I've tried to write this post for weeks now-a four month update, as we inch closer to five months next week. Truth be told I've realized that winter here was hard (though by the natives' standards, very mild) and I am a baby when it comes to braving the cold with my own baby. That translated into many days spent indoors if the temperatures were below 50 (which really, with the wind, is closer to 35). I hate the idea of anything I write to come off as whiny and negative, but have realized, winter is hard and people stay indoors. Also, I don't have to love every day of living here. And I have not loved it this winter. I like having a healthy balance of days home as well as going out and doing/seeing things, but some of that just isn't possible in the bitter cold. Knowing our time here has an expiration date, I'm inclined to go/see/do every day, but it just isn't possible, and this winter confirmed that. I have to be content with knowing we will go/see/do when the weather warms and I have a car (more on that shortly.)
For the sake of my mental health and change of scenery as necessary, any days that were a true 50 degrees meant we'd get out of the house, and book it to the Metro to go to a museum or other indoor destination. After making that resolution and with the help of some unseasonably warm days, we discovered some great story times, new museum exhibits, playground visits, and enjoyed the company of some new friends. Fresh air and new sights are such a game changer.
So...driving. It wasn't my plan to register our cars out here but seeing as we transferred our insurance from CA to DC, I got a nice letter from the CA DMV explaining that without proof of CA insurance, our registration would be suspended. Thus, we needed to start on the DC car registration...which meant getting DC driver's licenses, which after much stereotypical DMV hoop jumping, I've successfully obtained. To get the registration however, we had to get our lien holder to contact the CA DMV to send the title information and someone at Chase (yep, calling you out) screwed that initial request up (which averages 21 days), so now I'm waiting on the second set of 21 days before getting our title, which has restricted my driving since mid-January through likely early March (blah blah blah is anyone still reading this? How whiny do I sound?) As I like to say, it's a first world problem, but a) we live in the first world and b) it's maddening when people can't communicate/do their jobs.
Had I had the ability to drive, we wouldn't have been so house-bound, but here we are. When that car gets registered we are putting some MILES on it and going/seeing/doing!
I hate that this post feels negative--I don't intend it to sound that way. This season has just really been punctuated the differences between DC and Orange County and how I'd envision what we'd be doing there.
Onward to spring!
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| We've had some serious games of Chutes and Ladders. |
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| Dr. Henry is always ready with his medical opinions. |
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| A glorious, 70 degree February day. |
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| Valentine's Day |
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| Valentine's Day |
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