Easter 2008

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday. We had a nice time here in Gaithersburg. Joe was expecting the Easter Mouse to come (I have no idea), but the Bunny came instead. I don't think he was too disappointed. He hunted plastic eggs indoors because we had some snow on Saturday and the ground was soggy. The above photo shows him after a long morning and afternoon filled with tons of candy and no nap. Luckily he did take a little break and Matt and I had a chance to visit a bit with Uncle Roger and Mom. Rog brought the Bee Movie for Joe and a beautiful Easter Lily for me. Mom brought Joe a 2nd Easter basket filled with goodies including the 101 Dalmatians movie. He is in danger of being spoiled beyond oblivion. Joe doesn't understand religion yet, but he did say the traditional mealtime prayer for us. It was very sweet. Dinner was good. We had a Honeybaked ham, red rice, spinach & strawberry salad, deviled eggs and Swiss asparagus quiche. I think everyone enjoyed dinner. Mom made a delicious chocolate macadamia pie. We missed celebrating with most of the family and hope we'll all be together soon. Hopefully I'll be able to post again before Joe has reached the age of majority.

Movie Day - Take III

So silly today!

Movie Day - Take II

Seems to be working... maybe not.

Movie Day

I cannot get this boy to sit still for a minute! Here are some mini-movies taken this morning. He's so excited because the viewfinder screen is pointed towards him and he can see himself in it. This causes him to rush towards the camera and try to grab it. He just runs around the room like a wild man if he can't see the picture (and sometimes if he can), so I turn it his way in order to capture him for a moment. By the way, it is a cold, snowy day here in Maryland. So far, I guess we have about 3" of snow outside.
Grrr - I'm currently unable to upload these. Will try again later.

Hey Ho the Mistletoe!

Have a holly jolly Christmas, it's the best time of the year!

I know, I've really been slacking on blog entries. It's a wonder you're here checking to see whether I've posted.

Yes, I'm posting and this qualifies as a tiny Christmas miracle. We are officially Santa's Helpers now, and it's a lot of work! Joe is now a full-fledged little boy. He has announced that he wants a *wishbox* from Santa and he hopes it will contain a drum or a pirate ship. I think Santa has him covered. The Flickr album contains the latest pictures of our boy.

Ahoy Mateys!

The Dread Pirate Joseph in his Halloween finery

Another Halloween gone by. Joe was a dreadful pirate and enjoyed the company of two fine lassies throughout the evening's plundering. The wee lass Natalie was a splendid ghost, and wee Lizzy a spritely Tinkerbell. The neighborhood was eerily quiet, but the children braved the night air and forged their way from door to door in search of treats. They came away with a fair booty, but alas most of the neighbors seemed to be in hiding last night. The children have not given up hope, and asked me to make sure everyone is prepared for next year's question: do ye have a sweet treat for us, or will it be a trick for ye? Luckily, the children were feeling benevolent last night and not a single trick was played. We hope you had a sweet Halloween and that you kept clear of all scallywags and ne'er do wells.

You Can't Go Home Again?

All of these reunions, along with rummaging through my grandmother's recipes, have left me feeling quite nostalgic.

When I was a child I spent most of my summers (well, at least a few weeks) in Muskogee, Oklahoma. That's where Grandma and Vic lived. Vic was my grandfather. I guess he thought he was too hip to be called grandpa, grandfather, or anything old sounding. So, he was Vic.

I loved the time I spent in Oklahoma. I was Grandma and Vic's first grandchild, and their only grandchild for over ten years. This means I was spoiled. I was not a brat about it, but spoiled is about the best word I can come up with to describe my experience of the many wonderful things I got to have, do, and see when I visited my grandparents.

They had a swimming pool built in their yard when I was very young. It was for me. All year long the pool sat empty except for the occasional swim by Vic after golfing, or maybe the kid who cut the grass would get to take a dip. When I stayed in Oklahoma I wanted to swim from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep.

One year my grandfather took me to visit a friend of his, "M.C.". MC had a farm and I spent the night there. His daughters showed me all around and took me horseback riding. I loved seeing the animals and the gardens/crops. I had such a wonderful time in a home so very different from what I was used to. Shortly after, Vic had MC bring over some bunnies for me. I can't remember how many there were. I'd say at least 1/2 dozen. They released them in the backyard, which was fenced in. I saved carrots and radishes from my dinner salads to feed them. I couldn't believe I had my very own bunnies. Of course, they eventually tunnelled out of the yard one by one until they were all gone. I think the final rabbits left after I did.

Vic also took me to meet many other interesting people. He was very involved in Native American culture and had been Superintendent of Indian Schools for the entire U.S. We always visited the 5 Civilized Tribes Museum and Honor Heights Park (famed for the annual Azalea Festival). He took me arrowhead hunting. At the time I didn't know, but he planted some from his collection for me to find. I thought that was so much fun. Once he took me to see the Goodyear Blimp which had landed in a nearby field.

My great-grandmother was living until I was about 12 years old, so we'd visit her too. At first in her home, then in a nursing home. One time my father visited her in the nursing home and played his guitar for her. She really got a kick out of that. One time she asked whether we'd had any trouble with the Indians on our way to see her. She lived in Oklahoma her whole life.

Mostly things were country. My grandparents lived in a fairly new suburb, but just across the street was farmland. I could always smell the honeysuckles in the air. Imagine my surprise when I looked up good old Muskogee on Google today and found this crazy tourist trap!

So, I cannot go "home" again. Not only is Muskogee not how it used to be, but home is the people. I miss Great-grandmother, Grandma and Vic.

Reunions, Reunions, Reunions!

I can hardly believe how long it's been since I last blogged. Gosh, we've been busy the last couple of months! Let's see... in September Matt and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Mom stayed with Joe while we went out to dinner at one of our old haunts. Very nice.

I am declaring October 2007 Family Reunion Month!
On Oct. 8th we drove down to Summerfield, Florida in a straight shot and had a 3 night visit with Matt's parents. They were so busy it felt like we barely saw them. They're still performing in shows, singing in the church choir, Lou plays softball about 3 times/week, is a billiards champion, talent scout, builds sets and I can't even think of everything else they do! Ever since Mary had her knee surgery she's back to dancing and it's wonderful to see them both in such great health and great spirits.

On the 11th of October we drove to Tybee Island, Georgia for a 3-day reunion with my side of the family. I had a chance to see people I've known my whole life, but have been away from for a long time, and a chance to meet folks I've never had the opportunity to meet before. There were 28 of us and we stayed in two side-by-side beach houses. I had a wonderful time and cannot believe the amazing family we have. There are one or more writers, editors, homemakers, poets, painters, teachers, nurses, directors, businessmen, sales persons, students and more. Oh, and I'm pretty sure that there were 28 storytellers. I loved it. We were able to ride in a group to Savannah and visit some of the old homesteads and some of the departed at their final resting place. It was funny and sad, hysterical and tragic, maddening and calming. I am so glad I had a chance to experience those days with my family.

We returned to Maryland on the 14th and resumed family celebrations on the 19th with the wedding rehearsal and dinner for Mark and Melanie. Mark's brother made an incredible meal with course after course of Italian food. The next day were the nuptials. Matt played guitar, accompanying the groom's daughter Erica, for the processional. They were spot on and I'm certain Matt is glad that's over with. He's an amazing guitarist, but does not often play in front of large groups of people. The wedding reception was a blast. So many of Matt's cousins came from out of town. We really enjoyed visiting with them and wish we'd had more time to spend. We're so glad we had a chance to reconnect. Melanie made a lovely bride and we couldn't be happier for her and Mark.

I'm trying to post pictures as fast as I can. If this is your first visit to our blog, be sure to click on the Flickr album to the right. It will take you to our entire collection of pictures. A lot of them have not been edited, and I'm not a professional photographer, but hopefully you'll get a nice glimpse of our lives. Thanks for stopping by. Please post comments, start threads, send a little email or snail mail, whatever you're comfortable with.

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Joseph at two.

Countdown to Two

We just had a wonderful weekend visit with Matt's folks. They're fabulous, and somehow (unlike the rest of us) seem to get better with age. Joe had such fun being the center of attention. I think Mom & Pop really got a kick out of seeing how much he's learned. They were disappointed that their visit would not be long enough to stay for Joe's birthday, so yesterday they went out and bought a cake to celebrate early. It was the first time Joe blew out birthday candles and he did so good! I think he'll be a pro by the end of the week. Friday afternoon he's having a little party with Natalie and Lizzy and this weekend we'll go to see Grammy, Grumpy, Julia, Anthony & Kaiya. I'll be posting pics after the celebrations, so stop by and take a peek.

The Annual Peach Quest

Every summer I go in search of peaches. Reason being, the things in the produce aisles in supermarkets labeled "peach" are simply not peaches. They are just pulpy, flavorless orbs of disappointment.

Yesterday we went in search of the elusive peach. I ran across a great website where you can find a pick-your-own farm near you. Aha! We went to this farm and they were selling peaches. Always skeptical, we requested a sample and were pleasantly surprised at the sweet, juicy, heavenly taste. We purchased a small basket of peaches and went in search of MORE! That's when things got really strange.

We saw a sign for produce and turned up a gravel road. Turns out, we were heading toward Red Wiggler Community Farm. The Farm is a great community resource and I encourage you to visit their website. Even better, Artfarm was taking place at the Farm yesterday. As we approached, we saw tents set up and fantastic looking cars, sculptures and quilts. There was the sound of someone drumming, a storyteller, and someone playing the didjiridoo. We got out of the car and walked around the property. The didjiridoo player was accompanying a woman dressed in white who was slowly dancing and being wrapped in a white sheet. She eventually emerged and it was somewhat like a graceful birth of sorts. The owner/creator of the amazing cars is a man named Conrad Bladey. He's won prizes in Artcar shows for his work. One of the cars had a sprinkler on top of the hood and it was acting as a tiny fountain. The cars were strangely captivating to look at. At first glance they just look like hippie-mobiles, but the closer I looked, the more details stood out. There were things from buttons, to shoes, to Barbie dolls embedded in the cars. We arrived at the end of the festivities, so we didn't stay too long.

On the way home we stopped by good old reliable, yet frequently overpriced Butler's Orchard and walked away with another small basket of peaches and some tasty blueberries.

Now, after last night's dinner of peaches and a breakfast of peaches this morning, I am temporarily sated. I hope that next weekend we can get some more peaches. I certainly don't want to go another year without a succulent, luscious, sweet peach. Sadly, the season is far too short.

We Miss You Already!

Today Dad headed home to Florida after a fabulous, albeit brief visit. He treated us to a nice dinner out on Friday night - thanks Dad! On Saturday I made Monkey Bread for breakfast. Oh my, too yummy! We stayed home all day and watched Joe play in the pool in the afternoon. Later, Dad and Matt took Joe to the park. He warmed up so fast to Grampa, I think he would've been happy to hop in Grampa's suitcase and get on that airplane with him. Joe showed him all of his toys and tricks. I made Shrimp with Orzo and Feta for dinner. Did I say it was a visit? More like a foodfest. Today we visited until noon when we all piled into the car and took Dad to Reagan National. It was sad to say goodbye, but it won't be too long (October) until we see Grampa Jerry & Grandma Suzanne at Tybee Island, GA. Can't wait to see you and the rest of the family!

Liberty

Matt's Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated Matt's birthday. First, we went to Cabin John Park so Joe could ride the miniature train. Matt rode the train with him, but Joe didn't seem to like it too much. Matt said he saw two deer during the ride and I guess he had more fun than Joe. After the train ride, we took Joe to play on the slide and the swings. Next, we went out for lunch and down to Wheaton to visit Brookside Gardens. They had a live butterfly exhibit in one of their conservatories. There were more than 500 butterflies from all around the world. I was mesmerized and wanted to stay all day. Unfortunately, Joseph was pretty tired and they didn't allow strollers in the exhibit, so Matt was trying to hold his hand the whole time with Joe really wanting to run free with the butterflies. I guess we could have let Joe run, but I have a feeling he wouldn't have stayed on the pathways. We didn't want to have to pull him out of the center of a previously untouched botanical oasis in the exhibit and ruin the serenity for others, so we cut our visit a bit short. I think Matt had a nice day with his little family. I hope so, I did.

Happy Birthday Matt & Distracted by Hiccups

In this video, Joe starts out saying "cheese". He has the hiccups, so he gets a bit distracted a few times. Anyway, for those who wanted to hear him speak, here's a clip. If you need further translation, post your questions here!

And happy birthday Matt!

The Livin' Is Easy

Summertime and the livin' is easy....

With the amp project on hold, Matt had time to take a "dip" with little Joe in his first swimming pool.

Joe has been in the pool several times now, but he's still hesitant to sit down. He likes to splash and play, but only for about 45 minutes at a time. I wish we had a "real" swimming pool and I could teach him to swim at this great age. Matt and I were both little fish and still love the water very much. I hope someday we will have a home with a pool in the backyard.

On Tuesday Joe counted his ten toes out loud for me! He counted to twenty for Matt, with the end part being "eighteen, nineteen, tenteen". He gets as far as K in the alphabet song and knows all of the words to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Ring Around the Rosie. He's really learning so quickly it's amazing. He's also very silly and likes to make us laugh. I guess we've been going out to eat a lot, because when the hosts greet us, he says "highchair, highchair".

A story:

You went out to grab a bite to eat and didn't even notice there was a baby seated nearby until you heard the bloodcurdling scream. You immediately stop your conversation to look for the source of your instant headache. You rest your eyes on a cute little guy screaming at the top of his lungs. He doesn't seem upset, just enjoying his loud voice. The parents are cringing and look a little panicky, but he has now stopped. You, and everyone around you, resume your meal and your conversation. Yep, we were the parents. Sorry 'bout that. It's a new trick Joseph has recently added to his repertoire. We're hoping there will be no repeat performances. We're pretty sure his fans will be okay with that.

Did I say "the livin' is easy"? Well, it is...most of the time.

Attn: Muggles!

This is from Amazon.com:

Great news, Harry Potter fans. All Amazon.com customers who pre-order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (in any of its seven U.S. editions: hardcover, deluxe, audio CD, audio cassette, large print, library binding, or Braille) will receive a $5 promotional certificate good toward a future purchase of $20 or more at Amazon.com during the month of August. To be eligible, the book must be ordered before its release date, July 21, 2007. And if you already pre-ordered your copy (or copies) before we announced this promotion, don't worry: every customer who pre-orders Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Amazon.com, no matter how early you ordered, will receive the $5 certificate.

I pre-ordered mine a while back and I know at least one or two of you readers are Potter fans- this is a nice surprise!

Update: Ziploc Zip 'n Steam Cooking Bags

Don't ask me why, but Matt brought six ears of corn home from the store two days ago. It didn't really fit into any of my meal plans, but who am I to say no to one of my favorite veggies?

So, last night I shucked all six ears, trimmed the ends and rinsed them. I fit three ears in a size Large Ziploc Zip 'n Steam cooking bag, layed it flat in the microwave and set it for 5 minutes on High. After 5 minutes, I removed the bag from the microwave, unzipped it and placed the corn on a plate. I repeated this process for the remaining corn.

The result? Delicious, perfectly done corn on the cob! I will not be resorting to boiling corn again. I hate dragging out an extra pot for that, waiting for the water to boil, and then having a starchy pan to wash. This was fast, easy and yum yum yummy! Fresh green beans are next!

Oh! I forgot to add that Joe ate one and a half ears himself!

They're so cute at this age?!?

Drumroll Please!

I received my camera back from Canon today. It appears to be functioning properly. The disk I sent was returned with the pictures and videos just as I sent it.

I hope this works - check out our little acrobat! Well, maybe not an acrobat yet, but it's nevertheless amusing.