Go Heather!

A huge shout-out to my mother's helper, Heather, who was just accepted at one of the best public high schools in the country, never mind the city.  Way to go, girl!  Ellie and Gabe are so proud (me too.)

Adventure Day

This picture is from an "Adventure Thursday" a few weeks ago, which is when Sara and I try to leave the five block radius immediately surrounding our apartments.  On this day we took the train to Ditmas Park for a play date with Lucas and Dylan.  The kids were adorable together.  Anyhow, this picture just cracks me up.

Ellie's Eyes

She's stuffing her face with apple muffin....but man, those eyes.  She kills me.

Hello?

Someone's making a very important phone call.

Waiting by the Front Window

The more things change...the more they stay the same.

May 2009

February 2012

Witch's Interior Design

So today I was teaching Elle a little Macbeth (what - it's not on the standard 2's curriculum?) and I Googled "double, double, toile and trouble" by mistake.  That just makes me giggle.

Swing!

Gabe

Gabe, scoping the territory at a local playground.

Keeping Secrets

Not that I don't love New York, but ever since I've lived here I've planned to move back to Burlington.  This "five year plan" never really moved closer until Ellie and Gabe's arrivals.  A family of four in a one bedroom apartment?  Yeah, maybe it's time to make a change.  I've always insisted that the New York suburbs are not an option.  Long Island?  Heck no.  Jersey? I'm reminded of an old friend who used to say "I didn't move to New York so I could live in New Jersey."  And the suburbs have always frightened me, with their lack of soul and proper town centers.  Burlington or Brooklyn, I've always said.  Nothing in between.

Which is why I'm happy to say that after 14 years in the city (how is that even possible?) Brian and I are moving...to Westchester County.  Wait, what?

I know, Burlington or bust, right?  But when it came down to it, Brian has a job that he loves, and that treats him well, and that's really hard to leave.  Burlington - my lake, my mountains - is still on the horizon, but it turns out we're just not ready to take that huge leap yet.  Trust me, I'm as shocked as you are.

Which is why I haven't been writing anything about this process on the blog.  For months now I've been mourning the loss of my Burlington-dream and slowly acclimating to a new dream.  One located on the Hudson River instead of Lake Champlain.  I haven't been able to write about it with any certainty until I felt certain myself.  And now we know.  Yes, we're moving.  Maybe not tomorrow, but as soon as we've found the perfect house.

We spent the last several weekends driving up and down the Hudson, checking out river towns and trying to find the place that feels most "us."  (That's why there haven't been a lot of photos lately of weekend activities on the blog.  How many pictures of the kids sleeping in the back seat of the car do you want to see?)  Our search has focused on a small local city with a walkable center that actually feels like a "town," not just a place for weary commuters to rest their heads.  And so now we just have to find a house.  We actually think we may have found one, but it's much too early in the process to talk about that.  (I'm a firm believer in the power of jinxes).  If we decide to move forward with it, I'll share details.

I'm terrified to leave Brooklyn.  Scared of leaving our friends, my routines with the kids, my "sister-wife" Sara, without whom I'm not even sure I know how to be a stay at home mom.  But change is coming.  And I better be ready for it.

Trouble

Now that Gabe has mastered crawling he's showing off his daredevil side.  There's not a power cord he can't find, a outlet he can't lunge for, or a jungle gym he can't try to climb up and fall off of.  I'm in so much trouble.

Bath Time

Did I ever mention Elle's utterly ridiculous fear of soap?  It developed a few months ago and made bath time a miserable experience.  I would rinse her hair, and when the scummy soap film surfaced on the water Elle would dissolve into a mess of tears and try to launch herself out of the tub.  Not fun.  Who would have thought the answer was MORE soap?!  When we were last visiting Vermont, little David Coburn invited Elle to share a bath.  A bubble bath.  I was sure it would be a complete disaster, but instead it was MAGIC.  Terrifying soap scum turned into super fun BUBBLES!  Elle has never looked back.  Thanks, Coburns!

These tiny foot prints just slay me.

Say Cheese!

A sign that perhaps Momma spends a little too much time taking cellphone pictures....Here's Elle telling her "two babies" to say Cheese!

CrissCross

Elle recently learned how to sit "criss-cross applesauce" and loves showing off.  She also insists "mama apple" whenever we sit on the floor, which is starting to kill my hips a little.  Man, I'm old.

Winter Sun