McSmithleyville

Hey Cupcake!

2012-01-29T16:42:00.000-08:00

This & That

2012-01-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

Crepes

Snowball fight

Showing off his pearly whites

Down Mexico Way

2012-01-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

The view from our hotel

Beachside

El Rey

An iguana. Our tour guide says they are the squirrels of Mexico.

Baby croc

Found a starfish

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

To welcome 2012, here's a message from Tot.

Christmas festivities

2011-12-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

Train spotting at Olbrich gardens.

Gingerbread!

Lemons!

Reading the directions for the new toys.

Happy holidays!

2011-12-25T06:45:00.001-08:00

Hi friends!

In an effort to save time, money and natural resources, we skipped the cards this year. Tot & I wish you days of peace and joy, now, and through the new year.

xoxo,
Jen

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

2011-12-07T12:25:00.001-08:00

My latest project has been making two trees for the porch. Tot helped add glitter and paint to the pine cones and had a lot of fun playing with the jingle bells. Special thanks to my neighbors for letting me prune their tree!

Gotta have more glitter

2011-12-04T07:58:00.001-08:00

We've been decking the halls around here. When we were unpacking the ornaments I showed Tot one that had my name written in glitter from my childhood. He thought that was pretty awesome. So we made one for him, and Roy and Paco, too!

Getting theatrical

2011-12-04T07:53:00.001-08:00

Tot & I went to see the production of Dakota Jones and the Search for Atlantis yesterday. He was a little disappointed there weren't more fish in it, but otherwise it was fantastic. Gotta love a musical that introduces kids to Greek mythology!

Here he is patiently waiting for the show to begin.

Candy express

2011-11-25T16:34:00.001-08:00

Tot & Grandma & Grandpa & I collaborated on this gingerbread train. Tot was primarily interested in eating it and the candy topping, too. The box actually contained a nutrition label, so he's probably not the first person to consider eating one. But something tells me that it wouldn't taste very good.

Thanks!

2011-11-25T16:29:00.001-08:00

Despite all the craziness in our lives (and in this season in general) Tot and I are finding some calm. We've been having a very relaxing Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends. Thanks to all of you for your love, friendship, delicious food, hearty laughs and warm hugs. We're so grateful.

Holiday parade

2011-11-20T14:28:00.001-08:00

Tot & I had some s'mores at Hotel Blackhawk and got a bird's eye view of the parade.

But we had to take a closer look at the tractors, tanks, motorcycles, marching bands, and balloons, too.

Soap sculpting

2011-11-20T14:24:00.001-08:00

The Family Museum had a birthday party for Auguste Rodin. In addition to cake, the young artiste's got a bar of Ivory soap to practice their craft. Tot was working on a sculpture of a dump truck. Of course.

Cars

2011-11-11T10:31:00.001-08:00

Tot love his new Lightning McQueen hat. Thank you Grandma Candee!

Bubble Baseball

2011-11-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Tot and I have been playing a lot of "bubble baseball" lately. It's a little tricky to be the bubble pitcher and the photographer, but you get the idea. Apparently he is not the first kid to invent the game. But I think we have the edge in our scoring system:

*double points for splitting a bubble in two in the air (or more if it splits into more than 2 bubbles.)
*bonus points for hitting a bubble on the ground that then splits and goes airborne.
*extra points for bubbles popped over the fence in the neighbors yard.

Halloween, part deux

2011-10-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or are there are lot more opportunities for trick-or-treating these days? The zoo, museums, grocery stores, the mall, and many more all have Halloween activities. When did that happen? Certainly not back in my day. It's kind of genius, especially for areas that are likely to have snow by the end of October. We lucked out and had a nice mild evening around here.

Halloween in the Halls

2011-10-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Tot is the title character from the book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

On campus with the superheroes and public safety officers

Along came a spider

2011-10-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Tot's preschool class made spider hats and played a game of Little Miss Muffett.Who would want to run from such a cute spider?

Pride of the Wapsi

2011-10-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for pumpkins galore.

24 hours in Madison

2011-10-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

The Madison Children's Museum

Hanging with Bubba

Meeting Scoopie

Trying on the turnout gear

Uncle Hippie

2011-10-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

We had an unexpected visit from Uncle Hippie this week. It was great to catch up with him. We're now the proud owners of a one of a kind lamp. To see more of his creative work, check out Destructive Testing.

Zip-a-dee-do-dah

2011-10-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

Tot took a ride on a zip line this afternoon. Check out this brave 3 year old as he speeds through the air.

Bicycle built for two

2011-10-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin, take 2

2011-09-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Tot's face painting lasted all of 60 seconds. After the art work was complete, he promptly stood up and leaned against my sleeve. C'est la vie. I'm always astounded when I see toddlers with painted nails, how can they sit still for the time needed for the paint to dry? Deep thoughts, I know.

Pumpkin head

2011-09-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

With the first day of autumn behind us, it's time to bring out all things pumpkin. Tot really knows how to wear orange :)

I do not like green eggs & ham

2011-09-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Please pass the bagels.

Remote control

2011-09-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

Tot & I got to play around with a remote control car this weekend. Check out that huge grin on his face. He loved it! Thanks N & J!

Peter Pan

2011-09-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed an outdoor performance of Peter Pan by the Center for Living Arts at the Quad Cities Botanical Center last night. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy this story!

Preschool!

2011-09-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Tot's formal education is underway. When I picked him up after his first preschool class, he actually cried because he didn't want to leave. His teacher said that was a first. Let's hope he remains this enthusiastic about education :)

Dig, dig, dig

2011-09-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

With the crisp fall weather, we've been busy baking.

Today we pretended the chocolate chip cookie dough was a construction site.

O Pioneers!

2011-09-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

Tot and I spent the afternoon at the Pioneer Village. The highlight was the horse drawn wagon ride.

Meet Marvin & Moo. Thanks for the ride, guys!

Tot also expressed his musicality on the big drum.

People Cookies

2011-09-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Last week Tot and I made some dog treats for Roy and Paco. He really got a kick out of using the cookie cutters and has been asking to make "people cookies" every day. When our swimming pool plans were rained out this afternoon we had the perfect opportunity to whip up Buttery Lemon Cutout Cookies from Vegan With A Vengeance. A pal suggested that I roll the dough onto parchment paper and let Tot cut the shapes out post-baking. This worked out well. The finished product was tasty!

Buddies

2011-09-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Good hair

2011-09-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

The (first-ever) back yard camp out extravaganza

2011-08-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

At about 7pm last night, Tot asked if we could camp out. Why not? It was an absolutely gorgeous evening - no humidity or mosquitoes. Within in 20 minutes we had the tent up and flash lights out.

Here's Buddy Bear inspecting the flashlight before story time.

We had a surprisingly good sleep. An especially loud train woke us up this morning, just in time to watch this beautiful sunrise. I predict more camping in our future.

Ain't he sweet?

2011-08-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

A body in motion

2011-08-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Tot was a bit of a scofflaw, using the exercise equipment that is for ages 13+ along the bike path. I hope he is always so eager to work up a sweat!

Wheelies!

2011-08-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tot says

2011-08-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

"This toy is fun." We spent a good hour dumping, digging and dozing the marbles in this game.

The help

2011-08-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

Tugfest 2011

2011-08-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to another famed local attraction - the Leclaire Tugfest. It's apparently the only tug-of-war across the Mississippi River. Who knew? You can faintly see the rope in the photo below.

The event pits the strong people of LeClaire, IA against their competitors in Port Byron, IL. We never figured out which side won. While we were there no one fell in the river.

And did I mention the carnival rides?

A visitor

2011-08-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

This beautiful moth spent the morning on our front door.

Putting his best foot forward

2011-08-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Grandma Fran for the new preschool shoes.

Gaga for Galena

2011-08-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

I *finally* made it to Galena, and it lived up to the hype. The shops were quaint, the scenery lovely and the food tasty. Grandma Fran, Tot & I had a very fun adventure.

Keep on truckin'

2011-08-06T16:27:00.001-07:00

Tot loved riding the rides at the fair.

All Aboard!

2011-08-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

Tot and my parents and I spent the morning at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI. We had a blast riding a diesel train from 1917. And followed it up with lunch at a restaurant that delivers your meal on an electric train. Good times.

Beach daze

2011-07-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hula hoop-la

2011-07-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ice cream social

2011-07-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

I can think of nothing better than eating ice cream and baked goods for a good cause. So of course, Tot & I did our part to help Miss Effie raise money for the North Scott Food Pantry. Her efforts netted $535 - isn't that remarkable?!

We also picked flowers and chased kitties.

This sweet black kitten actually jumped into our car as I was buckling Tot in. But we put her back where she belonged. See ya next time little kitty.

Beating the heat

2011-07-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

Tot and I skipped town with a friend today to find some relief from the heat wave. Our first stop was the University of Iowa Natural History Museum. It's top notch. We really enjoyed the Ice Age Sloth.

After lunch at Oasis and a peek inside Home Ec and the Haunted Bookshop we spent a relaxing afternoon at the Coralville Lake beach. As our pal pointed out, we'll probably be reaching for our sweaters in 6 weeks. Hard to believe, huh?

Pearly whites

2011-07-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Tot had his first dental check-up this morning. He got to watch a bunch of videos with dogs and chimps teaching him proper toothbrush form and got a clean bill of health from the dentist. He left with new sunglasses and a goody bag, too.

Fun in the sun

2011-07-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Tot and I had a very busy day today. We started off with our early morning stroller strides exercise class. Then went downtown to check out the new Davenport sprayground with our buddies. It's a great park, but they're still working out the kinks. They had to shut down because they ran out of water! No worries, we went to the playground and walked along the river.
After lunch, we trekked to the Niabi Zoo with some other pals. Check out Tot feeding the giraffes! After dinner we spent even more time outside at the neighborhood block party. Good times.

Batman's baby?

2011-07-07T08:54:00.001-07:00

Check out this incredible visitor to our front steps. I'm glad we didn't step on this little weetzie bat.

The little drummer boy

2011-07-03T08:24:00.001-07:00

A new use for chopsticks...

Miss Effie's

2011-06-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

Tot & I spent a lovely afternoon picking flowers and chasing kittens at Miss Effie's Country Flowers. He tried his hardest to convince me to bring home some tadpoles. But I don't think the Professor wants to come home to a bathtub full of frogs.

You know how I love that place, right? If you've never been there, now is your chance to get lots and lots of lilies. Just do it. You know you want to :) And be sure to check out her "Summer Kitchen." She's got all kinds of tasty jams and sauces, as well as lots of lovely handmade goods. Check out the gorgeous yarn I scored. I'm seriously considering starting a hat for myself this evening. (Yeah, yeah, I know a heat wave is on the way!)

Giving

2011-06-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

I've just wrapped up my second semester teaching an introductory women's studies class. It was a real joy, both times. One of the assignments is to get the class to work together on a project that benefits the community. This semester we chose to raise funds and donations for St. Joseph the Worker House in Rock Island. SJWH provides local services and transitional housing for homeless women and children in a loving and healthy environment. They have a beautiful home, backyard and community garden. It's far from the stereotypical bleak shelter housing we see protrayed in the media. Below is a picture of just a fraction of the donations we received including packaged food, health and beauty products and cleaning supplies. I'm constantly amazed by our generous community. Thanks for giving!

Backyard fun

2011-06-28T05:57:00.001-07:00

Bon Voyage

2011-06-27T15:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the Professor's big departure day for Paris. So, naturally, we spent the morning climbing on an old tank at Credit Island :)

To pass the time, Tot and I found a replacement hammock for the yard and have been racking up points for the summer reading program while in it.

Only 20 days until we fly the friendly skies and make our way across the pond. We can't wait!

Father's Day

2011-06-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Donuts - skatepark - mini golf - grilling.
That's how we do it in McSmithleyville.
Happy Father's Day to all of the rad dads out there!

You should visit Milwaukee. For real.

2011-06-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Professor and I took a mini vacation to Milwaukee last week. Don't scoff. Milwaukee rocks. Seriously. I can't believe I looked down my nose at it all these years. It's got a lot to offer. So if you've got 48 hours, here's my recipe for a lot of fun.

Day 1

*Check into your free hotel. (Thank you Marriott reward points.)
*Hit Comet Cafe for an early dinner and drinks. I am hooked on the Sconnie-mosa (WI cranberry wine, champagne & orange juice.)
*Walk down the street to catch a movie at The Oriental. We saw Midnight in Paris. Owen Wilson was kind of perfect as Woody Allen. Who would of thunk it?

Day 2

*Sleep in late!
*Breakfast at the Public Market. Pick up gifts for your babysitters/dogsitters
*Walk to the Milwaukee Art Museum. Ooh and ahh over the building and it's collection. Biedermeier style is my new obsession. When I win the lottery I'm going to redecorate the house with blue wallpaper and orange couches.
*Stroll along the River Walk and rest with a lemonade.
*Choose your own adventure. If you are me, you should walk to the Milwaukee Public Library. I think the BPL could learn a lot from this place. If you like to shred, check out Cream City Skate with the Professor.
*Dinner at Cafe Corazon. Drinks at Benelux.

Day 3

*Meet your favorite peeps for brunch at Cafe Centraal. The french toast is out of this world.
*Head back to Iowa. Don't forget to stop at The Elegant Farmer for the famous pie in a bag. It makes a great father's day gift.

Summer fun

2011-06-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Tot and his buddy playing "car wash."

And here's half of my haul from the strawberry patch. I brought home 11.6 lbs! Strawberry muffins are cooling on my counter as I type this. Next up, pie.

Things to do this summer

2011-06-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

In a few weeks, the Professor will be heading to Paris to do some research. He'll be there 3 weeks before Tot and I are able to join him. While I'm looking forward to the trip to France, I'm more focused on how to keep Tot occupied for 12 hours a day on my own. So I've decided to plan a summer vacation at home. Here are a few of the things I've come up with:

*flower picking *strawberry picking *museums (art, science & children's) *zoo
*beaches *water ski show * Channel Cat boat ride *picnics *kids yoga class *movies *splash parks *Monkey Joe's * explore new playgrounds *indoor ice skating *summer reading program *backyard camp-out

What suggestions do you have for making summer special close to home?

Since Tot is still interested in cars and trucks and things that go, we decided to take a bus ride. Here are the guys waiting for the "Loop" bus.

The McSmithleys, on-board.

We rode over to John Deere Pavilion (naturally!) and the Professor taught Tot all about videogames. Here they are filling a dump truck with an excavator. JD should seriously market this game. We'd buy it!

Best of Madison

2011-05-30T15:37:00.001-07:00

We spent a lovely long weekend in Madison. Here are a few highlights.

Circling the farmer's market.

Checking out the Madison Public Library - my very first library employer!

Monkeying around at the zoo

Ice cream at ZuZu's Cafe with Lucy

Madison (1/2) Marathon

2011-05-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

About 6 months ago I decided it would be fun to run a half marathon. And then I talked a bunch of people into doing it with me. Misery loves company, right? Race day was Sunday in Madison. I'm happy to say I crossed the finish line, although not in the state I hoped. Around mile 10 my left knee decided it was done running. :( So there was a lot of walking. But I had fun. And I'd do it again!

I'd like to say a great big thank you to Emily (for running at my slow, slow pace), to Jill (for being my virtual running buddy), to Michelle (for keeping me company on my long runs), the Professor (for support on the home front) and everyone else who encouraged me during my training and race. I couldn't have done it without you!

Fun in the sun

2011-05-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Running through the new silly sprinkler. (Don't judge our lawn, please!)

The gardeners.

Nap time.

Lucky day

2011-05-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Before I had a kid, I usually cringed at the sight of construction vehicles. Now (even when alone in the car) I get stoked because I know how much Tot enjoys seeing them. Imagine our joy when we saw a mini front loader in the alley this morning. The operator was a good sport and didn't seem to mind the audience (our entire family, including barking dogs.)

Here's Tot jumping for joy.

And here he is hanging from the fence.

3 is the magic number

2011-05-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

At his 3 year check-up, Tot weighed 33lbs and was 3 feet, 3 inches tall. What are the odds?

JD HQ

2011-05-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

After countless visits to John Deere Pavilion, we finally made a trek to John Deere Headquarters. It was definitely worth the 30 minute drive. Not only was there a bonanza of new trucks for Tot to see and climb in, the building and grounds are gorgeous. No doubt about it, we'll be back!

Name that truck.

Answer: It's a motor grader.

Bonus question: What is a knuckle boom loader?

A Boy and His Tree Turn Three

2011-05-07T17:38:00.001-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet Tot McSmithley! If you'd like to see pictures of him with his tree from years past, take a peek at this link.

It's spring!

2011-04-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

So that means it's time for Grandma Fran's visit from New York. In typical spring fashion, it was rainy and chilly for most of her visit. No problem! We found fun things to do indoors. The Coralville Mall was a real bonanza - The Iowa Children's Museum, an ice rink, and carousel all in one place. When the skies did clear, we went to look at the flood waters - a very popular activity around here.

Biker boy

2011-04-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

Mini trip to Madison

2011-04-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

Some problems with our Mini Cooper required a short trip to Madison. While the car was being fixed, Tot and I visited some of our favorite places. Like the zoo and the children's museum. We also colored eggs and had an egg hunt.

Flying high

2011-04-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Library Week, the SAU Library hosted a paper airplane competition. I decided to take Tot, planning to watch, since I've never made a successful airplane on my own. But the kind staff had printed out some templates and I folded on the lines. Here's Tot with the finished product.

Down below is the target, a blue X in the middle of a purple hula hoop.

Here's the competition.

Despite the odds, our plane came the closest to the target. Tot was the winner! Check out his prize - an Avatar dvd. Woot! He'll just have to wait a decade to watch it :)

Guess who got his own skateboard?

2011-04-01T13:19:00.001-07:00

Just kidding! Tot's still riding the scooter, although he'd really like his own board. Happy April Fool's Day!

Apt for rent

2011-03-28T15:38:00.001-07:00

Tell your fine feathered friends that we have a snazzy new birdhouse available immediately. Low, low prices. Plus the occassional free meal.

So long, spring break

2011-03-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

Last week was spring break for our university. While the Professor spent the week showing students around Paris, Tot and I played tourist in town. We went swimming at the Y, visited the Putnam Museum, made lots of trips to the library, went to the farmer's market and out for ice cream and donuts, planted veggies in the garden and saw lots of friends.

Today we made some welcome home decorations, but the Professor (and his students) got stranded in Chicago. Til tomorrow...

A Green Thumb

2011-03-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to finally say "it's spring!" We've been spending hours and hours outside digging in the dirt. Here's Tot prepping the garden plot for veggies. I think we'll plant spinach and lettuce tomorrow.

We've also been making the rounds at the playgrounds.

Check out the funny embroidery of a dog on the back of this denim jacket. I found it at the thrift store and am pretty sure it was handmade.

Tot really wants to sleep in the dog bed with Roy. I don't think Roy likes this plan. I know one thing, we'll all sleep like rocks tonight after so much fresh air.

And your big cardboard box...

2011-03-13T16:52:00.001-07:00

Anyone familiar with the book Little Boy by Alison McGhee knows about all the things a cardboard box can be. We had one such enormous cardboard box that was a bed, a boat, a fort and much more. What has proven to be even more fun is the paper inside. Here are a few photos from the last few days of Tot (and Roy) playing with it. He likes to get wrapped up like a burrito, make a bed with it, have paper fights, wrap it around the furniture, and who knows what else.

Can't Touch This - part 2

2011-03-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

Is it spring yet?

2011-02-25T05:54:00.001-08:00

Here's a picture of Tot in the yard yesterday. I thought spring was here and I'd be able to remove that snowy photo from the header. We visited with our next door neighbor "over the fence" as we like to do in the warmer months. I was daydreaming about crocuses (or is it croci?) and even contemplated "ice cream season." But we awoke to more snow today - guess it's still the "off-season" for ice cream. Maybe I can send the ice cream maker to Florida for spring training. If you're ready for spring, say "Aye!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Sending you hugs and kisses from McSmithleyville!

It actually feels like spring here which is unusual for February.
I'm not sure why I decided to make a "snow mobile" since we've had no shortage of snow. But it was a fun, quick, toddler friendly arts & crafts project that I stole from this lovely blog.

The perfect gift for a vegan

2011-02-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

My Uncle Mike (aka Uncle Hippie) has always been a creative, artistic type. So it made perfect sense when he opened up an Etsy shop, DestructiveTesting. He's been making a lot of clocks, which runs in the family. My grandfather had a great fondness for making clocks, too. So imagine my surprise when a package with a clock made from a can of Spam arrived in the mail. I'm not sure if he's trying to make a statement on my eating habits or not. In any case, Tot got a real kick out of the clock. And the next time you need to know the time, check out DestructiveTesting!

Is it morning yet?

2011-02-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

A very dangerous item arrived in the mail today - a petite donut pan. I'm glad I signed up for that half marathon in May...

Ice skating

2011-02-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a little video of Tot at the end of his first ice skating session. We were both very tired afterwards. It's been over a decade since I last skated and I did have a moment of anxiety lacing up, wondering if I still remembered how to skate. Turns out, it's like riding a bicycle.

Tea time

2011-02-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

Tot has been enjoying the book If you'll be my Valentine which mentions having tea and spicy cookies and oranges. So I thought it would be fun to dig out my old tea set. Here's our tea party with Tot's "friends" a.k.a. Snuggle Puppy, Sleep Sack, and Fuzzy Wuzzy. These are his best buds.

Another favorite book that is perfect for this blizzard is Perfect Soup. It inspired me to make a triple batch of potato leek soup. Yum. Hope you are snug as a bug in a rug!

Baby it's cold outside....

2011-01-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

So bundle up! Despite chilly temps, we've been heading to the playground in our snowsuits.

Tot was really impressed by the bicyclist on the ice. And he informed me that he wants to learn to ice skate.

Sweet dreams...

2011-01-28T19:34:00.001-08:00

Good night from McSmithleyville.

Can't Touch This

2011-01-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a look at a few seconds of our morning. The little jukebox in the background has about a dozen songs on it. Even so, Tot chose to play "Can't Touch This" over and over again. And wear a mouse costume which slowed down his dancing a bit. He mostly spun round and round. And about 15 minutes later he threw up all over me. A coincidence? I don't know...

Things that go bump in the night

2011-01-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

If you live in a snowy climate, take a look at the very fun book Snow Play by Birgitta Ralston.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

I'm a little embarrassed by how late I am with this post. For some reason I thought I had already posted it. And then Tot and I have been sick and not especially photogenic. So here are a few recent pics. This photo is from the Noon Year's Eve celebration at the Family Museum.

Tot in out new "art studio" (aka our dingy basement)
Tot with some glitter in his hair. When we were in NYC at Thanksgiving he found a star shaped piece of glitter at Grandma Fran's and he talked about it for weeks afterwards. Imagine his delight when I found an old jar of glittery stars in my art supplies! Every time he sees one he starts singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Year in review

2010-12-30T18:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a look at my major knitting projects of 2010. There were also a few hats, socks and baby gifts, too. I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of more yarn for the first sweater of 2011.

Other notable happenings in the past 365 days include big trips to Boston, Los Angeles and New York. A home improvement visit from my brother in the summer drastically improved the floor in the bathroom and taught me that I'm not cut out for tile work. The vegan experiment was a success and I plan to continue it into the future. I also learned to bake bread and broke my first bone (a toe) and found out that I actually enjoy running. My yoga teaching and practice continue to energize me and I'm still jazzed to teach information literacy after all of these years. Oh yeah, and don't think I am forgetting my wonderful husband, adorable son, loving family and dear friends who have helped make this year great. I guess the moral of the story is I am a very lucky, very happy person. Seriously, if I could hit repeat, I'd do it all the same. If I had to name one regret, it's that I didn't read many books this year. Good thing they'll still be around next year.

Wishing you all happiness, love, health and security in the new year.

Merry Christmas to all!

2010-12-27T18:13:00.001-08:00

Here are a few Christmas photos. Please note the lovely cable knit sweater that Tot is wearing. It was handmade by Aunt Marygene. Doesn't he look splendid? Thanks so much Aunt Mg!

The Playmobil skatepark. Can you guess who picked that out?
Marble mania.

Santa's train.

Wheeeee!

Tot with his great grandma.

Happy Festivus!

2010-12-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

Here's my (yogic) feat of strength.

Festivus is just a day away and in getting ready for it I was contemplating what grievances I had to air. I really couldn't come up with any. In the past I think I was more of a cynic and a complainer, but I'm wondering if yoga has made a kinder, gentler me. Yeah, there I things I could complain about, but do I really want to do that in the permanent, public realm of the internets? Of course I'm still down on people who perpetuate hate, violence and greed (to name just a few) but I'll leave it at that. Let's move on to the Festivus Miracles:

Our cute little Tot playing Candyland:

And a cute little dog:

What Festivus Miracles have you witnessed?

The Snowy Day

2010-12-21T08:58:00.001-08:00

The McSmithley's spent the morning snowshoeing, sledding, throwing snowballs and making snowpeople. Now we'll have to wait and see what snowmen do at night.

Brrrr....

2010-12-15T05:42:00.000-08:00

Despite the crazy cold, we've been having some fun outdoors.

This was my first (and probably last) foray into stringing popcorn and cranberries. It looked charming for all of one day until the ice and squirrels did their damage.

It's snowing

2010-12-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

Everywhere, everywhere, snow sifting down,
a world becoming white, no more sounds,
no longer possible to find the heart of the day,
the sun is gone, the sky is nowhere, and of all
I wanted in life – so be it – whatever it is
that brought me here, chance, fortune, whatever
blessing each flake of snow is the hint of, I am
grateful, I bear witness, I hold out my arms,
palms up, I know it is impossible to hold
for long what we love of the world, but look
at me, is it foolish, shameful, arrogant to say this,
see how the snow drifts down, look how happy
I am.

"Manna" by Joseph Stroud, from Of This World.

Happy Birthday

2010-12-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the Professor!

You get more handsome, wise and fun each year.

Love,

Mama & Tot

Check out Tot helping with the carrot cake. He really wanted to use his construction trucks to mix up the batter. Ingenious!

Giving Thanks

2010-11-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

We spent another lovely Thanksgiving in New York with family and friends. It was such a joy to see everyone looking so happy and healthy. Here are a few photos from our visit:

Tot and Grandma Fran.
Playing the piano with Uncle Ben.
Hugging Aunt Phyllis.

The talented cooks: Ellie, Jeremy, Tom and Sylvia.

After an adventure to the NY Transit Museum and the Bryant Park carousel with Rachel, Emmanuel and Jonah.

Visiting with Aunt Laurel.

These are a few of my favorite things

2010-11-21T10:20:00.000-08:00

1. Skype: Here we are video chatting with the Professor while he was in Amsterdam. Can you imagine how much a phone call would have cost in the pre-Internet days? What a luxury!

2. No-knead bread. In 2006 I cut out Mark Bittman's article on no-knead bread from the New York Times. I finally made it. It is amazing. Don't wait four years to try this great technique. You can learn all you need to know from his video tutorial.

3. These two.
Bubba came to visit while the Professor was away. We had so much fun: donuts, home improvements, a parade, and trains. I think I can say for all of us that the highlight was the Midwest Trains 25th Anniversary Open House. To see a video, check out Bubba's blog.

Say Cheese!

2010-11-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

So I've only got a moment to say hello and post some pictures of Tot. All is well here, just busy, busy, busy. The Professor leaves for a work event in Amsterdam tomorrow, we're waiting for repairs on the hot water heater and I'm in the midst of grading. The weekend can't come soon enough! But I'll be back with more pictures (and maybe a video or two soon.)