Shuffle Off to (New) Buffalo

New Buffalo, Michigan, that is.

As part of our "staycation series," we headed to the shores of Lake Michigan to the quaint town of New Buffalo for an afternoon.  No agenda, no timeline, and no expectations.

We discovered a fun, beachy restaurant called The Stray Dog, where we relaxed over yummy food and local beers.  We let ourselves be mesmerized by the colorful boats in the harbor, and pretended we were by the ocean.  Honestly, this town was every bit as delightful as being near the ocean for real.  Colorful, weather-beaten, small, and breezy ruled supreme, and time seemed to stand still for just a few moments.

A brief visit to a streetside ice cream shop capped off our time in New Buffalo.

The short drive home was almost as nice as our time in the little Michigan town.  Windows down, hair whipping around, old country music playing, local peaches for sale along the route. . .for a period of time, life seemed slower.  Easier.  

One of the things I've noticed about our move back to Indiana is that this is more often the case than not.   Life here DOES seem slower and more pleasant.  More about family and friends than about traffic and chaos.  More about small town pleasures like ice cream stands and fresh fruit farms than work events and pressure to keep up an intense pace.  That's NOT to say I don't miss parts of Dallas.  Our a-ma-zing neighbors, our tight little community of friends, our "Nana," my tutoring "kids," Rip's family's, good Mexican food, an abundance of great SHOPPING. . .I definitely miss those things.  But at heart, I am a small town, hometown kind of girl who loves her seasons and county fairs and her alma mater and her momma.  . I am HOME.  (Or closer than ever, at least!)

First day of FIRST GRADE

I can hardly imagine it. . .Mason is in the FIRST GRADE!

Where does the time go?  Just the other day he was home with me.  Then just the other day (a different day!), he was starting Kindergarten.  The poor kiddo actually started Kindergarten at THREE different schools last year with the chaos in our jobs and lives, so I was beyond happy to see this as we waited for the bus:

Mason has friends.

He's a very "friend-worthy" little boy. . .it's not that.  It's just that we enrolled for one Kindergarten in Texas a year ago, started at a different Kindergarten in Indiana due to a last-minute move, then proceeded to move TWO MORE TIMES during the school year.  To two different states.  It's hard for a five-year-old to make friends when his parents keep moving him to new schools.   But his first-grade year has started very differently.  He had the whole summer to play with lovely Manaal, whose yard abuts ours, and sweet Elliot who lives a hop, skip, and a jump away, just through Manaal's yard and in the next cul-de-sac.

I hope this move is it for us for awhile.  While I'd love to live in one of the counties near where I grew up (and where my parents and many dear friends still live), I'll happily stay here for now.

And watch my big boy board the same school bus each year with his neighbors and friends.

How is it that my "big boy" actually looks so little next to that bus?  Perhaps he's still a "little boy" after all.  Just don't tell him I said that!

Team Yellow

Upon sending out the email that the boys and I were staying in Indiana for awhile, my childhood friend, Lauren, replied with an invitation for Mason to play soccer on the youth league in her hometown.  It's one county over from where she and I grew up, and she lives in an adorable little town.  Even though our lives were in total chaos and upheaval (this was the SECOND DAY of us living here), I really thought it was a great idea.  Mason could spend time with Lauren's children, make new friends, burn up some energy, and do something that felt "normal."  So, I threw caution to the wind and said that we'd absolutely play soccer.

Note to self:  add soccer cleats, socks, and shin guards to list of things we need but do not have in Indiana.  Why not?!?!

The first game (match?  event?) took place in a downpour.  Awesome.  But, I have to say, it was a blast.   The kiddos could have cared less that it was raining, and it was warm enough out that it was far from unpleasant.  And just like that, we were becoming members of the community, complete with friends and a team! 

Where the GREAT ROAD TRIP OF 2010 ends

Rather than retell the story of how our road trip adventure ended, I thought it appropriate to post the email I sent to my friends in Dallas. 

Hi, my friends.



So, my plans have changed drastically. . .

With Rip in Nashville, the kiddos and I embarked on a lengthy road trip a few weeks ago to end our summer. Being stuck inside with the insanely-hot temperatures in Texas was making us stir-crazy, not to mention the fact that we were missing Rip like crazy, AND I was losing my mind trying to keep the house clean so it would be ready for any showings. Since we had nothing on the calendar (I stopped tutoring at the beginning of August), we decided to take an adventure.


We took two memorable days and drove to Nashville (via our old stomping grounds of Little Rock), spent a week with Rip in his apartment, then drove north to Indiana to visit my parents. The plan was to stay with them 6 or 7 days. drive back to Nashville to see Rip for a long weekend (and go to the Titans game tonight!!), head to St. Louis to see Jacqueline for a few days, then get back to get Mason into school. He would have been a week late, but that was our plan.


Over a glass of wine last Saturday, my mom was asking me about our plans for the next weeks and months (with Rip being in Nashville, us being in Dallas, him trying to come back and forth, house hunting, etc.), and she threw out the question that would change my plans: "have you considered staying here?" she asked. No, I had not, but I started to right away. . .


And after careful deliberation, a phone "meeting" with Ripper, and an Excel spreadsheet to compare all our options, we decided to in fact stay in Indiana and enroll Mason in Kindergarten here. We'll be living with my parents while our house is on the market, and Rip will stay in an apartment in Nashville. The biggest plus to this situation is that the boys and I are only 5 hours from Rip as opposed to 10, which means he can make the drive up and see us (mostly them!) every weekend. Being separated from him has been hard on all of us, and this will ease that a lot. Additionally, having the support of my parents will be such a nice change from me being alone with the kiddos more often than not!


It was a hard and sad decision because it obviously means we left town without knowing we were leaving for good, and we didn't really get to prepare emotionally for it. We'll be back at least a few times. . .Rip and I are coming Labor Day for sweet Christina's birthday, then we'll return once or twice before eventually moving.


I miss my "life," but know that this was a really good decision for our family. I am very much looking forward to coming back next weekend and hopefully seeing you.


Here are a few pictures of Mason's first day of Kindergarten. He is going to the same elementary school I attended 30+ years ago, and believe it or not, he has one of my old teachers for his morning class, and one of my old babysitters for the afternoon class. :) Not a lot changes in small-town Indiana, and that's a nice comfort right now.


Hugs and love to all. See you next week!


KR
 
So there is the update!  One day I was making plans to drive back to Texas, and the next day I was frantically looking for a backpack, a lunchbox, school supplies, and Mason's medical records.  We moved into my childhood home, and are enjoying so many facets of life in Indiana.  The small-town feel of community, the leaves on the trees turning amazing hues of red, orange, and yellow, the smell of corn being harvested from the fields, the freedom to let our five year old play outside for hours on end without fear of something happening, spending so much quality time with my parents and having them really get to know our kids, the sounds of the locusts and the creek as we fall asleep at night, running into old acquaintances and reconnecting with dear friends. . .the list goes on and on.  We are happy, healthy, and as well-adjusted as possible, considering Rip and I are still living in different states, BOTH of which are different than the state in which we own a home.  Chaotic, but temporary.  

AND we are HOOSIERS!  WE LIVE IN INDIANA!