Food and Faith

Homemade and homegrown; this is going to be the theme of my summer.  I've been drawing inspiration from Mary Jane Butters, the ultimate farm chick (I got a surprise subscription to Mary Jane's Farm in the mail).  So far I've started off with a bang.  This week my shadow and I made two loaves of Struan and vanilla ice cream.  You simply can not beat homemade....such flavor, such gratification.  I've been telling Evangeline this over and over again.  

We got real local this week with a trip to our egg lady, the meat locker, and our first CSA pick up from White Violet Center.  Since I've resigned myself to the fact that I can't grow anything in the middle of the woods I decided to invest in a crop share.  Our first collection exceeded my expectations.  We got kale, strawberries, mustard greens, turnips, carrots, radishes, head lettuce, some other kind of leafy mix and rainbow chard. 

First of all, the whole experience of picking up our share was wonderful.  Evangeline and I got to St. Mary's earlier than we needed to so that we could take a walk on the grounds, which is one of my favorite places in the world.  We visited the stations of the cross and the cemetery for the nuns.  Oh my goodness, you could just see the little wheels turning in Evangeline's mind.  We used to come here last summer, but she is understanding a lot more now that she's a little older.  She has been having a struggle excepting anything to do with death and she is full of questions on the subject.  She is so sensitive about it.  It's so hard for me to decide what to tell her.  I want to protect her from the thoughts of pain and loss.  I'm trying to focus on the positive side of death.  Anyway, as we were walking around the cemetery we happened upon an older woman (a nun) that asked if we had seen a few Sisters in full habits walking around.  We spotted them headed to the Shell Chapel.  She invited me and Evangeline to visit the Shell Chapel of St. Ann along with them.  Like an idiot I asked her who St. Ann was and she had to explain to me that she was the mother of Mary.  (I'm not sure that factoid is in the protestant Bible.  If so, I've totally missed it.)  We entered the Shell Chapel and there were the three nuns praying on their knees.  I could feel Evangeline's hand tightening around mine.  She wasn't sure what was going on.  The shell chapel was amazing.  It was very small and entirely covered in shells....from the Wabash River no less- they were big shells too, huge bivalves!  The sweet woman explained that Mother Theodor prayed to St. Ann for a safe passage across the sea.  If they made it safely they would build a shrine to her, hence the Shell Chapel.  She also gave us a relic of Mother Theodore.  I looked at it closely and it said that it was made from linin that touched a bone from Mother Theodore.  There is so much about Catholicism I can not wrap my head around, yet it fascinates me.  Evangeline's mind was blown.  As soon as we left the sisters their was question after question.  I didn't have the answers to many of them and if I did it just lead to more difficult questions that were nearly impossible to explain to a 4 year old.  She loved the whole experience though.  I can't wait to go back.  St. Mary's is a special place.

 

E.B. decided she wanted to give tumbling a try this summer.  She had her first class Wednesday afternoon.  She had a great time.  It's just her and another little girl, so there is no waiting in line time.  She was non-stop from the second it started.  

 

I started tapping with the dance instructor at Fusion on Monday nights. I feel very awkward and out of practice, but what fun!!  Next week I'm bringing Evangeline to watch her rusty, old mom in action.  

Lil' Bud

We kicked off the first week of summer vacation with Vacation Bible School.  No rest for the weary around these here parts.  Evangeline and I have had a wonderful time.  I've said it before, but we have the best church family.  I love those people.  Evangeline and the other children have had a very meaningful and special time at VBS this year.  I have enjoyed being the craft teacher.  E.B. has gotten a kick out of me teaching the craft lesson each day.  She lights up when she comes to my station and wants to be right up with me the whole time.  The past few years I've been a "shepherd" with her age group.  This year it's been fun watching her interact with her peers without me right there the whole time.  Ahhh, she's growing up....and into a mighty fine little person I might add.

Summer beauty is all around us.  We enjoy walks together and she chatters non-stop about things like her birthday and plans for her party.  I love listening to her little invitations of machines that make your dreams come true.  This was the topic of our 20 minute walk tonight.  

Creature Report

Our holler is all abuzz with wildlife.  Such a pretty time of year.  We have the loveliest little neighborhood for walking in.  My favorite stretch is the field to the west of our house when the sun setting behind it.  There are so many beautiful flowers popping up everywhere too.  I just love all of the peonies in bloom.  Peonies are right behind zinnias on my list of favorite flowers.  Others on the list include cosmos and Mexican sunflowers.  One of these days I would love to have a cutting garden. 

 

We have a darling little deer living outside the "making things room".  Sometimes he gets all the way up to the window.  I had a stare off with him the other day.  What a beauty....just don't eat my hostas (or "pastas" as Evangeline calls them)!!  We also spotted a little salamander the other day on our porch.  We tried to identify him using Evangeline's Illinois amphibian cards.  We pegged him as a possible Eastern Red Back, but Kyle's not convinced.  



Big Girl

We have a graduate.  My big girl graduated from preschool this week.  I can't believe how fast the time does fly.  We have been talking all about kindergarten lately.  She is excited.  I'm happy she has a nice little group of friends from preschool and church that she'll know at school next year.  I'm also relieved that I'll be right across the hall to hover all day long :)  

 

Evangeline and one of her very good buddies, Anna Karrass.  

 

Here she is on her last day of preschool.  

 

Today was my last day of school too.  I can't even express how much better my second year of teaching was than the first.  It was night and day in comparison.  I loved this past year.  I got weepy when I said goodbye to my kiddos, even the difficult ones.  I was looking through my kid's first grade memory books they made and there is a section where they write what they liked best about Mrs. Hutson.  I was so touched when I noticed that a good handful of them wrote something to the effect of "The best thing about Mrs. Hutson is that she loves me."  Teaching a room full of six year olds is a challenging job for certain and my patients is tested each and every day, but the idea that I succeeded in making at least some of them feel loved is the best reward I can get.  Especially when some of my kids have unimaginable home lives.  What an awesome job I have.   I get to spend my days teaching children how to read and do math.  I get to teach them basic life skills like manners and the Golden Rule.  I get to give them experiences like making apple sauce, carving a pumpkin, planting a seed and knowing what it feels like to have at least one person love and care about them.    It's wonderful job, but now I am ready to spend the summer with my baby.  I also know for certain that I could never do this job without the promise of a nice long break following each school year! 

What a Week!

Last week was a complete whirlwind at school.  Between wrapping up end of the year projects, a field trip, Activity Day, grades due and cleaning up the classroom, it's been totally nuts!  Thankfully we ended the chaotic week with a 3 day weekend. 
Oh, how nice today was.  Warm weather; open windows; coffee on the porch; finishing a quilt and starting a new one; daughter snuggles; giggling child; cooking out; S'mores on a fire.  The kind of day you want to bottle. 
Kyle and I are celebrating 7 years of marriage on May 26th.  Happy Anniversary, Honey Dear.  I surely do love you.

 

Poor Kyle came home one night last week from a stressful day in the courtroom only be stung by a hornet randomly chilling out in his slipper.  After the poor guy sat down to rest his aching foot we were recounting the event.  Evangeline said "I thought he was kidding because he was screaming like a lady".  On Sunday she was still thinking about it.  She asked me why I didn't share anything during the joys and concerns part at church.  She whispered to me, "why don't you tell them Kyle got 'stinged'?" 

Can you spot the mermaid?  The neighbors have all disappeared again until fall when the leaves drop.  It feels like we live all alone out here in a big woods.

 

There she is in her mermaid pose. 

 

Evangeline was chattering away to me one night last week and it was so cute I wrote the conversation down.  
Mommy:  What are some of your favorite things to do?
Evangeline: Eat junk food, watch TV all day, help you make cookies, go to Ms. Linda's for the Rodeo (Mother's Day Round-Up), go to the Bouncing Barn.  I like to make crafts, make a tent and play with you.  Have my birthday party and get all that junk food stuff (i.e. cotton candy maker, cupcake maker, chocolate maker).  Go with you places.
Mommy: What places?
Evangeline: Grandma's to spend the night, have a sleep over.  Bouncing Barn, Java Haute.  I like to get presents from Santa, put up the Christmas tree, get new presents, roast marshmallows and go camping too.  I like to go to the jungle.
Mommy:  You've never been to the jungle.
Evangeline:  I just know it's cool because it has a lot of trees. 
Mommy:  Anything else?
Evangeline:  Snuggle up with you and read books, watch Robin Hood.
Mommy:  What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
Evangeline:  Play games, like baseball because I get to hit the ball.



My Tiny Dancer

Evangeline had her dance recital this weekend.  She made her mama very proud.  The girls in her class all did a wonderful job to the shock and surprise of the mothers that watch them each week.  They were taught two very hard dances for 3/4 year-olds.  Even as of last week's practice it wasn't looking like they were retaining much of them.  However, I did know that no matter what it would be adorable.  It was.  I had tears of pride streaming down my face.  After their first routine the mom's had to catch them backstage to change for their tap dance and 2 other mothers aside from myself had tears streaming down their faces as well.  I'm not the only crazy one!  We were all so proud of our "Mini Movers". 

I remember being as excited as she was about getting to wear make up and costumes for recitals.  She had fun pretending to do the things she sees me doing with my makeup after I was finished putting a little bit on her.

I snapped a few quick pictures in the yard before we had to leave.  The purple is her ballet costume and the pink is tap.  Of course I can't weed down my favorites any further, so I'm including them all.

This ones my favorite.  It just makes me smile.  

Practicing the Shirley Temple pout...kidding, she was actually getting cold. 

She really loves this pink costume.  I think the gloves were the selling point.  She spent the whole rest of the day in this costume.  She's excited she can wear them any time she wants to now.  It's been hard for her to wait so long knowing they've just been hanging in her closet.

Front left.

 

Next to the girl in the blue leotard.  

 

Far right, front row. 

 

Far right, front row (the blur). 

 

All of the girls got a medal and a certificate after the recital.  Evangeline was absolutely thrilled to receive a "reward".  She was very proud. 

The family came over for a cookout afterwards.  Colleen gave me a cute cupcake set for a gift and I've just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it.  Evangeline loved decorating the cupcakes with the fairy ballerinas.