sugar cookie and dirt digger

Pinewood Derby MADNESS!!

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:08:03 -0400

Not really. I was just thinking of the commercials for Monster Truck rallies. You know, where they say “Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!!!” The Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby wasn’t quite that crazy, though it did get quite loud, in a cute, fun way. The boys were SO excited!

Reed’s car actually did quite well! No thanks to Jamie and I, since we are not very handy. Though I did buy “Lube in a Tube” which sprays this fine powder out to make your axels (actually nails) much faster... it’s weird, and I’m guessing not too health or environmentally-friendly. Anyway, Reed ended up getting a trophy for getting third place in his Wolf’s den, and as you can see above, he was VERY proud of himself!

Reed also got his first bike with gears this weekend. WHAT a weekend he had!! Last fall we told him that we would get him a new bike in the spring, so for the past two months, just about every day he’s been asking about it... “when is it spring? is it spring yet? do you mean when it gets warm OR when it officially becomes spring?!!” Since we were here for the Pinewood Derby and not skiing this weekend, we decide it was time. And BOY, are bikes expensive now!! Yikes! But he LOVES it, and it was so cute to wake up Sunday morning, despite the early hour of 7 a.m., by the boys saying, “We got dressed AND made our beds... can we PLEASE go ride our bikes in the driveway?!!”

Sarde in Saor, and other good things...

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:28:10 -0400

We went to a VERY fun wine tasting party last night at our friend’s, the Minasian’s, home. It was a blind tasting of a bottle we each brought, so 5 wines in total. We were asked to bring a wine which we think is a good value during these somewhat scary economic times. AND, we were asked to bring a little something to nibble on as well. I immediately thought of all the wonderful Venetian wine bars, which serve tasty chicchetti, or bacari, similar to tapas in spain, or antipasti in the rest of Italy.

SO, I picked a Valpolicella Ripassa from the Veneto region of Italy NAMELY because I wanted to make Sarde en Saor, one of our favorite dishes from Venice. I’ve found a pretty good recipe. The trick is to get super fresh sardines AND to have your fish-monger clean and fillet them for you, saving much headache for you.

I also had some fresh ricotta which I needed to use up, so I made a baked ricotta, as well. AND, I had some pretty baby carrots which weren’t going to stay pretty much longer, so I cooked and marinated them in a spicy lemon vinaigrette.

I served everything with crostini from some leftover french baguettes which I usually have on hand in the freezer. For the crostini, I crush some garlic into a ramekin of olive oil, slice the bread, paint on the olive oil (lightly) on both sides, and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

I am SO bummed that I forgot to take photos of the baked ricotta and carrots!!

Oh, and we lost the wine contest both for overall value AND favorite overall wine of the group, but no matter. I still love the Ripasso’s... they remind me of our wonderful evenings spent in Venice.

And one more note... for those of you who think sardines are not appealing, this is not a fishy dish. It is super flavorful, with almost a sweet & sour North African taste. The Minasian’s thought the flavorings were very similar to Armenian cuisine, as well.

SARDE IN SAOR
From Russ Parsons and The Los Angeles Times
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Oil
2 pounds sardines, cleaned
Flour
Salt
2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup toasted pinenuts

Heat 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet until it is hot enough that food sizzles when added to it. Lightly flour the sardines on both sides and fry in the hot oil until lightly browned, less than a minute per side. Using a slotted spatula, lift the sardines from the oil and drain on paper towels. Season with salt.
Drain the oil from the skillet, but don't wipe it clean. Combine the onions and the olive oil in the skillet and cook over very low heat until the onions are very soft and just beginning to turn golden (not brown). This can take as long as an hour. Stir the onions from time to time, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits of sardine that are stuck there.

When the onions are soft and sweet, add the vinegar, white wine and bay leaf and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the liquid has reduced to a glaze. When you tip the pan to the side, there should be only a couple of tablespoons of liquid left. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the raisins and pinenuts.
Arrange 1 layer of sardines in the bottom of a small baking dish. Cover it with a thin layer of onions. Repeat with the remaining sardines and onions, pouring any liquid that's left in the pan over top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 days before serving.

Baked Ricotta with Lemon and Rosemary  2 cups whole milk ricotta 2 eggs, separated 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped finely grated zest of one small lemon 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese freshly cracked black pepper and coarse sea salt   Preheat oven to 350 F  Grease 1 medium sized baking dish; I used a pretty Italian square pan which I could leave the ricotta in to serve, but you could take it out to serve directly on a platter.  1. Whip 2 egg whites to soft peaks and set aside.  2. Combine ricotta,parmesan cheese, lemon zest, 2 egg yolks, rosemary, salt and pepper until blended. Add about one third of the whipped egg whites and fold gently. Add remaining whipped egg whites and fold until just incorporated.  3. Spoon into your baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes OR until lightly browned on top and a little puffy. (they will deflate a bit as they cool). Baked ricotta is best eaten warm or at room temperature.
 Marinated Baby Carrots (I served these next to the ricotta)  1-2 cups cooked baby carrots (I boiled these ahead of time in salted water) 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
 Combine all the marinated carrot ingredients and serve alongside the cheese with sliced French baguette or crostini.

Enjoy your cicchetti!!

Pizza Faces!!

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:24:26 -0400

My cooking class made pizza faces yesterday. They did a fantastic job!! I did a whole wheat crust, and it was very easy to make. The crust is tasty though more chewy and bread-like than I normally like, but it was very easy for the kids to roll out and my boys both liked it a lot.

Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

¾ cup warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon semolina flour
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix the flours, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. KNEAD dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. PUNCH down dough. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Pizza Faces

pizza dough
tomato Sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
topping ideas for face:
olives for eyes; or pepperoni
red pepper strips for mouth or eyebrows
cheddar cheese for blonde hair
mushroom slices for brown hair
mushroom slice for nose

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Roll and stretch out pizza dough in a circle. Sprinkle a bit of semolina onto a sheet pan or pizza stone. Place pizza circle on pan. Spread sauce over pizza with a spoon. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over pizza. Now create your face! Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Rockin’ out to The Nerds!

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 17:05:46 -0500

The Nerds rocked Windham again last night. Our friends, the Salazar’s joined us for the weekend... thank you Nelson for installing our wonderful new water filter!! But we also introduced them to the musical glories of The Nerds!! Now Nelson wants to hire them for his birthday this summer. They ARE super fun, as you can see Miles and Henry couldn’t help but dance in the above photo.

Sex and the City... not really

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:51:30 -0500

But we stayed out until 4 a.m. in Manhattan last night!! Jen flew in yesterday from Houston to celebrate her 28th (!!) birthday with all of her Westchester buds.

We had a wonderful dinner at Suba down on the Lower East Side, one of my favorite hoods for food and shopping. It is very sleek, with a dining room perched over a swimming pool. The hostess needed a bit of an attitude adjustment, but otherwise service was very friendly and helpful. The food is spanish tapas, and we chose the tasting menu in which the chef picks the tapas. Plate after glorious plate of wonderful tapas arrived until we thought we would burst.

We stumbled out of Suba around 12:30 a.m., off to find a good club for dancing. The dancing idea didn’t really pan out despite our good intentions, but we still managed to have a fantastic time together.

Baker Boys strut their ski stuff

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:22:57 -0500

Click on the photo above to watch Reed and Miles skiing. We had some good snow over the winter break last week. We also, well some of us named Reed, got strep which is never any fun. But sitting in front of a fireplace, reading a good book, watching the snow come down is not too shabby either.

Special Persons Day

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:28:42 -0500

Click on photo to see the video. Reed’s class celebrated “Special Persons Day” in which they honored a special person in their life. Reed chose to honor his grandfather. It was one of those school events where you don’t wear mascara, and you make sure you have plenty of tissues with you... they are so precious!

Jamie stomps Venice again... in galoshes

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 16:47:23 -0500

Click on Jamie’s head to play video! Jamie wandered around Venice again today AFTER buying some rain boots. Even with the flooding, it still looks beautiful to me... wish I was there.

Jamie stomps Venice!!!

Sat, 7 Feb 2009 10:18:08 -0500

Jamie is on the Venice web cam, right by the elbow of the temporary wall. So cool!! He amused people around the world, including myself in NY, Kate in New Orleans, Richard in Tokyo, and Jocelyn in Tulsa.

live brow

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 19:40:55 -0500

This is HILARIOUS!!! See if you can get your eyebrows to do this... http://www.aglassandahalffullproductions.com/

making pasta with 12 children...

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 21:49:59 -0500

So, my second cooking class went well. We made a baked penne with chicken sausage and also garlic bread. I took my camera to take photos of them, but it just got a little hectic since I don’t have any assistance, and there was tomato sauce flinging out of bowls. But I bought child-size chef hats and aprons, and the kids LOVE these! They look so cute.

It gets pretty crazy, though. I have 3 kindergarten girls who are best friends, and after every 3rd word out of my mouth, I have to say “quiet my little gingerbread girls” (they also like to pretend they are gingerbread girls running away... that’s another issue!) But they are all so excited to cook, and it’s great fun. One little boy keeps informing me that he doesn’t like each ingredient which is introduced, but then I have to keep reminding him not to taste as we are making things. And one girl in 1st grade informed me that she is going to see “Friday the 13th” when it comes out... yikes! I didn’t quite know how to respond to that one.

We’re not allowed to use any ovens for the class, probably a liability issue with the school, so the kids got to take home an aluminum container of the pasta with the recipe to finish at home. Miles wanted to bake it straight away, and he devoured it once it was finished.

Below I will post my recipes from the class, both from my first one last week and this weeks.

My mom had knee replacement surgery today. I was pretty nervous for her, but she seems to have done very well and is not in too much pain. Love you Mom!

Creamy Baked Penne with Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

♣ 1 package dried penne
♣ 1 28 oz. can or jar of marinara sauce* OR 3 ½ cups homemade sauce
♣ ½ cup sour cream
♣ 1 package pre-cooked sweet Italian chicken sausage, sliced into ½ inch discs
♣ 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
♣ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook penne in salted boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Strain in colander and rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, marinara sauce, sour cream, sausage and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Taste and season accordingly.

Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Pour in the pasta mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is nice and bubbling.

* If not using homemade, I recommend Trader Joes Low Fat Tuscano Marinara Sauce… it’s VERY good!

Garlic Bread

♣ 1 loaf Italian bread, halved lengthwise
♣ ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
♣ ¼ tsp. salt
♣ 1 T extra virgin olive oil
♣ 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
♣ 4 T grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mince and mash garlic with the salt to a paste with your knife. Stir together garlic paste, butter, oil and parmesan. You can also blend everything together in a food processor. Spread the butter/garlic paste on both halves of the bread.

Put halves back together. Cover with foil; bake for 15 minutes covered, then for 5 minutes without the foil and opened.

Yoghurt Sundaes
Serves 2-4, depending on your glass size

1 cup vanilla yoghurt
1 cup strawberry yoghurt
½ cup granola
½ cup cereal such as Kix, Trix, Golden Graham’s… or cereal of your choice
1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced bananas
optional ingredients (not so healthy!!)
mini marshmallows
sprinkles
chocolate chips
m & m’s

Layout all the ingredients in a buffet style and let the kids have fun creating their own sundaes.

Cheesy Spider Crackers

cream cheese, softened
round crackers, such as Ritz or your choice
pretzel sticks
raisins for eyes

Spread the cream cheese onto two crackers. Place 8 pretzel sticks around one of the crackers, 4 each side, ON the cream cheese side. Place the 2nd cracker over the 1st cracker with the cream cheese facing down, so that it becomes a sandwich. Place a dab of the cream cheese on two raisins and place on the top for eyes.

OPTIONS:

♣ You can subsitute peanut butter for the cream cheese.
♣ You can substitute Nutella for the cream cheese.
♣ You can make a cream cheese spread instead. In a food processor, mix 1 pound of cream cheese with 1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese, 1 minced garlic clove, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

ANOTHER SNOW DAY?!!

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:22:33 -0500

The boys had yet another snow day yesterday, but now there is a 2 hour delay today, which means Miles has NO school again since he in in morning kindergarten. UGH!!!

I spent the day working on my Paris page (so check it out!!), doing laundry, finding activities for the boys, making brownies with Miles and his friend Henry, AND making a fabulous french beef stew, Daube Provencal, the recipe courtesy of my friend Sarah Wilson who works at Cook’s Illustrated.

I didn’t have any olives, but it was still a huge success as witnessed by all three Baker boys gobbling it up by the fire. I served it over buttered taglietelle but you could use egg noodles instead. I also didn’t have salt pork, so I sauteed bacon instead, and didn’t remove it. YUM!! I didn’t dice up the canned tomatoes, just mashed them up and added them with the sauce. Also, I added a tablespoon of butter and a splash of cream at the end, which I don’t think you have to do but it was super tasty!! A great stew for a cold winter’s eve.

DAUBE PROVENCAL
Serves 4 to 6. Published November 1, 2005.
Serve this French beef stew with egg noodles or boiled potatoes. If niçoise olives are not available, kalamata olives, though not authentic, can be substituted. Cabernet Sauvignon is our favorite wine for this recipe, but Côtes du Rhône and Zinfandel also work. Our favorite cut of beef for this recipe is chuck-eye roast, but any boneless roast from the chuck will work. Because the tomatoes are added just before serving, it is preferable to use canned whole tomatoes and dice them yourself--uncooked, they are more tender than canned diced tomatoes. Once the salt pork, thyme, and bay leaves are removed in step 4, the daube can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Before reheating, skim the hardened fat from the surface, then continue with the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed well
1 boneless beef chuck-eye roast (about 3 1/2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces salt pork , rind removed
4 large carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds (about 2 cups)
2 medium onions , halved and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
4 medium cloves garlic , sliced thin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 bottle red wine (bold, such as a Cabernet)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
4 strips orange zest (from one orange), removed with vegetable peeler, each strip about 3 inches long, cleaned of white pith, and cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 cup niçoise olives , pitted and drained well
3 anchovy fillets , minced (about 1 teaspoon)
5 sprigs fresh thyme , tied together with kitchen twine
2 bay leaves
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes , drained and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cover mushrooms with 1 cup hot tap water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and chop into 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 4 tablespoons). Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with 1 paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking; add half of beef. Cook without moving pieces until well browned, about 2 minutes on each side, for total of 8 to 10 minutes, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke. Transfer meat to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and remaining meat.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add salt pork, carrots, onions, garlic, and tomato paste to now-empty pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add wine, gently scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add broth, water, beef, and any juices in bowl. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to full simmer. Add mushrooms and their liquid, orange zest, 1/2 cup olives, anchovies, thyme, and bay, distributing evenly and arranging beef so it is completely covered by liquid; cover partially and place in oven. Cook until fork inserted in beef meets little resistance (meat should not be falling apart), 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3. Discard salt pork, thyme, and bay leaves. Add tomatoes and remaining 1/2 cup olives; warm over medium-high heat until heated through, about 1 minute. Cover pot and allow stew to settle, about 5 minutes. Using spoon, skim excess fat from surface of stew. Stir in parsley and serve.

A funny video...

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 07:42:48 -0500

Please forgive us, our Japanese friends, but we hope you will enjoy our Sunday evening comedy starring none other than those fabulous Baker boys.

We are preparing for a trip to Tokyo and Bali this summer, so we’re talking to the boys about both of these cultures. Jamie was telling Miles how the Japanese would think he was so cute, and love his blonde hair, but then he told Reed how frightened they would be of his large head! Reed’s a good sport when we kid him. Anyway, this little comedic skit came out of that. Enjoy!!

A new endeavor...

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:00:43 -0500

I’m starting something new... a kid’s cooking class. I’ll be teaching a class called “La Petite Chef” for 12 kindergarteners, first and second graders at Reed and Miles school, Katonah Elementary School. However, we are not allowed to use any heat... so no ovens at all. It starts on Monday, and I’m working on the lessons today. With 12 kids, ages 5-8 AND no assistance, I’m going to have to make them as simple as possible. Actually, Reed and Miles will be my assistants... they are both very excited about it. I’m just hoping they don’t end up leading some resistance movement against me!

In the New York Times yesterday, there was a full page ad with the following quote from Eric Roth, From the Screenplay of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”:

“It’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

I haven’t seen the movie, though my friend Eva didn’t like it that much, BUT I really liked this quote. I hope it inspires you to push yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit, and experience something new in life.

I had a recent scare with cancer, and it certainly has given me a new outlook on life as things like this will. I had a cancerous tumor removed from my bladder last month. Everything is fine now. I will be checked often, but luckily it was caught early and completely removed. But it does make me think about my life and whether it is a life I’m proud of... I’m definitely going to work on it.

Oh, Happy Day...

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:41:11 -0500

I’ve had fun watching all the inauguration festivities. Jamie and I ALMOST went to DC to watch the parade. One company that he has a relationship with invited us to watch the parade from their office which is on the parade route. But Jamie ended up having to travel to Europe on Monday and Tuesday, so we missed it. Bummer...

It would have been fun to be in the midst of all the celebrations, but at least everyone in New York seems to be celebrating this happy day. And to watch the massive excited crowds in Washington certainly was an inspirational sight.

Not only were we celebrating a VERY important and historic inauguration, we also celebrated the new president which we have supported since the beginning of the campaign process. We also celebrated the departure of W. AT LAST!!!

We drank an American sparkling wine, Chandon, to celebrate... it wasn’t bad. I also made a very American meal of roasted chicken with dijon and rosemary, roasted fingerling potatoes with carmelized cippolinis (well, had to include a little bit of Italy, too!)

I know many people are worried about Obama’s lack of experience, and it is true that he doesn’t have as much as Hillary or McCain. BUT, I do think that he has proven himself to be an extremely intelligent man, one who is surrounding himself with brilliant, EXPERIENCED advisors. AND, I think he has proven to be someone who can INSPIRE hope and greatness, which is a quality which only a few leaders have possessed. So, hopefully he will be able to turn this country around. He’s inherited a lot of problems in our country, but I hope between his intelligence, his advisors intelligence and experience, and his ability to inspire the masses of people, maybe we can once again prove ourselves a strong country again. Keeping my fingers crossed, and also saying a few prayers as well...

Back to the grind...

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 08:51:49 -0500

Trying to get back into the routine after 2 1/2 weeks off for the Christmas and New Year’s break.

We had a wonderful holiday up in Windham. Reed switched to the racing program, and Miles is still happy in his group with Connor, Connor, Liam and Brennan... they should start an Irish band or open a pub together with those names. Miles only learned to ski one month ago and he is now attempting black diamonds. He is so small that he got stuck in between two moguls and we had to have ski patrol pull him out. But he still loves it!!

It’s so much fun skiing with these two little guys, when it really seems like I was just carrying them around in the baby bjorn not that long ago. They are fast and fearless, and I’m glad that we have introduced this sport into their lives... it keeps winter from getting too tedious.

Ok, now to motivate myself to get to the gym...

Merry Christmas!

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:36:05 -0500

What a wonderful day we’ve had. And what wonderful food I made, if I do say so myself!! Roast pork with garlic and rosemary and a shallot-dijon-wine sauce to accompany it, mashed potatoes, creamed corn and roasted brussels sprouts. De-LI-cious!! The boys favorite part of the meal was the Christmas Crackers, followed closely by the creamed corn, and Gramma’s oatmeal cake with Haagan Daz’s Dulce de Leche ice cream... oh, so good.

It was a marvelous, relaxed day. The boys would open a present, play for awhile, then open another one. We enjoyed the fire, the view of the catskills covered in snow, good food, good company... a great day.

Goodbye Genevieve...

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:30:00 -0500

Today we had a farewell dinner for Genevieve, our wonderful friend, housekeeper and babysitter of the last 5 1/2 years. It was a very sad evening. Genevieve is moving to Houston to spend time with her daughter and granddaughters for a couple of months, and then back to her native country of Trinidad for good. We are so happy for her, but we are very sad to see her go. She has been so wonderful to us these past few years, and has brought a lot of joy to our family.

We love you, Genevieve, and wish you the best in your new endeavors.

“...I’m going to Disney World!!”

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:34:41 -0500

Actually, I just returned from Disney World. We spent last weekend there to celebrate Reed’s upcoming 8th birthday. Great time, though I was recovering from a surprise surgery last week, so I couldn’t get around very well. SO-ooo, Jamie rented me one of those awesome old-people scooters. I think maybe I was the youngest, thinnest person using this in all the parks. It was super embarrassing, though admittedly, quite fun! Sometimes it actually got us to the front of the lines!

Reed had an absolutely wonderful time. As did Miles. Reed’s favorite ride was the Aerosmith’s Rock and Roller Coaster. Miles preferred Thunder Mountain and the Tower of Terror.

Miles learns to ski!

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 22:03:11 -0500

He is so, so SO proud of himself. And he’s so excited to be able to try keeping up with his big brother. Thank you, Bob Blacker, a ski instructor at Windham, who was able to help instill the necessary skills to stop and turn AND especially for instilling a lot of self-confidence in our little boy.

We took them out for cheeseburgers last night at Trails End in Windham. Now sometimes Jamie and I use the expression, “what the... ?” when we see something crazy happen, however omiting the usual word at the end. And so Miles has picked this up, and it’s super cute when he says it. However, tonight he dropped his fork on the ground, and he exclaimed, “What the FORK?!!” I just about died of laughter.