A post for Nanny

Thru the Hunt Club, we have made a wonderful new friend!  Nanny is the Mother and Grandmother (or Nanny!) of another Mom/Daughter riding team.  She attends all the meets she can, and is a super social butterfly!  She took right to Billy and Westley the first time we met her, and I look forward to seeing her at every hunt!  I love her sense of humor and kind soul~ she is a real fire cracker and such a hoot to be around!  She makes such yummy food too- she has a reputation with all the riders for making spectacular offerings at tea.

A few weeks back, she presented me with this lovely typed up recipe collection- complete with horse picture on front!  As she was handing it to me, Wes got his eye on it and grabbed right for it.  He was looking at the horse picture as we said our "good-byes"  I put him into his seat to whisk Sav off to cheer, and he fell asleep clutching it!  He napped the whole nap with it held tight in his fist.  This one's for you Nanny!  And, I WILL be making that "nutty broccoli slaw"~ if only to mess with Savanna!

Soup & Bread

Bill finally succumbed to the stomach bug that has been rampant in our house... it has been nearly 3 weeks, now everyone has had it; well, except for Wes who got it twice, (and we gave it to Mom and Dad too)  In an effort to be "wifely" and "comfort my man" in his hour of need, I made homemade bread and chicken rice soup for dinner tonight!

Actually, I had the chicken bones in the freezer waiting for a crisp afternoon to make soup- and I love my bread machine, so... the stars were just in the right alignment for "sick-o" to get some chicken soup lovin' tonight!

All afternoon Wes was pestering Daddy- he made an easy target all layed out helpless in the recliner.  After a particularly annoying game which consisted mostly of repeatidly landing a toy helicopter on Daddy's cranium and a subsequent cracker throwing fit by Bill I tried intervene and tempted Wes away with offers of "helping Mommy make dinner."  He helped to "chop" carrots and celery for the soup, then wanted to cut the bread too. 

He jabbed at the poor loaf for quite some time, it was pretty funny when I sliced it up- it was all squished inside!  Then, when it came time to eat dinner, Mr. Helper came up with an ingenious way to eat his soup:



He carefully scooped out all his favorite veggies, and loaded them onto his piece of bread



Then used the bread to carry them to his mouth!  Clever boy!!

Orris Falls Conservation Hike

Today was our first Cub Scout Pack meeting, and we took advantage of a lovely fall day and took a hike!  It was perfect- crisp air, sunlight streaming thru the colored leaves... quintessential New England ... 

We hiked on a conservation land trail, out to a very cool geological formation.  We passed a nice stream (with a waterfall) flowing thru a steep gorge and a beaver pond (saw the dam and a half chewed tree) and saw many large granite boulders.  Wes walked a little ways, then rode in the backpack- and promptly fell asleep!  He napped most of the hike out, while we were at the balancing rock, and then most of the way back!  Silly boy

The "point" of the hike was to get out to "balancing rock."  It is so cool that this is right in our town (and I never knew!)  The "glacial erratic" is really a sight to see- I'm hopeful that we can get back here with the horses, the trail was very nice and for the most part very rideable!  It was just under 3 miles- a great length for the boys.

Yes, that is Wes fast asleep in his pack, parked under the balancing rock!

It's Fall Around Here

It's really happening... the leaves are changing, the horses coats are growing in, the nights are getting colder... It's undeniable...  Fall is here!

 Wes has been having way too much fun with the pumpkins and gourds I put in the steps.  Just about daily I have to fetch them all from the driveway- he likes to roll them off their perches and down the stairs!

 Olivia went to Camp Meridian and had the best weekend- the weather was amazing!  The drive up there was perfect for leaf peeping!  Because this camp is always on Columbus Day weekend, its an easy way to remember the things that happen while she is away... like this was the 2nd anniversary of the weekend I broke my ankle... our anniversary of getting Otis... 



 The horses are all happy and starting to puff out with winter coats!  Grace and Beau and Squeeke have been in here and there- staying dry with some fall rain we've had.  They all seem to enjoy the barn, and Beau especially has to be dragged out!  He would really rather just hang out in his stall~  We have a formal hunt this weekend and the weather is supposed to be nice again.  I'm looking forward to riding~

 Last weekend we went to MacDougals with Auntie and Nic

 We picked loads of apples, did the petting zoo, corn maze and ate apple cider donuts

 It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon!

 Then on Sunday, Savy, Wes and I went down to Hampton NH and met up with Kelley and Sam for another round of fall fun!

 AppleCrest is quite the attraction- it was busy and filled with activities for everyone to do!  The boys were so cute, and it was so nice to see Kel, especially since it was her birthday!  She and Geoff are now just about half way to meeting their next little Palmer!  I am so excited for them!!

 The boys both really enjoyed the "train" ride out to the orchard, and despite some difficult picking, they seemed to like being out in the apple trees!

 We had yummy donuts and cider here too, but then day turned quite warm, so some ice cream really hit the spot! 

I hope you are enjoying the fall weather, and are able to get out and frolic a bit before winter sets in!  I know we are having fun, this really is my favorite season!

Picasso?

One of the ideas I had for Wes when the kids went back to school was finger painting.  I went out and got a giant pad of paper, and 4 bug tubes of colorful paint.  I was so excited for this craft/activity... thinking how very toddler and "pre-schoolish" it was.  Well. Our first attempt didn't go as planned.  Turns out Wes' aversion to dirty hands made FINGER paint a no-go.  He just wasn't into gettin' messy.  So, resourceful Mama, I got him a brush.  He then proceeded to paint all over. himself.  Sigh 

I've waited a few weeks.  Today we tried again.  And, I must say he did very well!  He wanted more and more and more paint...

Now, does it make me a bad person to think the paint plate tuned out better than the "canvas"

Cheer Captain

Savanna's Pee-Wee Football Cheer Squad has been back in action since the end of August... I'm just so slow these days getting things uploaded and posts done!  The girls are doing great, its been a fun season (not too cold yet!) and, note the black crop-top!  Savy made Captain!  I think the title is made even more impressive since the decision is made by a vote among the squad, not by the Coaches!  Not too shabby for a 2nd year Cheerleader!

While we have already had sign ups for Competition Cheer, we still have a handful of games left- I'm already done my required stints in the concession stand, so I get to kick back and enjoy the games!  So, better late than never- Noble Cheer Rocks!

Birthday Bill

Today is Bill's birthday, and while I try to make sure he knows how much he is appreciated on a daily basis, the celebration of his birth seems like reason enough to take time out to thank him for all he does!

I am so grateful that he provides in such a way that I can stay home- I love being a Mom, and giving that role my full attention is really important to me!  I might fuss and moan now and again, but I really do like what I do!  I try to stay grounded and not take what I have for granted.  We really do have everything we need (and then some!!)  I appreciate that while things might not always be done the way he would like, he is always appreciative of what I do.  I love that he is supportive of my trying to stay active with horses.  I love how much he loves his kids.  He makes me laugh, and makes me smile.  He loves me despite (or is it in spite of?) my faults and flaws... 

I am especially thankful of all the hard work Bill is putting into "my" barn at the moment. I know he would really rather be building himself a garage! It's amazing all the things he can do- I can't wait to see what the next year has in store!

  

We had a little lunch while my Mom and Dad were here this weekend, and I made a rich chocolate cake.  It wasn't the traditional angel food his Mom makes, but since his parents are away I thought I'd branch out, and we can have the real "Birthday" cake when they get home! 

I also had to include this picture of Mom in the hot tub- all the Grand kids wanted to go in after we had cake... so good Grandma that she is, she jumped right in! 

Early Fall

The kids are back at school and I am so much busier than when they were home for the Summer!  Wes and I have my barn chores, and he has swim on Monday, Music on Wednesday and we go to Story time at the Library on Thursdays... Then after school is a wreck with Savy in Drama at her school, and Cheer plus Olivia's riding and her drama... not to mention Girl and Cub Scouts... Any spare time is spent out in the barn, I guess my blog has been suffering, but I'm really happy with how everything is going: 

 Two of the main (exterior) doors are up, one more and we will be all buttoned up!  The tack room wall is in; one door (and cat door too!) and a make shift step.  The saddle racks and bridle hooks are up, and I have pretty much moved in!  We had a wash out with a stretch of rain we had, so one day was spent doing some damage control and landscaping.  All of that sort of "messed" up the arena site, so looking out there makes me sad, but I'll be happy not to have the aisle flooding.  Dad has been hard at work on some of the stone walls, and it looks amazing!! 

 With all the hard work I have to find time to actually enjoy the horses!  I have been having fun fox hunting Beau.  He has been great!  He seems to totally love it- he's almost a bit too excited in my opinion!  A while back we hosted a pace, and while the rest of the family toiled away to make the event happen, Olivia and I rode!  We joined up with a student of mine and a friend of hers, and the 4 of us had a great ride.  We were fast, and ended up placing 3rd, but it was fun for sure- and it was so nice to come out to the stirrup cup, and find the gang all there!

IEA Season Opener

 Olivia's IEA team has started back up, and she went to her first show a few weekends back.  She had a tough ride, on a tired horse who was hard to canter... she placed 6th, so did get a point... but maybe not the start we had anticipated!  The show was well run, and Wes and I enjoyed the day- plus Olivia loves anything she does with her team; I swear she would have fun sitting with her team all day and not even riding at all!  We got her new tall boots to start the season so her feet were a bit sore... but she rode thru and despite the pain (and having a cold too!) had a smile on her face all day long!

We have 4 or 5 more shows lined up, one is the first that the team has hosted alone.  That day should be busy for all of us but a great step for this team.  I'm looking forward to seeing what these girls have in store this season...