A Big Spoon Kind of Day

We just celebrated our third anniversary of being a forever family, and I'm happy to report both girls are doing well. We recognized the day by eating Chinese food and watching a slide show of our trip to bring Wendy home. It was fun to show Wendy beautiful pictures of her birth country and share sweet stories of our first days together. All week, she kept counting down the days and asking, "How many days until we get to celebrate meeeeee?" 

One of my favorite parts of our days together is breakfast. Wendy could sleep in and eat at preschool, but she likes waking up early to dine on Cheerios with me. It's her job to pick out the spoons, and while she usually selects teaspoons, occasionally, she chooses tablespoons, proclaiming, "It's a big spoon kind of day."

It seems as though we have had a lot of big spoon days lately. While Wendy has decided to abandon booster seats and ride a "big girl" bike, Maddie has been filming Youtube videos and preparing for high school. The biggest parenting test of the year was when Maddie traveled to Morocco and Spain on a school trip without us. In the weeks before the trip, I taught her how to use a credit card and the ATM. I taught her how to pack light and how to dress respectfully for a mosque. Since we were on a roll, I had her fill up the car with gas. Bill's idea of preparation included watching the film, Taken, which managed to freak all of us out, especially since Bill doesn't have the "special skills" Liam Neeson's character has. We talked about every tip I could think of, from wearing money belts to staying healthy to being flexible when encountering inevitable bumps in the travel road. 

Of course, she had a blast and learned so many valuable life skills, but I'm not sure I was fully prepared for all of the emotions her travels would evoke. I discovered that little problems seem like big problems when your kid is out of the country. From thousands of miles away, we were able to fix issues with an international cell phone plan and blocked ATMs. However, there were other challenges she had to face alone, or with the help of people she barely knew.  I'm especially grateful for the adults on the trip who came to her aid when she felt ill at 2 a.m. and we felt helpless at home. Big spoons. 

I found I couldn't watch the news while she was away because every time I tried, there was a plane crash or bus accident with student travelers. Usually, I don't sleep near my cell phone, but I did for that week--not that there was much I could have done from far away. However, I was relieved when my phone dinged at 3 a.m. each morning--a brief text from Maddie saying she was on the bus eagerly awaiting a new place to explore. Malaga. Morocco. Madrid. Brussels. Chicago. St. Louis. I can't even begin to describe the joy I felt upon seeing her return home. That joy turned to nauseating shock the very next morning when the world learned that Brussels--an airport she had been in 18 hours prior--was the scene of a horrific terrorist attack. I was already feeling rattled, and I had to remind myself over and over: "She is home. She is safe. She is OK." Big spoons.

She asked me if she seems different after being away, and truthfully, she does. I have to admit that while it can be trying for a worried parent, international travel is one of the best gifts we can give our kids. She spoke Spanish. She rode a camel. She negotiated prices in markets. As a result, she is more confident, more self-reliant, and more aware of the great world around her. And, best of all, she can't wait to plan her next trip.