And so happy Christmas ...

I'm preparing our house for our first Christmas guests. Naturally, I have Christmas music on as I go on my merry way picking up and cleaning up after my very naughty but gleefully merry elves. I am old school so I prefer the classics. John Lennons', "Happy Christmas" came on. The first line of lyrics are:


"So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun"

It really forced me to reflect on what I actually accomplished this year. Everyone does that around  this time of year. So these are  the things I have done:

1. Packed my family up (again)

2. Settled my family (again)

3. Enrolled my twins in their first ever structured pre-school

4. Enrolled my oldest into "real" school -- 1st grade

5. Celebrated my 10th anniversary with my favorite husband

6. Committed to go back to school

7. Battled with my husband's stressful and highly time-consuming job

8. Watched my sister and her husband struggle with an ailing family member

9. Made some great new friends who I believe I will remain connected to for the rest of my life

10. Reconnected with some old friends

11. Celebrated, for the first time in 6 years, a Thanksgiving with my entire family

12. We will celebrate, for the first time in 6 years, Christmas with my entire family

13. Watched my children grow into mature, independent and happy kids

It's just one year. 365 days. A lot happens in a short time. We grow. We change. We laugh and we cry. 

Cheers to 2012. 

In the hopeful words on John Lennon,

"A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear"

A blog about nothing

Forrest: "So, you've actually earned $0.00002 on your blog. when are you writing your next one? We have retirement to worry about"
Me: "Nothing interesting has happened. I'm not inspired."

Here is my blog about un-inspiration.

We are here in Philly. We are settled. We are in an awesome neighborhood. We have kids all around on the weekend. The kids are happy. We are happy they are happy. So what next? The kids are all in school. The twins are in the beginning of their first experience in pre-school. Jackson is in swimming lessons. Emma is (GASP!) in ballet. Nicholas is embarking on an advanced reader program through his 1st grade class, and he is really developing in soccer. So, what's a stay-at-home-mom-to-do? Really, folks, it's pretty boring. So, when I go to write a blog I got nothin'. I mean, I could write about the time the twins teacher told me how great the kids were in class. How they listen to everything. How they are so sweet. How calm they are. Better fodder, however, is the story from the teacher about how Emma one time metamorphosed into the anti-christ and shrieked at Jackson about how he needed to, "GET AWAY FROM ME! I'M PLAYING HERE! DON'T STAND NEXT TO ME! GET AWAY! GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET AAAAAWAAAAY!" I mean it was funny. Even the teacher laughed. Or, better yet, I could write about the time I said, let's go out and throw the ball for the dogs, and instead it ends up being a mud party fit for a Marine. Really, what the hell else do they do when it has been pouring buckets of rain for the past 6 weeks?



Or, I could write about how Nicholas just ran up the stairs from wrestling in the basement with Daddy to show me that, "Mom, I got past Dad on my wrestling move, but I ran into the sofa and now guess what? my OTHER front tooth is loose!!!!!" This ought to make for some great Christmas pictures.

So, no, I don't live in a fancy place overseas anymore. I don't travel all over Europe anymore. I can't complain about the perils of living in Memphis. Eeeek, dare I say, we're stable right now, with great neighbors, great new friends and a happy life.

Forget about the day to day dribble. Focus on the small things that happen in your day. If you don't double over laughing at least one time a day you're doing something wrong.

the Baumhovers: I really hate to use my blog this way ... BUT,

the Baumhovers: I really hate to use my blog this way ... BUT,: "Look, I'm a paying consumer. You know me, I'm honest. I don't try to get something for nothing. I do; however, expect quality services when ..."

I really hate to use my blog this way ... BUT,

Look, I'm a paying consumer. You know me, I'm honest. I don't try to get something for nothing. I do; however, expect quality services when I am paying out our hard-earned money for them ... which leads me to my point. I preface ALL of this by saying that I rarely let anything ruin a family vacation. It's all about attitude, and we had a great time with my Mom and Dad and sister down in Chincoteague at the beginning of July. I wouldn't trade a single second of that week, BUT ...


We stayed for a week at a house called Island Haven, based on some decent reviews.  When we went into the house, we were appalled by the filthy condition the house had been left in.  Throughout the house, the floor was dirty, but particularly so in the kitchen.  We found food wrappers AND food left by the previous tenants, which had not been taken care of by the cleaning service. Additionally, there was sand left over in the master bedroom from previous tenants. The refrigerator was disgusting and the freezer smelled like fish.  During our stay, the air conditioner broke on two occasions, and we were only able to get it fixed by constantly bugging the owner, as if paying customers were an inconvenience. The worst part is that we did not get our full deposit back.  The owner arbitrarily withheld money for "excessive cleaning fees," despite the fact that we left the house in far better condition than we found it.


While the total dollar amount was fairly trivial, it was apparent that once the owner had our money (full payment & deposit in advance), he did not care about us.  If you're looking for a place to crash near the beach, have low standards for cleanliness & maintenance, and don't care about throwing away money, by all means, stay at Island Haven.  If, on the other hand, you'd rather have a stress-free visit, you might want to go elsewhere.


Seriously, vacation rentals down there are a dime a dozen. I should have known that I would get what I paid for. Just a word FROM the now wise, read reviews carefully. Take them to heart, and finally, in spite of a bad experience, don't let it affect your attitude. Life is what YOU make it, don't let other people make it for you.

Welcome to Pennsylvania, the land of stop signs, traffic lights and no direct way to get anywhere ...

Where are the highways? How has one of the first states in the Union managed to get so far advanced with all these damn stop signs and traffic lights? So this is about how my first conversations with locals have gone:

Me: "Where is the closest Target?"
Them: "Go to County Line, turn left, turn right on blah blah blah. It's about 10 to 15 minutes."

Me: "Where is Trader Joes?"
Them: "Blah blah blah. It's about 10 to 15 minutes."

Me: "Where is the mall?"
Them: "Blah blah blah. It's about 10 to 15 minutes."

Are you noticing a trend here? Everything is 10 to 15 minutes. At this rate, Maryland, Jersey, Delaware and New York are probably 10 to 15 minutes. And seriously? As the crow flies, these places are all about 2 miles away and ought to take no more than 5 minutes in Normal-land. I keep thinking to myself, "All right, as soon as I get through these few stop signs I'll be able to open right up onto the interstate and I'm there in 5 minutes." No dice. Light, after light, after light, after ... you get the picture. On the bright side, I figure if I can drive with all the crazy Italians learning to drive here ought to be a piece of cake, right? Only thing here is ... my Explorer is NOT the biggest vehicle on the road. Eek. 

In all honesty though, I am really looking forward to our time here. We recently met some really fantastic neighbors who all have kids the same age. We're on a court so no traffic. Yet. This 3 years will be a good time for our family. The schools are some of the best, I am told, in north suburban Philly. The Baumhover's are looking forward to laying down some roots here, albeit temporary ones.

Oh, and don't even think I'm not going to make weekly trips to Jersey to facilitate my wine purchases. Who's coming with me?

Cheers.

I gave Memphis a chance ...

The Baumhovers are on the move. Again. We depart Memphis at the end of  the month and I realize I have been very hard on this city. I would like to recant all of my Memphis-bashing, and this is why. I preface this by saying retrospect is always 20-20 and maybe it’s because I’m on my way out that I’ve given Memphis a break. Regardless, Memphis is an amazing city rich in culture and heritage … some good and some horribly shameful. Everyone I meet I compare Memphis to Baltimore back when it was the murder capital of  the country. It is quite ironic that one of the most inspiring offensive tackles for the Baltimore Ravens happens to hail from the city that took its place as the murder capital. I love Baltimore. I love visiting downtown and I really loved working there back in the day. I love Baltimoreans and how loyal they are to their city and especially their sports teams. Maybe I’ll become one again some day.  That is, if we ever stop moving.

I don’t know if Memphis will ever overcome it’s societal divisiveness, but I do know that it is the root of all things disgraceful here. There are clear boundaries between haves and have-nots. The most frustrating part is how locals wallow in their complacency and take no responsibility for celebrating The Bluff City and instead jump on the bashing-bandwagon and dwell on everything that’s horrible here. Most of what you hear about Memphis is true. There are blighted parts downtown that look like the remnants of war, but put it in perspective: don’t all urban areas?

For anyone who relocates to this area, this is what I say: don’t be afraid of downtown. Riverside Drive is an amazing walk along the Mississippi River, which you must see in person to appreciate its speed and power. Mud Island is a fun summer splash-fest and is a must-see when it’s not under water (I hear the river has receded a whopping 2 inches now!). The Civil Rights Museum is a vital aspect of U.S. history required for anyone who is an American. The Civil War history of Memphis alone is enough to overload on. The Memphis Zoo is just about the most fantastic zoo I have ever been to. Shelby Farms is a cooperative suburban undertaking that has only gotten better in the past year we have lived here. The Botanical Gardens are amazing. And the food, oooooh, the food. Lately, I find myself rooting for the Grizzlies (we have one more game to go! let’s beat Oklahoma tonight!). And seriously, what’s not to like about Michael Oher? So this is what I wish for Memphis: I wish you decent, honest leaders who can help you embrace your city and advertise it to the nation as a place to want to see not stay away from. Baltimore suffered the same history, and it is now a city with bragging rights. I’d like to see the same for Memphis.

So, at the end of the month we make our journey back up to Yankee-land. We have about finalized paperwork on our new house and are really looking forward settling at least for the next 3 years. Maybe this time I will actually unpack all of the boxes. The kids are excited and the mercury is climbing fast here in the Mid-South so that means it’s time to get outta dodge.

See you all on the East Coast.

We ALMOST made it through a civil dinner ...

I should have known where the evening was headed when Nicholas hit our neighbor in the eye with a rogue throw of his baseball. And yet, I chose not to run and hide. I also should have known where the evening was headed when Forrest was making beer can chicken on the grill and Emma saw the raw, and apparently very naked, chicken with the can of Miller Lite up its asp and shrieked with glee, "Daddy! You have a baby!" Again, I powered through dinner preparations. And when I had to explain that, no, I don't think chickens have laps because in order to have a lap you need to be able to sit down and have you ever seen a chicken sit down? and besides, who would sit on the chicken's lap? I should have called the evening quits, thrown in my towel and curled up in front of Sex in the City repeats (they are not repeats if you haven't seen them the first time around!) with a big fat glass of wine. And when Nicholas told Emma that the "naked chicken/baby" wasn't a baby and that, not only was it a chicken, but she just ate about a pound of it I should have known better (oh, come on! that's funny!) ...

Guilty conscience got the best of me and I trudged upstairs to help Forrest get the kids into bed. So it came as no surprise to me to find Forrest learning about his new piece of "practical technology" (read: playing video games on his new iphone) and blissfully ignorant to what the kids were doing in the tub. You better believe someone (not the kids!) heard my wrath when the entire contents of a box of wipes was displayed like beautiful paper mache on Jackson's floor. Or, when all beanbags and rocking chairs were relocated from the toyroom into the threshold of Nicholas's bedroom.  Did he not learn anything from my earlier post about silence being dangerous?!

I'll take that big fat glass of wine now ... :)