Yesterday, as I was picking up AJ and Adam from preschool (Yes, I wasted no time. No matter that there are only six weeks left to the year. They need it and so do I!) one of the moms caught up to me and said, and I paraphrase, "I hear you're new here. I'm hosting a play date tomorrow at my house. We just had baby chicks hatch in the backyard. I think your boys might like to see them. Why don't you come over, if you don't have plans?"
I almost hugged her!
Hey, I'm past the point of trying to be cool. My response?
"Plans? We don't have any plans! We don't know a soul here! We'd LOVE to come over!"
(She forgave my eagerness... and quickly got a pencil so she could jot down my email address).
So today, we packed a picnic lunch and made our way out to her farm to see the baby chicks. I found the place without a problem, and we passed a huge tractor plowing a field on the way. AJ said, "Look, mom! That tractor's moving!" It was pretty cool.
The baby chicks were adorable, all 27 of them. There were also four or five chickens, who each lay 2 eggs a day. (I learned a lot). They also had a huge pet bunny, Hoppy. Hoppy was 8 lbs and will double her weight, I was told. "Is she a special breed?" I ask. "Flemish Giant," was the answer. Who knew?
The animals, and also the construction toys - including the battery powered kiddie John Deere - were a huge hit with the boys. The bouncy castle was the cake topper. Then, blankets were spread over the lawn and fresh grapes and cheese and crackers made their rounds, as everyone brought out their picnic lunch.
This was a play date? Like none I'd ever hosted! My guests were lucky if I served snacks. Gosh now that I think of it, I must've been a pretty lame hostess. Well, here I'll up the bar for myself. I can't offer chickens, but they can come over and feed the ponies beyond the fence? I think I can muster up a few grapes. Maybe stop at Trader Joe's and heat up some frozen apps? I can do this, right?
Beyond all the hospitality and entertainment, though, I was most impressed with the women I met today. Before moving here we were told that we won't meet better people than in the mid-West. I have to say, I've never been so comfortable as a newcomer in a social situation than today. Not only were the women friendly, but they were interesting and welcoming and refreshingly open. And they were communicative and genuinely interested in my story. One woman had in-laws in New England, another had a parent living in Russia. It was nice to make connections beyond having children of a similar age.
I didn't want to go, but I had to drag the boys away to meet the furniture delivery truck at the house (I was torn)... I whole-heartedly thanked the host, for everything. She promised the boys she'd have them over again (that means me too!) Then - to my horror - I had to ask if I could drive across her grass to avoid making the four cars move that were blocking me in. Her response? "Sure! Drive on anything you want!"
Now somehow I just don't think I'd get that response back East.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tricks of Light
Here in downtown Zionsville, there is a Thomas Kincade gallery. I think they call him the "master of light" or something. I've never been a huge fan of his paintings, but it's neat to have this collection nearby.
I find it fitting, too, that this 'master of light' collection can be found in this bright new community of ours. Bright? Yes, right. We are probably the western-most location in the US that still goes by Eastern Standard Time. What that means is - the sun comes up later and sets later. No biggie, right? I guess not. I've actually enjoyed sleeping in with the sun until 7:30 or so. (The boys do too - yay!) And the boys' bedtime seems to creep up on us as they frolick in the backyard - the sun shining down upon them - until 8 or 8:30. Our neighbor Mike says it gets really interesting in the summer when it stays light until around 10pm!
And I thought "White Nights" only occurred in Russia!
Something not so bright - despite using the term in their brand - is the local cable company that has somewhat of a monopoly on our subdivision. In the short two weeks since they installed our wireless, cable, and phone, we've had to call them some half a dozen times and they've had to send a tech to our house at least three times. Dare I say I miss Comcast? (There has to be something, I guess...) Our next service call is Thursday, where they will fix the original botched installation job. Keep your fingers crossed.
In the meantime, let the sunshine!
I find it fitting, too, that this 'master of light' collection can be found in this bright new community of ours. Bright? Yes, right. We are probably the western-most location in the US that still goes by Eastern Standard Time. What that means is - the sun comes up later and sets later. No biggie, right? I guess not. I've actually enjoyed sleeping in with the sun until 7:30 or so. (The boys do too - yay!) And the boys' bedtime seems to creep up on us as they frolick in the backyard - the sun shining down upon them - until 8 or 8:30. Our neighbor Mike says it gets really interesting in the summer when it stays light until around 10pm!
And I thought "White Nights" only occurred in Russia!
Something not so bright - despite using the term in their brand - is the local cable company that has somewhat of a monopoly on our subdivision. In the short two weeks since they installed our wireless, cable, and phone, we've had to call them some half a dozen times and they've had to send a tech to our house at least three times. Dare I say I miss Comcast? (There has to be something, I guess...) Our next service call is Thursday, where they will fix the original botched installation job. Keep your fingers crossed.
In the meantime, let the sunshine!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Some photos of the new digs
This is the new house! The tree in front is already filling in and Anthony's got the landscapers working on beautifying the curb appeal. I think it looks pretty appealing already!
Here is my open concept that I love. We just ordered tile work to be done around the fireplace.
Here's the view to the backyard from the kitchen table. :)
Here are the boys checking out the ponies at the farm beyond the fence of our and our neighbor's yards... So cool.
Here is the infamous sunroom...with the boys, of course, in it. :)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
the sunroom
We all have visions of how things will be...especially for our kids.
Anthony and I were so excited to have a dedicated space for a playroom. I got a great deal on the coolest "graffiti" rugs at Lowe's...and we have a TV and computer set up for them in there with the rest of their million and a half toys. They are sharing a bedroom, at their own insistence, bless their hearts. I already mentioned the bunk bed fiasco and won't beat that one dead, except to say that I'm terribly bothered by their room being so unfinished, even if it's only been a week. As a huge fan of the open concept floor plan, I wouldn't even look at homes without it, envisioning our boys in the family room watching WonderPets or Spongebob while I roll sheets of homemade pasta in my new kitchen (small hyperbole). So, my strategy for furnishing our much larger home has been strategic, based on my expectations of how our family (especially the boys) would function in the new house. Well. I guess AJ and Adam had different ideas.
They have fallen in love with the sunroom. Now, this is quite a room, I have to admit. It is a spacious, fully insulated, windowed room that gifts gorgeous views on all sides and lets all the south facing light in all day long. I stuck an old TV in there (you know, the one that has the built in DVD and VCR and weighs a half ton?) the first night so the boys could watch their DVDs. We put our old Kmart wicker chair and the boys' Ikea table and chairs in there... That's basically it. I thought, 'Oh, as soon as we get our TV and couch into the open concept family room, they will join me in my vision of comfort.' Well, now we have the couch, and a very nice flat screen (thanks mom and dad) all hooked up and ready in the family room. And the boys insist on going into the sunroom to watch their old DVDs on the old TV sitting on the old Kmart wicker chair and the Ikea kiddie table. Even in the chilly morning before the sun has warmed it, they insist. 'No, stay in here with mommy. Get in your snuggly spot on the couch! I'll turn on this fancy TV that has a better picture than anything we've ever seen..." But no, they want the sunroom. And the old TV and the old Kmart wicker chair and the Ikea kiddie table...
ho hum.
Anthony and I were so excited to have a dedicated space for a playroom. I got a great deal on the coolest "graffiti" rugs at Lowe's...and we have a TV and computer set up for them in there with the rest of their million and a half toys. They are sharing a bedroom, at their own insistence, bless their hearts. I already mentioned the bunk bed fiasco and won't beat that one dead, except to say that I'm terribly bothered by their room being so unfinished, even if it's only been a week. As a huge fan of the open concept floor plan, I wouldn't even look at homes without it, envisioning our boys in the family room watching WonderPets or Spongebob while I roll sheets of homemade pasta in my new kitchen (small hyperbole). So, my strategy for furnishing our much larger home has been strategic, based on my expectations of how our family (especially the boys) would function in the new house. Well. I guess AJ and Adam had different ideas.
They have fallen in love with the sunroom. Now, this is quite a room, I have to admit. It is a spacious, fully insulated, windowed room that gifts gorgeous views on all sides and lets all the south facing light in all day long. I stuck an old TV in there (you know, the one that has the built in DVD and VCR and weighs a half ton?) the first night so the boys could watch their DVDs. We put our old Kmart wicker chair and the boys' Ikea table and chairs in there... That's basically it. I thought, 'Oh, as soon as we get our TV and couch into the open concept family room, they will join me in my vision of comfort.' Well, now we have the couch, and a very nice flat screen (thanks mom and dad) all hooked up and ready in the family room. And the boys insist on going into the sunroom to watch their old DVDs on the old TV sitting on the old Kmart wicker chair and the Ikea kiddie table. Even in the chilly morning before the sun has warmed it, they insist. 'No, stay in here with mommy. Get in your snuggly spot on the couch! I'll turn on this fancy TV that has a better picture than anything we've ever seen..." But no, they want the sunroom. And the old TV and the old Kmart wicker chair and the Ikea kiddie table...
ho hum.
First Week in Indy
This blog "Becoming a Hoosier" will document our adventure in moving from Newburyport, Massachusetts to Zionsville, Indiana. Last November, shortly after discovering I was pregnant with baby #3, Anthony landed a promotion within his company that involved a move to the Mid-West. Everything happened lightening fast from then on. I stopped teaching at the end of January. The next two months were a total blur - selling our home, purchasing a new home in an area new to both of us, spending a week homeless (in a rental downtown Newburyport), then a week in Florida, then landing in Zionsville on Easter Sunday to an empty home. (Thank goodness for McD's and WalMart being open on holidays...) Whew!
So, we've been here in Zionsville, Indiana for just over a week. Already it feels like home! A quick update...
The move proved to be logistically challenging, but I impressed myself with organization skills I didn't know I possessed. The interim vacation to Sarasota, FL proved to be a smart thing (a life-saver, actually) - although on the plane to the sunshine state AJ kept asking to go to the new house. The boys have been troopers, but each seem to have their own insecurities about being somewhat unsettled. AJ didn't seem to like that we were in flux (in an apartment downtown Newburyport for a week, then on vacation...all the while waiting to arrive to our new home). Adam could've slept in a cardboard box during the transition, but now that we're here he's asked to go home - "to the yellow house" more than once! :( He also Christened our whirlpool tub with a man-turd the first night we arrived. Welcome home! I had all my hopes hinged on their bunk beds arriving in time to help ease the transition. Don't ever buy online! The beds arrived over a week late, with a part missing. They are still sleeping on a mattress on the floor, surrounded by planks of wood. Thankfully, it bothers me more than it seems to bother them.
We found a small piece of paradise here. There is a cow, some ponies and a donkey beyond the fence of our home - and rolling hills dotted with several pretty trees. The weather has really welcomed us and I keep looking out in amazement that this is our home! Needless to say, I like it! Our neighborhood is ideal, complete with ideal neighbors! We are flanked by 5 year old boys! Since the weather has been so warm (many days in the 80's) - both AJ and Adam have spent a lot of time out in the yard(s). One of the moms next door is a former elementary school teacher and she was so nice I had to give her a hug after five minutes of conversing. (I guess she made me feel like second grade again) Both neighbors have play-yards and insisted we don't get one ourselves but let our boys run from yard to yard together. So nice!
On the social front, our social network has so far consisted of the designer from the furniture store, the landscaper, the cable guy (ugh!), the painter, and the sales clerk at Target. JK - Actually we already have an invitation to a party in the neighborhood for later this month (I have to cook Caribbean - any suggestions?)
I had my first prenatal appointment last week, which really put me at ease. I learned yesterday I will be delivering in the same hospital where Kendra delivered little Hank Jr! LOL
Yesterday was my first MOPS meeting (Moms of Preschoolers). It was great! I met some really friendly ladies and the childcare was outstanding! AJ went outside to see some visiting farm animals and plant some lettuce in the garden - while I made a scrapbook out of paper bags (who knew)! It will become my "Moving to Indiana" scrapbook...Now to print some pics.
More to come!
So, we've been here in Zionsville, Indiana for just over a week. Already it feels like home! A quick update...
The move proved to be logistically challenging, but I impressed myself with organization skills I didn't know I possessed. The interim vacation to Sarasota, FL proved to be a smart thing (a life-saver, actually) - although on the plane to the sunshine state AJ kept asking to go to the new house. The boys have been troopers, but each seem to have their own insecurities about being somewhat unsettled. AJ didn't seem to like that we were in flux (in an apartment downtown Newburyport for a week, then on vacation...all the while waiting to arrive to our new home). Adam could've slept in a cardboard box during the transition, but now that we're here he's asked to go home - "to the yellow house" more than once! :( He also Christened our whirlpool tub with a man-turd the first night we arrived. Welcome home! I had all my hopes hinged on their bunk beds arriving in time to help ease the transition. Don't ever buy online! The beds arrived over a week late, with a part missing. They are still sleeping on a mattress on the floor, surrounded by planks of wood. Thankfully, it bothers me more than it seems to bother them.
We found a small piece of paradise here. There is a cow, some ponies and a donkey beyond the fence of our home - and rolling hills dotted with several pretty trees. The weather has really welcomed us and I keep looking out in amazement that this is our home! Needless to say, I like it! Our neighborhood is ideal, complete with ideal neighbors! We are flanked by 5 year old boys! Since the weather has been so warm (many days in the 80's) - both AJ and Adam have spent a lot of time out in the yard(s). One of the moms next door is a former elementary school teacher and she was so nice I had to give her a hug after five minutes of conversing. (I guess she made me feel like second grade again) Both neighbors have play-yards and insisted we don't get one ourselves but let our boys run from yard to yard together. So nice!
On the social front, our social network has so far consisted of the designer from the furniture store, the landscaper, the cable guy (ugh!), the painter, and the sales clerk at Target. JK - Actually we already have an invitation to a party in the neighborhood for later this month (I have to cook Caribbean - any suggestions?)
I had my first prenatal appointment last week, which really put me at ease. I learned yesterday I will be delivering in the same hospital where Kendra delivered little Hank Jr! LOL
Yesterday was my first MOPS meeting (Moms of Preschoolers). It was great! I met some really friendly ladies and the childcare was outstanding! AJ went outside to see some visiting farm animals and plant some lettuce in the garden - while I made a scrapbook out of paper bags (who knew)! It will become my "Moving to Indiana" scrapbook...Now to print some pics.
More to come!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
