Author: Robin Chartier

Maria, part 2

This morning it was his gym bag that was missing. He swore up and down that he put it by the front door yesterday when he got home. Someone must have moved it. Riiight. The guys that came over for Bible study last night ran off with a gym bag full of sweaty clothes. 

He didn’t need the bag because he had other PE clothes to wear, but he didn’t like my suggestion of putting his clothes in a grocery bag or just sticking them in his backpack. Nope, he kept looking for his bag (skipping breakfast in the process). Josh asked him if he left it at school. “No! I remember bringing it in the house and putting it here.” Okay then. 
The bus came. He gave in and put his gym clothes in his backpack. We walked out to the bus. There was the bus monitor, holding his gym bag. Hmm. So much for remembering bringing it in the house . . .
He boarded the bus and then tossed the offending gym bag at my feet. Really? Then he reconsidered and asked for the bag back. Off he went and I was left holding an armload of old clothes. I think I’m going to buy this book . . . Yes, Your Teen is Crazy! Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind. I certainly need help with the not losing my mind part. 
Off to re-read the suggestions in the comments of my previous post. You all had quite the conversation going there . . .

privilege

Money may not be able to buy happiness, but it certainly bestows many privileges. Unfortunately the government money gravy train is about to run out and we’ll be back to living among the unwashed masses as of June 13th, the last day of school. No more parking pass, no longer part of the TAISM family, no more uniforms (the greatest thing ever for easy mornings), no more special concerts or catered teas for volunteers. Now I’ll have to go to Starbucks or Costa for all of my cappuccinos instead of popping into the cafeteria . . . :sigh:

I’ve been busy this week volunteering in Caleb’s classroom. His teacher is expecting her first child in July so she has to leave school two weeks early to fly home to the United States where she will be giving birth (while she can still fly). I feel a special kind of sisterhood with her as I’ve been in her shoes — packing for a move in the last stages of pregnancy and the subsequent rush of paperwork as you hope for birth certificates and passports to be expedited so you can get them in time to head overseas. All I did was organize some cupboards, take down some things from the walls, and photocopy some assignments for the kids, but she seemed to appreciate it. I’m happy for her family, but I’m going to miss having her as Caleb’s teacher. She has been fabulous with him.

Yesterday I finished up the little knit shirt that I made for “baby B.” It still needs to be washed and blocked before her farewell party on Wednesday.

Regretfully counting down the days I have left in the private school “club” and enjoying it while it lasts! I know the kids will be fine at their next school, but I’m going to miss being treated like part of a family. 

How do you solve a problem like Calvin?

This morning I was lamenting Calvin’s lack of organization and his inability to find “missing” objects that are in plain view. Today it was his planner that he insisted “was right there last night!” only now it wasn’t.

I don’t know why I participate in the madness — maybe because I feel like it’s the only way to get his day started off on the right foot, but once again I found myself scanning countertops and bookshelves for a missing item.

The bus honks and no planner, but another missing notebook was located (in his backpack, who could have ever imagined?) so it wasn’t a total waste. Just as the bus was pulling away, Josh opened one of the desk drawers and there it was. He managed to hand it off to our visually-impaired child who once again went to school without eating breakfast because he “ran out of time.”

I don’t understand how he can be so disorganized and absentminded. Whether it’s homework that he forgot to do, or never heard that it was assigned, or shoes that he can’t find, or clothing that “disappears,” his life is like one big game of “hide and seek” that never has a winner. Neither Josh or I can ever remember being like that. Maybe my parents would say differently, but at least in the area of schoolwork I know I had all my stuff together. They weren’t reminding me to do my homework or helping me locate lost library books.

Carter said something about Calvin getting married “soon” and I realized that in a sense, he’s right. If Calvin were to get married when his dad married me, he’d be walking down the aisle 9 years from now. I can’t fathom how he’s going to get from THIS to responsible, adult man in such a short time.

In completely unrelated news, my sunhat has been missing for 2 weeks. I was really wanting to find it before we go to Atlantis next month, but I haven’t had any luck. Right after Calvin left on the bus Josh found my hat sitting on one of my clothing shelves at eye level. I wonder how it got there. I swear it wasn’t there yesterday . . .

art collective

My friend Angela has been teaching me to make beaded bracelets. The beads are sewn/woven in-between two pieces of leather cording so the bracelet looks like a ladder of beads that coils around your wrist. Angela has great style and it was her idea to string 4 different kinds of beads so it looks like 4 different bracelets stacked together. She saw this type of bracelet on a website and asked her mom to send her the supplies. She learned how to do it by watching a YouTube video. Beautiful, isn’t it? It’s even more amazing when you find out that the originals sell for $250-300 dollars. 

 
ETA: close up of the “ladder.” The beads are blues, browns and purple. 


I finished up mine today and made a tiny bracelet for Camille. She’s showing it off.

Next we ran over to the framer’s to pick up our Omani people shadowboxes. Almost all the wall space in his tiny shop is covered with framed pictures of the Sultan. 

Today he had a new piece that was framed and waiting to be picked up. It’s the Sultan embroidered with silver (yes, actual silver) on leather. It’s the same kind of handwork that they do on the khajars (the traditional Omani knives). 

Look at the silver work close up. It must have taken forever to do that many stitches. And what happens if you get a knot in your silver?

I had my “goats in the wadi” piece framed and this one that I call “Camille with camel.” The purple matting brings out all the purple in her dress and in the camel blanket. It’s going to hang in her room.

Finally I got home and we went to lunch (me, Josh and Camille). Gotta do it while we can since who knows what Josh’s schedule will be like once he goes back to working regular hours. And yes, it’s as hot as it looks. We’re only about 25 yards from our house and her face is already red.   

On the way home, waiting in the shade for daddy to finish talking to some friends.