hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week
Last night I sat on our weedy “lawn” with my brilliant, dirty child. Ruby was topless and playing in the sandbox, the evening sun perfectly illuminated every little thing I adore about our backyard. There was a basket of clean laundry next to heaps of green, hopeful tomatoes. Alice and the cats stretched in slivers of evening sunlight, the chickens mildly clucked, Andy and Margot chopped carrots in the kitchen while exchanging the day’s stories.
That morning, when my assistant couldn’t come at the last minute, I had to scramble to rearrange work and I felt frantic and agitated. But, thanks to my early rising children, by 9am we were on a path completely different than the one I thought the day would bring. I am proud of myself for getting good at being flexible, riding the unpredictable current of working and mothering in the same breath. It isn’t streamlined. It is definitely zig zagged.
We jumped into our surprising day, biking to meet friends at a park and then picking apricots. We made lunch, Ruby napped and I sewed with Margot, again and again showing her how to thread the needle and explaining just who I am making these clothes for (how hard it is to explain that the shirt is for a kid I don’t know in Iowa) while telling her stories. Ruby woke and we ventured into the garden to gossip about ladybugs and tomatillos.
thankfully, I have friends who are equally thrilled with fruit picking
Everything felt like a lovely gift yesterday. In the evening as I sat to catch up on work while my family slept, I thought, today was the best day. An extraordinary ordinary day.
nuggets.
:: We have been eating a lot of noodley-ricey things with vegetables. This one was really great. I sautéed patty pan squash, zucchini and onion in olive oil until soft and a little bit brown. Tossed with soba noodles, gobs of fresh garlic, olive oil, salt, finely shredded romano and bright arugula.
:: The girls and I camped with friends last week. It was all very fun until Ruby started tickling Margot and giggling while pressing her nose to mine at 4:30am. I tried everything to calm that chicken down. We nursed and hushed and sang yet all she wanted to do was wake up the universe. So we went for an early, early morning walk. For the love of all things holy I was tired and a little cranky. But then I saw these two and I *almost* cracked a smile.
We discovered the most amazing trail that wound up to the rising sun.
Later that day, when normal people woke, our crew rolled around in the honest summer slow wonder.
Margot and Ruby the moment we piled into the car to head home:
:: My new favorite photo of Ruby Jane.
:: My new favorite salad: chopped cucs with brown rice vinegar, olive oil and salt.
:: “Margot, I can’t believe you are almost four.”
“Yeah but I really want to stay the same. It’s OK if I get older but I would like to just be Margot forever. Is that a good idea?”
:: We hosted our supper club last weekend. Our group of 14 chooses a different theme for each gathering and this meal was Greek. Holy smokes, it was epic. Our contribution was lamb and pork souvlaki complete with homemade french fries, tzatziki and pita. It was the perfect summer evening for backyard dining and frequent shoutings of opa!
:: Beans are bananas. And I especially love the seeds, a gift from a dear friend. She purchased the Dragon Tongue Beans from the Petaluma Seed Bank, a lovely and inspiring business in California.
:: I wondered when the girls would be ok outside with flying insects. At first, after the bee stings, they both seemed amazingly able to move on but the memory had a grip and for the last few months, any flying anything terrified them both, especially Ruby. It has been hard, given how much time we spend outside. Goodness we have talked A LOT about bees and bugs and bites and stings. Just this last week Andy and I noticed them venture outside by themselves, see bees on flowers and keep walking. Hooray for that.
:: Last year was a crummy carrot year, much to Margot’s (and my!) disappointment. I think we are making up for it this year.
wishing every last one of you the best hump day, whatever that looks like for you.
ps MT Goddess, you won the Children’s Museum membership! Email me at digthischick at gmail dot com. Also, locals, Families First is presenting a wonderful family concert this weekend!
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