Weekend Shenanigans

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It was a slow, rainy weekend. I knew going in there would be little in the way of excitement or plans. A little Thanksgiving prep (grocery shopping and cleaning and planning), a lot of laundry and fort-building. It was quiet time, which everyone needed. But I’m always surprised by how lethargic this type of time makes me feel. I suppose it has to do with social interaction. Being in the house and not interacting with many people makes me feel completely drained — I suppose I am more on the extroverted side after all! It’s a huge change from this summer, where we would find ourselves surrounded with neighbors and friends at the playground even when we didn’t plan official social engagements. I would always walk back with Andrew feeling like my energy had been renewed (and my mood).

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That’s not to say that spending time with just my immediate family is not completely and totally gratifying — it is!!! But after a few days of indoor time, I crave a different kind of banter. I think I’ve always been that way, becoming crabby as a child if kept indoors too long. I’m still not sure if it has more to do with fresh air or fresh people. It fascinates me, this introvert-extrovert thing, and I tend to believe the “continuum” theory of it, that we fall somewhere in the middle on a scale from extrovert ——— to ——— introvert. Anyway, Emil and I got out of the house on Saturday morning for a little Mama-Emil time at the Science Center (his choice), then I took Oliver out for hot chocolate on Sunday morning. Both were really gratifying experiences, as I rarely have the opportunity to give one child my full attention. They are each so different in such wonderful ways, all three of them! I really enjoy learning what is going on inside their heads.

DSC_0007DSC_0012DSC_0027DSC_0028IMG_0640DSC_0063Really looking forward to the holiday season now! Hope you enjoyed your weekend and are getting those fat pants ready for some pie!

Happy Friday!

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Hoping to do a whole lot of nothing this weekend before the holidays hit us full force! Milo was pretty sick on Wednesday afternoon and night, so he stayed home from school on Thursday and I really enjoyed his company. Nicest, most pleasant sick person ever. Hands-down.

Here are some links from around the web…

Speaking of sickies, how cute is this whale tissue holder?

Are you a gloves or mittens person? I’m into gloves — I need my fingers separate please! But these make me wish I were a mitten gal.

And while we’re on the topic of knits, how cute is this little sweater?

And knitting… if I could, I would make this pronto for our living room.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner… do you have a menu planned? If you need inspiration, be sure to check out BonAppetit‘s Thanksgiving site — amazing!

What’s really in that pumpkin spice latte… gross.

These shoes are on my wish list for Christmas. Oh, I love them so!

And the best for last: I keep coming back to read Jess’s hilarious account of what she overhears her three oldest boys talking about (and she has four boys now!). Read it for a good laugh!

Montessori-Inspired

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Flower arranging!

Sometimes my boys come home from school and immediately want to recreate a lesson they have had in school that day. Recently, Oliver came home itching to show me flower arranging. It was one of the last warm days before we had freezing nighttime temperatures, so we went out to the potted flowers leftover from the summer and cut all of them to bring inside (since they would be frozen and dead over the course of the next few nights anyway). He clipped the flowers himself, choosing different colors, lengths, and textures.

After he brought them indoors, he instructed me through the whole process. I was unable to get photos of that day because it was dark so early. But then he told me he wanted to do it again, so I picked up some flowers at the grocery and we went through the process again while it was still light out.

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I wondered what it was about flower arranging that made it lesson-worthy in Montessori, so I looked it up. And come to find out, there are so many things it teaches! First off, there’s cutting and measuring, estimating and pouring. Aside from all that, there’s the appreciation for beauty in one’s environment. I don’t think it’s ever too early to teach something like that — that caring for our spaces and paying attention to details makes us as humans feel relaxed and joyful. A little vase of flowers on the kids’ play table brings such cheer on a cold and gloomy day!

DSC_0035DSC_0036 There will be spills! There are always spills. “Well, that’s what the towel is for!” he told me, and cleaned it all up himself.

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Oliver showed me the process: measuring the stems against the vase to see where to cut, then cutting above the bowl, then placing each stem into the vase. Afterwards, cleaning up, and finally the best part: choosing a location for the flower arrangement!

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Measuring the stem

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 So focused!

DSC_0073I loved this lesson, and I know Oliver did too based on how many times he has repeated it at home. I am really loving the Montessori method in general so far. There is a precision that I can really appreciate, but it is forgiving and understanding of every stage of development. I am learning so much along with my children. Such an inspiring process!

Dress That Mama

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Staying cozy and warm in layers lately — a henley layered under a denim shirt under a chunky knit vest, and my little guilty pleasure, the warmest, softest cashmere socks inside those boots! I got them on sale (I cannot justify spending more than $10 for socks) from Need Supply last spring, which is clearly when I needed them least. But man was I glad I had them once it got really cold around here. NOTHING else is keeping my feet warm enough. Plus, what’s better than warm soft things on your feet? Not much, I think.

Fricassee of Chanterelles (with Shitake Mushrooms…)

DSC_0078I just wanted to share this recipe for Fricassee of Chanterelles (a cream and white wine sauce with onions, garlic, and mushrooms over pappardelle noodles) from Bon Appetit Magazine. I couldn’t find chanterelles, so I used shitake mushrooms instead and it still turned out amazing. I used a bit less butter in the preparation, but everything else was followed spot on. Delicious!

What are you eating lately? For us, it’s lots of French food!