Well, I tried to get this done tonight but blogger is not letting me upload pictures tonight, so I will try again tomorrow. :-)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Christmas is almost here!
Aberly enjoys the view (in the nude of course)
Doing drawing crafts with Isla at the TAISM Family Christmas Party.
Making an ornament
Opening her gift from Santa.
An early Christmas gift!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Via Ferrata
Colin had the awesome experience last weekend of Via Ferrata with two other couples from school. I hated leaving him as a 5th wheel but it cost about $80 US so we decided paying for just one was a better choice at this point. Plus Colin had left me get away to Dubai so this was a bit of repayment. A day on his own in the great outdoors with friends, and no Aberly. As I write this I am thinking how awesome that sounds. This has been a very grumpy day for Aberly and she is currently fussing and crying from bed, overtired and fighting going to bed.
Via Feratta is a guided rock climbing expedition with a lot of zip lines. The course is set. You are totally strapped in the entire time and follow a course of cable and hand holds. You are up high in a canyon. Sounds like Andrew's cup of tea and my mother's worst nightmare of where to be. Hahaha.
Colin had a fantastic time. I am so glad he got to go. Here are some pictures he took of the others ahead of him a few we got from our friend's camera.
Via Feratta is a guided rock climbing expedition with a lot of zip lines. The course is set. You are totally strapped in the entire time and follow a course of cable and hand holds. You are up high in a canyon. Sounds like Andrew's cup of tea and my mother's worst nightmare of where to be. Hahaha.
Colin had a fantastic time. I am so glad he got to go. Here are some pictures he took of the others ahead of him a few we got from our friend's camera.
The crew before the expedition.
Descending into the canyon and the course.
Our great friends Dan and Laura are the featured subjects of this picture but you get to see a nice shot of Colin completing his pass in the background.
A shot of Zach crossing a wire pass.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Christmas is coming?
A question because 75 degree weather just doesn't scream Christmas to someone who is used to 40 degree weather ushering in the holidays. And the endless sunshine doesn't help. I've done my best to get in the spirit. I've had my Bath and Body Works Christmas candles burning and I turn on the Christmas music on the computer most days. I'm starting to feel it.
The big stores are also getting in the spirit and although the displays are full of mostly cheesy, plastic decor, they are Christmas displays and offer a small piece of holiday cheer. Last week I decided to treat Aberly and bought her two decorative stars. They were cheap and she loves stars. After seeing friends decorating their homes and putting up their fake trees, we decided we should do the same. At least the tree. It's mostly for Aberly and we want to give her those memories as she grows up these next few years overseas. I don't need my adult daughter in therapy one day pinpointing all her inner emotional turmoil to the fact that we never provided Christmas to her in the Middle East.
So off we went on Thursday (like Saturday in the US) to 'pick out' our Christmas tree. We hit up Sultan Center which is like Fred Meyers. Better than Wal-Mart quality but still affordable. We headed up the escalators into the winter display to find the perfect tree. They all ended up looking exactly the same, just different sizes. We decided to go with the lovely 6 foot tree and got a few boxes of cheap ornaments, lights, and a tree topper. Home we came ready to decorate! Here is a lovely visual of our day trying to keep it as "normal to home" as possible....
In addition to the tree, to get in the holiday spirit, Aberly and I attended the Muscat Singers Christmas concert on Friday. Some of our friends sing in the choir and it was fun to hear them sing. Aberly actually enjoyed it as well. She likes to sing "Jingle Bells" and makes sure to say "hey" with gusto. We also bought her a small handmade stocking made by a local Indian group to raise money.
So now we are pretty ready for Christmas. Ho, ho, ho!
The big stores are also getting in the spirit and although the displays are full of mostly cheesy, plastic decor, they are Christmas displays and offer a small piece of holiday cheer. Last week I decided to treat Aberly and bought her two decorative stars. They were cheap and she loves stars. After seeing friends decorating their homes and putting up their fake trees, we decided we should do the same. At least the tree. It's mostly for Aberly and we want to give her those memories as she grows up these next few years overseas. I don't need my adult daughter in therapy one day pinpointing all her inner emotional turmoil to the fact that we never provided Christmas to her in the Middle East.
So off we went on Thursday (like Saturday in the US) to 'pick out' our Christmas tree. We hit up Sultan Center which is like Fred Meyers. Better than Wal-Mart quality but still affordable. We headed up the escalators into the winter display to find the perfect tree. They all ended up looking exactly the same, just different sizes. We decided to go with the lovely 6 foot tree and got a few boxes of cheap ornaments, lights, and a tree topper. Home we came ready to decorate! Here is a lovely visual of our day trying to keep it as "normal to home" as possible....
Arriving home with our tree.
Bringing the tree in the house. Choosing the perfect spot in the corner for it.
Trimming the tree.
Getting the lights on.
Aberly helping to put on the first ornaments.
Aberly helping to vacuum up all those pesky needles that fall off. Notice she took off her diaper for this. This has become part of her potty training. Her choice not ours. She pretty much runs around our house naked all day and can plop down on the pot when she needs to!
The tree all finished and lit up. Aberly, of course, loves having the lights on flash mode.
In addition to the tree, to get in the holiday spirit, Aberly and I attended the Muscat Singers Christmas concert on Friday. Some of our friends sing in the choir and it was fun to hear them sing. Aberly actually enjoyed it as well. She likes to sing "Jingle Bells" and makes sure to say "hey" with gusto. We also bought her a small handmade stocking made by a local Indian group to raise money.
So now we are pretty ready for Christmas. Ho, ho, ho!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Potty Time
As parents, you wish and hope for the day that your child is out of diapers and does their business in the potty. No more diapers, less money, and they will be allowed to go to preschool and give you 4 hours of freedom each weekday next year. :-) Then you actually reach the point where you go through potty training (accidents, pee on the floor, pee on clothes, pee on furniture, poop in panties...) and consider to yourself that maybe diapers are just easier and let's wait it out a bit. But your child has decided that she no longer wants to wear diapers. Panties is all she will go for during the day, so okay, here we go, we are all in.
We have had 4 successful pee-pees in the potty. We have probably had 10 pee-pees and one poopies in underwear. And that pee-pee makes its way on to the floor a bit and gets another pair of panties and clothes wet. Sigh. But we are moving on upward! Aberly seems more interested in peeing in the potty than out of it, it's just a matter of catching her before she wets herself. She has a knack of never needing to go when you ask or make her try, but then she will go 2 minutes before the next time you ask. (I know all you seasoned parents are thinking, been there, done that!)
My next shopping trip will involve looking for some more panties for the rotation and maybe some of those plastic bloomers for the outside to prevent the pee from going on our carpet, the NEW carpet, mind you. I don't really want to become "that" house that people walk in to and think, "It kinda smells like pee in here" and they would be exactly right.
Hopefully, within the next few months she'll be trained and we'll have started a new chapter of toddler life. And that will mean preschool and 4 hours of freedom next year for mom. :-) Oh, and freedom from expensive diapers. Yeah, that too.
Here's a few pictures of our big girl, who also turned 2 a couple weeks ago!
We have had 4 successful pee-pees in the potty. We have probably had 10 pee-pees and one poopies in underwear. And that pee-pee makes its way on to the floor a bit and gets another pair of panties and clothes wet. Sigh. But we are moving on upward! Aberly seems more interested in peeing in the potty than out of it, it's just a matter of catching her before she wets herself. She has a knack of never needing to go when you ask or make her try, but then she will go 2 minutes before the next time you ask. (I know all you seasoned parents are thinking, been there, done that!)
My next shopping trip will involve looking for some more panties for the rotation and maybe some of those plastic bloomers for the outside to prevent the pee from going on our carpet, the NEW carpet, mind you. I don't really want to become "that" house that people walk in to and think, "It kinda smells like pee in here" and they would be exactly right.
Hopefully, within the next few months she'll be trained and we'll have started a new chapter of toddler life. And that will mean preschool and 4 hours of freedom next year for mom. :-) Oh, and freedom from expensive diapers. Yeah, that too.
Here's a few pictures of our big girl, who also turned 2 a couple weeks ago!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Dubai pictures
Finally got these from my friend!
Outback Steakhouse dinner. Did I have steak? No, sadly. I was still stuffed from our PF Chang's lunch. Potato and veggies for me!
Smelling the REAL Christmas trees. Why is my hand on my butt? Not really sure. I guess I rested it there as I leaned in to smell.
A car full of stuff!
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