Halloween 2010

Clara asked to be "Dr. Witch" this year, from this cute story we checked out from the library. "Dr. Witch" is a veterinarian who helps sick animals in the forest, then goes to a witches' and wizards' ball and eats lots of chocolate cake. I also found a witch costume for SJ at a consignment store... (best $5 I've ever spent)!

We made the most of this fun holiday be stretching it out over several days.


Tuesday -preschool Halloween party: I taught the music portion, complete with classics such as Have You Seen the Ghost of Tom, Chickamy Chimckamy Craney Crow, Fly Little Bats, and There was an Old Woman All Skin and Bones

Friday: church Fall Festival and Chili Cookoff (Clara asked Greg to dress up as a wizard to go along with her Dr. witch costume... photos of his hilarious costume to come).

Saturday: I somehow conned by best girlfriend, Trinity, into hosting a big Halloween party for a bunch of Clara's friends. Burlinton held their trick-or-treat on Saturday night, and since we preferred that to Sunday, it worked out perfectly. These girls were professional (and adorable) trick-or-treaters.

Sunday: Greg and the girls had a blast handing out candy. Clara was hilarious... she shouted from the porch "Hey everyone, we have CANDY!!!" She would talk to the trick-or-treaters for as long as she could get them to stay. "What are you dressed up like? Oh! Next year, could you be a beautiful Princess Frostine?!?"

Until next year!

Pumpkin Patch

We had lots of fun at the J. Razz & Tazz Corn Maze and pumpkin patch.

Our day included a hay ride/crop tour, corn maze, and lots of fun things to climb on and in for the kids.

SJ loved running through the corn (she kept saying "Go-Go-Go!) and she even got in on choosing our pumpkin.

We went with Uncle Sean, Anna, Evan, Aunt Suz, Uncle Joel, Chloe, Luke, and baby Gray.
Here are the baby cousins, together. -Oh so cute!

Afterward, everyone came back to our house. Sean made a delicious lasagna for lunch, and we pretended it was cold enough for hot cider and pumpkin muffins.

Beach Trip

Photos from our week at Topsail Island with my family in early September...

We forgot our camera, so my sister was our trip photographer and took these excellent photos.

Oceanfront decks are great for eating popsicles... you can walk right out to the ocean to rinse off if you happen to drip on yourself...

Clara spent some quality time reading with Poppi and Colton.

And Sarah-Jane spent some quality time fighting with Rogan. I love this look of determination on her face.

Zoo Trip

Momma's taking us to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow.
Here are a couple of photos from our day...

We went with lots of friends, which made it fun. Thanks for organizing it, Natalie!

Rex

We recently said good-bye to my nephew, Rex, who will be serving a 2 year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Curitiba, Brazil.

He had been away at college for a year, so Clara couldn't quite remember him. When I told her we were going to see Rex, she asked, "Does he have sharp teeth?" I couldn't figure out why she asked that until the next day when she said, "Is Rex green?" Me... "Ohhhh... no, Rex is a person, not a T-Rex."

Good luck, Rex! We'll miss your stellar sand castles at the beach.

Summer Wrap-Up

Here are some of the things that kept us busy this summer...

I taught a couple of weekly music class at our house each Thursday.

First, a "baby class" for SJ and her friends...

Then a "big kid" class for Clara and her friends...

I played in a doubles tennis league with my friend, Andrea. We didn't DO great, but we DID have a great time!

Here are some photos from some other events/field trips:

Volvo Family Day at Bur-Mill park:

(Do we look hot? Because it was, and we were!)

A trip to the dairy farm:

Afterwards, Clara made up a song about it. It went a little something like this,
"Dairy Farm- Dairy Farm- Dairy Farm- PLLLAH (a rasberry)"
(Do-me-sol, Fa-re-ti, Do-me-sol)

A visit to the butterfly farm:

Here is a picture Clara drew, afterwards. I can see Clara holding a butterfly and she is surrounded by little rocks (the butterfly pavilion had a gravel floor).

Good Books and Pumpkin Pie

I recently read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I loved it... I found it fascinating and inspiring. For example, it inspired me to make a pumpkin pie using a real pumpkin... not the canned stuff. It was really fun and strangely satisfying to cut open, clean out, cook, and puree the pumpkin- plus roast the seeds for a future snack. The resulting pie was delicious, if I do say so myself. Greg, who hates pumpkin pie normally, devoured it.

Other books I have really enjoyed, lately...

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel

Hope you like them, too!

A New Tradition

Greg has started telling Clara stories at bedtime. Usually, they are from his childhood. I was a little disturbed to hear this one:

Greg: When I was a boy scout, I went on a wilderness camp-out. We couldn't bring any food and had to survive off of the land. We found frogs, so we had to eat frog legs for dinner.
Clara: But how did the frogs hop without their legs... did they grow back?
Greg: Umm... no... the frogs died.
(Nicolle... gasping... afraid that Clara would be terribly upset)
Clara: Oh (not upset at all)
(Nicolle...phew!)
Then it was Clara's turn to tell a story:
Clara: When I was a little girl, I went camping, but I didn't eat frog legs, I just ate graham crackers, and marshmallows, and candy (S'mores).

It made me laugh

Sherwood Family Reunion, July 2010

Saturday- Picked up Lindsey Allen (Greg's niece) from EFY at SVU on our drive up to Palmyra, NY. The girls did great in the car, but by the time we got to the Hill Cumorah Pageant Clara was pretty irrational from lack of sleep (we woke her up at 4am to leave, and she only slept about an hour in the car the whole day), but she still enjoyed the show. We got to visit with the now famous Brock Allen (Greg's nephew) before the show began.

Monday- "Glenn Sliding:" a favorite pastime from Greg's childhood. We hiked up a little creek to a small waterfall/pool where the kids slid a short distance down the rocks.- I don't have the photos, yet, but hope to add them, soon.

Tuesday- Lake day: swimming, jumping, tubing, and pushing Daddy in the water at Lake Owasco.

Clara and Meghan

Wednesday: The Amazing Sherwood Race- designed by Greg Sherwood

(Clara with Maya, her look-alike cousin)

Thursday: Church History sights

SJ and Brett were good buddies

Friday: A rainy day... some hang-out time and a walk through the Sacred Grove

(Great shot, Kim or Scott!)

Saturday: Home Sweet Home

SJ's 1 year old stats

Height: 29 7/8" tall (75th percentile)
Weight: 21 lbs, 9 oz. (between 50th and 75th percentile)

Words (in order of when she learned them):
hi/hey
bath
bye-bye
Yeah!
da-da (says this all of the time)
ma-ma (says this only occasionally)
Mmmm (not officially a word, but still very cute- she says it when she likes what she is eating)

Likes:
-playing dropsie
-Music/dancing
-Kissing and hugging- especially baby dolls and stuffed animals
-Playing in water - especially the toilet (no we don't let her but she can be quite sneaky and very fast)
-Playing hide and seek and chase with her big sister
-Clapping and cheering "yeah!"


Favorite Foods: BANANAS, most other fruit, frozen peas, beans (black, white, kidney), pasta

My favorite moment of each day is right before I put SJ down for bed. We rock and snuggle and sing... she buries her head on my shoulder and makes the most perfect noise... a mix between singing and purring. This IS the good life.

And... the moment you've all been waiting for. She is walking!!!

Our Baby is One!!!

Happy Birthday, sweet Sarah-Jane!

We can't believe a year has gone by since this...