Hello Again White Rug

Being the smart person I am, when we moved 2 years ago, I insisted I wanted to replace our wine colored area rug for something to better compliment our shedding white dog. OBVIOUSLY, a white colored rug would hide the white fur better.

I didnt stop to think about foot traffic, stains, and KIDS.

Only when my friend pointed out I was INSANE after she saw my pretty new white living room rug did I realize the mistake I made.

White rugs are not meant for houses that are inhabited by humans. Period.

Because they end up looking like this:


THANKFULLY, Home Depot rents the Mother-of-all-Rug-Shampooers. And for $36 its all yours for 4 hours.

I took the kids out for breakfast and then an extended browsing session at Target, while Mike stayed home and cleaned the rugs.
It was nice to spend time with the kids. (Wait dont I do that all day, every day?)

And the finished result????

Not too bad. We still that one stubborn stain. That was an entire Venti Vanilla Soy Ice Coffee my daughter dumped on my WHITE rug. OH well, that is where the ottoman goes, anyway.

Is it November 4th Yet?

Is it just me, or does it feel like this election has been going on FOREVER. I am so sick of talking about, hearing about, thinking about it, and arguing about it. Can we just vote already?

A little walk.

Remember how I said we were in the market for as much fresh air as we could possibly get?

Today turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL fall day. The morning was chilly, so we had to pass on the original hike we had planned with my brother. It wasnt worth having sick kids for the next week. And with Halloween coming up, we want everyone as healthy as possible.

This afternoon, I took the kids out for a walk. I was surprised that Joey knew the entire route. It was a pretty long walk. I was able to snap some pictures. Enjoy!

One of the nice things about living on a HUGE hill is the amazing view.

Joey doesnt like to have his picture taken.

Autumn Stew

Ok, this isnt my recipe. I found it somewhere online. Its vegan. Its healthy. But, dont let that scare you away. It is SO delicious, and so perfect for this time of year. Go make some. Right now.

Autumn Stew

1 1/2 Cups water OR vegetable stock*
1 Tbls Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 lb (4 cups) winter squash (I like Butternut)
2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin
Black Pepper to taste
2 15-oz can Kidney Beans (or any mix of beans you like)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn

Heat 1/2 c. stock (or water) and soy sauce in large pot, then add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and most of the water evaporates.

Cut the squash in half and remove its seeds, then peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add squash cubes to the onion mixture, along with tomatoes, remaining stock*, chili powder, cumin and black pepper. Cover and simmer until squash is "just-tender," or about 20 minutes. Add beans with their liquid and the corn. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.
*I added an additional can of College Inn Vegetable Stock when I put the squash in. I like it a little soupier. You can do what you feel. :)

You know you want some.

What a crazy, fantastic weekend.

We are in a mad dash to get as much fresh air as possible before the weather gets so cold you cant stand it. Every free moment we have its like: "What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Who is coming with us? Lets go, Lets go, Lets go." We are not new to New England living. We know soon is going to be bitterly cold and spending any amount of time outside is "SUCKY."

So, we had one hell of a crazy, busy, weekend. This is how it all broke down.

Thursday morning: We picked up Samantha's ashes. Another wave of sadness. She is in a little floral tin, and we received a certificate. She is in a better place, and at peace.

Thursday afternoon: I spent the day making Autumn stew (I will post the recipe, its that good) for my vegan brother who was coming to visit with his new wife. You can find their annoyingly perfect wedding pictures on this blog. And then I baked cookies for Uncle Bill. He has cancer, and since I never had the right words to say, I bake when I feel helpless. So, I baked.

Friday Morning:
Left here at 9:00 AM, bound for Essex to ride on the Steam Train. Coming with the four of us is my dad, Mike's mom, my niece, Mike's cousin Suzanne, her two kids Ben and Nathaniel, her mom Auntie Cookie, and her dad Uncle Bill. Uncle Bill is the one I was baking for. I love when the family all gets together. It doest happen often enough. Train ride:

Our beautiful family.


Joey, Ally and their cousin, Hailey.

After the train ride we went out for Pizza. At this cool pizza place that had a crush stone floor. Thats right, the floor was made of loose stone. The kids thought that was the most amazing thing they have ever seen. I didnt take any pictures. I am regretting that now. Moving on.

Friday afternoon:
Gillette's castle. There is some sorta of history to the castle. If you care enough you can google it. Joey is fascinated with Castles so, it just seemed like a good idea. And its right on the Connecticut River. Its a beautiful spot. And it required a ferry ride across the Connecticut River. Talk about an adventure.

Joey, Ally and Ben.

Joey and Ally having a blast. Sucking in all that fresh air.

Oh, and I need to mention the creepy bathroom. It has composting toilets. No water. Just a black hole of scariness. Modern toilets. But still totally creeped me out. Eek.

Friday Night:
Bob arrived with his wife from Oklahoma. Ate delicious Autumn Stew. Played Buzz!

Saturday Morning:
Joey had his class. The rest of hung out a did not much of anything.

Saturday Afternoon:
Went apple picking despite the fact the skies looked angry and the wind was howling. Left my camera home, so I have no pictures to share. :(

From the orchard we went to Castle Craig at Hubbard park. The view was awesome. The wind was ridiculous.

From Castle Craig we went to my grandma's house.

From Grandma's house we went to the Pet Store to pick-up Pickelegrooven.

From Picklegrooven I went grocery shopping.

From grocery shopping, I went home to make MORE autumn stew, Kay's Crunchy Cole Slaw, and Apple Crisp.

And then I went to bed.

Sunday Morning:
Made pancakes and bacon for the locals. Mike, the saint he is, took the kids hiking while I stayed home to put the house back in order.

I got on toontown for all of 1/2 hour. And here I am.

Bet you are tired just reading all that. Imagine how I feel. I'm wiped.

Our New Friends

So, we were in the market for a new pet. Problem #1, Joey is allergic to most everything. Problem#2 hypo-allergenic dogs are the same price as a new Honda. Problem #3 I dont want a new dog, I still miss the old one. Problem #4 Birds are highly annoying. Problem #5 Fish are boring, and we already have those...

So, a wee-bit of Google Research pointed us to Rats. Yes, I know. RATS. Joey isnt allergic to them, they are CHEAP, they arent a dog, or a bird, or a fish. So, now we are the proud owner of not one, but two rats. Yes, Rats.

You cant have just one rat. They are very social creatures, and a rat alone is a very depressed animal. And who can stand a depressed rat? Certainly, not I.

So, we own rats. And I have to tell you, after you get past the "OMG, we own Rats." They are truly a great pet. They are happy to stay in their tank and play together. They are even happier to come out and run around on a table. Especially the computer table or Joey's train table. They arent stupid like guinea pigs and hamsters, they wont jump off. The love to sit up your shoulders and hang out with you for as long as you permit them.

Our first rat is named Mr. Nutty Goose. After Joey's first Toontown Character. We had to wait 2 weeks for the second rat, and his name is Picklegrooven. Named after Joey's 2nd Toontown Character....

And I suppose you want to see what these little creatures look like....Oh here you go....
And might I add, If you think taking pictures of kids was a challenge. Taking pictures of two wound up rats, is nearly impossible.
Regardless, wait no longer:

This is Mr. Nutty Goose.

NuttyGoose is on the left, Picklegrooven is on the right. Picklegrooven is still a little shy.

I think this is NuttyGoose, I dunno for sure.

Ally and NuttyGoose.

When you put them in a confined area, taking their picture is much easier. Picklegrooven on the left, Nuttygoose on the right.

So much for confined. It didnt take long for them to figure out how to get out. They are rats afterall. Yes, Rats.

Picklegrooven in the very useful engine shed.

Good-Bye Old Friend

So, this past Friday, October 10th, we had to say good-bye to our old friend. Samatha. She came into my life when I was only 12 years old. I had fallen in love with her cute little face at the pet store, and I couldnt bare the thought of her in a little tiny cage. So, I begged, and cried, and begged and gathered all the money I had, and cried and begged some more. In April, 2003, she became part of our family.

How could you resist that little face?

She was on duty 24/7 for the first 14 years of her life. (Before she went deaf) She protected our family from strangers, friends, family, and the recycle bin at the end of the driveway. She barked constantly, and as smart as she was, we could never get her to STOP BITING PEOPLE. She was a dog only a mother could love.

She could sit, stay, balancing things on her nose, walk on her hind legs, speak, rollover, play dead, beg. She was so easy to train, and so willing to please us.


She came to live with me fulltime in 2000. After I had moved out. I loved having her with me. She was a great companion, and I always felt safe with her around. We would go to the park everyday. I would take her to NYC with me. She would sit in her own seat on the train, and growl at everyone that walked by her. So funny to think about now. You should have heard her barking in Grand Central Station. The echo was incredible!

I even shaved her down a few times. Just to see what it looked like. If you are curious, this is what is looked like...

She was in my life long before my husband and children. Truly my oldest and dearest friend. In 2003 she fell, and broke her hip. Thankfully the vet was able to reset it, and with some TLC, she was quickly back and around. But, never quite the same. And old age really took a tole on that hip. It was hard for her to get up, and hard to walk. She started losing massive amounts of weight. She was having accidents in the house ALL THE TIME. She wasnt the same dog she once was.

So, we made that horrible decision to let her go. And I made peace with it. I knew it my heart is was time. But that didnt make it any easier to say good-bye.

We made the decision to stay with her until the very end. She had always been there for me, and I wasnt going to let her die alone. In the car, I opened the window and helped her put her head out the window, one last time. The ride to the vet seemed like it took hours.

I carried her inside. We spoke to the vet, well actually the vet spoke to me. I couldnt speak. I was going to lose it. The vet wanted to give Samantha a sedative to help keep her calm. I agreed. They gave her a quick shot, and within a minute she was quiet, peaceful and content. We could pet her again. For so long she wouldnt let us pet her. Probably because she was in pain. The vet came in, shaved off a little fur on her leg, and got the needle ready. I couldnt watch them do it.

I buried my face in her fur. And just cried. And cried and cried. She took two deep breaths and that was it. She was gone. We sat with her for a little while. I continued to cry and cry.
When it was finally time to leave her behind, it was so hard to walk out of the room and leave her laying on the blanket. SO HARD.

Now, her dishes still sit on the kitchen floor. Her leftover food and bones are still in the cabinet. I just havent been able to get myself to throw them away. It doesnt feel like she is gone yet.

I still expect to see her when I open the door to come home. And the first thought on my mind when I wake up, is to let the dog out. Its going to take time. She was 15 1/2. God Bless Her. She is in a better, happier place.

We pick up her ashes next week. Her favorite place to walk was Steep Rock in Washington. My brother is flying home in a week. And we all plan on taking one last hike with her up to the top.

We will spread her ashes on top of the mountain. And say good-bye, one final time.

Nothing Like a Sick Kid

Ally has the sickness. The green goop pouring out of her nose. She points to her nose and tells us its broken. (its pretty adorable)

Sure, I feel bad for her...Her little nose is all crusted up. She is pale, and grumpy. She did have a fever, but that didnt last very long. We took her to the doctor. Her ears, and throat are clear. Its just a head cold.

When she is happy and sickness-free, she doesnt sit still for more than a moment. She doesnt like to be cozy or lay around and snuggle. She is always on a mission, and she is always determined. She is Miss Independent. She wants to do everything for herself, without help. Gone is my little baby girl that I could fuss over, and do everything for.

Now that she has the sickness, she climbs up into my lap and just wants to be held. And I love it. It seems like yesterday, but also so long ago, she was just a teeny little baby that I could hold and nap with. Or just sit and stare at.

When she wakes up in the middle of night, I have no reservations about bringing her into bed, so she can sleep in my arms.
After all, she has green goop pouring out of her nose. Clearly, she needs me. :)

Soon this sickness will pass. Probably in the next 48 hours. She will go back to being 2 going on 13. She wont want me to hold her, or snuggle with her.
At least not until the next time she gets sick.

Fall is in FULL SWING!

Welcome Fall. Its my favorite time of year!! The days are cooler. Comfy sweatshirt weather. Crisp Air. Its the best.

Yesterday, Mike and I had a kidless afternoon. We left the kids with my mom and took off for a hike. We brought the dog-in-law (my inlaws dog) and were gone for 4 1/2 hours!!!

A little old lady scolded us for letting the dog run, in the woods, unleashed.
She pointed her bony finger at us and told us we were committing a crime. I guess, she is right, but geez, let the dog have a little fun. Not to mention she is the sweetest dog in the world.

Anyway, we hiked for miles. Admired the scenery. Breathed in good fresh air. And recharged our parenting patience. Nothing like a few hours away from the kids to make you miss them so much your heart hurts.

It was a perfect day. If only I would have remembered to grab the stupid camera. Oh well. There will be more of these days to come.