CONQUERED A BOULDER

My daughter was so brave today. Her and her cousins climbed through a .25 mile crack between two large boulders. At first she said she was too big to fit. She hesitated and wanted to go back but her Aunt came to the rescue and helped her through. I wanted to go on the short hike but I didn't think it was possible to fit me and baby sister through the crack. (The baby sister is going to be attached for at least 4 1/2 more months.) Later on the way home in the car she exclaimed, "Mom I made the kike." (She meant hike.) It was really cute.

DANDELION CROWN

A breeze was blowing gently across the grass as I sat in a large meadow weaving together bits and pieces of grass and flower. My daughter was running up and down a large hill collecting dandelions for a crown I was making. It was so peaceful sitting their watching her explore. She was outside breathing in fresh air and enjoying the sunlight. I love her so much.

Another Dandelion Moment:

My daughter finds Dandelion's in our backyard. She picks them and gives them to me. She thinks all flowers belong to mothers. The other day after a long spell of not my husband hauled out the lawnmower. He went to clearing away the tall grass and in the processes destroying the flower garden my daughter had grown to love. She came storming into the house exclaiming, "MOM, Dad is vacuuming up all the flowers!"

CHICKEN FLAUTAS

We had a small Cinco-de-Mayo party today. I made a pinata that didn't set, so I stuffed some candy in some balloons and let the children sit on them to get the candy out. I served chicken flautas and chopped fresh fruit. I have included the recipe. I think it is a great recipe for kids if you substitute the Jack cheese for Mozzarella cheese.

Chicken Flautas by Alissa Ringer

2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
8-oz chicken breast
4 6-inch flour tortillas
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup shredded jack cheese
2 Tbs vegetable oil

Marinate chicken breast and olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, chili powder, and salt & pepper for one hour in fridge. Then cook the chicken over medium-high heat in a non-stick pan until its done. Let cool and shred. Mix together the chicken, sour cream, jack cheese, and 2 Tbs vegetable oil. Spoon ¼ of this mixture onto each tortilla and roll up. Place flautas on baking sheet, brush with additional oil, and cook for 10 minutes in a pre-heated 400 degree oven. Turn the flautas over and cook and additional 5 minutes.

Here is a clip of my daughter and a friend enjoying a leisurely ride through the house prior to the party.

PITTSBURGH PASSES

Thought I would post this as an FYI for the women in this area. If you would like a family pass to the Pittsburgh zoo, you can buy one at www.brandywinezoo.org for $45.00. If you would like a family passes to the science center and the children's museum, you can buy one at gscience.org for $50.00. These are passes to other states but are compatible with the amusements here. Good Luck and have fun!

TUMMY RUB

In a day dream like state my daughter laid sprawled on the institute room couch. She was looking serenely up at the ceiling while she gently ran her hand along her belly over and over again and sighing gently. One of my friends pointed to her giggling and said, "Lisa, look at your daughter. Does she remind you of someone?" I must confess she was a replica of her pregnant mother.

CREATURES of the BLACK LAGOON

We have a whale, a hundred jelly fish, squirrels, birds, monsters, dragons, bunnies, and turtles all living in our home right now. Before you call the human society, or maybe you caught on at the part when I said monsters and dragons, all of these creatures live in my daughter's imagination. She will cry out randomly, "MOM, WATCH OUT THERE IS A SQUIRREL ON YOUR HEAD. QUICK COME HERE!" "MOM THE MONSTER IS GETTING US QUICK HIDE UNDER THE UMBRELLA." Apparently to avoid getting riped apart by a ferocious flesh eating monster you just need to climb under the protection of umbrella, who knew?

Love,

Me

NIGHTMARE

For the last few weeks I have woken in a cold sweat with the most vivid nightmare. I am enrolled in my last semester of college and I forgot to go to my math class for the last half of the semester. I am in finals week and I remember-- my math class! The final for the math class is in a few days and I have eons of homework and quizes I have to make up. I am in this sort of strangulation of stress and pressure when I awake. I remember... I graduated from college already.

Love,

Me

LITTLE SEEDS SIDEWAYS :)

AVIARY

My husband enjoys the windows drawn open every evening to allow a fresh breeze into our home. Along with the breeze comes profane gang-banger music, as each truck with its windows down rolls to a stop at the corner outside our home. Then at six o'clock on the dot the birds come. A church primary song decived me when I was taught, "In the leafy tree tops the birds sing good morning." As a flock of a hundred birds descend on our home each morning they don't sing the sweet anthems of morning but sound more like the screetching torments of a dying soul. I am thinking about moving into the National Aviary up the street because I feel like there I will get more sleep.

Love,

Me