Tests, tests, and more tests!

On Sunday I went to another school to write exams. Because everything has been a bit delayed this term, there were two other Heads of Faculty and myself who decided we would get a jump on the needed assessments for term 2. I had to leave early to go transfer the title of the Land Rover to the people that bought it. 

After I did the transfer, we went to the club for a tasting of the new menu and the kids had training. The tasting was of the New Mexican menu. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t terribly authentic, but we will live with it, I suppose. The chef came out and asked our opinion and we were rather candid with him. We shall see if he takes some of the suggestions. 

Monday was another day of assessment making and I was exhausted at the end of the day, but felt very accomplished. 

Once I left school, I went to the club to meet with Andrew and map out events for the following year. I suppose I am running for social secretary. If someone runs against me then I suppose they will have to just pick up where I left off. That election will be at the beginning of January. So until that time I am the acting social secretary. 

The Mexican tasting the previous night made me hungry for my enchiladas. So once the guys left for rugby I made dinner. Jack and Millie had dinner, showers and then watched television until it was time to go to bed. Once Stuart and Sean were home, we all ate and watched some tv before hitting the hay. 

Tuesday was a stressful day. Our cluster manager came to school and was micromanaging us. I’m not a fan of people not staying in their own lanes, so to speak. As you would guess, I respectfully told her as such. It was not a pleasant thing to deal with. 

Stuart had come up with a new chore chart for the kids for when they get home from school, which includes washing up their own lunch dishes, drying them and putting them away. I hope they don’t lose the love for it. So far they both enjoy their new chores. Rugby training followed homework and chores. 

Washing and drying dishes! 

Once we were home, the kids showered and ate dinner while I called to speak with my dear friend, Ken. Because our VPN has been acting up for a while, our magic jack hasn’t worked. But all that has changed so I was able to catch up with Ken. It was nice to hear his voice and hear what was going on in their world. 

Jack went to school with Stuart on Wednesday because he was sick and neither of us could take the day off because of the testing. Wednesday school was manic. We had and will have testing for 9 days for grades 1-3. It’s overkill if you ask me, but clearly no one wants my opinion. The teachers stayed after school to mark the exams. They will have to do this each day for he next 8 days. It was kind of fun to all sit in the same room and mark exams. Those times are sometimes when you get to know people the best. 

After school I had a doctor’s appointment for a physical. I was supposed to be seen at 3:30 and it was around 4:15 before I actually saw the doctor. Once I left the hospital I headed to the post office to pick up a Christmas present I had ordered Millie. 

I came home to all the fun home provides. I arrived just in time for Stuart to get to training on time. He had bathed and fed the kids which was nice. They went to bed and I fell asleep on the sofa. When Sean and Stuart got home we all decided to call it a night. 

Thursday was another hectic day at school. I monitored an exam and in the hour and a half I was in the room I walked 3200 steps. It was a grade 1 class and they were needy!

We did a grocery shop while Sean stayed with the kids. Once we got home, because it was Thanksgiving we decided to go out to eat. We went to the club and ordered from the new menu. The kids played for a while.  In fact, Jack played touch rugby with some of the adults. He had a blast. We called it an early night because Jack had to be up and back at the club at 7 am to catch the bus to his rugby match in Dubai. The kids left the club without a fun, which seldom happens. Jack hadn’t felt brilliant the last few days, so I think he was fine with leaving. 

Friday we were up at the Dubai 7s for another day of rugby. Henry and May came with us as Scott and Clare were going to a brunch in Abu Dhabi. They spent the day with us. Jack played some awesome rugby. The new team he has moved down to is much more skilled than his previous team, so it is just making him a stronger player. 

After their two matches we headed back to Al Ain. We were at the house for a couple of hours and then went to the club to watch Stuart play. They killed the team they played. The final score was 100 to 7. They poured it on because the points help them when it comes to league points. 

Towards the end of the game Jack came to me and said he didn’t feel well and wanted to go home. We left as soon as the match was over. We were supposed to go to a big Thanksgiving party but in the end the only kid who wasn’t sick was Millie. May, Henry and Jack were snotty and needed medicine. So I stopped at the pharmacy on the way home and got some medicine. They got showered and doses up. Cathy came over and we decided that the three of them would be fine at the house. We were simply going three doors down and would come back and check on them every half hour or so. Millie, of course, was a party animal and stayed at Lara and Brian’s as late as I would let her. 

We came home for good just before 9 pm. Scott and Clare got there and took May home, but left Henry. By this time, Millie had already fallen asleep on the sofa and I had carried her up to her bed. 

The boys were upstairs playing he PS4 and just carried on while Cathy and I chatted and waited for Sean and Stuart to get home. They rolled in just after 9, did a ‘drive by’ at Lara and Brian’s for food, and then came home and went to bed. Cathy left shortly after that and I went to bed as well. It was a fun evening even though it didn’t turn out as planned. 

Saturday we just laid around and did a load of nothing. The kids played outside and at friends’ houses. Around 3:30 pm we headed to the Richardson’s for curry. It seems to be a bit of a habit we have. Most Saturday evenings we have dinner with them. It’s nice and relaxing. They are planning to go back to the UK this summer and we will surely miss them. So we are trying to get as much time with them as possible this year. 

Just 4 more days until I’m off to Vienna!

Teeth pulled, rugby golf, and decorating for Christmas!

I went to school on Sunday a bit frazzled. I really needed to go see another Head of Faculty about the way they were reporting grades this term, but my principal would not let me leave the school to do so. This, in and of itself stressed me out. I just got on with things and did my bet to get materials sorted in my storage room. Teachers were pleased and excited about their supplies. That made me happy!

After school I picked up Millie and Claire. Stuart picked up Jack a bit later as he had basketball practice. While he was collecting Jack, I took Millie to have her two teeth extracted. She was a trooper, but it was so sad to see her in pain. She wanted to go to the rugby club after her teeth were pulled, but once we got there she was asleep and decided she would rather have go home. So we stopped at Abela and got ice cream. She tried to eat ice cream but it was difficult because her lip was still asleep. I had fed her and had her take a shower before we went to the dentist, knowing those tasks would be undesirable once she was home. Stuart and Jock got home from rugby. Millie was excited to show them the holes in her mouth. Millie went to bed shortly after that as she as worn out. 

Poor baby!

Look at the roots on those suckers!

She woke up in the morning and had drooled on her sheets, which meant little remnants of blood was on her sheets. So I stripped her bed and put the sheets in the wash. It was a fortunate thing because I remembered Jack’s PE kit had not been put in the dryer from the previous night and he had to wear it to school again that day.  

Monday at school was busy but very productive. I finished handing out supplies and got some of the assessment tools sorted out for the teachers. I didn’t get home until around 4 pm. By that time the kids had done their homework and were outside playing. The weather is great right now so we try to throw them outside as much as possible. 

Some kids came inside to play until almost 6 and since, by that time, Millie had eaten a grilled cheese and a chocolate (Nutella) sandwich, I knew she would shower and be ready for bed, yet she wasn’t. She wanted a bowl of pasta after she showered. She’s been on an eating spree lately. I hope this means she’s going to get taller soon. Time will tell. 

Jack had supper and they both watched television for a bit. Then Millie was off to bed. I showered and came back downstairs for some television with Jack. Once Jack was in bed I napped on the sofa, my favorite thing to do, as you know. Stuart and Sean came home from rugby and it was time to call it a night. 

Molly peed on my bedside rug at 2 am, then peed in front of the bathroom door at 4:30 am. Why can this dog not learn to whine when she has to go? So I woke up a bit cranky because I was awake an hour the first clean up and then stepped in the second pee puddle when my alarm went off. 

I went to school early because Stuart was home sick. I find getting there before anyone else helps me get more work done. I left school for a meeting at the district’s main office in town. The cluster manager, who is in charge of about 8 schools, wanted us to meet so that we could come up with some common assessments for term 2. The meeting ended just before noon so I went to lunch with two other Heads of Faculty. I stopped at the grocery store on my way home, and met Stuart there so he could pay!

When we got home I mopped some pee! That dog! I relaxed a bit before picking up Claire from school. Stuart went off to have my car washed and then he picked up Jack and Millie from the after school activities. Once they were home they did a bit of homework and got ready for rugby. 

We had nachos for dinner and the kids went straight to bed after they ate because of their behavior after school. They had been asked to when get ready for rugby, but chose to mess about instead. Lately, both of them have been a bit off in their behavior, but Jack especially. 

Wednesday at school we started the first of 11 different exams the students would have over the next two weeks. We are becoming very test driven now, which makes me a bit sad. The day at school was busy. We had a parent meeting after school so parents could find out how their children were doing in class. Some parents were more pleased than others. I stopped at the grocery store again on Wednesday to do our weekly shopping because I know I would be in no mood to do so over the weekend.

I came home with KFC for the kids. We ended up going to the club and taking the kids. We had a committee meeting to decide on some issues that needed immediate decisions. When we got home, the kids had fruit and ice cream and then they went to bed. I ate some left over stuff and watched television. 

They have started decorating for National Day. Call me crazy, but this looks like a Christmas tree to me. 

Thursday school was manic. It seems that the computer exam that was given on Wednesday and was supposed to be marked on Thursday by the computer teacher, would not be marked because the computer teacher called in sick. Really? So, because we are short handed anyway, my entire senior leadership team gathered in the meeting room and marked exams. Awesome!

Thursday evening we were off to play rugby golf. When we left the house I decided I would just take my wallet instead of my entire handbag. That is when I discovered I had left my wallet in the grocery cart on Wednesday after school. Ugh! I immediately called the store and they had found it. I told them I would come and collect it on Friday.

As you can see in the pictures, rugby golf was so much fun, but I was terrible. We did win a prize, though. We might have cheated a bit. 

I lounged around most of Friday. After lunch I decided to go and collect my wallet. Only in this country would everything still be in the wallet. This is such a safe and trustworthy society. It’s one of the things I love about living here. 

We just chilled the rest of the evening at the house. Stuart made belly pork and veggies for dinner and we watched Wonder Woman. 

Saturday we got up and went to sell the Land Rover. Sadly we didn’t get much for it, but we did get rid of it so I was thankful for that. While I negotiated with a company called Sell Any Car, Stuart took the kids to Action Zone yo play some games. They won tickets and got cheap crap for the tickets. It’s one of their favorite things to do. 

After the car deal was over, Stuart dropped me off at Jimi Mall and I met DeDe to go buy some Velcro for Sean’s uniform. We then went to the knock off store and I bought some new Chanel sun glasses. They are fake, but look real to me. We ran into Clare and May, who were also on the look out for some fake designer things. 

DeDe and I then went to have a bite to eat. We haven’t been able to properly catch up since returning from summer holidays. It was nice to spend time with her. 

When I got home, Scott and Henry were at the house. Scott had come by for a cup of tea and to wait for May to be finished at a birthday party. We then all went to the rugby club to watch the rugby match between Australia and England. England won, of course, which did not make Sean very happy. 

The kids and I got a ride home earlier than Sean and Stuart. By the time they got home, the kids were in bed and I was watching Christmas Vacation. I had started putting up the Christmas decorations that afternoon so it only made sense that we have our first viewing of the season. I was asleep before the movie was over, true to form. 

It was a great week and one week closer to Christmas, which excites the kids......and me!

A busy week and a visit from Gina.

Sunday I got to school and my secretary messaged to say she wouldn’t be at school the entire week, which meant I would have to do the cover plan all week. Lovely!

I was able to get some work done and prepare my teachers for the data information they needed to give to me. It was a busy, but relatively productive day. 

I picked the kids up from school and got home to help them do their homework, the bane of my existence. I was determined we wouldn’t leave it until the last minute, this week. 

We went to the club early so I could meet with the club house manager about the Christmas Festival. I was happy to hear that all he wanted was for me to supply some activities for the kids, rather than full on games. It was decided that there would be Christmas market stalls where local artists could sell their wares. 

After I met with him, I worked out on the exercise bike. We came home and I was in bed by 8:20 pm. It’s the earliest I have been to bed in about 5 years. It felt good. 

Monday school was full of observations. Because we have been so busy at school, we kind of forgot we would have to have evaluations completed before the term testing started on November 22. Oops! So, two a day for the next week or two seems to be what is going to happen. 

When the kids got home from school they did some more homework. We were well on our way to avoiding last week’s fiasco. 

Stuart headed to rugby while the kids showered. Jack called me a liar and spent the majority of the evening in his room. He seems to be testing the boundaries more than I care for recently. He ended up coming down and eating dinner and chilling, then both kids went to bed. Since Jack has been a bit of a pain lately, Millie has made an effort to point out the fact that she ISN’T behaving like Jack. 

Stuart got home early and then he went to bed. I went to bed around 10:30 which was still early for me. 

I got up to walk on Monday morning, which has been my sanity recently. I was pleasantly surprised when the delivery from the warehouse I ordered on September 20, finally got delivered. I was as happy as a puppy with two peters. The room was a wreck, but at least the items were there and we could use them very soon. 

Once I left school, I picked the kids up. We got home, did homework and went to rugby. We decided to also eat dinner at the club. Neither of us could be asked to cook anything. 

Wednesday I had two observations that kept me from being able to go to Jack’s open house. He was really bummed about it. I felt so badly, but it was unavailable. In the end, the school nurse called because Jack had come to the clinic complaining of a headache. He has headaches quite often. We’ve had MRIs and everything, but nothing has come of it. After Stuart picked him up they went to the eye doctor, thinking maybe he needed glasses. It turns out that his eyes are fine. Stuart and I both had our eyes tested since we were there. We came home with new prescriptions. But I’m pleased to announce I still don’t need reading glasses. 

We got home and were able to lounge around for a few hours before having to pick Millie and Claire up from school. Jack got to feeling better, and was disappointed that I wouldn’t let him go to a friend’s to play. I follow my parents’ rule; if you come home sick from school then there is no leaving the house. He didn’t like that rule at al. 

I put dinner in the crock pot. Stuart and Sean went to rugby while the kids and I stayed home. The kids made their own pizza for dinner. I seldom do ‘fun’ things with them, so was quite pleased with myself. However, neither of them love the pizza very much. Oh well, I tried. 

I see this at the camel crossing, most mornings on my way to work. 

Thursday school was very busy. I got some of the supplies sorted, but manly just finished up the observation paper work for the week. I picked up Millie, Ava and Hattie from school and brought them to our house for a play date. 

The girls had a bit of a show for us during their play date. It was adorable. 

They stayed until around 7 pm, which is when Stuart picked Jack up from Adam’s house as he had gone home with him for a play date. The kids went to bed and Stuart and I started watching Ghostbusters with Melissa McCarthy. I, naturally, fell asleep. 

Sean had a date Thursday night, or at least dinner with a lady. I was awake when he got home at midnight, but tried not to be too nosy, which is so difficult for me. 

We got up early Friday morning to help set up the rugby pitches for the women’s tournament and the Under 9s matches which started at 9. Jack had an awesome two matches. His team is going to be really good. 

Afterwards the plan was to take Millie, go to my school and work on sorting my new supplies. Jack was going to go to Dubai with Stuart for his match. But then Stuart reminded me that we don’t work on the weekends so the kids and I met some friends at the pool. We took Ian with us and stayed for about 4 hours. 

When we got back, Jack ran away from home. The poor kids must be hormonal because everything irritates him or makes him cry. He got mad at me because when we got home from the pool I told the kids to go and take a shower. He didn’t want to do that. I told him we weren’t going anywhere for the rest of the day so I told him it would be one less thing he would have to do later. He argued and argued and argued, even though I didn’t engage with him. He told me I treated him like a baby. When I went upstairs I informed him he didn’t have to take a shower, and if he wanted to be a grown up then that would mean I no longer made his breakfast, lunch or dinner, and he would need to start doing his laundry, you know, the basic things adults take care of. When I left the bathroom he told Millie he was running away. I said, ‘That’s fine, but tell him not to take anything with him because everything in this house belongs to me. 

I heard him close the door. I followed him outside and, as he was getting on his bike, I asked him where he was going. He said, ‘I’m leaving!’ I said, ‘That’s fine, but you can’t take that bike. That’s mine.’ He said, ‘Well, actually Grammie and Pop gave me this bike for Christmas, so it is mine.’ I said, ‘You’re right! Off you go.’ Dang! He got me. 

I went back into the house, knowing he’d be gone for about 5 minutes. Now if it was Millie running away, I’m sure I’d have to go find her after a few hours. While Millie showered, she cried because she thought Jack had really run away. I kept reassuring her that he would be fine. When she relaxed for about a minute, she asked, ‘Since Jack is gone, can I have his iPad?’ She was really torn up by it all, clearly. 

As I predicted, he returned about 5 minutes after he left. He claimed he rode all the way to the round about by our house. There’s no way he did that. He didn’t have the time to do that and he didn’t have the nerve to do that either. 

We sorted everything out in the end and he decided that maybe he would be my child again. Wow, it’s difficult growing up. 

Cathy came over after the majority of the drama ended. We had dinner and chatted until Stuart and Sean arrived home from their rugby match. Then we all sat around and laughed the night away. 

Saturday morning I was up early because our cats were whining and wanted to go outside. To be honest, the hour or so I can get in the morning with no one awake is nice. Once everyone was awake, we got ready and headed for Abu Dhabi. We had made arrangements to get Gina, who was in town for the weekend, and we were going to the food festival called Taste of Abu Dhabi. We arrived at her hotel just after 10. Since Taste of Abu Dhabi didn’t open until noon, we decided to head to the mall for a walk around. 

Once we left the mall, we headed to the arena where the festival was. The kids played at the bouncy and then the bungee, while we sampled some delicious food. Of course Jack had sushi and Millie had fish and chips. It was a lovely day with Gina. We ended the day at the mall and then we took Gina to the airport. We got back to Al Ain at 7 pm, just in time for showers and bed. 

We stayed up and watched a movie, but as usual, I ended the evening with a nap on the sofa. All’s well that ends well.  

A busy week; Halloween, swim gala, committee meeting, and tattoos!

I left early for school on Sunday and Stuart took the kids to school. We had a meeting in Abu Dhabi but Stuart didn’t have to go to work first. So he was able to take the kids to school. On the way to school my principal called me to tell me she would be late. She had gone to Jordan for the weekend and had arrived that morning at 4 am. 

Once I was at school I worked on getting all the classes covered with substitutes. I have kept that duty as I feel teachers respond well to me when I ask them to help out. We don’t have a substitute system. We are just required to have teachers without full teaching loads cover classes when their colleagues are out. 

I left school around 9 am, went home and jumped in the car with Stuart so we could drive to Abu Dhabi. The meeting was a bit late in the game as they told us how we should be collecting continuous assessment grades. But at least now we know where we are going with grades. The switch from Abu Dhabi Education Council to The Ministry of Education is not a smooth one thus far, but we will survive I suppose. 

When we got home, I went and collected kids from Cathy’s house. Because we knew our meeting would most likely go past the time they were to be picked up, Cathy got them from school and took them to her house. 

Once we were home they got ready and we all went to rugby. I hadn’t been at the club long when I got a message from Sean. He said security stopped him and said they had a complaint from a neighbor about the dogs barking. Actually it’s just Molly, but we blamed them both. I went home and ended up speaking with the man who had complained. He claimed the dogs bark all day and all night, which is not true. At night they are in the house and no one could hear them if they did bark. However, during the day I assume Molly barks at every bird, cat, or fly she sees. 

We decided we would leave the dogs in the house from now on, but knew there would be poop and pee all over when we got home. We have a baby gate on our stairs that has always kept them from going upstairs. We just prayed that would be good enough. 

Monday school was a continued version of days gone by. It just seems we are always facing one struggle after another. We try to stay positive and most of the time we do. I know this too shall pass. 

Monday after school we went to a local school for Jack’s first swim gala for Al Ain English Speaking School (AAESS). I had to message the school to ask if he as going, of course telling them he won every competition he was in the previous year. The answer back was ‘Of course he’s in the gala!’  He won the breast stroke for his grade and the grade above him, and he also competed in the free style relay as well as the relay where they do all the strokes. Can you tell I’m not a swim mom? His team didn’t win in those events, but he was by far the fastest free style swimmer on his team and everyone else’s team. 

He’s the tall one!

When we got home from the gala Claire came over to babysit. Stuart and I had a committee meeting as I am now the interim Social Secretary. The meeting was over just after 8 pm and I went home to relieve Claire of her duties. Stuart stayed for the last hour of rugby training and then was home. 

Tuesday the kids were excited for Halloween. I picked them up from school because they both had after school activities. Millie went to cooking class while Jack was in a checkers club. I went early to speak with Millie’s teacher about her progress. It seems that she is her own person and doesn’t care who that bothers. Did that shock me? She is doing very well in school and always thinks she gets 10 out of 10 on her spelling tests. Then when she gets her book home with her test in it, another story is revealed. Bless her!

Tuesday evening we had a bunch of people over for chili and trick-or-treating. It was a late night. I ended up taking some of Jack’s friends home and then came back for a couple of hours of an after party. 

Wednesday after school I took Millie to the orthodontist as we were told because she has a tooth growing crazy, she will most likely have to have her lower laterals pulled. Sure enough, he confirmed it. I tried to make light of it, and told her that when the dentist pulls teeth the Tooth Fairy bring more money to you. That will not help when she has those bad boys removed on the 12th. 

Once Millie and I were home, the kids played outside while I put away Halloween decorations. We had put homework on the back burner this week because of appointments, the swim gala, after school activities, and Halloween. I knew it would haunt me over the weekend, but I would deal with it then. 

By day 4 (Thursday) of the dogs being left in the house, Molly had jumped the baby gate every day and eaten the cat food upstairs, despite having two chairs up against the gate. She’s a regular Houdini. We knew we needed another solution. So I contacted my friend Jane. Her husband, Bryce, had built a swing gate for their kitchen entrance. It would be perfect because then they would be contained in the kitchen and the mess would be minimal. So he agreed to make it and was planning to come on the weekend to get it measured and made. 

Thursday we did walk throughs at school and there was a bit of a conflict. My perspective of the teaching is much different than the other senior leaders, mainly because I’m the only one who taught as an English teacher before I became an senior leader. It’s a different world for sure and I feel I have to stand up for the English teachers. Needless to say, I got shot down and didn’t talk much the rest of the day. Fortunately my principal is a lot like me and just wants to clear the air if there is conflict. I felt she listened to my reasoning. She may not have agreed, but she at least listened. 

We had flag day at school. It is the day the UAE celebrates their flag and what it stands for. We had about an hour program at 11 am. It was really nice. The country is VERY patriotic. They love their country, and there are many good reasons they do. 

I picked up Jack and his friends at school. They came home for a play date, while Millie went to her friend Ava’s. The boys giggled and played PS4 all afternoon. They had sausage, eggs and French fries for dinner. They are a ton. All children were back home and in bed by 9 pm. Cathy had come over for dinner and stayed until after I got home from delivering the boys back to their houses. 

I got up Friday morning and Skyped Grammie and Pop. Millie and Jack shared highlights with them and so did I. Our vpn is now working so Skype is much better than it has been for the last couple of months. 

Sean fixed breakfast and then he and Stuart headed off for their rugby match in Dubai. The kids and I hung around the house and went to the pool around 1:30 pm. We ended up staying at the club until about 8 pm, once Stuart and Sean were back from their rugby match. They came to the club and then we all went home.  When we got home, I showered the kids, got them some fruit, and threw them in bed. 

I woke up Saturday morning to go the Fun Run at the rugby club. The kids ran but I just volunteered. 

He actually got third place as he fought for it with Henry and Louie. 

We told her she got 4th place amongst the girls. 

We had breakfast at the club and then went home for our tattoo appointments. The tattoo artist came to our house. It ended up being somewhat of a party, as Stuart, myself, Lara, Kayla and Sean all participated in the ink! We got food and had a wonderful time. 

Cecil, the camel! It’s my very own Picasso!

I really didn’t think he’d do it!  My little math lover. 

Initially we were to go to dinner with Scott and Clare, but Bryce decided to bring our new kitchen gate over, our shock collar for Molly came, and the tattoos were not complete until almost 6 pm. So the Richardsons came to our house and we ordered in. We ended up playing some trivia games on the television and they left a little later than planned. A great, but busy week was had by all.