28 posts from 2007

I was recently informed that it is officially Christmas season - at least at Starbucks!  Yes, that is right - the eggnog latte is back!  Upon learning this I packed up the boys and headed to my nearest Starbucks (which happens to be 5 miles away in the next town).  As I stood in line bouncing in joy and anticipation of one of favorite holiday treats (Complete in red cup), I amused the barista behind the counter.  Then, as I walked back to my car, it was snowing!  Not snow that sticks yet, but definitely the first snow of the season.  James was thrilled and couldn't wait to tell his teacher at school that it was snowing outside.  It didn't last long, just long enough for people to long for last winter when it didn't snow until February.  Me, I went to Target on my lunch and bought thermals and flannel sheets. 

Holiday_trio

Yesterday was a great day!  After a morning of puttering around the house and cleaning, we took the boys over to Blue Jay Orchards.  Only 5 minutes from our house, it is a local apple orchard where youcan pick your own apples.  Despite weather reports, it was a beautiful day and the boys loved it. 

Sam loves trees, so he really enjoyed getting a close look at the apple trees, and JAmes lvoed picking the apples right off the tree.  While walking through the orchard we enjoyed the breathtaking view of the leaves beginning to change colors on the surrounding hills. We love living in Connecticut - it is so beautiful! 

All we need now is our friends to come here too!

     Many people may think that there is not a lot to do in Bethel, CT, but every once in a while, we have some pretty fun stuff go on around here.  The current prime example, Oktoberfest at the Old Heidelberg Restaurant.  John and I frist ate at the Old Heidelberg when we came for our first weekend visit.  Our friend Sean came down from Boston and met us there.  We went there with no information about it - only that John and Sean found it online and thought German food sounded interesting.  It was terrific!  So, we are great fans of The Old Heidelberg.
     That said, when I drove by on my way to the grocery store Saturday and saw that this weekend was their Oktoberfest celebration, I thought "We must go!"  So, I got home at 3:00 from the grocery store,a nd called our faithful babysitter.  Luckily, she was available, so off we went.
      Due to Oktoberfest Celebration, the regular restaurant was closed and they had a large tent set up behind the restaurant.  John was quite excited to know that this was going to be an authentic experience.  We went in and got tickets for food and beer and got in line for the food.  (We could have just sat down and have a waitress serve us, but the line was short and we were already there.)  John got the pork shank and I got the Bratwurst platter.  Both were served with sauerkraut and German potato salad.  So far I had managed to go through life without eating any of these things, but last night I was truly adventurous.
    Then we got in the beer line.  They were serving 4 kinds of beer, but when you are at Oktoberfest, what other beer are you really going to have?  So, we got the Oktoberfest, which was very good.  We then proceeded to find a spot at the tables.  We arrived around 5:30 and the band was starting at 6:00, so we got there right before the rest of the crowd. An hour later, it was quite difficult to find open seats.
    John and I enjoyed the food and the beer, but the music really made the whole experience.  Before the band started they had recorded German songs being played.  I don't think there was any David Hasselhoff playing, but we had a lot of find trying to figure out what American songs they were covering in German.  The best was The City of New Orleans by Willie Nelson. 
    Then the band started.  It just made you want to start swinging your glass from side to side.  there was also a toast/cheer "Tiki Tocky, Tiki Tocky, Oi Oi Oi?"  Not sure of the significance, but you couldn't help but join in.  Other songs included were the chicken dance (John wouldn't let me join the kids, but was very entertained by me in my seat). the Hokey Pokey, and our favorite was the Sauerkraut Polka (much better in German that translatedinto English).  Unfortunately, John does not know how to polka, so we did not dance.  WE also learned from one of the band members that if you are a professional musician, one of the best bands ot be in is a polka band.  Very steady work!  Who would have thunk!
    Well, those were the highlights of Oktoberfest!  Next year, you will have to come visit and experience it yourself with us!
   

If it's a double word score that's 48, and I used all my letters, that's an extra 50.

    Now I have never been a Scrabble fan.  I'm just not that good at it.  When I was a kid, my dad or my brother were always better at it than me.  I played John once when we were dating, and got completely stomped on.  Butu, we played a couple weeks ago when we were having a cup of coffee down at Molten Java.  It was actually a competitive game.  Then I wanted to play again.
     The next night I went down to the game closet and found out that we didn't even own the game.  I thought every home had a copy of Scrabble but we did not.  I resisted the urge to go to target right then and pick it up.  The next day though, I was at Target picking up a game of Scrabble.
    We played again and I actually won!  I couldn't believe it!  I beat John at Scrabble.  He knows tons of obscure words and I beat him!  Now we play every night - and every night so far, I've gotten trampled upon.  Tonight he beat me by 225 points.  (He is very good at finding words that use all his letters and get him that extra 50 points).
    Today I found myself thinking about words. I would stop and pick up the Scrabble dictionary (we picked it up last week at the bookstore next to Molten Java) and looking up words - particularly Q, X and Z words.  It is becoming an obsession.  I have done it before, I can bet John again.  I know I can.  Even if we have to play Scrabble every night for the next 10 years.

     Now that I have a larger kitchen, I have had the joy of purchasing an ice cream maker.  I have been having lots of fun making various flavors and experimenting.  While have been edible, some have been better than others.  My favorite so far?  Chocolate Raspberry, followed closely by Fresh Peach.  With this love of ice cream, what's a girl and her family to do, but make a pilgrimage to the holy land of ice cream - Ben and Jerry's.
    We didn't plan to go to Ben and Jerry's when we got up on Saturday.  But, around 7:00 John said, "What do you want to do today?"  I replied with the ever original, "I don't know, what do you want to do?" John mentioned a hike to Kent Falls, which is about an hour up Route 7.  Okay, I guess.  "I hear the drive up 7 and up to Route 100 is really pretty."  John says.  We look at the map.  Route 7 will take you all the way to Canada it turns out.  "Well," I say"If we wanted to we could make that trip to Ben and Jerry's.  we want to go there sometime this summer anyway."
     So, while we weren't sure if we were going to go that far, we prepared for it anyway.  We packed an overnight bag because we really weren't quite sure where the day would take us.  We knew we were going to Kent Falls, but after that who knows?  We even took our passports in case we decided to go to Canada.
    So, we get in the car, stop and pick up donuts and Dunkin Donuts (is there any other kind here?) and headed up Route 7.  We had driven it in March on our bridge tour and trip to the maple farm, but now it actually was green and not white.  It was so beautiful.  And then we arrived at Kent Falls.
    When we were there in winter they were totally frozen and the trail was covered with snow.   Now it was all green and the boys were both ready to go.  Sam walked the whole trail except for any stairs. Those we just popped him up over or carried him depending on how big they were.  We got lots of pictures at different stages of the falls.  James loved it.  Sam loved it.  It was great!
    Now it was decision time.  I was feeling good and so were the boys, so we decided to keep driving.  We made a stop for lunch at the golden arches, and when we left we weren't really sure if we were going to make it in time that day.  We pulled out our AAA guide and checked the time.  The last tour was at 5:00, and we were scheduled to get there around 4:00.  Plenty of time!
    We kept driving and the boys took naps.  The drive was beautiful.  We passed through all sorts of small towns and beautiful countryside.  Then we saw it.  The holy grail of ice cream.  The Ben and Jerry's Factory in Waterbury, VT.  Now, according to Google, it is a 4 1/2 hour drive.  We left at 9:00 and got there at 4:00 after all our stops.
    We got our tickets ($3 for john and me, free for the boys) and got on the next tour.  We wnet in a watched a movie (mostly, the boys didn't really want to sit any more) and then went to see the factory.  The factory doesn't actually run on weekends, so we saw another video while looking at the factory floor.  Then we got free samples of the new Creme Brulee Ice Cream.  our rating - delicious!  Very tasty.  The we headed to the gift shop where I got the Ben and Jerry's Recipe Book (of course), John picked up a pint of Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream (we've been looking for it since it was announced on the Colbert Report), and a small cowbell.  Then we went outside and discovered there was a playground there. (I wish we had known that before the tour).  James and sam played, we ate some ice cream, looked at the Falvor Grave Yard, and at 5:00 figured we should start heading out.  We stopped at the gift shop and got t-shirts  and decided to drive back home instead of getting a hotel. 
    So, we took Interstate 89 back, made a stop in New Hampshire for dinner at a Subway (there aren't a lot of choices on 89), and got home around 10:30pm.  Then we slept.  Sunday I woke up with the kids.  then when John got up around 8, I went back to bed.  We were exhausted most of the day, but it was a great experience.  And our neighbors probably think we are crazy.

What time is your alarm clock set for?  Do you use the snooze button?

  My alarm clock is set for whenever it wakes up.  Sometimes it cries, sometimes it climbs into bed with me, sometimes it says "1,2,3 wake up Mommy!"  I would love to use the snooze button, and have tried to send it back to bed, but it never works.  But, my sons are the cutest alarm clocks in the world, so I guess it is okay.

Yes, it is true! The Trent clan will indeed be coming back to California for Christmas.  We will be there from December 22 until New Year's Day!  We look forward to seeing friends and family.  YEAH!!!