Leo's 4th Birthday

We planned Leo's Birthday party at Aamond's Apple Orchard in Stillwater so all the kids could run around like wild animals and I didn't have to feel bad for not ever dusting at our house. It ended up being a really good idea despite the cloudy weather and all the kids and grownups had fun. Leo wanted to invite lots of kids from his school and also family and some neighborhood friends. The day before Leo was invited to another kid-party from a friend from his preschool. I took several pictures there, but I added this one because it is a sample of what Leo and his friends from school do together when they get ramped up. I get that these wrestling pileups are part of what many boys do and that from a developmental perspective, they are ways children learn to be physical with each other and still monitor and control the amount of force they are using. I get it, but it's such a short step between them all laughing and having fun to someone getting hurt. 99% of the time, it's just a bump in the lip or whatever, but it's still hard to watch as a mom. Whoever said this would be easy? :)

Note the soft bat one friend is hitting the other with. The boy in the red, we'll call him Tuffie, got right up and laughed his head off.


I made the most delicious carrot cupcakes with yummy cream cheese frosting for the party.


This is my neighbor friend, also Ellen, and I watching the mayhem.


They had tricycle-tractors for the kids and an awesome kid-train.


Leo had a great time and I was really happy Eric was able to take part of the day off to spend with us. Things have slowly started to quiet down a little from the fever pitch of our summer. Eric is home many nights in time to help get Leo into bed and we are really enjoying that. I sent off my last CSA basket of the 2010 season last friday and it was such a relief! That family, a chef and culinary teacher, complimented me on the quantity, quality and variety of produce and let me know that they were in for a full share next year. I learned so much this summer about how CSA works and how to try things differently if I pull myself together for another season. I'm still honestly in debate with myself about the if and how of that, but if nothing else it will be very different and for that I will be grateful. It was one of those things that you have to just prepare as best you can and then jump in and try to swim as best you can and take stock when it's all over and that's where I'm at right now.
I'm no food photographer, but I wanted to post a picture of the vat of tomatillios I had on the stove last night in my effort to use up and store the last of this summer's produce. I husked about a zillion tomatillios and added 4 hot peppers, 1 onion, and a handful of chopped cilantro. Boiled down, immersion blended and canned last night, it will make awesome salsa verde this winter.


Sadly, Leo is home sick this week, likely some flu-bug. This is the 2nd year in a row he has been home sick on his actual birthday, but we are celebrating with lots of movies and Popsicles. In a fever-free moment this morning he struck this arresting pose on his airplane, complete with flashing light, one mitten and monster costume. He said he was rescuing skydivers who landed in the water with his airplane which could also land on the water. It's so intriguing to me how kids really do grow up products of their environment in so many ways. What an honor for us to provide that.