Oprah highly discourages eating a bowl of beef stew and a hunk of Italian bread at 2:30 a.m. It goes against every principle on her weight loss plan. But Oprah has probably never been up at 2 a.m. with two jet-lagged children two nights in a row, and while this is the pits, there is something irresistableabout a little girl in fuzzy, pink one piece jammies and a wide-eyed boy happy to be back in his own castle. Even at 2 a.m.
It was at about this time yesterday morning that I realized we would all be okay. I have felt an unexpected sadness about Alex being pushed into the role of the big boy. I know it is crazy and that everyone who has a younger sibling eventually experienced this right of passage, but the guilt of motherhood is heavy and I wondered is I would ever again see that innocent little boy who painted "Alex and Cate" on a T shirt and covered it with hearts, that little boy who went crazy every time he saw a lantern or saw a Chinese character. Would he be back, now that his fantasy had turned to reality?
He emerged yesterday at 4 a. m. as he ate his third bowl of cereal and prattled non-stop about the virtues of milk - healthy bones, healthy eyes, and what about carrots? They are so healthy too. I listened over tea and knew he would be okay.
We left NJ around 7 a.m. and both Alex and Cate slept the entire four hour drive home. "Home," we told Cate. "We are staying here. This is your home." And as the day unfolded, it felt that way. Two siblings, feeling their way around. Each already jealous of the other. Each already pushing the buttons of the other. And an occasional moment or two, where they would play together happily.
Cate met her Nonni and Otsey, here waiting with dinner and balloons and flowers, waiting for their family to be back. And it took a few hours, but Cate, little Cate whose world has changed ten times over during the past two weeks, started to open up and laugh and play.
There is one good thing about jet lag. It lends a dream-like quality to this unbelievable experience. Both ends of our trip are clouded by its haze, and if it were not for this snugly, pink girl sitting next to me, I would wonder if we were ever really there. Were we there on the other side of the world? Were we there in China? I have only to look to my left to see that the dream has come true.
It was at about this time yesterday morning that I realized we would all be okay. I have felt an unexpected sadness about Alex being pushed into the role of the big boy. I know it is crazy and that everyone who has a younger sibling eventually experienced this right of passage, but the guilt of motherhood is heavy and I wondered is I would ever again see that innocent little boy who painted "Alex and Cate" on a T shirt and covered it with hearts, that little boy who went crazy every time he saw a lantern or saw a Chinese character. Would he be back, now that his fantasy had turned to reality?
He emerged yesterday at 4 a. m. as he ate his third bowl of cereal and prattled non-stop about the virtues of milk - healthy bones, healthy eyes, and what about carrots? They are so healthy too. I listened over tea and knew he would be okay.
We left NJ around 7 a.m. and both Alex and Cate slept the entire four hour drive home. "Home," we told Cate. "We are staying here. This is your home." And as the day unfolded, it felt that way. Two siblings, feeling their way around. Each already jealous of the other. Each already pushing the buttons of the other. And an occasional moment or two, where they would play together happily.
Cate met her Nonni and Otsey, here waiting with dinner and balloons and flowers, waiting for their family to be back. And it took a few hours, but Cate, little Cate whose world has changed ten times over during the past two weeks, started to open up and laugh and play.
There is one good thing about jet lag. It lends a dream-like quality to this unbelievable experience. Both ends of our trip are clouded by its haze, and if it were not for this snugly, pink girl sitting next to me, I would wonder if we were ever really there. Were we there on the other side of the world? Were we there in China? I have only to look to my left to see that the dream has come true.
2 comments:
We're in that same strange dream-like world at the moment as well (I'm writing this at 4am). Still. It's all pretty wild, huh? I'm so glad you're all settling in.
xo
Molly
Jeannine, we leave in two days, and I cannot believe it is our turn OR how absolutely, amazingly beautiful Cate is. I am not sure how successful the blogging will be in China, but I will try!
I am so happy for you, and wish you the best as you fall in love with Cate and Alex and Steven all over, and over, and over again!
XOXO,
Stacy
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