So, let me first say that no children were harmed in the taking of these pictures. Even though sharp knives were used ….the red you see is jelly …

Here is some backgound info: mommy was painting door moulding, daddy was blogging away on his computer … and we both thought the other parental unit was making a jelly sandwich for the short one.Well, what we have here is a failure to communicate.

So, little Benji figured, it can’t be that hard, let’s get the little red stool (dangerous tool, used for much mischief before this event) ….and make myself a sandwich.

The rest is best shown rather than put in words … enjoy:

Ok, so I admit it. Last year I bought into the All-American past time of Fantasy Football. Did pretty well, made it into the ‘Super Bowl’… just to lose because of putting in my favorite players instead of the ones from a team I hated even though they would have scored more points.

I filed the experience under ‘live and learn’ and ‘check your team loyalty at the door when playing fantasy football’ and tried again this year. Have been doing quite well, too. Leading my league … even though in a moment of blind fanemotion, I drafted Tom Brady in the first round as my QB and … well, we all know what happened in the first quarter of the first game of the season … too painful to talk about, still. (Insert painful smile and tear running down the face).

So, I managed to get Matt Ryan and Matt Cassell of the waiver wires. Thinking, how bad could MC be, considering he still has all of the WR’s Brady had. Well, turns out, while the Pats are still winning more games than anyone had expected (take that, Chris Collinsworth ….) .. they are doing it ….running the ball??? And that means lousy Fantasy numbers for Matty C. So, this week, with the Pats playing the Jets and me close to nailing my spot in the Fantasy Playoffs, I decided to sit one Matt (C.) and play the other Matt (R.). Ryan that is, former BC QB. And a hottie. And I don’t mean just throwing the ball. By the way, Jason Taylor is back playing this week. I feel much better drooling over someone closer to my age than some kiddy QB fresh out of college.

Anyways, Pats played Thursday night … and lost. But when I checked the Fantasy score ….Matty C. had, wait for it … 42 points. Over 400 yards and 60 somethinh RUSHING yards. 3TD’s ….That is half a fantasy game, seriously. Could have won my game this week just by starting him. But I didn’t. Went with the rational decision, buried the feeling of betraying Matty C. by not starting him … and see where it got me. Argh.

Matty R. better have a killer game or I will have to claim all of the free Patriot players of the waivers to overcome my feeling of being a fair weather fan ….

To all of you fellow Patriots fans out there, Tom Terrific is back at Foxboro … YEAH! Super Bowl XLIV (that is 44 for all of you non-catholic high school kids out there) here we come! And speaking of Tom Brady … found this video today and it is … well, watch it and judge yourself.

Crash Call

Do I need to say anything. Really.

So here is that something I am a bit embarrassed to admit that in the almost 14 years I have lived in Vermont, I have never taken the Gondola to the top of Mount Mansfield in the fall. Nor have I ever driven the car up the toll road, as thousands of people do every year.

I mean, people come from all over the world to leave peep in Vermont. And I would guess that 90% of them either drive up the toll road or take the gondola in Stowe. Not me though. Love the foliage. Have been known to suddenly stop the car on the side of the road and take pictures of a particularly beautifully colored leave … but never made the pilgrimage to the top of Vermont’s most famous mountain.

Until today that is. Harvest Fest at Smilie School this morning … and after that, we decided to take a drive to Stowe and make it up the mountain. I have to admit, I only thought of it because I had three free gondola ride tickets from a specially sponsored Vermont Lake Monster game we went to this summer. Otherwise I think I would still be a ‘gondola virgin’.

It was beautiful, as expected. Some Vermonters may get used to the beauty that is fall foliage, but I doubt I ever will. Probably got that from my mom, who, 7 years after coming to Vermont for foliage season in the days after 09/11, still talks about it almost every time we are on the phone… and that is almost weekly.

Kids loved it too, of course.

Funny though, we took the Notch road to the Smuggs side of the mountain to go home, and you can clearly tell that the ‘other side’ is the locals side. No fancy shops, hotels, or vacation mansions. Part of that is probably that once the snow falls, Smuggler’s Notch Road is closed and one has to take a 45 minute detour to get to Smuggs from the South. Which is probably just as well, while I understand that tourists bring alot of money to the Vermont economy, I am still not a big fan of Stowe turning into little St. Moritz. So I am happy that ’the other side’ remains the locals side. I don’t even ski, but I am still oddly possessive of the Smuggs side …

Anyways, winter is coming, let me tell you that. Could feel it on top of that mountain …. and THAT is not something I wax poetic about. … Argh.

Benji helped me today with the usual fall decorating. Pumpkins, cornstalks, scare crow … and the obligatory photo ….. mom is never without a camera. Though since my little Powershot broke (two weeks after the one year warranty expired …) I am back to using my Canon … which is a tad bigger … much bigger actually. But I have to say I really missed the great pix it takes, so it is worth carrying around a camera that doubles the weight of my purse. And that means something ….women will understand. Moms will understand even better. A regular mom purse weighs at least 10 lbs. Wallet, checkbook, aspirin, wet wipes, tissues, chapstick, snacks, … husband’s wallet ….But that is a different post.

So, after the usual “Smile nice for mommy” photos, they insisted on some ‘funny’ pix .. so here you go. Enjoy. Happy Fall!

  And one that Benji took of mommy and the scare crow and one of mommy ‘as’ the scare crow. I am the one in the red vest …. just to avoid any embarrassing mixups ….

Essex Jamborree, 09/20/08.

Had to post another couple photos of Noah in full game mode and with one of his touchdowns that day. And another of the little poser ….. in his Bob the Builder farmer overalls. I am sure he will putting on some pads in a couple of years as well …. notice he is already wearing the super cool shark cleats … sigh. Somehow I think he will be like the kid on Noah’s team who always asks the coach “Coach D., can I hit the other guy as hard as I can???”

Alright, he is one cool dude No. 80. Looks about 16 years old to me in that first picture. The second one, though somewhat hard to see, is memorable because it is Noah getting his first flag on defense …. memorable because a) he never seems to think that getting a flag is worth the effort and b) it marks the first money he earned palying football since daddy dearest bribed him with $5 for a flag …I want to retire on his first round draft signing bonus so I am hopeful that $5 actually made him play harder.

Next is him on the way to yet another touchdown. And this one is sweet because it comes against the Milton Broncos … see previous posts for the story behind that ….. and of course, little brother fan club, wearing his helmet and making faces …..and then of course Mr. Five Bucks himself …. mind you, a week later, Noah was still waiting for his money … so who paid him? Mom. I have to get an IOU and take it back out of that real paycheck in what …. 15 years. With interest!

 Essex Jamboree, September 20, 2008.

So, since Benji is dragged along to each and every one of Noah’s football games and practies, I figure it is time to have him on the top of the blog for once. So here he is … in all his cuteness.

In all honesty, he loves going. He brings his bike, wears his helmet …. and hangs out with all the other younger siblings. Though his favorite part is probably diving into the inevitable selection of snacks I always bring to every game … really, that is the highlight of the day for him ….

Being married to someone who is handy with a chainsaw is a handy thing.

Is that an odd statement? Not when you live in Vermont on a mountain and not when you are married to a Chabot. Never thought I would ever even be in need of someone who is handy with a chainsaw .. before I met a Chabot and moved to rural New England. Not really a tool often used in good old Berzdorf …. not even sure anyone in my extended family in Germany even owns a chainsaw …

But here, in Vermont, it is handy that I am married to a man whose father was known for using his chainsaw whenever even the smallest amount of cutting of anything was needed …. the story goes that he actually cut the holes for the skylights in their house with a chainsaw. Anyways, lots of good stories …. but you have to really have my hubby tell them.

So, since we live in a rather wooded area (also called a forest mountain top ….) we often have downed trees blocking driveways (at least one every winter so far …. at LEAST one) or need a tree cut to make sure the satellite dish can get a clear view of the sky (not kidding) … or, as happened this weekend, a dead tree that needs to be removed to make room for … wait for it … a new tree.

      So here are some shots of my husband the logger, my boys, the show off by-standers …. and a tree stump? That is here at the request of the guy with the chainsaw who he insisted that it was a superior cut  …. ok then.