(no subject)

Ah, Monday.  How did you get here so quickly? The coffee is warm, the morning is cold, the house is sleepy and snuggly.

The boys were desperately out of sorts when we got them back yesterday.  Brenner acted like he didn't really want to come home - I guess he had a great time.  Family dinner was loud and boisterous - full of children playing in one room with tired adults gathered around the table.  

So, how about some Top 5 lists?

From kosmickwayTop 5 Dishes to Cook/Eat (These are mine - my kids/family might not eat them, alas)

•  Jambalaya (mine)
• Homemade enchiladas
• Shrimp and Grits (from The Quarter, date night spot!)
• Grilled Cheese
• Chicken Salad

From morningloryblue Top 5 Flowers/Plants and Why

• Irises: Always blooming at Easter in the desert and would be my tribute in church Easter morning. Perennials in the desert kind of blow the young desert dweller's mind, I will tell you.  I also love love the purple.  I have a fond memory of buying a white iris from a street seller in San Francisco when I was 13ish, too.  Always a favorite.
• Dogwood Tree:  Another thing a desert dweller doesn't really get: Trees with flowers on them.  I LOVE dogwoods since they represent my adopted state of VA and the flowers have four perfect petals like my four little family members.  The pink ones are my favorite.
• Oleanders: I miss them here.  They are hardy enough in a desert climate to triumph and I loved my parents hedgerow of them. They make me think of me childhood home,
•  Morning Glory: Amazing colors, quick movers, sunlight lovers.  I can't imagine not loving it.  But it is one of Nicole's gardening nemesis!
• Honeysuckle: Summertime.

From sandokaiTop 5 favorite things about my town:

• The mountains all around this little valley - this place is picturesque!
• Extensive network of greenway trails and access to the river, safe parks to play in and nearby adventures to have
• A thriving downtown area with a farmer's market and great local shops to enjoy, museums to see.
• The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail run right through here
• Front Porch neighborhoods 

From liveyourvisionTop 5 Board Games

• Scattergories
• Life
• Balderdash
• Trivial Pursuit
• Candy Land

(no subject)

Ah, Monday.  How did you get here so quickly? The coffee is warm, the morning is cold, the house is sleepy and snuggly.

The boys were desperately out of sorts when we got them back yesterday.  Brenner acted like he didn't really want to come home - I guess he had a great time.  Family dinner was loud and boisterous - full of children playing in one room with tired adults gathered around the table.  

So, how about some Top 5 lists?

From kosmickwayTop 5 Dishes to Cook/Eat (These are mine - my kids/family might not eat them, alas)

•  Jambalaya (mine)
• Homemade enchiladas
• Shrimp and Grits (from The Quarter, date night spot!)
• Grilled Cheese
• Chicken Salad

From morningloryblue Top 5 Flowers/Plants and Why

• Irises: Always blooming at Easter in the desert and would be my tribute in church Easter morning. Perennials in the desert kind of blow the young desert dweller's mind, I will tell you.  I also love love the purple.  I have a fond memory of buying a white iris from a street seller in San Francisco when I was 13ish, too.  Always a favorite.
• Dogwood Tree:  Another thing a desert dweller doesn't really get: Trees with flowers on them.  I LOVE dogwoods since they represent my adopted state of VA and the flowers have four perfect petals like my four little family members.  The pink ones are my favorite.
• Oleanders: I miss them here.  They are hardy enough in a desert climate to triumph and I loved my parents hedgerow of them. They make me think of me childhood home,
•  Morning Glory: Amazing colors, quick movers, sunlight lovers.  I can't imagine not loving it.  But it is one of Nicole's gardening nemesis!
• Honeysuckle: Summertime.

From sandokaiTop 5 favorite things about my town:

• The mountains all around this little valley - this place is picturesque!
• Extensive network of greenway trails and access to the river, safe parks to play in and nearby adventures to have
• A thriving downtown area with a farmer's market and great local shops to enjoy, museums to see.
• The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail run right through here
• Front Porch neighborhoods 

From liveyourvisionTop 5 Board Games

• Scattergories
• Life
• Balderdash
• Trivial Pursuit
• Candy Land

(no subject)

And then: I left the house three times today. The first time, I remembered at the end of the street that I forgot to leave that pack n play on the porch for Nicole to take back to the sitter’s house. The second time I was almost to work when (day-dreaming about dollar McDonalds coffee) I realized I’d left my wallet at home and had to turn around. It isn’t normally a ‘turn around’ to forget my wallet, but I was too tired this morning to pack my lunch and was planning to buy… so, wallet = essential. Though, by the time I’d turned around twice, I could have just made my lunch.

There was actual frost on the rooftops this morning. Tinker Day is on the way!

And the sugar maples are still fiery and gorgeous. Nicole keeps talking about moving out to the country to have space for horses and no neighbors. I’m a neighborhood kind of gal. I’ve always lived in a neighborhood. Our neighborhood is a blue dot in a red state and our children will be going to school with other kids with gay parents. If we move to the country… that will be hard to come by. Plus, I LOVE our house and I can easily see raising our children to adulthood there. I lived in the same house from Kindergarten up – so I’m not used to moving as a family whereas Nicole moved a bunch as a kid. I feel settled.

…. But I have to admit that she nearly has me convinced. We were talking about the sugar maples this weekend and I told her that the next time we have capacity for a tree on our property, I want to plant a particularly feisty sugar maple. She pointed out that if we lived in the country, she would plant me a veritable bosque of sugar maples and string up a hammock underneath so that I could lay out on warm fall days and watch the leaves. She also promised tiny goats and alpacas.

She almost, almost has me!

(no subject)

And then: I left the house three times today. The first time, I remembered at the end of the street that I forgot to leave that pack n play on the porch for Nicole to take back to the sitter’s house. The second time I was almost to work when (day-dreaming about dollar McDonalds coffee) I realized I’d left my wallet at home and had to turn around. It isn’t normally a ‘turn around’ to forget my wallet, but I was too tired this morning to pack my lunch and was planning to buy… so, wallet = essential. Though, by the time I’d turned around twice, I could have just made my lunch.

There was actual frost on the rooftops this morning. Tinker Day is on the way!

And the sugar maples are still fiery and gorgeous. Nicole keeps talking about moving out to the country to have space for horses and no neighbors. I’m a neighborhood kind of gal. I’ve always lived in a neighborhood. Our neighborhood is a blue dot in a red state and our children will be going to school with other kids with gay parents. If we move to the country… that will be hard to come by. Plus, I LOVE our house and I can easily see raising our children to adulthood there. I lived in the same house from Kindergarten up – so I’m not used to moving as a family whereas Nicole moved a bunch as a kid. I feel settled.

…. But I have to admit that she nearly has me convinced. We were talking about the sugar maples this weekend and I told her that the next time we have capacity for a tree on our property, I want to plant a particularly feisty sugar maple. She pointed out that if we lived in the country, she would plant me a veritable bosque of sugar maples and string up a hammock underneath so that I could lay out on warm fall days and watch the leaves. She also promised tiny goats and alpacas.

She almost, almost has me!