Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Dio is 5, Ivy is 13 months, and I am trying to survive

If you asked me, I wouldn't say that having 4 children is much more work than having 3...except my blogging frequency has decreased dramatically from when I had just 1, 2, or 3 children. I've been in survival mode this semester. Exercise? What's that? Sleep? Never enough. Polar vortex that had this Minnesotan quaking in her Sorel snow boots? I've finally come out of hibernation this month. 

So Dio turned five. Five! He requested another Angry Birds cake, like last year's (at the end of the post).





Ivy turned 13 months. She has another tooth (#6), a few more words and signs, and is still completely crazy about dogs, cats, and birds. Especially dogs. She's started babbling in what sounds like sentences, usually ending with "dog" or "doggie."


Eating farm-fresh eggs...look at the color of those yolks!


There's something terribly adorable about matching shirts...


During Eric's house-hunting and Sabbatical research trip to France in early March, he found an apartment in old Nice.  Fantastic location, good price, lots of potential, and small (officially 700 sq ft but with an extra attic bedroom not counted in the square footage) but still enough room for our family and for guests. Our offer was accepted quickly, and we thought everything was good to go...but the second owner STILL hasn't signed the purchase agreement. It's been almost 2 months. 

We're starting to get really stressed because we can't apply for visas or enroll our children in school until we have housing finalized. And, if we don't get a signature soon, we won't have time to get a mortgage (it's a very long process in France, usually about 3 months). So yeah, we have plane tickets for August 1st but possibly nowhere to live.

So let's ignore our possible homelessness in France and admire my children! 

Ivy pointing out a dog (it might have been a squirrel or a bird...no matter, she still calls it a dog)


Inga being...Inga


Dio flying a kite


Zari

5 comments:

  1. I'm getting stressed about moving to another state in a couple of months. I imagine moving to another country is so much more stressful. Hope it all works out on the apartment.

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  2. As a mother of nine I can tell you, four is hard. Five begins to get easier. Hang in there.

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  3. So sorry to hear that you're still waiting on that purchase agreement, Rixa. It’s difficult to look for another home in a foreign country, so I think you're still lucky to have found a prospect. I hope the second owner will sign the papers as soon as possible, Good luck! :)

    Chad Nelson

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  4. Looks like it's time to read "The Film Under the Bridge" (if you haven't already). One of my favorite children's books about a homeless family in France. HA! All things will work out, it's the unknown that can be aggravating!

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  5. When I had my fourth I quit teaching childbirth in my home, stopped being a doula, and started writing...

    It has only been this year, 2014, that I have even considered going back to birth work. That baby born in 1996, my first unassisted, just graduated from high school last night, and now with a daughter getting married and grandchildren looming on the horizon, I do not know if I have the gumption to go back to full time teaching and doula services.

    No regrets about the abrupt change in 1996, the years I invested in homeschooling, whole foods cooking and mounds of dishes are never to be forgotten.

    Love you Rixa! And the beautiful family you have created.

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