Doing something you have been wanting to do for a long time is always so thrilling, so satisfying. I have been wanting to walk around our neighborhood for so long—dreaming about the day I can just walk out of my house and find myself in the hustle and bustle of city life. I finally got the chance on Monday.
What’s more is that I had Sophia for a trusty companion. Together we explored Old City and walked straight up Race street toward Franklin Square stopping by a new coffee shop on our block that also happens to be a clothing boutique. Mmm… enjoying a coffee while browsing trendy pieces—what can be better?
Here is Sophia bundled up for the unexpectedly cool fall morning browsing the wares while I am waiting for my decaffeinated fix. Franklin Square was magical enchanting Sophia with its fountains and carousel though she didn’t want to ride it, just look at it go round and round.
Later in the evening and together with Evan we took a walk to Franklin Fountain—a much loved ice cream shop where we may have convinced Sophia that ice cream is not too cold.
The weekend has flown by and rightfully so; We were busy unpacking Wednesday and thereafter and then there was Yom Kippur and, without a doubt, more unpacking. There are still plenty of boxes around our place but I am happy to report that the kitchen is unpacked/restocked and our closets are filled with clothes—something that was high on my priority list. We are busy not just unpacking but enjoying all that the city and its immediate surroundings have to offer. Sophia has already visited the Aquarium and we are making plans to go to the Please Touch Museum and the Academy of Natural Sciences.
We were rushing to settle in the city as soon as possible because the seasons are changing and Philadelphia is most glorious in the fall. This past Friday was First Fridayand we took the girls on a walk around Olde City to enjoy the art exhibitions at the galleries and street vendors. Sophia loved all the sights and Eliza was a dutiful companion letting us explore and enjoy the neighborhood we love and have missed so much.
That’s Sophia rushing to get to the art Galleries… she didn’t want her picture taken because she needed to get to the art first!
We told her that the galleries were going to be open for a long, long time! She finally agreed to have her picture taken in the scenic Elfreth’s Alley which happens to be literally next door to our new place. Sophia was mesmerized by the cobble stones in the street!
Our move and the process of settling here has already had and will surely have more challenges but we are delighted to be close to family in the city we love. Stay tuned for adventures in our neighborhood, enjoying the city life with kids and more.
The kids are asleep, the house is quiet and I can finally recount our most marvelous weekend over which we celebrated my sister-in-law’s beautiful country wedding. Before I share the details, I should preface how this wedding came to be.
My new brother-in-law is infatuated with all things equestrian and country and his infatuations seem to have rubbed off onto my sister-in-law. A wedding complete with horses, a country band, and a hoedown is what the bride and groom desired and an authentic country wedding is what they and their guests were treated to on a gorgeous early fall day.
The ceremony was held inside a barn built in the 17th century in the heart of Pennsylvania’s horse country. The chuppah was draped in linens gifted to the bride’s great grandparents on their 25th anniversary—in 1939. The flowers were a perfect representation of fall without succumbing to the typical oranges, yellows and maroons. The flower girls wore jean dresses with tule tutus hand-sewn by the mother-of-the-bride.
The reception was held inside a large tent erected on a beautiful green lawn surrounded by the lush countryside. The reception started after sundown and so the tent sparkled in the distance. The guests walked from the ceremony to the reception tent on a path lit by lanterns. It was so romantic, so ethereal. The walk to the tent itself set one’s mood for the spectacular feast that awaited once there.
Inside the tent the tables were long and rectangular with beautiful runners and low floral arrangements highlighting the antique [looking] plates. The guests didn’t just feast on the table scape but were treated to an amazing feast complete with a pie and ice cream stations, wedding cake and a bourbon tasting bar. When in Paris… or in the heart of Pennsylvania’s country country, one should be entertained by a country band. I had never seen a country band play the hora, but this one did and did a pretty good job of it too.
The bride and groom looked so happy, so in love that they seemed to be in a world of their own. The real magic of the day was, however, in the family and friends that came from far and wide to share and celebrate in this couple’s special day. Evan, myself and even Sophia all had special roles. I was a bridesmaid, Evan a groomsman and Sophia a little flower girl. Additionally, Evan … with some input from me, selected all the liquor for this wedding which we both thought to be an awesome responsibility; a good party has to have good drinks. I had to bring our nanny from Maryland to babysit Eliza and then Sophia so that we could attend and participate in the wedding. Being a nursing mom who was also a bridesmaid and a mother of a young flower girl was no small feat and I am relieved that Sophia walked down the isle, that Eliza took the bottle and that I was able to enjoy such a great party … and get a few pictures of my own.
There won’t be a Friday Moment this week because there have been too many precious moments and no time to capture any of them. Instead, we are savoring each one hoping to burn them into our memory. Time is flying and the seasons are changing, the girls are growing and there is nothing left to do but embrace the chaos of it all. Sometimes it is important to understand that you aren’t in control or in charge and let go a little bit—those are the times you can truly enjoy life.
I don’t want to admit it, but the signs that the seasons are changing are everywhere. I am not ready for stews and heavy, cold weather food but something warm and comforting seems very appropriate. I turned to a slow cooker cookbook that I have and found a chicken curry recipe. Sounded delightful and I was intrigued by how easy it was. It was almost a one-pot wonder and I started to doubt just how delicious it would be knowing how easy it is to make. I worried for nothing—it was delicious. Flavorful without being overpowering yet stimulating to the senses.
Since dinner required very little effort and the weather was so gorgeous, we had plenty of time for an after-dinner walk followed by playtime. Happiness is making time for all the important things in your life.
Sometimes there are no words. Sometimes, the words don’t match the pictures and so this time, there are only pictures. For personal reasons, out of respect.
Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and embrace the challenge; that is exactly what we did this weekend when we tackled the girls on our own for the first time. It was challenging but quite manageable with a little big of creativity and planning. We even managed errands, park dates, a run to the mall and lots of play at home. But I think a post about how two adults, one of whom has a PhD, managed to take care of a toddler and an infant is rather boring. Lots of people have done this before us.
Sophia is turning three in October and we have finally embraced cartoons, Disney Princesses and fairytales. So far, Sophia has only seen Cinderella and on Saturday we showed her The Little Mermaid. I shouldn’t admit to this, but I have myself never seen the Little Mermaid or Cinderella (until I saw them both with Sophia). They didn’t show Disney cartoons in the USSR and I am not sure why I never saw it when I first came here… In any event, we made a movie afternoon out of the experience complete with home-made popcorn (not from a packet, either) and had the best time. Sophia loved the cartoon so much so that she asked to put on her princess skirt and necklaces and has been sporting both ever since.
I am not a fan of the princess stage per se; All the tiaras and pretend dress-up usually make me cringe, but there was something very darling about Sophia watching the cartoon, her emotions clearly on display.
I couldn’t have planned this post better if I tried; Throwback thursday or #tbt has become quite popular and while I occasionally post a picture… I’ll post a post. My family emigrated to the United States of America on this day back in 1994. I was 11 and twenty years have elapsed since then. I think it is time for an introspection, a look back to remember where I am, where I came from, what has happened and who has been there along the way. I wrote a brief summary of The Move a while ago; It was the conclusion of a Traveling Back in Timeseries.
No man is an island and I cannot claim credit for where I am without acknowledging the people who have been there along the way. I’ll start with my aunt—my mother’s sister—and her husband who had to petition (the US government) for us to emigrate and agree to become our guarantors taking on complete financial responsibility for us upon our arrival. Those were the conditions the government set before granting us entrance visas. Thankfully, my parents were able to get on their feet within three months. Still, I look at my aunt’s decision now with admiration and a new perspective. Would I ever agree to do this for my sister? Yes. Without a doubt, without a second thought, without hesitation or discussion. And now that I have two little girls, I would hope they grow up in such a way that if ever in need, each would make the same decision to help the other. And so my aunt’s decision to help her sister has had a major impact on my life and how it has turned out.
My education is yet another place where my choices had a significant impact on my life; I didn’t sail through my college courses; I studied for hours every day of the week. There were several times when I didn’t think I could make it all the way. Maybe because I didn’t always feel that, as a woman, I belonged in engineering or maybe because it didn’t always come easily. Either way, there was a mentor at an internship that morphed into my long-term employer who supported and encouraged me. My gratitude to this individual is immense because I am not sure I’d have stuck with my major or my job. After seeing the impact of mentoring firsthand, I made a commitment to mentor younger engineers. It is an incredibly gratifying experience.
Last, but not least, I have had the encouragement and support of a great partner who was a friend at first, then a boyfriend, then a fiancee, a husband and now a father. The magic that Evan weaves is simple—he makes me want to be better, to grow and learn from my experiences.
Twenty years ago, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better outcome than this:
So thank you to those who have been there along the way.
Some firsts are very special. They form warm memories that we look back on as adults. Sophia had ice cream from the ice cream truck—a great first. And she shared it with her Baba and Deda.
Sophia woke up from her nap a little girl on a mission. She was determined to head to a local park and have some ice cream from a truck she saw the last time she was there. Since she didn’t ask for the impossible, we were glad to oblige and spent a lovely late afternoon at a local park and playground.
Distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder—even the littlest of hearts. This weekend marked the first one since Eliza’s birth that Evan was away from our home overnight. He had a great reason to be away too—his future brother-in-law’s bachelor weekend. As difficult as it was for Evan to get away, we felt it was important to support his sister and represent her family.
He drove eight hours to get there (Saratoga Springs) and drove back two days later.
Meanwhile, I held the fort down here with the help of my mother-in-law and my parents. I couldn’t have managed the girls on my own yet and feel very fortunate to have had the support that enabled Evan to get away for a guys’ weekend.
When he finally arrived here yesterday, he rushed past me and a feasting Eliza to play with Sophia and she was just so thrilled to see him again. She wanted to share all her weekend activities with her Papa and play just with him. I loved witnessing their reunion and how warm it was.
The picture is not my finest photography but the content is what really matters: Sophia in her chef’s hat cooking at her play kitchen with petite mittens.
