Welcome to New Hampshire (and Mass)

We had a great trip yesterday. We started off our trip with a few garage sells, where Max bought himself a Cinderella figurine (What else would a four year old boy want? Well the answer is an old Ritz cracker tin, which was thrown into the deal for a $1 total.). We then proceeded on our trip to see the fall colors. The trees were gorgeous as we traveled out of Rhode Island, through Mass and into New Hampshire. Brilliant reds, vibrant yellows, and cool oranges. After multiple pit stops at a road side farm's produce stand (where we found more pumpkins, fresh corn, and sweet crisp apples) and more garage sells, we arrived in the town of Jaffrey (probably population of 500-1000 including the 200+ scarecrows).


It was a cute little town and they were having a festival called "Scarecrows On The Common." The had bobbing for apples, face painting, pumpkin bowling, a ball toss, and the coup de gras Scarecrow making!!! Most of these were free except for the scarecrows, which was a scout fundraiser.

So Max and I, with a little help from Bammy, set to work on our Scarecrow. We had mom and The Fae draw faces on the provided sacks, chose hats from the hat pile and clothes from the clothes pile and built it on a wooden cross provided by the Boy Scouts. Max, naturally, chose a Santa hat thus setting a winter/Christmas theme from the start. Then after a few rejections by Max of some of the clothes I tried to chose we settled on green pants and a red shirt/blouse. (What else do you do with a Santa hat). Thus began the creating of Bert, the two-headed pregnant Christmas thief. It was a blast having Max help me tie/staple/pin and stuff a scarecrow, a first for both of us! They also both enjoyed jumping in the piles of hay distributed about the common.

Fall Preview

Tomorrow we are heading for New Hampshire to enjoy the Fall Colors!!!

http://www.visitnh.gov/ The Monadnock region is reported to be at its Peak of color.

So check back soon to see how it all went!

What's your favorite...

Here are the updated favorites:
What is your favorite fast food? In-n-Out (A triple-triple animal style!)
What is your favorite Disney Movie = Pirates of the Caribbean
What is your favorite Sea Ranch memory= rock hopping with winterfresh, SF- Tommy Toys
What is your favorite Sister-Listeneth.

What is your favorite place to lunch while in high school? Teryiaki Kitchen (Though Favela's was good as was Joe's)

WHO'S your favorite 2-doors-down neighbor that moved far away to Michigan and then even drove 15 hours to visit you in Rhode Island? -Browns

Why did I think your birthday was on the 5th? Your brain isn't working. (Wrong ? format...you always had a hard time with this one Brown!)


Well in our family heritage we have a tradition for birthdays...Everyone present asks the birthday boy/girl what their favorite...is. So I've already been sung too and asked a few favorite questions a day early today so I thought I'd share them and add few extras.


What is your favorite Jungle Animal? Tiger and/or Liger
What is your favorite Primary song? Beautiful Savior (in German)
What is your favorite thing about Rhode Island? I don't know, we keep leaving the state to see other things. (Waterfire was wicked awesome)
What is your favorite shell fish? Dungeness Crab (No not the Quahog, at least not yet)
What is your favorite primary (baby) tooth? #C (Yes I know C is a letter not a number but tell that to the AAPD)
What is your favorite son? SamWell
What is your favorite name for your future daughter? Veronica M. Warner
What is your favorite dessert? Flourless Chocolate Torte (with Raspberry Sauce)
What is your favorite book? Duh, The Bartimaues Trilogy
What is your favorite way to announce that your wife is pregnant? "I got another one past the goalie!"
What is your favorite thing Emily begins to do when she is pregnant? Long belches
What is your favorite memory of your children? Today was fun playing out on the Trampoline in the rain...then coming in for Hot Chocolate! We also made yummy rice crispy treats and Sam helped me make pizza dough.

IT'S FINALLY TIME!!!!

Now that the long boring summer is over and we can stay in side and veg...It's finally time to watch primetime television...and we finally have cable (Some may have heard about our unfortunate experiences with direct TV and dishNetwork, in short we are surrounded by tall trees, thus no satellite reception) Here are a few of my favorites (From fav to less fav): Veronica Mars (Tuesdays), NCIS (Tuesdays), Survivor (Thursdays), Prison Break (Mondays), Criminal Minds (a new favorite, Wednesdays).




Opps! How could I have left off the much anticipated and hoped for third season of THE OFFICE!!! (Can't wait til tomarrow) This can squeeze in next to Veronica and NCIS at a close 2nd place and/or first place, cause face it Kristen Bell is adorable.

Cave of the Winds-Niagara

Emily forgot to mention the most fun part of the Niagara Falls trip: The Cave of the Winds tour.
We took an elevator to the level of the base of the falls and then walk on a series of stairs and decks to get to the actual base of the falls. It was wicked awesome. The sound of the crashing water was soo loud it was hard to hear each other. And though we were wearing the supplied ponchos, they were not too effective at preventing water. The spray from the falls was every where.

There was an optional path to take up to the Hurricane deck, rightly named because it feels like what I imagine a hurricane would feel like. Max and I braved that part together. That's where you can see me circle in the supplied photograph. It drenched me completely, but it the power of it was so cool.

This was Max's favorite part of the trip and I think it made it worth going to all the boring adult sites we dragged him to.

Lobsta and Cabinets-Rhode Island Style

The 2 major RI supermarkets had very inexpensive lobsters on sale this weekend. So they became one of the main topics in the OR on Friday. (yes I know it is comforting to know that while you are asleep for surgery we are talking about Lobster, but believe me this is one of the better topics discussed this day.) So I felt very inclined to stop at Stop N Shop on the way home and pick up 2 live lobstas (as I was informed is the correct way to say it here :) ) One of the nurses even wrote down the instructions on how to cook them.













Unfortunately I underestimated E's reaction when I pulled/dumped two live lobsters out of their bag. She immediatly became nauseated, rushed out of the house, and called her friend (Mama Bear) for commiseration and sympathy, which she found in great measure. Anyway, she repented and came back home and actually enjoyed the fresh lobsta and excellent fresh corn! They turned out very good and I may actually try it again sometime.


Along with learning how to say lobsta and butta, I also learned that had E ordered a milk shake at the creamery last week she would have been sorely disappointed. You see a milk shake is merely milk with a flavored syrup blended together. If you want a true milk shake, you know with ice cream, one must ask for a CABINET. So naturally we had some cabinets to end the evening in style!!

A Fun Walk This Morning

The boys woke up a little early today and were sitting on the couch with me. As I looked out of the window and saw the sun shining very beautifully on the leaves outside, I decided we'd go for a walk before making our Saturday morning waffles. These are the pictures from a little loop that I sometimes, used to, might again, jog in the mornings. M-loves to gather granite rocks for his mother-he thinks they're her favorite rock-he ended up with a large shirt full. The next pic just shows what can happen if you turn around for a minute thinking Bammer's is just throwing rocks in the water!


M- loves our herons and asks about them whenever we drive by our marshland...Which is every time we leave or come home.


I love the views of the bay with the sailboats it is always very beautiful and relaxing to see. (By the way...this stuff is literally around the corner and down the street about one block!).


If no one is willing to pay the high Sea Ranch prices in CA, you could always help us out with our mortgage and come stay with us and enjoy the view here!!!!!

Playing Doctor

Well I finally got these pictures from my friend. I am in the OR every Friday working on children under sedation and general anesthesia. These are the kids that either too young for the extent of their work, what some call precooperative, too "uncooperative," developmentally delayed, medically compromised etc. This is one of my favorite parts of the residency.
This post is also inspired by Grey's Anatomy, which we have just started watching.

Hey Everybody....

We had a very fun family night tonight...I taught "Mini Me" about where The Book of Mormon/Golden Plates was/were found (Cumorah/Palmyra) and that we will be going there in two weeks. My friend/coresident is getting married near there so we are planning on going to Palmyra and Niagara on the same trip.

Then, as seen in the photos, and after a competitive game of 'Red Light-Green Light,' we had a nummy treat...Tofutti Cutties i.e. non-dairy ice cream sandwiches!! MLE and I had white chocolate lemon bars from last night's game night with our friends.

(The featured game-Who, What, Where-is a very fun and is highly recommended.)

The whole purpose of this blog was to show you this cute picture I took of BAMMER last night...notice the wicked string of drool.

All Quahogs Go To Heaven

Here, for those of you not educated properly in the history and trivia of The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a picture of the QUAHOG (or at least half of one). This Quahog was found on Easton Beach in Newport, Rhode Island.




(that title was for you dave)

NEWPORT, RI

Here are some photos from our recent trip with the Grizzly family to Newport, one of the Rhode Island islands. I had the day off due to our victory over the island of Japan. It was a very beautiful day and a very cool place to visit. We went on the "Cliff Walk," which takes you past some of the Newport mansions of the "Gilded Age" of New England. It was quite amazing.

Quahogs, Blogs, and Trampolines...The 6 year Anniversary

Yesterday Most Gracious Adorable One and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary!! We were lucky to be able to spend it with the Grizzlys, our friends from SF. They came to visit us for a few days from Michigan. We went to a nice restaurant at the Ponaug Marina down the street from our house. It was very fun I got to try the stuffed Quahog (The Quahog is a large clam and is also the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation's state shellfish!) It was pretty good.

Why? You might ask is the six year anniversary the "trampoline anniversary"? Because She Who Must Be Obeyed thinks that it is what our children need in our yard and since I cashed in on my recent eBay sales I surprised her with one for her present. She watercolored a coupon for me for a free watercolor done by her at my specifications!! One of the things I've always wanted. (The other she already did for graduation when she finally after 5+ years of marriage played me a song on her Violin, it was very pretty.)

So it was a very nice day. I am so very grateful that I found her on that wall at the Rock Garden. She has been such a blessing to me and is the best mother I've ever seen. (Yes Mom she rivals you, but you can still be #1, just don't tell her). I always wanted to marry someone as good as my sisters and I did. She makes me so happy and I can't stand it when she is away. Everything becomes duller and loses its interest when I'm not with her. I have truly been richly blessed.

Cute Boys

Here are a couple of cute pictures of the boys. They found some worms while we were working in our yard and flower beds (which are in said yard). Some worms lived to see the dirt again, others found their wya smashed into the cracks of the deck by one 2 year old boy.

Max was found with eyes glazed to the TV and nose full of chinese checker pieces.

Happy Birthday BAMMERS!!!

Here are a few fun pictures from Bammer's 2nd Birthday Party!