Hello NY!

Well, we are moved in.  I keep meaning to take pictures for a tour, but I'm having a hard time finding a large enough chunk of time to do that and see that the rooms look clean in the pictures.  You'd think living in a smaller space would be easier to keep clean, and in some ways it is, but mostly it just means that there are less places to hide the mess.

We have settled in Wappingers Falls.  I know, I know- it looks like "whap-ing-ers" but it's really "wahp-in-jers".  Now you're in the know.

I decided that I wasn't going to be my normal introverted self and made sure to introduce ourselves to at least our direct neighbors.  We met them with some chocolate zucchini muffins in hand, and though I was terrified, they were well received.  Turns out, we have a couple of neighbors with young kids/grandkids too!

We've had to re-"break-in" the kids with homeschooling.  We completely got out of our routine and had to go through the 2 weeks of power-struggle so they could see that we mean business and, yes, we have to go to school every day, and work before play and all that.  Peach has settled in nicely and has started addition and sounding out words (but addition is her favorite - that's my girl!) and Jack is really getting into reading.  Things are going really well!  Hazel really wants to get in on the homeschooling action and during The Frog's first break will often run over exclaiming, "my turn! my turn!"  At first, I kind of sighed and went through the motions of what we are planning to do a year from now, but actually, Hazel recognizes the letters A and B and knows that the B says "buh".  It's awesome!

I think the hardest change is that The Frog and Peach are sharing a room and so they are much more sleep-deprived than they used to be, and we are much less in control of their bedtime (because they stay up late playing with each other).  The Frog still wakes up early, typical, but Peach sleeps in until about 7am.  I think his sleep-deprivation may be closely tied to his crankiness, but I'm not sure what to do about that.  It seems weird to reinstate naps with our now 6-year old (oh yeah! we had a birthday party!  I really need to upload my photos.) but that may be in order.

Our ward here is much smaller than in Provo (not unexpected) and the people seem nice and there are a few other moms with young kids that seem great.  Unfortunately, half of them live 45 minutes away, (ward boundaries are a lot bigger here) - closer to Connecticut (and Costco!) so playdates with them will be trickier to arrange.  I am happy to be living where I am, though - a pretty street with well-kept, simple homes and convenient to shopping and farm stands.

Jay has been called to be the Young Men's President here - meaning he is in charge of the boys ages 12-18 (all 4 of them!) and I've been asked to serve as the second counselor in the Relief Society Presidency - they are head of the women's organization, all women over 18.  I also get to play piano for the choir, which is nerve-wracking but so so fun!

I would like to post pictures, but I really haven't been taking very many.  I think I'm over the worst of the depressed part of moving and so hopefully I'll feel more like I want to remember more moments.  I must say, though it's really hard to get ready to move and then move in somewhere else with kids underfoot, they have really made this whole thing so much easier.  Peach, especially, has just become so funny (though, at times, soooo difficult) and just seems to know when I need to hear someone say "I love you".  I'm going to try and be better about writing down the cute things they say that make me chuckle.  I still remember how nervous I was to bring the kids here for the first time because to me this place is worse in every way compared to our beautiful home in Provo that we made ours, but Peach, after doing a quick run-through exclaimed with a squeak, "MOM!  I LOVE our new house!!"

Hopefully you and my future self are all feeling updated! :)