day of thanks: round one and two

we had our first guests stay with us a few weeks ago. bryan's parents came to visit for just over a week and is was great. the kids and waited in the kitchen for them to arrive (we couldn't all fit in the car...at least we didn't try at first...). when we saw them coming, we zipped through the kitchen through the dining room to the front hall to greet them. as we did, i caught a whiff of a fresh solid deposit from our dear feline. i guess he wanted to greet them as well. i did my best to cover the not-so-pleasant aroma, but alas...nothing like saying, "welcome to boston and our new home! hope you like the smell of cat poop!" the kids were eager to show them their rooms so giving a tour of the house was tricky. had to happen over the course of several walks though the house.

having guests in the house was super...the kids would be having breakfast and in would walk grandma and grandpa.. everyone was quite excited. leaving our home for the day was like leaving grandma's house - she would be peering out the window and we would "beep beep!" as we drive away. during the day, they helped us a great deal by unpacking (and organizing!) the kitchen and dining room - made a huge difference; and to top it off, we would have dinner ready when we arrived home. yeah, it was hard not to get used to it.

we all decided to celebrate thanksgiving while they were there - nothing fancy at all. in fact, all completely betty crocker (including cranberry sauce in a can, mmmm). we soon found out our kitchen was easily conducive to large meals (and children) because while mashed potatoes were being cooked, kids were watching a movie...in the kitchen - and no one (bryan) was having a cow. everything was yummy and everyone ate well and we were quite thankful for the dishwasher.

thanksgiving round two was much simpler (ham and a tangine) but just as yummy. baxter was not a huge fan of turkey and had requested the ham so ham it was. cookies as well. the holiday so far has been quiet, a nice opportunity for the kids to just play (i busted out the lego set we won at children's while max was in the hospital) and us to progress on a few things in the house. bryan is continuing to put together a smith machine in the basesment...an impressive undertaking, i must say but if anyone can do it, he can. me? closet organization, oh yeah...at one point the kids were on the third floor, i was on the second floor and bryan was in the basement. quiet time success.

mostly treats

there was much build up to the big event and not without any drama or threats to cancel. if it were not for a last minute nap, there would have only been one parent and child venturing through the neighborhood in search of homes distributing treats for the evening's festivities. alas, they both were off in good spirits and in time to experience the first trick-or-treater at the house. that certainly rushed their preparations. we decided to distribute from the ashland side per advice from a neighbor to prevent an overload of visitors and bryan politely put up a festive sign directing them to the proper door around the corner on the porch (it worked as only a hand full of of children rang the mill street doorbell).

children came by the carload (total about 200), which seemed to line the streets. the doorbell would ring, i opened the door and there would be 4-8 children...in the background would be groups of kids crossing the street, yelling & laughing & running (it was more than cool) then as i step back into the house, i get a waft of chili...(downtime: i am working at my laptop listening to last year's glee soundtrack). kids come home (minus the hats and mittens i had put on them when they left home) red faced and runny nosed, excited about their adventures. and their thrill continues as they distribute candy to the kids and then run to the middle of the floor to where all their candy is spilled, ready to eat the next piece. lights went out and all went quiet at about 8pm...

"it is fall, it is fall...the leaves are falling everywhere"

when we opened the kitchen door to leave this morning, we could barely make out the driveway as it was completely covered with leaves. the trees are mostly gold with smatterings of orange and bits of red here and there. it really is lovely but a bit treacherous to walk on, not to mention it is carried and trekked throughout the house. yesterday evening the kids were dutifully picking up leaves and throwing them in the garbage. i looked at bryan who smiled...nice bit of training there. (i wondered if he could get them to tidy up the driveway...)

and they (we) sing this almost every morning on the way to school.

kitty magnet

there are so many cats that hang by the house. we get home and a black cat is on the back porch. this morning there was an orange striped one on the kitchen steps. we have also seen a black and white one, a grey one, a grey and white one...can they smell vegas? is that why he's so happy? living like a king in a castle? who knows...looking at the matted spots in the bushes, a few have found some comfy spots and are seeking shelter from the recent storms on our porches. they do not seem underfed so they are likely neighborhood kitties or there is a mouse population being nicely controlled. bryan says that when it gets colder i need to honk the car horn to scare off any cats that may have fallen asleep in the warm wheel wells. ick. even with the gruesome image, i will need a constant reminder.

p.s. i was going to name this post "pussy galore" but self-edited...

mystery ignitor

the kids were finishing a snack in the kitchen and i was collapsing a box in the study (one of 5 today...it was an accomplishment, but you could never tell looking around here). as i was walking back to the kitchen, i could hear the ignitor for the stove top and immediately began reprimanding whoever was fiddling with it. as i turned the corner, both were still sitting at their counter stools looking at me like i was crazy. nothing obviously wrong with it upon closer inspection and it spontaneously ignited a few more times as i was standing there. of course, that was it and definitely not while bryan was home. yeah, weird. sometimes it smells a bit like gas (not the human kind either)...maybe i'm being paranoid.

ALSO...made a huge trip to target. nothing like purchasing 3 toilet brushes...one for each floor. now that's living. and how many soap dispensers can a home need? more than a few. felt like i should have had some kind of new home discount or something...oh well...

garbage

today was trash day. you would think it is no big deal, except for the fact that we (bryan) had to wheel everything to the curb way early since we didn't know exactly when pick-up was. to two 3-year olds, it was a main event. the lights in the kitchen were dimmed and i pulled up seats to the window so they could see daddy in action. there was some protesting about wanting to go out there (in pj's and no bare feet)...after i convinced them it was not a good idea, they proceeded to talk to daddy in loud voices through the window. as fate would have it, the recycling truck came as we were leaving so they were able to see that in action. waste management, through the eyes of preschoolers, is riveting.

proper reference

one of the realtors told us the story of how long ago the children in the neighborhood used to refer to the house as the "bobbie house" in reference to the turret and its resemblance to an English Bobbie...bryan and i had been thinking of what to name the house and this seemed fitting. we were directed to the dorchester atheneum site and in it is a scanned brochure of a clam point - harrison square walking tour: typed, hand-drawn and literally cut and pasted...the house is on page 15. enjoy!

home sweet home

almost six months after finding the house on the internet, we are finally living here. this is indeed a dream house...i walk the halls practically in disbelief that this is home. being in a historic home with my family inspires me to continue documenting life here. even as we go about our lives - getting ready in the morning, taking the kids to school, dinner, bedtime and doing it all over again...there are subtle changes worth noting.

on the way home today, as we neared the house, beatrix asked if she could walk in the back yard again. daddy, of course, was with them (but this did not prevent me from having flash forward images of them in the warmer months getting loose and even better, into the wooded area). they had explored a bit yesterday afternoon for at least 15 minutes or so...we came home around the same time today and they were out only for a bit until the sun had set completely and they had to come inside. just before they burst into the kitchen, their heads popped into view in the kitchen window, both yelling something i could barely understand and holding multiple seed pods (from a tulip tree?). i did my best to acknowledge them (smiling and waving goes a long way).

i was a little concerned about the kids' adjustment to a new home, particularly bedtime. each of them have had a little bout with fear. baxter rectified his by having us partially open the shears by his bed so he could look out the window onto mill street. i do believe it put him to sleep last night. beatrix had a tummy ache and wandered out of bed multiple times in the beginning...she still climbs in with us minutes before my alarm sounds so perhaps she has not yet resolved her anxieties (dunno if they are even house-related...).

for me, middle of the night walks to the bathroom are long and dark. had to find their nightlight right quick...this place gets dark - as in, you-can't-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face dark in some spots. i admit, i am a chicken when it comes to stuff like that. blame an overactive imagination and years of horror movies burned in my memory. (haunted? not quite sure. a house this old...there has to be something. dearest maximilian will help with that) a good sign is that vegas seems quite at home here, more so than when we moved into our berteau house. overall, the energy i feel in this home is good; quiet, in a peaceful way. with that, i say good night.