Maggot Stew Anyone?

I am still kind of reeling from the experience I am about to relate. It is pretty disgusting so beware if you are prone to a weak stomach. As planned, I made a black bean stew for dinner tonight. I made it in the crock pot earlier today and it has been bubbling all day and making the house smell beautifully. Well, about an half hour prior to the appointed dinner hour, I went to adjust the seasonings and, what do you think, I found a maggot floating in the soup!!! I thought that it was perhaps an anomaly at first, although close examination did reveal that it was some sort of larvae. Upon further examination of the soup, I found several other maggots!!! I think that they must have come from the pork ribs that formed the base of the soup. It was really gross. We went out to dinner tonight!

Bach's Mass in B-flat Minor

I forgot to mention that Karl and I had a real date last weekend, with a real babysitter and everything. I have gotten tapped into the local babysitter network, so hopefully this is a harbinger of good things to come. It is really nice to go on a date that is not really just a family activity. Anyway, Karl and I attended Bach's Mass in B-flat Minor, which was performed as part of the Northwest Bach Festival. It was phenomenal. The thing that completely amazes me about the great composers like Bach is that they managed to write so much amazing music. It was not simply a single event of inspiration. They managed to be inspired hundreds of times. Amazing.

We also enjoyed a trip on the bus to Mobius Children's Museum downtown this weekend. Inge loves Mobius and Bjorn is starting to really enjoy it as well. It is not nearly as fantastic as Everett's Imagine Children's Museum or even Seattle's Children's Museum, but it is still a great retreat, particularly when the weather is wintry and the parks unwelcoming. We also enjoyed a treat at Madeline's Patisserie, which is possibly one of my very favorite places in Spokane. Who knew that I'd move here and have a fabulous little French patisserie at my fingertips?!?

Ingespeak and Bjorn's Mobility

Don't you just want to pick him up and give him a big squeeze?!? I often find myself thus entranced by my little charmer.



One day last week, Inge was building with her blocks. She decided to build a "willpower" (see Frog and Toad: Cookies) and was bound and determined that Bjorn should not knock it over. As he raced toward the dining room in order to accomplish this objective, which borders on the mandatory end of the spectrum for little brother activities, Inge hurriedly closed the sliding door. Here he is, rather bemused by the proceedings:



And here is Inge with her "Willpower."



Here are the cute kiddos. They were all bundled up for a walk. It has been a lot warmer than usual, but it is still definitely winter!



Inge and Bjorn are playing with the train.



Inge has begun making up her own words and I consider myself quite intuitive if I can figure out what she is saying when she begins speaking in her own language. The first word I noticed was "gaagee." I am still not entirely certain what she means by this. She will say "it's gaagee" or "I'm gaagee" when it appears that she is a bit dissatisfied about the state of things. Perhaps it is one of those words for which something is simply lost in translation. She also has begun to use the term "nag" when she means no. Sometimes she makes up her own nonsense words when she would otherwise be repeating after me, such as when we are reading. Inge clearly enjoys her own language. I can hardly blame her. I remember pretending to be Swedish with my sister and friends when were on a boat trip in the San Juans. I know that we had at least one girl convinced that we really were Swedish.

Bjorn is really getting around these days. He can confidently get in and out of a sitting position and can pull himself up and get himself down. He has not made any attempt at standing without some support but he is a great crawler and can get just about anywhere. He crawled up the stairs onto the stand at church today so that he could play with the organ pedals. When he gets excited he likes to pull himself up on a chair or low table and bang on the table with his little hand. He is darling.

Things have generally been good. I have had some little frustration with Inge and the potty. She still struggles with taking the time to go and has had some deliberate accidents, including a bad one last week in which she just decided to pee all over her bed one morning rather than get up and go to the bathroom. We are working on her understanding that she cannot go to preschool or do fun things as long as she is having accidents on purpose. This is a bit frustrating at times.

And, in the words of Inge, "That's just how it is."

The Latest

Well, so much for New Year's goals! It's been two weeks since my last post. I feel better about these being goals, rather than resolutions, because goals imply some room for improvement. Resolutions seem more prone to being lost once one has failed.

Yesterday was our Stake's "Fill the Temple" day. Karl and I enjoyed doing some temple work and then we took Inge and Bjorn to the temple grounds to talk to them about why the temple is important to us. We told them about the covenants we have made with one another and Heavenly Father that bind us together as a family forever. This is indubitably the most precious thing in my entire life.





Inge is pointing to the words "Holiness to the Lord, The House of the Lord," which are inscribed on the exterior of all temples. One of Karl and my favorite wedding photographs is a picture of us looking toward these same words on the Seattle Temple. I like the symbolism of these photographs--looking toward salvation and exaltation while we are yet in the world.

Here is a picture of Inge and Bjorn "sharing" blocks. Inge is still learning how to really share. The blocks are easy because there are ten blocks, five of each color, so they can be very evenly and easily divided. It is a little trickier with single items such as any toy that Inge sees Bjorn playing with. Despite the fact that she may not have thought about this toy for months, Inge immediately determines that the world is going to end if she cannot play with the toy. we are still learning how to share in these more complex scenarios. Notice that Bjorn is sitting up very confidently in this picture. He can now get to a sitting position from a crawling position. He is also starting to pull himself up on the crib and bathtub and that sort of thing.



One of Bjorn's cute tricks these days is to run for the refrigerator and seek to climb inside every time he sees that I have opened it. I have no idea what is the appeal to him of this cold closet, but there is something that he finds exceptionally interesting. Bjorn is also communicating in his own little way by shaking his head at us and clicking his tongue. When we shake our heads back at him he laughs and shakes his head again. It is fun.

I gave Karl a HUGE puzzle for Christmas. It took us three late nights to put it all together. Here is a picture of Inge working on her little puzzle while Daddy works on the big puzzle. When I put the big puzzle away, I put it in separate baggies labeled "Edge," "NW," "SE," etc. Karl said that this was cheating. I disagreed and opined that it was just cleaver planning so that the puzzle could be assembled in one sitting. Is it cheating?



Here Inge is carrying Bjorn on her shoulders with Karl's help. They were all laughing their heads off. Inge loves her brother and Bjorn loves his Inge. They are so cute when they start laughing together. Inge still likes baby talk and baby things sometimes. Here latest "baby" expression is "a geegee." I have no idea what she is talking about when she uses it, but she says it with a confidence that suggests she does! Inge is getting more and more loquacious as the days go by. This is amazing considering that she has always been very talkative! Some of her cute phrases include, "it feels me/Bjorn/you/Daddy/etc. better," "Oh" (she has substituted this for "yes" in her vocabulary), and "I have a sore throat in my nose." OK, that last one she has just said once but I thought it very cute. The others she says regularly. Inge is very observant of the world around her and likes to talk about what she observes. She absolutely keeps me on my toes.



My sister made these fabulous aprons for me and Inge for Christmas. Inge loves wearing them together and is starting to help me cook more regularly. This also helps her to be more interested in eating dinner sometimes, which is well worth the extra mess that sometimes occurs.



Inge and Bjorn in a box. I have yet to meet a kid who does not like to play in boxes.

New Years Resolutions

We took Inge and Bjorn to Manito Park last October for a photo shoot with the leaves. It was a beautiful day!


Bjorn is just delighted about life.


Inge loved the leaves.


They love each other's company.


Beautiful blue eyes.





Surprise!


Bjorn got really tired by the time we were finished!


Papa and Inge roaming a rotten pumpkin patch looking for serviceable pumpkins. There were very few to be found. Note to self: go earlier next year!


Papa and Bjorn


Inge picking apples.


Bjorn was a pea pod, or as Inge put it a "Pea Pod Bunting."


Daddy and his kiddos. Inge was Angelina Ballerina.


Jack 'o Lanterns




Messy faces




Happy Bjorn


I LOVE my double stroller. I wish I had gotten it sooner.


Daddy and Inge in the backyard to enjoy our first snow (it came in November).


Inge with her thinking cap on. She is pondering her sculpture.


Inge with her sculpture of our church building.


Bjorn the snake wrestler.


Step aside, Harry, I'm going to be the greatest seeker in the world!


Look at our big boy!


Our gingerbread village. This was the product of our efforts at our official gingerbread house making Christmas party. It was lots of fun.


Do you think that Inge will be a scientist when she grows up? She likes my old chemistry goggles!


Papa and Bjorn at Christmastime.


Parker and Inge with funny looks on their faces--have they been up to something!?!


Bjorn on Christmas morning.


Inge as Angelina Ballerina on Christmas morning.


Bjorn on the Norwegian Star for our cruise with Nana, Papa, Crissy, Steve, Parker, and Jordan to the Mexican Rivera.


Crissy, Inge, Parker, and Nana on the ship.


Inge pondering the ocean outside our window.


In Mazatlan. I loved Mazatlan.


Bjorn in the coolest high chair. Mazatlan is known for its shrimp and we had the most amazing shrimp lunch there at a hotel on the beach. Lovely!


On the tour bus in Mazatlan.


Cool landscape shot of Mazatlan from our ship.


Inge loved playing in the pool on the ship.


Inge, Mommy, and a Macaw in Puerto Vallarta.


I have decided that I am going to try to blog once a week as part of my new years goals. Perhaps having a specific time to post will help me be more consistent with posting. So much has happened since I last posted three months ago. Inge and Bjorn have both grown up so much. Inge is nearly three. She is darling. Her moments of frustration have become dramatically more dramatic and her ability to learn has similarly increased. Bjorn is now crawling and trying to talk in his own baby gibberish, which is so cute to hear. He says "ma-ma" when he is upset and wants me, although I don't know that he has necessarily made the connection between the sounds that are coming out of his mouth and me. Inge's cute sayings these days include: "I think so" with a cute inflection on "think," "It feels me better" or "That will feel me/Bjorn better," and "Boy-yo-yo-yo-rn." It is so fun to talk to Inge. She makes me laugh.

Updates

Bjorn is progressing very well with his sleep training. You can see that he has embraced his nighttime story! Karl and I are also learning a new nighttime song for him ("Great God to Thee, My Evening Song") which is fun but challenging. It is much longer than Inge's nighttime song ("Now The Day Is Over"), which, by the way, she has taken to singing to him prior to his naps, while dancing. They're CUTE, aren't they!



Here is a picture of Karl playing the piano with Inge and Bjorn. Bjorn is starting to get the concept that sound happens when he strikes the keys. Inge is starting to understand scales. She sings to herself all of the time and often makes up her own melodies that include little scales. It is fun to listen to her.



Inge and Bjorn's first ride together in the bicycle trailer stroller. It did not go very well. Bjorn got upset halfway through and we suspect inadvertent encroachment on the part of Bjorn that resulted in pushing on Inge's part. This was not entirely her fault as the seat is rather bowed (it is merely a piece of fabric that is slung between the frame) so it is natural that he should slide into her because she is heavier. We would not recommend this mode for transporting two.



Here is a picture of Bjorn enjoying the sunshine on one of our beautiful early autumn days. He loves rolling and has discovered his feet, which is really cute. Bjorn loves to talk in his own little way and smiles at all of us as much as he can. He especially loves to see Inge and gives her some of the greatest smiles.



A couple of weeks ago we went up to Greenbluff, an agricultural community that lies northeast of Spokane, to pick apples and enjoy the country. Here is Inge riding in an antique fire engine car.



Bjorn playing in the pea seed box with his Daddy.



Inge rode a pony for the first time and loved it. Here is our little girl waving at her admiring entourage!



This picture of Inge on a pony reminds me of another story I wanted to post about her. We all love Inge's run. It is a sort of skip that reminds me of the Knights with the coconuts in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and she loves to skip about our house this way. And speaking of "Monty Python," Inge has recently developed an especially emphatic "no" that sounds a great deal like the Knights that go "Nie" from aforesaid film. A drawn out "nnnnnnn" crescendos into a staccato "o" and I have to laugh every time she does it!

Here is our darling little boy. Don't you just want to give him a squeeze and a kiss? Bjorn is such a sweetheart.



Inge loves to read to Bjorn and she loves to be read to. It is fun to see her mind developing. She has recently become very interested in similes and opposites (Inge is like Mommy and Bjorn is like Daddy, and that sort of thing). She also continues to enjoy placing a name on everything. The other day she informed me that her mom is named Mommy.



Bjorn has advanced to solid foods. He has not really gotten into them yet, though. It takes time.



Here is a picture of Inge and Bjorn in the playpen. Inge wants to be a baby like Bjorn fairly often these days.



Here is a closing picture of our little darling Bjorn!

Crackers and Cookies

The long-promised cracker recipe is here. I've also added a recipe for some pretty authentic tasting oreo-style cookies!

Graham Crackers
These are slightly less sweet than commercial graham crackers and always very popular. They are sweet enough to satisfy many an after-dinner sweet tooth but without the guilt of typical cookies.
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons powdered milk
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine flours, soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles damp sand. Combine water, powdered milk, honey, and sugar and add to flour mixture. Mix until a stiff dough forms. Break dough into three equal portions. Form each portion into a rectangle and roll out to uniform 1/8-inch thickness. Sprinkle with additional sugar or cinnamon-sugar, if desired, and cut into 1 ½-inch to 2-inch squares with a pizza cutter. Transfer to baking sheets and bake 12 minutes. Allow crackers to cool on baking sheet. Repeat with additional pieces of dough. Store in sealed container or plastic zip-top bags.
Chocolate Graham Crackers
Follow the same recipe as for standard graham crackers but replace ½ cup of the all purpose flour with ½ cup cocoa.

Cheese Crackers
Like Cheese Nips! I purchase large bags of pre-grated parmesan cheese and store it in the freezer.
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flours, soda, and salt. Beat shortening and parmesan cheese into the flour mixture until it resembles damp sand. Add water and beat to form a stiff dough. Break dough into three equal pieces and form each piece into a rectangle. Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into 1-inch squares and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are crisp. Cool crackers in pans and store in zip-top bags or tins.

Oreo-like chocolate cookies
These are healthier than the genuine article but, according to Karl, even better than the real thing!
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons powdered milk
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine flours, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in mixing bowl. Using paddle attachment at low speed, beat in shortening until mixture resembles damp sand. Combine water, powdered milk, honey, and sugar, and add to flour mixture to make stiff dough. Form ½ teaspoon measures of dough into balls, flatten into uniform disks, and place on ungreased baking sheet. You could try flattening with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, but I did not try this. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time to avoid burning. Allow cookies to cool to warm in the pan then remove to plate.

Icing:
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup shortening
3 tablespoons hot water
¼ teaspoon salt

Combine sugars in bowl of mixer. Beat in shortening and vanilla. Combine water and salt and stir to dissolve before adding to sugar mixture. Beat to form stiff icing. Place in piping bag or large Ziploc bag. If using Ziploc bag, cut corner. Pipe onto cookies and sandwich them together.

Full Circle

Bjorn has been rolling from his tummy to his back for about a month and on Thursday he rolled from his back to his tummy. He is clearly very pleased with his accomplishment because he always grins and laughs after making a full circle.

I also meant to post about Inge and her name-truncation habit. Lately she has decided that it is fun to truncate everyone's names. Sometimes she calls me "Mom" and she thinks it's so funny. I was kind of upset at first because I need to be "Mommy" for at least a couple more years, but then I just had to catch the humor of the whole thing because she really thinks herself quite clever when she does it. She also calls Karl "Dad" sometimes. The best one, however, is "NanaPop," which is a truncation/combination of Nana and Papa (my parents).