New Rule: No Hair Cuts Before Mom Has her Coffee

The Bumper cut her hair today and I am mad. I am crazy, sad, hurt frustrated mad, see red scream out loud so the neighbors cross to the other side of the street mad. I know she is only four and a half. I know it is only hair. I know it will grow back. I wish I could say I was the cool mom who took a sip of her coffee shrugged and said "Oh well, it will grow back. You cut it and now you have to live with it." Nope, not me, not by a long shot. I freaked out, lost it and went bonkers. I yelled at her, wanting to know why she would do such a thing. She said she wanted to be like her favorite Disney heroine, Mulan, who cuts her hair off  with a sword. I suppose I should be grateful she used scissors instead of a kitchen knife.

Here's the kicker though; yes I was upset because she lied to me when she got the scissors and told me she wanted to cut out paper shapes (she is allowed to do this) yes I was upset she disobeyed me because I have told her before not to cut her hair, but I was even more upset because she cut off all of her lovely baby curls. It is unreasonable and illogical, but it felt like a slap in the face. She looks so much like her father: his smile, his walk, his hair color. Everyone always comments on how she much she resembles him; except for the eyes-- she has my blue eyes, and the curls.

So when I saw her chopped off hair instead of a simple act off childish foolishness, I saw an act of defiance, rebellion and rejection of me. It hurt. A lot. When the Bumper saw the anger on my face, her eyes grew wide and she said in a small  voice "I did something bad didn't I?. I told her that yes she had. She did not say she was sorry, she said "I was wrong. Will you forgive me?"

How could I stay angry in the face of such a request? Especially when I think how often my Heavenly Father has forgiven me for my sins, for my disobedience, and my rebellion. I took my child in my arms and told her I still loved her and I did forgive her; but I was not going to take her to the hair shop, she would have to live with the haircut she gave herself. The Bumper asked me if her friends would laugh at her (and truly she does look a fright). I replied honestly that they probably would. She nodded once, squared her little shoulders, took my hand and set off for day camp.

Yeah I am still mad, but I am also proud that as little as she is, she is accepting the consequences for her actions. That is something some people never learn.

Now I am going to go knit to take the edge off.

Kim

Meatless Monday- Front Yard Gardening

'Mater's

Peppers

Who made up the rule that gardens should be regulated to the backyard? Tucked away out of sight like a guilty secret. I think the front yard is the perfect place for gardening. I can see the nodding heads, just as long as I keep my front yard for flowers lovely spring or summer blooms: merry marigolds, bright peonies, pretty pansies and the like, maybe even cute little herbs, but nothing so crass as vegetables! What  would the Home Owner's Association say? Well fortunately we live in an area with no HOA.  We have tomatoes and peppers growing in the front walkway and I love it! Next year Nana has decided to put the vegetable patch in the front as the front yard gets better sun because all the trees are in the back.  I am all for this. More gardens mean less mowing, but that is next year for now, I am happy to pick tomatoes at the same time I pick up the mail and newspaper.

Kim

Catching Summer As She Hurries By

Marigolds are loving the rain!

They say time flies when you are having fun, well it also flies when you have an active four year old. This summer has been all about ice-pops, sprinklers and parties. We are enjoying ourselves tremendously, but it has left very little time for blogging. The Bumper is in summer camp every morning, swimming three times a week and digging in the dirt with Nana. We have also been making the birthday party rounds. So far every weekend in July the Bumper has gone to a party and there is no end in sight. Superheroes are the theme among the pre-school set, but Bumper has wanted to wear princess dresses. When one of her friends challenged her about her choice, she promptly replied "Princesses are superheroes!" I am not going to argue with that.

Because one thing at a time makes too much sense.

I have been busy writing on my novel and I am super excited, the writing is going well and I am starting to like my characters. I am still working on my second sock; I started a dishcloth, and a blanket. 

This Sunflower says perfectly how we feel about the heat!

The weather here has been hot and muggy. We have had lots and lots of rain, great for the grass; not so much for the mower. Remembering how cold it was this past winter, however, I am not complaining!  For the most part the past few weeks have been too hot to play in the day, but since daylight still lingers past seven in the evening, there is plenty of time to go outside once things cool down. Bumper loves stalking fire flies in the long tall grass at the back of our yard. I like watching her, it never fails to put a smile on my face. This is also prime reading weather, and while I have been indulging in a marvelous mystery series revolving around knitting, Bumper has been patiently listening to her read along books and coaxing extra bedtime stories out of me!  Bumper has told me she can't wait for winter to comeback so she can play in the snow and eat maple sugar candy (syrup snow). As for me I am enjoying these rapid fire days as best I can, even if it is when I flop into bed sweaty and exhausted.

Hope, wherever you are, your summer is going well.
Kim

Meatless Monday- Dessert

Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate. Did I mention the chocolate? I wanted to bring a dessert to our fourth of July celebration, which started on the third and finished on the fifth (we take our parties seriously around here). So I headed over to my go to website for vegan desserts: Chocolate Covered Katie. I decided to try "The Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Pie"http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/06/the-ultimate-chocolate-fudge-pie/.

Wow just wow. The recipe name sounds like it will take a long time  and be super complicated, however making it was really easy; albeit messy. The Bumper loved helping stir in the melted chocolate chips and licking the spatula. I wish I had taken a picture, but my hands were too sticky at the time. It turned out rich and not too sweet. If you do not like dark chocolate then this is not for you. I happen to like both dark chocolate and desserts that are not too sweet. There were only two pieces left at the end of the night. The Bumper and Nana both loved it and neither guessed the secret ingredient. I'm not telling them what it was, because they do not have to know it wasn't as fattening as it tasted. I love it when I can make a dessert, besides fruit, that is reasonably healthy.

I used Enjoy Life brand semi-sweet vegan dark chocolate chips and I chose maple syrup as my sweetener, but I think agave or cane sugar would work just as well. I also used an accidentally vegan store bought crust, but now that I have a good food processor; the next time I make this I will make the date oat crust from scratch.

Kim
p.s.  sock two is slowly getting longer.

America the Beautiful

Today is July 4th, Independence Day, and this year we are spending it with friends at an out door picnic followed by sparklers. While I love a rousing rendition of the 1812 overture complete with canon fire, flag waving and fireworks; today I also want to celebrate our National Parks. Our National Parks are one of the this which make the United States great. I am fortunate enough to live only 30 minutes from the Assateague Island National Seashore. It is a refuge for birds, deer, and wild ponies. At various times I have seen Great Blue Heron's White Cattle Egrets, and once even a Glossy Billed Ibis. I am thankful such place exist and are protected for the future. Someone once said civilizations rise and fall, people come and go but the land endures.
Happy Fourth of July!
Kim