Is school over?

The teachers are acting as if now that the inspection team is gone we are finished. We only had three of our five teams turn in their lesson plans this week, which irritated me a touch, but maybe they will rebound and pick up the pace again for the last few weeks. At most, our students will only come for another 5 weeks, including this one. Ramadan starts on June 6 and the trend is they stop coming about 2 weeks before Ramadan. 

Our vice principal was in charge of the senior leadership meeting on Sunday morning. This was what she presented. 

The Emiratis know how to celebrate for even the slightest occasions. 

Millie came home from school with this little card. It says 'student of the day'. Clearly a week is too long for 4 year olds to keep it together. 

She was quite pleased with her little award. 

The kids had gymnastics, and once they were home I headed to the mall to search for a dress for the rugby ball. Rochelle, Clare, Leanne and I had planned to go shopping in Abu Dhabi but if I could find a dress before that time then so be it. 

Well, I did find a dress and once I was home Stuart made the mistake of asking me, 'Are you still going to Abu Dhabi Friday?'  Duh! Of course! I knew this would be the hazard of buying a dress before the 'official' shopping day. Oh well, we were still doing the girls' day out. 

Monday morning I was up early to put a roast in the crock pot. I had gotten this great idea, at the grocery store on Sunday night, that I would make dinner on Monday. So, peeling carrots and cutting potatoes was my 5 am job. I now consider myself a domestic goddess. Seemingly you qualify for that title when you attempt to make dinner at least  twice in the same six months. I'm pleased to report that both kids ate it and loved it. 

School was very uneventful. Our principal shared with the staff the positive feedback and the areas of development needed. Then we were allowed to go home, which was earlier than normal for a Monday. 

Jack had homework, which I have grown to loathe. Stuart went to rugby practice but I don't think he had actual training.  He sorted out the rugby tour gear for Thailand. 

Tuesday at school I spent most of my time helping sort out some poor student behavior. We had a student tear a door off a cabinet at the end of the day on Monday, thing to get his giant bag of chips head brought to school. As you would guess that consumed a bit of our time on Tuesday. 

Once the kids were home from school we made Stuart a birthday cake. Both broke and egg and both stirred as best as they could. I can't promise all of the eggs shells stayed out of the cake. The cake was left to cool while we were at gymnastics. 

The kids both showered when we got home, iced the cake, and then we were off for dinner at PF Changs. We rode in Stuart's gift from last year. 

Dinner was great but the kids were cranky. 

I went to try to find something to wear for an interview for the Head Teacher of a KG (kindergarten)/early years private school in....Abu Dhabi. The Head Teacher of the primary grades had called me on Sunday and said she found my resume on their website but noticed I initially applied for the Vice Principal position in their school located in Al Ain. She asked if I would be interested in coming to interview. I decided it wouldn't hurt and it would be a good experience. I didn't end up finding anything new to wear to the interview, but of course I had several options at home. 

Wednesday morning I was up and traveling to Abu Dhabi. I arrived at the school just after 8 am. I was told to arrive at 8:30 am, so I was early. They handed me a packet with a schedule of my day in it. The first activity was to go in with the Head of the Senior School and observe a lesson. Then I had to give feedback to the teacher on strengths and areas for improvement. It was a great way to see if I knew what I was supposed to be looking for in a good lesson. 

After the observation I was taken on a tour of the entire campus. It was a huge, beautiful campus. I was then ushered into an interview with 6 students from grades 3, 4, and 5. They each asked me two questions regarding the position. The last thing I did was interviewed with the Head of Primary and the Principal. I got a great feeling from the school and felt really good about my interview. Because I was a bit of an after thought, they hadn't sent me what the financial package was. In order to consider the position (pending they liked me well enough to make an offer) I would have to know the financial package being offered. I loved the school and the people I met. I should know next week sometime. 

Of course since I was in Abu Dhabi I felt the need to find a nearby mall. It was actually a mall I had never been to before. Some of my favorite stores were in Dalma Mall so I am pretty sure if I do end up in the position this mall will become a regular stop for me. We shall see.  

I had a doctor's appointment for my three month check up. It seems if my blood work comes out normal I get to stop taking some of the supplements he has been giving me. I will go and check on the blood work next week. Stuart was supposed to have training but decided not to go and instead took the kids to eat sushi at the shooting range restuarant called Target. Of course, I got excited when Stuart said they were going to Target and then remember that the Target I love doesn't exist in this country. Boo!

Thursday I was only at school for two hours and then headed out for a Head of Faculty meeting. I couldn't stay focused at the meeting and kept thinking of the other million things I could be doing. I'm a little ready for the school year to be over. 

Thursday evening we were supposed to go to a coach's dinner for the youth rugby teams. Millie and I ended up staying at home because the weather was a bit stormy and she really needed an early night. She cried initially until I told her we would watch The Lorax. She fell asleep in the first 15 minutes of the movie. Poor baby!

Friday morning I was awake at 5 am in anticipation of the shopping day ahead. The 'rugby ball dress ' shopping trip just turned into a shopping trip for whatever we wanted. Since we all already had our dresses we focused on shopping for pleasure. I tried several things on but ended up only buying a dress, a bit fancier than I would normally buy, and a white short sleeved cardigan, for myself. With the weather heating up I like to wear tank tops, but uncovered shoulders are a bit of a no-no, so to be a little more modest the cardigan will be perfect. I bought the kids a pair of flip flops each and something from the Candilicious store, which is always a hit. Unfortunately the flip flops I bought for Millie were too small and warrants a trip back to the mall next week to return them otherwise I won't get my money back. There is a 7 day return policy that I don't want to miss out on. I love Yas Mall so it works out fine for me. 

Rochelle, Leanne and Clare all had their fair share of shopping bags at the end of the day. It was a fantastic day with some of my besties. We started with coffee at Starbucks, shopped, had lunch at Cheesecake Factory, and then shopped some more. 

The men had been at the pool most of the day, and we found them about 6 beers in once we returned to the club. We stayed and let the kids play and then were home and in bed by 9 pm, all of us. 

Saturday we stayed around the house all morning. Millie had a birthday party to attend at the local Fun City. Jack was invited as well because the birthday boy rides to school with Millie and Jack everyday. 

There was face painting, games, rides, McDonalds and cake. A perfect day!

One of the rides I had to go with Millie because she was too short. 

Jack was the joker (fitting) and his friend, Sam, was obviously Batman. 

We got home around 5 pm and went through our normal evening routine. The kids were in bed by 6:30 and asleep by 7. I was asleep on the sofa at 8 pm and finally went to bed just after 9 pm, leaving Stuar to finish one of the Lord of the Rings films. 

Another great week for the Telfords. 

Irtiqa'a week (the inspection team is in the building)

Stressed out teachers who are over prepared, on one hand, and, on the other hand, teachers that still can't understand why it's not okay to leave their students unattended in a classroom is maddening.  

Everyone was buzzing around on Sunday, doing the last minute prep for the arrival of our guests. I decided I would house my self in the grade 4 pod for the remainder of the week in order to encourage good behavior from those boys. They are by far the most challenging year group. 

I did a final walkthrough of rooms before leaving school on Sunday, and I believe we are as ready as we can be. 

Sunday Jack decided he would start gymnastics with Millie. He enjoyed the class, but I'm not convinced he loves it. Too bad because we have paid for 12 sessions so he's going at least that long. 

During their class I headed to the grocery store to pick up some grapes that Millie's class needed the following day. Since I can't go in and volunteer, I do my best to send in items that help them with their curriculum. Each week they do a cooking activity so I usually participate by sending those items to school. Being that I was close to McDonalds anyway, it seemed smart to get the kids that for dinner. 

When we got home Stuart walked in shortly from an emergency rugby club committee meeting. The kids finished their McDonalds and then were off to shower. The rest of the evening was a bit uneventful, which is always nice. 

School was tense on Monday. We were all on high alert and the grade 4 boys were on an all time challenging run. I had some issues with two students and the lead inspector saw one on the problems. I was concerned that would go into the report, but Tuesday she spoke with me about it and said she knew the behavior could be challenging and sometimes the boys needed to be 'led' to the social workers. I didn't do anything other than help the security guard take a semi-resisting student to the social worker's office, but you never know what the perception of others will be. In the end, Stuart told me I knew better than to touch the kids, no matter my intent. So on Tuesday I walked around all day with my hands clasped behind my back. It's best. 

Monday when I got home from school I showered the kids and we headed for the circus. Since it had been canceled the week before, we were overly excited for the showing on Monday. 

Cathy went with us because Stuart had a committee meeting and rugby training. Of course popcorn was a must for both kids. 

These elephants didn't compare to the Sri Lankan elephants, but they were fake and less scary to Millie. 

Two kids from my school came over to see me. It was so wonderful. They told me their mom was there with them and at intermission I went over to meet her. It seems she works for Etihad Airlines and they were given tickets to the circus. 

There was a juggler who started the show. He was quite impressive. Next came the contortionist who actually shot an arrow at a balloon using her feet. We were dangerously close to the performers shooting arrows and guns. It was a bit concerning.  

The political incorrect Native American who shot arrows was superb, but he also had an equally politically incorrect squaw who was his assistant. 

There were circus dogs, and they were cute, of course. There were musical clowns that came out throughout the circus. 

This high wire act was incredible! When they all balances and walked across the wire, the music was very quiet and the leader was shouting 'Uno, dos, uno, dos'. It made me feel as if I were back in Arizona. 

The only part of the circus that was a bit disturbing to me was the lion act. There were white lions that came out and they were clearly drugged. It was a bit unsettling and made me realize I had never been to a circus with a large animal. I had heard that this happened but had never witnessed it first hand. It wasn't nice. I kind of wanted the lion tamer to get eaten. I guess that's not nice either. 

They did some tricks, but mostly they stretched, yawned, panted and even roared. 

The motorcycles in the cage was a little scary. One wrong turn of the handle bars and those boys would have been toast. Fortunately, even when there were four bikes in there, everyone came out alive. 

This was their final 'dance' number. The whole performance lasted 2 hours. It was  a fun night. I put Millie in her night gown before we left the circus tent. She was asleep within 5 minutes. That's my favorite way to put her to bed after 7 pm. 

Tuesday was full of meetings with the school inpectors. I personally attended 3 meetings. They asked us questions about teaching and learning. Fortunately I had all the right answers. Ha!

While the kids were at gymnastics I decided to walk. As I started mile 2 I noticed, on the main road, a lady whose daughter also goes to gymnastics. She has only been in the UAE since August. I stopped to speak with her because she had rear ended a tow truck. Poor gal. I asked her if the police were coming and she said they were. I told her a person wasn't truly acclimated to the culture until they had had a fender bender. 

I continued my walk and finished about 5 minutes before Jack and Millie came out. We then headed home for showers and dinner, a little Harry Potter and bed. About 15 minutes after Jack was in bed, he came downstairs and said he wanted to lay on the sofa with me for little bit. I love that he still loves his mama and wants me to be close. I know it won't always be like that, so I try to savor it now. However, when he wouldn't go back to bed, the sweetness wore off. Of course it ended in tears. Why can't he just do what is asked of him?

Stuart and I had dinner and watched JFK. We watch a lot of older movies and Netflix. I'm not sure I would know a recent movie or television series. Oh well. We stay entertained. 

Wednesday morning I braided Millie's hair, which is not so much fun. That particular activity made me late to school. Whatever will I do next year when her hair has to be up every day? Should be interesting. 

She refers to this as 'Anna', referring to Anna from the film Frozen, and one braid is called 'Elsa'. 

Another day of inspector's questions and observations was in order for our staff. The inspectors seem pleased with our progress but are still adamant that we have a long way to go, which I would have to agree with. 

When I got home from school the kids were at their friends' house until about 4 pm. When they got home they started playing 'train', which you know I was thrilled about. Stuart said, 'Oh, they are playing nice.' Easy for him to say when he left 30 minutes later. He said, 'They'll clean it up....won't they?' Seriously! Oh how I long for rugby to be over!

My OCD can hardly handle this. They did clean up with a little prodding, ate a delicious meal of grilled cheese sandwiches and green beans, and Millie fell asleep on the sofa. 

When the kids were in bed I relaxed as well, and shockingly fell asleep on the sofa. I do love my sofa naps. 

Thursday was our last day of inspection. We met twice with the inspectors and both times they said something very positive. The last time was the final feedback they had for us. We were told that we needed to inform the staff that their hard work did not go unnoticed and the team could tell we were a very different school from the report the previous year. I nearly cried. No matter how old I get or where I work, when inspections take place I always want to be better than the previous year, and take pride in the efforts I make to help things improve. I was so thrilled that our progress was obvious to these inspectors. 

After school I treated the teachers to pizza at the rugby club. I am so proud of my English teachers. They really put in the time and energy needed to help us be successful. The least I could do was to buy them some nosh. 

The teachers left the club just as the kids were getting to the club for the youth rugby presentations. It worked out perfectly for me. I just stayed at the club and Stuart brought Jack and Millie. 

They had team photos before they had their medal presentations for a great season. 

Millie even made it onto the stage for the medal presentations. 

We stayed at the club until just after 7 pm. Once we were home the kids got clean and Stuart read them a book and put them to bed. Prior to the book being read, Jack told me he knew 5 swear words and he wanted to know what they meant. 

Jack had difficulty going to bed again on Thursday. He said he doesn't like to be alone, which made me feel a little bad. However, I got over it when I remembered how tired I was from the mentally draining week I had just had. He went upstairs with a little moaning, but not much. 

Stuart ordered in some food while I ate some spinach and fat free cheese. We are super fancy. We were asleep early because we were really tired. 

Stuart got up early Friday morning to make bacon sandwiches for 3 of his teammates who were going to the Sharjah rugby tournament with him. I think they know now to invite him to ride with them. Of course they love him, but his bacon sandwiches sweeten the deal for sure. 

The kids and I set off for church just after 9. Both kids were not exactly the best behaved children for some reason. Nothing could make them happy and they were both whiney most of the day. 

After church we headed to the mall for a little birthday shopping for Daddy and also for a classmate of Millie's. The fun continued with the kids as they ran around the store while I shopped. I texted Stuart and told him we really needed to have a 'come to Jesus' talk with them on Satursay morning. I think both of them are going through a growth spurt, or at least I hope that's what's contributing to the problem. 

We left the mall and headed to Clare and Scott's for the remainder of the day. The kids played, Clare fixed them a bite to eat, and then Scott stayed with them while Clare and I headed to the mall to look in this dress shop for Rugby Ball dresses. I'm pretty sure I found mine, but don't want to buy it until next Saturday. I had already planned an Abu Dhabi shopping trip with Clare, Rochelle and Leanne for Friday, the 29th, and if I had bought the dress on Friday then Stuart would have seen no need for me to go shopping with the girls the following week. Hee hee hee!

We got back to the house and Clare proceeded to fix a roast dinner. We told Millie the roast beef was chicken. Yes, it's a lie, but she will eat some of the meat if she thinks it's chicken, so we lie. 

The kids showered at the Richardsons, as they always do at evening events at their house. Millie fell asleep on the way home and as I was unpacking the car, Jack was in his room and also fell asleep before I got up there to tell him goodnight. They had a very busy day. 

I showered and fell asleep watching my new favorite show, Drop Dead Diva. Stuart got home around 11:30 pm, said something to me, went upstairs to take a shower and went to bed. I, on the other hand, woke up with a crick in my neck around 1 am. I hate when that happens. 

Jack came into our room just after 3 am. As long as he doesn't touch me, he can stay. He didn't touch me, so he stayed until he got up around 6 am to work on the rubics cube he had purchased the day before. How has life come full circle. I loved the rubics cube. 

We were all up and breakfast fed by just after 8 am. We had our little talk with the kids about our expectations of them, and then I went to the grocery store for our weekly provisions. Jack came with me because the store I went to has a pricing gun that he loves to operate for me. He was really very helpful. 

We got home and got ready to go to the Mecure Hotel up Jabel Hafeet, the highest point in Al Ain. They have a deal where you can swim and go down the water slides, plus have a meal vochure for their little bar behind the pool. Since we were about the only people there, they let our kids eat free. We had never done this before so we decided we would join, none other than, the Richardsons. 

We were in height order. By the time we were finished eating lunch we were about the only people who were still at the pool. I'm not sure why because the weather was beautiful. 

We stayed lover than intended and the kids might have been a little more pink than intended as well. We got back to the Richardsons just before 5 pm and ended up showering the kids, making them sandwiches, and turning on the new Jurassic Park movie. The intention was for Clare to cook once we were back, but none of us could be bothered or cared. 

We ended up leaving their house just after 7 pm. Millie was asleep almost when the car started to move. 

Stuart and I had a bite to eat and then went to bed. It was an exhausting week, and I'm so glad it's behind us. 

Students are back, well, most of them.

We only had about half of our students in school on Sunday. It's actually nice for the teachers to ease into the week with very few on the first day. 

After school we took a trip to Sanayai (the district where all car maintenance takes place) and picked up my car from its service. Taking it to a dealer to have it serviced is much like it is as home, much more expensive. 

When we got home Jack hustled off to Sammy's house and Millie played with her new dry erase letter and number boards. We had ordered them from Scholastics through their school. I was thrilled that she loved them so much. We ordered one for 'joined up' writing (the Brits version of cursive) for Jack, but he wasn't as initially swept with it. 

Millie and I went to gymnastics while Jack showered and ate dinner. When we returned, I bathed Millie and left for the rugby club. There were two women who I had spoken to about my surgery and they wanted to know more. I never imagined this new 'tool' I have would have led me to others seeking the same, but it has. 

We talked for two hours about what I had been through and the ups and downs of the entire process. They left, convinced they would go through the same surgery. Suzann decided she would call my doctor on Monday and go for a consultation. 

I was home and in bed by 9:15 pm. The conversation was great, but it was a bit exhausting recounting what I had gone through to this point, and some of the unpleasant parts I had really forgotten until I started to talk about it. 

Monday I spent a great deal of time checking classrooms to see if each teacher had the correct learning environment for the inspection, oh and for student learning as well. 

I did some laundry and dishes when I got home, gave the kids a snack, then had them shower. We were off to the circus on Monday evening. The kids were so excited. Stuart had to do something to wrap up his year as the treasurer of the club. It hasn't been a year, but elections are Wednesday, so if he doesn't get re-elected, the new treasurer will need to have the books finalized. We really hope he wins the election, though. 

We got to the circus location just before 5:30 pm and there were only about 10 people with us. Cathy was with us and although it didn't seem there would be a big crowd, we got out of the car and queued up to enter the big tent. 

It wasn't the largest circus tent I had ever seen, but we have been to the Italian circus in Chandler before and it was tiny, but phenomenal. Unfortunately, just after this picture we were told the circus would be canceled for the evening because of technical difficulties. They told us we could come back anytime until the circus left town. So we decided we would go on the 18th of April. The kids were disappointed, but they handled it fairly well. 

When we got home, Millie was asleep. 

Unfortunately she didn't stay that way. The kids had a snack and then watched something on Jack's iPad. Then Millie's meltdown started. She had been quite disobedient and sassy when she got home from school, and sadly it just went downhill from that time. She ended up sobbing, in her room, without getting what she wanted. Someone help me! We were both crying before it was all said and done. And as sassy as she is, when she sees me cry it makes her incredibly sad and she just cries harder. It ended up being a very draining evening. 

While Millie was having her tantrum, Jack came upstairs and announced he was going to bed I asked him if he was sure and he said he was. When Millie settled down a bit I headed to Jack's room and he said, 'I was just kidding about going to be. I just wanted Millie to be quiet and go to sleep.'  He's so perceptive. She finally dropped off and then Jack was back downstairs for a bit of fruit, then he was off to bed for good. 

Tuesday proved to be filled with stress because our initial inspection visitor was at school most of the day. My principal filled me in on what was asked for from the teachers for the following week. The anxiety this 4 days brings is more than I care for, but it's part of the process. 

Millie had to gymnastics and after announced to me that she would like to take ballet 2 days a week and gymnastics one day a week. Madam knows what she wants. So we will start that schedule next week. 

Millie was showered once we were home and put on a fancy dress because the Richardsons were coming for curry. Just after dinner, without having eaten a bite, we had anniversary cake for Clare and Scott. Millie had another meltdown because there was no cake for the kid who are nothing. Stuart took her upstairs to speak to her and she went from bad to worse. We have told her several times that if she would just take her consequence that things would be a lot better. She still hasn't learned that part and unfortunately escalates most situations, making her consequence even bigger. Meltdown 2 in the same week. So when I finally went upstairs she was in complete hysterics. After she realized she was not going to win this battle, she gave in to sleep. Have I mentioned I hate this part of parenting?

We had training on Wednesday for our science curriculum. Stuart and I always sit at different tables for these things. In fact, it's a little frowned upon for people of the opposite sex to sit at the same table. The training was riveting, as usual. It just meant we had an early day and could get our grocery shopping for the week done a day early. 

We headed to the rugby club around 4 pm for the annual rugby club board meeting and re-elections of the rugby club committee. I took the kids' swim gear since the meeting was set around the pool. That turned out to be a good call since every other parent who attended did the same thing. 

Millie nearly went into meltdown mode again. She had decided to get out of the pool because she was cold. I warned her that if she changed into her dry clothes there would be no more swimming. She agreed that she was fine with that. But once she got bored and noticed that every other child was still in the pool, she started whining about getting back in the pool. I stuck to my decision and although she continued to whine a bit, in the end she settled down and decided to give up her fight. 

It's not a great picture, but Stuart is in the purple on the far right. This was his end of the year treasurer report to the rugby club members. 

Stuart was unopposed for the treasurer position this year, which made him totally happy. There were some heated discussions as happens in every organization, but the kids and I left after the vote so we avoided it for the most part. Stuart filled me in once he was home, but it all leaves me a bit irritated so I tried to put it out of my head. It's like in most things, there are people who really need to run things past others prior to saying them out loud in front of the masses. It's really for their own protection. 

Thursday morning I got up and took paperwork down to Brighton College, potentially the kids' new school. The paperwork was to apply for scholarships for the kids. Their prices are way more than we are able to spend so we will have to have scholarships to attend there. We shall see how it all works out. 

When I spoke to the lady in admissions she stated that we would need a letter from the  current school for Millie regarding keeping her back in what is the equivalent of preschool. I decided since I was going to be late to school anyway, I would just take an emergency day and get the foot work done for the schooling. My principal really discouraged me because that would have left her as the only senior leadership member at school that day. So, I signed in at my old school and was about 3 hours late to work. So it goes. School was very uneventful. 

Gymnastics ended on Thursday, but Millie decided if Jack would start coming with her, then she would go another 12 sessions. When we got home we proposed it to him and he said he would try. So he will start on Sunday. 

I went to a wedding on Thursday night while the kids and Stuart went to our neighbor's for a movie and pizza. 

Friday morning we got up and Stuart took Jack to a birthday party at the club, while Millie and I headed to the mall in search of bike shorts. She's gotten to where she won't wear a dress without shorts under it and she only has one pair of bike shorts. Other shorts are too bulky. We were successful, thank goodness. 

When we got home we just chilled and had decided not to go back to the pool in the afternoon until Scott called Stuart. Then, back to the pool we went for a couple of hours. Then we stayed to watch the women's last 15s rugby match of the season. It was an awesome match and made me miss playing just a little bit. 

We got home just before 9 pm. The kids had cereal, showers and went to bed. Stuart and I ate shepherd's pie and fell asleep on the sofa, like I always do. 

I woke up just after 7 on Saturday morning. We were going to take the kids to see the new Jungle Book movie but Jack wasn't interested. So instead we went to Fun Block. The kids played in the soft play area. Jack was tall enough to climb the structures and jump on the trampolines, but Millie is still too tiny  bless her!

We shopped a bit at the mall and Stuart got his new Clark dress shoes for next school year. He was so excited. He paid less than $200 for two pair, which is unheard of for a man with size 14 shoes. 

We also bought some items from the discount sports store. The kids decided they wanted to buy something with their own money. Boy is that hard for me to allow. I try to point them in the direction of something practical, but it doesn't always work. 

Here were their selections on Saturday. Stuart bought the balls and when we got home the kids went up to get their wallets and count out the money they owed Daddy. Teaching kids the value of money is quite complicated. 

We were home by a bit after 2 pm. Stuart went to the grocery store to buy our roast dinner items. He was cooking for the Richardsons who had spent the day in Abu Dhabi at a Formula 1 competition. Dinner was fantastic and the company was wonderful, as usual. 

The kids didn't have as early of a night as I had hoped for, but they had a full day for sure. 

Week of professional development, no fun!

Since we know our inspection is coming soon, our staff is on form. They really got in and worked hard on Sunday in order to start getting everything prepared for the week of Irtiqa'a (the name of the inspection team). I've never been one to bow to the 'dog and pony' show. However, that is what people on these inspection teams want to see, so that is what they shall see. 

Once I was home from work, Kayleigh reported that Millie had been in time out three times that day because she wasn't listening. Oh, someone please tell me that 5 is better than 4. She seems to have been going through a phase for about 2 years now. 

Jack was allowed to go to his friend's house while Millie didn't get to go. She cried and whined and then finally just started playing and talking to herself. Once Jack was home, he brought some little girls with him. He has never had girls over to play, so it was weird, but they were cute so I understood.  

Millie and I headed to her gymnastics class around 4:30 pm. She somehow has two weeks left, I suppose because of the rain we had in early March that cancelled her classes. I asked her if she wanted to stay with gymnastics and she said that she wanted to take ballet again. Fortunately the place where she goes to gymnastics also has a ballet class. We shall see what route we go. 

Once I was home, Millie showered while Stuart took his Land Rover to get it checked on. After his last service it started leaking fluid, and the guy who normally fixes it has not been in town for the last month or so. The plan was that I would have kids clean and then we would go pick Stuart up so he could leave the Land Rover with Sharjan, the mechanic. He called and said he was coming home and the problem was fixed. He picked up KFC for the kids on his way home. They had already had pasta and some Easter chocolate, but insisted they were still hungry.

Once he was home, they ate and then we're off to read books and go to sleepy land. Stuart and I ate dinner and then attempted to watch television, but as usual I fell asleep on the sofa. I'm pretty sure my holiday wore me out as well as it did the kids. 

Our first meeting on Monday morning was full of teacher presentations. My English teachers are always very cooperative when it comes to presenting to their colleagues. I am very fortunate because many times I hear of Heads of Faculty who don't have the same experience with their English teachers. I work with a great group of teachers. 

The day kind of dragged on. I didn't attend all of the meetings, but I did do some much needed work. At their break times, the teachers would come into my office and make tea or just have a chat. We all talked about how this kind of time together would just be exaggerated once Ramadan came, which is tentatively June 6 and lasts for a month. There will be no children at school for that month and we will have to cover the windows to my office so no one can see us eating or drinking. It will be like being a part of an underground operation. 

We were dismissed a half hour early so I hit the super market to get some snacks for my teachers, some tinned fruit for the kids and milk. I got home before the kids, they had gone to school with Cathy and Kayleigh. Cathy needed Kayleigh's help and since Kayleigh was watching the kids this week, they went to Cathy's school. 

The kids got home about 2 pm and Millie helped me make gluten free muffins, which turned out to be a bit crap tasting. I'll eat them anyway, but won't enjoy them as much because they are not as sweet as I thought they would be. 

At 4 pm we all headed to the rugby club. Stuart thought it would be good to just feed the kids at the club. It ended up that I was on my own, and alone time is not bad. Stuart had a committee meeting at 5 pm, but ended up speaking to the club chairman beforehand. So the kids played outside and I chatted with my friend, Martha.  Jack joined a touch rugby game with the 'big boys'. He basically just ran around, playing excellent defense, but never touched the ball. He didn't really care. He thought it was great to play with them.  

I ordered the kids food and they came to eat. Afterwards Jack wanted to know if he could stay at the club while Stuart had training. Since he didn't have school the following day I didn't really mind, but Stuart was going to be in his committee meeting until, potentially, 7 pm, and I didn't want to wait that long. So I let the kids go back out and play for a bit while I just sat and chilled. It was nice, but I would have preferred being at home in my jammies, chilling. 

I messaged Stuart to see if he was okay for Jack to stay. Although he was all of about 50 feet from me in the club office, I hated to disturb him. He didn't respond, so I waited at the club until about 6 pm. When he didn't come out I decided to pack up the kids and go home. 

With Jack, we've been working on his reaction to when we say 'it's time to go' or 'no'. We have told him that he doesn't have to like our request, but he's not to argue or whine. His response should be 'ok'. When I went to get him off the playground, I said, 'Ok, buddy, it's time to go.' And he responded, 'Ok.'  Clearly he does listen to my yammering on. I made sure to make a big deal over how proud of him I was for his response when we left. Then he made a point to tell me that he had actually said 'ok' on several occasions Monday. He recalled the times and I said I had noticed those times as well. I also said it must make him feel proud that he is learning to listen to what we have to say to make him a better person. He responded with a 'yeah'. Thanks for the enthusiasm!

Once we were home the kids both showered and went downstairs to watch The Lego Movie, for the hundredth time. Millie fell asleep about 20 minutes into the film. She's a party animal. Jack, on the other hand, was awake the entire movie. 

Once he was in bed I fell asleep on the sofa and didn't wake up until Stuart came in around 10 pm. I slept for nearly 2 hours on the sofa. I'm pretty sure I'm getting enough sleep these days. 

Tuesday I started our professional development with the Geico commercial that has the camel saying 'What day is it?' It made me laugh, at least. During weeks like this, comic relief is a necessity. 

I took snacks for my teachers because they are in my office constantly on weeks like this so I like to make them feel welcome. We all left at 1 pm on Tuesday, so that was a nice surprise. I stopped to get eggs at the grocery store and then headed home. 

Once the kids were home, I took a nap while they were at their friend's house. They were gone for an hour and that's about how long I slept. I used to hate naps, but lately I've been very satisfied with them. Who would have thought? 

Millie had gymnastics so I walked again while she tumbled. On our way home from gymnastics I got a message from Ben's mom (one of Jack's friends). She asked if Jack could join them in about a half hour at the ice skating rink for Ben's birthday. I said he'd love that, and boy was I right. When I got home, Jack had already taken a shower and was laying on the sofa. I told him to get up and get ready because he was going with Ben to ice skate. He was beyond excited. He ran upstairs and put on some sweat pants and got on long socks. He made a sweet card for Ben, thanking him for inviting him to skate and have dinner with him (although Jack had already eaten), and then we put some money in the envelop. 

I bathed Millie and took a shower myself while Jack was making Ben's card. Then when Jack left, Stuart, Millie and I took Stuart's car to be serviced. 

Millie was out within five minutes of the drive. Fortunately, it was close to her bedtime so it wasn't that big of a deal. Unfortunately, she had not had dinner, so Wednesday would prove to be a very hungry morning for her. 

Once we were back home we received updates from Ben's mum and pictures.

The expert skaters!

She messaged me at 8:00 pm saying the boys would be off the rink at 8:30 and then they were off to their house for cake. She asked if getting Jack home at 9:30 or 10 pm was too late. No school? No worries. Plus, I knew he would feel as if he was so grown up with this entire night. She brought him home just before 10 pm. He headed up to have another shower and then hit the sack. Once he was in bed, he must have called me back into his room three times to talk to me about his evening. I think he might have enjoyed it more than Sri Lanka. 

Naturally, Jack was the last one up on Wednesday morning. Even when he got up he was still groggy. He perked up after he had some breakfast. 

It's was increasingly more difficult to stay focused at school each day. Everyone was working very hard and getting things together for the third term and our inspection, but my office seemed to be the hub for all of the work to get done. I'm glad all the teachers like to hang out in my office, though. It makes me feel loved. 

Once the school day was over, I headed home to a very excited boy. His buddy, Louie, was coming over for a sleepover. Louie, his sister, Evie, and his mum, Rochelle, showed up about 30 minutes after I got home from school. Evie and Millie played, Louie and Jack played, and Rochelle and I drank tea and had a catch up. 

Rochelle left around 3 pm and took Millie with her, while the boys stayed at our house and played. Millie returned after eating no dinner at the Rouvi's house, yet getting ice cream. The boys went to the rugby club with Stuart, and Millie dropped off to sleep just after they left. 

Once everyone returned, Jack had a bit of a meltdown because he wanted to stay up and watch Star Wars. Since it was already 10 pm, and I knew he was tired, I convinced him that Star Wars would wait until the morning. He and Louie slept on the sectional in the loft and were almost asleep before their heads hit the pillow. 

Thursday school flew by because all the teachers did was work on getting their rooms ready and the lessons for the next two weeks. I did virtually nothing because I was basically kicked off my computer and out of my desk. I have the only color printer in the entire building that the teachers have access to. So, for me, when they need to print things I am the one who gets to sit back and do nothing. These are times that I help laminate, cut things out, and just chat. 

Once I was home we went to pick up Stuart's car. We then decided to do our weekly shopping so that would be out of the way. We went to the grocery store and then home for a bit before Millie and I headed to gymnastics. 

Once we were home from gymnastics, Millie was bathed, as was I. Stuart and I had a date night with Leanne and David at Trader Vic's, a local posh restuarant. So Kayleigh and Tomasi (her boyfriend) came over to babysit. They ordered in McDonalds and watched movies with the kids. 

Our night out with David and Leanne was great. The food and atmosphere at Trader Vic's is very island like. There is great seafood and a wonderful ambiance. 

Selfie!

David and Leanne

My dinner!

Friday morning we were up early. We skyped Grammie and Pop (well, actually Jack and Millie initiated the call), then Stuart set off to watch a rugby tournament at the Dubai 7s, then played in his own match later that afternoon. The kids and I went to church. After church I had some shopping to do, so I put the kids in Fun Farm for an hour and got all my shopping done at Al Ain Mall. Then we had lunch at PF Changs. 

In the afternoon we were going to go to the pool, but decided against it because it was raining and stormy. Since Stuart was out playing rugby, Kayleigh and her boyfriend came over again to babysit so I could head to DeDe's 'favorite things' party.  I love these parties she has and can't wait to incorporate them into my life once I am back in Arizona for good. I received some wonderful gifts and was back home by 8 pm. I had caught a cold somewhere in the day, so was ready for bed just after I got home. 

Stuart got home around 9 pm and ordered some food. I was asleep on the sofa before his take out got there. I went to bed around 10 pm and was stuffy all night long. 

I was woken up at 6:30 am with Jack asking me what the word 'romantic' meant. Really? Maybe I should check out his iPad games a little more often. Since I was already awake, I decided to change the beds and then headed downstairs for a little Land Before Time showing. 

Stuart didn't roll out of bed until about 8:30 am. Once we had both had our share of coffee it was my car's turn to be serviced, so back down to Sanayia (the area where the shop is located) we went. We were back at our place by 11 am. The kids watched The Peanuts movie and then we were off to the pool around 1:30 pm to meet up with the Richardsons. The pool was actually quite crowded. It's obviously that time of year when everything really slows down, as far as activities are concerned, and the pool time picks up. 

We stayed for a couple of hours. I tried to swim laps, but only got in about 24 before people started using the lanes to play in. Usually that bugs me, but Stuart was one of the people so I just stopped swimming. 

We left the pool just after 4 pm and made a plan for curry at our house for this Tuesday with the Richardsons. We hadn't seen them for 2 weeks and we're having withdraws.  

Once we were home, the kids were cleaned and dinner was started. Millie tried doing my hair, which was nice. She's not always that cuddly towards me, so when she wants to do something like 'fix' my hair, I count that a privilege. 

Saturday evening ended the way it always does; I fall asleep on the sofa and get up an hour or so later to go to bed. Habitual person that I am, I like ending the weekend in this way. 

Just 12 more weeks until we are on summer break!