Bomb Cyclone is Coming

 Batten down the hatches.  2 feet of snow is on the way.  Well maybe not.  Oy.  Weather patterns are so unpredictable....  Every few hours the weather predictions and forecasts are changing.  It seems like we will get snow, but I somehow doubt it's really going to be THAT bad.  Of course, snow is truly only useful when you find yourself at the top of a ski lift, but I digress... I do think it will be fun to witness Queso romping around in all the fresh powder.  She may be the most excited out of all of us.  I'll be sure to get a video or two of the pure puppy joy.  

There is enough snow predicted that Atticus's track meet in Providence, RI has been cancelled.  Not that I'm all that sad about not driving close to 2 hours each way even if the experience is good.   Alas, we still have New Haven, CT to look forward to.  

So... I sit here at the kitchen table trying to think of all the kazillion things there are to update you on.  I mean obviously you know about the world's fascination with Wordle.  It's amazing how quickly that website has gone viral!  Apparently many of us have been searching for a way to use our brains and stretch our vocabulary skills.  Even Atticus has gotten in on the trend - so it must be sort of cool if the teenager is doing it.  He thinks everything is a waste of time.  Like coats.  Total waste of time.  It's only 4 degrees before the wind chill.  He'll only be standing at the top of the hill waiting on the bus for "like a few minutes max"... so why in the world would he wear the new Columbia coat that I bought him after he insisted that last year's coat was too small?  How dare I ask these logical questions.  

Follow up post to come with actual results.  :)

One Apple, Two Apples, Green Apples, Red Apples

This year's apple picking expedition included friends!  Many thanks to Jen M and her awesome family for joining us for a morning in the orchard and then lunch.

This year, we went to Boston Hill Farm in North Andover.  It's a small family owned farm relatively close to us.  (It's closer than gymnastics anyways!)

Our drive over to the farm was a bit of an adventure as power was still out to much of Andover and North Andover meaning the street lights were OUT.  Not even flashing.  OUT.  As a public service announcement before I even go any further -- dude, people, we need to talk.  When you are in a car and approach a light that has no power what's the proper way to proceed?  Treat the bloody intersection like a 4 way stop!  Do not blow through the intersection thinking woo hoo -- no light for me!  Because let me just tell you that some other idiot going the other direction is thinking the same ***** thing and while I'm a firm believer in the Darwin theory, there's no need for me to witness a massive traffic accident when I'm on my way to the farm!

Backtracking a bit... WHY was there no power you ask?  Well, there was a bit of a commotion on last Thursday afternoon.  Columbia Gas starting experiencing explosions all over Andover, North Andover and Lawrence.  It was chaos.  It's still chaos.  70+ explosions all over town.  And no one knew what was causing them or how to stop them.  We were fine at our house - we have our own propane tanks, so we're not on the city's gas line.  There's now a lawsuit and so many people still don't have the gas fixed at their house.  The neighbors are all jumpy every time they think their house is going to explode!

So - in an effort to return to normalcy and still spend money at small local businesses, we decided to go ahead and meet friends at the orchard.

We now are the proud owners of a half a bushel of Courtland and MacIntosh apples.  That's a LOT of apples folks.

Unlike the orchard we went to last year in Westchester, this orchard didn't require any crazy tools to reach the apples.  It merely required Wren to climb onto Greg's shoulders a couple of times!

We got really lucky with the weather and while it was warm - it was overcast and we didn't melt!  Yay.  

It was a great morning and lunch and I hope we're able to make it a tradition with our local friends!  

Knock Knock.

Funny how feeling emotional makes me want to spew everything on paper.  Or virtual paper as the case may be.

Ugh.  Some things that aren't shareable are really getting under my skin at the moment and we're working on a resolution.  Hopefully it's water under the bridge soon and not even worth a mention.

In school news, the kids have begun the 2018-2019 school year.  This is Atticus's last year in elementary school which I can hardly believe!  How is it possible I'm the parent of a 10 year old?  I mean - wow, time flies when you're adulting.

We've begun the process of getting Atticus evaluated at school to see if there are other things we can do to help his learning.  He's a smart kid, but has difficulties getting this thoughts and knowledge out of his head.  I say he's more of a slow cooker kind of kid.  Things go in -- and they just need to stew about for a while before he's ready to discuss or give you an answer.  Nothing wrong with that, it's just how his brain works.  So, we're looking at different solutions and options that may help him learn to manage his expectations.

Atticus has also decided that he'd like to play the trumpet!  Oy!  He was playing the baritone in NY, but that wasn't an option here - so I'm currently researching where to rent/buy a trumpet.  Music class for him will be on Monday mornings at 7:30AM.  Oooof.  Although I suppose this will help prepare us for the 6:30AM bus once he's up in the middle school.

Wren was not thrilled with her teach assignment for 3rd grade.  From what I hear, the parents love her and the kids not so much.  She's strict.  Personally, I'm okay with that.  It's good for the kids to have guidelines and rules and structure!

Since Wren has also been complaining of being bored at school for the past year, we've opted to enroll her in a local after school program called Russian School of Math.  She claims to not enjoy math, but she's good at it and this will ensure that for at least 2 hours a week, she's not "bored" and "not learning anything".  The results from the students as they age is impressive.  Is it weird that I wish I'd had Russian Math as a kid?  I mean, I took math classes for easy A's at the University of Texas!  Math is awesome.

The after school programs are also starting back up with a vengeance.  Track, gymnastics, ninja classes, Hebrew School, chess -- and we're just getting started.  :)

Here's to another trip around the sun...

Here's to consistency and knowing that we're not changing schools...

Moving at the speed of light

Well, it seems that the owners have accepted our offer.  Next up - finding a home inspector.

I'm a little nervous that we were only in this house for a grand total of 15-20 minutes before making an offer, but at the same time -- it was definitely one of the best ones we viewed.

I'm already making plans and updating a few things in my mind.  Things like relocating the office and the guest bedroom.  Adding a shower to the half bath that's on the main level so that we can have a main floor guest room.  Adding a half bath to the lower level so the kids aren't having to traipse upstairs every time they need the loo... Yes, I do want to redo the kitchen layout - but for now, I'll work with what's there and see how it goes.

The other big decisions require a floor plan, graph paper and some creativity.  What goes in the great room?  What should be in the formal living space?  We don't need a formal living space?  Is there enough room for a library instead?  Do the funky columns in between the dining room and the formal living room neeeeeeed to be there?

There's a lot going on to say the least.  It's going to be a busy end to 2017!

On the Move, Again...

I know.  You're shocked.  Surprised.  How can it be you think?

Greg has accepted a job as the General Counsel for a small(ish) software firm in Andover, MA.  Since we're leaving firm life, we've got fingers crossed that moving in house will bring a bit more stability to our day to day lives.  A little more family dinners and a whole lot less weekend stress.  That's the game plan.

Boston.

Never thought my kids would grow up in Boston, but then again - why not Boston?  I am definitely drawn to college towns and relatively large cities.  If it's by a body of water, even better.  The  Boston area definitely checks all the marks.  Oh, and there's the added bonus of some pretty cool US history too.

Now, it's as much a mental leap as it is a physical one.  Sure, there's the usual drama of packing, unpacking, trying to rearrange furniture that was bought in one location into another... but it's the mental game that has me up thinking these days.  Will I find friends?  Andover is much more rural than I'm used to.  I mean currently, I can walk to a plethora of coffee shops, pizza, bookstores, the train.... How am I going to cope when I put the kids on a school bus and then that's it?  No walking the kids to school.  No bumping into other moms outside the flagpole on a daily basis.  Eeeek.  I guess we'll take it day by day and just keep swimming!