Pool days

We went for our first swim at the pool on Sunday. Here's the first picture I took...before I realized that I needed to wipe off the camera lens after going outside (in addition to wiping off my glasses):

A nighttime walk

On Saturday (our first day in Qatar) we went to the food court (at the mall! in our basement!) to find some dinner. We also found a yellow submarine playground, which Phoebe rather enjoyed.

A special treat

 I think this makes the third post in a row that includes ice cream.

Phoebe had ice cream on the plane. 

We had ice cream at IKEA yesterday (which Phoebe threw up).

And now I'm going to write about ice cream again. Moving is wonderful. But also stressful. And it turns out that a little bit of ice cream really can help soothe raw emotions (particularly with preschoolers involved, but I am pretty sure that drowning sorrows in ice cream is a rather common trope). 

*****

Today was our first somewhat official day of school.

True, we just got here and are still getting over jet lag.

True, we're in temporary housing so will have to move again in a couple of months. 

True, I feel like just being here is a pretty big learning experience. 

But it's been a long and rather hectic summer and we really needed to build some structure into our days. 

ATL to IST to DOH

We sent several pictures of ourselves at the airport to our families, but for some reason couldn't manage to satisfy Oaklyn and Ireland. I sent a picture of the boys and they wanted to know where Zoë was. I sent a picture of me with all the kids and they wanted to know where Andrew was. I sent a picture of Andrew and they wanted to know if he was traveling alone or whether we were still with him. So we tried to get everyone in this selfie:

Phoebe's ice cream adventures in IKEA and disorientation in the GCC

I really will write about our flight(s) one of these days, but in all honesty they were pretty standard (albeit business class) flights and we are busy discovering the world around us. Today we took a field trip to IKEA so that we could get some kid-friendly dishes for our apartment...and to get out on the town and have a meal since we haven't quite figured out how to cook at home yet—we're still getting everything set up.

Years ago (approximately 20 now!) my friend Bridget gave me the advice to pack simple just-add-water things in a suitcase like instant oatmeal or ramen just so that I would know there would be something to eat upon arrival. And we did bring a few things (and have a Carrefour in our basement, as the kids like to joke), but while we're getting settled this was a nice treat. 

After having lunch we wandered around to look at things and try out couches and beds and pick up a few essentials. Then as we were approaching the check out counter Andrew saw a sign announcing ice cream cones for 1 QAR. That's like 0.27 USD! Phoebe has been dropping hints that she would appreciate an ice cream cone for days now. 

Walking around the mall yesterday she pointed at some kids rapturously licking ice cream cones and said, "Look—some parents did get their kids ice cream!" as if to tell us, "See? It can be done!"

We've been telling her no a little too much for her liking. 

She is not the only child who feels this way. 

But at 1 QAR a cone we decided the answer could be yes today.

We ordered five ice cream cones (I didn't have one because I didn't want to take out my braces again) and the kids sat and ate them at the tables by the exit.

A truncated account of our journey across the planet

We left for the airport shortly after 3:00 on Thursday afternoon, with all of our stuff loaded into our neighbour's suburban and all of our people loaded into our minivan. Our neighbour's son purchased our minivan, so it made good sense (and was so helpful) to have them drive us to the airport and take possession of our vehicle there.

6 people. 18 checked bags. 6 carry-on bags. 6 backpacks.

Doha Departure Day

The day began with doughnuts.

And then we made the kids clean the bathrooms and throw out everything we hadn't yet thrown out and gather up 100% of everything else that was left in the house.

Doha Eve: The Chattahoochee

When we first moved here, I was quite excited about living so close to the river and we really did enjoy going to Jones Bridge Park and splashing around and walking the trails. But then COVID happened and the park was shut down and then tore up "Paradise" (a big bush the kids used as a fort) and then they closed the whole creek area for "conservation" (and turned a natural creek into what frankly appears to be a manmade disaster) and then they closed the bridge that makes the park be so close to us (quadrupling the time it takes to get there). But we decided we should go today and it was beautiful...but we were a little annoyed to see that the sewer project from last summer (which also closed a large area of the park again) meant that they also shut down half the trail. So the entire hiking trail is now about 200 feet long. 

Perhaps one day the park will be better again, but it has been a bit of a disappointment every time we've gone these last few years. 

That said, the river really was beautiful:

Alhamdulillah

We depart for the airport in approximately 29 hours. 

There was a...delay...in getting Andrew's work visa so up until this very moment, our instructions were to simply move our entire family and all our earthly belongings to the other side of the planet and...ask for a tourist visa upon arrival. 

Which...felt...a little bit like walking into an abyss. 

Like, "Hello there! We'd like one them thar tourist visas..."

I just...need...a little bit more...stability...than that...

But I'm a woman of faith, so...whatever...we were ready to just go. 

Andrew went out to run a few last minute errands this morning and when he came home he presented me a printout of a shiny new work permit—just arrived today.

So...phew!

Pictures from the waterslide party

I realized I never posted any other pictures from our neighbourhood party on July 18. It was such a wonderful day! Our neighbour Lynne rented a blow up waterslide (and at the behest of her daughters made sure to get a double one so the kids could race).