Sunday, January 20, 2013
Little Florida Girl
Ruffled bikini, floppy sun hat, toes in the sand. I would say Ellie is a natural at this Florida girl stuff.
Labels:
beach,
Ellie,
Florida,
solo photos,
St. Petersburg,
water
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Lucky Number Seven
Today marks seven years since Eric asked me to be his bride. I'm not known for being a particularly decisive person, but that was one decision I didn't have to hesitate about, even for a second. My answer was yes even years before he ever asked. It was the best (and easiest) decision I ever made.
It is fun to think about how far we've come since that chilly January night on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and then to realize that in the grand scheme of our life together, we're still only at the very beginning. This is only the tip of the iceberg, my friends. Even though our life is changing so dramatically right now, I know that I can handle any changes that come my way because of my one constant: my incredible husband. All we need in life is our family, and everything is good. It doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing, if we're together, we have all we need to live a happy, satisfied life.
I am one lucky girl.
It is fun to think about how far we've come since that chilly January night on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and then to realize that in the grand scheme of our life together, we're still only at the very beginning. This is only the tip of the iceberg, my friends. Even though our life is changing so dramatically right now, I know that I can handle any changes that come my way because of my one constant: my incredible husband. All we need in life is our family, and everything is good. It doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing, if we're together, we have all we need to live a happy, satisfied life.
I am one lucky girl.
Then and now...left: newly engaged in D.C., 2006; right: our happy family in NYC, 2012
Labels:
anniversaries,
eric,
life,
love and marriage,
meghan,
memories
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Moving In
The movers finally arrived in Florida with our belongings on December 14, eleven days after they took our things out of our apartment in Hoboken. That was a long time to be without our own stuff, let me tell you.
The monstrous truck arrived in the morning, and Eric took charge of taking inventory of everything as it was unloaded. I stayed inside the house and directed traffic while keeping the baby as happy as possible. Achilles was in charge of licking the sliding glass door.
Everything went pretty well. It was kind of a long morning, but that's to be expected. As far as we could tell, everything was accounted for and my organizational system seemed to work pretty nicely. You see, we're living with my dad during our time in St. Petersburg, which meant much of our stuff needed to be stored in his garage rather than unpacked in the house due to space constraints. That meant packing to move had to be a very thoughtful process. For each box, we had to decide whether it would be an "unpack in St. Pete" box or a "store for Jacksonville" box. I labeled all the "unpack" boxes with pink packing tape, so we could easily see those should be brought inside the house. Other boxes were labeled with blue tape, and these were boxes that should not be fully unpacked, but should remain accessible in storage so we could get at them as needed (this includes things such as my craft supplies, sporting equipment, etc. - things that we may want, but don't need to have immediate, ready access to). Any non-colorful boxes could be buried in the garage, not to be unpacked until we get to Jacksonville. I think, for the most part, this plan worked really well. Our biggest problem was boxes packed by our movers. They packed up all electronics, pictures, shelves, etc., but their boxes were not colorfully taped (nor well labeled). So, when we arrived in Florida we had to do quite a bit of digging for those things and some have yet to be found. Ah well. For the most part, it went so well, so we can't complain.
My dad has really done his best to make us feel at home here, and to make it as much like our own home as possible. First, we had this greeting waiting for us upon our arrival:
In addition, our setup in his house has really been as ideal as we could have asked for. The house is essentially two "wings": at the front of the house is the living room (right when you walk in the front door) and then a small hallway to the left where there are two bedrooms and a bathroom. The kitchen is at the center of the house, and then at the back of the house is the master bedroom/bath and family room. The furniture was almost all cleared out of the front living room, so we were able to set up our own living room furniture there. Eric and I are sleeping in my old bedroom, and Ellie is sleeping in my sister's old bedroom (now my dad's office) across the hall. So we essentially have the front of the house to ourselves to make our own with our own things, which has been nice. It was especially nice being able to put up our own Christmas tree for the holidays.
Allow me to show you around our "wing" a little bit!
First, the living room:
In this picture, I am standing at the entrance to the living room from the kitchen looking back towards the front of the house. The front door is to the right of the grandfather clock. Obviously, the piano is a piece of my dad's furniture that has stayed put, as is that clock. Other than that, almost everything is our own. Our couch fits nicely in the front window, and we traded in our Pointy-Edged Coffee Table of Death for a padded bench for a while, for the sake of the wobbly little one who loves to pull herself up on things.
Here is another view, from the far side of the room. The picture above the piano is a new family photo canvas we just ordered. I like it!
This the view from the corner where the TV is, looking back towards the front door. Also, there's Achilles. He is a fan of the big front window.
One last look, at the wall opposite the couch. We have our desk (not pictured, but it is now sporting a brand new iMac, HIP HIP HOORAY), Ellie's Jumperoo (soon to be packed away, which I can hardly stand) and our TV with Ellie's toys stored beneath it. It works.
Our room is largely similar to how my dad had it before we took over his house:
We kept most of his furniture in there, and only added the two of our own pieces: the dresser in the corner and the cabinet in front of the big window. Everything else stayed put.
I think that's my sister's really old TV from when she lived in this room a couple years ago. We haven't used it yet. The closet on the left there is where I used to hang my Leonardo DiCaprio posters back in my days in this room.
This is the wall opposite the large window, right by the door (the door is just to the right, out of the picture). We have Achilles' corner on the left, oh-so-beautifully lined with boxes in an attempt to protect the walls from his craziness. The bookshelf is being used for miscellaneous storage, and the desk is something I am desperately trying to keep from being a huge mess of a dumping ground.
As for Ellie, her space is probably the most personalized:
This is what you see as you walk into the room. She has the back half of the room for all her stuff, and I couldn't help but hang her new You Are My Sunshine art at the entrance to the room.
A better look from inside the room: her changing table is on the left, a bookshelf for her ever-growing library, her crib and the glider.
This isn't the greatest picture, and someday I'll probably share something better, but this is the new artwork we bought from an artist in Union Square for Ellie's room. Each painting is a New York City landmark (Chrysler Building, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge) peeking through the clouds, with whimsical kids floating by on umbrellas or balloons or what have you. We just fell in love with them, and I think they are a perfect whimsical reminder of the Big Apple in her nursery. (If you're interested, the artist is Edie Art and she can be found on Etsy.)
This is the far side of Ellie's room, with her dresser/changing table, various storage bins, and her bookshelf.
A better look at Ellie's library and diaper changing station. It's all very organized!
Moving Ellie to "her own room" was a big thing for me. I still miss having her sleeping in our room sometimes, although I know Eric and I (at least) are sleeping better now that we don't have to worry so much about waking her up every time we breathe too loudly or roll over with too much gusto.
However, even though Ellie is no longer in our room, the room isn't quite fully hers - it still doubles as my dad's office.
So far, at least as far as I can tell, that has worked out pretty well and hasn't been much of a problem at all. Someday, though, I want Ellie to have a room that is just hers!
As for the rest of the stuff, take a little peek into my dad's garage:
It's a jungle out there, but hey, everything fits!
So that's our home for the next few months. Not bad, right? It really has been working out well so far, although I do miss having some of our own stuff to use. It will be nice to settle into our own place in Jacksonville this summer, but for now, this will do nicely. We have our own rooms, we can sit on our own couch, and Ellie and Achilles have far more room to roam here than they did in Hoboken. I think it's good.
And now that we're all unpacked and settled in, we can start anticipating packing it all back up and doing this dance all over again in a few months! Hooray!
The monstrous truck arrived in the morning, and Eric took charge of taking inventory of everything as it was unloaded. I stayed inside the house and directed traffic while keeping the baby as happy as possible. Achilles was in charge of licking the sliding glass door.
Giant truck in the culdesac
Eric keeping track of things as they come in
Huge inventory of all our stuff
Moving our stuff in to the living room
Keeping herself occupied on the other side of the house
I have no explanation for this.
My dad has really done his best to make us feel at home here, and to make it as much like our own home as possible. First, we had this greeting waiting for us upon our arrival:
Happy welcome signage in the front window
In addition, our setup in his house has really been as ideal as we could have asked for. The house is essentially two "wings": at the front of the house is the living room (right when you walk in the front door) and then a small hallway to the left where there are two bedrooms and a bathroom. The kitchen is at the center of the house, and then at the back of the house is the master bedroom/bath and family room. The furniture was almost all cleared out of the front living room, so we were able to set up our own living room furniture there. Eric and I are sleeping in my old bedroom, and Ellie is sleeping in my sister's old bedroom (now my dad's office) across the hall. So we essentially have the front of the house to ourselves to make our own with our own things, which has been nice. It was especially nice being able to put up our own Christmas tree for the holidays.
Allow me to show you around our "wing" a little bit!
First, the living room:
In this picture, I am standing at the entrance to the living room from the kitchen looking back towards the front of the house. The front door is to the right of the grandfather clock. Obviously, the piano is a piece of my dad's furniture that has stayed put, as is that clock. Other than that, almost everything is our own. Our couch fits nicely in the front window, and we traded in our Pointy-Edged Coffee Table of Death for a padded bench for a while, for the sake of the wobbly little one who loves to pull herself up on things.
Here is another view, from the far side of the room. The picture above the piano is a new family photo canvas we just ordered. I like it!
This the view from the corner where the TV is, looking back towards the front door. Also, there's Achilles. He is a fan of the big front window.
Our room is largely similar to how my dad had it before we took over his house:
We kept most of his furniture in there, and only added the two of our own pieces: the dresser in the corner and the cabinet in front of the big window. Everything else stayed put.
I think that's my sister's really old TV from when she lived in this room a couple years ago. We haven't used it yet. The closet on the left there is where I used to hang my Leonardo DiCaprio posters back in my days in this room.
As for Ellie, her space is probably the most personalized:
A better look from inside the room: her changing table is on the left, a bookshelf for her ever-growing library, her crib and the glider.
This is the far side of Ellie's room, with her dresser/changing table, various storage bins, and her bookshelf.
A better look at Ellie's library and diaper changing station. It's all very organized!
Moving Ellie to "her own room" was a big thing for me. I still miss having her sleeping in our room sometimes, although I know Eric and I (at least) are sleeping better now that we don't have to worry so much about waking her up every time we breathe too loudly or roll over with too much gusto.
However, even though Ellie is no longer in our room, the room isn't quite fully hers - it still doubles as my dad's office.
As for the rest of the stuff, take a little peek into my dad's garage:
So that's our home for the next few months. Not bad, right? It really has been working out well so far, although I do miss having some of our own stuff to use. It will be nice to settle into our own place in Jacksonville this summer, but for now, this will do nicely. We have our own rooms, we can sit on our own couch, and Ellie and Achilles have far more room to roam here than they did in Hoboken. I think it's good.
And now that we're all unpacked and settled in, we can start anticipating packing it all back up and doing this dance all over again in a few months! Hooray!
Labels:
family,
Florida,
moving,
St. Petersburg
Monday, January 14, 2013
In Transition
Today I want to finally share with you what exactly it is we're doing in Florida.
For those of you who are reading this post on the blog itself, my new header should have given you a clue. For those who are reading through email or Reader or what have you, this is my header as of today:
Eric is making a major career change!
First, some background: Eric started his law career in New York in 2008. From the get-go, he was not a fan. It just didn't feel like the right fit for him. As the years wore on, he did not feel any more satisfied. The work neither particularly interested nor challenged him, and he was left feeling like he was not making any sort of positive difference in the world. He liked his firm and was good at the work, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was completely replaceable - he could walk out the door and the firm could very quickly bring in any of hundreds of young lawyers to do the exact same work. The world is full of them.
On top of just not enjoying the work, a life in law requires a huge time commitment. There is no such thing as leaving work at the office and being done when you leave at the end of the day. It is constantly being attached to your Blackberry, ready to work as soon as an email comes in. It's conference calls while on vacation. It's long hours and weekends. It's business trips to India at the drop of a hat, regardless of whatever plans you already had in place. To be successful, you have to be available, always. There is no such thing as being fully off, ever. And frankly, Eric had it better than most - in the first place, the hours expectations at his Minneapolis-based firm were better than similar big firms based in New York. In addition, Eric started his law career as the economy tanked (his first day was actually the same day Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy), resulting in far less work for young corporate lawyers than there otherwise would have been. That meant that by comparison to what it should have been, Eric's hours were fairly light and flexible. Yet somehow it still required so much of his time - far too much time for a job he never even enjoyed, if you ask me.
For years we discussed exit strategies. We felt trapped, because we both are saddled with student loan debt. Eric's law school loans seemed particularly insurmountable, even with the aggressive monthly payments we were making. We weren't afraid to give up the lawyer income generally, but we just didn't know how we would ever handle our student loan debt on anything less. We felt like our options were very limited.
But still, we talked about it. Eric was clearly unhappy and I knew that in time, that would probably take a toll on our happiness as a family. Plus, when we started a family, we both really wanted him to be around more. So we decided to talk it out, come up with an idea, and then figure out how we could possibly make it work.
We toyed with a few ideas that involved staying in law but changing our circumstances. Eric interviewed for a couple of law jobs in Tampa, thinking that closer proximity to family and more regular golf opportunities might do the trick, but that ultimately wasn't the right fit. He also interviewed with a large firm in London, and frankly, we might have tried that one if only it hadn't come up right when we found out I was pregnant! We immediately started talking about the upcoming London Olympics, weekend excursions around Europe, Christmas in Paris. But, moving out of the country with the new baby would have just been too cruel to our poor family. So we continued the search.
In 2011, Eric had the idea to apply for Teach for America, an organization that places people with diverse backgrounds as teachers in under-performing schools. A degree in education is not necessary, as they will train you and help with certification, and the various backgrounds of their teachers are intended to bring something new and fresh to the field of education. It is a highly competitive program, but hey, Eric's pretty good at getting into highly competitive things (he's awesome, in case I haven't mentioned that). We did a little figuring and realized that through a combination of income-based repayment and Public Interest Loan Forgiveness, if Eric was able to become a teacher through Teach for America, we could probably handle our loan payments and even be rid of most of them before Ellie goes to college. At last - something that sounded interesting, fulfilling, and wouldn't leave us destitute and living out of a cardboard box while the Loan Peoples took all our money!
So Eric applied to Teach for America in the fall of 2011 and went through the full interview process. We found out in November that he was accepted and assigned to teach high school math in Jacksonville. We were thrilled and decided to go for it, and started making plans to move to Florida in June of 2012, where Ellie and I would stay while Eric attended training in Chicago for the summer. Then we would all meet in Jacksonville for him to start teaching in the fall.
However, when Ellie actually arrived, all that changed. It would have been too much to move so quickly with such a young baby, and Eric hated the idea of missing almost all of Ellie's first summer. We just felt that a career change, a cross-country move and a new baby seemed like an awful lot to take on in one year. So, we decided to defer Eric's Teach for America acceptance until this year.
And that is what we're doing now. We are in St. Petersburg for the time being, where we are enjoying time with our family before really starting our next step in earnest. Eric has decided to take a seasonal job as an office manager with H&R Block, but after tax season, we will have almost two months to just enjoy Florida and each other before he really starts his Teach for America adventure. In June, he will go to Jacksonville for Institute, where they will teach him what he needs to know and he will interview for positions at Duval County Schools. Ellie and I will stay in St. Petersburg while he does that, and then we will all finally get to Jacksonville together at the end of the summer. The hope is to find a nice house to rent and make Jacksonville our new home.
We are so very excited about this opportunity. At last, Eric will have a job that he can feel positive about, something he hopes will give his professional life a sense of purpose and a feeling that he is making a difference in the lives of others. It will be challenging and exciting. Of course, we expect it to be incredibly difficult, but I can very easily see Eric excelling at such a challenge. I think he will be really, really good at this.
The Teach for America program is a two-year commitment. Our plan is to focus on nothing but teaching high school math in Jacksonville for those two years. After those years are up, we will assess where we are and where we want to be. Perhaps (hopefully?) it will all just be a perfect fit, and Eric can stay on and keep teaching and we can buy a house and put down actual roots in Jacksonville. If it seems like there are other options which are a better fit for him, we feel that through Teach for America and with his law background, Eric will have the ability to pursue those opportunities, which we believe will still involve a career in education. But for now, teaching is the focus.
As for me and what I will do, my goal is to continue to stay home with Ellie, while still taking on jury subcontractor work whenever it comes in. That is something I can do from home and is a great source of additional income doing work that I enjoy on my own schedule. However, we do recognize that our financial situation is changing and I may not be able to continue to be a stay at home mom. We plan to do all that we can to keep that as it is, but we'll just have to play it by ear. I'm open to doing whatever is ultimately best for our family.
To be clear, we have no regrets about law. Eric and I were fortunate enough to attend law/graduate school in Washington, D.C., which was another city we loved very much and we had some fantastic experiences there. After graduation, it was law that brought us to New York and gave us the ability to live such an incredible life in the city. Although law did not turn out to be for him, Eric is grateful for the relationships he developed in school and at the firm and we are both very grateful for the opportunities and experiences we have enjoyed over the course of the past seven years.
This is all going to be a big adjustment for sure. But I am excited to work to make Jacksonville our home, to get used to our new way of life, and to try out this new career. I think it's really going to be good for us. I look forward to Eric's improved schedule, hopefully improved mood and sense of fulfillment, and even more time together as a family. I look forward to settling in to suburbia, and to being closer to our family for more frequent visits. I think it is really going to be good and I so admire Eric for bravely taking on this challenge in order to better the lives of others, pursue personal fulfillment and secure a work-life balance that will enable him to be the present husband and father that he wants to be. He is an incredible man.
So that, my friends, is what we are doing. That is why we said goodbye to my beloved New York, and why we are currently setting up camp in the Sunshine State. I still haven't figured out exactly what I'm going to do about this blog, because even though Eric is still admitted to the bar in New York and will probably hang on to his license, "My Life As A Lawyer's Wife" isn't exactly accurate anymore. Not in the spirit of the law, anyway. So that is something to figure out in time. For now, the blog will reflect where we are at this moment: in transition. It is no longer about our adventures in the Big Apple, but is now about making the move from New York to Florida, from lawyer to teacher. It's more about family and less about celebrities. It is about redefining ourselves and figuring out who we really are under these new circumstances. And so far? We are one happy family who is really excited about this new adventure.
I hope you'll stick with me as we go through this big transition. It may not be as glamorous as life in New York, but it sure is going to be exciting!
For those of you who are reading this post on the blog itself, my new header should have given you a clue. For those who are reading through email or Reader or what have you, this is my header as of today:
Eric is making a major career change!
First, some background: Eric started his law career in New York in 2008. From the get-go, he was not a fan. It just didn't feel like the right fit for him. As the years wore on, he did not feel any more satisfied. The work neither particularly interested nor challenged him, and he was left feeling like he was not making any sort of positive difference in the world. He liked his firm and was good at the work, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was completely replaceable - he could walk out the door and the firm could very quickly bring in any of hundreds of young lawyers to do the exact same work. The world is full of them.
On top of just not enjoying the work, a life in law requires a huge time commitment. There is no such thing as leaving work at the office and being done when you leave at the end of the day. It is constantly being attached to your Blackberry, ready to work as soon as an email comes in. It's conference calls while on vacation. It's long hours and weekends. It's business trips to India at the drop of a hat, regardless of whatever plans you already had in place. To be successful, you have to be available, always. There is no such thing as being fully off, ever. And frankly, Eric had it better than most - in the first place, the hours expectations at his Minneapolis-based firm were better than similar big firms based in New York. In addition, Eric started his law career as the economy tanked (his first day was actually the same day Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy), resulting in far less work for young corporate lawyers than there otherwise would have been. That meant that by comparison to what it should have been, Eric's hours were fairly light and flexible. Yet somehow it still required so much of his time - far too much time for a job he never even enjoyed, if you ask me.
For years we discussed exit strategies. We felt trapped, because we both are saddled with student loan debt. Eric's law school loans seemed particularly insurmountable, even with the aggressive monthly payments we were making. We weren't afraid to give up the lawyer income generally, but we just didn't know how we would ever handle our student loan debt on anything less. We felt like our options were very limited.
But still, we talked about it. Eric was clearly unhappy and I knew that in time, that would probably take a toll on our happiness as a family. Plus, when we started a family, we both really wanted him to be around more. So we decided to talk it out, come up with an idea, and then figure out how we could possibly make it work.
We toyed with a few ideas that involved staying in law but changing our circumstances. Eric interviewed for a couple of law jobs in Tampa, thinking that closer proximity to family and more regular golf opportunities might do the trick, but that ultimately wasn't the right fit. He also interviewed with a large firm in London, and frankly, we might have tried that one if only it hadn't come up right when we found out I was pregnant! We immediately started talking about the upcoming London Olympics, weekend excursions around Europe, Christmas in Paris. But, moving out of the country with the new baby would have just been too cruel to our poor family. So we continued the search.
In 2011, Eric had the idea to apply for Teach for America, an organization that places people with diverse backgrounds as teachers in under-performing schools. A degree in education is not necessary, as they will train you and help with certification, and the various backgrounds of their teachers are intended to bring something new and fresh to the field of education. It is a highly competitive program, but hey, Eric's pretty good at getting into highly competitive things (he's awesome, in case I haven't mentioned that). We did a little figuring and realized that through a combination of income-based repayment and Public Interest Loan Forgiveness, if Eric was able to become a teacher through Teach for America, we could probably handle our loan payments and even be rid of most of them before Ellie goes to college. At last - something that sounded interesting, fulfilling, and wouldn't leave us destitute and living out of a cardboard box while the Loan Peoples took all our money!
So Eric applied to Teach for America in the fall of 2011 and went through the full interview process. We found out in November that he was accepted and assigned to teach high school math in Jacksonville. We were thrilled and decided to go for it, and started making plans to move to Florida in June of 2012, where Ellie and I would stay while Eric attended training in Chicago for the summer. Then we would all meet in Jacksonville for him to start teaching in the fall.
However, when Ellie actually arrived, all that changed. It would have been too much to move so quickly with such a young baby, and Eric hated the idea of missing almost all of Ellie's first summer. We just felt that a career change, a cross-country move and a new baby seemed like an awful lot to take on in one year. So, we decided to defer Eric's Teach for America acceptance until this year.
And that is what we're doing now. We are in St. Petersburg for the time being, where we are enjoying time with our family before really starting our next step in earnest. Eric has decided to take a seasonal job as an office manager with H&R Block, but after tax season, we will have almost two months to just enjoy Florida and each other before he really starts his Teach for America adventure. In June, he will go to Jacksonville for Institute, where they will teach him what he needs to know and he will interview for positions at Duval County Schools. Ellie and I will stay in St. Petersburg while he does that, and then we will all finally get to Jacksonville together at the end of the summer. The hope is to find a nice house to rent and make Jacksonville our new home.
We are so very excited about this opportunity. At last, Eric will have a job that he can feel positive about, something he hopes will give his professional life a sense of purpose and a feeling that he is making a difference in the lives of others. It will be challenging and exciting. Of course, we expect it to be incredibly difficult, but I can very easily see Eric excelling at such a challenge. I think he will be really, really good at this.
The Teach for America program is a two-year commitment. Our plan is to focus on nothing but teaching high school math in Jacksonville for those two years. After those years are up, we will assess where we are and where we want to be. Perhaps (hopefully?) it will all just be a perfect fit, and Eric can stay on and keep teaching and we can buy a house and put down actual roots in Jacksonville. If it seems like there are other options which are a better fit for him, we feel that through Teach for America and with his law background, Eric will have the ability to pursue those opportunities, which we believe will still involve a career in education. But for now, teaching is the focus.
As for me and what I will do, my goal is to continue to stay home with Ellie, while still taking on jury subcontractor work whenever it comes in. That is something I can do from home and is a great source of additional income doing work that I enjoy on my own schedule. However, we do recognize that our financial situation is changing and I may not be able to continue to be a stay at home mom. We plan to do all that we can to keep that as it is, but we'll just have to play it by ear. I'm open to doing whatever is ultimately best for our family.
To be clear, we have no regrets about law. Eric and I were fortunate enough to attend law/graduate school in Washington, D.C., which was another city we loved very much and we had some fantastic experiences there. After graduation, it was law that brought us to New York and gave us the ability to live such an incredible life in the city. Although law did not turn out to be for him, Eric is grateful for the relationships he developed in school and at the firm and we are both very grateful for the opportunities and experiences we have enjoyed over the course of the past seven years.
This is all going to be a big adjustment for sure. But I am excited to work to make Jacksonville our home, to get used to our new way of life, and to try out this new career. I think it's really going to be good for us. I look forward to Eric's improved schedule, hopefully improved mood and sense of fulfillment, and even more time together as a family. I look forward to settling in to suburbia, and to being closer to our family for more frequent visits. I think it is really going to be good and I so admire Eric for bravely taking on this challenge in order to better the lives of others, pursue personal fulfillment and secure a work-life balance that will enable him to be the present husband and father that he wants to be. He is an incredible man.
So that, my friends, is what we are doing. That is why we said goodbye to my beloved New York, and why we are currently setting up camp in the Sunshine State. I still haven't figured out exactly what I'm going to do about this blog, because even though Eric is still admitted to the bar in New York and will probably hang on to his license, "My Life As A Lawyer's Wife" isn't exactly accurate anymore. Not in the spirit of the law, anyway. So that is something to figure out in time. For now, the blog will reflect where we are at this moment: in transition. It is no longer about our adventures in the Big Apple, but is now about making the move from New York to Florida, from lawyer to teacher. It's more about family and less about celebrities. It is about redefining ourselves and figuring out who we really are under these new circumstances. And so far? We are one happy family who is really excited about this new adventure.
I hope you'll stick with me as we go through this big transition. It may not be as glamorous as life in New York, but it sure is going to be exciting!
Labels:
eric,
Florida,
Jacksonville,
law,
life,
love and marriage,
moving,
new york,
St. Petersburg,
Teach for America
Sunday, January 13, 2013
SWINGS!
This week we took Ellie to a playground for the first time, primarily to try out the swings. She wasn't convinced at first, but as soon as she realized she was flying through the air towards Mama's face (a favorite fun activity), she was all, "SWINGS! YES!"
As a side note, this is my 800TH POST! Wow!
As a side note, this is my 800TH POST! Wow!
Labels:
Ellie,
Ellies Firsts,
solo photos
Friday, January 11, 2013
Christmas Day
Our Christmas Day was exhausting, but that good kind of exhausting that leaves you immobile on the couch at the end of the day saying, "man, what an awesome day!"
Get ready for lots of pictures. I mean, this is my kid's first Christmas here, people.
It all started with Ellie's first look at our Christmas tree that morning, post-Santa visit. Look at all those presents, Ellie!
And so, we dug in. I helped Ellie check out all the stuff in her stocking, and when we moved on to the rest of the presents, she got the hang of ripping paper pretty quickly. We just had to keep a close eye on her so she didn't eat any. I think she thought it was pretty fun, though!
Ellie made out quite nicely this Christmas. Her stocking was filled with fun goodies like pajamas, socks, a baby toothbrush and yogurt melts. From Mommy and Daddy she got her first Christmas ornament and some New York Art for her nursery. From Baby Jesus (a tradition in my family when I was growing up) she got a Little People Nativity Set. And from Santa, she got some new books and her Learning Walker. Quite the haul!
Achilles also got to open his stocking (Dog treats! Surprise!), and Eric and I opened ours. He and I opted to only exchange ornaments and stockings this year, considering that we just bought a car and will soon be buying a new iMac. It was kind of fun to be challenged to keep presents small and sweet!
After our family gift opening, we moved out to the family room so Ellie could open her gifts from Grandpa, Aunt Heather and Aunt Molly. She got a new book and "laptop" from Grandpa, new clothes and a sweet nightlight from Aunt Heather and a fun Christmas hat and pretty purple gloves from Aunt Molly. Thanks, everyone!
By that time the poor Christmas baby was all tired out, so she went down for a nap while Eric and I got ready for the day. My dad went to pick up my grandma and Uncle Tom and brought them over to the house, so once Ellie woke up we were able to spend a little time with them before we had to run out to our next celebration.
It was then off to Eric's grandmother's house for dinner with his family. It was a big turnout this year: Gramz and Toni, Kelley and Phyllis, Ronnie and Stephanie with new baby Charlie, Uncle Steve and Aunt Patty, cousin Tara and her fiance Patrick. A full house!
It was so great to have both babies there to celebrate their first Christmas together! We are just so smitten with our new nephew Charlie. He is such a sweetheart.
We ate a delicious dinner of lasagna (what else?!), exchanged gifts (lots of great new clothes and toys for Ellie!), and visited with each other. Plus, somehow, against all odds, Ellie even took a little nap in there! A Christmas miracle! It really was a great afternoon with a wonderful family.
Get ready for lots of pictures. I mean, this is my kid's first Christmas here, people.
It all started with Ellie's first look at our Christmas tree that morning, post-Santa visit. Look at all those presents, Ellie!
I think she's impressed.
My kids in front of the tree on Christmas morning
And so, we dug in. I helped Ellie check out all the stuff in her stocking, and when we moved on to the rest of the presents, she got the hang of ripping paper pretty quickly. We just had to keep a close eye on her so she didn't eat any. I think she thought it was pretty fun, though!
Left: New Winnie the Pooh tub toys! Right: "Look at all my cool stuff, Dad!"
Her first wrapping paper tear!
Checking out her Snowbaby first Christmas ornament from Mama and Daddy
Fun with bows!
Who needs presents? I've got a tiny scrap of paper! Hooray!
Ready to open her big gift from Santa
Oops. Maybe Santa got this one wrong.
Oh wait! Maybe this thing is kind of fun after all!
Ellie made out quite nicely this Christmas. Her stocking was filled with fun goodies like pajamas, socks, a baby toothbrush and yogurt melts. From Mommy and Daddy she got her first Christmas ornament and some New York Art for her nursery. From Baby Jesus (a tradition in my family when I was growing up) she got a Little People Nativity Set. And from Santa, she got some new books and her Learning Walker. Quite the haul!
Achilles also got to open his stocking (Dog treats! Surprise!), and Eric and I opened ours. He and I opted to only exchange ornaments and stockings this year, considering that we just bought a car and will soon be buying a new iMac. It was kind of fun to be challenged to keep presents small and sweet!
After our family gift opening, we moved out to the family room so Ellie could open her gifts from Grandpa, Aunt Heather and Aunt Molly. She got a new book and "laptop" from Grandpa, new clothes and a sweet nightlight from Aunt Heather and a fun Christmas hat and pretty purple gloves from Aunt Molly. Thanks, everyone!
Reading Ellie's new Goodnight Moon book. It was a favorite of mine when I was young!
Checking out her laptop
Left: Getting tired, poor thing. Right: Tearing into a gift from Aunt Heather
Delicious night light, Aunt Heather! Thanks!
Siting in her new rocking chair, sporting her Christmas hat from Aunt Molly and Uncle Arturo
Big teddy bear from Great Grandma!
Bottom: Tara and Aunt Patty
On the couch: Patrick, Phyllis, Stephanie and Charlie, Gramz, Ellie and me, Toni
Standing in back: Kelley, Ronnie, Uncle Steve and Eric
Goofy!
It was so great to have both babies there to celebrate their first Christmas together! We are just so smitten with our new nephew Charlie. He is such a sweetheart.
Left: Gramz holding her great-grandson; Right: Daddy Ronnie with his baby boy
Ellie saying hello to her cousin
The brothers and their babies
Dinner time!
Toni, Eric and Kelley
Ellie was napping during the gift exchange, so Eric and I happily accepted this giant Pooh Bear on her behalf.
Giant Tigger for Charlie!
Kisses for Ellie from her Nonnie
High fives from Aunt Patty!
Cuddling with her Great Gramz
Left: Stephanie and Charlie; Right: Fun socks!!! (Both were stocking stuffer gifts from each other, naturally)
When things died down at the W. Family Celebration, Eric and I said our goodbyes and headed off to our final stop: to see my mom at my stepsister Julie's house. We sat outside for a bit and exchanged gifts, then moved inside when it got a little chilly. The whole family was over there, so it was nice to see all of them. Poor Ellie was just beat by this point, though. Frankly, we all were! It had already been quite a day.
Poor baby. Last stop!
Come here, dog. Let me pinch your face.
Scrunchy smiles for Grandpa Gary
Hi, Grammy!
Two tired girls
We stayed as long as we could (energy-wise) then said our goodbyes and headed back home. We had just enough time to serve Ellie her Christmas dinner of "baby lasagna" (really just pasta, cottage cheese and shredded cheese) before finally putting our poor, tired baby to bed. She really was such a trooper!
Ready for dinner!
It was such a wonderful Christmas, and so different from Christmases we've had in the past few years. Instead of just doing a quiet celebration with the two of us, we jumped from house to house and saw almost every single family member. It was exhausting and hectic, but so, so nice. It was especially nice to have been able to share Ellie's first Christmas with our loved ones, to watch them dote on her and celebrate with her. As much as I may whine about missing New York, it has been such a blessing to be so close to our family this holiday season, and I love that Ellie will now have a chance to get to know everyone so much better. We sure do have an awful lot to be thankful for this year!
Merry belated Christmas, all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)