Around the World in 80 Clicks

Expat Mom in Guatemala tagged me for a new meme that’s been traveling the globe and will keep going until it reaches every corner of the world. It`s called Around the World in 80 clicks.

This meme was started by Catherine of Her Bad Mother and David of It’s Not a Lecture. The idea is for moms around the world to share five things that they love about being a mom.

What do I LOVE about being a mom? Wow. That's a big question...

1. They love each other - I knew that I would love my kids. I knew my husband would love our kids. I knew they would love us. I also knew, intellectually, that they would love each other too, but to actually see this miracle happen - and to continue as they grow - was amazing. I still remember the first time they gave each other a real hug. Honor was barely old enough to sit up by herself, 4-5 months??... she needed some help balancing, but she had the strength... and Brian, who was not yet 3yo, was sitting next to her. They were playing and laughing, then, they looked at each other, smiled, and reached out and hugged each other. A real snuggle not encouraged or copied. They did it themselves and liked it so much that they did it again several times before turning their attention to other things. They are years older now, and they have their differences and squabbles here and there, but you can really tell that they love each other.... and I LOVE that I am a mom to two loving children.



2. They were born to be who they are - I birthed two babies, but they came into the world with set personalities that I had no part of forming - except, genetically, of course. Who knew?! You think of kids being born with physical traits, but full-blown characters? Attitudes right out of the womb? Oh yea.... We were not given two breathing pieces of blank living clay, to be molded as we saw fit, no, we were given two ready-made people... small in size and in need of care, feeding, toilet-training, language lessons, room and board times 18 years, and who knows what else. As a mom, I have a responsibility to set a good example and guide our children to be the best that they can possibly be, but I have no right or ability to 'make them' into anything. I cannot. It is impossible. The responsibility for forming their personalities and character... that's not on me. They had these traits built in. Motherhood is not 'just a job', it is more akin to a sacred duty. I feel like I have been entrusted with two beautiful pieces of the future and I LOVE the feeling of responsibility I have for these two little people as they discover who they are and who they were meant to be.

3. I am in love with my kids' dad - I mean, that seems obvious, right? Especially as I recently posted about our 17th anniversary. I look at our kids and, physically, I do not see myself or my husband in either child's features.. they look like each other! I sometimes see hints of my sister, or her children, or of my husband's aunt or uncle. A smile might remind me of a niece of nephew, but nothing of us (although other people claim to). And yet there they are - they are most definitely a part of who we are. Being their parents is definitely an integral part of our marriage. I look at them, and I LOVE my husband.

4. Watching them grow and learn - I like to think of myself as a knowledgeable person. I read, I study, I explore... I'm curious and like to try new things. Yet all the enjoyment I get from my personal studies, pales in comparison to watching our children learn as they grow. Oh, it can be frustrating at times... just ask Honor about my not letting her use kitchen appliances and/or sharp knives because they are not made child-sized and so are not safe for her. And ask Brian about cursive writing (uh... maybe you don't want to do that, to him it is curse-ive). But they discover, and rediscover, and experiment, and share with us as well as one another (sometimes they like to share new things with their sibling even before they share with Brad or I.) Their perspectives on the world around us is fascinating. I love how they manipulate and define and redefine. How they express their interpretations is also awe-inspiring... especially when it changes as they mature, and even more so when THEY can compare their new understanding to how they used to understand it. I LOVE that I can almost see their minds expanding on a daily basis.

5. Anticipation of the future - I have no idea what will happen next, and yet, I cannot wait. Of course, I have worries. We have had too many visits to the ER, hospitalizations, traumas and dramas and sad things... and I know life will bring more. I will hope and pray that it treats us kindly and gently, but I do not worry and fret. That's life. But life also brings so many good things. Adventures. Travel. Friends. Family. Pets. School. New skills. New accomplishments, etc. I LOVE the thought of the future with our kids.

This meme ends with a request to tag five moms around the world (only 5?!), so, in keeping with the global theme, I'll have to choose:

My sister-in-law at "Smiles and Trials" (US) - who has adopted around the world, and is in-process of doing so again. (For this story, read: Smiling All The Way Back)

Mama Seoul, fka Cairo Mama, who is temporarily in the US, but will soon be returning to Korea with her young son and new baby! She has reviewed baby and toddler products, breastfeeding, living in Korea, and most recently, VBAC (success!) and Hypnobabies birthing techniques.

Danie at Earth to Danie - currently in Canada, but don't blink or you'll miss her. Mother, expat, repat, soon to be moving again, and a witty author (published even "The Expat Arc" - free advertising! I try to be a good blog friend :-) !) .

Donna in China at "Email from the Embassy". Donna has four little ones and is very adept at writing about living life as an expat mom, as well as insights into daily life in Beijing.

And a close neighbor, Simple Answer, in Amman. She's a mother of two, and a US expat who is learning and blogging about life in Jordan... although I'm not sure how she manages, with all the side trips and other fascinating travel she does. (Me? Jealous? ;-) !)

(Sorry to skip over the other wonderful blogging moms, I read, but I was trying to choose blogs around the world! oh, and the meme was 'mom', so sorry to the dads too.)

Wadi Degla

Off on another field trip. This time, Brian and I managed to get Brad to take some time from work and come along too.

Wadi Degla is a wadi, a valley, a dry riverbed. It's another of the "most people who come to Cairo, never see it" spots. Wadi Degla is a protected natural area with very beautiful views, desert plants and even wildlife. Here is an on-line brochure about the area.

Brian's class went out with one other 3rd grade class and once we made the long, bumpy, bus ride out into the wadi, the classes were split into 3 groups for different stations.

At the first station, we learned about the bats of Egypt and how important they are. I have to say that I am a huge fan of anything that eats bugs(!) and bats are so much cuter than spiders. The biologist teaching the class had a live bat that the children could see (and not touch!). I liked how she was very strong about being respectful and kind to the animals. We learned about this particular bat, and how it compares to others, then the kids were given a dichotomous key covering the local bats , and were tasked to identify the bat. They correctly identified it as a Geoffrey's Tomb bat.

While having lunch, we watched a whole pile of vehicles converge on our site from both directions... we had a good laugh that even though we were over 5km out in the wilderness, you can never escape the traffic in Cairo! This was good traffic though. Two buses loaded with volunteers from Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, were out to pick up garbage in the wadi because, unfortunately, not only are some people selfish litterbugs, the winds bring in a lot of trash... it was very nice to see these folks out picking it up!

The station after lunch was about the plants in the desert. Most of the brush looks pretty dried out, but it's alive. We learned about a number of the plants, how they differ from other plants, how their roots collect water, and whether or not the plants store water. The kids were given clay and taught to make pressings of the different plants and flowers.

The last station was on rocks and minerals. A favorite subject as this is something they've been studying in science. They were given a brief introduction, and then turned loose for about 10-15 minutes in order to go find samples. In no time at all, they returned with a good pile of basalt, petrified wood, calcite, etc. A few shells and rocks with nummulites and other marine fossils. Couldn't keep anything though as collection is not allowed. After reviewing all of their findings, the instructor took them up on a ledge overlooking the valley so they could sketch the surrounding area.

I'm glad this trip was in the spring. It was rather hot out there by afternoon, but it was a beautiful day. Clear blue sky and clean air. Here are some photos of the wadi (I'd suggest clicking on the album and viewing it in picasa, the photos are high resolution and look better slightly larger than what fit here.):



What a fascinating day!

Wandering downtown

Wow. I've been a bit lazy in blogdom lately. Sorry! What it means though is we've just been too busy for me to catch up, in a good way, but I'll try to be better and not disappear like this.

We've been occupied with school, field trips, illnesses, birthday preparations, and even prep and planning for our upcoming move in June. Yes, our tour is coming to an end. Although we've been able to extend it and have been here for quite some time, it still feels like we've been shorted. Honor tells us that we are "Leaving on vacation, but not coming home again." This is going to be a big change for all of us. btw, yes, we do have a clue where we will be going next, but please be patient... I am a bit superstitious and am not announcing anything until I feel super-confident. I don't want to jinx us! In the meantime, we are doing our best to enjoy the time that we have left here in Egypt.

Had to take the kids downtown last week and I snapped some photos on the way (sorry about the lower resolution - I only had my cellphone). Thought I should share some traffic photos as you have not experienced Cairo until you've experienced the roads.
Look fast.. the cars are organized into almost lane-like patterns!
um... pay no mind to the actual lane lines painted on the road.
whoops. Did you blink? Where'd the lanes go?
Horse cart delivery.
Looking up as you drive by, you see some very interesting old architecture in the downtown area. (Look up only if you are not driving please).
Mmm! Fresh bread. I'm always impressed with these bike delivery guys, especially when they are weaving through heavy traffic.. riding a bike with a plank on their heads, piled high with loaves of flat bread. I'm not sure if I could manage, while walking, on flat ground, using both hands to balance!
Beware the pedestrians.. although on this day, there weren't many out - must have known I had my camera (phone) ready.
We have many roundabouts - which I actually really like. Wish we had them in the US in more places.
My explorers.
Random art carved into a wall on a little sidestreet.
Close-up.
Another batch of yummy baladi bread being transported.
Did I mention the need to beware of pedestrians?

Traffic in Cairo is unfortunate. It can sometimes take an hour or more to make a trip that should only take 10-15 minutes. The incidence of accidents and pedestrian fatalities are way too high. Saying that though, it isn't impossible to learn to drive here and it really isn't that scary. Take your time, don't take stupid chances (there are enough people doing that already) and it isn't that bad. You have to drive defensively aggressive. You have to push your way to the lane you want, to the turn you want to make, through the intersection you want... but in general, that's all that everyone else wants to do too, and most are not obnoxiously aggressive about it - they cut you off, no problem, next time you cut them off, no problem... everybody gets there. I think the level of hateful aggressiveness is less than in many other cities I've driven in - say, LA or DC. Yes, some people are real idiots, very selfish and inconsiderate, but I believe they are the minority. I also believe that there have been greater efforts to control traffic taken in the greater Cairo area - with speed bumps, strategically placed barriers, etc. to improve traffic safety, and there are new laws about wearing seat belts and not using a cell phone when driving. If you are coming to Cairo and you are going to drive... adopt a zen driving style. Let go of stress. Never make eye contact - that is a sign of weakness and you might as well stay home. Go with the flow. Expect the unexpected and illogical. Yes it is ok to make left turns from the right lane. Yes people will jump out of buses in the middle of a crowded intersection. You must learn to use your horn - it is not 'shouting', you are communicating and if you do not use it to signal, say, your intention to pass, you may get sideswiped by the other driver who never bothered to look behind/beside himself. Let go of your 'one car per one lane' mentality, and above all, repeat 'No problem' like a mantra.

... now, anyone have any advice about how I can get rid of this 'go with the flow' mentality so I can safely drive in the US again??