A Fall Tradition + a wedding + NYC = Autum 2013 Update

What a great month :) Not only am I not travelling for work every week, I am really getting to enjoy the best part of the year with some of the best people I know.

ArtPrize Brunch 2013 was a success. The weather was perfect, the company happy, the coffee was flowing and the art was abundant.

Nope, we can't fit that ducky in your tub.

Our little puzzle piece

One big, mossy fisherman 

True to form, I just don't take pictures of guests. So you'll have to use your imagination and just trust me when I say there was more than just HP and I :)

Jon and I hadn't really celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary properly last June, so we waited for our friend's wedding celebration in NYC this Fall to go all out. We gave HP to my parents for a long weekend (he promptly said bye and went about his business of play- ouch), jumped on the plane and landed in NYC for an ideal wedding weekend.

We were able to stay at my friend's apartment, which conveniently was located 5 minutes away from the wedding :)

reunited with my besties 

Had a cute date 

Threw on a dress 

grabbed a drink, or two or three

and watched as my beautiful friend got married

then danced the night away 

under a canopy of lights :)

A New York State of Mind

This week I was able to re-live the good old days in NYC. I flew into the city bright and early on Monday after saying goodbye to little sister who was flying out of GR too, but in the opposite direction. Up until the moment I touched down in LaGuardia I hadn't made up my mind how I would travel around to all 4 of my schools. I decided quickly enough as I surveyed the tangle of traffic and made my way directly to the taxi line (briefly thinking about standing in line for the M60 bus- but in the end decided to leave Ms. Cheap behind).

I hopped off the taxi 40$ later at 81st and Columbus, right by Central Park and the Museum of Natural History. The hotel let me check in really early and I decided to leisurely make my way toward Brooklyn for my first and only school visit of the day. 3 hours later not only was I decidedly late, my feet were about ready to fall off. Yes I know my way around Manhattan on the subway but Brooklyn? The answer I found out was no. A big no.

Because I could not justify cabbing to every spot I bought a Metro pass. Jon loaded my phone with a great subway app and I navigated (very poorly) to my destinations. Despite my lack of navigational skills I was stopped twice by tourists asking for help finding their way. On top of that I was chatted up by a man on the train about charging my phone (which I had to plug into my laptop- I know, it felt ridiculous). Who says NY is not friendly?

As luck would have it, most of my coordinators forgot I was coming so they didn't even know I was late. Small miracles.

The best part of the trip was seeing my friends from Teaching Fellows :) We all started out (6 years ago?) as newby teachers, all without a placement! Good times. Yummy dinner and catch up conversation capped off my nights.

The best example of an ELL classroom I've seen in NY

A favorite thai food stop on the UWS

This guy always reminds me of Jon- we loved finding them all over 14th street subway

 

 

Hehe

Well, in true Laura fashion, I took only 8 pictures over 3 almost 80 degree beautiful days. I am just really bad with documenting things! I guess you'll have to take my word for it, I had a great time :)

Hello, Goodbye

Opposite events occurred these past two days that have left my mind in a twist. A very happy thing; a birth A very sad thing; a death. Both such pivotal moments for the friends and family for each. One with only happy thoughts, as well they should be. The other with a wealth of thoughts ranging from the happiest to the saddest.

Whenever a friend has a baby I seem to remember the very best parts of having a newborn. I mean, exclusively. You just don't think about all the hard adjusting that comes along with that cute bundle. And I guess that's probably how people end up having more than one. Of course, now that I'm in the full-swing of having a 2.3 year-old I'm wondering if we'll ever sign up for another...:)

That is the good side of the spectrum. Then comes the very opposite of birth. Saying goodbye. I don't have the right word to describe her connection to me. Co-worker is too removed, aquaintance too cold, close friends we never were, but I think she'd be comfortable with me naming her as friend and ally in the classroom.

I've only ever called her by her last name. She witnessed my inaugural year of teaching in NYC. She tried to help me as best she could. She threated her class with dire warnings whenever they came to me for Social Studies lessons, and she helped me feel like I wasn't the only one who had gotten emotionally trampled their first year. Although she had plenty of first-hand stories to share about her many unbelievable incidents, I still couldn't believe them. Because who would, or could ever disrespect a teacher personality such as hers? Whover did was a braver or crazier student than I have met.

I sat in on a couple of her ELA lessons in hopes of having some of her power rub off on me. I don't think it ever did, or could. It would be a hilarious sight to see me try to summon her ability to yell, or give off a world-class teacher stare down like she could. But what I did learn from watching her is that she knew the students were going to listen to her. You could hear it in her voice and see it in her body-language. While my stomach knotted when her kids rounded the corner, and lined up lazily in front of my door (for a double-period of hell on earth each Friday afternoon), my face would blanch an even whiter shade of pale and I would not know if I could hook them into listening, let alone sitting down in their assigned seats. I didn't have that power that teachers like her could summon. And the kids smelled it like a dog catching a fresh scent.

But time passed, and I fell into my way of teaching. And we came to share a wall my last year at IS 52, both teaching on the same floor. And because I am who I am I used some sick days occassionally for not-so-sick time off. And every time I would return she would come into my room the next morning and look at me and say "I could tell you were gone yesterday by the amount of times I heard yelling coming through that wall!" I loved hearing that :) I guess that means my kids where total monsters, but the point is they weren't for me :) I  give credit her for helping me get to be better, and survive my first year.

 

Death makes me remember the last time we spoke, or saw eachother or reminisced about those crazy moments. And happily my last time doing all of those things with Ms. Waldman was over a delicious brunch at Essex among friends, where I got to show off my little HP baby-bump and see her in a good health.

 

Whenever encountering what I feel is the craziest, or most disrespectful or simply uncontrolable child I think to myself, "no way will it ever be harder than Waldman's 7A5 in 2006". What doesn't kill us makes us stronger though, and Waldman definatly made me a stronger teacher. And I will miss her.

Remembering

Remembering September, 11th is difficult. I did not know anyone in those towers or planes, nor did I think I'd end up moving to New York in a few short years. I didn't know I'd try teaching 7th graders American history and have to explain to them what 9/11 means. The same way I had to make the Holocaust seem like a real event to them. Time passes and things you think will never be forgotten are.

The reflecting waterfalls they created over the tower footprints are really lovely. When I came and when I left the rubble was gone but the huge plywood boards bandaged over the site in an unfinished, ugly way. It looks so calm there now. Such a busy place to be so calm.

It's crazy how much someone can fit into 10 years. College, graduate school, marriage, baby, moving.

So much you can do with 10 years.

New York I Miss You

Today marks 2 years since I lived in NYC. Sometimes it feels like a lot longer than that, other times I like to close my eyes and "walk" around my old neighborhood of Washington Heights and I swear I can see every detail. That city really got me. I wasn't looking for it and wasn't planning on moving there but it happened and now it's stuck there in my heart. Sigh.

Grand Rapids is growing on me day by day. I'm exploring more of the city and discovering that I live a 10 minute bike ride away from pretty much anything I want. This morning H and I decided to hitch up the burley for an early morning ride around Reeds Lake. This mediumish lake is smack dab in the posh East GR (ooooh). It's amazing that traveling a few blocks north can dramatically change the houses. They are true brick beauties built a long time ago and they stink of money. Stink I tell you! That stench does not however make it very far down Philadelphia Ave to my neighborhood...

Anyway, this bike path is just lovely. It's wide enough for two burleys to pass. It should be wide enough for dog owners and a burley but tell that to some snooty dog walkers...ugh. Should there be a next time I might just have to run over some paws. But other than a couple of incidents with less than charming people the loop was refreshing and put me in a New York state of mind. It made me think of doing that Central Park loop, around 6 miles, on my bike. If you haven't done that loop, you might be surprised that there are some good hills there.

After our ride I woke the sleeping bear at the library (amazing! right on the lake with a large sunny deck in the back) for baby story time. We read some books, chatted a bit then packed up to go to the grass along the lake. We devoured our crackers, drank some water and H inhaled a whole banana before putting my cleats on again, clipping in and riding back home. 

No it wasn't exactly a New York day but it was a GR one and I think that might be just as good.

Visitors from the Big Apple

What a great weekend! We got to show off little Harrison Paul to my NYC girls and they got to experience West Michigan in all its glory :)

We travelled to some of my favorite spots, the Winchester downtown for drinks and then to San Chez on Saturday morning. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm.

I was so excited to get to the beach for the first time this season, perhaps a little too early though, the water temp was reading at a brisk 61 degrees! A few brave souls were playing in the waves, us not so much.

Despite the breeze we had to meet the Captain for some ice cream :)

Kerry sampled some Fountain of youth water.

We went downtown Holland and watched the end of the world cup match, USA v. England before heading for home. Of course none of this could have happened without our two great babysitters :)

There's the Abuelo.

These girls are the best :) 

My Trip to NYC

Pictures from my trip to NYC! Now, I really, truly tried to play tourist with our new camera, however I failed! I managed a couple of shots but after awhile sort of gave up on the documenting thing.

I had so so much fun staying at my old apartment in Harlem and seeing the girls again :) I am happy to say it really felt easy to jump back into the swing of things. It would be great if the whole family makes a trip again soon, maybe in the fall to cheer on my ex-roomie in the NYC marathon!!!

First off I'll start with the pregnant picture where I am "framing" baby. I'm hoping to look more natural and maternal as time goes by....less awkward! Oh- this was taken today, so I'm 22 1/2 weeks. After this photo shoot we hit up Babys'R'Us and started the overwhelming process of registering...I have a lot of research to do!

I went to Times Square! Even though I avoided it because of the slow moving crowds I decided why not? Lucky for me I went early enough where things were just opening up. Places like Toys'R'Us where I bought....

hehe

Two reasons I love this picture. #1 My teacher friends from IS 52 met me for a delicious brunch for my birthday! #2 this restaurant appears to be named Sex, in fact it is Essex, my bad for missing half the letters

Kerry, Ilya and me at Liza's going away party. So glad to have seen her before the big move! Yummy pizza here too!

This is were my son would play if we got to live on the UWS right by Central Park! It was actually a beautifully warm weekend, not so drizzly at it appears here.

Note to self: get myself a haircut with bangs :)

I was so happy to see Emilia at the end of my trip, she just got in from Miami and we decided to hit Max Brenners for some chocolate!

 Yum :)

So there it is, my record of NYC in pictures :) I'm already getting excited for my next trip!

26 Years Old!

Today I am 26 years old, officially past the mid twenty mark. It is a little weird I guess. I remember turning 16 and it just doesn't feel like that long ago...
Well, to celebrate my day my Jonathan bought me a ticket to one of my favorite places, New York City. It would have only been better had he been able to come with. Not only for flight support ( I am really just a terrible flier- but hopefully with every flight I get just a smidge better) but for running around the city.

As soon as I landed in LaGuardia it just felt so familiar. Navigating to the city via the rumbly M60 bus and walking to the beautiful apartment at 116th/Lenox I began to feel like I hadn't really left. The only underlying feeling in my gut that wasn't totally embracing the return was that I feel that incompleteness that comes along with living away from loved ones. And although that feeling can be lessened over time or pushed away for a bit it never fails to resurface and nag at me once more. Jon and I did this separate living (not by choice) for 6 months of the first year of our marriage and that achy feeling was always present with me. My lovely friends and the new living situation helped get me through that and have the best experience here that I could, but always that ache would be waiting for me.

I will always love this city, the handful of special people that I have shared such experiences with, but I think Grand Rapids is really where I should be this year. I know I have been there for the past 6 months but for a lot of it I wasn't ready to let go of living here, in the city. But I think this lovely, full trip will help assure me that it will be here waiting for us and hopefully many more trips to come :)

Can't Help but count down...

It's inching nearer...and what am I doing? Not a whole lot.

I had field day today for my eighth graders. I am outright jealous of the classes that I see calmly walking around, loading into their buses and just chilling out for the ride. These are not my kids. My kids are 1) obnoxious 2) so so so mean to eachother! 3) cursing about anything and everything 4) LOUD
I walked away (kicking and screaming!) from those buses hoping NEVER to repeat it. In two weeks I have to chaperone Prom (8th grade prom, really?) something tells me they will be slightly classier on that ride. The fact they wont have to ride the "cheese bus" might help their attitudes some.

On a less annoying note, I am going on a solo vacay this weekend to DC. I am excited to get to the capitol city. I haven't been there since the 4th grade, and I was sick the whole time...boo. So, I'm hoping BoltBus after school gets out to arrive in DC at my hostel by 10pm. From there I will get to see the museums and the Mall. I don't know anyone in the DC area, but sometimes that can be an adventure. I really enjoyed running around London by myself, Italy was a little harder. I took a train in NW Italy and got off on the wrong stop and could not for the life of me communicate with the people at the station. Stressful, but eh, it all worked out :)

Hear's to adventures...

Here it comes.. the end of an era

Today is one day closer to the last day of teaching in NYC public schools. Although we still have several actual "teaching" days left it feels all but over to me. The kids are crazy restless and unmotivated. I really can't blame them- I just turned in their final report cards. They are annoying, not bad kids but just annoying. I'm regretting that I ever taught them the word lethargic as that is all they say to me. "Ms. I'm mad lethargic today." Ugh.
Other news, my knee and foot are really starting to hurt me. I've begun to cycle to work and back and they are not happy about it. It began around mile 60 of the tri and although I took a week off from really training I am nervous it is something more than just a sore spot. But I already signed up for the Grand Haven triathlon on July 12th. It's an Olympic distance (1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run). I want to try to stay fit- I like training for big things. THe tri (duathlon I guess) was really a fun experience.
I'll end this rainy Tuesday with tea and Netflix :)

Whoops

:) I forgot to write anything....for a whole year!

So why am I writing now? Well, I have created another blog for one of my ELA classes and it has been going really well (for the most part), so every time I sign in to view and update thtat blog I run into this one...and then I feel bad. Silly.

Today is Friday, I am sitting here in a sweet apartment blogging about nothing. I am really just too tired to go out...even if I had somewhere to go! I had swimming practice downtown at the Union Square YMCA. It is funny that now after years and years I have decided to take proper swimming. It's all because of my upcoming triathlon! I am swimming across the Hudson on my first leg, cycling 91 miles towards Philadelphia and then running a 10K ending at the top of the Rocky statue. Whew! Luckily it is at the end of May and I am in the 2nd month of true training, getting more serious this month. I am actually really excited to get back into peak condition. It has been too long since the Atlantic City Half-Marathon and even longer from being the muscled rugby player from college. I kind of miss that.

Maybe I should be a coach. Forget the teacher bit.

That's another thing...I am soon to be relocating back to Michigan after 3 years of living here. In some ways it does not feel that long, in others it does- considering I saw many of my best friends and myself get married in that time! Yeesh.

Veteran's Day on the Top of the Rock

Jon and I had Veteran's Day off :) I had a very relaxing long weekend which again I managed to avoid doing anything work related. Only now, as Jon sits by me and plays Mario Galaxy, do I start looking at what needs to be in order for the kiddies tommorow. But you know, I think that's a positive difference from last year for me when I worried all the time about school. Stepping back and realizing that I can have two successful parts of life has been a relief for me.
Now for a bit of planning and then movie night :)