ONE more year

AHHHHH.  I am really not quite sure how it happened, but we are down to 12 months left in NYC. Wow. Double wow. 52 weekends. Not even, since we will be traveling a fair amount of them. Wow. It is a really strange thing to call yourself a "New Yorker." I remember growing up thinking how foreign it was (and from my small hometown of one traffic light, it certainly is), but how amazing it would be to visit. And now to have lived here, and not just visited, is really cool. We knew if we didn't do this rotation we would always regret it. If you asked me in the first 6 months, you know that I HATED it here. Maybe even the first 9. I still probably wouldn't tell you I LOVE it here, but it has definitely grown on me in some ways.  As I sat down to try to write this I was so completely frustrated with all things New York that I couldn't. I really had to sit down and wrap my head around the entire experience and look at it from a few different perspectives.
The Pro's: It has been an amazing opportunity for Chris career-wise. He wouldn't ever look back. It has also been a great opportunity for our family because he hasn't gone into the office a single weekend in two years (working from home…yes, but…)
By him not working we have gotten to do SOO much exploring. I usually have one or both days mapped out for us on the weekends and the kids and I try to do some during the week.
You can run out for groceries ANYTIME and be back in 5 minutes.
Our teeny, tiny apartment is really easy to clean. Which is good, because it is ALWAYS a disaster.
We have really learned how to pack/organize/etc.
I think the big boys would have been good buddies anywhere, but by almost always HAVING to play with or near each other they really are best buddies.
There are amazing opportunities here. Andrew has done some really cool things through school that wouldn't be possible anywhere else because of the close proximity of everything and just taking walking field trips.
Shake Shack. Cascabel. 16 handles. Close and Yum
Sometimes, a door is left propped open while you are walking and you don't have to stop, turn your stroller around, open the door, run your stroller into your leg and pull your stroller in. Open doors are pure Heaven.

The Cons:
Rain. And walking. And Rain. With kids. Rain.
You can run out for groceries ANYTIME and be back in 5 minutes (there goes my solo time:)
Living in a (compared to our house) teeeny, tiny apartment. If I am on the toilet one more time while Chris tries to open the door into my knee I may be kneeless. I am also just really getting claustrophobic because we haven't gotten rid of toys due to the spacing of the kids. They just keep PILING up.
Calling to get your car out. It blows.
Not being able to find a parking spot when you do drive somewhere. Like church. Three weeks in a row. (We went back to the bus the next week).
If the boys are outside playing, so am I. Not always a con, but hard to not ever be able to cook while they play, etc.
People who use the ramps on the sidewalk and don't need to.
A baby in your room at 5 months old that isn't sleeping through the night.
Even though there are stores everywhere, you really can't fit a stroller. Therefore, a stay at home mom has a difficult time going into said stores.
Public transportation with a baby, preschooler, 1st grader and stroller is not the easiest thing in the world.

There are soo many more things for us to see and do in the next year! If you are planning on visiting you better make your plans now! We are filling up and want to see you all!

                                                          2 years ago and today!