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 ^^^  Chelsea, Courtney and I have been going to a fitness class on Mondays and Wednesdays after school.  The instructor is TOUGH and the workout is KILLER, but we seem to laugh our way through it and we all still show up to the next session.  Also, we love shaky, post-almost-dying selfies :)

 ^^^  We have THE VERY BEST security guards at our building.  The girls adore them and I can think of a hundred reasons why.  The guards bring them flowers, carry them to their carseats, and play with them in the courtyard.  We are so fortunate to have these incredible men in our community!

^^^ Last weekend, Phil went to work on Saturday morning and the girls and I adopted six puppies.  We had to bath every single one of them WITH REAL SOAP AND WATER at least ten times.  #AreTheyCleanYet?

^^^  When Nory was quarantined inside the house with hand, foot and mouth, we permitted the use of her bike INSIDE THE HOUSE.  Well.....we never really un-did that rule after she recovered and so......now......we deal with the repercussions.  The girl is officially ONE WITH HER BIKE.  Thankfully, our downstairs neighbours have this theory that "that's what a house with kids is supposed to sound like."  #BestPeople

^^^  We are obsessed with our cats.  We went from being totally anti-cat to "EVERYONE IN THE WORLD SHOULD GET A CAT!!!"  I can't explain it.  I know it sounds weird.  BUT, we are OBSESSED.  And clearly they are obsessed with each other too ;)

^^^  How cute are these invitations from Etsy?!  Emily and I are hosting a baby shower for our sweet friend Sandy and the theme is "superheroes"!  It's a little out of our realm of knowledge (ha!), but we've created some really fun things and we can't wait for Sandy to see it all next weekend!!!

^^^  Every week, Nory's teacher (who is the MOST FABULOUS!) sends us a newsletter including what they have been learning in class and what they will be learning in the upcoming week.  Last week's focus was circles and the colour red.  This week's focus was squares and the colour blue.  Here's a piece of her artwork that is currently on display.  You can see that she INSISTS on being called "Eleanor" at school :)

 ^^^  I like to screenshot things that STICK WITH ME during my daily Instagram scroll.  Here are two from the last week that I really, TRULY believe in.  

PICTURES OF STUFF. (I'm so creative on this Sunday evening.)

I mean, I don't know.  I was looking through my photos from the last few weeks and noticed a bit of a trend.  So.................here you have it:  PICTURES OF STUFF.

ONE // I love this picture even though it reminds me of nails on a chalkboard, HOT KUWAIT WEATHER, and the final days of summer.  So basically, I have no idea why I love it.  I just do.  P.S. The ice cubes are to toss in the blow-up pool.  Without ice in August, the water from the hose is just too darn hot :) 

TWO // We purchased a BAZILLION BEADS from a family who is leaving Kuwait.  This is a JACKPOT FIND given the usual cost of purchasing them here and the inconvenience of finding this fabulous variety.  I only made the mistake of leaving them on the table overnight once.  The following morning, after the cats did some late night beading, we learned our lesson and decided to store them in a more sensible location :) (#amateurs)

THREE // Last Thursday night was the Middle School Open House at our school.  I made a last minute decision to change things up this year and, rather than delivering a Powerpoint, I put the parents to work!  My guests visited five different stations around my classroom, with the hope that they would get a real feel for my classroom environment.  Here is station two, where the parents got to learn a little more about ME! :)  I think it was a big success!!

FOUR // I really think that Lego/MagnaTiles have the best reputation for uniting ALL AGES.  It's incredible what a 1.5 year old, a 3.5 year old, a 6 year old, a 10 year old, and a 30 year old (ha!) can build when they play with these building materials together.  It's my go-to activity when we host a range of kiddos :)

FIVE // Nory is becoming more and more colouring obsessed.  I love making a tea/coffee and sitting at the table to colour with her.  Sometimes we work together on the same picture, other times she demands that we have our own pages.  Either way, it's a quiet time activity that allows us to just CHILL and CHAT :)  ALAS (there is always an "alas"), the excitement of it all has been clouding her ability to re-cap the markers.  (Although, I bet her teacher would tell me that she never, ever forgets to clean up!)

There you go - five random pictures of STUFF! (Ha, you're welcome!)

Wishing everyone a happy week ahead! XOXO

Playing by THE PALACE :)

One of the prettiest buildings in Kuwait is located along the highway and so we get to see it twice a day as we drive to and from work.  We're not sure if it is a house or a chalet or what, but our three year old is an expert in the "princess" field, so we trust her judgement when she tells us it's a palace.  It sure is beautiful and on last night's pre-dinner mission, we learned that it is EVEN MORE SPECTACULAR when the sun begins to set.

Isn't it fabulous?!!! 

The girls had a great time running around "outside the palace walls" and climbing the piles of sand in the area nearby.  We decided that we really were on a "Princess Sofia Adventure" (#DisneyJunior) and we weren't going to let the humidity stop us from exploring some more.

We got back in the car and drove down the road to a place where we could play by the water.  It seemed impossible at first, with most of the waterfront areas being private, but eventually we found a GEM OF A BEACH that seemed undiscovered.  The girls collected seashells, drew in the sand, and watched a kayaker come in and clean away all the ink inside of a squid!  It was SO COOL!

It wasn't until Juliet wanted "uppy" and Nory was drenched (in her own sweat!) that we returned to the car to head home.  We will definitely be going back to one of our new favourite spots in Kuwait - right by the palace! - so we can play at the park that we didn't have time for :)

Who knew we'd discover so much AWESOMENESS this Eid holiday?  #StaycationDoneRight ;)

Comments that make you STOP RIGHT THERE.

I recently confessed that we're in the thick of TANTRUM SEASON with Juliet.  One moment I'm admiring her calm, while the next I'm chasing her around the flat, begging her not to smash my eyeglasses on the tile floors.  There is none of this in-between stuff - she's either a complete angel or a total TY-PHOON.  

The other day, after a PARTICULARLY INTERESTING afternoon of parenting, we were riding the elevator in silence until Phil remarked (in fear), "WHAT IF JULIET IS THE BAD ONE?"

To which I exclaimed, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!"

To which HE responded, "WHAT IF NORY IS THE GOOD ONE?!"

To which I insisted without an ounce of confidence, "NAHHHH.....NO WAY."

But, YOU GUYS....

WHAT IF....

ALLLLLLLLLLL THIS TIME,

we've been misled?

I've been calling it a "season" (as in, a brief or temporary period of time) and now I'm thinking that ONE SEASON is a thing in some geographical places and

WHAT IF....

ALLLLLLLL THIS TIME,

the wild child is, in fact, Baby #2?

That face.  OY.

Y'all can keep chuckling over there.  

I'm going to embrace the Wild Child's naptime and CHOOSE TO believe in a tantrum SEASON over here in Kuwait.  Where the leaves are not going to change colour.  And the snow isn't going to fall.  

Playing in the "BACKYARD"

Yesterday afternoon, we packed up the car with toys and snacks and drove out to the desert so that the girls could run for miles before bedtime sunset.  It only took about 20 minutes in the car (with a Free Willy Theme Song/Wheels on the Bus mash-up on repeat in the background) before we arrived in the PERFECT SPOT.

IT. WAS. AWESOME.  

Some pictures pour vous....

We're hoping to recruit some friends to come play with us the next time we drive out.  It really is the prettiest hour to enjoy the desert :)

SoMu(ch) To Do in Kuwait ;)

You know, we always joke that there isn't a whole lot to do in Kuwait, but we wouldn't still be here 7 years later if that was the honest truth.  The REAL TRUTH is that, with a sense of fun and a willingness to explore (with PATIENCE!), you can find yourself with a long list of places to visit during the Eid holiday :)

Yesterday we took the girls to Kuwait City to run around in the SoMu district.  It reminds me of a mini Covent Garden (Phil's favourite place in London!), with trendy boutiques and cafes scattered around a central square.  Juliet and Eleanor embraced the role of "street performer" during our outing, grabbing the attention of those walking by and earning high-fives and kisses for running around in the insane desert heat.

After winning over the crowd (ha!) and admiring some street art, we headed to a cafe called "CAFFEINE" for some A/C, snacks and drinks.  I held strong to my COFFEE IS A HOT DRINK ONLY belief, ordering a spiced latte that was delicious and gosh-darn BEAUTIFUL.  Everyone else stuck to their "40 degrees is too freaking hot for hot drinks" belief and ordered iced tea or cold coffee.  There were also brownies involved - rumoured to be super yummy :)

We would have stayed at the cutest cafe on Earth for much longer, but there are certain cues you need to take with two little ones in tow.  Juliet yelling "poopy coming!!!" under the table is one of them....

On the way back to the car, we ran into some dancing water fountains that really tested our parenting skills.  It was hot, you guys.  And there was water, you guys.  And the girls are 3.5 and 1.5, you guys.  So you'll be SUPER IMPRESSED to know that both kids returned to the car DRY and neither parent had to freak-out to get these satisfying results.  What can I say?  Sometimes you just get lucky ;)  

We can't wait for the weather to get increasingly MORE PLEASANT as the days go on.  Kuwait might be unbearably hot for parts of the year, but it sure does have an exceptionally long season of PERFECT WEATHER.  All of you back home will be jealous soon enough :)

Before I sign off here, below is a video of our neighbourhood in Mahboula, Kuwait.  Sydney's Daddy has a drone (gasp!!!!!) and is a top-notch technology man.  Check out his MAD SKILLS (understatement) and the buildings where we live.......

Mahboula Block 1 from KO Productions on Vimeo.

Hopefully your Monday is a lot more colourful than our surroundings ;)

XOXO

Passport Photos. With a Toddler.

Juliet's temporary passport is nearing its expiration date, so we decided to get her passport photos taken in Canada and apply for her new passport once we returned to Kuwait.  Initially, it seemed simple enough.  The job could be done at the pharmacy across the street and Juliet is used to being in front of the camera (#mamarazzi).  EASY.  PEAZY.

Well, these are some FAMOUS LAST WORDS, my friends.

(If only we had the security surveillance video from this Parkinson Affair.) 

Introducing Our Passport Photo Experience, By The Freak-Out:

The first attempt included Juliet and Phil only.  Because, how hard could it be?

Freak-out #1 - Juliet refuses to sit on the photo stool by herself.  Phil lost some beard hair and gained some scratch marks on his arms and neck.

Freak-out #2 - Phil retrieves Smarties for bribery purposes, but faces the same battle once Juliet realizes it's all a trick.  More beard hair gone.  More scratches obtained.

At this point, Juliet was hysterical and Phil left the store with a box of stolen Smarties.  He returned to the house to pick up the rest of the team for attempt number two.  Nory was reluctant to leave the house (#ownagenda) and stayed in her Minnie Mouse footie pajamas for the journey.  We promised her a treat when we got back to the house.  (P.S.  Does everyone use bribery as much as we do?  No?  Oh.) 

Freak-out #3 - My gift wrap and ribbons dance (compliments of Hallmark!) was only effective with fellow shoppers.  Everyone in the entire pharmacy was smiling except for Juliet (and if I used the term "FML", I would use it in this very instance).  Also, it turns out your face must be snot-and-tear-free in passport photos.  Who knew?

Freak-out #4 - We finally ditched the stool.  Phil did some serious yoga with Juliet on his shoulders in order to get the perfect shot.  Things were going well until the camera broke.

Freak-out #5 - While the lady was fixing the camera, Juliet swatted the box of Smarties out of my hands and Nory shrieked at the dispersal of Smarties on the pharmacy floor.  This sent Nory off to find new treats in other parts of the pharmacy.  MARCO?????????

Freak-out #6 - The camera is working, snot-less snapshots were taken and we think we're home-free!  Alas, there was a glare on Juliet's forehead and the shot was unusable.  I think this freak-out was had by Yoga-Daddy Phil.

Freak-out #7 - Nory is tired of being at the pharmacy.  Juliet's passport photo has still not been secured.  I decide to give-in and let Nory buy the whole store.

Freak-out #8 - SUCCESS!  A picture is taken that meets all of the passport requirements!  HALLELUJAH! Let's check-out and BLOW THIS POP-STAND!  But wait, Nory starts crying because she didn't get her picture taken too...

It was a TRIP, I tell you.  The photos were supposed to cost $14.95.  BUT......after leaving the store with two passport photos, one pack of Smarties, one giant Shopkins toy, one iPad stand/drink holder, and a giraffe neck pillow, the ACTUAL TOTAL cost of our passport photos was $68.95.

To make ourselves feel better, we've divided this amount by the number of valid passport years.  It eases the soul. (And other lies we tell ourselves...)

In case you forgot, don't ever take parenting advice from us ;)

THREE CHEERS FOR TRAVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!