Our Week With The Fam

Last week we made the long (15-hour long) trek to south-west Virginia to spend the week with my family. We had such an awesome time it made me want to just blend in as one of the kids again.

We did some hiking (see below), enjoyed my Dad's many campfires, ate my Mom's delicious food and romped around with my two sisters and brother.

 

It was a beautiful time of year to be there. It was also like jumping forward in time 3 weeks. They had green grass and flowers peeking out while we were still looking at the grey branches. It was like inserting an extra week of spring into our year, which is always a nice thing.

After meeting on sunday we met at a trail head and made some sandwiches, talked, played with dandilions...

Our first adventure took us along a razor ridge of a road called Little Shepherds Trail. It was harrowing and I forgot to take pictures, but then we hiked up this rock face called Raven Rock. You can get a feel for the pitch of this when you come to the picture of Spencer getting cozy...

 

 My Mom making us food even without a kitchen^^

My Dad did change eventually, but he had us wondering for a while if he planned on hiking in a tie. Either way he would have pulled off as if it was just meant to happen that way...^^

Looking straight down from the top ridge of Raven Rock^^

 On top of the world!

The hills looked much more sculpted, almost like a eiderdown that someone has scrunched a little^^

"This would be so much more relaxing if I didn't feel like I was going to slide to my death..."^^

This natural cave was turned into an amphitheater with bleachers. Picture: listening to two people play acoustic guitars on a summer night, picnic baskets among the audience. Stars. Moon. Perfect.

 

Us girls on a walk

Our walking shoes (note: the smallest purple flower flip flops ever)^^

London's official camera face^^

Giving a "talk" with Tia Livvy. (note: no shoes)

Walking behind their house.

Stretching their wings

 

We walked to a spring up the hill behind their house. The water coming out has so much iron in it that the dirt and water are orange.^^

 

 

I regretfully didn't get pix of the fires, the guitar playing, the homemade ice cream, service, thrift store shopping or the cutting of an enormous tree right next to the house. I'm not really sure how it all happened in one week, but it was a super week.

Thanks to Steph for taking the family photos!

 

Cass

Cloth Diaper Review

 We have started potty training! It's warm enough to run around inside without pants on, which helps enormously.

So I thought this might be a good time to weigh in on the cloth diaper issue. I warn those that don't give a hoot, that is the topic for this entire post.

After reading so many great reviews we went with the BumGenius brand. I haven't tried any others so this is a pretty specific opinion, but it's a complete endorsement.

I think a major factor in my ending this experience with positive feelings is that we were fully equipped. Here's what we have:

24 diapers (newborn liners, intermediate liners, outer shell cover)

2 travel wet bags with zippers

2 trash can liners

Fabric softener-free laundry detergent

Two dozen diapers was a good amount. We washed them every other night and we always had enough to get through until they were dry. Because the covers are lined with a very thin rubber it's suggested that you don't put them in the dryer regularly because the rubber can dry and split. But maybe once a month it's good to fluff the liners so that liquid doesn't run off before absorbing.

Wet bags are essential unless you never go anywhere. When we go on trips I use them to store them until it's time to do laundry and you can't smell it. Plastic shopping bags are the classic standby but the times when I did have to use them they didn't do as a good a job.

To store the dirty diapers at home we used a swing-top trash can with a rubber coated liner. it was the perfect size and we hardly ever noticed a smell.

We also found it very important to find a very natural detergent. Don't go by they're own descriptions, you need to do research. "Country Save" has no colors, scents or fabric softeners. The colors and scents can be very irritating to baby skin. And fabric softeners are extremely counter-productive because they make the fabric less absorbent.

Hope that's helpful! I totally suggest making the investment. We've spent about a third what we would have, special detergent included, and it's much healthier for your baby's skin.
And it's cute to boot!

 



The day she turned 1, playing with cars^^



Sauted Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad (chased down with pics of tree climbing and wagons)

 The idea for this recipe came from a salad that I saw in Bon Appetit. I added some dill because I had a whole bunch left over from the cream cheese sandwiches, and used dried beans where they used canned. It was very good, and deceptively filling. I served it to my small crew with some grilled kielbasa...

• 1/2 cup pearled barley
• Kosher salt
• 1tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoonsfresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoonmayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1cup dry gigante, corona, or butter beans, covered with salted water and boiled until tender.
• 1/2cupflat-leaf parsley leaves, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, divided

 

Place barley in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 2 inches. Season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 25-30 minutes. Drain; run under cold water. Set aside.

 

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 5 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl until emulsified. Season dressing with salt and pepper; set aside.

 

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower; cook, turning occasionally, until browned in spots, 10-12 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl; add beans, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 tablespoon dill, reserved barley, and half of reserved dressing. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

 

Divide salad among bowls; drizzle remaining dressing over. Garnish with lemon zest, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1 tablespoon dill.

 

... And then we went outside to play!

 

Ready for a bath, a book, and bed.^^

Hands in Pockets

London has discovered her pockets.

We got to the meeting and she took her coat off, hung it up, realized that her dress didn't have any pockets and put her coat back on...