Pear jam

Stuck at the house waiting for dishwasher repair man.  We made a pear cinnamon jam that was so good the boys scraped the pot clean with spoons.  This one was so tasty James forbade me to give any away to friends.  The recipe was from a blog I like called foodinjars.
The last lid just popped down making that lovely popping sound we like to hear around here.

Reason I love being a mom: Shortstop breakfast palace

Yesterday I came home from work to find my basement converted into a restaurant with a table set for two, complete with table cloth and fancy dishes.  James was waiter and Luca was chef.  Jer and I sat quietly enjoying conversation while the boys worked together upstairs cooking our food.  (And we silently prayed neither boy burned himself)
Our waiter was very polite and proper.  Our chef perfectly cooked our omelets, although he said he almost forgot the ham and thankfully the waiter reminded him before he folded it.  They worked together without a single disagreement.  We left a generous tip.

Our trip to Shenandoah

Our first stop at one of the dozens of overlooks on skyline drive.  This amazing road is nearly 100 miles long through the blue ridge mountains.  It was made by the Civilian Conservation Corp during the 1930's. 

Our campsite at Big Meadows Campground.  We borrowed the pop-up trailer from my parents.  It brought back so many memories of my childhood, triggered by the sights and sounds of that camper.  Everything from the smell of the plastic plates and bowls we used, to the sound of the first footstep as you step in, or the door swinging shut, or the sound of the zippers on the windows.  It filled my senses with sounds I haven't heard for 20 years and filled me with gratitude for the experiences of my childhood.

Here are a couple of the foil dinners I prepared and froze ahead of time cooking on the hot coals.

The boys cooking breakfast on our first morning.

Luca and Libby at the summit of Hawksbill, the highest peak in the park.  We did 5 different hikes over 3 days.  The amazing thing about this park is that skyline drive takes you within a miles hike of most of the peaks.

Jer and I in the big meadow.  This was the site of the CCC camp.

Libby and I at the summit of Bear Fence Mountain.

Yep, those are bears.  A black bear momma with 2 cubs.  We saw them just off the side of the road on two different occasions.  The park has very strict food storage policies to keep the bears away from the campers.

Luca and I at the summit of Blackrock.  This was our first time on this trail, and it might be our new favorite.  Scrambling over the rocks was fun and the view was spectacular.

The trail back down was a portion of the Appalachian trail.  It was an awesome trail, and we saw a couple through hikers who had started in Georgia on March 1st.

Here is a deer and fawn just roaming through the campground.

I'm already daydreaming about our next trip back. 

Quality of life

Some of the experiences that make my life feel rich don't actually cost much at all.

A questioning mind

Every car ride with James is a never ending stream of questions.  Here are some of the highlights from the last few days.

Mom, who made allergies?  Whoever made them is dumb.
What is blood flow?
How many colors are there in the whole united states?
Would it hurt to get hit by lightening?
Why?
Why do I need my heart to pulse?
How does it rain?
Why does Luca get to be the oldest?
Why isn't candy healthy?
Why did God make bees?
How do you make rainbows?
How old is cuddles?
But that's not old!  Why is she blind?
How do people get blind?
Mom, what is rich?

Here he is playing baseball with uno cards.

a girl and "her" dog

"Mom, practically the whole world is turning to flowers!"-james

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snow day

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