Pretty little Milkmaid

Last year about this time, I mentioned to my friend, C, that I had seen the most adorable little butter dish in my Country Living magazine.  It was shaped like a little doll.

 I said it was in the Anthropologie catalog so it must be expensive.

Fast forward a few months and Whitaker was born.  After he was born, C gave me this HUGE box.  Inside the box is a smaller box containing the little yellow Milkmaid butter dish.

I was beyond touched, thrilled and so excited.  She told me that she tried to get me the red one, but it was out of stock.  It became a cherished item in my house, and like many cherished (and fragile) items, I did not know what to do with her.  I mean, if you  use her, you run the risk of chipping, or worse, breaking her!  

But, if you don't use her, what's the point of having her?  I mean, of course she looks adorable just sitting around, but in order for people to see her, I have to have her out!  

I did have her sit around for a while, but then I started using her for her intended purpose.  I slapped some butter under her skirt and we've used her for months.  The children were all instructed that she was a precious item and that they MUST be careful with her.  

That is until last Sunday.  Last Sunday, it was just me, Maggie & Whitaker.  I was feeding Whitaker in his high chair and while my back was turned, the go-go gadget arms that only a baby possesses managed to reach the little milkmaid and knock her from the kitchen island onto the floor.  

The carnage was awful.  

I was devastated.  I know she was just a thing, but she represented so much.  In the back of my mind, I imagined that I was going to give this butter dish to Whitaker's wife when she had her first baby.  I'd tell her all about where the dish came from, the importance of C in my life, and how important friendships are once you become mother.   I picked up every piece off the floor and set the pieces to soak in hot water to get the butter off.  I then ran to the computer and went to Anthropologie.com to see if I could buy a replacement.  They were no longer in the catalog.  I google searched every tag that could remotely relate to the dish and still nothing.  I looked at ebay, replacements.com, every non-traditional auction site online.  I even searched craigslist in various large cities in other states.  NOTHING!

With little hope left, I went back to Anthropologie.com and zipped off an email to customer service:

I received a yellow Milkmaid Butter Dish as a gift after I had my last baby.    My son accidentally knocked it off the counter and broke it. Not only is it my most favorite kitchen accessory, it holds great sentimental value and I desperately want to replace it.  Can you help???

Sincerely,

Jennifer Schwalm

Monday morning, around 7:30, I check my email and there in my box is a reply:

Hello Jennifer,

Thank you for your interest in the Milkmaid Butter Dish. This item is currently available. You may place your order by contacting us at 1-800-309-2500. Please refer to item number 973751. Quantities are very limited; to ensure that you receive this item you will want to order as soon as possible. 

If you require additional assistance or have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at service@anthropologie.com.

Please include this email with your reply.

Sincerely,
Amber Hart 
Anthropologie

7:45 AM, I was on the phone with Anthropologie and I ordered TWO new dishes.  One Yellow and one Red!

Thursday, the UPS man showed up at the door with a big box with Anthropologie on the return address.  I knew as soon as the UPS man handed me the big box, something was broken.  You could hear the tinkling of broken porcelain that easily.  I gingerly opened the box and found two smaller boxes inside.  The first box was the yellow Milkmaid.  She was intact.  The obvious conclusion was that the red one was broken.  I still held out a little hope that maybe it wasn't really broken - maybe the packaging wasn't as good and the top was clanking against the bottom.  

 As soon as I opened the lid, I could see the bottom dish was shattered.

 I gingerly pulled it out to see that it was broken in many pieces.

 But the top portion was perfect!  The little milkmaid was in perfect health!

I called Anthropologie's customer service line and explained to the representative what had happened.  She immediately issued a refund and when I asked how I was to ship the broken item back, she said, "Oh, no.  We don't expect it to be returned.  We cannot have broken porcelain going through the mail."    She then proceeded to give me the phone numbers for stores across the country that still had the milkmaid in red in stock.  I could call them and ask them to ship a new one if I so desired.

Since the lid to the little lady was still in perfect condition, I figured I could find a replacement bottom until I remembered to go to the store and buy some porcelain repair glue to see if I could glue the bottom back together.  

I have a small collection of red transfer ware plates that I had started collecting back when I was just out of college and living on my own in a little three level townhouse in Seven Fields.  Blue transfer ware has always been popular, and since I love red, it seemed a natural choice for a "grown up" collection.  Just as I started collecting the red transfer ware, Country Living  magazine featured a huge article on transfer ware in general and the red became a new collectors item.  After that I could rarely get my hands on a saucer for under $20 - prior, I had been picking up actual dinner plates for under that price.  Thus, my collecting of vintage red transfer ware ended.  I still occasionally pick up a new piece at TJ Maxx or Marshalls, but the vintage stuff is out of my price range. 

So, I had a pair of these vintage saucers in the cupboard that I use as serving pieces at different functions.  

I pulled it out and placed the little red milkmaid on top and voilà!

It didn't match up perfectly, but it will work for now.

So now I have two beautiful little ladies to hold my butter.

 The lady in red.

 And her pretty little yellow friend.  

They now sit on top of the refrigerator and I won't make the mistake of leaving them anywhere that could be in reach of Mr. Whitaker.  

The broken pieces are in a box in the closet, waiting for me to remember to pick up some epoxy to fix them.  Although my yellow lady is not the original, I will still be able to look at her and be reminded of my friend C. her thoughtfulness, and the friendship we share,  how our friendship has enriched my life an continues to do so every day and how something as simple as a butter dish can be so much more.  I can eventually pass down the "healthy" yellow milkmaid to Whit's wife, and I'll put the original one back together and continue to cherish the memory it holds for me.  

Following

I don't have time to read a ton of blogs out there even though I would love to with regularity.  I've seen titles for some blogs that crack me up and ones that intrigue me.  I usually take a quick peek at them, but if I don't mark them immediately, I forget what they were and never get back to it.

The ones I do read with regularity, I have listed on my site.  One that was recently launched, I am very excited about, called "Doorposts" which their site describes as, "weekly character-building projects, along with other articles, book reviews, and occasional giveaways. Our goal is to build up parents, encourage Bible-centered parenting, and help you get to know Doorposts and our family better. We also look forward to your comments and input, as we discuss parenting ideas and questions!"


We've used some of their materials at church and I have really enjoyed them.  One that we try to utilize is the :

Brother Offended Checklist

  Based totally on Scripture, this cartoon-illustrated chart-and-book set outlines:

• 9 steps for an offended person to follow
• 5 steps to encourage the offender to confess and forsake his sin
• 10 Scripture-based guidelines for parents when they must assume the role of judge in offenses.
• Examples from lives in the Bible
• What to do with a false witness
• How to discipline a child who takes pleasure in getting another child in trouble

Includes a chart outlining steps for both parties, with Scripture and cartoon drawings, and a 28 page booklet giving further directions, ideas, and verses that apply. The booklet material can easily be incorporated into your family worship time.

Having this around helps us when our instinctual answer is to say "Because I said so!"  

Anyway, Doorposts just launched as Blog, so I wanted to share this in case anyone else was interested.  

Time: Part 4,861

If you follow my ramblings with any regularity, it is likely that due to the very quantity of posts I write on this subject, you have some idea of my perception of time, how fast it is going, and how it means my children are growing up.

Tonight I had one of those shocking realizations of how fast time is passing.  It all started very innocently.  This morning, when getting the kids in the car to go to swimming lessons, I decided to forego the standard infant carrier carseat we have been using the past nine plus months and I strapped Whitaker into Willie's convertible carseat.

He LOVED it!

I took those photos with my iphone and sent my Mom a picture.  She responded with an appropriate text response:   "how cute. . . perfect timing 2 b a big boy . . . his last day as the baby of our family"  


(I guess I should insert here that my sister is scheduled to have her labor induced tomorrow morning bright and early, so with luck, by lunchtime I will have a brand spanking new niece or nephew!)


As I read those words, a sudden panic came over me.  Whit no longer a baby?  


I have been avoiding the fact that he is indeed growing up.  I avoid thinking about his age and the milestones he is achieving.  Seriously, I've become that mom that has to actually count out his age (picture me with that squinty, looking up to the sky face as I look at my fingers and count, "May, June, July . . ."  to the current month)  on my fingers in order to tell people how old he is.  This isn't because I am not able to count, it is because I do not want to acknowledge how old he is.  I also have found it unconcerning at all that he refuses to crawl forward or pull himself up from a sitting position at the couch or coffee table.  Never mind that Walker was walking at 11 months - the other kids too - I have no comparisons.  As far as I'm concerned, the last major milestone I am allowing him to have is sitting up on his own.  Oh, and eating on his own.  There is a refreshing freedom to be found now at suppertime because I can just cut up tiny pieces of whatever we are eating and feed it to him.  I can actually try to sit and eat a few bites before one of the kids needs a refill of their drink or forgot they wanted ketchup.

But all other developmental milestones are off limits!

I know this weekend, when we go to visit my sister and her beautiful new baby, Whit is going to seem like a MONSTER and my heart is going to be a little crushed with the physical evidence that Whit is no longer a baby.

This all begs the question, "How do all of you moms out there do it?  How do you deal with your kids growing up?"  Because it KILLS me.

I'm sure my emotions are acerbated by the fact that I have been in planning mode for Maggie's 5th birthday next week.

FIVE

That is a big number.  Big things happen at 5.  Five is a long way from this:

Walker has agreed to stop growing at age eight.  He chose eight because at eight he will be old enough to enter 4H shows.   But he doesn't understand that just minutes ago, he looked like this:

And tomorrow we're headed to the orthodontist to have his expander adjusted.

And Willie - well, I will be honest in saying that I am looking forward to outgrowing this three year old stage.  As loveable as he is, I did not expect this guy:

To turn into this guy:

And I completely forgot that nine months of growing a baby inside your belly is nothing compared to nine months watching him grow outside.  

One year ago, I had this:

Nine months ago, I had this:

And every day, I wake up to this beautiful boy who is TRULY the happiest baby in the world:

I am so very blessed, and so very grateful for the privilege of getting to raise these four creatures.  They have taught me so much about God's love.  What an honor it is to be their mother.  My fervent prayer is that I will cherish every moment and hold it fast to my heart.  I try not to take for granted that every moment I have is precious.  And there is not one thing about it I would want to miss!

maggies5th

Petite Potentate Pink Birthday Invitation

Happy birthday to you. Birthday wishes by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

With Love, I Plead, BAN THE BAG!

Valentines Day is Monday and as is tradition, both Walker and Maggie came home with notes in their backpacks from the party planning moms that said, "Our party is Monday, blah blah, if you wish to send in an item for the treat bag, please have it to the teacher by blah, blah, blah."

I'm going to let you in on a secret.  I hate this treat bag party tradition.

Here's my list of why I hate this tradition:

1.  My children do not need anymore candy than I already provide for them.  In fact, during my recent cabinet cleaning, I threw out about 500lbs of left over JUNKY Halloween candy.

2.  When asked to provide treats for an entire class, most parents turn to the least expensive bag with the highest quantity of candy which inevitably turns out to be the super-saver extra large, jumbo sized bag of Laffy Taffy, Pixie Sticks, Sweet Tarts, fruity Tootsie Rolls, and Dum Dum lollipops.   It's quick, it's easy and you can buy one bag and get 5 million candies - enough to share with each child's classroom.  Bing Bang Boom, you're in and out of the Walmart and done.

3. Those candies suck!  (Sorry if you love these candies, but if you really want to give a "treat", give some GOOD candy.  A mini Dove, a Hersheys kiss.  Just sayin').

4.  My children do not need another Oriental-Trading- Dollar- Tree-Dollar -Store -made -in- China plastic miniature toy that will get left on the floor for me to step on or for the baby to put in his mouth and potentially choke to death if he does not first bite it into pieces with his incredibly razor sharp baby teeth and swallow it bit by bit leaving me not to worry about his lead levels but his Cadmium levels as we all know this is now the chemical to worry about.

There are several ironies to this treat bag situation.

The first is that my family is already overly blessed in the toy and goodie department.  In fact, as parents, Erik and I struggle with how much excess our kids have.  I struggle daily with the dilemma of too many toys, not enough organization, and deciding whether I should keep items because they were given as gifts, donate them to a cause that could use them, or is that wasteful because it is likely that having three boys, one of the younger boys will receive a duplicate gift to the one we've given away because a well-meaning relative sees that we don't have that particular type of tractor/truck/farm animal in our collection and "By Jove" they've found the perfect gift for us. (repeat cycle).  We are trying to teach our children to first be grateful for what they have, second, not fall into the societal traps of envy and want, and third, not expect something at every little occasion.  

I wonder what happened to the days of the party moms planning some games, doing a craft and then the class enjoyed a nice home-made (or store bought) treat. A heart shaped cookie, a red iced, red velvet cupcake or some rice Krispy treats with those red, white and pink sugar balls sprinkled on them?  Remember when that was the treat?  And what about when someone brought in cupcakes baked in an ice cream cone???  Holy Moly that was the hit of the party!  Right?  If we were really lucky, one of the moms brought in juice boxes to go with the snack. If not, we got a dixie cup from the teacher and got some water from the fountain out in the hall and carried it back to our desks.  We liked it, we appreciated it and we looked forward to it.  Then we'd take out our Valentines cards, go around and drop them in our classmates decorated boxes and we'd be done. We'd grab our full box and head home and maybe find some candy Necco conversation hearts in our boxes from our teacher.

There is all this campaigning for us to teach our children respect, acceptance and tolerance no matter what.  I am not opposed to this.  So, my question is, what does distributing a treat bag teach our kids about acceptance for just being who you are?  My educated guess as to why we celebrate Valentines Day in school is to allow our kids to show friendship and love to each other, to encourage them to extend the virtues of universal friendship to everyone - this is why the teacher usually sends home the prerequisite note saying that the students are expected to bring a Valentine card in for EVERY student in the class.  If we are sending in gifts as well as the cards, aren't we teaching our kids that a card is not enough to demonstrate our affection to someone - that we must buy their friendship with candy or toys?  I'm pretty sure Patrick Dempsey illustrated quite conclusively that money "Can't Buy Me Love."  

(On a side note, after searching for this image, I realized that I married Ronald Miller - that's another blog post entirely!)

Third, our governments, Local, State and Federal invest millions of dollars each year into educational programs designed to teach our children about the evils of junk food, the importance of eating healthy and exercising daily.  In fact, at the PA State Farm Show, there was an entire exhibit geared towards teaching kids about "60 minutes a day" which not only taught the kids aerobic dance style exercises, but offered FREE exercise videos to take home.  Our school lunch menu features the fruits and vegetable choices prominently.   Whole wheats and multigrains are italicized to highlight the progressive healthy choices that are offered.  We get "help at home" sheets offering advice on how to make and keep our kids healthier.  We even get a note from the school nurse stating that our child's Body Mass Index (BMI) has been measured and based on the results, we are given tips on how to reduce or maintain the results.  I am not opposed to this.

Additionally, the classrooms have separate garbage cans for regular trash and paper that can be recycled.  The cafeteria has recycling garbage cans.  The kids are presented with programs, assemblies and other curriculum to encourage environmental awareness.   I am not opposed to this.

Even Disney Channel gets in on the bandwagon with their partnership with the First Lady in commercials highlighting the fight against Childhood Obesity.  Disney also sponsors a "Friends for Change" campaign encouraging kids to go green, to reduce consumption of electricity, plastic bottles, car emissions, etc.  An encouraging campaign, right?

So, what does this have to do with our kids?  Well, what kind of mixed messages are we sending when our schools have educational programs telling our kids to eat healthy and exercise, then we send them home from a party with two pounds of sugary candy?  What message does it send when schools and television stations tell our kids to "make a change" "reduce, reuse, recycle" and DIScourage kids from consuming more, but we send them home from a class party with a PLASTIC goodie bag filled with PLASTIC wrapped candies and PLASTIC toys made in a factory and designed to exploit the mass consumerism of American children?  

I know it is pretty ridiculous to get all upset over these little goody bags.  They truly are innocent enough and I'm sure the distribution of them was designed to allow every child have that feeling of excitement of receiving a gift at the end of a party.  However, not only have they become so common that their existence becomes ho-hum and ordinary, but we are filling them with JUNK that is harmful to our bodies and our environment.  

This post wasn't meant to be soap boxy, but it was inspired by a post from a friend on Facebook who is new to this whole school party experience and she commented that she took the teachers note asking to send in Valentines cards for the class at face value and she was shocked that her child came home with a goody bag full of stuff.  It sparked some interesting comments. Overall, the general consensus was that for the most part, moms HATE these goody bags, not for the reasons I mentioned, but just because Moms HATE having to CLEAN UP THE MESS the wake of these goody bags leave.  "Nothing irks me more than finding those little dollar store bag fillers (balls, cheap toys, etc.) all over my house. Its just more crap for me to throw away! "  was the quote from one mom.  

I agree.  I am sick of the bag fillers!  While the reasons I stated above are very valid and when I dig deep, are actual reasons why I hate those bag fillers, the real reason I hate the treat bags is that I truly, madly, deeply, abhor picking up, keeping track of, stepping on, retrieving, and eventually throwing away the junk.  If it is not a toy bag filler, it's the candy.  The candy just sits in a big bin in the cupboard until January rolls around and I throw the whole bunch out.  Now that Walker has braces and an expander, he can't even EAT the candy he's going to receive.  

So, for all of us in the minority who hate the goody bags. BAN THE BAGS!  Say you're doing it for your child's health, say you're doing it for the environment, or go ahead and say you're doing it because there's this one bitchy mom in your kids class (me) who hates the goody bag.  But BAN THE BAG.  Instead, take a little extra time, sit down with your child and help him or her understand that LOVE isn't about materialism and treat bags.   Love is many things, but for our kids, it should be a sweet little 1x3 inch card from a friend.  The candy will rot (well, maybe not) and the plastic made in China toy will  either get broken or thrown out, but the little Valentines card may sit in a classmates keepsake box their entire life to remind them of a time when love was innocent and uncomplicated.  They'll pull that little card out of their treasure box someday and read the uncertain handwriting and they will go back to first grade.  They will smell  paste and feel the texture construction paper,  aluminum foil, and white paper doily as they cut out hearts to cover their Valentines Day box.   They will  remember a childhood friend, and that memory will put a smile on their face as they remember showing genuine affection for others without guile, just because they were your friend.

That's the lesson we need to teach and carry with us as we celebrate Valentines Day.

With Love . . .

Bieber Fever

We don't have Bieber Fever in our house.  My kids actually don't really even know who he is.  Since I am a fan of pop culture, I am aware of who he is but I have not formed an opinion of him other than for some reason, when I've seen him on TV interviews, he irritates me.

I've seen him on some talk shows where he seems like a nice enough young man, and my sister (who knows A LOT more about this kind of stuff and is much younger than I am and way more cool) says,  "I think he's sweet and cute and talented and adorable and good to his mother and not a total 16 year old creep like most gross boys.  His songs are catchy and adorable.  And your son looks just like baby beiber."  

As evidenced here:

Mr. Bieber

Willie J

Thanks, Justin Bieber for the very funny commercial for Best Buy last night at the Superbowl

I filmed this of Willie J today:

And I'm thinking if Justin Bieber can do it, maybe Willie J has a chance at fame as well.  He rocks a mean Paper Jams guitar after all.

Pittsburgh's Goin' to the Superbowl!

Most Pittsburgh Steeler fans know that you are BORN a Steelers fan.  I was born a Steelers fan and I am raising my children to be Steelers fans.  My affinity for the Steelers comes from my Papa.  He's one of the lucky ones at the Superbowl today!

Thanks, Papa, for creating this legacy for us.  Forever in my heart, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be synonymous with Papa.  We love you!

Erik and Walker at their first Steelers game in 2004.

Walker gets his first Steelers Jersey in 2005.

 I said the day of the playoff game that if the Steelers won, we'd have a Superbowl birthday party for Walker.  They won, we had the party and the Steelers won the Superbowl.

Maggie May in her first Steelers cheerleader uniform.

Our dear friends, Steph and Jeff.  They were moving to Illinois in a few weeks and as a goodbye gift, Steph and I were in cahoots and I managed to score tickets to the game from my Papa.  One of the reasons we got tickets was because the game an 8:00 start on a weeknight AND the temperature was forecasted to be in the teens.  It was freezing cold and it was AWESOME!

Erik and I at that freezing Steelers game!

The first four Steeler grandchildren - me and my sisters.  (Sorry, I couldn't get it flipped).

Walker, Maggie & Will cheering on the Steelers in 2008.

Papa and his great niece in Tampa, where they live, on a little visit prior to him going to the Superbowl.

 Papa, my Uncle Mike (right) and Ron and his daughter and son in Tampa.  Ron is the son of my Grammie (Papa's wife) brother, and they had a nice little visit before Mike & Papa got to go to the Superbowl.

Our little hometown newspaper even did a story on him:

7th Steelers Superbowl

So did a local television station:

Steelers Super Fan

We held our second Superbowl Party to cheer on the Steelers and Woo-hoo, we won the one for the thumb!

Will wasn't too excited about the noise : )

Some of the kids in attendance.

 Erik and I got to go to the season opener last year - what an amazing experience.  The entrance:

 The Jumbotron showing live feed of the Tim McGraw and Black Eyed Peas concert going on at Point State Park.

Heinz Field from the Clipper shuttle on the river.

 Just over a year ago, we did a Steelers portrait of all the grandkids in their Steelers gear.
Livy Lu getting her picture taken.

Papa with all grandkids and great grandkids.  In all, Papa can lay claim being the cause of 4 children, 12 grandchildren and 6 (and one on the way) great-grandchildren becoming fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We're hosting our third Steelers Superbowl Party in just a few minutes hoping that, like the playoff beard, hosting a party once again will lead to another Steelers SUPERBOWL VICTORY!


Willie predicts several TOUCHDOWNS!

Walker shows the fierceness of the defense!

Maggie cheers, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y That's the Steelers Battle CRY!

And Whitaker is taking a nap in preparation for the long game.

Here we go, Steelers, Here we go!  PITTSBURGH'S GONNA WIN THE SUPERBOWL!