So, baseball began. Only we didn't get the call and Jerome wasn't placed on a team. Even though we registered and paid and the check was cashed. I realized this when I started seeing pictures of the baseball/softball parade on my friends' Facebook feeds. So, I called, and found out that he had slipped through the cracks. They hastily put him on a team and he was slammed into real life last week. He's missed all the practices before the games began. He also missed almost half the games. We are going to be having a talk with the coordinators about this, but even though I was tempted to tell them to forget it and refund our money, Jerome really wanted to play, so we let him try. He's struggling a little, because this is his first year in actual baseball instead of t-ball and he missed all the practices. He's doing remarkably well for all of that, but is having trouble with catching and is discouraged about it, so if you think of him, please offer up a little prayer. Anyway, that made our schedule a lot more hectic last week and we get to continue with that theme for the next few weeks.

Nejat is turning two this week. I can't believe how quickly she has been growing and learning new things in the past four to six months. In December, she was still wearing size 12 month clothing, and now she wears 24 month clothes. She can run and jump, she can speak in pretty decent sentences, and her words are much more articulated than they used to be. She is finally catching up. She is a lot more rambunctious than Amira or Alexander or Dominic or Jerome were. We were kind of hoping for a mellow little girl, but she is active and curious and we love that. She's not a baby anymore. We're kind of out of babies here. Usually that's about when we have another. We're not sure that is what God has for us, though. It's a little daunting to think that Nejat may be our final baby, and we are still open to having more, but things are changing a lot, and barring a surprise, late in life pregnancy, we are wondering if she is our last baby blessing. That's a bittersweet thought for us.

We are excited to celebrate her second birthday, though. While looking through pictures with her of when she was first born and first at home with us, the contrast of how tiny she was and how big and strong she is now couldn't have been more stark. I am so blessed and relieved that she made it - that we do have the modern facilities and treatments that allowed us to keep her in longer and keep her blood sugar up and her temperatures more steady and enough nourishment in her. Even just 15 years earlier, it would have been a much larger challenge. We are blessed to have this memorable little one. Big one.

The Paschal season is coming to a close. We have only two more weeks. Fortunately, baseball and ballet schedules permit us to have our picnic for Ascension Day together as a family. We're going to try to find a small incline, which is what passes as a hill here, to eat it on, to try to get to a high point for the Ascension. We might even bring a kite to fly. I'm also excited because we have another dance this weekend. We're getting the word out there and people are coming, which is nice.

We're getting the asparagus this week, which thrills me, and we'll continue for as long as they offer it. I am hoping to make some pickled asparagus this year, and to blanch and freeze a lot of it for the summer, fall, and winter. At $0.50/lb, you can't really go wrong. We'll be eating it in egg dishes, roasted, steamed, grilled, and so on for quite some time. It's a good thing everyone likes it. We had so much to eat on Saturday that we ended up having snack tray for dinner, then we had our Mother's Day meals, so the ham and beans is on the docket for tonight. Fortunately, it is made already, so we only have to make cornbread and toss together a salad.

Remember that the Psalms are according to Eastern numbering in our daily Bible reading, also I Kings is the original designation, it is I Samuel in western Bibles (II Kings is II Samuel in the west, III Kings is I Kings, and IV Kings is II Kings).

• Sunday I Kings 14:1-15:9, Psalms 82, Proverbs 17:16–20, Luke 9:37–62
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar, Bananas, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chinese Food, Mother's Day, Chocolate Frosted Sugar Cookies
• Monday I Kings 15:10-17:30, Psalms 83, Proverbs 17:21–25, Luke 10:1–24
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Bananas, Orange Juice and Coffee
  Dinner: Ham and Hutterite Beans, Corn Bread, Salad
• Tuesday I Kings 18:1-21:1, Psalms 84, Proverbs 17:26–30, Luke 10:25–42
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Chive Biscuits, Honey Dew Melon, Orange Juice and Coffee
  Dinner: Broccoli and Elk Stir Fry, Rice, Diced Mango
• Wednesday I Kings 21:2-23:28, Psalms 85, Proverbs 18:1–5, Luke 11:1–28
  Breakfast: Harvest Pancakes, Sliced Honey Dew, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Creamy Avocado Pasta with Cashews, Herbed Zucchini Fritters, Blueberry Shortcake
• Thursday - Ascension Day I Kings 24-25, Psalms 86, Proverbs 18:6–11, Luke 11:29–54
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Pancakes with Honey, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken and Egg Salad Croissant Sandwiches, Cold Roasted Asparagus, Sliced Pears, Ascension Day Cloud Desserts
• Friday I Kings 26-28, Psalms 87, Proverbs 18:12–17, Luke 12:1–34
  Breakfast: Creamed Eggs, Toast Fingers, Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Asparagus and Potato Frittata, Coleslaw, Garlic Bread
• Saturday I Kings 10:17-13:22, Psalms 88:1-19, Proverbs 18:18–23, Luke 12:35–59
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Cornmeal Pancakes with Berry Syrup, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef and Vegetable Soup, Rolls, German Chocolate Cake

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up.

Labels: Ascension, Birthday, Church Year, Family, Fesah', Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen