Where have all the children gone?

Only 70 boys and 350 girls were at school on Sunday. The party's over. When I first arrived at school there was a father outside of the school with 4 boys. He asked me if we were still having school sessions. I told him we were expecting students until June 25th, but I did tell him there were very few students in school. The oldest boy there said he would call his mama. The boys ended up leaving. 

Stuart messaged me on Sunday morning to let me know they had lost and now would be playing for 'the trophy'. Sunday afternoon he let me know they won the trophy! So exciting for them. He said he played a lot, even though he is still recovering from hernia surgery. He said he was tired but felt fine, physically. 

This was at the end of their last game. He looks hot and sweaty. He said it was very hot and humid. 

Sunday after school I took the kids to the grocery store and we ended up eating at McDonalds. Having Stuart away for 5 days makes me know that he is definitely the one who makes sure the kids get a balanced diet. We saw my old principal at the store and the kids were entertained by her husband, Dale. 

Monday we went to Scott and Clare's for dinner. The kids swam before dinner, then had showers and ate. When we left for home my job was done. Both kids fell asleep on the way home so all I needed to do was lug them both upstairs, which wasn't an easy task, but I managed. 

At about 3 am I woke up to Stuart unpacking and Millie on his side of the bed. She was up for over an hour. I finally just put her back in our bed and went to sleep. 

Tuesday morning came too early, especially for Stuart. Millie wasn't a fan of the morning either. Both Monday and Tuesday our driver, Andrew, couldn't take the kids to school. His daughters were really sick. He hasn't had to do this to us at all this year. Taking and picking the kids up has given me a further appreciation of what he does for us each day. 

Tuesday when Stuart got home he fell asleep on the sofa. The kids played at friends' houses, and I insisted Stuart go upstairs to sleep. I told him I would wake him up at 5:30 pm. Well, I tried to do so and it was no use. I went up at 6:30 pm, still no luck. I decided I would just let him sleep. Around 9 pm he came down to grab something to eat then went back to sleep. His Thailand trip was obviously exhausting. He seemed back to normal by Wednesday afternoon, thank goodness. 

Wednesday I went to the hospital to see our Arabic Head of Faculty only to find out she had been discharged.  She was in for some kind of infection. I'm really glad she was released, but it would have been nice to know before I went.  At least I made the effort. 

Thursday Stuart and I had a curriculum meeting in Abu Dhabi. We drove three other people to the meeting as well. We were given information about our new books we would be getting. Since there is so much money in the educational system here, materials are plentiful. It seems every year they are making changes as to how they package the materials. Oh well, it was a day out of school, which is always nice. 

When we got home from the meeting Millie and I went to one of her little friend's birthday party. It was a Frozen party, which thrilled Millie to death. 

Nothing wrong with a pink frosted cupcake. Guess how much of the cupcake was eaten?

This was one of the activities at the party, our Olaf left a bit to be desired. 

After the party we arrived home to a houseful of people. The Turners and Richardsons had come over and we ordered curry. The kids played and the adults visited. We tried to discuss our plans for the weekend but those discussions kind of got lost as the evening progressed. 

Friday morning we were up and ready to go to Atlantis by just after 8 am. We headed out and arrived in Dubai just after 10 am, checked in, and hit the water park. We decided to rent a cabana for the day, which turned out to be a good decision. It gave us a place to go back to and seek shelter from the intense heat. 

We stayed all day and the kids rode every ride, well at least Jack did. He did the straight drop slide that he refused to ride last year. He was super proud of himself. 

Clare and I doing better a 'selfie' in the foyer of Atlantis. 

Here was the bed in our cabana. 

We had more space in the cabana than we knew what to do with. It was the greatest part of the day. 

After we left the water park we headed to the pool. The kids got milk shakes and fruity drinks then went for a swim. 

We then went to our room to get ready for our 8 pm dinner reservation. The kids were wiped, but stayed strong through dinner. It was a successful day. 

Silly faces in the reception area of Atlantis. Day 2 of our stay was a success as well. We didn't stay as long at the park, but got their early enough to get to the good rides before the crowds. 

We hit the pool at noon and then had an ice cream before heading to have a late lunch at the outlet mall. 

Here was the view from our hotel room. It was a wonderful staycation. 

The kids had a blast, but now we need a vacation from our staycation. 

Another successful week in the UAE. Just 5 more weeks until we head out for the summer holidays. We are on the countdown now. 

Grandad leaves and Stuart hits Thailand

Sunday Stuart didn't go to school. He spent time with his dad and then they went to pick the kids up after school. Grandad is apparently really good at playing 'babies', which was thrilling to Millie since it is her favorite past time. 

Rochelle and her kids came by for tea on Sunday afternoon, which is always fun. It seems there is a great deal more of 'popping by' that takes place here primarily because there is more time for it. My friend Ken calls it 'visitation'. It's his Baptist roots. 

We took Grandad to the golf club for our last meal with him. Stuart and Andrew had a meat fest. Their steaks were served on hot stones and they had to cook it themselves. The kids played on the playground for a bit, dinner was enjoyed by all, and then it was time for us to head back for a good sleep before school, work, and Grandad's return to Abu Dhabi. 

Monday morning we were all up early to say goodbye to Grandad. He went with Stuart to work and then they headed to Abu Dhabi. They went to the Grand Mosque for a tour. They had a lovely day, and then Stuart delivered Grandad to his hotel and returned to Al Ain. What a great visit we had. Grandad taught on Tuesday and then caught a red eye back home. We will see him shortly in the UK, which will be great. 

I took an emergency day because our sockets downstairs tripped the breaker again. Andrew, the kids' driver (we are super flash), called a buddy of his from New Zealand who is an electrician.  The maintenance men at our place might be a far cry from certified, I'm guessing. They rarely show up with tools to fix a problem and end up having to borrow ours. Very skilled. At any rate, although Alex didn't fix our problem he thinks it could possibly be one of our appliances that is faulty and blowing the switch, most likely our second refrigerator. His suggestion was to empty that fridge and see if it helped. We shall see what happens. 

Stuart had rugby training on Monday and Tuesday evening in preparation for his rugby tour in Thailand. He was supposed to have training on Wednesday as well but instead he decided we would go out to dinner as a family before he left on his trip. We ate at Chilis and then bought a few bits at the grocery store. 

Thursday Stuart got up at 2 am and headed to the rugby club. Their plane was leaving Abu Dhabi at 8 am, so they took a bus from the club. 

Fortunately for me, the kids were up and ready by just after 6 am. It made my job much easier because they were up and I didn't have to wake them. Usually Stuart wakes them up while I fix their lunches. We all got off okay which made for a pleasant start to the day. 

At school we had a competition between the girls and boys. We never mix our girls' and boys' sides so this was a rare occasion. The competition took the majority of the day. Our students also started to disappear. We still have 4 weeks of school yet the kids are starting to not come to school. We suspect by the middle of next week we will no longer have students. I can't really explain it, but it seems to be a cultural thing. 

When Jack got home from school on Thursday he handed me this letter. At school he has a class called 'Mind Up'. Basically, it's a character education class they have once a week. This week's lesson was about being grateful or thankful for someone. They were instructed to, with no other prompting than exactly what I write here, write a letter to that person thanking them for what they have done for you. 

It reads:

Dear God,

I love you I no you will alwas be with me but just for a ruminder I love you no mader wat I will love you bedar then anything els. I love you. Love from Jack

Needless to say, I cried. When he produces something like this I just thank God for the blessing He gave me in Jack. 

Gina showed up on Thursday after the kids were asleep. She came for the weekend for two reasons; 1) Rania (a mutual friend) and I wanted to take her to brunch, and 2) I kind of begged her to come stay with me while Stuart was gone. She obliged and when she arrived we started on our House of Cards marathon. Gina had watched the first season on her plane ride from Arizona back to Any Dhabi last August. She doesn't have a television (don't get me started) so she had mentioned wanting to watch the other two seasons. Stuart and I had attempted to watch it months ago, but just couldn't get into it. However, I forced myself to catch up to the end of he first season and by episode 4 I was hooked. We watched a few episodes on Thursday evening and finally retired around midnight. 

We got up Friday morning and while the kids played upstairs we watched some more episodes of House of Cards. Around noon we left for brunch at the Rotana, one of the nicer hotels in Al Ain. We ate for about 3 hours and just sat and talked for another three hours. Our butts hardly moved from this chairs for 6 hours. I couldn't believe how fast the time went. It was crazy. 

When we returned from brunch I went to pick the kids up from Dom's house. He is  my friend Claire's son. He is such a great kid. The kids had fun with him. It was hard to get Jack to leave, but he finally relented. 

Baths, dinner and bed were in order for the remainder of the evening. Gina and I had no interest in dinner because we had eaten so much at brunch. So we sat down to continue our marathon of House of Cards on Netflix. What a show!

We got up Saturday morning and Skyped Grammie and Pop. Gina and I lazed around and watched more of House of Cards while the kids played upstairs and with friends, again. I know it seems I may have been an absent mother this weekend, but I did still feed, bathe and put them to bed, so I wasn't a total loser. 

Stuart had been messaging me all day giving me updates from Thailand. Much to my dismay he had played in every game. I hope his mother is reading this and gives him an ear full!  At any rate, they won all of their matches on Saturday and would have several more games on Sunday. They seemed to be pleased with their accomplishments. 

Gina left around 3 pm and we went to meet the Richardsons at the pool. We swam for a couple of hours then went to the Richardson's for dinner. She made chicken, veggies, roasted potatoes, and gravy. It was a delicious Sunday roast, as the English would call it.  

Millie and Jack took showers there, and after a filling meal and a little bit of playtime and a movie, it was way past time to go home. As you can assume, the kids fell asleep in the car on the way home. I nearly died carrying Jack upstairs. He's a heavy load these days. However, I know I won't always be able to carry them so I guess I will enjoy it while I can, or as log as my back doesn't give out. 

Another fantastic week in the UAE!

Grandad came for a visit!

We On our calendar, for the past two weeks, on Thursday, May 21, has been written 'Grandad coming'. Jack was especially excited for Stuart's dad to come visit. Each day this week, before going to bed, he has announced how many days until Grandad would be here. Then he would say, 'I'm so excited to see Grandad'. I just adore the enthusiasm of six-year-olds. 

Sunday it was back to the school grind, and then after school I hit the gym. The rest of the afternoon and evening were just spent playing with toys and the normal routine for bedtime. 

Monday after school I went to the grocery store. They were cleaning one of the broken coolers, the one that usually holds the shredded cheese. I asked the lady working there if they had any shredded cheese. She said they did, asked me what I wanted, then from the back cooler brought out what she thought I wanted. It wasn't the right stuff so she escorted me to the cooler herself. Where else but the UAE does this happen? Only employees get to see the secret coolers. Every day here is a unique experience. 

Monday evening Stuart started his training for the Thailand rugby tour he will be going on May 28. Fortunately, the team is comprised of Fujians who are younger and will support the team. Stuart thinks he won't play much. I wish he wouldn't play at all, but I guess I don't get a say in it. I really think it's more about the travel and fun with 'the boys', so I'm excited for him.  

Tuesday after school I discovered the first episode of the new season of the Bachelorette was on! Yahoo! My day was complete. I told Stuart, thinking he would be thrilled for me, but apparently he doesn't really care about the Bachelorette. Strange!

We went swimming Tuesday after school. There were none of our usual crowd there, but it was a refreshing break from the heat. The temperatures are hitting almost 110 degrees each day. I can only assume the brutal heat is here to stay until late October. Fortunately we will get some relief when we are in the UK and France this summer. 

On Tuesday evening I decided to wash the gown I wore to the rugby ball. The dry cleaner said they wouldn't clean it because the navy blue would run into the white fabric. Both fabrics were polyester so I knew that there was no way they would bleed into each other. Turns out I was right! No running of colors at all. However, it seems there is a sharp place in our washer. Oh yes, the dress is ruined. It looked as if a cat had used it as a scratching post. Super! It's a bit of the story of my life. I always think I have a 'solution' and often I mess things up. Fortunately, for me, I never really take it too badly. I asked Stuart what I should

do with the dress now. He initially said I could throw it away, but then he decided he could wear it for a costume. Okay then, a costume it becomes. At least it looked fabulous once. 

Wednesday I left school a bit early and headed to Dubai. Dr. Barry had ordered another MRI so I had that done. It was fast and then I booked an appointment to see him June 7. It was the first available so although I think the time will be cut close to have any surgery, I booked it. He stated to me that he didn't want to wait until I got back from summer vacation. It is also easier for me to take the time off now rather than the beginning of the school year. We shall see what happens. When I left the hospital this was a car that was parked outside. Glam!

On my way back from Dubai I stopped at the secret Spinneys. Spinneys is a grocery store, but secret Spinneys (as I may have mentioned before) is a liquor store that really is disguised more like an adult book store. It is house on the back side of a virtually empty building, with steel doors as an entrance and exit. The only thing posted on the doors is the hours of operation. 

While I was in there getting provisions for when Stuart's dad was here, I heard one of the employees frantically tell someone they couldn't be in the store. I looked up and saw a man dressed in a kandora (the white dress-like garment that many Emiratis wear). The employee rushed him out the exit and I proceeded to pay. Apparently it is against the law to go into a liquor store in a kandora or an abaya (the women's wear). That would explain why the Emiratis honk outside of secret Spinneys for someone to serve them. Well, I guess that doesn't really 'explain' anything, but now I know why they don't go in. I always thought it was because they were lazy. 

I paid and walked outside, followed closely by an employee with my black bags (to hide the booze). When I got to my car I saw the same man that was ushered out of the store and he was getting out of a white Mustang. The only difference this time was that he was wearing jeans and a brown shirt. I instantly laughed. He giggled and I told him that was probably the best thing I had seen all day. When I got to the back of my car to put in the bags from the store, I noticed the driver of the Mustang had rolled down the passenger side window. I got a little concerned thinking that he was going to be upset with me for laughing at the situation. So when I got back to my door I leaned down and started to apologize. But then I decided I would just laugh more and tell him the same thing I had told his buddy. He chuckled along with me and added in, 'We do what we must'. It takes all kinds in every society. 

Once I got home and unloaded the beverages I headed to the rugby club, where Stuart and the kids were. My intention was to snatch them and then come home to put them to bed. Unfortunately they were playing with their friends so I just hung around and chatted to some people. Once we did finally leave we headed home for baths and bed. It was a bit of a late night, which I had hoped wouldn't happen because I knew Thursday night would also be late because we were picking up Granddad at the airport. 

Speaking of 'Granddad', I have wondered all these years why Stuart can't spell 'Granddad'. Look it up! Apparently the Americans and the Brits even spell that differently. When I was telling him, on Wednesday night, that I asked Jack before putting him to bed what tomorrow was, and his response was 'Granddad Day!' He informed me that 'Granddad' was spelled, G-r-a-n-d-a-d, not with 2 'd's as I had written in the blog. He reads and critics the blog as I write it during the week. So I decided I would check Google. Sure enough, the nations spell it differently. So I suppose since it is Stuart's dad, I will resign to the fact that we need to spell it the British way. 

Thursday we left for Abu Dhabi and went to Yaz Mall. We decided to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. Stuart was disappointed because they were out of fried mac and cheese balls. We survived! Cheesecake Factory is always a treat and reminds us of home for sure. 

We decided to make our way to Ikea and do a little shopping before Grandad's plane landed. We bought a few bits and then headed to the airport. His plane was due to arrive at 7:35 pm, but we knew it was going to be 45 minutes late. 

So we got to the manic airport just before 9 pm. The kids did they best they could to entertain each other. He finally came through arrivals at 10:30 pm. Ugh!  It wasn't as if he could avoid the delay. We ended up getting home just after midnight. Fortunately I had bathed the kids and put their jammies on them before we left the airport. They were sound asleep before we got up, so straight to bed they went. Andrew, Stuart and I stayed up for a couple of hours just talking and catching up. 

Friday morning we woke up and headed to Dubai. We had a bit of a lazy morning so didn't leave the house until about 9 am. We got to the mall, where the Dubai Aquarium is housed, and had a coffee before heading into the aquarium. 

The aquarium has expanded since we went with Grammie and Pop last spring. There is a bit more to do and the money seemed more worth it this time. The kids loved it and it was even more fun having Grandad with us. 

This is the aquarium wall that everyone stands in front of to watch the fish and sharks swim around. It's quite incredible. 

Inside the aquarium there were these port holes that had magnifier glasses so the sea creatures would appear bigger. 

We got to ride on a glass bottom boat and see the sea animals from above them. The family sitting next to us let Jack and Millie have some of their fish food so they could feed the fish. Clearly we are too cheap to spend the 10 dirhams so our kids can feed the fish. 

We ate lunch at Macaroni Grill where Stuart's dad attempted to order a beer, but to his dismay they didn't serve beer. The kids loved the Macaroni Grill so much because they could draw and color on the table cloth, which was made of paper. It's the little things that mean a lot.

Of course, after having a look at the Burj Khalifa, driving as close to the Burj Al Arab close to the beach, driving home, kids napping all the way, and an hour or so at home, we headed to the rugby club where the beer could be ordered. 

We stayed out by the Burj just long enough to get a picture. It was unbearably hot!

Stuart and Andrew got out of the car by the Burj Al Arab. You can just see the tip of it in between their heads. The rest of us stayed in the car. Too hot!

We ended up eating at the rugby club that evening. It was super quiet, but a nice evening. 

Saturday we got up and Stuart made  breakfast for us. We then decided to show Grandad the city of Al Ain. Because it was so hot, we mainly just drove around and Stuart was the tour guide. We visited the camel market, Jebel Hafeet (the highest natural point in the UAE), and then we went to the rugby club to swim.  Once we were home from the pool, The Richardsons came by and visited for a bit. They brought Millie a lot of toys that May had grown out of. Millie was thrilled!  Once they left I bathed the kids and they went to bed shortly after. 

This was at the top of Jebel Hafeet. It was a bit cooler up there than in the city, but still pretty hot. Naturally we had to get ice cream in order to be able to handle the heat. 

The ladder on the Land Rover is Jack's favorite part of the car. I'm surprised he didn't burn his little buns on the roof of that car. 

Here is the obligatory 'selfie' just outside the ice cream shop at the top of Jebel Hafeet. 

Saturday evening we ordered in from the Curry House, which is always a favorite. We turned in around 10 pm and declared the weekend a success. 

Inspectors

In the UAE, as in other countries, every school gets evaluated by an outside agency. Most model schools, which I have been in both years, received an initial visit last year. According to the grade, some schools (which did not pass inspection) had a monitoring visit this school year to see if significant progress was made to be able to receive a 'passing' grade. The school where I taught last year received a 'B' grade, which no other school received in the UAE. Impressive!  So since he school I work in now was a failing school last year we just received our monitoring inspection this week. It didn't turn out well. We failed to meet our targets, therefore did not pass the inspection, again.  Oh dear! What does this mean? Not really sure, but probably will find out soon, or not. 

On Monday, I got home and we headed to the grocery store. We decided to get the kids some supper, although it was a bit early. On our way back we saw our Irish friend, Gemma, who was looking at some apartments close to our place. I got out of the car with the kids and went  in to look with her. 

Here is a rarity. The kids ate some of the very expensive strawberries we bought at the super market. We seldom buy them because they are pricey and they sour quickly. But they smelled so good we just couldn't resist this time. 

On the way home from seeing the new apartments we stopped in at Tua's house, Jack's friend. Jack told me he got cats and he wanted to see them. I told Jack we were not going to stay longer than just to see the cats. An hour and a half later we headed home. Dropping in on people for a visit is very common and really encouraged. We are definitely a tight community. I attribute this to the fact that all of us are here without family and are always in need of each other. 

Tuesday and Wednesday I took a boys' team and a girls' team to our Young Engineer competition. They had to make a go kart that would actually move. Our boys had difficulty with the presentation because their English is not as good as the girls'. They completed the challenge but didn't win any awards on Tuesday. But when our girls went on Wednesday, they came back 3rd place winners. It was so amazing, especially after the news that we had not passed out monitoring visit. Our girls seem to be much more advanced than our boys, primarily because they are better behaved and learn more in class because the teachers are not putting out 'fires' all day long. The girls in this country are likely to run it one day. I'm not sure that will go over very well. 

I drove my car both days to the competition. We have bus monitors who ride the buses with the students so it enables me to drive my own car and not have to go back to school once the competition is over. I left the competition on Tuesday and picked up Millie. We headed to the mall to get some gift cards for birthday gifts. We had a party on Friday morning and one on Saturday morning as well. I also bought a dress for Millie. I asked her if she would wear it and she said she would. Lately she refuses to wear shorts, primarily because when she turns in circles her shorts don't twirl, but a dress does. 

Here she is in her new dress and her hot pink Adidas tennis shoes. There are some battles I just have to let go, and the non-matching shoes is one of them. 

On Wednesday the kids were dropped off at Tua's for a little bit. Once we picked them up we went to pick up a world map we bought off of a family who is leaving this summer. This is a great thing about a transient community, when people leave they sell practically new things at about half the original price. We put the map up in Jack's room. It's funny because although the land mass is there for Isreal, it is not labeled as such. Any map sold here either has it not labeled or it is labeled as 'Palistine'. Hmmm. 

On the way home Jack insisted on learning the rest of the '50 United States' song. He has it all memorized now, all 50 states in alphabetical order. Quite impressive!

Thursday Jack was so excited because he was going to have a sleepover at Henry's. The last time we went to have dinner and then a sleepover, he backed out. We were hopeful this time he would actually spend the night, and he did. We went to the Richardson's for dinner and then left around 9 pm. Millie fell asleep on the way home, which is why we always think ahead and bring her shower stuff as well as her jammies. 

We got up Friday morning and just lounged around the house. Jack stayed at the Richardson's because he was going to attend May's ice skating birthday party in the morning, then have lunch at the mall. We met them at the mall and ended up bringing Jack home instead of letting him go back to Genry's. Seems he forgot who the bosses of his life were and chose to be a bit short tempered with us while enjoying his Happy Meal. Oops!

Here is Jack's best friend, Henry. This was before the sassy mouth incident. He wasn't all smiles afterward. 

Friday evening we had an impromptu BBQ. We seem to manage having these at our house now that we can actually accommodate a few families. I love it because I am a thrower of parties anyway. Most weekends at this time of year seem to be pretty open. There are no rugby tournaments and people don't typically take weekend trip because they are Saving their money for their summer trips in a few weeks. So it only makes sense that people would come to a cookout. Everyone brings their own meat and then a side to share. We really topped ourselves this time. We had 7 families there and meat to feed about twice that many people, though somehow we managed to eat most of it. 

A gray for each family seems reasonable, right?

The shoes on the front stoop. 

The rest of the shoes. How many shoes outside and just inside your door, shows how many people are enjoying a good party. We kept it rolling until around 10 pm, when everyone pooped out. 

Saturday I was awaken to Millie screaming at 7 am. Then she went downstairs, and by the time I got dressed and downstairs she was asleep again on the sofa.  She slept for another 2 hours. I even talked to my mom and dad, and still she slept. 

When she did wake up the kids got ready and we headed to the mall for another birthday party. This time the party was at Action Zone (Al Ain's version of Chucky Cheese). Stuart was at a coaches meeting at the rugby club so I was on duty for Jonathan's birthday. This is my friend DeDe's oldest son, so I actually didn't mind going to the party. We headed home around 3 pm, and Stuart was home shortly after us. 

I happened to get a prize at Jonathan's birthday party. I took it off quickly because it started to look like it belonged there. Ugh!

We just chilled the rest of the day. We had quite the active weekend and everyone needed rest for sure. I was actually in bed by 9 pm, which is absolutely odd for me. 

Another fantastic week in the Middle East. 

It's heated up and it's gonna stay that way

On Sunday I arrived at school late. It has been really tough to get out of the house while Stuart sits on the sofa with his second cup of coffee. I needed him to go back to work so our lives could go back to some sort of routine. 

I got home from school and Jack had a friend over playing. The maintenance men came to fix our water pump, or at least that's what I think it was. I didn't really pay attention since it didn't  cost us anything for them to do so. Of course, you get what you pay for and since we have needed that water contraption fixed since we moved in, free sometimes means we wait for a long time for things to get fixed. But it's fixed now and that's what matters. Now if they could get on our bedroom air conditioner that would be nice. 

After school on Monday we all went home early again. Stuart and I took my car to get it serviced then headed to Al Ain Mall to try to find some shoes for me for the Rugby Ball. The only reason I needed new shoes was because I had nothing tall enough to keep my dress from dragging the floor, and me from stepping on it when I walked. 

There was success in the hunt for shoes.  Also, I had to purchase new glitzy earrings because the ones that were perfect, which I had purchased in Abu Dhabi, lost a stone and I couldn't even find it to glue it back in. The second pair I bought was not as sparkly, but they would do. We then had dinner at Fudruckers, and headed home for the evening. 

After the kids were bathed, Stuart went to his doctor's appointment, where he was finally discharged and his stitches were taken out. He was cleared to go back to school. 

Tuesday I left school early so we could go get the kids and take Jack to an ENT pediatrician. As we suspected, primarily because of his snoring...or the fact that we have eyes and can see, his tonsils and adenoids were deemed as exceptionally large and the recommendation was to take them out. It was recommended to have them out June 16, but since that was Jack's end of the year program, and we had a choice in the matter, we selected extraction date as June 23. He can't go to school for 10 days and since he only has three days of school after his surgery that will not be a problem. 

After his appointment we went to the Starbucks in the hospital and had coffee. As Jack ate his donut and Millie her cookie, we discussed what would happen when he had this surgery. Poor boy started crying. He is tough as nails, but this type of thing is a different matter all together. Mama may have shed a tear or two later, thinking about the whole matter. 

After Starbucks we went to pick up may car from the service station, then headed home. Stuart went done to Wade's just to Catch up with him.  Jack had gone to Sammy and Michael's house.  I called Stuart when he was about halfway to Wade's because I had received a message from Clare, Henry's mum, saying that Henry had asked if Jack was coming down. Stuart turned around and came to get Jack because Henry lives right next door to Wade, Millie had Lila and Freya over, then Fraya ran into Lila and Lila wanted to go home. I walked them all over and Millie stayed at their house. So I had about a half hour to myself. 

In that time, my friend DeDe called and wanted me to check in on her kids. She was at the salon getting her heart done and her husband was supposed to be home with their kids. Their oldest is 13 years old, but they didn't have a phone so she was concerned. I popped over to their place, forgetting I had left vegetables on the stove cooking, which I do quite often, even when I'm in the house. Fortunately when I got back, all was well, the kids and the vegetables. 

Jack didn't get home until about 7 pm onTuesday evening. He hadn't eaten and was filthy. Millie was already in bed because she had fallen asleep on the sofa after she ate supper. I got Jack showered and some food in his belly. Then it was off to bed for him, and me not log after that. 

  

We found out at school on Wednesday that the inspection team for schools in the UAE would be coming for our monitoring visit. Schools get a monitoring visit when the previous year's inspection was not satisfactory. Hello! I put it down to the fact that I wasn't at this school last year. 

Wednesday after school we took the kids to the pool. It was nice because we were really the only people there. Usually there are a lot of kids there for the kids to play with, but not that day. So Jack and Millie played together. We didn't stay long but we all had a nice and relaxing time. 

Thursday was Millie's international day at her school. We woke up and the battle began. I had Grammie buy her a stars and stripe outfit last July 4, especially for this occasion. She refused to put it on. Stuart tried to reason with her, but no luck. In the end I just told her she didn't have to wear it. I told her she would be the only kid without a costume on that represented the country they were from. We left her alone and in the end she took the outfit, went into the bathroom, closed the door and came out with the skirt and t-shirt on. She looked adorable and appropriate. Thank goodness. 

Thursday after school we went to Chucky cheese in Dubai for a birthday party. I'm not sure why I let the kids see these invitations because I just end up being guilted into going to such parties. They had fun and we came home with a great deal of cheap little toys that somehow end up under my feet and I through them away. I had bathed he kids before we left for the party, so before we left for home I put thei jammies on them. The big trick, once home, was to lug them upstairs to their beds, but I managed. 

Friday morning we Skyped Grammie, Pop, and Uncle Mitch, who was in Arizona to work and for a visit, before heading to the super market for our weekly shopping. 

The kids just stayed around the house for the day because that evening they were going to have house guests. The Richardsons and Griffiths were bringing their kids over for the evening, while the adults headed to the annual Rugby Ball. The kids were jammied up by 5 pm, which was when I started working on my hair. I wasn't super satisfied with the end result but it would have to do. 

Once the spanks, dress, accessories, and shoes were on, I headed downstairs to reveal the final product. I felt a little bit like a princess, I must admit. I also must admit that the second pair of earrings I purchased also lost a stone in one. So I ended up taking the first pair I purchased and breaking off parts of each earring until they matched and no stones were missing. A little white trash, I realize, but I was stuck with no options. 

We arrived at the Rugby Ball just after 7 pm. Everyone was seated and awards were given for the adult rugby teams. My entire team received medals for our participation during the season. It was great to be a part of that team. Whether I play next season or not, I will always value this year with the team. 

We all clean up nicely. This is part of our team. 

After the awards there was dinner and dancing. Paddy Man, the Irish band brought great music and a bit of humor as well. The evening was a real treat. 

Saturday morning we awoke to the pleasant noises of 4 small children. The Griffith family ended up staying the night and by 6:30 am, less than 5 hours after going to bed, we were released from our slumber.  Needless to say we were tired most of the day. 

Around noon Scott came to take Stuart to show him where he could take his Land Rover for inexpensive repair and tune-up. He brought Henry and May and they stayed to play with Jack and Millie. When Stuart and Scott returned Jack went with Scott and Henry, while May stayed with us. While May and Millie watched a movie, Millie couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She ended up taking a nap. Poor dear. 

We made arrangements to meet the Richardsons at the pool around 4 pm to exchange kids. In the end we went to their house to order curry for supper. Stuart took the Land Rover and left it with the mechanic. Scott picked him up and they picked up the curry on the way back then the Richardson's.  The kids bathed and we're ready for bed by the time we ate. 

We stayed longer than intended, as we do, but had a great time, as we always do. 

Another fabulous week in the UAE.