Changing So Much More Than Allergies

Yesterday my kids received the name of their teachers & a list of all the children who will be in their class. Our initial excitement quickly turned to confusion and curiosity. Confusion over how to pronounce many of the names and curiosity about how they would approach these kids if they were so challenged by their first name. I am talking about the kinds of names that have 15 consonants in the first name alone. With every attempt I made it was obvious this would not be an easy task. Lexington public schools are ranked some of the best in the state and many Asian and Indian families flock here to get the best for their children. Their school is an international school in many respects as there will be families from 22 different countries, many of whom are here for only one year, as their parents work at Harvard or many of the big hospitals in the city.

I am beyond excited for my children to walk the halls, eat lunch and play outside with kids of all backgrounds and colors. We came from a town that was too vanilla & in many ways did not challenge any of us to grow culturally. This school represents what my family has so needed, to get out of our comfort zone, our little bubble and see how big the world really is.

Hayden is now consuming egg, small amounts of dairy and wheat every single day without any "processing." This is a continued blessing for our family and a commitment that is not always easy, but we are seeing as an adventure and a journey that we will NEVER forget. It has made us so much stronger and closer as a family.

As I type this, my three kiddos are upstairs building a fort in my son's room. Prior to moving here the two older ones would have been off playing at a friend's and my little one would be terrorizing our dogs. Not that there is anything wrong with playing at a friend's, but this situation has forced my kids to redefine their relationship with one another and to love each other in a way they had not before. I see the change in them, the patience and compassion that was less apparent before. Our evening bike rides and walks are also more special than ever because instead of being outside chatting with a friend I am getting to know them more & REALLY listening to what they are saying. This is a summer (as hard as some days were) that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

The past 2.5 months have also been a time to redefine my marriage. Although my husband has always traveled for work, living across the country from each other is not even comparable. We are already growing tired of this arrangement, but know it is without question we see it through for our son. We have rediscovered long phone conversations (like when we were dating) and cherish even the smallest amounts of time we have together. We know in the end it will all be worth it and we will look back when our kids are grown and gone and smile at the thought that this was ever difficult.

The Hanson Family is changing and growing in so many ways and we are very blessed to even have this opportunity!

Amanda