Friday, June 24, 2005

Potty Language


"So, why haven't you blogged?" Lochmoor Mom asked.

Two words, my friend: POTTY TRAINING.

"So, blog about that."

This one I actually thought about for a millisecond. Besides using up huge time blocks where I spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in front of Emma on the 'potty', singing songs, reading books to her, or making up Dora stories, I am, when she goes to bed, pooped.

Not pooped in the sense of "poots" (Emma speak), or as in "pee-pee", which I actually used in a sentence when speaking to my husband yesterday. Pooped as in so flippin' tired and sucked dry of any patience I ever had that I really want to burrow into the farthest reaches of my house and twitch. Barring that availability, eating more Birthday Cake Remix will work, too.

I meant to go to Meijer tonight and pick up more Feel and Learn diapers ("Dora Diapers"), Kan-Doo flushable wipes ("Purple-green paper towel"), and some pull-ups for night and nap times, since Emma likes to remove the regular velcro tabbed diapers for sleeping purposes. However, the minute the girls went to their cribs (they are still chatting at each other right now) I put on my PJ's. I know a lot of people go to all sorts of places in their pajamas, but I am not and will not become one of them. So that will be first on the docket tomorrow morning. Oh, and we are out of milk. Better put that on the list, too.

All in all, potty training is everything I feared and expected. I just didn't foresee the potty-themed songs or the made up Dora adventure stories, where Dora eats a lot and drinks a lot and then has to.... Well, I am sure you can guess that ending.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Status Quo

Well my dear husband made it home today, safe and sound, thank God. He came in just as I was coming downstairs with both girls after Mary's morning nap. They girls were all dressed in pretty yellow dresses, although I myself was only in shorts. Emma sported little pigtails, which are as darling as any 2-year-old can get. She cinched that category when she saw Jim and ran into his arms at full speed, yelling,"Daddy!" with the exuberance only a child can display. Mary got all excited and laughed (in happiness) and waited until Emma was done and Jim looked right at her to say, "DADA!!!!". It was a great homecoming and so wonderful to see my children so happy and animated at Jim's return. Jim looked blissful. So for the afternoon, things returned to normal and it seemed like he was never gone. We went to lunch (Wendy's), and Mary and Emma kept alternating calling Dada and Daddy for him to respond on the drive there. We came home, put the girls down for their naps, and I collapsed from exhaustion while Jim, wired with caffeine, put together the behemoth climbing toy I bought almost 2 weeks ago. When Emma saw it, she loved it. We had pizza for dinner - that is a Wednesday night tradition, so nobody better get on me for not cooking a meal for him. Jim was glad to eat some good food and said that lunch was the most expensive meal he's had in 3 weeks. Well, it is 8:15 and the whole of my family is in bed and I am by myself. It is nice, in a way, to catch my breath, clean up the kitchen and the girls' toys, and sit down to a quiet house. I did finish off my bucket-o-calories today and I hope to not see that dreaded ice cream again for a long time. I am going to go spend some time with my Stampin' Up! orders and catalog and possibly make a few cards to send to people. I have been trying to do that for 3 weeks now and haven't made it yet, so we'll see. BTW, I'd like to welcome my friend in Jackson to the blogging world. You can check out her blog at www.lochmoorlife.blogspot.com . Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

A Bedtime Story at 11:38 PM

Once upon a time, and not so very far away, lived a perfectly beautiful little baby. Her name was Mary Leona. She was very wonderful and her mother and father loved her very much. Her father traveled far and wide so that he could provide for his little Mary and her sister. Her mother spent sleepless night hours comforting the mewling baby. She would hold Mary and sit in her magical sleepy chair, and she would rock....

back and forth

back and forth

back and forth

And little precious baby Mary would hold on tight to her Momma and snuggle into her warmth and familiar smell. Mary's Momma would say, "My darling baby, you must sleep now, for all of the world is sleeping and you should be, too. Listen to how the magical sleepy chair creaks....

squeak and creak

squeak and creak

squeak and creak

And then her Momma would quietly sing a soft and comforting song. Little Mary Leona would burrow in to her Momma's arms and listen to the whispering melody. And the magic sleepy chair would rock in time to the music....

back and forth

back and forth

back and forth

All of this time Mary's Momma was losing herself in the sweet infant smell, the grasp of tiny hands, and the roly poly legs nestled in her arms. She would think that there is nothing better than a sleeping baby in her arms, if that baby could only sleep. And she counted with the creaks and squeaks...

one and two

one and two

one and two

and she silently asked her baby to sleep. Very soon, the perfectly beautiful baby relaxed her tenseness and sighed into slumber. Her Momma rocked a little longer and desperately tried to memorize everything about that moment. She kissed her baby on her head, right where her hairline met her skin which is the softest and sweetest spot on a baby's head, and took her into her crib to lay her down. And the perfectly beautiful Mary Leona slept, and they all lived happily ever after.

Barring that, there is always letting the baby cry it out.

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Dust, Camels and Carrier Pigeons

Well, I'm still here in Saudi and the dust has begun to pickup. I have been reassured that I missed the worst of it when the dust is as thick as snow in the winter. The dust however fills the air and puts a light coat on everything. if you stay outside too long you can swear you smell and taste the dust. It comes in from the northwest usually after a day of windy weather and everything outside is just coated in it. It reminds me of home for the past few years with all the construction dust!

I have neglected to mention that I saw a herd of camels in caravan the other day. It was pretty cool! There is this long stretch of highway where the land on either side is interspersed with random garbage dumps, camel camps and hilly, varied terrain with portions of what were once structures. I haven't figured out the structures yet. They aren't completely demolished but 4/5th of them are gone. Or you see what looks like bridge supports without trusses. All of this terrain is fenced off and you can see rocky outcroppings, ponds and other natural features. One of the people I road with speculated it was a military training camp but that doesn't make sense to me because it is not hidden from public view. The rest of the land is a mixture of areas that have been filled with new sand, areas that are untouched and look like the military camps and areas that are somewhere in between. The land is covered by a mixture of sagebush and a spindlly grass with occasional palm trees. The towns are filled with topiary, trees, gardens and buildings in various states of occupation or construction.

Unlike Abu Dhabi, I see a lot of birds and cats with an occasional dog. I have seen about four of five different types of bird. But the most impressive sight by far has been the camels. I have seen yellow, red, black and even a couple of white camels roaming the hills along the highway. You know you are not in Michigan when you see the camels...

My host is returning home today to the States today. I will be following in the coming days and still I do not have the long awaited software. Apparently it was send by carrier pigeon because it has been two weeks and it has not arrived. I found out they sent it standard mail instead of something sensable like FedEx or DHL. Most of the locals agree with me that even carrier pigeons might have been faster. I have decided to start working on anything I can over these coming days. I have scheduled meetings, meetings, meetings... It almost seems like home!

Speaking of home, I spoke to Ann and she is eagerly awaiting my return as too am I. She told me of a conversation (yes, an actual conversation) with Emma in teh car that went something like this...

Emma: Emma blanky go b-bye Mum's house.
Ann: Yes, Emma's blanky is going b-bye to Mum's house.
Emma: Emma b-bye Mum's house
Ann: Yes, Emma is going b-bye to Mum's house.
Emma: (Insert name of random Emma associated object) go b-bye Mum's house.
Ann: Yes, (repeat named object) is going b-bye to Mum's house.
Emma: Dada b-bye Dada's purple car... Dada airplane go b-bye far away... Emma miss Dada!
Ann:
Emma: Blanky miss Dada
Ann: Yes, blanky misses Dada, too.
Emma: Neeny miss Dada...
Ann: Yes, Neeny...

Well, I miss you too Emma and I look forward to holding you can getting Emma kisses (or not, because somehow my daughter thinks I should be the one kissing her and not the other way around). But she does give great big hugs and she'll say, "Dov you, Dada." I really love that! I can't wait to get Mary hugs and slobbery baby kisses. And I certainly can't wait to be home with and hold my Wife again. As someone who has travelled frequently I think I can say that the two best parts of travelling are the anticipation of going and actually coming home. Of the two, it is a close call as to which is the headier experience but there is nothing like the relief of being in your own house, sleeping in your own bed, using your own shower and basking in the warmth of your family. I know that the girls will probably be bursting with excitement and I'll be lucky to get much sleep for the first couple of days. Even the dog will be glad to see me and he'll be all pathetic and want me to pet him endlessly... I do look forward to that!

Friday, June 10, 2005

Counting Calories

Another bucket of Birthday Cake Remix entered the house this evening. I am obsessed with this ice cream. Out of curiosity, I checked the nutritional information.....

*****880 CALORIES***** per serving. That was before the candy sprinkles and the fudge syrup got added in. I think my recommended daily caloric intake is supposed to be 1200 or 1500. So if I eat, say, a banana for breakfast and have a couple of glasses of iced tea, I can eat 1 bowl of ice cream and not worry about the consequences. That is assuming I go the whole day without eating anything else. The ice cream is too darn tasty and way too fattening. I need to form a Cold Stone Creamery Anonymous group and do it fast, before I weigh considerably more than I did last month. All I can say is Jim better get home soon or I am going to be twice my normal size. Somebody STOP me! (but not until this bucket is empty.....)

And Time Goes Marching On

So I haven't posted in a few days. Mostly I am dumbfounded that Jim will have to go back to Saudi 10 days after he gets home next week. I am wandering around, not picking things up, not wearing makeup, and letting the kids run around in nothing but diapers. I even laid in bed while Mary napped and Emma bumped around my room, surreptitiously watching AristoCats. I just can't seem to care about it. It? Well, that would be trying to make it until Jim gets home and keep up the facade that I can maintain everything even though he is traveling. I really just want him to be home now and have my normal day back. Not this muddled repetition of sleeping and waking with all of the days running together. It doesn't seem to matter how many people I see during the day, the evenings and the housework are still oppressive and dark. That's all I will say now. I don't want to do the single Mom thing any more, and certainly not for 3 weeks at a time.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Damn Hot and Disconnected Ramblings

Well, for those of you interested in knowing, I did actually make some "progress" yesterday. I worked on editing processes, I got my server restarted, downloaded an update to another peice of software I have been trying to get and fixed some things I broke on Saturday. I still haven't successfully seen data moving to my database and I am still waiting for software from Germany (this makes it 1 week now). So I start the day a little, ever so little, less irritated than yesterday.

I just want to mention how hot it is here. Each day at lunch the temperature is about 110. This might not seem bad in Phoenix where the humidity is low but I can reassure you that the humidity here is picking up. I have begun to see the summer exodus from Saudi as the expats families all pack up and go to cooler climates. Soon the upper class Saudis will start leaving on vacation too so that only the expats and the rest of the Saudis are here keeping things going. I have seen the humidity in Bahrain already. A think haze hanging in the air... I know it is coming this way although I have been told that it is not as bad here as in Bahrain. In the end it is just damn hot. You can't enjoy a swim in the pool because it feels like bath water and it doesn't evaporate and cool you down because of the humidity. The wind as started blowing too, kicking up the sand so the sky turns tan on the horizon. All that just adds to my desire to finish up...

At dinner last night I sat with a German, Dutchman, and a Scotsman. The conversation was still relatively quiet filled with large pockets of quiet contemplation. I think it is because there is no alcohol allowed. Interesting enough the Dutchman did ponder aloud why some people in the US seem to obsess about individual players' statistics. I hopothesized that it might have something to do with the 12 year old boy discussion about which comic book hero would be superior to the other. This brought some brief explanation but didn't really seem to break the silence... This is not typical as I mentioned before, most of the conversations involve work.

I did want to mention that last week I week Mohamed came to get me at about 930am and said, "Come, breakfast." The guys pitched in and bought a large amount of sweets and Lebanese food and served Arabic coffee and ate and talked. The food was good and I ate so much I thought I was going to be able to skip dinner (but I didn't). There were pastries filled with yogurts and cheeses and so many other foods... The coffee was made of greener beans that were roasted and made into a type of light tea and served in a very small cup. It was good and not nearly as strong as the coffee we drink.

I still miss everyone and I can't beleive I have only been here for 12 days. It seems like much longer than that! I called Ann last night and she was getting ready to take Mary for her nap. She told Mary that "Dada is on the phone" and I said "Hello, Mary". Mary responded with the cutest "Da-DA?" Followed by many more calls for me. Mary tried to hug the phone and Ann pulled it away as Mary was busy chewing on it. Ann reported that Mary was cross at her for taking away the phone. The time before last when I called and caught Emma there she was more petulant. She wanted to tell me things (about monies and bubbles, Mum and Mary) but only by speaking in the opposite direction of the phone making it difficult to hear her. Its hard to say if these glimpses from afar trends for the future but it is funny to watch they develop their personalities! It seems like years since I last bounced them on my knee and watched them make silly, happy faces...

Monday, June 06, 2005

Stranded in Saudi

I am working on a project that has taken me to Saudi. I won't talk about details but as my wife mentioned, things could be going better. It is really, really, really frustrating to have made a lengthy trip to a far away land and find out: 1) one of the main pieces of software need to be replaced, which has to come from another country and the person there doesn't seem to show any signs of urgency 2) the person you have to train is going out of country right when you would be training them 3) your equipment doesn't work and your colleagues back home really don't seem to understand this 4) it looks like you'll be stranded forever...

I too sleep alone (I know my wife is glad to hear this). The air conditioning is constantly running and drowning out any other sounds. My house mate is my main client. He is a good host and roommate but I still try to minimize my interruptions to his daily patterns. Work is a constant topic. We talk about many other things but it is obviously something that is on top of each of our minds. Breakfast - work, ride in to the office - work, the office - work [mostly - on some occasions I take time to discuss pressing social issues with Mohammed or the other guys I see and work along side while we work], ride back to the compound - work, quiet time before dinner - break from work to excersize or make initial calls to the office back home, dinner - work, after dinner - work summary, more calls and preparation for the next day of the same. Sounds like fun, huh? I really feel for the guys here. That is all many of them have unless their families are here with them. The evening is time for calls to family and friends and meetings with the office back home. I am really surprised how late some of those meetings go...

I have four outfits so every three days I do laundry. One outfit is shorts and a tee shirt that I only wear in the compound. What is a compound? It is a walled, gated enclosure where the expats stay. Think of it as a bunch of connected condos with a shop and restaurant in the middle. It is the only place you see children playing or women outside. It is "home" and is clean and neat inside. It feels like a gated community with barbed wire.

The facility is protected by guards, military and barb/razor wire. Inside life is, well, cabin fever on steroids! You read, watch TV, work, eat, exercise but don't go outside of the compound. Really, this is the daily habit. You don't go to town because there might be one person who doesn't want you there and decides to take advantage of the opportunity. I am assured by my non-western colleagues that it is not likely but yet... I have seen too many pictures of those poor folks paraded on TV and executed. It's just not worth it and all my colleagues seem to share that opinion!

Each night I lay there, too hot or too cold from the constant blowing of the a/c. I miss my wife and kids. You can't help but... I don't get the the tickle bugs or the kisses or the hugs or anything. I really miss it! There is no sound of my wife's breathing at night only the constant drone of the a/c. And during the day, I have more disappointment. It would all be more bearable if I was making headway and at least knew I was being productive and could see an end-date. That would really help make the time pass or bouy my spirits. At the moment however I can only hope that "tomorrow will be better".

Ann sent me with pictures in a small album of our daughters and of our family and that at least helps when the homesickness is really bad. I can close my eyes and remember their hugs and laughter. I can remember and hectic evenings, the cries in the night, and I can remember why I want to finish all this darned work and go home. That is my only solice. Well, that and hope for tomorrow to be better. These are some of what I think about at night when I miss the smells of my wife and kids... The sounds of the dog roaming from the bathroom to the sitting room... The air from the ceiling fan and the quiet frustration of life in suburbia (come on folks, am I the only one that thinks about the trim paint, yard and other frustrations at night when everyone is asleep?). Like Ann said, I'm not whining but I am trying to get some of this down and to remember...

Well, I just received an e-mail I have been waiting for and it is time to call Germany and find out where my software is. "Today I will get something of this work done." I will be one day closer to home...

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Well it is Sunday night and all of the tornados have made their way north of my house without cause for concern here. Some 90,000 homes are without power from Ann Arbor to Lake Orion. Here we just lost some planters and the kiddie pool. The girls are in bed and the TV is on, not that I am really watching it. My parents left this evening after a rushed dinner eaten standing at my counter (my Dad was eager to beat the storms). The toys in the family room are lightly scattered about and the heating pad my Mom was using is crumpled in the corner of the couch. A half eaten cake is calling my name on the counter, left over from my limp attempt at a birthday celebration. I am tired and yet do not want to go to bed. Why? Because it is empty upstairs in my bedroom. There is nobody else breathing next to me. There is no smell of Old Spice and soap. I made the mistake of washing the sheets right after Jim left and now the pillows smell like Tide. Going to bed does not signify the end of one day and the start of a new, fresh day with possibilities, but the continuation of a prolonged emptiness. I don't mean to whine, especially since Jim is really having an awful time on his trip. I am only trying to alleviate some of my loneliness by writing it out. 10 days gone by and at least 10 more to go, if not more. And I really miss scrapbooking time. I could do that during naps or after the girls go to bed, but it is better when I go to the nearby store and have other people there to talk to and ask opinions. I am restless and reluctant at the same time, wanting to get out with the kids and dreading leaving the house with them. I have no idea how to approach this, or which strategy will get me by until Jim gets home. Surely I will make it through, but I just wish it wasn't so lonely, especially at night. I would like to be able to go to bed when Emma and Mary do, and sleep until they get up. Instead, I drag around until I am falling ove tired and drag myself up to bed. Then I drag in the morning and scowl at the day. I spend a lot of time directly interacting and watching the girls on their level so that I don't feel alone. It is wonderful to get down on the floor and have the girls drop anything to come and join me. They laugh and climb on me and we wrestle around for a bit. Emma's hair smells like lavender soap and Mary still retains the precious baby smell that is so fleeting. Mary has long, curving eyelashes and likes to give kisses, and Emma likes to look straight into my eyes and ask me questions or point out 'boo-boos' on my face. Then she inevitable finds tickle bugs under my chin and gets a devilish grin. These are the things that I can get lost in. Well, one of them is awake and screaming, so I must run.

Garage Sale

Well it has been a BUSY week. I spent just about every spare minute etting prepared for a garage sale. I must first apologize to my friend Paula, who probably thinks I have forgotten who she is - I will call you this week! Aside from that, my Mom came over Thursday so I could set up and stayed until this morning to help with the kids while I wheeled and dealed and generally sold my junk. I made out pretty well, taking in $240 and getting rid of some items that were just darn bulky. Then I sent the books I didn't sell to the library, the clothes are packed up for Purple Heart (scheduled for Thursday), and a neighbor graciously agreed to include a few more boxes in the load she was hauling to the Salvation Army. At the end of the day I only had tables, 1 box of hardcover books I couldn't part with, and a container filled with fabric left. This morning I found someone who offered to take the fabric. I am really pleased! I am going to buy a climbing yard toy for the girls with the money and put it in the basement for rainy days. I can't wait!

Mary stood on her own the other day for quite a while while, so I don't think it will be long before she is trying to walk. She already cruises around while holding on to furniture, which Emma never did. Pretty much, she can get anywhere she wants. She is also a climber which makes life oh so interesting. And this morning she pointed to something she wanted - also a new thing. She is progressing by leaps and bounds and it is bittersweet.

Jim is still in Saudi Arabia and the trip is becoming pretty hard for him. I think we will both be glad when it is over.

Emma has been using her little pool and bubble machine endlessly - a new obsession. The only problem is that she thinks she should be naked when playing with water. She actually said, "No diaper, Mamma, NAKED." My mom and I could hardly keep straight faces. She has also decided that she is really tired of diapers and wants to use the potty like everyone else. So potty training has begun despite my reluctance. Next week I may actually make a concerted effort to make the big change. Until then, we are playing it by ear.

Today I am going to sit around and do nothing. Well, as much nothing as one can do with 2 children around. We are expecting severe thunderstorms with hail and tornados later in the day, so we may all be in the basement for a while. As long as the power doesn't go out it won't be a problem. Oh, it is my Dad's birthday, which makes him a Very Old Person of some unknown age. Happy Birthday, Dad. I also want to say a belated Happy Birthday to Jim's Mom, whose birthday was Friday and our call got cut very short by more garage sale things. Sorry it was so short - I had not intended that!

Well Emma just climbed into her booster seat, buckled herself in and started demanding candy. I have to go figure out something creative.