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…
This morning was my favourite kind. Gracen woke up just past 7, we snuggled in bed until we were good and ready to start the day, and we made our way to the kitchen. She sat on her toddler bench gobbling up wholewheat pancakes with peanut butter, and I threw a mix of green veggies and frozen fruit into the blender with a splash of cold water. After breakfast, we gathered a blanket, a book, our smoothies and headed off for an adventure in the wagon. I snuck in some exercise by choosing the hilliest routes and made sure to pass by a park so Grae could have a good long play. Afterwards we made our way to a local coffee shop where Grae slurped up a warm milk and I enjoyed my first iced coffee of the year. Before heading home, I pulled the wagon {and my little love} through our local market and we filled it up with fresh fruits and veggies. She helped herself to bananas and clementines on the way home, and I enjoyed the sunshine, cool wind, and cherry blossoms overhead. It was a good day.