When your mom suddenly says, “Pack a suitcase for two weeks,” where do you begin? 13-year-old Israel grabbed his trumpet, his tennis racquet, and filled his backpack with books for the trip to Rhode Island.

“It was super uncomfortable on the drive. My legs hurt from the stuff on my lap,” he explained. For in addition to his trumpet, tennis racquet, and backpack, he held some groceries, including a gallon of milk, which his dad, Dr. Eli Stahl, suggested Israel and his three siblings drink before it got warm.

“No one knew the situation,” Heather, Israel’s mom, shared. Prepared to hunker down in their New York City apartment for the duration of the recent stay at home orders, and having just discovered an international grocery store in Queens, she made two trips in the middle of the night to stock the refrigerator and pantry for her and husband Eli’s family of six, seven counting Gladys, the family dog.

Meanwhile, in Warwick, Nana and Papa, or Carol and Ken MacNaught as they are known outside of the family, called Heather and Eli to invite the family of six for an extended visit. “Were they just being polite?” Heather wondered aloud to her hairstylist.

Heather viewed online posts for New York teens. “Are you sending your kid to school?” was the topic of discussion. “They all went to school until there was no school!” she said. Between herself, Eli, and their four children, with their extra curricular activities, “We represent Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Westchester.” Would they be putting her parents’ health at risk by accepting their generous offer?

Back in Warwick, Carol was anxious about the grandchildren going to school on the crowded subway, with their involvement in various sports and dance programs. “They were entrenched in The City. We asked if they wanted to sit this one out in Rhode Island.” Heather and Eli lived in the Greenwood section of Warwick until their move to New York in 2012.

A trusted friend encouraged Heather to commit and, “Within 24 hours, we did a 180!” In hindsight, perhaps the groceries might have waited. Israel can attest to that.

Admittedly, Heather says there is some survivors’ guilt about leaving The City. It wasn’t easy to extricate themselves from New York. Leaving his post as associate director of psychiatric genomics at Mount Sinai Medical School, Eli recently accepted the position of director of statistical genetics at Regeneron Genetics Center. He drove for his first day of work, Monday, March 9th. Tuesday he took the train. On Wednesday employees were encouraged to work from home. By the weekend, Regeneron employees were informed it was mandatory to work from home. Eli’s eyes grew wide as he remembered the possibility of exposure to the virus from his commute on the train.

“When the announcement came that the New York Public Schools would close,” said Eli, “we had 24 hours to pack our New York City apartment.” It was March 15th.

Eli now shares Ken’s office, where he enjoys the view of the outdoors beyond his computer screen. “He has such a sophisticated area of expertise. He’s hiring people, finishing projects. I’m proud of him,” says his admiring father-in-law, Ken.

“Eli does random things,” Carol adds with appreciation, “screws and hinges—things we don’t notice. He can also reach the top of the patio umbrella,” she notes.

Sharing a kitchen

“It’s nice to have Heather home again,” she continues. “It’s not easy for two women to share a kitchen, but we have different styles, and we take turns making dinner.” Louisiana, Eli and Heather’s 15-year-old daughter, is sous chef to both cooks. Ken has posted photos of their memorable Saturday family dinners, including Spanish paella and Korean cheese buldak (“fire chicken”) on his Facebook page. “We made cinnamon bread...” Carol recalled fondly.

“...and rice pudding!” Eli sighed. “They’ve adjusted their dinner schedule, and now eat later,” Eli said with gratitude, on dining with his in-laws.

“We appreciate it!” Louisiana interjected.

This is not the only adjustment for Nana and Papa. “After a decade with only two in the house, the biggest change is the volume of food consumed,” Ken chuckled. “We go through a gallon and a half of milk a day!” This isn’t surprising with the four children ranging in age from 12 to 17. He described the way Heather, who graciously volunteered to do the grocery shopping, often makes trips to several stores for ingredients because of food shortages. “It has become an art form to put something away in the refrigerator,” he observed.

“And then to find it!” Carol thought to herself.

With four adults, four children, and two dogs, what is a typical day like?

“If they had been little kids, I don’t know if we could have handled it. But during the day they are all on their computers, trying to keep up with their schoolwork. I wonder if the FiOS lines burned?” Ken considered.

This year, all four of the children attended different schools. Ezekiel, the oldest at 17, is completing his junior at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, a college preparatory school, known for its emphasis on math and science, where he also studies Japanese. An avid swimmer, as well as member of the track team as a middle distance runner, he also belongs to the Williamsburg Track Club. Ezekiel can often be seen doing interval training on the streets of his grandparents’ neighborhood. He was once spotted on a video from a camera on a nearby wildlife trail. “There goes Zeke!” his grandmother marveled. Ezekiel thought he’d discovered a great unknown running trail.

On the differences he’s noticed while away from his New York routine of academics and extracurricular activities, Ezekiel says thoughtfully, “I was busy in my ‘old life.’ Time management was taken care of; there is no structure here.” This affords him many more opportunities to find uncharted trails.

Louisiana, his younger sister, attends Bronx High School of Science where, like her brother, she also studies Japanese language. Her interest is in biology, specifically, animal behavior which appeals to her the most. Her three brothers joke about her ‘boyfriend’ Albert, the lizard. “He’s a skink,” she corrects them.

Speed skating training

Louisiana and her father made a trip back to New York to pick up her bicycle, which she explained is better than running when training for speed skating. “Presumably you got a popsicle, too,” said Israel suspiciously, remembering her return. Popsicles certainly wouldn’t have lasted the long car trip from New York to Warwick.

Skating workouts are different outside of the rink. “There is no one to correct my technique. I use my in-line skates, but they don’t use the same muscles,” she explained.

On June 9th, Louisiana leaves for Salt Lake City to spend her second summer training at the national Olympic Facility, known as the Olympic Oval.

“Lou, can I have your bed when you leave?” Israel asked hopefully.

When she arrives she will be submitted to a Covid test and an antibody test, as will her father who will accompany her. She will again be one of the youngest attendees. “My life kind of revolves around it!” Louisiana smiles.

For now, she is content to be in Rhode Island at her grandparents’ house. “We’ve built a life here – whether it is dysfunctional or not!” she adds with a wink.

When the family car pulled into Nana and Papa’s driveway in March, Israel was the first to jump out, even before helping to refrigerate the perishable groceries. He ran inside his grandparents’ house and right upstairs to claim a twin bed. His first thought was, “Fun!” when he learned of his family’s extended visit with Nana and Papa. When the schoolwork and music practice are finished, Israel enjoys joining his dad, sister, or brother Ezekiel in a tennis match.

Next year, the 13-year-old will join Ezekiel at Stuyvesant High School, where in addition to his course load, he will participate on the fencing team. Self-taught on the piano, improvising jazz, he is an accomplished trumpet player as well. He admits one thing he misses from his New York life is being a trumpet busker in the New York subway.

As a student of the Brooklyn Music School, he was part of the “QuaranTune Live” on YouTube. With the Citywide Jazz Band, he performed at Tweed, New York City Hall. Now that he’s temporarily relocated to Rhode Island, Israel records his pieces individually for the conductor of the “2PM Jump Jazz Band,” which may air “at 4 p.m., depending on what’s available on the schedule,” Israel says, as he lovingly snuggles Gladys, the family’s dog.

Axel, the youngest, his mom revealed, is a man of few words. The 12-year-old easily solves a Rubik’s Cube, with its distinct clicking sound, while thoughtfully answering questions. “You know when he’s coming—you can hear him,” whispers Carol. His siblings have timed him, and boast of how quickly he solves each puzzle.

In New York, Axel and his mom took the subway four days a week to the School of American Ballet where he has become a trained ballet dancer, having performed in The Nutcracker on Broadway for three years. After a growth spurt in his third year of the production, he required a new role: “teenager” in the party scene.

During the school year Axel takes classes at the American Tap Dance Foundation and the Manhattan Youth Ballet. For now, he is one of nine young students in his one hour Zoom ballet class. He uses the biggest bedroom in his grandparents’ house as his private dance studio. “It’s easier,” he says, of distance learning via computer, “It takes less time.”

Axel grinned as he described his recent birthday dinner. “Mommy made Korean food...and banana cake!” For Axel, the best parts about his Rhode Island experience have decidedly been “Family, dinners, and outdoors.” He was the one who noticed Gladys got into a scrape with a baby woodchuck, which his grandfather noted would not have happened in New York City. Back home, each family member also had very different schedules. For the past 11 weeks they have been constant companions. “I miss New York,” he confesses. “I miss my bed.”

“Time goes so quickly,” Carol reflects on previous family visits. “It’s always a holiday, never time to get to know each other.” Now she sees Zeke run by outside and hears Israel on the trumpet.

Even Ken and Carol‘s Goldendoodle, young Rufus, enjoys the new arrangement with his backyard playmate, Gladys, who tolerates him. “She’s a big source of comfort for our family,” Heather adds warmly.

Two weeks quickly turned into 11 weeks for the four adults, four kids, and two dogs family, all under one roof. No one can be sure when the return trip to New York will be.

Carol sums up their new communal experience the best: “Time is a precious gift.”