It’s the last night of our first holiday since moving to NYC, and, like many others, I’m feeling that normal mix of rest, calm, and dread.
The fact that that normal feeling is what is in front of me, is again testament to the fact that we are feeling more and more comfortable and ‘settled’ with our new home; we’re continuing to progress along the path from foreign newcomers, slowly towards locals. That final ‘arrival’ is still very far off, but we are nevertheless travelling along this path…
And having had 10 consecutive days off, more or less, here, as a focused little unit, in our focused little home, has allowed (forced) for some more reflection… What does belonging feel like for a 5 and 3 year old? What does home mean to them? What do they need to feel the security they need to try new things, to learn new things, to grow?
And what does it mean to really begin to integrate into the day-to-day of a community, versus cautiously living on the edge and looking in? And is there anything wrong with living on that outside edge? On your own, maybe not, but with kids is that ok? Is that fair?

Like a lot of people this time of year, the minute I felt a bit of a lift in the weight that the last couple of months has brought ( really, all manageable, just with an extra noted girth), I got sick. Useless-couldn’t-get-out-of-bed for 4 days sick.
And that sort of sucked. In it’s own accord, but it had an especially new flavouring in an apartment where there was nowhere to go, either for sick, throbbing headache, body-hurting me, nor for the energetic, just-let-me-bash-a-dog-with-my-lightsabre-already kids…
It also taught a very important lesson in terms of what family-time, quality-time, holiday-time really needed to mean, this time around, anyway…
It’s a balance in going and seeing and experiencing actively as an engaged family…., and in allowing everyone to find comfort and happiness and peace in being at home, simply. Playing, pretending, exploring within the safety and calm of a home. Your new home.

Yowsa.

It’s been a roller coaster couple of months, and thinking back to the beginning stages of this adventure again returns me to the head shake.

This weekend brought 2 key milestones for me:

1. The kids started swimming lessons at the gym right below our building- we are legitimately part of this whole game of real enrolled activities here.

2. We bought our first membership here- to the f#*$ing amazing American Museum of Natural History . Cards and everything. Boosh. A goddamned lifelong dream come true for both Brett and I. So nuts.

Today we paid a visit to said museum and walked passed the the very first playground that we took the kids to upon moving here… And they both recognized it happily.

One wacky day at a time.
Saying thanks, doing the best we can, and taking it all in.
And enjoying some final Hawkins until healthy eating habits resume.