The Evolution of Santa

Jack is ever in pursuit of a new character to play, and of course, to play a character properly he must look the part. Fortunately for us, this doesn't cost us anything. Jack seems to have been born to repurpose. He loves nothing more than scouring the house for bits and pieces of this-n-that to bring the visions in his mind to life. His costumes are his own concoctions and we're constantly surprised by his creations.

Tis the season to play Santa and Jack has taken to the part with unbridled enthusiasm. He worked on his costume over several days, picking and choosing new ways to present St. Nick in all his Christmas glory until the look was just right.

Santa Take One. His first attempt included a red motocross shirt Auntie Cindi bought him, along with a pair pants from an Anakin Skywalker costume. The suspenders were fashioned from the belt from the aforementioned Skywalker outfit. The hat is an old Dallas Cowboys beanie (positioned "just so") and the beard is a book cover from his brother's third grade text book. Not bad...not bad at all.

Santa Take Two. Jack decided his first beard lacked authenticity, but there was no need to trek to the store for something to do the job. He and I sat down one night and made a white beard from my make-up remover pads (little squares of cotton), rubber bands, and three sheets of white paper glued together for stability. To this, he added his green robe, a brown belt, and a Santa hat from the Christmas decoration box we had stored in the garage.

Santa Take Three. I came home from work to find Jack decked out in his final ensemble. To the brown belt and Santa hat, he added his red, sheep-lined sweat jacket, black cowboy boots and red pants. But wait, Jack doesn't have red pants! Ohhh, I see. He cleverly took the red motocross shirt from his first attempt and turned them into pants. Silly rabbit, who says sleeves only go on arms? Finally, a Santa costume that did Jack proud. Mom, too.

Christmas is...

Peanut Butter Fudge, Cookies, Sharing...

There are cookies and candies that I make every year. I found the best peanut better fudge recipe ever a few years ago...it reminds me of the fudge my Aunt Audrey used to make. It's so simple.

4 cups of white sugar
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 stick of butter (the real stuff! I used salted)
1 can evaporated milk
















(no, these aren't all the ingrediants for my fudge, just a hodge podge of ones I used every Christmas)



















Put the sugars, butter, and milk in a heavy pot...stir constantly til it boils


















When it comes to a good rolling boil, boil for 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes, remove from heat and add:
One 7 ounce jar marshmallow cream
Stir until the marshmallow is well incorporated
Add 1 teaspoon real vanilla
Add 2 cups creamy (or crunchy!) peanut butter
Stir until the peanut butter is completely incoporated
Pour into a 13X9 pan (buttered) and let set up.






Enjoy!!!

First Tooth!

Jack lost his first tooth! He's so excited! Mom and Dad are happy and sad at the same time. There's no denying our little boy is becoming a big boy! He's had two teeth growing in behind the others for a few weeks now, so there's no "space" really, just a new tooth saying "Hello!"

Making Meatballs with Dad

I've said before that I'm a lucky girl. Haven't I? Well if not, please let me correct that here and now. I am. My husband is not your typical guy. He cleans, he does laundry, he cooks. Things have changed quite a bit during our almost thirteen years together. Not the cleaning part; he's always done that. Not the laundry part; he's always done that, too.

It's the cooking part that's blossomed.

He is a midwestern boy at heart. When we met, he liked his food in pretty discrete categories and ordered pizza more than he cooked. But, I knew this cute boy had some potential the first time he made me dinner. Spaghetti. I was late (Friday night commute traffic is baaaad) and so the pasta went well beyond al dente into mushy and ruined. Did he serve it up anyway? Nope. He made more! He didn't like wine but had a nice bottle of red waiting for me. It was pretty good stuff.

Since then, Michael has taught himself to make all sorts of delicious things. He experiments all the time. He makes a killer chili (several variations, actually), great bbq chicken, ribs, several different pasta dishes, slow simmered tacos, guacamole. He can whip a mean meatball, too. Recently, he ponied the boys up to the counter and showed 'em how it's done. Right down to the cast iron skillet for proper browning.

I'm proud that he's preparing Wyatt and Jack to make spaghetti for their future wives; hopefully those girls, whoever they may be, won't be late.

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. Yes, I love it more than Christmas. I love the reason for Christmas more than the reason for Thanksgiving (although it's a close second), but there's something about the newness of the crisp, frosty air, the beauty of falling leaves, the wonderful smells of sage, thyme, nutmeg, and ginger, and the feeling of peace and contentment that comes from spending time with the people you love best, giving thanks and raising a toast to the season.

We had a special holiday this year. My friend, Sheila, and her two children, Amanda and Josh, came to visit. They joined us for the dinner Michael and I made for the Eby side of the family, and I roasted my biggest bird yet! A 25 pound gobbler. I didn't dry it out and it came out golden brown and yummy. And no, I didn't take a picture. Darn. But I have witnesses! Sheila has pictures on her camera of our feast...sadly I was too busy cookin'!

Then, they joined us for the Dolley celebration. My folks went through some impressive contortions in their dining/living room to get so many of us around the table. We ate, drank, and were definitely merry. We strolled down the hill to art studio of our local glass artisans and bought beautiful hand-blown ornaments for all the kids.

Good times.

Finck, Dolley, Thomas and Eby Cousins

I take zero credit for this pix. My cousin, Nicole snapped this cute shot. Thanks Nicole!

Back: Evan, Colin, Cole, Luke

Front: Wyatt, Grace, Jack, Amanda

Stage Left (Off-camera): Liam

The Augustine' Family

Sheila n' Me

Wyatt, Amanda, Jack and Josh

Faces of Wyatt

This is Wyatt Morgan.  His brother calls him "T" and I call him "Goose." I've been known to call him T-Bone on occasion, much to his dismay. His dad can call him anything he wants without argument--go figure! He's our athlete, the kid who loves to throw a football for hours on end. Or play kickball and basketball with his friends. He's also the kid with just about the biggest heart any boy has ever been given. He loves to make people laugh--to be silly and goofy and make you feel so warm and happy inside that your heart could just burst. He has a crazy sense of humor. If you're having a bad moment or a bad day or wondering if there are any generous good-hearted people in this world, Wyatt's the one you want beside you. He reminds you that life is darn good. Full of fun, smiles and laughter.

 

Yo, These Are My Peeps

Aren't boys just great? The adventures are non-stop. They pose, they strut, they get messy...they embrace every day with huge, courageous hearts. I just love 'em.

Slater B is my nephew, not by "blood", but his Mom & Dad, Brad and Cindi, have been my "friends who are family" for almost 20 years. Isn't he cute?


Slater, Wyatt & Jack



Slater B.

Faces of Jack

His name is Jack Michael, but we call him Bubbers. Or Rooney. Or Bubber-Roo. There's no method to the naming madness; these are just the names that have evolved for him over his five years. He's got quite a personality, after all. He's our little bundle of creative energy.

Among many other things, Jack is:

...the boy who took an old Playtex baby bottle (the kind with openings on both end) and the boot from a Luke Skywalker doll to fashion himself a hook to hide his little hand so he could play the evil Captain Hook from Peter Pan.

...the boy who put a black cowboy boot on one leg and rolled up the pant leg on the other to expose one bare leg. The bare leg became his "peg leg" as he stomped around shouting orders as the mean Captain Ahab from Moby dick.

...the boy who took his brother's stretchy cloth book cover and draped it across half his face, transforming himself into the villainous "Two Face" from Batman.

I don't know where he comes up with this stuff. I just know that when your child is a ham, it's darn tough to get a sweet, smiling portrait. You get what you get when you click the shutter.

The Many Faces of Jack

Getting all Fancy on Ya...

Just quick shout out to my sister bloggers, Marjorie and Patty. I had some questions about how to pretty up my blog and got some tips from both. Marjorie introduced me to Picasa and Flickr...so over the next few days (or weeks, ahem!) you'll get to see the some of my novice stabs at using some of the features. Click their names to check out their blogs...you'll see some cool stuff. Great pictures, yummy recipes, interesting thoughts for the day. (hey, I learned to hyperlink! How proud am I!)

I learn best by seeing how others do things, so we're going to try and set a "blog tutorial date" at Starbucks one of these days--soon, I hope. In the meantime, I'm striking out on my own. Maybe I'll learn a thing or two to share with them (hmmm...?).

I love looking at other people's blogs. Blogging Molly has come cool stuff on her site. I love the daily thumbnails she does for each month on the side of her blog. She has some "green tips" and yummy recipes of her own, too.

It's going to be fun experimenting! If you're a seasoned blogger and have some ideas, please feel free to share them!

Mohawk *without* an Attitude

There comes a time in every Mom's life when her sweet child gets a fashion sense of his (or her) own. With each passing year, I knew my days of picking adorable outfits and cute hair styles were numbered, but I have to confess I didn't expect them to end quite so soon. Certainly not by the tender age of 8.

How naive of me.

It began with the clothes. Over the last year, Wyatt has developed very specific taste in what he wears. He'll make small concessions to keep his dad and me happy and to ensure the ongoing privilege of picking what he likes without getting our blessing every time. Asserting control over his hair, it turns out, wasn't far behind. Wyatt has been asking for a Mohawk ever since he played soccer with Cooper. Cooper was the Coach's son and Cooper had a Mohawk. Wyatt's never whined for one or made a fuss about it; he's just mentioned it in passing from time to time. Somehow we, his slightly nervous parents, managed to dodge the issue for almost six months.

Since Wyatt was a little tyke, we've kept his hair "buzzed." Short, maybe a little spiky, but always tidy and well trimmed. Early this spring, though, he expressed his desire to let it grow. He has great hair...thick and wavy, would probably be curly if it got long enough. We gave him the thumbs up and let Mother Nature do her thing. His hair grew fast. He looked good with it longer--like a stylish and contemporary 8 year-old. Alas, thick wavy hair becomes like a winter hat you can't take off when the weather turns warm. It gets sweaty and sticky under bike helmets and causes much gnashing of teeth when trying to coax swimming goggles into place. So it wasn't long before he asked me to buzz it again. I revved up the clippers and made a first pass around his head when I heard him murmur the fateful question, "Mom, can I have a Mohawk?"

I paused.

Hmmm. Well, why not?

It's not a full 'hawk...more like a half 'hawk because I'd already buzzed the back. But he likes it. It's fun for him. And fun for me to see him enjoy it so much. I'm getting a glimpse of what life will be like when adolescence hits as he spends countless minutes grooming his 'hawk into place every day.

We really need that extra bathroom.

A sweet kid with a great 'tude and cool cut

Friends...

As I mentioned in my first post, I am blessed to have friends that I have made in various seasons of my life scattered throughout this beautiful country. Sadly, though, that means that I don't get to see most of them as often as I would like and, in too many cases, our connection consists of an occasional email or Christmas card. Still, I'm glad the connection is there. Now that Wyatt and Jack are elementary school age, they are beginning to form what may become lifelong friendships. It's very cool to see these fledgling relationships develop. I was fortunate to grow up with the same group of friends from elementary school through high school. That continuity was incredibly important for me. Those relationships helped form who I am and gave me an identity that endures to this day; they ground me in time and place and still provide a meaningful touchstone.

I don't know if the friendship experience is the same or different for boys. Regardless, I firmly believe that friendships are incredibly important relationships to foster and maintain. Valuing friendship doesn't devalue the role of family nor does it ignore how often family members are also friends. While bonds of family are intricate, invaluable and often indescribable (though poets, philosophers, psychiatrists have tried), friendships are unique in that people who were once strangers choose to love each other simply because they share something together that defies obligation. It's as simple as this: friends just want to be with each other. For many folks, myself included, some friendships are so nurturing and sustaining that those individuals actually become family, though no genelogy will ever memorialize their existance. These special friends add value to our lives in powerful ways; and that's a beautiful gift I want my boys to have.

With that lofy ideal in mind, I try very hard to give Wyatt and Jack time with friends. Because they are on an intradistrict transfer, they don't go to school with the kids in the neighborhood. So we do our best to create play dates and other experiences for them to enjoy with the friends they have made. They have good friends...friends that one day may be just like family. At least, that's my hope.


Wyatt and Levi: These handsome boys became buddies in Ms. Megan's class at preschool in 2003. They've been on soccer teams together for the last two years, the Pumas and the Leopards.



Jack and Ian: How great is it when your children are friends with other siblings who are about the same age? Pretty great! Ian is Levi's little brother. We like doing "dual play dates" with all four boys. Our thought is that if the little brothers are occupied with a friend and they won't bug the big brothers...as much.



Third Grade Buddies:
This is a quite a crew. These are Wyatt's kickball mates at school. Maka (far right) and Wyatt have been friends since birth. We lived in a duplex beside his family when they were born. What a great group of young men!




Jack and Jake: Jake is Jack's friend from preschool. Time will tell if they'll still be finding fun together down the road. Someone asked if they were twins...made me smile!

That Maine Girl's Been Away...

Have you ever spent 45 minutes creating a post only to delete the whole dang thing with one incredibly stupid keystroke? Have you ever naively thought you could retrive it, since Blogger kindly saves your drafts every few minutes, only to discover that the last save saved your blunder?

Good grief.

It's probably for the best. I waxed on for several paragraphs about why I've been away from my blog (which I warned you may happen ). Rather dreary and mundane stuff actually. I think my unfortnate delete may have been a little message from God to "lighten up." It's probably enough to say that the last couple of months were a little difficult and I spent a lot of time focusing my time and energy on my boys and attending to various health concerns--mine, my husband's, and loved ones' near and far. Too many doctor appointments and hospital visits. Creative pursuits fell to the bottom of the heap.

The good news is that I recently got a clean bill of health. The not-so-good news is that others I love are still waiting for theirs. But, hopefully this will soon be behind us. For now, I have a little time to return to the Blogosphere.

A mother's pride fills her heart...and empties her wallet

There are a few things that make me feel proud of myself that I can brag about without sounding like a big horse's patoot. For example, I take a measure of pride in the fact that I was raised to be the kind of girl that can comfortably go to other people's homes and eat whatever food they are kind enough to share. I don't get squiggly about food in combinations I've never seen before or whose colors and aromas are foreign and confusing to my senses. Generally, I see new a new food and think, "Cool, I'll try that." Of course, once in awhile I do find myself seated before a dubious offering. At those times, my worst inclination is to think, "Well, how bad can one bite be?" My mom, you see, always told me that I had to try at least "one bite."

My waistline tells the tale: I like most everything. More importantly, I want my kids to like most everything, too (while maintaining a healthy waistline, of course!). I want them to be the kind of kids who can enjoy dinner at a friend's house and not freak out because the food is touching, mixed together, or (gulp!) completely unrecognizable as food. It will happen...some day...and it will be the worst possible occasion, like the first dinner with a special girl's family. With this in mind, since Wyatt and Jack started eating solid foods, I've tried to expose them to as many different textures, flavors, and combinations as possible. For the most part, I've been successful and Michael is very supportive of my efforts, going so far as to choke down foods he would never consider, all for the sake of humoring my need to expand the boys' palates. Naturally, both boys get on jags and swear they "don't like x" or "will never try y." I don't take these small protests seriously. I just gently remind them that "yes you do like x, you ate it before and you'll eat it next time" or reassure them that "you don't have to try it today, but you do have to keep it on your plate." Then I make it a point to serve the questionable food often and put it on everyone's plate for consideration. Eventually, what was once offensive becomes familiar and I'm rewarded with the sight of a sweet little boy polishing off his x or y with gusto.

By staying positive and not giving up when confronted by wrinkled noses, Michael and I have managed to help Wyatt and Jack like many different foods and not become too boggled by new things. While I'm thrilled that they'll eat broccoli, cous cous, pecorino romano cheese (in chunks...by itself!), and hummus, above all else, my greatest desire was to help them learn about and enjoy seafood. Fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, and of course, lobster. What kind of Maine Girl would I be if I didn't love lobster? What kind of Maine Mom would I be if my boys didn't grow up to love lobster, even if we do live 3,000 miles from the chilly Atlantic???

Which brings me to the aforementioned empty wallet...both of my boys LOVE lobster. Michael treats me to lobster for my birthday or Mother's Day each year. One lobster once or twice a year isn't that extravagant. But now...it's three lobsters (sadly--or luckily--Michael does not love this sweet delicacy!). Jack enjoyed his first lobster, on his own plate, last Mother's Day. Wyatt has been a pro at eating lobster for several years and was thrilled to help show his little brother the ropes. Take a look...

Jack admiring his first lobster...

on his own plate

with his own drawn butter

and his very own shell cracker

Wyatt scored a HUGE claw!

Jack, Mommy, and Wyatt...loving lobster, loving life!

Happy Boys...with Expensive Taste...and a very Proud Mom!

What's so great about being linear?

One of the beauties of getting older (yes, there are a few) is that I've learned to accept that some of my annoying habits are not going to change, like not getting my film developed in a timely manner (which is why I need a digital camera, but that's a story for another day). Shamefully, despite being the mom of two rapidly growing boys, I have a drawer busting with undeveloped film. I'm telling you this, fair reader, so you know that my blog posts will not necessarilly be a lovely linear progression of photos that mark the passage of my days as they come, one after the other, with the more recent coming after the less recent. Oh no. Not at all. Many will be reflective of times gone by...as I remember and rediscover moments that I finally get to see when the spirit moves me to develop another expectant roll of film. This works for me. My brain has never been linear. I can jump from A to K and back to C with no trouble at all (who needs B!). Some find this disturbing, chaotic even, but it's normal life for me. But that means that my blog moments won't necessarily follow a strict chronology, they'll jump back and forth...moments such as these, for example:

HALLOWEEN, 2006

Jack, as dreaded Captain Hook

Wyatt, as dashing Jack Sparrow

These are pictures I developed long after the Halloween chocolates were gobbled down. They're great, though, aren't they? I really love these boys. Love their moments. Love seeing them grow, pretend, learn, change...each new day really is a new day for them, not just another day as it is for so many of us "grown-ups."

I really love the idea of being the kind of mom that zealously chronicals each move, every sound, the stunning moments, as they happen. Alas, the "not linear" part of me finds this idea much easier to effect in thought than in practice. But, practice I shall. And the moments I succeed? Well, I'll share them here. Whooo hooo!

This Maine Girl: Blogger or Great Pretender?

My sister-in-law, Marjorie, has become a Blog Goddess and has inspired me to give it a whirl. I'm a creative gal by nature, but not in the crafty sense of the word. I love writing (although I don't do much of it these days), reading, pondering, and spirited debates! I also love pictures but I'm a miserable failure at scrapbooking! I don't write letters, I'm terrible at remembering to send cards, and I rarely send emails any more.

Soooo, begs the question why Blogging will be any different, eh? Honestly, I don't know that it will be, but I do like the idea of being able to post pictures and thoughts so my friends and family can get a peek at what's going on with me a little more often. I have met so many wonderful friends through the various seasons of my life and most are scattered throughout the four corners of our country, so I never see them and rarely correspond outside the occasional email, Christmas card, or update to their own blog. I have grand hopes that after our children are grown these friends and I may be able to properly reconnect...during a real visit--over dinner, wine, and coffee--with real conversations and hugs. So til then, maybe technology can be the bridge.

Figuring out what to name my Blog was...thought provoking. It will be a family blog in that I'll share the happenings of the most important people in my life, but really, I want this to be *my* blog, a way to reconnect with some dormant part of my personality. Who am I? What do I think about, ponder about, dream about? I'm a wife, mom, working woman, Christian woman, thinking woman...all those things are important, but some far more than others. God, family, and then all the rest. But who am I, this blogger wanna-be?

2007 was an incredibly challenging year for my husband, me, and our little family and 2008 still finds us sitting on the plateau, not really climbing the mountain but certainly not coasting down the sunny side. God has put us through some tremendous tests and the purpose is still yet to be discovered. During trials, you start to question what you're made of, who you are when the rubber hits the road. Through this, I've remembered that I'm actually made of some tough stuff. And through this, I've come to appreciate where this person I am began. You see, I am a Maine girl through and through. Growing up in Maine formed the foundation of who I am, how I think, the lens through which I see this crazy, mixed up, amazing world. And I've never felt completely me anywhere else. So, it's the perfect context for this new blog...A Maine Girl who finds herself Away. Longing to go back but finding that the practicalities in life make that naught but a pleasant dream, at least for now.

Well, there it is. The first post is done...let's see where the journey leads! I should probably warn you that you won't actually get this until I have another post or two under my belt...so you likely be reading my January post in July! Welcome to my world!