Childhood memories relived

Growing up on Greenwood Drive was super fun. With the safety of my grandparents across the street, summers were amazing. Dominic and I would wake up, mount our bikes, and join our friends for a variety of adventures up and down the street. We had two summer rules while I was growing up:

1. Don't come home until the street lights go on.
2. No one in the pool unless a grown-up is watching.

How things have changed for our kids! Since their birth, Xavier and Anouk have grown up behind gates. In Nairobi, we lived behind a gorgeous bouganvilla-clad gate guarded by Gideon and Andrew (part of the Factory Guards Security System our school employed). During our 3 year stint in California, the kids grew up in the safety of "Grandpa's Garden" where the fortress of the "manor house" kept our wee ones safe. In Kuwait, our apartment complex was behind an abnoxiously loud metallic gate that kept out little more than the wayward stray cat (it certainly did not keep out the dust and desperation). Now in Indonesia, we've spent the last 2 years in a gated residential area behind a 2nd gate which (quite unfortunately) separated us from our Indonesian neighbors.

Because of all the gates, the opportunities our kids have had to play with the type of freedom I grew up with has been extremely stunted,

But all that changed this year with our move to "teacher housing." Our new house is located amongst a dozen or so teacher-houses just 500 meters from our school. The neighborhood is full of kids and while spending 4 days unpacking, hanging up art, and moving in... we didn't see our kids from breakfast until dinner time (with the exception of a few unscheduled snack stops). It's been wonderful to see the kids return home, dirty from top to bottom.

Rob and I woke up late one Saturday morning. The kids (and dog) are watching cartoons because they weren't allowed to play outside until 8:00 am.

...As our first month back has come to an end, nothing much has changed here at "teacher housing." The kids have a menagerie of friends to play with, do homework with, and get up to no good with. It will be a great year!