kidding around

Yesterday, the kids school pictures arrived. I never really expect a lot from them and I sort of resist having to pay a lot for them. That’s why I do the absolute cheapest package. I guess I think that if they are in school, they need the cheesy documentation for later down the road.

Ellie and Simon (eventually Penelope) probably will show more interest in school photos then the more artistic kinds Nathan and I take regularly.

Another photo issue that occassionally arises is the fact that I am VERY far behind in organizing the kids’ baby books. This is as far as I have gone…Ellie at 6 months. Yikes! She is 7 now. Perhaps this winter I will put the sewing aside and sift through 100s, maybe close to a thousand photographs. If I can document each kids’ first year then I will lay the nagging aside and relax.

Here is another cute find I discovered at the thrift store down the street. I love the place- lots of great finds, antiques, and marginal junk (it makes me giddy).

This dress is so perfectly girly…it’s so lovely. It was a whopping 90cents…can’t wait for Penny to wear it next Spring.

Penelope thinks if she backs up slowly…

she can…

sit on this chair!

It’s this sweet girl’s birthday this weekend and I decided to send her a package (a banner I had made fo us, after many for others, but really wanted to give it to Ella, got it?!). Penny and I were scrambling this morning to get it off to the post office. I hope Ella gets it before Saturday.

By the way, in the midst of our scrambling I stopped by my local thrift store and found a treasure…

I think it is a shawl, but love it for my reading room, just off our bedroom. I know I should give it to someone for a Christmas gift, but I think I will claim it. If I don’t, I know Ellie has her eyes on it. I believe it’s embroidered- but in a way I have never seen before.

Yesterday, after school, I put the kids to work. I found this great recipe in “Everyday Food” from last year. It’s a basic sugar cookie recipe and it is perfect for kids. No mixer was involved- just wooden spoons. Both Ellie and Simon did a fantastic job. I enjoyed explaining the ingredientsand their “jobs” to make a cookie.

By the way, they taste really good too. I’m thinking maybe for Christmas I will add a “Andes” mint or something festive.

Our pumpkin patch has now started it’s second phase. The vines are dying and the pumpkins are beginning to turn orange. Who needs to go to an overpriced, crowded pumpkin patch on the weekends? My kids do…they love our patch, but love the festivities too. I guess I do too!

Look how crazy! They are totally taking over!

Here the vines somehow found a way to grow inside our fireplace! They are relentless.

It’s so fun to creep around the patch and discover the leaves, vines and these curly “q”s.

That’s right, we have a pumpkin dangling from our fence.

This is the perfect pumpkin- squat and perfectly round. It just needs to turn now- it’s crazy because it is bright orange on the under side.

Earlier today I wrote about family traditions. There is one tradition that has outlasted most…that is, the sidewalk chalk activity. I can still remember Ellie at 1, drawing with her chalk while living in Whittier, CA. We lived next to a church that had a daily soup kitchen. She would greet each homeless person that walked by while covered in chalk…happy as can be. I think those people were pretty happy to have such a wee one so genuinely enthusiastic about their “little” visit.

We have kept the chalk thing alive, but unfortunately in January our hands would freeze and no one wants to be outside for too long. I really do love this tradition because it forces me to sit and watch my kids create and just discover nature and their artistic tendencies. It also provides them with an activity to do together with no competition- nice!

We have had some pretty spectacular weather in the Chicago area. So- Simon and I decided to document some fun images of Fall to share. We kind of went camera crazy. Look for more images to appear in the day next day.

I discovered this little surprise yesterday and thought that Si had a good eye for decorations.

On Saturday, I worked a concession stand for an antique market in my area. My sister’s business of course provided the food and it was exceptional. Homemade soups, chili, and great sandwiches.

Everything was chugging along until one person complained about the soup. Obviously you want people to be happy, but she was so incredibly rude and patronizing…I don’t know, someone who complains 3 times in 5 minutes is an unhappy soul (my opinion). On a side note, this was the only negative all day.

So Sunday came around and I did not work the gig, but my coworkers did and man…the freaks were out. People can be so mean. One particular comment, “Did you think you were going to do THIS when you were in college?” Uh huh, you read it right!

I really wish everyone in this country would be MADE to work with the public in this capacity before they make such rude comments. AND perhaps they should travel or look outside of themselves and think that not EVERYONE gets handed everything they want or need.

So what is my advice? Think before you say things. The words you use can really take the wind out of people’s sails…people you don’t even know. But I guess this kind of action can also challenge us and just not allow it to bother, but…if only I could get my hands on some of these idiots!

I think there is a full moon tonight…maybe the freaks started early.

Oh, have to say it…

Go Sox! Great games and I don’t even watch sports!

Over the past year or so our family began the weekly tradition of eating out. We ended up doing it anyway, so we have designated Friday or Saturday night a family date. The restaurant of choice is Chipotle of course! It is pretty important that we can all go to a restaurant and equally enjoy every morsel. Not that we won’t venture out to other establishments, but for the kids, this is their spot (yeah, no Chuck E Cheese! Been once…Ellie was 2).

When you start a family, everyone emphasizes traditions and I always thought it was important from them to come about “naturally”. I never have wanted them to be contrived because that is much too much work for me.

Some other traditions I have thought about:
2-3 books before bed
pancake breakfasts on Saturday
breakfst for dinner on Sundays (a pattern?)
homemade cookies each week
family drawing sessions
while still in Cali., Ellie and I would walk to the corner bakery and watch the bakers ice cakes…sorry we don’t do that anymore
notes in Ellie’s lunch box (she keeps them!)
family hug- this is especially helpful before running out the door on school days. it can get wacky, so it’s nice to take the time and just squeeze another until we fall over.

What I love about traditions is that they reveal themselves…for some it may not be such a great family tradition, but for others, it is something children really look for in their lives.