3 Month Recap

I haven't posted for a while. Some of you noticed. Some of you also contacted Mrs. H and told her to tell me to do something about it. When this happens, it often culminates in a night like tonight, when I'm flopped on the sofa while the sound of "O Tannenbaum" emanates from the bathroom as the rest of the Hausmeister clan takes advantage of the double shower in our apartment to soak and sing . . . loudly.

So, what's been going on you ask? How about a photo recap of the past 3 months?

First, Kid H went to the fair with her Aunt and M, where she rode elephants, fed donkeys, went on rides, ate junk food, got new clothes, and just generally spent time hanging out and having a great time. She came home completely exhausted, but now asks constantly when she can go hang out with them again.

Next, the Hausmeister clan went apple-picking at the Dame Farm in nearby Rhode Island. If you're ever in the area, I recommend stopping by. We are convinced that the best apples are at the tops of the trees and can only be reached by having Kid H and Mr. H combine to form the ultimate apple picking machine. Occasionally, the person on the bottom takes an apple to the cranium, much to the amusement of Mrs. H.

The Dame Farm also has wagon rides, all sorts of fresh produce, flowers, and is owned by some great people. Our stop there included enjoying all of the above, as well as a pumpkin impression by Kid H that will have to wait for a future post.

Our next "highlight" was the pooping-by-the-side-of-I-93-in-the-middle-of-a-traffic-jam-in-the-rain incident. Traffic was at a standstill and Kid H had to go.

What you can't see in the picture is that we also had a State Police escort as well, complete with lights. I made sure to pick up the TP when I was done.

This fall, Kid H started school as well. It was a little rough at the beginning, but we got things straightened out, and she's doing great now. The school she attends is in Boston's Italian district, and has included learning Italian, thanks to a teacher supplied by the Italian Consulate. This has added a fourth language on top of the scattered Chinese and Spanish phrases and words she knows. Tonight, I was treated to three songs in Italian and heard her count to 10. She's putting the "poly" in polyglot and making her dad jealous.

Mrs. H and I also went to Japan with her cousin and cousin-in-law for a week vacation and saw lots of very cool stuff. I'll have to dedicate a couple of posts to covering it in the next few weeks.

There was a trip back to the Midwest to visit one set of the Oma and Opas, and the other Oma and Opa came here to cover while Mr. and Mrs. H went on vacation and when Mr. H had to travel for business. While in the Midwest for business, I also got to meet my new nephew for the first time.

And there was Halloween. Kid H dressed up as the animal from the book "Put Me in the Zoo". Indeed.

That brings us to the present, which finds us getting ready for Christmas and thankful for the highlights of the last 3 months. This year the Christmas season is bringing with it a significant amount of change for the Hausmeister clan as well as a number of things to look forward to, including the addition of a new Baby H and a Christmas visit from family in the Midwest.