Holiday Cookie Fest Begins!

Wrapped and ready to share!


I love baking cookies all year but especially during the holidays. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies inaugurate the holiday season in October and several favorites adorn plates for friends in December.

Today's cookies included a new recipe and an old favorite.

The new cookie is a chocolate toffee cookie--rich, thin, and decidedly delicious.
The old favorite is a chocolate cherry cookie--always yummy.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt $

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• 1 cup sugar $

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• 1/3 cup butter, softened $

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• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg $

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• 2/3 cup dried tart cherries
• 3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips $

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• Cooking spray $

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Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven; cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

My Baby, My Walker

Asher playing with one of his 'baby' toys.

Don't be jealous of Asher's awesome outfit.

As much as I lament the passing of the baby months and years, Asher and Soren are still very much baby babes. Even though Asher has impressive standing and admirable walking skills, he's still my wee one and I love him for being one of my two sweet baby babes.

(Enjoy the video of Asher doing the walk/crawl combo.)

Feet

These feet, once tiny and swollen with the daily pricks of drawn blood, now bear my babies as they walk and face the world and the ever threatening ground. Amazing, these little feet and the little, beautiful people they support.

Charley Harper

I discovered Charley Harper in a lovely children's boutique in Richmond, VA. I was immediately drawn to his aesthetic, particularly for his rosy cardinal (the state bird of VA--I am smitten by these birds, it is just astounding to see such a brightly colored bird). We bought Asher and Soren a cute puzzle for both Christmas and as a remembrance of our little family vacation.

Today at Old Navy I found the same Charley Harper puzzle plus books, games, and a shirt! Jackpot! More Charley Harper gifts for The Deuce.

Check out his cheerful, smart art!

He Walks!!!!

These fancy feet are on the GO!

So, Thanksgiving was awesome but the acme of the day was watching Asher take his first SEVERAL steps. He tottered from the middle of the living room to the couch, no less than seven steps. He is THE ASHER MAN!!!

Entertainers

This was our after Thanksgiving dinner entertainment--napkin peek-a-boo, napkin whirling, napkin hat heads, and other napkin Asher/Soren delights.

Thankful

I made all of it, babies included.

I didn't fancify the table but there is a lot of labor exhibited here: tofurkey (not hard to prepare but sheesh, the timing of a million baked dishes was tricky), home made rolls, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, fresh stuffing, and roasted veggies with goat cheese. Everything was awesome.

The Deuce love it when we pull them right up to the table and well, I love it too.

I am thankful for pointing love ones!

The camera might as well be the holy grail for as much as the boys go nuts over it.


After dinner entertainment? Baby with napkins-- so enormously cute and hilarious.

I am thankful for these smiles and two sets of powerful blue eyes.



For little peeps, they sure have an abundance of personality.





Thanksgiving, what a wonderful holiday. Each year I feel that my life is more and more endowed with the greatest of blessings. This year, as in all years, I am thankful for my family but never has that gratitude meant more than this year. My sons are healthy and strong and beautiful and I am dramatically in love with them. My hubs is supportive and loving and patient and as much my helpmate as I am his. He is beautiful and our children reflect him.

I am thankful for my other family, the ones that I get to see only on rare occasions. I miss them (you) and have felt quite isolated this holiday season as I ache for my babies to be with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. As much as I want Asher and Soren to play with their relatives, I want my relatives to experience the sweetness and beauty of my baby babes. However, my longing is a kind of thanksgiving because I am grateful to even have familial relationships.

I am thankful for a healthy body with active senses that allow me to so intimately experience this world--to engage the textures, colors, images, and scents that make life so personal and wonderful. I love to hug and hold my husband and children when I get home from work each night--savoring their individual scents.

I am thankful for loving friends who succor and support me.

Ultimately, my thanks is to God. I am thankful for a loving God who gave me this life with this family on this beautiful earth.

I have much to be thankful for and this list represents only a modicum of my thanksgiving but it feels good to list even a few, well, the biggest few, of the things that make me happy and grateful.

What are you thankful for?

Pump Note

This weaning business hurts...

Motion but Stopping.

I left some of my pump gear at home so I had the fortune of seeing my baby babes during my lunch break. When I walked through the door, Asher barely looked up from his book and Soren ran to me, because he always does, but mostly he wanted my keys.

I have a little light on my key and I flashed it on Soren like a spotlight and what did he do? He started DANCING and jumping and flapping his arms. Um, it was seriously the cutest.

Life is changing and blurring and spinning past me and it is beautiful, but as is often the case, some of the change makes me sad. I've started to wean myself from the pump and therefore my babies from my milk. I am tired. Pumping four times a day is a lot of work but my body is remarkable because it seems entirely capable of producing gallons of milk for as long as there is a demand.

Letting go of this part of my life, the milk part, is actually heart breaking. I no longer provide something uniquely physical and nourishing for Asher and Soren, something only I, as their mother, can give them. Since I left them at home at four months old, left them for my day job, I have clung to my ability to give them my milk. Now, I cling to the hope that they are confidently imprinted to me, their mom, and that even though I leave them for obscenely long periods of time four days a week, they know I'm mom.

So, Soren and Asher race past me with their increasing independence but they always come back, either in a sprint or a crawl, because I'm their mom.

Red and Nearly Dead

Here's the latest photo of the neighborhood red maple. I seem to have missed capturing the most saturated of its redness, but it is still striking.

Weeks and weeks folks, that's how long fall lasts around here. I love it.

Thanksgiving Prep

I have roasted sweet potatoes in anticipation of this recipe, I have toasted ciabbata bread for stuffing, and I have frozen my french dimpled rolls, which I made and all but cooked, all in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner.

I have a Tofurkey (don't laugh, they are actually delicious) in the fridge, berries for a mixed berry pie, potatoes for mashed potatoes, and an assortment of vegetables to roast and cover in goat cheese: asparagus, red pepper, broccoli, onion, and brussel sprouts.

All of this wonderful food for four people: Hubs, The Deuce, and me. A lot of work for so few people. Anyone care to join us? Our table is longing for guests and well, so am I.

Hubs!

We didn't even know he had famous peanuts.

Puffer Coats Add Ten Pounds

While Jamie went to the Civil War Medical Hospital museum The Deuce and I hung out in the nearby park, which had sweeping, grand views of Richmond. It was FUH-reezing cold so Asher and Soren had their new puffer coats on, which hopefully kept them more warm than it kept them looking ridiculously cute. Between their hooded sweatshirts and coat hoods, they looked quite comical and coupled with their frenzy to eat their new yogurt treats, I was laughing hysterically. The Deuce are the best company, I love those little dudes.

Shockhoe Slip

Richmond is a beautiful city--the river (named after my hubs, j/k), stunning architecture, hip neighborhood names, delicious crepes, and a bit 'o history. Great place.

Searching for Jacob Horter Bechtel

Civil war site.

Asher, seeing the camera, flipped out when he couldn't have it. Ahh, the sorrows of a one-year old.



One of Jamie's ancestors, Jacob Horter Bechtel, was killed outside Richmond during the Civil War. Jamie's grandfather referred to Bechtel as the 'reluctant rebel' because he was actually a 'Northerner' (from Philly) but after moving to Richmond he joined the reserves, thinking he wouldn't be activated to fight. Well, he was called up. One day he was curious and wanted to see the action on the front line and sadly, was killed by a sniper.

We were able to see the area where he was probably killed and visited a few of the battle sites. Ultimately we hoped to find his grave but after visiting a few cemeteries and libraries we could not find his grave. We are not sure if he was buried in a mass grave or was buried in Pennsylvania when his wife moved back after his death. His resting place remains unknown.

Searching for Jacob Bechtel was our main impetus for spending a few days in Richmond and even though we didn't 'find' him, looking for him made the trip meaningful and memorable.