Summer is officially over!

Today the AUB beach closed for the winter. 

I wanted to go for one last swim this weekend, but sickness got in the way. 

Instead I have to remember all the wonderful beach days we had this past summer, and look forward to the next!

Post busy week stress disorder

Yes, I’m here. I survived this past busy week. Imagine that. And no children, electronics and very few adults were injured in the process.

I finished two big jobs, all the while putting three meals a day on the table and serving snacks in between, keeping the house clean, laundry done, keeping up with our extracurricular and social commitments, and home schooling the kids, including the energetic three-year old. I even managed to throw a fantastic birthday party for my – now – 11 year old boy, with cake, an organized scavenger hunt, prizes, pizza and all.

Yay!

It wasn’t the smoothest week – we might not have done as much history work as I would have liked, and the boys couldn’t do their languages because daddy took the computer that has the Rosetta Stone on it with him to Italy - but we managed. 

It might also not have been a super fun week, or at least not until we got to Friday – party day. At some point, William complained, “Every day is just the same this week! Wake up, eat breakfast, school, lunch, more school, play with our friends, taekwondo, dinner, clean up, read and go to bed. Always the same, day in and day out! I worked so hard ALL week doing all this, and I’m tired of it!” The rant was a little unjustified if you ask me. “Eh, William,” I said, “it’s Tuesday! It has only been TWO days, AND,” I reminded him, “we spent an entire day this past weekend in Achrafyie at your friends’ house, having loads of fun. PLUS Friday we’re celebrating your brother’s birthday.”

Towards the end of the week, Prof. Husband came home from his trip - still really busy with finishing his book manuscript, but home, and my pay check came in. From there on, we were home free.

Or so I thought.

After the party of Friday I collapsed with a really sore throat and a fever, and the next day a bad cold with all that it entails. Snivel. I to cancel all weekend commitments. 

I had a sore throat about a month ago, but it never got really bad. I rested for a day and it went away. This time I’m actually sick; like sick enough to see the house deteriorate around me and not having the energy to do anything about it. There’s a mountain of dirty laundry in the laundry room, and all the rest of our clothes, clean, are piled up on Abraham’s bed, unfolded in a mess. We’re out of most anything, from bread and juice to vegetables and fruit, the boys’ taekwondo belts need new stripes sewed onto them, there are toys and books and CDs everywhere, and don’t even get me started on my grand fall decoration craft plans that are rotting in a bag somewhere. Literally.

Good news is, I don't have a job that I have to finish, so I can just take it easy and take care of myself. Also, the boys are doing a good job helping more around the house. And I think I'm getting better.

Fall decorations

OK, here's what we're dealing with.

This is what my side table looks like right now:

This is what I would like our home to look like:



or this:





















The above two beautiful pictures are from a blog I found through Pinterest. I know, I know, I should stay away from that site right now, but there are so many amazing things to see, and I keep thinking that I might find inspiration if I look at what others have accomplished...

Sigh.

If only there were colorful leaves in Beirut, then I could send the kids out to get some. Or maybe I could have them gather a bunch and then we'll paint them. Wouldn't that be sad, though? A fake fall celebration.

Sigh.

The story of my laundry life

Representative of our perpetual laundry situation, these are the only two settings on my dryer:

That's right. START and PAUSE. Somehow the maker of our dryer must have known , that there is always more laundry in this house.

With a house full of kids, you can START doing laundry, but you can never stop. Just PAUSE. Occasionally.

Daybook - Friday, 5 October, 2012

Outside my window…

The kids are all playing together outside in the playground, the older ones chasing the younger ones around. The sun is shining on them, but it’s not too hot anymore, just in the high 70’s, which makes playing tag so much more enjoyable. There’s a light breeze from the sea, spreading the salty scents of the Mediterranean through my open balcony doors into our home.

I am wearing...

An Old Navy pink maternity ruched slub-knit scoop tee and a pair of Old Navy low-rise waist maternity jeans. Yeah, I'll get to that. Let's say I'm comfortable.

I am thankful for…

So much right now! The blessings of new life, and the ability to provide, teach and enjoy. There’s basically no money in our bank account for the moment (we’re still in that intermediate lapse that happens to us at the beginning of fall every year: we have spent everything we had on trips and education for the new academic year, but we are still waiting for refunds and allowances to cover those expenses) – but I feel so rich and so, so very blessed.

I am thinking about…

Focusing on the present: the professor has a major book manuscript due in a few days, AND an award ceremony he has to attend (abroad!), PLUS some other issues that have to be taken care of in the next couple of weeks, and his business impacts our entire existence right now. I have to stay on top of housework, laundry, shopping, cooking, the boys’ school work and everything else, or it will all fall apart. To top it off, August is turning 11 next week and has requested a party, with pizza, cake, and games, AND I have some pretty large jobs coming in, which means I will be spending a lot of hours working this week. The next seven days will be a big challenge! (Especially since we can’t afford to order out.)

Towards an education…

Slow and steady.

I love, love, LOVE our new Rod & Staff grammar books! THIS is grammar, I keep thinking to myself when I see it. It’s perfect. Together with the Spelling Workout program, our self-constructed “Word-roots, suffixes and prefixes” course, Writing Strands, and a great reading list, our English program this year is very solid.

Everything else is progressing well too. We’re good. In this region, we’re good.

From the kitchen…

I have no inspiration. At all. Last night I made baked potatoes for dinner. In the microwave. With some veggies on the side, and a lot of fruit for dessert (a generous neighbor brought some fantastic fresh grapes down from their property in the mountains, and apples are in season and really good right now). I’m not sure what you can call it, but it’s not cooking.

I am working on…

I am growing a life. Not metaphorically but literally. And it’s more work than I remember: most literature and advice tell me I “will feel better towards the end of the first trimester,” but really, this has come and gone, and I have yet to see any improvement.

Yes, it turned out my out-of-the-ordinary problems at the end of the summer were much more out-of-the-ordinary than expected. I will share details later. For now though, let’s just say: I know, right!?

And if you know of any energy-improving remedies for women in my condition, let me know. God knows I could use some over the next couple of weeks.

I am reading…

In the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, for our book club. I vaguely remember it from high school, but it’s different this time, since I’ve lived in Africa, and I’m older and more experienced; I’m really enjoying it in a whole new light. It makes me think of other books I should re-read. What books would you choose?

Around the house…

It’s not too bad, actually, considering, but our house is bare; I just manage to keep things tidy and relatively clean (much thanks to our cleaning lady who comes once/week) but I can’t seem to get to the decorating part. I would like to create art with the boys, and make our home warm, cozy and fall-like. Now, our living room and kitchen look like someone put everything away and cleaned up in anticipation of something new arriving. Only, there’s nothing in the making, because by the time I’ve finished with the boys’ most essential work, my own work, and the house every day, I’m too beat to do anything extra or creative. Sigh. Maybe I’ll get a refreshing burst of energy this coming weekend. (My hopeful thought at the beginning of every week for the past few weeks.)

Any ideas for easy, beautiful fall crafts that don’t require a lot of special materials?

Fall!

Celebrating fall in Beirut

A lot of my friends are posting beautiful fall pictures online, with descriptions of crisp morning frost on trees bursting with color, and brisk morning walks that make your cheeks red. They light candles in the evenings and enjoy a hot drink in front of the fireplace on Sunday mornings. Fall; what a romantic time!

I still sleep with the A/C on, and the orange tree outside our balcony is a very deep, dark green, with oranges that are starting to turn light yellow. There are flowers in bloom everywhere, the sea is still warm and the sun still bright enough that we have that constant smell off sunblock lingering in the house.

Still, this morning, I’m having hot cocoa with my ham sandwich (OK, it’s smoked turkey since Spinney’s in Jnah doesn’t sell ham in the deli, but we still call it ham) to mark the season, and later today, I will make an apple pie out of those amazing Syrian apples I bought at the market. I might even start working on the boys’ Halloween costumes.

 Just because we live right next to the Mediterranean doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate fall, right? It is after all the last day of September here too! And you can drink hot cocoa even though you are not wearing a wool sweater and stockings, but a thick layer of sunblock, right?

Knock on wood!

The focus of this past week was – not blogging, that’s for sure! Ha, ha! – getting the boys’ schooling going properly. We have now added all subjects and are running a full curriculum five days/week, full days. Math, English, and French in the morning, Science or history, Latin and Music in the afternoon, Logic and Art or Taekwondo practice in the evenings. It’s working! I mean, we have a working schedule, and the boys are studying, learning, thinking, reading, writing and creating.

Even Abraham - my energetic three-year old - has a schedule: a number in the morning, a letter in the afternoon, and art in the evening. He also likes to listen to the science lessons, and he never wants to miss his two Magic Schoolbus episodes/day (for when I need that special one-on-one time with the older boys).

When I say it’s working, I mean it’s all more-or-less working: Prof. Husband is managing his job well, we have food in the fridge, dinner on the table in the evenings, a clean kitchen by the time we go to bed, and clean clothes (that still need to be folded and put away though – I didn’t say I was super-mom!). I even managed to squeeze in a few hours of work this week without hurting anyone. Ha, huh?

OK, the house is a bit of a disaster at the end of the week, but nothing a little weekend cleaning can’t manage.

Knock on wood!

Let's talk about the weather

“What is the weather like?” 

When talking to or chatting with any of my Swedish family or friends, this question is guaranteed to come up within the first few minutes of conversation. I have never met a people so obsessed with the weather. When it’s sunny and warm, Swedes are very crafty in ways to cherish it, and when it’s not, which seems to be most of the time, they find ways to enjoy other people’s hot weather vicariously. “It’s raining here, 7°C, yes, but tell me more about your warm evenings on the balcony!”

So, for all of you interested in the Lebanese weather situation: it has cooled down a bit in the last couple of weeks – we’re below 30°C now! – but it’s still warm enough to enjoy the beach, the kids never wear anything but t-shirts and shorts, and we’re still using the A/C in our bedrooms at night. We had a couple of cloudy days last week, which – along with all the millions of recipes and craft ideas I’ve seen on Pinterest lately - acted as a small reminder that summer really is over, and that fall is here: my second favorite season of the year!

Busy, busy week!

After the Pope left Beirut safely, the demonstrations against that movie moved elsewhere, and I finished my work, the boys and I took my mother around Beirut to show her some of the sites. Then Prof. Husband arrived from the US, bringing most of our school books that I promptly had to sort through. He also brought a huge batch of clothes, new and old, that needed washed, and then it was time for my mother to go home and August to resettle into his room, so we spent the last couple of days this week sorting all these things out. I also attended a book club meeting involving some great needed socializing, and today we did a big grocery shopping at a new store in Hazmieh (Not bad at all! Great pork selection, and spacey. I can't believe I forgot to buy bacon though!). 

I have some work to do before the weekend is over and usually I prefer to do it sooner rather than later, but right now I’m thinking I might save it for tomorrow, and just spend the rest of the evening relaxing. 

I’m beat! Go figure.

Holy Pope, Batman!

You might have heard that the Pope is visiting Beirut this weekend. I am excited and a little worried. Why would the Pope come here at this time, with everything that is going on? It's not exactly safe here. I understand the symbolism of it all; faith, trust and peace, and I admire his purpose and effort very much (seems he never considered cancelling his visit), but someone just set fire to a KFC restaurant in Tripoli, and Syria is just a couple of bus stops down the road. Not the safest place at the moment.

A lot of streets are blocked off, which means other streets are completely jammed, and the city is both more calm and more chaotic at the same time.

Yesterday when we were returning from our shopping, we got stopped at an intersection by some very serious looking military. Military in the street, or anywhere really, is a normal sight here, but the traffic military – or whatever they are – usually joke with the bikers or drivers and are more laid back. These men meant business. One of them was using a walkie talkie, and we were sitting there at a red light that turned green and then red, and then green again, but he was still not letting us go. Then we saw it: a huge convoy approaching from our right at a very high speed. Four military vans and two black official looking cars with dark windows. As they blew past us, almost on two wheels through the curve, I noticed a little golden yellow and white flag. His holiness. Welcome in Lebanon. May God watch over you and keep you safe.

Taking a day

While waiting for the server problems to be resolved at work, I’m taking a day to lay in bed and try to recover from this throat infection I have. It’s a weird, dry kind, with accompanying fever. 

It has been a long time since I was sick, and I’m not very good at it. Fatigue and inactivity drives me nuts, and now with the work server down, I can’t even translate or edit in bed. 

I'm doing a bad job with the kids’ school work too, unable to continuously urge them to work, since my throat hurts when I try to speak. The youngest boy has luckily spent most of the day on a play date, and didn’t have to hang around with a sick, boring mama.

Hoping for a new day tomorrow.

Stress!

I’m having one of those moments I imagine other people perpetually experience when I hear them say that they are stressed or under pressure. I very rarely feel stressed and I can’t say I’m really ever under pressure, at least not in a stressful way. But right now I’m having a bit of a stressful twinkling, because just now, seconds ago, all the work that I did today – all the translations that I have been entering into an online database since this early morning until late evening – just suddenly disappeared, right in front of my eyes. Gone. In a moment of panic, I closed the database and logged back in. The translations are still missing.

It’s the lack of control that gets me, I think. I did nothing to cause this, and I can do nothing to fix it. A moment while I feel stressed! (And contact the database administrator to see if he can fix this.)

It's that time of the year - the quiet before the storm

Prof. Husband left for the US a couple of days ago. He is presenting a paper at some North American Kant Society event in Tulsa, OK, and is stopping by his parents on the way. It’s a long trip to their house in Nowhere, IN. From Beirut, you first have to fly to a European city with connecting flights to Chicago, then take a bus to get out of Chicago, and then get picked up/drive the rest of the way. From door-to-door it usually takes about 28 hours. Yeah, that’s right. But at least this time he didn’t have to travel with kids, which makes it easier, I imagine. He said the trip went well, in any case, and now he’ll get a little time with family and struggle to fit everything I ordered into his suitcases (who would have thought that a grammar book could weigh 5Lbs?!) do some light shopping before continuing to the conference.

In the meantime, my mother is still here visiting, and several of my friends’ husbands are also off traveling before the semester begins, so tonight the ladies will get together for some food, a chat, and to relax in this quiet-before-the-storm intermission. Like a ladies launcheon. Ha ha. Get it? Launching the upcoming year. Ladies luncheon. He.

Slow school start... Bah.

Sigh. I always feel like this at the end of the school first week: like we got NOTHING done at all. All these grand lesson plans and syllabi, and five days – F.I.V.E. DAYS! – into the school year, we have barely managed to get started. Why is it always so difficult to get back into it?

Someone asked me, “But why do you take a long break like that? You don’t have to, and if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have the problem of having to get back into a school routine again.” But I do – I do have to. I need that break, and I need the change of rhythm. I need to be able to just work for a while, without having to juggle school work at the same time, and I need to do something completely different, like travel, spend time at the beach, read books just for fun, organize the house, sort and refuel in other possible ways. So no, I will not give up that long break.

Perhaps instead of stressing out about all this though, I will turn this school start into what a friend and fellow homeschooler called “stagger.” I will re-strategize and allow us to start a little at a time. Then it would be totally OK if we only got going on our math, English and French programs this week, right? Next week we’ll add additional subjects (all the boys' sports activities start back up as well next week), and the week after that, all the rest of our work (by then we’ll have all our material, so that works out). Eventually we’ll be in full roll, all the same - but without the stress. Good?