Huge Shifts

Ireland was good for Mya. I see such huge transformation in her and I'm simply amazed. I was a bit concerned that barely-four was simply too young to take her on a huge trip overseas, but I was wrong.

Once we committed to the trip, I dropped my concerns and approached Mya with a "of course, you can do this" attitude and by george, she did it all with grace.

Okay, she had about 3 or 4 meltdowns in the early days but I can really attribute that to feeling exhausted. I was feeling yucky, sick, unmotivated and irritable those days too due to losing sleep and an upended schedule. I totally understand why she was reacting.

Once we all got over that hump, Mya settled into a routine of seeking to be her best. She listened, she responded, she was happy, she no longer dictated and cried. She is achieving a better tone of voice and she seems so much more eager to please. So much more grown up.

On our return trip, we got out of bed at 4 am Ireland time and drove across the country to Shannon. We got our boarding passes and the kids waited patiently and quietly with me through the process. The ticket agent asked us to turn around so she could place tags on our backpacks and when Lucas and Mya silently and simultaneously turned around and stood stock still for her, I was stunned. They had become mature, responsible travelers who knew exactly what was required of them. Wow! Mya has come a loooooong way since mid-July and I don't mean just the miles back and forth across the Atlantic either.