Foraging with a friend
Out hunting chanterelles with Ingunn and Esther! Thank goodness we had expert guidance. Hunting edible mushrooms is not something we take lightly!
A recipe for soup made from chanterelle mushrooms from my friend Ingunn:
1.5 lbs chanterelles
0.5 onion
Garlic
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Fry for 8-10 minutes while stirring
3 cups chicken stock
Add and simmer for 10 minutes
1/2 cups half-and-half
Add
1/2 cups sour cream
1 tbs corn starch
1 egg yolk
Mix together and whisk into soup, heat but do not boil after this. (I skipped the egg yolk)
I also added green onions at the end
Enjoy!
Kitchen chemistry – it’s early release Monday
Wow – the sugar melted, then it formed a hard crystal when it cooled! How cool! You know Sam is REALLY into crystals right now! I never anticipated how much this would thrill him. Tapping it made a cool sound.
Melting sugar – well, carmelizing it – to see what happens. It’s edible chemistry! I hope we can clean the pan!!!
This is Sam’s which he is ready to eat.
Racing ice cubes. One was melted on the bottom (really scooted) and the other wasn’t.
We saw little hexagons and even things that looked like cells.
Checking it out now!
And Ben has a hunk! A hunk for a hunk 🙂
I think Fall is here!
I have always wanted to know if I could jump these signs. Now I know! We went back to school on Friday to check it out. Very funny. My friend (who shall remain nameless) says I jump like a horse. No surprise!
Friday fires! Sam cleaning pine needles off the picnic table for pizza with our neighbors.
Out on a bike/run with my boys. Sam found some nuts and washers on the side of the road, so of course we ran home with those in hand. Ben is learning to brake – there are a LOT of hills here. Serious ones. He’s on a bigger bike with a hand brake now.
Ben caught a little crab! It took some doing – those little buggers are fast! Sam found a rock with pyrite in it. Such a variety of rocks wash up on our shoreline.
Sam is sprinting toward us at the end of the ride. We did just over 4 miles.
Mom sent these decorations and Sam helped gather some flowers and greens from the garden and forest. Love the colors 🙂
First day of school!
First day of school for Sam!
First day of K for Ben! (See pictures below for Sam’s first day of 3rd grade, and click on this picture for the rest of Sept. so far.)
First day of school for Sam in 2011 – first grade. He’s wearing an Eddie Aikau surf shirt.
2012 first day of school! Second grade.
Ben at school ready to go in to class!
Going in for his assessment before the first day of school. Doesn’t he look cute? And see all those great sunflowers?
Congratulations, Dave!
This afternoon, the boys and I were invited to Dave’s office to pin on his new oak leaves as Lt Commander. Here is the oath he and two other officers reaffirmed during the brief ceremony:
I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.[1]
We had never been to Dave’s office in 7 years of service with Naval Reactors, so it was a pretty big deal for us to get to see his work space and go down to an area of the shipyard where you would not normally be able to go. We had to be escorted the whole time and no cameras (or smartphones or any other photo taking device) were allowed. Some pictures were taken by a fellow officer, so we look forward to getting those and will send them on.
As we drove home, we talked briefly about the oath. They got to see their dad hold up his right hand and repeat the words above, while wearing his uniform (they rarely see Dave in uniform). We talked about what that means and how proud we each are of LCDR Krug. We talked about what the Constitution is and what it means to serve, doing one’s duty without hesitation or complaint. Dave is about the most steadfast person I know. No matter how much he’d love some down time, he gives 100% to the task at hand, always picks up the phone to answer a call with good spirit (somehow even in the middle of the night he manages to sound awake), never sounds annoyed and goes into work on weekends without a single complaint, not even in private. I really think he is remarkable in that regard. I’d go, and I’d do my duty 100% or more, but there’d be some complaining if it were me! The boys have quite an example in their father and I couldn’t be more proud of my men. (He would be embarrassed if he knew I was writing this, such is his violent opposition to any spectacle being made of such things.) But every now and then it is our right to be publicly proud of you, Dave! 🙂
The only bummer – no cake this time. I really need a cake fix. The wetting down is still to be planned, though…so there’s hope!
Mt. Zion end of summer adventure
Having fun with walkie talkies!
Love this view of the valley, and my hikers!
We really had ourselves some fun – wait ’til you see…
A handlebar mosstache! Some of my friends reading this know all too well my penchant for the mosstache 🙂
Ben does one, too! He has to work really hard to get that upper lip to close in on the nose. Sam, on the other hand, is a real pro!
Snack time at the summit! Always fun. They packed their own snacks – even more fun for them!
Daddy is crack-a-lackin’!
We went on a hike today at the Kitsap Heritage Park. Found a lot of neat rocks and had a great time relaxing with the family. I think Daddy had to work all last weekend, plus it was The Hobbit production, so it was especially nice to just CHILL! Daddy really enjoyed cracking rocks open with the geological hammer 🙂
What’s been goin’ on around here?
Algorithms for cube patterns.
So what in the world has been going on around here? 6 weeks of pictures just posted tonight!!! Lots of fun with Gramma and Richard undertaking amazing home projects from drip irrigation systems, automatic waterers and lighting which has made the longer nights bearable at last. Ben has learned to read, and is enjoying spelling and writing, and drawing. Both boys love shooting hoops, ALL the time! They have friends over to whittle and dig in the “test pit” (Sam’s big dig by the maple tree) then put safety glasses on for rock cracking and mineral identification. We’ve been mountain biking and road tripping, including a trip out to Spokane to see cousins and the Grand Coulee Dam on the way back. All the pictures are posted in the album. Click any of these to get there. See both July and Aug if you have a minute to browse. Thanks for stopping by! We miss our family and friends, but hope these pictures keep us close. Love to all, the Krugs
Learning to read and write!
Stand-up paddle break with Ben.
The prospector
Sam checking his rocks for minerals and gems. He uses a chisel to score them then cracks them open with a sledge hammer.
The workshop in the car port, with chickens keeping us company 🙂
He’s very careful to get safety glasses on every time. We can’t find the sledge hammer, so he’s using a hammer today.
Saying “Ooooooh! Yeah!”
After our first jog together! So much fun!
Big day in Bainbridge
Finished Fellowship of the Ring! Sam is out with Gramma and Richard on one of their nearly daily runs to ACE and Home Depot (!). He’s on the phone with mommy to share the great news! Now he is on to The Two Towers and I get to follow along with Fellowship of the Ring. These kids (and their dad) are getting me to finally read some good stuff. Still working on a backyard forest theater production of The Hobbit with neighborhood co-producers (kids). Very challenging, but fun!
Ben drinking blackberry smoothie and giving us a “look” that he likes. He has just finished a goal, too – learning first grade sight words. He has nearly 100 of them down! Getting very good at sounding out words and using phonics. Sharp little guy who needs to be cajoled into working sometimes…
A few July happenings!
Little Big Man has been eyeing this wheelbarrow for a long time. Richard very kindly stopped by Bay Hay – an extra stop – to get it for him. Ben has been a big help with it since – shoveling gravel for us.
Most important happening since I got back from camping is Gramma and Richard arrived! They’ve been here a week and it’s been so much fun, just like old times. Plan the work parties, enjoy breakfast and dinner together, and hang out. We’re working on a list of to-do items – this year we’re more organized. We have a list on the white board and we check items off. Sometimes we add to the list. Often we add to the list. We’re all trying to DO work and not SPEND lots of $$!
Here are some pictures of the last few days, including a July 4 party. Thanks to mom and Richard for scurrying around to add some red white and blue color!
Mom and Richard got us this awesome umbrella so we can all eat outside together! It’s really nice to enjoy the beautiful summer weather.
Sam finally got his 9×9 yesterday. He solved it then asked if he could take it apart and put it together again. We reluctantly agreed but we know how much he loves to demo and rebuild. Took a couple hours – about as long to solve it – and he got it back together again. A LOT of pieces!
Gordon inspecting the work and waiting impatiently! Click on these to see faces better 🙂
Installing an automatic waterer!
July 4 party with friends – kicked off by Sam playing the national anthem on his electric guitar.
I might possibly have gotten my stroller out, put air in the tires and gone on a few “hay rides” around on the trails! You would NOT believe how much squealing and fun this caused all around. Even a parent got in!
Sam “unboxing” his new 9×9! He was so excited to get it, straight from China.
Camping in the San Juan Islands
The boys and I went camping on Orcas Island, then took a bonus night over on Lopez Island, to scout out some nice times for Daddy when he can join us. We had SUCH a great time! Here is the view from Mount Constitution, looking south through the San Juan Islands. Click on any picture to see the whole story.
Checking out a stream late in the day. Finding lots of caterpillars basking in the sun.
At Lopez Island now. We scouted out this campground (Odlin) then over to Spencer Spit to see if it was more to our liking. We settled on this one and nabbed the last beachfront campsite. We ran into some nice mountain bikers who were biking the islands and some other nice campers.
The boys say I am a much better cook over a fire than I am at home 🙂 I made an eagle pancake and a snake pancake for each boy. Sam’s snake even had two little air bubbles emerge first for his nose! Unbelievable!
A little chess before bed 🙂
A little afternoon tussle!
Cooking breakfast in the rain on our last day. It was still really nice – can’t argue with a campfire on the beach even if it’s raining 🙂
Book Journal
BOOK CLUB – journal of books read with boys (by Sam’s grade level at the time). Complete titles and authors provided where possible.
1st grade
The Lewis and Clark Expedition (Landmark Book Series)
Loggers
Something out of Nothing: Madame Curie and Radium (Carla Killough McClafferty)
The Brooklyn Bridge: They Said it Couldn’t Be Built (Judith St. George)
2nd grade
George Washington Frontier Colonel (Landmark)
Winter at Valley Forge (Landmark)
The Marquis de Lafayette (Landmark)
Will Shakespeare and The Globe Theater (Landmark)
Roger’s Rangers and the French and Indian War (Landmark)
The Hobbit (Tolkien) – May/June 2013
Summer
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis) – June 2013
End of school water war
Sam looks really happy to come after me! We had so much fun with the water balloon war…and you’ll never believe what else we used to launch balloons!
Funny Ben stories
There are just so many of them, but this one shared over dinner the other night really made me laugh! This is an excerpt from an email to Mom so I don’t have to retype 🙂
I heard a very funny story from Sam the other day – apparently another boy and Ben went to the bathroom one morning while I was in with the small group kids doing math. Both boys are always interested in a “field trip” any chance they can get 🙂 Anyway, apparently they were “factoring” in the bathroom with paper towels so loudly that a teacher had to come in and tell them to quiet down! I am partly sorry, and partly very amused that they took the lesson to the bathroom with them. I literally laughed out loud at dinner when Sam told us the story in his low-key way. It took a lot of prompting to figure out what in the world he was talking about!
Ben has been really sick the last week – sinus infection on top of a week of sickness already. Poor guy was exceptionally stuffy with a fever >101 for three days. Such difficulty breathing at night, hard to understand his speech, and lots of sinus washes with saline spray (which I tried to explain was like boogie boarding in Hawai’i – lots of salt water up the nose!). He is doing much better now and I am so grateful. Mommy has had a bit of a stressful week with end-of-school commitments and a sick boy. I am thankful for all the opportunities to contribute to learning at the school and get to know the kids, though. Always glad that I am there and able to help. In any case, last night was the first day without a fever so we had a “Ben is Back” dance party in our living room – me and Ben – while Dave and Sam were out at guitar lesson. I cranked up some Credence and we danced with stuffed snakes on the “workbench” coffee table in the living room. I took movies for Dave as Sam eventually joined in when he got home. It was SO funny, but there were so many near-misses with snakes flying around like lassos that it was a bit nerve-wracking! I feared we would REALLY get in trouble this time! Kids were jumping from workbench to couch and back, and they’re both big now so collisions are much more interesting than they once were! All ended well and I didn’t get in too much trouble. I’ll post the video later…they are rather long!