Family – Page 3 – Pure Sugar

Another Awesome Woodloch Vacation

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Last November, one of our favorite vacation spots had a Black Friday deal that we couldn’t pass up. We always have an amazing time at Woodloch and since we didn’t get to go back last year, I’ve been excited waiting since I booked our vacation last fall. Well, as usual the wonderful staff did not disappoint and spent last Tues.-Fri. having tons of great family time together!

We started going to Woodloch back when Jake was in pre-school! Back then we thought it would be fun to visit again someday. Well, six times later I think it’s safe to say that we always have an excellent time. There are so many things for the kids (and grown-ups) to do, even in the winter months. The food is fantastic. And every single person who work there is super nice and goes out of their way to make your stay memorable.

One of the highlights is always “Theme Night.” Each year the folks at Woodloch put on an original show and that evening’s dinner decor reflects the theme. Can you guess what it is this year?

They also have a character parade (always a hit with the kids!) walk through the dining room. After you’ve been a few times you realize that they somehow always manage to work this huge wooden horse in — this year a prominant 1980s political figure was riding it 😉 Laura was thrilled to meet Ariel and Strawberry Shortcake (her favorite!) and the boys got a kick out of Chewbacca.

I thought that the “Back to the 80s” painted backdrop was too cool — so many favorites!

The show afterwards was great, too. Everyone had a blast singing along to favorite songs. Laura’s eyes lit up when they started singing “I Love Rock & Roll” — it’s one of her favorites! I was totally loving the first set. Check out the Mac, the cell phone, the Simon game… they did such a great job.

Oh, something totally new and different this year was “Gingerbread Wars.” It was the perfect day for it too — last Thursday when the region got a ton of snow dumped on it! There were 21 (I think) teams and we were all presented with a sheet of uncut gingerbread, 6 chocolate donut holes, an apple, and some frosting. There were also tickets that we could use to “purchase” decorations like colored frosting, candy, cookies, etc. We had no idea what to expect! After the rules (you had to somehow use the donuts and apple — the secret ingredients — in your creation) were read we learned that we had 30 minutes to “bake up” a gingerbread structure that went along with the theme “America.”

Wow! Talk about a challenge! We wanted to do something a little different and what is more American than a cheeseburger with fries? So that’s exactly what we made!

We came in fourth place, which left me thrilled! (I’m not a great cake decorator, and certainly can’t cut a straight line out of gingerbread!) But I also won a t-shirt for this Tweet:

So fun! Let’s see… what else? There was snow tubing, plenty of time running around the Woodloch Forest (a huge indoor play structure), bumper cars, and enjoying the gorgeous scenery. Lake Teedyuskung is gorgeous all frozen over.

While I was in the Low Carb cooking class (which was awesome! I loved all the recipes and can’t wait to make them at home), Drew and the kids joined in on the scavenger hunt. Their team ended up winning first place! (Guess it pays to have a bunch of random things like pressed pennies in your purse!). We saw a magician, we played Jackpot Bingo, and just had a lot of good family fun, which really is what it’s about!

Sadly, we had to leave on Friday so we took a photo with the black bear in the lobby (like we always do!):

Just for the sake of nostalgia, check out this photo from 2009 — the boys were so little and Laura wasn’t even born yet!

Going home took a while because of the storm. We had to be careful on the mountain roads, but once we got to the highway driving was no problem. Of couse, then we came home to a driveway we couldn’t even pull into! Drew jumped out to get to work and the kids and I ran to the store for a few things. When we got back home, at least the car could get in the driveway (even if the front stairs were still piled high!)

We always have so much fun at Woodloch, and the kids are already starting with the “When we go back”s… LOL! And honestly, I can’t wait myself.

Chilly Sunday

Posted on November 24, 2013 by Carol — 6 Comments ↓

Hello, hello! Hope you all have been enjoying the weekend. As usual, it’s been pretty busy around here. It’s easy to gripe and say I’d rather be at home (which is true), but at the same time I’m thankful for a part-time job that I love, friends to see, and activities to keep everyone happy.

Friday night was our Cub Scout pack meeting and we held a rain gutter regatta. For those who don’t know what that is, the boys build boats (similar to Pinewood Derby cars) and then by blowing throw a straw, they sail them down the channels of an inflatable rain gutter. This was the first year we used the inflatable “gutters.” In previous years we used actual rain gutters, which were bulky and messy.

The boys all had a great time! We just raced for fun. Then I suggested that the parents race their kids’ boats. At first there were a couple moans and groans but you could tell everyone secretly wanted to do it, ha ha! It was great!

Yesterday I worked at the library in the morning and then we went to a friend’s birthday party in the afternoon. I did a little shopping at Michael’s and Sam’s but let me tell you — I am not exactly digging the “holiday spirit” out there, especially this early in the season. Everyone is impatient and rushing and angry. Kind of the opposite of what this time of year is supposed to be about, isn’t it? We did what we had to do and came home. Between people’s attitudes and crazy traffic, I had really had it.

Today was much different. I helped set up the parish center for tomorrow’s very special preschool Thanksgiving feast. I made a quick run to Stop & Shop (again, it was crazy but at least being by myself it was easier to handle). And that was about it. It was freezing out there today, so I was happy to come home and make a big pot of chicken and rice soup. I also decided to bake a pie since I have so many apples in my refrigerator for some reason.

Now I’m just getting dinner ready: the soup, some oven fries, and sandwiches. Easy! Though I’m mostly looking forward to a slice of pie for dessert 😉

This week should actually be pretty relaxing. I’m not cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year — I just need to make the sweet potatoes and cole slaw — so I can relax a bit. The kids have a nice break for the holiday. And yes… I am very much looking forward to putting our Christmas tree up at the end of the week!

What are you all doing for Thanksgiving this year? Staying home? Travelling? It is my favorite holiday, and I just can’t wait!

An October Hello

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Well, somehow I thought that with Laura in preschool three days a week, I’d have all this extra time to blog, work on projects, etc. I don’t know what happened, but that certainly isn’t the case! I feel like I’ve been going nonstop (in a good way!) since school started last month.

I’m not going to make excuses. Instead I’m just popping in to say hello and share a photo of a woodland friend who decided to visit this afternoon. It’s been a beautiful fall so far this year and although today is dreary and sprinkly, we very much need the rain.

This morning I worked, and I just finished prepping dinner so when we get home from church tonight I can heat it all up without fuss. I am SO looking forward to lemon chicken, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and salad. I am also (shocker) kind of looking forward to church. We have a new priest as of August 1st. I didn’t exactly connect with our last priest, but this new one? He is very much down-to-earth, which I appreciate. So we’ve been making an effort to try to go every week. I prefer 5 PM Mass on Saturdays, so that’s our plan for tonight.

After the kids are in bed, we will probably just watch a show and relax. I’m still recovering from a cold, so I should try to get to bed early. Tomorrow I think Drew’s mom and aunt are coming up for lunch, and I am hoping to get some crochet time in. I have not picked up my hook in months and oh — I miss it!

Hope you all are having a great weekend too!

Oh, Hey September!

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Well just like that a couple weeks go by and you forget all about blogging! Actually, it’s been on my “to do” list for several days now, but I just have been too busy to get to it. I know I keep saying that I’m really going to pay more attention to my blog, but with the back-to-school schedule ironed out and things moving along nicely, I really mean it!

In the meantime, how about a laundry list of what’s new?

The boys started school last week. Noah is in 3rd grade, which is a big deal because it means he’s now upstairs and has a locker! Jake started middle school which is a big deal for obvious reasons. It’s a total change, but he loves it. Our morning routine is also very different now, as our district has staggered start times, so I have three kids, three different schools, three different times!
That’s right — I said three! Laura started preschool this week and judging on the first two days, she loves it 🙂 It’s just a few days a week for a few hours, but it’s just enough. And honestly, the extra time will really be great for me! It’s been 11 years since I’ve had kid-free time that I can count on!
During some of that kid-free time this week I got a haircut. I got four inches chopped off, but man it’s still long! I also got a little bit of swoopy bangs. That might have been a bad idea. We’ll see.
I got my new Erin Condren planner for next year. Love, love, love the paisley!
I’ve done a bit of canning — just some apple butter and some salsa, but considering I didn’t do anything all summer it’s been fun hearing those “pings” as the jars seal! I’m trying to plan ahead for Christmas gifts. That is, assuming I can keep the goodies from getting eaten.
Otherwise, I’ve just been cleaning and reorganizing and doing all that day-to-day stuff. I haven’t picked up my crochet hook in over a month. I’m hoping to get back to my blanket next week, though.

Hope your September is off to a great start!

Back from Vacationing at Colonial Williamsburg

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Hello! Well, the last week and a half have just gone by lightning fast! I have so much to catch up on… Where should I even start?

Well, before I get to the details of our trip, I have to mention that Noah turned 8! After a breakfast of his chosen “sugar cereal” (something I don’t usually buy except on the kids’ birthdays), he opened presents.

Then we headed over to Walkway Over the Hudson State Park. Even though I am terribly afraid of heights, I love it there (as long as I don’t get too close to the edge of the railing, LOL).

We decided to have an early lunch at IHOP, and then headed home. I made Hawaiian pizza for dinner (Noah’s request). All in all I think he had a great day.

Last Monday we got in the car for the very long drive (ugh, 8 hours) to Colonial Williamsburg for vacation. It was a lot of fun! I’ll be honest — I wish you could poke around some of the buildings at your leisure, but you’re limited to what you can see during a tour. I understand — there’s a lot of value in some of those buildings — but it would have been nice.

Some of the shops are only open certain days of the week, so there are a few we missed (like the Apothecary — something I had really hoped to check out). But we spent a lot of time at the Blacksmith shop. The boys were fascinated.

One of my favorite buildings was Bassett Hall, the Williamsburg home of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. It was styled as the Rockefellers would have had it. Oh, I could so easily have moved right into that kitchen!

On our last night we had dinner at Shield’s Tavern and it was excellent! I had the ale potted beef, which was like a pot roast with vegetables served over the most delicious mashed potatoes. Drew had “a dish of pork” — a huge, flavorful hunk of pork on the bone. Seriously, it was so good! I loved that the children’s meals all came with applesauce and mixed vegetables (a blend of carrots, broccoli, and green beans) and not just the standard potato and entree.

There was a gentleman playing music, encouraging everyone to participate in a sing along. Such fun! After dinner we had tickets to the Tavern Ghost Walk. The boys were riveted by the spooky stories about some of the haunted buildings in Williamsburg. I kept snapping away with my camera, hoping to capture something — but I didn’t, LOL!

The boys learned a lot, and although I’m not sure Laura was as entertained, she liked the horses and playing with some colonial toys. Speaking of which, Noah turned out to be an absolute champ at hoop & stick. So much so that he decided to use his souvenir money to buy one for himself!

We got back on Friday after spending the night in New Jersey to break up the trip home. And now we’re in the back-to-school “home stretch.” It’s our last full week of vacation. Oh summer, I will miss your lazy days!

Eleven!

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

It’s hard to believe that 11 years ago today I was at the hospital, having just given birth to my very first baby. While my White Plains Hospital experience left a lot to be desired (thankfully I only delivered there once), we came home a few days later with a pudgy, 9 lb. 6 oz. bundle of love! It seems impossible that over a decade has come and gone, but yesterday Jake celebrated his 11th birthday.

We had a party with family over the weekend, and yesterday was pretty low-key. I guess he has aged out of our sugar cereal breakfast tradition. He asked for pancakes and sausage instead! Nevertheless, we still set up a special birthday place setting — confetti and all 🙂

He was thrilled with the frame pack we gave him! It will make those Boy Scout camping trips a little easier, I think. It should also last him well into college, if not longer!

Jake wanted to invite a friend over, which turned into an impromptu sleepover, LOL… Anyway, the kids had fun playing and I made Jake’s requested dinner of chili dogs, chips, pickles (that my dad made), and I made a salad because well, you need vegetables even on your birthday 😉 Instead of cake we opted for make-your-own sundaes.

It’s been amazing watching this kid grow from a colicky baby to a smart, imaginative, caring tween. Middle school starts in a few weeks, which is just crazy to me. Wasn’t I just enrolling him in pre-school?

As the saying goes, The days are long, but the years are short. So very true!

Saturday Catch-Up

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Hey everyone! I know, I know… it’s been a quiet week. My MIL took the boys to Maine earlier this week, so I guess I’ve been on vacation of sorts too. Things just weren’t on schedule, you know? We were going out more, I was being a little bit lazier… but I guess that’s the beauty of summer, right?

They came home on Friday morning and had a great time! They walked on the beach, swam in the hotel pool and had a ton of fun. Meanwhile, we kept things pretty quiet. We did go to the Indian buffet (Laura was obsessed with the mulligatawny soup!)

We kept things close to home on the 4th of July. We grilled burgers and watched movies. Nothing too crazy.

I finally (finally!) got my new crock pot. Oh yes, I definitely needed an appliance lift. As I mentioned, my old slow cooker died. Today I broke in my new one with sauce, turkey meatballs, and Italian sausage. Sure it’s great using the slow cooker when it’s cold, but it is a life saver when it is hot & humid — no heating up the kitchen!

This morning we headed over to Poet’s Walk Park in Red Hook. Although it’s a very popular place to hike we’d never been there before. We all had a great time!

This is the bridge I drive across several times a week to go… well, pretty much anywhere (Walmart, Target, Michael’s, Dollar Tree, any and all fast-food restaurants). I love getting the different perspective! That’s the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains you see in the distance.

I also decided to step WAY out of my comfort zone and plank in public. I’ve been doing the 21-day Plank With Bex challenge. I started out at around 58 seconds 12 days ago. Today I was up to 2 minutes 10 seconds!!! It’s amazing to see how much progress you can make in just a few days — so awesome!

Ugh, as for tonight, I’m just trying to keep cool. It has been ridiculously hot & humid lately. Hate it! I started a granny stripe blanket and I love it and I need to blog about that, too. But honestly? I think all I’m doing this evening is drinking ice water (actually, chewing on ice) and vegging out to whatever we put on Netflix.

Tomorrow Jake has SCUBA (seriously, he does the coolest stuff with his Boy Scout Troop! We absolutely made the right decision when weighing the two different troops in town). Then we need to head over across that bridge and get house stain at Home Depot. After that, who knows? Lake? Sprinkler? We shall see…

First Weekend of the Summer

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Carol — 3 Comments ↓

Good morning everyone and happy Monday! It’s here! It’s here! Summer is finally here! Friday was the last day of school for the kids and we decided to kick off the summer with a backyard movie (“Airplane!“). Most of our friends already had plans by the time we decided to do this, but a couple other families came and everyone really seemed to have a great time.

This is something we intend to do all summer long and honestly — it’s the easiest kind of entertaining there is. No need to worry about about meal or how clean your house is (well, maybe the bathroom 😉 ). Everyone brings a blanket or some chairs and sets themselves up in the yard. We did have popcorn, Twizzlers, and lemonade and I think it was great.

Saturday morning Drew and Jake went off with the Boy Scouts. His troop was having a “summer camp shakedown” — a quick overnight camp out to prepare for camp in a few weeks. Drew just went for the morning and early afternoon to help out. While they were over at the state park, I took Noah and Laura to the library tag sale. One of our patrons had a fantastic idea for a massive tag sale to benefit the library. You paid for a spot, that went as a donation to the library, and it was your show from there. There were a lot of really nice items — not just your typical “yard sale” stuff. I held back, though, and only came away with a corner shelf for Laura’s room (which I will repaint). I did let the kids get something though. Laura wanted a couple Beanie Babies and a pair of Snow White dress up shoes. And Noah was enamoured with a Domino Rally set.

Then we came home, had a bite for lunch, and decided to go to the lake. They had a blast splashing and playing in the sand!

We had burgers outside for dinner and then let the kids run through the sprinkler.

Yesterday was really low-key. I spent the morning browsing Pinterest and shopping online for a new slow cooker. My big 6-quart Crock Pot died about two months ago and I’ve been trying to see if we could live without it, but… I just can’t do it. I need the big one for broth, ribs, roasts, etc. Add that to the list of kitchen gadgets decided to go ka-put. We also had to replace our toaster oven this month! Ugh… too bad there aren’t Crock Pot/toaster appliance bundles. Anyway, I decided on a beautiful new slow cooker and I can’t wait to get it!

Jake got home around lunchtime and showed us what might be the most adorable bottle of Tabasco sauce that I’ve ever seen. One of the dads is in the service and brought some MREs on the camp out, and this was included with Jake’s sloppy joe.

The most stunning thing about the entire weekend was this: yesterday afternoon we all napped. Yes, even me! I never sleep during the day unless I’m sick, but I guess I was just really tired. No matter, it was so relaxing. Then it was Crock Pot chicken tacos for dinner (outside again, of course), a run through the sprinkler, and we did another outdoor family movie (just us) because the screen was still up.

I really can’t think of a better way to kick off summer. Of course, now it’s Monday and back to work. But it was lovely to not have to make bag lunches or put kids on a bus, so I’m not going to complain 🙂 Hope your week is off to a great start!

Lots of Catching Up

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Well clearly this month has gotten away from me. Eep — it’s really been a while! As you can imagine, the last month of school has just been filled with activities. How about a bulleted entry to simplify things and get us all up to date? Yes, sounds good to me, too.

Drew and Jake went on a deep-sea fishing trip with the Boy Scouts. I was a little nervous about it because there were heavy winds and rain the day before they went, and I was concerned about choppy seas. However, the only issues they had were with getting to Brooklyn since they had to take a few detours thanks to flooded roads. But they got there! Drew caught a stingray (no photo, sadly) and some other fish too small to take home. Jake didn’t get anything this time but I have a feeling there will be another fishing excursion in the future.
Laura’s birthday party went very well! The day was lovely and I think everyone had a good time. It was nice for the kids to see their grandpa and step-grandmother from Florida. We don’t see them often, so it is always a treat for the kids when they come up to New York.
The 5th grade Whale Watch finally happened! Drew and Jake and the rest of the class spent three days on Cape Cod participating in a bunch of different activities. The weather didn’t exactly cooperate, but everyone enjoyed themselves. Visiting Plimoth Plantation was their favorite, and unfortunately they only had a couple hours there so they in no way got to explore as much as they would have liked.
The cicadas have descended upon Rhinebeck in full force! We had to bring the leaf blower to the Cub Scout end-of-year picnic so we could clear away their exoskeletons from the BBQ pit area. Gross! But at least the event itself was fun, if not loud due to all the background buzzing!
Jake achieved his first Boy Scout rank and got his patch at the June Court of Honor. He is now working on advancements as well as some merit badges.
We had a pretty low-key Father’s Day. After all the travelling and poor sleep, I wanted Drew to just be able to relax. The kids picked out some fun gifts for him: a outdoor skills book, a wind chime, a mug that Jake made, and a keychain that Noah made. Not exactly cohiba cigars, but that’s OK, LOL! We went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch and then just took it easy for the rest of the day.
Monday night I went to parent orientation at the middle school. Middle school! I never had the middle school experience because my grammar school was grades 1-8, so this is something totally new for me. I think there is a good transition program in place, though, and Jake is very excited about it. Tomorrow is his “moving up” breakfast!
Friday is finally, finally, finally the last day of school. Seems like it took forever this year. Summer… I’m ready for you!

How A Pot of Beef Barley Soup Brought Me To Tears

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Carol — 4 Comments ↓

Birthdays make me emotional. But right now it’s not (just) because my kids are getting older. It’s because of the people who aren’t still here to celebrate with us.

Yesterday I decided to make beef barley soup. I’d had it a few weeks ago at a local diner and I’ve been craving it ever since. So I threw together some stew beef, carrots, onions, celery and simmered it with beef broth. Then I added corn, peas, and I decided to throw in some leftover string beans I had in the freezer. A can of of tomatoes. Some sauce. Oh, what the heck, some more frozen corn and peas. And, of course, the barley.

I blame the barley. I don’t recall my Babci ever making beef barley soup, but she quite often used barely in her homemade chicken soup. As well as whatever was leftover in the fridge for vegetables. Something about that pot simmering on the stove… the smells just made me remember her tiny little kitchen in Western Mass. We lived next door to her for many years and after school, in between finishing my homework and playing outside with my brother I would stop in and chat, see what she was making for dinner.

It seemed, and I think my brother will attest to this, that there was always some sort of soup. At least a little cup to go with whatever else they were having. “They” being my Babci and my (Great) Uncle Frank. I can still see the table. Her little plastic placemats (that I always hated). Her dessert cups with fruit and Jell-O, topped with Cool Whip. Her gas stove (for which she had a special gas tank — there were no gas lines to the house, at least not in the 1980s.) I remembered the green wallpaper. The light above the kitchen table. The chipped soup bowls. The black kitchen chairs (and then I glanced at my own black dining room chairs).

So I thought of all this and suddenly I was bawling, uncontrollably, in my kitchen. I quickly retreated to the bathroom and had a good cry before anyone would ever notice.

Is this normal? Does this happen to anyone else? It’s been 13 years since my uncle passed away, and will be four years this fall since my grandmother passed away. Maybe it’s because we’re having Laura’s birthday party this weekend. Maybe there’s no real reason at all.

And truthfully, I’m not sure what the point is, writing this and publishing it here on my blog. I just think it’s interesting — this connection to food and memory and family. And how it takes such a long time to really appreciate it all and connect all those dots. And maybe that’s why I love cooking. Because it makes me feel close to those who aren’t immediately here with us.

Or maybe I’m just crazy. Which is also entirely possible, LOL!