Jack was awarded the Year 5, male, Sports Person of the Year. He was so excited and we were so proud. Bed awaited both kids once we were home.
Monday morning was a rough start as Millie didn’t get the sleep she needed to not be cranky. Stuart decided that since his car was cutting out nearly every time he came to a near stop, he would take us to school and then drive my car to his school. Our routine was a bit off, therefore Jack forgot to bring his swim kit for PE on Monday. Well, being the Sports Person of the Year, you would think he wouldn’t forget something like that. I finally messaged Sean to go and get his kit and bring it to school. He’s one of two people who have an extra key to our house. He was not at work and was more than happy to bring it. Jack was forever grateful.
My team leader Joan ended up taking my students, of which I had 6 on Monday, for the two lessons I was to have them. So I spent the day cleaning out my classroom and moving it to my new one. She and I had the fewest students in our grade level. After school Stuart pocked us up again. He had been trying to get clearance for cable and electricity so he could cancel his visa in order to be prepared to work for Brighton when we return in August. The exit process is such a nightmare. When you resign a job in the UAE they don’t pay you the last two months of your contract. Those two month’s salary come once you have checked out, meaning cleared your house, electricity, and cable. It’s illegal to work for a company that doesn’t hold your visa, but you can’t cancel your visa until you have housing clearance and electricity clearance. We can’t get clearance until the house we currently live in is taken over by Brighton College. It looks as if that won’t happen before we go away. So it is very likely that when we return Stuart won’t be at work the first day or so as he needs to cancel his visa on that day. It’s crazy!
So after not getting answers and being frustrated, we came home from school. Jack went to a birthday party at Action Zone and dinner out, while I took Millie to gymnastics. While Millie was training, I went to get some restaurant vouchers for the kids’ teachers. They took the names of the recipients and told me I would need to come back the next day to collect and pay for them. Sometimes the backward ways of this place baffle me. I then headed to the mall to get my teaching assistant and Millie’s teaching assistant some items from Bath and Body Works. I got back just in time to pick Millie up. We then stopped for petrol and McDonalds, as you do. She ate on the way home and finished once we were at the house. She took a shower and had an ice cream before heading to bed. She went to bed with little fuss, even though Cathy had popped in for a visit.
Jack got home around 7:45 pm. When he came in he had something behind his back. He distracted Stuart and laid it on the back of the loveseat. It was a fury fake spider. Well, it made Stuart jump a bit and it made Jack laugh a lot. Jack then headed for a shower and came down to watch his iPad. He went to bed just after 8. Cathy left shortly after that and then Stuart went to bed. I stayed up, as usual.
Tuesday morning when I got to school and the children started arriving, we were aware there were only about 25 pupils between three of our classes. So we combined them for a few of the lessons, making each of us only have to teach one lesson. It was wonderful.
Tuesday Stuart tried to get Etisalat, the cable and phone company, sorted. Instead, I became the guarantor for Cathy. When you are changing jobs you don’t have to disconnect everything, but you do need someone who will guarantee you will pay your bill. I suppose I will have to do the same for Stuart once we get to that point. When we got home I took Jack clothes so he could go to play soccer. He had gone home with Tommy and Millie had a play date. It helped us run those needed errands. Then Jack decided to sleepover at Tommy’s. We went to Sean’s for dinner once Millie was home from her play date. When we got home there were some older kids playing outside of our house. They were supet disrespectful which we seldom encounter. They also didn’t live in our complex. After getting after the security guard for even letting them in the complex, I messaged the manager of the property. It was nearly 11 pm and quiet hours start at 8 pm. It really is the only draw back to a complex like ours. Fortunately we don’t encounter it very often.
Wednesday I only had 3 children at school. After school I took Jack to play laser tag with his classmates.
The fierce fighters.
I met up with the mums of all the boys and then we all had dinner together at the food court. Stuart stayed home with Millie and they ordered McDonalds. When Jack and I got home Millie was asleep. Jack showered and I started brownies for my treat on the last Thursday breakfast. Since Thursday was the 4th of July I figured I would make something kind of American.
Thursday was our last day at school. We had a lovely assembly. At the end of the day Jack was in tears. This time of year for an expat kid can be very emotional. There are usual children who leave to go back to their own country, and then I think some of the children were worried as they are in Year 5 and are going to the senior school next year. There were a lot of boys crying. Next year they get separated from the girls because that’s the way the Sheikh wants it. Stuart picked the kids up after school because our staff had an end of the year Farewell Assembly. I was a bit ready as well. Friends leave here more often than most places. It can be very heart wrenching.
This is my team from this year, minus Peter who was already in the theatre waiting for the assembly to start.
Once the assembly was over, Robert turned the keys to the Durango over to me. We again own a huge people carrier. We plan to camp a lot next school year as a result of this purchase. When I got home Stuart was making chicken for our 4th of July cookout at Lara’s. We headed over there just after 5 pm. They had the regulars there and as always we had a fun evening. Stuart and Millie went home earlier than Jack and myself. It was hot and they were tired.
Friday morning we got up and talked with Grammie and Pop. The intent was to get up and sort out the front area of our house. We’ve taken our carport and made a patio out of it. Our grill is out there and some friends who are leaving this year have given us their outdoor furniture. But laziness got the best of us and instead we just sat around most of the day. At 4:30 pm we headed to the club to attend a goodbye party for our friend Paula. She and her son have been in the UAE for 10 years and they decided it is time to go home. We had some pizza and nachos, and again we caught up with people before leaving for the summer or leaving for good. We got home around 8 pm and both kids hit the sack. They have had very little sleep in the last week and needed some desperately.
Saturday morning I was up at 6 am and started in on our clean up project out front. I took all the covers off the pillows and put them in the washing machine. Stuart hosed down the back area where the dogs do their business. We don’t have the most ideal place for dogs, but it hasn’t stopped us from having them. We just need to clean their area quite often. We worked and sweat until about 10 am. I then took a shower and Millie headed to gymnastics. This would be her last lesson before returning and becoming a part of the advanced team.
After her lesson we headed home to do a lot of nothing. Cathy and Claire came over for dinner and we ordered from the Curry House. It was an early night. I was just so thankful we didn’t have school the following day, but Stuart did. Poor guy!
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