Apple Picking

It's harvest time! We set out for a Lydon family picking adventure last weekend. Of course, Annie decided to fall asleep about 1/2 a mile from the orchard, so she wasn't available for action-shots. However, our niece Claire stepped in as John's lil lady partner and did a fabulous job :).

Of course, when Annie did wake up, Claire and John still had to finish their conversation.

And then eat cake.

Apple picking is so fun...now I just need to figure out what to do with all these apples.

Big Boy, Little Man

John start preschool. Mama definitely is more anxious about this than he is. He's a champ.

New house

So far things are going well at the new house...but I am completely and totally stressed. I love the house. Except a few things (of course) and those things stress me out because they are what I keep focusing on. Like the damn dishwasher that is just RiDicuLous -- it has 2 drawers and is "super fancy" because you can run 2 different wash cycles at the same time (like if you made a stew and served wine with dinner so you needed to wash a pot and glasses...like we do that...) but 1 drawer is broken and the other may as well be since it doesn't wash worth a damn. And (BTW) you can't wash baby bottles in it since it has no top rack since it has 2 lower racks due to the 2 drawers. But we can't buy a new one until we sell the Oakley house (or our "city home" as I now call it).

Luckily there are things to distract me...like Missy being a friggin' rock star and getting ALL of our boxes unpacked and art hung during our 1st week in the house...love that Missy. So does Annie :)

Everyone seems to be adjusting to the new home. Including Sean, who was disappointed to be losing his supercool city digs, close to fabulous music events. But I think he's adapting...and seems to like the local hot dog joint where he can chat with his bro. (Oh yeah...and I think the close proximity to college girls will help as well...)

John has definitely fallen in love with his new yard. He loves being outside in the yard so much that we had to talk him into leaving to go get an ice cream cone! And he's set the house alarm off twice since he'll just decide to up and leave to go out there...we're working on "tell mommy and daddy when you want to go outside..." (we're working on that with Auntie as well...teehee...)

We've started John in local activities...taking advantage of the park district. He's continuing with Gymboree for a while since I wanted some consistency for him, and he's started gymnastics and loves all the climbing, jumping, hanging (I know -- shocker!) Now, the thing that is really stressing me out is the damn property taxes. Our taxes are INSANE. We knew it coming in. And it's a trade off -- pay higher taxes and go to good, free, public school vs. lower taxes in our old house but the need for either bullet proof vests and tutors or private school tuition. And I already have a lawyer working on lowering the taxes...but ugh. Best way to combat this stress...