Remembering I'll Leave Them Again

On my walk to work each morning -- after dropping off my kids at day care and my car at the train station -- I pass several schools and parks in Greenwhich Village. And because of this, I also pass parents and caretakers walking with cherubic little kids ... and I instantly miss my own.

I assume my girls will spend the rest of the day together, discovering new things, creating art and inside jokes, and laughing with friends and teachers. While I'm taking care of my to-do list for the day, interacting with adults and my active inbox at work - far away from them. And while I understand I choose to be a working mom, and I generally love it. And they're happy at day care. I still miss them.

This is the feeling I have to hold on to when I'm in a Berlin subway, with a screaming 2-year-old and a sobbing 4-year-old, holding desperately to my last wisp of sanity. Someday, very soon, we'll be spending our days apart again.

Wedding, Check!

It seems that half of the drama of this trip has been the weeks leading up to it.

Work is crazy (back to school time usually is), day care is closed for three days before Labor Day weekend, Dave's Sports Weekend trip (the weekend we leave - and he's still going!), Alice's 2nd birthday party, Alessandra's 1st birthday party ... and, the biggest event, Liza's wedding.

And for a family that is scattered around the country, there's nothing like a good wedding to get us all together for a fun time. We were mostly drama-free and well-organized. The wedding itself was beautiful and was the picture of Liza's style. We all had a fantastic time.

(And sorry this isn't a blog about weddings, but about our trip....) I have to say now that it's over, I'm pleased to have a little more head-space to think about our European adventure -- my packing lists that includes clothes, toys, books, electronics, kitchen supplies and anything else that's been buzzing around my head. As much as I will treasure my memories of that wedding, I'm glad to have another event crossed off the list of craziness that is the last few weeks. Phew.
Two more weeks and counting.