Silly Boy

Just a few pictures of Cedric that have made me smile. This first one makes me laugh for two reasons, a terrible haircut and his new way of smiling for the camera. The bad haircut in front is completely my fault. I was trimming the front and he moved at just the wrong moment. Then I just had to do my best to even it up. What's eerie is that I have a similar haircut picture of myself at a similar age. He looks like he's growling or snarling in the picture but this is what happened:

Me: "Smile for Mommy Cedric."
C: "OK!" Scrunches eyes and says "CHEESE!"



This one is priceless. This week Cedric learned that he can manually screw in the bolts that keep his gate latched and free himself. About an hour after we've put him to bed we hear little feet on the stairs and a very proud boy exclaiming "Hello Mommy! Hello Daddy!" The second night Ari (our dog) realized that Cedric was not supposed to be out of bed and sat up to growl softly at him - as if to say "Hey little human, you're supposed to be in bed." So the third night, he was told in no uncertain terms that he was to sleep in his room and when I went up to check on him, this is what I found.

Counting

Cedric has been able to count to 10 for a while but I've been behind posting the video. In the video he skips 5, which I swore was because he had some kind of toddler grudge against the number. Zach is prompting him because Cedric is alternately video camera shy or only wants to look at what I've recorded, not actually continue doing whatever activity I'm trying to video. For instance, he's started singing the "ABCs" and its so cute, but I have to be very sneaky to catch it. So far, no luck.

Click here to watch the video of him counting.

These days when he counts to 10, its at the top of his lungs and after 10 he shouts "blastoff!" Here's hoping that "blastoff" won't be permanently wedged between 10 and 11.

Nail Bitter

On days when I work my afternoon/evening routine is this: pick up Cedric from the development center, drive 20 minutes home, get home and feed Cedric a snack, make dinner, eat dinner as a family, and then clean up dinner. I get an adrenaline rush near the beginning that starts winding down while eating, and by the time the dishwasher is humming, I'm on the couch in a semi-state of vegetation.

During my "couch time", in which I'm usually accompanied by the husband, Cedric is left to entertain himself. His favorite means of doing so is to demonstrate for his parents his newly acquired gymnastic skills. This involves him climbing over the couch to stand on the end table, and then leaping back onto the couch cushions. It brings him such enjoyment and excitement. It makes me incredibly nervous! But as you can see in the video, he is somewhat cautious about it. I know that letting it continue is just setting myself up for an inevitable boo-boo, but I like tell myself that I'm allowing my little man to take appropriate risks.

Sore Throat and Freaky Flashback

Cedric with Uncle Jake

I have a terrible sore throat accompanied by a cough that makes people turn around looking for the old man, only to give a start of surprise when they see little ol' me. If you have home remedies, please post in the comment section. The only thing that makes my throat feel better is eating and drinking, so that's what I've been doing. I've probably gained 5 lbs thanks to this cold. Do you remember that annoying song Dora from Finding Nemo would sing, "Just keep swimming"? My version has been "Just keep eating. Just keep eating." Now that song is stuck in your head isn't it? You're welcome.

In other news Cedric is two! I know its not exactly breaking news, but it just dawned on me that now he is two, which means he will be three, which means I need to start looking at preschools. I needed to start looking at them yesterday. At least that's how I feel when I interact with other moms who have children in school. There is so much talk about programs, values, cirriculum, and how all these things help (or don't help) their kids reach their full potential. Whatever that is. Probably Harvard. I'm in way over my head folks. Deep down I want Cedric to go to a school that does help him reach his full potential. His dad says that preschool doesn't matter so much, where it counts is high school. He is probably right, but there are literally oodles of options and someone has to sort through them and pick one. Any volunteers? Joking. I volunteered for this just over 2 years ago.

Anyway, I was going through some old videos and came across this one of Cedric, this time last year. It took my breath away! My big boy, who says things to me like "I like bagels" and "Mommy, its a happy day for cake," could hardly even walk this time last year! It boggles the mind.

Happy Halloween

This year was Cedric's first time trick-or-treating and he did pretty well. He thought it was odd that we would go to people's houses and not actually go inside. There were a few incidents of me quickly grabbing his hand before he moved past the person giving out candy in order to make himself more comfortable inside. But when you think about it, Halloween is a weird holiday. He seemed to get the hang of things once he got his first piece of candy. Then he really got into it, pointing out the decorations, saying "Happy Halloween," and of course "trick-or-treat"!

Pumpkin Bread

What's the best part about making pumpkin bread?

But really, isn't it the best part about baking anything?

Fall Activities

Autumn this year has been beautiful. Very wet, but beautiful. Cedric and I have managed to make it to the zoo and the botanical garden on days when its not too cold or raining. A trip to the zoo in the fall is wonderful because the cooler air excites the animals. By excite, I mean they are less likely to be sleeping and more likely to be playing, running, even just standing up. Fall also means that places like the zoo and the garden are not crowded because most of the older children are at school!

Here is a fountain on the south side of the zoo, a part we haven't seen in a while because normally we part on the north side. Cedric had to watch these sea lions (they could be seals but I don't remember) for a while before deciding they were not real.


A favorite treat at the zoo is a ride on the carousel!

This picture of a Japanese maple is taken at the garden. I'm pretty happy with the level of bokeh in the background.



Cedric loved the decorative rocks in the Japanese Garden. I like this shot of him looking off into the distance, pensive, clutching a rock. That's my boy.

Apple Butter: Grand Finale

First, because it always makes me laugh in amazed disbelief, a quick recap of our raw materials:

800 lbs of Jonathon apples. check.

60 lbs of sugar. check.

1 lb of cinnamon. check.

Star anise. check.

Total yield: just over 600 jars of Grandma June's Apple Butter!

After showing Kellie and I how to make apple butter in the crock pot, Grandma June thought it would be good to have a practice run making apple butter in her kettle. So on a chilly September morning we made a fire and 8 hours later we canned over 100 jars of apple butter. Cooking in the kettle is not for the feint of heart! But it is fun. A LOT of work, but fun.

Then, October 10 -11 we drove to St. James to demonstrate cooking in the kettle and sell apple butter at Old Iron Works Days. I think we did pretty well. At least we made enough money that the over all experience is now a pretty pleasant memory. The best way to share it, is with pictures.

I'll try to keep narration to a minimum.

Grandma June's kettle holds 3 bushels of apples. No problem.

Here's a good shot of Kellie, the mastermind of this project. Did I mention before that cooking in the kettle is a lot of work? We're talking between 6-8 hours of constant stirring. I was very jealous that Kellie thought of this method for stirring.

Here I am with Grandma June, sporting my favorite rain boots! Stephanie, do you remember driving all over Chicago so I could find them?

Kellie is being goofy here, but its a nice shot of the cute apron she bought in Hermann. Love the cherries!

This is my iconic "Grandma June" picture. Don't worry about the smoke pouring out of the kettle, that's normal. At least Grandma June wasn't concerned.

Our tables looked pleasant and inviting don't you think? We gave out samples, which was a big hit with the grownups. So many children though asked for just a cracker or plain bread or even apples from our display!

We had so much help pulling this off! At least 7 women worked on this at one time or another, husbands were cajoled into watching children ALONE for days or left ALONE for days or DRUG along to HELP. So needless to say there was some sacrificing happening behind the scenes, for which we are eternally grateful. We also had the sweetest, most laid back baby I've ever met with us for the main event. She probably increased sales by 20% with her presence alone. Many smoked turkey legs were consumed. All of them were delicious.

Shooting with a Disgruntled Toddler

Monday was a great day to take some pictures at the Garden. Namely because it was cloudy and that meant I didn't have to spend more time trying to figuring out how to deal with direct sunlight. Remember, I'm still learning the ins and outs of photography. I'm still madly in love with my birthday camera too. Anyways, where was I? Oh yes, the Garden! I took my trusty and handy subject, my 2 year old. He was not amused.

Like when I said, "Baby, climb onto the peacock and let Mommy take your picture!" He obliged but wasn't thrilled.


Oh well, on to a different setting. "Look darling, here are some beautiful flowers! Show Mommy how you smell them." Child begins manhandling flowers. "Oh sweetie, be gentle" I say, but it soon becomes apparent that the funnest thing about these flowers, is stripping the blooms from the stem.



Let's try a different setting. How about feeding the fish? Feeding the fish will surely bring on some giggles and smiles, right?

Here he is, bless his 2 year soul, explaining to me how he would rather eat graham crackers and when's lunch? No smiles here folks. The fish weren't much better subjects.


In a last, desperate attempt to get some adorable (read not cranky) pictures I put him in his pumpkin costume from last year. I had to see if it still fit, right?

No smiles yet, but he was very pleased by the situation. When do I ever let him run barefoot in a public place? Never! But I was desperate. I knew there was a smile in there somewhere and I just HAD to have it. Finally, I got one.

Actually, I got two!

And then we left. I've learned that with 2 year olds, you shouldn't push your luck. Especially around lunch time.

Grandma June's Apple Butter

My sister has been romanticizing the idea of selling apple butter at our home town's founding festival, Old Iron Works Days. Her husband's grandma, Grandma June still has her cast iron kettle that she used to make apple butter "back in the day." This year the dream will become reality because my sister and I (plus some saintly friends of mine) will be putting on pioneer garb and demonstrating the finer art of apple butter making circa 1800.

This past weekend I visited Grandma June in Hermann and learned her family recipe, which for convenience sake she now makes in a crock pot. To help me and those making apple butter with us for the festival, here is Grandma June's recipe.

First you'll need anywhere from 12-15lbs of Jonathan apples for one regular size crock pot. Peel, slice, and core your apples the night before. This allows you to start cooking the apple butter first thing in the morning. My sister and I got one of these fancy tools and were able to peel, slice, and core a bushel of apples in less than 2 hours.

In the morning wash the apples in cold water and then place in a large pot over medium-high heat. A dutch oven would work beautifully for this part. You need just enough water in the pot to keep the apples from burning but too much water will increase the overall cooking time. I found that after rinsing the apples, there was enough water on them that I didn't need to add any to the pot. While they are cooking you'll need to stir every so often and if you notice them sticking, just add a little water. They are finished when soft and cooked down.

With a cup or ladle, scoop out the softened apples and puree in a blender or food processor. You want the mixture to be a little chunky, slightly more so than apple sauce. Put the puree in the crock pot and repeat in batches until the crock pot is three-fourths full.

Now for the seasoning! Grandma June uses only cinnamon, sugar, and star anise to season her apple butter. In a separate bowl mix together 7 cups of sugar and 4 teaspoons of cinnamon. Its important to use a higher quality cinnamon because it is a key ingredient. Add the sugar mixture to the crock pot and stir until incorporated.

The star anise is a very powerful spice that tastes like black licorice with a mild pepper under tone. If not treated with respect, it can ruin a batch of apple butter, but used carefully it creates a warm, spicy background to a very sweet condiment. Grandma June sews a sachet out of an old cotton t-shirt and puts in 2-3 teaspoons of star anise. The sachet allows the flavor to seep into the apple butter but never get to intense. Plus you can easily remove the star anise if you think the flavor it getting too strong.

I just love this picture of Grandma June holding one of her sachets! Toss the sachet into the crock pot and give it a little stir. Turn the crock pot on the high setting. Rather than using the lid, you'll need to cover the crock pot with tin foil with a vent cut in to release the steam. Glass lids keep moisture in and in this case, moisture increases the cooking time.

Over the span of 6-8 hours, depending on the crock pot, the apple butter will thicken and turn dark brown. You'll to stir it well every so often because with all of that sugar combined with high heat, there is a tendency to burn. Let me be clear, burned apple butter = blech! If the bottom or sides of your apple butter start burning, immediately pour the apple butter into a pot and wash your crock pot. Once its clean, return the apple butter and keep on cookin'.

You'll know the apple butter is finished cooking when it no longer weeps moisture and stands up. Basically this means when you put a spoonful in a bowl and let it rest for a few minutes, water doesn't start seeping out around the edge. Pictures do help to understand what I'm talking about. It should also be a dark brown color, think apple tree bark.

Now you're ready to start canning! Sterilize your jars (meaning that you have washed them in the dish washer) and put a small pot of water on high heat. Toss the lids in the water, keeping the rims separate, and have a clean, damp wash rag at the ready. Ladle the apple butter in a jar and wipe the rim clean. Its important that there be no dirt or bits of apple between the glass jar and the rubber rim.

Fish out a lid from the pot of hot water and quickly, dry it and place it on top of the jar. Screw the rim on until it is tight. Place the full jars in the canner (large pot full of hot water) and add hot water until the water level is up to the neck of the jar. If you use cold water, the jars will crack and you will be very angry. Let the jars cook in the boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Using a canning tool, or tongs, remove the jars and let sit until they come to room temperature.

What this amounts to is setting the hot jars on a bath towel and leaving them alone all night. If you hear metallic popping sounds jump for joy because that means you have successfully created an airtight seal and preserved your apple butter.

2nd Birthday Party

For Cedric's 2nd birthday we borrowed an inflatable bounce house from friends and hosted family and friends for a casual lunch. Cedric had a great time! The bounce house kept the children (ages 2 - 27) entertained the whole afternoon. I will not post pictures of grown-ups or list the names of who got in to "test" it, but you know who you are.


Cedric enjoyed having company for lunch and didn't shed a tear when we sang "happy birthday" or when everyone clapped. There was one nervous moment when I told him he could blow out the candle and he tried to pinch the flame, but thankfully a five year old was standing at the ready to "help" just in case.


Yes, that is an entire cake in front of him. Yes, he does have a hot dog in the other hand. Just wait until you see the next picture...

Yep, he is now eating a cupcake. For the record though he did not eat an entire cake plus a cupcake. He did eat the hot dog though.

The cake in the pictures was *tested* that morning and found to be, well how should I say this ... bleck. The morning of the party I made a German-chocolate cake for the party guests to enjoy. You just can't serve bad cake at a birthday party, right?

Surprisingly, Cedric did not enjoy opening his presents. It seemed like it was a great annoyance to him that we would all conspire together to wrap toys making it difficult to play with. Hopefully by Christmas he will not need coaxing to open gifts or offer alternative activities, like going outside to bounce, which is what he did the whole time we opened gifts.

In other news, Cedric has only gained 3-4oz since his 1 year well-baby visit! He also grown 3 inches. I was shocked about the weight gain, or lack of it, but his pediatrican pointed out that now he is in the 65th percentile for weight instead of the 95th. I remember that weight percentiles are not SATs and my job is not to maintain him at the 95th percentile for weight his whole life. Its actually better if he is average in this case. I felt much better after this realization.

Happy Birthday baby!

Cedric's Happy Day!

Two years ago today I waddled down a hall at Missouri Baptist Hospital, hopped (in my imagination it was quite gracefull) onto an operating table and in what seemed like no time, my baby boy was out of my tummy in my arms. I'll never forget Dr Maupin's caliber remark, "OMG, he looks like he's 2 months old! Oh and he's so cute." Oh Dr Maupin, I will forever love you for your recognition of my son's beauty and your adeptness with a stitching needle. Here we are with Cedric on his Birth Day. Yes we look so happy its almost cheesey but deep down we're thinking "What have we gotten ourselves into?"



As it turns out, we've gotten ourselves into experiencing the kind of love you can have for a person its almost painful and the kind of joy you can have that's so powerful it makes you tear up.

We gave him a bike for his birthday and he loves it. We took turns pushing him around the house singing "Happy Birthday" to him as he requested, which was often. Later when I was making dinner, I could hear him singing to himself while sitting on his bike. He couldn't quite say happy birthday, it came out as "happy day Cedric." My heart just melted...

Here he is on his bike.




Saturday is his proper birthday party and I promise when I post about that I'll leave out the parental gushiness and talk about Cedric's growth and development.