Another weekend away, but with the family this time.

Each week we look forward to the following weekend, and this week was no exception.  Initially Stuart was to have a rugby match in Dubai, as was Jack. On Sunday evening, Jack's club match in Dubai was canceled. However, we had already booked a hotel for the weekend so we decided we would just make a vacation of it. That became the focus and we started planning what we would do with our time in Dubai, including a men's rugby match on Friday afternoon. 

Through the week we were still very busy with rugby for all. Physically, I am not sure I have ever worked as hard as I do at rugby training on Mondays and Wednesdays. However, I can tell that I am getting in better shape. These last two weeks I have also really hit the 'diet' part of it hard. It seems I have been on a diet for 30 years, and every time I say 'this is it'. I guess one of these times it will be true. Maybe this time will be it. I guess I just have to keep trying. 

But I digress. School this week kept me out most days. On Sunday we had our regional math competition for our boys and on Wednesday we had the competition for the girls. Our boys tanked, but our 3rd grade girls won second place, sending them on to the Zone competition, and our grade 5 girls won first place and will also go on to the Zone competition. 

Going to these competitions are really quite a treat. Although I don't eat the food (you know, new diet), they put on quite a spread. And at the girls competition, when I was judging, I was served a malt beverage (non-alcoholic, but malt beverage nonetheless). 

You would think for a 'dry' country they wouldn't even allow anything that appeared to be alcohol. It's a bit strange.

Tuesday Stuart and I had a training on Effective Parent Engagement. There is not a great deal of parent involvement in all of the schools and the powers that be are attempting to change that fact. 

We had some extra time after we dropped the kids off with Kayleigh, so we hit Starbucks. Now, this time last year you could not find a pumpkin latte or a gingerbread spice latte anywhere in the country. So imagine my surprise when the first of October brought the pumpkin latte. I was equally dismayed when I was in Doha last weekend and there was no such thing to be found again. Starbucks barista told me they had taken it off the shelf November 1. Again, I was elated when Stuart and I walked into Starbucks Tuesday morning to this sign. 

You can read it. Give it a try. Okay, let me help you. The top says 'Gingerbread Spice Latte' and the bottom says 'Toffee Nut Latte'. God's little blessings of home pop up here more than I ever imagined. Yummy!

 

So being out of school for three days this week made for a lack of sense of accomplishment, but I think I will get over it. 

Most Wednesdays after Jack's basketball practice, we stop and get Jack and Millie dinner from KFC. This last Wednesday was no exception. On the way home Jack decided he wanted to start eating his chicken. After the second bite he gasped, saying 'Mama, I think my tooth fell out.' I turned around to look and his bottom tooth was just hanging there with blood surrounding. I pulled over so I could give him some tissues and possibly pull the tooth. When I grabbed it I could tell it was not loose enough, so we started out again. Within two minutes he had wiggled it and insisted I pull over again and try to pull it. So I did, and out it came. He has lost a tooth every two weeks for the last six weeks. I told him he's not going to have any teeth left to chew before long. 

The tooth was placed under his pillow, which we usually forget to do. Sadly, the Tooth Fairy forgot to come. We told Jack it was because the loss of the tooth was so sudden, the Tooth Fairy just forgot to come in the night. Fortunately for us she came during the day as we suspected she would. Forgetful Fairy!

The kids went with us to the rugby club on Wednesday night, like they always do. It was a bit chilly so Millie stayed by the pitch where I was practicing for a while. After a bit I looked over and she was playing on a little hill with Jack and his friends. About halfway through our practice I looked up and Jack and Tua (one of his friends) had their shirts off and were swinging them above their heads. I guess you can guess who then decided to take her dress off and run around the field with just her underpants on, right?  Miss Millie was a little over exposed causing me to leave practice for a bit to take care of our naked 3 year old. I had to scold Jack as well just because he was the example she saw. 

Wednesday night, after rugby practice, Stuart was given the certificate paper for his region so he could make certificates for the students participating in the math competition. Trick was he had to have them finished by the morning, which meant using all of our printer color ink. Not going to happen. So, although I put the wrong date on them, I completed them Thursday morning and drove them out to his school. It's the first time I had been to his school. The road he drives is soooo boring. 

Once back at school we had a Senior Leadership Team meeting, which took the rest of the day. So basically I wasn't at school this past week. 

I headed home just after 1:30 pm and got the kids. We packed up our things and drove to Dubai. So many things were supposed to be happening this weekend in Dubai, but in the end all we had was Stuart's match at 3 pm on Friday. So it just turned out to be a weekend away in Dubai. 

When we arrived at the Premier Inn (cheapest hotel EVER, but nice), we decided to drive around the corner and go to the Park and Shop. This is the place I have mentioned before that has a lot of American brands we crave from time to time. We need to come here sometime and bring a cooler full of ice because look what we found!

This is really the only ice cream to ever be worthy of its calories. I know Grammie and Pop (especially Pop) would agree. So the next time they come see us (finger's crossed), we will know where to get our fix. 

After the Park and Shop we came back to the hotel to eat dinner. Clare and her kids were here but without Scott. He had a conference in Abu Dhabi that he didn't know about until after the weekend was booked. So they were stuck coming to hang out with us. We went to their room for a beverage after dinner, then retired to our beds just after 9 pm. 

Friday morning we got up and headed to Jumeira Beach, only to find out it was closed. What? Who closes a beach when it is still so hot outside?

We met the Rouvis there and ended up letting the kids play in the grassy area and around the entrance to the beach. 

We had an ice cream and then decided to just go back to the hotel for a swim. The Richardsons had gone to Ski Dubai, and indoor ski slope. When they got back we got dressed and headed to the rugby pitch. Stuart's team got creamed, but the facility was really nice and had stands for us to sit in, which is not always the case in the clubs. The pitch was literally in the middle of nowhere. 

We all headed back for dinner at the hotel. By about a quarter to eight it felt as if it was midnight. Getting older wears me  out. Clare and her kids came up to our room again for some more chat time and a beverage. By half past ten we were zonked. 

Saturday morning I got up to work out at the hotel gym. We came down to breakfast and then hit the pool before checking out of the hotel. 

We were all going to stop at the Dubai outlet mall on the way home for lunch, but it ended up just being us. Millie fell asleep just before we got home around 1:45 pm. She ended up sleeping until almost 4 pm, which only meant she would be up late that evening. She did not disappoint. She didn't go to sleep until nearly 9 pm. She just can't nap anymore. 

After we returned from Dubai we just sat around the apartment. I did some laundry, Stuart went to the grocery store for some necessities, and the kids watched Christmas movies. We listened to Christmas music all weekend so it must have put them in the mood for a Christmas movie or two. 

Another great week in the UAE. We are on the countdown until Christmas break. Just marks off a day every morning and reports two things; 1) how many days until we fly to Australia, and 2) how many days until Elfis (our 'elf on the shelf') comes. These are both very exciting pieces of information.