The Flight of the Partridges: Where Does the Time Go?

Our Little Girl is Growing Up Fast

Sometimes things just kind of hit you all of a sudden. Today we were looking at Clarity running around when we realized that she doesn't look like a toddler anymore, she is a full fledged little girl, long legs, attitude, and all. It's so easy to get mired in the day to day schedules and struggles that it is hard to step back and appreciate what Clarity and our little family has done over the past 4 years. As we approach her 4th birthday in a couple of weeks I have made a pledge to try to notice the little things more, I know that one day not far away my life as a stay at home dad will come to an end and my little girl will begin her first step towards facing the world on her own terms. Then I'll only be able to remember and wish to relive all the excitement, discovery, and even the battles of raising a strong willed child. I am excited for her to begin Waldorf school and for our family to settle down a little, but I'm already feeling a little nostagic about it all. Favorite sayings at the moment: "That's ridiculous", "Back off", "I'm going to do it anyways", "But momma said I could", and my favorite "I love you Daddy". She is an expert storyteller and getting to be quite the baker as well. She will pick up her guitar and jam with me almost anytime and is quite fond of throwing wedding parties for herself and whatever stuffed animal happens to be around (complete with dancing and airplane rides for all the guests).

Getting Buzzed By the Balloons

Last weekend was the Quechee hot air balloon festival. After attending the opening day we decided it was a bit too much for us and so packed up and went camping in west-central Vermont. The morning we were packing up to leave our house got buzzed by about a dozen balloons, which was pretty cool. Clarity really wanted to go for a balloon ride, maybe next year. We were glad to get out of town and we got to scope out a few different camping areas near Quechee.

The Luckiest Dad in the World

We've been keeping ourselves busy visiting farmers markets, museums, and local hiking trails. It is so nice that are no box stores or strip malls anywhere to be seen, just green trees, rivers, and lakes. In places where we have lived before it sometimes was a struggle not to end up buying lots of junk we didn't want for Clarity, but here it just isn't an option. I'm so glad that she is such a gregarious little girl, she makes friends everywhere she goes and is just not afraid to approach people and ask them to play or to chat up any adult within earshot.

They Love Their Local Farms in VT

Michelle has officially signed her Fairbanks contract through June 20th of next summer and we are planning a nice three week vacation in Hawaii so we can escape the deep freeze in January. I imagine that we'll extend through August and then get back to Vermont, rent a house, and start Clarity in her Waldorf kindergarden September 8th. A year is a long time for us to keep to a plan but I think we are committed to returning to the Upper Valley of Vermont and seeing how we can fit in here. We'll keep everyone posted as we prepare for our move and continue adventuring in New England, tomorrow is the strawberry festival, yummmm! Take care.