diorama mama

Those lumpy things in the bottom right hand corner are split pea "stones".

excess of cardboard+ paint+ mom who is almost done with her paper+4 yr. old who is too fidgety to go see a musical w/his pops and older brother+duct tape +glue= diorama

whoa Nelly

I think if I could make music. I mean REALLY sing and make music, I would do it this way, in my dreams. And on weekends I'd be Maria Callas. But seriously, Nellie Mckay's new album is so wonderful. Thanks to Matt for the heads up. My beloved Andrew's Sisters needed some competition. And although this is a slightly different taste, it somehow satisfies me in the same way.

all ova the place, sheesh

I know of no one who is purely autistic or neurotypical. Even God had some autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin.

-Jerry Newport, Your Life is Not a Label

Why does he have to make so many little pieces of the stuff?

In the midst of writing about the CDC's most recently published prevalence rates of Autism Spectrum Disorders, I thought I would take a break and play with my neglected (ha) 4 yr. old.

And speaking of ASDs, Temple Grandin is speaking at THe UMass School of management (right across form visitor parking) Tuesday at 9:30 am and if I can't get off work for the morning I may have to quit my job. She is an astoundingly important person in so many ways.

Play dough

• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp cream of tartar
• ½ cup salt
• 1 to 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup water
• food coloring
Mix flour, cream of tartar, and salt in a pan. Mix desired coloring with water, add with oil to dry mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick. Mix in coloring later if preferred.

I usually double this and add a ton of food coloring and some essential oil. This time, peppermint. I really should have bulk lavender essential oil in my house. What is up with that?

Today I treated myself and Ezra to a lunch at Freshside. We have not been in awhile. Hot Thai tea and ginger rice with tofu was a perfectly soothing antidote for what felt like a super frenetic week. Why frenetic? Other than the fact that it is nearly mid term? and everything is starting to be due, it has been raining/sleeting/slushing for days now. Disgusting. Warm, delicious food makes these things more acceptable.

What I love about today and other quotidian ramblings

The laundry lines make me want to run outside and see if I can slide my hands along and scrape them clean of snow.
Chocolate, grapefruit and espresso. For some this may spell heartburn. For me this spells heaven.

It's a snow day. The snow is wet and thick. H. and E.'s snow gear is dripping on the drying rack by the heater. When they came in from outside, I kidded with them that they hadn't gotten permission to go swimming. They were soaked!

I love how the snow makes the whole apt. a bit brighter.

I have a little time to get a jump start on a paper due next week.

I may even read a bit of a novel that has nothing to do with school. But probably not.

I am starting a new health regimen. I still walk to work every day and walk to class and walk all weekend but I need to step it up a bit if I am going to keep up with my chocolate habit (as if that will ever be questioned) so...My friend who is a marathon runner recommended this site and with my new pair of sneakers and Matty making/helping me to me lift weights, maybe I will get a bit more fit.

If only weight lifting would lengthen my legs. I love retro suits like this one below, (on sale at J Shrew) but it doesn't do much for my German/Scotch farmer gams.

And now to write a paper...

Henry's Birthday Weekend

In mostly pictures, because this vacation has completely exhausted me. I want tea, bed and a movie, ten minutes ago. Oh, and a bowl of steaming soup with dumplings and vegetables.

Caliber, Henry's new Husky pup.
Thinking of a wish...
A huge peanut butter cake. I am soo over sugar right now.
Birthday party frenzy. At one point I had to ask myself why I had 8 kids in my miniscule apt. but it turned out just fine.
The kids took time out to decorate their canvas goody bags...One kid was too busy playing and asked me to decorate his with his favorite toy...

7 and 8 yr. olds can be very silly. And very

awesome.

I am excited about this?

I always have mixed feelings about a beloved book becoming a film. But this might just be very good, and something to look forward to in March when Spring and Winter still haven't made up their minds. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo... . Check out both trailers.

my vampire boys

And no I am not talking about Edward, Bill or Eric...

craft meets my favorite hot sauce

Read about it on CRAFT

I know this sauce has a cult like following. I am a card carrying member. I can conjure the taste of it in my mouth right now and I haven't had it in days. I put it on everything. Matt has raised his eyebrows at me while watching me splatter it on eggs, macaroni and cheese, rice and beans, stir fries etc. So, while I am not a huge fan of kitsch as decor, a hand embroidered Sriracha label framed in my kitchen would make me very happy. Maybe this is a summer project for me...

one last love- Happy Valentines Day, Rosie

The other day I was sitting in the fancy, brand spanking new, studio arts building (whose concrete steps are already cracking (shame on them) which made me think of my brothers-in-law who would never have allowed that to happen...). Anyway, I was sitting there in the sunshine, waiting for my class to begin and rereading articles, when I thought to myself, I should write a letter. To someone. I used to do that frequently, just a few short years ago. But wait, who will I write to? Rose, I thought, I will write to Rose. Honestly, I thought that, for a millisecond. It's like a habit- a muscle memory, these reactions I have to tell her something. To reach out to her. And, of course I could write to Rose. But I can't send it to her. She is not on this earth, in human form.

But those links below will lead you to her voice and her tremendous love story. I have the links but I can't bear to listen right now.

Rose on NPR#1- woman finds love in spite of herself

#2- one last love

P.S I know it is not Valentines Day yet, but I am in no position to assume that I will have time tomorrow to do anything so...

cookie delivery

This morning our house was bustling with the boys smearing buttercream frosting on sugar cookies and sprinkling them with nonpareils. And they were very good about not licking their fingers. I promise you. SO, if your children were the lucky recipients of our afternoon cookie delivery, they are safe to eat, I mean other than the fact that they are made with tons of butter, sugar and a scary amount of red food coloring. Really, the germs that they may contain are probably nothing compared to the main ingredients.... They had such fun running them around to their friends houses in North Village. It was so cute. They would come back home breathlessly asking for another bag of cookies.

AND like a child myself I couldn't wait to give them their Valentines Day presents. Well at least the main gifts, they will still get their vampire wax lips tomorrow.

I got the boys The D'Aulaire Book of Trolls and the D'Aulaire Book of Greek myths, because we didn't have a book of trolls and is any library complete without one? Ezra has already picked a favorite story that I read to him twice upon opening it. And Henry has outgrown his first book of Greek Mythology by Aliki, which we love but it is more of a quick who's who, not nearly as comprehensive as the D'Aulaires book. The D'aulaires are geniuses with their storytelling and illustrations. We do not have the book of Norse Myths.....which might be a great birthday present for Ezzie....

Oh and this post ties perfectly into my idea of a dream job: bakery and bookstore owner. Yes, I love teaching but I think if I was millionaire I might just forgo that and work with croissants and novels forever.

When You're Lost in the Rain in Jaurez OR Bingley, the Rooster

This is a detail of Bingley, a new rooster painting. Bingley is so called because my roosters will have the names of my favorite male characters from literature and my hens will have names like Marguerite Blakeney and Lizzie Bennet. Yes, I am a corset geek. And I have to paint chickens until I have REAL chickens.

The title is part of the first line to my favorite song. AND I may not have even gotten it right. Bob Dylan. The song that I listen to when I am feeling blue. Which is mostly due to the overwhelming amount of reading. And the overwhelming amount of WINTER. So I decided to paint today, cause that is one thing that almost always makes me feel better. It is not done but here is a detail. A Leghorn rooster, the background is a very matte, almost-black and the rooster is a bit shiny, which is sort of fun. I love chickens.

While it dries, I read. AND read some more. And break up fights between my kids. And make tea. ANd I am boring myself.

Isn't She Lovely

This is a work in progress by my little sis. I asked her for a painting over the holidays. I wanted something lush and romantic and I pointed out a few pre-raphaelites. I can't wait to have her. hint hint. Of course, Molly may hold her hostage until I finish her Christmas quilt.

harina de maiz

We have been eating a lot of corn tortillas around here. My friend Lissa is someone who feels that she was born into the wrong culture. She learned Spanish in high school and never looked back. She has a beautiful daughter (with her Ecuadorian(?) husband) and loves to cook. She introduced me to the concept of homemade corn tortillas. Seriously easy, especially now that the boys can make them for me. We make a huge batch of black beans, seasoning them with toasted oregano, bay leaves, salt, garlic, onions, pepper and cumin. We start simmering the dried beans in the early afternoon. I whip up a batch of guacomole, cut up some fresh veg. and then use a dry skillet to cook the tortillas. We have been mostly dairy free lately due to probable lactose intolerance with the boys in the family, so no cheese. I don't have a tortilla iron but we use two plates. The tortillas are unbelievably delicious. Everyone loves them. We ate them twice this week for dinner. They don't last though. You can't make them too far in advance or they are tough.

Ya know what? That's all I've got. I am done with winter. Today one of my kids brought in a bird call gizmo from the Hitchcock Nature Center and I nearly teared up listening to the robins. All I want to do is eat.

Sorry about the horrible pictures. We don't get much sun in Winter. And it's cold. And where is the nearest bakery?