2nd Annual Torturing of the Children

Last year I started a tradition of giving my parents and Russ' parents new photos of our kids as part of their Christmas gift. I take the photos because don't even get me started on how much I hate school pictures. To start the tradition I bought each set of parents a really nice frame with 4 openings. I decided each year I would send a new set of pictures for them to put in those openings. Perfect, right?

The problem is (and often is) that I'm a procrastinator. I wait until the day is upon me. We're always running presents to the post office for Christmas or birthdays and keeping our fingers crossed that it all makes it in time. And each time I do this, I tell myself I will change. I will be more prepared next time. But, really, if I did end up making myself Ms. Prepared, I wouldn't be Alyson. And do I really want to change? Probably not. So, rushing and anxiety will just have to be part of my life. C'est la vie.

However, I'm going to have to figure out some way to trick my brain into getting the photos done in the beautiful and temperate autumn, ready and waiting to send off for Christmas. Both years now, I've managed to get myself stuck with only one day left to take pictures and it always happens to be in a blizzard (last year) or the coldest day of the year (this year). So, I drag them out into our yard, snap away on my camera and my fingers go numb and my lips turn blue and my kids whine and complain because I won't let them wear a big, ugly coat in their portrait. Sigh.

Despite the moaning and complaing, the staticy hair, and the numbness of extremities, I think I managed some pretty good shots. Could have been better if I had been able to spend more than 5 minutes on each kid because of fear of frostbite and charges brought against me for torture, but this is something I must try to remember for next year. I have a feeling, however, that I will be back here next year talking about my 3rd annual torturing of the children because I'm a die-hard procrastinator and that's how I roll.


Brooke (she was a trooper, I must admit)


David (definitely NOT a trooper, complained non-stop)


Caroline (poor thing had to deal with me constantly rubbing her head with a dryer sheet, because that's what you do with dry, winter, staticy hair to keep it from flying away. Good tip, right?)


Adam (total goofball, made it hard for me to get a picture without him crossing his eyes and making comic faces and you gotta love his red nose that gives his near frostbite away!)

Getting Reconfigured

I feel like I've been in an alternate reality for the last couple of weeks and I'm having a hard time emerging back to my normal universe this week. I even got all misty-eyed Monday morning as I sent my husband back to work and my kids back to school. My alternate reality is full of sleeping in, lots of eating of lots of good food, and just general laziness. Hard to say good-bye to that lifestyle.

My husband always takes time off of work the week between Christmas and New Year's. I did have plans for taking some day trips, but between coming down with a cold and the crazy windy weather going on outside, we mostly just became lazy lay-abouts hanging around our warm house watching Dexter on dvd and playing with the kids. I guess I should say that I became the more lazy of us two. Russ worked on remodeling our half-bath. I mostly just watched and gave orders. I picked out the paint color (tibetan orange, by the way, and it looks awesome) and okayed the the beadboard and moldings and Russ did the work, which included installing a new toilet. Eww, but necessary.

One thing I did not do in this other reality was get on the internet. I did not check my blog and I didn't read any blogs either. My google reader is currently numbering in the hundreds. I didn't shop online or look things up. I just totally unplugged. I kept up with facebook through my blackberry, but had no desire to flip open my laptop. I have no idea why, but the internet holds about as much appeal as a moldy sandwich whenever I am in break-from-normal-life mode.

But I'm back now. Or trying to get back. Still a little sad about leaving my gluttous, lazy world behind. The transition can be a little unsettling for a few days since it consists of getting my internal alarm clock reconfigured to get me up at 6:15 every morning and training my stomach to be satiated with normal portions again. But I'm looking forward to being reconnected. Hope you all got as much sleep and yummy food as I did!

A Taste of the Season

Peppermint has got to be one of my favorite flavors of the Christmas season. Along with egg nog, we buy peppermint ice cream as soon as it hits the stores for its all-too-short season. Peppermint is just such a clean, fresh, and cold taste. It tastes like winter.

So when an old, hometown friend posted a recipe for something called Peppermint Meltaways on facebook, I immediately wrote down the recipe and made it that very night.

To me they taste like extra light, fluffy sugar cookies with a peppermint twist. They really do melt in your mouth and they taste like Christmas in a cookie. My family gobbled them up immediately. And they make your whole house smell of peppermint. It puts you in that warm and fuzzy Christmas spirit. I plan on making these again next week for my kids' teachers.



Preparation time: 45 min
Baking time: 12 min
Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Cookie Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Glaze Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops red food color, if desired
Candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed

Combine butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and cornstarch. Beat until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm (30 to 60 minutes). Or put in the freezer for 15 mins.

Heat oven to 350°F. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Stir in food color, if desired. Drizzle or spread over cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy.

Snow Day

Last Wednesday we had our first snow day of the year. Our first plowable snow. And I was as giddy as a child about it. There is something very special about winter in New England. Life slows down a bit. As a busy mother of four, I love this aspect. I'm so used to going, going, going, running kids back and forth. So, whenever I see a snowstorm coming in the forecast, I pray for a snow day just as much as the kids. Snow days give me the excuse for sleeping in, staying in my pjs all day, reading a book by the fire, drinking hot cocoa, and playing out in the snow with the kids. Snow days mean I don't have to do my hair and makeup and my car can stay in the garage all day. Ahh...heavenly.


Our house draped in the first snow fall of the year.


A view down our street, from the end of our driveway.


Self-portrait, my reflection in our front window.

I grew up in California and never got to experience these magical days of snow and laziness. As an adult, we lived in Park City, Utah for several years and I thought I'd finally get to experience one of them. But no. In that beautiful little ski resort town, snowstorms are measured in feet, not inches. And yet, snow days virtually do not exist. They are just too prepared for the snow to let it ever slow them down or shut down schools or churches.

New England, however, will take a snow day whenever they can get them. Down here in southern New England our winters really aren't that bad. It's certainly nothing compared to the Rocky Mountains or to much of the Midwest. Yet, whenever a snowstorm is coming or if it gets anywhere near zero degrees, everything shuts down. We all slow down. It is magical.

Besides, all the laziness there is also play. Lots and lots of play.


See that smile!


As Caroline poses and smiles, David gets ready to hammer someone with a snowball in the background.


Adam mocks his big brother behind his back.

Wednesday was also our 14th wedding anniversary. This lovely snow day felt like a beautiful gift and I didn't want it to end.

If the Threat of Santa Doesn't Work...There's Always Capital Punishment

I don't know about you, but I find myself using the good ol' Santa threat a lot lately. As in, "Hey, you'd better stop hitting your sister right now or Santa won't bring you presents this year!" or "Do you want a lump of coal in your stocking?" It tends to quiet things down pretty quick, especially with the youngest ones. But the older kids? Well, they kind of know what's up and since they've never heard of any friend, in actuality, getting coal rather than presents, the threat can get pretty hollow.

We need only look to our puritanical ancestors for an example on how to quiet down our kids and get the respect we deserve. I love reading non-ficition about the religiously rigid founders of our country. They took God's commandments very seriously, so much so that biblical commandments were written into law with temporal punishments clearly spelled out. I've heard enough about their strange, zealot laws that I am rarely surprised when I hear a new one. That was until I started reading a book I recently picked up called The Naked Quaker: True Crimes and Controversies from the Courts of Colonial New England.

In Massachusetts, they took rebellious children into serious consideration when drawing up their laws. This law states: If a man have a stubborn or REBELLIOUS SON, of sufficient years & understand (viz) sixteen years of age, which will not obey the voice of his Father, or the voice of his Mother, and that when they chastened him will not harken unto them: then shall his Father & Mother being his natural parents, lay hold on him & bring him to the Magistrates assembled in Court & testify unto them, that their Son is stubborn & rebellious & will not obey their voice and chastisement, but lives in sundry notorious crimes, such a son shall be put to death.

Yeah, DEATH. Those puritans were hardcore. Now that's a threat that just might get the kids' attention....of course, it would probably perk up the ears of social services too.

Ah well, guess we'll have to just stick to Santa and lumps of coal.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

David donned his Harry Potter costume and set out to cast spells around the yard. Alone. Because he often likes to do imaginary play alone. I understand. I was the same way. I had secret, little scenarios in my head that I didn't want anyone else to ruin. I would star in my own imaginings and it was magical.

But poor David, he has Adam around. Adam wants to do what his big brother does, watch what he watches, and play what David plays. Adam put together a makeshift Potter costume with his bathrobe, a magician's wand, and his father's tie.

He followed David all around the yard, imitating his brother's magical moves, and pulling David out from the secret little world in his head. David didn't express much annoyance, but I could see it on his face from time to time. Even so, he was still sweet to his little impersonator.

Somtimes it's tough being somebody's hero.

Fall's Grand Finale

As I begin to sadden at the thought that fall is over, just as most trees shed their majestic cloaks of color, a stunning grand finale takes place. The maples are the last to turn, and when maples turn it is absolutely stunning. They are the most beautiful of all the trees.

The two maples in front of my house turned a brilliant red. Every time I drove up my long driveway, the sight of my lovely red maples took my breath away.



Those maples stood out like two gems amongst the dying autumn. I adored them. But all good things must come to an end.



One of my red maples shed its beauty virtually overnight and I was left with a red carpet where my pathway used to be.



My grass morphed from green to ruby.



The red intermixes with the green of the shubbery. The colors remind me of Christmas and it feels like a ushering in of a new season.

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some scarce see Nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, Nature is Imagination itself.- William Blake