Back to the 'Hood

Every time I go home I worry about what it's going to be like to go back to my neighborhood.  I can't call it my "old" neighborhood because it's still mine and someday we'll go back (at least that is the plan right now).  I stress about if we will still feel like we will belong.  If we will still connect with our friends like the old days.  If Aidan will still feel like he belongs... heck, if I feel like I still belong.  And for Liam, well, it's about if Liam even remembers the neighborhood - last year he didn't even remember our house much less the people.

And every year I go back and realize, happily... very little has changed.  I mean, of course, some things have changed.  But what hasn't changed is how wonderful our friends are and how welcome they make us feel, as though we never left.  There are hugs and kisses all around and then it's just back to normal.  The kids running through the yards and now they are doing it with the freedom to not have to be under constant adult supervision.  The adults hanging out in the street or on the deck having a drink.  It's so mellow and easy and it makes me miss home so much.

I wrote an entry not that long ago about "out of sight, out of mind" and it's true.  I can manage to not miss home that much when I've been away for a while.  Not being here on a day to day basis enables me to compartmentalize (yet not completely forget) just how wonderful things are here and how much I love being here all of the time and to focus on our European adventures.  But when I come bac, I realize just how big of a piece this neighborhood has of my heart and soul and it's the people that make it that way.  I can see why Aidan misses it so much.

I actually missed Aidan's reunion with his best friends.  I was out buying my new MacBook :).  Josh took the kids to the dentist (who is this man and what did he do with my husband who in 8 years has never ever ever been to a dr or dentist appt with our children) and then straight to the 'hood.  But there was no doubt in my mind that Aidan picked up right where he left off.  It amazes me how kids can not be in contact for the majority of a year (Aidan is not really at an age where Skype or letter writing is of interest to him) and pick up so easily and naturally. 

He was playing like crazy with his best friend Nate and yet giving the cold shoulder to his other best friend, Lindsey.  Well, it wasn't really the cold shoulder.  You see, as far as Lindsey's mother, Michele, and I...the two of them are meant to be together.  Over the years they have always been and still are, incredibly close.  She is by far his closest girl-friend that he has.  And we just think they are meant to be.  So when we got there and all they would do is look over each other's shoulders and smirk at each other, we would just laugh.  It's like they were flirting with each other!!!  The first day they said not one word to each other!  But don't worry, they've since reconnected :) 

One of the highlights of the last few days is getting to meet Brookie.  Our next door neighbors and super close friends, Debbi and Dennis, adopted her from China this past summer and while I've seen plenty of pictures, it's not the same as meeting her in person and being a part of her life.  Josh has had the priviledge of meeting her a few times but this was my first and it was precious.  I feel terrible at the time I've missed out with her but feel so lucky to get to spend some time with her before we go back!! 

So anyways, we've been trying to spend and will continue to spend, a bunch of our time in the 'hood catching up with friends.  We'll be there most of this weekend as well as for the 4th.  The boys are absolutely in their element being with their bff's from home and so am I!  I'm sure there will be other entries about our time visiting all these great friends but for now here are a few pics of all the kids together!

The look of utter happiness on Aidan's face says it all... he and his bff, Nate, reunited after a year - and nothing has changed...

Liam and his friend, Caleb on their scooters

 

Swingset fun...

Liam not feeling 100% and just chilling out on the slide

Sue, this one is for you... you can't really see the nose ring well though...

Liam and Ashley taking a break...

Trouble in the treehouse...

The gang...

Aidan getting a welcome home hug from Sue... more like an attack but it put a huge smile on his face!

More of the gang

Plotting something I'm sure...

Arms in the air like you just don't care!!

It's Super Barbie!!  I mean, Ashley Rose!!  Singing star sensation!

Finally they reunite... Aidan and Linz

Liam in the pool... further than he was in last year!

Liam and his buddy Aaron causing trouble... he terrified me going up the rock wall up to the top, I was waiting for him to fall backwards.  I'm really hoping for no ER trip this vacation!

Pool fun

This is right after Aaron arrived... Liam ran out to see them and they just chatted it up - so cute...

And then they went to the table to talk some more... I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear them!

This is in my front yard... then Shane gets home (he's living there now) and Linz tells him... "hey this is the guy who used to live in this house" as she introduced Aidan to Shane.  Hysterical!

Besos,

Julie

  

Finding my inner Mass-Hole...Old Habits Die Hard

I've changed.  Of that I have absolutely no doubt.  Living in Barcelona has changed me in more ways than I can count.  And I'm constantly curious about what changes are permenant and what ones are based solely on my current environment. 

I live the life mas tranquila in Barcelona.  I don't function at the cheetah's pace but perhaps more of a quick snail's pace these days.  I still get things done but live my life without the same pressures that I had self induced in the States.  There is no need to have 5 loads of laundry, dishes washed, beds made and so much more before 7AM.  It's ok if it doesn't get done til mid day.  That is sooooo not the old Julie mentality where if I hadn't accomplished everything I needed to before 9AM then the day was an utter failure.  I've learned to take the days as they come and to get done what I can and save the rest for another day.

But the moment I set foot on American soil I find that changes.  I'm back to the old Julie.  The Julie who is up at the crack of dawn with a list of stuff that needs to get done NOW.  I'm not sure though if this is the old Julie, or if it is the knowledge that I only have a few precious weeks in which to spend time with loved ones and I just want to get the "other" stuff out of the way so I can enjoy that time.  It's really hard to tell.  And I probably won't know for sure til we move back for good. 

It's not only the old Julie that must accomplish everything, but it's also the go-go-go pace of life that is back.  Yesterday I was driving (ahhhh driving, I've missed you) and I got stuck in traffic.  I didn't just chill out and wait for it to subside figuring I'll get there when I get there.  No, I sat behind the wheel yelling (to no one in particular since the windows were closed) at all the drivers who don't seem to get the concept of driving and why for god's sake are you in the high speed lane if you are only going to drive 55?  And for what reason are you not switching lanes asshole if I'm flashing my lights at you - don't you get that I want you to move over so I can pass by???  Yup, the mass-hole is back.  With a vengenance.  And when I actually had time to reflect back on those moments I realized I've learned nothing in Barcelona about slowing down. 

Ok, I've actually learned how to do it, but knowledge and implementation are two different things.  Is it that it's just going to take more time living in Barcelona?  Or is it that I'm just hard wired to be this way?  Or could it be how I conform to my environment?  I have had no choice in Barcelona but to chill and let things happen as they happen... nothing gets done quickly and with all stores closed between 2-5, I have no choice but to take a step back and chill. 

What I guess I'm most curious about when the time comes to move back is what habits resurface into my life that I had essentially quit.  We have seen that my old driving habits have come back and so I'm going to guess those aren't going anywhere.  But will I still feel the need to get up at the crack of dawn to get a million things accomplished or will I have learned to take my life slower like I do in Barcelona?  Will I need to keep up with the Jones's or will I just accept that we are who we are and be satisfied with that?  Will we still spend as much time as a family or will we spend more time with friends (which believe me, I also enjoy...but realized we didn't have a good balance of family/friend time)?  Will I continue to work hard at keeping healthy and in shape or will having to drive to the gym deter me from going?  And of course, Josh's favorite... will I learn to be more thrifty and to buy less crap because, well, we don't need more crap or will my old shopping habits come back just as quickly as my driving ones (Josh right now is praying that they don't come back)? 

I guess like anything else, only time will tell.  But being home is a great way to reflect on things that have changed in the last 2 1/2 years and the habits that I'm glad I've moved on from and the ones that just reinforce the fact that this is who I am when I'm here and nothing is going to change that.  And in the end, that's ok...after all, old habits die hard.

Besos,
Julie

Road Tripping to Maine...

My best friend Michelle and I love an adventure.  We always have even since we were little kids.  And living in Europe has provided us with the background to some great ones.  With random trips to France to a week plus long road road trip to Italy, we love to seek out trips beyond our backyard.  So when Michelle suggested let's head up to Maine for the day on my "freebie" day without the kids, I didn't hesitate for even a moment.  I'm in!!!

My parents have always loved Ogunquit, Maine and yet I've never been.  I actually have rarely even made the trek (short as it is) up to Maine and I have to wonder why because it is spectacularly beautiful and serene. 

But before we went up to Maine I had to go for my annual physical.  It wasn't til 10:15 and I'd not only been up since 4 but had already been to the gym AND was fasting.  So when the doctor was 45 mins late I was beyond livid and in my typical passive aggressive way told her this would NEVER happen in Spain where they ALWAYS take you on time.  And that I'm very late now for an important meeting in Boston.  Of course, she came to my rescue when I passed out during my blood draw at 11:30 (after all, I'd been up for more than 7 hours with nothing in my stomach) so for that I'm thankful... and embarrassed.

And so because I was running late we didn't get to Maine til around 1:45.  We hit a pizza place that had been highly recommended (and was a bit disappointing) to us and then drove over to Perkins Cove.  Perkins Cove was full of tiny little shops and a great walking path that snaked around the cove.  With skies threatening to drench us at any moment, the views were stunning and the conversation full of laughter.  The best part of the day was getting to chat with Michelle the entire day - we never run out of conversation and it just feels so good to be with her. 

Bridge over the harbor

A few of the many shops in Perkins Harbor

The guy that took this picture was not all that camera saavy as you can tell but it's all that we've got!

Loved this house!!

Mermaid weathervane

Stacked rocks everywhere...

These guys were trying to surf only there really weren't any waves...

A picture is worth a 1000 words...

We walked for a few miles and then headed back to the car to make the journey back to MA (just a little over an hour away) where we went for drinks and dinner on Newbury.  And bonus, Larry David (of Seinfeld fame) was sitting at the table next to us with his entourage.  I made it back to my parents around 1AM with my mom still waiting up for me (some things never change)... Ahhh Boston... I love you...

Besos,
Julie

When Vacations Collide

One of my closest friend's moved to New York years ago.  It's been so many years that I can't remember if it was before or after I had Aidan.  But thankfully with technology we are able to keep in regular tough.  We facebook, we whatsapp (if you don't have whatsapp, you need to get it), and we email... usually at least once a week. 

Last year she made a special trip out from NY with her family to see us while we were home.  It took a lot of coordination on her part for what ended up just a few hours of time, and of those few hours, I was entertaining a house full of guests.  But it didn't matter.  We got to see each other, we got to see each other's kids (some for the first time in person!) and that made all the difference in the world.

When I planned this vacation back in the start of the year, I had no idea I'd be so lucky as to get to see Urs and her family again!!  Their vacation on the Cape ended on the night I arrived.  So once again, they went out of their way to arrange for a hotel for just one night nearby and we made plans to see each other on our first full day here.

I was a little ambivilent about making plans for too early in the morning with the kids on our first full day in the States, but given their history of getting up at the crack (as in 3AM) of dawn I figured we were safe and we were.  They made it til 5AM which was fairly late for them and by 8:30 we were at Target.  So to meet at the zoo at 10:30 was a piece of cake.

Southwicks' Zoo is our absolute favorite zoo on earth.  When we lived in the States we had three zoos we frequented - Southwicks (the big zoo), Roger Williams (the medium zoo) and Capron Park (the small zoo).  We can and did spend the entire day at Southwicks.  Now given we had 4 kids with us, we didn't get in as much talking time and many of our conversations were interrupted by "mommy, mommy, mommy" but just getting to have some quality time with one of my closest friends made the interruptions worth it.  And to have our kids getting to know each other was priceless.  Both Liam and Logan (who happens to be the same age as Liam) hit it off as though they had known each other for years when in fact they've only met each other maybe 3 times in their 5 years on earth.  But they are both incredibly social creatures and were BFF's in moments.  Aidan was less than thrilled at being the oldest kid but in the end, had a great time. 

Waiting for the Merkts to arrive

Who doesn't like to play on giant rocks??

Already bonding with their maps... they acted like they actually knew what the maps said which was super cute!

New BFFs...Logan and Liam

The petting zoo...

Logan and Liam checking out the llamas...

I missed the shot of Aidan actually petting the goat... it was so cute!

Our token picture next to the zebra head... as you can see, Aidan is less than thrilled

The deer ran away the moment he walked up...

Urs and Emi with the deer

Logan and Liam chasing the deer into the woods

Never in a million years would I have pictured Liam doing this - he always ran away from the deer...progress..

He is just the cutest boy on earth!!!

Checking out an antler from a buck.  Liam then took said antler and started running around with it on his head.  As you can imagine the zoo employee was less than thrilled (as was I)...

Snakes!!!!

Token rock picture

Can't go to the zoo and not go on rides...

He's getting too big for these rides...

Liam puked 11 times on the plane that had no turbulance and yet, was bounced up and down on this ride and was all laughs and smiles... something feels unfair here...

Emi, Urs, me, Aidan, Liam and Logan

Urs and me... sooooo glad we got to see each other!!!!

One of the best parts of coming back to the States is meeting up with all these amazing people in my life, some of which I hadn't seen in years but manage to connect with at some point during my trip. We hung out with Urs and her family til around 4, having 5 precious hours (which is not enough but am so glad that we had) in which to reconnect. Then we met up with Josh whom the kids hadn't seen in over a week.

Josh and I had planned a date night since this was literally the first time we've both been on American soil in over 2 1/2 years...but plans never work out the way we make them and so we decided to take the kids with us and I'm so glad we did. We had the best family dinner that we've had in a long time with everyone in fantastic moods and just high on life from being home. We went to our favorite restaurant, Hemenways, in Providence where the kids had never been...but given what great seafood eaters they are, I think that this will become a family destination when we get back instead of just a date night one.

We met up with Josh at Toys R Us... the boys were beyond in heaven.  As you can see, Liam also found his new backpack for the fall (Sonic the Hedgehog in 3D) that he insisted on wearing while he shopped.  One of the great things about coming home is that we appreciate things like giant superstores just that much more ;)

Liam at Hemenways

Aidan at Hemenways...notice my new iphone case - I finally can get rid of the Angry Birds one!!

So far vacation is off to a great start with lots more reunions, playdates and events coming up in the next few weeks.  I can't wait to share all of our adventures with everyone!!

Besos,
Julie