Lately...

The kids and I went out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory the other night. David had a nasty headache, and after a particularly busy day at work, the idea of cooking sounded less appealing than stabbing myself in the eye with a fork...so out to eat it was ;).

While we indeed are surrounded by incredibly tasty international cuisine (we have the most delicious shwarma on the planet within walking distance of our apartment), sometimes ya just crave something that tastes like back home.

These two cuties were pretty excited about our dinner out...

The food there is expensive, but the portions are HUGE. We took giant boxes of leftovers home, and each got three meals out of our dishes. 

Plus it was super yummy and the three of us had a nice little date...

And of course we had to sample some cheesecake as well...

This girl has been a spaghetti monster since she was little...

(11 months)

( Two and a half)

In addition to loving spaghetti, Sister also loves herself a good project. The other day she decided to draw up a presentation for us on the cycle of plants...

 ...oh how I adore the phonetic spelling of little kids =)

Brother and a neighbor buddy had a costume party...

Dave and I got away for a little date night / work dinner...

 It was a nice night out, enjoying a meal at a fancy location and catching up with friends. Bahrain Tina and I laughed over how last year we were so concerned about what to wear...=). We were still so new to Kuwait and worried about being appropriate and not offending anyone.

We're over that now =).

These two little rockstars were putting on quite a show for us the other night...

...that pretty much wraps up life lately around these parts. 

Tis the season

Last week the kids and I made some simple holiday treats to deliver to the staff at our school.

I'm trying to instill in them that one of the things the Christmas season is all about is giving to others, and there are a plethora of people we see during our days that are so kind to us and we'd love to spread some cheer to!

We made several batches and delivered little treat bags to some neighbors in our building, our haris, the gentlemen who run the bakala next to our building, and tons of people at our school.

I love this recipe because it's super easy and a really delicious combination of sweet and salty =). 

It's easy enough that even toddlers can help create these treats! We made them when the twins were three...

When they were four...

And now when they are six =)...

Yes, we worked on these on our kitchen floor. Our counter space is so small, and our table is at the other end of the apartment, and since you have to push the m&m's in when the kisses are warm, we didn't have time to walk the seven mile hallway down to the kitchen table. Setting up shop on the floor just made the most since. 

Pretty proud of their handiwork =)

A day in the life

There is a lot to appreciate about our daily life here in Kuwait.

This post is not about those things.

Sometimes, I think Kuwait as a whole is trying to turn me insane.

Two things in particular have been wearing me exceptionally thin lately.

One: The driving/traffic

Here's a short video offering an example of my just trying to drive straight ahead on a road where another road (to the left) is entering ours. 

That's all that's going on here.

Another street is coming into this one.

Where there *should* be, I don't know, a STOP SIGN or three, creating a three way stop, there is nothing. Nothing. Just every man for himself, causing the main road to just HALT as the drivers sort it out.

And honk at each other. 

That's just every day, every block within a block where traffic merges. 

Here is a video of a small portion of our daily commute to school. This is us trying to go through a round-a-bout that *should* take approximately 15 seconds. There *should* be one lane, the one I am in, entering the round-a-bout and following it's curve until our exit. Instead, a second lane never fails to be created to the left of us as people refuse to wait in the long (proper) lane's line, and simply decide to come up along side us on the left and squeeze their way in.

You'll also note towards the end of the video the silver car that decides to skip the entire round-a-bout process and just cut through - driving the wrong direction - to the exit he desires....

Every. Single. Morning. 

Also, vehicle safety? Not a priority here. Wearing a seatbelt is optional and rarely do people use this option. 

Our kids think I am THE MEANEST because I make them wear seatbelts every time we are in the car, even if it's a "short trip"...I remind them when we know better, we do better, and we absolutely know better. 

Kids are often seen on drivers laps, or hanging out of windows, or even sunroofs...

...I snagged that pic on the Gulf Road the other day, while the driver was going at least 40mph.

I can't even.

Two: the healthcare

Sure, I've railed on this before. For good reason, as we've had our fair share of crap medical care here...but these days I just can't handle another medical professional blaming another illness on the weather.

Oh, the weather.

If it's raining, or cloudy, or windy, or God forbid actually stormy with real thunder and lightening, the people of Kuwait collectively lose their minds. 

When it's Winter in Kuwait, everything, everything, EVERYTHING is blamed on the weather. 

Didn't sleep well?

It's because of the weather.

Children misbehaving?

The weather.

Gaining weight?

The weather.

Low on cash?

That damn weather.

And ANY and ALL illnesses are a fault of the weather.

When David had his "raging bacterial virus" (diagnosed after a colonoscopy) last Fall, multiple physicians - as well as everyone and anyone he explained his illness to - blamed the weather. 

Yes, I'm sure that the rain has infected my husband's GI Tract with bacteria and caused scarring. The thunder likely didn't help things either.

When our daughter was in the ED with a 104 degree fever, the physician told us it was caused by the cold, and his treatment plan was to scold us for not putting socks on her feet directly after we removed her from the shower.

Yes, I'm certain the cause of such a high fever was the barefoot walk on the cold tile from the bathroom to her bedroom. 

Thank you, and here is my copay. 

And yesterday, when I woke up with a crusted over right eye, I shrugged it off as sleepiness (it was the unGodly hour of 5:30am, afterall) and washed it with a warm washcloth. 

When I arrived at school however, I was met with strange expressions from my coworkers and suggestions I go visit the school "nurse".

(Yes, nurse is in quotes)

(No, that is not an accident)

So I went to see the school "nurse", who took one look at my eye and said "oh madam, it's very windy. You likely got some sand in your eye and it has irritated it..."

Okay. Sure.

She proceeded to drop some saline in my eye and send me on my way.

After the school day ended, I took my red, swollen, weeping eye to the International Clinic, where the doctor did in fact confirm Pinkeye.

As he was writing the prescription for antibiotic eye drops, he noted "this weather is very hard on the eyes. All the wind!"

But of course, educated physician. Never mind that I spend the better part of my days being sneezed on by three, four, and five year olds. I am sure the conjunctivitis infecting my right eye is a result of the wind.

I. Can't. Even.

Seriously, I just can't. 

I am unable to can.

Six more months. 

Visions of sugarplums

The other night when I checked on our sweet cherubs before turning in myself, I found The Boy fast asleep, just like this...

Bless his little Christmas-loving heart.

Kuwait Air Show

Last Monday the Red Arrows (in cooperation with the Kuwait Air Force and Navy) put on a show in front of the Kuwait Towers.

The kids and I raced outta school/work and headed to a park nearby the towers to watch.

Being that it was supposed to start at 2:30 and go until 4:00pm, we rushed there.

And true to Kuwait form, it didn't start until 3:10 and ended 40 minutes later. 

How I didn't realize that would likely be the case is beyond me. Such a rookie move.

But, it allowed for some fun park play while we were waiting for the show to begin...

...and then sat and enjoyed the show!

The heart with the arrow through it that they made was my favorite =)...

 They were REALLY loud when they flew right overhead...

The jets were really entertaining to watch, and the kids and I ohhhed and ahhhhed as they flipped and whirled through the sky...

Sometimes living in Kuwait can be really cool =).

Lately...

Suddenly it's December!

I realized as I was opening a new folder (for the new month) to download our pictures into that I had several from November that I wanted to post about so we could always remember.

I've mentioned before I'd like to print this blog into a memory book when our time is done here in Kuwait, so in the years to come we can always look back on all that we did while we lived over here.

Plus, I figure the more the kids can look back on all the fun!! and the smiling!! and the great memories!! The less likely they are to remember all the yelling =).

We took these two monkeys to see Trolls...

...and after we walked around the mall a bit, and found a shop of wooden toys and Pinocchio stand in...

Brother.. 

Sister...

I'm so grateful for my friend and neighbor Reem. When I was in Portland, she and another friend, Hatifa, both delivered homemade dinners to David and the kids. I was so touched. They never said anything prior, they just knew I was out of town and thought to step in and help feed my people...

...sweet neighbor friends...

Dave torturing dancing with the kids...

Both kids are reading really well these days, and it's such a sweet season of listening to them read to us...

The Boy, of course, continues to perfect his Jedi moves...

They spent three hours one weekend morning playing "school" in the kitchen. Those are all their students on the blanket...

We had friends over for movies and popcorn...

Sister lost another tooth!

I've been enjoying the Kuwaiti sunsets...

...with the man I love.

...and feeling very lucky.

The only other noteworthy occurrence of late is this morning we awoke to the unmistakable sound of thunder and POURING rain. 

Kuwait just was not made for such weather.

There is zero drainage in the streets, so they all flood rather quickly. 

Also, since the drivers here only see such rain literally a handful of times a year, they just don't know what to do with themselves.

The kids and I left an hour and a half later than we normally do for school/work this morning, hoping to avoid the worst of it, and it still took us over an hour to get there (normally it's right about thirty minutes)

My Oregonian heart just had to smile =)