California in my most excellent Eurovan!

Jonathan returned to Qatar last week and instead of staying in Orem, Utah all by myself, with the kids, I opted to drive to California and stay with the grandparents instead. Jonathan drove us down to California in our most excellent Eurovan in record time. We spent a day running errands before we sent him off to Doha to spend a week conducting tests to use for his research topic for his TESOL thesis. Jonathan is really really exhausted lately. He comes home and basically lives on Cheeze-its or Ritz crackers or Goldfish crackers. Of course he's droopy! Anyway, I told him his topic for the thesis was awesome and I think his proposal was genius. He prepared a three section test to give the students. They didn't have to do the tests. It was all voluntary. But since he knows the Qatari's very very well, he brought a bargaining item of great worth. He purchased the latest IPad and offered it in a raffle for those students who completed all three sections of the test. You may wonder why the Qatari's would want the latest IPad if they are so rich. Well, they can't readily get everything as fast as we can. The students performed well and he was able to return home with a bulging backpack full of tests. Yay! My advice for anyone doing a thesis in anything. . ."Don't bother doing a dumb crap thesis! If that's what you're planning then just don't bother doing anything. Give up now!" I think it would be embarrassing to do less than your best and then have someone read it five years down the road and talk to you about it. Jonathan was a bit drained when thinking about going the extra mile, I mean the extra 8,077 miles to get a decent thesis done. I think he's happy about it now. Meanwhile, he was missing a lot of super charged energy in the form of four little boys. The one girl isn't super charged. She's calm and sweet.
The first day Jonathan was gone it rained. But by Monday when it cleared up, we were at the beach. My beach, aka Natural Bridges. It really is my beach though. If you don't believe me ask to see pictures. I've got some of when I was about four years old at this same beach. It is really the coolest beach ever. It's got everything. Monarch butterflies in the winter, millions of them. It's got excellent tide pools. I just love it so much that I never go anywhere else when I'm home. Maybe, just maybe, there are other cool beaches out there, but I've never had the desire to find out because I'm so happy at my beach. The kids dug a hole with Grandma Dryg and then I buried them the best I could later on. They are trapped. Can't you just feel that harnessed energy! Especially from Atticus. Sherman and Cinci just look happy. They're thinking, "Hey, we're in the sand!"
We spent a lot of time with both sets of Grandparents. Helen hasn't really had much time with my parents though since my mom just recently had a knee replacement. This was their chance to actually meet her. She doesn't say much. She kinda just sits there. I have great hopes for her though. I hope that she was watching Hector when he hit Grandpa's big screened TV several times. I hope she noticed the way Grandpa suddenly cried out, "Don't do that you little . . . ." and then fell silent. I hope she will never commit that shocking crime that her older brother committed because I just can't take it. Can I just say how much I hate TV's? I hate them so much. I'm sure every person that looks on me and my brood probably thinks the TV is my best friend. However, they are mistaken. Very mistaken. If you look at the picture below, you will notice that our most excellent Eurovan does not have a built in DVD player. And if it did, I would rip it out. (Well, maybe I wouldn't, but the strong part of me would.)Most of me tries to live in an era that is not my own. Heck, I grew up with TV. A lot of it. I used to get up early before elementary school just to watch some of my favorite cartoons. Some Saturdays were spend watching back to back taped movies. Two or three. I'm not proud of that. But I think I turned out okay. Okay. Not great. Okay. I'm starting to sound like I'm confessing a terrible sin. Funny. Well, what I really want to see in my children is friendship. I want them to interact with eachother and I don't mean fighting. So when I see my kids playing a card game in the back of the van, my heart warms and I start to hear the words, "There is beauty all around, when there's love at home . . ." in my head.
Of course this is a totally posed picture but I have to tell you that they did play several rounds of Go Fish without cheating or screaming at eachother. Cinci didn't even eat the cards. And the whole time they were learning the names of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. That's what the deck of cards was, titles of different nursery rhymes. Oh, it warmed the cockles of my heart! (I'm starting to sound like my Grandma.)And to clearly explain myself, I don't like TV in general because my children can't hear me when they are watching it. They also forget that they have a family or other duties in life. They become zombies. I call watching TV "Zombification". I must confess that we do not have a TV free home though. We do watch one or two movies a week and a few kids shows when needed. I don't care if they watch it sometimes. I guess I use it more as a help for me than anything else. I wait until we've done our to-do list and then they can choose a show. Then I can take a shower or cook or sit on my butt and hum. I guess TV isn't that bad after all.

Jonathan is gone again. He's off to Ohio and New York to visit schools he's considering attending. I think the TV and I are going to become friends again real soon.

A Blister

"I'm turning it into a blister!" screamed Sherman gleefully.
Last night we went to Jamba Juice and got the kids some smoothies for our Family Home Evening treat. We used some coupons they'd earned for the summer reading program and ended up with a lot of smoothies. It was late so they all saved their smoothies in the freezer last night. So right now, after lunch, the kids are hacking at the iced smoothies with metal knives and spoons. Sherman made the comment about the "blister", meaning "blizzard" I think. Atticus just said, "Look Sherman, I'm turning it into an even more shakey thing!"
That leaves Cinci, but he hasn't come up with anything original yet. I guess his choice of smoothie was original enough. For a kid who gags at the sight of a PB & J sandwich, he's pretty brave to try out Jamba Juice's latest flavor, "Pumpkin Smash".
Jonathan is at work, I'm at home with the bears, Hector is napping, the baby is growing. Things are good. I've still got to do History and Grammar with the kids today and then we're done with the schooly stuff. Guess I'd better stop blogging, lift my large rear end off this chair and hobble downstairs to the school room.

Pears

There was a lady in Buy Low Foods today at the pear bins with her parents and her little daughter. I was getting pears too. They were very ripe pears. Just the way I like them. Just the way my kids like them. Who wants a crunchy pear? One that hurts your gums when you bite into it. Yuck!
This woman's father looked at the pears, grabbed one, looked it over, and said with a smug look,"They're bruised." He was an elderly gentleman who probably had some experience with fruit. He wasn't dressed in khaki's and a polo. He was wearing jeans and a plaid button up shirt and suspenders if I remember correctly. Maybe he grew up in Utah and had his own garden every year from his childhood. Maybe when he looked at the pears, he only looked at them to see if they were worth canning. Do you really want to can overripe pears? Don't ask me, I don't know much about canning. Anyway, the woman responded with a firm,"I don't care." Then she continued to fill her bags with pears. They were going for 3 lbs. for a dollar. After that her mother and father began to help her select the best pears. Even her daughter tried to help. They walked away with three or four bags full.
I've been thinking about that all day today. Why? I find it very fascinating that people are different. I find it even more fascinating that the same person can become a different person over time. There are so many fascinating things that I think that I sometimes have to get a piece of chocolate to calm myself down. Whether I have the chocolate or not, I think the combination of people with time and then you add the environment in which they grew up to it, the possibilities are endless. All sorts of people that think differently and are really really different.
The father didn't like ripe pears. Why? Doesn't he know that they're a great snack for young children? They're soft and sweet and because of that, your child might have a better outlook towards eating fruit. Wouldn't it be nice if when your child asked for a snack, they were thinking of something along the lines of an object that comes from a tree or out of the ground? Maybe the father didn't like ripe pears because his wife bought so many pears in the past and no one ate them so their kitchen was swarming with fruit flies. Gross! Sometimes that happens with our bananas.
The woman liked the pears. Maybe she liked the price. Maybe she didn't know that a bruise was bad on fruit. Maybe she figured she would peel them anyway and could get rid of the bruised section. That's what I did when I made pear sauce and dehydrated pears today. I just cut those bruises right off. Then Cinci came by every five minutes and grabbed a pear out of the bowl of cleaned pears and munched away.
That's why I took a very thorough shower this evening after tackling the bathroom that Cinci used. Poor kid. Perhaps I should have monitered how many he ate. I was just so happy that he was voluntarily eating a fruit. I wonder what Cinc's preference will be in 20 years at the pear bins when they're going 3 lbs. for a dollar?

Lazy summer days

Do I have anything interesting to write? No. Today is Sunday. Jonathan woke up with the kids to give Hector a milk and get him out of his crib. Then he timbered back into bed next to me. We both slept a little longer. The kids thankfully got themselves their own cereal for breakfast. I cooked some steel cut oats and pulled out the orange juicer that I borrowed from Aunt Robyn. There is nothing like fresh squeezed orange juice. So sweet! I rarely drink any other kind unless I know it's freshly squeezed. It seems like every other country has got it right. They've got their heavy duty orange juicers visible and filled with oranges ready for you to buy a glass. Affordable too. Here you've got to pay multiple dollars at least to buy yourself a glass of liquid sweetness. I had each of the boys get up on a chair and squeeze their own glass. It's one of those pull the handle kind and it presses the orange half against the mold with holes in it. It got them using those muscles. Grandmom, who is in town for the week, added some sausage links to the meal and it was mighty tasty. Even Jonathan ate some oatmeal and sausage and basically everything I fixed. He never eats breakfast!

Then we went to church only to be reminded that it was Fast Sunday! We are indeed slackers and truly unholy! For anyone who is asking themselves, "What is Fast Sunday?" I will indulge your inquiry. In the LDS church we designate one Sunday where we refrain from eating or drinking for a period of 24 hours. It's a sacrifice we do to help others and to become closer to God. Because we aren't spending money on meals during this time, we donate the money we would have spent to a fund to help those less fortunate than ourselves. That way when they need food or clothing the fast offerings from the members are available to help them. I think it's a great way to spread the wealth!

Then for the rest of the day we just chilled at the house. We ate lunch. We tidied up. We napped. I tried to wear some clothes that didn't squeeze my baby belly too much. I organized the baby stuff I got from the baby shower that I had last week. I thought about health insurance and what a hassle it is to worry about it if you don't have it through your job. Then I thought about the people in this book I just read "A Gathering of Days", where a girl dies. It takes place in the 1830's. They lived in New Hampshire and they didn't have health insurance. They just went with the flow. Death was more common. They still mourned the loss of their teenage daughter big time but it wasn't like it never happened to families around them. Perhaps they comforted themselves with the thought that others had gone through that experience as well. How much comfort can you really get if your family member dies before their time? Anyway, it's in my thoughts. We are searching for a solution to that one.

The Morkels stopped by and we visited a while. Jonathan made pot stickers and warmed up leftover buckwheat soup for dinner for everyone. He's much more hosty that I am. The kids played together.

Life is good. The garden is growing. The kids are growing. Jonathan has one more week in summer term of school. Everyone is healthy. What more can I write? Until something noteworthy occurs, goodbye!

Beets and Arrows

It's been way too long since my last post and since I do not keep a journal, I feel guilty that I haven't written. I need to write more often. I like remembering. My third son, Cinci, has an excellent memory and lately has been telling me the minute details of events in the past and then asking, "Do you remember? Do you remember?" Of course I don't. I'm Christine. The woman who can't remember the plot of a romantic comedy seen in the last year. It's kind of sad that my memory is so very bad. That's why this blog is so important to me. I must press on.
Our summer came and went too quickly! We left Doha the very same day Jonathan finished work, stayed with friends in London for five days, Jonathan took Atticus and Sherman to Paris on the TGV, and then we flew to San Francisco. We stayed with the parents for ten days in California and then drove to Utah to finally settle in a home. Not our home, but a home that will be ours for the next year. We camped as soon as we could and then on the 20th of June real life started. Jonathan is at school and work and I am home with the kiddos trying to make life interesting.
This evening while Jonathan put the kids to bed I went outside and shot some arrows at our stack of straw that we hauled home for just that purpose. When it got too dark to aim decently, I decided to weed our small vegetable garden. Then I became inspired to plant some more seeds in the empty spots where nothing was growing. Beets. I needed beets. I will definitely have to make some borscht this fall. This is actually my first vegetable garden and I know I'm not supposed to plant seeds in the ground this late in the summer. But hey! I had them and I had some empty spots. If they don't grow, oh well. If they grow and then get frozen, oh well. You live, you learn. Who knows if I'll ever have a chance to plant a vegetable garden ever again in my life? Jonathan and I could go anywhere next summer. Anywhere! What if I'm living in a high rise apartment building in the middle of Dubai? What are my chances of gardening there? As I look at my small garden I feel pretty satisfied that its still alive. I drive by neighbors who have massive, very symmetrical gardens, with rows and rows of crops. It's intimidating! When I see them just growing under the sun I think that I should be trying harder. But something that I've learned in my life that may only apply to me, Christine McCollum, is that I should never, absolutely never, NEVER, bite off more than I can chew. For the sake of my own sanity, and especially the sake of my dear husband and children. Things never turn out right if I try to do too much stuff. I think that's one reason why I never do my hair in the morning, rarely wear make up, make very simple meals, spend no time decorating my home, and am a lamoid when it comes to fashion. None of those things would factor into a Christine sized bite.
So, just for the record, Sherman lost his first tooth sometime between June 2 and now (I have a bad memory), Cinci got his first set of stitches last week because he walked into a wooden balcony support at the neighbors house, and we found out that we are having a baby girl in late October.

After school

After school the kids tumble through the door, but I always know when they're coming. I can hear them once they drive up. Once the van door slides open I can hear their voices blasting free as if I'd unclicked the unmute button on my computer. I urge them strongly, maybe too strongly, for them to "Do the list!" The "list" is my method of relieving myself of my nagging duty. It doesn't really work. Instead of saying "Change your clothes!" or "Unpack your lunchbox!" I just say "Do the list!" Of course, I say it several times to every child. But at least I don't have to remember what I've already told them to do. The List is all inclusive. 5 tasks they must complete upon arrival from school. Then they are free! Free! Free!

When Jonathan comes home from school, work, he has a list too. It includes one thing, which is going straight for the snack cupboard for some Pepperidge Farm fishy crackers or some Pringles, unless I've made some baked goods. Today we had an abundance of "Gruffalo Crumble" left over. He's enjoying it!

After the list Cinci sat down and narrated the storyline of the movie Wall-E to me. He watched it the night before and that's all he talks about now. In the above picture we are reenacting the last scene where Eva tries to fix Wall-E and she tries to help him remember her by holding his hand and saying "Wall-E, Wall-E" over and over again. Cinci thought it was pretty cool that we could hold hands like Wall-E and Eva too. Kids are great!

Anything can happen!

I've been thinking a lot about the time I spend with my kids. What is it spent doing? This weekend my husband traveled to a TESOL conference and left me alone to fend for myself. Of course, two days is nothing compared to a couple of weeks, or months, or even years. I know there's a lot of wives out there that send their husbands away for extended periods of time and manage everything on their own without complaint. And that's not why I'm writing. To complain, that is. I'm just looking at my life and trying to see us from a different point of view. My poor children had to help me out a lot more than usual. They had to listen to a lot more negative talk from me. They didn't get to have as much positive attention from me. I didn't get to have as much "alone" time. There was a lot more stress surrounding Hector's nap times. I didn't get to feed them as well. I had to rely on other people to help me out at church with Hector. And that's not easy for me to do. I hate panning my kids out. Everything felt a lot more fragile. My interactions with my children should have been more special and happy since they were some of the only interactions they were getting this weekend. I could make a huge list but to sum it all up, I wasn't prepared for what was required of me. However, I was able to realize at the end of the day how special and helpful and understanding my children are to me. If Jonathan were to have a job that took him away from us for days on end, we would be okay. I would work on being a better person. I've got great kids. They are just fine. I guess I'm just writing because I feel like expressing this satisfaction I feel knowing that they are healthy and happy and are able to perceive my feelings. I'm grateful that we can work together and grow together. We are all becoming less selfish together. You'd think that a mother of four would be beyond selfish at that point, but no. If you have a helpful husband, I think the "Me, me , me!" tendencies creep back in and only in looking back at times of trial do you realize, "I was being pretty selfish!"
Sherman prayed the other night. "Please bless Dad so his plane won't crash into the Burj Khalifa and so he can come home safely to Doha" To which Atticus responded "That can't happen. It would be too hard." I think he meant that a pilot would have to be stupid to do such a precise thing. I think that we've spoken to our kids a handful of times about the events of September 11th. I reminded Atticus of that and he realized that something like that could happen. Anything can happen.
Anything can happen. Next thing I know, Jonathan will come home tonight and tell me he wants to make TESOL his career. Who would have guessed?

Compound living = freedom and space

It's the last day of February. The temperature outside is moving up, slowly. Really slowly. But I know that by the end of March it will be hot outside. So, today while Jonathan was away with Sherman and Cinci at Playball, Atticus, Hector and I planted some more seeds. I've been thinking about this hot weather that is on it's way. Whenever it's hot, I don't eat anything good. By good, I mean healthy. I just stuff bread in my mouth, or eat a bowl of cereal. I have no desire to cook anything. Why cook when its cooking outside? So, on my summer menu for this year are two dishes: lebanese tabouleh and italian bruschetta. I planted a few pots of basil for my bruschetta, and just one pot of parsley for tabouleh. I can get nice parsley anytime, anywhere in this city. No need for more than one pot. Atticus planted himself three small rows of radishes. For some reason he's been bugging me to buy some. Well, they sell them in a large box at Carrefour. I'm not buying a large box of something that he probably won't finish. He can grow them outside his window if he wants them so bad. Hector ran around with the old dried basil plants I just uprooted. It was a bit windy and I could smell the basil in the air. I love our compound so much. OK, maybe most people would complain if they were in my shoes, "But you don't have a yard!" I know, I don't have a yard, but the streets are wide, there are sidewalks there are large communal areas spread throughout the compound, and I'm happy. But the moment some punk kid decides to pick Sherman's tomatoes maybe I'll change my mind. Well, no, I won't. I'd just ask if I can move to a two bedroom villa that comes with a small yard.

I know the tomatoes look pretty dismal in the above photo but if you get closer you can see 14 tomatoes growing on those plants. Yay for Sherms!Fridays we don't watch TV so that means one of us has to get up in the morning and do something with the kids. Jonathan usually teaches them how to cook eggs. Sometimes I go on a walk with Atticus and Sherman to some less familiar area of our Lot or the other Lot. Since they arise quite early, there usually isn't anyone outside, which is great. I don't even get dressed in clothes. We just all wear our pajamas and traipse around the compound chatting about whatever they want. Every time we are out strolling on Friday mornings we admire the desert sun. There is so much dust in the air on some mornings that you can look straight at the sun and it doesn't hurt your eyes. It's fascinating and beautiful. I tell the kids that it is beautiful because I want them to know what "beautiful" is. There are so many things that are beautiful that most people just overlook or don't even mention. If mothers, who are with their children the most, don't point out what is beautiful to their children, how will they know what is? Yes, children will eventually form their own opinions, but at least they will know what you, their mother, thought was beautiful. And perhaps because of that simple reason, they will appreciate it too.
So now, all the people that go to church with me know why we are always late for church. We're too busy running around outside in our tattered pajamas or reading about the Greco-Persian Wars to get there on time.

I'm grateful for the spaciousness of our living accomodations. At first I thought compound living would be uncomfortable and intrusive. However, there is plenty of room for everyone to live as they please, and surprisingly, most people spend their time indoors leaving the beautiful grounds to us McCollums and our Tumbleweeds.

The Bear went over the Mountain!

I know a lot of people complain about living in Qatar but I must scream out over those complainers that "Qatar is cool!!!!!". Last Saturday we went to the Sheikh Faisal Museum with some friends of ours from school. The museum is actually the personal collection of Sheikh Faisal, a near family member of the Emir of Qatar. It's a very large museum, it must be to be able to contain all the boats and cars, and even an airplane, he's collected. My favorite collectible of his was this torture device that was left out front. The boys had a fun time sticking their feet in and pretending they were trapped.

After enjoying the museum and saying farewell to our friends we went to explore the grounds. If you must know something about me it is that I love to explore. I must discover what that cluster of trees is hiding. I must know where that road leads. I must find a way to that mosque that looks like an LDS temple. I must walk through the desert just as the bear went over the mountain, just to see what he could see. It's reassuring to see things for myself. So many people see things so differently than me, that I find it difficult to take their words for it. The kids ran around inside those huge barrels and no one came to complain. Back and forth, back and forth. Then we entered the forest. There were irrigation ditches that the kids sent bark and sticks down. Atticus and I hunted the peacocks. Well, not really hunted. But we chased them so abruptly that they flew up into the trees. I'd never seen a peacock fly until then. They are gorgeous! We chased them over and over again. On our way out of the forest we walked along a row of eucalyptus trees, the trees of my childhood. I used to make forts in them with my friends. The smell of the leaves brought it all back. I try to share the smells with my kids. It's so strange how a smell can mean so much to me, but for them it has no meaning. Just a smell and that's it. As we chased our last peacocks we discovered hundreds of grasshoppers jumping through the fields. Now I know where to go with my glass jar before we go fishing. I've made these hats. The ugly red and green one was my first crocheted hat. I'm too embarrassed to wear it in public because my neighbor made fun of me when she saw me put it on. Red and green? Well, those were the only colors I had at the time. I'm becoming obsessed with crochet.

Hector helps me carry my watering jug. We've got 9 tomatoes growing on our plants. The plants look sickly but the tomatoes continue to grow. We'll see how big they get.

And lastly, in our great endeavors to raise these boys of ours, we are beginning a stuctured education towards manhood. Our first lesson:

How to make a "man with hat"(which is basically and egg cooked inside a piece of toast, with a toast circle on the top.)

Next lessons: all the other types of eggs and how to tie shoelaces

Happy Birthday Hector!

It was Hector's first birthday. I've been very bad about taking pictures of my kids on their birthdays. I didn't take one picture of Atticus' 7th birthday party, and it was really cool. He would have liked to have remembered the friends that came and the fun time they had. Oh well. This was the best I could get of Hector. He got a haircut for his birthday. And a cupcake. Here's Jonathan lugging Hector up a sand dune. This picture doesn't do the dune justice. Just know that it's really big and really steep. You wouldn't want to go down this dune in your car.

Here are our four bears outside the Museum of Islamic Art. We just went to see the exhibition they had of "A Journey into the World of the Ottomans". Fortunately, they displayed very little modern art so I didn't walk out of there frustrated from spending the money on the exhibit. Please forgive me for not being cultured enough to enjoy modern art. I just don't have that quality. We showed the kids the paintings, which they actually enjoyed. They really want to go to Turkey again. They love the Bosphorus. They love the mosques. I know they couldn't describe why they love those places but I know why they do. They spent so much time on the Bosphorus when we lived there. We didn't have a car. We were crossing on those ferries at least twice a week and more often on some weekends. We'd see dolphins. We'd see massive tankers. We'd see people throwing bread to the seagulls. We'd see jellyfish. So many of them. The fresh, coolness of the sea spray on their faces. Of course they loved it. The mosques were great because they were beautiful buildings. Beautifully constructed. They were tranquil. They were open. That was the best part. My children were welcome inside. Here in Doha, infidels are not welcome inside. Anyway, it's Jonathan's turn to post. Send him a few comments if you get a chance, that way he'll post more often. I hope he'll post every two weeks. I love to read his writing. I wish he'd write more.

Footprints in the sand

Well, maybe my family is treading too much on the earth by existing, but I still believe that this world was made to be lived on by humans. Humans that reproduce and continue existing. Sure, the world can use a few of those humans that sport North Face jackets and eat beef from grass fed cows, if any beef at all. But what if the whole world were that way? (I have a North Face hat.)

Today I took Cinci to the doctor to take a look at a nasty cut he got falling off his bike/trike. They had to cut off some excess skin and give him a tetanus shot. Not fun. But anyway, they gave me a prescription for some antibiotic cream which I did not have the pharmacist fill.

"I already have some," I thought to myself.

I'm pretty proud of the antibiotic cream that I do have. It was given to me by my sister in law, Tara. She gave it to me as a shower gift before the birth of my first baby. That was over seven years ago. I still have the same tube of Triple Anti-Biotic Ointment, Western Family brand. Can it be possible that I have given birth to four boys and have not even gone through one tube of Antibiotic ointment?

This evening Hector had diarreah for the first time. Time to pull out the Desitin. Did I have any? Nope. I've gone through my share of diaper rash cream. I can't boast that I've used less than one tube. But I was able to find this half used tube of cream that my Aunt gave me at that same shower.

It really pays to save knick knacks if you remember that you have them. It's actually a waste of money and matter to buy something that you already have somewhere else in the world. Our youngest boy, Hector, has worn pants about four times in his life. He just turned one on the 4th. I didn't plan on him growing so fast when I was packing clothes for this school year. So I left most of my 18 months pants and warm weather clothes packed away in storage back in Utah. It's kind of cold here some days. I regret not bringing a little bit of every size. But the silly thing is that I refuse to buy new pants for him. I'd rather sew him a pair of pants from scrap material than buy something that I already have (granted it's not on the same side of the world as me.)

The whole point of this post was to explain that I try to do what little I can to keep this world nice. I try to remember the reusable grocery bags that I have when I go shopping. In fact, I try to avoid shopping at all costs. But it can't be done. I save milk lids. I save cereal boxes. I save bones, shells, and feathers. I save old, holey clothes. I save a lot of stuff. Like creams found in tubes. As my children grow and depending on where I live, we'll recycle even more because I'll have some helpers.

Many problems in the world can be solved slowly by proper education. Parents can teach their children so many things if they so desire. So, instead of bashing people for having lots of kids, why don't you just encourage parents to teach their children the proper way to care for this world. Sometimes parents need a little boost, a little encouragement. They are exhausted in their role. (Don't say something stupid like, "Well, why did they have kids in the first place?) If you green people want to help the world so badly, step out of your backpacking reverie and talk to some parents about what they think would make it easier to teach their kids about saving the environment.

Hey out there! I'm a mom of four little boys. I'm tired almost all of the time. What would help me teach my kids about saving the environment would be some inexpensive ways to get my kids out in nature. If they loved nature and animals, they would want to assist in this cause. Recycling is non existent here in Qatar. Why doesn't someone who has more time than me figure out a way to provide that service? Maybe in ten years I can. If I'm still living here. For now we'll just have to be a bunch of footprints in the sand.

Lately. . .

I've been busy filling my life up with a little bit of everything. Whatever happens, you always seem to fill your life up with something right? What have you filled your life up with? I remember this lesson I had in Sunday school when I was a child. The lady brought a big glass jar that was empty. She then filled it with large stones up to the top. Those represented the big things that we do, like sleep, go to school, eating time, etc. (I guess eating time is one of those biggies for me. Maybe not for you.) Then she filled up the rest of the jar with sand, and it filled up all the little nooks and crannies that were in between those large stones. Basically, she said that there is a lot of time in our lives. If we want to find time to do something, there is always time somewhere. We just have to schedule it in to those little nooks and crannies. That's how I feel me and Jonathan are working right now. Pulling bits of time out of nowhere and making things happen. I'm happy about it because this school year I've been able to delve into a lot of things that I wasn't able to last year because I was too busy growing a baby, and then keeping a baby alive. Now our baby is soooooo chunky and full of life that he is somewhat self sustaining. Here are a few things I've initiated this year.

1. I started to teach group guitar classes to children.

This has been a big learning experience for me. I love being around children. I find them easier to connect with than adults simply because they don't have any layers. They aren't hiding anything or trying to be something that they're not. I can be myself with them and teach them something that I really love. Unfortunately, it's guitar I'm teaching them and they are from ages 6-10. 10 is an ideal age, 6 is not. So a lot of them get discouraged early on. But, I'm having fun and so are they. Get them singing a little Elvis and we're all having loads of fun!

2. I began an Arabic class.

Jonathan began learning arabic last year and continues this year too. A nearby class opened up at a good time so I decided I would start also. Not to master it. I've found that such a lofty goal is unattainable right now. But, I can at least start now and learn how to read their words. I think their calligraphy and writing are so beautiful. I would love to learn how to write in arabic. Anyway, since I've begun, a whole new world has opened up to me. As we're driving along I notice the store names now. Here in Doha, the signs are written in English and Arabic so there is no need for us lazy expats to learn their alphabet. But now that I have begun to learn, I'm getting a whole new feeling about this place and these people. They are not as lazy as we might think. The Qatari's know both English and Arabic. They can function in both worlds. That is a skill that I cannot boast, yet. So, when I come home for the summer, don't think "Oh, Doha, that sounds so exotic. I wonder what its like there." Most westerners that live here don't live a life that is much different from their lives in their home countries. They find friends from their home countries. Their children go to school with other westerners. If their kids do go to school with Qatari's, they are very westernized Qatari's that don't cling strongly to their culture and let some distinct practices fall by the wayside. But, back to my point, arabic has been enriching to my life.

3. I began a crochet class.

I just started it last week. There are four other ladies in my class. One American, one Kiwi, one Lebanese, and one Qatari. I think that this class is so pleasant. Five ladies from different backgrounds getting together to learn a skill that is purely for enjoyment. I'm really excited to make some things for my smallest bear to wear. I know it seems silly to make hats and sweaters for him since we live in Qatar. It will never be cold enough for him to need such things. But, maybe at the malls? They sure do keep it chilly there.

4. I joined the Qatar Natural History Group.

They meet once a month and give a discussion on something relating to Qatar. Last month an expert came and spoke about the desert hedgehogs. This month a very nerdy and inspiring teacher gave an enlightening presentation on dragonflies and damselflies that are found in Qatar and showed us pictures he had managed to take of each kind. I'm really excited to go out and find some in this barren looking place. Next month a scholar from a UK university will come and speak about old Islamic boats. Kind of cool. I went by myself. Excepting the handful of preteens that attended with their parents, I was the only person under 50 there. Not that being 50 is bad, but I felt quite weird like I was at a senior citizens get together. Next time Jonathan will be able to attend with me, so we can feel young together. :)

The only way I can continue with these extra curricular activities is if I can maintain the basic curriculum of a stay at home mom. What is my curriculum?

Cleaning, cooking, remembering everything for everybody, giving love, wiping pee covered toilet seats (I know that should figure under the cleaning section, but I do it so often that it needs it's own category.), laundry, taxi service, making friends so that my kids have other kids to play with (otherwise I wouldn't go to the effort), closing my mouth 50% of the time I have something to say, looking attractive for my husband so he won't cheat on me, and having a positive attitude. If I slip in my duties, then my outside fun gets the boot. So, I guess I'd better stop blogging and get busy checking those toilet seats!

Halloween stories

Halloween is coming. I try not to read other people's blogs during this time of year. It makes me sad. I miss Halloween and Fall in the USA. While Jonathan cleans the kitchen and mutters "I'm just keepin it real, " to himself I mentally plan out all my kids' Halloween costumes. I may have my priorities really screwed up. What takes precendence? Putting my kids to bed or sewing some spider legs on the sewing machine? Clean my house or focus on my church responsibilities? Plan a decent meal or go to a playgroup? (Hector is only 9 months. Does he really need to go to a playgroup? or is it me?)
I try to do a little something for the kids each day. Today I went to the kids' school and read their classes some stories. I felt really good about it because a lot of those kids have no idea what Halloween is. So I did my duty and brought in a Halloween book. Atticus' teacher very convincingly ignored the obvious fact that I had brought in my own book to read the children. Since I was in her classroom I just read the story she gave me to read. But Sherman's teacher didn't seem to mind a little indoctrination. Maybe because she's from the USA too and probably loves Halloween too. All the children just ate up the story. Oh No! Not Ghosts! was a hit. They wanted me to read it again. Poor little Halloweenless children. I read a different story to Cinci's class. Mainly because I was afraid he would come up to me and tell me about each monster on each page. He likes to do that a lot. I didn't think it would work out too well if the other children were trying to understand the story. I really love going to their classes. My favorite part is seeing Cinci in his uniform with all the other tiny children. They are so cute!
Well, Jonathan is done with the dishes. I guess that's my cue to look like I'm doing something useful, like eat some of the delicious chocolate chip cookies he just baked. Excuse me while I go help him feel useful!
By the way, Jonathan says that Muslims in the USA believe Halloween is a holiday of Satan. So does my brother-in-law, Peter. But he still puts on his pumpkin hat every year. At least the Qataris hereprovide us a festive Halloween party every year.

McCollum, not McClane

Last night we went to Dairy Queen for dinner. Everyone had a regular meal but me. I had a Chocolate Extreme blizzard for mine. I know, I'm bad. Anyway, they have a cool play place at the Doha Dairy Queen. Relatively. I was enjoying my blizzard while the kids played. So relaxing as I shoveled the cold chocolate into my mouth. The kids are yelling happily and running and crawling through the tunnels chasing each other. I shovel in another spoonful. I look. I see Sherman at the very top of the play place about two and a half feet from the ceiling holding a ceiling panel in his arms. I could see the open space in the square hole above his head. "What are you doing Shermy?" I thought. Jonathan said, "You're not John McClane, Sherms!" I saw the look on his face as he tried to replace the panel. He looked really worried. So worried that he agreed to leaving immediately, which he never agrees to normally.
My mother would be so proud because she loves the Die Hard movies.

Weeds and Plants

When you fly into Doha, what you see out the window right before you land is not impressive. It's brown, dusty, flat, yucky. Not exciting at all. So last year I occupied myself with growing a baby. This year we have a small moving baby that makes noise and acts cute for us. We are so grateful for the cute baby we have.

But I need another project. So I decided to plant a garden. A very small one. In my windowsill. Another reason I decided to plant some plants was because I was inspired by this book I'm reading. Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. Whenever I read it, I feel the guilty push to do something to connect my children with nature. Of course, it's really really easy to rationalize my way out of it because HELLO EVERYBODY, I LIVE IN DOHA! How could I possibly connect my children with nature here?

I actually have two answers to my lame question. Desert=nature. Ocean=nature. It's not like I have nothing to work with here. But, for the days that I can't go traipsing around in the desert or run off to the beach, I needed a reminder that I do live on a planet that can give life. So I bought all the supplies I needed down at the plant souqs. Potting soil, a planter box, and seeds. The kids were excited about the seeds. They each chose what they wanted to grow. Atticus chose cabbage, Sherman chose tomatoes, and Cinci chose peppers. Something they each like to eat. I chose radishes because I knew they wouldn't take much time or effort to grow. And I was right. They were the first to sprout.

Since we started our garden two weeks ago, Sherman has managed to dump Cinci's plant out on purpose, and even with two tries at planting, Cinci's plant hasn't sprouted. I think he's got the habit of over watering. Don't most kids?

I've planted some flowers. Can you believe that I planted some outdoors on my windowsill and they sprouted in two days. Two days! Doha is a magical land of wonderful sunlight, all year round.

So now I have several plants to care for. It's nice to have living things growing up around you. Living things like vegetables or flowers, not those four very large weeds we have tumbling around our house. Just kidding. They are nice too. But they tumble a lot and sometimes I get tired of the constant tumbling. Oh well. These little plants that are growing on my window are quiet and still and green. They make me smile.

A Little P & P

Look at that mirage. Doesn't it look like its flooded under that overpass? I think it's very interesting that when you're walking out in a desert such as this one, the only thing you can think about is cool water falling on your head. The very sound of a water trickle gives me pleasure. Even the sound of pee trickling onto a mound of sand when Cinci can't hold it any longer is nice. Why is it that something that you think is the thing you desire most, appears before you? I know there is a scientific explanation for this. I'm not scientific so I won't give you the explanation. There are things that have passed before me and lingered for a while waiting to see if I would reach for them or not. Some things come and go quickly. Some things speed by but then they return again years later. Sometimes the same things come in different forms. Maybe I'm not old enough to see the patterns yet. Maybe I'm not alert enough to see what things really are. Sometimes I see things in front of me and I know what they will do to me, and I know they are bad. They linger, and I try to see them differently so that they won't go away. I try to make them good. But they will never be good for me.

Can you believe there is a forest in Doha? A real live forest where trees grow and where birds live and thrive. I was outside the forest in the desert. The searing heat was weighing down on my eyelids. I thought the furrow in my brow would be baked in place. I really need to buy myself some sunglasses, but I abhor accessories. Anyway, I stepped into the forest and I was in a whole new world. Suddenely, I felt a magic carpet of leaves crunching under my feet. I almost needed a lamp to see, it was so dark. Anyway, I'm so uplifted by this new discovery of mine. Finally, a place I can take my kids to run around in. A place for them to climb trees in and be just as crazy as their insane cousins. A place for them to get dirty instead of sandy. Gosh, I am so tired of sweeping up the sand. I much prefer the dirt because I can see it.

Atticus helps me with baby Hector. An excellent big brother. His big brotherly kindness has really blossomed this time around. He could care less about Sherman's well being. Cinci is just "annoying". But Hector has "fat thighs" and fluffy hair and "looks at me the most" Atticus says.

Every night Jonathan and I look forward to the time when the kids are in bed, sound asleep. We love them so much, don't get me wrong. But it's so nice to talk to eachother without having to be interrupted a million times. I'm sure every parent looks forward to that time of day. When there is nothing good to watch on TV we put on our usual backup movie. Pride and Prejudice, the BBC version. Sometimes Hector will want to watch it with us, which pleases me because every boy should be raised on a healthy dose of Jane Austen, don't you think? I'm a firm believer that a boy raised on P & P, as we call it, will be able to communicate better with women. My brothers love it and my husband loves it. I asked my neighbor, who is an american man of 40 years, if he knew what Pride and Prejudice was. No was his reply. I must be firm in my conclusion then that there is something greatly amiss in todays world. Don't all men wish to communicate better with their women? Well, a little P & P will certainly remedy those troubles. So, mothers of boys, please do your sons a service, and start them young. They will thank you for it later. And, mothers of girls, in 20 years or so, four of the silliest boys in whatever city we live in at that time, may be calling on your daughters in a something like a barouche. As for the above photo, don't Lydia's boobs look huge from this angle?

Facing Time

What happened to my somewhat regular blogging habit? Well, I guess summer happened. That wonderful thing that happens every year where children are freed from school and extra curricular activities and are forced to face time and learn to use it as they please. Well, somewhat as they please. Not with a mom like me they don't. I'm pretty schedule oriented and my kids know it. Every day Atticus asks me, "So Mom, what are we going to do today?" I always have fifty things I would like to accomplish but by experience have learned to be happy with getting maybe three done per day. I list off my ideas to him to which he responds with his opinion of whether or not it is fun. Thanks Atticus. I appreciate your input.

I used to feel a little uncertain about whether there was something wrong with me if my kids didn't like what I had planned for the day, but now I'm not uncertain at all. I come up with some pretty cool ideas. My kids are really lucky to have me. And I am so lucky to have them. All four of them, and all four of them boys. So when Atticus says, "That doesn't sound very fun Mom, " I say, "Well, you make your own fun, Atticus." And that is something everyone has to learn eventually. Whether it be by reading a book, or looking around you and thinking, or texting your friends constantly, or spending your time on Facebook, or cleaning your house, or planning out a vacation, or watching TV, or building something, or working, or whatever.

So my tumbleweeds and I have managed to mold eachother a little. Because of me, my children expect something new out of my sleeve every day. Because of them, I try to stuff my sleeves full the night before. Once we step off that plane in Doha though, I think the contents of my sleeves are going to empty out pretty fast. What would you do inside an apartment for a month and a half with four loud energetic boys?

Dukhan 1

Our adventures in Doha have been pretty exciting. Ever since Atticus saw one of his friends using flippers he's wanted to buy some for himself. So with his allowance for last month and for the next three months he got some finally. Sherman got some too and so did Daddy. So we thought it our duty to go somewhere to use them. Where to go? Where to go?

For those of you who aren't familiar with Qatar, it is a small peninsula on the Arabian Gulf about the size of Connecticut. You'd think there would be plenty of places to go snorkeling on a peninsula. Our neighbors had just made a trip to Dukhan and seen quite a bit of sealife. So we embarked on our journey across the country. Fortunately, we live out in the boonies of Doha anyway so we were halfway there. It's true! Looking at the map it shows Doha on one side and Dukhan on the other. It takes just as long to get from the coast of Doha to Education City (where I live) as it takes to get from Education City to Dukhan's coast. There is so much traffic congestion in Doha that it makes me never want to go out. Well, not really. But sometimes. Anyway, the picture below shows you the scenic drive we had while driving west. Going west! Ahh! It felt great to be out in the open. The nice four lane highway, completely empty the whole way there. We saw some wild camels out chomping away at the shrubbery. Then we saw a herd of them running along. It was great. I was just too slow to get a photo. I was too taken in by the beauty of the drive. Ha! I never thought I would consider Nevada's desert beautiful. Well, it is. I'd take Nevada's desert over this one any day. At least you get some color in the sky. On some days it's so dusty you don't even want to breathe. The photo below is of the Emir's palace. This is a photo of it from a distance. I've heard of people trying to get photo's of it up close but were asked to leave by the gaurds. You can't see the palace. It's inside this massive wall surrounding his household. It is literally a walled city with streets inside it. He must have hundreds of servants. Hundreds!

So I have only two photos of our trip to Dukhan. One on the road there, and one on the way back. Sorry people. No good shots. We got there, the sky cleared up. It was sort of blue. We got to the beach and it was empty! Not one person could we find on that beach. It was a bit windy! What's a little wind? Wimps! So we drove out there and followed the instructions of our neighbor on how to get to the part of beach that has the reef. We got our van stuck in the sand. It sucked! Getting your van stuck in the sand at a secluded beach that no one is likely to go to until the next day is a little bit nerve racking. Especially for Jonathan I'm sure. For some strange reason I don't panic when he's around because I notice that he does it for me. I got out of the van and encouraged the kids to also. Why sit inside and worry? We tried to push it. We tried putting stuff under the wheels for them to catch on. We tried going forward, then backward. No luck. Then we prayed. Then this really nice Qatari man and his family drove by and helped us. He and Jonathan managed to get our car out of the sandpit while his cute, half naked little boy galloped in the sand with my boys. A godsend!

Hector was pretty pissed off that he had to stay in the van the whole time. The wind outside was strong but it also started to rain a little. We managed to keep our kids outside playing for a good 45 minutes before it was too painful. Painful because the wind blew up sand, but sand mixed with rain hurts. Small pellets of wet sand pitter pattering all over your skin starts to sting after a while. We didn't even try out the snorkeling gear we bought. The waves were too strong. I know, it sounds unreal. Waves in Qatar. The beaches are unusually calm in Qatar normally. We just picked the wrong day.

So that was the latest adventure of Bunsy and her Tumbleweeds. And to top it off, we saw a real ball of tumbleweed roll across the highway in front of us on our drive home.

P.S. I realize that the revealing nature of these photos may destroy any hope I might have had in getting at least one visitor out to Doha during our life here. Doha does have some beauties and from now on I will try my best to capture them. Hopefully, someone will change their mind and want to visit.

Does anyone know how to get a picture to fit in the frame at the top of my blog?

Bubble Party

From the adventures of bunsy and her tumbleweeds

I woke up to the song "Silver Bells". Of course it wasn't playing on the radio. It was just in my head. Then as I was holding my chunky warm baby and playing with him and Cinci on the ground, I thought of Christmas. I'm so glad I have kids in my life. They are such a great addition to Christmas! Anyway, my husband came home from dropping the kids off at school and I immediately told him that I had Christmas in my head to which he responded, "Well, it is the 20th of April, which is 5 days until April 25th, which is 4 months after Christmas!"

How could I have forgotten? I'm so lame. So to celebrate, I went to the library with my friend Melany. Then we had a brief bubble party at Melany's house during which we laughed and giggled, blew bubbles with Cinci, fed Hector, and spoke of knee replacements. It was delightful to enjoy the shade beneath the trees in her backyard. Trees! Such great majestic trees (for the likes of Doha). And she is such jolly company. A 20th of April to you all! I'd better get ready for the 4 months after Christmas Day celebrations! Bye

From the adventures of bunsy and her tumbleweeds

Crabs

It's starting to get hot here. It's not that blasting burning heat that was here when we arrived in July last year, but we can easily foresee it coming soon so we are trying to get out and do a few more outdoor things before it's impossible. Last weekend we went to Al Wakra beach. Definitely not the most beautiful beach in Qatar but it's close by. As you can see in the photo below, the water has gone down considerably since our last time here. It was Hector's first time to the beach. He didn't like it very much. He preferred the car. We are so grateful we got a minivan. So most of the time Jonathan or I just sat in the car with him. He didn't like the wind.
Jonathan is a mighty crab hunter. Every time we go to the beach I get out my trusty bucket and go look for wildlife. We've graduated from hunting little hermit crabs to bigger ones. I'm too scared to even touch a crab. I scream like a girl. My boys think its hilarious that I can scream uncontrollably when I see a crab scurry across the sand in front of me. Here's a picture of me. I think it describes my life perfectly right now. Poopy diapers, spit up all over my shirt, and a comb in hand trying to untangle my boys' hair.
If I don't post this soon, I never will. So much for writing something profound and witty.