Memorial Day Weekend, Part Two:Farmer's Market and Strawberry Pickin'

Day two of our long weekend started off bright and early at our local farmer's market. This is the first weekend of the season for some open-air markets, but ours has been open since April.

We bought kettle corn for the drive and left to go berry pickin' at Belvedere Plantation. The weather was perfect: slightly overcast with a breeze and enough sunshine to put you in the pickin' mood.

Photo Credit: Anne Marley

And pick we did. Our two flats of juicy, red berries weighed in at 20 pounds. That's even after the Sprout's tasting spree.

I wouldn't say he feasted on berries fresh from the vines, but...

...the berry stains speak for themselves.

For Sprout, tractors working the farm are every bit (bite?)
as good as the berries.

If it wasn't the tractor pulling the hay wagon or the tractor team removing round bails from the next field over, it was "'Tain, ma ma! Choo choo tain. Over dair!" when he heard the train whistle blowing faintly in the distance.

Sprout did enjoy some spirited jumping on the moon bounce.

He also found a pen of miniature goats that were eager to be fed.

In counterpoint to morning events, late afternoon naps were at the top of our itinerary after we got home. What's a three-day weekend without some good R & R? Imagine the whole house, dogs and all, sacked out in slumber for a few hours before supper. It was heaven.

Tomorrow is a "do nothing" day. (Of course, "do nothing" means endless piles of laundry and other chores to prepare for the week ahead.) But that doesn't mean we won't pay respect to those who have, or are now serving, our country.

If you find yourself at a cookout, lift your glasses (or grill forks)
in honor of those lost. Wave a handheld flag during your local parade. Spend a few moments in conversation with a service member. Whatever you do, seize the day and enjoy it.

Memorial Day Weekend, Part One:Barbeque to Baby Ducks

The unofficial beginning of summer at Silly Hat Central looked something like this.

Big Daddy fired up the grill and made kicked-up veggie kebabs for lunch. He also steamed a redonkulously large spaghetti squash. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and it was a feast fit for kings.

But the day started with an early morning trip to IKEA for $49 Expedit bookcases. We scored two of these birch-stained beauties, plus Dröna fabric baskets for each cubbyhole. As you can see, Silly Hat Central was in desperate need of a storage solution for the Sprout's toys.

Now we have plenty of storage space for the trains, tracks, trucks, plastic food items, play kitchen utensils, power tools, and stray Matchbox^® cars that have routinely littered the floor. A big win.

After supper, Big Daddy took Sprout down to the lake in his covered wagon to feed the "ducks," (Sprout-speak for geese) including four "baby ducks" (goslings). He must have been pretty worn out from such a full day of excitement.

The unofficial ending of the first day of Memorial Day weekend looked something like this.

Here's hoping your day was as eventful and enjoyable!

Tomorrow — strawberry picking at Belvedere Plantation. And a scrapbook page Big Daddy created to record the Sprout's 2007 visit. Oh, ha, ha, ha! Look at that sweet, berry-pickin' bunny!

I scrapped! Weeeeeeeee!

Yes! I found time to scrap! And I wanted to share the page with everyone who has been so wonderful to us this year — all of you steadfast, patient and creative blog-friendly folks. Wishing you (Each and every one!) a love and light-filled year that is better than you could possibly imagine!

L-AHHHHHHHHHHHH-tke!

As a parent who is trying to raise a child with a lifelong love of reading, the bedtime story is an immutable part of our evening routine.

However, once he has finished pointing out all the pictures in the books that catch his fancy, Little Sprout usually loses interest and tries to run off. What's a mother to do? Make sure the story is entertaining for you too, of course.

Tonight I read a new holiday book: The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming - a Christmas Story by Lemony Snicket. True to persnickety type, the main character is an increasingly irate latke (a potato pancake) trying in vain to get a little respect from three Christmas-centric icons.

The Latke story appeals to me kids of all ages. It is irreverent, silly and blends holiday traditions while managing to teach about Hanukkah.

Before we go any further, my favorite stuffed toy as a child was a Jonnycake (a cornmeal cake that was a pioneer staple) which had yarn hair, hands and feet sticking out from its perfectly round body. Much like the Gingerbread Man, early memories involved the Johnnycake jumping out of a hot oven and running away. Presumably screaming.

Anthropomorphic flapjacks railing against their lot.
(See, the symmetry is almost poetic.)

Er, um . . . back to bedtime reading.

At first, Little Sprout didn't show the slightest interest in this story. He would wander off to play with Matchbox cars or trains or beg Big Daddy to flip him upside-down in a somersault. But I kept on reading aloud.

When the latke started screaming Little Sprout took notice. He could identify with a hysterical hashbrown that frustrated little latke. Whenever I would exclaim, he joined in with his own loud, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

After storytime was finished I said, "Sprout, what does the latke say?" and he rushed up to me (hugging me at the knees) and yelled, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

I think we just started a new holiday tradition.

The Cocoa Kid

Wordless Wednesday is suspended this week to bring you two photos of Silly Hat Central's resident villain, El Cocoa Bandito.

This time instead of snitching brownies off the kitchen counter he was "gettin' all Maverick-y" after his first taste of delicious, homemade cocoa.

That mustache puts me in mind of two things: Dick Dastardly from the cartoon The Perils of Penelope Pitstop — Maybe it's the stripes? — and a young Salvador Dali.

Special thanks to Stephanie Nissan-Nichols for pointing me in the direction of this last image. It is the best comparison yet.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

A Fistful of Brownies

The other morning while I was washing up the morning dishes, Little Sprout crashed around the main floor in full-tilt mode.*

All of a sudden my mommy sense tingled because it had gotten too quiet and I went to investigate. Here's what I found:


Oh, ha ha! He had gotten the brownies down from the counter without me knowing! AND he carried them just far enough out of the kitchen to be out of sight before settling in to enjoy his spoils.

The caveat is that the moments that were captured on film weren't as priceless as the one when I first entered the room.

Imagine this angelic, brownie-smeared face looking up at you as if to say, "What, mommy?"

Little Sprout had three brownies gripped together in two, barely big-enough hands. Rounding out the scene are my two half-beagles poised eagerly over the open brownie box like Snoopy vultures, just waiting for their chance to pounce. **

All of these photos were taken a few moments later, after the initial shock had worn off and I'd made a mad dash for the camera.

All it took for me to get these reenactment photos was to take the box away for a moment and hand it back asking, "What do you have there, little guy?" See how eager he is to show me his stash?

The time it took to grab the camera and start snapping was just long enough for this contented little bandit to put his fistful of chocolaty evidence back into the box and close the lid.

No evidence, no crime. Get it?

SO BEGINS THE TERRIBLE TWOS...

Can you believe he has been asking for brownies for breakfast every morning since? I really have my work cut out for me.

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* Full-tilt mode is generally recognized as a talent unique to toddlers. However, I have met one or two grown men who can still pull it off.

** Yes, I do know that chocolate is bad for dogs. My opportunistic beagles (Very Bad Dogs) and I thank you for your concern.

A Haunting He Did Go

A ghost haunted Silly Hat Central this year, and what an adorable Lil' Boo he was! He wasn't the least bit shy about knocking on doors and asking for treats. To him it was spooky, good fun!

Our neighbor, who goes by the moniker SkyGranny, invited him over to haunt her garden and he had a grand time running in circles with his spooky dags flying.

In fact, running at top speed is his new favorite pastime, so we couldn't have planned a better costume for him if we tried. All that energy just added to his spectral appeal.

Startitis and Knitting Delusions

Ever since late summer started making way for early Autumn I have been itching to knit. It is like this for a lot of knitters. Cool weather is a siren call. It stimulates the knitting receptors in our brains and we instinctively reach for needles and cozy yarn(s).

But this case of startitus is particularly acute. I want to knit or spin everything in the house. I see a friend knitting and want to pet their yarn.

"Toddlers and needles don't mix," I reproach myself, forcing my eyes downward and slowly backing away from the yarn.

So far chasing around my toddler has tempered my self control, but the two or three chilly evenings we've had this week are unraveling my resolve. Knitting delusions are starting to set in.

Yesterday I got an email from a local knitter on Ravelry announcing a new knitting circle forming in my area. Wham! I replied how I would love to join in the fun. And don't we all need a reason to get out of the house to work on our unfinished projects once in a while?

All afternoon I fantasized about finishing the baby bootie I started a month an a half ago for the baby shower that is taking place at my house in three days. Talk about a knitting delusion! What kind of twisted math was I doing in my head to rationalize that plan?

But when you are actually willing to lie to yourself about how long knitting takes in order to rationalize your plans, this is what happens.

Little Sprout needs a cap to keep his head warm on our morning walks. Delusion: start it now (Yes, start it! Cast on.) and you'll have it finished by next week! Reality: God only knows when that hat would get finished.

Then I read Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's latest blog post over at Yarn Harlot and I felt better. She and I have a few things in common: age (her 40 to my 43), oatmeal (tho' I know exactly where I stand on raisins) and a yen for starting projects.

All is right again with the universe because I know I'm not alone.

Give My Slump a Jump

Reprinted with kind permission of Terry Willis.
See more of his work at Ruff Media

For the past few weeks I've been trying to kick-start my creative mojo with zero success. We've all heard of writer's block. Is there such a thing as scrap lag? A knitting slump? A cooking crisis? A sewing skid? Blogger's block?

This funk has flatlined my motivation. Case in point, I should have Little Sprout's Halloween costume finished, but I haven't even assembled the materials yet. My sister swooped in with a big save by mailing the cutest little ghost costume that she had made for her kids when they were Little Sprout's age. Thank you, sis!

(Too bad she doesn't read blogs. Not even this one, though it is the best place to see adorable toddler photos. But you all know that.)

Is the recession cooling my creative mojo? Lack of vitamin D? Whatever it is, I want to fire up a defibrillator, slap on the paddles, and jolt myself with about 50,000 joules. A high-voltage zap!

Tell me, what do you do to get your groove back?

Captain Hammer in Da House!

Photo Caption: Who needs my saving expertise?

THIS is what happens when you leave "the boys" home alone for an hour.

Big Daddy dressed Little Sprout up as "Captain Hammer" while I ran out to the grocery store. When I got home I was greeted by a black-booted superhero in a t-shirt with a hammer on it.

True to character, my Lil' Hammer ¹ wore his bravado on his sleeve. He giggled and danced around until it was time to put on his pajamas. A bit like this Captain Hammer Caramelldansen animation I found on YouTube:

Okay, I admit that was a bit jarring to watch. Would you rather have had me use the tired and dated "Hammer Time" reference?

Photo Caption: Witness the magnificence that is me.

Here is Lil' Hammer showing off his superpowers (and his boots!) in a skillful display of imminent danger saving.

Not so much the saving from a boring Monday.
Unless you're a chick of course.

At least he wasn't wearing salad! (See my first post for a photo of Little Sprout with lettuce on his head.)

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¹ Lil'Hammer — not to be confused with Lillehammer, Norway. (Lillehammer was the home of the 1994 Winter Olympics.)

And He's Off!

For the past several days, Bruce has been working on his balance — practicing steadying himself, seeing how long he can remain upright on his own without falling or grabbing on to something. Want to see him toddling for a few steps?


It makes a mommy proud!

But that's not all. My master multi-tasker is also focused on climbing stairs, saying new words like "boppy" and cutting his second tooth! He has discovered the joys of pulling all the pots and pans out of the cupboard. (He loves banging pot lids together, making great, crashing cymbal sounds!)

Do you think he's trying to get all this stuff in before he turns one?