Diary of a Confused Mom: July 27th 2015

Spotted in Zurich, Switzerland and made me smile.

Diary of a Confused Mom: July 25th 2015

We found the perfect beach for sand-phobic hubby -  in Nice, France. Where many people go out further to Cannes to get to the sandy beaches, the beaches in Nice are covered in pebbles. This must be the first time I see him enjoying the sea so much. No sticky sand to clean up afterwards, and yet the beauty and serenity of the salty Mediterranean and the boys collected the most amazing rocks. A small unexpected paradise for our family.

Diary of a Confused Mom: July 21st 2015

If I ever wrote a book about my life as a parent, I would probably call it "Life out loud."

That would pretty much sum up how my life has been starting with the tantrums and screeches in restaurants when my first was a toddler, the way we'd literally burst into restaurants in a small Romanian town turning all heads as my boys boisterously exclaimed about their every observation in loud English, right down to this moment where they are detailing our entire vacation so far and their plans and expectations for our next stop, across air plane seats. 

We are definitely living our life 'out loud.'

Diary of a Confused Mom: July 15th 2015

How can such a small person can take up so much space on the bed?

Diary of a Confused Mom: July 13th 2015

After a trip away from the older boys for five days, I came home to:

1. A huge, never-ending hug from O.

2. Gum chewing and attitude from T. A facade he kept up for a few minutes before I got my living hug.

3. Amazing brotherly love when they saw Little Z.

And finally... a shattered glass for me to clean up.

Diary of a Confused Mom: July 12th 2015

It seems that Taxi driver behave the most consistently across different cultures.

Diary of a Confused Mom: July 6th 2015

There is nothing like a peaceful morning when I can have a few quiet minutes to myself. For a change, no one but me was up at 5am today :)

Diary of a Confused Mom: July 5th 2015

I'm beginning to become convinced that the son that spends the day growling at me, throwing fits and calling me mean in the most spiteful tones isn't the same one that comes into my arms for sweet cuddles and philosophical enlightenment at night.

Tonight he was actually telling me how the children with no rules had moms that didn't suffer but that those children wouldn't turn out well. And how moms like me suffer but basically for a greater good - raising children that would turn out to be good people. ?!?!? 

Then he concluded that if his ambition to become a football player didn't work out he had a back up option as philosopher. 

And just where is this wise young man every morning?

Diary of a Confused Mom: July 2nd 2015

I had the boys and their cousin over after camp today and they 'invented' grilled cheese. Slices of cheese melted on our sandwich maker grill and the left to cool and attach and voila - grilled (or what they call burnt) cheese slices without any bread!

Watching them create and devour this invention, which they called cheese chips, I realized that if I promised to feed them grilled cheese chips every day they would probably willingly let adopt them to my sole custody.

That or I could just feed them in general. Whoever said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach really had to have had a lot of experience with boys. Food is the king.

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 29th 2015

I finally got a haircut. This covers one of my two ambitious goals this vacation. It took me just short of a month so I still have hopes of getting the massage I've been dreaming of.

Also, mangoes in Egypt are divine!

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 28th 2015

Little Z is now forming words better and so thankfully our friend "Armpits" is now being called by something that more closely resembles his name. Caca however remains as is.

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 27th 2015

The boys returned from a weekend away by the sea with their grandparents and aunts. They brought me handpicked sea shells and rocks. :)

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 23rd 2015

Today I lay to rest some stray socks from ten years back. Then I did more yoga with baby attached.

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 22nd 2015

I dropped the boys off to summer camp today and caught a glimpse of my future as the mom of a teenager.  I told the boys since it was their second day and they knew their bearings that I could leave right at drop off. After taking them to the drop off area, I started chatting with some of the other boys in their camp. A few minutes into this, O looked at me with a strange smirk and said "Um..remember how you said you can leave?"

I tried not to take it personally and waived goodbye as I walked off, wondering what the future holds for me in the dreaded teenage years.

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 19th 2015

Oh this sweet (and rare) satisfaction of hearing the boys frantically vacuuming and organizing outside just cannot be matched

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 18th 2015

Yoga just isn't quite the same when there are two boys joining you and arguing loudly about who's doing the poses correctly and a toddler on your back challenging your balance!

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 17th 2015

In true Little Z fashion, he is now referring to one of our dearest relative as "armpits." I'm actually beginning to wonder if its truly a product of his developing speech or some private joke he's amusing his overly developed sense of humor with. I'd say he's messing with us all.

Diary of a Confused Mom: June 13th 2015

There is something delightful  and refreshing about chatting freely with an old friend and then strolling into stores together - past midnight - to shop! There is beauty and freedom in cultures that may be labeled third world but are very alive in a sense that the 'developed' world may never understand.