Great Expectasia: Sticking Around in Michigan

We came to Michigan shortly after my last blog update. We came for Passover and to go to Matt's friend Pete's wedding - Peter and Matt were in Peace Corps together, and since it was right after Passover, we promised to be there. We were coming for three weeks, then we would head back to Singapore for a few months and then come back for Michigania in July.

I don't really remember the first two weeks, but I'm quite sure they happened. There were a few seders. Lots of amazing visits with lots of family from all over the country. Sam LOVED the seders, sang the four questions, didn't try a bite of matzah or anything slightly related to Passover, LOVED the attention from the family, and Elie existed. I was in a daze. Matt went on a trip to the east coast.

Elie SUCKED at sleeping. He had an awful time kicking jet lag. Sam usually takes four nights - the first two she is usually up for a few hours playing, then she gets on her nap schedule and 12 hour night schedule...easily. I had thought this was because we did it right. We played with her in dim light, we had healthy snacks at 2am, we didn't fight it, we tried to keep her in her bed for those last two nights...just what I thought you should do to get a kid over jet lag. It turns out that was right. FOR SAM. Elie apparently needs something else entirely, and I have no idea what that is. He was up all night for weeks. He was still waking at least three times per night (and not wanting to go back to bed) up until two weeks and five days home. That SUCKED. He finally got back into his two per night wakes, but went back to bed easily, and just last week I let him cry until 3am, and he's back to just one wake, eat and go back to sleep easily.

After two weeks, I told Matt that I was never going back to Singapore - I couldn't stomach doing this AGAIN with Elie in only one week, and he STILL hadn't even adjusted! Then I would have to do it again in the summer. I had quit my job, and I was not interested. Plus, all the time I had been working, all I wanted to do was spend time with family, and I couldn't. So we decided that the kids and I would stay until mid-July, spend time with family, not have crazy jet lag again, and I would just chill here.

So far so good.

We are staying at my parents' house with lots of visits with Bubbie and Zaydie. Sam started a Mandarin program one morning per week and at the JCC pre-school for three days per week. She also started an afternoon gymnastics program, which she was super excited about. She has adjusted to the new programs really well and walks into everything willingly.

She is less excited about her father's return to Singapore (as am I, but someone needs to support my TaiTai lifestyle...). She and Matt went to Build-A-Bear and made a bunny daddy bear with Matt's heart in it, so every time she misses him she can hug the bear (suggested by Julie Z - good idea!). That helps, and FaceTime helps too, but we still miss him a lot.

Elie is sleeping at nights, as I mentioned above, and his naps still suck, but he's loving trying new foods (chicken soupish stuff yesterday!), learning mad new skills such as pulling himself to standing and cruising across the furniture and finally started with consonants, saying bla bla, ba ba, la la...and he's even sprouting teeth numbers 5 and 6 (on the top, if you're interested to know). He's like a whole new baby and super fun.

If it would only stop raining and perhaps get warmer than 50, we might even enjoy my parents' neighborhood, playground, beach, amazing walks (ok, we have already done a few, but come on weather!!). Elie is super happy to be pushed in the stroller anywhere.

I have continued to do yoga here, joining the Yoga Shelter, which has been surprisingly great yoga for me. I'm trying to do about four times a week, and it feels great. It will help balance out my increased snack habit. I try to not snack at all in Singapore, or at least have everything home made. Trader Joe's makes that a hard challenge in America. YUM!!!

We took a car trip with my parents to visit Uncle Jeremy (or just Jer as Sam now calls him) along with cousins and friends in Chicago last weekend. It was a LONG drive there (partially due to a long stop at Bell's brewery for lunch and Elie crying for about two hours) and a better ride back (due to children sleeping for about two or more of the six hours). The actual visit was super fun - all of us stayed at Jer's place - Elie in the master bathroom, Sam and I in Jer's bedroom, parents in the guest room and Jer in the living room. We had some fun euchre, great Boggle, good beer, AMAZING food (including HOME MADE BAGELS!! amazing fritatas, scones, ice cream, excellent fruit and veggies, Mexican food, Italian food, Middle Eastern food...), excellent playgrounds and fun walks. I also got fun visits in with my high school friends, Jill, Marla and Kirsten plus all of their seven gorgeous progeny, as well as Daniel Wachter from camp, college, etc. And brunch with the extended cousins on Sunday was so fun. I loved seeing Sam with actual young cousins! (She has very few of those...) It was amazing weather, which made Jeremy's back porch a critical piece of our weekend - all in all a super fun weekend.

Yeah - so far so good! Mostly due to SO much help and amazing hospitality by my parents. They are so happy to spend time with the kids, finding lots of fun things to do and just being so helpful so I don't go crazy.

Photos out of order but I don't have time to switch them!