Laowai

Cool ketchup packets with artwork by kids.

Bea and I just spent a lovely few days with Grandma J. On Wednesday we drove up to the Chicago Botanic Garden. We ended up having a harrowing ride until we could extricate a spider from the car. As I was pulling out of the drive-through ATM a fat, black, furry, spider with fangs crawled out from the space where the window and the dash board meet. And yes, they were little but I’m sure I could see fangs. Holy crap – have you ever tried to drive a car while a spider is lurching towards you. Fortunately we were on a quiet road so I pulled over and jumped out of the car with lightning speed. I imediately took off my sandle and held it like a weapon over the dash board. I can’t kill a bug with a tissue and my hands like Brian can. Whenever there is an ant or a spider that needs killing I have to run to find a shoe – because I can’t stomach the crush-squish of a bug between my fingers. So of course the spider (coward) crawled back into the dashboard where we couldn’t see him. In a panicky mode and between hoots of laughter we decided to keep driving. Mom kept her eye on the dash and held on to my sandle and I wearily made my way down the road. I was ready to open the door and leap out of the car at a moments notice. I pictured myself leaping onto the road into traffic and mom and Bea continuing in the runaway car with the spider coming towards them. The thought of the spider sitting down beside my Little Miss Muffet in the back seat helped me keep my wits about me long enough to pull into a parking lot when mom gently broke the news that he was coming out of his hiding spot again. Aaaak. I parked the car and jumped out onto the pavement with one shoe on and one shoe off. Mom came over to my side of the car and found a straw to flush him out. I had my sandle held high and at the ready again and when he came out and scurried across the dash I swooped down and smacked him – bam – I got him and he splattered into gunk all over the dash board. Mom had thought that I was going to shoo him out of the car and was afraid I would accidentally shoo him onto her leg, but no – I had perfect aim with my sandle and I brought it down with speed and precision that could only be attributed to the adrenalin coursing through my body.

Of course through the whole ordeal I was laughing so hard tears were running down my face. We laughed all the way to the botanic garden where we had a beautiful spider-free walk.

I watched Bonanza this weekend because Pioneer Woman has opened my eyes to the yummy-ness of a man on a horse.

Speaking of yummy men. Have you seen my husband pushing our stroller? Hands off ladies this daddy is all mine.

Lately I’ve been thinking about tables – big dining tables that families gather around. I started thinking about tables a lot when we lived in China and our apartment had a big rectanglular black table. Brian and I ate breakfast together every morning at one end of the table. And during the day I would spread my quilt project out across the table to draw my quilting lines. We have a great little Parsons style table at home now that I will always have a place for in my home, but for some reason that big table in China made me look forward to someday having a large table. I like the idea of a big table that is the center of all the family action. A place to spread out crafty projects. A place to gather and eat. A place that witnesses everyday meals and special occasions. A place to have the conversations of everyday life. A place to make vignettes of flowers from the garden and table linens and special dishes and vases. I hope when we get our next home I can find the perfect table for our family. I’m torn between wanting a beautiful rich wood table and wanting something that can stand up to lots of use over the years without having to worry about spills and scratches and keeping it in perfect condition.

Yesterday I came accross the web site of a photographer who captures the very idea that I had been ruminating on. Take a look at the fascinating photos by Burt Teunissen here.

Happy Mother’s Day to me. I had a lovely quiet first Mother’s Day. Brian gave me a sparkley silver necklace and made breakfast for me. The thing that was maybe the most memorable was the random man who said “Happy Mother’s Day” as I passed him on my walk with Bea.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the great moms I know.

My Sister – She’s a strong, fun mom. I don’t know how she manages to juggle her full life so gracefully. She can sail and sew like nobody’s business.

My Mom – She took care of a very fussy me long ago and now I know just how challenging that is. She knows the names of birds and plants in the woods. She’s the only one that can sooth a frazzled me and Bea at the same time.

My Mom-in-Law – She’s even keeled and her house is always filled with good food. Somehohw milk tastes colder and yummier from her fridge (Chapmans are big milk drinkers). Her most edearing quality is she gave birth to my best friend, my love, my husband.

My Grandma Dice – A mom and grandmom so many times over. She’s healthy and beautiful. She’s been known to jump rope on her 80th birthday. It’s appropriate that you enter her house directly into the kitchen and she gives you a smootch right in the middle of the kitchen. That kitchen has witnessed lots of happy embraces and lots of delicious, love-filled food.

In the future remind me not to read a book about the Boston Strangler while Brian is out of town and It’s late at night. Brian picked up a book called A Death in Belmont partly because his Dad grew up in Belmont, Mass. I’ve never really read a crime novel, but I’m liking this one. Now I need to ask my Dad-in-Law if he remembers anything about this murder case. So far the book is mostly about a guy who is wrongly accused of the murder. It’s interesting and creeping me out at the same time.

So what have we been up to? We’ve been having some good days and some bad days. But we won’t dwell on the negative stuff like my crying baby that insists on being held most of the day. Mom says that Bea reminds her of me when I was a baby – I guess I had colic and wanted to be held all the time. So now I’m paying for my bad behavior 32 years ago.

The good times are watching Bea smile and start to giggle and develop her motor skills. She likes to look at Bucky the Bunny and talk to him. Then she’ll reach out to him and try to grab him but so far she can only bat him around. Then she starts to get mad – you can hear her voice turn into kind of a frustrated little yell. Pretty soon she is just furious with Bucky and she might turn her head away or I’ll take Bucky out of the crib so she’ll calm down. I could stand there at her crib and watch her funny little expressions forever.

Well I’m finally getting around to posting some photos of the wedding shower for the newest gal in the Dice clan. Katie is going to marry Paul this June. I’m so happy to see Paul happy. He’s not a little cousin anymore, he’s all grown up. Heck, we’re all grown up and we seem to be having babies left and right. What a lovely bunch of ladies to spend the morning with.

Here’s Lana with Bea and Brianne with Drew – they were doing the sooth-the-baby dance.

Here’s Katie with her new sisters.

Here’s Bea meeting her Aunt Garlene. Notice her nice bald spot – it’s very similar to Grandpa J’s bald spot.

Kelly and Meghan.. and two more babies in the oven.

Layk and Jenna

Jenna hung out with Grandma Dice and then had a cupcake.

Here’s the strawberry bread recipe that I had a couple requests for. I think it came from the Everyday Food magazine.

Strawberry Bread

5 T. Unsalted butter at room temperature
1 pint Strawberries – mashed
1 3/4 c. Flour
1 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/4 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Salt
1 c. Sugar
2 Eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan. In a small saucepan boil strawberries for 1 minute. In a medium bowl, mix flower, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside. With electric mixer cream butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy. Add flower mixture alternating with 1/3 cup water (start and end with flour). Fold in strawberries.

Pour into pan and bake about an hour. If to gets too brown put a tent of foil over it. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Yummy.

One night Bea and I got drunk and then we passed out on the couch.

Bea finally got to meet her Grandma and Grandpa Chapman over Easter weekend. It was also her first big car trip and she did great.

Bea was charmed into a good mood whenever Grandma or Grandpa held her.

We even colore Easter eggs – an unexpected treat. Brian made the Baby Jesus egg in the upper left.