A Boston Update

Well, we've been in Boston just over a week now and all is going better than expected. We are almost fully unpacked, and later this week our new couch is being delivered. I think at that point, we'll be fully moved in and settled.

Angelica started in her new pre-k program and is loving it. She adjusted really quickly. The first day we dropped her off, we took the tour to find out where everything goes and how her day will be scheduled but when I asked her if she wanted us to hang out, she said "Nope! You can go now!" Her teachers said she's been having a great time and she's one of the most polite three year olds they've ever met. That makes me proud. I know we've worked hard to instill good manners, and they definitely reinforced that at the daycare she was at in Florida.

I was talking with a fellow mom at church this weekend, and she works as a guidance counselor and she clued me in that Boston schools don't work like Florida's do. In Florida, you basically are assigned a district, and your child automatically goes to the school assigned to that district. In Boston, there are zones, several schools in that zone, and you have to pick a school in that zone for your child to go to...however, in order to increase your odds of getting a spot in your school of choice, you have to sign your four year old up for K-1, which is prekindergarten but in a public school. That's actually GREAT news because it's free, except for after school care. So that's my task for the week -- especially since registration ends this Friday!

On the job front -- Scott is LOVING his new job, and it makes me so happy. It's a lot less stressful when I know he'll be home at 6pm instead of "maybe" around 7 or 7:30. I had a great interview last Friday so I've got my fingers and toes crossed. I'm working on contract for the company I worked for back in Florida, and enjoying that, but I know it will come to an end so I'm trying to be as proactive as possible.

The weather has been good. There was about 3 inches of snow the day we landed, but then the temperature got up to the mid 50s a couple of days later and it all melted. I went for a run one evening last week and it snowed very lightly while I was out but it was warm enough that none of it stuck.

Finally, last weekend Scott's sister Shannon and her boyfriend Steve came up from Connecticut for a visit and we took the T into the city and went to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market. The geeks in us were drawn to Newbury Comics, which was awesome, and we ate in the Quincy Market Colonnade. Angelica just loved taking the "orange train" to and from the city, and it was a lot of fun. We'd have stayed a lot longer if she hadn't gotten too tired.

Here are a few pictures just from around the house from the past week. You'll probably notice a theme. Angelica has never lived somewhere with stairs before, so they're an obsession for her.

Wordless Wednesday: SNOW!

We're still getting settled up here in Boston, but here are some pictures from my phone of our first few days here.

This was on the plane. While we were getting ready for takeoff, she got a little nervous and asked to hold my hand. Once we were in the air, she was totally relaxed and excited about the flight. She was SO well behaved on the plane, too...she sat and watched her movie (The Lion King) and drank her juice and kept quiet. I was so proud of her.

This was right after we arrived...we were about to get in the car. Angelica was fascinated by the snow. While we walked to the car, she just kept touching the snow and squealing with delight.

Angelica making her first snowball.

The view from my back door. Somewhere down there are steps and a brick patio...

The original setup for Angelica's new room. We got this bed because we thought it would be fun for her to have a little "fort" to play in underneath the bed. Unfortunately, she thought the loft was too scary, so we flipped the bed over so the bed part is on the floor. Maybe when she's older...

My child is sneaky.

Last night I was babysitting my niece and nephew (ages 3 and 5, respectively) and Angelica was at the house with me. My sister's family just moved and their house is all in boxes, and right in the middle of the room was a box with a bowl full of candy in it. Of course, children ages 3-5 are drawn to candy like moths to a flame and somehow unearthed the box and proceeded to dig in before the parents realized what was happening.

So, of course, after noticing they had eaten about ten pieces of candy each, we took the bowl away. Somehow, they had a stash.

I was making dinner for the kids, and it got quiet. Too quiet. So I went looking for the kids and I heard some whispers and giggles coming from behind an open door.

I peered around the door, and what did I find? Three little ones, giggling, hiding, and secretly opening up their hidden candy stash. All three looked up at me with their candy hidden in their hands behind their backs. Angelica said, "Mommy, go away!"

Oh, those sneaky, sneaky kids...

Good news!

I've been absent from blogging for a bit...a bit more than I'd like. The holidays came and went (and I promise I WILL get pictures posted) but the main reason for my absence has nothing to do with the holiday season.

In early December, we got some fantastic news. Some unexpected news. Some news that I'm still giddy about, nervous about, excited about and scared about.

Can you guess what it is?

I'll bet you thought I was going to say that we're expecting. Well, we are! Just...not a baby.

We're expecting a BIG move to Boston, MA!
(For those not in the know, we're currently residents of Central Florida.)

Back in October, on a whim, Scott applied for a job with a company that makes one of his favorite games (he has worked in the video game industry for about 11 years), thinking he'd never actually hear back from them. Fast forward a month and a half and he's been granted an irresistible job offer.  He starts on Monday, and Angelica and I will be joining him later this month! I've had a few very exciting job interviews as well, so I'm not anticipating it will take me long to find a job up there as well. I'm very fortunate and grateful that in the meantime that my boss is allowing me to telecommute.

So, our holidays were filled with a bit of holiday joy, and a LOT of packing up stuff in boxes, cleaning, selling/donating items we no longer need, and making all sorts of other preparations for the transition.

I guess it's safe to say 2012 is going to bring a lot of change our way.

(Speaking of change, check out my 2012 project -- The VegMom Blog! I'll be blogging weekly recipes and weight loss updates there.)