Day with the Haydens

Unplanned, we spent Saturday with our pals the Haydens. Sarah and I started things off with a 4-mile trail run through the reservation, then we all met up at Dragon Playground after lunch. I helped Steve hang a falling gutter while the kids ran around. We ended the day with pizza, salad and calamari and the kids were asleep by 7. I conked out on the couch about an hour later. Carey read The Mockingjay until about 1am.

Those of you who read this blog for book recommendations (and those of you who enjoy fiction for young adults), check out The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's the first in a trilogy. My office read it like wildfire and now a colleague is letting Carey borrow her Kindle to read the three books. We haven't talked to each other since Monday. 

Weekend respite

Don't know about you, but it was a long week of work and school here at the Merrills. So we're ending it with a restful weekend. Not too much planned -- lots of errands, maybe a trip into the city to check out the Macy's window displays and the Rockefeller Center tree. I'll fire up the Canon and the Flip, promise. Until then, a couple shots of the kids admiring their Christmas tree.

Millburn Snowflake Parade

A little video mash-up from our Sunday afternoon experience at the Millburn Snowflake Parade. Trivia: Millburn's most famous export? Oscars 2011 Co-Host Anne Hathaway.

All's well...

Just a post to assure family and friends that the Merrills are fine despite three days of blog silence. The coughing jags have finally ended for all of us. Now the hard work begins -- getting the kids to sleep alone again. We're recording a daily Christmas special on ABC Family and that is the highlight of our mornings. If the kids are downstairs and dressed by 730, they get to watch a little Rudolph or Frosty or Night Before Christmas before we pile in the car at 8. They also kickstart their nutritional regimen each morning with a chocolate from their advent calendar (thanks, Aunt Chris!) before they eat breakfast. Well, they have their vitamins, then their chocolate, then their breakfast.

I have a video from the Millburn Snowflake Parade last weekend that I'm finishing up tonight and will post later. Until then, to all a good day.

Flip fun

We lost Carey's Nano, so we picked up a Flip Ultra HD at Costco this weekend. Here's what the kids sang when I asked them if they loved me.

PJs

Photo caption dictated by Greta:

Posing at the top of the stairs when Daddy comes home. My brother's wearing my pajamas and I'm wearing, like, three layers of them. The End.

Label me this

Greta has started to use flash cards at school to practice recognizing sight words, so naturally she wanted to bring the habit home as well. Carey bought some green note cards and asked her to label various things in her room. Greta would spell the word, then Carey would write the correct spelling underneath. Give our daughter A for effort, but her spelling needs some work. That's dor, dgisrs, pichrl, wol, lite and siling.

More tree trimming pics

Super Sunday

Call me crazy, but this was my idea of a perfect Sunday:

• Sleep until 730
• Eat egg white fritatta with gorgonzola and guacamole
• Drink Raspberry Snapple
• Drive through the ghetto to drop off Aunt Kathy at Newark train station
• Drink Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate while kids eat Dunkin' Donuts munchkins in a cup
• Shop at Eden Gourmet
• Decorate the Christmas tree
• Watch the Giants beat the Jaguars and Federer beat Nadal [first full 1pm football telecast this year, while Carey took the kids to Josephine's third birthday (one of Lincoln's classmates)]
• Play with kids while Carey bakes sweet potato/pumpkin muffins
• Give Greta a bath
• Listen while Greta reads "Katy Duck" aloud to me before bedtime
• Watch "Meet the Press"on DVR and rediscover my crush on Peggy Noonan
• Watch Colts vs. Chargers shortly

Artsy shot above suggested by Carey while trimming the tree.

Ten more Turkey Day photos

We're still recovering -- gastro-intestinally and emotionally -- but I wanted to share a few more photos from our Thanksgiving celebration before they get lost in the digital dustbin. All hail my wife, who managed to cook, entertain and clean without ever losing her mega-watt smile.

Lincoln and Charlotte loved the grape skewers.

Damond brought his own headgear.

Modeling the Carrot & Cashew Nut Loaf, a surprising culinary hit even with the non-vegans.

Once Lincoln showed Jack the jumping couch, it was game on.

Linc got plenty of style points.

When they got tired, Linc offered a head massage.

Emma Hayden, the only kid who demanded a turkey leg.

The big kids' table, centerpiece by Greta.

Post-dinner, burning some calories. Don't you wish the cameraman had moved to about 9 o'clock for the head-on shot?!?

Charlotte and Lincoln sport the latest in equine wear. Charlotte was so enamored with the pink unicorn that she wore it home.

Black Friday

Thankfully, I worked today while the kids, Carey and Aunt Kathy braved the local mall. Carey reports lots of milling, not much shopping. So much for the GDP. The kids did have their first sit-down with Santa. Greta asked for a Rapunzel Barbie Doll and a Sleeping Beauty Baby Doll and Lincoln requested a Spider-Man flash light.  Here's a couple fancy iPhone photos AK took.

Gluttony

Appetizers:

• Prosciutto-wrapped Romano-Pecan Dates
• Grape Skewers with Cheesecake Dip

Main course:

• Chardonnay Spiced Cranberry Sauce
• Traditional Cranberry Sauce
• Date Apple & Celery Salad
• Baby Mixed Greens with Pear, Pecan & Feta
• Roasted Carrots with Leek & Thyme
• Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Corn Casserole
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Candied Yams
• Sage Stuffing
• Spiral Ham
• Carrot and Cashew Nut Roast
• Brined Turkey
• Rosemary Sourdough Bread
• Cranberry Semolina Bread

For dessert:

• Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
• Apple Crumble Pie
• Pumpkin Bread Pudding

What our kids are thankful for...

Continuing our annual tradition here. Greta Corleen Merrill, what are you thankful for this morning of Nov. 25, 2010? (Our 5-year-old's response is reproduced here verbatim.)

1. Mommy
2. Daddy
3. Lincoln
4. Jinxy
5. Flowers
6. I don't know quite about Sasha
7. Duncan
8. Emma
9. Emma Bailey
10. My house
11. God and Jesus
12. That's all

Lincoln David Merrill, how about you, what are you thankful for this morning of Nov. 25, 2010? (Lincoln was not allowed to hear Greta's answer before providing his own.)

1. Charlotte
2. Jinxy

Both kids then collaborated to offer a list of what Jinx Mathews Merrill, our 12-year-old Maine Coon, has to be thankful for.

1. Cat treats
2. Sasha
3. Having the basement to himself sometimes
4. Having Lincoln not run after him

Here is the dining room table before the guests arrive in 16 minutes.

Early Turkey

I had the day off today to help Greta's class celebrate Thanksgiving. Lincoln joined me at 11 a.m. in her classroom for turkey, corn bread, apple sauce and pumpkin pie. One of the parents read a couple holiday books and the kids made paper turkey crowns. A good time was had by all.

Tonight, the house smells like carrot nut loaf (Carey's concession to her visiting vegetarian aunt) and homemade cranberry sauce. Tomorrow our South Orange friends the Haydens and the Baileys join us for a mid-afternoon repast.  We're forgoing the Macy's parade this year because we've all had horrible coughs for most of the month and because my pal Aaron, who does a lot of consulting for Macy's, couldn't come up with bleacher seats. Next year!

Batman

Lincoln dug to the bottom of the dress-up chest today and pulled out the black cape and face mask given to him by Emma Hayden. He was looking for something to match his underwear, I think. He then struck a variety of Dark Knight poses for me, including some death-defying leaps off the couch.

Divide & conquer

We spent the first five years of parenthood basically doing everything possible together on the weekends. I suppose we didn't want to miss any moments. Any time one of us did take the kids for a couple hours we always spent 10 minutes when we were reunited catching the other up on what they missed. A funny joke, a sweet gesture, a hug between siblings.

Fast forward to today. Pancakes and strawberries for breakfast, Greta watching "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with me, Lincoln watching "Diego's Underwater Adventure" with Mom. At 10:30 it's all in the car for a ride to Sunburst Gymnastics in Union, N.J. Greta and I go inside for Gerek's 6th birthday party while Lincoln and Mom go shopping for our Thanksgiving feast. Turns out our often gawky, always-tripping daughter has some natural grace. She thoroughly enjoyed running, tumbling and bouncing on the trampoline with friends from her kindergarten class. She was particularly proud of the fact that she was one of just six girls invited.

That's Gerek at the front of the trampoline train.

She was supposed to place two hands on the mat, kick her legs in the air, and vault to the other side. Did the circuit a dozen times and tried a different approach each time. Never stuck the dismount.

Very fond of somersaulting.

After the party, we unloaded groceries and had lunch at home. At 3:30 it was back in the car for a trip to New York Sports Club in Livingston, N.J., and Aadi's 3rd birthday party. Lincoln and Mom went inside while Greta and I traveled on to Costco.

The birthday boy under the canopy.

Lincoln lifts up the parachute.

He's got Daddy's hops.

On the roller tray thingy.

Rockin' into the weekend

Carey had a half-day for ACE Employee Appreciation Day, so she was with the kids by 3pm or so this afternoon. By the time I strolled in the door at 6, they were all fired up. After dinner they treated us to a concert in the playroom with Lincoln on drums and Greta on harmonica.

Welcome home!

8 p.m. this evening, I open the front door and this is what I see. I don't say anything for awhile, then casually ask, "What are you wearing?" Carey doesn't wait for Lincoln to answer and volunteers, "They don't fit Greta." Lincoln then chimes in: "And they're silky!"

Soccer, a second opinion

I take back what I wrote a month ago. This was Lincoln on Saturday. In his defense, his super-duper girlfriend crush Charlotte was watching him, so he might have been a little off his game.

Awwww...

Saturday morning before breakfast, "Super Why" on the tube.