After so much work done and with so much left to do, we were grateful to board the plane for San Francisco early Tuesday morning. It felt good to close the door on all that is still undone and fly away. The children were excited to be at the airport. Kyrie loves to travel, and it seems that Degen enjoys the adventure, too. We'd forgotten what a long plane ride Ohio to California is, but the children and our parenting were complimented by strangers on both our flights.
We arrived in San Francisco to rain, and the weather seems to burst into sunshine or showers at the ocean's whim. Driving from the airport towards the coastal town of Half Moon Bay, we were mesmerized by the landscape. Trees piled upon the mountains in shades of green somehow not possible in the Midwest. The clouds rolling in over the mountains, shrouding them in mystery. We drove through the trees and the clouds and stretched to see the bay. Each glimpse of the ocean brought us new peace.
While Darren was in meetings today, I took the kids up California Highway 1 to the San Francisco Zoo. The drive is gorgeous, following the coastline as it meanders through the mountains. There was more sunshine and rain today, and the plastic bag ponchos I purchased on the drive in were put to good use at the zoo. The petting zoo and the carousel were the kids' favorites. The drive back to the hotel was quiet with both kids napping after the big day, which meant I was oohing, aahing and pointing out breathtaking landscape to two sleeping children.
After we picked Darren up, we headed to the beach. There are beaches all over the place here, signs dotting the highway indicating coastal access at frequent intervals. The sun was bright on the water and the rushing waves had Kyrie cheering. We stripped off socks and shoes and rolled up our pant legs, and, of course, the first wave in came faster and further than expected and Degen was soaked to his hips in an instant. He was a sad, chilly baby! Kyrie, however, ran and danced up and down the beach, simply thrilled to be so near the ocean. We dodged waves and left footprints in the sand. We watched the setting sun sparkle on the water and a squadron of pelicans pass overhead. It was perfection in so many ways, simple and pure: the water and the sky and us.
Tomorrow, we plan to go to the Bay Discovery Museum and the day after we will take the children to Muir Woods to walk amongst the giant trees. Darren and I have wanted to return to the redwoods since we last left them nearly seven years ago. We can't wait to share the experience with the kids!
Beach
Los Angeles, CA 2015
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Goodbye... Hello
The past month has been incredibly busy. The past few weeks have been incredibly exhausting. The past few days have descended into chaos. We are currently surrounded by the disarray of boxes and furniture in our new home. Moving took more than 12 hours and we ended up driving around Columbus near midnight looking for a hotel room. We were grateful for the brief respite from the chaos.
Darren and I spent the previous weekend working from morning until late at night trying to finish our share of painting and repairs at the new house. My hands are still swollen from gripping paintbrushes and rollers for so many hours day upon day. The walls are painted, but the bathroom (our only full bath) is still undone and the kitchen is unusable as it is currently being prepped for tile and has become a collection point for all remodeling refuse. Luckily, we were able to shower and bathe the kids during the several trips we made to the rental to finish gathering odds & ends. Now the keys have been handed over, and there's no turning back.
Walking up the stairs in the rental, there was a small moment of quiet and I reflected on the old house. When we arrived nearly five years ago, we were but children. Yes, I was in my late-20s and fully ensconced in the responsibilities of marriage and the working world, but still there is a freedom and youthful spirit that exists before your life becomes your children's. In this house, I grew my children from seed and kept their newborn bodies tucked closely to me as I walked the halls. I found just the right way to rock & sway so that the floors would not creak and watched their happy play in the bath. In this house, I folded away my youth and took from its closets the clothes of motherhood as I built cribs and placed our family memories in frames on her walls. This was a good house.
But this new house shall be our home.
Darren and I spent the previous weekend working from morning until late at night trying to finish our share of painting and repairs at the new house. My hands are still swollen from gripping paintbrushes and rollers for so many hours day upon day. The walls are painted, but the bathroom (our only full bath) is still undone and the kitchen is unusable as it is currently being prepped for tile and has become a collection point for all remodeling refuse. Luckily, we were able to shower and bathe the kids during the several trips we made to the rental to finish gathering odds & ends. Now the keys have been handed over, and there's no turning back.
Walking up the stairs in the rental, there was a small moment of quiet and I reflected on the old house. When we arrived nearly five years ago, we were but children. Yes, I was in my late-20s and fully ensconced in the responsibilities of marriage and the working world, but still there is a freedom and youthful spirit that exists before your life becomes your children's. In this house, I grew my children from seed and kept their newborn bodies tucked closely to me as I walked the halls. I found just the right way to rock & sway so that the floors would not creak and watched their happy play in the bath. In this house, I folded away my youth and took from its closets the clothes of motherhood as I built cribs and placed our family memories in frames on her walls. This was a good house.
But this new house shall be our home.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Princess Kyrie
This is Kyrie in her new Snow White dress, a birthday gift from Nana Billie!
Kyrie had her annual check-up today, and she did a great job even though she was nervous. She is a healthy, little girl! Here are her numbers:
Height: 3 feet, 4 3/4 inches (75% ile)
Weight: 31 pounds (20%ile)
Almost There...
It's amazing how quickly a month passes when you are an adult. I had this discussion with a contractor a few weeks ago: time is relative to the life you have lived. When Kyrie turns 8 years old, she will have lived a whole additional lifetime, so it makes more sense for her to yell "BUT THAT'S FOREVER!" when I send her to her room for a 10-minute time-out. I still don't appreciate it, but I understand it. Time for me is tripping by at a steady pace. The days are full and there's always something going on or something to look forward to, so I mostly don't mind the pace of the ticking clock. That is unless I have a house requiring some major remodeling and an entire household to pack up, which I do!
So, our month to remodel and pack is flying by. We have less than two weeks to do our part of the remodeling and pray that the contractors do their part. We have about ten days to finish packing up our house and then actually accomplish the move. I have to stop typing sentences like that, or I'm going to get a little freaked out. Right now, it seems that we vacillate between feeling on the edge of accomplishment to feeling overwhelmed by all that remains undone. Progress feels within our grasp, but our reach is not quite long enough.Tick-tick-tick goes the clock.
Life doesn't stop because you have a long to-do list either. Kyrie still wants to see her friends and there are classes, appointments and programs that were set on the calendar before we ever circled the date for our move. Darren goes to work and Degen fusses over his newest molar. The house is a mess. Let me clarify: both houses are a mess! Everything will wind up in a box or the garbage, so a pile of mail gets ignored and stepping over forgotten crayons just seems easier to do since you're already walking around stacks of boxes anyway.
But there's beautiful sunshine! We've had at least a half dozen picnics in our new backyard and every trip we make to the new house feels more like going home. Our new neighborhood has children near Kyrie's age, and she's already been off to play on a few occasions. One afternoon, Darren pulled Kyrie and a new neighbor friend around the yard in the wagon of the riding lawnmower. If I had ever worried that buying a fixer-upper would stress my marriage, I was wrong. Somehow, I feel closer to Darren than ever before. I love that we share in our toils, in our plans, our aches & pains and whatever comes our way! It's hectic and expensive and work, work, work, but it's ours and that makes it good!
So, our month to remodel and pack is flying by. We have less than two weeks to do our part of the remodeling and pray that the contractors do their part. We have about ten days to finish packing up our house and then actually accomplish the move. I have to stop typing sentences like that, or I'm going to get a little freaked out. Right now, it seems that we vacillate between feeling on the edge of accomplishment to feeling overwhelmed by all that remains undone. Progress feels within our grasp, but our reach is not quite long enough.Tick-tick-tick goes the clock.
Life doesn't stop because you have a long to-do list either. Kyrie still wants to see her friends and there are classes, appointments and programs that were set on the calendar before we ever circled the date for our move. Darren goes to work and Degen fusses over his newest molar. The house is a mess. Let me clarify: both houses are a mess! Everything will wind up in a box or the garbage, so a pile of mail gets ignored and stepping over forgotten crayons just seems easier to do since you're already walking around stacks of boxes anyway.
But there's beautiful sunshine! We've had at least a half dozen picnics in our new backyard and every trip we make to the new house feels more like going home. Our new neighborhood has children near Kyrie's age, and she's already been off to play on a few occasions. One afternoon, Darren pulled Kyrie and a new neighbor friend around the yard in the wagon of the riding lawnmower. If I had ever worried that buying a fixer-upper would stress my marriage, I was wrong. Somehow, I feel closer to Darren than ever before. I love that we share in our toils, in our plans, our aches & pains and whatever comes our way! It's hectic and expensive and work, work, work, but it's ours and that makes it good!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Birthdays & Bunnies
This year our birthday week has been busier than ever! The celebration began last Wednesday when we hosted a swim party for Kyrie! It was a wonderful morning of swimming at the rec center and then Happy Meals & cake at McDonald's. Everyone had a great time!
Thursday was my birthday, and we spent most of the day working on the remodel at the new house. Darren took the whole week off and spent most of his days at the new house tearing down, building up and working with the contractors. On Thursday, we picked out bathroom cabinets and granite for the vanity... so, I guess I could say that I'm getting a new bathroom for my birthday. It all started out pretty fun and exciting, but children are simply not made for the rigors of home remodeling errands. All descended into a chaos of whine & tears. I made the decision it was best to skip any sort of birthday dinner out, and we headed home for hastily heated leftovers and bedtime. (I would be lying if I said that I wasn't disappointed.)
However, the great thing about a shared birthday week is that there's more celebration on its way. Friday, I was up before dawn with Degen (as per the usual) and decided to make the most of the time. I loaded the baby in the van and we set off for birthday sprinkle donuts for Kyrie. By the time Kyrie woke up, her presents were laid out and her donut was ready with candles. It was a great morning of opening presents and exploring new toys, clothes & movies! We shopped for carpet & tile in the afternoon and ate a picnic lunch at the new house where we spent more time working. The day ended with our favorite pizza and a birthday sundae!
The last week was truly a whirlwind of packing and remodeling. Whenever we could, we joined Darren at the house. We brought an assortment of snacks, toys, movies and an air mattress (for nap time) to try and keep everyone happy. Work seems to be going slowly. There's always more to be done than hours in the day. We've definitely made progress, but it feels like Darren should have taken the whole month off of work rather than one week. The kids make every task doubly difficult: I try my best to work one-handed while balancing Degen on my hip; we rush through decision-making conversations at stores & showrooms with one eye on the kids, one parent always rushing off to tend to someone's cries; we readjust our plans by the moment based on meals & naps and struggle to keep our own eyes open to complete late night tasks after the kids are in bed. Our eyes are always on lists and calendars, tallying the hours and our abilities.
Easter Sunday was another beautiful, Spring day filled with sun & warmth! I splurged and bought pastries from our favorite French bakery, buying one of nearly everything. Then I took the kids to church while Darren went to the new house to work and meet with more contractors. We brought another picnic lunch and ate it in our backyard, which is so expansive that it resembles a small park. The Easter Bunny had been there and left eggs & gifts. Afterward, we worked until we had to get home for dinner (more leftovers) and bedtime.
This week, Darren has returned to work. We both have lists that we peruse separately, exchanging calls and emails to check on progress or calm concerns. I have notified our playgroup friends that we won't be able to play, though we have a birthday party on Friday to attend. Tomorrow is Darren's birthday, our last birthday of the year (thank goodness!). He'll be at work, of course, and at the new house in the evening, I suppose, but I hope that we'll be able to squeeze in a few moments of celebration for him. I've got a few surprises up my sleeve!
Thursday was my birthday, and we spent most of the day working on the remodel at the new house. Darren took the whole week off and spent most of his days at the new house tearing down, building up and working with the contractors. On Thursday, we picked out bathroom cabinets and granite for the vanity... so, I guess I could say that I'm getting a new bathroom for my birthday. It all started out pretty fun and exciting, but children are simply not made for the rigors of home remodeling errands. All descended into a chaos of whine & tears. I made the decision it was best to skip any sort of birthday dinner out, and we headed home for hastily heated leftovers and bedtime. (I would be lying if I said that I wasn't disappointed.)
However, the great thing about a shared birthday week is that there's more celebration on its way. Friday, I was up before dawn with Degen (as per the usual) and decided to make the most of the time. I loaded the baby in the van and we set off for birthday sprinkle donuts for Kyrie. By the time Kyrie woke up, her presents were laid out and her donut was ready with candles. It was a great morning of opening presents and exploring new toys, clothes & movies! We shopped for carpet & tile in the afternoon and ate a picnic lunch at the new house where we spent more time working. The day ended with our favorite pizza and a birthday sundae!
The last week was truly a whirlwind of packing and remodeling. Whenever we could, we joined Darren at the house. We brought an assortment of snacks, toys, movies and an air mattress (for nap time) to try and keep everyone happy. Work seems to be going slowly. There's always more to be done than hours in the day. We've definitely made progress, but it feels like Darren should have taken the whole month off of work rather than one week. The kids make every task doubly difficult: I try my best to work one-handed while balancing Degen on my hip; we rush through decision-making conversations at stores & showrooms with one eye on the kids, one parent always rushing off to tend to someone's cries; we readjust our plans by the moment based on meals & naps and struggle to keep our own eyes open to complete late night tasks after the kids are in bed. Our eyes are always on lists and calendars, tallying the hours and our abilities.
Easter Sunday was another beautiful, Spring day filled with sun & warmth! I splurged and bought pastries from our favorite French bakery, buying one of nearly everything. Then I took the kids to church while Darren went to the new house to work and meet with more contractors. We brought another picnic lunch and ate it in our backyard, which is so expansive that it resembles a small park. The Easter Bunny had been there and left eggs & gifts. Afterward, we worked until we had to get home for dinner (more leftovers) and bedtime.
This week, Darren has returned to work. We both have lists that we peruse separately, exchanging calls and emails to check on progress or calm concerns. I have notified our playgroup friends that we won't be able to play, though we have a birthday party on Friday to attend. Tomorrow is Darren's birthday, our last birthday of the year (thank goodness!). He'll be at work, of course, and at the new house in the evening, I suppose, but I hope that we'll be able to squeeze in a few moments of celebration for him. I've got a few surprises up my sleeve!
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