Oh, so thankful!

Yesterday they were predicting a seven-year storm...  Since it hasn't been seven years since the storm that left my children alone on the mountain, and tens of other children sleeping at the elementary school, I expected that this would be an even bigger storm.  Hard to imagine... 

I dropped my kids off at school yesterday morning and pondered the oncoming blizzard.  Since we are temporarily living across town from the schools, I needed to be sure to plan for road conditions.  My plan was to have everyone home in time to enjoy hot chocolate from the warmth of grandma's kitchen.

On my return drive, I was reminded of what I might have been anticipating if we were still living on the hilltop.  The road crew was delivering Road Closed signs.  There were large barricades, signs, flashing lights, and bright orange cones...  And that was when I was hit full-force with gratitude.  As much as I loved the valley, mountain, and lake views from my former home, I won't miss hiking in from the road.  I won't miss unrelenting cabin-fever created by impassible drifts.  And I won't miss the feeling of living in a house that clings to a mountainside while the winds tries mercilessly to blow it off its perch.

There is something really comforting about being nestled into a neighborhood with people in the surrounding houses.  I think I'm gonna love neighborhood-living!  And I'm happy to report that we did indeed get home safe and sound.  And the cocoa was lovely...

re-tar-ded

There were many reasons leading up to our decision to move off the mountain.  One of those reasons was the annoying condition of our private street.  We moved into the house about 5 years ago.  Just prior to our move-in, a section of the road was trenched to lay assorted wires and cables.  As the years passed, the trench filled with water, turned to mud, washed away, and generally continued to erode its way to canyon status.  By the time The Boy got the Volvo, he had to be very careful not to bottom-out when entering or exiting our street.

We requested remedy for our annoying trench, but our request fell on deaf ears...  So, we continued to haul in dirt, gravel, whatever we could find, to temporarily stay the deepening chasm.

Now that we've removed ourselves from the neighborhood (and btw--we were the ONLY ones living on our particular private street), they have finally decided to fix our street.  A street with no inhabitants...  A street upon which nary a car ever travels...

And this is how they fixed it.  They re-tarred it.  Only, they were a little re-tar-ded in their efforts...  The only part of the street that needed fixing was the gradually growing gully...  Did they fill that with tar?  Why, no!  They re-tarred up to the trench, skipped the gulf, and picked up on the other side.  They re-tarred a road that didn't need it--except for that one spot that they skipped!

Seriously...  Re-tar-ded...

A Fart in the Tub

You never know what you will overhear when you live with three little boys.  Today was a perfect example.  We finished up with dinner and sent the boys to get in the bath.  The water was running and two of the three were in the tub when the third ran to inform us...

There's poop in the tub!

One of the tubbers hollered,

I farted!  It was probably fart!

Inspection proved that it was neither a poop nor a chunk of fart(?) but just a piece of broken leaf.  There you have it.  Excitement at the Bean house!

Crossing Guards

Just wanted to say thanks to the elementary school crossing guards.  I see the same, nice lady out in front of our school every morning.  She's adorable, and I'm always a little afraid that she might blow away in the wind.  I don't think she's ever missed a day.  And I'm pretty sure she's been at the same crosswalk for at least two years now.  Does she never get sick?  Never go on vacation?  Never want to sleep in?  And how does she keep from getting frostbite once the winter winds start howling?

Seriously, I'd never want that job...  Not even if they paid me (and they don't, just in case you were wondering...).

So, "Thank You," school crossing guards!  For keeping our kids safe!  For not being cross and bitter!

We really do appreciate you! 

Open High School

Today is November 4 and I have only posted once this week.  This should be my fourth post, but sometimes those little things for which we are most grateful seem to get in the way!  HRH is working through an online charter school.  This is great for her dance schedule, but frequently ties up my computer!

Today I am grateful for a that very thing that keeps me from blogging.  I am so impressed by our charter school.  I like that someone has finally found a way to cater to kids who have other, time-worthy things going on in their lives.  For anyone interested, check out www.OpenHighSchool.org.

Day One - and I missed it!

A couple of my friends have invited me to join them in their efforts to write a complete novel this month.  I considered participating, albeit briefly.  Truth is, I just don't feel settled enough to sit down and focus in the way writing a novel would require.  Instead, I had committed to blog every day as my effort in getting words on paper (so to speak).  But I've already fallen short on my responsibilities....  It's November 2 and I'm writing my first post...

I had decided to dedicate this month's blogging to the little things that inspire gratitude.  And the first on my list is Fall.

I love it when the colors start to change.  I feel a thrill on that first, warm afternoon when I spot a changeling tree...  That earliest speck of orange that will grow and evolve until the hillside is ablaze with color.  I feel gratitude for the beauty of Fall's colors.