C sliding down the firepole at the playground.


K doing the monkey bars at our neighborhood playground. Notice her determination!

Jonah and the whale

K has been reading the bible a lot. Tonight it was Jonah and the whale. She wanted to know if the story was really true and was everything in the bible really true. I'm never sure how to answer these questions. We talked about different beliefs and what people thought. She really likes the Jonah story, she seems to reread that one a lot.

After we watched the movie Moses this summer, she wanted to know why God didn't talk to her. Then we went to see Evan Almighty and she thought it was cool that God talked to him. She really enjoyed that movie.

K got up water skiing this past weekend!! She went about 50 yards (and would have gone longer if Grandpa had been driving instead of taking pictures!). She wanted to try and really gave it her all, she had 3-4 times of not getting up too. She also went tubing and had a "wild" ride. That was fun. She was really enjoying herself. This was the last weekend I think because it was still hot. From now on it will be too cold to get in the water, plus we won't be going down there again, it's a long drive.

School

K started school last Thursday. She started 2nd grade so she officially skipped first. On Friday she rode the bus. She loves it so far. We decided to start here so we would have the acceleration part done for future schools. I did not think I could homeschool with all the work finding a place and now moving. We've been looking and trying to sell ours since April. I have to sell a lot of stuff to move back into a small space.

But we started her mostly because she wanted to go. She was so excited when we said she could go. We talked about homeschooling but she wasn't interested. She wanted to try to go and ride the bus and take her lunch. I think it will be a good experience for her even if it is only for a month or two. I've been thinking of it as a 4 week day camp since she didn't have the opportunity to do any camps or classes this summer. We were too busy looking for a place to live. She had to fill out a poster about herself and one spot was for her 3 wishes. Her one wish was to go to New York and have fun and not have to look at apartments. I think emotionally this whole process has exhuasted her. When you are moving, you want to move and get it finished. It has been dragging on for 4.5 months now. I've been reluctant to take on two house payments and our house is just not selling.

Still here

I guess I have been consumed with moving and haven't had time to write. We finished in the corporate apartment in White Plains with no house/apt. We came back and did a week in TN at my parents' lake house with my sister and her family. That was great fun. Then back to NYC by myself for a week with the kids staying at grandparents' houses. Then all of us back up for 3 days for the final push. I think I have seen more of the NYC housing market than anyone should ever have to! We saw houses and apartments in Westchester County, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, New Jersey and Manhattan. We finally decided on Manhattan. Tomorrow D should sign the lease for an apartment in the city. It's not available until the 15th. Of course our house here has still not sold. The housing market has plummeted in the Midwest. It's going to be rough for awhile but hopefully our house will sell and we can't live apart forever!