Emotionally exhausted!

We broke the news to the kids yesterday. We thought that a day out with the kids and some nice dinner afterwards will give them an emotionally enough high that we could run with and share what's going to happen in a few weeks. Little did I expect what actually happened. I was told by them that after such a great day these are the worst news anybody could ever receive. Lesson learned, I guess.

While we were out rollerskating in Brooklyn Bridge Park I looked at the skyline and the people around me and knew that I will miss this. I don't think we can have this in Irvine. But then, we'll have other things that are just as great and will make for everything else. At least, that's the theory I am going with right now.

After the first shock and many rounds of "Why?" and "Can you quit it?" and "We'll do anything for it not to happen!" the 10 and 11 year olds kind of accepted their faith (my 11 year old just told me over breakfast that she is actually a little bit excited about the move.) The 15 year old is having a lot of a harder time. She had a hard first year in her new high school and she is afraid that she has to this all over again. She's not good in making friends and it took her most of the year to just fit in and be comfortable with her new surroundings. She is right. She will have to do it all over again but going to a smaller school and, hopefully, with the help of the teachers and staff at the new place, it will not be as bad as here. I also think people are a lot nicer in California than they are here in NYC. That's another theory I am using until proven otherwise. The least we can do is put her in charge of picking a school. We will choose our neighborhood by what school she's comfortable with (to a certain extend, of course.) She can look at the clubs, the curriculum, even the look of the school.

On the other hand, my in-laws reacted in the most positive way. My wife's entire family lives in Seattle and Portland and they are ecstatic that we will be only a couple of hours away and not five or six. My father-in-law just turned 80 and it is important that it'll be easier to get to see him whenever needed without taking extra days off from work or spending a ton of money. My mother lives in Germany and she was also very excited about the news. She's quite a bit younger so I am not too concerned to be a lot farther away from her now. Luckily, we don't have much more family that needs to know.

Next step, tell the co-workers. I already told my boss and the one colleague I work with the closest. Now I have to spread the word to everybody else. This can actually be exciting!