Parenthood

Toad Love

Posted on by Ang Anderson

I know I should not be thinking about toads right now.  The temperature outside is hovering somewhere near zero degrees.  The trees are barren and the earth is covered in snow with dead plants peeking out.  It is not exactly the time to be thinking about amphibians.  However, anxiety for spring, seed catalogs in my mail box, and discovering photos of children with toads will do that to a girl.  I wanted you to know that I have discovered something in my adventures in parenthood.  Toads are part of my life now.

My son loves to find toads and so does my daughter.  They go toad hunting in the spring and all summer long.  The first time my son came to me with a toad, I wanted to scream and run in the opposite direction.  I am not particularly afraid of toads.  I just don’t embrace them as a species.  There is no affinity or fondness that resides in my heart.  At least, there never used to be.

But when my children go toad hunting and find baby ones and grandpa ones, I see and recognize the delight in their eyes and I myself can’t help but be delighted.  There is something magical about holding a creature, albeit slightly slimy, in your hands.  To watch their little necks go in and out and to inspect their crazy little feet is certainly something special.  Of course, the holding of the toad is sacredly reserved for my children.  I could not possibly steal the delight of holding a toad from my children.  Can you see the joy radiating on that sweet little face?

While motherhood has held its share of shock and surprise, this was one of the things I have found to be quite amazing.  I can look at a toad and smile, all the while cringing inside.  Because moms have to be cool.  They have to be calm and collected.  Even in the face of imminent amphibian danger.

‘Catty’ Magic

Posted on by Ang Anderson

It is official.  My little, sweet baby girl is two years old.  Somehow this signifies the end of an era.  Yes, I realize that an era is most certainly more than two years.  This much I do know.  How two years have passed so quickly, I have yet to comprehend.  But it is the end of an era for me.  This causes my heart to swell and my body to burst into the ‘I’m-so-full-of-emotion-I-cannot-possibly-contain-it-inside-of-me’ balloon.  At which point, my eyes well up with tears.  I actually think I have been experiencing some of the stages of grief.  I have been in denial (She can’t be two.  She was just born.) and certainly sad (She is my baby.  Where did those two years go?) accompanied with more denial (She can’t be two.  She was just born.).

See?  Look at that sweet, just born face…(or if you are me, don’t look.  Or you will cry.  Again.)

Yes, my sweet Eva Angeline celebrated her birthday on the 29th of May.  It has come and gone.  I must now enter the acceptance stage.  She is two.  She was born two years ago.  Two years have passed since her birth.  Yes, I know.  I’m a raging lunatic.  My, oh my, how those two years have been filled with so much change.  To think of this little babe at birth to the little girl in the daisy field today, the heaving chest and tears come again.  The dam will not hold.  It overflows. (Damn it.  I can do this. This is what moms do.  Yes, we love so much it hurts.)

Eva is in love with Hello Kitty.  She has a Hello Kitty robe and that is how the infatuation with ‘Catty’ began. Hello Kitty is not Hello Kitty in our house.  She is ‘Catty’.  The excitement in Eva’s voice when she sees ‘Catty’ informs you that her love for ‘Catty’ abounds.  Thus, the theme for her party was decided.  I set to work on a practice cake of Hello Kitty’s head.  This is what moms do.  We love our children.  We read the love lines they send out to us and we act.  We bake cakes from scratch and do things we have never done before, all for the sake of our children.  I still surprise myself in the kitchen because let’s face it, I was a slouch before I was a mother.  I did not bake cakes from scratch.  I didn’t bake.  I didn’t cook.  I poured cereal out of a box and added milk for my dinner.  Obviously, as a mom, those types of kitchen skills would not win me any awards with my children.  I’m not gifted but I try.  And I believe that is all that we can do.  So, I do some research and I bake a ‘Catty’ cake.  I make dinners I have never made before.  Sometimes they turn out and sometimes they don’t.  (A lot like my parenting moments.)

So, what do we do?  We too get really excited when we see ‘Catty’.  We work our ‘catty’ magic.  We go outside of our comfort zone to do things for our children.  Who are we kidding?  Being a parent is outside the comfort zone.  I’ve never been a parent.  (Don’t tell my kids this but I have no idea what I am doing.)  Yes, I read tons of books on how to be the best parent that ever walked the face of the Earth.  I read Parents magazine and I try really hard to be a good parent.  But in each moment I have to make a choice and I don’t always know if it’s the right one.

Eva came into our lives just as Easton did.  We did not know whether we were having a girl or a boy.  This was by choice as I relished the surprise.  I secretly harbored thoughts of a boy simply because it would be easier.  We already had one.  We had everything we needed for a boy in our possession and then some.  My husband and I had even harmoniously agreed on a boy name.  Which would be all of the reasons we were blessed with a girl.  It took me a full ten days after she was born to fully understand the situation.  I had a girl.  The bombs of pink going off every five minutes should have triggered my awareness.  My world was a fuzzy pink kaleidoscope of emotions.  I was so excited that our house would now hold an equal hormonal balance.  The blessings finally started to sink in.

The arrival of Eva made us a family of four.  A well-rounded team of two parents and two children, built in comrades on each side.  The love of a husband and wife, just when you think it couldn’t be any greater, is ever expanded by the addition of a child.  And then another.  Each time, you wonder how can there be enough love?  But it multiplies with the people.  (Who knew it was simple mathematics?)

And so, two months later, I have come to terms with the fact that my sweet Eva is two.  I look forward to going outside of my comfort zone each day.  I cherish building a haven within our family where my children feel safe, loved, and happy.  I love working ‘catty’ magic and creating a childhood full of imagination and wonder for my children.

For those of you dreaming of parenthood, I hold you close to my prayer-filled heart with hope and love.

Whether they are just born, two, or twenty, children are a magical miracle to behold.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Eva!

Mom’s Trifecta

Posted on by Ang Anderson

Three of yesterday’s food adventures reminded me so much of my mom, I felt compelled to call her and tell her about the little hat trick that she unknowingly scored.  The food was not elaborate or fancy but for me, a simple nudge of childhood memories.  I believe the memories associated with food, home, and comfort are one of the greatest things that a mother can give to her children.  Surprisingly, the two main stars of the day were celery and raisins.

The first order of the morning was getting the split pea soup into the crock pot for dinner.  This involved putting dry peas in with some water, salt, pepper and finely chopping carrots and celery.  There is something very therapeutic about chopping vegetables.  Easy, simple, pea soup goodness.  Just like mom used to make.  I actually believe you either love pea soup or hate it.  I was fortunate enough to receive my mom’s genes for the affinity to pea soup.  She was also blessed with them by her mother.  If you don’t share the love, I do understand.  The texture.  The color.  Either one could possibly put your stomach into a tail spin, if you don’t have the pea soup gene.

After playing outside, we enjoyed a snack of Ants on a Log.  What’s that you say?  Ants?  On a Log?

My mom used to make these for a snack when I was little.  Celery.  Peanut Butter.  Raisins.  The celery acts as a log, the peanut butter is there because hello?  Celery and Peanut Butter.  They are somehow joined in matrimony.  While not as holy as Peanut Butter and Jelly, I believe the crunch and the cream is meant to be.  In reality, the ‘ants’ simply need something to stick to!  I am not even normally that big of a fan of the ol’ PB.  My husband however holds a completely different affection for the butter of peanuts.  He puts it in his oatmeal.  He puts it on his pancakes.  Don’t even get me started on how much he loves it with chocolate.  I would have to admit that the chocolate and peanut butter marriage ranks considerably above celery but in the land of healthy, I think celery would knock out chocolate.  Did you know it takes more calories to actually chew celery than it’s worth?  (Who am I kidding?  I.  Love.  Chocolate.  Sometimes more than my own children.  Well, that’s not really true.  But I do count it as a fifth food group.  If there ever truly was a war between celery and chocolate, my bets are on the dark brown cacao derivative.)

For the sake of the Ants on a Log, celery was our traditional log.  The raisins were served on the side for my kiddos because I wasn’t sure how those little wrinkly ‘ants’ were going to go down with the celery.  But when they saw me doing it, they had to try it too!  The raisins give the snack a bit of sweet goodness.  Successful Ants on a Log passed down from one generation to the next.  *wipes brow*

We also used to have Ants on a Toilet.  Half an apple served as the toilet, in place of the aforementioned ‘log’.  (I apologize for all of the potty related innuendos.)  I also recall that these two silly snacks served as the basis for the junior high speech I gave where we were required to do a demonstration.  What I most remember is the girl who shaved her legs for her speech.  I’m guessing the guys did too.  At least if my kids ever need to do a demonstration, we already have some ideas in our back pocket.

As the Ants on a Log were consumed by the little ones, I mixed up a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies.  The food connections progressed so naturally from one to another.  The celery in the soup caused the peanut butter to be unleashed.  I had the cookies on the docket for about a week so I had the raisins in the pantry.  It was truly a very blessed kitchen trifecta.  All thanks to mom.  Thank you Mom!

The skies happened to be overcast and rainy.  This causes the conditions in my oven to be favorable in producing at least one baked item.  Oatmeal raisin cookies are my mom’s favorite and (most days) mine too.  I simply use the recipe located on the underside of the Quaker Oatmeal container lid.  I also use butter flavor Crisco.  Be sure to add the 2 Tbsp of water if using Crisco.  If you forget, your cookies will not love you, nor you your cookies.  This is a tip from my sister who makes the most amazing chocolate chip cookies.  One of her secrets to success is the Crisco.  Thank you dear sister!  Here are the cookies.  Mmmmmm….

The soup, while pea in flavor and pea in color, is not exactly what I consider photogenic.  However, I felt the need to photograph it just the same.  The greenish guise belies its delicious flavor.

Here is the recipe I used for the split pea soup.  I didn’t have ham or feel like going to the store with my two little ones in tow so I opted not to add any meat this time.  Usually, I throw a ham hock in and it gives the soup a really nice flavor.

Split Pea Soup

  • 1 package split peas (do not soak)
  • 2 cups ham chopped fine (optional)
  • 2 cups celery, chopped fine
  • 2 cups carrots, chopped fine
  • 6 cups water
  • 3 teaspoons of salt (I used kosher)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of pepper

Put all ingredients into crock pot.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Here’s to moms everywhere!  Keep doing what you do best.  Cook.  Bake.  Love.