One of our biggest challenges here so far has been the heat. No surprises there I'm sure. We have a small yard here but we never play in it. We have access to a playground at the embassy and I'm pretty sure there's one somewhere in our neighborhood too. I've yet to go out and find our local one though because it pretty much feels like we live on the face of the sun. The heat here is no joke.
All this to say that we don't go out much during the day. We do go to the embassy playground at least once a week to provide some variety (it's outdoor but shaded). We have also started playing indoor soccer and Jo does Cosmic Kids Yoga (shout out to Nancy W for the intro to that life saver) because we all need to move. Dance parties are regular enough that Maggie starts yelling as soon as our song comes on.
We've also done the occasional evening walk. When we first got here, I didn't have a handle on how little the temperature changes after the sun goes down. So that first week I decreed we would all head out for a walk after dinner. Man alive it was brutal. Now that we are all a little more acclimatized to the crazy height of the heat, the post sundown walks don't seem so unreal. When I go outside and 90 degrees is a relief, you know it's a strange state of affairs. The plus side of having arrived in July is that it can only get better.
Right?
September, I'm looking at you.
At the very least, evening walks make for some fun pictures.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Saubi Rules: Write it down
Seriously though, maybe 'write it down' just needs to be a life rule. In general it seems the best/the only way for me to remember anything is to write it down or have a picture of it. I've just been over on Shutterfly looking at old projects while getting ready to make another book. It's crazy the things you forget. I'm so glad I have pictures to remind me of Jo's precious curls (it's wavy now and still gorgeous) and fun things we did - searching out the best shave ice - gah! Too fast! It's all going so, so fast. <and breathe>
Our current stage of life, I think, will be particularly interesting to me as I tend tend to forget the details of major life transitions. Defense mechanism perhaps. Say no more.
So here are some things going on for us right now, or at least since we've arrived in Saubi. No interesting stories about the place we are today. Apologies. Just small life details I'd like to remember.
Maggie has made huge strides since we got here - she was already on her way to full fledged toddler <sob> but she's really outdone herself since our arrival. She mastered sleeping through the night, significantly decreased her pacifier use (now only at naps and night) and as of yesterday, is fully weaned. Self-weaned too. She literally turned her head and said 'all done.' It doesn't get more self-weaned than that. She's also started drinking milk, much to my surprise. She has a few words and is constantly trying to tell me something. She'll say/screech/yell 'more,' has a pretty clear 'all done,' makes a rough estimate of 'please' (which sounds more like 'cheese') and is pretty clear about Dad and of course her version of Jo (though Jo's name would be unintelligible to anyone who didn't know her well). She will also say 'drink' and 'tree,' can point to her nose, toes or fingers and constantly, constantly asks me read to her. She's a little bundle of fierce joy. She loves to play hide and seek- mostly I hide then jump out on her and she laughs like a maniac. She also loves her older sister. Who wouldn't?
Jo is such a delightful four. She wants to please and she is easy to please. She wants nothing more than to spend every day all day with people. She's a genuine little ball of love. And stubborn. Four, did I mention she's four? She knows lots of things and will correct me repeatedly even when she's wrong. She misses her friends in Utah and that's sometimes been hard for her. She has a limited understanding of what our moving really entails. She will still occasionally ask when we are going to move back to our old house in Orem. She doesn't really comprehend that someone else lives there now. She is however, comforted that her dearest friend moved too. To Jo's mind that means she doesn't need to miss her. Of course her friend moved to the house next door, but the principle remains the same for Jo.
We are slowly getting into a rhythm to our days here. Jo has an alarm clock and isn't supposed to come out of her room until 7. We usually have to send her back at least once. We send Adam off to work in the mornings while I am trying to rustle up breakfast. I took the opportunity of stocking my pantry from scratch as a chance to eliminate processed food. This is hardest at breakfast because now I have to cook something. Oatmeal, pancakes, yogurt and fruit, eggs and toast are all on regular rotation. While Maggie takes her morning nap, Jo and I do 'school' - her reading book, workbooks and a math app on the iPad, sometimes followed by an experiment, art project or game of some kind. All of this has reinforced that homeschool really isn't for me. I've started going to Zumba and Pilates and need to really focus on kicking my sugar habit. There are so many British options for chocolate here that I have yet to go grocery shopping without picking up something. I've found it incredibly comforting to find such an array of food from 'home' here but it also creates a strange dissonance - I'm not in either once of my 'homes' but there are trappings of both. So much to learn and incorporate. I'm still dreading the culture shock settling in, but I do have a trip to look forward to!
Our current stage of life, I think, will be particularly interesting to me as I tend tend to forget the details of major life transitions. Defense mechanism perhaps. Say no more.
So here are some things going on for us right now, or at least since we've arrived in Saubi. No interesting stories about the place we are today. Apologies. Just small life details I'd like to remember.
Maggie has made huge strides since we got here - she was already on her way to full fledged toddler <sob> but she's really outdone herself since our arrival. She mastered sleeping through the night, significantly decreased her pacifier use (now only at naps and night) and as of yesterday, is fully weaned. Self-weaned too. She literally turned her head and said 'all done.' It doesn't get more self-weaned than that. She's also started drinking milk, much to my surprise. She has a few words and is constantly trying to tell me something. She'll say/screech/yell 'more,' has a pretty clear 'all done,' makes a rough estimate of 'please' (which sounds more like 'cheese') and is pretty clear about Dad and of course her version of Jo (though Jo's name would be unintelligible to anyone who didn't know her well). She will also say 'drink' and 'tree,' can point to her nose, toes or fingers and constantly, constantly asks me read to her. She's a little bundle of fierce joy. She loves to play hide and seek- mostly I hide then jump out on her and she laughs like a maniac. She also loves her older sister. Who wouldn't?
Jo is such a delightful four. She wants to please and she is easy to please. She wants nothing more than to spend every day all day with people. She's a genuine little ball of love. And stubborn. Four, did I mention she's four? She knows lots of things and will correct me repeatedly even when she's wrong. She misses her friends in Utah and that's sometimes been hard for her. She has a limited understanding of what our moving really entails. She will still occasionally ask when we are going to move back to our old house in Orem. She doesn't really comprehend that someone else lives there now. She is however, comforted that her dearest friend moved too. To Jo's mind that means she doesn't need to miss her. Of course her friend moved to the house next door, but the principle remains the same for Jo.
We are slowly getting into a rhythm to our days here. Jo has an alarm clock and isn't supposed to come out of her room until 7. We usually have to send her back at least once. We send Adam off to work in the mornings while I am trying to rustle up breakfast. I took the opportunity of stocking my pantry from scratch as a chance to eliminate processed food. This is hardest at breakfast because now I have to cook something. Oatmeal, pancakes, yogurt and fruit, eggs and toast are all on regular rotation. While Maggie takes her morning nap, Jo and I do 'school' - her reading book, workbooks and a math app on the iPad, sometimes followed by an experiment, art project or game of some kind. All of this has reinforced that homeschool really isn't for me. I've started going to Zumba and Pilates and need to really focus on kicking my sugar habit. There are so many British options for chocolate here that I have yet to go grocery shopping without picking up something. I've found it incredibly comforting to find such an array of food from 'home' here but it also creates a strange dissonance - I'm not in either once of my 'homes' but there are trappings of both. So much to learn and incorporate. I'm still dreading the culture shock settling in, but I do have a trip to look forward to!
Sunday, July 31, 2016
House Rules: Close the Gate
I suppose there are two possible views of stairs. First there's the 'normal' view: a great convenience designed to take you to another level of your home. Then there's the view for those of us who have children of a certain age: a feature capable of inflicting untold horror on the limbs of our precious small people.
Needless to say, I fall into the latter category. Baby M is of a certain age where stairs are her nemesis, but she doesn't know it yet. As a result I spend all day saving her life. At least that's what it feels like. Did I also mention that my stairs are tiled? The fear people! It is real. We haven't had stairs in her lifetime so far. Her first home was one level, her second on the 6th floor. This home has a two landing staircase.
I've been on the case to get us some baby gates since before we got here to be honest. I asked GSO the size of the stairs and thought of shipping them ahead of us. GSO assured me you can buy them on the local economy here. I put the shipping plan aside. I don't know GSO personally but I'm going to go ahead and make some assumptions about this person.
1. Male
2. Childless? Or at least no children of a certain age.
It's true that you can buy baby gates here in Riyadh. To be honest, you can buy most things you might need. However, the practicalities of just being able to go out and buy something.... I believe I have mentioned this before. I can't drive. Add to this that we have been adjusting to a new place, a new time zone and you've got a recipe for no baby gates. I don't know what I was thinking. I really should have gone with my gut and sent the baby gates ahead.
Luckily for us, a kind soul here gave us a baby gate. Then Adam went out and bought a second one. Then it was on to installation. But we have no tools. And the gates weren't actually wide enough for the stairwell. So on to the creation of a special wooden piece to fill the void, cut to accommodate the baseboard. Then there appeared to be missing parts. So I read the instructions. No missing parts. Installation spread out over several days. People are busy.
All this time, Baby M is repeatedly flirting with serious bodily injury. Bathroom trips are fraught with danger. Who knows what she could do to herself in those two minutes?
The gates are complete and installed as of today. New experiences abound here in the KSA, and some of them aren't what you'd expect.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Saubi Rules: Make a Fool of Yourself
Two weeks here in Saubi now and I have a list of foolish things I've done for your enjoyment and mine in two years when I look back.
-Getting in the wrong line.
There are separate lines for things here - going through security at the mall, ordering food, checking out at the grocery store. There's a line for 'family' and then a line for 'single men.' Anyone of, or accompanying someone of, the female gender has to go through the family line. Sometimes, it's simply a male and female line and then I have to take myself and the girls through the female line. I keep ending up in the 'single men' line and having to correct myself. I'm sure I look panicked when this happens, but I have to say, so do the Saudis around me.
-Forgetting to have my produce weighed
At the grocery store here, your produce is weighed and the price affixed in the produce department. Forgetting hasn't been a big deal yet, but I live in fear of doing it when there's a huge line behind me. So far it's just been a mild inconvenience. So far.
-Buying things I didn't mean to
(I am now realizing that a lot of my mishaps so far are purchase related. I don't spend all day every day shopping, I promise)
I wish I could blame this on everything being in Arabic but I really can't. I have yet to find or buy anything that doesn't have some labelling in English. I am sure that day will come, but for now my shopping experiences have made me feel like I'm cheating. Isn't this too easy? And then you realize that you've come home with a liter of laban and not milk. On the plus side of this, I subbed it in for buttermilk in pancakes one night, then blended it with mango the next night for a dessert, so not all was lost. Still, I think it was a bit of a shock to Adam when he poured himself a tall glass to go with his evening cookies.
-Not having every inch of Baby M covered/slathered in sunscreen
I live in great fear of the baby getting a sunburn. I remember having horrible sunburn as a kid when we visited Oman. On my bum no less. I couldn't sit down it hurt so badly. And then (maybe on a different trip?) another time when my forearms were so burnt I had huge blisters that burst when I jumped in the pool. Owwwwwww. As a consequence, I try to make sure the kids are covered or wearing ALL the sunscreen. Applying sunscreen while outside in 110 degrees is not my favorite. Mum fail.
Luckily I haven't forgotten my abaya yet. There's plenty of time for that though. Plenty of time.
-Getting in the wrong line.
There are separate lines for things here - going through security at the mall, ordering food, checking out at the grocery store. There's a line for 'family' and then a line for 'single men.' Anyone of, or accompanying someone of, the female gender has to go through the family line. Sometimes, it's simply a male and female line and then I have to take myself and the girls through the female line. I keep ending up in the 'single men' line and having to correct myself. I'm sure I look panicked when this happens, but I have to say, so do the Saudis around me.
-Forgetting to have my produce weighed
At the grocery store here, your produce is weighed and the price affixed in the produce department. Forgetting hasn't been a big deal yet, but I live in fear of doing it when there's a huge line behind me. So far it's just been a mild inconvenience. So far.
-Buying things I didn't mean to
(I am now realizing that a lot of my mishaps so far are purchase related. I don't spend all day every day shopping, I promise)
I wish I could blame this on everything being in Arabic but I really can't. I have yet to find or buy anything that doesn't have some labelling in English. I am sure that day will come, but for now my shopping experiences have made me feel like I'm cheating. Isn't this too easy? And then you realize that you've come home with a liter of laban and not milk. On the plus side of this, I subbed it in for buttermilk in pancakes one night, then blended it with mango the next night for a dessert, so not all was lost. Still, I think it was a bit of a shock to Adam when he poured himself a tall glass to go with his evening cookies.
-Not having every inch of Baby M covered/slathered in sunscreen
I live in great fear of the baby getting a sunburn. I remember having horrible sunburn as a kid when we visited Oman. On my bum no less. I couldn't sit down it hurt so badly. And then (maybe on a different trip?) another time when my forearms were so burnt I had huge blisters that burst when I jumped in the pool. Owwwwwww. As a consequence, I try to make sure the kids are covered or wearing ALL the sunscreen. Applying sunscreen while outside in 110 degrees is not my favorite. Mum fail.
Luckily I haven't forgotten my abaya yet. There's plenty of time for that though. Plenty of time.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Saubi Rules: Stay off the Road
There are some really unique things about Saubi. The most noteworthy of these, for our purposes today: women can't drive.
As you'd imagine, this can be quite the obstacle. I imagine it will be for me in the not so distant future. If I'm honest, with 10 days in country now, it has been a pain, but only slightly. The current ameliorating factor being that we don't have our car yet, so it's not as though there's a perfectly good vehicle sitting in my front yard. Thank goodness for the embassy provided rides because it is hot as all get out here so I'd never go anywhere without. Even the embassy, which is less than a couple of miles, is impossible to walk to at this point.
To elaborate further - the embassy has a motorpool of vehicles with a well-staffed office of drivers and I can call them to schedule a ride. They will come and pick me up and take me where I need to go (usually the embassy). For longer trips there are also pre-scheduled shuttles to grocery stores, souks, some restaurants and even IKEA. The biggest kink in the works at the moment is Baby M and her naps, because there are still two of them and so our window to leave the house is miniscule.
I can imagine when the weather is cooler and my bike gets here we may have more freedom of movement. I am hoping that is true at least.
I must confess though, that I've been watching the roads while I'm being chauffeured around and I have no interest in driving here anyway! The roads are pretty busy, the drivers are interesting, and there seems to be a LOT of construction going on at all times and in all places. It's been alarming to watch some of the close calls and some of the decisions other drivers make. I'm sure there will be more to report on this matter. Possible swear words for sure.
As you'd imagine, this can be quite the obstacle. I imagine it will be for me in the not so distant future. If I'm honest, with 10 days in country now, it has been a pain, but only slightly. The current ameliorating factor being that we don't have our car yet, so it's not as though there's a perfectly good vehicle sitting in my front yard. Thank goodness for the embassy provided rides because it is hot as all get out here so I'd never go anywhere without. Even the embassy, which is less than a couple of miles, is impossible to walk to at this point.
To elaborate further - the embassy has a motorpool of vehicles with a well-staffed office of drivers and I can call them to schedule a ride. They will come and pick me up and take me where I need to go (usually the embassy). For longer trips there are also pre-scheduled shuttles to grocery stores, souks, some restaurants and even IKEA. The biggest kink in the works at the moment is Baby M and her naps, because there are still two of them and so our window to leave the house is miniscule.
I can imagine when the weather is cooler and my bike gets here we may have more freedom of movement. I am hoping that is true at least.
I must confess though, that I've been watching the roads while I'm being chauffeured around and I have no interest in driving here anyway! The roads are pretty busy, the drivers are interesting, and there seems to be a LOT of construction going on at all times and in all places. It's been alarming to watch some of the close calls and some of the decisions other drivers make. I'm sure there will be more to report on this matter. Possible swear words for sure.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Maggie Rules: Eat food. Only some of it.
Baby M shows signs of being opinionated about her food. When Jo was little, she would eat almost anything. Except meat. Meat was definitely a battle. I have a list of food Jo would eat at this age - blueberries, apples, clementines, raisins, oatmeal, peaches etc. etc etc.
Baby M, on the other hand, has strict rules about her food. Did it grow on a tree? Not going to eat that. Did it come from a bush? No thank you. Does it have more than one texture? Unacceptable. Was it fried? Yes please and I'll have Mum's too. Cheese? Give it all to me, every last crumb. Carbs? Hmmmm. Probably acceptable. Especially if you add cheese. Pureed fruit from a pouch? I'll do that unless I've eaten something else first. And meat? Yep, I'll steal your pot roast for sure.
Anyway, all this is to say that I've had a devil of a time trying to get Baby M to eat healthy things. Specifically I was stumped by her refusal to eat oatmeal. Jo ate oatmeal every single morning for the longest time. Oatmeal and fruit. M was having none of that nonsense. I did finally convince her to eat Weetabix, which, when soaked in milk, turn to mush so they're baby suitable.
Then we moved to Saubi. And I haven't bought a single box of cereal (I know it's only been a week but I have been to the grocery store twice!) Maggie eats oatmeal all of a sudden. With raisins (almost a fruit, right?) and she will now eat bananas. Pears have become pleasing (as long as they are peeled). My breakfast problems are evaporating before my eyes. Plus, we now have a huge container of laban to use up. And I know for sure she'll eat pancakes.
Baby M, on the other hand, has strict rules about her food. Did it grow on a tree? Not going to eat that. Did it come from a bush? No thank you. Does it have more than one texture? Unacceptable. Was it fried? Yes please and I'll have Mum's too. Cheese? Give it all to me, every last crumb. Carbs? Hmmmm. Probably acceptable. Especially if you add cheese. Pureed fruit from a pouch? I'll do that unless I've eaten something else first. And meat? Yep, I'll steal your pot roast for sure.
Anyway, all this is to say that I've had a devil of a time trying to get Baby M to eat healthy things. Specifically I was stumped by her refusal to eat oatmeal. Jo ate oatmeal every single morning for the longest time. Oatmeal and fruit. M was having none of that nonsense. I did finally convince her to eat Weetabix, which, when soaked in milk, turn to mush so they're baby suitable.
Then we moved to Saubi. And I haven't bought a single box of cereal (I know it's only been a week but I have been to the grocery store twice!) Maggie eats oatmeal all of a sudden. With raisins (almost a fruit, right?) and she will now eat bananas. Pears have become pleasing (as long as they are peeled). My breakfast problems are evaporating before my eyes. Plus, we now have a huge container of laban to use up. And I know for sure she'll eat pancakes.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Saudi Rules: Nickname
My friends, we are here! I am sitting in my bedroom in the KSA! (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, also known as Saubi because that's what Jo calls it and I love it) There are adventures to tell along the way - including The Story of the Worst Flight of my Life - but let's commence with our current situation.
Side bar: You know I like to go back and fill in/backdate posts so watch out for that if you really need to hear about Maggie's natural ability to torture a person through sleep deprivation. I'm going to tell that girl to join the CIA. Too soon?
Or maybe you didn't know that in which case, consider yourself now warned!
Moving on.
As I said, I'm sitting in my bedroom. Let me paint a picture for you. The girls are napping, there's a pot of black beans on the stove for dinner, laundry going in the machine and sunlight dancing around the room courtesy of the leaves on the tree outside. A gorgeous leafy green tree folks. Blowing in the slight wind and making the sunlight dance. How lucky am I? Here I find myself in the middle of a vast desert and there's a tree outside my house. I have moved a nice wing-back chair over to this corner so I can sit and enjoy the green view and while I was engaged in moving the furniture, I discovered the chair is a recliner. I am winning all the things!
Seriously, though, so far so good in Saubi. We've got a nickname for where we live. We've got a green tree and the girls have transitioned time zones like absolute pros. I, on the other hand, keep waking up after falling asleep at unhelpful times. 10am naps anyone? Thanks jet lag!
Side bar: You know I like to go back and fill in/backdate posts so watch out for that if you really need to hear about Maggie's natural ability to torture a person through sleep deprivation. I'm going to tell that girl to join the CIA. Too soon?
Or maybe you didn't know that in which case, consider yourself now warned!
Moving on.
As I said, I'm sitting in my bedroom. Let me paint a picture for you. The girls are napping, there's a pot of black beans on the stove for dinner, laundry going in the machine and sunlight dancing around the room courtesy of the leaves on the tree outside. A gorgeous leafy green tree folks. Blowing in the slight wind and making the sunlight dance. How lucky am I? Here I find myself in the middle of a vast desert and there's a tree outside my house. I have moved a nice wing-back chair over to this corner so I can sit and enjoy the green view and while I was engaged in moving the furniture, I discovered the chair is a recliner. I am winning all the things!
Seriously, though, so far so good in Saubi. We've got a nickname for where we live. We've got a green tree and the girls have transitioned time zones like absolute pros. I, on the other hand, keep waking up after falling asleep at unhelpful times. 10am naps anyone? Thanks jet lag!
(Not our current tree)
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