If These Walls Could Talk

If these walls could talk, then they would tell you "Thank goodness it is March and February is over!". Our house survived a long series of viruses which resulted in 3 sick children and one very weary mama. Instead of recapping February and it's misadventures, I am charging forward with March and Spring. I will do a series of Post Scripts to fill you in on where we were and why we disappeared for a month. Hello March! A few Spring announcements:
1. First of all, a HUGE thanks to Carolyn, for helping me update the blog and make it even better than before. She is awesome to work with and you should check her out if you need blog assistance! Her blog Life in Graz is really cool too. Thank you so much. I seriously know nada about computer and Internet stuff and Carolyn gets me and what I want AND has the ability to not make me feel like a total dummy. I love the updates and look forward to get blogging again.
2. It is March and that means the mummies are donning new Saint Patrick's Day themed apparel. Hysterical. Thank you to their mama and stylist, Laurel, who keeps the joke going. We are rooting for the mummies to make it at least until swimsuit season this summer!

Getting Ready for Saint Patrick's Day

3. We have a new cousin! Precious Addison Faith has arrived. The two lambs and baby bear are super excited to meet baby "Addy". Welcome to the World, Addy!

Baby Addy and Proud Parents Aunt Holly and Uncle JP

Baby Addy

4. I tried a new soup recipe because I am trying new foods to make things healthier around here. It was delicious! Some of my children agreed and the non-eater, Fenley, thought it made a great decorative paste on his grilled cheese sandwich. Here is the recipe:
Cream of Carrot Soup


3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted (I splashed in some olive oil too)
1 clove garlic, chopped (I used 3)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups carrots, sliced
1 potato, peeled and diced
10 ounces of chicken broth
10 ounces water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup milk




Sauté garlic and onion in butter or margarine. Add carrots and potato. Stir to coat with the butter or margarine. Add chicken broth, water, salt, tarragon and pepper. Simmer, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes until vegetables are well cooked.


Purée the soup in batches using a blender, hand blender or food processor until it is smooth. Pour the soup back into saucepan. Stir in milk. Heat and serve.


Makes 5 cups.

*Adjust the whole milk, fat free milk, cream etc to your family's needs and your fat intake desires. I personally made mine high in fat because my children drink whole milk so we used that and I splashed in some cream. Hey, not totally healthy, but getting extra veggies down them is the goal and if we have to baby step to become vegetable lovers, we will!
**I grated fresh ginger in my soup. Do this to taste and it makes a world of difference. I also omitted tarragon for my munchkins but it would have been even better with it. And a dash of yogurt, cream,or cream fraise on top! or even a smidgen of olive oil!
*** This recipe gave me an excuse to use my new Cuisinart Green Immersion Blender. This will be bring on a whole slew of recipes alone. Why oh Why Did i not buy this awesome little guy sooner? It saved any food mill preparation, blender or fancy schmancy Food Prep thing that I have long ago abandoned in my cabinets because it was too hard to clean with children underfoot. Go get an immersion blender! Here is a link to one like mineSur La Table Immersion Blender

Immersion Blender in Parsley

I also used Pink Salt for this recipe. My pal, Lauren, and I went to a seminar on healthier living. I am trying to purify our house, our food, and detoxify our living environment and Lauren is on the same mission. The creators of Three Branches gave the talk and we learned so much. I am attempting to make small steps to create a better little home for our three. I will chronicle what I have done thus far and fill you in as this month of Spring Cleaning goes by. BUT, check out their article on Pink Salt and give that a try. Note: I bought fine Himalayan Pink Salt at my local Whole Foods.Three Branches
5. It's March. My children are better but I am battling another raging case of tonsillitis. The only upside to this is I don't feel the need to run around all the time "getting things done" and I can focus a little more on my blog. I came across this great poem in one of my children's books. It goes well with my "If These Walls Could Talk" feeling of the past month.

"If" by Rudyard Kipling

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:


If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!


If....I can survive February and this round of tonsillitis, mine is the Earth and everything that's in it.

All boy with a pail of dirt and oddly a lack of cumbersome clothes

Mamie taking Baby Doll Patsy for a spin in the car to buy milk

a wayward Croc because Fenley refuses to wear shoes {or pants} most of the time while digging in the dirt



I love this happy little rainbow drawing. Here's to March, sunnier skies ahead and hopefully a few rainbows!


P.S. Poor Baby Bear had to be rushed to Texas Children's Hospital with a 106 temperature last month. It was FREEZING. Literally, outside as I bundled him up in the wee early dark hours of the morning or middle of the night as I like to know it. He was an angel. Just a sick, sick little baby that's body was fighting a yucky virus but since he was so young with such a high temperature, they had us go to the emergency room. I am so thankful that my baby is better and we live in a place with access to doctors and medicine. Praise the Lord and big prayers for those without access to medicine.

Baby Bear snoozing. My little man turned 15 months on February 27th! He is growing up so fast. If I could just freeze time and keep him tiny and sweet in his crib forever!