The highs and lows of moving from London to New York with young kids
All day long I’ve had that song from My Fair Lady in my head; ‘I’m getting married in the morning, ding dong the bells are going to chime!” Except I’ve been singing “New York, we’re coming in the morning,” instead.
Tomorrow’s the big day, The Big Move.
Continue reading “Goodbye Greenwich, hello New York”
Struggling to keep to my official ‘Moving To New York To Do List’ at the moment, which includes all sorts of tedious-yet-vital things. Check the airline’s baggage allowance, get the kids’ passport photos for visas, sort out International Driving Licences, call the house insurers, yaddah yaddah yaddah. There’s just so much to think about when moving countries (click here for my tips on what to bother shipping out).
Instead, I am happily ordering yet more classic British children’s books online. Alfie’s Christmas, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt… pretty much anything involving Julia Donaldson, Helen Oxenbury or Shirley Hughes.
Continue reading “Failing my Moving To New York To Do List”
Met another mum at a local Greenwich playgroup this morning who’s just back from a year in Manhattan with two kids very similar ages to ours. I invited her round for tea and she’s reeled off lots of useful information, including fact that some New York schools require a chickenpox vaccine certificate.
I didn’t even know it was possible to get a vaccine. Only last week I saw a notice on the nursery doors warning of chickenpox going round, and thought “Oh goody, so they can get it young”. Surely a vaccine is much better. Made some calls. Turns out it’s actually not possible to get it done in the UK anyway, since one of the two vaccines is no longer stocked here.
For a full list of the vaccines usually given in New York, click here.
C’s back in New York again this week. Massive rush to get all his laundry washed and ready for packing again. We’ve made a little recording of him reading The Gruffalo, to play to the girls at bedtime. They love it. And so do I.
C has been commuting weekly between London and New York. He works all day and then walks around Manhattan in the evenings, searching for the right neighbourhood for us to live in (for more on this, click here). Luckily Greenwich is very close to London City Airport, which flies direct to JFK.
C flew home to London City Airport this morning, we were all up and dressed and waiting by the window at 7.30am. T went berserk with excitement when the taxi pulled up, and 16 month old B toddled over pointing a podgy finger and chanting “Da, Da, Da, Da”. So lovely. And I have a present, a shiny new iPad with which to write this blog and also keep in touch with everyone once we’re gone. Brilliant. Feel like a smart, sophisticated, technologically savvy woman of the world. Wonder how long that’s going to last.
Continue reading ““Has she got a tail?””
