Our blog activity for November has been pretty slow, since we've spent two weeks of it recovering from a nasty flu bug! I was the first one to come down with it, but after a week long respite, and figured we were all in the clear... Then both Jack and Kate came down with it on the same night. The good news was that they started to get sick over the weekend - so Jay and I could both be there to tag-team - especially handy at night, when things seemed to be at their worst. It was a long, onerous bug - and we are happy to have now banished it from our household (and hoping Jay dodged the bullet - a potential benefit to all those long hours and traveling?).
One of the funnier outcomes from all of our collective time in the bathroom was that Kate now has a new birthday wish. When we ask her what she wants for her birthday, she says, "My own potty. And Backyardigans underpants." I guess she figures that's where all the action is in our family - so she wants to be a part of it.
As a result, our first Thanksgiving away from home was a little tough. Going into the holiday, I knew this was going to be a rough time to be away from home, as I think it is both Jay and my favorite holiday of the year - and there is obviously no mention of it over here. On top of that, Jay had a week-long business trip planned over Thanksgiving.
To attempt to counteract any homesickness, we had planned a get-together with 4 families from Jack's school (I even ordered placesettings from Pottery Barn Kids), but had to cancel, due to the "hot zone" situation of our home. Given that I had organized the whole thing (and even catered a turkey!), I was fairly disappointed. Luckily, on the night of Thanksgiving, one of my friends sensed that I was feeling pretty low - one week of sick kids and a husband in Spain was just enough to put me near the edge - and she brought over an incredible Thanksgiving meal (for one!) for me to enjoy. I ate it while talking to our families (and watching CNN for any glimpses of Thanksgiving), which helped ease the homesickness - and gave me yet another thing to be thankful for.
Then, this past Saturday, we shared a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with the Shaders - and two other families (one German, one American). The American family had 3 little blonde girls between the ages of 2-6 - they reminded me of another family I once knew (see picture attached). It was a perfect evening - amazing food, cozy house, well-behaved children (OK, the Charlie Brown trilogy may have helped out somewhat), and a chance to reflect on just how lucky we are - and how grateful we are for our health, our families, for the opportunity to be in Zurich, and to experience everything we are enjoying.
So, in a matter of 48 hours, my mood swung full circle (fairly indicative of my days here), and we ended the weekend on a real high. But we also made sure to mark Thanksgiving as a "no travel" day for Jay next year - we're not going to make that mistake twice! :)
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