Circus Smirkus

If you live in New England, and have an opportunity to hit Circus Smirkus, you should! We had a blast. Aubrey and Molly sat next to the ring for 2 solid hours ENTRANCED! Our group had ages 3- 73 and we ALL loved it (that did include a 16 yo boy)! Photos were not allowed, but here are some we took before the show.

Treasure Island

We once again did our tour around Richmond Island, stopping at different beaches searching for treasures. We found sea glass, rocks, shells, and sand dollars.

Top 10 Things I Love About Maine

10. Scratch Baking Bagels
9. Jody's Farm - lettuce, carrots, lobster, etc
8. Taking Max swimming at Ferry Beach
7. Edgecomb Potter
6. LL Bean
5. The Good Table (muscles and sangria)
4. Two Lights Lobster Roll
3. Looking for sea glass with the girls (and finding it).
2. Spending time with family and Aubrey and Molly's COUSINS!
1. The sound, smell, and feel of the ocean restore my soul.

Ice Cream Stand

One of the great things we do in Maine is walk up to the ice cream stand each night. Our first trip up - and Granddad treated!





I think everyone enjoyed it!

Treasure Hunt

There was a treasure hunt on Saturday night, a pirate map washed onto the beach in an old bottle. Aubrey found some very nice jewels and I think it was a hit!

Everyone ready to read the treasure map!

Aubrey ready to read her clues.

She found her treasure!

Molly found hers!

Aubrey with her pirate booty.

She she took up a notch.

Posing for Anna, they would never do this for me!

Birthday Dinner at Bugaboo Creek

We celebrated Molly's actual birthday with dinner at Bugaboo Creek.

Husband saying "Take the picture, dear"

They are ALMOST looking at the camera.

Riding a Two Wheeler

On Sunday, Aubrey's cousins were riding bikes in the driveway. They had brought up an old bike for Aubrey to ride, it needed training wheels put on but was perfect. Aubrey didn't want to wait for the training wheels and with help from me one or 2 times, Aubrey started riding a bike with no help. Starting, turning, riding. You could see the set of her face she was going to figure this out - and she did.

I was in tears and later Doug and I laughed, we thought that in a year or 2 this would be a "thing" - you know where you are yelling at her, scraped knees, lots of tears kinda thing. Nope.

That kid is amazing!

She is so good she can be silly and ride with her eyes closed.

Feeling Crafty

I have been working on some hair candy for the girls:





I also just bought this fabric to make a quilt... GULP. BUT this site has step by step instructions and pictures and promises that if I can cut straight (will try), and sew straight lines (or close to it), then I can do it! So I am going to try! (here is what it would look like - but different colors if I get it right :)

Faces of Molly

After the last 10 months of Molly making the most awful faces when you ask her to smile for a picture, she now loves to have her picture taken and loves to make faces and see them! So here are some faces of Molly:

Molly's Perspective

today I climbed a cliff 5 times taller than my barbie.
today I built a damn and created a sand bar to make a drip castle
today I walked into an ocean and jumped the waves by myself
today I climbed on to a boogie board with no help and floated
today I jumped off cliffs
today was a great day.

Attentions

At the pool today, Molly crawled up in my lap, put her hands on my face and said, "Mommy, I never get ANY attentions".

She is so excited that she can stand up in the big pool, spent most of our time there today hopping from one end of the pool to the other.

She has turned into such an amazing little girl, and a joy to be around, always trying to make us smile and always generous and willing to help!

Molly sets her place and her sisters for dinner lately - and gets water for her and her sister - and even offers to get up and refill Aubrey's water. She loves to carry things for me, and again, just a joy!

Simple Freedoms

As Aubrey gets bigger and bigger, small things are happening that blow me away. Very simple tasks that for 4+ years were my job, and that add up to lots of time. I am constantly blown away when one of these gets added to the list, so proud, and at the same time, my heart breaks just the smallest bit.

1. Aubrey can strap herself in and out of her carseat.
2. Aubrey can open and close the car door.
3. Aubrey can anticipate throwing up and make it to the toilet.
4. Aubrey can clean her room.
5. Aubrey (and Molly) can both set the table, and get their own waters.
6. Aubrey can brush her hair.
7. Aubrey can fold and put her clothes away.
8. Aubrey can turn on the radio in her room.

I know, small things, but they add up to 8 less things I have to do for her. So I find new things to do for her!

Best Granola and Garden

So I found the best granola recipe, and made it and it proved to be the best granola recipe.
Alton Brown's Granola

I also wanted to plant a Cut Flower Garden and worked on half last Tuesday in the rain and added to it yesterday. I used this template as a guide, but added on to our existing "Bob's Garden. Our garden now this new stuff includes:
Coneflowers
Sunflowers
Snapdragons
Zinnia
Dianthus
Cosmos
Double-Knock out Roses
Peony
Phlox
and I am going to pick up and plant:
Lavender
Yarrow
Shasta Daisys

I am hoping the girls really enjoy cutting flowers and I know I will enjoy having fresh cut flowers in the house all summer!

I have also started from seeds 2 kinds of tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, rosemary, basil and thai basil, curled Parsley and lettuce. We picked up a 2nd upside down tomato planter so we will get that going this week!

Starting on Friday the wedding activities kick-off - Aubrey and Molly are flower girls in my cousin's wedding this Saturday! We are all very excited but no one more than Aubrey.
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It seems to me that as my girls get closer to 3 and 5 Doug and I have more time and energy for each other and for doing things with the house and the yard. It is at once really nice and one tiny bit sad that time goes so fast and the girls are so independent so quickly. I still cherish the snuggles I get at bed time routine - just as I cherish the people Aubrey and Molly are becoming.

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Dinner last night we went around and said what we love about Mommy.
Aubrey, "I love Mommy because she bought me new pretty pajamas and skirts with shorts in them".
Molly, "Because I throw tantrums and I like to cry and mommy knows"
This is what she seriously said, I have NO idea...

Just Sharing

I made the following recipes with great success last weekend.

Modeling Clay
Mix 3 Cups Flour, 1.5 Cups Salt, 3 Cups Water, 1 TBL Oil, and 1 TBL cream of tartar in a large saucepan. Add food coloring. Cook on Medium Heat until dough comes away from the edges of the pan and mixture thickens. Let cool and knead to blend color. Store in airtight container.

We made pink - and this made A TON! Enough for 4 little girls to play with at the same time and then some.

French Breakfast Puffs
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening, then add eggs and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat. Faint.

Bacon Wrapped Maple Pork Loin
For brining pork
8 cups water
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber)
1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh sage
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 (4- to 4 1/2-lb) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed

For roasting pork
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
3 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber)
16 bacon slices (about 1 lb)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon water


Brine pork:
Combine all brining ingredients except pork loin in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring, until salt is dissolved. Pour brine into a deep 4- to 5-quart pot; cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 2 hours.

Add pork to brine, making sure it is completely covered by brine, and marinate, covered and chilled, 8 to 24 hours.

Roast pork:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Pat pork dry (discard brine) and remove any strings, then transfer to a roasting pan. Stir together garlic, sage, and 1 tablespoon syrup in a small bowl and rub all over pork. Lay bacon slices crosswise over loin, overlapping slightly, and tuck ends of bacon underneath loin.

Roast pork until thermometer registers 140°F, about 1 1/4 hours. Stir together 1 tablespoon syrup and vinegar until combined. Brush vinegar mixture over bacon slices and continue to roast pork until thermometer registers 150°F, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand in pan 15 minutes. Transfer roast to a cutting board with a lip, reserving juices in pan, and let roast stand, uncovered, while making sauce.

Skim fat from pan juices and discard, then transfer jus to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir together cornstarch and water and whisk into jus. Simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon syrup. Serve pork with sauce.

NOTE: My pork read 160 after 75 minutes - so check this after 45 minutes! It was still good!!

Adventure Walking

Sunday was such a lovely day, the girls and I spontaneously grabbed some little baskets, my camera and headed to the trail for an adventure.

Here are some pictures!

Easter Bonnets

Yes, the picture needs cropping, but aren't they too cute!

I *LOVE* Molly's smile in this one.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Play Date One Up Manship

We have some friends that have a daughter who is about 6 months older than Aubrey. Two weeks ago we started a Sunday afternoon "thing", first Sunday the little girl was here, the next week Aubrey was there. It was GREAT! It was great for Molly, it was great for me, for Hubby, for the other parents, their younger daughter, and it was great for the 2 Four year olds.

On that first week when the little girl was here, we planted some flowers, played outside, did some small crafts, made chocolate covered pretzels and played outside some more.

Last week Aubrey came home with cupcakes she had made and decorated and hard boiled eggs they had covered in glue and then glitter.

So now I am like, how do I keep this up each week? I can't be the play date house that doesn't "enrich" these 4 year old. And at the same time I am like, hmmm, how much would they enjoy a High School Musical 3 showing with popcorn?

So I will assume that the time the girls play together is enrichment enough and not compete in something I am not even positive is a competition.

Kind of.

Maybe.

New Freevorite Things

With all of the talk about the economy, I don't know about you, but we sure feel like we should be spending smarter and saving more. There are small changes I have made over the course of this year. And some cool stuff I have found.

• I completely gave up my addiction to buying coffee out. Now we buy the Dunkin Donuts big bag at Sam's Club and it is a nice morning routine to get up and make a pot. I don't miss it at all! And 6 cups of coffee brewed each morning costs us 84 CENTS. Not each, that is total, each cup costs 14 cents.
• We have also, this year gone paper towel and paper napkin free in our house. This was a MAJOR change and we see a difference in the amount of trash we generate, the amount of bulk purchases at Sam's, and we feel good about it!
• Potty training Molly was also a nice boost to the budget :)
  
• I also love music, and love having new music and creating mixes of the music I love. Have you checked out LastFM? This is a free site that you can tag your favorite music and it will create a radio station for you. I am enjoying this A LOT! I use it at work, in the kitchen, etc.
• We also love movies, we have Netflix, but I have seen that Redbox has a free movie rental code every day. So you can go, use the code, and get a free movie - and you can use the code multiple times a day - you just have to use a different credit card for each rental that day.
• Books. I love books. But since last fall I have limited what I buy - instead I borrow or steal my dad's. Or I go to the library. I have never really used the library but it is great. I can get books on hobbies I want to start, like baking bread, cake love, sewing, and then return them as needed or use birthday gift cards to get the ones I really think I will use.
• The library is also great for music. I like listening to different music in the car with the girls and we have been listening to a lot of show tunes that I picked up at the library - lots of Andrew Lloyd Weber. And did you know if they don't have something, they will get it from a different library for you?
• Doug has been using the library too for TV show DVDs, like Entourage, or some Western show, or some Iraq war show. Don't be like him, return them on time so you don't get charged.
• We have used Vonage for our phone service for a couple of years, but they raised their prices so we did some shopping and found magicjack - and after a couple rough weeks and tweaking the settings it ROCKS - and is like 20/YEAR.
  
• Amazon also has lots of free music downloads, I got a couple of albums, including Dan Zanes kids album - FREE - and they have different free downloads all the time!
  
• I have also found some interesting blogs about saving and being frugal:
• Go Frugal Blog
  
• Budgeting 101
  
• MotherLoad they have a free friday post about free things to do or get in stores or online.

What are you doing differently, in this economy, that is turning out to be fun?

Sunday Cookin'

The bread and burned granola.

The Bread! It is GOOD!

Snugglin' with Daddy