Tuesday, February 22

St. Croix Agrifest

The St. Croix Agricultural Fair is much loved event on St. Croix which we attend each year. Well, I love the fair and am trying to rub my affection off on Nyah. I grew up attending our local fair in Indiana once a year. I think what captivates me about local fairs is it is really a chance for each community and culture to display the best of what nature has to offer and the resources available, weather that be breathtaking produce... 
or deep fried everything.  I often try to explain what a good ol' Indiana fair is like to George but I think it's a phenomenon that can only be truly appreciated if he experiences it himself. Someday I am sure.

Here is a look back at Nyah at the St. Croix Ag Fair over the years.

2009



2010
 2011

Amazing how Nyah has grown into such a sweet, caring, kind all around wonderful little girl. And don't forget this little one making her mark this year, loving the puppies.

Sunday, February 20

Sunset Jazz Madness

A true St. Croix treasure, Sunset Jazz, falls once a month in Frederiksted, usually on the beach but since the beach washed away in one of the past storms, is now held at the Fort in a park like setting.

We used to make going a regular thing. Sitting on the beach, listening to Jazz, having a picnic, and watching the beautiful sun go down over the West end of the island never seems to get old (until now). Great activity with kids while still feeling kind of adult like which I am totally into.

WELL, we haven't been to Sunset Jazz in a while, like since Elsa became mobile and I don't think we will be back for a while. Woah. I have mentioned before that Elsa is in constant motion but what? The little girl did not stop the entire night and she doesn't walk, she runs with madwoman furry.  Notice the look in her eye? She was definitely mid squirm try wiggle her way to freedom here.
We are trying to encourage her independence and curiosity but it requires some serious one on one attention which would be fine on the beach but is not cool in a small setting with tons of people around and mud and electronic equipment. I am exhausted just thinking about it. I never remember Nyah being this active, or did I just block it from memory?
Notice this precious little one, she just wanted to dance.
So this Friday we bailed Sunset Jazz early blew off bedtime and decided to play Elsa's game and let the girls run to their hearts content up and down the pier, under the light of the full moon.
She wore down by the end and had to get a ride back by Daddy. 
Mission accomplished.

Friday, February 18

The Morning Trek

We drive the same route through Christiansted each weekday morning as we make our trek to Star Apple Montessori. Same kids tunes in the back ground, same pot holes making us bounce along, same breeze blowing through the open windows. Everyone fresh as we start another day.  


We see these same buildings and signs each morning and each day we find something new, something lovely. So here is my attempt to capture the beauty. Garbage and dilapidated to many but beautiful to my eyes in the morning light.
The strong, the sturdy, the traditional, surviving the rough island life.

True colors shining through.

Thursday, February 17

My Inspiration

On days when I am feeling bummed, like our house is too small or thinking all of our problems would be solved if we only had a yard for the girls to run in, I only have to look back at pictures like this.
This
and this.


All photos taken on the North Shore of the island where we have our perfect little chunk of this Earth waiting for us to create our personal get away on. To my senses, the North Shore is the most beautiful, natural, sweetest part of the island. (I am now really wondering now why I don't have a picture of our land, going to fix this problem asap).


When we drive to this part of the island to look at our own paradise, something about the air, the waves, the breeze, the birds, the green, the natural beauty makes me take an extra deep breath and exhale slowly and I remember what all the waiting and sacrificing and saving is for. Hopefully, when I see our little brood running to the beach and settling into the beach bum lifestyle, as we live as one with the elements, it will make it all worth it. 


My dad recently had a dream that he and George were laying the block for the foundation for our house. I look forward to the day when this dream is a reality but until then I will keep my pictures close by and make frequent trips to the North Shore to remind me what all the waiting is for.

Wednesday, February 16

Nyah's Favorite Popscicles

I have to share on of Nyah's favorite treats which she is so enthusiastic about. So simple, so easy. So, why didn't I think of this on my own? Trying to shape my mind to think more creative in the baker/chef category but its comes as a challenge for me. 


This particular recipe is by Jessica Seinfeld from her cookbook Deceptively Delicious, a book I don't actually own but the pages my friend photo copies for me when she discovers a tasty recipe. 


I am not sure what Nyah enjoys more, making or eating these Frozen Yogurt Pops (which she calls popsicles but I am convinced thinks is ice cream at the rate she devours them).


Start by pouring 2 cups plain low fat yogurt or vanilla yogurt and 2 cups of frozen berries (let them thaw a little prior for easy blending) into food processor. 
I am sure a wonderful organic frozen berry would be great here but we use what we can get on this island and just remain thankful the store had a shipment of frozen berries on that particular grocery day. We will probably replace the berries with mangoes during mango season. I will let you now how that goes.
Next, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar. We leave the sugar out most of the time depending on how many tart berries are. 
Next pulse until smooth. This is Nyah's favorite step, obviously. 
Pour mixture into molds or whatever you have. We used to use small tupperware containers with toothpicks or ice cube trays before we found these fancy, legit popscicle molds at the over priced hardware store.
Add popsicle sticks.
Place creation in freeze and be patient and if you are like Nyah ask ever half hour on the hour if the popsicles are ready yet.


If there is any left over, enjoy in a cup as a smoothie or as Nyah calls it, "a moovie" no matter how many times I correct her. Cheers (from Nyah).
Please ignore the mess.  Elsa had just completed her daily pull all the toys of the shelf duty while Nyah and I were making "moovies".

Tuesday, February 15

Birthday Land

We have been stuck in birthday party-ville for the past couple of weekends, well, actually George has. He is awesome and takes the girls to all of the Mommy clad parties while I work on Saturdays and he does it with a smile. The girls hair might not be fixed perfect, or combed at all, but he excels in dressing them in the cutest ensembles. All of the Moms report back to me later how wonderful he was with the girls and how impressed they are that he comes to the parties. Not to brag, but I have to agree with them. 
We (George) had a double header this past weekend, parties on Saturday and Sunday, so I actually got to participate in a party where Elsa debuted her new pony tail. 
The kid parties here are great, good food is usually served maybe even a little libation and is a good excuse to hang out with friends. Parties are getting better for us because we can finally breathe and don't have to be on edge with sense keen, afraid of taking our eyes off our child and ready to jump at moments notice in case our child decides to be "that" kid who stick their hand in the cake, fights the birthday kid for his or her gifts, or throws a tantrum. Nyah is older and totally gets the party etiquette thing and can be set free to do her thing. We just have to chase Elsa, or child who is in constant motion, but George usually heads up this duty so I can mingle. 


But look out this weekend, I don't have to spend Saturday in the ER and we don't have any parities on the calendar. The future is ours.

Friday, February 11

Welcome to Our World Blue

We loaded the first bunch of hand-me-down boy clothes into the house yesterday. It makes it all so real. The blue clothes looked beautiful to my eyes yet so foreign. It will be a welcome change from the tutu, pink and purple, baby doll, purse world we live in now. We have tried not to push the girly stuff but it ends up in the house somehow and the girls love it. Welcoming a little dude into our home will bring a needed change in pace and color to our lives.  


What would we do without hand me down clothes. We live for them and I am pretty sure it is all the girls wear (besides the gorgeous clothes my family and friends give). Why not? The clothes never look shabby but I don't see the point in spending tons on clothes that are going to get stained beyond recognition and rapidly grown out of.  I am always amazed and thankful by the generosity of people, especially when a new precious life is looming.


Glad we (actually, I) have a few more months to prepare for the handsome little man's arrival. Will mothering a boy be different? Showering babies with an abundance of love is all I know so hopefully it's how its done. 


Nyah is beyond excited, she assess my belly each morning and says something along the lines of, "He's growing, my baby brother is growing", or "Can he come today?". She will be a great sister to a little brother.


Now we just have to be patient, hurry up June. 



Tuesday, February 1

Good Laugh

I have to share this blog entry from my favorite blogger, Rebecca Wolf, whose blog I read each morning while the girls eat their breakfast and I pretend to drink coffee, my one alloted caffeine allowance recommended in pregnancy. 


By the way, I would have never, in my wildest dreams even imagined drinking caffeine when I was pregnant with the girls. I was way over the top, by the book, OCD, can't even look at wine of caffeine or something horrible would happen to my baby. Now on the third go around, I am settling into the stereotype of the third child and am a lot more lax, realizing that I am a really healthy person and a little sip of caffeine in the morning won't hurt a thing and actually my help my state of mind. Instead of dragging around and feeling bad about it all day I am now functioning and feeling great. What can I say, I am surviving and I have to be there for the girls, they don't deserve to be stuck with zombie mom all day and luckily since I haven't been a coffee drinker until now so the little bit I do drink really gets me going and makes me want to conquer the world and stuff until about oh, about one o'clock when I crash and burn. And maybe I've even had a little coffee as I am writing this blog but the really long drawn out sentences that I am typing super fast hopefully don't make that too obvious.


So here is Rebecca Wolf's latest blog entry (click here,right here, Mom) and perhaps I find this so funny, like I laughed at my screen for a few minutes and kept coming back to it to laugh some more (look at her first grade picture), because I can totally relate. I was a product of a Mom with scissors and oh if I only had my first grade I could prove it. Crooked bangs starting at the crown of my head doesn't even begin to explain the half of it.


I feel like I am in a whole different realm raising girls with supa dupa curly hair. Bangs are not an option and honestly if I butchered their hair I am not totally sure anyone would notice. But I have no doubt in my mind that they will someday look at their first grade picture and wonder why I would do their hang the wrong way, its inevitable. 
 
We don't really do the hair cutting thing around here much. Hope I am not doing them a disservice as a mother by not picking up the shears. Nyah has had one hair cut, which she loved. 




Maybe she will have another one someday, who knows, but for now I am still enjoying a good laugh remembering my brother and I's past do's thanks to Rebecca Wolf at Girl Gone Child, she rocked it today.
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