We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Sunday morning we got up and piddled around the house until the early afternoon, when we invaded Barnes and Anna’s house. On the way, we collected Uncle James and Billy from a Burger King on the roadside. They had just flown in from Munich and were planning on going to the lights at Bedgebury that evening. Louise, her mum, Ev, and Zoe went on to their hotel and then later to Karen and Barry’s. 

We arrived at Barnes and Anna’s and their dog went nuts. She’s so cute, but super hyper. She settled down and we had some good before going to see the lights in the woods. 

Six of nine grandchildren in the Telford/Atkinson clan. 

Billy slipped in the mud while we were at the house, so that was a bit of an issue. It had rained the previous day, so once we were on the trail at Bedgebury we had to avoid puddles, which was easier for some than others. Fortunately we had brought wellies for the kids which helped a ton. 

The lights were prettier than what my photos captured. 

S’mores make everything nicer. 

Hope was able to be with us for a week. I think she had a wonderful time. 

We headed back to Highwoods for dinner. 

Monday morning we headed to pick up James, Lou and Zoe to bring them back to Highwoods. Louise and I went into town for Lou to do her Christmas shopping. We got the shopping done relatively quickly and then had lunch at Pizza Express. We caught a taxi back to Grandma and Grandpa’s where we relaxed for a while. The boys and Barry caught a taxi to a local pub to have some male bonding time. The ladies sat around the table and had a good natter. Dinner was ready around 7 pm, just as the men returned. Lou, James and Zoe got a taxi back to their hotel. I helped to clean up after dinner and then went to bed. 

I was awake by 5:30 am as Stuart got up to pick James up and make the Christmas food morning pick up at Sainsbury’s. By the time they returned, I had stripped our bed to get it ready for Granny as she was coming to stay the next three nights and we were staying at the Premier Inn. I then cleaned the bathroom and packed up all of our things. I helped peel potatoes and tried to keep the laundry going. The kids played while Stuart and James went to their dad’s house to pick up Matt and Josh. They had flown in to Heathrow and Andrew had collected them to bring them back to his house for breakfast. 

Everyone returned around 1 pm, after I had washed, dried and straightened Hope’s hair. She has a ton of hair and it’s really curly. We had lunch and then the kids, Stuart and I went to check into the Premier Inn. The kids weren’t staying but we felt it would help if they came with us to get out of the way at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. 

We went back by the house to collect Hope for our Christmas Eve Christingle service at a small church in Westfield. 

These three were like any kids in church. 

The light of the world has come. 

After the service, we went to our Christmas Eve meal at Bannantyne’s, a resort not far from Karen and Barry’s  house. This was where Lou and James were staying. The meal was amazing. Karen had made a plan in July to do a Santa sack with gifts for everyone from Santa. I purchased half of them and she purchased half of them. It was so clever and everyone seemed to enjoy that part of the evening. There were 15 of us at dinner. 

The Telford grandchildren. 

After dinner we all headed back to our places of slumber. All of the children, except Zoe, stayed at Grandma and Grandpa’s. We had gone by the house before going to eat so we had set up all the Santa items needed and then used Hope as our Santa’s helper once they were back at the house. 

Christmas Day we had Grandpa pick us up just after 8. We then went to collect James and Lou. We all headed to Highwoods. The kids were allowed to open their stockings before we had breakfast. 

They were very patient. Breakfast was served around 10 am and then chaos ensued as the gifts were distributed. 

Everyone was spoiled by family members. We had a great deal of help in the cleaning up of the mess made by all the paper. It always amazes me that we spend weeks getting ready for an even that lasts only minutes. I find Christmas Day to be a bit of a let down sometimes. At any rate, it seems everyone had fun. There are no pictures of the actual event, as Stuart was watching the kids open presents and I was distributing everything under the tree, with help from the kids. But I can promise you it was fun for the kids, and that’s the important thing. 

We had our Christmas dinner in the middle of the afternoon. The kids sat at a table in the living room and the adults sat in the dining room. 

The kids’ table. 

James carved the turkey. 

After the meal, Barry played the piano and I sang. This is one thing that really endears me to my father in law. He loves music and I love when he plays the piano and I can sing along. 

We headed back to our hotel around 10 pm. It was a good day, but we were tired. Karen, Stuart and Matt cooked and prepared the meal so I know they were ready for bed. 

Stuart walked to Highwoods on Boxing Day morning. He picked me up a bit later, as it was raining, and we went to Sainsbury’s one last time. We got back to the house around 10 am. Karen’s sister and her family showed up around 11. 

Clearly, my camera wasn’t the official camera, but this is Stuart’s grandmother, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren. 

The celebrations continued. We chatted and played games and then went back to the hotel. I had virtually finished packing that morning so Friday morning wouldn’t be so hectic when it was time to leave for London. 

Friday morning Stuart and I got up and had breakfast at the Premier Inn. I had started developing a head cold, which is so fun in the winter. After breakfast we called a cab to take us back to Grandma and Grandpa’s. We did another load of washing and then repacked our bags. It was a tight squeeze but at least we were underweight on our bags. 

Barnes, Anna and the girls all showed up around 10:30 am. The kids exchanged gifts and then we took a photo with all the cousins. Who knows when we will all be together in the same place again. It’s difficult when everyone is scattered around the globe. Giles and Jen were in Vietnam for the holidays, so there was still one of the brothers missing. One day we hope all 5 boys and their families can be together for a holiday. 

Any idea how hard it is to get 9 children to all smile and look at the same camera at one time? This was the best one I could get. 

We had such a brief time Friday morning with all the cousins. Everyone went to lunch except for us. Stuart, the kids and I headed to the train station. Jack, Millie and I caught the train to London to meet up with Cathy, Kayleigh and Claire. Stuart and Hope carries on to take Hope back home. His drive was to be about three and a half hours there and two hours back. 

The boy needed a nap on the train. 

Looking at the city from the train can be quite entertaining. 

Lunch at a pub was our first order of business. 

After we had a proper catch up, we went to Trafalgar Square and had a picture with the famous lions. Jack had to pull Millie up to the base as she couldn’t climb up on her own. 

We walked around Trafalgar Square and looked at the Christmas markets. Jack used some of his Christmas money to buy some gloves. He had ski gloves but needed some gloves just for warmth. After our shopping we walked to Regent Street to look at the pretty lights. 

My American boy in the streets of London. 

Stuart’s journey to and from Tipton took nearly 9 hours, when it should have taken him about five and a half. I felt so sorry for home. We returned to the hotel just about 20 minutes before he did. We all showered and got our things ready for the following early start. 

Our alarm went off at 3 am to get to the airport for our 6 am flight to Zurich. Our 6 day Swiss adventure was about to begin. We were all very excited. 

The crew is ready to take off. 

Our flight was about an hour and a half. When we landed we got to passport control and ran into the other Telfords who had flown out of Gatwick airport. We all got taxis to the Park Hyatt hotel and were ready to walk around Zurich. I was a bit disappointed the Christmas markets were not still up and running, but it didn’t really stifle my fun. The kids and dads decided to hire some scooters to ride around town, which was a bit of a pricey novelty, but a lot of fun. 

The girls rode with a bit of assistance. 

European side streets, especially in a city that sits on the side of a hill, are always so quaint. 

As we walked around the old town we decided to stop for a hot chocolate. Being by the river was very cold. Their outdoor cafes have fluffy cushions and blankets available to customers, which helps. 

Waiting for their hot chocolate proved to be chilly. 

We are cold!

A snack break was in order while we decided what we were going to do for Louise’s birthday lunch. In the end we went to an English pub for some fries and drinks. Then we found a fondue restaurant, which was an adult pleaser, but not as much to the liking of the kids. 

Cheeses goodness. 

After lunch, the crew decided to have another go on the scooters. We then headed back to the hotel. Louise and I went for massages, which were a bit pricier than I would normally spend, but was nice at any rate. 

Once the massages were completed, Louise went to her room for the evening as she has not been well since she arrived in the UK on the 22nd. Everyone else convened in our room until we decided to go across the street for pizza and pasta. Then it was back to the room for an early night. A transfer to the train leaving for Arosa was to pick us up at noon the following day, so having an early night after our early start was in order. Skiing, here we come. 

Over the River and Through the Woods!

We got up on Sunday morning and had a leisurely morning. Clare and May headed off to another swim competition. Since we had decided to leave mid morning, Clare went ahead with her plans to referee the swim meet. The kids had breakfast while I showered. Then Stuart, Scott and I took Millie to the park for a ride on the zip line. 

The dreaded zip line. 

These desert people are freezing. 

The plan was to head out around 9:30 or so to get to Grandma’s house at a decent time. Our journey was uneventful. We stopped at Blackbrooks, a garden center close to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, to get a gift voucher. Then we stopped at Sainsbury’s for my needed shop. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but Sainsbury’s supermarket is my favorite place to go when we arrive in England. 

Just as we got to Grandma’s it started to hail. We had seen that the weather wasn’t going to do us any favors while we were in England this year. Most days rain was in the forecast. We spent the afternoon lounging around and unpacking our stuff. We also opened all the ski equipment we had ordered from Amazon. It was like an early Christmas. Fortunately we had left a great deal of space in our luggage for the new gear. Stuart and the kids put some lights on the tree at the top of the garden, in the rain of course. 

Around 4 pm we headed to Westfield to see the beautiful, and somewhat tacky, Christmas lights, as well as have a drink in the pub. When we came back we had dinner and then sat around and chatted for the rest of evening. 

We woke up Monday morning and headed to get the Christmas tree. 

And the winner is?

It was a group effort to carry it to be wrapped. 

The completed product was beautiful!

Tuesday we headed to Grandad and Grandma’s. We stopped in Eastbourne to have lunch with Granny. We then took her to Sainsbury’s to do some shopping. 

We ate at a really nice Italian place. It may have been a bit too fancy for Jack and Millie. However, thankfully, they were very well behaved. 

We arrived at Grandma and Grandad’s just before 5 pm. It was completely dark outside. Coming back to England in the winter reminds me why I wouldn’t want to live in England. It’s cold, wet and dark by 4 pm. We got settled at Grandma and Grandad’s and then played a game of Scattagories. The kids then showered and had their dinner. Once the kids were in bed, we ate dinner and had a good catch up. 

Wednesday morning we got up and walked into the village so the kids could get some sweets for the pantomime we were heading to in Eastbourne. We ate a lunch of homemade sausage rolls. The kids got their nicer clothes on, with some griping from Jack, and we left for Eastbourne. In the car, Grandma played I Spy and other games with the kids. 

The pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, was silly, yet very funny! The traditional panto in England is typically a common tale where the lead boy is played by a girl and the Dame is played by a man. It was really cute and the kids played along and laughed a lot. 

After the panto we headed to a place called Ribs & Co.  in a place called Hailsham. We were a bit early for our booked table, but in the end it worked out well. As we had finished our delicious meal of ribs, and there were a lot of them, a party of 14 came in with some very loud children. We were glad to be leaving. 

Millie acted absolutely manic on the way home. This rain is keeping them cooped up and they have way too much energy that can’t be expelled. Therefore, this always ends in Millie losing the plot. Millie was immediately sent to bed when we got home. She yelled from her room and then finally fell asleep. Jack followed shortly, and the rest of us were not far behind. 

We got up on Thursday morning and while Grandma did something that was a secret with the kids, Grandad, Stuart and myself headed to the Costa coffee up the road for a roll and a coffee. When we returned we played some Scattagories before heading for a pub lunch. We had a light lunch and then headed to Hastings, first going by the fish shop to pick up some crab meat for Karen to be used in a Christmas dish. 

Once we were back at Karen and Barry’s we started a load of laundry, as we always do, and then the kids played on their iPads while I wrapped presents and Stuart did whatever Stuart does. When I came down with the presents I had wrapped from us, Karen informed me that the wrapping paper I had used was the paper she had purchased for all the Father Christmas gifts to be handed out on Christmas Eve night. Now what are the chances I would buy the exact paper? It was baffling. I think this proves that my mother in law and I think more alike than any of us would ever believe. Funny! 

We had ham, egg and chips for dinner and then the kids were ready for bed. They had showered before dinner, so putting them to bed is really no big deal after they’ve eaten. Typically we eat a bit later than normal, so by the time we are finished eating, they are generally tired and are easy to put to bed. The adults didn’t stay up much later than the kids, once again. 

Friday morning Stuart got up and took his mum to her doctor’s appointment. Then when she returned we headed to TK Maxx and Marks & Spencer to try to find something to wear for New Year’s in Arosa, Switzerland. I was not really born to be festive, but will attempt to be this year. After our successful

shopping trip, we headed back to the house only

to find Grandma and Grandpa had gone out for a bit. The kids ate lunch while Stuart and I played games on our phones. We are so lively! 

Stuart then went out and hung some more outdoor lights on a tree in the front. Then the kids and I sat down to watch A Dog’s Journey.......again. We had watched it earlier in the week and the kids wanted to watch it again. It’s a sweet, but sad film. The rest of the afternoon we relaxed and had some more down time, which is the important time around the holidays. 

We had ordered an Indian curry for dinner and Millie had fish fingers and broccoli because curry is not her bag. At the end of the evening we had talked about having a game of Oh Heck, but since the kids couldn’t keep it together, we canceled the game and they went to bed early. It was for the best because Stuart was getting up at 5 am to go collect Hope from Tipton. 

I got up just as he was driving away to drive for  three and a half hours to collect Hope. He was going to pick her up and go to Ikea as he and his mum and grandmother had decided to buy Hope a desk and chair for Christmas. His plan was to put it together before they headed back to Hastings. 

I went back to sleep until nearly 9 am. I got up and started getting blow up mattresses ready for the next lot of folks to come to the house. I put covers on the duvets and had Millie take the rest of our dirty clothes down to the laundry room. Jack helped with the beds and then I showered. The kids helped Grandma place presents around the tree. We then had a bite of lunch and played Oh Heck. Millie played with her toys while we played cards. Stuart and Hope arrived around 4:30 pm and chaos ensued. She brought loads of gifts that also had to go around the tree. The kids started playing Monopoly while Grandma and Stuart got dinner ready. 

I’m pretty sure Millie doesn’t know how to play, but she pretends well. Of course, it ended in tears, as these things do. They all ended up on their electronics until it was time to eat. We had sausages and vegetables for dinner. I took the kids up to their room and helped Hope unpack. Once she was unpacked, I read Barry the Fish with Fingers, upon Millie’s request. Millie then went to bed, Hope showered and Jack went downstairs for a bit. Everyone else sat in the living room for a bit before turning in as well. The week of a Christmas was upon us. 

Winter Wonderland Week!

Our last week of school for the year is always themed as Winter Wonderland. It’s a great time for kids to try to feel cozy in a totally freezing school, wrapped in their wooly mittens, scarves and hats. Yet we still feel a bit summering most of the year. However, because we had a rain storm over night, the air conditioning wasn’t able to be turned on as the dust was in the vents and got wet, therefore causing our fire alarm to go off. It was a bit of a disappointment for the staff and kids. We suspected we would have low numbers because of the weather, but we really didn’t.

This was our room that was set up for the festivities. 

After school I went to get my new registration card for my car and then popped into the grocery store to buy enough ingredients to make my team and Stuart’s team a dozen no bake cookies as their holiday gift. Once I was home I decided to mix up some and dollop them on the parchment paper. From quadrupling the recipe I made 8 dozen, huge cookies. We left for our committee meeting at around 5:30 pm. We decided to get a babysitter for the kids as they really needed an early evening. Stuart and I drove together but he ended up catching a ride from Sean home while I went and finished off Christmas shopping. Can I tell you how badly I hate going to the mall after dark? 

I got all the shopping done, the dogs the food they needed for while we were away and Tina was staying with them, and I got a few more gifts for people I had forgotten. Once I was home, I knew I had books to mark, but since it was nearly 11pm I decided against it. I had a bite to eat and then watched a bit of television. 

I had difficulty getting a good night’s sleep because my team leader had told me my written reports needed to be altered. Hello! I’m a writer! I know how to write reports for goodness sake! It turns out he was wrong. I do believe he is intimidated by me. He’s not much of a leader so I have difficulty following him as a leader. It’s been a bit challenging working with three men this year. As people, they are such nice guys, but not quite what I’m used to working with. So I was up very early on Monday morning to go into school and sort out the reports. When I read them, I knew he was just trying to find something wrong with them and needed to tell me I needed to revise them. I changed a pronoun in each report to the child’s name. That’s changing them, right? 

I was at school so early that I actually got my Math books marked. I started on my English but didn’t quite finish. I still had other books at home waiting for marking. I assumed I would get those done in the evening. After school I headed to another school for our Under 11s basketball game. Millie had a benchball game at the same school but I wasn’t able to watch it because I was coaching. My little team won both of their games. They have made so much progress since the beginning of the year. I was so proud of them. After the game, Millie and I headed home. She showered, I made another 8 dozen no bake cookies, and then we headed off to the dentist. I’m ashamed to say that we are just now getting around to having a dentist look at the tooth she broke over the summer and is obviously decaying. She hasn’t complained about it, so I assume it’s dead. Mother of the Year is waiting for me....AGAIN! In the end, the dentist said there was no reason to fill the tooth as it was essentially dead. She said that if she pulled it there might be complications as it would leave a space and since her teeth are lacking space anyway, it might cause the teeth to shift unnecessarily. Millie was thrilled. She also said there were no cavities, which thrilled me! So I am not the worst mother that has ever walked. We got home after the dentist and Lara came over for a stress reliever as Brian was admitted to the hospital because he was having heart palpitations. She needed to unwind. 

Tuesday we had a school trip. We went to a park and were to go up Jabel Hafeet but the buses couldn’t go up the mountain. We were gone most of the day. My favorite story of the day was when we first arrived, one of my pupils said to me, ‘Mrs Telford, I need to go to the toilet.’ As I looked around, I said, ‘I’m not sure where the toilets are.’ He then Saif, ‘Oh, I can just go behind that tree.’ To which I responded, ‘Well, if you were camping with your family the I would say yes you can, but you are with your classmates so I’m thinking  that’s probably not terribly appropriate.’ He just said, ‘Oh, okay,’ and then we went to find the proper toilets. 

After school, we went to the car dealer district to drop my car off for a service. Once we were back from dropping off my car we left to make gingerbread houses at the club. The kids argued over who was doing what, which made the whole experience a good ole Griswold family Christmas. 

I was a bit bitter about helping, but they couldn’t get the sides to stand up. 

After the house was completed, Jack had his final touch match of the season. Unfortunately they lost, but they gave it all they had. Just after Jack’s match, his contact coach collapsed and had a heart attack. It was a bit nerve racking. He’s fine, thank goodness, but he had a few stunts put in that evening at the hospital. 

They seem to be having fun! Everyone can fake it for a picture. 

The final product. 

Wednesday we had parent’s day at school. After school  we headed to the Ford shop to collect my car. We took Cathy with us because she needed to pick up her car that was having the airbag light fixed. I collected my car from its service, then came home and made apple sauce as not to waste the apples we had in the fridge. I also got ingredients out for a pumpkin coffee cake. Both of these things would go to our staff breakfast on Thursday morning. 

We went back to school at 6:30 pm for Millie’s winter concert. it was really sweet. She gives so much emotion when she sings. It made me cry. 

Millie and her bestie, Alice. 

When we got home, the kids had already showered, so they were to go straight to bed. But we decided to call Grandma and the bedtime was delayed a bit. Thursday was only a half day so I wasn’t terribly fussed. 

We were up and out of the house with our breakfast items in tow. I had all but 4 children at school for the last day of the term. It amazed me. We had an assembly and then just basically partied the rest of the day. At noon all children went home and we did as well. Once we were home we started finishing up laundry we needed to pack. I stripped Millie’s bed and watched it. Tuna, our house cleaner, was coming to stay with the dogs for the three weeks and she said she would wash beds. However, she didn’t want to climb on Millie’s bunk bed as she thought it might collapse. I have to say, that is always my fear as well. 

We sat around just waiting to leave. Since our flight wasn’t until 2:15 am on Friday morning, we had a lot of time on our hands. We finally all showered and headed to collect Cathy just before 6 pm as she was taking us to the airport. We had decided to go a bit early and have dinner at a mall near the airport. We ate at a seafood restaurant which was quite nice. After dinner, we walked around a bit. Millie went into the American Doll store and cried when I told her we were not buying an American Doll. Well, turns out their half price sale was only on for another week. So I told her she could spend her own money if she wanted to do so. I also told her that the doll would have to go back to the house with Cathy and couldn’t come with us on our holiday. She was fine with that. She does love her dolls. She picked one that looks just like her. She also picked out an outfit and then Cathy bought her a jammie set for her new doll. She was pleased, and VERY tired. 

By the time we left the mall it was 10 pm. The airport was only 10 minutes away. We couldn’t check our bags until 11:15 pm, but we didn’t want Cathy to drive back so late. In the end we were able to check in around 10:30 pm so the wait wasn’t that bad. Once we were through security we decided to try to go to one of the lounges. Stuart and I could get in free with our bank cards, but the kids would have cost $32 a piece. In the end we decided to go have a drink in an Indian restaurant. This is where Millie and Jack had a bit of a nap. 

Our little unicorn!

Our giant!

We woke Jack up so he could walk to the gate. Stuart carried Millie so she could keep sleeping. We got right onto the plane and proceeded to sleep. I slept for about 3 hours as did Stuart. Jack slept for nearly 5 hours, and Millie slept for the entire 7 hour flight. Millie is the one of us who suffers the most if she doesn’t get her sleep, so we were thrilled she was able to sleep the entire time. Our connection in Zurich was very tight. We got off the plane and walked straight to the gate, after a short train journey, and went through the gate. We got on a bus and were taken to the plane, all while it snowed. Neither Jack or Millie remember seeing snow. Jack would have been 4 and Millie would have been a year and a half old the last time we were in snow. They were excited. 

The flight to London City airport was a short one. When we arrived and collected our bags, we discovered that not all Of our bags caught the flight from Zurich. Fortunately, the one we had packed for our two days with the Richardson’s was not the one left behind. Stuart sorted out getting the bag delivered to his mum’s house and we would have one less bag with us until we arrived down south. 

We walked to the hire car counters, which were outside of the airport in some portable buildings. We ended up getting upgraded to a 7 seater because the car we had originally hired wasn’t there. That was fine by us, considering having 7 seats was very convenient to transport others. Once the car was sorted we headed to Scott and Clare’s. When we arrived, Scott was grouting the back splash in the kitchen. Their house has been under renovation since May. I can imagine they are tired of it all, but it looks amazing. 

Clare got home around 1:30, as did the kids because Scott picked them up early from school. We had a bit of lunch and the kids started doing whatever kids do. They played games, watched movies and just hung out together. I was exhausted and fell asleep on the sofa around 5 pm. I got up around 11 pm, having missed dinner all together. I took a shower and went to an actual bed. Because I had gone to sleep at 5 pm, I was wide awake at 3 am. I had forgotten to place Elfvis, our Elf on the Shelf, so I took him downstairs and set him up with the putty I had bought all the kids. I then managed to go back to sleep, kind of, and finally got up and went downstairs for good at 6 am. 

Everyone was awake by about 7, breakfast was served to the kids and we got dressed. We took a trip to the supermarket so May and I could bake some no bake cookies. May and I used to bake together from time to time when she lived in the UAE. When we got back to the house the baking commenced. We had cookies spread out all over the counter. 

We really just sat around the house all day. It was freezing, to me at least, and confirmed that I was not built to live in a cold climate. Scott took the kids to the park, but they didn’t last long. When they returned with Biscuit, the dessert dog, Millie decided she wanted to go back to the park, so Scott took her, bless him. 

This is what cold looks like in December in the UK. 

May had a swim meet in the afternoon and Clare had to work in the afternoon. Clare teaches babies to swim so her hours don’t line up with regular working hours. 

Stuart started cooking around 3 pm and when Clare and May returned it was nearly time to eat dinner. We had a lovely Christmas dinner with them. It was a Saturday evening roast, just like we used to do when they lived in the UAE. 

The boys sat at the bar. 

And the rest of us sat at the table in the new extension. 

Clare and Scott cleaned your after dinner. The kids had already showered before dinner, so just played upstairs and in the television room. The adults never left the great room. I do miss our great room in Arizona. 

The evening ended with the finale of Strictly Come Dancing. I had no idea who the participants were, but it was a good ending. Sleepy time for all. 

Beginning of December!

Stuart was up just before 6 am and preparing the big meal for the day. The Rouvis, Sean and Carly, and Cathy were due to come over in the afternoon. While things were cooking, we packed some of our clothes for our winter vacation. We feared we wouldn’t have enough room for everything. Because we have decided to go skiing, that requires a case all its own.  This lack of luggage space is the story of our packing lives. 

Stuart had taken his car to have a tune up the previous day, and since he had taken Cathy back to her house the previous evening because she had a horrible migraine, he picked her up to take him to get his car from the garage. He got back to preparing when he returned. 

Sean came over just after 2 pm and the Rouvis joined shortly after. We ate around 3 pm. The food was amazing and the company was so enjoyable.

A pre dinner Baileys. 

The kids and their dinner!

And the others and their dinner!

Monday morning I slept until 8 am. I went to Dubai with Lara and Kayla. We shopped at the mall and then went to Global Village, which is a shopping and cultural experience of all the countries/continents of the world. The traffic to get to this place was unreal. There were so many people. I was so glad Stuart hadn’t gone with us. It was way to peopley for him. I bought a couple of things from my favorite European store called Tipsie Gypsie. We got home just after 9 pm and I was exhausted. 

This was the display in front of The Americas region. 

We were up around 5 am and heading to Dubai to meet up with Roy and Joy Lawson. Roy is one of the two ministers who performed our marriage ceremony. He was also the pastor at Central Christian Church when I sang in the band so many years ago. We met them at the cruise terminal just as they were coming off of the boat. They were both surprised as they didn’t expect us for at least an hour after they arrived. We immediately headed to Dubai Mall.  We had breakfast, went to visit the fountain and take pictures of the Burj Khalifa and then went on the Big Bus Tour, my favorite thing to do in any city! 

We got off of the bus a few times; the museum, the souq, and for the show cruise on the Dubai Creek. It was the perfect way to see Dubai. 

Lovely Roy and Joy on the top of the Big Bus. 

At the museum Joy did what Joy does best, take pictures. 

After the Souq experience we waited by the creek for the Big Bus to collect us.  

The Dhow cruise was a relaxing break. 

We returned to the mall after a 4 hour tour on the bus and had a late lunch at Texas Roadhouse, the antithesis if local cuisine. We then headed back to Al Ain to check them into their hotel and go watch Jack play touch rugby. They would have stayed with us but Roy is allergic to dogs and cats. 

Getting them to their hotel was not as easy as I thought it would be. They stayed at the Aloft. What I forgot was that the Aloft is connected to the city’s football stadium, and it being the National Day holiday, there were still a great deal of celebrations going on in and around the stadium. They did, however, get an upgrade and were able to see some local men on the stage at the back of the hotel. Their room looked right down on the courtyard. The men were doing their traditional Yolla dance. It was for sure an experience not all get. 

Once they were checked in we headed to the club to watch the second half of Jack’s rugby match. They got beat quite badly, but he wasn’t terribly upset by it. I then took Roy and Joy back to their hotel to get a good night’s sleep. I then remembered I needed a sheet for my toga for our Romans vs Amazonian Day. So I had to take a detour to Carrefour before returning home. 

Wednesday morning I was up early to get in my costume. Millie was also ready to go. We had a great day of competitions between our Year 3 Romans and our Year 4 Amazonians. Sadly, the Amazonians beat the Romans, but all the children had fun, which was the important part. 

Jack and I picked up Joy and Roy after our staff briefing, then dropped them off at the house for Stuart to take them to the rugby club. Jack and I headed to the orthodontist. Jack was so excited about his braces.....until he realized the brackets would catch his cheeks. Then it wasn’t quite as thrilling. He kept messing with the wire as it didn’t connect to his eye teeth because they are too far up in his head at this stage and they have to wait for a month until the front 4 straighten up. 

Lovely!

He chose blue rubber bands for this first round. 

We went to the club after his appliances were on. His rugby buddies greeted him and were as excited about his braces as he was. 

Stuart had his dress match. This is the rugby practice the Wednesday before the Dubai 7s. It’s where they all dress in a dress and play touch rugby. It isn’t great preparation for the Dubai 7s, but they seem to have fun. 

After his training, we stayed for quiz night. The first 4 or 5 rounds were good and we even ended up winning a food voucher. The last round was music. I’m always so crap at this particular round. It also seemed to last forever. After the quiz was over, I took Roy and Joy home and then went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for my no bake cookies in preparation for the cookie exchange at DeDe’s on Saturday. Once I was home it was time for bed. 

Thursday morning we got up and were already ready for the week to be over even though we only went two days in the week. Millie got star of the week, and her teacher wrote that she is a ‘slayer of dragons’. That totally describes Millie. She’s scared of nothing and no one. We were so proud of her. Stuart left school around 10 am to go to the Dubai 7s. His first match was at noon. I covered his third lesson and his playtime duty. His team covered him the rest of the day. 

After school we headed home to change clothes and then to pick up Roy and Joy. We headed to Dubai to check them into their hotel. Once they were checked in we headed to the Social House to eat dinner. We got an outside table and were able to see the fountains, by the Burj Khalifa, go off several times while we ate. 

We had the perfect seats. After dinner we headed back to Roy and Joy’s hotel to drop them off and say farewell. Our drive home seemed super long. Stuart messaged to say they had lost their first match and won their second match. He was headed back to his hotel about the time we passed the Dubai 7s stadium on our way home. When we arrived home the kids went straight to bed as did I. 

I was awake at 8 am and making my no bakes. 

These were the easiest cookies ever!

After the cookies were finished the kids and I met Cathy at the mall to see Frozen 2. That Olaf just simply cracks me up. I so hope Jack always wants to go see Disney films with me, but I suspect our time is short regarding these films. After the film, we shopped around for a bit and then headed home. Once home we went to our neighbor’s house for a holiday party. It reminded me of home for sure. There weren’t a lot of people I knew, but some from school that were at least familiar. I spent a couple of hours there and then came home to make dinner for Cathy and myself. She came over and finished baking her apricot slices for the cookie exchange the following day. We watched a couple of Christmas movies and then she decided to stay over in the guest room. 

Saturday morning we headed to the orthodontist at 9 am to have the bracket replaced Jack broke off on Thursday afternoon. He had suffered for a little over 24 hours with a wire poking in his cheek. I’m not sure he did anything wrong to break the bracket, but maybe the pain he experienced will keep him from doing foolish things concerning his new hardware. 

Cathy took a cab to the orthodontist. She had taken her car to the dealership to fix the airbags on her car. The error light was on so she felt she needed to get it checked out. Sure enough, they would need to order the part which would take 4-5 days. It was decided she would pick her car up and return it later in the week for the repair. Once Jack’s mouth was sorted we stopped at the supermarket for a few things, then headed back to the house. 

I prepared dinner for the evening and Cathy marked some of her books. We then went to collect her car. We decided we would also have lunch at the club. Once we were back from the club it was time for our cookie exchange. As there always are, there were a few folks that flaked and decided not to come. This kind of stinks as we all made a certain amount of cookies. However, those who did show up had a fantastic time catching up with friends and eating delicious cookies. 

When I got home Stuart had arrived and had his laundry in the washing machine. The kids were playing at their friends’ houses and returned home shortly after I got home from the cookie exchange. I brought home several dozens of cookies. Some went into the freezer immediately. I put the enchiladas in the oven and made Millie pasta. I went to take a shower while Millie was eating. After Millie was in bed Stuart and I ate. Jack went to bed around 8:30 pm. Stuart waited up for a delivery guy to bring his new iPhone 11, but it didn’t show up. So he went to bed. I caught up on my trash shows and then called it a night. We are very excited for this next week to fly by. Bring on the winter holidays!

The following are pictures of Stuart at the Dubai 7s. He had a great time.