But such a month also seems to have contained the magic formula for transforming said 2yo boy from a toddler into a child.

What happened to my boy?  He’s still in diapers (my fault) and still loves his milk in a bottle (his comfort), but suddenly he’s not “The Baby” anymore.  He owns more language than ever before, and is expressing himself like crazy.  Holding conversations, even.  Asking questions and waiting for answers.  Making jokes.  Suggesting fun activities or resolutions to problems.  And get this…he’s even fussing less.  A LOT less.  The temper that seemed to run this family has lightened, and we’re all breathing a little easier.

He filled me with dread the second day of our month-long trip.  All day he cried:  “MY ROOOOOOM!  MY ROOM IS GONE!  MY BEDDDDDDD!  MY BED IS GONE!  LUCY (our puppy) IS GONE!  I WANNA GO HOOOOOOOOOOOME!”  It was loud, aggravating, and absolutely heart-breaking.  I never expected his homesickness.  I worried it would last the entire trip.  But somehow by day three (and by “somehow,” I mean in answer to a pouring-out of prayers), he had resolved himself to go with the flow, which has never been his strong suit.  Don’t get me wrong, every few days his patience would wane and a spark would flare, but that was usually in response to too little sleep and over-stimulation.  For the majority of our trip, he was pretty relaxed and well-behaved.

Now that we’re home, his new-found maturity is seeming to stick.  Or maybe it’s the new way I’m looking at him; once you know what someone is capable of, you begin to expect it from them.  For months before our trip, I spent so much time on eggshells, waiting for the next outburst, next refused nap, next frustrated meltdown (his AND/OR mine).  These past few days at home have been almost glorious – today I even took him to Walmart and we both left the store happy and smiling.

It’s like I’ve been breathing with only one lung for so long, and now I’m able to take a chestful of air.  Here’s hoping it lasts.

The Air Up Here is original, copywritten content (unless otherwise indicated) by Stacey Nerdin for her blog Tree, Root, and Twig. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

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Wordless Wedesday: Now Do I Have Your Attention? is original, copywritten content (unless otherwise indicated) by Stacey Nerdin for her blog Tree, Root, and Twig. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

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To answer your question:  YES, I AM COMPLETELY INSANE!  It was not enough to drive home from Washington state by myself with the five kids – we needed to add a kitty to the mix.  My 12yo daughter fell in love with him at my sister-in-law’s house, and we decided to bring him home.  Don’t ask what it’s like to travel for a week in a car with a brand new kitty – some of the details are not pleasant.  But we worked it out, and he’s doing great at home!

Welcome to our family, Percy!

This Souvenir Has Whiskers is original, copywritten content (unless otherwise indicated) by Stacey Nerdin for her blog Tree, Root, and Twig. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

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I can tell you that coming home has been an unexpectedly strange experience.  I walked into our house at 10:30pm on Friday night and my immediate thought was:  it’s just SO empty.  My house felt hollow, it felt huge.  For 27 days I traveled 6,178 miles with my family, and was hardly very far from them.  We often slept all in one room together, or in various groups or pairs.  And of course, the hours upon hours of time in the car created tight circles of conversation and memories.  Life got very small, very close, very compact.  Walking into 3600 sq ft of living space suddenly made ME feel small, and like I had been cut loose from something precious.

I learned many lessons on this trip, some of which I hope to share over the next couple of weeks, but one major theme stands out:  I can do with so much less of the worldly things.  My needs are simple, chief among them:  MY FAMILY.  I’m grateful for the renewed confidence in knowing that no matter what the future brings in terms of where or how we live, being together will be enough for me.

Home Again, Begin Again is original, copywritten content (unless otherwise indicated) by Stacey Nerdin for her blog Tree, Root, and Twig. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

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It’s beautiful here.  We’ve picked right up with old friends.  We want to come back.

But how do you make things like that happen?  Or DO you “make” them happen?  Do you wait for opportunities to arise, or do you construct possibilities? 

I can’t figure out what part we need to play right now – patiently waiting or feverishly at work?

All I know is that I felt a wound close up as soon as we crossed into Oregon, and my heart has been so happy as we’ve been here.  Happy, and sad at the same time.

I have a lot of thinking – and praying – to do.

My Hat Is There, My Home Is Here is original, copywritten content (unless otherwise indicated) by Stacey Nerdin for her blog Tree, Root, and Twig. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

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