It has been a very warm late October day, and Hanzo and Arthas decided to add some culture by re-enacting Michaelangelo’s ‘The Creation of Adam’ with hands (and paw) outstretched. This moment is courtesy of Hanzo’s cat perch, which he spends absolutely all day, every day sleeping on and could not love more. He loves it so much he doesn’t care that the kids can stand on the table and pet him, in fact I think he enjoys it. I know whenever I pass by the door I give him a little pat down myself. Arthas is actually very gentle…
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Today was quite a cold and rainy morning with blustery autumn winds chilling us to the bone as we waited at the bus stop. Usually on rainy days Alex will take the kids in the car to the end of the driveway and wait for the bus, which I think is cheating. Today we just ran out and huddled together for warmth yet again, only stopping for just a moment so I could take these few snaps. Finally we dug out the Carhartt coats, and Ariana was going to wear hers which is the exact same color as this sweater,…
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It is finally time for the kids’ yearly physicals, and it has not been easy finding a doctor but I think we finally found a good place. Obviously since we live at the tip of an island there aren’t a lot of businesses out here, and even though it is a ‘wealthy’ area they have only one pediatrician in town… and they are, let’s say incompetent and unprofessional, though I could be a lot more colorful. So instead, a local mom recommended a place in Wading River, which is 40+ minutes away but very well reviewed. Always trust other moms!…
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Today was an especially chilly day, perfect for getting cozy and perfect for some adorable fuzzy pajamas. These polar bear pajamas have been passed down all the way from Arin, and I still remember when he used to wear them. We used to live in a freezing house so super warm PJs were a necessity… now I always turn the heat way up because I hate being cold! Still, you can’t beat how adorable these polar bear PJs look and how soft they feel. Since Alex works from home, he has been taking a lunch break with Arthas and I…
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Just another autumn morning waiting for the bus to pick Alistair and Ariana up for school. In case you hadn’t noticed, Alistair has a bunch of blue hoodies he’s been wearing, and Ariana’s wardrobe consists of a great deal of pink. It was a bit warmer today, because Ariana’s hoodie here is a very light one. I tried to make her change about 8 times as she started off the morning in a tank top and shorts… this is where we ended up. I’ve had to redress the kids every day since we started having to wear sweaters, pretty much.…
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Alistair has been taking the bus alone a lot this year, Ariana missed at least a week and a half so far just due to her cough. Today though, Ariana and Arin have their annual physical right after the bus comes so Ariana is going to skip school yet again. Ariana has only had to ride solo once so far when Alistair had a sore throat for a day, and then coming up when he has to go to his annual physical. He’s an old pro at riding the bus alone though, since he already had a few months last…
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I used to think no one could be more obsessed with blueberries than Alistair… he could seemingly eat an entire small carton to himself, and if there were any blueberries in the house, he would find them and binge on them. Well, Arthas is just as obsessed, if not more! This little cutie could probably eat his body weight in blueberries if we let him, he will absolutely devour an entire family size carton if left alone to it. Don’t worry, I keep a close eye on him when there are berries in the house or in his possession. That’s…
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This year I was determined to find an apple orchard experience that could compare with our old haunts in Massachusetts where we were spoiled for choice with some of the finest orchards in the world – as a matter of fact we lived in the town where Johnny Appleseed himself was born and began his famous career. Happily, on the first try we found ourselves at the beautiful, immaculately manicured, broadly-acred Breeze Hill Farm and had a great day picking apples, visiting farm animals, and enjoying the beautiful weather. The North Fork has tons of farm stands and vineyards, but…
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Introducing the Walnut Kids! I have created another short video montage from my Samsung Fold 3 phone motion photos – which now include sound! My new phone takes actual video snippets instead of just silent moving pictures, which makes it perfect for Youtube’s ‘video shorts’ format. If you watch on your phone you can expand these vertical videos to fill up your whole screen. In this episode: hanging out with all four kids and playing in the yard and on the tree fort swing set on a warm autumn day and collecting walnuts from our very old black walnut trees.…
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Autumn is fully upon us and sadly none of the trees here changed color, but they are all losing their leaves quite quickly now. It rained overnight the past two days and sparse is now the word to describe what was once verdant and lush. There are some yellow leaves, but most fall to the wind still green. It’s quite the change from living up north where there is always a riot of color (aside from the evergreen pine forest I grew up in). People come from all over to see the foliage change, and there are even websites that…
