Bold As Love

Legacy

2010-11-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

If anyone knows Tom, you know that he ~~is obsessive about~~ likes hockey. From the time the ultrasound showed "boy!" you know he's been dreaming of the day his own son could be up on skates. So, when the opportunity to enroll in a learn to skate program arose-we grabbed it.

and so the day came, the son of Hendricks would take to the ice for the very first time

learning the ropes

a father beaming with pride

and take to the ice he has....this is a boy with no fear. This is a boy who will pop right back up on his feet after a fall. A boy who at 4 years old, and after just two short lessons, can make it from one blue line to the other and remain upright. And he LOVES it.

oh-hip checking is next week? my bad.

I got this

Whoa!

And it only took 45 short minutes of breathing in the rink air before Tom was digging out his equipment and lacing up his skates. Like father like son (and like son like father) The legacy continues...

Flavors of Fall, Vol. 2

2010-10-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

It's apple time! Apple cider, cider donuts, dumplings, caramel, and...pie!

gotta have pie.

first you need apples-so we headed out to the orchard

We had to pick out our pumpkins while we were there

nice pumpkins, Tom

you want us to what? look at you? at the same time? psssh.silly Mommy.


I'm on a horse

we picked those apples ourselves, y'all

Now it's time to make pie! look how yummy it looks already! Yes, I use pre-made crust. Now you know.

is there wine in all of my pictures?

Brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar. It will make people gasp and claim it's the best pie they've ever had. That's a tip from the legendary dessert queen herself-so take it and run. Don't expect me to be posting any cheesecake recipes anytime soon, though.

yum

my little helper...note the apple in her hair

And a few more pics of Apple Festival fun @ Wachusett Mountain

Time to get ready for Halloween...stay tuned for pumpkin guts and spooky fun!

Has anyone seen my sweet little baby?

2010-10-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

You always know when it's too quiet that you're about to find something bad. So this is what I found the other day...


insert heart attack here

What a little monkey! And thank you to the good people of Ikea for such a sturdy dresser. That thing didn't budge. Gotta love the Swedes.

Now, last night...the little monkey, the 18 month old little monkey, decided that she didn't want to be in her crib-so she climbed out. SHE CLIMBED OUT!! ACK! Thankfully this wasn't an all night activity-but she did climb out of her bed this morning and once again decided the top dresser drawer was a great place to play. *sigh*

aren't girls supposed to be calmer, quieter, less...crazy? I was looking forward to more tea parties and less gray hair inducing antics.

Hope you are all enjoying your Sunday....I'm off to buy duct tape and hair dye...

Flavors of Fall, Vol. 1

2010-10-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Autumn is the best time of year to cook. Everything smells SO good, makes you warm and cozy, is abundant and fresh...I could go on. Today I bring you Butternut Squash Ravioli. Or, my quick and easy version. This isn't really a recipe since I throw stuff together off the cuff, but here's what I did:

cheater ravioli...thank you to the good people of Stop & Shop

So, I started much the same way I start every meal...sauteing onions...

I added to that some butternut squash that I had already roasted that afternoon, a little veggie stock and some milk, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. I let it simmer down for a bit until it was a not too thick and not too thin consistency


this smells insanely good, trust me

add the cooked Ravioli and viola! dinner

add a salad...and you can even call it healthy!

and since you're being all healthy...have some pumpkin cookies for dessert!

Grandpa

2010-09-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

I had a few topics spinning around in my head for a blog post today, but then last night my Mom called to tell me my Grandfather had passed away a couple of hours prior. His deteriorating health made this less of a surprise, but still incredibly sad. I take comfort that he passed in peace at home with his family there with him.
so...
Today's post will be dedicated to Grandpa.
There are a few qualities that come to mind when I think of my Grandpa, but one thing stands out the most. He was strong. I mean, he was a big solid guy. A farmer. A craftsman. He had huge rough hands that showed the years of hard physical work. But to me, those were the hands that picked me up with every hug, that gently but quickly pulled the loose tooth, the ones that held me on his lap while waiters sang him Happy Birthday (at my insistence) even though I'm pretty sure he would have rather snuck out the back door.
Lots of my favorite memories of my Grandpa involve the farm. Every time we came to visit I think the first thing my brother and I did was to run out to the chicken coop to see the chickens and over to the barn to check out if any cows were there. Grandpa always involved us in the chores. We fed the chickens and gathered eggs. I recall him reluctantly agreeing to let a preschool aged Sara carry the eggs back to the house, which I of course promptly dropped on the walk back.
In addition to his full time job in a factory-Grandpa ran a slaughterhouse (the eventual fate for all those chickens and cows) All this exposure may very well have (almost certainly) been the start of my road to vegetarianism. But, I will tell you...you will NEVER laugh so hard as to witness an actual chicken with it's head cut off.
And of course, I think one of the highlights of the summer was always riding in Grandpa's pickup truck. We're talking riding in the bed of the truck across the countryside with the wind in our hair (yes, I know modern parents will clutch their pearls and gasp in horror!) Oh, what a glorious feeling it was.
I know his health these last several years was precarious, and it's been hard to watch. I am thankful everyday for the time I've had with him. I'm thankful that he was here to meet my children, and am thankful now that I can tuck them in at night knowing that he's watching over them. But, the Grandpa I will remember is the strong burly one. The one who raised the Thanksgiving turkey himself. The one who loved good wine and food (okay, that last one is subjective-he did have a taste for some ~~disgusting~~ odd things.) The one who, no matter how rough and gruff he seemed, had the softest, kindest heart.
I'm so happy you are at peace, Grandpa. I will miss you terribly. Be good.

Catching up

2010-09-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm hopelessly bad at this blogging thing, huh? My faithful 6 readers have probably been wondering what is up with us! It has been a jam packed summer! We took two trips to Michigan...One for the 4th of July @ the cottage

the cousins enjoying cookies for breakfast


learning to fish

and one to meet our new Niece Lilly!


sadly, the best cousins pic I could manage


isn't she just soooo precious?

and of course opportunity to spend some more time with family.


Four Generations

There were beach trips, festivals, and days at the park

Michigan Gothic

Parades, ball games, and fireworks

like Mardi Gras for kids, only with lollipops

And now it's time for back to school!

Nathan is in the 4 year old preschool class this year, with some familiar friends from last year and some new friends. He's geared up for a great year!

first day jitters

with his best girl Ava

Whew!

Now fall is in full swing, the cool crisp air has set in, and we have a lot to be thankful for. I hope to not be so lame and be a little better about keeping the blog up (I promise, Mom...) Feel free to add your comments, you know, so I know I'm not blogging into thin air. ;)

If you're interested in keeping up with my crafties...I blog about them here

Late to the party

2010-07-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

In my four (!) years of being a mom...I have never thrown a birthday party. I know, right? Now that Nathan has a classroom full of preschool friends-I thought I'd give it a whirl. I anticipated a very small party...how many people aren't already booked up or on vacation on a July Saturday? Well, it turns out a lot because nearly everyone was able to come! I had a great time putting this together-kid parties mean balloons, streamers, pinatas and goody bags, and cake with sugary, brightly colored icing! We did a soccer party per Nathan's request!

We set up a giant soccer goal in the backyard and had lots of balls for everyone to kick around. We also used it for kicking the soccer ball shaped pinata (instead of hanging and hitting with a stick!) The hit of the party was the bounce house, though! I think 4 year olds are instantly attracted to these things!

Nathan and Nathan

For dessert, we had cupcakes with green "grass" icing and soccer decorations. I found printable downloads here

such a boy, using his shirt as a napkin...

And of course, the madness that was opening birthday presents! Just TRY to hold them all back! Most of the pictures turned out like this:

It was truly a wonderful day, everyone had a blast! My baby boy is so lucky to have so many great friends. And even though I'm still cleaning up 3 days later...I would do it again in a heartbeat! Happy Birthday Nathan!

Paying it Forward

2010-05-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

Our little girl had surgery today. She had a dermoid cyst on the back of her skull that required removal. It's a basic procedure-one that would be done in the doctors office if it weren't for the fact that she's a baby. So, we we're in the day surgery department by 6:30 this morning. She was such a brave little girl, and the staff was absolutely smitten with her. They took such fantastic care of her, and the surgery was quick and easy with no surprises-just what we wanted to hear!

brave girl

So, because I'm feeling eternally grateful for many things right now, I thought it was the perfect time for this post. I was recently the lucky recipient of my friend Courtney's Pay it Forward contest. Thus, it's time for me to do just that! The rules are simple:

You must comment on this post. The comment must include something positive and/or awesome (about anything you'd like; it just needs to be happy!).

If you are a winner, I'll ask that you pay-it-forward on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, whatever...just commit to doing something nice for three people in the spirit of paying-it-forward. I am not picky.

You must trust me enough to send me your address. I am not a stalker or anything like that. Don't bother playing if you can't do that. Based on the people who read this, chances are pretty good that I already have your address.

If you don't intend to pay it forward, don't play.

I'll pick three winners at random next Friday, June 4th. Prizes are yet to be determined, but will be chosen specially for each winner.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you all! Good Luck!

xo

Anatomy of a first step

2010-04-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

That's right, people...we are heading into the toddler phase one step at a time! In the interest of full disclosure-these aren't her actual *first* steps, but it went something like this...

Whew...time for a break

And in case anyone was curious about the boy's seed project...here's the progress so far:
Tomatoes (and some basil in there)

And one lonely cucumber seedling...our peppers were a big fail.

Guess it's time to clean out the garden for these lovelies. A beautiful weekend is on tap, so the kiddos and I will be working on that (read: I will clean the garden and attempt to keep the girl from eating dirt while the boy makes himself and everything around him into a big dirt mess)

A year in the making

2010-04-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Our little Ellie Claire turned one! Even though having two kids has presented it's own challenges, I have to say it's been an absolute joy getting to know this little girl. It's been fantastic watching how she and her brother have grown and the relationship they've built. It's been *so* much fun shopping! LOL I can't wait for all the fun as we work our way towards age 2 (yikes!)

Ellie enjoying her birthday cake

A little sneaky peaky at her 1 year photos-thank you to the great staff at Picture People for somehow capturing these great pics of a fast moving little girl!

Looking forward to a great year ahead! Happy Birthday baby girl! We love you!

Mamas Gone Wild

2010-03-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Moms of young children everywhere dream of that elusive and rare magical event known as "Girls Night Out" (or GNO for short). It takes planning, it takes coordinating schedules, it takes finding something in your closet that is acceptably cute and not stained and cramming your muffin top into a pair of cute jeans (eek, guess it's time to lose the baby weight-more on that later!)...but it's all worth it for a couple of hours of hysterical laughter, ~~gossip~~ intelligent adult conversation, a couple of margaritas, and a hot uninterrupted dinner. No, it's not the partying of our pre-parenting days...but one thing is for sure. We arrive back home to our families refreshed and recharged and ready to resume our roles as Super Mamas. So, here's to you GNO-may you remain a regular occurrence in our crazy lives!

Ole!

Come On Spring!

2010-03-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

We're in the midst of a very wet Nor'easter here in New England...and what better way to lift the spirits and dream of spring than to get started on our garden. So, with the help of my trusty little companion-we planted a few seeds.

we like to use these little peat pellets-it's fun to watch them expand in water!

Now, although I manage a fairly successful garden each summer...I'm notoriously bad at seed starting. I wanted to do just a few, though, as a fun project for the little man. Here's hoping I don't dash all his horticultural dreams!
I mean, look at how proud he is!

he's checked them no less than 15 times since we planted them this morning and nothing yet! We'll keep you posted!

Sleeping through the night-a fractured fairy tale

2010-02-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

Most reasonable people understand that there will be some sleepless nights when they bring their sweet little bundle of joy home. Everyone hears their fair share of "you better sleep now ha ha ha" comments. So, when we did become parents for the first time-2am feedings were no surprise. Our first followed all the predictable sleep patterns and while he's had his share of regressions and sleepless nights...he's been a reliably good sleeper. We never had to use any "methods" on him. He was welcome in our bed and nursed on demand...but did none of these things to excess.
and then our little diva was born.
She did great the first few months...even sleeping through the night fairly early. I thought we were SO lucky! By 4 months it all fell apart. I didn't worry too much, most 4 month olds sleep like shit, that's no secret. But she never improved. We have the same policy with her-but she very much takes advantage of it, and often wakes every hour. I consulted with her pediatrician, who advised me to let her cry. I can't stomach that. We've been working on a gentler approach, which has been marred by viruses and ear infections.
So, we power on. She's only a baby once, and I try to remind myself of that. She won't always wake and beg to be close. I am quite certain that teenage Ellie would rather die than sleep in our bed. So for now, I'll hit the caffeine, and relish in her babyness.
and who could turn away this sweet little girl

Oh, right-I have a blog

2010-01-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

It's January 20th. I had at one point intended to do a "year in review" post for 2009.

So, in 2009 we said Hello to our dear Miss Ellie born in April we said goodbye to Grandma Wilhelm who lived every day of her 90 years the best she possibly could.
Nathan became a little boy and entered the world of school for the first time as a member of the class of 2024!

Now, already so much has happened in 2010. The Disaster in Haiti, Scott Brown (R) manages to surprise all and take the late Ted Kennedy's long held senate seat, Conan loses The Tonight Show almost faster than he got it....wow, not much for good so far!

Here in our house, we now have a 9 month old who is crawling, pulling herself up, and generally discovering the world of getting into mischief and keeping Mama on her toes. And, we have a 3.5 year old little boy who I'm quite certain is smarter than we are.

I've been knitting up a storm (a friend once said "I knit so I don't hurt people-so true-it's very meditative) and am working on selling some things in an effort to support my fiber habit. I probably spend too much time on this that I could be catching up on my sleep-but it's fun for me so oh well!

in conclusion, this being the most boring post ever, I wish all my readers (all 5 of you!) a happy and healthy New Year (late).

The Twelve Days of Christmas-A Post in Pictures

2009-12-31T06:57:00.000-08:00

getting ready to take treats to the Fire Station Christmas Eve

and was treated to a tour!

Preschool party-showing off his homemade ornament!

reindeer snacks

first big snowfall-it's going to be a white Christmas!

Christmas Morning!

Santa came!!!!!!

Food, Gas, Lodging

2009-11-29T20:24:00.000-08:00

What would posess two people to set out on a 17 hour roadtrip with a 3 year old and a 7 month old? I tend to think that at some point in that decision making process, an alien abduction occurs. It could only be other worldly creatures uttering the words "It'll be great! A few crayons and some snacks and we're all good! Over the river and through the woods...Manton here we come!"

After surviving a couple of these trips with our sanity barely intact-we decided to break out the big guns. Three little but oh so big letters...DVD's. Once upon a time before I was a parent (and therefore, was a perfect parent) I silently judged the ones who resorted to watching programs in the car. "Don't kids watch enough TV?" I chided. It turns out that toddlers don't give a hoot what you spy with your little eye. They have zero interest in state license plates, padiddles, punch buggys, or cows. In fact, they can only be entertained for a maximum of 12 seconds before they are screaming for something else. This only leaves two frazzled parents, one trying to drive and one who may have not so proudly threatened to leave their child at a rest area.

So, This Thanksgiving vacation...we let Lightening McQueen, Woody, and Dora do the entertaining. It proved to be a mostly enjoyable albeit long drive. There were still several occasions where I had to wedge myself into the backseat to retrieve a binky or serve a snack-but I can live with that.

And a wonderful week it was. It certainly had it's high points, and it's low points...but, for certain, we left being profoundly thankful for the life we have and the love of family.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Seasons Of Change

2009-10-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

Fall is fully upon us, and as I watch the leaves change color and fall to the ground-it makes me think of all the cycles and changes we see in our lifetimes. Don't worry...I won't get all poetic and profound in this post. =p But, change is all around us now. Ellie sprouted two teeth this month. Nathan started preschool and is suddenly such a little boy-not one shred of baby about him anymore (except when I try to rock him before bed...which he willingly complies with. I think he understands.) The hubs and I have had many a late night chat about our goals as a family-and we're hoping with the rebirth of the spring will come the change that we need. In the meantime, we'll be enjoying the upcoming holidays with our favorite little people...enjoying a trip to the Midwest for some good ol' fashioned family fun (and pie!), and prepare for the next step. Hopefully a new laptop makes it in there, too, so I don't go weeks without a blog post.

Now, Please enjoy pictures of my gorgeous children!

Baking with a 3 year old-a Lesson in Patience

2009-10-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ahh...Fall. Changing leaves, crisp fresh apples, and of course-pumpkin cookies! I promised Nathan we would bake some when he woke from his nap today. Nathan is an eager little helper, so he couldn't be happier at the prospect of creating something yummy. And, what a sweet way for Mommy and Son to spend the afternoon together (awwwwww).

Pumpkin Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup canned pumpkin

Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting

Nathan's all set to start

Ellie the Chief Supervisor

combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and allspice. Set aside.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 Seconds. Beat in the sugar.

Add the egg (this is Nathan's favorite part)

Pick shells out of the bowl (I added this step)

Stir pumpkin and flour mixture into egg mixture

lick the beaters, because that is your god given right

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned

mmm...fresh out of the oven!

Frost the cooled cookies with Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting. Oh.My.Yum.

Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting: In a medium saucepan heat 6 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar over medum heat until butter melts. Remove mixture from heat. Stir in 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough hot water (2-3 teaspoons) to make a smooth, spreadable frosting. Frost cooled cookies immediately after preparing frosting.

So, I didn't include the meltdown over who would use the mixer. I didn't detail the number of times Nathan was sent to wash his hands for various reasons (I'll just let you assume-he is 3 after all), or the various breaks taken to entertain/feed/change the Divine Miss E, who has been particularly diva-licous lately. In all, we had a good time and the cookies are yum. Too bad I'll have to share them!

I Love A Parade

2009-09-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

Someone once said to me "no one really likes parades, anyways..." Au contraire my friend-I actually love a parade. I love the merriment, the marching bands, the grown men driving tiny little vehicles, sitting on the curb and catching tootsie rolls...I love all of it.

The last few weeks of summer have been a parade of activity. Ellie took her first airplane ride on a girls trip to Michigan to visit (and in most cases-meet for the first time) family. It was a fantastic week catching up, exploring Northern Michigan, trying new things, eating too many cookies, and just relaxing with family. It was a bittersweet departure, we wanted very much to extend our stay-but missed our boys terribly. They claim they missed us, too, but I know they had a bachelorific week filled with late nights, questionable hygiene, and McDonald's takeout!

My bro and I-we always have a good time together...particularly if the kegerator is involved!

The original Miss Ele with our own little Miss Ellie

Immediately upon our return we headed up to Fitzwilliam, NH for a day of camping fun with our fantastic neighbors Drew & Crystal. Nathan had a blast playing with their grand kids Dylan and Felicity, "driving" Drew's boat, and we enjoyed a delish picnic buffet. These campers don't mess around...there was some freakin' good food here!

And what would a Labor Day Monday be without a hometown parade? Growing up, the weekend always culminated in Manton's Harvest Festival parade...always standing in our spot next to the mini-mart-we delighted in the music, floats, Lutke trucks, Dynomite the clown, grown men driving little vehicles (you may have noticed-this is my favorite!) and of course the shower of candy. Though my own children have yet to experience this longstanding tradition-I'd be derelict in my duties as a Mother if I didn't find a parade for them today. Marlboro, MA provided just exactly what I was looking for. Nathan thoroughly enjoyed every minute, Ellie slept peacefully through the whole thing, and we came home with a sugar high and a gigantic Diego balloon.

taking candy inventory

I DO love a parade!

Now go to bed, it's a school night after all!

Beach Day FAIL

2009-08-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

It sounded simple enough. It was a beautiful summer day, one of very few we've had during this short season, a beach day seemed like a no brainer. So, we packed up 4 kids and the insane amount of stuff they require, and headed up to New Hampshire's wildly popular and delightfully cheesy Hampton Beach. What could go wrong?

I don't know...was it the 12.5 mile back up that turned a "little over an hour" drive into at least 3? (note to self, do not suck down a Dunkin' Donuts ice coffee in the car without knowing precisely when your next bathroom break is going to be.)

was it the very poor decision to drag strollers down onto the sand?

Or was it not considering the rising tide before snagging that "perfect" spot on the beach? We got washed out not once. Not twice. But at least four or five times. Two mommies scrambling to move all our stuff out of waters way while one child runs full boar into the ocean, one infant on a hip, one wailing about the injustice of it all, and one...wait...where is that one? Oh, she's decided to play with the family next door.

It wasn't long before-frazzled and fried-we packed up our soggy possesions, rounded up the children, and schleped our way back up the beach (did I mention what a bad idea it was to drag strollers onto the sand?) to make our way back to our coveted $20 parking spot.

Okay, so it wasn't ALL bad. The kids had fun. Nathan surprisingly was a huge fan of the ocean and wanted to spend all his time in there. This came as quite a shock to me, as you might remember it was only a year ago that the mere mention of going near the ocean would send the poor child into panic mode. He's come a long way since then.here is the little beach bum enjoying the water

Nathan and his best girls

Ellie enjoying her first beach day

We're making memories, kids. Making memories. Now, excuse me...Mommy needs a drink...

aaaaaaand we're back

2009-08-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Since the birth of our wonderful daughter, it's been non stop here! My once (mostly) lovingly tended to blog entirely focusing on the boy has been sorely neglected. It only made sense to create a whole new place to share our lives as a family of 4. Life with two kids has a whole lot of ups, some downs, a lot of noise, and a ridiculous amount of toys and stuff!

Nathan just turned 3 in July and is proving to be hilarious, intelligent, energetic, and tall! (seriously, who would have thought?) He's also potty trained which totally rocks our world. One more poopy pull up was surely going to send us over the edge into parenting insanity.

here is Nathan enjoying some summertime fun

Elizabeth (affectionately known as Ellie, Ellie Belle, Miss Ellie, The Divine Miss E, Sweet Pea, Chica, and Princess) is 4 months old, fantastically chubby, and a cooing drooling ball of love. She is really a laid back little girl (no choice there, big brother is a force to be reckoned with!) who sleeps great for which we are eternally greatful.

The kidlets in a rare moment of cooperating for the camera

and with that....Miss Ellie needs a paci replaced and Nathan is on his 4th viewing of Blues Clues (hey, it's a rainy day, don't judge...).