Journal FHE

I am finally reading the latest General Conference issue of the Ensign. There are so many great talks, so much inspiration for changes for good that I can be making. President Eyring's talk about keeping a meaningful journal is wonderful - so this is our topic for tonight's Family Home Evening. I downloaded these journal pages for the girls, and we made the covers together for our activity.

Minigami

Madelyn has been really into origami for the past year. Interestingly enough, many of the boys in her class are origami wizards. They make amazingly tiny boxes, cranes and other animals. One of the boys taught Madelyn how to make tiny candy boxes. Cailin stuck one on her thumb and realized it looked like a tiny bonnet. The rest of the evening was spent drawing hair and faces on thumbs to be adorned with little granny origami bonnets.

The Mitten State

It has happened! Jon has accepted a job offer in Michigan. We are thrilled to become Michiganders, and have enjoyed learning some things about our new home, as of this August. Some interesting facts (gleaned from that fabulous site, wilkipedia) about Michigan:

It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigami, meaning “large water” or “large lake”.

Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world.

A person in Michigan is never more than 85 miles (137 km) from open Great Lakes water and is never more than six miles (10 km) from a natural water source.

The Lower Peninsula of Michigan, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is sometimes dubbed “the mitten,” owing to its shape. When asked where in Michigan one comes from, a resident of the Lower Peninsula may often point to the corresponding part of his or her hand.

Michigan was the first state in the Union

Michigan forestland covers nearly 52 percent of the state at 19.3 million acres.

Occasionally U.P. residents have called for secession from Michigan and establishment as a new state to be called “Superior.”

Michigan has about 150 lighthouses, the most of any U.S. state.

Hands, Glorious Hands

Hope is so in love with her hands. She has just recently begun to put them together and notice these fabulous appendages, not to mention their deliciousness.

Croup is Evil

Last night, out of the blue, Emma started to cough and have difficulties breathing. She managed to settle down, but by morning she was really wheezing and "barking". We did the hot shower treatment, but by then both of us were feeling pretty scared. I ended up rushing her to an urgent care facility, where they used a nebulizer to help her breathe easier, and she got a shot (I won't say where) of something, too. Finally we're home, and taking it easy after a very stressful morning. I'm hoping tonight will be better!

Alice in Wonderland

This production of Alice of Wonderland was so well done. The show was really fun to watch, and the kids involved had a great time. Here are just a few pics taken from the school web site of Madelyn with other cast members on the day of the dress rehearsal. Madelyn's costume wasn't completely ready yet, so she only had her rabbit ears on.

Happy Valentines Day

Every year for Valentines Day, Jon makes me an awesome print. The one above he gave me today. I totally love it. Last year I was on a hot cocoa fix, so he made a print in tribute to that delight (pictured below). It will be fun to get them all framed and on a wall when we get back! Love you, Jon.

The Mad Hatter II

Madelyn looking festive in her Mad Hatter hat. Rehearsals went well yesterday. The big show is tonight! I even got a babysitter to watch Hope. Should be fun.

The Mad Hatter

To get into the Alice in Wonderland spirit, the elementary school asked the kids to make crazy hats to wear to school tomorrow. Cailin put her thinking creative cap on and created herself a Mad Hatter's hat.

Sweet Thumby Dreams

Hope is our first thumb sucker. She loves that sweet succulent digit!

I'm Late for a Very Important Date!

The kids' school puts on a musical every year. This year is Alice in Wonderland. Madelyn asked in the beginning of the year if she could please, please, please, try out for a part. I told her no, no, no, because we were expecting a new baby, and I was just not up to all the after school rehearsals. Madelyn had such a great attitude, though, and agreed to just be a "walk on" - she only had to do after school rehearsals the last week, even if it meant she was the sole 4th grader with all the 2nd grader walk ons. Still, she took her 2nd grade "buddy's" hand and enthusiastically did her part, and then also helped at lunch rehearsals with make-up, and any other little thing that needed to be done. The play is in two days, on the 14th. Today after school I learned there was a problem with the White Rabbit, and that Madelyn and another girl had been asked to take the role. Madelyn was ecstatic, to say the least.

So, we now have ONE day to learn a whole bunch of lines, bits of song, and where in the world she is supposed to stand on stage. The drama teacher said it's a great compliment that Madelyn was chosen, because this will require some serious last-minute dedication, and she will probably be stealing her out of class a lot tomorrow. So although I'm a little worried about how it can be possibly be put together at such the last moment, Madelyn's enthusiasm is catchy, and I'm certain she will do a great job. And, I'm happy she gets this opportunity to be the drama queen (or rabbit) she's always aspired to be.

Islamic Art at "The Palace"

Yesterday we went to the Palace Hotel to see the Islamic Art exhibit currently on display. It was a fascinating collection of paintings, jewelry, Qur'ans, clothing, and much more. Emma wanted me to read every single placard to her so she would know what it was all about. These pics are just a few that caught my interest, but are hardly a sampling of all that is there.


I love this Calligraphic composition in the form of a lion. It is made of incantations to 'Ali, one of whose common titles is the "Lion of God'. The red tongue signifies that "Ali was the spokesman of Muhammad.


This bowl has an inscription that reads, "He (or the Prophet Muhammad) said: Generosity is a disposition of the dwellers of Paradise". I like this bowl, and the daily reminder it gave to the person that owned it of being kind.


This painting is from a Falnamah (Book of Divination) that depicted many Christian, Jewish and Muslim legends. The description of this one is as follows" Al-Dajjal (the deceiver), the Islamic archetype of the false prophet, shown here is a giant, will appear towards the end of the world and after a reign of 40 days will be killed by Jesus. Simultaneously, the Mahdi, the hidden Twelfth Imam of the Shiites, will reappear, taking Jesus as his vizier, who converts to Islam and takes his place behind him at the Ka'bah.

I think the veiled figure at the top right hand corner is the Prophet Muhammed. It was interesting to see how Islam views the prophets and happenings in the Bible.

Valentines of the Wild Kind

The girls have been having a fun time making Valentines. We rounded up all our dinosaurs and other assorted plastic animal figurines, and tied them to hearts and their respective sentiments: "You are Dino-mite!" and "I'm Wild about you!". Madelyn and Cailin are rebelling against all things pink, so this was a good alternative.

The Picket Line

So, I wake up this morning and Madelyn shows me the signs she and Emma have made to protest Cailin's unfair use of the gameboy. They are as follows: "The way the Gameboy has been shared in the past is wrong! Give us Gameboy!", and "Don't be a meanie. Share the Gameboy!" They marched around the couch Cailin was sitting on, then chased her around the house for awhile. I don't think Cailin ever gave up the gameboy. So much for the picket line.

Cultural Barbies

Having an abundance of little girls in our home, we've always had an abundance of dolls as well. These are special Barbies - the girls love the Indian dolls' sarees and long black hair. They are gifts from some great friends of ours that just moved to India and came to Abu Dhabi for a quick trip to do some shopping and to enjoy restaurants and things not available to them in India. We miss them so, and it was wonderful to have a visit.


The Jamila dolls have been in storage for awhile. I am waiting to give them to the girls when we go back to the States, as a special reminder of being in Arabia. I have 3 sets for the big girls - now I want to find a 4th set to put in Hope's things, so she'll have a reminder of the people in whose country she was born. Here is a link to a blogger who commented recently about abayas, that I found interesting.