ASHLEY’S CORNER Fall Frenzy: 6 Kids, 6 Fresh Starts
Change is good, right? Fall is well underway here at the Sheldons, and all six kids have been making transitions in school, preschool, or in baby Nelle’s case, independence from Mom. But we are finding our rhythm here. Getting into a routine is good. For Mac, starting fourth grade was easy. He likes his teacher and loves seeing his friends. Rex is off and running in second grade. Roz is in first grade, her first time going for a full day. The transition has been rough for her. She doesn’t like being away from me so much. But Roz is starting dance classes, and she is excited for that. Mac is playing baseball, basketball, and ninja, a competitive sport with obstacle courses. Rex is playing soccer. It’s a little crazy. We have dance, ninja, and soccer one after the other on some days, so I drop Roz at dance, drop Rex at soccer, then go back to get Roz at dance, toting all the other kids along with me the whole time. It is chaos! Tess is my social butterfly and loves preschool. For Kip, starting preschool two days a week has been harder. As for baby Nelle, she quit nursing on her own! She just cut me off. She is drinking milk out of a sippy cup and eating regular food like a big kid. Her making the decision herself caught
me off guard. It probably was better that way, but still, I couldn’t help but think, “This is hard, to finish nursing my last baby!”
I have two mornings a week to myself now. When the older kids are in school or preschool and Nelle is taking a
nap, I relax and enjoy the quiet! I started watching “Blue Bloods,” a police drama. Of course, I also folded and put away seven baskets of laundry, but that’s okay. I can get stuff done around the house and do something for me at the same time. Through all these transitions, all the kids were a little emotional at times, getting upset about things that normally wouldn’t upset them. I sometimes think, “I get it, kids!” I was more emotional, too. Change can be kind of scary, and it takes time to adjust. But still, it’s all good.
Take a Break
FENNEL GRATIN
Ingredients
Inspired by FoodAndWine.com
• 2 cups heavy cream • 2 shallots, roughly chopped • 4 garlic cloves, smashed • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves • 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper • 3 large fennel bulbs, cored and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F with one rack in the center and one about 4 inches from the heat. 2. In a small saucepan, bring cream, shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for another 15–20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 3. Arrange fennel wedges, slightly overlapping, in a large cast-iron skillet or broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish. Pour cream mixture over fennel. Roast on center rack until fennel is tender, about 40–50 minutes. 4. Remove skillet and increase oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over fennel. Broil on upper rack until top is browned, 1–4 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Solution on Page 4
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