Viv and Hugh are back to school (hallelujah!) and I’m trying to be a little more intentional about baking with them on the weekends. A good friend recently reminded me what a great exercise it is - both for quality time, and for math, sharing, direction following, and patience… and it produces a stash of … Continue reading Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
I was reminded recently that the point of a blog (or at least this one) is to write the family memories down lest we forget them. This is a thing I haven't done during the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic, the beginning of which coincided with my sudden heart issues, and throughout which we survived … Continue reading COVID-19: Vivienne’s Take
It's our first spring in the garden at Wingate house, and among all the wonders unfolding around us, the poppies -- with their odd, hairy pods, their tightly packed tissue paper petals unfurling hour by hour -- are one of the greatest pleasures. Before they opened, Hugh reverently enfolded the pods in his little hands … Continue reading Poppies
Who in the world is Peggy Porschen, you ask? She's an award winning cake designer in London, whose cake shop in Belgravia features stunning seasonal floral installations like this one: To make a long story short, a good friend of ours was planning a surprise 40th birthday party for his wife, Jennifer, who had been … Continue reading Peggy Porschen Floral Installation
Vivienne is seven! Her birthday lined up with our February vacation week trip to Phoenix, so this year, we decided to throw her a party early and take advantage of Valentines Day with a cookie decorating theme party. Hearts, sprinkles, and unlimited frosting... what more could a seven year old want? This was our first … Continue reading Valentine’s Cookie Decorating Party
In the process of packing up our house these last weeks, I've read through several of my old journals and was struck by this particular entry, written during Vivienne's toddler years. She has always brought me so much joy, but the transition to motherhood was hard for me. This brief entry so concisely captured that … Continue reading In Development
The other day, I overheard Vivienne say, "Hey Hugh, did you know there's a time for everything in life?" It was somehow both whimsical and instructional, and Hugh, with an appropriately serious nod, played along like he totally got it. Little ears are clearly picking up on the underlying vibe around here... There is, indeed, a … Continue reading A Time for Everything
The last few weeks feel a bit like a blur of work. We're in the midst of selling our house, so all the projects, paperwork, and anxiety that go along with that have been piled right onto our already full plates. It's nose to the grind time, that's for sure! Ryan returned from a trip … Continue reading A Morning Off
Eight years ago today, on a similarly sweltering 4th of July, Ryan tricked me into going on a picnic and popped the question.He made a first attempt at lunchtime, but I protested, given the heat, so he endured an air conditioned lunch with a diamond ring burning a hole in his pocket. We went to … Continue reading Engaged on the 4th of July
Ryan had to be in Kenya for work in January, and when he realized he was connecting through Heathrow Airport, he wondered if I'd like to meet him there with the kids for a week in London. He didn't need to ask twice! London has been on our list for a long time -- we'd … Continue reading London Itinerary
The Key to the House 