Just Call Her Pippi

(With apologies to my friend the Silly Witch, who has a Pippi of her own...) Emma looked especially like Pippi Longstocking today. Look at that hair! The butchered job I did on her bangs (which I will NEVER be cutting again) completes the look.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

"How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?" This line from "The Sound of Music" kept running through my head after I finished this novel. It's a good question--how DO you capture the essence of a person, a relationship, even the very act of creation? Cassandra Mortmain attempts to describe all of the above and more in her journal of her life in a dilapidated castle in 1930s England. She is a compelling narrator; though there is not a lot of "action" in the novel, I was riveted to the story of her family. I think this book is definitely worthy of a spot in my top 5 favorite books ever. I'm going to pack it up this weekend, let it sit in boxes for a couple of months, and then re-read it.
PS. I must send my apologies to Stubben, who told me to read this years ago. Though it has been sitting on my shelf for at least a couple of those years, I didn't crack it until it was suggested for this month's book club. Please forgive me!

90 Degrees + 93% Humidity = Water Park

Images of the 4th

We had a fun but somewhat low-key 4th of July. In the morning we attended a breakfast party in Liberty State Park (that's in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, for you non-locals), where Emma worked up an appetite on the playground. Later we hung out out at home and barbecued some red meat like real Americans. We skipped fireworks this year because I was afraid someone would get scared--I'll let you guess who.

Emma running off into the sunrise with Asher. Maybe it's a good thing these two won't be together when they're teenagers???

Hanging out on the patio.

Declaration of Independence

Here's the last story from our trip to Michigan:

After driving from Chicago back to Michigan on Thursday, June 12, I tried (but to no avail) to put Emma down for a nap. She preferred to follow Shadow (the dog) around, so Tyler and I settled on the couch in the family for some Wii bowling while Emma and Shadow wandered around. About 10 minutes later, we heard a sound like the rustling of papers coming from the kitchen, and I was afraid that either Emma or the dog had gotten into the garbage. When we went into the kitchen, this is what we found:

Emma had developed an addiction to Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs cereal, and learned where they were kept (a low cabinet). She was determined to get some for herself without having to wait for anyone to help her. She is becoming a true toddler!

Moving Update

No, we didn't sell our condo yet. :(

But JD really wants us to come. And we're really ready to go. *And* they offered us a housing allowance for 6 months or until we sell our condo, whichever comes first.

So we are off to Texas in 3 weeks. I found a 3-bedroom rental (Dave wants an office, and Texas rentals are, oh, 1/8 the price of NYC rentals) and we move in on July 26th.

It all feels a bit surreal. The last time I moved (not counting our move from NYC to NJ, and not counting moves that involved school) was 1993. And as we are getting movers and don't need to pack, life is mostly continuing as normal. I suppose that will change as we get closer to moving day, but for now, we're getting ready to enjoy our last 4th of July in New York!