We went to NYC to stay with friends of ours this past weekend - a trip we've had planned for several weeks. The morning that we were to leave, Thursday, we got a call that Jim's stepfather had been taken into emergency surgery and the outlook wasn't good. Our trip hung in the balance for several hours until he was successfully out of surgery and we decided to go out of town as planned.
We called Jim's mom while we were taxing in NYC and learned that Doug had passed away a half hour before. Ugh.
We ended up staying in NYC, a fact that had me teetering on guilt several times but I'm glad we did, and coming home on Sunday on our original flight. What did we do in NY?
- Nicole rode in a shuttle, airplane, taxi, subway, & town car all for the first time
- Hung out at the really great park by John & Ruth's apartment
- Ate lunch at Grimaldi's pizza
- Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge
- Went to Macy's
- Had a lousy experience in Chinatown - bathroom incident with Nicole & it was SOOOO crowded!
- Sipped Starbucks frappacinos on Time's Square
- Played Central Park and rode the carousel
- Went out for a nice adults only dinner (if you're wondering, a babysitter for 4 kids for four hours is $100), split a $4 cupcake, and played chess on Union Square
All in all a WONDERFUL weekend away. Pictures to follow....
All of our down time was spent talking about what to do about Jim's mom so there was a necessary serious undertone to the quiet times of the trip.
When we got home and picked up Chris I got to witness some new things he'd learned - how to pull himself up well (he was casual about using this skill before) and how to climb up steps (greeeeaaaattttt). He's since climbed the entire staircase at our house (with me right behind him just in case!) so he's got it down pretty good. While we were gone he attended a Reds game, graduation party, and generally seemed to enjoy being doted on.
On Monday we took the kids to daycare and drove north for the funeral. It was strange because Jim and I both went into auto-pilot the whole weekend but when we were there, amongst the pictures, the tears, and the memories, things got emotional real fast. The service was very nice in general and I was glad to see that Vickie decided to put Doug in the clothes he would have normally worn, not some stuffy suit "because she should". He looked very Doug.
The conversations with Jim's mom went well. She has some options which is good. She also has a lot of legitimate concerns. We offered to let her move to Cincinnati but she wasn't at all interested in that which made me sigh with selfish relief. She's playing things by ear right now until she gets a death certificate and can start actually making some legal changes.
Here it is Thursday and we're all back in our normal routines. Jim and I both went back to work on Tuesday, he played softball yesterday, Nicole and I planted some seeds in a cup and are going to watch them grow (hopefully).
6 comments:
You have me interested in a New York trip, sounds fun.
Never fun when a family member passes away, so thinking of you guys and Jim's mom.
I'm sorry to hear about Doug - our thoughts to all of you, but especially to Vickie while she deals with grieving & sorting everything out.
How is Jim taking everything? I think it would be VERY hard to lose a parent, so I am super concerned about him.
Nicole has been to New York! She is a well traveled little girl!!
Now that Chris is doing steps, you will be twice as busy!!!
Glad you got to stay in New York and see the city. It is certainly fun!!
Our thoughts out to Doug. I only met him a couple times, but he was a very likeable guy. I'm glad I was able to chat with Jim yesterday, he understandably was a little down.
Glad to hear you guys had a good trip despite the difficult news. I'm also glad to hear that Vickie chose to put Doug in his clothes, and hope that gave everyone comfort.
Thoughts and prayers for you all, losing a family member is never easy.
So sorry to hear about Jim's stepfather, I'm sending my heartfelt condolences.
On the upside: you're trip NYC looks/sounds fabulous. One day, I'll make it there, too. :) :) :)
Oh - just to put all my comments into one: Nicole's art is fabulous!
Post a Comment