01-25-15 The Last Weekend

Well, the last weekend of my maternity leave has come and gone. I am so incredibly grateful to have spent twelve full weeks with my family. Thursday I go back, and to be honest I am starting to get a little nervous. The idea of getting three children and myself ready to go and out the door each morning by myself seems pretty overwhelming! I know it will take a couple of weeks to settle into our new routine and I just need to not be hard on myself during this transition. I had hoped to be more settled in our house before going back, but the timing didn't quite work out. That's alright, it will all come together! Also, I should seriously start doing some laundry because I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate me showing up in my sweatpants and t-shirts! 

I am looking toward to being creative again, to start a project and finish it with minimal disruption. No one at work will scream at me, or throw things at me, call me stinky face, or follow me into the bathroom. But, I will miss little hands in mine, baby coos, mid afternoon naps, spontaneous hugs, duck duck goose, and cuddles. I will have to stock up in the evenings and weekends!

Tomorrow if the weather holds I will be taking the kids on a little adventure... A last hurrah before I go back! Stay tuned!

01-24-15 Furniture is here!

Finally the furniture is here! I am so very excited about it. I should have spent the day unpacking, but as it is my last Saturday before I go back to work, I tried to take it easy and enjoy my family. 

Brothers. 

E has been sleeping on a cot since Baby E was born because I wasn't able to lift him into his crib after the C-Section. So tonight is the first night he is sleeping in his big boy toddler bed. It used to be C's but we pulled off the butterfly stickers and promised him he could cover it in Batman stickers. He was a happy boy!

Everyplace I have ever lived, I have lived near water. If I couldn't see it out my window, it wasn't ever more than 10 minutes away. Now that the bay is only a few blocks away, I'm looking forward to spending many evenings strolling on the boardwalk with my family! 

01-23-15 Neighbors

Remember when I wrote about those neighbors and the fact the police kept showing up. Little did we know that the first time we saw the police they were partly called because of us. Yes, you read that right... Us. As I recall that particular evening, Jenn and Steven were over helping us paint. At one point I ran to the grocery store. Tim ran to the farm house to get our toddler mattresses to sleep on. It was the first night we spent in the townhouse. However my recollection of the evening differs from the neighbor that called the police claiming that Tim and our next door neighbors (whom I have met twice and I can't even remember her name), were in the woods shooting air guns at her parked car. (Because we have nothing better to do with our time.)

Thankfully no one is taking it seriously, the police didn't even talk to us that night. They could probably see us painting away through the window. But I do wonder what the future holds now that we have become a target. I've never met her and it saddens me that she would be so aggressive and dishonest. What a sad way to go through life.

Today we made much more progress at the farmhouse. Tomorrow we unload all the big items here... Which means I will finally have my mattress!! A whole big mattress that I can stretch out on! At the farmhouse I had been sleeping on the couch since having the baby, so tomorrow night, for the first time in nearly twelve weeks, I will sleep in my bed!!! 

While Tim was over at the farmhouse packing this evening, I got to spend some time with my cuties. My favorite part of the evening was when the kids decided to read bedtime stories to baby E. 

When the kids went to bed, I started the task of sorting boxes and putting things away. The worst part about moving is that it will be months before I know where everything is and possibly longer to find a spot for it! 

This was after I had already started clearing things out. Yikes!

Ahhh... Much better! At least I can see the floor. There's a long way to go, but at least it is progress!

01-22-15 Tradition

We have one annual holiday tradition in our family. Each year we get together with a family we met and grew close to back during the years that we homeschooled. We've been doing this every year for at least the last fifteen years, if not more, and it is always an occasion that I look forward to. This year was no exception. It was nice to take a break from the craziness of packing and moving to spend a few quiet hours with good friends and good food! 

We always enjoy dinner and then exchange presents afterwards. The kids had a hard time getting through dinner knowing there were presents sitting in the next room! The torture! E learned he liked cranberry sauce, mushrooms and broccolli; three things he won't even try at our house. 

It was our last little taste of the holiday season.

Today Baby E turned eleven weeks old. 

You know what that means? One more week until I go back to work. Wow, that time has just flown by. I'm going to miss spending my days with the kids, but I am looking forward to a little more structure and routine making its way back into out lives! 

Naptime at the farmhouse while we packed. I'm impressed how well my kids have handled naptime in strange locations lately. I know I can count myself lucky that C still takes naps, and I know by summer we will need to start weaning her of them, cause, you know, she starts kindergarten in the fall. Time flies! 

01-21-15 Grandmothers

There are few things more wonderful than watching a grandmother enjoy her grand kids. I have been very fortunate to have my parents living relatively close by (less than two hours) and my mother has been indispensable during my maternity leave. Shortly after having the baby she came and helped me for several weeks, cooking meals, changing diapers, burping the baby. (I have nicknamed her the Burpinator because no one can get a baby to burp better than my mother!) We stayed with them for a week in early December and then around Christmas. And when I came down with the flu and baby E was so sick she took the older two for a week to let me recover and focus on the baby. She has also spent countless hours helping us paint the townhouse and pack up and move out of the farmhouse. Through it all she has been such a blessing. She is industrius and focused, great with the kids and I truly enjoy her company! 

Today she took a short break from the busyness of packing to spend some quiet moments with her youngest grandson.

What a beautiful pair! I love you mom!!

One of the few things I will miss about the farmhouse is the yard. We have enjoyed the privacy and seclusion of fifteen acres, far from busy roads and other people. I loved opening the back door and letting the kids out to play. I imagined them spending their youth exploring the woods and ravines around the house. 

My favorite memories from that house are from the yard. We had a huge hill near the house and two bright red crazy coupes. We would put one kid in each crazy coupe and push them off down the hill, letting them race to the bottom. Of the hundreds of times we did that, they only overturned once! It also made an amazing sledding hill. I loved having a garden and working in it and looking over to see C digging at the patch of dirt we had dug up and planted with flowers so she could have a garden of her own. These things remind me of my own childhood. 

But now we start a new adventure. Their childhood won't look like mine, but that's not a bad thing, just different! 

01-20-15 Wrestling

I've been warning C for awhile now that her little brother won't be smaller than her for much longer! They are 18 months apart, but she only outweighs him by about two pounds. 

01-19-15 The Box

There is a box that follows us every time we move. Between moves I completely forget about its existence, but halfway through packing I always stumble upon it. The top of the box is usually filled with non descript office supplies, and as I dig deeper into the box, voila, I find them. It's my box of newspapers and magazines that people saved for me after 9/11. 

Yesterday in Sunday school we talked about Abraham and someone brought up the point that when God made covenants with Abraham He had him build an altar. That way when he would pass by that area again, he would see the altar and remember. In our culture, we don't build altars, we keep mementos. There's a booming tacky tourist industry to prove just that. Take a trip? Buy a keychain. 

Well, I think this box is one of my altars. 

Each time I find it I think, "this time I'm going to throw it out." But I never do. I open the box and the newspapers are a little more yellow, the magazines seem a little more dated. I'm reminded that time has trudged on like it is prone to do; that one day, more of my life will be after than before. And then I'm reminded that my greatest blessings have come in the last thirteen years- my husband and three children. 

With each move, He takes this opportunity to get my attention. To make me pause and remember where I was and where He has brought me. To remind me of His faithfulness. To whisper once again, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So for now, the box comes with us. 

01-18-15 A Three Ibuprofen Night

You know that terrifying feeling when you realize you are falling and there is nothing you can do to stop it. All of a sudden everything is in slow motion and sped up at the same time. A million thoughts race through your head that all lead to the same conclusion... This is gonna hurt!

That was me this evening when I stepped on a sheet of black ice. One moment I was standing talking to Tim and the next I was in a free fall. I went straight down and landed in a sitting position, the impact jarring through my limbs. Grateful that it wasn't worse I stood up on shaky legs and regained my footing, convinced I was no worse for wear. 

Fast forward ten minutes later. That's when the pain and stiffness started to set in. Holding a crying baby and having two whimpering toddlers hanging on me wasn't helping my situation. They are all finally asleep and I'm sitting at my dining room table afraid to make any sudden movements! So tonight I will be downing at least three ibuprofen with a salted hot chocolate chaser. 

We spent the better part of our day at the farmhouse continuing the great purge. I had placed a ton of items on freecycle so today people started coming. It was great to see so many items leaving the house knowing I wouldn't have to find a way to transfer them to the new house or find a place to put them once they arrived. We are hoping to be finished within a few days. 

The kids did great today. Baby E had a lot of wakeful time and graced us with many smiles and coos. 

And the older kids were very patient while we packed and met with people. Fortunately most of the old toys disappeared while they were napping! We had one meltdown when C witnessed me giving away one of her toys. In her mind I was giving away her absolute favorite toy and she was going to miss it terribly. Never mind that she hadn't touched it in months and had all but forgotten that it existed. Sigh. There are still way more toys than necessary that will find their way here. 

01-17-15 Why did the turtle cross the road?

C's new favorite hobby is telling jokes. Most of them she makes up and very few of them actually make sense. You know, jokes like "What did the one bird say to the other bird? Nothing he just made a sandwich." At which point she bursts into laughter. E has two jokes which he puts into rotation and each time he tells them it's like the first time he's ever said them. He gets very upset if C tries to steal this thunder and answers his joke. 

Every once in a while C will actually come up with a joke that makes me really laugh. My current favorite is "Why did the turtle cross the road? He didn't! He was too slow and now he's flat!"

Saturdays are ballet days. C has been taking ballet lessons since September. Every Saturday morning is a battle to get her ready as she complains she doesn't want to go, and we finally get her into her leotard and wrangle her hair into the best bun I can muster. By the time we get to ballet class (late) she can't wait to go in. When she comes out of class she is beaming! Today she told me she wants to be a ballet teacher when she grows up. That's better than her choice yesterday, which was to work in a waffle factory. And that choice was better than E who wants to be a horse. 

Daddy had ballet duty this morning, so he took the older ones so I could finally grab a much needed shower. While they were gone I had some surprise, but never unwelcome, visitors! 

It's wonderful living three doors down from family! I got to spend some time with these little cuties while  their mom ran an errand. And this evening, the kids and I had dinner with my sister-in-law because our husbands went to a movie. It sure beats staying at home by ourselves! :)

I spent the afternoon at the farmhouse making preparations for people to come pick up stuff we are trying to get rid of. This is our opportunity to finally purge all the stuff that has followed us from house to house. It is such a liberating feeling to get rid of everything and start fresh! There is still a lot to do, but we are making progress! I took the decorations off the Christmas tree and hauled it outside. (It was so much lighter than the stove, that's for sure!) Then I got to visit with my 92 year old landlord. He's one of the kindest men I have ever met and it has been a blessing to know him.

 

E loves his new dinosaur. It eats all of his other toys. 

Baby E is starting to interact a lot more!

01-16-15 The Tale of the Stove

Lately I feel like I'm channelling Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window. I spend a lot of time nursing the baby and since we don't have cable yet, I pass the time by staring out the window at the parking lot and houses around me. It's interesting to watch all the activity no matter what time of day or night. Last nights at 4 am a U-Haul pulled up and I watched its occupant wait in the cold for a neighbor to answer the door, only to return to his truck and re-park it and then go back inside. And it seems this neighborhood has no lack of U-Hauls. 

This morning I was getting ready to go when I heard a metallic thud outside. I went to the window to see this...

At the left side of the picture you can see a stove lying in the middle of the road. On the right you can see the U-Haul from which it fell. As you can see, the back of the U-Haul is wide open. I waited a moment to see what would happen and the truck started backing up towards the stove. A woman got out and surveyed the stove. She picked up a few pieces of debris, put them in the truck and backed up even closer. She looked very perplexed. I felt bad for her, so I put on my coat and headed outside to se if I could help, because she was clearly all by herself. 

As I approached I asked her if I could lend a hand and she said, "Yes, thank you! I have no idea how this thing fell off!!" 

I'm guessing it might have had something to do with the fact the U-Haul back was open and she drove over a speed bump, but I held my tongue. As I helped her lift the stove back onto the truck (don't worry, i took the lighter end and i made her do most of the lifting, after all, I'm not that far removed from having a baby) I realized this stove was a junker, covered in grease and gunk and was totally disgusting. We were lifting it into a truck that was filled with trash, broken furniture, etc. We got it precariously right inside the truck. I kept pushing it but there was so much stuff that the stove wouldn't budge. It was sticking a few inches out of the back. She seemed satisfied with that and said it would be secure, but honestly I was pretty skeptical. After all I had proof that her stove packing skills had failed her at least once before, but I smiled and went inside to scrub down my hands and arms of all the grease. 

This evening we had our first dinner guests. In the two years we lived in the farmhouse we never once had people over for dinner. I am looking forward to entertaining more often now that we have a space more prepared for it. 

I'm loving the new kitchen. 

This evening we gave our kids some presents we held over from Christmas. We want to wait until we were in the new house. C got a dollhouse and E got a toolbox. After investigating their own toys they promptly switched toys and started playing.

Before going to bed, I had to assure E that their new toys would still be in their room in the morning. 

01-15-15 The Great Deer Massacre of 2014

We lived in the farmhouse for over two years. And in those two years I only saw the police once. A few months ago I came out my door on a Sunday morning to find a police SUV in my driveway. Now we lived about a quarter mile down a pretty secluded drive. Half our neighbors were in their 90's. What could possibly have brought the police? Apparently someone had been hunting deer and leaving their entire carcasses on our property. Piles of deer. I had just been commenting to Tim that I hadn't seen as many deer this year. I guess that's why. They were all in a pile somewhere in the 15 acres behind my house. 

Well we've been at this house just a few nights and I've already seen the police twice. Apparently we have those neighbors. You know the ones. The kind that the other neighbors only talk about in hushed voices and subtle gestures. They point out each house and describe the occupants, but when they get to that house they move a step closer to you and warn you to steer clear. 

It's been over twelve years since I've lived this close to people. When I left Manhattan I sought out a quiet little corner to hide myself. I loved New York, I truly did, but the events that happened there had shaken me and I wanted a quiet place to regain my footing. I was weary of looking over my shoulder, of being constantly aware of everyone and everything around me. I wanted to feel safe. 

So for the past twelve years I've moved from place to place... Always searching to go unnoticed. A little house with a lot of property was all I ever wanted. And now, here I am sitting in a townhouse two doors down from those people and I am reminded about a sermon I heard once about how Jesus loves the cities because that is where the people are. I know, this isn't NYC, but there are people here, and if you want to make an impact then you need to be around people. So I've traded the comfort of seclusion for the possible discomfort of community and maybe that is why this place already feels like home. 

Happy 10 weeks little fellow!

01-14-15 Settling in

We were greeted this morning with beautiful fat snowflakes drifting past our windows. It seemed like a good day to stay inside and get organized. 

I spent the morning moving boxes to make room for the deluge of boxes that will be coming tomorrow. 

The kids room is starting to come together!

And of course I couldn't resist snapping a few shots of these cuties. This evening C thanked me for moving us into a new house. 

Little E got a present from his Great Grandma, but I think he might have to grow into the hat! Thanks Great Grandma Bernier!! It's adorable!

And finally, since our bed won't fit in our van, and we haven't yet moved the big furniture, T and I had to resort to sleeping on toddler mattresses last night. They aren't that bad if you stay curled up in a ball! Ha! On the bright side, they make our bedroom look huge! Plus the separate, yet parallel beds shout 1950's sitcom!

01-13-15 Home

As we pulled up to the townhouse today, C said, "Mommy, we're home!" Yes, sweet child we are. What an amazing feeling!

Inside this room, my children are fast asleep! 

Besides settling in this evening, we had visitors come to help paint! Thanks to Jenn and Steve for tackling the downstairs!