One of my main reasons for keeping up with mom blogs is to not feel so far away. This is for sure my main reason for lingering on facebook. Sometimes I think I am the only one who buys the Skippy peanut butter in our supermarket; afterall, my kids are the only ones taking PB&JS to school for their mid-morning snack. I just might be the only mom that isn't making pasta for lunch everyday, and I am almost without a doubt, the only mom sending her kids off to bed at 7:30. Yes, sometimes standing outside my kids' school waiting for pick-up, I find it hard to relate to the other moms. I know that upon arriving, I am the only one who was jamming to VeggieTales with Baby Cakes in her carseat. I always have to chuckle to myself at the strange juxtaposition of the English blaring on my radio, to the Italy morning blurring by, outside my car windows.
Eh, va bene. Likewise, I'm sure I stand alone on strange habits that I've picked up here when I return stateside. I always have to fight the urge to kiss people on both cheeks for the first week I am back "home".
As for now, this Sunday night, I might be fighting off the nerves I feel for starting another week at a new school, with new parents staring at the kids that are speaking English to their mom, and the mom that is trying desperatly to keep a toddler from throwing a tantrum, a kindergartener from crying to go home, and a first grader from toppling over under her giant, heavy Italian backpack.
But, if there is one thing that I have gotten good at it is suppresssing the what-if-I-were's. What if I were in America, what if I were eight-handed and able to juggle, what if I were closer to family. Well, I'm not any of those things or many other things I could only hope and dream for. That's ok.
Oh, and the wishing for eight hands is something my kids have come up with, as of late. I'm not sure if it has to do with my daughter's work load at school and wishing she could get everything done at once, or my son's fascination with sea life and octopuses.
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6 comments:
Ah, what if's.....yes, I try not to play that game too. But sometimes it happens. =)
I'm sure the Italian people find you amusing, entertaining, and mysterious. Very curious indeed, in a good way. It's good to be interesting, not like everyone else. I'm sure they all wish they (and their children) could speak English like you do. But the Veggie Tales blaring? Maybe you could throw some Eminem in there for shock value. =)
Miss you!!!!!
Oh, Emilia, I still live in the U.S., but sometimes I stick out around here, too! Like when I tell my neighbor to "Give me a holler" when she gets home, so I can drop something off. I often try to remind myself not to spend too much time wishing for things and instead just appreciating what I've got around me.
Hi Emilia,
I often send my grembiule-clad 2nd grader to school with a pb&j for merenda, too, and I put her to bed at 8 most nights ;)
Her classmates stare at me like I'm an alien when they hear me speaking in English to her, which I do exclusively.
Nice meeting you here.
Dana
Wow, Dana! Awesome to see you here! I can see you know what it's like then?!
Great post! Loved every bit of it! Keep up the blogging!!!
Hi Emilia, I enjoyed reading your posts (followed your link from BC, thanks:)
I've only been a mom 3 months but let's just say I stuck out in my small town even before I was pregnant, and I still find it hard to relate to the other moms around here (although I'm trying... a little).
Sounds like you're doing a great job to me...
all the best :)
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