This turkey waited ALL YEAR to be our Christmas dinner...see how happy she is about it?!

She can't even stop smiling, eh?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

The playdough worked well last year--as in, we got an extra hour of sleep while they played. So stupid me FORGOT the playdough this year, and then Colin's note to Santa specifically mentioned the playdough...so then I had to go under the tree & open the UP movie and VOILA! Problem solved---and if all goes well...that'll be TWO extra hours of sleep tomorrow morning. HA!



...and the stockings were hung on the railing with care, in hopes that the Whoopee cushions would soon appear.

Really? You don't need to hope, my dear children. Your mommy may have forgotten the playdough, but she will NEVER forget the Whoopee cushions.

So bummed I didn't think of this first!
Hysterical.

Mitt Romney's official stance on the question of whether or not the world is overpopulated...

....HUH?....

These are just the grandkids, folks!

We've been doing lots of snuggling with hot chocolate (we snuggle with BLANKETS---snuggling with hot chocolate would be...tricky) and movies around here. It's a Christmas "tradition" that we all love...Mommy especially...not so much because of the movies themselves, but the 2 hours of calm that they represent.

So, we've been on a pretty steady diet of Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, Eloise at Christmas, and the like. Sydney has seen so much of Julie Andrews in the past 2 weeks, and Julie Andrews is her fave fave favorite. If Taylor Swift had a British accent, it couldn't hurt her standing with Miss Sydney!

She's started waking me up in the morning with a "good morning, Moth-ah", and asking "would you care for a spot o' tea?" more than once during the day. It's too cute, but Christmas can't come soon enough. Cause I can't wait to get to March---Syd can do a MEAN leprechaun!

Today was the first big snowstorm of the year. Oh yeah, baby--8 inches of heavy snow with a nice layer of wet, even heavier CRAP on top. And oh yeah, baby...two weeks before they let the kids loose for 12 days! Apparently, the powers that be thought all of the parents in New Hampshire would like a BONUS day with their munchkins. Good thinkin'! Cause it wasn't like I had a list of errands or anything. Or plans. Or selfish hopes and dreams for this Wednesday. I did. Dashed.





Instead--we spent the day at home in our jammies. The kids' enthusiasm was contagious, though. We ended up making a big, fat, fun day of the whole mess. Sledding, snowball fights, angels & butt-prints in the snow (you must know we did the butt-prints first, yes?), and lots of other snowy fun.




Then we made gingerbread cookies with the recipe from Eric's Grandma Nadyne. Man, that woman must have had some serious biceps. The recipe makes a delicious cookie, but the thickness of that dough is a wooden spoon breaker. It's pretty much like using a rolling pin to get a brick smoothed to an even quarter-inch thickness.




Because the cookie thing was spur-of-the-moment, we had to improvise. Luckily you can't tell in the picture that the white "snowflake" sprinkles on the light blue cookie are actually white GHOSTS left over from the Halloween cookies. Sneaky. Throw in some food coloring & the ice cream sprinkles, and it's a PARTY!




Made homemade pizza for lunch, made an amazing Hoisin steak with rice noodles dinner, shoveled for an hour, washed the sheets from everyone's beds, got caught up on email, and came up with some good ideas on world peace. I'm thisclose to curing cancer---but it was a full day. I think I did enough. Maybe I can finish that up during the next snow day?

Einstein

WAY TO GO, BUDDY! So proud of you!

Not for nothin', but you may wanna take a walk down the hall & see if those 4th graders could use a hand??!

Merry Christmas!

The first installment of...

...Christmas Tradition Thursday!!

Yes, I know that Christmas Tradition TUESDAY would've had a much nicer ring to it, but I was busy Tuesday night. And didn't feel like it. And hadn't yet bought the stuff for the gingerbread house, and so anyway...it's Christmas Tradition THURSDAY! Yay!

Kids are now hopped up on sugar, and I'll be up yelling at them to go to bed for the next hour. But--it's CHRISTMAS TRADITION THURSDAY!! It's not really about the fallout after the performing of the traditions around here---it's the fun had during.

And we had fun. So I'm gonna call this one a success. And I'm also going to note for you that we will only be displaying the FRONT of this cute little house.

Let's just say the back was our "practice side".

Sorry for the delay---it's taking me a while to sift through all of the MOST humiliating pictures I have of Eric at Disney. This should hold you over....

HA!

Just got home from Disney, and we're BUMMED. We had the time of our lives. Everyone. Even Eric. And here's the picture to prove it, as promised.

You're welcome, honey.

We're in FLORIDA! We're wiped, and we've still got to figure out tomorrow's plans, but thought this was worth sharing.





We are here this week all together to celebrate my dad's birthday...my dad's SEVENTIETH birthday. And here are some pictures of dear old dad...yes, in the pool at the house...deciding that he should go on the whale.





Seventy. Nuts. As my friend Shell says---yup, we're nuts in this family. But GOOD nuts.

More to come! Animal Kingdom was today--and Colin ROCKED the scary rides. Magic Kingdom tomorrow---Sydney's opted "in" on wearing her princess costume. With sneakers. Niiiice.

Sydney & I were chilling outside this afternoon while we waited for Colin's bus to come around the corner. The bus was running a little late, so I decided to introduce my girl to the fun of staring contests.

I explained how it works, gave her a practice run or two, and we were off.

Round one: Sydney blinks 2 seconds in.
Round two: Sydney blinks 5 seconds in.
Round three: Sydney lasts a whole 6 seconds...then blinks.

I thought maybe we should review both the rules and the point of the game. Got it? Got it. Cool.

Round four: Sydney...blinks.

After another loss, Sydney leans her wide open, beautiful, bright blue eyes in to about a centimeter from mine and says,

"Mommy...let's have a BLINKING contest!".

And THIS is why I'm sure she's brighter than she looks.

Grabbed this for you off Colin's homework sheet for tonight.

This is hysterical, because it is really just a peek into his little head.

Black. White. Easy.

And there you have it.

Empty platter? That's where the turkey goes...




We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday. Well, at least, we TRIED to have a proper Thanksgiving meal yesterday. It all went really very well---right up until the part where I apparently can't cook a turkey. I know it's so cliche, but it's true! Turkey is really hard to get right, I swear!

We will be headed to Florida on Friday, and plan to be on the BEACH next Thursday...so Colin demanded that we have the full turkey dinner Thanksgiving thing before we left. We're doing Disney---stay tuned for those pictures. Eric in mouse ears? Oh, yes. SO YES.


Anyhow---back to Thanksgiving.






Last year, we tried this really neat way of cooking a turkey where you not only put it turkey in the oven upside down, but you also cook it at high heat for an hour, then put it down to like 180 degrees for like 10-12 hours. Last years' turkey was SO GOOD. So good. Except it occurred to me--as I pulled a pink slimy turkey out of the oven 11 hours after I started the process--that I didn't COOK last years' turkey. Someone else did. Someone who can do the math required to adjust the cook time to do the slow-cook-method thingy. I cannot be trusted with math. Or turkey.

So, we had a really nice family dinner. See the plate? Yummy, huh? A full Thanksgiving feast. Of veggies. And bread. And stuffing. And more veggies. And then there was the wine---lots of that---it made the whole "no turkey" thing not seem like such a big deal.

I realized that I hadn't updated the blog in a while, and we've all been kinda sick over here--so there's not a whole lot to share.

Except, of course, our plans for today! YEEHAW and WHOOPEE! Mommy's feeling better, so the "lists" are back! HOT DANG! The kids are trembling with excitement, too.

Yes, it's a little Type A and OCD and all of the rest...but it's pretty gratifying to be able to see things get ticked off a list.

Colin's got toilets, Sydney will be tired & complaining after her first thing, my list only looks short, and Daddy's? Well, it IS short---and I can almost guarantee he won't do either thing anyway. Shocker. So--you can just move those two things you see there onto Mommy's list & know that they WILL get done.

We're OFF!

My kids are nerds. There--it's out there on the table. Nerds. You need to understand that I do not at all feel that it's a bad thing. It's just a true thing. See, we go to lots of museums. And historical whatnots. And places where there's not a whole lot to do other than read signs about things are a) dead b) about to be dead c) extinct or at least d) very old. And we like it. All of us--even Sydney. Sydney who has (on her good days) the attention span of a hummingbird after his morning espresso. She oohs, ahhs, and manages to keep up and stay interested as Colin stops to read EVERY. BLESSED. SIGN. along the way.





Yesterday, we went to a place called Plimoth Plantation. Well--you can read it for yourself. www.plimoth.org There. Check it out. Anyhow...cliff notes? It's a re-creation of a 1627 English farming village in the middle of the Wampanoag homeland. You are able to visit not only the settlement, but also the native's village. It is SO COOL. (See--told ya we're nerds) Colin has been doing the whole Mayflower/Pilgrims thing in class, so a trip seemed like a great idea. He was able to really get a handle on how things worked back in 1620 and Thanksgiving and the Mayflower and all of the rest of it really came alive for him. There are "residents" along the way, and I've gotta tell you...they literally will NOT break character. You could walk up and stick a wet finger in their ear, and their little British accents & Olde English chatter wouldn't skip a beat.


Colin had many great questions, and did a great job of stepping right up and articulating them. He asked about how the boys learned to hunt, where the children would have gone to school (they didn't then--he thought that was cool), and how church worked.





Sydney? Ah, Sydney. First, she was absolutely mortified that the Natives had no pants on, Mom! No pants! Not for nothing, but I was really trying as hard as I could to see what was going on there under the little flap of cloth, because REALLY? I was looking at bare butt---one stiff wind, and I can't believe I wouldn't have seen things I would've had to later confess to Eric. Anyhow--I digress.





Once she got over the pants-less-ness of it all, we moved over to the English settlement. She noticed after visiting a few little houses that everyone seemed to have a clay pot under their beds. She thought it was funny that they ate in bed, and then I had to gently break the word chamberpot to her. Grimace. Giggles. More giggles. And sure enough---she raised her little hand, said "excuse me" and proceeded to fire off "where do you guys empty your potty-pots?". Without hesitation, Little Miss Pilgrim went into a far-too-detailed explanation of the "community dung pile". Thanks, lady, for that.




And then? She told us how they actually SAVED the urine, put it in a large whiskey barrel, let it ferment, and then it turned to lye--which was used to make soap. HA! If you think that Sydney did not fall onto that dirt floor right then & there when she found out that they were washing their hands with PEE SOAP...you'd be incorrect.





We then went over to the waterfront and toured a replica of the original Mayflower. Again, the kids were enthralled. Sydney was a little loud in her protestation that this ship wasn't actually going to TAKE us anywhere...but she was still into it. Colin asked another great question of the navigator, and got to sit with him and learn how all of the tools worked on the boat. Good stuff.





Overall, it was a great day. I think we all learned a little something. I would imagine you did, too. I mean...don't even ACT like you knew you could make soap outta pee?!!!





Another great day. Love being Mom to these guys.

Scared? Or just backed up?

We have movie night on Friday around here...which is movies, popcorn, sleeping bags, and then the kids get to sleep in the living room. It's fun, and always something we all look forward to.

Tonight we are watching Firehouse Dog. There was a part about 10 minutes in where it's not scary, really, the screen just gets dark & the music gets all ominous for a second. I was in the kitchen getting drinks and I heard Sydney say...

"Colin! Colin! Hold my hand for a second during this part---I think my belly is getting scared!". And then I heard the music die down & the scary part was over. Then, as I came around the corner, I heard her say, "Oh, wait...I'm not SCARED, I need to POOP! Hey, pause it, wouldya?!". HAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.....

Potty humor will never get old. And Sydney will never stop saying poop...so we should be covered.

Fall is HERE!! It's official! We were having a little mini photo shoot for a church thing with the kids and some of their friends today, and it ended up just being a mad hour-long playtime...and a GREAT reminder of why fall in New England is actually so very cool. Even if it did snow in OCTOBER yesterday.


AND--know what else? Michigan KILLED Delaware on Saturday. THEN, yesterday? Tom Brady & the Patriots not only broke records all over the place, but they did it in the SNOW just like old times. I thought this weekend was pretty great, but--nope--today was even better!


(Thanks, Lisa, for the pictures...I remembered snacks & shin guards for soccer...I should get a pass on forgetting my camera, yes?!)

We had our friends over today for a pumpkin carving party! Note to any of you planning a pumpkin carving party with 5 kids under the age of 8---SCOOP THE JUNK OUT FIRST. We would seriously still be standing out there right now working on these things if we hadn't done that first. As it was, it was really 2 Mommies carving pumpkins while 5 kids were playing soccer in the yard. The kids DID choose what they wanted, though.




Which leads me to:

Colin chose the ghost...intricate, took time & patience, detailed and interesting. Sydney chose the smiley face which made it look like if you listen veeery closely, you can hear the pumpkin say "ah-hyuck, doy??".

WOO HOO!!! It's a pet-a-palooza around here!

Meet the newest member of the family...Cutie Patootie!!

There were many names batted around; Bun-Bun, Bunny M. Bunnelsworth, Fanny Le Bun, Here Kitty Kitty, and so on. The reason why we settled on Cutie Patootie? Well, we all kinda agreed that's what we are going to always call the flipping thing anyway...so, Cutie it is!! Except you have to say it in a baby voice with your lips all puckered like "Cutie Patootie doo-dee-doodle-da-doo-dee". Yeah--you've got it!

And Sydney will have Cutie dressed up in doll clothes at a tea party in three...two...one...

Yesterday was Pooch's BIRTHDAY! Pooch's THIRD birthday! And there was a small to-do over here. As there is every year. There was a general degradation of Pooch' pride. Cause that's how we roll..................

We have always put our dogs and other pets in a tough spot each year. Pooch is probably dying to tell his friends that his way-cool humans throw him a party with presents and hats and decorations every year to celebrate. There's always even a peanut butter dog cake with peanut butter frosting---which is more than a little like a peanut butter brick with peanut butter on top.

The only problem with the P-man bragging about his party would be that he would then have to confess that he has to wear an outfit each time. A little cutie-patootie birthday outfit. And then be photographed repeatedly. And then those blasted humans put it out on the internet.

So, that usually leaves Pooch going "la la la...what? what birthday?".

Happy Birthday, Pooch! You don't look a DAY over 2!

Back to school---part three!

Observations on school, courtesy of Sydney.

"Mom, did you know that everyone in my class at kindergarten is the same age as me?!"

"Mom, guess what else??? EVERYONE on my bus lives in this same town as me!"

Public school, Sydney...public school. There's kinda an everyone-must-live-within-the-town-limits sorta prerequisite. Kinda like there's kinda sorta a trend that has to do with everyone in kindergarten being...ummm...right around your age.

Smart girl.

Mia Hamm

Sydney is just too too too cute in her little soccer uniform. And really, that's all I can say about that.

Mostly because that other picture there? Of her playing with her hair? It's really one of about a dozen I could post that are just like it. It's pretty much what soccer has been about for her so far. Her hair.

Cute outfit though, huh?!

Back to school---part two!

Not for nothing, but do you see how they're walking away from me here? See it? Is this how it starts??

Once again...ouch.

Sydney's first day today...pictures of both kids' "firsts" will come soon.

Back to school---part one!

I just got the backpacks all packed for tomorrow morning, and I was just sitting there looking at them up on the counter...and my heart hurt.

So I was all, "honey, doesn't that just make your heart hurt?" and Eric was all, "ummm...nope?".

Can I get an amen from SOME mother out there? Huh? Heart feeling squeezed? Like, oh, where does the time go?

Ouch.

Today? A banner day. A perfect day. A red letter day. All caps. Highlighted.

I have a "bucket list". If you haven't seen the movie, you should. It's a list of things I'd like to be able to check off before I (or someone else, conceivably) die. There are many silly things on it (have a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity in NYC with my 3 best girlfriends from college), and some important things on it.

One of the important things was making sure my kids each get to fly with my dad before one of us kicks the bucket. (preferably him)

Most of you know the story, but I have this sweet, cute little scar over my right eye that came from an eye injury I suffered in a PLANE CRASH!! with my FATHER!! in HIS PLANE!! when I was younger. So, needless to say, it has been a couple of decades since I've had the urge to go up with him again. I have flown all over the world since that crash, but it has usually been with some Valium, Jack Daniels, lots of chardonnay, and even more tears & white knuckle grips. Honestly, that has broken my heart not just because I love to travel and the "getting there" mostly stinks for me now...but more so because my father loves flying. He loves to share flight with others. Loves his planes arguably as much as or maybe even more than (?) he loves my mother. Let's just say that if my mom were in the plane and the plane were on fire, he just might use her very body to smother and put out the flames. And then be so glad it worked. And then, a half hour later, remember she was even there.

So, today it happened. It was awful. It was amazing. There were tears. My gag reflex was on full alert, and there were times that my bowels were threatening mutiny. I called my mom as Colin was taking off, and suddenly realized as I was talking to her that 2 of my top 5 favorite people (yeah---everyone has favorites--don't judge) were in that plane together. Off the ground. In front of me. She laughed at me...out loud. And then the plane disappeared from sight, and it was about the sweetest thing I've seen as they came back around on the horizon. I've got a bit of video below, but my nerves were a little nuts, so I managed to miss Colin's whole takeoff. I got Sydney's, but really? The focus? Nerves again. At least by then I was a bit less...ooohhh...hyperventilate-ey...

They loved it. My dad loved it. I loved it. I am so glad that today was the day. I am so glad that my kids are total rock stars and were so excited to go up even though they not only were able to sense and see my fear, but have also heard only like a hundred times that I'd rather put steak knives in my eyes than go up in my dad's airplanes. So proud of them. I'll never forget this, man. Never. Bucket list #17...check.

Then we came home to brownie sundaes in front of the TV as Michigan beat Western Michigan in their season opener...and all was well in our world. We are blessed. Blessed, indeed.