Atlantis Dubai

The month of August was probably the longest month of my life. Since the kids were stuck indoors all day long because of the debilitating heat, I had to find a solution to remedy their boredom and insanity. I can't really take the credit for the solution we had come up with because it was all Axel's idea. I think he knew the urgency for all of us to get a break. He insisted that I booked tickets for a week in Dubai at the Atlantis so the kids could have some waterpark fun and burn off a little steam.

Atlantis is a child's dream come true. There are bright lights, imaginative displays and water, water, water. It was the perfect thing for my shut-in children.

A highlight was when Xavier noticed a vehicle completely engulfed in flames. He must have saw it when it just started on fire because we practically saw the entire scene from start to finish. The response was slow and, to be honest, the firefighters did not seem like the swiftest crew around. They were more interested in watching it burn than putting the fire out.

We spent two days at the waterpark and the kids could not get enough. They especially loved the 'Leap of Faith', which scared the pants off me. I spent most of my time sitting at the bottom of the waterslide waiting for my kids to come down. As a result, I heard 'Wow, that was insane!' in about 15 different languages. Man, I love Dubai.

We probably could have spent another 4 days there, no problem. I have to say it was pretty nice to sit back and relax and have no agenda at all. Energy was burned, junk food was eaten, and inside jokes were made. All the makings of a fabulous trip!

Travelling with Kids

If I had to claim being an expert on one thing, I think traveling with kids would be it. Whether it was when I went to Panama with a 6 month old Heavah on my own, or flew to Dubai with a 3 and 4 year old while 8 months pregnant with Doha on my own, or flew from Nepal to SLC with a 6, 5, 2, and 1 year old baby, again, on my own, I think I have a slight grasp on what works and what doesn't. At least if I don't deserve the title of 'expert', I would like to think I at least deserve an honorable mention.

Here are some things I can share:

1. Pack lightly. The above picture was the beginning of our trip to France. Unlike my normal practice, I brought 2 carry ons, 2 check in bags and a stroller. I knew when we packed it was going to be TOO much luggage. As a result, during our trip in France we dumped one of the check in bags to narrow our luggage down to two carry ons and one check in. We also eventually dumped the stroller. I always limit myself to one check in. You can always buy what you need wherever you are going. Yes, even in India.

2. Plan for no entertainment on the plane. I can't count the number of times I have gone on an international flight (over minimum 11 hours) without entertainment. This is a recipe for disaster. Buy the playthings required to entertain small ones. This can be DVD players, play stations, all Apple products, etc. Never leave thinking the airline will keep them occupied.

3. Bring snacks. There is nothing worse than waiting for that meal that smells up the cabin for a hour before you actually get served. Don't depend on airplane food. It never comes when you want it, and it also comes when you don't want it. Keep a small supply for hungry kids.

4. Bring an extra set of clothing, for everyone. I can't tell you the number of times I have been spilled, puked, or peed on. Being drenched in puke for 9 hours on a plane wasn't the happiest time of my life. Make sure you bring clothing and wipes. It will save your life.

5. Try to take a night flight, if possible. Beginning a 25 hour travel session with fresh, awake children just means you are going to be very busy for a l-o-n-g time. Drowsy kids actually have the potential of knocking off, not the child that has just woken up from a 12 hour sleep.

6. Always know where your passport and money are. Everything else can be bought. You will have a hard time replacing these two items while stranded in Africa somewhere.

7. Dog tag your child. If you have runners, like I do, or even if you don't, it is likely you will misplace a child at some point. There is a lot of relief in knowing that if your child becomes lost, he/she can simply show the policeman or nice looking mother all the information required to find mom or dad. If you can't dog tag them, Sharpie them. The Amber Alert system is not international. It is your responsibility to find your child.

8. Make sure the trip has many moments for them. Don't drag kids from museum to museum. Give them opportunities to run, play, and have fun. Don't try to see everything. Just be thankful for what you can see and let go of the rest.

9. Have a handful of games ready in your mind. You can use the animal alphabet game, eye spy, or 12 guesses to keep them pre-occupated. Eye spy was the perfect game to play while cruising the Masai Mara in Kenya. It doesn't always work in an immigration line at 3 am in Jordan, but every well behaved minute counts!

10. Expect it to pay more. Sometimes you have to buy $7 for a bottle of water to keep everyone happy. With kids, you must try to fulfill the need instead of saving a few bucks. That might mean you stay in the nicer hotels and take taxis instead of the metro. Whatever will make it easier on you and the kids, pay the money and do it.

11. Don't stress about the rules. If you don't have the car seat in the taxi, it is okay. If your kid wants to lie down on the bathroom floor (yes, it has happened to me tooooo many times - even in Nepali bathrooms) it is okay. Let it happen. The experience is more important than doing it perfectly. Some things you may have to trade off. Let go of all the rules and let yourself enjoy the experience.

12. Have fun. One of my favorite quotes is this:

'Enjoy the anticipation,

Endure the experience,

and Cherish the memories'

Not all trips are a walk in the park. It takes work and can have its meltdown moments, but it is always worth it. The memories that you will build from such life changing experiences is something that will never be replaced.

The one bag rule never works when returning home. In fact, always anticipate buying a new piece of luggage for all your newly found treasures.

Back to Utah

This is Axel again. After the trip to Seattle and saying goodbye to Danny, Linda and Karen there, we came back down for the last week of the trip. It is so tough to be in the last week. Each day brings you closer back to reality. This leg of the trip was geared for friends. My best friend from EL, Dave Alizo "Bizz" came to visit me. During his trip we went to go see MoTab as he is a big music fan and tour around Temple Square on his last day. We also went hunting in Manti and drove up to the mountains. It was all great.
I remember standing there with 4 fewer kids, 4 fewer school degrees, a lot less money and yet still the same hot, young wife I had on my marriage day. How did I change and she only got better?
This is Dave, My Mom and Xay after the Spoken Word concert. It was amazing to see them live in the conference center. It was my first time in the conference center and I was moved to tears a few times it was so beautiful. Dave turned to me a few times and told me things about MoTab I didn't even know. He loved it too.
Honestly I can't say enough about my relationship with Dave. We met in high school on the freshmen football bench. I was short and fat and Dave was bigger and protective. We laughed there and started hanging out from then on. I am not one for many friends. I like lots of people, but I am very guarded about who I let in as a friend. I guess that is primarily becuase I started off with such a great one. I know there is nothing Dave wouldn't do for me and the same is true of me. It kills me to live so far away from him. I have no secrets from him and I always get the best advice about anything big or small. If you know him, than I am quiet sure you love him. He was like a second big brother to all my brothers and sisters, and his mom is one of the most amazing people I know. She raised him to be 'old school'. He holds doors, is always respectful to older people (which is getting harder and harder for us to find) and is always great to little children. He speaks Spanish like a native, but didn't start even learning it until after high school, he composes his own music (he is starting a fusion of blue grass and Latin music now that sounds amazing!) and all of it he just taught himself becuase he wanted to. All of this isn't even the tip of the iceberg about him - I could write a whole book on the subject. I love him like a brother.
I also had the great opportunity to touch bases with my fellow Jerusalem Center Intesive Arabic class of 1993. This get together was put together by my great friend Todd Cummings (on the far left), who was my roommate there. So he has a bit of dirt on me... He was my best friend there and we have stayed great friends ever since. He has since become a corporate trainer for his own company he started and comes to the ME often (actually he will be back here for some more training this month and we are so looking forward to seeing him again!) He invited a few of the other Arabic students and our teacher for 6 months; Dan Peterson and his wonderful wife Debbie and two of their three sons.

If you are Mormon then you have probably heard of Dan Peterson. He does a lot of projects from defending the church, working closely with FARMS and still teaching Arabic at BYU. The guy speaks like 10 languages and a few of them are dead ones (honestly, who still understands Akkadian?). Let me just tell you, if you only know him from his writings and genius, then you don't know the greatest thing about the guy and his family. When I came to Jerusalem I had just experienced the death of my two brothers Asa and Calder. My dad had a head wound and my mom was dealing with some seriously hard issues. When I got to the J Center, I had hair down past my shoulders, wore my leather motorcycle jacket around and already had an Israeli girlfriend who was in the IDF (I came a week early). Honestly, I was a mess dealing with the loss of my family in more ways than one.

Dan and his wife Debbie stepped right in to be more than teachers, they became a second family. I look back and at that time and he was younger then than I am now. He was always there for me. He overlooked the things I did wrong and praised me for the few things I could do right. His wife always gave me hugs (which I needed in the worst way) but also didn't have any problems telling me when I was out of line. And his three sons were there to help me play with and deal with the loss of my two younger brothers. I just love his family and it was so nice to see them all again.

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Back to Terah to complete this blog. Ugh, sorry. We are manic these days with catching up and all...

Also while we were in Utah we visited with my sister-in-law Shauna. She is one of the most pleasant people you will ever meet. Her heart is big and her strength is amazing. Although her and my brother are divorced, I won't accept the fact that she is not my sister. I have too much love and admiration for her. While in college I was poor and directionless. Shauna and Chad opened their doors for me and allowed for me to live with them for years. Yes, years. I don't know if I could ever do that for a family member. She had so much patience when my boyfriends would call late and night and wake her babies, or when I would come home in the wee hours at night and no matter how hard I tried, those wood floors would creek so loud I swore I woke their neighbors 5 doors down. I think of the carefree college-aged Terah and I quite sure I would have kicked her out after the first month. Not Shauna.

Instead, she always emphasized that family was first and that I was always welcomed in her home. For that, I will always be indebted to her. Her home was always a place of refuge for me whenever I was lonely or missed my family back in Canada. I could count on her to open her doors and allow me all the freedom that a young 20 something needed. These examples barely scratch the surface for all that Shauna has done for me and my family. I love her so much and I was so blessed to see her in Utah. Currently she is an airline stewardess and seems to really love what she does. I couldn't be happier for her.

As my children grow older I am fascinated by the other 50% of them that isn't me. So many parts of them are curious to me and sometimes surprise me. It is one of the joys of my life to watch my children behave or act in a totally different manner than myself. Sometimes this is positive, sometimes not. Whatever it may be, it intrigues me and makes life more exciting. I think I always thought I would just have clones of myself, which is a rather scary thought and thank goodness it didn't work out that way.

One of the interesting things that came from my trip to Utah was to see the other 50% manifest itself in other children or adults in Axel's family. Whether it was a physical trait or personality trait, it was so much fun to see the genetic overlap of the cousins and siblings. I never got to look at my progeny in such a way as I did while I was in Utah. Seeing the children find similarity (spoken or unspoken) was such an eye opening thing not only for me, but also my children.

Luckily, I married well. My husband has a lovely family full of quirks and strengths that are exceptional on both sides of the scale. They have big hearts, they have an affinity for nature, they excel in scholastics, they cook well, they tolerate chaos, they love conversation, they empathize, they forgive, they discuss politics, they play instruments, they are faithful, they love little children, they execute plans, etc. It was delightful to see how those strengths played out in Axel's family and how I found similarities in myself and also differences. It was a joy to make connections in my children that I never knew before. It was a discovery that was beautiful and surprising. I found that so many of Axel's family's qualities were reflected in my children that I admire, I love and I am thankful.

It is a divine thing to see how God can perpetuate the great strengths from one generation to another. I am proud that I chose well enough to have my children inherit such wonderful qualities. For example, Anna, Axel's sister had us live in her home for over 3 weeks. That seems like a natural familial duty to most until you find out that she has 7 children of her own, two of which are barely a year old. Her family's kindness and generosity was overwhelming. This example and a billion more exist with Axel's family. They are a strong, intelligent and engaging group of people who can be kind, loving and forgiving. I am just lucky enough to have elements of that reflected in my own home, 4 times over.

Keith, Anna, baby Ada, Sedona and baby Gabe

France for 6

It is really true that Paris is a place for lovers, but not necessarily for their offspring. Bringing four kids to France was kind of like going to a business meeting in drag. All eyes were on us, and we were definitely out of place. There was a lot of pointing and a lot of comments. I wasn't ready to be such a spectacle. In fact, I was looking forward to finally mixing in with those who were similar to me. Boy, was I wrong. I felt like I was the old woman in the shoe.

Look at the angelic single child in the right corner. She didn't move the entire time, and was surely thinking, 'Ah, this is what I have heard children do. Never have I seen such shenanigans." Of course, this was done with her hands on her lap and in a cute French accent.

Eating out at with my kiddlets in a French cafe was entertaining. When we arrived, the maitre d' was thrilled to see so many towheads, but he didn't realize that they would show him one thousand different ways to dissect and disperse a baguette. Oh, and how loud it can get when you tap a wine glass with a butter knife.

The streets were fun for us for the simple fact that there were sidewalks and actual people walking on those sidewalks. It is a rare find in Doha, especially in the summer. I kept thinking, what a shame to have these huge sidewalks and not enough double strollers to stroll on them.

Since you asked, yes, I did only pack one large suitcase and two small carry ons for our entire month trip. When it comes to packing for a family of 6, I am the master. I have never been more thankful that I pack lightly than when we were trudging through Paris and making 4 hotel changes.

We especially turned heads when we went on the train headed to Disney. You would think the train would be flooded with little tykes donning mouse ears, but no. In fact, not one. Even the seats were only suited for a mom, dad, and one child with a wee piece of luggage. Make way! The Bromleys are coming through!

Paris was a delight for all of us, even though people would rather look at our huge family than the Monet right in front of their faces. Most comments were kind (except for that really nasty one from the Hunchback of Notre Dame herself!), and it made me really appreciate the fact that I have 4, yes, 4, of the most adorable children in the world!

Love them, especially in Paris!

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?

Butterfly Bromley

Yesterday Sedona asked: "Mom, when you born me did you give me the name Sedona?"

Me: Yes.

Sedona: "I think a much better name is Butterfly."

She is right, butterflies are graceful, beautiful, and delicate--all the qualities she is drawn to. But if I named her according to her favorite things, I would have to decide between Cake, Pink, iPhone, and Paparazzi (the song, not the people). That is as crazy as naming your kid 'Like' after the Facebook tab. No one would be that nuts.

To acknowledge her creativity , I reassured her that she would have a chance to name her child anything she wants. The only thing I can hope for is that her taste will change over the years like mine did. Otherwise, my eldest daughter would have been 'Eternity' and my eldest son would have been 'Drakkar Noir'. Oh, and Mariah Carey because not only should my future children smell nice, they should also be able to sing to the whales.

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

General Conference Spring 2011

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Moore, Heavah and I got to go to the Saturday morning session of General Conference. It was great for Heavah to visit her Mormon roots and see that there are a lot more of us out there than she thought.

The grounds were blossoming with spring flowers and the weather could not have been more perfect, especially considering the snow storm that took place the following day. We got to experience two distinct seasons while visiting Utah. It was better than the two seasons in Doha--hot summer, and hotter summer.

Two hours was a long time for an 8 year old to sit, especially for a child who was still jet lagged. I resorted to note passing and back rubs during the entire second hour of the session. As a result, she barely realized the time had passed. It was mothering trickery at its best.

It was a delightful experience for both of us. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for making this happen!

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.

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.