all in a dither about baseball

Well, we heard so much about baseball from Charlie after we checked out a few book on it from the library that we decided to get him a t-ball set.   Here’s the blow by blow of opening it up for the first time.   But first thing first, the pumpkin has to be hugged or sat on every time we walk out our door!What is is?Balls?  and a BAT?  So exciting! The ball goes here…!Strike one! A hit! Fielding the ball.Home Run!!! (look at that face of concentration!)  Tip on how to know if you’ve had a good time:  coming in makes you cry so hard you get snot all over your lip!Help!  We’ve started an obsession!  All throughout the next couple days, he kept seeing the box and crying to go play baseball.  I hid the box in the closet in the hopes that when it was out of sight and he wouldn’t remember and ask to go play so often.  Not a chance!  He comes and asks me to play baseball at least ten times a day.  Happy (and often frustrated)  is the Charlie who finally owns his own baseball bat!

Sometimes, life is just good.  Especially when you can sit on the couch backwards.  Especially that.

Nana’s Surprise Sweater

Charlie got a package in the mail last week.  It was from Nana.  He was very pleased with the card.  He was very pleased with the wrapping.  He was very pleased with the tissue paper!He was very pleased with the sweater.  And most of all, he was very, very pleased with it’s shiny buttons!  Thank you, Nana!

Apple Pie

Well the only way to do justice to the fun we had picking apples was to make an apple pie.  So we charged ahead that afternoon and made it.  I’ve never done anything more complicated than cookies with Charlie’s “help,”  so this was an adventure.  It was very, very fun.  

Here’s Charlie introducing you to our pie making afternoon.  (As an aside, I love the videos in this post, but they are not short and pithy.  Rather they take a toddler’s slow and meandering way to get to the point.  A little bit of “real time” captured on film as best I could while fending off what was left of the fast disappearing pie from Charlie’s mouth.  Watch according to your own desire! ) 

We used this recipe for the pie.  It starts with making a cinnamon caramel sauce that you pour over the apples instead of sugar.  This turned out to be a very very good idea!  Next I peeled the apples and Charlie was supposed to be helping by putting the peels in the trash bag….but he was much more concerned about making sure apples were good enough for pie making!   (Good thing all those germs were about to be baked)  Next, Mama sliced while Charlie put the slices in the bowl….but you know how well that approach went with the peels…. It turns out that this toddler’s definition of “helping” is eating! And who can really blame him?  I took one look at that caramel sauce pouring in and wanted to stop everything to just dig in with a spoon!Well, we set that bowl of temptation aside and turned my mom’s trusty oil pastry recipe for the crust.  This is a great recipe when you need a quick, easy and toddler friendly (i.e. fool proof) pie crust.  It always turns out.  The key is to handle it as little as possible, and just think “good enough” all the time.  Doesn’t that sound perfect for something you are doing with “help?”

Oil Pastry (for 2  9” crusts)

Blend 2 and 3/4 cups flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Measure 1/2 cup each of oil and milk into another measuring cup.  Pour liquids into the flour without stirring first.  Mix with a fork just until balls/clumps form.    Roll out each half of the dough between two sheets of wax paper.  (Dampen table top with a few drops of water to prevent it slipping around.) 

When you are finished it should be a little bigger than your pie plate.  I make it as big as I can without going beyond the wax paper edge.  And as a bonus, there is no mess on your counter to clean up!Remove top sheet of wax paper, flip it  and fit the crust into the pan.  After the crust is in place, remove second sheet of wax paper.   That sounds way to easy, doesn’t it?  Here is Charlie showing you just how easy yummy it really is!  The bottom crust:

The top crust:  (Notice how sticky his mouth has become? And how hard it is to fend him off those apples?)

The finished pie, before baking—including the fluted edge that Charlie’s finger helped make and the large holes where he poked the crust on top.  He was just making sure there was enough ventilation…and I’m sure it will taste even better for it!(Bake at 350 for one long hour.)  Waiting, waiting, waiting while it smells too good to be in the oven and not in our tummies yet! Success!  Oh, that all my experiments with this toddler ended so happily and yummily!  (Now that there is only a slice or two left in the pan, I can say from experience that I absolutely recommend this recipe.   I’m never making any other kind of apple pie again! )  I charge you:  Go make this apple pie!  You won’t regret it.  Not a single slice of it!  And if you can, bring along a side kick to “help.”

Ta-Ta Ball

I came in on Charlie as he was bouncing along with his tennis ball.  This has continued to be a source of amusement for him.  After all, if the ball can why not me too?  I love the way toddler minds work! 

some do’s and dont’s on pumpkining with toddlers

DO go with some of your very favorite people.  Ashley and Nathan invited us!  DO go in the same car….much more fun to be had by all that way.  DON’T get lost on your way there, cross the Mississippi River three times on two different freeways, leaving and entering Illinois twice like a confused immigrant, or take an hour and 45 minutes to do a 35 minute drive.  (However if you do find yourself in this situation, DO call you husband, who is at home and make him look it up on the internet and tell you exactly where you are and what you must do to get back on track)

Once you’re at the farm, DO shake off all that driving and charge right into the festivities by feeding the fuzzy cows and goats some carrots.   DON’T be scared, it only tickles! DO try driving the tractor.  It will make your day.  Really.  You won’t stop talking about it all day!Then, DO ride in the hay wagon to the apple orchard.  It is bumpy and fun! To pick apples, DO grab the apple tightly and pull with all your might.   When the apple finally comes off the branch, DON’T fall over! DO try a bite out of every apple you pick.  Otherwise how will you know if it is a good one or not?  DO make sure you get enough to make a pie when you get home! “Yep, this is a good one!”While in the orchard, DO run and see how far you get before Mama notices you have left her side!  Nathan concurs, DO eat apples while you’re in the orchard.  They are juicy and crunchy and every so sweet.  You won’t regret it! After apple picking head on over to the pumpkin patch. While you are there, DO give your friends some hugs, but DON’T knock them over in the dirt while doing so.  It has a different effect when that happens!If you accidentally knock your friend over, find him a seat where he can rest a bit, and show him how to sit down. He will be feeling better in no time at all!After you discover that you can sit on pumpkins, DO sit on every pumpkin you can find.  I realize this may take a while in a large field of pumpkins, but it is important.  Remember, determination and hard work make any task achievable, but  DON’T sit on a rotten pumpkin!    DO try to find just the right pumpkin.  Not too small...Not too heavy….  Just right!!!To complete the outing in a pleasing way for everyone, DO fall asleep the minute you get into your car seat, and continue to sleep on the 30 minute drive home.  Continue peacefully sleeping while your mom searches frantically for her car keys, finds them under your seat, transfers your car seat into her car and drives another 20 minutes home.  In fact, DO stay asleep after you park at home, while she works on her knitting and listens to her fascinating book on CD.  Go ahead, DO take a long nap…after all you DO have some apples to make into an apple pie to make this afternoon!

Tea for two…

“Please, kind sir, could I have some more?””

“But of course, madam, with pleasure!”

"Truly delicious!”