I heart New York

We just returned from a marvelous week in New York, in our neighborhood and our apartment.  A surprisingly marvelous week for all of us.

Perhaps inspired by the movie Madagascar,
M was thrilled to visit the Central Park Zoo

From the moment we arrived I noticed a difference in M.  Not only was he thrilled to be there but I observed his neurons firing differently.  Not two months ago in Amsterdam he could remember neither the names of his teachers last year nor the color of the playground slide which he visited almost daily. The moment he arrived in New York he began to remember trivial details of his life there:  not only the names of his teachers but the names of their children, not only the names of various businesses we used to frequent but their specialities, not only the names of our neighbors, but which buildings they live in.

Despite jet lag and no naps, M was eager to
"climb the mountains" in Central Park

M also seemed different, and it took me a few days to realize he was happy and relaxed.  I think he was picking up on our emotions, but also really felt he was home even though he had only lived in that apartment for a year before we moved.  He watched very little television and couldn't seem to get to the playground fast enough.  (In his defense New York style playgrounds are in short supply in Amsterdam and vastly superior to anything you'd find there).

and Washington Square Park

A trip downtown for Bulgogi at KuKu Canteen...

Thanks to Wiggles and Giggles, a great local business in our neighborhood, M had a "camp" that he looked forward to attending every day.  In truth it was an after school program for pre-K, plus some afternoon enrichment classes, but he went to camp there this past summer so that's what he called it.  So, Peter and I got a lot done.  Peter went to work every day (and only Thursday wasn't a full day) and I stopped by my work, taught two workshops, and got everything done I wanted to do (haircut, eyebrows, cleaned out the kitchen, etc.)  We also not only got to see our great sitter but hire her for two mornings!

M and his friend ME picked up
right where they left off

We also reconnected with our great neighbors, in some instances more closely than we had when we lived there. Our next door neighbors had us over for dinner, then drinks, then had M over to finish watching a Thomas movie he began watching during dinner.  We also got to see two new neighbors, born 5 and 6 months ago, and some of the "no matter what kids;" M's name for his friends who, like him, spent a lot of time at our complex's playground.  Oh, and since we missed Kindergarten registration because of school vacation one of our great neighbors is taking care of that for M this week.

Of course, like any trip to New York certain gross aspects were unavoidable:  the poop that stayed in the subway station for 3 days (and is likely still on the wall), the crazy street people we recognized, the people who don't clean up after their dogs, etc.  but some of that is certainly forgivable when you go home.