Three Stars.

I've been missing you lately, Sweet Girl. I don't know how to place you with your sisters. I don't know how to miss in a way that is "right" without dwelling in times to which I can't return. Life has taken on so much bustling and laughter.

In the mornings that are cool, I anticipate you. In the nights that are hot, I imagine with excitement. And, then, I miss you. So, I do what I can.

I am just this person, who misses you. I don't fight the feelings when they come.

This song is one I listened to when I was pregnant with you.

I hope, if you are reading this, friends, you see the beauty of this song. (Even if it is about a UFO. Haha. Everyone, even sweet spirits, must have senses of humor about these things.)

Umm, Sweet Feet?

So, I posted something today called "Sweet Feet." It is a picture of Josephine. Then, I looked back in the archives. I realized just now that I posted a picture of Eleanor (also called "Sweet Feet") on this EXACT DAY of Eleanor's life. Crazy. So, for your viewing pleasure, here are the Sisters Sweet Feet.

Glamour Shot. Haha.

Days End Horse Rescue.

We went to visit the local horse rescue today for a tour. We tagged along with a preschool for the tour. We did have to leave less than halfway through because Eleanor was screaming to "Pet it, the horsey!" or "Ride it, the horsey, ME!" Or "Hello, Horsey! Hello, Horsey's House!"

The icing on the cake was when Eleanor broke from the crowd and ran squealing with excitement toward a tractor (that was backing up).

We just high tailed it out of there. But, fun, nonetheless.

Sitting Pretty.

I don't usually post about our dinner...

...because, um, who cares about our dinner. But, every so often, something is just so pretty that even I have to take note. We decided to do a spin on a very plain Jane American summer dinner. I made tofu cutlets (which became sandwiches on some organic bread with farm stand tomatoes (pictured with Muenster cheese)), Eastern shore corn, homemade baked herby fries (as easy as they seem), and strawberries and hunks of watermelon for dessert. It was delicious. And, for the heck of it, I'll post my tofu recipe below. :o) (Boiling the corn is up to you and Eleanor is not included.)

Tofu Cutlets:

One block extra firm tofu. (Never the kind from the shelf for this recipe - always from the refrigerator. And, you have to play around with brands - the firmer the better you will see.) Our store sells a kind with black pepper and garlic in the actual tofu - that's delicious.

Remove from the package and press the water out lightly with a towel.

You'll need three bowls.

Bowl One) Whisk together: 1/8 cup mustard (I use spicy brown) and 1/2 cup soy milk (or regular).

Bowl Two) One cup flour of your choosing. I used white because it was what I had. (I know, shame on me.)

Bowl Three) Bread crumbs. I made my own with some day old organic wheat bread (which you can often get for free at markets), a handful of Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits (Bill's idea, which rocked), raw wheat germ, garlic powder, and black pepper. But, you could also buy "breadcrumbs." Haha, that would work just as well (especially if combined in a food processor with Triscuits, because Triscuits are awesome). If you had $1.99 and the energy to go to the store, which I did not.

Preheat your stovetop to medium, with a skillet with a coating of olive oil (or another oil that holds up to heat better, but again, I had olive oil on hand).

Cut the tofu into 1/3 inch thick squares and "assembly line it." Coat Tofu with flour. Then mustard/milk. Then breadcrumbs.

Fry for a few minutes on both sides (followed by a few minutes on a paper towel to catch the excess oil). And, mangia. :o)

(Wow, that was A LOT of work. Why do people EVER post recipes? I need a nap.)

Jo(y)sephine.

Goodness Help Us...

We may be one of the most "bookish" families you've ever met (or not met, depending on who's looking at this). Between me, Bill, and Eleanor, reading is definitely the number one pastime. But, it looks like Josephine is steadily going in the same direction. (Although she is not looking at the book in ANY of these pictures - haha.) Will there ever be time for anything else?

Eleanor and Buddy, Madeline.

These Two Can't Hang.

Sweet Feet.

Shirtless Squared.

"Blumping" With Juliet.

Eleanor Plus Our Friends, The Criss Kids.

The Lost Files

Time Out.

Eleanor just spent about 10 minutes tearing up all my drawers. After running up and down the stairs relentlessly, bringing me orange after orange. I said to her, "Eleanor, if you keep doing that, you are going to have time out." Her reply? "Ok, want time out. Me."

I said, "You want time out?"

She said, "In my room. Shut the door. Me be sad."

As I walked her up to her room, I said, "Are you sure you want to time out?"

"OK. Cry. So sad."

So, she is currently in "Time Out." Sort of.

Early bird.

Guess what I'm doing? You'll never guess. Pumping. (Oh wait, you guessed that?) In the car in my driveway. Bet you didn't guess that. Don't ask. Ah, the things I do for young Josephine. Oh, right, this post is supposed to be about Josephine, the "early bird" to whom this title refers. We had her six month check up today! (Yes, a week early and, yes, one day after Eleanor's belated two-year. Again, don't ask.)

Anyway, she came in at just under 18 lbs! That's the 75th percentile. Because she's only in the 5oth percentile for height, she looks very chubby. But, she's really just a bit above average plumpness.

However, they plotted her snugglability, and it was off the charts!!! Like, 100th percentile plus!

(Belated) Two Year Check Up.

Eleanor had her two year check up yesterday. It was awesome! She is still tiny, but has settled comfortably onto the 25th percentile for weight and 65th (or so) for height. She weighed in at 24 lbs 4 oz, and was 34.5 inches tall. The doctor said that meant she was right on track! I was very pleased. :o)

As for her development, of course she's a genius. Haha. But really.

Ever since the dog bite and the subsequent traumatic hospital experiences, Eleanor has been scared of the doctor's office. Not so scared that it's unmanageable. But, scared. So, as I was unloading the girls from the car, Eleanor saw her blue shovel. I told her, "Oh, Eleanor, you should take that in and show it to the doctor. You can let the doctor touch your shovel." And, the whole time, we were practicing. She would say "Doctor, touch it. My shovel. My shovel, doctor. Touch it." When the doctor came in, Eleanor started to get worried and began to cry a little, and I said, "But, wait Eleanor! Don't you have something to show the doctor?"

This little lady held up one finger, looked around, picked up the shovel and defied my wildest, most exhibitionist dreams. She proclaimed, "Oh, my shovel! Doctor, touch my BLUE shovel!" It was serendipity. I did a secret little fist pump for her show of two year old genius.

Anyway, good day!

Happy Father's Day.

It is hard to believe this is the fifth Father's Day we've celebrated. And, all that has happened in those years. We've experienced three pregnancies, the burial of our sleepy little angel daughter, the laughter of one sassy little princess, kisses from one roly poly snugglebug, buying our first house, getting married, many job changes for me, many promotions and a graduation for Bill, years of sobriety, and all of the little (and large) bits of life in between. And, through it all, Bill has been energetic, loving, and careful with my heart. And more heartbreakingly beautiful than I could have ever imagined, is seeing Bill with the girls. The way his heart is so full with them, the way he sometimes cries (sorry, buddy) when he catches them in moments of astounding beauty, and how perfect they are in his eyes - all those things make me so proud.

We love you so much, Daddy.

I just knew it...

Eleanor has always had a great vocabulary. Like, amazing. She started talking very early (she said "dog" around eight or nine months and moved on from there) and knows as many words as anyone I know. But, her sentence formation hasn't gone quite as quickly. Or in the normal way. I've said this before, but she doesn't really do as much repetition as I'd imagined she would. (Of course, she says things, "I want it. I don't want it. I want to. Don't want to. Play outside." Etc. I told Bill I thought any day she'd start sentences like crazy. Lately, as her vocabulary reached a pinnacle (as in, she knew ALL the words), there was only one choice - start really using them together. And, in great ways. Here are some highlights.

"Mommy...(pause)...Monsters scare me. Mommy...(pause)...big trucks scare me, too. Oh fast. Mommy, Jackson loves big trucks. Not scared. I love Jackson."

"Mommy...You funny feet. Me sock two feet. Two feet. Two socks."

"Want chocolate milk. Me. In cup. With top."

"Want more lotion my hands two."

Eleanor just told me to take a nap, sang a song, and shut me in the bedroom. She is still singing. Now, she just "checked on" me. Apparently, I am still sufficiently napping, because she is gone again. Oh, "More chocolate milk please." Because "It's gone." My "nap" is over.

It's too easy to forget...

...that these moments are finite. Josephine is lying here next to me, snuggled up. She is quiet and calm and so very much a baby. But, soon, she will grow and change and her personality will gather steam. I will love those moments, but you can be sure I will miss her smooth baby skin, her steady gaze, and her soft noises. Because babies just don't keep.

Not that you asked...

...but do you remember this post? I was so proud of what looks like about nine bottles of breast milk in my freezer. And, for good reason. With Eleanor, I was never able to freeze a single bottle. But, we've got a bit of a situation right now. This is my freezer today. With close to 100 10-12oz. bottles of breast milk, it is a whole different ball of wax. Good thing we are too broke for frozen food. :o) (Except for that bucket, which is ice cream, haha.)

Cereal Schmereal.