Holiday Freakout

The dust has settled from the weekend’s family party, and now I’m chugging into full holiday freakout mode.  It doesn’t help that someone on Facebook reported that they’d completed all of their shopping and had strung up lights al-freakin’-ready.   I mean, that’s the kind of holiday smugness you just need to keep to yourself. On … [Read more…]

Holiday Deliciousness: The Cheeseball

We’re having relatives over for a birthday celebration, and J, who was confused about exactly what we’re celebrating, spent quite a bit of time making a lovely turkey garland for the occasion.  The prospect of getting together has put me into the holiday spirit early, so I thought that I’d share my first holiday recipe. … [Read more…]

Holiday Cooking

Thanks to all of you who kindly commented or emailed. . . I am doing better, thank you.  Not quite normal, but better.  And after a particularly wretched stomach bug, the bright side is hopping on the scale when it’s over–woo, hoo!  Sure, I am dehydrated and haven’t consumed a vegetable for 48 hours, but … [Read more…]

Ugh

Okay, first of all?  I hate the early-darkness thing.  So depressing.  And then, snow?  I wasn’t ready.  In fact, I think that nature should conform to an order of operations in which all of the leaves fall off the trees, and then the snow is permitted to fall.  Because now I have a disgusting, soggy … [Read more…]

Thankful Tree

I mentioned the other day that J was gathering up Halloween decorations, and that’s partly because she was excited to start our Thankful Tree.  We got the idea from Family Fun, and it’s a simple, cheap craft that’s become an annual tradition. Basically, you take a tree branch (ours has been re-used a couple of … [Read more…]

Andy the Music Man Concerts

So, I’m on a jillion email lists (okay: maybe, like, 72), and usually I remember to save the family-friendly events as I receive the information.  But I accidentally blew off Andy the Music Man on this week’s listings post, even though he’s giving 4 concerts in Clifton Park today and tomorrow. Lucky for me (and, … [Read more…]

Quick and Sweet

We met my new baby nephew yesterday.  Super adorable.  And I have to tell you, hanging out in the hospital with my little sister, watching the two of them trying to get nursing figured out. . . I don’t miss the Infancy Era.  That was really, really hard.  Sure, tantalizing glimpses of kid-personality flared occasionally, … [Read more…]

November Begins

The girls are so ready to move on. J was in such a rush to close up shop on Halloween that this afternoon she briskly moved around the house, gathering up ghosts and witches and spooky paraphernalia with such efficiency that I was beginning to wonder if she might have a future in retail.  And … [Read more…]