Easter time capsule

There’s still so much summer fun to recap here and the evenings are already cooling toward fall! Since I’m not sure where to pick up our summer review, why not revisit early spring with some precious pics from Easter?

The day before Easter, we enjoyed a mega-hunt with playgroup friends at the park.

Eleanor found her very first Easter eggs!

Thanks to Luke’s prior egg-hunt experience, he finished the hunt with a basket much fuller than his sister’s. Then he warmed our hearts by sharing several of his nicest eggs, including the extra-large one that he’d been most excited to find!

Mr. E. Bunny himself made an appearance at the hunt. It took all my cajoling powers to inch Luke and Eleanor close enough to receive some of his treats.

We left with two happy egg-hunters (and don’t you love their matching buckets?!).

Unrelated to their candy loot, the kids came down with a stomach bug on Saturday evening so only Erik made it to church for Easter. We brightened our quarantine with fancy dishes, a first for Luke perhaps, that added some pretty to our BRAT diet Easter breakfast.

It would take more than sickness to keep me from pulling out our bunny namecard holders…

Or forgo another egg hunt in the backyard. By the afternoon I decided that the worst of the sickness must be over and dressed the munchkins in their Easter finest. I hoped it would distract from their somewhat grumpy moods, at least in the photos.

Ella just wanted to play with her eggs.

And Luke was excited to hunt.

While a pesky sickness wasn’t part of the Easter I’d envisioned, we still were able to read the Easter story together and enjoy collecting (but no eating!) some Easter goodies. Here’s hoping we’re all healthy next year!

{More Easter pics here.}

Wild Oak: the backstory

{Our move has now become very old news, but it was such an emotional and well-photographed journey that I just can’t move on without recounting a little more of the Wild Oak tale.}

Sitting on the couch with the kids in bed, Erik and I were plagued with indecision. We had discussed the Roadrunner house so extensively that there wasn’t much left to say. We liked her and were ready to be done with house-hunting, but she had a few issues that made us uneasy.

Erik went back to his work, and I refreshed the client portal website one more time, wishing there was a magic answer lurking inside the computer. Hmmm… a new listing, but no photos. Typing the address into Google maps, I was immediately intrigued. Its backyard faced the mountains, something that none of the homes we’d looked at in our target neighborhood had offered. I zoomed in and my pulse quickened when I saw a big fenced yard with an open nature area on two sides. The property listing details were promising too. “I think this could be the one!” I squealed to Erik and we pored over the limited details together.

We drove up to the house the next morning filled with nervous excitement. Would this be the perfect ending to our house-hunting saga, or did the lack of photos conceal hideous flaws? Big flakes were still falling and everything was covered in white from a surprise snowstorm. The curtains of snow accentuated the quiet natural setting of the neighborhood, making it feel more out in the country than it had before. As Luke jumped out of the car he charmingly exclaimed, “These trees smell good!” We all loved the fresh pine tree scented air and the magical arch they form over the path to the entry.

Our realtor was delayed by the storm, so we explored the snow-blanketed property until she arrived. Approaching the front door from the other side of the driveway, we loved the casual hacienda feel and the covered porch that beckoned as a dry and cozy refuge. Eleanor, too new to walking to trudge through snow, ran back and forth on the porch, giddy with everyone’s excitement.

Looking over the gate into the backyard had a Narnian feel. Particularly since it was early April and only a few days prior the weather had been quite warm.

Our anticipated mountain views were completely hidden by the falling snow, but knowing that not too far away soared rock-faced mountains added to the magic.

We loved all the established shrubs and trees throughout the property, and this just-starting-to-bloom crabapple may have sealed the deal for me.

She sits right in front of the living room window, and I could imagine myself anticipating her spectacular display all winter long.

When our realtor arrived and we went inside, we’d had so much time to peek through windows that instead of feeling unfamiliar, we happily showed her around as if the house was an old friend’s. After the frigid temps outside it felt especially cozy, and the sparse furniture left by the seller gave plenty of space for us to imagine our things in the home.

Typically when we viewed homes we left Luke and Eleanor with a babysitter or traded off running in so we could leave the kids in the car. But they came with us on this spur-of-the-moment viewing, and their laughter made the perfect soundtrack as they charged through the rooms together.

It was love at first sight, so without even seeing the home’s initial enticement –the mountain views – we placed an offer. Later that afternoon we returned on our own while we anxiously waited to hear back from the seller. With melting snow and better winter gear, Luke and Eleanor raced along the side of the house under the gorgeously twisted wisteria vines.

The mountains were peeking out under the clouds and we could see the nature preserve exquisitely dressed in snow. I noticed a dog running along just beyond the fence and wondered where its owner was. Then it struck me that he wasn’t running like a pet, more like a wild animal. A wolf, I thought! Shocked and awed for just a millisecond, my next thought went to Luke – who had slipped around the corner out of sight. “Erik!” I yelled, “Where’s Luke? There’s a wolf!!!” We dashed around the corner fearing that the rest of the pack was circling our son.

Thankfully we soon found Luke, and once our fear for his safety subsided, we were left with the thrill of seeing such a majestic animal. For several days I clung to my wolf identification, because the animal looked so similar to the wolves at the zoo, but eventually I was convinced that it must have been a coyote since wolves don’t live in this area. Of course we weren’t able to snap a photo amidst the missing child drama, but both Erik and I got a good look at him striding through the snow back here. 

The sighting inspired us to want to build a little lookout stand in the back of the yard so we could watch for wildlife with our munchkins. It could be a family ritual akin to Owl Moon, a favorite storybook of Luke’s.

We gave names to most of the houses that we seriously considered buying, and the surprise snowstorm, woodsy smells, and ‘wolf’ sparked this home’s name – Wild Oak!

Her wild magic didn’t disappoint when we returned several weeks later, keys in hand, as her brand-new owners. Another passionate storm had just set in, this time covering the ground in hail. Driving up, the piles of hailstones almost looked like flower petals, and the drumming on the windows seemed to herald our arrival.

We ordered pizza, unloaded Solveig – all toys, since Luke was quite worried they’d be left at our old house – and ate dinner on the floor in Wild Oak listening to thunder and lightning from the retreating storm.

As Luke held Eleanor’s hand to help her on the step, we were struck again by what a perfect place this is to raise our wild little pair!

Luke the backhoe operator

When we moved the rest of our furniture in a few weeks ago Luke told Erik, “Thank you for making it the perfect house. It’s so pretty I can hardly even believe it!” Well, much of our boy’s boundless home enthusiasm is traceable to a certain star-crossed day in May. The previous owner agreed to put in a new septic system for us and slated the job for the morning of the house closing. We’d spoken with the contractor and he welcomed Erik to come see the system as it was getting put in the ground. So amidst the flurry of packing and closing arrangements, Erik and Luke drove up to Wild Oak, not sure if they’d catch the septic crew or not.

When they arrived, the crew was hard at work with the side yard all dug up. There were mounds of dirt everywhere, big trenches, and a shining yellow backhoe. During the lull while the crew waited for the inspector to arrive, Erik inspected the septic system while Luke climbed atop dirt piles, explored trenches, and marveled at the big machines. Once the inspector gave his okay, it was time to fill the trenches and cover the tank.

But before the backfilling began, Rafael asked Luke if he’d give him a hand with operating the backhoe. Luke was a little hesitant at first, but once he realized that the levers moved the hoe, he started pushing them back and forth with gusto!

Judging by the jerky swinging of the hoe Luke could use a little more practice, something the foreman noticed while he was talking with Erik. He suddenly called out, “Watch out for the gas line!” Rafael had things under control though, and Luke’s time at the wheel was free from disasters of any kind.

What better moving enthusiasm boost could there be for a three-year-old vehicle-loving boy!?!

Luke the bedtime singer

Luke’s bedtime can bring trying power struggles, outlandish childhood fears, and priceless memories. Luke asks a string of questions each night as Erik sings him a few hymns before bed, such as “what inheritance mean?”, “why Jesus fight?”, and “where Jesus?” It’s a precious time to talk to Luke about these things and let him think them through for himself. Luke’s longstanding favorite song is Be Thou My Vision, and he sings it so adorably. A more recent popular request is the old hymn What Wondrous Love in its restful minor key. Tonight a new favorite arose, for Luke and his parents.

Luke: “My song about sinking down, Jesus save us – but different from song you sing Daddy.”

Luke sings: “Jesus died on cross for our sins and I was sinking down and Jesus save us… [pause]… from bumblebees… with big stingers… so we no need to be afraid.”

Luke: “Daddy you know that song?”

Erik: “No, Luke, I don’t know that one. But it’s a very nice song.”

Luke: “Yeah. That my favorite song.”

We love your songs too, Luke!

March merriment

Presenting Luke and Eleanor in their (former) natural habitat! In no particular order, here are some of my favorite memories from March in our old house. There were so many cute March pics when I uploaded them last weekend that I have to share a couple here.

- Blanket nests and a new car seat box.

- After a hot walk home from the playground on a particularly warm spring day, we made smoothies. It seems Eleanor thought this was a combination snack and body painting activity…

- Color mixing with water, food coloring, an ice tray, and a medicine dropper was a big hit. What pretty colors Luke mixed up! I was amazed, especially for a boy who loves to swirl his water colors into a dreary brown.

- Luke’s truck deposited rocks on the words that I called out. He did great with this and there are so many terrific beginning reading games out there. Maybe Nika will make Luke a little flashcard book like I remember her using to teach Luke’s uncles to read!

- A little Carolina fan donned her March Madness gear and had to accessorize. What a girlie-girl she is!

- Garbage truck deliveries in the middle of the living room. This game (and its variants) is a long-standing favorite of Luke’s but not of Mommy’s! He loves to gather items from all over the house and heap them on his truck, which is also known as a couch, someone’s bed, or the middle of the floor. Then we drive to all sorts of places (most often Grandma & Grandpa or Nika & Papi’s houses) and unload and reload our truckload. He relishes this game so, and loves for me to play it with him, I just need to find a way to work in my organizational tasks so it doesn’t drive me quite so crazy. As it is, it feels like I’m picking up, but instead of leaving things more organized they just end up more jumbled!

- Playdough creations outside on a chilly morning. We’ve since been on a homemade playdough kick, with this jello playdough recipe.

- Helping Daddy with yard work. Oh how we all love that wolf hat! But I don’t think it will fit this winter, sigh!

- And it wouldn’t be spring without some photo shoots at the Gardens!

Thanks for backtracking to March with us! More March pics here, and hopefully I’ll be back soon with real-time updates. Tonight we took a walk around our new neighborhood, with our eyes peeled for wildlife. Luke had a piece of paper and a hole punch so he could record each bunny sighting. We filled the paper with bunny punches and also saw three deer crossing the road! Eleanor laughed and pointed with delight and Luke was sure they were looking for their baby ‘deers’. I’m thinking of printing our own punch card with pics of different local wildlife so that Luke and Eleanor can learn to identify animals and stay entertained. Anything to get them in the stroller for a relaxing after dinner walk! 

Farewell K.C.!

It was bittersweet last weekend when we moved the remaining items from our old house. We were preparing for the big day this past week when we signed our first house baby over to a new owner.

It was sad to say good-bye to the house and yard that we had poured so much work into fixing up and renovating. It was Erik’s and my collaborative design endeavor, a sort of multi-year creative project of sweat, tears, and pride. But even more precious are the memories that the house holds of so many family firsts. Bringing Luke home from the hospital and giving him his first home tour together. Lying newborn Eleanor on the rug and calling Luke to come over to really meet his sister for the first time. First steps, first solid foods, first words, and so many other tender moments are layered into the house’s history with us. It was not without tears that we packed up her contents and bid her farewell!

But enough with the bitter, sniff!, let’s focus on the sweet…

- Getting two offers and lots of showings the first weekend she was on the market. Our closing was less than a month after the house was listed, so we’re back to one house even before the first mortgage payment on our new house is due. It was gratifying to see other people appreciate the work we’d put into her and such a blessing to have everything play out smoothly!! Special thanks goes to our wonderful realtor friend Christa and her office for taking such good care of us.

- Knowing that we won’t have to maintain two houses any longer. We enjoy home projects, but one house is plenty for us to handle! Plus spending afternoons repairing a house that you don’t live in and are trying to keep in pristine condition is a bad combination with two little troublemakers. You end up with them out in the garage playing with ‘toys’ like these.

- Renting a U-Haul truck again. Last night, a week after the move-out, Luke included in his bedtime prayer, “thank you God that Luke got to ride in a U-Haul truck…”

- Getting our furniture back. It had been over a month since we’d eaten at our kitchen table or slept in a bed! Camping-style living in our new house had its charm but we were ready for the moved-all-the-way-in chapter.

- How much Luke loves his new house. After the closing (during which he and Eleanor were remarkably well-behaved, I’m not sure what came over them but we need to find a way to tap into that on a regular basis!), Luke asked Erik why he gave the title lady the keys to the KC house. After Erik explained, Luke seemed a little sad but just mildly. He remains head-over-heels about everything pertaining to our new house which makes the move much easier on his sentimental mommy.

- And last but not least, the smaller scope of stage 2 of the move made it less overwhelmingly chaotic and afforded me the opportunity to snap some pics of my darling moving men…

Stage 1 took place on Mother’s Day weekend. Stage 2’s timing was just with the second U-Haul rental and final move-out happening on Father’s Day of course! So our gifts were straightforward this year. I got a new house for Mother’s Day and Erik got his bed back for Father’s Day!

April & May: A photo review

April and May were the milestone months of finding our new house, buying it, and moving in. But before diving into moving pics or our mega-gallery of Easter photos, here’s a 1 to 10 round-up of the little landmarks for our junior movers.

First love: Eleanor’s ‘baby’ gets a smooch. Our girlie’s love for dirt and trucks doesn’t dampen her faithful affection for her baby.

Second bite! I almost cried when I saw the nasty bite Luke’s tummy suffered in Sunday School one morning. Ouch!

Third load for the heavy machinery: Luke and Eleanor help us spruce up the yard before putting our house on the market.

Fourth annual spring snowball show: We all love the profusion of white blooms on the snowball verbena bush at our old house.

Fifth lap around the yard: Eleanor takes her first spin on the balance bike.

Sixth catch in under an hour: despite my abhorrence for the bug kingdom, Luke doesn’t hesitate to grab them by the legs and drop them in his bug house. He’s sure to add plenty of dead leaves to keep them well fed.

Seventh… heaven? Playtime in the mountain-view truckyard at our new house.

Eight: The number of ‘eyes’ in the tub with two new pairs of goggles.

Nine: The number of minutes before Luke started crying when we took our first dip in the pool. (I think it was due to a combination of chilly water and Daddy’s swimming enthusiasm.)

Ten: The score we give our two olympic pool step splashers.

Thanks for backtracking to April and May with us! More pics in our galleries here and here.