You put a big bird in a small cage and it'll sing you a song. patrick watson

No woman 3 months shy of 40, up to her eye balls in "new" and still carrying extra weight from the baby she "just" had (24 months ago) needs to have access to a Sam's Club sized box of strawberry Pop Tarts and several pounds of butter left over from the Christmas cookie free for all. Can you visualize this?

Yes, I put butter on my frosted Pop Tarts. Don't judge. Just rescue me from the giant box of tasty goodness.

First, a disclaimer. I'm attempting to type this with a right hand that feels like it's wearing a shoe. And it is about as useful a hand covered with a shoe would be. A tight, mind blowingly painful shoe. I've always struggled with the Carpel Tunnels, but since my pregnancy with the Lum...I've stopped struggling and am just in full time suffering mode. I couldn't tell you if I actually have a thumb, pointer and middle finger on my shoe had...I haven't felt them since November 2008.

I say this only to explain what may or may not happen moving forward. Either I will cease to correct typing/spelling errors...which could be great fun. Or the blog will consist of photos accompanied by poetic key mashing from the Lumowitz. Also great fun.

And the next time Blooger decides I need to highlight and delete ALL the text in the post, instead of the 2 or 3 words I've selected to delete...I'm going to star the world on fire.

I love living here.

Just two weeks in and I'm overwhelmed with the feeling that we so made the right choice. That this is home. I didn't expect that.

I didn't expect to equate the quiet with peace. I thought more along the lines of sleepy and maybe even boring. The buzz of the city, I thought that was keeping me going. But now I wake up to towering trees in our yard, creating a giant canopy of gently filtered sun, the song of a morning dove and a gentle breeze. I can hear the leaves in that breeze.

Not the freeway, or airplanes or even the familiar sounds of weekend activities on Lake Nokomis. Those were wonderful city sounds to be sure, but I know now I was ready for some peace.

In the city there is always someone around. Always. Coming and going by foot, plane and car. No city ever really sleeps. I needed a break from the constant barrage of hundreds of thousands of human beings tossing their energy about. But I didn't realize it until about 4 days into this adventure. On day 4 I saw the darkest night sky I've seen in years and felt an entire community settle down and rest. And I'm pretty sure I felt my soul settle down and rest too.

Now...I sleep in late, because I don't wake up here. Liam sleeps all night. From the moment we first stepped foot in this house, he has been home. On our first visit he ran into the giant office and said "I'M HOME!" Babies are creepy smart that way, they feel all energies and they know.

And now I know.

My yard knows I'm here and it's trying so hard to show me the potential it has. Because of the late summer move, the yard was left to fend for itself until we got here. It was overgrown and sad. It was afraid it had been abandoned. But my other mother and I spent an early morning sunrise cleaning it out. 5 lawn bags full of neglect. And it is sooooo grateful.

My yard is speaking to me.

Look what I can do! Here is one tiny tomato plant in the big empty garden plot.

And one stalk of sweet corn!

You like raspberries? Here you go!

This yard knew I was sad to not grow food for my family this year. Sad that I threw down wild flowers in the dirt that last year grew a bumper crop of peppers.

So it grew me a flower.