Thursday, September 6, 2012

School days!

The summer is now officially over and school has begun!  I felt like the first week of school really snuck up on us.  It seemed like we were finally catching a groove with a summer routine, and then all of the sudden it was the first day of school!

Noah is now in 1st grade and attends our neighborhood public school just across the street from our building.  He had a really successful kindergarten year and has been looking forward to going back.  He has several of the same friends in his new class, so he was excited to see some familiar faces on the first day.  I think the change of teacher has been a little hard on him though.  He loved his K teacher and still sees her all of the time, so I think the first few weeks have been difficult adjusting to his new teacher.  He seems to be really picking up his math skills though, which is exciting to see.  He has never really loved math and is a much better reader, but I think his new teacher has gotten him excited about math, which is great.  The lazy days of summer are long gone and I think he's finally adjusting to the new routine (as we all have had to!)

Gabriel started preschool at the Y this school year.  He went from 2 days a week last year to 5 days a week this year for 2 1/2 hours a day.  I was really worried about his transition to everyday school, but it's actually been going surprisingly well.  I think the consistency of it has actually helped him adjust more quickly and now he's even excited to go everyday, which is shocking to me given the many protests he had last year!  I've started to swap pick-up/drop-off with his little classmate, Cole's mom, which has really eased up on the running around that is so crazy with 2 kids in school (oh yes, and a new baby to tote!).  

City living brings it's various challenges in all aspects of life, but one I deal with daily is the fact that I AM the transportation for my children.  We don't have a car which means we walk (and carry/push babies and sometimes drag toddlers).  So much of my day is constantly figuring out the best mode of transportation and what we bring for our various activities.  Do we bring a stroller?  Which stroller (this is usually determined by if we're taking the bus/subway or if there are a lot of stairs enroute)? Do I carry the baby in the Ergo? If so, do I bring the big diaper bag? Do I pack a lighter bag?  Do we bring scooters? Etc., etc., etc.  But, after about 3 weeks of school, I think we finally have our weekly routine down pretty well.  Now it's just figuring out how Eden's sleeping/eating schedule fits into all of it.  Poor 3rd babies!  Luckily she's proven to be a pretty flexible little girl, mostly out of necessity, but I'll take it!



Noah, the 1st grader!


little bro Gabriel, ready for preschool!



the first grade line-up!


it's a good thing Gabriel's new preschool classroom has a train set!


post-school snack on the stairs with his BFF, Cole


this stroller sometimes serves as our "carpool"
2 little boys on the buggy board, all their junk in the basket underneath, and baby sis in the bassinet!


Eden on the go

Monday, September 3, 2012

CT getaway

Jon had some time off at the end of the summer and we thought it would be a nice break to get out of the city, but the thought of flying anywhere with a newborn or even a long car ride seemed like too much for me to handle at the time.  I also wanted the time to be relaxing, and not spent running around all day trying to keep the boys entertained.  So, we started looking into nearby house rentals -- all I really wanted was a little taste of suburbia for a week or so just to ease up on the hustle and bustle of the city.  A car, a backyard, and maybe even a pool if we were lucky to find that. 

Lucky we were! We found a great house in Connecticut with a backyard, a swingset (bonus!), and even a great pool.  It was really the perfect little getaway for us.  The boys could swim all day (which they did), the baby could nap whenever she needed to, and we didn't have to run around unless we wanted to.  There was a nearby beach on the Long Island Sound that was perfect for the kids because the waves were super small and they could play independently from us and still be safe.  We had backyard BBQ's and were even able to have some city friends come and join us for some fun.  The kids had a great time together and entertained each other, which was a nice break for the adults!

We also visited the local zoo and aquarium and even found some Duckpin bowling that the boys loved!  So, it was pretty much just a regular week in the 'burbs for anyone else, but for us it was a vacation!  I don't know... maybe Connecticut is calling my name!



baby sis representing NYC!


cute boys posing for a pic


family stroll along the Sound


family nap!

                                     

lazy mornings watching cartoons


beach babes


Gabriel sunbathing


the boys kickin' it in the sand


 Maritime Aquarium


                                      




Beardsley Zoo




roasting marshmallows in the backyard fire pit


 s'mores!


baby sis helping me make dinner



backyard BBQ with the Vellingas




Noah the lifeguard




watermelon!


karate kick dive


cannonball!


popsicles


snoozing by the pool


dinner at Friendly's
(a Horey family vacation tradition!)


duckpin bowling