I’m sorry 2013, but I am ready to see you out the door. I feel like I unwittingly hopped on a roller coaster in January when we listed our house for sale, and it just now looks like the end of the ride might be in sight. The first half of the year can basically…

Here is an easier to read version of the text of our Christmas card poem, which Matt wrote (you can read his 2011 version here): As 2013 draws to an end, We wanted to reach out to both family and friend, To provide a brief update on this Woodbury crew, On a year full of…

Ella 1. You are loving the "I Survived" series of books. 2. You are extremely conscientious about making sure your school work is done. One evening after being tucked into bed you came downstairs in tears because you realized you'd forgotten to finish an assignment. 3. You are getting really good at the violin. You…

Illustration by Miranda Wulff Altschuler.

School actually started last week, but now that Labor Day weekend is drawing to a close it officially feels like the season is ending. This summer had its highs – for Ella & Claire that was probably the Taylor Swift concert at MetLife stadium back in July (after the concert the soundtrack for our summer…

*tap tap* Is this thing on? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I am behind by two birthdays and a vacation. And that’s just scratching the surface. We moved, Matt started a new job, and the school year ended. Life’s been a bit crazy these past few months, but the dust has started to settle…

2013 has been a quiet year for my camera so far. I have taken significantly fewer everyday photos this year than in years past, probably because I’ve been too preoccupied with all the major changes going on in our lives to remember to pick up the camera on a regular basis. It’s not something I’ve…

“I think I made the wrong choice.” That’s what Ella said as she sobbed last Saturday night after a long day of packing up boxes and watching the movers come and empty out this little old house that has watched our family grow for the past six years. Even with all my planning and organization…

I have received a few comments about my absence in this space over the past couple of months. The truth is, if you look back over the history of this blog, I tend to get much quieter in the winter. This marked my 7th New England winter, and over the years I’ve actually come to…

Ella always rides the bus home after school, except on Fridays. On Fridays I pick her up so we can drive straight to violin lessons. On its face, last Friday was no different. And yet underneath the surface, everything had changed. As I walked into the entryway of the school to wait for the dismissal…