Category: Family life
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Happy 90th, Grandma!
Last weekend our family took a whirlwind trip to California. We arrived late Friday night (the wee hours of the night according to New York time) and flew home on Monday. The reason? To celebrate Grandma’s 90th birthday. Siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandchildren, and great-children, gathered to honor a deserving woman. We laughed, we cried, we ate, and…
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Michigan Traditions
Writing about my love of traditions, routines, and habits, is not a new topic for me. I love exploring the ways traditions shape everyday life. We recently spent five days in Michigan with Brad’s family, and since then I have been reflecting on some of the summertime traditions we enjoy each time the Brummeler clan…
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Another Giveaway Opportunity
A friend and mentor from my Chicago days, who speaks and writes, produced a DVD called Toddler Farm Singalong. The DVD is shot at Cosley Animal Farm (Wheaton, IL), with lots of kids and lots of animals. When Jacob was little, I would take him to this farm to pick pumpkins and pet animals. Ellen sent me…
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Once a Mom—Always a Mom
With Mother’s Day approaching, I’ve been thinking about motherhood and how the duties and responsibilities of mothering change over the course of our children’s lives. My role as a mother looks different than it did when I was twenty-five at home with a newborn. But there are some aspects of mothering that don’t change regardless…
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Back Together
Jacob returned home from his trip to Israel last Monday. In the pre-dawn hours, Brad and I drove to the airport to pick him up, and even though Anna was asleep at home we somehow felt like our family was back together again. Over the past week, bits and pieces about Jacob’s trip have trickled…
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Itgen’s and a New Table
Always ready for a new outing, the Brummeler family partook in one this past Friday. Stony Brook is currently on Spring Break and we just finished week one of our two week break. Instead of taking a trip somewhere, the vote was to stay home and to enjoy some day trips (surprisingly it was J…
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Proud Mama
Last night was opening night for The Time of Your Life, presented by the Theatrical Arts Society at Stony Brook. Jacob portrayed one of the characters in the play, Harry, and he did a great job. I had never heard of this play before. Written by William Sarayon and set in 1939 in San Francisco…
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Counting down the days…
Next week at this time our family will be in Indiana with my parents to celebrate Christmas. We’ll get some time with Brad’s sister, Julie and her family too since they live in the area. The day after Christmas we will head to Michigan to be with Brad’s family. As the time draws closer for…
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Life at Stony Brook
After a month of change and upheaval, the past two weeks passed uneventfully. There were no storms, no power outages, and no one got sick. What a relief to have two ordinary weeks in a row! The past two weeks have also given me a sense of what a typical Stony Brook week will look…
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House Pics
Today is a two-for-one-special–I am posting twice in one day! Many have asked to see some pictures of our new house so I am including some pictures of the “finished” rooms (meaning: room is painted, but doesn’t have all the pictures on the wall, etc.). Some of you know that an artist lived in our…
Alicia Brummeler 