What I learned about my family this week.
May 28, 2014

When we moved into the new house we had talked about getting exchange students again. And this weekend we welcome two Japanese Exchange students into our crazy world.   They were with us for 4 nights on a mad dash to explore Salt Spring Island, and get a feel for Canada . . . or at least the west coast.

We have had an exchange student before, but for a full year, so that time she was a full fledged family member, and never really and the “visitor” experience.

But these girls were visitors. And their english was limited (nay, non-existent)

But it still put me in the position of learning, and learn we did.

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I learned that we eat REALLY late. And we don’t really snack. Our meal times are minimal at best, and we are usually playing and having too much fun after school to sit down to a REAL meal.  It makes me think that perhaps we should just develop the European way of eating in the summer time?  Late evening snacks, fruit and cheese and all the wonderful things that suit a glass of wine/bottle of beer perfectly?

I learned that we are an independent bunch.  We live on the motto of “Help Yourself”  If you are hungry, eat. If you are thirsty, drink. If you want to play/sleep/read/explore then do that.  We don’t tend to cater to our kids, and they have grown accustomed to that, but when you have two NEW kids thrown in the mix. . . well, sometimes mom needs to step it up a notch doesn’t she?

I learned that we sometimes need to take a break from “real life” and explore a little (which we tend to do when we have guests) and that it is good for ALL of us to hike, and enjoy the island, and not just “build our life”.

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But I also learned that we are loving and accepting of a huge variety of people, and that through our passive actions, we DO make people feel at home (i think!)  We show our affection and we laugh ALOT. Our kids may “run wild” but they do so with gaiety and a passion for life. We talk to each other, we hug each other and we show our love for each other.

And in the end, the kids can get their own food right?  Maybe love IS all they need?

 

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