When Jack woke up he didn’t want to go to school because he was so sore from his tournament over the weekend. Poor kid! Stuart had to take us to school as his battery in his car died. So he took us to school and then ended up taking some time off to go and get a new battery. He picked us up at 3:30 pm and we went home. Jack took a shower and lounged around the rest of the evening. He was wiped out.
I had a meeting at the club, although the kids had no training. I got home to a totally homemade meal of Scotch eggs and coleslaw. It was delightful and Millie even ate it. She loved it.
Sean came over for eats as well. Although he has moved out, he seldom misses a good meal at the house.
Monday morning I walked again with the dogs, all alone. It seems Lara’s alarm didn’t go off. Because it is still dark at 5 am, I’m glad I have two big dogs with me. However, both dogs are afraid of their own shadow. So in a crisis they wouldn’t be any help at all.
I made scrambled eggs for the kids for breakfast. Millie wasn’t going to eat breakfast, so I said whatever she wanted I would make it. Therefore, scrambled eggs it was.
Jack was at swim squad at 6:45 am. School was the best as I only had two lessons to teach in the day. I had my professional conversation with the Deputy Head of Academics as well as the Head of the Junior School. It was very positive meeting and they seemed pleased with what I bring to the school.
After school Jack had a football match. I didn’t even know he knew how to play football (American soccer). He actually did quite well in the match. He didn’t score a goal, but he contributed to one of the goals. He played really hard.
Stuart and I had a committee meeting at the club Monday night. We decided to feed the kids at the club. They were also able to play for a little over an hour. Some of their friends’ parents have activities at the club on a Monday night, so they love to go and play with their friends. Our meeting was over by 7 and we were home just after that. Millie showered and went straight to bed. Jack had some fruit after his shower and then was in bed by 8 pm. Stuart followed around 9 pm and I was in bed by 10:30 as I planned to walk on Tuesday.
Lara actually got up and walked with me, which I enjoyed. We just talk about our days when we walk. I filled her in on the dog issue with the municipality and we spoke about our laziness and how it needed to change.
Jack was nearly late to swim squad as he couldn’t quite get ready for the day on Tuesday morning. Once the day started, although I always dread Tuesdays, it was fine and seemed to fly. Towards the end of the day my students were starting to lose the plot. We have math as our last lesson. Any idea how hard it is to get 6 year olds to pay attention to a math lesson the last period of the day? Yikes!
We had a staff meeting after school. Jack had been picked up by Stuart and Millie went home with her dance friends. After I left school I headed to the local girlie spa to buy two gift vouchers for the student learners my teammate Joan and I have had for the past 6 weeks. They are Emiratis training to be English teachers. We wanted to get them something as their last day with us would be Thursday. When I got to the spa they had no generic gift vouchers. The lady behind the counter asked me if a Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas voucher would do. Well, considering both of these teachers in training are Muslim who don’t celebrate birthdays or Christmas I’m going to have to take my business elsewhere. Crazy! It’s just the way of this country. It’s maddening at times. They were happy to let me walk out of the shop. Nuts!
I picked up some food for Millie before heading to the dance studio. I got there just as her first class was letting out. I then sat and chatted with some moms whose kids go to Brighton. Once Millie was in her dance/gymnastics class, I browsed the web. I could have done some work but I really couldn’t be bothered.
We headed home after her class and Cathy came over. Cathy announced to me in a text the day before that she had a date on Friday. She came over to tell me the details. I really wish she would find a nice guy. Maybe this new guy, Lucas, is an option. We ordered food from our local Arabic restaurant. Millie was in bed before Jack and Stuart got home from the club.
When Stuart and Jack got home I heard the tales of the touch match. It seems that the PE teacher who plays for the Brighton College touch team got into a fist fight. Oops. That’s not Brighton behavior.
Wednesday morning we were all out of the house and on our way to school. School was relatively uneventful. My student teacher had her last observation. She will be an okay teacher, but the goals this country has for its people is a long time down the road, unfortunately.
Once school was over we attempted to make another run at getting gift vouchers for our student teachers at school. I ran into the same issue at another location. It was so ridiculous. And being who I am, I announced I would never use their services again. I then headed to a local spa and got exactly what I needed. I then dropped Jack at home while Millie and I went to the super market. When we got home Stuart was making fried chicken and the house smelled delightful. Cathy was at our house and after the kids had their showers we all sat down for dinner. Millie refuses to eat the fried chicken, but was convinced when we made a game of it. She actually liked it, which was no shock since KFC is her favorite fast food.
Stuart had a meeting at the club, so he left the house for a bit. While he was gone, Lara came over for a chat. She left when her daughter Kayla came over and said everyone in their house was hungry. Stuart returned shortly after Lara left and we sat at the dining room table for a couple of hours just chatting.
Thursday morning the kids were up early so we headed to school about 10 minutes early. The day flew by. Millie’s class had her class assembly. Millie has a rather large speaking part. She did a fantastic job. The kids went to see a play that came to the school. It was by a company called Shakespeare for Kids. They presented Narnia. It was about an hour long and it was really good. The kids were entertained for sure. I was the teacher selected to go to the production, so that meant no teaching for me in the morning. Then I only had my board games club and science to teach in the afternoon. It was a relatively easy day.
Once school was over we headed home, via the supermarket. It seems we have to stop at the store most days. We had a baby shower to go to in the evening so I went to get some diapers for the couple. You can never have enough diapers. Once we were home, we changed clothes and then headed to the club. The party was down at the pool bar. It was for our club Vice Chairwoman and her husband. They are expecting their first baby boy in about 7 weeks. It was a great night. There were games and prizes and food, the recipe for a good party.
Stuart took part in one of the games.
Towards the end of the night Jack and his friends came into the pool area and asked me to come out on the field. There is a football club (soccer) that trains at the club three nights a week. On a Thursday many of the kids are left unattended and after their training the kids are left on their own. This night, our little expat kids were playing on a different pitch and some of the local kids came over and stole their ball, the proceeded to harass our kids and slapped Jack in the face. So when Jack came to get me I ran out and confronted them. They claimed that Jack ‘he say bad words’. I told them I knew for a fact that wasn’t true. This is also their MO when it comes to being confronted. It fired me up. I asked where their parents were. They said their parents weren’t there, which made me even more angry. I told them if they didn’t want any trouble then they should stay on their pitch and not come and bother our kids. One kid said to me ‘he hit me’, meaning Jack. I said, ‘Did you take their ball? And did you slap him first?’ The answer to both questions was ‘yes’. I said, ‘Sorry for you! Stay away from my children!’ And then we all went back into the pool area for the rest of the evening. Lesson? No Thursday night at the clubs any more. The expat community are so kind and caring for each other, but sadly, as in any society, there is a percentage of local children who are raised by nannies whom they have no respect for, nor can the nannies make them behave. It’s such a shame, but happens in all parts of the world I suppose.
When we left the club we brought Louie home with us for a sleepover. Millie took a shower and watched television upstairs while the boys played the PS4. Around 10 pm Stuart went upstairs and put Sleeping Beauty in her bed. I watched an episode of one of my shows and then fell asleep. I woke up to Jack tapping me at midnight, asking me if he and Louie could watch tv. It scared the life out of me. So I went upstairs and told them it was time to go to bed. They complied and were asleep in no time. I went to bed as well.
We were all up by 7:30 am, when Stuart went to get sausages and eggs for breakfast. Millie was watching tv upstairs and the boys were playing the PS4, naturally. Jack’s friend Louie broke his controller charger. I thought Jack was going to have a total meltdown. He gets teary very easily these days. Hormones? Please tell me no!
We left for the club just before 11 am. I was supposed to be announcing drinks specials and things about our sponsors. I did that for a bit, then I started cleaning out the storage in the control room. Most of the stuff in the storage room is for the social side of the club, but some of the stuff is just old crap from years gone. To say the manager of the club is a pack rat is an understatement. I got my part cleaned up in a couple of hours. I can only assume that his part will never be cleaned up. Oh well, not my issue.
After I was finished announcing and the games were over we ordered food and sat with Sean for a bit. Then Cathy and her date showed up at the club, which was a shock to us. It was their first date so that was a lot of pressure on him to meet the friends. He handled it well. He seemed like a really nice guy. We left the club and went to Brian and Lara’s for snacks and a catch up. Stuart and I were both exhausted so we didn’t stay long. Home, showers and bed were in order once we were home.
Saturday morning I got up and took the kids and Adam, Jack’s friend, to see the new film The Grinch. We got snacks before going into the cinema. The film was really cute and the kids loved it. We had to get some birthday gifts at the mall, but then headed home. Adam came to the house to play for the afternoon. Sadly, just before Adam left, Jack slapped Millie and was declared finished with his PS4 for the day. However, when he got home with Stuart from taking Adam home, he went to his PS4 immediately. When I went upstairs I reminded him of his consequences for slapping his sister. He had no recollection. Therefore, the PS4 was taken away for yet another week. Ugh! Why doesn’t he listen? I feel my own mother’s pain right now.
The evening came and went. It was a relaxing evening but another weekend that went too quickly.
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