Field trip to the Backcountry

As part of our New Year's Resolution to "be more fabulous," we decided that we needed to be better about getting out and seeing stuff. There's a lot more history here than where I grew up (don't get me wrong, Mission San Jose is cool, but that's about the extent of pre-WWII history in the area), and I love it. Well, the idea of it, at least--I'm embarrassed to admit we haven't ventured out much. Inspired by my friend Alisa, we were talking about doing something fun this morning and Dave came across a website for "Historic Brattonsville." Since it's only about 45 minutes away, we packed a lunch and left around 11:30. Brattonsville is an American Revolution living history site in South Carolina. This area of Carolina Backcountry was settled by the Scotch-Irish Brattons in the 1760s. When they first settled, they would have built something like this "Backwoods Cabin":

Mabes was intrigued to see a real log cabin, just like she builds with her logs, and she liked that it was just her size. I don't think she'd want to spend the night, though.
McConnell House (above) is a historic house that was moved to Brattonsville to give a good idea of what Bratton House would have looked like when it was initially built. It was a common style of home built during the late 18th century, and would have cost about $100. There is a single room downstairs and one upstairs. Here a woman demonstrates how they might have cooked:

Mabes was excited to see a spinning wheel, but had to be convinced that this wasn't Maleficent's. Behind me is the bed, so the entire downstairs is the kitchen, spinning wheel, and bed. Most families had between 5 and 7 children.

Though Bratton House originally looked like McConnell house, William Bratton added on to make a tavern after the Revolutionary War, and his son added a room to make a school for girls (he had 7 daughters, and apparently there was already a school for his 7 sons).

The Homestead (above) was built between 1823 and 1826, and reflected the family's wealth and status. They had a large plantation with 139 slaves, and the home has a separate "Assembly," or dining hall:
The kitchen was a small brick building that was separate from the main house and the dining hall. In talking to these women, though, we learned that you would never actually see a white woman working in this kitchen. The kitchen was staffed by slaves who spent the entire day cooking. The head chef was one of the highest ranking slaves, and was very skilled at cooking and coordinating food for large groups of people. She had to make sure that meals were served warm--even though it had to be carried 100 feet to another building.

Mabes and I pose in the kitchen

According to one of the docents, 25% of The Patriot was filmed in Brattonsville, and the Homestead was used in several scenes. Here, Dave and Mabes try to recreate the famous Heath Ledger/Mel Gibson "I'm not a child!"/"You're MY child!" scene. Looks just like the movie, huh?

This field was the site of the Battle of Huck's Defeat, a significant battle during the Revolutionary War. Note the fine monuments:


We took tons of pictures and Dave and I learned a lot. Mabes was content to chase chickens and "baa" at sheep:






We're planning to go back in the summer--when everything is green--and catch a Revolutionary War re-enactment. Mabes was delighted that we finished off our Southern history day with a trip to the Q Shack for barbeque and hush puppies; it was a great day.

Not sure what I was expecting

Dave often leaves little notes for Mabes, encouraging her to be a good girl while he's traveling, telling her he loves her, etc. Mabes is always very excited to get a letter and reads it over and over to herself, often embellishing and making the two sentence note into a lengthy rambling letter.

Given her writing abilities, I'm not sure what I was expecting when she said she was going to write a letter for her horsey daddy. A heartfelt thank you for all he does? A detailed description of her day? She said it would make him happy like his letters make her happy. So for some reason, I was caught off guard when she proudly showed me her letter for daddy:

Apparently that letter was able to express both her love for her daddy as well as tell him about her day--at least that's what she says.

And she drew her first family portrait last week. I'm pretty sure it's the first, because usually the heads are so big she can't fit all three of us on one piece of paper. I'm quite proud of it, though, and if her art skills continue to improve, her artistic abilities will surpass mine in about a week or so. Dave is on the left, Mabes is in the middle, and I'm on the right.


Perhaps inspired by Mabes' art, I decided to finally make a hairbow holder for her. I figured it should be pretty easy, so I looked online and found that hairbow holders like this are selling for $60. My painting isn't the greatest (don't zoom in!), but for less than $10 in supplies, I'm happy. And Mabes was thrilled, even though it's not pink and has no ballet slippers on it.

I told Dave I might have to make one for his hats. It will be pink, of course.

Between Stake Conference, a baby shower, and Dave's dislike of a holiday where Hallmark forces him to profess his love, we didn't do much for Valentine's day. He did, however, let me sleep in (and really, what's better than that?) and he and Mabes made monkey bread. It's been a long time since he's made it, and it was Mabes' first time enjoying it. When we were eating, we realized it was 10 (!) years ago that day that he made monkey bread for me and my roommates. It was really good monkey bread though...I think I may have to go finish off the leftovers now.

At what point...

...do kids have to wear pants? I mean, when is it kind of weird if they're running around in just a shirt and unders?

Let me backtrack: I rarely wear "real" pants at home. I admit that this makes me sound like the sloppy stay-at-home-mom I swore I'd never be. I shower every morning. I blow dry my hair. I put on make-up. I put on whatever shirt I'm going to wear, set out the jeans, and then put on comfy pants. Jeans are ready and waiting when it's time to go out. This isn't a new thing with becoming a mom--I've done this since high school. If anything, the comfy pants have gotten more subtle. It's black, grey, or navy yoga pants now. In high school and college, it was full on pajama pants. Even if I'm only going to be home for 45 minutes, I put on the comfy pants. It's a big enough thing to Ostler girls that we'll actually call each other when Costco has their 2-pack yoga pants back in stock. It's even become a verb--as soon as I get home, I walk in the door, take off my shoes, and comfy pantasize.

Since she was a baby, Mabes has preferred to go pants-less. If she was cranky, the first thing we'd do was to take off her pants. This usually turned the crabbiness into this:


And who could blame her? No pants is always more enjoyable than pants, and I just loved seeing those meaty thighs.

Mabes with pants, about to head out.

So on Saturday, Dave and Mabes returned from a morning at Home Depot, Mabes used the bathroom, and then decided she didn't want to put her jeans back on. I was taking pictures of them and the new tool set Dave brought her from his work trip* and then I started to realize: is it weird that she's just sitting there in her underwear? Granted, they're the bigger, more boyshort-like style training pants that she really only wears on laundry day. But still, they're unders. And she's a kid.

Mabes with a tool belt, but without pants.

So my question is this: When do I need to have a pair of Mabes-sized yoga pants sitting next to mine, waiting for us to come home? Or have we passed that point?

Also, I found myself wondering where the line between cute and annoying was while we were shopping at Trader Joe's yesterday. Mabes insisted that she would be a big girl and stay right next to me while we shopped. Considering the relatively small size of their carts, it's probably best that she walk. She decided that dancing would be much more fun than walking, and when I would stop to get something, she'd curtsy or plié. She was staying close to me, so I was happy.

Then we got to the cheese section. People were smiling at her, but I thought she was still close, so I continued to search through the cheeses. Then I realized that while I tried to figure out how they had rearranged everything, she decided that all that extra room meant she could do Mexican Hat Dance-like twirls. So I grabbed my string cheese, cart, and spinning Mabes and rushed to the front, while wondering if those people were genuinely amused (it was pretty funny) or if they were forcing smiles while trying to get around my whirling kid. Once at checkout, she was undeterred, and continued to do what can only be described as some sort of jig while I paid. And while other customers may have been annoyed, the checker LOVED Mabes and gave her 6 stickers, bunch of daffodils, and then decided that Mabes needed her own to hold, so she pulled out a single daffodil and gave it to her. We left Trader Joe's very happy.

$1.49 for a bunch of ten buds (or free if the cashier likes you) and you just bring them home, put them in water, and they bloom overnight. It's like a glass of springtime in my kitchen!

*I actually got it at Target during their 75% off toy sale--it was $3! We figured Mabes would like that more than a lanyard, key chain, or thumb drive, which is what Dave typically brings home from these shows.

25 things about Mabes

I was finally getting around to doing that "25 random things about me" note on Facebook, and I decided it would be more fun to do a list of random things about Mabes. I apologize for some of the overlap of lists, but they apply to both of us. So here we go:

1. When I was pregnant, I was afraid my daughter would be boring and not very cute.

2. Emaline is far from boring. Her crazy personality is a nice, and sometimes frustrating, contrast to mine and Dave's.

3. We picked out her name 4 years before she was born.

4. When I was pregnant with her, we started calling her Maybe, since we weren't 100% sure on her name. We were watching a lot of Arrested Development and thought Maeby was just a funny name, so we joked that we were going to call her that. It stuck, and eventually got shortened. Mabes just seems to fit her.

5. In the last 3-4 months, she's turned into a total girly girl. Because she seemed like such a tomboy, it caught both me and Dave off guard. She still likes trains, cars, and building things, but she insists on wearing her ballet slippers, leotard, fluffy skirt, and/or crown at the same time.

6. My mom said that each of her kids' births were different and indicative of our personalities. This definitely holds true for Em--she cannot be rushed, and won't do anything until she's ready. But when she is, watch out. There's no stopping her.

7. She calls me "Princess Mommy" and Dave "Horsey Daddy." She gets mad if I refer to him as just "Daddy."

8. She loves her Horsey Daddy more than anything, and tells me this several times a day.

9. She likes to eat, and this has been apparent since day 1.

10. Also apparent since day 1: she doesn't like to sleep. I blame Dave for this--she inherited his fear of missing out on fun.

11. She had the chubbiest cheeks as a baby. I realize it would look a little odd on a 3-year-old, but I'm kind of sad they've shrunk.

12. I still check on her at least once a night to make sure she's still breathing.

13. She loves broccoli. I hate it but force myself to eat it because it's healthy. I love that she loves it and begs for it at the grocery store.

14. She had a bladder infection when she was 10 months old and had to go to Children's Hospital to make sure she didn't have kidney reflux. It was painfully hard to hold her down for the kidney ultrasound, catheter and VCUG. I wish I had taken a picture of her in her hospital gown, though.

15. Not counting spit up, she has only thrown up 3 times in her life. One of them was from laughing too hard at Becca.

16. She loves to give and receive kisses, but she always wipes them off. I don't think she realizes she does it.

17. She loves maps and globes. This makes me happy.

18. She's incredibly tough, and when she falls, she usually just jumps up and brushes it off. If she cries for more than 5 seconds, it must have been a bad fall.

19. Stray hairs freak her out.

20. I was too stunned to cry when she was born. I did, however, cry when they announced her weight.

21. Someone at church once commented that she had the personality of a redhead. This woman didn't know I had three redhead sisters and that my parents had already made that comparison.

22. When I check on her at night, I often just stare at her. She looks so sweet and angelic when she sleeps, any frustration from the day is completely erased and I think my heart may burst.

23. She's incredibly smart and perceptive. I may be biased, though.

24. I'm convinced she has the personality, intelligence, and capacity to do something great, but I'm afraid we'll screw up as parents and she won't realize her potential.

25. At least once a day, she wraps her arms around my neck and says "I'm glad you're my mommy." I'm glad she's my Mabes.

Twinners

For my 4th birthday, my very clever Aunt Alyce went to Goodwill, purchased a few random articles of clothing, jewelry, a purse, a hat, and shoes, and wrapped them up in a decorated box. Genius! Those dress-ups survived all 6 of us kids (because let's face it, both brothers were occasionally dressed as girls--it's what sisters do), and at some point my mom separated them from the mess of old dance and Halloween costumes and put them in a box for me. Yesterday, that box arrived and Mabes was thrilled.
























I'd ask you to guess who is who, but I think it's pretty obvious. And if not, the lovely late 70s/early 80s linoleum is a dead giveaway.


I'd love to know how much Aunt Alyce paid for those dress-ups in 1983, and if she knew just how much use that gift would get. Even after all these years and so many uses, everything is in surprisingly good condition. And I'd love to know if the lady who sent the 1970s purple pettipants to Goodwill ever thought they'd still be getting use in 2009.

Suggestions

Apparently I'm a creature of habit, and those around me are picking up on it. And making suggestions. Specifically, Mabes:

It rained yesterday, and I love rain. As I was buckling Mabes into her carseat, Mabes said "It's raining today...maybe the sun will come out tomorrow and dry up the rain and then I'll be happy." You don't like the rain, Mabes? "No. I like sun. I like to run and jump and play in the warm sun!" And sure enough, the sun came out today, and left me pining for Oregon winters. At the end of the constant 6 month drizzle, I was ready for the sun to come out in May, but come October, I was ready for clouds and fog and rain again.

So as we were driving home, Mabes was still disgusted with the rain, and I was still enjoying it. Suddenly, Mabes brightened. "Hey, I have an idea! We can make chocolate chip cookies!" I laughed, wondering if she had picked up on the pattern. "Oh really, why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because it's raining, and we make chocolate chip cookies when it rains!"

For those that aren't aware, it's a sort of family tradition to make chocolate chip cookies when it rains. My mom does it, and I think some of her sisters do, too. Maybe that's why I like rain so much--I'd be at school, it would rain, and I'd know there was a good chance there would be fresh chocolate chip cookies waiting for me when I got home. It's a tradition (or Pavlovian response) that has stayed with me, and gave my KitchenAid quite the workout after 2 1/2 years in Oregon. There are few things better than rainy days and fresh cookies, so even if she hates the rain, I'm glad Mabes has already seen the connection. Maybe she won't complain next time.

And my Tivo:

We've had our Tivo for over 5 1/2 years now. We love it and treat it like a member of the family (almost), we've converted many friends to Tivo, and it has recorded I don't know how many hundreds of hours of shows for us. It knows us. Tivo has a "suggestions" feature that records shows it thinks you may like based on what you typically record. Tivo has picked up some interesting documentaries, TV shows, news programs, and even a few movies that we've ended up watching and thought, "Hey, our Tivo really does know us!"

So imagine my confusion when I turn on my TV and see this:

Seriously, Tivo? Jerry Springer? While we don't watch any of the other shows listed, based on what we normally watch, I can see how Tivo would say those are similar. But Jerry Springer? My heavens, if I didn't know any better, I'd think my Tivo was making a joke. Perhaps after all these years, it feels like we have reached a level of comfort where it can mock me. I'll admit to watching trashy TV--maybe since I stopped recording The Bachelor*, Tivo felt it needed to compensate for the lack of trash on its hard drive. But come on, Bachelor is nowhere near Jerry Springer.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little embarrassed by how my Tivo has judged me.


*Since Bachelor conflicts with 24 and I don't have a dual tuner, we of course tivo 24. I can watch Bachelor online.

Fiesta!

There's a Latin American-themed shopping center here with the most ridiculously huge playland I've ever seen. It's fantastic. Dave takes Mabes in to play, and I get to sit and read or just watch. Once she's tired out, we head to the food court for some fantastic Mexican food. I always get a steak quesadilla because they are perhaps the best quesadillas I've ever had, so why mess with a good thing? Dave branches out and tries something new each time, because apparently quesadillas are too gringo for him.






















Above left: The massive play structure. Above right: Dave and Em, many levels up. Below: Dave and Em race down the slide. She won.

We finished our evening with a stop at the Churro Station and got a Nutella-filled churro. I would have taken pictures, but I didn't want to get Nutella all over my camera. The churro was delicious, though.

And Mabes is still dancing up a storm. She's worn a hole in her new ballet shoes, and her "leoturd" (totally her pronunciation!) is the first thing she puts on in the morning or when we get home from running errands. She'd wear it all day if I let her. Dave decided that perhaps she should have more variety in dance styles, so he introduced her to the Jarabe Tapatio, a.k.a. the Mexican Hat Dance. She loves it, and fortunately already has the skirt for it. Here she is, dancing along to a youtube clip: