Friday, August 31, 2012

{this moment}

{this moment} 
A Friday ritual (inspired by Soulemama). 
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.



Wednesday, August 29, 2012

yarn along: Maisie Dobbs and crochet



Joining Ginny over at Small Things for the regular Wednesday Yarn Along!
Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. 
Ginny Sheller from Small Things


I decided to take a little break from non-fiction and indulge in some end-of-summer mindless reading. Thankfully the public library came through with the three most recent Maisie Dobbs mysteries. I've devoured two in the past week (a record for me since Mayumi was born almost five years ago) and I'm looking forward to starting Elegy for Eddie. I definitely have guilt about reading for pleasure, especially when there are more urgent projects wanting my attention... but sometimes one simply has to make reading a priority.

Since I've been spending every free moment with my nose in a book, there has been less time to work on my little crochet project, but I have been able to add a few rows here and there. Perhaps when the books are finished then I will have a big surge in productivity with my yarn work!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Oishii: Japanese Cheesecake





In the summer there is nothing like a Japanese-style "rare" cheesecake. It is light and refreshing, doesn't require any baking, and Mayumi and I could probably polish an entire cake off by ourselves. Supremely oishii. Here's the way I learned to make it from my mom.

Kumi's Japanese Rare Cheesecake

Ingredients
Crust:
1 cup crushed Nilla Wafers
3 T butter, melted
1 T sugar

Filling:
1 T gelatin (1 packet of Knox Gelatine) 
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, yolk and whites separated
1/4 cup sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2-3 T lemon juice and zest (from one good-sized lemon)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 whipping cream

Instructions
Combine crushed wafers, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Press the crumbs into the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan or springform pan. 
Dissolve gelatin in water in a small cup and set aside. Scorch milk in a small saucepan and then add in gelatin mixture, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla extract.  Mix well while bringing the mixture to a light boil, then remove from heat. Meanwhile, mix together softened cream cheese, lemon juice and rind. Add gelatin mixture and combine well and allow to cool a bit.
Whip egg whites until peak, adding a pinch of sugar.  Remove stiff egg whites from bowl and then whip whipping cream. Gently fold egg whites and whipped cream into cooled (not warm) cream cheese mixture then pour over crust. (Mom likes to push mixture through a sieve to remove any clumps and lemon rind). Chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until firm.  Decorate with a sprinkling of crushed wafers and/or fruit before serving.




Hope you like it!

Friday, August 24, 2012

{this moment}

{this moment} 
A Friday ritual (inspired by Soulemama). 
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

twin paraphernalia

I don't have any strong opinions (I know... GASP!) about twins wearing match-matchy clothes or having dual sets of anything. Obviously, there are some things we will need two of: carseats are first to come to mind, as well as high chairs (we love the Stokke Tripp Trapp and just inherited a second one from friends Naomi and Josh! Thanks guys!). I have a good friends with identical twin girls and she insists that there be two of everything for her girls to reduce confusion and arguing. The girls have identical toys and wear identical clothing and I can completely understand how that is easier.
When people find out I'm having twins, one of the first things they ask (after appropriately gushing about how cool it is that I'm having twins and then inquiring whether or not they are identical or fraternal) is whether or not I'm going to dress them in matching outfits. I'm always a bit surprised by this, because frankly I don't really care if they dress alike. I'm more concerned about how I'm going to soothe and feed two crying babies at once and how we're going to afford college for three kids and if it is possible to practice Elimination Communication with twins and if I'll be able to handle homeschooling... oh my, there is so much to worry about, isn't there?
But when it comes to dressing them, I'll just be happy to have clean clothes that fit.
Not there aren't some cute (sometimes bordering on obnoxious) stuff for twins out there:


Source: etsy.com via Helene on Pinterest

Source: fab.com via Emily on Pinterest







my absolute favorite!!!
Goodness, companies sure know how to market to us mamas, don't they? Since our boys are fraternal it will be interesting to see how much they actually look alike. Will we end up with blonde, blue-eyed recessive babies (like Mayumi) or will they be darker? Will they be alike or like opposites? I suppose that somehow their clothes and toys will reflect that at some point. For now, I enjoy being amused by the stuff that is out there.
But for reals - do you have any opinions or suggestions about dressing and providing for twins? Matchy-matchy? Two sets of everything?

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Yarn Along: Crochet Ruffly Vest



Joining Ginny over at Small Things for the regular Wednesday Yarn Along!
Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? ~ Ginny Sheller from Small Things



With so much of my focus on preparing for the arrival of my babies, I have tried to be careful to make sure that Mayumi is not neglected. Since I've finished the two vests and am almost done with one pair of pants, I figured it was only fair to start on something for my daughter. I've been promising her a sweater of some sort for this fall and after a little searching on Ravelry, she decided she liked this crochet vest: the Delia sweater tunic by Anji Beane. I haven't crocheted something in a while, so this is a nice departure for me. The yarn is Dream Classy superwash merino in Lunar Zazzle and was found in the 50% off bin at KnitWit yarn shop in Portland, Maine. Like most of my knitting/crochet projects, it has traveled with me all over the place, where I can finish a row here and there while at church, the park, the beach, the Metro, the car... and hopefully it will all come together before she starts "school" in a few weeks.

While my main reading is STILL McCullough's The Greater Journey, I have also been dabbling in Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman in preparation for my fall plantings. Between yarn work, being pregnant, and gardening, there seems to be a lot of creating going on around here! Wonderful!

Monday, August 20, 2012

fourteen years ago

"There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage".
~ Martin Luther ~


Happy Anniversary to my best friend and partner in life, my soul mate PapaQ. Fourteen years and counting! I wouldn't want to have done (nor could I have done) all this without you. Thank you for being my biggest support, my most honest critic, and the love of my life.  And even though we were practically babies, thank you for embarking on this journey with me FOURTEEN YEARS ago!


"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. "
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~


Saturday, August 18, 2012

room for twins

Bed rest can result in a little too much time on hand for surfing the web. Though a separate room for the boys won't be necessary for a while (we hope to co-sleep for the first bit), it doesn't hurt to be prepared and have some inspiration on hand, right?







Source: freshome.com via Bri on Pinterest

Source: google.ca via Mama on Pinterest
Source: houzz.com via Mama on Pinterest

I think bunkbeds will be the more practical option in our spacious (can you sense the sarcasm?) city row house... which do you vote for?

Friday, August 17, 2012

{this moment}

{this moment} 
A Friday ritual (inspired by Soulemama). 
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

growing up

A while back Mayumi and I were browsing around the thrift store when we came upon some little lady black Mary Janes with a tiny bit of a heel. She was thrilled and begged to have them and since they were in excellent condition and only $4 I agreed. Later that evening, after she showed them off for her daddy, PapaQ let me know that he didn't approve at all - he thought that not only were they inappropriate for developing feet and bones, but they were too grown-up. I realized that I agreed and we watched, chagrined, as she pranced around in them, admiring her legs and relishing the the satisfying clippity-cloppety sound they make on the hard wood. 

A few weeks later she received another pair of heels, this time gold-strapped with plasticky-glass bobbles. Nana had recently painted Mayumi's toenails (another thing that is generally not allowed around here) and the combination of scarlet red toes and flashy strappy sandals remind me of something Granny would wear on a special night out. Grown-up indeed.
Ultimately, it is probably not a big deal that we indulged her despite the dangers. But parenting is made up of countless tiny decisions that cumulatively add up to where we stand morally, intellectually, and spiritually and kids pick up on the discrepancies and hypocrisies, don't they?
Why does Mama get to wear heels (though I hardly ever do because they are too uncomfortable!)?
Why does Daddy get to eat two cookies when I only had one?
Why could I have a treat yesterday but not today?
Why can I get away with whining and complaining sometimes but not all the time?

It is so hard to be consistent and fair and wise. It is hard being a parent! Mistakes are inevitable! Sometimes I find myself at a loss. Sometimes Mayumi argues me into a corner and I find I have no explanation. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is give in...

More than anything, I see that Mayumi isn't the only one with some growing up to do around here.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Yarn Along: Completed Projects!


Joining Ginny over at Small Things for the regular Wednesday Yarn Along!
Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? ~ Ginny Sheller from Small Things

Two little vests for two little boys have been completed! one set of pants is in the works, then another set will begin. Time crunch now... but modified bed rest allows some opportunity to squeeze a few rows in here and there. And the chance to get some reading done! I am STILL in the midst of McCullough's The Greater Journey - halfway through by now. I continue to enjoy it and am finding some inspiration for some classic boys' names. We'll see if I can convince PapaQ (he seems to prefer more athletic names).

In other news, Mayumi has been showing some interest in learning to knit. It isn't coming easy to her, but I remind her that it took me a long time to get the hang of it. The important thing is that we don't give up! Our little pep talk exchanges remind me of trying to instill a "growth mindset" as outlined in the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, which I picked up while on vacation. I only managed to get through a few chapters before we left, but I think it has some intriguing ideas for instilling the value of hard work and effort rather than praising intelligence. I'll have to check it out from the library to get some more helpful tips.


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

in utero

This photo was taken about two months ago (!) but now I'm a bit bigger (27 weeks!). For the most part things have gone well, but carrying twins has been quite different from carrying a singleton. Of course, the same concerns and hopes and preparations arise: will they be healthy? What will they look like? What will they be like? As I lay in bed (more and more often these days) I feel them wiggling and squirming around, which never fails to fill me with wonder and comfort. The few newborn clothes we have all been washed and folded and stored in the bureau, awaiting their chance to cover those darling newborn limbs. Possible names are added to our respective lists (PapaQ, Mayumi and I all have separate ones because we can't agree on any).
Not everything has been sweet and easy, though. There have been a few emergency room visits due to bleeding and a diagnosis of placenta previa... which isn't an especially big deal but puts my hopes for a natural vaginal delivery on the Unlikely-to-Happen checklist. Periods of modified bedrest have been prescribed, as well as pelvic rest. The list of things that can go wrong with a multiples pregnancy insidiously finds its way into my thoughts now and then.
But I can't really complain because the fact that I am pregnant at all is a bit of a miracle. New life always is, I suppose. And like their big sister, Maya, these two boys are going to teach me so many things and rock my world in more ways than one. It may feel like there is a party going on in there now, but I know I haven't seen anything yet!

Monday, August 13, 2012

New England prettiness





My garden here in DC has been suffering, both from neglect and extremely hot weather. It was nice to find some lovely patches of flowers and greenery during our recent stay in New England. Perhaps some of that inspiration will follow me though the next few days as I try to revitalize my own patch of earth.

Monday, August 6, 2012

we are family

It's good to be reminded of one's roots.
Family kind of does that, right?
Every year we gather at the same camp in Maine and eat the same foods, swim in the same lake, and play the same games.
In some ways we find we, too, are the same but in other ways we find we have changed since the last time we gathered. Some have new jobs, new babies, new homes. Some are going through new challenges like illness, aging, loss. Some are no longer with us.
But we find we are all connected through these strange family ties. We remind each other of our shared history and heritage. We reconnect and remember why we do this every year.
It's kind of amazing. This thing called family.



Grampa and his six siblings, circa 1988.