Holy Craft!

I made Emma an apron. We're working so much in the kitchen these days, and since she has developed the charming ability of wiping her hands off on her shirt I knew I had to throw something together. It's "nothing special" and yet it is very special. My sewing skills leave a lot to be desired but I sure can thread a needle, and step on a peddle! Patrick has also given me good ideas for improvements that would be easy enough to do so this is a work in progress. Emma loves pulling it off the hook in the kitchen and getting her head through the loop.

Yesterday we made Hummus. I forgot how easy it is to make and delicious it is to snack on. Emma loved it! She tried a couple bites of carrot and celery but found she preferred to use them as a spoon and ate scoop after scoop. 

Emma loves scribbling with pens and asks for "pahpah," paper to scribble on. Please don't draw on our walls anymore, Emma- I know you have a secret pen stashed somewhere..

Coloring in her first hand trace turkey

I have a new hobby developing and it is making toys and crafts for Emma. The apron was done out of necessity but here is a bunny I made from the sleeve of an old moth-eaten cashmere sweater, which I have finally stopped wearing and laid to rest. It has new life as craft material.

And here are three little gnomes I made from a fallen branch. They were dyed with what we had at home; the red is strawberry, the orange is paprika and the yellow is tumeric. These natural dyes have such a pretty, delicate color. I would like to make a green (spinach?) blue (red onion?) and violet (red cabbage). In time she'll have a complete set. 

Does that yellow gnome look familiar?

(ʃƪ ˘ ⌣ ˘) She inspires me.

Bread is in the oven, gonna watch it rise!

Pictured here is a very happy girl. She isn't feeling very well (see those nose drippings?) and is very messy. She is very, very much loved. 

Hairstyle brought to you by vegetable soup.

What is she doing up on that stool? Will she work up there? Will she play up there? What is up there on top of that counter? 

DOUGH. But is started with a tbsp active dry yeast mixed into 3/4c room temperature almond milk. Then a tbsp of melted butter, a tbsp of sugar, 1/2tsp of salt and then about 1 1/2c bread flour.. And you've got a dough that needs some kneading. Emma's little hands were better for pinching the dough and squishing it between her fingers. I kneaded the main ball until it was ready to set in a bowl, be blown a kiss (it was going to sleep, after all) and rise. 

After an hour, our dough doubled in size. I offered it to Emma knowing she'd be happy to punch it down(above picture) then I kneaded it again. Emma took pinches of flour and sprinkled it on the kneading surface as she saw me do. Precise and perfect. After a few minutes we set it on the pan to rise for 45 minutes with the oven preheating.. 

Bread is in the oven, gonna watch it rise,

Right before my very eyes

35 minutes in the oven and here is the final result. Plus a home smelling like fresh bread.

I can't wait to eat a slice with some butter and a bowl of soup for today's lunch. Yummy!

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We will definitely be making bread on a weekly basis after this. It was such a special and rewarding thing to share with Emma. You can't beat fresh bread, still hot out of the oven and steaming. Best of all, this is bread we made together. 

A 10 o'clock sort of Cuckoo.

Patrick worked late last night and Emma was asleep when he got home. She woke before we went to bed and I went in to put her back down. It started out well but then, somehow... turned into us making a tent with the bed sheet. Then laying with both our heads on the pillows we frantically kicked our legs, making the sheet into a wavy ocean in the cold bluish nightlight. I held the sheet up with my hands and she crawled down to the foot of the bed, saying "In! Tent! In!" Soon she was making cat noises and threatening cuckooness. "Coocoo!" 

   "No cuckoos in this tent!"

 Then she sat up and pointed to herself. "Emma." 

  "Yes, Emma is in the tent."

She points to me. "Mama." 

  "Mommy and Emma are in the tent."

"Dada?"

  ".... Dada! DADA!" So at my call, in came Patrick, and we had a 30 minutes tent and tickle party before resuming sleep. And it was the tickliest and tentiest.

I love these spontaneous moments.

One fish, two fish, yellow tang, clown fish

One if Emma's favorite parts about our stay with my parents was my dad's saltwater aquarium. She would insist we hold her up to the glass or help pull a chair out from the table for her to stand on. This early bird caught most morning feedings and the afternoon sessions if we weren't out, enjoying the excitement the food created in the tank. 

Emma got to know by name the inhabitants of my dad's aquarium and would point them out when I asked. She knew the yellow tang who darted around, the pair of casual clown fish (would point out one, then find the other), and the wiggly Midas blenny. She could identify the royal gramma and leopard wrasse when they weren't hiding. I think she even had down the Bartlett anthias by our last day! There are fire shrimp and peppermint shrimp, a fantastic snail who slides along the glass cleaning off the algae and tons of hermit crabs picking through the sand. The aquarium was like a little slice of reef for us to enjoy.

Happy New Year!