Thursday, December 31, 2009

Everything He Needs. . .

Overheard recently being sung by 8M, having been gifted with a wallet:

I have everything I nee-eed
I have everything I nee-eed
I've got a wallet to keep my stuff in
I have everything I nee-eed

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We should all be so content. . .

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No less than two (count 'em - two!) of our kids (2F and 4M) are currently spending their holiday breaks visiting friends in Europe. Yeah, you read that right - Europe. 2F made a very close friend a few years back, somewhere during all the time she spent in Detroit. Her friend's parents are members of a community related to ours, in that 'other' Big Ten town just down the road from here (and closer to Detroit than we are). And Martha is an absolute sweetheart; Jen and I 'adopted' her as 'our other daughter'. A year or so ago, Martha took a job in Spain (yeah, I know. . .) and 2F came to miss her terribly; and so, the two of them hatched a plan for 2F to fly over and spend a couple weeks in Spain over the Christmas holidays. Tough duty, ain't it?

4M is in Austria (by way of Ireland, Paris and Rome), staying with his confirmation sponsor, who is studying theology in Austria (and who just happens to be the son of my GF2).

You know, I understand that, in their young adulthood, our kids sometimes feel the need to 'declare their independence' from their parents, and make their own life choices. If we're a little neurotic about it, it can sometimes feel like they don't want to be around us, but really, we know that's not true. But when two of them, at the same time, don't even want to be on the same continent with us, it can make you wonder. . .

Have fun, both of you, and God speed you safely back to the arms of your family. . .

7 comments:

  1. but da-aaad, it's EUROPE!

    safe travels to one and all.

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  2. Hi, Lime; So far, so good. Altho, that business with the failed plane-bomber in Detroit happened the same day 2F was leaving. . .

    4M has left some stuff on his Facebook page about 'some scary stuff', without getting specific. But he assures us they're fine.

    So, I guess that's meant to help us not to worry. . . ;)

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  3. yegads, how not to inspire confidence!

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  4. I am henceforth and immediately fortifying this nest with kevlar chicken wire and leashes for both nestlets. :D

    *sigh* Hearing of your big kiddos makes me realize how very little time is left before my littles become People With Hopes To Travel To Europe To Visit Friends Without Parental Accompaniment.

    Hope your kids come home soon and safe and with great stories to tell.

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  5. Lime - Yeah, pretty much. . . But we're assured that we'll hear all the details once he's returned. . .

    Flutter - They do grow up way faster than you think they will. . .

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  6. Here's where Husband & I are 'mean parents.' We are spending over $25,000 freaking dollars per year on College Daughter's tuition. And her college REQUIRES a 'cultural learning experience' their junior year.

    Of course, everyone she knows has gone to Ireland, Peru, Hong Kong and all sorts of exotic locales. Um no........ours will be going somewhere in the continental U.S. Preferably Amish country or a nice reservation in South Dakota. We're not footing the bill for a trip to a continent neither of us have had the pleasure of visiting....And considering she makes $8/hr at her nursing home job in the summer, she can't afford it either!

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  7. Cocotte - Heck, we could give your daughter a pretty good culture shock, uh, 'cultural learning experience', just living with our family for a year. Just tell us what paperwork we need to fill out. . . ;)

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