Jack insists he wants to come home for good in March

So we have spoken about this for a couple of weeks, but again on Sunday Jack said he wanted to stay in Arizona when we returned for spring break in March. His friend, Alex, is going to live with his dad in Thailand for the rest of the year and I think this has prompted Jack’s decision. I asked Alex’s mom how she was going to handle not having Alex. She told me that when she stepped back and considered that the decision needed to be Alex and not her, then it was easier to let him go. 

Of course, when we were driving home from school we talked about it. Millie then decided she wanted to stay in Arizona in March as well. As we were talking, Jack asked me how I felt about him staying. I burst into tears. He then said, ‘Mom, I won’t go. I don’t want you to be sad.’ I told him that I would rather be sad for a short time and have him happy than to see him sad everyday here. He’s had difficult times since school started. I’m sure he plays his part in everything, but some of the incidents have not been handled appropriately. I have tried to be really objective, but the school has given the same consequences to the children. The local children are sometimes untouchable, depending on their wasta (their social status in the community). When I explained to Jack that there were mean kids everywhere and moving wouldn’t change that, he said, ‘I know, Mom, but at least things will be addressed and it will be a bit more fair to everyone.’ I know this to be true. So, in saying all of this, he is going to live with Grammie and Pop until we return in July. I still can’t believe it. 

Monday he was even more convinced about this decision, so we started working on how to make it all happen. My parents were all in on this idea. It was all starting to be real. 

After school on Monday, Millie has swim squad. Stuart stayed to bring Millie home from swim squad and I brought Jack home after school. He got ready for rugby training. When Stuart got home we headed to the club. In the end, Stuart decided he wasn’t going to train after all and ended up coming home shortly after the kids and I got home. 

Tuesday I got to school and I started to feel sick. I ended up going home after period 2. I laid around most of the day.  Once everyone was home I checked one last time to see if Jack was really sure he wanted to go home for good in March. He was confident, and We decided we were as well. We know this will be a good thing for him, and it’s not for forever, thank goodness. 

I started to feel a bit better in the evening so I decided it was time to clean out a few more things of Millie’s to either throw away or put in our garage sale pile, which is getting rather large. 

We decided to be lazy and order the kids McDonalds. I put some of Millie’s toys on Al Ain Swap and Shop and sold some things. Millie is  a bit of a hoarder. Getting her things whittled down to a reasonable amount to bring home is going to be challenging. 

Wednesday I went to school. I didn’t feel great but there was too much going on to stay off sick. During the day I sorted out health insurance in Arizona as well as withdrawing him from Brighton College Al Ain and emailing about an open enrollment for him in Chandler. There is so much to do before the end of March. 

Millie had a football match after school and Jack had a basketball game. Of course these events were at different schools. Stuart went to Jack’s game and I went to Millie’s match. We rushed to rugby training. When Millie and I arrived, we saw Stuart and Jack pulling up to the club. I dropped Millie off and ran to the house to let the dogs out to pee. Our plan after rugby was to go to the golf club for dinner for sushi night. Cathy and our friend Tiff came with us. Stuart headed back home to put the kids to bed and shower to get ready for his trip. I got home about an hour later. Stuart then was off to the airport to fly to England for his grandmother’s 90th birthday party. I went to bed once he was gone. 

Thursday we rushed around to get out the door for school. On the way to school the kids realized they forgotten their helmets for tri club. Millie lost the plot and insisted I go home to get her helmet. When she gets upset, there is nothing to do except walk away and let her meltdown on her own. Then she realizes she is not going to get her way no matter how nasty she is to me, and she stops and apologizes. It’s exhausting. 

There were extra helmets at tri club, so the kids were able to ride their bikes after all. I went to the grocery store while the kids were at tri club. I probably should have stayed at school and planned for next week, but I couldn’t be asked. Once tri club was over, we headed home, but had to stop at the petrol station on the way because my back left tire was looking low. I got the tires filled up and we went home. Once we were home the kids unpacked their school bags and ate dinner. Millie decided she wanted to take a bath with one of her bath bombs. Jack joined her. He’s still such a little boy. I’m pretty sure the bathing days are soon to be over. 

Cathy and Tiff came over and we ordered curry for dinner. We sat and talked about nothing and everything. Cathy ended up staying over and going with me and DeDe to Dubai on Friday morning. Kayla came to babysit Millie and Jack, although Jack was being collected at 10:30 am for a birthday party and then was going to Alex’s afterward for his last play date before Alex left for Thailand. 

The birthday party was a Nerf gun party. 

Cathy, DeDe and I left for Dubai at 8 am. We went down to Jumeriah Beach to do some shopping at my favorite trouser place. 

I got two new pair of trousers and bought Millie a cute little outfit. We had lunch at El Chico which was amazing. Then we headed to our favorite store, Park and Shop, the place with American products we love to buy once in a while as a novelty. We had a great time. 

I got home around 5 pm and went to the club to pick Millie up at the pool. Once we were home I waited for Jack to contact me to pick him up. Instead, Jen, Alex’s mom, called and asked if Jack could sleep over. I felt obligated to let him sleep over as Alex was leaving the next day. They ended up going to the Al Ain Raceway and apparently had a wonderful time. 

Officially racers!

Millie and I went to Lara and Brian’s for a cookout. We stayed way later than I had planned. When we got home we showered and Millie got into my bed. With Stuart and Jack being gone, I think she just felt a bit lonely. 

I was up by 7 am on Saturday, but Millie slept until nearly 9 am. I took a bit of time to clean out some kitchen cupboards and putting the items on Swap and Shop. I think I might actually get rid of all our things before June. I hope so. 

Millie and I went to pick Jack up at 11 am. He said his final farewell to Alex and we headed on our way. When we got home I fed Millie and she went to Islay’s to play for the afternoon. Jack played on his PlayStation and I watched my trashy television. Around 5 pm I went to pick Millie up from Islay’s. We then went to dinner with Sean and his two kids, Carly and Dylan. Dylan has flown in Friday night and Millie was dying to see him as she has a little crush on him. But of course once she saw him she totally clammed up. When I asked her why she did, she responded by saying she was ‘nervous’. She’s 8! I’m in so much trouble. 

Meanwhile, Stuart was partying it up with his grandmother in England. 

We had dinner At the club and then returned home earlier than expected because in the middle of dinner I got a text from the Year 6 Moms where someone was asking about the English homework. This prompted me to ask Jack if he had homework. Of course he did! Ugh! He’s not the most reliable sort in the homework department. I told him that would have to change when he lived with Grammie and Pop. 

When we got home, Millie showered and went straight to bed, while Jack got his homework done and then went to bed. I sat up for a while and then decided I needed the rest as well. Another week has passed us by. My, how the time flies. In 5 weeks we will be back in Arizona for spring break and then two weeks after that I will be leaving my boy for three months. I can’t think about it.