Signing off

O my God! Two months since I have posted.  November through Holy Week are such rear-end kickers at work and at home -- work for obvious reasons and home because I want to make things special. The two don't mix so well.  After yesterday I could do without holidays for a while. Sure the skunking at yesterday's feast has something to do with it. Seriously, from out of nowhere came a skunk (probably rabid) and he tried to breed one of the dogs and got his face in through the kitchen door.  And we thought the biggest problem would be a late turkey.

Don't look for much more here. Facebook is where it's at and it takes a lot less of my time to post pictures and updates there.

Copying

I am going to copy the ladies over at www.jessfinds.blogspot.com and make my Hanna wish-list for Patrick. I have actually bought him several cute things lately both from the real shop and on e-bay. He will need more as nothing from last winter still fits. I do think now that he's 2 and his growth has really, really slowed down that he will fit into these things again next year. Size 80 in pants. 80 or 90 in shirts. Seven in shoes.

First Riding Lesson

Yes, they make paddock boots, helmets, and breeches for toddlers. The way this works is one person leads the pony around while the other has hands ready to catch a slipping tot. Patrick really didn't require much assistance, though. He has another lesson this weekend. His pony is Jolie.

When is doubt....

When your child wakes up in the wee hours making a reverse croup sound on air intake and you are bleary-eyed not sure what the hell is going on, call 911. That was our morning and he needed an immediate dose of prednisone. So much better now. It is croup. I had heard the croup cough before but never the sound of breathing distress. I ahve never dialed 911 but so glad I did.

We are a racist nation.

Look at what far too many white Americans believe about African-Americans. We ought to be ashamed. We need to repent.


http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-obama-race

Tagged

I got tagged by Jess G. I a virgin meme writer so go easy on me.

Joys:

1. Fall breezes through open windows (my house smells so clean right now)

2. homemade totally-from-scratch and a so fresh flour tortillas

3. Patrick holding his hands up above his head and saying "Yay!" with delight

Fears:

1. flying. hate it. tubes of death.

2. mice, gerbils, rats, hamsters aren't even up there on my list

3. that the reps will win. "Oh Canada, our home and native land." or "God save the Queen."

Obsessions/Collections:

1. keeping my kitchen sink clean and white

2. Royal Stafford china in blue or brown with the choaching scene

3. nails and toes - got to be done up

Surprising Facts

1. I once slept in the grounds of La Alhambra

2. I have two webbed toes on one foot. Patrick has the same set on both feet.

3. I was once a size 2 petite

I don't really have anyone to tag. So sad.

Clarification

Okay, so after reading a Wash. Post article today, it seems both candidates would cut taxes for those making under about $230k or so. The difference is McCain would also cut for high end earners whereas Obama would tax them. How else are we going to pay for comprehensive insurance, this endless war, educational programs, and our mounting national debt? And I say this as one who is in a higher tax bracket. Taxes can serve a good purpose and I don't trust people to share their money through private endeavors. I've seen firsthand how that works.

Again, thanks to Sara K. for sending her readers that way.

The Best Part

A few weeks ago I was watching Food Network late at night. They had this company on that does New England clambakes. Well, that's my kind of food. The food of my ancestors. So, I googled "RI, clambake, Sept., 2008" and found the same company (McGrath's) doing a clambake at Mount Hope Farm in Bristol, RI 15 minutes away from where we were staying. It was a foodie experience. Early in the morning they go out and collect rockweed off the cliffs in Newport. They build a fire with wooded pallets upon which they mound granite. When the fire dies, they put the rockweed on the granite. This special seaweed has pockets of saltwater that pop when hot. Next they layer the food on the stones then cover with lots of canvas tarps for two hours. They also make New England brown bread in coffee cans and steam it under some of the tarp layers. Great bread for Thanksgiving this year.

The Bake

The Unveiling

Oh my!

YUM!

The View.

Patrick gets down

Patrick dancing on the green in Mystic.

More Rhode Island

Well, actually it's Connecticut. We went down to Mystic to get Pizza at THE Mystic Pizza. Second time we have been there and it is really so, so good. Even just their plain cheese pizza is great. Visited Mystic Seaport where we toured some ships and listened to jazz on the green. Could have stayed there and let the kids dance for a lot longer.

Rhode Island

We were sick for, well, the entire "vacation" (quotes becuase I am convinced there is no such thing until children are more independent). I did everything I could not to be sick -- herbal supplements, neti pot (very cool -- will use one everyday as a preventative so as not to be sick) but alas the plague got me, and Patrick, and Jesse and now has one of our friends' daughters (so sorry!).
Still, what is important is that we got to visit with friends (though I did try to get Jesse to leave at one point and let us be sick at home). We did have some fun times in the trip and here are some of the pics to prove it.


Here we are at the Buttonwood Park Zoo, a great place for little ones because of it's smaller scale and choo-choo train. We got to ride in the caboose.






Patrick milking a "cow."

Birthday Party

Pics from Patrick's birthday party. All went well and the 7 or so kids had fun while parents seemed to be able to relax for the most part. Having a fence sure helps. The only thing that could make it better next year would be a pony for pony rides.

A Green Birthday

Knowing that I don't want to wash 50-60 plates, forks, etc. at Patrick's upcoming party and that I hate the fact that both my parishes are entrenched in raising their carbon footprints with all the plastic cups and paper plates they throw away, I checked out options that are earth-friendly AND convenient.

http://www.biosmartpackaging.com has $20 specials for various place settings of 50. They also include a garbage bag with that. Have to have the compostable or biodregradable bag for any of this to work out anyway. The downside is that if you would like to start using these bags as your regular bag, they are way, way, way expensive.

So, now that I have bought the wine in recycled and recyclable boxes and am ordering from Biosmart, it looks like Patrick will be having a green birthday party.

Oh, my heart!

Is it legal to be so cute?

There's a what in my car?

+ =

What do you get when you cross a toddler's milk spills and crumbs with a car parked in the drive of an old farmhouse? Well, as we discovered, you get mice in your car. EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Car has been fully detailed and inspected by the dealership for nests and it appears we had visitors and not residents. Patrick is no longer allowed to eat or drink in the car. H2O is allowed and we may make exceptions on trips to RI or Texas. Otherwise, eat when it is offered.





I will spare you the details of Jesse having to pick up the not-quite-dead mouse on the glue trap (OOPS!)

Vist from Meemaw and Pappock (sp?)

Patrick's paternal parents were here over the long weekend. It was nice, especially for Patrick who had tons of attention. We cooked tasty meals at home and rarely ate out. Meemaw got some good shots of Patrick but I hesitate to put the best ones up on this site because he is naked in them. I figure either someone will cry "child abusers" or someone else will steal them and do something illegal with them. They are absolutely innocent and he's under 2 but there are sickos out there. One of them is of Patrick at a bird bath surrounded by the flowers and foliage of one of my flower beds. He looks like he is in an Arthur Rackham book or a fairy land. Just beautiful.

Otherwise we have these:







And from the zoo a few weeks ago:

I WAS THERE!

Yep, went to my first political rally. Amazing! While Obama is a great orator the likes of which we haven't seen since Kennedy and FDR, what really got me was the crowd. There were families, singles, black, white, Asian, (not as many Latinos but this was held in Prince William County which has just about chased out all the Latinos - racists!) all there together, peacefully united around the hope that a man named Barack Hussein Obama, a man with dark skin, could actually be the President of the one nation that got its start around such an idea anyway and is finally getting there. Finally!

Mmore pictures from the farm

A Day at the Farm

It is odd that for Patrick to enjoy farm animals, we have to drive from the country into the suburbs to Frying Pan Farm Park. Oh well, after the $20 spent on gas, it's a great place for kids. We even got to milk a Jersey Cow.

PIGGIES!

COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO

GORGEOUS PEACOCK!

BAAAAA!

MILKING