The calendar says school is out July 5. Kidding! The last day is June 30.

Sunday I began to get ready for the next school year. Since I have decided not to move schools, my mind has been racing as to how I can make things better at our school. I sat and and talked with teachers for part of the day, getting input on my new ideas. It made the day pass a lot quicker. 

Kayleigh was home this week with the kids. Forts are always a must when Kayleigh babysits.  

When I got home I had a message from the O'Reilleys asking us if we wanted to meet them at the Horse and Jockey, a pub at one of the hotels, to watch a football match. We are no football fans at all, but we did it purely for social reasons. 

Prior to going to watch the football, we went to Ikea to pick up the wardrobe I had ordered for Jack the night DeDe, Cathy and I hit the mall last week. 

Once at the pub we ordered food, watched Ireland get beat, and had a wonderful time. It's always a laugh with the O'Reilleys. 

Kids at the pub just chillin' with their iPads. It's how we roll. 

We got home and showered kids and then we were bombarded with messages. Facebook exploded with the news that school would officially end on June 30, rather than July 5, which was what was on the official calendar. 

The news of sucked for us because we could have been home 6 days earlier. However, being finished earlier than expected was a nice surprise. 

Monday morning we had a senior leadership team meeting to talk about what we were going to do the first week we were back in the new school year. This year is the first year since I have been in this country that I have really felt like we have had a focus and won't be coming back shooting from our hip. 

School actually flew by on Monday. When I got home I made some spinach and chicken, while Stuart went upstairs to put Jack's wardrobe together. Once Jack's wardrobe was together and the kids were home from a neighbor's house, Jack and I went upstairs to sort out his closet and drawers. We put about 16 shirts in the 'give away' pile and hung about 13 shirts. I'm pretty sure our kids have too many clothes. 

As you would guess, both Stuart and I were wiped from the events of the day and napped on the sofa, our new favorite Ramadan past time. Stuart left for training around 6 pm, while I stayed home with the kids. Life has become very boring lately. We are going to need to do something with our time after Thursday or we might go nuts. 

We received our contracts for the next school year on Tuesday, which was a relief for many of us. We also had several last minute tasks to get completed before Thursday. It seems odd that we had three tasks to do on one day, when we have had absolutely NOTHING to do for the last several weeks. However, my English teachers are awesome and got together to complete their assignments. 

On the way home from school I hit the grocery store in order to get ingredients to make taco enchiladas. This was the second day in a row I had come home and made something for lunch. As much as we are trying to rid our cupboards of food, sometimes there is absolutely nothing in the house to eat, or at least nothing desirable. So a grocery run is necessary. 

We discovered, when we got home, that Millie had her first wobbly tooth. She was so excited. 

We also had our Ramadan nap, laid around and watched television, and then decided to go out for an Iftar dinner. Iftar is the call to prayer that signals the fast for the day can be broken. It happens every evening at sunset. Almost all eating establishments are closed until Iftar, at least in Al Ain. We decided to go to Hili Mall, which we hadn't been to since we first moved to Al Ain. There are many more stores and restaurants in there then the last time we went. 

We were going to eat at a traditional place, but forgot we should make reservations. So in the end we ate at a place called the Biryani Pot. It was good food, but the kids didn't like it much. 

We went to Starbucks for after dinner drinks and a donut and a chocolate cookie, of course. 

Millie and I have turned a corner and she is now starting to hug up to me when she's sad or scared. Don't care how it happened, just glad it has. 

A boy and his dad just hanging out at Starbucks. 

Wednesday we played Pictionary at school. The teachers have been playing games for about the last 4 weeks, but Wednesday was the first day I could join without having a guilty conscience. And since I am so competitive, and my team lost, I was glad it was the one and only time I had played. 

We were all nearly stir crazy at home by 2:30 pm. The kids went upstairs to play for a bit, but really fought more than they played. Finally it was time for them to take their showers. After they were clean we headed to PF Changs to meet David, Leanne and Xavier for dinner. When Leanne got there she told us that David had taken Xavier up to the food court to get him KFC to brig down to PF Changs. Leanne said they were tired of wasting money when he would rather eat KFC. Since the restaurants don't mind you bringing in other food, it was perfect. You could never do this kind of thing in the states. All the kids were happy with their fried chicken and I was thrilled with my Ahi Tuna. 

We saw Cathy and Mandy and many others at the mall. It seemed that all of the expats were in Al Ain Mall that night. I think everyone is going stir crazy now. 

We were home just before 9 pm and Millie had fallen asleep in the car, once again. I took her upstairs while Jack ate some fruit. Then, I took a shower and was hoping Jack would be asleep once I was finished. But instead, when I went into his room, Stuart was laying on Jack's bed and chatting with him. I ended up laying down for a bit as well. Our best chats happen at night. It's sweet and I know it won't last forever so I take advantage of it when I can. 

Thursday was our last day of school. Yahoo! We were told we would not be able to leave until noon, but once our principal was gone, around 10:30 am, we might have accidentally left as well. There was nothing to do and no teachers could be bothered to just sit around for no reason. We also found out that our Emirati Vice Principal had been transferred. She had asked to be transferred to a school closer to her home, but in fact they moved her further out. Not only did I feel badly for her, but was also thrilled I had withdrawn my transfer request because they could have done the same to me. 

Also, I discovered that our copy ladies would not be returning. The schools are making cut backs and are now only allowing one person to be hired for copying and hospitality. I know it sounds lavish, but these ladies make me coffee anytime I ask for it. It's a spoiled life we live here. 

Once I was home from school we decided to go and have lunch at the golf club. Once we were home the kids went through their normal routine of playing and fighting. 

Stuart went to play golf around 5 pm so the kids and I met Karen and her girls for dinner at, wait for it, the golf club. We spent a couple of hours just chatting while the kids played cards, colored and played outside, yuck!

After I had the kids home and bathed, Kayleigh came over and stayed with them while I went to a leaving party for one of my teachers. I then met Stuart at the golf club and drove him home. 

I went to bed just before midnight and woke up around 5:30 am, my normal wake up time. I decided to lay back down and ended up sleeping until almost 9 am. Normally this would be okay, except that I NEVER sleep this late, especially with my two little 'alarm' clocks. I had a raging headache because of it. 

We had left my car at the golf club on Thursday night, and I needed to weigh in anyway, so we drove that way, only to discover I had left my car keys on the side table at home. Ugh! I also needed to stop to get lunch things for the kids. We had arranged a day with one of Jack's friends to go to Fun Block. In the end, his friend, Ben was unavailable so we checked to see if Xavier could come. 

We ran into the store on the way home from the club. Once we were home Stuart made sandwiches and I packed the rest of the stuff for lunches. The kids can eat in public during Ramadan, so taking a pack lunch to Fun Block was fine. However, I'm not sure ham sandwiches were fine. I didn't really think about that until the kids were eating. Oops!

The boys were awesome with the climbing. 

They met at the top of this structure. 

After about three hours of play, it was finally time for lunch. 

We set out for home and Xavier came with us. While we were out my earrings arrived. 

I'm in love with them. They are gorgeous!

The kids played for a few hours and then Leanne came over and we all had dinner. David had a leaving party so he missed the belly pork Stuart made. Shortly after dinner Leanne and Xavier left and the evening routine began. 

Saturday morning we got up and headed to Dubai. Occupying ourselves during Ramadan is not he easiest task because so many things are closed. However, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi it's more like 'business as usual'. We did some shopping, buying the kids new school shoes (black leather, school uniform will be a new concept to us) and Stuart some new hair clippers, which he used on Jack once we were home and they were charged. 

We had contemplated going to Build-A-Bear once we were home in Arizona, but then that would just mean more to stuff in our cases, so we had a trip to BAB in Dubai Mall. Jack and Millie are simple. Neither of them wanted any clothes or accessories for their new critters, which just meant we didn't spend as much money. Fine by me!

Both kids helped stuff their new friends. 

There was a heart ceremony that made Jack giggle a bit. And then they had to groom Rainbow Dash and Toothless, as well as fill out their birth certificate information. Both Stuart and I commented that we wished we would have thought up this concept. 

The final product!

Once we got home and Jack's hair was shaved off, the kids were showered, had eaten eggs on toast, and watched a movie, it was time to hit the hay. 

Stuart headed out to the rugby club for a beer with the Chairman, Sean. He got home just after 9 pm, and brought Sean in with him to have a beer at our house. Stuart peeked his head in and quickly said Sean was coming in. Since I'm usually in my jammies as soon as the kids are in bed, I had to run upstairs and get some clothes on. 

Sean stayed for a bit and then I was comfy again on the sofa in my jammies, watching the trash I love on Hulu. 

Just 5 more sleeps before we arrive in Arizona. We are all very excited for our time at home. 

The last week of school with children, officially.

We got up Sunday morning and the kids have Stuart an iPad cover for his iPad. Sadly, we now buy what he needs because he doesn't seem to want for anything. Then we were all off to school. 

Although the students at my school have been gone for weeks, this week is the official last week of school for students. The rumor is that we will be finished by June 30, although the calendar states we will be in school until July 5. It seems that the last day of Ramadan is considered a holiday, and that would be July 5. Those who know how things work around here suspect our employers won't make us come for Sunday and Monday only, rather will just give us the entire three days off. Time will tell. 

Sunday I worked on producing data for my principal. I also officially told her I had withdrawn my transfer request. We decided that we could figure out care for Jack and Millie and I could stay at the school where I know the ropes and love the English teachers who are my responsibility. I hear horror stories of other schools and I can't imagine choosing to go into a situation like that when I have an amazing position right now. So I'm staying. 

I didn't get all my data done on Sunday, but knew I had the rest of the week, or at least I thought I did. Our senior leadership team met at 10 am where I was informed I would need the date delivered to our School Improvemnt Teams by Tuesday morning. Super. Needless to say, I took it home and worked on it Sunday after the kids went to bed. 

When we got home from school the kids read for 20 minutes, then played upstairs, and then we headed to the pool. I swam laps and Stuart and the kids played in the pool. Some of our neighbors were at the pool so the kids had someone to play with. After some time in pool we headed to the restuarant to have dinner. During Ramadan they pull the curtains so no one can see us eat. It enables them to still serve food before sunset, as well as after sunset. 

Once dinner was over it was home time, shower time, Skype time with Grammie and Pop, and bedtime. 

Monday morning when Jack woke up he had a stomach ache and claimed he wasn't well enough to go to school. Because they are doing a lot of nothing at school, and I had an emergency day left for the year, I decided to stay home with him. Then of course Millie wanted to stay home. We are NEVER 'those' parents, but on that day, we were. 

Turns out he could have sucked it up and gone to school. He recovered well about halfway through the morning. I think school is boring right now and he would rather be at home. Unfortunately they will have to go to school until Thursday because that's how long we've paid the school and Kayleigh can't start staying with them until next Sunday. 

We watched movies on Monday afternoon since the kids couldn't go to friends' houses. The same rules apply in my home that applied when I was a child. If you do not go to school, then you do not go to friends' houses after school. 

Stuart left for rugby training just after the kids were in bed. I had a relaxing evening watching trash on Netflix. It's part of my daily routine and I love it. 

I got up and had my nearly 4 mile walk with Cathy on Tuesday morning. Every since I had surgery in January I have had slight issues in the poo department, which is where our story begins. On our walk Sunday I had some rumbly in my tumbly and was certainly concerned I would not make it back to my house. On Tuesday my bowels started to act up earlier in our walk. You guessed it, I crapped myself on the walk, literally. 

I felt the issue coming on over a mile from home and knew there would have to be a lot of concentration and sphincter squeezing. Sadly, it just wasn't enough. About a half mile from my house is a grocery store that I had hoped would be open, but when I sent Cathy back to check she discovered it was not open, and by that time it was too late. I already had exploded in my shorts. Good night nurse! Really? Now what? 

Cathy wanted to know if I wanted her to go get her car.  Uh, no! I wouldn't offer that to anyone that just soiled themselves. So then she suggested I sit down on the curb for a bit. I decided that was a good idea. I had on running shorts that had roomy legs, rather than spandex. At this point my only issue was going to be having dookie run down my legs as I walked the remainder of the way home. So, how do I keep that from happening? Well, of course I have to get the poo out of my granny panties. So, like one does, as I'm sitting on the curb with my knees by my face, I squish the poo out of the side of my pants. What kind of nightmare did I step into. It looked as if a dog had an upset stomach and relieved himself right there by the curb, oh but it wasn't a dog it was a grown woman who can no longer dictate when the urge for a movement will come. Super!

So with the majority of the problem behind me, no pun intended, I proceeded to walk home, thanking God the entire time that it was early in the morning and no one was out to see this shit show (literally). 

On my way home, with my left hand, because my right hand was not so clean, I messaged Stuart to tell him what had happened and asked him to keep the kids out of my site so they wouldn't see my issues. It's not that I have shame to tell this story to anyone who reads the blog, yet I don't want my children going to school telling their friends 'My mommy pooped her pants'. 

Fortunately, when I got to the house the kids were still in bed. I went upstairs and had no other choice but to step into the shower and start disrobing. I took off my shoes first and assessed they would need a tumble in the washer. I threw away my socks and then took off my draws, ditching them and my shorts, as one would assume. I showered, felt better, and the kids were none the wiser. 

After I was truly clean, Stuart asked my why I threw my shorts away. He said, 'Couldn't you have put them in the washer?'  Uh, not a chance! You can't make this shit up!

I didn't feel well all day. It seems Jack might have had a stomach bug and given it to me. My friends who are runners said that 'runner bum' is quite common. Oh, except I'm not a runner. It was only a 4 mile walk. 

After the eventful morning, I had a rather boring day, thank goodness. Once I was home and had my Ramadan nap, Cathy and her family as well as the O'Reillys came over for pizza. We are the only three families in our original group who are still in Al Ain. Each summer before we break up for summer holidays we always get together. It's a strong bond, we have, and our friendships have stood the test of time. 

Wednesday I went to school to discover my principal was out for the day. I came home as I wasn't feeling so hot. Stuart had come home as well. Maybe we were both home because there was nothing to do at work. We ended up starting to watch the new season of Orange is the New Black. 

Once the kids were home we went to buy their school uniforms, which wasn't cheap, and we didn't even get their PE kits or their black leather shoes yet. Boy this new school had better be worth the dough we are kicking out for it. 

Once the kids were showered, fed and in bed, I had to go to the mall to get teacher gifts and some souvenirs for my mom. Cathy and DeDe tagged along, which was nice. After our shopping was finished, we sat and had an iced tea at Tim Horton's. While we were there a Vice Principal Cathy knew came by and had a chat with Cathy. She shared some concerning news about 'randomly' releasing people from their contracts. Immediately DeDe and Cathy were concerned. I wasn't particularly concerned, but it was a strange thing for a Vice Principal to share. As we talked about it, we decided she was about the drama, and although some of the releases may have been random, it wasn't the English teachers she was talking about. As we continued to shop and try to calm down, we made a joke each time one of us talked about buying something. The comment was usually, 'you aren't going to need that because you aren't going to have a job tomorrow'. It eased the tension and made for a great laugh. 

As we were driving home, DeDe was actually sent the list of teachers who were being terminated. Because it was written in Arabic, she sent it to our friend, Hassah, and Hassah read it to us. As I suspected, none of our names were on the list. Whew!

Thursday, since it was a late night, Cathy and I decided not to walk in the morning. Once I was at school I discovered we had three teachers who were let go. They were specialists from other Arabic countries, and as far as we know it was a random approach. It was very sad because they were good teachers. 

Thursday was the kids' last day of school. They played once they were home while I sorted out their backpacks, as they brought all their school things home. 

Stuart went to pick up the Richardsons and brought them to our house for dinner. Then he took them to the airport. They were heading to Vietnam for two weeks. I was very jealous, but we think we might go there next summer as we are not coming back to the states next year. 

Friday morning around 4 am Jack crawled in our bed. Then Millie came in after Jack was up and downstairs. Millie has developed a fear of being alone in our house. She doesn't want to go anywhere without us. It seems the kids were watching an R.L.Stine show on television that was really scary. It was when we were having people over for dinner and it wasn't discovered until the scary bits had already been seen. Oops! So now we are dealing with that. 

Once we were up and about, I headed to Dubai with DeDe and a couple other gals for a shopping day. Being unable to eat or drink in public, in the past, would have been an issue for an all day outing. However, they now block off the food court so non-Muslims and kids can eat and drink as they please. 

Our initial stop was the Arte festival. However, since summer holidays are so close and during Ramadan things slow down, there were not that many vendors open. However, I did finally decide to buy a pair of earrings with my name written in Arabic. He said it would take about 4 days to make them so I should get them early next week. 

The blue part is my name in Arabic, which will be a little thicker, and then the rest will just be design around my name. I'm very excited. 

Once we discovered the Arte festival was a bit of a bust, we got a take away coffee and headed to Mall of the Emirates where we shopping for a bit and then had lunch at IHOP! After a little more shopping, we decided we weren't ready to go home, so we drove to yet another mall. Murdiff City Centre is close to the airport and one of my favorite malls in Dubai. Once we had walked around a bit more and bought a few more things, we decided to have dinner at Texas Roadhouse. All 4 of us on the shopping trip were Americans. We often take advantage of times we can get a taste of home. Once we were full of food it was time to go home. We didn't get home until almost midnight. It was one of those delightful surprises in my week. 

I got up Saturday and lounged around until around noon. Stuart went to his friend Sean's house to watch rugby. Rochelle and her kids came over just after lunch. She stayed for a couple of hours and we just caught up on the latest gossip. 

I ended up clearing out our refrigerator in the afternoon, made three batches of banana bread from the frozen bananas in the freezer, and sorted out and donated many of the kids' clothes and toys. I know we are sure to return from our holidays with many new clothes and toys, so weeding out right now is for the best. 

In the evening Stuart went out again to watch another rugby match. This week was another one gone. This time of year it is difficult to keep the kids occupied. It's too hot outside for much fun, everything is closed during the day because of Ramadan, and we are trying not to spend money for activities since vacation is just around the corner. 

The only disappointment of the week was the vote in the UK. Ugh! But on the bright side, it's only 10 days until we hit Arizona! Yahoo!

Books delivered for the next school year means I have something to do.

The books that are used in the UAE are consumable. This means that every year we receive 1 box of anthologies, 2 math books, and 4 science books for each child. For a school of almost 1000 students, this means we had 771 boxes of books delivered a little over a week ago. 

So it was my job to start moving books on Sunday. We have a large crew of cleaning staff, which would make any school principal in Arizona jealous. I had about 12 ladies helping me move these monstrous boxes from the nursery (which is supplied for our staff with young children who also have nannies) to our classrooms. We got all of the reading anthologies moved, yet none of the math or science books. I may save that until next week. 

After my strenuous day of moving boxes I decided I needed some retail therapy before going home. I stopped by the mall to buy my friend Cathy a birthday present, as her birthday was Tuesday and I was taking her for dinner that evening. I bought her an item from Pandora, and I may have also bought myself a jeweled ring as well. I stopped at the health food store and bought a birthday gift for a little boy's birthday party that would be Tuesday evening. I then returned home to get ready for my outing with Cathy. 

When I got home we all Stuart's birthday puzzles. Millie had some challenges with the edges, but Jack seems a bit spatially gifted, as assessed by his mother who used to be a gifted teacher. 

The kids showered and then Stuart was in charge for the rest of the evening. I picked Cathy up for her birthday dinner and we headed to yet another mall. We did a bit of shopping after our meal at TGI Fridays, but I bought nothing except for a dozen doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. I used my Entertainer vouchers so felt I had saved money on the purchase. 

I really expected the mall to be rammed as it normally is after the sun sets. However, there seem to be a few differences this Ramadan. Although the malls are open until 2 am, there wasn't a crowd at all on Sunday evening. It was a bit strange. 

This is what the puzzle looked like when I got home, just after 10 pm and the house was quiet. I set the kids' plates out for their feast of doughnuts the following morning. I was asleep on the sofa about 10 minutes after that, then was off to bed just after 11 pm. 

Monday I was up at 5 am to walk with Cathy as we have each day since Ramadan began and plan to do the rest of Ramadan. I'm actually enjoying it a great deal. Now, if I could just convince my principal that I need to be 45 minutes late each day in order to get my walk in, that would be great. Somehow I think she won't go for it. 

I got to school and made sure everyone had turned in their evaluation. Besides that I didn't do much of anything all day on Monday. My arms and shoulders were so sore from lifting over 400 boxes the day before, so I felt being lazy on Monday was fine. 

Clare and Scott came by after school for a cup of tea. Henry had an appointment at the hospital close to our house so they popped in for a bit. When they left it was only 4 pm. What are we to do with all this time? 

The kids played a bit after the Richardsons left, and then the nightly routines ensued. While I was washing and feeding kids, Stuart went to have the oil changed in his car. Just as he pulled in to the petrol station his front right tire blow out. He ended up getting 4 new tires because there was a bolt in another one. His car was probably due new tires, but it's an irritatingly necessary expense that I don't like. 

Once he was home, he left again for a meeting at the club. He went a bit early and had dinner. The kids and I finished watching Big Hero 6, and then it was bed time for all of us. 

On Tuesday morning when we were waving the kids goodbye, I inquired about which tire on the car had the blowout. Stuart told me it was the front right. I then confessed, 'I might have rolled that tire up on a curb yesterday. Could that have caused the blowout?'  Good job that man loves me!

I had training on Tuesday about differentiated instruction, because I've never had that kind of training before. Until all of the western teachers get on the same page about the different approaches to learning, teaching other teachers is not going to happen. 

Once I was home I went with Clare to Dubai to deliver her friend's dog back to her. They had been dog sitting for nearly two weeks and Avia, the owner, had returned from her holiday. It was an excuse to go to Karama, the knock off hand bag district. You would think a place like Dubai would not house such shady goods, but to my delight, they do! Avia, Clare and myself all purchased some beautiful fake bags. I bought a Louis Vuitton carry-all bag. I don't know enough about the real ones, except for the price, to know the difference. So of course I love it and flaunt it!

While I was in Dubai, Stuart took the kids to a birthday party at the rugby club. I didn't get home until around 10 pm, but it was worth it. I got a genuine fake Louis Vuitton bag. When I got home the house was quiet. It was glorious. 

Wednesday morning Stuart and I decided we would take an emergency day. He knew he would most likely have to spend the rest of his school days proctoring exams and scoring them, so Wednesday was the only day we could have off together. It was wonderful. 

We ran some errands that happened to take us by the Jeep dealership. What? I love the Jeep Wrangler so much. The new style is so beautiful. Don't get me wrong, Jeeps are total crap cars, but they look fantastic. I think it will be the purchase I make when I get back to Arizona for good.  

Then we decided to have a date night. So, after the kids were in bed, Kayleigh came over and we went out to dinner. We also did some shopping. Since we have both lost weight recently, we really were in need of some new clothes. But of course we are saving our healthy purchasing for when we get home. Clothes are much cheaper in the states and we have our stores that we miss. 

Thursday I went to school just long enough to send out some emails and then headed to another training. This training was essentially Writer's Workshop for ELL students. Been there, done that. However, the two teachers I took with me were very excited with the possibilities of what we could do with the ideas in our school. So I am going to let them lead the charge. 

After training I went to the bank and then the grocery store. Once I was home we all laid around and did a whole lot of nothing. We tried to get some of our friends to go to the pool with us, but no one was available. So we kept our lazy tails home. 

When Jack said he was hungry after school on Thursday I told him he knew where the food was. He said, 'But I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.' I told him he knew how to make one himself. And lo and behold, look who made his own pbj! 

Stuart, on the other hand, didn't want a snack, he wanted a nap. 

Our evening was terribly uneventful, and we are surely ready to have some excitement. So glad we are less than three weeks from summer holidays. 

Friday morning we were up and preparing for our Bacon and Beer Fest at the Richardsons. Stuart made my brothers bacon potato salad, crispy pork, and grilled chorizo, while I made bacon wrapped dates. Once it was all in the preparation stage we took a break to get some jobs done. 

Bacon wrapped dates with roasted pepper and sour cream dip. 

Potatoes set to boil. The bacon to the right was for breakfast that morning. 

Crispy pork was put in the oven early. 

While the pork was cooking, Millie and I decided to clean the kids' bikes. It's way too hot to ride them now and we always put them indoors while we are on vacation so they don't get more weather damage. We decided to do it a bit early this year. 

The pork and beer fest was even more eventful with a water balloon fight. 

Millie was fired up and ready to smear someone. 

Clearly none of the children had fun. You can see by Stuart's shirt that he might have been hit by a balloon as well. We had a lovely time with friends and it was a bit of a farewell to everyone until we meet again, either here, for those of us staying another year, or in another place and another time, for those going back to their home country. It's always a little bittersweet this time of year. 

Saturday morning the kids and I, Cathy, Rochelle and her kids, went to see Finding Dory. We had watched Findig Nemo before when we first got up so we were ready. Finding Dory was adorable! I just love Disney films. The kids loved it as well. 

Stuart went to watch rugby while we were at the movies, and the plan was to meet up around 4 pm at the Richardsons. They had some serious excess of bacon products they needed to be eaten. It was a bacon weekend. 

The O'Riellys were at the Richardsons as well. They came with our group three years ago, if you'll remember, and we remain good friends to this day. It was lovely to see them. 

The kids had their showers and then we were in the car on the way home. As Millie almost always does, she fell asleep. She loves her sleep for sure. We all followed her shortly, as we had another week of school to endure. 

18 more days until we get on that jet. We are getting very excited. 

Ramadan Kareem!

Sunday we were on our normal hours. We knew Ramadan hours would probably be Monday, but we're not positive since the moon sighting had not taken place. 

Wafa, our Vice Principal, provided a spread for all of the staff. We had awards and gifts were presented, as they always are at the end of the year. 

The buffet spreads that people supply are unreal and over the top. 

Our social workers bought me a pair of earrings. 

We had parent/teacher conferences at the kids' school. Both teachers said the kids were doing well. We are just glad the year is over and next year they will be going to one of the top 3 schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Millie has had a non-productive year, but that will all be fixed at Brighton College. Thank goodness!

We were given a great deal of work the kids had done this year. This little treasure was on a poster the entire class contributed to. Jack wrote a segment of his own version of the Gruffalo. It was a party invitation. Notice the RSVP? That's my actual phone number at the side. Thanks, son. 

Once we were home, Scott and the kids came over for leftovers. Stuart made bubble and squeak out of the vegetables we had left over from Saturday's dinner, then bought some savory pies at the grocery store. 

The kids watched some R.L.Stine short films, which were scary and caused Millie to not want to go to bed. Oops! That was a fine parenting moment for sure. 

Once the Richardsons had gone and the kids were in bed, Cathy came over for a chat. We had a nice catch up and decided we would start walking in the mornings once Ramadan hours started. 

Late Sunday night it was announced that Ramadan would begin the following day which meant shorter work hours for everyone. The newspaper had said we would work for 5 hours, so imagine our surprise when our principal announced we would be working from 8 am to noon each day. We all looked around but no one dared to ask her about it. We just took it as gospel and decided we would follow our fearless leader's lead. 

Monday morning, while Stuart still snoozed, I got up and walked 4 miles. Cathy was with me and DeDe went with us as well. It was a good hour of walking, but DeDe overdid it. She hadn't been well for a few weeks and it may have been too much for her the first time out. 

I got back to the house a little later than I had planned, which put me a bit behind. So it was decided that we would meet 15 minutes earlier the following day. 

Once I was at school boredom set in quickly. Some of my staff were still working on tidying their classrooms, while others were finishing up their data and grades, still yet others were relaxing and playing board games. They do their best to stay engaged in something having to do with school, but it's virtually impossible. 

As soon as we were able to leave I headed to Spinneys (the grocery store) and it just so happened that 8 of my teachers did as well. So it felt like a slight reunion in the super market. 

Stuart and I were both home for over an hour before the kids got home. Their hours had been shortened as well, but not as short as my hours. 

We implemented some new rules this week that have helped to keep them occupied for over an hour each day when they get home. After they did their after school 'chores' they were begging to go to Sammy and Michael's house. And although Jack translated 3:45 into 4:30 as the time to be home, they had fun and were shower bound once they returned. 

They ate dinner and settled in for a Harry Potter film. Stuart was off to a committee meeting at the rugby club, while the kids and I cuddled up in blankets as we have difficulty getting our air conditioner to a perfect temperature. I suppose I would rather it be cold than hot. 

Tuesday was more of the same at work. I actually left early to take one of my teachers back to Al Ain. She doesn't drive and needed a lift to go to an appointment in Dubai that afternoon. 

I decided to stop by the grocery store....again....for some items I can only get at LuLus. There are not a lot of grocery stores here and sadly they don't all stock the same things. So although I go to the store quite regularly, I don't buy a ton of items. I just have to go to different stores to get everything I need. 

Once I was home, still almost an hour before the kids, Stuart and I sat down for a little Dr. Who. The kids finally got home and started in on their 'Before screen time' chart. They didn't exactly go in order, but all the same they have started to adapt to the routine. 

There ended up not being any screen time because we decided to go swimming at the club. Rochelle and her kids were there and they played very nicely together. We ended up feeding the kids at the club as well. It's just sometimes the easiest way. They have a limited menu during Ramadan, mostly fried foods, so that left me out entirely. 

Once the kids were home and showered, Stuart had fixed us chicken and vegetables so we ate, and then I took the kids up to their rooms for a song and sleepy time. The rest of the evening was spent snoozing in front of the television. Shocking, I know. 

Wednesday I was up early and walking my 3.5 miles with Cathy. The third day was even easier than the first two. Once I was home and showered, the same routine of the first few days of Ramadan commenced. The kids were picked up by their driver, Stuart left for work, and I enjoyed my second cup of coffee before heading to my school. 

I actually had work to do on Wednesday, well at least for half of the time I was there. I handed out evaluations and told the teachers if they didn't agree with something they could schedule a meeting with the principal. Most teachers signed them and gave them back to me, which is exactly what I would do. 

Kids went to Siiri's for a party. They didn't get home until after 7 pm. In the meantime, Stuart fixed us dinner and we found it rather weird that we were eating dinner at home without the kids. 

Thursday we were up and out as usual. Stuart picked the kids up from school just after 12:30 pm and we headed to Dubai. Every year we go to Atlantis on the Palm for a little water park action. Although we were booked in at Atlantis for Friday night the special deal we got was not available for the Thursday evening. So we just collectively decided to go to the hotel we stayed in when we did our mile swim. It was an excellent choice. 

Stuart and I were able to leave around 1:30 pm and arrived just after 3 pm at the hotel. We went up to our room and ended up getting our suits on and heading down to the pool. We were shocked to find out that the pool bar was serving drinks. During Ramadan no bar is allowed to serve alcoholic beverages until after Iftar (the sunset meal time). When we asked about it the bartender said this is he first year the resorts have been allowed to serve booze before sunset. I can only assume the resorts have been losing too much money over the last few years and, sadly, money wins. 

As you can see, Stuart and the rest of our group took advantage of the bar service. 

Once everyone had arrived and were down at the pool, the kids wanted to go to the beach for a bit. Leanne and I took them down and took some pictures. They found some seashells and wanted to bring them home. We conveniently forgot them in the hotel room when we checked out the following morning. 

The diva and her poses are sometimes too much for me. 

Of course Leanne and I had to pose on the cabana loungers. 

Once we were all water logged we headed up to take showers. We then convened in our room to order room service for dinner. None of us were in the mood for a walk to the marina, so room service would do. 

We got up Friday morning, ate breakfast, and headed for Atlantis. Once we were all checked in we headed to the water park for a day of fun. We had rented a cabana to come back to throughout the day for a rest and some shade. It was awesome. 

This was all of us under the shaded area of our cabana. Millie looks thrilled, as seen in this picture. 

Here was a view from the edge of our cabana. There was plenty of space for 15 of us and we had our own waiter. It was great. 

The kids were eating lunch and chillin' out. 

After a day of sun and fun we headed to our room for showers. We seemed to have been upgraded to a nicer room. It was on the corner and had a great deal more space than the ones we normally stay in. It was nice. 

The beds were even big enough for the kids to share one. 

And the view was splendid as usual. 

Once we were all clean and dressed, we headed down for dinner. A table for 15 is not easy to come by so of course we booked it as soon as we were checking in that morning. Dinner was delish as always. Millie was wiped out and fell asleep on my lap just after 8 pm. We all retired just before 9 with some very tired children. 

We had planned to be at breakfast at 7:30 am. Stuart asked me if I thought we should set an alarm. I told him we'd be up and not to bother. Well, I did wake up at 5:30 am, but then went back to sleep, which I never do. The next thing I knew, Stuart was walking around the room and I read the clock as 7:08 am. Guess we should have set an alarm. We all hustled around and actually made it to breakfast by 7:30 am. 

After breakfast we checked out, but still had a full day at the water park if we wanted it. We ended up going to the park and riding some of the rides for about 3 hours. We then went to the hotel pool for about an hour. By 2 o'clock we were all wiped out and hungry. We decided to have a bite to eat at the hotel outside bar. 

Once we finished eating, we changed our clothes in the bathrooms and then it was time for our trip back to our 'reality' in Al Ain. 

I really thought the kids would sleep on the trip home, but not a wink. Once we got home all the fun began. I started laundry, the kids showered, and Stuart helped unpack the suitcase. 

Millie was asleep on the sofa by 7 pm. Stuart went to watch the Ireland vs South Africa rugby match while Jack and I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks for the millionth time. 

Another awesome week in the UAE. Just 24 days until we are on holiday and another school year is behind us.