Week In Review - Ten Things Of Thankful (94)

I'm late and the link-up is closed. Life happened (and I'm happy it did), so I simply could not find the time to write my thankfuls for last week on time, but still I feel the need to write them anyway. Tonight, after a few very, very busy days, I finally have the time to sit down and ponder over last week, the good things, the not so good things, what I've learned, and that after all is said and done, I'm thankful for everything!

Last weeks thankfuls:

1. Having an awesome neighbor who gives me a lift to work every day. I asked her if I could hitch a ride with her for the month of March, as I missed to re-apply for my bus pass on time and buying individual tickets both ways would have been immensely expensive. Since Wednesday, I have an active monthly bus pass again, but my kind neighbor still offered to give me a ride to work (we work at the same building) so I can sleep an extra 30 minutes every morning!

2. Getting an email from the wonderful Ivy that my gift to thank her for the beautiful necklace and charms she had made for me has finally arrived. And she likes it, which makes it even better!!

3. Spring break. Lily has two weeks off from school over the spring holidays, which means no afternoon class on Monday, and all other appointments and activities for both girls are also canceled due to the holidays. We as a family definitely enjoy the free time that's opening up!

4. Get-togethers with friends. I spent two afternoons this week meeting friends of mine. It felt so good catching up!

5. Open conversations with hubby. I am so, so thankful that we can talk openly and on eye-level about our feelings, our fears, our emotions.

6. Watching Calvin around other kids his age. Last time I met my friend and her now 9-month old daughter, Calvin was only a few weeks old, and both babies were lying on their blanket without any interest in each other or the toys (of course). Now, they were playing so nicely, even though it took Calvin quite some time warming up to the two girls who were at the play group. Is he going to be a shy one??

7. My boss being flexible and allowing me to switch some days around so I could both work an extra day last week to attend a department meeting and take an extra day off when our friend from the U.S. is coming for a visit later this month!

8. Lily learning the benefits of being always honest. We've had some issues about telling the truth recently, and it was extremely frustrating. In the past, I always knew that I could trust Lily unconditionally; if she said something, I knew that it was true; but due to her lying to me (and being caught lying) a few times in the last months, sadly this deep trust is gone. But it seems that talking to her about how it is important to always tell the truth and that she would never get into as much troubles for admitting to having done something than if she's lying to me about it. The trust is definitely coming back, and I am so, so glad about it.

9. A washing machine. Seeing the piles of laundry a family of 5 produces and the state of said laundry after certain two girls return from their play in the backyard caked with mud (and absolutely happy, which makes me absolutely happy), I'm so glad that I don't have to handwash!!

10. Most importantly: Getting to celebrate Violet's 5th birthday. She has grown to be such a wonderful, caring, sensitive person over these years, thinking about others first and making sure that everyone is taken care of. In the face of her challenges, she's always brave and positive and never complains a single time. It is such an honor to be your Mami, my sweet, beautiful, lovely girl! We all love you beyond words!

What are your thankfuls for last week?

Funny Things Children Say And Do

It is so funny to be around children sometimes (or most of the time). This is why:

I try a new recipe, chili loaded baked potatoes.  Lily eats a little bit and then puts down her fork.
Me: Lily, do you not like it??
Lily: Mami, I KNOW you've tried hard....
Thanks, love!!


When Calvin was only a few weeks old, I pick up Violet from kindergarten, carrying Calvin in my Moby wrap.
Violet's little friend to her mom: Mommy, Violet's mom stuffed the baby back in her tummy!!!!!


Me doing chores around the house with a white clay facial mask on.
Violet (startles a little as she sees me): Mami, you look beautiful!
Me: Violet, don't lie to me!
Violet (starts grinning): Ok, just kidding, Mami, you look ABSOLUTELY ridiculous!!!!
Thanks for your honesty, Sweetie!  :-)


Telling Violet that she's going to get a little brother.
Violet: But I don't WANT to be a big brother!!!!!
After explaining to her that she'll always be a sister, she was fine about getting a brother.


Lily and I talking general stuff.
Lily: Mami, on which planet do zombies live???
Very random, but alright..


With which gems do the kids around you enrich your life??

Charming Violet

Decided to try that clay facial mask that's been living in my bathroom cabinet for a year or so. Violet comes in:

Violet: You look so pretty, Mami!
Me: Yea, right, Violet.
Violet: No, honestly, you look so ridiculous!!
Me: Well, that's more like the truth...

Such a little charmer  :-)

Happy Egg Day to everyone!

The Voice From My Bedroom

I got to follow the following one-sided conversation last night as I was getting ready for bed:

R1: Gandhi sucks!!

R2: ....

R1: Why is Ethiopia taking all of our wonders??

R2: ....

R1: You could just be the angry Dutchman and declare war on Ethiopia for building all of the Wonders...

R2: ....

R1: Right, and I'll be the angry Swede and declare war on India because they are right next to me...


Conversations I overhear while the hubby plays Civilization online with his friend. Priceless...

Thirsty Thursday - Why I Got Home So Late Today (And Frozen Solid)

 

It's this time of the week again: Thirsty Thursday blog hop, hosted by the marvelous Mar.

Before I hop away today to enjoy some date time with the hubby (he picked episodes of Myth Buster for the source of entertainment tonight), I would like to share what happened today on my way home from work.

First of all, I was late. An hour late, to be exact. Since tomorrow is a public holiday in Germany, our office closed official at 4pm; but I am also on leave next week, so I needed to tie up some lose ends before heading out today. When I got off the bus I went right into the corner store to pick up some chocolate bunnys for the girls and some champagne for the adults at the egg dying get together at a friend's house tomorrow. By then, I'm seriously late. So I hurry up to get home when I see a friend from the neighborhood, whom I haven't seen in a few months. We stop and talk for a minute, until the topic goes to baby. She confessed that she had always wanted a third child. She has two girls a little older than mine and told me that she also had two pregnancy losses after her second daughter, one of them was at 22 weeks. After those losses she developed serious migraine head aches, as she still yearns for the third child that most likely she will never have. I told her that I knew hos she felt; she interrupted me telling me that I couldn't possibly known when I confided in her about the panic attacks that sometimes go on for days thinking about maybe never having the third child my heart yearns for. She looked at me standing in the cold, and then said: Oh my goodness, you DO know....

Here we were, the girl from Kameroon so far away from home, and the girl who has moved across an ocean twice. What are the chances that we two would ever meet? And what were the chances of such an intimate conversation in public, in the cold, in the fading light of a really crappy later March evening? Well, this is life, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

When Mommy Brain Hits...

The following conversation with my hubby occurred upon me finding yet another wall drawing by Miss Violet van Gogh:

I *slightly desperate (and annoyed)*: Oh dear goodness, did you see the drawing Violet left us on the wall AGAIN???



Hubby: Yes... I told you about it the day before yesterday...

I *surprised*: This did not just happen right now???

Hubby: No, I even TOLD you about it..

I *increasingly confused*: You did???

Hubby: Yes.. And YOU said it's no big deal...

I *REALLY confused*: Did I????

Hubby: You need more sleep!!!



Ps: I have to agree...

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