Cathy actually noticed some nits in her hair while she was over on Saturday for dinner. Stuart immediately went out to the chemist and bought everything they had to get rid of those little bugs. It made me itch just knowing she had nits.
We treated her hair with this greasy tea tree oil-like substance that she had to leave in overnight. Sunday morning, although she had gone to bed late, I had to get her up a bit early to wash her hair with the shampoo. Let's just say she was less than pleased. However I think we have defeated the nits, and neither eggs nor actual live lice should appear in her hair, Inshallah!
While we were treating Millie for head lice, Jack was working on a fever and just laying on our bed. I ended up taking him to school with me, which you can do here if the students are not in school, and sometimes even when they are. We took the iPad and his lunch, but the lunch did not get eaten. He just wasn't well. We really think he is getting dehydrated and that is what is causing him to not feel well. Although there is a nasty bug that has been going around, so it could be that I suppose.
Stuart picked him up around 1 pm and by the time I got home he was poorly again. He put himself to bed just after 3 pm, which made me know he really wasn't well. Stuart was going to wake him around 5 pm to see if he wanted to eat. If not, the plan was to have him use the bathroom and get his jammies on. A great plan turned south when I checked on him at 4:45. He was burning up with fever. So I uncovered him and discovered he had already used the bathroom. Oops! Poor boy was too ill to get out of bed in time. He hasn't wet the bed in probably 2 years, yet another sign of how sick he was.
I put him in the shower while Stuart changed his sheets. The cool shower and Tylenol brought down his fever quite quickly. I gave him Sprite and about an hour later he wanted to eat, which to me was a great sign. He stayed up until about 9 pm and then nestled in for a good night's sleep.
Millie also hit the pillow early. She laid on my lap around 4 pm and I noticed she was asleep when she nearly fell off my lap. I put her to bed, hoping she would stay there until 6 am. No such luck. She actually fell out of bed at 6 pm, then was up for the next 4 hours and boy was she cranky. Had she not fallen out of bed I am pretty sure she would have slept through. That girl needs her sleep, yet so often fights actually going to sleep.
Monday and Tuesday Jack was still feverish. On Monday I left him with Miss Janet because our grade 5 graduation was that morning. On Tuesday he came with me again to school and just lounged around.
Graduation for grade 5 at our school was very similar to a birthday party held for 175 girls at one time. Each child received a certificate, a gift (a game or book), and the lunch tables were set up with food and a piece of cake for each girl. They really do it up big here.
The girls did not come in their school uniforms, yet most came in dresses that most likely cost more than my wedding dress. They were beautiful! I would have taken pictures but those girls are getting to the age, in this culture, that they don't want their pictures taken without their heads covered, and since their moms were there, and many are fully covered for pictures, it was just too risky of being disrespectful.
After the ceremony the girls went into where the food was set up and just had a party. By noon most girls had gone and we were back to being bored. We had all been given tasks to complete by the end of the week, but most of us had those done as well. What to do? I guess we'll just have another cup of coffee.
Tuesday we were allowed to leave at noon. The grade program was being serviced on the computer, so none of us could check our grades. Our principal said that if anyone asked why we all clocked out so early she would be able to justify it by saying we had worked very hard this year and she was giving us time off. Fine by me!
Because we got home just after noon on Tuesday, and Jack was feeling better and playing as well as pestering Millie, it felt like dinner and baths should have come earlier than they did. We had almost the entire day at home, although we were supposed to be in school. Strange. We stayed in because we wanted to make sure this pesky fever really had left the building. Finally, Wednesday morning he woke up and announced, 'Mama, I feel better now', so off to school he went and was fine the last two days of school.
Wednesday we had out teacher appreciation day at school. Our principal gave a speech, each grade level was called up to be recognized and given a silver bracelet, a pen, and a coffee mug. They have a budget item in schools that pay for these gifts. It's not what I am used to for sure.
I got teary when I was standing on stage with my Islamic teacher, Alia. I put my arm around her and she turned and hugged me. We hugged and kissed on the check, which is very common among friends. She said to me, 'Miss Donna (how most pronounce my name), we are friends'. I said, 'Yes we are, Alia'. She then said, 'I love you, Miss Donna', to which I replied the same and then begin to cry. I am not sure I can remember a time I have had such respect and admiration for an individual. She emulates the best traits of all people. She is kind, patient, humble, selfless, giving, and a stellar representation of an Emirati. I will desperately miss her next year.
After school Wednesday I picked Jack up from school. We headed home, picking up Millie on the way. We had a play date with Thalia and Penny at our house. The kids always have so much fun on play dates.
Thursday I went to school and we had a short meeting. After the meeting we headed for a 'team building' activity to Bawadi Mall. Where does this happen? Only in the UAE! Love it!
Here we are at lunch... team building!
I did some shopping and then went to get Jack and his friends from school. I can hardly believe he has been in school for an entire year. He has matured, is now reading, albeit simple books, and he's grown a foot, it seems.
Here he is outside of his school. What a ham! Oops, probably shouldn't use the word 'ham'. He also received an award that he was so proud of. Obviously he is a lot more like his father than his mother.
We went swimming after we got home, caught a bite to eat at the Rugby Club, and wore the kids out by letting them run around.
Friday morning we got up and headed to another water park. This one is in Umm Al Quwain, another emirate. It's called Dreamland. We could have stayed in the park in a small cabana, but no one else was able to stay so we decided we would do that in the fall sometime. In hind sight we are glad we didn't because it was so blazing hot. Although the cabanas are air conditioned, they are small. We are proud to say we have now visited 5 of the 7 emirates of the UAE.
We went with the Turners and the Rouvis. We arrived right when the park opened. It was so brutally hot, with the temperature and the humidity, that I felt as if I was melting. By about 2 pm I was ready to leave, but I stuck it out another hour. Then, the fun was over. We headed to the changing rooms. Because I am overly prepared and knew the two hour ride home would be better if the kids were showered and somewhat ready for bed, I took shower gel for them. I proceeded to get them showered, not even considering the fact that Stuart was already dressed and sweltering outside. And since I had the gel and shampoo anyway, I also took a shower. By the time I got outside Stuart's t-shirt was drenched. Oops! I apologized for taking so long but I'm not sure he was terribly impressed.
Millie loved this slide the most.
Jack and one of his best friends, Louie.
These kids love the water, thank goodness.
Was Millie tall enough to go on the water slide? Um, not sure.
No trip to the water park is complete without an ice cream treat, right?
The down side of my new do is that when I go to the pool and it gets wet, I look like a member of the band, Flock of Seagulls. Lovely!
We got back into the car and started the journey home. We had hardly pulled out of the parking lot and Millie was sound asleep. She almost took a nap on the ride to the the water park as well as while we were in the park, so the fact that she fell asleep so quickly was not terribly surprising. After about an hour she woke up, which was a relief because I knew had she slept the entire trip she wouldn't go to bed at a reasonable time.
When we got home the kids watched a movie, ate dinner, and then went to bed. Well, Millie wasn't super cooperative so she mainly just screamed and cried until she fell asleep, but Jack dropped off immediately.
Stuart went to the Rugby Club for a leaving party for a South African guy on the rugby team, so Cathy came over for dinner. At about 10:30 pm I heard Jack crying. I went into his room and his calves were cramping. I really should remember to give him Tylenol before he goes to bed on evenings after a very active day. Inevitably he wakes up with leg cramps on those nights. He's had growing pains recently as well, but clearly these were leg cramps. Poor boy!
We got up Saturday morning with the intention of heading to the grocery store before it became manic. However, laziness set in and we decided there wasn't anything we absolutely had to have that day. We were told the grocery store was a mad house on Friday. You see Sunday is the first day of Ramadan. This is the Muslims time to fast, reflect, do good deeds, and pray. They fast from eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing gum from sunrise to sunset. Work hours are cut down as well. Stuart and I will only have to be at work from 9 am to 1 pm for the last two weeks we are here. I love this country.
We are not exactly sure what Ramadan will mean for us. However, it is illegal for anyone, except young children and women who are pregnant, to eat, drink or smoke in public. That includes us! The 'not smoking' thing I think we can do. But the not drinking or eating? We shall see. I know we are able to eat and drink in the privacy of our own home, but that is the only place. It will definitely be a different experience. For the most part, restaurants are closed until Iftar (the breaking of the fast at sunset). It is said that being on the roads at this time is quite dangerous. Read this for more interesting information about this holiday.
https://sites.google.com/site/exploringtheuae/presentation/culture/religions/ramadan
The rest of Saturday was spent just relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing. The kids and I made blueberry cake (we have no muffin tins), playing with Legos, watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (or as Millie calls it 'Chicka Chicka Bang Bang'), and then we went to the pool for a dip in the ate afternoon.
Our life gets tougher each week, as you can tell.
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