Raspberry Heaven-in-a-Pie

Recipe from my mother can be found here. Laura, you'd better hurry over if you want any.

Blueberries for Cal

Well, actually, they were raspberries, and they were also for me, Bryn, and our good friend Mary. But like Sal, Calvin did try more than once to swipe berries from my bucket to add to his perpetually emptying one. What a great way to spend a brisk but sunny fall morning! Raspberry pie to follow...

Hear no vacuum, see no vacuum

Usually the kids just run into their bedrooms and slam the door when they hear the vacuum, but I guess Calvin was feeling lazy today.

The official jump-in-the-leaves post

Architecture lessons

Our friend Conor (block builder extraordinaire) came over the other day and gave the kids some lessons to improve their block building. Calvin has really taken his to the next level since then, and it quite proud of the trains and houses he now builds.
Yes, bigger is better!

Please solve my medical mystery, Dr. House

Tuesday at 2am (wee hours of the morning) Calvin woke up and wanted to use the toilet (no, he's not potty trained). He has a weird quirk, and only uses in entirely in the nude. After he had used it, I was kneeling on the floor helping him back into his pajamas. As I stood up I felt a blindingly searing pain tear through my knee. I called for backup (Peter) and hopped back to bed, hoping things would be better in the morning. Alas, they were not.

The symptoms: I couldn't straighten my knee the last 20-30 degrees or so without the terrible pain returning, but I could bend it just fine otherwise. I could not walk (requires a certain degree of straightening which I could not achieve) and used crutches the next day to get around (oh my aching armpits and biceps).

I saw the NP and she sent me to the Ortho specialist. After much prodding, poking, pushing, and a whole lot of pain, they sent me home bewildered, telling me to "wait for a week and see if it gets better or worse," before the x-rays and MRIs began.

That evening I was lying on the couch, and decided to test my extension again, when a miracle happened and I could straighten it the whole way. I did this a couple of times, then tested some weight on it, and behold, I could walk! Whatever it was is gone (for the time being, spit spit knock on wood).

Okay all you budding Dr. Houses, go.

The Ortho specialist theorized it was either severe meniscal irritation or a meniscal tag that had gotten caught in the knee joint mechanism. I'm just glad to be walking again. Things I learned from my 12 hours of mono-pedness:

*hopping is an excellent cardio workout
*stairs stink for the disabled; how dare they be invented
*I have no idea how I would have cared for my 2 children alone (Peter fortunately could be home all day yesterday)
*the walk from the parking lot to the medical office is so much longer than you might guess (I stopped halfway through and contemplated calling 911 just so I wouldn't have to walk the rest of the way)
*people who use crutches on a regular basis must have some serious biceps and armpit fortitude
*knees are extremely valuable and precious joints and I will try to be grateful for everyday I can use both of them

Glimpses of Autumn

Bird Refuge with the Vawdreys


Canada geese migrating (very noisy)

Auntie Sheryl is in town and we enjoyed Thai food at the Brown Sugar cafe

We also enjoyed leaf peeping on our way out to Stow for some you pay, you pick apples
Please don't try to take his blighted apples away. He picked them himself.

Mean old squirrel ate my pumpkin

Bryn was so very excited to watch her pumpkin grow all summer over at Mary's house. Finally, it was time to take it home. She drew a scary face on it and proudly displayed it on our balcony.

Well, first the rain washed the face off and then the squirrels had an early thanksgiving feast of it. She sobbed and sobbed as she watched the carnage through the window (as a side note, Calvin was elated at the all the close-up squirrel activity). I suppose I'll be making a trip to JoAnn's soon for one of those carve-able plastic pumpkins.

A fair to remember

We attended the Topsfield Fair (the oldest agricultural fair in the nation) for our third straight year. Our friends the Vawdreys were up visiting from NJ which made everything doubly fun. The winner of the giant pumpkin contest weighed 1,484 pounds. That's about 60 Calvins worth of pumpkin.
The marionette show has always been a highlight for the kids, but Calvin was especially delighted by it this year, and clapped for most of the 30 minute program. Afterward Humpty Dumpty posed for a picture with the kids. Sarah was not so excited about having him that close. This picture doesn't really need a caption. The girl is nuts.

Finally, enjoy this short video of Bryn, Sarah, and David going for a ride. Oh wait, did I mention it was on a real live elephant?

Wish they all could be Grandpa Blaylock's girls

My Uncle Nolan sent this photo to my dad who then posted it on our family site. Right before my grandparents left on a mission we all got together and the hit of the reunion was that Uncle Nolan rolled in to town in this sweet blue convertible. I could not believe my good fortune when not only did I get to sit in it, but I even got to ride in it up and down the driveway.

FYI, I'm the beauty queen in the back of the car on the left side as you face the front of the car. Karen is sitting right next to me, Kim is sitting next to her, Jami is in the front seat, and Desirae is at the helm on Grandpa's lap. Please correct me if I've messed up any of the details of this story.