Time to 'Nuggle

Last night Karly crawled up on my bed, stretched out her arms, and said, “Mommy, nuggle?” It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet; I’d planned to spend my evening writing and e-mailing and finishing the dishes. But how could I resist that sweet, simple invitation?

My very active two-year-old rarely has time to snuggle. Even at night, Karly would rather play alone in her crib, singing and talking and feeding her baby doll until she falls asleep. So at nine last night, I went to bed. We read her favorite book, talked about Daddy’s office, thanked God for our day, and finally slept, Karly wrapped tight in my arms.

One thing I’ve appreciated about our life in Berlin is that it’s distraction free. My magazine subscriptions don’t travel here. I don’t have an English library to collect my weekly stash of books. TV shows are in German (though my girls have developed an appreciation for “SpongeBob Schwammkopf”). The telephone rarely rings. Cooking is a challenge in our tiny stove—not to mention, trying to pick food out at the store. There’s no yard work, house maintenance, car repairs, or even much to clean. Besides our small Bible study group, there are no social events for us to attend.

Most days I miss a few of these distractions. I like reading Newsweek and watching reruns of The King of Queens and blending smoothies in my VitaMix. I dream about having a big yard again for the kids to play in and a house with some space. I’d love to have friends over for dinner or go catch a movie on a Friday night. Things that used to seem so normal are now the exception in our lives.

So what do we do with our time? Every day I sweep the floors of our small apartment, visit the market, wash a load of laundry, and hang our clothes up to dry. The girls and I wander the cobblestone sidewalks and stop to watch construction crews in action, manning the giant cranes. I visit with new friends from around the world, read my Bible, play at the park with my daughters, and write every afternoon.

We have very few things in Berlin, but we have a little extra time—guilt-free minutes for me to stop working and nuggle.