move | And 2 Makes Crazy

We moved to Poland September 8, 2001. We moved from Arizona. We packed what we thought were warm clothes. Turns out, warm clothes from Arizona are merely “thick” t-shirts.

We arrived and were freezing our tails off.

Seriously. It was raining. It was cold.

The heat wouldn’t turn on in our flat because the city controlled the heat in our flat and it was not yet deemed “cold” enough by the city to turn on the heat.

I was an Arizona Desert Rat. Instead of melting, I was living in an ice box gathering ice crystals.

I will never forget how cold I was.

I was so cold, I convinced my husband that we must run out and buy warm jackets.

It wasn’t even technically warm jacket season. After all, it was only September. Little did I know how cold November, December, and so forth would get if I was cold in September, eh?! To me it was already like Siberia.

We were off. We went to buy winter jackets. I found one. Floor length and brown. And a brown scarf. And a brown hat. And brown gloves.

I went all out.

I tell you, I was cold.

And then we went out. Literally. Out. In public. For all to see.

I was wrapped from head to toe in my beanie, my gloves, my scarf. You could barely see my eyes. But, worse than any of that was my jacket. My floor-length, brown, winter jacket.

I was so toasty warm. And it was evening. And we decided to walk to the city square.

Oh, tears are in my eyes right now recalling the numerous stares and mumblings we got as I walked around all wrapped like an Eskimo, yet technically still living in Polish summer. So funny.

Ah…memories of when we first arrived in Poland. And although I laugh now, I know then I was freezing. To my bone freezing.

Oh, I forgot to mention how cold it was.

About 60+F (around 16C).

To a desert rat, 60F is akin to the North Pole. And that is where I felt we lived.

Needless to say, my jacket and I really learned what cold was when actual winter hit. And then I dreamed about the return of those “warm” Polish evenings.

Haha.

I hope that there are folks still enjoying the attack of the mummy at their dinnertime conversation.

In any case, with time, I learned how to actually dress appropriately for the weather. And eventually I learned that September was not the right time to run around in floor-length jackets, gloves, scarves, and beanies, with only your eyes peeking through.

But, even after all of these years in Poland, I am still that same desert rat, freezing and cold. Just better adjusted for the weather.

Now, here are the TOP 10 most read posts this past year as And 2 Makes Crazy celebrates its one-year blog-o-versary. If you haven’t read one of the following posts, I hope that you go on back and have a read.

Enjoy.

xoxo from here to there,

(Top 10 from the entire blogging year in order of Most Read)

1. I don’t love Jesus. Can we still be friends? http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-ln

2. How to be a Good Wife. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-ue

3. Knockdown, drag-out fight in Costco. Today, I appreciate family! http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-Mo

4. Marital Un-Bliss and Lack of Sleep had a devastating Effect on My Eyebrows. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-3i

5. Belly Josephine. And my Ada and Max. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-gp

6. How to Keep the Romance Alive. Or Kill It. Your Hair May Choose. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-50

7. My Nose Ring was “Snot” a Good Idea. And We Got a Puppy. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-6B

8. Porn on Sunday. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-ww

9. O-M-G, Christians, watch what you say. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-rZ

10. Hidden Bookshelves: Poland. And when we first arrived. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-da

And because it is always interesting to see which one comes in 11th…

11. Raising a Nutty Kid. http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-wT

Well, it’s been quite the ride. I’m a year into blogging, which probably means that I’m not new at it anymore.

I still feel a bit new at it. On a windy road. Not really going any one direction.

But I’m trying.

Sometimes they’re pretty decent.

Sometimes they’re pretty boring.

Sometimes I think that I shouldn’t have written them at all.

Haha!

Oh well.

All I have actually enjoyed writing, and I hope that you have enjoyed reading.

This past year has been a really rocky and great one all wrapped into one. Richard and I have watched our family go from 4 to 5. And we’ve changed our mailing address back to Poland.

We had the immense privilege of living in the United States amongst our family for the past year. And now we have the immense privilege of living, once again, in Poland. Amongst our “other” family.

There are so many emotions that came with moving back to Poland. We left Poland after our son was stable enough to travel, at 6 months old. I felt as if I couldn’t get out of the country fast enough. It was such a heart-wrenching time in our lives, watching our second child struggle to live. And yet it was one of the richest times in our lives.

How can watching your child struggle to live be rich?

The only way I can answer that is by saying watching our son nearly die brought us to our knees. We re-evaluated our entire lives and realized that no matter the outcome in Maxwell’s life, we chose to honor and love God.

Now he is a little over 2 years old, and we are back in Poland.

It’s great to be back, but we do miss our beautiful families in America so much.

And my daughter does greatly miss American schools. As she told a teacher that asked the other day, “In America, she gets to explore and discover!” She loves her school here and friends, but it is a lot of sit at your desk and do workbooks.

Thankfully, however, she’s a child with an ever curious mind. So we do a lot of explore and discover at home.

And she has additional classes at home, as well.

Did you know that she only goes to school 4 hours a day? On Mondays-Wednesdays, her classes begin at 11:30 and end at 3:50. On Thursdays and Fridays start at 8:00 and go until 12:15.

Teachers in Poland are paid by the hours that they teach. We live in a village and the teacher’s at the school are paid for 45 minute sessions. So after every 45 minutes, there is a 5-minute break. There is no recess.

It’s a very different life.

But we’ve adjusted. And outside of school she takes one additional hour of Polish, one hour of French and will begin one hour of music lessons. Now I am looking for her an “active” activity to also do outside of school.

Oh, yeah. Of course she is keeping up GRANDLY with her English. I am actually quite proud of her. She is a hard-working little gal.

And my other two. Oh my other two, little Maxwell and Josephine. They are soooo lovely. Just plain lovely.

Maxwell is all two. Blond. Blue eyes. Gorgeous and sweet (well, of course depending on his mood. After all, he is two ;)).

And Josephine. She just turned 8 months a day ago and is crawling like a professional, standing like a conductor, and trying to walk on furniture like a little daredevil. Our newest little chub-a-love still retains the red tint to her hair, and I will be sad the day the red turns blond, like I see creeping below at the roots.

I love being a mom, and I soak up every moment throughout the day that I merely get to interact them. Every moment is as if I have discovered a hidden treasure so valuable that it is inconceivable. And, to me, being a mom is that inconceivable hidden treasure.

For every woman out there struggling with infertility, I feel your heart and your pain. I feel your longing and your tears. And I will simply say this—I pray that God will give you the very desires of your heart. If they are not from your own womb, I pray for the children God delivers into your hands that come from your heart. Oh how I pray for you!

And now, my dear And 2 Makes Crazy friends, I shall wrap up my rambling blog and say…Thanks for joining the And 2 Makes Crazy Ride.

Tomorrow I will post the top 10 blog postings from the last year, and other fun stuff.

I hope that you come back to check them out.

Much love from here to there. Wherever you may be.

May God be your stalwart in your times of trouble. If you are suffering, may he be your constant. If you are in limbo, may he be your leveler.

And may He always bring you peace. Peace and Joy.

Joy that surpasses all understanding.

All the time, God is good.

And I hope that you are well yourself.

xoxo b