brothers

I’m a mother of three wonderful boys, 5, 31/2, and 2.  When they laugh my heart is full, and when they cry it aches.  They fill my life, they are my life.  And they drive me crazy.  They nag me, fight with each other, destroy everything they can get their hands on, won’t stop running, climbing, jumping and they do all of these things in a ridiculously loud manner.

So today, Lenny and Nick’s first day at Italian playschool alone (I stayed the first two days), gives me all sorts of mixed emotions.  I’m thrilled at the fact that I can hear myself think, in fact, Joe is even sleeping at the moment, so it’s almost eerily quiet.  But I’m also nervous for them, missing their smiles, a little lost at what to do with myself, and immensely proud of their courage.  Lenny especially is really a trooper with starting at a new place with a new language.  After all, he’s done it before, last year in Germany.  And he’s super social, he loves to play with other kids.  Nicholas, on the other hand, is a little shy and a lot more emotional.  He’s a thinker and often likes to be alone.

Clay and I are always re-evaluating how our children are adapting to our moves, and are ready and willing to ‘settle down’ if and when we decide it’s best for all of us.  But one of the things we are grateful for is that no matter where we go, the boys have each other.  And I strongly believe that the bond they are creating now, being there for each other for comfort, support, encouragement, is a foundation for a relationship they will continue to build as they get older.  They need each other, and it’s wonderful to hear them tell me they love each other, and that’s why they want to be together at school.  So while there are so many reasons we miss family and all the comfortable surroundings at home in Canada, there are also important life lessons to be learned by removing ourselves from what is easy.  Strengthening family relationships in a very significant way… invaluable.

(photo pre-Joe, Nick about 15 months old and Lenny nearly 3)