NaBloPoMo

We live in Pleasantville

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Does this blog post title give you a vision in your head?  It does me, I see 1950s style neighborhoods in suburbia in black and white.  Neat rows of houses and kids playing outside together.

There are days as I sit inside our house I hear the kids in our neighborhood outside and playing together.  It’s such a great sound and one I enjoy knowing my girls are out there too!

I think of our neighborhood as Pleasantville like a throwback to the 50s and 60s when you did play outside in your neighborhood with your neighborhood friends!

When we first moved to our home we had no idea what our neighborhood was like other than we knew the schools would be good and we liked the look of the older ranch style homes and all the trees!

Within the first day of living in our home we found that we were one of many families with kids our kids ages.   A mix of girls and boys (mostly girls) who were around the same ages and most of them were going to the school our girls would be enrolled in.

Today I sat here,  and I listened to our girls surrounded by friends jumping, yelling and laughing in the piles of leaves they all helped rake together. First the two sisters from across the way came by to have fun and then after hearing all the fun and laughter another two sisters from a few houses down came over.  Yep that’s right it was not a planned play date, it just happened!

girl fun in the leaves 11-15-14

This is like a throwback to the neighborhood I grew up in the 60s where you always played in the neighborhood with your friends and always outside as the weather permitted.  When all is said and done all the organized after school activities are just that, the spontaneity of playing with friends where you live that is childhood!  I am so happy we moved to a place where our girls will get to have this fun neighborhood experience!

And that is how we are spending our Saturday afternoon!

This is day 15 for National Blog Posting Month, to read many of the other bloggers click #NaBloPoMo and Enjoy!

My most favorite time of the year

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au·tumn ˈôdəm/noun

the third season of the year, when crops and fruits are gathered and leaves fall, in the northern hemisphere from September to November and in the southern hemisphere from March to May.

“the countryside is ablaze with color in autumn”

fall out front 2014

This is what we see right now as we exit our home and it doesn’t even show all the color of the trees that surround us!  When we moved a little over a year ago we moved from a newer development with few trees and fewer trees that changed color in autumn.  Now we are in a neighborhood in a town that is known as the city of trees and our neighborhood is bursting with the colors of fall!

In our brief ride to school today both of my girls were excitedly calling out all the colors they could see that surround us.  They each shared how much they like to see these color changes.  What’s more they are excited to rake and jump into piles of leaves!  Something they experienced for the first time last year!

girls raking 11-9-13

This conversation with my girls and my own thoughts of the season were so connected!  This is my favorite time of year, I have memories of Fall growing up on the East Coast.  My commute from Long Island to New York City on the train elevated at times cruising over tree tops in beautiful colors of red, orange yellow and more this time of year.

The air gets crisp and has a certain smell that I recognize as fall.  We get to wear coats and sweaters, and closed toe shoes like boots!  I cook differently in the fall, the house is not already hot from the summer heat so I can roast, bake and more.  This then adds to the sense of smell for this time of year with pumpkin bread, chicken roasting, and cookies and treats!

Let’s be honest this is also my favorite time of year as my birthday is in the fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  All family driven holidays which make them all that much more for me and my family!  I love having family and friends together to eat and spend time together at the holidays (but that’s another post for another day). As I mentioned in my coffee date? post , I enjoy the flavors of the season in my coffee!

The conversation today with my girls was the best way to start our friday, and am looking forward to our weekend ahead with raking and jumping into piles of leaves!

This my my 14th post for National Blog Posting Month, please click #NaBloPoMo to read the many other bloggers’ stories as part of this event, Enjoy!

Coffee date?

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coffee date? A large coffee company with many shops is offering for a limited time “buy any holiday drink & get one free for a friend.”  (this is not an ad) Things that make you go hmmmmm?!

I am a one cup of coffee a day morning drinker, until I see the large coffee company shops and there happens to be one of these coffee shops right across the street from our girls’ ballet school.  When our girls started to dance there it became a regular treat before class and sometime after.  It became so regular that when their Dad helped out to take them to class they told him it was a must have for them!  And the clincher that made him think we go too often was that my younger daughter can even order my coffee for me LOL!

Now I’ve tried to cut back as the costs add up quickly.  Yes once or twice I treated myself to the wonderful fall pumpkin spice and am looking forward to the treat of an eggnog latte!  I’ve stopped the regular pop in and now it truly only is a special treat.

To keep my fix of pumpkin spice going I found a k-cup coffee with pumpkin spice that I can have each and every morning.  Because I cannot start my day without a cup of coffee.  I hope to find something similar with another holiday type of flavor.

Now that I’ve seen the advertisement though and there is a special, do I sneak over while my girls are at dance with one of my Mom friends? or do I take them in with me? Something to ponder to get a special coffee and a treat!

Bottoms up, it’s coffee time not that I can’t stop myself LOL!

 

it happens when you least expect it

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family rules

Please read this sign, we have one just like it hung on the wall in our kitchen.  It is this sign that we see every day but maybe we don’t read every day or so I thought.

Yesterday was a school holiday and both of our girls were off from school. On top of that my husband was home sick so the four of us had a day together.

It was while having lunch together that it came up, my eight year old daughter asked to try my lunch.  A little back story is that she is somewhat of a picky eater. She eats well, but only the things she knows and likes.  So here she was asking to try my lunch and I asked her what brought about that idea and she pointed to the sign and said “It says try new things.”

So there it was she did read and want to follow what the Family Rules say.  So my lunch was Vegetable Pad Thai a meal I pick up at Trader Joe’s for myself from time to time and have never had to share.  I gave her a forkful to try, and she liked it! Not to be outdone, her younger sister told us it was her duty to try new things too! and she wanted to try my lunch as well! and she liked it too!  Although I didn’t ever think I would be sharing a meal like this, I am happy that they each took a chance and tried something new and by trying it they found another food they like and will continue to eat!

It was just an ordinary Tuesday when it happened and we least expected it!  Hoping this is part of a new trend and that each of our girls will continue to read and understand the many different statements in the sign in our home of Family Rules!

Day 12 of National Blog Posting Month.  To see and read what other bloggers have to say click #NaBloPoMo and enjoy!