Goodbye Friends

This is the week we'll remember as our last hurrah with across-the-street neighbors before their move to Virginia this weekend. Gavin and Arwen's play with Jessie included decorating Valentine cookies and making cards, and playing with Brynn and Keagyn, in addition to the usual tree climbing at the bus stop after school and crazy play in the basement.

Saturday was the kids' last bash with Jessie and Dyllan. There was much bike riding in the unseasonably warm, sunny weather as well as the usual inside play. Chad took the kids on a walk to the library with a side trip to the playground (the first time in months!). Then Becky and Todd joined us for lunch before jumping in the cars and waving goodbye for the last time. We were all smiles until the Suburban got to the corner when Gavin and I both broke down. They've been such wonderful friends.

Other happenings this week: After our neighbors took off we channeled our energy into raking the leaves that have cluttered our back yard for the past few months. Two and a half hours and 19 leaf bags later they were almost completely gone. It gave me a real thrill to work together out in the sunshine and see such improvement in our yard.

Friday night Chad and I actually got out on a date! Gavin and Arwen played games with our 12-year-old neighbor Leah while we savored Mexican cuisine at Zavala in New London (thanks Mom and Dad Bair!) and being out of the house together on our own.

This afternoon we celebrated the sunshine (it actually sticks around for several days at a time here!) with a trip to Moore Woodlands and Haley Farm State Park in Mystic. The sites of a project Chad will be embarking on with his students this week, they offered some nice scenery and great little trails to take the kids on. Haley Farm features a labyrinth of unusually high stone walls built by a late-19th-century farmer who thrived on removing even the biggest boulders from his fields.