YouTube Tuesday: We Are Hungry

So some kids from a high school in Kansas are less than impressed with the new school lunches the government has introduced. The new regulations limit the intake to just 750-850 calories on the tray. (650 calories for elementary, 700 for middle-schoolers, 850 for high-schoolers) Assuming they eat everything on their plate. Also, they aren't allowed to refuse or substitute foods. As always, there is no right or wrong answer. I think that this issue, like many others, is having a 'one size fits all' solution applied when that clearly is not the case.

Instance #1:  For some children, this is their only meal of the day. True, it should be healthy, but what if they don't eat everything? And now the calories are being restricted? Hmmm.

Instance #2: We need healthy lunches for the children that come from homes where their choices are Twinkies or KFC for dinner. Setting a good example for them, etc.

Instance #3: Three words: High School Athletes
School lunch calorie limits

Instance #4: You're not happy with it, so you bring a lunch from home!

I think that, maybe, this is ONE solution to the school lunch conundrum. I don't think that this is the ONLY solution to school lunches. This problem, like most, needs solutions. See what I did there? I pluralized.

Oh and by the way, these kids rock. Truth be told, I wouldn't eat a mass produced hummus and black bean salad either. Mass production 'healthy food' = bland as cardboard crap.



p.s. i also have a strong desire to watch 'Friday Night Lights' tonight.

A Saturday morning

The kids are on a song kick. Eliza is getting ready for Young Women's camp (yes, we are having camp in October) and got a Camp manual. She has been sucking up every bit of information inside that book. I thought about reminding her that camp will happen every year until she graduates. But hey, why quash the enthusiasm? She was poring over the camp songs section and asking about unfamiliar ones, trying to figure out the melody. When she got to "White Coral Bells", I couldn't believe that I hadn't introduced her to that song! So I sang it with her and then we split into a round. Then the other musketeers wanted to join in. I was quite impressed with their ability to pick it up and keep singing in a round! Please forgive my tinny part, someone had to hold the camera AND sing with Jacqui. She could keep up, as long as she had a partner. Same with Grant.

Cue the choir

It's a well known "Part of Being Overseas" fact that you are never done dealing with plugs and voltage issues. So you get some transformers from the Embassy, and pony up for some of your own. And you may even get some 220V appliances.

Another well known fact is our love/(mostly) hate relationship with the good ol' Drexel Heritage. That curio cabinet with the built in lighting, conjuring visions of properly displaying your precious breakables? Yeah, it's a 110V plug.

Don't even get me started on the whole lighting issues. There is never enough light; whether it's in that weird, how-do-they-expect-me-to-use-this closet or under the cabinets in the kitchen.

Cue the choir. *ahhhh*

I found an amazing DIY tutorial and the simplest, why-didn't-I-think-of-that lighting solution. They made a corded lamp cordless using LED ribbon lighting and a 9V battery! It makes me mad when I think of all the floor lamps I left in storage or dumped when I got frustrated with plugging them into a transformer.

But it gets better.

On the Amazon product page for the reel of lighting, there are pictures of people using this for under cabinet lighting!! Definitely squeal-worthy! The pictures have notes and everything! (ok, time to tone down the exclamation points) The ribbon base has adhesive on it and the end goes right onto a battery (9 or 12V) so you really can plug and play. I'm still investigating the details of this project, but it looks pretty straightforward and dummy-proof. I'm ordering this ribbon lighting and putting it under my cabinets. I think I'll also put it in my cabinets, and in my closet, and in the entryway . . . oh, you're still reading. Quit reading and go get some ribbon lighting! I'll show y'all the results; whether they be good or disastrous.

Not my kitchen, just the amazon example

YouTube Tuesday: It's like that

I feel like I'm talking to myself. But that's okay, it's nothing new. I found this gem via a friend of mine. I've been know to post "out of the ordinary" before and this fits right in.  Like a Russian West Side Story; I find it strangely . . strange. I wish I could hear the music that they are dancing to.



But inserting different music over the original is nothing new. See below. 'Party Rock Anthem' set to the Star Wars cantina music.




Oh, and you're welcome.

Hitting Home

I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't comment or elaborate on my feelings of the past two days. It all began when I checked the news Tuesday evening and saw this article heading, "Protesters climb U.S. Embassy walls in Cairo" 

I shared it on Facebook with the caption, "*sigh* Seriously, dudes?" and went to bed shaking my head over those events and reflecting on past ones. By bedtime, I knew that a similar incident was unfolding in Libya.

In the morning, I got the kids off to school and then sat down to check the news. Events had escalated further in Libya and they knew of one State Department officer that was dead. 

Oh crap. 

I went about my morning with this at the back of my mind as I puttered about doing this or that, not really accomplishing a whole lot. Go change laundry, check news, open drapes in the downstairs, check news. By lunchtime, it was confirmed that the Ambassador was one of the dead; the State Department officer death toll at four.

I sat down and felt dumbfounded. Predictably, I went to Facebook. (if you can't tell already, I go to Facebook a lot. sometimes it's my only tie to adult interaction) I felt like I should say something, but what? This is what I said,

"I've been muddling over exactly what to say, words escape me right now . . . "too close to home" is so double entendre . . Prayers for the families and for us in this part of the world."

Profound, huh? I usually write something way too long, archive it in my writing file so I can go to it later as a writing prompt and post the boiled down meaning. 

I watched as my feed filled up with other people sharing similarly heartfelt updates. A picture of a black mourning ribbon and State Department seal began popping up and people started sharing it or changing it to their profile pic.

I went to bed again. Had it been just 24 hours? I woke up, got the kids off to school and checked in. I saw blog post memorials written by other FS (foreign service) bloggers that had had the privilege of knowing and working with Ambassador Chris Stevens. I found a Facebook page that had just been created called, "The Sorry Project"; a project showing that the majority of the Libyan people oppose the crimes and violent actions committed against the US embassy. There are over 25 pictures of people holding signs that say, "We are sorry" and "Sorry people of America" etc. at peaceful, memorial rallies being held across Libya. Here is a whole gallery on Imgur of more people.

This picture brought on the tears. 

That's basically what I tell my children.

"I didn't want to assign a nationality to who these particular terrorists were. We have lived in the Middle East for most of my children's cognitive memory. They see Arabs differently than most people do. And that is one thing that makes me so grateful for the oppotunity we've been afforded in living overseas." 
                          ~ Me on 9/11/09 (Go here --> "In Remembrance" for the full story)

I feel fragmented in thought. With a sinking feeling in my stomach that I've felt before, I want it to go away. I want to try and forget what has happened, but I don't. These events are still unfolding and have affected embassies throughout the region. And to make matters even worse, most people don't care.

What can I do? I can dash about the house, wringing my hands, making sure the passports & other documents are in my "Go Bag", living from one ten minute segment to the next. 

Or, I do what I usually do in these situations and just try to have a normal day.

A better outlet

So I bought a pressure washer at Geant last week. I needed a pressure washer. I have bikes that need to be blasted, dirt caked on anything that stays outside longer than a week and it sure would make my back porch a breeze to clean. 

I open up the box and put it together. (I even referenced the instruction book) Easy enough. It needs to be plugged in. There is an outlet in my carport.

It looks like this.                                                                                     The plug looks like this.

Yes, all outlets here in Bahrain are the British three pronged kind. All appliances, lamps, blenders, etc. are round and two pronged. But we have plug adapters for that. No worries. I reclaim a plug adapter from the blender and stick it outside. It's not working. Ah, it is one of those 'not-quite-uniform-yet-appears-to-be-normal' outlets. Using the carport plug is a no-go. So I go hunt down an extension cord, reclaim the super long one from the T.V. area and plug everything in.

You know what, I'm going to save you the time & effort of slogging through my sorrows. I spent the next 45 minutes wrestling with the non-uniform hoses and trying to avoid drenching the electrical pressure washer with water. Point is, I get it working.

I go to my backyard to hunt down a spigot. There isn't one. No biggie, I'll snake this insanely long hose from the front of my house, through the kitchen, dining room and living room to the back porch. 

Then I haul the pressure washer to the back porch, rig the whole plug-in setup and go to the carport to turn on the water. I get to the back porch, turn on the switch and  . . . *crickets* nothing. I go back to the spigot and find that the hose has blown off.

Ok, I'll keep the hose on real low and tear through the house like a tornado, flip the switch and HOORAY! We have pressure washing! For about 15 seconds. Then every orifice that has water pumping through it decides to spray water, too. After all, the nozzle can't have all the fun. I turn off the washer, then turn it back on again. Nothing. I do the whole 'run through the house dance' and begin washing again. 15 seconds of amazing power washing and then water everywhere.

It is 108F/42C, humidity is at 45%, and I am wet with water and sweat. I give up. I'm done. The porch is just going to have to stay dirty. And I'm returning that fracking pressure washer. I need to go create something other than a mess.

YouTube Tuesday: The One with the great Video

If you're coming here for the latest and greatest discoveries from YouTube, you're in the wrong place. I post what I find and what I like; it will probably not be the most current. The idea for YouTube Tuesday came after an evening of getting together with some friends and it evolved into a video share-fest. "You've got to see this! It's the best!" "No, this one is my favorite!" and so on and so forth. I figured, why wait until those times to share my favorites videos, the ones I turn to when I need a few minutes of happiness. 

I love 'The Office'. It was made for my generation. My brother-in-law said this, after everyone was bringing us up to speed on the latest movies and T.V. shows, "Don't you just love it when you're the target audience?" It's true. There will be a reason why I'm uninterested in any shows when I'm old and grey; now is not that time.

I put my hands up in the air sometimes

Yeah, oh yeah! You know what time it is! It's 'back to school' time! Can I get a whoop-whoop? 

It's 7th, 5th, 3rd and 1st graders this year. Man, talk about tough. I mean, I remember 7th grade. I had a crush on my History teacher Mr. Duffy. No. freaking. way. is this happening to me. And the youngest is in first grade. I thought it was tough sending each kid that first year; now I know that the youngest is the toughest to let go. *sniff* FINE! Leave me to go grow up!!

 

As much as I may complain or kvetch about the insanity that they drive me to, I miss 'em. Not so much the first week or so; more in a couple of weeks. I think I could be okay with a staggered school year where I have two in school and two at home. Not that that scenario exists, I'm just saying I'd be okay with it. 

I also think this is an appropriate time to crow a little about their school. It's wonderful! It's their first experience with an "American style" school. Though what is that anymore? I love the curriculum; it's like the math program was made especially for them. Though a great curriculum is nothing without great teachers to implement it. They all (at least my kid's teachers) want to be there and live for what they do! I love that they say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at the A.M. assembly. I love that my kids feel comfortable enough, and CAN, run up to their teachers and give them a big hug. I think that touch and contact is a BIG part of any relationship. And I know one bennie that the kids love is the cafeteria hot lunch option. It's not too expensive (which I can't always say for Bahrain) and it helps me out some days.  

So here's to a new school year!  

 (if you can't tell, i'm on a gif kick)

 

One bite at a time

I try to maintain a positive vibe on this blog. (i totally do this every morning)

Yet in life there must be balance in all things. Life isn't all cheery times or slogging through the doldrums. I've had a hard time finding that balance again, as you can tell. In some ways, our two years here in Bahrain feel just as long or longer than the 4 in Egypt. Every 6 months, there has been an upheaval; 

- getting to post, waiting 4 months for household goods
- finally getting unpacked and we get hit with an evacuation
- return to house, re-find everything and settle into groove
- get moved from one house to another due to unstable neighborhood conditions
- get to unpack and reorganize and decorate for the 2nd time at post

And now we are back from summer R&R, have gotten over the jet lag and are starting school tomorrow. Still trying to find solutions to everyday life, like where the homework working is going to go down (dining room table did *not* work before), finding a maid (for the last year) and so on and so forth.

I have been doing some serious soul searching in the past few months. I had to find out for myself if blogging was a benefit or a burden to me. I have taken quite a long break and almost every. single. day. I had a new idea; a writing point or a blog topic. It's become quite clear to me that writing has become integral to my sanity and personal growth. Like anyone, I am afraid of failure. Am I setting myself up only to sit back and watch it all burn? Oh wait, I'm not a local troublemaker. No, I don't think so. Besides, how does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time. 

Beware the Groove

I think I can confidently state that due to my lack of regular posting, I have lost any and all interest anybody ever had in this blog. I am basically posting into thin air. 

Bahrain has been a tough post. There, I said it. I finally feel like I've got my feet under me again and it's time for summer R&R. The 26th was supposed to be the last day of school. Not anymore.

Yesterday afternoon, I got an email stating that due to possible incidents (roadways being blockaded, clashes with protesters & police, etc.) school would start three hours late on Monday. Then an hour later, another email came stating that because the possible incidents would also impact Tuesday, they would start 3 hours late that day as well. It was already a half day. Another hour and another email and the whole thing is sorted. Monday will be the last day of school for the elementary and Tuesday will start late and run just long enough for the middle and high school students to take their last exam. Yes, the MS & HS take their exams the last days of school. Crazy, I know. We have this site called Gradespeed where the students can check their test results in a week. I'll bet the teachers love that. 

The reason my feathers are still ruffled about this whole thing? We leave for the States on Wednesday night. Instead of having just one day for the kids to undo all my hard work, they'll have two. Another impediment to my progress here in Bahrain is that I lost my maid in the move back in January. (please, don't even give me any grief on that subject, k?) I have been doing it all on my own since then and it's not easy. You try keeping a 5,000+ square foot house clean. So I've been going along, working my groove, and this hits me like a ton of bricks. I tell ya, love my kids as I do, but when I've got a list of things I need to get done that didn't have the kid factor times 4 included, that messes with the math. 

So since they just left on the bus 20 minutes ago instead of 3 hours and 20 minutes ago, I've really got to get off my duff and get a move on. 

 

YouTube Tuesday: She Lives!

I know, I know. I've used that title before. And the reference, too. (*cough* Mulan *cough*) I'm not even searching for the clip. It's a mental video you'll have to conjure.

We've been here, done that and bought this t-shirt so many times I could open my own t-shirt store. I know, I've been delinquent. Truthfully, I'm really working on making my own blog. Yessiree, my own, my precious. It's not anywhere near being ready to launch, so don't worry. When it's ready, you'll know. The biggest holdup is the name of the blog. I've changed this blog's title once and I don't want to do it again. The reason I want a separate blog? I'd like to put the more personal, family stuff private & let the rest all hang out. Maybe I'll get some input if I get really stuck.

But now, on to the real star of the day. The YouTube Video! I have to brag just a little because I found this channel all on my own, with just a little help from Me, Myself & I. And do you know who was on The Ellen Show yesterday? (hint: not me) Yousef, the guy who makes these videos. He plays all the characters, he is awesome. I did have a hard time narrowing it down to just one video. That's why there are two! You have to promise me that you will go see his other vids. Start with: 'You Know You're Arab When . . .', then move onto the 'Middle Eastern Family' episodes. 






 

 

Trashy Treasure

A science fair is one of the 'End of the Year' projects we are working on. Well, worked on; Grant is done, the fair is on Thursday. Don't worry, there are still more projects to be had by all the kids. Isn't that just fabulous? Yes, we still have another month of school. Not fluffy school, real school. Sigh. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

Rotten Thumb

I have been falsely misled into thinking I have a bit of a green thumb. I planted ornamental sunflowers about 2 weeks ago. The package said sprouts would appear in 7-10 days. And that they do best in full sun. And to water them frequently. Yes, I have to be reminded to give nourishment to things I am responsible for. (I may or may not be referring to other non-plant growths that need to be fed) 

Just 5 days after doubtfully planting my seeds, little green sprouts poked out of the black soil. Yay! I can grow something! I tended them dutifully; preparing myself for a few empty spaces in between the other sprouts, there have to be duds in every packet. Actually, I only had 5 out of the two packets not sprout. I also know that some will not make it to full size; there have to be sprouts that die, either through natural selection or thinning. I watch National Geographic, I know the circle of life. I'm still surprised that the hordes of doves, pigeons, and sparrows haven't turned it into their own personal buffet. 

The past two days, though, my little sprouts have been shriveling up and dying. Wha...? I've only got about 30 percent of the original successes. I've moved them out of the full sun, contrary to the packaging directions. I know Bahrain's weather can be harsh; we've been hitting the century mark daily for the last month. This was supposed to be the perfect conditions for them, too. I saw the same sunflowers thriving last year. There are even ones that sprang up spontaneously and are being ripped out and treated like weeds. 

Last Saturday, the kids came running inside and said they discovered a tomato plant with little red tomatoes on it!. I told them to leave it alone because it's not our plant. But they insisted that it was right beside our door, so it must be ours. I went outside and looked under the tree that overhangs our steps. Lo and behold, two hardy cherry tomato plants, each bearing 2-4 red fruits and at least a dozen green ones between them. There's even a monster basil plant right near it. Seems like the previous tenants had a little tomato sauce garden going here.




So, I give up. Little seeds of any sort, stay away from me. If you are planted by me, it is surely a death sentence. I guess the green on my thumb stands for rotten. If only plants grew spontaneously around me, that would be a great superpower. ::*plant powers turning on*:: I command squash, strawberries, watermelon, and chilies to pop out of the ground. I promise I won't touch you until you're ripe.

Time

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have,
and only you can determine how it will be spent.
Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."
~ Carl Sandburg

I've been silent for a while. Sometimes silence is good. This was a good silence.

I've been trying to sift through my life, picking out the unnecessary and bringing in the important. Deciding which category this blog resides in has been the biggest struggle. I love writing; composing a story for someone. I have figured out that because of the blog, I am a better writer and because of the blog, I write. But therein lies the dilemma. This blog began as a connection to the family on the other side of the ocean. The easiest way to share pictures and such. Things have changed (for the better).

Another quote I really like is, "You have time for what you make time for." Or something like that. There's that object lesson where you have to fit the rocks and sand in a jar, but all of it fits only if you put in the big rocks first, then the sand. Point being that you take care of the big things in your life before the small stuff.

I think it is time to split the blog. One for just me and my narcissistic needs, and this one for family stuff. I have pondered over that dilemma too because so much of who I am revolves around the family. But I believe I have just about got that figured out, too. Really, I'm just trying to decide on a name for the other one and I'll open it right up.

"For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what
happens to the eight hours supposedly
left after eight of sleep and eight of work."

~ Doug Larson

Thoughts on 22 Dec '11

This is from my notes I wrote down while we were on vacation in Thailand. No, it's not too late to use this.

It seems I can't escape the Middle East; or the Middle East can't escape me. Either way, I must be destined to be inextricably reminded of Islam at every corner I turn. Our hotel is located near one of the few mosques in Southern Thailand. I hear the call to prayer at the proper times each day.

After we visited the Phuket Aquarium, we explored a bit down the boardwalk. Along the way, there are vendors making street food from their scooter stalls. A car pulls up for some chicken satay and greets the vendor with "Salaam aleekum!" and the vendor responds, "Aleekum essalaam." Fabulous, it's like I never left home. Except when we get back to our hotel, I'm laying out swimsuits to dry on a balcony overlooking the northern Andaman sea. And a coconut tree is swaying in the jasmine scented breeze. I'm not kidding; the scent is sometimes so strong, it's unreal. I could never mistake this for Bahrain, or Egypt, that's for sure.

Papaya and banana trees grow amongst rubber trees right off the side of the road. And greenery chokes everything else that stays in one place for too long. It's December and the temperature is in the high 80s with humidity at pretty much perfect.

Valentine, will you be mine?

Not just another movie

I have the next movie you have to watch. Have. To. Watch. It will leave you speechless. It is thought provoking and utterly compelling. From the first moment you press ‘play’ you will be riveted in your seat, unable to tear any part of your consciousness away from this story. It takes hold of your very person, body and mind.

Don’t read any reviews. Don’t read about the preface. This is the perfect ‘blank slate’ kind of movie. Don’t learn anything about it. Just watch it. Just do it. Spence saw this on the plane and ordered it within hours of when he landed. It came in the mail today and I outrageously proposed that I could just watch it the next day; I just wasn’t “in the mood” for an unknown entity. He started it and said that we’d just watch a little and then I could turn it off if I wanted to. 92 minutes later, the movie is over and I am left feeling like Rip Van Winkle. You know when a movie ends, you blink and look around. You feel like you are reconnecting to ‘real life’; left in amazement that life has still gone on, time kept moving.

This movie will leave a physical impression on you. This is a gem. What movie is it? It is called ‘Another Earth’. Don’t go read about it on IMBD (no I will not link to the site!) or plug it into Google or Wikipedia. Go pick it up at the video store or move it to the top of your Netflicks cue. You can thank me in the form of chocolates and eternal praise.

Meet Chance

Guess who we got to bring home this morning? Our new puppy, whom we have named Chance. He is 8 weeks old and 100% golden retriever. We have waited so long for the right time & place to get a puppy. He is fluffy, adorable and we are so excited to have this little guy in our life!

See? I told you!

I had a bunch of ideas backlogged in my notes app. I kept my phone near me most of the time on vacation so that I could "jot down" moments and thoughts while we were in the moment. This is from Dec. 21; the first day trip we took. We did some sightseeing and then rode elephants. I will have to scan in the family elephant pics. As much as I *didn't* want to buy the gimmicky photo that the travel place takes & then tries to sell you at the end of the trip; I did buy it. Only because it was a great picture. Really! I was stunned.

- Playing "Find the Shrine" is a good car game in Thailand.
*At every place of business or home, there is a shrine to Buddha. They leave offerings of food, water & such and light incense. The shrines range from super-fancy to kinda shabby. You know one thing I observed? Most of the super-fancy were mostly bereft of assorted offerings and were at nicer houses & establishments. The not-as-fancy ones were usually overflowing with offerings and at more humble homes & businesses. Hmm, interesting. I can't believe I didn't get a better picture of a shrine. But then again, I was a bit unsure of the acceptability of photographing a shrine up close; there are signs to take off your shoes before approaching them.

- Any day that ends with a camera strap burn on your neck has been a good day.

- Truly finding the balance between capturing the moments and living the moments is a delicate tightrope to walk. I don't want to miss a thing but I want to be in the moment. Photographing is enjoyable, but sometimes I come back from an outing and feel like I was looking through a viewfinder the whole time. Kind of like tunnel vision.
*When making a memory or having a new experience, you feel like if you don't photograph it, it didn't happen. The lesson I learn over and over again --> Guess what? Even if you don't have photographic proof, it still happened.

stop and think about it.

DBA (Delinquent Bloggers Anonymous)

Hi, I'm Lydia.

Blogger: Hello Lydia.

It's been 16 days since I last blogged. I have been bursting with ideas and material to blog about that whole time. It's just, you see, I had to move.

Blogger: I see. Go on.

I mean, we had Christmas vacation. We actually took a vacation over Christmas, which we'd never done. It was wonderful! Then we got back and were dropped with a bombshell of news. The Embassy had made the decision to move the families in the "danger zones" to safer places. They said they wanted to get it done in 60 days.

Blogger: Yeah, like that would happen. It probably won't be done before April.

I know! That's exactly what I said! So we unpacked, readjusted to our schedule and all. Then on the 4th, they wanted us to look at some houses. Ok, I can do that; I've never been consulted on housing while overseas. I tell them my preference and they say they'll get back to us when the housing board has met and made a decision.

Blogger: Oh, a meeting. That'll take a week or so to come together.

Nay no, burrito! 24 hours later, they say we've been approved for the housing I wanted and would it be possible to send the moving company to do a pre-move survey on Sunday. (it was Thursday)

Blogger: I don't believe it!

Believe it, bloggy baby! They came to do the survey and 48 hours later, they had the move-out day scheduled for the 16th. So I had the rest of that week to kind of get some things in order before the moving crew descended. Monday rolled around and the crew shows up an hour and 15 minutes early. (they said they'd be there at 9:30 am; they show up at 8:15 am) The crew swarms in and has the living room, dining room, office & half the kitchen packed by noon.

Blogger: When was the first night you spent in the new house?

17 January.

Blogger: So how long from the first day you knew you were moving until the job was done?

13 days. And if you count from when we actually knew when movers were coming, just 6 days.

Blogger: That's not a lot of time. Not that anyone's complaining about efficiency.

Oh no, I'm not. Yeah, what kind of odds would that bet have? An efficient move executed by the government? Of all the things to complain about, who'd have guessed it?

Blogger: Definitely not me!

Thank you for listening, Blogger. I appreciate this open conversation.

Blogger: No problem. Come back anytime.

I plan to come back. I'll be here tomorrow, same time, same place.

Blogger: I'll be here.

Beach bums

The first few days we weren't in any rush. The hotel had it's own stretch of beach for guests only and it was nice. There are plenty of "have to see" beaches, but those are also the most crowded ones and the ones booming with discotech music all day & night. Not my kind of beach. The Capri Beach Club, as it was called, had beach chairs & loungers, shade, beach, grassy area and a cafe where you could order meals & snack AND charge it to your room. That meant not having to bring our wallet to the beach. BIG BONUS!

Where the waves break, the sand is literally chock full of every kind of shell you could want to find! And that spells heaven for my little hunters & collectors; mainly Grant & Mairyn. The beach was lined with coconut trees and all of them had coconuts at some stage of development. The club said they monitored the trees on our beach so that there weren't any in imminent danger of falling to the ground. Grant found a coconut further down the beach, just laying in the sand. He hauled it back to me and wanted to shuck it. Aw shucks, Grant, why don't you ask me to do something hard? Fortunately, it was a bit waterlogged and part of the husk was pulled back. So we husked a coconut right there on the beach. We got our own brown, fuzzy coconut! The part where the husk was pulled back, there was a crack in the shell, so we pulled that part off and got to peer into a newly opened coconut, all white and fragrant inside.

The Journey begins

So, we went to Thailand for Christmas. It was about the furthest I was willing to go; just 4 hours ahead of us. I did not want to deal with serious jet lag. The flight was, um, longer than expected. The itinerary we'd been given said we would fly Bahrain to Doha, change planes there, Doha to KUALA LAMPUR (oh yes, i'm serious) stay on the plane in Malaysia for an hour and a half, then *finally* land in Phuket. Blerg.

The kids were excited to finally be leaving for Thailand. We couldn't decide whether to surprise them the day before or include them in the plans. We chose the former. The flight left at 11pm. Huge, huge thing to remember --> don't *ever* do a transfer in Doha. The bus from the plane dropped us off at the mail terminal and left us in the exhaust. Going through the sliding doors, it was mass chaos somewhat on par with the mobs in the Ataba souk in Cairo. No direction, just a huddled group of 4 random airline employees right before the cordoned security check area. Not that they were any help, they gestured to their right and left. Crap.

We elbowed our way to a place in the crowd to see where we needed to go. I'm not shocked at the chaos or the inability to form a line; I just wanted to get through it. Traveling with a group of people is, in some ways, a bit easier than on my own. I can be Mama Bear and part the seas, keeping my children close and cutting off the people who weren't taught manners in Kindergarten. With Spence as my wing man, we jockeyed our way through the snaking line and, after an hour and a half, finally made it through the joke called security. You know how long our layover was? One hour and 40 minutes. Racing through the airport, we hear, "Thees ees the final boarding call for flight XX!" That's us! They closed the plane door behind us. Whew!

Now we've got a 10 hour flight. Poo. I was beginning to rethink this brilliant idea. But Qatar airways rocks. They are superb. We finally made it into Phuket at 4pm local time. Only took us 13 hours. I think Grant and Jacqui illustrate how all of us felt.

I was so tired, I had to do a double take when I looked in the front seat.
Maybe I sound ignorant, but I didn't know they drove on the left hand
side of the road. Go figure. It was so disorienting, I had to find other ways to
distract myself while in the car. Especially when we made a turn across traffic.
It was all I could do to not scream, "STOP! You're turning the wrong way!"



But this balcony view was worth the journey.

In the beginning

There was Eliza.
Firstborn - creative - irrepressible - smart - caring
She is 12 years old today.
I'm in denial.

Derailed

At least I'm blogging today. It's one of those days. How does the saying go, 'The best laid plans, something something. ' The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. That's a good summary of the day so far.

We got back from Thailand Friday night. The same night, we find out that while we were gone, the Embassy made the decision to move all the families in our area for safety reasons, which I completely understand. But there is a timeline and it's chugging right along.

This morning, I went to wake up Grant and Jacqui for school. Jacqui rolled over and her cheeks were speckled with bright red dots. Those dots continued down her neck, chest and tummy. Ok, guess she's not going to school. I got the kids off, got ready and waited for the Health Unit to open. They had an opening first thing, so we got in the car and took off. Right before we got to the Health Unit, the management head walked by in the hall and asked if I had a few minutes after my appointment to talk about the move. Oh yes, I have all the time in the world for that! We saw the doctor who prescribed some antibiotics, (he thinks it's a strep rash, will know more after tests confirm/deny). Then my little buddy and I headed across the hall to discuss our future housing.

Fortunately, they are being extremely accommodating, considering the amount of families to move and the time frame they have to do it in. In about an hour, I found myself driving to two different housing complexes to see what could be our future residence. I'm torn. It's going to be a tough decision. It will be smaller, in comparison to what we have right now, but there are other pluses. So that's how it got to be noon and none of what I had planned to get done is done yet. I have to decide by weeks end. Wish me luck!

Oh, and not to leave anyone hanging, here's another Thailand picture!

These are little statues at the Big Buddha shrine. I likey.

Back to Back

We're back. Back from Christmas break and back to school. I've got a memory card with over 1300 images and videos just staring at me, needing to be weeded through. I have this plan to break it down into manageable chunks. I jotted down little notes just about every day, so that when we got back, it wouldn't seem like this huge, unmanageable memory of a dream to conquer.

It was a great vacation. We've never done anything like this; go somewhere for Christmas. But I'm glad we did it; I think the kids are finally starting to appreciate and remember these kind of experiences. Last summer, when we camped in the Redwoods, visited great-grandparents, and exposed them to all things wonderfully Southern Oregonian, something sank in. It is the first of the shared memories by all of the children, from oldest to youngest.

So, I'm going to sort through the photos and notes and get 'er done! Tomorrow, "The Journey to Thailand".

First stop on one of the day tours: Kata View Point, Southern Phuket Island