Consumption

After being in Hong Kong just a few days, my husband's facebook status read: "Seems like it's all shopping and eating in Hong Kong. Trying not to be consumed by it all or to consume it all."

Well said, or typed, or statused...whatever, Honey.

We've been back home for two days there is a slight dent in the pile of laundry that followed us home, kids are back in school, there is food in the fridge, bottled water has been ordered, calendars are being filled back up after the blissful blank week and a half, Daddy is back at work and preparing to leave for South America early Sunday morning...lots going on here.

Hong Kong was amazing. The whole trip was fantastic. Family everywhere we looked. The kids thrived with so many arms to hug them. I love that. I love family and I miss family.

Traveling in Europe has been great and fun, but you can't beat the expression on the kids' faces when they are greeted at the airport by a very special Aunt Daphne. You can't have four generations in a room and watch the kids light up knowing they are loved by every person in the room. I am so glad we made this trip. We probably will not be able to see all the places we thought we might in Europe, but this trip was so worth it. I'm so thankful for the opportunity and the support we got from everyone.

We shopped, we ate, we shopped, we ate, we walked, we got pretty close to mastering public transportation (and chopsticks for me--at least my hand doesn't cramp up after a meal now, whoo hoo!), we saw lots of things, we wanted to see more, we got rained on, we got very sweaty, and we just enjoyed family and the history of our family in the place where part of family began. Incredible.

I haven't spent much time in big cities in the US and have never been to New York City myself, but I imagine Hong Kong has an energy just like any other. It is consuming for sure and the pace is fast and exhausting, but I loved the change. Although I can appreciate the slower pace of Belgium (and Europe), I loved experiencing the energy and excitement of the city. There are so many things I loved about Hong Kong and we definitely didn't have enough time to see and do it all, but at the pace we were keeping the time we spent there was just right. Any longer and I think the kids would have fallen apart.

They were great, though. I loved seeing the kids in an environment where they are able to just be kids. I had forgotten how to let them be that way. It was a combination of being in a completely different culture and being surrounded by family, but it was so good for me to see my kids in such a new light. I was able to see Hannah through the eyes of others who don't know her well, but love her and I fell more in love with her every moment we were there. That may not make a lot of sense to everyone else, but it is the best way I know to describe it. I saw Nathan come out of his shell a little bit, even though he is still the most reserved of the three. It was such a blessing to hear Sarah asking to give a hug to her Great-Grandmother, "Tai Tai".

From our experience, Hong Kong was so child friendly. I don't mean that it is easy to take three kids all over a huge, crowded city. Of course, using public transportation is not easy with strollers and small kids. But people smiled, talked to and even touched our children constantly. At first, they almost didn't know what to think about that. It is so rare for them to have a positive interaction with random adults here in Belgium. They get lots of stares and sometimes they get reprimanded, but I can't think of a time when someone has said that they are cute or sweet or just smiled at them for no reason. It was overwhelming to them at first, but by the time we left, they were loving it.

So much to post about, but so much else is calling my name around here (including hundreds of pictures to go through--this is just a tiny, tiny sample). We had such a great time and it was hard to leave, but vacations are fun because they are a break from regular life, so you have to go back to regular life sometimes, right? Oh yeah, and Dribble? He's better than ever. Almost like he's taking this second chance seriously. He seems happier than before. Yes, I have actually spent some of the time since we've been back checking on a turtle's emotional status. These things you do when you are a mother. He did just get back home yesterday so it is possible he hasn't realized that he is back in the place where his fate was almost literally sealed by ignorance. I'm not sure.

I'll be back soon (I hope).