Thanksgiving 2.0, Volume 2

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Sightseeing: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Since we were only in Pittsburgh for a few days aside from Thanksgiving Day, we decided to focus our sightseeing - exploring the area near Siobhan and Pete's work!  We met Pete for lunch and walked around the Bloomfield neighborhood near his work.  Good lunch at Lot 17, Yuengling Beer and a pit stop at Paddy Cakes bakery for thumbprint cookies and cookie sandwiches!

Next Stop: Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh Campus

We drove through the hills and valleys and took in the sights of Pittsburgh - each neighborhood and borough different from the next!  After lunch in Bloomfield, we drove through the Carnegie Mellon Campus and University of Pittsburgh Campus.  Our destination was the Cathedral of Learning - a fantastic example of gothic architecture and a true testament to learning and knowledge!  While admiring the magnificence of the 42-story tower of knowledge, we couldn't help but be equally impressed with the Carnegie Library and museum.  On a cool fall day, Evelyn had fun kicking her feet through the leaves in front of the library and running around with daddy looking for the dinosaur statue!

Dinosaur Statue outside Carnegie Library

Cathedral of Learning

University of Pittsburgh Campus

We were completely unprepared for the amazing interior of the Cathedral of Learning and of the Nationality Room classrooms!  The first few floors of the building contain classrooms that are designed, decorated and furnished in historic splendor, dedicated to a particular nationality.  Again, I have to say that this is an awesome way to be immersed in the seeking out of knowledge, wisdom and education!  We were especially fortunate to visit while the rooms were decorated for the holidays - also culturally traditional decorations!

Czechoslovak Heritage Room

Italian Heritage Room

Evelyn taking in her first studies
in the Swedish Heritage Room

Commons Room

Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Senan and Evelyn play trains

The epitome of sharing and
cuteness!

Apples!

At some  point, I'd better blog about the farm and our adventures at the Sullivan's Old Ollie Aumberg Orchard and Apple Cider Fest!

  Two weekends ago, the family all went up to the farm in Northern Wisconsin (Grandma and Grandpa's farm) to pick apples and press cider.  This is what keeps us healthy all season long!  There's nothing quite as wonderful as a cold glass of freshly pressed cider on a crisp September day

First we make our way into the apple orchard - riding in the red wagon behind the old tractor.  The trees are laden with apples - ready for the picking!  Look how rosy and sweet those apples look!  Hope these one's aren't out of my reach!

I get to wear one of the apple picking bags and use an apple picker to reach way up high while standing on the ground.  Evelyn is my little helper by hand transferring each apple into my bag.  

Sometimes, though, she finds it more amusing to throw the apples on the ground... until she tastes her first apple!  All it takes is one bite for her to be in apple heaven!  Over the next three days, she asks for "Ap-pull" at every opportunity and still asks for "Ap-pull Juice" at every meal.  

Grandpa reaches way up high, while on a ladder.  He's quite a pro at picking the right tree near the far eastern edge of the orchard.  It's very zen. Before long, he'll pick a few bushels of apples that need transporting back to the tractor.  

Meanwhile, Evelyn is content lounging on another ladder, eating her third apple of the day.  Eventually, she feels compelled to climb the ladder.  It's a good thing Auntie Leen was there to help her!

 

Antique Apple Orchard; variety unknown

Just imagine ~ it takes one bushel of apples to press into one gallon of Apple Cider! Here's Evelyn helping to carry a bushel basket of (a few) apples!

 Here comes the juice ~ keep filling up the gallon jugs!  It was especially tasty to sneak a glass under the apple press for an extra fresh glass of Cider!  All in all, I think we pressed about 24 gallons of Cider and still had plenty of bushels of apples to send home with everyone!  Apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce... Oh how tasty you are!!

100 % Organic Apple Cider

Lake Country Vacation

This has been an incredibly relaxing week! It is awesome to have the time to devote to Evey - reconnecting the bond, watching her learn and try new things and reveling in her joyful expressions of wonder at the world surrounding her.

We are on vacation in the Lake Country of Northwestern Minnesota and have been exploring the neighboring town, walking to the end of the dock and watching the waves lap the rocky shore, observing the bugs, caterpillars and dragonflies... relaxing!

I caught a fish! It was THIS big! Ian handed me his fishing pole, I cast my line and snag - there she was! Of course I wouldn't touch the fish after that... I know, not much of a fisherman...

Evey has been practicing new sounds this week... she blows bubbles, says "vvvvvvvv-ba" "vvvvvv-be" "vvvvv-beh" "vv-ba-ma-ba". It's really sweet to hear her begin to babble. The babbling becomes intentional. She is happy when I recognize what she is trying to say. Ba-ma-ba... I'm hungry mom, bottle...

Grandpa's Farm

We have a little traveller in our midst!! We just returned from our first roadtrip with Evey. We travelled to Grandpa Jim's farm by Lake Superior. Thankfully I had Caitlin with me in the car to help us through the few fussy moments!!


We were visiting daddy who will be working up north for the month of March. Evey, Auntie Caitlin and I had a fabulous long week driving around the bay and walking around the little towns. Evey was entertained by the ceiling fans in the Chequamegon Bookstore. She also visited her first library! We read lots of stories and I can tell that storytime will be a big hit over the years. Otherwise, we enjoyed the peace and quiet and relaxed pace of life up north!

Daddy had his first night watching Evey while Auntie Cat and I cross country skied a 10k across Lake Superior! They had their special daddy-daughter time; dancing to everything from The Greatful Dead to Brian Setzer Orchestra. Practicing dance moves for the future daddy-daughter dance at CDH!

We had such a nice time- I think we will try to make it up again for a few more days before I head back to work.

A Day at the Conservatory

We took Evelyn on her first trip to Como Park on Sunday!

We walked all around the Conservatory and she received her first lessons in plant identification/ appreciation! She had the lucky vantage point from daddy's arms!

It was fun to be out and about and to get a brief holiday from the freezing winter chill. She is so good at traveling and didn't fuss until we were leaving (and she was placed back in her carseat).

Notice her monkey outfit, fitting for a trip to the zoo!