tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16181854240768838002024-03-13T13:42:30.814+02:00A Cushman at the Kremlinmindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-40961927489959757922016-05-11T11:29:00.001+02:002016-05-11T11:59:32.340+02:00The world is scary, pass me my iPhone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been thinking a lot lately about the whole technology distraction topic. I'm taking a class about digital tools and so much of what we're discussing is about this new generation, the iGeneration is what they're being called. How plugged in they are, how much access they have to instant information and how technology is completely embedded in their world.<br>
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There's good and bad to technology, I recognize how easy it is to tune out the world and those around you with the distractions on a phone or tablet. I also think there are amazing benefits tech has to offer for our day to day living to make connections with other people and ideas. But most importantly, I think that technology isn't going anywhere unless there's some huge cataclysmic tragedy, which in my opinion is not preferable to the cons of living in a tech world.<br>
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And then I read articles about how this generation is going downhill, how we don't know how to play outside, how to have a conversation with a real person, how we're slaves to our devices.<br>
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And it all gets me thinking about a conversation Ryan and I had recently. We were talking about empathy, and how we both feel it powerfully, sometimes a bit too much. This empathy for the pain and suffering we see and hear about around the world, makes it difficult for us to always stay connected with the present, because it can be too much. The world itself can be a little too much right now.<br>
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When I think about all of the things I've had to worry about in my short 32 years on this planet, it's overwhelming. The little day to day things, like wearing sun block so I don't get skin cancer, to the big things, like nuclear war. I actually wrote some of the most prevalent ones down just to wrap my brain around the worries and fears that I've been warned about since I was a child. If I were to let myself truly be present all the time and think about everything I could and should be worrying about, this is what my brain would look like.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFqRmynv6JDeXAi3BlRhrhu2hqeQmI4BfSKEkVbmDkRXXQy0ka-kEh7SJI56fZ0EF8iwoVuxB_qQMlDjiEZ7npMMOaTPj1xvrvut1ZrpctOAI92IIwr_jm-t3PRn9wGdCuQRp2cTcg3o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-05-11+at+12.18.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFqRmynv6JDeXAi3BlRhrhu2hqeQmI4BfSKEkVbmDkRXXQy0ka-kEh7SJI56fZ0EF8iwoVuxB_qQMlDjiEZ7npMMOaTPj1xvrvut1ZrpctOAI92IIwr_jm-t3PRn9wGdCuQRp2cTcg3o/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-05-11+at+12.18.19+PM.png" width="640"></a><br>
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And this isn't everything, just the big baddies that came to my mind first.<br>
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So, what's my point? That's harder to pinpoint. Basically I want to put this thought out... it's easy to judge our generation and the ones coming after for being distracted by technology, but how many of the things on this list did you have to worry about as a child? How many things will be added to this list that's even more terrifying for our children? It's easy to focus our energy on blaming our children for not living the same way we did. But we have to remember they're not living in the same world, and neither are we any more.<br>
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We do need to think about these scary things and face them, and hopefully come up with ways to improve our world so there are fewer things to worry about, but sometimes it's ok to look away for a moment so you don't get overwhelmed. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I'm giving myself (and you if you need it) permission to turn off the scary world for awhile. <br>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-46303998392409274012016-01-17T19:24:00.000+02:002016-01-17T19:24:16.537+02:00Meltdown in Moscow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well it's been awhile, and if left to my own devices I probably would have just kept being lazy, but my lovely grandfather has asked me specially to get back to my blog. This is a man whose been like a father, and always looked out for me. So here goes grandpa, hope you don't regret the request when you see what's on my mind.<br />
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Tonight was one of those moments as a parent where you start to understand why some animals eat their young.<br />
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Poor Q has been sick most of the week with a high fever and virus. He's been whiny, clingy, not wanting to eat and waking up multiple times a night to generally just moan at his own existence. It's been pitiful and hard to watch, not to mention exhausting. We spent most of this weekend in survival mode, trying to keep his temperature down and meet his needs no matter how demanding and convoluted they may be.<br />
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Then this afternoon we made the capital error of parenting. Are you listening to this friends with babies, I'm about to spout a golden nugget of advice that you should listen to, maybe even write down...<br />
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<b>Do not let them sleep past 4:00 in the afternoon. </b><br />
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You can go right up to it, but be warned that if you let them overshoot that time you are in for an "interesting" evening.<br />
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We've done it before because we're rebels who like to push the line and see what we can get away with (aka stupid) and it's always ended badly. If you've ever had a nap hangover you know what it feels like to wake up too late in the afternoon. You're still tired, you know you need to get up to go to bed that night at a decent time. But you're left feeling cranky and annoyed with everyone and everything around you. Well add to that a fever, congestion and sores all over the inside of his mouth and you can imagine the meltdown we experienced this evening.<br />
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Nothing was the way he wanted it to be. His water cup wasn't right, he only wanted to eat pretzels, he wanted to play but "No, not play!" There were many tears, so many tears. So many long stretches of talking through sobs that we could not figure out, which only enraged him even more. He cried for 15 minutes straight at one point leaning against the wall in the living room, nothing we tried worked. So many attempts to snuggle him, talk to him, ask him what he needed, leave him alone when nothing else was working. It was soooooooo frustrating. I know toddlers are known for being unreasonable asshats sometimes, but this really took the cake. A meltdown to steal the trophy from all other meltdowns.<br />
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At one point I must have just turned to Ryan with a look of complete despair on my face because he took over and I went into the other room to let my blood pressure come down.<br />
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And he eventually got a bit of food down, took his medicine and went to bed. While mommy took a bath with double stuff Oreos.<br />
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All I could think while I sank into hot water with a mouthful of cookie was how on earth do people do this by themselves?<br />
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I've had many moments over the last 2 1/2 years of parenthood to think on this. It's especially close to my thoughts since I was raised by a single mom. How did she deal with moments when I was just too much to handle? How do you cope when nothing you do is working, and there's no one else to step in? I think any parent who's raising a child alone deserves a commendation from the president if their child makes it to 18 alive. It's a remarkable achievement of patience and self control.<br />
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So, tonight did me in, pregnancy hormones may have played a bit into my very emotional reaction, but bless my husband for being there to face the toddler firing squad. And bless my mom for dealing with me, loving me when I'm sure there were times she wanted to just walk out the door and never come back. And to any parent out there who is going it alone, my admiration for what you're doing is immeasurable.<br />
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And can I get an amen for double stuff Oreos?<br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-51348341495680560192015-03-18T18:41:00.003+02:002015-03-18T18:41:36.868+02:00Hibernation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been almost 5 months since my last post... wow this might be one of the biggest breaks I've taken. <br />
And my only explanation is sheer exhaustion and darkness.<br />
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This is the first year I've had a true winter in almost 10 years. And although this was a mild winter by Moscow standards, it still carried the darkness we'd been warned about. We would leave in the dark and return home in the dark. And with long work days mixed with evening practices (both Ryan and I coaching basketball) most evenings were spent trying to squeeze every last bit of time we could with Q before collapsing in front of the T.V. I think it's only really hitting me now just how crazy busy the winter was, how exhausting. Now that the sun is shining and the cold is fading, I'm realizing that I have been in my own little version of hibernation.<br />
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It's been a good past few weeks though, the sun is out, I'm getting to help coach softball outside, We found an online grocery delivery site, which will free up so many hours of weekend time, Q is positively thriving, doing gymnastics class each week and becoming more independent and talkative by the day. And my mom finally got an iPhone! Which might just be my favorite item on the list, because after 5 years of having to arrange times to talk and jump through hoops to share our lives digitally, the day has arrived that we can Facetime wherever we are, send each other texts and she can connect to the cloud of pictures and videos we're always posting of Q. Gimme a hallelujah!<br />
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I feel good. Still a bit foggy from my hibernation, new posts may still be slower, forgive me, but I'm here!<br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-58953311761130432002014-10-17T08:59:00.001+02:002014-10-17T08:59:45.424+02:00Moscow Oddities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I take photos of odd things I see when I'm out in my world. There's usually a story that accompanies each, but sometimes it's just the fact that the world we live in, wherever that happens to be, is a really weird place.<br />
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I don't always understand the oddities where I live, but they're cool to think about. And it's pretty fun to share.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-8HQ50Q4siXySFvPPInTyFt5nzK5EBDH9ab9Wm9G3LaHK4mhIEA9flFPaHtnxdxPxWZ2VcrN2UqjBWoLsRzXoYcrliIbx0vwwu0xuFC6EgrTv1NkBxKQJSSuRbb0IoUMnyjxcZKVDSo/s1600/IMG_6253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-8HQ50Q4siXySFvPPInTyFt5nzK5EBDH9ab9Wm9G3LaHK4mhIEA9flFPaHtnxdxPxWZ2VcrN2UqjBWoLsRzXoYcrliIbx0vwwu0xuFC6EgrTv1NkBxKQJSSuRbb0IoUMnyjxcZKVDSo/s1600/IMG_6253.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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A brand of baby lotion here, not sure if the baby becomes bad after you use the lotion, or if you're just supposed to use it on bad babies. </div>
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The Y in Russian sounds like oy, like the word toy. So it's a toyalet</div>
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I have never before owned so many identity cards that I have to have with me all the time. There seems to be one for every little thing you do.</div>
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There's an obsession with mayonnaise and sour cream, it's sold in huge buckets. </div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />A few weeks ago we walked by a couple leaving our apartment building holding a bristly creature I initially thought might be a very strange cat. Then the guy placed it on the ground and I discovered it was a...</div>
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Yep, it was a raccoon. </div>
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For some reason this advertisement is on the door of every public restroom I've been in so far. And I'm really perplexed by the picture. Why is there a dial? Why is everyone looking at him so strangely? I took the picture to show to a Russian friend and have them translate, but haven't gotten around to it yet.</div>
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Ahhh the oddities of this country. Still not quite as strange as Cairo, but it's got some doozies already.</div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-32674362199544338722014-10-13T09:09:00.003+02:002014-10-13T09:09:55.250+02:00Walking Man<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a whole different world at our house these days.<br />
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Frankenstein has moved in.<br />
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Q was 15 months old when he took his first steps, and started really walking just before he turned 16 months. That's a looooooooooooooooong time. In toddler years it was starting to feel like an eternity. And I know that he was still well within the range of normal walking, yadda yadda every child is different... I was getting really tired of seeing people post about their 7 month olds walking on Facebook, and having people remark on how tall he is for a 10 month old. It was difficult to see him so frustrated too, because he wanted to walk desperately, but he's just a cautious boy, he doesn't do things till he's sure about them (no DNA test needed for paternity here!). But now that he's walking it's like a bubble popped and he's back to his usual joyful self.<br />
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A little less joyful when he loses his balance and face plants on the hard wood floors, but still it's an improvement.<br />
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We feel like life is starting to have a rhythm again. We're all settling into routines and though our schedule at the new school is much more frenetic than we're used to, I think there's an air of contentment in our home. And it's not that there wasn't contentment in Cairo, but it does feel like life is a little bit easier here, a lot more balanced, even if we get fewer hours to enjoy the day. We have great workout facilities at school and are both getting exercise. The opportunities for culture are wonderful, we already have tickets for La Traviata at the Bolshoi next month. And nature abounds with beautiful leaves turning golden, and parks everywhere around us.<br />
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At home things are really good as well. There aren't a lot of restaurants around us, and no food delivery, so we cook more out of necessity.<br />
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He's starting to feed himself and is very proud of the accomplishment.</div>
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Q and his nanny Valia go to a music and Montessori class each week, and she also takes him on outings in the forest behind our apartment to gather acorns and feed the ducks.</div>
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He's getting really good at animal sounds, and seems to understand Russian as well as English.</div>
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Right now they're offering a baby swim class at the school, so on Saturday mornings we get in the pool and learn to blow bubbles and get our faces wet without freaking out.</div>
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And most of all, we read.</div>
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Oh my word, this child is obsessed with books. (Not complaining at all, and again no need for DNA tests from both sides)</div>
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We spend hours reading. He goes and picks out a "gook" as he calls them, crawls into our lap and then we read while he turns the pages. And when it's done, he chooses another and we do the same thing again, for hours. </div>
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What's really interesting is that so many of his books are not in English. So I make up stories about what we're seeing.</div>
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This one's in Russian, I call it <i>The boy and his onion rings who wants to tell his scuba instructor everything is fine. </i>It's a working title.</div>
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This one is in Japanese and luckily it seems to just be about playing Peekaboo, so it's a little easier.</div>
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All in all, life is pretty damn fantastic. We're working hard, exploring our new city, making friends and watching our beautiful boy develop into a remarkable person.</div>
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Life is good...</div>
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And yes, I know... winter is coming... (insert Game of Thrones music) We will survive! Though we'll see how many small appendages fall off. I'm guessing the pinky toes will go first.</div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-82349808527230201422014-10-01T10:54:00.000+02:002014-10-01T10:54:00.529+02:00Altai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Things have been so busy ever since we arrived in Moscow. I feel as though I barely have the time to process each day before the next begins. Which makes it even harder to coalesce everything into some semblance of writing that others would want to read.<br />
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But I left for another trip last weekend to Turkey and am getting precariously close to missing the chance to tell about my expedition to Siberia. So here goes... it'll be more condensed than I'd like because I can't share most of my photos since they have kids in them.<br />
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We left Moscow around 11pm and flew to a little town called Barnaul. By the time we made it on the bus everyone crashed and slept most of the way to Altai. It was a six hour bus ride, so thankfully I was able to catch up on a little bit of missed sleep.<br />
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When we arrived, our campground was nestled in the middle of a cute little village on the banks of the Katun river. We all had little cabins with a gorgeous view.<br />
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There was a lot of time spent around the camp, swimming in the river (or dipping in toes and screaming because the water was so cold). And then we started the activities. First a ropes course where I got the best shot of all time as one of my kids slipped and ended up doing the splits in mid air. Then a ridiculously long hike through the rain and mud ending at a beautiful lake.</div>
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I'm still not sure how she got out of that.</div>
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It was a beautiful, cold, energizing, relaxing, exhausting and emotional trip. The first time I'd been away from Q for such a long stretch of time. And quite an experience to jump into very different surroundings so soon after arriving in a very different country.</div>
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It was awesome, and I really hope I get to go back next year.</div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-64779908287833149492014-09-05T14:26:00.002+03:002014-09-05T14:26:29.494+03:00Leaving on a jet plane... to Siberia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
No, really... I'm actually getting on a plane Sunday night and traveling to Siberia.<br />
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Did I mention I've only been in Russia for a month?<br />
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At first I thought it was a hazing ritual, until I heard about how much fun I'm going to be having. I am an adviser this year for a group of 8th grade students (who are so much fun and make my days awesome at school) and a part of being an adviser is going on a Discovery Week trip to Altai.<br />
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For those of you that are more geographically challenged, like me, take a look. I've designed a map especially for you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpbVco8EBVf4xgp1HHQM7U9SjJt53ZvLaN2ZDTNwxkFmxbX45j5U30HMk_CmasgoGFCdkIkQ-E8sP-w4QJCykbT-ag_mD_FFX12Nd-QInrgt-0emhTOewHXm1-GIDu4uR4blTrEdskWA/s1600/Altai.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpbVco8EBVf4xgp1HHQM7U9SjJt53ZvLaN2ZDTNwxkFmxbX45j5U30HMk_CmasgoGFCdkIkQ-E8sP-w4QJCykbT-ag_mD_FFX12Nd-QInrgt-0emhTOewHXm1-GIDu4uR4blTrEdskWA/s1600/Altai.PNG" height="344" width="640" /></a></div>
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Moscow is in blue, Altai, the area we're traveling to is in red. And just for shits and giggles, I've highlighted the three closest countries. So, we're gonna be nestled in nice and tight with Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. Yes, Mongolia is still a country, not just a beef dish at P.F. Changs.<br />
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I'm so excited.<br />
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We'll be camping along a beautiful river in cute little cabins. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVXstNskxmT3mzXv2m-kXy9MNFkH5l86Wk9xDosDRL-JmgBdTO94BoOAQDEbEc2H2lRRoWr2uu_f4GYBszfEY0GeLSBIQvhmniY09aT1Y0dEvpL8QzvGJ0Nx1E_ZIWvoyv3b4JW6EDHg/s1600/altai+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVXstNskxmT3mzXv2m-kXy9MNFkH5l86Wk9xDosDRL-JmgBdTO94BoOAQDEbEc2H2lRRoWr2uu_f4GYBszfEY0GeLSBIQvhmniY09aT1Y0dEvpL8QzvGJ0Nx1E_ZIWvoyv3b4JW6EDHg/s1600/altai+2.PNG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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And the agenda of activities includes white water rafting, ropes courses and hiking. Yes, please!</div>
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The temperatures can fluctuate quite a bit at this time of year, so we've been told to bring jackets, hats, gloves and our bathing suits and shorts. Which we could wear on the same day for different types of weather.</div>
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A little sad to be leaving my men behind for an entire week though. In fact, this is the longest I'll have ever been apart from Q, and I'm trying not to think about it too much. Luckily he's got a wonderful daddy to take care of him, so they'll party it up in my absence. Just make sure all the loose women and beer bottles are cleaned up by the time I get home fellas! </div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-47891904671538130912014-08-27T16:45:00.005+03:002014-08-27T18:32:59.939+03:00I lost my shoe at Kievskaya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Technically, it wasn't me that lost the shoe, but Q did.<br />
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We decided to be adventurous and have a day out in the city, no tour guides, no help from school colleagues, just us, Google Translate and a stroller.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzoU_i9w42O3CXrmgTiuajCyKJRnyL3gUeiy09fJbTN0hruJpfhgY3h6Wm7DDzsxsO4rizalHwG-buGKWeqZ7bdWD-ub2zJYaU07i_dEdzOZMdfuEvsxxlVRLNTxGyzqXeX2TvrbKfzY/s1600/IMG_6229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzoU_i9w42O3CXrmgTiuajCyKJRnyL3gUeiy09fJbTN0hruJpfhgY3h6Wm7DDzsxsO4rizalHwG-buGKWeqZ7bdWD-ub2zJYaU07i_dEdzOZMdfuEvsxxlVRLNTxGyzqXeX2TvrbKfzY/s1600/IMG_6229.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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First stop was the U.S. Embassy to check out the commissary and see if any new car ads had been posted. We haven't had luck finding anything yet, and our apartment complex is the furthest outside the city, which makes it a bit harder to do things. Our commute to school is longer, and we don't have as many shops and restaurants close by. But on the plus side, there's an amazing forest behind our building. We went to a duck pond with some new friends earlier in the weekend and fed the birds all of our crackers, which the boys thought was amazing!<br />
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So, we walked to the metro and traversed stairs and escalators. Q reached out for random strangers and they rushed past us and was occasionally rewarded with a smile. He also tried to share his pretzels with every person who looked at him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ts1Gx8diaGzBByxNmQ3zIDYzm4Kdr5k66yin_NrhDkWrH63M1B4GEgyZro7wXc4Kd24wxV_hAXibr_cW0p6t5R96NrohiEo2ic26JUVFbJZ6rjBOvyz2gZGWGHrCqZvCCE_Ja5PoKv4/s1600/IMG_6233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ts1Gx8diaGzBByxNmQ3zIDYzm4Kdr5k66yin_NrhDkWrH63M1B4GEgyZro7wXc4Kd24wxV_hAXibr_cW0p6t5R96NrohiEo2ic26JUVFbJZ6rjBOvyz2gZGWGHrCqZvCCE_Ja5PoKv4/s1600/IMG_6233.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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When we arrived at our first stop, we were riding up this enormous escalator that was easily 100 yards long, and about 65 degrees vertical, and at the precise moment we reached the top, Ryan looked down and asked, "Where is his shoe?"<br />
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Sure enough, our beautiful boy was kicking his feet happily, sans one very brand new shoe. We went over to the men that were in charge at the metro ticket counter and had a very strange conversation that involved a lot of me saying Spasiba (pretty much the only word of Russian I remember on a daily basis) in different tones to imply different meanings.<br />
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Something like, Spasiba (said like excuse me) point to remaining shoe, then point down the big ass escalator and shrug my shoulders Spasiba (said like pretty please sir?)<br />
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I received a very Russian shrug of the shoulders and Da in response as the man pointed me through a side entrance and back down the escalator.<br />
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It only hit me later that the one time it was appropriate to use Spasiba (thank you) was completely forgotten as I raced down the escalator. And I really did race, not full blown boobs bouncing in my face, but I was jogging down those stair, zipping by people who were standing for the ride. I'm not really sure what my hurry was, but I think there must have been subconscious thoughts of the shoe being picked up and stolen in the few minutes it would take me to get back downstairs. I don't know, it was all very frantic.<br />
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By the time I got to the bottom and scoped the station out, I couldn't find the missing shoe, and had to ride upstairs empty handed. So, Q lost his shoe on the train from Kievskaya and we shall never see it again. On the plus side, this does give me a good excuse to go buy the kid another pair. Insert evil laugh here. <br />
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We then spent the next 45 minutes wandering around the city trying to find the U.S. Embassy. We had a map, we had an address, Ryan had even been there once before. We stopped several people along the way who all pointed us in a very long/wrong/convoluted/circuitous route that did finally end up at the Embassy, but we're pretty sure it should have only take 15 minutes to get there.<br />
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Q did get to hang out with a statue of his "namesake" outside.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5psYYuNVdZwlTnwEewWWJauNuYZGFUAarvo6X4g8Mj-HSYE5XfvZ1_38aZ9fq8b6Mc4-mvxnaGbXhu2tGiqW-L-qFmRkmf3M4MjmtbNDdbPwKfY8-9ndtzofXk2nvPaICjhHZL9nFawc/s1600/IMG_6216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5psYYuNVdZwlTnwEewWWJauNuYZGFUAarvo6X4g8Mj-HSYE5XfvZ1_38aZ9fq8b6Mc4-mvxnaGbXhu2tGiqW-L-qFmRkmf3M4MjmtbNDdbPwKfY8-9ndtzofXk2nvPaICjhHZL9nFawc/s1600/IMG_6216.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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By the time we got inside I was super excited to see what the legendary Commissary had to offer. And in truth it was pretty good. Hint of lime tortilla chips, brown sugar, cheddar cheese, cans of chile peppers. The place didn't have everything (Urggg, no French's mustard to be found) but it did feel good to know we can stock up on American staples when we need to. Even if the import costs make a block of cheese $7. <br />
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I've learned in this life abroad you don't sweat the import costs, just buy the damn cheese and enjoy every last bite.<br />
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After the embassy, we walked down to Arbat street, which is this super quaint and cute walking street with fun shops, restaurants and vendors. We had lunch at the Shake Shack, where I had the most amazing burger of my life. It had a fried portabello mushroom stuffed with cheese on top of it. Enough said.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNg6aSeAv2Iw7qoiGb5AVzWTv6BSwMi0GMxsTGBgt5B8JljYO4DGlW3Qh9c_K50PVcJpC28TbY15cTS7aTCDW-1ws2Me_wYpK2G4bH_MYkGxxJWAALjaExwJsJna4Lfyr9SrvXha7S6Wc/s1600/IMG_6226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNg6aSeAv2Iw7qoiGb5AVzWTv6BSwMi0GMxsTGBgt5B8JljYO4DGlW3Qh9c_K50PVcJpC28TbY15cTS7aTCDW-1ws2Me_wYpK2G4bH_MYkGxxJWAALjaExwJsJna4Lfyr9SrvXha7S6Wc/s1600/IMG_6226.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTDD9BJuz0Vbbr2SSc4B-08CVTeRIw-iBXfbnOnwAq1nHX04xeBk5qhffB30FViqwv5_6BjKZfLOQIU6N_tDuEUWv5aLHQWSL8vsxvB6RZBSoYO7yRJ4vzr-cGtZ4C_SXklgFTFQP3ic/s1600/IMG_6228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTDD9BJuz0Vbbr2SSc4B-08CVTeRIw-iBXfbnOnwAq1nHX04xeBk5qhffB30FViqwv5_6BjKZfLOQIU6N_tDuEUWv5aLHQWSL8vsxvB6RZBSoYO7yRJ4vzr-cGtZ4C_SXklgFTFQP3ic/s1600/IMG_6228.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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All in all, it was a great day. We probably walked about 5 or 6 miles, and we were all exhausted by the time we got home. But it really felt good to get out into the city on our own, to start exploring and to get an idea of what life is like in Moscow.<br />
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So far, it's pretty damn good, just a little tiring; even for Superman.<br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-17203793646319910152014-08-17T20:26:00.002+03:002014-08-17T20:26:43.909+03:00Welcome to Russia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The time has come. The big move happened, the big blog name change is now official. <br />
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I can now be found at A Cushman at the Kremlin.<br />
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After a whirlwind summer of travel, Alaskan cruise, family time, more family time, shopping and a few more days spent ill than I would have liked, we are in Moscow, Russia. Our new home.<br />
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We've been here exactly twelve days and there have been some big highs and lows. Our school is awesome, but they throw you into the deep end from day one. Moscow is really beautiful, but it's freaking hot right now and they don't do air conditioner. That's how it goes right. <br />
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First of all, let me start with the fact that Moscow is so European. It doesn't feel or look at all like I thought it would. The closest comparison I can give to explain how it feels to me is to say that it's a lot like Langon, France where my grandmother is from. A much bigger city and size than Langon, but the "feeling" is right on in comparison. <br />
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We were pleasantly surprised by our three bedroom spacious apartment. <br />
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It already looks a lot different than these pictures, I'll post more when our shipment comes in and we finish decorating. Quincy has his own room and bathroom, and there's even an extra room for future Russian babies (don't worry, we're not planning on snatching them from the street). So we're feeling very blessed in terms of housing.</div>
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In fact, the best part of where we lived was discovered yesterday when some colleagues took us on a long walk through the forest right behind our building. It leads down to the river and about every 1/4 mile there's a new playground. Q really enjoyed trying out the slide and swings. I have so many pictures to take!</div>
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But here are the money shots... We went to Red Square last weekend for a new hire photo shoot in front of St. Basil's Cathedral. It was so easy to get there on the metro and what a beautiful place to go spend the day. Can't wait for the energy to tackle sight seeing!</div>
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The two biggest things on our list when we started looking for a new place to live, were nature and culture opportunities.</div>
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I think we're going to be in heaven. The Bolshoi Theater is a 15 minute train ride from our apartment, so Ryan will be taking me to the ballet regularly, and we've got all the nature we could ask for out our back door. It's really exciting and I'm feeling very grateful.</div>
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There are many more things to say, but our internet isn't that great and it took about 30 min already just to upload all these pictures. So let me just end with a quick thought.</div>
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We're starting to settle into what life is going to be like, and realizing that sadly we're not going to be seeing Q all that much during the week. The school schedule is pretty rigorous, they have very high expectations of our time. But our nanny has been wonderful so far and we're really happy that they seem to be doing well so far.</div>
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He's getting to be such a little person, a little boy. He's talking more and more and using sign language. It's a shock sometimes to look over and see him doing something a little kid would be doing. </div>
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I keep waiting for that moment when I'm going to wake up and this is all a dream. I spent the whole summer waiting for it to hit that we were moving to a new country and not headed back to Cairo in the fall. It still hasn't happened. Not sure why, but it's weird how long it can take the brain to let go of things.</div>
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It's also weird how your experiences change you. I'm loving Moscow, the school, our new apartment and all the wonderful amenities we have. But I'm still filling water bottles and keeping them under the sink just in case our water goes out. We've moved on, the blog name is different, but Cairo just won't let go of us yet. :)</div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-62104197807097272862014-06-22T22:01:00.001+03:002014-06-22T22:01:14.102+03:00Goodbye Cairo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is the last of my goodbyes.<br />
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Tomorrow we fly out of Cairo for probably the last time in our lives. We can see ourselves returning to the Red Sea in the future, but our time in Cairo has come to an end.<br />
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I have really mixed feelings about it all. On the one hand I'm so happy and can't wait to board that plane without looking back. Cairo is a tiring, dirty, overstimulating, difficult place to live, and it feels like each year here has worn away at my positivity. But at the same time, Cairo is so vibrant, interesting, exotic and memorable. How could I possibly leave and not miss it?<br />
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When Ryan and I made the decision to move to Egypt in 2010, it was exciting, so exhilarating. I'd always pictured myself living abroad at some point. And when people joked that we'd finish our two year contract and come back to "real life", we laughed with them, but when we looked at each other we knew. This wasn't just going to be a two year adventure before returning to normal life. And while we didn't know what would come next, we both wanted more.<br />
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I'm still a little surprised that we stayed for four years. We pretty much chose the worst possible time to move here. The revolutions (yes, plural), the evacuation, the curfews, police blockades. In the time we have lived here there have been three different presidents, two of which were ousted during bloody revolutions and then put on trial. It's been a difficult task to understand the politics, religious beliefs and societal pressures that have led to everything that's been happening. We've been pressed into an expat bubble, hoping the things around us don't get too bad.<br />
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But even in the midst of chaos there are so many special moments that stand out to me. Almost as though Cairo is raising her hand to grab our attention and say "Hey, it's not so bad, look at this!"<br />
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Like the neighbors in our area. One man came over to our car the morning of particularly bad demonstrations and begged us not to go to certain parts of the city so that we would be safe. He made us promise we would not put ourselves in danger. And the grandfather who frequently walks his little grandson over to see us when we get home from school, because the little boy wants to give Q a flower from his garden.<br />
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There's all the times in restaurants and shops where people come over and scoop Q out of our arms and whisk him away to talk to their families or other strangers. This is the only place in the world we've always felt completely comfortable with a stranger taking our baby, because the Egyptian people have a love for children that is beautiful to behold.<br />
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The fact that anytime you see someone's car broken down on the side of the road there's always at least two other cars parked to help them out.<br />
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How it's impolite to turn down tea when it's offered. Even if it's in a little tourist shop where you were just buying a souvenir. The owner genuinely wants to bring you a drink, talk about your family and show you pictures of his children on Facebook.<br />
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The way everyone says "Obama!" with a huge smile on their face when they ask where we're from and we say "America".<br />
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How every time we throw in a word of Arabic, people say "You speak Arabic?" and give us a huge smile, even if we answer that we only know a little.<br />
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This place has been a huge blessing for my family. And I've learned so much about the world, the Muslim religion, Arab culture. My eyes have been broadened, which is probably the greatest gift I will take from living here.<br />
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It hasn't always been easy, and I haven't always loved it. But Cairo has been my home for four years. It's left an indelible mark on my soul. I will remember it all, even if it's only in snippets of memory that flash me back to blaring music in the back of a cab, or the sweet smoke of a shisha bar, the sounds of Arabic being yelled across the room, and the eerie keening of a voice calling out prayers in the middle of the night.<br />
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I keep being told that I won't appreciate how much I'll miss it until I leave. And right now my emotions won't let me decide whether I'm happy or sad. So here goes, time to take the plunge and get on that plane. Thanks for the memories Cairo, the thrills and the scares. It's been an epic ride and we'll be telling your stories for years to come.<br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-24971535430325619632014-06-10T11:45:00.002+03:002014-06-10T11:48:48.792+03:001st Birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We had a pretty momentous event over here on Friday. <br />
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Q turned one year old.<br />
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I'm still a little blown away that it's already been a year since I gave birth. It's hard to remember how small and fragile he used to be. When I look at him now all I see is budding toddler. A little bundle of waving limbs, hands throwing toys, grabbing everything, pushing forward to explore his world.<br />
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A few hours after he was born.</div>
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One year later.</div>
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It's been a great year, so full of life, full of learning and potential. Ryan and I are constantly talking about how one of the coolest things in parenting is seeing him learn to do something new. Seeing his body develop new abilities, his eyes look around with wonder, and now that he's starting to talk, to hear him express himself.<br />
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So this birthday party held a lot of meaning for us. It's a huge landmark in his life and it was really special to have friends and family there to celebrate with us. We were even able to facetime with our families back home so they could help sing happy birthday and watch him test out cake for the first time.<br />
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He didn't really eat any of it, partially because we had to wake him up from his nap to join the party. So I don't think he was hungry enough to really try it. But he did seem to enjoy finger-painting with the frosting. He got it all over himself, me, the high chair. So we got to have a bit of fun with a messy first cake experience.<br />
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It was so much fun seeing him rip wrapping paper, get excited about Legos and play with a balloon. All around a pretty fantastic day.<br />
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And even though I know he won't remember this day when he's older. I will, and it will always be special to me because it's the first of many birthdays to come.<br />
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As of tomorrow there are officially 2 weeks of school left. That's 10 more days of waking up and coming to work. Which means it's time to start saying goodbye to AIS, our home for the last 4 years.<br />
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The American International School of Egypt is a remarkable place. The walls are vibrant, full of artwork, posters, displays of projects. The hallways are crowded between classes, the students filling more and more space as the year goes on and their bodies push higher into the sky.<br />
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In many ways it's very different from every school I attended myself, or taught at in America. The hallways are loud, way louder than I ever experienced, because Egyptians are loud. They yell, hoot, and shout at each other in daily conversation. The language in the hallways is primarily Arabic, though you do hear tidbits of English. The boys are constantly touching, holding hands, hanging onto each other, kissing each other on the cheeks, but you see very little pda between boys and girls.<br />
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In so many other ways, most ways really, it's exactly like every other school in the world. It's full of kids. The little ones poke along getting distracted by anything and everything, as they get older they travel in packs. There are cliques, popular kids and ones that eat their lunch alone. There are messy lockers, stuffed book bags and lunch boxes in the lost and found.<br />
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It's been a wonderful place to work, and Ryan and I are really going to miss it next year. One of the hardest decisions we had to make was to leave a place where we both enjoy our jobs. This school has given us so much, and the faculty especially are wonderful. It's hard to imagine that we could be as lucky anywhere else, but we're hoping our new school can live up to our expectations. <br />
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In no time at all, we'll be hugging our friends, taking a last look behind and leaving this place for good.<br />
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And the thing I'll miss the most is how much all these wonderful people love Q. They dote on him, steal him from each other, give him kisses, hugs and call out his name when we walk in the door. AIS has been so good to us, the people have loved our son like their own. The school has become a part of our family, which is why it's so hard to say goodbye.<br />
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Goodbye AIS, thanks for all the good memories! </div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-91642312249818536182014-05-28T09:50:00.002+03:002014-05-28T09:50:23.481+03:00Writing reboot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been writing a lot more lately.<br />
<br />
Have you noticed?<br />
<br />
And it's not just the blog that's been given an injection of writerly fuel, I started writing another book yesterday. The idea came to me as all my writing ideas seem to come, in a dream. Not a deep sleep dream, but a half awake one. <br />
<br />
Q let out a little cry, which came through the baby monitor and popped me out of my deep sleep bubble. I had no idea what time it was, and was thoroughly annoyed because:<br />
A: I had been having a good dream<br />
2: Crap, was he still crying? Did I need to get out of bed?<br />
<br />
Turns out he was fine, just a little cry of "I'm turning over on my other side zzzzzzzzzzzzz." I didn't have to get out of bed, and immediately tried to get back into the dream. Isn't that the most frustrating feeling? It's fuzzy, but I can still feel it, come on, let me back in!<br />
<br />
Call to prayer started, which meant it was somewhere in the 4am range, which meant I had at least another 2 hours of sleep if I could just catch them.<br />
<br />
But instead I laid there for probably an hour in a fuzzy half awake, half asleep state while my dream morphed into a story. And by the time I realized this might be something I should write down, it was too late to salvage any more sleep.<br />
<br />
I rolled over, grabbed my laptop and got to work. The first chapter is now sitting patiently on my desktop smiling at me with a half grin.<br />
<br />
This is the 4th book I've started in the last 2 years. To my credit one of those books I also completely finished, which is why I don't feel so pressed about the other 3. It's a weird feeling to describe, but it's like the completion of an 80,000 word novel put me on the other side of the writing fence. It's not something unattainable/toohard/woah anymore. I know that I am a writer, always have been. I'm still working on my voice, my genre, and I think the process will be ongoing for the rest of my life.<br />
<br />
I feel totally at peace with that at the moment.<br />
<br />
My novel, Amped was like an explosion in my brain. I was obsessed getting that story down, because it just had to be written. I was along for the ride. But the process to get a piece of writing published is long, tedious, overwhelming and a bit soul crushing at times. I tried for a year and have now acknowledged that I not only needed some time away from the process, but probably needed a break before looking at my story with fresh eyes for editing.<br />
<br />
So, I put it away, started the first few chapters of the sequel. Put that away, then I got pregnant. Boom, immediately, new story idea, another first few chapters. The pregnancy overtook my world and writing moved to the back shelf. All writing.<br />
<br />
But over the last few months, I've felt the fire rekindle. The stories have always been there in the back of my mind. My characters still talk to me, at times like impatient toddlers begging for some attention. And I think I'm in a place where I'm ready to listen again.<br />
<br />
The best part is, for me, the first chapter is the hardest part to write, so I've got 3 starts already completed, just waiting for me to pick the story up and continue. It feels really exciting, the anticipation is picking up. And I don't feel pressured about the publishing part anymore. Sure I'd love for other people to read my writing, but it's not about the approval of others right now. Right now, it's just about the words, the story, the characters.<br />
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It feels good.<br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-6980720471981911982014-05-26T12:17:00.000+03:002014-05-26T12:17:22.753+03:00Napping Russian Roulette<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The single most annoying piece of advice I've ever received about parenting is:<br />
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"Nap while the baby is napping!"<br />
<br />
Usually delivered in a sing song voice, with a nod and a look on the person's face as if they are delivering a pearl of wisdom so rare and beautiful, you should probably be crying with gratitude.<br />
<br />
And I have to bite my tongue not to punch said person in the throat when they give this annoying advice. In fact, when Q was about a week old I was given this advice on a boat IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRICKING NILE while Q was asleep in my arms. And as much as I wanted to take the higher ground, I couldn't stop myself from snarkily replying,<br />
<br />
"Oh, so should I just put the baby on the floor and go find a place to nap, since the baby is sleeping and all?"<br />
<br />
Seriously people, stop giving this advice! It's annoying, unhelpful, and puts a huge burden of guilt on a new parent. Every time the baby is sleeping I should be sleeping? Do you know how much babies sleep? Do you realize that I don't possess the ability to switch my brain to sleep mode like a computer? I can only nap when I'm tired, and unfortunately, that doesn't always coincide with when the baby wants to sleep.<br />
<br />
And yeah, I know it's really meant to remind you to just take time to relax and rest while the baby is sleeping so you can be fortified for the challenges when they're awake. But what no one ever seems to admit is that nap time is like playing Russian Roulette. You know, that game where you load one bullet in a gun, and then gamble with your life.<br />
<br />
Babies don't give printouts of what their future nap will look like. You could be laying them down for anywhere between 15 minutes and 3 hours. And if you're anything like me, the only thing worse than not getting a nap at all, is to lie down for a nap, just start to sink into it, before you're woken by a shrieking baby and that beautiful nap is ripped away from you. Quite frankly that's a way worse scenario in my book. I'd rather be tired, than tired and cranky from stolen nap.<br />
<br />
The only time I am willing to sleep when the baby does, is when it's night time and duh, that's what we're all supposed to be doing. Or if someone else is in charge and my nap gets to continue uninterrupted whatever time he wakes up.<br />
<br />
Most of the time when Q goes down for a nap, my first thought isn't about sleep anyway, it's "Hey, maybe it's my turn to eat some breakfast/go to the bathroom/take a shower/sit in a comfortable chair/stare at the wall for awhile." It's a careful balance of hurry up and get some things done, mixed with oh please can I get some me time for a few minutes!<br />
<br />
Can you tell something is up? Am I not my normal cheery self? Did I mention Ryan is away at the moment? He's back in the States for a <b><u><i>WEEK</i></u></b> for his friend's wedding. And I'm sooooo <strike>jealous</strike> excited for him! What a wonderful thing to get a whole week with no responsibilities, no middle of the night wakings, no diaper changes, or bottle washing, no smacks in the face, or bite marks from "kisses", not to mention all the wonderful foods we miss so much! I'm just so <strike>insanely jealous</strike> happy for you honey! Don't forget to buy me something purty! (Insert manic smile here)<br />
<br />
In all seriousness though, single parenting sucks. My mom was a single parent my entire life. And wow am I feeling guilty at the moment for some of our arguments and battles over the years. That woman was a saint for putting up with ANYTHING from me, because when you're doing everything yourself it's sooooo hard. There is no "me time," there are no breaks. Time is divided into two hemispheres, when you're taking care of the baby and when you're lying down in exhaustion praying for the baby to sleep a little longer. And that's fine for a day, maybe two, but I'm on day 4 out of 9 and I'm starting to feel it.<br />
<br />
I've always been grateful for Ryan, he's a wonderful father. He does it all, and never makes me feel like the baby is my job, he jumps right into the nasty stuff and we work really well as a team. But man do I miss him right now. Not just the wife missing her husband, but the missing of another parent for this child. I need another parent for this kid. In fact we might need to take out a life insurance policy so that if one of us dies we can buy a replacement parent. (They have those right?) Yes, it's all logic, and no emotion at this point. I know, this is very dramatic, but the baby has been especially demanding/rambunctious/cranky/hitty/biting/ and I'm not handling it very well. (I know, shocking) And I have full time childcare during the day while I'm working! I'm not even a stay at home mom!<br />
<br />
Believe it or not, I once had grand dreams of being a stay at home mom. In fact, when I realized that it wasn't going to be a possibility for me, I was quite disappointed. Ha Ha, what silly delusions I had. Now I know that I need to work, I need time away from my baby. I absolutely love dropping him off at the nursery in the morning, it makes picking him up at the end of the day even better.<br />
<br />
And I'm delighted at the idea of having a nanny next year! I don't even care if people judge me for this. It's who I am, and while I'm not proud of it, I know it's what I <u><b>need</b></u> to be a sane parent the rest of the time. I really don't know how people spend all day taking care of babies and toddlers, it's absolutely, ridiculously exhausting. And I have so much respect for stay at home moms and dads who do it every day. Kudos to you guys, you're amazing, and possibly magical.<br />
<br />
If you see me this week, don't tell me I look tired. And for the love of everything that's good and holy, do not tell me to nap when the baby is napping. I can not be held responsible for my actions.<br />
<br />
But seriously, I do love this little guy more than life itself, even if he is wearing me down day by day. I don't know how to cope with how much attention he needs at the moment, he's becoming such a toddler! And I'm definitely savoring how sweet he is when he's sleeping. I love how he's clutching both the toy and the cracker, even while asleep. MAH PRECIOUSSSS!<br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-23015605328948469762014-05-20T12:33:00.000+03:002014-05-20T12:44:33.619+03:00Reinvention<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've moved quite a bit in my life. And my favorite part has always been the chance for a clean, fresh start.<br />
<br />
You get a chance at reinvention, to try and fix things about yourself, your life, your surroundings that you might otherwise overlook if you stayed in the same place.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be the outwardly extroverted person that I am today if we hadn't moved so much while I was in high school. I'm a true introvert at heart, but when you start three new schools in three new states, in three years, it's either adapt or evaporate into oblivion.<br />
<br />
Those moves pushed me to change myself, to talk to strangers, insert myself into already formed groups, and to try new sports, clubs and activities. And it was the best thing for me. I'm really not sure how my life could have continued in the course it has, if it hadn't been for those changes. I'm now an introvert with a secret power. I can turn on extroverted personality traits when I need them. It's exhausting and sometimes very difficult, but it's also helped me make friends, and land on my feet in new situations.<br />
<br />
What's really interesting is when big change happens in your life right before a move. Then, not only are you starting fresh, but it's almost like the people in your new life are seeing a brand new you that didn't exist before. Like your life is a piece of tapestry that has been filled with blue thread up to this point, but now the threads are changing to yellow. The people in your old life still see blue, the new people only see yellow, and you're left seeing both. You know that your world is really turning green, even if others only see one of the colors that got you to this point.<br />
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It happened to me when I moved to Cairo, because I got married 16 days before we left. My life in the states was completely different. I was a single, hard working teacher. My life was completely my own. In Cairo, all the people I meet and become friends with only know me as the Devin who is part of a couple. I'm a married woman, part of a whole new category in life. And when we go to Moscow it will be different yet again. Everyone we meet will only know me as the Devin who is part of a couple, with a child. I will be a mother, and yet another new category.<br />
<br />
And it's really interesting because each of these new threads has added to the color and story of my life. They've made me a richer, fuller, more interesting person. But they've also segmented my life . <br />
<br />
I'm the only person who's really seen each part, each thread, each change. I'm the only one who knows the whole story. Even my closest relatives and friends from my childhood have missed the depths of my recent transitions, because each new color has moved me farther from them. I'm the author, editor and audience to my story. And I kind of like that.<br />
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Change is good, it's invigorating and scary and stressful and cathartic. It smooths away your rough edges as you find a way to fit your puzzle piece into different slots. And it's the only way to add color to your life. So even though I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to grow up and live in the same place. To see familiar faces everywhere you go. To never lose your way, or get stuck with a problem and no one to help. I know that my life's tapestry suits me. No matter how beautiful and perfect that life could have been, I would have been bored with just blue.<br />
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I'm really excited to see the new color Moscow will bring. From what little I've learned so far, I'm betting on red. </div>
mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-37390378167410498552014-05-15T11:02:00.001+02:002014-05-15T11:02:32.104+02:00Third Culture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Third culture kid. Ever heard of it?<br />
<br />
My sister in law is doing her master's in International Education and she brought it up by recommending Ryan and I read this book about third culture kids. Especially since Q and his cousin Audrey are experiencing it right now.<br />
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It's the label for a kid that grows up in a culture different from that of their parent's culture.<br />
<br />
So, Ryan and I both grew up in America. It's the culture that defines who we are, how we view the world and many of our lifestyle customs. Q is also American, but for the foreseeable future he's not going to grow up experiencing that culture himself. He'll get snippets of it when we travel to the States, and from Ryan and I, but for the most part he's going to be an American who doesn't really live in America.<br />
<br />
Ryan and I knew going into this "move to Egypt" adventure that it wasn't going to be just a two year affair. There have been many others who jump into this lifestyle as a quick joyride before returning to the lives they know and understand. But we're not done yet, in fact we may not be done for quite some time.<br />
<br />
Some of our family members have had a hard time adjusting to the fact that we not only signed further contracts, but are now moving to yet another country, even further away. And I understand their anxiety. It's not like we moved to Paris or London. First we moved to Africa, and Egypt went through so many revolutions we had to tell our family to stop watching the news. And now, just as we're poised to move to Moscow, Russia starts invading other countries.<br />
<br />
I get it.<br />
<br />
But the real hard part for them is the knowledge that at best, we only get to see each other about once a year. That's all the face to face time/hug time we get. And that is really hard, for all of us. Now that Q is in the picture it's even harder.<br />
<br />
And yet, we're continuing to live abroad, which means that Q will be a third culture kid. <br />
<br />
I hope with all my heart that this will be something he thanks us for later, instead of something that leaves him feeling displaced. He'll be multilingual, have traveled the world, have a greater appreciation for other cultures, foods, beliefs, viewpoints than most people his age. But I also hope that our time in America will foster a respect for freedom, the knowledge that with hard work he can accomplish anything, and of course the love of a hotdog at a baseball game.<br />
<br />
Our first culture is amazing, strong and such a part of our identities. But I didn't really feel like I understood the world until I moved to a different culture. And one day, Q will be set to choose where he wants to live. My greatest hope is that our lives abroad have taught him that he can be at home anywhere. We're all people, we all matter, and whatever our culture, we all need a place to call home.<br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-19789955731824188142014-05-11T14:55:00.000+02:002014-05-11T19:13:44.538+02:00My first Mother's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This time last year I was about to explode with baby all over the place. And you know what, my feelings got a little hurt that no one included me in the whole "Happy Mother's Day" hoopla. I mean, hello, I'm swollen with freaking life over here!<br>
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But this year, it's official. I'm a momma, and the past 11 months in the trenches of new mommy-hood have taught me a lot. <i>Including the fact that last year I was not a momma</i>. Creating life is not the same thing as being a mom. It's still amazing and miraculous, but it's not the same. <b>Being a mom is so much more than making a baby</b>.<br>
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The sleepless nights, time spent covered in various gross liquids, hours spent breathing in baby skin, rocking little limbs, aching in places you never knew existed as you contort your body so as not to wake the <strike>beast</strike> baby. It's something you'll never understand until you've been there in the trenches, day after day, not just the ones that are sparkly and full of contentment. <br>
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It's a whole new place in the world, a new outlook, posture, expression on your face, way you look at other mothers and just "know" what they're thinking, feeling, going through.<br>
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I was never much for the fraternity/sorority thing, but every since I became a mom it does feel like I've become a part of a new society. We don't have a secret handshake, but there are more subtle signs you can look for to tell if someone is a member. Dried spit up on the shoulder of most of their clothing, unkempt hair, the ability to make a toy, pacifier, snack appear from nowhere as if by magic. It's a pretty amazing society, and I feel so blessed to be a member.<br>
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For my first Mother's Day, Ryan and Q took me to breakfast and gave me a card they made together. Q needed a little help to get the words down, but those wobbly letters reduced me to tears.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprMjbYo0K5oOLZYcsUyqYSd6JDYMLiglSl75hjPMLc8FxRrK0wB270ZRM63N9sfTiHMujEgpr1Ai1vgyIsRBIqV1n8asQXJobLPPj9wlnnQNwwtlAngT_uKxNoDzdjuHPTLVloFlJeJk/s640/blogger-image--1215677693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprMjbYo0K5oOLZYcsUyqYSd6JDYMLiglSl75hjPMLc8FxRrK0wB270ZRM63N9sfTiHMujEgpr1Ai1vgyIsRBIqV1n8asQXJobLPPj9wlnnQNwwtlAngT_uKxNoDzdjuHPTLVloFlJeJk/s640/blogger-image--1215677693.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrX8rl1gtId55Gg4pFw9Xhh_10j7BNAgLT7XnGrJ46DBZwxrC2hOmrgV4YRsJpXWCpxyXcnMYmtR-WwKSuOUugjqMvYVmI01fchK2NkVUSdubTkJdABm-vFC9j0LOR8FlEKDB6c7dc6Fw/s640/blogger-image--835940071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrX8rl1gtId55Gg4pFw9Xhh_10j7BNAgLT7XnGrJ46DBZwxrC2hOmrgV4YRsJpXWCpxyXcnMYmtR-WwKSuOUugjqMvYVmI01fchK2NkVUSdubTkJdABm-vFC9j0LOR8FlEKDB6c7dc6Fw/s640/blogger-image--835940071.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">That's what it's all about right there. Thank you Q for being my baby, for choosing me out of all the other mommas out there. There are so many couples out there who want nothing more than to have this feeling, this society, this day. My best friend included, and I can't imagine the heartache and loss of not being a momma if you want to be. I hope so desperately that anyone who wants children gets to experience the gift, because it is the most amazing gift there is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> But remember what I said earlier, it's not making a baby that makes you a momma. It's the trenches. And no matter what path you take, whether babies come from the stork, with a little (or a lot) of help, from a Petri dish, a donor, a foster system, or by adoption. There are so many ways to be a mom, and this loving society accepts you with open arms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So to all the other mommas out there, whether you've got six kids lighting your kitchen on fire as we speak, one on the way, or just the dream in your heart. Happy Mothers Day from this new recruit. It's been the best experience of my life and I'm so thankful for all I've been blessed with.</div><br></div><br>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-81027271367728369462014-04-28T09:59:00.000+02:002014-04-28T09:59:09.950+02:00London baby!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yes, I am a die hard Friends fan. If you don't know which episode this title refers to, you should go look it up. Joey goes into the map, it's fantastic.<br />
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Anyway, getting onto the real reason we're here. We just got back from London. I know, I know, you're thinking, didn't you just get back from the Red Sea? Geez, do you people ever work? And you know what, your points are valid, did I mention we have another three day weekend starting tomorrow, and another one next weekend as well? You gotta love countries that change the dates of national holidays and create new ones at will. More days off for the expats! <br />
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So yes, last weekend was a four day weekend, and on a spur of the moment whimsy, we decided to go to London with Bill and Nick. With the end of the school year approaching, and our imminent move from Cairo, it's the end of an era (that's right, I'm throwing in another Friends quote).<br />
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Bill and I have been working together for almost ten years now, and the four of us have been like a family for the last two. There have been lots of ups and downs, lots of changes, but we've gotten each other through the chaos, and created our own little oasis of home. And as much as I'm looking forward to the changes next year, I'm really going to miss this little family we've created.<br />
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Our trip to London was a going away trip, a last chance to travel together before Nick's departure to college, Bill's change of jobs that will have him floating between Dubai and Cairo, and Ryan, Q and I leaving for Moscow.<br />
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It was last minute, really expensive (damn Britain, what's up with the crappy exchange rate!) and totally worth it.<br />
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It was also the trip where something seemed to go wrong everyday. Never anything huge or traumatic, but it did feel like we were being thwarted somehow.<br />
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Our first day was all about finding the hotel, which proved to be more of an issue than you would think. We finally were able to track it down though, and quickly hit the tube to head back into central London and do a bit of sight seeing. We made it to the Eye and the Aquarium (which Q absolutely loved) that evening before our early morning caught up with us and we decided food and beds were required. Yay for pork and beer!<br />
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The next day was jam packed. We went to St. Paul's Cathedral, tried to go to Westminster Abbey, but since it was the day before Easter it was slammed. The weather was crisp and cool, and there were so many beautiful sights to see in the heart of London. <br />
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After a walk around the city, we ditched the boys and headed to South Bank to meet my friend Tara, her husband Volkan and their son Kaya for lunch. Tara and I are old camp friends. We worked together at Camp Horizons in Virginia for 3 summers, and I've visited her several times in London. But it had been about 9 years since I'd last seen her, and a lot has changed. We're both married and recently had children. Yet, it felt so easy falling back into conversation. It was really good to see them, and I'm so glad they took the time to come into the city to visit with us.</div>
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Then it was time to hoof it back to the hotel and get off our feet for a few minutes before we left the baby with a sitter and went to go see Wicked! By the way, we paid more for 6 hours of babysitting in the UK than we do for an entire month in Egypt. Wowsa!</div>
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But it was totally worth it, Wicked was absolutely amazing. Emma Hatton, the woman who played Elphaba (Wicked witch of the West) had a voice that knocked you over. Even Nick was impressed, and he'd been decidedly annoyed that we were going to see a musical. The craziest thing was when I glanced over at the program of the person sitting next to me and saw that she wasn't even the lead, we were being amazed by the talents of the standby. Makes me wonder how good the lead must be? Anway, Wicked was great, please go see it if you're a weirdo like me that hasn't seen it in the 11 years it's been on Broadway.</div>
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Easter Sunday was our last full day in the city, and we had grand plans to go to Kensington palace and gardens, then stroll around Hyde Park. But then it started raining and didn't stop the rest of the day. So Bill cried, and we changed our plans. Luckily the line for the London Eye was super short, so we jumped on and looked out over the city. It was a grey day, but the views were still good.</div>
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And of course, our last morning was gorgeous, but only gave us enough time to head to the Tower of London and London Bridge. Q was not impressed and slept through the Crown Jewels in his stroller. But I pointed out the crown I'd like, so Ryan has all the details if anyone is interested in getting me an early birthday gift. We spent the morning enjoying some history before we got on a plane to head back to Cairo.</div>
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It was a great trip. So glad I got to see a show I've been wanting to see for over a decade, reconnect with an old friend, and spending time with our little Cairo family was just what we needed to start saying goodbye.</div>
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Unfortunately four days just isn't enough time to see everything properly, so London, we'll be back!</div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-28887406739250898382014-04-17T14:27:00.003+02:002014-04-17T14:27:40.461+02:0010 month hump<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I remember reading on a friend's facebook status a few months ago that her son was 8 months old and it was her least favorite month. She remembered how much she disliked that month with her daughter too.<br />
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My reply to her post was a baffled, "what are you talking about, 8 months is the best!" Because it was. We absolutely loved 8 months. Aside from a few nights of teething hell, it was so much fun. Q was sitting up and becoming a real little person, so interested in everything around him. Play time was becoming more and more fun.<br />
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Now Q has hit the 10 month mark, and I think I know what she was talking about. So far, 10 months has been really hard.<br />
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He's still adorable, laughs all the time and squeals with joy when he see's us. But he's in this mobility rut. Sitting he's got down, and he loves to pull up on your hands and walk around the house in his walker, or holding onto your fingers. But no crawling, no cruising, definitely no walking on his own. If you put him on his belly, he scoots backwards, away from whatever he was trying to get closer to.<br />
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You can see the frustration on his face. He wants so badly to be moving, to be able to get to the toy that's just out of reach. To chase Cleo around the house, to walk just like all the big kids in the nursery.<br />
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But what we've learned about our little boy is that everything has to happen when he's ready and in his own way. All of a sudden he'll just start to do things. So I know we shouldn't be worried that he's a bit slower at gaining these milestones, even if it gives my heart a little pang every time I see other babies his age already walking!<br />
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The other part that's been so hard is all the teething/illness. His top teeth have been working their way down for about 2 weeks now, and all through that time we've also been fighting off a residual ear infection, cold and stomach bug. <br />
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He's been cranky. Cranky with pain, cranky with frustration, cranky going to sleep, and it's made for a hard month so far. Lots of naps and nights spent rocking him to sleep over and over again. The boy that has been going to sleep on his own for the last 5 months. And to make matters even more complicated, he's deciding at 3am most mornings to roll over onto his belly, but he hasn't figured out how to soothe himself back to sleep.<br />
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I feel like we're in a hump month. Not the hardest we've been through so far in his life. But things have been so easy for so long that we lost our sleepless parent armor. We forgot what it was like to get up several times in the night and still have to go to work the next day like a zombie.<br />
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We had so much to do last weekend getting ready for the moving company to come survey all our belongings, that we actually gave our baby away for pretty much an entire weekend to friends that were so happy to have him. And you know what, it was awesome! Seriously, if you haven't given your baby away for a bit of a break, I highly recommend it. Just the act of being able to go to sleep for a night secure in the knowledge that you will not need to be woken up is delicious, like sinking your teeth into a grilled cheese sandwich.<br />
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It's a good reminder I guess, of how parenting and life really are. There are easy times and there are hard times. And in the end, we'll make it through. But sometimes we need a helping hand to get over the hump.<br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-30293876339420275072014-04-07T19:31:00.001+02:002014-04-08T08:14:12.899+02:00Goodbye Dahab<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It's time for another goodbye in Egypt. Last week was spring break, so we went to our favorite spot on the Red Sea, Dahab.</span></div>
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It's the perfect combo of relaxing atmosphere and beautiful scenery. It also has the added bonus of being close enough that you don't feel like you're losing half of your vacation time on the plane. And even though you're still technically in Egypt, it feels so different from Cairo. As you drive through the Sinai from Sharm El Sheikh the road is a stark contrast of jutting rocky peaks and desert. The road bends and curves around the mountains, but you get an immediate feeling of calm.</div>
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The main purpose of our trip, besides relaxing, was to get back in the water and go scuba diving. You can't dive when you're pregnant, so it's been about 2 years for me. I really wanted to go one last time before we leave Egypt. We also wanted to give Q some time to play in the sand and water now that he's sitting up and a lot more mobile.</div>
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We've got a good relationship with the dive company Big Blue in Dahab. We both learned to dive with them and we've always been impressed with their skilled instructors and laid back attitude.</div>
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We stayed at the Star of Dahab, the hotel right across the path from the dive shop. It was our first time staying there, and for the super cheap price, it was a great deal. Not as comfortable as other places we've stayed in Dahab, but it worked.</div>
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We spent our 6 days diving, napping, eating, swimming, reading, and spending time with the bubba.</div>
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We got to use our dive camera quite a bit (once I remembered to put in the memory card!) and we're getting better at capturing clear images underwater. It's so hard to explain the mechanics behind it if you've never been diving, but you have to make yourself completely still, so you line up your shot and then basically drift once you press the shutter button. And the delay between the shutter and the actual picture is much longer than on shore, several seconds at least. But the direction you drift is entirely controlled by the current, so sometimes you're drifting away from the picture you want to take, but most of the time you're moving closer. It turns into this gamble of waiting long enough to let the camera do its thing, but not so long that you end up crashing into coral. Touching coral is a big no no. You also have to watch your breathing because you can't hold your breath while diving, but if you exhale when you're trying to take a picture of a fish, you could scare them away with the bubbles. </div>
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We saw a lot of fish this round of diving though, which is a good sign for the health of the reef. Trumpet fish that followed our dive instructor Omar around like a little puppy. Clown fish, eels, sea slugs, lion fish, kites, even a blue spotted ray.</div>
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And even some cleaner wrass that Omar let swim into his mouth! Yes those are two small fish!</div>
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My favorite dive was when we went to the Islands. It's the prettiest reef I've ever seen in Dahab, so full of color. But the best part was when we got to an open clearing of sandy bottom, Omar went down and knelt in the sand. I assumed he was pausing to show us some creature on the sea floor. But then he took off his fins and started jumping into the air. Because of all the weights we wear to dive and the tank, he came back down, but it was a very slow float. Then he gestured for us to do the same.</div>
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It was incredible, one of the coolest sensations I've ever experienced. It felt like flying and being an astronaut at the same time.</div>
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It was a wonderful trip. We met lots of lovely people who are trying to eek out a living in a beautiful town that's starving for business. I think of all the places we've traveled in Egypt, Dahab is probably one we will return to. But for now it's a nostalgic but happily satisfied goodbye!</div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-43378094679296030622014-03-25T14:50:00.002+02:002014-03-25T14:55:15.693+02:00Knoala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You know that feeling when you're pleasantly surprised by something you weren't expecting?<br />
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That's what happened to me last week when I started using the <a href="http://www.knoala.com/" target="_blank">Knoala app</a>. I was so touched by the level of customer service they offer that I had to share. I'm not being paid to write this post, I just wanted to showcase a burgeoning company that has good things going on. And lets face it, with all the negative we see most days, a little good goes a long way.<br />
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So, first a little back story. I found out about Knoala by a company called <a href="http://www.weespring.com/" target="_blank">weeSpring</a>. Wow, just look at all the good suggestions you're getting for new websites to ponder in your spare time. ;)</div>
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Anyway, weeSpring lets parents rate baby stuff for other parents so you can get more info on all the crap you purchase for your precious little snowflake babies. It's actually really cool, think Amazon reviews on steroids. If you have very strong feelings for baby stuff you can post your own suggestions, like I did. Or you can get advice on things you're browsing. They also send you updates once in awhile on cool stuff they've found. Enter Knoala.</div>
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The premise behind Knoala is to "Raise Happier Kids." They provide activities specially geared for your child's age and even explain what types of skills (Artistic, Cognitive, Emotional, Motor, etc) your baby is working on while they do them.</div>
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If you're anything like me you've got lofty expectations for playtime with your child. Visions of Montessori activities on every surface. Every moment is packed with educational opportunity and your baby positively glows with happiness. In reality, playtime with a baby is a lot of the same thing over and over again. Assemble toys, soothe whimper, talk about what we see, wipe up drool, read a book, calm baby who smashed a toy into his own face, try some tummy time, Sing "The wheels on the bus" for the 70th time today because you can't remember any other songs at the moment. When you're sitting on that play mat with your kid, all those good ideas zoom back to Pinterest and I'm often left just staring at my beautiful boy, trying to remember that I should be singing or talking to him.</div>
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I was really excited to try Knoala, because I like the idea of being given an idea that I can use with Q right now. So I downloaded the free app, entered his age, looked through the first few activities that were offered. Pretty simple stuff like, "Read a story", "Play Peekaboo", "Hold Baby's Hands and Walk Around". I wasn't unimpressed, just figured huh, we're already doing all that, there really isn't all that much to be doing with a 9 month old. Score, I don't suck at this parenting things as much as I was beginning to think! Then it was time to go change a diaper, or wipe a snot bubble, so I closed the app and went about my business. I'll look into it more later, I thought.</div>
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A week went by, and like many things in life, I totally forgot about it.</div>
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That's when the unexpected, pleasantly surprising thing happened. The owner of Knoala sent me an email.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VIXbGaGOM5T_qTtBWFGyxJUSSYqgthXQYxIrUJRL9PQDk0l06ojA7dPrGdpGQWpxYZO1nzo6heQHQxgqgO1gdASlt00h5grxiS-XdhKCemGr6Vq27Tm1xXaeIwWZkePxRgJgfCTXAR0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-25+at+1.59.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VIXbGaGOM5T_qTtBWFGyxJUSSYqgthXQYxIrUJRL9PQDk0l06ojA7dPrGdpGQWpxYZO1nzo6heQHQxgqgO1gdASlt00h5grxiS-XdhKCemGr6Vq27Tm1xXaeIwWZkePxRgJgfCTXAR0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-25+at+1.59.12+PM.png" height="330" width="400" /></a></div>
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And what I loved about that email was Cathy was checking to see what could be done to make my experience with her product better. A product that I didn't even pay a penny to use. It was personal, it was brief, and it made me go take a second look at the app and realize how much I had missed with my initial cursory glance.</div>
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There are a lot more activities available, we've started building towers and knocking them down, and I have a bunch of activities bookmarked to try when he is a little more mobile. You can set goals for how many you'd like to be doing each week. Then it even tallies which skills you've worked on and sends you a weekly summary.</div>
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It was a pretty profound experience for me to feel a personal connection with someone who runs a business. I've been feeling a growing disconnect in terms of personal service lately, haven't you? So that's why I wanted to share my experience with Knoala. Really cool app, but more importantly, really cool people behind the scenes. It makes this big bad world feel a little smaller when we can connect. </div>
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I was even more impressed when I got the email yesterday saying she'd just had a new baby! Kudos to any woman sending personal business emails with a newborn. </div>
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Thanks Mama Cat, I really enjoyed our email conversation and hope this blog brings more people to your very useful service! </div>
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Go check out <a href="http://www.knoala.com/" target="_blank">Knoala</a>, it's fab!</div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-13486193814770030002014-03-23T11:33:00.001+02:002014-03-23T11:34:56.751+02:00Goodbye Pyramids<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The time for goodbyes has begun. It's a slow process, much like the last blob of honey slowly oozing its way to the lip of the jar. We won't do them all at once, that would be too sad. But we started with a doozy.<br />
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Yesterday we visited the Pyramids of Giza for the last time.<br />
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It was really different from the other trips we've made. In fact I still remember the first time, just a few days after we arrived in Cairo. It was August 2010 and it was hot. You could smell the sand and the heat. And it was so exotic, especially since we had just moved to this foreign place!</div>
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We were full of excitement, so tense with the anticipation of seeing those Pyramids the first time. I shouted "Look, a Pyramid" like a little girl when I first spotted them from the window. It was our first big plunge into the exciting life we have working abroad. We were mobbed by camel drivers and people selling cheap trinkets, our naive smiles lured them in like sugar water. We spoke no Arabic, got hot sand in our shoes, forgot to wear sunscreen and ended our trip at the Pizza Hut across the street, exhausted, thirsty, but proud of all that we'd seen. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Those memories are really dear to me. </span></div>
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So much has changed now. We're four years older, hopefully a bit wiser, unfortunately a bit more jaded, and our family is bigger than just the two of us.</div>
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This trip to the Pyramids was very different. March weather was perfect, the air was crisp and just cool enough to cut the warmth of the sun. I still shouted "Look the Pyramids" when I caught the first glance of them from the car. Even though I wasn't as excited as the first time, they still grab your attention. We weren't there for sight seeing, but more of a specific mission to get family photos. We waited till Q was big enough to sit up on his own so we could get that perfect photo opp of the cousins sitting on a blanket in front of the only remaining wonder of the world.</div>
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We were prepared for the onslaught of security checks, people trying to stop the car, guides chasing us down the street. Our white faces stirring the desperation of all these people who live or die by tourism. </div>
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This time we knew the ropes and had the small bills in our pockets to tip guards. We knew enough Arabic to get the most obnoxious vendors to leave us alone. It was actually a lot more pleasant than I was expecting. Ever since the revolutions and the downfall of the tourism industry, we'd been hearing horror stories about people being harassed in Giza. I'm not sure if we knew enough to avoid the worst of it, or if it was just a good day, but it was a relief to be left pretty much alone.</div>
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The sun was warm, but not too warm. The wind was strong, blowing my hair around me like a cyclone. With a clear sky and well napped babies, we had a great time taking pictures.</div>
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The day still ended at Pizza Hut, though the new rooftop terrace opened up a pretty amazing view.</div>
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And Q decided pizza crusts are delicious!</div>
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Farewell Pyramids! Your beauty and grandeur will stay with us forever. Thanks for reminding us how amazing the imagination and hard work of mankind can be. You are still one of the most magical parts of Egypt and we'll remember you wherever we go.</div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-40307121409898562812014-03-18T14:03:00.000+02:002014-03-18T14:03:01.018+02:00Name change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I need your help! Yes you and you and you, and very specifically you right there.<br />
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As you can see at the top of the site, the name of this blog is A Cushman in Cairo. Well in a few months these Cushmans won't be living in Cairo any longer. <br />
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We're going from this....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9KHdC9E5O4A-SP46oJmQTeYy5TaJzExsaWpy6WrWz3pMOHzzdlsSVRytrtsRi24EmKIwLSANSQSpSM3uGGpYE1A9CuOtLVfs5OsBIkvdOybBk15GP7f3dnt2p09NwcUquHMoouYMhvU/s1600/cairo-pyrimids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9KHdC9E5O4A-SP46oJmQTeYy5TaJzExsaWpy6WrWz3pMOHzzdlsSVRytrtsRi24EmKIwLSANSQSpSM3uGGpYE1A9CuOtLVfs5OsBIkvdOybBk15GP7f3dnt2p09NwcUquHMoouYMhvU/s1600/cairo-pyrimids.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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To this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Dt-jOPQK9_fOosbEd5Bi0dHRDx0756vxSE4j-SvLLFTQPS0xh5GEYOhc8phnpLcvHX-CTwBpPXLcpviBAmXktQ5uGydkxwdjU3JJpdMuLQ5D_owI-PA4cXjd_bjrvdDKqwwDv9RSWY8/s1600/moscow_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Dt-jOPQK9_fOosbEd5Bi0dHRDx0756vxSE4j-SvLLFTQPS0xh5GEYOhc8phnpLcvHX-CTwBpPXLcpviBAmXktQ5uGydkxwdjU3JJpdMuLQ5D_owI-PA4cXjd_bjrvdDKqwwDv9RSWY8/s1600/moscow_1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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So it's time for this blog to undergo a name change, and I'm looking for suggestions.<br />
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I can stick with the present theme and just change it to A Cushman in ..... (insert something here) Though I don't think there's really any good alliteration to work with in Moscow, which isn't a big deal, but another option to think about.<br />
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Or I could mix things up and change the name to something completely different. <br />
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I've been playing with these words so far, come up with some too and then hit me with your best shot!<br />
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- Living abroad<br />
- Moscow<br />
- Comrade<br />
- Kremlin<br />
- Russia<br />
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I'm hoping one of you creative geniuses can help me revamp this title! I'll let you know about the change soon. <br />
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-79758591686941304412014-03-16T10:47:00.000+02:002014-03-16T10:47:38.856+02:00Homemade baby food<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First of all, I'd like to point out something. My blog has officially surpassed 10,000 views! <br />
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Ok, now at least half those are probably just me being all nerdy and rereading past posts... but that means other people are actually reading this too! And that's pretty cool. I hope you're enjoying it.<br />
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And on to today's post. I've gotten several requests to share my strategy/system for creating baby food. Q does eat jarred baby food, but there's not much of a selection available here in Egypt, so I mainly stick with food I've made for him. It does take a little bit of planning and prep, but I like the flexibility it gives me for introducing him to new foods and expanding his palate.<br />
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It's really a pretty simple process, buy produce, cut it up, cook it, smash it and then freeze in ice cube trays.<br />
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Right now there are about 6 large bags in my freezer filled with little colored cubes, like this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpv71A243ba_qaGo9kTINDGi-nUrhQzoRjz96FgCv890fZPvXJ-dR0_IA05Z3UkRx7dbe-GKzQ_V2c6s7I1op5z3L6x5M9qA2IFZ0Ml4A3OLKVq-EvfGfAEjV6wSGzTBivR7GHxJX2Sc/s1600/IMG_5274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpv71A243ba_qaGo9kTINDGi-nUrhQzoRjz96FgCv890fZPvXJ-dR0_IA05Z3UkRx7dbe-GKzQ_V2c6s7I1op5z3L6x5M9qA2IFZ0Ml4A3OLKVq-EvfGfAEjV6wSGzTBivR7GHxJX2Sc/s1600/IMG_5274.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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In fact at the moment, my freezer contains, sweet potatoes, applesauce, green beans, peas, lentils, chicken, zucchini and broccoli. </div>
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And last night I added carrots and white potatoes. The carrots were a refill, because he loves them and I ran out. The white potatoes are a new addition to our lineup.</div>
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The first thing I would suggest if you're planning on creating your own baby food is to start small. Mainly because if you're anything like me, you don't have all that many ice cube trays, or freezer space. Nor do you really want to spend an entire day of your weekend making baby food.</div>
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So here are the steps with some more detail:</div>
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1. Buy some fresh produce. If you're just starting out with this process stick with something that's easy to prep, or that your baby loves. Carrots are super easy, so is zucchini. Your goal is to buy enough to fill the ice cube trays you have. I have 5 trays, so yesterday when I made carrots and potatoes, I made about 10 carrots and 5 big potatoes. </div>
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2. Wash, peel and slice your produce. My typical wash process starts by dumping all my produce together into a sink filled with water, and then I add about half a cup of white vinegar. A simple and easy disinfection that doesn't taint the taste of the food. Don't worry about fancy cutting, or making things uniform. You're just aiming to get things to a size that will fit easily in your pot and then your blender or food processor. (Side note here, if you don't already know which foods you should peel or not, look it up!) <a href="http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/" target="_blank">Wholesome Baby Food</a> has been my go to reference on this subject. Some foods have very tough exteriors that aren't right for a young baby's sensitive stomach, or the peels may not be clean enough for a baby to eat, like apples, and others will lose all their nutrients without the peel, like zucchini.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJGWUEOckle7QxyVb5nkZkqW3FOroF1S26Qml8BSxsKtxhS00FgRBnkvJ7VNsJCEPGIA2L5QqQ7qOXaI48wmmty_OPxuoNCGJcS6GZoHZpmnV-1lcC3Ep7wqKccbmNYIUeodclyIggFU/s1600/IMG_5278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJGWUEOckle7QxyVb5nkZkqW3FOroF1S26Qml8BSxsKtxhS00FgRBnkvJ7VNsJCEPGIA2L5QqQ7qOXaI48wmmty_OPxuoNCGJcS6GZoHZpmnV-1lcC3Ep7wqKccbmNYIUeodclyIggFU/s1600/IMG_5278.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's a quick cheat sheet of the foods I use most often:</div>
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<u>Peel</u></div>
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Apples</div>
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Carrots</div>
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Sweet Potatoes</div>
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Potatoes (You can technically leave these on if you clean them super well)</div>
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<u>Don't Peel</u></div>
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Zucchini</div>
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Broccoli</div>
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Green Beans (but do snap the ends off)</div>
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Peas</div>
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Asparagus</div>
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3. Now it's time to cook the produce. For tender vegetable, I usually use a steam tray in a pot with a little bit of water. Think, broccoli, zucchini, green beans, peas, asparagus. You want to steam them a bit more than you would for when you make them for yourself. So they shouldn't be crisp anymore, you should be able to easily smoosh them with a fork. If there's any water left in the bottom of the pot, save it!</div>
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For root or harder veggies, I usually boil in water. Think potatoes, carrots, apples. This is also my method for grains and meat. Again, you want them soft, but since they're floating in water you don't want to boil them too long or they start to disintegrate. Save the water!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMh01Pr4e_0dBFBijLdmhaygQZ67jai8WV1bhGuIQXtN400_UklxN73zjeh8b_NZo-CnKuEz6i9xYgxf2bju_qGd3xdM-t0nc8WUSCC-AybqZna5IDPJlyhAuQiZMAQ-puGZglXXGIKA/s1600/IMG_5276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMh01Pr4e_0dBFBijLdmhaygQZ67jai8WV1bhGuIQXtN400_UklxN73zjeh8b_NZo-CnKuEz6i9xYgxf2bju_qGd3xdM-t0nc8WUSCC-AybqZna5IDPJlyhAuQiZMAQ-puGZglXXGIKA/s1600/IMG_5276.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. Now it's time to mash everything up. There's several ways of going about this, from a potato masher, a food processor, even some very fancy baby food making stations. I just use my blender. It's the easiest way I've found to get everything at a uniform texture. As Q gets older and we want to start leaving things a bit lumpier, I'll probably switch to my food processor, and then just mash stuff with a fork. This is where that saved water comes in handy. It helps in 2 ways. To make it easier to blend, and by adding some of the nutrients that might have been stripped in the cooking process back into your veggies. If you're not sure how much you need, just add a little at a time till you find the right consistency. Also as your baby gets older, this is the time to start adding spices to your food. I've recently started adding thyme, oregano and onion powder to some of the veggies I make. No need for salt or sugar ever!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWfwIl7bJKs5QcPMntuMFvTt714gLtHM1geiFqr7kwD8grsPCLfK5v6VedxTCPMTn1zmDS-6A-qimeUprYaaov7sAmXICos4zabR-8w20i1cBOhT6nBLxJMWP7yG8acxCwHjIUqZbu0U/s1600/IMG_5282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWfwIl7bJKs5QcPMntuMFvTt714gLtHM1geiFqr7kwD8grsPCLfK5v6VedxTCPMTn1zmDS-6A-qimeUprYaaov7sAmXICos4zabR-8w20i1cBOhT6nBLxJMWP7yG8acxCwHjIUqZbu0U/s1600/IMG_5282.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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5. The last step is to scoop the veggies into your ice trays (make sure you clean them inside and on the bottom, since you'll probably be stacking) and then pop them in the freezer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmgPWJWZ7ehHKjmOq1jLt9Lz7jDLFELVIdNGD1-kAbeKhDD1EFXAVV0YBcMsF84LgQcSSXaenwqvMQ7FYuYhyphenhyphenvyfAL5T2Fp2D-PWL1yHvKGbhX8aKP01Lns9Pbkeb2yovMIzB2NIQOfk/s1600/IMG_5277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmgPWJWZ7ehHKjmOq1jLt9Lz7jDLFELVIdNGD1-kAbeKhDD1EFXAVV0YBcMsF84LgQcSSXaenwqvMQ7FYuYhyphenhyphenvyfAL5T2Fp2D-PWL1yHvKGbhX8aKP01Lns9Pbkeb2yovMIzB2NIQOfk/s1600/IMG_5277.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia019MNKW7fh3J0ATzWEg5PF58YfZFDPDCfmvSMQm6CpKFQwY9rNSQhmRLvnX4PHRFrG9DFiHHuY5H6qBzgKIf2-8GaYng1gv74Ix_nVST1u3gSsjyXrjrPuyJevlZUDit93ejlCVRomw/s1600/IMG_5281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia019MNKW7fh3J0ATzWEg5PF58YfZFDPDCfmvSMQm6CpKFQwY9rNSQhmRLvnX4PHRFrG9DFiHHuY5H6qBzgKIf2-8GaYng1gv74Ix_nVST1u3gSsjyXrjrPuyJevlZUDit93ejlCVRomw/s1600/IMG_5281.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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They typically take a few hours to freeze, so if I'm really gung ho to make a lot of baby food in one day, I'll start in the morning, wait a few hours, and crack this batch into plastic bags, then start with my next batch. If this is a long term solution you like, it is a good idea to label your bags and date them. We've only got a few months left in Cairo, so I'm not worried about it.</div>
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And here's my favorite part of the whole system... When we get Q's diaper bag ready each day, this is where we put his lunch together. He's 9 1/2 months old, so I usually send 3 cubes with him each day. They can microwave them in the nursery for about a minute, mix and serve. Today he has lentils, sweet potato and applesauce.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfdos7GV7IeBmCBRsjh6PL_znfht3PxBPqlnUVUz0TGvyo5h39KKBYHFwhr9X6WCIUHc_xdzM-JQ8l71n7Kl2MMfp86m24EGFJA7-eBJ8SdQOWLMhLyNXQ54p8utdAP8ok99APVWFJEk/s1600/IMG_5284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfdos7GV7IeBmCBRsjh6PL_znfht3PxBPqlnUVUz0TGvyo5h39KKBYHFwhr9X6WCIUHc_xdzM-JQ8l71n7Kl2MMfp86m24EGFJA7-eBJ8SdQOWLMhLyNXQ54p8utdAP8ok99APVWFJEk/s1600/IMG_5284.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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He loves applesauce and sweet potato, but isn't that into lentils or chicken. If they're mixed with the stuff he does like, he'll eat them anyway. It's super sneaky and a great way to make sure he's trying new things, and getting all the nutrients he needs.</div>
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So that's it, that's my homemade baby food system. Right now I mainly focus on vegetables, since fruits are very seasonal in Egypt. Most of the time I can't find the fruit I want.</div>
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But when it comes to fruit remember it just needs to be ripe, then you peel it, and mash it up. The only fruit I cook is apples, to make applesauce.</div>
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Try:</div>
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Blueberries</div>
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Bananas</div>
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Mangos (can't wait for these to come back into season so Q can try!)</div>
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Peaches</div>
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Plums</div>
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Apricots</div>
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Avocados</div>
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Hope this was helpful for those wanting to give it a try! It's a nice sense of pride when your baby is humming with happiness as they nosh on food you made for them. </div>
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mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1618185424076883800.post-89101780287053001422014-03-09T12:11:00.002+02:002014-03-09T12:12:53.874+02:00What's a Crimea?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Russia invaded the Crimea, and of course the first thing everyone wanted to ask us was, "Are you guys still moving to Moscow next year?" Shortly followed by, "It's so dangerous there!"<br />
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Actually, my first response when I heard about Russia and the Crimea was to turn to Ryan and ask, "What's a Crimea?" Yeah, my geography skills are a little lacking, but luckily my super brain husband keeps all the knowledge I could ever want about history, politics and the organization of the globe in his head. All I have to do is ask for the version I'd like. (I usually ask for the dumbed down, 2 minute version) <br />
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Through WikiRyan, I learned that the Crimea is a small peninsula sticking into the black sea (yes I had to look on a map to remember where the black sea is). It was part of Russia until they gave it to the Ukraine. When the Soviet Union fell apart, it became a permanent part of the Ukraine, but there's always been issues over the area. Partly because the population is mostly Russian, and partly because big powerful leader types are always calling backsies and wanting to keep land that they've given away. (I may have come up with that last part, as Ryan's explanation was much more complicated).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoc5X101bgF7ajyvZ-HK9KsKr4hcqFf8AcDrWZKZmLkt-Azuev3JBc_NDtIwPF0xRFOh-HO-s9ykY-p819oZ13sl2A9f2Y6tGPh7tWp4tOjNlsTmc7ZPCsheUa-952U2YjaYTUydTVDio/s1600/Crimea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoc5X101bgF7ajyvZ-HK9KsKr4hcqFf8AcDrWZKZmLkt-Azuev3JBc_NDtIwPF0xRFOh-HO-s9ykY-p819oZ13sl2A9f2Y6tGPh7tWp4tOjNlsTmc7ZPCsheUa-952U2YjaYTUydTVDio/s1600/Crimea.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
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Long story short...<br />
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Yes, we are still moving to Moscow. No, we are not afraid. In fact after living in Egypt with multiple revolutions, power and supply shortages, curfews, military coups, road blockades, closing of the U.S. Embassy and our evacuation from the city.... ehhhh, we're not really that worried about something that's happening a thousand miles away from where we'll be living next year.<br />
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Part of it is being a bit more seasoned. Reading more sources for our news, and knowing that there's nowhere on this planet that's 100% safe. We can't live our lives being afraid of what might happen to us if we move somewhere that is going through unrest. Because we'd have to dig a hole and live underground. Until the mole people got angry at us invading their territory and start a revolt. So really nowhere is safe. But we've still got lives to live right? So we make the best out of where we're headed and hope things don't get too crazy.<br />
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By the way did you know if you do a Google image search for Crimea the first thing that pops up is a woman's naked ass? That along with a bunch of pictures of maps.... Strange but true. Enjoy, you know you're going to go look now. ;)</div>
mindthagaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489103158350388970noreply@blogger.com2