Weird, Unforeseen Experience

[zoebird]

So, we sold our house and moved out, preparing for our move to NZ.

Our good friends (who are more mainstream than we are, and more than i thought they were!) invited us to stay with them until we leave. It is a great blessing.

But a funny EC thing happened our first night here. Hawk and their daughter are playing, and i see she makes an effort face (she's 1, btw). and so i pick her up to take her to potty (why wouldn't i?).

and then her parents are like, "you don't have to do that, yk." and i'm like oh, yeah.

but it didnt make sense to NOT potty her when it was *so* obvious.

and there are other things. she sleeps in another room--next to ours. she wakes and i wake. i want to go and get her. her parents don't budge. i grant you, when she gets to howling, they'll get her. but those normal little night time squawks--where i settle hawk by pulling him closer or rubbing his back--they don't budge. i guess she just settles herself (she must, she goes quiet).

it's very strange.

and it's cluttered here and there are a lot of toys. hawk gets over stimulated. thankfully, we'll be in our own back room tomorrow--which is basically empty and we have space to meditate, to play with his toys, and just be our normal, quiet and restful selves.

otherwise, i have to take him out all day. it's too much here.

here's to hoping we leave in two weeks!

[pixiepunk]

i have been in a very similar situation... well, visiting friends like that, not staying for more than a couple of days. i totally couldn't sleep when their LO's woke up. i'd just lay there stressed out until they'd finally fall back asleep.

it is challenging anytime you're away from your familiar space and trying to fit into someone else's way of living, more so when their way of doing everything is quite different.

i used to watch a friend's little girl 2x a week, and they told me they did not want me to EC her when i started DD1 at 9 months (their girl was the same age). they were afraid she'd want to potty all the time and they weren't ready to deal with that. i thought that was totally bizarre. but whatever. i kept her in her sposies and changed her whenever i pottied DD1 or any other time i noticed a squish or a smell. they even sort of complained once about how many diapers i went through. i loved them dearly, still do - our families are very close still - but it felt a little weird sometimes in situations like that.

here's to hoping your time there goes quickly! i know on many levels getting moved and settled in to your new space will make life so much easier. transitions always hold challenges.