Making the House a Home

Last month, my Mom and Dad gave us a most excellent housewarming gift: a light fixture that hangs over our dining room table. Being my mother's daughter, I firmly believe that "good lighting is very important" (a saying I've heard many times over the years from both of my parents) to making a space warm and useable. This light is extra important because this dining room table is also our kitchen table, art space, reading room, and basically everything else we do on the main floor.

So we love the light (it was made by a company in Vermont). And, we use it multiple times a day. On this Christmas Eve, while you're back in New England battling various colds, etc., we wanted to take the opportunity to say thanks, Mom and Dad, and we miss you. More footage tomorrow after Santa visits Seattle ...

A Puppet Show (in Theory)

The twins have been to several puppet shows in their lives, and have enjoyed every one. In anticipation of KLC coming home from work the other day, they decided to 'put on' a puppet show for her. The reality was by the time she got home, they had run out of patience with each other (and were probably a little tired and cranky with it being the late afternoon.) Nonetheless, I found the preparation very cute.

We Will Trade With You

The twins are at the stage where they probably still need to nap sometimes, but generally won't. And I mean this in the sense that it seems like a conscious choice on their part. I don't know exactly when this comes full circle, but there are many days when we say to them (either internally or actually out loud), "wow, I'd love to take a nap right now."

When we ask them if they are going to go "sleepy" or "night-night," their response is often a simple "no." It's not a problem to keep them in their room for a supposed quiet hour. (This is really in principle only. Since they still share a bedroom, they are often bouncing around for this faux nap period.) The problem comes toward the end of the day when they basically start to lose it because they are so tired.

This cycle manifested itself when we took a quick trip to Portland for some family holiday celebrations this weekend. By the time we left Portland for the 3-hour trip back to Seattle yesterday, the kids were wiped out. But did they sleep like KLC and I so desperately wanted to ourselves? Of course not. If not for audio books from the library, I think the last 30 minutes of the trip would have been ugly. It seems to be futile to explain that in a certain number of years, they would pay someone for the opportunity to fall asleep during a dark car ride.

Christmas? Already?

I'm struggling a bit to understand where time is going. Somehow, Christmas is a week and a half away. It hasn't snuck up on me entirely. I have managed to get gifts, attend a holiday concert, and, of course, watch Rudolph and Frosty several times. (It was for the children. I would never watch those things for their awesomeness, er, I mean, for myself.)

Maybe some of the time-warp effect comes from the newness of virtually every aspect of the holidays. This is the first time that I won't be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family and friends in Massachusetts. It's strange -- and rather nice -- that I managed to spend the first 36 sets of holidays there. It's just a bit odd having the first one away in my mid (ok, late?) thirties.

I'm very excited to spend Christmas with KLC and the kids in the new house. I think we've had more fun shopping for the kids than they will have getting the toys. (FYI, the kids are mildly obsessed with Santa.) My only wish is that I was able to import my friends and family to Seattle for part of the season as well. I will make do with Skype and email and cell phones, but everyone is welcome to come visit us here in the Pacific Northwest during any time of the year. We will even let you watch Rudolph or Frosty.

(PS I noticed it was 27 degrees in Boston today. I have no idea if that mammoth storm raging across the country will hit New England eventually, but they often do. Let me just say that it is in the 40s today here in Seattle with some off-and-on rain, but *no snow or ice.* I'm just saying ...)

Storm '10 in Seattle

I moved to Seattle under the guise that "it doesn't really snow" there. I heard this from multiple people so I thought it must be true.

Well, here we are on November 22nd, and there are several inches of snow on the ground. And the temperature tomorrow is supposed to be about 26 degrees. Now, this would be a slightly-earlier-than-usual experience in Boston, but apparently constitutes a big deal around here where -- wait for it -- it doesn't really snow.

Needless to say, schools have been closed, spinning classes have been cancelled (most importantly, the one I was planning on going to at 6:30am tomorrow), and cars have practically stopped driving on the road by our house. For those of you not in the snow-castrophy here in the Pacific Northwest, I assure you, we are all fine. Just barely.

Inside, Outside

It's been a few weeks since we moved into the house, and there are many things we are proud of. First, there are no lethal objects sitting around for the kids to find. Likewise, all electrical, heating, and other dangerous systems are not accessible. We are still working on getting everything in the right place, but at least we can generally relax knowing that the twins can't get into too much trouble and/or cause bodily harm to themselves or each other.

Unless, of course, they go in the yard. We've got a very cute space in the back of the house, a side yard with raised boxes for gardening, and some nice mature landscaping in front. There is a fence on three sides of the property -- but not in the front. The problem is that it is apparently a law of nature that if one twin goes in a certain direction, the other will go in an equal and opposite direction and, if humanly possible, find the one unblocked access point to the street (ok, maybe that's a mutated physics law, but I swear it's true).

The bottom line is: we need to call the fence people. If we have to worry about a twin squirting out of the yard unattended, I don't think we'll ever let them out there without multiple adults until they're in high school. This is an option, but I think we'll try the fence thing first.

Never a Bad Time to Wear Your Costume

Needless to say from the photos, the twins have gotten their Halloween costumes. Of course, there really is no bad time or place to wear them if you are three years old. A couple of days ago, it was in the yard (for one of them). Yesterday, they both wore them -- the one not seen here is a panda outfit -- to story hour at the library. Apparently, the twins were a big hit with the other kids in attendance who failed to seize the opportunity to show their Halloween spirit on a random Wednesday morning.

More Pics of the House

Here are some shots that actually show the inside of the house. The interesting part for me is that the previous owners actually *raised* the whole house to make the basement an actual useful and comfortable space.

A lot of the houses we looked at had nice main floors, but then a "finished" basement that they counted as living space. The problem was the ceilings were often low, or there were sections with cement floors, or there were only a few small windows -- or all three. In other words, it's not the kind of place you would actually want to spend time unless you had nocturnal tendencies. Plus, having children run free around exposed wires or heating ducts might be a little dicey.

So, while the square footage of this house is relatively low, it feels big to us because every inch of the house is useable and has a purpose after the renovation that the previous owners did around 2006. (Plus, after living in dorms, apartments, and condos for much of the past 20 years, anything might seem spacious to me.)

Brief layout description:

Main floor: open area that includes kitchen, two bedrooms, full bathroom. The kids will start out sharing one bedroom (which they do now here), and the other bedroom will be a playroom. When they are ready to separate, we'll split the kids and toys up into the two bedrooms.

Ground floor (my term to act like it is not basement living): master bedroom with bathroom, family room, office, another 1/2 bath, and then laundry area.

The House-Buying Process

So far, so good with the whole house business. The inspection happened and there were just a few minor issues that were found. The sellers agreed to address (that is, pay for) the small things we did want taken care of. The closing is set for October 20th, barring any surprises between now and then.

Just a few words for those of you who haven't bought property since the Great Housing Slide of the past couple of years. Basically, be prepared to fork over lots and lots of documentation. This house is the third piece of property I've bought (actually, this is the first one that includes dirt and ground as opposed to a room or two in a condo building). Anyhow, when I bought my first condo in 2001 or so, I think I had to provide a social security number and a pulse and I was approved for a mortgage payment I could never afford. OK, the first part of that sentence isn't true, but the last part absolutely is. (And, no I did not take the mortgage company on its generous offer to bankrupt myself or else I wouldn't be buying something right now.) Essentially the same story in 2005 when I bought the second condo.

This time around? Well, let's just say I've had to justify "unusual" deposits in my account -- that is, a couple of relatively modest amounts that didn't come from my employer. Not only did I have to write a letter, I had to provide back-up documentation when I explained the source. Of course, it has taken the banking industry millions of foreclosures and short sales to realize that giving out mortgages like candy might not actually work in the long run.

A New House

I've been a little quiet on the blog front lately. I do have a pretty good excuse: we bought a house this week. Well, to be more accurate, we are in the process of buying a house. This morning we had the inspection so I'm fairly confident -- knock on wood -- that things will proceed without major hiccups.

I think this house is a big step in my feeling more settled and connected here in Seattle. This house is in a great neighborhood where I can resume my life that centers more on a bike rather than a car (let's see how much this holds true when the Seattle rainy season kicks in). Regardless, just having the *option* of walking or biking to most of my daily activities makes me happy. For those who know my allergy to home improvement projects, it was remodeled a few years ago and needs no major attention from us.

So, I'll post more pics later, but here's one shot of where you should be able to find us in about a month or so.

Transitions

Just to keep up with the Seattle stereotype, I am sitting at a coffeeshop drinking an americano. I have a moment or two to write because this is the time where my "East Coast day" ends, and the rest of this one begins.

Let me explain. Since moving to Seattle, I have gotten up between 5:30 and 6:00am (usually) so I can start work at the same time as those in Boston, DC, etc. So far, that's worked out really well for the job. I feel more connected with my coworkers than I would if I just caught them on their way out the door while my day was beginning. It helps that I'm a morning person and like to get stuff done and out of the way.

The downside is that it is, in fact, on 2:30 in the afternoon here and I could easily imagine that it's dinnertime and get ready to wind down for the day. Fortunately, an effective medication for this feeling is espresso, which they really do have in abundance here. (My college roommates may remember watching 'Singles' a thousand times at the house -- although this may have just been Nancy and me. Seattle is not *quite* like that.)

Careful with Language

Here's a recent conversation with one of the twins.

Me (just returning from the gym to no one in particular): I'm going to hop in the shower.

Twin: No, you can't do that.

Me: Why not?

Twin: We don't hop in the shower. It's not safe.

Me: You're right. We sit carefully while we take a bath.

I didn't realize that an expression I use all of the time could seem like a call for potential mortal danger. She was right, though, if I were to actually hop in the shower, I'd probably gravely injure myself. (This is after I completely rolled and sprained my ankle -- at the park with the kids. This is what happen when you jump off a slide at the age of 36. It's not pretty.)

First Day of School

Like many people, this week is the start of the school year here. In our house, that means the twins will have their first day at their new pre-school, going twice a week for a few hours. And, in another shift in things, KLC will begin her part-time teaching position today.

I've always liked this time of year. There's something exciting and hopeful about it, even though it's been quite a few years since I actually took a class or did anything officially school-related. (Yes, I'm acutely aware that my 20th high school reunion happens next summer ...)

This year, it means experiencing autumn in a new city and climate. I've always thought that the fall was the best time of year in New England -- a partial reward for dealing with overly hot and humid summers that just happened and the bitter cold of the winters about to come.

I'm assuming things will be somewhat different here. Without sounding like too much of a newbie, but do the leaves change here the way they do there? If not, I will settle for the smell of wood-burning stoves, which is basically all it takes to get me into the autumn-loving mood.

One Month In

It's hard to believe that it's been a month since I left Boston and landed in the Pacific Northwest. In some ways, it feels like I've been here a lot longer, and in others I feel like it's been no time at all. Some things won't change (I still check Boston.com regularly and know that the Red Sox are a lost cause for 2010), but some others have. These include:

* Less free time. This is a no-brainer since I went from being on my own to living with three other people -- including two who often choose to forget that they know how to use the potty.

* Different weather. It's supposed to be in the 70s and sunny here tomorrow, but yesterday it was raining and in the 50s. I actually wore Smartwool socks and clogs in August. Completely new territory to me.

* Costco. I've learned to love it -- or at least like it -- because it's more than just myself to feed. I still, however, get complete stimulus overload every time I walk in the door. (They also had Christmas stuff out the last time I was there and I'm not OK with that this early in the year.)

Probably the most significant difference from a month ago until now is that I have KLC and these two great kids in my life on a daily basis. This is not to say that we all don't have our moments, but overall I miss them -- all of them -- when they are not around. Now, if we could just work on the whole using-the-toilet-all-of-the-time thing, that would be perfect.

Lesson Learned

Last week, I was done working for the day and KLC wanted to go out for a run during the kids' naps. Sure, I said. What could be easier? I was even somewhat proud of myself for changing their diapers when they cried about 15 minutes into the "sleep" and got them successfully to at least to pretend to lie down. When KLC returned about a half an hour later, we were chatting when we heard some unusual noises from their room. When we in there, we saw this. Actually, this photo doesn't do it justice. They had gotten into their closet and taken *every single item of clothing they could reach* and dumped it into a giant pile. Underwear, shirts, pajamas, dresses that were hangers, you name it. They had even managed to secure a roll of wrapping paper and it was strewn throughout the room.

The moral of the story? Make sure that the closet door is *locked*, not just shut during their naps. That's one I won't forget any time soon.

What's a Shadow?

It's my profession to explain scientific concepts to the public, and this includes kids. However, I am at a loss how to tell a 3-year-old that shadows created by the moonlight are harmless. If I try, it starts to sound like an intro physics lecture on light and how it's blocked, blah, blah, blah. It's been a few nights since this has been a problem -- knock on wood that this stays true -- but who knows when it will return. In the meantime, this experience has made me realize that in certain settings, my career experiences are close to useless.

In other developments, KLC and I are working on shifting sleep patterns. I'm finding out how a change for anyone in the house has a cascading effect on everyone else. In other words, if anyone -- usually under 3-ft tall -- happens to wake up before 5:00 am, this can mean a whole different take on the day for the rest of us ...

Mini vs. Minivan

After 3,000 miles and 2+ weeks, the Mini has arrived in Seattle. Even though it was a bit terrifying just handing my keys (and car) over to some random truck driver, the Mini appears as good as when it left the East Coast. While it certainly isn't a useful car for the twins, it will be nice having a little extra flexibility for getting around.

Playing Without the Kids

This weekend marked the first time KLC and I had some time without the twins (who were spending Saturday morning through Sunday evening with their Co-Parent, aka CP). The arrangement will be that this is the case every other weekend. While I do miss the kids when they are gone, it was also a great opportunity to get out and do some adult activities.

On Saturday, we went to the Mount Rainier National Park, which was my first time there. For an East Coaster, there is something just unreal about seeing mountains this big. Also, I would never associate a summer hike with snow -- even on Mt. Washington. On Rainier, on the other hand, there are year-round glaciers, and -- as you can see from the pictures -- they extend fairly far down. The wild flowers are spectacular and I even got to see my first marmot (which until last weekend, I simply thought was the name of a jacket, not an actual animal.)

Once back in Seattle, we ventured into the 90+ degree heat to bike around on Sunday and get me slightly more oriented. There are few things I enjoy more than exploring a new place on a bike. Seattle has tons of bike trails, including the famous Burke-Gilman we rode on that goes for miles. I'm planning on taking advantage of more of these trails while the weather is so good. If it remains this hot, however, I might just have to plot my rides from beverage stop to beverage stop ...

A Different Trader Joe's Experience

Yesterday, I went grocery shopping for KLC, the kids, and myself. This is the first time I've done this solo and thankfully I had a list. I realize shopping for four people rather than just one should be a simple multiplication exercise. The truth is for the past few years, I've struggled to do much cooking for myself and many meals involved take-out or 'cooking' by raiding the prepared foods section at Whole Foods. So gathering up enough food to cover meals for all of us over the course of one week was different. Let's just say it was the full push cart vs. the little basket I used to use.

Not that there is anything monumentally wrong with my eating habits in Boston, except I felt like it was wasteful (money-wise) and didn't always involve the healthiest choices. For some reason, it was really difficult for me to break out of that cycle. (OK, one reason might be that I lived in a neighborhood that had fab restaurants and other things within walking distance of my condo.) I had a hundred false starts in cooking and eating in more, but it was just really hard to motivate for putting in the effort just for myself.

While I still enjoy going out to eat, I also really like being at home and cooking for myself in addition to KLC and the kids. And when I do get something outside of the house, I appreciate it that much more. Again, I knew this would be the case, but it has taken a shake-up of my life to really force a change for me. This is a relatively minor improvement in life since moving to Seattle, but I think an important one nonetheless. Besides, maybe one day I'll learn how to make sushi at home, but until then I will reserve the right to occasionally fall into my old ways ...

Sunny in Seattle

It's a well-established cliche that people who live in Seattle try to keep an unwanted influx of people moving here by perpetuating the story that it constantly rains here. From what I understand, the whole rain-for-many-consecutive-days-on-end thing is true, but that's during the winter and spring. (For a native New Englander like myself, any definition of "winter" where rain is the worst precipitation is a whole new world.)

I might be breaking the Seattle resident's code of conduct here, but the weather right now is spectacular. Apparently, it rarely rains from 4th of July until September. And, the best part? Virtually no humidity. Just sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Combine this with my work-at-home status, and let's just say I'm getting a bit of Sun while the house and yard are quiet with the kids at their swimming lessons. There are worse situations to be in, to put it mildly.

The Routine

Having lived on my own for so long, I have apparently developed habits that I didn't even notice. This shouldn't be terribly surprising. After all, I managed to eat, go to work, work out, go out, etc., for all of my 36 years. Somewhere along the line, I probably did these things more than once.

All of these habits come to light, however, when you try to mesh them with someone else and 3-year-old twins. It's not that my old ways were better, they were just different. There are the little things: the coffeepot that completely defeated me the first time I tried to use it, how and when you take out the recycling. There are also big things: how much time do I have for myself, how much do I not.

In just one week, I think KLC and I have made major strides in sorting through our previous habits and coming up with a new Routine. (It's contains a capital letter not for some rogue grammar lapse, but because I'm beginning to realize it deserves it.) We'll continue to experiment and adapt -- for example, my heading to the gym this morning at 5:45 am so I can work out before starting work -- until we get things down so it works for everyone. It's interesting and a bit of shock to realize that I have been more habit-oriented than I thought all of these years ...

Hating IKEA

It's been a while since I've moved, and even longer since I've had to assemble furniture. This, however, did not seem to deter me from the seemingly simple task of buying a basic desk from IKEA and (trying to ) put it together.

Not so much. I think I can sum up the success of this experience by saying that when I tried to put the two drawers in at the end, they fit. Except only upside down. That, and the fact that I failed to tighten most of the joints sufficiently so that the desk was in danger of falling down under the weight of my laptop.

Luckily for me, KLC is one of those who sees IKEA assembly as a completely reasonable and manageable activity. She saved my desk from imminent collapse -- and probably my sanity.

3,000 Miles with a Deaf Cat

One of the challenges is changing coasts at this point in my life is what to do with an 8-lb wonder named Chester. He has been my buddy since I adopted him from a shelter over 9 years ago. He's been with me in two different apartments and has spent countless nights sleeping next to me. Or being banished to the bathroom.

Let me explain. Chester is very likely completely deaf. Of course, I didn't realize this until recently. But this diagnosis would explain why he sounds like a dying pterodactyl when he "meows." It can be disconcerting for someone who isn't used to it, and it also serves as a very annoying wake up call if he decides he needs to express himself in the middle of the night. Hence, the banishment to the bathroom when he just won't stop.

With this background in place, let's return to the problem at hand: how to get him across the country. Driving with him in the car for several days clearly was not an option. There were thoughts of him staying here with my parents, but the decision has been made for him to fly. With me. In the cabin.

So let me take this opportunity to apologize to all of the Alaska Airlines passengers on tomorrow's flight in advance. The vet says he can't take drugs because they could either a) kill him, or b) make him psychotic. If I had the drugs, I would freely distribute them to you, my fellow passengers, in addition to myself. At this point, I can only hope for a very engaging in-flight movie and no extra delays.

The Ups and Downs of Change

Change is inevitable. Buddha or Oprah or my yoga teacher or someone equally important said this. I think it’s true. And I also think that all change has good and bad in it. For example, this move of mine has so much good in it for me. Maybe using the word “bad” is the wrong term, but there is also a cost.

There are elements to this change that make me sad and will be difficult. First and foremost, it will be very hard for me not to have access to my family and friends and friends who are family that live in Boston. I know we will visit and cell phones and the Internet make great distances much smaller, but it won’t be the same.

I think it’s human nature – or at least my nature – to want to avoid negative feelings. I don’t want to be sad or miss people, but the reality is that I will. It would be a waste of years of very good therapy if I just ignored this fact. I will do my best to sit with these feelings and not run away from them, but it’s not the most comfortable or natural process for me.

In the realm of ridiculous analogies that float through my head, I feel like my life is kind of like a Boggle game. At the moment, I’ve done all of the combinations I can with this particular set of letters. It’s time to shake the game up and find new words. I still want to keep the letters I like, but I really need new letters to play with. And Seattle has all of the new letters I want. Somewhere Buddha and Oprah are cringing at this last paragraph.

Titles Are Always the Hardest For Me

I am starting this blog upon the suggestion of my girlfriend, my partner, the person I am moving 3,000 miles to spend my life with. In less than a week, I will board a plane from my home in Boston to a brand new life in the Pacific Northwest.

I've chosen this name for my blog not based on extensive research, but rather from a snippet of an NPR story. Being aware of the term "future shock" for the grand total of 55 minutes, I have decided that it very well could apply to my life right now.

A quick check on the venerable and though-not-completely-trustworthy Wikipedia for a confirmation of what it supposedly means, and the name of this blog was born. For those who were not listening to 'Morning Edition' this morning, the concept of "future shock" is "too much change in too short a period of time."

That could certainly describe what the next phase of my life contain, but I don't see that as being something to be scared of or try to avoid. Rather, I am so very much looking forward to what lies ahead. Granted, I've never gone from living as a single woman in Boston to being in a relationship in the Pacific Northwest and becoming a nearly instantaneous step-parent to 3-year-old twins, but, hey I'm game. More than that, I can't wait.

I'm starting this blog to chronicle just how this journey unfolds. I was about to write how I am just doing this for myself, but that would not be entirely true. If I just wanted these thoughts and experiences for myself, I would just write in a journal. Putting out a blog is inherently the act of at least a loosely committed extrovert.

We all have stories, but I think mine is a bit unusual. I don't know if there are others out there who will be interested in hearing about mine, but we'll see.