Last week of rugby for Jack

Sunday was school business as usual; kids fighting, teachers late to class, lesson plans not emailed to me, and so on. I've gotten to where I expect these glitches and it's just a part of the experience. 

After school I met another Head of Faculty for coffee. She told me about the new job she was getting and the perks. It seems that private schools are the way to go. I left the coffee house just in time to get Millie and take her to gymnastics. We found out that her friend Kiera was in her class. I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  

Because Jack went to rugby with Stuart and was planning on eating at the rugby club, I decided to make things easy on myself as well and feed Millie the ever so nutritious McDonalds. She insisted on eating it in the car, which just sped everything up for me. This meant bedtime was closet. Because she had taken a cat nap in the car on her way home from school, although I attempted to put her to bed at 7 pm, she wasn't asleep until after 8 pm.  Jack was home and asleep well before she was. 

Monday after school I went to meet some of my lady friends for a meal. I went to the far north part of town. We sat and talked for about 2 hours. Me being out meant that Stuart was on his own again. Mr. Mom suites him. Kayleigh came over around 6 so Stuart could go to rugby. I got home about 7:30 and put the kids to bed. Although I love an afternoon out with the girls, it just delays me getting the other things done that I need to do. 

Tuesday I supplied my teachers with breakfast treats. I had heard so many other Heads of Faculty talk badly about their English teachers and how they were late turning things in, didn't bother to do things, and other horrible stories. So I decided to show a bit of appreciation for my teachers. I had to go out and get the treats from a store that was supposed to open at 9 am. But no one was there to open the store until 9:06 am. It's just how it is here. I got back to school at 9:30 am and the teachers flooded in and out all day. They were very appreciative and I think they felt the love. 

Tuesday evening was officially Jack's last rugby training and what they called an Open Day. They mixed up all the Under 8s, 7s, and 6s and let them play together. They also decided to the let the siblings play. Millie was on Jack's team. It was the funniest thing I've seen in a while. Millie got the ball once and ran all the way down for the try. The only problem was she ran WAY out of bounds. But she thought she scored the try, so I wasn't going to spoil it for her. She is quick as a cat and too tiny for kids to grab her flags. She thought she was the star. And Jack was so sweet with her. He continually tried to make sure he passed the ball to her. He proved his maturity and love for her all at one time. 

They took a break at the same time. 

All three of my rugby stars. The picture isn't very clear, but they are all there. Jack's New Zealand friend, Kennedy, is standing on the far right.  

Wednesday I had a training on differentiated instruction, because I've never had that before. The training we have here is often a repeat of what I've learned from years gone by, so sometimes I wonder why we go to the trouble. But I get to spend a day out of school so I suppose not all is lost. 

I ended up having to go back to school for professional development. I was leading it so of course I had to be there. 

Millie had gymnastics. When we got home Millie showered and ate her fish fingers, while Jack showered and got ready for his sushi date with Daddy. Since I can't have rice, Millie only eats the rice, and my tummy is no longer suited for buffets, it seemed fitting for them to have a boys' night out. We had promised the kids that once rugby was over we would start having date nights with each of them. 

Jack said he ate way more than his daddy, which could be very true. 

Thursday I left school early, we picked the kids up from school, and took Millie to her play assessment at Brighton College before heading to Dubai for the weekend. At the time we were at Brighton College the head of the junior school was leading us around. We were encouraged by the admissions person to introduce ourselves and remind her we had put our resumes in for a job at Brighton. We did. She seemed a little baffled at first, but then warmed up to us. 

She was dressed to impress. 

As the head of the junior school led the kids to their assessment rooms, Millie was the first one in line. This kid is fearful of nothing. There were probably 15 students there and she just marched up to the front and followed with confidence. 

After Millie's 'assessment' we were off to Dubai. We arrived just after 5 pm and were told we were upgraded to an ocean view. Ok, we'll take it. The marina was quite a sight. 

This is the exact marina where Clare and I did our mile swim. Ah memories. 

Henry, May, Millie and Jack are standing on the marina. These are quite privileged kids, if you ask me. 

We decided to walk down the marina to find something to eat. We ended up eating at Nandos. It was about 8 pm when we got back to the hotel. The kids had a bath and then watched a bit of Disney before drifting off to the land of nod.  

We were up at half past 6 and down to breakfast by 7:30. Uncle James was in the lobby when we got off the elevator. He was on his way to London and purposely made a one day stop over to spend time with us. 

We had breakfast and then were back into the room to get our swimmers on for the day. We headed to the pool and the kids had a swim while I soaked up the beautiful 75 degree weather. Stuart and James went to find James a shirt to wear for dinner. It seems he left his in his hotel which was about a 20 minute cab ride away. They didn't find one, but we were sure they would still let him into the restaurant. We were going to chance it. 

Around 11:30 am we headed to the Dubai Marina Yatch Club where we boarded an 85 foot Yatch. Because we were celebrating Clare's birthday we were all treated to a tour and banana boating in the gulf for the day. I love this life we live. 

The Black Pearl was her name. 

The kids were all protected and ready to set sail. 

James seems to have arrived on a good day. Stuart was so thrilled to have him there. We have seen Uncle James more in the past 2 years than we could have imagined. It's been wonderful. 

Jack is on the far right. His friend to his left is Henry and the far left is Finn. They were getting ready to go on the water tube. 

We all jumped off the boat into the gulf. You can see that my thumb got in the way. Oops!

Stuart and I took this opportunity to show our new skinny faces. 

Scott went with Millie on the tube ride. 

Our boat tour, although wonderful, seemed way too short. Everyone had a great time and may have caught a bit of the sun. Once we were off the boat we caught cabs back to the hotel. On the way, in the cab, Millie fell asleep. So while James, Stuart and Jack hit the pool back at the hotel, Millie and I went up to the room. Millie continued to sleep while I showered and got ready for dinner that evening. Since there would be five of us using our shower, it probably worked out best that Millie fell asleep forcing us to go to the room. I woke Millie just before six so she would be bathed and ready once the boys returned. 

Once the boys were back and showered, we headed to the finest steak house I have ever been to. It was just at the hotel next door so of course we walked. 

Although the outfits were not planned to match, we decided we could start a singing group. 

Dinner was wonderful. The kids, 13 of them, sat off to our right, while the adults, 14 of us, resided at our own table. We sat outside and the weather was perfect. The kids were angels right to the very end of the evening. Uncle James headed back to his hotel for a sleep before meeting up with Auntie Lou and Billy the following morning for their flight to London. Stuart took the kids upstairs to bed while I paid out portion of the bill. It was a fantastic day. 

We met the Richardsons downstairs for breakfast at 8 am. We then spent the morning in the pool before showering, checking out and hitting our Park and Shop Cash and Carry store that often has products in it we can't find anywhere else. After spending too much money in that store, we had a bite to eat. Then we were off to Al Ain. 

Once we were home and Millie was well rested after her hour nap in the car, we unpacked as the kids rested on the sofa and watched a movie. I got laundry started and then remembered that our drier had nearly blown up a few days prior. Stuart bought a plug and replaced it, but the outlet where the drier was plugged in was broken/burned out/screwed up. I think we are probably pretty fortunate the place didn't burn down.

After Stuart replaced the plug he took an extension chord and plugged it into a different outlet. This wasn't until after I had hung the first load of finished laundry, but I didn't really care. I was just impressed he knew how to replace a plug on an appliance. 

Once the laundry was sorted the kids went upstairs and I read books. Millie was bouncing off the walls. Naps are not our friend. After a couple of hours of her screaming, coming downstairs, asking for daddy to come up and sing, and a little reminder on the butt why we don't disobey, she finally fell asleep just after 8 pm. 

Stuart and I watched Clash of the Titans and then were off to bed. I actually watched the movie through my eyelids, as I often do. 

We are one week closer to Sri Lanka. Yahoo!

Too far until spring break

Sunday I had one observation and then went home. I wasn't well at all. My stomach had given me trouble the night before. I figured it was something I ate that my stomach decided was not good for my body. I guess it's all part of the process. 

I didn't go to rugby, but stayed home and painted Millie's nails. It's the only way she will stay home with me. Jack and Stuart got home just as I was putting Millie to bed. Jack had hot dogs, 4 exactly (meat only) and green beans. Then he was off to bed. 

Monday school was rough. At the end of the day I decided to do as Elsa from Frozen would do, and 'Let it go!'  It's really the only way I can stand it all. Investing time and energy doesn't always pay off in this system. It's deflating, but a part of life I guess. 

I got home and took Jack to the dentist for a check up and cleaning. The dentist said his permanent teeth on the bottom were not fully erected so she shaved down the ones on either side to give more room for his permanent ones to grow in. She shaved some baby teeth so no harm was done. He also had his molars sealed so he would have them protected from cavities. The insurance didn't cover the cleaning and we paid 20% for the seals. So the total charge was $145, which I thought was pretty good. 

He was a trooper and I owed him big time for this. He didn't really know what was going to happen and neither did I. Oops! Thank goodness he came first because Millie was going to be a whole different story when she came on Tuesday. 

Little did we know he would be in the chair for almost an hour. Ugh!

Once we were home and he got over the horrible taste of the flouride he couldn't rinse out for a half hour, he showered and relaxed. Then he was able to eat and regain some control. Poor kid. He stayed brave while in there, but couldn't hold it together after the dentist. Once he was fed, all was well. 

Once the kids were in bed, Stuart was gone to rugby, and Kayleigh was over to babysit, I was off for my one month check up with the doctor and dietician. I didn't make an appointment because the doctor told me after my surgery that all I had to do was show up and there was no fee so I thought that meant I didn't have to have an appointment either. Wrong!  After making an appointment and finding out he still had two patients before me, I decided to shoot up to the dietician. When I got there she was with another woman and a gentleman was waiting to see her. Because there are separate waiting rooms for men and women, he had to wait somewhere else and the lady at the front desk said she would call him when the dietician was ready for him. He came back about 10 minutes later and insisted that she was seeing another patient and his turn had passed. Well, of course I had to pipe in and say, 'No, actually that is the same woman because I am waiting as well and no one has come out of that office.'  That shut him up, he stormed off, which I assumed meant I was next in line now. Yahoo for me!

I saw the nutritionist, who gave me no more information than I already had. I decided that I would probably not need to see her again, especially since she charges $35 a visit.  No need for that expense since I can read information online just like the next person. I finally saw the doctor who was pleased with my progress. I got vitamins and a B12/B6 shot, and it only took 2 hours. 

School was better on Tuesday primary because I ignored the negative and got on with my job. 

When I got home from school I took Millie to the dentist. Because it was her first ever visit she had an exam and a cleaning. She was a trooper and didn't whine or cry once. 

She was very cooperative, much to my surprise. 

She had her teeth cleaned and got to wear these cool shades. 

Wednesday I had training for our yearly exams. It was riveting. As much as I would love to believe they take the testing as seriously as they do in the states, it's just not true. Those exams will be in 3 more weeks and then school is basically over, or at least according to the children. 

After my training I decided to go to the gymnastics place close to our house. I signed Millie up for 12 sessions. We will see if she likes it and if so we will continue. She started Saturday. 

After school because Jack didn't have piano lessons again, the kids played with some of their friends after homework was done. I went to the dentist for my cleaning as the kids were eating dinner. 

The dentist, a lady of course, x-rayed my teeth and there was nothing wrong with them, thank goodness and surprising since I hadn't been to the dentist is over 3 years. She also cleaned them, but not before removing some of the stains from my teeth with what I can only describe as a sand blaster. She sprayed it around my mouth and the residue got all over my face. Thank goodness I had goggles on. It made my gums bleed, but I think it was part of the cleaning process as well. It was salt based and my teeth really did feel good after she was finished, but boy did it hurt during the process. 

Thursday after school we did our weekly shopping and fed the kids at McDonalds. Just as the kids were finishing their meal, Scott messaged and said they were going to eat at the rugby club. Well, we decided to at least let the kids go there and play. We stayed for a couple of hours and then it was a rush to get the kids home for showers so I could head off to my first Arabic engagement party. 

Cathy went with me. The lady who invited me was Azza. I met her at the House of Arts while Jack was taking piano lessons. She was so sweet, and since I have discovered she knows a lot of the same people I know. 

It was such a wonderful experience. Unlike an Emirati wedding, which you walk into and sit down at dinner tables that are set up in a conference style setting, all seats facing the front stage, the engagement party was held by Egyptians. All Arabic cultures do things differently. There was dancing when we first came in. It was still just all women, but it was way more relaxed and there was a lot more music and it was more of a party atmosphere. We got there around 8 pm and the engaged couple, who was Azza's brother, came in at about 9 pm. They walked in as if they were walking down the aisle. It was ceremonial for sure. They then went away for a while, came back, and then the engagement jewels were presented to everyone and the couple put them on as well. They were gorgeous. 

There were a lot of diamonds. 

The couple then cut a cake and went to the buffet to get some food. Cathy and I followed because we were instructed to do so. It was a great party. The part that was unusual was that the engagement happened the previous Sunday and it was a surprise to the to-be-groom and the to-be-bride. It seems that the groom's father is in the UAE for just a short time. They went to some friends' house and while they were there the father announces that the family is there to ask for the daughter's hand in marriage to Ibrahim, the very surprised groom-to-be. This is how some of traditions of Islam play out. We were under the impression that Ibrahim was trying to get used to the idea. 

Friday morning we got up and headed to the club. We weighed in and Stuart stayed for the day because the Olympic qualifying rugby teams were playing all day. 

I spent most of the morning sorting through some clothes to give to the collection for the Fijians who were effected by the cyclone that hit them recently. I gathered up 2 bags of clothes that were either worn out or I hadn't worn in over a year. 

I did one more exciting thing on Friday morning. I booked our holiday to Sri Lanka! Oooo, I'm so excited. We are staying at a beach resort called Mount Laninia Hotel. It looks fantastic. We also hope to visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage just about 50 miles from our resort. With all the traveling we have done, we have never had a holiday with just the four of us. We have always either traveled with friends or family. I am really looking forward to it. The thought of this trip will help me to press on for the next 4 weeks of school. 

We headed to the pool just after 1 pm for our official first swim of the summer season. 

Winter is officially over in Al Ain. 

After the swim we went to the pitch side of the club and waited for Stuart to play at 5 pm. They got beat by 2 points, but it was a good match. Some of the teams they play against have a roster of about 100 people to choose from each week because they are from much bigger cities where the expat population is much lager. The average age on the other teams is probably about 28 years old, whereas the average age on the Al Ain Amblers team is probably about 35 years old. They do really well considering they all play every week and are not as young and spry as their opponents. 

Stuart stayed at the club and listened to the band the club paid for. Since he is a committee member he is expected to support things such as that. The kids and I headed home for bed. 

Saturday morning we got up and watched some movies while Stuart went to the club to clean up from Friday night. He then headed to the grocery store for meat. The Rouvis decided to have a meat fest at their house. 

We headed there around noon. It was the hottest day of the year so far and we were all sweating up a storm. The kids rode their bikes and played outside all afternoon, not caring about the heat. 

Millie and I left the Rouvis around 4 pm to go to her first gymnastics class. She had a new little outfit and everything. She was so excited. 

I'm not sure what you call this but she seemed really good at it. 

And doesn't she look cute?

There were only three children in her class. It was an hour long and she loved it. We got in the car and she said, 'I listened really well, Mama.' I complimented her on paying attention and listening, then I told her that when the teacher was trying to correct her, she didn't need to say, 'I know. I know.'  I told her we pay money for the teacher to make corrections and help her get better. She said, 'But I do know how to do a crab walk,' which, might I add, she kept crumbling to the ground because she was moving too fast. This was what the teacher was trying to point out. 

After we left gymnastics we headed to the club to pick up Jack and Stuart. We stayed for about half an hour so Millie didn't feel slighted, then headed home for showers, a bowl of cereal and bed. 

We had a very full week and I might need another weekend to recover from all the activity. 

Second week back, and things are better!

Although my throat was killing me on Sunday and I had a bit of a cold, the day went smoother and I wasn't as exhausted. I'm sure it will just get easier as time goes by. 

I had to cover a grade 3 boys' class during 6th period. Fortunately, I had mentioned to the Arabic teacher that I needed her classroom for this class. When I got in the room she had set up cartoons to play on the smart board. Easy enough!

Sunday evening was the rugby routine as usual and we've made it a habit getting the kids their supper there each Sunday. Since Stuart gets the meals for half price, you really can't beat getting two plates of spaghetti and two servings of French fries for about $9. The best part is I don't have to make it. 

Monday I had an observation and a lot of frustration from my social worker and others who were not exactly doing their jobs. But we take the good with the bad I suppose. 

Monday night Stuart was off to the club and Millie fell asleep on the sofa just after 6, as she often does. Once the kids were in bed, I was back down on the sofa for my own little winter's nap. 

Tuesday I was only at school for about an hour and then headed off to the girls' math competition at the local college. My 5th grade girls won 3rd place, which I thought was really good. After the competition, since I had driven there because we all have bus monitors who ride the buses with the students, I headed to the mall to meet Stuart to get our annual pair of sunglasses. Except instead of one pair, this year we both bought 2 pair for about the same price as our single pair each, last year. 

Once we were home I trucked the kids off to get their hair cut, did a bit of shopping for essential things, like Coco Pops, and then headed home to put on work out clothes. Yes, I went to the gym on Tuesday evening. Scott rode the stationary bike next to me. He got a concussion about 2 weeks ago and hasn't been able to exercise. However, he can at least ride a stationary bike. So we both chose that as our exercise for the evening. For the past three weeks we have just been sitting at the bar and chatting. I guess it's time for both of us to get back at it. 

We were home just after 6:30 pm, the kids had some cereal because they had eaten before we went to the club, then they were off to bed. Stuart and I sat down to watch the X Files movie. We have spent the last several months watching the X Fules from the beginning in order to be able to watch the new series now on FX. Stuart fell asleep during the film, which is usually my job. I watched the entire thing and was so proud of myself. 

Wednesday I was off to the boys' math championship competition. My grade 5 boys were the only team that made it into the finals from my school. Stuart's grade 4 boys made it, so he was there too. He was in charge of the entire competition so I'm glad at least one of his teams got into the final round. 

Once the competition was over and my boys had come in last, it was time to get on the bus and lick our wounds. We got back to school just in time for dismissal. Wednesday is one of our long days so I didn't get to leave until 2:30 pm. Oh poor me.

When I was on my way home I got a message from Jack's piano teacher saying she had to go to the doctor. She is about 3 weeks from having a baby so piano lessons may stop earlier than we had anticipated. Since Jack's lesson was canceled, I decided to stop at the grocery store to get some necessities. 

Once I was home, kids finished their homework, which Millie actually had for the first time this year, and then played until it was time for dinner. Once Stuart was off to rugby and the kids were in bed, I settled in for my weekly catch up of the Bachelor. 

Thursday at school I became increasingly aggitated at our social workers and our student services Vice Principal, in charge of behavior. This country still has a long way to go before things really do change. There is still a great deal of training that needs to take place. But, not my job. So I will just keep doing what I can to help move things forward. 

Thursday after school we opted to go have dinner at the rugby club and let the kids play around a bit. Scott, Clare and their kids joined us. We were home by 7:30 pm and the kids were in bed by 8 pm. Of course I was asleep in the sofa shortly after that, as I always am. 

Friday morning we got up and Stuart and the kids headed to the rugby club. The men's rugby teams were having a men's breakfast, and taking team photos. I got a few hours to myself. I went shopping with Clare and bought a few unneeded items. 

Stuart is right in the middle, and notice the little ball boy on the left. 

We headed to the club around 3 pm to watch the men's team play. Stuart had an excellent game. He is getting trim and playing harder each match. He made a play that caused one of his teammates to score a try. He was so pleased. It was awesome! It's so fun to watch his love of this crazy game. 

Saturday morning we went to Scott and Clare's for breakfast. I had actually forgotten she had invited us and when I got her text, and realized the sausage in the acti-fry were almost ready and Stuart was about to make the eggs, I piped up and we packed up the good and headed down. 

We left there just before noon to do our weekly shopping, which has gotten smaller since Stuart and I are both eating a lot less than before. I would guess our food bill has been cut in half over the last month, which is a nice treat. 

Once the shopping was done, we were home, relaxing for the remainder of the day. Jack had a moment of forgetting who the boss was while we were in the grocery store and was not allowed out of the house for the rest of the day. I'm not sure who was punished more, him or us. I'm not ready for the haughty attitude. 

He did, however, show me one of his new tricks on the way home from the store. Impressive!

We watched movies for the rest of the day, and the kids played upstairs for part of that time. Our life is so rough and we love it!

Back to work!

Sunday I was exhausted being back at work. I walked up the stairs to my office and then needed a nap. After school I rested for a while on the sofa. Then we went to rugby practice and I walked three times around the pitches, which might have been a mile. We ordered take out for the kids, bathed them and tucked them into bed. I fell asleep on the sofa just about 8 pm, then moved to my bed once Stuart turned the television off. 

Monday was not much different, but at least when I got home on Monday I could relax, put my jammies on, and settle into the evening. Jack had a ton of homework and then practiced his piano, while Millie flitted around talking to herself. 

Tuesday my girls at school attended a math competition. My 3rd graders won first place and my 5th graders won 2nd place. Both teams will go on to the Final Competition at a local college next week. 

Once we were all home on Tuesday, we headed to Millie and Jack's school for parent/teacher meetings. We met with Millie's teacher first. She said Millie is doing really well with math, but is getting letters reversed in English. She said Millie leaves the class without permission and talks too much. When the teacher said this I looked at Millie and told her it was unsafe for her to just leave the classroom without asking her teacher. Millie started to cry. At this point her teacher said, 'I tell Millie that I will call her dad if she doesn't tell me the next time and she just says 'ok'. She is more afraid of you than her dad'. This cracked me up. We do play good cop/bad cop for sure. I'm okay with being the bad cop. Daddy's girl has him wrapped around her little finger. We told her we were so proud of how she was doing in school, but that everyone had something they needed to work on. We didn't even address the 'talking too much' thing other than to say she needs to listen when the teacher is giving directions. She comes honestly by the talking thing. No one will ever stop that!

We were running late to rugby so I just stepped into Jack's class briefly to speak with his teacher. She said he was doing really well, but recently he has been coming to her to clarify directions or ask about something to be explained again. She said she's not totally sure he is paying attention. We do worry about ADD as it runs in the family. So we will keep an eye on this so that it doesn't hinder his academics. She said he is really bright and is above grade level in all areas, which was so exciting to hear. 

Once we left the school we hustled home to get Jack's cleats and so Stuart could change for rugby. We went to the rugby club and while I had a chat with Scott and Clare, the kids and Stuart were out on the pitch having their own fun. Once we were home, it was showers, dinner, and bed.....for all of us. 

Wednesday my boys went to the math competition and my grade 5 boys won first place. They were so excited. Our grade 5 boys are really good this year, so having them win is a real treat. They will also go to the championships next week. 

After school I took some paperwork down to Brighton College, the school the kids might attend. I then headed to the grocery store. I wish I could go one full week without having to go to the super market. It's not on the way to anywhere so it's a pain. When I got home Kayleigh was still there because Stuart had a meeting after school and was late getting home. Jack had finished his homework and had practiced the piano, so that made me happy. We headed to his piano lesson just before 4 pm. I stay in the room with him and at one time I actually thought his teacher was playing the piece of music, but it was Jack. I was so shocked at how well he was doing. This teacher we have now is much better than the last and moves at a quicker pace. He doesn't want to go to piano lessons any more, but I'm going to try to convince him otherwise. I'll have to come up with some sort of bribe, I'm sure. 

Once we were home from piano lessons, the kids ate and then we're off to bed, but not before a small dance party in the living room. I so wish I had the ability to upload videos on here. It was the funniest thing ever. Both were dancing to 'Watch me Whip'. Hilarious! 

Thursday Millie came home from school with this:

And I came home with these:

These flowers were from my English teachers and two of my Arabic teachers. 

The bamboo plant was from the administrative staff. I told them I hoped this plant was hardy because I kill anything green that comes into my house. 

We headed to the mall Thursday afternoon to get a birthday gift for our next door neighbor. It was convenient to eat at the food court so that's what we did. We were home and in bed by 8 pm. The week back to work for me had been all too exhausting. And Stuart was off on a rugby trip the following morning. 

I was up much earlier than I had planned on Friday because Stuart was off to Muscat, Oman for a rugby match. He got up early to make breakfast burritos for himself and Andrew, his coach. When he was cooking I could hear him banging around, but thought he would be finished soon and I could fall back to sleep. Oh, but if the smoke alarm goes off then I'm pretty sure falling back to sleep is close to impossible. Oh well, I got up and just started changing bed sheets. There was work to be done. 

After the kids were up and breakfast was over, we headed to get the car cleaned. We then went to the rugby club to watch Henry play. We ended up eating lunch there and then were home for a rest before going off to our Valentine party. 

DeDe and I have this party each year and the kids love it. There are crafts and Valentine treats. The crafts this year came from Oriental Trading Company. I seem to always order one craft that is way too hard, even for the adults. Two of the moms ended up doing the chord bracelets. 

Millie was very proud of her Valentine monster. 

Jack just goes along with the fun. 

After the Valentine party, we headed to our neighbor's for a birthday party. By the time we got home, I was wiped and ready for bed. Thank goodness the neighbor fed the kids dinner. All that was left to do was get both kids clean. Then we were off to sleepy land. Stuart got home just after midnight. The 1st team won and he was happy. 

Saturday morning we got up a little later than normal, although the kids had been up for at least an hour before we got up. I hustled around and got thugs ready to go to Abu Dhabi. Jack didn't want to go, but I insisted. Stuart was able to stay home on his own because initially I thought he would still be in Muscat. So Cathy and I headed toward the adventure of seeing Frozen with a live orchestra and live singers. 

We first went to eat lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. The kids were so well behaved that I almost thought they weren't my kids. Jack was so polite and helped Millie to keep her behavior together. It was so sweet. 

They say on the same side of the booth and Cathy and I sat on the other side. 

After lunch we headed to Du Forum. We arrived and there were billboards with all the characters on them. Millie was decked out as Elsa and Jack was not dressed as anything so that made him feel as if he shouldn't have his picture taken with any of the posters. I finally convinced him it was okay and that he should let me take a picture. 

Olaf is our favorite. 

Millie is my poser. 

A selfie with the Frozen poster was necessary. 

Once we were in the building, popcorn and soda in hand, we realized that our seats weren't the most comfortable seats in the world and I was thrilled that Stuart hadn't come with us. The show started late, as many things do in this country. A set time is really just a suggestion. 

Jack studied his program, while Millie tried to keep her wig on. 

The entire production was phenomenal. There was a full orchestra, 4 main vocalists and a full choir. The timing of everything was relatively perfect, and the vocalists sounded almost exactly like the movie voices. At intermission Jack wanted to leave. He was enjoying it, but was ready to go home. I reiterated the fact that I had spent a lot of money for him to see this and we were staying until the bitter end. He was glad we did because at the end of the show it snowed on us in the theater. 

Elsa and Anna singing. 

And then it snowed!

Once we were in the car we decided to head to Ikea. No trip to Abu Dhabi is complete without a visit to Ikea. I didn't buy much, but the kids both got a stuffed rat that kept them occupied as we walked through the store. 

Once we were back in the car both kids got their jammies on. Since we hadn't really done much all day except sit, I decided no one needed to stay awake for a shower. My hope was that, at least Millie, would fall asleep on the hour and a half ride home. 

They played their electronics, ate some of the left over food from the Cheesecake Factory, even though Millie had an ice cream at Ikea and Jack had a hotdog, and finally Millie fell asleep. We were about 20 minutes from home, which was long enough for her to be in a deep sleep just as we pulled in the carport. 

I called Stuart just as we were coming into the compound and he came out to get her and take her to her bed. Jack stayed up until I had sorted out the cooler and the bag with clothes, and basically got everything tidied for the following morning. Then he was off to bed and I was upstairs taking a shower. 

I ate a bite of dinner and then dropped off to sleep on the sofa. 

We are starting to get back on track with our busy weekends. That's where the fun is. We are still loving our life in the UAE.