I truly don’t think we could have asked for a more beautiful day last Friday. After a week of crummy weather, the sun came out during our last playdate and wow…there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. You can tell by these pictures that Charlie enjoyed her last visit to our favorite afternoon jaunt, Winnemac Park…and after sliding and stealing other children’s toys we took these three chickies back to Ms. Liz’s house for more playtime in the backyard.

When it was time to leave, Charlie hugged the necks of her little friends and we took our last walk together as a “city” family. We ended up in the square, the center of all neighborhood activity and a magnet for strollers. I let her get out and chase the pigeons, which she loves to do, and as I watched her run, I couldn’t fight back the tears…thinking that her first trip to the square was 3 or 4 days after her birth.

I will be the first to say I am READY for the simpler, easier life that comes with moving to the ‘burbs (attached garages, trust that your belongings will remain in your backyard, a lower cost of living, SPACE, etc.) but the city is special in it’s own way…having everything at your fingertips is something that I will miss greatly. Where else can you pick up your dry cleaning, grab a Starbucks, buy a gift for a friend, return a library book, order sushi and hunt down that bag of dried mango that Lindsay had at mom’s group last week?? Sure, you can do all these things in the ‘burbs with a car…and yes, I know that a lot of subdivisions have gorgeous community centers with pools and walking paths and tricked out gyms…but loading the stroller up and pounding the pavement has been better for me than any therapy could ever be.

I guess that’s what I was thinking while I was crying behind my sunglasses, hoping no one would notice my lips twitching: that this was the last time Charlie would be chasing pigeons through the square, with the cafe on the corner that has the BEST sugar cookies, and the toy store down the block that has the BEST toys and the BEST gifts for our pals…the little German hood that has been like a little piece of heaven for us. I will forever cherish the memories made here.

So, in closing, we got the girls transferred safely to Mimi and Poppy on Saturday and so far they are having a ball. Highlights include: Charlie’s first night in a “big” bed, a trip to the nursery to help Poppy pick out some plants, and the joy of new toys and new books…not too mention some Kengas that Mimi has had stockpiled for just this occasion.

We talked to our big girl on the phone tonight, and hearing her sweet voice (which is something that people always comment on – I just assumed all kids talk like she does), I am further reminded of how greatly God has blessed me in this life. Why He chose to trust me to parent this amazing little person (or people, not to leave Baby E out) is a mystery to me.