April 2017

This is why we chose this neighborhood:  With the spring weather and extended sunlight, the littles have all come out and they are ready to play.  We have a tumble of riding toys piled up in our tight garage space, but I fight Tag every time he tries to give any of them away, because I knew this day would come. There were 8-10 littles riding and running and laughing up and down our sidewalk, a full Norman Rockwell parade of 'em, and my two were in the thick of it having an absolute ball.

My job is tough. It steals more from me than it should. There are days when I wish I could just give up and walk away. But this place, this beautiful little city, these rolling mountains, this great neighborhood, and this amazing house we've invested in -- they are good reason to keep going and to work to stay.  My kids are settling in. They are liking it here, making friends, making memories, getting comfortable. The thought of leaving makes me ache in the pit of my stomach.  So I fight the urge and keep on keeping on.

We took a deliberate spring break this year - both Tag and I taking time away from work so we could all get away somewhere together.  And we don't have to go far to find fun stuff to do - we drove a mere 2-3 hours east and found the ocean and some fun spots to stop off and explore history. Virginia Beach is quiet before the summer season, but the sun was warm and the kids busied themselves for hours in the sand, begging to stay longer even when it got chilly.  Evey is such a water maid. She becomes so intent digging and building, splashing and dancing along the water, all by herself. And the sun loves her hair and her skin. It's like she gets supercharged with light and joy.  Emerson ran up and down the beach on his strong little legs, chasing sea gulls and escaping the rolling tide.  Both of them LOVE hotels and they always fall in love with their room and the breakfast area (they love serving themselves from the endless breakfast selection). This trip was no exception, and the added bonus was they got to go swimming in heated pools. Two thumbs up from these two.

School continues to be a source of amazement for me and Tag. Emerson is just in love with his classroom, his teachers, his friends (they play versions of Superman on the playground, taking out "bad guys" who do "bad things" because they are all "good guys").  He has such an ability to focus and sort things out. We did a 4 year old level puzzle together the other day and I was working very hard not to dictate his process, and I was really impressed by his ability to work the pieces, trying all angles to make the right fit and not giving up or getting at all frustrated. He was pretty satisfied when he finished it, making a quiet "yes!" to himself as he settled the last piece. Such a beautiful thing to watch.  Evelyn is doing times tables and division (!) and reading like a fiend with comprehension that blows my mind. She loves Ecology the most these days, and the discovery process of how things live and grow.  We went to Lowe's the other weekend to buy flowers for some flower pots to decorate the porch, and Ev wanted to (of course) do her own pots - so as I hunted for flowers, I kept waiting for her to make her selections, but she asked where the seeds were. So she carefully selected her packet of seeds (cosmos again - an old favorite) and planted them with Emerson in a pot on the back deck.  They're sprouting nicely, and I know it's because she checks it diligently each day and waters it carefully.  I hope it's a huge riot of bright blooms for her before it's all done.

These blossoming children are so beautiful, so loving. What an amazing time this is.