Lately...

We've had kind of an off week and weekend around here. The kids and I each took a turn with a fever and short illness, but thankfully we were each only down a night. 

David says our immune systems have finally caught up with the Kuwait viruses ;)

*knocks on wood*

For me it came on quickly one afternoon, as I suddenly became exhausted after vacuuming and had to sit down to rest. I took my temp and found I had a fever, so I cancelled the evening plans I had with a friend, wished David good luck with the kids, and headed to bed at 6:00pm.

I slept until after 9:00am the next morning, and awoke fever free and feeling just fine...which was great, because that evening we had a dinner for Dave's work at a swanky ballroom, and I'd been looking forward to a night out with my hot date...

We brought exactly zero fancy clothes with us to Kuwait, but luckily in those boxes of hand me downs we received awhile back there were two nice dresses, and I was able to borrow a pair of black pumps from Reem. David borrowed a suit jacket from a friend also.

The evening's entertainment included a Magician, and David was called up on stage at one point to participate in the show...

...and he preformed tricks at each table during the meal...

We had a great time out together - love a good date night with my man!

Also very grateful to have found a fun babysitter whom the twins LOVE and we totally feel comfortable with as well!

Our homeschool co-op has been having a "Crafty" day once a week at different houses, where someone hosts a craft activity and playdate at their home. 

This one included making Bubble Wands...much to the children's delight!

Brother took a turn getting a fever one afternoon, and spent the evening on the couch resting and complaining of an earache off and on. After a restless night's sleep -for him and for his parents - he woke up fever free the next morning, but still said his ear hurt, so I took him in to get checked out.

The boy has a super high pain tolerance and rarely complains about ailments - this is the kid who sat with a broken arm for two days before I took him in for xrays and barely mentioned his arm pain (insert Mom Guilt here) - so if he says something hurts, I'm taking him in to be seen. 

The doctor still saw a build up of fluid, but no infection. But since this was the second time we'd been in to have the ear checked in such a short amount of time (I'd also taken him in to be checked last week when he was feeling puny and mentioned his ear), he wanted us to see an ENT for a better look. 

And while I don't love many, many, many, many, many, many, MANY things about healthcare here, I do appreciate the fact that we were scheduled with the ENT for the following evening. 

No pre-auths needed. No long wait to see a specialist. 

Easy peasy.

So while I'm still not over how my hospital stay went, and while I'm still adjusting to the fact that HIPPA doesn't exist here (see exhibit A: charts on the table in the Waiting Room...)

 ...I am grateful for a handful of healthcare ways here. 

We came home from the doctor to find Sister feeling puny, and it was no surprise when I took her temp and found she had a fever as well...

Luckily at this point we knew she'd likely only be down for the night.

Sure enough, she woke the next morning feeling fine.

We saw the ENT who did find an infection, and RX'd some antibiotics.

The boy has only had antibiotics two or three times in his six years of life, so I've got no problem with that. 

So we've been hanging out around the house, trying to take it easy...

Watching movies...

and playing with toys...

...and making Lightsabers out of wrapping paper rolls...

And when everyone's been healthy, we've been enjoying the pool...

...and having dinner and shenanigans at friend's houses...

...and enjoying the sunset...

...and David has been mastering his braiding skills...

...and generally just being adorable...

...and losing our cell phones.

Oh wait, that one is just me.

I totally lost mine. I'm 99% sure I left it in a random taxi. I was taking Brother to his ENT appointment, and it's just a few blocks from where we live, so I didn't call our regular driver, I just hailed a cab down the street from us. While I was getting in, the Boy was asking me eleventy billion questions and the delivery guy from the little store next to our building rode by on his bike and started talking to me, and I was checking my wallet to make sure I had cash to pay the driver...and I just got distracted and frazzled, and am fairly certain I set my phone down on the seat instead of in my purse. I noticed it as soon as we were checking in at the doctors, so I don't think it made it inside the building. 

I have no idea which cab company it was.

We called the phone several times last night (it was on silent, but we were hoping to catch the driver when he happened to be holding the phone) but now it's off, likely out of battery.

We're gonna give it another day to magically turn up (stranger things have happened!) and if it hasn't then we will go get a replacement.

It's a pain, but really could be SO much worse. I'm grateful it wasn't my wallet - I can not imagine how challenging it would be to replace my Kuwait Civil ID card - or my passport or something. The phone screen was locked, so theoretically incapable of anyone getting in. And it was just a prepaid, low-end model phone. 

I learned over the weekend that a friend of mine's husband is having a cancerous tumor removed next week. They have two kids under two. I can not imagine what they are going through, and am on my knees before the Lord on their behalf.

So while I was super annoyed at myself for losing my phone and it's inconvenient to be without it and to (most likely) have to replace it, I recognize it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.