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.

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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?

Baptismal Site

Our poor, exhausted and tired legs made the last push to the River Jordan, where Jesus and John the Baptist were baptized. (Or so they say).

Behind me you can see the Israeli side. I am not sure why there weren't men outside with machine guns. Borders in this area are always tightly secured. Maybe they figure if you have enough gumption to swim in that gross, murky water you deserve to be in Israel.

This boy is ready to get dunked this fall. I am tempted to bring him back here. He can not only tell his friends that he was baptized in the Jordan River, but also a chocolate milk stream.

Aqaba and the best kind of traveling....

We made a quick stop at Aqaba before heading north to the Dead Sea. We were all tempted to forego our Dead Sea plans so we could stay there a bit longer. Once Jason and Axel saw the sea, they just had to see what was below its surface. I think Megan and I would have indulged our husbands but the rooms were booked and we had to keep moving. We stayed long enough to take a glass boat ride over the Red Sea to view Eilat, Israel and Taba, Egypt, and Aqaba all in one sitting.

Truth be told we didn't really see many fish. I am not sure if it was because it was so picked over or if the 'glass bottom boat' needed a real Windex clean. Fish or no fish the kids were so happy to be on a boat and with each other.

It took 10 minutes before the shoes were off and the jeans were soaked.

Only a couple hours later we piled in the cars and headed north. The drive was so spectacular. So many colors and different landscapes. There was a mixture of huge black rock and bright red sand. I found myself ohhhing and ahhhing over and over again. By hour 3 the kids were sick of hearing it. But tough. God made a beautiful world and I've gotta tell my kids often. "Now put down the iPad and stare out the window, its beautiful damn it."

I have thought about this trip and wondered why it was such an amazing success--especially with so many little kids. I realized that the company was the best part. I am entirely convinced that the best way to travel is with another family that you love. The kids stated over and over again that the best part of Jordan was Jack and Maddie. Sedona and Asa have not stopped talking about them. The odd time Asa will cry and say, 'I wanna go home. To Jack and Maddie's home.' My heart melts.

You know you have awesome friends when they can see your family tired, annoyed, and hungry and they still like you. That is the true test of a good friendship. However, if you could have the real friendship without testing it, that would also be nice. We have already planned our trips for when the kids are grown and less maintenance. No more proving needed.

Looks like a cheesy bereavement card, doesn't it? It is the 'dead' sea after all. How's that for cheese?

Wadi Rum

Also known as the Valley of the Moon.

If you made it through the first hour of Lawrence of Arabia without falling asleep you might be interested to know it was filmed in Wadi Rum. It is glorious, and you can almost fool yourself into thinking that you are on another planet. It is desolate, but gorgeous.

We rented a jeep and cruised around the landscape. Our tin can rental barely made it out of Amman, let alone through the desert hills. Please note: Jordanian rental cars are not held to the same standards as other rentals throughout the world. The bad news is you feel you must cross yourself before you go anywhere. The good news is the company will never notice if you scrape the exterior, rip the interior or destroy the engine. It is hard to leave it worse than you received it.

The canyon was my favorite place to explore save the narrow edges and slippery rock. It wasn't very toddler friendly, but they all sucked it up and scaled the walls well.

The petrogyphs were entertaining to look at. This one depicts a woman giving birth and the man next to her is shrugging his shoulders in confusion. It is the ancient picture of a Jerry Springer moment, 'That baby ain't mine.'

It is amazing how many shades of red/orange/grey you can see on one rock. I want a necklace.

...and 10 old ladies just had a heart attack.

Many people come to Wadi Rum to camp. If we had the time, we would have tried it out. It is the perfect place to feel like you are having an authentic Middle Eastern bedouin experience. That is, with cell phone and wifi coverage.

I love the fact that Megan (a fabulous photographer) just happened to take several family photos for us. I know her camera holds golden photos of our trip together. Two cameras are always better than one, especially if one of those cameras is Megan's.

The sandpit was also a favorite for adults and children alike. The classic scenes were watching children lose their footing and face plant in the hot, grainy sand. Is bad if I laugh instead of run to assist my son as he gets a mouth full sand? Don't tell me.

Jack finally spotted the first caught lizard. Axel's trip can be complete.

Merchants trying to sell 4 year olds oud and soap. It was a tough sell, but their cute faces should have been exchange enough.

After visiting Wadi Rum, it makes me want to stay awake for the full 3.5 hours of Lawrence of Arabia, just to relive the beauty all over again.