Crossing the Border...

Travel has become so complicated! I no longer have to just worry about myself, but I need to worry about my husband and two kids too...sheesh, I miss being selfish. Gone are the days that I am able to book a weekend trip to Barcelona to visit a friend, the week prior (sigh, I am reminiscing as I type this, Erica!).

Today, we applied for Amélie's first passport (she is 4 weeks old). Yes folks, you DO need a passport for Canada and you DO need a passport no matter what age you are. We still don't have a move date or much information, but I was frantic as I know these things take time!

TIPS ON APPLYING FOR AN INFANT'S PASSPORT:

* Minors (under 16) may not apply for their first passport by mail, so moms & dads, take the day off because you both need to be there. BOTH parents/guardians need to be present when applying for an infant's passport. Supermoms, you cannot do this task alone! You will need baby's birth certificate/proof of citizenship, evidence of relationship to the minor, Photo IDs of parents/guardians and two (2) passport pictures.

* Original Birth Certificate - mandatory to apply...so if you think you're getting on a plane with your kid the week after he/she is born, you're mistaken. New York City Dept. of Health is particularly slow: 4-6 weeks for a birth certificate!

* You must send the original birth certificate with the application. Don't worry! They will send it back with the passport. It is nerve-wracking sending original documents, but it'll be fine.

* Social Security - you need the number for the application! Quicker than dept. of health, but not quick enough!

* Passport Photo - you need to get creative for this. Your hands (holding baby up) cannot be in photo, so either hold the baby under the onesie/shirt OR bring a white blanket so you can lay it out on a table and take a stress-free picture of your infant.

* Form DS-11: This is the form you need for minors under 16 of age. http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html

* You can expedite a passport for $60 extra and it takes 2-3 weeks door to door. Without expediting, it takes 4-6 weeks.

* Apply at your local post office (call and inquire if you need an appt. and if they facilitate passport applications) or Regional Passport Agency. Bring personal checks!

Happy Travels!

Mother's Day

...the sight of my husband cooking at 7:30 a.m.

...my 2-year old helping set the table

...French Toast, Berries & Mango Smoothies

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/325

...breakfast together in our pajamas

...the baby taking a peaceful nap

...a lazy, sunny day with no crazy plans, appointments or errands

...dinner reservations at a new Turkish restaurant, Ephendi

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ephendi-new-city

What more could I ask for?

My Mother, my friend so dear, throughout my life you’re always near, a tender smile to guide my way, you’re the sunshine to light my day. R.I.P. Mom, you are not forgotten...

Decisions, Decisions...

My husband's company and managers are so accommodating...When approached about the likelihood of a transfer to Vancouver, they jumped through hoops to make it happen. The question was, is this the right thing for our family and is this the right time?

Pros

1 - According to Economist Intelligence Unit (http://www.eiu.com), Vancouver is rated as World's Most Livable City!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_cities

The Economist's World's Most Livable Cities 2010 (Top 10)
	City	Country	Rating
1	Vancouver	Canada	98.0
2	Vienna	Austria	97.9
3	Melbourne	Australia	97.5
4	Toronto	Canada	97.2
5	Calgary	Canada	96.6
6	Helsinki	Finland	96.2
7	Sydney	Australia	96.1
8	Perth	Australia	95.9
	Adelaide	Australia	95.9
10	Auckland	New Zealand	95.7

Vancouver, Canada

2 - We accepted an offer on our house in early April and are closing end of June, so we are making a change to our living arrangements anyway.

3 - Melvin's home office is rumored to be closing in the next year or so, therefore, we'd be forced to move to Chicago or Buffalo OR leave the company when that happens.

4 - Kids are still young and not in school, so they would not hate us for making them leave their friends.

5 - I am currently unemployed so I would not hate Melvin for making me leave my job/career/paycheck.

6 - Tired of the rat race!

Cons

1 - We'd be far from friends & family (but absence makes the heart grow fonder).

2 - It's scary to move to a place where you don't know anyone.

3 - Smaller living quarters as we'd want to be downtown and will be renting an apartment.

So we have it...we're moving! I have mixed feelings about it all; however, it is definitely exciting and we are hoping for many visitors, so we can share our new life with them. AND, we plan to be back because New York is New York and there's lots to miss (I'll save that for a future post).

Home Alone

Today was my first full day at home with both kids...See, Melvin works from home so whenever I need a hand, all I have to do is shout and he comes running up the stairs to help me. Today, he decided to go into the office, and I decided to face my biggest fear...stay home alone with a toddler and newborn! When I left my job (more on that later), we decided to keep Julian at his full-time daycare until at least the summer. It's such a wonderful place, where he can be around great teachers and have the stimulation his growing brain needs. Besides, we had no idea how it would be at home with a newborn. Needless to say, we've been taking him to school while I recover and adjust to Amélie's needs.

What I find amazing is that I have been more frightened to be home with both kids than to move to another country. How strange is that? Therefore, I decided to keep Julian home today and face my fears. I think I'm doing alright.

This morning, we went to our neighbor's house. Her daughter is Julian's age and we were able to chat while the kids ran around. Oh, and did I mention Amélie refused to sleep? I mean, what 3-week old is able to stay awake from 6:40am until noon (which is when we drove home)? ONLY MY CHILD!

After their naps, I'm hoping to muster what little energy I have left to meet our friends at Congers Memorial Lake Park and then have a Cinco de Mayo dinner at another neighbor's house. The plan is to get home right around the time Melvin arrives into our driveway. The plan was to never really be "home alone"....would you say I was able to conquer my greatest fear? Maybe another day...

About

Some may call it a quarter life crisis, while others call it an exciting "chapter" in our lives...I tend to call it "INSANE in the membrane"! My family and I are embarking on a journey...a big relocation from New York (USA) to Vancouver (Canada). That may not seem like a big deal, but for those that know us realize the crazy amount of changes our family has experienced in the the past few months. I'll get into all that later, but for now, I think an intro is in order.

When I say "us", I am referring to me and my growing family.

This is me (Coleen) and my husband/best friend, Melvin. We met at Drexel University in Philadelphia in 1998 and the rest is history. I like to say we "grew up together" and have truly come a long way. We graduated from college in 2001, secured successful careers, traveled extensively, got married, traveled some more, and had 2 children along the way. We work hard, play hard and try to live life with no regrets...onward to Vancouver, the next chapter of our lives!

My vibrant 2-1/2 year old son, Julian, was born in November 2007. He is full of energy and life and makes us laugh on a daily basis. It has been refreshing watching him learn and grow. The below picture was taken on May 2nd, 2010 after his first haircut - yes, we waited that long to cut his curls.

...and finally our newest member, Amélie, who was born on tax day 2010. I don't know what tax day is in Canada, but it's April 15th in the U.S. She is a sweetie and we're still getting to know her. Below was taken during her first bath. She looks like she enjoyed it.