In Laws In Town (or "Back to the Blog")

It's always good to have an excuse for resolutions.

Over the course of our transition I have nearly abandoned the practice of writing. Each day has been about getting from one crepuscular moment to the next and tending to only the most immediate demands. However, when we left New England, and when my brother moved with his family to Old England, I vowed to be more diligent about recording the mundane details of our lives in this space, with the hope that family and friends afar might continue to care. My own parents (for whom this blog was started) now see us more often than anyone else we know, but often it's just for a moment to pass the kids off or exchange details about next week's Granny Nanny schedule.

Oma and Pop Pop, who now live 10 hours away and whom we have not seen since August, are visiting this weekend. I have been feeling guilty about neglecting the blog after moving so far away. So I am resolving now to return to it with fidelity. Once a week. Regardless of how little happens.

It was a stunning fall weekend. Warm, sunny, crisp. The kind of weather I associate with my birthday (next Thursday) and which makes me love this season so. If we were in New Hampshire we would be hiking mountains and melting over the peak foliage, picking apples at the local orchard and making our own apple sauce. Well, we no longer live in New England, but we made the most of our surroundings by hanging out in the yard, walking through the National Arboretum, and wandering through our neighborhood on the annual "Interesting Home Tour." The cider and apples at our local Coop are even comparable to Carter Hill's. While we don't have the stunning views and inspiring air of New England, everywhere we went was filled with people speaking a dozen different languages, dancing, playing music, riding bikes, pouring out of churches, singing, signing, living. There is beauty in all of this humanity.

The kids loved spending time with Oma and Pop Pop, as if they see them every day. They love their new (old) loft bed, finally installed. Josie went to bed talking about wanting to go to school tomorrow. Maybe we are finally "settled in."