On my list of things not quite up to holiday worthiness – moving a week before Christmas.  Yep, [...]]]> Christmas is just days away and the kids have been counting it down. We’ve squeezed in some fun holiday time over the last few weeks – from sledding to making rock candy, baking and decorating gingerbread houses.

On my list of things not quite up to holiday worthiness – moving a week before Christmas.  Yep, we moved out of our Orchard Park townhouse this last Thursday and out to a duplex in Elma.  We’ve got acres upon acres behind house out here and are enjoying the country setting.

And in truth, I must admit that the move wasn’t unanticipated. I mean, we had to give 30 days notice to the OP property management group.  We knew we were moving this month.  We just didn’t expect it all to come together right before Christmas.

We were reminded this week though, after about day 3 of the move… just how much a move costs.  Not only is it the monetary cost of a new deposit (while the old one is still being held by the other landlark), but another month’s rent, the Uhaul truck, miscellaneous little things to purchase (some curtain rods and blinds, etc.) –but there’s also the physical and mental cost.  Whew, were we spent!  I mean, our feet ached.  Our bodies hurt.  Once again we were reminded of muscles we didn’t know existed… and of course we had nice 23- and 19-degree days to load and unload in.

But then again, if we didn’t do this, what stories would we have.  Everyone uses that ol’ uphill both ways in the snow line… but c’mon… get original.  Hey honey, lets see if we can move a week before Christmas and still put up a tree, and have Santa find the new place.  If the kids were older, they’d have been sweating it.  But at 4 and 3 (the 16-month old doesn’t yet have opinions on this topic, or so I’m told), our kids blindly believe, quite simply, that Santa will find them.

Now isn’t that an amazing thing?  Yep, the little buggers teach me about faith all the time.  We’re moving, and packing, and stressed and tired, and are my kids saying, “oh woe is us, will Santa find us?”  Heck no.  They’re saying, “5 more days til Christmas” and holding up as many fingers to prove it.  Exhausted or not, you’re darn right I’ll be wrapping presents and Santa will be finding this place.  Disappoint you guys?  No way. At least, not yet (as I’m sure the older they get until about 22, the more I’ll disappoint, but then, I know from 23 on, they’ll cycle back down, until by about 35, they’ll begin to see me as wise as I always knew I was!  That’s how it happened for me.  My dad and mom are wise – I couldn’t see it then, but I know it now!).

So we’re in… mostly.  We still have to clean the old place and pack the odds and ends… or throw them in the dumpster… because, I know, I know, but… it’s just too much work to donate it.  I mean, gone are the days when the dudes come to your house and pick up the stuff you want to give them. Seriously, I miss those days.  Because I’d be calling them now to say, take it all. If it’s still there, we don’t need it.

Christmas – my brother-in-law just surprised us by sending us to Best Buy to pick up a Christmas gift he’d bought us.  Turns out it’s a 42 inch plasma.  My eyes got big like softballs, then filled with tears… while Melodia was like, “Oh, it’s a tv.”

“Oh, it’s a tv?”  I love my wife.  And she will enjoy all her Wii games on her new tv, despite the nuances that “oh, it’s a tv” seems to miss.  Of course, she knows, I’ve been wanting one for 2 years but just couldn’t justify it.  Oh, and to be fair, she really was excited.  I shouldn’t throw her under the bus like that.

What we had was a 37″ box.  Yep, I must be among the last 20% of all Americans with the “old” style box tv that hadn’t yet converted to the “flat” world.  But my 37″ worked. If it’s not broken…

But here’s the rub, we’ve moved about 4 times in the last couple of years… and my 37-incher? She must weigh in at 75lbs.  The thing is huge and tough to lift, but I count it as one of my last remaining manly tests.  I mean, as long as I can still lift this lug and carry it out to the truck myself, whatever belly I’ve grown and weight I’ve gained, I’m still ok.  Nevertheless, oh how I’ve longed a flat, lighter, much easier to fit through doorways tv.

Tonight, I practically carried the 42-incher into the house with one hand.  Then promptly dragged the 37-incher across the floor toward the door, rugs curling up underneath its weight.

Anyone need a free tv?  I’d keep it, but why?  We only want one in the house, and we’re less tv addicts than the greater population. Our movie collection, though, is ridiculously huge, and our netflix subscription eternal.  So we’ll make good use out of this plasma.  But we’ve no need to keep lugging the elephant around.

I suggested to Melodia, let’s give it to the church for the kids programs…. she said, “Honey, the church bought all new flatscreens for all the kids rooms (there’s like 9 rooms!) last year.”  Yes, even the church was ahead of me on this one!  I mean, if you can’t give your junk to the church, who can you give it to?

And Christmas…  and Christmas is around the corner.  Tonight, we drove home with the kids singing carols in the car.  What great fun!  Our new place is just 5 minutes from a store we’ve been wanting to stroll through for months now… The Marilla Country Store.  This is an old-time country store with all the wonders of such a place. In fact, M and I were bummed we hadn’t been in sooner.

They have a spice pantry that’s awesome and cheaper than the grocery store. We picked up some premaid bags of dip spice, and chowder powder to give a try.  We cooked up shrimp chowder tonight with one of their spice arrangements… yummo.

If you’re out this way, and haven’t been, it’s worth the visit.  This summer, in Floyd, VA, we popped into an old-time country store just like The Marilla Country Store. It was wonderful; and here we’ve got a great one in our backyard.  It’s funny how little we know what’s around us.  I was amazed at two (somewhat competing concepts): 1) that The Marilla Country Store is still in business in the era of mega-marts and 2) that anyone would even choose to pad the mega-marts bottom line when little off-the-grid places like this exist.

Now I know, it’s usually a money thing.  The hole-in-the-walls are expensive so why not cheapo-mega-mart-x?  But in this case, The Marilla Country Store was better on many of the things we wanted to buy (spices, candy, etc.) than the chain store.  Cheaper and better?  Got to love that.

I think that about catches everyone up on our musings of late.  Next up? Probably a trip to the Pittsburgh IKEA for a little shopping fun… you know, the stuff Santa didn’t bring.

At any rate, Christmas is just about 2 days away as I type this. Wonderful.  Merry Christmas to you all!

Snow, that’s one thing I love about living in Buffalo.  Buffalo is not cold though some may think so.  Minnesota – that’s [...]]]> An awesome wintery storm is blowing across the country right now, blowing quite literally.  It hit Buffalo the other night.  As a result, we got about 1-2 feet of snow at our place.

Snow, that’s one thing I love about living in Buffalo.  Buffalo is not cold though some may think so.  Minnesota – that’s cold.  In Buffalo, we don’t see that many days in the single digits or below zero ever, but what we do see, is snow.

We have Great Lakes on Two sides and the air/water/wintery combination creates Lake Effect Snow that can drop 1-2 feet in no time.  So Buffalo isn’t necessarily the coldest place, but we’re a pretty snowy place.

But I love the snow.  I grew up in Michigan, and spent many days out in the snow… running into the house for warmups (hot chocolate, sitting by the furnace, etc.) before heading back out again and again.  We had a hill across the street, “the big hill” as we called it.  So sledding was always at my fingertips. I loved the snow.

The summer before my sophomore year of high school, we moved to Arizona. My parents were happy to get out of the snow.  I can understand that.  And I didn’t mind, at that point, leaving the snow behind. Moving was a grand adventure that sparked, I now believe, the wanderer in me. I became quite the traveler over the 10 year period leading from college to marriage.  It was hard for me to remain in the same geographic place for more than a year or two. I just loved moving, changing the scenery, etc.  I hit San Diego, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Columbus (OH), Atlanta, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and then Buffalo. Our Buffalo stop has been my longest since San Diego… 5 years… but I am tempted to travel once again.

Snow. One of the things I have always said though, was that I wanted my kids to grow up in the snow.  I wanted them to experience that.  Each winter, I am reminded that this was the right choice.  As soon as a snow falls, Wil and McKinely are all over us, “Can we go out in the snow?”  They love it.  There’s something special, magical, about snow.

Snow takes a dreary cold, and turns it bright white.  It does so with a forgiving blanket of white.  Whatever may lie under that blanket is hidden… I don’t know, I sort of think of snow as a living metaphor for understanding the this phrase, “covering over a multitude of sins.”  Snow covers it all up, brings freshness, and beauty… almost, a salvation of sorts.  They’re just something special about it.

I love the holidays; noted that in my last post.  But I do think that the holidays without snow are missing a vital ingredient. Snow makes the holidays that much more holi (ok, that doesn’t quite work, but the point is, they improve the holidays).

My favorite song of the season, at least on many a days and nights, is the snowy classic, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.” I love that beautiful white.  I love knowing that my  kids are going to head out into it for some fun.  I love the way it brings a quiet stillness to the day or night.  I love how it reminds me of the season… of the reason… of the wonder of the world we live in.   The world isn’t always a beautiful place… but it can be.  Snow reminds me that… it can be… it can be beautiful.

When the muck and mire of fall is covered in white, the dead leaves on the ground are covered in white, fallen trees are covered in white, the neighbors junk?  Yes, they too are covered in white. And the white just makes it all ok, makes it all beautiful.  And the hustling, bustling sounds of the world seem to stop – except for the occasional snow plow and its backup beep- beep – beep… – but the snow, it seems to cover both the site and sound of the world in white and quiet… and peace reigns.

Standing out in the wintery white, for a moment, it’s easy to forget all the “to-dos,” forget all the appointments, stress, tasks to finish… and just live in the moment, a moment of quiet, white peace reigning down upon us.  Yes, tis the season, and I’m so glad it is.  So I’ll be saying and singing all through it, “let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”

It’s one of those photos that you’re looking at, looking… then… it hits you.  Aha!  What in the world?!

Well, just a few weeks ago, I took a photo of the kids in [...]]]> Recently, a friend sent me a link to this website that had funny family photos on it.  One in particular was really silly.

It’s one of those photos that you’re looking at, looking… then… it hits you.  Aha!  What in the world?!

Well, just a few weeks ago, I took a photo of the kids in the backseat of Jeep after we loaded up to head home from church. In looking at it, I was reminded of that other photo.  It turned out to be one of those, “wait for it… aha!” kind of photos – thanks to one of my kids.

I haven’t posted this photo on that other site I mentioned previously.  But I thought I’d post it hear for kicks.  It’s currently the background photo on my phone because 1) it has all the kids and 2) it’s so silly.  Enjoy!

It’s been good to have her here. Unfortunately, I’ve been sick for what feels like the whole [...]]]> Lala’s been in town the past two weeks. That’s Melodia’s mother, Maria. The kids have called her Lala since they were little. Abuela (grandmother in Spanish) became La became Lala. And Grandpa Torres became Lalo.

It’s been good to have her here. Unfortunately, I’ve been sick for what feels like the whole time. Sick now, too, and in need of bed. But I keep looking at the website wishing I blogged more. Then by the time I think to do it, I just jot down the surface stuff of life. But, I figure that’s better than nothing.

We’re down to the last 3 days of Lala’s visit, which is a bummer. We all love having her around. But I know her own hubby needs her back, too. Still, her presence reminds me of how challenging it is to live in a place without family.

I’ve been reminded all week that I haven’t seen my own parents in person in two years. How did that happen? Where did the time go? I mean, that’s just crazy. And they haven’t seen Izzabelle in person yet, either. And she’s past 1. Seems it’s always cheaper to go to Tampa than out to Vegas (and drive down to Kingman, Az), cheaper to see the Torres side than the Wilson side. But I have to figure out a way to see them soon. The kids need to see them. It’s just been too long.

And we’ve just finished concluding that we cannot go anywhere for the Holidays. The budget’s a little tight and we need to stay put, resist the temptation to spend. I keep hoping my parents will find the time to come our direction, because their two tickets are cheaper than our four tickets to head out there.

But nothing’s easy. Mom’s working full-time these days, and it’s harder for them to cut out than it used to be. So here we are, two years later. But with Lala in town, I’ve been feeling it, and missing mom and dad. And I’m missing them for my kids, too. Wil can still remember sitting on dad’s backhoe last time he was out to Arizona. He brings that up whenever we talk about Grandpa and Grandma Wilson. But I need him to have some fresher memories. So I’ve got to work this one out.

At any rate, I’m just reminded tonight of how important family is, but not just our own immediate wife and kids, but our moms and dads. I continue to believe that one can never truly appreciate their own parents until they have kids of their own. I’m constantly amazed, when holding one of my little ones, to think that the way I feel, is the way my mom and dad felt about me. That they were where I am. Fascinating to me.

And I can appreciate all the more what it took, and what it still takes (when they get older and move on). I can’t imagine Wil, McKinley, and Izzabelle being older, going to college, getting married, having kids… I can’t imagine Melodia and I in a quiet house, the kids all moved on. It just seems so far. And yet I’m reminded all the time by those around me… time flies, it’ll be gone before you know it, enjoy it while you have it.

So tonight, I held McKinley just a little bit longer when I hugged her before bed. I looked into her big green eyes as she said, “I love you, Papi,” and I wished it all wouldn’t go by so fast. Wished that time would slow. That my little girl would stay little, small enough for me to scoop up and hold tight. And I didn’t want to think about those days when she wouldn’t be that small anymore.

Our scheduled close on the new house was August 10, 2009.  Back in early July, when we decided to purchase a house, we approached [...]]]> Well, we officially packed up our apartment on July 31, 2009, sticking all of our goods into 2 storage garages and left what had been our home for this past year behind.

Our scheduled close on the new house was August 10, 2009.  Back in early July, when we decided to purchase a house, we approached our apartment complex (400+ units) management and asked to stay for the month of August.  Unfortunately, they operate on leases, and wouldn’t accommodate us.   Frustrating.  Also funny, since there have been some other units vacant for a month or three at a time that they would turn away the cash.  Just doesn’t seem like smart business to me.  But then again, I think “smart” is dying out in the world – much like common sense not being all that common anymore.

So Melodia and I have mentally prepared ourselves over the last month that we would be homeless and house-hopping for a while as we wait to close on our house.  Another issue is that New York is a notoriously slow closing state.  We learned this when we moved here 4 years ago and bought our first home.  In some states, they close in a week or two. NY is a minimum of 30 days but more like 45 days.

In fact, we went under contract July 10 and set a 30 day close for August 10.  About 10 days later, the brother of a friend went under contract in Colorado, they closed yesterday – two weeks later – and moved into their house.  Oh to hear the sound of jingling keys right now!

At any rate, the update on us is that our closing date of August 10th will not be made.  If you’ve read our Facebook status updates, you’ve seen that the mortgage company’s underwriting has added some obligations on our end.  This is all stuff that we believe we could have been told about upfront, but weren’t.  Had we been, we could have scheduled it and had it done by now.  But it’s the type of thing that takes a week to get someone out to do.  So we’re just waiting for them to visit the site, write their report, turn it into us, so we can submit it to the underwriters.  All of which will likely really push our closing, and our homelessness off an additional 10 days, doubling the time we’d thought we’d be out of a home.

The whole process has been quite frustrating and reminded us many times how annoying it all can be.  Add to that the fact that NY has some of the highest property taxes in the nation.  My parents pay less than $500/year on a property assessed at two – three times ours.  We pay $2500-3500 here.  In other words, we rent from the government to “own” our land for $250-350 per month.  Now, as someone who’d love to live off the grid, there’s just no way to escape it all (death and taxes, right?).

So, we’ve been trying to practice some patience and allow God to work it all out.  At some point, that’s all we can do.  It’s tough waiting for it all to come together because we really want to move into the new place and get settled.  Our kids have been very adaptable and enjoying their time, but it’s still not their bed, their toys, etc.

For the last week, we’ve been with our friends the Padd’s in Bemus Point, NY on their 27-acre farm.  They have a 6 year-old-son, Zechariah, whom the kids love playing with.  They also love running around outside. Today we caught a baby corn snake (about 5-6 inches long, sorry, no pics) and a couple of frogs.  There’s always fun stuff to do out in the country.  Our plan for the next week is to spend Friday and Saturday night with the Otto’s in Cowlesville, NY (about 12 minutes from our new home) and then Sunday night through Thursday night with the Morgan’s in Chaffee, NY.  Also just about 15 minutes from the new house.  After that (i.e., after the 15th), we’re not sure what we’ll be doing.  Mostly, we’re just counting the days, praying things will move faster with the mortgage company and that we’ll close sooner.

That’s the latest.  As I sit writing, my little fruit eaters are munching away.  McKinley is chowing down a peach, and will is sharing the chair with me, eating a banana. These kids love fruit.  Wil has discovered a love for peaches.  Today he ate the whole thing, then sucked the pit dry in his mouth.  I looked down and the peach was gone, I said, “where’d it go? Where’s the pit?”  And Wil said, “in ry routh” then spit it out to show me.  Melodia says that how she used to eat peaches, too.

We’re very excited about the new house.  We’ve been longing to get out into the country, and can hardly wait to close.  Our closing date is set for August 10.  This actually presents a bit of [...]]]> This morning, we had our home inspection on the new house in the country that we’re buying. All went well.

We’re very excited about the new house.  We’ve been longing to get out into the country, and can hardly wait to close.  Our closing date is set for August 10.  This actually presents a bit of a conundrum for us, that we’re still trying to work out.  See, we’re scheduled to be out of our apartment by noon on July 31st.  That means for 10 days, we’re homeless.

Now, we’re hoping that something will happen that will allow us to close sooner, but at the same time, New York is one of the slowest closing states there is on home purchases.  So we’ll see.

At any rate, we were on the property this morning and used the time to take a bunch more photos of it for our friends and family to see.  We’ve just uploaded them to our flickr account.  So for those who’ve been wanting to snoop… uh, see what the new place looks like, here you go.

We just have to find a way to make it through the next 24 days without going nuts.  We’re so eager to get out there.  This morning, when we pulled in for the home inspection (at 8:30am), we turned off the engine and just sat, listening to the silence and the birds.  So much better than the sounds of the city.

We’re also eager to get moved in so that we can start hosting our friends more, including those of you who need to make a trip in from out-of-state. It seems each of us in the family has our own reasons for eagerly wanting to be on the new property.

Wil wants us to have baby ducklings.  McKinley wants us to have a “snow dog” (i.e., the big dog we’ve been talking about getting eventually – a Komondor or a Great Pyrenees). Melodia wants a schoolroom and a place to entertain the guests (the courtyard we’ve started calling, the “grotto”).  And I want the ability to have our animals (the Peacocks are on order) and to start working on the pond (building structure, improving sustainability, and stocking it).  Izzabelle?  Yeah, your guess is as good as mine.  She’s most likely juslt eager to explore a new place.

At any rate, it’s hard to be patient when one’s excited.  And so, we excitedly wait – trying to still enjoy each day without too much longing for tomorrow… otherwise, we’re missing life. Longing for tomorrow can be just as troublesome as worrying about tomorrow.

In both cases, we can miss the hear and now, the wonder of each day, and taking each moment as it comes.

We’ll have a new address soon (moving from West Seneca, NY to Sheldon, NY); if you need it, just send us a message using the contact form on the right.

Because we’d stayed the extra night and were [...]]]> After staying an extra night in the Waterfront Place hotel in Morgantown, WV, we packed it up and headed home to Buffalo.  I had actually packed the Jeep in the evening after the kids went to bed, anticipating our 530am (Transformers) roll out.

Because we’d stayed the extra night and were arriving home on Wednesday, there were no extra adventure stops to speak of.  I had to be home by 1100am to get changed and head into class to teach from 1230p-330p that afternoon.

So we drove about the 4.5 hours with just two stops, gas and breakfast in Pittsburgh, PA and a bathroom break/snack stop at Krispy Kreme in Erie, PA. We made it home about 1030am.

It was nice to get home, but we did really enjoy our road trip with the kids.  It was a blast, and in truth, once we got into the swing of the routine, a little driving, some stops, a hotel stay, etc., we really enjoyed ourselves.  It’s got us thinking about some weekend adventures with the kids this summer. 

They certainly let us know that the trip was well worth it.  As we drove each day, they’d talk about sights they’d seen the previous day, and how they’d like to return.  That really let us that it was worth it.

And since turning 4, Wil has really loved the idea of being 4.  “I can do this because I’m 4 now. I couldn’t do it when I was 3.”  While it was a simple birthday in the hotel, it was wonderful.  And Wil loved riding his scooter through the hotel whenever we’d go to the lounge or to the restaurant downstairs.  I told him it was his birthday, so he could ride it indoors to all the places we went.

My favorite 4 moment though, really came the night before, as I layed in bed with Wil.  He wanted to stay awake instead of going to sleep. And I had the chance to “reflect” with Wil on something.  I whispered to him as we lay there looking at each other and talking, “you know what, Wil?  This is the last night you will ever spend as a 3-year-old.  Tomorrow, when you wake up, it will be your birthday, and you will be 4.  You will never go to sleep again as a 3-year-old after tonight.   It’s your last time to be 3.”

That thought wasn’t lost on Wil.  He was excited about turning 4, and leaving 3 behind, and soon closed his eyes and fell asleep.  But the thought sure landed heavy on me, and I was glad that, as we lay there, we both had the chance to reflect on the fact that it was the last night ever that he would fall asleep as a 3-year-old.  We sometimes forget to stop and recognize these things.

Ok, I know day 5 was supposed to include our arrival to Buffalo, but I will get to that in a minute.

Today is Wil’s 4th birthday! How time flies.  I know everyone tells you that they grow up too fast and that you need to enjoy these days while you [...]]]>

Ok, I know day 5 was supposed to include our arrival to Buffalo, but I will get to that in a minute.

Today is Wil’s 4th birthday! How time flies.  I know everyone tells you that they grow up too fast and that you need to enjoy these days while you have them.  Man, are they right.  I am so glad we are enjoying this trip home and didn’t put it off thinking that the kids were too young to travel for such a long distance.

This trip definitely hasn’t been without the occasional melt down, but the majority of the time has been great.  Wil and McMac are getting to the place where they can really enjoy each others company and play together well.  I mean, when two kids can find a way to play hide and seek while strapped into their car seats? (Izzybelle sits in the middle and laughs) LOL.  They are making the best of it and it is great to watch.

So, I digress.  My son turned 4 today and we made the best of it in a hotel in WV.  Lonni left early to run to the store to buy a birthday cake and a gift, (including wrapping paper and tape!).  He had a limited amount of time because I needed him to be back in time for me to be here to sing Happy Birthday and make it to my spa appointment in time. (I didn’t want to miss out on that!).

So, just in time, without a minute to spare; Papi arrives with a cake and a present he wrapped himself in the lobby (he did a great job).  Wil was so excited, he could hardly wait to blow out the candles.  He would blow one out at a time while we serenaded him.  Best of all, he got a present.  Papi got him a 3 wheeled scooter.  Wil’s reaction…”I always knew I wanted a scooter!”   Today was all about him declaring his new age and how he could and could not do things because he was 4.   One of the things he can do…ride a scooter.

While the celebration was getting under way, I had to leave for the 4hr spa appointment. I didn’t get to enjoy the Carvel ice cream cake, but that was a sacrifice that had to be made.

I went down to the second floor where the spa is, and it was beautiful.  I felt like I was on a cruise ship.  They gave me a tour of the facility and directed me to the locker room where I was to change into slippers and a great fluffy robe.

My first stop was the message room. Nothing major here, just quiet and very relaxing.  My masseuse started with the hot rocks. Oh my goodness.  If you have never had a massage like this, do yourself a favor.  These rocks were hot to start but warmed after the first or second pass.  I immediately started to decompress.  After she used the rocks she did the traditional massage and that was great too.  This relaxing loveliness lasted for an hour and a half.  It took me a little while to stand up.

My next stop was the pedicure chair.  A girl named Jennifer was my nail tech.   I got to know her pretty well as the pedicure and manicure lasted 2 hrs.  My feet have never been so pampered.  She exfoliated, wrapped them in warm towels, massaged them using warm rocks and lotion, and even put them in a paraphim wax.  It was great and my manicure was not far behind.

All in all it was one of the best things my hubby has done for me.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  I enjoyed it so much that when I returned I wanted to stay another night because I was too relaxed to spend five hours in a car right away.

And so we did extend our stay in this beautiful hotel.  We had lunch together and swam in the pool for a while today.  The kids went to bed a 7:30, we packed up our things and will be ready for an early morning departure.  We need to be in Buffalo by 11:30 so we will be pulling out around 6:30 a.m.

Was it worth staying an extra night…sure…why not?