Kinder panic

As February comes to a close, the deadline approaches for applying to Kindergarten in the public school system here in New York City.  A few months ago March 1st felt like it would give me plenty of time to figure out what I wanted for Elisa.  And to be honest, since the charter schools don't make their cut off for another 4 weeks, I guess there's still a feeling that I have time.  Nothing is certain yet.  Because as much as I would love to be done with this process and signed up for the Dual Language program at our zoned public P.S. 150 (which is wishful thinking--those spots won't be filled until June so here's to waiting and hoping), I think it's been helpful to go through these hoops and really evaluate what kind of education I want for our oldest daughter. It's a big decision.  I don't want to mess it up.  Not for her and not for her sister.  Because with siblings riding the coat tails into most schools, there is a strong possibility that Carolina will end up in the same place.

So I think I'm warranted in debating the options over and over again and picking apart the pros and cons of each.  Not knowing what I'll be up to in another 6 months to a year and how my own commute might affect our school scenario is also scary. I don't want to just take the easy way out, but I also know myself. And busting my ass every day to get two kids off to different locations before 8 a.m. and then myself to work sounds daunting. Very daunting.  I could barely make it to work on time when it was just me. Ha. Oh, God, what I would love to say to my former self. So many conversations I wouldn't be able to even comprehend. And yes, there are some buses and I don't think I'm terrified of the idea of putting Elisa on a bus. It's again a question of timing. Will she be at the beginning of the route and picked up blocks away at 7 a.m.? Or will we luck out and she might be picked up just as they are swinging over to Astoria or LIC? It all sounds so hypothetical and it makes me think that walking my daughter a few blocks to school every morning at our neighborhood school is the best option. Now only if I knew about those G&T results...ah yes, that will be my April surprise.

I've only toured two charter schools so far and I wasn't overwhelmed with either. And they're the good ones. I guess it just goes to show you that nothing can compare to your own nostalgia for elementary school. I can't imagine my own parents judging poor Mrs. Benson at Fleetridge Elementary in the same way as I'm looking these schools over. What's your teaching philosophy? What reading program do you use? Is there a second language, if so how often? Will the entire school lunch program be organic next year?  Can parents attend the morning meeting? I mean, really? WTF? I guess I'm just a traditionalist at heart because I don't think my place is at school every morning in the classroom sitting on the floor next to Elisa finding out how the day is going to progress for her. It's school. It's her world. What I hope is that I can find the best world for her to learn and grow in. And just about any place that is safe and has caring teachers will do.  Weeding through that and really understanding how each school sets itself apart is the trick, I suppose. But for now at least, my part is done. The applications are submitted and so I wait. And wait. And hopefully, when the dust settles it will be time to still enjoy some of our summer with this spring of "Kinder Panic" mania behind us.

For my Valentines

Happy "Valentime's" Day as Elisa shouted at me this morning. She was barely awake and the words came pouring out. It's not really a holiday but somehow the fact that she loves it and wants it to be one made me drag her sister all the way to the dollar store while Elisa was at school to buy some silly balloons. And paper plates. And pink champagne flutes. Yes, I spent all of $9 on my fabulous V-day supplies and then had a few friends over this afternoon to help us polish off some cookies. Fun and lowkey and involving sweets...where do I sign up? Later we even had friends stop by for an impromptu pizza dinner since Nacho was busy working.  It all came together with ease and I needed a little socializing after a quiet day at home.  It makes me appreciate the many people we have in our lives here in the neighborhood who brighten our world.  Isn't that was this day is all about?  Love isn't just romantic, sometimes it's about bringing out the best in friends too.  So happy day, everyone. Now for another cookie...

Snow day!

Last Friday we were lucky enough to have nothing better to do than watch it snow. While the media was freaking everyone out with their predictions--30 inches of snow! The same path as Hurricane Sandy! A snowicane!--we made chili, baked some chocolate chip cookies and watched movies. Nacho's flights were all cancelled before he'd even left the house which was fine by me. It was a cozy day and the mix of sleet, rain and snow meant I waited until Saturday to venture out.  By then the sun was shining, Nacho had to return to work and we made plans to play in the snow with Leonardo and Myla.  In our neighborhood we got an impressive foot of snow (I think Central Park recorded 11 inches to be precise) and so I ditched the stroller and took a little walk with my girls to Carmen's house in the Gardens to see how long they would want to play in it.  It was a great way to introduce Carolina to the concept and see if Elisa enjoyed it more than years past...

For Elisa, the snow was a definite hit. The whole way over to Carmen's she wanted to walk along the snowdrifts and make snow angels. I tried to humor her and remember what it is to be a kid in the snow. There is so much wonderment at seeing your entire neighborhood covered in this beautiful, powdery white goodness. But when you have a toddler strapped to your back in an ergo and just want to get there already...well, I did a lot of patient standing around and bouncing Carolina. It wasn't too cold out on Saturday with the sun shining brightly, but later the winds kicked up and I realized being inside drinking hot cocoa was a better use of my time.  Actually, all the kids had a great time playing on the porch and making a small ramp for sledding. When Carolina finally gave it up and wanted to go back inside, Carmen and Jay followed the big kids out back to the common gardens and let them run around. Of course, that didn't last too long either considering it was almost lunch time and tempers were starting to flare. But food was on the way, and then it was time to head home...through the snow. 

By the time we walked back in, Carolina had passed out in the ergo and I had to gently transfer her to the crib. She was so dead asleep, she didn't even flinch when I unhooked her and let her fall back on the bed from the carrier. She just laid there like a little frog with her legs still bent and splayed open. It was so damn cute. Of course when I scooped her up, she cried out and barely woke up long enough to take some milk in her crib. Then she slept for 2+ hours so I guess the snow did its job. Elisa was equally tired and passed out for a bit as well. And I was reminded of all the days my sister and I would get dressed for playing in the snow and then spend hours outside sledding or just marching through the snow in our backyard. There was a certain kind of fatigue that came with it...the needing to warm up inside and then wanting nothing more than to curl up on the couch for a bit. Snow takes a lot out of you. Which is probably why we all needed to get out of the house and enjoy it a bit before it was gone. 

Sunny Spain

Now that we're back home and wading through a foot of fresh snow, it's only appropriate to revisit some of our pics from Spain. Yes, it's definitely winter in Madrid, but there are still days when the abundant sunshine pushed the temps into the upper 50s and it feels gloriously like spring is around the corner. So we took advantage of that a couple of days and took the girls first to the sprawling urban park Casa de Campo and then later to the newly built riverwalk area closer to city center. Because so many kids typically go to daycare at a younger age there, the parks were virtually empty on a weekday afternoon which was a big change from New York. But hey, having the place to ourselves wasn't all bad...the only person Elisa had to fight with over prime real estate was her sister!

And later in the week at the riverwalk, we checked out the area with huge slides. Again, it was completely empty and we had a great time climbing back up again and again to slide til our hearts' content. I realized after just a few runs up that steep hill it was actually quite a workout, especially carrying Carolina up. And the family slide look pretty docile, but I can tell you it was one heck of a drop! My stomach floated right up into my throat as we pushed off and I haven't had that happen in years. Weee...indeed!

All in all, our two weeks with the family went by in a flash and the girls both really adjusted to all the changes we threw at them. Sometimes it's nice to see how adaptable they really are because it reminds you that although routines are nice for keeping the the day-to-day stuff running smoothly, it's okay to mix it up now and again. The whole world doesn't fall apart and it teaches me to be a little less uptight. I'm not the same mom that packed an entire suitcase of food and snacks for Elisa at this age. It's all a learning curve and I'm still in it. But I see progress, so I'll take it.  They are growing up and really becoming their own people who experience things differently than I could ever predict.  They dealt with new rooms, new beds, new food, and being left without us a few times with great aplomb. They kept each other company and at the same time amused their abuela with all their crazy dancing and playing.  And they traveled like pros making this the best family trip we've had so far. I even watched two airplane movies--bad ones, but hey. It was a nice surprise. And of course, it means I'm even more excited about our trip this summer. I think the worst part of traveling is behind us. At least I'm really hoping it is.