Oh Rats!

I just watched a rat flop it's last flops on the concrete patio a few feet from my bedroom door. Guaranteed nightmares for at least 5 years and conversion to a vegetarian lifestyle for 2 weeks. Yesterday at church a couple of people talked about the mice and bedbug problems in this part of Manhattan. It got me thinking (a little too much):

Pros of our new place as opposed to our old place:
1. 4 short blocks to Elijah’s new school
2. Good public school district for next year (although I hear it’s extremely competitive even for public schools)
3. 2 floors, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, semi-private outside cement area where apparently rats like to die (and really, how private can you get in this population density—several buildings look down on our shared patch of cement)
4. Much better running paths. I prefer Riverside Park along the Hudson. David often goes to Central Park.
5. Much closer to church. We shaved 40 minutes off the commute.
6. A lot closer to the people in our ward; so now I don’t feel guilty about asking them over.

Cons or our new place:
1. Commute for David=30 minutes in train instead of 20 minutes walking
2. No A/C upstairs...until we bought one
3. No microwave (gave away our old one since our last place had one built in). How long is it possible to survive without the modern convenience of a microwave? So far, about 2 weeks and counting.
4. No dishwasher
5. Had to pay a $2450 broker fee. The monthly rent is $500 than our last place, but the broker fee helps make up that difference.
6. Noisy: we are right by the entrance door, meaning we hear the comings and goings of everyone, and everyone can hear me yelling...er...speaking softly to my children.
7. It’s very difficult to see the sky; I have to either crane my head or stand close to the window, therefore it’s usually dark and dreary, which makes me always feel like I should be sleeping.
8. Our last place was better maintained. It was spotless with beautiful parks and plants everywhere. I had a friend who didn’t like it though because it was so big and she felt like one in a million there. I was fine with being one in a million as long as they came the same day to fix my clogged toilet. Now I feel like I’m nagging every time I ask for something to be fixed, or removed, e.g. a dying rat…
9. the top of the list is RATS!

Oh dear, there are a lot more cons than pros, but obviously the pros outweigh the cons, or else we wouldn’t have moved.

If you're still reading, congratulations, your prize is a lesson in night terrors. Elijah has had night terrors for quite some time. He didn't get it from me. I learned about David's problem a few months into our marriage when he hit me in the middle of the night. He claimed he saw a threatening Arabian man standing over me; apparently the threat vanished just as David was going to protect me. Fishy. Various other weird ninja-like moves have come from a semi-conscious David over the years. A few mornings ago I found David picking wall paint out of a sizable wound on his knee. Another threatening Arabian man? We shall never know, but at least I wasn't the casualty this time.

Vacation

TEXAS
We started with a bang at the Astros game with the Schmitt clan, and mom and dad, who were in town for the weekend.

Elijah loved Ellie's pink princess bike.

The Houston train.
Claire trying Elijah's shoe on her leg. She is absolutely obsessed with shoes. Her second word was "shoe." It took me a while to believe that's what she was saying since I always say "zapato." She's a little Spanish rebel, just like her brother.


The water park. Elijah is at the top of the slide and Lex is right by him in this picture.
It's okay for first cousins to kiss in Texas.


Lex trying to read a book to the gang.
Outside of skateboard camp.

Garcia invasion!
UTAH


Cute cousins.
The birthday girl!
The girls. I've known Anna Nagel for about 18 years now. We are both pretty bad at keeping in touch, but everytime we get back together I feel like I'm 11 again (for better or worse...haha).
We visited Grandma Lillywhite. She is an amazing woman and artist (that's her atrwork on the wall). Seeing grandma always boosts my self-esteem. She is such a complimentary woman and is the first to see the best in others. She's 94 and still strong!
Luis and Sarah's wedding day. It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony, a very strong spirit.



Elijah panhandled outside of the temple. He even hit up a bride. Unfortunately she didn't have any spare change, but many others did. When he saw a fellow panhandler, I asked if he wanted to give her his proceeds. He gave her a rock instead.




Date night. The Roof, Joseph Smith movie, a stroll at the temple, and Sonic Cherry Limeade Chiller.
Music and the spoken word. David was gracious enough to stay with the kids...I think he regretted it afterward.

My parents' mission call....

Kenya, Africa. They will be welfare humanitarian missionaries and we will be very excited to visit them!

delinquent blogger

Past month craziness:
1. painful apartment hunt with 2 kids, hot trains, and a negligent management company
2. packing, sorting, cleaning all belongings
3. move #1
4. living in boxes
5. 10 day trip to Houston to see the Schmitts and escape massive disorder
6. move #2 (thankfully in the same building)
7. trip to Utah for Ortiz wedding

all interspersed with work and play, as always

To preserve my sanity, I can’t give more details at present; pictures will be posted later. We arrived this morning after 1am. Work is awaiting and I am thoroughly determined to hang my pictures before passing my halfway mark in this new apartment (took me 6 months last time).