After dinner, the boys like to turn the Alexa on loudly and dance\/jump on the couches, which usually turns into wrestling, with some yelling mixed in. When their energy goes high, the puppies feel it and they get excited, running around, also jumping on the couches, also wrestling with some barking mixed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the midst of this chaos, Nate and I will lock eyes and whisper to each other, \u201cwhat do you think Danny is doing right now?\u201d Because my brother and Heather don\u2019t have kids, so I always imagine, regardless of the day or time, that they are sitting down to a relaxing, casual brunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We usually take Danny\u2019s name in vain and then SNAP OUT OF IT, because we are outnumbered and need to keep our wits about us. 4 small bodies threaten to overwhelm us at any moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently, it was in the midst of one of these moments that we looked at each other and said, \u201cya know what would really round this out?! A teenager!\u201d We\u2019re already living a brunch-free life, so why not add one more?! And so we are getting one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ok, ok, that\u2019s not exactly how the whole conversation went down, but come mid-August, we are growing by one as we welcome a 16 year old Japanese boy into our home. Our family is getting a foreign exchange student! MPA needed host families and we thought, \u201cif not us, then who?\u201d We are about as average American family as you can get. And we have a spare room. So, why not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am incredibly nervous, but all of the things I\u2019m nervous about have to do with us, not him. Will he like us? Will he be disappointed in our house? Will he be disgusted by the slobbering shedding beasts that lumber around our house regularly making messes?! Will he like my food (has he ever even heard of a meatloaf?!)? Will he be disappointed that our kids aren\u2019t his age? So many MPA families live in mansions, which is very much NOT the case for us. Will he be sad he got stuck with us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The exchange student coordinator was encouraging and re-assuring and he spent a very long time with Nate and I, providing information, answering our questions and walking us through the process. When he finished our home visit and left, we had several conversations and it finally came down to, yes, this is outside our comfort zone, and yes, this is a huge change, and yes, there are a lot of unknowns, and yes, there will be some challenges\u2026 basically the exact same things that we said before we had each baby. BUT- there\u2019s also a lot of potential for learning, fun, growth, joy, and this is something we want to do, so let\u2019s take the leap and do it. And we\u2019ll figure it out along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We had a zoom call with him and his mother Tuesday morning. They were both incredibly sweet and had great questions. It was so nice to \u201cmeet\u201d them and I think all of us felt a little less nervous after talking. I am excited for him to arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I look forward to introducing all of you to him as well. More to come\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After dinner, the boys like to turn the Alexa on loudly and dance\/jump on the couches, which usually turns into wrestling, with some yelling mixed in. When their energy goes high, the puppies feel it and they get excited, running around, also jumping on the couches, also wrestling with some barking mixed in. In the … <\/p>\n