Settling In

So, here we are. All moved in, almost all unpacked, and... and... and, well, what now? No really, what now?


Well, we went to the kiddie fountain at the park yesterday and rediscovered Harvey's love of water. He ran through them with a fierceness that I have never witnessed in him before. Watching him made me wonder if he was somehow expressing his anxst at all of the changes that have taken place in his life as of late.


Norah is reacting to those changes as well, but in a very different. Hanging close to us at parks and agonizing when I leave the house even for a moment. We are getting through it and we will fall in love with our new city. For now, we are taking it moment to moment.

The West

Our long trek across the country has come to an end. Yellowstone was the definitive highlight of the trip. Bison, Elk, waterfalls, swimmable hot springs, non-swimmable hot springs, all around awe-inspiring beauty.















In South Dakota, we got to take a good look at the absurd with the carving of presidential heads into rock at Mt. Rushmore and the very salt of the earth tourists that it attracts.












What may stand out the most though are images from Small Town, USA across the country. Images like this








and this









and this




What a place we live in. What a beautiful place.

Back By Popular Demand

or...by...err... by the demand of Suzanne.

The Middle of America is one of the strangest places I have ever been.

Giant Statues of the Jolly Green Giant

Other Giant Statues

Abandoned prairie houses to explore

and rolling grassland that stretches far far away from you.











Back tomorrow with South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.

Blogging Vacation

Will be back once we get to the west side.

Breathe In..., Breathe Out...

It is going to be ok. Norah is not going to have another 3 hour tantrum tomorrow. Tomorrow we don't have to go back to Sloan Kettering. Stormy is going to be recovering well from her little surgery tomorrow. Brian is going to be here tomorrow. We don't have to move tomorrow. I am going to be well-rested tomorrow. We are going to be ok... tomorrow.

And if tomorrow is still something like today, well then there is still this

and this









and, well, even this

Summer Days

I am going to miss the seasons when we leave the Northeast. I mean, I really love the summer. I love the year long summer in Texas but I think I may even love the Northeast summer more. Why? Probably because it takes so long to get here, teases you a few times before it arrives, then makes you pay for it in January, February, and March. We have been outside a lot lately.

Yesterday, we went to the Essex County Environmental Center. I have been meaning to take the kids there for months, and one particularly bad morning spurred us into action. It was worth the trip. We took a little walk in the woods, met a little turtle, and saw some fish. Harvey went into his stupor, moved to a trance-like state by the great outdoors. We made some "ravioli" (Norah's word for granola), yogurt and honey with some bark and twigs, we sat quietly waiting for the deer to come, we whined to be picked up and then we went home because this mama can not carry two babies through the woods

Frenchie Pants

I want them. IwantthemIwantthemIwantthem. If I get and wear them while riding a bicycle in Portland will I somehow become French. Maybe if the bike has a basket and I have a bagguette hanging out of said basket??? Why is it that anything with the "French" designation is automatically more stylish, better tasting, and more desirable.

I have really tried to embrace the art of simple living in the past couple of years, and I have been successful in some areas of my life. We eat mostly whole foods at home, I grew some of our food last year, I rarely buy anything except for... well here is where we get to the crux of the matter... except for clothes. I get so much enjoyment out of going to my favorite small or large clothing stores and finding beautiful things to wear. There is something so satisfying about it to me? Retail therapy?? Nah, just good old fashioned fun.