spring

The day before St. Patrick's Day, I realized that Ellis did not possess a single item of green clothing. And since these things are sometimes important to kindergartners and I never know what kind of theme-y thing they might hype up at school, I thought we better make a green shirt fast. He's going to need Tshirts for summer anyway.

So while at Target, I picked up a simple white T and meant to get the same for Marlowe, but there were none white in his size, so I got him green. Thus, I introduced Ellis to tie-dye. I have some green dye in my stash. (remember this?) And there's nothing more awesome than stirring a pot of dye. Thankfully, I managed to restrain myself from dyeing everything in sight. With Marlowe's shirt, I tried reverse tie-dyeing with bleach. I think I left it in too long, though. Oh well, they both ended up with fun green shirts.

Ellis was extremely proud of his.

That was the day we went to the zoo.

On Valentine's Day I got a call from the chair of the department to which I applied at Boston University. I was enthusiastically accepted. (I'm glad I got the accept before the rejects. ha!)

Today is St. Patrick's Day. Today the chair of the department to which I applied got a call from me to say that I accepted their offer.

Between then and now was a crazy trip to Boston. Was that only last week? On Sunday night, Chris left for a conference in Chicago. On Monday morning, bright and early, I loaded up the boys for our roadtrip. We only hit one snarl (wherein it took 2 hours to go 15mi). We stayed with my childhood friend, Krista, and her family, conveniently comprised of boys about the same ages as my own. I visited the department at BU on Tues and was really impressed and excited. On Wed we visited a deaf school in the area that seems to be what we're really looking for for Ellis, a good bilingual education (ASL and spoken English) with good academic standards. On Thursday was the grueling trip home. Eleven hours, one stop, a lot of pouring rain--to go just over 300 miles. Gah! The one stop was at the beach that we camped at last summer in s. Connecticut (with a short Sbux stop immediately following). I love making a fun stop like that on a road trip--free of fast food to tempt the kids with its french fries and brightly colored toys and plenty of outdoor space to run around.

This week I was offered a funding package that is doable. It still leaves me a couple thousand short of tuition--when I was really hoping for tuition remission and at least a TAship or small stipend. But the university doesn't seem to have those kinds of resources. But I got more than they initially thought they could get me. And I really believe that this department is totally worth any small sacrifice. (For instance, everyone likes each other and is nice--how many academic departments could you say that about?)

Leaving Philly is agonizing. Our families are here. We have a great church that we love. Lots of good friends. I love being 15 mins from the children's museum or the zoo.

Speaking of the zoo...that's where we enjoyed this warm March day.

I went back to New York in April. This time with just Marlowe, which I admit I find rather challenging, because at 23 months, he was a wiggly, curious boy. But we made it there, and met up with my MIL who was in town all week with a trade show for work. We stayed the night with her in her hotel room on Times Square. She took us to eat at a delicious restaurant, that wasn't kid-oriented at all. And Marlowe did superbly well. Then we went to M&M World. By then, it was pretty late, and Marlowe was sitting in his stroller in a daze. We had been there for about 10 minutes, when he, all of a sudden, realized where we were, and said "please! please!!"

The next morning, Grammy returned to her trade show, and I took the occasion to do something I've been meaning to do for awhile: visit the Cloisters, the medieval museum of the Met. They're a little ways away, so I've always been reticent to get on a subway for 30+ mins after an hour and a half train ride. So it was nice to use the opportunity of being able to spend the night to get a fresh start. So we got on at 42d St and got off at 190th St by a fun playground and a beautiful park full of flowering trees overlooking the Hudson River. I walked under the warm sun along the path and came upon the Cloisters, its towers peaking through the trees.

This is built to look like a medieval fortress/castle/thingy, with huge chunks of building imported from Europe. Inside are several medieval artifacts, art, tapestries, bits of buildings/architecture (e.g. there's a gothic chapel, a romanesque chapel), and, of course, cloisters, which surround beautiful gardens that are based on medieval gardens. I love historic gardens. It's like all the bits of me all tied up in one. I emailed my dad, who is a horticulturalist, and said, "look, a bit of me and a bit of you!" Anyway, it was also exciting to have gardens in a medieval museum, since they figure so prominently in medieval art and literature.

I really wanted to go to the Cloisters, but wondered how M would do. But remember my policy, incorporate the kid. As a result, I never realized how many lions and dogs are part of medieval art. We roared and barked our way through the museum. Especially exciting was the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, which have a lot of dogs and rabbits.

We bought overpriced coffee and cookie and enjoyed the sunshine. And then made our way back to the subway via the playground.

So one month ago we were this:

And I had a list of questions. To revisit where I am at the moment:

* Grass.
We decided to forego the headache of a tiny bit of grass. Couldn't even imagine keeping kids off of it. A big sandbox suits everyone quite nicely. Chris built this for the boys just last Saturday, and they are thrilled, to say the least.

* Upside-down tomato plants. Still think they're cool. Leaning towards not doing it, though. I'm just not comfortable with tomatoes on my front porch. I just don't want to go to all the work to have someone mess them up. Plus there's the watering issue. I don't have an easy way to water hanging pots like that, and that seems to be the number one most comment upon issue.

* Rain barrels. i think my dad is going to make me one when he makes some for them.

*green roof. Still a big question mark.

* Compost. I decided not to do worms for now.
I just made a little compost house with cinder blocks and scrap boards from the vacant courtyard behind our house. It's kind of cute. And we haven't had any trouble with animals. Today, I found a gate someone was throwing away. It used to be a baby gate they had around their fireplace, and then their daughter had painted it. It was cute. And gave me a little extra boundary around the compost house. Because i was worried about a little mouse-y named Marlowe who was getting into climbing all over the thing.

After spending more time outside, I've gotten a chance to see the way the sun hits. We get a fair amount of sun. Not full sun for the full day, but enough, I think. At least enough to try to have a vegetable bed in the back. Chris built me a raised bed when he built the sandbox. I filled with a bunch of leaf compost that I could get for free at this place near the arboretum. I've made a couple of trips so far. I also had bought some bags of top soil and garden soil from Home Depot, but I don't think they're any nicer than this awesome leaf compost I got for free. Did I mention that it was FREE?! As in back up your car and fill 'er up. (Locals, here's a map)

I think I'm going to have check out Square Foot Gardening that so many of you all have read. Because I'm having a hard time planning out this space. It's not much. It's kind of funny. I feel like I've gardened and worked with plants all my life, but I've never had to really plan out a vegetable garden all by myself before.

I'm trying to maximize the space I have by using some vertical gardening techniques. The rain gutter planters are my personal favorite at the moment. (Inspired by this gardener, who everyone has linked to!) I got a 10ft rain gutter from Home Depot for about $6. Using metal cutters, I cut it into three parts. Unfortunately I kind of mangled the edges as I cut them, so when I tried to put the end caps on, they didn't fit so well, and I ended up with the rather unelegant solution of duct tape. So far it seems to be holding fine. I punched holes in the bottom for drainage. I have red and green lettuce, spinach, and cilantro growing in them.

Before I go on to blog about other things, I must post the Easter pics. My friend Chandra brought her camera to church to catch these cuties. She is a fabulous photographer, and I love letting her practice on my kids. I'm so magnanimous that way. Ha!

A few days before Easter my friend and her little girl were over, and we realized that we had gotten coordinating Easter outfits at the Children's Place. So Marlowe and Kezzie were all matchy and totally adorable. They have a lot of fun together. M calls her "chi-chi." He thought it was the most fun ever to run around hand-in-hand. We were all dying with the cuteness.

So, remember last year when we had a freak wave in April, so my friend and I went to the beach. It all felt so odd. But then it happened again now. Is it freak, or the new normal?

We had so much fun last year, that when I saw the forecast spiking up to 90 degrees, I said to Al, "you wanna go to the beach again?" She was game and we dragged another friend from church in with our folly.
The traffic was bad this time. It felt like we spent forever in the car. The water was so cold it made me feet hurt just to touch it. The kids had a blast. Ellis kept skimming through surf, filling buckets of water and sand, and coming up to me to tell me how much fun he was having.

The two girls are just a few months younger than Marlowe. They dug and dug in the sand. They have a lot of fun together.

Last Saturday was my birthday, or National 'Nette Day, as it is known in these parts. It was heralded early on in the week by a cold that by the weekend left me feeling exhausted in a tunnel. I still feel that way, as a matter of fact. So it was hard to really be present in the day. But I did get nice presents. haha.

I have a no cooking policy on my bday. So I made sure that Chris had all the ingredients to make me breakfast. Frozen waffles and strawberries. Ellis seemed to think that it was his bday too and that he should have breakfast in bed with mommy, too. He was being so cute and snuggly that I let him.

My mom took the boys and me to Longwood Gardens. There was a time in my life that I went there weekly. A loooong time ago. Um, more than twenty years ago actually. Because I was around 10, and I just turned 32. I hadn't been back since 2000, I think. We went the Christmas we were engaged, and I believe that is the last time I was there. So it was nice to revisit the old stomping grounds. And it's beautiful, as usual. The day was sunny and warm.

I came home and took a nap with Marlowe, then went to my ILs for supper before our Easter concert. The concert was fun; I really enjoyed the repertoire--some good Renaissance pieces, which always make me happy.

And that was National 'Nette Day 2010. But of course, I justify every superfluous expense in April as "for my birthday." Like coffee today. It was yummy, too.

I should say something about the weather, too, 'cause it's crazy. I always have daffodils for my birthday. This year, daffodils were going strong well before my bday. And the flowering trees are at least a month ahead of schedule. And the maple tree outback is already getting tiny leaves. Crazy!!

Oh, have we ever earned spring this year. Today was up to 60. And sunny. I took the kids to the arboretum, so we could soak in the sunshine and fresh air.

We always have fun in their tree adventure area.

For awhile I couldn't find them, as there were these two little birdies hopping around me.

Ellis and I scrambled around the hammock area, but Marlowe looked on from his vista.

And there were snowdrops, crocuses, and fragrant witch hazel blooming.

With the trees so bare still, we could so much more of our surroundings, including the patches of snow reminding us so much that winter is still on his way out. It is supposed to rain this weekend. Perhaps that will melt the last bits away.

I can't wait for daffodils and cherry blossoms.

Spring is just around the corner. The ten-day forecast has days, like today, in the 50's and rain instead of snow. I know we're not in the clear yet. But the weather is starting to turn.

I took the boys to the playground for the first time this season. Wearing boots was a good move considering the hefty patches of snow still on the ground, and the areas of meltage were covered in mud.

After dreaming and dreaming about it, we finally signed up for a CSA share.* I'd like to say I'm excited about supporting local agriculture (and I am! that's very close to my heart, actually), but I think I was a tad more excited about being presented with a box of food that I can cook with but that I didn't have to exert the brain power to actually choose. It's really hard for me to feel inspired when I look at a blank piece of paper that says "Menus for the Week." I cringe every week. I never do it. My brain is totally dysfunctional lately in terms of food planning. I've bought magazines, surfed the internet, read through old cookbooks, desperately trying to find that little bit of inspiration. Totally stymied. So I will freely admit, I was looking toward the advent of the CSA box with messianic proportions. Save me from the ennui!

Today I went to pick up our first box. Beautiful!!! Green!!! GREEN!!!!!! I brought it home and opened it. Reveled in it. Smelled the herbs which actually had scent and flavor! I held a head of green leaf lettuce that was like a foot in diameter. I wouldn't have known it was spinach if they hadn't said so. So robust! Hubby came into the kitchen and witnessed my madness, "So, you geeking out?" Yea, pretty much.

I mean, look at these beautiful radishes.

All of a sudden I can think of a few meals to make. (Well, something besides pizza, taco salad, and spaghetti.) My buddy Joanna is going to be blogging about her CSA box and what she's making with it. I think it will be cool to do, too. Since the stuff we get comes at its season, it'll be interesting to see how roughly the same ingredients we'll be getting changes throughout the spring and summer. And Joanna has some pretty cool food blogging anyway.

So here's my first contribution, which is actually, recently, becoming a quick favorite meal in our family. I love it for it's speediness and versatility.

Boil some pasta (I use penne).
In a pan saute some onions and garlic (like one small onion and 1-2 garlic cloves)
Add some meat or white beans or chickpeas or lentils (versatility: vegetarian options)
Add some herbs (basil, rosemary, cilantro all good choices; tonight I used cilantro from teh box)
Add some lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper (to taste) (if I have an actual lemon on hand, I grate some zest, too).
Add some tomatoes (crushed, diced, or sundried--I prefer the sundried tomatoes that come in a paste in a jar)
If the mixture is a little dry, add some of the pasta water before draining.
Drain the pasta and toss the noodles in the pan (leaving some out for your very picky kid who doesn't like sauces).
Add fresh spinach and toss until it becomes wilted.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

From the box: cilantro, spinach, and our side salad of spring greens.

*CSA=community supported agriculture. it works by buying a share in a local, organic farm, and every week during season, you get a box of whatever produce is in season.