Monday, Monday, So Good to Me

Note JJ's legs. Who sleeps like that?!?

Monday, Monday, so good to me,

Monday, Monday, it was all I hoped it would be.  

That was the Mamas and the Papas folks, coming live from Udhagamandalam, India.  I really don’t know that song at all.  I know the Monday, Monday bit, but that’s it.  I had to look the lyrics up.  I am telling you this just in case you were wondering when and where I had acquired such vast lyric knowledge of the Mamas and Papas.  It would be rather disappointing if you wanted me to be on your Trivial Pursuit team because you once remembered me quoting the Mamas and the Papas.  Just keepin’ it real folks.  I am done calling you folks from now on.  

So, we borrowed a camera. A cute little green camera. It’s been fun to have one back in our lives after a monthlong escapade without one (I did not forget a space...did you know “monthlong” is one word?).  It felt a bit wrong not to have one in our last days of living in India.  It also felt wrong to have such disastrous hair.  So, the other night, after a long, long day of nonsense, Jayson cut my hair.  In the bathroom.  I am sure my mom is a bit horrified, but my hair was even more horrifying. My vanity got the best of me, because I was thinking that all the pictures I would be taking in the last days of India, I would not look at my darling friends’ faces and remembering them with fondness, but I would be looking at my hair.  I know, I know, I am dealing with loads of emotions, mine and my families, packing, sorting, thinking about our current beginning of unemployment, but I also thinking of my hair.  And you and I are just going to have to deal with it. 

When we moved to India, my kids were at an age that we kind of just packed up, shoved them in a plane and left the country.  I mean it wasn’t that drastic, we talked about it, they helped pick out toys they wanted to bring, etc... But this time around I feel like I am having to be way more intentional, feeling the reality of Jayson’s and my decision to leave effecting them greatly.  I know that whole bit about “kids are resilient” and that if their family remains strong, that is so incredibly helpful for their process of transition.  Yes, yes, I agree.  But they still have great big emotions.  Sad emotions and happy emotions.  And we still have to walk that road with them and not tell them to just go and play with Legos.  James and Ani have both asked why they can feel both happy and sad feelings at the same time.  I didn’t know what to tell them really, other than you just have live feeling both sometimes and know that it’s okay.  (Btw, Ani is brilliant at both crying and laughing at the same time.)  Jovie, out of all of us, is the most bi-cultural (I am pretty sure that is not a word, but just go with it) and in some ways I grieve the most for her in leaving.  Also not sure what to do with that.  Wondering if somehow her comfortability with India will serve others and her well in the future.  And Sydney, well, she told her teacher the other day that when she finds her prince and they get married, she will come back and wave to her in India.  Enough said from Sydney, really.

We’ve had a bit of car oopsie lately.  Not really oopsie.  More like headache.  Not a nightmare, but definitely draining.  So, after many attempts of trying to hand off our car, Jayson finalized the deal on Thursday.  Whew.  The plan was to borrow the buyer’s car until we leave.  Well, the car was, how do I put this nicely...it needed some work.  I kind of felt like I was driving on ice and snow...in India. I know nothing about cars, but I want to say that the axel was probably twisted and turned beyond all recognition.  The first day we had it I got two flat tires on two different tires.  Every time we turned, I kind of felt like the car was just going to give up and die.  Lame.  A bit stressful, a bit dangerous.  After two days, I  told Jayson that we needed something different.  We borrowed a friend’s vehicle for the night, and then this morning a hired vehicle came to pick us up for school.  Having a hired car and driver sounds a bit posh, but posh is probably not how I felt this morning.  I asked the kids when we were walking up to school how they thought it was going to be having the car for the week.  Ani said, “Well, I guess I’ll just have to get used to plugging my nose and covering my ears...”  Making memories I guess...

Second flat tire on the first oopsie car.

If current vehicle proves not to work, this is what we'll aim for.

We’ll blog again on Sunday night, two days before we leave Ooty...  Until then.  Happy Monday.