Lots of swimming this week

Like in weeks past, I got to Tuesday and wasn't sure what had happened to Sunday and Monday. 

I do know that after school on Monday, I took Millie to dance. As has happened a time or two before, Millie fell asleep on the way. And, as has also happened before, she sat on my lap almost the entire class. This could be an example of wasted money. However, Jack got to play the Lego Star Wars game on the ipad with his friend Harry while their sisters danced, or in Millie's case, lounged. So it wasn't a total loss. 

We got home, fed the kids, and bathed them. Millie was wiped out, although she insisted 'I not tired!'  I put her to bed just before 7. Jack stayed up a bit longer while I went back to Natasha's house (lady's house where the dance class is) for a Nomad clothing party. I did it to be social and ended up buying something, like you do. I will post pictures of my purchase when it comes in, and know you all will be waiting with baited breath:)

Tuesday Stuart got a call from the nurse to say that Jack was complaining about an ear ache. Stuart gave permission to give him some pain meds and I waited for the dreaded call that said we needed to come pick him up. It never came, but I left school during my planning period (last period of the day) anyway to get him. He was bouncy and totally fine. He stated to me 'I feel fine. Nurse Sophia is the best nurse at Sunflower, ever!'  There was a lot of enthusiasm from him, which made me smile. I spoke with the nurse and she stated he didn't have any redness in his ears. At that point I was pretty sure that the ginormous molars which had just poked through were our pain creators. She said that was quite possible. 

Jack and I went to pick up a chair I had purchased on Al Ain Swap and Shop. This is the time of year to get good furniture for dirt cheap. All of the people leaving the country in July are trying to unload their things and make a bit of money while doing so. So an Ikea chair that retails for 550 dirhams became ours for 100 dirhams. What a deal!

I had one of those 'please don't  ask me' conversations with Jack on the way to get the chair. Why is his dad NEVER around when he asks these things? Here is how it all went down:

Jack: Mama, how do babies get out of their mama's bellies?

Me: Well, sometimes the doctor has to cut the baby out. 

Jack: You mean he just gets a knife and cuts the mama's belly open. 

Me: Yep! (Whew, dodged that....or at least I thought I did.)

Jack: Is that how I got out of your belly?

Me: Nope. 

Jack: So how did I get out of your belly?

Me: (Crap! Here goes.) Okay, I am going to tell you but don't go to school and tell anyone. Remember that anytime we discuss things about your private parts we NEVER talk about it with our friends or other people. Some kids' mamas wouldn't want them to hear something like this from another child at school. 

Jack: You mean because their mama's think they aren't old enough to know. 

Me: Exactly!  So you know how you and I have different private parts, right? (Silence) Well, mamas have an extra hole like a slide that the baby comes out of. Do you understand?

Jack: Yes. Mama. (Long, pregnant pause- pun totally intended) I think I will just forget we ever talked about this. 

Me: I think that might be best. 

After the horrifying conversation with Jack, getting the chair and picking up Millie, the three of us headed to the pool. Stuart was already there because he had gone to workout just after school. We swam for a couple of hours. Millie has remained very confident in the water, even though she can't swim a lick. Her trick on Tuesday was to jump into the water with no floaties.....oh and neither Stuart or myself were within arms reach. So, the PE teacher at Stuart's school was standing in the pool very close to where she jumped in. I calmly said, 'Tim, could you grab her? She can't swim'. She is absolutely fearless. It scares me to death. 

We went home to shower the kids and then headed to a mall in the north part of town. It's close to where Cathy and her girls live. We had never been there before so decided to check it out. Cathy and the girls joined us for dinner at a curry restaurant called Taj Spice. It was good but The Curry House is still our favorite. 

This is Claire and Cathy showing the vastness of our booth at Taj Spice. It was so big that when dinner was over, Jack did a somersault on his portion of the booth. Proud moment for me. Again, so thankful we paid for those gymnastic lessons. 

Being prepared, I put the kids' jammies in the car so they could be all ready for bed when we got home. It was only a 20 minute drive, but seeing how they are usually in bed by 7 and it was just before 9, the odds were in my favor that they would be asleep by the time we got home. Happy to report they were. 

Wednesday was pretty non-eventful. We had our normal play date with Penny and Thalia, Karen and I went for walk, and when I returned Millie was screaming bloody murder. She had rubbed a heinous blister on her heel from her tennis shoes. Naturally the bath water caused the pain that fostered her screaming fit. When she did finally get clean Stuart put on a band aid and she chilled out. I ended up sitting on the sofa and cuddling Jack and Millie while watching Frozen.   Although that was wonderful, it caused the kids to go to bed a little later than I had planned. So that was the second night they had a late night. 

Despite the need for sleep, both kids were up by 6 am. Millie was cranky and whiney from the get go. Boy am I ready for 3 years old. 

My school had a celebration of learning on Thursday. We all were in charge of an academic station for our entire grade level. It was an excellent concept, but past experience has parents believing that 'celebration of learning' means play day and no need to come to school. Only half of my students showed up and I had very few parents show up. The new school model is going to take some time, but I do believe there is great effort being made by all school staff, at least at my school, to drastically change the schools of the past. Like anywhere, there are great schools and marginal schools. I am at a great school. Stuart?  Well, lets just say his is not so great. Behavior continues to be challenging for him, to say the least. We will have stories to share when we get home. 

After school we headed to the rugby club. This may not have been our best decision. The kids were whiney and miserable. When we left Jack cried and carried on. Those moments are so difficult for me, not because I feel badly for him (although I should) but because I don't know how to fix it and get him to stop crying. All I want to do is tell him to suck it up. I am working on having patience, but it is slow going.  Millie fell asleep on the way home as did Jack. They both went to bed without showers which, everyone knows, killed me. 

Because they had three late nights in a tow, and we were able to sleep in, I thought for sure I would get to sleep until at least 7 am. Nope!  Jack was up at 6 am. Why does this happen? I suppose in a few years I will be working on dragging them out of bed at 10 am or later, another thing to look forward to. 

Coffee and some Netflix was on order for the morning. When all people were up we headed to the mall. Thursday morning I found out I am going to have an interview for a Head of Falculty and Vice Principal position on Monday, the 26th. So we needed to find me something appropriate for an interview. We didn't find everything on Friday. but I did find a skirt which I think is a good start. 

The kids remained super whiney so when we returned from shopping they both went down for a nap. The 'guys' and their kids were coming to our house Friday evening while the gals participated in the Glow and Go 5K. Because we knew the kids would require some extra energy, the nap was a must. When they woke up they were in a much better mood for sure. 

Cathy, Karen, Clare and I got to the Glow and Go event way too early. It was held at a place called Wadi Adventure. It is basically a wave pool and a simulated river rafting facility. 

This picture is before the race. Because I have put on some weight since we got here and am now trying to lose it, I forced myself to wear my workout clothes I wore at my thinnest last summer. Not a good look but I am getting back on track. 

The race itself was really fun. Cathy and I didn't run as much as Clare and Karen did, but we did run. For about 3.5 kilometers of the race we were on pavement and dirt. The last bit of the race was the fun part. We entered the wadi (like a desert wash in Arizona). However, this wadi is used for the river rafting so it is man made and filled, most of the time. They had drained a portion of it for the race. The further we went the deeper the water got. My thighs were killing me by the time we exited the wadi. The very end of the race we could either walk around to the beach area or we could jump in the deep end of the wave pool and swim to shore. We chose the swimming part. I think I should be able to claim I have participated in a biathlon. I ran and swam. 

When Cathy and I got to the beach Claire and Karen were cheering us on. So, as obnoxious as I could, I ran through the water to the shore. The commotion caused the media person to start taking pictures of me. Watch me show up in one of their publications. Ha!

We had such a great time. 5ks are more fun when there is a bit of adventure involved. Fortunately we had towels so that my car wouldn't be soaked when we got home.  Here is the after photo. 

Water and dry fit shirts don't go together.

Saturday morning we got up, Skyped Grammie  and Pop, and then headed to the pool. The Rouvis (Jack's fried from school and his sisters and parents) were at the pool as well. We got there about 9:30 am and after a few hours we decided we would go into the club and eat.

The baby pool seems to be the gathering place for all the fun. 

As we were walking up to the club, Scott, Henry and May (Clare's husband and kids) were walking down to the pool. Henry and Jack play really well together although Henry is a few years older than Jack. So of course Jack wanted Henry to come up and play with him on the rugby pitch. Scott and the kids followed us up and said they would come to swim once Clare got there.

The sprinklers were going off on the pitch so the kids had a hay day playing in them. Reclaimed pee pee water is okay for kids to play in, right?  Yuck!

Three hours later, we all returned to the pool until about 5:30 pm, which was about an hour two late because Jack had a meltdown when we left. Spending the day at the club is tough, but someone has to do it. 

Because I was not happy with Jack's response when leaving the pool, which involved crying and telling me 'no' a few times, his consequence was that he would not be going to the pool on Sunday. It is an Islamic holiday on Sunday so we won't have school. After a bit of discussion with Stuart, it was decided that maybe the pool thing was a bit harsh and might not be as effective as taking away the electronic games for the day. Stuart reminded me that if we would have left an hour earlier the meltdown might not have happened, so we needed to make sure we were taking our responsibility in the matter. Plus, if he is missing the pool adventure but can't see how much fun everyone else is having, is that really a consequence?  He misses the games for sure. 

After the kids were bathed, fed and in bed, I headed to the mall. I think I have mentioned how manic the malls are on the weekends, especially at night. However, since I haven't been to the malls at night since we first arrived, I had forgotten. Let's just say it is wall to wall kandoras and abayas. Too many people. But I was on a mission for a blouse. I am sad to report I didn't get the blouse, but I did get banking completed, sunglasses purchased, and Stuart's laundry delivered. So it wasn't a total loss. Also, Cathy met me at the mall for coffee. She had to pick Claire up there later anyway so decided to come along. I left the mall at 10:30 pm and there was still a full parking lot. Crazy! Meanwhile my kids had been asleep for nearly 4 hours. Definitely a different lifestyle. 

7 weeks left with kids, but whose counting?

So usually parent meetings are held at the beginning of each term. And although we had a parent meeting a week ago, some of our parents didn't attend. There were a few parents, as there always are, I really wanted to see. One of them didn't come but the daughter has some discipline issues and, after a few incidences in class, my principal had the social worker call the home. There are not, at least that I am aware of, voicemail services or answering machines in this country. As you would guess, without the ability to leave a message, sometimes a phone call is made with no results. 

Last week this child was told not to come back to school without her mom or dad coming to the school to speak with me. Wouldn't you know, she showed up today but not with her mom or dad. So I took her to the social worker and she called home. Within 10 minutes her mom and dad were in the principal's office and the conversation began. Her parents were very supportive and were not okay with her misbehavior.  In fact, the father had a small cane-like thing made of wood with him. He handed it to me and, although I don't understand Arabic, I know he told me to whack her anytime she misbehaved. We told him we couldn't do that, but he insisted we take it. He must have offered that thing up to us 4 or 5 times. 

We came to an agreement that the child would ask when she needed help and would start listening to me and stop being disrespectful. In hind sight I wish I would have taken the stick. How many people can say they have a stick given to them from an Emirati? I would have never done anything with it, but how cool would it have been to have it?

When we got home from school on Sunday they were finally finishing up the bathtub. What? It was only 6 months and 3 weeks late from the first time we asked for one, and only 4 days late from Mr. Ehab promising me it would be finished 3 days from the day they started. It had to dry for 24 hours so the kids couldn't take a bath until Monday. 

But once we were home from dance, oh and a visit to the Baby Shop to buy bath toys, it was home, supper and a nice long bath.....with bubbles. They were so happy! Stuart asked me if I was happy. Well, really, for me it was easier and faster  for me to shower them, but much more trouble because I would usually get wet and I would have to disrobe, typically. They are going to have much more fun with a bath than the shower could ever bring. So thrilled we now have one. 

Do they look happy or what?

Prior to the bath adventure, Millie had dance class. Unfortunately she fell asleep while eating cereal on the drive to dance. I was afraid that would be it for dance tonight, but she actually rebounded after the first 5 minutes of class and actually started dancing, without me right by her side. Maybe her performance anxiety has vanished. We can all hope:)

Tuesday Stuart went golfing with some members of the golf club so he golfed for free. He was very excited about that fact. The kids and I went to the pool for a dip on the not so cool day. When we got home it was dinner, bath and bed, a totally normal family night. Boy do we love that bath tub!

Stuart got home and was in agony. He had pulled something in his back. He ended up going to the doctor on Wednesday morning and they did X-rays and gave him some good pain meds. The doctor gave him 2 days off from work, which I know did not upset Stuart in the least bit. 

I headed to get some groceries after school on Wednesday while the kids went for a play date at Karen and Wade's house with Penny and Thalia. When I got home with Happy Meals in tow, Stuart headed to the Rugby Club for a meeting about next year. It seems that his team has been moved up to the competitive league so they will play at least 13 games  next year. He is really excited about it. Um, didn't he just strain his back playing golf?  Oh well, can't stop the love of a game. Although I have been promised to have a girl's weekend with Gina if we want to travel somewhere, which is good for me. 

Thursday there were 9 kids absent from one of my classes, the Arabic teacher wanted to switch classes with me which caused me to get two planning periods, and it was the last day of the week. Who doesn't love Thursdays here?

After school Millie had a birthday party to go to. One of her little dance friends, Ophelia (Pheelee), turned three. So we headed to her house right when I got home from work. Stuart and Jack went to the Rugby Club and we met them there after the birthday party. 

This was the first birthday party Millie has been to without Jack. Pheelee's house is gigantic. The villas in this country are really too big for a family of 4 or 5. They really are built for 2 or 3 families. This villa had 3 floors, but it appeared the family only lived on the second floor. The great room had a play structure in it that had two swings, a small tree house of sorts that had a slide that came out of it. It was so cool. Another mom and I discussed that we would pay Natasha (Pheelee's mum) 25 dirhams to let us bring our kids to play at her play structure. 

You can see a portion of the play structure just behind the kids. So cool, literally!

Our usual night at the Rugby Club and then home, baths and bed. A good week, yet again. 

Friday we got up and went to church. After church we made our way to the Rotana Hotel for a pool party. It was my friend, Mary's birthday, so we went to celebrate with her. The entrance fee gets you a day at the pool, a buffet, and two drinks per person. There was music around us and immediately I thought I was in Fort Lauderdale at an MTV Spring Break taping. So not our gig, but at least now we know. Jack and Millie had a great time in the pool, but overall we would have had just as much fun hanging out at the Rugby Club pool. We won't be doing that again. 

We got home around 6 pm, bathed the kids, fed them cereal for dinner because we are conscientious parents who want only the best for their kids, and sent them to bed. Friday night was our first attempt at Millie wearing real panties to bed, rather than pull-ups. She has been dry at night all but one night for the last three weeks. It seemed like a good night since she insisted on wearing her real panties, and it's the first time she has even wanted to put on real panties with her jammies. I was nervous. I'm not going to lie. 

I am happy to report, that although I woke to Jack crying, at 6 am, in the living room because he kept hearing something 'scratching' under the coffee table as he was trying to turn on the television, and later discovering it was the DVD player turning on and off as he punched buttons on our universal remote, Millie did stay dry all night. Wow zee, is all I have to say. She is a pee pee super star, if there is such a thing. 

Once the kids were up then we were all up. Why is it I have to drag them out of bed just after 6 each school day, but on the weekends they are bright eyed and bushy tailed well before they should be? The age old question, I would guess. 

We had to get out of the house anyway because Miss Janet was coming to clean, but we didn't have to be gone until 9 am. So the kids ate breakfast, we Skyped  Grammie and Pop, and around 9 we headed to the mall. We decided we would let the kids play at Fun Farm and we could get a coffee and shop around for an hour. 

We ate lunch at the food court and the headed to the pool. I have decided that even though Queen Creek, Arizona and Al Ain, Abu Dhabi have very similar climates, Al Ain is hotter for longer for sure. We have been above 100 degrees here for several weeks now and these temperatures, and hotter, will continue until November. Super hot!  I know it has been super hot here for a while because Saturday afternoon at the pool I got in with little to no hesitation. In Arizona I am still iffy with full immersion into the pool until mid July, at least.  

Millie usually spends her time in the baby pool at the Rugby Club. We bought her floaties and they have given her a new confidence. She now gets in the baby pool without her floaties and starts 'swimming'. She kicks her feet and throws herself face first in the water. It's great. 

What's not great is when she decides, like today, to get out of the baby pool, not put her floaties on, and slide into the big pool. And although I told her not to get in the pool without an adult, she proceeded and as she held onto the side of the pool, Claire got close enough to grab her just as Millie pushed off and out into the pool. We all watched, but Claire was heroic enough to jump in and get Millie. Millie can tread a boy but not for very long at all. It wasn't really scary, but it could be if so many eyes weren't on her. She has no feat of anything. It scared me and now I know how I made my mom feel all those years ago. 

We got home from the pool, the kids took a bath, and by the way it has not lost its novelty. They had some banana bread and Millie fell asleep on the couch at 6:15. I put her to bed and then read books with Jack. He fell asleep within 5 minutes. Wearing out the kids is very easy to do here. There is never a dull moment. 

Seems God was willing, but not completely timely!

My car needed servicing, which I failed to remember on my days off until it was too late to do anything about it. So I asked Cathy if she could pick me up at the service center on her way (really out of her way) to school on Sunday. She was fine with that so after dropping Jack and Millie off I headed to the service center. Cathy was waiting for me and we headed to school. My student teacher taught another two lessons for me today which meant I only had to teach 4 lessons today. Very tough!

After school Stuart picked me up and we went to get my car. I went to get the kids and ten came home. 

Look what was sitting outside our door in the hallway when we got home from work on Sunday? Miracle of miracles! If you can't tell, it's a bathtub. I guess Mr. Ehab putting it by our door was his way of showing good faith that he would begin installing it Monday. I think Millie was the most excited, but the least understanding as to why she couldn't have a bath that night. 

When we got home on Monday they were working on our AC and I am happy to report it is fixed and cold. But not all was okay in our apartment. They were supposed to have started breaking apart the tile in our bathroom to prepare the space for the bath tub, but by the time I called Mr. Ehab for the forth time he informed me he only works until 5 pm. Unbelievable! All I was trying to do was give someone the keys to our apartment so they could come in and get started on Tuesday. In the end we gave the keys to the AC guy who said he would pass them on. We can lock all of our doors in the apartment so that the only room accessible is the bathroom. Plus, if any of the workers here did anything wrong they would be deported immediately. 

I attempted to go get my hair cut on Monday but the place I went the last time didn't have anyone to cut my hair until Tuesday night. I decided I would get it cut shorter because the heat is unbelievable and I can't pull it up in a pony tail so why not shorter? Well, I got a little more than I bargained for. Pretty sure I look like a boy, which would be fine if I was one. Not going to lie, I cried the entire way home. But, as Stuart reminded me, it will grow back fast. I am not a huge fan, but after I was able to style it myself, it was at least tolerable. In a few months I will probably love it and decide to keep it this short, but i doubt it. Super short hair is great on some people, but not me. 

We got home on Tuesday and discovered they had started to break up the tile in preparation of the bathtub. They said it would take three days so naturally i assumed it would be finished on Wednesday, bit since nothing was done on Monday, that automatically set us back to Thursday. Very irritating. 

Also, Tuesday after school we went to the rugby club to swim. It's so easy and great to go there after school and swim for a couple of hours. Then we still have plenty of time to eat, shower, and read stories before bedtime. It's great! But Tuesday after the swim I went with Karen and Claire (another teacher at Jack's school) for a walk around the rugby club ring road. I brought my workout gear and changed at the pool. I forgot one important thing.....underwear! Oops! Oh well, I am not foreign to going commando. I had on bike shorts so I suppose it didn't really matter. Funny thing is, when I attempted to find Jack's underwear so he could change back into his clothes, we discovered that he had left them on when he changed into his swimmers. So we were both going commando after our visit to the pool. Family bonding is what it's all about. 

We had Thalia and Penny over for a play date after school on Wednesday. They came after I had to call Mr. Ehab to inform him that no one came to do anything on the bathtub that day. Incredible!  He said he would call to see what had happened and why no one had come. Right, because he didn't know why someone didn't come? Sure he didn't. I am not a fan of Mr. Ehab, as you can probably understand. A plumber finally did come and got the tub prepped for the instillation. He promised it would be done by Saturday. Not sure I believed him. 

After the girls went home from the play date, I fed and showered the kids, then read stories and they were sound asleep.  I hate to mention it, but Millie has had three great days at Miss Janet's as far as the potty is concerned. I think taking the movie away from her may have helped. 

Once the kids were asleep, Stuart and I sat down to watch 24. We love Jack Bauer! It was awesome. The only sad part is we can't watch another episode for one more week. 

Thursday was International Day at Jack's school. There are 26 different countries represented at Sunflower. Each country had a presentation, so my principal let me go to the performances. Jack sang the American National Anthem in front if the whole school. He was so cute, a little off key, but so grown up and confident. 

This is Jack's classmate, Christian. He is from Germany. Don't you just low his costume? He is quite a bit you get than Jack and a LOT smaller. 

When Jack stood up to sing I started recording it. He looked at me and kept saying, 'Now? Now? Now?'  You can finally hear me in the video say, 'Sing!'  And when he did, he made his mama cry. He was so poised and remembered every word. I can't believe how mature he has become this year. It makes me a little sad, I have to admit. 

After I returned to school, I had a couple of classes, gave a spelling test, and 7th period we had our going away party for our classroom assistant and our student teacher. There was food all over the place. These girls go all out. Jawaher, the classroom assistant, and Aysha, the student teacher, gave me perfume, two pairs of earrings made of gold (truly), and an English version of the Qoran. Actually it is interesting reading. I am not converting but it is good to know what the beliefs are so I don't seem ignorant about their religion. 

Everything you see on top of the counters is food for the party. 

And then there was an absolute mess. But I am happy to report they cleaned up very nicely at the day.

After school i picked Millie up from Miss Janet's. stuart and Jack headed to Dubai for a birthday party at the Rainfroest Cafe. Wade and Thalia went with them. It was Scarlett's 6th birthday.  It was quite a trek for a birthday party, but everythig is a bit over the top here anyway. They didn't get home until a little after 9 pm and Jack was wiped out for sure.  

Millie and I decided to go to the grocery store so that we would not have to do that task the rest of the weekend. I hate wasting time at the grocery store. Millie was not very keen on staying in the cart. I am not a fan of the 2s. I am hoping she lines things out in the third year of her life. 

After I bribed her with a donut and juice, in the store, she finally settled down. Prior to the donut trick we visited the bathroom a few times to have an attitude adjustment. I hate leaving a cart full of things in the middle if the aisle, but sometimes a screaming child takes priority. 

She ate a happy meal and we headed home. We both had showers and were in our jammies by 4 pm. Millie whined around for a few hours and then when I put her down for bed she continued to say, 'I'm not tired', yet 5 minutes of me rocking her in my arms (which I can still do because she hasn't grown much in the last year), she was fast asleep. 

The rest of the evening was all mine. I watched some movies on Netflix and just relaxed. 

Stuart got up early Friday morning to golf. Millie came in our room and got in bed with me and about 15 minutes later Jack was in the bed. So the three of us got up at 5:45 am. Really? It's the weekend! They usually sleep until at least 7 am. Ugh!

We walked The Little Mermaid, which Jack loved but Millie got bored with. I used to read the book to Jack and he would want to touch Ariel's bare stomach. So funny! So when he finally got to see the film he was thrilled. 

We went out to ride bikes, or at least the kids rode bikes, around 9 am and it was already brutally hot. We rode one time around the complex and then had to get back in the house for some coolness. I fixed the kids pbjs and by 10 am both had eaten breakfast and lunch.  We played an invigorating game of hide and seek in the apartment. Surprisingly enough, there are plenty of places to hide in our pad. 

Because Stuart and I were going to the Rugby Ball Friday night, when he got home from golfing I went to get a pedicure and fake nails. I used to have nails before I had kids but the Desitin under the nails used to gross me out so I got rid of them. I have always said when kids were all done with diapers I would get nails again. Thank goodness that day has come. 

After pampering it was time to shower everyone and get ready for the ball. Kayleigh and Claire were coming to stay with the kids, ours and Karen and Wade's, so the kids were ready for bed and chicken nuggets and fries were ready once the babysitters arrived. 

When we arrived at the ball we saw a few people we knew, then sat at our table and listened to the awards presentations to celebrate the end of the rugby season. Then the dancing started. We had a great time. The food was wonderful and there was a mechanical bull that many men, and women, rode. And no, Sherry Bollard, I did not partake in the mechanical bull fun....this time.  Although, I was tempted. 

Here we are before leaving our house for the event. 

 

Saturday morning was a little rough. There may have been a bit of booze served along with the delicious food. We laid around the house until almost 2 pm and then went to the pool. Millie has decided she can now swim. We broke down and, against advice from Jack's former swim teacher, we bought her arm floaties. We just got tired of carrying her around in the pool. And as a result she now will actually swim without them in the baby pool. It's great!

We couldn't be bothered to fix dinner so we just stayed at the Rugby Club and had dinner. We got home, showered the kids, and put them to bed. Weekend is over and I need another one. 

A very long week. The first in a very long time.

Simply not having Stuart here to help with the daily activities was rough enough, but throw in a potty training set back, two parent nights that ran until 6 pm with low parent attendance, two children having difficulty going to bed and getting up, and going cold turkey from coffee and diet coke, makes for a VERY long week. 

Sunday was a challenge because I was used to letting Millie sleep in and not going with me to Ms Janet's, not the story on Sunday. I thought I would be able to let her sleep until it was time to throw her in the car.  But after hearing, at the end of the day, that she had peed once on the carpet and once on the floor, I shifted gears on Monday morning.  When I asked her why she peed on the carpet, she answered by saying 'Cause I wanted to', which was probably true. 

When I picked the kids up from Miss Janet's we went home and both kids showered. I am proud to say that by 3:15 pm Jack and Millie were ready for bed. They had some food just before 5 pm and were asleep by 7 pm. Before they ate we Skyped Stuart, and as usual they were super crazy. There is something about getting on Skype that hypes them up. It's nuts!

Once they were in bed I started watching my new obsession, Orange is the New Black, a Netflix series. Oh my goodness! It is about a middle class lady who goes to prison. It is wrong on so many levels and really good!  Sadly, I only watched one episode, fell asleep, woke up just after 8 pm, and went to bed. The only other time I have been to bed that early was when I was sick. 

Now for the story about negating Diet Coke and coffee from my life. When my dad was hear he recommended a book to me by Rick Warren called The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier You. So, because I have so much respect for my dad's opinion, and I have kind of lost control of my health......for the hundredth time, I decided to download said book on my Kindle. Don't you just love modern technology?  The book gives a lot of biblical advice as well as practical dieting advice to help get your physical body back to being a temple of The Lord that is respectable. We shall see what I can do with God's help. The headaches subsided by Wednesday and I think I may be in the zone for at least the 40 days. However, I am not a fan of giving up bread, dairy, sweetener and sugar.  The idea is to see if your body is allergic to the crap they put in food. After a week, I can tell you that I am probably allergic to many things. I feel incredible not eating all that junk. The advice was if it is made from a plant, eat it. If it is made in a plant, leave it. Easier said than done, especially here. 

Monday I drove the kids to school and if it is possible, the traffic flow was worse than ever. I am just praying that once the construction is finished things will settle down. I thought I was moving here for less stress:)

My student teacher, who is really a second year student but doing what we would call a practicum, was supposed to teach a lesson on Monday. But when she started to open here program she realized the website was blocked from our school. I thought she might crumble. I just told her she could do it the next day and would need to bring all of her things on a flash drive. She apologized, but there was no need. I remember having to teach a lesson for the first time and how nerve racking it was. Don't miss that part of my career at all. 

The excitement continued as the day drew on. At 12:45 pm, during 6th period, one of my students told me that another student who had ridden the bus to school with her that day, was not in class all day, meaning she was missing. Well, don't mention it any earlier in the day or anything. That would be silly. Obviously the attendance clerks are not like they are at home. At any rate, I went to the social worker and tried to explain what happened. After a serious of questions and responses I left them to it and went back to class. The social workers showed up in my pod and asked the girl's sister if she was on the bus that morning. The answer was yes, which made me more sick. They stated they would go to the bathrooms to look and then would inform our principal if they couldn't find her. What? Anyway, they did just that. When an announcement came on the loud speaker and said that this girl had won a prize and she needed to come down to receive it, I knew they were trying to smoke her out if she was at school. In the end, they discovered she never came to school and was home with a fever. Someone explain this to me, please. 

After school on Monday was our first parent night. We only had one parent night last term but it was stated parents had to wait a long time to see the teachers.  As you can guess, if parents are given a choice of evenings they will often decide to wait until the second night to come. As a result I only spoke with 15 of my 47 parents in the 4 hours we stayed after school. 

After my 12 hour day, I count from door to door, I went to pick up Jack and Millie.  Fortunately Miss Janet had already fed them. Millie had an excellent day and used the potty everytime she needed to do so. I made her wear her 'potty watch' to help her remember. After discussing it with my mother on Skype Monday evening, we decided that any new place for her may cause her anxiety and to have accidents. I will tell you that I ignored my mother's email on Sunday saying she could Skype and asking how Millie did on Sunday. I couldn't bear telling her that Millie peed twice on the floor. All I could think is that I had failed all of Grammie's efforts. Thank goodness Millie pulled it together on Monday. 

After Skyping Grammie and Pop, they showered, had a snack, and went to bed. I also went to bed about an hour after they did. I am proud to say I beat my goal of going to bed before 9 pm. 

Tuesday was very uneventful. My student teacher did her lesson which was not bad for a second year student. She was nervous but I assured her she did just fine. Oh, I also have a class assistant. She walks around and helps kids while I am helping others. I have three adults in my room each day, which really means a whole lot more learning goes on. I will miss them when they go next week. They are both very sweet and are trying very hard to do everything correctly. The toughest challenge they have is trying not to speak Arabic to the students. I have no choice in this area, but they do. Being bilingual and teaching students a second language is a blessing and a curse, if you ask me. On one hand you are able to clarify for students in their native language if there is NO other choice. On the other hand students take advantage of this and often won't attempt to speak English. It is a balancing act for sure. 

I picked the kids up, picked up Stuart's laundry and a few bits at the store, got home, fixed dinner, did a load of laundry, packed lunches, showered kids, wrapped birthday presents for Stuart (he was gone for his birthday), put kids to bed, watched a bit of tv, then went to bed myself, knowing Stuart would be home sometime after 1 am. Can you say exhausted?  Have I mentioned that I never want to be a single mother?

Stuart rolled in just after 1 am. We talked for a bit and then back to sleep I went, as did he, snoring might I add-him not me:)

When the alarm went off I know Stuart wanted to continue sleeping because I actually got out of bed before he did.  That never happens except on the weekends. I wanted to make sure I was ready by 6 am so I would be able to get the kids up before Stuart had to go to work, and we could give him his presents.  Stuart went and woke up Jack. The first thing out of that boy's mouth was 'Daddy, where are my present?', which I knew would be the case. So it's good that I planned to get them up. Stuart also got Millie out of bed. Can you say cranky? However, she perked up when we told her that Daddy and Grandma had presents for her. Chocolate cures lack of sleep every day of the week. 

After presents were opened, by the kids and Stuart, we all headed to our respective places for the day. Millie cried when I dropped her off at Miss Janet's but was fine by the time I actually left. I carpooled kids to school and am happy to report that the manic traffic has settled down a bit. 

Once I was at school it was business as usual. I made the mistake of telling my wonderful Islamic teacher that I was on a diet and told her all the things I couldn't have. I suppose I wasn't as clear as I thought. Because as we were starting our parent meetings on Wednesday afternoon she stated she had brought me a sweet biscuit so I would not go hungry. On Monday at the parent meetings I passed on having a sandwich because of this plan I am on. So, when Miss Alia, whom I have developed a fantastic relationship with, offered me a biscuit, I had to take it. Did I eat it? Actually the issue took care of itself. I took a break and walked to the other 4th grade pod. While I was gone a parent showed up and her little boy apparently saw the biscuit, wanted it, and was given it by one of the other teachers at the table. At the same time Miss Alia was downstairs getting her coffee pots that I think her driver had delivered.  She didn't even know I didn't eat it. Perfect! Or was it? Once she got back with the coffee, which I am really not supposed to have either, she then offered all of us a bigger package of biscuits. Really? When she handed it to me she said, 'It's diet.' I pretended like I was going to wait for my coffee to cool, which I justified because it didn't have any dairy or sugar. The chai tea she gave me on Monday after school was not so dairy or sugar free. But I feel offending her is out of the question and for that I can fall off the wagon a bit. In the end, none of us ate our large package of biscuits. All four of us sitting at the table, me being the only English teacher, looked at Alia when she offered her open package to each of us. We all refused, to which she responded, in English 'I the only one who eats'. Then we all laughed. Alia is my favorite!

Our parent conferences, overall, I think we're very successful. However, my pod, which consists of 5 classes, had very poor attendance. I only had 15 parents come the first night. So I assumed that on Wednesday I could have up to 32 parents. At 4 pm, an hour and a half after the conferences started, no parents had come to our pod. I think this proves, at least for my pod, that one night would have been plenty (wishful thinking). So from the time school dismissed until the first parent showed up I just sat and listened to 3 teachers talk to each other in Arabic. I don't understand many words in Arabic, but I kind of think they were gossiping. It was comforting to know that all women gossip, in every culture. I thought I understood something they said, once, so I had a facial response. At that point, Miss Alia (the Islamic teacher) giggled and said,'Miss Dana, you are my friend, right?' Nothing nicer could have been said to me that day. Sometimes, as you can imagine, there are preconceived ideas from us to them and vice versa. Miss Alia has restored my faith in knowing that all people are really the same, down deep inside. 

By 6 pm most teachers had already gone home (in fact, some had left by a bit after 4) and we only had 5 parents come. It was exhausting, but it is over now so no big deal. 

When I got home Stuart went back to his school because his principal was having a dinner for their staff. It was the kind of Bedouin dinner that was a plate of rice, a very big plate, with a roasted goat on top of it. Stuart said everyone ate with their hands and the traditional Bedouin meal was once again an experience to remember. 

Thursday after school we officially joined the Rugby Club. So we are now able the use the pool and gym whenever we like. Our membership at our compound turned out to not be the best idea. So we went swimming after school and then had our normal dinner at the club. 

Jack and Millie ran around like they normally do. Jack was an absolute sweat ball. So when we got home Stuart gave him a summer do. Oh wow, did he! Even Jack was surprised, but loves it. It reminds me of pictures of my brothers when they were little and summer rolled around. Summer comes very early here. It has been over 100 degrees here for the last few weeks. So welcome, Summer!

Partially done. 

He had a lot of hair, just like his mama and daddy, when his daddy had some. 

And his reaction when he felt it. Darling! He asked me if it would look this was when he woke up. Ha!

We got up Friday morning to call my niece, Morgan, and sister in law, Julie, to wish them a happy birthday. They both had a big birthdays. Morgan turned 18 and Julie, well let's just say she didn't turn 18. It was great to talk with them. I remember when Morgan turned one year old. I flew to Arkansas as a surprise to everyone. When they say 'time flies' they aren't just making it up. My nieces mean the world to me. I am so proud of the young lady Morgan has become. 

Jack was so excited on Friday morning because he knew he was going to hang out with Louie all day. First they were going bowling, then they were going to be dropped off at our place, we were going to swim at the rugby club and then after that we really hadn't made any plans. By the time the swimming was over Stuart went golfing with some of the guys and we decided to eat at the rugby club because it seemed easiest. However, that may have been our fatal error. The kids played like crazy and were exhausted by the time we got back to our apartment at 9:15 pm (first clue). We walked in our door and Louie started crying and said he wanted to go home. I am typically not a very empathetic person, but I surprised even myself. I immediately told Louie it was fine and that I would take him home. I also was genuinely sad for Louie. When I told him I would take him home, Jack started crying. At that point I was not sure what else I could handle. How do you explain that it's okay for your friend to go home when you were so looking forward to this night? You don't, really. I was so disappointed for Jack, but couldn't fault Louie for wanting to go home. Poor boys. We just wore them out, I think.

While all this fun was going Millie was pitching her own fit, not wanting to have anyone give her a shower but me. She had a rough day. She peed herself once and pooped in her pants twice. Yuck! Setbacks, I understand. Poopy pants, I don't. 

We returned Louie and all was well once he saw his mother. She said it was very uncharacteristic of him. On Saturday we went swimming with Louie and his family. Then his mother told me the story. We don't have a bath.....still. But Louie had never taken a shower. So when I told him he and Jack could take a shower together once we got home he was nervous since he had never used a shower. Bless him!  At least I know it is nothing I said. Whew!

On our way back from Louie's I asked Jack if he would feel better if we stopped and got him a treat? Of course that perked him up. We stopped and bought him something. On our way out of the shopping complex there is a little toy store. Jack looked at me and said, 'Maybe if we stopped in there and bought me a toy I would feel a little bit better, too'. Then a wry smile came across his face. Ah, such a clever boy. We stopped in, but then he decided he would rather have a light saber that we could only get at Toys R Us. So I told him we would go to the mall the following day. 

Stuart became the human surf board for the kids Saturday morning. 

After we swam at the pool we headed to the mall. I was looking for a dress for the Rugby Ball that is next Friday, May 9. Apparently everyone gets all dressed up. I assumed that meant I needed a new fancy dress. And we were also getting the light saber. I'm such a sucker!

Millie's potty training has had an obvious set back. At the mall she pooped her pants again, while we were eating. Classic! Ironically enough it was at the same table she peed on several weeks ago on her first diaperless outing. I couldn't believe it. I am not even sure how to react. So I just told her she was not doing what she was supposed to do so we might need to wear her watch again. Then, once we were home, she pooped herself again. Unnerving! This time, because I had just asked her if she had to go to the bathroom and she said no and because she was watching a movie when it happened, I told her she would not be able to watch a movie again until she could prove to me she was able to keep her panties dry and clean. That may be the ticket. We shall see. 

The kids were eating supper so I decided to finish up the laundry and fold the last load of the weekend. I took the clothes out of the dryer and dumped them on our bed. I turned on the AC and wouldn't you know it? It was blowing hot air. It was almost quiting time so I made the call to the maintainence man. Now I'm not saying he doesn't do his job, but he might not be as proactive as I would like. Remember, we did ask for a bathtub in October when we moved in. Also remember, the reason Jack's friend, Louie, didn't want to stay the night was because we don't have a bathtub. Any questions?

The story here is really too long to write, but let's just say both the husband and the wife that live in our apartment had words for, we will call him  Mr. Ehab (cause that's his name), about the timeliness in which things have been taken care of since our move in date last October.  And let's just say the compressor for our AC unit that we were told would need to be ordered and not in for 3 days, Inshallah, will now be totally in and finished in 2 days. And let's just say they are bringing the bathtub to said apartment on Monday. It might have been stated by the wife that she would be calling the company that owns this complex on Sunday. She also might have hung up on Mr. Ehab just after that statement. It's amazing how fast an explanation, at your front door, comes to you once you let someone know of your intentions. Now, will it happen in the time stated? Inshallah!  I'll let you know. 

The last week with Grammie and Pop. Waaaa!

Since we didn't have Stuart's car, he luckily had training in Al Ain and was able to take me to work and pick me up. The morning came too early. I stayed up to watch a movie Saturday night and didn't fall asleep until 2 am. I am adapting to the Emirati way of life, but the following day is always a struggle.

Fortunately my class went on a trip to the Al Ain Mall, specifically to the library at the Al Ain Mall. Field trips in this country have changed over the past few years to require the trip be related to the grade level curriculum. This is 'Abu Dhabi Reads' month so the library was justified.  We did, however, find the non-related curriculum link in that McDonalds was the food of choice for the group. When you eat at the food court, who wants to eat the lunch their mom packed? Me neither. 

Since we worked on Sunday, Easter, the church service was held in the evening. We took a picnic, the kids had an Easter egg hunt, and then we attended the service. It was unusual, but wonderful. The Easter bunny visited our house just before we left for church in the evening (the advantage of having more adults in the house is that there is always someone to distract while someone else places the baskets from the Easter bunny).

Baths and rock-a-bye baby, which I have to sing to Millie every night, and the kids were asleep. In my infinite wisdom I decided to go to bed before 10 pm. My mom informed us that when your body doesn't rejuvenate itself with sleep you are not healthy and can get sick easier. I knew that, but needed a reminder. And on that note I went to bed, only to be jolted from my sleep at 3:15 am by Millie screaming in her bed. I laid with her for a while, but broke down and brought her to our bed. I thought she would fall asleep and I could take her back to her bed. I probably turned over to look at her every 15 minutes until 5:30 am, when she was finally asleep. I swear each time I looked at her in the bed her eyes were as big as saucers. I am not sure what woke her up, but I think she might have woken up when she peed in her pull-up and it upset her. I am really just guessing here. 

She ended up sleeping until 10 am because of the lack of 2 hours in the middle of the night. I was still sleep deprived but since when does that matter?  

It seems that my projects I wanted done when my parents were here have all piled up. When we got home from Millie's dance class (or what I like to call 'something I pay for so she can sit on my lap'), my mom had painted our side table. I totally forgot to take a 'before' picture but believe me, it was ugly. As you can see, the after picture is fab!  Thank you, Mom. 

Stuart decided to go to rugby training on Monday night. The team is short on league players so they asked him to come and play. This is more than just 'fun'. They play a lot more games and are in much better shape as a result. 

Tuesday was work as usual, well at least once I got there. I am the carpool driver on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday. I didn't drive the kids on Monday because our car was still in the shop.  So Tuesday was the first day of the week I drove the kids to school. What a shock I was in for. They have built a new road in front of Jack's school in efforts to elliviate the high traffic issues around his and many other schools. Sadly their efforts have really just made traffic worse. I used to be able to make a left turn out of the drop-off area prior to the new road. But now, the new road goes in the opposite direction with a median between the road heading east and the road heading west, making the old road a dual lane road going one way, the worst way to go. 

Once I realized this, it was too late and I was stuck going the way of all the traffic, down back behind 3 more private schools. I'm not sure anyone would believe some of the things I saw other than to witnesses it themselves. When you travel down a road that is two lane, one heading north and the other heading south, you expect to see cars going north and south. In my wildest dreams I never thought I would see cars traveling on the road in the way I observed on Tuesday. There were 2 lanes, the north and the south, both heading south, a lane of traffic on the sidewalk, and a lane of traffic on the dirt lot next to the sidewalk. It was wall to wall cars and no rules were being followed. Needless to say I was late to work. The drive from Jack's school to my school normally takes about 10 minutes. It took 43 minutes on Tuesday. 

My whole day was thrown off a bit by the carpool stress. I now have a student teacher, which is not like we know them at home. She is with me for 3 weeks and will be teaching a total of 6 lessons. Anyway, she is very sweet and will be a good English teacher. My example to her as a teacher on Tuesday was far from stellar. At the end of the day I apologized for my lack of teaching that day. It wasn't good at all. 

Tuesday I left school after 6th period. My planning period on Tuesdays is the last period of the day. So I went to my principal Tuesday morning and told her I knew I was late, but could I leave early. She was fine with it. Since we were not able to go to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on Saturday, we decided to go Tuesday. Millie wore we big girl panties and everything. She has this potty training whipped, I think. She is now telling us when she needs to go.  Way to go Grammie!  

Our Mosque visit was wonderful! We happened to get there just before the last tour so we were able to hear the history of the mosque and learn a bit more about the Muslim religion. I was a bit shocke at how often they referred to Christianity. This mosque is one of very few that you can actually go inside the mosque. The inside, where the men pray (women can come to the mosque to pray, but often don't- make your own assumptions), is just carpet, beautiful, inviting carpet. So inviting that Jack couldn't resist doig a cartwheel at one point during the tour. Needless to say I was mortified, but then later laughed my head off. He will always be able to say he did a cartwheel in the middle of the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Wish I could say that.

 Here we are at the entrance of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

It was hot as blue blazes at the Mosque. We decided to NOT dress appropriately so we could be given abayas and kandoras, which didn't help with the heat at all. Here are the men in their kandoras.  Lookin' good!

Although people pray inside the mosque, often times when there are thousands of people here during Ramadan or Eid, there are people in these marbled areas as well.

 This was our guide in his traditional dress.

 Honestly, can anyone blame Jack for wanting to do a cartwheel in this place?  Those gymnastics lessons have been worth every dirham!

You can't wear shoes in the carpeted area.  This is a Persian rug and it is so soft.  The kids decided they needed to sit on it.  I have always wondered how they keep order in a place like this when it comes to people kneeling and praying.  That was explained to us when we saw the lines in the rug.  Every few feet there are exaggerated parts of the carpet that look as if they have pressed a piece of furniture on it to indent the rug.  That is how the Muslims know where to kneel.  Clever!

 The sun was just beginning to set.

 Every view of the mosque was more spectacular than the next.

We forget Millie's shoes in the car.  She was asleep when we got her out of the car so someone (who shall remain nameless) left them in the car.  It turned out to be a blessing because then we could tell her that she wasn't allowed to get out of her stroller because she didn't have any shoes.

After we left the mosque we met Gina at the World Trade Center Mall and Central Souq. We wanted to go back there because my mom had found a painting of Bedouin life that she wanted, and we hasn't found anything like it anywhere else on our adventures. We ate dinner at Shakespeare's. We then jammied up the kids and headed back to Al Ain. 

Wednesday morning was another carpool nightmare. I thought I had it all figured out, and although I left a bit earlier and that did help, I still ended up having to pull back around to the backside of Jack's school which meant running into other private school traffic. Going earlier was helpful, but I knew that the following day, even though it wasn't my normal drop off day, I would need to park on the west side of the school and the little precious ones who ride with me would just have to suck it up and walk a little ways in order to save my sanity. I wasn't late to school on Wednesday, which was great. 

When I got home from school on Wednesday friends of my parents were coming by. Dave and Sara lived in my neighborhood when we first moved there in the late 70s and they now live in Sharjah, the emirate just outside of Dubai. They have lived in the Middle East for 15 years. Small world indeed. 

We sat and visited for a couple of hours and then took them to the Curry House. It is by far our favorite place to eat, but not everyone loves curry so it was a crap shoot. Fortunately it seems that everyone enjoyed their food, and if not at least they were polite enough not I say they didn't like it. 

Thursday morning was my last venture to Jack's school and it turned out very well. We parked and walked and that was by far the best decision. It kept me out of road rage territory and helped me to be on time to school with little stress. Whew!

When we got home from school we sat around for a bit and then went to the Golf Club for Stuart's birthday celebration. Cathy and Kayleigh met us there as well as Karen, Wade and their kids. We sat outside, which was hot, but there was a box AC unit that was on us most of the time. I suppose it was bearable. 

For Stuart's birthday dinner he cooked his own steak and yes, that is a giant beer!

We came home and had cake and ice cream to celebrate Stuart's birthday. The kids went to bed, Stuart showered and then he was off to the airport. He flew to England for his granddad's funeral. There are people who provide a service to run you to the airport.  We have a friend who does that so we paid him to take Stuart to the airport so I wouldn't have to drive back from the airport at 1 in the morning.  Stuart's flight left at 5:30 am on Friday morning.  He will be in the UK until late Tuesday. I cried when he left and realized that we are not apart very often at all. I don't know how women having traveling husbands do it. I started stressing about the 5 days without him the second I locked the door behind him.

We were going to go to church on Friday morning but then decided to just spend the day at home playing games with the kids. Since it was Grammie and Pop's last day here it only made since to just hang around the house and enjoy each other.  Naturally I had laundry going.

We played Old Maid and went to the co-op so the kids could play in the soft play area.  Now that Millie is potty trained, the soft play area kind of makes me sick.  I now really think of all the kids who have peed in there.  Oh well, I guess all kids live through it.

After the kids played, we ate at a chicken place in the co-op.  Then went to the grocery store to get Grammie and Pop some snacks for their trip.  We came back to the apartment and everyone got ready for the journey to Dubai.  Cathy volunteered to ride with us so I would have company on the way back.  Of course the kids were with me, but having an adult with you after dropping off my parents was really nice.  The kids were a bit off.  Stuart left the night before and now Grammie and Pop?  Sadly, they were just stuck with me for 5 days.

As you would guess there were tears at the airport, mostly from me.  I can truly say, and not just because I know my mom and dad will read this, that there was not one time that I was ready for them to go home, not even when I dropped them off.  We had such a wonderful time.  The thing I really enjoyed the most was watching them play with Jack and Millie.  I am so very thankful that all of the grandparents of my children like to play with them.  It makes me so happy to think of the wonderful memories they are forming right now.  Especially reflecting on Stuart's granddad this week, I know one of the reasons it was so important for Stuart to go back for his funeral was because his granddad had such a huge impact on his life.  I know that Granddad Tom played with Stuart, his brothers, and his cousins.  The few times Jack and Millie were around Tom, he played with them.  In fact, the only reason our kids know the nursery rhyme 'Round and Round the Garden' is because of Granddad Tom.  So how very thankful I am that my parents can be those kind of grandparents to my children.

After we dropped Grammie and Pop off at the airport we decided to stop at Mirdiff City Centre, a large mall in Dubai, and get something to eat.  The one thing about the big cities is that there is not ever a lack of good restaurants.  We ate at California Pizza Kitchen, which was awesome.  Millie had to pee 3 times, of which only one produced any results.  I think now it is just the novelty of knowing she can go, and also seeing a new bathroom.  I will be glad when her infatuation with new bathrooms ends.

We didn't get home until 11 pm and the kids stayed awake the entire way.  Once we were home the kids went to bed and I stayed up to watch a movie.  I am not going to lie, I do not like being the only adult in the place.  I wasn't ever good at living alone.  Being the youngest of three, I never had to live alone, except when I lived in England for that year.  I didn't like that either.  I finally got off the couch and went to bed around 2 am.

Jack was up just after eight, which is late for him, and Millie rolled out of bed just after ten.  We all got dressed and headed to the mall to do some banking, get Stuart a birthday present because Saturday was his birthday, and we had lunch at.....McDonald's- my favorite (NOT).  Millie threw her toy on the floor because I put her in back in her stroller after we ate.  I promptly took the toy to a little boy who was sitting at the table next to us and informed him that he could have it because she obviously didn't want it since she threw it.  You would have thought I took away her best friend.  I am not really sure she even plays with those toys once we get them home.  At any rate, misbehavior like that where someone could get hit by Tom and Jerry in the barrel needs some kind of consequence.  I think she got my point.

After our shopping, banking, and eating were through we headed back to the apartment just to chill.  The kids showered, Jack without me telling him to do so, and Millie under serious duress because she hadn't picked up her toys and I was making her do that before she showered or watched any television.  She might be the most stubborn child I have even been had the privilege to know.  She digs in her heels almost as hard as I do.  Wow!

We ate dinner and then we Skyped Stuart to wish him a happy birthday.  Jack told him we had bought him a present today and I am surprised that neither kid told him what it was.  They are learning.  The kids went to bed and were asleep by 7 pm, again, Jack very voluntarily after his nightly book, and Millie under duress just because.

I knew I would need to get them in bed early because little Miss Millie was going to be in for a rude awakening come Sunday morning when she is dragged out of bed at 6:45 am after a month of being able to sleep as late as she wanted to.  Oh how I dreaded Sunday morning.  Boo!

We are on the downhill slope of the school year.  We have parent meetings this week and then I can only assume the rest of the year will just fly.  I can hardly believe we have already been here 8 months.  It really doesn't seem that long.  We will be back in Arizona in 11 weeks.  We are really excited to be there for a month and do whatever it is we want to do.

Here's to another great week!

Potty training, week one

I know this picture has nothing to do with potty training, but this was on Stuart's phone and sometimes I miss posting them when I don't see them. This was taken when Stuart and Pop took Jack golfing. Okay, his form needs a bit of work, but it's just his third time out there. 

Back to the topic at hand....Potty training. Oh what a Sunday it was! It was really nice not to have to drag Millie out of bed early because she stayed home with Grammie and Pop. When she woke up the potty training began.

I called around noon to see how things were going. The report was good. Millie not only had a baby that peed but also a potty watch. The alarm would sound with a potty song every half hour to let Millie know it was time to go use the potty. Grammie reported to me that Millie had one accident in the kitchen but when she was rushed into the bathroom she finished off her wee. Then Grammie pulled up her wet panties and boy was that bad. She said Millie insisted she didn't want to wear those, but task master had to keep practicing so that Millie would remember that sitting in wet panties was not nice. 

After about 5 runs from the living room to the bathroom, trying to show Millie she needed to hurry, Grammie asked her if she wanted a dry pair of panties on, which she did. 

There were no more accidents all day and she was always very excited when her alarm went off. She rushed straight back to the bathroom and dropped her drawers. Now if she was just tall enough with the step stool to get on the toilet, all would be awesome. Sadly, she is not much bigger than she was when we left 7 months ago. Still a little peanut!

These were the dresses Grammie made for Millie and her baby doll.  They were them most days for potty training.  And if you will notice, Grammie has on an apron with treats in the pockets for Millie when she goes to the potty.  So crafty, my mother is.  I am the recipient of her creativity as well because when she leaves I will be getting those aprons.  She has one made in each of the fabrics.

Towards the end of the evening she was exhausted from her normal day as well as the new task of potty training and she fell and hurt herself. As she was crying her watch alarm went off. She looked at me with an open frowny face, clearly confused as to whether to continue her dramatic bawl or go to the potty. The potty lost!

Tuesday Stuart had training in town so I was able to sleep a bit longer and didn't have to take Jack to school. Millie and Grammie continued with their quest for a day of dryness, which I am happy to report was a success. Millie started dance class on Monday which was better than 4 year old soccer teams, and then we headed to the mall to buy Jack's friend Louie a birthday present as well as eat at the food court. 

At least she was dressed appropriately. She did cling to me for the first 10 minutes, but then started to get her dance on about halfway through the class. 

Stuart didn't go with us to dance. He stayed behind to Skype his mum. Stuart's granddad, who has been ill for quite some time, passed away on Monday morning. We know he had a full long life, but no matter when someone goes it is still very sad. Stuart has always spoken so fondly of his grandparents and I know he spent loads of time with them as a child. He admired his granddad and always wanted both of them to be proud of him. He has wonderful memories of his times with his grandparents, which is priceless. When I got home I asked him if he was okay. He said he was, but I was very sad for Stuart and for his entire family. Stuart's mum has done a great deal for her parents over the years, and especially since Granddad Tom became ill. Please say a prayer for the entire family. They will need the comfort that only God can give during the days ahead. 

Once we arrived at the mall after the dance class, we attempted to have Millie use the bathroom. While I was putting her on the toilet, I threw out my back. Really?  You know when you do the same thing you have done a hundred times before and there is that one time that your back goes wonky? Yep! That's what happened. I thought I was going to die. I had to call Grammie into the stall to hold Millie. Needless to say, Millie got a bit nervous and decided she didn't need to pee after all. So instead of insisting, we moved on to the toy shopping. 

After of toy purchases, we ordered our food and the kids were sitting, eating while Grammie and I waited for our baked potatoes to be prepared. That's when I saw Pop and Millie walking toward me, Millie with her tutu almost up over her head. She was holding it up as not to get it wet. From what, you ask? Surely you have guessed. It was the pee that should have come out when we went to the bathroom a mere 20 minutes earlier, or it could have been released in the bathroom when I asked her if she needed to go just 5 minutes prior to the puddle. 

As I walked her to the bathroom in her wet panties, she started crying....that super-hurt-feelings cry that makes you feel a little bit sad for her. We think she was so upset because for two days she had done so well and then being in an unfamiliar place with big toilets, a mother who couldn't hold her on the toilet and had to call for back-up, and the dancing, it was just too much. 

Hey, but thank goodness for chairs with a dip in the butt section. Not one drop of pee hit the floor. 

When we finally reached the bathroom she was beside herself and could not be consoled. I put dry panties on her and, as patiently as I could, explained that she was going to have to tell us when she needed to go pee pee.  We tried to regroup, but think Mama may have messed her up. 

My dad had joked that if she hadn't learned to use the potty by day two it would be time for a spanking. When we got back in the car I reminded him of that joke and my mom said that maybe the spanking should be for his own daughter. This, my friends, is why God sent my mother to potty train Millie. God only gives us what we can handle, and handling potty training is not what I can handle. 

Both kids fell asleep on the way home from the mall, which was just fine with me. 

Tuesday morning, as you would guess, I was virtually immobile. I got dressed as best I could, but with much pain. Because I was walking super goofy, Stuart insisted I not go to work and go to the doctor instead. So, not loving the pain, I decided to go with his suggestion. 

After a shot, X-rays, 2 other pain medications and struggling to get in and out of the car, I was back home attempting to rest. However, with the new potty training regimen, resting was not going to be possible. 

I am proud to report that on Day 3 of potty training not a drop of pee or poop happened outside of the potty. Well done Millie and Grammie. 

After we ate dinner, which Grammie fixed, we headed to the top of Jebel Hafeet, the highest part of Abu Dhabi. We were able to see the lights of Al Ain, which made us aware of how big this city actually is. 

When the wind got the best of us, we ducked into the little restaurant at the top to have an ice cream. On the way up the mountain Millie had a 20 minute car nap. So since that is plenty for her to rebound for a few hours, coming down the mountain she was wired for sound. Neither kid went to bed until well after 9 pm. 

I stayed home on Wednesday as well. My back was better, but I was still in pain. It seems me staying home put a wrench in the potty training plans, at least in the morning. But by noon we seemed to be back in track. For whatever reason Millie would not pee pee in the potty right after she woke up. She had a dry pull-up form the night before but kept saying she didn't need to go. Eventually she did go and happened to pee on Jack's bucket of dinosaurs. She sits on the bucket because it has a lid and makes a nice little stool for her. However, the lid has holes. So liquid would seep through it should it get in the bucket. And that is exactly what happened. 

At this point Grammie told Millie she had to 'practice' so they started the routine. I chimed in but am much less patient than my mom so I did the best I could and shut my mouth, mostly. Well, Millie had a meltdown. She cried and cried and refused to sit on the potty and cried and cried some more. She behaved similarly to Monday when we were at the mall. I think her tears are her frustration at the fact that she didn't make it to the potty. 

The rest of the day she pooped 3 times in the potty, going all on her own. However, she still refused to follow her potty watch when it went off. Therefore she peed again....in Jack's dinosaur bucket. I'm pretty sure the second time was on purpose. Fortunately for her I was headed out the door to pick up Jack. The first time I cleaned the bucket and the little characters. The second time Grammie made Millie help her wash up all the toys. 

When I returned from Jack's school we decided to take the kids up to the soft play area at the co-op connected to our apartment complex. Because Millie had not peed one time on the potty by 3 pm that day, only on the dinosaurs, I told her she would not be able to play with the other kids if she did not go. She complied by sitting on the potty twice before we left, but with no results. Then when we got to the co-op she went and sat on the potty then immediately came off. We went out and I made her watch the other three (Jack, Thalia and Penny) play. She was mad at me and started throwing a fit. I told her when she peed on the potty she could go in there. She decided she would go back into the bathroom and wouldn't you know it, there was pee!  She got to play and all was well. She complied the rest of the evening and seemed fine with everything. 

Both kids had an early night Wednesday and Grammie and I sat and talked. Stuart and my dad went night golfing under the lights, so didn't get home until after 9 pm. It gave my mom and I a chance to talk, and we (mainly me) might have had a bit of wine. It was really great to be able to talk with no one else around. I do miss those times with my mom. 

Our kitchen faucet lost its gasket on Tuesday. I called the maintenance man who sent over Zimal, the guy who normally comes and fixes and issues we have. He came with another guy and replaced my faucet with a faucet that looked to be older than the one I had. As he tightened the bolt I knew it wasn't going to last. The last turn he made was the one that caused the problem. When he turned the water on it sprayed from all points at the gasket. He told me it was fixed. What? I told him, laughing the entire time, that if he thought I bought that he was super silly (yes, I said hose words). He kind of laughed, not really understanding all I said. I told him I needed a brand new faucet the next day. After me making him laugh and continuing to insist he bring me a new faucet the next day, I called the maintenance man again and old him the same thing. Zimal asked to speak to Ehab, said something in Arabic, and handed the phone back to me. I was told I would have a new faucet the following day. As Zimal was leaving I said, 'Zimal, I have to have that new faucet tomorrow. No Inshallah, yes faucet'.  I have come to realize that often time when 'Inshallah' is said, the true meaning instead of 'Allah willing' is 'if we want to get to it, we will'. Wednesday morning guess who showed up with a new faucet? Yes he did. 

I returned to school on Thursday but probably could have done with another day off. By the end of the day my back was a mess. When I got home we decided to go to the mall and eat at the Lebanese Flower, which is in the Al Ain Mall. We love Lebanese food and there is a lot of it here. 

Jack begged for a donut and because we are trying to spoil him and ruin him as a person, we complied:)  Naturally we had to get coffee as well. I have now decided that I like Dunkin Donut coffee better than Starbucks. There. I said it. 

Before we ate, we took the kids to Action Zone, one of Jack's favorite play places. Millie had a great potty day with no accidents, and because threatening her seemed to work the day before (although 'the book' spoke against it) I tried it again. I told her if she didn't potty before we went into Action Zone she couldn't play any games. It worked! She's a star!

Fortunately I remembered Millie's jammies and put them on her before we left the mall. Nighty night to all. 

Friday morning we got up and went in different directions. Jack and Stuart went to Louie's super hero birthday party. Being the stellar mother I am, I forgot to remind Jack to wear his Spider-Man costume. Luckily, Louie has a million so Jack borrowed one, but not until after a meltdown. 

The 'rents, Millie and I went to the Good Friday service at our church. It was a nice service but strange to think we will be working on Easter Sunday. 

We reconvened at home and went to the Hilton for an Easter brunch. It wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be. In fact there might have been more locals there than westerners. The food was amazing and there was an endless supply of it, all kinds. We were there for almost 2 hours, with children, eating. It was awesome!  

This was just at the beginning of our meal. We looked way more food-drunk about an hour later.

There was a magic show in the middle of our meal. Jack and Millie were asked to be volunteers for the magician. They were characters for sure. 

On the way home from the brunch the air conditioner in our car went out. Hello! It was already 104 degrees at that point. Ugh!  So needless to say, it being a Friday and holy day, there was no way of getting it fixed. So we decided we would stay in for the evening and head to the pool for a bit. We didn't stay long because the pool was cold and the sun had gone behind the trees and made the water feel even colder. Even Millie and Jack were shivering. Once home, the kids showered, ate, and passed out. 

Our hope for Saturday was to get up and go to Abu Dhabi and visit the Grand Mosque, but the car threw a wrench in those plans. We took the car to the dealer right when they opened and still we were #12 in line. Once we did get to the service desk we were told they would call us by 4 pm to let us know whether the car was fixed or not. We attempted to get a sever-seater rental car for the day, but rental car companies do not have a fleet of cars accessible on a moment's notice. So we ended up spending the day at the mall. Pop stayed home so we were able to fit in the car. Millie had two accidents, but in the scheme of things she did rather well. She just hasn't quite caught on to when she feels she needs to pee. But thank goodness she knows when the other is coming. She hasn't had one of 'those' accidents since the formal potty training began. And let's be real, she is doing wonderfully for someone who started training a week ago. I need to really focus on that part. 

After the mall, the purchase of a few items for the house, and a grocery store run to Lulu's, we got back to the house. The kids showered and ate. Jack watched 'Frozen' for the hundredth time, ignoring his dad when he called it a 'girl's movie'. And we all kind of just sat around. Another week and my folks will be heading back to Arizona. My the time has really flown. We discovered today that there are still things we need to do but we are running out of time. We will get it all accomplished, I hope. Inshallah!