Buck up, buttercup!

Last week was a series of high highs and low lows.  I guess it is to be expected in a time of transition.  I feel like I am constantly giving myself pep talks and metaphorical slaps across the face to pull it together.  Since I'm a bad news first kind of gal, we will talk about the hard part.  What's that expression? "Buck up, buttercup."  This New York City place is making me feel like I'm kind of a wuss.

After the stroller debacle last week, I was convinced my new tandem stroller, the Joovy Caboose, possessed magical powers.  With this new tool, I could conquer this concrete jungle - no problem.  Now, I can't discount some of the benefits: narrower, smaller, technically fits two children.  Perhaps I was too confident.  I decided I would try the subway solo with both girls in tow.  Then Life basically said, "I'll see your bet, and raise you one." I proceeded to go the wrong direction, despite my best efforts to know my way beforehand, and got off at a non-handicap stop; translation: non-stroller stop.

As I broke into a sweat, I tried my best Southern charm to ask an obliging stranger for directions back the other way.  It is unfortunately not that useful when there is also a language barrier.  The subway can make you feel like you suddenly cannot read correctly or that it is written in code.  Eventually we found our way to discover it had started to rain at our stop.  SERIOUSLY??? Silly me, I forgot to check the weather and all of our umbrellas are in storage or in the car.  In Houston, I would have just turned the car around, headed home, and called it a day - but we were STUCK!  I fought back the tears of frustration (cue metaphorical slap) and we finished our errand.

The Joovy seconds as climbing equipment at home :)

For the journey home, we piled in a cab.  Mental monologue: SCREW THE SUBWAY.  Twenty painstaking minutes with a tired one-year-old trying to careen out of the vehicle later, we arrived home.  Once again, my poor mom received the brunt of it, and explained that I need to preface these outbursts with a disclosure that no one has been injured or has gone to the hospital.  I apologized for that, but continued on my rant.  Leave it to a mom to pinpoint what had really been hard, the fact that I felt unsafe.  The subway and taxis with little ones can be truly petrifying.  You feel very vulnerable, and this is magnified when you feel your children may be in danger.  Thankfully, a good night's sleep, some good advice, scripture, and a glass of wine can renew any perspective.  I had a fun weekend to look forward to in DC with old friends!  ROAD TRIP!!!!

I have to say, after the plane flight to NYC, I was a little bit tentative to embark on another trip.  Couldn't I just sit at home and be content?  Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment - who knows.  Either way, the DC journey was a success!  Maybe it was the car seats, maybe it was the portable DVD player not requiring headphones (another Peppa Pig marathon!), maybe it was the familiarity of driving, but the girls did great.

Now, we had been warned about the driving in New York, which we had experienced somewhat, but we were not prepared for the Lincoln Tunnel.  Who designs only two ways off the island?  It took us 45 minutes to circle our block just to decide we would take another route - the George Washington Bridge to access the New Jersey turnpike.  Unfortunately there is no way to explain to your phone or GPS to take us the "back road" way, so we were trapped with everyone else.  Luckily, NYPD traffic cops are an amazing diversion to watch while sitting in line.  Talk about some bada**es.  We would cheer every time they would not let another car cut in line!  If we weren't so scared of them we would have rolled down the window for a high five or fist bump.

I still find the NYC geography a little confusing, but basically you have to leave the city via New Jersey, AKA the turnpike.  Distance-wise in Texas, this should have been a three hour trip, hello 80 MPH on I-10.  Here, things are vastly different.  There are at least $60 in tolls round-trip, less when we figure out a toll tag, but STILL.  Texas could teach New York and New Jersey a few things about highways.  Generally in Texas, a toll road means smooth, wide roads with LESS traffic, without potholes, but what do I know?

Upon arrival, we were BEYOND EXCITED to discover our friends had an adorable little playground exactly 50 steps from their front door, toys, and a bunk bed for the girls.  Don't worry, Savannah was in the Pack 'n Play.  Not only were we staying with a PROFESSIONAL CHEF, but they had this amazing set up!  We were stunned with the good fortune.  Cat and Insung (our friends) should definitely own a bed and breakfast in their old age!  We would come!  We always say Insung won the wife jackpot.  Cat - stop making everyone look bad! ;)

Our main reason for the DC trip was to attend Baby Kerwin's shower, but we selfishly felt like our batteries had been recharged seeing our "family" from our old stomping grounds.  It was very reassuring to know they were a simple (ha) 5 1/2 hour drive away.  TOTALLY WORTH IT.  The shower with the littles was a success - no one ate any markers, there were dinosaurs to play with, and we got to catch up with friends we had missed for 5 years.  The journey home was uneventful (grateful sigh) minus some traffic, and the only evidence of destruction was the Starbucks scone crumbs all over the backseat.

In the wise words of my mother, the key for me in NYC is to "not to try to do too much."  We will see about that...I have a habit of taking on a lot! ;) The apartment search continues this week, and we are starting to make some friends.  This buttercup is toughening up!