Where Did Spring Go?

We have been busy here on Maple Street.
Shall I catch you up?
How about a snap shot of the last few months?

First off on this snap shot journey is Gavin's first science fair. He received a 2nd Place Ribbon for his project: "Whose Mouth is cleaner: A Dog's or a Human's? Rest easy humans...we win.


Then on March 15th Anna had a fight with the storm door and the storm door won. Twelve stitches and a very embarrassed little girl resulted. We've taken to saying she was riding her unicorn through a glitter storm and that's how she got those wicked cool scars.



The local Army Reserve Unit does a Fall and Spring Fun Run. Gavin has run them every year since being here. Anna started last Fall and questioned, "Why do they call this a fun run if it isn't any fun?" Well, she decided to run this Spring too and came in first in her class...being the only one in her class.

Gavin came in second this time. But the real story is that he gave his second place medal to a classmate of his who ran but came in last. He thought he deserved something too. This classmate gets teased by some of the kids at school for being overweight but he was out there running; giving it his best. At school on Monday morning, Gavin brought in his medal and gave it to his friend at recess.



Gavin played on a Spring soccer league in Greenville this past spring. It was a step up from YMCA soccer. It is a joy seeing him do something he loves. I wish I could have gotten better pictures but then Mama would need a better camera. Hmmm...I see a valid argument for an upgrade here.



I had the delight of being the PTO president for Clinton Elementary this year. During teacher appreciation week, in early May, we did many things for our teachers. One event that was a lot of fun was our "Chalk It Up to Our Teachers". We chalked up the sidewalks around the school with messages of thanks for all they do.



Anna had her Spring recital. Her violin lessons continued and so did her improvement. We hoped to get her in a Suzuki Camp this Summer but it didn't turn out to be possible. We continue to love Miss Nancy.



And, of course, every Spring another group of seniors graduate. It's always fun to attend the end of the graduation ceremony at Presbyterian College. It's not every day you get to hear the bagpipes play.





And finally, on Mother's Day I flew to Birmingham, Alabama to be a part of a team of co-workers who were deployed to support USPS employees impacted by the tornadoes that tore through that state the at end of April. While we were there for one week we worked with over 1,000 postal workers all over the state. One picture ( this one taken in Tuscaloosa) does not even begin to describe the destruction and devastation these people experienced AND are still experiencing to this day. Assistance and help are still needed.



We seemed to move toward Summer vacation at full speed after a very busy Spring. Summer unofficially begins in South Carolina in May. Flip flops and sunscreen are required. And we welcomed it with a surprise trip to the "happiest place on earth". But that is another story.

A Virtuoso in the Making?

It is too soon to tell. But in our house she is a virtuoso. Uh, just as long as she keeps playing "I Like Chocolate Ice Cream". Anna started violin lessons last fall and I must say it is absolutely adorable seeing her with her little violin. When she practices her bow for the audience I about want to melt in that sweet cutie goodness.

So her first recital was in December. I promise I won't post every recital on here. It could prove to be torturous. But this one is easy on the ears. And will provide a good "before" to her amazing performances later. Can you all sing along with me? "She's got high hopes. She's got high hopes. She's got high apple pie in the sky hopes!"



Any hopes of me being a videographer sadly are not worth having. But you get the jist...cute little girl in a cute dress playing second fiddle to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

We also got to hear several of our friends' kids play too.



Anna's instructor, Nancy Ditto, is an instructor of violin at Presbyterian College. She is so good with the little ones. She is just Miss Nancy to us. We love Miss Nancy and the way she makes playing so much fun for Anna. I think Anna would do just about anything for that woman...especially if there is chocolate or stickers involved.



Come to think of it I've been known to do just about anything for some chocolate. Like mother like daughter...

The House on Maple

Well, hold onto your pants.
As I mentioned in the last post, we are homeowners once again...finally...and in the deep South. And I have to say if we have learned anything in this whole process it is patience.

Most people go about buying a house the traditional way. They find themselves a great Realtor like Sherry Soforic and go house hunting. It's a very different animal here in small town Clinton, population 8,000 give or take a few. Here if a house is actually listed, it's usually overpriced and on the market for...well let's just say we've been here almost two years and many of them are still for sale.

The start of this transaction began in November last year with an e-mail and ends with the most unusual closing I've been party to on June 28, 2010. No joke, we signed our names on one piece of paper in an attorney's office in Clinton and then he shooed us out of there saying the office was too hot and we could just pick up a copy tomorrow. We then went directly over to the Presbyterian Home where the owners live. You see, the attorney's office isn't handicap accessible and Mrs. Skinner is in a wheel chair. Instead of having two elderly people wait out in the car in the attorney's parking lot on the hottest day of the year (record breaker I might add) as was suggested by the attorney's secretary, we all trekked over to Presbyterian Home's assisted living. After signing their name in the comfort of air conditioning, we were handed a whole bunch of keys by both Dr. Skinner and Mrs. Skinner. We were handed hope. Hope that one of those keys might actually work because right now we only had one key to one door.

Oh, did I fail to mention we had a key? Why yes, doesn't everyone get a key to the house they are buying several months before they are actually the owner? No? Uh, well this is awkward. Yep, the house on Maple was fair game for several months prior to signing that one signature on the dotted line. So much time for dreaming and lamenting and dreaming and lamenting. Did I mention dreaming and lamenting?

So we're the third owners of this Southern brick bungalow built in 1937. The Little's of Clinton built it. I tried to convince Anna that Stuart Little and his family lived here. But she wasn't having any of it. Then in 1965 the Skinner family bought it. They were a young couple with a new baby. Dr. Skinner taught English at Presbyterian College and Ramona dabbled in art and raised little Jimmy. They wanted to see that the house was passed onto another professor thus here we are...dreaming and lamenting.


We'll keep you posted.

Graduation Presbyterian Style!

Well, another graduation has come and gone.
That means another Summer of freedom for the Professor.
If freedom means turning into a Summer camp director for the kids and a full time domestic for his working all the year around wife. But, hey, in my world, if you don't have to get up by an alarm clock and you can wear the same clothes several days in a row, that, my friends, is a Summer of freedom. God bless academia.

So, if you are curious about a little high brow Southern culture, attend a graduation from a private college that's been around since 1880. Presbyterian College has introduced me to a different kind of Southern culture than Clinton introduced me to. And it is a relief to know that the state has some *cough, cough* diversity in it's history of the white person. It's probably your basic old money, new money, no money southern style. That is pretty much the norm every where you go right? But I digress. I'm here to share some graduation goodness.

One of the things I love about PC's graduation is the bagpipes. They bring the graduates in and they lead them out. It's really a cool tradition.



The other part of the ceremony that is really special is at the end. The bagpipes exit, followed by the professors who make an aisle of academia for the graduates to walk through. As the graduates are walking through, all the professors clap for them. It really is a touching moment.


Of course, my videography leaves a lot to be desired. Not so touching.

The whole ceremony takes place on the mall of the campus. Flanked by old old oak trees, it is a beautiful setting.



The building at the very center and rear of photograph is Neville hall. This is where the Professor's office is and his classes are held. The college's campus, in my opinion, is a beautiful setting. There are some campuses that are pretty sterile in their beauty. Presbyterian College has an "antique quality" about it that I love. We're very excited to be buying a house that is right of the edge of campus. Wait, did I write "buying a house"? Yep, that's right. We're taking the small town plunge. And I'm here to tell you, this house has so much blogging fodder I'll keep you bored, uh, I mean, entertained for years.

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a few pics I took of the kids while we were hanging out at graduation. Come visit us soon. We miss you all.



Can you only imagine what she's thinking?



Bored but behaved. What a blessing.



Miss Monkey Mae in all her cuteness.


Tours are being planned. Space is limited. Book your trip soon.

Chartruese: It's the new black for Spring!

Imagine you're out for a run one fine Spring morning in South Carolina and you come home and your shoes look like this. Well, Zero to Boston runs daily training for marathons and this is what the god awful pollen looks like on his shoes. Now...imagine the inside of your nose looking like these shoes. Welcome to Spring in South Carolina. Is it yellow? Is it green? My preference is "chartreuse". Never having experienced allergies before, I used to scoff at those seasonal complainers. Not anymore...no, not anymore. We are surrounded by clouds of pollen dust. It isn't pretty.

But, there are a couple of blooming plant life here in the Southeast that we don't get up North. My favorite is wisteria. Sure, in Indiana there is the errant vine here or there. In South Carolina, it's a freakin' menace practically but a beautiful menace I must say. Here's a house down the street from our little house with a beautiful wisteria.



Another sign of Spring is Easter, of course. We started a week early with Presbyterian College's annual Easter egg hunt on Palm Sunday. Anna and her itty bitty twin girl got a chance to wear the dresses Aunt Laurie got them last year as a gift. They looked adorable.



It was bound to happen. But I was in denial. Our son is growing up. No longer did he want to be seen at a public Easter egg hunt with an Easter basket. Just a plastic grocery bag would do it seems. What's next? Oh, please, don't even tell me. Let me be blissfully ignorant.





How does a parent even slightly logically convince a child that a gigantic rabbit brings Easter baskets on Easter Sunday? I mean, at least Santa is a human being! I struggle...truly.



We walked back home to our little house which I have begun referring to as the "cardboard box" we live in. Anna, skipping along, so proud of that egg and Gavin, deep in thought about all the eggs he got.



Easter was low key. We got together with another family and hunted eggs at their house. Take notice, that Gavin had no problem with an Easter basket in a private setting. I've got some time still. Then a few more families arrived and we all celebrated Spring's arrival with a cook out. Of course, given that the pollen came uninvited, my nose and eyes were wishing they were inside.



It was the start of Spring break for the kids. And the official start of Spring for Mother Nature too. Here's to Claritin.

It may be 80 today but just last week...

It was starting to snow here in our little town. And we sat in our little house looking out the window at our beautiful view wondering, "Would they really cancel school over this?". Well they did, those crazy South Carolinians, who probably share one snow plow amongst all the counties in the state. So what do kids do in South Carolina when they have a snow day? Well, since there are no sleds to be found, snow ball fights and snowman building were the choice activities for the day.


By the end of the day, the snow was almost a distant memory. Even the fairy on Presbyterian College's campus was wondering where it went. Although, the air was still worthy of a winter coat there was barely enough snow left to throw a snow ball let alone build a snowman. I'm not shedding any tears. That's a new one for me and this little town, huh?