For the first time EVER, all my kids started school on the same day!

Which is nothing more than a testament to how old I am, right? No preschoolers in the house? No Kindergartners in the house? As Kathryn says, only "real" elementary school kids (don't tell Nora and Anna she said that) in our house.

MOST school supplies were purchased in the states, thankfully, because unless you want to drive all over, some are hard to find. Like, um, 3-hole-punch notebook paper. But I digress.

The boys were "thrilled" to be back at school, but seeing old friends from last year helped. We drove to school in no time, there being no traffic these days, and got each one settled in the right place.

Kathryn, so confident and happy, a little nervous, once again decreed she was riding the bus to school on the first day. She would find her way around the new middle school. "Have your phone on" I told her. "I'll call and find you after I drop the boys off. "

Nope. She wouldn't have it. Called me from the middle school and said "Don't come! I have to go! Class is starting!" Do you know where you are supposed to go? "YES, Mom! I gotta go!"

Such a grown-up girl. Sometimes I feel like I don't know her at all.

(57) Days of Summer and not one photo.

15 hours on a plane,
back to Houston once again!

Heathcotes house for just a few,
then corporate apartment will have to do.

Spending the fourth with lots of friends,
Gee, it's good to be back again.

Off to Dallas to see them all,
Cousins, grandparents, what a ball.

Kaylie to camp, with her friend Hope,
The boys and I try to cope...

A trip to Austin, we're on our way
Renee and Alison: "Can Kaylie stay?"

Dinners, coffees, on the phone,
how nice to be in the same time zone.

The boys refuse to go to camp
too tired, they say, "can't we nap?"

Steve finally home to spend the rest,
having him with us is just the best.

To Mississippi to visit and play.
More cousins and grandmama a visit we pay.

And then it was over, this summer of ours
Where did it go? The days, the hours...

Flew by too fast, as all summers do.
But we'll be back before the year is through.

Thanks to everyone who helped make our summer special. What a treat it was to spend lots of extended time visiting friends and family. You are all truly missed.

It is finished

I'm not promising to update this blog during the summer. So, that's it for now.

I wish everyone the best of summers. Safe, safe travels to my friends in Doha. We'll see you again this fall. To those of you moving away so soon, we will miss you!

To all our friends in Texas: WE WILL BE THERE SOON!

Love to all,

Sharon

Arabic?

So I took Arabic this spring. This is a difficult language, on top of learning a whole new alphabet. But I finished the class and got my own "diploma."



It says:

Sharon Dickerson
despite her best efforts
will have to retake Arabic 1
before she can ever go on to Arabic 2.
She's just not quite ready.

Something, something, 2009.


I rock!

One Year Later - School Year, That Is

We survived our first year in Doha. I thought this day would never come. I'm left with just a few last pictures to post.

So Kathryn, much to her dismay, missed 5th grade appreciation at Haude. But she did have a 5th grade Step Up ceremony at ASD, which was simply lovely. I was overcome with emotion as I watched her with all her new friends, all of which she has known for less than a year. It has been simply amazing to watch my children make this move and adjust to their new school so quicky.

This time the kids provide the music

Videos of the piano recital I missed. I mean, how cute are they? Virtuosos, to be sure. Enjoy! Come on, they are VERY, VERY SHORT.




Despite multiple, multiple tries, I cannot get any other videos to load. You lucked out.

Go ahead and jump!

Well, I was going to be a smart-alek and start this blog with all the trampoline injury statistics. And talk about my friend Terri, whose 4 year-old daughter Kate just broke her leg on the trampoline last week. But then I actually started reading said statistics and I got very nervous. Because look what we inherited from our Finnish neighbors moving back home:



We'll call you soon from the emergency room.