My new "local" Target didn't let me down. By "local" I mean the next state over, which is still 100 miles closer than my previous "local" Target, although it is plus one ferry ride. It technically doesn't open until tomorrow, but like a chain-store junkie I gave them a call to see if they were opening earlier, and wouldn't you know it?! They were. So I loaded the family up for a road trip. And what a trip it was, easily a one hour car ride split up nicely in 20 minutes chunks: 20 minutes to the ferry, 20 minutes over, 20 minutes on the other side. Also split up nicely by the DHL delivery truck that went up in flames at the ferry dock, easily chopping 10 years off my life, but also giving me something engaging to talk to my (miserable) 15 year old brother about...so it's almost an even trade.
I got this lovely little beauty, which is now nestled in happy harmony next to my cherry red Kitchen Aid, along with some really cool graphic snow pants for the kid. We totally raided the $1 dollar section and the Halloween stuff. In the end, we ended up fitting 4 people, 3 microwaves and various (multiple) other bags in a Honda Civic and drove home. Not a bad trip (minus the terrifying near-death truck fire)!
If you want to catch the New England foliage, come quickly! Lucas and I took a lovely drive on Thursday to a nearby resort town and the colors were just amazing. I did take a ton of photos that I should post, but, meh...maybe later. The very best part of our drive? Ben and Jerry's ice cream and an awesome resale shop where I picked the kid up a LL Bean squall jacket and matching snow pants for $20 bucks. I got home and tossed them right in the washer with some Tide and splash of fabric softener and now they're as good as new! Who knew you could find such a bargain in a pricey resort town?
AND...it's my dear, sweet Mom's birthday today and we made a yummy big brunch for her and her friends. Lucas spent the morning telling all who would listen that each one of her presents was his plan, that the cake was his plan, that the cards were his plan for her big day. He did actually make her cake himself (German chocolate with caramel coconut pecan frosting...YUM), save putting it in the oven and taking it out, which is a big deal for a four year old and he was proud as a peacock, as can only be expected. I got a big fat piece of that cake to bring for dinner...best dinner I've eaten all week, if you ask me.
Oh, what a beautiful day to snap a photo or fifty.
Too bad the bottom branches of this tree were almost five feet from the ground. I could barely get near those beauties.
Oh look! Something purple! How pretty!
Looking down because I asked him to look up...and smile. You'll notice he's not so good at following my high-pitched commands.
He's lucky he's cute.
The ill-fated bag of apples that will soon meet their maker on my car's unforgiving floor mat. They did taste mighty delicious in that apple crisp, though.
Oh, this sweet boy does tug at the old heart strings, sitting there in the sunshine.
( I seriously need to do something about his hair.)
The view from my lawn chair at my friend Wendy's house. What's not in the picture is her BEAUTIFUL and GIANT aqua blue pool where I am trying my best to 
This would be the toad that tried to make me pee my pants by jumping across my bare foot on the way to the car.Lucas and I were watching So You Think You Can Dance last night, and he got the great idea that we should dance along with the contestants and then also judge our performances. Turns out we can foxtrot, jitterbug, contemporary and hip hop extremely well...according to ourselves. We would plop on the couch between routines and say very dance-judge-esque things like..."Next time, we really need to BRING it!" "We need to GO HARD or get SENT HOME." "Those moves really BLEW ME AWAY." "That over-the-head flip was KILLER!" And every dance was the "BEST ONE OF THE SHOW SO FAR!"
We are either very lenient judges or we're phenomenal dancers. If you could have seen us in action, I'm sure you would agree...PHENOMENAL DANCERS!
We had some buddies over today! Some four year old buddies and some not-quite-yet-two year old buddies...to the tune of five kids running through our apartment playing and chasing and generally having a grand 'ole time. And I realized something. Five kids wouldn't be so bad. (Don't read anything into that, Aunt Mary...I know your heart has only just recovered! I'm not secretly yearning for four more children!) But I can completely see why some people do. They not only entertain each other, but they all genuinely like to play with trains and video games and water tables (unlike me who gets so over it after just the littlest while), and the more I thought about it...it seemed like less work. I know there would be more dishes and laundry and bath times, but the in-between-times must be pretty sweet. Although I'm not sure I could afford keep them all in ice pops...we were flying through the ice pops at record speeds. Good times! ;-)
We had kids shrieking at the tops of their lungs and chasing bubbles straight into the next town trying for the chance to pop one...the darn breeze is your mortal enemy if you're under three feet.
Rocking the tricycle...and yes I know he's big enough to ride a bike (and then some) but he prefers his trike. He told me he'll try riding his bike again when he's six. I very much doubt he'll still fit on it's little frame by then, but whatever.
And it's always more fun to ride when you're getting chased by a buddy!
Pooped out after a day of fun...drinking water...not like me (who guzzled diet Pepsi all the way home. What?! Diet Pepsi is TOTALLY part of a healthy diet...and no one can tell me different.)Our trip to Target went well...with a couple of big highlights:
Lucas puked EVERYWHERE in the back of my friend Jenn's very fancy minivan...and then Jenn had an actual heart attack and fell to the ground and we had to call an ambulance to revive her. Kidding. But she did scream..."OHMYGODMYVAAAAAAAN!!!" while my poor kid was covering himself in his own vomit and trying really hard to catch his breath. Which I thought was quite thoughtful of her! (We love you Jenn!) (I'm not a total loser...I did pay to have to have it professionally cleaned...after she informed me that Lysol wipes were not gonna cut it!) I guess we have different levels of clean...and hers doesn't involve the car smelling like some kid's vomit all summer...crazy, I know.
***edited to add: And it was FUNNY, and I do not mean for anybody to be OFFENDED. And if the tables were turned, I too, would think about the car upholstery versus a kid that can easily be thrown in a tub. The end.***
The second, of course, was my trip to Target. Oh, how I wish I had one near me. And an IKEA. And a Coldstone. And Panera. On the other hand, all of those places would probably lose their appeal if they were readily available to me on a daily basis. And I'd be broke and in a dairy coma, so you know...it's all for the best.
I think the greatest part for Lucas was Thursday. That child spent the better part of the day outside, barefoot, chasing kids around her huge backyard. Unsupervised. And not in that I'm not paying attention to my kid kind of way...but the their safe and fenced in and let's just let them play and be kids without getting all up their face demanding that they share and use good manners kind of way...like the good 'ole days. I'm not sure he's ever been happier. Or more exhausted. I put his poor little self in the car at 5:15pm and by 5:20pm he was out cold...for the night! Which meant that I didn't have to drive home for 2.5 hours listening to the Naked Brother's Band crone on and on about how much they don't wanna go to school...heaven, I tell you...it was heaven!
Oh! I could just put him in a bowl and eat him right up, he is that sweet!
Phew! Now that I've got all that gushiness out of my system...
I was washing dishes in the kitchen (obviously) and Lucas was playing with his Disney Cars in the other room, and I could hear him just singing away. I turned off the water and listened for a second and I had to cover my mouth from laughing out loud. (This is a boy that DOES NOT like to be laughed at.) As I peaked around the corner to watch I saw him shaking his little booty and flapping his arms while he danced around the room.
"Hey, Mom! You like my singin'?
"I sure do! What song is that, buddy?"
"I Don't Wanna Go To School...by the Naked Brothers Band."
Let me just start by saying, What?...the child can sing the lyrics and state the name of the band? What happened to my baaaaaaaaaaaby??? But then...oh my goodness! My baby can sing the lyrics and state the name of the band! Rock on, little guy!
I am so glad I have him. Specifically him. Although I'm sure I would have loved some other fertilized egg just as much...but still. We are off to the mall tomorrow to buy the CD...although what's with Nickelodeon naming a kid's band the Naked Brothers Band? Eh?
Happy Birthday, Aunt Mary!
WLYOMTYCES!
Anna and Lucas
Thanks to Aunt Marcy, Lucas and I have a season pass to our local science center...which we LOVE! (Thank you, Marcy!) We never seem to make it passed the entrance of this place without getting drenched in the rock and slate waterfall...but it is sort of the funnest (is that a word?) part of the whole day, so, what are gonna do?
Lucas and one of his very bestest buddies. Whenever they see each other it starts with a hug so fierce that one or both of them ends up on the floor.
A quick change of clothes since he was soaked. Also, I am not a big fan of the various examples of giant fish that are swimming around in our lake. (A lake I may never swim in again, thankyouverymuch.)
Coloring little pictures of mosquitoes and ticks to tape on a life-sized backyard mural, as this months special exhibit is "Bloodsuckers". Yuck.
Taking a picture of me taking a picture of him. Coming soon will be his own special bloggy feature of "The View from Three Feet", a collection of his very own pictures from his very camera. Truthfully, they're not much clearer than a cell phone picture, but the things he finds interesting do make me laugh...so, stay tuned... 
I have it on very good authority that being this cool is simply exhausting...hence the nap. Lucas and Uncle Ben got matching Hurley caps today...2Cool4Skool!
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