Week 2 at home and Stuart is off to Thailand.

Sunday I got up and decided to go for a walk. I walked 3 miles. As you will discover, this was a bad idea just one week out of the hospital. I took the kids to school, and laid around the house most of the day. It was a lazy day for sure. 

I went to the post office to pick up mine and Millie’s matching butterfly dresses I had ordered. They are so cute. Jack was to have a play date at his friend Hamdan’s house. As we were heading there, Hamdan called and asked if Jack could wait and come at 6 pm. Since Hamdan is an Emirati child he was fasting, it being Ramadan. Usually after school, the Muslims nap. Because we had already said Jack could go for a play date, I bowed and let him go at 6 pm. So we went home for a few hours and then headed to Hamdan’s house. 

When we got there, we were greeted by Hamdan’s father. He welcomed us in and they wanted me to stay for Iftar, the meal at sundown that breaks their fast. Because Stuart had to do some work at the club, I had to get back to the house and stay with Millie as she was all ready for bed. But I told them maybe we could come another evening. Hamdan is a very nice boy and his parents are very sweet. As I was leaving, she packed up food for me, which was some of the food they would have for Iftar. She also offered me a sweet roll and insisted I eat it then. The strange part about this is that we are not allowed to eat in public during daylight. It was still daylight, so I felt a bit uncomfortable eating in front of her since she was still fasting, but I also didn’t want to be rude. 

Once I was home, Stuart scooted off to the club and I watched tv. When he returned, I headed back to pick Jack up from Hamdan’s. They had been to the shop and Hamdan had bought Jack some slime and a ball. The Emiratis are such generous people, especially throughout Ramadan. 

I discovered once we were home that I was coming down with a cold. It seems that the walk took too much out of me, and as Stuart pointed out, my immune system is compromised with my healing right now. So, I took some medicine and went to bed after picking Jack up. 

I woke up feeling like crap. My head cold was in full force. I took the kids to school, went to get gas, then came home and napped on the sofa. I went to take Sean’s jeans to the tailors only to discover they were not open, as is the way with Ramadan hours. I picked Millie up early and went to the allergist to make sure she was doing ok. 

We then went to the mall to go to Bounce. Because we were early we went to Carrefore to get some water and a snack for the kids. The kids can eat and drink in public before Iftar. We waited for Jack and his buddies and then the kids commenced to bouncing for the next two hours. When we got home, the kids unpacked their backpacks and we left to have dinner at the club. 

After the kids played for a bit we headed home, leaving Stuart at the club for his Thailand Rugby tour meeting. I got the kids showered and Millie in bed. Then Lara came over for a chat. It had been a long time since we had a chin wag together. She left around 9:30 and I fell asleep on the sofa. This cold was kicking my tail. 

Tuesday I worked on finishing up the data my Vice Principal wanted from me, and I also sat around and did a whole lot of nothing. 

Stuart picked the kids up from school. When they got home they did some homework and then Millie and I headed to her dance class. When we returned, Stuart made sandwiches, the kids showered, and it was bedtime for Millie. Stuart made bbq pork ribs for supper and Jack decided to have a second meal. Oh my!

Once Jack had gone to bed, I took a shower and sat down on the sofa to watch some mindless television. I heard some hissing outside in the hall. I went out and Lara’s cat, Thunder, was having a stand off with Oreo and Pumpkin, our cats. Cat fights are scary. I scared Thunder out the back door and closed it. We usually leave it open for Duke, but I think when the sun goes down we are going to start closing it. This wasn’t the first time we had a strange cat in the house. 

Wednesday, I gave feedback on lesson plans all day. This was also the day that we started hearing of a load of emails going out to release the western Assistant Principals and Principals of their jobs. The restructure of Abu Dhabi Education Council, becoming Ministry of Education, is proving to be very damaging to some. My principal was one of those who was let go. We are praying neither of us gets an email. It looks as if, for now, the only people getting emails are the poorly performing teachers, teachers who are 60 years old (yes, you read that correctly), people who have positions that don’t exist in the Ministry of Education, people who have worked for Abu Dhabi Education Council for 20 years, and some local principals who might not be making the cut. It’s a little unsettling for some of us. However, we are sure that God will work everything out for us, in the event we get the dismissal email. 

Wednesday afternoon we picked the kids up from school we, once again, hit the trampolines for a couple of hours. When we got home, the Richardsons came over for bbq chicken sandwiches. We had a great time just talking and planning, possibly, our last weekend of our time together. 

Thursday morning Stuart left at 3 am to get to Abu Dhabi and travel to Phuket for the rugby tour. I got up and fixed the kids’ lunches, then took them to school. I followed the email issues and the firing of administration staff through messages from friends and some of my teachers. Suzanne, a teacher at my school, came by the house for a visit. She brought me a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. She came by just to check in on me. Once she had gone, I picked the kids up at Bounce. We stopped at a housing development by Hazza Bin Zayed stadium, where we finally visited the 7Eleven! 

The kids got a slushie. They were so excited.  We headed home and I made tacos in a bag for Claire, her friend Ashley, Cathy and the kids. 

Yum!

Cathy left around 8:30 pm. The noise outside of our place was out of control at 10 pm. The Muslims here just flip their days and nights during Ramadan, which can be a bit annoying when you want to sleep at a reasonable time. 

Friday morning I woke up to a text from Stuart stating that he got a message regarding a purchase on Jack’s PS4. When I approached Jack about it, he lied to me, telling me he accidentally pushed the button, when in fact, he knew exactly what he was doing. He paid for the upgrade he got and then was grounded from his PlayStation for the next two weeks. Why do kids lie? Makes me so angry. 

Once we were fed and ready, the Richardsons picked us up and we headed to Abu Dhabi to go to Adventure HQ for the kids. The kids did different activities for an hour and a half while Clare and I walked around the mall looking for a place for a cup of tea. However, no place had screens that would cover us from being seen drinking in public, so we had to wait until 11 am when Applebee’s opened. We popped in while the kids were still skating, bouncing or climbing, and we had a lot of tea. Scott had gone to another mall with an Apple store to sort out an Apple Watch that a friend of Henry’s had given him. 

At 11:30 we collected the kids and took them to Applebee’s to eat lunch. Once lunch was finished, we returned them to Adventure HQ for another hour and a half of play. We shopped a bit more and by that time I was wiped out. This was my first big outing since he surgery and I was really tired. 

Once back in Al Ain, the Richardsons decided to stay at ours for dinner. I popped in some pastry puff sandwiches and some fries into the oven. They ended up leaving around 7:30 pm, and then it was bed for my two. I followed shortly after them. I was awaken at 2:15 am for some reason. I opened my bedroom door and all the lights in the hall and down the stairs were on. Jack was in the living room watching tv. What on earth? I forced him back to his bed. I think he was bothered for lying to me and it was weighing on his mind. 

Saturday morning we were all awake by 7:30 am. The kids had breakfast and then we got ready to go to the pool. We met one of my grade 1 teachers, Jaime, and her daughter at the pool. Cathy joined us as well. We stayed at the pool for a couple of hours and then went into the restaurant for lunch. 

Once we were back home, Scott called and wanted to know if I wanted him to pick us up to come to their house for dinner. Duke came with us as well. 

The kids played and Clare and I talked. Dinner was had and then Scott brought us home. As usual, the kids took showers at the Richardsons so once we were home, they were ready for bed, and so was I. We had a nice weekend, but we were ready for Stuart to come home. 

We had reports from him via WhatsApp. He was enjoying Thailand, as he always does. 

My first week home from surgery

Sunday morning I got up when the kids did. Stuart had already made their lunches and our coffee. He took them to school on Sunday as I had still not been released to drive. However, I was feeling exceptionally well. 

I finally finished House of Cards, watching the last episode as the kids were coming home from school. I had a goal of getting at least 5000 steps in each day while I was recovering. Sadly, I didn’t hit the mark on Sunday. I was a bit lazy, but I kept telling myself that I was letting myself heal by lying around all day. 

Stuart picked Millie up from school. When she got home she did some homework. Stuart headed back to school to pick up Jack from water polo and he had a parent conference with Jack’s teacher. Apparently Jack is doing rather well, thank goodness. 

The AC guys came to replace the sensor in two of our ac units. This maintenance never ceases to amaze me. He pulled the wire out and dug in his plastic bag to get another one. The old wire was placed in the bag. I’m convinced that they just swap parts around until they are actually forced to replace the unit. I have to laugh. If I were the one paying for these repairs, it would be a different story, but since I’m not, I just laugh and called it a day. 

Once both kids were home, they played upstairs for a while. Then they showered, ate and went to bed. 

Monday I decided to sort out some things that needed to go to Arizona this summer and be stored, such as school things for the kids and some of our travel memorabilia. 

The kids got home and did some homework. They played upstairs and then came down for dinner. Jack wasn’t terribly keen on the bubble and squeak, so I didn’t make him eat it all. Stuart and I have a difficult time with all the veggies as well. So maybe we should stop making that for dinner. I had made cupcakes during the day so each kid got to have a cupcake and then they were off to bed. 

Tuesday I was up and the lunches were already made. Stuart has really done a wonderful job keeping all the balls in the air.  Tina came to clean. When she had to come into the living room, I decided to go to Abela to do my daily walk. I drove! It was easy. I bought things for dinner. 

Stuart picked Millie up from school while Jack went to the swim trials for the national swim team. He was so excited. In the end, he was told the practices might be six days a week. He didn’t seem terribly keen for that. We shall see what happens. Only 4 students were asked to try out, and he was the youngest. 

I took Millie to dance. When we got home, Stuart was making bbq pork sliders. I had made the Cole slaw earlier in the day and he had put the pork in the oven. I could be a house wife for a few weeks at least. 

Wednesday Cathy picked the kids up, as she had on Tuesday, to take them to school. I was a little worn out on Wednesday so I finished watching the first season of the new Dynasty series. 

After school we went to Scott and Clare’s to help celebrate May’s birthday. We had sausages and chips and a huge rainbow cake. It was announced that Ramadan would start the following day. 

So school days were shortened starting on Thursday. The kids didn’t have to be at school until 8:30 am and I went back to pick them up at 1:30 pm. After school we headed to Bounce to use their Ramadan pass. The kids bounced for 2 hours. I sat and talked with one of my teachers. It was great fun! I was wiped out once I got home. 

When we got home, Stuart had done the shopping for the next week and a half. I made calzones and the kids took showers. We had decided we were going to have a very chilled weekend. Cathy came over just after dinner and we sat at the table and listened to music. 

Friday we lazed around the house the kids played upstairs and watched television. At 3 pm, I decided to take the kids to Bounce again. We will do our best to abuse this pass in the month we have it. 

When we got home the kids ate dinner and then took showers. We let them stay up a little longer since it was the weekend. I Skyped my parents and both of my brothers were at their house in Branson as well. 

Saturday morning I didn’t get up until 8:30 am. I had such a wonderful sleep. When I got downstairs I got a message from Cathy asking if we were watching the Royal Wedding that afternoon. We hadn’t given it much thought, but started to put a plan into action to have a proper Royal Wedding event at the house. Before the wedding Millie and I put together some of her Lego because Stuart got around to putting up her shelf in her bedroom. 

Just after noon, the festivities began. It was just the house members, Cathy, Claire and her friend Ashley. 

We had all sorts of food and enjoyed he pomp and circumstance of the event. When the wedding was over we decided to cap the evening off by watching Four Weddings and a Funeral. The weekend ended on a bang. 

Bye, bye, baby house!

Sunday I got up to walk but Lara decided not to do so. I walked the opposite way and freaked out Duke. He is not a dog of change, that is for sure. 

I spent the day at school evaluation lesson plans. That might be the most boring job ever, and possibly the most useless. At the end of the day I went to my pre-op appointment. I had blood drawn and met with the anesthesiologist. I was told I would be called on Wednesday evening and be informed of the time I needed to be at the hospital Thursday morning. 

I got home from the hospital and started sorting out Millie’s toys. Wow, that kid is a pack rat. Is it wrong that when she would lose focus, which was about every 5 minutes, I would dump a few other things in the bin bag? It was the only way for me to keep my sanity. 

We had a full trash bag and many boxes of toys to sell once we were finished in her room. We also had a great deal more room in her toy bins. The only area we didn’t tackle was her kitchen stuff. That will be another night’s fun. 

The kids showered, ate dinner and went to bed. Stuart decided he was too tired to cook and I couldn’t be bothered either. So we just had whatever was left in the fridge. 

I got up to walk with Lara and Cathy. Lara walks too slowly for Cathy, and probably too slowly for me as well, but I walk with Lara for the social aspect of it. Claire had an exam so she rode with us to school. 

School was full of miscommunications, as always. The language barrier is our worst enemy sometimes. I left school just after our meeting about how to communicate with parents. Stuart and I met at the kids’ school. We had a meeting with Millie’s teacher. We were told that by the end of the year Millie should be on grade level, which just thrills us. We were also told that she needs to focus more, which we knew, but that she is doing well. 

Stuart stayed to pick Jack up from swim squad. As soon as they got home Jack informed Stuart he had left his tennis shoes at school and then had the nerve to lie about having no homework. Of course to ensure the tennis shoes didn’t disappear, I drove him back to school to get them. He was then grounded from going outside at the club while Stuart and I had our first new committee meeting.  He had to stay inside while our meeting was conducted. He kept interrupting which just about got him grounded for he remainder of the week. Lecture time!

We got home and the kids showered and went straight to bed. I showered as well and hung out on the sofa for a bit. 

I walked on my own on Tuesday. Duke is more nervous when I’m not talking the entire time I walk. But he made it. After I dropped the kids at school, Claire had a driving exam so I took her to the driving school, which is right by my school. I had my end of year evaluation, which turned out to be not so bad. I was a bit shocked, to be honest. 

After school I went shopping for Jack’s shirt for his Victorian Day at school. I also bought him cakes to share on that day. I was also asked for my phone number by a guy at the supermarket. I kindly informed him I was flattered, but married. It was shocking as these type of things NEVER happen here. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if this sort of act was punishable by the law. 

While I was at the mall I purchased some goods for are the cleaners at my school. During Ramadan the English teachers decided to donate food and other items to our working staff at school. 

After my stop at the mall, I went home and picked up Millie and we headed to dance. She had decided not to go to yoga on Tuesday, which was all too fine with me. Once at dance, I changed into my golf outfit. When dance was over, I dropped her home and picked up Cathy. Tuesday evening was our last golf night, where we played on the big course. It was so much fun! We did okay, but the social aspect of it was the most important part. 

Once golf was finished, it was back to our house with Cathy. She had a glass of wine while I drank water. I have committed to no wine until I have lost the 7 pounds that I seem to have found in the last 6 months. Ugh!

Wednesday morning Lara and I got up to walk and we ran into Cathy. She turned around and decided to finish our walk with us. At school we had our first evacuation drill of the year. I’m not sure why. It was really hot, but we all survived. 

I met with my principal for an evaluation of a teacher. It would be the only conference I would sit in on this year, which was fine by me. 

Around 10:15 am my English teachers came to my office during and gave me a gift. They also said a prayer for me. It was so sweet. They gave me a gift voucher for a book store, which they felt would be nice for me during my time at home recovering from my surgery. 

I left school at 2 pm. Just after I got a call from the hospital saying my surgery had not been approved. I then went to the mall to get Jack a tea cup for his Victorian Day.  I was terribly upset about the insurance approval. 

When I got home, I began to call the hospital and then the insurance company. While I waited for some sort of resolution, I made the kids’ dinner. After several calls to the insurance and hospital, I finally told the insurance lady that there was no way this was an elective surgery. I said, ‘Why would I chose to have someone cut my vaginal and remove my uterus from the hole they cut?’  Then I remembered the statement I heard on the phone while I waited that stated ‘phone calls may be recorded for quality assurance.’  Bahahahaha!

While continuing to wait for approval, I called my mom and dad. While I was talking to them, I finally got the call with the approval, so I confirmed that I would get to the hospital at 11 am the following morning. Thank goodness. 

I woke up Thursday morning and walked by myself. I got home and because I had to fast I couldn’t eat or drink anything. You never think more about food and drink until you don’t have it. 

Jack was ready for his Victorian Day. 

My friends DeDe and Heather made me some items for my surgery. I got a lovely plant the called the tampon plant, a tampon crown, and a very practical belly pillow that Heather made for the car. Although I wasn’t having an incision, I still think I will be able to use it in the car. 

After we took the kids to school, Stuart went off to wash Kayleigh’s car as we wouldn’t need it for a while since I can’t drive. When he got home he went upstairs and appeared a bit later. I discovered he had stripped the bed and started the sheets to wash as well as remade the bed. 

We left for the hospital around 10:20 am and stopped to get our mail. We arrived at the hospital just before 11 and got checked in. They set me up and then took me into surgery. 

I was in recovery just before 3 pm and all was well. I didn’t feel a great deal of pain except for the catheter. Ick! Those are not nice at all. Unfortunately, I had to keep that bad boy in until 6 am on Friday morning. 

Once I had come around I was transferred to a regular room. Stuart stayed for an hour or so and then headed home. Cathy had picked Millie up from school and by the time Stuart got home Cathy had taken Millie to our house and she was showering. Jack was at a sleepover so every child was taken care of. 

Clearly, Claire and Millie had a make-up session. 

I didn’t rest well Thursday evening. The catheter was just horrible and every hour or so I was being poked or prodded. Hospitals are no resting place. 

Friday morning at 6 am sharp, the nurse came in and removed the catheter. Ah, what a relief! I used the bathroom all by myself around 7 am, which was painless. The feelings of pain I had were minimal compared to what I had anticipated. 

As the morning went on I felt better. Stuart and Millie showed up to visit just before 9 am for a visit. They brought me bacon and a Starbucks. Stuart scooted off and collected Jack from his sleepover, while Millie and I took two laps around the hospital ward. At the end of two laps, Millie asked if I wanted to go one more time around. I was tuckered out, so told her we would have to go back to the room. 

Stuart came back to the hospital with Jack. Jack was a little ill at ease with me in the bed. I had put my own clothes on earlier that morning so that the kids wouldn’t be so concerned when they saw me. I could tell Jack didn’t like seeing me like this. 

They left just after 11 am and decided they would come back in the late afternoon. I attempted to sleep a bit and then take a few more laps around the ward. My doctor told me the more I was able to move about, the easier my recovery would be. 

I laid around and watched Netflix, which was cutting in and out all afternoon because of the internet service. The kids, Stuart and Cathy came back around 5 pm and brought me dumplings from PF Chang’s. The food in the hospital leaves a bit to be desired. 

They left around 7 pm, and since the internet was not working, I went to sleep at 7:45 pm, maybe the earliest of my adult life not including jet lag times. I was only interrupted three times in the night for vitals and pain meds. 

I woke up for good around 5:30 am. I decided to take a walk around the corridors and then went for a shower. I decided against pain meds when the nurse came to see me, but changed my mind about an hour later. 

Dr Christel came to see me around 8 am and said I was being discharged. Stuart and the kids headed up to the hospital and brought me a Starbucks. As soon as they walked in the room, the nurse came with my discharge papers. It was as easy as that. 

We headed home and stopped at the grocery store before getting to the house. Once I was home, I sat on the sofa and watched movies for most of the day. 

Clare and Scott came for a visit, as did Mandy. It was great to see them all, but by the time Mandy left and we had eaten dinner, I was ready for a sleep. I went to bed around 9 pm, knowing the next day was the first day of my alone time to recover. 

A week of trouble and then came the weekend!

I didn’t sleep well in anticipation of what my principal was going to do about me leaving the school on Thursday. When I got to school I found out she was going home sick. So whatever my consequences would be, it would have to wait until Monday. I spent most of the day sorting out some things for my teachers so that once I was gone for my surgery they would still have things to keep them occupied. With Ramadan coming up the students were sure to be gone a bit of the holiday, so my teachers need to stay busy. 

After school we went to the club for a celebration for Stuart’s birthday. There were about 25 of us there. It was a good night. 

I didn’t get up to walk Monday morning. I just wasn’t feeling that hot. When I got to school, I did some work and then was called to the office around 11 am. It seems that my principal felt the need to give me a formal letter of reprimand. It was stated that I was insubordinate for leaving campus without her permission. It also stated she would report this to the appropriate departments. What she doesn’t understand is there is no such thing. I took it with a smile. 

I called Stuart to tell him about the letter and he stated I needed to file a formal complaint against her professional behavior toward myself and others who she disagrees with. He also told me he sold his truck. He has been complaining about how much money he spends in gas each month and had decided he needed something more economical. So there you have it. 

After I had emailed my cluster manager my letter, I felt better. I have an excellent relationship with her and she seems to know how my principal operates, so that’s helpful. 

After school I picked Millie and her friend Zeina up from school. The kids played at home and were joined by Ava and Hattie. I took Ava and Hattie home just before 6 and then took Millie and Zeina to McDonalds to play in the play area and have ice cream. I ended up dropping Zeina off at a mall as her mom was there with her older sister. 

We were home after Millie’s bedtime. She got in the shower and then straight into bed. Jack had gone with Stuart to rugby so I had a bit of time to myself before they came home. 

Tuesday morning I walked with Lara. We gossiped, as we always do, and I told her about my letter. We both laughed about it. 

When I got to school, my principal was so sweet to me. Do you think it had anything to do with the formal complaint letter I wrote about her unprofessionalism and preferential treatment she gives to some staff members? Who knows? All I know is she is being nice to me at the moment and I will take it. 

I picked Millie up from Yoga and we headed to pick up a little doll house we had purchased off of a family who is leaving in July. Then we headed to dance. After dance we came home, showered and the kids went to bed. 

Wednesday I decided not to walk. School was relatively uneventful and the day flew by. I didn’t go to boot camp. Instead, the kids and I  sorted their toys for the boot sale (rummage sale) that was scheduled at the club on Friday the 11th of May. Stuart said he would take care of it since I would be just one day out of surgery. I think he might regret this decision. We completely finished sorting Jack’s room. Millie lost focus and just couldn’t decide on what to sell. So her room would have to wait until early next week. 

Thursday school was very busy and productive. We had a senior leadership meeting and my principal was down right giddy. She was so friendly and nice. I’m thinking the other shoe is sure to drop soon. 

I picked the kids up at school and came home to get them ready to go to Dubai with Scott and Clare. Stuart and I had the rugby club Annual General Meeting so we couldn’t go to Dubai until after that was over. We really didn’t want to keep the kids from their fun so the Richardsons offered to take them to our hotel apartment and we would just arrive later. 

The kids were picked up at 3:30 and Stuart and I headed to the club at 4:30. The annual meeting was fun, not! It went on way too long. We ended up not getting to Dubai until around 10 pm. We had a couple of glasses of wine while sitting on our gorgeous balcony and then called it a night. 

We were up and around just after 7. Breakfast was had in the apartment. This was our view while drinking our coffee. 

We decided to take the kids swimming before our epic brunch at Bubbalicious, the most famous brunch in all of Dubai. The pool was on the ground floor and was shaded by the building, thank goodness because we forgot our sunscreen. 

Scott and Stuart went to the shop to get some milk, water, juice and sodas. They brought them back to the pool and we sat there a bit longer. We finally went upstairs just before 11 am to get ready for our brunch of a lifetime at Bubbalicious. It must be the most expensive brunch in Dubai. We were experiencing this with the O’Reilleys and the Richardsons, as they are our great friends who will be going back to their home countries this July. It’s the sad part of this expat life. People leave. 

The boys and their chucks. 

Best buddies even though Henry is almost three years older than Jack. 

The four lovely children. 

The Richardsons. 

The Telfords. 

The whole gang. 

The kids. 

My girls!

The entire crew. 

Ready for a sugar coma!

We arrived at the brunch and were overwhelmed by the food stations. There must have been 10 different cuisines, with many drink stations and several dessert stations. We ate and conversed for almost 4 hours. It was an amazing brunch. We went back to the hotel apartment and the kids went for a dip. Clare made them some sandwiches and we ordered schwarma. A good night was had by all. 

Saturday morning we moved a bit slower than we planned. All of us were feeling a bit of the brunch effects. We got around, had breakfast and several cups of coffee, and then headed to a scooter/skate board park at a place called Kite Beach in Dubai. It was hotter than the dickens! Clare and I left the dads with the kids and went for a walk in search of my new favorite boutique, Tipsy Gypsy. After about a 40 minute search, we discovered that the shop was no longer at Kite Beach. That saved me some money for sure. 

We decided to have lunch at an air conditioned hut on the beach called Salt. We had sliders and fries. After lunch we headed for home. Once we were home I started laundry and then Millie and I bathed Duke. Boy did he stink. We all showered soon after that and relaxed for the evening. A great weekend concluded a busy week. 

My chicken Cheeto slider and sweet potato fries! Yum!