We've been calling our camper "home" for nearly two weeks, although we frequently return to the "old house" to continue sorting and cleaning. It's hard having a foot in each place. Say it's lunch time and we happen to be at the old house. There's still food in the freezer, but no plates or silverware. Or the kids' Kindles are in the camper, but the charger is at the old house. The medicine is with us, but the dosage cup is who knows where. And I'm pretty sure there's an overdue, unpaid bill that is lying forgotten here or there. Most days, I feel like I'm going a dozen directions at once, but not getting anywhere.
I'm thankful for the timing of this transition. We are able to observe how our children react to this type of change (it seems we have a stuffer, a screamer, a sulker, and a striker), as well as how to give each one the grace and space they need. Keith and I successfully navigated several major transitions in our 18+ years together, but it is completely different when children are involved!
We realize now the importance of allowing time for the kids to feel comfortable with their home and school routine in Bangkok before we go skipping off to language school ourselves. We also have to take time to do nothing in particular together. The "together" part is key; we made the mistake of using the "divide-and-conquer" tactic too often. The "do nothing in particular" part is important, too, even though it feels totally unproductive to me. Some of our best conversations happen and the best memories are made when we are just meandering around exploring together.
All things considered, we are surviving just fine in 29 feet of camper. Our almost-two-weeks here have gone by in a blur......
......coffee by an early-morning fire......looking up to see the Big Dipper in a patch of night sky perfectly framed by trees......kids piling in our bed during a vicious storm...Luke learning how to build a Scout-worthy campfire......cringing as the older kids clear brush for a forest fort with a machete and hatchet......teaching the kids how to tell the difference between poison ivy and virginia creeper......the near-constant entertainment of watching people on the high ropes and zip-lines...... late night chats by the light of the campfire and tiki torches......citronella candles on a red-checked tablecloth......
......that time of day when everybody else clears out of the pool to go home for supper and it feels like our personal resort......checking each other for ticks like friendly gorillas......50-cent hot showers......Drew discovering that one should not poke sticks into unknown holes in the ground......assigning new chores, like sweeping the outdoor mat and fetching water......the near-impossibility of getting everyone to go to bed before 9:30 PM......trying to convince the kids that no, we do not need to have s'mores every evening, and no, we are not on vacation......
......working with a miniscule kitchen (and I keep forgetting to ask Keith how to light the teeny-weeny oven)......forgetting where I stashed random items like nail clippers and scotch tape......Luke opting to sleep in the camper after varmints kept him awake one night......Joshy asking, "Dis my bed now?" every evening for the first week......Drew falling out of bed......Kate finding lots of girl friends to pal around with, saying, "God remembered me!"......
......and wondering what our kids will tell their kids about our "gypsy summer!"
I'm thankful for the timing of this transition. We are able to observe how our children react to this type of change (it seems we have a stuffer, a screamer, a sulker, and a striker), as well as how to give each one the grace and space they need. Keith and I successfully navigated several major transitions in our 18+ years together, but it is completely different when children are involved!
We realize now the importance of allowing time for the kids to feel comfortable with their home and school routine in Bangkok before we go skipping off to language school ourselves. We also have to take time to do nothing in particular together. The "together" part is key; we made the mistake of using the "divide-and-conquer" tactic too often. The "do nothing in particular" part is important, too, even though it feels totally unproductive to me. Some of our best conversations happen and the best memories are made when we are just meandering around exploring together.
All things considered, we are surviving just fine in 29 feet of camper. Our almost-two-weeks here have gone by in a blur......
......coffee by an early-morning fire......looking up to see the Big Dipper in a patch of night sky perfectly framed by trees......kids piling in our bed during a vicious storm...Luke learning how to build a Scout-worthy campfire......cringing as the older kids clear brush for a forest fort with a machete and hatchet......teaching the kids how to tell the difference between poison ivy and virginia creeper......the near-constant entertainment of watching people on the high ropes and zip-lines...... late night chats by the light of the campfire and tiki torches......citronella candles on a red-checked tablecloth......
......that time of day when everybody else clears out of the pool to go home for supper and it feels like our personal resort......checking each other for ticks like friendly gorillas......50-cent hot showers......Drew discovering that one should not poke sticks into unknown holes in the ground......assigning new chores, like sweeping the outdoor mat and fetching water......the near-impossibility of getting everyone to go to bed before 9:30 PM......trying to convince the kids that no, we do not need to have s'mores every evening, and no, we are not on vacation......
......working with a miniscule kitchen (and I keep forgetting to ask Keith how to light the teeny-weeny oven)......forgetting where I stashed random items like nail clippers and scotch tape......Luke opting to sleep in the camper after varmints kept him awake one night......Joshy asking, "Dis my bed now?" every evening for the first week......Drew falling out of bed......Kate finding lots of girl friends to pal around with, saying, "God remembered me!"......
......and wondering what our kids will tell their kids about our "gypsy summer!"
Funny about the oven....I have all sorts of difficulties with that in our camper...It lights perfectly for Randy, but not for me! Sounds like you're transitioning okay....
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