I wanted to believe her when I was in Jr. High-I hated those years. But every time I blinked, things looked exactly the same...I was chubby, the boy I had a crush on was still dating the head cheerleader, and being the first-chair flute player in the band equalled zero points on the popularity meter. In fact, I think it actually caused my meter to dip down into the negatives.
I wanted to believe her when my second daughter was colicky and cried without ceasing for months on end. But even when I blinked as slowly as I possibly could, she was still howling, whether in her carseat on top of the dryer, in her bouncy chair in front of a running shower, or any of the other mythical colic-relieving places my "What to Expect" book talked about.
I especially wanted to believe her when my oldest would come home from grade school with hurt feelings and a broken heart. How I wanted to fast forward to better days, when differences would be valued instead of becoming fodder for cruel teasing. But blink after blink, her little head remained buried in the pillow, sobbing and wishing to be anyone else but herself.
Today, however, I believe what my mother said. When I looked at the date this morning and realized that it's been SIX months since the day we waved goodbye to Texas and said hello to NYC, I could hardly believe it. Whether it's my ripe old age or just the effect of living in a fast-paced city, there's no denying that all that's happened in this half of a calendar year truly feels like a blink.
Because it would take too long to neatly list out all that's transpired in our new adventure, and in honor of the Christmas holiday, I've decided to condense the highlights of the past six months into a song, a la "The Twelve Days of Christmas." I will, however, cut the length in half in case you truly want to sing aloud. So, without further ado, I give you "The Six Months of City Life."
In the first month of city life NYC gave to us
The best park in this whole wide world
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| Central Park, summer 2010 |
In the second month of city life NYC gave to us
A crash course in Shakespeare
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| Monologues from Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale" August 2010 |
And the best park in this whole wide world
In the third month of city life NYC gave to us
Concerts and shows
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| Billy Elliot |
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| Rock of Ages |
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| Mumford and Sons |
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| Sarah Jarosz |
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| Improv for Kids |
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| Improv for Kids |
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| Emma in "The Wind in the Willows" Fall 2010 |
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| Abby in "The Wind in the Willows" Fall 2010 |
A crash course in Shakespeare
And the best park in this whole wide world
In the fourth month of city life NYC gave to us
Lots and lots of visitors
Concerts and shows
A crash course in Shakespeare
And the best park in this whole wide world
In the fifth month of city life NYC gave to us
A truly amazing parade!!
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| Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2010 |
Lots and lots of visitors
Concerts and shows
A crash course in Shakespeare
And the best park in this whole wide world
In the sixth month of city life NYC gave to us
A Christmas like no other
A truly amazing parade!!
Lots and lots of visitors
Concerts and shows
A crash course in Shakespeare
And the best park in this whole wide world
Hope you enjoyed the song. We really do love it here in NYC.
And, just so you know, I think my husband is much cuter than my Jr. High crush, and I'm thankful that my musical abilities have translated into a very meaningful life. My youngest daughter, who is now 12, sleeps through the night with nary a cry. And my oldest, now 14, has more friends than ever and thanks God every night for her uniqueness.
Things do change. Life should never be taken for granted. Every moment counts. Merry Christmas.
That was beautiful, Sloan! I love that your family is getting to experience all that NYC has to offer. Sounds like a great season of life for you all. :)
ReplyDeleteI love hearing about your adventures! I thought of you guys this morning as I was watching the Today show. Wondered if you have made it to the crowd outside the window yet!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post Sloan! I can not believe it has been six months, it seems like only yesterday you left. We miss you so much, but are very thankful for the new adventures God has given you in NYC. Love you!
ReplyDeleteThat was so touching and a great reminder to keep a long-term perspective on life while also living in the moment!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written, Sloan. We miss you guys! Things do change. I can't believe that in a blink, it seems, a decade has passed since our sweet puppy dog came into our lives and is now gone forever. Definitely trying to remind myself daily to soak up and appreciate the various nuances of growing little ones instead of wanting to blink and fast forward. Love and hugs to you all!
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