Like Christmas

It's only the first week of September, but this whole week has had a little bit of the feel of Christmas in our house. As I've been unpacking, I've been discovering things I've been looking forward to unboxing, some I'd forgotten about, and some I didn't even know I had. Today I unpacked a box of things that were wrapped in newspaper from November 1999. No wonder we didn't have any closet space at the condo! (Many of those things will be finding a new home, thanks to our local Goodwill store.)

It's been like Christmas for the kids, too. I have put aside the boxes of toys, and each day I unpack one of them in our nearly empty front room. I open it during their afternoon nap, and when they wake up I enjoy the gasps of delight from Lucy as she reunites with her ponies or joyfully builds a miniature house with the mega blocks. It has kept Josiah quite busy, too, as many of these toys were put away before he could even sit up on his own. Now he runs across the room dragging them behind or discovers the wonderfully loud noise they make when thrown onto the kitchen floor--all of which lead to squeals of happiness.

As the boxes have been unpacked, it has been easier to determine what is in the remaining few in our garage. But last night I had to open them all to find my food processor. I knew I had one somewhere, but I have to admit that I've never used it before. It seemed be an optional appliance, and the part of me that remains old fashioned figured I could just chop things by hand. Well, that changed yesterday when we went back to our old neighborhood for a visit. My friend Heidi was making peach sorbet. She not only gave me the recipe, but generously gave me a bag full of Colorado West Slope peaches. And if you know West Slope peaches, you know what a generous gift that is! I knew I had to use them right away. I was inspired by the simplicity of the recipe, and also by the extra counter space and the fact that I actually knew where my kitchen appliances were. Well, most of my appliances. I did in fact find it in the very last box I opened, and today I used it for the first time. After realizing it is indeed a useful and handy tool, I have great plans for keeping it an accessible place, too!

So, now all the boxes are opened. There are a few that contain some mystery items wrapped and buried, but for the most part my 'Christmas' in September is over. Not a twinge of sadness here, though. It means we are really getting settled in!