Staycation Pastimes

Where else can you see a gigantor carrort? Only Doha, I say.

Our trip to Jordan was botched. We showed up at the airport packed and excited only to find out there was no plane to take us to our destination. The next flight didn't leave until 24 hours later. That was the day we were going to spend in Petra. Going to Jordan and no Petra? Why even bother. Instead, we had a lovely staycation in beautiful Doha.

Asa doing the victory dance 10 minutes before his ball even reached the pins

Part of our fun was spent playing cosmic bowling. Who doesn't love throwing a neon ball down a lane? Asa won for the slowest bowl and grandma won for the most gutter bowls. In fact, the Camilleri gene pool is seriously lacking in bowling skills. We all remained on the bottom of the list with or without a bumper.

We visited the new Cultural Center in Doha. There was a vivid and candid Africa-in-Pictures exhibit. One third of the exhibit displayed landscape, another third displayed poverty and famine, and the rest displayed boobies. Some of the photos were moving, some were shocking, and some were disturbing. You can guess which ones were which.

The Cultural Center also has an Islamic Art exhibit. Two of my favorite works are displayed here with the addition of my two kids for added beauty and quirkiness...

The animal souq was a must during our staycation. Axel attempted to make a strong case for purchasing another pet. Every man needs a parrot according to him. His iPad doesn't need to be fed or pet, therefore it is not a real present. I tried to show him the Talking Tomcat app, but he is not quite convinced.

Skating was a popular activity to pass the time. Grandma attempted to skate for the first time in her life. After admitting this, I was sure the secret Canadian police were going to take away her passport. She made up for it by learning very quickly and only falling once.

Sedona was a close second when it came to picking up the sport. She maneuvered her little body with such steadiness and concentration I couldn't help but constantly squeeze and kiss her, ultimately making her fall flat on her butt. There is pain in cuteness. My children are all just going to have to live with that reality.

Heavah and Xavier were the best of friends on the ice. Xavier is showing some serious skating skills, thanks to his devotion to hockey. Heavah is crippled when on the ice. The idea of falling is catastrophic. For once, she is dependent on her little brother and he took his job very seriously. He's an expert after all.

Just before Grandpa left Doha, he got to see Xay practice hockey at the Villaggio. Grandpa even gave Xay expert advice. Who knew you had to have both hands on the stick at all times? I didn't. I am a useless sportsmom.

Of all the things we did on our staycation, the best part was the grandma & grandpa time. Even floating in the Dead Sea can't compare.