Amygdalia's Blog

Ups and downs and all arounds

I hardly know where to begin. Life has been a rollercoaster for the past few months, and I’m not sure when I boarded this particular ride.

A few months ago, Goldilocks approached us about the possibility of hosting a foreign exchange student over the summer. We discussed it, asked friends about their experiences, and decided to give it a try. We were matched with a girl from France. A few weeks before her arrival, the organizer of the program asked if anyone would be able to host a student from Spain for 1 week, prior to the arrival of the students in the program we were hosting for. We said yes. Fernando arrived on a Sunday, his luggage still somewhere across the ocean. It took 5 days for it to arrive. In the meantime, we called Air France, we took him shopping for clothes to tide him over, we ran around and did different activities with him . . . it was a great but exhausting week. He and Monkey had a blast together, despite the age difference (10 versus 16). The day that Fernando left to spend the rest of his visit in CA with a different family (we had been filling in because that family already had a vacation planned for the first week of his visit), Orane arrived from France. She was much quieter than Fernando, but very sweet. It was pretty clear from the beginning that her language skills were not nearly as proficient as Fernando’s, either. But we got by with some humor and confusion in the first few days. But she and Goldilocks did not seem to be connecting. She seemed on a very different level, maturity-wise, than Goldilocks. A Parisian almost-17-year-old, versus my emotionally immature and innocent 15 year old. But we were making it work. Goldilocks didn’t seem to be interacting with anyone in the group, though, when she joined them for activities. So the organizer and I chatted to see if we could figure out what was going on.

And now a jump in subject. On Wednesday, I was delighted and surprised to receive a package in the mail from Shanachie ! Home baked brownies, for my birthday! I had been out for breakfast and a walk with a friend, and they were waiting when I arrived home. I shared one with both Goldilocks and my friend, and put them aside. Later, I ran an errand or two, picked up Monkey from camp, etc. I got a call from the program organizer letting me know that Orane and her friend from home (France) had apparently made plans (without consulting any adults) to have a sleepover at our house, THAT NIGHT. I said no, that would not work. Not on a night when everyone needs to get up and out the door early the following morning. And certainly not without advance notice.

After dinner I went to open the container of brownies, to share some more brownies with the family, and I discovered that more than half were gone. Goldilocks had been the only one home. Monkey would not eat something that he was not 100% certain was safe for him. Goldilocks had complained of a stomachache during dinner. She’s done this before. The only evidence missing were crumbs on her mouth. We had a confrontation, during which she vehemently denied eating them. I was hurt and angry. I was planning on sharing . . . but they had been a gift, and she ate HALF the container in one afternoon. I’m sure it was uncomfortable for Orane to witness. I was too upset to even stay in the public area of the house. I’d also had a sinus headache most of the day, so I went to bed early.

The next day (Thursday – yesterday) was my birthday. I woke up to a decent morning. Hit some unexpected traffic driving Monkey and Orane to their activities, but managed to get them both where they needed to be. I spent the morning talking on the phone, and responding to many wonderful online birthday messages. I met a friend for lunch, and as I was heading back to my car, I discovered a new place on the main street of our town. Having decided a few weeks earlier that I wanted to have my eyebrows shaped, I went in . . . it was a place that uses thread to shape your eyebrows. It felt weird, but it was $10 and done in 10 minutes! I got home with 5 minutes to spare before I needed to leave to pick up Monkey. There was a package waiting from Brandiwyn🎶 ! I opened it up . . . it was a Ziploc bag, tied with a pretty pink ribbon and decorated with a cinnamon stick, filled with pink goo. I texted Storm Machine to see if she knew what it was, and whether it was something I was supposed to eat. I spent the drive to and from Monkey’s camp trying not to giggle about the bag of goo. When I got home, I popped online. I took a photo of the goo bag, and texted it to Brandiwyn🎶 with a “thank you  . . . I think this may have shifted a bit during shipping. What is it supposed to be?” And then we LAAAAAUGHED!!!! Turns out she had made me homemade cinnamints, which melted together in transit. So it looked like a nicely decorated baggie of ABC gum! !!!! It made my day . . . it really did!

I got some books and an Aqua Notes set (woohooo!) from my family. Then hubby and I went out to our favorite local place, for team trivia night! HUGE piece of yummy chocolate banana bread pudding, made especially at my request, and lit with a trick candle while everyone in the place sang! We were 5 points ahead going into the final round . . . when my phone rang.

It was Sheila, the organizer of the exchange program. Because Goldilocks and Orane had not connected, and because the purpose of the program was for the students to interact and practice their English and that did not seem to be happening, she decided to move Orane to another family for the last week of the program. Twice during the call, my friend ran outside to find me and ask the answer to one of the trivia questions. By the time I went back inside, I was near tears. I knew Goldilocks would be devastated, I was feeling somewhat of a failure, and I was just really upset. We won the game, which was exciting, but my mood had been dragged down.

Orane had actually spent Thursday night at the house of her friend (instead of her friend being with us Wednesday night) so she was not there when we got home. So we had to sit down and tell Goldilocks. Understandably and expectedly, she was devastated, sobbing. It took me forever to settle down to sleep.

This morning I got Monkey off to camp, and then came home to try and catch up. A few hours later, ANOTHER package arrived for me! This one was homemade bread from Storm Machine ! Apparently they had cooked up this scheme after I commented LAST YEAR that I didn’t get a homemade birthday treat unless I made it myself.

And then . . . I attempted to get Goldilocks to finish the chore I’d asked her to do the previous night. I thought it might be nice, it being my birthday and all, if SOMEONE ELSE DID THE DISHES FOR A CHANGE. She’d put a few things in the dishwasher, and left the rest sitting. I asked her to finish the job, and she told me the dishwasher was full. Yeah, the TOP was. Not the bottom. And there were a bunch of things that needed to be hand washed. She stomped over, threw a few more things in, and stomped away. I looked . . . all the stuff was still in the sink, including her dishes from last night. “They’re gross!” she complained. Yeah . . . yes, they ARE. Which is why I ask you to RINSE YOUR DISHES every day!!! And because they’re gross, I’m the ONLY ONE WHO SHOULD HAVE TO WASH THEM!?!? She halfheartedly and angrily got them in the dishwasher . . . leaving the hand wash stuff still needing to be done. I told her to get OFF of her Kindle. Just so AGGRAVATED!!!

And feeling really . . . REALLY frustrated that I’m feeling angry and frustrated, after so much effort was made to help me feel wonderful and special.

And there we are. Now I need to go pick up Monkey from camp. *sigh* And an hour and a half later, I have to pick up Orane . . . she’ll be here for an hour to pack up her stuff, and then she’s leaving. I have a feeling it will be awkward.