Adventure 2009: We're Finally Moving!

It's the little things.

We took our girls to our new home site today. I do wish it were a glorious house with a clay tile roof, lots of sunlight, marvelous landscaping, solar panels, a gourmet kitchen, extra bedrooms for guests, a vegetable and herb garden and on and on... It's not. Not yet anyway. We have finally made that tough grown-up decision and are downsizing (tremendously). We're moving into a two bedroom apartment. Neither one of us has really ever experienced true apartment living. I had an apartment for five months when I was single. That's about it. Nathan lived in an apartment with a roommate but had no neighbors and no one living above or below him. It'll change things when people are above and below.

Anyway, so we Mitchells embark on a new crazy adventure. I'm extremely excited and a bit overwhelmed with the quantity of STUFF we have accumulated over the years that I now have the privilege of donating to someone else who can find a good use for it. We've been using HOPE (http://www.hopeservices.org/) which has been a huge blessing to us!

We took the girls to our new home today to see the grounds, see their room and take note of the pool and hot tub. They were sold as soon as they plunged their hands into the hot tub. And plunge they did! Mateja is convinced this is a MUCH better location than Santana Row (which we had considered as a future home) and is thrilled that we are moving here. Hallelujah!

We are all thrilled. And we're saving a bundle (hello!) so we decided that we ought to buy some new furniture! So that's the next part of our adventure.

Almost five years worth of compassion

So, Wednesday’s the girls and I leave the house @ 9am to head to the church. We arrive by 9:30 to unload the car of ourselves, our belongings & my gear (guitar, guitar stand, music bag & binder, purse & starbucks tumbler full of hot tea - gotta have a hot beverage!) and head up the concrete stairs to get our day going. The girls run around the multi-purpose room looking for their little friend Nathan. He gets there with his mom & her gear @ 9:30 too.

The kids usually head off the kids' area with a childcare worker by 10am. I'm on the platform from "go" setting up and tuning and sound checking and whatnot. Then we have our gig (HA), I mean, meeting. We're done by 12:30pm and out the door with my gear and my kids and any of their gear that they happened to sneak into the building (hopefully we get their gear). I'm usually a stickler when it comes to the girls and their gear. I don't allow anything into the building because inevitably it gets left behind in the room they've been playing in all morning. And honestly, as long as I have the kids in tow and my car keys, purse and guitar I don't notice much else.

So that's the set up for today's story about the girls, here's the account:

It’s now 12:45pm. We’re in the car journeying down the road. Ari begins whimpering about her kitty. She took it into the building. And there it sits. The whimper gains momentum. She is now crying full throttle. Tears and snot and excess slobber. I’m such a great mom; I begin with my rant about “too bad, you took it into the church. We’re not turning around. We’ll get it later. You have to learn…” I’m ranting. Loudly. And then I turn the music on to calm myself and drown out the wailing child (as if additional noise is going to accomplish these objectives). This is when the compassion of a four year old (who is nearly five) rises above the noise using an empathetic, quiet voice. She reaches for her sister’s slimy hand and holds it in embrace. I’m so sorry you left your kitty. I know it makes you feel sad. If I left my kitty I would feel just like you do. But it’s OK, Arielle; we will get your kitty next time. OK, honey? Don’t be too sad. Your kitty is OK.
And just like that, the wailing is squelched, the snot clears, the tears are wiped away. Kitty is safe. Ari is happy. Girls are holding hands. Mom is smiling and embarrassed. Oh kindness, compassion, empathy ~ do find your way towards me too, even if you're only five years old...

Escape Artist (Part 2)

So today... I pick Ari up from school. I walk in through the front door into the short hallway reserved for student jackets and file folders and there, blocking my entrance from the hallway to the rest of the school is: a gate. A brand new gate. I started cracking up just in time for the school's director to round the corner, catch my eye and groan. "She's killing us!" the director wailed. I responded, still laughing, "She's not killingyou. I'm just glad someone else gets to share in the joy of my child with me!" "She's wet. Soaking wet. She got out again today & headed straight for the puddles. I don't know if she saw it out the window or something, but she headed straight for the water. So... she doesn't have any shoes on right now. But I ran straight over to Home Depot and bought a gate and installed it right away. It's not going to work for us though because the kids can't get into the hallway to put their papers in their folders or get their jackets from the rack. So... we're getting a lock for the front door that locks only on the inside and that can only be opened with a code!" The director was wide-eyed. With a smile on my face and in my voice I asked, "And all this is because of my child?" "Yes! And we're charging you double for her!"

Of course our banter back and forth was light-hearted and playful. I am absolutely getting a KICK out of this. Obviously the director of the school isn't quite as pleased with the situation but we are great friends so I'm looking at this with a very positive attitude. Thankfully all of this escaping is happening with my child and not someone else who might not think it was as amusing. This is simply helping the school take further precautions for a future student who may wander further than my own Ari.

I wonder if the lock on the door will be in place next week...

Escape Artist

So I picked Ari up from preschool today & her teacher says to me: "Keep working on her not touching the door (meaning door handle). She got out again today. We're thinking of getting a gate so she can't get to the door."

Internally, I think I'm cracking up. Cuz... that's my kid!!! Thank God Almighty they have the entire property fenced off so at least she was still @ the school. Although... that gate isn't very secure and if she can open their front door, well then, she could open the gate too if she wanted. Which proves that she doesn't really want to leave the premises. She just wants to be outside. Which is why I still have safety handles on my doors here at the house. She can't open them. Because if I didn't have them on the doors, she would try to open the doors here! And off she'd run. Don't the sidewalk (at least she knows to stay out of the street!)

She's only on week #3 (which means day five) at the school and has already escaped twice. Two outta five. Wowza!!! We'll keep telling her that the door handle is only for adults but... I mean, come on. I bet other kids open that door. They only do it when arriving or leaving with their parents, maybe? My kid is on the loose. Love her for that. Determined. "Free-spirited" Willing to push the limits.

Run Ari, run. Wait... no. I mean, don't touch the door handle! (God, help me rear this child!)

Blog Update Info

So you'll have to just stick it with me over the next few weeks. I'm trying to consolidate all the different family journals/blogs/letters as well as individual ones over the past couple of months. That to say: I'm going to post them all in these blogs which means there will be posts that start popping up from the past: days, weeks & months back. Be patient! I know I'm trying to be!!!

First Time @ Emma Prusch

Saturday was SUCH a full day. By 3pm I was exhausted. But that doesn't hold a mom back, generally speaking. I touted the kids to a new destination for us in order to meet a friend and her daughter for a "playdate" for our girls.



Emma Prusch Farm Park on the intersection of Story & King. Have you ever been there??? I'm adding it to my "list of things to do with your kids in the Bay Area that is free!" (Soon to be published.)



All the maps were pretty deceiving in finding the place, but... it DOES exist. And there are 40+ acres of it existing right off the 280 & King (well, right around there). And it's exactly what the name indicates: a farm. Plus. There's a large play structure and gobs of picnic tables. Lots of grass. Old farm equipment on display. Well you can see for yourself by visiting their site: http://www.pruschfarmpark.org/



I plan to take the girls back earlier in the day. They closed the barn @ 4pm. So we were too late to actually benefit from seeing the cows and sheep and goats and other animals really up close. My girls are animal nuts, so we've got to go back.


Here's an image of the three girls on some farm equipment.

Quote of the Day

So this afternoon we were eating fritos: delicious tasting chips that I never, ever buy because they are so very bad for one's body. Moments later Mateja began having adult-level flatulence (it's the PC term for you-know-what). This went on for a good thirty minutes. After having another loud bout of flatulence, Mateja stepped away from the bowl of fritos and said (and I quote): "It's official. These chips are NOT good for my body. They make me toot."

Everybody Smiling!

Today. What a DAY!

Our second child started preschool. I couldn't stop smiling. I don't think she could either. What excitement for her to embark into her sister's special world. Everything new! Other adults for her to ignore and run away from! Ha. Children other than her sister to push and scream with. Fun, fun, fun!!!

I suppose her smiles were for different reasons than mine. But essentially... we each got to experience our own new day. I looked ridiculous today. Guaranteed. Think: Alice in Wonderland, Chesire Cat. That was me. Ridiculous. I was in Target, pushing around a big empty red cart and just grinning from ear to ear. I wasn't on the phone. I wasn't talking to a soul. Not a single person. I wasn't even shopping! Just pushing around a big empty red cart and smiling at everybody. It was awesome. I think I eventually bought something.

I'm really looking forward to lots of smiling this year. Smiles from my girls. They love being at school. I love for them to be at school. Smiles from my husband (happy wife, happy life!) and smiles from the woman in the mirror.

Maybe I should consider whitening product... :)

New Year!

We arrived home from Texas. I was bummed that we missed my brother and his wife and their daughter. I don't get to see him often enough. He's so much fun to spend time with. We were home mid-morning so I was able to head home and begin the unpacking process right away. Because we laundered the majority of our clothing whilst in Texas I simply had to put clean clothing away. How wonderful! Shortly after beginning this task, a call came in from my sister. There had been a mix up with the purchase of Jared & Amber's flights. They were stuck in California until further notice. Yahoo! Well, it was a yahoo on my end, not so sure it was on theirs. At least not right away.

My New Year celebration was starting early. Jared, Amber & Maya made it back to our place with my sister. I am blessed. What can I say? The three of us siblings had a chance to spend sometime together. We laughed and chatted about the UN and the Nobel Peace Prize and other great things including dehydration. I felt filled. I got my brother-fix, so to speak.