On the other hand

I am also a fan of these sorts of things;

Hooray for Legos!  Building imagination and finger dexterity all at once!  We have this very cool Lego Castle, a few Star Wars: The Clone Wars sets, and some Bionicles!  

Somehow, at least at my house, Bionicles seem to be both super creepy and super fun.  

Beautiful

Every morning at drop off (and often again at pick up time), I go to my mailbox in hopes that there will be a new auction donation waiting.  Almost every day there is something new and it's like it's my birthday, only better.  Each envelope I open contains some new surprise.  I get completely excited about it, think about how perfect it would be (as a treat for me, a mother's day present, a gift for my friend's new baby), but I don't actually have to figure out where I can put it or who I know that actually has a new baby.  (I could still use a nice mother's day present.)  

Some of my favorites  are the things you can't really find in stores.   An architectural consultation over lunch at Amherst Chinese?  A hand-knit Gryffindor scarf?  Or the beautiful blown-glass ornament you see above.  OK, maybe you can find some glass ornaments in stores but this one and two others were made by Steven Caines (father of Alexis in the Blue Nursery) which is cool enough, but can you see how it somehow manages to be amazingly colorful and reflective of light and surroundings at the same time?  Just beautiful.

The Grandparents

Oh the beloved grandparents! They are so generous with us and our kids, and we would be nowhere (literally, of course), without them. But Maddie and I are just blown away by the auction support from this particular group. We've gotten donations big and small, and some that I can't even boast about in this particular entry because they are to be anonymous. But I thought I'd share a few.


Orlee (P2), Tess (Green Nursery), and Esme's (Green Nursery) grandmother has knit a stunning sweater and hat set for a baby-sized person. It's made of super-fine wool and is so darling that, if you're done having babies, it will make you sigh and wonder what lucky friend you should try to get it for.

Closer to my home, Ben (E1)and Birdy's (P1) paternal grandfather, has donated this item, to be delivered at some future date: "One honey-brined and hickory-smoked 15-pound organic turkey." Now I have eaten said turkey, I am happy to say, on many Thanksgivings, and I always tell Larry, "It's the only turkey I've every lain awake fantasizing about." This is true: so smoky-rich and crazy flavorful you will think about it for months afterwards.
Or there's their maternal grandma, my own mom, who has been making stunning handbags out of recycled cashmere sweaters. They are lined in heavy mauve silk satin, and they are perfect and gorgeous. I think she's putting up three for auction, and she has made me swear I won't bid on them. But I want to.

Grumpy?

You might be wondering, "What's with the crabby auction co-chairs and this miserable looking family? It was a feast after all. There was good food, music and dancing, and really wonderful work done by all those great kids! What's not to be excited about?" I've got four words for you: Handmade Costumes for Everyone.

Never fear! Up for bid at this year's auction will be 4 parent costumes appropriate for the P-2 feasts (2 Egyptian, 2 Colonial). Huzzah! Come to the feasts in style (appropriate to the time period, of course) in handmade costumes. Just not handmade by you. Smiling?

Summer's coming. . . .part 2

Or maybe you wanted to camp in the most beautiful campsite in the entire world! Well you can. It's the very exact same Cape Cod campsite where our family has camped for seven years in a row, and Michael and I have reserved it for you for the end of August (which we had to do sixth months in advance!). If you don't know the area, Nickerson State Park is, in my humble opinion, a national treasure. It's in a beautiful part of the Cape, just a mere bike ride away from the peaceful bay beaches (on bike trails!) and a teeny drive from the spectacular ocean beaches of the national seashore. The campsite itself is totally stunning (area 7, site 32: the best site in the whole park) in the dappled shade of the pines and overlooking a pristine kettle pond that is a hop, skip, and jump away--and usually deserted. Along with the camping package, you will also receive my own indispensable Packing List for Camping along with a 1-hour consultation for beginning campers. The consultation will include such pearls of wisdom as "Eat dinner at Moby Dick's Clam Shack." It will be very, very helpful.

This is the view. Tent and girl not included.

Can you see the pond shining through the trees? Also, my daughter Birdy used to be small and her hippo Eebo used to be clean.

Inexplicably, the crystal-clear pond is always deserted. Skinny-dipping is possible but not required. Bid away.

Summer's coming. . .

One week's accommodations at the Club Cascadas de Baja resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (available the week of July 23-30, 2009). This 1-bedroom resort suite (sleeps 4) is right on the beach and offers: two outdoor swimming pools; beautiful on-site sandy swimming beach, access to fabulous recreation activities including water sports, tours to local sights, and shopping in town stores and open-air markets. There is also tennis, beachfront dining, exercise room, sauna, bar/lounge, spa, club house, children's activities, and more.


Check out the website. It's heavenly in that imagining-yourself-in-the-shade-with-a-margarita
while-your-kids-play-happily-on-the-beach kind of way. Also, the swimming pool situation looks seriously deluxe.

Sticking closer to home? Maybe your kids and a friend or two (up to three altogether) might like to join Bud on a little baseball expedition to catch a New Britain Rock Cats game. Bud will buy them some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. We don't care if they never come back! Okay, we do.


Also close to home are special packages at Look Park (Ride the trains! Cool off in the water park!) and The Northampton Pottery (among many other local delights). Can't wait. . .

So, You Wanna Be a Rock Star.

Or maybe that incredible child in your life does?  Or would just love the opportunity to hang out with Aric?  Or have a chance to be on the radio?  Who wouldn't?  The auction can help!   Here are a few of the ways:

• Bill Childs of WRSI's  Spare the Rock Spoil the Child  has donated an On-Air Experience where one child can help plan and announce a segment of the show!
  
• Aric Bieganek of Recess Rock (you can check out his myspace page here) and of course, The Common School's after-school program and SummerFun's Eco-Rock III: Knights of the Turntable, will spend some time writing and recording a song with one lucky girl or boy.
• You might want to take home Aric's CD to get inspired or just dance around the kitchen.
• What about trying out the violin?  Not usually associated with Rock Stardom, I know, but cool none the less.  You can bid on Stammel Strings 3-month violin rental to just try it out.
  

There will be other musical possibilties to ponder at this year's auction.  Piano lessons perhaps?  Aric-ful birthday party?  Come and see.