Plots & Schemes

Merry Christmas to all! We had a wonderful Christmas; truly the best in a long time. Our first together since 2008. That was also the year we began 'group gifts'. It was what we called a Wii Christmas. {Ha, you can laugh at the double entendre.} All we got was a Wii and two games. We spent the day together figuring out the Wii and playing all the games. And the kids felt no lack. This year, we did something similar. We got Eliza & Mairyn an iFlip & a super awesome cool tripod. Plus a book called 'Attack of the Killer Video'. Grant & Jacqueline got a basketball hoop & two balls. They also each got a DS game to play on my DS. And that's it. There were prezzies from grandparents, too. Here is the post-present opening bliss:



I seriously think Fisher-Price and Ikea get their instruction booklets from the same company. No other toy company requires yoga, quantum physics and a bit of magic to properly assemble their products. We are still trying to get the 'Grow To Pro Bball hoop' put together.


I must have done something to deserve such a generous Christmas because my wildest dreams came true. I got this:



And this:



Aaaand, this:

Apparently, Spencer thinks I'm da bomb diggity. He's been "collecting" these presents and decided to save it all up for Christmas. The only bummer? Next Christmas is going to be really hard to top! But seriously, if I didn't have work, house & children to tend, I would disappear into my kitchen & office and not surface for a few months. I also have to say that one of these wasn't such a surprise. A few nights ago, Spencer was wrapping the serger. The kids wanted to help wrap Mommy's present and so were in the room with him. I was out in the living room, away from their area when I hear Grant's outside voice declare, "Wow, Mommy got a new sew-er!!" It was then that my suspicions were verified that I was *probably* getting that serger I wanted. I was still excited on Christmas, but I'm one that likes surprises. I can wait. I like the suspense. But I was adequately floored when I discovered those other two large boxes under the tree.

What else did we do today? Nothing. We played with our new toys, ate ham sandwiches and were together. It was a very perfect day. Oh, and the temperature was a perfect, porch-sittin', clear sky enjoying 73F. A light breeze from the ocean and peaceful suburb living. Love to all!

All he wants for Christmas

Are those two front teeth!
But I'm guessing he'll still want the basket ball hoop that is wrapped & waiting under the tree! ;)

Up in flames

My heart aches. I found out last night that a beautiful, historic building in Provo my Provo caught fire and will most likely be demolished. (yes, i refer to provo as 'provo my provo'. it's her pet name) The Provo Tabernacle caught fire and was gutted. It looks unlikely that it can be restored.

In Provo my Provo, the Tabernacle is right in the heart of old town. It wasn't a conscious orbit, but we were always in the vicinity of that building. It sits on a large grassy block of town, with walkways threading through and towering oak trees shading passersby. We had many a peaceful picnic in that building's shadow. Somehow, it was an oasis in the middle of a busy little city. The Tabernacle itself is such a beautiful, unique building. The octagonal towers that flanked each end always reminded me of a princess castle. But we scurried about in it's shadow during most of our time in Provo. Our first apartment together (spencer's & mine) was a little studio apartment just 3 blocks north of that building. Even once we moved across town to the university married apartments, we would go back to old town to spend quality time on the grass & in the shade. We attended many functions at the Tabernacle; church, & musical performances mostly. Spencer worked at the Travelodge across the street, right in the Tabernacle's shadow. Once, when a vocal group performed there, they asked if they could sell their CD's out of the back of their car in the motel parking lot because the Tabernacle didn't have one. Spencer's post at the motel, the front desk, faced the Tabernacle and he said he spent many an hour admiring the architecture of an era long gone.

I guess it's a natural progression of life; things in our past will change, whether by accident or design. It's just sad when it has to happen. When they tore down the building where Spencer & I first met, a little part of me mourned. The building itself wasn't really that spectacular. It was kind of run-down and patchwork at it's best. Like you couldn't get from one end of the building to the other without going outside. A door was forgotten somewhere! (for those of you who know BYU campus, it was the Knight Mangum building. Here's a link to when it was demolished --> So Long) I was crushed when we came back to the States for the summer & went on our semi-regular pilgrimage back to BYU. We drove around the corner, hyping up the kids by reminding them that the next building is where Mommy & Daddy met, and being met by a flat expanse of green grass was like a punch in the stomach. Where the heck did the KMB go?

But anyway, enough rambling & reminiscing; the Provo Tabernacle will be missed, and the view of Old Town Provo my Provo will never be the same. Here are links to news articles about the whole, sad mess.

Fire guts Provo Tabernacle

Historic Provo Tabernacle goes up in flames

And a wonderful, but tragic set of pictures by Eric Torrie cannot be missed.

Fire and Ice



*none of these pics are mine, but found on google images.

YouTube Tuesday: On Wednesday

Exactly.

B.H.M. stands for . . .

Big Huge Mess.

That accurately describes our house. A big. huge. mess. Learning to balance part-time work (that behaves like full time) with a humongo house and four kids is not easy. I didn't think it would be. But to have our household goods arrive, me start work 6 days later, and the end of the semester for kid's school & mine? Not ideal. Ideally, I wanted to start work about 2 months ago. We knew our stuff would be late, so by the time the boxes invaded, I would already be settled at work.

Eliza at the podium in the Embassy for the Secretary's Q&A

But enough bellyaching, I'm loving work! In just 3 weeks we've pulled off a Meet & Greet with Sec. Clinton, the Embassy effort that went into IISS {go to the link!} *side note* The security issues, transportation, venues & lodging for just the U.S. facet of this production was overwhelming! And I just had a pinkie nail in the pie. *side note done*; learning the ropes of my new job, the annual Breakfast with Santa at the Ambassador's, squeezing in a 'Meet the CLO' coffee before the Christmas break and general morale lifting during the holiday season (i.e. door decorating contest, urging participation in community events on base) Go HERE and HERE for exact definitions of my job.

The Breakfast with Santa & CLO coffee haven't happened yet. After this Saturday, we can breath a little bit before the DCM (deputy chief of mission) New Year's open house and the Ambo's farewell in January. Yeah, the Ambassador is on his way out and there is a whole gamut of protocol and parties to fulfill. So you can see how my 'part-time' job has got a little dog complex. It's a chihuahua that thinks it's a doberman.

Also, there are the classroom parties and end of year Christmas programs for the kids. This whole post sounds like my day planner. Oh well, I did manage to get the tree up and decorated. I've been reduced to capturing pictures on my iPhone. *for shame*
And how am I making the most of today, my day off? Am I scrubbing the toilets or doing dishes or unpacking boxes? Nope. I'm sitting down. And my resolve is crumbling; I am looking for household help.

Hidden Squash

I'm a genius. Well, someone else probably thought of this way before me, but I'm still pleased with the success I found.

Step 1: Microwave butternut squash.
Step 2: Mash butternut squash.
Step 3: Mix butternut squash into cream of chicken gravy.
Step 4: Pour gravy over noodles and chicken.

Then sit back and listen to the silence being generated by the four children as they inhale said concoction. Grant & Jacqui did raise an eyebrow when they saw that the "chicken & noodle" dinner was orange. I just told Grant that I made monkey brains for dinner and he was cool. If I had served fauxtatoes for a side dish, it would have been the healthiest dinner in the universe!!

Celebrate Education!

I want to send a *huge* that you out to the King of Bahrain for making today an arbitrary Education holiday. What better way to celebrate education than by canceling school? No, really, I really want to thank whoever pulled this out of their ear at the eleventh hour. We get a text at 9pm informing us that there is no school on Thursday. Great.

You see, this was to be the first week in a month that the kids had school 5 days in one week. Due to Thanksgiving, Eid al-Adha, and Parent Teacher conferences, they haven't had a full week of school since the end of October. And next week, there is some random local holiday on Tuesday. And the next week, on Wednesday, Christmas vacation begins.

Let me preface all this by clarifying that I love my children. I do! But sometimes, we both need 'away time' so we can get the things we done done. The kids need to fill their little brains with knowledge and recess; I need to unpack boxes and start my first week of work.

Oh, did you not know? I started getting paid this week for my CLO services. (community liaison officer; the morale, education & events person for the embassy community) It's only part time, I set my own hours & I love it. I get all the kids off to school, then go into the embassy and am home before they do. I've been volunteering my time this past month because all the necessary papers weren't pushed or stamps stamped.

First event on the agenda? Coordinate a Meet & Greet for the embassy community with Secretary Hillary Clinton. Needless to say, we will all be a lot less busy next week. Today is the 'action' day; get the venue set up, iron out the last minute wrinkles, etc. *sigh* And today is the day the King decided the educators needed a break. Can we have a national "Lydia Does Nothing" day soon? Or "Lydia Takes a Nap All Day"?

Oh, and how is it already the second of December?? I had fun Christmas plans for the blog. Let's just repeat my current mantra, "It's never too late, it's never too late . . . "

YouTube Tuesday: Flash Mob

Ok, so I'm posting this *after* the 2nd of Dec post but dating it before. It's my bloggy & I can do what I want to. . . .

Just saw this video, posted by one of my friends. I wish I had been there!



And here's another example. It just makes me want to get up and dance!! If only "peaceful" public demonstrations weren't so loosely defined here in Bahrain.



And I want that version of the Nutcracker. NOW!

YouTube Tuesday: Under Pressure

I am probably doing everything possible to avoid doing what is staring me right in the face. We've got boxes. Lots of them. It has been a frenetic 2 days. Boxes came Sunday morning and unpacking began. I have found just about everything I was worried about.

My worry checklist for the last 3 months:

- Piano still work? Check
- Guitars not broken? Check, check and check. {that teeny check was for the ukulele)
- Computers work? Check
- Alabaster, glass and all things breakable intact? Check times infinity.
- My favorite chair not ripped or infested with some sort of moth? Ch-eck.
- 3 inch foam bed pad still in one piece? Check

Now that my fears have been assuaged, I'm finding it hard to regain the momentum I once had. Though I haven't unpacked the sewing machine yet. I fear that if I break open that box, the world will grind to a halt. At least the world of those that depend on me. My kids will be the ones running through the streets half-naked, starving and filthy whilst I am locked away in my own paradise, whizzing together projects I have had saved up for the past 4 months. I broke my own rule of "Thou shalt not participate in hobbies until thine boxes are unpacked" My fingertips are already sore from last night's jam session. But each instrument is tuned up & in fine shape. ;)

But I've got added pressure to get this place whipped into shape. Thursday is Thanksgiving. We are having 2 Marines, a family of 3 and our own family sharing the meal this year. I have my meal preparation very well orchestrated for a low-stress meal prep. But that means I need Wednesday for peeling, chopping, & baking. I really enjoy making *good* food. I love cooking for people. But when my house looks like a box barfing ground, it's not as easy. Breathe in, breathe out. I can do this. Just relax to the tunes of Queen. (i couldn't find the Milli Vanilli remake. but this video is the bomb. haha, bomb)



And while we're at it, I just had to put this one up, too. I was in the mood. My friend lent me her New Kid's on the Block cassette tape & I wore it out listening to them. And, odd fact for the day, NKOTB and Back Street Boys are touring together in Summer 2011. BSB, gag me. The New Kid's were the first & best boy band. Though Boyz 2 Men really had a good thing going. If I could turn back time . . . (no, i'm not posting a Cher video) Though really, it's seriously been 20 years?? I went to the NKOTB website. Danny did not age well. *shame* Though he never really did it for me. Joey McIntyre all the way! And a Wahlberg brother thrown in. Please ignore the Spanish subtitulos. This is the only "original" music video I found that could be embedded. Enjoy the era of when it was ok for boys to wear overalls & not be working on a tractor. Rar.

Icing on the cupcake

I popped by my sister's blog the other day & saw a glorious sight. Well, just about any time I pop by is a glorious sight. I love seeing what my little niece, Taylor is up to and what they are doing. Katelyn always has good activity ideas. She's the director of 4-H for their county in Montana. Last week, the teen chapter made some a-mazing treats.

Maybe I'm over-exaggerating, but anytime you combine:

1} kids
2} an activity
and
3} food

the results aren't always favorable. The treat either ends up taking way too much effort for both parties (mom or kids) or it's really fun but really messy, etc. You get the picture. But this treat, oh, this treat seems to be the trifecta of perfection.

Seriously attractive Thanksgiving treats and super easy. She said they're just chocolate cupcakes & sugar cookies. The turkey cupcakes just need:

- candy corn
- ginger cookie (pre-packaged, of course)
- twizzler string (for the wattle. though if that can't be found, I think red fruit roll-up would work)

And the corn starts as a sugar cookie. Then you just put frosting on and add:

- Reese's pieces
- green or yellow fruit roll-up

This looks so simple! I can even make time for chocolate cupcakes & sugar cookies. And my kids do know how to make both on their own! Double score! We're having a family with 2 kids and two Marines from the Naval Base over for Thanksgiving. This will keep them all busy whilst turkey preparations take place in the kitchen. Thanks, Katelyn for letting me steal this wonderful idea!

Ship tripping

I have found blogging a bit harder lately. With a laptop balanced on my knees, my office (and all the clutter that goes with it) is located wherever I park my bum. That just doesn't work very well for me. I'm like a moon that orbits a planet, my desk & computer are supposed to be the stationary objects and I come to them when I need to. Maybe because my laptop is a beast, too, at 8lbs. Just when I crack it open & plunk down on the couch, someone needs a jam sandwich or a nose wiped. I don't mind the sandwiching or nose wiping, it's the feeling of being pinned under an anvil & hefting it to a safe place multiple times in the space of 10 minutes that bothers me. I like laptops, I just like having a desktop better. I allows you to come & go without the physical workout! Though maybe I need more of that . . .

Ok, the promised trip to the USS Harry S Truman. You do know that his 'S' initial doesn't stand for anything. His middle name is S. This ship is also a Nimitz-class supercarrier. Need translation? Yeah, we did too. Nimitz class aircraft carriers are a class of nuclear powered carriers, of which, there are only 10 in the world. A supercarrier is the unofficial term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 tons. {all this technical stuff is courtesy of wikipedia, since my memory isn't the sharpest. btw, think abt donating a little to wikipedia. they rock.}

The whole tour took almost 3 hours. It was not for the weak of leg or lung. Trotting up those narrow stairs and throughout all 10 levels of that ship we got quite the workout.

Top row, L to R: the chains for the anchor, Mairyn by the ropes, going up the stairs, on the flight deck, view of the tower.
Bottom row: Planes parked, solo plane, the tower close-up, the middle of the runway where they land, the cable that they 'hook' to land.



Top row: Eliza in the captain's chair, Mairyn's turn, the bell in the control room, Mairyn taking her time in the chair 'o' power.
Bottom row: *The* carbon copy of the note that ordered the A-bomb, Eliza steering, Mairyn too, the girls with Truman's bust.

Funny thing: The captain's chair. Our tour guides were Navy officers that worked on this carrier. They told us that we could sit in the captain's chair & that we should take advantage of it. They weren't even allowed to sit in it. Mairyn asked, "Not even if your legs are tired?" The guy said, "No ma'am, that's above my pay grade." They were serious! So where the girls are sitting is the view the captain, and only the captain, gets when he's commandeering the ship. Though after seeing the inner workings of this carrier, it's a team effort. I wouldn't want to park a 70,000 ton beast all by myself! Oh, funny thing #2: I told the girls to stand by the bust (for a picture) and they looked at me like I'd grown a third head. "What's a bust?" I then explained what a bust was and then they proceeded to ask, "Why would someone want a statue of their bust?" Both Mairyn & Eliza then dissolved into giggles. Probably because 'bust' sounds so close to 'butts' without actually saying it. They said it the whole way home. "Hey Eliza, wanna take a picture of my -bust-?" And I don't even have to imagine what it would be like if I had had boys instead of girls . . . . .


P.S.
I just looked it up. Top Gun was shot on the USS Enterprise and is the 11th heaviest supercarrier. USS Harry is the eighth heaviest. Just think if Maverick had had that kind of space to strut his stuff . . .

Got Tortillas?

Well, we do! I made tortillas from scratch. It sounds a lot more intimidating & time consuming than it really is. My kids inhale just about anything as long as it is masquerading on a tortilla. Tortillas are expensive here. But the kids just can't stop eating tortillas. I had to find a solution! I knew my mother-in-law had some good 'from scratch' recipes. In her ward (church congregation), she is the reigning guru on food storage. But what good is a basement full of wheat, beans and dried goods if you don't know what to do with it? That's when she started making monthly handouts of recipes for your food storage. Which basically equates to making things from scratch. The handout that began it all was, "Got Milk?" and it had guidelines on keeping powered milk, how long it's good for, how to store it & how to use it. The series blossomed from there and encompasses a wide variety of foods & recipes. I was visiting her ward once and the handout du jour was 'Got Tortillas?'. Oooh, homemade something! I like the end result, but am I willing to put in the effort needed? Well, I never got around to making them before we moved. Once we got here and found the price of tortillas hard to swallow (haha), I emailed my mother-in-law for the recipes. I have made them twice, so far, and can tell they will become a common item in my fridge again.

TORTILLA RECIPE

Ingredients

• 5 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons shortening

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Directions

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening to resemble cornmeal. Add water slowly, mixing with your hands to make a soft dough. You may not need all the water.

2. Knead a few minutes on floured surface until smooth and elastic. Lubricate top with oil, put back in bowl and let rest, covered for 10 minutes. {Don't over-knead! I did that the first time & rolling out those suckers was hard!}

3. Divide into small balls the size of golf balls and proceed to roll out into size and thickness you prefer. I just pinched off balls one at a time, you don't need to make them all before you start cooking.

Rolled out dough, ready for the skillet

4. Cook on top of stove over medium heat using a cast iron grill or heavy skillet until top is slightly bubbly then turning on opposite side for a minute or two. (I used a regular old fry pan, worked just fine)

See? Bubbles! It's the simple pleasures, really.

5. Keep stacked and warm inside a clean dish towel. And I kept flattened, skillet ready dough in between two moist paper towels, to keep them from drying out while they waited their turn on the skillet.

They are very firm when they first come off the skillet.

But they soften up.

The tortillas are a bit thicker than store bought, but they taste even better! Seriously, from measuring the flour to heaping on taco meat & cheese, it took me an hour. And I made 15 tortillas, which lasts about one & a half meals for my crew. I noticed corn meal at the grocery store the other day & I think I might try my hand at some corn tortillas! I feel empowered! Who knows, maybe I'll even start making cookies?

One recipe I saw described how they should be a bit crackly & shiny! Yipee, just like store-bought!

I made a 'fancy one', just for the pictures. Fancy meaning I rolled out a tortilla & cut it out with a bowl, thus eliminating those rough, uneven edges. I ordered a tortilla press from Amazon a few days ago. That will make the process go so much faster! (and it was really cheap, just $16)

YouTube Tuesday: You want fries with that?

I'm a little late to the party. I always am. And not fashionably so. I won't even pretend that I *totally* know about the drive-thru raps everybody was doing a while back. Which in this digital age could be referring to last week. I just really like this song. And the drive-thru employee. He should *totally* get a raise. Or a promotion. Or a promotional raise.



p.s.
i'm also so jealous of this guy's guitar skilz. i wanna be like him. *grin*

Blame it on the rain

"The rain in Bahrain mainly clogs my drains."
~ Eliza Al-Hamd'olittle

Last night, I was running back to back loads of laundry. So that meant I was going in and out of the house all evening. When I dashed out for the last load, I noticed the stairs were wet. I thought the gardener had put a sprinkler too close to the house. Then I noticed the driveway was all wet, too. "Wow," I'm thinking, "He went all out and hosed down the driveway! I didn't know he'd do that for us!" I brushed past the suburban on my way through the garage & it was all dripping wet, too. I looked around inspecting little constants that don't change . . . unless . . . RAIN! I ran back inside the house to announce the news to Spencer. He didn't entirely believe me, but I don't blame him. He thought I was kidding.

This morning, the air was clean and a bit crisp. The humidity, ironically, seems to have been cut. Only a trace of the former thickness in the air. The horizon was piled high with clouds, backlit by the 6:30 am sun. The kids ran out to the bus & I ran back to bed. (I stayed up way too late last night) Jacqueline came in about 30 minutes later, gleefully announcing, "Mommy! It's raining and crashing!" I got up and saw that the raining & thunder had recommenced, just in time for Jacqui's school run.

Natives of Middle Eastern countries are notoriously afraid of puddles. I'm not kidding! If a garden hose overflows and floods the street in front, cars will avoid all wet surfaces and literally tiptoe their car around the pooling water. Now, part of me can't blame them for this paranoia; I've seen some potholes that would literally swallow a Vespa. But here, in Bahrain, they also seem to have an added neurosis of driving off of any paved surface. The road outside our compound has been under construction since we got here, and there are places where only one lane is paved, the other is smooth, dirt shoulder. They will *NOT* drive on it and if they do, will only proceed at a snail's pace until paved concrete is visible again. So combine the fear of driving through water & on dirt plus a country that has no water drainage system and you have a whole mess of problems.

The biggest problem? Half an hour after school started, the school called. There isn't any water at the school. Meaning no one can flush toilets or get drinks. Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Another 'didja know' thing about rain in desert countries; everything is dirtier after the rain. Ironic, I know. But we go so long without rain, dirt and sand accumulate on every surface. And (usually) if it does "rain" it just spits for a few minutes from the sky and really doesn't wash anything. It moistens all surfaces enough to make, even leaves, muddy. This rain, however was very cleansing. My driveway is clear of all bougainvillea & plumeria blossoms and leaf accumulation. And the leaves are actually green.

See how the dirt all ran to the middle of the leaf on the left? And the leaves on the right, just dried mud.

I wish I would have put *blank* in my UAB

UAB: It's the first of your belongings to arrive at the new assignment. abbreviation for 'unaccompanied air baggage'. I think. Another acronym to remember.
Or 'Underwhelming and Broken' if we're describing my UAB shipments.

This week, for the Weekly State Department Blog Roundup, the theme is "I wish I would have put {fill in the blank} in my UAB' being hosted by Jill at Run 2 New Places. I have peeked at some of the other ladies' submissions & I think mine is going to be downright pessimistic compared to theirs.

You see, UAB and I have never been good friends. Our first pack-out, I followed the guidelines down to a 'T'. I got plastic salt & pepper shakers. I put preferred non-perishables in, like a Sam's Club size package of toilet paper, diapers, paper towels, etc. I also put in things that would be immediately applicable; plastic plates, cups, forks, spoons, etc. I also included some nice touches of home, something to hang on the wall like sturdy picture frames. Also our desktop computer tower & screen. I mean, c'mon, a computer tower is pretty sturdy, right? Wrong.

Our UAB arrived seven weeks after we arrived at post. And one week before our HHE. I barely had time to unpack the UAB before the rest of our things exploded in the apartment. Stee-rike one. When the UAB arrived, we were asked to inspect the labels on the boxes where we had signed our name, to verify that they were still intact and therefore un-tampered with. Lulling us into a false sense of security, the labels were perfect. The contents? Trashed. Our desktop was the first casualty. The motherboard was pretty much the only thing we could extract. My picture frame, my decorative IRON picture frame, was bent and unable to hang flat against the wall. Of the things I shipped myself, the toilet paper and plastic salt & pepper shakers were pretty much the only things to emerge unscathed. Though the toilet paper rolls were ovals.

Most recently, we received our UAB here in Bahrain. I had learned my lesson through the two previous UABs and put nothing the least bit delicate in it. Still, they managed to screw up my shipment & pack it mostly full of weights, yes, gym weights, 2 laundry baskets & a bathroom rug. Oh, and the kid's folding picnic tables. None of the area rugs, plastic kitchenware, shower curtains or anything else useful that I had *specifically* labeled with their blue stickers. The kid's folding tables? Ruined. The bench is popped off of one & the other has a nice long gouge in the table top. The boxed up, unused exercise bike? Cracked case. Usable, but abused.

So you can see why I'm not that trusting of the UAB shipment. You know what I did this time? I mailed myself all my little comforts of home.

- at least one good kitchen knife - can opener - vegetable peeler - a screwdriver - utility scissors - apron - dish towels - small cutting board - whisk - spatula - batteries - small plastic mixing bowls (2) - a ruler - and various other notions that I can't live without.

What did I pack in my last UAB? (if they hadn't screwed it up)

- exactly what is in the welcome kit.

Comforters, pillows, sheets, towels, tablecloths, lap blankets, shower curtains & rings, hangers, bathmats, unbreakable plates, cups, bowls & cutlery. {pack enough dishes so that if you *need* to go a day without washing any dishes, you can make it through}, area rugs, select pots & pans, plastic colander/strainer, toaster, spatulas & cooking spoons, toys & books, and anything else that is pretty sturdy that you want.

Bottom line: Mail anything you can't live without {for 6-7 weeks} that can fit in a flat rate box. The UAB is not the savior of your household's sanity. Our HHE's have always arrived {mostly} unscathed. {Never anything damaged as seriously as it was in the UAB.}

Oh, and btw, we've been in Bahrain 11 weeks, still no HHE. We have a tentative arrival date of Nov. 22. Thank you, Lady in D.C. that forgot to file our paperwork until we'd been in country for almost a month. Gotta love the State Dept. Ma'asalama, my peeps.

Out of Synch

I'm just not feeling it today. Or this month, for that matter. Try as I might, I stare at my screen, willing prose to pop from my brain, to my fingers & assemble itself into coherent thought. I have at least 4 *really* good blog posts I want to put up. I even have a good, no, great step-by-step recipe!

That last paragraph took me an hour to get down. I feel like one of those screen saver balls bouncing around the screen, aimlessly plowing straight as an arrow to the other side of the box. I have the feeling of being purpose driven, but the mission hasn't been revealed to me. Time seems to slip right through my fingers, but it can't move fast enough.

We just got our vehicle two days ago. One caveat**: It's been sitting in the Embassy Motor Pool parking lot since the first week of October, but two days ago was when all the paper pushing & money shuffling was done. Here she is:

Baby Beluga asks: Does this driveway make my butt look big?

It feels so good to be up above the crowd again. I really only feel comfortable driving the biggest outfit on the road. I've felt like I was in a roller skate these last 3 months; surfing right along the asphalt. She is huge; Spence shaved the paint off the right door handle parking her the first night. But I don't mind. Within 12 hours of receiving Ellie (our 4-runner we drove in Egypt), I backed up & scraped a nice Morse code along the passenger side door with a metal pole. Then we remained unscathed (through any fault of our own) for the rest of our 4 years. So maybe this is a good omen.

I promise to compose & post. I really really really want to get them up. We had a fun weekend; the older girls & I toured the USS Harry S. Truman, an aircraft carrier, actually a supercarrier! I got a picture of the refrigerated pork & beans! And . . . I made tortillas from scratch. Yep, it's been an eventful time. Also, we have a tentative arrival date of two weeks for our long awaited household goods. *phew* I'm going to go take a nap.



**Ooh, caveat. Another word you can type with one hand!

Spooktactular Bash

It was a monster bash. A graveyard smash. A witch, a vampire, a hippie and a ballerina. All escorted by Communications Officer Uhura. We all sure enjoyed it! Happy Halloween, all!

YouTube Tuesday: Reminiscing

Television programming for children sucks. There, I said it. We watch all of our T.V. on DVD. Not that that's much better; we get super bolus 92 minute injections of Dora instead of regular 23 minute intervals as live T.V. would bring us. There are some clever shows out there. Ben Ten has some pretty awesome aliens. And there's this other karate/ninja something show with a cowboy & a team of other things. But as a whole, it's really gone downhill since I was a kid. The 80s, in my humble opinion, were the pinnacle for Saturday morning cartoons. We had new ones and we had reruns from previous decades which {again my opinion} culminated in the perfect storm of t.v. viewing bliss. C'mon, we all enjoy a good show.

I have collected a list of different shows on YouTube and, to tell you the truth, I am a bit shocked! I didn't think I had seen that many different shows. But then again, it was the era of combining 4 into one. Nickelodeon had shows such as 'You Can't Do That on Television' and 'Pinwheel' which were comprised of a main story strung together with related vignettes of skits. Here's a quick list, in no particular order:

- Today's Special - Mr. Wizard - 3-2-1 Contact - Picture Page - Kid's Incorporated - Alvin & the Chipmunks - Smurfs - Gummi Bears - Gem (she's truly outrageous) - Inspector Gadget - He-Man - Pinwheel - Danger Mouse - Bozo the Clown -

I'm leaving a lot out. My parents will probably see this and think, "What is she talking about?" I know that's what I'll think when my children look back on their television viewing of the 2000s. {really, what's up with the name for this whole decade? well, that's a whole different discussion} It took me a while to catch on to Ben Ten. I realized, in Spring '08, that my kids had a whole cartoon figured out & were pretending it on the playground, and I had no clue what they were doing. I thought they had invented some of it, but then, I was suspicious. They explained it was from a cartoon called 'Ben Ten'. Hmmm. Let me tell you, Ben has some pretty cool aliens.

I haven't even mentioned sitcoms, but then again, I'd rather not delve into how much of my life I've wasted on television. I wish there was a way just to share my play list, but here's the highlights.

This first one still pops into my head at weird times. And won't leave. I can remember this silly short from 25 years ago, but I still don't know where I left my cell phone.



3-2-1 Contact. One of the finest shows that PBS had to offer. They need more of these kinds of shows. Everything doesn't have to be in animation. I loved this in first grade!



And a final addition, Picture Pages with Bill Cosby. Talk about an addictive song. Oh, and btw, when I was going through these vids with my kids, they were not sure how to react. First came the, 'You watched this when you were our age?' and then I could just see the thought bubble above their heads filling with 'Wow, she is demented! She thinks this is the best? Oooo-kay Mom.' Enjoy.

Come out, come out!

That phrase always makes me think of Glenda the Good Witch in the Wizard of Oz. "Come out, come out, wherever you are/To see the young lady/who fell from a star" But we're not calling on the good citizens of Munchkinland, we're calling for fairies! This weekend, we made fairy houses. And Grant made a sprite house. He said fairies were only girls, so I told him sprites were boys. Whaddaya gonna do?

I made little villages under trees and in the bushes when I was little. The premise is that if you build a little house for the fairies, they'll come live in it. But not if you don't keep it pretty & only use things found in nature, so that it will blend in, just like the fairies & sprites.

This is Eliza's house. She had a brilliant idea to tie the twigs together with long grass to make arches for the roof. And she's pretty proud of that little 'bed'. And that's a fairy scarecrow, to show the fairies that it's safe to sleep here.

This is Mairyn's house. She may have had a little help from me, but she did the decor. See the yard for the fairy? That date tree bark has a little hollow in it, that's the bath. She did find a discarded piece of blue cord and that's the towel rack. It is man-made, but hey, we're running a bit short on acorn caps and pine needles.


Here's some shots of the girls deep in their labor of love. It took some convincing; it's still a bit warm outside & who can blame them. Who wouldn't want to hang inside in the A/C instead of crouching under a tree in 99F weather? I made some lemonade & fairy snacks for them & we sat in the shade weaving little ladders for the playground and tying plumeria leaf stems together. I wanted this to be some 'creative independent playtime', but it turned into a whole girl affair. You won't see much of Grant. He liked the idea, but ultimately found more joy in digging holes & climbing trees. And destroying some of his sister's creations.

Jacqueline: Ga-rant! You woo-ind my house! {translation: grant, you ruined my house}
Grant: Well, something would have ruined it! That's why you make them, then they'll be ruined!

{I prefaced all this house building with the reminder to only use things found outdoors, naturally, so if the wind blew it over & it got ruined, it wouldn't pollute the fairy's habitat. My reasoning: when they are abandoned next week, I won't have trash blowing all over the yard. But the whole nature thing, too. ;) And I saw this as a big insight into the boy's reasoning. You make things so they can be ruined. The whole build a lego tower then knock it over doesn't seem so pointless anymore.

That's where I am . . .

Ah, the roundup! The theme for this week is: "A picture from the place where I am now'. Physically, emotionally, whatever we want to choose. Also if there's pink, there's bonus points! A fellow blogger, Jen, was diagnosed with breast cancer recently & we're all showing support!

We haven't been here in Bahrain for very long, so I haven't had the chance to 'capture' the country yet. But here I am, now. In the moment. All the fruit, backwards house numbers, *plumeria*, geckos, the fam, the big main mosque, shrubbery growing pink ribbons and I have no idea what the spiky thing is; a mutated cucumber? I couldn't include the ants which are a part of my daily life I'd rather not think about. I can't even look at those pictures.

Call out the cavalry!

*shudder* I've still got the itchy cooties all over me. This is about as close to losing control as I can come. Autopilot switches on & I'm transformed. Must. Kill. Ants. My thoughts become singular in a mission to destroy the incoming army. Die you evil six-legged devils!!

How did this war begin? I was doing laundry. Yeah. Laundry. I have to go outside to get to my laundry room. I was coming back around house with our tighty whiteys and noticed how dirty dusty the house was. Now, I can't solve that problem in one fell swoop or even at all, but I can hose off the column bases & around the windows. Why not? I said to myself, I have a hose.

I left the laundry wagon & Jacqui on the sidewalk and went to turn on the hose. Water running I snaked the hose over to the front porch area and began squirting. The white was showing again & I felt pretty accomplished.

"I'm on a roll," I thought to myself, "Laundry, hosing off the house, what's next? Maybe I'll even get the laundry folded!"

I turned around and just about jumped out of my skin. Ants were swarming up the wall from some unseen hidey hole!! Of course, I screamed. Then I ran pell mell into the house to grab my mega-huge bottle of Raid & a broom. Wait! (i said to myself) Nobody's going to believe this. (Well, they probably would) I grabbed my camera because pictures always illustrate the moment better. (I can *say* that I found a gecko in my bathroom sink, but what does it *look* like?)



After a few quick pics, I went to town. I sprayed & sprayed & sprayed & sprayed & sprayed & sprayed. Ew, they were just pouring out of that unassuming crack in the step. No previous sign that pure evil lurked under that marble. Once they were adequately under control, I grabbed the hose and began some serious sheeting action to sweep those piles of carcasses out of sight.

This isn't anything new for me, we get ants inside the house. I put ant traps at the junctions of frequent sightings and along with a big bottle of Raid, we keep them under control. There is a bathroom that seems to attract them, but we just don't use that one anymore. At least until the weather gets colder (relatively speaking). The locals say that the ants go away during the "winter" months. What I witnessed was not unlike a scene straight out of Arachnophobia, but the ant version. (not that I've ever seen arachnophobia. don't want to, never will) I still can't sit still. My skin is crawling, ew ew ew . . . I've got to go shower. For a very. long. time. I don't even know if I can keep these pictures on my computer. I guess this is what I get for trying to be ambitious . . . As the old saying goes, If you give a moose a muffin . . .

Victory!!

I don't even know if this video works or my hyperventilating can be heard. I won't watch it.

Weekly State Department Blog Round-up or WSDBR

WSDBR. Hmm. Did you know you can type that acronym with one hand? I know you all are trying it. It's ok. That's my job. To point out the obscure.

Weird Fact about Me #3,476: I have a Note in my iPhone dedicated solely to 'Words you can type with one hand'. Sub-categories: Right Hand & Left Hand. An emerging parallel category: Words you can type on the Top Row.

Ok, back to the real reason you're here. The Weekly State Department Blog Round-up! Optional Theme: What traditions have arisen in your life because of the State Department?

I know the theme of traditions is a bit early, but we like to do things well in advance in the Dep't. Like ordering our Halloween stuff at the beginning of September (or end of August. I saw a display in Target just days before we left) And getting our Christmas presents ordered by October.

That's one thing that has changed. My husband. Mr. I'm-leaving-for-Best-Buy-on-the-night-before-Christmas-Eve. Our first year overseas, his name on Christmas was Mr. Your-present-will-be-here-right-after-New-Years. Being overseas hasn't changed my Christmas habits. I'm more aware of them, but I always like to have Christmas presents at least decided by September.

The tradition that sparked the reason for this theme is our Thanksgiving Tradition. In Egypt, our kids went to a British School. We were introduced to new holidays such as Guy Fawkes Day or Burning Night. They had a big bonfire & burned little effigies of this guy that tried to blow up parliament over 500 years ago. One day that we knew would not be celebrated was Thanksgiving. For obvious reasons, but I don't blame them. The first year we made a decision; the kids will stay home & celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday. And in the Middle East, the weekend is Friday & Saturday, so no school to go back to on Friday.

Some people would just have Thanksgiving dinner in the evening, after school, and that's fine. But for me, Thanksgiving day is a whole day event. Turkey goes in the oven no later than 8am. Morning is consumed with food prep, board games and light snacking. Dinner comes at 1 or 2pm. Movie screenings happen in the afternoon during the post-turkey buzz. We watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on AFN. It works out nicely that it starts at 3pm. Dessert & pies are available for consumption. And 'It's a Wonderful Life' will be watched at one point during that day; usually post-dessert.

In such a peripatetic life, our kids need some sort of constant. I hope (though it sounds romantic) that maybe my kids will look back on their formative years and say, "No matter where we were, we always celebrated Thanksgiving." And in a world with many things out of control, traditions are one thing to which we can hold tightly.

So, in no particular order, I present a wonderful summary of traditions that, I hope, we can appreciate, learn from and, if it suits us, STEAL!!

Sara of Wife-Mommy-Woman is just beginning in this odyssey of foreign life. She and her hubby live in Costa Rica and have two children. They have some traditions 'in the works' as this is their first assignment. I won't spoil her post by telling you what it is!

Connie at Whale Ears and other Wonderings (ask her how she came up with that name, fun story) is a real pro at life on the move. She & Brad live in Amman, Jordan with their two chili beans. We were fortunate enough to be with them for 4 years in Cairo. I love love love Connie's tradition & want to steal it! They take a family vacation. Sounds simple enough, but really, what do you do with your summertime R&R? Travel, see as many family members as you can, cram in as much 'America' (or whatever your home country is) as you can, then come home in a whirlwind of jet lag, unpacking & starting school in a week. They take time for just them. And think it's high time we did, too.

Shannon at Cyberbones (I *so* want to know the meaning behind that name) is in Malawi with her husband & boys. She shared some weekly traditions they do & honestly, she's super-mom! I need to do more of that; dessert night, movie night, etc. And if you want to see some 'bone-achingly' (ha, get it?) cute little tadpoles & lizards, take a look at her Wordless Wednesday posts.

Becky at Small Bits of our FS life is in Mexico with her husband & children. Let me tell you, she has got it! She's realistic about expectations & knows that traditions just don't pop into existence. They evolve. That's the kind of attitude to have when you're in this line of work! Her kids get swimsuits at Easter & flowers on Valentines! Click on over there for the scoop in her own words!

And one more that I decided to add, even though she didn't email it to me, but I think it fits well. I hope it's okay!

Zoe at Something edited this way comes is in Italy. I haven't read much in her blog yet, but her post for today was a last minute addition I wanted to include. She wrote a wonderfully relatable post about how resourceful we FS people have to be. Getting ready for Halloween found her cannibalizing a Hannah Montana microphone and carving styrofoam to create the perfect Statue of Liberty torch. If anything, in the sense of tradition, it's something predictable in our house as well. Finding new uses for odd things because we either can't find it locally or forgot to order it.

That's all folks! Thanks for joining us this week for the Weekly State Department Blog Roundup. Also thanks to Kolbi at A Daring Adventure for keeping the cogs in this Roundup machine turning! The calendar says that Kamilla at A Junket Tale is hosting on October 22nd. Check the calendar for future roundup locations & to sign up!

Truly Outrageous

I have an announcement.
*clearing throat*
Today, the 14th of October, 2010 the temperature in Bahrain was 89F.
Oh, and humidity was only 48%.
It has been hovering between 98F & 105F for the last few weeks and 65-85% humidity. Before that, well, it was just hellish. There is not better description. You know when you open the dishwasher & stick your face in too soon? Glasses fog up. And you know when you open the oven & your face is too close? You feel blasted & your eyelashes may stick together a bit b/c your mascara melted? Combine those experiences & you know what it's like to walk outside when the heat index is 135F and humidity is at +80%.

For the first time in almost 8 weeks, I felt a cool breeze.
For the first time in 8 weeks, I *wanted* to be outside.
For the first time in 8 weeks, the air conditioning felt too cold.**
This afternoon, Grant said,
"Hey Mommy, It's not hot or cold, it's just (gesturing with open arms) this."
Yes, for the first time in 8 weeks,
I did not feel weighted down by just stepping outside.
It feels good.
It feels like freedom!

**speaking of being too cold: ironically, yesterday we had the power out from 4am to 10am & a busted central a/c. we camped out in our bedrooms by the wall units & made quick, furtive forays to get food from the kitchen. the a/c's compressor was shot. they fixed the central AC on this day, the day i turned it off. Oh, and 4 hours before this whole mess began, Spencer left on TDY for the rest of the month. Hoo-rah.

Oh, and don't forget, tomorrow is the Weekly State Department Roundup. I've only had two submissions so far. There's still time!

YouTube Tuesday: Juvenile

I stumbled upon this gem just a few days ago, through a friend of a friend. (of a friend) I just love the Old Spice commercials. And the spoofs that have spawned.

Here's the Grover version:


Here's the BYU version:


And the good ol' original:

Yee-haw!

*image from zazzle.com

I am swimming in new waters, people. I decided to be "social" online and am hosting the Weekly State Department Blog Roundup which will take place HERE on Friday, Oct. 15th.

Here's the deets. There is an optional theme that you may write on, if you so choose. I think I get to choose, so my 'theme' is:

Traditions: What traditions have arisen in your life because of the State Dept?

Do you always hit the beach on Valentines day? (depending on your locale, some people can) Or do the kids get new outfits for air travel on R&R? Something that is completely normal for you now, but wasn't before the State Dept.

Another 'for example', my two middle children had just gotten back from a grocery run with Daddy. He had gotten them each their own bottle of flavored sparkling water. My 8 yo, Mairyn, exclaimed, "I love this stuff! I'm going to save some of it so I can take it on the airplane with me!" Then my 6 yo, Grant, volleyed back, "No! No you can't, Mairyn! No liquids on the plane! The security mens says so!" True, so true, my young padowan.

So get thinking! I already have mine prepared. (in my head) That's the advantage to hosting the Roundup. If you want to host, go here. A Daring Adventure is quite the lady; she has the calendar for hosting. For examples of previous Roundups, go here. My good friend, Connie, at Whale Ears and other Wonderings, hosted last week.

*If there is any cloudiness to my explanation, please let me know & I'll explain better*

You can email me the blog post you want included in this Friday's Roundup or leave the link in the comments for this post.
--> lydia (dot) penrod @ gmail (dot) com.

Ten, diez, yol, ashara

This idea isn't really well formed. It's more out of a weird feeling of obligation that I post today. It's 10-10-10. I feel like I should have some clever thingy to do or make. I mean, it's 10-10-10. I know that a lot of people are probably getting married. I mean, a friend or two did it on 9-9-09.

I could think of a top ten list. Or ten things I want. I know that a ten sided figure is called a 'decahedron'. I like the twelve sided figure's name better; dodecahedron. It's just fun to say. Dodecahedron.

That's a decahedron.

I found a book on Amazon called '10-10-10'. Something about life-transforming ideas. I wonder how many people started reading it today at 10:10 am/pm. Apparently The Savoy in London had the same idea. Not to read the book, but to reopen today at 10:10am on 10-10-10.

Ah, and digging a little further, 10.10.10 global is cutting carbon 10% at a time this Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010 'A Global Day of Doing'. It will be the ' . . largest day of positive action on climate change ever.' Did you hear that? Ever! I think I celebrated by doing 5 loads of laundry and keeping my A/C on all day. Seeing as how the heat index was 106F today, it was just an act of preservation.

There's also a boy that turned 10 at 10:10 am today. I remember there was a kid in my school that had a sibling born on 8-8-88. He stretched it so far as to say he was born at 8pm, but I have to doubt that part.

What was I doing 10 years ago? I had a 10 month old baby girl and uh, we were dirt poor living in married student housing at the university. 10 years before that? Uh, I'd rather not reveal my age.

Well, that's only 6 or so factoids and/or random info on 10-10-10. I'd like to lose 10 pounds! There, that's another, 7. And something completely unrelated to the number 10, I'd like to share a clip from my favorite show on earth, The Soup, since I didn't share a clip last week for YouTube Tuesday. Enjoy!

Halloween Time

You can tell it is definitely Halloween time when the JibJab themed videos are out. Word.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!