Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all!! Looks like it is going to be a beautiful evening for tricking and treating. More pictures and a full Halloween rundown to come in the next couple of days.

Mr. Tegafy

I was just talking with my dad (Tada) about Farmer John's cheese and he reminded me of a story from his own youth that I have heard many times and it always gives me a good chuckle. When Tada was little, my grandparents, who were both geologists, used to discuss work at the dinner table. My grandma started hearing Tada talk about Mr. Tegafy. Not knowing anyone by that name, Gran asked Tada who he was talking about, to which Tada replied, "Dad's friend Mr. Tegafy." I guess Gran and my grandfather pieced it together that Mr. Tegafy was "my stratigraphy" -- a term used in geology to describe the layering of rocks. The way Tada tells the story, my grandfather was always talking about "well, my stratigraphy tells me...", so Tada assumed that Mr. Tegafy was a pretty important person. Kids are pretty clever, and it is funny to think about my dad, my children's Tada, being so small and clever.

Quote of the Day

Eleanor: Momma, are you sprinkling some Farmer John cheese?

Now, I don't want it to seem like I am making fun of Eleanor because that is not what I intend to do with these quotes. I am just amazed at how she is learning to rhyme. The cheese I was sprinkling was Parmesan, which does in fact sound quite a bit like Farmer John.

Why?

Eleanor has figured out the proper use of the word "why". Need I say more?

Lots of Fun

We have been having LOTS of fun lately. We have been going on adventure walks, like in these pictures with Grace, Nancy and their new baby Sam.





We went apple picking out at Homestead Farm with Sarah, Karl, Anna, Caryn,Chris, Riley and Spencer.





And, we went to the B&O Railroad Museum for Steam Days. Yes, I said Steam Days. This was like heaven for little (and big) train lovers. We were fortunate to take a ride on a steam train pulling old MARC train cars and to see another steam engine (the William Mason) puffing up and down the tracks as well. Aunt Jenn and Grandaddy joined us for the fun.





We have also had some good old fashioned fun around the house.







Special thanks to Aunt Jenn and Sarah for their pictures -- I have been forgetting the camera lately.

The Rest of the Big Trip

I am going all the way back to the very beginning of the big trip, so far back I can hardly remember. We were all exhausted, Eleanor had started school three days before we left, I was staying up really late packing, cleaning and generally fussing about, and Henry had been waking up early. I don't think any of us realized how stressed out we were until we arrived in Pittsburgh.

When we pulled in, it was like arriving at train heaven. The hotel we chose was conveniently located next to the Duquesne Incline, a little train that goes up a steep hill to neighborhoods outside the downtown area. As if that wasn't enough for our little train aficionado, the hotel itself was entirely train themed and located alongside the regular rail lines. I wasn't quite sure what to do when the woman offered us a little gift bag with conductor hats and tickets for a free train ride at the mall across the street. We had a nice meal at Hard Rock Cafe watching a dancing fountain (think mini-Bellagio) and then headed back to get settled in for the night.

The kids settled in pretty well but both were up before the crack of dawn -- a trend that continued the entire 2.5 weeks we were gone. An early morning activity was not a problem though, we hit the Starbucks down the street and then took a ride on the Incline, which runs early to serve commuters. We got a fabulous view of the sunrise from the top.





The next day we headed on to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Along the way, we managed to get pulled over by one of Ohio's finest. I was so nervous my palms were sweating but Vince played it cool and we got off with just a warning. A few minutes down the road we came across another officer and I was sure we were going to be pulled over but somehow, we managed to make it through to Michigan without a ticket.

The third leg of the trip took us to the wedding destination. We were so happy to arrive, it had been a long three days in the car. And, poor Henry, who had diarrhea the entire way, managed to blow out all over his car seat just as we pulled in to the hotel. At least we were there. We were so happy to see everyone, there was palpable excitement in the air. And rain. It rained and rained and rained and rained. You would not believe how it rained. Jess and Ryan had planned all of these lovely outdoor things for the wedding, we just took to calling it the monsoon wedding.





Everything was really lovely, despite the deluge of water. Eleanor made it down the aisle, with a bit of moral support. Henry didn't manage to walk down, but he did look extraordinarily cute in the tux. Jess was radiant and the service, which ended up being held in the barn, was very romantic and cozy. It was such a special wedding for all of us to be a part of.






(Yes, I should have taken the Pirate's Booty out of Eleanor's hand before taking these pictures, but she was not having it.)

After the wedding, we took over Jess and Ryan's place for a few days in Chicago. The weather, after it stopped raining, was perfect and we tore the city up. We saw family and friends, visited all sorts of museums, ate pizza, went to the beach, and generally enjoyed ourselves. The Field Museum was particularly amazing, they have this fantastic kids section that is completely hands on. Henry's favorite was probably Shedd Aquarium, he squealed at every fish he saw. I would guess that Eleanor liked the beach the best (it was hard to get her to leave) but since we have been back she has been talking about the Sears Tower, so it obviously made an impression as well. We also, thanks to Lynda, found this great little diner called the Melrose Restaurant and subsequently ate there several more times -- it was open at the early hours we were up.









The final driving leg of the trip was back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We spent a couple of nice days relaxing and eating raspberries right off the bushes in her back yard. We also visited Tollgate Farm for a festival they were having and spent the morning doing crafts, picking apples, checking out emergency vehicles and soaking in the sun.



And, since this post is way to long already, I will leave it at that.

First Day of School (belated)

I have been having trouble getting back into the swing here since we have been back from vacation. Eleanor is back in school and the adjustment is just starting to smooth out. So, several weeks later, here is a little post about our girl's first day of nursery school.

The first day we took pictures, got the school bag ready to go, and headed to the school. There was a coffee for parents, so they could be close in case of tears. I'm glad I stayed, I don't think I expressed clearly enough that I would be back to pick her up at the end of the half-day. The funny thing is, I remember worrying so much as a kid that when I said goodbye to my mom, I might not see her again. Now that we are back and into the routine, I think things are a lot easier, and certainly more fun.

The school is a cooperative school, which means the parents are involved in the classroom and also in the day to day operations. It is so much fun to see the kids in action, learning and creating. I think it will be a really great experience as we go through the year, for both Eleanor and me.

Wedding Pictures (the professional ones!)

Here are a few shots from Jess and Ryan's wedding:

Quote of the Day

While we were watching slides at Mu and Tada's house, the first picture was of me, maybe 4 years old, sitting on the couch.

Me: Eleanor, do you know who that is?
Eleanor: Eleanory having a time out.

If I every have a chance, I will scan that slide in because the resemblance really is astonishing -- though I don't think I was having a time out in the picture!