Re-Entry

Here we are. Back in this city. It's been beautiful this week, and we are mostly unpacked. We had a wonderful 3-week summer visit to Portland and the Washington Coast. On the return trip we had to be at the airport at the crack o' dawn on Monday morning. We ended up staying with friends until pretty late the night before, and between all the stuff I had to do to get us out the door, and the fact that all three kids woke up multiple times in the night for various reasons, I pretty much pulled an all-nighter. Sigh. So let's just say I've been a walking zombie so far this week.
We walked in the door by 6 or 7 Monday night. By 10 the next morning we had to leave for our annual Not Back To School Picnic. It's in Central Park, and includes just about everyone we know in NYC. Before it started, I had a Council Meeting at a picnic table with the other 7 members of our homeschooling council. Right from the picnic, I had to take Maya to her first Met Opera Chorus class. Talk about intense. It is at the opera house at Lincoln Center. You might have seen it if you were watching the opening of the Fall Fashion Week fashion shows that started on Tuesday--chairs were arranged around the fountain in the plaza in front of the opera house. You can see a killer photo of it here. That is the plaza we were trying to get across! It was a couple hours before the show started, but still, you can imagine the scene out there--the models already had hair and make up done, and were walking around with stylists. It was super cool. We had trouble getting in the building due to all the blockades, security for models and policemen stationed around the square. We finally made it, huffing and puffing, with 10 minutes to spare, only to find a freaking-out mom who was in a tizzy because she thought her son was too late for the class. After being reassured by the chaperone that the kids (including Maya), had plenty of time, she finally turned to me to answer my question:
Kristin: "Are the kids missing something if they aren't here early?"
She: "Well! You can't be LATE to the opera!" (this was accompanied by a toss of her hair and a nose in the air)
I made a note to self to steer clear of this diva. But turns out I should have paid more attention. Today, we had two kids who needed to be in different places at the same time. Brett had an emergency at work and was a few minutes late in meeting me to pick up Jonah. I waited in the car on the corner for him to emerge from the bowels of the subway station, in angst over whether I should drop him and Jonah off at baseball practice or drop off Maya at Chorus first. I opted for baseball, since it technically started 15 minutes before Chorus. When I dropped Maya off for her class, there were suspiciously no kids in the waiting area. I moved the car, and went back in to check to make sure she got in. Some nice women told me that someone had already come 3 times to escort the kids to class, and I finally figured out there was a phone on the wall and that I could dial the chaperone. But alas, even though she was there 10 minutes early, they said we were too late, and we just had to leave. Sigh. I guess you really can't be late to the opera. They would not allow a mere street person (me) to walk her upstairs to the practice room, and suddenly the chaperones are otherwise engaged?? We'll get there a full 1/2 hour early from now on.
This week has been a reversal of our usual family dynamics. My stable, oldest child, is suddenly overcome with emotion, drama and unwillingness to do anything. 5th grade is "too hard", she doesn't want to do any of her activities, she's tired of her brothers and is ambivalent about seeing her friends. My normally more difficult middle child is suddenly at ease, stable, helpful and happy. He actually played with his pirate ship this morning for A WHOLE HOUR. All by himself. Those of you who know him well know how exceedingly rare this is. My youngest is eating like a champ (he nursed like an infant while we were traveling), happily occupying himself for long stretches and cheerfully grateful for city living. The hives that he's had for a week or more all over his legs are pretty much gone. OK, these are self-diagnosed hives, but after much research, I'm pretty sure that is what they are. He had some enormous tantrums the last week of our trip, including one after getting off the 2nd airplane that had me calling Brett (waiting outside) to tell him it would be a while before I could physically get him out of the airport. Sigh. At least he did great on all the actual airplanes. As for the hives, they are worrisome because they are so weird--sometimes appearing and disappearing before my eyes, leaving him scratching intensely, especially at night. He had pretty much every trigger for hives there is last week (including shellfish, chocolate, stress, blah blah blah), but none of the rest of us have ever had a single hive. I bought some benadryl to have around, and the bumps he has left seem to be responding to the homeopathic remedies I just happen to have. His personality seems to be reset--he is way more flexible and easy going than he was for the last week, and he is handling our comings and goings with cheerful ease. Maybe he really did just want to go "home", like he asked every day multiple times!
Jonah's baseball practice was fabulous, and Brett is happy to be assistant coaching again. His first game is on Sunday. Maya has a trial ballet class tomorrow with a new teacher, and we've spent loads of time outside with lots of kids, enjoying beautiful fall feeling weather in the parks. Tomorrow we also have a park birthday party, and this weekend I have two lovely escapes--a monthly breakfast with some neighbor friends and I, and my NYC bookclub for dinner on Sunday.
The return to schoolwork has been a mix--Jonah is well into every subject he can possibly be doing, and Maya has tears at the mere suggestion of anything structured. Vacation suits her very well, lack of sleep, not so well. Hopefully we are nearly recovered and she will get back to her cheerful little self soon.
Photos and more stories to come soon, as I get more caught up. Thank you so much to everyone that we spent time with this summer--it was a wonderful trip and we are so grateful to have all of you in our lives, even if we do have to travel all the way across the country to see you. :)
Happy first week of school everyone!