I started writing this blog five days ago when I was kicked out of a game of Candy Land for not following the rules. They were explained to me, repeatedly, in Chinese, with such passion and determination that Ian's little face was turning red and I still could not get with the program. One interruption after another has made finishing the blog impossible. In China I would wake in the middle of the night, sometime between three and four am and find myself tapping away at the keys while the men in my life slept peacefully. Here, I find I cannot get enough sleep. As a matter of fact, Ian and I are on the exact same schedule, asleep by nine up by 6. No sleeping in on the weekends here. Since Ian has come into our lives there are many things that will never be the same. For starters, I cannot get through a meal without saying no, at least once. Matt wisely sits as far away from Ian as possible, hoarding his food and looking the other way. Me on the other hand, share what I have and only have time to eat half of what is left before we are on to the next fun thing. This is all part of my new diet plan. Rule number two, there is no rest, not even at the playground. I see other parents chatting away with friends while their kids play happily and nicely off in the distance. Not me. I am required to go down every narrow slide, up every climbing wall and through every narrow tube. Rule number three, we have lost control of the remote. Well, I lost control of the remote when I started dating my husband. He has now lost that control to a five year old! We have no idea what is happening in the world but if you need to know the dating status of Hannah Montana, let me know. Rule number four, raising a kid is a piece of cake compared to negotiating parenting skills, styles and philosophies with your husband. I will just leave it at that. Rule number five, forget the toys and nice clothes. The most exciting toys in my sons universe consists of wrapping paper tubes, (they make great swords), and paint swatches that he likes to cut up and glue to discarded cardboard boxes. Shirts and shorts double as napkins and stains are impossible to remove, no matter what the product promises. Other rules that did not make it into the top five are magazines can no longer be stored next to the toilet, flashlights are not just for emergencies, batteries should be sold by the pallet and food worthy of a melt down in the store becomes disgusting when served to your chid at the table. When we first came home and for about a week, we all struggled with jet lag. One night I was so exhausted and Ian was so not ready to sleep that I let him watch television while I slept right next to him on the couch. When I woke, I was horrified to see he was watching an infomercial for "girls gone wild". He thought it was funny, I am watchful for signs of a damaged psyche. We formulated a plan that so far is working. We leave the house around noon and stay out until just before dinner time. This takes away any opportunity to nap. The first day was a rough one, complete with a couple melt downs, but each day it is getting easier. By the time Kindergarten starts naps should be but a distant memory. Ian seems to be adjusting to life in America. Every day we set off for new adventures and first times. I am getting better at staying ahead of the game, armed with two bags full of every day necessities like kleenex, snacks, water, camera, batteries, toys, (rotated so he does not get bored) lists and coupons. We may look like we are living out of our car but really we are just living the life that we have always dreamed of. Thank you so much for taking the journey with us and supporting us along the way.
