550 Miles* (and Pounds) Later...

After the Turkey Day celebration, we rested up and then took off for our weekend adventure to Corning. Since Anne and Adam were in town from Seattle for the holiday, we couldn't resist a trip to the Crystal City. Alas, it got shortened from a two-night excursion to an overnight one when the B-man started hacking like a lifetime smoker, but we managed to pack lots of activity into those 24 hours!

Brooksie with his A(u)nn(t)ie Kate (and a candle, of course):

Our fabulous hosts, Emily and T:

Although a few of us might have dined at Aniello's late Friday night, the gang returned on Saturday for lunch before we left town. It was PACKED but the guys managed to pounce on an emptying table so we could all snuggle in for some serious eating.

Les Soeurs Havalchak with their sub:

And the rest of the table. And, um, Adam wasn't even eating. (In my defense, I shared most of my calzone!!)

In case you're thinking that B looks a little bit out of it in the pic above... here's what he really looked like:

He barely made it out of there without falling asleep. But he managed to keep it together long enough to see this classic Corning Christmas scene on our way out!

All we needed was snow and it would've been perfect!

(*roundtrip mileage)

Where Our Paths Diverge

The Wegmans bulk candy aisle.

The big guy's selections:

And mine:

We're back from a quick trip to Corning to see the newlywed Seattleites (& fam)! Stay tuned for Monday's post o' pictures from our adventure!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Giving Thanks

For the first time in several years, my family did not come this way for Turkey Day. While we missed their visit, we enjoyed a wonderful feast with our local "family":

Did I mention it was a feast? Starting at the top and going clockwise: sausage stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, brussels sprouts (Carrie K, they were tasty!), mashed potatoes, turkey, and rolls:

It's kinda hard to distinguish the turkey from the mashed potatoes in the photo above, so I thought I'd better do a little extra feature on the tastiness that was the gobbler. Here's what we found when we pulled into the driveway--E & C hard at work on the deep frying:

And then FAC used her weaponry skills to do some carving! The meat was so yummy and juicy!

Oh, and we're sure thankful for this guy, too!

(This pic cracks me up-- I've just pulled Raffie out of his hands but, as you can see, he's still sucking his thumb. Then apparently he also felt the need to stick in his other hand, too, as he's been doing for some time now in what I assume is a 2-year-molar-teething thing!!)

It's Not Just Thanksgiving Today!

It's also this turkey's birthday!

(according to the back of the photo, it was printed in september, 1982. that makes him only a year or so older than the big guy is now. CRAZY!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS-- Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Woe is Number 3

From the Adventures in Counting file...

The B-man LOVES to do some post-sleep counting:



But going beyond 2 is tricky business. You never know what might happen.

Physical Destruction:



Or even Oral Destruction!!



Better luck next time, 3!

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

While it looks here like B isn't so sure about the new wheels...

...I think he quickly realized there's still lots of fun to be had!!

(No, I didn't ever get my kid out of PJs yesterday. Wanna make something of it?! :-)

The 2008 Ford Escape might not have a stick shift, but at least the "Big Clown in a Little Truck" era has ended. I'm going to have an adjustment, though-- I've gotten quite used to hearing the big guy arrive home well before the truck was actually at our house!

Goodbye, Old Friend

(working on the big truck clean-out)

After 13 years on the road (10 of which were with the big guy), the little turquoise truck is going to the great beyond. Not sure what B will do without "DADDY'S TRUCK" but I'm sure he'll cope somehow. The "new" wheels will be picked up today after school, so stay tuned for their introduction to our world.

I can tell you this much-- the new vehicle has 2 things going for it that Little Blue didn't: 1) it has a backseat so B can ride in it, and 2) it's not standard so I can drive it. What this means is that the guys no longer have to be under house arrest if I go somewhere (which occasionally happened all day or even overnight), AND that we can actually meet up somewhere in 2 cars and then have the guys go home in one while I do something else on my own. After having not been able to do either of these things in the last almost-two years of having a child, I am SUPER excited.

Now, you might be thinking, "Emily, a lot of the above stress could've be ameliorated by you learning to drive a stick shift." And you would be correct. If you've known me for any amount of time, however, you know that I don't like to do anything "scary" or "risky." I didn't get my license until my senior year of high school because driving terrified me. Recent road mishap not withstanding, I think I'm actually a darn good driver but it was a long process getting me comfortable behind the wheel. The thought of a return to "OMG, we are going TOO FAST and I AM GOING TO DIE" kinds of thoughts is just not appealing! So hooray for us being a two-automatic-car family!

From Grime to Sublime

Whenever I sweep the kitchen floor (which is now SO much more often than it used to be pre-toddler!!), B likes to get really up close and personal with the grit:

But he cleans up quite glamorously!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Flowers and Berries...Must be Spring?

But wait, it's not. It's November! So why in the world are there fields of pink wildflowers along the highways?

(I know--kinda hard to see. But I was driving 70 mph and shooting out the window, after all!)

And in other nature news...we've lived in our house almost 6 years and I really don't remember ever knowing that the big bushes by our front doors grow berries. I'll let you guess how I've figured it out:

Just Like the Big Guy

B wants to be just like his daddy in many ways-- but one was paramount yesterday:

The big guy arriving home from school. See what B was trying to emulate?

Game time: "Find the (Omnipresent) Pen"! (Sometimes it's harder than others) Go: here, here, here, here, and here!

The little guy never did figure out that it was easier to go from the top rather than trying to push up from the bottom!

Eventual defeat:

From Her Head to Your Screen

Forget me saying I have no skills. I now can read the mind of B's twinsie, Cady-bug!!!

C: Man, I sure wish that Brooksie would share his Kashi Honey Sunshine with me! Doesn't he look SMOOTH? Well, except it's kinda weird how his browns don't match. Maybe his mother can buy him some clothes here at Kohl's with her 30% off coupon.

C: BROOKSIE! We are supposed to be SITTING for this picture! And get your finger out of your mouth. That is SO RUDE!

C: (aside to audience) whoo-wee, this guy is difficult

C: I'm a liberated woman and am taking matters into my own hands. SIT DOWN, MISTER.

Hmmmm....

...he seems a little young for facial scruff:

Oh right. It's peppermint mocha:

SO glad we treated ourselves to a tasty beverage after church yesterday!

On the Plus Side, the Guys in this House Have Much More Time to Play!

Thanks to the (ceaseless) generosity of FAC and Eric, I was able to go to the playoff game last night with Seth's dad, who flew in yesterday for the game. (And when I say "for the game," I mean it: it's 7:17 AM and he's already on his way to the airport to fly out.) After not having seen a game all year, I was so excited to actually sit and watch the kids play.

And play they did. It has rained for days and the field was seriously muddy. How much that might have impacted play will never be known, but MAN was it a tough game. 0-0 at halftime. 7-7 at end of regulation. 7-7 at the end of the first OT. And 14-7 at the end of double OT, with the Rams on the losing end. A heartbreaker, to be sure.

This part of the season is always agonizing with "might have beens" but the fact is that before the two former Stormin' Warriors took over as offensive and defensive play-callers for the Rams, it had been a long time since the team had a record above .500. This year's playoff appearance was the first time the school had hosted a playoff game in school history! They've made a huge impact on the kids--and that is really what coaching is about.

Go Rams!!!

PS-- Proof that Big D was here:

(B loved that B on the shirt!)

Be Still, my Bargain-Lovin' Heart

I recently received a box of books sent by my parents. (Side note: if you don't know about the bargain that is the USPS Media Mail rate when mailing books, it is AMAZING!) In it were not only some selections that my grandmother had let me choose from her bookshelf the last time I visited her, but also my latest bargain finds that didn't fit into my suitcase when I returned home the other week.

During my jaunt to Dripping Springs to visit Seth's family, his mom and I went into their local community thrift store to check things out. Not surprisingly, I soon found myself in the children's book section. (Side note: I might have an addiction.) I didn't see any prices listed anywhere but I picked out a variety of books and figured the price would be somewhere in between a used book store and a yard sale. I retreated to the checkout counter where the lady eyed my stack and said, "That looks like a 1/4 of a bag." Wondering how much a bag of books was, I looked up and noticed a sign behind her that gave me the info: 1 bag of children's books for $1.

So yes, indeed. I got all these books for 25 cents. AWESOME.

And in other bargain news, the big guy laughed when I showed him this coat from a local secondhand shop, and said the hood would make B look like a homeless person. Admittedly, I probably wouldn't ever select this coat from a new store selection, but for $2.50??? I'll take it!

(Crazily enough, I happened across this exact same coat at a local kids consignment shop. Their price? $14. Suckers.)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

PS-- GO RAMS!!!

Talking Turkey

Nah, let's talk about side dishes instead.

I feel like we're ripe for some audience-participation! So here's what I'm wondering-- aside from turkey, what dish really makes Thanksgiving for you? What would you choose if you could only have one other thing?

I'll start: sweet potato casserole with marshmallows.

Go.

DADDY'S TRUCK!!!!!!!!!

We hear these words all.the.time. And a good 65% of the time, daddy's truck isn't actually there. (Another of B's favorite expressions: "GONE!"...which may or may not be used accurately to much humor.)

When daddy's truck is at home, however, it is the #1 desired play place for the little guy. Now, if only the big guy can convince him that the CD slot is NOT for inserting coins ("MONEY"!!!)...

How Tall is He?

Oh, about as tall as a stack of nesting alphabet blocks:

We left shortly thereafter to head to B's audition for the pilot of "The Sopranos: Beginnings." Don't worry, we added the gold chain before we left!

(Thanks to AKH(G) for the fabulous leisure suit!!!)

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

We hope you have a great week!

An Apple-licious (and Opa-licious!) Weekend

We set out Friday to take care of some apple-pickin' business. This is pretty much the tail end of apple season in these parts, so we were relieved that there were still some to pick.

There were 3 varieties left: Enterprise, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady:

There were also wheels:

And cauliflower:

And purple cabbage:

And shoulder-rides:

Then it was time to get down to the treat-production business. B-man stood guard as Opa worked his favorite toy, the Squeezo Strainer:

Opa got a little crazy.

So long, apple peels!

Hello, apple butter!

And PIE! (mmmmmm.....pie)

Thanks for coming to visit, Opa! We love you!

Go Rams!

I don't know-- I'm thinking we might have another COTY in the house!!

The regular season ended last night with a 28-7 victory, making his first season as Varsity Defensive Coordinator a big one at 8-1. The Rams will be the first seed in the playoffs which begin next week.

Clearly, the win last night was helped in large part by these spirited orange folk, right?!

(Opa would like you to know that the frozen smile is due to befuddlement at the self-timer!)

(***UPDATED) How Hard is it to Get a Pic of a Kid and His Books?

Pretty hard, apparently. And doesn't my skinny child look almost portly in this photo? (SCORE!)

I hear that it's normal for children to want the same book(s) read over and over. And over. It's kinda a whole new thing when the literature in question is no longer a fun--short!--board book, however. These 3 books are B's current faves. At least the 2 on the left rhyme: being able to sing-song the words makes it easier. But the Arizona version of The Three Little Pigs from Aunt Nicki (or "Ningi" as is said around here) is seriously large and in charge. And he LOVES it! How long before I have to start reading War and Peace aloud? (Hmm-- maybe that's not all bad since I've never read it myself!)

***Voila! A wonderful solution to my reading fatigue:


HAPPY FRIDAY! We're off to pick apples with Opa!