KLONDIKE DERBY

This past weekend, Jack's scout troop hosted the Klondike Derby at the Grove. I was worried about finding parking but the leaders are good and plowed out there and fires were going and even though there was no running water, we were able to make some ham and bean soup, hot chocolate and coffee. I bout about 4 gallons of water and after washing the pots at home, filled them with water and brought them back...we were able to have the basics.

The boys were broken in patrols and went to various stations demonstrating their skills in fire building, first aide, wilderness rescue, team work on an obstacle course, ice rescue and a tomohawk throw. There was also a sled race around the little league field. They finished the day just as the drizzle started and made it back to the scout hall in the pouring rain. The Big Stags Patrol from our Troop came in 1st and jack's Badger Patrol came in 4th. The Big Stags came in 2nd in the race getting beat out by a team from Confluence, I think. It was a great day. Here are some pictures from it.

bunny tracks

There is a rabbit scooting around my house this cold, cold winter. Not in it, but leaving its little tracks outside. At first I panicked....'what if those are rat tracks' I thought. 

But when I got up in the middle of the night to get a drink, I looked out my kitchen window. 5:30am it was. Whose cute little face and dark button eyes was looking up at me. A brown rabbit. Stopping, looking, hopping across the driveway. I went to the front door and he hopped across the front steps, down the sidewalk and a left turn into the back yard. 

Poor little guy. Is he warm? Does he have enough to eat? I worry about the little critter. I want to leave some food out but I don't want a rat coming aroung and stealing it!!!

My plan to capture a photo of him....leave my camera by the kitchen sink, so when I see him again, I can just pick up the camera and share his adorable face with you!!

Fun days...Snow Days

We have had lots of snow this Winter. Quite a few snow days. One week we had two days off in the middle of the week and by Saturday we couldn't wait to get out of the house. So we made it to the Fire and Ice Festival in Somerset. When they were little, I loved going to the children's programs. The local bank gave out free books, we would sit and read and drink hot chocolate, ready to face the cold again and get some homemade soup and kettle corn.

Here are some pictures from the day. The theme was Flight 93 from the crash on 9/11.

Last weekend we stayed home most of the time. Friday was a fun night at the school and I taught some kids to play chinese jump rope. Jack had friends over Saturday and it was bitter cold. The kids and I cleaned. I made ziti for the boys and a veggie tray and they ate some Christmas popcorn that I still had here. Two moms came early to get them and we sat and talked over hot tea in my semi-clean kitchen. I like that I am friends with their friends parents. It makes me feel....safe. The boys and polite and fun.

Jack stayed over Flip's house last night, so Kate and I got our 'girl nite' and watched 'Eat Pray Love' I read most of the book, but had some trouble with the premise. It is touted as "she quits her job to travel the world to find herself" quit her job, really??? She got a dam advance for the book she was going to write on the experience of finding herself. She was already a successful author so the publisher advanced her. Give me a break. I still cried some. There was a scene where a guy is saying goodbye to his college age son and it made me think of the future when my kids leave for college. Yuck.

Kate has wanted to go snow tubing but it is so expensive for 2 hours...Her Sunday school teacher works at the state park nearby and they have sledding there. So....I made hot chocolate, hot dogs in the crock pot, kids brought snacks and I drove the Laurel Hill State Park with food, 2 sleds, one tube and 4 kids in the car. It was a fun afternoon and the boys built a fire in the fire ring there. Here are some pictures from the afternoon.

Tonight we are watching our other Netflix, season 2 of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Absolutely hilarious!! Love the story lines.

Thankful Things

Now that the holidays are over, I need to review all those things I am thankful for. Little moments over the past week that I got to enjoy as well as some bigger things that I have reflected on over the past year:

Little Things

watching Kate open her 'Pillow Pet'

Watching my brothers open the t-shirts Jack picked out for them

spending time with Krissy and the kids in the city

Seeing Matt at his swanky Park Avenue Office

texting Kathy every chance we got

watching Jack text his cousins

taking the car to the train to the subway and hiking through slush to get to the Met for the very first time

Watching Annie help Jack with his Spanish HW (yes 50 pt assignment over break)

(at first I was annoyed by this, but God helps me find the good in it and that was seeing how amazing Annie is at Spanish!)

Watching 'Monk' with Mom and Dad

getting a teapot and picture travel mug from the kids

seeing Jack read the plaques under Monet's paintings at the Met as intensely as he reads his comic books

watching Kate draw and imagine and dream

Bigger Things

thankful for my healthy children

spending time with our new-found cousins "The Warms"

looking at the empathy and perseverence my children display with our little friend with Autism

seeing that same compassion in my brothers

Trying to look at a child with a problem not as 'what if my kid were in that room' but instead 'what if my child suffered like that' and growing in empathy and patience

Thankful for the friends and family that helped bring me to where I am today and hoping I add as much to their lives as they have added to mine.

Merry Christmas!

Only a few days until Christmas and I just have the wrapping left. I love watching some favorite movies, like It's a Wonderful Life or The Bishop's Wife and when the lights are dim and the tree is on and I just wrap presents. I am watching Miracle on 34th street now. I have to admit, the black and white films are my favorite. I wrapped a few the other night but still have a way to go. I got some Christmas cards out, Christmas packages to family and my family calendar made. It came out pretty nice. I also blew up some pics and had them developed for family members.

Kate and I made some Christmas chex mix with white chocolate. We are still going to make some peppermint bark. That will be fun.

Most of my shopping was online and it is weird the strangest way that you can meet nice people. I ordered some things from ebay for Kate and one of the items was chewed (obviously by their dog) Well when I commented on it, I got 2 other figures mailed to me free of charge. What a nice woman.

I also ordered myself a beautiful mug on etsy. The girl who made it was so friendly in her email, that I want to buy more pieces from her. 

Such a wonderful way to share the Christmas spirit. The spirit of giving, love, compassion, patience. 

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus.

Cooking with Kate: Part ?? I lost count

Kate and I got a free Food Network Magazine. There is a special section for fun afterschool snacks. Pretzels dipped in peanut butter then dipped in granola, pitted olive with string cheese through the hole and various recipes for hummus. Another one was crescent rolls with cream cheese and jam. Kate and I made some with PBJ, cream cheese and jam and PB and Nutella. Then we sprinkled them with sugar or cinnamon.

They came out fairly decent. Most of all, we had fun on a Monday night.

PBJ

 

 

 

 

Cream Cheese and Jam

Stars, Rolled, and Crescent shapes

Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar

Kate also helped me make dinner. A few years ago they dubbed this the Cartoon Dinner: 

Brown meat, Mashed potatoes with gravy, green veggie

Too funny. Gotta love it.

Not exactly a Food Network Meal but it works! 

Enjoy your week before Thanksgiving.

Sunny with a chance for Cooking!

Me and my friends at the Sunny Anderson benefit at Hidden Valley

I have not blogged in a while. Much has been going on at work and home....too much to get into. We did have a good weekend though. Yesterday we shopped and made 3 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. We went to a friend's house and wrapped them. They don't give gifts with the family at Christmas, they have a party and make Christmas boxes instead. It was really wonderful and though Jack was the oldest kid there, both kids had a good time and it was nice doing something for others. We have so much to be thankful for.

Today Kate and I went to Hidden Valley, the local ski resort, and saw Sunny Anderson. Her dad is a radiologist at the local hospital and she came to do a food demo for the Hospital's foundation. She told some different stories than NYC when we saw her, but was still just as entertaining. She remembered us from last month, ( I read and follow her blog and comment on it as well) She is so friendly, kind and funny! Her story is inspirational. She got all her cool jobs from hard work, not who she knows.

Ina was always my favorite but Sunny has taken over as #1 for me. Here are some pictures from out afternoon.

Sunny with her Parents