With A in school our days have changed dramatically. I am still struggling to find a good rhythm; one that allows me to get the household chores done without taking away the mama-time that A needs. He loves school, and looks forward to it every day, but it tires him out. I can see how good it is for him, but it is still difficult for me to watch him come home feeling worn down. And on the other side I feel like very little is getting done at home, and with W. It is a 15-20 minute drive each way, and though the little one and I get 2 hours at home in between, it is a lot of car time.
So, I'm trying to take it one step at a time. And at this point that means embracing the small things that we enjoy; making sure that we still have baking-time, story-time, and quiet-time after school (W will not take a nap without A there, so we are also dealing with a very tired two-year-old), as well as our nature walks.
I even rearranged their kitchen space a bit ago in an effort to make things easier, though did not think to post on it until I saw
Nicole and
Erin's posts recently.
We have always tried to keep the boys involved in mealtime preparations and kept their dishes in a separate space at their level. At our apartment we had a cupboard that was A's special one which held his dishes (or at times nothing, just a space for hiding) but once we moved to the house their dishes have migrated into different locations, though I think the newest spot is my favorite and most convenient for all.
I have possibly talked before about how important "real" dishes are for the boys. They use what we use, and are more careful in their handling of things because of it. That doesn't mean I haven't had to pick up a broken plate or glass, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. They each have their own mug, at their own level, and they have children sized silverware (which is metal), and salad plates are the perfect size dinner plates (right now the plates, bowls, and glasses are all from Ikea). I find it makes the table nicer looking too, and the boys feel like they are part of the grown-up meal, each valued and respected just as the adults are.
Such a seemingly small thing does make a difference in our day. Knowing that they can help and, with their things easily accessible, want to help will slowly move us into a new rhythm that seems right.
The slow simmer of applesauce, its color changing from white to yellow to pink. The heady aroma enticing us throughout. An easy preparation, even for little ones. Removing only the stem ends, the soft apples like empire and macintosh are easy to cut using a butter knife.
Uneven chunks which cook down into a soft pulpy mass.
Stirred constantly at first, the heat reduce and simmered until reduced to an easy mash. Run through a food mill, chinois, or in our case a colander with a wooden ladle to mash (the borrowed food mill emitting some strange grease quickly banished to the sink).
And though it took a little longer, the end result still looked and tasted as delicious as always.
These jars are unsweetened for later use in cooking, while another bowl was filled then lightly sweetened with sugar and cinnamon for immediate enjoyment.
