Sticker Shock.

So, last night I got a call from a college in Idaho asking me if I would be interested in an Administrative Assistant position (I'd tell you which one, but I don't want other people Jonesin' for my future job, hehe). The job is a State job (which equals State benefits), is only 30 hours a week and is in the evenings and on Saturday, which would free up my whole day to go to school. Which in my mind sounds pretty perfect. :)

So it brought a few things to light: first, Stu realized for the first time exactly what going to school full time and working meant. He said, "But I'll never see you." I asked him what he expected and he was at a loss for words. "The next two years are going to suck." Indeed.

So then we did the math and with the hours and the pay, my monthly salary would come out to $200 less than Stu makes EVERY WEEK! We put what I would be making for the WHOLE month into savings EVERY WEEK right now. Wow. So, I'll get to work my butt off 30 hours a week, missing my evenings with my family, for the price of living here, making what we do in a week. It really reminds us how much more money we make here. While I still think going home and living a real life, with friends and family, is what is most important, it sure IS hard to walk away from that kind of money. Stu quipped, "We're going to be poor again like normal people." Lol.

Leaving For Good.

So as most of my lovely readers know by now, Kaden and I are heading back stateside on October 21st. It sure feels like it has been a long time coming! Poor Stuie has to stay here for a bit longer (we'll have to wait and see how things play out to determine what exactly a "bit" means). But these past few days have been just so weird. It's such a different experience thinking of something in the abstract (we're leaving at some undetermined point) and then actually putting it into practice (we're leaving in 6 days).

Last night we went shopping at Hamdan Center, which, as you'll recall, is a little series of sort of dodgy local shops downtown that sell souvenirs and cheap knock-off designer duds. We had a few more things to pick up and walking through a place I'd been so many times had an odd air of nostalgia to it that, before, had always been a curious stench of unwashed bodies, old dirt, and bad cologne. And then while driving home, it had already gotten dark, and the city really is beautiful when the dark veils the bad aspects. We stopped for shawarmas at the Lebanese Flower on the way home and they were as good as ever.

As I was emailing Marcia this morning I had a thought: This is the first time I'm leaving from a place I've lived for quite a long time, to which I never intend to return. When I left Coeur d'Alene, I was ready to be free of it, but I also knew I'd be back many many times in the future to visit. When I left Arizona, my aunt and uncle basically came too (within a short time of me leaving) and I see my grandparents plenty. When we left Boise, we left fully intending to return. But now, for the first time, I am leaving a place where I have friends and favorite places and a routine and weather I've become accustomed to, and I'll never be back.

I can't WAIT to start a new life in Boise, because that's what it will be. We couldn't have come here, experienced all we have, and expected to return to the "same" life we left, but I think we are better for it. I even have plans already for when I get back (thanks, Jo, hehe), but it doesn't quite feel right.

I'm meeting up with my girls this weekend at Kundi's and then maybe with the boys too for a "last meal" at the Flower and while I'm so excited and anticipating going "home" (to Boise), I find myself unable to swallow this lump in my throat, imagining never being here again.

I'm so glad I kept this blog all this time so I can always look back (read back) and remember all the things we've done and experienced here. Stu said yesterday, "I can't believe we went to Rome!" Someday it might be, "I can't believed we lived in Abu Dhabi." or "I can't believe we went on a desert safari on Christmas Eve." (which I still think is one of the best and most awesome memories I have from here).

I know I will look back fondly on my life here. When I drive home in the snow from a whole day of work and school and flop into a chair without a plan for dinner, I know I will look back on my life here and miss when I was stuck inside all day with nothing to do EXCEPT make dinner. :) When that day comes, may I find myself smiling at the memory.

This and That.

We had another good weekend here in the UAE. :) Thursday night we ordered pizza, which is Kaden’s FAVORITE food, so he was a happy camper. We also got to talk to Momma E which was very nice and then we ended our night with a movie and cuddling.

Friday was our monthly Amiras meeting and as usual, coffee with the girls was wonderful and a nice change of pace from my typical routine of boys-everything. It’s nice to gossip and talk babies and knit and all wonder of non-male-oriented things. Charmaine is THIS CLOSE to popping and I just can’t wait to meet her new little man.

Me, Charmaine and Rama with Charmaine's new baby blanket that her knitting froup from Australia made for her and sent along with her Mom. It made all of us cry as she unfolded it and all the little tags hung off of it indicating which member knit which piece. So sweet. She sure is loved!

Today we had pancakes and then headed off to Heritage Village to get some more magnets for Mimi. It turned out there was something going on later in the day as everything was blocked off with Police barriers (which we drove around, hehe) and they were setting up portable metal detectors (who knew?). But Kaden got a chance to visit the old, decrepit camel that lives there, which made his day. One of the little Ethiopian ladies who runs one of the shops gave him a little camel trinket and he blushed. Hehe. We left the house at 9:30 and by 10:30 we were all sweaty and starting to get sun burns so we said hello to the ducks and then headed home (with shoes full of sand that Kaden ATE on the way home! Ewwww)

I started a new book which mercifully doesn’t suck as bad at the last 6 books I’ve read or started to read and gave up on, so I plowed through half of it today. I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner (and garlic bread, Kaden’s favorite, and veggies that we all took bites of at the same time to make “veggies sooo nummy!”) and we watched The Kingdom for the 200th time before starting the bed time routine.

For those inquisitive minds, we’re still waiting to hear any word. Underwriters suck.

Fast Fast!

Dancing Boy.

He got embarrassed and I haven't been able to catch him dancing again because every time I bring out the camera he stops what he was doing, but here is a little taste of my little dancer boy. Lol.

Happy Birthday Stu!

Yesterday was Stu's 26th birthday and Kaden and I made him a cake and then Kaden painted him a masterpiece complete with handprints and everything. He has a great time and then got to wash off in the bath. Daddy loved his painting and his new toy (Xbox 360 with several games).

As soon as Stu walked into the house after work, Kaden started singing Happy Birthday to him like we had talked about earlier and it was the cutest thing ever! Then he got embarrassed and ran off. Lol.

I made Thai Coconut Chicken Soup and vegetable fried rice for dinner and then we enjoyed the cake afterwards. We ended the night by watching Jumper with popcorn. Stu said it was a pretty good birthday. Here are the pics!

Kaden thrilled at the idea of painting on a real canvas. :)

Finger painting! (thnaks, Aunt Mo for the painting supplies!)

Concerned about the mess her was making. Hehe

Wondering why Mommy kept taking pictures of him.

After the painting, in the tub, he wrote the word "Go" (see it???) on the bottom of the tub. Genius baby! Hehe

Dadddy's cake.

Daddy holding up his amazing painting and his other new toy and cake.

Blowing out his candles! :)

This Week in Abu Dhabi

So, we've been working with our lender(s) to try to get this pre-approval process done and over with, but because we paid off all our debt and now have nothing, we have no credit lines to show that we can pay our bills. Unfortunately all of our bills we do pay on a regular basis (the ones in Abu Dhabi) do not report to American credit (duh). So we're hoping the manual underwriting process works in our favor. Otherwise, it is getting a little close to the end of the year to hope to close before we plan for Stu to come home. In that case we may have to rethink our grand plan.

Sooooo, we (meaning Kaden and I) may or may not be coming home soon. We would still need to come back before Stu to get a house ready to live in (rented or purchased, we need somewhere to live) and would YOU want to set up a house with high-stress Stu? Yeah, me neither. Haha. So we will just have to see what happens in the next few weeks (this process takes longer too... another fun part). Very worst-case scenario, it's still only two months away, but best case scenario is probably two weeks (or more).

But, on to more fun things. Kaden got to go to Toys R Us yesterday, which he calls "The Apple Place" because it is right next to the fruit and vegetable market, (where they sells apples) so that's what he associates it with. He had a great time and he's even getting the hang of the bikes, even though they're a bit too big for him. I can't wait to get a my baby his first bike! How fun!

In other news, Stu's "big boy" (says Kaden) 26th birthday is on Monday. His awesome wife got him an Xbox 360 and 4 games. :) Kaden said he didn't want to get Daddy anything, so we will be working on his gift (and attitude) at the beginning of this coming week.

Here are some of my Monk in the tub being a little ham. (And Mommy's super awesome I'm-indulging-because-I'm-stressed-and-I-can dessert of coffee with whipped cream and a Brownie)

"Gimme hug Mommy!" (And of course I obliged... sweet soaking wet baby!)