Sick kid is no fun

Jack woke me up in the middle of the night, twice, as he had a raging headache. The second time I was woken up I told him to go back to bed and he wouldn’t be going to school. Stuart ended up going into school and then leaving second period to go home and stay with Jack. I remember staying at home by myself when I was sick at his age. I hope I’m not the bad mom for this. 

I had a meeting after school for a child’s IEP, then Millie and I went to the mall to buy a gift for Moza, a Shaikha who had invited Millie to her birthday party. What do you buy a girl who is worth millions? The party was at the palace, of course. 

We got home and had dinner, baths and bed for both kids. Jack still wasn’t feeling great but I told him he had to go to school on Monday. I hope my kids are tough enough to work through headaches and colds without having to stop in their tracks. 

Monday morning, as I suspected, Jack woke up with a headache and not wanting to go to school. I told him to get up and then he would feel better. I think I got my toughness from my parents. A ‘suck it up buttercup’ attitude always worked for me. He did as he was asked and got ready for school. 

We were excited as we had nothing to do after school and could come home right away. Or so we thought. We remembered after school that Millie’s swim squad was changed this term to Monday instead of Wednesday. Oops! Well, at any rate, we got to come home early. I went to the grocery store and got some butter and bread. The kids and Stuart left for training while I stayed at the house and waited for people to pick up furniture that I had sold. This part of leaving is what I am not going to love. The children’s director at our church came by the house as she had bought one of our rugs. She really blessed my heart with her conversation. She also told me that they would take all of our linens, blankets and towels once we were ready to leave the country. This was great news as I had no intention of selling any of those things and would have been looking for someone to take them and benefit from them. That was an answer to a prayer I never even prayed. Wow!

I picked Millie up from training and Jack stayed for conditioning with his team and then came home with Stuart. Lara came over for a chat once Millie was in bed.  Jack and Stuart got home just after 8:15. Jack showered, ate and went to bed. Lara left and my bed was calling me. 

Tuesday morning we were up and out with little fuss. We had a briefing after school. I left it a bit early and took Millie to the birthday party at the palace for Shaikha Moza’s birthday. She had a pet party. It was so cute and refreshing. It seems that sometimes the local children have an irrational fear of animals, but not Moza. She loves all animals. There were dogs, cats, a goat, snakes, a hedgehog, mouse, iguana, rabbits and more. It was amazing and the kids had a wonderful time. 

It was set up like a farm. 

The dining experience was adorable. 

This girl loves her some animals. 

I returned to school and picked up Stuart and Jack. We went home and Sean and his girlfriend came over for a while. I posted some more items to sell on Facebook and then I went back to pick Millie up from the party. She had eaten so we didn’t need to worry about feeding her. She had an ice pop and then went to bed. Jack followed shortly after her. 

Wednesday Jack had a basketball game and Millie had a football match after school. Jack’s team won a game and tied a game.  Millie’s little team won their match. Jack had rugby training but Millie didn’t because her team didn’t have enough players to make a second team for the Dubai tournament, which was all too fine for us. Jack was to play on Friday and Millie’s team was to play on Saturday. It’s a pain when this happens. So the fact that Millie didn’t have to go was best for all of us. We went to the club anyway and Millie played around while Jack trained. We got take away food and took Louie home after practice. The kids ate and went to bed. 

Always the tiniest one in the bunch!

Thursday after school the kids had tri club. Stuart decided to go have his eyes checked and found out his eye sight is worse than mine. Ha! The kids and I got  home and had some people pick up more furniture. I think we will be sitting on the floor soon. I’m thrilled we are getting rid of some of our larger pieces of furniture. Stuart made chicken tacos for dinner and we watched a movie. He stays out of the way when people pick items up from us. He hates that sort of thing. He did instruct me on Thursday morning that I wasn’t to sell the shelves in the kitchen just yet. I think he is sure I will sell everything in the next month and we will be sleeping on blow up mattresses. And what’s wrong with that?

Friday morning we were up at 6 am to go to Jack’s rugby tournament. We were gone all day. They only won one of their five matches. Jack is so intense and doesn’t understand why others are not. He tried to give his team a pep talk, but it didn’t help a great deal. I have no idea where he gets that competitive spirit. I told him he could only control his own play and as long as he was always doing his best, we were proud of him. The struggle is real. 

The team!

A boy and his coach. 

Once we realized that the team playing their match at 3 pm would have to win by over 100 points for us to go into the finals, we decided to collect all the jerseys and call it a day. We stopped at the outlet mall on the way back to Al Ain to try to find some swimmers for Jack and Millie. We found several cute swim suits for Millie, but only one pair for Jack. We decided to eat dinner at the mall. When we finally got home, Millie was asleep. I put her straight to bed. Jack took a shower and complained about his ear hurting. The poor boy has not felt well all week. It also doesn’t help that he gets banged around on the pitch for 5 matches. 

Around 7:30 pm someone came to get our upstairs sofa and a few games. That’s one more large piece of furniture that we don’t have to worry about. Yahoo! Jack went to bed at 8:30 pm. He had to be wiped out from his day of rugby. Stuart and I watched a movie and then he went to bed while I stayed up and watched The Circle, a new Netflix release. It’s entertaining. 

Saturday morning I got up and went to get my hair straightened and  cut. The picture below really explains why I don’t go to the hair dresser more than once every 8 to 12 months. They nearly lifted me off my seat!

Ouch!

After my hair was wrangled, Stuart was in the car and we headed elsewhere. He took our Jag to the shop. We needed to get it fixed before Cathy returned from the UK. Ooo, I’m not sure I wrote it here, but her lung collapsed over Christmas and she had to have the same surgery she had last summer, but to the other lung. Thank goodness she only has two lungs. At any rate, she has been away from the UAE since the middle of December. We have had her car and used it a few times because the Jag is under the weather and we sold my car.  So we needed to get the Jag sorted as Cathy thinks she will be coming back either this week or next. 

New hair!

We stopped at a store for some items I needed to do a mummification lesson next week. We then went to the super market and bought something for dinner. Sean and Jee came over to collect a picture and game Sean wanted, and Islay, Millie’s friend, came over to play. Some people came to look at Millie’s bunk bed and decided they wanted to buy it. Now we only have two desks to get rid of and most of our large furniture is gone. Whew!

We spent the rest of the evening watching mindless television. It was a great weekend and I felt quite productive throughout the week, which was great. 

The big news was shared.

So we made the decision on Friday morning, while shopping in Carrefour, that this would be our last year in the UAE. So Sunday morning we went in and told our head of the junior school that we would not be returning. We explained to him our situation and that my mom needs me home, and to be quite honest, I need her too. I am so thrilled I will be able to be there for and with her. The kids are super excited and so are we. It makes me happy to know how right this decision feels. This has been an invaluable in the UAE for us, but how invaluable will this next chapter be for us? We can’t wait!

After school I went to the motor vehicle department to get my car sale finalized. It was an easy process once I found where the guy was I was supposed to meet. I then got home and the kids showered. Stuart went to the doctor as he thought he had kidney stones. In the end he had some blood work done, but the ultra sound showed no evidence of kidney stones. I had a committee meeting, as did Stuart but he didn’t go because of the doctor appointment. I took the kids and had them stay in the reception area of the rugby club because they had misbehaved at home before we left. I can’t wait until we get back to Arizona and Grammie and Pop can sort them out. Surprise Grammie and Pop!

When we got back from the club both kids went to bed. Stuart had been home for a bit and helped sort them out. We stayed up for a while, watching television but then hit the hay as well. 

Monday was a normal day and all was well. Millie had swim squad after school, but somehow I had failed to sign her up for it. Working at the same school does have its advantages for sure. We had a quick bite when the kids got home and then headed to the club. The kids practiced and I normally sit outside, but it was too cold. Because the pitches get watered, it is always colder on the pitch than in any other part of Al Ain.  We ordered take away and then went home for our nightly routines. 

Tuesday I ran into a table in my classroom during my English class. I think I broke my pinkie toe. I also nearly taught my class some new English words. I’m telling you I think pinkie toes were made to be broken. After school we had our staff briefing. I’m pretty sure from here on out I will find these meetings a bore. Jack had basketball practice while we were in our meeting. He said  the Year 11 boys were asking why he was so good. I told him he should have said, ‘I just work what my mama gave me!’ He didn’t think that was as funny as I did. 

We got home and I took a hoodie to Lara to repair. One of the staff kids at school grabbed Jack’s hoodie and ripped he pocket. This kid is 5 years old and a bit feral, to be honest. When I asked the boy about it he just cried and lied. It’s my team leader’s son so I had to just suck it up and see if Lara could fix the hoodie. Fortunately she’s a genius. While I was getting clothes repaired, the kids took their basketballs down to the court. They used to never be able to use the court, but now all of a sudden they can. They played outside until nearly 6 pm, which they never get to do during the week.  I made dinner and the kids took showers. It was a very uneventful evening. Stuart called his mum to tell her we were moving back to the states. The good thing is there is still just one plane ride away. It’s a bit longer of a flight, but we will still visit the UK as we always have. It’s important for all of us. 

Wednesday school was a whole lot of no fun. I’m already ready for another holiday. It’s so sad. Once school was over I went to help coach football (soccer). I know nothing about soccer but I like the other coach so we have a good laugh at practice. Millie came out to play soccer while Jack was playing basketball and Stuart was coaching him. I feel Stuart and I would be better off if we switched coaching positions, but the year 6 girls can’t be coached by male coaches, so that wouldn’t work. 

After sports we headed home to quickly change and head to the rugby club. The kids had practice, I collected forms from Jack’s team for the Dubai tournament and Stuart coached. After rugby we got our take away food and then came home. The kids showered and ate, then were off to bed. Our Mondays and Wednesdays are so packed right now. However, after spring break it will all slow down and we will find ourselves quite bored. 

Thursday Stuart went to a fire safety training in Abu Dhabi which caused me to have to cover for his second lesson, which was math. Fortunately he left me an exam and it took the kids the entire hour to complete. Easy! After school we headed home and packed our stuff to go meet Louise, James, Billy and Zoe at a desert retreat in Ras Al Khaimah. 

We arrived to the most amazing desert retreat I have ever seen. It is by far the nicest place we’ve ever stayed.....so far. 

This is the bedroom, or at least half of it. 

This is part of the bathroom. 

And here is the view from the tub!

This is not the clearest picture because this belly dancer was moving around, as they do. 

Dinner with the family. 

The boys were back together, if only for the weekend. 

Zoe loves Jack, and vice versa!

While we were eating dinner Jack developed one of his famous headaches. We are convinced he doesn’t drink enough water and by the time the headache comes on, it’s too late. He didn’t even eat his dinner. We ended up coming back to our villa and he had to go to bed in our bed. We had been told they were going to make up the sofa bed, but it hadn’t been done. After three calls and thirty minutes later, someone finally came. If this were a Premier Inn or a Motel 6 and I had to wait for a towel for that long, that would be one thing, but when you pay the money we paid for this, you expect everything to be done for you ahead of time. My plan was to speak to a manager the following morning. 

We woke up Friday morning and Stuart and Jack went out to our private pool. 

Swimming with the desert just behind you. Who gets to do this? Oh, we do! Jack continued to be mesmerized by the room and the view. 

Although it was a heated pool, the night air had cooled it offf a bit. 

This is our sun deck, covered in dew. 

Another pool view. 

After the boys came in from the pool, they headed out on the bikes provided for our villa. Millie wasn’t able to go because her bike hadn’t been delivered. This is another thing I will be speaking to them about. I normally don’t complain about these issues and am totally understanding. However, in this instance I’m not satisfied with our stay to this point. Millie wasn’t able to do something with the family because someone didn’t do their job. Hmmmm. 

Once the boys were back from their bike ride, we headed to breakfast and I went to speak with the manager. I expressed my need for some kind of compensation, which he said he would look into. We enjoyed a buffet breakfast and had pictures with owls and a camel afterwards. 

We were just hoping there wasn’t a gift left by the owls. 

Doesn’t every resort have a camp outside the restaurant? 

We returned to our room to find it had been made up for us. It seems maybe my barking would be worth it in the end. 

So pretty!

We then decided we would head to the Ritz Carlton sister resort near the beach, about 25 minutes away, but not before dune bashing a bit. We hit the sand and bashed up and down the dunes. Everyone screamed with delight, except maybe Zoe. Once James got in the driver’s seat, Lou got a bit tense. We didn’t get stuck one time and stopped to see some local camels. 

At the top of the dunes we get a lovely photo. 

We all enjoyed watching the camels roam around the desert. It’s how we imagine it should be. 

We arrived at the sister property just after 11 am. We took a boat ride to the restaurant where we were able to walk out to the beach. 

The boat ride. 

The pool that looked out to the empty beach. 

The beach. 

Billie and Zoe were buried in the sand. 

And, so was Jack. 

When we returned to our resort, we went to our villa and swam in the pool for about an hour. Then Louise and I went to a Rainforest experience at the day spa. It was included in Louie’s package at the resort so we decided to book it, not having a clue what it was. We discovered that is was a journey through a vitality water experience, with fragrances and different showers, steam rooms and saunas, and we would be alternating hot and cold therapy, which is said to be good for you. It was definitely a new experience for both of us. At first we weren’t exactly sure what to do. In our haste we just kind of started without waiting for one of the therapists to explain things to us. I felt like a Clampet, way out of my class system. When it was explained to us that we would go through the stations at our leisure, we understood what we needed to do. I will say that the ice rubbing was not my favorite, but I read that it should take away cellulite. I’ll keep you updated. 

We went to a place called the Farmhouse for dinner. It turns out it was free to us because of the trouble we had the evening before. The food was amazing. I had the most delicious tenderloin. We had an amazing time. The kids were wiped out so we all returned to our own villa for an evening of relaxation. 

Saturday morning we were up at breakfast by 8:30 am. We then were allowed to have a 2 pm check out. So we came back to our villa and swam until we had to get ready to check out. It was a sad goodbye this time, as we didn’t plan our next holiday with the family since we didn’t know our future as far as traveling was concerned. I cried as did Louise. We know things will change when we return to the states, but are still very confident in our decision to come home for good in July. 

We drove home and started the things that just be done once you are home from a weekend away. Jack had a horrible cold and was complaining of a headache most of the day. We tried to spend the rest of the evening relaxing and getting prepared for a new week. 

The Party’s Over!

The alarm clock rang too early. I turned it off and messaged Lara to tell her I wouldn’t be walking because Millie had been up so late the night before. Millie came into our bed at 6 am just as chipper as she could be. It was irritating because she’s the child that needs a solid 11 hours of sleep at night. I can only assume she will have a meltdown at some stage this week. 

Stuart had his theme day at school. His year group is studying European countries and he did Switzerland. He had ordered lederhosen to be delivered to his mum’s house when we were there for Christmas. 

Doesn’t he look cute!

We had a meeting after school about our school benefit package. It seems that all is staying the same for those of us already employed by the company. It also seems we won’t have a school inspection this year, which pleased all of us. Once our meeting was over I took Jack to get his bottom braces. He chose a different color rubber band this time. He’s confident in his decision. 

Pink it is!

We swung through McDonalds on the way home. When we got home MILLIE had already showered. She ate and then went to bed very easily. She was exhausted. We chilled for the rest of the evening, which was nice. 

Jack woke me at 3 am complaining of his lower jaw. Seems the new braces on the bottom were a little more sore than he had anticipated. Poor kid! I gave him Tylenol and sent him back to bed. Then I felt bad because I had heard him whimper as I walked out. So I went back in and laid down with him for about 10 minutes, until I knew he had fallen back to sleep. 

As I anticipated, when he woke up Monday morning he didn’t want to go to school. I told him at 7 am he could have some more Tylenol and he would just have to deal with it. Once we were at school he seemed to be a bit better. Then at 9 am I got a call from the school nurse saying that he was in her office complaining of his mouth. I told her to send him back to class and tell him he could come back at 11 for more Tylenol. I thought that would work. However, at 9:30 am she called again and said he was back. I told her I would come and get him. I just so happened to have a free period and was able to run him home. I asked our neighbor to look in on him a couple of times, but felt bad I couldn’t stay home with him. 

Stuart rushed home after school and I stayed and worked for a bit. When I got home Jack was still on the sofa, but said he felt a bit better. Sadly, the braces pain is something he is just going to have to get through. Because he came home early from school, I didn’t feel right letting him go to rugby training. He wasn’t up for it anyway. Millie also complained that she wasn’t feeling well enough to go to training. She has had a bit of a cold the last few days so we let her stay home as well, which meant I got to stay home. Stuart still had to go as he is one of the coaches. He was also supposed to have his own training. However, he decided to hang around for training rather than actually training. He got home just after 8 pm. Jack went to bed and I fell asleep on the sofa. 

Tuesday morning Millie felt a lot better. I had given her some cold medicine the night before which seemed to help. We traveled separately to school again as Jack’s wire on his top braces had come off and we needed to go after school to get it fixed. 

We came home and had eggs and toast for dinner. We had nothing to do on Tuesday night, which was great. For the time being Jack doesn’t have touch rugby on Tuesday’s, which is a relief. 

Wednesday school was boring and uneventful. After school Stuart had a meeting that lasted longer than it should have. We came home and the kids got all of their things ready for the tri club. Millie had no helmet for biking. So instead of going to training with us, Stuart went out and found her a helmet. I took the kids to training and resigned myself to walking three miles. I’m on a new health kick. I wish I could keep it up for the rest of my life, but I’m pretty sure I can only handle it for a few months. My goal is to fit back into some shorts before it turns hot here. Oh wait, it’s never not hot here. Ha!

We came home and the kids showered. Millie had a snack. Jack ate whatever he could find, and after Millie was in bed I called my mom on messenger. We had a really good conversation. We seldom just get to talk to each other. Stuart brought me a cup of tea upon my request. And sat and talked for a while. Once I finished my conversation with my mom, I had a bite to eat. Stuart and I watched television for a while and then we went to bed. 

Thursday morning it was dreary outside. By the end of the day it was obvious that rain was going to set in for a few days. The kids had triathlon club after school but didn’t swim as the pool was too cold. They thoroughly enjoyed participating. I stayed at school and worked on my plans for next week. As much as I don’t want to be at school the last day of the work week until 4:30 pm, it does save me from working over the weekend. 

We stopped at the supper market on our way home and got something for the kids for dinner. Stuart had planned to make scotch eggs for us, but we knew Millie wouldn’t eat them. Millie acted up in the supermarket, but we have finally figured out that when she is terribly disobedient and defiant, it stems from not getting enough sleep. So, needless to say, when we got home she ate and went to bed. 

Friday morning I slept until 8 am, as did Millie. We went to the supermarket for a big shop. We also made some life decisions, as we often do at the store, and will share it all in the next couple of weeks. When we got home I took Millie for a play date to one of the neighbors who goes to the same school. Then Jack went with me to pick up my new glasses and I took him to a friend of his for a birthday sleepover. No kids!

It was a rare time for us. 

Millie had a blast at her friend Islay’s house. It rained all day long on Friday, so naturally a puddle jump or two was in order. 

I picked Millie up at around 6 pm, fed her and she went to bed a little late as I was talking to Grammie and Pop about our next step in our lives. 

Saturday morning I was up and at an appointment to sell my Ford. Having three cars is certainly not necessary. Within an hour I got the price I wanted. Yahoo! Stuart has gone to pick Jack up and then headed to collect me. 

The boys had a splash around as well. 

When We got home I collected Islay for another play date. The rain continued and it was delightful. The rest of the day was just us sitting around and enjoying the cool, wet weather. It was a lovely weekend. 

A new year for all

Jack and Stuart were up just before 7 am and were downstairs meeting up with the brothers and nephews. They went for a coffee while Millie slept and I got ready for the day. They ended up renting scooters and riding around the city. 

Looked too chilly to me for a morning ride. 

They returned just after 8. The boys went to Matt’s room and Millie kept sleeping. Stuart came back into the room for a while. McDonalds was purchased and brought back to the hotel. Millie was then awake and had a hash brown. We finally made our way, as a family, down to Starbucks around 10 am for a coffee and a sweet roll. 

Millie hasn’t met a chocolate cookie she doesn’t like. 

Zurich and the sunshine were a pleasant way to start our day. Off to Arosa and the ski resort we go. 

We took a train to Arosa which was slower, but less expensive, than a car transfer. The first train was about an hour long and was really packed. We had purchased some sandwiches for the journey as we would be on the train for a couple of hours and our train left just after noon. I will warn anyone ever coming to Switzerland. There is nothing cheap here except the chocolate. It’s a pricey place to visit, but gorgeous. 

Our first train journey was relatively uneventful. But the second train was amazing. We had a car to ourselves most of the time. The train took us straight up the mountain, to almost 6000 feet. The scenery was picturesque. The snow depth increased the higher we went. 

This was at the beginning of the second train ride. 

And this was just before we reached the resort. 

Once we arrived at the resort, the kids had to play in the snow. The downside is none of them were in ski pants so the snow stuck to their sweat pants and they were soaked by the time we brought them in for dinner. Oh well! Jack and Millie really haven’t been in snow, so they were having a blast. 

The hotel we are staying in is just to the left. Louise got a smoking deal for this time of year. She never fails us when it comes to perfect holidays. 

Once we were all checked into our room we got the kids’ ski pants on so they wouldn’t freeze. We went out to the patio of the hotel and had a beer. Nicole and Harper showed up. This is Matt’s girlfriend and her little girl. They were clearly jet lagged as they had just arrived from Sydney, but they plowed through. 

This is a view from the patio dining area of the resort. 

And this was the view from our room balcony. Stunning! Louise really knows how to plan some amazing trips. We are so blessed by her knack for travel and the generosity of the Telford clan. 

Our package was a half board deal. So we had breakfast and dinner each day. Louise has already booked all of the restaurants as not to be stuck with nothing once we were here. Our first dinner was delicious. It was at a casual restaurant called The Basement. Ironically enough, it was in the basement of another sister hotel. We had free transfer to and from the other hotel, which was fantastic. Arosa is a small ski village, but still too big to be walking up the mountain for dinner. There was a kids’ club right across the hall from where we ate. All of the children, except for Josh, were able to go in there. It made for a much more relaxing dinner for all of us. 

Monday morning was an early start for skiing. We got up and had breakfast and then went to pick up our ski equipment. Lou and I went with Josh and Billy for ski lessons. What a crack up that was. To be honest, I really should have resigned myself to not skiing at all. My left knee is not good on a good day, let alone on skis. I just wanted to try because Stuart and the kids love it so much and I just wanted to be able to join in. However, considering I can only fly down the hill and not stop myself, it’s not the safest for others or myself for me to be on skis. I did keep Louise in stitches, though. As the instructor was trying to tell me what to do, I was soaring down the hill, knocking out many things in my path. It was quite hilarious. It’s a shame no one has pictures or videos of the events. My favorite words of the morning were ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry!’ as I tried, without success, to avoid impeding anyone else’s skiing fun. It was disastrous. 

Billy and Josh has their lesson first. 

I waited patiently for what would prove to be an epic fail event. 

My view once I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t able to ski. The heart was willing, but the knee wasn’t capable. Sometimes getting older is no fun!

These four had a rest on the mountain. 

While I was crashing and burning on the tiny little bunny hill, Stuart, Jack and Millie were tearing up the slopes. Jack was a bit bummed as he decided he wanted to start skiing instead of snowboarding. I think this is because Josh and Billy were going to be skiing, and it seems that skiing on an actual mountain proved to be more challenging than skiing on a man made ski slope in the desert. We finally talked him into sticking to his chosen skill, mainly because we had already paid for the equipment and we weren’t going to let him change to skiing. 

Millie, on the other hand, had an absolute meltdown on the slopes. She was doing really well until her dad accidentally took her to the top of the mountain and they were forced to ski down a black run. Hello! It seems he misread the map. If you know anything about skiing, you know that if you get to a black run the only way down is skiing. He coaxed her down part of the way and then they called me on the phone. She was bawling. I told her she was brave and could do it. I also told her she had no choice but to come down the mountain. Apparently at that point Stuart said she sucked it up and came down on her butt the whole way. He said there were people all along the way who were so sweet to her, and probably judging her father for taking her up there to begin with. When they got to where Lou and I were having lunch I thought for sure Millie would be done and want to come back to the hotel with me, but that was not the case. Billy and Josh had finished their lessons and James and Stuart took all the kids back up the slopes for one more run. 

Our lunch was this! Greasy and amazing! No wonder I have to hit the diet hard when we get back to Al Ain!

Once we were finished with lunch, Lou and I went to the ski rental and returned our things. She went to the spa and then we went to the bar with everyone else for some chips. We got back to the hotel and Nicole and I headed to the spa. Once I was finished with my hour of relaxation, I went to the room and had a shower. The kids were at the pool swimming with Matt and James. Stuart took a shower as well and then the kids arrived for their showers. We got ready and headed to James and Lou’s apartment for a bit before heading to the restaurant. We fed the little girls some pasta and the boys ate some as well, as an appetizer. 

Dinner was amazing! It was a 5 course meal and very fancy. The kids went to the kids’ club again, but unfortunately it closed at 9:30 pm. We didn’t finish our meal until nearly 10:30 pm. We had fed the kids before thinking it would keep us from having to feed them at the restaurant. Our meals were included but the kids’ meals were not, so feeding them prior to our meal seemed to be a good idea. The girls were fine, but the boys wanted food, as boys do. 

Once we were back at the hotel we hit the bed, resting for another day of skiing, but not for me. We were at breakfast by 8 am and then to the lifts by 9:30 am. Jack, Millie, James, Billy, Josh and Stuart went up the lift and skied down to where Josh and Billy had their lessons. 

Matt, Nicole, Harper, Zoe and myself headed to the ski school for Harper and Zoe. 

Zoe and Harper got matching ski suits. So cute! They got in a van and went up the mountain. We followed on the bus and ended up sitting on a patio to a restaurant across from the ski school. 

The four of us enjoyed our time on the mountain with beautiful sunshine all around. 

Stuart, Millie and James rode the ski lift up the mountain and were on their way to a full day of skiing. 

The three boys had a blast once Billy and Josh were finished with their lessons. 

Once everyone was finished skiing we met and had lunch. There was a playground close by where the kids were able to play. 

Millie entertained Zoe and Harper quite well. 

The boys enjoyed their cokes and anxiously awaited their spaghetti bolognese. 

This ski mask was one of Stuart’s accessories he had to have for skiing. 

After we had finished lunch, Harper, Zoe, Nicole, and Lou caught the bus back to our hotel. The boys, James and Stuart skied back into the village and Matt and I walked to village, which turned out to be a bit scarier than I had anticipated. It seems that the trails we walked on were ski and toboggan trails. I nearly was hit by a toboggan. 

The scenery on the way down the mountain was fantastic. 

Once we were down the mountain, I went to a gift shop and bought the kids very expensive zip up hoodies to remember our trip by. They have a beautiful embroidered mountain range with ‘Arosa’ written on them. I bought them a bit big so they would fit for a while. 

I then returned to the room. Stuart and the kids had just returned and were getting ready to go to James and Lou’s room for a while. After about an hour we returned to our room to get ready for the New Year’s party in Twist, the restaurant in our hotel. 

It was a relatively fancy party. 

There was a phot booth with props that kept us entertained for a while. 

The food was wonderful and there was a kids’ club the kids went to until their food was ready. Then they came up to eat and returned to the kids’ club. We had to collect them at 11 pm, which kind of helped us make the decision to ring in the New Year in the apartment. We were all exhausted but managed to stay awake until midnight and wish each other a happy new year. 

We were down for breakfast around 8 am and the decision was made to take the day off from skiing and just rent toboggans. There was a lot to see around the village and up the mountain. Everyone was tired and needed a break. 

So we met down stairs just before 10 to rent the toboggans. We then started our adventure. We decided to sled down the mountain to the next village, Litzirüti. It was about an hour and a half journey. The kids, and adults, had a wonderful time. There was a lot of crashing and burning. 

The first venture on the sleds. 

Down the mountain we go. 

Needless to say, no hike is complete without the brothers having a beer. 

A much needed break for the most energetic people on the trek. 

A restaurant with weiner schnitzel was our reward at the end. 

We took a train back to Arosa. 

I went to the supermarket when we returned in order to get food for the kids. The adults were going to dinner and the kids were having a babysitter. We then went to the pool for a dip. The kids ended up running out into the snow and then coming back into the pool. It ended up breaking Jack’s skin in his leg. Silly boy. 

Once the pool time was finished, we went to the room to get ready for our night out without the kids. Stuart went to Lou and James’ to help get dinner ready for the kids. Jack, Millie and myself walked over just before 6 pm. Then the babysitter arrived, but was only expecting two children. Oops! Six, two, what’s the difference? At any rate, she was a university student and was sweet, so nothing to worry about. 

We went to dinner at a Michelin starrestaurant called La Vetta. It was well deserved of its star. The food was amazing and having the 6 of us together without children was even more of a treat. 

This collage does not do the food justice. It was incredible. And you know that small plates of food mean it’s amazing! Ha!

After dinner we went into the lounge where there was a lady singing, a dance floor and music that didn’t end. Of course, I had to dance. We got back to the apartment around midnight and relieved the babysitter. The report of the children’s behavior was good, which made the night more sweet. The boys usually wrestle and cause issues and the girls are little and scream. But all turned out well. 

We were up and down to breakfast on Thursday morning. We came back up to the room and packed a bit. Then the kids and Stuart went to the slopes for their last full day of skiing and Lou and Nicole took Zoe and Harper to their ski school. Matt and I tagged along and then Lou, Nic, Matt and myself went for a coffee on this beautiful cliff side cafe. 

I don’t look terribly thrilled, but the sun was in my eyes and now that I have to wear glasses full time, sunglasses are out. 

Nicole, Matt and Louise decided to go back to the hotel, while I carried on up the hill to look at some shops. I bought some chocolate for Stuart’s pupils, as he is representing Switzerland in their topic for Term 2 at school, and then I headed back to the hotel. I sat on our patio and enjoyed the view until it was time to go up the mountain for lunch. 

This was the view from our room. 

We met out in front of the hotel at 12:45 and got into the horse drawn carriage. The ride up the mountain to our lunch destination was amazing, and very cold. As we rode further up it dawned on us that we would have to walk back down the mountain once lunch was over. 

Alpenblick was the name of the place where we ate lunch. It was packed, but we had reservations so our table was secure, or so we thought. Louise has to step in and sort them out. Apparently someone else was attempting to take our table. We were under the impression that this lunch was part of our half board, yet when we asked they told us it wasn’t. We paid the bill but then Louise questioned it with our hotel. They have been so good to us and said they would sort it out. 

This was before the food came. 

These were our starters. 

And these were our main courses that we all shared. We all felt a bit ill after all of this food. 

The skiers needed to leave at 3:30 pm in order to catch the lift that would close at 4:15 pm. So we stayed behind and settled the bill while they headed out for their last ski. Jack was worried as he had been crashing a bit more than he had expected. He had lost a bit of his confidence. I assured him he would be fine and he just needed to enjoy this last run. Off they went, and we followed shortly after. 

Our walk down the mountain to the main road was adventurous with two little girls and one large, yet very ‘young’ boy! Matt kept throwing snow on everyone. We made snow angels and he dumped a huge pile of snow on my face. He’s always full of ‘fun’. The little girls were rock stars. They didn’t moan one bit about the walk. They just had fun in the snow. 

Once we were to the road we had to wait a bit for the bus, but quickly got back to the hotel and went to the pool for a swim. We had decided that our last night in Arosa would be totally chilled. We had leftovers from lunch and cleared out the fridge from James and Lou’s room. We did our best to make sure everything was consumed and then called it a night. 

We were up at 6 am to get a transfer to the Zurich airport. We had one bag that was way over the weight limit and one that was way under. The one that was under couldn’t hold any more than what it had in it. We usually end up this way, unfortunately. We decided to take the bags down and deal with the excess baggage when we got to the airport. Whether that meant we would buy an extra carry-on bag or just pay the excess baggage fee, time would tell. This luggage issue is the bane of my existence. 

The transfer vehicle was a huge van with a trailer attached for all of our luggage. The ride down the mountain proved that Switzerland is a beautiful country with amazing scenery. 

As we were winding down the mountain, this was one of the villages we saw. 

This was a round about in Chur. 

We checked in with ease. We were a bit concerned that one of our bags was about 6 pounds over weight, but Swiss Air said nothing so it was a breeze. Once we got through security, we had a bite to eat with the family and then headed to our gate. Passport control happened just as we entered out gate and it was manic, but surprisingly quick. We got right on to the flight and it was pretty uneventful. We were a bit delayed because of connecting flights, but it wasn’t a big deal. 

Brian picked us up at the airport. We always do these kinds of things for each other because no one has family here and we have to look out for each other. Once we landed, the baggage claim was chaos as usual. We got home just before 1 am and made the kids take a shower. I knew our house cleaner had washed all the beds so the last thing I wanted to do was put dirty kids in them. Stuart went to get some milk, bread and butter. I ended up having to go and get fabric softener in order to get our laundry started. I finally got into the shower and into bed around 2:15 am. 

No more had I gone to sleep than my alarm went off. I figured if we had to get up and open presents that we had in Al Ain, I should make sure the laundry was still running through the cycle. Jack got up about 45 minutes after me and then Stuart followed. Jack went to wake Millie up at 8:30 am. We had to get the present party started as Stuart had booked tickets for him and Jack to go see the new Star Wars film and for Millie and me to go see Cats at the cinema. 

I had ordered these matching pjs, but they came the day after we left for the UK. So, in order to get use out of them, I insisted we put them on. 

The kids seemed pleased with their loot and Daddy tidied up as we went. It was a good bonus Christmas. 

We were dressed and out the door just before 10 am. We had to get to the mobile phone store to get Stuart a replacement SIM card, and he lost his somewhere along our journey. He got it sorted rather quickly and then we all went to the cinema. We got treats, as we always do, and then Millie and I headed to Cats as Stuart and Jack headed to Star Wars. We were out of our movie before the boys were so we shopped around for a bit. When they finished, we met them for lunch. Then I decided to have my eyes checked and discovered that the prescription I currently have is wrong. Surprise! So I ordered some new lenses. 

We then went home and I resumed my boring job of doing laundry. After I got another load start I wandered over to Lara’s for a chat. I was there for nearly an hour before my kids showed up. Why is it I can’t have some ‘me’ time without them invading? If I were sitting at home on my own they wouldn’t be in sight, but when they know I’m at a neighbor’s house they have to hunt me down. 

I returned home to skype my mom and dad, make dinner for the kids, and put them in bed. Although Millie was in bed at 7:15, she didn’t go to sleep until nearly midnight. Oh, when she does things like this it just sends me over the edge. I finally went up and told her that she didn’t have to go to sleep, but she did need to stop yelling out for me, lay down and not bother anyone anymore. She finally drifted off after that. Oh these children! Back to school on Sunday!