The Kite Runners, or why you should buy a plastic kite from the dollar store.

Building and flying one's own kite is not all that its cracked up to be. Teya was inspired to build her own kite after reading a book about a boy who took some scraps of wood, a map and some old string and created a masterpiece of a kite that won a kite-flying competition. I would not recommend planting the "build your own kite" in your kids' bursting-with-creative-juices minds. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed painstakingly building a frame held in tension by string, covering it with paper, decorating, attaching balancing strings and tails and the lead string. Philip does not begrudge the sacrifice of his thumb, which he massacred with a knife while working on the frame. I was not completely disappointed when the end result looked more like a flattened tick than a perfectly balanced geometric shape. My heart did not sink when Teya only wanted to cover 1/16th of the kite in decoration (I had envisioned ice cream cones covering the entire surface of the gliding glory).

But when we tried to fly the albatross, that's when my heart sank. I ran frantically around the soccer field, trying to get a gust under the kite, only to slam it into the ground. Over. And over. And over. So much for that.

At least Teya was still smiling at the end of the life of the kite. Rest in peace, kite. Rest in peace.

Why David's birthday celebration came 70+days late...and other tall tales.

As you may know, David has some food issues. The cupcakes pictured below are one of the reasons I procrastinated 70+ days beyond his birthday of June 8 to throw a formal celebration for our second child's 2nd birthday. And in the end, I am ashamed to admit that I only went to the effort of throwing a shin-dig because of....well, shame. I walked in the living room one Saturday afternoon and my mom and Teya were wrapping a large box. As a cruised in, Mom stated somewhat defiantly that she was going to give D. his birthday present - party or no party - that evening. So I got on it. Whipped up some Mexicano "pile-on" (a Stanton family favorite) for dinner and these gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free cupcakes. Anyone wondering how it is possible to make such a allergen-free delight can find the recipe at http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/12/mexican-chocolate-cake-vegan-fabulous.html. Now I am even more ashamed that it took me so long to show D. how much he and his arrival into our life means to us. It was so much fun to see this kid, who has never eaten real cake or blown out candles EAT IT UP.

Cupcake heaven.

Mesmerized by candle light and dulcet tones of "Happy Birthday, " David focused, blew and poof, out went the candles.....

And in went the sweet little face!

Here's to MANY MORE gluten, dairy, egg-free birthday celebrations for this amazing child, who blesses our every day with his sense of humor, intensity and sugary sweetness. May I never again put off the recognition of such an important moment in this boy's life and in our life together as a family!

A moment for Davie

The past couple days have been ALL ABOUT David. After a few hours with Noah and his portable little potty seat, which travelled with us on our wildcrafting expedition (lay person's description: picking weeds in the woods to use medicinally while diffusing sibling rivalry and insect attacks and attending to potty needs), David began the adventure of potty training. Oh my. I have been eager for and avoiding this moment in a discordant harmony for the past few months. And here we are: trapped in the 15-minute cycle of potty stops, wet undies, dirty undies, multiple baths. In the midst of it all, we've had some high pitched cheering, high fives and potty treats to accompany a few victories. All in all, he's been a trooper (if not a potty pooper) and I trust that he'll be in the realm of the diaperless big boy within the next few weeks (intentionally ambiguous, but hopeful). So here's to Davie, and to the firsts of his past few weeks.
A first cupcake (blueberry-banana muffin with vegan carob icing -yuck) experience. Enjoyed thoroughly, even if the expression conveys a different story.
A first courageous "ride" on Dita's scooter, of which he's been terrified for the past year. Hold on, boy, hold on.
A first sweet nap in the stroller in Ashville, NC. Snoozies for nearly an hour while kids splashed in the nearby stream.
A first vacuum of the entire living room. This guy is my helper, especially when it comes to operating equipment. Unfortunately his interest has also expanded to operating the toilet bowl brush.

Our D-man rocks, and we love him very much, even if we failed to celebrate his 2nd birthday.