Sweet serenity....

...just before a rush of warm water soaked Axel's clothing and reminded him that he should have put a diaper on his boy (who just finished a large glass of apple juice) before they drifted off into a deep afternoon slumber.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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

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...

Sarita's Movie

Jenni has released the trailer to Sarita's documentary. You can watch it here.

I miss Sarita so. Daily/weekly phone calls are not enough. I need more Sarita in my life.

And so it begins....

54 Celsius = 126 Fahrenheit

The pressure for solid summer plans is increasing. Siberia sounds delightful right now.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Doha

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).