotten a video of Gabe with the pot. (Alas, on the picture was snapped.)  He was walking around with this pasta pot on his head - totally unable to see where he was going - and running into walls, door frames, etc. Laughing. 

And more recently, they have taken to wanting their parents to be pot heads with them.  (Here Mommy, put this on!) Today Gabe put this pot right on Doug's head with out even asking (that will teach him to lay on the floor where they can reach him!)  He walked right up, plopped the pot over Doug's head and proceeded to "play" Doug's head like a drum.  (I'm making music, Mommy!  Hear it? Hear it?!)

Yep.  My kids are pot heads.

Best Pizza Dough Recipe EVER

Seriously.

We have been making pizza in out house for 20 years. I have over 100 cookbooks in my kitchen alone. This is THE BEST pizza dough recipe I have encountered. We have been using it in our house for over a decade. It always works and always is delicious. Buy a tiny bag of rye flour and keep it just for this pizza dough. You'll be glad you did :)

It comes from the Fields of Greens vegetarian cookbook.

Makes One 15-Inch Pizza Or Two 9-Inch Pizzas (It always makes two good sized pizzas in our house)
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons warm (110°F) water
6 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fine cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rye flour
About 1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour
1 to 3 tablespoons additional flour for rolling the dough
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside in a warm place for 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the milk, oil, and cornmeal in a 1-quart bowl. Add the yeast mixture, then the salt and rye flour; mix well. Gradually add the white flour, making a soft, workable dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, sprinkling in a little flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the surface. Put the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it once so the surface is coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Prepare the topping. (This pizza cooks in about 5 minutes, so you might want to saute/cook any toppings you would like to not be raw.)
Preheat the oven to 500°F and heat the pizza stone, if you're using one, for 20 minutes.
To shape the pizza, first form the dough into 1 round ball or 2 equal-size smaller balls. Roll out on a floured surface, turning it regularly to keep a round shape. It should be about 1/8 inch thick, slightly thicker at the edges. Lay the dough on an oiled pizza pan or a well-floured wooden peel. Cover with the topping you have chosen. Bake the pizza on its pan or slide it onto the heated pizza stone.
It takes about 5-7 minutes in a screaming hot oven. A minute or so less on a screaming hot grill.

Menu Planning Monday : Oct 10

So groceries have gotten out of control in terms of $$ spent. These little boys are eating us out of house and home (hello, 4 gallons of milk a week and 2 dozen eggs!) and they are only 3 and not quite 1! We are going to have to get a cow, and some chickens, and win the lottery if they are going to continue to eat into their teenage years.

With this reality sinking in, along with a clear need for some help in terms of getting my house, life, laundry, etc back under control now that school is in session - I have committed to menu planning every week. Since school started back in August I have been pretty good about it - but it had started to slide, so I am recommitting and making it official by putting out for the world to see.

I bought a nifty book that is really helping on many fronts: Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life, by Stephanie O'Dea. It was in this book (in October week2) I was sent to : OrgJunkie, where Meal Planning Monday lives. Ahh...the universe telling me to get it together.

So this week looks like this:

Monday: Chicken Souvlaki
Tuesday: Veggie Soup w/ Cornmeal Dumplings, Apple and Fennel Salad, and toasted baguette
Wednesday: Flank Steak w/ Chimichurri sauce and Portuguese Cornbread (Sept 2001 Cooking Light)
Thursday: Green Curry Chicken
Friday: Tacos
Saturday: Home made pizzas (Field of Greens has the BEST dough recipe, hands down.)
Sunday: Cincinnati 5 way chili

Prep for next week - make lots of pesto with the mountain of basil growing out the back door.

I don't have links to all the recipes, as some have no recipes, and others are from the mountain of books on my shelf. I'm working on getting them all posted.

Rainy Day Fun

Today turned out to be a rainy, cold mess. Which is a bummer.

HOWEVER, luck for us our kids don't seem to care one little bit. Doug took the twins to the 'big house' to paint and clean the carpet while Reece took a nap.

Then Reece woke up and enjoyed making the rounds of all the toys with no competition.

Once everyone was back home we had lunch and then got bundled up in our jeans and sweaters to head down the hill to Strasburg's "Octoberfest."

Yes, it was lame. But again - three year olds can enjoy pretty much anything. Case in point, once we got home (because of said cold rain) the blue helium balloons were a source of entertainment for all three for at least two hours.

French Onion Soup

The air has turned crisp and I saw a few leaves skipping across the street on my ride home today. This means (in my little world) that it is soup season. This is a happy occasion.

Here is my French Onion Soup recipe. It makes 4 bowls - of which, I will eat three.

Slice 4 large sweet onions (though any will do, really) and toss them in a large soup pot with about 1 Tbs of olive oil in it. Saute low and slow for 30-45 minutes, until they JUST start to brown a touch. When you see them start to brown, toss in 2 chopped cloves of garlic and stir and cook another 1 minute, then add 2/3 cup dry sherry and deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil to cook off the alcohol.

Add 2 cups chicken broth AND 2 cups beef broth to the onions. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover for about 20 minutes.

While the onions simmer, dice up about 2 cups (more if you really like it) crusty bread in 3/4 in cubes, toss on a sheet pan in about 2 Tbs olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 Tbs fresh chopped rosemary and 1 Tbs fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven (350) for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan a few times.

When the croutons are done, pull them out and switch the oven to low broil. Now toss 2-3 Tbs more rosemary and 1 Tbs more thyme into the soup pot as you turn off the heat. Ladle into oven proof soup bowls. Top with a handful of croutons, then top with Gruyere cheese (or sharp provolone instead). Broil until bubbly.

Yuuuuuuummmmmmm.......

It's Official...Reece is Walking

Of course, he refuses to do it for the video camera! He has been trying it out for a few weeks - just letting go and lunging and taking a few steps. Today that changed. He stood up, stopped and got his balance, and then took about 6 steps!

Hopefully we will get it on video in the next day or two...

Navy Bean Soup

Navy Bean Soup from the Crock Pot

I love to make navy bean soup in the crock pot.  I never knew just how easy it was until a little old lady who helped us take care of my mom told me how to do it.  I was amazed at how few ingredients were in it and how completely delicious it was.

1 pound of dried navy beans, rinsed and sorted
1 c. diced carrots (I use 3, never really measure it)
1 large diced onion
2-3 bay leaves
1 left over ham bone (like from an Easter spiral ham) OR 2-3 meaty ham hocks
salt to taste

Throw all this in the crock pot and cover with water.  Cook on low or high until beans are tender.  Low is about 8 hours, High is about 4.  Pull out the bay leaves before serving. 

Recipe Under Construction

I am working on a new recipe. Feel free to help! I am combing a few ideas - banana bread and nutella cupcakes. I'll post a picture of mine as soon as I manage to find the camera cord the kids hid somewhere.

Self Frosting Banana and Nutella Muffins

Here is round one:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together:
1 1/2c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mash together:
2-3 very ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Cream together:
1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar

Mix three components (mashed, mixed, and creamed) together. Batter will be really thick and you'll have to work it a bit to get it all mixed. Scoop into 12 lined and sprayed muffin tins.

Nutella topping:

scoop some nutella into a ziptop bag. Squish it around so it is soft and smooth. Snip the tip and squeeze out a squiggly or ring of nutella onto the top of the muffins. Swirl in.

Bake 23 minutes.

Current Status:

Now - in theory - I was supposed to be able to swirl the nutella in the top. I couldn't. The batter I made was too thick. However, I would make this change next time: Fill the muffin tins reserving about a tsp per muffin. Take the nutella and zap it a few seconds in the microwave to make it thinner. THEN squeeze the nutella on the muffins and spread the reserved banana batter on top of it. I think this will work better.

They tasted super yummy - even with the rather messy swirling attempt I made. The nutella that pokes out the top does look like frosting. Even the nutella under the surface ends up tasting like frosting.


UPDATE: I made the changes suggested above and got a much prettier muffin!

Reece' s First Steps

Well, today was the day. Reece has been working up to it for a few weeks. Scooting around furniture, using anything not bolted down as a walker, letting go and testing his balance. We knew it was coming. Today was the day he decided to try for real. He let go of Doug, got his balance, then proceeded to take 4 steps across the floor to me. He is 10.5 months old. Amazing.

Sunday morning...

Some Sunday mornings are super busy, others pretty lazy. The kids were up early this morning and doing what they do -- that would be getting into everything, playing, laughing, running around, while stopping by every so often so crawl up in a lap for a hug or a big smile. I was cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast when I noticed it had gotten pretty quiet around the corner, so I tiptoed around the edge to see what was going on. (Quiet in a house with three boys is usually something to be concerned about, trust me.)

When I got to the living room I saw Gabe asleep in the chair on Doug - and Doug asleep, too. Grayson working all the latches on the coffee table. (No worries, Reece was accounted for - he was upstairs taking a nap.) So this was one of those GOOD quiet days. Well, at least the morning...the rest of the day remains to be seen!

Happy 3rd Birthday to the Twins!

OK, this time I mean it. I am so glad the boys have a summer birthday. It makes parties so much easier than when the weather is colder - and since our kiddos love, love, love being outside anyway - well, it is a perfect match. Of course, this year we are celebrating a little late because of Grayson's eye surgery two days before their birthday...which led to this year's party being the same weekend we had a hurricane all the way up the East Coast! Luckily, the rain held off until the very end of the party and didn't start until literally the last guests were leaving.

We set up the tents, blew up the bug bouncy house, left up the trampoline, and had a great time. This year the boys had some friends and their parents come from their preschool class, so there were more kids and little people for them to play with. It was just a bunch of backyard fun with food and cake and lots of little boys.

There were kids and parents on the trampoline at all times, the swings were almost always full (see Reece loving it?), and we managed to make it almost 3 hours with no fighting, pushing, shoving, etc.

When the last of the guests left and the rain backed off for a few minutes we too their presents inside and opened them. Lots of cars and car related toys were to be had, along with books (Mama Lama is now a new favorite) and a piano (favorite present of the day.)

As we cleaned up all the wrapping paper and leftover food we realized that now we need to start planning Reece's party - his birthday is in about 8 weeks!

Jiffy Pop

Tonight the boys got to experience Jiffy Pop for the first time. I couldn't help myself when I saw it in the store. I hate that they thing so much stuff comes out of the microwave! So we sat them up on the counter, started the stove, and shook that thing silly. It was just as cute as I thought it would be. They were so excited and kept telling me - look Mommy! It's POPPING!

Even funnier, they really didn't "get" that there was going to be popcorn inside it until we tore it open. Then it was exciting all over again :)

Simple things.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

OK, almost. Because Grayson had surgery scheduled for Friday, 8/12, we decided to postpone the celebration for two weeks.

Grayson's Eye Surgery

So the time has come for us to make a decision about Grayson's eyes. We patched for the better part of two years, but as of late he had become totally unwilling to keep the patch on. He had even taken to squeezing his other eye shut and laying on the floor crying the whole time he was patched while trying to rip it off. Very upsetting for everyone in the house. He has never been willing to wear his glasses - as every time he puts them on his weak eye (the left one) pulls and pulses to the center so hard you can tell it must be hard to see/focus on anything.

So the doctor said it was time to do the surgery to align his eyes better. He was starting to favor his right eye so much he was afraid he was telling his brain to ignore the left one. This is so scary for me (being that I am going progressively more blind every year), but it seems like this is the best chance he has for getting his vision to cooperate.

This photo was taken in the prep room as we got him in the gown and little hat. He loved the hat - thought it was the best thing ever. He was in great spirits and cooperated the whole time. They let me walk him back and hold him while they put him to sleep. I was really impressed with the anesthesiologist. He started telling Grayson a story and incorporated the gas mask into the story so when he put it on his face he wasn't scared at all.

Since he has been asleep for surgery's before we knew it would not be as nice when we woke up. He is prone to night terrors - and the 'twilight' sleep state is not good for this little boy. Our recovery room nurse was not so great - she actually raised her voice at him and told him to stop crying! (Hello lady, he's two!!!)

He eventually pulled it together and we headed home. By the time we got home he was starting to be himself again - and within a few hours he was on the trampoline with Gabe like nothing happened.

I continue to be amazed at how easy going this little man can be. He takes all these challenges in stride and just keeps on plugging along.

Day 2 of Potty Training Grayson : Take 2

Today is day 2 of the second try for potty training Grayson. We tried a few weeks ago and he just wasn't ready. We thought he was, but not quite. This time, however, I am thinking may be the 'for real' time! Yesterday we had one potty hit -- well, he came over and stood next to the potty and started peeing and we sat him on it and he finished. This was a huge success. Then later he announced he was going to pee on the potty but instead I caught him peeing on his daddy's diaper bag!

This morning he came running to me when he needed to potty and started peeing a little. We 'hurry, hurried' to the potty and he finished in the potty. Then about an hour later he needed to pee again and he announced it, didn't pee on anything, we hurried to the potty and ALL the pee ended up on the potty!

We have our fingers and toes crossed that this is the time!!!

We are not alcoholics...

This morning there was a lot of 'clinking' and back and forth from the boys in the living room. It sounded pretty harmless, so I let it go. Then I remembered, I have twins. They are almost 3. Very little in this world is harmless these days. So after about 5 minutes I decided maybe I should peek around the corner and see what on earth was going on. This is what I saw.

Gabe explained - One for Daddy, one for Mommy, one for PopPop, one for Patti, etc.....he ran down the list of just about every adult he knows. He had unloaded the little mini wine fridge. Again.

Mango and Coconut Muffins

1 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar

2 eggs at room temp
3/4 c. coconut milk
3 Tbs oil

1 c. mango chopped 1/4 inch
1 c. shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. In another bowl mix together wet ingredients. Pour into dry and mix to combine (don't over mix.) Fold in mango and coconut.

Pour into greased muffin tins. (should make 12-14.) Bake 20-25 minutes.

(Mine took closer to 25 minutes. They are a pale muffin, so don't over bake.)

All the Boys

All the boys in my house...
they are all characters on their own. Put them together and you have -- Reece thinking he should be walking....not!

Grayson reading....

Gabe making fishy faces....

Guess...

Anyone want to guess which one is actually "in" time out??

In the Pool!

Everyone in the pool! Today was Reece's first time in the pool (he's 8months now - how did that happen?) We pulled out the floaty, loaded him in and crossed our fingers. It appears to have been a success!
We also have new life jackets for the boys that we are using. Since they are so skinny it has been hard to find ones for them, but these seem to be OK. We are just working on being comfortable in the water, rolling on our backs, and getting our faces wet. It is coming along pretty well. Gabe is still a little uneasy about it all, but he doesn't like getting his face wet in the bath tub, so it was no big surprise that this would be a challenge for him.


Grayson loves the water. Can you tell?

Reece helping in the kitchen

Reece found the tupperware drawer...

And he is standing...

It was quiet upstairs this morning and I thought Reece was asleep, so I tiptoed up the stairs. What I found was NOT Reece sleeping in his crib, but Reece STANDING in his crib - grinning ear to ear, clearly very pleased with himself.

I quickly got the camera and got a few pictures (not great ones, but pictures none the less) before he let go and toppled over. He was then promptly removed from the crib so Doug could lower the mattress a few notches so he wouldn't end up going over the top.

I can't believe he is already pulling up - he isn't quite crawling yet, but he is so ready to be completely upright! He is growing up so fast.

And we all wear night-night shoes

Gabe is feeling pretty needy these days, and apparently the extra 3 minutes of attention Grayson gets at night as we put on his 'night-night shoes' was just too much for him last night. He had to had some, too! So we put them on him (as we have done in the past) and he promptly fell asleep with them on!

Gabe at the Big School

Gabe has been a bit jealous lately of the attention the baby gets - and it is making him quite the annoying little handful. First we had to get him to stop biting Grayson, but now he is "squeezing" him. I decided what he really needs is not another time out, but some 'just Gabe' time. So since I only had 3 kids in my first period class, and it is not looking like I will have many more today - I think a visit to the big school is in order.

First, we had lunch. He was a bit distracted by all the kids running around, but liked it. Then back to my room where we did a Lucky Charms counting and sorting (and then eating) worksheet. Followed by a little marker, glue, pencil, tissue paper art. When that got old we wandered down the hall to the preschool room. Jackpot! They had a neat little wooden train set and some foamy blocks.

With only minimal help in showing him how to put the tracks together, Gabe proceeded to build a train track, pull out the little trees and signage, and push his train around and around and around the track while saying "chugga chugga chugga" the entire time.

It's that time again...SOL

Yep, SOL time. And either my kids do a good job or we are all S-O-L! I have a few I am pretty concerned about passing this time around, and the test looks harder than it has in the past. I have my fingers crossed! Results should be in by the end of the day.

OK - the results are in! 100% pass. Woo Hoo! Even better : 57% pass advance. Double Woo Hoo!

Of course, I can't possibly keep this up - so at some point my scores will drop and people will be disappointed. Hum bug. Oh well, for now it is all good. Looks like I have to go order a SOL Cake for the kiddos.

Red Lentil Soup with a Spicy Sizzle

Red Lentil Soup with a Spicy Sizzle

Making this for dinner tonight - as penance for the HUGE taco salad we had for dinner last night. It was super fast to get in the pot (15 minutes - including time to locate the bulgur on the top shelf in the pantry.) It smells pretty good bubbling away on the stove. I'll check it in about 25 minutes and see what we have!

It was very yummy - the 'sizzle' topping is quite spicy - and this is coming from someone who loves spicy food. This is NOT a pretty soup - but it is tasty (s0 not pretty I didn't even take a picture to post.) I think that maybe a swirl of yogurt might be a nice contrast to the spice of the oil. It was just as good for lunch the next day.

3 Little Boys, All in a Row

Reece is growing up so fast! Watching the boys play and interact with him is really entertaining. I tried to get a video of the green bean snatch, but apparently I messed it up because it seems to be missing from the phone, which is a bummer. It was really funny.

Today I gave Reece green beans for the first time. As in whole, not smushed up, green beans. It was a huge mess - but a great time was had. He has been trying to steal food off of his brothers trays for a few weeks now, so I figured it was time to let him play with his food. So when it was time for dinner we lined up all three little boys and dished out the goods. This kept Reece entertained for about 35-4o minutes! He would pick up the beans and mash them to his face (where most of them then rolled down his face onto his lap!) A few actually made it in (and stayed in) his mouth. He was thrilled.

The boys were so cute. They would watch Reece and talk to him while they all sat there eating. I think it is time to go get another booster seat for Reece. He is getting big/strong enough to toppled the bumbo to reach things on the floor. I can't believe he is growing so fast.

Memorial Day Weekend

Lots of fun was had this weekend! There was sooo much to do for little boys.

The weekend started with The Great Train Raid re-enactment. There were horses, a replica steam engine, and mounted civil war soldiers marching right past 'the big house' as they reenacted Stonewall Jackson's heist of a train.



Then there was lots of fun to be had at Jen's house, where hoards of little kids played on the swings, went down the water slide, splashed in the pool, and bounced in the bounce house.



And then to cool off (since our A/C was on the fritz all freaking week it was 90-100 degrees) there was a new sprinkler to run in. This was a BIG weekend for all the little boys in the Bowen House!

Do my eyes look funny?

Gabe's new trick.

Doesn't every little boy need a camel?

This weekend was the Montessori School's annual Spring Fling. The boys had a good time running around on the playground, eating, playing at the bubble station, Grayson got his face painted, seeing the animals at the petting zoo, AND....the big exciting thing :



Yep, that is Grayson. Riding on a camel. By himself. Waaayyyyy up high (his words). He did not even hesitate and wanted to ride it all by himself. He such a brave little kid. You could tell he was a little unsure at first, but he was not about to NOT ride it.

It took Gabe a few hours to get up the nerve to ride it - and Doug had to ride with him. We kept going back to it and you could tell Gabe really wanted to ride, but was scared. It was fun to watch him work up the nerve to do it with Doug.

Rainy Days

The boys have gotten old enough to appreciate the fun to be had on a warm rainy day. We have had quite a lot of rain recently, so we decided it was time to break of the new umbrellas I bought during the winter on sale. They are so stinking cute! Once they figured out having it over their heads was NOT scary - it became lots of fun. We snapped a few pictures - but they wouldn't hold still for long - it was too much fun to knock the water off the trees onto each other.

They have also been taught the fine art of 'puddle stomping' by Patti - so summer rain is going to be something to look forward to in our house.

Playing the Yard

Yeah for nice weather! This week has been so nice - low 70s and low humidity. I got home as fast I could this week so we could play outside before dinner. Right now 'mowing the grass' has become THE thing to do in our back yard. The boys took turns pushing the mower around and making mower noises.

The early irises are also in full bloom right now - so they look great. Doug is trying to tag them by color so we can divide and move them at the end of the summer. We are running out of places to put them in THIS yard - so it is a good thing we have another 4 acres of yard on the other side of town. We have moved irises from Granny's in SC, to Orchard St, to Washington St, and now they are headed to Massanutten -- not to mention the thinnings we have done and just given away. We are populating a large portion of Strasburg with Granny's flowers. Pretty neat.

Gabe and his nose...

Just hanging out in the yard and checking out the flowers.

Sweet Baby Reece

Painting at School

One of the fun things about the boys going to school is that they have complete access to messy things - like painting - whenever they want. We just can't do this at home.

We get lots of paintings sent home every week from both boys. We have even framed a bunch of them to use as art in their room.

This was the first time the artwork was also annotated.