Revelation

So we pick up Fiona from school...on the way home, Fiona says to me: "When Sophia and I grow up, there will be FOUR big people living in our house!"

I say, yes, I suppose so (mind not really grasping this concept, however).

She then says, "Man, that will be so crazy!"

Sock Sale

It's actually a huge event here in Northfield that takes place over a couple of weekends (last weekend and the next). The last thing I need in the world right now is socks (I mean, we went last year, and that should hold us for at least 5 years...), but we went because Fiona needs (make that needed) socks, and well, since we're here, let's get some more socks for the big folks...

For more information about the Cabot Hosiery Mills, click this link.

I love that something like a sock sale is headline news here. I really do.

Jack-o-lantern displays, sock sales, and quilt festivals. This is small town.

And the Mommy Award Goes to....

So Fiona takes another one of those late 2 hour naps (4-6 PM). I was trying to get Sophia down to sleep (she was acting tired but as soon as we hit the bed, she says, "Wheee!" (yes, she actually says this) and practices her standing skills. She likes the falling down part as well.) and I turn over to ask Fiona if we should just read a book and Fiona is snoring. Oh well.

She comes downstairs and I carry her over to Doug. She is thrilled to see her Daddy and he scoops her up. She asks me if she can have a marshmallow. I say ok. I'm a softie after a good nap. We go look at the marshmallows and she wants to hold both the large marshmallow bag and the small one. She then asks, "Can I have one of each?". Still as soft as a marshmallow here, I say yes. She says, "What a mommy I have!"

There is a Pile of Wood in the Driveway

Let this be a lesson...buy wood in the spring! Just do it! We have been trying to find a seller of wood to have on store for the winter...at the last minute, as usual, and a bit more urgently due to the forecasts of costly woe for the heating oil season...and what you would buy right now would be unseasoned wood, so it's not really for this winter, but nice to have nonetheless. We do have wood, but I am not sure it's enough for the entire winter. We have been very lucky with the weather and hardly even use the heater, but you never know how long that will last! We got one cord and it wasn't as expensive as I feared and the seller was actually a seemingly cool person.

He came up to the door and talked to Doug while I wrote out the check...Fiona, of course, was very talkative as usual (the man was wearing a measuring tape in some sort of pouch and she was admiring it--she loves measuring tape). The seller has 2 daughters himself and Doug said something like "Every man should have a daughter". The seller remarked that the world would be a better place if that were so. It seemed like a bonding moment to me.

Does this mean every woman should have a son? Possibly not, but I wonder....

Curse of the Walking Wasps...

The weather has been incredible. Sunny, not too cold, not too hot. It's been ideal. I guess because we have not had a hard freeze the flies and the wasps are still here, but very clumsy...the wasps walk around on the ground (EEEEKKK---not good for crawling babies!).

Last weekend was fabulous. We went out and shot off some model rockets and invited one of Fiona's friends and his family. He loves rockets and this was his first time to really see it. It was so much fun. Then I took Fiona to see Wallace and Gromit's The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. I was worried that it might be too violent, but it wasn't too bad. I loved the movie and Fiona had a great time!

It's about 3 weeks until Thanksgiving and I should start thinking about what to make. I know there must be the Very Big Apple Pie (15 inches). That is about all I have right now. Dry brining a turkey. I toyed with the idea of having just pie...but turkey. I need turkey. I need lots of vegetables. Biscuits. Some sort of cranberry relish or sauce. Potatoes. DRESSING! That isn't optional. Maybe the next day, but then we're off to a Single Pebble!

A close friend of mine is going to a Rick Bayless cooking demonstration tonight. Drool! I can't go (it's in California, after all), but she is having my Rick Bayless cookbooks signed for me. Nyah-nyah.

Sophia is now pulling herself up to stand...and letting go. She gets this triumphant look on her face (includes a big toothy smile) and then she goes down on her bum. She still looks quite pleased with herself.

Doug says that Sophia said "Fiona" (and pointed at her) the other day when they were at Claire's. Claire's is like a small diva shop. It was slow, so Fiona went in, tried on some tiaras and some stoles and some purses and strutted about the store. She put everything back just the way it was. She loves to chat up the sales clerk, too.

It figures that I would stay home all day and every day and she would say "Fiona" while I was not there.

Pomegranate and Pumpkins

Ahhh, nap time sanity. I ponder trying to eliminate the nap and achieve earlier bed time status for Fiona, but then real life happens...

Halloween was lots of fun. We took Fiona trick or treating for the first time. Sunday we dressed Fiona up in her frog queen costume and Sophia in her purple dragon costume. We took them to Shelburne Museum for the first round of T and Ting and we carved a pumpkin (that was THE pumpkin for the year, I'm afraid). Monday we went T and Ting in downtown Montpelier where we got the bulk of the candy stash. People are very very generous with candy. Even to the point of offering some up to the 1 year old Sophia. Please do not offer my 1 year old a gummy worm! She has 6 teeth. Then we went to Ellie's Farm Stand for the 28th? annual 1000 Jack o lanterns display! We usually just drive by due to the hellish location and traffic, but we got out this time. It's quite a sight! They must be very very good at carving by now.

Now what do I do with all the candy?

I also got Fiona a skeleton balloon from the grocery store that she had been coveting. She carries him everywhere and he is as big as she is. He was .99 -- I guess because I bought him on Halloween.

So the big favorite food around here right now is pomegranate. Sophia pants for the little seeds. She looks like she is shoving rubies into her mouth.

It has been unseasonably warm here--yesterday near 70 F! Today is cooler by 20 degrees, but I hope that means winter will be kind this year. OK, I know it means nothing, but I can hope! Unfortunately, that means the cluster flies and wasps are back. Shudder.

Fiona still has an intense interest in the body. We bought her a very detailed book of the body. By that, I mean the book is full of shrunk down posters full of labeled body parts--muscles, bones, organs, etc. I can't pronounce most of these words. She likes looking at them, so I do what I can. We also started this Mother Goose program for 3 Saturdays---all free---10 books. It's sort of an introduction to science through literature. This afternoon we are planting peas in different locations (inside, in clear plastic cups) and monitoring them. She is very excited about it; it was the first thing she said when she woke up this morning.