Week In Review - Ten Things Of Thankful (33)

Baking extravaganza for Lily's birthday is over, and I can tell you it's really difficult to start munching on the cakes and cookies filling this room with their delicious scent. So on to concentrating on the many things to be thankful for this week.

1. Even though it is quite overwhelming at the moment, I'm thankful to have a job that fulfills and challenges me every single day, with great colleagues and a supportive boss.

2. Getting too celebrate Lily's 6th birthday tomorrow. It feels like yesterday that we held our skinny, screaming bundle of Lily in our arms for the first time, having no idea how much joy and amazement she would bring in our lives. Happy Birthday, my little girl!

3. The smell of baked goods all over the house.

4. Sleeping in late, cuddling with hubby.

5. Violet for being a brave little girl when getting a surprise vaccination. Hubby took Lily to the doctor on Friday to have her cough checked out when the pediatrician noticed that Violet was still missing a follow-up vaccination. Richard said she didn't even flinch, what a big girl!

6. Dark chocolate pudding with whipped cream.

7. Nurses who are good at drawing my blood.

8. The potential this world has. Even though so many people are still barred in their own minds and worlds, it's been proven all over the world that it is possible to change that. People who would have never met stand side by side on the Majdan, protesting for their freedom. The Alhambra in Spain, for centuries a place where people of many different religions lived together in peace. If it's possible on the small scale, why not on the big scale? Why not respecting people for who they are? Why look at class differences, different skin colors, different religions, different nationalities instead of each other's hearts?  I know it is possible.

9. Snow in Germany! Yes, it has actually happened. By the time the girls got outside, there was more water than snow left, but when they came back in after an hour or so, they were so, so happy (and dripping wet).

10. Getting to watch the girl sitting side by side, playing with Violet's princess castle. So adorable!

2013

Happy New Year everyone! I have been off the blogosphere for a couple of weeks due to visitors from the U.S. and the general sickness in our family afterward. I am still not 100% recovered but getting there in due time I'm sure.

Today, we have started in a new year together with good friends, food, and conversation. The firework was awesome and the girls couldn't have been better behaved, we really had a great evening; this morning we started with a family breakfast after what is considered sleeping in for the girls, followed by Toy Story 2 and playing Mr. Potato Head afterward. I feel very lucky and grateful having such a wonderful and supportive family.

On the other hand, we are starting this new year with the realization, that things will not be the way we expected when we decided to move to Germany 3 years ago. Don't understand me wrong, we are very happy with the life we have built for ourselves. I am thankful for the job I have, the benefits we receive, our home, the new friendships we built, etc. But one of the big things I was looking forward to was, that the girls would grow up with an extended family as I did: caring grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This was the ideal for me, and I was excited that the girls would be able to share this experience. Well, today I stand once again corrected. I had to learn again that blood family cannot be relied upon. There were two decisive events in the past three weeks that proofed that more than anything. I have made excuses and tried to understand for too long, but that will stop now. I am finally at the point where I know that the fight for acceptance and acknowledgment is futile and that I will no longer waste any energy towards it. We four only need each other, and the family we have built over time. And even though it is sad that the girls are obviously loved more by their "adopted" grandparents than their blood ones, we are thankful that we have all those wonderful people in our lives who love those girls as if they were their own blood. And it is comforting for us to know that no physical distance will ever change the lasting bond we have formed. We love you all and consider ourselves happy to have you in our lives!

Our plans for 2013: Build a house and move; find a way to visit with our family in WA and NM; spend more quality time with the girls; spend more time outside; be happy.

Still Speechless!!

Last Sunday I went with the girls to see my parents (Richard had a well-deserved "day off" role playing with his friends). My parents had invited a little 3-year old girl who spends a lot of time with them so the kids could all play together. At some point during the day I got to witness the following scene:

While the girls were all playing upstairs I was having coffee with my parents downstairs. Suddenly, the 3-year old called for my mother. We went upstairs to check what had happened. Obviously, Lily had gone in one of the rooms, closed the door behind herself and was now playing there. The girl demanded from us to order Lily to open the door. Of course we refused and told the girl to open the door herself; the girl shook her head saying that she couldn't open the door because Lily had told her not to do so. We told her that if she didn't open the door she would just have to play outside (where most of the toys were anyways). There, she just lost it. She was getting angry, yelling, screaming and threatening Lily to open the door; of course, Lily did not. The girl started flailing at the door like a little maniac, continuing screaming and cussing without ever once touching the door handle to simply open the door. I removed Violet from the situation and waited until the girl recaptured composure, which took her quite a while.

To be honest, I have seen my share of tantrums with our girls, but this scene just left me completely speechless! Even not quite 2-year old Violet would have gone and opened the door which had not been locked or barred. Right now I am considering contacting her daycare providers, who have before mentioned to her custodian that her behavior in the group was strange. Obviously she was more often than not simply sitting in her corner staring in front of herself and needs to be almost forced to participate in group activities. Am I exaggerating and is all this still normal behavior for a 3-year old?  

PS: This experience will probably be part of another post in the foreseeable future, but I'm still digesting on this experience and will need some time to put it in perspective. Any comment is highly appreciated!!