Noah doesn't like to share his Pirate's Booty

Random Rambling

It's getting colder here in NY. We've busted out the scarves and winter jackets. Matthew and Noah have taken a liking to mine.

My mom bought the boys holiday singing microphones.

They think they're rock stars.

Matthew randomly yells at me to "take a picture" because he thinks he's being cute. He usually is.

I talked Matt into putting our tree up today. He's a good sport about this kind of stuff.

He let Matthew help put the angel on this year. And I let Matthew put on about 50% of the ornaments.

He was quite proud of his handiwork.

Noah was napping when we put up the tree (thank goodness). When he woke up he was as excited as his brother about the tree being up.

When we set him free he curiously surveyed the tree.

He looked at me as to say "can I touch this?"

Even though I said no, he did anyway. But gently, so no damage was done.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day. I might get Matt outside on a ladder to put up our lights. :-)

And wherever Matthew goes, Noah is sure to follow

Noah needs to be within 2 feet of Matthew at all times. And if he can get even closer, he does.

He's even started to bolt for Matthew's room (and bed) after their nightly bedtime story.

Even when we're just being lazy watching some TV, Noah sits as close to Matthew as he can.

Many times he even sits on top of Matthew. Luckily Matthew is a good sport about it.

Only daddy is allowed to come between them. And only for books.

Brotherhood at it's best.

Order Holiday Cards: Check!

I am one of those people who LOVES that the Christmas season seems to start earlier every year. I would keep my tree and decorations up all year if Matt would let me! So it should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I have already ordered my Christmas cards. They are scheduled to arrive November 14th. I cannot wait!

This year I decided to try a new (to me) company - Minted. I have heard good things and came across a good deal, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to place my order. They have a TON of awesome layouts - perfect for people who want to cram a lot of photos on their cards (like me!). I chose the Family Framed card in red.

I created the card and received a proof in my email just a few hours later. My cards are on their way!

Anyways, on to the deal - right now you can get a $25 site credit just for signing up for a Minted account. You need a referral link for it - here's mine if you're so inclined:

Minted Referral Link

In addition to the $25 credit for signing up, you can also get another $25 credit PLUS free shipping by using the code HOL25SHIP at checkout (so you'll have a total of $50 in credit towards your purchase PLUS free shipping). Not a bad deal for holiday cards! (Note: this deal ONLY works for ordering holiday cards). And once you sign up, you'll get your own referral link - and you'll earn site credits for everyone who signs up and orders through your link.

Happy ordering!

Disclosure: I was not contacted or compensated by Minted for this post. I am purely posting my personal experience with the company and sharing a good deal.

Then the lights came back on...

We got our power back on Friday night. After five long days, our lights came on, our cable came on, and we were able to get back to "normal" (you know, normal for us). We were lucky that Sandy didn't cause any physical damage to our house. Our neighbors, our town, our state wasn't as lucky. As I write this, there are people just a few miles away going to bed in the cold dark. So much food has spoiled. So many trees are being carted away. So many houses are dark. We got through it the best we could. And the boys, they had no idea that anything was wrong. I was glad to try to make their days as normal as we could even though their usual hot-spots were out of commission - schools were closed for a week, grandma's house lost power, the mall lost power, and we were home-bound until it was deemed safe to go outside.

The day before Sandy was scheduled to make her appearance, we took the boys to Muscoot Farm for their annual Boo Walk. I wasn't sure if we were going to have a Halloween this year, so I figured this was a good way to let the boys wear their costumes and get in some Halloween fun. The skies were already ominous, and it was quite cold, but we trekked on. Matthew was out-of-his-mind excited to put on his Iron Man costume.

And Noah, he was ecstatic to be the side-kick.

Matthew got his hand painted at Muscoot (since taking off the mask was forbidden).

And he took the business of the scavenger hunt very seriously.

He had quite the eye for spotting all the little Halloween treasures scattered throughout the trails.

After a successful hunt, we hit up the farmer's market, checked out a few of the animals, and of course hopped on the tractors.

Matthew was so happy to be out and about in his costume that he even let me take a picture of the two of us.

The next day we hunkered down and waited for our fate.As it grew dark the winds picked up and our lights started to flicker. Then we went dark. And it got loud - the wind, the debris flying around, hitting our roof. The winds were so intense that we never heard two 50-year-old pine trees fall from their roots next door. Thankfully they fell towards the street and not towards my neighbor's house. When night turned to day, we went out to survey the damage. And we started our wait for our electricity to come back.

Tuesday came and went. Wednesday arrived and Matthew jumped out of bed excited for Halloween. We put on our Halloween shirts and I tried to come up with a plan for our day.

We were supposed to be at Matthew's pre-school parade and party, then trick-or-treat at the mall, but instead we were only able hit up a few houses on my mom's street with cousin Maryann. Some people had already made their escape from the neighborhood, and some roads were blocked with trees, but there were a few houses that were happy to see us and handed over loads of treats. Matthew seemed to have fun, so that's all the really mattered to me.

Wednesday came and went without power at our house. The mall got power back on Thursday, so we soaked up some of their electricity as a way to escape the house for a bit. 

Lunch, the dollar store and a few rides make their day.

While we were there we noticed they were setting up for Santa's arrival. So I made plans for a Saturday photo opp.

To celebrate the arrival of the big guy (and the arrival of a utility crew from North Carolina who restored our power), we indulged in some very messy cookies (post-photo of course).

This week was a new start. Schools are back in session (for the most part), downed trees have been cleared (in most areas), and the lines at the gas station are getting shorter (day by day). Unfortunately, there is a forecast of more severe weather mid-week. So I am enjoying today. Because I just don't know what tomorrow will bring.

I hope all of you in the tri-state area are safe and warm tonight. Good night, and good luck!

Fall Thrill

Matthew looks forward to the day he's allowed to help rake the leaves each fall.

Hopefully he feels the same way about the chore when he's a teenager.

But for now - it's the thrill of the season.

The little rake, the big pile of leaves, the cool weather - the perfect mix.

Of course helping with the leaves wouldn't be nearly as fun if not for the jumping in the piles.

Tomorrow night "Frankenstorm" is due to come our way. Hopefully we don't get much more than a few more leaves on our lawn from it! We're prepared for it - and we enjoyed the nice weather we had today, knowing that the next few days are going to be rough. Hopefully we can squeeze in a few hours of fun tomorrow before the weather shifts. Stay safe east coasters!!

Let the insanity begin...

The Toys R Us Holiday catalog arrived yesterday.

Matthew took his time going through it - pointing out all the toys he's going to ask Santa for this year.

It's a thick catalog. A long list. Santa is going to need some backup.