Back to school I go!

Sunday morning was my last day to just lounge around until I had to go back to school. So since I had a ton of old bananas in the freezer, I decided to make  banana bread and muffins. 

May and Henry were at our house, so my kids were occupied all day. It was great, and I did get to lounge most of the day. 

We didn't do much Sunday evening. Jack was still not fully recovered, so down time was a must. 

I went back to work on Monday. I have missed nothing in my two weeks. 

I have missed a couple of sightings of the random camel train coming through the desert out by our school. That is about the extent of the action around our school at this time of year, especially during break Ramadan. 

Monday after school Clare asked me to go get a pedicure with her. I really don't do much with girlfriends here, other than Gina and Cathy, so it was a nice treat. 

Tuesday after a day of coffee and a meeting with our senior leadership team, I headed to the post office to collect Millie's Emirates ID. I was going to take it to Sunflower School, but called before I headed that way and was informed the lady who would need it would not be there until Wednesday, so I headed home. 

Once home Facebook lit up with rumors of hotel stays being canceled for those leaving. Each year, for those who are not returning with Abu Dhabi Education Council, there is a check-out process. With that process, you are required to sell all your things and turn off your utilities. Then, those leaving, are allowed to move into a hotel for their remaining 2 weeks in the country. Well, this year it started to unravel. In the end, it all worked out and everyone got to stay in their hotels. Seems things just happen that way here. 

We had the Griffiths and Richardsons over for Taco Tuesday. It was the Richardson's farewell to the Griffiths. We knew we would most likely see them again before their departure, but it is still sad seeing them say goodbye to others. We become a family, this expat community. 

Wednesday the kids were home having a chilled day. Jack was not recovering as quickly as I thought he should, but he hadn't had a fever so we just kept giving him his pain medication and were anxious for his doctor's appointment on the 6th of July. 

The kids decided they needed to set up beds in the living room. So we moved the coffee table over so they could build their beds. I love letting them do things like this. I hope they will remember their living room beds when they get older. 

Thursday the kids went to Henry and May's for the day. When I got to the Richardson's  house to pick them up, Jack was not well. He was complaining about his ears hurting. I had read about this on the Internet, and that because the nerves in your throat and ears are so closely connected. However, we wondered if this was a bit excessive and that maybe he had a secondary infection. 

Stuart took the Richardson's to the airport Thursday evening while Jack, Millie and I went to the mall. We got there about 6:30 pm and NOTHING was open. I hadn't been to the mall during Ramadan, as of yet, and totally forgot about the timing of everything. Shops are open in the morning and then close until 8 pm and are open until 1 am. 

On the way to the mall I told the kids we would go to church the following morning and then go to lunch at the golf club with the Murffs. I suppose this got Jack thinking about death for some reason. He began to ask questions about what happened to people when they died. Here was the conversation:

Jack: Mama, why do people go into the fire when they die? (Clearly he's been watching Star Wars too much)

Me: People don't go into the fire, Jack. That's a movie. In real life people are buried. They can also be cremated, which is when they burn your body and it becomes ashes. Ok, well maybe some people do go into a fire, but not the same as it is on Star Wars. 

Jack: Well, why don't they just go to Heaven. 

Me: Well, if you have asked Jesus to live in your heart and you love Him and try to follow what he asks you to do, then you will go to Heaven. But it won't be in the body you have now. 

Jack: Why?

Me: Just our souls will go to Heaven. 

Jack: What's your 'soul'?

Me (exhausted trying to explain things that sometimes even confuse me): it's the part of you that is filled with emotions. Your soul is what helps you to care about people and love other. 

Jack: Oh, ok, then that's what I want to do. I'll take that one. 

It was all I could do not to laugh. It's really kind of that simple, isn't it?

Once we were at the mall, we ended up shopping around in some of the stores that WERE open and just waited until Iftar (the meal time that breaks the fast of the Muslims). Once the sun set, everything's opened. 

We hit Fun City and the kids played a few games. 

The kids had a happy meal and I had a Diet Coke. We got home just before 9 pm and both kids were fast asleep. Fortunately I had for site and had bathed them before we headed to the mall. 

Friday morning we went to church. and went to the golf club for lunch with the Murffs. Because Jack was still complaining about his ear hurting, and he has an unusually high tolerance for pain, and in light of the fact that we would be flying out in less than a week, I decided to take him to the urgent care clinic to have his ears/throat checked out. 

We arrived and saw the triage nurse and then went into the waiting area. Once we were called in to see the general doctor, I tried to explain the situation. I told him Jack had his tonsils and adenoids removed on June 23 and he was still having trouble. I told him we had an appointment with Dr. Atilla  on the 6th of July, but since we were flying on the 9th I felt it was urgent to see someone about his pain. 

The doctor asked my if Jack had his tonsils taken out. What? Have you not been listening to me? I repeated most of the story, except for the appointment with Dr. Atilla that was coming up. He then asked if we had the surgery at this hospital. Oh Lord, please help us?  Fortunately there was a doctor's assistant in the room and he was trying to help the doctor understand. 

The doctor finally looked into Jack's ears and throat and said his throat was too red to be normal. I reiterated that the surgery was less than two weeks ago. This doctor was not the most 'in shape' person I had ever seen and he had Jack stand up and move towards him in order to do the examination. Lazy? Yes!

In the end he diagnosed Jack with a sinus infection, which I think was a bogus diagnosis. He gave us some antibiotics and we left the hospital, after a mere 2 hours. Ugh!  Once we were home I gave Jack his first dose of the three day antibiotic. I continued to pump him full of pain medication as well. Surely he will round the corner soon. 

As the weekend went on, he stayed about the same. We had the Griffiths over on Saturday for our final farewell to them. They came around 2 pm and left just after 5 pm. They brought lunch for all of us. The kids played and I could tell Jack was feeling better because he was a bit louder and more energetic than he had been since the surgery. However, I feared that with this activity, there would be a set back in the evening. 

He had his second does of antibiotics, showered, ate some summer and both kids went to bed. 

It was sad to see the Griffiths go, but we will see them again I'm sure. 

Jamie and I needed one last selfie! What memories we have created together! As I have said before, this is definitely the downside of the overseas, expat life. 

6 days until we hit the airport! We can't wait!