laura

we have this wonderful person in our house this week, and i'm already sorry that it's only a week. laura is 19, from madrid, and in her gap year between high school and university (as they say in spain). she spent spring semester at rockford university taking classes and improving her english, living in the dorms and making big friendships. she wanted a family home stay experience in a city that was walkable and lively in the summer, and one of her professors is a friend of ours and thought of us. of course we said "YES!, but....our house is very small and our attic is very hot...." and then we found a friend with a bigger house and more bathrooms who could host her for the balance of the summer.

so this past weekend, we met her mother, toured them around town, and had some dinner. within a few hours, the kids were 100% in love with her. evidence:


she is now their preferred person. here they are at the rainy bus stop this week. as they jumped off the bus, they went right to her arms and umbrella....completely bypassing me.


and now they're having the time of their lives at home after school.


it's just the best, on so many levels. next time, we are keeping the foreign exchange student much longer! (because now we have a second bathroom, and i cannot tell you what an improve that has been).