Here vs. There

We've been in NYC for a little more than four months. All along, people have asked how we're adjusting, if we like NY, yada, yada. I think four months is still too early to call it, but I'm back to finding the utter-darlingness of it all a little wearing. Add to that I'm starting week 31 and my energy and my patience are ebbing.

At the park near us yesterday, there were two little girls — both beautiful, both in fur-trimmed outfits. While there are lots of kids who look like kids, there are a many who look like mini-mamas. Ugg boots galore (caveat: they are warm and good in the cold, snow, wind, slush), fashionista berets, beautiful clothes. I want Bama to be dressed well and be the beautiful girl she is, but we can neither afford the cost (a pair of lined silver boots at Makie, a shop near one of the parks, cost $175) nor would we want to spend that kind of money (I'm sure I'll cave and buy her a pair of $74 ECCOs (ooh! cheaper at Zappos!). Most of what we buy is from consignment or super-sales for a few reasons: Consignment means reused and I appreciate being able to reuse when we can; seriously? $74 for her shoes? Mister and I each have two pairs of shoes we wear and both could use a pair or two more. 

The extravagance is sometimes a bit much.

Not to sound like a dour Dora because I'm loving the chill in the air and the transition to a real fall and winter. It feels different, here, than in California. Sometimes I can smell the snow coming. Miser asked if I was ready to go home, and I'm not. I may not be in the summer, but I'm not sure I'm ready to keep on keeping on here, either.

Options.

It is incredible how much there is to do here. We're a 20 minute subway ride from MOMA (and we'll be going in the next couple of weeks). We're an easy ride to the American Museum of Natural History, which, like the Met, has a "suggested" entry fee of about $20. it is as expensive as people think. The Children's Museum of Brooklyn is supposed to be great, and hopefully, we'll make it out there. $85 a year for a starter membership. I'd also like to check out the Children's Museum of Manhattan which has a room for 0-4 year olds that sounds like a lot of fun (and it's one ride away).

In Berkeley, Habitot, which became a favorite spot of ours, cost $10 per person per session, which was untimed. I thought that was a bit much, but bought a punch card on discount from Savvy Source to take the sting away. A year membership for two is $110. Yesterday, I took Bama to City Treehouse, which was great. Clean, big, full of fun toys, and an AWESOME treehouse thing to run and slide on. It's $20 per hour. Yep. And a membership is $1,500 for the year. An unlimited monthly pass is $175. 

We go to Moomah, an art cafe in Tribeca. Good food and art projects. We've made a couple of placemats and painted a picture frame. It's cool and would do well in the Marina, but not in most other places, I think. Projects start at $15 and go up from there.

I realize I sound hung up on prices of everything, but with winter coming, we'll need some indoor activities. Bama needs some scheduled time around other children her age. We haven't made friends here, and, honestly, that's becoming okay with me as we are more and more certain that not matter how much we may like it here, it's temporary. But, Bama needs regular interactions with others. It's only fair to her. Last, with Tiny Baby due in nine weeks (NINE WEEKS), we're also looking for things for Bama to do that are all hers. 

Nana has given Bama two gifts for places to try out. I'm excited to get us to CitiBabes for a class next semester. She can do art, cooking, music, science — how cool! (annual membership: $2,100 before class costs!). Hopefully, we'll catch a few music classes through Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals.  

We have options. Lots. Somedays it's overwhelming. Other days, it's just expensive. Every day I can only choose one thing for us to do and hope I can keep up with our girl who wants to run and slide and walk and draw and talk and do all of those things simultaneously.