Thursday, September 13, 2012

.....end of our era......

....as a disclaimer before this post begins, let me inform you that I had 90% of this written on Thursday evening....my eyes were half shut as I was typing; so I was forced to post it, revert it back to a draft and had planned on finishing/reposting it Friday night......

....well since Friday night, we have had two birthday parties, a comical trip to Home Depot, a road trip to NYC, a play date dinner with friends, several more boxes unpacked, refolded and saved for another pending move in November, rotavirus followed by the worst diaper rash I have ever seen in three babies, a big morning at church, a fabulous kid free lunch with a bestie, a broken down car, a loaner car which happens to be a really cool/dorky mini van and a manic start to our Monday......

....to the point that Thursday night felt like a year ago and I am sure my emotional state is different than it was four days ago.....so this post may be a bit bi-polar.....excuse that and keep in mind I am one hot mess......

.....please refer to this disclaimer often......

....Friday, September 7th......

......the walk out of my corridor was heartbreaking.....moving out of the city was so much harder than I anticipated......although I knew that once I departed and entered the bright light at the end of the doorway, a new day would arrive.....



....nine years passed so quickly and the almost decade flashed before my eyes on the eve of the move.....

.....the eve was the most painful of it all.....even worse than walking through the empty apartment the day of leaving the city......but isn't it always the emotion of anticipation that really gets us anyway?......whether excited and euphoric and jumping around on that can't believe it's here high or the stomach twisted and worried nervousness of the future; it is always the unknown of monumental events that does us in.....but we got through it......

.....moving day morning was fast and furious.....pure craze.....there were 10 men in our home at 7:15 AM......and if you haven't heard the sound of tape wrapping boxes, it is loud and intrusive.....there is nothing comforting about the sticky strip unwinding from its roll; followed by the sound of the tape snapping into place and then the box being passed in a conveyor style manner between 3 men down the hallway to leave your home.....these guys were moving so fast, that our entire apartment was packed, loaded and empty in 3 hours.....



.....Stefan managed the process and I loaded the babes and drove to CT......both girls had a meet and greet in their new classrooms and it was better for all of us that we were gone while the apartment went from what we knew as home to an empty shell that rang echoes....


....it would have been too hard on all of us- especially the ladies of the home......we three are turning out to be quite the emotional group......just a few days before move out, we had our besties over for a party.....PJs, pizza, Tangled, and popcorn......and even though the apartment echoed with most of our belongings off the walls and cozy items packed in boxes; it was still home.....the sound of laughter and giggling rang through the hallways.....



....they had their movie, each other's company and an open space of lovely hardwoods to run free......



....singing and talent shows....



....and the sweetest little 16 month old who absolutely loves to be a part of the happenings around here.....


.....although none of the kids mentioned it, I felt like they all knew this was the last of these occasions in our place.......certainly, they all knew we were moving; but what 4.5 year old really understands what a move truly means?.....Elsie and Callie recently grasped the fact that you take your own furniture with you when you go.....it was like Christmas in September at the realization their beds were coming with us......

.....but each of our little friends helped me move boxes, they all wanted to understand what was happening, and Brody tagged along for all of the festivity........it was also the easiest, sweetest play date of 8 kids I have ever had..........and honestly, the only play date of 8 I have ever done......but I would do it again in a second......it was pure sweetness all around..... 







.....and when our goodbye day arrived and little William passed out his remember me presents; all of the littles looked at this event as a "see ya soon"......


......and as much as I tried to make it an until next time, there were still a lot of tears from me because I know that things are going to change more than my girls realize.....



....but we had one last shake down in the playroom.....and this time there was wine, music, lots of adults, friends in and out of the party, every kid we know (almost)......neighbors who used to live here that came back for a good reason to see the city, lots of good food and a whole lot of high pitched squealing......









.....and I must say that I am glad the goodbyes and moving week are all over.....not necessarily because of the physical effort it takes to move a family of five......but more because our lives can be renewed from this point on......I can remember the old and cherish it earnestly, but I can also be set free of the thoughts of this is the last time I will ever buy whole milk here......or this will be our last trip to so and so park with a NYC address......

....those fatalistic, end of an era thoughts are draining and I am ready to set them free......

....although not without nostalgia.....




.....it was real, it was raw and now it's part or our story....



.....farewell, NYC.....you were so good to us.....