The Last Day of Vacation

It has been a good vacation, and perhaps the most peaceful in years.  We didn't travel.  We didn't host out-of-town visitors.  Matthew has been home for nearly two weeks.  All wonderful things.

Tomorrow we Go Back to School and Work and Get Back Into a Routine.  But today.  Today we are visiting with friends and indulging in winter fun:

 

Kitty tummy!

Happy day.

Time Marches On

Sometimes while wearing her mom's slippers.

At dinner tonight, we went around the table and took turns naming our favorite parts of 2011.  We have so much for which to be thankful, but most of all we are thankful for the family and friends who have shared the journey with us.

Happy New Year to you!

Near May Be Better Than Far, But It Still Isn't There

Current Word Count:
35,608 (71%)

I totally stole this post title from my friend Sharon's status update, who in turn stole it from the musical Evita, which she'll be directing this spring in the first ever all-cat production.

Don't meow for me, simple human.
The truth is, I have my wet food.
My juicy tuna,
My oceanfishes
I have my wet food
Please bring cat dishes.

And as for opening up those cans
I have tried but I still have no thumbs
Though it seemed to the world
They were all I desired
They are illusions
Mittens don't open wet food as promised to me
The answer is still sleeping in
Oh wake and bring wet food to me!

You'll have to come to the show to hear the rest.

Some Things We Liked in Portland

More vacation photos from Maine! Also, some links.

Deering Oaks Park with good friends Angela and Dahlia. This was the day after the hurricane/tropical storm (whatever it was at that point) passed through, and it was sunny and absolutely gorgeous.

Exploring downtown to find lunch, the wee ones needed a rest.

Some fun things we found:

Yummy food with harbor view at the Dogfish Bar and Grille.

Too much fun at Knit Wit. But the yarns were so pretty, and the people so helpful. Besides, I've already finished mittens and a scarf from one of the yarns... and I'm sure I'll get to that sweater for myself soon.

Honey sampling and an up-close view of how the bees make honey (and how we get it out of the hive) at The Honey Exchange. The owner was wonderful with the kids and happily answered our many questions (like why bobby pins?).

I can't imagine why we liked Silly's so much. Its' not our kind of place at all.

Plus they had lots of allergy-friendly options, and big juicy cups of sangria, so there was that.

Reading with Nannie Pepper while waiting for our food to arrive.

Bug Light Park at sunset. It's across the river in South Portland, with some pretty views of the city.

Lovely, isn't it?

New York, and How We Got Around

We didn't want to advertise to the internets that we were away, but now that we're home we can tell you about our trip. This is part I, stopping in NYC coming and going to Maine.

Our friends Steve and Patrick were gracious and patient hosts.

The theme of this visit, apparently (according to our pictures), was transportation. Subway!

On shoulders!

Central Park merry-go-round with creepy clown/alien decor (which is not really pictured, sorry)! Also it played such traditional carousel hits as "9 to 5" and "Ring of Fire!"

Baby's first carousel ride, which she enjoyed immensely for the first 30 seconds!

Swimming! (Searching for Sammy the Seal)

Horseback rides in the park!

Jellyfish! (And Betsy's first show in NYC!)

Walking!

Carrier!

And some more subway! Whew! Thanks, Steve and Patrick for the whirlwind of fun! Now we need a nap.

A Fabulous Birthday

Today is my birthday, and I've had a great day.

First, I wore my new dress to church. My best friend Sarah gave it to me the other day and it fit perfectly right away, because she's an awesome costumer, that's what.

And then at church we had a surprise service in the new building with champagne brunch.

And then I got to hang out with my great family who made lunch AND dinner. I did not cook all day!

And then we had lime and coconut whoopie pies and presents, and then while we drove home the kids fell asleep in the car and they transferred into the house!















Oh, and my husband got me a tablet so I can draw pictures to put onto the computer.

All in all, a great day.

Experiencing History! Now in 3-D!

This morning's adventures included a trip to Mannassas National Battlefield Park with the Hochkeppel girls, to Get The Kids Out of the House and to Experience Some History. Also, I realized last night that while we have visited some national parks in Abigail's first year of life, I have neglected to stamp her National Parks Passport, and it has become very important to do this before her birthday next week.

So, here we are! Experiencing history! And lots of grass!

Betsy, Ella and Mimi recreate the historically accurate "standing around near a cannon, watching a herd of tourists, possibly while eating apples."

Gratuitously cute shot of my BFF and my kid.

There was only minor disappointment when my older child realized that the big horse was not real and therefore unavailable for riding around the battlefield.

History now includes 3-D glasses!

This reminds me of so many 1980s family vacation photos.

Ella and Betsy in their new bonnets from the gift shoppee. History on their heads!

Sarah and Becca enjoy themselves immensely. On the inside.

Also available at the gift shop.

Mimi completes her Junior Ranger exercises, and earns a patch! Or a badge!

And now I can proudly say that Abigail's passport is... untouched. Left home on the kitchen table. I guess we need to visit another park!

These Days

Excitement in the Pepper house this July:

Abigail is walking! She picks up her baby dolls and carries them around, patting their backs. She loves playing "Ah-doo" (Peek-a-boo) and helping me to cook and paddling/kicking around the pool in her sea star. And she loves being upside down.

Betsy is swimming! She said she wanted to learn to swim all the way across the pool this summer, and she did it. Now she wants to spend all her pool time doing cannonballs and jackknifes into the deep end. A huge improvement over the beginning of the summer, when both kids spent their entire pool time clinging to me like kicking barnacles.

Other assorted fun this summer:

Playing games. Uno, Sorry, Candyland, Tell-A-Story.

Getting outside with friends. Playdates at Lake Montclair, camping trips to Camp Hebron and Prince William Forest Park, exploring Brookside Gardens.

Spontaneous summer fun. Movies in the middle of the day with my dad. Living room dance parties. Picnics in the park.

Planning upcoming summer fun. Crafting up a storm for a baby shower we're throwing. Dreaming of our upcoming trip to Maine. Plotting birthday party fun for all of our August babies.

And since the end of this month will mark our 7th wedding anniversary, Matthew and I are hoping to go out on an actual date soon. Without the children.

Why Do I Do It?

Why write this particular blog at this particular time?

Well, first of all, there's the shocking lack of blogs from people in my demographic (white liberal overeducated stay-at-home-moms). I can think of at least three stay-at-home moms I know who don't blog. So there's that.

Actually, this blog had its genesis at Shrine Mont, where I was walking the labyrinth and meditating on the act of giving thanks. Abigail was maybe ten weeks old, and Matthew had taken both girls to the playground so I could have time to myself. It had been a stressful year, to say the least, but by some miracles we were all there, safe and healthy and strong. A blog, I thought, would be one small way to give thanks for the many blessings we'd received.

And then for several months I stalled on it.

And then my dear friend Kelly began her blog, which is sweet and delightful and a wonderful way to give thanks. And so I followed her example and finally began.

So, what's The Silly Pepper Joy Blog all about?

Matthew and I were talking about taking the kids to the beach for the morning. And how one could look at it this way:

"I spent all morning packing up towels and toys and food and swimsuits and sunscreen and getting myself ready and the kids ready and the kids ready again, and then we drove for an hour and then I unloaded all this stuff and ran around keeping them from drowning and keeping them from eating too much sand, and then I packed us all up again and drove home again and now I'm exhausted."

Or one could look at it this way:

"Instead of sitting in an office today I got to go to the beach with my kids, and it was a beautiful day, and Betsy had a great time swimming with her friends and Abigail kept crawling in the shallows and eating sand and laughing and we all had a lot of fun."

Both are true, right? My intention isn't to gloss over the more annoying aspects of life. I certainly do enough off-blog complaining. But here I want to celebrate and appreciate the good things, be they sweet or silly or a little bit surreal, as life with children tends to be. Here I want to share and give thanks for the many joys of this life, and to maybe inspire at least one other person to do the same. Thank you for sharing the journey with me.

Ten Loves (#4: Thursday Afternoon Playdates)

For the last ten days until graduation, ten things for which I am super thankful.

#1: Family

#2: Doodling

#3: The Farmers' Market

#4: Thursday Afternoon Playdates

I really do have the best job in the world. Just look at what I get to do with these beautiful friends the Ni family, nearly every Thursday afternoon.