Shining smiles

Tomorrow my oldest ”little” boy will turn 11.

11.

Do you remember being 11?

11 is a magical age. I can see the sparkle of anticipation in his eyes – he waits on the cusp of his upcoming metamorphasis into a man with excitement and a bit of concern. In many ways, he is still a boy – happy to build his K’Nex ferris wheel, complete with motor and all – but at other times, he is the most insightful young adult I’ve ever met.

This morning, for example, Matthew made the following pronouncement during our traditional getting-ready-for-school meeting in the bathroom:

“Mom, once I tried broccoli soup and even though it looked disgusting and even though I don’t like broccoli, I actually liked the soup! It’s funny how things that look disgusting can be really good...”

That, my friends, is a terrific insight in itself… but he went on and it got even better.

“… so I’ve decided that I’m going to broaden my horizons and try to taste everything that is available for tasting. After all, we humans really shouldn’t limit ourselves to eating things that look good.”

In other words, Matthew has arrived at the age-old cliché that “you can’t judge a book by its cover” on his own… and then applied it to food.

Matthew’s birthday always marks a special moment for me and I treasure the day in a special place in my heart. He was born in the middle of the night after endless hours of struggling to bring him into the world. His actual entrance was so quiet that for several minutes I kept repeating “Steen, he’s not crying. Why isn’t he crying?!?!?”, and then suddenly my fears that something was terrible wrong with my little miracle were wiped away by a gusty, loud scream.

From the moment the midwife put him in my arms, Matthew looked at me with his big blue eyes. Even then, I could see the knowledge passing across his features. He already seemed to be a child who would prioritize thinking. Holding him, I wondered what he could possibly know, and as every mother, I spent those first few days in the hospital marvelling at the opportunity that lay before him. Who would he be?

Today – 11 years but what seems like a blink of the eye later – I already know part of the story. He is a talented writer who loves his Donald Duck comics. He is a gifted mathematician who treasures his weekly turns at playing the Wii. He is generally a happy kid who struggles to understand why the kids in his class can’t just get along. He is, above all, a shiny, sparkling star in my life. My treasure.

Matthew means “God’s gift”. He is, and I am honored to be his mom.

Smile for the day

Bonus: One of my favorite photos from our trip to the US
Also, I've changed the blog a bit to bring thoughts of spring... I'd prefer a template that is a bit more "springy" though, if anyone has any suggestions.

Grinding away

Back at the office now for 21 days. Three weeks. Approximately 120 hours, assuming no overtime. That leaves some 1300 hundred weeks of work until retirement, assuming I have the luck and ability to retire at 62. 1300 weeks!!!! No comment...

Returning to work after 18 months of immersing myself in the role of full-time mom and part-time housekeeper (although Steen might dispute the latter) is a roller coaster ride in itself. I am, first and foremost, a mother... on my imaginary "life priority list", three little boys come first -- will always come first. I miss the little things every day. Picking them up from school and seeing their smiles as they come bounding down the stairs. Watching them learn as they jump wholeheartedly into a pool or return a ball at tennis. Hearing the littlest one develop his "new sound for the day". Being able to hug them, kiss them, tell them I love them whenever I want.

That said, I still learn a lot from my job and enjoy the people I work with... we create this excellently functioning little group, filled with complementary competencies and lit by a shared sense of humor and at least a daily dose of laughter. The income is important, of course, and there is definitely something to be said about being able to eat lunch with other adults and to visit the bathroom without one boy or another bursting through the door with the latest gossip.

Nicholas has been at daycare part-time now for two weeks and will start full-time on Monday. He has two sweet and patient teachers, and he's only mistaken someone's finger for food once. He's already gone through one stage of crying when Steen drops him off. Now when they arrive in the morning, he looks at Steen in a resigned way, raises his little hand and waves goodbye. He's a trooper, my little boy.

And so, we go back to "regular" life, as it were

The best-est Christmas ever

A week ago today we boarded a (very delayed) flight from Chicago to Amsterdam, and then continued on from there to Stockholm, following an exciting, busy and memorable two-week trip to the States.

Some highlights of our visit:

Watching Nicholas explore his grandparents' house... and letting grandma know that her cabinets were definitely organized incorrectly! Gee, grandma, these lids don't go in this cabinet!!!

Watching Nicholas fall in love with his gorgeous turtle rocking chair, made lovingly for him by his grandpa. I can't imagine how many hours have gone into making this turtle, but it is definitely precious and beautifully built. When he rocks in it now, he's like a crazy, cooky kid, banging his head against the back, swinging his feet wildly and trying to get it to rock at speeds it cannot possible make. Each of the boys have been blessed to have something special in their lives that their grandfather has made for them. Not too many children have presents like that from their grandfathers.... Thank you, dad!

CHRISTMAS -- Definitely the kids' favorite part, from putting out cookies and an apple for Santa and his reindeer to the incredible Christmas dinner! I doubt I have ever seen so many presents piled into one room. We could (I'm serious) not move once the unwrapping had begun. Matthew and Lucas were thrilled with their piles and piles of presents, while Nicholas seemed more interested in ripping the paper to tiny, microscopic shreds and pushing the buttons on his new, personalized Elmo telephone.

Enjoying the water park and good company at Lake Geneva, where we spent a weekend with mom and dad (the hosts and organizers), as well as Tim and Kathi and their kids. The older boys loved the water slides and obstacle course, while Nicholas spent a day in the baby section. I enjoyed the chance to chat with everyone, play cards and to generally have a great time.


New Years in Minnesota -- Yes, we did something totally strange, weird and hard-to-understand. Steen, the boys and I spent two days at the Mall of America and its surroundings over New Years. The boys totally enjoyed the place. After all, what is better in the dead of winter than an indoor amusement park and permission to make mountains of milk bubbles?!

Day out with mom -- Mom and I snuck away for a day of shopping and talking over a nice glass of wine, an amazing lunch, coffee and chocolate fondue. I truly enjoyed the chance to spend some quality time with her.

Morning mass with grandpa -- What can I say? My grandfather is one of my closest friends. Enjoying the peace of church with him, sharing memories of grandma, smiling, laughing and having a great time...

American TV -- Slouching on mom and dad's relaxation-inducing couches, sharing comments with mom and dad about the shows...

And last, but not least, celebrating Matthew's birthday (a bit early, but I'm sure he didn't mind)!