Have you seen this story about the fertility struggles that Jimmy Fallon and his wife went through?
I especially love this quote:
"I know people have tried much longer (than we have), but if there's anyone out there who is trying and they're just losing hope … just hang in there," he insisted. "Try every avenue; try anything you can do, 'cause you'll get there. You'll end up with a family, and it's so worth it. It is the most 'worth it' thing."
Thanks, Jimmy Fallon. I think it's so cool that you were willing to speak up about this issue, and give hope to others who find themselves in a pretty dark place.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Why Hello There
We are settling into our new place, in our new city, in our new country, and I have to say, it's pretty awesome. Our apartment is really nice--huge, actually, and in a great neighborhood. We have parks and great restaurants nearby. People are warm and friendly and treat our children like rock stars. My job is going well, and I like the people I'm working with. Life is pretty damn good.
It has been a pretty smooth transition this time, and I think part of it is that Latin America is culturally so much a part of of the U.S.. It doesn't feel entirely foreign here, because so much about the language, food, and culture is woven through the tapestry that is America. And people are so kind. Have I mentioned how kind they are? They are so encouraging with my Spanish, and so very nice to my family. I showed up more than 30 minutes late to tour a prospective school for Miss M yesterday (due to horrible and uncontrollable commuting issues), and the woman laughed it off in the most charming way. We really, really like it here.
And we are making friends! We've had a few playdates in the park with a family with a 4 year old, and we met another couple that we had dinner with last night. Nothing makes a place feel like home so much as having your own things, and making friends. We still don't have our stuff, but it felt really good to drink wine and laugh last night. We are settling in.
The altitude has made us a bit tired, and it really seems to kill my appetite. Stairs make me way more out of breath than I could have imagined. I am in pretty good shape, and athletic things make me feel like a 300 pound chain smoker. But other than that, it hasn't impacted us too much.
Working in Spanish has been fun and crazy hard and exhausting. I am having fun at work, most of the time. The pace is dizzying, but the days fly by. The hard part for my family is that after almost a year of working a relaxed schedule and being home most afternoons, and two whole months of vacation, they were kind of used to having me around. The transition here has been especially tough for Miss M, who really seems to be missing me. It is most noticeable at bedtime, when she begs me to sleep with her, and throws a giant tantrum every.single.night. I usually cave at some point in the middle of the night, when she awakens sobbing. I can steel myself at bedtime, but sobbing in the night really gets to me. I'm sure it will get better, as everyone adjusts to our new schedule, and as new routines (like school) are established.
To help ease the burden on poor T., who has been stuck with few toys and two little kids in a giant, echo-y apartment full of hardwood floors that are slippery as hell, we hired household help. She shall heretofore be known as "Lilli." She was highly recommended, and she is lovely. It was really important to us that we got someone who was good at cleaning, but who also would be kind to our children. They instantly gravitated toward her. In fact, it's hard to keep the kids away from her so that she can get anything done. We'll have her about 30 hours a week, which seems perfect to me. She also said she's willing to babysit at night, with a little notice. We are paying her about 25% more than her last employer, and it's still seems like a terribly small amount of money, for all of that work. But that can be the subject of another post!
We have physically settled in as well as we can, until our shipments arrive. We brought a mountain of luggage with us, and we shipped some things via air freight, but it was impossible to bring more than a smattering of toys and books and photos and kitchen gadgets and all of the things that make your home a home. Our stuff hasn't cleared customs yet, and we are probably looking at another six weeks before it does. Sigh. I wish I'd mailed us more toys.
But. School starts in two weeks! It has been kind of a pain in the ass to find a preschool. The place closest to our house has a reputation of being super snooty and full of ultra-rich kids. I talked with one woman who was delighted to send her child there, but another who hated it, and I just don't think it's the right place for us. I visited another place a bit further away, but it lacked spirit. It was neat and tidy and organized, but I just kept thinking that it lacked a soul the entire time I was on the tour. There is a third place that has offered me a tour two weeks from now. . .after school starts. And finally, there is the choice I think we've settled on. It's pretty close to our place, and it has a great vibe. This is the one I was late for. I was not only late, but T had shown up 20 minute early, and they invited him inside, assigned people to play with the kids, and had been talking to him and showing him around the whole time. They were reorganizing the whole place, so it looked like the building had thrown up art supplies and toys and chaos all over itself. Another woman in my office had toured it a few days before, and had been horrified. But we thought it was charming. It's definitely not US standards, which freaks me out a little bit. But then, nothing is. It is also physically different from her last preschool, and I have to acknowledge that and let it go. Her old preschool in the U.S. was in a beautiful facility. There were about 15 kids and two teachers, and the classroom was giant and airy and cheerful, with different sections for different activities. This place, like every preschool I've visited here, is carved up into lots of little rooms. The actual classroom where she will spend her time with a dozen other kids is TINY compared to her U.S. school. Granted, they leave the classroom occasionally for different activities. . .but still. I guess I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this different way of being.
But, this place had a soul. A vibrant, chaotic, throw-your-arms-in-the-air-and-dance kind of soul. They are really community-oriented, and believe in teaching kids to care for each other, and they spend a lot of time on art, and they weave recycling into their teaching so that the kids work with recycled materials. . .I'm not doing a good job of describing it, but it's hard to capture spirit. This place had spirit. And the kids both sobbed when it was time to go, because they both thought it was so great that neither wanted to leave.
They have some students who speak English, but none will be in Miss M's class, which is just what we want. We want her to learn Spanish as quickly as possibly (at her age, she should be fluent in about 9 months, according to everyone we've talked to). The great part is that most of the teachers, including hers, speak English, so that if she has a problem, she won't be completely adrift.
I admit, I am more tense than I ever expected about the preschool. It is a "good" preschool, attended by this country's elite (no one else could afford the tuition, which is a pittance compared to US tuition, but a fortune on the local economy). But it is definitely different from her old preschool. I know that her old preschool was probably much nicer than a lot of preschools. And for pete's sake, the kid is going to come out of this speaking Spanish, so I know she will be learning. I guess it's the safety aspects that have me most stressed. Do they do adequate background checks? Is there a fire code? Earthquake code? Will they let her run with scissors? America is so litigious that I never worried about that kind of stuff in the U.S., but here is most definitely a different story. I think that's why, although we have purportedly decided on this school, I haven't emailed the director yet.
In other news, tomorrow morning, I'm going to a big open air market with a friend. I've heard great things about it, so I'm super excited.
I have so many more things to write about, but this is already way too long. Next time!
It has been a pretty smooth transition this time, and I think part of it is that Latin America is culturally so much a part of of the U.S.. It doesn't feel entirely foreign here, because so much about the language, food, and culture is woven through the tapestry that is America. And people are so kind. Have I mentioned how kind they are? They are so encouraging with my Spanish, and so very nice to my family. I showed up more than 30 minutes late to tour a prospective school for Miss M yesterday (due to horrible and uncontrollable commuting issues), and the woman laughed it off in the most charming way. We really, really like it here.
And we are making friends! We've had a few playdates in the park with a family with a 4 year old, and we met another couple that we had dinner with last night. Nothing makes a place feel like home so much as having your own things, and making friends. We still don't have our stuff, but it felt really good to drink wine and laugh last night. We are settling in.
The altitude has made us a bit tired, and it really seems to kill my appetite. Stairs make me way more out of breath than I could have imagined. I am in pretty good shape, and athletic things make me feel like a 300 pound chain smoker. But other than that, it hasn't impacted us too much.
Working in Spanish has been fun and crazy hard and exhausting. I am having fun at work, most of the time. The pace is dizzying, but the days fly by. The hard part for my family is that after almost a year of working a relaxed schedule and being home most afternoons, and two whole months of vacation, they were kind of used to having me around. The transition here has been especially tough for Miss M, who really seems to be missing me. It is most noticeable at bedtime, when she begs me to sleep with her, and throws a giant tantrum every.single.night. I usually cave at some point in the middle of the night, when she awakens sobbing. I can steel myself at bedtime, but sobbing in the night really gets to me. I'm sure it will get better, as everyone adjusts to our new schedule, and as new routines (like school) are established.
To help ease the burden on poor T., who has been stuck with few toys and two little kids in a giant, echo-y apartment full of hardwood floors that are slippery as hell, we hired household help. She shall heretofore be known as "Lilli." She was highly recommended, and she is lovely. It was really important to us that we got someone who was good at cleaning, but who also would be kind to our children. They instantly gravitated toward her. In fact, it's hard to keep the kids away from her so that she can get anything done. We'll have her about 30 hours a week, which seems perfect to me. She also said she's willing to babysit at night, with a little notice. We are paying her about 25% more than her last employer, and it's still seems like a terribly small amount of money, for all of that work. But that can be the subject of another post!
We have physically settled in as well as we can, until our shipments arrive. We brought a mountain of luggage with us, and we shipped some things via air freight, but it was impossible to bring more than a smattering of toys and books and photos and kitchen gadgets and all of the things that make your home a home. Our stuff hasn't cleared customs yet, and we are probably looking at another six weeks before it does. Sigh. I wish I'd mailed us more toys.
But. School starts in two weeks! It has been kind of a pain in the ass to find a preschool. The place closest to our house has a reputation of being super snooty and full of ultra-rich kids. I talked with one woman who was delighted to send her child there, but another who hated it, and I just don't think it's the right place for us. I visited another place a bit further away, but it lacked spirit. It was neat and tidy and organized, but I just kept thinking that it lacked a soul the entire time I was on the tour. There is a third place that has offered me a tour two weeks from now. . .after school starts. And finally, there is the choice I think we've settled on. It's pretty close to our place, and it has a great vibe. This is the one I was late for. I was not only late, but T had shown up 20 minute early, and they invited him inside, assigned people to play with the kids, and had been talking to him and showing him around the whole time. They were reorganizing the whole place, so it looked like the building had thrown up art supplies and toys and chaos all over itself. Another woman in my office had toured it a few days before, and had been horrified. But we thought it was charming. It's definitely not US standards, which freaks me out a little bit. But then, nothing is. It is also physically different from her last preschool, and I have to acknowledge that and let it go. Her old preschool in the U.S. was in a beautiful facility. There were about 15 kids and two teachers, and the classroom was giant and airy and cheerful, with different sections for different activities. This place, like every preschool I've visited here, is carved up into lots of little rooms. The actual classroom where she will spend her time with a dozen other kids is TINY compared to her U.S. school. Granted, they leave the classroom occasionally for different activities. . .but still. I guess I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this different way of being.
But, this place had a soul. A vibrant, chaotic, throw-your-arms-in-the-air-and-dance kind of soul. They are really community-oriented, and believe in teaching kids to care for each other, and they spend a lot of time on art, and they weave recycling into their teaching so that the kids work with recycled materials. . .I'm not doing a good job of describing it, but it's hard to capture spirit. This place had spirit. And the kids both sobbed when it was time to go, because they both thought it was so great that neither wanted to leave.
They have some students who speak English, but none will be in Miss M's class, which is just what we want. We want her to learn Spanish as quickly as possibly (at her age, she should be fluent in about 9 months, according to everyone we've talked to). The great part is that most of the teachers, including hers, speak English, so that if she has a problem, she won't be completely adrift.
I admit, I am more tense than I ever expected about the preschool. It is a "good" preschool, attended by this country's elite (no one else could afford the tuition, which is a pittance compared to US tuition, but a fortune on the local economy). But it is definitely different from her old preschool. I know that her old preschool was probably much nicer than a lot of preschools. And for pete's sake, the kid is going to come out of this speaking Spanish, so I know she will be learning. I guess it's the safety aspects that have me most stressed. Do they do adequate background checks? Is there a fire code? Earthquake code? Will they let her run with scissors? America is so litigious that I never worried about that kind of stuff in the U.S., but here is most definitely a different story. I think that's why, although we have purportedly decided on this school, I haven't emailed the director yet.
In other news, tomorrow morning, I'm going to a big open air market with a friend. I've heard great things about it, so I'm super excited.
I have so many more things to write about, but this is already way too long. Next time!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
I Can't Sleep
Tomorrow morning, we fly to South America. Or should I say, we MOVE to South America. I'm not nervous, exactly. I guess it's more anxious. I'm ready to be there and get settled. Oh, and I hate to fly. And, we'll be living at altitude, and I'm worried about how we'll all do with that. I've never been quite as high as we will be living in or new country.
We've been in Miami for a few days for meetings, which was also nice R&R time for the girls and T. Now they are all fast asleep, but I can't seem to make my brain relax. I spent a while tidying up our room and repacking out bags so that everything is ready to go. Boy, are we a sight at the airport. We have nine checked bags (one is the BOB stroller), two car seats, a backpack child carrier, an umbrella stroller, four carry-ons, and a diaper bag...oh, and a purse. I'm someone who prefers to travel with a backpack and a few changes of clothes, so this is a tad stressful for me. I keep feeling like I need to explain to people that we are moving. I did a good job packing, though. Every suitcase came in at 49 or 49.5 pounds when we flew here.
We should be at our new apartment by early afternoon, in time for naps. I'm not sure how long it will take us to set up internet, but I'll be back here once we are settled down there. And with that, I guess I better relax and get some sleep.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Vacation and Moving and Potty Training Success
I just spent hours trying to corral clothes and toys and shoes and all of the other accoutrements of family life into eight suitcases. Well, seven really, because the eighth piece of luggage is actually our Baby Bjorn portable crib. Although, it's pretty stuffed with assorted goods, as well. Each actual suitcase weighs just about 50 pounds, the airline limit, and it took a good bit of juggling after the very last one came in at almost 60. Luckily, I had packed the others to about 48 pounds or so and left myself a bit of room. At least according to my mother's bathroom scale. . .It was a maddenly, thankless, horribly necessary task, and I'm so glad it is done.
We've spent the last month on vacation (living out of those same suitcases that I've just repacked), and now it's actually time to move to South America. I can't believe the time is here. We've had a pretty amazing month off--lots of really traditional American experiences for my girls. There is a fair chance that they will spend most of their youth abroad, and I want to be sure that they grow up as American as possible. I want them to feel well-connected to this country. So our summer vacation was full of things like Hershey Park and days at the lake and a small-town Fourth of July parade and cookouts and walking into town to buy ice cream from the stand that's been there for decades and boatrides on the lake and. . .it was just lovely. They played so long and so hard in the lake every day, even in the rain, that they took three hour naps, and still went to bed and rose at their normal times!
Although SB is just 16 months now, she absolutely loves the water. She won't be satisfied with sitting at the water's edge and playing in the sand. Oh no, she wants you to take her out where it is a bit deeper, so you can support her stomach and let her kick her legs and paddle with her hands in the water. It is amazing that she has the instinct to do it. She also delights in being raised into the air and bounced down into the water, as though she were in a jumparoo. She laughs hysterically, and when my arms burned with exhaustion and I returned her to the shore, she would try to grab me by the hand to drag me back into the lake to do it all over again. It was wonderful.
Miss M also adored the water. She has an amazing sense of balance, and was able to stand on a boogie board as though she were a surfer, unsupported. We would tow her down the beach in waist-deep water, until she finally fell or jumped off (although, while moving she needed a bit of support). We definitely have to arrange for swimming lessons once we are settled, because she is all about doing more, more, more!
I can't say that it was the most relaxing vacation for me personally. Spending weeks on the lake with a 3.5 year old and a 16 month old kind of stressed me out. I had to watch them like a hawk. Even when there were people around to help me out, I constantly felt like I had to make sure they weren't distracted from the task at hand and were still watching the kids. I realized that I kind of have a fear of water when it comes to the kids. It's funny, given that I grew up spending summers on a lake, and did crazy things as a kid. You'd think I'd be more relaxed. T also helped, of course, but since we were staying with his family, he often got called away to do this or that. Actually, my MIL had an entire list of projects for him to accomplish when he arrived! But aside from the constant vigilance over the kids, it was really fun to play with them.
Unfortunately, it was also a tough time to be home. Just after we arrived, the doctors decided that there is nothing more they can do for T's sister, who has been in declining health for the last few years. They have put her in hospice care, and only expect her to live a few more months, at best. She is only in her early 50's, so it's been really hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that she is going to die. And frankly, I've been angry with her, because she didn't have to die. When she first started having problems 4-5 years ago, the doctors warned her that she could die and told her she needed to make changes, and she didn't. She's had a million chances to change her life, and she refused. She still could try to fight this, although her chances are diminished at this point, but she's refusing to cooperate with her care. It's pretty awful. It breaks my heart for her kids and my MIL and T. Because we are moving so far away, it's unlikely that T will be back to see her again before she dies. He went to see her in the hospital, and had to say goodbye to her and let her know he wouldn't see her again. It broke my heart to see him go through that. It was truly awful.
I didn't go to visit her, because I didn't have anything productive to say to her at the time. I was really angry while I was up there near the hospital, but there was no point in saying what was in my heart. I don't think anyone has ever yelled at her during her illness and told her to cut the crap, and that's what I would have done, had I gone to see her. And that's just not my place, and it's not productive at this point. She's in hospice care and facing the end of her life. I wrote her a letter, and then ripped it up, because I decided it was a bit too frank. After I wrote the first draft, I found that my anger really dissipated. I wrote a kind note, enclosed some recent photos of the kids, and left it at that. She has done some really awful things to the people that love her, but even she deserves some kindness and support on this journey that she is on.
It was also painful to watch everyone try to come to terms with her situation. She's been in the hospital for about five months, but her family and friends did not visit her until the doctors decided she was near the end and should enter hospice care. No one believed that she was that bad off, and everyone was really angry at her for all that she has done to herself and to those around her. Her family is in varying stages of grief, and many feel guilty for not doing more to save her. It's just so sad. But hopefully, it brought some sunshine to everyone to see the girls.
And on that morose note, I'd better be off to bed, as I'm sure the girls will be up bright and early in the morning. We've got some driving to do tomorrow to get to where we fly out of, and we're going to meet up with friends for dinner, so it's going to be a bit of a long day. When we get to their place--full of toys and child-proofed--I will be able to have a glass of wine and exhale from this long month of vacation.
Oh! And I have so much on my mind that I almost forgot the most exciting thing that happened on our vacation! Miss M is POTTY TRAINED!!!!! I really wasn't sure we'd ever get there. But basically, she needed to have lots of accidents to learn how to do it, and in her bathing suit at the beach, she managed to learn. I guess I just didn't realize that the kid was going to need to have a lot of accidents, and I never created a situation before where that could happen. I can't even tell you how many times she realized too late that she needed to poop, and pooped halfway in her bathing suit. It was disgusting. And she peed in the lake ( and on me) countless times. But she managed to perfect her timing to give us a bit more notice, and she is wearing underwear every day (pullups at night until we get settled in our own house again). She even naps in underwear, and was successful in underwear during a 7 hour car ride a few days ago. I did sweeten the deal by promising a La.la.loop.sy doll, toward the end, just to speed up her compliance. We were just about there, but sometimes she'd get lazy and ask for a diaper. She became obsessed with the damn dolls (I think they are kind of scary looking) while playing with her cousin at the lake). Of course, the one she wants isn't in stores, and now I'm trying to track it down. But anyway, SUCH exciting news.
We've spent the last month on vacation (living out of those same suitcases that I've just repacked), and now it's actually time to move to South America. I can't believe the time is here. We've had a pretty amazing month off--lots of really traditional American experiences for my girls. There is a fair chance that they will spend most of their youth abroad, and I want to be sure that they grow up as American as possible. I want them to feel well-connected to this country. So our summer vacation was full of things like Hershey Park and days at the lake and a small-town Fourth of July parade and cookouts and walking into town to buy ice cream from the stand that's been there for decades and boatrides on the lake and. . .it was just lovely. They played so long and so hard in the lake every day, even in the rain, that they took three hour naps, and still went to bed and rose at their normal times!
Although SB is just 16 months now, she absolutely loves the water. She won't be satisfied with sitting at the water's edge and playing in the sand. Oh no, she wants you to take her out where it is a bit deeper, so you can support her stomach and let her kick her legs and paddle with her hands in the water. It is amazing that she has the instinct to do it. She also delights in being raised into the air and bounced down into the water, as though she were in a jumparoo. She laughs hysterically, and when my arms burned with exhaustion and I returned her to the shore, she would try to grab me by the hand to drag me back into the lake to do it all over again. It was wonderful.
Miss M also adored the water. She has an amazing sense of balance, and was able to stand on a boogie board as though she were a surfer, unsupported. We would tow her down the beach in waist-deep water, until she finally fell or jumped off (although, while moving she needed a bit of support). We definitely have to arrange for swimming lessons once we are settled, because she is all about doing more, more, more!
I can't say that it was the most relaxing vacation for me personally. Spending weeks on the lake with a 3.5 year old and a 16 month old kind of stressed me out. I had to watch them like a hawk. Even when there were people around to help me out, I constantly felt like I had to make sure they weren't distracted from the task at hand and were still watching the kids. I realized that I kind of have a fear of water when it comes to the kids. It's funny, given that I grew up spending summers on a lake, and did crazy things as a kid. You'd think I'd be more relaxed. T also helped, of course, but since we were staying with his family, he often got called away to do this or that. Actually, my MIL had an entire list of projects for him to accomplish when he arrived! But aside from the constant vigilance over the kids, it was really fun to play with them.
Unfortunately, it was also a tough time to be home. Just after we arrived, the doctors decided that there is nothing more they can do for T's sister, who has been in declining health for the last few years. They have put her in hospice care, and only expect her to live a few more months, at best. She is only in her early 50's, so it's been really hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that she is going to die. And frankly, I've been angry with her, because she didn't have to die. When she first started having problems 4-5 years ago, the doctors warned her that she could die and told her she needed to make changes, and she didn't. She's had a million chances to change her life, and she refused. She still could try to fight this, although her chances are diminished at this point, but she's refusing to cooperate with her care. It's pretty awful. It breaks my heart for her kids and my MIL and T. Because we are moving so far away, it's unlikely that T will be back to see her again before she dies. He went to see her in the hospital, and had to say goodbye to her and let her know he wouldn't see her again. It broke my heart to see him go through that. It was truly awful.
I didn't go to visit her, because I didn't have anything productive to say to her at the time. I was really angry while I was up there near the hospital, but there was no point in saying what was in my heart. I don't think anyone has ever yelled at her during her illness and told her to cut the crap, and that's what I would have done, had I gone to see her. And that's just not my place, and it's not productive at this point. She's in hospice care and facing the end of her life. I wrote her a letter, and then ripped it up, because I decided it was a bit too frank. After I wrote the first draft, I found that my anger really dissipated. I wrote a kind note, enclosed some recent photos of the kids, and left it at that. She has done some really awful things to the people that love her, but even she deserves some kindness and support on this journey that she is on.
It was also painful to watch everyone try to come to terms with her situation. She's been in the hospital for about five months, but her family and friends did not visit her until the doctors decided she was near the end and should enter hospice care. No one believed that she was that bad off, and everyone was really angry at her for all that she has done to herself and to those around her. Her family is in varying stages of grief, and many feel guilty for not doing more to save her. It's just so sad. But hopefully, it brought some sunshine to everyone to see the girls.
And on that morose note, I'd better be off to bed, as I'm sure the girls will be up bright and early in the morning. We've got some driving to do tomorrow to get to where we fly out of, and we're going to meet up with friends for dinner, so it's going to be a bit of a long day. When we get to their place--full of toys and child-proofed--I will be able to have a glass of wine and exhale from this long month of vacation.
Oh! And I have so much on my mind that I almost forgot the most exciting thing that happened on our vacation! Miss M is POTTY TRAINED!!!!! I really wasn't sure we'd ever get there. But basically, she needed to have lots of accidents to learn how to do it, and in her bathing suit at the beach, she managed to learn. I guess I just didn't realize that the kid was going to need to have a lot of accidents, and I never created a situation before where that could happen. I can't even tell you how many times she realized too late that she needed to poop, and pooped halfway in her bathing suit. It was disgusting. And she peed in the lake ( and on me) countless times. But she managed to perfect her timing to give us a bit more notice, and she is wearing underwear every day (pullups at night until we get settled in our own house again). She even naps in underwear, and was successful in underwear during a 7 hour car ride a few days ago. I did sweeten the deal by promising a La.la.loop.sy doll, toward the end, just to speed up her compliance. We were just about there, but sometimes she'd get lazy and ask for a diaper. She became obsessed with the damn dolls (I think they are kind of scary looking) while playing with her cousin at the lake). Of course, the one she wants isn't in stores, and now I'm trying to track it down. But anyway, SUCH exciting news.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Summer Vacation
We've hit the road for a month or so before we actually move. First it was a week with my mother, which was a whirlwind of playing on the swingset and swimming in plastic kiddie pools and visiting Hershey Park (my first visit, and that place is MONSTROUS--we saw only half of it in 7 hours) and visiting the most amazing theme park for little kids (seriously, if you are anywhere near southern NJ, you must go--well-maintainted, amazing rides for little kids, no lines, and no bigger kids to trample your little ones--we've been like 4 times now and we love, love, LOVE it there--pure kid magic) and seeing MU in 3D (which I also loved) and getting our nails painted (Miss M's first manicure, and she was nuts about it, until the polish started to chip, and then she became devastated), and. . .well, you get the idea. Kid stuff. We've been so very busy grabbing America and squeezing every last bit of joy we can get out of it before we head off.
On Sunday, we drove to New England, which was an epic journey that took almost twice as long as normal. Every time there was a traffic option, we took the wrong one, and ended up in traffic for hours. There is no excuse for this, because the GPS on our car has traffic built in, and it diligently kept trying to reroute us, but we kept ignoring it, and. . .yeah, bad idea. If the GPS tells you to take the Lincoln Tunnel, you totally should, because you will sit in traffic for hours in the George Washington. But anyway, we got here eventually, and it is spectacular. I forgot how much I love New England in the summer. The sun shines. The birds chirp. The cat catches and tortures chipmunks right in front of the kids. . .ah, good times. The kids have been swimming in the lake and playing on the beach and taking 3 hour naps because they are so exhausted, and it is AWESOME.
Tomorrow I'm having lunch with my dad and the girls, then possibly dinner with my friend and her three kids. We are here for a couple of weeks, but I know the time will be gone before I know it, and I want to catch up with people as much as I can.
Oh, and there was a big box of chocolate love on my nightstand when I arrived. My MIL won a charity auction item donated by my favorite local chocolatier. The chocolate is insanely expensive normally, and in the box is bar after bar of beautifully wrapped chocolate, chocolate truffles and bags of other treats. I feel like Charlie in the Wonka factory. Yum.
But where would we be without a potty training mention? Because even amidst the chaos, I'm still trying valiantly. Miss M, for her part, is still fighting valiantly. When asked to use the potty, she says things like "no thanks. I already went yesterday." It cracks me up. What can I say? At least it's polite. She has twice started to poop in her pants, remembered she's not supposed to, and come running to finish the job on the potty, which in my view is the worst of all options. But someday soon, I'm hoping it will all come together.
Oh! And I've made some progress on the should-we-hire-an-employee front. Well, sort of. I vacillate wildly between "yes, we totally should!" and "let's just get there and see. Maybe we really don't need anyone" In between, I've sent a bunch of emails and talked with some folks, and am contemplating doing interviews in Spanish now via Skype. I see the wisdom in waiting and getting there and seeing. . .and then I think about arriving and unpacking and trying to grocery shop and do the million little errands, and how much easier all of that would go if we had someone lined up. I have some leads on a few more people to talk to (from other folks at my company who are there). So, we'll see. I guess I'm leaning toward it, even though I have my reservations, because I can see how it could improve the quality of my life, and although I'm uncomfortable with the economies of scale, I can also see that we'd be offering a fair wage (on the local economy) to someone who needs the job. Thank you to the kind person who recently left me a comment on this issue--really appreciate the thoughts.
On Sunday, we drove to New England, which was an epic journey that took almost twice as long as normal. Every time there was a traffic option, we took the wrong one, and ended up in traffic for hours. There is no excuse for this, because the GPS on our car has traffic built in, and it diligently kept trying to reroute us, but we kept ignoring it, and. . .yeah, bad idea. If the GPS tells you to take the Lincoln Tunnel, you totally should, because you will sit in traffic for hours in the George Washington. But anyway, we got here eventually, and it is spectacular. I forgot how much I love New England in the summer. The sun shines. The birds chirp. The cat catches and tortures chipmunks right in front of the kids. . .ah, good times. The kids have been swimming in the lake and playing on the beach and taking 3 hour naps because they are so exhausted, and it is AWESOME.
Tomorrow I'm having lunch with my dad and the girls, then possibly dinner with my friend and her three kids. We are here for a couple of weeks, but I know the time will be gone before I know it, and I want to catch up with people as much as I can.
Oh, and there was a big box of chocolate love on my nightstand when I arrived. My MIL won a charity auction item donated by my favorite local chocolatier. The chocolate is insanely expensive normally, and in the box is bar after bar of beautifully wrapped chocolate, chocolate truffles and bags of other treats. I feel like Charlie in the Wonka factory. Yum.
But where would we be without a potty training mention? Because even amidst the chaos, I'm still trying valiantly. Miss M, for her part, is still fighting valiantly. When asked to use the potty, she says things like "no thanks. I already went yesterday." It cracks me up. What can I say? At least it's polite. She has twice started to poop in her pants, remembered she's not supposed to, and come running to finish the job on the potty, which in my view is the worst of all options. But someday soon, I'm hoping it will all come together.
Oh! And I've made some progress on the should-we-hire-an-employee front. Well, sort of. I vacillate wildly between "yes, we totally should!" and "let's just get there and see. Maybe we really don't need anyone" In between, I've sent a bunch of emails and talked with some folks, and am contemplating doing interviews in Spanish now via Skype. I see the wisdom in waiting and getting there and seeing. . .and then I think about arriving and unpacking and trying to grocery shop and do the million little errands, and how much easier all of that would go if we had someone lined up. I have some leads on a few more people to talk to (from other folks at my company who are there). So, we'll see. I guess I'm leaning toward it, even though I have my reservations, because I can see how it could improve the quality of my life, and although I'm uncomfortable with the economies of scale, I can also see that we'd be offering a fair wage (on the local economy) to someone who needs the job. Thank you to the kind person who recently left me a comment on this issue--really appreciate the thoughts.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Mission Accomplished
The movers came today and packed all of our stuff. It took them all day. We have too much stuff, but we'll donate a lot of it down there, so I'm okay with that. But yeesh, it took forever to pack, and I had it all organized.
It was Miss M's last day of school, too, but I could not drop her off, because I was waiting for the movers, and I could not go to pick her up, because I was still dealing with the movers. I am so sad about that. I wrote nice cards to her teachers and gave them Amazon gift certificates. T delivered them when he picked her up. I hope that was the right thing to do. Preschool etiquette is lost on me. They gave us an awesome binder of Miss M's year, full of pictures and her art and little headings with descriptions. It is super cute. I feel so bad I didn't get to say goodbye to her teachers. They were so kind to us. It's probably better, because I definitely would have cried. I hate endings.
We leave here in a few days. I'm exhausted from the social engagements and the packing, and I'm sad about leaving our friends. Argh...endings beget beginnings, which I love, but they sure are hard.
It was Miss M's last day of school, too, but I could not drop her off, because I was waiting for the movers, and I could not go to pick her up, because I was still dealing with the movers. I am so sad about that. I wrote nice cards to her teachers and gave them Amazon gift certificates. T delivered them when he picked her up. I hope that was the right thing to do. Preschool etiquette is lost on me. They gave us an awesome binder of Miss M's year, full of pictures and her art and little headings with descriptions. It is super cute. I feel so bad I didn't get to say goodbye to her teachers. They were so kind to us. It's probably better, because I definitely would have cried. I hate endings.
We leave here in a few days. I'm exhausted from the social engagements and the packing, and I'm sad about leaving our friends. Argh...endings beget beginnings, which I love, but they sure are hard.
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