Easter/Pascha

How many kids get to celebrate Easter twice? Well, if one set of grandparents is Roman Catholic, and the other set of grandparents is Eastern Orthodox, that's exactly the winning combination: twice the Easter candy, twice the egg hunts, twice the fun!
(Notice I didn't say "twice the church services". This is where having a small, whiny toddler comes in handy: "Sorry, grandparents, we just won't be able to make the sunrise mass this year...""Um, grandparents, I think the three hour divine liturgy from midnight to 3 am would be too upsetting to his schedule...".)

In addition to celebrating Easter and birthdays during our whirlwind trip to Pittsburgh, we managed to fall in love with an 85 year old home, and then try to talk ourselves out of falling in love with it. But, our romantic hearts prevailed. The allure of city living in an older, established neighborhood was too great. The home spoke to us of family, of love, and...I'm hesitant to admit this...of putting down roots. This is a home we could happily live in for many years to come--six bedrooms, four baths--with project after project to make it our own.

We met the current owner, Katherine, a woman in her 70's or 80's, who raised three children in the home. When we made our offer back in California, over the phone, Katherine asked to speak with us. "I'm so happy you'll be getting my home, and raising your baby here," she said. When someone else tried to make her an offer three hours later, she told them "Sorry, I've just entered an agreement with somebody else"!

Mike and I feel very strongly that everything has worked together for the good. We're hopeful that the home inspection and closing will go smoothly for us. Mike is loving his new job. The house on Darlington Rd. is less than a block away from a bus stop. Mike will take a ten minute bus ride to work! (This beats an hour commute over Hwy. 17!) Within a half a mile, Andy and I can walk to a grocery store, a large public library, the doctor's office, a movie theater, a community center, and many restaurants. In the other direction, a large city park, with trails and an environmental center, is three blocks away. A large playground lies at the end of this park, with a famous "blue slide", where children fly down on cardboard boxes.

Those offers to come and visit us? I'm going to hold you to them! We will miss everyone terribly, and those offers of visits are sustaining me through this enormous change.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Today we leave for a week in Pittsburgh. We've got some houses lined up to see in the eastern part of the city, with our realtor, Bob. Neighborhoods like Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Regent Square and Edgewood. The architectural choices are endless: tudor, victorian, colonial, arts and crafts, cape cod. In California we're mostly limited to ranch style homes (if limited is the right word; we could never afford them!!) I love the older homes, with their bricks and shutters, their porches and wood-pained windows.

So, I'm excited to have this opportunity. I'm glad to be closer to Mike's family, so that Andy and I can get to know them better. Mike is on Cloud 9, returning to his roots, working at the job of his dreams! This, in turn, makes me happy.

But, I can't help but feel sad about leaving my family, my friends, and the familiar and loved places of the bay area and Santa Cruz mountains.

Don't know when I'll be back again...Oh, babe, I hate to go...

Learning to share

...but sometimes, Spit Happens. (Check out Ben's bib!)

Ben's turn...

Andy's turn...

"MINE!"

Andy and Ben have been "hanging out" (drooling over the same blanket) since they were 2 months and 1 month, respectively. It was just this last Sunday that they began playing together, actually sharing toys instead of parallel play. Both sets of parents couldn't have been more pleased. This new stage is SO much fun.

ISO...

To be posted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:*
Wanted: A Best Friend. Confidante and walking partner, coffee or tea drinker, mother or child-friendly Grown-Up. Must be willing to hang out without a shower or make-up, wearing jeans crusted with peanut butter, on a kitchen floor covered with crumbs. Must be willing to interrupt conversation with "don't put that in your mouth!" or "get down from there!" Must be willing to read the book Everyone Poops for the tenth time in one day. Must be candid and forthcoming about your past, must want to share your hopes and dreams about the future.

You are especially encouraged to respond if: you have a slightly self-depricating sense of humor, you are somewhat anxious or neurotic, if the traits you most despise in others are pretentiousness and snobbery, if you enjoy the following authors and publications: Anne Lammott, Sarah Vowell, Jane Austen, Mothering Magazine, Brain Child, Sun, Yes! and Ode.

You may be of a different race, religion, or sexual orientation. You may be crunchier than I am and never shave your armpits. You may wear blue eyeshadow, enjoy football or a juicy steak (even though I do not). However, please do NOT apply if you are Republican, pro-Bush (the president) or think the war in Iraq is a Good Idea. Please do not apply if you were ever with the "in" crowd in highschool. You should identify more with the main character from Welcome to the Dollhouse than with any of the Heathers from Heathers, and you understand both of these references.

Reply to box ISOaBF

*only kidding, but on the other hand....why not? I met Mike through a personal ad. I haven't had a "best" friend in a long time...

The one and a half year old

Happy 18 month birthday, Andy!



Prepared for more rain! March was a very wet month.