I amsterdam

So I've come back to reality. The real world full of responsibilities, schedules, committments and the constant refrains of "there's nothing to eat in the house."

But for 6 lovely, glorious, wonderfully-spent days, I got to wander around Amsterdam with my dearest friend Jennifer.

What did we do? We wandered. We drank coffee. We shopped. We ate. And we wandered and wandered some more. Every day we would committ to one agenda item. And just one. One day the Rijksmuseum, which is under renovation but had a very cool exhibit hall open anyway. One day the Anne Frank House which was so emotionally moving we needed the day to recover. One day we rode the train to Rotterdam to visit with Jennifer's cousin, a way-cool 21 year-old college student spending her semester in Holland. We went on a canal cruise (where most of these pictures were taken) and strolled through the Red Light District, giggling the whole time.

We found a lovely cheese shop and bakery just around the corner from the hotel and that became breakfast on the run most days. YUMMMM. We sipped coffee at cafes for hours where we tried to identify people's nationalities based on their clothing (oh wait, I'm wasn't supposed to admit that we did that).

All in all it was a trip to remember. I can't wait to do it again next fall. Here's to you, Jennifer - thanks for a lovely trip.

Go Ahead, Make My Day

Sure, Mr. White Toyota Land Cruiser, please make that left turn from the right-hand lane - I'll make sure not to hit you.

Sure, Mr. White Toyota Land Cruiser (not the same one), please feel free to stick your nose in between me and the bus in front of me because you didn't want to wait in the left -hand turn queue.

Sure, Mr. White Van, drive down the shoulder of the road instead of merging with traffic, just so you don't have to stop and wait for an opening.

Sure, Mr. White Toyota Land Cruiser (noticing a pattern here?) drive down the wrong side of the street and then honk at the cars coming at you, just to get to the front of the line waiting to merge onto Al Bustan Road. None of the other of us are in a hurry. Just you.

Sure, Mr. Silver Sedan (oh, not white!) - that dotted stripe which is intended to separate lanes of traffic? Go ahead and use it as a new lane of traffic. Everyone else does.

Sure, yet another Mr. White Toyota Land Cruiser (they're all over Doha) make sure you change lanes suddenly in the roundabout just because you are from here and can apparently do anything you please.


I drove to school today. Can you tell?

All Roads Lead to Rome

So we made it to Rome. In a nutshell? Way cool. We saw Pompeii, Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, the Catacombs, the Colloseum, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps. We ate proscuitto, pizza, and pasta, pecorino cheese, and then more prosciutto. We ate gelatto EVERY SINGLE DAY, some days more than once. We drank some wine (those of us that were of-age) and we even paid John one Euro to pose with a Roman soldier.

Oh, I could talk about the bickering (Stop touching me!), the whining (This is too much walking!) the moaning (I'm STARVING). But I won't. I will only remember the special family time and the spirit of cooperation my children are known for.

Ciao!

Bing would never croon like this...

I'm dreaming of an open Starbucks
Just like the ones I used to know.
Where the lights are burning,
and coffee brewing,
and baristas have your drink to go.

I'm dreaming of the stores at the mall,
that stay open in the afternoon.
That don't close at 2ish,
"Come back at 7:30 ish"
so I can do things after school.

I'm dreaming of some nice pork products,
available in Roma, Italy.
Prosciutto and a pork chop,
and some salami on the top,
and real pepperoni if you please.

Yes, the song is terrible, I know, but

I am that desperate.
Life begins again on September 18.
Ciao, baby.

Scenes from Doha

Because every compound needs a pet peacock:

Disclaimer - this is not our compound, but one where several of our friends live)


And every patch of sand needs to be watered:

Those are water hoses running up and down the sand. Clearly not working, save for the sad Charlie Brown christmas tree plant, all alone in the sand.

And every tree must be scalped.

Because who needs shade in the desert?

And, as an afterthought, if trampoline springs rust and break in the heat, can the trampoline be considered "safe" anymore?

I didn't think so.

Well...

It's been a week since I last posted. There's so much that's been happening. Let's see if I can recap:


Ummm, the kids have gone to school, every day but Friday and Saturday, and... they've been watching a lot of TV and playing the Wii and playing on my laptop because, you know, it's 132 degrees outside. And, oh, we've eaten some meals and read some books, and talked about our trip in September. We are so very busy. You can see why I've not posted lately. Can't you?

No cute pictures of children - I know you are so anxious to see them, as they have changed much since school started. Oh - here are a couple from summer. Just because.





Oh yeah - Piano lessons start today! Woo hoo. And guess who is taking said lessons? I am. But if you ever ask me to play I will play from memory The Theme from Ice Castles (Please, don't let this feeling end, It's everything I am, and I want to reme-ember, dum dum dum, I'm a Pi Phi pledge now - Oh wait - those were my pledge song lyrics- never mind).

AND I'm taking Arabic again this fall. Wonder how I'll fit it all in.

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.