Things I am learning. . .

1. Always listen to a 2 1/2 year old, who is new with the potty, when he says, "Mama, I need to go poopy!" Even if he just went 5 minutes ago. Always listen!!! I, for some reason, didn't think that it was that urgent. I told him to go on downstairs and I would be down in a minute. Well, I guess 1 minute was just too long to wait.

2. My Dutch will never be as good as my 4 year old's! Arden has officially surpassed my Dutch language skills. She is making friends, going to their houses for play dates after school, and she and her gal pals have even formed a girls club, "Meisjes Club."

3. There is never enough time.

4. There are a million social networks out their that were created with the main purpose of connecting friends, family and aiding people to stay connected and in "touch". These will never erase the occassional loneliness that we all feel, but they could be useful in keeping the people you love "closer "to you. I am learning that a phone call and regular ol' email are starting to mean more to me than a twitter message or abbreviated blog post of myself and my adventures. . . I do find myself wishing I was a better/more consistent blogger/facebooker/myspacer/twitter/ etc. , but then I remind myself or convince myself that I am soaking in life. Hmm. . . is that the truth? I don't know, but I would like to think it is. . . :-)

5. Life can be a complicated, and beautiful mess, but at the end of the day things get very simple and thankfulness often times exudes from the silence. Sweet Peace!

6. Always have my sunglasses handy! My eyes are not used to the sun after being exposed to such greyness and cloud covered skies. Really, when the sun shines, praise God, but it is like a light of 1 million light bulbs in a tiny bathroom (okay, maybe not that bright). Arden has even quoted about the sun, "Ouch, turn it down!"

7. Coffee always tastes better when someone else makes it for you.

8. I am learing that when I start to wonder if I could ever possibly braid the hair on my legs, then maybe, just maybe, it is time to shave my legs. (The crazy things that go through our heads!)

9. I am still learning to forgive myself.

10. that it is okay to not really have an agenda for every single day. And it won't kill me to be a little more deliberate and calculated with my time. Ohhhh, we are all such babies.