As American holidays approach, we find ourselves more homesick, but the ability to find pumpkins, make pumpkin bars, or wear last year's Halloween costumes has helped.
I bump into more and more familiar faces, and if people talk really slowly or use the words I've learned thus far with Rosetta Stone, I can usually follow along with conversations in French. The Young Women at church love to correct my pronunciation and laugh hysterically when I mix Spanish and French together.
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| Luxembourg Paroisse YW |
Otto is thriving here. He likes the consistency of Ben returning every evening, his preschool, the parks, and the pistachios.
Aksel continues to struggle unless Otto is playing with him, Ben is holding him, or he's within arm's length of me. He cries a lot more, and I don't blame him. His whole world of the Evans, the Richards, Thanksgiving Point, and Chick-fil-a are gone. He struggles going to nursery on Sunday (hyperventilating, sobbing uncontrollably, throwing up) because of the strange location, tiny room, foreign language, weird snacks, and the absences of Otto and Angie.
Yesterday at church, an American couple showed up. It was a big deal. I invited Eliza and Ken Trent over for dinner. Visiting from Seattle and with a pending move to Luxembourg with Amazon, the Trents came over as did the Moshers and the Whites for a Sunday raclette dinner. The Whites, who have lived overseas in both Chile and now Luxembourg gave them lots of sound advice. The Moshers, who are also here with Amazon, gave lots of valuable insight. And our family provided the chaos and food. One minute, I found myself telling Eliza I wouldn't go back in time and change things, even if I could. I would still move to Luxembourg. Five minutes later I heard Ben say the opposite. It was a good moment.
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| Luxembourg Oliver |
Our car is supposed to arrive tomorrow and we have a week-long trip planned for the Black Forest and other parts of Germany next week. Ben has been researching Black Forest clocks for months in anticipation of acquiring one. There are many good things to come. And many good things I want to hold onto... like a house full of people on a Sunday evening, watching Arrow and being slightly embarrassed about it, and finding Philadelphia cream cheese at Delhaize (grocery store).
Additionally, I want to remember the following about our third month of life in Luxembourg:
Putting Otto to bed at 6:30 pm because we all can't cope with him being awake any longer.
Otto telling me he punched holes in green paper at school.
Going to the Farm Park with Ashley and Oliver Mosher. Ashley offering Otto some of Oliver's grapes. Otto being unhappy with the two grapes that were offered and throwing the grapes past Ashley and onto the ground and then demanding three grapes, instead of two. Then melting down, falling to the ground and refusing to do anything but lie on the ground. I am able to convince him to get on his bike, but he refuses to ride his bike home. Unfortunately, we had walked and ridden bikes to the park. I have no way to carry Ingrid, Otto, Otto's bike and convince Aksel to ride his bike next to me. I have to break down and call Ben for help. I was mortified.
Finding a mall -- La Belle Etoile. Spending an hour walking around. Finding Zara (almost crying with happiness), and celebrating by buying Aksel new shoes.
Netflix arriving in Luxembourg. (I hadn't expected to not be able to access certain things outside of the US -- Pandora, PBS Kids, Netflix, Hulu, etc.) My excitement over Netflix was temporarily dampened by the realization that all text is in French... making it difficult to follow story lines occasionally.
Ben talking to a woman at work who just returned from a YEAR LONG, PAID maternity leave. When Ben told her we had three small children, she exclaimed, Is the shoppe fermé? We laugh about that constantly.
Noticing Aksel finally starting eating his carrot I provide with his lunch. Then noticing that he keeps opening the door to where the trash is kept and then skipping happily back to the table. After inspecting the trash can, I found all of his carrots.
Watching Sophie Stokes one morning because her very-pregnant mother was having contractions and the au pair wasn't available until 12 pm. Then, loading Aksel, Ingrid, and Sophie (who was now wearing Aksel's clothes after having several accidents throughout the house) into the stroller to pick Otto up from preschool, followed by Lex (Sophie's brother) at the elementary school and taking Lex and Sophie back to their home.
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| Aksel and Sophie Stokes |
Ben going to Ireland for a week. Otto screaming and crying the entire drive home from the airport. As part of his return, Ben promising Otto a new car. The evening he came home, Ben took Otto and Aksel to Cactus (a store) to pick one out. Otto seeing a Disney Cars Transporter Mack truck and becoming unglued when Ben didn't buy it. So, we made a chart with chores and responsibilities and told Otto if he could fill the chart by the next weekend, he could have the truck. He finished the chart and received the truck.
Ingrid crawling up into the dishwasher one Saturday morning and eating a handful of leftover detergent.
Asking Otto what he did at school and him replying, I played with Elias Bo-beelius.
Aksel saying, Oh man!
Ingrid getting three of her top teeth.
Me: I'm a stay at home mother.
Dr. Birget: No. That is not your profession. What is your profession?
Me: I'm confused. I don't have a job outside of the home.
Dr. Birget: I didn't ask you about your occupation. I asked about your profession.
Hearing Otto sing in Luxembourgish.
Hearing Aksel try to copy Otto's Luxembourgish.
Taking muffins and cookies over to the Stokes one evening after putting the kids to bed and talking about the cultural norm of circumcision for baby boys in the states.
Trying to get Otto to wear the rain outfit to school.
Trying to get Aksel to wear something else besides rain boots.
Talking to the neighbor, Andi (a native Luxembourger), about shopping in the states and how wonderful it is.
Ordering Christmas presents on Amazon.com and having them shipped to the Holdaways.
Committing ourselves to holding Family Home Evenings -- regardless of chaos, length of the divided attention of our two- and three-year-old.
Otto saying guten appetite! one day as we sat down for lunch.
Lots and lots of rain. So much rain that when I returned home from picking Otto up from preschool, I found Aksel and Ingrid sitting in several inches of water in our covered stroller.
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| Picking up Otto from school. |
Using painters tape to make "roads" for Otto and Aksel's bikes in the attic to pass the time on rainy afternoons. Blowing up balloons to pass the time on rainy afternoons.
Hearing Aksel yell with excitement when Ben returns home from work.
Aksel asking if every dark-harked, bearded man is Dad.
Yara yelling moien from across the street.
Kali loving Ingrid. Kali pushing Ingrid on the swings. Kali pushing Otto on the swings.
Witnessing a car wreck outside Otto's school.
Watching Curious George with Otto and Aksel and hearing them laugh uncontrollably when I tell them to be good little monkeys.
The passing away of Quinn Dunn.
Aksel asking to see pictures of himself on my phone only to trick me into letting him watch Daniel Tiger.
Going to Parc Merveilleux -- a strange amusement park for children with animals, rides, playgrounds, and fairytale scenes.
Every single child attending the school playing soccer in the schoolyard before, after and during breaks.
Otto and Aksel riding their bikes down the driveway and crashing into boxes inside our garage.
Ingrid throwing up in the middle of the night while I was rocking her. And being grateful for the first time I didn't have carpet.
Hearing Otto talking in Luxembourgish with his cars while playing.
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| Frankfurt, Germany LDS temple |
Ben taking the youth from our ward to the Frankfort, Germany temple one Saturday.
Facetiming with Angie Richards.
Courtney bringing Goldfish from the military base and Otto and Aksel becoming unhinged at the sight of them.
Aksel saying excuse me.
All three children crying at the park until they get a turn on the swings.
Lori and Darrell White stopping by on Friday night to chat and eat pumpkin bars.
Visiting teaching Tracey Oliver and Rebecca Kamara.
Ben moving to the brand new PwC office building.
Rob and Hosanna walking all over Gasperich in an attempt to start labor.
Trick-or-treating at the American Women's Club of Luxembourg event in Bertrange with the Oliver Family.
Ingrid rubbing her head on everything, especially against mine own forehead.
Otto making a ceramic pumpkin at school.
Otto and Aksel wearing the same size pjs --3T.
Matilda Äberg babysitting so we can go to mutual on Thursday nights.
Feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for the White Family -- one of the best parts about living in Luxembourg. It's been so nice to immediately and genuinely connect with people who understand everything you miss and everything you feel about living in a foreign place. I can call Lori and she totally understands why I can't stop eating handfuls of chocolate chips. Madi and Kyla love our kids and are willing to babysit nearly every Saturday night. Madi let's me offer her lots of unsolicited advice with boys and keeps me company when Ben's away. Kyla is a ray of sunshine, always asking what she can do to help, and Aksel's favorite person in Luxembourg.
Some of our best evenings and meals, have been in the company of Darrell and Lori. An incredible family, our closest friends, and I'll be heartbroken when they inevitably return to the states before we do.
There are days when the little things like -- tiny washers and dryers, nursing in front of a member of the bishopric, and roaming charges (I haven't thought about those since 1997), make me want to give up, pack up, and declare broad sweeping hatred for a group of people. And then there are other days when the little things make living here magical, like -- Otto talking and singing in a foreign language, raclette with friends, kebabs, and looking at my family and seeing all we have done, overcome, and survived together.
