By Beth Williamson
We moved from Indianapolis to Raleigh, NC, six months ago, and it has
been an interesting and mostly positive journey for our family. From my
perspective, here are the benefits and drawbacks of making a major
move.
The Good
Change is refreshing.
We moved from an urban area to a suburban area, which is not something we ever thought we wanted, but we love it. Our neighborhood has large wooded lots, creeks, lakes, a playground, a pool, and wildlife. It's so peaceful here, and it's a great place for the kids to grow up. The kids responded well to moving and seemed to view it as a fun adventure. It even sparked a new interest in geography for our four-year-old son.
No more IPS worries.
Our IPS boundary school was one of the worst in the district, and trying to get our son into a magnet, charter, or private school that could provide the right environment and special needs services was stressful. Here, he qualified for more special education services than he did in Indianapolis, and we are really seeing the payoff with improved social skills and better behavior. He is going to begin kindergarten this summer at our neighborhood school, which is one of the best in the district, and he is expected to require minimal special education services. This is truly an answer to our prayers.
The weather.
Yes, I'm rubbing it in. We were still swimming in October, and I have rarely needed a heavy coat this winter. We have actually had a pretty bad winter by North Carolina standards, but it's still better than a normal Indiana winter. We're very thankful that we got to miss the 2013-2014 Indiana winter in particular. Just don't ask me how I feel about the weather when I'm sweltering in July.
The Bad
Being far from family.
Both sets of grandparents are in central Indiana, and they really miss the kids. We will probably see them four times per year, but we still feel guilty for moving their grandchildren so far away. We were also accustomed to having the grandparents available to babysit, and it has been difficult not having them nearby. I actually don't mind paying for a sitter because they actually follow instructions instead of spoiling the kids rotten. However, it's hard for me to go to the doctor or dentist, and date nights are rare. It's also hard to not have any support when I'm ill or Andy is traveling for work. I keep telling myself it will get easier as the children get older.
Getting connected is hard.
We underestimated just how many churches here would be Southern Baptist, which we are not. Although there are a few denominations we're willing to consider, this has limited our choices, and we have yet to find a church the whole family likes. I thought I would join a new MOPS group, too, but I will have to wait until next year because the meetings conflict with our son's current school schedule. It's also hard to get to know neighbors during the winter months, especially since our houses aren't very close together. We don't feel like we've failed, though, because we haven't made much of an effort to get connected. We expect to meet more neighbors as the weather improves and the pool opens, and I'm joining the neighborhood book club to meet some new people now.
The Ugly
House-hunting with kids is the absolute worst. Our daughter fell down a flight of stairs and absolutely refused to be held. Our son used the bathroom in a house where the water was turned off, wrote on the walls of another house with lipstick, and threw two of the most epic fits I've ever seen while we were driving home from house-hunting, complete with hurling toys at our heads. Of course, that really has been the only really awful part about making a major move, and we were still able to find a house fairly quickly.
Overall, I think it's worth it to make a major change every once in a while, especially if, like us, you feel that God is leading you to make that change. We feel like there is so much to look forward to in our new home, and we can't wait to see what the future brings.
February 26, 2014
January 18, 2014
Book Club 2014 Book List
Redeemer MOPS ladies (and your friends) are all invited to join our Book Club. We generally meet the second Wednesday evening of the month(except January we are meeting next week, January 22 at 8:30 pm). This is not a MOPS specific club- so feel free to invite your working and/or single friends.
Contact Ann Bromley for more information (jabromley@gmail.com) and if you intend to come.
2013 Book Club List
January: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100915.The_Lion_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe
February: Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lisa TerKeurst
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13700247-unglued?from_search=true
March: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game?from_search=true
April: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars?ac=1
May: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3407877-the-forgotten-garden?from_search=true
June: The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10950924-the-dovekeepers?from_search=true
July: Divergent by Veronica Rothhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent?from_search=true
August: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2657.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird?from_search=true
September: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22628.The_Perks_of_Being_a_Wallflower?from_search=true
October: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9460487-miss-peregrine-s-home-for-peculiar-children?from_search=true
November: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996.The_Devil_in_the_White_City?from_search=true
Contact Ann Bromley for more information (jabromley@gmail.com) and if you intend to come.
2013 Book Club List
January: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100915.The_Lion_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe
February: Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lisa TerKeurst
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13700247-unglued?from_search=true
March: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game?from_search=true
April: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars?ac=1
May: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3407877-the-forgotten-garden?from_search=true
June: The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10950924-the-dovekeepers?from_search=true
July: Divergent by Veronica Rothhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent?from_search=true
August: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2657.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird?from_search=true
September: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22628.The_Perks_of_Being_a_Wallflower?from_search=true
October: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9460487-miss-peregrine-s-home-for-peculiar-children?from_search=true
November: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996.The_Devil_in_the_White_City?from_search=true
December 3, 2013
Ode to the Pomegranate
To those that have had the pleasure of trying a pomegranate, they are
an exotic and wonderful surprise. As a fruit juice, they can be a favorite
mixer (blended with other juices or with alcohol). The flavor is also tremendously delicious in yogurt.
While readily available in stores, most of us are daunted by this strange fruit because we don't have the faintest clue how to get the seeds out (which is what you eat) or what to do with the seeds beyond just snack on them. Thanks to table leaders Amy and Amy for providing these links to answer those questions.
Click the link to go to see this recipe on the Pinch My Salt website:
While readily available in stores, most of us are daunted by this strange fruit because we don't have the faintest clue how to get the seeds out (which is what you eat) or what to do with the seeds beyond just snack on them. Thanks to table leaders Amy and Amy for providing these links to answer those questions.
Deseeding a Pomegranate
"I did this over a mixing bowl in the kitchen sink, with
minimal mess. And the juice didn't stain my hands like I had thought it
might. We are really enjoying the seeds." - Amy Heneisen
From the MOPS website:
Pomegranate seeds are glorious. The work required to get to
those little seeds is not glorious... until now. A wooden spoon and 10 seconds
is all you need.
Pumpkin Soup with Pomegranate and Pesto
"For the easy, kid-friendly version,
we leave out the Serrano chiles, substitute jarred roasted red peppers for the
piquillos, and use regular canned pumpkin and ground cumin. And I would
add, make sure to use unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock b/c the pesto and
cheese are very salty."- Amy Eddy
Click the link to go to see this recipe on the Pinch My Salt website:
November 11, 2013
School Dates
Remember our fantastically informative school panel last month? There are some important dates coming up that you should mark on your calendars if you are in school shopping mode.
This Wednesday, November 13th is Parent Preview Morning at the Fall Creek Oaks Academy (2301 N. Park Ave.). The event is from 8:30-11:30 am. There will also be Oaks Academy Open Houses in the new year, on January 15 at the Brookside location (3092 Brookside Parkway North Drive) and February 5 at the Fall Creek location, 4-6 pm on both days.
The deadline to apply to Oaks Academy is February 8. For more information on Oaks Academy, visit www.theoaksacademy.org/
The deadline to apply for IPS magnet schools is December 15. This includes all 3 Center for Inquiry schools, Rousseau McClellan School #91 (i.e. Montessori) and the William A. Bell School #60 (i.e. the Reggio/ Butler Lab school). The application can be downloaded at magnet.ips.k12.in.us/magnet-programs/.
There will be a parent information meeting at the William Bell school on March 12 from 5-6:30 pm.
The deadline to apply to Paramount School of Excellence is March 1st. They have tours of the school every Friday at 10 am. For more information on this charter school, visit www.paramountindy.org/
Important education links will soon be added to the Resource tab, watch for updates.
This Wednesday, November 13th is Parent Preview Morning at the Fall Creek Oaks Academy (2301 N. Park Ave.). The event is from 8:30-11:30 am. There will also be Oaks Academy Open Houses in the new year, on January 15 at the Brookside location (3092 Brookside Parkway North Drive) and February 5 at the Fall Creek location, 4-6 pm on both days.
The deadline to apply to Oaks Academy is February 8. For more information on Oaks Academy, visit www.theoaksacademy.org/
The deadline to apply for IPS magnet schools is December 15. This includes all 3 Center for Inquiry schools, Rousseau McClellan School #91 (i.e. Montessori) and the William A. Bell School #60 (i.e. the Reggio/ Butler Lab school). The application can be downloaded at magnet.ips.k12.in.us/magnet-programs/.
There will be a parent information meeting at the William Bell school on March 12 from 5-6:30 pm.
The deadline to apply to Paramount School of Excellence is March 1st. They have tours of the school every Friday at 10 am. For more information on this charter school, visit www.paramountindy.org/
Important education links will soon be added to the Resource tab, watch for updates.
October 17, 2013
Indy Ex-Pat: Special Needs
Hi Redeemer MOPS moms!
Some of you don't know me, so I'll start by introducing myself. My name is Beth Williamson. My husband is Andy, and our children are Silas, 4 1/2, and Nora, 1 1/2. I was part of your group for the last three years and planned to return this year to work on the Publicity team with the very talented Mary and Cheryl; however, it seems that God had other plans for us. Over the summer, we felt led to move from the Indianapolis area, where we had lived all our lives, to Raleigh, NC, a place I had never even visited. Mary suggested that it might be interesting if I write occasional blog posts about what it's like to make a major move with a family. Before I get into all of that, though, I want to share something with you that has a tremendous impact on the choices Andy and I make, including our decision to move. Our son is autistic. Although he is high-functioning, we still have to think about things the average family doesn't. We don't just need good schools; we need good special education services. We don't just need health insurance; we need insurance that will pay for autism therapies. We don't just need new friends; we need friends who will be patient with Silas and expect the same from their own children. The list goes on and on, but it's all part of the "beautiful mess" that is our unique parenting experience. So, for now, I would like to leave you with an essay by children's writer Emily Kingsley that has nothing to do with moving but definitely describes where I am.
WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandt.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.
Some of you don't know me, so I'll start by introducing myself. My name is Beth Williamson. My husband is Andy, and our children are Silas, 4 1/2, and Nora, 1 1/2. I was part of your group for the last three years and planned to return this year to work on the Publicity team with the very talented Mary and Cheryl; however, it seems that God had other plans for us. Over the summer, we felt led to move from the Indianapolis area, where we had lived all our lives, to Raleigh, NC, a place I had never even visited. Mary suggested that it might be interesting if I write occasional blog posts about what it's like to make a major move with a family. Before I get into all of that, though, I want to share something with you that has a tremendous impact on the choices Andy and I make, including our decision to move. Our son is autistic. Although he is high-functioning, we still have to think about things the average family doesn't. We don't just need good schools; we need good special education services. We don't just need health insurance; we need insurance that will pay for autism therapies. We don't just need new friends; we need friends who will be patient with Silas and expect the same from their own children. The list goes on and on, but it's all part of the "beautiful mess" that is our unique parenting experience. So, for now, I would like to leave you with an essay by children's writer Emily Kingsley that has nothing to do with moving but definitely describes where I am.
WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandt.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.
Fall Recipes
submitted by Amy Heneisen
Pumpkin Cookiesutterly amazing, even without the carmel topping!
Makes 3 dozen
Mix:
1/4 c. butter
3/4 c. Crisco
1 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Add:
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes (depending on size of your spoonfuls) at 350 until top of cookie springs back quickly when touched lightly. If your finger leaves a dent in the cookie top, the cookies need more cooking time. Cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet and remove to wire rack to cool completely. *Be sure cookies are completely cool before icing.*
Carmel Topping
Bring to boil in saucepan:
3 T. butter
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
After boil, cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add:
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. powdered sugar
Mix well. Dip cooled cookies immediately.
Oatmeal Apple Cookies
(from www.food.com)
Makes 2 1/2 dozen
3/4 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3 c. quick oats (not instant or old fashioned)
1 c. peeled diced apples
3/4 c. raisins (optional)
3/4 c. coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 and grease cookie sheet.
Combine shortening, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and soda in small bowl and mix into creamed mixture at low speed until just blended.
Stir in oats, apples, raisins, and nuts.
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 13 minutes or until just set.
Cool for 1-2 minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
Hot Spiced Apple Cider
Combine in large pot and simmer about 30 minutes:
1 gallon cider
1 tsp. allspice
12 whole cloves (OR 1/2 tsp. ground cloves)
2 sticks cinnamon
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
Add:
1 c. orange juice
2/3 c. lemon juice
Heat and serve. Can be frozen or refrigerated and served again.
I typically make 1/4 recipe (1 quart cider) for our own family at a time.
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