Five Senses Weekend - Birthday Party

Well, the birthday party was a definite success!  Aaron was so proud to have his friends at his home, and he had a ton of fun, which was of course the goal.  I let him lead the way, so everything was as he wanted.  He chose the colors and snacks.  He helped me make a mix of his favorite music to play.  He picked out the stickers everybody used to decorate their goody bags.  He was proud of the results, and he had a great time.

The weekend also included a trip to the library, where the boys got to see Santa, so in the words of my big boy, "It was an awesome awesome weekend!"

See
-  Little kids clung to their moms' legs as they walked in
-  Aaron wanted rainbow colors, so that's what he got:  balloons in every color, rainbow sprinkles on the cupcakes, rainbow goldfish, rainbow candies and toys in his rainbow pinata...
- Aaron got a hug from one of his girl friends before she left.  There is nothing cuter. 
Hear
- All the kids squealed as the rainbow pinata spilled its contents (finally!)
- Aaron's favorite songs provided the soundtrack to playtime
- Everybody sang "Happy Birthday" to my almost 4-year-old, as he hid behind his hands and wished they'd all stop looking at him
Touch
- The pinata did not want to open, but I made it!
- I got lots of hugs and cuddles from Aaron, who wanted to stay close to me most of the time
Smell
- Hot apple cider, simmering on the stove
- Rain - it was a dreary wet day, but the atmosphere inside was sunny and colorful!
Taste
- Homemade yellow cupcakes with vanilla or chocolate frosting (with rainbow sprinkles of course!)
- Root beer and other sodas for the adults, juices for the kids
- Popcorn, goldfish, and fruit salad - Nobody ate much, though.  They just wanted to play!

Weekend Recap - Vermont

Ahhh.  What a beautiful, wonderful weekend.  Thanks again to my mom for making it possible.  Enjoy a  taste of our experience via a few pictures and a five senses post:

See
- Gorgeous foliage.  Still a little before peak, but as we drove south back home, we could watch the colors change from reds and oranges back to yellows and greens.  So lovely.
- A moose!  I had never seen a moose before, and there one was, just happily trotting through a B&B parking lot, on its way back out to the woods.  Beautiful creature, and enormous!  My gosh it was huge.  Very cool to see. 
- My husband in a robe at the spa, so happy he wasn't the only man there.  (We splurged on massages, and it was worth every penny!)
Hear
- Lots of little kids, reminding me of my own back at home.  But I knew they were having fun with their "mema", and we were having fun being on our own.
- Rustling leaves under our feet
Touch
- A comfy armchair we picked up at a yard sale.  We'd been looking for one for a while now, and it's so fun to find a good one at a bargain price
- Super fun old-school toys at the Vermont country store.  We are almost done Christmas shopping. 
Smell
- There's not much better than the smell of lit fireplaces and fallen leaves
- All the wonderful smells coming from the food tents at the Craft Fair.  Every type you can imagine.
Taste
- Otter Creek Copper Ale
- Cider doughnuts
- Coffee brownie ice cream
- A roasted artichoke sandwich.  Veggie burrito.  Everything is fresh and local.  The cheese in particular stood out.

A Special Place - Five Senses Weekend

I am not sure how to adequately describe my love of this place.  My family has owned cottages on Lake Ontario for 50 years.  Our family history here, therefore, is long.  I spent a lot of my childhood summers here, playing and swimming and singing and eating and playing some more.  We had big family reunions.  My uncle taught me to waterski.  I watched fireflies and shooting stars.  I sang songs around bonfires.  I listened to my uncles tell scary and funny stories around those bonfires.  Mostly, I was completely surrounded by family, and my family loves.  I mentioned to my sister that this place has always felt so far removed from the rest of the world - it exists in its own universe.  I will admit that this place has also seen sadness, but even in times of sadness, the love always wins.  

The best part of this weekend was watching my boys run and play in the same spots where I did as a child.  Finding the same joy that I did in throwing rocks into the water.  Experiencing first boat rides.  Most importantly, of course, meeting and getting to know aunts and uncles and cousins.  

That doesn't do it justice, but it'll have to do.  I thought I'd capture this most recent visit in "five senses" format.  

See

- The big boy attempting to skip rocks on the water

- Two gorgeous lake sunsets and an awesome red moon, rising up over the lake

- A very cool slide show, containing pictures from the past 50 years of family

Hear

- The big boy squeal with delight as my uncle sped up in the boat

- Some of the same songs sung around the campfire that we've been singing for 20 years; some new ones too

Touch

- The grass and tiny pebbles of the lane

- The smooth wood of the canoe oar, as we took the big boy out for a ride

- The feel of the water ski on my foot as I attempted to pull myself up (It took me two tries, but I did!)

- Hugs.  Lots and lots of hugs

Smell

- Bonfire

- Dinner cooking on the grill

- Sunscreen

- Super sweet peaches

Taste

- The sweetest corn on the cob

- My cousin's awesome rice and bean salad

- Fresh tomatoes from the garden

- S'mores of course

- Dad's macaroni salad

Five Senses Weekend

I was by myself with the boys this weekend, and although I was absolutely wiped at the end of each day, it was a really nice couple of days.  Hooray for Summer!

See

- Clear blue skies

- The little boy walk halfway across the room to me.  Wow he's getting big. 

- The abundance at the farmer's market.  Not so much as what we'll see in August of course, but the beautiful greens of peas and lettuce, red strawberries, and yellow wildflowers.  Not to mention the fresh seafood, bread, pasta...and the families enjoying the splendor.   I'm with Sara at Portland Sunshine - the farmer's market is my version of church. 

Hear

- The big boy squealing as he ran through the sprinkler
- The little boy "talking".  I so wonder what he's saying. 
- Big booms of thunder.  I adore summer thunderstorms.  A great way to cap off the glorious weekend.  The boys had just wrapped up another session in the little pool, we brought everything inside, and then the downpour began.  We sat on the front porch and watched the lightning, counting until the thunder came.  The really close ones resulted in two boys clinging to my legs, but they loved it.  The big boy kept waiting to see more. 

Taste
- My dad's macaroni salad
- Homemade popsicles (orange-mango this time...another winner, and can I say how nice it is not to feel guilty about giving the big boy a popsicle?)
- Sugar snap peas from the farmer's market - The big boy and I sat on the front porch and ate them raw.  One of my favorite parts of the weekend.
- Grilled shrimp skewers - super easy, and the cilantro gave it such a fresh taste. 
- My favorite tart.  Seriously, this is probably my all-time favorite dessert. 

Touch
- My boys soft skin as I slathered them with sunscreen
- Bare feet on grass, dirt, sidewalk, floor.....I didn't wear shoes all weekend. 
- Cool water on my feet while sitting in the hot sun

Smell
- Sunscreen.  It's no wonder this smell transports us to warm sunny days.
- Barbecue chicken on the grill
- Fresh flowers on the dining room table
- Not exactly sure how to describe it.....you know that smell after a summer thunderstorm? 

Five Senses Weekend

We had such a fabulous weekend.  Picnic with friends, tons of time playing outside, and finally a date night!  Lots of warm sunshine and more beautiful flowers.  Now that's what I call Spring.

On our date, we went to our favorite restaurant in the city.  The one we used to go to all the time when we were newly-married and had no kids.  It was walking-distance from our place, and it's the best kind of neighborhood restaurant - great atmosphere, fabulous food, friendly service.  It was so much fun to go back.

It's amazing how much a great weekend can extend into the week.  I still feel refreshed and happy and so appreciative of all the big and little wonderful things in my life.   

See

- Bright blue skies

- Pink azaleas

Hear

- The big boy calling out to his friend at the playground and squealing as he ran around the yard.  I don't think he stopped running all weekend.

- Geese honking as they fly over our house

- With all the windows open, we woke to the sounds of birds singing in the trees

Touch

- The big boy's hands as I spun him around in circles in the yard

- Grass and dirty on my bare feet.  We all got really dirty this weekend.  Don't you just love getting dirty sometimes?

Smell

- Lilacs!  We have seven bushes, so the whole yard smells like lilacs right now.  Inside does, too, since I filled a vase for the dining room. 

- Food cooking on the grill. 

Taste

- Strawberry shortcake

- Lobster and goat cheese ravioli - the most important thing about this meal, though, was the fact that I didn't make it! 

- Lunch on the grill - burgers, roasted asparagus

Five Senses Friday

*Image from Tartelette, a beautiful and inspiring food blog

See
- Tulips!  Yellow, white, pink, purple, red.  Lots of other flowers, too, but tulips are the star of the show this week.
- A clean dining room table.  It makes all the difference in the world to have an uncluttered room.

Taste
- Strawberries.  Lots and lots of fresh strawberries.  Think I'll splurge on some pound cake and whipped cream this weekend and highlight the berries.  It feels like it's time for strawberry shortcake.  Maybe I'll get ambitious and make some from scratch.  Oooh, or maybe it's time for the tart!
- Dim Sum.  I went more for the fun, the experience, the conversation.  But it tasted good too!

Touch
- The little boy's soft, warm hands.  I think he got those from his dad.  I can imagine him holding hands with a girl some day, and she will adore his soft warm hands.  Maybe almost as much as I do.
- My cold spoon and cold mug, as I eat ice cream.  every. single. night.

Hear
- Birds chirping in the bushes
- The big boy singing in the back seat, while I pretend not to listen

Smell
- Hyacinth in our back yard.  You can smell them from a mile away.  Intoxicating.  Finally - it smells like Spring too!
- Pancakes cooking.  Always better to get up when the kitchen smells like pancakes.

*Speaking of strawberries, how do you like the big boy's "long rainbow hair"?

Five Senses Friday

I haven't done one of these in a while, and I miss them. They are a fun way of reflecting on the week.

See
- Daffodils starting to bloom, and tulips peeking out of the ground
- Pink tulips on my dining room table. I couldn't wait for the ones in my yard to bloom, so I had to buy some to pretty up the house.
- Sun! So great to be able to play outside after the week of torrential rain we had. A and I went out to blow some bubbles, and slide, and kick balls, and ride bikes...

Hear
- Geese honking as they fly over us
- A and N giggling at each other. Probably the best sound in the world.
- A singing "M.T.A" out loud in the car. He makes up half the words, and it's fabulous.

Taste
- Asparagus - The really fresh stuff isn't quite here, but it's getting closer. We'll probably have asparagus every week for the next month or so. And A has decided it's "not bad"!
- Homemade blueberry muffins
- B&J's New York Super Fudge Chunk. A classic.

Smell
- Strawberry toothpaste. After many taste tests, it has been determined that they simply do not make a mint-flavored toothpaste that is gentle enough for kids. So, strawberry it is.
- Capri Blue jar candle from Anthropologie. A splurge to myself, because I decided I deserved to have a nice-smelling home, and I can't bake all the time.

Touch
- A kiss good-bye from K as he heads to work
- Soft, warm cheeks of my boys
- Cool, clean sheets at the end of the day

Five Senses Weekend

*The boy is fearless!

See

- The big boy running "really really fast" at the Farmer's Market

- The little boy smiling and cooing at me. He's getting more expressive every day!

- Clear blue September skies

Hear

- The big boy say "I want Sara to come back so we can play outside". It's so fun to have visitors.

- The "choo-choo" of the train that took me and the boys through the apple orchards at a nearby farm

Taste
- Probably the season's last corn on the cob

- Blueberry pancakes, like most Sunday mornings. Enjoying them with fresh blueberries while they last.

- A good glass of pinot noir (Sara, when we come visit you we are definitely taking a trip to some Willamette valley vineyards)

Smell
- Sunday morning bacon

- Fresh paint. Not really a great smell, but an exciting smell as we near the end of painting in the office. Pictures to follow once we're really done.

Touch

- Lots of hugs from my boys

- Lavendar sea salt scrub, for use when I have an extra few minutes in the shower. I've gotten to use it most days this week. What a luxury!

- Scratchy hay, as the big boy and I climbed the hay pyramid at the farm