An Endangered Species

Two things have been on my mind for the past month or so...well, lots of things have been on my mind, but for the purposes of this post, I'll narrow it down to two.

1. I get about 75% of my recipes from the internet. I can find a recipe online for most anything I want to cook.

2. I got an e-reader for Christmas. The thought of going on vacation and not having to pack a separate bag for my books is most appealing, as is the thought of reading in bed at night without need for a light. Now I just need to finish up the other books I'm working on so I can use it!

I can't help but wonder if books are a dying breed. I know this won't happen anytime soon, but will my grandchildren's grandchildren read books?? Or will they just go look at them in museums?

Few things in a home appeal to me more than a beautiful bookcase chock full of books. I don't like junk or tschotskes, but books are a worthwhile item to collect.

From Kate and Andy Spade's home in Manhattan...I snapped this picture during our trip to NYC last summer (joking, of course. It came from www.theselby.com).



This is my take on a bookcase...I hope to add some built-ins at some point, but until then...






In thinking about recipes on the internet + books, I re-visited some of my favorite cookbooks.





My grandmother gave me these.



This book came with my grandmother's first refrigerator.



It is full of all sorts of information and suggestions. Some of the headings that caught my eye when flipping through include:
"Left-overs Can Be Used Attractively"
"Gelatine is a Desirable Addition"
"Freezing Two Things at the Same Time"
"Jellied Soups are Especially Attractive in Hot Weather"
"Attractive Methods of Serving Frozen Desserts"
"Frozen Delicacies to Tempt the Invalid"

In addition, there is a full page devoted to "Why a Refrigerator?" In an attempt to sell the reader on the idea of a fridge, it reads, "Electric refrigeration means so much in health, in comfort and in common sense economy that the modern American homemaker no longer regards it as a summer luxury. Often it is desirable to have ice to chill the drinking water. In the summer many other beverages must be chilled with ice or in a refrigerator. The daily salad must be cold and crisp to be appetizing. Cold desserts should be served cold and those that are frozen are far more popular than any others. Sick people often need ice bags, ice cream and partly frozen nourishment of various kinds. For these reasons and many more, an adequate refrigerator becomes a necessity in most homes."

My favorite part of the book is the illustrations, all of which include at least one person smoking.



I'm so thankful that my grandmother saved these and gave them to me. Needless to say, the recipes in "Electric Refrigerator Recipes and Menus," by Miss Alice Bradley, copyright 1927, price two dollars, are slightly dated. Unless you are Betty Draper or want to try making some delicious Iced Fruit Soup or Stuffed Tomatoes in Aspic or Jellied Chicken. Yummy! I expected to find a recipe for Vichyssoise, which I remember making with Gigi, but as we all know, cold potato soup is not nearly as delicious as iced fruit soup.

Of the cookbooks Gigi gave me, I most often use "Tea-Time at the Masters." Dot's Butterscotch Brownies are the best! They are so easy and I typically have most of the ingredients on hand, so they are good when I need to whip up a dessert without having time to go to the store.



Enjoy!

The Beach

Around here, "the beach" means none other than Myrtle Beach. And when you visit the beach in January, it looks like this:



I honestly can't remember the last time I went to MB in the summer. This trip wasn't for spending time by the water. This trip was for spending time with aunts, cousins, and the children of cousins. And shopping and eating. :)

I took a hiatus from snapping pictures. All of the pictures I took of the boys on the beach were with my phone camera. I also took a hiatus from my New Years diet {no trip to the beach is complete without fried shrimp}.





As soon as we stepped on the beach, Mason took off his socks and shoes to "dip his toes in the water" (his words). He didn't seem to mind that it was frigid.



He then told me, "I'm going to catch a seagull." And though unsuccessful, he gave it his best shot.





We had six children age 3 and under. My mother and two of her sisters. Two of my cousins. And my sister-in-law. We had so much fun!

Here is the one picture I managed to take with my real camera:

A Boy and His Dog

Mason made a dog puppet in preschool today.



We have a real, live, big, brown dog named Cassius. Did Mason name his puppet dog Cassius? No...



We have a real, live, little, white dog named Lily. Did Mason name his puppet dog Lily? No...



Wait for it...



He named him Roper. I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing! At least it's not Elvis!

Why Didn't I Think of That?

We have really been missing playing outside lately and have had to get a little more creative with indoor activities. Over the weekend we got out the play doh and cookie cutters. In my bag of cookie cutters I happened to have an "M" and an "R" (I think I last used these when I made a shower cake for the yet-to-be-born Ruth Ann McCarty).

Mason already knows M and R, but if I can find the rest of the alphabet, this would be a great way to teach some letters he hasn't learned yet, and for Roper, it is a great way to teach shapes and colors.








Note the "F" on the hand, for "Fireman" (of course)





This is what happens when I stay behind the lens too long...

Who Stole My Baby?

Roper turned 1.5 on Sunday. He seems more and more like a little boy and less and less like a baby.



At bedtime every night, he practically begs to sleep in Mason's bed (they share a room). When Graem or I put him in his crib, he points to Mason's bed and says "bed" repeatedly.

He is much more vocal as compared to Mason at this age. He says many words that most anyone can understand and many more that only we understand.

He is still my cuddle bear and loves to sit in my lap and be read to. He is more outwardly emotional than Mason was/is. Even the lightest pop on his chubby little hand will cause tears to spring forth. Sometimes just a stern "No" will make him cry (Mason has never had that reaction!). Don't get me wrong -- he is not at all a cry baby -- as my mother says, "he's as tough as shoe leather." If you have ever seen him wrestle with Graem and Mason you know how aggressive he can be! Although he is usually content and smiling, it doesn't take much to spark his temper.

Roper loves giving kisses (eskimo style is his personal favorite), as well as fist bumps. This little boy is such a blessing to us and we are forever grateful for him!

Edventure

We put one of John Rosemond's suggestions into action last Saturday and took the boys down to the children's museum. They loved it, particularly the first exhibit (the fire station).











Someone commented on how well Mason came down the fire pole. He insisted that he do it alone, with no help from me or Graem. See, Mason believes he is a fireman. In fact, he prefers insists that we call him "Fireman Sam." I can't tell you how many times I've heard him say, "I'm not Mason, I'm Sam." And, "He's not Roper, he's Elvis." Yes, Elvis. Who would have thought I'd have a child with the nickname Elvis?!? This comes from a cartoon about Fireman Sam and his sidekick Elvis. It gets better. The token girl in the show is Penny, which is what he calls me, and the station officer is Officer Steele, you guessed it, Graem. Wow. It seems crazy, and I keep telling myself it is a phase and not to make a big deal about it because it will pass. The sooner the better!

Now that I've looked back through my pictures, I realize that I have a picture of Mason driving a fire truck, a snowmobile, a tractor and a boat. And only one picture of Roper! Sorry, Elvis.







Ice fishing...

Resolution Suggestions from an Expert

I know we're heading into mid-January at this point and most people already have resolved which behaviors to change for 2011. These suggestions have been marinating in my mind since I came across this list last week and I thought I'd share them with all of you.

From John Rosemond (he's the expert I refer to in the title, not me, haha):

1. We will not throw expensive “event parties” for our children on their birthdays. Instead, we will confine all birthday celebrations to our family, including extended family. We will keep it uncomplicated: a special dinner of the birthday boy or girl’s favorite food, a cake, the obligatory song, and a few simple gifts, mostly clothing or other useful things.

This one is hard...although I understand Rosemond's motive for the suggestion, I tend to think that birthdays are special days unlike the other 364 days of the year. Moving on...

2. We will spend at least as much time helping our children develop good manners as do helping them get good grades in school, which means we will cut back significantly on the time helping with the latter (in consideration of the fact that good manners, which are expressions of respect for others, will take one further in life than will good grades). Each week, we will work on one specific social courtesy, such as saying “excuse me” when you walk in front of someone. Taking two weeks off, that’s fifty courtesies a year!

3. We will show our love for our neighbors by properly disciplining our children, insisting on proper behavior, and reprimanding immediately (even if that means in front of other people) when they behave otherwise, and on those occasions we will also insist they apologize appropriately.

4. If we have not already done so, we will assign a routine of daily chores to each of our children (at least those who have reached their third birthdays) and we will insist that said chores be done, and done properly, before they engage in recreation or relaxation.

I like this! Mason is 3 and it is high time that he begin mopping the floors and cutting the grass! Okay, that might be a bit much...we'll start with having him make his bed every morning.

5. When our children ask us for cell phones, we will tell them that they may have cell phones when they are able to pay for them as well as the monthly bills.

6. When our children complain that they are the only kids who don’t have cell phones (and do chores), we will tell them that learning how to be different is character-building.

7. Our children will not be able to order customized meals unless we take them to a restaurant. At home, they will eat what we are eating, and they will sit at the table until they are finished. We will do this so that when they are invited to eat at someone else’s home, they will be the best of guests.

8. We will surely bond with our children, but we will not bond with them in the marital bed, nor will we bond with them in their beds.

When our family had the awful stomach bug last week, Mason crawled into bed with us at 4:00 one morning. I don't think any of us got any sleep once he was in our bed! Some people tell me they wouldn't have it any other way, but I'm so glad we never let this habit develop.

9. In keeping with number 8, we will put our marriage first and our children second…for their sake as well as ours. They will revolve around us; thus, they will not grow up thinking the world revolves around them.

10. If I am a single parent, I will take good care of myself for my sake as well as my children’s. I will have an active, adult’s only, social life. I will take plenty of personal time to simply relax and do those things I like to do. I will do all of that so that my children will not ever think the world revolves around them.

11. We/I will put our/my children to bed early so that we/I can end each day reconnecting as a couple or relaxing as a single.

This is so important to me and Graem. Our boys go to bed at 8:00 sharp so that we can have "us" time. Even when Graem travelled for work during the week I stuck to the bedtime to maintain my sanity!

12. We will eat as a family around our own table at least six nights a week.

Although I really, really like this idea, I know that in our life it is not practical. We have decided to shoot for four nights a week, maybe we can adjust that in 2012.

13. We will keep after-school activities to a minimum, and only let them enroll in activities that do not prevent us from delivering on number 11.

14. Instead of buying our children expensive things, we will help them develop hobbies and take them to museums and on trips.

This might be my favorite suggestion of all. A few weeks ago when talking with family about favorite Christmas gifts, I was at a loss. I can't really remember any "special" gifts from Santa. I never felt deprived. I have wonderful memories of family trips to the Grand Canyon, Alaska, Disney, the Bahamas, Washington DC, Gettysburg, Mobile, St. Louis, etc., with MANY museum stops along the way.

15. We will do all of the above so that when they grow up, they will have wonderful memories of their childhoods and raise our grandchildren in a manner that honors us.