Another "see you next summer"

My sweet sensitive little man is very wary of people he doesn't know well.  I home school and will for a good while, but he's already anxious about the possibility of going to school.  When we started going to our current church, we were very nervous about trying to get him into a Sunday school class.  It was a bit of a challenge to get him to go, but the lovely lady in the picture above was largely responsible for his success in staying.  M's  Ms Sarah will be greatly missed, we appreciated her hard work (as well as his other teacher, Ms Nicolette) and the love she showed M.  We can't wait to see her next summer!

Making another decision wasn't so bad.

In my last post, I was a bit stressed about having to decide on our housing.  Our choice was between a 2 bedroom apartment on the campus of Eduction City (where A will be working) or a 3 bedroom apartment in a high rise (brand new) hotel/apartment building downtown (30-45 minute drive).  Initially I went with the space.  The extra bedroom was pretty essential for our home school/toy room.  We weren't provided much information about either place and needed to make a decision by this morning (actually Qatar morning, which was about 1 am our time).  We got the information on Thursday and needed to make a decision by 1am Sunday.  The Muslim work week is Sunday through Thursday and the month of Ramadan began over the weekend, so we weren't able to communicate at all with the HR person about our housing.

I was fairly stressed over the weekend about it, but in the end we decided we'd live downtown, have the extra space (A would have transportation provided to work and back), and see about moving/rearranging/replacing some of the "hotel" like furnishings to make it more homey and to provide us that school/guest/play space we were going for. 

I should provide a disclaimer that we are currently selling our home that has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a large living room, family room, full finished basement, and very large fenced outdoor space.  It is far to large for us and we really only bought this place because my mother was living with us.  That said, we are used to the space and it's hard to see yourself living in a place with a couple thousand less square feet.  We want something smaller for sure, but just weren't sure a jump down to two bedrooms and no extra spaces would work with two kids (opposite gender), home schooling, and visitors. 
(If you know anyone looking for a GREAT home at a great value in Ft. Wayne, IN... send them over!)

A and I were up until 1:00 this morning waiting for a reply from the HR lady on some questions we'd posed to her about the housing, but we didn't get the e-mail.  Of course, with my difficulties falling asleep, I was checking e-mails until about 3:00...  I was very nervous about living in the hotel, I was nervous about A having to be on the road that much, I just wasn't settled about our decision to live in the hotel residence.  We woke up around 7 to an e-mail from the HR lady explaining that we were unable to change out or rearrange the furnishings at the hotel (a deal breaker for me - I want to make it our home).  Shortly after, we received another e-mail from one of the teachers at the school where A will be teaching!  YES!  A first hand account of life in Qatar in Education City!!  He and his wife have a 3-month old and are VERY happy living in EC. They felt their apartment was very spacious and that they were well taken care of.

We were so glad to hear from someone living in Qatar and in the same apartments that we were trying to decide whether or not to live in.  We messaged back with a few more questions and he offered to skype and show us the apartment.  What an amazing thing technology is! We were able to skype both he and his wife (and their adorable baby), see the apartment, hear a first hand account of life in EC, ask questions.  After seeing the apartment, we are certain that living there will be the right choice.  The apartment is spacious, large living spaces, good sized bedrooms, a large storage closet (room), and a good size hallway space (that will work for play stuff).  He was very encouraging about life in EC.  There are apparently a TON of families from all over the world with loads of kids for P and M to play with.  The rec center hosts a lot of classes for children of all ages in music, art, PE etc.  There are large play areas and a great community feel and we can make it a home, which is highly encouraged.

We are much more at peace with a decision to live at EC, we've sent in our request and will be living in Education City next year.  We can move into a 3 bedroom if one becomes available, we can move.  At this point though, I never want to move again. 

Thanks to everyone who gave advice toward our decision.  It helped to hear from friends who have made this type of move with kids, friends who have had long commutes, and just encouraged in general.  I hope to sleep well tonight!

Oh, and the teacher we were able to talk to put me in contact with a couple of other teachers who are gluten free!  I'm loving technology today.

Decisions

I'm a thinker.. A researcher..  If I don't know something, I research the life out of it.  I like to know.  To know without a shadow of a doubt...  Moving overseas (with my family) has had its share of decisions.  Where to go, what to bring, what to leave behind, what to store, what to sell...  It's been overwhelming at times and last week was one of those times.

Last weekend our neighborhood association sponsored our annual garage sale.  There is always a huge turnout and it's a great time to sell things you don't want/need and make a little cash too.  I was keen to wait until the end of July to have our final sale, but after thinking about it, A and I decided we should bite the bullet and do it now.  I had two weeks from decision to sale.  This meant that every object (nearly) in the house needed to be attached to a decision.  Every piece of clothing, toys, books, personal items, furniture..everything.

I went big.  We are all sleeping on air mattresses.  Well, to be fair, I'm on the couch for the third night.  Our air mattress isn't as solid as our bed and I feel like I'm flopping around a lot.  I sold dressers, beds, kitchen items, blankets, lamps, clothing, tools, and tons of organizing bins.  Everything sold or was donated afterwards.  Of course, the day before the sale, I got a phone call for a showing on the house.. and then another showing the morning of the sale.  I went ahead with the sale and the showings, which meant I was a tad c-r-a-z-y.. 

It worked, it all came together.

We went out of state for a few days this week to visit family (more on that in the next post), which was excellent and much needed time away.  The morning after we arrived back, A woke up to an e-mail we'd been waiting for; our housing had been assigned.  And there's another (big) decision to be made.  I had to mostly ignore it for a day because I just could even think about another decision.

A is working at a place in Doha called Education City.  There's housing, different schools and universities, a sports complex, park, kid's areas, pool etc.  EC is about 30 minutes from downtown Doha.  We'd been under the impression that we'd be living in EC in an apartment (my guess was 3-4 bedrooms).  The e-mail informed us that we were part of a lottery to live in EC and had been given a 2 br apartment.  We could take the apartment OR choose to live in a new highrise apartment/hotel residence downtown.  This would be a 3 br apartment.  So, we either take the smaller place and small commute or the larger place with a longer commute.  The school will be providing transportation if we live downtown, which is a perk.  There's a lot to do downtown, which is a perk.  EC is a family friendly area, which is a perk.  There seems to be a ready-made community in EC, which is a perk... 

Ok, so we need to make an educated decision about where to live based on... how many bedrooms we would have and how long the commute is??  I can't really research the life out of this one. 

Thoughts to consider: 
*I home school and need space for materials.
*We will have visitors.
*We will have a car.
*I like being downtown.
*We like living in a close community.
*We are coming from a 4br house with a lot of space.
*We have two little, energetic children.
*The downtown residence also has a pool, exercise room, restaurant, etc built in.

So.. what would you choose?

What I expect.

I asked a friend what she'd like to see as a topic on here.  She asked me what my expectations are for living in Qatar.. It isn't something I've thought too much about consciously.  Of course we all have expectations, I've just been so busy with "the move" that I hadn't thought about them.

My first thought was, Morocco. I expect Morocco. Qatar and Morocco are both Muslim, Arab, Monarchies, on the coast.  Morocco is really my only frame of reference for overseas living. The five years I spent there were, by far, the most influential of my life.  It was my first time being truly on my own. I had to learn everything from going to the doctor to buying apples, in a language that I was also learning.  I had to accept that things were different (not bad...different) and choose to make different normal.  I had to learn and learn and learn some more.  I loved learning that I shouldn't show the bottoms of my feet (don't prop one foot up while waiting, exposing the sole of your foot to the person behind).  It was a little thrill each time I got an Arabic and or French greeting correct.  I enjoyed learning how to eat real Moroccan cuisine, with the right hand.  My mind was always anticipating, always growing, and I grew to love it.

Upon arriving back in the states, things were hard for me, there were too many types of hand lotion and I couldn't figure out what brand of toilet paper to buy.  Things seemed so loud and fast and I spent days hanging out inside.  I adapted, of course, and things became easy.  Too easy.

The thought of going back overseas brings Morocco back to the forefront of my thoughts. I dug up a bunch of pictures that encompass my thoughts at the moment. Want to see some??  Ok, just a few...

Driving..  Oh the adventure.

I'm expecting the driving to be crazy.  It was in Morocco, C-R-A-Z-Y..  (Kinda fun though.)  I've never seen people make 8 lanes out of 4, turn left from a far right lane, or use their hands to "wave in" to traffic vs. a blinker.  But... it works.  I'm sure that Qatari driving will be different, but the crazy will be there. 

The quickest and cheapest way to get around the city.

The beautiful coast from the sky.  Taken the last time I flew away.

Veggie and fruit market.  Love..

I loved open air markets in Morocco.  I appreciate the large one-size-fits all, "we have everything" stores here too, but I loved open air markets.  When I would walk into the market, I knew "my" veggie guy, "my" fruit guy, and "my" flower guys.  They watched out for us, gave us "good prices," and were friendly faces among [often] irritating groups of men.  I loved choosing from crates and crates of vibrant color.  I hope I get to do that again, but shopping inside isn't all bad either.  I've heard there's a mix of both and I'm hoping so. 

Yes, it's a camel head.  Always an adventure in the market places.

Leather dying.  Centuries old traditions.  Amazing.

I expect differences between Qatar and Morocco.  Historically, Qatar was made up of Bedouin Nomads with only a few small fishing villages.  Over time, the country has evolved and grown with the discovery of oil and natural gas.   As far as I can gather from reading about the history of Qatar, it is only in the past few generations that Qataris have gone from a nomadic life to one of being settled in cities.  (correct me here if I'm off base)  The city of Doha (the main city) is a very modern city, though I hear they have made an "old city" within the city.  I'm interested to see a new "old city."

Blue city.

Fabulous architecture and colors.  So lovely.

And oh the food..   Rafeesa (chicken, lentils, sauce over msmn).

I'm wondering if the culture will be rich, colorful, and flavorful.  I know Qatar has about 250,000 nationals, but there are just over 2 million people in the country.  I'm expecting a variety of people and cultures, as the expats out number the nationals by a lot.  I 'm hoping that with A working at a school with all Qataris, we will be able to meet and enjoy some families and be introduced to their culture.  I want to need to use Arabic phrases (though French is the first thing off my tongue aside from English).  I hope the families make us. 

The last time I lived overseas I was single teacher.  I return to overseas life as a wife and mother who home schools.  This time, life is about helping P and M adjust, learn, and thrive.  I'm thinking about home school materials, art supplies, kid-friendly places to play, books, and playmates.  Secondarily, I'm thinking about where to get my hair done (I ended up looking like a starlight mint peppermint once in Morocco), making friends, and figuring out what's for dinner.  I am keenly aware that my reactions will set the tone for how they perceive various situations.  They are allowed to struggle, we are allowed to have, "culture stress" moments or days, but remembering that things are "different," not bad will help tremendously. 

It is an exciting time to be sure.  I'm looking forward to revisiting this post months (and years) down the road to see what I think of what I thought..  Should be interesting.

A needed break.

Today was one of those days.  I've been packing and organizing in preparation for our final moving sale this weekend.  It's the 4th sale, I'm done with sales, and yet things must be gotten rid of.  To make it more complex, we still have to show the house to prospective buyers.  I finished the basement yesterday, which means the upper level has been neglected.  Yesterday, I told a friend, "I can't show the house this week, I just can't do it.  I think if the realtor calls, I'll turn them down.."

I woke up this morning to the task of finishing bringing this up from the basement and organizing the sun room (which contains things to sell on the left, things to ship on the right).  I was hoping to get started on the kitchen and maybe (just maybe) get the tables out for the sale.  It's a lot, but every day is crammed full for now.  To compound the stress of the move, I haven't had a decent night's sleep in months...  I'm beat.  But the show must go on.

I got a call about 10a.m. from the realtor..  "We've got a showing scheduled for 5:45 today.  Does that work?"..  Me:  "um yes, of course."  Hang up.  Tears. 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 (that's my 5 seconds to panic).  I got busy working on the kitchen (which always takes me the longest), got some laundry done, started working on the sun room, and dealt with the littles.  They were labeling their things, "Ship to Qatar."
I got a call at 11, "Would it be possible to switch that showing to tomorrow?"  Me, "YES!" Sigh of relief.

I dropped my kids off at a friends house, called A and had him meet me out for lunch.  We haven't been out since the fall (yes, it's been like 6 months).  We sat down and immediately started talking about something to do with the move, then (almost as quickly) made a rule not to talk about the move or selling our houses.  It took a bit of staring and smiling before we finally remembered that there were other things in life.

After lunch, A went back to work and I did a little shopping (packing tape and the like) by myself before heading home.  The house will get clean tonight, the packing will get done, but for just a few hours, I had a break.  It wasn't as long as I needed or wanted, but sometimes it's good just to take what you can get. 

Picked up the kids from my friend's house..

P: What did you have for lunch mom?
Me: I had a yummy salad.
P: oooooh, yum
Me: I went on a lunch date with daddy to a nice restaurant.
P: And you wore THAT???
Me: Um yeah.. It was just lunch honey.
P: Tell me daddy wore HIS handsome clothes...
Me: He came from work, he was wearing work clothing. I thought he looked handsome though.
P: ugh...

We didn't meet her ideas about a date, but it worked for us!

What do you do to recharge (with a short amount of time)?

Helpers...

I am the organizer... the packer... list maker...

A weighs the boxes, logs them in, gives me the updated weight total, and waits.

It's a delicate balance.

And then there are these two...



They want to help... all the time.  And this is their idea of helping.  Getting into the boxes I'm about to use, and repeatedly tipping over.  Normally I wouldn't mind, but I feel a sudden urge to pack (I hope that means we're going to sell our house soon!) and try not to do it until A is home.  I was trying to organize and pack my home school stuff in the basement.  I've already organized it into themes etc, but needed to log it all in by box (we have to have a packing list for each box for the shipping company).  I really did get a lot finished and should be able to wrap it all up tomorrow!  Then, onto the kitchen.. 

Here's a quick view of some of it.

I had to give P a job, she was going nuts not helping.  She "organized" the markers and such into a little tote for me.

The rest of it.

The news is out.

I finally announced that we are moving..  It was about time.  I'm up to 20 boxes packed for our shipment and almost exactly half of our shipping allowance.  I  think it's a fair bet that we will exceed the allowance of about 900lbs.  What can I say?  We have a lot of books.

Starting goodbyes...

 Our 'time left in the states' has become a list of events to check off.  I hate that after each one, I think, "ok, _________ is next and then only ___ more weeks until Qatar."  I feel like I'm not really enjoying each event as I should because there are so many things pressing on me to get done.  I've been taking loads of pictures so that I can look back and enjoy them once we get settled and life calms down (if that ever happens).

Last week, A's co-workers had a farewell luncheon for him.  He has loved working at FWCS (local school district) and has gained a wealth of knowledge.  One of the receptionists called a month ago and invited me (kids too), so I had it on the calendar.  P woke up the morning of the luncheon not feeling well and we were traveling later in the day to Michigan, so I got her the only appointment available.  It just so happens, it was an hour before the luncheon, the doctor was running late, and we were late...  I hate being late.  We went anyway and the kids were so good despite the tummy bug.  They handed out cookies to everyone and, as usual, were the center of attention. 

They love to help.  They stuck stickers on each and every tag.

Putting the cookie bags together.

P and M walking with their Papa.

6 of the 9 cousins on Papa's hay bales.

After the luncheon, we packed up and headed to Michigan for a week of family fun.  It was the closest to relaxing I've done in a long time.  We hung out at the family farm, caught minnows in the creek, fed baby calves, danced, played, and enjoyed. 











It's hard to imagine how they will all grow and change in the next year that we'll spend apart. 

Since we arrived back at home, I've been tearing apart the closets.  Ugh.. closets.