One of the things I love doing here in Kuwait is heading down to Messila Beach on a Friday or Saturday afternoon and watching the giant kites fly in the wind with the beat of loud Arabic music pulsing in the background. Gracen loves it too, and though Brad doesn’t find it nearly as captivating as us girls do, he humours us and comes along most of the time {normally with the prospect of a yummy dinner out afterwards}. Here’s a peek at today’s outing…
One thing I adore most about children is their innate ability to see the beauty in the world around them. And our adventures in the desert space near our apartment remind me of that admirable quality every time we go on one.
While I often suggest going on a ‘desert adventure’ as a way to get out of the house {and stay sane} when we’re vehicle-less, Gracen is always thrilled with the suggestion and often shouts, ‘Yay! We’re going on a treasure hunt!’ before running off to retrieve a bag to house her findings. She returns, pops her shoes on her feet and cheers, ‘Let’s go!’ anxious to see what sort of beautiful things she might find today.
Truthfully, in the stereotypical sense, our neighbourhood is far from beautiful. It’s filled with piles of trash, mounds of sand are scattered throughout, dumped building supplies are plentiful, and plastic bags float around at your feet. But Gracen? She sees mountains to climb, things to investigate, and treasures waiting to be discovered. If only we could all be so optimistic.
Well I’m up for trying. Here are the bits of beauty we discovered in Mahboula today…
I must say, our usual day-to-day life here in Kuwait is pretty peachy… We’ve got a giant apartment that houses all sorts of fun things for Miss G to explore, we’re part of a pretty awesome expat community, we have a housekeeper that comes five days a week, and we can very comfortably afford for me to be at home with Gracen full-time.
But days like today…. Ugh. Days like today remind me of what a challenge it can be to live here sometimes. And today that feels like an understatement.
The day started off great. Grae and I got ready and were out the door by 8:25 a.m. We met up with a lovely group of expat moms and dads and enjoyed good coffee and a delicious breakfast at Dean & Deluca. We picked up a few things for the Halloween goodies we’re making this year and stopped by Pottery Barn Kids to ooh and ahh at all of the pretty things. Then we headed home with one teeny errand to do on the way – pick up cupcake liners from the hardware store. (Weird, yes. But that’s the only place I’ve found in Kuwait that carries Wilton supplies and we were in search of very specific colours.)
Al Kout Mall is one of my favourite nearby places to hang out in Kuwait… It has a beautiful water-lined walking path leading up to it, fountains that are choreographed to music, and tons of outdoor seating space. Plus, if you go in the mornings, it’s very quiet, which I love. Miss G and I visited this morning, enjoyed cool drinks outside, and then climbed to the top of the lookout tower. Here’s our morning in photos…
After giving birth in Canada and returning to Kuwait with a 20 day old baby girl, I was very lucky to find myself in the company of 4 friends / fellow teachers who were also brand new moms {or very soon-to-be}. All living in the same school-provided apartments was a huge blessing as a freshly minted mama {and a stay-at-home one at that} and the ladies and babes that Miss G and I spent our days with very quickly became like a second family. Throughout the year, us mamas took turns hosting brunches, housing baby play dates, and organizing fun outings for us all to enjoy. One of our weekly staples was a walk along the Arabian Gulf with a pitstop at Starbucks before heading back the opposite way again. Comprised of saltwater air, sunshine, a palm-lined path, and a promise of a midpoint coffee, it was always a favourite outing of mine.
Fast forward three years.
Though {sadly} no longer snuggled up in a wrap and accompanied by a posse of adorable baby friends, today Grae and I did our favourite walk once again for the first time since being back in Kuwait. It was a little too hot for comfort, but we parked in the shade of a tree at the sea club like we always do, made our way along the gulf, cooled down with some a/c and a cold drink, and even popped by Al-Kout to watch the dancing fountains before heading back.
Grae’s new fascinations now include magenta trash bins, searching for squirrels in the bushes along the water {sorry kid, not gonna happen!}, the roughness of palm trunks, and echo of the call to prayer. Here’s our morning in photos…
One of the things I loved most about living in Vancouver with a toddler was how much there was to do. During our 2 years there, I never felt like I was grasping for things to do and see – not even during the dreary winters… On beautiful days we’d visit parks, hang out at the beach, and go for walks, and on rainy days we’d hang out at our favourite indoor spots (community centre play gyms, pools, libraries, and skating rinks, the conservatory, the airport observation area, 6 Pack Beach, Pottery Barn Kids, the Play Palace, UBC, Kokopeli, or Sweet Salt to name a few). On top of all of that, kids’ programs were plentiful and inexpensive, so we enjoyed many rounds of parent and tot swimming and ballet, and we were members at both the Vancouver Aquarium and Science World.
Having had it so good for so long, I was a teensy bit worried that our days in Kuwait would be dull in comparison. The truth is, parks and play areas and kids programs do exist here… it’s just that without talking to the right person, you may never find out about them {and once you do, they can be terribly expensive}. So, I decided to start my research early. We were actually still living in Vancouver when I first learned about Bright Minds Creative Learning Centre. It looked and sounded like the perfect place for us online, so I was excited for our first visit.
Ever since arriving in Kuwait, Miss G has talked about doing 2 special things when we visit Vancouver next summer… Going to the Kerrisdale Play Palace and visiting Science World. Well imagine her surprise when I told her that Kuwait has its own version of both of those things – so excited! She’s waited for weeks and weeks, and now that we finally have a car, we were able to cross one of the two off of our list this morning.
Long ago, I told Brad I wouldn’t post this video online. But after sifting through all of our Kuwait photos last night, I just couldn’t help myself (sorry babe!). The cuteness is ridiculous and I’m hoping that makes up for me not keeping my word. I mean just look at those chunky thighs and that little booty… You simply can’t be upset after being witness to those.
♥
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My Darling Little Girl,
As your mama, my job is to help you live a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life. Of course, this means making many decisions on your behalf, especially now while you’re so little. Some of them, like making your sleep a family priority or ensuring your body is nourished with healthy, wholesome foods, are easy. They’re inarguably what’s best for you and they’re worth every extra penny and every bit of extra effort. Other decisions are not as simple…
For the last few months, your papa and I have been talking about one of those kind of decisions. One of the ones that don’t come as easily. We’ve weighed our options and made the lists. We’ve discussed it with your grandparents and talked about it time and again… And after all of it, we have some big news, Baby Girl…
We’re moving.
And not a little move…
We’re moving back to the Middle East.
Back to Kuwait.
Now I know you might be thinking, didn’t we leave there only a year and a half ago? Didn’t you guys choose to come home to Canada not that long ago? And you’re right, sweet girl. We did. At the time, you were still so wee and had only had a chance to spend a few short weeks with your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We knew we needed to get you home to get to know your family members and develop those relationships. And you have. We’ve spent the last year and a half camping with your cousins, spending holidays with your grandparents, and experiencing all of the wonderful things that come with being a Canadian… From brightly coloured autumn leaves, to ice skating, to a backyard garden full of veggies and hills of fluffy white snow. It’s been wonderful, Lovey.
But soon enough, we’ll say goodbye to this little life we’ve worked hard to build in this beautiful city and begin anew. We’ll carefully pack all of our essentials, make the 36 hour trek we’ve come to know well, and set up our new life overseas in our second home. It’s bound to be full of challenges, and yes, our families will be far away, but Sweetpea, it’s going to be wonderful. There’ll be new friends, old friends, constant warm weather (sometimes so hot we won’t know what to do with ourselves), days spent at the Hilton, and travel adventures throughout the seasons. I can’t wait for you to meet the kids we’ll live with, for us to play in the courtyard each afternoon, to take you back to Dubai, and spend our first real European Christmas as a family (I promise we’ll make it further than the Frankfurt airport this time around). We’ll walk through the sand to the bacala in the afternoons, we’ll close up our apartment when the dust storms roll around, and we’ll cool ourselves in kiddie pools filled with cold water when the heat becomes too much. There’s bound to be days… Days when your papa and I become frustrated with living in a country so different than the one we grew up in, but it’ll all be alright. The three of us will be together and as cliché as it sounds, that’s truly all we need.
You don’t know all of this just yet… Seven months is still a long ways away and the concept of time is a hard one when you’re two years old. We’ll talk all about it this summer when the packing and prepping begins, and it’ll quickly become clear that big adventures are headed our way. But until then, Baby Girl, my promise to you is that your papa and I will do everything we can to ensure that you spend your days happy, healthy, and thriving, no matter where we are in this great big world.
Love you always and forever,
Mama
xox
hanging out at home // our apartment // your nursery
adventuring in mahboula // courtyard afternoon // a walk to the bacala
poolside // hilton baby // on the shore of the gulf
on a wild ride // boxing day walk along the gulf // fahaheel lunch
a walk along the gulf in egaila // waiting at the kuwait airport // evening at egaila park
♥
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Worlds collided when we met up with our friends from Kuwait in Vancouver’s very own Stanley Park this morning. And just look at the ridiculous amount of cuteness that came out of it…
♥
Sometimes I miss Kuwait.
Like, really miss Kuwait.
I knew I would (I may have sat in the back of the taxi with silent tears streaming down my face as we drove away from our baby girl’s first ever home and made our way to the smoke-filled airport for the very last time), but I miss it more than I expected to. No, I don’t miss the insanity of the highways, the snail’s pace at which government processes happen there, the nearly impossible task of finding black beans on grocery shelves, or the dust storms that turn the sky orange and coat your apartment in a thick layer of sand.
What I do miss though, is the community we had there. I miss being constantly being surrounded by friends and fellow stay-at-home-mamas. I miss impromptu baby play dates that were as easy as taking an elevator a few floors up or down. I miss walking over to the building next door for take out and homemade wine with friends. I miss our door being knocked on by people just stopping by to say hello.
But then I see photos like these {taken by Bradley while out for a walk with Miss G this morning}… And they remind me of why we’re at home in Canada right now. Because a little girl meandering through a field of flowers surrounded by fresh air and tree-covered mountains just doesn’t happen in Kuwait…
♥
Last night Grae got to be a part of the lighting of the tree, but was in bed before we actually got to start putting the ornaments on. This morning she awoke to a fully decorated tree, and needless to say, she spent most of the morning visiting the tree and turning the ornaments over in her little hands. Despite the many sparkly, shiny ornaments, the ones she’s most drawn to are our paper maché ornaments from Kuwait. She proudly points out all of the camels adorning the tree and when you ask her what a camel says, she’ll say ‘t-puh, t-puh’, which is her version of a camel spitting. Hahahaha!