Mote Marine

With today's forecast calling for rain, rain and more rain, we decided to make this our indoor day.  I took Erin and Drew to Mote Marine Laboratory, while Baird and Kelsey spent the day at the Ringling Art Museum (special thanks to them for the pic above).  Kelsey said her favorite part was the European masterworks; Baird mentioned the gallery reminded him a bit of Florence's Uffizi Gallery.

Meanwhile, back at the Mote, Erin and Drew touched sea creatures, panned for shark teeth, and watched the manatees, sea turtles, and dolphins.  Erin was especially excited to view two species of dolphins she'd not seen before outside of her reference books.  Drew was fascinated by the giant squid.

We dined at Phillippi Creek Village Restaurant with Peter and DK tonight.  It's easy to see why this place is a favorite among locals and regular visitors to the area.  We're really getting spoiled with fresh local seafood!

Early Morning Shelling

The girls and I got up before dawn this morning to go shelling, with moderate success.  We all spent a lazy day on the beach (altho Baird stayed close to the cottage, given his seriously sunburned skin), with the girls meeting up and hanging out with DK.

We dined at JoTo, a Japanese steakhouse.  We opted for the teppan-yaki table presentation.  Our chef/entertainer was hillarious and skilled, whipping shrimp tails into his shirt pocket with ease.

We've fallen into the habit of stopping by Big Olaff's after dinner.  This is a wildly dangerous habit - their ice cream and fudge is rich, decadent, and simply addicting!  We lingered a bit too long over ice cream, however, and were caught in a heavy downpour as we were walking back to the cottage.

While I'm fond of telling the kids, "It's just rain,you're not made of sugar, you're not going to melt," the intensity of the thunderstorms down here make me a uneasy.  When I was shopping at Walmart on Monday on the way back from Clearwater and I mentioned the monsoon-like conditions to the clerk, she looked at me for a moment before replying, "You can tell how long someone's been in Florida by the color of their skin and how they react to the rain.  I'm guessing you just got here." I'm pretty sure that when I slipped off my shoes and ran barefoot thru the parking lot's ankle-deep water I truly looked like the tourist I was!

Anyway, I just wasn't up for a good soaking, so Baird and Kelsey graciously ran back to the cottage in the pouring-down rain, grabbed the car, and returned to retrieve the rest of us from under an awning we'd dashed under when the skies cut loose with this latest round of "steady showers."  And it's supposed to rain all night and most of tomorrow.  But at least things are green down here.  Oh, and it's still a warm 70 degrees.  The grass is green.  The palm trees are beautiful. There are gorgeous flowers everywhere I turn.  So I'll put up with the rain, 'cause it still beats Chicago's 42 and rainy!

On the Beach in Siesta Key

The skies cleared overnight, and the roads that were flooded with yesterday's monsoon have drained and are now passable.  Really, the only residual water was found in the walk way to the beach, and on the beach itself, where the white sand was damp and packed, rather than dry and powdery.  The rain and clouds stayed away today, giving us a great day at the beach.  BIG added bonus for the girls: running into people they knew on the beach!   Peter was in town for a medical conference, and he drug his youngest with him.  The kids hadn't seen each other since our Christmas dinner party back in December. The kids made plans to get together thru-out the week, and we're planning dinner together on Thursday.

We dined at Dry Dock Grill with the intent of watching the sun set over the Gulf while we ate dinner.  We didn't order the cloud cover, but it came anyway.  Still, the food was fantastic, and the girls especially are beginning to see what I meant when I said, "While we're on vacation, order the local, fresh fish.  You won't be disappointed."  My poor hubby was suffering from a case of sun poisoning as a result of falling asleep on the beach, and wasn't able to enjoy his food.  In what can only be described as pure gluttony, the girls and I divvied up his plate (with his permission, of course!) after consuming our own entrees.  His shrimp and crab cake combo was quite delicious indeed!

Dolphin Encounter in Clearwater

We had arranged for Erin to enjoy another dolphin encounter today at Clearwater Marine Acquarium.  We picked the perfect day to do this, as it was pouring buckets all day long.  Erin and I got up early in the morning to drive up to Clearwater.  The Acquarium specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of otters, dolphins and sea turtles.  This little dolphin here was separated from her mother while at sea.  Left alone, scared, and dehydrated, she was rescued and brought to the Clearwater facility.

 Erin was the very first patron at the Clearwater facility to ever have an encounter with this particular calf.  She was thrilled to be able to bottle feed the dolphin.  At one point, the dolphin decided to swim between Erin's legs, almost knocking her off the platform!

Yes, the animal below IS a dolphin.  In December, 2005, Winter the dolphin became entangled in some fishing wire and almost died.  She was rescued and brought to Clearwater where she recovered, but lost her fin.  A movie about her ordeal will hit theaters later this fall.

As Erin and I drove home in the monsoon-like rain, she couldn't help but compare this dolphin encounter with her last one.  She admitted that while she enjoyed her experience at Brookfield Zoo at little bit more overall, there is no comparing the feeling of being the first patron ever to bottle feed the dolphin calf.

Once we arrived back on Siesta Key, we collected the rest of the family and ate at Captain Curt’s Crab & Oyster Bar, a live music joint frequented by more locals than tourists.  We enjoyed Boom Boom Shrimp, Gator Bites, and lots of shrimp and grouper for supper, all while listening to live music by a Beatles tribute band.  Such fun!

Travel Day to Siesta Key

People have warned me over the past few years, that trying to get away for a summer vacation when there are teenagers in the house is a tricky affair.  They weren't kidding.  Between summer school, soccer and cross country conditioning, and cousins camp, there isn't much time to squeeze in a family vacation that lasts more than an extended weekend.  Last summer we just couldn't get away, so we opted for a staycation that included a few trips to local beaches.

As the winter of 2011 dragged on, Baird and I both realized we were almost desperate to get away, and were pining for the warmth of the Florida sun.  We decided to take the kids to Siesta Key and introduce them to the beauty of a white-sand beach.

We all got up bright and early this morning, planning to arrive in Siesta Key (via Atlanta, Sarasota, and a short drive to the cottage) by late afternoon; however, a serious storm blew thru Atlanta and shut down the airport, giving us a delayed departure from Chicago, long layover in Atlanta, and making us all more than a little bit antsy to get to our destination.  Here's where we'll be staying for the week:

We quickly settled in, then headed our for a fantastic dinner at The Cottage

We normally do not allow our children to play with their food, but tonight's casual atmosphere of outdoor-dining-with-tikki-lights-and-paper-menus made me want to bend the rules a little and let Erin stretch her creative side with the leftovers from Baird's steamer bucket:

It's gonna be a great week!

Drew's Day in Three Parts

Drew had a very busy day today.  It was Dress Up Day at Irving for School Spirit Week, and Drew opted to wear his tux with tails.  He called me from school at lunchtime to say, "Mom!  Everyone who sees me thinks I look great!"  Everybody's crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man!

This evening was the annual Little Huskies Wrestling Awards Banquet.  Drew was awarded a warm-up jacket for his hard work this year.  His record was 33-13-1, and he placed second at Regionals.

Next up:  the annual Swap, Shop and Read at Irving.  I love this idea!  A few weeks before the event, the students are asked to bring in books they own but no longer read.  The books are sorted by genere and laid out on tables.   The night of the Swap, each student who donated books gets to take home new reading material equal to the number of books donated.  Drew picked up a book or two for himself, but he was also generous with his picks, giving me an opportunity to pick up some reading material for spring break.

Project: Completed

For the past month or so, Erin's been working diligently on an inter-disciplinary research project.  The eighth graders at Percy Julian Middle School have been learning about controls, variables, what makes a hypothesis, and drawing conclusions.  Erin chose a topic about how third graders make food choices based on their knowledge of nutrition.  She gathered her data by interviewing students at Irving.  She processed her data and made graphs.  She organized her project and put together her board.  She sweated the details.  And tonight, she presented her project, along with the rest of Team 8-2, at the annual science fair.

Erin did a good job presenting her project to all those who stopped by.  Congrats, Sweetie, on finishing this this project.  I know it's been weighing heavily on you.  Way to go!

SEOPCO Referendum Forum

I've been on the board of the Southeast Oak Park Community Organization (SEOPCO) for almost a year-and-a-half now.  It's a great organization that's currently being lead by Jim Kelly and Michelle Chapman-Reinstra.  I love being a part of this group because we are not a hastily-formed group bent on NIMBY-ism.  We strive to make all of Oak Park, but especially Southeast Oak Park, a better place to live.  Tonight we sponsored a public forum at Irving School on the upcoming District 97 tax referendum that's on the ballot this spring.  I served as timekeeper for the debate, and honestly, I was more than a little nervous.  It's not that I don't know how to keep track of time (altho Baird may occasionally argue that point). My nervousness stemmed from what had happened at prior forums. One of the panelists who participated in our forum this evening claimed bias against an earlier forum, and was threatening to sue the PTO that sponsored that previous forum.  The idea that, if I made a mistake in keeping time and that mistake was construed as bias, which might in turn put my fellow board members at risk for a lawsuit...well, it was rather nerve-wracking.

Our forum started on time, was well-run and well received, and very informative.  I was able to accurately keep time.  We received lots of positive feedback about the evening.  You can listen to the debate here.

If you live in Oak Park and haven't already done so, please take a few moments and get informed on this important issue.  And then , please make sure you vote next month!

A Party in Three Acts

Yesterday was a busy day for the whole family, but particularly Erin.  We celebrated her 14th birthday in three acts.

Act One:  Family Gifts

Technical difficulties prevented pics from being taken.  But Erin was thrilled with her gifts, especially her new dolphin necklace.

Act Two:  Not-So-Rookie Dim Sum at Phoenix in China Town

It's always so much fun to dine at authentic Chinese restaurants with someone who speaks the language.  Having the Lees along was an added bonus, since K speaks Cantonese.  Erin was an adventurous eater.  She tried shrimp wrapped in seaweed.  She stepped out even further by going for the tripe.  Then she topped all by sampling cow marrow.

A fun little diversion was window watching between courses.  Some of the floats for the St. Patrick's Day parade made their way down the street just below us en route to the parade.  How many places can you go to for authentic dim sum, with Irish-themed floats on the street below for added entertainment?!

We ended our morning with tapioca smoothies from Joy Yee, then hurried home for Act Three.

Act Three:  The Bowling Party

Of all the themed birthday parties Erin's had over the years, she'd never picked a bowling theme.  There were an even dozen middle schoolers who spent two hours bowling on two lanes.  They had a blast.  At first they tried to keep score, but then they decided it was more fun to just throw the ball with crazy approaches.  They bowled backwards.  They bowled between their legs.  They fell down laughing as they heaved the ball forwards.  Such fun!

After bowling, everyone headed back to our place for presents and cake.  Of all the presents Erin received, none made her laugh more than the T-Rex Papier Mache.

The birthday cake was poppyseed.

Once the cake was consumed, they all headed over to Rehm Park for some football and ghost in the graveyard, before scattering home.

The Cross Country girls stayed a little later than everyone else, and at one point broke into song.  They pretty much sang thru the entire XC repertoire they compiled during the fall season.  I'll be honest here:  this group runs better than they sing!

All three acts were so much fun, and I couldn't possibly think of a better way to celebrate my Erin's 14th birthday!

14

My Dearest Erin,

As soon as I saw you, I knew we would have a special bond: we are both second-born girls with a sister two years older.  Your skin was as soft as the softest feather, and your Aunt Marion remarked that it felt just like mine did when I was a baby.  Your cowlic (which was evident from the very beginning), however, is your dad's gift to you.  And your eyes.  They were blue, just like your Grand Daddy Shattuck's and your Grandma Hunter's.

By the time you could walk, we knew about your headstrong ways and your iron will.  You've always thought you were the smartest in the family, and to this day you work hard to prove that to the rest of the 5 Ring Circus.  All that behind those steel blue eyes and that beautiful smile!

By the time you were in preschool you could melt the hearts of anyone who looked your way.  Every time we ran errands, people gave you things for free because of how cute and charming you were.  I remember thinking this is how beautiful people learn to get their way with just a smile.

As you traveled thru elementary school, you made friends not just with your classmates, but with the entire staff at Irving School.  Your amazing organizational skills, which were way beyond your years even then, were recognized by everyone.  Your dad and I got used to hearing comments such as, "I'm not really sure how I ran my classroom all those years before Erin came along," and "It's hard for me to put into words how close to perfect - in every way - Erin is when she's in my classroom."

And now you're 14!  As you start this new year in your life, you are also preparing to close the middle school chapter in your journey toward adulthood.  You are beautiful inside and out, and I'm so very proud of you!

Love,

Mom



Cupcake Central

The Awana TnT Girls Club needed 60 cupcakes for their Happy Birthday Everyone! theme tonight, so I volunteered to make them all.  I spent the morning making three flavors:  chocolate fudge, vanilla, and red velvet.  This afternoon's project was frosting them.  I just didn't have it in me to make intricate decorations on 60 cupcakes, so I wimped out and made 3 different types of frosting instead.  Here's a pic of what the finished product:

The Girls Club really enjoyed the cupcakes, but there were quite a few left over, which means there are several cupcakes sitting on my counter tonight, just begging for me to eat them.  Oh goodie.  I'm going to be lying on the beach in less than three weeks, and I'm nowhere near "swimsuit ready."  And now there's red velevet cupcakes calling out to me (red velvet is my second favorite cake, behind the almighty poppyseed cake).  All I can say is, tomorrow's breakfast is gonna be sweet!

Celebrating the Root Vegetable

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had a case of culinary cabin fever.  I decided to scratch my itch by throwing a small dinner party to celebrate root vegetables.  Just to be sure the menu hinted at the spring that I know is out there somewhere, I made sure to infuse citrus early and often throughout the meal.

I invited our good  Friends the Rennys over, sans kids.  You know it's a good party when you spend four hours eating, drinking, and talking non-stop.

I decided to use a multi-colored bunch of carrots for my centerpiece.  I trimmed off the leafy tops of the carrots and added beet leaves to the mix.  It was a fun nod to the theme.  It was also low enough to see over, which is a prerequisite for any centerpiece that stays on the table during the meal, in my opinion.

First course:  Roasted Beets with Asparagus, Blood Orange, Double Endive and Watercress garnish with a touch of Orange Oil

Second course:  Sweet Potato Cakes with Mango-Pineapple Chutney.  These were so very delicious, and so very picture-worthy...and yet somehow I forgot to take a picture.  I realized as I was taking my last bite that I'd neglected to capture this course on film.  Guess I'll just have to make them again.  Soon.

Third course:  Carrot-Ginger Soup with Spicy Chive Butter and Roasted Peanuts.  This was my personal favorite of the night.  There's chopped ginger in the puree, plus ginger juice that's added after the veggies and seasonings are blended together.  And that spicy chive butter added to the slow, not-quite-subtle slow burn.  A completely homemade, completely vegetarian dish.  I even used the homemade veggie broth I made late this fall.  Except I didn't churn the butter.  But that's probably ok.

Intermission/Pallet Cleanser:  Jicama, Roasted Corn and Orange Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.  I knew I wanted to serve this (the Rennys had never eaten jicama before), and I knew I didn't want the servings to be huge. Mel lent me her special spoons to serve this mini-course in one quick bite.  Baird's reaction when I served this?  "Um, honey?  You didn't actually blow torch our spoons, did you?"

Main course:

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Roasted Garlic and Potato

Hand Mashed Root Vegetables with Bacon and Chives

Asparagus Splashed with Lemon

Brown Braised Onion and Sauteed Mushroom Garnish

These plates, too, were beautiful, and again, I neglected to get out my camera.  I am so driven to serve food hot and fresh at my dinner parties, I oftentimes forget to stop and record it.

And yes, I served asparagus twice.  It's JRenny's absolute favorite veggie, and she really, truly hates green beans, altho she's so polite I'm sure if I served them to her she'd find a way to choke them down.  But she was thrilled to see an entire side of asparagus just for her!

We ended the evening with J's perfectly-executed, homemade cheesecake.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening!

Please Rescue Me

I grew up in the rural Midwest with traditional rural, Midwestern values, and not just of God and Country.  I was raised with a spirit of independence and self-reliance.  That is to say, if there's something that needs to be done and one is capable of doing it oneself, one ought not to ask for help.  To do so is just plain undignified and a sure sign of weakness.

For the most part, Baird appreciates my spirit of independence.  Once when we were dating, he stopped by my apartment to pick me up, and he found me standing on a chair, changing a light bulb.  He offered to do it for me.  I told him I was perfectly capable of changing my own light bulbs, thank you very much.  Generally speaking, Baird likes that I don't go into "helpless female" mode very often.  Occasionally, however, he tries to rescue me when I know I don't need it.

Since we've been married, there have been occasions when I have almost screamed at Baird, "I didn't ask for your help, so I don't need your help," when he has offered his assistance with a particular project.  Sometimes he thinks I'm in over my head, and so, in an attempt to be the hero, he tries to swoop in to rescue me.  I tend to react strongly when I know I'm not in over my head, but I can see he clearly thinks otherwise.

There is, however, one area where I always need rescuing, and that's when it comes to mice.  I've mentioned before about how much I hate these critters.  They honestly give me the heebie jeebies.  It is a physical reaction.  I freak out.  I scream.  My heart races.  Quite frankly, a mouse is the one thing I always need to be rescued from.

So, this morning I was doing laundry.  I hadn't gotten around to washing all the yucky, dirty towels from last week's furnace project, so I put that at the top of my to do list today.  To say these towels were disgustingly dirty would be an understatement.  They were absolutely filthy rags.  I thought about shaking them out first, but honestly, I didn't think there was much that would shake out, so I stuffed them all in the washer and went on my merry way.  When the wash cycle was complete, I opened the door and began transferring the towels to the dryer.  And that's when it happened.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a brown thing clinging to one of the towels.  I thought it was a leaf, so I started to pick it off the towel.  As I touched it I realized it wasn't a leaf...it was the freshly laundered carcass of a dead mouse.  EEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!!!   Eww, Eww, Eww, Eww...oh, yuck, yuck, yuck...ick, icky, icky, ICK!  OH!  GROSS!  How does this kind of thing happen to me?  That's what went thru my head as I flung the carcass across the room and then stuck a five-gallon bucket in front of it.  I jumped up and down screaming for well over a minute.  I finally ran upstairs and washed my hands over and over and over, and then I washed them again.  I went back downstairs and ran some bleach and hot thru the washer, but that was as far as I went down the laundry trail for the rest of the day.  Even though there were at least six other loads waiting to be done, I decided to declare a leave of absence from the laundry chore.

Next I did what any modern housewife would do in such circumstances:  I updated my Facebook status to read:  Teresa Shattuck has a serious case of EEWWWWW!!!! after realizing I just laundered a mouse carcass.  There was a lot of empathy for my plight out there in the social networking world.  No fewer than 28 people commented on my status, and most people felt the exact same way as I did about discovering this vile item in my washing machine.

When I relayed the days' events to Baird at Awana tonight, I ended with a plea to be rescued.  My knight in shining armor obliged, and the offending carcass was removed to the alley garbage can before I arrived home from my Commander obligations.

Thanks, Baird, for rescuing me when I truly needed it.  You're my hero!