Three Day Weekend

It’s funny because I think of really great post ideas while I’m driving and then forget them the moment I get out of the car.   Why does this happen?  It’s so frustrating.  Eli keeps saying that the blog needs some focus, and while I agree with him, I’m not sure I’m capable of making that happen.  Especially if all my ideas escape the moment I open the car door.  (That car is killing me:  I now sing the “Go Diego” theme song to the car when we are trying to get up a hill.)

All that to say that today will be yet another boring general update. 

Yesterday, I took Tommy to school and then went to my friend Katherine’s house (she is moving; we will be moving into her house) and then we went to the big souk.  Katherine is moving to Saudi Arabia and needs an abaya to wear in order to disembark the airplane in Saudi.  (I could not make that up.)  She has a lovely attitude about this move and so she is cheerfully shopping for an abaya.  But she is tall and none fit her so she has to get one made for her so we didn’t buy one.  The souk was very fun and there were lots of things I would be interested in buying, but I did not buy anything at all yesterday as it was all a bit overwhelming. 

Can I pause here and tell you that a small blonde girl you all know gets unbelievable amounts of attention here?  EVERYONE smiles at her and talks to her and do you know what she does back?  She blinks.  No smiles, no waves, certainly no words.  Just a long blink.  I said, Lulu, you are our cultural bridge so get some freaking manners and smile and say hello!   She blinked at me.

After the souk, we went to Eli’s office to go to Katherine’s husband’s farewell lunch.  It was fun but sort of a tiny bit awkward especially with Lizzie and her damn blinking instead of saying hello to all of Eli’s coworkers.  This from the girl who cannot stop talking in the car. 

Today was busy.  Lulu had school and so did Tommy, and then I went to the camp to use the ladies laundry.  There are three washing machine/dryer combos (totally American) and I am reading that Hilary Mantel book, the first one about Thomas Cromwell and can I just say that it is amazing?  Then, I met Katherine and two new ladies for coffee and joined the American Women’s Guild.  I will be taking over editing the newsletter (“the Pony Express”, the Pony for short) from Katherine.  I will keep you all posted.  I really will.  One of the women I met today has children similarly aged to my own, so we’re off to a good start.

We now commence a three-day weekend!  Holidays here are a bit odd.  They are “called” (by someone in the government, presumably) mere days before they occur.  So until yesterday, everyone knew that there would be a three day weekend, but nobody knew if we would have Wednesday (today) off or Saturday off.   All I can think is:  what if I wanted to buy plane tickets?  Do you just take both days off?

Though he seems to be perfectly happy at his new school, Tommy complained about going this morning and said he missed his old school and the house with the blue door.  I of course knew that this type of comment could and likely would come from him at some point, but it still makes me sad.   But, in this time of transition, I’m trying to take the time to notice the good differences for all of us – so that I can remind him of these after we talk about how sad it feels to leave our friends and our community.  And while his school is far from perfect (and his teacher a bit cold for a kindergarten teacher), it is a nice place with kids from all over the world and with the best playground I have ever seen at a school.  (It’s such a great playground that he ripped his croc today.  How is that possible?)  He has quickly made friends.  He’s okay, he really is.

Lulu liked her school today.  Her teacher, Miss Lillie, told me that “she’s the best new girl ever!”  In the car, however, she mentioned that she had two friends but one of them pushed her.  Luckily, she also brought a clay camel she had made and so we focused on that.  She seems happy to have a school and hasn't cried at all when I've left her and both days has eaten her snack so well that I pretty much pack her a lunch as I figure that's the best way to get a meal into her.

We're all happy, though, to have a three day weekend even if Eli has to work most of it.