Little Polling Place on the Prairie

Yesterday, we voted at our quaint little township hall for the last time.  There were no lines, as usual, and the poll workers had a hard time finding my hyphenated name on the voter list, as usual.  Their average age seems to have dropped dramatically, however, as it appears they had a new recruit.  We will miss the simplicity and charm of voting in the H*artland.

Last Long-distance Visit to Grammy's

Since we were renting a car this time, we brought her car seat.  Putting it in the plane seat was a pain, but Don was pretty good at it by the time we got home.

Sarah loves to cook with Grammy.  Lasagne here...

and apple crisp here

Riding my old rocking horse (talk about built to last)

Carving pumpkins with Heshy (aka Auntie Heather), Sam, and Forrest

 

Checking for remaining seeds with a flash light

Her cow Jack-o'-lantern

Supervising some heavy equipment work with Dad and Uncle B

Uncle George running the backhoe

Experiencing H*rricane Sandy with Dad

Riding the moving walkway on the way home

Penguin on Parade

Sarah told me weeks ago that she wanted to be a penguin for Halloween.  Since I knew we'd be in M*ssachusetts right before and was feeling a bit overwhelmed with move details, I found a pattern for a costume online and enlisted my mom and sister's help pulling it together.  They took Sarah shopping to buy the materials and cut everything out while Don and I were househunting (thank you!).  We put it together for a trial run there, then were ready to roll when we got back home late the night before the big day.

She wore it to school on Wednesday and marched in the 4K and kindergarten parade around the hallways. 

We went tr*ck or tr*ating after dinner and hit a whopping three neighborhood houses.  She was plenty pleased with her small haul (as was I).  I wonder how many years she'll be satisfied with a low-key celebration.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

I have to end with a shot of her with the plastic teeth she got at school.  She wanted to wear them with her costume, but I convinced her that penguins don't have fangs.

Dream Home 2.0

We got back from M*ssachusetts Wednesday evening.  Although I had doubts about finding a home we'd love as much as our current one, I think we did it.  The new place is distinctly different from ours, but also quite similar.  It's as close to perfect as we could hope for, and we believe it was meant for us.

After starting with a search of western M*ss. and southern V*rmont and New H*mpshire, we had gradually focused in on an area within half an hour of my mom's.  Over the last two months, we thought we had seen all the online listings that might work for us. Then, a week or so before we left, I did one more search, with more flexible parameters, and came upon a charming little colonial (CLC) in the town where I spent my first eight years and where we were married 10 years ago.

We flew out on Wednesday with a list of five homes to see Friday (our realtor, Wanda, couldn't meet until then).  On the way to my mom's from the airport, we drove by the CLC and became more convinced that it should be ours.  We called Wanda that evening and asked her to let the sellers' agent know we were interested so they wouldn't accept an offer before we could see the inside.

Waiting for Friday was torture.  We drove by all the houses with my mom on Thursday, and none was as attractive in terms of location, appearance, and amenities as the CLC.  On Friday morning, we left Sarah with Grammy, met up with Wanda, and started down the list, leaving the best for last.  Our anticipation built throughout the morning, and, fortunately, we were not disappointed.

The house was built in 2000, a year after our current home, and has many of the same features, including an open floor plan, rec room in the basement, and bright, sunny rooms (not to mention central vac).  It is roughly half the size, however, which is a good thing.  It also has some nice touches like hardwood floors, hickory kitchen cabinets, and a wide staircase to the second floor.  And, it has an attached, two-car garage, a feature we had all but given up on having.

The setting is splendid.  It's on 1.7 acres, much of it wooded (with stonewalls running through) and has forested conservation land with hiking trails across the street.  The lot is steep and beautifully landscaped with native stone and plants (no need for our riding lawn mower).  It is much more private than our current yard.

Then there's the location, location, location.  My mom is 10 minutes away, and my sister and her family are 15.  It's a short walk to town, which boasts a recently updated library, market, restaurant/brewery, elementary school, and the country store where I worked as a teenager.  The "artistic, musical, and countercultural hub" (according to W*kipedia) of N*rthampton is also just 15 minutes down the road.

We drew up the offer in the driveway.  After a couple of counters (and two more tense days), we had a deal Sunday night.  Monday morning, we met the owners at the house for another look and to locate the property boundaries.  That's when we started to sense this was pre-ordained....

Peter and Michelle are probably in their 40s, with a three-year-old daughter from Eth*opia.  They are from M*nnesota and W*sconsin and love the outdoors.  They have chronicled the bird life on the property and nurtured the native plants.  When Peter remarked, "It's kind of like living in a tree house," it was uncanny, since Don and I have said the same about our current home many times.

We headed to the bank to apply for the mortgage, and that's when things got a little bumpy.  The bank with the best rates didn't have a mortgage officer on-site, but we were able to make an appointment with her at another location for that afternoon.  We headed home for lunch and soon got a call from her saying the bank was closing due to H*rricane Sandy, and she didn't have any time available Tuesday morning.  We were flying back to W*sconsin Tuesday afternoon, so that put us in a pickle.

She called back a little later, however, to say she'd had a cancellation and, as long as the bank was open Tuesday morning, she could meet us then.  We settled in to ride out the storm and see what the morning would bring.  When we went to bed that night, the wind was blowing like crazy, but we didn't lose power.  Tuesday dawned calm and clear for the most part, and we were able to get the mortgage application done before heading to the airport.  Our flights were even on schedule.

We've now begun the final countdown at our W*sconsin home -- 15 days until we say goodbye and head east.  There's still an element of uncertainty, as we need approval for rezoning this house to satisfy the buyers and an acceptable inspection report on the new house to proceed, but I have faith things will work out.  We'll spend a few weeks at my mom's, then move into the CLC in mid-December.  Looks as though I'll need a new blog title in 2013....

One Last Visit to the Farm

Emily, Omar, Sophia, and Lola the Grandpup visited last weekend.  The weather was beautiful, and we thoroughly enjoyed our last time together on the farm.

Don did a fish fry Friday evening, and we all ate our fill of n*rthern pike, w*lleye, and sunfish brought back from Lake W*nnie this summer.  Then we all watched Pin*cchio.  I am always amazed at how dark children's movies are.  I know it's supposed to help them sort out good and evil in a safe way, or something like that, but, really, turning naughty boys into donkeys???  I felt bad for the boys and insulted for donkeys.

On Saturday, the girls had gifts from Emily and Omar -- pens, paper, envelopes (!!), notecards, and stickers so they can be pen pals after we move.  They were a big hit (and very thoughtful).

We headed to Tr*mpealeau N*tional W*ldlife Refuge for some hiking and birdwatching before lunch.  It was a spectacular day to be on "Am*rica's Flyway."  We will miss the tremendous natural resources in this area.

After lunch, it was time to frost cupcakes that we'd made in the morning...

...then spend some time in the yard.

It was a treat watching Sarah and her niece ("Mom, I'm not Sophia's friend; I'm her aunt."), as always.  They are so sweet together.  Sarah handled Sophia playing with her things much better than in the past (although she did stash some toys beforehand).  She was well behaved and polite the whole time, except for bedtime.  Once she was alone with me, it was as if a switch flipped, and she instantly became defiant.  I think she had reached her limit of emotional control and needed to unload.  I handled it better than in the past, I think, and we avoided a meltdown.  We both continue to grow.

Luckily, this wasn't really goodbye yet.  We will spend our last night in Wisconsin at Emily, Omar, and Sophia's house on Nov. 17 as we start our move east.  No doubt some tears will be shed then.

Finally, a funny story to tell on myself:  The carbon monoxide detector malfunctioned and started wailing Saturday morning after breakfast.  The noise was ear-splitting, so I quickly unplugged it and looked to see how to disable it.  Below the flashing light were the words "Move to fresh air," so I rushed it out the door and left it on the deck still blaring.  Don and Omar showed up then and went out to remove the battery to stop it.  When he came back in, Don said gently, "I think 'Move to fresh air' means get yourself outside, not the detector."  I'm afraid the last few weeks have left me a bit dim-witted.

A Couple of Mama Firsts

Wednesday was my first (and, sadly, probably last) day volunteering at Sarah's school.  She was excited to have me there, as were the other kids.  What a wonderful age 4 is!  I was impressed that she went about her business without being too distracted by my presence.  Every 10 minutes or so, she would come over to ask, "How are you doing, Mom?"  It was fun to watch her interact with the other kids and her teacher.

The class happily posed for a group shot for me, then found their spots for the morning meeting.

The kids had to go up and write the number 3 on the paper.  The first drew it backwards, and each one after that seemed to copy it.  I sat in the back silently pulling for Sarah to break the streak, and she did!  She made a beautiful, forward 3.

After morning meeting, they had to pick partners and dance to "Hello Neighbor."  Sarah chose her friend, "Adam Bell." [There are two "Adams" in the class, and Sarah often talks about playing with "Adam Bell."] She sings this song at home, and Don and I have struggled to understand the line where she shimmies. The closest we could get was "bugging on down," and she swore that was right. Turns out, it's "boogey on down." Of course -- we should have gotten that.

Next, it was time for "centers," where the kids get to choose what activities they do and circulate among stations at their discretion.  Each has a clothes pin with his/her name on it, and each station has a sign with a certain number of dots, indicating how many kids can be there at once.  The kids clip their clothes pins on the dots.  I was amazed at how orderly and well behaved the class was.  After only 26 days of class, the 18 kids had their routine down and conducted themselves with very few disagreements. 

I told Sarah that I would be leaving after "centers," so that she wouldn't be caught off-guard.  The moment her teacher announced the next activity, she found her place on the carpet and sternly told me to leave.  I stopped to chat with the teacher for a minute, and she repeated, "Go, Mom, go."  I talked her into one more shot of her and her teacher, then took my leave.

Thursday afternoon was my first parent-teacher conference.  Sarah got a glowing report, of course.  Her teacher gushed about how sweet, bright, and cooperative she is, and how she comforts the other kids when they're upset about something.  Art is her favorite "center," and she also loves to play with the blocks and trucks (you go, girl!).  She has adjusted to school beautifully, and I couldn't be prouder of her.