Purging
Monday, August 16, 2010 by Amy
Sorry, no pictures! We haven't really been doing anything picture-worthy, just packing. Lots and lots of packing. We've thrown out far more than we've packed, which is a good sign so far. Much much much more than we've packed. By "thrown out" I mean donated, trashed, or otherwise disposed of. We're trying to make do with a 17' moving truck, which will save us a considerable amount of money and I have a feeling that the new house is smaller than this one, with less storage. So, we are purging very aggressively! Even Rudi is, and we all know what a pack-rat he is!
Our new address will be :
67 George Street
South Portland, ME 04106
Our rental won't be available until 9/6, so we'll be staying here until about the 3rd and then heading back east. We don't know how long it will take us, but we're hoping three days. I've asked Rudi to sit down with me and look at the route, but he hasn't done so as yet.
Seeing Amy's pictures of Abby and Vera that were taken at Sears, reminded me that I haven't had the girls pictures done in years. Years. Ever since that fateful trip to the Target studio, the session during which of the photographer (and manager) yelled at the girls. (http://riley-and-avery.blogspot.com/2007/10/target-portrait-studio.html) Turns out, Avery doesn't remember that incident at all, which shouldn't be surprising considering that it was nearly 3 years ago. Riley got a little concerned when I mentioned getting portraits, a little misty-eyed, and I realize that is mostly me who was traumatized. And for some reason, I see all over Facebook other families' beautiful and adorable studio portraits, and for some reason we just never get really amazing shots at a studio ourselves. It's frustrating. It's like the camera turns the kids into goons and gargoyles. So....I decided to make the girls a really simple dress and take outdoor portraits here in Colorado. It can also be like a farewell-to-Colorado. Now I just have to find time to make a couple dresses (these are really simple and should only take a couple hours, max...if I can string a couple undisturbed hours together in the midst of moving) and a perfect location. A grassy area would be nice, a big field. And the perfect time of day. I noticed yesterday that colors are really vivid around 7:30 pm, just before dusk. Rudi, of course, suggested going to some far-flung sight-seeing location. He doesn't get it. Backgrounds in portraits are supposed to be simple and non-distracting. Duh. Sure, I like pictures of the girls at specific locations, but those are just "pictures of the children," not portraits. Anyhow...
I called Riley's school today and spoke to the secretary. I can't officially register her until we get there and show a birth certificate, but the secretary took Riley's name so that at least she'll have a spot in class. The secretary was really nice, with a pleasant New England accent. She didn't seem to mind at all when I asked if Maine accepts philosophical exemptions to vaccinations (I already knew that they did, but I've heard many mothers say that some places will try to make you think they don't, so that you'll vaccinate your children). Not a problem. Sweet.
This is the first year that I actually had to buy Riley back-to-school clothes. She's been wearing leggings for a couple years, and most of them are on their last leg, with holes and/or stains. I bought her jeans for school, because that's just what I wanted her to wear :) They're just more durable. I got her about 5 or 6 pairs, so we should be good for a school week. She doesn't have any long-sleeved shirts either, since this past fall she was wearing shirts from the previous fall. We try to buy clothes every other year, rather than every year, but this is the year she needs new shirts. However, retailers aren't selling long-sleeved shirts yet. I guess they see nothing wrong with selling summer clothes in February/March, but you have to wait for fall and winter clothes until after snow has fallen. Why would anyone buy short-sleeved shirts for back-to-school? Can't they just wear their summer shirts, then? Geez...get a clue, retailers!
I also bought Riley a cute Bento Box-Style Lunch Box. It's very pretty and she's in love with it. It's small (7x4x4), but bento boxes make really good use of the space. I should have bought two, but couldn't afford it. And since our new house doesn't have a dishwasher, I'm sure I'll be doing dishes more often, and shouldn't have a problem getting is ready every day.
Riley is both nervous and excited to start school. She's afraid her teacher might be mean. But she really really really wants to walk to school by herself. Like Ramona who gets to walk to school with friends in the first grade. The school is less than 1/4 mile away, and only involves two turns, both right-hand turns. I think she could handle that in a group, but not right away. She's still my baby, and I will not rescind my rights as a mother to walk my girl to school! :)
Speaking of Ramona....We're on our fourth or fifth book, I forget which. We read them every single night. We were going sequentially, but I didn't realize that there was a Beezus and Ramona that was the first. I thought Ramona the Pest was the first. So, after finishing Ramona Quimby, Age 8 we went back to read Beezus and Ramona. It's weird how both girls are really into these books. To me, nothing ever seems to happen, but I guess it's such an accurate representation of a child's experience, that Riley and Avery are engrossed. I mean, heaven forbid we finish a book and I don't have the next in the series already sitting on the nightstand. Geez.
I think I've blabbed enough for now!
Our new address will be :
67 George Street
South Portland, ME 04106
Our rental won't be available until 9/6, so we'll be staying here until about the 3rd and then heading back east. We don't know how long it will take us, but we're hoping three days. I've asked Rudi to sit down with me and look at the route, but he hasn't done so as yet.
Seeing Amy's pictures of Abby and Vera that were taken at Sears, reminded me that I haven't had the girls pictures done in years. Years. Ever since that fateful trip to the Target studio, the session during which of the photographer (and manager) yelled at the girls. (http://riley-and-avery.blogspot.com/2007/10/target-portrait-studio.html) Turns out, Avery doesn't remember that incident at all, which shouldn't be surprising considering that it was nearly 3 years ago. Riley got a little concerned when I mentioned getting portraits, a little misty-eyed, and I realize that is mostly me who was traumatized. And for some reason, I see all over Facebook other families' beautiful and adorable studio portraits, and for some reason we just never get really amazing shots at a studio ourselves. It's frustrating. It's like the camera turns the kids into goons and gargoyles. So....I decided to make the girls a really simple dress and take outdoor portraits here in Colorado. It can also be like a farewell-to-Colorado. Now I just have to find time to make a couple dresses (these are really simple and should only take a couple hours, max...if I can string a couple undisturbed hours together in the midst of moving) and a perfect location. A grassy area would be nice, a big field. And the perfect time of day. I noticed yesterday that colors are really vivid around 7:30 pm, just before dusk. Rudi, of course, suggested going to some far-flung sight-seeing location. He doesn't get it. Backgrounds in portraits are supposed to be simple and non-distracting. Duh. Sure, I like pictures of the girls at specific locations, but those are just "pictures of the children," not portraits. Anyhow...
I called Riley's school today and spoke to the secretary. I can't officially register her until we get there and show a birth certificate, but the secretary took Riley's name so that at least she'll have a spot in class. The secretary was really nice, with a pleasant New England accent. She didn't seem to mind at all when I asked if Maine accepts philosophical exemptions to vaccinations (I already knew that they did, but I've heard many mothers say that some places will try to make you think they don't, so that you'll vaccinate your children). Not a problem. Sweet.
This is the first year that I actually had to buy Riley back-to-school clothes. She's been wearing leggings for a couple years, and most of them are on their last leg, with holes and/or stains. I bought her jeans for school, because that's just what I wanted her to wear :) They're just more durable. I got her about 5 or 6 pairs, so we should be good for a school week. She doesn't have any long-sleeved shirts either, since this past fall she was wearing shirts from the previous fall. We try to buy clothes every other year, rather than every year, but this is the year she needs new shirts. However, retailers aren't selling long-sleeved shirts yet. I guess they see nothing wrong with selling summer clothes in February/March, but you have to wait for fall and winter clothes until after snow has fallen. Why would anyone buy short-sleeved shirts for back-to-school? Can't they just wear their summer shirts, then? Geez...get a clue, retailers!
I also bought Riley a cute Bento Box-Style Lunch Box. It's very pretty and she's in love with it. It's small (7x4x4), but bento boxes make really good use of the space. I should have bought two, but couldn't afford it. And since our new house doesn't have a dishwasher, I'm sure I'll be doing dishes more often, and shouldn't have a problem getting is ready every day.
Riley is both nervous and excited to start school. She's afraid her teacher might be mean. But she really really really wants to walk to school by herself. Like Ramona who gets to walk to school with friends in the first grade. The school is less than 1/4 mile away, and only involves two turns, both right-hand turns. I think she could handle that in a group, but not right away. She's still my baby, and I will not rescind my rights as a mother to walk my girl to school! :)
Speaking of Ramona....We're on our fourth or fifth book, I forget which. We read them every single night. We were going sequentially, but I didn't realize that there was a Beezus and Ramona that was the first. I thought Ramona the Pest was the first. So, after finishing Ramona Quimby, Age 8 we went back to read Beezus and Ramona. It's weird how both girls are really into these books. To me, nothing ever seems to happen, but I guess it's such an accurate representation of a child's experience, that Riley and Avery are engrossed. I mean, heaven forbid we finish a book and I don't have the next in the series already sitting on the nightstand. Geez.
I think I've blabbed enough for now!
