We are still very busy with moving. One of the weekends’ projects was to organize the keys. When one thinks of the finalé of buying a house: the official closing date and “getting the keys” one thinks of a nice big brass key on a beautiful ring. Not inheriting this mess and then having to have a go at sorting it out. Friday night Lake and I were locked out for more than 20 minutes in the cold because I had grabbed a key labeled “house” that did not open the front door. 

More moving-in is on the agenda! I estimate we are 90% unpacked and 75% moved in. That is an overall increase from yesterday’s estimate of 80% and 60% respectively. So good work us! We were especially motivated by a meeting we had volunteered to host in our home a few months back. That meeting/tea party was yesterday! So we hustled to get the living room appropriately arranged in the knick of time. I was very pleased to get the mantle decorated with a few bits of holiday cheer. Our Christmas miracle was the procurement of stocking hangers: Nana scoured the city and managed to assemble a matching set of beautiful and functional metal Christmas stocking mantle hangers!

Lucky for us, Nana is staying with us in our mother-in-law auxiliary dwelling unit (MIL AUD). It’s so great to have her here! We took the opportunity last night to go out for a dinner date.

It was so cold, but we walked a romantic two blocks under a misty waxing moon to Village Sushi, our new local sushi restaurant. So fun to have a new neighborhood to explore: the Upper Ave has changed a lot recently, and significant renovations continue. 

After our date we came home to watch an impromptu film on our new living room wall. Plenty of room on our main floor for a Popcorn Party with Nana! All we were missing was Grandpa! An Idiot Abroad explores China and the Great Wall turned out to be a funny cap on a productive Saturday! 

Today… more moving continues… beds, and blinds, and keys! And hopefully a little bit of yoga!

So exciting to wake up to a white world from our new house! 

And a fun walk down to the shuttle stop. Neighborhood kids were out having a snow ball “fight” and we encountered a few snowmen along the way. 

Safe travels everyone and enjoy the winter wonderland!

Lake was very happy to go for a walk today with his school friends in the winter sunshine. Brrr! Just look at this winning smile and be rest assured he is thoroughly enjoying the excursion. What a perfect day. Surely more to come!

Moving weekend was a success. The flat and various storage units are essentially empty, the house is essentially full. Midway through the moving weekend Saturday night there was even a moment when the house was a semblance of the home it will soon become. 

Then the next wave of moving came and we were buried in boxes and chairs anew. 

We could not have designed a better move, really. We had no preparation work in place going into the Saturday morning move, and a bare bones team of three assembled. Then, crucial and generous offers of aid came rolling in and we graciously accepted all help. We had an amazing team! We could not have done it without the support muscle and brains of all these great folks. Huge thanks to Duane, Lynn, Margo  Laura, Julie, Greg, Lindsay, Tom and my husband hero, Michael. 

Lake and the kitters did a laudable job as well, providing the motivation and the levity! 

Now, on to the unpacking … and maybe we will even get decorated for Christmas! The important thing is, though, we now have a place to hold our year round Christmas feeling. 

Bundled up good! All ready to go! Mummy is getting ready to walk us to the local UW Health Sciences shuttle stop to transport us directly to Harborview.

Our new commute is underway. It takes us 15 minutes to walk to the shuttle stop. It used to be half block, but the new 15 minute walk was very nice too. Such a pretty day… the mountains were stunning. We admired the Cascades to the East and the Olympics to the west once we were on the shuttle underway as we crossed over the Eastlake Union I 5 bridge. 

Then, zippity doo da: we’ve arrived! We’ve arrived at school! Time to unbundle. 



After a great day at work and school we reverse our commute. We retrace our steps. We catch the shuttle back to the University District:

And now we are back home! Such a trooper, Lake. You took mummy’s day in stride. It’s incredibly special to have spent the day with you. Thank you for being such a willing commuter. A perfect day…I’m glad I spent it with you. 

Lake is growing strong… already six months! These days he gets to hone his development while I’m at work. So instead of spending every moment with him, there are now gaps of 3, 4 or 5 hours. Now he has time to save up some new skills to surprise me. This evening he showed off how steadily he was able to sit in an upright position. There was absolutely no trace of wobbles or threats of topples. He was owning it. Sitting pretty!



We signed our escrow paperwork last night for the new house! Kim Jones of the mobile notary world came to facilitate the transaction. It was a late night family affair. 

It’s hard to believe still, but it’s getting real; we are looking at moving this weekend. We felt like celebrating! So an impromptu popcorn party ensued complete with some singing, happy shrieking, some dancing about and some classic film from the 1990s. Happy six month birthday to Lake! A new home getting all wrapped up for you!

Lake shows a strong affinity for fibers and fine textiles. Perhaps it’s no wonder since he’s been swaddled in silks and cashmere since Day One. His mother has traveled to India: to the Himalayan foothills near Kashmir, the silk bazaars of Delhi and the cottage industry silkworm farms of central India. His play mat is a gorgeous sheepskin from a local sheep raised by Nora Shapiro on her fiber farm in Port Townsend. His bedding is a great family sheepskin from his Grandma Julie. His favorite thing to play with so far, according to all accounts, has been a gold silk scarf I picked up in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the late 90’s. It is slowly becoming beloved gold silk shreds. 

Over Thanksgiving while we were visiting our best friends in Portland he got ahold of Nana Joanie’s bright raspberry yarn. Oooh, did he love that! He was engrossed. 

His Auntie Kendra says:

So the top of Lake’s Christmas list would be 1) scarf 2) string?

And his Auntie Jessica says:

The next Kaffe Fassett

Fassett is an American fiber artist who lives in London. He pioneered what had been the realm of crafts, elevating it as a fine art form. Lake is engaged in his early arts education. 

Then, this weekend visiting other dear friends in Bellingham our young Kaffe Fassett was captured in his first original portrait. So, one budding artist commemorated by another:

Life can be simple and rich. A pen, some paper, a ball of yarn, children. A perfect day. I’m glad I spent it with you!

We made a small foray out into the world of shoppers today for Black Friday. The Hanna Andersson outlet was our destination and pajamas were our goal! Lake also tried on a new pair of jeans. He contemplated his new style before deciding to go ahead and get them. Meanwhile, Mummy and Daddy are moving ahead with our biggest purchase of all time, signing our closing disclosure today. One step closer!