Nine days and counting...

We've got nine days of school left here in KW. This year it completely snuck up on me. Switching schools in mid-March made everything seem new again and eliminated that awful 'end of year mom' syndrome that has fueled many a humorous blog post. You've seen them - a photo of the perfectly dressed child with every possible school supply and a healthy, nutritious lunch in hand in late August vs the kid with bed head and a bag of microwave popcorn in the first week of June.


I'm glad we skipped that syndrome this year, because not only does it send the wrong message to the girls, it always left me feeling guilty. I could have done better, even if I didn't really feel like it. And the last thing we moms need is something else to feel guilty about, right?

So after a flurry of end of year events and activities, we will have that 'school's out!' joy, but in all honesty, that is when the real work begins. No, I don't have to make sure we have clean uniforms and snacks/homework/permission slips/filled water bottles in each backpack every morning, but I do have to make sure the girls don't turn into 'summer zombies' by doing nothing but watching television and playing electronics all day.

I am very thankful that the girls' school has summer camp every week through mid-August. We have lived here just long enough that neither of them was looking forward to the day camps we have done previously. And not only will they get out of the house and stay on a routine, they will both receive tutoring to get ready for the next school year.

Of course, summer does need some of those lazy, hazy, crazy days that the old song talks about, so we won't be at camp EVERY week. We have made a list of things they want to do here on the island, and they are already excited for our annual trek up north.

Summer is one of our favorite times of year here in Key West because it is quiet, very quiet. Yes, it's hot, but the quiet wins out. There is a tropical feeling in the air that makes me smile. And smiling is always good.

The Cupcakes

Last week I asked the girls what they wanted to do for Mother's Day on Sunday. Josie didn't have a preference. Mari wanted to cook something special together, so I let her pull some of my cookbooks off the shelf and search for the perfect thing. She found it - Dr. Pepper cupcakes from one of the Pioneer Woman's books.

Mari LOVES Dr. Pepper. She is only allowed to have it if we dine out, so I think part of the reason she chose the recipe was that a bottle of her favorite soda was in the list of ingredients. But as we sat down to make a shopping list, I started wondering how much she would really like these cupcakes. Prunes and dried cherries? Ginger, allspice, and cardamom?

Mari's mind was set, so off to Publix we went. Who knew a jar of Spice Islands Cardamom is $10 bucks? Island life. I set everything on the counter near my key lime green Kitchen Aid mixer to wait for our baking adventure.

At maybe 6:30 Sunday morning, Mari burst in my bedroom with 'HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY CAN WE MAKE THE DR PEPPER CUPCAKES NOW????" No, after some breakfast and church, sweetie.

To make a very long story short (or at least shorter) these cupcakes were one of the most labor intensive recipes I've made in a long while, and Mari took one bite of the finished product and suggested we share them 'with others.' John said he liked them, but I notice there are still 17 of the 18 made in the refrigerator. I thought they were fine....more like a British gingerbread or steamed pudding. Or something.

Maybe the whole situation was really a metaphor for life as a mother. We do a lot of things for the joy of our children, and that is what matters, even if we would like to be doing just about anything else at that moment. Baking (or cleaning or crafting or painting etc) with kids is so much messier than doing it yourself, but resisting the urge to say 'let me pour it' is worth getting the mop out later. And finally, it isn't about the end result. It's about the time spent doing something together. Which is what kids really want the most sometimes.

So. Who wants a Dr. Pepper cupcake? Only 17 left. :)

Maryland Ties. And Chickens.

I lived in Maryland for more than 20 years before moving to Key West. It was hard for me to watch the recent events in Baltimore. I've never seen rioting and unrest that close to a place I have lived. It made me feel vulnerable, even though I am living in a very different place, because the roots of such tumult aren't limited to 'certain' cities. It could happen in any place. Any town or city with a division of any kind.

I reached out to a few friends who live in and around Baltimore and asked for their thoughts on recent events. I got a few tirades that surprised me. It is definitely difficult to talk about without getting political. I also got some thoughtful responses that showed me just how deeply every citizen of Charm City was affected.

After some thought, I told a friend there that my blog post couldn't do justice to such a complicated, politically charged string of events, and I joked that most of my readers would probably prefer a post on 'chickens and island life' instead of a novice attempt at social commentary. His response also surprised me. 'I think we could all use some posts about chickens. Seriously.'

So here goes. A little slice of island life. With lots of love for my friends in Baltimore behind it.

It's warm and lovely on the island of Key West on this May morning. I saw bouganvillea of every shade while driving the girls the short distance to school. We did our 'dog count' - we saw 6 dogs being walked in a few blocks, not counting the guy who walks 4 corgis....he is separate for some reason Josie maintains. On the way home I saw the vendors setting up the Green Market in Bayview Park, getting ready for the 9 am opening. Looking forward to heading over there this morning myself. The array of tropical fruits always makes me smile, even though I wouldn't know what to do with most of them. I also saw the blue waters of the Bight before I turned onto George Street. I didn't get far before I had to stop for a mama chicken and four or five 'nuggets' (as they are called here) to cross the street in front of me. And when I parked my Jeep in front of the house I saw my nemesis Big Daddy, the large colorful rooster who frequently brings love dates to my front yard. He was watching over things from the safety of a neighbor's yard. And I'm glad, since I'd prefer another cup of coffee before having to chase him with the broom this morning. I think I'll go have that right now. Happy Thursday.