Show up

I've been thinking about writing to you lately. Lots of snippets and little blurbs being composed in my head but never seeming to make it to pen and paper or the keyboard.  My one bit of advice for the day?  Show up.  Just show up.  Make the effort, take the time, MAKE the time and show up.  People remember.

Speaking of showing up, your Uncle John came to visit us yesterday.  There was a Virginia Tech game on Saturday and your Uncle drove down from Rhode Island Friday evening. Eleanor has been straining the limits of sleep deprivation lately (hers and mine) and decided to take a quickie nap in the middle of the afternoon which allowed her to stay up until ten thirty that evening when Uncle John arrived.  Am trying to be impressed with her energy and resourcefulness of coming up with so many different reasons to stay awake and leave her bed, but by nine I'm usually ready to go to bed myself. 

Your dad came home from his trip to San Diego late Friday night, early Saturday morning so that we could have pancakes for breakfast.  Uncle John stayed until after the first batch was served and then headed off to his game with lots of hugs and sugar from you girls.  All except Jordan, of course. Not even a smile.  You should have seen her face when Jordan saw Uncle John at the counter between her and me.  Not happy. Not happy at all. 

Sunday morning Uncle John was back and we decided to skip church this week in favor of spending time actually being able to talk with him before he got on the road to head north.  Clothes on, shoes on, diapers and snacks packed- off we go to the Marine Corps Museum to fulfill the promise we made to Eleanor when we went to the playground and didn't take her into the museum to see the guy with blood. Okay, you are kids. I can see the allure of going in to see the planes and helicopters and the guy lying there with blood on his leg. But when you are so excited, do you have to be so very, very LOUD about it?  I swear, every time we go into the museum, I'm sure I can see the docents cringing and every other visitor turning around to stare.  Yes, I'll get over this. Probably around the time you guys turn into teenagers and think that everyone is staring at you. 

The high point of the day was when we finally found your dad's brick.  Three years ago I bought your father a brick that would be laid along the pathway of the Marine Corps Museums pathway up to the chapel.  It's laid at the very top of the path between Galawa and Guadacanal, right where the pretty chapel rock hard scaping splits the path.  We've never seen it- usually too distracted with going into the playground to hike up the hill and try to convince you not to play on the oh so lush looking grass.  Luckily, Uncle John was with us and helped us take a picture! 

We can wear this to church!

We went to the store today to get you new Mary Janes.  I know, I know. A bit unoriginal, but for the next few years your fashion footwear will suffer while I try to keep it simple enough to pass down to your sisters.   

So off we went to Potomac Mills Mall, the huge uber shopping center that draws in bargain shoppers up and down the east coast.  Normally, we try to avoid the place but since there is a Stride Rite outlet up there we decided to give it a try.  We parked near the end and went into the Nordstroms outlet- right where the men's section meets the dress section.  Grace was helping me try to find a dress for this year's Marine Corps Ball and kept saying, "You could wear this to church, Mom. Ooooh, this one is pretty- you could wear this to church!" 

I found a lovely dress- the fabric and the cut were beautiful. Unfortunately, it hung off parts of me where it should have clung and it clung to parts of me that should never be accented.  I came out of the dressing rooms to see your brave father standing by the accessories department with Grace and Eleanor admiring the surrounding scarves, belts, assorted bling and lots of ladies smiling at them indulgently.  Your dad explained to me later that Grace and Eleanor had entertained themselves by walking through the various skimpy lingerie nearby, holding it up and taking turns saying, "This is so bee you tiful, You could wear this to church." 

That's what success looks like

I've been tormenting everyone with the idea that I would make bean cookies for them this last month. But just the thought of pulling out the food processor while the girls are around makes my stomach queasy. I know it's irrational, I know about the safety precautions in place, I know that the chances of those little people getting their hands or fingers into small places is slim to none.  But have you seen how slim their little hands and fingers are? And that feed tube is not that much larger. 

Irrational, I know, but let's face facts- those kids are smarter, craftier and can get around, under or over me any day of the week. I may believe I've thought of all the angles, but they'll find a new one. 

The girls helped me put together the wet and dry ingredients and were enthusiastic about putting in the miniature chocolate chips. (I was surprised that almost all of the chips made it into the bowl.)  Supposedly, you can add nuts, raisins, etc but I think the girls liked the chocolate.  After the first batch came out of the oven, we had a dance party for about five minutes while they cooled.  My only regret was not getting a picture of Jordan laughing, laughing, laughing while being twirled. But since it would have meant me stopping the spinning of Jordan, I didn't think it was worth it. 

The girls ate their first cookies on the new stools up at the counter and I sat with Todd at the table.  His damning faint praise while he looked up the nutritional information about beans was not overly encouraging, but after he reached for the second cookie I figured we were okay.  The girls decided to show their approval by trying to eat as many cookies as they could before I noticed. When I started to gripe about them eating too many, Todd responded with , "that's what success looks like." 

Good point. 

Bean Cookies

Preheat oven to 350° F.

2 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned, not instant)
1 cup all-purpose flour, or half all-purpose, half whole wheat
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 – 19 oz. (540 mL) can white kidney or navy beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips, the darker the better
1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or a combination of dried fruits
1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

Place the oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles coarse flour. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and process until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.  Put the beans into the food processor and pulse along with the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Pour the bean mixture into the oat mixture and stir by hand until almost combined; add the chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and flaxseed and stir just until blended.  Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, and flatten each one a little with your hand. (I find this works best if I dampen my hands first.) Bake for 14-16 minutes, until pale golden around the edges but still soft in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.  Per cookie: 138 calories, 3.5 g total fat (1.4 g saturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat, 0.8 g polyunsaturated fat), 3.4 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 14.2 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber. 22% calories from fat.

Starting School

We're gearing up for school. Actually, I'm gearing up for school and you three are all going about your daily business.  Is it so wrong for me to be thrilled that you big girls will be spending your days in a safe environment, learning new things with new friends? That I get to finally see that excitement in your eyes when I come to pick you up at the end of the day and you're happy to see me rather than the "oh. It's you again." that I seem to be getting lately?   Of course, the fact that you will be in school three days a week, with a full seven and  a half hours for Jordan and I run amuck by ourselves holds its own appeal. 

Your dad has applied for a new job overseas.  I was excited at first, the whole "off-on-a-new-adventure" excitement, but the day to day realities are encroaching as I research the area and look up some of the blogs that I am finding in the region.  I know that Grace will be attending Kindergarten and first grade there and Eleanor and Jordan will be in Preschool and possibly in the Kindergarten.  Todd assures me that the schools are first rate, but there will be no bus for Kindergartners without a big-kid full time escort and a really, really close look at the security of all the schools.   I know, I know, I know that I'm just being paranoid, but I am trying to look at this from all the angles. 

The job is not a sure thing. And even after it becomes his next billet, that is subject to change if he gets promoted to Colonel next year.  I love the idea of knowing where we'll be going in Summer 2011, but I know that your father takes a LOT of pride in what he does and the level of excellency and proficiency with which the job is done.  Not being promoting would bruise the pride a bit.  So do I hope he gets promoted and we try a different new adventure or hope for the sure thing?