So...happy,happy me. The week started off on a low note while we all adjusted but we eventually found a comfortable middle ground. The kids probably spent too much time watching tv and playing gamecube, but we also did our nightly Little House marathon and a night out at Chuck-E-Cheese! I'm actually sad to see the break coming to the end....and since Alex still has 150 of his 300 reading minutes to finish..I know he's wishing the break were longer too. Tomorrow will be a long reading day for him.

It would have been so much nicer if the weather had been good. We've dealt with nothing but drizzle and rain for much of the week...BUT...by mid-week, people were returning from their trips. The warmer weather brought our neighbors outside despite the rain.

I reconnected with one neighbor who I haven't talked to all winter. She lives down the street and she was as freaked out by CN as I was. She had had her own bad experiences with her....When she saw me drive by, she waved for me to pull over...and jumped out of the car and ran over to me. I got out of the van and she actually threw her arms around me and shouted "I heard you're free!!!" The thing is...I knew exactly what she was talking about. My neighbor is gone, gone, gone!

:happyrain:

It's such a relief. I realized that I let the kids go in the backyard (when it wasn't raining cats and dogs) without worrying...that we went on walks without having to feel anxious....I can't wait for summer to get here and to be able to garden in the backyard! I'm already busy planning.



DH and I have been playing in the neighborhood 500 card club and we've gotten to know many of our neighbors this way. I think joining was the best thing that we've done since we moved to this neighborhood! (Oh, and can I just add that I was the big winner last time and won a bottle of wine :> ) We saw these neighbors out this week as well and there was a new level of comfort....I notice that we are waving at each other when we come and leave the neighborhood now. I'm in the middle of planning and preparing for our first annual neighborhood easter egg hunt.

Holy Cow.....when did this happen?

Someone here told me that Feb. and March are the hardest months because you just "hit the wall" and are in desperate need of spring. Everyone seems to be hibernating...and...it's true. The last couple of months have felt excrutiating to me because of the isolation.....

This week though, several people that I had kind of given up on even called to find out if we were going to walk again together this summer....to set up our dinner club routine again, etc....

It's like all of MN just finally woke up out of a deep sleep or something....I feel like someone just shot me with a blast of sunshine or something.

OH...and there is a woman here whom I have gotten to know who is very nice...she teaches our children's Kung Fu and she is very lonely, so I've talked with her on the phone, referred a bunch of people that I know to her new studio (my 4 children were her first 4 clients ) and she offered to repay me for my kindness by babysitting for free.

I refused to accept that but said that I would love a babysitter for one morning a week that I PAID. She was embarassed because in the chinese culture people just do favors for each other....but...accepted my offer.

Wow...so....I have nice neighbors that I am finally getting to know, I'm good at 500 :> (Oh Yah..I'm really good ), old friends are calling again to set up all of the things that we had done before I got sick and I have a babysitter for one morning a week........all in the period of a week.

Holy Cow...someone pinch me!

Kris[/quote]