Most kids were at school on Sunday, which surprised us. Usually after the National Day holiday students disappear until after the new year. I suppose as the years go by and the trends change, so does the attendance, which is exactly what is wanted.
After we set up our new phones on Sunday, we went to the club for rugby practice. We then fed the kids at the club. Since Stuart took over as the treasurer we now get 50% off of food at the club. Sunday was the first night we had used that perk. We can buy up to 10 meals at half off. So Scott and Clare fed their family at the club as well. I had set out ground beef when I got home from school so Stuart and I had spaghetti when we got home.
The temperature actually started to cool off on Monday. It was the first time I rode to school without any kind of air on in the car. Monday after school I got home and the kids had been bathed. We went to Jack's piano lesson and because Stuart had a rugby club committee meeting, Millie went with Jack and myself. After piano lessons we went to the mall to pick up my phone.
I fed the kids on the way home, good old McDonalds, and we went home to bed. Once Stuart was home he set up my new phone, which seemed to take forever. The Internet company here has a monopoly so there is no need for them to have good wireless service. Therefore sometimes the process of uploading things takes a long time.
Tuesday morning came much too early. Elfvis was the deliverer of breakfast, which was not the most nutritious meal of the day. Cookies for breakfast? The kids were convinced he made the cookies for them. Really our friend DeDe and her kids made them and left them in our Land Rover. This was one of the 'service' assignments on their advent calendar. I told DeDe we used her cookies for Elfvis antics and she thought that was funny. Now hopefully none of her children ask mine if they enjoyed the cookies they left us in the Land Rover. Ha!
Those plates have an elf on the shelf. Gina and I bought them at Pottery Barn while she was in town last weekend.
Elfvis struck again on Wednesday morning. It seems he got into the sugar and decided to make a little 'snow' angel.
Thursday morning we found Elfvis in the candy jar. I have been sending the pictures to Gina. She is very pleased with my active participation in Elfvis this year.
Each day this week when I got home from school all the kids could talk about was how many days it was until Grammie and Pop came. Thursday evening we went to eat with Cathy at PF Changs and the kids were so excited that the following day I would be picking up Grammie and Pop. Jack wanted to pick out Christmas gifts for Grammie and Pop. Although we didn't end up buying anything, he did have fantastic ideas for both and those will be revealed after Christmas. He is growing to be such a sweet and thoughtful boy.
Once the kids were in bed, Cathy and I watched Spy. I know I just watched it with Gina less than a week before, but it's totally Cathy's type of humor and I can't get enough of it.
We were up early Friday morning and the kids were giggling downstairs. It seems Elfvis was up to his tricks again. This time they found him in the bathroom. Cathy actually helped with this one.
Jack insisted on taking his binoculars. They love the adventure of the dunes.
The four kids climbed up the dunes and ran down. You can see their foot prints that came down the time before this time climbing up.
On our way into the dunes we saw some Emirates training their Falcons. It's quite a site. There must have been about 30 falcons on perches waiting to be trained. You can't really get the full effect from this photo, but it was quite a thing to witness.
After we finished in the dunes, Millie and I headed to a birthday party while Jack and Stuart went to the rugby club to help out with the tournament taking place. Since Jack's team didn't play until Saturday, they asked people to help out on Friday.
After the birthday party, Millie and I came home to make our cookies for the cookie exchange taking place at DeDe's place on Saturday. I made almost 10 dozen peanut butter chip brownie bites and only dropped one tray of them, prior to them being cooked. It was messy, but was relatively easy to clean up.
After the cookie marathon was over, Stuart and Jack returned. Stuart took off to get our cars washed and I bathed the kids. After the kids had eaten dinner, they were off to bed. They were both so excited because they knew the following morning they would see Grammie and Pop. They both vowed to get into bed with Grammie and Pop on Saturday morning. Poor G and P.
Stuart and I ordered take out and I waited for the time to leave for the airport. Since they didn't arrive until almost midnight we decided the kids would be better off not going this time. Jack had his tournament on Saturday and Millie had her dance recital, so a late night would only make us all miserable on Saturday.
I left for the airport around 10 pm in order to arrive an 11:45 pm flight. Imagine my surprise when they didn't come out of the terminal until 1:45 am. And oh how sad I was for them when they told me their luggage had stayed in Paris. It was due to arrive on Saturday evening at 11:45 pm. Boo! Even when it arrived we were told they would have to wait until the following morning to deliver it because it would have to go through customs and then the delivery guys wouldn't start delivering until daylight. Sadly, neither Stuart or myself are the same size as Grammie and Pop, but we both managed to dig up a shirt or two for each of them.
Once we were home, at 4 am might I add, we all went to bed, knowing all too well that Jack and Millie would break into Grammie and Pop's room in a short few hours.
They did not disappoint and just shortly after 6 am I heard giggling and screaming from the kids. They have been waiting a long time to see G and P. They were so excited, as were Grammie and Pop.
We all got up and around and Grammie, Pop, me and Millie headed to Millie's dance recital, while Stuart and Jack headed to Jack's rugby tournament.
Millie's recital was an utter disappointment. She practiced from 8 am to 9:30 am and then once the performance started all she did was come up with her class for about 20 seconds and swayed back and forth. I'm pretty sure she knew how to do that before I spent 1600 dirhams for the semester of dance. Needless to say, we are not enrolling for a second term. However, she looked adorable.
Once the ridiculous recital was over, we were off to the rugby tournament. Although Jack's team didn't win a game, he turned it on for Grammie and Pop. He made all the tries for his team over the three games they played. He grabbed tags (it's flag rugby) like nobody's business. He was so proud of his efforts, as were Grammie and Pop.
Grammie's boy!
We were at the club most of the day and Grammie and Pop were wiped out by the time we got home. I headed to a cookie exchange which I committed to not knowing the chain of events that would occur and make me so tired. I made peanut butter brownie bite which were delightful. There were some beautiful cookies there.
When I got home we ate dinner, and everyone went to bed, except Stuart and me, although I did fall asleep on the sofa at 8 pm.
We so look forward to the next four weeks.
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