He's glad to be home.
Really, honest. What? You think he misses 85 and sunny every day? Oh how boring. What? You think aqua marine waters top ice crusted mud covered once was snow? Oh man, you just don't see the value of family. He missed us...he is glad to be home.
The best part of playing out in the cold is definitely coming home and drinking hot cocoa ~ complete with crushed candy canes.
Oh yeah, I see totally see a whip cream mustache coming on...
It had to be done. First, we totally got the shaft here in the North East with snow. Every news story is snow snow snow. Every blog I read, from Oregon to Utah to Maine...yep, buckets of snow. Us? Wintry mix. WHAT IS THAT? I'll tell you what it is....mean. The boys and I had a fun "inside" day planned...more coloring, building with blocks, cookie baking, hair dying (ooops, did I say that?). Anyway by noon we were (literally) climbing the walls. What? You don't think preschool boys can actually climb walls? Stop over. I threw on their coats, first we hit Wegmans for some lunch and then to the park. I pulled up, turned off the car and announced to the boys that I wanted them to get out and run. Run and run and run. Run until you can't run another second.
We forgot hats...
and gloves. But we didn't care. In fact, Cooper even said "hey mom this is actually fun"!
while Duncan went a little more crafty and made his mother a bouquet of flowers.
Me? Oh I can't resist anything having to do with paper...add photos and I'm in heaven. I have actually been working on a 25 days of December album - documenting each day with photos + words. I plan on sharing a few photos of the project but I need to take the photographs in the daytime...lighting in the evening in my house is just not conducive to that sort of thing.
Hoping you all had an equally enjoyable evening.
Blessed: to capture photos like this...
Anxious: for the season to slow down and hurry up and get here!
Ready: to give, to overflow, to tear, to smile, to enjoy, to love, to sleep, to create, to catch my breath.
Okay so I skipped the tree shopping story. It's inevitable, year after year we flip flop between cutting down our own or buying a pre-cut. Maybe it's because we live in the Northeast, but there seems to be this underlying sense that if we all hop in the truck, drive 30 miles to a tree farm, cut down our tree and haul it home, we are somehow more "authentic" than those who pull up to the roadside stand, pay $30 and tie the beauty on the roof. Last year we did the authentic route (as we do pretty much every other year); we went out as a family, I took pictures, we drank hot cocoa while they wrapped up our tree...it was angelic...if you could over look the kids complaining the minute we got out of the car because they were cold and we couldn't find a straight tree without gaping holes to safe our life. Cooper had to pee (thank goodness Duncan was still in diapers), we had to drill our own hole in the bottom once we got it home because the "authentic" guys don't have that fancy machine. We never were sure if our drilling was off or if the trunk was just crooked to start with? So anyway, when the discussion came up this year I asked the boys what they wanted to do...Cooper said "mom, can we just GO, PICK IT OUT and BE DONE WITH IT"? And so we did...off to Tebb's we went, $36 and she is perfect. And we didn't even have to get out of the car long enough to catch a chill. Stay tuned for next year when we will forget how miserable it was and feel the need to once again be authentic.
You really can't resist the magic of a Christmas Tree. The boys keep telling me that they have the prettiest tree of all. I caught Duncan just sitting and staring at it this evening. He admitted that it's really hard not to touch (and play) with the decorations. Not even the best Christmas movie seems to trump sitting, staring & dreaming.
Handmade recycled ornaments.
My icing did not turn out great after refrigerating it...but you know me...that just means "it wasn't perfect". The marzipan pumpkins and acorns were a lot of fun. Cake was a Caramelized Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Butter cream. You'd think I had time on my hands or something...
Drink enough of this and no one notices the defective butter cream frosting and your own neurosis diminish with enough glasses...
losing your first?
November 24th.
Subway restaurant on the Golden Strip - 6:30pm.
What did it?
Turkey on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green peppers, pickles & black olives. A side of raisins and a cold fruit punch.
Me: grabbed a napkin, dunked it in cold water and told Cooper to bite down - doing my best to calm Coop down - wasn't sure if he was going to be excited or panic...I was cheering telling Coop how proud I was and overall just giddy in the moment - then took the tooth and washed it off and wrapped it up for safe keeping until tonight...
John: "I think I'm gonna be sick..."
Coop is very much loving learning right now. Every night after his tubby he curls up in our bed and practices letters, words, numbers, adding...anything you give him. It is so cool watching him get excited about learning, it's like he can't get enough. Apparently this is somewhat typical for a kid his age, but it's new to this family and we are loving it!
This is my kitchen today. Today there are oranges, pears, apples and bananas. In July there might be grapes, cherries and peaches. The fruit changes, as does the occasional bouquet but the look is the same. For almost 12 years the end of my island has housed the limes and the avocados, the plums and the pineapples. Most often there is a candle. If there are flowers (or berries like above) it's usually because I cut them from my dad's (or in this case - Eagles Mere's) gardens. And although I love the idea of a bigger kitchen with more space and more places to put things and a pretty view and light and a dishwasher and an exhaust fan and well you get the idea. I will miss my simple kitchen. I have crowded many a people in this kitchen. We have gathered around this island (that my amazing husband built for me 11 years ago) and talked and laughed and cried and cooked and ate. So in keeping with my gratitude list...I feel I must add my kitchen and my island. Thank you to all who have gathered here - I am thankful for your company, your food, your conversation, your advice and your love.
We made our yearly contribution to Woolrich today. Every Larson got a new pair of shoes. I decided to splurge on Merrill shoes for the boys to see if they might wear better than the sneakers I just bought them. I know you get what you pay for; I do, I really do...but these little boys go through shoes so fast I hate spending a lot of money on them. But I guess if you have to buy two (or even three!!) pairs to make it through the school year then quality might just be the ticket. Plus these shoes are dark...definite plus with preschool boys!
Enjoying just being home and doing homey things this weekend. Happy Birthday to Uncle Richard today.
Working on my page in the Comfort Keepers newsletter this weekend...theme is "being thankful" or "gratitude". Love this. Love the reminder. Love this time of year that is all about being thankful. I put together a "gratitude list"...
1.) Love having a pot of soup on the stove and fresh Tollhouse cookies cooling...
2.) Love Cooper's new "big boy" bed that we picked up yesterday.
3.) Love that Jane called and (long story) gave me a reason to pull out my wedding books...great memories.
4.) Love being able to walk through my pantry/back porch (those of you who know my house know what I'm talking about!)
5.) Love getting ready for the upcoming season - kicked it off with The Polar Express last night - I believe!
6.) Love that I picked up a kitchen magazine at Lowe's with tons of ideas - most I can't afford but I still love the dreaming!
7.) Love the ideas spinning around in my head about the holidays - from ways to save money, to gift ideas, to food and recipes to the music...
8.) Love my husband.
9.) Love documenting my gratitude.
10.) Love that I love (some people don't you know!).
We are trying here to show my mother's gargantuan mutant apples. Somehow putting a quarter next to it just didn't seem like it would do the trick so we used Duncan's head. You just know Kay is probably genetically engineering those things. Probably injecting them with growth hormones and artificial fertilizers...it'd be just like her...
Yesterday I helped my mom make applesauce with apples from her trees. 
What a beautiful way to start November. While canning, my mom and I discussed the economy, the cost of groceries and the loads of canning that she used to do when we were little... We talked about how much money we saved on groceries this summer by eating out of our gardens. There is something very satisfying and beautifully simple about eating/preserving what you grow in your own backyard.
Marilyn Thomsen : And while it takes courage to achieve greatness, it takes more courage to find fulfillment in being ordinary. For the joys that last have little relationship to achievement, to standing one step higher on the victory platform. What is the adventure in being ordinary? It is daring to love just for the pleasure of giving it away. It is venturing to give new life and to nurture it to maturity. It is working hard for the pure joy of being tired at the end of the day. It is caring and sharing and giving and loving…
And they're off...
It was a spooktacular evening for sure!
Loving right now:
*My niece Katie's tollhouse cookies she made us.
*Pulling out our micro fleece sheets we got last year...total luxury.
*Candle lighting season.
*Working on numerous scrapbook projects - definitely back in a creative "mode".
*Soup/Stew season. Last night's Tortilla Soup was awesome (wouldn't you agree Jess?).
*Listening to John read to the boys over the monitor.
*Having Friday off to get some much needed things done around my house.
Okay...I'm back. Who knows what I've been doing? I'd like to say I've been busy, but I don't think I have been? Saturday night we were lucky enough to go to Lobster night at the Eagles Mere Country Club. John's parents had to spend their "monthly minimum" but they had plans. So...they offered it to us. Cooper was very excited, he has been looking forward to trying lobster for quite some time. He found out he loves lobster...but really, how can you not? Duncan was more mesmerized by the butter burners.
We spent the night in Eagles Mere where the boys decorated cupcakes....
and roasted marshmallows in the fireplace.
It was a lovely night away...it was indoor camping...it was 12 hours of family fun. Cooper was recovering from Hand Foot Mouth virus (poor little guy). John was recovering from a 5 hour IV treatment for his migraines. I was nurse, mom, cook and activity director. But did you see those lobsters? And how about those marshmallows? It was well worth it.
It's that time of year...
I have been feeling uninspired "word wise" so I switched to photograph mode. I walked around my house this weekend and started snapping. The light was absolutely beautiful but because I know very little about my camera a lot is just trial and error. I feel like I have all these great creative ideas swirling around in head but I am having a hard time turning them into anything...just stuck I guess. For me, the best thing to do when I get "stuck" or I'm feeling "uninspired" is to just to something. Something is definitely better than nothing...and hey, I ended up with some pretty photographs. As for being inspired...we'll see.
Hayride.
Corn maze.
Getting lost in the corn maze.
Campy? Yes. But a yearly tradition non the less. Oh, and totally fun! We had ultimate October weather here this weekend and took full advantage. We visited with 'Ol Mr. Snyder, ate apples and peanuts, bought our pumpkins and mums and thoroughly enjoyed the sunny afternoon.
So...
Where do I start?
The picture is blurry
because I did not have the camera ready...it was a quick...oh my goodness I need to catch this so I can document the story later kind of thing. No flash...didn't have time.
So...
Duncan runs into the kitchen on Monday (as he always does) to give me a big hug. Only today I see tear remnants on his cheeks. Uh oh I think...what did he do this time? John comes in and tells me the story...
At nap time Ma Jane (John's mother) took Duncan upstairs and laid him down in his crib (as she does everyday) where he rolled over, put his thumb in his mouth and closed his eyes. Nothing strange...same ol' routine. So you can imagine Jane's utter confusion/amazement/fear when, about a half an hour later, she hears a small knock...then a quiet "hellooo?" coming from the basement. Wasn't it a dear friend of ours (THANK GOODNESS) who had found Duncan out on the corner on the sidewalk!!! Yup, you read right. Duncan climbed out of his crib, out of his room, down the front stairs, down the hall, down the back stairs, through the basement, out the garage door, down the driveway and up Campbell Street!!!
What do you do? Punish the child? Laugh till you cry because he is fine? Try to reason with him (he's 3)? I'm thinking a simple GPS implantation device is the only sound solution...
PS. The picture is a "oh mom, I'm in trouble again"...
