Just An Average Sunday

After church and brunch, we headed home for a hike through the bamboo. Everyone tends to spend a lot of time out here, Patrick complete with safety goggles and machete or chainsaw, the kids with sneakers and a sense of adventure, and me with, well...trepedation. I'll take a run through the bamboo forest every few weeks or so, to see the latest progress, or the latest discovery.

Come with me on a trek down the hill ...

It's a jungle in there ...

Patrick excavates an old pump house, about halfway down the hill. See, he's standing on it!

Inside the tiny pump house

A huge boulder that the kids have claimed as their own. With chalk graffiti, of course.

Excavation site #2: A three walled foundation, quite large, with this tiny structure in the middle of the back wall. Thoughts? 

The western wall of the foundation, built into the hill.

We've made it down to the canal. This is the western view. Beyond the berm is a railroad track, then the actual James River.

The eastern view, with the Powhite Parkway bridge in the distance. The soft noise that lulls us to sleep at night.

Going out just as far as they can, before the fallen tree sinks them into the muddy bog.

Whoops, too far. Man down.

Big Apple: Part 2

We hit some of New York's major sights, of course, and braved the 100 plus degree weather.

Viewing the Statue of Liberty from afar

Checking out the paintings and sculpture
at the Museum of Modern Art

We made it back to the Lego store and Thomas
made his first big purchase with saved up
allowance and chore money.

Riding the subway

Popping in for a quick visit with Kendall and her two boys

Patrick at his beloved Federal Reserve

Rock climbing in Central Park

The Lion King -- a very fun night for the kiddos.

American Museum of Natural History 

Sweet Thomas wanted his picture taken
with each and every dinosaur

Big Apple: Part 1

Whew, it's been a long time since I posted here. Life got busy, school ended, sold the house, moved, and now we're finally settling in.  We took one big trip this summer, up to northern Vermont, by way of NYC. It's been a while since Patrick and I were up in New York and were excited to get back and to try it out on the kids.

We took this same road trip last summer (with a post-Vermont trip to Montreal instead of of New York before Vermont), and split it up into two days.

We attempted to mark each hundred miles with a photo, but didn't make it past three, as distractions like sleep, movies, detours and books seemed to get in the way!

We left our New York schedule remarkably unplanned, so with the exception of one Broadway show, we wandered, hit some museums, spent a lot of time in the park, popped into restaurants that looked interesting, and managed to fit in a visit with an old friend.

We happened (totally unplanned) upon the Lego store in Rockefeller Center. Total dream for Thomas!

I'm Officially "Yucky"

As we pulled the mail in today, Thomas sighed with much exaspiration (which seems to be common these days - what is he, a thirteen year old girl?). I was happy about the contents of the mail, but not Thomas.

"Uggg, Mom. It's just that yucky old-lady stuff."

My Heart Sings!!

After a very brief "rest time" --  measured by my ability to pack (1) kitchen utensils (2) a much-unused crock pot (3) an air-popcorn popper received as a high school graduation gift -- can you still believe I have it???! -- the children came bounding down the stairs, full of excitement.

T: Mommy, Mommy! We made a deal!

L: Ahhh, a deal. What kind of deal?

T: We decided that instead of going to the toy store, we would just switch!

They both appear in front of me, brandishing a super hero -- Thomas, a regular plastic Spiderman, sans head; Gabrielle, the "evil" black Spiderman.


T: Instead of getting new toys, we can just trade!!

This is apparently a major revelation.

G: Yea! Yea! Instead of having to do lots of jobs (audible sigh) to earn lots of money like always (another louder sigh), we can just SHARE! Can you believe it, Mommy?

I'll have to remind them of this the next time "I want _______! I want _______!" comes into play!

The Scene:  The kitchen, after a particularly messy spaghetti dinner. Laura is doing the dishes while the children lay on the floor looking at Thomas's "Human Body" book (which is a much more advanced book than one would typically buy for a 4 year old, but he loves it)

T: Mommy, what is this? pointing to a rather abstract looking illustration

L: Hmmm, let's see. walks over, and after realizing she has NO idea what it might be, reads the caption.  This is a cartilage-making cell, called a chondrocyte.

quiet ensues as the children contemplate this bit of biological wonder

G: Oh! Mommy! Come look at this. What is it?

repeat above situation, with the next caption explaining the illustration of the Organ of Corti (Do you know what this is? I did not.  It's in your ear...)

Again, quiet follows, as Laura manages to wash exactly one cup and one knife.

G: Wow! Look at this! What is it, what is it? (pointing at the enlarged image of a taste receptor cell)

T: Gabrielle, that is a ball.

I should've just gone that route in the first place.

Not a weapon

Add to the list of things you never expect to utter:




"Gabrielle, the udders are not a weapon. Please stop shooting your brother. "

Overheard ...

... as the children, still in jammies, take in a bit of the Flintstone Christmas movie (who knew the Flintstones celebrated Christmas?)


Gabrielle (to Thomas): 


Did you know? That if we watch too much TV, our brains will turn to mush?

Ummm, like oatmeal?

{a moment later, during a mush-inducing commercial break}

K-Mart Smart. What's K-Mart Smart?

When Boys Bake

On a recent playdate with a neighborhood friend, the boys did boy things ... they made guns out of Legos, dressed up like superheros, and shot at each other.

They also baked cupcakes ...

And decorated them in true boy fashion ...

A real Nightmare Before Christmas. 

Conversational Snippet

Gabrielle : Daddy doesn't have any hair! Daddy doesn't have any hair!

Thomas: when I grow up, I want to be just like daddy! I don't want to have any hair either!

L & P: groan

The Joy of New Snow

Nothing's better for a little boy than winter's first snowfall!

Trying to catch one?

While sister, who has had a bit of a fever this week, chose to stay where it's nice and warm. Smart girl!

And guess who snuck back out after dinner, just to work on his "pile"? (not quite enough for a snowman, but enough for a pile to jump in).

Trimming the Tree

This year's tree was a compromise of sorts.

Patrick desperately wanted the full-on colored lights, as we've traditionally stuck with the tiny white sparkle lights. I'm not typically a huge fan, but went with it, as long as I could put my bright, sparkly multi-colored ribbons cascading from the top, along with a bright red and purple tree topper. I think it turned out stunningly!

This year, we laid all the "kid" ornaments out for the muchkins to sort through and discover.

Gabrielle plays with the Tin Man, from the Wizard of Oz set made my my Grammy.

Elation at the discovery of Micky Mouse Santa?

The Cowardly Lion

Big boy climbing the ladder to get his ornaments just right.

Many of the kid's ornaments are clustered right under the tree in the same spot. Easy access, I suppose!