Legacy

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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!