Land of The Free

After 36 Hours of Travel with a few delays along the way we made it.

We are now commencing our 6 week, 10 state, two country vacation.

After spending this much time with our children in hotel rooms Chris and I will probably need a vacation from our vacation.

We are all a little whacked out on the time. Graham was wide awake at 3 and I held him off until 4 and he just wouldn't be quiet so he and I went to the gym at 4:15. I have NEVER gone to the gym that early in the morning.

We are in Houston and leaving shortly for Louisiana to visit Great Grandpa Naquin and other Jenkins kin for Thanksgiving.

And yes, we all enjoyed the bacon on the breakfast buffet this AM.

Bacon Free Zone

When we traveled to Prague and Budapest we ate Pork.

We ate pork loin sprinkled with bacon bits, sausages of varied lengths, and anything bacon wrapped on the menu.....because we could. The Saudi's in our group had to return their "Special Non Pork Meals" every time because they would accidentally add bits of pork. They loved the soups in that region especially in Budapest. I too enjoyed the Goulash it was full of chunky veggies in a yummy broth with the occasional meat chunks added. I wanted to purchase a Goulash cook book but I noticed that EVERY recipe used lard......so I passed. I've never cooked with lard and generally avoid recipes that use it. Just recently I found out Llrd comes from PIGS. So I guess when they ate the soup it is equivalent to the European desserts I've eaten that accidentally had coffee or liquor in them.

We've heard that once upon a time you could buy pork products here. Special rooms were set aside for these "dirty" items. But, some non-pork eaters decided they could make a buck and started a black pork market....so that was the end of that. Now you can only indulge outside the country. Except for those people who try to tape it to their bodies to get it across the border.

We are sick and tired of turkey bacon, turkey sausage, turkey lunch meat of every kind, turkey ham, turkey bologna....we'll be home (in the US) just in time to celebrate the biggest Turkey Day of the year.

So the point of all of this rambling it this...

Our boys were admiring some friend's Guinea Pigs. They were very interested having never seen them before. Our friends then told us how fortunate they were to get them because apparently Guinea PIGS get turned away at the boarder. As this happened to their friend so after 2 failed attempts they then tried to bring it over as a Hamster......and that too was denied. After that they gave up.

Somehow someone got one or I guess two in and they are breeding them and available if you know the right person.


A day or two after hearing this story I was shocked to find these at the store....

I guess these soy chips pass the test even if the name is questionable. They should because they definitely don't taste like bacon.

The Benefits of Exercise

Well, I failed!

I didn't make it this time. I am about 10lbs. short of my goal. I didn't lose all the baby weight.

But there are still benefits to working out like:

Repeated Slobbery Kisses from your one year old as you try to finish your ab set.
In between each crunch Graham would lean over and plant a super wet one on me. That was more of an incentive to keep going than a flat tummy.

And

If you must answer the phone during your leg and buns workout it can be done vicariously by your 4 year old.
Ethan was so sweet, after taking a call today I came back to see him laying in my exact spot lifting his legs and he saying, "Don't worry Mom I finished it for you."

It Has Begun!

Pantry Exploration is not new.

Because he doesn't get to do it often....

it can produce big smiles as treasures are pulled off the shelves.

But today......

his exploration reached new heights.....

....the climbing stage has begun at a mere 12.5 months.

We have no stairs in our house so this was very adventurous.

Graham has also added "NO" to his Mama, Dada, and Uh Oh repertoire. Also Ms. Ellen has been teaching him to clap after she counts 1,2,3. Throwing balls has also become a favorite game.

Who's Grosser?

The bare bummed child who bends over sticking his bum in the air saying,
"Here smell my bum....it's clean!"

or

The child who actually comes over to sniff and verify it?

Curry Update

My beautiful Indian friend in the first picture won first place for her Traditional Curry dish.
Marla, the Bahama Mamma, won third. Both these women were in the Non Vegetarian category.
My friend Irene, from Kenya, won best table.

I am working on getting some of the recipes.

Happy 4th Interview with EHJ

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Birthday Interview

Favorite Food:

Strawberries and Blueberries

Favorite Dessert:

Brownies

Favorite Restaurant:

Subway

Favorite Ice Cream:

Strawberry Vanilla mixed with Chocolate

Favorite Candy:

M&M’s and Lollipops

Favorite Drink:

Kiwi Juice or Lemonade

Favorite TV Show:

Backyardigans

Favorite Movie:

Polar Express

Favorite Super Hero:

Ben 10 & Kim Possible

Favorite Character:

Luke Skywalker & Indiana Jones

Favorite Animal:

Monkey

Favorite Scripture Story:

Nephi – All the good ones

Favorite Primary Song:

The Builder Song

Favorite Type of Day:

Family Adventure Days with Balloons

Favorite Vacation:

Bahrain at the ball place

Favorite Sport:

Soccer

Favorite Color:

Every Single Color In the World

Favorite Indoor Activity:

Art

Favorite Outdoor Activity:

Sports

Place I’d Like To Visit:

Alaska

Favorite Web Site:

Legos & Starfall

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Just like you mom.

It will be interesting to see how these responses change over the years.

I'm 4!

It wasn't just a Happy 4th Birthday but a.....

Happy 4th Birthweekend!
As a family we have been so overbooked with activities that we could not find a time to have an actual big party with friends. So instead we broke it up into smaller birthday events.

First Stop:
Baskin Robins (for lack of other options) for a little Cotton Candy Ice Cream with Rainbow Sprinkles of course.

Next:
Al Othaim Mall for some playtime.
We had one hour between prayers to get some serious playing done.

Ethan REALLY wanted to ride the bucking bronco but after watching a few children get thrown......

we decided it would be better to stick with stunt riding instead.

But even that got a little crazy!

What's a party without balloons! Ethan adores balloons and was so excited to choose a color....

then watch it be blown up.

The next evening Ethan's dream, a Blueberry Cake with Blue Frosting topped with Firefighters, came to fruition.

With Dad's guidance the cake was made.

However, I'm sad to say due to bus delays the next day Dad did not get home in time to decorate it.
Instead he got Mom's sad decorating skills.

On Ethan's actual Birthday he came down with a high fever. He slept the day away and only perked up just in time for his Pajama Party.

Just before blowing out his candles he whispered his birthday wish to me.
It was for a camera/video camera.

Which surprisingly is exactly what he got. He had not been asking for one and this gift was completely top secret. I had Grandma J. bring it when they came to Doha. I was so sick of him taking my camera hostage all the time I was determined he have his own.

Then last but not least....

handmade original Great Grandma Naquin Superman and Batman Superhero capes.
These were a total trip, down memory lane that is, for Chris as he wore these to save the world when he was a small boy.

Curry Cook off

In Alaska each Sunday we would rotate eating at different family members homes.
We each had our specialties and rarely crossed over into the others domain.
At our house it was Mediterranean, my mother, good 'ol American meat and potatoes and Mexican dishes, and the elder Jenkins took care of all Southern dishes. Other than maybe a simple stir fry none of us really attempted Eastern dishes.

Chris and I really like Curry but never found any recipes that knocked our socks off. Then we went to Dubai....at the Jumerah Beach Hotel we ate a green curry that was so spicy good it made my nose run. I'd finally found a curry dish I liked above all others and it has become my ideal.

Because I was nursing I hesitated in trying many ethnic dishes here but no more....
to celebrate we went to the 3rd Annual UDH Curry Cook off.

This was not a cooking contest for amateurs as you were judge on...
Best Vegetarian Curry
Best Non Vegetarian Curry
Best Table Setting
&
Best Costume
There was also best kids costume.

Essentially you had to be the complete package.

This is my gorgeous friend from India and her Curry did not disappoint. We met when she started bringing her sweet daughter to my Cardio Kids class last Spring.

This Bahama Mamma made a Sweet Island Curry. Who knew the Bahamas could produce a family of blond haired blue eyed beauties? She is an amazing cook and as sweet as her Curry. Her food is so good if she can't make it to a potluck we will reschedule it until she can come.

Irene is from Kenya and works for my friend Maryanne. Before coming to Saudi Maryanne and her husband taught school in Kenya. Four children later they needed an extra pair of hands in the home so they were thrilled to be able to bring in Irene to help out. This women can COOK she loves to do it and it shows. Her Spicy Peanut Curry was a total hit with me and many others. The combo of the sweet peanut and just the right heat made me want to stop trying all the others and just have a plate full.

Akmed is from Bangladesh and is in charge of the stables here. The equestrian group sponsored him and boy did he represent. He made two dishes the first was a Lamb Curry. I am not a lamb fan but this was actually o.k. But the other dish he made was an amazing Lentil Curry. He was my first stop of the night and I was so impressed I knew I was in for a good night.

13 Tables later my votes were cast for some of the cooks above however, since they are ALL my friends I won't say who I voted for.

After everyone voted a 20' buffet was open for us to enjoy for the rest of the evening. I was so stuffed I couldn't even eat a single thing. I am not sure why they thought they needed that after everything we had sampled.

Unfortunately the boys behavior did not allow for us to remain until the winners were announced. I'll find out tomorrow.

This cutie is Lana from Zach's class. Not only does she distract Zach with her cuteness in school but she also plays soccer with him. Her little brother is too young for the team but he loves coming so much he has a hard time staying off the field.

Artist or Engineer

Zach loves ART!
He comes home from school and wants to draw and color and create.
He is also very SMART!
His little sponge of a mind impresses us each day with multiplication problems, grammar explanations, and all sorts of wonderful things he's learning in school.

Often artists are told to write about or paint about things they know and are familiar with. As of late we've hung pages and pages of different very detailed Star War Scenes.

Then two days ago he surprised me with this.
A diorama of how oil travels from well to port with a 3-D pipeline.

He explained the oil starts coming up at the well and travels down the pipeline.

It then passes by a camel....

curves by an oasis and on through the desert....

until it reaches a cargo boat where it's put into barrels and taken where it needs to go.

This process has not been explained to him so he must have picked it up in bits and pieces on our weekly drives through the oil field. He has not seen a refinery as they are not in our part of the kingdom that is why, I assume, this step is missing.

Zach was so excited to show Chris what he made and is hoping Chris will hang it up in his cube at work. Chris was impressed and wondered if they had talked about it at school. My thought was, yeah right. This may be an Aramco school but I seriously doubt that this is in the Kindergarten curriculum.

So Charitable

Ethan has decided to start a non profit organization called

Footwear for Foreign Friends

Crocs are the perfect desert footwear for kids. We know their feet stink no matter what they wear why not give them something washable and they can put on themselves. However, they are not cheap especially when you have to replace them 3 times in 8 months.

Ethan has a habit of leaving them at the park next to our home. Once I realize they are missing it is too late. Whichever gardener gets there first wins the prize. At least we know they are going towards a good cause. The work force here are from some of the poorest countries in the world. Having shoes even a little worn out are a true gift.

We just wish they weren't so darn hard to replace.

One friend commented, "At least he lost both shoes. At our house we only seem to lose one so they aren't any use to anyone." Another said, "Wow, whomever got them are really lucky because in my country (Philippines) the imitation ones from China cost $50.00 USD."

So in the end I hope our misfortune becomes a blessing for someone else.