Rain, rain, Yay yay yay!

I woke up this morning to heavy rain outside.  This has been the rainiest day yet, since I moved to Oregon, almost three weeks ago.  I lifted the blinds in delight, and held my camera up to the glass of my bedroom window, to capture a rather blurry rendition of the water cascading off of the roof gutter of a neighboring duplex.  Feeling watery and cozy, I decided to put off our usual immediate breakfast-upon-rising habit, and took a family shower/bath.  My sister gave us a big, baby tub.  She calls it a euro-tub.  It is designed to accommodate a growing baby into toddlerhood, with room for laying or sitting.  The first time I used it I was ready to chuck it, finding it to be too big to stand next to comfortably, and scarily deep for my little bambino.  I am in the habit of showering with the baby in the little plastic tub at my feet, within the shower tub, freeing up my mama hands to wash, while introducing baby to minimal shower spraying.  I find that they have almost no fear of water or spray, after bathing this way with me during infancy.  It is possible to begin this at about 2 1/2 months of age, when the neck  strength is enough to stabilize the baby in a slightly upright, but still reclined position.  My ex-partner would rarely hold Reya to give me time to bathe, when she was tiny, two years ago.   I came up with this method by pure necessity.

Magically, this morning's shower was wonderful.  The children were able to sit in the tub together and play.  I figured out how to adjust the drainage feature on it, so it didn't fill to deep for baby, and I managed better than I thought I could, in the approximately ten inches of space between the euro-tub and shower wall, under the shower head.  There is something to be said for a second try, a new day, and a patient attitude.

Lately, Reya has been enamored with looking at herself in the mirror.  She is quite dramatic, and admires herself openly. 

Coming from the standpoint of being a Waldorf Early Childhood teacher, this concerns me a little.  In Waldorf Kindergartens and Nurseries, mirrors are covered with cloths, to prevent the children from an early development of this ego.  They are better off with a slower "incarnation" into this type of consciousness.  Better to be less aware of the physical and of appearances, to stay innocent and dreamy.  Here is where theory and values butt up against convenience and function.  The mirrors function as doors to the closet, and cloths would get in the way.  Also, the mirrored doors help my tiny space feel larger.  They have a coldness about them, though.  I am leaning toward a smaller but warmer feeling space.  I might take down the doors and store them, and hang some curtains on a rod, instead.  It was kind of humorous to watch her doing her mirror play.  Then she got rambunctious and began running an crashing into the mirror with her dress pulled up, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Belly ButtonYay!".  If I took them down, I sure wouldn't miss the sound of those doors being continually rattled and messed with.  The question:  Where can they be stored?

Yesterday we went on an explore, and found a hole in a fence.  We were able to squeeze through, even wearing Galen on my chest in the Moby wrap.  We found ourselves in a pasture, with a grove of Weeping Willows!  What a lovely place to play, right next to home.  I'm loving to explore this wet, wild, green world.

This evening, Galen napped some more in the Moby wrap.  That thing has been my saving grace, and a literal pain in the body, all at the same time.  I am convinced that this sort of wrap is more comfortable than almost any other way to wear a baby, it keeps him safe from his mischevious, rival and zealous, toddler sister (except for dangling fingers and toes that sometimes get bit), and he sleeps very comfortably in it.  On the other hand, he is going on five months old, and getting heavier.  Ouch, wearing him almost full time is starting to wear on me.
Anyway, I wore him while he slept this evening, and Reya and I had fun baking.  This is the first baking project from scratch in our new home.  (Not to knock the yummy cake from a mix with Jenn last week, but it was from a MIX.)  Tonight we made muffins and sweet bread from butternut squash puree, sweetened with honey, and lumpy with the goodness of chopped pecans and chocolate chips.  I ate mine with cream cheese.  Delish.

In and out of the hood

Yesterday we found a chalk board by the dumpster.  We took it home and washed it, and then Reya and I played while Galen slept.  So much fun! 

Today I walked North toward my favorite thrift store.

  My walk took me out of the more attractive surroundings of my immediate neighborhood, into the less beautiful W. 7'th and Garfield area.  The kids and I had a stroller full of thrifted goods. 

Here's what we saw.  This place is right next to the Salvation Army store. 

The sight of it made me hungry.  I'd like to try it sometime.  There's no money to eat out, but maybe someday.  Then, on the way home: 

Hmmm...That will probably bring a few shady folks nearby.  Then, a few blocks further. 

Yum.  I've always had a weakness for donuts.  In the same shopping center, I saw

Here is where I can take my sick sewing machine, if and when, again, I have any money to spare.  Another few blocks,

and this place is somewhere that Reya's grandparents would probably like to go, if they visit us, one day.  Soon we began to get into the neighborhood.  Someone down the block from me has some interesting bottle sculpture going on in their front yard- Eugene is so quirky.

Here is the creek, looking at it from the bridge. 

The places to the left are the condos I live in.  To the right is the path that people bike and walk on.
The leaves are BEAUTIOUS right now! 

Reya loves these-- what are they?  Rhododendrons, maybe?  And, this was the other day, actually, but I just have to show off the beautiful rain! Tonight I opened my window a few inches, while laying down with the kids, and the sounds are musical to my ears.  I have loved rain my entire life, probably because I grew up here.

When we returned from the walk, both children were miraculously asleep, so I got a tiny bit of unpacking done.  I got out a few nick-nacks and started my alter space on the top of a bookshelf in my bedroom.  It made such a difference for me.  This place is starting to feel like home!  The nap did wonders, and the children had a nice evening.  They are starting to play now, a little, since Galen is getting older.  He laughs, and thinks his sister is hilarious. She eats it up and gets sillier.  It is fun to watch!  The poor little guy is teething like crazy right now.  He has learned to grab things and get them into his mouth.  It is nice that he is starting to like toys.  Reya still has to get in the limelight.  She'll duck in front of him to get in the pictures I take.  He has revenge.  He knows how to pull hair!

Soup and Dirt

Oh god it's raining, and I'm not complaining.
It's filling me up with delight!
The stars in the sky, bring tears to my eyes.
Their lighting my way, tonight...
and I haven't felt so alive in years.
The moon is shining in the sky,
reminding me of so many other nights...
but not like tonight.

Depeche Mode from my high school years- from memory, so there is no guarantee that I got the lyrics right. Yes, I still like all of that old stuff from my youth. I can't believe that I finally got my desperately coveted rain. Painful delayed gratification is so satisfying when fulfilled. It has been pouring for hours. The sound is soothing and musical. Everything outside is shining. The air is fresh. The dirt looks moist and rich. The leaves are bright and clean. Ahhhh... Lovely deep breath sigh.

Those little spots on the camera lens are rain. Kind of dark picture taken at just before dusk on this rainy evening. I finally started my garden. I am totally inspired now! Mystery man's mom helped me get dirt and compost with her truck, and wheel barrel it into the new bed that I created in a sunny part of my back yard. There was enough extra compost to put some on the old bed from last year which I turned over and prepared for planting several days ago. Also, I got two hay bales for mulch.

The tall sticking up things are last year's sunflowers. Can't believe those stalks made it through the crazy, windy winter!

Mulching is something that I failed to do last year and it seems really important for healthy soil, plants and water conservation. Also, I just found out that there is a pile of free mulch at the recycling center on Riverside St. (which is nowhere near the river, ironically). So, I can go fill garbage bags whenever I want for a super, mulchalicious garden!

Additionally, I bought peat pots, seed trays with greenhouse lids, rich organic potting soil, seeds, and the plant grow light that I know will help my starts be more successful this year than last. I would say that I am good to go. Now I just need baby to take a good, long nap on a day that is good weather for planting, and I will be in the dirt.
I love dirt.

Last night I made wonton soup. It was so much fun to shape those delicate little wonton wrappers full of delicious seitan and broccoli, spiced with dijon mustard, Sriracha sauce and more.

Here they are after I boiled them for a few minutes.
They get kind of translucent and shiny.

I got the recipe from the veganyumyum.com websight. Check it out, and you will find many fabulous recipes. I am not vegan, so I added chicken broth to my second batch of soup, and it improved the taste in my opinion. I also added to the broth, celery, carrots, mushrooms, jalapeno, black pepper, sechuan pepper and peri-peri pepper blend. We like things rich and spicy around here.
Then I tried some of the fried variety. Much easier folding, and a simple filling of cream cheese and fire roasted, chopped green chili (from New Mexico of course because noone else can grow 'em good like they can).
Oh my - I could have eaten all twelve, but I was nice and gave mystery man his half. They were all melty and crispy and amazing. Wish I had made a good sauce for them, but they were a last minute expiriment and very good all by their lonesome selves. Well, they were beside some jasmine rice, so they weren't too lonely. Plus, they didn't even have time to think about loneliness, because they were munched!

Mm...mmmm...MMM!