I'm not as good of a blogger as I thought I would be. Blogging seemed like it would be a great evening activity, a way to wind down at the end of the day and think about what has been going on in our lives. The truth is that this past month I've been a little too overwhelmed at the end of the days to want to do more than play computer solitaire. But I thought it was time to summarize the past month of fun, and stress.
Damian has been really into seeing all of the sights of NYC. The first adventure was the UN building. The website said kids under 5 aren't allowed, and I didn't really think it would hold their attention anyway, but we made the jaunt down there to see the flags and check out all the security guards anyway. While strolling around we came upon a nice little plaza where a movie was being filmed. While I was trying to figure out what the show was, Davin went ahead and fell asleep. Getting into the subway or a cab would make him wake up, and once he's up he doesn't go back down, he just gets crabby. So like any logical parent I walked the 43 blocks home :P My butt did not let me forget that for days!
The next trip was Central Park Zoo and children's petting zoo. If you're reading this as a travel recomendation site, I don't put it on a top ten zoo rating, but it was a nice place to hang out for an afternoon, and being there also helped us hear about the big east coast earthquake (that we didn't feel)! We tend to have more fun in Central Park picnicing and playing ball or playing on the playgrounds.
Our next trip was the big one; the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Damian had been wanting to go for months, but they only sell so many tickets ahead of time so we had a 3 week wait buying online. But being as it was just me with the two boys, the 3 weeks of waiting and listening to Damian beg was worth it to by-pass both the ticket line and getting to go to the front of the security line. I am so bummed that our computer deleted the pictures of this trip when I tried to upload them. I had one shot of the two boys on the ferry about to leave for Liberty Island, and they both had the giddiest smiles on their faces. All the stress and hassle of the day, and planning the day was worth seeing that look on their face. Even though you all can't see it, I will picture that in my mind's eye forever. Aside from a few tired tantrums from Davin (who couldn't nap with all the fun) the day was fabulous, albeit exhausting. And it tickles me to hear Damian still tell people he meets that he got to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island!
And today we saw the Chrysler Building up close finally. It was not our intent of the day, and I did not even notice it until my ever observant young son excitedly pointed out to me that we were there. So we inadvertantly checked off the last must see place on Damian's list (for now)! I am waiting to hear what is requested next!
What we were doing downtown today was (finally!) getting Damian a number from the Board of Education so that he can start school on Monday!! I will summarize the short but frustrating tale of getting Damian into the school we wanted for him by saying that the psychologist didn't call us until the first day of school to set up an appointment to evaluate Damian for the program we were hoping to get him into for this week. We were worried he might potentially miss the first two or more weeks of kindergarten (which bothers me a lot more than him). But God has thankfully been at work (as He always is), and tomorrow we will register him and find out what supplies I get to buy him (very excited for this), and pick out his uniform attire. Yes, he will be wearing a uniform, and yes I actually am happy about it. Although I did buy his fall wardrobe on clearance last spring like I usually do, I am a fan of school uniforms so I'm okay that he will only wear the fun stuff I got him in the afternoons.
Before I forget, I should throw in here my story about Irene. Now I will admit that I was quite panicked about the prospect of going through a hurricane. I am nervous about being on islands as it is, but the thought of having big squalls of water coming up around from all sides takes that fear to an irrational level. I wasn't scared of dying from the storm, I knew better than to go swimming :). But I have seen images of severe flooding with people getting rescued from rooftops that made me nervous. But my biggest, and most rational fear was of the power going out for a week. How on earth would I entertain 2 boys in the dark in an excessively small and hot location for more than 2 hours, much less a week? Thankfully, I never had to face any of these fears. Our power never even went out! In all honesty, our windows look out on such a sheltered view that I kept waiting for the hurricane to come. I remember reading online that the eye had passed and we were on the upswing and being a little bummed that I missed it completely!
Hopefully soon I will have an update to share on Damian and school. I am so excited that he finally gets to start and meet his friends that I may not even cry quite as much as I would have if it had been the actual first day of school :). God continues to keep blessing us, and bringing the randomest people into my day to stem away the tears that have times started to fall. The novelty has started to wear off and adjusting to this routine has been harder than I anticipated. But when I despair, God has shown me in so many gracious ways that He loves me and that He is still in control.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
First Impressions
After our first two weeks in the city, the boys and I have headed back to North Dakota to spend some time with family before needing to go back and get the boys into routine for the fall. The week and a half here have been a time of answering lots of eager questions which has led to reflection on our first city experiences.
I will admit that stepping into the apartment caused a prolonged period of nausea. We had seen it once for about 7 minutes so I knew it was small, but the 6 weeks since that time had caused it's spaciousness to grow in my mind. Needless to say, I was quite caught off guard by how quickly the walls appearred in my line of vision as the boys and I entered our new abode. I cannot even think of an adequate way to descripe what it is like to move from 3800 square feet to 446 square feet. Simply put, we have moved into the living room of our house. Fortunately we had sold off most of our earthly possessions prior to this point and everything we were bringing fit into a 5x7x9 "pod", however I am not convinced that even that amount of things will fit comfortably. However, our things had not arrived prior to this trip, so this remains to be seen!
One of the most common questions that I am asked is what do I like most/least about living in the city. I like the people around. Even though I am an introvert, I like to be out and watch the people and feel their energy. And the people there are fascinating; the languages to figure out, the clothes to question the wisdom of or to take notes from, their responses to their environment all just amaze me endlessly. My favorite are the professional women in their suits and dresses who ride their razor scooters out and about. The first time I saw a woman in a little black dress and heels riding a scooter I thought what a cool mom to humor her son like that, but then she hopped off and her doorman opened the door for her as if it were an everyday occurrence. And she isn't the only one I've seen do that. I envy the balance they must have to do that in heels. I like the produce stands on every corner, and the street vendors with hot dogs pretzels and kebabs and gyros (I'm on a huge Middle Eastern food kick right now). I love how excited my boys get to ride the water taxi to IKEA in Brooklyn, how even Davin cries "statue" when he sees either the real or a replica of the Statue of Liberty. I love the new Fairway that opened up around the corner. I could spend hours wandering around their basement level looking at all their fun foods (I love grocery shopping!) I like having Starbucks right across the street, and watching the crowd of people sitting at it's outdoor patio at night with their faces lit up by the glow of their computers. It's great to walk three blocks and reach a drug store, many restaurants, clothing stores, yoga studios and fitness centers, a grocery store, post office and car rental location. I like the signs that are about, such as the 99 cent store with the numbers 49 cents, 59 cents, etc all over their store front, and than in small letters on the front of the building it says everything is over 99 cents. Talk about false advertising! And the clothing wash and fold place named "Surprise Cleaners". I always wonder what the surprise might be when I walk by there. It also makes me excited who I might see when I walk by portable movie sets on the street. I am eagerly awaiting my first celebrity sighting!
There are also things I don't like, or have yet to get used to. The big one being the prices. The first time I saw a 12 pack of soda for $7.49 I thought it had to be a joke. And the carton of generic juice for $4.79 can't be right either. I could go on and on with the prices that give me heart failure, but you get the picture! Sleeping in a full bed pushed against the wall because our bedroom is barely bigger than the bed is another adjustment that will take some time to get used to. I don't enjoy lugging a stroller with a sleeping kiddo in it up and down subway stairs, or herding small children and a stroller into a crowded train. Schlepping is a pain: I am the type to pack a light bag and keep the non-essentials in the car for if circumstances arise where I need them. I don't enjoy having to carry every possible thing I might need for the day with me because I can't run out to the car or quick run home to get it if needed. And along that same page I miss having a car. I loved my Subaru, and I haven't found it more convenient to walk store to store getting what I need and piling it on the stroller and then face lugging it up two flights of stairs when we return. I liked piling everything in the back of the car and pulling into the garage to leisurely unload. Although I will admit that I am much more environmentally friendly these days. : ) There is also the frequent odor of dog urine as you walk around the city which is not very pleasant. I don't really like to hail taxis yet, I feel kind of stupid standing on the side of the road with my arm waving in the air yelling at cars. Hopefully that will get better with time.
Needless to say that amidst the culture shock there has been both pleasant surprises (gyros!), and some expected and unexpected frustrations. Overall I find the city is more kid friendly than I expected, which is breaking down one of my city stereotypes. People overall have been nicer than New Yorkers are being credited for being. Our fellow apartment dwellers frequently will help me with the door or stroller, and the majority of the time we get on the subway, somebody will get up so the boys and I can sit down. But I still am adjusting to the extremely small place we call home, and am learning to find the convenience part of my new ways of running errands. But God keeps quietly reminding me that He will take care of us, and that this is where we are called to be right now. So right now I am enjoying the wide open spaces of North Dakota, savoring this time with my family and friends, having faith that our house will sell, and preparing to return to the city with a heart and mind open to adventure!
I will admit that stepping into the apartment caused a prolonged period of nausea. We had seen it once for about 7 minutes so I knew it was small, but the 6 weeks since that time had caused it's spaciousness to grow in my mind. Needless to say, I was quite caught off guard by how quickly the walls appearred in my line of vision as the boys and I entered our new abode. I cannot even think of an adequate way to descripe what it is like to move from 3800 square feet to 446 square feet. Simply put, we have moved into the living room of our house. Fortunately we had sold off most of our earthly possessions prior to this point and everything we were bringing fit into a 5x7x9 "pod", however I am not convinced that even that amount of things will fit comfortably. However, our things had not arrived prior to this trip, so this remains to be seen!
One of the most common questions that I am asked is what do I like most/least about living in the city. I like the people around. Even though I am an introvert, I like to be out and watch the people and feel their energy. And the people there are fascinating; the languages to figure out, the clothes to question the wisdom of or to take notes from, their responses to their environment all just amaze me endlessly. My favorite are the professional women in their suits and dresses who ride their razor scooters out and about. The first time I saw a woman in a little black dress and heels riding a scooter I thought what a cool mom to humor her son like that, but then she hopped off and her doorman opened the door for her as if it were an everyday occurrence. And she isn't the only one I've seen do that. I envy the balance they must have to do that in heels. I like the produce stands on every corner, and the street vendors with hot dogs pretzels and kebabs and gyros (I'm on a huge Middle Eastern food kick right now). I love how excited my boys get to ride the water taxi to IKEA in Brooklyn, how even Davin cries "statue" when he sees either the real or a replica of the Statue of Liberty. I love the new Fairway that opened up around the corner. I could spend hours wandering around their basement level looking at all their fun foods (I love grocery shopping!) I like having Starbucks right across the street, and watching the crowd of people sitting at it's outdoor patio at night with their faces lit up by the glow of their computers. It's great to walk three blocks and reach a drug store, many restaurants, clothing stores, yoga studios and fitness centers, a grocery store, post office and car rental location. I like the signs that are about, such as the 99 cent store with the numbers 49 cents, 59 cents, etc all over their store front, and than in small letters on the front of the building it says everything is over 99 cents. Talk about false advertising! And the clothing wash and fold place named "Surprise Cleaners". I always wonder what the surprise might be when I walk by there. It also makes me excited who I might see when I walk by portable movie sets on the street. I am eagerly awaiting my first celebrity sighting!
There are also things I don't like, or have yet to get used to. The big one being the prices. The first time I saw a 12 pack of soda for $7.49 I thought it had to be a joke. And the carton of generic juice for $4.79 can't be right either. I could go on and on with the prices that give me heart failure, but you get the picture! Sleeping in a full bed pushed against the wall because our bedroom is barely bigger than the bed is another adjustment that will take some time to get used to. I don't enjoy lugging a stroller with a sleeping kiddo in it up and down subway stairs, or herding small children and a stroller into a crowded train. Schlepping is a pain: I am the type to pack a light bag and keep the non-essentials in the car for if circumstances arise where I need them. I don't enjoy having to carry every possible thing I might need for the day with me because I can't run out to the car or quick run home to get it if needed. And along that same page I miss having a car. I loved my Subaru, and I haven't found it more convenient to walk store to store getting what I need and piling it on the stroller and then face lugging it up two flights of stairs when we return. I liked piling everything in the back of the car and pulling into the garage to leisurely unload. Although I will admit that I am much more environmentally friendly these days. : ) There is also the frequent odor of dog urine as you walk around the city which is not very pleasant. I don't really like to hail taxis yet, I feel kind of stupid standing on the side of the road with my arm waving in the air yelling at cars. Hopefully that will get better with time.
Needless to say that amidst the culture shock there has been both pleasant surprises (gyros!), and some expected and unexpected frustrations. Overall I find the city is more kid friendly than I expected, which is breaking down one of my city stereotypes. People overall have been nicer than New Yorkers are being credited for being. Our fellow apartment dwellers frequently will help me with the door or stroller, and the majority of the time we get on the subway, somebody will get up so the boys and I can sit down. But I still am adjusting to the extremely small place we call home, and am learning to find the convenience part of my new ways of running errands. But God keeps quietly reminding me that He will take care of us, and that this is where we are called to be right now. So right now I am enjoying the wide open spaces of North Dakota, savoring this time with my family and friends, having faith that our house will sell, and preparing to return to the city with a heart and mind open to adventure!
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Past Six Months Summarized
Sometimes God calls us to do things that don't make sense from our earthly perspectives. Our life in Austin was pretty cush. We had a nice big house with a lovely yard, a wonderful church, christian friends, my family within reasonable driving distance, the best YMCA probably ever, and easy access to travel and city life when we felt the urge. Yet last fall we first had a little tickle of a possible move to NYC. I put it in the back of my mind as something in our 5 year plan and rarely thought about it over the next few months. Until April came when Joao found an interesting job posting to pursue, and within weeks they were requesting he come out to interview earlier than our planned trip to NYC in the end of May. So all of a sudden by the second week of May I was trying to comprehend that I was moving to New York in August. The rest of May and into June was a blur of trips, Damian's pre-school graduation, and family. Then the decision was made that Joao was going to start work in July. Life went into warp speed as we were at less than a month to plan Damian's birthday party, sort everything into what we could pack and what needed to be sold, pack, sell what we could, coordinate moving details, and say goodbye to family and the friends we have grown to love over the past four years in Austin. But God is gracious and merciful, and heard the prayers that people were voicing that I was unable to say. I don't know when I have ever felt such a strong prayer shield as I have during this time. And despite having more gray hairs than I did a month ago, our family is reunited and learning to love a new city with God's love.
As we start this adventure I am excited to see what God's plan is for us. During these past two months I have also felt bombarded by sermons, devotionals, and Bible studies on seeking God's will and not be willing to coast through life as a lukewarm christian. The two quotes that go through my head most often are Pastor Gerhardt of Urban Impact Ministries telling us to "quit chillin' because God tells us to go until He says no." And my aunt's devotional she shared as she dropped me off at the airport, that we need to remember to live each day. We may spend the rest of our lives here, and we may only live here for a year. Each day should be spent seeking out opportunities to show God's love and cherish each moment.
As we start this adventure I am excited to see what God's plan is for us. During these past two months I have also felt bombarded by sermons, devotionals, and Bible studies on seeking God's will and not be willing to coast through life as a lukewarm christian. The two quotes that go through my head most often are Pastor Gerhardt of Urban Impact Ministries telling us to "quit chillin' because God tells us to go until He says no." And my aunt's devotional she shared as she dropped me off at the airport, that we need to remember to live each day. We may spend the rest of our lives here, and we may only live here for a year. Each day should be spent seeking out opportunities to show God's love and cherish each moment.
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