Shutting down the blog

After close to 5 years of blogging, I've made the difficult decision to shut down the blog (and become a facebook lurker as opposed to poster). It's something I've been pondering for quite some time due mostly to privacy concerns. What really set me over the edge this week was a series of articles regarding online tracking and how intrusive these services can really be...frankly, it freaked me out.
On top of that, I've been wondering about the digital footprint that I'm leaving for the kids. Are future employers going to read about their childish exploits and ding them? Have I somehow ruined their chances at the university of their choosing? Will their photos be used without authorization for something that we clearly do not approve of???
So...dear blog readers, what was old is now new again. We're going back to weekly emails. I'm pondering format and delivery dates. Zip me an email if you'd like to be included on the list.

Just Believe

It's been an unseasonably warm and beautiful fall. We loaded up the car, drove to a trail, and took the girls out today for an afternoon bike ride. In our typical "formation", Jim and Lolo are on his bike and tag-a-long. I'm pulling Norah behind my bike in the chariot trailer. Norah looks after our cooler full of drinks and snacks.
At one point in our ride, we go down a very big hill (for Minnesota) and I'm dreading the return trip the rest of the way.
On our way back, I warn Jim that I may not be able to make it back up the hill with trailer in tow.
Our Norah pipes up "Mama. You can do it if you just BELIEVE. I believe!" And so she continues to chatter with support to give me "power boosts" so I can make it up the hill.
And so we tackle the hill with GUSTO!
Until my legs can pedal no more and....we start going...backwards...back down the hill.
I end up pushing the bike and trailer up the hill.

Our little schemer

Last night at dinner, the girls were in rare form. I said something about how I was thinking about shipping the girls off to Gramma Peg and Pop Paul....wondering if they would take such wild girls.
Norah look at me and says "We're ALWAYS good at Gramma Peg's house."
"Really?" I reply.
"Really." says Norah. "They have lots of toys. So we're always good. We might be really good all the time at home if we had more toys."

Stay at home day

Norah goes to school tuesday, wednesday, and thursdays. The rest are stay-at-home-days. Norah has been having trouble with a boy named Truman at preschool this year. As Norah puts it, "Truman is the mean boy." Anyway, she has been trying to talk me into all stay at home days and no school days. The other day, she says "How about if I have 5 stay at home days?" I say "How about 4?" She's good with that. Clearly, math skills and negotiation skills have a ways to develop.
We have had a nice stay-at-home day today. Norah had dance class. We came home, played a game, and baked a red velvet cake. We also cut the rest of the sage and basil and brought in the remaining tomatoes. We're supposed to get our first frost this weekend. Norah was very excited to hear about the potential for frost. As our little Minnesotan puts it "When it frosts, that means we're getting close to Halloween!"
We're making pesto tonight from the remainder of this year's basil. The girls always have such definite opinions about making pesto. I feel like I'm raising a couple of true foodies :-)