December 25, 2015 by Jaclyn

On Christmas Day In The Morning

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And who was on those ships all three
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And who was on those ships all three
But Joseph and his Lady.

And he did whistle and she did sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
And he did whistle and she did sing
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on Earth shall ring
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.
And all the bells on Earth shall ring
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And children throughout the world shall sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And children throughout the world shall sing
On Christmas Day in the morning.

To my friends who are celebrating today, I hope you have a joyous day. And on Earth, peace, goodwill toward men.

December 18, 2015 by Jaclyn

Fall List 2015: Final Update

The twinkly season is upon us, but I can’t let fall go without a final check-in on my to-do list. We had a lovely – albeit extremely busy – season. As Nugget gets older, it’s easier and easier to get out and about as a family, which is wonderful. The more he is able to do, the more I look forward to doing with the kids as they continue to grow. In the meantime, I think we did really well at making the most of fall (my favorite season!).

~~Take the kids apple and pumpkin picking.~~ Done – both! We visited Stonehill Orchards and took home half a bushel of Gala apples in September, and picked out our pumpkins at Kelkenberg Farms in October. (Yes, I did dress the kids in their Halloween costumes for our pumpkin picking excursion. OF COURSE.)

~~Visit my brother and sister-in-law in Colorado.~~ Done! We had a fantastic trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving. We spent a week and a half out there exploring Boulder, Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, and more, and enjoying everything that the mountain west has to offer. Colorado is an incredible state. I knew this, of course. Expect lots of waxing poetic when I get those vacation recaps up starting in the New Year!
~~Drink hot cider from Main Street Coffee Roastery.~~ Done! The Cider Deluxe from Main Street was my Friday treat to myself this fall. I couldn’t get enough.

~~Host family and friends for Nugget’s baptism.~~ Done! My parents and my father-in-law joined us – along with Uncle Erik and Aunt Rebecca, Peanut and Nugget’s godparents – to celebrate little Nugget becoming the newest Episcopalian in early November. We had a lovely little family party and I think our sweet boy felt very loved and celebrated.
~~Read some Sarah Vowell.~~ Done! I tore through Vowell’s newest release, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, and loved it. I really enjoy her smart, witty, slightly snarky takes on history.
~~Bake pear-almond bread.~~ Well, I didn’t do pear-almond bread specifically, but I did make some yummy almond thumbprint cookies recently, so I’m calling this good.
~~Have a zoo playdate with friends.~~ Done! Just this past weekend, but better late than never. We met up with two of Peanut’s little school friends, their moms and their siblings for a morning at the zoo. I have some complicated feelings about zoos, but we had a good time. It’s always nice to get friend time in and let the kids run around, play and enjoy some animals.

~~Take Peanut trick-or-treating (for real!) for the first time EVER.~~ Done! Peanut looooooooved trick-or-treating. Last year, I think, she would have been terrified and miserable, but she’s grown up a lot over the course of a year (who’d have thunk?) and she had a ball this year. The only tears came when we decided that we’d been out long enough, and told her it was time to head home.
Re-read Anne of the Island or Emily of New Moon (or both!).

~~Finish our our year of hiking in a different place every month and take our last seasonal walk through Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve.~~ I’m calling this one done, even though we haven’t gotten our December walk in yet. We’ll be hitting Tifft Nature Preserve within the next few weeks, and that will round out a year of hiking in a different place every month. I’ve still got recaps coming for you (I owe you our fall Reinstein walk – at least, I think I do? – and our November hike is a good one) so keep your eyes open for those.

Not a bad fall! How about you, my friends, did you accomplish everything on your seasonal to-do lists?

December 16, 2015 by Jaclyn

Nugget: Nine Months

This boy. I’ll tell you – guys, he has just stolen my heart. Every smile, every giggle, every sloppy kiss planted on my chin, all make me more and more his, forever. He is just the happiest, sweetest baby and it is such a privilege to watch him grow.

The biggest thing this month was Nugget’s second vacation (seriously, two vacations in nine months – the kid’s doing alright), which involved his first airplane flight and his first Thanksgiving. He did as well as I could possibly have hoped for on the plane. No napping, of course, because Nugget doesn’t do that sort of thing. But I made sure to be feeding him during takeoff and landing, which helped with his ears, and with a full belly he was a happy little traveler for the rest of the flights. He giggled, played with toys, and when he got restless we walked up and down the aisles. I would have loved it if he’d have conked out for an hour or so on at least one of the flights, but of course he didn’t help me out there. No matter – he charmed everyone on the flights and I got lots of compliments about how well-behaved he was. Keeping him happy was a lot of work, and the flights weren’t the most relaxing I’ve ever had, but it was well worth the effort for the smooth flights.

As he was when we went to North Carolina in July, Nugget was a champ all throughout the trip to Colorado. He had a few rough nights as he got adjusted to the altitude, and we were both a bit tired as a result, but he’s such a good baby that I doubt anyone but me noticed that he wasn’t completely himself. He loved checking out the Christmas lights in Boulder and Estes Park and spotting trees and animals in Rocky Mountain National Park.

I know I am a broken record, but I just can’t stop singing the praises of my sweet, good-natured boy. He fits in so well with our family – it’s amazing how complete we feel now that he’s in our lives. He’s just such a joyful, happy little fella.

Nugget at 9 Months

Weight: 16 pounds, 3 ounces – not much gain from last month. He’s under the third percentile for weight – following in big sister’s footsteps, sigh. Why do I make these absurdly tiny children? He’s a good eater, but I think his no-nap policy may be catching up with him. We’re going to bump up the foods we’re offering and see if we can’t pack a couple more pounds on him in the coming months.

Height: 27.25 inches – he didn’t shrink from last month, so clearly my measurement was off. Well, I warned y’all.

Clothing Size: 9 months, quite comfortably. Expect this answer to be the same for awhile.

Sleep: We continue to have our good nights and bad nights. For most of our vacation, Nugget was back to nursing every two hours, newborn-style. I think it was a combination of the unfamiliar environment (scary when you’re little!) and the high altitude (extra hydration needed) – but he wasn’t the best sleeper on vacation, even for him. Since coming home he’s pretty much snapped back into his usual routine, but with more fussing at bedtime, and the occasional bouts of crying around 10:00 p.m. (that’s new). He’s back to eating pretty much once a night, which is very doable for me at this point. (More than that and I start to fray a little at the edges.) As for naps, he continues to be the world’s worst napper, and even lap naps are getting harder to come by. Dad got a couple in Colorado – so snuggly – and he’s lap-napped for me a few times since, but it’s getting harder and harder to nurse him to sleep and then keep him asleep in the afternoon. Daycare doesn’t try that hard to get him to nap, because he’s so good-natured and easygoing that he will just play happily all day long, without a rest. If he doesn’t start gaining weight a little more quickly, though, we may need to come up with a new plan – but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Likes: Hugs and cuddles from Mom and big sister, dancing to the Laurie Berkner Christmas CD, the way Dad’s “lion noises” ruffle his hair, sneak-watching “Clifford the Big Red Dog” on the iPad (Peanut’s current viewing of choice) during dinner.

Dislikes: I think it’s safe to say he’s not a big fan of his snowsuit.

Favorite Toys: Well, the absolute favorite toy this month isn’t actually Nugget’s toy – it’s Dad’s. Both Peanut and Nugget think that BB-8 is the best thing they have ever seen. (#thisisthedroidyourelookingfor). But leaving BB-8 aside, Nugget has gotten really into playing with the Green Toys school bus – he loves to drive it around the family room floor – and he’s developed a loving relationship with a Crocodile Creek playground ball that looks like the planet Earth. Funnily enough, I bought the ball for Peanut – I thought we could work on learning continents, HA HA – and bought Nugget a different playground ball with a rocket ship design. Peanut has no interest whatsoever in her globe ball, but she stole Nugget’s rocket ship ball immediately; Nugget, meanwhile, couldn’t care less about the rocket ship ball but you can’t pry the globe ball away from him. Who’d have thunk? Well, they’re both enjoying the balls I bought for them, just not exactly as I had pictured.

Milestones: The major milestones, I talked about above – first plane flight, first Thanksgiving. As far as developmental milestones go, he’s soooo close to moving. He’s been doing a fair amount of rolling around to get from one place to the next, and it’s only a matter of time before he either crawls or pulls up and starts cruising. (I’m still predicting that he will skip crawling and go straight to cruising, but I could be wrong. BB-8 is a powerful crawl motivator.) He’s also doing lots of clapping (my heart, my heart, soooooooo cute) and is starting to repeat sounds, even making a few noises that have sounded like words (up, egg and uh-oh) – although I’m not counting them as first words because I don’t believe he knew what he was saying. I think he’s poised to make some big strides in the next few months.

Quirks: Nugget is a lover, not a fighter. Ha, ha, no, really. Especially when it comes to me, he’s actually aggressively affectionate. One evening, while we were out in Boulder, he attacked my face with so much slobbery love that my brother told us to get a room. Ha! He loves his dad and sister, of course, but he saves the really over-the-top affection for me. Fortunately I’m pretty into him, too.

Happy nine months, sweet baby man! I’m so glad you’re here.

December 9, 2015 by Jaclyn

If You Haven’t Got A Penny, A Ha’Penny Will Do, If You Haven’t Got A Ha’Penny Then God Bless You

I love this time of year – Advent, all it represents, and the lead-up to Christmas. All the fun of it – decking my halls, selecting the perfect gifts for everyone on my list, wrapping them in pretty paper, writing out and mailing Christmas greetings to far-flung family and friends, baking cookies and treats to share with local family and friends… all of it. It’s all so twinkly and sparkly and joyous. It’s all so expensive. Dolla dolla bills, y’all. So expensive.

This isn’t a post about how to save money on your Christmas shopping (goodness knows I have trouble sticking to my budget when I come across that perfect item that someone would just LOVE) or on your cards (man alive, those picture cards cost bank!) – but I do have some ideas to share about decking your halls. Now, of course, you can save money by re-using your decorations every year. I do – my tree skirt, pillows and holiday tableware all make repeat appearances year in and year out. And I like that – it’s like seeing old friends every December when I pull out the decorations.

Still, it’s also fun to change it up a bit. And there are ways to do that without breaking the bank or tapping into money otherwise earmarked for gifts. I’ve got four ideas to share with you, and all of them were accomplished with items found either at the grocery store or lying around my house. And none of them cost more than $15.00.

Homemade Advent Wreath

Starting with my favorite – a homemade Advent wreath! So, let me tell you a little story: I’ve always wanted an Advent wreath, and I’ve been holding out for the perfect one. I saw one I loved, years ago, at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria. It was a simple ceramic vessel – a moat of sorts, which could be filled with greenery, with four wells for taper candles. I wanted it, but for some reason I didn’t buy it. And then, of course, I regretted it, and I looked for it every time we visited the Torpedo Factory since, and I never saw anything similar. So I’ve been holding out for literally years.

This fall I started listening to podcasts during my commute, and one of my favorites is “Sorta Awesome.” Most of the podcasts I like, I don’t feel comfortable listening to in front of my kids – they’re not bad, and I’m not embarrassed by any of the content (probably 90% of my podcast listening is about books or running) but they occasionally use words like “sucks,” or “crap” – words I don’t want Peanut repeating at school. (I’m less bothered by Nugget hearing those words right now, because he can’t talk.) But it’s very rare indeed that a word I’m concerned about pops up on “Sorta Awesome,” and I love the variety of subjects, the tips for living and mothering, and the “Awesome of the Week.” So we’ve been working our way through the backlist as the kids and I drive home from work and preschool at the end of the day. Recently, Megan hosted Jerusalem Greer, who talked about Advent. Jerusalem’s top tip – her place to start, so to speak – was an Advent wreath. And – this is going to sound ridiculous – it wasn’t until I heard Jerusalem talking about Advent wreaths that I realized, Eureka!, I could make my own and it would actually be really easy.

So, according to Jerusalem, an Advent wreath requires just a few components: something circular, like a plate, to represent eternity; something “living” (can be water, river rocks, greenery, anything natural); and four candles, one for each Sunday of Advent. They don’t even necessarily have to be the three purple and one pink that I grew up with. (If you want extra credit, you can have a fifth candle, the Christ candle, to light on Christmas.)

I grabbed the following materials from around my house:

Luna Garcia oblong platter (oblong can represent eternity, too, right?)
Four unscented dinner candles
Pink and purple yarn
Rosemary clipped from my garden (oh, yeah, I should probably bring that inside)

Putting the “wreath” together was simple. I just lined the four candles up on the platter, clipped four equal-length strands of yarn (three purple and one pink), wrapped one strand around each candle and tied them in little bows. Then Peanut and I tucked sprigs of rosemary around the candles and voila, our very first Advent wreath! Couldn’t have been easier, and…

Total Cost: $0.00, because I used all materials I already had on hand.

Rosemary Tree

This Thanksgiving, I mentioned to my sister-in-law that I’ve always wanted a rosemary tree for my kitchen, and she said that she loves those too. I don’t know why I’ve never bought one before, but with that thought in the back of my mind I kept my eyes open when I did my weekly shopping at Wegmans. No surprise, they had them – so I grabbed one for $6.99. It came in a pretty red burlap sack. I decked it with my snowman chef ornaments from Williams-Sonoma (although it would be really pretty with a string of fresh cranberries, too – maybe next year) and it’s making my kitchen smell divine.

Total Cost: $6.99.

Pomander Balls

I’m craft-challenged, but this year I got it into my head that even I couldn’t mess up pomander balls. I’m not even sure what put me on to the idea of doing some this year, but I grabbed a bag of oranges and a bottle of whole cloves from the supermarket and went to town while watching Supergirl. Six pomanders, in six different patterns, and they smell incredible.

Bag of oranges
Bottle of whole cloves
Knitting needle, stylus, or other sharp object (I used an inexpensive double-sided bamboo knitting needle)

Using the needle, poke holes in an orange in whatever pattern you like. Stick one clove into each hole. Dry in a 200 degree oven for a looooooong time – I did six hours. Keep in a dry location and enjoy all season, then pitch after Christmas (or whenever they get weird).

Total Cost: $15.00, but only because I didn’t have any whole cloves at home.

Fun Seasonal Soap

This one feels almost like cheating, but it’s something that never occurred to me before last year. Steve and I really like the Wegmans foaming hand soaps and we keep them around in the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom, in different scents. Last year they had a harvest scent for fall, and that was the first time I ever picked one up – and the first time it occurred to me to use something other than very basic Softsoap in the kitchen. We’ve been enjoying the different scents all year and I grabbed a “sugar cookie” flavor to make our December hand-washing more festive. It’s such a silly thing, but it’s fun. (If you don’t have a Wegmans nearby, I’ll bet you can find something similar at your grocery store, or there’s always Bath and Body Works.)

Total Cost: $2.69 – a steal!

How do you add festive flair to your house without breaking the budget?

December 4, 2015 by Jaclyn

Thanksgiving 2015

Whew! Things have been a bit quiet here on the blog – with the exception of Wednesday’s reading round-up, I haven’t posted much in about a week. The reason – for those who don’t already know – is that we were out of town. (I like to fly slightly below the radar; I’ll share real-time posts of travels on Instagram, because my account is private, but I keep trips quiet on other social media, including here, until I’m back.) We spent Thanksgiving (and several days before and after) with my brother and sister-in-law in Colorado this year. I’ve got plenty of travel recaps to come in the next few weeks, but for now, a look at our Thanksgiving.

We woke up to snow! My brother Dan and sister-in-law Danielle live in a sweet log cabin in the Rocky Mountains, and they already had some snow, but on Thanksgiving we were blessed with an extra few inches of soft Colorado powder – and a visit from this absolutely gorgeous fox. (The dog went NUTS.)

Peanut stayed cozy in her fleece mittens and snow boots, even in the house. (Their house was perfectly warm and cozy – Peanut is just opinionated about her attire and she was on a boots jag last week.) Extra cuddles for Dan and Danielle’s dog Finnegan, who was a champ all week. He’s not used to having little kids around, but he was very sweet and patient with Peanut.

Let the cooking begin! Finnegan was very interested in all the activity going on in the kitchen. Dan and Danielle wouldn’t let us help at all – they insisted on spoiling us rotten with a delicious meal that we didn’t lift a finger to create. Talk about thankful!

Dan cured the turkey, and it was the best I’ve ever had – finally laying to rest the cure vs. brine debate that has been raging between him and Steve for years. Cure, all the way. (Look at that beggar dog!)

While our hosts cooked, Peanut napped, and Nugget and I enjoyed some FaceTime with far-flung family members. My grandmother, aunt and cousin all got the chance to video-chat with the little guy. It had been several months since they’d last seen him and they were all amazed at how big he’s gotten. He did lots of tricks for them – sitting up, playing with toys, and babbling and razzing for almost an hour. Little sweet guy…

Finally, time to eat! Homemade cranberry sauce, stuffing (I passed – not a fan), turkey, a MOUNTAIN of mashed potatoes, and mashed squash – plus unpictured homemade dinner rolls! Danielle is a star baker and is not scared of yeast at all. (Wish I lived closer – I’d beg for bread-baking lessons.)

My plate. Gravy added after the picture. I was amazed at how tender and flavorful the turkey was – even the white meat. I’ve never actually enjoyed turkey breast before. It was a new experience.

So thankful for this crew. Being together on Thanksgiving was the best gift ever.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, my friends! I’m thankful for YOU.

November 20, 2015 by Jaclyn

OBX Trip 2015: One More Day in Old Dominion

On our way back from the Outer Banks, we had one more stopover – just one night (not enough time – it’s never enough time) in Alexandria, Virginia, where we used to live. This time we didn’t make plans to see any friends – we’d managed to connect with just about everyone we wanted to on our way down to OBX, and since we weren’t going to be in town very long on this pass through we just wanted to spend the time enjoying our old haunts – which meant Old Town.

We spent our last three years in the DC area living just south of Old Town, a few miles downriver and down the G.W. Parkway, and Old Town was basically our neighborhood. We were there every weekend, almost all weekend. Our farmers’ market, our favorite brunch spots, our favorite walking trails, and our church were all in Old Town. I miss all of those places every day that I’m away, so we made it our mission to hit as many as possible.

First stop was Fontaine Creperie, which was probably my favorite restaurant in Old Town. (Well… maybe. It’s actually more like a three-way tie between Fontaine, Pizzeria Paradiso, and The Grape & Bean.) It was Sunday, around noon when we rolled into town, so the place was packed with brunchers and the post-church crowd, but we were able to squeeze our family of four into a table for two. I enjoyed every bite: latte, Moroccan crepe…

And the Bella (Nutella and strawberries!) for dessert, shared between Steve, Peanut and me. (Sorry, Nugget.)

After Fontaine, we were pretty much stuffed, but we weren’t done with the Old Town Food experience – not by a long shot. We swung by The Grape & Bean to pick up iced coffees to take on a walk through the town.

The Grape & Bean is pretty much unlike anyplace I’ve been in the States. It’s a wine shop and communal table restaurant that serves amazing coffee, delicious French and Spanish dishes, and lots and lots of incredible wine. It reminds me a bit of a restaurant Steve and I visited one night in Beaune, France.

Iced coffees in hand, we strolled down the street to Founders Park, my favorite green space, right on the Potomac.

I love it there. Our walk was haunted by the memories of summer weekends past – and holidays, too. Like one Independence Day, when we lounged on the grass with our friend Carly, watching the boats and eating cherry pie right out of the dish.

We walked back along the waterfront and stopped to admire the view of the docks. (And hello Chart House! I had my law school graduation dinner there. Yum.)

Nugget was zonked.

Back on King Street – the main drag – we stopped into Why Not?, a children’s store that had always intrigued me. Peanut was still really young when we moved away, and I had never really explored the kids’ boutiques. She’s definitely interested in the merchandise now, so we had fun checking out the toys – and then I got really excited when we ventured upstairs and found a roomful of BOOKS! And not just any books – USBORNE BOOKS! Usborne publishes some really cool and unique kids’ books and I’d been on the hunt for a few for Peanut for ages, but they’re not easy to find. I let her choose what she wanted and she picked a book about outer space and one about airports. That’s my little nerd! We also grabbed a gardening alphabet, Good Night Virginia (to add to our collection!) and a couple of Usborne books for older kids, which I’ve put aside.

After all the walking, Steve and I were both feeling pretty thirsty, so we made our way back to The Grape & Bean, for the grape this time. Yes, we went twice in one day. Don’t judge. It had been two years.

We both ordered a French rose, and it was crisp and refreshing and summery and perfect.

Obviously, there was one place we absolutely had to hit while we were in town, so we closed out the evening at Pizzeria Paradiso.

Couldn’t decide what to get, so we ordered two small pizzas instead of one large: a Paradiso with mushrooms and pine nuts, and the Genovese, a potato-pesto creation that is my favorite thing on the menu. (Well, second favorite. The free olives they bring to the table are the best thing ever.)

Love this crowd.

The next morning we were up bright and early, the better to squeeze in a bit more fun before heading back north. We started at Le Pain Quotidien.

I had the smoked salmon breakfast, and I split an avocado tartine with Steve. Both were out of this world.

Fueled by LPQ, we headed off for one final stroll around Old Town before we had to pack up and roll out of Old Dominion. I could never get enough of walking through the historic streets, drinking in the scenery and the beautiful old homes.

Before leaving, we stopped for one more meal (I know it seems like we did a TON of eating on this overnight, and we did, but it had been so long since we got to enjoy our favorite places – we decided to treat ourselves, not worry about it, and get back to eating like grownups when we got home – so that’s exactly what we did). We swung by our old favorite sushi place and enjoyed some fresh seafood. Even Peanut got in on the act:

She’s an extraordinarily picky eater, but she will randomly eat her weight in sushi (don’t worry – she’s old enough for it, and we moderate her intake). It was good to get some fresh food before our long road trip. (Which was miserable – Nugget screamed the entire time – so let’s just look at the pretty Old Town pictures and pretend that part never happened, okay?)

Until next time, Old Dominion! No matter where I live, I’ll always love you best.

Have you ever been lucky enough to live in your happy place?

November 18, 2015 by Jaclyn

Nugget: Eight Months

Another month gone! Where are they disappearing to? I realized the other day that Nugget is two thirds of a year old, and pretty soon he’ll reach that milestone of having spent more time out than in. It still feels like he just got here, but no – he’s well established at this point. (Of course, it took him all of a tenth of a moment to embed himself in our hearts.)

We’ve had another busy month of going, going, going! Nugget celebrated his first Halloween, enjoyed a visit from his Aunt Rebecca, went to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester (and got to see the actual felt figures from his Star Wars Epic Yarns book!) and was baptized. Whew! I’m exhausted after all of that, and you’d think Nugget would be too, but he continues to boycott naps. Mostly…

(He fell asleep holding his foot while Daddy and I painted trim in the next room. It was possibly the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. But everything he does is possibly the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. Can you tell that he has totally stolen my heart?)

He’s such a happy guy – rarely complains or fusses. Bedtime is still not his favorite thing in the world, and he doesn’t like to get too hungry – but then again, who does? No, most of the time he has the biggest smile on his face. It’s impossible to be sad or upset around him – he’s just so funny and affectionate that he can have the entire household laughing in seconds.

I mean, he’s really, really affectionate. Although I’m usually the only one who gets the slobbery open-mouthed kisses. The day isn’t complete until Nugget has planted a couple of huge wet kisses on my cheek, chin, nose and eyeball. I’m not complaining, though. I hope he always loves his mom this much. I know I love him more and more every day.

Nugget at 8 Months:

Weight: 16 pounds even!

Height: 27.5 inches (grain of salt, please; I measured him myself).

Clothing Size: I have to admit that he’s in nine months now. I still occasionally squeeze him into six month pajamas and he does fine with them, but really he’s more comfortable in the bigger size. He has some really adorable nine months clothes, though, so I can cling to that when I finally bite the bullet and pack away the six months wardrobe.

Sleep: Not much of a change from last month. Still protesting a bit at bedtime and then settling in, usually with one wakeup during the night. We’re ticking along and doing okay. As for naps, Nugget doesn’t do those. He’ll occasionally nod off in someone’s arms – mine, or one of his teachers’ at school – but even those snuggly naps are getting more rare. (I will miss them so much when they’re gone completely. Hope he stays snuggly for a bit longer.) It’s strange because Peanut, even to this day, is completely dysfunctional if she doesn’t get a nap, but Nugget seems to chug right along whether he naps or not.

Likes: Big sister! Also enjoys TV, FOOD (both mommy and pretty much any solid food – unlike Peanut, who would only eat fruit and had to be tricked into that, Nugget will happily gobble up anything I give him), rattles, chewing on books, watching other kids, and listening to Mom sing silly Raffi songs.

Dislikes: Bedtime gets a big THUMBS DOWN – from the moment Nugget sees his jammies he makes his displeasure known. Sorry, little guy, but that nasty old bedtime comes around pretty regularly.

Favorite Toys: Currently, we’re into anything chewy. Actually, that’s anything that we can chew on, whether it’s actually chewy or not, but things like teethers and chewy rattles are big crowd-pleasers. Unfortunately for Nugget, Peanut has stepped up her toy-stealing game, and he’s lost quite a few teethers to her, which is pretty lame since she isn’t even teething.

Milestones: So many to report this month! As far as developmental milestones are concerned, the two big ones are also the sharpest… that’s right, folks, we’ve got TEETH. Two of them, bottom front and center, and man are they ever sharp. Nugget is actually pretty considerate about avoiding the teeth when he is gnawing on my fingers, but I’ve been bitten a lot this month even so. In other developmental milestone news, he’s doing really well with sitting independently, and he’s started to roll around. It’s super cute to watch him migrate around the family room. As far as other milestones are concerned, Nugget celebrated his first Halloween this past month. He dressed as Tigger (costume courtesy of Aunt Rebecca) and actually made it out trick-or-treating with his big sis. (He didn’t collect any candy, although people kept offering it to him.) And a week after he celebrated Mischief Night, we did a 180 and had him baptized. He was less than thrilled with the whole water on the head business, but he was a good boy. Getting that done was a major weight off my shoulders, because I’ve been trying to coordinate a baptism for months. We had a nice little family party, as is customary, and Nugget got a few sweet and thoughtful gifts from his godparents and from Nana.

Quirks: As Nugget gets older, it’s really fun to watch his little personality develop and learn the ways he’s different from his sister. One of those, which we kind of already knew, really came into focus this month: while Peanut is chatty most of the time, she enters some kind of cone of silence the moment you strap her into the car seat; Nugget, by contrast, is a major car seat talker. He doesn’t fuss as much as he used to do – now he just orates from the backseat. Pretty much the moment the ignition starts, Nugget starts too: “AH! Ehhhhhh, da! Da da da da! Behhhhhh. DAH. Unhnhnhnhnh! Ah ahhhh!” and so on, and so forth. We just listen, and occasionally wipe away tears of laughter. Actually, Nugget has two speeds in the car: talking, and asleep. The second the chattering stops, you know he’s taking his (likely one and only) nap of the day. It’s too funny.

Happy eight months, little man! Stop growing so darn fast.

November 13, 2015 by Jaclyn

Twelve Months Hiking Project: Niagara Falls State Park (September 2015)

Looks like I’ve gotten pretty far behind in recapping our monthly hikes – here it is November, and I haven’t even told you about September’s hike yet! But not to worry – we’re still doing the hikes (I have a great one for October, which I’ll share next week) – I just have to find a free day to post about them.

We waited until the end of the month for our September explorations, because we had a special guest in town – my best friend, Rebecca! Rebecca’s major program at our college was celebrating its centennial and was hosting a big conference, and she wanted to attend and do some networking, but the flights from Virginia (where she lives) to Ithaca were prohibitively expensive. But I suggested she look at flight options in and out of Buffalo, because it’s a bigger airport and might have better deals and more options, and then she could use us as a crash pad on her way to and from Ithaca. I was right about the ticket prices – Rebecca scored a reasonably priced fare, and I scored a couple of evenings and an entire day with my best friend! She spent all of Sunday with us after the conference and flew home on the following Monday morning. I wanted to show her the best that Buffalo has to offer, and I knew a hike had to be part of it, because Rebecca is just as avid a hiker as Steve and I are. When she specifically requested to see Niagara Falls, I planned an outing for us to Niagara Falls State Park.

So, I’m sorry to say, the view was kind of a disappointment. We went to the main viewing platform right by the Top of the Falls restaurant, and the entire span was blocked by chain-link fence and construction vehicles. We could barely see anything. Rebecca climbed on top of a partition and said she got a good view, but I couldn’t climb because I was wearing this guy…

Something super strange – I texted my friend Zan, who was also hosting visitors from Virginia that weekend – her sister Elissa, brother-in-law, and nephew – and told her to skip the Falls because the view was a bummer. They decided to risk it and go the next day anyway, and Zan reported back that the view was just fine. Maybe the construction was only on the day we were there? I don’t know, but I’m glad that Zan and her family had a better experience than we did!

Not that we had a bad experience. Rebecca insisted that she saw what she wanted and that the Falls were plenty majestic, so I’m really glad that she wasn’t disappointed.

After viewing the Falls – what we could see, anyway – we headed into the park along a nice paved trail. Upriver from the Falls, there were plenty of cool rapids.

Reminded me a little bit of Great Falls when you walk upriver into Riverbend Park, although the waters here were wider and more dramatic. It was pretty cool to see.

There was also a pretty view of the City of Niagara Falls.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, no, it wasn’t just Rebecca, me, and Nugget on the hike. Steve and Peanut were with us as well. We attempted a family picture, but as usual, half of the family refused to look at the camera. Oh, well! We never quite get it, but it doesn’t stop me from trying. Someday I’ll catch them both cooperating at the same time.

Bye, Niagara Falls! I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, we refueled with Yotam Ottolenghi’s autumn souffle after the hike.

Winning.

Have you ever been to Niagara Falls?

October 28, 2015 by Jaclyn

The Fall List 2015

Fall! My favorite season! I love pretty much everything about fall. Although I can’t get enough summer heat – it’s true – I also love the cooler days, the bright blue skies and flaming colored leaves, the crisp evenings, the excuse to sip cocoa and watch the stars with a warm blanket wrapped around my shoulders and Steve next to me… I love that fall includes my birthday, Halloween and Thanksgiving, and that it’s the long lead-in to the Christmas season. I love apples, pumpkin spice lattes, warm socks, and the return of hockey season. (I do not love the cold rains, or the return of football season. But even in the fall, one cannot have everything.) And even though fall is half over now, I’m still going to muster up a to-do list. Indulge me?

Take the kids apple and pumpkin picking.
Visit my brother and sister-in-law in Colorado.
Drink hot cider from Main Street Coffee Roastery.
Host family and friends for Nugget’s baptism.
Read some Sarah Vowell.
Bake pear-almond bread.
Have a zoo playdate with friends.
Take Peanut trick-or-treating (for real!) for the first time EVER.
Re-read Anne of the Island or Emily of New Moon (or both!).
Finish our our year of hiking in a different place every month and take our last seasonal walk through Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve.

Not a bad list, right? I think it’s totally achievable, and if I get even half of these things done it’ll be a happy fall season indeed. What’s on your fall to-do list?

October 23, 2015 by Jaclyn

OBX Trip 2015: Light Bright

The Hatteras Light, with its ascending black and white spirals, is one of the most recognizable and beloved sights on the Outer Banks. It’s a must-visit for us each time we vacation on Hatteras. As kids, my brother and friend and I used to make a beeline for the lighthouse as soon as possible – in addition to being imposing and extremely cool, it was the headquarters for the Junior National Seashore Ranger program (a favorite vacation activity) and the backdrop for a Wednesday night campfire at which the adult Seashore Rangers would strum guitars, sing songs, and tell ghost stories to a crowd of appreciative kids and parents. All this is to say, the Hatteras Light is a fixture of our beach vacations and I couldn’t wait to see my kids enjoying it too.

In an effort to get a little more ocean time, Steve and I decided to mix up the routine one morning and hit Lighthouse Beach instead of doing our usual sound-lunch-nap-ocean. The first order of business was a visit to the lighthouse itself.

(I had to walk halfway across a field to get the entire lighthouse in my frame.)

Near the lighthouse is the ranger station, a small Outer Banks museum, and gift shop. We didn’t stop in this time, but hopefully next time we’re in the area we’ll find ourselves there a lot – I can’t wait until Peanut is old enough for the Junior Seashore Ranger program!

You can climb the lighthouse, but Steve is not a fan of heights. So we kept our feet planted on the ground and just enjoyed a stroll around the structure.

On our way to the beach, we spotted this imprint of a little friend in the concrete!

After visiting the lighthouse itself, we set up camp for the morning on Lighthouse Beach. We don’t usually go to Lighthouse Beach during the days because it’s a bit further from our rental house than our usual beach is. But it made for a fun change from the usual.