Earlier this month, Ben took the trash out. On his way back up the stairs and into the house, he paused on the front step and looked out into the black night and said: It smells like winter is in the air. You should come smell it.
I joined him on the stoop and inhaled deeply. It did smell like winter. It smelled cold and felt crisp with the scent of a fire smoldering in a neighbor's yard.
No lights could be seen in the neighborhood. That would be too inviting and too expensive.
We stood there for a few minutes longer and then I said: You would never have said something like that 5 years ago.
Then he said: You're right.
Then I knew we had reached an unspeakable milestone.
His nose was correct. Autumn was and is quickly ending in mid-continental Europe and the cold and darkness are creeping in sooner than I want them too.
The leaves are beautiful and the berry bushes are deepening and ripening.
The days are mostly rainy, but when they aren't, we're spending each afternoon riding bikes, building a stick collection underneath our stairs, playing at parks, and chasing neighborhood cats.
Ben has traveled to Vienna, Poland, and London multiple times and entered busy season at work. When he is in town, he's on late night calls for church or attending late night meetings at swanky French restaurants with names like Um Plateau and winning bottles of champagne we won't drink.
I'm keeping busy forcing my children and friends to meet multiple times a week and carry out my personal agenda of sightseeing, marketing, brunching, swimming and eating, but no one has complained yet.
And I've purchased an absurd amount of pumpkins from a store called Colruyt to cook and freeze so I can enjoy pumpkin bars, pie, and muffins for a few months without spending €5 a can from a UK import store here, called Little Britain. So my pioneer-style pumpkin preparation is keeping me busy too.
Every weekend from now until January 1 is booked with day trips, American holidays to celebrate, Christmas Markets to attend and mine own unbridled expectations. It's been a really good month despite Ben's long hours at work or on the road and my inability to walk down our stairs without injuring myself.
Things I want to remember about the past month in Luxembourg:
Ingrid saying sing whenever she wants to me to sing to her. Her songs of choice right now are: Ring around the Rosy, Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree, and Follow the Prophet.
Aksel joining me on the piano bench as I play the piano during church. He cannot control himself and must play every single key I'm not playing right along with me.
Eating Becky's homemade pizza at the Packers one night for dinner and all of my children sitting quietly and eating three pieces. Three! Then we drove to the Mullins for dessert. After dessert, Otto asked where we were going next to eat.
Bumping into Megan at Colruyt with my stroller full of pumpkins and then bumping into Martha two days later at Colruty with more pumpkins. And then going back for more pumpkins because I'm so afraid of running out of pumpkin and I'm slightly afraid my pumpkins will get stolen off of our front porch so I have to have back-up pumpkins.
Watching Aksel with his preschool class play at the park across the street on a few afternoons. He runs around and climbs ladders and drops down. Hector follows him a lot. He never stops moving.
Trying to figure out the best way to drop off and pick up Otto and Aksel from school each day without someone crying, melting down, running away, escaping to the playground, getting pushed out of the stroller or losing my cool and yelling. We found a solution. We have to drop Aksel off first. And Aksel rides his strider bike. It's the only way.
Ingrid asking: what happened? anytime she hears an unidentified noise: a chainsaw, construction, a car door shut, a toy drop.
Eating Boxenmans (sugar covered donuts in the shape of a little man) from the local bakery. Otto first licks all of the sugar off and then eats his boxenman in it's entirety. Aksel holds his for a second, drops it on the table and then runs off to play.
The unofficial Father & Sons campout and weekend in Mullerthal.
Watching Aksel with his preschool class play at the park across the street on a few afternoons. He runs around and climbs ladders and drops down. Hector follows him a lot. He never stops moving.
Trying to figure out the best way to drop off and pick up Otto and Aksel from school each day without someone crying, melting down, running away, escaping to the playground, getting pushed out of the stroller or losing my cool and yelling. We found a solution. We have to drop Aksel off first. And Aksel rides his strider bike. It's the only way.
Ingrid asking: what happened? anytime she hears an unidentified noise: a chainsaw, construction, a car door shut, a toy drop.
Eating Boxenmans (sugar covered donuts in the shape of a little man) from the local bakery. Otto first licks all of the sugar off and then eats his boxenman in it's entirety. Aksel holds his for a second, drops it on the table and then runs off to play.
The unofficial Father & Sons campout and weekend in Mullerthal.
Ingrid asking: where's Stein? and being totally unsatisfied with the answer: Utah.
When Otto and Aksel return from school, they receive a dinosaur cookie with chocolate on one side if:
1) they come home without crying, fighting or melting down and
2) they report on one thing they did at school outside of playing on the playground
Their answers one day:
Otto: I played at the Farm Park and I drew a picture of Daddy climbing an apple tree.
1) they come home without crying, fighting or melting down and
2) they report on one thing they did at school outside of playing on the playground
Their answers one day:
Otto: I played at the Farm Park and I drew a picture of Daddy climbing an apple tree.
Aksel: I hurt my foot and I played with trains.
Making homemade play dough and having the Wares, Mullins, Packers, and Star over to ride scooters in the attic, play and talk one Thursday afternoon.
Celebrating Father's Day in Luxembourg.
Otto presented Ben with a painted glass cup (filled with cookies they made in class) and coaster, along with a poem and handprint.
Aksel presented Ben with a bag of cookies (they made in class), a poem, and a miniature handprint attached to a key chain.
One day during lunch, Otto announced: Elias had a chocolate mustache today at school because he had chocolate for his snack this morning. His parents always buy chocolate at the store and he can have as much as he wants all of the time.
Also please note, he's reporting this information in an attempt to prove I can send something other than muffins or apples. I didn't budge. Luxembourgish teachers are very strict about what you can and can't sent in a child's snack box.
Falling into a routine of Otto drinking a smoothie and Aksel drinking chocolate milk every morning for breakfast.
Please note: I recently altered Aksel's chocolate milk consumption by basing his receipt of chocolate milk on his ability to remain in his bed until morning.
Meeting up with Megan and jogging around Parc de Merl with our babies. As we jogged in circles around the park, I noticed a woman standing underneath a tree and looking up as if she was unable to reach something. I told Megan we needed to help her (Megan is tall). We made our way toward her and looked up. All we saw were nuts. She was trying to reach nuts. So Megan picked some nuts for her and she was really grateful. I'll never forget this moment. I didn't anticipate the nuts.
Lingering at the school playground in the afternoons after 4 pm pick-up and letting Otto, Aksel and Ingrid play. Otto and Aksel play on the lower playground with the big slides, rock walls, and bigger kids. Ingrid and I hang out on the upper playground with a smaller slide and fewer children. The boys run back and forth between the playgrounds looking for their water bottles, trying to convince me they'd be fine without their jackets, seeking comfort after falling down a slide or announcing they need to pee. We usually last 45 minutes before someone really melts down. If I stay too long, everyone cries on the way home because they're all tired and hungry. If I leave too early, they all cry because they didn't get to play long enough. It's a delicate balance.
Lingering at the school playground in the afternoons after 4 pm pick-up and letting Otto, Aksel and Ingrid play. Otto and Aksel play on the lower playground with the big slides, rock walls, and bigger kids. Ingrid and I hang out on the upper playground with a smaller slide and fewer children. The boys run back and forth between the playgrounds looking for their water bottles, trying to convince me they'd be fine without their jackets, seeking comfort after falling down a slide or announcing they need to pee. We usually last 45 minutes before someone really melts down. If I stay too long, everyone cries on the way home because they're all tired and hungry. If I leave too early, they all cry because they didn't get to play long enough. It's a delicate balance.
Going to the Jardin de Circulation with the Packers. Otto has been REALLY into rescue vehicles. One day we saw the police put a boot on a parked car and I thought Otto might have a heart attack he was so excited. The morning we went to the Jardin de Circulation, the cashier at Colruyt presented me with a free flashing light to attach to a bike. I immediately asked for a second. When the boys came home from school and I suggested we go to the "bike park" with our new flashing lights attached to our bikes, Otto said: Why didn't you think of getting me one of these before now!?
Excellent question, Otto.
Excellent question, Otto.
Aksel FINALLY AND CONSISTENTLY pooping in the potty. One afternoon, I presented him with a much-coveted wooden train named James from Thomas the Train. I told him if he pooped in the potty, he could have it. He's been pooping ever since. Not one accident. Never looked back. I'd like to say it was James or being a really patient Mom for six months, but I don't think it was either. I think he was just finally ready. Later that night, Ben and I had the following conversation:
Ben: I hope you've learned a valuable lesson about Aksel and potty training.
Me: What lesson?
Ben: That he'll do things when he's ready and there's not point stressing or being worked up about things. Everything happens when it's supposed to.
Spoken like a parent who wasn't responsible for the potty training.
Cold, early morning runs with Megan.
Ben returning from a week in Poland just as I returned from pick-up from school one morning and the kids trying to climb inside the taxi. You can't see Aksel in the below picture because he's deep inside the car touching as many things as he can.
Ben: I hope you've learned a valuable lesson about Aksel and potty training.
Me: What lesson?
Ben: That he'll do things when he's ready and there's not point stressing or being worked up about things. Everything happens when it's supposed to.
Spoken like a parent who wasn't responsible for the potty training.
A visiting teaching brunch at Megan's house with Tracey and Justine with the best pumpkin muffins I've ever had - rolled in cinnamon and sugar.
Cold, early morning runs with Megan.
Ben returning from a week in Poland just as I returned from pick-up from school one morning and the kids trying to climb inside the taxi. You can't see Aksel in the below picture because he's deep inside the car touching as many things as he can.
Shopping at La Belle Etoile one Saturday evening with Star and being asked to leave a store 10 minutes before the mall closed. I looked at the employee and said: this would not happen in America. Then we battled Saturday night traffic trying to get into the City Centre and ended up at Brasserie Guillaume with delicious hot chocolate followed by a walk through the City.
Fasting for Ben's sister, Melissa.
Ben giving Sabrina Cardenas a school blessing.
Playing legos with Otto.
Learning the song, Follow the Prophet in French as a family.
Fasting for Ben's sister, Melissa.
Ben giving Sabrina Cardenas a school blessing.
Playing legos with Otto.
Learning the song, Follow the Prophet in French as a family.
Baking and eating a lot of pumpkin muffins. Taking some of these muffins to Aksel's teachers and them saying: they taste like an Autumn and Christmas explosion in my mouth. People do not eat pumpkin in Europe. They think I'm a big weirdo until they try a muffin or a pumpkin bar. We fed a Tahitian missionary pumpkin bars and I thought he was going to cry he was so happy.
Following the neighbor's cat, Prim, around with Ingrid. It's really cute and fun until the cat attacks Ingrid. But Ingrid doesn't give up. We keep following Prim until she squeezes under a fence and runs away because I've scolded her too many times for scratching Ingrid and then Ingrid cries until we can find Felix, the other neighbor's cat. He's a scratcher too.
Talking to Tina on the phone and feeling immensely better.
Aksel listing all of the colors in a rainbow and being unable to convince him it's the color violet, not biolet.
Going swimming with Star one afternoon at the Sydrall Schwemm Pool in Niederanven, and getting scolded for taking pictures. Star gave Otto an impromptu swim lesson and Otto loves to show me what he learned.
Ingrid looking up at the night sky and seeing a half moon and asking: what happened?
Our weekend trip to Paris.
A crèche employee taking a line of kids to a crèche across these street retrieved Ingrid and parked the stroller next to me. Ingrid was safely strapped in the stroller but had rolled backward across the playground because I didn't think to lock the stroller once I saw the blood.
Aksel? Still running around saying something like "can't catch me!" and totally oblivious to the trauma he caused.
Nathalie kept saying "It's hard to see the wound because of his hair". She said it four times. Seriously. I get it. Otto has long hair. It makes it hard to see head wounds.
Once I assessed stitches weren't needed, we tried walking home again.
Otto meeting the challenge of reading 50 books to earn a new Lego set.
Reading The Nightingale.
Otto saying Aye Yai Yai a lot.
Friday afternoon bakery trips for two vanilla éclairs for Ben and cookies for the rest of us. I have finally mastered the order of words when ordering a vanilla éclair in French.
Ordering Chicken Shalimar from New Delhi and watching the Big Bang Theory one Friday night.
Dropping Otto, Aksel, and Ingrid off at the Wares one afternoon so I could wander around La Belle Etoile unencumbered for an hour.
Playing at the school playground one Friday afternoon with Otto's favorite new friend from school. His name is Daniel. I heard a lot about Daniel before I saw him. He's 18 months older than Otto and a foot taller. Otto's class is made up of Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 kids. Otto and three other kids are Cycle 1 (kindergarten). The other seven children are Cycle 2 (1st grade).
One this particular day, Daniel and his parents are also at the playground so I introduced myself.
I asked if Daniel and his family are Luxembourgish. Strike one. They're Czech. They ask me if I speak anything other than English. Strike two. I ask how to pronounce Daniel. Strike three.
Otto and I have had several conversations prior to my awkward conversation with his parents about how to pronounce Daniel's name. My question wasn't out of thin air. Otto keeps saying dawn-ee-ahn. I let Otto call him whatever he wants now.
The best part about the awkward conversation was when they asked where our family moved from. I said Utah.
The mom then said, It sounds like a book title: From Utah to Luxembourg.
I had no idea what she meant or how to respond.
I laughed and said: Totally!
Ben and the boys wrestling before bed.
Aksel and Otto insisting on helping Ben with yard work one Saturday. I had to convince Aksel he had to be dressed and put a coat on before using pruning shears. He was not happy about it. Then both Otto and Aksel insisted on holding onto the power cord to Ben's favorite electric lawn mower. Because the lawn mower is a piece of crap, the cord falls out really easily anyway. I don't know what was more funny, Ben trying not to lose his mind over the cord being pulled out every three seconds by his sons or the fact that Otto and Aksel kept losing their minds about who was holding on where on the power cord.
Swimming with the Packers one Saturday afternoon at the Syrdall Schwemm pool in Niederanven. Afterward, the Packers and the missionaries came over for dinner and pumpkin bars. We put all of the kids to bed upstairs and played several rounds of the game, Exploding Kittens. After taking the missionaries back to their apartment, Ben tried really hard to convince Nate and Becky to sleep over.
Bearing my testimony on Fast Sunday at Church with Ben as my translator.
Attending Canadian Thanksgiving at the Oliver's home and celebrating Scott's 40th birthday.
One this particular day, Daniel and his parents are also at the playground so I introduced myself.
I asked if Daniel and his family are Luxembourgish. Strike one. They're Czech. They ask me if I speak anything other than English. Strike two. I ask how to pronounce Daniel. Strike three.
Otto and I have had several conversations prior to my awkward conversation with his parents about how to pronounce Daniel's name. My question wasn't out of thin air. Otto keeps saying dawn-ee-ahn. I let Otto call him whatever he wants now.
The best part about the awkward conversation was when they asked where our family moved from. I said Utah.
The mom then said, It sounds like a book title: From Utah to Luxembourg.
I had no idea what she meant or how to respond.
I laughed and said: Totally!
Ben and the boys wrestling before bed.
Running with Megan and Martha and our babies at Parc de Merl one morning.
The Mullins coming over to play one afternoon.
Swimming with the Packers one Saturday afternoon at the Syrdall Schwemm pool in Niederanven. Afterward, the Packers and the missionaries came over for dinner and pumpkin bars. We put all of the kids to bed upstairs and played several rounds of the game, Exploding Kittens. After taking the missionaries back to their apartment, Ben tried really hard to convince Nate and Becky to sleep over.
Bearing my testimony on Fast Sunday at Church with Ben as my translator.
Attending Canadian Thanksgiving at the Oliver's home and celebrating Scott's 40th birthday.
Carlos Rodriguez coming over for root beer and pumpkin bars.
Otto's précoce teacher, Tess, coming over with her new baby, Lana, and spending the afternoon with me.
Going to the Farm Park with Daniel and his family after school one day. This time, I avoided conversation and became super engrossed with pushing Ingrid on swings.
Going to the Farm Park with Daniel and his family after school one day. This time, I avoided conversation and became super engrossed with pushing Ingrid on swings.
Aksel having a bad day at school and needing to be disciplined several times by his teachers. He refused to listen or participate and did the exact opposite of what he was asked the entire time.
Ingrid started saying: he's bugging! whenever Otto or Aksel are truly bugging her.
Edgar De Kerchove coming over to play one afternoon. The only common language we have with Edgar is the Luxembourgish he and Otto have learned in one year of school. So I do a lot of ridiculous hand motions and charades, but it works.
Going to the Library with Ingrid and checking out books. Ingrid spends her time sitting on a giant black panther and squawking if another child even looks at the cat. I spend my time politely declining coffee to some really assertive Italian women who run the shop and can't figure out why I don't want the coffee (they don't speak English. I don't speak Italian. But the library does have an English section).
An early morning run with Megan and Martha in the woods with headlamps. There was a noise in the trees and I was so startled that I screamed before I knew I was screaming and my scream scared us more than the crash in the trees.
Riding the bus downtown one Wednesday morning with Ingrid to meet friends and walk around the Farmer's Market. Every Wednesday morning in Place Guillaume, there's a beautiful farmer's market with food, spices, olives, cheese, chicken, plants, nuts, pastries and more. I purchased a bag of waffles for the kids to share and a new wreath for my front door.
Dinner with friends at Mamacita's in the City Centre. Best guacamole ever. When we requested that the server take a photo of us; she obliged and then a bag of masks were presented to us and a second photo was requested by the staff.
Joleka (a local window company) FINALLY coming to replace our kitchen window and door from the burglary. I love when repairmen come. I never have a clue what they're saying or what they need. So I do a lot of pretending. And then Ben comes home and asks a lot of questions I don't know the answers to. I think the guy said he'd be back the following Monday with a new door and window. That Monday has come and gone so I have no idea what he actually said.
Going swimming at the Sydrall Schwemm pool in Niederanven with the Wares and the Mackays one Saturday morning and Otto finally being brave enough to jump into the pool and swim back to the wall by himself. Hurray!
Ben and Aksel going on a date to La Belle Etoile.
Sabrina Cardenas babysitting. Sabrina speaks five languages and one of them is Luxembourgish. Per my request, she speaks Luxembourgish to the boys and they love it.
After a brief diaper-changing tutorial (she affixed Ingrid's upside down last time), we left three happy kids in her care and met five other couples at Antica Trattoria in Merl for a lengthy Italian dinner. We followed dinner with dessert, games and a birthday celebration for Becky at the Mullins. During the game, Ben and I disagreed about the artist who sings the song: Bullet With Butterfly Wings (one of the answers in the game, Buzzword).
He (and Nate Packer) thought it was Nirvana. I knew it was Smashing Pumpkins. I, of course, triumphed and it still feels wonderful.
Ben traveleing to Toul, France one Sunday with President Rodriguez.
Sabrina Cardenas babysitting. Sabrina speaks five languages and one of them is Luxembourgish. Per my request, she speaks Luxembourgish to the boys and they love it.
After a brief diaper-changing tutorial (she affixed Ingrid's upside down last time), we left three happy kids in her care and met five other couples at Antica Trattoria in Merl for a lengthy Italian dinner. We followed dinner with dessert, games and a birthday celebration for Becky at the Mullins. During the game, Ben and I disagreed about the artist who sings the song: Bullet With Butterfly Wings (one of the answers in the game, Buzzword).
He (and Nate Packer) thought it was Nirvana. I knew it was Smashing Pumpkins. I, of course, triumphed and it still feels wonderful.
Ben traveleing to Toul, France one Sunday with President Rodriguez.
Having Star and Russ over for homemade clam chowder and acting out David and Goliath. Russ stood on a chair and Otto and Aksel threw crumpled pieces of paper at him until he fell. They loved it.
Celebrating Becky's birthday with a brunch and friends at Megan's one morning.
Celebrating Becky's birthday with a brunch and friends at Megan's one morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment