fall garden

Rory's garden produced all season long. He just got these carrots out, found all of these potatoes as well as onions. So we're going to roast a chicken and eat all of his garden fresh produce.

I married a doer. He just gets things done. He says he wants to garden, and he builds the raised beds, mixes the soil, plants the seeds and sows the harvest. He says he wants to build a compost, build a rain barrel, build a fence and then he does it. We woke up on Saturday morning and he said, "how about a fire in the backyard?" So we spent our morning sitting by the fire. It was chilly, and Ivar looked like he was going to launch to the moon, but it was a memory made and so much fun.  

conversation after church

Rory: Shoot! Was Jack in church today? I needed to talk to him.

Becca: You know. I didn't see him. Lisa was at the Tea table, I saw Maddie in the bathroom, Josie in the nursery and Kyle when we walked in, but I didn't ever see Jack.

Rory: (big frustrated sigh) I need him to tell me how to get past this part of Legend of Zelda.

(moments later)

Rory: Josie, this is Rory. Is Jack there? Where is he? Can I get his cell number?

Rory: "Jack. It's your uncle Rory. Are you on a bus right now? (pause) How did your marching band do? (pause)  Jack. I'm stuck in this one room and there is a big spiderweb blocking the door. I can't get through it. I can't cut it and it won't break. Swooshing? With my lantern? Hang on, I'll do it again. Oh yeah! That did it! I'm out!

a few of my favorite baby things

I have been wanting to write this post forever. I have been thinking about it since Ivar was born. And after just talking to a friend of Rory's who was trying to process his first trip to Babies R Us to register for their babe-to-be, I decided it was time.

This begins The Baby Gear Post.

I will never forget Rory and my first trip to the big box store that is Babies R Us. I think I've written about it before. It blew our mind: a baby store the size of Best Buy, the size of Borders, the size of the food building at the state fair. How in the world did a baby so tiny, one that was currently doing just fine in my snug little womb, need so much crap? We walked every aisle bewildered. We ended up in the back of the store, me looking at nursery sets, bumpers and quilts while Rory found his respite in the glider rocker, self soothing as he rocked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. We had just entered a land of crazy.

And it sort of really is. Babies all over the world and all throughout history have survived with much less gear. Before Ivar was born I was convinced that we would never bring one of those enormous exosaucers into our house. They are a space suck if there ever was one. We have a sweet little Minneapolis home and there was no way I was going to let something that bulky and obnoxious eat up a quarter of my living room. Well. Turns out we got two. No joke. One for the upstairs and one for the downstairs. I don't see it so much as a space hog anymore as I do a little gift of genius. Ivar loves it, he stays occupied, and when he's in it I know he's not licking the bottom of our shoes. (got one from a friend and one at a garage sale)

All this to say, every item has its season. And somethings you will never need. For sure, you don't need to get it all at once. The day will come when you'll say, "you know what would be handy? a seat I could set Ivar in so he can't move, that would surround him 360 with toys that he can't throw on the floor." And that will be the day you'll give in to the exosaucer.

After nearly 12 months of enjoying our little boy, I give you...
Becca's Top Five Favorite Ivar Things:

1. Glider Rocker. I've fallen asleep in ours more times than I can count. I love it. Can't imagine mamahood without it.

2. Room Darkening Shades. We got ours from Target (the cheapest brand) and have them hung with Ikea curtain rods that were $1.25 a piece. They are tight against the wall and it means that in the middle of the day I can make Ivar's room dark as night. I swear this has more to do with his happy long naps than anything else.

3. Sleepsacks. Ivar couldn't stand the ones that swaddle with velcro. He wanted his arms by his face. So we got sleeveless sleep sacks and dressed him in a longsleeve onesie. These were my saving grace in the middle of the night. I couldn't handle trying to change his diaper when he was wearing footsie jammies. Trying to wrestle his legs back into the outfit about did me in at 3 am. The sleepsack was a gift from above.

4. Rumble Buns. I thought everyone called it a rumble buns, but I guess I made that name up. The rest of the world calls it a bouncer. Ivar napped in his for the first 8 months of his life. We brought it with us on vacations and he slept better in this than in the pack and play...until he got too heavy and his bottom was bumping the floor.
5. Carseat Cover. Ivar's first six months of life were winter. I never put a coat on my son until this fall. I thought this thing was so slick. If it was really cold I'd cover him with a blanket and then cover the seat. And usually he was a whole lot happier in it than he is pictured below :)

If I were to do it all over again:
1. I'd skip the diaper bag. You definitely still need a bag...but the marketed diaper bags seem bulky, have so many pockets and the one we got was so cumbersome. We ended up getting a medium size mail-style bag at Target that has one big section with two side pockets on each end. We love the size. Feels more manageable. Go for gender-neutral...dad ends up carrying it a lot.
2. I wouldn't get the stroller system. We got a grayco something or other with the infant seat that can lock into the stroller. If I were to do it again I would get a stroller frame for when the baby is little (for something like $70) buy the infant carrier and carseat base separate and then get a good running stroller. Those Bob running strollers are really something. (But crazy expensive!!) Not only are the wheels big for a comfy off-road ride, but the visor to block the sun goes all the way down to the babies toes. You can fully cover your baby. I don't know. I'm still on the fence with this one because it's all expensive, but I guess I think it would be worth it...

Looking back, I'm glad I...

1. Returned everything I didn't immediately love. For real, I have no guilt about this. Hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I became well known at Target and Babies R Us making sure that I returned the stuff I didn't think I wanted and buying the stuff I knew I'd love. Babies are expensive and I love that I love everything I kept :)

2. Kept up with thank you notes before Ivar was born. Because wow. The gifts just kept coming. I still am writing notes, but now I'm caught up so I try to write the note immediately as the gift comes in. It is so important to have a running list that is left out so that everything can be written down as the gift is opened. Life gets a little nutty after the baby comes.

That's my two cents. How about you?!! What were/are your Baby-must-haves?

pb smore

I have never liked s'mores. They're too sweet for me. I don't like toasted marshmellow and would rather just eat my hershey chocolate plain and then munch on the graham crackers.

The fact that I don't like smores really wouldn't be that big of a deal to the average person. But I'm in camp ministry. And if you're in camp ministry, you really should like s'mores. This was pointed out to me at the camp I worked at in Nebraska by the returning counselors who were fiercely loyal to the woman whose job I replaced. They found the fact that I didn't like s'mores to be the only evidence they needed to prove that I was never going to measure up. "She doesn't like s'mores" was said as if I had just admitted that I didn't actually like children, people, the outdoors or Jesus. It was virtually a deal breaker.

But something happened this weekend. Jacqueline recommended we put peanut butter on our s'mores. I was intrigued, gave it a whirl and guess what? Not only did I finish my first smore, I made another. I was one of those people who goes back for more! S'more!

It's so good. The peanut butter takes the edge off of the marshmellow and basically it turns the whole thing into a gooey glorified reeces. The s'more you see pictured above? Just made it in the microwave.

A North Shore Itinerary

So it has come to my attention that not everyone I know has been to the North Shore. This is crazy pants. What is crazier still is that there are Minnesotans that I know who have not made the trek north. People. You've got to make the trip. In my mind, not visiting Lake Superior and living in Minnesota would be the equivalent of living in California and not ever taking a drive to see the ocean. We're land locked here, and this large body of water is the biggest sea we've got...big and mighty, strong enough to sink the Edmond Fitzgerald. There's a song about it. I used to sing it with my dad.

Anyway, for those of you who are interested and have never been, I've got some favorites to pass along. I think it's important to have a few places to hit on a first trip somewhere. Rory and I went to Door County a few years ago based on rave reviews, but I think we stayed in the wrong place, ate at the wrong restaurants and went at the wrong time of year. It just didn't do it for us. So hopefully these insider tips will help you plan a successful and enjoyable first visit. Pretend I'm that Samantha lady from the Travel Channel who takes you on weekend getaways. I've got three days that will make for a lovely introduction to the North Shore.

Two nights, Three days on The North Shore
(If you can go for three nights, that's really the best but obviously not always an option. And if you can go up midweek, do. It's busier on the weekends.)

Day One:
**Drive to Duluth. You may want exit on Lake Drive and head to Canal Park for a trip to Caribou Coffee and a walk up and down the shoreline to watch the aerial lift bridge go up and down as the huge ships pass under it.
**Take Scenic Route 61 to Two Harbors. On the way, stop at The New Scenic Cafe for their soup/salad/bread special ($9, all homemade).
**Stop at the DQ in Two Harbors. Get a blizzard.
**Unpack, settle in and start the good book you packed. (Cove Point Lodge is our personal favorite, in Beaver Bay)

Day Two:
**Start your morning slowly. Start a fire, read your book some more, drink your hot drink.
**late morning: drive up the shore to Temperance River for some trail hiking, skipping rocks and bouldering. Be sure to collect your favorite rocks along the shore.
**Four miles up the shore is Tofte. The Coho Cafe has great pizza. I'd get a pizza and take it back to Temperance River for a picnic. But that's just me. They also have a really incredible-looking bakery. You might also want to get a sweet something for later.
**Head back to Cove Point for some afternoon swimming/hot tubbing/napping.
**Eat your own supper: sandwiches, chips, soup
**Light the fire and make smores and play games. And be sure to open to the window to listen to those waves pound on the shore.

Day Three:

**Enjoy another lazy morning. This is vacation.

**pack a picnic, pack the car, check out of the hotel and head to Gooseberry Falls

**There is a great interpretive center and awesome trails all around (and on) the falls. beautiful, beautiful beautiful. Take lots of pictures. Be sure to dress your son so he looks like an escaped convict.

**Eat your picnic lunch at the falls.

**In Two Harbors, stop at The Vanilla Bean Cafe and get a few Pasty's to go. They're so good, and about $5 a piece. Put them in your cooler and you'll have supper already planned when you get home. You'll love yourself later!

So that's a three day introduction to the North Shore. There's lots I didn't include. A trip to Grand Marais is always worth it. It's a beautiful harbor city with lots of little shops, Sven and Ole's pizza and a nice walk out to the lighthouse. And obviously there is lots of hiking trails in the Superior Forest and a whole lot more to do than what I listed. But these are my absolute musts. They're tradition for us, and I'm big on tradition.

So plan a trip! Summer (camping!) and Fall are the best times to go, in my opinion. But winter is cozy too with lots of cross country skiing and snow shoeing trails.

Are you sold yet?!! Hope so! Hope you go!