My New Home in Cyberspace

Now that we're fairly settled in New Engl*nd, it's time to move to a new blog.  After all, we're no longer a family on five acres.  From here on out, I'll be writing at http://cozylittlecolonial.blogspot.com.  I hope you'll join me there.

Christmas in New Engl*nd

On Christmas Eve, we went to the Ch*sterfield Congregational Church for the 4:00 p.m. family service.  The kids put on a pageant about the story of Jesus' birth, which was quite entertaining, I thought.  Sarah, on the other hand, was rather disappointed and antsy throughout.  I had made the mistake of telling her there would be a "show."  The shows she's seen before are S*same Street Live and a stage version of Ang*lina Ballerina, so this didn't measure up.  Oops.

After church, Grammy came for dinner, and Don made fisherman's stew, which was heavenly.  Sarah opened her gifts from her big sisters and their families, then headed to bed.  This was the first year she really understood how Santa works, and she had a hard time getting to sleep.  She awoke in the middle of the night, and I ended up sleeping with her so she could get back to sleep.

My Christmas Eve princess (she called this her "princess dress")

Sarah and Mom before church (with Cadi sneaking in from the side)

She looks like such a big girl here (maybe it's the small tree)!

Sarah and Grammy waiting for dinner (I think Sarah looks grown up here, as well)

A box full of fun from Emily, Omar, and Sophia

A Hello K*tty game from Rachel and Matt

We got up around 7:00 on Christmas morning, and Sarah headed right for her stocking.  Although Santa had carefully chosen the small gifts inside (and some were rather pricey), her favorite was the hand sanitizer.  She was pretty excited about the big box of L*gos, too.  She also got a plastic file box with hanging folders, which I thought she'd really like, but it wasn't a hit.

We opened our gifts after breakfast.  Her "big" gift from Mom and Dad was a fancy princess dress to play in.  She was much more excited about the electric toothbrush (like Mom's), and most thrilled with her roll of paper towels, however.  Not your typical little girl, this one.  (Of course, I received an iP*d Mini from my generous husband and refused to open it because I thought it was frivolous, so I guess I shouldn't talk.)

We enjoyed a low-key holiday at our new home.  Don cooked a small turkey for the three of us, and we explored the yard a bit after dinner.  Grammy stopped by late in the afternoon to see Sarah's gifts.

This year's handmade ornament from Grandma was a stunner.

 

Our big family celebration was at Grammy's the next day.  Sarah was super excited to be with her family, as always.  Of course, she got tons more gifts, including D*sney Princess pretend nail polish (it washes off) in five colors in her stocking (Santa visits Grammy's and stuffs stockings for everyone).  She also got the toy cash register that she'd asked Grammy for.  Wouldn't you know it, it didn't work!  We're waiting for the replacement (I think she's forgotten about it, so it will exciting all over again).

When we were done opening gifts, it was time to haul the huge, oak dining table from the front hall to the living room for dinner.  This is Don's favorite holiday tradition.  ;)  It builds an appetite and makes for a cozy family meal (especially for whoever's sitting right in front of the wood stove).  Sarah said grace at dinner: "Thank you, God, for being with Mom's family and my family."  I couldn't have said it better.

Helping Heshy (aka Auntie Heather) open a gift (a photo of the two of them)

Watching Cousin Sam open his present

Painting her nails

Painting Auntie Chelsey's nails (and this was before we knew it washed off!) while Cousin Kelley watches

The whole family (minus the photographer, of course) about to enjoy dinner in the living room (Uncle Brian's got the hot seat)

Christmas didn't end there, however.  The next day, a package arrived from Big Brother Reid -- more L*gos!  Sarah just loves them, and she's good at following the diagrams to build things.  Maybe she'll be an engineer like her two uncles.

Celebrating

We are mostly settled in our new home (if you don't count the boxes in the basement) -- just in time for Christmas.  We've had lots to celebrate the last few weeks.

Sarah and Dad cutting our tree (which somehow ended up being very small)

Sarah making a graham cracker house at Grammy's

Our first dinner at our new home with Grammy

Uncle George makes a wish at his birthday party

Sarah helps blow out the candles

Sarah and Auntie Chelsey

Sophie and Cadi comfy in their new home

Making sugar cookies -- Sarah did her own frosting this year

Sarah is VERY excited about her presents and Santa this year.

A little tree for our little house

 

Sarah and Mom making peanut blossoms

The tree and Sarah's stocking waiting for Santa

P.O.'d

One of the things I love about our new home is the address.  It's a geographical name that goes back to the 18th century.  It adds to the charm and nostalgia of moving back to New Engl*nd for me, and, as R*chel Cars*n would say, bestows a sense of place on our little house.

We've been driving past the house every now and then, as we wait impatiently to occupy it, and, a couple of weeks ago, we noticed there isn't a mailbox.  In fact, the neighbors don't have boxes, either.  We wondered if there was some rule about mail delivery to homes close to the post office (we're about 1/3 mile away).

Don stopped by the little brick building at the foot of our hill to investigate and learned that, indeed, there's no delivery to our home.  The reason is a little vague.  One of the employees thought it was because the hill can be slippery in winter.  Really???  Whatever happened to "neither snow, nor rain, etc."?  As a consolation prize, we get a free post office box.  Oh, and mail sent to our street address will be returned as undeliverable.  End of discussion.

I really don't mind going to the post office to pick up the mail.  After all, it's a short walk (albeit a steep climb on the way back), and it's on the way to anywhere else we might go.  Visiting the post office every day is a good way to get to know people.  It's just that a p.o. box lacks character and, well, hominess.  It makes me feel like I'm in college again.

On the bright side, it's one fewer thing to spell when giving our address.  Having spent the last 10 years spelling my first name, last name, street name, and town name for anyone wanting to send me something, that doesn't sound too bad.  I said I wanted to simplify, didn't I? 

That doesn't mean we're done with the issue, though.  Don drove our road again and noticed that the houses a bit uphill from us have mailboxes.  Hmmm....  We'll let things slide (so to speak) for now, but once the holidays are over and the postal employees are less stressed, we plan to address the situation once more.  (Ba-dum-pum.)

A Girl of Simple Tastes

At dinner Saturday night, I mentioned that I was going Christmas shopping this afternoon.  Sarah asked if she could come, and I said, "No, I'm shopping for you."  She, of course, responded, "What are you getting me?"  When I said I wouldn't tell her, she proceeded to guess...and wouldn't give up. 

After about five minutes, I'd had enough, so when she said, "Paper towels?"  I said, "Yes!!"  You should have seen the look of self-satisfaction on her face.  She was so pleased that she finally guessed correctly.  She paraded around the house, singing, "I'm getting paper towels!  I'm getting paper towels!" and she's still talking about it. 

Fortunately, T*rget had a good supply, and I didn't even have to fight off the other moms.  Apparently, other four-year-olds aren't as taken with paper products as mine is.  I figure a roll of toilet paper and a box of tissues, and I can cross her name off my list.

A Different Kind of Thanksgiving

It was just the three of us and Grammy on Thanksgiving Day this year, so we decided to eat out for the first time ever.  We went to an old inn and tavern that happens to be just down the hill from our new house.  The meal was terribly nontraditional -- I had haddock and everyone else had prime rib -- but delicious.  We shared a huge piece of triple chocolate cake for dessert and called it good.  (Mom cooked turkey with all the trimmings on Saturday, when the H*ntleys joined us.)