Having just come back to the East Coast from California, it’s funny the small things that strike me as wonderous and different as I explore my garden. After nine years on the other coast, I’d completely forgotten how exciting (in a silly, deep-down-this-is-incredible way) it is to discover those first spring blooms. I’ll admit to having been spoiled by the year-round flora over there.

Hope you, too, are enjoying a great start to the new season!

Well, we made it! After many long months of lining things up so we could move back east, and into my Mom’s house, we landed at JFK this past Sunday night. Our week has been a whirl-wind of activity; figuring out how everything works in the house, clearing out shelves and cabinets, signing the kids up for school, and catching up with old friends.

Last night it snowed, and we awoke to a true winter wonderland. Maggie immediately geared up & headed out to shovel the driveway and make her first snowman, as well as many (huge) snowballs to clobber her brother with. Bjørn didn’t see why I was being such a crank over him wearing socks and gloves to go out — his purple, "itchy" hands and feet when I poured him into a hot bath an hour while later were enough of a lesson in listening to Mom, I think. We definitely need to find a local store that still stocks winter coats and boots or my kids’ll surely freeze their patooties off during recess.

Poor Tor has been sick with high fevers on and off most of this week, every time we think he’s finally over it he wakes up fevered again. Right now he’s well, and I’m crossing fingers he stays that way.

Finally, we’ve discovered why my parents always called us "Petits Elephants"! It must be from this house — my three kids surely sound like a herd of little elephants as they run about the house!

We’re missing our friends and family in California, but it’s good to be home

Things are going to be a bit quieter than usual around here for the next few weeks. We’ll be sorting & packing up our apartment to head back east to the sweet little house pictured above (though the trees are barren right now, and the grass is probably covered in a chilly layer of frost).

Expect sporadic posts from me until about mid-to-late February. I’m hoping it won’t take too long to get settled in and webified.