Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Painting is progressing nicely, even with the six or so minutes that Emerson contributed. After painting his signature E (to his left), he rolled for a few minutes and was off to watch Elmo.

Sharpie Love

You can personalize a license plate, your Starbucks cash card, and now Sharpie permanent markers! Who knew? I certainly didn't. But Claudia (and this is why she's in the nearest and dearest category) did and knew I would love them.

When TiVo Dies...

...and Emerson is at school, Daddy is at work and mommy has the day off...I become the next, soon-to-be-identified star of DIY-TV.

Now, let the record reflect that I am not a home improver. In fact, we bought this house because of it's move-in-readiness. And it was move in ready, despite some painting (that of course we would hire out) and then we found out about the flooring issue and then the car accident, and well basically everything stopped. Everything, including this past weekend, our TiVo. What on earth could I do on a day off without TiVo? I could take control.

You see, I keep being reminded that there are only so many things (and actually it's really very few things) that we can control in life. So as things for the latter part of 3 months have been spinning out of control, I realized I could control the appearance of my walls. In particular, two walls that are a faux-finish shade of rust that I just don't care for. Today, that all changed. Well, 80 percent of it changed and once my hubby can move our china cabinet for me the remaining 20 percent can change.

Here's the said ugly wall (on right side), upon immediate move in and mess:


Here's the wall now, one afternoon later, sporting a much nicer color!


Now even though this wall will soon hold some bookshelves and much of this nice color will no longer be visible, the important thing is that the nasty color is gone and the wall is just calling for books!

Happy Christmas

Luminaries Line our Lane

On Saturday afternoon, our homeowner's association supplied us and all the houses in our subdivision with bags and candles with the instruction to place and light the luminaries along our sidewalk by dusk on Christmas Eve. This is an annual holiday tradition for Moonlight Cove and one in which we enjoyed partaking (as did the number of drivers and passersby this evening).

The Last Several Weeks

It's been a whirlwind of a good time this past month or so. With birthday parties to attend (Aidan and Lauren's), a Christmas dinner and recital for school, play dates at the park (with Jason), the Zoo (with Lauren), our favorite friends from Connecticut (Alix, Tim and Owen), the city light parade, a visit to the fire station to drop of toys and measure up against a tire, there's barely been time to rest and recoup. Hoping there's some time for that before the year's end!

Accomplishments and Realizations

It has been a busy holiday week and weekend with a lot to celebrate beyond the usual Thanksgiving fare. To name a few...

1. Aside from two gifts yet to purchase, all of my Christmas shopping is D-O-N-E. I even have half of the gifts wrapped. It's still November and this is accomplishment is nothing short of a holiday miracle. To think of all the money I will save on not having to rush ship or have my online retailers wrap my gifts has me giddy!

2. Our Christmas lights are hung! I think we have hung lights maybe twice (with T's busiest work time hitting during the holiday season it just hasn't always been a priority. Now, that Emerson is really getting into the Christmas spirit and we are in a new hood that is a pretty festive one, we got a bit of the lighting bug and T did a great job with some help from Emerson. See the during and after...


3. As of Thanksgiving day, Emerson is no longer a napper, and this leaves me feeling conflicted. Selfishly, I love the time he naps. It's time that I can rest too, or catch up on some reading or just steal some time a way for a couple of hours. On the flip side, it gives us A LOT more flexibility to not have the day broken up by a nap. And, it's a bittersweet reminder that he's growing up faster than we could ever imagine.

Neighborhood Toughies

Thanksgiving

It probably got no warmer than 75 degrees here in the today -- a beautiful day to give thanks.

As T worked into the wee hours of today, Emerson and I took off for the park and some sunshine so that Dad could get some rest. I was surprised how many people were at the park, but couldn't agree with being out on a day like today. There were at least 3 groups playing touch football, a full-fledged soccer game, kids on the jungle gym and me and my little guy exploring. Emerson loved playing on the jungle gym, watching the big guys play football and soccer and climb his first tree (with a little help from me).




After playing around we grabbed Daddy and met up with Grammy Kathy at the home of our dear friends Scott and Claudia. Great company and the greatest of comfort foods put a nice close on a rather perfect day.

Sick Day Photo Shoot

Emerson was sent home today for being sick. Despite the gastro-intestinal bug that bit him, he was surprisingly up for a quick change of clothes and some fun in the backyard.

Hedgehogs and Baseball and Hot Tubs, Oh My!

It was a busy weekend with a school friend's birthday at the zoo, a jaunt to the park to bat some balls, and our first dip into the hot tub.


L-R: Birthday Honoree David, Emerson and Grace look on while Zoo Volunteer Kat shows off a hedgehog.



Emerson keeps his eye on the ball.



Our little goldfish takes his first hot tub dip.

Have a SMOKIN' Halloween

Hall of Flames

Thanks to our friends, the Cummings, we learned about the Hall of Flames Fireman Museum and their open house today. We made it over to the museum with just an hour left of the open house and just enough time to catch a ride on an actual fire truck and take a look at some historic engines. Emerson was his usual awestruck amongst the trucks and memoriabilia. A great, albiet quick, excursion for a Saturday.

Fall Festival

After a leisurely day at the spa, the family headed out to Emerson's school for the annual Fall Festival, Boo-Attitudes. Emerson had a fantastic time fighgting fires with fellow classmate Evan...

Enjoying the company of a lovely lady (miss Anna)...

Getting some help from handyman Bob (friend David)...

And catching up with scary skeleton (and new neighbor, Jason)...

Walks Among the Stars...

...relax amid the desert.

Today, my mom and I had the treat of spending the day at the spa (a gift from T for Mother's day that we took too long to redeem). Lounging in the sun underneath this Lakota woman, Walks Among the Stars, displaying her heirloom quilt was just what we needed after enduring a rather stress-filled fall. The massages and desert rain loofah treatments weren't so bad either.

Celebration

Another year gone by and I continue to be surrounded (literally and geographically) by good people. The day was perfect - with a lot of twists and turns: lunch with a dear friend and her baby and baby on the way; Bunco with the girls (where we don't get enough of us to play but we don't even notice because we have so much fun gabbing); dinner with the usual suspects; and divine homemade carrot cake cupcakes with a double layer of cream cheese frosting.

It was perfect.

Good Things

**Some family time Sunday afternoon at the Train park. While I miss my mega-camera, my little PowerShot captured some nice afternoon light and my two nice guys.

**Our living room furniture arrived and we found some barstools that work. The house, despite the flooring issue, is starting to feel more like a home.

**I took Emerson over to the park across the street from our neighborhood and ran into a friend I haven't seen in years. It was instant recognition in that, "Aren't you Lara?" "Aren't you Julie?" kinda way. Her 2 year old and my 3.5 year old said nary a word to one another while we mommies chatted things up, but of course they did the obligatory hug when we all departed. It's so sweet to see little kids and their willing affections.

**A bubble bath, a great magazine and my iPod set to a mellow mix. A perfect way to wind down after a busy weekend.

Books Books Books - A Meme

I found this surfing the net and finding a new blog that I like Katie's Books & Baubles.

What are you reading right now?
Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield for my book club.

Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that?
Actually, I don't!

What magazines do you have in your bathroom right now?
None in the bathroom, but my nightstand holds Real Simple, News Week and Working Mother magazines.

What’s the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
Moby Dick.

What’s the one book you always recommend to just about everyone? The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter or Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don’t they?
Nope, I am an avid buyer.

Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don’t like it at all?
The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken

Do you read books while you do other things?
Only if it happens to be one of those glorious times when I have the luxury of reading and dozing and reading and dozing. But as the mother of an almost four year old, those times are rare.

When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits?
No, my friends also read. I remember saving a seat on the bus for my friend Barbara and we would each read our books on the way to and from school. Sometimes we would talk about what we read. We were 13 and I guess that was my first book club.

What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?
Probably Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love.

If you are a fellow reader, and you haven't done this one yet, then tag, you're it!

Progress

Emerson had his most recent modified barium swallow study on Oct. 2. We learned that he was sitting pretty comfortable with no decline in ability, but no improvement either. It was because of this, that our Speech Therapist Pamela recommended we challenge him a little bit - oh so catiously - by upping his thickened liquid by two ounces a day in the form of anything other than his formula (aka Kiddie Milk).

The rationale for this is that if we can give him an additional two ounces a day, every day for a month with no adverse side affects, then in November we can add another two ounces per day. With each ounce of thickened beverage that he consumes orally, we can then remove an ounce that he gets via the tube. In a completely perfect world, one could reason that if we could get him, albeit slowly, to consume all of his liquid in a thickened state - with no issues - then we could remove the tube. It's certainly something to work toward.

So last weekend we tried some organic, low sugar juice. Tonight, for the first time ever, Emerson had Grape Kool-Aid. Just two ounces, and he thought it was perfect. "That tastes really good, Mommy."

This is also the first night he agreed to reinstate the toilet for his more complicated waste removal.

Progress, no matter what form it takes, is progress.

Gratitude

Our lives have been eventful as of late; in both positive and not so positive ways. But one ray of light was this fall bouquet and card delivered anonymously and not signed. There was also a balloon and pumpkin pail which Emerson will use for trick or treating. Anyway... I had my hunch, but when shared my prediction was proven wrong. So rather than wrack my brain to figure out who did such a nice thing for us, I am just going to enjoy it.

Thank you whoever you are. Wherever you are.