Recipe for Homesickness

Get out your violins, I just need a moment of self-indulging, cry-me-a-river, self pity time, ok?

This is usually one of my favorite weeks in the entire year, every year. Three events collide in the same week making for seven days of celebrating, feasting, and cheering. My birthday, Thanksgiving and the Ohio State/Michigan Game all happen in late November. And all my memories of these occasions take me home with family: chocolate cherry birthday cakes, shopping with my sisters, planning and cooking with my Mom, kid tables and adult tables for the Thanksgiving meal, and buckeye necklaces and brats at 11am on Saturday, followed by football parties and tailgating. These things may seem totally trivial, and I know in the long term they are, but they are all the wonderful, fantastic, comfortable traditions I associate with this week in November. And I was here...a long, long way from there... where the family-ing and feasting and footballing continued without me...

My attitude this week was textbook homesickness. I've been moping and feeling pretty sorry for myself. Not only are we far away from our fabulous families, but Phil's not even here. I kept telling myself I could have made it through the week better if he were here with me. But alone, yeah, it's been really tough. Do you want me to tell you how long it's been since I've slept through the night without caring for my rebelling sleeper Zachary? Up every three hours with him...ahhh, it's beyond frustrating. And all through last night Lily was suffering from an ear infection...awesome. Long week...

I had things happening here this week. I wasn't necessarily crying all day in my sweat pants in bed. I had a very nice, quiet birthday pizza date with friends, and we were invited to another friends house for Thanksgiving meal. I tried very hard to express how grateful and appreciative I was for all their efforts. But to say my heart was heavy and my eyes were sad is probably an understatement. It was just a sucky week...and I'm so glad it's coming to an end.

Here are pictures of our lonely Saturday. We had plans, but we cancelled because Lily was so sick...a fitting end to the week. And after an emotional couple of days, I was happy to just wear a hooded sweatshirt, make chicken soup, and snuggle my babies. Next week will be better. It has to be. I mean, the Buckeyes won big, so things are definitely looking up!

(What I love about this picture...Zachary's "B"...yes, this disgusting thing is everywhere he is...and how messy my house looks...or is???)

(Little miss sick-o. She looks much, much better now after her antibiotics. I'm hopeful that tomorrow she'll be back to normal because she is one pathetic patient).

Sweetness

Lily loves to drink milk. But the only way we can get Zachary to drink milk is by making it chocolate milk. (A solution Phil thought of during our last trip to an American commissary in Italy where we bought our very own bottle of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup--I have no idea what the French equivalent is, but I should probably find out because this bottle is going fast).

And now that Zachary's super-duper-sweet-tooth has become accustomed to the extra sugar in his milk, he's been asking to up-the-ante lately.

He gathered all of this himself and brought it to me...(not in the picture, but on the ground in front of him...his plastic, blue cup)

"Mom, can you make my orange juice a little sweeter, please?"

For the sake of his insulin levels, my answer was, "no, buddy."

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard French people describe Zack as, "très sage". Smart. But my first adjective for Zachary will always be--sweet. Because when he snuggles me, it's as delicious and satisfying and over-the-top as a cup of chocolate orange juice.

Too Busy Having Fun

I don't know where the last three weeks have gone...oh, wait, yeah I do...

1. Unexpected and exciting visit from my husband. Gone for two and half weeks, home for ten days because of a broken ship--excellent surprise!

2. Sarah-and-kids trip to Naples to visit our very good friends. Five days of familiar, comfortable, friendship and laughs. On the American base in Naples the kids were able to go trick or treating, go to ballet class and eat fruit snacks. I took advantage of the Italian cappuccino, and the designer sunglasses on sale at the NEX.

3. A visit from my Mom. Ten action-packed days which included many fabulous lunches enjoyed on sunny terraces with a pichet of rose. A fifty kilometer bike ride on back roads through the rolling vineyards of Provence. A morning of kayaking (and swimming) on the Mediterranean. A day trip to Nice. And wine tastings at two fantastic chateaus.

And now I find myself realizing that all the excitement is over for awhile. Phil left again for his deployment while we were having our fun time in Italy. Coming home, we were all easily distracted by my Mom's visit. But now we have to make it to Christmas time before our next visitors arrive. I guess it's time to get back to our school-routines, learning French, and refreshing my email every two minutes. After all our recent adventures, I think it's going to be a long five weeks!

One Year Ago...

(around this time) we arrived in France. We spent four days in Paris working out final details, becoming official with the Embassy and recovering from jet-lag (like the overstimulated, exhausted children kind of jet lag).

Four days later, already totally overwhelmed, we hoisted hundreds of pounds of luggage, two kids and our dog on a train and headed for "the South of France" for the first time. Four and a half hours later, we arrived to sunshine and palm trees and our new "home" for the next three years.

I can say personally, socially, intellectually, spiritually, this last year has been the most difficult year of my life. (I'll be the first to admit, I've had a very easy life, so maybe that's not saying much).

We have changed and grown and adapted in a lot of ways. When French friends ask us if we speak French at home, we are quick to say, "no". Our home is our refuge. But even in our refuge of normalness, throughout our year of living here, some of France has crept inside.

1. Language. This came easily for some--LILY. And it came out of necessity (and at great financial cost)--ME. And it advanced itself in leaps and bounds--Phil. French people tell us Lily speaks without an accent, fluently for a kid her age. I can now make phone calls, go to the doctors office, have lunch at a friends house, and follow a sermon all on my own. Phil can fly helicopters, debate topics, and make people laugh all in French.

2. I used to think getting two kids out of car seats and dragging everyone into a bakery for a silly loaf of bread was way too much effort. But, now I'm hooked. As is Zachary. He starts pointing and screeching every time we pass the place. Fresh bread everyday is no longer a hassle, it's an event.

3. I'm over "sticker shock". Phil won't be happy to read this. Groceries, gas, clothes...you name it, it's more expensive here. But COLA is a wonderful thing and I've learned to relax. Last year, I would go to the check out, "hear" the total amount from the clerk, and have no idea what she said. I'd swipe my card, knowing it was expensive, but not knowing the exact amount. Now, I can't necessarily claim ignorance, but I swipe my card and move on none-the-less. And now that I can understand numbers, I've even been known to make correct change once or twice!

4. I love carbonated water, olives, beets and smelly cheeses. Our diet has embraced the products of this region. Every once in awhile, I still load up everyone up in the car for some McDonald's---a little American break. But I'm more likely to crave goat cheese on warm baguette now than fries.

5. We can now successfully host a four and half hour dinner party for French people. We know to invite them over at 8:30pm (and they'll show up at 9:00). We know to have all the dishes clean at the beginning on the night, because with a four course meal, you're going to need all of them. We know the phrase, "help yourself" doesn't really translate into the behavior that Americans are used to at an informal dinner between friends in the US. We know to serve lettuce with the cheese course which is after the main course and before the dessert course. We know a dinner ending at 1am is totally normal and expected.

6. I've found freedom in parking illegally. I gave-in to the immature argument of "everyone else is doing it." At the beginning I resisted with all the "anglo-saxon-rule-abiding-nature" in me. But now you'll find our Subaru all over this area, with the flashers flashing parked haphazardly. Wearing my scarf, I can walk away with confidence knowing no one will even bat an eye at me.

7. Even our dog, Scout has adapted. During our short, initial stay in Paris, we had to walk her fifteen minutes to find a patch of grass where she would feel comfortable enough to "do her business". Even though we stepped over huge piles of poop on the sidewalks to get there, she had to have her grass. But just the other day, I witnessed her "going" in the middle of the street. I was flabbergasted...she's become French.

There are more examples, but that's enough for now. We have two more years here, you know! And possibly the biggest change of all from one year ago is... NOW I can say truthfully, I'm VERY much looking forward to them.

Cheers to Family

Et Voilà! What kind of wine do you drink when your looming, five month deployment is interrupted/delayed due to a broken ship?

We enjoyed a lovely 2007 Bordeaux...and lots of family snuggle time on the couch.

This celebration could come to an abrupt end at any second (like when the ship's problem is fixed), but after thirteen days apart, we are giggly and smiley to have this time together.

Zachary's Birthday Party

Zachary turned two today. I will post a "tribute to Zachary" later this week. But tonight I will share some pictures from a shared-birthday-party-with-Irish-friends.

My friend hosted and really did ALL the work. I lazily, (but appreciatively) band-wagoned Zachary's birthday into her boys' party (her boys both have birthdays this month). Zachary is two, he didn't care. And she was very generous, and didn't seem to mind either.

My friend made "fairy cakes"--I love Irish people--doesn't that sound soooo much cuter than "cup cakes?" The kids were able to decorate them themselves.

Zachary and the Irish birthday boys.

Really, can a kid look any more Irish than this sweet boy?

This picture makes me laugh. Lily, always the big sister, directing Zachary's attention.

There was lots of playing and fighting over cars and trucks. This boy is also turning 2--and it's not the angle of my camera...he is almost an entire head taller than Zachary. He is enormous! He would point at Zachary and say, "baby". After saying "baby" he would punch him from behind, pop him on the head, and do everything he could to make Zack fall over. I was a little disappointed Zack kept taking it from him. But I couldn't help but laugh...this kid's a giant. Zack knew he didn't have a chance.

How do you know when you've had a fun, successful birthday party for a two year old? When your two year old looks like this five minutes after driving away.

Happy birthday, little buddy.

A Morning on the Med

My boat, and his boat. So close yet so, so, so far away

.

Today I had my third kayaking class (and I'm absolutely in love with it). When I showed up this morning Phil's ship was right in front of me moving through the port. Too bad for me it was moving away from the port (they came back just for a couple of minutes to move personnel around). By the time I got myself situated in the kayak the huge ship was a little speck on the horizon. There went my vision of paddling my little arms off, jumping onto the ship, and making a scene...

...but it's hard to stay sad when the rest of two hours in the kayak was spent enjoying coastline that looks like this.

More kayaking pictures to come. Today the sea was a little rough. And I was too embarrassed to ask someone to take a picture of me in my wetsuit!