Okay, so it’s January 8, and I’m getting up the first post of the year. Aack.
Frankly, the break has had its issues. The lack of regular schedule is rough on some of us, and the constant presence of all of the children is difficult for others of us. The holiday itself, though full of love and fun and presents also has all kinds of old traditions (and at our house, religious celebrations) that make the newest member of our family feel like he doesn’t quite belong–and that may take years to fix, if it ever gets fixed. Hanging out with extended family is wonderful, but age, gender & language barriers combine with unfamiliarity to keep the kids from including their newest cousin as fully as they embrace B & K. J feels that keenly. He’s started to protest whenever we suggest hanging out with cousins.
On the other hand, after a particularly spectacular tantrum Christmas Eve, we’ve settled into some better patterns at our house. There’s a lot less violence and destruction and a lot more cooperation with household tasks. All three children have become more consistent about doing their jobs (so they can get screen time), and our house feels like less of a disaster area because of that. Plus, the kids are getting along a bit better. We may not be totally through the woods, but they at least seem to be thinning.
Monday the kids go back to school. B & K are quite excited about this, but J seems worried. His schedule changes this semester (he’s got four classes starting tomorrow), and I though he’s got several classes he is interested in, being in a totally foreign-language environment for that long will be exhausting. (This I know from experience.) Pray for peace and an extraordinary ability to concentrate, and that he’ll make some friends that will make the trouble worthwhile for him.