Back in the game!!

Normal life has been resumed. We have the internet and television. Whilst we can easily live without TV - try living without the internet for 6 weeks, its not easy! Amazing how you come to rely on something so much. I think the Q-tel installation man (equivalent of BT) thought I was crazy as I was a bit giddy when everything was connected. All continues to go well but it can be frustrating trying to set everything up and finding the right offices to go to and then communicating what you need. Apart from obtaining a postal address we are nearly there. Mail is not delivered to individual houses out her and so you have to apply for a PO box which like most things seems a difficult exercise! On the positive side - Emily no longer cries like her world is ending when I drop her at nursery and she seems to enjoy all the activities that they do. I sent her in with a plant pot recently and they have been planting seeds. Emily's favourite word is 'no' and that is her response to pretty much everything - apart from an offer of cake (takes after her mum!). She is talking lots more and has a variety of words not brilliantly distinguishable but words nonetheless. She sings along to some of her songs in the car (mainly saying hurrah at the appropriate moment when the ants go marching home) and she is attempting to count to three regularly. She is learning lots about animals as we are regular visitors to the zoo and she never tires of bothering the local cats. She chases after them and they hide under cars and she lies on her tummy shouting 'hello.' 

The highlight of my week so far is finding a hairdresser who speaks English and I've managed to book Emily onto local swimming lessons so slowly each week things are coming together. Andi continues to work hard and settle into his new job and is enjoying all the BBQ's and opportunities to take Emily to the beach at the weekend. We have had our first visitors over and so its been a busy last few weeks. Emily's nanny came to visit and our friends Will and Steve have been over. Everyone is booking return trips for May so the place must have some appeal! Attached is a selection of pictures from the last few weeks.

'Cheese'!

My favourite things-my daddy and my balloon

Probably the best coffee shop in the world?

View from best coffee shop in the world

Emily and Andi at Katara (cultural village).
Emily loved climbing all the steps!

Our beautiful Emily

Happy Mothers Day to me!!!! Yum Yum

At the beach bothering the crabs

Park park and more park....

Playing with my new sand and water table

We're still here!!!

Hello! Sorry I have not posted anything for ages - we haven't forgotten everyone or been deported (yet). We cannot have an internet connection in our new home until Andi gets his entry authorised and gets an official residence permit - I have now found wifi in the local park! Its Friday morning as I write this and I'm sat in Aspire Park watching Andi and Emily on the playground. She spends a lot of time at playgrounds and is becoming really confident on all the equipment which makes me nervous sometimes! Rope ladders and large slides hold no fear to Emily now! Andi should have his residence permit on Sunday meaning Andi will be an official resident of Doha and we can buy alcohol!!!! Emily and I aren't allowed to be official residents for 6 months and so every other month for visa reasons we have to leave the country - we're off to another UAE country on a day trip next week. All is going really well out here and we feel very settled. We love the new house and are starting to make it feel like home. Patio furniture and a BBQ arrived this week and so I don't think we'll ever cook indoors again. The service out here is incredible - you buy something from the shop - for example we brought Emily a new cot and they deliver it for free and build it for free!

Andi is enjoying work but the hours are quite long at the moment and Emily is just settling into nursery - a place called Appletree. She has only been for a few sessions so we still have tears when I leave and throughout the morning but I am sure she will settle. She enjoys music time and art and crafts and everyone there is really friendly. It was world book day yesterday and I went into the nursery to read a book to the children. On Monday the nursery had a cultural day and all the children had to go dressed in their national dress and take a traditional dish of food from their country and the parents were invited for a picnic - it was lovely and the food was amazing. Emily went dressed in red and white and took fairy cakes. I have met a few other mums I have become friendly with and have already had a few trips to the park and picnics with them. I am meeting another mum for coffee next week and have a trip to the zoo planned with another mum and her children. I think we all feel very at home here already.

I will continue to post as and when I can but fingers crossed we will have the internet next week and normal life can be resumed!

I hope that everyone will keep emailing me their news and don't forget we have Skype!