Sunday, October 28, 2007

Remarkable

Okay, who could resist this?  If my attempt to upload this "movie" is successful, you will be in for a treat.  Presenting, "Littleman Sings."

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Saturday, October 27, 2007

These are a few of my favorite things...

As my departure from this place I have called home for the last eight years draws so very near,  I have started thinking about all the things I will miss.  The following list is mostly for me, but you might enjoy reading it.


-The handful of treasured close friends and all the wonderful acquaintances who fill my days.
-This house on the hill by the lake.  The magical light at dawn and sunset, the smell of grass on a warm summer afternoon or the smell of leaves in the fall.  The wind racing up the hill and taking your breath away.  The thunderstorms you can watch rolling across the lake to the spot you are sitting.  The swing on the giant maple tree.
-The local apple farm, with its amazing cider donuts and Macouns.
-The other local farm that grows the sweetest corn I have ever tasted.
-My "family" from work - and that wonderful job and my wonderful...now someone else's wonderful TA, who can seriously solve any problem or make any of my crazy ideas work.
-The short drive to my brother and sister-in-law's place by the ocean.
-The hills.  The trees (especially in fall).
-The buffalo farm.  Just kidding, I won't miss that place, but it was fun to walk there when the piglets were born.
-The seasons
-New York City
-Bagels.  Apparently, Texas is one of the parts of America that DOESN'T "run on Dunkin".
-If bagels will be missed, then you can bet I'll be missing good pizza as well.
-Snow.  Blessed snow and all the joys that come with it: sledding, hot cocoa, snowmen, boots, mittens, and so on.
-Pumpkin carving parties
-And finally, the thing I will miss most of all.  Having a BF only an 8 minute drive away whose family my son adores.  

That is the only thing on this list that physically hurts to leave behind.  My family and some friends will come and visit...and some one will undoubtedly send me some cider donuts (wait, no, I'll be dieting - let's switch that to bagels), but my BF is needed here.  I have started living my life mostly on a week-to-week basis, and that makes it a little easier to have faith that I will see her and her family before too much time goes by.  But...this hurts...a lot.  


Unless something truly remarkable occurs, this will be my last post from this part of the world.  Next one a little further south, and from then on, way out west....later, gators.

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Sunday, October 21, 2007

Cinnamon Hen's Autumn Day

Every fall for the past six years I subjected countless primary school students to this darling little story about a hen who loves to rake the leaves.  It just didn't seem like autumn until I (or my dear TA who was forced) read it aloud.  This fall, instead of sharing the Cinnamon Hen with literally hundreds of other peoples' children, I have been living it with my own.  In the past five days the leaves have become brilliant around our house on the lake.  It is breathtaking. Littleman and I have been raking, but purely for 
entertainment purposes.  We have done loads of fall crafts, gluing fallen leaves to just about everything.  We flew a kite over the weekend, threw rotten apples from the apple tree down the hill, ran after geese loitering by the lake, and hiked in the woods looking for elephants (I keep telling him he'll have more success looking for squirrels and birds, but he's two.)

I am loving every minute of this stay-at-home-business...well...I'm not saying I love the minutes when Littleman is dropping his Cheerios all over the living room carpet just to get a rise out of me or the minutes when he's fighting his nap.  I am saying that I LOVE being the one who is there for it all and not having to pay other people $165 a week to laugh at his mischievous little face with a hand full of Cheerios behind his back.  (Note: Not that the people who were once paid in the very recent past to love my little boy weren't wonderful...)

I have guilt issues, though.  Papa Bear is working SO hard.  I feel like I've worked my butt off for the past two years for this great reward and Papa Bear has worked his butt off...so he can go to work.  It doesn't seem fair.  I am grateful for this time to be a mother.  Truly grateful.  Now I just have to work on getting good at it.  

Oh, and here's the update:
We found an amazing home to rent very close to Papa Bear's parents, sister, and, of course, the gym I am planning to join within the hour of arriving in town.  We are lucky to have his parents who went house hunting for us and found this gem.  Our lease begins on November 12...I'm sure those of you who are interested will get some sort of snail mail notification of our new address.  The house is in a neighborhood with playgrounds, pools, walking/biking paths, and lots of trees (rare in this part of town).  The home is big and we'll have a guest room, PLEASE VISIT.

On a final note, even though it took 45 minutes to get him to settle down, my Littleman has been napping for an hour and I am most grateful for that.  :)

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Friday, October 12, 2007

Tupperware of tears

Tonight is our third night NOT in our house, we're officially camped out by the lake until November 1.  Yesterday the movers took all of our belongings away and the lawyer called to confirm our closing date for Tuesday.  It's all happening...NOW.  All summer I have stressed and now everything really seems to be in motion.  As a matter of fact, there has been so much "motion" that I have not had any time to stop and think about what is happening...until now.


I put the Littleman down for bed about 40 minutes ago.  About ten minutes ago I hear a quiet, "Mama?," squeak from the room he's staying in.  I went in and knelt beside him, "What's up?" I whisper.  He just simply said, "Mama,  I want to go home."  

Thank goodness he is very receptive to hugs, because I just could not speak.  How can I explain that this is home for now and that in a few weeks his grandparents house will be home and then a few weeks after that, when we find our own place THAT will be home?

Obviously, there will be no explaining.  He is two.  He won't even remember this chapter of his life.  But, it is remarkable and just amazing how a few simple words from a toddler can evoke so much emotion.  I'd cry buckets, but the movers have taken them all away and all I have are some tupperware containers I use for Littleman's snacks.

I know he'll be fine...and I know I will be fine, too.  I just wasn't ready for him to miss home...and I am certainly not ready for it.  I was planning on the "big cry" to hit me around Tennessee, when we're driving out there.

Well, if you were about to feel a little sad for me and my tupperware tears, let's end with this: I had a one hour Swedish massage this afternoon that was simply divine.  Tupperware is now going into the dishwasher.  We'll talk about buckets when I'm unpacking in Texas.

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Monday, October 8, 2007

A sea of cardboard

While nearly drowning under a sea of cardboard boxes and packaging tape, it occurred to me to take a break.  A few friends have mentioned starting a blog to keep my hoards of friends and family updated and here it is.  If you know me, you know I love to write and or talk...so, I hope my musing will give you a laugh and keep you updated.  Forgive me, it's after ten, my house looks like a tornado ripped through it, and the movers will be here Thursday!  


Okay, here's the update:

-We're moving to Texas to be close to the family.  This is not a permanent move, the hubby and I are not too fond of heat or...well...Texas.  But, family is family, and it's worth it if my LittleMan can really get to know his grandparents and other family out there.  Needless to say, we're not staying more than a few years.

-Closing on our house: Tentatively scheduled for THIS Friday, the 12th. Need confirmation from lawyers...but, all inspections are passed and it looks like a go.

-Movers are coming on Thursday, we are relocating to the house on the hill by the lake until Papa Bear is done with school.

-Papa Bear is scheduled to be done November 2.  We plan to drive to Texas that weekend.   He will take the boards, pass, get a spectacular job, we'll rent a gorgeous home, I'll join a fabulous gym, and we'll live happily ever after...until we have to move again.

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