On Friday morning I asked The Banana and Mr. Sneaky Pants if they would rather paint pictures on big pieces of paper at home or go and climb their favorite tree at Hartley Nature Park.  They picked the tree, hands down, instantly.  This didn't really surprise me very much.  We…

I'm just loving these pictures of Ya Ya.  They capture her personality.  Serious one second.  Wild with maniacal laughter the next second.  Second grade is going so well for her.  I'm so relieved.  And happy.  

They were so very delighted to have gotten through the gate first and and to have locked me inside the fence in the flower garden.

I have been looking out my kitchen window at my neighbor's amazing maple tree in it's full, brilliant glory all week, lamenting the fact that I probably wouldn't make it up the north shore to bask in the inland maple forests.  We are having a late fall this year, and the previous…

She had done something she wasn't supposed to do.  I resorted to my overly calm, dreadfully serious, deep Mama voice, "Tell me the truth, Hannah." "No."   In an even deeper voice with a stern face, I said, "Tell me the truth right now, or there will be a BIG…

   In the middle of August while we were at the cabin, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law Dot, and I were browsing through some shops on a rainy morning.  I happened to pass by these three boxes  of storytelling cards, and I knew immediately that I HAD to have them.  My…

She was so excited to create a masterpiece on the sidewalk for the mail lady to enjoy when she delivered the mail Monday morning.  There was a lot of PINK involved.  Of course.  

Even when your big sister makes you three paper purses of your own, its so hard not to go upstairs and snatch one of her paper purses so you can be just like your Ya Ya.  The store bought paper purses have just a bit more luster, a bit more…

1.  Tis fall!  It's the season of slave labor!  There are lots of rotting crab apples to be picked up off the ground (Dr. Peds has a very weak stomach when it comes to decomposing fruit squishing in between his toes when he walks in the backyard) and soon there…

It has been a busy week here this week.  It was the first full week of school for Ya Ya, the first week of preschool for Mr. Sneaky Pants, The Banana's birthday, lots of fall piano students were back for the first time since last spring, it was the start…