Ross Partners Blog

Living in A2 with Kids - Part 1

Coming to Ann Arbor with kids in tow can be really overwhelming; if you have a job you need to find childcare options, you aren't familiar with what is available to entertain your kids, and what do you do when it starts to get so cold outside? Stay inside and get cabin fever? NO! This blog entry is my gift to all the partners of MBA students who will be living in A2 with kids. It's more of a bullet-style survival guide to get you off to a great start to keeping your kids happily entertained (and your sanity in check) when moving to unfamiliar territory. I've only listed activities or destinations that are tried and true by myself and many other MBA families. 

First of all, sign up for the Ross Partners Club. By doing this, you will automatically be part of the Ross Partners MBA Kids Club. They also have a MBA Kids Facebook Group which is a must join so you can keep up with all the last minute coffee dates, playground playdates and movie nights! Even though the Ross Partners Club will keep your happy hour mugs filled with delicious microbrews and the Ross MBA Kids Club will fill your calender weeks or months in advance with kid-centered outings, if you're like me you will want more! Ann Abor has so much to offer in the family-friendly category.

Rule #1 to keep you sanity with kids at home during the winter: Don't let the cold weather or rain keep you home!

Rule #2: If you are pulling your hair out wondering why you want to climb the walls of your house, read Rule #1 again.

A2 Indoor Activities to do with Kids

1. Storytime at one of the many Ann Arbor Public Libraries, options for all ages.
2. Briarwood Mall (in Ann Arbor) has an indoor play area that's fun for young kids. They also open the mall early for exercise hungry moms who want to walk the mall without maneuvering strollers through shoppers. In addtion, UMove, Zumba and Stroller Strides fitness groups meet here several days a week. Who needs a gym when you have the mall?
3. Indoor Playground Facilities: The Chelsea Treehouse, My Urban Toddler, Jump City, Xtreme Bounce Zone, Gym America. Most of these places have food and drinks and a place for the moms and dads to sit down together and drink a sip or two of coffee while not racing after their kids!
4. Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum (I love this place!) I think the Hands-on museum is just as entertaining for the parents as the kids!
5. Go Shopping! Kid-friendly stores that moms (and kids) love: The Little Seedling, Children's Orchard, Grow With Me,  
6. Join the Y! When we first moved to A2, I wasn't working and didn't have any childcare for my son. Joining the YMCA was like hitting the jackpot for me. I got to work out and get a small (but much needed) break from my son. With a family membership you get 2 hours of free child care every day! The Y offers financial scholarships depending on your income (or lack thereof!) so it can be a real option for families on a student budget. My son has so much fun there he asks to go the "the gym". 

But Ann Arbor isn't just about hosting amazing indoor recreation. The spring and the fall (I can't speak to the summer) are so beautiful here that you just want to spend every moment possible outdoors. Spring makes you want to start a garden, train for a marathon, or go to the Farmer's Market. And fall inspires you to become a photographer (or at least grab your camera on the way out the door), to take a nap under the gorgeous fall colored leaves, or go pumpkin picking. Take advantage of the good weather!

A2 Outdoor Activities to do with Kids

1. A2 has just about one park per capita! You're bound to be blessed with ample access no matter where you live. Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation. Is one or more of your children furry and likes to wag their tail? No problem! Bring all your kids to the several dog-friendly parks in A2.
2. Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum - It is so beautiful here you will want to take your camera, snacks or lunch and make a day of it!
3. Leave the zoo at home and go to Domino's Petting Farm. Be sure not to leave your child in the goat enclosure ;-)
4. Go apple picking in the fall at Wasem Fruit Farm. Buy enough apples to make apple pie and definitely check out the freshly made donuts and cider! 
5. Grab a coffee while you shop for locally grown foods, plants, handicrafts and prepared food items in the open-air Ann Arbor Kerrytown Farmer's Market. 

As you can see, life in A2 can be as jam-packed with fun activity as you want. And you don't have to explore it by yourself while your partner slaves away in the library studying (yeah, right!)...there is huge group of Rossers, just like you, that will band together and be your instant family! Here are some more Ann Arbor family resources to explore:

ArborWeb.com

AnnArborFamily.com

This is a great list of almost everything a parent would ask when moving to a new city, all related to Ann Arbor.

Stay tuned for Living in A2 with Kids - Part 2: Finding Childcare

Glad To Be Home

Happy New Year!  The start of the New Year always seems to include some reflection of the past year and insight or anticipation of what the coming year may bring. With that in mind, I have to share my surprising revelations.

My husband (MBA, Class of 2012), myself, and my 21-month old toddler travelled for the entire holiday break starting off by visiting my family in Minnesota and spending most of the break in Thailand. As we came back to Minnesota from our far off travels I found myself really anxious and excited to get back home. By “home”, I wasn’t referring to my childhood home of Minnesota, I was actually referring to Ann Arbor. This was somewhat shocking to me considering that we only moved there less than a year and a half ago and within that time frame, we also moved to Chicago for a summer internship. So really, we had only been actually physically living in Ann Arbor for 13 months.  And yet, some of my best friends… my support network… my community was all in Ann Arbor.

This realization made me smile. In a relatively short period of time, I had found a community that I identified with, made strong ties with and MISSED! I think that having children as a Ross Partner helped forge extremely fast but strong and lasting friendships with the other partners with children. We all came to Ann Arbor not knowing anyone, our husbands were busy with school and we were home alone with the kids. Except, that didn’t last long at all! Almost immediately we started to host kids’ play dates, go out for “Girls Night Out”, attend each other’s birthday parties, plan “MBA Kids” outings, craft days, coffee dates and whatever other “excuse” we make up to get together. 

Now that I’m settling back into my life in Ann Arbor, I have only one worry…how am I going to find the time and the frequent flyer miles to visit all my amazing friends when we all move to various different cities across the nation (and world) come graduation in April??? This is definitely a wonderful problem to have!