We will officially be moving into our new apartment in two weeks. We have hired the movers, who fortunately aren't charging us too much though it is still more than I would like to pay. Grrrr.
We are supposed to be going out to the new place tonight to inspect the paint job. Hope that red on the main wall in the master bedroom is not too strong. Honestly, I'm a tad worried it will look bad. But oh well.
Maya is doing a zig-zag route to potty training. Right now it is one day off and one day on. It seems to depend more on her mood than anything else. It is pretty clear that she is physically ready, but I'm not sure she's 100 percent on board all the time. To avoid depressing myself, I think I will cease with the daily updates and just tell you all how we're doing about three weeks from now...
Monday, 31 March 2008
Saturday, 29 March 2008
One step forward, two steps back...
Today was complete potty hell for us. Not sure exactly what was going on in Maya's head, but she completely refused to use the potty all day today. So, remember, yesterday we only had one accident. Today, we only didn't have an accident one time! Aaaaahhhhh!
I think Maya was upset from having an accident first thing in the morning and then decided that she just wasn't going to participate today. We will have to see what happens tomorrow. I don't want to go back to diapers because we did so well yesterday. But I don't want to torture Maya either (or anyone else).
I think Maya was upset from having an accident first thing in the morning and then decided that she just wasn't going to participate today. We will have to see what happens tomorrow. I don't want to go back to diapers because we did so well yesterday. But I don't want to torture Maya either (or anyone else).
Friday, 28 March 2008
Potty training progress!!!!!
We had a super day today in the potty training department! Not a single accident until about 10 minutes before bedtime. Wow!! I didn't expect that at all! Of course, we did spend an hour or so at the pool today. And you know what happens secretly with little kids in the pool...
We basically just put her on the potty every 45 minutes to an hour, although sometimes we waited longer. But every time, she was dry. I didn't even have to change her underwear for minor leakage. Nothing.
I think we helped start a new day because I apologised to her for getting mad about the revenge pee from the other day. That helped. Now, I am not saying that she was right and I was wrong, but I guess sometimes it is good to take one for the team and all...
We spent the day at our new club. Ohhhh! Our new club is so awesome. I love it so much!! All our friends are also members. Well, except for Maya's pal S. and family, but they can come as our guests! Plus there is an awesome playground and a great pool, with a lifeguard even. And they serve meals at a cafe overlooking the playground. Terrific!
We had breakfast there this morning. I had a spanish omelet and a bagel with cream cheese!! Seriously great! Mike had scrambled eggs and toast and pork bacon! And Maya had blueberry pancakes with ketchup. Ewwwwww! Obviously, that was her choice, not ours. She also wore one purple croc and one sparkly red Moroccan slipper, and pink sweats and a blue-green tank top!! Can you guess who chose the outfit?
We basically just put her on the potty every 45 minutes to an hour, although sometimes we waited longer. But every time, she was dry. I didn't even have to change her underwear for minor leakage. Nothing.
I think we helped start a new day because I apologised to her for getting mad about the revenge pee from the other day. That helped. Now, I am not saying that she was right and I was wrong, but I guess sometimes it is good to take one for the team and all...
We spent the day at our new club. Ohhhh! Our new club is so awesome. I love it so much!! All our friends are also members. Well, except for Maya's pal S. and family, but they can come as our guests! Plus there is an awesome playground and a great pool, with a lifeguard even. And they serve meals at a cafe overlooking the playground. Terrific!
We had breakfast there this morning. I had a spanish omelet and a bagel with cream cheese!! Seriously great! Mike had scrambled eggs and toast and pork bacon! And Maya had blueberry pancakes with ketchup. Ewwwwww! Obviously, that was her choice, not ours. She also wore one purple croc and one sparkly red Moroccan slipper, and pink sweats and a blue-green tank top!! Can you guess who chose the outfit?
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Still potty training...
We are not exactly potty trained yet after three days, but we also have not used a diaper in 72 hours (with the exception of nighttime and nap). We have gone through a lot of panties though, and we have liberally given out a lot of potty treats, ie stickers and bangle bracelets.
We have also encountered what will henceforth be known as the "revenge pee". The revenge pee happens when a parent is telling a certain child to stop doing something they should not be doing (like playing with the plunger in the toilet), and the child gives the parent a cold stare and pees on the floor. Or worse, pees on the parent.
We have also learned, however, not to get too upset about the revenge pee, because it upsets the potty training child when the parent gets upset over pee. And the last thing a parent needs is an upset child during the potty training process. Grrrrrrr.
Maya is actually doing pretty well. For the first two days she was excited to be wearing panties and very proud that she had no diapers. On the third day (or the morning after the revenge pee), she said she didn't want to potty train anymore and wanted to wear a diaper. But then when T. came she relented and was OK about it for the rest of the day.
We will have to see what tomorrow brings. We are planning to go out to breakfast in our soon to be new neighbourhood of Little Amreeka and then go swimming at the club.
We have also encountered what will henceforth be known as the "revenge pee". The revenge pee happens when a parent is telling a certain child to stop doing something they should not be doing (like playing with the plunger in the toilet), and the child gives the parent a cold stare and pees on the floor. Or worse, pees on the parent.
We have also learned, however, not to get too upset about the revenge pee, because it upsets the potty training child when the parent gets upset over pee. And the last thing a parent needs is an upset child during the potty training process. Grrrrrrr.
Maya is actually doing pretty well. For the first two days she was excited to be wearing panties and very proud that she had no diapers. On the third day (or the morning after the revenge pee), she said she didn't want to potty train anymore and wanted to wear a diaper. But then when T. came she relented and was OK about it for the rest of the day.
We will have to see what tomorrow brings. We are planning to go out to breakfast in our soon to be new neighbourhood of Little Amreeka and then go swimming at the club.
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Why I can't wait to leave this apartment!!
We had a moving company come today to do an assessment of how much it will cost to move us and all our stuff to our new apartment. I know labour is really cheap in Egypt, but I am still freaked that the movers might come back with a totally insanely expensive estimate...
Anyway, here are the reasons I can't wait to get out of this apartment:
1) Broken air conditioners in our bedroom and the living room
2) Screwy electric problem in the guest bedroom that means the lights don't work.
3) Screwy electric problem in the living room that means the main overhead light doesn't work.
4) Dishwasher so screwy that we don't even bother to try with it.
5) Dryer that leaks massive amounts of water (well the dryer belongs to us, not the landlord, but still...)
6) Fridge that is about to die (and is so ugly -- color is puke green)
7) Water leaking from the bathroom into the walls of our bedroom and causing really ugly paint bubbles because the people who tiled the bathroom did a really horrible job and the tiles are not watertight.
8) Elevators that are constantly broken -- had to walk down nine flights of stairs this morning, for example.
9) Screwy electric problem in the "office" (really Maya's playroom, which she will not have in our new place) that makes the air conditioner short out constantly.
10) General state of disrepair that basically just makes everything break all the time.
I will miss the short commute, however.
Anyway, here are the reasons I can't wait to get out of this apartment:
1) Broken air conditioners in our bedroom and the living room
2) Screwy electric problem in the guest bedroom that means the lights don't work.
3) Screwy electric problem in the living room that means the main overhead light doesn't work.
4) Dishwasher so screwy that we don't even bother to try with it.
5) Dryer that leaks massive amounts of water (well the dryer belongs to us, not the landlord, but still...)
6) Fridge that is about to die (and is so ugly -- color is puke green)
7) Water leaking from the bathroom into the walls of our bedroom and causing really ugly paint bubbles because the people who tiled the bathroom did a really horrible job and the tiles are not watertight.
8) Elevators that are constantly broken -- had to walk down nine flights of stairs this morning, for example.
9) Screwy electric problem in the "office" (really Maya's playroom, which she will not have in our new place) that makes the air conditioner short out constantly.
10) General state of disrepair that basically just makes everything break all the time.
I will miss the short commute, however.
Potty training ... for real!
Yes, we have finally decided to potty train. Maya has been getting a bit resistant aboout wearing diapers recently, since her same-age friend S. is now out of diapers as are (obviously) Bug and Giggle of egypt4 fame. Maya is clearly feeling the peer pressure.
For me it is a bit of a relief because lately she has been insisting that I change EVERY diaper. She seems to have adopted a no boys alloyed policy in the diaper department, and I am not a real big fan of that idea. Plus she is just so squirmy.
So today we ditched diapers. She only wore a diaper at naptime, and now of course at bedtime. All the rest of the day she wore panties. And every time she went in her potty she got to pick a "potty treat" (read: sticker) from a special potty training grab bag. The results were mixed. She was accident-free all morning until T. arrived. But then she apparently had a lot of accidents during the day, which apparently prompted some crying on her end. We might ask T. tomorrow to be more forceful about having her sit on the potty every 30-40 minutes or so, even if Maya claims she doesn't need to go. Anyway, Maya also did pretty well again in the evening, with only one accident (and that was when she was in time-out and mad at us -- so clearly it was a "revenge" accident).
When I asked her at the end of the day how potty training went, she said it was "nice". She also got a little upset about putting a diaper on to go to bed. She wanted to wear panties. So I think she is pretty ready for potty training, but it will take a little time.
P.S. -- I very rarely put Maya in dresses, but they are super for potty training because I don't have to change her clothes every time she has an accident. Just a tip for anyone else going through this now.
For me it is a bit of a relief because lately she has been insisting that I change EVERY diaper. She seems to have adopted a no boys alloyed policy in the diaper department, and I am not a real big fan of that idea. Plus she is just so squirmy.
So today we ditched diapers. She only wore a diaper at naptime, and now of course at bedtime. All the rest of the day she wore panties. And every time she went in her potty she got to pick a "potty treat" (read: sticker) from a special potty training grab bag. The results were mixed. She was accident-free all morning until T. arrived. But then she apparently had a lot of accidents during the day, which apparently prompted some crying on her end. We might ask T. tomorrow to be more forceful about having her sit on the potty every 30-40 minutes or so, even if Maya claims she doesn't need to go. Anyway, Maya also did pretty well again in the evening, with only one accident (and that was when she was in time-out and mad at us -- so clearly it was a "revenge" accident).
When I asked her at the end of the day how potty training went, she said it was "nice". She also got a little upset about putting a diaper on to go to bed. She wanted to wear panties. So I think she is pretty ready for potty training, but it will take a little time.
P.S. -- I very rarely put Maya in dresses, but they are super for potty training because I don't have to change her clothes every time she has an accident. Just a tip for anyone else going through this now.
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Ain Sukhna
Here is the first round of pictures from our 4-day weekend at the beach in Ain Sukhna, on the Red Sea coast. It is a popular vacation spot for Egyptians and expats because it is just an hour and a half from Cairo via a new paved (but not lighted) road.
We went with some friends, and had a terrific time. Maya learned to float with her arm floaties without hanging on to mommy or daddy, as long as we were within close range, that is. She also built sand castles, tortured a 5-year-old boy, discovered footprints in the wet sand, snatched toys and shoes from our friends' kids, saw a starfish, and generally had a great time.
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
Going to the beach!!
We are heading to the beach tomorrow for four days of fun in the sun. I am so happy to finally have some time off to relax, as between getting ready to move apartments and work and everything else we have been seriously run ragged.
Tomorrow is the Prophet Mohammed's birthday and a national holiday in Egypt, then we have two weekend days, then I'm taking Sunday off. Some people in Egypt get Western Easter off -- Mike, for example -- but unfortunately not me. But I'm taking it anyway as a holiday.
We've got our swimsuits, sand toys and floaties all ready and we are going to have some fun. We're going to be at Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea coast, just a 1 or 2 hour drive from Cairo. I'll post some pictures when we get back.
Tomorrow is the Prophet Mohammed's birthday and a national holiday in Egypt, then we have two weekend days, then I'm taking Sunday off. Some people in Egypt get Western Easter off -- Mike, for example -- but unfortunately not me. But I'm taking it anyway as a holiday.
We've got our swimsuits, sand toys and floaties all ready and we are going to have some fun. We're going to be at Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea coast, just a 1 or 2 hour drive from Cairo. I'll post some pictures when we get back.
Color scheme decided!
OK everyone. Thank you for voting in my color poll for Maya's bedroom. First place in the poll was pale green, followed closely by sunshine yellow then pale yellow, although the yellows beat out green when combined. It seems peach and light purple (the current color) were non-starters.
We are very lucky because our new landlord has allowed us to pick the colors of paint for the bedrooms so long as we pay for the paint. So we will not have to do any work. The painters will do the bedrooms when they are whitewashing the walls in all the other rooms in the house. How cool is that!?!
Anyway, back to the color choices. Initially, I was leaning toward yellow for Maya's room, although we ultimately decided on pale green because we were worried it would be hard to match the yellow on the walls with Maya's yellow dresser. So here is our color scheme:
Maya's room: Pale green walls with yellow curtains on window. (Plus a yellow dresser, pale purple rug and green comforter with purple and yellow highlights)
Bedroom two: Baby blue walls. The bed has a dark blue bedspread. (Same as our current guest bedroom)
Master bedroom: One rose-colored wall behind the bed, and the rest of the walls painted tannish/off-white (Mike picked these colors so I haven't actually seen them. I hope it works, but we needed an exciting change of scenery.)
We are very lucky because our new landlord has allowed us to pick the colors of paint for the bedrooms so long as we pay for the paint. So we will not have to do any work. The painters will do the bedrooms when they are whitewashing the walls in all the other rooms in the house. How cool is that!?!
Anyway, back to the color choices. Initially, I was leaning toward yellow for Maya's room, although we ultimately decided on pale green because we were worried it would be hard to match the yellow on the walls with Maya's yellow dresser. So here is our color scheme:
Maya's room: Pale green walls with yellow curtains on window. (Plus a yellow dresser, pale purple rug and green comforter with purple and yellow highlights)
Bedroom two: Baby blue walls. The bed has a dark blue bedspread. (Same as our current guest bedroom)
Master bedroom: One rose-colored wall behind the bed, and the rest of the walls painted tannish/off-white (Mike picked these colors so I haven't actually seen them. I hope it works, but we needed an exciting change of scenery.)
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Croc crisis!
The title says it all. Maya has been having a little shoe crisis recently.
The background of this is that last summer, when we were in the U.S., we bought Maya two pairs of crocs. One in her size and one to grow into. She quickly outgrew the first pair, and then toward the end of last summer starting wearing the bigger pair. As our luck would have it, one of the crocs fell off her foot somewhere in Zamalek as she was riding in her stroller (although Maya is convinced she lost it in a taxi). Anyway, since summer was nearing an end and because the stores in Cairo were not stocking crocs because the weather was starting to get a little chilly, we never replaced the pair of crocs.
Meanwhile, Maya saw that all the kids at the club in Little Amreeka (our new neighbourhood that we will move to soon) have crocs. And they would take them off and leave them at the edge of the playground to play in the sand pit. And, you guessed it, Maya started trying to reappropriate those crocs. Of course, we couldn't let her steal other people's shoes, so we had to intervene. Maya was very upset and let it be known. Curses to that silly U.S. government employee lady who suggested I just order a pair of cheap shoes for her from Target! As IF! Clearly, if I could have done that, I would have!
Anyway, fast forward to today, Maya dug out the single pairless croc and has been insisting on wearing it every day. She wears a purple croc on one foot and a pink sneaker without socks on the other. She will not even let us BRING the matching pink sneaker from the pair to the park for fear we could secretly take away the croc and make her wear two pink sneakers. And now she tells us "Maya want two crocs"!
But a friend has shown us some pity (thank God!). Maya's friend S's mom is going on a trip to Britain next week and offered to deliver us some crocs! So Maya is going to get a pair of fire-engine red crocs in a couple weeks, just in time for the start of summer! Yeah!! Maya will be so happy!
The background of this is that last summer, when we were in the U.S., we bought Maya two pairs of crocs. One in her size and one to grow into. She quickly outgrew the first pair, and then toward the end of last summer starting wearing the bigger pair. As our luck would have it, one of the crocs fell off her foot somewhere in Zamalek as she was riding in her stroller (although Maya is convinced she lost it in a taxi). Anyway, since summer was nearing an end and because the stores in Cairo were not stocking crocs because the weather was starting to get a little chilly, we never replaced the pair of crocs.
Meanwhile, Maya saw that all the kids at the club in Little Amreeka (our new neighbourhood that we will move to soon) have crocs. And they would take them off and leave them at the edge of the playground to play in the sand pit. And, you guessed it, Maya started trying to reappropriate those crocs. Of course, we couldn't let her steal other people's shoes, so we had to intervene. Maya was very upset and let it be known. Curses to that silly U.S. government employee lady who suggested I just order a pair of cheap shoes for her from Target! As IF! Clearly, if I could have done that, I would have!
Anyway, fast forward to today, Maya dug out the single pairless croc and has been insisting on wearing it every day. She wears a purple croc on one foot and a pink sneaker without socks on the other. She will not even let us BRING the matching pink sneaker from the pair to the park for fear we could secretly take away the croc and make her wear two pink sneakers. And now she tells us "Maya want two crocs"!
But a friend has shown us some pity (thank God!). Maya's friend S's mom is going on a trip to Britain next week and offered to deliver us some crocs! So Maya is going to get a pair of fire-engine red crocs in a couple weeks, just in time for the start of summer! Yeah!! Maya will be so happy!
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Easter Egg Hunt
We went on an Easter Egg hunt today, or as Maya would call it, a "bunny hunt". Maya got to look for some eggs, or more like point to the eggs and tell her mommy to "get it". She also got to decorate a chocolate cupcake, throw a water balloon to mommy (who dropped it so it broke on the first throw). But best of all, she got to bounce in a bouncy castle with the egypt4 kids and her pal S. from Zamalek, plus another little girl K. who recently moved to Cairo and who belongs to a cool family. It was kind of cool to have our friends all together in one place, since we normally see them separately.
Maya also went swimming in the pool, and she held her breath and dunked her head underwater for the first time. She loved it, and did it over and over again to show off her new skill. She is in love with the water, and we have nicknamed her sharky because she has a big sharky swim cap, although she wasn't wearing it today because I was lazy, and we need to take her braids out and wash her hair tonight anyway.
Friday, 14 March 2008
Vote in my poll!
So I have made a poll. I am trying to decide what color to paint Maya's new bedroom. It is kind of a smallish bedroom, with some light but by no means bright.
Maya has a comforter that is green, yellow, and light purple, and there are peach accents in the room. She has a pale purple area rug and a yellow dresser. So answer my poll to let me know what color we should paint her room. And feel free to make color comments and suggestions here.
Maya has a comforter that is green, yellow, and light purple, and there are peach accents in the room. She has a pale purple area rug and a yellow dresser. So answer my poll to let me know what color we should paint her room. And feel free to make color comments and suggestions here.
We are moving (within Cairo)!
We are moving out of our apartment next month and out of Zamalek. The apartment that we are currently in is the third I have lived in on this little island, and I have also lived in the AUC dorms here. But it has come time for us to leave this place.
The reason we are leaving our apartment is because the owner of the apartment died, and her sons decided to sell it. We technically could have stayed until July, but rents in Egypt tend to go up in the summer months. And also the sons were constantly asking us to let potential buyers see the apartment, which was really causing us a lot of stress, as we were afraid we could get evicted at any moment if the place was sold. So we bit the bullet and decided to leave on our own terms.
We considered staying in Zamalek, and almost decided to stay. I can't beat my current 15-20 minute morning commute, although the trip home can take 40+ minutes due to traffic. But there were many factors in pushing us to leave, including the racism and bullying by the guards at the Gezira club, and the lack of good preschool options for Maya.
So we are moving across town to a big Cairo expat haven (forgive me!!) that is a bit more family friendly. Many of our friends live there, and we have joined a nice club that has many interracial families and where Maya's nanny will not have to wear a stupid "nanny jacket". It also has a nice pool. And in September Maya can take "pre-ballet" classes. And Mike can play softball at a league near our house -- if we can find him a mitt that is.
We went on our first day of househunting today. We saw it as just an exploratory day to see what was out there. But we found a place we couldn't pass up whose asking price was lower than our max. So this evening we put down a deposit and signed the rental contract. The landlord is making some improvements. He is replacing some old windows, and we asked him to have the wood floors waxed and the walls painted. Then we can move in. We will probably move in mid-April.
Our new apartment is very nice. It has three bedrooms and a very large living area. It also has an open kitchen, a serious rarity for Cairo apartments, at least in our price range. And a breakfast nook. And a nice balcony where we can put our grill and our outdoor table. But the real cool thing is that we have part of the rooftop just for us. So we can put out a kiddie pool for Maya, or she can ride a trike around the roof. And we can put up our plastic swing from our roof in Jerusalem that has been attracting dust here in Zamalek because our balcony was not big enough for it. So we are pretty happy with our new place -- or at least we hope we will be.
The reason we are leaving our apartment is because the owner of the apartment died, and her sons decided to sell it. We technically could have stayed until July, but rents in Egypt tend to go up in the summer months. And also the sons were constantly asking us to let potential buyers see the apartment, which was really causing us a lot of stress, as we were afraid we could get evicted at any moment if the place was sold. So we bit the bullet and decided to leave on our own terms.
We considered staying in Zamalek, and almost decided to stay. I can't beat my current 15-20 minute morning commute, although the trip home can take 40+ minutes due to traffic. But there were many factors in pushing us to leave, including the racism and bullying by the guards at the Gezira club, and the lack of good preschool options for Maya.
So we are moving across town to a big Cairo expat haven (forgive me!!) that is a bit more family friendly. Many of our friends live there, and we have joined a nice club that has many interracial families and where Maya's nanny will not have to wear a stupid "nanny jacket". It also has a nice pool. And in September Maya can take "pre-ballet" classes. And Mike can play softball at a league near our house -- if we can find him a mitt that is.
We went on our first day of househunting today. We saw it as just an exploratory day to see what was out there. But we found a place we couldn't pass up whose asking price was lower than our max. So this evening we put down a deposit and signed the rental contract. The landlord is making some improvements. He is replacing some old windows, and we asked him to have the wood floors waxed and the walls painted. Then we can move in. We will probably move in mid-April.
Our new apartment is very nice. It has three bedrooms and a very large living area. It also has an open kitchen, a serious rarity for Cairo apartments, at least in our price range. And a breakfast nook. And a nice balcony where we can put our grill and our outdoor table. But the real cool thing is that we have part of the rooftop just for us. So we can put out a kiddie pool for Maya, or she can ride a trike around the roof. And we can put up our plastic swing from our roof in Jerusalem that has been attracting dust here in Zamalek because our balcony was not big enough for it. So we are pretty happy with our new place -- or at least we hope we will be.
Aaargh!! I've been tagged
OK, so I have been tagged by Nancy, whose babe M. was a roomie of Maya's in Ethiopia...Now I have to tell 10 things about myself.
Rules of play:
*Post 10 random things about yourself
*Choose 5 people to tag and a reason you chose each person (can be totally nonsensical)
*Leave them each a comment directing them to your blog so they know they are it (wait a minute...shouldn't everyone be reading my blog???? You mean they're not????)
*You can't tag the person who tagged you (you'll have to make new friends)
*As a courtesy to the person who tagged you, please let them know when you have posted so they can have the sheer delight and extra work load of reading your answers
Play!!
So here goes:
1) One of my first real, paid jobs in my life (other than teenage babysitting) was to dress up as a Planters Peanut and hand out free samples at various grocery stores. I learned a lot in that job. Mainly that if you are dressed up as a peanut, and people can't see your face, people will either a) make really screwed up sexual comments to you, or b) will think that people dressed up as peanuts should be like mimes and should not speak as they are handing out samples but should instead gesture with their hands. Bizarre!
2) When I applied to college as a high school senior, I only applied to one. I did not have a plan B in case I did not get in to my 'only choice' school, and even put a bumper sticker on my car before I was admitted.
3) I have spent almost exactly a third of my life in the Middle East.
4) I used to be a competitive swimmer, and I was actually pretty good.
5) I wore braces on my legs as a child for an orthopedic problem. I once raised a LOT of money in a school jogathon after going house to house asking for pledges wearing my braces, and people massively underestimated how much I could run. Serves them right!
6) I really want my daughter to speak Amharic so she can have access to her birth culture without needing a mediator. It is even more important to me because I have struggled so much with Arabic. I don't want her to struggle with a language that by all rights should be hers.
7) I always thought I would focus on being gender-neutral as a parent. But I am not as good at that as I thought I would be. My daughter is a pretty girly girl who loves dolls and her play kitchen, although she is very athletic and does play with legos so she is not ONLY girly. But I wonder if I have made her a girly girl, or if it is just part of her nature.
8) I despise the taste of coffee (although somehow Ethiopian buna is drinkable). I do concede that coffee smells very nice. I just hate the taste.
9) I like to read non-fiction books of almost any genre, but I am bored by fiction.
10) I met my husband in my first week of college at an orientation where we were seated next to each other because our last names are close in the alphabet. We didn't realize we lived in the same dorm just down the hall from each other until a bit later.
OK, who do I tag. I have no idea, and I apologize in advance.
1) Egypt4. Why? Because I know you. I always tag you. And I think you could have some interesting stuff out there to say.
2) Chris R. in Texas. Yes, I know you stop by my blog even though I am so lame about e-mail.... I am sure you have some interesting stuff to say.
3) Charlie Fekadu's mommy. Cuz your kiddo is so super cute (Hey, I don't need a really good reason to tag someone do I? And you might have been tagged already, but oh well.)
4) Josh and Avni. I think you should start a blog so we can keep in touch. And when you do, you're it! And Michelle too.
5) Anyone else lurking on my blog. Cuz I want to know who you are, and I'm too lazy to think of someone else to tag.
Rules of play:
*Post 10 random things about yourself
*Choose 5 people to tag and a reason you chose each person (can be totally nonsensical)
*Leave them each a comment directing them to your blog so they know they are it (wait a minute...shouldn't everyone be reading my blog???? You mean they're not????)
*You can't tag the person who tagged you (you'll have to make new friends)
*As a courtesy to the person who tagged you, please let them know when you have posted so they can have the sheer delight and extra work load of reading your answers
Play!!
So here goes:
1) One of my first real, paid jobs in my life (other than teenage babysitting) was to dress up as a Planters Peanut and hand out free samples at various grocery stores. I learned a lot in that job. Mainly that if you are dressed up as a peanut, and people can't see your face, people will either a) make really screwed up sexual comments to you, or b) will think that people dressed up as peanuts should be like mimes and should not speak as they are handing out samples but should instead gesture with their hands. Bizarre!
2) When I applied to college as a high school senior, I only applied to one. I did not have a plan B in case I did not get in to my 'only choice' school, and even put a bumper sticker on my car before I was admitted.
3) I have spent almost exactly a third of my life in the Middle East.
4) I used to be a competitive swimmer, and I was actually pretty good.
5) I wore braces on my legs as a child for an orthopedic problem. I once raised a LOT of money in a school jogathon after going house to house asking for pledges wearing my braces, and people massively underestimated how much I could run. Serves them right!
6) I really want my daughter to speak Amharic so she can have access to her birth culture without needing a mediator. It is even more important to me because I have struggled so much with Arabic. I don't want her to struggle with a language that by all rights should be hers.
7) I always thought I would focus on being gender-neutral as a parent. But I am not as good at that as I thought I would be. My daughter is a pretty girly girl who loves dolls and her play kitchen, although she is very athletic and does play with legos so she is not ONLY girly. But I wonder if I have made her a girly girl, or if it is just part of her nature.
8) I despise the taste of coffee (although somehow Ethiopian buna is drinkable). I do concede that coffee smells very nice. I just hate the taste.
9) I like to read non-fiction books of almost any genre, but I am bored by fiction.
10) I met my husband in my first week of college at an orientation where we were seated next to each other because our last names are close in the alphabet. We didn't realize we lived in the same dorm just down the hall from each other until a bit later.
OK, who do I tag. I have no idea, and I apologize in advance.
1) Egypt4. Why? Because I know you. I always tag you. And I think you could have some interesting stuff out there to say.
2) Chris R. in Texas. Yes, I know you stop by my blog even though I am so lame about e-mail.... I am sure you have some interesting stuff to say.
3) Charlie Fekadu's mommy. Cuz your kiddo is so super cute (Hey, I don't need a really good reason to tag someone do I? And you might have been tagged already, but oh well.)
4) Josh and Avni. I think you should start a blog so we can keep in touch. And when you do, you're it! And Michelle too.
5) Anyone else lurking on my blog. Cuz I want to know who you are, and I'm too lazy to think of someone else to tag.
Monday, 3 March 2008
Missing wedding ring
This morning when I woke up, I couldn't find my wedding ring. It was not on the bedside table where I had left it when I went to bed last night. I looked on the floor. It was not there either. I looked under the bed. Not there. I was getting late for work, so I went to work without my ring...
After I went to work, Mike continued looking for my ring. But he could not find it either. So he went to work.
When I came home from work, I tore our bedroom apart looking for my ring. I couldn't find it and Maya was getting restless. So I sat in the beanbag in her room to read her some stories before bed. While I was reading, Mike opened up one of Maya's "purses". A little pink one. Tucked inside, guess what he found? My missing wedding ring!
After I went to work, Mike continued looking for my ring. But he could not find it either. So he went to work.
When I came home from work, I tore our bedroom apart looking for my ring. I couldn't find it and Maya was getting restless. So I sat in the beanbag in her room to read her some stories before bed. While I was reading, Mike opened up one of Maya's "purses". A little pink one. Tucked inside, guess what he found? My missing wedding ring!
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Wadi Degla
We went on an organized bus trip out to a place called Wadi Degla in the desert today with some friends including the Egypt4 family and a bunch of other Cairo expats. It is basically a big valley in the desert with some nice rock formations, a little bit of wildlife, and unfortunately lots of trash, like plastic bags, all over the place.
We had a good time though, being outdoors and traipsing around and breathing fresh air. Maya had a blast. She latched on to a very nice 5th grade girl and followed her around everywhere, and basically got lots of "how to be a big girl" lessons from her new friend. Here are some pictures.
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