Stawberries and Baseball

This last Saturday was the most fun we've had since that Saturday when we went to Raleigh, the weekend before Jude was born. It's wonderful to feel like we are adjusted enough to the new 2-child arrangement that we can actually get out and enjoy ourselves every once in a while.

We picked our own strawberries at Rudd Farm and it was AWESOME. There were perfectly ripe, red strawberries everywhere you looked; I haven't had such good fruit since Kazakhstan. Isobel ate at least as many as she contributed to our basket. Do you like how I strategically dressed her in a strawberry-colored shirt?

I don't think I can overstate how gloriously delicious these strawberries are. This picture doesn't do them justice.

And tonight I made a small army of chocolate-dipped strawberries. I wish the lighting were better so these would look more appetizing. They really are beautiful in real life.

That evening we went to a minor league baseball game: Greensboro Grasshoppers vs. Hickory Crawdads. Yes, those seriously are the teams' names. I love living here.
Jude disapproves of the Grasshoppers because they lost by lots of points.

But we had a great time anyway with our friends, the Carpers, and (because?) all of the children were remarkably well-behaved!

Hootenanny!

It's high time I blogged about something I love besides Isobel and Jude. I do love lots of other things, you know. One of them is BREAKFAST:

That there's some good eatin'. The bigger dish holds what my family calls German Pancakes, but I've also heard it called Oven Pancakes or Hootenanny. I'm not going to lie... there may have been times in my life when I've eaten a whole pan all by myself. And you know why it's so good? Because that liquid pooling on the top is BUTTER.
The stuff in the little container is delicious Lemon Curd, which is served atop the German Pancakes for a party-in-your-mouth combination. So, without further ado, here are the recipes for both!

German Pancakes (from Karen Little)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/8 tsp salt
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 425 F. Put the butter in a 10-inch square pan and put it in the oven until the butter is melted. [I've been using an 8" square because that's what I have and it works.]
Combine the flour, evaporated milk, and salt and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, whipping with a wire whisk after each addition. When the butter is melted, add the batter to the pan and return it to the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until it's puffy and golden-brown and the only liquid is that glorious butter. This recipe can be doubled and made in a 9x13 pan.

Lemon Curd (from Cheryl Meibos)
4 lemons (4-5 tsp. grated lemon peel and 2/3 c. fresh lemon juice)
5 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
In a stovetop pan, combine peel, juice, eggs, and sugar; whirl until smooth. Gradually add in melted butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles and begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Ladle into jars [I used tupperware] and fill 1/4 inch from the top. Store in fridge no more than 3 months. Can be frozen. Makes approximately 24 oz.

Mini Farrah Fawcett here ate two helpings of German Pancakes this morning. That's really saying something, since we're talking about the girl who doesn't eat. And, just for good measure, here's a picture of Jude looking cute:

(His eyes are turning brown! And a few days ago I heard for the first time that he looks like me. :)

Ask and you shall receive, Jenny!

check my specs

Right now I'm in the throes of self-consciousness so I'm only posting one doctored-up photo of me in my new gecks. It's an adjustment, but I definitely enjoy not having to force my eyes to focus on blurry things all the time.
They are cool glasses. You can't tell in the photo, but they're brown on the outside and turquoise on the inside. Plus they make me feel cosmopolitan because they're Danish.

So this is what people mean when they say "They grow up so fast!"

When Isobel was a baby people would say that and I would have to resist laughing. I'd think "Not this one! She doesn't grow up fast. She doesn't grow AT ALL." And it was true. But with Jude I keep wishing time would slow down. I spend ridiculous amounts of time deciding which of his cute clothes to put him in because I worry he's going to grow out of them before wearing them more than once.

He was two months old yesterday, and had his checkup today. 10 lbs., 4 oz. and 22 inches long. That puts him in the 25th percentile for weight and 10th for height. That might not sound so impressive, but I'm in awe. I mean, I know he's not a porker, but I guess my perspective is skewed, thanks to Isobel's tinyness.
He's still adorable and wonderful, of course, and a total Mama's boy. He smiles a ton and really asks so little of us, though he has discovered his voice in the last few weeks. The sleepy newborn is definitely gone, and this more opinionated Jude really knows how to wail when The Cow (moi) has tried to pass him off on some other non-lactating and therefore inferior person.

I can't think of anything else to put here except HE'S SO CUUUUUUUUTE!!!!!

The BOSS

She Who Must Be Pleased has had some good times recently. Her first painting experience was a HUGE hit, enjoyed by Isobel...

and Dagny...

And everybody who visits our living room! It's called "Scary Monster" in case you were wondering. I can see it, even without turning my head to the side and squinting.


One of the best things about North Carolina is this early spring. A few weeks ago I heard a friend say that people in her apartment complex were swimming in the outdoor pool. This was on APRIL 15th. And doesn't it look like Summer? Evidence:

and

Easter

Yeah, I know, Easter has come and gone and is long since forgotten, but since I've been so remiss in my blogging duties I feel like I need to play catch up. Hence the forthcoming multiple posts in one night.
We went to PA for Easter and I forgot my camera. That ended up being ok, though, because Nicole took so many beautiful photos. She took the first three here:

Let's hope Jude is a little more enthusiastic next year. Isobel, on the other hand, was all up on this holiday, and of course she looked precious in her Easter dress and hat from Grandma. I LOVE this picture.


Brooke also looked beautiful!


We took a drive out to the little country church where Brooke's parents were married. It was really a charming place. Brooke had his senior pictures taken there when he was 18, and he is probably even handsomer now:


This is my favorite picture of triumphant Jude, posed with his REALLY cool baby gifts from The Youngs.