We've flipped! We're no longer counting months by how long we've been in Luxembourg, but by how many we have left.
Occasionally, I start to panic and make and re-make a big list of all the things we need to see and do in the next 11 months and then I look at my kids and realize if we do nothing else but eat european chocolate chips and play at the park next door, we've done and seen and conquered and experienced more than I ever dreamed.
But I'm still making a list. And Ben and I are still trying to decide if we should spend every free minute of the next 11 months in Switzerland or visit places we've never been. The majority of month 13 was spent in Utah, but per our usual pace in Luxembourg, we made every day count.
Things I want to remember about the past month in Luxembourg:
Beginning the drive to the Remich outdoor swimming pool with Lilly and kids only to have it start down pouring. We changed plans and drove to the indoor Syrdall Schwemm pool in Niederanven only to have it be closed. So we changed plans and drove to the indoor Les Thermes swimming pool and it was open. And it has a wave pool. And a water slide. And the morning was saved. Otto stood in front of each wave in the wave pool and punched it with both fists and arms as it crashed down in front of him and yelled, "I'm Bumblebee!"
Driving to the Remich pool the next day with Lilly and kids and getting really angry at Europe for having cash-only policies every where and having a good cry as I searched for an ATM for 20 minutes. Then we spent the morning swimming with the Ware's.
Ingrid starting saying the following words/phrases:
bee
fly
waffle
hi daddy
Acky (for Aksel)
Ackel (for Aksel)
Otto
mama
mom
mommy
i see you
where'd it go?
it's all gone
down
up
done
Going to Parc Merveilleux with the Packers and Wares all day, getting attacked by bees, bit by an emu, playing atop a sleeping elf, and having the following conversation with Otto:
Otto: Mom, why didn't my class see the bats when we came here?
Me: You came here with your class!?!?
Otto: Yes, on a field trip.
I love being an immigrant mother.
Motivating Otto to do things by singing a song as a timer or telling him I need a special rescue bot mission.
Otto scraping and re-scraping his knees.
Playing the game, Sorry, with Otto.
Trying to help Aksel phase out of taking naps before school starts on September 15.
Spending a few afternoons at the Ministry of Immigration for new residency cards.
Watching Person of Interest with Ben.
Ben and Otto (and the Packer boys) going to see Inside Out at Utopolis movie theater (Otto's first cinema!).
Ingrid's hair developing into an awesome mullet and going to nursery at church for the first time!
Taking care of the Andrews' cats only to find one cat locked out (without food) and one cat locked in (without a litter box).
Aksel saying, "I don't want to!" about everything.
Celebrating Lilly's 19th birthday with handpicked gifts by Otto and Aksel of underwear, socks, and nail polish, ice cream, and a cake from Au Pain du Mary. After putting the kids to bed, we went to dinner at Beef Bar (where I accidentally bashed my head on the corner of a table), shopped at Zara and then saw the new minion movie.
Watching Otto in primary from behind the piano (where I sit) and being in awe of him. He sits so quietly. He volunteers to say the theme in French. He participates. He listens. He picks his nose. He smiles at me. I love watching him.
Ben, Otto, and Lilly going to a church BBQ while Aksel, Ingrid, and I slept the afternoon away. Otto came home declaring, "I ate a taco and I liked it!"
Facetiming with Grandma and Grandpa Oates one last time on their mission.
Otto peeing through the toilet seat at church and he and Ben going home to get new clothes.
Taking Aksel to the doctor and being diagnosed with a double lung infection.
Morning trip to Fort Thüngen with Lilly and the Packers. We walked around, kicked soccer balls, played, climbed and ate a lot of pretzels.
Yudri cutting the boys' hair.
Ingrid stealing babies from everyone and everywhere.
One last swim (and ride down the waterslide) with our beloved, Lilly. And then getting charged extra because we didn't leave the pool and locker room before our alloted 1.5 hours was up (I may have cursed Europe again).
Gilstraps coming back to Luxembourg and staying with us for a few days as they finished their move to England. David and Jeffrey watching Mulan, feeding our boys suckers and goldfish and the boys loving every second.
One last movie night and nail-painting party with Lilly.
Saying goodbye and taking Lilly to the airport to return to the United States of America.
Going to Kocklescheuer with the Wares and the Packers one morning and Otto and Aksel crying and whining the entire time. The entire time. About sticks. About animals. About everything. We drove home and put everyone down for a nap.
Ben going to dinner and a movie with Scott Oliver and Sam Gilstrap.
Becky watching the boys while I took Ingrid to the doctor to have her lungs checked out.
Saying goodbye to Ryan Gilstrap before he left on his mission to Tahiti.
Spending a successful day in Remich as a family, swimming, eating at McDonald's, walking along the esplanade, walking along the Moselle River, playing at a park, watching swans, riding cars and napping on the drive home.
Watching Snow White as a family.
Eating New Delhi indian food.
Spending my birthday fasting, driving to Metz to play piano at a baptism, opening gifts, eating dinner and spending the evening with the Andrews and eating Snickers ice cream bars.
Becky and kids coming over to help make singing time supplies for our church nursery.
Ben coming home for lunch.
Going to the Wares and a walk in the woods to a swamp. The kids loved it and were so happy.
Dropping the Mullins' house and mail key through the sewage grate in the street and Ben saving the day by fishing them out.
Meeting the crew at Parc de Merl one afternoon to jump on the trampolines and play and swap the weeks's horror stories of dropped keys, shattered crockpots and wrecked cars.
Getting packed and everything ready to fly to Utah for three weeks.
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