Out with the Old Year, In with Everything New

The year 2018 is closing with little fanfare and lots of questions.  Will Daddy like his new job?  Will the kids like their new schools?  How long will it take us to find a home to buy?

Actually, it's just the adults who are concerned about those questions.  The kids were happy to play at the playground near our apartment while their mother learned an important lesson about Massachusetts survival: Don't go out on a windy winter day without a hat (BRRRR!).

A Town Tour and a Junior Piano Teacher

We spent most of yesterday unpacking.  We've still got lots of boxes to go through, but today we all agreed that we needed to get out of the apartment for a while, so I took my family on a tour of our new town.

We visited the kids' schools, an orchard where you can pick your own apples (in autumn), and the beach at Long Lake.

Our penultimate stop was Gourmet Donuts, so we could take them to the park and see if they were any good.  The kids loved their peanut butter cup donuts, and my Boston cream was divine . . .

. . . but Phillip was underwhelmed by his apple fritter (after sampling a bite, I agreed with him).

The park was a fun place with a jungle gym shaped like a castle.  We played there until some of us started getting too cold.

Back at home, Daniel and Anna decided that Daniel will be Anna's piano teacher until we find another professional one.

I think that's pretty cool. :)

Arrived

Well, we're here.

Our apartment is crammed with boxes, but at least Phillip and the girls arrived safely, and our family is all together again.  Now, if we could just find our silverware.

The Big Apple and the Giving Machines

Phillip took the kids to spend Christmas at our friends' home today while I stayed at Goose Landing to supervise three movers who were boxing up everything we owned.  It would have been fun to relax with loved ones on Christmas Day, but I was actually grateful for a few extra hours to tie up loose ends at home.  And it still feels like home, even though it was a maze of boxes and bare walls when I drove away for the last time this evening.  It still doesn't really feel like we're leaving Maryland.

Phillip and the girls stayed the night at our friends' home so they can clean after the movers pack our boxes into a truck tomorrow.  Meanwhile, the boys and I headed north because we need to get to our apartment by tomorrow afternoon to sign our lease and get utilities set up.  

I actually borrowed this image from a random news site.  Thanks, random news site. :)

On the way north, I saw this.  No, I didn't take that picture (I was too busy barreling up I-95 and trying to figure out which tunnel to go through), but I just couldn't resist including a photo because it's New York City, for Pete's sake!  It's so iconic that it kind of blew my mind to actually see it for the first time, and then drive through it.  It would be like getting in the checkout line behind Julia Roberts at the grocery store, and striking up a conversation about how hard it is to find good strawberries on the East Coast.  Surreal.  But then, this whole day has been surreal.

One reason I was excited to drive through New York City was that the Manhattan Temple was just a few blocks out of our way, and I wanted to make a donation at the Giving Machines that the Church has set up outside that temple this December.  When I first saw a video about them in 2017, I was enchanted by the idea that instead of spending $2 on a vending machine snack, people could spend a few dollars to help someone in need.  They could donate eyeglasses through a local charity, help bring clean water to a faraway village, or donate livestock to help a family in a remote country become self reliant.  I didn't think the machines were anything more than a nice concept, though, until I learned that my mom had donated to one while visiting my brother in Utah this month.  I was delighted to know they were real, and even more excited when I learned we would be driving within a mile of one on our way north.  Alas, we arrived after the Giving Machines had been closed for the night, but it was still fun to see them, and maybe we'll be back to make a donation next year.

This Christmas, at least we got to see the Manhattan Temple and enjoy a moment of uplifting peace before we scurried back to our van (because it was COLD outside!).

Socks, Books, and Pastel Tissue Paper

Today was "Christmas Day One Day Early," and our kids awoke to find this festive message on their parents' bedroom door.

Call me Scrooge if you like.

At 8:00am sharp, our family gathered downstairs so Daddy could distribute the gifts . . . 

. . . and we could unwrap our treasures.  And yes, the lavender and teal tissue looks weird with the Christmasy gift bags.  Our white tissue paper went AWOL, so we're making do with what we could find.  I didn't hear a single complaint from the kids, so I should probably build a bridge and get over it.

Favorite gifts today included jerky (for Daddy), a spiralizer (for Mama), lots of books (for all the kids--thanks, Pink Grandma :) . . .

. . . Dos (a variation on Uno) . . .

. . . and socks!!!  I recently told the kids about my Uncle Ron, a perpetual joker who gleefully convinced my Cousin Eric that getting socks as a Christmas gift was a greater outrage than any three-year-old should have to endure.  My kids thought the story was really funny, so I gave Joy some of her old socks as an extra gift, then I did my best Uncle Ron impression when she pulled them out of the bag this morning.  She thought it was hilarious.  I may just have to make that gag a yearly tradition.

Christmas Eve Eve

This evening, Anna put on the angel costume she's been begging to wear since the Nativity party . . .

. . . and we had our traditional Christmas Eve program of reading verses from Luke 2 and singing Christmas carols . . .

. . . as we moved our Nativity figures to "Bethlehem" to welcome the Savior.  But wait!  Why are we doing our Christmas Eve program on the 23rd?  Because the movers are coming to pack us up on the 25th, so our family is celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day one day early this year.  It feels a little weird, but cherished traditions matter more to us than the days we celebrate them.

Trains, Donuts, and Ornaments

We're moving in less than a week, and I had two last things I wanted to cross off my Maryland bucket list before we departed.

First, I wanted to take our family to the local fire station, where they set up a breathtaking holiday train set every December.  There are multiple trains, including the Polar Express, and you can do a scavenger hunt for Harry Potter, Santa on skis, and other tiny figures on the huge set.  Joy found a few of the items on the list.  I preferred to just enjoy the spectacle.

The other item on my bucket list was to drive into Baltimore . . .

. . . to see if this popular little bakery was better than the Dunkin' Donuts stores which seem to have a donut monopoly in Columbia.  (Also, how do you like the purple-sequined skirt Joy requested for her birthday?  I thought she would be a laughing stock at her middle school, but apparently her classmates think the skirt is pretty cool.)

We made our donut selections, then I experienced the blissful torture of riding home through Baltimore with a box of great-smelling donuts on my lap.

And the verdict?  Were these donuts better than Dunkin's?

Yep! I don't think I'd be willing to spend an hour in the car every weekend for a better-than-average donut, but for a bucket-list outing right before we move, they were quite satisfactory.

In other news, Daddy found our kid-friendly ornaments in the storage closet this evening, so we were finally able to decorate our little tree.  Frankly, I think it looked better with just the paper chain, but we all had fun hanging familiar, favorite ornaments.  Sometimes, the experience matters more than the final result. :)

Remembering My Dad

I find myself thinking of my dad a lot lately.

This week, when the kids were playing a wild game they'd made up, Anna was tossing things very aggressively, and someone commented that she was being "really competitive like Papa, who always tried to shoot the moon when he played Hearts."

I also think of my dad when I see electric candles in the windows of people's homes.  Those candles are a popular holiday decoration on the East Coast at Christmas time, and they remind me of my dad, who hated to hang Christmas lights on our house (but dutifully did it for years, because he knew Mom loved it).  See, Dad?  All you needed to do was move to Maryland and stick some electric candles in our windows, and you'd have the Christmas light thing totally covered. :)

Gratitude Chains and a Little Party

We haven't been able to find the kid-friendly ornaments for our little Christmas tree, and it was looking a little forlorn with no decorations . . .

. . . so the kids and I made some paper chains for it.  Joy had the great idea to write things we're grateful for on each chain link, and that turned our craft session into a really uplifting family activity.

Ah, that's better!  And just in time, too . . .

. . . because we invited some friends over tonight to sing carols and act out the Nativity story.  More than once, I've thought I was crazy to be inviting people over when we're in the middle of moving, but I'm glad we did.  It was a joy to have friends over, and Phillip commented afterward that this was the first night in this busy month that has felt like Christmas.

Goodbye, Miss Colleen (and Raven)

This has been a month of bittersweet goodbyes as we prepare for our move.

This evening, we said goodbye to our piano teacher, Miss Colleen.  I'm sure there are equally capable piano teachers up north, but we'll probably have a hard time finding one who plays the fun music theory games our kids have enjoyed at the end of Miss Colleen's lessons.

On a happier note, Daniel and Anna were glad they got one last chance to pet Raven, Miss Colleen's cat, who made a rare appearance at our lesson tonight.

Outsourcing a Birthday Party

Joy really wanted to have a birthday party before we left Columbia, but her party-challenged mother was in the middle of planning a whirlwind move to Massachusetts.

Fortunately, our friend Susann loves to throw parties.  She planned a simple one for Joy, and told me some party supplies to bring.  And everyone was happy.

The party had a gingerbread house theme, so we played a game drawing wacky gingerbread houses based on dice rolls . . . 

. . . and we decorated gingerbread houses, of course!

Then we sang to Joy and ate some absolutely scrumptious cupcakes.

I'm so glad Joy got to celebrate with her friends, Sarah and Jenna.  Thanks again, Susann!

Todd's New Hat

I helped out in Todd's preschool class again today.

In addition to painting a bunch of percentages and the names of seven colors . . .

. . . Todd worked with his teacher to make a snowman hat . . .

. . . then he led his class in a snowman parade.

Daddy was kind of weirded out by Todd's new hat.

Can you believe that???

A Joyful Birthday

Joy has turned 12 on 12/12!  And what did she request for her birthday dinner?

Pizza! Pizza!

We had to take a little break from the birthday celebration to attend Daniel's concert with the school choir.  His third-grade group sang a couple songs at the beginning . . .

. . . then joined with the older group for a song at the end.  It was a lively song about kids hoping for a blizzard that will cancel school.

Anna couldn't resist mimicking the choir's actions as they envisioned seven feet of snow piling up outside their homes.

Back at our home, it was time to sing The Birthday Song, open presents, and enjoy the ice cream Joy requested for her birthday dessert.

I can't believe how grown up our oldest daughter is.  I'm grateful for a sweet daughter who helps her siblings, asks thoughtful questions, and broadens my horizons as she expands her own.

Happy Birthday, Joy!

House Hunting at Hanukkah Time

Phillip recently accepted a job offer in Massachusetts, so I've spent the past week house hunting up in the frigid north.  When Phillip used to travel to conferences as a PhD student, I thought traveling alone sounded like a delightful adventure.  Two days into my solo trip, I understood why Phillip was always eager to head home before his trip was half over.  I missed coming home to familiar faces in our familiar home.  There is nothing familiar for me in Massachusetts yet.

The good news is that I found a nice apartment for us to hang our hats in while we get to know the area and look for a house to buy.  It's in a little town called Littleton, which has great schools and a friendly, small-town feel.

During my week here, I stayed in an AirBnB room that I nicknamed "La Cueva" ("The Cave" in Spanish) because it was in the basement and was very dark in the mornings.  It also had almost no cell phone reception.

On the bright side, I had a very friendly host.  She's Israeli, and she invited me to join her family's Hanukkah celebration.  They had forgotten their menorah at a friend's house the night before, so they made do with some tea lights.  I really enjoyed seeing how one family observes Hanukkah, and we had a nice talk about religion afterward.  While the details of our religions are quite different, the core principles we value are very similar.