Musings From Natalie #123

"Mom, you need to buy more Oreos...cause they are healthy for my taste buds."

Musings From Natalie #122

Natalie: "Mom, can I have a cupcake?"
Me: "After dinner."
Natalie: "Come on, sugar is healthy."
Me: "Natalie."
Natalie: "Really it is...sugar makes you happy and happiness makes you more healthy."

Deep Thoughts From Noah #72

Noah: "Mom, I love you."
Me: "I love you, too Buddy."
Noah: "I'm going to live with you forever."
Me: "I thought you wanted to get married and have a wife."
Noah: "I do....I'll have a wife and we'll live in an RV and park it in your driveway."

Musings From Natalie #121

Natalie: "Mom, may I have one more cookie?"
Me: "How many have you had?"
Natalie: "Three Trefoils and two Thin Mints."
Me: "I think that is plenty."
Natalie: "Just one more...or else it's not fair to the Mints."

Musings From Natalie #120

While passing our community pool...

Me: "It won't be long and we'll be swimming.
Natalie: "I know. I wish I could float better."
Me: "You could take lessons."
Natalie: "No lessons!"
Me: "Why not?"
Natalie: "I can already swim...are you saying I can't swim?!"
Me: "I'm saying I think you could become a stronger swimmer if you took lessons."
Natalie: "Mom, I'm a reader and a writer...I'm not a swimmer."
Me: "Couldn't you be a swimmer, too?"
Natalie: "No, my schedule is too tight."

Maple Sugar Fest 2016

While I love the traditions and celebrations surrounding Christmas and the New Year...winter is just not my favorite season. Hibernating in my home with rambunctious kids in need of an outlet for their boundless energy can make anyone weary.  When I learned our town would see a rise in temps this weekend, I began searching the Internet for something to do outside... a little out of the ordinary.

We discovered the Missouri Department of Conservation's annual Maple Sugar Festival at Rockwoods Reservation. Not only was the weather gorgeous, but since the temperature varied  greatly between night to day -- the sap really flowed. More than half a dozen activity booths dotted the grounds. We learned how to identify and tap trees and discovered that sap is 97% water and must be boiled down for many, many hours before it becomes the delicious sweet topping we enjoy on our pancakes. In the "Trials of the Time" booth - Natalie and I sawed through a tree limb using a cross-cut saw. No festival would be complete without food - in addition to food trucks, the event offered samples of dollar pancakes with syrup, maple taffy and kettle corn.

February is still not my favorite time of the year - but this festival offered our family a sweet break from the winter blahs. 

"It looks like water."

sampling the sap

Sugar on Snow

Nat tries Maple Taffy

"I'm glad we don't have to do this anymore!"

We came, We sawed...right through!

Noah wasn't interested in visiting the booths but did enjoy the sunshine

Each child had the opportunity to select two small prizes from the MDCs gift shop.
Frisbees were a popular choice for many.

After we sawed off our wood round - we took it to the branding station.

Musings From Natalie #119

Natalie: "Mom, are there girlenberries?"
Me: "Huh?"
Natalie: "Well, there are boysenberries so why not girlenberries?"