A tribe

A boy needs a tribe. I read that in a book about raising boys. Fortunately, my kids have their own tribe. They've got their tribe that right now consists of male members of their family. Dad, uncles, grandfathers, and older cousins. We even have some friends and teachers that I would include in this tribe. These are all people that my boys look up to whether those people want to be looked up to or not. I'm so grateful my boys have good men to learn from. I'm even grateful my boys have good men to just look at and watch.

So here is my eight year old shooting his first gun. Well, its not actually his gun, but its his first time shooting one. My husband and I have decided that none of our kids can shoot a gun until they are eight, nor own one until they are 12. So Atticus was pretty excited to turn eight. He'd gone shooting with his two older cousins and just watched, which I'm sure was a little hard to do. But now that he's eight he can go whenever Dad goes.

Judge me if you want to. I know there are strong views about guns out there. I believe that if a responsible parent is present and involved in teaching their child about guns it can become an important skill for that child in the future. I wish I knew how to shoot a gun. I took my four kids on a road trip without my husband a few months back. I would have felt a lot more protected if I had any knowledge of shooting and even holding a gun properly. Fortunately, nothing scary happened. I just think that if we don't teach our children about guns, they may find out for themselves somewhere else. At a friends house, on the street, etc. The same thing goes for sex and drugs and all those other things that we don't want to have to talk about. As parents we have to confront those topics head on and make sure our child hears about them from us first. Blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, Atticus was a pretty good shot for his first time. I think I'll go next time and learn how to shoot myself.

How to motivate yourself to take a roadtrip with your kids when you're 8 months pregnant.

All you have to do is buy an 80 dollar America the Beautiful 2011: National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass. We bought ours back in May and ever since, I have been determined to make it worth it. I was sure we would be visiting every national park in the western United States ever since we set foot on US soil this year. Oh, the dreams we have! The plans we make! How is it that life never really turns out like you think it will? I knew Jonathan would be busy this year with school and work but I didn't really think I would be so hesitant to venture out on my own with the kids. I didn't realize how the US really gives me the creeps. There really are a lot of wackos here. Despite that fact, I do believe in regrets and I do realize how I can only force my kids to do what I want for just a little while longer. That is one of the reasons I'm homeschooling this year. Soon they will look at me just like Jennifer Connely looked at David Bowie in the movie Labyrinth and say, "You have no power over me." Then they will venture out on their own and make all their own choices and say, "Homeschooling sucks Mom!" and wear strange clothes that cost way too much and spend more time on their hair than I've spent in my lifetime. So, to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone we went! So what that I was 8 months pregnant! So what that I'm a horrible driver in the sense that I have trouble staying alert at the wheel for more than an hour! So what that my kids tend toward the spazzy side and that the youngest is not yet 2!

I prefer Grand Teton National Park over Yellowstone. Check out those peaks! Gorgeous! I realized even before I left that we wouldn't be doing a lot of hiking on this trip. I love to hike. But wearing a Kelty and being 8 months pregnant doesn't really work. So, we had to do short walks with Hector. He's a pretty good walker for his age thank goodness. There were a few times he just stood there and screamed at me, waiting for me to give in and pick him up. Of course, I gave in. Those were the moments when I had to tell myself, "You chose this Christine." So I really couldn't get mad at him. He's just one and he never asked for this kind of adventure.

On the days that we drove a lot, especially in Yellowstone, I was reminded of the trip my father took me on. Two foreign exchange boys from Spain were with us as well as my brother Clayton. We were all teenagers. I remember my father getting mad that we weren't looking out the window. At the time I thought, "Man, what's he getting mad about!" Now, I realize how cool Yellowstone really is. There is a lot of wildlife there. To get my kids to notice and care about it I bribed them with money. Atticus is 7, a prime age for bribing. Here is our price list:

Bear, buffalo, moose, elk, wolf, or deer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 cents

The only catch was that they had to see the animal before me. Since I was driving and concentrating more on the road, I thought they would have a chance. It worked. They each made a handful of change. Cinci only saw one thing first. Sherman had troubles, but he always has troubles. His vision is very bad. Atticus saw the most. They were all pretty attentive throughout the whole trip. No iPads, no iPods, no car DVD players. Only Mommy screaming a few times. Sometimes Hector did that for me. And the rest of the time we listened to books on tape or cd or really annoying songs that the kids like.

My favorite moment of the trip was when we got to see the elk come out in the evening for their mating rituals. The big bull would do his mating call. He was grand and majestic. I have a picture of one above but the one I'm speaking of was different. He and his female friends were grazing in a river valley by our campsite on the third night of our trip. We heard him calling out all night long. I was happy to hear Atticus talking about it the next morning.

My most unfavorite moment of the trip was when I noticed that the coolant was a bit low and I couldn't get the cap off. Fortunately, I was able to drive three more days until I got home safely. I still haven't been able to get that dang cap off!

Here are my two favorite items I bought for the trip. The first one was individual premeasured cups of instant oatmeal. All you had to do was heat the water, dump it in the cup and stir. All ready! No pouring into bowls needed. The other thing I really liked for the trip were those small powder packets that you just add to a bottle of water. The kids think they're great. That way you just pack a crate of bottled water and you don't have to bring extra special drinks for the kids. My kids know that when we go camping we bring lots of junky things that we usually don't have. Like soda, junky cereal, candy, licorice, marshmallows, chocolate, etc. Well, I usually have chocolate, but they only get it sometimes. A lady told me about disposable toothbrushes that come with the toothpaste already applied. I'll have to look into those for my next trip.

As for sleeping at night, we wouldn't have made it without our Pop Top Super Adventure Volkswagen Eurovan. We just slept in that on the nights that we camped. I can't say that it was comfortable. With my large belly and Hector drop kicking me all night, I can say that it was just okay. Not great, but okay. Comparing it to the few nights before I actually left on the trip, it was better actually. Hector had these strange canker sores that wouldn't permit him to sleep well. But they started to disappear as our trip progressed. Instead of screaming in the middle of the night, he just screamed for about thirty minutes after he woke up every morning. I kind of felt sorry for all those old timers in their cushy RV's having to listen to my baby screaming at 7 in the morning. I hope they consoled themselves by thinking, "I'm glad I'm not that lady." Unfortunately, Cinci started to get the canker sores too but his were worse. They were the size of dimes. Two dimes on each side of his tongue. He comforted himself by holding my small binoculars the rest of the trip. I think he liked them so much because they made him look like Wall-e when he put them on his eyes.

Atticus and Sherman really helped me out a lot during the trip. I couldn't have done all the lifting stuff and watching of Hector by myself. I don't think they learned as much as I would have wanted them to but I have to remind myself to chill out. Throwing rocks in the Snake River with Hector will probably be a more pleasant memory to them than having their over- stressed and unattractive mother repeating questions to them about the volcanic activity in and around Yellowstone.

So, there you have it. My trip in a nutshell. We survived. We had fun. We didn't spend too much money. I didn't fall asleep at the wheel. Jonathan got a lot of work done while we were gone. We have some pictures and plenty of memories.

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?

Mommy trying to make things "cool". Can she succeed?

Look at us in our breathtaking surroundings! Here I am trying to convince Atticus of how "cool" Qatar can be. "Look! A crane! When will you actually be able to see a crane up close again?"

Atticus took this nice picture of the old fort we walked around.

We have exactly three weeks until we leave Qatar on the airplane for good! Well, maybe not for good but for now. Have I finished packing up the boxes we need shipped? No. All four boys are home for a two week holiday which means I'd rather do other things than pack up all the toys and books they are currently playing with. Because of this realization that we are leaving really soon, I've started to feel a bit guilty for not seeing the "sights" here in Qatar. "Sights?" you ask. "Isn't that why every expat you know leaves the country every chance they get? So they can see some sights?" Ha! Very funny! Actually, no matter how barren a country may be or seem, there is always something to see. Always. It may not be beautiful like we want it to be, but you will remember it. And your kids will too, if you spend time looking at things with them. They might even show you a few things you wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

So yesterday I was on the internet researching where I should go today. I found this website that lists the notable "sights" to see in this country. At first I was going to go to the north of the peninsula and see some forts and old fishing villages but the friend I had invited got sick, and I didn't want to get stuck out there without any support. My husband said,"Well, if the car breaks down, plenty of nice Sudanese men will stop in their already filled cars to give you a ride." Yeah, I can imagine my kids going for that. Squeezing my four kids and myself into the backseat of some sedan with three other adult men. Fun! I guess that would be an experience of how charity really should work. Many times we see a hitcher on the side of the road and because there is not an extra seat belt in the car we don't even consider stopping. Think what you will, but I think this law abiding attitude taking precedence over true charity is sometimes just a crutch we use to not "go out of our way". It's sad. It feels as though my ways are set and to change them would be painful. But, I am optomistic, and this next year when I am comfortable in my "home" country, I will set out to break this "set in my ways" mindset. But for now, I am not at "home". I don't know the territory. Since my friend wasn't coming, I chose a closer sight, just 45 mintues away in Al Wakra. We never found the house of Sheikh Ghanim nor the Abu Manaratain Mosque. I did find the area and a whole section of it was blocked and under severe repair. So, what do you do when you're out of town and what you planned to see isn't there? This is what I do:

1. Since the kids are bummed, you drive around and say that there is another place you want them to see. You drive and drive until you see something you think they'll like. Even if they say,"I want to go home" just say, "Do you want to get out and walk around or sit in the car for another hour driving home?" They will most likely choose to get out and walk (unless your kids have video game devices or MP3 players, which mine don't.)

2. Once you're out and walking around, let them take pictures of what you're looking at. Atticus got real excited about doing that. He was real proud of his pictures. Try to find something to talk to them about. If you sound like you know something, they will like it. "This fort is made of stones and it's really old," I said to Sherman. He said,"Look it's cracking right there. Maybe it will fall!"

3. Then when you put your baby down finally because you're so tired of carrying his chubby buns because you forgot to bring his shoes, he finds all sorts of interesting things. He picks up garbage which makes the other kids happy because big beetles start crawling out from their hiding places. More pictures.

4. When you get back in the car you take them to get a snack at the closest hole in the wall store. This boosts their spirits and makes them willing to go with you again should you find something else to explore. That's why you don't break out the snacks or drinks at the first sign of disaster. Save your big guns for later to keep them going.

5. We found a mosque, not the one we initially wanted to see, but hey, it was a mosque and there was no one around. So we walked around that one. The kids took more pictures. They wanted to go inside but I explained that we weren't allowed to go in these mosques. "Why?" "Well, because the Qatari's want their mosques to be respected because they value their religion. They are holy places to them." Well, that was the answer I invented. I hope I wasn't too off. When we lived in Turkey, mosques were all open to the public. You would see kids running around inside them with no reverence and no idea where they were and why it was different than being in a mall. My kids included. We did try to explain to them that they were like churches, that they had to be quiet in them so other people could pray and meditate. I must admit that my kids weren't perfect. I was kind of happy that Qatari mosques were off limits to us. That way I wouldn't have to stress out about my kids being loud in them.

Gosh that was a long post! If you move to Qatar, don't be influenced by the opinions of 95% of other expats. Most people hate it here and can't wait to go home. When you come, join the Qatar Natural History Group. They organize some great outings and have some real interesting meetings.

The Lone Baby

I just love them. I love to be with them. Even at the end of the day when my head is aching and each step I take shakes my brain in pain, I love them. My plans revolve around them, the projects I tackle are them-centered, my personal interests get put on hold because they are more interesting right now, and I make new meals for them (even though they don't like new foods.) There's my lone baby standing out in the water at Al Wakra.

Stage Fright!

The above picture is of Jonathan and I teaching his Turkish class about Halloween.
Were you deathly afraid of getting up in front of an audience when you were young? I was. Terrified! In our church, the children give short talks in front of sunday school every once in a while. Well, I remember once when my mom had helped me prepare a very cool visual aide for one of these talks. I was all prepared to give the talk but when I got up there, my mom even accompanied me, I started to cry and couldn't even give my talk. I was so embarrassed. I never gave a talk again in Sunday school. I actually avoided giving talks in church until I was 21 years old. Can you believe that? Public speaking, or teaching, or entertaining an audience is a skill. Something learned. Something I eventually learned through practice. Now I don't mind teaching or speaking in front of groups anymore. I don't want my kids to have that problem growing up. It's terrifying when you're anxious about performing all day long. The performance lasts 20 minutes and then you feel fine afterwards. What a waste of a day!

About three weeks ago the school sent out an announcement that they would be hosting a Poetry Night on the 21st of March. Immediately, I thought, "My kids have to do this!" Well, they did. For Atticus, this was quite a feat. Getting him to perform isn't easy. But he prepared a short poem, The Purple Cow by Gelet Burgess, and recited it with some expression. I was so proud of him. Plus, I think he enjoyed watching all the other poems being performed too. Sherman also performed. I didn't have to convince him that it would be fun. He loves putting on a show. He chose "The Star" by Jane Taylor. He wore a paper star that framed his face. The audience clapped even before he spoke a word.

Here they are after everything was over. We went to the clubhouse for dinner and shakes. That's why Sherman's face is chocolatey. Atticus said his favorite poem was Sherman's. Sweet!

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?

Perceptions

How do you perceive yourself? Are you "cool"? Do other people think you're "cool"? Do you think other people think you're "cool"? Do you even think about how other people might perceive you? I guess there are some people in this world that are either so busy with their jobs or so obsessed about things to notice what they must look like to others. Like Josie Grossie for example. She was so in love with Billy Prince she didn't even realize what she might look like to him. Then there are people that worry too much about what other people think to the opposite extreme. People that take monthly shopping sprees to the mall just after reading, I mean, "going through" the most recent Vogue or whatever fashion magazines there are out there. Do people really care what some lady in the supermarket is wearing? Do people really comment or make fun of people because of what they're wearing? OK, maybe in high school. But I'm talking about after high school. Well. . . . . . . . . I did have one experience in college where I was still wearing pajamas to school on a day I only had one class. I'd just had my first baby and my life revolved around him. Did I really need to get fully dressed to go to one class? Well, as I was walking in the parking lot out to my car, two handsome young men walked by and said "Good night!" to me. I didn't respond but I thought about it for a second and realized that they were actually paying attention to what I was wearing. You'd think that university students would have more on their minds than apparel! And it wasn't like I was wearing those turn of the century flannel nightgowns with the lace around the neck. Or ladybug pajamas. Not even silky sexy pajamas. It was just flannel pants and a fleece jacket. Anyway, you can tell that experience really affected me because I still remember it. Has anyone ever made fun of you or just commented on what you were wearing in a way other than, "Oh, I love what you're wearing!"? I'd love to hear the stories and the circumstances. Do share!

Anyway, the point of my post is that it is impossible for my husband and myself to brag about ourselves. It's even difficult for us to tell the truth about ourselves. Well, for me it is. Job interviews are pointless for me. I'd never get a job if it were based solely on an interview. Anyway, the other day when I was with some friends I ventured a little and did the impossible. I bragged. I felt so uncomfortable afterward that I have vowed never to do it again. Ever. It's just not my way. I told my husband about it and he stated that we have a problem on our hands. How will our children ever be self confident if they don't know how to brag? Especially boys. They love to brag. Isn't that how boys get through high school? Bragging about themselves and making themselves feel like they're better than all their friends?

So, we feel like we would be doing our children a disservice if they didn't excel in the art of boasting and bragging. Tonight we practiced doing the lame 'stir the pot' victory dance thing. (See, I'm so lame I don't even know what it's called!) I guess tomorrow we'll watch some sports and have the kids copy the athletes after they get a goal. We'll see how that goes. Wish us luck!

Growing up. . . slowing down

Late morning, Hector's in bed, I should be preparing my group guitar lesson for this afternoon, but I'm really weighing the pro's and con's of enjoying a piece of chocolate cake as a snack. You know, the mid-morning snack you feel you deserve because you woke up at 4:45 in the morning to browse math curricula? Well, I came up with no conclusion. But I still feel that I deserve that piece of chocolate cake. I did clean all three of my bathrooms till they were sparkling AND they smell like disinfectant. That's my favorite part. The smell. That clean smell that tells you that there is no trace of poo or pee left in there. I'm so tired of poo and pee popping up everywhere in my life. But I can't complain.

I love being a mom. Especially a stay at home mom. And to top it all off, I love being a stay at home mom with a husband who is a teacher. He helps me out so much with the kids. He teaches them when they are having troubles with any type of school work. And an added bonus to that is that he gets two and a half months off to spend as he likes. Here is a list of what my husband dreams of doing in the summer months:

1. Go to Iran to learn Farsi (without his family)

2. Go to Lebanon to learn Arabic (without his family)

3. Go on several hunting trips with his friend Eric (without his family)

4. Wake up in the morning, forget to brush his teeth, jump in his Porsche and drive to the local university library and spend a few hours there, get lunch out, then return to the library and read until nightfall, go to a movie and dinner with friends, and then read in bed until he falls asleep.

Here is what he'll really do:

1. Take some summer courses at the local university
2. Lie about taking courses at the local university just so he can spend some alone time in the library reading.

3. Fix broken sprinkler systems and fix other house problems

4. Watch the kids for mommy when she wants to get together with friends

5. Indulge mommy when she wants to go canoeing and boating on various lakes

6. Basically indulge mommy every day when she gets a frown on her face

7. Eat some tasty fast food

8. Go on one hunting trip with Eric (without the fam)

9. Act like he likes lollipops when he really detests them.

So, I've been maidless for a few weeks now. As I've been picking up things around the house, I've really enjoyed just being around Hector. He's said his first word. "Arbol" which means tree in Spanish. There is a nice tall tree outside our kitchen window that he enjoys looking at while he eats his meals. He also said "Mas" this morning and made the sign for it. I'm hoping to get Hector going on Spanish, then the others will at least hear it around the house. Yesterday he dragged a basketful of toys and little things out of my room and into the hallway where it was left until the present. I've left it there on purpose. It's not dirty or messy. It's just in the hallway. I like to look at it every time I walk past it and think "My little guy is growing up. I need to slow down."

So, as I eat this chocolate cake, I'll slow down and only take on a few things each day, chocolate cake being one of them.

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.

The inevitable snuck in today

Today was the day that Atticus brought home the seven year old version of "Mom, I'm dropping out of school and moving in with my girlfriend!" news. Many of you think that what I'm about to tell you is not that bad, but if you really knew me and my husband you would realize that for us, this is it. The worst news that a seven year old could possibly bring home. Well, maybe not the worst. There is always worse stuff than what you think is the worst.

He said that he wants to go back to America and never leave again. We asked him why, because he's never said that before. He's always been excited to know where we would go next. He responded, " I just like America better because I hate, hate, hate living in a place where people speak Arabic!" And he didn't say it like he meant it either. The worst thing about his statement is that it was totally rehearsed. After he said it I said,"Now tell me who really thinks that because I know you heard it from someone at school." He said, "Michael". Should I be grateful that my child doesn't really think these things? Or should I be devastated that he tricks himself into thinking that he is the same as these other kids at school. Up until now, Atticus has never told us he hated anything. I have noticed that a lot of his friends complain a lot and use the word "hate" a lot. Well, I hate it! Because it's rubbing off on my wonderful boy who used to never complain.

He then added this. "Arabic is stupid! And you know what I hate most about it? The writing. It's just black and white and black and white." Whatever that means. I know the writing is difficult. I've taken a class myself. But again, I know he's been listening to the other Western boys in his class.

And to top it all off, guess where he goes next. "Mom, I want an X box. I mean an Indiana Jones game thing." He doesn't even know the terminology. I know he means to say "I want a Wii" but again, he's just repeating the other kids. "I also want a phone just for me to put my own games on." Does my son ever talk on the phone? I asked him that. "Yeah. I talk to Grandma and Isaiah," he responded. We had to drag him to the phone both times.(no offense to the family)

How can my son go down this path?!!!!!! Well, I wasn't really that distraught over it because I knew in my heart that he isn't that person. Later on in the day he came into our bedroom while Jonathan and I were laying on the bed, lifeless, without a speck of energy left in our bodies, and wanted to pounce on us, which is always the case when Mom and Dad are on the bed. I said, "Atticus, what would you rather have, a Wii, or a canoe and a fishing rod?" His response was, "Well, I don't want to fall in the water, so I'd rather have a boat like the one Steve has to go to the mangroves in." Whew! That was what I wanted to hear. He didn't even give the question a second thought.

I know I'm so silly for worrying about this. It's just hard to transition from being completely in charge of someone's decisions to letting them make their own choices, whether they're choosing something just to be like everybody else or not. It's a shame Atticus has to put up with all the mistakes we make as parents. Poor kiddo! I hope he pulls through okay.

Day number 2

There are three important days in a man's life, my husband says. First, the day he learns to crawl. Second, the day he learns to ride a bike. Third, the day he gets his driver's license. Well, Cinci hasn't quite hit number 2, but he thinks he has. It doesn't matter to him that his "bike" has an extra wheel. He was so excited about it on Christmas morning. Actually, everyone was excited about it on Christmas morning. Atticus could barely keep his mouth shut when he saw it first. Cinci was pleased. He knew it was just for him since he did request a basket in the back and a basket in the front. He didn't request a sign that had happy dolphins swimming on it with the word "FAMILY" written on top. But that's okay. I think it's dorkily cute. On Christmas morning he piled all his presents into his back basket, along with the delicious caramel popcorn that we bought in Dubai, and went out for a ride. He stopped periodically to grab a handful of treat. As you can see, he was grinning widely.The next morning we went down to the Corniche, the seaside, and rode bikes. It was windy and cold. Cinci was not pleased. He's not smiling anymore.

Then yesterday we went over to Education City where Jonathan works. The place was ghostlike. The only humans we saw there were the maintenance workers. The kids had a blast. This open, paved, space is priceless.

We definitely chose the right gift this year. Perhaps I should be sad to see my little guy growing up so fast, but I couldn't be more happy about the darling smiles he shows me every time he rides by on his "bike".

Thucydides on my mind . . .

While we were in Dubai Jonathan stocked up on books for the next stretch of time in Doha. Three of them were on Greek history and one on some Arab conflict. On the flight home, which is only 45 minutes, Atticus was getting really antsy. I don't blame him. He didn't get the window seat this time. Anyway, I entertained him by drawing my version of the hoplites on the cover of Jonathan's book. There was a lot of nudity in Greek culture. I took a class in college about Greek culture. Ancient Greece of course. Anyway, one of the few things I remembered from the class was that the athletes used to train naked, that's why we use the word gymnasium. Gymnos means naked. The idea grossed me out at the time. But now that I'm older and much more mature, I can see the wisdom in such a practice. If you're going to get sweaty, why get your clothes all sweaty too? I'm sure those greek women had plenty of work to do without their husbands coming home with sweatstained clothes. As for the depiction on the cover of Jonathan's book, I don't think they were completely naked during warfare. I think they just loved nudity so they put naked men all over their vases and pottery.

I don't know why I took that class in college. I guess I was just fascinated with Greek myths and was inspired to learn more. Jonathan and I were dating while I was taking this class. We took the train up to San Francisco to find some examples of Greek architecture. I took lots of photos of Greek columns and capitals. Then for our honeymoon we went to Athens. We got a nice taste of Greece, not a real taste mind you. That would take a few months at least. We went back a year later for our first anniversary since we were living in Barcelona at the time. I was pregnant, and wouldn't it be fitting to name our first child Atticus, after the region where Athens lies? Attica. So you can imagine my surprise and amusement when Atticus came home from school a few days after arriving home from Dubai with several drawings like the one below. I was impressed with his attention to details that he didn't have before him as he drew. He drew all this from memory. The helmet, the "boobs" as he calls them, the penis, and, what I think is quite easily forgotten is, the butt. He remembered the butt. I think most people would have forgotten that little round shape he stuck on the back of the leg. I chuckle as I think about him drawing this in class. I wonder what his teacher thought.

The human body is such a silly thing for a seven year old. Giggle, giggle, giggle. Look at his penis! Why does he have boobs Mom? My philosophy so far is to act like the naked human body is normal and nothing to laugh at. My mother was extremely modest and my father was the opposite. I remember looking for pictures of naked people in the anatomy books in the library when I was a kid. There was a curiosity there that I thought was wrong. Well, it's not wrong, and I want my kids to know that. I hope that if they understand the human body, what it's for, and why it's special, they won't abuse theirs or anyone elses. And they sure aren't going to learn about it by Mommy shielding them from it like it's something to be embarrassed about. Does anyone else have any ideas on how to treat this aspect of learning with their children?

Hectoracitus

What a monster of a name! Good thing that's not his real name, right? The Qatari's have decided to join his first and middle names. It's on his health insurance card. His real name is Hector Tacitus. Hector of Troy, of course. And Tacitus because he was our first quiet baby. Our first baby to pop out of me without screaming his head off. The first Tacitus that we know of was a senator and historian of the Roman Empire born in 56 AD. He loved hunting. So does our Tacitus.

Who? Me?

That's right Hector. You. He's getting so cute and cuddly. It won't be long before his grandma's get to hold him for the first time and talk to him all about what he's been up to these past four months. Just 6 more days.

Options = Wonder

I know I know I know! Breast is best! But, why is breast best if the day I start giving my baby exclusively formula (just to see what will happen) he is happier, considerably less gassy, begins sleeping nine hour nights, and has begun to awe me with that smooth baby face that every baby should have.
So if formula is making my baby happier, why in the world did I make myself a slave to the pump for so many months of my life? I've pumped for all of my children when they were babies. All of them were gassy and colicky for the first few months of their lives. Strangely, they were gassy and colicky for all the months they were receiving breast milk from me. Can there be a connection?
I'm so tired of wondering what I should be doing. If he is happy, I am happy. If he is happier with formula, I am happier with formula. So, even if my freezer is filled to the brim with bags of frozen breast milk, I'm debating whether I will give it to him if it makes him so uncomfortable. I'm just so glad we have options in this day and age. I suppose that long ago there wasn't much wondering going on. There was only one way to feed your baby. So, I guess we wonder a lot more when there are so many options out there.

Valentine's Day

Our Valentine's Day was typical, which is nice since we're in a country where people don't really do anything to celebrate it. The morning was rushed having the kids fill out Sponge Bob Valentine's for their friends in their classes. Of course, they would be the only children passing out Valentines. But hey! A reason for candy is always welcome. Atticus' teacher just giggled like a school girl when she saw the Valentine's.

The afternoon was filled with sugar cookie making. Atticus and Sherms helped and have thankfully improved over the months since the last time I tried to enlist their help.

Miss Leah

We made sure to give our lovliest people Valentine's, like our nanny, Miss Leah/Mary Poppins, and Shermy's latest girlfriend, Gennette. He fell in love with her at the Christmas party we went to a couple of months ago. She's an excellent dancer and a jolly lady. I understand why he loves her. Unfortunately, she's already married and a handful of decades his senior.


Gennette and her husband dancing together.

Then a few days ago we got a package in the mail from my sis-in-law, brother and their kids. Oh what a treat it was! Especially the Twilight themed sweetarts. My favorite message was "Bite Me!" Here are pictures of the kids when they received their candy.

Thanks guys! We love you and we really loved the messages and drawings.

So, where did you learn to ski?

Atticus and Sherman in the airplane.

My husband is the bestest! He took care of Cinci and baby Hector while Atticus, Sherman, and I went off to Dubai for a three day vacation. I stayed with a friend, Tiffani, and I am so thankful she doesn't put a lot of effort into decorating her home. I was a little scared because my boys can get pretty rowdy sometimes, but there weren't any glass coffee tables, fancy vases or porcelain statues for them to break. She put up with my kids lack of manners and my lack of preparedness, and did it all with a sick child and a 7 month fetus in her belly.

My main reason for taking the kids was to get them started on skiing. In Dubai they have a big snow dome where they have ski lessons, snowboarding lessons, and all that other fun snow stuff. But Dubai not only has the snow dome, but it has the tallest building in the world and the craziest malls too. If I were to go back to Dubai this is what I would have done differently.

1. Not rented a car. Taxis are abundant and cheap.

2. Not stepped foot in any of the malls without a knowledgable friend (AKA Tiffani Bates) to direct me.

3. Taken my husband with me.

4. Not missed my flight home.

5. Not cried so much. I'm such a baby.

This was the very first time that I've ever been in unfamiliar surroundings without my husband (since we've been married.) It was hard. At least when we were together one of us was taking care of the kids and the other could deal with getting us where we had to go. I missed him a lot. I've taken for granted how fun it is to discover things together. He's a wonderful travel companion with a lot of passion for the unknown. Atticus and Sherman were really excited about the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, though. As we exited the airport and got on the freeway we saw it towering above everything else. It almost doubles the height of the next tallest building near it. It really is a sight to see. Very shimmery and sharp. The kids just giggled as they looked at it.

Ski Dubai, the snow dome place, is an excellent place to go to have your kids learn to ski. Not that I've taken my kids to the real slopes. I really don't know anything besides Ski Dubai. But I think its great, and I'll keep coming back every time I can. You don't have to worry about any equiptment, clothing, or driving up a snowy mountain. You don't even have to bring a jacket for yourself. Atticus and Shermy just wore shorts and a T-shirt under the suits they rented. Their classes only lasted an hour, which is perfect for their ages. They loved it and did really well. Last year I was thinking about taking them to Austria or Germany to ski, but I'm so glad I chose Dubai. Much more affordable and comfortable. I remember the days when I would go skiing at Brighton in Utah. I just don't like having cold toes. I'm a wimp about being cold. But I won't let that keep my kids from learning to ski. What if they love it and are really good at it? What if they like being cold?

Atticus in his ski class.

We are home in little old Doha now. It really is little. Little, stark, dusty, and perfect. Perfect for me and my family right now. Our trip to Dubai was great though. I'm hoping Jonathan will take a trip there during his vacation because not only do they have Taco Bell there, but they also have a Baja Fresh!