I'm Glad My Tupperware Cupboard is a Booby Trap and Other Reasons Why I'm Happy at Home

Being a stay at home mom can be a mundane job, but then there are those days that just rise above to be either extremely frightening in their disgusting-ness, never ending in their tasks, or just plain surprising. Today is not one of those days, but I've just got to tell you about a some of those experiences that stand out in my memory as particularly noteworthy.

• I bet you didn't know that baby mice can both travel and swim? Well, I found that out shortly after a camping trip a few summer's back. Camping is dirty work and I was just finishing sorting the mountains of laundry that we had accumulated in the woods. While shaking out our sleeping bags (a task I now know to do outside of the house!), a family of funny looking field mice shook out of one of our bags. I shuddered to think that I had been sleeping with them and panicked for a short time wondering if Young One had contracted rodent rabies or some other mouse malady from them. That proved not to be the case, however the little gray critters scattered throughout my basement in the blink of an eye. I had not only freaked myself out, but I had infested our home in less than 5 seconds. Well, I resigned myself to trapping vermin (OK, I resigned Hubby to trapping vermin) and moved on to the laundry. After washing the mouse filled sleeping bag, I noticed a little gray fuzzy thing on top of the bag in the washer. Yep, Squeaker had swum and spun through a wash cycle and sat there looking quite furious at me. It took a lot of courage to pick him up (with some old leather gloves on, thank you very much!) and take him outside. Yes, the rest were rounded up later.
• I can singlehandedly destroy my kitchen in less than five minutes. While putting away groceries, I dropped a glass jar of honey on one counter top, spilled an entire bottle of 100% organic grape juice in my refrigerator, and tripped on the dog while putting the flour canister away spreading the fine, white powder over every surface (including the honey spill). Yes, we went out for dinner that night. Yes, I almost cried. Yes, it took almost a month to remove the stickiness.
• Young One LOVES to help. And he's a great helper too, well, for the most part. I remember when he first learned how to empty the dishwasher. I used to remove the knives and he'd do his best to put everything else away. He was so proud, right before Thanksgiving as I was busily preparing for a house full of in laws, that he did it "myself." And he did, what appeared to be a great job. The doorbell rang and a girlfriend was there to help me with some of the advance cooking. We were busily wrapping up our cooking session when she opened my Tupperware cupboard to get some containers. It literally exploded with bowls and lids scattering all over the floor. Young One walked in and said, "Sorry about that mom. I couldn't figure out how to put it away except for making it a booby trap." It's still a mess, doesn't spring all over the floor anymore, but I'll never forget the booby trap.
• Eagles can mistake your dog for lunch. I really love watching the Eagles sore over our house. What an awesome sight! And for a bird that was formerly on the endangered species list, it's a real treat to see them thriving. But, please don't eat my dog. We have a timid, nervous Upper Class Mutt (yep, that's a breed, right up their with the Poopiedoodle and the Wirehaired Doxiecocker). He was out "helping" me weed the landscaping. I stopped to stretch and rest my aching back and watched a beautiful Bald Eagle soaring high up in the sky. He circled lower and lower, giving me a closer look at his bright white head. Soon, he was close enough that I could see his sharp, yellow beak. I was overjoyed. I'm a birder. I love watching birds. I love feeding birds. Hey, he's really close now and swoop, he makes a pass close enough to see his talons baring down on my Nervous Nellie of a dog. Nope, he didn't swoop Tucker up and take him for lunch. I think my speaking in strange, alarmed tongues while sort of screaming and running for my pup's rescue not only frightened him off, but solidified my backyard neighbors' opinions of me being an odd sort of person.
• Making homemade bread with a kid is really fun. Answering the doorbell with Young One's tiny flour handprints strategically placed on the front of my black t-shirt will get the Jehovah's to go preach at another house without any comment.
• Ten, ten-year-old boys can take a home from pristine to armageddon in less than ten minutes. It's the ten-ten-ten rule.
• Amoxicillin induced vomit stains never come out of carpet.

I am so very happy at home. Today I planted some flowers, cleaned my kitchen, made lunch, cleaned my kitchen, did a load of laundry, planned dinner, worked out, took Young One to cello lessons, did another load of laundry, cleaned up the kitchen again (don't ask), watered some plants, answered some emails, cleaned the kitchen again ("I'm not doing this again, YOUNG MAN!"), looked at some fireworks, chased a butterfly, looked at the garden and thought about weeding and rationalized that this wasn't a good time for weeding, got my haircut, visited a collector's store, and watched a TiVo-ed show about Meteorites sparking some very interesting discussions about the possibility of finding meteorites in the Suburbs "probably at parks". And all this, done, and it's only 2:30 in the afternoon.

The great thing is, I get to do it all and differently, tomorrow. Yes, there are days when I could just scream from the monotony, but I think that's the price I pay for having the priviledge of staying home. It's pros so outweigh the cons. I get a lot of grief from people about being a stay at home mom of one child, but these sweet summer days, I know I'm doing the right thing for my little family. Making a home is an art. Managing a home is an extremely hard job. Being at home is where I'm supposed to be.

It's great when you find your little place in the world, isn't it?

We Caught the Bunny

Two nights ago, we caught the little demon bunny that had been terrorizing the garden. I was beginning to give up hope or maybe actually hoping that he had moved on to more fertile fields. He did knock back our Swiss Chard as his last supper, but I consider it my parting gift to the little fella.

In all it's cuteness and furry innocence, hopping about the live trap borrowed from a savvy neighbor, I debated momentarily about keeping him. But, then reason stepped in, along with the thought that I would be denying him his right to frolic in the county open space fields that we had chosen for his new location.

So, off he went, on to new bunny adventures. And I went out to weed the garden. My plan is to replace my now absent peas with some pepper plants purchased at 50% off at the garden center. And to hope that the broccoli, kohlrabi, and chard that demon bunny polished off will rebound before the first frost!

Happy Gardening!

The Five

Sight

I've been reading up a storm lately. Not during the day, but in the cool summer evenings. I'm getting a couple of hours in every night, so I've been reading a lot. Let me catch you up.

The Girls by Lori Lansens

This was another of my hold it to my chest when it's finished while deep sighing books. I loved loved loved this book. Oh, how can I even sum it up with a few lines here? You just have to read it. Rose and Ruby Darlen are born conjoined twins, linked at the head. The story of their lives is told from both of their unique perspectives. I'm not going to say much more here except to say, again, you must read it. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster

I thought there was no way I would enjoy this book. By cover appearance alone, it just looked like a fluff novel and I was in the mood for something meatier. But, this book got to me. The title sums up this author's humor: sarcastic and with a great twist. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. It's predictable, lesson filled ending was still savored.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

This book was devoured (pun intended) just like the other two. I'm on a roll here with great books. This book was really life changing for me. Take a family, a year, and the quest to eat only locally available foods and you've got one interesting story. Add to that a great deal of information about how seasonal eating can help save our environment and you've got a great read. Knowing and being more conscious about food choices started being more of a priority last fall. Taking this to the next level is a new goal of mine.


Sound

The Best of Arlo Guthrie

I remember seeing Arlo and Pete Seeger at the Minnesota State Fair when I was young. I can still see Pete lounging on an Oriental rug and literally kicking up his heels as Arlo played. We had this CD on vinyl and it was played frequently. I just had to expose Young One to The Pickle Song!

Scent

You know that incredible smell that only happens in the summer when a sprinkler hits hot pavement? Well, it can happen with rain too, but we've been without rain for a while, so we're improvising here! Well, that's the scent I'm appreciating today. It's warm and just a bit humid, but with a great breeze. It's not our day to water, but it's the neighbor's and their sprinkler splashed on pavement scent was a nice catch on the way to the mailbox.

Taste

Grill roasted cauliflower with fresh Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil. It's really nothing more than a head of cleaned cauliflower, chopped and placed on a large piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Roast on your outdoor grill until tender, about 40 minutes. I enjoyed leftovers from last night's dinner with lunch today.

Touch

My Minnesota Grown catalog. It's strawberry picking time and I've been perusing the pages for a farm close by.

Salmon Kyoto

I can't take credit for this recipe, although I have tweaked it a bit because I didn't have all the ingredients. I updated the ingredients to reflect what was in the house last night! It's a delicious way to prepare salmon. Young One loves it. I hope you do too!

Salmon Kyoto

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon green onion, sliced--- I use 1-2 single green onions
1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste (in the Asian foods section) or use 1/2 tsp each garlic and ginger, minced
4 salmon steaks (1 inch thick) It makes lots of marinade, so add more if you need them.

DIRECTIONS:

In a zip bag, add all ingredients, except salmon. Seal bag, double check bag, and shake to combine. Place salmon in marinade, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour or longer. I like to make the marinade ahead and freeze it, add the salmon as it's thawing in the fridge. Or you can freeze it with the salmon. You're going to love this, so trust me, make at least 2 (freeze one).

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Remove salmon from marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Set aside. You cannot skip this step or you will get food poisoning! You can just toss the marinade and not use it too.

Lightly oil the grill grate or if you're like me and don't want to risk having the salmon moosh through the grates--use a piece of heavy duty foil sprayed with nonstick spray. Cook on grill, covered for 5 to 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Brush with boiled marinade halfway through cooking time.

In Gratitude

~for bright, partly cloudy days with no humidity

~for semi-unscheduled summer days

~for ten year old boys playing together in water and sand

~for iced Kona coffee, the best afternoon pick-me-up

~for grilling season

~for sextuplets

In Gratitude

~for the mute button when Leslie Sansone gets on my nerves

~for yoga pants

~for Stonyfield Farms fat free lemon yogurt

~for surviving another school year

~for ten year old boys excitement over his end of the year party!!!

The Cute Fluffy Rabbit Demon from Hell

Who doesn't love a baby rabbit? I mean, even their name is cute: bunny. We have one of the little critters roaming our yard. He's cute, fluffy, and adorable with his twitching nose and perky ears. He's about 6 inches long, just old enough to be on his own. And, no worries mother rabbit, he's doing well.

As I watched him hop near the edge of our fence, I enjoyed his little travels. Baby animals seem to cause even the sturdiest of characters to melt in their presence. I was right in the middle of one of these melting moments when I came slamming back into focus. This little guy could probably get through the rabbit obstacles (picket fence, chicken wire) we've put around the veggie patch. CHECK THE GARDEN!

And so, with trepidation and suspenseful, Psycho shower scene music playing in my mind, I approached our vegetable garden. I froze in my tracks. Yep, he ate my broccoli, chard, kohlrabi, and a few bean and pea sprouts and I think he's working his way towards the radishes and lettuce. This. Means. War.

Now, I know, I can't write a celebration of our Wild Kingdom (see below) and then plan to blast this rascally character into oblivion, right? Although, initially, that was my thought. Since I don't own or know how to operate a gun, and the fact that in the suburbs, gunshots might not be very welcome, I let this go. I'm really a peaceable person. After the steam stopped shooting out of my ears, I sat in front of my laptop and started looking at better solutions.

Many websites waxed poetic on the use of human hair scattered throughout your garden. Apparently the human scent drives them away. They suggested asking at your salon for bags of hair. After gagging several times and envisioning other people's hair on my precious veggies, I took a pass on this one.

Others mentioned scattering cut up garden hose or fake snakes throughout your garden. I nixed this one as I didn't have any garden hose to cut up or any fake snakes and thought that perhaps my own surprise when coming upon said "snakes" in my own garden might freak me out too much.

Next was soap. Shred or shave strong smelling soap and scatter it through your garden. This option appealed to me. Soap? Check. Shredded? Done in a snap. Scattered? Yep. And I looked upon my ravaged veggie patch with new optimism.

And then it rained. And the soap melted. Some of the scent still remained, but I'm not sure it's going to last for long. I haven't seen any noticeable bunny damage, although I did see him last night frolicking in the yard. I think I may try hanging a few whole bars around as the shredding just seems to need more replacing than I want to do.

I'll keep you updated on my battle. And despite all of this, I still do like the little critter, just not in my garden.