SNOW!!!

Finally, finally, we are in the midst of a nice, fluffy snowfall. We're expecting at least 12 inches of snow. The boys left school at noon, Shawn's hockey tournament is canceled, and the holiday party we have scheduled for tonight is at our neighbors' house, so we can just walk there! It's great! Here are some shots as the snow began. The boys are elated and Shawn just returned from a last-minute-before-the-snowfall errand trip to the post office and bank. Clearly, he had to stop for one more essential item: a 6-pack of Sam Adams Winter Ale!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

This morning, we finally woke up to our first dusting of snow. Finally! This kicked us into the Christmas spirit and after church and hockey practice, we found a great lil' Christmas tree at the Southborough Fire Station. For all of $25! Not bad, and not too scraggly or Charlie Brown-esque. It came all the way from Nova Scotia.

Aksel's excited about re-discovering some of his past Christmas crafts. He's also excited to see his Jeanne, although he won't see her until late January. Still, that's not too far away. So, here's a video just for his great grandmother Jeanne in Florida :)

Also, Reilly has successfully co-existed with the Christmas tree for a full 6 hours now without any destruction. I know he'll eventually topple it over, but I'm pleased that he's not terribly interested in it. He's more interested in the table scraps in his food bowl. Now that he's gotten a haircut (a la the Reid bathroom salon), he doesn't he look so much like a black bear in my kitchen.

Aksel's First Piano Recital

He did it! Master Aksel is a Maestro!

Hamburger Cookies

These are not organic, not healthy, and not really anything I would otherwise approve. BUT. They are hamburger cookies made of thin mints, Nilla wafers, and colored frosting for cheese, lettuce, and tomato, and sesame seeds. A student's mom makes them every year for his birthday. He shared some with us this year.

November: Blustery or Invigorating?

It's a brisk windy day today, and leaves are swirling out my big 4 foot square office window. After two solid days of rain, the grass is oddly green. The boys are out playing catch and trying to keep Reilly from stealing their ball. Shawn is hauling our outdoor furniture into our basement. I just saw him pass the window carrying an Adirondack chair over his head. Who else would think to carry big heavy bulky things that way?! That's my Shawn Reid. He's also packing up the Target table, umbrella, and 4 chair set (Target 90% discount to 20 bones.) I must say, the Target selection is better in Minnesota, for obvious reason. But, TJ Maxx is headquartered a few miles from here, and they keep the good stuff close to home as well.

So, we've done it again: we have gotten ourselves into so many, many great things that we too busy. It seems to be a chronic ailment in the Reid family. There are still only 24 hours in the day, yet we schedule and plan for about 30. So, I am again trying to pare back on the commitments and let some things go. That said, it's hard to decide what should go. Here's the latest on us, and maybe you my faithful readers can help us pare down for the winter season.
* Aksel's first piano recital is this afternoon. Stay tuned for a posting on that one.
* Aksel's doing a Learn to Skate hockey program. He only has a few games a year. Yesterday was the first one, and guess who scored two goals.
* Lachen's earned three stars on his helmet for being a great defenseman on his team. He nearly scored yesterday in a Triboro game. He also scored two goals in his Learn to Skate half-ice game.
* Shawn starts his first season as a head boys' hockey coach tomorrow. He's so excited, he can't sleep, and he's constantly writing down motiviation phrases, new ideas for drills, and I find little slips of paper all over the place.
* I started a yoga class 4 weeks ago. St. Mark's brings an instructor onto campus, and it's free. Really, it could not be convenient. And, the stress relief of 1 hour of yoga sustains me for days.
* I also started going to an accupuncturist about my migraines. After telling her my health history, she said, "So you've been suffering from headaches for 22 years--that's a long time." 22 years?! I can still remember standing in 4th grade feeling a migraine come on, seeing stars, and thinking, "Oh no, not again." Enough already! I really hope the accupunture works. It heartens me to learn that the migraines are linked to circulation, and hopefully my Reynaud's (numb, white fingers and toes), varicose veins, and acne will be positively affected as well. I know I'm dreaming big here. If I only get rid of headaches, I'll be full of bliss.
* I'm going to see my nephew Fredrik, Peter, and Katy later this week. I'm finally going to be able to start paying Katy back for watching my boys on short notice. I tried to pay her, and she wrote me a note saying, "You'll return the favor to me someday." Well, here I come! November 20-23, I'll be in St. Paul. Wa-hoo!
* We found a church we really like, and after 6 years of looking for a church like Afton, we found one. It's a great spot, lots of kids, and we knew it was a good fit when Aksel wanted to sit in the front row to be closer to the music. In fact, Shawn, Lachen, and I were content lurking in one of the back pews, so Aksel strutted up to the front and sat by the worship band alone--for most of the service. That's our shy Aksel!
* Lachen and Aksel broke their first boards in Tae Kwon Do two weeks ago. It freaked me out, but they both did it with no bruised hands. On to the next level! They do TKD right at their elementary school on Fridays. So, I don't chaufeur them, and they get a dose of something that I don't really understand.
* We had a little Sunday party last week with the family that lived in our house before us. It was great to see them and all the other people that live in the houses on West Campus with us. Good food & good friends.

So if anyone has an extra hour that they could send our way, we'd definitely put it to good use. :)

Good times with Grandma and Grandpa

Halloween!

All of the components for a grand Halloween. Pumpkin carving, scooping, and gooping. Don't worry, Shawn's just out of the frame. We didn't just hand them knives and tell them to have at it. Both Shawn and I agreed that we like carving pumpkins at Pat & Blaine's more that doing it on our own. The camaraderie, the mess in someone else's house, the beverages in hand...we can't decide what we missed most... In any case, we all reminisced about those great Halloween parties in St. Paul.

We went trick-or-treating with a big crew of St. Mark's faculty families. Lachen is here with his good buddy Nicolas (Abe Lincoln). We all get together in the dining hall for dinner, then out to the quad for a crazy attempt at a group photo. Then, just as it's starting to get dark, we head out to gather loot. One family of four dressed as the Jolly Green Giant, a cob of corn, and two Lil' Sprouts. I told them how flattered we felt that they were honoring the Minnesota River Valley!

I volunteered in Aksel's classroom to help out with the Halloween party and parade. Aksel and his red-headed friend Shannon, a.k.a. Cleopatra, are so darling. They both have that endearing mix of speaking like grown-ups and then goofy babble. I can barely contain my love of that duo. He has a great kindergarten class. He is young for his grade, and I fret about that sometimes. He's a follower, rather than a leader, and that sort of thing. But, he has made friends, and I can't imagine him in another year of preschool. There's the same sort of thing happening here as in St. Peter with kindergartners being 6 going on 7 instead of 5 going on 6. Aksel is in the right class, but there are lots of older kids. Still, he can tie his shoes, so I'll gloat about that one.

Lachen's First Chapter Book

On our way to school today, Lachen said, "Well, Mom, I finished that one." Then he flung this substantial library book into the front seat of the car. "Whhhaaaat??? A chapter book?! That's blog-worthy!" I exclaimed.

Suddenly, Lachen is reading like crazy and his teacher is amazed at his story-writing, reading, and general brilliance. That's our Lachen!

Hockey Time!

Favorite Family Fun Time

So Sunday I was in a bit of a funk. I was weary after Shawn's being away for several days recruiting. A great chat with Katy had gotten me through a couple days, but I was cranky for really no tangible reason. Sun was shining, leaving are nearing their peak in color, nobody had to go to work.

So, instead of wallowing in ha-rumph, we decided it was
time to bust out a big basket of Favorite Family Fun Time.


Ah, my favorite family fun time! Not only did I win a poster contest in 3rd grade with this title for my drawing of my family picking apples at a farm in Iowa, but really, this is my favorite family fun time. Wagon ride, endless juicy apples, the smell of a few rotting apples gives a vinegar-y sense to the air. Fresh air, fall foliage. Bug are mostly dead, or at least dormant. My allergies have subsided for the year. EVERYONE at an orchard is happy. Seriously. It's glory. No wonder my parents are slowly turning their backyard into an apple orchard. My current favorite is the Macoun. Shawn and Lachen are all into the Gala, and Aksel reached high into the trees to get the last three Honeycrisps in the orchard. At Tougas Farms, after you've eaten and picked your fill of apples, there's a playground for all Indiana Jones, Jr.'s--note Aksel's t-shirt.

On the way home, we stopped at my favorite cheese shop to get some cheddar. Apple pie with a hefty slice of sharp cheddar. Mmmm...

Aksel's First Piano Concert

Here's a movie clip that we made for Grandma Hemberger. We're in the market for a piano, but for now, Aksel loves his keyboard in his room. The curriculum, Kids on Keyboards, is from Wisconsin. Each key has a name, and there are little rings Aksel gets to wear. So far, he's mastered "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Hot Cross Buns." Next: "Rain, Rain, Go Away." His love of music makes me cry on a near daily basis. I think he feels the music in his spine, Peter.

Crispy Fall Update

Today was our last CSA box. After reading of the August Earth final box on babyhemberger.blogspot.com, I have to say, our box was a bit light. Still, it's lovely to have a final bunch of kale, a cabbage, two red bell peppers, a bag of potatoes, two sunshine squash, two eggplants, and a bag of apples. We haven't had tomatoes for weeks. They must have had a frost on the farm. Stillman's is the name of our CSA. I do love that they include fruit. We usually devour the cartons of blueberries, raspberries, plums, peaches, and apples before we even get home. This week, we scored a dozen apples. So, we will have enough for the boys' school lunches tomorrow.


It's lovely and crisp here. But, since we haven't had a frost yet, I'm still harvesting baby Swiss chard, tomatoes of two kinds, green beans, green onions, rosemary, basil, dill, and parsley from our garden. We also have pumpkins on now whithered vines. There's nothing like making dinner and sending one of my boys out for some herbs. And, the green beans have never made it in the house. They're a great snack for roaming Minute Men out on patrol.

The countdown is on! Twelve days until Grandma and Grandpa Hemberger arrive for a fall-time visit. We heard another exciting countdown: Grandpa has only 30 days left working for the IDOT! That's hardly any time at all. Will there be a retirement party, or will Dad be getting right to work for his new employer--my mom. The boys are hopelessly excited about the Kids' Cabin, so we're hoping that that is high on the priority list.

When the Hembergers are here, we're planning a trip to Sturbridge Village. It seems only appropriate considering our family's current obsession with Colonial times. And, I have fond and vivid memories of visiting Sturbridge with my Gramma and Gramps when I was 6. I just realized that I, too, went dressed in a sort of costume: a grey wool with black velvet trim frock coat and bonnet. I wonder where my boys get their love of the dress-ups...

Tonight, the boys have hockey practice, I'm looking forward to doing some sewing, Shawn's away at a college fair, and Reilly is his jovial self. Lachen's 1st grade field trip is on Wednesday. Only near Boston would a class trip go to Fenway Park and call it an historic venue. It is, I know. But, seriously?!? Then, Thursday the boys don't have school in honor of Yom Kippur. It's not going to be a very rough week!

It's a beautiful time to visit New England. We're hoping Peter, Katy, and Fredrik will be here during Spring Break. Any other takers? The invitation is always open.

Lachen 7th Birthday

Lachen celebrated his 7th birthday with a party entirely of his own inception. He wanted three friends to come, Conor, Jeffrey, and Henry, and his brother. He wanted to go to the Minute Man National Historic Site which chronicles the fateful day of April 19, 1775 when Paul Revere did his midnight ride, the minutemen came out from their homes to stand up against the British regulars, and the battles of Lexington and Concord were fought. Now, that battle road where the fighting occurred is a popular biking route, and there are lots of bikers pedaling along. There are plaques every few 100 feet marking the time of day and night the British soldiers marched through, where the skirmishes happened, and that sort of things. The interpretive center features an exciting presentation about the battle with cannon sounds, flashing lights like musket fire, and storytelling by people in period dress. Lachen LOVES this place. To be truthful, he also loves the gift shop where a boy can find all manner of compasses, quill pens, tricorner hats, Revolutionary War plastic figurines, and endless commemorative regalia.

Following the trip to the interpretive center, we took the boys back to our house, and they feasted on what Lachen determined to be war camp food: meat (beef jerky & hotdogs--all organic, but still :( ewww), cornbread, apple cider, caramel apples, and a fabulous recipe for a Colonial era cake a la Aunt Lizzard which we made into cupcakes. Lachen permitted no balloons, ice cream, or frosting as those things would not have been in the war camp. Snakes, however, were allowed, compliments of Jeffrey's dad, Paul. He hails from a farm in Anamosa, Iowa, and while he and I have many things in common, an interest in snakes in certainly not one of them. You'll be glad to know I had the pleasure of seeing the snake again the next day, dead, in the street, about 200 feet from our house. Again, ewwww.

Back to the party...Shawn and the boys had set up a tent for battle planning and strategizing, which also worked well as a locale for eating meat on a stick. The boys, I mean Minutemen, headed out into the woods around our house and rooted out all lingering bloody backs (a.k.a. Redcoats--Lachen knows several synonyms for them.) Shawn read the book about the early presidents of the U.S. from the Mittmans, and Lachen opened his gifts of geology kits and Legos. This was also on his order, because kids don't open presents at their parties in Massachusetts. They wait until all the kids have gone home. But, I let the birthday boy rule the day; Massachusetts social norms be damned.

Lachen had what may go down as the birthday party of his dreams. The parents came at dusk to fetch their minutemen, and everyone stayed well past dark. So, I think everyone was having a fun time. Lots of grass stain by the end of the evening, but no blood. And really, in my book of parenting, that equals success.


Here's the link for more information for all burgeoning historians like Lachen: http://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm And, for your listening pleasure, here's a bit of the annual Birthday Storybook Reading by Daddy. And, yes, that's Reilly you hear who is feeling left out after snitching a caramel apple.

First Day of School

Wow! Both of our boys are in school now! Lachen is the part of the upper class at Mary Finn School. Since the school is preschool-1st grade, he is living large as the king of the hill. His teacher, Miss Perry, seems to be all right. He's being a bit aloof about the whole scene. But, there's a rumor that there is homework in 1st grade, and Lachen is not quite sure what to think of that. I think he's all too aware that the St. Mark's students are silently studying for 2 hours every night. "Might that be my fate?" he wonders. He'd much rather listen to Harry Potter on audio CD or build yet another Revolutionary War set-up with Legos, wooden blocks, and playmobil figurines.

As for Aksel, he LOVES school. He gives the full play-by-play report after school, he gleefully skips of to school, sings the transition song the class sings when they're lining up to go into the hallway, "Stand up straight, eyyyyyyyes forward, arms at your side, (and now staccato) when we're walking, we're not talking, when we're walking, we're not talking." Aksel is ecstatic about his very own mailbox, his very own coathook, oh, it's all too much joy for one five-year-old. He is in absolute raptures about the music class, and the music teacher recommended a group piano studio. Aksel starts in mid-September. We'll report back on that scene.

Most days the boys will be chauffeured to and from school, but sometimes they'll take the bus. They already know lots of friends on the bus, and theirs is the last stop, so they aren't on the bus long at all. Here they are waiting with their buddies, Alex and Nicolas, who also live at St. Mark's. Little sister Rebecca is NOT happy that she is not welcome on the big yellow school bus. Shortly after this picture, the four boys started chanting, "Where's our bus!?! Where's our bus?!?" which was quite reminiscent of the "Move that bus!" mantra of Extreme Makeover Home Addition.

Happy Back-to-School to you all!

New York, New York

Our summer of travel culminated with a weekend trip to NYC. We celebrated Sid and Carol's 40th wedding anniversary and 60th birthdays with Pat, Blaine, Tony and Lisa (and of course Sid and Carol). We stayed at the Desmond Tutu Convention Center which had incredible architectural features like 150 foot ceilings! At least that's what Aksel thought. When we arrived on Saturday afternoon, this Reid family was, of course, starving. So we found a little Italian pizzeria just down the street and had a brick-oven pizza. Then the rest of the family showed up.

The next stop was the Chelsea Market which really reminded me of downtown St. Paul...back when downtown St. Paul had activity past 4:00. While most of the extended family wanted to walk to the Hudson, this Reid family and Blaine decided to go to the American Museum of Natural History! We saw Dum-Dum who wanted some gum-gum but never saw Atilla the Hun Hun. A stroll through Central Park provided music and dance entertainment in the forms of random singing and roller skating exhibitions. The "best" skater was this 75 year-old man who decided that a shirt was optional. He talked smack to the bystanders about his skills and proceeded to shimmy around a bit, dropped his cane, cursed, and then he decided to go to a different area to showcase his skills.

Our six-hour drive home (which should be only three) allowed us to reminisce about Lachen and Aksel driving the horse-drawn carriage through Central Park, taking in the first morning session of the US Open, eating at Carmine's, taking a long tour through Manhattan and the continual neck strain of trying to see the top of all of the skyscrapers. The best part of the trip for me was a nice walk through NYU, then stopping for appetizers and drinks at Slane's. I think it is wise to expose the boys to the pub scene at an early age, particularly when it's open to the street with loads of interesting people milling around. The bartender made Aksel a juice concoction while Lachen scarfed down chicken fingers. While us three boys watched the Mets on TV, Anna found the bag she has always wanted at a little boutique a few doors door. We topped off our time on Bleecker and Macdougal at a creperie: nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream, anyone?

So, summer is over and now the school year begins. Our fall athletes arrived a couple of days ago. We had three full days of faculty meetings and are back in the swing of things.