Spa Day

So THAT'S where all of our cucumbers have been going.....

Tree Time!

Down came the Christmas bins today! Everyone was all nice and interested at first, and wanted to help with the tree assembly.
But by the time a few layers of branches were in place, no one was left in the living room with me except The Carpenters and Bing Crosby. The kids did a lot of helping outside, though.
And, once the sun went down, the little elves came in to hang decorations.
Note to self: Christmas candles cannot survive summer temperatures in the rafters of the garage.

A SoCal moment

While I was way northeast of here, Chad and the kids were down south in Ventura for Thanksgiving. By all accounts, it was a great trip. Chad lacks my paparazzi tendencies, though. During the nine days that I was gone, he took thirteen pictures. Even camera-less and with no kids around, I took more than that..... :)

Going Home

I have only flown alone twice in the past 10 years, and it is completely awesome. The packing, for one thing, is ridiculously easy. Just look at my suitcase:Zero checked bags also means that your luggage is definitely going with you to your destination.

And with three flights, two layovers, and a long BART ride from the airport, I managed to read two entire novels on the way home! TWO! Not a bad day.

P.S. I had enough room left in my bag for a taste of home. :)

Gaming

A certain percentage of any trip to Nova Scotia is spent at the kitchen table, playing games. This visit has involved lots of Scrabble and Chinese Checkers, and a bit of Trivial Pursuit. Wayne generally pulls off the win, but I've come to expect that. :)

After a rousing Scrabble match, I introduced my mom to the world of Photobooth.
Wayne wouldn't pose for me, so I snuck him in the background.
The wind is howling tonight, and we are cozy and warm.

Rice, Yarn and Ice

I think the neurons in the creative side of my brain have been firing overtime this week. I've been cooking, for one thing. No, not just chopping veggies and putting them in a steamer, or boiling noodles, or opening a package of something. I've actually followed recipes. First it was some loaded spaghetti sauce, then pumpkin soup, then squash risotto with sage, and then meatloaf. Look at me! Little Miss Cook! Who knew?

I have also been obsessively making ice lanterns (one per night), which doesn't exactly flex the creative muscle, but has flashy results.
And if you're drinking tea beside a wood stove on a chilly day, you should be knitting, right?
I'm expecting to hear from Country Living magazine any day now. Surely they'll want to write an article on me. :)

Snow in Lochaber Mines

Yippee! Snow! I am thrilled about this, but Wayne is somewhat less than thrilled. The snowflakes are even big and fluffy, my absolute favorite kind of snowflakes. Walking in the woods through all of this is fantastic.
We cranked up the Christmas tunes while we relaxed by the fire and drank tea. Definitely a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Halifax

This is me in Kenny's kitchen. It is very late, but I'm still on California time. An impromptu trip to Nova Scotia to hang with my mom and Wayne starts here, at Kenny's. Photobooth is my camera for the trip, which is fine, because high resolution doesn't really do you any favors after a certain age, does it?
This is Kenny in his kitchen, preparing delicious food for me. I brought my running shoes in my suitcase, but already I have a feeling that intake will be greater than output for the next week. At least the input will be stellar.

Season Finale

Clara's team finished their season this morning with an impressive game played in beautiful fall weather. I haven't been my usual shutterbug self at games this year, but I took a few today to commemorate this, our last time getting up early on the weekend, until January 15. :)
The eternal defender last season, Clara's run as a midfielder this year has been exciting to watch. I can hardly believe that the speedy, graceful, and talented girl out there on the field shares half of my DNA.
I took this pic because I thought it was hilarious how the girls' uniforms were camouflaged against the dead grass on the hillside. :)
On an unrelated note:
After the soccer was done, we picked up some new shoes for Trevi – his first lace-ups. Imagine my shock at the fact that Clara sat and patiently taught her brother how to tie them.
Even more shocking – the fact that he sat patiently and listened to her.

Odds and Ends

I meant to document the seasonal stages of my little maple tree (that Chad game me for my 40th birthday), but I forgot to take a picture of it in all its autumn glory. Luckily, I remembered just before it lost its last two leaves.
The mulberry trees are dumping theirs as well, and Trev tried to make a jumping pile today. I think he'll have to wait a bit longer.
Monopoly is the game of choice these days, and we all got in on the action this afternoon. Clara and Chad bought up most of the board, while Trevor's main goal was (and always is) to acquire Boardwalk and Park Place, and build hotels. It's amazing what this game will do for a kid's number skills. And reading, for that matter. I just wish we could finish a game in less than 47 hours.
The cats all hung out in the front room with us while we played, and gosh darn it if the three of them aren't starting to look like they belong together.

Girls' Weekend in Sacramento

Even though it was a soccer weekend, it felt a bit like a girls' getaway. Clara and I had tons of time to hang out between games in Sacramento, and we made the most of it. We browsed in the bookstore for hours, ate dinner at CPK, got frozen yogurt with a bunch of sugary awesomeness on top, and relaxed in the hotel room.

The soccer part of the weekend was a bit torturous - it was freezing cold, windy, and it poured rain most of the time. I'm so proud of Clara for her grit and determination on the field, despite the miserable conditions. I'm calling her Tenacious C from now on. :)

I only dared to take my camera out for a second, but you can see the edge of a frozen and wet parent under an umbrella. The poor girls were out there unprotected:
In the car, we huddled under blankets and drank hot beverages.
And, in a moment of nostalgia (and unwillingness to get out of the warm car in the deluge), we hit the drive-"thru" for breakfast. Clara enjoyed her first ever Egg McMuffin, as I told her the story of a road trip I took with my mom and brothers when I was about her age. We drove from Mississauga to Ottawa, camping and staying in little motels along the way, and indulging in breakfast at McDonald's almost every day. We were in heaven. :)
As for Clara's impressions of the Egg McMuffin, she said, "Mummy, when you described this to me, I thought it sounded kind of gross, but it's actually really delicious!" I can't even remember the last time I went to McDonald's, let alone had an Egg McMuffin (minus the ham, of course). Man, it was tasty. We savored ours in the hotel room, while Clara's soccer uniform dried out a bit.
We really had a fabulous time, and I hereby vow that Clara and I will have another getaway again soon. Maybe the next one will involve Burger King Croissandwiches......

The Great Pumpkin

The Great Pumpkin, always an awesome guy, came through with some fantastic gifts this year. He whisked away the candy, and left Medieval Lego for the knight, and a Bop-It for the tree. As you can see, they were pleased. :)

P.S. The Giants are the World Series Champions!!!!!!! I may be a Blue Jays fan at heart, but I was definitely swept up by the fever. Way to go, Giants!