The Ponte Family

Maya's Birthday Morning

2011-01-29T11:28:00.002+03:00

Maya is really excited to be 6. I can't believe it myself. She is so big and getting so mature. Here are some pictures of her with her presents from the family. This afternoon, she has a party at McDonalds with all her friends and neighbors. She is really excited about it.

Maya's School Party

2011-01-27T10:49:00.003+03:00

We had Maya's school Birthday party today. We served Milk, tiny doughnuts, and tiny muffins. We have a new bakery here called Little Bites. It is so cute. The doughnuts are the size of a silver dollar! So fun. I think she had a really nice morning. I can't believe she is 6. Where did the time go? Wasn't she just born yesterday? I should probably mention that it is crazy hair day at school today. I don't usually do her hair this way!

Breakfast, stroll and boat ride

2011-01-15T11:46:00.002+03:00

This morning we got up and went to a new place called Bread and Bagels. It was wonderful. The only place in Doha to get bagels. Then we went for a walk on the Corniche. So beautiful. Ended up taking a quick ride on a Dhow as well. Great morning.

Riding a Dhow

2011-01-15T11:42:00.002+03:00

Corniche

2011-01-15T11:39:00.002+03:00

Doha, Why Do I Love You?

2011-01-10T17:30:00.004+03:00

This is what my house looks like after a few hours of having the windows open. Such a shame to not be able to open the windows when it is so lovely out. I promise it was dusted this morning!

Tower of London, London Bridge and Westminster

2011-01-01T15:54:00.001+03:00

London

2011-01-01T15:46:00.002+03:00

Boxing Day

2011-01-01T15:42:00.002+03:00

Boxing Day was spent at Tracey's mom's house. What a fabulous cook. Chicken Curry, Chicken and Mushrooms, Spaghetti, Potatoes, Cheese Cake! Delicious!

Christmas Day

2011-01-01T15:35:00.003+03:00

Opened presents and went to the pub for Christmas Dinner. Not a fan of Christmas pudding! :(

Playing in the Snow!

2011-01-01T15:19:00.004+03:00

The girls had a blast playing in the snow. Why don't kids feel the cold?

For you Dad

2010-10-18T12:30:00.001+03:00

This is the extension cord they plugged the tile saw into. Safe yes? Just to be clear, when they pulled it out of the wall it is just wires. Nothing on the end.

Kitchen Remodel

2010-10-17T12:20:00.002+03:00

We had a few tiles sink in the middle of our kitchen floor and asked for them to be fixed. Come to find out the entire floor wasn't far from doing the same. When they came to relpace the floor, they found that there was about 3 inches of space between the cement holding the tile together and the dirt underneath. So we are living in a mess. Can't really cook. I just want this done and have my house back!

These are my Kitchen Cabinets. Good thing it doesn't rain here!

This is my Living Room!

My girls play place!

My New Floor!

Singing in the Rain

2010-10-05T18:09:00.003+03:00

Caught both my girls jumping in the water. Quite pleased with the pics.

Riding a Bike

2010-10-01T18:05:00.002+03:00

Maya wanted her training wheels off today. So of course her fantastic Daddy did as requested. She did really well with a few minor bumps. We are really proud of her.

Ready to tackle the bike!

Slight problems.

Cruising!

Little sweaty but happy!

Lasagna

2010-10-01T18:01:00.003+03:00

I walked into the kitchen this afternoon to see Maya and chair in front of the oven. I asked her what she was doing and she said, "I love watching lasagna bake don't you?"

1st Day Of School

2010-08-19T15:31:00.003+03:00

Yesterday was Maya's 1st day of school. I continue to be so proud of her and her brave spirit. She has been really fearful of riding the bus. We had decided that I would drive her for the first week or two but at orientation on Tuesday she told me that she would ride the bus. She seems to love school and her teacher. The first day of school she had gym so we took her picture again this morning in a cute outfit! Because Smart Girls Do Rule! She is also riding the bus for the first time.

Go Gemma!

2010-08-19T07:09:00.003+03:00

Gemma is a swimmer! Ok a doggie paddler. But I'm still crazy proud of her. She has gone from being scared to get her face wet to this. I love that both of my girls love the water! They certainly get that from Daddy, not Mommy!

Oba and Oji

2010-07-18T10:34:00.002+03:00

That brings us to the end of the Ponte Family World Tour. It is good to be home but we sure miss all of our friends and family. Thanks for giving us a place to stay, feeding us and being our chauffeurs! Next summer sure seems like a long way away.

Grandma's House

2010-07-10T10:32:00.000+03:00

It was then on to Wyoming to see Grandma Skinner. I love spending time with her. There isn't a better person on the planet!

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T11:21:00.001+03:00

Hot Tubin' in Lehi

2010-06-28T10:29:00.000+03:00

Museum of Ancient Life

2010-06-28T10:22:00.000+03:00

We were lucky enough to be treated to a weekend away in Lehi, UT. We had a blast. Went to the Legacy Aquatic Center, Thanksgiving Point, Build A Bear, and The Living Planet Aquarium. Thanks Dad for the wonderful time and not to mention the great memories!

The Girls!

2010-06-20T10:19:00.000+03:00

We are so lucky to have great cousins.

Happy Birthday Gemma

2010-06-18T10:13:00.001+03:00

My precious angel, I love everything about you. Not sure who had the most fun at your party!

America West Heritage Center

2010-06-17T10:02:00.000+03:00

Brian took the girls out for some Daddy time. Mommy loves it when the girls have Daddy time!

The Last Supper

2010-06-14T09:58:00.001+03:00

We will all miss Saundra and Talya. It was so good to see you both.

Graduation

2010-06-14T09:53:00.000+03:00

We are so very proud of Saundra and her accomplishment! The world is your oyster! We love you!

Oregon Here We Come!

2010-06-12T09:48:00.000+03:00

Playing with Saundra and Talya at the Science Museum in Eugene. Talya remember that picture you entitled, "Evil Maya"? Is this Evil Saundra?

Tennessee

2010-06-07T09:41:00.000+03:00

Then it was on to Tennessee to see Grandma Rosemary and Grandpa Al. The girls always love seeing their Grandparents!

Disney World

2010-05-30T09:32:00.001+03:00

We are back in Doha struggling to get over jet lag and get back into our routine. Time to update the blog! We had a great time at Disney World. 5 days just isn't enough. Already thinking about going back next year. Disney, you have me hooked!

It's Over

2010-05-08T14:55:00.002+03:00

We have had a long fabulous winter (i.e. enjoyable season). The hot weather has been put off until now. Bummer!

ASD

2010-05-06T12:19:00.001+03:00

Finally all of the stress and waiting is over. Maya was accepted to the American School Doha (ASD)! Now I just need to get her to want to take the bus.... Congratulations Maya for doing sooo well at the assessment. Little smarty pants!

Confessional

2010-05-04T17:15:00.002+03:00

They say confession is good for the soul, so . . . I have a closet addiction. Something I hide from my friends, my family, even my husband. I'm not proud of it, it is something that I can't control. I go day to day wondering, plotting, planning how I can get away from my family and get another hit. I'm ashamed to admit I even have my children addicted. Had I not gotten them involved, I may never get the chance to get more. What kind of mother am I? I lie awake a night thinking about it. Wondering when I can get another one. Can I get one at this hour? Would Brian notice if I slipped out in the middle of the night?

Each time I get away alone, I drive over to where I know I can get my fix. I pull into the parking lot. I nod to the guy in the orange shirt. That is our sign, that is how I know who has what I need. He knows he can hook me up. He walks over to the window, I slowly roll it down glancing around to see if there is anyone there that I know. He asks me if I want the usual, I nod. He slowly walks inside, not drawing attention from anyone else around. I wait, hands shaking, heart racing, soon all of the longing will be over and I will be happy again, if only for a few moments. It seems like forever until he returns. He has it, exactly what I want, need. I slip him the money once again glancing around to ensure no one sees me getting my fix. I take a hit, it is every bit as good as the last time. I relish it. I slowly pull away, taking the long way home trying to finish before I get back and my family knows where I've been.

Here it is, my addiction it all its layered glory.

The perfect Al Mandarin Juice Cafe layered cocktail. Mango juice on the bottom, followed by avocado juice (I know what you are thinking but you have no idea just how fabulous this is), followed by strawberry juice, all topped off with coconut juice. I've had 6 of these in the last 7 days. I told you I was sick. Do I need to go to a 12 step program for each layer? This is what I love about Doha. The Al Mandarin Hammad Cocktail with Coconut.

Porkapalooza

2010-04-23T12:19:00.003+03:00

Got our hands on a pork roast and made Chalupe today. I would have taken pictures but I didn't think we needed photographic evidence of us breaking the law! Not to mention the embarrassment of us sitting in our pajamas (yes it was one of those days) at the dinning table with pig juice dripping down our chins. Lets just say it was a good day! A very good day.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T12:29:00.002+03:00

The Easter Bunny was very tricky this year. He left a riddle and the girls had to find their baskets. Gemma was really unhappy when Maya found hers first but she quickly found her basket and all was forgotten. Then we went downstairs and the Easter Bunny had hid eggs all over the house. Why did the Easter Bunny bring all of my favorite chocolates and not leave me any? Those girls better keep a close eye on their goodies.

Easter Eggs!

2010-04-02T18:36:00.002+03:00

Unfortunately Easter is NOT a big holiday in the Middle East. Hopefully the Easter Bunny brings loads of sweets cause there isn't much to find here. I have not been able to find egg dye either Easter we've been here but I did manage to find a egg stamping kit that I had in the decorations bin. Added some water to the dried out pads and it worked OK. Not what I wanted for my girls but we have to make do. They got tired of the stamps and decided finger painting was the best option. If you are out and about and see some dye after Easter please pick some up for me or we will be in the same situation next year.

Dinosaurs

2010-04-02T18:28:00.003+03:00

My girls are CRAZY about dinosaurs right now. The other day we found these foam puzzles for a whopping 2.50 Qatari Riyal a piece. I lost all ability to save money and bought all of them. 5 different dinosaur puzzles. Of course we had to put them together that evening as soon as we walked in the door. They were lots of fun. Best .68 cents I've ever spent!

All About Vegetarians

2010-03-27T18:00:00.002+03:00

Tonight sitting at the table Maya said, "Vegetarians don't eat meat. They get eaten by meat."

Right now I'm laughing so hard I'm crying. That kid cracks me up. Look out Vegetarians, the meat is out there somewhere!!!

My Super Reader

2010-03-27T10:34:00.002+03:00

I know, I know, I don't post for over a month and then I post 30 things in one day. I can't help it if my girls are brilliant, beautiful and funny!

Henna

2010-03-27T09:26:00.001+03:00

Yesterday at Bechtel Family Fun Day Maya and I got matching Henna. It is so fun to see her growing up and wanting to do grown up things. We missed you this year Talya!

7 8 9

2010-03-27T09:19:00.000+03:00

My Little Comedian

2010-03-27T08:40:00.002+03:00

I wanted to see how high Gemma could count so I asked her to count as high as she could. She looked at me with this devious grin and began to count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11. I said, sweetie, did you forget 9? She got this silly grin on her face and said 7 ate 9! and dissolved into uncontrollable giggles.

A bit of explanation.... I am so SICK to death of listening to Dora, The Backyardigans and Laurie Berkner (Sorry Laurie!) in the car, so I started looking for new kids music. One of my all time favorite bands is the Bare Naked Ladies. I saw on Itunes that they had put out a kids album so I didn't even listen to it, I just bought it. Fun for mommy, fun for the kids. I love this album. The first song is all about how 7 ate 9. If you have a chance to pick up the album I highly recommend it. We are currently in our 5th week of Dora and Backyardigans ban. Laurie you are back on the playlist!

Bechtel Family Fun Day

2010-03-26T16:19:00.002+03:00

Another day at the beach

2010-03-25T17:31:00.001+03:00

My Pretty little mermaids at the beach. Have you ever taken a photo and you aren't sure why but you just love it? That is this picture of Maya hanging on my leg. I love the look on her face sneaking up on me in the water trying to scare me. I love those girls.

Pretty Proud

2010-03-22T18:30:00.002+03:00

Usually when I post it is because I'm really proud of my kids but today, I'm proud of myself. I've been trying to sneak more vegetables into their diet. OK not THEIR diet but Maya's! So I decided to make her favorite food Lasagna. I can never go wrong with Maya and pasta. I found some spinach lasagna noodles at the store the other day so I decided to make some "green" lasagna. I browned some beef, added some stewed tomatoes and threw in some frozen spinach I had in the freezer left over from another dish. Then I noticed I had a half of a can of pumpkin in the fridge so I threw that in as well. Mixed it all up and threw in a packet of dry spaghetti mix. Layered the green lasagna noodles my meat mixture and some parmesan and mozzarella. I was worried it would be too dry as you don't get lasagna noodles that you precook here so I poured some béchamel sauce over the top and threw it in the oven. I was a little worried about it as I had Tracey, Lewis and Layla here for dinner but it was really good! Maya didn't even ask what the green stuff was in the meat, she just asked for another piece. Yea! A small victory for a mom whose child hates vegetables!

That Maya!

2010-03-22T08:15:00.002+03:00

Maya says the funniest things sometimes. I often wonder where she learns these words from. Here are some examples:

This morning at breakfast I gave them a new cup that has a flip up lid. Maya couldn't get hers open so I showed her how to flip it up. Gem was a little too aggressive with hers and pulled the lid off. I told them not to worry the lids come off it is not broken. Maya told her sister to, "be really careful with yours so you don't break it. Mine is much harder to open so I have to manhandle it!"

Manhandle?

Two days ago I gave them bagels with cream cheese for breakfast. Mayas response? "Mom, these bagels are divine, no, exquisite!

Divine?

Exquisite?

Where does she get these words?

Afternoon at the Beach

2010-03-18T17:08:00.003+03:00

After the concert we went to the beach. For people that used to go 3 times a week it is odd to admit that that this is the first time we've been since moving here. We will definitely make this a regular weekly trip. We had a great time.

Mother's Day Concert

2010-03-18T17:05:00.003+03:00

Today was the Mother's Day Concert at Maya's school. No you didn't forget Mothers Day! The Brits celebrate it in March. What a wonderful end to the semester and Maya's year there. Maya made me a beautiful necklace, a bouquet of daffodils, a picture and a card. We got to listen to 12 wonderful songs. We will sure miss Miss Simone and ElderTree!

Joys of Motherhood

2010-03-17T11:49:00.002+03:00

When Gemma woke up this morning she told me her ear hurt. I kept telling myself that she couldn't possibly have an ear infection, she just got off antibiotics on Monday. By the time we got home from taking Maya to school Gemma was crying telling me her ear still hurt and she didn't feel good (something she NEVER says!). Had a quick shower and took her to the doctor when it opened at 9. Sure enough ear infection plus she still had the upper respiratory infection she was originally taking the antibiotics for. Gemma has decided that she hates the doctor and he is scary. Not true, the nicest person in the world. She told me she didn't need to see the doctor she just needed a vitamin. Anyway she proceeded to get so upset at the doctor's office during her exam that she started projectile vomiting. Of course her first target was me for taking her to the doctor in the first place. Then she just continued to spray his entire office. I didn't think she'd had that much to eat that morning. So we left his office covered in vomit smelling lovely. As we left the hazmat team came in to clean up.

Then on to the Pharmacy, they didn't have the antibiotic he prescribed so I took her home cleaned us both up and went in search of the antibiotic. 3 Pharmacies later the lady told me I would not be able to locate that in Doha. Apparently all bottles expired and the Pharmacies pulled it off the shelves.

Back to the doctor where I waited for 45 minutes for him to finish with a patient. Got new prescription and back home. Sure hope this baby feels better soon. She is so pitiful when she is sick. She breaks my heart.

Teacher Appreciation

2010-03-16T16:50:00.003+03:00

Sadly, Thursday is Maya's last day of school. She wanted me to make something for her teacher and teachers aid. We found a picture of similar items on the internet. Sorry can't give credit where credit is due as I didn't save that info. Maya has been very specific as to what needs to be done, so I took her shopping with me. I think she is pleased with the results. Hopefully Miss Simone and Miss Alma will be as well.

Back to School Tomorrow

2010-03-09T21:27:00.002+03:00

I love my kids, I really do but I can't help but think about the following quote.

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylum would be filled with mothers."
-- Edgar Watson Howe

Add Insult to Injury

2010-03-08T15:14:00.003+03:00

I updated you on our fun week in my last posting. Little did I know things would get so much better. On Saturday both girls came down with a fever, runny nose and cough. Gem has coughed so hard that she has vomited. Maya is just listless. Kept her home from School on Sunday (Boy was she mad about that!) thinking she would be over it and back to school on Monday. Monday more fever, more crankiness, red weepy eyes and Maya said her ear hurt. Went the doctor. He looked at Maya then at Gemma then at me and asked me what I'd done to them. Had to explain the burn and the black eye. Hope he believed me and the cops aren't on the way..... Home armed with antibiotics, burn cream, tylenol for kids over 6 (Maya is a giant and we've never had big girl medicine in the house) and decongestants.

No one tells you how hard motherhood is when your kids are sick. When my kids are sick, they still want to play. We've done a billion puzzles, played play dough, moon sand, popped poppers, had a silly string fight, watched movies, made a laminated bound book about dinosaurs, played fairies and ate ice cream for lunch and had mac and cheese for dessert. I think we've done it all. They are still not happy. 1 more day and Maya will be back at school and they will be released from the confines of the house to play with friends. Problem is, I don't have anymore ideas to keep them occupied for another day.

Now what? Massage and leave the girls with Judyfe? Yes, that sounds lovely. Perhaps a mani/pedi as well. No I wont leave my sick kids but it is nice to dream.

Pictures Don't Do Justice

2010-03-05T17:21:00.005+03:00

We've been having a rough week at the Ponte house! Yesterday Gemma was playing at the neighbors house jumping on a bed. Well as graceful as my girls are, Gem fell hitting her face on the foot of the bed. She cried forever. I knew it was going to be bad. She has a big bump on her forehead and another just under her eye. Then this morning we woke up to the black eye!

Today, Maya and I were baking "healthy pumpkin cookies" (pretty good if I do say so myself). I took a pan out of the oven just as Maya touched the cold pan that I was getting ready to put into the oven. I asked her "what if that were the hot pan?" Got no response from her and turned around to deal with the cookies. Then I heard the screaming. Maya decided to smell the hot cookies. Unfortunately she isn't quite tall enough to clear the oven and the hot pan. She seared all of the skin off of her chin. What is next?

Mock Sushi

2010-03-05T17:15:00.004+03:00

I haven't been posting much lately because Brian keeps stealing my thunder by posting things on his Facebook account before I can get them on my blog. Men! But I've decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and post anyway. Last week Maya and I made sushi for the girls for dinner. I saw a peanut butter add for peanut butter and jelly sushi. You simply take a piece of white bread, cut off the crust and roll it flat with a rolling pin. Add your toppings and you have kid approved sushi. We made peanut butter and jelly (Gem's favorite), Mexican (refried beans and cheddar cheese) and Italian (pizza sauce and mozzarella). I'm working on a Middle Eastern one with Hummus but I'm not sure what to put with it. Any ideas?

Maya's Hello Kitty Extravaganza #2

2010-01-30T14:15:00.002+03:00

Maya's Hello Kitty Extravaganza

2010-01-30T14:07:00.003+03:00

Am I glad this is over! I think it went pretty well. Could have had a few more games. We did pin the bow on Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty Bingo, Musical Flowers (like chairs but with paper flowers on the floor) and a pinata. Unfortunately the pinata only took 3 hits before the head fell off! All the kids had the option of getting Hello Kitty ears and whiskers, having their picture taken with Hello Kitty. Rounded that all off with Hello Kitty Pizza (made with partial whole wheat crust, don't tell the kids) and pasta salad.

Happy Birthday Maya!

2010-01-29T09:45:00.002+03:00

Well it has happened. My baby turned 5 today. Time sure flies. She had a wonderful day. Thanks Oba and Oji for the make your own pop up book. She loved it. Happy Birthday my love!

Maya's School Party

2010-01-28T14:12:00.003+03:00

We had Maya's school party today. This weekend is all Maya all the time. We will be celebrating her birthday tomorrow as a family and then having a HUGE Hello Kitty party extravaganza on Saturday. I can't believe my baby is 5. I'm going to blink and she will be in college. The fairy cakes were a big hit at school. Got all those kids hyped up on sugar and then sent them home to their parents. Fun day!

Wow!!!

2010-01-27T18:02:00.002+03:00

I don't think I have ever been this impressed with a baked good! A friend on mine offered to make these fairy cakes for Maya's birthday. I hope you can see all of the detail in each cake. There are 24 cakes all different! Everything is edible. I feel like I need to take a picture of each cake!

I am amazed and in awe of her. She didn't want me to take a picture of her with the cakes but fortunately she is a fellow scrapbooker and I convinced her that Maya needed it for her scrapbook. Don't tell her I put it on the internet! Shh!

Yummy!

2010-01-23T18:43:00.002+03:00

Just a little something on the menu at the Thai restaurant. No, I didn't have any just the Green Chicken Curry for me. Lezlie has been posting a lot of recipes lately. I wonder if this is on her list. Maybe she is saving it for something special, like her Valentine meal!

Oh the Humanity

2010-01-15T21:37:00.002+03:00

Went out for a nice dinner for our neighbors birthday and this is what we found when we came back to the car. How can anyone be so reckless? They were parked beside my car and snagged my bumper backing out. At least they left their name (in Arabic) with the security guard. The way things work around here it will take a month to get my car fixed and when it comes back the radio will be broken. Agh!

Watch Me Grow

2010-01-13T11:06:00.002+03:00

I saw this super cute template at the Sweet Shoppe and had to do it for my girls. It was fun looking back at their lives and seeing how much they really have grown. I have no idea what their weights were at these ages so they are just a guess. Enjoy!

Shiny and Clean

2010-01-11T08:21:00.003+03:00

Guess what we did yesterday! We got our teeth cleaned. Maya was so brave, she just jumped up in the chair and did everything that was asked of her. That is a far cry from last time we took her in. She screamed so much we had to leave without a checkup. Gemma was a little more apprehensive and made me lie in the chair with her. That's Ok, her teeth got cleaned and I got a 1/2 hour long cuddle.

Qatar Exxon Mobil Open

2010-01-09T22:12:00.003+03:00

Brian and I went to the Exxon Mobil Open this evening. We were hoping that the finals would be Nadal and Federer but Federer was knocked out in the semi finals. It was an amazing match. Here are a few pics we liked and a little something for the ladies!

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T08:17:00.001+03:00

From our house to yours!

Wow, what a haul!

2009-12-25T08:57:00.001+03:00

Here are two very happy little girls with all of their presents. Having a great day here in Qatar. Hope you all are too!

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2009-12-24T19:29:00.003+03:00

The sun has set on the Middle East and the little ones have just gone to bed. We've opened our Christmas jammies, opened and read the book from Oba and Oji (thanks guys!), left reindeer food out for the reindeer and a trail of glitter to lure Santa to our door and left a plate of cookies for Santa along with a personalized note written and illustrated by Maya. Not much left for Brian and I to do but wait for the little ones to drift off to sleep. Christmas is the best when there are small children in the house! Happy Holidays to all!

Cookie Tree

2009-12-23T13:39:00.003+03:00

Ok here is the finished product! Maybe it lists a bit to one side and maybe I photographed the best side, but we sure had fun. Now I just have to keep the kids from eating it before Brian gets home!

Year in Review

2009-12-23T11:37:00.001+03:00

I'm going to try to do this every December. It will be nice to have a 1 page sum up to our year. Wow we were busy this year. I hope all of you had as much fun as we did in 2009!

Making Cookies

2009-12-23T11:29:00.003+03:00

I found this super cute kit the other day and thought the girls and I would have a lot of fun making this tree. We got all of the stars cut out and they are in the oven! Can wait to get them all cooked and start the decorating. Will post the final product later, no matter what it looks like!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-17T13:40:00.001+03:00

It is expensive to send cards from overseas, so here is our digital version! Wishing all of our Family and Friends the most joyous Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Dressed Up

2009-12-16T20:28:00.002+03:00

We were all dressed up and ready for the Christmas Party so I took a few photos of the girls. Here are two I really like.

Kids Christmas Party

2009-12-16T20:07:00.002+03:00

Every year, Brian's work throws a Christmas Party for the kids. Santa was available to hand out presents to all of the Children. Gemma was leery of Santa at first and wouldn't sit on his lap but after she opened her present, she thought he must be a good guy and sat on his lap. She even threw in a cuddle!

Fun at the Park

2009-12-16T13:00:00.002+03:00

We are really enjoying the cooler weather. As I type this post, it is 73 degrees out! Yea I know it is a little chilly but we've all got our winter clothes on! Anyway, the other day we took our bikes and went to the park. I love Qatar in the winter.

Qatar National Day

2009-12-16T12:49:00.002+03:00

We celebrated Qatar National Day today at Maya's School. They sang several songs and danced the Qatari Sword Dance. We had a great time.

Professional Photographers

2009-12-10T15:07:00.002+03:00

I'm sitting here going through all of my pictures from our trip to Sri Lanka. Dad and Brian pretty much had the cameras the entire trip. We have some beautiful pictures. I'm wondering why I have about 30 pictures of this statue. Hummm

We miss you!

2009-12-10T15:05:00.001+03:00

Oba and Oji we miss you!

I dare you....

2009-12-10T14:52:00.001+03:00

to find something cuter than this.....

Christmas Tree

2009-12-10T12:32:00.000+03:00

I wanted to have a tree this year that was Arabic-ish. As much as a Christmas tree could be. Did some shopping around and found some ornaments that looked Arabic to me. Had to tear it apart and start over but I am pretty proud of the end result!

That's My Girl

2009-12-09T11:20:00.003+03:00

Today Maya was looking at our little wooden nativity. She looked at me and said, Jesus died a long time ago right? I said yes. She said he must have been veeerrryyy popular because they made statues of him and everything!

Before and After

2009-11-07T13:33:00.003+03:00

I know, I'm a little slow. I wanted to do this a year and a half ago but never got around to it. The first picture was taken during the summer of 02 when we visited Brian's parents in Santa Fe, NM. Little did we know we would be living near there 5 years later! So enjoy our before and after shots. Please no comments about Brian and I aging. We are a little bit sensitive!

Halloween

2009-11-01T16:44:00.003+03:00

The night before Halloween we went to a party hosted by Bechtel. The girls saw lots of their friends and had a really good time. On Halloween we arranged for the kids to do some trick or treating on our compound. I was amazed at how many people participated. All in all, we had a great Halloween.

Pirate Party

2009-11-01T16:39:00.001+03:00

Maya got invited to her friend Euan's Birthday party. It was a pirate theme and I have to tell you without a doubt she was the prettiest pirate there!

New Bike

2009-11-01T16:35:00.003+03:00

Boy have I been slacking on my posting. Gemma got a new bike. She had two others but the peddals were up on the front tire and she could never quite reach. So we decided to get her one she can actually ride. She is a crazy girl on this bike and I have a hard time keeping up with her. She calls it her beautiful bike and you can usually catch cugga out for a ride on the back.

Rain Finally!

2009-10-06T15:38:00.003+03:00

We finally had some rain here in Doha today. How refreshing.

Ok so it was just Judyfe and I with the hose but the girls loved it. I look at those beautiful faces and I see pure joy!

Jardin De Luxembourg

2009-09-24T11:53:00.001+03:00

On our last day in Paris we just took it easy. There was this great play park near our apartment. The girls had a blast. I wish I had better pictures of this one ride thingy. It was a large oval shape and the kids pulled those black round seats up on a platform and sat on it. It was tilted just so the kids would just go flying around that oval like crazy. Scared the life out of me but Maya wouldn't get off of it! They had a great time.

Arc de Triomphe

2009-09-23T16:09:00.000+03:00

I was doing so well with my postings but then I fell behind so I'll just take a minute and finish up the Paris Trip.

Paris Disneyland

2009-09-22T21:14:00.002+03:00

Wow am I tired. We left the apartment this morning at 8:10 and didn't get home until about 6:45. My feet are killing me. But my kids are happy. We had the best time at Disneyland. The girls were really good, we rode countless rides, ate Mickey Mouse shaped pizza, saw Mickey Mouse, chatted with Snow white and came home. I have no idea how many Weight Watchers points I walked off today but I hope it was a lot. That pizza was really good! Now we are just praying for a LONG night Mommy and Daddy need it!

Louvre

2009-09-21T16:21:00.002+03:00

We did it! We braved going to the Louvre with two small, strong willed children today. I have to say that they were relatively good. Of course we did have to threaten them with not going to Disneyland tomorrow! We can now say we have seen the Mona Lisa!

French Parking

2009-09-21T11:46:00.001+03:00

Here are some scary examples of French parking. I don't think I would dare ever park my car for fear of never getting it out again! These pictures were taken from the window in our apartment. Now you have some reference for how many people were out on this little street during the Techno Parade.

Versailles

2009-09-20T11:36:00.001+03:00

On day 3 we hopped on the RER Train and went out into the country to the Palace at Versailles. Unfortunately we didn't see much. Maya was having a bad day and Kim and Brian had sore feet and legs from the day before. Gemma loved all of the flowers and felt the need to "say Hi" to all of them.

TechnoParade 2009

2009-09-19T11:28:00.001+03:00

About an hour after our marathon walk, we hear loud thumping from outside. We opened the windows and to our delight the Techno Parade was going right past our apartment. The girls thought it was fun for about the 1st hour but by the time it ended 2 1/2 hours later Maya was pretty sick of it. The girls were standing in the widow and Gemma was dancing her little heart out. It was amazing the number of people who noticed her and waved. She was even video taped a few times. Early estimates were 650,000 people marching, dancing and yelling past our window. What a treat.

Eiffel Tower

2009-09-19T11:14:00.001+03:00

Ever since Dora went to the Eiffel Tower, Maya has has wanted to go as well. So on day two we decided to make her dreams come true. Wow quite spectacular if I do say so myself. The lines were horrid going up inside so we just walked around the grounds and took a boat cruise on the Seine.

We had taken the Metro to the Eiffel Tower but decided to walk home. Interesting choice since it took us 3 1/2 hours to get home. On the bright side, I figured that was 11 activity points on Weight Watchers! We also found this strange green stuff that the girls liked to run on. Really nice, sure wish we had this in Qatar.

Notre Dame

2009-09-18T11:08:00.001+03:00

We arrived around noon on Friday. After taking a brief rest we decided to go out for a walk, stretch our legs and see Paris. We literally just stumbled on Notre Dame. What a beautiful building. Once again Brian has done wonders finding us an Apartment in the perfect location.

Improving Doha

2009-09-08T09:31:00.002+03:00

Please forgive the quality of this video. I was not looking at it because I was driving. I know not the safest thing in the world, but I'm always by myself when I drive this route. I saw this about a month ago and was just amazed. I've edited this to cut it down to post but in the unedited version, I count 43 things. (I'm sure if I was a mother of boys I would know what to call them.) The original video was 1 minute long and I was driving 60 kph, so you can do the math at how many they had in such a small space. Maybe this will only be amusing/amazing to me and Brian but this is how we improve the infrastructure of the city Doha Style!

Gem Pro Bowler

2009-09-08T09:12:00.002+03:00

I've mentioned before that Brian brought a Wii home from NC. We've been having tons of fun with it but the absolute funnest thing about it is watching Gemma bowl. She just cracks me up.

Ray's Reef/1st day of school

2009-09-06T13:48:00.005+03:00

Last weekend we took the kids to play at Rays Reef. We all had a great time but Gemma seemed a bit scared at Maya's driving!

I accidently put both sets of pictures on this slideshow. Oops! Today was Maya's 1st day of pre-school. Poor thing has been so stressed out about it, she hasn't slept in weeks. Last night she slept with us. Took her 3 hours to go to sleep. But she woke up in a chipper mood ready for the challenge. In the car she told me that she would not be crying because sometimes you just have to be brave. She did wonderfully and when I picked her up she told me she wanted it to be a school day everyday.

Me you ask? It was the longest 5 hours of my life. I couldn't wait until I got to go pick her up and hold her in my arms. Boy it is hard letting your kids grow up.

Gem missed Maya very much. I needed to go to the vege market and I asked her if she wanted to go. She said yes, but then, we go get Maya OK Mommy? I guess I'm not as much fun to play with. On the way home, Maya told me she missed Gemma. I asked her if maybe going to school would help her to appreciate her little sister more and they would fight less. In true Olivia fashion she said, "Maybe!.

Actual Conversation

2009-08-25T16:03:00.002+03:00

This is a typical conversation with Maya:

Mommy, "Who was slamming the doors upstairs?"
Maya, "it was me"
Mommy, "Honey we have talked and talked about this. Those doors are so heavy that if you catch someone's fingers, it will hurt them really bad, maybe even cut off their finger."
Maya, "I know"
Mommy, "Then what are we going to do to help you to listen to me?"
Maya, "Maybe we need to make my ears bigger. Or your mouth bigger and louder. One of the two.

Anyone out there think my mouth needs to be bigger or louder? No? Ok anyone know an ear surgeon?

Supermarket Mishap

2009-08-25T13:07:00.002+03:00

This morning Gemma and I were at the grocery store. They just got a bunch of car carts and she was inside driving and honking. A few minutes later I heard her say, Look at me Mommy, I'm driving. I absentmindedly said wow, you are a big girl. Just as I got this out of my mouth I looked next to me and there was an adult small person (not sure of the politically correct word here) glaring at me. I just stood there stunned as I realized she thought I was talking to her. I don't think she even noticed Gem sitting in the "car". So I just smiled very politely and kept telling Gemma what a good driver she was and walked away. How embarrassing.