Good but frustrating....

The boys have had a great week with Mark, he has helped us out so much these past few weeks and months, and we are really enjoying the extra time we get to spend with him. We are thankful for God's timing with how things have worked out. The last couple of days, we have explored quite a bit, and we are learning our way around the city.

The frustration has been the slow internet! I have tried to blog the last few nights, but our internet is so slow I cannot even upload one picture at times. I have so much to tell you about, so I am going to blog for now without pictures and hope to get some up soon. We should have better internet once we get our country ID cards and can sign up for a better plan. Until then, thanks for your patience :). Here is what we have been up to...

Caleb and Ben are having a great time with grandpa. They go on walks, play outside in the sand garden, color, read, go to the park, play inside, and cuddle. Caleb has become so independent the last couple of months, and he is starting to use his imagination. He is curious about everything and he has a lot of new things to explore here. Ben is very content playing by himself and with Caleb, and he gets himself into the crawl position at times. We have tile floors, and grandpa caught him scooting across the floor the other day. Caleb is becoming more gentle with Ben and he likes checking in on him. They are having a great time, and we are thankful for his help and the time they are getting together.

The main reason Mark came with us was to help watch the boys while we found full-time childcare. We interviewed and hired someone to provide temporary care for the next month, and another woman starting full-time starting in July. That is a big relief to Nathan and I. We have also been looking at pre-schools, and we found a few really great options for Caleb.

After looking at preschools on Thursday, our weekend began. Weekends here are Friday and Saturday. First we went to a local park. It was a very nice large park with a walking trail, open sand and grass areas, and play structures for kids of many ages. It was 110+ degrees, so we were the only ones at the park, and it was hot!  There is a McDonalds at the park, so we enjoyed some cold sodas, milk, and french fries. The local culture is very kid friendly everywhere we go, and  people like to interact with the boys. One of the workers picked Caleb up when we got inside, and brought him behind the counter to look at the french fry machine, and then gave them balloons.

 

Then, we went out to dinner that evening at a traditional Lebanese restaurant, and it was delicious! We all enjoyed hummus, pita, spiced potatoes, and a few different kebabs. We could not understand the menu, but the waiters were understanding though they spoke little English, and they brought us an amazing meal! Afterwards, we played around the beach area for a bit and enjoyed some cooler weather once the sun was going down.

 

 

On Friday, Mark, Caleb and I went exploring. Ben woke up during the night with a fever, so Nathan and him stayed home to rest and get more unpacked. We left early in the morning to find a church that we had been looking at online. Let's just say that maps are different than I am used to. We got a good tour of downtown and now know the Gulf Road pretty good:).  Eventually we did find the church, Mark was a great navigator, and Caleb was very patient.

The church was interesting. It was in a complex with several other churches, and packed with people. The people in the complex and in our churcongregation at our church was mostly third country nationals, and I could probably count on one hand the number of westerners there. Caleb enjoyed the music portion, but once the service started he wanted to get out and explore. Mark stayed for the service, and Caleb and I wandered around the campus, and talked to people.

After church, we were going to find a place to eat lunch, but Caleb passed out, so we ate drive-through KFC and enjoyed a view of the Kuwaiti Towers from afar. After lunch, we drove to the towers and Mark got out to take pictures while Caleb slept. The towers have been closed for renovations for a while, maybe next time he visits we can go up to the top.

We then drove by the souqs (markets) downtown, but it was so hot outside and decided it was best not to take Caleb since mom forgot his sunblock. We drove down the gulf, stopped at a store to pick up some odds and ends, showed Mark the hotel Nathan and I stayed at during our visit in March, and headed home. That evening, Nathan took Mark and Caleb to the Embassy to show them around and play on the playground. They had a fun evening and we all crashed hard last night.

Today, Mark and Nathan are going on a tour of the Grand Mosque downtown, and to explore. Stay tuned for more updates, hopefully sooner than this last one.

Have a great weekend!