Rolling with CJ

Today was a good day. One for my memory scrapbook. Thus, I am finally updating the family blog.

In the afternoon as I was milling about to figure out what to make for dinner, I decided on pasta. What to pair with the pasta? Clearly we would need more carbs -- so off to make some italian bread. As I was getting the yeast to proof, CJ joined me in the kitchen to help.

This was a wonderful mother-daughter activity. While waiting for the yeast to get puffy and yeasty, CJ wrote me notes and "passed" them across the island for my written response. She was cracking me up.
"Mommy, is this bread going to be yummy? Love, CJ"
"YES! I think so. Love, Mommy"
"When do we get make the bread?"
"At 3:45 we can add the other ingredients, but only if the yeast gets puffy"
You get the idea. An excellent way to pass the time.

Quickly it was 3:45 and we add the salt and flour. Mix, mix, knead, knead. I will admit I love to see CJ kneading bread and dough. We have been on a pizza-kick recently and she is always my trusty sous-chef. After the bread was set aside to rise, she was playing with the leftover flour. Normally, I would clean up and move on, but today was a chill day and I was ready to indulge.

I looked at that sweet face and told her we were going to make dough. From that moment it on, it was the CJ Show. Forty-five minutes later, she was still grinning and rolling and grinning and there was flour all over the place. Pure fun.

At this point, I decided I wanted to document this fun afternoon. And, AS MY DAUGHTER, she took immediately to the camera. We shot a few takes and after one of them, I asked her if she thought she was more like Rachel Ray or Barefoot Contessa. She pondered that question and replied "Rachel..... Actually, I think I'm more like that Bobby guy. He makes great stuff." I said, "Bobby Flay?" She nodded yes. Good golly, I love that girl!!!

 Here is the CJ Approved final take. Enjoy.

The kids' first professional hockey game sets the bar high.

This weekend Zack scored some great seats to the Penguins game. Initially we were going to make a weekend of it in Pittsburgh, but since the weather was snowy/windy/yucky on Saturday we adjusted to make it a down and out for just the game. When we woke up on Sunday morning and really thought about roughly 6 hours in the car for a 2 or 3 hour game, I questioned whether to go or cancel. Then Zack said, "Come on. It'll be an adventure." So off we went. And I am just THRILLED that we did.
Arrived at the Consol Energy Arena, went to will call to pick up the tickets and proceeded to the Consol Energy Suite. Suh-WEET! I think that we are probably doing a disservice to the kids with sporting events. First they never quite appreciate the luxury that we get to partake in and they don't understand what a treat it truly is. But how do you teach that? For that I continue to search for the answer. But in the meantime, I live in the moment and soak in the joy these experiences with my family give me.

Arrived at the arena and went to check out the seats. Center ice. Not bad. Not bad at all!

The kids woofed down some burgers and then we strolled around the arena.

Nothing like a gin&tonic or beer after a long drive...















Here we are at the Kid's Zone.

During the game, Alex was intent on watching the play while CJ was focused on waving her sign at every whistle. But since the TV cameras were stationed directly beneath us, I was pretty sure that she wouldn't see herself on the jumbotron.

Of course, it was a never-ending buffet.

At about the 3 period, our friend and VP at Consol Energy stopped in to take us down to the Other suite near the ice. We swiftly packed up and followed him down. What a cool experience. The seats were on the board/glass right next to the Penguins bench. Under the seats was a bigger suite that looked more like a hip restaurant then a sporting event suite and the one wall was glass so you could see the players walking to the locker room from the ice. Super COOL!

It was here that the kids got to experience the players checking into the glass right in front of them....

CJ finally got on the jumbotron waving her sign....
(After the game, Alex, CJ, and I stood behind the player of the game being interviewed on tv. So we all shared a moment on the jumbrotron too!)

Alex got to go up and stand right next to the players....

Lou (the usher in charge!), made sure to get the kids at the end of the game to race down and be right at the glass. All the players walk into the locker room right there and the kids got to bang on the glass and see them all race off the ice.

Here the kids got to sit on the players bench with our friend's little girl too.

  










And we finished the game with our friends catching up in some of the best seats in the house. At some point during the game, I turned to Zack and said, "You know what? I think that this is our 'thing'. We aren't avid golfers, or a skiing family, or a world-traveling family. We do sporting events. And, boy, do we have fun doing them."

Yes, I will admit that Zack was right. It truly was an awesome adventure.

Other Fall Activities

Since the start of school and PSU football, we have only had a few times to truly enjoy the Autumn and all it has to offer. But we have tried to make the best of it when we did get out into the great outdoors.

 Family self-portrait on a great hike through an old train tunnel.

 CJ taking a moment to record something in her trusty trail journal.

 All rocks on this trek instantly became pedestals for striking a pose. Love it!

 Even Ripley joined in the fun!

Crazy trail sighting --- as we were driving out on the gravel road through the state forest, we were on the look out for deer or bears. Much to my surprise, we came across a peacock. Clearly not an everyday spotting.

It was Homecoming Weekend at PSU and the Changs came up for a visit. They got here in plenty of time for Tai to fish before the parade and catch 4 fish on the famous Spruce Creek. So clearly he was smitten waiting for the parade to begin.

 Nathan, Alex and CJ all prepped for the parade!

 The adults so excited with anticipation that they checked their mobile devices. We are such nerds.

Later that same weekend was Alex's last soccer game of the season. It was cold. Unusually cold. But CJ insisted on just wearing her fur-lined vest. Her hands were bright red, but she looked great. She is already suffering for fashion.

 Alex's team shot.

This is the first year that Alex is participating in Cub Scouts. He LOVES it so far!! And he looks adorable!

Rocket Launch day is a big deal in the Scouts. We had a great day for this crazy activity.

 After take off, they chase after it and try to catch it before it hits the ground.

Six days after that amazing fall day chasing rockets, we went to the PSU football game in a snowalloween storm. This was the second October snow fall in the last 3 years. What happen to global warming? Shouldn't it be WARMER? 

 Luckily, we sat inside to watch the game. The kids enjoyed the game... and the buffet.

 As an added bonus, Zack was able to invite some friends up to the suite to hang out with us. So much fun!

Halloween 2011

For the record, Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I never really bought into the scary element of Halloween and I don't like dressing up. But since having kids, I have enjoyed the excitement they have running about collecting candy in the dark. 

The last few years of costume selection have been easy. I have either had hand-me-down costumes from cousins or a quick trip to the store with $20 and the task was complete. If only I really appreciated the ease of those years before now.

Early in October I asked the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween. This question is usually timed with the arrival of the local halloween costume store's sale flyer. They looked through the pictures and were undecided. After pressing them for some sort of idea throughout the week, CJ declared that she wanted to be Tweety bird. Shortly after hearing this proclamation, Alex followed suit and decided on Sylvester. 

However happy I was that they were focusing their attention to one idea, but then I was instantly frightened when I realized that no Walmart, Target, Party City, etc. carried a Tweety or Sylvester costume. Hmmm. Back to step one.

Silly me. After 5 full days of me lobbying for them to pick ANY costume at ANY store (for under $20), they held to their guns and flat out denied my efforts. They wanted to be Tweety and Sylvester. When I explained that you couldn't buy those costumes anywhere, they simply said, "Just sew it, Mom."

My previous sewing experience was a handy little seam on some curtains made of sheets. I did that project under the watchful eye of my sister Ann. She watched me tangle the thread, break the needle on the machine at least three times, and pull the thread out of the seam that was completely crooked. My thoughts on this new project: I'm Screwed.

Fueled by my children's unfounded confidence in my sewing-ability, I headed to the fabric store. (My dislike for the fabric store stems from a very early age when my aforementioned sister Ann and my Mom would drag me on a Saturday to some random fabric mecca for hours and hours and hours on end. But this psychosis is a topic for another blog entry.) Saddled with yards of felt, some feathers, and a pattern for a duck that is two sizes too small for CJ, I headed home to find my sewing machine somewhere in the basement.

 The War Room.

 Hope this is what your suppose to do...

Everything is cut out. Now let's see what this machine can do.

 

Tada!! I did it!! I did it!!

Now the really hard part. I didn't have a pattern or even a good example to go from to make the heads. I searched for images of the characters and then tried to break-down the elements of the face and make a felt pillow. Then I attached it to the felt cap that came with the duck pattern. And this is what I did.....

 Tweety Feet.

 Alex's costume. I was so pleased with the belly. Totally free-handed that one!

 I stuffed the tail and made it look like the pics I found with black hair overlapping the white tip.

 The trial-run fitting.

The school had their parade on the Friday before Halloween. The kids were marching proudly and I was just sooo excited to see them strutting in my handy work.

The Sunday prior to Halloween, State College hosts a kids halloween parade. Anyone can march in the parade and then you head to the high school football field to be "judged". By some freak of nature, the judges were teenage boys who didn't pick our two incredible kids. Idiots.

 Even Zack and I decided about an hour before we left the house to join in the dressing-up.

Finally, Halloween night. Can you tell how excited they are to go 'twick or tweeting'? They were thrilled at all the candy loot, but I was so thrilled to hear the people repeatedly saying, "Those are the BEST costumes". Yeah me!!