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Showing posts from 2015

School Daze

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School took off in a flurry and we're moving at mach speed in only the second week of September. First grade has been a much easier adjustment than Kindergarten (love our teacher!), so of course we had to put Izzy in a new school to keep it complicated. New schedules, new drop offs and pick ups - even dress codes we have to pay attention to (no jewelry or finger nail polish - so sad for Iz!). Her new school is Montessori and we love it. But every time I walk in the building I feel as if I shouldn't touch anything for fear of moving something out of place. Wow, what a system! Oh, and construction delayed the start of her school year, which is really not cool. But we have a part-time nanny who has continued from the summer and oh.my.goodness she is amazing! She saved us from the construction-schedule debacle. We are looking into adopting her very soon. Today we had First Grade Lunch on the Lawn with Charlie. This is not a friendly event for working parents. Lunch starts at 10:

Back to School!

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How can it possibly be that time of year again?! Summer went way too fast. We have two half days of school and one full day this week, so I'm pretending this isn't really it, the end of Summer. We've had a good Summer and I want it to last and last. I also want time to slow down as C and Iz are growing up way too fast! First grade and Pre-K this year, doesn't seem possible! Both Charlie and I were a bit nervous, but we put on our brave faces and only a hint of tears surfaced for both of us. Ryan and I walked him into the building and Charlie held our hands. One of these days he won't want to hold our hands, won't need us to walk him inside and to his classroom. The teachers had written all over the sidewalks of the school with chalk, things like "It's a Great Day to be a Dragon!" and "New Friends" "Smile" "Learn." And my favorite, "Hug Your Mom!" I know Charlie will be just fine. He will learn, thriv

How does your garden grow?

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I've never had a green thumb and I've never met a house plant I couldn't kill off, but I am really enjoying my vegetable garden this year. Last year was our garden's rookie year and while we had some cucumbers and peppers and a few cherry tomatoes towards the end of the summer, that was about it. Squirrels got all our tomatoes, some things never grew, and I had no idea what I was doing. In year 2 we've made significant improvements, including going with a Square Foot Garden approach. We also put a wire net around the bed to keep the rabbits and squirrels out, and so far it seems to be working. I did a little research into companion planting (which plants grow well next to each other and which don't) and focused on planting things we like to eat and that would be fun for the kids to watch grow. I did not start seeds indoors or anything like that, so some plants like carrots (Charlie's favorite!) are slow to grow and harvest. I planted many of the ve

Another season in the books

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Another season of playing and coaching soccer has come and gone. We had a lot of fun with this group of boys. They are really learning to play! And guess who has a new pink soccer ball? After 3 years of tagging along to all of Charlie's practices, next fall Iz will get a team of her own! Watch out. Note: Photo credits to Corie English.

California

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We had a fabulous trip to California! How I wish we were still on the beach...

To be six!!

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In true Charlie style, we celebrated his birthday with much jumping, running and playing this year. He invited some school friends to Pump It Up, and that we did. Who doesn't want to be King for a day?? Little sister had fun at this party too! We had another celebration with family and one of Janelle's amazing cakes...legos this time! She had to make each of the legos using a small mold - it turned out great! This year Charlie's birthday was on Super Bowl Sunday - just as it was the day he was born. Seems like so very long ago!  Papa gave all the kids harmonicas to finish off the festivities. Happy Birthday sweet Charlie!

Why I write

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I've kept a journal for as long as I can remember. I started writing down my thoughts from the time I was in grade school and kept journals through my mid-thirties. My writing changed when I started this blog. No one, not even me, would want to read the sort of drivel I wrote in my journal on a daily basis. Nonsense, ramblings, internal drama that I needed to work out. It was cathartic at the time, but as a general rule I don't like reading back over my journal entries. The exception to this is when I wrote while traveling or living abroad - my journal entries take me right back to a camel ride in Cairo, a trail run in Vienna, a bottle of wine sipped underneath the Eiffel Tower... I purchased these beautiful journals while living in Florence. They make me want to return to pen and paper.  For me, writing blog posts is very different than writing in a journal. There are pros and cons and I waver back and forth as to which forum I like best. I am careful about what

Finding the perfect food plan

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Photo courtesy of Outside Magazine.  I stumbled across this article that appeared in Outside magazine a few years ago. This man tried 6 different diet plans over the course of a year, two months on each plan. He chose popular diet plans like the paleo diet, the Mediterranean diet, and one based on the USDA food pyramid. He had his cholesterol, body fat and weight measured during and at the end of each diet.  His health improved on some diets, declined on others. He was more hungry and tired on one diet compared to the others. It was a very interesting experiment in food, and I like the final analysis. There is no one ideal eating plan for anyone.Our bodies and our goals (fitness, weight loss, over all health) are all different and our food plans should be too. Do you know what works for you? Our eating plan of choice is mostly the Mediterranean diet (they had me at the red wine!) with juice or smoothies for breakfast and copious cheating on the weekends. We try to eat with the

January Sugar Cure

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Like everyone else this time of year, I am thinking about how to improve my health. I like to keep my health resolutions pretty simple. Move more, cook it yourself. Drink H2O. But every January I feel the need to kick sugar to the curb. I have learned over the years that I am very sensitive to sugar's seduction and it doesn't take much to get me hooked. The holidays present endless opportunities to over indulge and it is tough to limit sugar - it is in everything. When I resort to a Starbuck's cinnamon dolce latte sometime in December (it just fits with the season) I know I am in a sugar rut. I feel sluggish and unhealthy and out of sorts. Every New Year's Eve we have a blow out dinner party with friends - amazing and excellent food courses, all paired with wine and spirits. It is fantastic! And it puts me over the edge of the holiday food cliff. I can't wait until January when I can get back to consistent, healthy eating. There is no need to diet or do anythi

2014 in pictures

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Feeling blessed, to be sure. Wishing everyone a fantastic 2015!