Christmas Party

The dancing man
Sam is a frog (jumping like this is something he's been working on for months)
Sam sitting flat footed, as is pretty common here (most adults can sit like this for a long time)
When the party started, Sam wasn't sure he wanted to stay with his class

We went to Sam's Christmas party at the nursery school last night and it was awesome in that way that only a children's party can be. It's been fun to watch Samuel really enjoy Christmas for the first time. He loves Christmas trees and lights and candy canes and this will probably be the time he gets the hang of unwrapping gifts. It's still magical to him. He can tell something big is happening.

The party was fun. We were a little worried about how Sam would handle it, just because it was during his kind of cranky time (late evening) and the first few minutes he looked bewildered. He wasn't up to lining up with his class at first, and came back to mom. They're really entertaining at this age, becoming kids but still a little confused by new situations. Sam had a great time, although several times he defected back to one of the two of us.

Christmas is definitely different here. The party had a mixed Christmas/costume theme, and there were all sorts of costumes. While Santa was probably in the majority, there was also a pumpkin, caterpillar, pumpkin, dinosaur, and several super heroes. Next year we'll have a costume for Sam. Here Christmas is mostly a big winter party, and usually comes a couple of months before the local New Year. In some ways this makes it all more relaxed and less stressful.

I love nursery care here. I think that the workers are pros--this is what their vocation is and they really love children. I'm also glad Sam is in a local school. His language is really coming along. He doesn't always like answering questions if people want to test him, but he knows and can say a lot and the community he has at school seems likes a healthy one. I think 18 months was about the perfect time language-wise to start. I know it seems a bit young for nursery school, but I think it was probably the more compassionate thing long term, if he can function and relate well to the place that we live. I'm hoping that after three years he'll have a base that will hold up with support during our return.

In terms of general quality of life, we really are doing better. I know we had basically a couple of months of wining, and we still have a rough time if Emily and I are both low on sleep. I think the twins/toddler combo is really a doozy and it will take us some time to recover. I kind of can't believe how all consuming it is. If it weren't for the fact that we lived on campus and had family help, we'd be toast. As it is, if the twins or Sam have a bad night and neither of us sleep well, it takes a while to recover. I'm always envious of people who can get by on five or six hours of sleep.

One of Emily's friends said it took her about six months to accept that she had twins. I feel like we've mostly adjusted to our new reality, but it's meant a big shift in our daily life and how we see ourselves. Nights like last night still remind me of how much easier things were when there were just three of us. At the same time, I'm coming around to this new identity: heading towards late 30's, pretty much settled in job, adjusted to "new" location (which I know about as well as many places I've lived), and parents to three kids. There are still wrinkles. We have a ways to go on language. Emily's degree and the writing I should be doing are both slowing down. Future adjustments will be rougher. Still, I think we're in a good place, considering what we've been through. The future is looking up.