We have been talking about Kindergarten for a long time so it isn’t like I am springing something on Jackson. Jackson has been excited and ready but those jitters have set in for all of us over the past couple of weeks! Last week we had a meet the teacher day on Thursday so Wednesday morning I decided it might be fun helpful for Jackson if we walked to the school and then played at the park.  Just to get a little more comfortable a before the big day.   My enthusiastic voice didn’t do the trick and he was instantly resistant to the idea. I motivated him out the door with a granola bar and capri run for a snack picnic at the park. We made it a little ways down the road and he began to beg to get into the stroller. Now this is the boy that if in the rare event that I would request he get in the stroller would have had a huge fit. But I could tell it was because this whole march to school was too much for him or at least for a moment he didn’t want to have to be the big kid. So instead of insisting that he is far too big I asked his brother to hop out. Owen was in shock at my request and sprung from the stroller not even missing a beat and thrilled that I had temporarily lost my mind and set him free while taking Jackson captive.

so I walked on with my big one squished into the stroller and my little one running ahead

when Jackson was ready he hopped out. And at that point he didn’t want to walk next to me, gripping my hand and complaining about “the long walk to the school.. my legs just can’t take another step or I might die… I need a drink it’s so hot….”. When he hopped out he was ready to lead us to his school.

On the way back from the school we chatted about what his teacher and friends might be like and stopped at the park to play. He met another little kindergartener and they exchanged all of their vast knowledge of Kindergarten with one another. Turns out the little boy just moved in about a month ago. His mom is French and his dad is Spanish and his nanny who was with him at the park was from Bogota, Colombia! So this little boy was just as out of sorts as Jackson.

It’s a big week for our boy and the zillions of other kids starting school again! It’s tough to let them go. But so fun to see when they decide they are ready and want to lead! Our prayer for this school year is that Jackson would be a kind and loving  boy and that he would be a light in his classroom. And also a selfish one, that he doesn’t forget about us at home!

And three cheers for Owen who is about to begin this new season of life that involves being an only child during school hours! See above picture for documentation. To Jackson’s credit Owen was begging and whining for Jackson to push him and this is the reaction Owen had when he got what he wanted…all this to say, Owen is about to have some enlightening days of being the top dog. And I don’t think he will complain about it…although he will miss his buddy.

Hey y’all.

We had a happy Mother’s day around here!  The boys made me cards and got me an address stamp for our new address (which still doesn’t seem like a reality with all of this waiting but that is a whole other post)! We spent most of the day Sunday with friends at a mountain restaurant with a big park for the kids and traditional Swiss food!  It was fun having Seth’s mom along to experience some Swiss scenery before heading back to the US.

Mia had rosti for the first time! It had bacon, cheese and onions! very yummy!  She couldn’t finish her giant skillet so we all helped her a bit!

the mommas and kids! Feeling very blessed!

other updates…

We are settling back into a routine..well not really. Seth’s mom left yesterday morning and I hit the ground running cleaning the house and knocking some things off the neglected to do list. Seth woke up Saturday morning with pink eye and because it is now in the second eye and still very red his boss asked him not to come in. He asked if he could go in before everyone else and get some stuff knocked out but it sounds like everyone is really scared of getting it, which is understandable because it is miserable. So, we are hoping he can go back in tomorrow and not feel completely swamped.  Oh yea, and we are praying that none of the rest of us get it.

In other news, our friends back in Virginia knocked our socks off a few weeks ago and surprised us by going to our new house and working on the yard. They weeded, mulched, and generally spruced the place up! I know our neighbors appreciate it!  It actually came at a time when I was feeling so desperate to just get there already and get to work. And they stepped in and played us for a little while. Y’all are awesome! Can’t wait to see you all soon.

A huge congrats to my friend Leigh! A little less than a year ago she and her family left missions work in Germany to return stateside. Just yesterday they moved into their new home in Waco!  Praying that they get settled quickly and love their new home!

And last but not least, the big blood pressure raiser these days is that it’s less than 3 weeks now that until the packers come!  I’m taking advantage of having my pink eye guy so I can sort the last few closets and work on some pending projects!

As I skimmed facebook this morning I saw lots of little “mommyhood is so amazing” posts…and I couldn’t agree more. But, I feel as though we are in a very refining phase right now. I have mentioned before how I feel like about every 6 months we have a sort of boot camp time where the boys seem to push every limit over again and it feels like we have to crack down. And here we are. Let me give you a glimpse into my day yesterday…

Jackson and Seth rushed out the door to school and Owen and I headed out for our weekly coffee time with friends before going to swimming lessons…besides the major nudity exposure that swim class in Europe brings (this is for sure a completely separate upcoming post! stay tuned!)  we had a good morning and enjoyed our friends as always. Owen fell asleep on the way to drop off our friends after class and was less than excited when I woke him up to pop into the grocery store. To my credit this isn’t nap time so I wasn’t torturing him!! I came armed with a snack and distractions but yesterday they did not work. I put Owen on the floor to walk when he refused the cart and he proceeded to throw his body on the floor of the store and SCREAMMMMMM. I scooped him up, gather the groceries I could remember amidst the screaming and hurried out. Did I ever mention that the stores here feel awfly quiet to this was a bigger than normal scene.

We got Jackson from school and headed home. Owen decided that 15 min nap in the car was sufficient and refused his nap. Jackson fell asleep shortly and we moved along with the afternoon. Because I had been unsuccessful at the store in the morning I decided we would get out and walk to the grocery store for a few more things we needed. Everyone was happily crunching an apple on the walk up. enjoying the fresh air and being outside!

Since I had the stroller I decided to let Jackson push a kiddie cart, knowing our food would fit in it.  He accepted the task with great enthusiasm and on we went. Half way through the store he took a corner too quickly and over went out overly full cart…eggs and all. I quietly up the contents, tossed them back in and moved on.   And I thanked God that no one was in our aisle at the moment. Sometimes the stares feel more annoying than the toppled cart.

We hiked down the hill and made it home in time for the boys to play in the atrium while I cooked dinner. I heard them come in at one point and head back to their rooms. Then I heard them in the bathroom. I went back to see that we were not having a flood and saw that they had open the giant bathroom windows and Owen was tossing bath toys out the window one by one.

At dinner we have been working on Jackson staying in his chair. Last night at one point he hopped out of this chair and as we both spoke up to tell him to sit down his foot landed on Owen’s fork that had somehow made it’s way to the floor. Jackson earned himself a nice little gouge.

Baths were uneventful and everyone went to bed peacefully.

So, although I agree that motherhood is amazing and rewarding, it is also so much work and so refining. It’s tough doing the hard work of discipline and teaching!  It wasn’t that the kids even needed tons of discipline today it was more that they had constant needs and I find that some days it’s just tough getting anything other than little boy stuff accomplished.

I am building in some “me time” this weekend to catch my breath and be able to enjoy the sweet moments a little bit better. They tend to get a bit blurry in the midst of the chaos.  It certainly is no piece of cake!

When Seth mentions a trip for some reason as soon as I am over being bummed that he will be gone I launch into my list of what I should try to accomplish while he is away.  I am confused at how I plan on accomplishing more with less help but somehow I think free evenings will help me accomplish superwoman achievements. What on earth gives me the desire to surprise him with a potty-trained child, losing 5 lbs from not cooking him great meals, complete classes for my continuing ed, host a tea, work on DIY projects, finish articles for a deadline with World Moms and continue to keep up with normal life stuff without my super husband?!? Well, this week I have been oscillating between supermom and damsel in distress.  I am embarrassed to say leaning much more towards the damsel in distress.

There have been moments of: icing mini lemon cupcakes for a tea with a crying baby on my leg; being up all night for 2 nights with a very sick baby;  taking long walks to wear out energetic boys; letting the boys stay in their pj’s extra long; a half completed continuing ed class; hardly any fresh veggies; little sleep (wait I already mentioned that); silly boys telling terrible knock knock jokes and getting a good laugh; a kids kitchen that has been nagging me for a DIY marathon; more sunshine than last week!!!; lots of yoga pant days; wanting to cry when I hear Seth has stepped foot in Trader Joe’s and target without me and LOTS of missing Seth and missing being there to make big decisions on the house.

Enough complaining!! Twice now my friend Daniela has offered to have the boys. On wed she walked them to the zoo. It allowed me to get a few things done without people on my legs!  She has been a God send. Today we are working on getting into the doctor. Our doctor is not working this week so hopefully we will get in easily somewhere else and Owen will be on the mend soon.

Only one more day until Seth makes it back home! Hope he skips the movies on the plane and takes advantage of the sleep!! I might be flying off to a deserted island when we meet him at the airport.

ps- the great news is that spring is coming!!!  This is a picture I took last year….reminds me of what is to come!