A Letter For the Person That Sent Us a Letter

Dear Sender of "For Fun Stuff Only,"

I got your letter in the mail yesterday, and boy was I surprised. I was immediately excited because my name was hand-written on a letter that I knew couldn't be a bill! There was no return address, so I decided to open it up and find out who had written. When I opened the envelope I found a beautiful card with a wad of cash. Inside were written the words, "For Fun Stuff Only." It was not signed. I honestly have NO idea who it is from. But if you are reading this blog entry kind sender-of-cash, thank you a million times over!

Love, Heath and the Wiggy's

You better believe eating this piece of cheesecake from a deli in midtown was fun. Super fun!

Dinosaurs & Donuts

The Natural History Museum gets two thumbs up, four stars and a big round of applause for being quite possibly the most amazing museum I (we: me & t) have ever experienced. Everything is so big and life-like and the stories of people, animals and cultures are explained extremely well. We learned a lot, and had a blast at the same time.

I think we ran around Mr. Rex at least 100 times. He is HUGE and so scary and T was ridiculously impressed (and luckily not scared). I am so glad that dinosaurs are not still roaming the earth! Talmage kept saying, "Dinoso. Cooo."

I also like that there was a ton of hands-on stuff for the kids. Talmage has a raptor skull in his hand that a museum worker let him play with. He felt very important! AND possibly the best part of this museum is their pay-what-you'd-like entrance fee. For poor college kids like us, that is heavenly!

Speaking of heavenly, these apple fritter poppers are just that! I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman, and they did not dissapoint. The bottom plate has a little glaze on top, while the top plate's donuts are smothered in powdered sugar. Both amazing.

Revelations Received While Puppy-sitting

Last week I Scooter-sat for a day while our neighbor upstairs was out of town. The task sounded simple--walk the dog two times in a twelve hour period--and to be fair, it didn't end up being that difficult, especially since I farmed out my afternoon walking responsibility to my friend Diana, but I received a revelation during that single walk that may shock the heck out of some of you (but probably won't) and I've decided to come out and just say it--I'm not really thinkin' that any four-legged friends will be joining our family anytime soon...or anytime EVER!

Maybe it's because I think puppies and kittens are so cute, maybe it's because I sincerely have a desire to love animals or maybe it's because I feel like animal-unfriendly people are socially unacceptable but I've always considered myself an animal-lover, well, at least -liker. But alas, after that one single walk with Scooter--him pulling the leash at every bird, squirrel and patch of grass--while pushing a stroller full of my rambunctious 19-month-old (who was also trying to jump out of his seat at the sight of every bird, squirrel and patch of grass) I realized that this was just not for me. One puppy is enough--and that puppy just happens to also be my kid.

I mean, really. How am I supposed to make sure my little dare-devil doesn't fall off the big-boy equipment and photo-document the whole experience, while simultaneously keeping the pup from eating anything white on the ground (a weirdo side-effect of his meds), pooping on the playground and scaring poor little children in the Bronx? It's just not possible. And it's just not going to happen. It was fun to Scooter-sit, but I'm with cjane in making our first pet a robotic one (or maybe a chia?)

And PS--Here's my one and only puppies to-do list. Check. Check. Check. Check.

Family Pictures 2010

How wonderful is it to have ridiculously talented friends? Our friend/fellow law student/wardie Jon took these family pictures for us on Saturday...and obsessed just doesn't cut it! I know you won't believe it, but these were shot in the Bronx at a place called Wave Hill--only 10 minutes from our home. Anyone want to come visit and see it in person? Enjoy the pics...I have been!

Thanks Jon! They are absolutely perfect!

Uh-Oh Binkie!

"Uh-Oh Binkie!" says Talmage from the kitchen.

His binkie mysteriously (10 bucks says he had something to do with it) ended up lodged under the dishwasher.

It was Daddy to the rescue from there.

I guess you could call it a team effort because T was eating all the candy that was in Daddy's clear view of the binkie. Uhhh...sick....

With a little push and prod a binkie finally came out of the woodworks. I think. I actually took these pictures and then left the room to allow the boys to work their magic. I assume they found it. There were no tears from T, so they probably did. Just bein' honest.

Apple-Picking

A group of us stay-at-home-moms decided to take our kiddies on a sweet trip into Connecticut to pick apples and enjoy the breath-taking fall foliage. As someone who grew up going to Apple Hill (an incredible apple orchard about an hour out of Sac-town) at least once a year, I was SO beyond stoked to have a similar experience out here. I had never been apple-picking (only apple-tasting at Apple Hill) so this was a new, fun, worthwhile experience.

The lot of us...minus Melissa and Eisley who somehow weren't present when the picture was snapped. I don't think any of the children are actually looking at the camera...asi es la vida, huh?

Eisley and T, as always, were inseperable. They loved riding around in this wagon together and were totally content as long as the other was with them. But as soon as one decided to make a break for it, the other quickly followed.

There was a pumpkin patch at the bottom of the hill so these crazies ran around before getting on the tractor which took us to the top. (I have an awesome video of T and E dancing to head, shoulders, knees and toes with Eisely pointing to T's head, shoulders, etc. instead of her own. They were both laughing so hard...but for some reason I can't post it. Bad blog!)

My little farm boy admiring the water.

The kids loved the ride up...and so did I! Talmage said "Choo Choo" and "Cooo" the whole way up. I seriously felt like a kid. It was so much fun.

When we got to the top we were given a short presentation on the correct way to pick an apple. The man asked for everyone to make a circle around him...and our kids took him very seriously!

The views from the top were beautiful. This picture just doesn't do the vista justice.

I don't know if these guys had more fun picking apples or tasting apples! Everytime I turned around their hands and mouths were all over a different apple! I guess they didn't learn very much about apple etiquette in that guy's lecture.

Not that I should talk...I may have tested one or two of my own (or perhaps finished one or two of my sons!)

Overall we had so much fun! I'm hereby declaring apple-picking a new family tradition...until Apple Hill is within driving distance at least!

He's Lucky He Has a Cold

You see that smile on my face? It's fake.

Because you see that kid. If he's not going to be the death of me...I don't know what will. Talmage the Terrorist...that's been his name this last week.

You see, he has a cold, and boy he's lucky he has a cold because if not, the following terrorist attacks would have been treated with swift, well, swift something!

He was furious and he beat his cup into the ground so many times and so hard that it completely broke and milk splashed everywhere.

Ten minutes later, he tore out every single pop-up from his brand new Elmo book.

And this little number...ah man! He got onto the counter and grabbed a bag of candy I had just received from my grandparents...and he threw it all over the ground. And then started eating it.

But really people, look at those sicky eyes. Poor boy. He's lucky he's sick...and he's lucky he's cute...and he's lucky that his Mom is obsessed with him or, well, or something!