Waiting

Yesterday was a terrible day, but today was uneventful, so I’ll take that as a win. Carter (reading over my shoulder) would like to say “it wasn’t that bad” and he’s probably right. We just started the day stressed and fighting and I threatened to skip all the meetings that I was supposed to go to because I was mad and I knew that would make Josh crazy. But after 18 years of living with me he has learned a few tricks and when I said, “You can’t make me go” he knew the right answer was to swallow whatever it was that he wanted to say, and reply, “You’re right, I can’t.”

I decided to go and we got through it (meetings about our housing, embassy information, safety briefs, ID badges, etc) and now that’s behind us. Today Josh went to work and we all stayed home since we don’t have a car that I’m allowed to drive. My car is still sitting in Bahrain even though we shipped it over 2 weeks ago so who knows when I’ll be back behind the wheel. I’m sure we could rent one, but I am trying to stop the financial bleeding rather than increase it. Thankfully the house is furnished and comes with some basic appliances (coffeemaker, microwave), dishes, and linens so I don’t have to buy all of those while we wait for our stuff to arrive, but I need wastebaskets, a kitchen trash can, some laundry baskets and other basic household items (cleaning supplies, paper goods, pantry items, etc).

To take care care of some of those needs, we headed to IKEA after Josh got home from work. For the past 4 years I had dreams of going to IKEA in Saudi dressed in my abaya, but they never materialized (no way to get a visa into Saudi). At least now when I actually need inexpensive household storage items, I can go whenever I want. No abaya needed.

Passing the Grand Mosque as we cruise down the highway. It always makes me laugh when I think about our trip to Istanbul and the famous Blue Mosque. Carter walked through it and said, “Eh, it was OK. The Grand Mosque was better.” When you come visit, you can see for yourself why he likes it best. 
All IKEAs look pretty much the same — even when we haven’t been inside one in years. 
But this was new to me — a handmade Persian carpet section?! I’m home!

Not the same quality as the ones we have, but they are definitely handmade and in the traditional styles and patterns. I’ve missed that wooly smell of all the carpets stacked together. 

No need to buy, I have plenty of beauties and I’m already scoping out places in our new house where each one will look the best. 

We got home and my favorite part of the day was that I didn’t have to put a single thing together. The boys and Josh figured out how to stream the CrossFit games onto the TV so they watched and pieced my shelving units together. Our kitchen is small, but there’s a small room off the kitchen that we will use as a pantry/storage room once we get the shelves put up. 

They figured out this one all by themselves. 
Tomorrow looks to be more of the same. Josh will go to work. We will stay home and take turns going to the gym in our compound (I make myself go and they beg to go), cleaning the house, watching TV, and waiting around for him to come home. Josh slipped right into his place in the world and now we have to figure out where we fit. For now, we wait and settle.