Miss you Borders

The old Borders store in our town will be closing soon.

As a family we have spent some wonderful evenings browsing through new paperbacks and leafing the latest magazines on  Friday evenings. They have live music and sampling of tiny bits of pastries on weekends, and it's sheer bliss not having to keep the kids busy or watch over them. They browse books, do their own stuff, while my huband and I share a pot of green tea at the Borders Cafe. Occasional gray and rainy evenings have also been spent at Borders, among fellow readers.

Will miss you Borders:( 

A Page From Mom's Diary

Dear Diary,

My nanny is on vacation, and Nick and I have been spending some quality baby and mom time. Along the way we have become inseparable pals.

Have perfected the art of vrooming like a car while he has drawn colorful murals (with sharpie) on the walls of the formal living and dining rooms - the Van Gogh stuff cannot be erased.

Today Nick (not yet two) ripped up an important letter from Anna's school regarding her artistic achievements (precious because rare) and ate a piece of the paper. He stared at me with saucer like unblinking eyes, and chewed the piece with relish and a single minded determination.

The Goody-two-shoes Brother!

My 15-month-old son seems to be set for the terrible twos.

In retro, my daughters were little angels with barely any hint of mischief. Little Nick on the other hand has taken resort to nipping (did he learn it from the dogs?), bawling and has an amazing flair for dramatics from an early age.

Folks do one thing at a time but Nick on the go means all at once…. Somewhat like a home run. Munching from the dog bowl.......….. Ripping out a page from Anna’s notebook … running away with Mia’s pencil, all with a smile on his cherub face.

I used to get annoyed with unmanageable kids, proud that my girls rarely fiddled with stuff in any house. But Nick’s antics have diffused my pride. I truly hang my head in shame ….. sigh….what a darling child…..innocent innocent baby!!!!!!

As for my girls, I heard them singing in chorus:

“…..BUT my goody-two-shoes brother, the favorite of my mother,
Is the one I want to smother in a ton of pigeon goo!
Yes, my goody-two-shoes brother,
the favorite of my mother,
Is the one I want to smother………..”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obfQeSFM23Y

The Pup Learns Her "R"

Mia was teaching Lucy alphabets the other day! Yes, Lucy, our pup. Amazing isn’t it? And while she tried to polish the performance of her star student, I watched the show from a corner in the kitchen. And you know what, I was truly impressed. Something the Dog Whisperer might be interested in....

Miss Lucy was given a doggy treat every other minute, and Mia would ask Lucy a question while trying to pull the treat out of her mouth...“Lucy what comes after Q”? And inevitably Lucy would reply with a low menacing growl…..gRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

We sure have some intelligent pups in the household. Mia was grounded for the day, Lucy was given a bone for exceptional intelligence.

May Your Turkey Be Plump!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! Posting a poem forwarded by a friend, as far as my knowledge goes it's anonymous.

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!


My daughter Anna is preparing the sweet corn for Thursday's dinner! And Mia was appalled to see the hundreds of "fresh young turkeys" packaged at Costco. I have given her a mom's viewpoint (we always have explanations for most stuff), but she is steadfast about banning cruelty to all living creatures. I have a tough job saving the cricket in the garage, the baby rabbits in my backyard......but am secretly proud that my eight year old has a kind and loving heart.

The Endless List

Some days I feel overwhelmed with pending chores. It helps to jot down the list as lately my memory has started playing tricks.

1. Schedule annual physicals for the kids; send the reports to the school nurse. Nursie will fry me otherwise.
2. Vaccination for the dogs.
3. Schedule recommended car maintenance
4. Car wash – my truck feels like a dumpster….Timmy peed on his way to the vet, Mia spilled coke, a month of paper accumulation…. The other day my husband was horrified when he boarded the truck.
5. Email friends who think I have forgotten them. I do remember you guys, but I am an exhausted mother of three lovable and spirited kids and two hyper doggies.
6. Call to say thanks for all the thoughtful gifts for my newborn. Mail thank you notes.
7. Buy a music book for my 8 year old. The next Yo Yo Ma. The drive is just 15mins.
8. Order winter jackets….the kids are shooting up too fast.
9. Start planning for the annual party.
10. Pick up some grocery……need a meal plan for dinner…
11. Due for a manicure and pedicure….. feels like I have trekked on the Sahara for a week.
12. Meeting the deadline at work.

Staying current on our chores is a massive chore in itself. How do we manage?.....Have we become machines or love slogging away? Or do we manage because of our love and commitment that comes with being a mom and wife?

Fall Evenings And Hot Chocolate By The Fireplace

It’s fall now, and temperatures in New York are steadily dropping though not too bad at the moment. We did have some sunshine in between but it seems the rain and dark cloudy skies have been here forever. The backyard looks all misty and dark in the rain through the glass windows in our kitchen.

Every Friday we try a different soup from a recipe book we bought at Barnes and Nobles, and last week it was Avocado with a touch of lemon and coconut water. Add hot bowl of pasta with shrimp to the menu…and we have some very happy faces around the kitchen table. I love this interaction at dinner... good food, conversation where the kids learn something every day and we get to know what is happening in their lives, and so many silly jokes and laughter.

Come November, and it’s a ritual for us to get the fireplace going; we love to cozy up in the den next to the crackling fire. Though I miss the baby days of my girls, with Nick, I am reliving those days all over again. Cuddling up with the baby in our den, the girls lounging next to us, the dogs all curled up, fuzzy throws, after dinner hot chocolate with marshmallows…. hmm how I adore the Friday and Saturday evenings of Fall!