After Apple Picking

Three hours into juicing apples in our back yard -- and after lots of chatter from Aubrey about how much fun it is to pick your own free apples, how cool it is to operate the juicer, how great the juice tastes, and how maybe even sometime we could sell our juice -- she says, "This is probably the best thing that's ever happened to our family!!!"

Funny update 1: When I teased Aubrey about her comment, she changed it to "This is probably the best thing that's ever happened to our family -- in the back yard!" 

Yeah, that clears things up. So cute.

Update 2: I listened. I heard that she wanted to try to make some money. So we set up the juicer in the front yard on Tuesday after school, along with some signs and some mighty yelling, and the kids made $12 selling a cup of fresh squeezed apple juice for a buck apiece. And each cup was soooo tasty -- people were astounded.

Cruise Quote of the Day

Aubrey defines the ship's casino after a walk-through: "Oh, that's where the rich people go to smoke."

THE OUTLAWS

At breakfast yesterday morning Aubrey informed us that her outlaw name is Jiminy Schneikes.

Dane says he hasn't figured his out yet.

CONDITIONED

When I ask why he's rubbing conditioner all over himself in the bathtub, Dane tells me, "Um, the bottle says it's for extra body."

BIKE BALLS

Quote of the Day

Aubrey, riding her bike into a curb, yells, "Ow! That hurt my nuts!"

Quote of the Day

I'm playing with my pretend Nintendo D.S. - and now I'm having pretend fun!

-Jude, age 4

NU?

In case you missed it on the 12/25 post...

Christmas Day Conversation

Mom: Aubrey, I don't know if we'll be able to get a light bulb for your oven this morning - I'm not sure any stores will be open on Christmas.

Aubrey: Well, Mom... let's just go to a Jewish store!

For all our dreidel-spinning latke-noshing friends...

The Reynolds family wishes a happy holiday to you and your mishpocha. May you know that you bring great hope and pupik to this household.

MAZEL TOV!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I might as well take a minute to write this morning since we've been up since 5:30 -- when we heard Aubrey whispering "Dane! ...Dane! Santa's been here!"

She knew that without even leaving the perch in her loft, because Santa kindly left all our filled stockings under the fake tree in their room.


Out in the Living Room
Indeed Santa found his cookies and carrots and egg nog - and the notes the kids left him. (You'll see that Dane chose not to mince words this year and simply drew Santa a picture of a Lego character.)


This morning we found that Santa left them some notes, too:



And Aubrey and Dane found three fabulous gifts from the old chap:

Aubrey squealed as she opened the Easy-Bake Oven she's been asking Santa for for three years now. (For two Christmases they were recalled because kids were burning their hands? Hmmm...) And then she opened her Mia American Girl Doll, which came with a book, a couple outfits and little ice skates. She was so excited. She just knew Santa would get her that doll this year because she doesn't have any American Girl dolls -- and Mia-the-Ice-Skater is only offered this year. (Thank you for running such a sweet racket, A.G. company!) And, finally, if one of Mia's little friends pulls a Tanya Harding on her, Aubrey also got the American Girl Doll wheelchair she'd been hoping for.

Did I say Aubrey squealed as she opened her gifts? Well, so did Dane. The first gift he opened was his biggest -- and it was the Lego Star Wars Republic Attack Gunship, which, we learned, has the rare Commander Cody in it. The kids thought that was so cool they couldn't quit smiling. After Mick and I went for naps around 6:30 (Oh, I didn't mention that? Yes, we did - essential if you can swing it after a 5:30 Wassailing Wakeup) Dane stayed up and set up a majority of the kit on his Lego table. Now he's waiting for Mick to wake up and help him with the rest, practicing Jedi Math on his new Leapster. (This item looked like "Jeapster" on Dane's list - but Aubrey assured him that Santa would figure it out.) Later, we'll play a game of CLUE, Dane's third and final zippy gift from Santa. Can't wait! I want to be Miss Scarlett...

And the 'rents?
Santa hooked Mick and me each up with some books. Looks like Michael Chabon was his main squeeze this year:

Mick got The Yiddish Policemen's Union and I got The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

We also got the Heelys we've been begging for! (Thank you, Mom and Don.) Now we can glide all around Ashland with the kids...

Woooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooo!

AND For All Our Dreidel-Spinning Latke-Eating Friends
The Reynolds family is definitely aware of you. Peace and Happy Holidays to you, as well.

May you know that you bring great hope to this household; hence, the conversation in our home this morning:

Mom: Aubrey, I don't know if we'll be able to get a lightbulb for your oven this morning - I'm not sure any stores will be open on Christmas.

Aubrey: Well, Mom, [as if she can't believe Mom hasn't thought of this herself] let's just go to a Jewish store!

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

Ashland Snow

Quote of the Day

Ever since it snowed, these are the best days of my life.

-Dane, age 8

Do people change jobs?

Dane asked us this last night after dinner.

I started to launch into my own spiel about having been a college teacher and a pre-school teacher, when Aubrey says, "Oh yeah, Mom, you were a tour guide in Alaska."

And Dane says, "Oh yeah, Dad, you used to make pizzas and drive a train."

Apparently that's how 'Pizza Time delivery guy' and 'engineer' translates to the eight and under crowd.

Quotable Quotes

Aubrey heard Mutt yell "Bullshit!" last night on Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

She then turned to me and asked, "What's a bowl of shit? I don't even know what that means..."

WALKING TO SCHOOL

This photo happens to be from the first day of school (note the big bags of school supplies and the outfits I wrote about it an earlier post about the first day), but this is what we do every day.

I love these walks.

We talk about school, we talk about books, we talk about sports. We also laugh together when one of us trips (that sounds mean, but we always make sure the one who's tripped is ok first -- well, usually) and we take deep breaths of fresh air, or exhaust from the street, or pot from the trailer park (What's that smell, Mom?), but mostly the fresh air.

Yes, it's a very wholesome experience.

Here's what Soren Kierkegaard had to say about walking. I found it copied down in an old journal of mine from a few years ago. I think he's on to something.

Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it... but by sitting still, and the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill... Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.

Quote(s) of the Day and the Essence(s) of Cool


We're at the dinner table listening to Lenny Kravitz sing "Rock N Roll Is Dead" and Aubrey says, "This sounds like it could be on Dirty Jobs."

You might have to know the Dirty Jobs theme song and be part of Mike Rowe's fan club to get that one, but she is so right. Same twangy bass sound and rhythm. (If you're curious, check out what a babe/dude Mike is here. Our whole family loves this guy. Karen, you have to read that article -- his reflections on guys in opera are hilarious.)

Anyway, a beat later in Lenny's rockathon, Dane says, "You know what I want to be when I grow up?" He's got a glimmer in his eye and he's nodding his head: "An actress and a rock star."

Really? Actresses are female, buddy.

High-five.

Of course, I'll be encouraging him to be an act[whatever], a rock star, and his first ever career idea, a paleantologist -- if I can swing it....

If he sees this clip below, though, he might never look at another dinosaur.

Here's the smooth, cool Lenny Kravitz, folks. On Letterman.



So you see Mike Rowe, you see Lenny Kravitz, and you have to ask of each of them: just how much cool can one man have?