Tiyaanah (hey bae) and I parted ways almost two weeks ago. It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed. I live in a state of raw dreariness, so I haven’t had time to process how long we’ve been back in the States. My body requires much more coffee than ever before just to keep up with the boys and their indoors and outdoors antics. If you’d asked me this morning, “How long have you been back?” I would’ve replied, “Not even a week.” That’s where my brain is at the moment.

This entire journey has been nothing but wild. The rollercoaster of being without Mommy sucks for all of us. We miss her dearly, and it shows in our attitudes, but there are some positives to this adventure.

The kids are far more active than they were back in the UAE.
They are interacting with many more friends and family.

Though I’d rather be back in Al Ain, we are having a good time.

The Flight

So how does one man take on an international airport with two toddlers? Because of our Thailand travels, I took way more precautions. First, I packed enough snacks and diapers to fill an entire backpack. Then, I let the boys kill some energy at the indoor play palace in the airport. Seriously, they had an indoor gym. I love the UAE.

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We played here for way too long. I thought that the terminal was next door, but there was a screening room for international flights. I was so late that I could’ve missed the flight, but nothing in the UAE is ever “on time.”

Things looked cute early on, but I forgot to check Kairo’s headset volume, so he didn’t want to watch ANYTHING for ten hours. It also meant that Kalel was as fussy as his brother. Fortunately, I had many snacks, and flight meals weren’t bad. I actually enjoyed the kids’ food more than my own.

Friends and Family

We hit the streets running, meeting up with friends and family despite are obvious fatigue. Gigi donated her Cash for Clunkers vehicle that I hoped to drive for a few months. Unfortunately, it ended up overheating, and I bought another car. However, that precious/struggling car managed to get us out and about during our first few hours. Because of the Clunker, we were able to meet with Kairo’s best friend.

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The crew was reunited and everyone went to town. Of course, Kairo was overly emotional and got upset with his bestie a few times, but she knows how to get my kid to settle. Bestie would give Kairo a “look.” It was almost as if she were asking, “Why are you mad? We’re friends.”

We’ve spent a lot of time with Bestie over the past few days. The cutest conversation they had went something like this:

Bestie: Kairo! You have to be nice. Your Daddy said that you will have to go home if you’re not nice.

Kairo: But I don’t want to go home.

Bestie: I know! So you have to be nice.

Somehow, Kairo manages to keep a calm head around her. She is better at putting him in check than his father. During their first meeting, he had no outbursts until it was time to go. He wanted to keep playing but deep down…

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…he couldn’t hang. The kid was exhausted and unmoveable. This is how he remained for the rest of the day.

Job Hunt

The next few days were quite the blur. I didn’t take the kids out too much because I had job interviews. Somehow, I managed to pack absolutely no clothes for myself, so I bought two pairs of jeans and a shirt and slacks. The boys were too tired to shop for professional attire, but they managed to have some fun along the way.

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I acquired a different summer position on the spot, and I attended another interview the very next day. That final interview is a story for itself, but it was inspirational. Still, I took another position in Las Vegas. Again, another story.

Fontana Family

Gigi was still putting in work, so she volunteered to drive the boys and me to Fontana so we could see Nani. They terrorized Aunty D’s place and played with any toy they could find. Kairo and Kalel enjoyed climbing the stairs, putting together a fire truck with Legos, digging for fossils in the backyard, and refusing to eat anything on their plates.

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Allergies

You probably already know about the kids’ allergy problems. In the UAE, we were stuck indoors. However, we’ve spent a lot of time outside now that we’re back in the States.

The boys are doing a lot better with being outside. Kairo still coughs at night quite a bit, but only at night. His room is relatively dusty, so he still struggles with that allergy. Kalel, on the other hand, is 1000% better. He hasn’t had more than a runny nose since stepping off the plane, so the clean air is treating him well.

Time together

Most importantly, we’re still together a lot. We talk to Mommy every morning and sometimes at night. Kairo and Kalel are bonding in their own way, though that means the occasional fight. Still, they are the perfect duo that keeps me inspired. Again, I’d rather be with my lady right now, but I see the blessings where I am.

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