8. Family Vacation Time This was the first summer in a long time that Sam and I were literally on vacation....like teachers were meant to do. Of course I'm not working, but Sam was able to be home so much this summer as well as enjoy a couple of vacations together. Now he has started back at work, and Morgan keeps asking where Daddy is. I think she got used to having him around. I know I did!
7. A healthy, happy kid! I love the fact that I have not taken Morgan to see her pediatrician or forced medicine down her throat since April! We have enjoyed a healthy summer and the ability to play and explore and do new things without being sidelined by a sick kid, lack of sleep, or worries about what's wrong with her. Of course, as I write this, Morgan is sick with the first cold of the season, so I am really appreciating those glory days of summer!
6. Stepping Back in Time My last two posts already made this point, but I have to say that taking the trip to Montreal without a child felt like stepping back in time to my pre-kid days. Of course I am pregnant so I wasn't partying it up, but having time just with Sam and being able to spend several (five!) consecutive days any way I chose was such a treat. Traveling and exploring a new city together reminded me of who we were a few years ago. As parents, you really don't get time off...ever...and a few hours here or there just doesn't quite bring you back to yourself. So while I would never change my life or the rewarding experiences of being a mother, it was incredible to have that chunk of time "off" from real life. (A huge thanks to my parents, sister, and in-laws!)5. Hanging with Naomi I was so happy and impressed when I found out my best friend, Naomi, was willing to fly from Texas to Oregon alone with her three kids (ages 6, 4, and 2) for a visit in August! We had lots of fun hanging out with the kids....swimming at my parents, going to the zoo, and on a longer-than-planned downtown excursion. We even got to have one girl's night with an amazing dinner at Andina. While I wished we could have had more time together, considering we have 4 1/2 kids between us, it was very fun getting to hang out together. (And she is a superstar mom!)
4. Weddings! Weddings! Weddings! I tallied the number of invites we received for weddings and receptions this summer: eight! We haven't had this kind of streak since right after college. And most of the weddings this summer were of close friends or family, making them very special. From the impromptu living room wedding of a colleague of Sam's (who's wife had a baby two days after the ceremony), to a countryside wedding in Eugene, to Kim and Sanju's romantic and intimate ceremony, to seeing our match-making skills end in Sue & Joe's marriage, to watching our daughter as a beautiful flower girl.....it has been very very fun. And with us celebrating our 10 year anniversary this summer, it made witnessing these ceremonies even more touching.
3. An International Reunion When we set up our college friend, Joe, with our Prague teaching friend, Sue, three years ago we didn't imagine (okay, maybe just a little) that they would be getting married a few years later! Not only was it fantastic to see two amazing people find each other, but it was also incredible that we got to have a reunion with friends that we taught with in Prague. It had been at least four years since had seen Christine, Anita, Mandy, and Michelle - who are all teaching overseas in new countries. Christine visited first, actually unable to stay for the wedding, but we had a great visit with her. She and Sam were office mates in Prague, and now she lives and works in Jakarta. We toured Portland and went up to Mount St. Helens. For the wedding a week later, we hosted Mandy and her boyfriend, Florian, who now live in Vienna. They were on an American road trip and so much fun to have around. We had an impromptu barbecue with them, Michelle and Anita the night before the wedding. Michelle and I had fun sharing mommy stories - she has two kids since I last saw her. Seeing everyone brought back so many great memories, it also made me a little envious of the life we used to live overseas. Yet all of us were nostalgic for our glory days in Prague, but life goes on and so do we. I'm just thankful for those amazing friendships and memories.
2. Growing Up Fast They say that kids grow a lot over the summer, but I think that refers to their height. Morgan has grown up in so many other ways this summer, and it has been so fun to watch. First of all, we are finally in the home stretch of potty training! She finally seems to be consistent (you may recall we began this in January!) and taken ownership of this very personal skill. Second, she has been swimming like a champ. Give her goggles and water wings and the girl is swimming! She loves the water and has learned so many new skills (caution, however, is not one of them). Third, she loves doing things "all by myself," which is music to my ears when I imagine adding a newborn to the mix. Whether it's climbing high on playground, playing independently in her room, or helping out around the house, she is growing up fast. Her third birthday is coming fast too! 
1. Expecting New Joy I am so lucky to be experiencing a healthy pregnancy and awaiting a new life that will add joy and new experiences to our family. Watching my body do it's thing and grow and change while the new baby grows inside of me is pretty amazing, even the second time around. We had a bit of a scare that something was wrong with the baby early on, so knowing that everything is okay so far makes me count my blessings even more. I definitely grumble about the discomfort of pregnancy, especially since it isn't as new and exciting the second time, but then remember how lucky I am to be able to experience this at all. I am definitely getting excited to meet this little one. It will be a very special Christmas this year!
In the last couple days, Sam and I have explored more of Montreal as well as reconnected with old grad school friends. We hiked to the top of Parc Mont-Real, the hill with beautiful views overlooking the city, their version of Central Park. It is right behind McGill University, a beautiful old university in the heart of the city. We wandered around the Plateau neighborhood, full of hip shops and cool restaurants - like NW 23rd times 100. We were with our friends Jonathan and Suzanne, a couple we met when we first moved to Eugene, and Sam and Suzanne finished their doctorates together. Their kids are at home also and we had a blast bar hopping, dodging a downpouring thunderstorm, and eating a fabulous french meal. We had long dinners with other U of O friends, crepes in a sidewalk cafe in Old Montreal, and lunch in a hip department store cafe downtown.
While Sam was working, I got to wander around and walk until I couldn't walk anymore. I took pictures of old buildings and listened to street musicians, did a little shopping....all on my own schedule. I also made sure I took plenty of naps and read my book and let myself get a little bored. I haven't had this much time alone in years it seems - whether I'm by myself in our hotel room or anonymous on a busy street, it feels really nice. 
One thing I wanted to do was rent a Bixi bike. There are these bike stands all over the city where you can rent bikes with a swipe of a credit card for $5. When you finish riding, you just plug it back into another Bixi station in the city. Today was the day. Sam had to do interviews for a position they are hiring for at U of P and I was on my own. There was a nine mile jogging and bike path along a canal that I wanted to ride along, but by the time I walked down there, it was raining and windy and biking was not something I wanted to do. It wasn't supposed to rain until the afternoon, but the weather here changes pretty fast. So, I ducked into the nearest Metro station and decided to ride the subway around - at least there I'd stay dry.
It was as if some part of my brain had been reactivated when I bought my ticket and went through the turnstiles. I hadn't ridden a subway since we were in Prague, and had forgotten what a big part of my life that was. For two years, Sam and I commuted to our school everyday on the Metro (and then by bus). And once your brain figures out one subway system, riding another one is easy. I didn't realize how much I missed the greasy smell of the tracks, the whooshing wind of an approaching train, or the hypnotizing sway as you ride along. Portland has pretty amazing public transportation, but there is something about an underground metro that I will always find comforting.
And despite being in a different city and country where the dominant language is not English and I feel clueless and awkward a lot, I do find it oddly comforting to be uncomfortable. My brain has to think in a different way, constantly trying to interpret clues to make sense of things. I am also filtering out a lot of input that I simply can't comprehend, just like I did in Prague. I remember that being very exhausting, but now that I only have to do it in small doses, I find it both very nostalgic and very exciting. I miss it a lot, actually.
While Sam and I were walking around the city the other day, we were discussing where we will go when he has his first sabbatical (not for at least 6 years). I have been pestering him that we have to go live overseas again during that time where he will get a gig guest teaching at some exotic university somewhere. So while I don't quite consider Canada "overseas," I could see us coming here to Montreal. It has a lot of what I miss about Europe, my French would definitely improve, and I think it would be a pretty nice international experience.
Sam and I are on our first international travels together alone in over four years. And while I used to not consider traveling to Canada going abroad, I do now, especially considering the likelihood of doing it again in the next few years with two kids running around is pretty slim.
So here were are in Montreal, Quebec, Canada - to be official. It really doesn't feel like Canada, more like its own country, which is the point of all this French speaking anyway. English is definitely the minority language here, but I find myself struggling with trying to spit out a few words of French to be polite (like I would if I were actually in France), or just going with English and letting the bilingual locals switch over to accommodate us. Clearly, I am feeling like an inferior American when it comes to other languages.
Sam and I arrived yesterday evening after a day of flying. It took us a while, and I actually found the ride a little slow, sitting on an airplane with no little person keeping me constantly busy pulling things out of my carry-on. But I have forgotten how nice it is to travel grown-up style, with just myself to worry about. And Sam never told me he needed to go potty, spilled on himself, or cried because he was bored or tired. He was, and always will be, a great traveling companion.
We have started our vacation with about 11 hours of heavenly, uninterrupted sleep - we needed to recover from a busy week prior with international visitors and our friends' wedding. This morning we walked down to Old Montreal along the waterfront. The buildings are old, the streets are narrow and cobble stoned, and there are many beautiful buildings. We went into the Notre Dame Basilica, and being back in a huge, ornate Catholic church took me back to our travels in Europe. It was pretty hot and humid today, and we haven't experienced this probably since our travels back in New York City or D.C. Several times, we commented on how we were SO glad that Morgan wasn't along with us. Originally, we planned to bring her, but Erica suggested that we take advantage of this time and have an adults-only vacation, since it will be a lot harder to do that once baby #2 arrives. With the heat and being in an unknown city with an opinionated, "I need to go potty" toddler would not be quite as much fun.
Montreal is a very cool city, just like we had heard. It feels a bit like Paris, New York, and Boston all rolled into one unique place. Unfortunately, much of central Montreal is under construction, so it's a bit noisier and chaotic than I thought, but still a very enjoyable city.
The Notre Dame Basilica - looks a lot like the one in Paris from the outside (minus the backhoe and piles of dirt)....
..... but on the inside, it's quite colorful and dramatic.
7. A healthy, happy kid! I love the fact that I have not taken Morgan to see her pediatrician or forced medicine down her throat since April! We have enjoyed a healthy summer and the ability to play and explore and do new things without being sidelined by a sick kid, lack of sleep, or worries about what's wrong with her. Of course, as I write this, Morgan is sick with the first cold of the season, so I am really appreciating those glory days of summer!
6. Stepping Back in Time My last two posts already made this point, but I have to say that taking the trip to Montreal without a child felt like stepping back in time to my pre-kid days. Of course I am pregnant so I wasn't partying it up, but having time just with Sam and being able to spend several (five!) consecutive days any way I chose was such a treat. Traveling and exploring a new city together reminded me of who we were a few years ago. As parents, you really don't get time off...ever...and a few hours here or there just doesn't quite bring you back to yourself. So while I would never change my life or the rewarding experiences of being a mother, it was incredible to have that chunk of time "off" from real life. (A huge thanks to my parents, sister, and in-laws!)5. Hanging with Naomi I was so happy and impressed when I found out my best friend, Naomi, was willing to fly from Texas to Oregon alone with her three kids (ages 6, 4, and 2) for a visit in August! We had lots of fun hanging out with the kids....swimming at my parents, going to the zoo, and on a longer-than-planned downtown excursion. We even got to have one girl's night with an amazing dinner at Andina. While I wished we could have had more time together, considering we have 4 1/2 kids between us, it was very fun getting to hang out together. (And she is a superstar mom!)
4. Weddings! Weddings! Weddings! I tallied the number of invites we received for weddings and receptions this summer: eight! We haven't had this kind of streak since right after college. And most of the weddings this summer were of close friends or family, making them very special. From the impromptu living room wedding of a colleague of Sam's (who's wife had a baby two days after the ceremony), to a countryside wedding in Eugene, to Kim and Sanju's romantic and intimate ceremony, to seeing our match-making skills end in Sue & Joe's marriage, to watching our daughter as a beautiful flower girl.....it has been very very fun. And with us celebrating our 10 year anniversary this summer, it made witnessing these ceremonies even more touching.
3. An International Reunion When we set up our college friend, Joe, with our Prague teaching friend, Sue, three years ago we didn't imagine (okay, maybe just a little) that they would be getting married a few years later! Not only was it fantastic to see two amazing people find each other, but it was also incredible that we got to have a reunion with friends that we taught with in Prague. It had been at least four years since had seen Christine, Anita, Mandy, and Michelle - who are all teaching overseas in new countries. Christine visited first, actually unable to stay for the wedding, but we had a great visit with her. She and Sam were office mates in Prague, and now she lives and works in Jakarta. We toured Portland and went up to Mount St. Helens. For the wedding a week later, we hosted Mandy and her boyfriend, Florian, who now live in Vienna. They were on an American road trip and so much fun to have around. We had an impromptu barbecue with them, Michelle and Anita the night before the wedding. Michelle and I had fun sharing mommy stories - she has two kids since I last saw her. Seeing everyone brought back so many great memories, it also made me a little envious of the life we used to live overseas. Yet all of us were nostalgic for our glory days in Prague, but life goes on and so do we. I'm just thankful for those amazing friendships and memories.
2. Growing Up Fast They say that kids grow a lot over the summer, but I think that refers to their height. Morgan has grown up in so many other ways this summer, and it has been so fun to watch. First of all, we are finally in the home stretch of potty training! She finally seems to be consistent (you may recall we began this in January!) and taken ownership of this very personal skill. Second, she has been swimming like a champ. Give her goggles and water wings and the girl is swimming! She loves the water and has learned so many new skills (caution, however, is not one of them). Third, she loves doing things "all by myself," which is music to my ears when I imagine adding a newborn to the mix. Whether it's climbing high on playground, playing independently in her room, or helping out around the house, she is growing up fast. Her third birthday is coming fast too! 
1. Expecting New Joy I am so lucky to be experiencing a healthy pregnancy and awaiting a new life that will add joy and new experiences to our family. Watching my body do it's thing and grow and change while the new baby grows inside of me is pretty amazing, even the second time around. We had a bit of a scare that something was wrong with the baby early on, so knowing that everything is okay so far makes me count my blessings even more. I definitely grumble about the discomfort of pregnancy, especially since it isn't as new and exciting the second time, but then remember how lucky I am to be able to experience this at all. I am definitely getting excited to meet this little one. It will be a very special Christmas this year!
