12.01.2011

November 2011

November got off to a cold dark start.  After our "little" snow storm we were without power for five days.  We camped in the living room for the first few nights keeping the fire going around the clock.  That room we managed to get up to 60 degrees while the rest of the house was below 50.  We were thankful that we had gotten enough firewood, that we have a gas range for cooking, and that we have friends that got power back sooner than us and invited us over until ours was back on.

Dinner and a movie
(also thankful that we have a portable dvd player to keep the kids entertained while I made dinner in the dark)


Thankfully the cold and snow did not stick around for long.  So while at home we were able to go outside where it was above 60 degrees.



During this week we got a new toy delivered for Sam, a snowblower.  It came a few days late for him to really enjoy it, but he gave it a test drive anyway. We have not gotten any snow since.


A couple weeks after the storm you wouldn't have even known it snowed (other than all the down trees and branches).  We were enjoying a warm November which included washing the cars in shorts, T-shirts, and bare feet.
Our little helper "doing a good job"

Enjoying the sandbox in the nice weather

Since we were alone for Thanksgiving this year we decided to take advantage of our location and we headed into New York to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  We took the train in on Wednesday afternoon and after checking into our hotel we made our way to where they were inflating the balloons.




Annabelle and the world

A very croweded event. Can you spot Sam?
(I almost lost him a couple of times)

 

Spiderman with bunny ears


Sam and Hudson with Energizer Bunny


Becca and Annabelle with Smurf


The next morning I got everyone out of bed before 5 am so we could bundle up and get a spot.  While nobody was excited to be up we were lucky and got one of the last spots in the very front.  After giving the kids candy to calm them down and Sam returning from finding coffee and breakfast we got settled and the kids actually fell back asleep on our laps for another hour.  Then the waiting began.
Cuddling with Daddy and keeping warm

 
All the people behind us

 
More snacks to pass the time

 
Looking down Central Park West
(can see the Macy's Stars and Sonic the Hedgehog at the start)



Since we were only seven blocks from the start of the parade, it wasn't long after 9:00 that the parade reached us.
NYPD Leading the way


One happy girl


Set to watch
Hudson enjoying the parade

Best seat around

Annabelle's favorite part: confetti
(Had to remind her to watch parade sometimes as she collected it)


Her collection
(this is in the chair of the person next to us, she made sure to put it in our bag before leaving)



Annabelle with her favorite balloon Hello Kitty

 
Why getting up before 5am to be in front was worth it

 
Hudson and as he would call it "muppet" balloon

 
Parade coming to an end

 
Santa!


By 11:00 the parade was over for us.  We headed back to one crowed Grand Central Station and onto a train back home.
Photo op after parade

 
Taking a much needed nap on the train

 
On Friday we had "Turkey Day" and cooked the meal we missed the day before.  The great thing about not having company for Thanksgiving is you don't have to worry about having a clean house, or about what you wear to dinner.

Sam did most the cooking, but he did have some help

 
Carving our little bird


Enjoying his dinner


Eating the jell-o she made for the occasion

 
After dinner snack


We ended the month by heading over to Stew Leonard's for our Christmas tree and with the help of little hands decorating it.

Annabelle with the ornaments, ready to get started

 
Being very careful

 
Very carefully removing ornaments



I will leave you with a couple of my favorite pictures of everyday life in November.


Watching Elmo with Elmo

 
Reading Pinkalicious and the Pink Pumpkin

 
Hanging out with Daddy



11.01.2011

October 2011

October was a beautiful month (that is up until the last weekend) so we tried to get out and enjoy the weather and a little bit more of Connecticut.


For our first outing we went for short hike near our house up to Saugatuck falls. 

 In front of the falls

 Annabelle leading the way

Later in the week the kids and I joined our MOPS group on an outing to a local farm, where we  enjoyed a hayride, picked pumpkins, visited some animals, and went on a walk through a grass maze.

 Headed to the Pumpkin Patch

 Found his pumpkin right away

 Still looking for her perfect pumpkin

Enjoying an apple snack


 Enjoying a couple of apple snacks

Going through the maze of grass


The next weekend we enjoyed our first fire of the season.


Getting cozy by the fire


A few months earlier Sam had volunteered at a local zoo for his company's community service day, as a thank you he received a family day pass that we finally took advantage of.  It was the perfect day (if anything a little too warm) and the perfect size zoo for a Saturday afternoon.




 Yes, she is "milking" the cow

One of his favorites, Pringles





Back at home leaf clean-up had started and the kids took advantage of the many huge piles around the yard.



Then it was already time for Halloween.  We love gnomes in this house, and when I found these costumes last year after Halloween I couldn't resist.  Definitley worth the wait.  I took pictures a couple of weeks before Halloween just in case the nice weather didn't stick around, so glad I did.


My little gnomes


A very cute lawn ornament


 and another one


We started off our Halloween weekend by trick-or-treating through Sam's office.


 Weaving their way through the office

 Hudson leading the way, all business

Taking a break in Daddy's cubicle



Followed by trick-or-treating at Stew Leonards.


We spent the next day trick-or-treating on Main Street in Ridgefield as the flakes started flying. (so cold and windy I never got pictures).  Twenty-four hours and 14 inches of snow later we were without power and "enjoying" a white Halloween.


 Just had to get dressed for less than ten minutes in the snow

 Not so sure about it
Went in soon after this with the promise of hot chocolate