School picture, 2010

Trains at Grandpa's house

It wasn't all turkey and wine at Grandpa's house this past week. While that was fun, Mercer played a good deal with some newly discovered train tracks.

A proper footballer

Introducing the future Chelsea FC and United States Men's National Team captain. World Cup 2026 here we come.

Playtime, sometime last week, I don't know.

It is officially the holiday season.

Last weekend, we were walking around and happened to walk by a craft store that must've just put out all of their Christmas items for sale. Mercer sniffed the air and said "Mommy, Daddy, it smells Christmasy!"

The smell in question was cinnamon, and yes, it did smell Christmasy.

A visit to the cider mill

Before heading out for the day, Mercer and the gang checked out the local apple cider mill. Open only on weekends in September, October, and November, Thompson's Cider Mill is a small, hands-on operation. During our visit we saw three people loading, washing, and pressing the apples to make delicious apple cider. They also had a little shop inside the mill, selling bushels of apples grown in the fields behind the mill, cider, doughnuts, and pies. We ordered an apple-blueberry pie for Thanksgiving, a quart of cider, and some cider doughnuts for the road.












Some beautiful scenery on the way home of Croton Point Park, the Hudson River, and Rockland County/the Palisades beyond. As you'll see in the foreground, there is an abandoned foundation where a house was supposed to be built. Hoping it stays the way it is, instead.

Playtime, 11/11/10

Bees

We've been finding tons of bees in our place all year long. By windows, near lamps, dead on the floor, in closets, upstairs, downstairs. I think we may have a colony in our floorboards or something. This week, Mom has probably killed one bee a night while Mercer and Dad (mostly Dad) hide in the shadows. Mom has a way with killing the bees. She's like some sort of bee whisperer.

Mercer and Abe

On Nov. 6, 1860, former Illinois congressman Abraham Lincoln defeated three other candidates for the presidency: John Breckinridge, John Bell and Stephen Douglas.

From the vault: Baby Mercer, May 9. 2007

Apprezzamento

Mercer and Dad went to the pizza place for dinner tonight. Mercer had a slice of pepperoni (and asked Dad to take all the pepperoni off) and Dad had a mozzarella caprese sandwich. After touching all the pepperoni and de-greasing the slice with napkins, Dad got up to get extra napkins.

Mercer: "Daddy, where'd you go?"
Daddy: "I just got some extra napkins."
Mercer: "Daddy...you're a genius."

Halloween 2010

Mercer had a productive evening of trick or treating last night. First, the gang went over to Chris and Kyle's house for some delicious food and refreshment. Then, we hit the pavement with Sydney (butterfly), Ryan (skunk), Joseph (monkey), and a support wagon. Mercer and Sydney are both at that nice age where they don't need much help in getting their treats. They sprinted from house to house and yelled "Candy!" instead of "Trick or Treat." Everyone got a good amount of loot, but no one really asked to eat anything until the very end. After some play time back at the house, we said good-byes and headed for home. Another fun Halloween in the books.

Ryan the skunk.

Mommy the witch.

Sydney and Mercer sharing a ride in the support wagon.



Sydney, Joseph, and Mercer getting their treats.





Don't get used to this, Mercer.

The Caped Crusader is off again.


On the way home.