Burts Farm

We have begun some really nice family traditions over the past few years. I didn't even think of these events as being traditions, but slowly over time they have evolved into important markers for our year.

Burt's Farm is the first fall "tradition" we have. It's a pumpkin farm near Ellijay, GA that we visit with some friends. They have a giant pumpkin patch, a hayride for the kids and a "general store" with some of the best homemade fall treats. Last year we bought pumpkin bread which was a little bland until smeared with cream cheese, but the strawberry jam and the apple butter was delicious!!!

Tomorrow is our annual trip to Burt's Farm. It's supposed to be FREEZING tomorrow. And by freezing I mean the high for the day might reach 50 degrees. I'm a true southern girl and I don't do cold weather that well. I'll be bundled up and hugging my mug of hot chocolate tight.

It feels like fall now. Not just because the weather is chilly, but because we are heading to Burt's tomorrow. We can spend tomorrow afternoon making funny faces on our pumpkins as a family and the rest of our traditions are soon to follow.

Hmmm.... Comfort food

All this nasty misty cold rain and the blah day I had at work can be overcome by one thing. Comfort food! I made my mom's homemade mac and cheese for dinner tonight. It never turns out as good as Mom's, but it was really good. Braylen even scarfed some down. He would squeal at me when I didn't have a spoonful ready to go for him - too cute. Ryan loved it too, of course. She is such a good eater and she loves comfort food just like her parents.

Traditions Continued

The summer I was seven my mom changed me into a reader. That summer she made a deal with me that if I read so many books and/or pages per week she would take me to see a movie each weekend. That was the last time I had to be bribed to read a book. Before that summer I have a progression of memories of reading with my mom that also gave me my love of books. I remember sitting next to her on her bed while she read to me. Then she would read a page and I would read a page and eventually I was reading the whole book to her. My mom made me the reader I am now and I'm hoping to make my kids readers too. It's nice to have another world to slip into for a while and books can offer that mini vacation.

I started reading to Ryan when she was only a few months old. She really wasn't even sitting up that well, but she could rest against me in the rocking chair and we could read together. I started with any book that had lots of bright, pretty pictures to hold her interest and we have slowly worked our way up to the tongue twisters of Dr Seuss and Shel Silverstein. Ryan can already "read" some books to us. She LOVES to read already.

Now I am reading to Braylen. *Sigh* It's hard to accept that he is getting so big, but the proof is there. He babbles all the time now saying Mama and Dada and Hey. Tonight we read about the colors that make a rainbow - again with the bright and pretty pictures. He loves the vivid pictures just like Ryan did. Hopefully by the time he is four he will love reading too.

Hopefully by the time they are both adults they will both love to read.

Perfect Imperfection

Today was one of those days that I hope stays in my memories forever. It was perfect because it was so normal. There wasn't anything terribly exciting that happened. The kind of day that is just an average day for the typical two-working-parent family. That's why I want to remember it so badly. It was a normal day for us, but those are the ones I loose sight of too often. It's the special occasions or the crazy stuff that I remember so easily.

Today we were running late for work, Jason and I were carpooling. We work as a tag-team getting the kids ready for school and out the door. He almost left me at daycare because I spent too much time speaking with Miss Helen (B's teacher) - oops. He dropped me at work, we both had crazy/normal work days and then he picked me up again. We got the kids from school and had a little time leftover to visit with our good friends/neighbors. The weather was so nice this evening, sunny but not hot or cold - a nice to change to all the cloudiness and rain. Leftover lasagna for dinner which B could not get enough of! The boy LOVES to eat - just like the rest of his family. The kids got baths and bed. Now Jason and I are reflecting on our day and laughing at the tv.

Nothing exciting, like a scene from a movie maybe without any climax. It was perfect.

Another Night in the Hood

It's a typical Friday night in the Ianitello house. We'll be heading out to the neighbors shortly. Can't wait for a little time to unwind and chat about nothing serious for a while. It's like a little vacation for my brain. :)

So pathetic...

Can't sleep tonight. Jason's not here, he's stuck in Augusta tonight with an early morning meeting for the Medical College of GA. My eyes are burning and I fall asleep for a while, but then I wake up alone. So pathetic. Maybe I should go snuggle up with Ryan.