25 Days, 25

What's great about us is that after driving three hours to the farm with the pumpkin patch and the apple picking (closure of the main artery out of town tripled our drive time) and another two hours there running around feeding cows and turkeys, we left without a single pumpkin or apple.

Thank God for Trader Joe's.

25 Days, 24

Yeah, we seen some stuff today.

bad-ass tractors

assorted pumpkins and squashes

a corn maze where we got so lost we had to go out the way we came in

giant tire tunnel

first-ever pony ride

petting zoo

and this delight, as usual

25 Days, 23

Mazel Tov, Mr. Gore.

On behalf of our child and his children and grandchildren, we thank you for your work with the environment. Because of your influence we:

• switched to compact fluorescent bulbs
• use only biodegradable cleaning products
• recycle more vigilantly
• eliminated bottled water
• eat more organic and local food
• and most importantly, we think before we act

25 Days, 22

Getting ready to welcome the harvest season.

25 Days, 21

Danzig baby

We had some friends over for a bbq this weekend and somehow Josh managed to capture the one fleeting smile we got out of Dash in the entire 6 hours.

However, best grilled shrimp recipe in the history of shrimp and recipes:

Basil Shrimp

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
• 3 tablespoons brown mustard
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• white pepper
• 3 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• skewers
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a shallow, non-porous dish or bowl, mix together olive oil and melted butter. Stir in lemon juice, mustard, basil, and garlic, and season with salt and white pepper. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill to high heat. Remove shrimp from marinade, and thread onto skewers. Discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil grill grate, and arrange skewers on preheated grill. Cook for 4 minutes, turning once, or until opaque.

I served this with a Caesar salad, black beans & Mexican rice.

25 Days, 20

Boo!

another in my growing collection of stupid nutcrackers

the doll pins in their branchy home

garland made from free Dover samples printed on card stock & strung together with orange embroidery floss

25 Days, 19

Kidspace Children's Museum with his Aunty and three little mamas. Awesome.

Aunty + french fry = life is perfect

Dash's main little mama, Hayden

menace

excavation

Every few minutes water would pour out, washing away their work. I think the lesson is that sometimes life is futile.

The girls made cards for kids in the hospital. I hope Hayden's card goes to someone not very ill and with a sense of humor.

Mason made a portrait of Aunty's recently deceased cat, Sydney.

I think Hallmark should make this card. I would buy them in bulk and tack them all over the house.
(by Mackenna)

Dash: "OK, Daddy, let go."

just resting

child labor

Make. It. Go.

Daddy saves the day

every perfect day ends with ice cream and a cuddle from Mason