Metal Meredith

Vivienne celebrates the big “2”

Phil and I aren’t sure how we will top this years’ present. After all, what could a better gift than a new house (or mooo house as Vivienne calls it?) We moved the morning of her birthday. She took it all quite well. But she had no real idea that the day was something special.

Vivienne spent the day playing in her new room and getting reacquainted with toys that had been packed away. She got a bunch of balloons, a play sushi set and some fridge magnets that sing “ABC song”. She was in heaven. Phil even left a meeting early to being her home some cake. She thought that was just great. In fact, “cake” is a request we hear every night now.

There will be another celebration when Vivienne’s great grandparents come to own in a couple of weeks. Grandpa’s birthday is July 4th, so we will do a nice joint shin-dig at the farm.

In all this I must take one moment to thank all of the people who helped us get through the move. Without your babysitting help, design and decorating insights, dishwashing and straightening, we never would have been able to pull this off. You all know who you are.

More updates to come once this house isn’t such a ransacked mess!

Love,
Meredith and clan

Or at least trying to...

I remember when I moved into my first apartment, how fun it was to wake up, make a cup of coffee and sit in my living room doing something “grown up” like reading the paper or watching the news. Drinking coffee always seemed to be such a grown up thing to do. I suppose it stems from the routine I saw my parents take on each morning. Every day the coffee would be brewed. Dad would read the paper and the Today show was always on in the bedroom as Mom got ready for work.

Now that Phil and I are moving into our second home, I am still having those goofy “grown up” images. When I think of how things might be in the new house, I see me waking up and going downstairs in a robe to make the coffee (a ritual that I never do now, its Phil’s thing.) I see family meals, me cooking in the kitchen while Phil entertains Vivienne in the living room. I see me doing things around the house while Vivienne is at school and Phil at work. These are all such average, common images.

As always, I am stressing about all that needs to be done. I trick myself into thinking that a painted bathroom will make my existence more exciting, relaxing or complete. When in reality, the more things like that I have to do when we move in, the happier I am. With that said, we have successfully painted a few rooms, had carpet installed, and received our new, super-fancy appliances. I have torn out a kitchen cabinet, relocated the fridge and starting the process of replacing the countertops.

In the grand scheme, 5 years down the road, there will be bigger projects to tackle. But for right now, I am looking forward to making that coffee in my robe.

We are moving this week, so hopefully I will be up and running (computer wise) by next weekend. Let’s all not hold our breath though!

Love!
Meredith, Phil and Vivienne