The Goodnight Train (by Andy)

This is a video of Alton reading his book, The Goodnight Train. It is one of the three books we read at night time. This one is the one he reads all by himself. He knows it quite well, so I thought I'd record him reading it. He's reading a little faster than normal because he knows I'm filming him (and you'll notice his quick glances to the camera, too). This video is actually posted to YouTube because of its length (just under 3 minutes). He's reading pretty quietly, so you may need to turn up the volume (he doesn't start talking until 8 seconds in). Below the video, I've typed up the words to the book so you can follow along.


The Goodnight Train
The Goodnight Train gets set to roll.
It's being shined and filled with coal.
Wash the cars off with a hose.
Scrub the engine's dirty nose. (Scrub-a-dub! Scrub-a-dub! Toot! Toot!)
All aboard! The sun is down.
The Goodnight Train is leaving town.
Find your sleepers! Grab your teddy.
Climb right up! Your bed is ready!
"All tucked in," the porter cries.
"Pillows fluffed. Now close your eyes." (Whooooooo! Whooooooooo!)
Wheels are turning. Smoke drifts high,
painting clouds up in the sky. (Huff-a-puff-a! Huff-a-puff-a! Choooooo! Chooooo!)
Slumber, lumber up the hill.
Cars climb slowly up until...
Roll the corner, rock the curve.
Blankets bounce with every swerve. (Rock-a, rock-a, rock-a, rock-a-Shhhhhhhhhh! Shhhhhhhh!)
Fly through a tunnel black as ink -
in and out before you blink.
Dreamland: 20 winks ahead.
Catch that freight train whizzing past!
The Goodnight Train is moving fast! (Choooooooo! Choooooooo!)
Cars sway on the wooden track.
Wheels go click. Wheels go clack.
Glide across a plain so flat.
Gently toss this way and that. (Clickety-clack! Clickety-clack! Clickety-clack!)
Curl through farms of fuzzy sheep.
The sleepy train slows to a creep.
Pushing toward the station's light,
cars crawl on with all their might. (Chug...chug...chug!)
"Sweet dreams ahead," the porter sighs.
The tired train can close its eyes.
(Alton points out some of the characters in the picture.)
Home at last, tucked in and snug,
the engine snores its final "Chug!" (Hush-a, hush-a, hush-a, hush-a- Sleeeeeeep!)
Good night, train.
Good night.

Molina Baby Shower

You may have already heard that my sister Cari (also known as Aunt Cici) and her husband Julio (also known as Julio) are having a baby! Expect the little boy bundle in early 2011. Our first nephew and Alton's first male cousin. A couple of weekends ago, I flew by myself down to Orange County to meet up with my sister, mom, aunties, cousins and other family members to shower the parents-to-be with baby essentials. We decided that the decor and theme for the shower would be "polka dots (and puppies)," and Cari unwittingly arrived in a dress fit for the occasion! Baby's growing, bit by bit! She tried to let me feel him kick, but he was not in the mood to play ball (or perhaps soccer just isn't his game?).

Auntie Kay layered diapers together to make a beautiful "cake" centerpiece, adorned festively with polka-dot bows by my cousin Louise, and topped with a perky little pup.

Even the favor boxes, full of chocolate brown and blue M&Ms, got in on the action.

The decoration I was most proud of was our baby clothes-line. Aunt Coleen procured clothesline and clothespins, and I pinned onesies and baby pajamas of every hue of blue across the living room.

The Molinas received many generous and thoughtful gifts, and loved the black and silver brocade cover I made for their Baby Bjorn (baby frontpack). This little baby will be traveling in style!

Baby's First Lasagna

Eat up all your lasagna if you want to be big and strong like Uncle K.C.! (Who loves lasagna. And is big and strong.) Alton ate up every bite, and somewhere his Nonna Carnine is shedding tiny, happy tears of joy.

Saturday (night's) all right

A wonderful weekend day in the Pacific Northwest for us. It's the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day, with nothing too pressing to do. Weather was colllld (in the low 40s most of the day, but some parts of the day were colder!) and sometimes rainy, so we dressed up warmly and went about our day.
First stop was the Beaverton Harvest Market, out here in the 'burbs. This regular Farmer's Market has closed for the season, but re-opened this day to bring the farm vendors back and let customers stock up on fresh items for the upcoming holiday. We went off in search of Thanksgiving ingredients, but also had pre-purchased a "harvest box" from our summertime CSA, promised to be full of "Turkey Day" essentials, and had selected the Harvest Market to be our pickup site for the bag o' goodies. We decided that early shopping and breakfast at the Farmer's Market sounded very up our alley, so we set out and arrived there just after they opened at 8a.m. Brrr!
Alton shows you his mittens.

Mittens, jacket, and boots!

Alton nabs a bagel and a seat under an awning while we listened to a string trio play through frigid fingers.

We were so glad that we made it such an early morning, because by the time the heavy mist in the air was turning into drizzle, we were finished with our shopping and ready to head home (totally frozen, of course).

Our Thanksgiving Harvest Box did not disappoint! Potatoes, pumpkins, broccoli, beans, sweet potatoes, rosemary, onions, squashes, pears, gourds, and a bag of walnuts. We also snagged some delicious grass-fed pork sausage to put into a stuffing, and some additional herbs and peppers from other farmstands. Add a bird and we're done!
After Alton awakened from his nap, I asked Andy to look up the hours to another favorite farm store of mine called Smith Berry Barn. I knew that they would have the two items for Thanksgiving that I hadn't stocked up on at the Farmer's Market: apples and hazelnuts. (They were a'plenty, but we didn't have the time or cash left in the a.m.!) Andy was surprised to find that the Barn's website advertised a special winter evening shopping event, with food and winetasting, that was beginning in just half an hour. Well, sign us up!

The little store was bedecked in holiday decorations and gifts of all kinds, including many of their delicious jams, jellies, and sauces that were also on offer to sample. Alton spent a while gazing at a beautifully-decorated Christmas tree, and with all the ornaments on sale we told him that he could pick one to take home for our tree this year. He picked a cute glittery snowman.
(Can you spot my two guys in the photo below?)

Outside the holiday tinsel explosion, there were still plenty of delicious farm-fresh apples on offer. I began stocking up...

...and got a little help when I needed it.

One more stop for the evening, and that was to the adorable local burger joint, Cruise-In Country Diner. Situated at a crossroads between two of our bigger country highways, the former greasy-spoon diner changed owners a little more than a year ago and became a clean, family-friendly, classic car-themed restaurant serving up delicious local grass-fed beef on whole wheat buns. With regular, garlic, or sweet potato fries to choose from, they walk a perfect line between home cookin' and flavor-piqued goodness.


We settled in and ordered our food; Alton couldn't decided if he wanted to sit with Mommy...

or Daddy...

but he was in love with the little Mustang Hot Wheels that was sitting in a nearby "playtoys" basket! We gladly borrowed the speedster for the duration of our meal.

Alton wolfed down his dinner, which came with a kid-sized ice cream sundae. He's not normally into ice cream because it's hard for him to eat something so cold, but he gave it a few hearty licks.

And then was glad to help partake in the chocolate-peanut butter milkshake we ordered for the table, split three ways of course.

The self-portrait!

And the one that the waitress offered to take for us. A perfect day for three!

Saturday Market (by Andy)

Special Note: This is our 300th post! And to think, it all started here.

On Saturday the 6th, Alton and I had the day to ourselves while Katie was down south enjoying her sister Cari's baby shower. Wanting to give AJ a ride on a train, I came up with the idea of going to Portland's Saturday Market. This is a large flea market type event that happens every Saturday (and Sunday) from March through December. I thought this would be a good opportunity not only for AJ to get to ride the train into Portland (and back) but to get to wander around the market. The market itself is held right off downtown Portland on the Willamette River waterfront.

The long trip ahead.

Ready to go!

AJ decided he wanted to sit next to me so I took advantage of the opportunity for a self portrait.

Looking out the window as everything passes by.

When we arrived, we found that not only was there a fire station nearby, but the firefighters were out practicing! They were practicing a rescue from a high level - as you can see with the stretcher (with a dummy inside) being lowered from the ladder truck's bucket. AJ even got to hold one of the ropes between sessions and he got a Jr. Firefighter sticker!

There's a fountain at the market that is turned off in the colder months. AJ saw some girls running around inside the now-dry fountain and wanted to play, too!

Since we were near the river, we HAD to go look for boats.

Soon after we arrived, this band started playing. AJ was very excited to go watch!

As we walked around the flea market style booths, AJ spotted these small wooden cars. I couldn't resist and got him one. Here, on the train ride home, he uses his new car as a "car camera" to take pictures of things we pass and some of the other people on the train.

On the train ride home, Jr. Firefighter Alton shows how excited he is to be on the train!

Welcome Baby Huggins

Some of you may already know that our friends Alexa and Brian have welcomed a new addition to their family--a beautiful baby girl. Born near the end of October, she was introduced to the world on November 1 in the Huggins's lovely home. We were celebrating her Simchat Bat, a Jewish ceremony for the celebration of a new daughter and her naming. Brian and Alexa managed to keep her name secret from most of the world for almost two weeks, until their friends, family, and Rabbi joined them at their home on this rainy Monday afternoon.
Hardworking new mommy Alexa snuggles her precious bundle close.

Such genuine joy at seeing Alton and having him meet baby for the first time!

During the luncheon after the ceremony, Alton partied it up with his Lego barnyard animals.

Best friends, welcoming the new girlfriend to the mix.

Grandparents get in on the action: Alexa's mother holds her granddaughter...

...then Brian's father gets his turn.

Alton cozies up on the couch to his buddy (and clothing twin!) Brian.

During the Simchat Bat, Alexa and Brian told the gathered loved ones how they chose her name. She was given the feminine version of Alexa's Czechoslovakian grandfather's name, which was Izidor, as her first name, and she also has a Hebrew name: Meira. Alton and I were very honored to be part of this special day in our friends' lives, and to welcome a new little one into our group.

Halloween!

For the actual Halloween night this year, we decided to hit the same neighborhood for trick-or-treating that we did last year: we drove down to Newberg, a town just south of us, to meet up with our friends the Lee family and go house to house in their neighborhood with Alton's friends *B and *F. We had found that a cul-de-sac near their place was a great, non-busy street to walk and avoid cars and older, pushier Halloween revelers, and several of the houses had given out full-size candy bars. Wow! We set ourselves up with the same itinerary as last year, and arrived at our friends' house once afternoon nap was over.
Ready to go: Clifford, dressed up, reading Clifford.

Once all three kids were in their costumes and had their treat bags, it was time to set out before it got too dark and cold.

A quick photo op on the front steps--I can't believe how big they've gotten from last year!


Running down the sidewalk--it's time to go!

We walked along the main road to get to the cul-de-sac,

but it wasn't long before all three kids were clamoring for the shoulders treatment.

Heading up to the first house, Alton and *B sweetly held hands again, like they did last year.

Going up the steps all by themselves.

Hmm, who is going to do the knocking?

Yay, candy! The kids were great about saying "trick or treat" and "thank-you" all on their own.

*F tries to con Elizabeth into opening this full-size candy bar; Elizabeth gives him the "I don't think so" face.

Happy with their haul.

After we went to one of the first houses on the street, we headed down the driveway and Alton said, "We'll go to another house?" And I said yes, another house. Then he said, "We'll go to lots of houses!"

Alton on Andy's shoulders while Daddy takes a self-portrait.

We went to as many houses as we could, since they were spread pretty far about on these more-rural streets, and finally told the kids it was time to pack it in.

Clifford gets to enjoy one piece of candy after all his hard work collecting.

And that's the end of this Halloween tale!