Christmas celebrations all week long.

We woke up Sunday morning and took the boat to the marina for breakfast again. 

Louise and I took Millie and went to the grocery store to get some bits for the day and week. Louise's family was coming over for an early Christmas celebration. 

The boys went out tubing again on the boat while I helped get things ready for the party. Really I just vacuumed once everything was set. 

Louise's parents, brother and his family, and many friends of the family who are like relatives, came over and brought so much food. It was all very wonderful. There was a lady named Myrna who is Ev's (Louise's mother) best friend. She was lovely and so interested in our lives in the UAE. Her family was from Lebenon so she was asking a lot of questions. She nearly cried when Jack counted to ten in Arabic. She was so sweet and really   interested in the conversation we were having. 

Being with Louise's family made me a little lonesome for my own family, especially at this time of the year. However, the party was great and a huge success. 

The rest of the evening the kids played soccer in the yard as we all cleaned up. We order pizza around 8 pm. Millie fell asleep on the sofa after she ate some cereal and Jack fell asleep after he ate his spaghetti. In fact he fell asleep on the table, poor boy. He actually ate a big bowl of spaghetti, which thrilled me. He hadn't eaten much since we arrived. We chalked it up to being jet lagged. Maybe that has now passed. 

Monday was a day of Christmas shopping. We had a continental breakfast at the house, the boys went to have the oil in the boat changed and let the kids play at the park by the marina, while Louise and I got ready for shopping. We had a fair bit on our list because the kids need so much, not!  Gifts had to be purchased from grandparents, aunties and great grandma. Plus Stuart and I needed to buy for Billy and Josh. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to be finished with my shopping before Thanksgiving. Needless to say I was a little stressed with the whole process.  

The boys returned with the boat and then went out to go bumper tubing. It's funny to watch the boys bump all over the place. They absolutely love it, as can be heard from miles around by their screams of delight. What awesome memories these boys will have of time with each other as they get older. I'm so thankful for that. 

Louise and I finally got going and went to a mall in Miranda. It was huge. We started at Target, which sadly is not as much like our Target as I had hoped it would be. I found a few things there for the kids, but then we had to have lunch, of course. We had to have nourishment to carry on. 

After we shared some sumptuous appetizers at the Italian kitchen, we forged on with our shopping. We hit Toys R Us and were very successful. We had valet parked. So each time we had packages we took them to have the valets put them in the car. What a fantastic service!  

When we finished at Toys R Us we decided to separate to get the last bits finished. I still had to get something for Stuart from the kids and something for Jack from Grandma and Grandpa in the UK. During all the hustle and bustle, Santa might have bought a few things for me in the shopping trip as well. 

At any rate, I finished with plenty of time to spare in order to meet Louise at the valet. Sadly, I got lost, like I always do, and was a few minutes late getting back to the car. Oops! But I am proud to report that I got it all completed. 

We met the kids and men at a park where they dropped off the kids and headed to the pub. They were quite ready to hand off the kids. We then let the kids play at the park for about 45 minutes, then rounded them up in order to go eat. 

We had a lovely dinner, just pub grub type of food, and then I drove home since the men had drank some beverages. I drove on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the street (or should I say other side?) when I lived in England, but that was almost 9 years ago. I have not done it since. Well wouldn't you know, Australia drives on the left and the steering wheel is on the right, just as it is in England. 

I was nervous because Stuart rode with Louise and I drove Louise's car with James and all of the kids. What were they thinking? It turned out fine, except for the fact that I kept turning on the wind screen wipers instead of the indicators and I hit a curb, pretty hard. But I did a phenomenal job when coming down their death trap of a driveway. There are two places where you can't even see the driveway because it is so steep. But the view and access to the water they have is worth the fear as you descend down the driveway. 

At the restaurant the kids were nearly asleep. However, they caught their second wind and were a little rowdy once we got home. Millie ended up stripping in Billy's room. That move bought her a ticket to bedtime. She was none too happy with me. The boys stayed up for a bit and watched a movie while Louise and I wrapped presents. Now just waiting for Santa to show up. 

Tuesday we went into the city to spend the night. We stayed right next to the cafe where the guy took those people hostage last week. The scene is so surreal. Australia has never had an incident like this occur so the outpouring of care and concern has been a bit overwhelming. There were flowers all over the plaza by the cafe that had just been cleaned up before we got there. But a small memorial just across the street had been set up for those who lost their lives.  

We were waiting for the train to arrive. 

This was one of the beautiful trees in the city. 

They also had a Lego tree in the city. Jack was amazed. 

Naturally no day of Chrostmas shopping is complete without a visit with Santa. This was an awesome display. We came to a little area behind a curtain that had two rooms. We knocked on the second one and there was Santa. The kids loved it. 

After walking around and shopping for a bit, we headed to lunch. We had taken the train into the city with the kids and the men met up with us after lunch. We checked into a 5 start Westin and went to our rooms. We did the ceremonial 'jumping on the beds' that we always do when we go into a hotel room, a tradition started by Uncle Mitch. Josh, Jack and Millie loved it!

After taking the kids to get some dinner and walking out on the town listening to music and seeing the lights, the adults headed out to dinner. Louise's mother had come with us and was 'babysitting' the kids. It was a nice treat for sure. 

The city was very festive. 

We went to a place called Sake. It is Louise's favorite restaurant in Sydney. As you can see, it is a Japanese place. We had excellent food, all presented so beautifully. 

This was a dessert. The blue is jello and the fish are made of chocolate, caramel, and some other delicious sweet creamy thingy (the technical name). It was called Koi Pond and it was yummy. 

Here are the six of us. Sitting by Stuart is Matt and his girlfriend, Jo. And then Louise and James are sitting beside me.  

These brothers are having such fun together. 

After dinner we walked down to the jar our. In the background you can see the Sydney Opera House. Beautiful!

Wednesday morning we got up and had breakfast at Jones the Grocer, which happens to be a place we eat in Abu Dhabi. We then went back to the room and checked out. Louise and James needed to do some shopping for food. So we decided since most likely we would not back it back into the heart of the city on this trip, we would head down to the Harbour and do some walking around. 

The Harbour Bridge is in the background. What a phenomenal view we had. 

We hopped on a Harbour cruise that took us all around the Harbour and gave a little commentary of the area and its history. It was great and the weather was really nice. 

Jack almost didn't get in this picture. Lovely background, eh?

We finally caught the train back to James and Lou's around 3 pm. Once we were back Stuart prepared lasagna for dinner and I showered the kids. James, Matt and Stuart went golfing while Louise and I took the kids to Christmas Eve mass. It was hot, we were sitting in the infant's room, a glasses in room behind the pews where you can still see and hear the sermon but they are not to see or hear you. However there were so many people there, it would have been impossible for them to not hear us. We ended up leaving after communion. I was very dissatisfied with the Christmas Eve event. So when the boys and Millie went to bed, I googled 'the story of Christmas' and read them the story, explaining to them that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because Jesus came to be the Savior of the world. It was so good and they really were listening. It made me feel better about the evening. After the story I sang them a few Christmas carols. It turned out to be a satisfying evening. 

Christmas morning had the kids up early. Of course everyone wanted to see what Santa had brought. Jack and Millie received an email from Santa that had pictures attached. He said he left most of their gifts in Al Ain and they could unwrap them when they got home. They were very excited. 

Once the kids were awake and the adults had coffee in hand, the opening commenced. As usual the kids got more than they needed. Everyone was terribly generous to the kids. Jack and Millie bought me a ring from Pandora and Stuart bought me earrings from the same store. 

Once presents were opened and the house was clean we had a bit of breakfast and began preparation for the Christmas dinner. 

The kids played with their new toys right up until dinner time. Louise's parents came and then the air conditioner had to come on. It was just too hot. 

The kids played in the ocean and we also got out in the boat. We had great fun all day long. It was unlike any other Christmas I have ever experienced, and just as enjoyable as any other Christmas. 

The little paddle canoes were the favorite for the kids. They could stay out there for hours. What an amazing holiday this has been so far. 

We had dinner around 3 pm. There was plenty for everyone, as there always is. We had Christmas crackers, and plenty of conversation around the table. 

No aires put on here. All the boys stank like the ocean for Christmas festivities. 

The kids had their own table. 

After dinner there were more presents to be opened. Jack and Millie got a present from Nana And Papa Bates (Louise's parents) and Josh opened all of his presents. Another round of fun for sure. 

One gift Josh and Billy received were racing boats. So on Friday morning, before we headed to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the kids had some boat fun. 

You can see the yellow boat just off to the right. Once the boats had a near crash. I suppose that's what happens with a 9 year old and a 4 year old are driving. 

We left the house for the airport to fly to Brisbane. Louise booked us 4 nights on the Gold Coast; one night in the middle of Brisbane and the other three nights at a resort called Soul Surfers Paradise. 

Once at the airport we went to the Qantas lounge for free food and drinks. When your sister in law travels all over the world there are some perks for sure. We had some lunch, then Lou and I went down to shop the sales for a bit before boarding the plane. 

The ride to Brisbane was just a little over an hour. Once we arrived, naturally Millie was asleep, we headed to get our bags and head to the hotel. We checked into the hotel and then took a walk down to the Southbank area of Brisbane, which was about a 3 minute walk. 

There we found a sandy, secluded beach where people were swimming. We didn't get Jack and Millie dressed for the occasion so we're a bit bummed. But when Uncle James sees a problem, he sets into motion and fixes the problem. He went to a little souvenir shop and bought Jack and Millie some swimmers and towels. We really could have walked back to the hotel, but in the end we didn't have to. So nice and generous!

Before we ran upon the beach, we saw this levitating street performer. Huh?

All four kids were loving the water. Jack may have just been splashes in the eyes. 

Sand castles were attempted, but not too successful because there were no sand toys. 

Try as she may, the castle would not stand. 

Here might be the real reason James went to but the swimmers and towels. This was where we found them once we finished with the swim. Hmmm.....

After the kids had been showered we headed out for dinner. This was the scene when the kids saw their dads. I love that my kids love their dad so much, because so do I. 

Saturday morning I got up early to go to the hotel gym and work out. My biggest loser group in Al Ain is going to be ashamed of me if I gain back one ounce of what I've lost. So I'm going to try to combat it as much as possible this next week we are here. I know there is a gym at the resort as well, so that will help. Christmas goodies can kill a person. 

All nine of us were up early because we went to bed so early the night before. So we met for breakfast just before 7 am. After breakfast, because it was raining, we decided to take the kids to see a movie. We ended up watching Paddington, which was adorable. It was the first full movie Millie has sat through in the cinema. There was a bit of a sad part at the beginning and when I looked over, her lip was turned down and her eyes a bit weapy. I think she might have been crying. It made me feel so badly for her. But then the movie turned funny again so she was fine. 

After the movie we checked out of the hotel, and it was still raining, then we ate lunch at the cafe in the hotel. 

At 2 pm, our Gold Coast cab picked us up and shuttled us about an hour south of Brisbane to the Gold Coast. Again, we had a terrible view from our room as you can see below. 

The men took the boys to the beach, while Millie napped and Louise and I sat in the great room with the sliding glass doors open, listening to the waves of the ocean, and starting to watch Sex in the City 2. The setting is in Abu Dhabi although they were not allowed to film there. Although it was still overcast, it was no longer raining. 

We couldn't get the movie streamed so had to put off watching it until after the kids went to bed and the men went out for a beverage. 

Prior to the kids going to bed, we went down to the shopping center below the resort and had dinner at a Greek restaurant. 

We then took the kids to Time Zone. It's like Fun City in the UAE. You pay a lot of money, play some games, win tickets, and come out with cheap prizes. But the kids love it so that's why we did it. 

We headed back to the resort to have a much needed rest. 

A successful week if you ask me. I can't believe we have already been here a week. Time really does fly when you're having fun. 

One week left of school, but someone forgot to inform the students.

Well, as we assumed, there were not very many students at school on Sunday, and by Tuesday morning, the buses arrived empty. Not one child came to school. We sent school-wide texts and let the kids know we would still be instructing, but close to any break in the school calendar, students stop coming to school. Maybe each year it gets better, but I'm not sure. Our boys side has been relatively empty since our National Day holiday 2 weeks ago. 

We woke up to a surprise from Elfvis on Sunday morning, and now that Jack can read it was even more fun. Jack especially gets a thrill out of finding Elfis each morning. I will cry the day the magic goes away for him. 

Sunday was the last rugby practice for the kids until after the new year. Yahoo! Because Jack didn't join rugby until late January last season, the actual time he played rugby didn't seem so long. However this year I am looking forward to the end of the season. We all love it, but it will be nice when we have a little more flexibility after the first of March. 

Monday evening Stuart went and did a fitness test for his rugby team, while I went to the orthopedic doctor to have him evaluate my knee and see if there is a problem that needs further medical attention. He told me that usually arthritis doesn't set in before the age of 50, but that since I need to lose weight (exact words- wallah (I swear)) it may have set in earlier than usual. 

I kind of skirted around the rugby thing when talking to him about how my knee was injured. He asked me what I was doing when I hurt my knee. I told him I had started running and exercising to lose weight. He asked if I played any sports. I told him I played basketball and tennis in high school. He asked, 'And now?'  I fessed up and told him I was playing rugby and he chuckled as if to say, 'Thank you for finally telling me how you got here.'

As he twisted my knee around he discovered what he thinks the problem is, but won't know for sure until I get an MRI. He thinks there is some torn cartilage. Now if I were in the states I would just suck it up and not have an MRI no matter how much pain I was in because it would cost me too much in the end. But here it costs me a co-pay of about $14. I can afford that. 

I will keep you informed of the damage done. In the meantime he told me to lay off of rugby until we know what the trouble is. I told him I would be out of the country for two weeks so staying away from rugby would be easy. 

Tuesday, as I said earlier, there were no children in school and Jack woke up with a sore throat. I debated whether to take him to school with me and duck out early. But after a dose of Tylenol he miraculously recovered and went to school. The boy loves school, which makes me very happy. 

School for me was so boring on Tuesday. I had literally nothing to do. I am sure I could have found something to do, but opted out. Consequently I nearly fell asleep at my computer once during the day. I could have hung out in the pods and chatted with teachers, but then I would be found out and everyone would know I had nothing to do. It's a balancing act for sure. 

Tuesday evening we headed to the Turners house for a farewell to our friends Lexi and Bob. They are moving back to Scotland. We have gotten to know them fairly well in the last few months and will surely miss them. It just gives us one more place to visit. The comings and goings of people here is so common, yet still so unsettling. Investing your time in friendships becomes a bit painful at times. 

At any rate we had a lovely dinner and great conversation. We will miss our Scotish friends (well, Bob is actually English) but we will see them again for sure. 

Wednesday I had training on how to effectively teach writing. It was, by far, the best presentation I have experienced since moving here. The presenter was entertaining and his techniques were doable. It was very worth my time. Especially when I consider the rest of my school was allowed to go home at noon because they didn't go to the training. We were there until 2 pm. So I would deem it worthy. 

Once I arrived at home, Millie and I had a date with the salon. We were going to get a pedicure. This was the first time Millie has had her toes painted. I am pretty sure this will now become a habit for her. We went to the salon opposite of where I usually go in the Co-op just in front of our complex. My usual place is not what I am used to. Instead of massage chairs they have you sit on a bench and they just have a basin for your feet to go in. The basin is not even big enough for my size 10s. There is no comfort and in fact, sometimes I feel I'm doing the work by holding up my feet. Needless to say, when I walked into the salon just across the hall, saw the massage chairs and the proper pedi stations, I vowed that this would be my new stop for all my pedi needs. However, the water pressure was very low after my pedicure and the ladies after me barely got enough water in their foot sink to get the jets going. Water in this country is a big issue. It's strange. 

Once Millie was finished she sat and waited for me. About a half hour into the sandblasting they had to do on my feet Millie announced to me, 'I have to poop.' I told her that she'd have to wait. But then I knew it would be at least another half hour before I was finished. The bathroom wasn't in the salon, so I was the only choice. Much to his dismay, I called Stuart and he and Jack had to come and get her. No men are allowed in the salons so the Muslim women can be free to uncover while they are in there. Also, with a pedicure the women would show their legs and men are forbidden to see that as well. So when he got to the salon he called me and one of the sweet Philipino ladies took her out to him. Note to self, poop before the pedi starts. 

Millie sat so nicely. However she only got her toes painted. She is too young to have the crusty mess on her feet that I have going on with mine. 

Here is the end result. Jack just needed to feel a part. I have snowflakes on my toes. This is also the first salon I have been to that does nail art, which I like a lot. 

After Millie and I returned home, the kids ate and went to bed. I, on the other hand, went to a wedding. The son of my Arabic Head of Faculty, Azza, got married. Although he didn't come to the party until the end, I was able to see some of the teachers without their abayas, which was amazing. It is hard to believe what some of the women look like under their black shaylas. They often look totally different. If they didn't call my name I definitely would not recognize them. I love weddings here. 

Thursday morning our principal told us we didn't have to be at school until 8 am. Then once we got there all we had to do was fill out a survey and then we could leave. It was a great Christmas present. 

Some of us went to breakfast after leaving school. The rest of the day was spent with the final details of getting ready to leave for Australia. Stuart and I went to the mall to get lunch. Don't judge me for eating two meals within a few hours of each other. It had to be done. We visited the grocery store in the mall just to waste time. The ornament we saw in the Christmas section cracked me up. 

Oh yes, that is an ornament for full price from 2012. Ha!

Jack was so excited about our trip to the land down under. His countdown had come to an end. Elfvis had left the building, providing a 'selfie' and a note stating he would see us in Sydney. 

Jack and Millie got home from school, took a shower and finished up their chocolate advent calendar as well as their Lego advent calendar. We had decided not to take the calendars with us, so we had to do several a day  for a few days before leaving. On Thursday we had to do three doors.

After all chocolate was gone and Legos were put together, we left for Abu Dhabi. We met Gina at the Abu Dhabi City Golf Club. The kids had a run around and played at the club. We ate and talked for a while. After a bit the kids got restless. We decided we would go on to the airport and get the kids settled. Our flight wasn't until a little after 2 am, and we were super early, but it is always better to be there and not have to rush around. 

This was the scene with Millie around 11 pm. We are really hoping jetlag is no big deal, but time will tell. 

We finally got on our flight just after 1 am, and took off around 2 am, but not until we had to switch gates from Gate 51 to Gate 7. That was quite the walk. Fortunately Millie was fast asleep in the stroller. Jack was out of the stroller when he was her age, so we are very lucky she is still so small. 

The funniest event of the night was when I went to the bathroom to put a pull-up on Millie. She hasn't worn one in several

months, but due to the travels I would rather not risk her wetting her flight seat and just having to live with it. So I rolled her into the bathroom and up close to the sink to get her out of the way. As I got her changed and picked her up to resituate her in her stiller, me head must have gotten too close to the hand dryer because it went off. The air hit both Millie and myself. She woke up for a bit but then dropped right back to sleep. Numbskull am I. 

I am proud to report that she made it through the entire ordeal without waking up. 

The flight was fine, but long. Jack and Millie sat in the middle, between Stuart and me so were at each other most of the flight. The second flight we sat in the places that just had two seats, on the side of the plane. It was better because each of us had a child and it wasn't as difficult to keep them away from each other. 

Our first flight landed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We were there for 5 hours so we decided to get something to eat. Sadly the only thing that appealed to us was Burger King. Although there was this    restaurant. 

Obviously we could not choose this place in which to eat. 

When we boarded the plane in Malaysia I was really hoping the kids would sleep and we would have a peaceful flight. Not really the case. They did sleep, but it was the last three hours of the flight which was not enough. Neither Stuart nor myself were able to sleep much so we were a bit weiry once we arrived in Sydney. 

Coming through customs was very uneventful. We arrived just before 7 am and were through customs by about 8 am. Louise, my sister in law, was caught behind a wreck so wasn't there to get us until a bit after 8. 

Once we were picked up we went to a cafe for breakfast. It just happened to be at a marina. James (Stuart's brother) and Billy (our nephew) met us there. After breakfast all the boys went back to the house via the boat and the girls rode in the car. 

This is their boat. By Saturday afternoon Jack had had so much fun on the boat that his trip was complete. 

We really just relaxed, had a two hour nap on the sofa, and played in the water. Josh, Matt's son (Stuart's other brother), arrived and all boys had a blast playing together. 

This is the view we have from the main level deck. It's a gorgeous setting. We love that all of our relatives have such fabulous homes. 

These next two weeks are sure to be full of fun for everyone. 

One week until we head to Australia!

As I assumed, there were teachers who apologized to the Western staff Sunday morning, tears filling their eyes, stating 'not every Emirati is like this', which we already knew. 

The news of the American teacher stabbed to death by a local woman in an Abu Dhabi mall was unsettling for sure. However, as the week went on and condolences were sent via email, life resumed for most of us as usual. The Sheikh announced that he will pay for the women's children's education until they are finished with college. I was terribly impressed with his gesture. 

School resumed as normal, we still feel very safe here but we know this incident will not be seen by all in the same way and we anticipate that some Americans might 'run' this Decemeber. We shall see what transpires once we return from the break in January. 

We only had about half of our boys on Sunday, but almost all of our girls were at school. On Monday, the boys that didn't come on Sunday showed up, and the boys who had showed on Sunday decided not to come. Numbers diminished as the week drew on. 

At Stuart's school they dismissed at 11 am all week, even though the majority of their students were at school on Sunday. Because he is at a common cycle school (grades K through 12), their senior students had exams so they just dismissed all students once tests were over for the day. He was gone from school by noon most days. Tough job he has!

Jack had no rugby on Sunday so we just stayed home and watched movies. Once we got the kids bathed and in bed, I looked up at the clock which read 7:40. I then realized I had missed my orthopedic doctor appointment. Oops! I had to reschedule it for Monday the 15th.  Hopefully there will be nothing of it, other than arthritis. 

On Monday I could feel a sinus infection coming on. I came home early from school, got some drugs from the pharmacy and missed rugby practice.  

Since we didn't go to Jack's rugby practice on Sunday I decided Millie and I would skip Mama/Millie night and head to the club. They really were the only team practicing. This time of year rugby is really difficult to be a part of because of the other festive options in front of us. As I mentioned last year, I believe, for a Muslim country they really do up Christmas, primarily for the numerous expats that live here. 

I missed my rugby practice again on Wednesday because we went to a going away party of a fellow Head of Faculty. In fact, I had to tell my team that I would have to miss practice until January 5, when we return from the winter break. That frightens me a bit because there is a lot of fitness work we do. I'm afraid if I am away for a month I will lose some of the fitness I have gained over the past three months. I have vowed to workout at least 4 days each week while I am away. 

On Thursday we had training for some professional development we will be delivering to teachers the first week we are back in January. It wasn't the most riveting training I have ever been in but we will do what we are told. 

After training we finished our Christmas shopping at Bawadi Mall. We have tried to calm down on the buying this year but I am not sure we succeeded. 

All of our Christmas presents were stored in our guest room. Then on Monday morning I put all gifts from us under the tree. Needless to say the questions started about whether the kids could open just one present. I remember begging our parents for the exact same thing. The answer was almost always 'no', which was our answer as well. 

The 'Santa' gifts remained in the guest room and we have locked that door. I happened to be in there hanging some clothes the other day and Millie came in, looked up in the closet and said,'Qho are those gifts for?'  Oh wow! What to do when your three-year-old sees Santa gifts? I just said they weren't presents and she seemed fine with that. Hope she forgets that whole incident when she sees the Santa presents again.  

We went to the golf course around 3 pm for my school Christmas party, which actually only includes the English teachers and unfortunately there were only about 10 of us there. It's very difficult to unite a staff unless you arrange it at school, which we will next week. There is sure to be a big food celebration at some stage, all paid for by the school budget. Cracks me up! We actually have a budget for 'entertainment'. 

After socializing for a bit we headed to the rugby club for a carol service. It was a bit crap, sadly. So after Millie fell asleep in her friend Riley's arms, we called it an evening. It was an early night because I was running in a 10 K the following morning. 

I originally signed up for the 10 K thinking there was a t-shirt I would get. It's kind of one of the only reason I sign up for races, because everyone knows I move like a turtle and would never win a running race. I also had a friend who said she would walk it with me. 

We got up and headed to the rugby club at half past six on Friday morning. Everyone was there waiting for the police to show up and block off the road so we wouldn't get killed running around the roundabout just outside the rugby club entrance. Although the race was to start at 7 am, it was a little after that when we actually took off. 

Although my knee started hurting halfway through and there was chaffing that was unexplainable (ouch!), I actually ran the entire thing. In mile terms it was 6 miles. That is further than I have ever even imagined running. My friend Clare told me I could run the whole thing. So I took that as a challenge and actually did it. So I can now check that off my 'to do' list, even though I had never put it on the 'to do' list. 

When we got home from the race Stuart made me a big omelet. He is my biggest fan for sure. Although Jack and Millie were hooting and hollering all the way as well. After some breakfast we decided to head to the mall and get our last minute presents we had forgotten about. 

When we had lunch and discovered the children's hairdresser had closed, we returned home for the kids to take a nap. We had a big evening ahead of ourselves.  Sunflower School had their annual Christmas party. They had games, pizza, crafts, a pantomime (English play that is a spoof on fairy tales), and a visit from Santa where he passed out presents to the kids (purchased ahead of time from Santa's 'helpers'-us). It was a great night. 

Saturday morning when I woke up I was sore from the previous day's 10 K. Sadly, for some of the race I had hunched over, looking a lot like my dad's mother, and as a result the muscles that run the length of my back were knotted up like no one's business. After moving around a bit all

Muscles started to losen up. Thank goodness because I had some craft shopping to do in Dubai. 

Gina drove up to Al Ain to go with Cathy, myself, and DeDe to a craft fair that is normally held in the center of Dubai. It moved to a place called Green Community. Although there were not as many vendors there, I got what I came for, a nativity made of felt. I love it so much. 

After some shopping, we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant. It wasn't Arizona Mexican food, but it was pretty good. DeDe had to be back for a choral Christmas concert that she had bought tickets for. We were so close to the Park n Shop, the place I love that carries American comforts, we just had to stop. We bought some items, mainly crap I didn't need, and then hit the road back to Al Ain. We got back just before 6 o'clock only to find out the doors opened at 6 pm but the actual concert didn't begin until 7 pm. 

Once we were back, Gina headed back to Abu Dhabi and Cathy, Kayleigh and Claire came over for a proper Christmas meal. 

National Day celebrations continue!

A lot of schools had their celebrations last Thursday. Usually that is a non spoken cue for families to take Sunday and Monday off from school. My school stayed steadfast and had our boy's celebration on Sunday and our girl's celebration on Monday. As you would guess, only the students involved in the celebration were the ones at school. There were many performances, two of which involved guns. Yep!

The boy's performance was over just before 11 am and everyone was gone by half past 11. The staff was allowed to leave at noon on both days. 

The girls were all about the dresses, pretty hair and make-up. Whereas the boys were about the uniforms and guns. 

Aside from the celebrations, we had a full week at home. On Sunday before Jack had rugby practice, the kids and I went for a walk. The temperature is finally good enough for us to do things like this after school. The walk was cut short by the sprinkler fun we found in the grassy areas in our complex. We do this because we can. 

As you can see the kids were soaked, but they loved it. 

Home we went to get chNged and head to rugby practice. Before we left we were having difficulty finding Millie. Our little Polly pocket had tucked herself in our shelving unit in the entry way. She's a nut. 

Rugby practice was a bust. It turns out that every age group canceled except the under 7s. The kids who did show up just ran around the field and played for a while. 

Elfvis showed up at our house on Monday morning and did not disappoint. He brought two Lego advent calendars. The kids were so excited, especially Jack because his was a Star Wars Lego advent calendar. Each day they open a new door and put together another piece of the Lego scene. 

 

Millie must have missed all of the instructions because Monday afternoon she was caught up on a dining room chair and had opened about 6 of the 'doors' on her advent calendar. She had taken the Legos out of the little compatment, but fortunately not out of the baggie. Stinker!

Monday evening we went to the rugby club for practice. Since we didn't have school on Tuesday we decided to take the kids with us. Millie was inconsolable for the first ten minutes of practice. She would not let me participate. Finally after a bit, one of the other player's daughter came over and Millie latched on to her, like she always does. 

After practice we decided to eat at the club, even though the kids had eaten just before we left the house. The last few days both kids have been packing away the food. Must be growth spurt time. 

Tuesday we got up and I took Jack to rugby practice with me. I didn't really play, but was there as a team member and supportive of the team. Jack got to play with his buddies for about and hour while Stuart took Millie to the grocery store to buy food for our dune outing that evening. 

Stuart and Millie stopped for a donut, saw a camel, and bought a BBQ. Only in the Middle East. 

Once we all reconvened at home we had a bite of lunch and the kids napped. We knew it was sure to be a late night in the desert, so the last thing you want on those nights are cranky kids. 

We met at the Richardson's house about 3:30 pm. The O'Riellys, Turners and Telfords followed the Richardsons out to the dunes. We all had 4x4s so we felt sure we would make it through the blown sand on the trail that ran along the fenced area. We were correct and judged our vehicles well. Everyone made it over the sand. 

We set up our desert blankets and our chairs, as well as the food and beverage table. 

The kids ran off to play while the men got ready to start the fire as well as the cooking. 

There was a time for photos as well. But no kids wanted to sit long as to steal time away from their fun. 

The women sat and chatted. I have never been a part of a group where all the men were the hunters, gatherers, and cooks. I liked it!

The sunset was gorgeous and not much different than those in another desert I love. 

Once the food was ready we finally convinced the kids it was time to eat. There was plenty of grit on the food because the sand was constantly blowing about. A little abrasive food never killed anyone. 

After dinner the fire was established and the marshmallows came out for everyone to enjoy. The kids sat around the fire and roasted marshmallows. The only thing missing was scary stories, but our kids might be a bit young for that. 

After food and fun was had by all, Scott decided to take all of the kids dune bashing. You could hear the kids screaming with delight. His V8 Nissan Armada was rolling up and down the dunes.....and then....it wasn't. It seems his gigantic vehicle became 'beached' with two tires not even touching sand. Oops!

The men went out to try to rock the big SUV backwards, with no luck. Stuart went and got his car, thinking he could tie our tow rope onto Scott's vehicle and pull him out, but again no luck. About an hour and a half later, after digging and shoving, sand-filled pockets and faces, and finally letting air out of the tires in order for them to get traction, the Armada was back in driving condition. 

Scott aired up his tires once on solid ground and we headed back into town. What a night!

We woke up Wednesday morning to the knowledge that Gina's trip to Socotra had been canceled. So we decided to go to Abu Dhabi and make a trip to IKEA. We didn't really have anything we had to buy, but since IKEA is one of our favorite places to buy things we don't need, we decided we should go. 

We put the kids in the play area for an hour, a service provided for free by IKEA. This was the first time Millie was tall enough to go into the play area. 

Gina met up with us while we shopped for all the things we didn't need and then we had lunch. Jack loves the meatballs and mashed potatoes, Millie loves the mashed potatoes and Stuart and I love the chicken schwarmas. Yummy! It is really the reason we go to IKEA. 

After IKEA we went and looked at Ace Hardware, right next door, but made no purchase there. We headed home just after 2 pm and the kids slept most of the way. The rest of the day was spent watching movies as a family. 

Thursday morning we got up and headed to the Dubai 7s, a rugby tournament involving international and local, more amateur, teams. These tournaments take place all over the world. Stuart was hoping to play with the vets team, but was not selected on Monday. 

Some of the players from his team have been injured so we discussed the fact that he should take his rugby kit (uniform) along with his passport/visa and passport photo (all documents you must have to participate) just in case something happened and he was needed on his team. 

Once we got to the grounds he was told by another teammate that he could sign up in a pool of players to be a part of a team that might have come without enough players or some of their players were injured and they needed an extra player. He was so glad he had brought his kit. 

He was called just as we were making our purchases in the team shop. He was going to play on a team at noon on one of the international vet's teams. He was so excited. 

So proud of my Russian player. Can you stand it? He was the hero of the Al Ain players, and even of my team. Everyone was so tickled by the fact he was playing with the Russians. 

He was warming up before his first match, which consisted of just tossing the ball with his new teammates. And it was fumbly passing at best. They may have been better off warming up by downing some shots of Vodka! 

What was cracking me up, as I was taking pictures, was the fact that all of the other players were speaking Russian and my Englishman was just looking on and nodding. 

The first match he was literally the extra player they needed and he was not used to his full capacity. However, the second match he played with them they threw him the ball, he contributed to the forward movement of the ball as well as the stopping of the other team. He was so impressive that they asked him to come back on Friday to play with them. It was so cool! 

Stuart loves rugby so much, and today I really saw that. Although he was disappointed he was not selected to play for the Al Ain Amblers, he really just wanted to play. He was given that opportunity and he made the most of it. For such a genuinely shy person to put himself out there to another team, especially one he really can't  communicate with, shows someone who just LOVES the game of rugby. Being in the Middle East has brought something he loves back into his life. That makes me happy!

After his second match we went to get something to eat with the Turners and Richardsons, then we came back to the grounds with the Richardsons and watched my team play their first match of the tournament. They looked so awesome. The killed the team from Kuwait. I was so proud to be a part of that team although I didn't play. 

We headed home after that game. I wet wipes the kids' feet, put their jammies on and we were off. They were asleep when we got home so we just threw them in their beds, even though they were dirty. 

Because Stuart would be playing on Friday as well, as was Scott, Clare asked me if I wanted to go up to the tournament again Friday morning. I really needed to stay home on Friday to make my cookies for the cookie exchange I was invited to on Saturday. But once I got home I decided I could probably make my cookies in a couple of hours and still get up the following morning and go back to the Dubai 7s. And that is exactly what I did.

Friday morning Stuart was out the door at 6 am to catch the bus to Dubai. I got up and got ready for the day. The kids were up by 7 am, and at 8 am we were in Clare's car on our way to Dubai. 

We arrived at the grounds just before Stuart's game with the Russians. He played even better on Friday, carrying the ball a few times and getting in a few tackles. Unfortunately the Russians came up short, so were out of the tournament. However, as a gift they let Comrade Tank (his nickname from the Russian players) keep the jersey he wore. What an awesome experience he had! We all enjoyed it. 

We stayed most of the day at the tournament, watching different teams play. My favorite had to be the game between England and the US. England killed the US and my children were true traders, cheering for England. What is this world coming to?

We watched my team play their match for the day and they won on the last play of the game. It was incredible. Although they were in the Cup semi-finals on Saturday, they lost and didn't meet their goal of playing in the Cup final. I know they were disappointed, but considering the team is just now two years old, I think they should be very proud of their accomplishments. 

We drive back to Al Ain and arrived just in time to go to the rugby club to meet up with the group of people we came in with in August of 2013. It turns out this was not the best weekend for our 'reunion' since it coincided with Dubai 7s as well as the National Day holiday. Although 16 stated they would be there, only 6 of us showed up. The rugby club was dead. There were only about 20 people there. On most Friday's there are hundreds of people there, so only seeing 20 was a bit shocking.  We had a great time even though the numbers were low. The kids played and we had dinner. Q

Saturday morning Stuart got up and took my car to get services, picking his up and dropping mine off. When he returned we went to the grocery store for some provisions for the week. 

Then I was off to my cookie exchange. There were 15 people there. We were told to package 1/2 dozen for 15 people, bring 15 on a plate for a taste test that would result in voting for a winner of the top three cookies.  It was great. There were some great cookies. I simply dipped Oreos in chocolate and then sprinkled them with crushed candy canes. Trader Joe's sells something similar around this time of the year. It's a substitute I can live with. 

When I got home the kids had already bathed and were ready for bed. They ate supper and then started tasting cookies. Yummy!

The kids had an early night. They had a very full National Day holiday and needed an early evening for sure. 

In spite of the horrible news of the murder of the American teacher in Abu Dhabi, we still feel very safe here. When I hear of stabbing son a train in Michigan and murders in Phoenix weekly, the statistics are against us more in the US than they are here. 

It will be interesting to see the reaction from our Emirati staff members on Sunday. I know there will be apologies and condolences toward the Americans in our school, which will be unnecessary but appreciated. 

We still love what we are doing, and we are being very cautious to stay safe.