Comments on: Here Comes the Sun: Dispatches from Snowmageddon Part Three

By: Bea

Bea — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:51:34 +0000

I think my kid is the lone one on the street who turns up on everyone’s doorsteps… the others – though we have played with them – tend to stick to their own homes. Maybe he doesn’t have enough toys. PB always goes running off to other kids’ houses looking for specific toys.

Anyway, it sounds like you had a good snow day, even if the questions did get repetitive.

Bea

By: KLTTX

KLTTX — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:35:41 +0000

I grew up in an amazing neighborhood where everyone hung out at the “club” (tennis courts and a pool) and had a great time. Many of us have reconnected on FB. I don’t know of many neighborhoods like that anymore. I know mine is not like that even though we do know a lot of our neighbors.

We actually bought all of the Muppet Show DVDs thinking that our DS would love it as much as we did. I think he only humors us.

By: coffeegrl

coffeegrl — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:22:08 +0000

The neighborhood thing is a little weird. My neighborhood when I was a kid was much as you described from your childhood- pretty much all the kids played together, we had block parties, holiday parties together etc. It seemed so familiar and cozy. Our immediate neighborhood in Seattle is more transient in nature with lots of people in townhomes and apartments coming and going. And there’s little interaction and zero kids. And yet….our parent support group was organized based on our neighborhood and for that I’m grateful. We have several families with kids almost exactly the same age as my daughter who live within a 15 minute walk of our house which makes playdates convenient. We can meet up at the “neighborhood” coffee shop and occasionally run into one another at the store and they’re the most wonderful people to top it all off. Friends of ours in another neighborhood joined the same organization and their “neighborhood” group is very different – colder, less involved with one another (no playdates or spontaneous meetings) and the adults never commiserate over a glass of wine or beer. In this regard I’m very thankful for where we live and what we have been given! It’s nothing I expected, but it works amazingly well.

By: Flying Monkeys

Flying Monkeys — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:41:37 +0000

I had that dream about my neighborhood and my family. Neither worked out that way…most days I’m fine with that.

I loved the Muppets, maybe we should dig up some DVDs.

By: Calliope

Calliope — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:50:47 +0000

I see I have some Muppet work to do here.
And the neighborhood thing? That was how it was where we lived in Florida. People waved, nodded, jogged around us- but it wasn’t until the moving truck was in our driveway that people introduced themselves.
I wish we could make our own neighborhoods!

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:46:20 +0000

I just had the exact same conversation with my husband about how wonderful library books are – how it’s the only time you can walk into a place, and leave with your arms absolutely loaded for free with items that you and you alone get to keep and read for several weeks.

We barely know our neighbors. Most of them don’t seem to have even noticed that the old lady who built this house in 1948 has moved to a retirement community, and that a nice young couple has moved in with their golden retriever. It’s so strange to me – When I was little, there was a lady across the street who grew a pumpkin patch in her backyard so all the neighborhood kids could pick out our own pumpkins for Halloween, and there was a summer block party every year at another neighbor’s pool.

Thanks for writing these!!! I’ve been reading the Dispatches to my husband as you’ve posted them and we’ve both felt transported to a snowed-in cozy winterscape, which is lovely from where I sit in 65 degree Florida.

By: Kristin

Kristin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:01:27 +0000

My neighborhood is sort of a cross between yours and the uber-friendly one. My kids are always going over to someone’s house or are having a friend drop by. In fact, yesterday afternoon, I had a total of 7 kids (counting my 3) at my house. However, the only adults I feel I know at all are the parents of my kids’ friends.

I love the stories of how you spent your time this weekend. Let me tell you, if I had been around when you offered hot cocoa to people, I certainly would have accepted the offer.

By: jill

jill — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:41:49 +0000

You have such a gift for description and writing. I almost feel like I was with you all somehow this past weekend since reading these three posts.

And, for what it’s worth, it’s all I’ve ever wanted as well. Reading about how much you acknowledge and appreciate it makes me feel better. Though, I admit, I did shed a few tears while reading.

By: a

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:12:23 +0000

My girl is not that interested in Sesame Street or the Muppets. She’d rather watch Pixar movies and Shaun the Sheep. But she will suffer through the movies, and she did briefly like Elmo. They might be a little young for the Muppet show too – I don’t think we really got into it until we were aroung 8 or 9.

Our neighborhood is a pretty friendly one. We’re a little younger than most, and while there are plenty of kids, they’re so spread out that you don’t see them wandering from yard to yard. I could borrow food supplies from anyone. I think you need about 2 or 3 extreme extroverts to make the neighborhood more friendly. Otherwise, you just get people waving hi, but not actually starting a conversation. Usually, though, a major snow will bring out the friendly, because people like to commiserate.

We’re awaiting Snowmageddon Jr. here in the Midwest. We’re supposed to get 5″ of snow overnight tonight, but many of the schools closed in anticipation of the snow starting today. It’s now 1 pm and everything that fell so far has already melted. The snow hysteria cracks me up. But I’m glad I don’t have 7 ft snow mountains!

By: Baby Smiling In Back Seat

Baby Smiling In Back Seat — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:46:37 +0000

I loved Miss Piggy. Or should I say, moi loved Miss Piggy. Only child thing?

I also really enjoyed Piiiigs Innnnn Spaaaaace when I was little. I think any kid would find Statler and Woldorf, Animal, Beaker, the Swedish Chef, and Fozzie funny. Basically, weird emotional tones or nonsense syllables. Wocka wocka!