Where Have I Been?

It has been a very long time since I shared a Slice of Life. This post isn't so much slice as it is an explanation as to where I have been. The short answer is Seattle and Yanbu, but that doesn't explain much. 

We left Beirut, landing in Seattle. Though saddened to leave such a beautiful city, always ready for summer vacation. I had intentions of slicing throughout the summer, but the routine never fell into place and I chose to not force it and let have summer have its own rhythm. I did manage to keep up with my #bookaday challenge and thus felt like I was accomplishing something. (Why is it that allowing ourselves to relax and just 'be' feels too indulgent?)

Summer was winding down and I had all the bags packed for our move to Yanbu. Then the waiting began. Our visas didn't come through in order for us to fly on our scheduled date. Thus the "Bonus Days" began.

Saudi visas are a rare breed. I have never known an international school in the Kingdom to start with all of their teachers for the first day of school, let alone inservice. There was nothing we could do so we chose to take the attitude of "Bonus Days" and fill them with adventures we wouldn't have had time for if things had gone according to schedule. 

We ended up with three and a half weeks of bonus days that we filled with visits to Cashmere and Portland, playing tourist in Seattle (Pike Place Market, The Old Spaghetti Factory, the downtown Seattle Library, and Seahawks Training Camp), spending time with friends and family, and things that were on the 'someday' list. (For example, G wanted to visit a veterinary hospital as she thinks she might want to be a vet.)

My mom had planned a trip to Scotland, scheduled for after we were to have left. We took her to the airport and missed picking her up by one day. In the meantime we got lots of time with Papa Jim as we had him over for dinner almost every night. Our house also was re-roofed (yes, that was planned for after we were to have left) and we spent those days with him as well as our house was very noisy! All of this time turns out to be an even bigger blessing than we knew at the time as he has now been diagnosed with stage four metastasized melanoma that is in his spine, spleen, liver, and lungs. "Months" is the reality. We weren't planning on it, but are now headed home at Christmas.

Another plot change is that after two and a half weeks of third grade bliss I will be teaching fifth grade when we return to school on the 4th after Hajj break. Just one more thing to keep me on my toes!

The final unexpected twist is that G appears to now have epilepsy. The very short version is that she has had two episodes, five weeks and half a world apart.

Now that the whirlwind has settled down and there is a routine in our new home I find myself realizing it is Tuesday and I am ready to jump back into this part of my routine and the amazing writers of the SOLSC community.

I'm back!