More from the orchard

I just wanted to post a few more photos from last week's field trip. Note EPM's mauling of the McIntosh. She may have only five teeth but she can polish off an apple.

Cool and rainy here today but it is supposed to be lovely tomorrow. What else happened last week? On Thursday, EPM and I walked with our neighbor to pick up the boys at school (her son also attends IEM's Montessori), then we all took the bus home. It was so nice to walk (took about 20 minutes) and then ride the public transit back. I can say with all honesty that I would never consider public transportation in Memphis, other than the downtown trolley. "It's just not done." It was nice to be able to do it here; we got home in 11 minutes from the depot to our door and the kids loved it. Clean, safe and affordable. Everyone uses it.

We hosted our neighborhood pizza party last evening. It was a lot of fun...only four families could make it but it was really just enough. Kids all played with toys and ran amok...then we popped in the video babysitter and all were mesmerized until it was time to call it a night. EPM shared her Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads with our neighbor, R, who is just a bit older. We are lucky to find ourselves in a neighborhood full of friendly, kind and interesting people. Makes leaving our wonderful neighbors back home a bit easier. Went to a KWF brunch this morning, then to breakfast over at Jason & Jenny's tomorrow. We do a lot of eating around here.

And my 15 seconds of fame continues. My friend Stephanie sent me her copy of the in-flight magazine, and then my brother-in-law caught it on his flight. Apparently, he was the one person in the family who didn't know about it.

That's about it. Thanks for stopping by.

A is for Apple

Yesterday, was IEM's first official field trip. We went apple picking with his Montessori school. I think he really enjoyed being somewhere new with his Montessori friends. I wondered if he might cling to me or his sister but he ran immediately to his teacher, got his nametag and listened to instructions with the rest of his class.

We got to pick six McIntosh apples, each. Then I bought a bag of Prime Gold apples. The kids learned about apples and apple trees, got to see the big crates of apples getting ready to be sorted, washed and packed for shipping, and finished off the event with a homemade donut and fresh cider. It was a beautiful day, perfect weather to be in an apple orchard. EPM ate no fewer than five apples yesterday. I had to pull the cores and seeds away from her or she would have devoured those as well. Her tummy didn't seem to be bothered.

We'll be making some of Jeanie's apple bread tomorrow with what's left of our harvest. And I think we'll go as a family back to the same farm next month for pumpkin gathering.

Cooler here today; highs only in the upper 50s but it feels great. The sun is still shining so it's all good.

Thanks for stopping by.

There's nothing like an AquaVelva Man

Zack and I have figured out one thing to get IEM to drop what he is doing and report immediately for duty: Tell him it's time to shave. The kid absolutely loves to put on shaving cream and then use one of Zack's old razors (without a blade) to carefully and methodically scrape if off. Seriously. Then he likes to rinse, pat his face dry, apply some of Zack's Neutrogena Skincare lotion (the AquaVelva for those born after 1950), and go off to Montessori smelling like a 35-year-old accountant.

As for the other photo, well, what can I say. The girl's a hoot. And she wants to do anything she sees her brother doing. I'm sure we'll be shaking up the Gillette foam for her soon enough.

Thanks for stopping by.

Weekend Update

This one will be quick as it's late and it's a "school night."

We've had a lovely weekend up here in A2. The kids have both been waking up early (EPM was up yesterday at 5:20) which sometimes makes for a looonnnggg day but both days were both full, busy and a lot of fun.

Here's a recap...
Saturday: EPM and her father driving around at the crack of dawn, ostensibly to get her to sleep. No such luck. But I did get an Egg McMuffin out of the ordeal. IEM declared the Mickey D's sausage biscuit to be "not as good as Danver's."

We played at home in the morning, then went to the farmers market to shop, grabbed some lunch at Monahan's Seafood Market in the Kerrytown shops, visited with another fellow and her three kids, bought IEM a $2 bottle of "Noise Putty" which, upon returning home, entertained him for two straight HOURS. Went as a family to the Y and went swimming. Used our first ChiO babysitter and Zack and I met Christy & Steve and Challen & Wendy at Zingerman's Roadhouse for dinner (www.zingermansroadhouse.com).

Sunday: Had another early morning with EPM's 6:15 wake-up call. Went to breakfast at Angelo's (www.angelosa2.com) which is my type of breakfast place. The kids love it too because they bring you a basket of toys as soon as you sit down. I wish they brought a side of Lysol but oh well. They make French toast with homemade raisin bread, what can I say. Drove by my parents' apartment where they lived in A2 back when I was, you know, conceived. Went to the store this afternoon and had our friend Hilary over for dinner. Hilary has Irish parents, grew up in Wales and now lives in London where she works at the BBC. She and IEM had a great time playing her type of "football." She brought the kids cookies for dessert. And as they say Across the Pond, she's just brilliant and we all had a great time. Here she is with IEM in our backyard.

Hope that you had a good weekend as well, and thanks for stopping by.

Playing favorites

We had what you might call a "rough" morning around here. I had terrible nightmares last night (don't read "The Historian" before you go to bed...good book but creepy and intense). The kids were both up early...and both up cranky. IEM declared that he was not going to go to school nor was he going to ever go to his room again, go to timeout, go to the corner nor eat breakfast. His sister refused most breakfast options except for her beloved Pirate's Booty. It was a long time from 6:15 until we left for school at 8:45.

So later in the morning, I was working out at the Y, watching the Regis & Kelly "Relly Awards" without sound and thinking about why, on days like today, Sawyer the cat is my favorite child.

Why? For one, he loves to sleep. He chooses his daily snoozing spot with care and thoughtful analysis. "I think it is going to be sunny with a nice breeze today...perfect for the Big Bed." Or "Hmmmm, sounds like thunder and lightning...better head for the couch in the basement."

For another, I feed him, once per day, the same food he has eaten for the past six years. Does he complain? Only if the bowl is empty.

Also, he isn't a vocal cat; he never talks back. He only meows if he is trying to tell us something, mostly "Get up and get me my chow."

He keeps me on schedule...we call him Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat. You can set your watch by his habits. Each night about 9:30 he comes looking for me, as if to say, "Lady, it will be another early morning with your Creatures. Let us head to bed for more snoozing." He pushes me out the door most mornings. "Lady, get your Creatures out of here so I may begin my day of snoozing."

I never have to take him anywhere, not even walk him. He potty trained himself at six weeks....well, litter-trained himself. He sleeps above my head at night and travels well in the car, sans DVDs to amuse him.

But like most children he is prone to fits and grumps. He goes through spells of waking us during the night because, well, he's a cat and that's what he's supposed to do. He throws up hairballs. He hates any and all vets. He sheds. And I'm technically allergic to him.

So he's not perfect. But he will always be my first baby. And for a few hours this morning, he was my favorite.

Thanks for stopping by.

Life of Pie

I couldn't resist posting a picture of the pie that IEM and I baked yesterday. Yum, yum.

Of course, I'm no dummy. I know that IEM prefers his apples raw and really wanted to bake a pie to get at the French Vanilla ice cream he saw waiting in the freezer. He's no dummy.

I've also included another picture from The Arb. Blogger wouldn't let me post it on the last one.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Arb

Yesterday late afternoon, we took a family walk in the Nicholls Arboretum, affectionately known as The Arb. It was a pitch-perfect early/mid fall afternoon, and we thoroughly enjoyed our trek down to the Huron River.

It is getting harder and harder to take a family portrait. Both kids are such squirmers and that little one, boy, is she getting fast on those feet. Plus, she wants to do anything she sees her big brother doing, including throwing stones into the river and swinging from the monkey bars while at the playground.

I need, as IEM likes to call them, my "octopus arms."

Thanks for stopping by.

My 15 Seconds

I'm the newest celebrity in our small neighborhood.

Apparently (and I haven't seen the article) my photo is featured in an article on the Memphis Farmers Market that is running in the current in-flight magazine for Northwest.

Our neighbors in Memphis told me about it and it didn't surprise me as I know the photographer and knew she was taking my photo...I just forgot about it.

Well, our neighbors stopped by today and the husband said "I just saw you in Northwest's in-flight magazine! I was reading it on the plane and I went 'Hey wow!!! I know this woman!!! She just moved in around the corner!!'" I'm sure his seatmates were most impressed, especially as I remember it was about, oh, 105 degrees that day and yes, I had not taken a shower. Thank you, Lisa the Photographer!

Thanks for stopping by. The kids and their sitter Sarah went apple picking yesterday, and our first pie of the season is about to come out of the oven!

Sunshine

Who cares that it is already getting chilly when you have a grin like that to entertain you each day?

I must say that one of the most enjoyable parts of this year in Ann Arbor is the time I'm enjoying with my girl. Each morning we drop IEM off at Montessori and then have the morning to ourselves.

It's time that I feel that she, as the second child and usually never without her big brother around, deserves. It also helps to make up for some of the guilt I felt at returning to work so soon after she was born...just 9 weeks old.

And she's now walking. She does the classic Frankenstein/drunk girl walk...knees straight, arms reaching. She's getting to be pretty fast. And she's rapidly acquiring the bruises I don't remember her brother having, mostly to her little face and noggin.

But back to the weather. It rained yesterday but was warm. Today dawned clear and chilly. Lows are in the 40s tonight and highs tomorrow are only in the mid-50s. The leaves are starting to turn, and we are lucky to have two huge sugar maples in our neighbor's yard across the street. Those were always my favorite trees to watch in the fall.

I remarked to Zack that it won't be long before we are wearing true jackets...we already are in longsleeves and light jackets. IEM wore long pants and a fleece jacket to school today.

And I have to remind myself that it's only mid-September. Better get those boots ordered.

Thanks for stopping by.

To sneeze or not to sneeze

OK, so I'm in the midst of some sort of sinus/allergy "situation." I really don't think it's a cold (but it might be) and I really don't know if it's a sinus infection (but it could be). Basically, I have these huge coughing fits (mostly at night due to that annoying "tickling" cough...you know what I mean) and my eyes are watering up a storm.

Both kids seem to have some sort of drippage as well but all in all we all seem to feel OK. I'm just tired because, well, I am tired on a good day and I haven't slept well in two nights.

So tonight I went to Rite-Aid to get some Benadryl, at least to help me sleep. On the way home, I felt myself going into a watery eye/sneeze/runny nose fit. That ALWAYS seems to happen when I'm driving. At the same time, a...hold a moment, I can't believe I'm typing this...LIONEL RITCHIE song comes on the radio. The one that REALLY makes my ears want to shrivel up..."Hello."

So I'm faced with wiping my eyes and nose before mucous dribbles all over my steering wheel or changing the channel.

I don't think I even have to tell you what I did. Anyone who has known me for five minutes knows that mucous can be easily cleaned up with Lysol wipes but L.R. can be burned on your brain forever.

Thanks for stopping by.

Daily Musings

Yesterday, the kids and I were driving to go get ice cream at the Washtenaw Dairy (www.washtenawdairy.com) when we stopped next to a pick-up truck at a traffic light.

"Look, Mommy," said IEM. "Flowers in that truck."

At first, I thought that he was referring to flowers being hauled home in the back of the pick-up. But, no, the truck's owners had made a flower box/bed in the bed of the pick up, directly behind the cab. In it were growing some beautiful petunias. I wish I'd had my camera to snap a picture. And then I thought, "Why haven't I ever seen that before???" It just seemed so logical. We spend so much time in our cars...and seemingly so little at home these days...why not take your garden with you. Of course, I'm not sure how long said garden would survive in other cities but it had lasted the summer here.

IEM seems to be enjoying his Montessori school. He goes five days a week, 9 to noon. I got there early today to get the lead in carpool line (and to let his sister sleep in the car). I watched him run around the playground, laughing and playing with three other little boys, lost in their game of pretend. His teacher is very seasoned and I like what I've seen and heard thus far. It seems like a good group of kids and parents. And I am in the minority in carpool line: Most parents are biking their kids to school in this good weather. But I don't have a bike so I don't feel too bad.

We are meeting lots of folks around the neighborhood. There are tons of kids. Last Friday night, we went to a pizza night over at our neighbor's house. They have a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son who goes to IEM's Montessori. Another Montessori family from the neighborhood was there as well as some other folks from the street. Turns out our hostess went to Vandy and graduated one year before Zack. The next day, they were still playing the name game and she told Zack that she thought of someone he might know...and that someone turned out to be our friend Andrew who had just stayed with us the week before. Small, small world.

On a final (and food-related) note: I had to, just HAD to, go to Zingerman's this evening to buy some bread. So in addition to the bread I needed (not kneaded, haha), I bought some of their chocolate cherry bread and some of the rice pudding. That chocolate bread is just begging to be made into bread pudding. And that rice pudding. Oh-my-word.

KWF Reunion weekend starts tomorrow...and my mother-in-law arrived today. Will post more (with photos, I promise!) later this weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.

Himalayan Sale

OK, you've got to love a town where, amongst all of the other bills posted to various telephone polls, is one reading "Himalayan Sale: Shop the top of the world in my garage!"

I have not checked out said sale and really have no idea when it took/takes place (the sign wasn't dated) but that's the general vibe around here.

Today, we are supposed to go to a Fellows' brunch at Anthony and Cindy Brooks' huge house in Burns Park. Burns Park is the home of the huge older homes, yet another great park and what is probably the best elementary school in the city. Of course, around A2, that's like saying Burns Park has Harvard and your neighborhood has Stanford or Yale or Williams. In other words, you really can't go wrong with elementary schools here.

Schooling here is fine, I hear, until high school. Then all the elementary and middle schools feed into just two high schools. I've heard that Pioneer has more than 4,000 students. But they are building another school to help with the crowding.

But back to the brunch. I am making a caprese salad with goods from the farmers market as well as some maple-vanilla baked pears featuring pears that IEM and I picked this morning out of our neighbor's tree. Can we say fresh???? Of course, the brunch takes place at noon...and we ate breakfast out at Angelo's at 7:30. So this will be lunch, truly.

And it feels like Memphis in late fall here. We woke up to gray skies (oh, boy, not already) and temps in the 50s. But I have yet to give up the flip-flops.

Thanks for stopping by.

Food glorious food

OK, it's a good thing we have two flights of stairs in the house and a great park at the end of the block because with all of the awesome food stores around here, I'll have gained 20 pounds by the time we leave.

First off, the Kerrytown Farmer's Market is each Wednesday and Saturday and is wonderful. Love it. Have been buying Zingerman's (more on them later) freshly made mozzarella cheese to eat with wonderful tomatoes and fresh basil. Also have been buying lots of gorgeous raspberries. The kids' hands are usually stained by the time we get home.

Second, can I say WHOLE FOODS???? Love this store, the prices not so much. But we put together a dinner for the four of us off of its hot bar last Friday (brisket, mashed potatoes, sauteed kale, grilled veggies) for about $14. IEM and EPM loved it. Got the most fragrant delicious apples from Michigan there as well. I don't think I've had apples that good since I probably went apple picking once as a kid when we lived in Virginia. The whole kitchen smelled of them. Can't wait for an apple festival.

Third, TRADER JOE'S. I've always heard about these stores, known for their organic foods and "Three Buck Chuck" Charles Shaw wines. EPM and I went there yesterday and I got a ton of stuff for a lot less than I had anticipated.

And last but certainly not least, I finally made it into Zingerman's today. I could almost hear heavenly choirs sing. It's a foodie's dream....Dean & Deluca without the pretention. Zabar's without having to deal with being in NYC. You get the idea. You can sample anything in the store, too, save for the caviar. I learned this from the oil and vinegar sommelier with whom I struck up a conversation. He gave me a taste of a 25-year-old balsamic vinegar, and I about swooned. Of course, the only person I could think of who would truly appreciate all of these provisions was our friend Breen. So I had to call him from my cell phone and describe some of the wares. Then I got a $!0 chicken salad sandwich and went on my merry way.

We have already discovered the local Zingerman's outpost near our house (Zingerman's Roadhouse) where they make mace-flecked cake donuts from scratch and you can drive up to this renovated Air Stream trailer ("The Aluminum Chef").

Can I tell you that if the friendly people, the great parks and the general attitude and culture weren't enough to make me want to stay then the food options definitely could? And I haven't even hit the other specialty markets around town. I'm making a list. EPM and I have a lot of running around to do. /And it's a good thing that we just opened a YMCA membership. Those treadmills will see a lot of me (she types as she finishes up some Trader Joe's tiramisu gelato).

Thanks for stopping by.

Fun in the Big House

No, we haven't been sent to the pokey since we've moved to the Upper Midwest.

I'm referring instead to the Big House aka Michigan Stadium aka the largest stadium in the country. I think that Michigan and UT-Knoxville are in a constant battle as to the largest stadium.

Neyland is, by far, more impressive. The Big House is really a huge bowl...most of it is underground. But it holds 110,000 fans. And when a good portion of those fans are under the age of 20 and screaming in your 3 1/2 year old's ear, you can just imagine what kind of screaming took place next.

This photo was taken at season opener against, you guessed it, Vandy. We look like the United Colors of Benetton football fans. IEM enjoyed a hot dog, and we promptly left after the screaming started and hung out outside. All in all, it was an experience. Maybe for I's first football game we should have considered a high school scrimmage, not a Big 10 season opener. Oh well. Live and learn.

Firin' it up

I've decided to fire up the blog, under a different name for our year in Ann Arbor.

For our friends and family outside of A2, Ann Arbor is commonly nicknamed "A-Squared." Cute.

I decided to call this blog Life Squared as a play on that theme, linking back to the facts that we are in fact getting to appreciate more of life without all of the pressures of the daily grind.

I will put some photos up as soon as I can figure out how to do so.

I hope that you check in now and again and see what we are up to.