Closer to Home

In an old house in Arlington

That was(n't) covered with vines

Lived five eager children

Who couldn't form a straight line to save their lives.

(Who knows why I got inspired by the Madeline books when I sat down to write this post. Perhaps this is indicative of how many children's books I've been reading.)

I'm experiencing the culture shock of leaving Germany. (I understand what people are saying here -- everyone! And the waiter brings the check to my table without me asking. The stoplights don't turn yellow before they turn green. I haven't seen a single cobblestone.) And also the shock of still feeling like a bit of a foreigner in my own country. It's more humid, intellectual, formal, and quaint here than in my rugged Northwest corner of the US.

The delights of the past days have included: the plane wheels touching down at the Washington Dulles airport -- even better, the moment the last of our fourteen pieces (including suitcases, purses, a car seat, and three children) were settled for the "final" time in our home for the week. We are staying with gracious and friendly Matt and Jan and their children Wade (also known as "Wave" if you're two and have blonde pigtails) and Iris in their 1922 house which they moved into a week and a half ago.

Eager and honest discussions on the best book of the year (contestants: Malcom Gladwell's "Outliers," Abraham Verghese's "Cutting for Stone," Leif Enger's "Peace Like a River," Diane Ackerman's "The Zookeeper's Wife," God's "Bible"), in vitro fertilization, how bold to be with non-Christians, God's will and our knowledge of it, and the eating habits of children.

Reading with five-year-old Iris on the couch today, and experiencing her sense of wonder as we discussed the captivating illustrations on each page.

Cole's first steps, taken with purposefulness and giddy delight his first day on American soil. Crawling continues to be the preferred means of actual transportation, but walking is definitely a favorite pastime and an intriguing challenge, usually accompanied by outrageous giggles.

An outing to D.C. this morning where I saw many of the sights (monuments, museums, and federal buildings) from the car window and took a closer look at the National History Museum and the sculpture garden.

Lilah:

 
I could close with Madeline's tidy story ending: "And that is all -- there's nothing more," but it would be quite faulty in this instance. There is much more, but that is all for this blog, and all for this girl for this day.