Sunday, October 25, 2015

The British are coming...or a Brit and one Aussie

The kids were up at 5 am to see their costumes that I had bought the day before. Naturally they had to try them on. Both kids were really pleased. 
The pool was closed on Sunday so there was no swimming for me, which I didn't really mind. Instead I sat outside and chatted with Scott while the kids practiced rugby. We let the kids play for a bit after practice. Once we were home, I showered the kids while Stuart tried to sort out why our new BBQ grill had not been delivered. We had called earlier in the day and they had confirmed we would have it delivered to us by that evening. When he called around 7 pm he was told that no more deliveries were coming out that evening. Ugh! 

Once the kids were in bed we watched the rugby match between Argentina and Australia. Since Australia won, the finals on Halloween evening will see the Australians facing the New Zealanders.

Monday our Cluster Manager came to our school to see how we were doing. He was impressed with the progress that has been made and that the boys' behavior was so much better than last year.  There is another story here, but you will have to private message me to get it. I am sure by the time this publishes it will work itself out and not be a very big deal, but on Monday it was a big deal to me. 

Monday after Jack's piano lessons, he informed me he has a performance on Thursday at 4:30 pm. There is no forward planning by anyone. Sadly he would not be able to attend because we would be in Dubai on that day with Grandma and Uncle James. He said he was disappointed but he understood. 

We headed to Carrefore after piano lessons because the grill had still not been delivered even though it was written on the receipt to be delivered on Sunday the 25th. I think things that are written here are really more of a suggestion than a commitment. 

Once we arrived at the service counter of Carrefore I began to investigate why my grill had not been delivered. The first thing I did was go to where it was sitting and make sure it was taken from its spot and not still for sale, since it was marked as the 'last piece'. Fortunately, for them of course, they had done the right thing and removed it from the sale floor. Unfortunately, for them of course, they had not delivered it to me in the timely manner they had promised. In stepped 'American Dana', a little forceful and unbending. It only took an hour to convince them that it would be delivered on Tuesday between 3 and 4 pm, and not 'inshallah' (God willing). 

Once home from Carrefore on Monday night I decided I needed a workout because I wasn't able to swim on Sunday evening, and I knew I would only have one more exercise day before Grandma and Uncle James arrived on Wednesday. So we arranged for Kayleigh to come and stay with the kids so I could go to the club with Stuart and work out at the gym, bike only, while he trained. When we got ready to leave the kids fell apart. It seems that everyone felt the stress of my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 

As I was riding the bike at the club and having a mere pity party of my day, I got lovely 'suck it up' texts from some friends here who knew of my sucky day. So an hour on the bike and some refocusing, and I was OVER IT!  Whew!

After Stuart was finished with practice, he sat and had a beer. We got home just after 9 pm and were so tired we decided to just shower and go to bed. There was no dinner for us. 

Tuesday brought more of the same and me making nice with the person who irritated me the day before. I did what I should, although I didn't want to, and it made life easier for me. Our grade 4 boys were terrible at school on Tuesday. Of course our weakest teachers are in grade 4, which is a contributing factor for sure. But school was over just after 1 pm, as it always is, and all was better. 

Jack had rugby Tuesday evening and the pool was open so I went to swim. We didn't hang around long after because we had some tidying up to do before Uncle James and Grandma arrived on Wednesday. The kids did their normal routine and were in bed by 7:30 pm. I cleaned the stove top and the counter tops in the kitchen. Asela doesn't do 'detail' so once in a while I actually do have to wipe down a counter or clean the stove. I also de-cluttered a bit on the kitchen counters and the computer table in the living room. By the time I was finished it was 10 pm. I stayed downstairs for a bit and watched some television, falling asleep on the sofa as usual. 

We got up Wednesday morning and bustled around to get the last minute things done before the guests arrived. We put Jack's sheets in the wash because Uncle James was staying in Jack's room, I folded some clothes that had been dried the night before, and then we carried on with our normal morning routines. 

School was great because once I arrived I realized I had left my phone at home on the kitchen counter. Needless to say it was a very quiet day for me, which I did not mind at all. After school I led professional development about structured reading programs. I have tried to have give aways and practical examples of different learning centers and games the teachers can use while meeting with small groups. I found, as a teacher, if someone didn't show me how to do something, I wouldn't do it. I also give away the games I make. The teachers seem to like it. 

Stuart actually left work early on Wednesday to meet his mum and James at the house. They were then off to the golf course. The played nine holes and were home before I got there around 3:30. 

By the time dance rolled around, Millie was not interested in going, but once again I reminded her that we had paid a lot of money for her to go so she had to attend until the end of December. Thrilled, she was not. But the show must go on. When we got back from dance we all headed to the rugby club to watch Stuart practice. He finished early and then we were off to the all you can eat sushi night at Shooters to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday. She turned 18 on Wednesday. It was a late night for the kids, but since Uncle James and Grandma don't come to visit every day, we felt they could handle it. 

On Thursday Stuart and I took an emergency day in order to go to Dubai and up the Burj Khalifa with Karen and James. We also shopped around the mall, visited the aquarium and ate at the Cheesecake Factory, naturally. 
This was our attempt at taking a selfie with the Burj Khalifa above us. Sadly the sun killed the view of the building. 
View from the top. 

After the mall, we decided to go out to the Palm Jumeriah, which is where the Atlantis resort is. We went past the resort and ran into another quaint little resort called Anantara. We went to the Beach Bar and had a drink while the kids had ice cream. James checked into how much it would cost to stay for one night. It was a small fortune and totally out of our budget, but the time we spent there was very tranquil and lovely. 
The Burj Al Arab is in the distance to the right of Stuart. 
The most expensive ice cream ever. 
Jack did the drawings and wrote the names. 

We returned to Al Ain, the kids had slept most of the way home, I bathed them both through tears and belly aching, and we ordered some food from the Curry House. It was a busy, hectic, fun day. 

We got up Friday morning and headed to the Sunflower Halloween party. The kids were very excited for sure. Grandma and Uncle James were able to see the sweet little community school where Jack and Millie attend. It was great for the kids to have them there. 
We went to the mall to eat at Lebanese Flower. Prior to eating we went to the cake decorating store as well as Starbucks. The kids had hot chocolate while I enjoyed the seasonal pumpkin spice latte. Yum!
We went to the pool at the same time Stuart had to be at the club to get ready for his match. The pool was too cold for me so I just chatted at the side while the kids enjoyed the water for a bit. When I went to get dressed I tripped on the step going into the changing room. I landed on my knees, bruising and cutting my toe. I was holding onto the door, fortunately, but later would feel the pain of that decision. 

We went up to watch the match, which was a good one even though Stuart's team didn't win. Stuart had a great game and played his heart out. He was so excited for his brother and mum to be here and watching him. 
Once we were back home we waited for Uncle James' driver to pick him up to go to the airport. It was a short visit from him, but a good one. Hopefully, he and his entire family can come back very soon. 

Saturday morning we collected cars from the rugby club, prepared food for the Halloween celebration taking place at the Village, went to the grocery store and carved pumpkins. 
Jack's pumpkin. 
Millie's pumpkin. Both kids lost interest in the digging out of the guts. That became my job. Ick!
Cupcakes are always a hit. 
Our own baking crew. 

Grandma made dinosaur cakes with the kids, which might have turned into triffle because the cake molds didn't really work out,  and I tried to sort out a pinched nerve in my shoulder blade, which after a line of questioning, Grandma figured out that my fall going into the changing room the previous night was the culprit. I was having severe muscle spasms. They took my breath away and gave me a massive headache. I could not find relief no matter what I did. 

I laid down for about an hour while Stuart got the finishing touches on the chili and setting up the outside area for the people we had invited over. 

Trick or treating started around 6 pm. I sat outside and passed out candy while Kayleigh took the kids around and Stuart tended to the food. I could hardly breath at times. It was unbearable. Once the festivities were over and things were cleaned up, we sat down to watch the World Cup Finals. New Zealand won, as expected. I went to bed shortly after the match was over. I was sure I had a fever, but the show must go on and I was off to bed in order to start a new week. Hopefully it is not full of fever and back pain. 



 

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Halloween festivities are the highlight of this week and next

Sometimes helping people can come back to bite you. At school on Sunday we had some officials come into the school to challenge our intervention room because there had been a complaint from one parents whose kid never ended up going into the room. Instead, he ran around the school and ended up back in his classroom. The social worker then told me he was fine, at least he was back in class. Cue the 'blow a gasket' music! 

At any rate, the officials came and then started focusing on the intervention room and the fact that we were not doing it properly. We had all paperwork attached to everything and it was set in place. Just because it wasn't being followed didn't mean we didn't have it set in place. The frustrations here wax and wane. It seems we take one step forward and about 10 back. In the end my principal told me what I should do the next time, which is when I filled her in on my side of the story which seemed to make thing more clear to her. Go figure. At that stage I informed her that I would be backing out of the discipline piece of the school
Since we have social workers and a Vice Principal in charge of student behavior. Done and done. We shall see if they make us take the intervention room apart. If so, kiss our relatively calm school goodbye. 

Jack came home from school with a headache that was bad enough to make him cry. I gave him Tylenol and off to rugby we went. Once we were home he was complaining again, but seemed fine once he got some more Tylenol . He didn't have a fever and so I just chalked it up to higher humidity or fighting off a bug. Stuart and I watched the rugby match against Australia and Scotland. It was an awesome match and Australia squeezed it out in the end. Imagine the most devoted baseball fans of two different teams you know and their teams being in the World Series. That mayhem may land in our little expat community if both Australia and New Zealand end up in the finals of the World Cup. It should be exciting around here. 

Monday I was at school long enough to do an observation and then left for a Head of Faculty meeting. The meeting left a bit to be desired, but it gave me a day out of school. 

Before leaving for school Jack was in our room saying he didn't think he could go to school because he had a headache. We told him that we went to school many days when we had a headache and once he got up and had some Tylenol and breakfast, he would be fine. Sure enough, he made it through the day. However in the middle of my meeting I did have a call from the school asking if they could give him some pain medication. 

Once we were all home, Jack was not well. He still didn't have a fever and he hadn't lost his appetite at all. However, we did forego his piano lesson. 

The kids were bathed and ready for bed by about 3:30 pm. Of course, Millie insisted she was sick as well, which was furthest from the truth. She just can't stand to not get medicine when it's being passed out. She's a bit unusual. 

Jack couldn't shake the headache no matter what we tried. I gave him one more dose before he went to bed. By 11 pm her was screaming for me. I went in his room and laid down with him. I gave him some more Tylenol, not knowing until the doctor visit on Tuesday that ibuprophen is the ticket, not acetaminophen. Mother of the Year yet again. 

I was in his room most of the night. When I gave him another dose of the useless medicine he barfed about 5 minutes later. That was at 4 am. Needless to say I knew we were heading to the hospital as soon as he woke up. He actually slept from 4 am to 6 am, but then was up and crying from time to time. 

I tried to ask him about his headache and how it felt. He told me he had never had a headache like this. He said it would hurt and then it was stabbing. It was in the front of his head and his eyes were hurting. I just felt so helpless. 

Once at the urgent care we were brought into a room and an American doctor walked him, young enough to be my son. He was very nice and thorough. He ruled out meningitis, any infection (mainly because there was no fever), and then he said what I feared, 'I would like to do a CT scan on his head to rule out anything really bad. I knew he meant a tumor. I almost cried, even though I was thrilled he would do that. He stated there was a big possibility he was experiencing a migraine. He asked if there were migraines in the family. I told him that I have about 2 a year. He said Jack was pretty young for migraines, but it did happen. 

Because there was a computer glitch there was a wait for the scan. Once we were in there and saw the machine, Jack got scared. I reassured him that I had to go into a machine like that when I had my knee operation and it would be fine. The tech told him it would only be a few minutes and then it would be over. She put an iron apron on me and I was able to stay in the room with him. He did exactly what she said and was visibly relieved when it was over. He even smiled. I think he realized his fears were unfounded. 
My poor boy!

Once we were finished we went back to the doctor. He came in to tell
Is he had good news and bad news. The good news was that the CT scan was clear and there was no need to be concerned about a tumor. The bad news was he didn't really know the cause of the pain. He prescribed some ibuprophen and a migrain medicine. 

Once that stress was over, albeit the short time it existed, we headed to the checkout counter, which seemed to take forever. Once I had paid the 4 dirhams for the medication (that's about a dollar), We headed to the pharmacy.  The pharmacist started to panic about the migraine medication we were prescribed. She stated it was only meant for adults, not children. She said more than a 1/4 of a tablet would be too much for him. I explained that the doctor had told me about this and that I was not going to give him the medication if the extra strength ibuprophen worked. She insisted that the meds were not good for him. I responded by saying, 'I have spoken to the doctor. I know what medication he gave us. I have been here for 3 hours. Now, please give me he medication I paid for and let me leave. She did, and we were out of there. 

All the way home Jack had moments of extreme pain and tears. Once we were home I attempted to give him the half of a ibuprophen pill, but having him swallow it was out of the question. He just threw up when I tried to get him to swallow it. Oh my! So I ended up smashing it into some yogurt and he took it that way. Within 20 minutes he was a lot better. He laid around on the sofa for the rest of the day. I tried to get him to nap, but that was useless. 

Once Stuart was home I went for my swim as I knew I would not be going to the club that evening. Jack was in no shape to practice rugby and Millie doesn't go without Jack. On my way I received a call from the doctor. He stated that when they did the CT scan they forgot to do the sinus scan. He told me that although they would call to reschedule that we shouldn't return. He stated his biggest concern was the head and that exposing Jack to the radiation again wasn't necessary. I told him about the pharmacist and he said they asked him three or four times why he would prescribe that medication to a child. Clearly they didn't hear his conversation with me about the medication. He was really nice and was thorough, for which I was thankful. When I got home Millie was just being dropped off. She came in and the chaos ensued. 

Since I needed a shower, I told the two of them that they needed one as well. So, as we often do, the three of us were clean and ready for bed by 4 pm. I'm not ashamed of that fact. 

Once the kids had dinner we went up to read books. I asked Jack if he had a headache and he said no. As a preventative I woke him at 7 pm to give him another dose of the ibuprophen. I thought I'd rather be safe than sorry. This time I put his half pill in a spoonful of pudding. 

The hilarity that followed is a bit hard to explain. When I went to his room, with the spoon full of pudding, I patted him and pulled at him, but he would not wake up. Once I did think he was awake I started attempting to get him to eat the pudding. He first stuck his tongue out to lick at the spoon. I kept telling him to open his mouth really wide. He continued to stick out his tongue and lap at the pudding. I kind of shook him and asked him if his head hurt. He said yes, but then quickly said no. Oh dear, still asleep. I patted his belly and told him to wake up. I then offered him the spoon again, and this time he actually opened his mouth, but quickly shut it when the spoon got to his lips. Then he started playing the 'I will just eat a little bit off the spoon' game. It reminded me of when someone would ask for a bite of your ice cream, you'd give it, and then instead of licking the spoon clean, they would leave just a little bit in the dip of the spoon. Gross! It took me about 7 attempts for him to actually take all of the pudding and medicine. I must not have smashed the pill very well because he kept chewing the pudding, which could only mean he was chewing the pill. Ick! Poor kid!

Jack woke up without a memory of the pudding incident. However, he was headache free, well except for the tiny 'mouse-size' headache he had when he cut his eyes to one side or the other. So, again, smashed ibuprophen in pudding did the trick. 

We all went to school, although Stuart and I woke up 45 minutes after our alarms went off. I had an observation and  then had very little to do the rest of the day. It was nice to make some resources for teachers and organize my resource room a bit. 

Once I was home I decided to make some fruit tarts using sugar cookies as the crust cup. They were delicious. 
I love baking and have been in the mood to do so lately. 

Millie pitched a fit about dance again, but dang it, I paid for it and she's going. She nearly fell asleep again but I blasted the music so she wouldn't, which made her mad. Please explain to me why you have a 4 year old dance class at 5:15 pm, just before dinner and bedtime? Millie is usually winding down by that time. No wonder she's cranky about going. We will probably have her do her ballet at school for the second term. 

Once we were home, I bathed Millie, the kids ate and off to bed they went. DeDe came over to plan our Halloween event that would take place on Friday afternoon. I was so excited because we had the cutest crafts for the kids from Oriental Trading Company! We planned the food and the. Just sat and had a good chat. DeDe ate one of my fruit tarts and left around 9:30 pm. I then hopped in the shower and returned downstairs to watch some television. Stuart got home from rugby just after 10 pm and was off to bed. 

I had a new experience at school on Thursday. I observed a teacher who was teaching music.....in Arabic. I actually knew what she was doing. She was excellent and I enjoyed her lesson more than I enjoy some of the English teacher's lessons. The day dragged on, but I managed to make it through to the weekend. 

In the spirit of baking, once I was home, I took the challenge of a friend, Leanne, to make peanut butter/M&M balls. Once I published on Facebook that I was making them, she headed our way. She got to the house about 20 minutes after they were finished. These were by far the sweetest treats I have ever made, but oh so yummy. 

Once Leanne left Stuart went to KFC for a nutritious dinner for all of us. We didn't get anything out for dinner because we were going to go to the golf club. In the end we decided we were too lazy to go anywhere. The kids had showers, ate, and then hit the sack. 

Friday morning we were up way too early. Jack was in our room by 6 am, snagging the iPad and Millie came in shortly after that for her Friday morning cuddle. We were downstairs by 6:45 am, wondering the dynamics of weekend early risers. We can't get them to get out of bed during the week and can't get them to stay in bed on the weekends. It's mental!

I went to the pool at 8 am for my swim. After I was showered and got ready for the day, we headed out to do our weekly shopping. Once we were home, I prepared for the Halloween party that would begin at 2 pm. I made witches brooms, mummies, and got the crafts ready. It was so exciting. DeDe made monster faces out of apples and also a trail mix of Chex, marshmallows and candy corn. 
The table of goodies. 
Apple monsters
The kids
The scarecrow craft
The candy corn craft
The monster craft

All of the kids had a blast. My OCD almost couldn't handle all of the noise, mess, and untidiness, but I came out alive. 

The party was over at 4 pm and we were out the door at 4:15 pm to head to the club. Jack was to be the ball boy for Stuart's match. He actually knew what to do this time and was complimented by the team captain for how well he did. Bless him! 

We stayed for the 1st team's game because Stuart ended up playing for that team as well as the 2nd team. He played 120 minutes of rugby Friday evening and had the achy body to show for it. When we got home from the club, I bathed the kids, gave them a snack, and put them to bed. I went into our bedroom to see what Stuart was doing and he was sound asleep. Poor guy! 

Saturday morning I got up around 7 am to head to Abu Dhabi. Gina was in town for the weekend. We went to lunch, I tried to get Gina a date with a guy who sat next to us at the pub where we had lunch, but he was a smoker, so he was out. I tried, Sherry Bollard. 

We did some shopping at IKEA, I was able to buy Jack a Halloween costume and Millie a wig for her Elsa costume. I got home after they were in bed so they didn't see them Saturday evening. I didn't get home until after 9 pm and then needed some wind down time. Another week of fun and enjoyment. Still love my UAE life. 










Sunday, October 11, 2015

Ooooo, another day off for a holiday

Everyone waited to hear when the Islamic New Year would be celebrated. On Sunday it was announced that the public sector would have off Thursday the 15th. So we would have a three day weekend. Fantastic!

I went to school on Sunday knowing that Millie was still raspy. We gave her a breathing treatment and sent her off to school. When I got home from school I decided to go swimming. Usually I go during Jack's rugby practice and Millie plays on the field. I decided if I got my swimming out of the way, Millie could have an early night and not go to practice with Jack. So Millie and I were showered and in our jammies at 4:15 pm. There's nothing wrong with that! She was asleep by 6 pm. Jack came home and wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bowl
of spaghetti and a cup of grapes. He's a growing boy for sure. 

School is never a dull moment.  And just when I think I have nothing interesting to write in this blog, something shows up, literally. Monday a student had diarrhea in a classroom. I am not sure how he managed to be so clean about it. He left a small liquidy puddle between two chairs at the back of the classroom. There was no trail, no footprints around, and no other evidence other than the pile on the floor. It was as if he pulled down his pants, steadied himself between the two chairs, pulled up his feet and took a crap. I am not lying!  One of the cleaners came in and tried to explain to me what had happened. She was a little panicked and only speaks Arabic. So of course I had to have her show me what she was talking about. I nearly barfed when she brought me into the room. I tried to see if we had any of those soaking up sand-like pellets and finally our lead cleaner came to the rescue. Did I really get a masters degree for this?  I suppose I did.

Monday evening was filled with piano lessons, fish and chips and an early night. Millie was feeling better, but still fell asleep on the sofa just after 6 pm. Jack chose to stay up about 20 minutes later and forego books, which was fine with me. After the kids were in bed I set off on season 9 of the Real Housewives of Orange County. Now, even I would qualify this show as trash. But it's like a train wreck, I can't stop watching now. 

Millie's teacher is really good about sending pictures of the kids. On Monday evening I got the picture below. You can see Millie is learning her letters. I think she's behind, but Jack had such a phenomenal start with Miss Robin and then with my mom, it's probably not fair to compare. She will get it. She loves school which is the most important part. 
Tuesday I was actually a little bored at school. I started working on making readers, so that helped, and then I had to remove a student who stabbed, no joke, another student with a pencil. 

Once I was out of 'paradise' I gathered my things at home in order to take a shower at the club after I swam. Clare and I had planned to get a pedicure after our time in the pool. Swimming was a bit belabored. Sometimes I feel as if I am sinking, but I forge on. 

Once I was showered and in the club, it was evident that the Islamic New Year was actually approaching on Wednesday, although we were being given the Thursday off from school. The reason I knew it was the new year was because the sheets were covering the beer taps at the bar and no booze was being sold. From sundown until sunup there is no alcohol to be sold on an official Islamic holiday. In fact, the opening times for the liquor store during Ramadan is 8 am to 3 pm. They are not allowed to be open after dark. Interesting, I think. 

We went down to sit with Scott outside the club and he had about 8 beers in front of him. Apparently he hit the bar just before it closed. You got to do what you got to do. 

My pedicure was wonderful, but ticklish as usual. Clare and I had time to just chat and relax. Relaxing seems to be my favorite pastime. 

Once I was home I had some veggies and sat down for brainless television. My life has been reduced to rugby and trash television. I seem to be coping quite well. 

Wednesday was the Islamic new year and our boys had a presentation. They really are adorable in their kandoras, but stinky naughty way too often. 
Wednesday I went grocery shopping after school. On the way home from dance I started asking Millie about school and the kids in her class.  She started telling me about all the naughty kids in her class and why they get into trouble. I waited for her to tell me about her behavior, but she never mentioned anything. Therefore, I can only assume she is an angel all the time. Once we were home from dance, the kids and I took Stuart to rugby club before heading down to Scott and Clare's for supper. Once the guys were finished they came down and ate what was left. 

Thursday, since we didn't have school, I got up and went swimming. Although I am very excited about the Mina Mile swim in Dubai next month, the same exercise gets boring after a while. I find myself playing games with myself to get through the laps. Forty five more pounds and I can go see Dr. Barry, my orthopedic doctor. I must prevail. 

After my swim we started preparing for our Meat Fest Fall 2015 event. We invited several friends over for a BBQ. It seems whenever the New Zealanders are involved there is not a veggie to be found, only meat. Stuart went to the grocery store for the final touches, marinated the wings, and made the potato salad. 

Jack went swimming with the Richardsons and Millie and I stayed at home to play games. It was our special time together, which I love so much. 
Snakes and ladders was amongst the games we played. We didn't ever really finish a game, mainly because her attention span is a bit short. But we did have fun together. 

We met the Richardsons at the club around lunchtime. We had a delightful lunch and a few beers. We then headed out separate ways until the evening. 

The Meat Fest began around 5:30 pm. We had a houseful with a lot of meat. It was great! The guests were all gone by 11:30 pm and the kids went straight to bed. I figured I would wash their sheets Friday morning anyway so I didn't really care that they were laying, dirty, in their sheets all night. 

Friday morning we went to church. We were on our way to Bawadi Mall and I got a text from Stuart telling me to call Clare and Scott as soon as I could. Scott and Clare were planning to go spend the night in Dubai without their kids. Scott's birthday was Saturday and Clare's best friend was celebrating her 40th birthday on Friday. They had everything planned and booked. Henry and May were supposed to stay with some friends, but it seems one of the children came down with a bug and they didn't want Henry or May to get ill so that left Scott and Clare in a bind. When I called Clare she said we didn't have to take the kids, she would understand, but that would be just silly. 

I went on to the mall and then to the grocery store. On my way home I called and told them I would be home in 15 minutes so they could drop off Henry and May. Stuart left for Dubai just after 1 pm for his rugby match. The kids played in the neighborhood all afternoon. I made mummie dogs for dinner, the kids watched a movie, and then it was off to bed. Just before they went to bed Cathy, Mandy and Kayleigh showed up to eat some of the leftovers from the night before.
Mom of the Year with these little wonders. 

Stuart got home just after 10 pm with a bit of a lump on his head. He was fortunate that his head didn't split open. 
Hello egg head!

Saturday morning I was awaken by Jack and May asking what was for breakfast. Really? I told them they could get some cereal off the bottom shelf of the pantry. They didn't do so, but by that time Stuart was up fixing cinnamon rolls, which they all enjoyed. 

They spent the rest of the morning playing with neighborhood friends. We had a delightful lunch of chicken rolls and then there was more Wii playing. Millie and May played in Millie's room while the boys played the Wii. 

Scott called just after noon to tell us they were at IKEA and would call us when they were about a half hour away from Al Ain. We all decided we would just meet at the pool once they were back in town. We spent a couple of hours at the pool and then went to the Richardsons for curry. We started watching the Rugby quarter finals, but the kids were falling asleep so we headed home and put them to bed. 

We had another fabulous weekend!


Monday, October 5, 2015

New appliances are so exciting at my age

Sunday Stuart finally hooked up our top load washing machine, therefore I was able to list our front load washer on Al Ain Swap and Shop and sold it within 2 minutes. I am so exicited because now I can go get a dish washer. How have I lived washing dishes by hand for the past 2 years? It's been tough for sure. After this purchase, all modern conveniences will be in place. 

Monday I went to look for dishwashers after school but the sale was no longer. It was supposed to go until October 7. But did I read the astric at the bottom of the sale sign? No I did not. It read 'while stock lasts', and although they had the machines and they were back at regular price, apparently 'the stock didn't last'. As I was confused, I tried arguing that I was told the sale was until the 7th. When he explained, I huffed off and said I would buy my new dishwasher somewhere else. The rules change on a daily basis it seems. 

I went home and Jack practiced piano one last time before his lesson. Because Stuart  had a committee meeting at the rugby club at 5 pm, and then training after, Millie had to go with us. That was fun. After the longest 30 minutes of our lives, we stopped at McDonalds to get Jack and Millie dinner. 

Once the kids were fed they both got clean. Millie laid on the sofa and fell asleep, as is common for her, around 6:15 pm. I took her to bed and asked Jack if he wanted to read books. He said he did, so he cut off the television and headed upstairs with me. I'm so glad my kids love to be read to at bedtime. It is one thing we have done consistantly with them since they were infants. I guess it's the teachers in us that know how vital it is for them. 

Tuesday Stuart and I went to training for our reading series. Because we didn't have to be there until 8:30 am we decided to take the kids to school and stay for their morning assembly. Both kids sang out the school song and the UAE national anthem, and Jack was the student the principal called on to tell the other students what the day, date, month and year was. I was a proud mama for sure. 

Our training was very similar to the reading training we had last year. So what did I do for over an hour of it? I caught up on this blog. Time well spent for sure. 

After the relatively useless training, Stuart headed to a meeting with one of the Cluster Managers regarding being in charge of the math, science and spelling competitions for this year, and I headed to another mall to find my dishwasher. I was very successful. I got a Kenwood and it was about $60 cheaper than the one I wanted at the other store. I was told it would be delivered by Friday. 

Wednesday was a successful day at school and at home. Our cluster manager came in to see how we were doing and we only reported good things. Don't get me wrong, we still have loads of frustrations and battles to win, but compared to last year, we are living the dream. 

At home, the victory was Millie's enthusiasm for brushing her teeth. It's a typical battle every day. But look what happens when you buy your kid an electric toothbrush!
I think on Wednesday alone she brushed her teeth 4 times. Knock yourself out, Mills!

Another success at home was when it was time to go to bed. Tonight marks a week that I have sang Millie a song, cuddled her for a bit, and then left the room before she is asleep. I know this is a long time coming, but when your little girl doesn't even weigh 25 pounds and is just over 3 feet tall, you forget she is older than what she looks. Plus, I love rocking her to sleep and singing her songs. But it's beyond time and I think we may have crossed over into new territory with her. Thank goodness!

Because of the rugby World Cup game, Stuart had practice an hour early. So Jack could have gone to sit with me while Millie danced or gone with his dad to rugby. Which do you think he chose? They got home just before 8 pm and I had made spaghetti bolognaise. We all ate and sat down to watch South Africa kill the USA. Jack asked me why the USA was so bad at rugby. I told him it was because we were a basketball and American football country and that since we have all the world champions in those sports, we don't need rugby. He didn't get it. He can't understand why everyone doesn't love rugby. 

He turned over about halfway through the match and started to go to sleep, so up to bed he went. I followed him even though it was only 9:15 pm. I was awakened by Jack screaming around 1 am. It was one of those things where the scream was incorporated into my own dream. By the time I got to him, he was crying. Poor boy! Fortunately he went right back to sleep. 

Thursday after school I got a call that the dishwasher was being delivered. Two and a half hours later it actually showed up. Better late than never. After the dishwasher was installed, we headed down to Karen and Wade's. Stuart and Millie stayed for curry and Jack and I headed to the golf club for a birthday party with one of his rugby teammates. I ended up staying. This boy's mom hangs with a different crowd so I pretty much sat on my own for the entire two hours. There was a bouncy castle, driving range, and face painting. I NEVER let my
Kids get face paint, so when I saw Jack about halfway through this particular design, I nearly had a cow. Seriously, could you get something that would be harder to get off your face?
Mid design. 
The finished product. 
And after playing for an hour, sweating on the bouncy castle. 

We returned to the Richardson's for a little bit and then headed home for showers. We had to wash that paint off of Jack's face. 

Friday morning we were up early because Millie came into our room sounding like a frog. She had the beginnings of an upper respiratory infection. We broke out the nebulizer just to prevent it getting worst. Poor baby!

We skyped Grammie and Pop, and they just laughed at the kids. Are we the only ones whose kids act like maniacs when speaking on skype? I certainly hope not. 

I left the house around 9:30 am to go with some girls to Dubai for the bimonthly Arte show. I purchased some camels. This is my favorite one!
I enjoy going to see the artists who have decided to take up their craft in the UAE. 

We had lunch and then stopped at the Park and Shop before heading home to pick up the kids and go to a party for Octoberfest. 

Stuart had left around midday to go to Abu Dhabi for his rugby match. Kayleigh came to stay with the kids until we returned from Dubai. Stuart's team got smashed and he got kicked in the eye. Lovely! Fortunately he didn't get a black eye from it. 

The Octoberfest party was fun. Jack and Millie made a new friend named Ben. He is Scottish, so we have added to our international friend group. Jack is going to have a play date soon with Ben. Ben's mom is a Vice Principal for ADEC. They have been in the country for 7 years, so know all the ropes for sure. 

We left the party around 11 pm. The kids were sandy and sweaty so they needed to stay awake until we got home so they could have a shower. Fortunately my phone still had battery juice so they could look at pictures. 

Baths were not fun because the kids were so exhausted. I muscled through it and put them to bed. Stuart was already in bed when we got home and didn't even wake up during the skuttle butt of the showers. At last the kids were in bed and I showered and went to bed as well. 

I got up Saturday morning and went swimming. We didn't have much on the agenda so once I was home I had coffee, three cups in fact, and lounged around until Jack's friend Koen came over for a play date. He lives in the B block of our compound. He's such a nice boy. His mom is also a Head of Faculty. He stayed for a couple of hours and then Jack went with his family to the pool. It was a perfect trade off. I love this play date thing. 

Stuart, Millie and I just sat around for the afternoon and watched television. Around 4 pm the Richardsons popped over for dinner. Stuart made enough spaghetti for 6 families. I guess we know what's on the menu for the next few days. Clare, Scott and the kids stayed until just before 8 pm and watched the Scotland vs Samoa match. Rugby has definitely taken over our lives these last few weeks. All too soon the kid tournaments will start. 

Still loving life in the UAE!