Ah, it's time to tell Santa what we really want. Justin officially does not have the look of shear terror, and Mei-Ling is calmly enjoying her time with the Big Guy. The Holidays this year with the kids is really great - they're at the age where the Elf on the Shelf works miracles, Herbie the dentist elf is a great role model, and tree decorating and all things Christmas have been really, really fun for all of us.
Family fall fun! My kids are shown helping my parents with some Fall clean up around the house. More than just helping their grandparents, they are enjoying their presence for a while. (I never get too old for mom's cooking either!) It always amazes me how much kids remember their family, even if they don't see each other all that often. The last time my folks were here was nearly 6 months ago. While the kids speak periodically with my parents, they never hesitate to miss them, ask for them, and love them like mad when they are here. The power of love and family - awesome.
Have you ever wondered where all the pumpkins come from for our annual pumpkin decorating contest (this is our 20th year!)? A farm delivers them to Dr. Deb’s house in huge cardboard crates on pallets and then she and her husband (she used to coerce her sons into doing this before they went to college!) divide them up into bushel baskets and load them into her car. It is really pleasant when a rotten pumpkin gets accidentally packed up and putrid pumpkin rot gets all over everything. Our team then schleps the baskets into the office. We develop big biceps in October so don’t be messin’ with us!!
Ok, you know when Fall is here! The mums are out, the cider is brewing, apples are being picked and polished, pumpkins are being carved..... AND tossed. Ever hear of Pumpkin Chukin'? Me neither (so don't feel so badly). Our dear friend's husband is competing in Delaware at a national Trebuche competition. Here we are at Trombley Farm test-firing the homemade, medieval device, which I understand aims to toss a pumpkin as far as it can. The Science Channel was even here interviewing his team! Good luck to our local entrants! Now off to pumpkin PICKING. 
Here is a picture of a motley crew before we ran the 39th Annual Falmouth Road Race (it looks like we already ran the race…!) My 20 yo son, Steve and my husband, Steve (he pulled a fast one when our son was born but that is another story!) and I pounded the pavement for 7.2 miles from Woods Hole to Falmouth on August 14, 2011. I even shaved 3 minutes off my time from last year (trust me, that is not saying much!). Every year I tell myself, “I’m done. I hate training and I don’t even like running” and then I forget the pain (sort of like child birth) and sign up again….old age memory loss!
