Gingerbread Lane

Sophie and I have a wonderful tradition.  Each December we meet up with one of my friends and her daughter and we visit a local gingerbread house competition.  It's a small one but we love all the details on these houses. After browsing and taking some time to vote for our own favorite, we visit the resort's restaurant for some hot cocoa and treats.  Here are some of my favorite shots......

How adorable are these Wizard of Oz characters?  Adorable enough to win Sophie's vote!

Last year's visit here.

You Are What You Read!

So, basically, I'm a hodgepodge of deliciously good books!!!  

 

It took me a while but I finally got around to reading Unbroken.  I finished the book about three weeks ago and I find myself constantly thinking back to this story and the life of Louis Zamperini.  The real sign of a good book is wanting to learn more so I just checked out this book as a follow-up!  

On a recent trip to visit my parents, I realized I didn't bring anything to read with me.  In my world that constitutes an emergency.  Since I had to go to Target for a diaper run, I decided to browse their book aisle.  It's so unusual for me to actually buy books.  It's also pretty unusual for me to read fiction.  I took my time choosing and hit the jackpot.   This book was FABULOUS!  It's set in the late 80's/early 90's when AIDS was new and everyone was terrified.  We knew so little back then.  I've always been a little fascinated with that time period (and I lived through it!).  I passed this book on to a friend who is reading it now and I can't wait to hear someone else's review!  I think this would make a great Book Club choice.

On that same trip to Target, I also picked up this book.  I hadn't read Kate Morton before but the ending of this book blew me away.  I've since read The House at Riverton and I'm now making my way through The Forgotten Garden.  Guess I'm on a Fiction roll!

And I've saved the best for last....

Wow.  I can't say enough about this book.  I don't know about you but I grew up not learning much about The Dust Bowl.  I don't know who recommended this book to me (which is too bad) but it really opened my eyes.  The book was published in 2006 so maybe some of you have read it?  I had a newborn in 2006 so I can understand how I missed it back then. I found it fascinating what people went through, how we humans created such destruction (and so quickly!), that people chose to stay, how people survived such a horrible time.  You should see my Google Search History after reading this book.....my quest to know more is limitless.  I must live under a rock because I also didn't know that Ken Burns had a documentary out last year called The Dust Bowl (and it's available on Netflix!!!). I can't imagine a better way to follow up this book.  Ken even interviews some of the descendants of the "characters" from the book.  I was SO excited.  I'll be looking for more ways to learn about The Dust Bowl FOR SURE and I'll also be reading more Timothy Egan (my new crush!).  If you only choose to read one book this year, read this one.  Truly, truly fascinating!  

SO you can see why I haven't been blogging.  Too many good books, not enough time!

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Other than that, there's been a whole lot of this....

Clara is OBSESSED (!!!) with Play Doh but it's turned out to be a great thing because both girls play together for 20-30 minutes at a time!

Love, love, love how Sophie figured out that she could make sand dollars using a circle Play-Doh cutout and the indentation from their little play table! See green example above.

A fruit snack and busy hands!

And homework, lots of it, every single night!

Hope you're all well!!!  Tell me, what are you reading?

My Favorite Visitor

Look who's been popping round for a visit every day for the past week or two.

 

She is magnificent!  I'm pretty sure she's a red-tailed hawk.

Our yard has (black) snakes, mice, squirrels, rabbits, birds and who knows what else.  I can understand why she comes here.

Do you see her talons?  And her chest feathers?  So gorgeous!

Sometimes I wonder if she just enjoys posing for my pictures!

 

See what I mean!!!

She visits often but, on this occasion, I decided her plumage was too beautiful to keep to myself.  

I'll keep trying to get better pictures.  I'm a bird nerd and I can't get enough....

PS ~ In light of my recent post, I wanted to share this article. Interesting.  I was pleased to know that most people agree that cats shouldn't be left roaming freely about the neighborhood.  Thanks for your emails and comments! 

Because Hanukkah.....

 To all of our Jewish family and friends, here's wishing you a bright, peaceful, happy Festival of Lights.

As I went through last year's Hanukkah photos to find some for this post, I was taken aback by how much the girls have grown.

I love these two photos. For me, they capture the essence of the holiday. The last night of Hanukkah is always my favorite because ALL the candles being lit is SO beautiful!

Alain's chocolate cherry Dreidel Cake has become one of our family traditions.

Last year Sophie insisted that we make some crafts for Tio Iggy.  I LOVED THAT. We will surely be doing that again this year!  It feels good to include him in our celebrations, even in this small way.

Dreidels are BIG in our family.  Sophie loves to play.  We usually play with nuts rather than gelt.

I didn't get to do nearly as much as I would've liked because Hanukkah is SO danged early this year......and coincides with Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday).  I've grown to really love Hanukkah and I look forward to finding new ways to make it special.  

This craft we did last year made it to Pinterest and my blog has gotten many hits over the last few weeks from people searching for a Hanukkah craft. I have a new craft planned for this year and I'm just hoping I have time to pull it off.  We're in Lynchburg now for Thanksgiving and I'm soaking up this time with my family and my lovely, lovely Kenzie!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends!!!

XOXO

PS ~ I decided to use "Because Hanukkah" for my post title after reading this.....the evolution of the English language is rather fascinating!!!

Not a fan. NOT A FAN.

I looked out my window this afternoon to see this.

This is not my cat.

As I watched, the following occurred....

That is definitely my mouse.  My sweet mouse who lives underneath the bird feeder.  She hangs out with the mourning doves in the afternoons and eats seeds that have fallen out of the feeder.  I can't believe it.

  

This evil cat has killed my mouse and left it and has now parked herself directly underneath my bird feeder.  The feeder where all my resident birds come to eat and hang out.  Including my beloved Harry Winston.

Over my dead body.  I head outside.

I am very upset about my mouse.  VERY UPSET.

Suddenly a tiny bit of motion catches my eye.  I look over.

There she is sitting in the shade beneath some trees.  Curled up like she actually belongs here.  I chase her away screaming.

I do love animals but....this cat.....I am really NOT A FAN.

Yes, yes.....we're in the SWEET SPOT!!!

We are officially there.

She's no longer an infant.  Not a toddler (whew, thank goodness!).  Long ago graduated from preschool.

Still several years away from the tween years.  The teenage stage seems distant (although I try not to look at it staring at me from the horizon!). 

Sophie is smack dab in the middle of the loveliest stage of childhood.  THIS is why we have children.  It is golden and delicious and I don't ever want it to end.

Yes, of course, it has its heartbreaking moments.  Like when she let Clara carry her stuffed animals in a store and she said, "Well, I'm seven now....I can't walk around with stuffed animals."  Or when she looked up at me from her bed one night and said, "Mommy, you won't need to read to me anymore....I can read myself now."  Other parents might celebrate that moment.....but my whole existence for the past several years has been about reading to my daughter in bed at night.  That's just WHAT I DO.  I celebrate her reading abilities and her desire for privacy to devour the world of books.  But I will always want to read to her.  So we compromised and she agreed that I could still read a book or two TO HER several nights a week!

But then there's this:  She'll still hold my hand when we walk home from the bus in the afternoon.  Sometimes she'll even run off the bus and jump on me....in front of other people!!!  And she told me last night, on a Saturday night, that she was disappointed she didn't have any homework.  What did I do?  I made some up so we could work on it together.  Last week she asked if she could do Math at school instead of recess.  WHAT?  For a couple of weeks she requested that she and I go to breakfast alone one weekend.....and when we finally got to, she asked for bagels....and while we were eating those bagels, she said, "Mom, I love eating breakfast alone with you."  Sophie still thinks it's super cool that I'm her Girl Scout leader.  When she recently told me that her favorite day of the week is Thursday, she explained that it's because I work in her school library on Thursdays and we get to walk in to school together.  She tells me pretty regularly that I am the best Mom ever and that she's lucky to have me.  My heart overflows.

Those first years were long.  Some were really hard (her entire third year for example!).  But I now experience the payoff every single day.  Sophie is just so, so lovely.  She's creative and interesting.  When she wants to be, she's as sweet and joyful as a doughnut with pink frosting and sprinkles.  I think most people would qualify her as a really happy child and she laughs a LOT.  Her teacher says hearing Sophie's laugh is one of the bright spots in her day.  Mine too, I always tell her.  Most of the time, she's sweet to Clara and I hear Sophie teaching her little sister all kinds of things.....little things, big things, silly things, important things.  I'm not a rookie Mom anymore and I know all these childhood moments are fleeting. I don't intend to miss any of them.  I eat them up in my own beastie way.

I LOVE nothing more than being in Sophie's presence.  She constantly makes me smile and laugh and feel good.

Sophie Annabelle, you are such a gift and I treasure you with every tiny little ounce of my being.