...And the kids seem to be adjusting pretty well. We have them in the after school program (called Kaleidescope). They get their homework done, then play. They've been breathing hard and/or sweaty almost every day I've picked them up, which is great--it means they're active. Our biggest concern, which we somewhat expected, is that both of them are doing work they've already done...A while (like, at least a year) ago. It's one thing to let them settle in and other entirely to allow them to get intellectually lazy and "settle."
On a more social note, we made a friend!!! Of course it started with Patricia (as most of our relationships do). There's a Black woman (a Delta) with kids at Whitesides (her daughter is in 5th grade and her son is in 3rd) who lives "right across the road and down just a ways" from us in a different subdivision, very much within walking distance.
She actually picked the kids up from school this past Monday when Patricia and I both had to work late-ish (Convocation at the College). When we got to her house, Osayende and Aniyah didn't want to leave--and her kids didn't want them to either. So we sat and talked, started sharing life stories and perspectives, discovering commonalities etc...and it feels like such a relief to have even "just one."
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Just a couple of quick observations for the day....
I--we--are learning a couple of things about Charleston in the summer, and I guess the South in general, but DEFINITELY Charleston. This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination, but they're on my mind.
1) Yes, it really IS that hot. And humid.
2) Yes, it really DOES rain that much.
This morning, at approximately 7:15 AM, I was waiting with the kids for them to take their school bus for the first time (which never came, but that's a story for another day). Just by standing there for less than 10 minutes, I developed the need to change shirts immediately when I got home. Granted, I am mildly prone to hyper-persperation, but still...
On the other hand, I was told by more than one person (to which I have taken heed) that I need to carry a reliable compact umbrella at all times, and Mother Nature has seen fit to reinforce such sage advice. Earlier this week, either Monday or Tuesday, there was a downpour of quasi-Biblical proportions. My mother, who was still visiting and had plans to go the beach with the kids, was of grave concern because it meant she would be home all day with them with basically nothing to do except watch TV...but as it turns out, no such deluge was occurring near our house; a mere 10 miles away. They ended up spending more than three hours playing in the ocean. I, on the other hand, waited in line behind no less than nine people (part of a parent-student C of C campus tour) at CVS and finally bought one of only 4 umbrellas the store still had.
Blink, and you can get rained on. And an hour later, you would never know the difference, except that rain does absolutely NOTHING to cool things down. If anything, it makes the air thicker because the additional moisture has nowhere to go except to sit on your skin, almost as if you put on just a bit too much lotion.
And you know what? I am NOT complaining. Like I was saying during the past two or three summers in Chicago (including this year) when people would complain about how hot it was, "Hey, it ain't snowing."
~TL
1) Yes, it really IS that hot. And humid.
2) Yes, it really DOES rain that much.
This morning, at approximately 7:15 AM, I was waiting with the kids for them to take their school bus for the first time (which never came, but that's a story for another day). Just by standing there for less than 10 minutes, I developed the need to change shirts immediately when I got home. Granted, I am mildly prone to hyper-persperation, but still...
On the other hand, I was told by more than one person (to which I have taken heed) that I need to carry a reliable compact umbrella at all times, and Mother Nature has seen fit to reinforce such sage advice. Earlier this week, either Monday or Tuesday, there was a downpour of quasi-Biblical proportions. My mother, who was still visiting and had plans to go the beach with the kids, was of grave concern because it meant she would be home all day with them with basically nothing to do except watch TV...but as it turns out, no such deluge was occurring near our house; a mere 10 miles away. They ended up spending more than three hours playing in the ocean. I, on the other hand, waited in line behind no less than nine people (part of a parent-student C of C campus tour) at CVS and finally bought one of only 4 umbrellas the store still had.
Blink, and you can get rained on. And an hour later, you would never know the difference, except that rain does absolutely NOTHING to cool things down. If anything, it makes the air thicker because the additional moisture has nowhere to go except to sit on your skin, almost as if you put on just a bit too much lotion.
And you know what? I am NOT complaining. Like I was saying during the past two or three summers in Chicago (including this year) when people would complain about how hot it was, "Hey, it ain't snowing."
~TL
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Catching our Breath
I'm on lunch break at work (day 2) and thought I would try to write a bit for the three--excuse me, four of you---that we know follow us on here.
It's been a little over a week since we got here and things are slowly coming together. It didn't help that the movers just brought our "house" (stuff) yesterday--August 9, after picking up July 29. We've been "surviving" on air mattresses (or, more often, blankets on the floor, all in the same room) and two 7-inch portable DVD players with movies from Red Box. And even the kids are a little sick of eating out. Last night, I cooked pasta with sauce (from a jar, but it was a start) with veggie Italian sausage, and I haven't been so grateful for even an easy homecooked meal in a long time. This is despite cooking on an electric stove, which I'm not at all a big fan of, but it'll do.
I can't speak for my whole family, but this whole move still feels a bit...out of body. And I'm already at work (as of yesterday), catching up on the most immediate tasks at hand, but part of me still feels like it's somewhere else, or watching this whole experience unfold. Maybe it's not really knowing anyone, maybe it's living in a semi-gated community with no sidewalks, maybe it's driving almost everywhere (even more than in Chicago), maybe it's the uncertainty of where it all leads, or not having the things that look like "us" in place just yet...who knows. I think it just takes time, especially after driving for two days and then trying to get our house in order (literally). It's little things that make up a "real" life, like finding our favorite restaurants, and a good barber, and getting kids into activities they can partipate in with some longevity, and gradually experiencing our social network expand, one friend at a time. In a way, it's like being children, open to infinite possibilities...except with bills and kids of our own.
(As an aside, this place is veeerrry different when it comes to getting around. They don't seem to feel the need to mark all their streets in an obvious fashion, leaving us "come-ya's" wondering where the $%^&! we are every once in a while. We keep asking ourselves, "is this the right street?" as we travel throughout the Charleston Metro Area).
On a different note, we went to the beach the morning of our first full day here (last Monday) and spent nearly two hours in the sun and of course the waves, and the idea that the ocean is within a five-minute drive became very real...of course, we haven't been back since due to a jellyfish warning...but it's still there! Also took the kids to one of two rec centers with pools nearby and they were able to swim for a good hour and half, until everyone was called out of the pool because of a pending thunderstorm. Stopped at a local old-fashioned ice cream shop on the way home and both Osayende and Aniyah were unable to finish their double scoops. Score one for real ice cream (so says the semi-vegan, but at least they know for next time how much they can handle).
Speaking of handling...without going into too much detail, I would say Aniyah's proven to be a bit more flexible than Osayende, whose position moved to the "I don't wanna go" column just prior to leaving, so he's had his sullen moments. In general, he tends to share my skeptical side and tends to have a harder time with the unknown by nature, whereas Aniyah is a bit more adventurous. In general, watching the two of them together with no one else but each other has shown me that I have two strong-willed individuals who both are very capable of standing up for themselves and speaking up for what they want, which is a tremendous gift for anyone.
Our job in this new phase of life is let them be strong in a way that makes them better people and makes the most out of their greatest qualities. I think, I hope, that will happen.
Once they're actually sleeping in their own rooms again.
~TL
It's been a little over a week since we got here and things are slowly coming together. It didn't help that the movers just brought our "house" (stuff) yesterday--August 9, after picking up July 29. We've been "surviving" on air mattresses (or, more often, blankets on the floor, all in the same room) and two 7-inch portable DVD players with movies from Red Box. And even the kids are a little sick of eating out. Last night, I cooked pasta with sauce (from a jar, but it was a start) with veggie Italian sausage, and I haven't been so grateful for even an easy homecooked meal in a long time. This is despite cooking on an electric stove, which I'm not at all a big fan of, but it'll do.
I can't speak for my whole family, but this whole move still feels a bit...out of body. And I'm already at work (as of yesterday), catching up on the most immediate tasks at hand, but part of me still feels like it's somewhere else, or watching this whole experience unfold. Maybe it's not really knowing anyone, maybe it's living in a semi-gated community with no sidewalks, maybe it's driving almost everywhere (even more than in Chicago), maybe it's the uncertainty of where it all leads, or not having the things that look like "us" in place just yet...who knows. I think it just takes time, especially after driving for two days and then trying to get our house in order (literally). It's little things that make up a "real" life, like finding our favorite restaurants, and a good barber, and getting kids into activities they can partipate in with some longevity, and gradually experiencing our social network expand, one friend at a time. In a way, it's like being children, open to infinite possibilities...except with bills and kids of our own.
(As an aside, this place is veeerrry different when it comes to getting around. They don't seem to feel the need to mark all their streets in an obvious fashion, leaving us "come-ya's" wondering where the $%^&! we are every once in a while. We keep asking ourselves, "is this the right street?" as we travel throughout the Charleston Metro Area).
On a different note, we went to the beach the morning of our first full day here (last Monday) and spent nearly two hours in the sun and of course the waves, and the idea that the ocean is within a five-minute drive became very real...of course, we haven't been back since due to a jellyfish warning...but it's still there! Also took the kids to one of two rec centers with pools nearby and they were able to swim for a good hour and half, until everyone was called out of the pool because of a pending thunderstorm. Stopped at a local old-fashioned ice cream shop on the way home and both Osayende and Aniyah were unable to finish their double scoops. Score one for real ice cream (so says the semi-vegan, but at least they know for next time how much they can handle).
Speaking of handling...without going into too much detail, I would say Aniyah's proven to be a bit more flexible than Osayende, whose position moved to the "I don't wanna go" column just prior to leaving, so he's had his sullen moments. In general, he tends to share my skeptical side and tends to have a harder time with the unknown by nature, whereas Aniyah is a bit more adventurous. In general, watching the two of them together with no one else but each other has shown me that I have two strong-willed individuals who both are very capable of standing up for themselves and speaking up for what they want, which is a tremendous gift for anyone.
Our job in this new phase of life is let them be strong in a way that makes them better people and makes the most out of their greatest qualities. I think, I hope, that will happen.
Once they're actually sleeping in their own rooms again.
~TL
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)