Hello hello

I guess this will be the super-condensed, haven't-blogged-though-I-meant-to update.

Dear husband and Son1 were gone for an entire week in mid-July, one to a sort of workshop and the other at church camp. They both had great times, and Son2 and I found a new normal while they were gone. I got to practice parenting the way I mean to, without two kids arguing with each other and bugging each other and so on. Son2 got lots of Mommy time. The house was quiet (too quiet, in the end) and tidy (not worth going without dear husband and Son1, though!). Despite the good week for all, we were all very happy to get back together this last Monday.

This week has been one of transition. We're happy to be a family together again, but the kids and I leave Monday for three weeks of visiting family in Washington state! I'm working hard to get the laundry and house and meals back in shape for us to leave and dear husband to go it alone for the two weeks he'll be here (he'll join us for a week). I also have, oh, let's say, several Important Tasks for our household and for other groups that must be done before we return. Tasks I have to take care of. So, doing them now. Also, it's a lot harder to parent the way you mean to when the multi-kid hubbub is back. And that will all change when we head out to be mini-family in the land of extended family and away from home.

Regarding meals, it is good to bake when you're trying not to buy groceries that will just sit for three weeks while most of the family is gone, but, rather, use what we have. So, we have enjoyed biscuits made with part stone-ground whole wheat flour, cut square 'cause I was in a hurry. Also I made my coffeecake, spreading the batter over chunky peach almost-jam on the bottom of the pan and blueberries (once) or blackberries (once) scattered across the peach almost-jam. YUM! I gave in to the boys' pleading and bought Rainier cherries and a local canteloupe at the farmer's market Wednesday. Yay boys; they gobble up melon when they get to use the melon baller!

When the two guys were out of town I hosted a wine-tasting party for 12 MOMS Club members (our moms night out for July), and it was great! We tried four whites and four reds, had champagne to start and a sparkling red wine before the reds, learned a lot, ate good food, and had fun. I served my flourless chocolate cake for dessert with the red. Yum, yum, yum.

Oh, I also missed my one-year blogiversary a week ago. That year flew by!

This week Son1 and I both read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I requested it from the library the day after they began accepting requests (June 27), saw that I was 80th on the wait list, and figured it'd be a while. Well, no. It was waiting for me on Monday when I looked for my holds! Good book. Sad at the end. Got me all ready for the next book. I think we're taking books 4 and 5 on the trip for fun reading! (Son1 has them in paperback.)

I also read the first Lemony Snicket book to see what that's all about. Very dark. I'll probably read the second sometime to see how they develop the characters and stories, and leave it at that. I returned all of the western books -- running out of time before the trip -- and borrowed a couple of native American history/overview books. Son1 and I returned to the quick and fun Charlie Bone series after finishing Potter; this series is a easier-to-read version of the Harry Potter type of book. Enjoyable, and probably also great for kids who aren't quite ready for the extended book length and involved stories of Harry Potter.