Reschedule the assessment for Jack? Ok!

School was full of testing organization. Our formalized testing happens the last week of Term 2 every year. I was assigned to be the coordinator this year. I treat the exams as I would at home, but that's not the case for everyone. All I know is that I am diligent in my handling of the exams and instructions to the teachers. Their dealing with the exams is on them. 

Sunday morning we received the email regarding Jack's assessment at Brighton College. It would be rescheduled for Wednesday. In the end, Stuart had a meeting that didn't start until 10 am so there was no need for me to take the day off because Jack's test was over by 9:30 am. 

Sunday evening Millie had gymnastics and I decided to walk. I had told myself that I needed to walk a 15 minute mile, in fact, three of them. I was going to walk for 45 minutes and wanted 3 miles to be what I walked when I was finished. As you can guess, after not walking for exercise for a very long time, my goals were a little lofty. I had to run some in order to get the three miles completed in 45 minutes. It was tough but I did it. 

Once we were home from gymnastics the kids he dinner. Millie wouldn't eat her dinner. She was throwing a fit, and since we are tired of her picky eating habits, I took her upstairs, showered her, and put her to bed. I assumed she would be hungry Monday morning. 

On Mondya morning I continued to get the exams prepared for each day of testing the following week. The hardest part is filling in names for the students who enrolled later in the year and were not assigned to a class. I had to write their names, in the correct order, sometimes not knowing what that was. I had to defer the Arabic writing of the names to our building manager. I need more practice with my Arabic letters, clearly. 

Once school was over on Monday I headed home to homework, not mine of course. Then Jack and Millie were off to play at their friends' house. Once they were home I fed them and then they took a shower. They ended up watching The Good Dinosaur, again, before it was bedtime. 

Stuart had rugby, preparing a match with the 3rd team on Friday. But after that he will be gone for the next two Friday's so will miss two matches. While he was at rugby I watched trashy television. I do enjoy my own time on Monday and Wednesday evenings. 

Millie woke up complaining about her throat on Tuesday morning. So, being the good mom, I pumped her full of Tylenol and sent her off to school. As you would guess I got a message from the school just before 1 pm to say she was complaining about her throat but she had no fever. They gave her some more Tylenol and she stayed until our driver picked her up. He was going to get to the school before we could anyway, so it only made sense. 

Tuesday at my school was a day of organizing with paperwork needed for the end of the term. Since we don't have regular substitutes that would have responsibilities of filling in grades on the computer, that becomes my job for 4 different sections. Such fun!

After school I took paperwork to the central office for flight reimbursement. That only means the end of the year is getting closer. They seem to be paying us our flight monies earlier than last year. That works for me!

Once the kids were home Millie had perked up a bit. So we headed to gymnastics at 4 pm. When we got there the teacher was outside and asked if Millie forgot to tell me there would be no class today because they were painting the ceiling of the gym. I told the teacher that Millie probably didn't remember because she's 4 years old. Now, I sit outside the gym every night she has class. A simple step out to tell me this information could have saved me some time and frustration. Before we left the teacher said we needed to come on Thursday at 5 instead of 4 because there was going to be a Mother's Day celebration. Mother's Day in the UAE this year is March 20. I get so confused and wish all Mother's Days were the same date around the world. We went back home and decided to feed the kids early and then if they wanted some fruit before bed, we could get that for them. 

To be fair, Millie was a bit blah by the time we got home, so an early night wasn't totally out of the question. 

My poor little sickie!

So they had dinner, though Millie did not eat much, and then fell Millie fell asleep in Stuart's arms at 5:10 pm. 

When I went to bed, Millie had a fever. I gave her Tylenol and rocked her for a little while. She woke up at 2:30 am and wanted to get into bed with us.  She didn't have a fever but I gave her some medicine as a preventative. Hello restless sleep. I moved her back to her bed at 4:30 am. Needless to say I knew I would be wiped out at work on Wednesday. Super. 

Millie was better Wednesday morning when she woke up. I, again, pumped her full of Tylenol and sent her off to school. Stuart took Jack for his assessment and afterwards I spoke to Jack. I asked him how he did on the assessment. He said, without skipping a beat, 'I did great!'  He probably did do well, but that statement out of his mouth made me know he would never have a self confidence issue. 

After school I went to see Cathy. She had a procedure on Monday, but seemed to be getting on really well. I sat and talked for a bit and then got back to the house for the long awaited delivery of our tumble dryer. Yahoo! 

We washed a load of laundry later than plan, so I felt the need to stay up and make sure our dryer worked. I set it on one hour and then fell asleep on the sofa, waking at 3:30 am to not quite dry clothes. Boo! So I sat it for another 2 hours which was probably too long, but then all the clothes were dry when Stuart pulled them out on Thursday morning. My modern convenience is back in working order. 

Thursday after school I went to Brighton College to turn in Millie's letter of acceptance to the school. I spoke to Annie, the admissions person, about our resumes we sent in. She said she would check into whether anyone had looked at them or not. Brighton has decided to keep Millie in their Foundation Stage 2 class next year, which is the equivalent of preschool. The school where she currently attends would have sent her to grade 1 next year, our equivalent to Kindergarten. We are thrilled they want to hold her back because she is really young and we would have done our best to hold her back once we moved back to Arizona anyway. Brighton College has noticed her immaturity and lack of skills and is going to do the leg work for us, which is perfect. 

After my stop at Brighton, I decided to go to the mall and look for a new swimsuit for our trip to Sri Lanka. I found one and also remembered that we would be in Sri Lanka for Easter so the Easter bunny would need to come while we were out of town. I got some chocolates and a gift for each kid. Oh the trouble we go to for our kids. 

Millie had gymnastics Thursday evening, but not until 5 pm for some reason. When we got there I remembered why she didn't have it until 5 pm. There was a Mother's Day program. It ended up just being a presentation but Millie was not involved at all. I don't know why the communication here is so pitiful at times, but it continues to frustrate me. 

Stuart finally had had enough of the older kids that play football around our cars. They were also using foul language on Thursday evening. He went out and told them they needed to leave our area. He also informed them that he knew many of them from the rugby club and hey we're setting a bad example for younger kids in the neighborhood. They moved and didn't mouth off a bit. That's the good thing about the expat kids, they usually are pretty respectful and they certainly don't want to get into trouble with their parents, or at least most of them don't. 

We got up Friday morning and went to weight in for the Biggest Loser. Because spring break starts in a week the participants decided this would be the last week and they would start up again after spring break. As a part of the celebration of the last week, Stuart made everyone breakfast burritos.

Here is our breakfast burrito assembly line. 

After the burritos, we stayed at the club for a bit and watched some of the kids play rugby. 

Around 11 am, Millie and I went to the mall while Stuart and Jack went back to the rugby club. Stuart had a match at 1 pm. Millie and I got back to the club after some shopping. We watched the match, then headed to a painting birthday party. 

I know these painting parties are very popular in Arizona, but this was the first one we had been to. The kids had so much fun and painted some beautiful fish. 

Millie wouldn't let me help at all. In fact, once I tried to tell her something and she swung the brush at me and said, 'I can do this by myself.' And she did do it by herself. 

This was a little more of a stressful activity for Jack because there was no exact way to do it and he felt he was always messing up. Poor kid!

Both kids were pleased with their final product. 

After the birthday party we headed back to the club, fed the kids and then it was home and showers for the kids. Stuart stayed at the club with some of his rugby pals. 

We got up Saturday morning and went to DeDe's for the Easter party. This is our last craft party for the year. We will have to wait until Halloween for the next one. Again, all of the children had a great time.  The crafts were a little bit easier than the ones for Valentines Day.  

There were 3 different crafts, but when we realized the third craft had to just be glued and there were about a thousand parts, that became the craft we sent home as a take home project. 

Millie made her crafts by herself. There was a door hanger and a picture frame. I love Oriental Trading Company. 

Once the party was over we headed home. The Richardsons stayed for a while and the kids played. We then headed to the club for lunch and a swim. I actually swam 40 lengths, which I hadn't done for well over 2 months. It felt good and I knew it was good for me. 

After our swim we went home to grab the kids jammies and towels, then headed to the Richardsons for dinner. The kids ended up playing indoors the entire time. Then we had a full English roast dinner and off the kids went to take showers. 

Millie and I headed upstairs so I could bathe her. She ended up going back down to the stairwell to do the unthinkable. She gave Henry and Jack the finger. Oh yes, you read that correctly. Apparently she had seen her best friend, Abbey, do that at the rugby club on Friday evening. After the investigation, telling her that was not nice and she must never do that again, I had to message Abbey's dad and tell him. He was grateful that I messaged and had the same talk with Abbey. We watched a bit of rugby and then headed home. 

On the way home Millie fell asleep. Jack had some fruit and then went to bed as well. Stuart and I turned in shortly after the kids. 

Assessment time for Jack

I received the email on Thursday about Jack coming for an assessment at Al Ain International School on Sunday at 10 am, then shortly after that email came one about his assessment at Brighton College on Wednesday morning at 8 am. 

I ended up texting my principal to tell her what was happening so it wouldn't be a shock to her when it came to me leaving a great deal this week. She was fine with it and really is quite accommodating with those of us who have kids and often need to take care of things during the day. 

We went to the assessment, in which the tester was late. That wasn't terribly impressive, and he spoke with two students at once, having them take the test at the same time. They don't have a spot for Millie at the moment anyway, so clearly we are not leaning towards Al Ain International School. 

When we completed at the school we headed to the grocery store. Since we had spent the weekend in Dubai, our weekly shopping was delayed. I didn't make Jack go back to school so he just headed home with me and watched movies the rest of the afternoon. 

Millie went to gymnastics Sunday evening and while she was in class I decided to go for a walk. It wasn't terribly warm and I was amazed at how my knee withstood the walk. Since my knee surgery last summer I was told all I could do was swim or ride the exercise bike. Clearly I can still walk as long as I am careful. This made me happy. 

Rugby for the kids is over and Stuart didn't have practice this week, so we had a lot of time on our hands. And as the week progressed, we had even more time as you will read. 

Monday we woke up to rain. Usually this means that there will be fewer students at school. However, on this day that was not the case. 

After school Millie went for a play date with a little girl in her class, Sophie. Jodi, Sophie's mom, picked them up from school. She stayed until I came to get her at half three. But then I stayed and chatted until 5 pm. Once we were back in the car and on our way home, I got a call from Stuart. He had taken Jack with him to the rugby club. I had totally forgotten that he had a committee meeting. So I ended up going to the club to pick up Jack. Jack had already had a shower, so once we were home the kids ate, or at least Jack did. Millie was so tired that all she could do was throw a bit of a fit. So needless to say she went to bed earlier than Jack. 

Stuart got home after Jack had gone to bed. He fixed himself something to eat and we watched a James Bond film. As is quite common, I fell asleep about halfway through. I have had tons of sleep over the past 6 weeks. I go to bed every evening when Stuart does, which is not what I used to do. Sleep is way more important to me than it used to be. Go figure!

Tuesday it was still a little stormy but no rain. By the afternoon it came a crazy storm. Since we rarely get rain people act like maniacs. And to be fair, this storm was a doozie. Winds were insane and since they don't get much rain, storm drains are really not made for run off water. Therefore water stands in the roads and driving is a nightmare. 

This was a view of the more mild driving conditions after the massive rain fall occurred. 

I ended up leaving school about 45 minutes later than I normally do. It took me over 30 minutes to get home when usually I can make it in 17 minutes. When I pulled out of our school car park I immediately got nervous. The water was up to my door. I called Stuart and told him I wouldn't be shocked if I stalled at some stage. I got home, but not in any record breaking time. The kids were late getting home as well. By about 3:15 pm the rain had stopped but water still stood on the roads. We were going to skip gymnastics, but since the rain had gone I decided to take Millie. It took us 15 minutes to drive what normally takes us 3 minutes. Clearly the route to the gym was not clear and had a great deal of water around it. Once we were at the gym it appeared to be closed. So then McDonalds it is. 

Millie was finally able to use her umbrella for the rain. 

Rainy day was called at 1:03 am via email on my school account. This meant there would be no school for Wednesday.  The forecast called for the same weather until Thursday evening. 

We were still up at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and decided to have Clare and the kids over for lunch. The weather had subsided a bit but still looked very dark outside. It was crazy, but very nice for a change. 

Jack was to have his Brighton assessment on Wednesday morning but since all schools were ordered to be closed, it was postponed. 

Around 8 am the kids went upstairs to play. They had been in time out previously and were warned that it would be a long day for each of them if they didn't sort out how to get along and be nice to each other. 

11 am the Richardsons arrived for lunch. The weather seemed fine and the kids played outside for a while. At 1 pm the heavens opened up, just as Clare and Henry needed to leave for a doctor appointment. 

It was just after the storm that we were informed there would be no school on Thursday either.  It seems that many of the schools had water pouring into them. As the storm drains are not equipped for the rain, neither are the roofs.  I will take a 4 day weekend any way I can get it. 

Around 3 pm Clare and Henry returned and picked up May. Stuart then headed to the bottle shop for beer which we haven't done since November. Shocking!

I was a bit stir crazy so decided to go to Abelas, our corner supermarket, to look around. On my way I ran into Cathy. She was going for a walk to see some of the flooding by one of the wadis (same as Arizona washes). I decided to stop my car and walk with her, although I was in flip flops. 

This was what we saw on our walk. 

We had to prove we were out in that crazy weather. 

When I returned from my one hour journey and visit to the super market, Scott was at our place. He was off work but wanted to wait until traffic and water cleared a bit before heading home. He also needed to pick up the beer and wine Stuart had bought for him. 

In the rain here, it really is like going out in snow in other parts of the world.  All drivers are not sure what to do. It's crazy. 

The evening was spent feeding kids, no baths because no one did anything all day, and bedtime. 

Thursday, once we were up and around, we decided to do our grocery shop for the cookout planned for Friday. After we were home we watched movies and lounged around. Millie's gymnastics was canceled again but she was fine with that because it meant we would ride with Stuart and Jack to the Richardsons for dinner at their house. 

We took the kids' bikes so they could ride in the small 'lake' that had developed in their parking area by their villa. They played for over an hour in the water and then were inside for baths and food. 

We got home just after 8 pm and Millie was sound asleep. Jack went straight to bed, and Stuart and I followed once laundry was started and bikes were unloaded from the car. 

Friday morning Stuart took the kids to the pool while I went to the mall in search of a new condenser dryer. Ours died earlier in the week and unfortunately I am not the person who can just hang clothes to dry. It's just more than my OCD can handle, having clothes everywhere all the time. 

Cathy went with me and we ended up visiting two malls and buying several things, none of which were a clothes dryer. However, I did price one up and would go back on Saturday morning to get it. 

The Richardsons, O'Reillys and Cathy's crew were due to come over around 3 pm for a bbq. We had more meat than you could shake a stick at. There was salad and potatoes, which we all hardly made a dent in. There was so much meat left that it warranted Stuart's culinary skills to turn it all into something fantastic. 

We ate, sat on our back patio, talked and laughed until around 8 pm. The kids went to bed and Stuart, Cathy and I continued to chat until just before 10 pm. She walked home and we went to bed. A bbq is always a fun evening with our group of friends. 

Saturday we went to the mall to buy our dryer. I washed beds in the morning and knew they wouldn't be dry by nightfall. This was the final straw. We also bought a Bluetooth wireless speaker so we could play music in the house. We had placed Stuart's phone in a Pyrex bowl at our bbq and were made fun of, so we decided maybe we needed something a little more modern. It will also be good to take with us when we go on holiday. 

The kids decided they wanted to go to Fun Farm, a play structure where we can drop them off for an hour. In that time we finished up our shopping and took everything back to the car. The dryer will be delivered on Wednesday. Whew!

We ate lunch at PF Changs and then headed home for a while. Millie had a birthday party to go to at a park by her school. The little boy in her class is from Finland. One of the great advantages of what we are doing is that my kids know people from all over the world. They have learned about different cultures, not only the Arabic culture. It blows my mind to think of the experiences they have and will have during our time here. 

Once the party was over we headed to the Richardsons for curry night. We always have such a relaxing time at their house. I always intrude by bringing my kids' pjs and towels and having them shower at their house. That way, once we get in the car to head home, which is usually after or close to their bedtime, they either go to sleep or are ready to go to sleep once we arrive. It's great. One less battle for me, for sure. 

We watched the Ireland vs Italy rugby match, part of the 6 Nations Rugby Tournament. We just can't get enough of it. We left at the end of the match and were home with kids in bed by 7:30 pm. 

Just two weeks of school before we head to Sri Lanka. We are getting very excited. 

Last week of rugby for Jack

Sunday was school business as usual; kids fighting, teachers late to class, lesson plans not emailed to me, and so on. I've gotten to where I expect these glitches and it's just a part of the experience. 

After school I met another Head of Faculty for coffee. She told me about the new job she was getting and the perks. It seems that private schools are the way to go. I left the coffee house just in time to get Millie and take her to gymnastics. We found out that her friend Kiera was in her class. I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  

Because Jack went to rugby with Stuart and was planning on eating at the rugby club, I decided to make things easy on myself as well and feed Millie the ever so nutritious McDonalds. She insisted on eating it in the car, which just sped everything up for me. This meant bedtime was closet. Because she had taken a cat nap in the car on her way home from school, although I attempted to put her to bed at 7 pm, she wasn't asleep until after 8 pm.  Jack was home and asleep well before she was. 

Monday after school I went to meet some of my lady friends for a meal. I went to the far north part of town. We sat and talked for about 2 hours. Me being out meant that Stuart was on his own again. Mr. Mom suites him. Kayleigh came over around 6 so Stuart could go to rugby. I got home about 7:30 and put the kids to bed. Although I love an afternoon out with the girls, it just delays me getting the other things done that I need to do. 

Tuesday I supplied my teachers with breakfast treats. I had heard so many other Heads of Faculty talk badly about their English teachers and how they were late turning things in, didn't bother to do things, and other horrible stories. So I decided to show a bit of appreciation for my teachers. I had to go out and get the treats from a store that was supposed to open at 9 am. But no one was there to open the store until 9:06 am. It's just how it is here. I got back to school at 9:30 am and the teachers flooded in and out all day. They were very appreciative and I think they felt the love. 

Tuesday evening was officially Jack's last rugby training and what they called an Open Day. They mixed up all the Under 8s, 7s, and 6s and let them play together. They also decided to the let the siblings play. Millie was on Jack's team. It was the funniest thing I've seen in a while. Millie got the ball once and ran all the way down for the try. The only problem was she ran WAY out of bounds. But she thought she scored the try, so I wasn't going to spoil it for her. She is quick as a cat and too tiny for kids to grab her flags. She thought she was the star. And Jack was so sweet with her. He continually tried to make sure he passed the ball to her. He proved his maturity and love for her all at one time. 

They took a break at the same time. 

All three of my rugby stars. The picture isn't very clear, but they are all there. Jack's New Zealand friend, Kennedy, is standing on the far right.  

Wednesday I had a training on differentiated instruction, because I've never had that before. The training we have here is often a repeat of what I've learned from years gone by, so sometimes I wonder why we go to the trouble. But I get to spend a day out of school so I suppose not all is lost. 

I ended up having to go back to school for professional development. I was leading it so of course I had to be there. 

Millie had gymnastics. When we got home Millie showered and ate her fish fingers, while Jack showered and got ready for his sushi date with Daddy. Since I can't have rice, Millie only eats the rice, and my tummy is no longer suited for buffets, it seemed fitting for them to have a boys' night out. We had promised the kids that once rugby was over we would start having date nights with each of them. 

Jack said he ate way more than his daddy, which could be very true. 

Thursday I left school early, we picked the kids up from school, and took Millie to her play assessment at Brighton College before heading to Dubai for the weekend. At the time we were at Brighton College the head of the junior school was leading us around. We were encouraged by the admissions person to introduce ourselves and remind her we had put our resumes in for a job at Brighton. We did. She seemed a little baffled at first, but then warmed up to us. 

She was dressed to impress. 

As the head of the junior school led the kids to their assessment rooms, Millie was the first one in line. This kid is fearful of nothing. There were probably 15 students there and she just marched up to the front and followed with confidence. 

After Millie's 'assessment' we were off to Dubai. We arrived just after 5 pm and were told we were upgraded to an ocean view. Ok, we'll take it. The marina was quite a sight. 

This is the exact marina where Clare and I did our mile swim. Ah memories. 

Henry, May, Millie and Jack are standing on the marina. These are quite privileged kids, if you ask me. 

We decided to walk down the marina to find something to eat. We ended up eating at Nandos. It was about 8 pm when we got back to the hotel. The kids had a bath and then watched a bit of Disney before drifting off to the land of nod.  

We were up at half past 6 and down to breakfast by 7:30. Uncle James was in the lobby when we got off the elevator. He was on his way to London and purposely made a one day stop over to spend time with us. 

We had breakfast and then were back into the room to get our swimmers on for the day. We headed to the pool and the kids had a swim while I soaked up the beautiful 75 degree weather. Stuart and James went to find James a shirt to wear for dinner. It seems he left his in his hotel which was about a 20 minute cab ride away. They didn't find one, but we were sure they would still let him into the restaurant. We were going to chance it. 

Around 11:30 am we headed to the Dubai Marina Yatch Club where we boarded an 85 foot Yatch. Because we were celebrating Clare's birthday we were all treated to a tour and banana boating in the gulf for the day. I love this life we live. 

The Black Pearl was her name. 

The kids were all protected and ready to set sail. 

James seems to have arrived on a good day. Stuart was so thrilled to have him there. We have seen Uncle James more in the past 2 years than we could have imagined. It's been wonderful. 

Jack is on the far right. His friend to his left is Henry and the far left is Finn. They were getting ready to go on the water tube. 

We all jumped off the boat into the gulf. You can see that my thumb got in the way. Oops!

Stuart and I took this opportunity to show our new skinny faces. 

Scott went with Millie on the tube ride. 

Our boat tour, although wonderful, seemed way too short. Everyone had a great time and may have caught a bit of the sun. Once we were off the boat we caught cabs back to the hotel. On the way, in the cab, Millie fell asleep. So while James, Stuart and Jack hit the pool back at the hotel, Millie and I went up to the room. Millie continued to sleep while I showered and got ready for dinner that evening. Since there would be five of us using our shower, it probably worked out best that Millie fell asleep forcing us to go to the room. I woke Millie just before six so she would be bathed and ready once the boys returned. 

Once the boys were back and showered, we headed to the finest steak house I have ever been to. It was just at the hotel next door so of course we walked. 

Although the outfits were not planned to match, we decided we could start a singing group. 

Dinner was wonderful. The kids, 13 of them, sat off to our right, while the adults, 14 of us, resided at our own table. We sat outside and the weather was perfect. The kids were angels right to the very end of the evening. Uncle James headed back to his hotel for a sleep before meeting up with Auntie Lou and Billy the following morning for their flight to London. Stuart took the kids upstairs to bed while I paid out portion of the bill. It was a fantastic day. 

We met the Richardsons downstairs for breakfast at 8 am. We then spent the morning in the pool before showering, checking out and hitting our Park and Shop Cash and Carry store that often has products in it we can't find anywhere else. After spending too much money in that store, we had a bite to eat. Then we were off to Al Ain. 

Once we were home and Millie was well rested after her hour nap in the car, we unpacked as the kids rested on the sofa and watched a movie. I got laundry started and then remembered that our drier had nearly blown up a few days prior. Stuart bought a plug and replaced it, but the outlet where the drier was plugged in was broken/burned out/screwed up. I think we are probably pretty fortunate the place didn't burn down.

After Stuart replaced the plug he took an extension chord and plugged it into a different outlet. This wasn't until after I had hung the first load of finished laundry, but I didn't really care. I was just impressed he knew how to replace a plug on an appliance. 

Once the laundry was sorted the kids went upstairs and I read books. Millie was bouncing off the walls. Naps are not our friend. After a couple of hours of her screaming, coming downstairs, asking for daddy to come up and sing, and a little reminder on the butt why we don't disobey, she finally fell asleep just after 8 pm. 

Stuart and I watched Clash of the Titans and then were off to bed. I actually watched the movie through my eyelids, as I often do. 

We are one week closer to Sri Lanka. Yahoo!

Too far until spring break

Sunday I had one observation and then went home. I wasn't well at all. My stomach had given me trouble the night before. I figured it was something I ate that my stomach decided was not good for my body. I guess it's all part of the process. 

I didn't go to rugby, but stayed home and painted Millie's nails. It's the only way she will stay home with me. Jack and Stuart got home just as I was putting Millie to bed. Jack had hot dogs, 4 exactly (meat only) and green beans. Then he was off to bed. 

Monday school was rough. At the end of the day I decided to do as Elsa from Frozen would do, and 'Let it go!'  It's really the only way I can stand it all. Investing time and energy doesn't always pay off in this system. It's deflating, but a part of life I guess. 

I got home and took Jack to the dentist for a check up and cleaning. The dentist said his permanent teeth on the bottom were not fully erected so she shaved down the ones on either side to give more room for his permanent ones to grow in. She shaved some baby teeth so no harm was done. He also had his molars sealed so he would have them protected from cavities. The insurance didn't cover the cleaning and we paid 20% for the seals. So the total charge was $145, which I thought was pretty good. 

He was a trooper and I owed him big time for this. He didn't really know what was going to happen and neither did I. Oops! Thank goodness he came first because Millie was going to be a whole different story when she came on Tuesday. 

Little did we know he would be in the chair for almost an hour. Ugh!

Once we were home and he got over the horrible taste of the flouride he couldn't rinse out for a half hour, he showered and relaxed. Then he was able to eat and regain some control. Poor kid. He stayed brave while in there, but couldn't hold it together after the dentist. Once he was fed, all was well. 

Once the kids were in bed, Stuart was gone to rugby, and Kayleigh was over to babysit, I was off for my one month check up with the doctor and dietician. I didn't make an appointment because the doctor told me after my surgery that all I had to do was show up and there was no fee so I thought that meant I didn't have to have an appointment either. Wrong!  After making an appointment and finding out he still had two patients before me, I decided to shoot up to the dietician. When I got there she was with another woman and a gentleman was waiting to see her. Because there are separate waiting rooms for men and women, he had to wait somewhere else and the lady at the front desk said she would call him when the dietician was ready for him. He came back about 10 minutes later and insisted that she was seeing another patient and his turn had passed. Well, of course I had to pipe in and say, 'No, actually that is the same woman because I am waiting as well and no one has come out of that office.'  That shut him up, he stormed off, which I assumed meant I was next in line now. Yahoo for me!

I saw the nutritionist, who gave me no more information than I already had. I decided that I would probably not need to see her again, especially since she charges $35 a visit.  No need for that expense since I can read information online just like the next person. I finally saw the doctor who was pleased with my progress. I got vitamins and a B12/B6 shot, and it only took 2 hours. 

School was better on Tuesday primary because I ignored the negative and got on with my job. 

When I got home from school I took Millie to the dentist. Because it was her first ever visit she had an exam and a cleaning. She was a trooper and didn't whine or cry once. 

She was very cooperative, much to my surprise. 

She had her teeth cleaned and got to wear these cool shades. 

Wednesday I had training for our yearly exams. It was riveting. As much as I would love to believe they take the testing as seriously as they do in the states, it's just not true. Those exams will be in 3 more weeks and then school is basically over, or at least according to the children. 

After my training I decided to go to the gymnastics place close to our house. I signed Millie up for 12 sessions. We will see if she likes it and if so we will continue. She started Saturday. 

After school because Jack didn't have piano lessons again, the kids played with some of their friends after homework was done. I went to the dentist for my cleaning as the kids were eating dinner. 

The dentist, a lady of course, x-rayed my teeth and there was nothing wrong with them, thank goodness and surprising since I hadn't been to the dentist is over 3 years. She also cleaned them, but not before removing some of the stains from my teeth with what I can only describe as a sand blaster. She sprayed it around my mouth and the residue got all over my face. Thank goodness I had goggles on. It made my gums bleed, but I think it was part of the cleaning process as well. It was salt based and my teeth really did feel good after she was finished, but boy did it hurt during the process. 

Thursday after school we did our weekly shopping and fed the kids at McDonalds. Just as the kids were finishing their meal, Scott messaged and said they were going to eat at the rugby club. Well, we decided to at least let the kids go there and play. We stayed for a couple of hours and then it was a rush to get the kids home for showers so I could head off to my first Arabic engagement party. 

Cathy went with me. The lady who invited me was Azza. I met her at the House of Arts while Jack was taking piano lessons. She was so sweet, and since I have discovered she knows a lot of the same people I know. 

It was such a wonderful experience. Unlike an Emirati wedding, which you walk into and sit down at dinner tables that are set up in a conference style setting, all seats facing the front stage, the engagement party was held by Egyptians. All Arabic cultures do things differently. There was dancing when we first came in. It was still just all women, but it was way more relaxed and there was a lot more music and it was more of a party atmosphere. We got there around 8 pm and the engaged couple, who was Azza's brother, came in at about 9 pm. They walked in as if they were walking down the aisle. It was ceremonial for sure. They then went away for a while, came back, and then the engagement jewels were presented to everyone and the couple put them on as well. They were gorgeous. 

There were a lot of diamonds. 

The couple then cut a cake and went to the buffet to get some food. Cathy and I followed because we were instructed to do so. It was a great party. The part that was unusual was that the engagement happened the previous Sunday and it was a surprise to the to-be-groom and the to-be-bride. It seems that the groom's father is in the UAE for just a short time. They went to some friends' house and while they were there the father announces that the family is there to ask for the daughter's hand in marriage to Ibrahim, the very surprised groom-to-be. This is how some of traditions of Islam play out. We were under the impression that Ibrahim was trying to get used to the idea. 

Friday morning we got up and headed to the club. We weighed in and Stuart stayed for the day because the Olympic qualifying rugby teams were playing all day. 

I spent most of the morning sorting through some clothes to give to the collection for the Fijians who were effected by the cyclone that hit them recently. I gathered up 2 bags of clothes that were either worn out or I hadn't worn in over a year. 

I did one more exciting thing on Friday morning. I booked our holiday to Sri Lanka! Oooo, I'm so excited. We are staying at a beach resort called Mount Laninia Hotel. It looks fantastic. We also hope to visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage just about 50 miles from our resort. With all the traveling we have done, we have never had a holiday with just the four of us. We have always either traveled with friends or family. I am really looking forward to it. The thought of this trip will help me to press on for the next 4 weeks of school. 

We headed to the pool just after 1 pm for our official first swim of the summer season. 

Winter is officially over in Al Ain. 

After the swim we went to the pitch side of the club and waited for Stuart to play at 5 pm. They got beat by 2 points, but it was a good match. Some of the teams they play against have a roster of about 100 people to choose from each week because they are from much bigger cities where the expat population is much lager. The average age on the other teams is probably about 28 years old, whereas the average age on the Al Ain Amblers team is probably about 35 years old. They do really well considering they all play every week and are not as young and spry as their opponents. 

Stuart stayed at the club and listened to the band the club paid for. Since he is a committee member he is expected to support things such as that. The kids and I headed home for bed. 

Saturday morning we got up and watched some movies while Stuart went to the club to clean up from Friday night. He then headed to the grocery store for meat. The Rouvis decided to have a meat fest at their house. 

We headed there around noon. It was the hottest day of the year so far and we were all sweating up a storm. The kids rode their bikes and played outside all afternoon, not caring about the heat. 

Millie and I left the Rouvis around 4 pm to go to her first gymnastics class. She had a new little outfit and everything. She was so excited. 

I'm not sure what you call this but she seemed really good at it. 

And doesn't she look cute?

There were only three children in her class. It was an hour long and she loved it. We got in the car and she said, 'I listened really well, Mama.' I complimented her on paying attention and listening, then I told her that when the teacher was trying to correct her, she didn't need to say, 'I know. I know.'  I told her we pay money for the teacher to make corrections and help her get better. She said, 'But I do know how to do a crab walk,' which, might I add, she kept crumbling to the ground because she was moving too fast. This was what the teacher was trying to point out. 

After we left gymnastics we headed to the club to pick up Jack and Stuart. We stayed for about half an hour so Millie didn't feel slighted, then headed home for showers, a bowl of cereal and bed. 

We had a very full week and I might need another weekend to recover from all the activity. 

Second week back, and things are better!

Although my throat was killing me on Sunday and I had a bit of a cold, the day went smoother and I wasn't as exhausted. I'm sure it will just get easier as time goes by. 

I had to cover a grade 3 boys' class during 6th period. Fortunately, I had mentioned to the Arabic teacher that I needed her classroom for this class. When I got in the room she had set up cartoons to play on the smart board. Easy enough!

Sunday evening was the rugby routine as usual and we've made it a habit getting the kids their supper there each Sunday. Since Stuart gets the meals for half price, you really can't beat getting two plates of spaghetti and two servings of French fries for about $9. The best part is I don't have to make it. 

Monday I had an observation and a lot of frustration from my social worker and others who were not exactly doing their jobs. But we take the good with the bad I suppose. 

Monday night Stuart was off to the club and Millie fell asleep on the sofa just after 6, as she often does. Once the kids were in bed, I was back down on the sofa for my own little winter's nap. 

Tuesday I was only at school for about an hour and then headed off to the girls' math competition at the local college. My 5th grade girls won 3rd place, which I thought was really good. After the competition, since I had driven there because we all have bus monitors who ride the buses with the students, I headed to the mall to meet Stuart to get our annual pair of sunglasses. Except instead of one pair, this year we both bought 2 pair for about the same price as our single pair each, last year. 

Once we were home I trucked the kids off to get their hair cut, did a bit of shopping for essential things, like Coco Pops, and then headed home to put on work out clothes. Yes, I went to the gym on Tuesday evening. Scott rode the stationary bike next to me. He got a concussion about 2 weeks ago and hasn't been able to exercise. However, he can at least ride a stationary bike. So we both chose that as our exercise for the evening. For the past three weeks we have just been sitting at the bar and chatting. I guess it's time for both of us to get back at it. 

We were home just after 6:30 pm, the kids had some cereal because they had eaten before we went to the club, then they were off to bed. Stuart and I sat down to watch the X Files movie. We have spent the last several months watching the X Fules from the beginning in order to be able to watch the new series now on FX. Stuart fell asleep during the film, which is usually my job. I watched the entire thing and was so proud of myself. 

Wednesday I was off to the boys' math championship competition. My grade 5 boys were the only team that made it into the finals from my school. Stuart's grade 4 boys made it, so he was there too. He was in charge of the entire competition so I'm glad at least one of his teams got into the final round. 

Once the competition was over and my boys had come in last, it was time to get on the bus and lick our wounds. We got back to school just in time for dismissal. Wednesday is one of our long days so I didn't get to leave until 2:30 pm. Oh poor me.

When I was on my way home I got a message from Jack's piano teacher saying she had to go to the doctor. She is about 3 weeks from having a baby so piano lessons may stop earlier than we had anticipated. Since Jack's lesson was canceled, I decided to stop at the grocery store to get some necessities. 

Once I was home, kids finished their homework, which Millie actually had for the first time this year, and then played until it was time for dinner. Once Stuart was off to rugby and the kids were in bed, I settled in for my weekly catch up of the Bachelor. 

Thursday at school I became increasingly aggitated at our social workers and our student services Vice Principal, in charge of behavior. This country still has a long way to go before things really do change. There is still a great deal of training that needs to take place. But, not my job. So I will just keep doing what I can to help move things forward. 

Thursday after school we opted to go have dinner at the rugby club and let the kids play around a bit. Scott, Clare and their kids joined us. We were home by 7:30 pm and the kids were in bed by 8 pm. Of course I was asleep in the sofa shortly after that, as I always am. 

Friday morning we got up and Stuart and the kids headed to the rugby club. The men's rugby teams were having a men's breakfast, and taking team photos. I got a few hours to myself. I went shopping with Clare and bought a few unneeded items. 

Stuart is right in the middle, and notice the little ball boy on the left. 

We headed to the club around 3 pm to watch the men's team play. Stuart had an excellent game. He is getting trim and playing harder each match. He made a play that caused one of his teammates to score a try. He was so pleased. It was awesome! It's so fun to watch his love of this crazy game. 

Saturday morning we went to Scott and Clare's for breakfast. I had actually forgotten she had invited us and when I got her text, and realized the sausage in the acti-fry were almost ready and Stuart was about to make the eggs, I piped up and we packed up the good and headed down. 

We left there just before noon to do our weekly shopping, which has gotten smaller since Stuart and I are both eating a lot less than before. I would guess our food bill has been cut in half over the last month, which is a nice treat. 

Once the shopping was done, we were home, relaxing for the remainder of the day. Jack had a moment of forgetting who the boss was while we were in the grocery store and was not allowed out of the house for the rest of the day. I'm not sure who was punished more, him or us. I'm not ready for the haughty attitude. 

He did, however, show me one of his new tricks on the way home from the store. Impressive!

We watched movies for the rest of the day, and the kids played upstairs for part of that time. Our life is so rough and we love it!

Back to work!

Sunday I was exhausted being back at work. I walked up the stairs to my office and then needed a nap. After school I rested for a while on the sofa. Then we went to rugby practice and I walked three times around the pitches, which might have been a mile. We ordered take out for the kids, bathed them and tucked them into bed. I fell asleep on the sofa just about 8 pm, then moved to my bed once Stuart turned the television off. 

Monday was not much different, but at least when I got home on Monday I could relax, put my jammies on, and settle into the evening. Jack had a ton of homework and then practiced his piano, while Millie flitted around talking to herself. 

Tuesday my girls at school attended a math competition. My 3rd graders won first place and my 5th graders won 2nd place. Both teams will go on to the Final Competition at a local college next week. 

Once we were all home on Tuesday, we headed to Millie and Jack's school for parent/teacher meetings. We met with Millie's teacher first. She said Millie is doing really well with math, but is getting letters reversed in English. She said Millie leaves the class without permission and talks too much. When the teacher said this I looked at Millie and told her it was unsafe for her to just leave the classroom without asking her teacher. Millie started to cry. At this point her teacher said, 'I tell Millie that I will call her dad if she doesn't tell me the next time and she just says 'ok'. She is more afraid of you than her dad'. This cracked me up. We do play good cop/bad cop for sure. I'm okay with being the bad cop. Daddy's girl has him wrapped around her little finger. We told her we were so proud of how she was doing in school, but that everyone had something they needed to work on. We didn't even address the 'talking too much' thing other than to say she needs to listen when the teacher is giving directions. She comes honestly by the talking thing. No one will ever stop that!

We were running late to rugby so I just stepped into Jack's class briefly to speak with his teacher. She said he was doing really well, but recently he has been coming to her to clarify directions or ask about something to be explained again. She said she's not totally sure he is paying attention. We do worry about ADD as it runs in the family. So we will keep an eye on this so that it doesn't hinder his academics. She said he is really bright and is above grade level in all areas, which was so exciting to hear. 

Once we left the school we hustled home to get Jack's cleats and so Stuart could change for rugby. We went to the rugby club and while I had a chat with Scott and Clare, the kids and Stuart were out on the pitch having their own fun. Once we were home, it was showers, dinner, and bed.....for all of us. 

Wednesday my boys went to the math competition and my grade 5 boys won first place. They were so excited. Our grade 5 boys are really good this year, so having them win is a real treat. They will also go to the championships next week. 

After school I took some paperwork down to Brighton College, the school the kids might attend. I then headed to the grocery store. I wish I could go one full week without having to go to the super market. It's not on the way to anywhere so it's a pain. When I got home Kayleigh was still there because Stuart had a meeting after school and was late getting home. Jack had finished his homework and had practiced the piano, so that made me happy. We headed to his piano lesson just before 4 pm. I stay in the room with him and at one time I actually thought his teacher was playing the piece of music, but it was Jack. I was so shocked at how well he was doing. This teacher we have now is much better than the last and moves at a quicker pace. He doesn't want to go to piano lessons any more, but I'm going to try to convince him otherwise. I'll have to come up with some sort of bribe, I'm sure. 

Once we were home from piano lessons, the kids ate and then we're off to bed, but not before a small dance party in the living room. I so wish I had the ability to upload videos on here. It was the funniest thing ever. Both were dancing to 'Watch me Whip'. Hilarious! 

Thursday Millie came home from school with this:

And I came home with these:

These flowers were from my English teachers and two of my Arabic teachers. 

The bamboo plant was from the administrative staff. I told them I hoped this plant was hardy because I kill anything green that comes into my house. 

We headed to the mall Thursday afternoon to get a birthday gift for our next door neighbor. It was convenient to eat at the food court so that's what we did. We were home and in bed by 8 pm. The week back to work for me had been all too exhausting. And Stuart was off on a rugby trip the following morning. 

I was up much earlier than I had planned on Friday because Stuart was off to Muscat, Oman for a rugby match. He got up early to make breakfast burritos for himself and Andrew, his coach. When he was cooking I could hear him banging around, but thought he would be finished soon and I could fall back to sleep. Oh, but if the smoke alarm goes off then I'm pretty sure falling back to sleep is close to impossible. Oh well, I got up and just started changing bed sheets. There was work to be done. 

After the kids were up and breakfast was over, we headed to get the car cleaned. We then went to the rugby club to watch Henry play. We ended up eating lunch there and then were home for a rest before going off to our Valentine party. 

DeDe and I have this party each year and the kids love it. There are crafts and Valentine treats. The crafts this year came from Oriental Trading Company. I seem to always order one craft that is way too hard, even for the adults. Two of the moms ended up doing the chord bracelets. 

Millie was very proud of her Valentine monster. 

Jack just goes along with the fun. 

After the Valentine party, we headed to our neighbor's for a birthday party. By the time we got home, I was wiped and ready for bed. Thank goodness the neighbor fed the kids dinner. All that was left to do was get both kids clean. Then we were off to sleepy land. Stuart got home just after midnight. The 1st team won and he was happy. 

Saturday morning we got up a little later than normal, although the kids had been up for at least an hour before we got up. I hustled around and got thugs ready to go to Abu Dhabi. Jack didn't want to go, but I insisted. Stuart was able to stay home on his own because initially I thought he would still be in Muscat. So Cathy and I headed toward the adventure of seeing Frozen with a live orchestra and live singers. 

We first went to eat lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. The kids were so well behaved that I almost thought they weren't my kids. Jack was so polite and helped Millie to keep her behavior together. It was so sweet. 

They say on the same side of the booth and Cathy and I sat on the other side. 

After lunch we headed to Du Forum. We arrived and there were billboards with all the characters on them. Millie was decked out as Elsa and Jack was not dressed as anything so that made him feel as if he shouldn't have his picture taken with any of the posters. I finally convinced him it was okay and that he should let me take a picture. 

Olaf is our favorite. 

Millie is my poser. 

A selfie with the Frozen poster was necessary. 

Once we were in the building, popcorn and soda in hand, we realized that our seats weren't the most comfortable seats in the world and I was thrilled that Stuart hadn't come with us. The show started late, as many things do in this country. A set time is really just a suggestion. 

Jack studied his program, while Millie tried to keep her wig on. 

The entire production was phenomenal. There was a full orchestra, 4 main vocalists and a full choir. The timing of everything was relatively perfect, and the vocalists sounded almost exactly like the movie voices. At intermission Jack wanted to leave. He was enjoying it, but was ready to go home. I reiterated the fact that I had spent a lot of money for him to see this and we were staying until the bitter end. He was glad we did because at the end of the show it snowed on us in the theater. 

Elsa and Anna singing. 

And then it snowed!

Once we were in the car we decided to head to Ikea. No trip to Abu Dhabi is complete without a visit to Ikea. I didn't buy much, but the kids both got a stuffed rat that kept them occupied as we walked through the store. 

Once we were back in the car both kids got their jammies on. Since we hadn't really done much all day except sit, I decided no one needed to stay awake for a shower. My hope was that, at least Millie, would fall asleep on the hour and a half ride home. 

They played their electronics, ate some of the left over food from the Cheesecake Factory, even though Millie had an ice cream at Ikea and Jack had a hotdog, and finally Millie fell asleep. We were about 20 minutes from home, which was long enough for her to be in a deep sleep just as we pulled in the carport. 

I called Stuart just as we were coming into the compound and he came out to get her and take her to her bed. Jack stayed up until I had sorted out the cooler and the bag with clothes, and basically got everything tidied for the following morning. Then he was off to bed and I was upstairs taking a shower. 

I ate a bite of dinner and then dropped off to sleep on the sofa. 

We are starting to get back on track with our busy weekends. That's where the fun is. We are still loving our life in the UAE.