The Sisters Visit

Dick's sisters paid us a visit recently. Sue and Mollie were staying in a motel in Saratoga so they went there first to drop off their things and then around 4:30pm they came to our house. Our daycare closed early at 3pm so it worked out really well. I was working in 50 miles away until 5pm and so I got to experience the rush hour all the way home in snowy conditions and got home close to 6:30pm. Around 6:00pm Dick called me to tell me Mollie was treating us the a Chinese takeout. Around 6:15pm I got a call from Mollie's cell phone  "Hello, hello, hello, I cannot hear anyone or anything, I am hanging up". I thought it was a butt call but it happened again, and again. About 4 times. So I thought we were all in a bad cell.

Shortly after cresting the hill at the monument I saw a car situated sideways on Burgoyne. It's nose was in the ditch outside our neighbor's house, so the car was parallel with Monument Drive.

It was Sue and Mollie. No one was hurt and the car looked undamaged. Mollie had already walked back to our house to let Dick know "there will be a slight delay in picking up the take out" she told him before she returned to Sue.

Apparently they had misjudged as they left our driveway and had fallen into the ditch quite soon after reversing. Sue thought she could drive the car out and kept going (in the ditch) but another car came up the hill so she had to break and that's when the back end swung around and ended up on the street.

There was a very happy ending. The newly elected Town (of Saratoga) Supervisor, Don Ormsby, just happened to have finished snow plowing the town offices and came across the sisters, so he parked his large truck with emergency-kind flashing lights below the "scene", I picked up the takeout and we all (except for Don who was adamant about staying in his warm truck) went inside to eat while we waited a short time for the tow truck to pull the car out. Jack was in his element with it all.

Here's a photo I borrowed from the internet which demonstrates the angle. Imagine snow, a smaller ditch and a slightly smaller, more modern car and two laughing sisters.

AAA pulled the car out of the ditch quite easily. A happy ending.

Baby Fish

We have a few new baby fish in the aquarium and I am not sure who the parents are.

I have not had time to photograph them (so I borrowed this photo from the web).

This particular one looks like a juvenile guppy. Ours are similar in color - golden with huge eyes.

Hopefully they grow to maturity and then we will be able to identify them properly.

Helium Balloon

Kelly brought helium balloons for Jack's birthday last Saturday. Four regular ones and a red foil one which had "You're 3 Today" on it.

It outlasted the others and on Friday as I was trying to get Jack off to daycare in a timely manner, I suggested he take it with him. I told him a few times "Don't let go of it when we are outside because it will fly away and we will not see it again" - he said "Ok. I will not let go of it Mummy". No sooner had we stepped outside, Jack let go of it and I was not able to catch it as it flew up and over our house. Jack's facial expression was one of muted glee (he did not want me to see he was quite excited about it). I told him to say goodbye to it (thinking that gesture would make he feel bad about it - but not at all).

As it crested the roof it dipped a little so I asked Jack to follow me around to the front of the house. As the wind blew it across the lawn, the (warm) balloon was reaching ambient temperature, cooling down and sinking. I was able to catch it. And I put it back in the house.

Our science lesson for the day was "Cold Air Sinks".

Happy Birthday Jack and Patrick!

Jack and Patrick celebrated their birthdays in Schuylerville and Bishops Stortford, respectively.

Jack was not the only one to love his icecream birthday cake (thank you Campbell and Kelly for that!). Hopefully we get to skype with Dad, etc. in Ireland today.

When I get a chance, I will upload more photos.

Trying Out Everything

Jack got into my mascara the other evening before his bath.

We are so relieved he did not damage his beautiful eyes.

Good One

Last week, she checked into a motel on her 65th birthday and she was a bit lonely. She thought, "I'll call one of those men you see advertised in phone books for escorts and sensual massages."

She looked through the phone book, found a full page ad for a guy calling himself Tender Tony - a very handsome man with assorted physical skills flexing in the photo. He had all the right muscles in all the right places, thick wavy hair, long powerful legs, dazzling smile, six pack abs and she felt quite certain she could bounce a silver dollar off his well oiled bum....

She figured, what the heck, nobody will ever know. I'll give him a call.

"Good evening, ma'am, how may I help you? . . Oh my, he sounded sooo sexy!

Afraid she would lose her nerve if she hesitated, she rushed right in, "Hi, I hear you give a great massage. I'd like you to come to my motel room and give me one. No, wait, I should be straight with you. I'm in town all alone and what I really want is sex. I want it hot, and I want it now. Bring implements, toys, rubber, leather, whips, everything you've got in your bag of tricks. We'll go hot and heavy all night - tie me up, cover me in chocolate syrup and whipped cream, anything and everything, I'm ready!! Now how does that sound?"

He said, "That sounds absolutely fantastic, but you need to press 9 for an outside line."

Recordable Book

The Night Before Christmas:
Gramma Sue gave Jack this book last year and he was a little too young too appreciate it, but he certainly does now. We have listened to it many times tonight. He loves it!

It is a great gift and a great idea. Unfortunately we don't get to see Gramma Sue that often.

Mr McGee and the Big Bag of Bread

At lunchtime yesterday and today, just before Jack's nap, he told ME a bedtime story of Mr McGee and how the crocodile ate Mr McGree's bed, leaving him to sleep in his tree (with his cat in his lap).

On October 30th we had a forecast of 5"-12" of snow and many people were scurrying around getting prepared for the Nor' Easter. Even though we only got just a little more than 2" it was perfect snowman building snow. So we had to build one and Jack loved it. However the next few days were warm and Jack learned all about the word "melting".

Writing on the box

Jack came to me this morning with a mini box of Milk Duds. He was shaking them and telling me he found some chocolate. He said there was writing on the box and I asked "Do you know what it says?" and he replied

"Do not feed the animals"

* That is from "Mr McGee and his Big Bag of Bread" - Thank you Lizzie and Michael for the that wonderful story book!

Pony Rides At The Birthday Party

Pilar's and Petra's 5th Birthday Party was on Saturday and it was wonderful.

Jack had not one, not two, but three pony rides and I took so many photos you will have to see them here.


He's "a natural" on a pony too.

Teleri Visited

Teleri and her Mum visited family for a reunion in the Catskills (1.5 hours south of us) and Teleri was able to take the train North to visit us for 24 hours.

I was able to take the day off and we wanted to make the most of our time together so rather than Teleri taking the train back, I decided to drive her back and Mum was able to join us. It was so much fun. We were able to visit Olana and visit some high end shops in Hudson.

Teleri's beautiful aunt (top photo, far right) is a talented artist.

The best thing was we got to meet Teleri's 2 aunts and her uncle. It was very special.

In the last photo: Pictured here is Mrs Jones and Ms Teleri Jones (with a Victoria Secret item).

I have more to say and more photos to add...

Thomas the Tank Engine

Giggling Ruby

Patrick and Annabel's new addition Ruby. Born in April. She is an absolute cutie.

Rob & Louie's Horse Farm

Jack and I felt like we had died and gone to heaven when we visited Rob and Louie's horse farm. Rob took Jack for a ride on his tractor.

Mini Fair

Fort Hardy Park had a mini fair last weekend and we visited it on Sunday. This was Jack's first ride and the centrifugal force was so strong I was concerned for a short while. But Jack enjoyed it so much he wanted to try out each and every ride. He was "hooked". The love of speed does run in the family! (Dad, Alastair, Patrick, Campbell, Roxy and I are "boy racers").

Jennifer's Wedding

Jennifer and Jeremy got married at the Rochester Museum and Science Center last Saturday. The ceremony was in the rose garden followed by cocktails on the first floor and the reception on the mezzanine floor. It was spectacular and Jack and Lily and Gaby (baby pictured) could not believe the variety of tactile exhibits. There were so many buttons to push, levers to lift, sliding doors, etc, that Jack kept saying "I like weddings".