Camping with Mom

 Every year Mom and I camp out at Wisconsin Sheep and Wool. Sometimes we have classes to attend, sometimes others join us. We camp in the same spot each year for a few years now and have friends we have met there as neighbors each year. There is a pavilion right where we camp and the bathrooms - with hot showers - are just across the way. We are far from the action at this spot but that has its charm too. After we got out site set up out came the spinning for me and knitting for Mom.

Mom took these pictures to show the family how we were doing. The van was parked there to try to block the wind, it was fairly cold for September.

This is my Mom, Robin.

I got a few shots in myself. We bring a hot plate, a toaster oven and this year a electric kettle and make our meals. We both love cooking and tend to fix ridiculously complicated things for camping. This year's highlights are Mussel stew, crepes, Yorkshire pudding with three mushroom hash, and a steamed lemon pudding, and scones for tea time. The kettle was a great addition helping not just in tea and coffee making but also in clean up time. 

This little guy was also camping out at the festival. These are Shetland sheep. The darker sheep is full grown, the brown and white spotted sheep is a Jacobs and that breed in average sized for sheep. Shetland are tiny.

the me I expected to be

Back when I knew everything, aka when I was a teenager, I had an idea of what adult me would be like. Which flaws, or things I viewed as flaws, of my family and friend's families I would avoid and which things they did I would keep and incorporate into my life. I was very opinionated. Often I was right.

• I still believe that eating a small amount of a 'real' thing - butter, bacon, Parmesan, etc - was better than eating a lot of junk. 
• I still believe that freshly baked bread is better tasting and better for you than store bought. 
• I still believe that cake tastes best not from a box.
• I still believe that family is the most important people in your world so keeping a pretty house and good dishes should be everyday not just for company.
• I still believe that a book or radio is better than tv.
• I still believe that every yard should have a garden and the whole family - kids included - should be responsible for working it.
• I still believe in meals at the table, made fresh from ingredients. 
• I still believe that laundry should be done often, not just when you are out of underwear, and it should be dried on the line. 

I still believe a lot of things, but I recently got to thinking about this and my implementation of my beliefs is very spotty. So I am calling myself out.

• Put down the candy and store bought doughnuts.
• Bake bread more and not just the one plain white recipe, experiment.
• Baking the kids a cake, make it real, if it is an everyday cake fruit is better than 7up.
• Clean up a little everyday - maybe the kids will notice and help. Get out the good dishes. clean your own room rather than just trying to get the kids to pick up their rooms. Show them they are important with more than cuddles, games, and words.
• Turn off the tv, especially at night. I will often stay up later than I want to not because I am watching something interesting but simply because I am too tired to make a decision for I flip from channel to channel watching bits and pieces of something. 
• My husband doesn't like to garden, and truthfully I don't like to in the middle either. I love planning, cleaning the garden,  and planting. I really love harvest and processing the fruits and veggies, but that middle bit you know weeding and watering not working harder on that limits my garden greatly. I need to mitigate my response, either by planning a lower maintenance garden or by doing that dreaded middle work.
• Actually, dinners every night at the table we do, but I'd like to teach the kids family style and table settings.
• My husband does most of the kids laundry up to a point. That point is folding it. He doesn't. I usually end up waiting until there is a mountain, then being irritated by it. He does a lot of work and I should appreciate more it rather than being worn out by the mountain. Hopefully I can try to keep up instead of catch up and that will help.

Hopefully, I can catch up with my teenage self. Today, when the kids got home we had tea, with scones that were ready and still warm. I always saw myself as the mom who would have everyday tea parties with her kids. They loved it and it got snack-time over quickly too. I am thinking gingerbread for tomorrow.
~Julia

tea parties and other fancy things

For Butterfly's birthday she got to invite a bunch of friends from school over to the house for screaming... I mean for a tea party. They were delightful.

A new day.

Friday: Butterfly got to see her grandparents and get her birthday presents from them.  They had been sick (and still were not feeling great) so they missed her party.  She had a wonderful time, normally when she goes some where the division of kids means she is either with mouse (middle two) or with Badger (girls together) well as Nathaniel goes to dinner with his dad on Friday evening she got to go with him and it was different and odd for her.  I also took the car, better mileage, which she very rarely rides in so that was fun for her too.  Grandpa surprised her with an ice cream cake.

Saturday: We went to the farmer's market, despite the cold wind it was a good day!  Huge beets from a very pregnant woman, tiny thai peppers, cayennes, shallots (I am plant half the bag and hoping)  pie pumpkins, soap (that is helping with my skin) kettle corn, cookies, coffee and cocoa.  We saw neat clockwork looking spiders, goat cheese in 2# block that I want but can't go through enough so I am hoping to find someone to go in with me, the river looked so wild and fast alongside the market.  Definitely have to go one more time before they close for the season.  

Then a friend and her soon to be husband stopped by and we ended up chatting about garden and plans.  They are getting married in May and the florist wants $20 a bunch for lily of the valley!  They are going to come up and pick my yard instead, hopefully the maiden's veil bushes will be in bloom in time so they can snag some of that too.  We ended up finding hidden treasures in the kids garden.  Mouse had beans hanging that we have collected for seed, Badger had tiny carrots, and Butterfly had a few cherry tomatoes.  They only could stay an hour or so but it was nice.

Then Beaver and I hopped in the car and drove to the Military Miniature Society of Illinois Show where his team competed, as adults.  The oldest is 17!  All of them did well.  Beaver's piece got a letter of merit in the general class showing he needs to work to compete but that he has the talent and is competing at the right level.  I think he was a little disappointed, I was proud.  He did get very inspired, and ended up talking to one vendor who gave him two flats to try painting.  They are revolutionary war soldiers and he will have to learn about the proper uniforms and how to paint a flat.  The team went out to dinner at a nice restaurant after.  The leader wants the kids to experience different things and grow not just as a painter but as a person.  I had the best mussels I have ever eaten, Beaver had a Caesar salad.

Sunday: We got up in time for church, have not been in a while, but since Butterfly had asked if Church was in season, I figured we ought to go.  Changes!  Beaver's class in Sunday school is gone in favor of a multiple parish youth group that meets at a different time, so he is going to help out in the younger kids class.  Butterfly is old enough to start.  She was very nervous at first, but Beaver sat with her and soon her friend showed up and she felt better about it and had a great time.  The adult class was very interesting, no plan due to the death of a long time parishioner, so the priest just opened up discussion with ask me anything and let the discussion move from there.  We ended up talking about the differences between the Western churches and the Eastern churches.  I did not realize that with regard to a lot of things Episcopal church beliefs are closer to the Eastern church than the Catholic. 

Then we raced home, quickly cleaned up and ate. My friend from the day before came over with her mother, future mother in law and another friend came.  We covered cardboard hat boxes with fabric.  They will be her centerpieces.  She baked scones and brought jam and tea and we had a bit of a tea party after we got the boxes done.  I was thinking the whole time if she leaves the scraps I am making her a table runner.  Her mom, dumped a handful or so into the garbage, when the left I rescued them.  The kids saw me, and I told them I what I wanted to do.  They raced out of the room, each bringing back a few scraps they had liberated during the day.  They offered up their treasures for the woman they view as aunt, I see her as family too, and immediately asked to help. Soon I will be helping to make her dress, my dress and the dresses of each of my daughters.  I need to make outfits for the boys too.  The wedding has a steam punk theme, so Victorian dress clothes.  

Then I fell into bed!!!

Weekend wonders and the plague.

I got a lot accomplished this weekend and found a huge math error in my sewing plans!  Sunday we went to the fairy princess tea party 3rd birthday party for dear friends and the children all behaved like storybook children, no fussing or anything to mar the day. It was amazing. 

Then Monday the plague struck.  Sick kids and sick mommie!  So today while contemplating toast and my tummy, I begin the cleaning house and finding everything that needed to get done earlier in the week, so it can be done.