ATM

Heading home from our trip Rick stopped to get some cash from the ATM in the airport ('cause we'd burned though all we had!) Jacob went with him & they had this conversation;

Jacob: Wow! That's a lot of money.
Rick: Yup.
Jacob: How much is that?
Rick: $580

Pause

Jacob: How much did it cost you to get $580?
Rick: $3

Pause

Jacob: That's a good deal!

Rick did explain that it was his money to begin with so it had really cost him $3 just to get his own money but I think I like Jacob's idea of how ATM's work better!

WONDER

I don't buy that many books any more. Our bookshelves are full to bursting and we've even boxed up a lot of the "baby" books and put them in the attic or given them away. My kids are getting older and moving beyond the picture books they loved to read over & over & over again.
Most chapter books are read once and then they move on, so I say "Save our pennies and make use of the library!"

I can't remember how I first heard a review of this book last fall but I KNEW INSTANTLY it was a book our family needed to own. I read it right though - ignoring the laundry, the to do list and the clock that told me I should be getting some sleep. I teared up, I cried, I laughed and I eventually sobbed.

At our house, we rarely talk about how Rick looks.
Mostly because we never think about it.
We don't even notice it.

To me he is my best friend, loving companion, the father of my children, the guy who makes me laugh, and is sometimes annoying. He's the guy who "gets me". I would rather spend time with him than anyone. He's brilliant. I adore him and when I look at his face I see handsome. I see him.

To the kids he is "Dad." He is hilarious. He's the one to go to when Mom says no. He's the fun one. He's the guy who sneaks you candy. He's the tease. He's homework help and bike riding lessons. He's who you ask about sports. He's snuggles at bedtime and coaching on the soccer / lacrosse / baseball field. And so, so much more.

And all of that takes up so much room in our hearts and in our lives that we forget that he doesn't look "normal".

But Rick doesn't forget.
It's part of the reason we don't talk about it (and I hope he isn't mad at me for this blog post.)  For so much of his life he was defined by how he looks. I know he had a lot of negative experiences as a child and especially as a teenager. Yet, the irony is that I think those challenges strengthened him and made him who he is. It brought out his inner awesome.
When we are out together I often notice people sneaking sideways glances or doing a double take. He lives with that 24/7. Kids and rude adults often ask him point blank "What happened to your face." He's always nice to the kids.
He just ignores the adults.

Though his "congenital birth defect" is much less severe than in the book, reading "Wonder" gave me some insight as to what it might have been like for Rick as a kid and in school. I hope it gives that to our children too but most importantly I hope it fills their hearts with an understanding of the importance of kindness.

It's less than $9 on Amazon here.  
Trust me, your kids need to read this book. It's worth every penny.

Emily Bakes

Emily is part of the Marine Science Club at school. They are hosting a bake sale soon, so she made a whole bunch of sugar cookies.

Can I tell you how much I adore that she is competent in the kitchen?

LOVE, LOVE this girl!!

I really liked how the cookies ready to be lifted looked like sharks swimming together?

Maybe circling pray?

2013 - So far, not that impressive.

So here's what's happened this year;

The hot water heater was leaking carbon monoxide and had to be replaced.

The wall oven broke - improperly installed.

The dishwasher broke - improperly installed.

They couldn't fix the dishwasher because the outlet was (incorrectly) installed behind the refrigerated drawers. Which they couldn't get out because (you guessed it) they were installed incorrectly. They had to cut through the side of the kitchen cabinet and cut off the back leg from the drawer housing.

When the electrician was putting the drawers back in he gouged the wooden floors.

The brake lights in Rick's car needed to be replaced.

The transmission in my car needed a repair.

Jacob said he saw a mouse in the basement. We weren't sure if we should believe him but put out traps just in case and have killed 3 .... so far. I am totally grossed out.

So we're not off to an auspicious beginning and the builder is not on my list of friends anymore.

I thought having a brand new house would eliminate these kind of problems!

It can only get better from here, right?

Oh Christmas Tree

Back when I was in college (which now is seeming oh, so long ago) I had a dear friend who went with her family every year to their cabin in Bear Lake for Thanksgiving and then cut their own tree the day after Thanksgiving. It just sounded so romantically Christmas-wonderful to me and I wished we had that tradition (and a cabin in Bear Lake!)

I married Rick and we moved to Brooklyn, where we actually had our own tree tradition of sorts. Each year some guys would come down from Nova Scotia and set up a tree lot not far from our apartment. Rebekah and I would walk down and take them hot chocolate. Rebekah was learning French at the time and would "practice" on them. We'd pick a tree and wheel it home in our grocery cart and have it all set up with lights to decorate when Rick got home from work. We did that for 5 years.

Then we moved to the suburbs and I heard there was a tree farm not too far away in Connecticut where you could go and CUT YOUR OWN TREE. Every year since I have asked Rick if we can go cut out own tree. That suggestion is usually met with a sigh, a pause and a "Can't we just get it at Stew's?" Rick is a pretty good sport about most things I want to do (hello, have you seen what I get him to dress up as for Halloween!) but for some reason the thought of - as he puts it - "tromping for miles in the woods in the freezing cold just to have to cut your own tree when you find it" - isn't appealing. So we always get it at Stew's, where they have beautiful trees for a great price, trim the bottom and load it wrapped onto your car for you.

BUT

This year is our first year in our new house and I want it to be Christmas-wonderful. AND now we live in Connecticut, even closer to the tree farm. At Jacob's baptism my friend Desiree said they had gone the day before to cut their own. How was it? I asked excitedly. Her reply? "Magical!"

I started to hatch a plan to go cut our own but quickly realized that with a swim meet and basketball game, the cub scout rocket launch, a birthday party & a baby shower all the following Saturday it wasn't going to happen. The Scouts were selling trees at the church and to be (begrudgingly on my part) supportive we decided to get one from them. The kicker - because of the crazy day Rick and the kids would go and choose one without me while I was at the baby shower. Gulp. I reminded them to get the "fullest one" the one that was "the fattest around" and left.

When I got back the tree was in the house. It's pretty and tall but not at all full. I figured we'd live with it. Rick asked what I thought and I said "It's not very full" "They didn't have that many to choose from" I know - it's here, it'll be fine."

Then I called Em and asked how come she didn't finish cleaning the mud room floor "I wasn't sure if you were going to take the tree out" she said kind of gesturing with her head. Yep, the 11 yr old knew it wasn't what I wanted. I know this is ridiculous but I might have shed a few tears - which made Rick feel bad, and kind of mad. "Let's just hurry to the tree farm and get a new tree then".

I pointed out that there wasn't time because I had to get Jane to the birthday party in a couple of hours. He insisted that we could zip up there, get a tree and be back in time. I explained that it wasn't just the tree I cared about - it was the experience. Taking the kids and the dog and ambling through the woods together, getting hot chocolate after we'd chosen it and singing Christmas songs in the car on the way home (yeah, I haven't planned this out at all!) We compromised. Jane's birthday party was in our old neighborhood. While she was there I would run to Stew's and choose a fuller tree. We'd move the "scout tree" into the music room and put the new one in the family room and NEXT YEAR go to the tree farm.

Later that night when the kids were all in bed and I was vacuuming up pine needles, the primary song "Picture a Christmas" was going though my head. Especially the line "picture the little baby Jesus, think of his life and love so dear. Sing praise to him, remember him as you picture Christmas this year." I felt a bit guilty for making such a big deal over the tree and something that really is not the true meaning of Christmas. Then I thought some more - I hadn't realized that the tree meant so much to me. Why? I am often always up late on December nights and having the tree glowing so beautifully with Christmas music playing in the background makes Christmas preparation seem special rather than just work. But it was more than that. I realized that seeing the decorations brought back pieces of Christmases past and the kids when they were younger - their "baby's first" ornaments, the one's made of crepe paper and glue with their smiling pre-school faces in the middle, the glitter shedding offerings from their babyhood. There are a few we've gathered on travels and the collectible ornaments that I give them each year that I hope will someday grace the trees they decorate as they establish their own families. Our tree brings me memories - all in one place in soft glowing peaceful lights. So, I am going to embrace the fact that I love our tree and try to remember that it's not how we get it but what it represents - love and family that matters most.

With that sorted out, we happily decorated it the next day while listening to Christmas music and enjoying Tim Tam slams afterwards.

And it was Magical.

 

 

 

Jacob's Baptism

Jacob turned 8 in October, which means he is old enough to be baptized.

My Dad had been super busy at work and we wanted him to be able to be here, so we decided it would be best to baptize Jacob after the election. My parents and Liesa were planning on coming to spend Thanksgiving with us and that seemed like it would be a perfect time.

I can't believe my sweet baby boy is already so big (I'm sure he'll pass his Dad and I up by the time he is 12.) He is such a good boy. He really does want to please us and choose what is right - it's just sometimes hard to remember :) We are really proud of the decision he made to be baptized and hope it is one in a lifetime of good choices.

It was wonderful to have Liesa's family there and Mum & Dad and several friends and for him to feel so loved and special. We were delighted they were able to attend.

I have decided that the person who is organizing the baptism and worrying about filling the font and having a pianist and making copies of programs and music and getting food and house guests to the church should NOT be the one taking pictures. I only grabbed a couple before we went into the church and then didn't pick my camera up again until we were gathering things to take home. Two of his friends from church were baptized the same day and it would have been great to get a picture of them all together - or a picture of my whole family, or him with the visiting family.

Can't believe I didn't think of it. I think in the future I will offer to take pictures (or take over other duties so someone else can) at every friends baptism!

At least I got a couple of my boys outside all in white and ready. They look so handsome.

 

We love you our baptized boy!

Train Show

We love to go to the Train Show at the New York Botanic Gardens. They hold it each year from just before Thanksgiving until right after New Years. Usually we go in December but since my parents were going to be here we thought we'd go just before Thanksgiving. I figured the day after would be a mob scene. It was a brilliant plan - we picked the kids up from school when their half day ended and headed right there. The place was deserted and we had ample time to walk around slowly enjoying the display sans crowds.

When Jacob was a toddler I'd go multiple times while the girls were in school, mid-week and it would be quiet and warm inside and he could wander all over the place and look at the trains. The sunny and warm Conservatory reminded me of those sweet days with him.

They call it the "train show" and the trains are cool - and what Jacob always wants to see - but the real attraction is the building replica's made from twigs, leaves, seeds and other things from the garden. I think a lot of what makes this so great for me is that so many of these buildings have played a part in our lives here and our memories ... the games we've been to at Yankee Stadium, the days we've spent exploring the Museum of Natural History, books we've read in the NY Public library, the times we've played in Central Park and passed the fountain - or the night Rick proposed to me there... I love this city and I love to see it represented so beautifully. They are simply amazing and my pictures won't do them justice but here they are anyway.

I think this was new this year, I don't remember it from last time. The replica of Macy's is just as impressive as all the other buildings.

Amazing.

 

Statue of Liberty.

Jacob has loved the train show ever since he was tiny and we had to carry him.
He really loves going each year. Such a cute boy!

Under the Brooklyn Bridge.

I'm not sure why the Little Red Lighthouse is placed here in the display - they have a George Washington Bridge and it would be much more accurate to put it under there.

The Little Red Lighthouse.
This story has been a favorite of ours since our Brooklyn days when Emily was a toddler.

New York Public Library.

One of my favorite NY buildings, we have a large print of it in our family room.

 Love, love the details and that every one is a replica of an actual building.

Emily & Grandpa.

 The planetarium at the Museum of Natural History - one of our favorite places to visit.

Yankee Stadium

 

One of the Brooklyn Bridge towers with it's beautiful Gothic arches.

Bethesda Fountain

St. Patrick's Cathedral.

 

The Guggenheim

 

Empire State Building, Chrysler Building (love), Rockefeller Center (complete with angels lining the walkway and a "big" tree), Radio City Music Hall, the Met Life Building and the New York Stock Exchange.

 

and with the people I love.

The Haupt Conservatory - where the Train Show is held.

Don't those flowers look fake?

The plants they have in there & growing all around the displays are so beautiful and vibrant.

I just realized I don't have any pictures of the trains. Ha. I guess you can tell what I am really there for. My kids do like watching them though & following them along the tracks as they go in and out of buildings, over the bridges and though the tunnels. They have two small one's that look like ladybugs that are their favorites and they always search for those first.

 After we see the trains the kids always want to head over to the Gingerbread Adventures. They plant wheat and grind spices and learn about which plants "become" gingerbread.

And there are lots of cool rocks to climb on and mazes to run through in the Children's Garden on the way over there.

And to wrap it all up they "decorate" a gingersnap.

We love this holiday tradition of ours and loved sharing it with Grandma & Grandpa.

Fall Crayon Making

We've made heart shaped crayons for Valentine's Day before and this time we thought we'd try our hand at some fall one's.

First we collected a bunch of crayons in the colors we wanted to use. Most of these are actually from a new box because I still don't keep broken crayons around the house ...

Then peeled off the papers.

 The kids did some but Dad was WAY faster with a knife.

I always love how the discarded papers look - like a bunch of colorful reptiles shed their skins.

We divide them by color as we sort them.

Breaking them into smaller pieces works well for the melting too.

 I think I say "Don't sit on the counter" at least 600 times a day ... but when I see them happily working together on a project, I turn a blind eye.

 

Then we filled the mold with the crayons.

And put them into the oven at 300F degrees for 20 minutes or so.

While they waited for the crayons I had them sort through their Halloween candy. They take out anything that they don't like (surprisingly quite a lot of things) and anything I won't let them have - the super sticky, chewy stuff that will stick in their teeth. That usually reduces the candy load by at least half :)

 

Once the crayons were done we let them cool.

And packaged them up to give away to friends. Which I forgot to take a picture of!

But the finished product looked a lot like these - from Kiwi crate where I saw the idea. I liked the more yellow leaves the best but my kids were really in love with the more brown and red one's. All of them were beautiful.