I don't sit and write near as much as I'd like to. There are probably a million reasons why, but aren't there always? Life is busy and hard and messy and filled with ups and downs...and all the while the thought "I want to write about that..." is running through my head. Yet, days pass with nothing written. You see, writing is a passion of mine. I love it. Every ounce of me craves the writing process and the fulfillment I get from it...its part of who I am. So, I need to commit. I need to dedicate more time to this simple pleasure that feeds my soul.
So here I am.
I have many blog post ideas...from my kids, our activities, the travel we've done lately, and all the emotions that sweep through me everyday living in Italy. There is so much I want to record. And today, I got to thinking about why I want to record it. Why is this documentation so important to me? Yes, for my kids to look back on. Yes, for those at home to stay connected a bit. Yes, because its a place to put words and pictures together to make this "fake life" seem a bit more real.
But there is one big reason and it boils down to me. Not you, Kevin, my kids, the world. Its for me. Its because I don't want to forget. Its because this experience has been such a learning experience for me that I want to make sure it isn't left behind. I'm afraid of falling into "normal routines" when we get back home and losing sight of how I've grown. I see it already when I'm back in Michigan for the holidays or summer...how easy it is to go back to my old life - a life I love. After awhile back home, my life in Italy starts to fade...truly as if it were never real. I joke that this is a "fake life", but honestly its a time that has pushed me, challenged me, and made me more vulnerable. And stronger. It has taught me lessons about myself, my marriage, myself as a mom, and my kids that I'm not sure I would have learned if we hadn't moved here. And I just don't want to forget.
As I sit here, I'm looking at a piece of art that my mom bought me to hang in our Italian home. Sorry mom, it never got hung..but its here. Its sitting on the toy shelf propped up against the wall - discreetly reminding me everyday to Embrace the Journey. And, in tiny font over the artfully drawn woman's heart, it reads "everything shapes us". Yes, artfully drawn woman, it does. Everything does shape us.
So....I titled the post" What's New and How Are We Doing?" with the intent of just giving some brief updates on all of us. I think I opened a can of worms instead. I've unlocked the gates and starting recording just a small fragment of that which has been bottled up for too long. Me.
So let's get on with the updates, shall we?!? Since I've started with me already, I'll continue - albeit a tad more lighthearted!
ME: Year Two is a whole different ball game for me. I'm much more relaxed. I'm more at peace with life here. I can now laugh at the uncountable number of examples of daily living that we just chalk up to #theitalianway. Because I'll never understand them!! So I don't try anymore. Life isn't necessarily a ton easier in Year Two, but I've adapted more to it. And that makes it easier. I still do what feels right for me - and I'm ok that what's right for me might be different from what's right for someone else. I've learned to love cappuccinos and latte machiatos - never a coffee drinker before Italy! I'm loving the sight of the Alps on clear, crisp days when I drive Zoey to school. I cherish the fact that I'm home with my kids and dread the thought of being a "career mom" again. Taking our kids on a "wine day" (Zoey's words, not mine) is common and is our normal...strange that my 3 kids under 5 years old visit wineries and smell wine corks!!! I still don't like to drive in Torino (I don't think I'll ever be a city girl) and I still won't taste the raw meat appetizer that is very common in the Piemonte region. I lug my kids back and forth to school, I drag them through the many grocery stores I have to go to in order to do a "complete" shopping, and we walk for gelato more than we should....and I wouldn't have it any other way.
KEVIN: He works. A lot. And hard. He was forced to jump into working on a completely different project in a completely different environment and has done it well. His Italian amazes me...he can listen and converse and respond way better than I ever imagined -- which is why I force him to do most of the talking when our family is out and about. His brain is just wired to embrace language! Kevin loves weekend mornings at the cafe just as much as I do and would also spend hours there if our little ones are being compliant! I think he is just as happy about Year Two as I am and definitely does not need to worry about his wife and kids hating their life here like he used to! Kevin loves the typical Aperol Spritz apperitivo cocktail and has a "places we need to visit" list that is longer than what we'll ever be able to squeeze in between now and July.
ZOEY: If Year Two is better for me, then it is equally better for Zoey! Yes, she adapted brilliantly when we moved here, but this year she is even happier. The biggest difference for her is school. We don't have the tears like we used to...I don't hear "I don't want to go to school" like I occasionally did last year. Her best friend, Kaitlyn, is in her class and that has made a world of difference! Two peas in a pod those two are!!! Double trouble. But, again, I wouldn't have it any other way. She has a little group of girlfriends who are all in her class with Mr. James and Ms. Betsie and it comforts this Mama's heart to see her happy at school. She is still exhausted at the end of the day and is drained of every ounce of energy by the time we get home, but she is happy. (Kudos to Mr. James and Ms. Betsie for being AMAZING!!!!). Zoey now uses British words and phrases - adopted from Kaitlyn and Mr. James - like "loads", "jumper", "nearly there", and "sensible"...and has a British accent when she says things like "banana". I think she even called me "cheeky" last week! Just this morning, as we were getting into the car to drive to school, Zoey said "I don't want to leave Italy." Man, if that sentence doesn't speak volumes, nothing does.
KAIA: Our goofball. Kaia finally started walking at almost 20 months old and was ecstatic with herself! She went from standing on her own to walking around our entire house within 30 minutes a few days before we flew home to Michigan in June. Her "Kaia Speak" language of grunts and voice inflections is becoming more of word attempts and mimicking sounds. She copies EVERYTHING Zoey does (which sometimes delights Zoey to no end, but other times frustrates her beyond belief!) and follows directions amazingly well. She has finally "noticed" Ella and for the most part, likes her (we had a brief jealousy phase about 4 months after Ella was born). She will sit with Ella and make her laugh by doing the silliest things. Kaia is spunky, sweet, and stubborn...making her way as the middle child!
ELLA: Already 8 months old, I have no idea where this time has gone!!! I was worried about living 4,000 miles away from home with a newborn and now it seems like that phase was literally just a blink of an eye. She is easy going and goes with the flow...which probably describes every third child at this age! She has no other choice! In the last week, she has become an expert in sitting up on her own and is content for quite a long time just sitting and chewing on toys. Ella is the least adventurous eater at this age of the three girls -- bananas and carrots are at the top of her list. Strangely, unlike Zoey and Kaia, she despises avocado! When I found out I was pregnant, I couldn't imagine life with three children. Now, I can't imagine life WITHOUT three kids. Ella absolutely completes our family in a way I didn't know I needed...and I wouldn't have it any other way.
So there you have it. A novel blog post. It feels good to say "We Are Good."
