Wow. I need to do a better job with my blog. I update Facebook about every 3 minutes...but over here it feels more "important" somehow. So, I put it off. :)
So silly to feel this way about my own journal.
The month of September has flown by with so many new routines, adventures, and adjustments.
ROUTINES:
SCHOOL: The BIGGEST shift for our family has been the early early early morning wake ups. Kent's school bus picks him up at 6:15 AM. Translation: Kent's mother must be awake, alert, and fully coordinated at 5:30 AM in order to facilitate Kent's arrival at the bus stop by 6:15 AM. Umm my brain does NOT compute this type of nonsense. But I have succumbed to the new routine which means I am in bed by 10 PM. Radical shift! Radical, I tell you. And Brad gets to "sleep in" until 7 AM!! I guess I am paying Brad back for the last three years when I was able to sleep in until 7 AM while Brad got Kent his breakfast each morning. Those were the glory days!
And, for the FIRST time in Kent's existence I have had to WAKE HIM UP! That child was BORN with an internal clock that went off HOURS before Brad and I ever wanted to be awake. He is bright-eyed and bushy tailed by 6 AM normally. You would think this would carry over to being easy to get up at 5:30. WRONG! So, wrong. After some serious power struggles the first week or so of school, we got wise to the situation and instituted a behavior incentive. Kent needs to do 4 specific tasks in the morning without whining, fussing, or yelling. If he does well he has earned 20 minutes of iPod or TV following his after-school snack, and before his hour of Quiet Time in the afternoon. This was the magic ticket. Since we are not having any other TV or electronic game time during the school week, this feels SUPER special to Kent.
The early morning rising also means Kent goes to bed at 6:15 each evening. This means we eat dinner at 5 PM. Brad doesn't get home from work until 6:00 PM, at the earliest. This means Brad and Kent don't really get to see each other until the weekends. This is sad for all of us. BUT it is just a season of time and life. And a well-rested child is paramount to a better behaved child who is more available for learning and functioning. So, early to bed, early to rise has become our HORRID new mantra. :)
WORK: I am adjusting to working again. As my hours are haphazard, it has been interesting getting into a "routine" regarding work. I am waiting to receive a Blackberry and a secure USB/FOB for my computer that will allow me to remote access my secure email and documents from home. This has meant more physical time at the embassy to access the systems. I don't have a desk or computer there so it makes for an interesting process. Hopefully my accessories come soon and then I can do my job fully. I do LIKE working again though. I feel like I am more focused in life and a bit better with my time management. And, I haven't been wearing PJ pants as my outfit as often. That is good for the marriage too. :)
SEWING: I am finally sewing again! I made a Christmas quilt top last week, curtains and towels for the kitchen, and am in the process of making a Halloween quilt for Kent's bed. It feels so good to be at my machine again.
ADVENTURES:
There have been many little adventures. Yesterday was a perfect storm of several. I got lost getting to the embassy. Pride goes before a FAIL. I made one wrong turn and all of a sudden I couldn't figure out how to get back on track. Everything is sandy and some variation on beige. It all looks the same. I knew I wasn't where I should have been. I knew I wasn't too far away from where I wanted to be, and I KNEW I couldn't just roll the down the window and ask someone to point me in the direction of the US Embassy. Brad wasn't available to call, my GPS sends me to some palace INSTEAD of the US Embassy, so I kind of panicked. Thankfully I have an AWESOME friend who guided me over the phone (with the help of Google Maps on her phone!) to a safe u-turn and got me back on track. But then I was late to arriving to work. Which meant I wasn't going to be able to make it home to meet Kent at the bus. Another AWESOME friend to the rescue. She lives in our building, and was willing to meet Kent at the bus and watch him for an hour until I could get home. These might seem like silly and minor bumps in the road of my day but it is so overwhelming when you are alone in a new and foreign country and things like this go wrong. Moving overseas is perpetually humbling. Yesterday emotionally exhausted me.
IN OTHER NEWS:
We have been trying lots of new recipes. The ground beef here is from New Zealand and tastes weird. So, we have been eating a lot of lamb. Some things have been yummy. Some, not so much. But Brad is mastering the art of grilling on our indoor grill- his consolation prize for not being able to bring our gas grill. I have found great recipes for homemade pizza dough and pizza sauce. We have moved Family Movie and Pizza Night to Friday night instead of our "Friday" night which is on Thursday by the Arabic week. There seem to be lots of events and outings scheduled on the first night of the weekend. So we have taken to going to church on Friday morning, relaxing in the afternoon, and having Family Movie and Pizza Night on Friday evening. The pace of life is slower here, and we love it. There aren't a ton of things to go do and see, so we can do a lot of hanging out together. Considering Kent and Brad's schedules during the week, this works out very very well for our family.
Kent is taking OFF with his reading and writing. The child is on FIRE!!! He is a reading machine!!! This is an awesome awesome development. The key difference is his internal confidence and motivation. I am excited to see him continue to progress. This is going to be a great year!
We have found a church to attend. It meets at a hotel near our house, and is non-denominational. It isn't amazing. It isn't awful. It is growing on us, and will meet our needs. We look forward to getting more involved and finding ways to serve. A more conservative government came into power last February in Kuwait and have been finding ways to crack down on/make things very difficult for non-Muslim churches to meet. Churches have been forced out of their buildings due to "parking violations" etc. Please pray for this country I now call home. It may be more stable than the rest of the Middle East, and I may feel safe here, but it doesn't mean there aren't great injustices occurring here.
Current events around the Middle East have been horrifying. I pray this spirit of hatred and anger will STOP. But, I also know Peace in the Middle East is an elusive concept- read the Bible if you aren't sure. :) I also believe there is a divine reason our family has been placed in this country and region in this time of history. I believe there is a divine reason Kent is in a classroom surrounded by Abdullas, Ussifs, and Usseins. It is easy to hate people for their religion and differences when you don't know them by name, don't walk with them daily, don't learn with them in a classroom, and don't befriend them. My heart breaks over the outspoken American conservative Christian response of hatred toward the Muslim world. Not all Muslims are radicals. Not all Muslims are hateful. My heart breaks over the fundamental Muslim reactions to Americans- the violence, the suicide bombings, the killings. There seems to be no ability to exist in peaceful disagreement. God is not a god of generalizations. He is a God of grace, love, and redemption. The world is perpetuating horrible generalizations and the results are horrifying. As a Christian, believing those generalizations and doing political and emotional damage world-wide does not bring people closer to Jesus. It turns them further away. I pray daily for strength in my faith, firmness in my spiritual foundation, discernment, and above all an overwhelming love to fill me for these Middle Eastern people. I know so little about their faith and culture. I know I long for them to come to Christ. Each morning I pray with Kent before school. We pray that he would be a good listener, a good friend, and that those around him would know Jesus loves them. That is what I pray for myself too. We have been placed here for such a time as this. We are imperfect, mistake-ridden humans. But, I pray God uses us here.
Well.. enough of all this heavy talk. :) I will leave you with pictures of a "dollar store mall" I went to this week with friends. I can actually walk here when the weather cools down. Most things are actually less than a dollar. Fun times. And I got cute sandals for about $12 total for 2 pair.
Blessings to you all!
So silly to feel this way about my own journal.
The month of September has flown by with so many new routines, adventures, and adjustments.
 |
| Kent's teacher sent me this picture. His blue 'stache is from smelling his stamp on his hand. :) |
ROUTINES:
SCHOOL: The BIGGEST shift for our family has been the early early early morning wake ups. Kent's school bus picks him up at 6:15 AM. Translation: Kent's mother must be awake, alert, and fully coordinated at 5:30 AM in order to facilitate Kent's arrival at the bus stop by 6:15 AM. Umm my brain does NOT compute this type of nonsense. But I have succumbed to the new routine which means I am in bed by 10 PM. Radical shift! Radical, I tell you. And Brad gets to "sleep in" until 7 AM!! I guess I am paying Brad back for the last three years when I was able to sleep in until 7 AM while Brad got Kent his breakfast each morning. Those were the glory days!
And, for the FIRST time in Kent's existence I have had to WAKE HIM UP! That child was BORN with an internal clock that went off HOURS before Brad and I ever wanted to be awake. He is bright-eyed and bushy tailed by 6 AM normally. You would think this would carry over to being easy to get up at 5:30. WRONG! So, wrong. After some serious power struggles the first week or so of school, we got wise to the situation and instituted a behavior incentive. Kent needs to do 4 specific tasks in the morning without whining, fussing, or yelling. If he does well he has earned 20 minutes of iPod or TV following his after-school snack, and before his hour of Quiet Time in the afternoon. This was the magic ticket. Since we are not having any other TV or electronic game time during the school week, this feels SUPER special to Kent.
The early morning rising also means Kent goes to bed at 6:15 each evening. This means we eat dinner at 5 PM. Brad doesn't get home from work until 6:00 PM, at the earliest. This means Brad and Kent don't really get to see each other until the weekends. This is sad for all of us. BUT it is just a season of time and life. And a well-rested child is paramount to a better behaved child who is more available for learning and functioning. So, early to bed, early to rise has become our HORRID new mantra. :)
WORK: I am adjusting to working again. As my hours are haphazard, it has been interesting getting into a "routine" regarding work. I am waiting to receive a Blackberry and a secure USB/FOB for my computer that will allow me to remote access my secure email and documents from home. This has meant more physical time at the embassy to access the systems. I don't have a desk or computer there so it makes for an interesting process. Hopefully my accessories come soon and then I can do my job fully. I do LIKE working again though. I feel like I am more focused in life and a bit better with my time management. And, I haven't been wearing PJ pants as my outfit as often. That is good for the marriage too. :)
SEWING: I am finally sewing again! I made a Christmas quilt top last week, curtains and towels for the kitchen, and am in the process of making a Halloween quilt for Kent's bed. It feels so good to be at my machine again.
ADVENTURES:
There have been many little adventures. Yesterday was a perfect storm of several. I got lost getting to the embassy. Pride goes before a FAIL. I made one wrong turn and all of a sudden I couldn't figure out how to get back on track. Everything is sandy and some variation on beige. It all looks the same. I knew I wasn't where I should have been. I knew I wasn't too far away from where I wanted to be, and I KNEW I couldn't just roll the down the window and ask someone to point me in the direction of the US Embassy. Brad wasn't available to call, my GPS sends me to some palace INSTEAD of the US Embassy, so I kind of panicked. Thankfully I have an AWESOME friend who guided me over the phone (with the help of Google Maps on her phone!) to a safe u-turn and got me back on track. But then I was late to arriving to work. Which meant I wasn't going to be able to make it home to meet Kent at the bus. Another AWESOME friend to the rescue. She lives in our building, and was willing to meet Kent at the bus and watch him for an hour until I could get home. These might seem like silly and minor bumps in the road of my day but it is so overwhelming when you are alone in a new and foreign country and things like this go wrong. Moving overseas is perpetually humbling. Yesterday emotionally exhausted me.
IN OTHER NEWS:
We have been trying lots of new recipes. The ground beef here is from New Zealand and tastes weird. So, we have been eating a lot of lamb. Some things have been yummy. Some, not so much. But Brad is mastering the art of grilling on our indoor grill- his consolation prize for not being able to bring our gas grill. I have found great recipes for homemade pizza dough and pizza sauce. We have moved Family Movie and Pizza Night to Friday night instead of our "Friday" night which is on Thursday by the Arabic week. There seem to be lots of events and outings scheduled on the first night of the weekend. So we have taken to going to church on Friday morning, relaxing in the afternoon, and having Family Movie and Pizza Night on Friday evening. The pace of life is slower here, and we love it. There aren't a ton of things to go do and see, so we can do a lot of hanging out together. Considering Kent and Brad's schedules during the week, this works out very very well for our family.
Kent is taking OFF with his reading and writing. The child is on FIRE!!! He is a reading machine!!! This is an awesome awesome development. The key difference is his internal confidence and motivation. I am excited to see him continue to progress. This is going to be a great year!
We have found a church to attend. It meets at a hotel near our house, and is non-denominational. It isn't amazing. It isn't awful. It is growing on us, and will meet our needs. We look forward to getting more involved and finding ways to serve. A more conservative government came into power last February in Kuwait and have been finding ways to crack down on/make things very difficult for non-Muslim churches to meet. Churches have been forced out of their buildings due to "parking violations" etc. Please pray for this country I now call home. It may be more stable than the rest of the Middle East, and I may feel safe here, but it doesn't mean there aren't great injustices occurring here.
Current events around the Middle East have been horrifying. I pray this spirit of hatred and anger will STOP. But, I also know Peace in the Middle East is an elusive concept- read the Bible if you aren't sure. :) I also believe there is a divine reason our family has been placed in this country and region in this time of history. I believe there is a divine reason Kent is in a classroom surrounded by Abdullas, Ussifs, and Usseins. It is easy to hate people for their religion and differences when you don't know them by name, don't walk with them daily, don't learn with them in a classroom, and don't befriend them. My heart breaks over the outspoken American conservative Christian response of hatred toward the Muslim world. Not all Muslims are radicals. Not all Muslims are hateful. My heart breaks over the fundamental Muslim reactions to Americans- the violence, the suicide bombings, the killings. There seems to be no ability to exist in peaceful disagreement. God is not a god of generalizations. He is a God of grace, love, and redemption. The world is perpetuating horrible generalizations and the results are horrifying. As a Christian, believing those generalizations and doing political and emotional damage world-wide does not bring people closer to Jesus. It turns them further away. I pray daily for strength in my faith, firmness in my spiritual foundation, discernment, and above all an overwhelming love to fill me for these Middle Eastern people. I know so little about their faith and culture. I know I long for them to come to Christ. Each morning I pray with Kent before school. We pray that he would be a good listener, a good friend, and that those around him would know Jesus loves them. That is what I pray for myself too. We have been placed here for such a time as this. We are imperfect, mistake-ridden humans. But, I pray God uses us here.
Well.. enough of all this heavy talk. :) I will leave you with pictures of a "dollar store mall" I went to this week with friends. I can actually walk here when the weather cools down. Most things are actually less than a dollar. Fun times. And I got cute sandals for about $12 total for 2 pair.
Blessings to you all!
Hurray hurray for an update! Love the quilts and so happy you're back into sewing! Is our craft room all set up? Can't wait to see what other fun finds you got in the dollar store mall! So so happy that Kent is doing well in school. Sad that he and Brad can't see each other much, but I'm so impressed with how your family is handling it. Big hug to you all!
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