A day of adultness!

Yesterday was a day of adult interaction for me! In the morning we had a mom's morning out in honor of our friend Sarah who is having her 3rd child and therefore heading back to Raleigh for the second semester. So we decided to ask the dads to watch the kids and we went out together. We started with pedicures and manicures and ended by eating a nice lunch at a Thai place on Amsterdam.


Here's Sarah! Man, we're gonna miss her and her family here in our dorm.




Then when I got back Steven and I went on our second date (without our son) since we've been here. Here we are on Columbia's campus that has been decorated with Christmas lights. Picture Steven humoring me as I ask some random person to take our picture.

We had tickets to see the Messiah at Carnegie Hall!

It was amazing and beautiful. My favorite by far was the choir; it had 200 singers! The second act contained some of my favorite parts, and shockingly, some of the best lines and most moving music were things I'd never heard before. It was very long, and I'm sad to report that many of the people there simply seemed to be filling a Christmas cultural tradition instead of hearing the amazing worship that it was created to be. We were actually sitting behind a Jewish couple. I sat there and listened to the beautiful piece and prayed that some of the people singing it would think through the verses for the fist time. But either way, we had a great time and really enjoyed discussing why he choose the verses he chose and why he put them in specific places being sung by the specific parts.


And then to say one last Christmas goodbye to NYC, we swung by the Rockefeller tree on the way home. I must say it was a better sight at night and NOT on a Saturday. We were actually able to move on the sidewalk - at 11 pm on a Tuesday the crowd wasn't that bad. It was pretty-I guess it has just been hyped up so much that I expected it to make or break my Christmas-and it didn't do that.


All in all we had an amazing day and tomorrow we head home for the holidays. So Merry Christmas to everyone who has read this far (and to the others too I suppose) and I'm sure we'll post some pictures of family and friends over the month we're gone!

Here are some of little Steven Edward before you go.

December with Steven Edward

Well, I haven't given an update lately so I figured I would give a little snapshot of what my son is doing these days. Many of you will see all of this soon, but it is as much of a record for me as it is information for you. Humor me.
*He still loves to chase a ball all around the house. He will do this for 30-45 minutes with happy smiles and grunts
*He has figured out how to pull my cookbooks (and anything else for that matter) off the bottom shelf while crawling.
*He has also figured out that if he goes to the shelf and sits up, he can not only clear the bottom shelf, but make a good dent in the second shelf as well.
*About 2 weeks ago he became quite proficient at coming to a sitting position from a crawl. He originally would do it and look back for me with a huge smile, proud of himself and waiting for my applause!
*He also loves to crawl to our balcony door and watch what is going on outside. He will crawl to the window, sit up, and look out like a cat. Here is a picture of him watching it snow.
*He loves trucks and toys that make noise...or anything else that makes noise, like kitchen things or the radiator cover. Banging is his new pastime.
*He is experimenting with different sounds. He is using "r" and "w" quite well, and while riding in his stroller will scream, "awa, awa, awa" over and over again.
*When tired he starts to shake his head back and forth (like he's saying no), rub his eyes, grab his ears, and get extremely squirmy.
*He loves to crawl into small spaces - like the kitchen, bathroom, or under tables and chairs.
*His feet are quite ticklish and he loves for you to tickle him anywhere - he has the cutest laugh when you do so.
*He loves for his daddy to toss him in the air
*He will and does eat any and everything.
*He is starting to assert his independence by never wanting me to feed him finger foods; he will shut his mouth, turn away, and then get and eat them himself (oh how I look forward to middle school).
*He loves to lay on one side when turning directions (kind of like a super model pose

*He loves faces, especially mouths, and beards add a whole new element of fun!








*He won't drink from a sippy cup (he only chews the spout) but if I hold it and give it to him without a top, he's a huge fan of water.
*He also loves to crawl to the chairs and slide them across the floor (because they make a loud scraping noise).
*He is doing his very best to pull up on anything and everything he can-he spends much of the in between time in the downward dog position!

Colleen's Birthday

So today is Colleen's birthday and this post is in honor of her! We took a quick trip to Lincoln Center to hit up the Barnes and Noble and just have a morning out in the city. We started by looking at the Lincoln Center Christmas Tree, which in my opinion is a much nicer tree than the Rockefeller tree! I have some very tangible reasons to back my opinion.
1. The Lincoln Center Tree appears to be a Frasier Fur-which is a much nicer tree
2. It actually is the shape of a Christmas tree!
3. It has ornaments
4. It twinkles with white snow flakes.
5. There were no crowds that created a panic attack type reaction for me.
All in all I would say this tree is much nicer. You should check it out if you're ever in NYC over the holidays! Here are some pictures!

Christmas Time!

Merry Christmas from the Bancroft Kids! How cute are they in their Christmas outfits! This had potential to be a disaster, but it turned out quite well. Meet our children Owen, Mary, Emma, Avery, David....and then the scowling youngsters Addie, Steven Edward, and Addison! This was taken before our church's Christmas Lessons and Carols.

Macy's

The only time I get really excited about our crazy hot radiator heat is after a long afternoon walking in the 19 degree weather! The warmth happily knocks you over as you walk into the lobby! Colleen, Mary, Steven Edward and I made a morning out of shopping for a winter coat. We headed to Macy's and were thrust into the holiday spirit! The window displays were amazingly elaborate and ironically quite loud! Here are some pictures-not quite as impressive as they actually were in real life.
















They even had the ball that they drop in Time Square. Turns out it's quite elaborate and was created by Waterford! Go figure! Little Steven was mesmerized.


The Santa display was nothing short of a remake of the North Pole. You can see the little bears here. (Although the penguins didn't make the picture.)

Overall the store was absolutely decked out. No Biltmore, but this was free, so I can't really complain.


We even had a bit to eat watching the ice skaters in Bryant Park. What an exciting outing for a Thursday! I even got a jacket out of it.

Snooooooowwwww!!!

When I wake up in the morning and it's snowing, I feel like a little girl on Christmas morning full of anticipation! I can barely contain myself, so I run to wake my husband (who is not quite so excited as me) and we sit with warm drinks and watch the snow fall. Our view is beautiful from our French doors and for the first time this winter the snow is actually sticking. The streets have the quietness that only snow can bring and there are very few people out and about (because obviously New Yorkers are not quite as stoked about the snow as I am....actually I'm not even sure the kids are as excited about the snow as I am). I promptly call my mother to tell her it's snowing. I'm not sure why I do this; it is simply part of a routine that I must go through when I see snow falling from the sky. She is excited...and then eventually I call my friend Clare. Because she is from Texas and may actually feel the same excitement I do.





Unfortunately my son has to take his morning nap, so I venture out with all the older kids for fun in the snow on the sidewalk. My husband is not too disappointed to have to stay in the warm apartment with our little sleeper. My eager attitude and grown men tugging a box down a hill with four kids on it are probably both huge signs to those walking by us that we are new to the city. But we don't care. We just keep on playing. What a fun morning before church we had.





Luckily we got it all out before our walk to church - so at least our church friends thought we were remotely cool about the snow. I kept my excitement inside and they never knew about my second-base slide down the sidewalk that was so much fun. After church it seemed to be colder and all the fun had melted with some of the snow. Slowly I found myself slipping into a city mentality...where it was just cold and wet and I wanted to get home quickly. I even wished I had on tall rain boots. Man how quickly we conform.

Avoiding the Plague

Well, our Thanksgiving holiday was a mixed bag really. We had an incredibly relaxing vacation and were able to spend lots of good time with Steven's family and with our good friends Peter, Carolyn, Madeline, and Owen. On the other hand, half the house was infected by the rotavirus, and the morning of Thanksgiving I was informed that we were canceling the holiday and moving it to Friday! I was not able to spend quite as much time with my family due to the sickness, but luckily I was able to see them twice throughout the holiday (both times I failed to bring my camera :( When we left the house we were 3 of the 4 people who hadn't gotten sick! Unfortunately I was cursed by a different sickness upon returning to NYC and have been in bed for 3 days...go figure. Here are some pictures of our break.

Cold Fall Day In The Park

Hey guys-this is a new feature that I learned from my friend Tripp. Please comment and tell me if you like it or if you'd rather me just post the pictures like I used to! Thanks!

PS...It snowed today, but it was a wet snow so it didn't stick.

10 Things I've Noticed About New Yorkers!

1. They don't say 'mam. In fact I was trying to get the attention of a lady in front of me in line because I thought she had forgotten one of her items, and I said "Mam. Excuse me mam." I had to say it several times. She eventually turned around and remarked to her friend that I had called her that. To which I replied..."um...yea, Southern habit. People up here are not so used to that." She smile and said, "how cute." (REALLY....how cute. I'm 26 years old and pushing a stroller and she replies how cute!)

2. No one speaks to people they don't know. If this rule is broken they look at you like you are crazy. No one speaks on the subway. Even if you get on with a friend, you both bring a book and sit and read to keep each other company. They are more likely to talk to you if you have a baby, that seems to break all codes.

3. If rain is forcasted, all the girls wear knee high rain boots. I'm talkin bright yellow, puddle stompin rain boots! The first time I saw a girl with them on I almost laughed out loud. Good thing I kept it in because eventually I realized everyone had them on.

4. No one leaves a note if they hit your car. In fact they will run right into you when they're parking and think nothing of it.

5. Shopping carts are the same as snow plows for people-for my purpose we'll call them people plows. The first few times I went to a big store that actually had carts, I was convinced that my stress level upon leaving was based on the fact that I'd only been in little markets and that one must have had a lot of things. WRONG...it's the carts that do me in. Northerns just run those people plows right down an aisle and you better watch out. How I miss the Southern grocery stores where people help you if you drop something, where they use words like mam, where large aisles are the norm, and where I can put my car seat in the cart!

6. Ground breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean) doesn't exist. I tried asking for ground sausage at a meat counter and they looked at me like they had never heard of ground sausage!

7. Excuse me is not a polite term up here. It is said in every tone of voice and often is used as you push someone out of your way.

8. Pizza boys deliver on bicycles. In fact, on a Friday or Saturday night if you pass a local pizza place there are 4-5 of them lined up at the door, helmet in hand, waiting for the next hot pizza to come out.

9. No one buys economy or family sized anything....anything from shampoo to toilet paper rolls. Probably because a 500 square foot apartment in considered big in this city-where the heck would they put it?

10. They are all genuinely nice people...they just tend to be in a hurry to get from one place to another.

Steven Edward Update

This is an updated crawling video. This one is funny to me because he changes objects of interest mid stream...you'll see. You may not be interested at all-but I figured grandparents and great grandparents always want an update!



It amazes me how quickly children develop! He is currently working on crawling on his knees. He will get up on two knees and rock back and forth-similar to a crouching cat-and then lunge forward. He has already done at least two face plants into his toys and I'm sure that is just the beginning. I'm sure before I know it he will be leaping off things and heading to the hospital.

He also got his second tooth yesterday-he went from no teeth to two in a week! What a crazy fellow we have. God is constantly reminding me of his love and mercy through this little guy. What a blessing children are.

Weekend with Anthony

Getting back to NYC from Richmond was a bit of a headache, but I was greeted by a familiar face upon return. Anthony, a good family friend, was able to come visit us in the city for a 15th birthday present and we had a blast. It is so much fun to show people around a city which I can call my own. Knowing the ins and outs and seeing the awe on the people's faces is always a thrill.


We decided to do an overview of the entire island of Manhattan. We started by taking the subway to the south end of the island and walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Here are some shots just before the bridge. One is a distant shot of the Woolworth building and the other is a colorful fall view of the street.

Here we are headed out onto the bridge itself.


There were great views of the skyline of the city!

Then we headed down towards ground zero. There is not too much to see there other than the plans of the new buildings that they are working on. They are building five buildings with a memorial park in the middle of them...they spiral towards the park and the tallest (the freedom tower) will be the tallest building in the world for about 6 months. Here are some shots at City Hall Park-a park one block away from the site of the twin towers.

Then we made our way to Trinity Church and Wall Street. These are shots of the church from the outside and a picture looking down Wall Street.



Believe it or not we had to wait about 10 minutes to get this shot with George....you'd never know it by the expressions on these faces! The 10 minutes is a fraction of the time it would have taken to get a picture with the bull....from either side.





Then we headed down to see the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately the wait was extremely long and that wouldn't have even gotten us into the Lady so we took the free option of the Staten Island Ferry and got just as good of a view!

Here you see the statue on the left and Ellis Island on the right.

There were some great city shots from the boat as well. It was fun to see the Brooklyn Bridge from a distance after we'd been over it just a few hours before.

We then took off to Chinatown and Little Italy where we had great Italian and some killer Tiramisu. The boys kept going to Midtown where they walked all the way from the south end of Central park (which is at 59th street) through all the chaos of Time Square hitting every square and park along the way until they reached Union Square (14th street). If that isn't an overview of the city I don't know what is. A day that is fit for a teenage boy and not the young mother who bailed out after dinner for an early bed time.

Overall we had a great time and it gave Steven and I a chance to enjoy the city in which we live.