For that special day...

This lovely wedding dress store is nearby my office. Every time I pass it I wonder if they really know what the name of their store means.

Summer 2011 Days

This is me, doing one of the worst summer activities ever: scraping melted crayon from the van seat.

Shamefully, for the second time.

I would love to lie to you and tell you that this summer was just a delightful 3 months of my life. It wasn't. In fact, it sucked. The month interlude of our trip to Paris, US and Canada was lovely, but the month preceding it and the month after stunk. I mean a big, nasty, pile of poop stunk.

For those of you who think my life of traveling is absolutely glamourous, you would be right; but only partially. Those 2 mid-summer months are excruciatingly difficult and I definitely pay the price for all the fun I have during the other 10 months of my life.

Summers in Doha require the most strategic skills I possess. I cannot be a lazy mom during that time. Every minute, it seems, I am a party planner. It is plain exhausting. I attempt to pull all the stops and run forward with my eyes closed.

You see, the weather in Doha is consistently over 130 degrees in midsummer. No child may exit the home without an adult, nor would he/she want to. The smack of heat is debilitating and sucks every ounce of energy you might have within your body. My kids are locked indoors for most of the day. Do you know how much destruction 4 bored children can make on one 4000 square foot home? A lot. It is amazing. Apocalypse style.

The month of June was bearable. I took the kids out to malls and paid hefty prices for fun. Yes, I did spend over $200 daily for my children's entertainment. Gondolania, for example, is a theme park in the Villagio mall. One ride (approximately 2 minutes in length) is $7. That is for one child. So, for 4 children to be entertained for 1o minutes it can cost approx. $140. But whose counting? Trust me, I didn't after a while. It was almost worth the price at times, and if I could chat up the Nepali operator of the thrill ride, we often got 2 or 3 rides free. For me, Nepal keeps on giving.

August was a lot tricker. Not only was it summer, but it was also Ramadan. Ramadan is a lovely cultural event that typically results in a backward schedule. I would say 70% of the people here (that is, the 70% of the 20% of people that actually stay in Qatar during the summer months) live by a backwards schedule. Because they are fasting, they sleep in the day and play at night. This affects everything that happens in Doha. All stores are closed, no food nor drink can be seen, and the streets are desolate. There were no friends in the neighborhood and no expensive theme parks to play in. A.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.l.y. nothing to do.

It was 3 weeks of constant work on my part to keep my 4 little ones alive, well and happy.

These are things I did:

1. Implemented homeschool - To avoid excessive screen time no child was allowed to watch TV unless he/she read a book, wrote in a journal, taught another child something, did their chores, or played an instrument. Luckily, they were not overly enthusiastic about all the hurdles, which ultimately, caused them to be slow in their productivity. This was brilliant because it meant they usually had a lot less time to play video games or watch TV by the end of the day.

2. Swam - A LOT. It was the only activity that required little effort to our heat exhausted bodies. Every single day we swam until the kids begged me to go home. Btw- swimming is not so fun to do when it is with the same siblings you spend over 9 hours a day with. I almost begged the gardeners to come and play just to mix things up a bit.

3. Designed a creative space - The landing at the top of the stairs was a complete waste of space. It was ugly and made me cringe every time I had to look at it. Instead, I decided to make it a place of creativity and play. I painted, designed, and bought all the necessary items for the room to beacon my kids to write, paint, read or play. It was a creative feat for me because all the items were difficult to find. I spent a lot of time in the industrial area of Doha (during the 3 hours when they were actually open at night) , drawing ideas and making strange requests. Those poor men aren't used to thinking outside the box, let alone from a woman.

4. Made their rooms more exciting - Because we move so much I find that I get complacent with mess, disorganization and plain ugly. I love to design and after a while, it really starts to bug me. I would love to have a home that I could design on my own, but for every move, I find that I have to start from scratch again and it becomes frustrating and difficult. I typically give up. Since it looks like we will be spending some time in Qatar, I decided to make my kids' room for them. It should be a place that is personal and interesting. I started, but have a lot more to do.

5. Went to the gym - Since I was a teenager I have always maintained a workout schedule, but I have never needed it more than I did during this summer. I love the fact that I have a gym in my backyard, in my compound. Axel has started working out with me every morning and even my older two kids join along. Nothing makes me more happy than to see my kids run on a treadmill during the summer. Every minute that passes is an ounce of energy they are losing. Trust me, it matters when there is no where to go and nothing to do. I was looking for a human hamster ball, but the treadmill worked just fine.

Axel is looking pretty buff these days. I am proud of his turnaround. He keeps talking about taking 'gym shots' of us. I have been focusing on my abs and I've gotta say I can see some definition. Now that I am private, I may just consider slapping on some photos for my own amusement.

----

The summer days have passed and I have gone through the experience with my head still on (barely). There were definitely lessons learned: 1. We must find a home before the summer heat creeps upon us again. 2. Close trips are a must to remain sane. 3. Families can experience both extremes--incredible bonding and remarkable fighting--when put in the same home for hours upon hours. 4. The extremely fun and adventurous 10 months here are worth the summer pains.

Everyday, all day long....

This is how we pass the hours in Doha during the summer. Xavier has had an ear infection and has been told by the doctor not to swim for 5 days. This is second only to a prison sentence. After day number 3, he was going batty. And when I say batty, I mean dangling from the chandelier and doing death defying tricks down the staircase.

The countdown is on! We have one week before we will be free from this heat. Axel's in Dubai for the week, and I had a huge presentation I had to give a few days ago for a prospective employer. It has been a stressful time to keep children entertained and all the while keep relatively sane. We're doing it. Barely. But we are doing it.

Our daily reprieve is the 3 hours we devote to our compound pool. Chlorine never smelled so good.

Summer Days...

Last Day of School photo and proof that my children do not lack personality

It has begun. I have been gearing up for this moment since January. Summer here is like a decaying tooth. You can ignore it for only so long and then bam! There is no ignoring it and a dreaded root canal (debilitating heat) has to happen. Before you know it, you find yourself in the dentist chair at the point of no return. I have just made the appointment--so to speak--and I am going to be in that uncomfortable reclining chair for quite sometime. Fortunately, I have a few tricks up my sleeve and a fantastic vacation planned smack dab in the middle. I can do this!

To be truthful, the summers are never as bad as they seem. The panicked 5 months before June, July, and August, are far worse than the actual summer days. In fact, we have found it to be quite fun so far. I have allowed my children to spend the first week or so just playing with all the neighborhood kids that are here. The grand exodus from Doha to all home countries typically takes place about one week after school is out. My kids had to get their friend time in before it looked like the apocalypse just took place.

Xavier sharing quality time with his neighbor friend.

The slow-mo moves were terribly fun to photograph--especially when it took about 50 moves to get the perfect shot. I will admit, I do not understand boy amusements.

(No child was harmed during the actual photo shoot).

Since the departure of most expat families, we have spent a lot of time at our compound pool. It is heavenly with a waterfall, hot tub, and poolside beverage and food service. It's hard to dislike Qatar when I am sipping my lime/mint drink with classical music playing in the background.

Along with skating, 3D Imax movie watching, and cooking, we decided to try out the Doha beach. Sadly, because swimming is not a popular sport in Doha there are no decent beaches in Doha. We have plenty of coastline, but no suitable beaches. Friends of ours from church told us they know of a secret spot where Axel could spearfish and the kids could collect shells. It took an hour to get there, but once we arrived, the kids were submerged. It was windy, hot and dirty, but it was just the diversion we needed.

I foresee another drive to Dukkan in our future before we head out on our real summer vacation, which is in two weeks, 5 days, 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 23 seconds, but whose counting?

Enlightening my son one video game at a time...

I can't stand it that my son plays video games. If I could, I would eliminate every XBox and Wii machine that was ever made. To me it is mindless and unproductive. No matter how hard I fought this, my Halo-loving husband insisted that it was the only way my son would survive the Doha summer months at home, and I hate to admit it, but he was right.

Xavier didn't play much during the nice weather, but as soon as his bum was burnt from his bicycle seat he revisited gaming. In response, I have strongly enforced rules. First, all homework must be done, and done well. Second, a chapter of a book must be thoroughly read. Thirdly, rooms must be cleaned and organized.

My problem was, even though all the tasks were completed, my son would still just sit in front of a mind-numbing screen. I still disliked it. A lot. To combat this I made one final rule. If he was going to play any video game he must do it on mute and a classical CD must be turned on...and loud.

Ever since I enforced this rule, Xavier has now begun to memorize his favorite songs and periodically you will see him create words to the tunes like: "I will beat you and steal your stars, yes I will, oh yes I will".

Now, instead of feeling disgust when I see him play, my heart is happy to watch him sing and move to Mozart's concerto no. 24 in c minor as his Mario Brother flies through the air to save the Princess.

Try it, your gaming son will be a master of the classics in no time.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Doha, qatar

Smockies

Our ward in Doha is awesome. The RS has decided to utilize the talents of the LDS women by creating classes that help teach and enrich. I have learned how to cook, quilt and stay fit thanks to the programs that have been offered here.

For the past twelve weeks or so I have been teaching my friends how to smock. This has been my contribution to the group, and a way to compensate for all the free yoga classes I have attended. I was happy to show them that it is really easier than it looks (shhh....don't tell anyone. I love people thinking that I am ubertalented and highly capable. No one should know that it can be a simple and mindless activity).

Monique, Lindsay, Afton, Christine, me

The best part of smocking isn't really sitting and doing needlework. Instead, it is the lively conversations that inevitably occur. There is so much juiciness and laughter that it feeds the soul. Our 'smock talks' have really been my weekly delight.

If you'll notice in the picture above, a baby was recently born in our smocking group. Lindsay had her baby in Qatar--unexpectedly in her home--on her living room floor!!!! She was back in the smocking circle two weeks later with such an animated and interesting story I was left in shock and disbelief. It had to have been one of our best smocking sessions ever. She wins the birthing war story by a mile!

Afton was ambitious enough to create this beautiful Mary De dress for her daughter. Can you see the beam of pride on Charlotte's face? It just screams, 'My mom is awesome and she made this dress just for me! I am a princess!'

This week was Christine's last week with us. She is heading back to the US to start a whole new adventure in her life. Luckily, she is 90% done with her gorgeous newborn bishop dress and she may need it for her upcoming baby #5! She already has 4 adorable boys, and is less inclined to make a smocked outfit for them (I can't imagine why?). We are all hoping for a baby girl in her future. Otherwise, her 8 year old son will have to start sporting lederhosen with his smocked overalls, just to keep her fingers active.

We will begin picture smocking this week and soon my schedule will drastically change. I am staring at 2 job offers right now and no matter which one I chose, my days will be full. More on that to come...

Scorekeeping

How to ensure that your son's team will win.

Also, how to reaffirm that you have very little understanding of how the game is actually played.

Xavier's team won by 96 goals, and given 2 extra minutes (until corrected). While sitting next to the scorekeeper, I was as pleasant and soft spoken as Don Cherry (without the bad collar, of course).

He Shoots, He....

...hopefully doesn't score. I have never been so anxious for a player to not score a goal.

The funnest part of Xavier being goalie was watching Axel try to dress him. After putting the straps and pads on backwards we both realized that we are unqualified hockey parents. That wasn't really our first clue, but it definitely reinforced our insecurity.

Xay did great. He did have to learn that stopping a goal requires more than just falling on the puck. Every time the puck came close to the net, Xavier would drop. I am not sure if it was strategy or just the inability to keep up the extra 20 pounds of padding.

Bathroom Warnings

If you find yourself needing to use the bathroom at Thai Snack (arguably the best and cheapest restaurant in Doha) you may have to heed to this warning. How you would do so is anyone's guess.

Suggestions????

Fishy Night

Who wants to come over for dinner?????

The Great Outdoors

It is the responsibility of all residents in Qatar to be outdoors during the mild winter season. If you don't, insanity will inevitably creep in by mid-June. That is why we have been taking advantage of the desert winter weather as much as possible.

We play in the rain...because even if it tastes like sand at least it is wet.

We go to the souq....because we must show off our fashionable wears.

Bromley Haute Couture

We plant flowers....because it is a perfect excuse to play in the dirt.

We lie on the grass...because it is the only green and living thing in Doha.

We throw rocks in the Gulf...because distance determines age.

We sleep under the stars...because daddy can explain all of the constellations.
We dream that this weather would stay forever...because we are painfully aware that Global Warming hits the hardest in Doha.

Goings On

Catching up....

Axel and I are pretty good when it comes to change, but monotony, not so much. We have been really trying to love Doha the best way we can. Driving on the streets is infuriating, and the lack of entertainment is pitiful. The only time we can really, truly and genuinely like Doha is when we visit the souq. It recharges our batteries and makes us feel like we are experiencing a unique overseas experience. That is why we go there at least twice a week, just to refill.

Axel is experiencing success at work. The numbers are appropriately climbing and his contribution is becoming more and more invaluable. He is going to hate that I wrote this, but it is all true. As a result, he is satisfied and motivated. The current challenge is going to be Bahrain for him. It is one of the countries he oversees and he typically visits there at least once a month. He was there two weeks ago and knowing him, as soon as the bullets stop flying, he will be right back on a plane headed to Manama.

We are revisiting glasses for Heavah. She has been myopic for a while now and her left eye has been compensating. The optometrist said she needs to wear a patch over the left eye for at least 6 weeks. Instead of feeling embarrassed, she said she is excited that she can dress appropriately for her Pirate themed music concert on Thursday.

Xavier has found a new obsession. It encompasses the two loves of his life Lego + Star Wars. I am not sure how much a little Lego pack costs back in the US, but this little Jar Jar ship set Xavier back $70 bucks. He earned the cash with his checks money from doing odd jobs and the helping the family. His new Lego addiction has made him extremely helpful lately. He contributes a lot but states often that he is disappointed he has to work much harder in Doha than if he was in the US. American kids in the states work at least 50% less and even less on Black Friday.

Sedona is consistent with her gentle nature and easy going attitude. We recently heard from her teacher that she is one of the loudest children in the class. Axel and I tried to hold in our laughter, but failed to do so. We both admitted that she is the quietest child in our family and in order to compete and stay alive in our household, she has to make her presence known. In a house full of lions, you can't be a mouse.

Asa's language abilities astound us all. His favorites are, 'In just a sec!', 'Gosh' (as in, why am I so misunderstood?)', 'Wait a minute!', and 'She/he's trying to fight me!' Can you sense how Asa navigates through the chaos of our home?

Asa also has a love/hate relationship with Horus, our African Grey. Horus tolerates Asa's affection, but he doesn't put up with crap. The minute Asa tries to go too far, Horus puts his beak to use. It is a healthy bird/toddler relationship.

Shylock, our 13 year old Yorkie underwent surgery this week. His teeth finally gave up and the vet had to pull every single one. Yorkies have notoriously bad teeth and it has always been an issue ever since we got him at 6 months old in Croatia. The vet said if he had known how badly his teeth were infected he would have suggested euthanizing the little guy. This, of course was after the $700. bill. Axel would have rather bought another carpet. Not me, there is a lot more life in Shylock and I like him a lot. The kids do too, especially now that he can't bite.