It's been just over two weeks since William returned home from his 11-month exchange to Germany as an ambassador through the US Congress-Bundestag Exchange program.
During this time, he spent the first 3-months in Bonn attending language school, and then traveled north to Kiel, where he served for the next several months as a lumberjack through the German Forestry Service.
When the kids were younger, I used to play "Monty Python's Flying Circus" CD in the minivan, so it's no surprise that I immediately launched in to the Lumberjack Song when I heard of his assignment:
Oh, he's a lumberjack and he's OK, he sleeps all night and he works all day!
He assured me that he would not be skipping - jumping - pressing wildflowers - nor wearing high heels and women's undergarments. Although, as fall gave way to winter and colder weather rolled in, he quickly changed his tune and might have sported a bra if it helped warm his core.
When we traveled to Europe over Christmas to visit him, I packed extra thermals - his bright red wool union suit (which he told me, no no no he would NOT need when he was packing in July; but then asked, please please please can you bring it when you come for the holidays; it's freezing here and mom - why must you always be right?) - and Darn Tough Socks to keep him cozy. When out working in the elements day in and day out, William quickly learned how that damp winter air of the Baltic chills you to the bone.
The entire European trip was a wonderful experience for him, but truth be told, I was especially excited about his lumberjack assignment because if I haven't mentioned it before - we have a sizable yard in Vermont that is FULL of gardens and immense trees that haven't been sufficiently maintained for decades. All I could think about - beyond obviously, our linguistically German-fluent son returning home safely to us - is how wonderful it would be that he is learning how to operate a chainsaw and would be a tremendous asset once he got back to New England. In fact, as I was transferring money to his account for his recent vacation around Europe: Stockholm, Prague, Vienna, Paris, Marseille, Venice, Interlaken ... and he was asking, "Mom, how will I ever pay this back to you?!" I told him don't worry about the money, he would be paying it back in spades (with a spade!) when he returned home and helped us in the gardens. We'll have the Husqvarna gassed up and waiting for him.
Funny how what I thought WOULD happen isn't exactly what HAS happened.
The girls wrapped up their freshman year of UVM in early May and for several weeks - until Carolyn moved off to be a rowing instructor at a camp in the Northeast Kingdom, and Elizabeth started her day camp position at a local recreation center ... I had big plans for what they could do to help me each day.
There has been some work in the garden, but there's a lot more to do. (And I have a lot more to do with calibrating expectations of what work my kids will actually do around the house.) I've told them that we could easily keep our kids busy all summer. AND, we'll pay them - because I'm desperate.
The money William received in Europe was a gift. This money he would be earning in the yard, will help offset some of his school costs, when he starts UVM next month. It's important to note, he and his brother are also planning to work with a contractor who has been doing some work at our house, and with a local landscaper - so they will have learned some incredibly valuable skills by the end of the summer. But, they aren't starting until next week. I hope. If we have one more week of boys hanging out at home, I might lose my ever living mind.
Since William has been back, he has been sleeping and having the absolute best time of his life rough housing with his brother. At first it was like, "Ha! My little tiger cubs, so good to have them back together again!" But the novelty is wearing off and yesterday I threatened them with eviction to tents in the yard after William endured a body slam from his little brother and sprung a bloody nose on our white couch.
Which part of this requires dissection first?
Let's start with the body slam from his little brother - who is not so little anymore. Henry had vowed that he would be bigger than his brother when he returned from Europe. Here's a photo the day that William left, last July. Henry has said this was the saddest day of his life. His brother is his best friend.
When he realized he wasn't going to grow any taller and the likelihood of him surpassing a 6'3" William, without wearing stilts - he directed all of his extra energy in to working out. Every day for an hour, sometimes two ... Henry would be at the gym. In March, he entered a power lifting competition and came in second place. He actually broke a state record for military press - and as of today, is dead lifting 435 pounds, and squatting 370. Henry just turned 17 this week, and although he is shorter than William by 2 inches ... he is indeed bigger than his brother in circumference. He is all muscle.
The gym membership paid for itself recently when he was (easily) able to help move a new double-sink vanity to the upstairs bathroom.
It was immediately after this photo was taken that our contractor, Rob, hired him on the spot. And the landscaper hired both boys when they were making a run to the dump and spotted these two strong young men who clearly knew how to drive a truck and use a shovel. My understanding is that they'll work for both the contractor and landscaper on alternating days because they really want to work together. I've been assured this will be a fantastic arrangement, but we'll see how it goes.
I am learning as my mother often says, "to say nothing...." Indeed, people figure things out a lot faster when you don't harp on them.
In regards to the white couch, when we moved north, we left the majority of our furniture in Texas because the cost to move it was astronomical. Equally important, this was a great opportunity to get rid of (among other things) the two-ton brown suede couch that had been with our family since our four children were under the age of five. You can just imagine what was spilled on that couch over the past 12 years. It actually had a "crunch" when you sat down. Kinda of crazy the new owners wanted it and asked that it be conveyed with the house. I can't help but think they must not have taken a very close look at it when they walked through and quickly put in that offer. Had they actually looked closely at it, I think they would have requested that it not only be removed, but that a HazMat team be engaged to ensure the area was clear.
Alas, with a new fresh start in Vermont - and four children who weren't so little anymore .... we first bought a white sofa for our screened in porch. And then the triplets graduated from high school and we decided that we could finally replace the beanbag chairs and what had been our Texas poolside furniture, for a new couch. We bought a white sectional for the basement, and then - an off-white sofa for our living room, which is the sofa that was bled upon, yesterday. It was promptly soaked in Oxy Clean and while I launched in to a rant about why - why - WHY can we not have nice things?! The boys quickly departed for ... of all places ... the gym.
Don't even get me started on the new ceiling in the living room that leaked toilet water all over everything when the kids ignored a clogged toilet six months ago. Hence the reason that entire bathroom has since been gutted and in the process of being replaced.
Henry is William's personal trainer and aside from having him weigh his food - to ensure he is ingesting the correct volume of protein each day - he is also advising him on weight lifting. The first day they went to the gym together, Henry taught him how to lift until, "Failure." William could barely lift his arms for the next five days. He was on Tylenol & Advil, and alternating ice and heat wraps around his biceps. Suffice to say, he couldn't lift a toothbrush, let alone a chainsaw. (This photo was taken the morning Gracie surprised us all with a quick trip home from camp so she could see her brother! Chosen to illustrate the icepacks on her brother's biceps. Poor kid...)
Because I care that he not be miserable, I instead put him on lawn cutting and hauling duty. I mean, worst case - he could steer with his knees.
It was only after he cut the lawn, when Charlie and I were walking the property, that we found what appeared to be a dead spot of lawn smack in the middle of our back yard / badminton - volleyball court. When Charlie scuffed the grass a bit - he unearthed a rabbit burrow that was filled with tiny Eastern Cottontail bunnies. Right there! In the middle of our backyard!!
The fact that they weren't sucked up in to the lawnmower is a complete miracle. When we found them last week, their eyes were not yet open. From my internet research, I predicted they were approximately 7-10 days old. Likely born the same day William arrived home (June 19th). If you look closely at this photo, below, you can see at least three of them burrowed in the tall grass.
We immediately cordoned off the area and have been checking in on them every day (from a distance).
They appear to be doing great, and are so tiny and adorable. Elizabeth - the biggest bunny lover to ever live - is on Cloud Nine, especially when we were specking out the area for our croquet course and one hopped out and sat near her foot.
She scooped it up and put it back inside, covering it gently with hay.
I've been doing a lot of gardening in the area, but have been keeping my eye on the bunnies as they summon the courage to emerge and venture from their nest. Today, I'll be digging out a slingshot to keep hawks away should they make a play for one of our bunnies.
It's a very natural feeling this instinct I have to shelter and protect these little ones, even as they dig up the lawn and command a space in our yard. (See the tiny bunny to the left??)
It's all so temporary - they grow so fast and everything goes by much too quickly. They'll soon be mature and out in to the world, faring on their own. They're welcome to stay here as long as need be. (Please just don't bleed on the white couch.)
Yep, this feels very familiar to me.
