Use your words
The stories are building up, but they are all stuck in my head. I have lost my words. But I am sure that is of no surprise to you. It has been over a month since I posted here.
I have tons of photos uploaded, ready to share, but every time I would start a post, it became easier to read or watch someone else's story, rather than write my own.
What is the special trick that gets the words from one's head out through their fingers onto the paper?
Yesterday, I was working on editing a story at work and rewrote a photo caption about 5 times....and it still stunk. So my case of "lost words" goes beyond just the ones connected with my story.
But tonight, I am forcing myself to write something. Anything. Don't expect anything insightful, entertaining, or interesting. I just need to dig deep and pull out some words.
In my last blog post, I asked you to remind me to tell you how E.H.B., Captain America, and Princess Ballerina said goodbye to me the day I flew back to America.
The morning I was leaving, was the same morning they were starting back to school after a two week spring break. E.H.B. had to leave first. The night before she had asked me if I was going to get up early so we could say goodbye in the morning, because nothing is harder than saying goodbye at bedtime.
About 7 a.m., E.H.B. knocked on my door. She came in, but didn't say anything. She just went over to my computer and opened up Photo Booth to take a photo of her goodbye:
In between these two photos, she said something super sweet about our two weeks together and we both started to cry. So we had to give our goodbye hug and try hard to pull it together. She had a full day of school and I had still had 4 more goodbyes to give. Neither of us could start crying now.
As the family gathered in the entry way to send E.H.B. off to school, Captain America squeezed me around the waist and started giving me a heartfelt goodbye. Then his mom reminded him that he didn't have to leave for school yet and we were going to eat breakfast together. He snapped out of it went back to his normal carefree self.
After breakfast and getting dressed for school, Captain America's compassionate heart was right back out on his sleeve. He knew it was getting closer and closer to school time. We had a few minutes alone in the kitchen while everyone else was upstairs getting ready. He grabbed my arms and pulled them around him and said something to the effect of "Can't you just stay here. You can be my 2nd mama." As my heart is breaking and I can't think of the right words to say to him, he lets go of my arms and does a karate-like move and kicks me in the butt. So we do one more fake punch and kick fight in the kitchen and go back to the normal morning routine.
When it is really time for Captain America and Princess Ballerina to leave for school and for us to really say goodbye, Ballerina gives me a wonderful hug and starts singing goodbye like the song in The Sound of Music. Captain gives me another hug and says goodbye in his saddest voice and turns to walk out the door. Two seconds later he comes back in with his hand stretched out and gives me a Chiquita stickers and says "this is for you to remember us by." (As if I could ever forget them!)
International J, K, and I enjoyed another hour of free time sitting around the table drinking tea, telling a few more stories and finishing up a few last To Do list items.
I said goodbye to K at the house and then International J and I headed to the airport. As is our tradition, International J stays with me at the airport and watches all the way up until we give one final wave as I disappear through security.
If you ever need a lesson for your kids on what it looks like to be a good friend, or how to know who your true friends are, you just send them to me. I have the best friends and will be happy to tell anyone all about them!!!
*************
Since I don't have many photos to share with the stories above, I will tag on to this post some of my favorites from the trip.
Love ~ A
I have tons of photos uploaded, ready to share, but every time I would start a post, it became easier to read or watch someone else's story, rather than write my own.
What is the special trick that gets the words from one's head out through their fingers onto the paper?
Yesterday, I was working on editing a story at work and rewrote a photo caption about 5 times....and it still stunk. So my case of "lost words" goes beyond just the ones connected with my story.
But tonight, I am forcing myself to write something. Anything. Don't expect anything insightful, entertaining, or interesting. I just need to dig deep and pull out some words.
In my last blog post, I asked you to remind me to tell you how E.H.B., Captain America, and Princess Ballerina said goodbye to me the day I flew back to America.
The morning I was leaving, was the same morning they were starting back to school after a two week spring break. E.H.B. had to leave first. The night before she had asked me if I was going to get up early so we could say goodbye in the morning, because nothing is harder than saying goodbye at bedtime.
About 7 a.m., E.H.B. knocked on my door. She came in, but didn't say anything. She just went over to my computer and opened up Photo Booth to take a photo of her goodbye:
In between these two photos, she said something super sweet about our two weeks together and we both started to cry. So we had to give our goodbye hug and try hard to pull it together. She had a full day of school and I had still had 4 more goodbyes to give. Neither of us could start crying now.
As the family gathered in the entry way to send E.H.B. off to school, Captain America squeezed me around the waist and started giving me a heartfelt goodbye. Then his mom reminded him that he didn't have to leave for school yet and we were going to eat breakfast together. He snapped out of it went back to his normal carefree self.
After breakfast and getting dressed for school, Captain America's compassionate heart was right back out on his sleeve. He knew it was getting closer and closer to school time. We had a few minutes alone in the kitchen while everyone else was upstairs getting ready. He grabbed my arms and pulled them around him and said something to the effect of "Can't you just stay here. You can be my 2nd mama." As my heart is breaking and I can't think of the right words to say to him, he lets go of my arms and does a karate-like move and kicks me in the butt. So we do one more fake punch and kick fight in the kitchen and go back to the normal morning routine.
When it is really time for Captain America and Princess Ballerina to leave for school and for us to really say goodbye, Ballerina gives me a wonderful hug and starts singing goodbye like the song in The Sound of Music. Captain gives me another hug and says goodbye in his saddest voice and turns to walk out the door. Two seconds later he comes back in with his hand stretched out and gives me a Chiquita stickers and says "this is for you to remember us by." (As if I could ever forget them!)
International J, K, and I enjoyed another hour of free time sitting around the table drinking tea, telling a few more stories and finishing up a few last To Do list items.
I said goodbye to K at the house and then International J and I headed to the airport. As is our tradition, International J stays with me at the airport and watches all the way up until we give one final wave as I disappear through security.
If you ever need a lesson for your kids on what it looks like to be a good friend, or how to know who your true friends are, you just send them to me. I have the best friends and will be happy to tell anyone all about them!!!
*************
Since I don't have many photos to share with the stories above, I will tag on to this post some of my favorites from the trip.
Love ~ A
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