Private Nook

We have been busy preparing for the move, running to Indiana and back, enjoying the Kentucky Derby, getting work done on the house and a myriad of other things. We started the month with the house purchase, SX went off to upstate NY to build a treehouse at Angry Orchard and came back to manage new house projects…like MOWING THE GIGANTIC LAWN! and other random issues (fridge seal, ordering billions of gallons of paint, septic updates, etc etc etc). Uncle Kris has been intermittently down to help- which Hagan LOVES. We took a small moment to celebrate the Kentucky Derby (and by we I mean Hagan and I) with a work friend who is from Kentucky… ate lots and gawked at the elaborate hat costumes. Then we flew down the highway to Indiana to gather family furniture as contents of the lake house were emptied. We got back and SX took off for another brief treehouse adventure in Kentucky. He will be back shortly to start MOAR house work! In other news, Hagan and I have been exploring new daycare centers and think we have it all narrowed down. New life, here we come.

A long awaited update… I was procrastinating a bit because I was waiting for confirmation but now I can tell the world that we are buying a house. We were gifted some family monies and we chose to purchase a house with SX brother and wife in New Jersey. It is on a very private drive, almost completely off grid, 6.5 acres abutting a huge nature preserve with (I’m told) great fishing. We will be taking possession later this month and moving at the end of June so that we can do some work on it first. There are pix below of the house and parklands behind. We basically have one neighbor…it feels very isolated despite being only a mile from a major highway…and very close to the darling town of Clinton.

We just got back from visiting the Treehousers on location in upstate NY at the Angry Orchard Brewery. A brief but fun visit. One of my coworkers met up with us there and we hung out while the workers worked.

The previous weekend was a lovely visit with longtime bestie, Jerret. He came out and stayed with us and we took him up to Times Square and saw a Star Wars costume exhibit.

It’s been quite the whirlwind of activity leading up to Easter and beyond- it’s turning into quite a monumental year. I look forward to showing more pix of our home and extended family.

There were more viruses…and now the Treehouser is in Houston. After working from home several days, everything *seems* back to normal. I am really hoping we are over the hump of the winter yuck…it has been in the 60’s after all. Even though I’m told we are getting snow on Sunday?????

Anyway, we are running solo and enjoying each other. He dressed in green for Patty’s day and has been practicing easter fun at school. I can honestly say that between his new school program he is not able to nap as well as before which means a shorter night for us in the eve. It typically means I can do stuff like this…so nice.

I am getting prepared for easter and making a little something for a baby shower but other than that, i am just trying to keep up on chores and take care of the cute guy before i fall asleep every night around 9. Super party house over here!

I hesitate to say that I spent another weekend on the couch…but that’s exactly what happened. So sad given the beautiful spring sunshine and warmer temps. Hagan has been super sweet, checking in every time I cough or sneeze. So, hopefully the virus, ruptured ear drum and root canal can all go to hell and spring can finally arrive.

Hagan just started a new program yesterday with the local preschool to advance his language and POTTY TRAINING schedules. WE could NOT be more thrilled for the help. He will still be at his current daycare while being bussed to and from the preschool during the morning hours until noon. I can already tell in two days that he is loving the individualized attention and smaller class size that he’s getting from the new school.

The trees are all a bud and the daffodil leaves have popped out…at least that’s what I think they are… and so with Spring in the air, the treehouser is finally employed again and will be off for nearly the whole month of March. The easter bunny will likely take his place and the spoiling of the boy will ensue…

We passed around the viruses through the house such that it wasn’t until last weekend that we really felt up to much more than a couch lounge. SX and I were really excited because our daycare holds occasional date-nights that we so far have been unable to utilize due to travel schedules. So, last Friday we were set to have some alone time for the first time in…?

On my way out the door for our dinner, I foolishly checked my email and found that our landlord is entertaining an offer from a developer which may lead to an eventual sale. So, our date night ended up being a discussion about

1. Where should we move?
2. Sadness about 14 acres of beautiful wooded animal habitat going away to fit 10 houses

While we did appreciate being Hagan-free to discuss such big topics, it wasn’t exactly the date-night we had in mind.

We then grabbed Hagan and proceeded to enjoy the rest of the weekend…which promptly fell apart and poor Hagan ended up on the couch again with a tummy bug.

We basically made more cookies and got Hagan hooked on puzzles when he was finally up and about.

Everything was back to normal just in time for the Tuesday work slog… ah well…. perhaps next weekend we can drum up some out of the house fun times.

The snowstorm came along with a sluggish and fevery toddler. We snuggled in for three days watching loads of movies. The Treehouser came home just in time to switch places with me as Hagans nurse. We finally got him some meds for an ear infection. He is now doing great! Then I came down with a cold and was sluggish all last weekend… I can say that I am definitely tired of being stuck to the inside of that house although I did manage cookies, crafts, chocolate truffle making and a venture out back to watch Datty and Hagan sled on some construction hills next door.. So, there was some fun being had…

I’ve been incredibly busy at work and SX just took off for treehousing and the Hag is going strong at PreK. It’s already as though the holiday fattening was a distant memory. I was lamenting over the fact that I was already burned out after two weeks of work and how could that be?!? When my coworker reminded me of the long weekend… Basically we spent the weekend hosting a neighborly pizza party followed by a lot of lounging. So, I’m feeling a bit more perky but am also looking forward to the upcoming snowstorm for more lounging and perhaps cookie baking and decorating…

We had a wonderful time in Seattle over the Christmas holiday. We stuffed coffee, sushi and Seattle wanderings throughout the visit- I can barely remember what order it wall went down in…We started of with CB and Mikee who were gracious enough to host a small gathering with my bestie Annie and Patti…of course, Marlene and Roger and Andrea and Charlie crashed the party for dessert! Then, we went near Bellingham overlooking Lumi Island to a rental house where we went all Loopy with family eating amazing foods, cookies, MEAT and wine. After what we decided to call ‘The Fattening’, we went the Treehouse Point Holiday party to party down with the Treehousers… and then finally made it to Vashon Island to hang with the Yunkers for a few days. It was a very relaxing time in the beautiful island setting although we did leave for an afternoon to do lunch with our lovely doula/fairy godmother, Whitney and dinner with the Baxter family. AND THEN we went back to the mainland to spend Christmas with the Barnes family which included park fun, dirty youtube videos and LOTS of cake, cookies, chocolate and laughs. (pix of handmade gifties below) We all celebrated Christmas dinner at Palomino’s with Francis. Finally, we spent the last couple days at Marlene and Rogers house (which included another Loopy celebration with MOAR food and delicious booze) even though we escaped briefly to dine with the Walters family and catch Star Wars with the Barnes Love at the Cinema- quite the holiday! We were ready but sad to go.

We arrived to a quiet house only to have Kris and Tiff arrive days later to celebrate New Years and Kris’s Birthday together. We played legos, walked through parks and generally had a nice, relaxing hang out/catch up. It’s been quite a vacation.

I am kind of, sort of ready to go back to work…

We have been prepping for the long holiday and getting overly excited for family faces! The weekend before last, we went to philly for a visit with Auntie Hayles and Seattle Tara. The philly Christmas town was in full swing even with the strangely warm temperatures. There was music, mulled wine and Indian food. The work week included two holiday parties (and interesting sweets) and not much work while the boys enjoyed a trip to the science center. The Treehouser flew out to Seattle for a one day shoot for the show that went late into the early morning. He was so pooped, he slept all the way home. This weekend I finished up some crafts while the boys went to the library for a touch of Star Wars fun and we had a surprise visit from Santa right outside our house!!! Sunday, we all went for a walk at Dukes farm and then I concluded the weekend with a trip back to philly to catch up with my girls before the holiday ramps up.