OK, I have a lot of other things to blog about: what we've been up to all month, etc.--but I cannot hold this in. Matthew just scored the MOST amazing dining room set. Check this out: for the first time in our marriage, we have a table that seats more than 4! This seats six, PLUS it comes with three leaves bringing that count to twelve. He got the table, 6 chairs, 3 leaves, a gorgeous buffet and hutch for $225.00. Now, you may be thinking, "Yay, way to go Matthew." But let me tell you what we figured out about this set. It is a Drexel "Profile" set, circa 1958. If you look at Retro Renovation you can read all about it, but for starters, that site mentions the following:
"The Drexel Profile furniture collection was designed by John Van Koert, and it was in production from 1955 to 1961. Van Koert started out as a jewelry designer for Harry Winston after WWII and later branched into industrial design. He also is well known for designing silver for Towle, particularly the Contour design; his particular attention to the drawer pulls and other hardware on Profile pieces is noted in the catalog."
And now the kicker. Matthew priced the set online. The table and chairs alone are selling (fast) for 4-5K. The buffet and hutch (with gorgeous real silver pulls) easily fetches 1K.
Honestly, I was as happy with the set before we knew any of that. We love the style of it; it's a mid-century modern set in just the color, and with just the types of lines we love. We can seat lots of people together, comfortably, and it will last and last because it is solid. I just cannot believe that it belongs to us now, and we paid 225. The table we have had since leaving St. Louis we paid 200 for, and are selling on craigslist... I am SO EXCITED! Come over for dinner, everyone we have room at our table!
And seriously, Matthew may have found a calling as an economist, but I can't say enough about his incredible sleuthy research and acquisition skills, as well as his gift for selling things to buy new (to us) things that meet our needs SO much better. He is a super duper rockstar genius.
July 17, 2010
June 17, 2010
10 Years of Matty & G
Ten years ago today Matthew took Genevieve to be his wedded wife.
We vowed our love and fidelity and we became a whole new family. We had no idea what would come our way, but we knew we would rather face all of it--good or bad--together. After ten years of sharing this life, and of growing up together, we're both more certain of those vows and of the huge blessings of walking together through each day that we are blessed to live.
I am giddy today; it is a momentous day, a milestone, and a reminder of the best things. So, to my best friend and the love of my life, I LOVE YOU! Happy Anniversary!
We vowed our love and fidelity and we became a whole new family. We had no idea what would come our way, but we knew we would rather face all of it--good or bad--together. After ten years of sharing this life, and of growing up together, we're both more certain of those vows and of the huge blessings of walking together through each day that we are blessed to live.
I am giddy today; it is a momentous day, a milestone, and a reminder of the best things. So, to my best friend and the love of my life, I LOVE YOU! Happy Anniversary!
June 11, 2010
June 4, 2010
an AWESOME day at home
Today Noah and I camped out on our front lawn and enjoyed the amazing show of mighty machines as they worked to lay a new water main. Next up will be the sewer line, then we get a gas line, then the whole street will be paved! Normally I would not be so excited about road work being done 50 feet from my front door, but I'm giddy to tell Noah when even a garbage truck is going by, let alone backhoes, front end loaders, tampers, rollers, dumpers, and rock crushers! This is a dream day for Noah; the only thing that could make it more fun would be getting to operate the machines himself.
one more critter for the growing list of backyard buddies
This little red fox has some amazing superpower. Or maybe Matthew's BBQ pulled pork is so enticing that it gave the fox superfox abilities. A couple of weeks ago, this critter dumped our (large, lidded, wheeled, flip top) trash can over to get to the drippings and fat. Impressive work for such a small fox!
violin lessons!
After years of begging to play an instrument, we have finally taken the plunge and put Abby into lessons! She seems to be a natural and has taken to playing like a fish to water. I'm looking for a flute for her so I can give her some lessons on that too.
Abby's new sport
She is playing lacrosse, which is a popular sport on this coast. So far she really enjoys the game and is making some buddies. I love seeing her smile on the field!
summer, here we come!
OK, I know I haven't blogged in ages. And if you are like my friend Bronwyn, you are tired of checking in to this blog just to see a picture of a tick. Well, you asked for it! Here come some updates!
Abby update: She has learned to climb walls! She does this every day, pretty much. There are only 2.5 weeks left of 2nd grade, and summertime cannot come quickly enough for this kid! We are all SO ready.
Abby update: She has learned to climb walls! She does this every day, pretty much. There are only 2.5 weeks left of 2nd grade, and summertime cannot come quickly enough for this kid! We are all SO ready.
April 20, 2010
Flora and Fauna
Our yard is bursting with colour and with an unexpected array of animal life. Now, some of the critters we see are fine by me--they are welcome to scurry about around my house as long as they stay out of it--these include squirrels, amazing birds (robins, cardinals, chickadees!), and even our funny groundhog (see picture below). I like those guys. The deer and rabbits are ok as long as they don't eat the flowers. But then there are strange or yuckie critters: the wild turkey startled me this week while I was chatting to Matthew by phone on his lunch break. This turkey was HUGE! And very close. And very loud. Then, the bright red tick I found walking along the deck. I HATE ticks. Hate them. The one pictured here is now dead (sorry if that offends anyone out there). It was a brilliant hue but it had to go. And then the snake. This guy has crossed my path--like that anthropocentric viewpoint, MY path? Actually I have disturbed this snake three times, twice nearly stepping on it. I'm trying to make myself feel better by imagining that it is the same snake each time, but it may not be. The one in the picture seems bigger than the one Noah discovered two weeks ago.
So we have lots of wildlife around. None of it domestic. So far though, not too many insects in the house, and that makes me glad. The flora though, that I bring in! We have Crocus, daffodils, paperwhites, irises, violets, grape hyacinth, bleeding hearts, hellebore, wisteria, jasmine, azalea, bradford pear, forsythia, regular hyacinth, and a bunch more that I can't identify. I've attached a handful of pics below!!
Alright, I need to go--Abby needs a ride to school, Noah wants to watch a show, and I am in my pjs (a common state at 8 am just before driving Abby to school...) Here we go! Enjoy the pics.
So we have lots of wildlife around. None of it domestic. So far though, not too many insects in the house, and that makes me glad. The flora though, that I bring in! We have Crocus, daffodils, paperwhites, irises, violets, grape hyacinth, bleeding hearts, hellebore, wisteria, jasmine, azalea, bradford pear, forsythia, regular hyacinth, and a bunch more that I can't identify. I've attached a handful of pics below!!
Alright, I need to go--Abby needs a ride to school, Noah wants to watch a show, and I am in my pjs (a common state at 8 am just before driving Abby to school...) Here we go! Enjoy the pics.
April 13, 2010
Handsome boy.
Here is our sweet little guy on his b-day. He was wily and not very obedient that day, but he looked awfully adorable. It's a good thing they are so cute at this age, hey?
April 11, 2010
Three Year Old Bean
Today is Noah's third birthday! He ate three bowls of cereal for breakfast, skipped his nap, ran around like a wild man, read books with his Meemo, blew bubbles, rode his tractor down the backyard hill, ate (very rich and delicious Daddy&Abby-made) cake, smiled at several Happy Birthday serenades--thanks mom, Alec, Mimi, and Leas--strummed his new ukelele from Grandpa and Nana, played with puzzles, ate yummy burgers, watched Kipper the Dog (show), and ran around some more...barefoot in the grass, wearing airplane jammies and a striped shirt that is still too big for him (a 3T).
He's three years old and spunky, testing, loving, funny, ticklish, and sometimes willing to share. Sometimes. He's not interested in the potty, but he LOVES to pretend he's an airplane. And he is exerting his will to see just what he has control over and just how seriously he has to take our words.
He can count to twenty, say his ABCs, sing a few songs, identify tons of vehicle types, make awesome rocket sounds, and snuggle. His hair smells wonderful (unless he's been out playing all day in the sun and needs a bath--then he smells like a sweaty kid). He is the most kissable person I know, even though when asked for a kiss, he leans his forehead in so you may kiss it. I have to specify: I want your lips (which he calls "yips").
Noah is an awesome kiddo. We love him and he loves us. Thank you, God, for three wonderful years with this precious boy. We look forward to seeing who he becomes!
Now it is time to sleep!
He's three years old and spunky, testing, loving, funny, ticklish, and sometimes willing to share. Sometimes. He's not interested in the potty, but he LOVES to pretend he's an airplane. And he is exerting his will to see just what he has control over and just how seriously he has to take our words.
He can count to twenty, say his ABCs, sing a few songs, identify tons of vehicle types, make awesome rocket sounds, and snuggle. His hair smells wonderful (unless he's been out playing all day in the sun and needs a bath--then he smells like a sweaty kid). He is the most kissable person I know, even though when asked for a kiss, he leans his forehead in so you may kiss it. I have to specify: I want your lips (which he calls "yips").
Noah is an awesome kiddo. We love him and he loves us. Thank you, God, for three wonderful years with this precious boy. We look forward to seeing who he becomes!
Now it is time to sleep!
March 15, 2010
March Madness...Princeton style
Alright, people. When Matthew told me we'd be moving to Princeton, I had visions of ivy and stone, stained glass, picturesque seasons. And then we got here and the summer was "one of the soggiest on record: we never get this much rain!" That made fall kind of a flop, with leaves browning and clinging to the trees instead of blazing with color and falling off, the way they are *supposed to*, which was "so unusual; we always have beautiful fall foliage!" And then winter. Blizzard after blizzard of record setting snowfall. Abby had over a week of snow days, I learned how to shovel a driveway, and we prayed that the roof would not collapse under the weight of 2+ feet of snow. All the while, the locals were awed and promised: "This is the most snow we've had maybe ever! We haven't seen a winter like this in over 20 years. It's never like this!"
And then we had our first spring rain and wind storm this weekend. The rain was interesting, the wind was loud. Abby and I stood at the window watching trees bend and sway, and she asked me: "Mom, do trees ever just fall over?" I replied, "Yes, but it is really rare." 30 seconds later (not kidding) I hear WHOMP! And run to the breakfast room to see an evergreen the length of our entire house stretched across our whole backyard. Our neighbor's tree (the one we were just watching) took out the fence and is napping on our patio. I'm glad it didn't hit the house, though Matthew would have loved to remodel the family room on the insurance company.
That was excitement enough, but then the electricity went out, taking with it our stove and our heat. But what we didn't think about was that it also took out our sump pump: and that, I now know, is even more important than heat. Yesterday Matthew and I spent hours cleaning up our flooded basement. Thankfully we didn't lose anything precious to us. It was just a soggy mess.
But you know what? It's all ok. We are all safe. We have our power back on (while many in Princeton are sleeping in Dilon gym on campus because their power wont be back on till who knows when). We got to light candles and run around with flashlights and eat pizza in the dark. Matthew and I have a cleaner basement than planned. And Matthew got to tell Abby at 7 am this morning that school was cancelled due to blocked roads and power outages, to which she replied: "That's the best news I've heard all day!" It has been really wild around here, but kind of fun, and totally unexpected.
So that's the weekend update here.
By the way, if anyone has a chainsaw, can we borrow it for a couple of days?
And then we had our first spring rain and wind storm this weekend. The rain was interesting, the wind was loud. Abby and I stood at the window watching trees bend and sway, and she asked me: "Mom, do trees ever just fall over?" I replied, "Yes, but it is really rare." 30 seconds later (not kidding) I hear WHOMP! And run to the breakfast room to see an evergreen the length of our entire house stretched across our whole backyard. Our neighbor's tree (the one we were just watching) took out the fence and is napping on our patio. I'm glad it didn't hit the house, though Matthew would have loved to remodel the family room on the insurance company.
That was excitement enough, but then the electricity went out, taking with it our stove and our heat. But what we didn't think about was that it also took out our sump pump: and that, I now know, is even more important than heat. Yesterday Matthew and I spent hours cleaning up our flooded basement. Thankfully we didn't lose anything precious to us. It was just a soggy mess.
But you know what? It's all ok. We are all safe. We have our power back on (while many in Princeton are sleeping in Dilon gym on campus because their power wont be back on till who knows when). We got to light candles and run around with flashlights and eat pizza in the dark. Matthew and I have a cleaner basement than planned. And Matthew got to tell Abby at 7 am this morning that school was cancelled due to blocked roads and power outages, to which she replied: "That's the best news I've heard all day!" It has been really wild around here, but kind of fun, and totally unexpected.
So that's the weekend update here.
By the way, if anyone has a chainsaw, can we borrow it for a couple of days?
March 8, 2010
huh?
Noah was whining for cereal when he woke up from his nap today. I decided I would not say for the 100th time since breakfast:"Noah, no whining, please." Instead I said "MeaMeaMeaMeaMeaMea" in a high pitched voice. He looked at me and said:
"Don't speak kitty cat."
That may be one my favorite Noah quotes so far.
"Don't speak kitty cat."
That may be one my favorite Noah quotes so far.
February 10, 2010
"I can't believe it. It nowed!"
And it is STILL snowing. We've gotten about a foot of snow since yesterday and are due for another foot before the night is over. This is "an explosively developing Nor/Easter" according to the national weather service. Great. And guess who didn't stock up properly at the grocery store? Yes, that would be us. This may be one downside to not having cable TV.
We have milk, coffee, half and half, cereal--those are the can't live withouts--and we're having beef stroganoff tonight. We have goat cheese ravioli for lunch tomorrow, and after that, we had better go to the store or we will be eating trader joe's shellfish, carrots, celery, and one clementine.
Power is flickering. Posting now.
love y'all.
We have milk, coffee, half and half, cereal--those are the can't live withouts--and we're having beef stroganoff tonight. We have goat cheese ravioli for lunch tomorrow, and after that, we had better go to the store or we will be eating trader joe's shellfish, carrots, celery, and one clementine.
Power is flickering. Posting now.
love y'all.
January 29, 2010
8 years
My baby girl is 8! She is brighter, more funny and cute than I expected. Her facial expressions reveal deep emotional understanding, and her questions do the same. Sometimes she is quiet; I know there are questions and thoughts bursting in there, but there is a reserve too. Not sure why. Other times she is a flood of words, and I wonder how her mind does what it does. She is tender with her brother; she is little girl and young woman at the same time; she loves me fiercely and can be so frustrated with me, though she respects me too much to let any major anger or disrespect fly. Long may that last! She is truly defenseless when it comes to her daddy's words, and what a blessing that she has a daddy who adores her and protects her heart and sees her for the beautiful person she is.
I can no longer describe her with just a few adjectives. She is changing--still bubbly, still sometimes shy, still curious, articulate, sensitive, passionate, forgetful, impressionable, trusting, and kind. And then there's more--but just what that is I can't say, and it changes with circumstances and with new information. Her moods have more heft and information behind them; they are no longer whims, like when she was two. No longer pure reaction to want or need.
I'm ambivalent about all of this, because I miss the simplicity of being able to meet her needs. She is fast outgrowing my ability in that department. But I love that we can share things we couldn't before. I can earn her respect, and she mine. And we can practice unconditional love and forgiveness too. I guess the relationship is becoming more complicated and full of potential for deep connection beyond the hormonal, biological super glue that has bonded us for all these years. I can't get the same high from sniffing her head, I'm not permitted to get the boogies from her nose, sometimes I'm invited to help make fashion choices, and I'm not there during her school day hours. But when she is asleep, I sometimes kiss her soft cheeks and see how little she still is. We're approaching real challenges and heartbreaks and changes (along with awesome experiences and connections), and I feel like I am 8 years old myself, scared and wanting someone to tell me "how things are." I don't want my existential crisis to be hers, and I try to give appropriate answers to questions that are too hard for me now. Had she asked me six, eight, ten years ago, I would have had more articulate things to say--maybe I would have been confident and wrong, or right. I don't even know. But now, my answers are more raw, more certain that we have to trust God because we are not in control of everything--and we don't want to be either. I am careful to keep my major doubts and fears to myself--those are not her crosses to bear. And when the time comes, if she wants to talk about the strangeness of growing up, becoming a mom and/or just becoming and figuring out that your youthful confidence takes some major hits along the way--when the day comes she faces suffering, then maybe some of my own trials and lessons learned will come in very handy. But, thank God, she is eight and has no reason to encounter anything beyond what we hope is a good balance of real, protected (but not too much) life.
Abby makes things vibrant with color. She is beautiful energy and delight and things that stretch the people around her to become more human, more real. She is the best eight years of anything I can imagine.
I can no longer describe her with just a few adjectives. She is changing--still bubbly, still sometimes shy, still curious, articulate, sensitive, passionate, forgetful, impressionable, trusting, and kind. And then there's more--but just what that is I can't say, and it changes with circumstances and with new information. Her moods have more heft and information behind them; they are no longer whims, like when she was two. No longer pure reaction to want or need.
I'm ambivalent about all of this, because I miss the simplicity of being able to meet her needs. She is fast outgrowing my ability in that department. But I love that we can share things we couldn't before. I can earn her respect, and she mine. And we can practice unconditional love and forgiveness too. I guess the relationship is becoming more complicated and full of potential for deep connection beyond the hormonal, biological super glue that has bonded us for all these years. I can't get the same high from sniffing her head, I'm not permitted to get the boogies from her nose, sometimes I'm invited to help make fashion choices, and I'm not there during her school day hours. But when she is asleep, I sometimes kiss her soft cheeks and see how little she still is. We're approaching real challenges and heartbreaks and changes (along with awesome experiences and connections), and I feel like I am 8 years old myself, scared and wanting someone to tell me "how things are." I don't want my existential crisis to be hers, and I try to give appropriate answers to questions that are too hard for me now. Had she asked me six, eight, ten years ago, I would have had more articulate things to say--maybe I would have been confident and wrong, or right. I don't even know. But now, my answers are more raw, more certain that we have to trust God because we are not in control of everything--and we don't want to be either. I am careful to keep my major doubts and fears to myself--those are not her crosses to bear. And when the time comes, if she wants to talk about the strangeness of growing up, becoming a mom and/or just becoming and figuring out that your youthful confidence takes some major hits along the way--when the day comes she faces suffering, then maybe some of my own trials and lessons learned will come in very handy. But, thank God, she is eight and has no reason to encounter anything beyond what we hope is a good balance of real, protected (but not too much) life.
Abby makes things vibrant with color. She is beautiful energy and delight and things that stretch the people around her to become more human, more real. She is the best eight years of anything I can imagine.
sunshine, don't go!
One day this week (I can't remember which one, because they all run together), it rained all day long. There was no sunshine. Then, while I was making dinner, the room glowed for a moment with radiant light. I ran outside with my camera to take a picture of the setting sun. I took another one of the trees--illuminated from beneath and shining since their branches were soaked all over. And I thought to myself: No matter how grey and rainy and miserable the day might seem to me, the sun is always shining. I needed the perspective, and the peeking sun's reminder to me that my perspective can limit my understanding so much. I don't like barriers to understanding--clouds can be a menace. But they can also be a kind shelter and a welcome buffer from what can do damage in too great an intensity.
On with taking the vitamin D supplements and racing the cat for the fleeting sunny spot on the couch. Spring, hurry it on up, please.
On with taking the vitamin D supplements and racing the cat for the fleeting sunny spot on the couch. Spring, hurry it on up, please.
January 27, 2010
Abby's Dream
The kids were asked to write a short essay on what their "dream" would be for the world they live in. Here is what Abby wrote (her spelling intact):
"I have a dream that people will buy good and sterdey (sturdy) materialls and donate it all to the people of Haiti. I have a dream that one day people will love and live in peace and stop war. My other dream is that people will take care of the orphens, take them home and love on them!"
"I have a dream that people will buy good and sterdey (sturdy) materialls and donate it all to the people of Haiti. I have a dream that one day people will love and live in peace and stop war. My other dream is that people will take care of the orphens, take them home and love on them!"
January 23, 2010
Lonely
Life is full, fast, and has all the trimmings. Except family and close friends. And down time.
This makes me very very lonely.
I've decided that I do not like winter. Or maybe winter is just fine, but I do not like being cold. I can't seem to get warm and I've promised myself hundreds of times that I will not complain about being too hot in the summer time ever again.
We've had a bit of a rough transition to Abby's new school. Three weeks in and she does like her teacher and new friends, but she tells me often that things just don't feel right. She misses her old friends, her Davis friends. Two weeks ago she got a migraine at school. This last week she missed her school bus stop because she was reading. We've endured some tears, but I am hoping that thing will get better soon. We've tried to make this weekend lots of fun: I took her to the movies on Friday night and Saturday night she had a sleepover here with a new friend. Today she has been invited to another girl's house for a playdate. We might just say yes to that too.
Figaro update: I am not the biggest fan of having a pet. I thought I would love it, but I don't. I can't stand that the cat is a cat: he claws furniture, he poops in a box in my house, he jumps on the table--where we eat--with the same paws that step in his litter box. I am grossed out. What was I thinking? I used to love my cat when I was a kid, but now I recall that he was an outdoor cat and very low maintenance. What do I do now?
Can I just ask the moms out there: what do you do when you are spent and you want someone else to be in charge for a while? I'm flooded with the emotional and physical needs of my two (healthy and relatively happy) kids--I'm in love with them, and they are comparatively easy when I think of so many families dealing with actual hardships--and yet I am truly tired and I feel dazed.
This makes me very very lonely.
I've decided that I do not like winter. Or maybe winter is just fine, but I do not like being cold. I can't seem to get warm and I've promised myself hundreds of times that I will not complain about being too hot in the summer time ever again.
We've had a bit of a rough transition to Abby's new school. Three weeks in and she does like her teacher and new friends, but she tells me often that things just don't feel right. She misses her old friends, her Davis friends. Two weeks ago she got a migraine at school. This last week she missed her school bus stop because she was reading. We've endured some tears, but I am hoping that thing will get better soon. We've tried to make this weekend lots of fun: I took her to the movies on Friday night and Saturday night she had a sleepover here with a new friend. Today she has been invited to another girl's house for a playdate. We might just say yes to that too.
Figaro update: I am not the biggest fan of having a pet. I thought I would love it, but I don't. I can't stand that the cat is a cat: he claws furniture, he poops in a box in my house, he jumps on the table--where we eat--with the same paws that step in his litter box. I am grossed out. What was I thinking? I used to love my cat when I was a kid, but now I recall that he was an outdoor cat and very low maintenance. What do I do now?
Can I just ask the moms out there: what do you do when you are spent and you want someone else to be in charge for a while? I'm flooded with the emotional and physical needs of my two (healthy and relatively happy) kids--I'm in love with them, and they are comparatively easy when I think of so many families dealing with actual hardships--and yet I am truly tired and I feel dazed.
December 20, 2009
the payoff
This makes all the shivering worth it! We got bundles of snow, and this morning called for sledding (after pancakes, of course)! Matty and Abby bought a sled yesterday in preparation for today's fun. And What Fun! Check out the flickr photos--they say it all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)