So Long First Decade... Hello New Adventures!

New Year's Resolution #1: Be brave, be bold, try new things. Check. As you can see, Lucia is brimming with excitement headed to her first ski lesson. She did great, although at the end she said her feet hurt (which is understandable). Mama Fran survived her first snowboarding lesson (hello back muscles!) and Mama Mer is hitting the slopes tomorrow. The Mothers Goose is bound and determined to to make our first resolution work, and so far we're off to a great start (and for the record Carmen is a daredevil on the sled). Sorry you'll have to wait for more pictures, but trust me the Christmas ones are worth it. Best wishes to you and yours in the New Year, see you in 2011!

Deck The Halls With...

Greeks and laughter.... ha ha ha ha haaaa ha ha ha ha. Our holiday season received a welcome jump start in the form of our good friend Eleni, who was in town to spread some Christmas cheer (and help put up our tree). In addition to a fantastic tree trimmer, Eleni also serves as "the Greek hub" when she's in the Hub, and we were able to connect with the youngest member of our  friendship circle thanks to her. From rolling with with Greek to rocking out with our pal Steph, the Mothers Goose et. al. have been well entertained. The girls even had their first taste of winter, literally.  Speaking of entertainment, what blog update would be complete without a little Wizard of Oz action? Here's Carmen's interpretation of the story which to her sounds something like "bizabizabizabiza Boz!" which we now know is her way of saying Wizard of Oz. Finally, you know the holiday season is in full swing when it's time for the Pops with the Troutmans!

Thanksgiving Day Is Coming...

So Mister turkey said.
Very careful I must be
Or I will lose my head.

Yes, yes you will Mr. Turkey... and we thank you for your sacrifice. The Mothers Goose would also like to thank the "official turkey taster" for providing the most delicious Thanksgiving Day feast in recent memory. From pies to parades to assorted casseroles, it was truly a wonderful day (and extended visit from our Left Coast family). Of course, when the gourmet chef leaves town... this is what happens and this is what our children eat. 

COME BACK UNCLE B!!!

Four More Years! Four More Years!

Well, since I just finished stuffing my face with turkey I'm finding it hard to type... but wanted to upload some pictures from Lucia's 4th birthday bash (a.k.a. her raucous caucus). So here, enjoy these pics while I go explode.

We're Late, We're Late...

For a very important post!

Yeah, I backdated... so sue me (inside SEC joke).

With Halloween falling on a weekend, the Mothersgoose is VERY glad to have the costume extravaganza behind us. Here are some fun shots of the girls in all their decked out glory.  Alice and the White Rabbit had a nice lllllllong Halloween weekend, and we are more than happy to retire their costumes... until they want to wear them again... which will probably be next weekend.

Mer Tells Me The Blog is in Arrears...

To which I reply, "Well how can she hear?!?"

*sigh*

Yeah, it's been another crazy few weeks... but we still managed to frolic in foliage, acknowledge my mortality and pick a pack of pumpkins. See here for details.

Ok, I promise more pith next update... will Lucia make it 3 years in a row in her Dorothy costume? Tune in next week to see!

Try to Remember the Kind of September...

When life was slow and oh so mellow...
Really? When exactly was that? Ok, so what happened this month? Well, besides Lucia starting school (I believe this picture was taken before her first full day... hence her forlorn expression), Mamas finally, FINALLY had their weekend away and we have Mimi and Nonne/Papa to thank for it. Not sure who had more fun - Mamas with their leisurely days or the kids having their every whim catered to. Did I mention Luce even got to meet a princess?? Lucia also started her first dance class and not to be outdone, Carmen also showed off her, um, talents. We also celebrated two important birthdays this month - cousins Jackson and Veronica! We fully expect our share of the cake to arrive any day now.
And then there was this. What is that you ask? Well, according to Luce that is a chalk depiction of a "stank." She went on and told this elaborate tale of what a "stank" was. This is more or less what she said... "Stanks are logs with fire coming out of them every 8 minutes. Stanks are indigenous (my word) to Australia and are sometimes grouped together in forests. Stanks are dangerous and never go near them. Please do not go to Australia." I really can't make this stuff up. The stank story is reminiscent of the Barret, which I don't think I've told before. A few months back (maybe even last year?) Lucia made up a creature called a Barret. A Barret is a bird like creature with "one fierce eye and one nice eye." Barrets live in bushes and mostly eat berries. Only mommy Barrets have the fierce eye, because they have the babies. Once again folks, you cannot make this up! Well, I guess if you were a 3 year old you could... And speaking of chatty, Carmen finally decided she has something to say (probably to keep up with her sister) and happily jabbers away to anyone who will listen. Chances are you won't be able to make out a single word, but Carmen will earnestly look you in the eye and convey something deep and meaningful, like, "Gaabaa dooda maama baby gah." Of course, she can communicate all the important things like "mama", "mimi", "chichi" (Lucia), and "cake"... and just tonight "Gaga" (because yes, we were having a dance party).