First Impressions

We have moved to Chelsea, MI! A small town about 14 miles from Ann Arbor. And we adore it! I have too much to post about this move. But here are some first impressions of why I love our new area!

1) There are kids in the neighborhood. Lots of them! The trick is to find out when they play outside and go play!

2) I take a commuter bus to work. This makes me insanely happy! After a typical 40-45 minute commute one way for 8 years, to jump on a 20 minute bus that someone else drives? Brilliant! Plus, I get to carry a backpack and meet other commuters from my neighborhood. Score! And since there are only two busses in the morning and two at night, some bus commuters have known eachother for years! On the first day, two women exchanged muffins!

3) I am 1.1 miles away from a farmers market in town. We visited on Saturday. It wasn't booming but it existed! And they had live music and fabulous cookies. And corn! And fresh tomatoes!

4) Everyone is friendly. I can't get over it. It is the expectation to at least wave hello to our neighbors. And at least 5-6 have come by to welcome us to the state and the neighborhood. As two of them said, 'we are very neighborly here. I hope you feel welcome.'

5) I can walk to a co-op from my office. Two blocks away!

6) Chelsea is small but has one of everything. One CVS. One grocery store. I am so used to CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, etc. But really? Do you NEED more than one?

7) My office is so different from my previous office. It is the same company. Same job. Same colleagues.  But instead of working with over 300 in the building, we have 45 here.  The kitchen is like a little home. There are forks, knives, spoons, plates. It just feels like home.

8) I can run to town from my home following little paths. I ran into town last night- 1.3 miles. Cake!

9) I adore our house! The space! The floors! The light! The AC! The closets! Oh, the closets! This is by far the biggest home I've ever lived in. I'm still anxious about how much it may cost to heat and cool it but it is so new compared to our old home. And I just love the light! Not bad for buying it sight unseen!

10) Every Thursday through the summer, Chelsea has 'Sights and Sounds' which brings in local musicians from all over the area. The kids love it and so do we! The kids were mesmerized by a female drumming circle.

It is all so much smaller, more accessible, friendlier and more intentional. I feel 'green' taking the bus as opposed to driving my gas guzzling Buick. My days feel more intentional. I feel like I can make smarter choices with my commute, my meals. It is a new start!

Now if we can just turn those friendly neighbors into new friends, we'd be all set!

Driving Skills

Wyeth to Mom this week, "Mom! Do you HAVE to drive a car when you are an adult?"
Me: Nope. You don't HAVE to. You can ride the bus. Or walk. Or take a cab.
Wyeth: Ok. I just don't think I have the skills to do that! I really don't want to do that. I think I just need Webbie because I keep thinking of the fact that I need to drive and that scares me."

He rolls over and falls asleep.

I'm glad for now, he too finds it frightening to think about him driving....

More soon! We moved! INSANE spring! Much to tell!

The Process

Seren and I were doing the bedtime ritual two nights ago and she turns to me and says, "I'm not so sure I want to go through with the whole process."

What process?

"You know, the process of motherhood. It is kinda gross. I mean like when I was swimming around in your belly, I was probably looking up at your esophagus! That's gross."

--silence from me--

"And like then I had to come out your vagina! That is totally gross."

Ok, well parts of it are kinda gross. But you don't really have to decide now about being a mom.  Right?

"Right. But you know what else I was thinking? I was thinking about how weird it would be if I still nursed from you. And you still nursed from Grammy and Daddy still nursed from Grandma! I mean, poor DAD!! He would be SO dehydrated!"

--stunned look of 'what the hell are we talking about?' from me

"Mom! Grandma lives in Michigan! He would never get any milk! He would be SO dehydrated."

Oh, ok. Totally right. And yes, that would be TOTALLY weird.

-Seren age 7 going on 8

Life in Knots

There is a back story which I don't have time to write. It involves home selling. Home offers and disappointments. Life is going well but is full of twists and turns these days. Which is why I had to giggle when Wyeth called me today.

"Mom! When you get home can you untie the knots in my yo-yo string?"

First thing, buddy. That's the first thing I'll do.

Ready for Summer

Today Wyeth called me and said, "Mom. I want to go to Cape Cod and snuggle with you. I just want to go to Cape Cod again and eat ice cream and snuggle. You know, get all snuggly."
:)

I wore a new dress today. And after that snuggly comment he asks, "So, how is the dress?"

He is such a love bug.

Being five rocks.

Daily word

Wyeth called me today.

"If Seren and I were polar bears, we'd be on our own by now. The Momma only takes care of them for two and a half years. Then they just go off on thier own. And I don't know what the Daddy does. I don't think he does too much. Nope. So you'd be taking care of us more than the Daddy."

Life as a polar bear.

The buds

I love that these two fight but that they also snuggle.

May they always be buds!