Happy Halloween!

Once again, I find myself behind on blogging. I mean, DUDE, we had a HURRICANE on Monday... that probably merits a post. But long story short, we are all just fine. The wind and rain were pretty intense, and we lost power for about 4 hours in the evening, but we had no damage and the generator worked perfectly. That's about as good as could be expected, so we are very thankful!

Anyway, today is Halloween! Because of the hurricane, our town postponed trick-or-treating to this Friday. But the neighboring town, where my friend Caryn lives, had their trick-or-treating tonight. Do you see where this is going? Stay tuned for more pictures from Friday's second round of candy-grubbing, haha!

Really, though, they had SO much fun this year. We went with Caryn's family, and the four kiddos were quite a little team. The adults pretty much stood back and watched them do their thing-- such a far cry from previous years, when the kids were too shy to say anything. They are REALLY excited to get a second chance on Friday, and we will be going with a bigger group, too. I love it!

And now, pictures. Because I really need to go to bed!

Birthday Extravaganza!

So, I have clearly gotten behind on the blogging! And, the further I get behind, the more pictures I have to share. And then I start to dread the catching-up process. Yet I am far too Type A to just let it go. So, here I am! I am just going to post about our boy's birthday. Hopefully, I'll fill in the gaps in a later post, with more pictures from our visit with my parents!

Anyway... Our boy is FIVE! I still can't believe it. On Thursday, he climbed into bed with us at 6am to snuggle (something he has just started doing again). Gus, who is usually out of the house long before then, had decided to leave for work later than usual so he could wish his boy a happy birthday. And once it was time, the three of us went downstairs together. And, lo and behold, Nikos' new bike was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, with five helium balloons tied to it (thank you, dollar store!). He was SO excited! And we let him open another small gift before Gus had to leave for work, since he was begging to open presents. It was an excellent morning!

After breakfast, the kids went to preschool. Nikos brought mini vanilla bean scones to share with his classmates. They all sang to him at snack time, but he had requested that they sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" instead of the traditional birthday song. He really hates it when people sing "Happy Birthday" to him, for whatever reason. I think it's the whole being-the-center-of-attention thing. But whatever! He was very happy.

After lunch, I moved my car to block the end of the driveway, and we let the kids ride around on their bikes. We didn't take Nikos' training wheels off, because our driveway is slightly sloped and, well, kind of dangerous! Both kids got lots of practice using their brakes, which is always a good skill. And I got a bunch of pictures like this. He really, really loves his bike! :)

Eventually, Gus came home from work, and we rushed to make it to the restaurant before they gave our table to someone else. And after a delightful, belly-filling meal, we dragged ourselves home. It was already late, but we had presents to open and cake to eat. So we did exactly that.

Fast forward to today (Saturday), and it was party day! Nikos had said he wanted to have his party at the bowling alley, so that's what we did! Fourteen kids were invited, and ten ended up showing (although three of them came an hour late and missed the bowling part, since their mom got the time wrong-- oops!!). And really, there were three other babies and one older brother-- so fourteen small people. I was stressed out, mostly because I generally dislike chaos and had no idea how everything would play out. But it was great! Everyone had fun, and the ramps/bumpers made it so everyone was very successful. But the best part? We showed up only about 20 minutes before the party began, we had a bowling alley employee who took care of everything we needed, and we walked away from the mess right when the party ended. Easiest birthday party ever! And the only casualty was one pinched finger-- Maya's, and she recovered quickly. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Oh, and Nikos even got a souvenir bowling pin to keep, hehe! He will always have it as a reminder of his fifth birthday party, and the first time he ever bowled. I think it's kind of neat!

Nikos' 5th Birthday Letter

Dear Nikos,

Today, you are five. A whole hand! It's become clear that you aren't a toddler anymore. I've known that for a while now, but you being five now makes it more real. I'm just thankful that you have a late birthday, and will remain my little preschooler for the rest of this school year!

I don't even know where to begin. You are such a "real person" these days. You are articulate, quick-thinking, and highly opinionated on a wide variety of topics. You love science, and anything involving space, dinosaurs, or superheroes. You can ride your bike without training wheels! And at the same time, you still do the cute things that remind us how little you really are. You firmly believe that dreams are located inside your pillow, and that you have dreams at night because you look into your pillow and see them while you sleep. And while you vocabulary is vast and impressive, you still pronounce certain words incorrectly. It is the most endearing thing ever! One example: you call "the Hulk," "Muh Hullock." (I still don't know where that one came from, but it cracks me up!). You have a big brain, and big plans, and yet you are still this little kid inside. We love it!

These days, pretty much your favorite thing to do is play video games... If you had your way, you'd play them all day! But once you get over your initial distress at being told you can't do that, you love to play with your action figures, or run around outside. You invariably get your sister involved, somehow, and the two of you will disappear into the playroom for hours. You two develop these complex stories and battles that suck you in-- your imagination knows no bounds! I love walking into the room to see that the superhero action figures have banded together to help rescue the Little People zoo animals. Or they are having a birthday party with Maya's pink bunny. It truly warms my heart, seeing how well you two play together!

You also love to draw, and are getting better at your writing-- when you feel like it. Your art work is amazing, and I can almost always identify what you are trying to draw. I think that's pretty awesome for a five-year-old! You run hot and cold on your reading lessons... You are actually very good at sounding out words wherever we go, but it doesn't always occur to you to try before asking. But we've got you pegged... you are stubborn! You are completely capable, but will learn on your own terms. We're not worried.

Really, you are a great kid. That sounds so generic, but it's true. You have your moments at home, but you are always kind to your teachers and classmates at school. You and your sister are best friends, and are inseparable. But other kids gravitate toward you, because of your infectious smile and enthusiasm for just about everything. You love learning new things! You are going to rock kindergarten next fall. It's such a perfect fit for you.

Anyway... Happy Birthday, baby boy. You made us parents five years ago today, and it's been quite an adventure. You make us so proud! We love you!

All our love, always, Mommy, Daddy, and Maya

AppleFest!

Let's see, where did I leave off? It's been a few days!

Thursday, the kids had preschool and my parents and I went shopping while they were gone. Then, once we picked the kids up, we went out to lunch, then spent the rest of the (beautiful) afternoon back at the house. My dad wanted to repair some stained glass pieces he had made for the kids, and my mom and I baked a pie with some of the last apples we had picked. Friday ended up being a very, very rainy day... It rained almost nonstop all day. After lunch, my mom and I went out shopping for Nikos' birthday presents. He needs a bigger bike, and he had mentioned seeing a dinosaur one. Well, after looking in two stores, we hadn't found a dino bike. But I decided to check one more place and, lo and behold! They had a t-rex bike. The perfect size and the perfect price! It was like it was meant to be. I hope he loves it!

Today was much busier. I had a photo shoot first thing in the morning, and then had to pick up the key to the library meeting room for my club's Halloween party tomorrow. And then we were off to the AppleFest! As my dad later pointed out, there weren't many references to apples. If anything, it was more of an Oktoberfest. But we took the ski lift up the mountain to take in all the beautiful fall foliage, which was breathtaking (and also sort of terrifying!). We went on a hay ride, and the kids went bananas over the selection of bounce houses and other activities just for them (pony rides, etc.). We watched them weigh some enormous pumpkins (all close to 1,000 pounds each), and got to see various performers and whatnot. And despite a meltdown at lunchtime over a hot dog, it was a really fun day! Both kids especially loved riding on the ski lift. Daredevils!!

Busy Busy!

Without elaborating on all the boring details, things have been busy! Most of it is photography-related for me, which is great. But throw in all the things that the kids are always busy with, and holy moly! I need time to breathe!

Despite the craziness, we've been having a great time! We carved our first (and possibly last?) pumpkin of the year-- the black Angry Bird!

We also realized that something (squirrels?) have been eating our decorative pumpkins out front. This has never happened to us before! I suppose I'm happy they are enjoying their little feast... but, ew!

We also bid adieu to our garden, after the frost killed the last of our plants... Time to start planning for next year!

The kids have been learning about fire safety at school, and were very eager to show me how to play "Safe, Safe, Fire"-- a version of "Duck, Duck, Goose" where the chosen kid has to run to the center of the circle and them stop, drop, and roll. They've been playing it for a few days now, mostly with their stuffed animals. It is so cute!

Today was one of the busiest days! The fire truck was visiting preschool, and so I took Nikos (even though it was not a normal preschool day for the kids). Meanwhile, I took Maya to dance class, and then raced back so she could catch the tail end of the firefighter's presentation. And then, when we got home, my parents showed up! Hooray!! They are here through next week to celebrate Nikos' birthday. Gus' mom will be joining us, too. And the party guest list keeps growing... it should be a great time!

After being in a car all morning, my parents wanted to stretch their legs. So we went for a walk on the rail trail. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day!

Later on, we had stew and fresh homemade bread for dinner. Tomorrow, we might go to the pumpkin patch. Busy busy!

We're Still Here!

It's sort of a Catch-22. The more "free" time I have to sit down and blog, the less I seem to have to write about. But when life is busy and I get behind on blogging... I have trouble remembering everything that we did! And so I sit here, thinking, "Hmm... what DID we do this week?" I mean, clearly, it was a lot. I really need to write this stuff down every day!

Anyway... Monday, we were in Vermont. Tuesday was preschool. Wednesday was dance class and a play date. Thursday was preschool, during which time I had a photo shoot and had to take care of some banking business. Then we jumped in piles of leaves, which was a HUGE hit (they are already begging to do it again). Yesterday, we had lunch with Gus at work, ran some errands, and spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and getting ready for a little party I hosted this afternoon (which was also sort of a playdate, since a few of my friends brought their kids). And now, I just finished editing two photo sessions and emailing the galleries to my respective clients. Time to breathe again!!!!

So yes. We are still here, just busy. But doing well! Here are pictures of the kids jumping in leaves. I really need to find a better spot for this (I have a vision...). But they like it just fine, and that's what really matters!

I think that we will carve a pumpkin tomorrow. Then, at some point, I need to figure out a few things. I'm setting up a booth at the local elementary school's Fall Festival, and need to get the setup details squared away. And I'm donating a session to a silent auction, which I need to set up a display for. And I'm doing Halloween costume portraits at a party next weekend for the club I joined. And... And... And... Yes. Busy time of year, haha!

24 Hours in Vermont!

We played tourists this weekend! A few weeks ago, I read an article online about the best places to view the fall foliage, and Stowe, Vermont was listed as number one on that particular list. And as I looked at the accompanying pictures, I thought, "Wouldn't it be fun to take a little trip up there? It's not that far!" Less than an hour later, and we had booked a two-room suite in a little motel for one night. The price was totally reasonable, and it even had a little kitchen (stove, oven, everything). Not bad!

Gus arrived home from a business trip early Sunday morning (he had taken a red-eye flight), and we quickly got into the car and headed north. Gus slept for most of the three-and-a-half hour drive, but the kids were wide awake and very chatty. It hit us-- WE'VE been on vacations since the kids were born, but this was the first time that THEY had ever stayed in a hotel. Well, Nikos stayed in a hotel for Grant's wedding when he was a baby, but there is no way he would remember that. Needless to say, they were very excited to see what it would be like.

The drive up was just beautiful! Fall colors for as far as the eye could see. We stopped for lunch at a Dunkin' Donuts in Montpelier, then made the final climb into Stowe. Stowe really isn't that far from Montpelier (20-30 minutes), but I was glad we had stopped to eat. The traffic was terrible! It was a holiday weekend, and all the other Leaf Peepers were on the road. It was slow-going all the way to the motel. But we made it! And for the kids, it was love at first sight, haha!

They ran to check out their bedroom, which had two twin beds, its own bathroom, and its own TV. ITS OWN TV!!! They were absolutely beside themselves! Within minutes, they had each claimed a bed, and then climbed onto Maya's bed to watch cartoons. When asked what her favorite part of the trip was, Maya says, "Watching TV in our room at the motel." And Nikos' favorite part? "Playing with my action figures at the motel!" The motel was a big hit, apparently! It was old and shabby, but clean and cozy. And the location was fantastic, since it was right at the base of the mountains, with direct access to the Stowe Rec Path. I'd stay there again, though I wouldn't call it the highlight of the trip, haha!

After Gus took a quick shower, we got back in the car and drove up the mountain through Smuggler's Notch. There were a ton of cars out there, and some treacherous curves, but some amazing views. We got out a bunch of times to admire the views, and the kids enjoyed climbing around on the rocks and trees. Some of the trees had these crazy, curving trunks. There were waterfalls, rocky ledges, and all sorts of fun things to explore! It was absolutely beautiful!

At that point, the kids were begging to go back to the motel. They were seriously obsessed. So we did, for a few minutes, but then we walked out and explored the Stowe Rec Trail. Oh, and Nikos insisted that I take a picture of him and his "little deer friend" in the motel's backyard.


We had a nice dinner at a local space-themed pizza place, and then all four of us snuggled into the big bed at the motel to watch a movie together ("Rio," a gift from Gus' Brazilian coworker who had dinner with us over the summer). The kids went to bed as soon as it was over, and had no trouble sleeping in a different place. They are at a great age for traveling, now, I think! Which is a good thing, because they will likely be doing a lot of it in the not-too-distant future!

The next morning, we had breakfast in our room and took our time getting ready. Then we drove around and explored some more. We went to see the Trapp Family Lodge (as in, the von Trapp family, made famous by "The Sound of Music"). WOW. That is a swanky hotel, with an amazing view!! Sadly, my lenses were all fogged up because of the weather, so my pictures weren't as crisp as I'd like. But they defogged just in time to capture a beautiful rainbow! Then we drove down the mountain to the downtown area, for a few more pics. Such a beautiful place!

After that, it was off to the Ben & Jerry's factory! It was packed! We took the tour, and got to taste a potential new flavor in their tasting room ("Maple Me Happy"-- maple ice cream with semi-sweet chocolate shavings. Delicious!!). We explored the grounds, then headed up the road to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. It was also packed, but we were able to get some lunch there. And, they had really excellent apple cider doughnuts. Heavenly!!!

And then, it was time to head home...

We were only there for about 24 hours, but I think we will go there again sometime. It was beautiful!!

Photo Overload

I don't even know how I am going to limit the number of pictures in this post, I really don't. I have taken SO MANY pictures over the past few days. A bunch of portraits (inside and out) of the kids on Wednesday. Then, after preschool on Thursday, I dragged them out to the Rail Trail for an impromptu (and very brief) photo shoot with all the pretty fall colors. It started to rain after about 5 minutes, though, so we dashed back to the car and I vowed to return!

This morning, we picked apples (so, of course, I took more pictures). And after lunch, the kids were in a good mood and the weather was amazing, so we zipped over to the Rail Trail again. The lake right by the parking are is looking pretty spectacular!! We collected some pretty leaves, and ironed them between wax paper when we got home. At any rate, I'll let you figure out which photo was from which day (hint: they're in chronological order, haha!). But I am going to make them smaller, so that people don't have to scroll down for an hour to see them all. In fact, I'd just click on the first one and view them in the Blogger picture viewer, where they will be much bigger. Some of these will be going in frames, for sure!

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