I knew the day was coming. It actually came a while back in the spring. Jackson learned the word “hate” at school and it was just a matter of time before he would think he knew how to use it when he got mad…at me. Over the summer tensions were at all all time high. For Jackson in particular. He was so ready to just be a kid and not be pulled and prodded along with every packed suitcase, daddy across the country and no sign of his earthly belongings. I knew it was coming but I wasn’t prepared for how sad it made me feel. Clearly I knew Jackson loved me and didn’t mean it but oh my was he in big trouble! His punishment from Seth was that he would have to sit down at the table and write “Jackson loves mommy”. Most dramatic hour ever.   Jackson’s writing was so crazy (because he was steaming and smoke was coming out his ears) and ginormous that he filled up the numbers without having to write in every line but he didn’t know the difference. He just knew he didn’t want to do that again. It wasn’t the last time he said it, it has come again since and I am afraid will come for years to come. Parenting is tough on many levels.  We get to be the guinea pigs for our children’s pilot personalities, quirks and charms.  We get the unedited version that needs to be refined. Often my boys look like mirrors to my own rough edges. Yikes.

Jackson’s behavior has been on the up and up and I can already see maturity in him since school started.  Owen has know stepped in to fill the space while Jackson is away and is attempting to pull out all of the 2 year old stops. He is ever so slowly realizing that I have seen this before and  the reactions just aren’t as satisfying the second time around.

So I mentioned that Seth was sending me out to write a couple of nights ago. it didn’t happen that night but last night I got out and it was such a nice breather to miss bed time and be out of the house. I ordered a decaf salted caramel mocha and it was so yummy! I rarely order something new because I am scared I won’t like it! I highly recommend it!  And I highly recommend stepping out during bedtime sometime…if you are able of course.  It’s good to gain some perspective on my job as a mom and that often requires stepping away for a bit!  Thanks, Seth!

Hi folks,

Hope you all had a nice weekend. Yes, I realize it’s Tuesday not Monday and the week started yesterday but my week feels like it is just getting going. I am having a hard time finding momentum. I think it’s just part of getting into a new schedule and balancing out the busy and the tired. Oh yea, and recovering from an entire summer of moving and working on the house.

A few times lately I have been aware that when I sit down to work at the computer I am literally half on the chair, turned toward someone needing something while half listening and half typing.  I am realizing that I need to have more focused times. More focused times with my kids and more focused times to tap into creative things. I know there was a lot of buzz a while back about being distracted by pintrest, facebook, and presentness if that’s a word. I agree wholeheartedly about being present but I also think it’s a truly beautiful thing that as a stay at home mom I can find some sanity and refreshment in creative things. I used to feel guilty about that, now I realize I need it.

So tonight I am heading out before my first PTA meeting (I know, crazy that we are in that phase of life)  and I am going to spend some time alone blogging and thinking a bit more clearly. I am hoping to hop on with the Nester in October and do a 31 day series but I know that it is going to require me to carve out more time! More on the series soon. Still hashing it all out.

In other mini updates…

Jackson is still really enjoying kindergarten, Owen is adjusting to his buddy being gone all day and I am still figuring it all out.

Seth had a neck/back procedure last week. Pray that it relieves the pain and numbness he has in his fingers and arm from a herniated disk. I sure would love for him to not have to have back surgery!

Our house is now home for 2 big caterpillars. Let me rephrase that, our house now houses 2 sealed jars that are home to two caterpillars. One we think is a polyphemus moth and the other is a black swallow tail caterpillar. The black swallow tail is already in the crystalis (sp?) phase, while the polyphemus is still just a big fat caterpillar. We have had tons of butterflies this year in our yard. It will be fun if one of the caterpillars survive long enough to be released as a butterfly.

We are continuing to enjoy life here in the US but also really miss our dear friends in Switzerland and abroad. I am just now getting around to changing subscriptions to magazines and other normal life stuff…I think I have been dragging my feet a bit because there is that lingering part of transition that takes longer to grasp.  It’s tough to miss watching friends babies grow and experience the seasons with friends from afar. So, if you are in Switzerland, know that you are missed and certainly not forgotten!

Have a great day wherever in the world you might be!  It’s 70 degrees here at 10 AM…I think that calls for a cup of Swiss hot chocolate on the porch with Owen!

Weekend before last we headed to VA beach/Norfolk area for a friends wedding. We managed to squeeze in a little beach time which I am sure you can imagine the boys just hated. Actually they loved it and wanted to stay all day! When we started the morning the rain clouds were building but they soon passed and gave way to a sunny morning. We spent the morning at the beach, headed to downtown Norfolk for a super yummy brunch and then headed back to rest up before the wedding.

We had brunch at a super fun local place called No Frill Grill. The locals were swarming in which is always a good sign. I ordered shrimp and grits which I have always wanted to order but wasn’t brave enough to do. They were amazing and we will for sure be attempting them at home.  If you are ever in the area and decide to try it be aware that the kids portions are HUGE!! Delicious but huge.

The wedding was held at The Hermitage Museum and Gardens. It was such a pretty location along the water with huge magnolia trees. It was the first wedding the boys attended and all in all they did great. My friend Kelly is an interior designer and did the decorating herself. She had lots of personal touches. The bridemaids wore gold glitter dresses which was so Kelly! On arrival we were given iced tea and pink lemonade to beat the heat. I am pretty sure based on the 10 cups Owen drank that the highlight of the night was for sure the pink lemonade. I loved the bikes at the entrance of the ceremony. We missed when they left the wedding because we had to get the boys to bed but I hear that they rode off on their bikes!

Fun times! Congratulations Kelly and Jonathan!

This is the last in our mini series on packing! If you missed the first couple of posts you can find them here: Packing Advice?! From us?! {Part 1} and Packing {Part 2} UAB.

Last but not least is a list of food items that I would tuck in the shipment if you can. Again, some people don’t have the space or weight to do this but if you do these these are things I always include when going overseas just in case we can’t find them or in our case now they are out of the budget.

~taco seasoning

~ranch dip packets

~onion soup packets- good for dips and roasts, etc

~lots of spices. Spices are pricey in the US  and can be hard to find or expensive overseas. Take an extra bottle of things  you use often just to give you time to hunt locally or mail them. Add extra of things like Cajun seasonings and Mexican seasonings!

~vanilla extract..and any other extracts you like to bake with.

~chili mixes

~cream of whatever soups….so even if your mom never cooked casseroles with cream of chicken soup there is something about being far from home that will occasionally make you crave an American casserole and somehow the Campbell’s gods have engraved it in our brains that such a casserole might include such a soup.

~salsa. you might be able to find some for a price or some that just doesn’t taste good but you will miss the good stuff! if you have the space bring some along!  We have learned to make different salsas but sometimes it’s nice to have some handy.

~Bisquick/pancake mix

~syrup (or bring some maple extract so you can make something similar!

~peanut butter, again you might not eat it much now but for some crazy reason when you can’t get it you crave it!

~chocolate chips or whatever baking things you like for holiday baking…instant yeast is a good one to take!

~cake mix/brownie mix….even if you normally do it from scratch throw a few in. On days when you are culture shocked by the inconvenience of life you will have a new appreciation for brownies that smell like home and you didn’t have to measure

~crystal light or similar drink mixes…sounds silly but sometimes lemonade or cranberry juice sounds so good and either can’t be found or…you guessed it, is super expensive. The individual packs are light for packing but will brighten a summer day abroad!

~liquid smoke (for all you Texan’s)…pack this one well! can you imagine your entire household smelling permanently like smoked meat?…Seth’s response to that question would be “but I like smoked meat”. Precisely why his involvement in minimal with the ziplocking!

~macaroni and cheese…I have heard you can even just buy the cheese powder now without having to buy the whole box. All you need is the yellow #5 right?!

*Remember to ask for your favorite family recipes! You will miss your mom’s home cooking and you might just have to learn to make all of it since you can’t pop over to moms house!    Even with this big list of things we would take I have to say mostly we have just learned to make most of the things we miss! While I would love to hop out to a restaurant to get a break from cooking I am glad that these 2 years in Switzerland have pushed me to learn so much with cooking. SO if you can’t take food items or if you forget something google what you miss and be brave enough to try something new!

*Don’t whatever you do become a hoarder!!! Share the treats with others you know are missing home! Trust me, they taste better when you share them.

Of course when you go back stateside be prepared to crave things that you learned to love overseas!! I am sure we will be on the hunt for fondue and Swiss chocolate just like we searched for ajiaco and arepas when we left Colombia!

If you aren’t packing and moving or going overseas consider sending a package to a friend abroad with some of these goodies above. you will make their day and give them a taste of home!