The first week of vacation

We started our Sunday by taking Jack back to the doctor to check his throat. When we walked in the doctor lifted Jack's shirt and said, 'Good, I told you it would go away.  So why are you here today?'  I had to remind him that Jack had strep throat and he had told us to come back in a week to have him retested. Obviously he had mistaken Jack for another boy that must have had a rash of some sort. 

He swabbed Jack's throat again and, again, Jack laughed hysterically. He was so silly and the doctor played right into it. We are pleased that the strep throat is done and we are once again a healthy family.....for now.  

We came back from the doctor and decided to make a run out to the mall for some groceries and a Toys R Us stop. Naturally both kids got something. Grammie bought Jack a scooter. Why not? And she bought Millie a household cleaning set. Millie is fascinated with kitchen gadgets, cleaning tools and baby dolls. She is going to make someone an excellent stay-at-home-mom one day. 

After the mall we headed home and the mattress topper was finally delivered. I don't know that the bed is much better than it was before, but we are most likely stuck with it. Ugh!  

We spent a quiet evening at home and had chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas. Jack kept telling Millie she needed to stay at the table because we were having family time. 

After dinner Millie was put to bed but Jack stayed up for a bit and watched tv. After he did finally go to bed, Stuart discovered how to get the March Madness games on the Internet and run it through our Apple TV. My dad was a happy camper. I decided to stay up with my mom and dad and watch the UConn/Michigan St. game. Naturally right at the end of the game, when it was really close and exciting, Millie screamed for me. Lovely!  Apparently on Suday night when Stuart put her to bed, because we were at a wedding, she did the same thing. 

That little booger stayed awake for over an hour.  I ended up laying in her bunk bed with her because I was exhausted. When she still wasn't asleep I picked her up and we both went to my bed. I put her back in her own bed around 4 am. Certainly not a restful night. 

Jack also woke up around the time Millie did. He was crying and complaining of his legs hurting. He seems to have had a growth spurt recently and we can't feed that boy enough. So leg cramps, here we come again. Poor boy!

Monday morning we went to the grocery store for some fruits and vegetables. We do produce shopping in a store owned by the British called Spinneys. Their things just seem to be nicer, and more expensive of course. After lunch we went to the pool. Grammie, Pop and I worked out at the gym while Stuart, the kids, and the Turner family (Wade and company) played in the pool. It was too cold for the adults to get in, but the kids just shivered and gutted it out. There is a little wadding pool that is perfect for the kids. 

Monday was our anniversary. So Grammie and Pop stayed with the kids while Stuart and I went out for the evening. We went to a Japanese restaurant to have sushi. We had our own private room where, initially, it looked as if we would be sitting on the floor. But it was an illusion. Really you walked up a couple of steps, sat down, and you could still put your legs under the table. We had been told that this place was really expensive but it seemed comparable to sushi places in Arizona. Nothing is very hoppin' on a Monday night so we went to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream and then called it a night. Seven years later and we are more in love now than we were then. I feel very blessed.   

Tuesday was a day out at the Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum. This is where Sheikh Zayed lived while he was the ruler. After his death in 2004, they turned it into a museum. Some trivia that might interest some; he had 19 sons and 11 daughters. His eldest son is the current Sheikh of the UAE. 

After the museum we stopped at a local Lebanese place for a take out. I'm not sure the 'rents liked the local food, but they will never complain, bless their hearts. Also to note, Arabic bread is not that good unless it is straight out of the oven. 

Grammie got delayed jetlag, we think, because she started feeling ill sometime on Tuesday. Both she and Pop took naps around 2 pm, which was my cue to go to the gym we just joined. This made it two days in a row that I worked out. Now if I could just stop eating, all my efforts might just have some physically obvious benefits. The never ending battle of the bulge!

After my workout we went to the pool for a dip. Well, the kids dipped and I sat in the shade by the wading pool. Stuart worked out and then joined us. 

On Wednesday Grammie and I, along with my friend, Cathy, headed to Abu Dhabi for a girls' day out. We picked Gina up and headed to The One for lunch. It's a quaint home goods store with a cafe upstairs. Of course I had to buy a thing or two as well. After lunch we headed to a local indoor Souq. I bought a rug (well, actually, Marinell bought me a rug) and Gina bought a top. Per Marinell's advice, I decided to put it on our dining room table. 

Both items were from Cashmere and quite beautiful.  There were some paintings and pashminas that we all liked, but we didn't buy anything because we knew we would be going to the outdoor Souq in Dubai later in our vacation.  That's where the real deals are. 

We then headed to the Sofitel Hotel, on the Corniche, for afternoon tea. There were plenty of little sandwiches that were devoured prior to this picture. 

We were also served scones and then little cakes. All was delightful! 

After tea we went to a fruit and vegetable Souq where we also found dates piled high and wide. We bought some dates, only after sampling a ton. Belly ache!

We dropped Gina off and headed back to Al Ain. The kids were in bed and we headed to bed as well, shortly after we got home. 

Thursday morning we got up and I helped Grammie recount the events of the last week so she could write it down. Although she doesn't keep a blog she does keep a journal of her travels. 

Stuart and Pop went golfing in the afternoon while Grammie and I took the kids to Fun City to play. 

We also went to Ace Hardware to get some paint for a side table in our living room. We bought a drawer pull at the unique gift shop in Abu Dhabi, so painting it is the next step. I will post before and after pictures when it's complete. A small grocery run and then it was back home. 

After golf was finished we went to the Rugby Club for dinner. It was relatively quiet because most people are on holiday this week. It was exceptionally hot, but we survived. Grammie and Pop got a taste of our Thursday evenings and I think our letting our kids loose might have panicked them a bit, but the older kids really do take care of the little ones. It is a very safe and comfortable atmosphere, one I have never experienced anywhere else in the world. 

We got up Friday and went to church. This week, when the kids went to the front, for their little message from the pastor, Millie went as well. Normally she just hangs back with Stuart and myself and then is terribly distracting during the sermon. But today she went to the front and then headed off with the other kids when they went to children's church. It was great. 

This was the scene on the side of the road as we were leaving church. I'm not sure I will ever see this as 'normal', more amazing I suppose. 

We ended up having the buffet for lunch at the Golf Club. It might have been the best meal I have had in the last 7 months, except for food Stuart has made :)

We got home and everyone went for a nap except for me, Jack and Millie. Millie had napped to the Golf Club and most of the time we were there so she didn't need a nap. I wanted to nap, but found it difficult with a 5 and 2 year old crawling all over me, and the other three in the house were smart enough to go to their rooms and escape the madness. 

After everyone woke from their slumber, there were Crazy 8 games and the like taking place. Jack and Millie are just so pleased to have Grammie and Pop here to play with them. 

The rest of the evening was chilled. We booked a trip to Fajeriah, one of the 7 Emirates, and will do that toward the end of next week.  It looks to be a fantastic beach town in the Oman Gulf, which feeds into the Indian Ocean. So of course you know when I go I will say I swam in the Indian Ocean. 

Saturday we headed out around 9, because you really should be out of the way of the cleaning lady. I am sure I have mentioned this, but I will have a cleaning lady the rest of my life. It is one luxury I will not give up, no matter where we live. 

We decided to visit a Souq we had never been to. It turns out that it was mainly fruits and vegetables. Because we were leaving for Dubai on Sunday we decided it was not the best decision to buy anything. We do know we will come back for our fresh produce in the future. It was beautiful. 

We then decided to go to the camel market behind Bawadi Mall. It made my mom's day. We were shown around by some of the people who tend to the camels, goats, and sheep. Naturally they expected a tip of some sort, and it was worth the small amount we gave them. We saw some new born camels and Jack was nearly pooped on by a camel as it walked past. 

We continued to the mall, shopped, ate at a new burger place called Shake Shack, let Jack tube down the slide in the top floor of the mall, while Millie played in the indoor playground, and them headed back to our place. 

We stayed in for the rest of the evening. Pop went to bed at 7 pm, as did the kids. Jack and Millie need that much sleep in the night, but Pop did it do he could wake up at 2 am to watch the Final Four games.  He desperately loves basketball as you can tell. 

Week two of vacation starts tomorrow and will include a bit of traveling. Stay tuned!