Thighs with windows in them: Sand bubblers

It rained yesterday.... 

Her very own metro card

Phoebe has been anxiously awaiting the day when she would need her own metro card, a day that is rapidly approaching—which is both happy and sad. She's so excited to be five but I am so sad to have her turn five because I think that's pretty clearly the end of babyhood and start of childhood and because I have never had a five-year-old youngest child before...there has always been a baby. 

But now there's not. 

I'm not even saying that I want another baby (or that a baby is even possible—because, TMI, between two vasectomies and birth control to mollify my, uh, impertinently volatile cycle, we're fairly confident we've told biology a firm "no thank you" to such a possibility (not that we don't appreciate the offspring we have—because we absolutely do). Plus, we're getting old (you can tell by the way I don't have a baby anymore)).

It's just a strange milestone, and a difficult one. 

Knowing that...this is it...

That "young mother" phase of life is coming to a close. 

Like, for now I'm her "beautiful, beautiful Mommy" and for now she still needs snuggle time and hand holding and lullabys (and like just now she came into my office because she really needed a hug—not because she was sad or anything but just because she can only go for so long without touching me). 

But, like, for how long?! 

Because I know she won't want those things forever. And it's kind of hard to put a "number" on that phase of motherhood. Older kids are great and cool and fun and capable and (in many ways) exceedingly less gross. 

They bring me a lot of joy. 

But, oh, to be loved like a toddler loves their mommy!! 

Anyway, my baby is five (almost). And I'm fine.

We let her buy a metro card yesterday (because we were using the metro and we know we won't use the metro on her actual birthday, which is on Friday). Here she is getting to push all the buttons on the machine: 

 

Doughnut Day

"We'd like seven doughnuts," Andrew told the man at the window. 

"It's your lucky day," the man said. "Today we have a buy-seven-doughnuts-get-five-free deal!"

And that's how we ended up with a dozen doughnuts for doughnut day.  

 

Who's that wonderful girl? Could she be any cuter? Uh-uh!

Phoebe and I made it to the library for Arabic toddler time this morning, which was so great! It's a pity she's aging out of toddler time because it's right at her my level. The librarian leading it just welcomed us in, hardly translated anything for Phoebe, and made her repeat Arabic words, just like she did with all the (actual) Arabic speakers. 

It was perfect. 

When we left, it was so windy. 

"Hold up," I said (carelessly), observing my shadow as the wind whipped my hair around. "I need to put my hair into a ponytail really quick so I don't look so awful." 

"Mommy!" Phoebe gasped, having taken grave offense. "You don't look awful. You are so beautiful!"

Noted. 

I was unduly critical. And I shouldn't be modeling such bad self talk.

But I still forced my hair into a ponytail because, uh....

 

IKEA chair and tomato wedgies

I have been under "makeshift desk" conditions for...several months...now and I finally found a chair that I thought I could stand to sit in for hours at a time (while writing and so forth), but I didn't want to commit to actually getting the chair before trying it out (in case I hated it) so we went to IKEA on Saturday to give it a test run. It's very comfy...but also on the short side of things...so then we went on the hunt for a desk that could also be shorter than usual and were happy to find adjustable legs that start at around 60 cm (a good 10 cm shorter than a standard desk). I'm still getting used to it (the desk might still be too high) but I think I like my new set up better than a typical desk and chair. 

Andrew makes fun of my little "baby" chair (it's not a baby chair...it's just low to the ground), but it's so comfy!

Evening strolls: Head, shoulders, hips, and nightmares

We went for a walk last night, and I'm not sure we'll never not be dazzled by our surroundings. 

On the way to QNL (A guest post by Alex)

Prologue (by Mom)

Zoë has been begging to ride the metro by herself. Alexander has been begging to go chess at the library. And I have a meeting scheduled every afternoon chess is scheduled for so it just hasn't worked out very often for us to go.

So today I suggested that Zoë and Alexander head to the library together for chess. Now that Alexander's had his birthday, he's allowed to ride the metro without an adult...so that should mean that I should relax enough to let him, right?

They had a blast navigating their way across the city together!

Here are some completely unrelated pictures of those two riding on the golf cart shuttle between our island and the main island (we caught it for the first time on Tuesday and then caught it again this evening on our way home from a too-long stroll; also, everything is lit up green for sustainability week):

Al Jazeera II

 

This morning's segment was a lot less rapid-fire than last night's. Andrew reports feeling that it went a lot better.

What's gonna happen in the world today?

The (US) midterm elections are behind us and I feel hopeful that the situation here (in the Middle East) won't escalate. 

Clearly war isn't what people want (and I, being one of said people, can hardly blame them...and am also so proud of voters for sending such a clear message of "no thanks to war"...I don't think being pro peace should be controversial, but sometimes it seems like it is...for whatever reason...anyway...).

Andrew was asked to do a segment on Al Jazeera tomorrow morning, which he agreed to do. And then they called and asked if he'd do a segment this evening as well. It felt a little last moment, being decided as we were all just coming home from various places.

It was pretty funny, actually. We had been at our friends' house doing art and history lessons:

Beach thoughts

We went to the beach this afternoon and my question is...