Lucky Mom Reads Book

Ashlyn walks into our bedroom this morning carrying two books.

"Where is daddy?"

"At work."

Usually that answer brings an "oh darn it" and sulking. Not today. 

"GOOD!" she exclaimed. 

"Why is that good?"

"Because, guess what you get to do now!! Read me a book!"

She climbs up and over the top of me to situate herself and hands me a book.

Tummy Yuckies

Nearly every single day of her life Ashlyn tells me "my tummy isn't feeling so well." I never get more info from her so I have to watch hr body cues to see when she is really sick. This morning at leave-for-the-bus time for Jacob and Madison she came down the stairs and laid on my lap. Brian was home late this day so he took the kids and I stayed on the couch with Ashlyn until I remembered I left something in the van I needed before Brian drove away. I went outside to get it and decided to cross the road to the bus stop and give Jacob a hug for having a good morning with zero crying. That's a big deal for us these days and I'm trying to give lots of positive feedback for good behavior. Ben came out to the bus stop too to ask what his morning house hire was leaving Ashlyn alone. When we walked back Ben opened the door and I heard panic from the little lady. 

She was running to the door to tell us she was sick and had changed her mind and was running to the trash can in the kitchen to vomit. Just a tiny drip missed the can and first thing she said was I needed to clean up the floor for her please. I cleaned her up and got her on the couch cushions again then cleaned the floor. When the first yuck wave had passed and she felt a little better she started telling me how it was okay to go to school because they have TWO trash cans to throw up in so she would be just fine. We were bringing watermelon for the class snack and she didn't want to miss out. No ma'am. She slept on the couch next to me all morning except when we played mancala.

Much later she was ready to eat so she had a little applesauce. An hour later she had more. At lunch she said she wanted to eat some watermelon and pizza so I gave her a tiny bit of each thing. She took a tiny bite of pizza and immediately said "I can't eat this pizza." She says it all the time and I was about to tell her to chew and swallow. Then I saw the panic on her  face. I told her to spit it on the plate and she jumped down and ran for the kitchen trash can again.

Luck was not on her side this time. Her cute little bare feet pattered across the slick tile at lightening speed but the bimit projectile was just a little bit faster than she was. Her throw up made the floor very slippery and she slid then fell right on her butt. She bounced right back up and got some more in the trash can. What a trooper. I cleaned all of her and the puddles on the floor and she's been on the couch watching the tv the rest of the afternoon. 

Stuffed Up Juice Troubles

Ashlyn, you have stuffy nose today. Do you want a tissue to blow?

Yeah. I already got all the boogers out, it's the juice that's making the problems. The boogers left all their juice in my nose.

Ashie-ism of the Morning

"Mommy I want a pony tail today up high."

"Up high to the sky?"

"NO! I can't go to the sky!"

"You should get some wings then so you can."

"I cannot, there is no wing store. Send that funny message to Jennifer."

"Okay. Why?"

"Because she will totally flip out! Do people flip out if we send them funny messages? Like flip out of this country? She's going to love that message today!!"

Yawn Medicine

Madison has a nasty hacking cough so I gave her some medicine this morning. Ashlyn asked me if she could please have some medicine too, specifically some yawning medicine. She was not able to sleep well last night and requested that I email her teacher and tell her she was too tired to go to school today because she "didn't rest well because of all the yawns" that kept her up all night long.

Three Year Old Love

Ashlyn gave me a huge hug and told me she loved me. Then she gave me a big kiss and wiped the wetness off my cheek as she said, "I love you so I wiped the crumbs off."

That's a thoughtful three year old to wipe the cookie crumbs off her moms face after a kiss because she knew that's what I'd want.

Ashie-isms

Out of no where she comes to me and says, "Mom, God made us washable." 

That's some deep thinking for a three year old but spot on. 

Yelling from the top of the stairs to me in the kitchen, "Mom, where is my sock?"

"I don't know," I replied as I continue to scrub dishes.

Hands on hips, "But you are a MOM and you said you know EVERYTHING."

I've been caught.

Right vs Left

Ashlyn asked "is this my left hand?" "No, it's your right." She had a puzzled look and said, "but my teachers right hand is on the other side than mine."

Smarty Pants

When mommy won't let you bring your snack to your bed then you gotta think outside the box. Bring the bed to the snack!!!

She also asked today why I was laughing as I worked on the computer. I was texting with Brian at the time so I told her because her daddy was funny. She asked why he is funny and I said because he was smart. I told the she was smart and asked if I was smart. She said, "No." When I looked over at her to find out why she smiled at me and said, "You are smartie pants!!"

Ashlyn Loves Daddy Best

Yesterday Ashlyn was asking for dad this and dad that. I am rarely allowed to help, hold her or do anything at all. Just dad. I asked, "Don't you like me?" To which she replied, "I like you better than Peter." I confirmed - she means Gina's Peter. You aren't forgotten Ms Espina Gina!! We love and miss you. ❤️

Kids Discover Differences Here

The kids are noticing funny things that make us laugh. As I write Ashlyn is asking why daddy is pumping gas, where are the workers that have to do it for us and suggesting maybe they are just inside the shop waiting. Earlier she thought it was hilarious that daddy was allowed to drive at all and we didn't have to call a driver. The GPS tells us to go so many miles then turn and her friend is named Miles and she told us that Miles didn't need to turn there. 

Ashlyn Gems

Our household belongings are now sea freight and on the ocean slowly making their way to Houston. This morning Ashlyn asked us, "Where's Johnny?" He left this morning on a cruise with his family so Ben told her he is on a boat. "OHHHH!! With our stuff." I hope his cruise accommodation is a little bit better than a freighter. 

Discussing sharing rooms in Houston and who is with who Ashlyn got REALLY EXCITED! "I will share with mom and dad and we can have three pillows!" That's not what we had in mind. We get fly told her that even though we have a king bed here that fits three pillows here in Saudi, our Texas bed is a queen size and only two pillows are going to it there.

Too Fast

I was cleaning out the pictures on my phone today and saw this one. It seems to typify how I'm feeling today. Things are going too fast. I have no control and it's spinning so fast. Yesterday the movers called and nearly begged for us to move out pack date forward because they are so swamped with work when we asked to pack. We agreed to move it 6 days earlier. As I hung up the phone I realized what I had done. We leave today for Dubai. Our second and very last get out of jail trip. We return Sunday late afternoon. Monday we pack and Tuesday morning they come. AAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I'm not sure how this will all come together but I'm hoping after the pack out life will slow a little.

Best Brag Yet

Ashlyn is in that standard kid stage where she says a lot of "Watch me. I can do this!" She's seeking affirmation and wants us all to know she's big like us.

Today I overheard her tell her guys, "Watch this guys. I can spank." Then she swatted Madison on the back side. It was kind of awesome. Madison just calmly asked her not to spank anymore and I had to stifle my laughter in the other room knowing my eight year old had just been swatted by a three year old. 

Now Ashlyn is taking big steps around the house then small and meduim steps. I'm thinking in preschool today they must have been exploring how to move their bodies. I love that little lady!

Gomer Pile

Sometimes when you use a very old notebook you find amusing chicken scratches from year ago. This one cracked me up. I assume I was talking about baby names for our fourth child and looking for patterns or something. 

Benjamin Brian 

Madison Mae 

Jacob Robert

Gomer Pile

It makes me glad Ashlyn Anne turned out to be a girl or she may have ended up with that name.

Temperature's Rising

A friend is in need of a baby bed rail so we moved Ashlyn's bed against the wall and took one of hers off to give away. It's white so of course it's grungy from years of dirty hands. We took it outside to scrub it with some soapy water and it didn't take me long to realize it was HOT in the blazing sun. Ash had gone out barefoot and declared she needed shoes because it was too hot for her feet. We got her shoes then moved to the shade to finish the job. We don't expect it to take long to dry so we can deliver it to its new home.

Cucumbers

At dinner. 

Mom: "Jacob will you take some salad and pass it to Ashlyn please?"

Ashlyn: "I don't want any salad."

Mom: "I know but you have to some cucumber."

Mom heard: "I don't want a que number."

Ashlyn meant to say: "I don't want a cucumber."

I will miss little kid speak in a few years from now. 

For the Record Books

As this expat season of ours comes to an end we got a little curious and wondered where we had the good fortune to travel. I was amazed my the number of places we had been in this beautiful world. We will sure miss the chance to travel!

Here is where we have been as of 2015 with most of the travel occurring between 2011 and 2013. 

Lived in USA, Singapore and Saudi Arabia

Ben age 11

Madison age 8

Jacob age 6

Lived in Singapore and Saudi Arabia

Ashlyn age 3 

Visited by all six of us:

Nepal

India

Vietnam

Indonesia

Cambodia

Thailand

Singapore

Malaysia

United Arab Emitates

Switzerland

France

Angie, Brian, Ben and Madison visited:

Hong Kong

China

Angie, Brian, Ben, Madison and Jacob visited:

Australia

Canada

Ashlyn visited:

USA (haha)

Angie and Brian visited:

England

Mexico

Brian visited:

Italy

Netherlands

Japan

Belgium

Layovers:

Japan

Turkey

Qatar

It's been a wild ride and we honestly hope to do it all again real soon. 

Daddy Was In Charge

I had Boy Scout committee meeting tonight while Ben had his patrol meeting so we both took off right after dinner. We ride in style these days. Ben had a bike and I ride the electric scooter.

Dad was in charge of dinner clean up and bedtime. I'm curious what precipitated this wardrobe for Ashlyn. My hypotheses is she was whining it was too cold. She got socks for her feet but when she wouldn't stop crying over it she was told to put socks on her hands too. I have vague recollection of myself telling one of the other kids to do the same thing many years ago.

Heath Care in Saudi

Brian had a check up tonight and I have to say after that experience how much health care scares me in this country. The doctor actually asked, stethoscope in hand, "where is your heart?" 

But she was cute so we will forgive her her shortcomings and probably visit her clinic again soon. I was highly entertained when she kept taking into the stethoscope and then pulling it away because it was so loud in her ears. Such an amazing thing to figure out it made her laugh.