The Impoverished Preppy

Autumn in Vermont

2010-11-13T12:11:00.002-05:00

Hello Out There

2010-07-31T09:10:00.003-04:00

Hard to believe how long it has been since I posted on this blog! Things have been very busy around the IP household, and I must admit that after my blog contracted some sort of Asian comment virus, I became so frustrated that I didn't feel like posting. I have disabled comments (I think) for now in an attempt to kill the comment virus beastie. This means all my nice fellow bloggers also will be unable to comment, but I will simply hope that some of you are still reading.

We have had a busy summer. So many people have come to visit our little corner of Vermont. I think four days is the longest stretch of time that we've had where we were simply home alone as a family without company or traveling ourselves. It's been wonderful to see so many friends and relatives. DH's brother is here right now, and his parents arrive tomorrow. These are our final guests of the summer. We'll do a little entertaining for local friends in the final weeks of vacation, and then settle in for the long stretch until our next visitors arrive around Thanksgiving. It is amazing how many more of our friends want to visit now that we've moved. I guess Vermont is a far more attractive locale than West Virginia (Greenbriar aside).

Summer has been filled with swimming at the lake down the street, working on our garden, hiking in the Green and White Mountains, making jam, organizing the house, and enjoying our taste of heaven - two weeks in northern Michigan (where the water was so warm, I actually swam in Lake Michigan nearly every day - something I haven't done since I was about ten and unafraid of cold water). I also started a short story while we were in Michigan and am hoping to find time to complete it before summer is over.

Baby H celebrated his first birthday and was baptized as well. We were thrilled to have his godmother (my sister) with us from California. Hopefully she and her husband will be back this winter to ski.

I've begun to work on lesson plans for the fall and am very excited about my new class of (count them) nine students -- oh the joys of teaching in private schools!

I continue to find inspiration and entertainment perusing blogs - both those I've read for years, and the new treasures I seem to find weekly or even daily. Here's hoping for a perfect final month of summer for all.

Is it summer yet?

2010-06-03T15:10:00.003-04:00

Today was the last day of school for many of the public schools in our area. Our little private school? Still six more days to go. Sigh...

Hard to believe I haven't posted in a month! I have been faithfully reading all my preppy favorites and have spent far too much time reading all the lovely blogs linked to Just a Girl and Nester...

Fifth grade continues to be fun but exhausting. We are in the middle of one of those schoolwide learning fairs that involves dioramas, tri-fold poster presentations, vinyl tablecloths draped from the ceiling, and kids wearing facepaint and tails. My classroom was transformed into the Great Northern Forest and looked fabulous - my kiddos did a great job. I am so proud of them.

On the home front, I am drowning in laundry, and the shoes by my front door continue to multiply when I'm not looking. I keeping closing my eyes and envisioning all the things I am going to do (when I have time) now that I've been inspired by the world of crafty mom blogs. :-)

May is a crazy month in the teaching/parenting world and we have been inundated with parties, concerts, awards ceremonies, and field trips. The girls had their dance recital as well - an entire weekend given over to three performances in the really lovely auditorium of a small college that was sadly thirty minutes from home. Lots of time on the road...

Gorgeous weather here in our new home state has allowed for barbecues, lake swims and hiking galore. Even with the black flies - we love Vermont!

Irony

2010-04-17T10:45:00.002-04:00

Remember this house? The one I fell in love with. The 209-year-old center hall colonial with brand new gourmet kitchen and fireplaces in four rooms. The one that we made multiple offers on, though never high enough to suit the owners?

Relisted a few weeks ago.

For $1500 less than the highest offer we made.

I'd laugh if I didn't want to cry.

Update

2010-04-01T21:21:00.004-04:00

I have no idea if anyone will remember me after the loooong hiatus... but to at least make my fabulous in-laws happy, here is a post with a few pictures.

Things have been incredibly busy around here! Trying to balance teaching and parenting has been a complete challenge. I've been learning a lot from my class of (mostly) wonderful but (VERY) high energy fifth graders. Much of the transition to this new age has been a pleasant change (much less grading, planning for subjects I've never taught before like social studies and science, the opportunity to do some very fun projects, and students who approach (almost) every day with enthusiasm and curiosity. Some things have been, well, less pleasant... but the good definitely outweighs the bad. Seeing Miss E on campus each day is priceless.

Being away from Baby H has not been easy. I know it is only a few hours each morning, but part of me wishes we could have the one-on-one mornings I enjoyed with E when she was little. I cannot wait for the summer and three glorious months of just being Mommy.

Winter in Vermont was fantastic. There was quite a lot of this:

And plenty of cozy evenings by the fire, watching family movies or hockey. We also did a lot of ice skating. We discovered that the lake by our house has an ice rink maintained by our little village, and there were several very poorly played but fun family hockey games.

Mud season was blissfully short, and our unseasonably warm weather is making DH think grilling and gardening, making me think spring cleaning and organizing (with all my free time!), making E think it is time to start riding lessons, and making S ask me each day whether we can swim in the lake yet!

I have been keeping up with many of your blogs, and am looking forward to posting more regularly and having enough time to leave comments.

Wishing you all a blessed Holy Week and Happy Easter!

Little S's Career Choices:

2010-01-11T16:40:00.003-05:00

The past few weeks, Little S has been very focused on what she will be when she grows up. She is currently trying to decide between becoming a pizza farmer (!) or going to college and then becoming an elf at the North Pole. When asked what she would do as an elf, she replies that she will be in charge of "tying bows." Just don't expect her to wear the traditional elf ensemble . She insists that she won't do it - she wants to wear a tutu.

Who Knew...

2010-01-04T16:38:00.002-05:00

That teaching fifth grade would be more stressful than teaching high school!

Today was also Baby H's first time away from me for more than an hour. It was only three and a half hours, but apparently he cried almost the entire time. My heart absolutely broke leaving him this morning.

I really hope this gets easier...

Coming Clean in the New Year - True Confessions

2010-01-01T09:16:00.003-05:00

Happy 2010 to everyone! A new year calls for resolutions of course, but before I post those or show you my favorite Christmas gift (handmade by Miss E), I thought I should make a clean breast of things. After all, most of these are the basis for my resolutions. (These and the fluctuating 7-10 pounds of pregnancy weight that won't go away!)

1. I am a VERY lazy environmentalist. I love the earth and I try to do my best to protect it. Unfortunately, my inherent laziness tends to undermine my best intentions. For example? We recycle. A lot. But if I'm faced with a container that held something tricky to clean out, like peanut butter, I'm afraid that sucker goes straight to the trash can and from thence to the land fill. Also, if the composter in the kitchen is full, I have been known to consign perfectly biodegradable material to the trash, sending banana peels and apple cores off to that same peanut butter jar-riddled land fill. (Good thing I don't live in San Francisco!) I've also been known to drive well out of my way to get to a Starbucks with a drive through - enlarging my carbon footprint because I'm too lazy to drag three children in with me while I get my caffeine fix.

2. I yell at my children (Miss E and Little S - NOT baby. I have infinite patience for babies. Once they turn three though - all bets are off). There. I admitted it. I don't think I'm a bad mother. I spend time with my children. Play with them, read to them, teach them, help them and keep them clean (usually), appropriately dressed for the weather, and healthy. They're bright, happy kids who know that they're loved and who are friendly and loving. However. While I can be quite patient under normal circumstances - the selective listening of my seven-year-old and stubbornness of my four-year-old can drive me to lose my temper and raise my voice. If you have any tricks for dealing with spirited children, please share.

3. I am a complete theater geek. I love plays. Love musicals. Sing show tunes all the time. One of my favorite parts of being a teacher is reading plays out loud with my students. Reading The Importance of Being Earnest with my Honors freshmen last year (I read Lady Bracknell) was so much fun. How obsessed am I? Well, when I was studying abroad in Scotland, I went with some friends to see a production of Hamlet. The performance was so dire that we left after the third act, went back to my friend's flat, and read the entire play aloud, certain that we could do a better job. I'm not sure how successful we were, but in our wine-saturated state, we judged ourselves to be brilliant. (This isn't something I want to change -- just something I wanted to share.)

4. I love to craft, but my skills are limited to wielding scissors, glue gun, and paint pens. I desperately want to learn how to sew something more complicated than simple seams and reattaching buttons.

What about you? Any New Year's resolutions or confessions?

Do This:

2009-12-24T10:28:00.002-05:00

1. You are not allowed to go to the mall today. Whatever it is - you don't need it enough to deal with the insanity of the mall on the 24th. If Santa doesn't come through with whatever it is you think you need to buy, just think how much cooler your kids will think you are when YOU give them the items Santa forgot. Buy it next week. On sale.

2. Smile at people. Strangers too. Wish them, "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." It will make you feel good. Promise.

3. Go for a Christmas walk or hike tomorrow. (Weather permitting.) This is my favorite holiday tradition from childhood, and the one DH and I most love sharing with our children.

4. Remember the reason for the season. For most of you, like me, it will be the miracle of God's love and the amazing gift He gave us... but if not, family love and spending time with your loved ones is a nice second.

5. Have a Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday?

2009-12-15T10:09:00.002-05:00

Cannot believe I went so long without posting! I have been inundated with holiday-related tasks, prepping for my new job, and putting together Miss E's 7th birthday party. The party was Sunday and went off without a hitch, but I was thoroughly exhausted after.

I was really looking forward to Monday, my last day as a 33-year-old, with nothing scheduled except a well-check at the pediatrician for Miss E. I had big plans for folding laundry, reading and cuddling baby while working steadily to diminish our supply of K-cups.

Instead? I backed into the frame of the garage door and managed to do over $600 worth of damage to the Odyssey. Not to mention what I did to the garage. Looks like I'll be getting car repairs for Christmas.... just what I always wanted.

Today is my birthday, and after yesterday, things can only get better.

Currently Coveting Cashmere

2009-11-17T09:43:00.004-05:00

Nothing like a nice alliterative title for a post!

I should be catching up on my "grateful" posts, but am so swamped with the impending arrival of my mother, lesson plans, and grad school applications, I can only manage this short post. But to keep the theme going, I promise I will be very thankful and grateful should someone get me the two cozies pictured here from LL Bean.

Frivolous, but oh well!

2009-11-13T08:51:00.002-05:00

Today I am grateful to In the Life of 5-Year-Olds. I stopped by her cute blog to see how her sweet baby was growing, and I noticed a link at the top of her blog that said"shabbyblogs.com." Ooooh, I thought, it must be a catalog of blogs featuring shabby chic decor - my favorite eye candy. I hastily clicked, ready to read and be inspired, but what I found was even better.

Lovely blog templates. So pretty. So easy to install. So... FREE!

I have always wanted a prettier blog and now I have it! (Now if I could just find a similar quick and easy fix for everything else in my life that needs prettying up!)

Thankful for Divine Intervention...

2009-11-12T11:13:00.003-05:00

By my calculations, I have given thanks for nine things, and as today is the 12th, I need to do 10-12. As in real life, I am running behind and trying to play catch up.

10. I am so excited and grateful for my new job (yes - I got it!). I will be making quite a bit less than before BUT I will be on the same campus with my daughters, in the same building with Miss E, we will get complete tuition remission for the girls (and someday, Baby H), and I will have far less grading and the fun of working with ten and eleven-year-olds. We were stressing about the girls' tuition and there was a real chance that they would have had to change schools next year. I prayed a lot, asking God to help us find a way to manage (and I almost never ask God for specific things) and within days this job appeared. Divine intervention? I am so grateful for this.

11. I recently spent some time browsing blogs and found some new favorites. I'm not sure why I had never been by Nesting Place or Just a Girl before, but I was overjoyed to find them and will obviously be back frequently. The pictures are so gorgeous and inspiring -- I want to redecorate my entire home now! If you haven't stopped by these blogs before, head on over and check them out. I guarantee you will be rearranging furniture and painting things before you can stop yourself!

12. Finally, I know global warming is a bad thing... but I am super thankful for the unseasonably warm temperatures here in Vermont.

Thankful Part III...

2009-11-09T13:37:00.002-05:00

Thankful for the following (I'm a bit behind so here are 4)

1. Friday's job interview.

2. The fact that I have a job I like, making the results of this interview less stressful.

3. The fact that they are having me come for a second interview tomorrow.

4. The fact that my husband is so supportive that he is encouraging me as I pursue a job that pays a little more than half what I make at our current school.

Wish me luck!

Grateful It's Thursday

2009-11-05T11:52:00.002-05:00

I love Thursdays. Not only are we within kissing distance of the weekend, but I can look forward to two of my favorite activities - a walk to the coffee shop while Little S is in ballet, and tonight's new episode of Project Runway. I don't watch a lot of television besides football and hockey -- but Project Runway has me hooked.

Grateful... the obvious answers...

2009-11-04T08:17:00.004-05:00

Black Labs and Lilly has been doing a series of posts about things for which she is grateful. What a great way to lead up to Thanksgiving and Christmas! I'm joining right in and, as it is already the fourth, here are FOUR things I feel grateful for each and everyday:

1. Miss E - Wonderful, beautiful, so smart, and oh so dramatic. Exactly what I wished for when I was first pregnant and imagining my future daughter.

2. Little S - Spunky, brave, sweet and outgoing. You are the perfect complement to your big sister.

3. Baby H - Your conception after the miscarriages was an unlooked for miracle. Our time together at Dartmouth was scary, yes, but I am grateful for those eight days where I was able to focus entirely on you, my little boy. Being home with you is a blessing.

4. I am so grateful that the three of you love each other so much. Sibling relationships can be fraught with competition and jealousy (and my girls do have a dash of that), but the way in which the three of you care for one another, makes me happier than I can express.

Ubiquitous Costume Pics

2009-11-01T08:32:00.002-05:00

My three little pink trick or treaters.

My "wee, sleekit, cowran, tim'rous beastie."

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween. Our family had a good time at a friend's Halloween party, but the weather was so rainy that Little S, Baby H and I only went to about eight houses before heading back in. Miss E, DH, and the rest of the kids and their parents from the party were far more serious about their "candy acquisition mission" and persevered despite the weather.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T10:58:00.003-04:00

Time to trick or treat!

(image blatantly stolen from Martha Stewart)

Sweet Dreams

2009-10-27T10:43:00.002-04:00

Preppy Sue Where Are You?

2009-10-26T11:22:00.001-04:00

???

IP Update

2009-10-26T10:27:00.004-04:00

Where have I been?

Busy!

I've really been enjoying being a stay-at-home mommy, and have been trying to take advantage of this time at home before I go back to teaching. So I've been chaperoning, volunteering, class mommying, and trying to adjust to chauffeuring Miss E and Little S to their activities. Both girls have dance classes, and E has started swim team and Daisy Scouts - Friday is our only activity-free day, and invariably we'll have dentist or doctors appointments that day.

Baby H is doing well, though his breathing is still noisy and we are still going to Dartmouth every couple of weeks.

Here are a few pictures of recent(ish) events.

Little S in what was supposed to be her birthday dress, but wasn't worn until weeks afterward due to the Baby H whooping cough drama.

Miss E on her class's field trip to an apple orchard in New Hampshire. They acted out a little play about apples - this was her costume.

Cute girls with apples... or two witches from Snow White... you decide.

Little S on her first day of Pre-K.

Pink and green, and on their way to the IP home!

2009-09-23T11:43:00.004-04:00

Check out the uber-cute pink and green shoes headed to our house for Miss E! Aren't these cute? I wish the picture was larger, but just click on the link to see them up close and personal. On sale right now at Lands End for $24.99. I also have a free shipping code if anyone wants it. Perfect for fall and back to school - I'm not sure who's looking forward to these more - Miss E or her mama!

Hmmm... Miss E (home from school early with a fever) informed me that she prefers the purple shoes with horses. (Too late babe, mommy already ordered the other ones. Sorry!) Either it's the fever talking or mommy will need to work harder at indoctrinating Miss E to the love of pink and green.

Most Annoying Art Supplies?

2009-09-16T10:57:00.003-04:00

First, thanks for the advice re:the girls' room. I am definitely planning on painting those built-ins when my mom is here to visit next month (someone to watch baby while I paint!). Unfortunately the logs look a bit odd when painted (the previous owners did it in the bathrooms when they renovated them) so that's out. I wish the beds could go on either side of the window, but then the last set of drawers in the built-in can't be opened (problem!) - perhaps I'll try pairing them elsewhere in the room. Hopefully I'll be posting an updated picture by Halloween.

Now, today's question for all moms and preschool teachers:

Which arts and craft material do you find most annoying and why?

The IP family LOVES art projects, but certain supplies (glitter glue anyone?) drive me crazy.

Can anyone guess which particular type of art supplies put Miss E in the hospital when she was two?

Blushing...

2009-09-15T11:52:00.001-04:00

Apparently, the room is beyond help? (Raise your hand if your advice was going to be: move!)

Home Tour Monday - Girls' Room

2009-09-14T11:38:00.006-04:00

The Mrs. over at One Fabulous Mom is hosting a home tour. She's posted some gorgeous pictures of her home (I covet her dining room) and invited us to do the same.

Today's theme? Children's rooms. My daughters' bedroom is a dilemma I have yet to solve - so I thought I would post it in its current state and solicit advice from all of you design-savvy bloggers.

As you can see, our new home is a cabin - a major change from our 1920's garrison colonial back in Wheeling (sigh...). This creates issue number one - two of the walls are log and two are similar to a wide bead board. We can't paint the logs, but I am tempted to paint the other two walls. Would that look odd? Should I paint them cream, off-white, pale pink or soft green?

The rugs in there look pretty sad right now. The big one is from our old playroom and doesn't match at all. The little one is from E's toddler room and has seen better days. The plan is to find a remnant in a color we like and have it bound to create a giant area rug. This needs to happen soon - before the weather gets any colder.

Problem two? The ceiling slopes on both sides of the room. This along with the wall of built-ins, two doors and window make placing furniture difficult.

Speaking of furniture - they need some! Right now they're using the bunk beds DH had when he was little and a random bookshelf from my college days. I really want to get them matching beds in white wood or iron, a new white wooden bookshelf with more shelves (they have so many books that there is a second shelf in the hall and more books in the basement), and a white table and chairs set for the middle of the room. However, that expenditure will have to wait until I go back to work. Can anyone propose a better way of arranging what they have? The only other item that needs significant room is the doll house.

The next issue stems from the fact that we went from six bedrooms in our previous house to just three in the cabin. The girls have no choice but to share this room. Size-wise this isn't a problem - it is a fairly large room and the built-in drawers mean that we don't need to fit a dresser in the room. However, it did mean dealing with their bedding. E's old room had pink walls and she had the Rachel Ashwell bedding pictured. Little S had lavender walls, PBK lavender gingham curtains, and the Isabella toile bedding in lavender with a non-PBK quilt and sham that coordinated. I posted her room ages ago... Anyway, I divided E's bedding between the two - S has the quilt and E has the duvet. Should I go ahead and pick up a second duvet cover and quilt? Or should I let S have her old bedding and keep the new rug we're going to get and curtains in green which is the one color the two sets have in common?

The built-ins... to paint or not to paint?

The chandelier from E's old room. This staying no matter what we do.

Current bedding. Hmmm... we might need a storage solution for those stuffed animals.

That's it. Any and all suggestions welcome!
Thanks for stopping by!

What's Almost as Much Fun as Colic?

2009-09-14T07:52:00.002-04:00

Discovering that your four-year old had left raisins in her pocket that you didn't discover pre-washing and drying.

Yup - my dryer now looks like an oatmeal raisin cookie - sans oatmeal.

Labor Day Fun and (Lord Help Me) the Dreaded Colic

2009-09-11T07:49:00.003-04:00

Yes - I am only now posting about last weekend. This is what happens when you throw a third child into the mix. Oh, and give that third child colic (advice please!!!!).

Labor day weekend was wonderful (especially since the colic episodes were strictly a 7-9pm happening at that point). Friday DH and I went on our first date in over a month. We took baby with us and headed out to our favorite restaurant. Naturally baby had an episode, but after DH took him on a stroll around the parking lot, all was well.

Saturday DH and the girls harvested our apple crop, and faced with an absurd number of apples, I made apple sauce. A lot of apple sauce. Luckily we went to a friend's party the next day and I needed to bring a side dish anyway, so we avoided the fridge full of apple sauce (Please mommy, not apple sauce again!) scenario. I really need to learn to can. Anyway the party was a great time (my first mojito in ten months!).

Monday we took baby on his first hike. We went to the Groton State Forest and climbed Big Deer Mountain. Baby H LOVED the hike - he kept looking up at me and smiling. I am seriously in love with my new carrier. We used a Bjorn with the girls when they were infants, and my back was always sore after hiking. My lovely mother-in-law bought Baby H an Ergo carrier and it is so SO much more comfortable - for me and for baby. I highly recommend it if you have or are going to have an infant. Would make a fabulous shower gift as well.

When we came home after hiking, DH made a delicious dinner (scallop appetizer, caprese salad, ahi tuna - yum!) and we let the girls watch The Game Plan. OK, we watched too. Such a cute movie and very grown-up friendly - even DH was entertained.

That's it. The week that followed has been fairly standard, save for Little S's first day of Pre-K, and the introduction of full blown colic for Baby H. (Seriously, any advice is welcome. Neither of the girls had colic, so I am at my wits' end here.)

Thoughts from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Dartmouth

2009-09-03T11:59:00.003-04:00

Please immunize your child.

Please encourage your friends and family to immunize their children.

Please get your pertussis booster! (Did you know that your dpt immunization loses its effectiveness after about 15 years? You need a booster and so do your teens.)

My little H and I spent eight days in the PICU at Dartmouth because someone somewhere gave me whooping cough (pertussis) and my own doctor misdiagnosed me (she said it was a URI) which meant I ended up infecting my vulnerable 1 month old (who is even more vulnerable because his swollen vocal cords already impact his airway).

We were finally discharged on Friday, but H is still having coughing fits and has to be watched closely. They say he should be finished coughing in 3-4 weeks. Poor little guy.

Because of the misdiagnosis, I went untreated for a month, meaning that the disease wreaked havoc on my lungs, and I am now dealing with asthma-like issues, including occasions where I cannot breathe and need an inhaler. I had no idea that the immunization wears off - if I had had a booster this whole ordeal could have been avoided. Hopefully this post will help some of you avoid similar situations. Please spread the word!

Baby H's First Three Weeks

2009-08-17T15:45:00.002-04:00

3 Weeks Old - Highlights have included his first trip to the dentist (keeping Little S company) and his first cold (cue the massive spit-up episodes and a cough that breaks my heart). Poor little thing. Happy things - he's discovered that he loves his swing and he's started looking at people's faces instead of lamps and windows.

2 Weeks Old - Yes, he's crying, but he looked so cute in this outfit I had to include the picture. On the agenda for week 2 - accompanying his sisters to their swimming lessons and a trip to Dartmouth to see a pediatric ENT. He loves to be held and is a complete snuggle bug.

1 Week Old! Just the happiest, sweetest little baby. He is incredibly easy. To mark his one week birthday he left the house for the first time (with the exception of a trip to the pediatrician on day 5) to journey to Hanover, NH for lunch and a trip to the Montshire Museum with his family and grandparents. (My in-laws were here for a week and were amazing! They took care of everything and I was completely spoiled.)

Introducing Baby H

2009-08-09T10:36:00.002-04:00

Well here he is - the reason I haven't posted in forever. Baby H arrived July 22 at 3:45 am. 19.5 inches and 7 pounds 15 ounces. (My biggest baby and my only completely natural delivery - figures!) Baby is doing beautifully despite being a bit "squeaky" due to swollen vocal cords. Mommy and Daddy are completely in love with him, and his big sisters are thrilled - especially Little S who kisses him about once every five minutes.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and looking forward to returning to the blog world this fall.

Baby H's Nursery - or - Decorating for the Preppy Yet Impoverished

2009-06-10T08:55:00.004-04:00

So after months of putting off the purchase of anything baby-related (too busy, too superstitious after the miscarriages, and frankly, too impoverished), I've finally started putting the pieces together for Baby H's nursery. About time, no? I was lucky enough to be given a baby shower by some new friends last week and sorting through all the precious baby boy outfits and other cute presents reminded me that I had better get serious about preparing for this new member of our family.

When we moved from West Virginia we sold or donated nearly everything from the girls' babyhood. The only things we kept were the crib and crib mattress. Much of this was solved by a quick (but expensive!) online trip to Babiesrus. But while a new carseat, bouncy chair, etc. were mandatory, I wasn't sure about baby's bedding. For both E and S I used the blue gingham bedding from Pottery Barn. Each girl had a quilt - E's was handmade by my mom, and Little S had the white Amanda quilt from PBK. When I picked out the blue gingham, I was trying to keep things neutral in case baby #2 was a boy. How ironic is it that the blue gingham is long gone and we are now finally having a boy? Hear that? - It's the fates laughing at me. :-)

I looked at the current options at all the usual suspects (Target, Land of Nod, Pottery Barn) and was feeling pretty uninspired. I loved so many of the girl choices, but the only boy options I liked just didn't seem right for our new house. I remembered seeing two collections in the PBK catalog in years past that I had thought perfect for a boy at the time. The Chamois Lambie and Cottontail Friends lines were so sweet and just right for the log cabin look of the new house. Alas they were no longer being made. A little Ebay searching and the Chamois Lambie line was mine for about 1/4 of what it would have cost new. I was anxious about the condition, but it arrived looking like new. Quilt, bumper and crib skirt - check! I am still hoping to track down the rug for the set - wish me luck!

With the bedding safely stowed in the new room, and new green gingham sheets on order, the crib will be all set for Baby H. The bassinet (the only other item to survive the pre-Vermont purge) will also be ready to go - I ordered new sheets for that last night.

What's left to be done:

1. Choose some sort of window treatment.

2. Paint the changing table our friends are giving us.

3. Find a small table for beside the nursery chair. Paint it. Find a lamp to go on it.

4. Paint the non-log sections of the walls and the built-in drawers.

36 days left. Give or take a few days. And the above is just the nursery prep list! I still have to finish getting together Baby's layette and diapers, wash everything in Dreft, and hover by the mail box waiting for the car seat and other items to arrive from Babiesrus. Wish me luck!

Pictures of the new house are in my camera, I will try to post them in the next day or two.

3 Down, 1 to Go!

2009-06-05T08:03:00.001-04:00

LET'S GO PENS!

The IP Family Finds a Home

2009-05-27T11:12:00.003-04:00

Remember this post from a few weeks back?

The answer to the question? Our adorable new house. Yes, the IP family, with mere weeks to spare on the lease/baby deadline fronts, has found our new home. The vacation cabin of a certain ambassador is now ours (or will be Friday). Small, yes, but charming and nicely situated in one of the cutest New England villages. A three-minute bike ride from a beautiful lake, and baths and sunroom were recently renovated so there is almost nothing to be done. Such a relief. We close Friday. Pictures to follow closing.

Let the packing push commence!

PS - Those of you in the mood for a decorating challenge, please think of ways to decorate a log cabin when you prefer a cottage meets traditional decorating style. Seriously, I am going to need help with this one.

The J Family: 3 Vermonters, 1 Southerner and 2 Water-Crazed Dogs

2009-05-24T13:07:00.002-04:00

I guess all those summers swimming with their Papa in Lake Michigan have paid off - my three Vermonters (ages 3, 6 and 40) are all out swimming in the pond on a cloudy, breezy, 65 degree day. Both Labs are swimming with them.

Yours truly (who never goes beyond my ankles in Lake Michigan!) is inside, wearing a sweater and capris, packing boxes because I think it is cold out. (Once a southerner...)

Red Wings Beware!

2009-05-24T09:03:00.002-04:00

What could be more fun than a series in which I get to watch not one, but two Staals? Hmm... perhaps a series in which my Pens overwhelm the 'Canes and win the first three games in definitive fashion. Red Wings Beware!

Anyone Else Feeling Overwhelmed?

2009-05-18T15:31:00.002-04:00

Is it just me, or is every single day this month (and the first half of next month) scheduled with some event? Add to the insane schedule, a stack of papers to grade that is daunting in its height, the joys of third trimester pregnancy, and an impending move (packing OMG!), and I am tempted to just throw my hands up in the air, book a ticket to somewhere warm and sunny, and not come back until June 15th.

Mother's Day in Maine

2009-05-14T16:04:00.003-04:00

So where did we end up going?

Well, it was difficult to tell at first. We headed out from Vermont through New Hampshire, so I knew Boston was not the destination. I held my breath as we drove on through Bretton Woods (no Mt Washington Hotel), and began to make a mental list of places we had talked about visiting in Maine.

The winner?

Freeport! Home to Mecca (LL Bean).

DH picked the perfect location. We arrived precisely at check-in time and were able to freshen up before heading out to explore. We stayed here which was ideal thanks to its prime location right near restaurants and shopping, with the bonus of a pool and cookies to keep the girls happy.

Our first outing took us to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, where we took a hike that was just the right length for someone 31 weeks pregnant, and had the bonus of offering several sets of stairs down to little beaches where the girls were able to play while DH and I relaxed. The views were gorgeous despite the overcast day.

Our original dinner plans were to find something similar to Ray's in Rye Beach, but the first restaurant we tried was too crowded, and the next was almost empty (meaning, we assumed, that the food wasn't very good). We ended up abandoning our plans for seafood and ate dinner at a third place, The Mediterranean Grill, which ended up being delicious. The rain started to fall in thick sheets just as we were finishing dessert. Naturally, our umbrellas were still in the car which was parked blocks away at restaurant number two. DH grabbed little S and I took E by the hand and, holding newspapers over our heads, we ran up the street to Bean. (This is actually probably my favorite memory of the trip as we were all laughing and the girls thought it was tremendous fun.)

LL Bean was (as always) a pleasure and far too full of tempting things. The girls each did well, DH bought 4 things, all of them either khaki or navy (love him, but the man does NOT like to go outside his comfort zone with clothes), and I managed to control myself and hold it to two items since I won't be able to wear anything until at least late August. (I'll post the cuter items sometime in the next few days - I love LOVE my new skirt and you can bet I will be trying it on at least once a week from the end of July until I can squeeze into it.)

Back to the hotel for swimming and then the entire family fell asleep together by 9:30.

Brunch the next morning was at the hotel and was followed by a second trip to Bean, a dash through North Face, and then J Crew. Our last stop was to get E her new bike at the Bean boat and bike store. She loves it. I loved watching her ride it. I did not love explaining to S why she wasn't getting a new bike yet. (Many tears, etc. Not pleasant.)

We headed back to restaurant number one for our lunch. (It was even more crowded than the evening before, but we were NOT leaving without at least one fresh seafood meal.) The food was incredibly good, and if you are ever in the area I highly recommend it. (Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster).

The drive back, both girls fell asleep and DH and I were able to enjoy the drive and a quiet conversation. Perfect Mother's Day.

FYI - Nautical By Nature Give Away

2009-05-11T19:22:00.003-04:00

What could be a better summer give away than a pair of adorable Angela Moore bracelets? Head over to the uber-fabulous Nautical By Nature and check out her give away and her terrific blog!

Mother's Day Away...

2009-05-07T17:00:00.003-04:00

DH has informed me that we are going away for Mother's Day weekend with the girls. He won't tell me where, just that we're leaving Saturday morning and will be back Sunday evening. Given the time parameters and the fact that we're driving with the girls, my money is on one of the following:

Rye Beach, NH

Portland, ME

Mt Washingington Hotel, NH

Parker House Hotel, Boston

Three are places we've been and loved since moving to VT. One is a place we've planned on going for months now. Of course I could be entirely wrong, and we could be headed up to Canada for Montreal or Quebec. Hmmm...

What are your plans for Mother's Day?

What's Fun... and What's Not

2009-05-02T20:06:00.004-04:00

Fun:

1. Family Breakfast with Lots of Blueberry Pancakes and Smiling Faces

2. Long Walk on the Farm with the Family

3. Attending a Baby Shower for a New Friend

4. Finding a New Fabulous Sitter for My Girls

5. Watching a DVRed Hockey Game with DH After His Track Meet

6. Taking My Dressed Up Girls (wearing ALL of their play jewelry, sporting a fancy chapeau each, and carrying their little purses - too funny and cute!) Out for Dinner

Not So Fun:

Coming Home from the Above-Mentioned Shower to Find My Daughters Playing Outside in the Muddy Yard with Their Sitter... While Wearing Their NEW Never-Before Worn Lilly Dresses! (I had left them in play clothes... apparently they felt the need to dress up...)

Update: Spots all came out (!!!!) now I just need to get them pressed in time for Mother's Day brunch. You would think nearly a week would give me enough time to get to it, but the way things have been going, who knows. (Exhausted!)

Let's Go Pens!

2009-04-25T18:39:00.005-04:00

Here's to a successful comeback from one of the scariest first periods I've ever seen. On we go to Round 2!

PS - Thanks to the commentators for spending so much of Round 1 rhapsodizing about the contributions of Jordan Staal (and for providing lots of nice close ups!).

Quick - What do the US Ambassador to a Certain Asian Country and the IP Family Have in Common?

2009-04-21T13:22:00.003-04:00

Let the guessing begin!

Do Princesses Watch Hockey?

2009-04-16T17:28:00.000-04:00

Yes. Yes they do.

Round 1 - Game 1 - Here We Go!

2009-04-15T18:24:00.004-04:00

Really?

2009-04-15T09:57:00.006-04:00

Hmmm... so y'all find it more likely that my Easter would involve an ER trip than either Mass or Easter baskets? Really? I had no idea that I was giving off the atheist/accident prone vibe! :-) I do get the appeal of the last choice (Easter baskets and eggs) and its inherent irony... but no. The correct answer was the ER trip. (Thank goodness!)

The girls woke up (way too early) to hunt eggs and find their baskets; we did make it to Mass (all be it the 11:00, NOT the 7 or 9), followed that with yet another house-hunting drive, ate spanakopita (along with a green salad and strawberry shortcake), and proudly wore pink damask and lavender linen while the snow flurries blew past (ah, Easter in Vermont). I will have to post E's dress - it might be my all time favorite.

There we go. Don't you love that fabric? Makes me want to decorate a nursery. Wonder if DH would let me do a pink damask nursery for Baby H?)

Yesterday was gorgeous. Our entire family is on spring break, and with temperatures approaching 60 and a bright sun in the sky, we spent the entire day outside enjoying the farm. This place is going to be so difficult to leave. We've loved the privacy, the pond, the views, and being able to go hiking in our own backyard. I can't blame the owners for wanting to return, but I wish they would change their minds. On the bright side, it will be nice to finally find a place we can truly call our Vermont "home," and that I can decorate as I like. The house we're renting could be so gorgeous. Given a modest budget for paint, fabric and light fixtures, I could absolutely transform this place. (There's an idea for a post!)

Two more pictures... one of my massive belly swathed in pastel linen, and another of Little S in Miss E's Easter dress from age 3. Gotta love hand-me downs.

Off today on yet another round of house-hunting. Wish us luck!

Easter Quiz

2009-04-13T09:55:00.001-04:00

Here's hoping everyone had a beautiful and relaxing Easter. For fun, see if you can determine how our family's day went. (Take the poll/quiz above!)

Real Estate Heartbreak

2009-04-10T10:08:00.005-04:00

The past few weeks, all of our free time seems to have been consumed with viewing houses. We've been interested enough in two thus far to make offers. The first, which we found about three weeks ago, was a classic cape on six acres about 15 minutes from our school. Our relator ran the comps and we offered what he assured us was a fair price (about $30,000 under what they were asking), they countered by dropping the price $5000. We looked at the comps again, and said, "nevermind." We continued to search and were thrilled to find a home on 16 acres just 20 minutes from work. The log cabin on the property wasn't really our style (we're more colonial or cape people), but the property was so gorgeous we decided to go for it and offered the asking price. We were pretty excited and fairly certain we would get it. No word for over 24 hours, and then a call from our realtor. Someone else had made an offer of the same amount at that same time, and the seller chose theirs because they had no contingencies. The only contingency we had was a successful home inspection. Who buys a house without having it inspected first?!?

Back to square one, and time is ticking.

Doesn't help that I keep falling in love (online) with completely impractical homes. My most recent real estate crush is shown at the top. It is a darling house across from a beautiful lake and bears the distinction of being too far away, too expensive, and too small. Clearly, pregnancy is making me irrational.

Keep your fingers crossed for us... and if you happen to have an antique cape in Vermont that you're considering selling, please put it on the market. Thanks!

Where in the World Is the Impoverished Preppy?

2009-04-07T13:15:00.003-04:00

Still in Vermont... still pregnant...

I can't believe it has been over a month since I posted. Yikes! You can imagine how hectic life has gotten. I've missed reading all my favorite blogs and hearing what's going on in my fellow-bloggers' lives. How are all of you?

Here's a synopsis of what we've been doing over the past month or so:

Baby is a BOY (gasp!) - I didn't think it was physically possible for me to produce a boy (my mom is one of 3 sisters who went on to have five girls and a boy, and my female cousins and I had thus far produced 8 girls and 2 boys; we just don't do the boy thing), but unless the ultrasound was wrong, we'll be welcoming a boy in July. DH was thrilled, and I am now pretty happy about it; I'll admit it though - I cried when I found out. I think I read too many books about families of girls when I was growing up (Little Women, Ballet Shoes, All of a Kind Family, the Little House books). So much for my vision of four girls in matching smocked gingham dresses. Sigh...

Sold the House in West Virginia (!) - Given the market right now, we were happy to get it off our hands and actually get a decent price for it. Downside? We put so much money into the house, our profits are basically negated. Other downside - we've moved to a much more expensive area. For the past few weeks we've been looking at house after house, and finding that anything we like is either too expensive or too far away. The ones we can afford in the area? Either too small, too characterless, or too little land. Ugh. Given the fact that our current lease runs out this summer, and the impending arrival of baby #3, we really need to find something in the next month or two.

Teaching, teaching, teaching - Still loving our new school and my wonderful students, but the grading? Ugh. My three seniors were all accepted at their first choice colleges (yeah!), but now have varying degrees of senioritis.

Little S - Participated in a fashion show put on by the school. She loved every minute of it and looked so cute! I wouldn't let my daughters get involved in modeling at this age (hello - Cindy Crawford finished college first and so can they!), but for something like a charity fundraiser, sign them right up! Little S loved it so much that she and Miss E have taken to playing design studio at home (S is the model, E designs using a combination of yarn, fabric and tape) and when I arrived to pick her up at school this morning, she had all the little girls in her class dressed in princess outfits and was supervising an impromptu fashion show in the classroom.

Miss E - Her reading skills continue to amaze me, as does her ability to tell elaborate stories. Now if I (or her teachers) could just teach her to spell! Any suggestions for helping a kindergardener with spelling? (My favorite piece thus far involved this statement: "God is in spas." She meant "space" judging by the illustration, but I got a kick out of the idea of God getting a mani/pedi. :-)

Vermont continues to be a delight, although mud season can end any time now. Seriously. I love my pink wellies, but honestly? enough already!

Still Alive...

2009-02-17T16:40:00.002-05:00

Still alive. Still pregnant. Just so incredibly busy and exhausted that I can barely catch my breath, let alone blog. Really looking forward to next week (winter break!) for some time to relax,catch up on grading, travel to Boston with DH and the kids, update this blog, and read all of the blogs I've been missing!

Happy Inauguration Day... and a Question About Separation of Church and State

2009-01-20T12:50:00.004-05:00

What a tremendous day for our nation. This whole thing has moved me to tears on numerous occasions (of course, I am pregnant and hormonal) and made me more hopeful for our future than I can express.

Little S and I hurried home and watched (well, ok, I watched, she drew pictures) the Inauguration together. A few thoughts:

Michele: You are beautiful, and that is a lovely color for you, but I personally think sequins or rhinestones at noon is a bit, well, tacky.

Obama: Poised, graceful, gracious, and oh-so-human.

Aretha: The hat? Seriously. Big, no. Ugh. The singing? Well, suffice it to say that as she was singing, S looked up and said "I can sing better than her is." (I know, we're working on the grammar.) She then proceeded to sing John, Jacob, Jingleheimer Schmidt at top volume until Aretha finished up.

John Roberts: And you referred to him as Senator instead of President Elect why? Was it intentional or a slip up?

The Address: A well-written, well-delivered call to move forward.

The Poem: Eh.

And now, something that bothered me far more than sequins or giant bow hats. While I am Catholic and my faith is important to me, I value our nation's supposed separation of church and state. Or rather, our tendency to use an all-purpose "God" when making national religious statements. (In God We Trust, One Nation Under God, etc.) In this way (in my opinion), each faith can insert their own particular God and apply the statement to themselves. True, atheists tend to be unhappy... but for the most part, people can feel included.

The Our Father, however, is such an exclusively Christian/Catholic prayer... I was fairly shocked when it was included in today's ceremony. I couldn't help but think of all the Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, and other Americans who must have been standing on that Mall, or sitting at home, listening to that "other America" reciting a prayer of which they were not a part. I don't know why I was so bothered by this... but I was.

Thoughts?

Wait a Minute... It's How Cold?

2009-01-20T06:03:00.003-05:00

To make you feel truly grateful for the weather where you are... a picture of the thermometer in my car last Friday. Yes, that does, in fact, state that it was negative thirty-one degrees.

Thankful for electric blankets, down quilts, North Face, and Uggs.

Home at Last

2009-01-06T07:50:00.005-05:00

Well the family vacation is at an end. We drove from Vermont to West Virginia to Ann Arbor and then across Canada. You can imagine the effect of that much time sitting on someone at the end of their first trimester. Not fun The girls were amazing on the long drives and had a fantastic time seeing their friends and grandparents and cousins. Unfortunately, Miss E is struggling with missing her grandmother and has been routinely bursting into tears around 8:30 pm and insisting on calling my mom to talk to her. I'm glad she loves her grandmother, but I'm hoping she adjusts to being back. Little S keeps asking about her friend Grace and her ballet teacher in Wheeling. Both girls miss their old house and their rooms.

Seeing our friends and family was wonderful. The Steeler game (I was still sick) was a lot of fun for DH and his pal, MCL. The Pens game, despite their miserable performance, was also fun. It was hard to see our house and realize that we will probably only be back one more time - to pack up the last of our things and oversee the loading of all our furniture. Still, seeing Wheeling in all of its gloomy, boarded-up steel/coal town glory was a strong reminder of why we moved. Loved our friends, house and neighborhood... but otherwise, ick.

The girls started back to school yesterday and were excited to see their friends and teachers. DH and I have this week off as well, so I am enjoying my week as a stay-at-home mom. (I know there are lots of sides to the "who has it tougher - stay-at-home moms or working moms" argument, but seriously, having been on both sides, unless you have a full-time housekeeper or a very low-stress job, I have to say working mommies have it a lot harder.)

Santa brought Miss E skates for Christmas and she has been twice since we returned home. Yesterday we let her skate for 45 minutes after school with two of the little girls from her class and it was really fun to watch the three of them skating, falling, and laughing together.

Off to Dartmouth this afternoon for a special ultrasound. Keep your fingers crossed that all is as it should be. This is the last confirmation that everything is okay... when the results of this come in, I'll finally be able to relax. I'm convinced this one is a boy - I am still nauseous every day (morning and evening), and with both girls I was finished with morning sickness by week 8 or 9. Anyone else have a boy and a girl and notice a big difference in the pregnancies?

Christmas Break - By the Numbers

2008-12-27T11:33:00.003-05:00

2: Days taken to drive from Vermont to West Virginia.

1: Ice storms driven through.

50: People in line at the Vermont Country Deli outside of Bennington (My favorite customer? The fur-coated woman from Connecticut with her nanny and twins in tow. Head-to-toe stereotype.)

NOTE: To clarify, so that I don't offend all of you nice people from Connecticut. I mean stereotypical uninvolved rich mother... as in the mother from The Nanny Diaries.)

3: Frantic calls from dog/fish/house-sitter after she locked herself out. (We were in New York by that time.)

3: Members of our family with icky colds.

2: Trips to Target since we arrived on the 24th.

1: Day left until Steelers' game. Hope I kick this cold.

3: Half doses of Sudafed guiltily consumed in 48 hours in a desperate attempt to feel better.

3: Days until the Pens game!!!!

Crewcuts Finds

2008-12-27T10:55:00.005-05:00

All of the following are from crewcuts. Everything shown is down to $29.99 or less. A few things were $16.99. The socks shown (aren't they cute?) were $9.99. Those tartan boots (love!) just $19.99!

Post-Holiday Preppy Deals:

2008-12-27T10:33:00.006-05:00

I'm not a huge fan of Christmas shopping (except online) - too many crowds, too much stress. Just not fun. But shopping AFTER Christmas, completely different story. Prices are lower, people are less stressed, and the stores are nowhere near as crowded. And post-Christmas shopping online? Even better.

Here are a few of the cute things I found on Lands End this morning:

Wish this picture was bigger! Darling kelly green patent mocs- $19.99.

Adorable embroidered cord belts. Lots of colors- $9.99.

To keep baby cozy, a sweet cashmere cardi - $49.99.

Finally, this cashmere tee with anchor motif - $79.99. (And since I can't order anything other than maternity clothes right now, I'm hoping one of my fellow preppy bloggers will pick up this cute sweater!)

Since my cold is still lingering, and I am trying to get better in time for tomorrow's Steelers' game, I'll probably be doing a lot of online shopping today. Stay tuned for more preppy finds!

Cue Holiday Panic

2008-12-22T14:19:00.007-05:00

Remember this cute little guy from last year's Christmas post? Well, he is currently informing me that there are but three days until Christmas. This makes me (pardon my language) officially screwed.

Current Status of Holiday Check List:

Cards: Matching blue Kingsfield sweaters duly purchased from LL Bean for girls to wear. Loads of snow have fallen for perfect backdrop. Girls? Both sick with colds giving them pink noses and circles under their eyes. Christmas cards will be Holiday cards...

Presents: Most of the girls' gifts have been taken care of. DH's gifts are also checked off the list. (Though I am fairly certain that he hasn't gotten me anything yet.) Gifts for family members and children of various friends? Unpurchased.

Decorations: White lights, a few decorations and the little tree in the kitchen here at the Vermont house. We plan to buy a live tree and decorate it on Christmas Eve in the Wheeling house.

Teachers'/Neighbors'/Family Friends' Gifts: The one thing I did manage to pull off in a timely fashion. Multiple batches of Ina's French chocolate bark prepared, packaged and delivered.

Travel Plans: We're supposed to leave tomorrow morning. Currently we have not packed, and I have about three more loads of laundry to finish before I can start. Dog/fish/house sitter is taken care of, thank goodness. Did I mention that 16 inches of snow fell yesterday (on top of the 14 inches we already had) and that it is STILL snowing?

Family Health: DH - Mr. "I'm Norwegian and have the world's strongest immune system" is perfectly healthy. Both girls have awful colds, as do I. Just what you want when you're about to travel, no?

Hope that all of you are set for a happy and healthy holidays.

Christmas Meme

2008-12-21T09:59:00.003-05:00

Candy Cane Meme

Preppy Pettit has tagged me for a Candy Cane meme. The instructions are to copy, paste, answer, add a question, then tag the 3 bloggers with the most recent updates on your blog feed/roll.

1. What is/are your favorite Christmas Movie(s)? White Christmas and Love Actually.

2. Favorite Christmas Song? When I was little it was Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but now I think perhaps a tie between I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm and Silent Night.

3. Favorite Holiday Memory? The year I was a junior in high school, I received a camera from my parents, and my sister and I created a new Christmas tradition that lasted until I married DH and stopped having Christmas at home. The tradition? We hopped in the car and drove a round looking for the most ridiculous/tacky Christmas lawn displays we could find. But we didn't just take pictures of the displays - nope - we POSED with the cheesy plastic statues and inflatable reindeer. The trick was to do the entire thing as quickly and stealthily as possible. It was so much fun, and these are still some of my all time favorite holiday photos.

4. What is your favorite cookie/treat to make? I love my sister's gingerbread cookies, and as of this year, Ina Garten's French chocolate bark. (I've made about seven batches in the past week as gifts for various people. It's easy and delicious and it looks just beautiful.

5. Have you ever made an igloo? Well, no. But now that I live so far North, an igloo is probably in my future.

6. Do you love Starbucks? Yes... too bad the closest one is in Burlington!

7. What makes the perfect Snowman? As in real life - accessories are everything.

8. Not sure what happened to #8 so I'll create my own... hot chocolate or eggnog?
Hot chocolate. With whipped cream.

9. Best gift you have ever received? Bringing E home from the NICU.

10. What is the snowman's name on Rudolph? As many times as I've watched the movie, I should know this... but I don't.

11. Silver or Gold? Platinum.

12. What is your favorite Christmas decoration? The ornaments I bought when I was in Scotland during college, and the hand-painted sand dollar ornaments my mom bought in Charleston everytime we went to Kiawah.

13. What's your Christmas decorating style? Traditional. Lots of white lights and candles.

14. Do you hang stockings? Yes... DH's mom knitted one for each girl.

15. How many days do you celebrate Christmas? Two. The 24th and the 25th.

16. What was your favorite ornament on the tree as a child? The wooden disc Rudolph I made at school in first grade, complete with google eyes and red pompom nose.

17. Where will you be spending this Christmas? Lovely Wheeling, West Virgina. Can't wait to see our friends and head to Pittsburgh for Steelers and Pens games.

18. When do you open presents? Christmas Eve. Christmas morning we do the presents from Santa.

19. Real tree or artificial? Real. Though there is a small artificial tree in the kitchen.

20. Is there any chance you'll have a white Christmas? If we stayed here in Vermont it's a guarantee. Back in West Virgina... probably a 50-50 chance.

21. Who do you have the hardest time finding a gift for? My sister. She's impossible.

Hmm... since I don't have the sort of blog roll that updates automatically, I tag anyone who wants an easy Christmas-themed post.

PS - Check out the results of the poll up in the corner... we're such good mommies!

I'm In Shock...

2008-12-17T13:15:00.005-05:00

This is what I woke up to this morning. Naturally I dashed over to the computer to see whether school was canceled, or just delayed.

Neither.

Apparently, when Vermonters wake up and look out their windows at the six inches of snow that fell the night before and that is continuing to fall, they don't think: gee, we should cancel school.

Nope. They pull on their boots and hats and gloves, and head out to shovel out their cars.

They're tough.

I grew up in a state where I once had an entire week of school off after fourteen inches of snow fell in twenty-four hours.

I moved to a state where it didn't (at least in our part of the state) snow. Ever.

Most recently, we lived in a state where they would cancel school just because it might snow.

I don't think I'm ready for this whole Vermont winter thing. Think they'd let me teach my classes online from home?

Birthday Baking

2008-12-14T08:43:00.004-05:00

So for her sixth birthday last week, Miss E announced that she wanted to take "snowman cupcakes" to school.
Baking and the Impoverished Preppy are not a natural pairing. I love to cook, and I am usually fairly successful at whatever I decide to make. But baking? My track record is spotty at best. (Ask DH about the first cake I ever made him - I forgot to grease and flour the pans - it was a complete disaster. Or ask my mother about the countless pans of brownies I attempted to make in junior high and high school - nearly all of them came out super flat with a sunken spot in the center of the pan. And they were from a mix. A mix. Hanging head in shame...)

Anyhow, I decided that I would attempt E's snowman cupcakes myself, and hoped that it would be a fun project we could do together. Miracle of miracles, it was a success!

Boxed "super moist" yellow cake mix and buttercream frosting (I wasn't going to risk making my own...) along with food coloring, marshmallows, toothpicks, peppermint sprinkles, butterscotch chips, and those tiny tubes of pre-made icing were our supplies. I handled the initial baking and frosting, but E helped with sprinkling on the peppermint sprinkles and constructing the snowmen.

I was thrilled with the way they turned out (especially in light of my past baking failures) and E was very proud and excited to take them to school.

Is It a Baby or a Bean?

2008-12-10T14:47:00.002-05:00

Well baby or bean, it will be here on or around July 16th - right about the time we're supposed to be moving out of the house we've been renting. (Can you tell this was a surprise pregnancy?)

We are very happy and the girls are super excited. Some of you might remember that we had a miscarriage at the end of last December; I posted about it. We also had a second loss in February which I didn't post about because I was even more upset. My doctor at the time told us to stop trying for 4-6 months, and we did. We actually hadn't started trying again yet. (I missed a few pills in a cycle and that was apparently all it took.) After everything that has happened with our attempts for number three, this is a marvelous surprise and a tremendous blessing. We are both holding our breaths as the first trimester progresses, and hoping for a healthy pregnancy.

Tomorrow makes nine weeks exactly. Keep your fingers crossed for us that all will go as it should!

Time to Use Those Deductive Reasoning Skills!

2008-12-05T16:42:00.004-05:00

Until about a month ago, my Christmas/birthday wish list (I'm a December baby) was riddled with things from JCrew and Lands End. Sweaters, dresses, and a very cute jacket. Some necessary editing has reduced my wish list to the items pictured (along with a plea for any cute and warm socks my loved ones might find).

Can you guess what led to this drastically reduced wish list?

Preppy Perfection - And a Discount Too!

2008-11-30T13:20:00.003-05:00

Just FYI - these adorable things are all 20% off right now at Janie and Jack. The discount lasts until midnight tonight.

Mom, if you see this, yes - Miss E definitely needs this outfit. (Little S would too, if I could get her to wear anything other than dresses!)

Thankful

2008-11-28T08:33:00.003-05:00

I feel like there is so much to be thankful for this year. Despite the wretched economy, etc. life has been pretty sweet. Nothing like a list to commemorate those things for which I am grateful each and everyday.

* My husband. His thoughtfulness, love, and support are the most important part of my life. He is my best friend and I cannot imagine my life without him.

* My girls. Despite the stress occasioned by some of their quirks, they fill my heart and our home with happiness, love, and laughter. (Oh, ok, and squabbling, tears, and whining... but I'll take the bad along with the good.)

* My dogs. They make me feel safe when DH is away, and they are so good with the girls. Despite the muddy paw prints and scratched paint on windowsills, I love them.

* Living in Vermont. Yes, it is cold. Yes, it gets dark ridiculously early now. Yes, I am very far away from my mother and my best friends... but this move was the best thing that could have happened for us. DH and I feel so lucky to teach where we do, the girls love their school, and being able to hike and ski again without driving for hours (something we haven't had since CA) is fantastic. Plus, the emphasis here on environmental and political awareness, and the lack of materialism are the type of environment we really wanted for our family. Finally, I feel fortunate to have found a church where I feel comfortable (the first since I left Kentucky) and the fact that E is big enough now to go to Mass with me and behave (most of the time).

* My mother. And the fact that she is here and managed the entire Thanksgiving dinner. (Thank you, mom!)

* Our new car. Did I say I liked our non-materialistic surroundings? Yup. Am I super thrilled that we bought my dream car on Wednesday in Burlington? Oh yes. Is this a conflict of values? Perhaps. (But it is oh so shiny, and I love it, love it, love it.) DH had been driving an 11-year-old Volvo 850. It is gone. In its place? Our new shiny 2005 black Volvo station wagon. I am in heaven. Yes, it was used (we don't buy new cars), but it only had 30,000 miles on it and it looks new. Love...

* My friends. Despite the fact that my closest friends are scattered from LA to San Francisco to Columbus, Ohio to Wheeling, WV, I feel grateful that we are still friends and able to keep in touch.

* Blogging. So wonderful in so many ways. As an outlet, a chance to refine my writing skills, and a source of creative and fabulous ideas... the world of preppy/mommy blogs has been so important over this past year. I am particularly grateful to those of you who responded to my last post about Miss E. Thank you. (And I did head out and pick up Taming Your Spirited Child in Burlington on Wednesday - thanks for the rec!)

What makes you thankful?

The Differences in My Daughters - My Cry for Help

2008-11-25T11:34:00.003-05:00

How is that my daughters are so incredibly different? They've essentially been raised in the same manner. Granted we did a lot more hiking when E was tiny because we lived in Cali, and, well, it is a lot easier to hike with one baby/toddler rather than two. They are both outgoing and funny (and beautiful!), but otherwise? Night and day. Complete opposities.

Need proof?

Here is what E wants for Christmas: ice skates, a "desert habitat with a river and a bridge over the river, and fish in the river and separate living spaces for a snake and a lizard," and "a little garden set so I can grow things with S."

And what does my Little S want? More dresses, sparkley shoes, a new doll, and a teddy bear.

Somethings they have in common - they both love drawing and arts and crafts. They both adore dancing. (Though Little S's ballet obsession far surpasses the interest level shown by E.) And they manage to enjoy building things together in the playroom - whether it be forts, or elaborate farms. Finally, they both have a mommy who thinks they're wonderful and loves them completely.

But here is the difficult part. Little S is extremely well behaved. She almost never gets in trouble at school, and is easy to take places. She is generally polite and, for a three-year-old, calm. Miss E, on the other hand, is sent out of the room at least once a day at school (generally for not listening), she is kind to her friends, but she can become so focused on trying to make them laugh that her behavior will skew from silly to bizarre. She is easily excited, and acts silly, even strange, when she is excited. She has trouble controlling her impulses, and this can lead to problems. She also has trouble understanding personal boundaries and will hug people whether they want her to or not.

I try hard to treat them in the same way, but I confess that it is difficult at times. Yesterday, fo example, was the Thaksgiving Feast at the early childhood building at their school. S is in preschool, and E is in Kindergarten. Both girls sat with me at a table with two other kids and their mothers, one father, and a grandmother. Little S was able to stay in her seat, eat nicely, and afterwards, participate in the games that were set up. Miss E was up and down out of her seat, hugged the grandmother (a woman she had never met), and was unable to focus on the games afterward, flitting from this to that, climbing on the gym mats folded in the corner, running and sliding across the gym floor on her knees. I took her aside and talked to her numerous times, her teacher spoke to her twice, (her teacher is wonderful and really likes E) but E's behavior was still less than ideal. I felt like the entire event was divided between having a lovely time with S, and keeping E from ruining the event for everyone else.

There have been many events like this.

E is not ADD or ADHD. Her pediatrician back in West Virginia said that while she trended in that direction, the fact that she can focus for long periods of time on things like arts and crafts, projects, and reading books, indicates that she is not truly hyper or ADD. He labeled it an "impulse control issue," and said that she might outgrow it.

I've never really talked about this on the blog before. And frankly, when I started this post, I had not intended to go so far in talking about E's issue. But I'm feeling a bit frustrated after yesterday, and I am hoping some of you will have advice you can share.

Thanks.

Impoverished Preppy

Tis the Season: IP Recommends TOYS!

2008-11-16T10:27:00.018-05:00

It just occurred to me the other day that Christmas is not that far off (eek!) and that the window for ordering toys was just a few weeks away from closing. Since Miss E was up all night with the stomach flu, and mass is not an option this morning, I thought I would do a post on some of our favorite Christmas presents for the girls from the past few years. Hopefully this will give some of you who are stuck a few ideas for your holiday shopping. This is an entirely toy/game oriented list. I might try and do a list of recommended books in the next few weeks.
Enjoy! And if you have any suggestions of gifts that have gone over well at your house, please share!

Big Ticket Items:

Of course each Christmas there's that one "big item" that Santa usually delivers. Here are some of our favorites...

This doll house was Miss E's big present the Christmas she was four. Little S has actually been the one to play with it the most. This is from Hearthsong, and we chose it because it wasn't as "bare bones" as some of the other preschool doll houses. At the same time there were no tiny pieces either, so having Little S play with it wasn't a problem. The house is fairly reasonably priced, but with the furniture sets, this became a big ticket present. It has survived both the move and near-daily play without any damage. I look forward to watching my grandchildren play with this someday.

This play table from Pottery Barn Kids is one of my all-time favorite purchases. We bought this for Miss E the Christmas she had just turned two. Initially it was used for her Thomas sets, and it makes a great train table! It's the perfect height for little ones - and the drawers make clean-up easy enough that a toddler can take care of their own mess. Right now, the doll house is perched on top of the table, and the trains are in one drawer and the wooden blocks in another. The doll house is light enough that I can simply lift it off the tabel whenever the girls decide that they would rather play trains or build with blocks. Structurally the table has held up extremely well, even after being moved twice. The edge of the table top has sustained some scratches (like most PB furniture - the wood is soft and the finish scratches rather easily) but an occasional treatment of orange oil keeps it from being noticeable.

2004 was a good year for E. Her birthday is just a few weeks before Christmas, and for her birthday that year (when she turned 2) she received a PB kitchen set. The one we purchased (the blue Metro) is no longer made, but our friends have the pink Retro set and it is comparable as far as durability, quality of construction, and sturdiness. Beyond some minor scratches in the wooden cutting board that came with the island, our kitchen has held up so well that I can envision my future granddaughters playing with it. These sets are worth the money, and PB offers colors other than pink which is great. We opted for a gender neutral kitchen for E, just in case #2 ended up being a boy. We also selected the Metro set rather than the PBK classic set because it was sturdier and E climbed absolutely everything at that point. In fact, I am pretty sure that she used the kitchen as a jungle gym for most of her toddler years - Little S is the one who actually pretends to cook. See - it's versatile!

For the Horse Lover:

Around her fourth birthday, Miss E developed a love of horses (inspired no doubt by visits with her Granny to the barn to see/ride on/care for Granny's horse). She began amassing a collection of Breyer horses, and the obvious gift choice last Christmas was a stable to house her collection. She spotted the Breyer model (top photo) in a catalog, and while we considered it, it seemed a bit expensive. The Breyer model is really gorgeous, so if it fits your budget, that is probably the way to go.

We ended up buying the folding wooden stable Melissa and Doug. The stable came with a folding paddock fence, and has room for quite a few horses. It is well made and has survived a year of frequent play, as well as a move.

Wooden Winners:

My girls love the magnetic dress up dolls that they have received. Our first set was a pair of cute bears with multiple outfits, and more recently Little S was given this cute doll. They keep the girls amused, hold up beautifully, and are a great alternative to the traditional paper dolls (messy!).

When we purchased Miss E her kitchen set at PB years ago, the appliances they had at that time were plastic (white and red or white and pink) and were not very well constructed as it turned out. While the kitchen set itself has held up quite nicely, the appliances (with the exception of the coffee maker) have all perished. The current PB wooden appliances they have right now are very tempting, however, they are also rather expensive. We ended up opting for the KidCraft appliances and I'm so glad we did! Not only are they well made and durable, they come with darling accessories (Little S loves the baking sheet and cookies!). While the color scheme isn't a perfect match for the girls' blue kitchen, these were still an excellent purchase.

Fun With Plastic:

Despite the fact that DH and I have spent close to $300 on various wooden blocks for the girls, they still prefer the Lego Duplo sets they've received much more. Perhaps it's because their Lego creations are less prone to tumbling over, or perhaps it's the bright colors. Whatever the reason, our girls have the Legos out on a near daily basis.

Last Christmas, shortly after her fifth birthday, Miss E was introduced to the joys of Playmobil. She has received a few sets from various family members and plays with them all. However, her favorite sets are definitely the fairytale sets. These have gotten a lot of use, and other than the need to keep Little S away from the tinier pieces, Playmobil has been a winner.

Toddler Toys:

I wish this picture was larger! This is the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn House. Little S received this for her first birthday and absolutely loved it. There are so many activities, and cute songs. She is over three now, and still won't let us pack it up! Highly recommend!

The Little People house pictured is the most recent incarnation of a classic toy. Our was purchased in 2003, so it is a different model... however, that said, we love the Little People sets. Both girls have enjoyed them, and aside from the space they take up (and the obnoxious monkey noise on the zoo) we have been really happy with them. They hold up nicely and encourage creative play.

Games: The two best games we have purchased in the last couple years have both been from Cranium.

Zooreka we purchased this past summer, and DH and I have had a good time playing it with Miss E. You get to create your own zoo which she loves. Definitely for kids who are at least 5.

Cranium Hullabaloo we've had for almost two years and I just can't recommend it enough. Because it doesn't have any small pieces it is perfect for travel. It is easy enough that a 2 1/2 year-old can play, and younger children enjoy it as well, though they need a bit of help following the directions. Seriously, if you have small children and you don't already own this game, you need it.

I would also add, though I don't have pictures, Aquadoodles and Leap Pads. Miss E loves her Leap Pad, and Aquadoodles are one of my very favorite toys. We often give them as gifts because they are mess free, highly portable, and encourage creativity.

Happy Shopping!

Truthfully...

2008-11-11T14:43:00.003-05:00

Is it weird that I borrow my almost six-year-old daughter's headbands?

(They're bow-free, just simple 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch grosgrain or fabric...)

I was wearing a pink and green floral print from Baby Gap this morning when I dropped her off, and one of her little friends looked at me and asked in a bemused voice, "Why are you wearing E's headband?"

Does anyone else do this? Just curious!

Thoughts on the Events of Last Night

2008-11-05T11:23:00.003-05:00

1. So happy. So excited. What an amazing day for our nation.

2. What in the WORLD was Michelle Obama wearing? Yikes!

3. John McCain's speech - well done, Mac! If you had presented yourself thusly throughout the race and chosen someone else as your VP, things might have gone soooo differently.

4. Yes, Sarah, we all noticed that you were wearing the same suit you had on at the debate. You made your point. You are not a clothes horse with a credit card. (For the record, that was one Palin-bashing band wagon I never jumped on. The fact that the Republican Party felt that she needed a new wardrobe obviously means that she wasn't a big budget shopper prior to the whole shopping fiasco. And honestly, what woman in her right mind would turn down a shopping spree on someone else's dime. Fault her for anything else, but not the shopping spree.)

5. Looking forward to the coming change, and seeing whether this spirit of involvement and personal responsibility will last.

Quick:

2008-11-04T20:52:00.002-05:00

What's more exciting than finding out who the next President of the United States will be?

Today's the Day

2008-11-04T06:05:00.004-05:00

Cannot believe how anxious I am about this election! I couldn't sleep last night - I woke up at 1 am, and again at 3. When I woke up at 4:30, I gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed.

No matter what your political persuasion, please be sure to take part in today's voting. It will be worth waiting in those long lines just to be part of history.
This will be one that we'll tell our grandchildren about, no matter what the outcome.

Chaos in the Classroom Or Why My Daughter's Kindergarten Needs an Alpha Mommy

2008-11-03T15:22:00.004-05:00

First things first, I hope that everyone had a lovely, fun and safe Halloween. (I'm glad you enjoyed the monogrammed pumpkin, but I must clarify that I did not carve it - it is an image I took from Beeskneesfavors.com - I wish I was that talented a pumpkin carver, but alas, my skills lay elsewhere.)

DH and I took the girls over to our school where they had a great time trick or treating at the various dorms, and at the homes in the neighborhood behind the school. (There are some gorgeous Victorian houses back there. I took pictures of some of my favorites and will definitely post them.) Afterwards, we went over to the home of some new friends where the girls did more trick or treating with our friends' five-year-old, and the nine and four-year-old children of another couple who were there. Trick or treating was followed by chili (and the couple is originally from Texas, so you better believe it was some serious chili) and salad, and lots of wine.

Yes, Halloween evening was completely satisfactory. (I was a bit tearful on the way out the door, to be honest. I miss my bff back in West Virginia and really wished we were headed to their house instead.)

But, Miss E's Halloween party at school was... well, it was a bit chaotic.

First, let me say that the mommies and grandmas were wonderful in that everyone pulled together to put up fabulous decorations, a wonderful spread of ghostly goodies, games, a craft, and treat bags. Bonus points to the mom who dressed up as a witch! Yes, everyone did their duty, and even went above and beyond. Of twelve kindergarteners, seven mommies were involved in the party. The only problem? Everyone was so sweet and laid back, that no one was organizing the party or directing the kids. It was an hour and a half of chaos. Kids were eating cupcakes while crafting, meaning that their crafts were covered in frosting. Kids were taking their treats off to the playhouse instead of the table - resulting in crumbs, frosting smears, and wrappers in the playhouse. Chaos.

I love parties. And I feel so lucky that my teaching day ends before noon so that I can easily help out with these things. Most of me is really happy that the other moms (most of whom have known each other three years now or longer) are welcoming and inclusive. BUT seriously? We need an alpha mommy. Someone needs to be the dominating force, taking the lead and running the show. Disorganized parties make me stress out. Especially when children are involved. When things don't run smoothly, I feel my chest tighten. I'm physically pained. (I know, I have issues.) If I had been living here longer, and knew these mothers better, I might be willing to step up and be the bossy, I mean alpha, mommy. But frankly, I'm new here, and I want people to like me. I'm not quite ready to put my anal retentive/control freak side out on display. The last thing I need is for the other moms to think I'm a complete bitch (pardon my language, striving for precision here, not politeness). Maybe when Miss E is in second grade...

I am sure many of you are sitting there thinking, what does it matter? The kids ultimately had fun. All of the mommies participated equally, and beyond the messy classroom, no material damage was done. You are right. I am glad the kids had a great time. I just wish things had been more organized. Chaos drives me nuts.

So how about the rest of you? How was your Halloween?

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T12:24:00.001-04:00

(Image blatantly stolen from beekneesfavors.com.)

Look What I Made:

2008-10-30T14:31:00.002-04:00

Tee hee.

I'm Dreaming of a White... Halloween?

2008-10-29T16:31:00.001-04:00

I knew the snow would arrive earlier in Vermont... but seriously, snow boots for trick or treating?

John McCain and Barack Obama, Meet Odysseus and Antinoos

2008-10-27T16:37:00.006-04:00

Such fun! I'm sure some of you have been wondering what in the world I mean by teaching point of view and bias along with the Odyssey. Our class read abut half of the Odyssey, discussed the traits of an epic hero, and then wrote an essay supporting the argument that Odysseus was an epic hero with examples from the text. Then we looked at editorials and campaign ads, and talked about how information is presented in order to persuade the reader to agree with the author - loaded words, selective inclusion of facts, etc. The students had to write individual editorials attacking Odysseus for his short comings and supporting Antinoos (one of Penelope's suitors) as King of Ithaka. Then as groups, they produced campaign commercials. Some groups supported Odysseus and the others Antinoos. Each group made two ads - one for their candidate and one against the other candidate. The results were so funny! I am hoping to get the video up on the blog so you can see how clever many of the groups were. (One group seemed to be channeling Karl Rove - their accusations had no connection to the text at all. They showed Odysseus insulting Telemakhos, and laughing as the Cyclops ate his men... total departure from Homer.)

PS - Lest you fear that I am indoctrinating my students, and trying to sway them politically, please know that I am not. I have made it clear to them that I am neither a Democrat, nor a Republican. I explained to them that I make a point of listening to both NPR and Sean Hannity, and reading The National Review along with Mother Jones, the Atlantic and Newsweek. I emphasized that both sides have good points, and that both have important insights on various issues. I encourage my students to gather information from many sources, and to think for themselves.

PPS - Jill over at Caffeine Court was wondering about how to encourage people to comment on your blog... I'm not positive, but I'm fairly certain, Jill, that posting a unit on Greek Narrative Poetry that you just completed teaching is almost definitely not going to garner any comments. (Unless there is a fellow English teacher out there somewhere...)

Just When I Thought Things Couldn't Get Any Stranger

2008-10-27T11:17:00.002-04:00

My five-year-old cut her eyelashes.

I am devestated. She had gorgeous long lashes, now they're about a 1/4 inch long. And uneven.

Just in time for holiday pictures. :-(

Soup's On...

2008-10-24T14:25:00.003-04:00

...well, kind of.

I have been meaning to post about a delicious soup I had back in September when I was at Miller's Cafe in Littleton, New Hampshire. Miller's is a great place for lunch - delicious soups, sandwiches and tempting baked goods. It is in part of an old restored mill, and when the weather is good, you can sit on the deck and enjoy the sights and sounds of the river.

The soup in question was Carrot-Peach-Thyme, and was so delectable that I immediately set about finding out how it was made. Alas, it has been so long that I can only remember the basic gist of it. I am hoping one of you cooking-savvy bloggers (I'm talking about you, Cindy!) will be able to figure out what to do with this, and then share your results. Think of it as a cooking challenge. First one to prepare the "recipe" and share your results will receive my recently finished copy of Prep, as well as some Vermont goodies.

The recipe starts with softening onions and thinly sliced carrots in a pan. I think he said in butter. Then peach puree is added, along with cream and chicken stock. The whole thing is seasoned with thyme, as well as other spices. (I can't remember what those were exactly, but I am certain that salt was mentioned... it was a brief list... maybe ginger?)

Life around the Impoverished Preppy household is incredibly busy at present. Parent-teacher conferences are coming up at our school, as well as E's, and this week is Homecoming week at our school. Add to this the start of a new quarter, soccer games, and Halloween preparations, and I'm lucky that I haven't lost my mind... yet.

I'll leave you with the list of things I've learned in the last week or two.

1. If you are working after school on the freshman class skit, and have brought your three-year-old along, and the three-year-old is given Swedish fish by one of your students - DO be sure to check your hair for half-chewed Swedish fish, and do so promptly, not an hour after you have returned home.

2. DO NOT wait until a week and a half before Halloween to track down and purchase costumes for your children, especially when you live in the middle of nowhere.

3. DO NOT expect everyone who blogs to get as excited about blog awards as you do. (Four of the five people to whom I passed the Smile Award have not acknowledged receiving it... is it because I can't stand Sarah Palin???)

4. DO take time each day to be grateful for all that you have, particularly in this uncertain economic climate where each holiday catalog that arrives in the mailbox feels like a taunt rather than a tantalization.

As Promised: Vermont in Fall

2008-10-14T16:17:00.005-04:00

You have no idea what I went through to get these pictures onto the blog. For some reason blogger wasn't responding, and after four days of trying, I finally was able to load these. It took over 15 minutes for just these, so the others will have to wait.

Nothing could have prepared me for how gorgeous it is here in the fall. I wake up every morning feeling blessed to be in such a beautiful place. (We'll see if I am still feeling blessed in February!)

Here's a shot of the pond and dock. I would love to take credit for it, but it was entirely DH's doing. I think it is a fantastic photo - the man is talented. :-)

If we hike to the back of our property, a river runs through it. Ok, well not a river. A creek. But out west this would definitely qualify as a river. We've been making weekly pilgrimages down there with the girls and dogs. I'm not quite sure which of them loves these outings most.

Last picture is one I snapped a few miles away when we took a back road home from a hiking trip with DH's parents. I hope you like it - I almost died taking it. (Some speeding New Yorkers in an SUV nearly ran me down.)

I'll try and get some more of our fall photos up in the next few days. The quarter is ending so I'm up to my ears in papers that need to be graded. This is the time of year when I start to question why in the world I decided to teach English instead of French.

Oh, and Erin, you are the winner of the copy of American Wife. (No, I have no pictures to document the drawing - loading those fall photos was as much as I could handle!) Let me know your e-mail address and I will contact you to get your mailing info!

If you are jonesing for a good, preppy read, sit tight. I just bought Prep today and will be ready to pass it on in a week or two.

Thank You So Much!

2008-10-10T12:41:00.004-04:00

Well at the end of a VERY hectic school week (the quarter ends next Thursday) filled with department meetings and piles of papers, it was certainly a nice surprise to receive a blog award from capegirl over at LovestheCape (go check out her cute, preppy blog!). What a relief to know that somewhere in this crazy week I was able to bring happiness to someone. (Though I suppose the award really belongs to Little S, since her antics inspired the post.) At any rate, thank you, capegirl! You made my day!

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SMILE AWARD

1. Must display a cheerful attitude.
I try my best to keep my students happy and as unstressed as possible, particularly my little freshmen who are struggling to make the adjustment from junior high to a large, academically-demanding prep school.

2. Must love one another.
Check.

3. Must make mistakes.
Oh boy, do I ever. Daily. Never anything earth shattering, but still... Today, for example, I arranged for one of my students to get out of study hall so that she could watch Little S while I attended the weekly lunch meeting for new faculty. Somehow, despite e-mails to the effect, I forgot that the meeting was held on Thursday this week, instead of Friday. Sigh...

4. Must learn from others.
I am constantly learning from my fellow teachers, my students, and even my girls. And of course, I learn a lot from my fellow preppy bloggers. (Thanks again for the heads up on the Talbot's Kids sale, PreppySue and Tickled Pink and Green.)

5. Must be a positive contributor to the blog world.
I am assuming I qualify for this since she was kind enough to give me the award. Who knew that my rambling misadventures qualified as a positive contribution, yeah!

6. Must love life.
I do. Especially when life involves good wine, Belgian chocolate pecan bars, my sweet daughters, my husband, and my students.

7. Must love kids.
Well... duh. I have children and I choose to work with teenagers. Even when they push me to the brink of emotional exhaustion, I still love them.

THE RULES OF THE AWARD

1. Link back to the awards creator.

2. Post the rules if you receive the award.

3. Choose five people to receive the award.

4. Your must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award.

5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.

6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.

7. You must thank you giver.

Now I get the fun of passing this on. Here are my five choices for the smile award:

1. Figs, Lavender and Cheese (In recognition of her continuing hilarious debate-related posts - that flow chart was hysterical - and the fact that her ability to cook gourmet meals NIGHTLY while still working and parenting is inspirational.)

2. Happy Homemaker (Because if I had to choose a preppy blogger to be my mom, she would be my hands down first choice.)

3. Sippycups ARE for Chardonnay (She's on vaca - lucky girl - so it will be a while till she sees this; however, I loved the preppy Barbie post she did a few months back - it brought a smile to my face.)

4. Clemsongirl and the Coach (Because her Wal-Mart proposal post is still the all-time funniest post I have read on any blog.)

5. And Hemstitch and Hydrangea (Because I know we are all SO happy that she's returned to the blog world, and I want to welcome her back and applaud her personal strength.)

From Little S:

2008-10-08T16:59:00.003-04:00

If your mommy takes you to her classroom in the afternoon so that she can get some grading done, and you are bored with the coloring things she has given you, here is a great idea:

Go find mommy's glue stick and use it to stick index cards and the chalk board eraser to the classroom windows.

It's lots of fun, and mommy gets the silliest look on her face when you show her your handiwork. She's so proud.

American Wife...

2008-10-07T13:16:00.007-04:00

Raise your hand if you knew that I had given up on Tom Jones a long time ago, but have been too preoccupied to update my "What I'm Reading" box.

Good job. You were right.

While I couldn't get through Tom Jones, and while I have been awfully busy reading student papers, and the texts for our first quarter (Ovid's Metamorphoses, the Bible, and the Odyssey), I have found time to do a little reading. I was able to cross another book off my list of classics that I hadn't yet read when I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. What a wonderful book! I might just try and convince the school to add it to the curriculum for the non-accelerated freshmen. I highly recommend it to any of you who have not read it, but you will have to buy your own copy -- I'll be hanging on to mine for future re-reading.

However, the other book I read last month, while highly entertaining and worth reading, is not one I'll ever want to read again. So, if you have not yet read American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (and I'm sure many of you have, being the preppy little bloggers that you are) and you would like my copy, post your name here by Friday.

PS - I totally acknowledge stealing the idea of passing on my book from One Fabulous Mom, who is, as stated, truly fabulous and generous with her own reading material.

A Chance of WHAT?!?!?

2008-10-05T22:00:00.004-04:00

Logged on this evening to check my mail, and there, staring back at me from the little Google Weather bar was a seemingly harmless blue box with a cloud, a sun, and LITTLE WHITE SNOW FLAKES!!!!!!

It is October. Early October.

I'm not sure I can do this... this whole New England winter thing.

Any advice you New Englanders?

Hmmm...

2008-10-02T22:36:00.003-04:00

Debate is over. So disappointed. I was looking to be highly entertained, but they both presented themselves well. (Still don't believe that she's qualified to be VP, but she did avoid any repeat of the embarrassing Katie Couric moments... though she did work in the phrase "rear his head" again... must be a favorite of hers.)

Did Joe Biden get Botox? Ya think?

And, Sarah, honey, please stop using the word "also." As I would say to my students... let's vary our diction a bit, 'kay? Thanks!

If Sarah Palin is qualified to be Vice President...

2008-10-01T20:45:00.001-04:00

... then I'm submitting my resume for Headmistress of Choate.

Thank You!

2008-09-17T20:05:00.002-04:00

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts. Thanks especially to those of you who shared your own stories about loved ones returning to you.

I am sitting in my classroom after Back to School night. Having taught college for the last few years, it had been quite a while since I met my students' parents. I can't help but think back to my first Back to School night which was eight years ago (eek!) in California. I spent the weekend before setting up my classroom so that it was perfect and oh so cute, and the afternoon before the actual BTS night finding the perfect outfit at the mall. (ah the days when J Crew was twenty minutes from my doorstep).

Tonight I am still wearing the tartan pants and navy cardigan I had on this morning when I taught. My room is decidedly uncute. (Teaching just two class means that I share my room with two study halls and a public speaking class taught by three other teachers.) A solitary bulletin board covers the back wall and holds student work. My motto for the students ("Where are you going? How will you get there?) hangs over the board. And that is it.

BUT for the first time in my teaching career, I had multiple parents approach me to tell me how much their child enjoys my class. That I'm their favorite teacher. That this is the only class they talk about. That they (the parent) are so pleased that I am teaching their son/daughter.

Wow.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn (hate that expression, but it fits the bill here... nothing like going from one tired cliche to another), but this is the first time this has happened to me in my five years of teaching. In the past I've had a student or two with whom I clicked, but this is my first time experiencing universal approbation and adoration, so pardon me while I bask in it a bit.

That's it for this evening. I'm off to pick up the girls and get them to bed.

I promise I'll be back in the next few days with a recipe for the most delicious soup that I had a while in New Hampshire and that I pestered the restaurant's owner to get so that I could share it with all of you.

Oh, and the colors are just starting to turn here. As soon as they're in full autumnal swing, pictures will be forthcoming.

A miracle?

2008-09-07T21:06:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the long delay. Things have gotten complicated, or rather, they became complicated, but are hopefully heading back to normalcy.

A little over a week ago, my biggest worries were making sure I had a great lesson plan for the next day, ensuring that E's lunch was packed and that she had a clean uniform, and pushing back thoughts of the fact that my mother's month-long visit was drawing to a conclusion. Then my father called to let me know that my grandmother, who had been battling cancer, had taken a turn for the worse and was now in hospice. For half a day, I struggled with the news and began to look for a plane ticket. Then my dad called again. My grandma wanted to talk to me, and to my mom. The toughest twenty minute phone call I've ever had. There was this oddly normal discourse - a conversation we've had before in variation - she asked about my girls, about my new job, about how DH was enjoying the farm... all with this underlying current of tension, knowing that she was dying... knowing that she knew she was dying... knowing that she knew that I knew... It was the last telephone conversation she had. My grandmother died the next night.

I am so grateful that I had the chance to speak with her and tell her that I loved her. I am grateful that she got to meet my daughters and husband, and that they had the chance to know her. I am grateful that she died at peace with her future and surrounded by her children. She was a wonderful, caring and considerate woman who always did for others. One of the last things she did was to send my S her birthday card. A week before she died, she had my aunt go out and pick out a card and dictated a message, then insisted on signing it herself.

My grandmother raised five children, including a pair of twins that she had at the age of 41. She was a homemaker and a teacher, and before her marriage she sang with a band on the radio. She was a devoted wife who dedicated herself to helping my grandfather live the fullest life possible, even as Parkinson's claimed his faculties. She was beautiful and fashionable and funny, and was always ready with a witty remark delivered with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eye. (I hate to use cliches, but she really did have a sparkle.) I will miss her, and regret that she won't have the chance to see my children grow.

I want to share a story with you about something that happened at her funeral. Make of this what you will, but know that her family found tremendous comfort in the following events.

My grandmother had told two of my aunts that whenever she faced difficulty or despair in her life, a butterfly would appear. She was certain that the butterfly was sent by God, and she told my aunts to keep an eye out for butterflies after her death, as they would certainly appear to comfort them.

The day of the funeral, when we were at the cemetery, and my grandmother's coffin was being lowered, a butterfly appeared on the grass a short distance from my uncle. He went over and picked it up and held it for a moment, before passing it on to my aunt, who shared it with her sisters and then my father. When the butterfly had been passed back to my aunt, it rested on her finger for a few moments before flying to my cousin who has recently been diagnosed with severe disc degeneration in his back and neck, and who has been in a lot of pain. It hovered around him for a minute, and then flew to my cousin T whose little baby was born with severe special needs. It landed on T's forehead and stayed there for several minutes, before finally flying away.

Whether it was my grandmother or a message from her, or whether it was simply a butterfly, my cousins and aunts and uncle took a great deal of comfort from it. And since I've returned home, a pair of yellow butterflies have taken up residence in our yard, and coincidence, or no, I smile each time I see them - especially when my daughters chase them and the butterflies fly just out of reach, but never away - almost like my grandparents are playing tag with my girls.

Home Sweet Farm

2008-08-18T14:54:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures of the farm we are renting. I just hope that we will still love being here once the cold and snow have arrived. Winter, though distant, is looming on the horizon, and I admit it - the prospect of all those months of snow is a daunting one.

Still Here...

2008-08-13T08:02:00.003-04:00

We're currently going through our extremely lengthy but very comprehensive new employee training, so blogging is taking a back seat for now. I cannot tell you how impressed we are with how organized and professional this entire experience has been. DH and I are both very excited to be at such a fantastic school, and I cannot wait for my girls to be students here.

I ordered E's uniforms, and despite the enviable list provided by Sippycups (seriously, she won't need to do laundry for a month!) I went with three jumpers and five blouses. Hopefully that will be enough.

Just to let you know - I am loving my outfit today. (J Crew madras patchwork dress - ballerina style, pink cableknit cardi from LL Bean, and the wedge sandals that I've been wearing with all of my dresses this summer and that I love because they make me feel tall - I think they make me all of 5'3", how pathetic is that?) So true that a great outfit can make your whole day better.

Enjoy these last golden moments of summer, and if you are in the South take a look at the Newsweek from last week and let me know what you think of the "southern" photo collage. I hated it. It emphasized all the stereotypes - baton-twirling teen? check. overweight, white trash mother in bikini, smoking? check. Ugh.

July's Book List

2008-08-06T10:35:00.005-04:00

This was absolutely the best book to read before heading to Vermont. I was inspired by Kingsolver's decision to eat only locally produced food. DH was similarly inspired, although he envisions us growing a garden as large (and time consuming!) as the one in Kingsolver's book, where as I see us growing a small amount of our own vegetables (read two tomato plants, a pepper plant, and some squash) and supplementing with all the wonderful offerings at the local farmers' markets, and freezing/canning a bit so we can eat local in the winter as well.

DH was reading this while I read the Barbara Kingsolver book, and then we traded. They worked well together, and reinforced the reasons we're making this move (other than the obvious financial ones). As someone who grew up exploring the woods behind my house, I appreciated the similar reminiscences of other adults. The studies that described the benefits of independent nature exploration for kids (greater self confidence and self esteem, improved attention span and concentration, greater appreciation for the natural world and for the connections between all living things) were extremely persuasive, and I've been thinking of them often as I watch the girls enjoying the pond, woods and fields around this farm.

I love this book. It will always be one of my favorites, and I am sure I will continue to read it every year or two for the rest of my life. I can still remember reading it for the first time in eighth grade, and how caught up I was with the depictions of Southern culture and the development of Scarlett's character.

Seriously?

2008-08-06T10:27:00.000-04:00

Enough. With. The. Rain.

The Question of Uniforms

2008-08-04T10:15:00.003-04:00

First a quick update:

Little Miss S is using the potty!!!! She was so resistant for the last few months that I had feared it would NEVER happen. We were also up against a serious deadline with preschool less than a month away. Regretfully it took a triple "threat" to work this potty miracle. I informed her that in Vermont only big girls who use the potty are allowed to 1. attend preschool (this one was not a lie), 2. go to ballet class (may or may not have been a lie, I had not asked the school), or 3. wear dress-up princess dresses (blatant lie that even E saw through!). I would feel bad for fibbing to my child, but I am too relieved about finally being finished with diapers for guilt to really penetrate my psyche.

And now a question:

I need to order E's uniforms from Land's End sometime in the next week so that we'll have them in time for school. I was hoping some of you could tell me the quantities you order for your daughters. E will be in all-day kindergarten and is, as far as I can tell, fairly average in her level of neatness. Do I need five jumpers? How many sweaters do you order? If we're in New England how many short sleeved blouses versus long sleeve blouses do I need to order? And speaking of blouses - do you go the traditional cotton blouse route or does anyone use the knit shirts with the peter pan collars that Land's End carries? I know many of you have children in private or parochial school and I am hoping you can share some insight on this topic - I would hate to over order or even worse, not order enough of something. Thanks in advance for your help!

Vermont - Week One

2008-07-28T10:13:00.003-04:00

Positives:

1. House is very nearly settled. Nearly all of their things have been removed to the guest house(when I finish I'll take a picture of their boxes so you can see just how much stuff I had to deal with), and most of the deep cleaning has been accomplished.

2. The pond continues to delight. Girls are having a ball catching frogs and turtles and splashing around with their father.

3. Attended a party last night at the nearest farm - met the famous author who lives two farms over, and lots of other fun Vermonters as well. (We were the only people there under 50, with the exception of one woman's 17 year-old daughter - everyone was part of the "hippy Vermont homesteader movement" in the early 1970's. Really feisty and funny people who had some quite amazing stories of their earliest adventures on their farms.)

4. Discovered the most fabulous restaurant with DH (yes - we already have a babysitter!) - they only serve dishes made with locally grown ingredients and the food was fantastic! A bit pricey, but we decided to make it a once a month treat for ourselves. Calamari with roasted red pepper dipping sauce, huge mixed green salad with the best chevre I've ever had, blueberries and walnuts doused in a delicate champagne vinagrette, roasted vegetable manicotti for DH and seared scallops for me, chocolate torte and lavender creme brule for dessert. Heaven!

5. E runs in her first track race this evening!

6. Off to Rye Beach tomorrow, and hopefully lots of fresh lobster.

Only Negative:

No high-speed internet at our house yet. I'm typing this at the school library out of sheer desperation. Apparently installing high-speed is a huge ordeal and it will likely be weeks before they can come out and set us up. We are making due with some Soviet-era dial up service that takes over a minute to load each page and refuses to allow me to post anything online. I have to make sure to keep plenty of magazines or a good book on hand when I go online at home right now. Frustrating!

I will try and get the rest of the Vermont blog invitations out, but if it takes a while please understand it is due to the dial-up issue, and not because I don't love y'all.

The Things They Left Behind...

2008-07-21T12:33:00.002-04:00

Hmmm... if you were paying close to $2000 a month to rent a home, would it be unreasonable to expect the owners to remove their items from the kitchen, pantry and laundry room?

I don't think so either.

Seriously peeved - every single cabinet and drawer and shelf was FULL of their things! Not just dishes and pans, but food that was past date, old batteries, old birthday candles... basically all those "junk drawers" that people have in their home - still completely FULL.

On the positive side: The grounds are gorgeous! DH and the girls (and their babysitter J who came along with us to help out) have been swimming in the pond multiple times; the views are tremendous; we have apple trees, wild raspberries and flowers galore. House is a really nice size and will be quite charming once we've settled in and I've cleaned up (nope - the owners didn't do that either).

In Albany...

2008-07-19T08:44:00.003-04:00

More than halfway to our new home. We got into the hotel last night around 10:30 - not ideal, but seriously there was NO WHERE else to stay on the 90 from Buffalo to here. Seriously, NY let's get some decent hotels up on the 90 please. I could have done with one around Syracuse last night.

Everyone is hanging in there thus far - though naturally Miss E spiked a fever last night and DH was out looking for Tylenol at 4 am. (No - I didn't pack any in the "hotel baggage" - I figured we could make it 36 hours without someone getting sick. I know, I know... and I've been doing this mom thing for nearly six years now.)

Heading out in in less than an hour for the last bit of our drive to our new home. Feeling a bit better about this. Leaving the house was so sad yesterday... but I didn't start crying until our babysitter K gave the girls a special photo album she had put together. Took leave of bff and her family Wednesday night -cried buckets. But the hardest thing was hugging my mom goodbye. She's flying up to see us in less than three weeks, but still feel awful leaving her behind.

Moving Day

2008-07-17T10:31:00.000-04:00

Truck is here and being loaded.

Mixed emotions.

Update

2008-07-13T09:46:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday: Returned from fantastic, relaxing time in Michigan to last week of summer school course and mountain of laundry.

Currently: Surrounded by boxes and piles of things that need to be boxed.

Real Estate: Our house is being featured on the front page of the weekly real estate section in the newspaper here. Praying that this does the trick.

Awards: DH is receiving his second Outstanding WV Teacher award today. That's two in four years. Very proud of him.

Blogs: I've been checking in on everyone else since we've come back, though my comments have been few (busy!). I have a huge post on Michigan that I want to do on here, and I've put up three Michigan posts on the Vermont blog. Invites should all be out for the Vermont blog, but if I missed you, let me know.

Hoping: That you are all enjoying your summer.

Headed Up North...

2008-06-26T21:48:00.001-04:00

Leaving tomorrow for annual beach vacation with DH's entire family and not a moment too soon.

Let the relaxation begin!

Spotted at the Grocery Store:

2008-06-20T17:40:00.001-04:00

How cute are these?

Too bad I can't stand blush.

By the Numbers:

2008-06-16T17:00:00.002-04:00

0 - Offers on our house.

1 - Number of weeks since I last posted

2 - Number of fifth graders that were enrolled in the summer school Language Arts course I'm teaching. The course is supposed to be for 7th-9th graders. I am being forced to create separate lesson plans and divide my instruction time equitably... it is driving me crazy!!!

3 - Number of beers I had last night at our friend's barbeque.

4 - Weeks until the big move.

5 - Couples/families who went through our open house.

6 - Minutes from school we're teaching at in Vermont to farm house we are renting.

7 - Sheep that are available with said house.

8 - Number of times I told DH that I did not sign on for care and keeping of live stock.

9 - Coffees DH has brought me from Starbucks during the mornings at summer school. (He's director of summer studies so HE can run out for coffee while I struggle with teaching fifth graders how to find the climax in a basic short story. Oh, and that social is NOT spelled sashal. (Don't worry - I'm being nice to them!!!)

10 - thousand boxes left to be packed.

Candyland Party - A Sweet Success

2008-06-09T17:03:00.010-04:00

Well, the girls' party went off without a hitch last Saturday. We had a 30% chance of thunderstorms during the hours of the party, but they only materialized in the form of intermittent clouds and a strong breeze that kept the day from being hot and humid. I don't know if any f you actually prayed for good weather for us - but if you did, thanks! It worked.

I threw together some giant lollipops for the front entrance and was very happy with the result, until my bff's six-year-old son asked why I had "mind-control eyes" on the porch. Hmmm... I guess when you've seen a few episodes of Scooby Doo, that would be the very thing they remind you of. Ah well... I still thought they were cute.

Here are the invitations I put together. I had waited too long to order anything without spending a fortune on expedited shipping, so I found these cute invitations at Target, made use of the awesome poem one of my lovely fellow bloggers provided. (Can't remember off the top of my head who it was, but will absolutely add some linky love as soon a I go back to that post and check. Ok - it was the marvelous and brilliant Tiffany! Thanks soooo much!)

The "candyland" bounce house we rented was a HUGE hit. The kids had a great time jumping in it, and they were even able to set it up in the much smaller, but oh so much shadier side of our front yard. (Please note, the guy in the sleeveless t-shirt is NOT DH. It is the very nice man who owns the rental company.)

The kids spent the first 45 minutes jumping in the bounce house and playing games like Duck Duck Goose and Mother May I with our extraordinary male babysitter, J - boyfriend of fabulous girl babysitter, K. (More on her in a second.)

When they seemed like they were getting over-heated (despite the cooler of water and juice boxes on the patio), I took them inside to the living room where they awaited the arrival of Princess Lolly from Candyland.

And here is the princess (from later in the afternoon) - otherwise known as the "best babysitter in the world" K. The kids were so cute when she came down to the living room. One little wide-eyed boy asked her where she had come from, and she sweetly replied, "Candyland!" All the little kids from E's school actually believed K was a princess - and the few children who knew it was K seemed pleased to be in on the secret and didn't give the game away. She led the kids in Freeze Dance and Musical Squares (brightly colored posterboard cut into squares instead of the usual chairs).

When it was time for refreshments the sitters helped the kids fill up their plates in the dining room. (I had bought a Wilton cupcake stand to hold the cupcakes in a tower - but the bakery cupcakes were too narrow for the holders and were going to tumble out of the angled lowest tier - and so the white platter.) As you can see, I hit the Whim aisle at Target and lucked out - particularly when I found the pink and green "hot dog boats" - using these instead of regular plates meant there were no spills at all as the kids carried their food outside. (Our dining room table is fairly long - but not long enough to hold 14 kids!) We spread a huge yellow blanket outside in the shade - and the kids were perfectly happy to have a picnic. (And my dogs were later perfectly happy to "clean up" all the crumbs!)

When it was time to say goodbye, the little guests were invited to help themselves to treats in the "candy shop" we'd set up on the sun porch. They seemed to get a kick out of filling their little bags, and I loved the way the treat table looked. (I had originally planned on brighter, candy shoppier candy - jawbreakers, candy necklaces, gumballs, etc, but I didn't think the idea of sweaty little hands reaching into jars of unwrapped sweets sounded like a good idea, or an appetizing one.

All in all, it was a fun party and SOOOO much easier than last year's "Butterfly Bash."

Summer Reading

2008-06-05T10:01:00.006-04:00

Wanted to share some books that we've been enjoying recently.

The five books pictured above have been on Little S's most-requested list at bedtime.

1. Knuffle Bunny - cute, simple story the highlight of which is the humorous look at the way in which communication can elude parents and babies alike.

2. Abiyoyo - a giant, sheep-swallowing monster is overcome by a quick-thinking boy and his father. Bonus points for including the word "ostracized."

3. Madeline - 'nough said

4. Happy Birthday to You, Blue Kangaroo - sweet book about being happy with who you are. Features scenes from a pink birthday party I would be proud to host.

5. I Wear My Tutu Everywhere - possibly the best return on a children's book investment ever. Bought this for Miss E three years ago for $3 off the spinner in Borders. Probably read it 1000 times - could definitely recite it in my sleep. Very cute story about a little ballerina who wants to wear her tutu, well, everywhere (saw that coming, didn't you?)

Miss E has been on a fairy tale kick lately, and I've been reading to her from a collection of original Grimm's tales. I've edited a bit to leave out some of the violence (ex. Ashenputtel's - ie Cinderella's - stepsisters are, um, pooed on by the birds at the end of the story, as opposed to having their eyes pecked out -so gross) and we've had some interesting discussions about the way women and girls are sometimes treated in the tales, or some of the cruel, selfish or foolish choices characters make (ex. why were the twelve dancing princesses so lacking in empathy for the hapless princes they sent to their deaths?) No nightmares thus far, so my selective inclusion seems to be working.