But of course, they didn't sleep in--Friday was a big day. Gommie was coming! She was arriving late in the afternoon, but the kiddos had been asking me if we were going to pick her up as early as 6 a.m. Which meant they asked me that for almost 8 hours. However, constantly focusing on Gommie allowed me to wrangle them into cleaning the house for her arrival, which they cheerfully did. Finally, in the afternoon, we were ready to go get her, but they were so speedy getting shoes on and then totally refused to play a bit in the yard, both of which I was unprepared for, that we arrived at the train station early. But we managed to distract ourselves and finally her train pulled in. Happiness all around. And immediate requests for candy, which she provided when we arrived home. First though, we picked up the now-famous frosted but undecorated birthday cakes which I decorated later Friday night, as well as a few things at the drugstore (mainly because Sis wanted her nails painted pink, having remembered that from Gommie's last visit). Anyway, back at the house, they fell to playing right away, showing her everything until late into the evening, later than usual because they had both fallen sound asleep on the way to our CSA pick-up and got a great nap. The three adults spent the evening catching up as we got ready for the big birthday party the next morning.
A Zoo-rific Birthday Party
I can't believe the kiddos are 4-years old. But we celebrated it in grand style, so it must be true. The celebration started early that morning, when the kids woke up excited to be 4 (they'd spent Friday saying, "this is the last day we're three.") And of course, presents are very exciting too--Sis ripped through the wrapping of a Playmobil vet set at light speed, while Bud danced when he saw his baseball bases set. (Christmas is going to be a blast, a crazy chaotic blast, this year). Then they were awed to see a huge (8' x 5'? It's actually so big it has to wrap around the corner of the wall it hangs from) felt map of the world, with hundreds of animals, landmarks, and peoples to attach to the continents; the cats like it too because they can climb it!
We (including Mama, who wouldn't leave until after bedtime on Saturday) arrived at the zoo, where we were hosting their party, long before the party started so the kids could show Gommie around--Sis had long been excited about showing her the bunnies, while Bud wanted to take her to the tigers, that is, until we got there, at which point he wanted to show her the river otters instead. When it came time for the party, we headed to the Carousel Pavilion and made sure our snacks and goodie bags and cakes were all in order. Yep, THE cakes! Which the kids had not yet seen assembled--their reactions to the finished cakes was priceless. They just stood there and gawked. I was so relieved, so happy--and then next thing you know, the kids stuck their own pink and blue candles in that cake, had "Happy Birthday" sung to them each, blew them out, and watched as pieces were served to all of their friends (Sis mainly ate her bunny sugar cookie, not the cake). The cakes were gone (though not completely; we had enough leftovers to share at church AND save some for home). The highlight of the day had to be the carousel, which everyone got to ride 4 times. Second was seeing the real live animal with big ears and lots of fur. A bunny? Nope. A chinchilla named Mr. Wiggles! Sis thought he was so soft; Bud just looked. Then back to the carousel. They also liked making a craft made out of foamy stickers. After the official party was over and all the goodie bags (full of candy, a blower--the kids said it wasn't a party without blowers or hats--we had those too--and a zoo pop mold) distributed, we actually stayed for another hour or so, playing in the zoo maze with their babysitter, who had come at the end of the party (mixing up the time), and watching a free concert (including a song they liked about s'mores!).
After lunch and rest time, the kids had a blast opening all the presents, doing it so quickly (and simultaneously) that I had trouble keeping up with what was from whom. I don't actually like the open-the-presents-later-alone-at-home for a few reasons (though it's great for speed and avoiding awkwardness at the party): the kids never truly connect the present with the giftgiver and the giftgiver doesn't have the satisfaction of seeing the birthday kid's pleasure (this I know from parties where we give gifts and sometimes never hear, even via thank-you note, if the birthday kid received and liked it.) We haven't written the notes yet but have started sponge-painting the cards so I can pen the notes (I promise, you'll get our notes soon!).
It's Saturday, So It Must be Bangkok
Mama left home after the kids' bedtime, bravely tucking them in and saying she'd see them in a week. There were tears (from the adults, anyway; I'm not sure the kids get it) but, all things considered, we all did pretty well. She drove to the city and spent the night with her brother, with whom she is traveling. Well, "spent the night" implies sleep--I understand they made a midnight pizza run and played video games til 3 a.m., ostensibly to beat jet lag. Or just because they were acting like college students again. It did seem like we went back in time, because at one point, she and I "chatted" via the computer, which is how we courted way back when (and anyone who knows us would agree it was a courtship, complete with love letters and flowers) and then communicated the first year we were together but lived in different states. Mama and I don't do apart well, never really have, both from lack of practice (I'd say this is only the sixth time in 11 years that we've spent more than a day or two apart, give or take a Christmas trip or two to our parents before we stopped separating for holidays) and personal preference. Yes, we're the stereotypical co-dependent lesbian couple. But the internet makes it all better.
Church
Okay, I'm finally catching up to some things I've covered already. We always like taking Gommie to church. She's been so many times that she knows several of our church friends. I did stand up during candles of community (formerly joys and concerns, which title I like better) and note that she was visiting while Mama was in Bangkok. And then Gommie announced the milestone of the kids' 4th birthday, to applause for the congregation well remembers my difficult pregnancy and their babyhood.
Another Birthday Party
With lots of bounce houses. Which would have made Mama nauseous. So it was good she was gone. I'm not even sure we'll show her the pictures! But the kids loved it, bouncing for more than an hour straight and then inhaling cupcakes and popsicles.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
We ate dinner at the restaurant where our babysitter works. They LOVED visiting her there, even if they didn't quite understand that she couldn't play with them while she was working. But she stopped by at our table several times and was obviously happy to see them and show them around. By the way, Sis likes molten chocolate lava cake. Bud likes baseball better and didn't come back to the table to try cake. Sometimes, I'm not sure he's my son!
Art in the Afternoon, Part I
Despite another late night, or because of it, the kids were up by 6 a.m. and we were on the road by 7:45 a.m., headed to the Berkshires for a short stay in the country. I had been to that part of Massachusetts for day trips to Edith Wharton's house and Hancock Shaker Village but hadn't spent much time there otherwise, though it is delightful. Well, and we routinely drove up there and back trying to get the babes a good nap when they were tiny (Connecticut is just not that "tall" and we can get to MA and back in under 3 hours)--I recognized the covered bridge to nowhere, the giant beaver, and the egg farm from those previous excursions.
Before going to our minister's cabin in the woods, on a mountain, we went to the Norman Rockwell Museum, which was perfectly delightful. Bud was resistant to the idea until we told him there were baseball pictures, about which he was very excited. He and Sis both enjoyed a rousing game of "I Spy" through the Saturday Evening Post covers, finding several Santa Clauses, boys with dogs, musicians, soldiers, and of course baseball players. They also liked making their own pictures in the kids' art center. My favorite picture of the visit was The Art Critic (c. 1955), the paletter of which has this heavy impasto undectable in photos; of course, I also like the cheekiness of the play of gazes of the critic, the female portrait, and the male portrait. The kids also enjoyed Thanksgiving and At the Table, viewing them as before and after pendants (I can't find these on the museum website but you know them).
Little Cabin in the Woods
(in brief bullets because we did so much)
- "Over the river and through the woods . . ." and up a mountain on a dirt road to the minister's cabin we go. Off the beaten track is the best way to describe this cabin, which was wonderful and reminded me of my aunt P's house on the coast in many ways
- We started building fairy houses once we got oriented and settled. On a boulder near the cabin we constructed a lodge and several other buildings, plus an "animal area," gates, and fence for a fairy cabin. I think it's one of the best we've made, if only because of sheer scope and novel materials like peeled birch bark. On the second day, the minister's son found an orange eft and we placed it in the fairy "camp," where it explored for quite awhile until descending back to the leave-carpeted forest floor.
- Climbing the boulder--there is a river of boulders near the cabin, as if a huge glacial torrent of giant stones just tumbled through the woods. Sis and the minister's son climbed up and sat on the tallest of these, enjoying the view. Bud and I watched from a distance. It was perfectly safe, Mama.
- Bears and bobcats and moose, oh my. But luckily, all we saw this trip were mosquitos, an eft, a squirrel, and some beetles.
- In the late afternoon, we visited the minister's neighbor who has an incredible view of the valley and other mountains (coincidentally, where the minister got married). The kids liked her cat and the garden snake we found in the yard. Bud helped me be very brave. The minister didn't have help and wasn't as brave.
- The minister and I ventured down the mountain to the little (colorful) store for dinner ingredients and two sweatshirts. It was cold on that there hill. And I had underpacked (though, I got directions, schedule, and many other details of the trip spot on), not anticipating 40Fs overnight. The kids, as usual, never noticed.
- Campfire--what's camping, even in a cabin, without a fire? The minister's son made a great one and we grilled chicken sausages, squash packets, and even banana boats (unpeeled bananas split and stuffed with chocolate chips and marshmallows and then wrapped in foil and heated, from my Girl Scout days) for dinner (I will write a separate post on the baked beans). The kids loved gathering twigs and helping throw them on the flames (all carefully supervised, of course). We even sang a (very) few songs.
- Mosquitos, mosquitos everywhere. But not as many bites as you would think.
- After the kids were settled all snug in their sleeping bags, I went out to the campfire to meditate. Instead of tv and computers as a distraction I had the buzz of bugs and sounds of the forest, which kept me slightly on edge as I thought of moose and bears and mountain lions. But the glow of the fire was mesmerizing and I felt centered, restored, afterwards.
- Which was good because they got up twice and I spent the rest of the night dreaming they were getting up, at which point I'd get up and go check. Not restful. And, true to form, they were up at 6.
- We tried to keep them quiet in the back room snuggling in bed, but Bud said, "let's start our busy day," so we decided to leave the cabin and going for a walk on the main dirt road, looking at plants, listening to birds, skipping stones, enjoying our nature walk. At one point, Sis stood on the side of the road, looking into the woods, and prounounced, "that is the country."
- We got back to turn to the minister's cabin and spent the next half an hour or so racing up and down the rocky incline. Well, Sis did. About 20 times. Bud was the "starter," with the walkie-talkies to announce the race. The same walkie-talkies could also "give energy to your shoes" so he would pump up Sis's shoes each time. Then, when she came up the hill, he would take her "restaurant order" as part of her prize (usually some kind of chocolate). Gommie raced some too and Bud decided she needed extra energy in her shoes because she didn't run the whole way all five times (just the first several!). She suggested he try it but he insisted he was the starter. Though, at one point, he jumped around stating he was "using up his energy" (as opposed to "getting my feelings out," which is what he had done when griping about the museum earlier in the day).
- I'm not proud, but we made s'mores at the wood burning stove for breakfast. And ice cream in our rolly ball. That is, after 3 mini-boxes of cereal (corn flakes for her, frosted flakes for him) each.
- While they played some more, at the fairy house, on the boulders, with the walkie-talkies, we adults talked some (about the history of the cabin in the family, the friends nearby, even the book The Shack) and got ready to leave.
Art in the Afternoon, Part 2
After a delicious lunch in lesbian-mecca Northhampton (Sis loved her grilled cheese, Bud his big fruit bowl, and Gommie her lemon-basil vinaigrette salad), we went to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Arts. The kids' preschool teachers had highly recommended the museum but I was a bit disappointed (as a parent, not as a museum professional). The kids just didn't relate to it much, I think, in the sense that they don't really discern original from mass-produced book illustration and so didn't realize how special it was to be seeing the "real" thing. And not all of it was visually stunning, being about the scale of a book, not bigger, nothing "wow!" for a 4-year old. They did like the exhibition on The Very Hungry Caterpillar, if only because they recognized the pictures, but couldn't get interested in his techniques and working processes. As for the new Tomie da Paolo exhibition, they aren't so familiar with his art and didn't recognize much (because the book on pancakes wasn't there and they just don't easily recognize an artist's style from book to book yet). Though, we enjoyed reading his Clown of God, one of my favorites, in the galleries and also liked story time, the enthusiastic and interactive reading of I aint' gonna paint no more. The best part was the art studio, which was even better than I expected: Sis loved making collages with liquid starch as glue for colored tissue paper. Even Bud, who was getting tired and grumpy (as were Gommie and I), got into the act, finishing the collage of animal prints that Gommie started. I made a geometric rainbow collage which I titled Ode to Northhampton. We left just at closing (not spending as much time in the shop as I would have liked, though Bud got a pop-up version of Very Hungry Catepillar and Sis got 10 Rubber Ducks, both gifts Gommie bought on behalf of Aunt Banana and Uncle Soccer) and they slept all the way home through traffic.
Swimming Day
There was nothing on our schedule for Wednesday so we spent the whole day on the deck in our newly inflated pool, set carefully on rubber mats to both add cushion and protect the pool from splinters. Sis liked to race Bud back and forth (walking and then crawling two-winner races) while Bud liked to play "dunking volunteer," from that picnic last week, as we threw balls into the water and he hopped in splashing all the while. It's too cold for any sane adult to really get wet, but Gommie and I both took our turns. We also all enjoyed a deli picnic, with our new basket from my sweet cousin (thanks again!).
More swimming (including dunking, racing, and hunting for sunken spoons), baked chicken and making popsicles (chocolate pudding pops for her; blueberry-apple fruit pops for him)rounded out our evening, which ended around 7 pm. Gommie and I were in bed not too long afterwards (though she slept right away and I didn't, as you know).
Blueberry Picking
A slight alteration in plans found us going blueberry picking after a morning of more swimming. The sky threatened and even showered us for awhile as we drove to the farm, but it all cleared as we arrived. Gommie had never seen a blueberry bush before and was excited to pick and eat them herself. Especially the latter. The kids were pretty firm in explaining the rules, such as don't pick the green ones, don't keep the smooshy ones, don't eat off the ground, and "don't migrate" (i.e. stay in your assigned area). Gommie did okay, though I could hear down the row that she tended to pick some underripe ones. Sis told her the pink ones were pretty but not to pick them and summarily tossed them all out of the box, along with all the plant debris. In the end, we picked almost 10 lbs (approximately 10 pints or 20 cups), which will soon be blueberry pie (4 cups), blueberry freezer jam (4 cups), blueberry sauce (2 cups), and maybe blueberry drinks, muffins, or coffeecakes, depending on how many we have (though it looks like we'll have plenty!).
Hibachi
After an hour or so in the fields, we were hungry (surprisingly, because it was "pick a handful, eat a handful") and were looking forward to taking Gommie to our favorite hibachi restaurant. And it was a great meal, especially because the hibachi master noticed immediately that the kiddos were scared of the fire at the beginning (Sis started to leave the table as soon as he showed up; I think the waitress had recognized us from last time) and so said he wouldn't do it. Sis didn't quite sit back down until he was past the egg-cracking time, a clear sign that there would be no big fire. He even downsized the volcano--Sis was afraid but didn't quite leave and Bud watched the whole thing. All good. And, as usual, they loved the food--the mushroom soup, the "snoodles," the rice, the mushrooms, all of it.
Bud immediately told Gommie he would be the hibachi man when we got home and make her a meal on the sofa table. Gommie said she needed a rest (when, in truth, it's the kids who need the rest) and would be glad to have the meal afterwards. Bud said, as we drove home, "the hibachi man had his rest in the car and is ready to cook!" We practically had to drag him upstairs with promises of hibachi later. Thankfully, they are both quietly watching "Toot and Puddle" and recharging.
Art in the Afternoon, Part 3
Today, Gommie and I ventured into New Haven for lunch and museum-going. We loved the buffet at the Ethiopian place, which had my favorite yellow split peas in mild sauce (Ater Kik, or Ater Kik Alicha) and green lentils in sauce (Misir Alicha)--I would love to know how to cook either of these but haven't found a recipe (though,
this looks close). I also accidentally got some of the Yemisir Wat, which is lentils in a spicy berbere sauce (I'd forgotten). Gommie liked the Kosta (spinach and potatoes) and the Tikel Gomen (potatoes and cabbage in yellow sauce). We both liked the injera bread and Key Sir selata (beet/potato salad). Gommie hadn't had Ethiopian before, but I think she liked it. Certainly, it's different from your average Italian, which we seem to have a lot of in this state.
Then it was off to the Yale Center for British Art where selections from the Victorian painting collection of the Royal Holloway College were on view. I had really been hoping to catch this show before it closed, in about a week, but hadn't managed it yet. Luckily, Gommie loves museusm and was ready to go with me. My favorite was William Powell Frith's
Railway Station (detail
here), which I hadn't seen before in person. Known for his crowd scenes of contemporary Victorian life, he has here captured several narratives of departing and separation in a railway station. These are the kinds of detailed pictures you can only really see all of in person. There were some other great paintings (Millais's
Princes in the Tower and Fildes's
Applicants to the Casual Ward come to mind), but also lots of lesser and lesser-known works. The collection itself was formed by the founder of the college, Thomas Holloway, as an educational tool for the all-female student body. Interesting to think of the paintings as specifically instructive for women: paintings about compassion, motherhood, geography, history, to name a few. Your typical Victorian images of themselves at work and play, sometimes dressed up in historical or "exotic" costumes, but still all Victorians (Gommie and I had a great conversation, or, well, more I lectured about how the Victorians really grappled with many of the same issues we do today--women's rights, immigration, colonialism, "the other," science vs. religion, secularization, the role of government, industrialization and "progress," urban life, poverty and class, sex--as I find our society in many ways an extension of that period, though on a different scale. Her original question was about their prudery. Which led to discussions of upper vs middle vs working-class mores, the different between proscribed culture and what actually happened. I mean, look at us today, some stores don't sell condoms, we barely advertise them on tv, there are ratings on movies and restrictions on tv, we don't go to the beach topless, there's even an abstinence campaign and a lack of sex education. Yet we're obsessed as a society with the sexualization of the young and the objectification of women. How would you describe American society now, prude or not? Again, we're different from the Victorians by degree but have many similarities, which is why I'm fascinated.)). Gommie also noticed a peculiarity about the historic, most likely original, frames--they all had a secondary frame "insert" which we soon discovered--after a guard called the back office and a head conservator came out!--was used to hold glass in place to protect the pictures. One frame had even had the insert removed so you could see how it functioned and where the gilding stopped (which the staff member hadn't actually noticed before).
After quickly visiting the Dalou sculpture show (with small statues of women) and then purchasing the catalog (of course), we headed across the street, briefly, to the Yale University Art Gallery, where we caught a fascinated exhibition on the ethics of conservation, in which several challenging pieces (broken Roman statuary and Greek amphorae, previously conserved altarpieces and cassone, contemporary art not made to last long) and their ethical quandries were presented with huge didactic panels complete with x-rays, before-and-after photos, etc.
We rushed to Claire's Corner Copia to pick up drinks (I love their Russian Fruit Tea) and a snack (never got to eat the Lithuanian coffee cake, which is now my after bedtime snack) and headed home to meet the kids and babysitter.
The End
While we were inhaling a delicious soup that Gommie whipped up using some of our new CSA ingredients (including carrots and squash), Mama called. She has landed at JFK and will be heading our way after resting and refreshing at her parents' house in the city (but not in time to see the kids tonight). We'll all be together tomorrow (for yet another birthday party) and then Gommie will head home on Sunday, which will make us all sad. It's been a wonderful week.
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Blueberry Sauce
In a sauce pan, combine:
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup honey or corn syrup
enough orange juice to cover the berries
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
Bring berries to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. In a bowl mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Stir mixture into hot berries and cook until thickened.
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Blueberry Freezer Jam
4 cups crushed blueberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1.59-ounce package of Ball Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
Stir sugar and contents of package in a bowl until well blended.
Stir in 4 cups of crushed fruit. Stir 3 minutes longer.
Ladle jam into clean jars to fill line. Twist on lids. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes.
Ball pectin package
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Blueberry Muffins
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten 1 cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon sugar
-Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar. Combine egg, milk, and shortening and add all at once to flour mixture. Stir until dry ingredients are moist but still lumpy. Fold in blueberries.
-Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake in 400 F over about 25 minutes.
Yield: 1 dozen muffins.
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Blueberry Smoothie
2 quarts (2 1/2 lbs.) frozen blueberries, slightly thawed; or 2 quarts free blueberries
1 quart pineapple-orange-strawberry juice blend; or pineapple-orange juice
1 quart low-fat vanilla yogurt
8 tsp. Sugar
- In a container of an electric blender, combine blueberries, juice, yogurt and sugar.
-Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
-Serve immediately in tall glass.
-Garnish with blueberry skewers spiraled with thin stripes of orange peel, if desired.
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Blueberry Lemonade
1 quart blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh/frozen concentrate lemon juice
1 quart water
In a food processor, combine berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher and stir in the water.
Place ice cubes in a clear glass and top with blueberry lemonade.
We don't have the Advent socks up yet, but the activity was making paper chains. Sis made the first, long garland, which we hung between our living and dining rooms and then Bud added a shorter one, hung in counterpoint to the first. Festive. When the tree goes up, it will stand in front of the window in the dining room, framed by the chains.
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