More prose

There has been major flooding today in Battle Creek. It rained all day Saturday, and today, the tropical depression from Ike came through. Supposedly we got anywhere from 9-11 inches of rain over the weekend, according to the weather guy on TV. I was out-and-about a little bit today. I went to the grocery store, which is on one of the busiest streets in town ... the street with all the big box retail. And the street was flooded in one low place ... it was like a river running right over the street. A Cadillac was stuck there and there was water up to the windows!

Today was supposed to big a big event with my job at the child abuse prevention council. We were planning to have an outdoor family event to promote good parenting. You can read about it here: "Child abuse, neglect prompt event"

We're going to try to reschedule the event for next week, because the pavilion at the park where this was to happen was covered in a few inches of water.

Stella seems to be doing okay in her new school location so far. Her classroom has been moved to the small town of Bellevue, in their former middle school. There are no middle-schoolers in the building though ... part of the building is being renovated for an elementary, so in the meantime there is a daycare, two preschools and Stella's class. It's a nice place, but a bit far for me to drive to pick her up. I've moved her appointments a little later. She gets OT twice a week and will start swimming again on Saturday. We're going to try to continue horseback riding on Sundays through October.



Mighty-boy turned 18-months just recently, and you can just see the brightness in his eyes. He notices everything. He even noticed when John had his old 1950s gold tube amplifier fixed and put back on the bookshelf. A.J. was pointing and talking (in A.J. speak) about the "new" piece of stereo equipment on the bookshelf, like it was the most amazing thing he could behold. He also dances to John's most weird music, like Elvis Costello and the Smiths. He has a funny, gallop-like dance, and sometimes he falls down. He also puts his ear next to the speaker, then checks the other speaker ... to make sure it's balanced ???? I dunno...he's his father's son.

And Stella and A.J. are still best friends.


Overall, things are fine here. Stella is calmer due to some help from a new medication and a very careful child psychiatrist. A.J. is learning to play some new things, like play-dough and coloring. John and I are doing fine too. I am just lamenting missing my mom ... we had so much fun shopping together when she was here! There's nothing like shopping with your mom and, mom, I want you to come back so we can go to Chico's again!!!!

Unofficial end of summer

I'm going to put up this post really quickly. I have to get to sleep. Stella starts school, and the bus will be here bright and early at 7:15 a.m. to take her to Bellevue for her last year of preschool. I hope it's a good year, Stella!



My mom left Saturday and it's sad to say good-bye. She was great to us. It's easy to get used to the dishes being done, the laundry folded, and the kids entertained. Come back, Mom!

A.J. still calls down the basement stairs, "Nana? Nana!"



Is this funny?

Here are the kids destroying my garden. They picked every green tomato in sight. But I'm not mad because a)I'm tired of watering them ... it's been too dry here, and b)it's September and very few had turned red ... my garden area is too shady.



And something I'm proud of ...
I've been making pies almost a year, and using shortening has bothered me. Those bad trans fats, you know. I saw Martha Stewart make a butter crust on her show, and I have wanted to try it. But I didn't have a food processor, which is necessary for a butter crust, I guess.

Well, my super-nice, food-loving father-in-law picked me up a food processor at Costco as an early birthday gift, and I used it immediately on a peach pie ... our last summer fruit pie, probably.

Butter crust requires a lot of chilling. The dough was completely different, stiffer. Here it is after I put it together. The embellishments are to hide my imperfections:



The nice thing about butter crust is that it doesn't get tough from overworking, and you can freeze it easily and use what's leftover. Considering there are two sticks of butter in there, I froze every scrap! My mom says my grandma (her mom) saved leftover pie dough and baked it later with cinnamon and sugar ... sounds like an idea!

We ate a little tonight with butter pecan ice cream ... it is Labor Day after all! Tomorrow we're back to healthy eating, John says.



It certainly tasted good. Like flaky french pastry. I'm hooked. If I can swing it, all my crusts will be butter! I realize butter isn't exactly a health food, but I think it's great to cook with and at least a natural food.