Begin your week with a morning hair wash and a fever? Don't mind if wedo!

Well, I knew if Millie was exposed to a number of children the likelihood of head lice would be much greater. It seems there are a lot of those little buggers here.

Cathy actually noticed some nits in her hair while she was over on Saturday for dinner. Stuart immediately went out to the chemist and bought everything they had to get rid of those little bugs. It made me itch just knowing she had nits. 

We treated her hair with this greasy tea tree oil-like substance that she had to leave in overnight. Sunday morning, although she had gone to bed late, I had to get her up a bit early to wash her hair with the shampoo. Let's just say she was less than pleased. However I think we have defeated the nits, and neither eggs nor actual live lice should appear in her hair, Inshallah!

While we were treating Millie for head lice, Jack was working on a fever and just laying on our bed. I ended up taking him to school with me, which you can do here if the students are not in school, and sometimes even when they are. We took the iPad and his lunch, but the lunch did not get eaten. He just wasn't well. We really think he is getting dehydrated and that is what is causing him to not feel well.  Although there is a nasty bug that has been going around, so it could be that I suppose.

Stuart picked him up around 1 pm and by the time I got home he was poorly again. He put himself to bed just after 3 pm, which made me know he really wasn't well. Stuart was going to wake him around 5 pm to see if he wanted to eat. If not, the plan was to have him use the bathroom and get his jammies on. A great plan turned south when I checked on him at 4:45. He was burning up with fever. So I uncovered him and discovered he had already used the bathroom. Oops! Poor boy was too ill to get out of bed in time. He hasn't wet the bed in probably 2 years, yet another sign of how sick he was. 

I put him in the shower while Stuart changed his sheets. The cool shower and Tylenol brought down his fever quite quickly. I gave him Sprite and about an hour later he wanted to eat, which to me was a great sign. He stayed up until about 9 pm and then nestled in for a good night's sleep. 

Millie also hit the pillow early. She laid on my lap around 4 pm and I noticed she was asleep when she nearly fell off my lap. I put her to bed, hoping she would stay there until 6 am. No such luck. She actually fell out of bed at 6 pm, then was up for the next 4 hours and boy was she cranky. Had she not fallen out of bed I am pretty sure she would have slept through.  That girl needs her sleep, yet so often fights actually going to sleep. 

Monday and Tuesday Jack was still feverish. On Monday I left him with Miss Janet because our grade 5 graduation was that morning. On Tuesday he came with me again to school and just lounged around.

Graduation for grade 5 at our school was very similar to a birthday party held for 175 girls at one time. Each child received a certificate, a gift (a game or book), and the lunch tables were set up with food and a piece of cake for each girl. They really do it up big here. 

The girls did not come in their school uniforms, yet most came in dresses that most likely cost more than my wedding dress. They were beautiful!  I would have taken pictures but those girls are getting to the age, in this culture, that they don't want their pictures taken without their heads covered, and since their moms were there, and many are fully covered for pictures, it was just too risky of being disrespectful. 

After the ceremony the girls went into where the food was set up and just had a party. By noon most girls had gone and we were back to being bored. We had all been given tasks to complete by the end of the week, but most of us had those done as well. What to do? I guess we'll just have another cup of coffee. 

Tuesday we were allowed to leave at noon. The grade program was being serviced on the computer, so none of us could check our grades. Our principal said that if anyone asked why we all clocked out so early she would be able to justify it by saying we had worked very hard this year and she was giving us time off. Fine by me!

Because we got home just after noon on Tuesday, and Jack was feeling better and playing as well as pestering Millie, it felt like dinner and baths should have come earlier than they did. We had almost the entire day at home, although we were supposed to be in school. Strange. We stayed in because we wanted to make sure this pesky fever really had left the building.  Finally, Wednesday morning he woke up and announced, 'Mama, I feel better now', so off to school he went and was fine the last two days of school. 

Wednesday we had out teacher appreciation day at school. Our principal gave a speech, each grade level was called up to be recognized and given a silver bracelet, a pen, and a coffee mug. They have a budget item in schools that pay for these gifts. It's not what I am used to for sure. 

I got teary when I was standing on stage with my Islamic teacher, Alia. I put my arm around her and she turned and hugged me. We hugged and kissed on the check, which is very common among friends. She said to me, 'Miss Donna (how most pronounce my name), we are friends'. I said, 'Yes we are, Alia'. She then said, 'I love you, Miss Donna', to which I replied the same and then begin to cry. I am not sure I can remember a time I have had such respect and admiration for an individual. She emulates the best traits of all people. She is kind, patient, humble, selfless, giving, and a stellar representation of an Emirati. I will desperately miss her next year. 

After school Wednesday I picked Jack up from school. We headed home, picking up Millie on the way. We had a play date with Thalia and Penny at our house. The kids always have so much fun on play dates. 

Thursday I went to school and we had a short meeting. After the meeting we headed for a 'team building' activity to Bawadi Mall. Where does this happen? Only in the UAE! Love it!

Here we are at lunch... team building!

I did some shopping and then went to get Jack and his friends from school. I can hardly believe he has been in school for an entire year. He has matured, is now reading, albeit simple books, and he's grown a foot, it seems.  

Here he is outside of his school. What a ham! Oops, probably shouldn't use the word 'ham'. He also received an award that he was so proud of. Obviously he is a lot more like his father than his mother. 

We went swimming after we got home, caught a bite to eat at the Rugby Club, and wore the kids out by letting them run around. 

Friday morning we got up and headed to another water park. This one is in Umm Al Quwain, another emirate. It's called Dreamland. We could have stayed in the park in a small cabana, but no one else was able to stay so we decided we would do that in the fall sometime. In hind sight we are glad we didn't because it was so blazing hot.  Although the cabanas are air conditioned, they are small.  We are proud to say we have now visited 5 of the 7 emirates of the UAE. 

We went with the Turners and the Rouvis. We arrived right when the park opened. It was so brutally hot, with the temperature and the humidity, that I felt as if I was melting. By about 2 pm I was ready to leave, but I stuck it out another hour. Then, the fun was over. We headed to the changing rooms. Because I am overly prepared and knew the two hour ride home would be better if the kids were showered and somewhat ready for bed, I took shower gel for them. I proceeded to get them showered, not even considering the fact that Stuart was already dressed and sweltering outside. And since I had the gel and shampoo anyway, I also took a shower. By the time I got outside Stuart's t-shirt was drenched. Oops! I apologized for taking so long but I'm not sure he was terribly impressed. 

Millie loved this slide the most.

Jack and one of his best friends, Louie.

These kids love the water, thank goodness.

Was Millie tall enough to go on the water slide?  Um, not sure.

No trip to the water park is complete without an ice cream treat, right?

The down side of my new do is that when I go to the pool and it gets wet, I look like a member of the band, Flock of Seagulls.  Lovely!

We got back into the car and started the journey home. We had hardly pulled out of the parking lot and Millie was sound asleep. She almost took a nap on the ride to the the water park as well as while we were in the park, so the fact that she fell asleep so quickly was not terribly surprising. After about an hour she woke up, which was a relief because I knew had she slept the entire trip she wouldn't go to bed at a reasonable time. 

When we got home the kids watched a movie, ate dinner, and then went to bed. Well, Millie wasn't super cooperative so she mainly just screamed and cried until she fell asleep, but Jack dropped off immediately. 

Stuart went to the Rugby Club for a leaving party for a South African guy on the rugby team, so Cathy came over for dinner. At about 10:30 pm I heard Jack crying. I went into his room and his calves were cramping. I really should remember to give him Tylenol before he goes to bed on evenings after a very active day. Inevitably he wakes up with leg cramps on those nights. He's had growing pains recently as well, but clearly these were leg cramps. Poor boy!

We got up Saturday morning with the intention of heading to the grocery store before it became manic. However, laziness set in and we decided there wasn't anything we absolutely had to have that day. We were told the grocery store was a mad house on Friday. You see Sunday is the first day of Ramadan. This is the Muslims time to fast, reflect, do good deeds, and pray. They fast from eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing gum from sunrise to sunset. Work hours are cut down as well. Stuart and I will only have to be at work from 9 am to 1 pm for the last two weeks we are here. I love this country. 

We are not exactly sure what Ramadan will mean for us. However, it is illegal for anyone, except young children and women who are pregnant, to eat, drink or smoke in public. That includes us! The 'not smoking' thing I think we can do. But the not drinking or eating? We shall see. I know we are able to eat and drink in the privacy of our own home, but that is the only place. It will definitely be a different experience. For the most part, restaurants are closed until Iftar (the breaking of the fast at sunset).  It is said that being on the roads at this time is quite dangerous.  Read this for more interesting information about this holiday. 

https://sites.google.com/site/exploringtheuae/presentation/culture/religions/ramadan 

The rest of Saturday was spent just relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing.  The kids and I made blueberry cake (we have no muffin tins), playing with Legos, watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (or as Millie calls it 'Chicka Chicka Bang Bang'), and then we went to the pool for a dip in the ate afternoon.  

I thought I would prove that we made the cake together, because we don't often do domestic together with me at the helm. 

Our life gets tougher each week, as you can tell.

What to do with all this free time?

Because we had so very few students this week, we had to figure out what to do with all of our free time. When there were only 12 girls at school we often took turns taking a class period. On Sunday I taught 7th period, on Monday I also taught 7th period, and on Tuesday one of our Arabic teachers told me I would have no classes to teach. 

Sunday I spent most of my morning in one of the first grade pods drinking coffee and chatting with Cathy and Gemma (another teacher at our school). I also took some things out of my cupboards to pack up. Monday I did a bit of the same and became very bored early in the day. 

Tuesday, when my teammate Lushana got to work she checked her email. As I was standing outside of her room she motioned for me to come and see her email. As I was walking over she asked if I had seen my school email that morning. I hadn't, but quickly became curious as I saw her face light up.  She had just been informed she was hired for a Head of Faculty position, the job we had both interviewed for earlier in the month of May. 

I made a mad dash toward my pod in order to get onto my email. Low and behold I received the same email. I am so thrilled. I can only imagine I will be at a boys' school next year, but I don't care as long as I am in some level of management. 

Tuesday afternoon some of us went to Al Jimi Mall to have lunch. We spent a little over an hour in the mall before heading back to school for coffee and conversation. It's tough, our work. 

After school we hit the pool for a few hours. The rest of the evening was relaxed and very uneventful. It seems these super hot days just make you drag a bit. 

School on Wednesday was more of the same. That day we headed to Bawadi Mall, a little further out. At this mall I did some shopping. I bought some things from Bath and Body Works for my secret friend and exchanged a swim suit that had a hole in it. Embarrassingly enough I was made aware of the hole when I got into the pool last week. Fortunately there was a double layer of material and the hole had only gone through the outside layer. We had lunch and then headed back to school just in time to go home. 

Cathy and Claire came over for dinner on Wednesday evening. We watched some television and just relaxed. 

Thursday I attended a Head of Faculty meeting at the Zone. I was one of two new people there and felt pretty at home. They were discussing what overall goal they wanted the schools to have for the next school year. 

Jack's end of the year program was Thursday at 3 pm. I didn't go back to school after the HoF meeting but instead headed home to Stuart and the kids, who had been home since 1:00 pm. This work thing really has us stressed, as you might guess. 

Jack's program was really cute. Each class had a dance or song, and then the entire school sang a few songs. Jack was placed at the front of the stage even though he was one of the tallest kids. When I asked him about why he was at the front, he told me it was because he knew all the words and the actions to each song/dance. He was right. He did. It was very adorable. 

After the program we headed to the Rugby Club for dinner. The kids played, as usual, as we socialized and ate some food. It was an early evening and neither kid had a complete meltdown. We must have left just in time. 

Friday morning we were up and at the pool jut after 8 am. We have discovered that the earlier, the better, or at least for us that is the case. We got back to the house just after 11 and Gina showed up from Abu Dhabi shortly after that. She came down just for the day. We went to the mall, bought some birthday presents, had some lunch, and shopped a bit. 

Millie wanted Gina to play in her room with her. Gina was a good sport. 

Millie seldom likes anyone, especially women, but Gina was the favorite on Friday. Maybe she is growing out of that particular phase. We can only hope. 

We went back to the pool in the late afternoon and Gina went with us. All of the people we socialize with were there so Gina was able to put faces with names, finally. We ate (I know, don't say 'again?') at the Rigby Club and the kids played outside for a bit before heading back to the house. 

Once home Gina headed back to Abu Dhabi and we all retired for the evening. The kids had a great day, but were exhausted. 

Saturday we were up early, as is usual for our weekends, and headed to the pool, also which is usual for our weekends. After our dip we had lunch at the mall and did or weekly grocery shopping. We put it off a bit too long. Anytime you go to the mall after noon on Saturdays you are risking your life. The place is packed like Christmas Eve shoppers, yet just a normal weekend for here. 

The picture you see above is a thin aluminum pan. Why does it have a hole eaten through it? The story began on Wednesday morning. Stuart noticed in our front bathroom there were drips of water on the ceiling tiles as well as the floor. The front bathroom is where we store the kids' bikes and scooters. Given our experience with maintenance at this complex we decided to move everything out of that bathroom so that if a flood did occur, at least those items would be saved. Stuart called maintenance when he got home from school on Wednesday and Zimal, the guy who washes our ars twice a week, came with a ladder to check things out. Communicating with the workers is quite challenging because no one speaks the same language. However, I can understand what is being communicated most of the time. 

Zimal tipped two tiles and 'rain' came down. From where, you ask?  Good question. From what I could gather our neighbor was having issues upstairs and they would fix her problems in her bathroom on Sunday. We later found out she was out of town and knew nothing of the issues in her apartment. 

In the meantime, Zimal made the statement 'it is fixed', placed the tiles back in the ceiling and left. Huh? Needless to say 20 minutes later the tiles crumbled from being soaked with water, and fell. Fixed. Sure. 

Zimal returned when we called him and brought two new tiles. As he was placing them in the ceiling I told him there was no need to do that unless the leak was fixed. That, apparently, wasn't communicated very well because he proceeded. As he was putting the tile up he asked for a bowl to place on one of the tiles, assumingly to catch water that would continue to leak. Or, I have an idea, why don't we wait to put the tiles up until the leak is fixed! At any rate, this should partially explain the picture of the aluminum tray. 

When the ceiling was still leaking on Saturday evening, Zimal returned and took the tiles down.  Finding the tray with a hole in it was disturbing and unsettling, but Zimal said it was fine. Whatever!  Later we would find out that our neighbor, Martha, was called and asked to return early from Dubai because of a leak in her apartment. Expecting to see gushing water when she returned, she was miffed when there was nothing to discover. She came down to our place to ask us what was going on. When we told her she proceeded to tell us she had leaking several weeks ago, but they had 'fixed' it. 

When the 'fix it' guys got to our door we went with them upstairs to see what they were talking about as far as leaks in Martha's place. Every bathroom has a sprayer (don't ask) in it. It is used to insure cleanliness after a visit. We turn ours off because Mllie thinks it's an extension of playtime in the bathtub. In Martha's bathroom the connector to the wall had become clogged. When they touched it, it fell off and water started spewing out. The water here is very hard and there are no methods in place to prevent limestone build up, thus pipes ad nozzles that wear out very quickly. Our building seems to be falling apart yet it is only 5 years old. Yikes!

So the plot thickens. When they had finished with Matha's 'fix' she brought then down to us to sign their work paper. They have to fill one out every time they 'fix' something. She felt since we were the ones with the initial problem, we should sign off on it when it was fixed, and we agreed. Since we wouldn't know if the leak was fixed for a few days, the evidence being no water on our floor, we were not going to sign off on it. I explained this to Zimal who went off and got reinforcement. This is when Stuart lost his cool. 

The doorbell rang and there stood Zimal and two other workers. One of the guys is the guy who has stood outside our window, by the mosque, to do the call to prayer. That guy is the one who simply said, 'Sing this!'  Stuart came from behind me, after I had repeated what I had said to Zimal about when it was dry for three days I would sign the paper, and shouted, 'We will not sign that paper and don't ever come to my door and speak to us in that manner again!'  Stuart slammed the door so hard that some plaster came off of our wall. Hello! He is a total gentle giant, but make him angry and see the scary side of him. It was awesome!

School's Out For Summer!

As we suspected, the numbers started to drastically diminish on Sunday at school. I had 10 students in my first class and 7 in my second class. When I first got to school one of my students came into the room. I said, 'You came to school!  Good for you!' To which she replied, 'Miss, I will just come to get my things. I will not be at school today or no other days.'  I said all that I knew to say, 'Okay.'

I think everyone has done their best to keep students in school to this point. Everyone is tired, and I would venture to say this type of schooling, learning another language, would be much more mentally draining than those not learning another language. My students who showed up on Sunday and Monday only did so because I said I would get them pizza on Monday if they were there. Food talks here. 

After school on Sunday we headed to the pool. Really it is the only thing we can do in this heat. Jack was surprised because he stated we never do anything on Sundays, which is pretty true. So he was super happy to get to go to the pool. 

Once we were home we tried macaroni and cheese on Millie, and Jack for that matter. It used to be that mac an cheese was Jack's favorite food. However, he decided sometime last year that he didn't like it. Since we had purchased some not too long ago, it was made Sunday evening. I am happy to report that both kids ate well and actually liked it. Millie has just added a new dish to her list of 'will eat' foods. I think Millie secretly likes a lot of foods but she doesn't let on just to be difficult. Miss Janet has told me she eats chicken curry at her house. Really? And she says it's spicy, which doesn't surprise me at all. She has always had a taste for spicy things. 

We watched the rest of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after supper. Millie couldn't sit long enough to watch much, but she gave it a try for a bit. Then she ended up going off to play in her room. She usually heads back into the living room, pushing a stroller or shopping cart, hand bag in tow, and speaking on her phone to either Miss Janet or Grammie. 

Kids went to bed around 7 pm and Stuart and I watched some television, then retired for the evening ourselves. The heat continues to be brutal and just makes us more tired. 

On Monday Stuart had 10 fewer students in grades 1-5 than on Sunday. So the grade total of kids on Monday was 6. Your read that correctly, 6. Now, there are only 200 total students in the school, but with almost 3 weeks left for students, it seems like a small number to me. 

Monday I had 8 students in one class and only 6 in the other. I only had to feed 8 students the pizza I promised because they were the only ones who showed up both days. I told them all that if they would come to school I would teach them. The thought is, if there are no more 'exams' then why should they come? It is definitely going to take a few more years for the shift to take place, changing to what they want to happen in schools, rather than what is actually happening. 

Monday after school we took the kids to the soft play area in the co-op connected to our complex. We came home and the routine of baths, dinner and bed, ensued. Millie had a difficult time going to bed. On Tuesday morning I discovered Millie had napped at Ms. Janet's on Monday morning, thus the difficulty at bedtime Monday evening. Why can't I figure these things out on my own?

Tuesday I have 5 students in each of my classes. While other grade levels combined their students and thus had to teach fewer classes, I did as I was told and taught 5 children for three periods each. When I found out my other colleagues had only taught one period in the day I was a bit miffed. So don't think Wednesday wasn't a different story, because it was. Wednesday I taught two classes and there were only a total of 6 kids from my two classes. 

Tuesday evening we went to the pool. About 30 minutes after we arrived Jack sat out, stating his eyes were burning. He was under the shade structure but still he was super red in the face. I felt his head and sure enough he had a fever. We were waiting on Clare and her kids to get to the pool. Jack loves playing with Henry. After about 10 minutes, and tree children's Tylenol, I asked Jack if he wanted us to get his burger to go and just leave. He shook his head. I know he doesn't feel well when he chooses going home rather than playing at the pool with a friend. I'm not sure what caused his fever, but he didn't have it Wednesday morning, and Tuesday evening he ate like a horse. 

As I am putting Millie to bed on Tuesday night, I was reminded of the fact that we do, in fact, live in a Muslim country. This culture is so unique and quite intriguing. I have tried to learn as much as I can about the culture as not to appear ignorant or arrogant. Being a Muslim country, it follows the schedule of the calls to prayer. So when you are close to a mosque at the proper time you will hear the call to prayer. Typically, you hear it and go on with your life. No one freezes or slams on their breaks or anything else that might cause injury. You might see a number of cars pulled off the side of a highway to enter the closest mosque to pray, but other than that, everyone goes on with their lives. 

There are mosques on every corner, and sometimes they are very close together. The complex in which we live, and every housing complex for that matter, has a mosque. Usually it is not what you would incision a mosque would look like. You might even think you were on a Chandler Unified School campus, at least at one of the older schools, because these mosques are what we would call 'portables'. They are trailer like building that serve the purpose of a place to pray without the expense, I am guessing. 

I will now get to the point of this random story. The mosque in our complex just so happens to sit right behind our living room. In fact, we have often heard the muffled prayers throughout the day or in the evening. Recently, it was decided that the mosque needed to be replaced. Things don't move all that quickly sometimes, as you know from our bathtub saga, so getting the new trailer/mosque installed has taken some time. 

While installing the new mosque, it's not like they can put prayer on hold, so they have to pray somewhere. Why not right outside our bedroom windows? I kid you not, they place a plastic tarp on the ground right below our window. If I would open the window I could probably touch someone, and scare the life out of him. Men are the only ones who come to the mosque. There is a chant that is usually done to signal the call to prayer, also done right outside of our bedroom window. Did I mention that at this time of the year the first call to prayer is just after 4 am?  Needless to say, I am about ready to go and help them finish the mosque so that all of this activity can move indoors. I am not meaning to be disrespectful of the culture or the religion, but I need my beauty rest. 

After school we spent an hour at the pool, then headed home for baths and dinner. Cathy's birthday was Saturday so we decided to celebrate early (Wednesday evening) by taking her out for sushi night at the Golf Club. Kayleigh babysat while we all enjoyed a night of sushi. 

While the buffet was good, the atmosphere made us all a bit tired. So at 7:30 we decided to go to the Rugby Club  for the pub quiz. We didn't win anything but it was fun. I am a terrible person on anyone's team. I have very little trivia knowledge. Stuart is great at it, which is why I often refer to him as Cliffy Clavin. 

Millie had a restless night, thus so did I. I wish I knew what causes that. I guess if I did then I would be terribly wealthy with the cure. The only fortunate thig about having little sleep was that I knew we would have very few students on Thursday. 

We combined all of our classes, which gave a grand total of 24 students out of approximately 175. Our incentive for them to come to school on Thursday was that they would be able to swim for two periods of the day. 

Here are 4 of my students in their burkinis. They are so cute and they love swimming, although they flail around like drowning puppies. It is quite a sight to see. 

I took our students for the first three periods so that I could be the guest reader in Jack's classroom at noon. It was so fun! Jack had picked out two books that morning that he wanted me to read. One was Pugwash Aloft, a book that originally had a CD that went with it. Grandma had given it to him and he still loves it. The other book was Wilbur, a book by an author from the UK. Kate, our friend from Scotland, brought it to Jack on one of her visits to Arizona. The kids really sat and listened. However, this experience just proved to me, once again, that I was not ever meant to be a teacher of children under the age of 8. They were so wonderful, but way too small for me. Jack is actually the oldest and the largest kid in his class. Still yet they are too small. 

This was just after I read. Not really sure what happened to my hair, but I promise it looked better when I left the house that morning. 

We went to swim and play at the Rugby Club, which is surprising, I know. We sat inside and the kids actually spent most of their time inside at the table, a true testimony of how incredibly hot it is right now. 

We discussed our ventures for the following morning. About a month ago we planned to go spend a night in Dubai at the Atlantic Palms Resort. It's a place where you can swim with the dolphins and spend the day at their gigantic water park. The Turners and Richardsons didn't tell their kids because they knew they would pester them up until the day of the event. Their kids are a little older than ours, so are aware of where we would be going. Our kids have no idea of the adventure ahead. So telling them we are going to Atlantis has no more effect on them than telling them we are going to Basha pool. They were only mildly excited and haven't really mentioned it since we decided to go, and really that is just Jack. Millie is not terribly concerned about anything. 

Our goal was to leave Friday morning, in convoy, at 8:15 am. And at 8:20 we were on our way. We stopped at a Park and Shop and bought some snacks that we can't get in Al Ain. Then we headed toward Atlantis, about another 15 minutes up the road. 

We arrived at Atlantis around 11 and were in the water at half past 11. Jack was just tall enough to go on all of the water slide. He was so excited and had such a wonderful time. And Millie? She was just thrilled to ride in the lazy river with the few rapids that entertained. She also liked the kiddie area with slides and buckets that dumped a massive amount if water on your head. We all had a great time on Friday. After the water park we headed to one of the hotel pools. We spent about an hour there, then headed to our rooms to get changed for dinner. With our stay we got free dinner vouchers, two days at the water park, and a buffet breakfast. It was really quite the deal for us. 

Here are all the kids at the reception desk, checking in for our day of fun. 

Jack was trying to get his rash guard off while we were at the pool and in the shade. Henry, his friend, came over to help out. 

Out our room window we can see the Arabian Gulf (what people outside of the UAE call the Persian Gulf). 

The kids shared a milkshake at the pool bar. 

Mama and Daddy did not, however, share their drinks at the bar. 

Millie truly enjoyed the milkshake. Yum!

We ate at a gorgeous buffet where the kids sat at one end and we sat at the other, all except Millie. She sat on my lap for the few bites he ate, then dropped off asleep in my arms. We had made he wise move of bringing her stroller to the restaurant and let her continue we slumber while we stuffed our faces. Splendid! 

We retired for the evening at around 8:30 pm, then were up and at it again by 8 am. We had breakfast, then hit the park. The boys and the dads, plus Wade, went to the big slides while the girls played in the lazy river as well as the play structure and small slides. 

Jack and Henry attempted to play ping ping before we hit the water park on Saturday. 

Jack and Henry were having so much fun together. I believe they are equally obsessed with each other. Jack wanted to do everything Henry did, down to the Leap of Faith ride. Now from the picture you can see that Jack and Henry are roughly the same size. But when you know that Henry's dad is not any taller than I am, and Henry's mum is about 4 inches shorter than me, you won't be surprised when I say that Jack is 3 years younger than Henry. Henry's bravery bone is much stronger than Jack's, primarily because of his age and experience with other life situations. 

The Leap of Faith slide was just a straight down slide. Scary! Jack went up twice with Henry, and twice he started crying because he was scared. When we came down the second time he wouldn't stop crying. I finally figured out that he thought Henry wouldn't want to be his friend because he wasn't brave enough to go down. Henry showed his friendship by saying, 'It's okay, Jack. You don't have to go. Let's go on some other slide.'  That kid has great parents! Such a nice boy who warmed my heart. 

By the time we left the park on the second day, we had really pushed the kids to their limit. However, all of the kids had a blast and really, for the most part, kept it together. We stopped at a mall on the way back to Al Ain to grab a bite to eat. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend. 

This heat gives Jack fever, apparently.

I picked Jack up from Ms. Janet's Sunday and he didn't look well. He told me he had a headache and he about started crying. I told him we would get some Tylenol when we got home. 

He and Millie fell asleep as we were driving home. We live all of 5 minutes from Ms. Janet's house. It was crazy. Jack was in pain and Millie had woken up in the middle of the night and stayed awake for about 45 minutes so I wasn't surprised that they both fell asleep. 

We had a quiet evening, mainly because I had 'sicky' and 'exhausted' in the house. 

I was woken up at 1:45 am by Jack's crying. You know the type of crying that says 'I have a fever and can't think straight, let alone get back to my bed from the bathroom'? That was what I heard. Poor boy! Everyone knows my empathy level is quite low on a typical day, but when the kids are sick I actually step up to the plate and behave like a concerned parent. 

Jack ended up sleeping with us the rest of the night. Just as I got him settled into our bed, Millie woke up. She had fallen out of her bed. I sat with her for about 20 minutes until I was sure she was asleep again. She did not end up in our bed, thank goodness. Otherwise I would have had to sleep somewhere else. 

When Jack woke up Monday morning he was warm but didn't have a fever. I cranked him full of Tylenol and asked him if he felt okay. He said he did, but clearly his eyes were glassy and there were dark circles under them. I did what any mother of the year would do, and I sent him to school. I knew all along I would most likely get a call from the nurse telling me he needed to be picked up. Sure enough, around 8:30 am that call came through. When I got coverage for my classes and sorted some things out for them to do, I headed to Sunflower. 

When I got to the school, I found him in the nurse's office, not able to open his eyes. I suspected that would be the case so I had taken his sunglasses into the school so he wouldn't be so blinded when he walked outside. The nurse told me she saw no symptoms of ear, nose, or throat issues and wasn't able to explain the fever. 

We headed straight to his doctor to get him checked out. He tried to sleep the entire way and didn't utter a word. Once we checked in at the reception desk we were directed to the other side of the pediatric area. It seemed strange to me, but we haven't been to the doctor a ton so I thought maybe they had changed things. 

After a few minutes I walked to the pediatric counter and asked whether I was to check-in there. They told me I would need to go to reception to make an appointment, which is what I thought I had done when I first came in. I went back into the waiting room and then heard Jack's name. We saw the nurse and she asked if he had a temperature. I told her he did and then it seemed as if she was confused. 

We were led into an office with a doctor sitting behind a desk and next to his desk was an opthomologist's chair. Huh?

What I finally assessed was that the guy at reception was an idiot, saw Jack with his sunglasses on, and assumed he knew that Jack must have blurred vision and needed an opthomologist. I thought it was weird that he didn't ask me what was wrong with Jack, which is what they usually do. 

By the time we all figured this out, Jack's fever was 103.1 degrees. When we were taken back to reception, the pediatrician we usually see was standing at the entrance of the pediatric offices. The nurse told him the temperature Jack had and he started yelling at the nurses about children with fevers and how they need to get them back to an exam room immediately and get a suppository in them to bring down the fever. It was great and reminded me that I really like this doctor. 

As Jack was laying on the table, I told him the nurse was going to stick a soft pill up his butt. He started crying. I helped the nurse get his pants down and up went the 'bullet'. He cried and cried. The doctor told him he was going to be fine and that if any girl saw him they wouldn't know he was a strong boy they would think he was a girl because he was crying. Not exactly what we want Jack to think, but hopefully Jack was delirious with fever and doesn't remember much of what the doctor said. 

The doctor listened to his heart and then said to me, 'Who does he see for his heart murmur?' What?  I told the doctor that I was not aware he had a heart murmur. Then the doctor said that sometimes a high fever will cause the extra sound in the heart. He decided he wanted us to come back in the evening to check his heart sounds again. So that was the plan. While in the office, he perked up about 10 minutes after he was given the suppository, which was a relief. Before we left the office his fever had lowered to 100 degrees.

When we got home he ate some toast and drank a little Sprite. After a few episodes of Barbie's Dreamhouse (we watched it in case Millie came home and wanted to watch it as well, of course), Jack went down for a nap.

He slept for two hours. I thought he needed the sleep but then at 9 pm that evening when he kept coming out of his room to tell me something or get a drink or a band-aid, I knew I probably let him sleep too long in the afternoon. 

Prior to bed time, at 5 pm we went back to see Dr. Iradj. We walked in, he checked Jack's temperature and said, 'I am always concerned when children maintain a fever', which I could only assume he meant that Jack still had a fever. Ugh! His heart was returned to a regular beat, but we were still asked us to come back on Tuesday morning so he could give us the results of the more extensive strep test he had ordered. 

When we left the apartment for the doctor, Stuart called and said Millie wasn't going to make the bedtime of 6:30 pm, primarily because she was ready to get into bed at that moment. So when I got home at 6 pm and found she had been asleep for about 30 minutes, I knew the night was going to be torture and she would most likely be up at least once in the night. 

I couldn't really worry about Millie's sleep patterns at that moment. I had to start thinking about how I would actually get Jack back to the doctor Tuesday morning.  In this school setting I am only allowed to take a sick day for myself under certain restrictions, one being I have to have a doctor note to scan online to prove I'm sick. If my children are ill I can take a day off but it will be unpaid. So, needless to say, because Jack certainly wasn't THAT sick, I had to make arrangements for him to stay with Ms. Janet and also make arrangements with my school to have someone cover my class in order to take him back to the doctor. It was quite the puzzle, but I figured it out. 

When we returned to the doctor, we discovered that he didn't have strep and the fever was gone. I had given him Tylenol when he woke up Tuesday morning but didn't before we saw the doctor around 11 am. So he was on the mend. Also I am happy to report that, not only did Millie sleep through until 6 am, but she was a chipper little madam when she got up. Yahoo!

As much as we all wanted to go swimming Tuesday afternoon, we decided it would be best for Jack if he didn't go just to be sure he really was over this fever. 

So we chilled at the apartment, and at 5:24 pm I took the following picture 

Tiny 2 year olds get really tired. Did she sleep through the night again? Why yes she did! What a little star. 

Wednesday at school it became painfully obvious that this was the beginning of the end. Most of my students from my home room were in attendance, but I had 12 absent from my second class. We were told ( and I think I have stated it on here before) that students would just stop coming to school at the beginning of June, even though there are still three weeks left in school. 

All schools were informed they were not to have their promotions until after June 22. However, Stuart's school had their promotion on Thursday. Typically that would be a signal to students to stop coming to school. Some of the Arabic teachers in my school brought really nice gifts for their students on Thursday. Um, surely that sends a signal as well. And there were some teachers, I am told, that flat out told their students that school was finished and not to come back after Thursday. Again, this is definitely something that has always been done and accepted, so changing that climate will obviously take some time. My principal is doing what she can to combat the low attendance. However, by Thursday I only had half of my students in each class. As some of my students were leaving school, they were packing up their books. I said, 'See you on Sunday.'  One of the girls said, 'No, Miss, I will not be at school anymore.'

Some families want to take their kids on holiday before Ramadan, which starts around June 28 and lasts until the end of July. School for students was not to be dismissed until June 26.  As my Islamic teacher says when she is at a loss, 'Miss,  what I do?'  Love her!

When I picked Jack and Millie up from Miss Janet's, Jack was almost in tears again, complaining of a head ache. He claims he had plenty of water in the day, but I think he plays so hard all day and really isn't sure of how much water he actually needs. We have told him that he must drink 3 of his water bottles at school and one at home so that these head aches won't keep happening. Fortunately he did not have a fever, which means he really was probably dehydrated. 

A glass of water, some Tylenol and a 20 minute nap and he was ready for the pool. We met the regular crowd there Thursday evening, swam for a very short period, then went to eat. We even left the club without any meltdowns. It was a successful evening!

When we got home we bathed the kids and let them watch a movie until almost 9 pm. I thought this would assure they would sleep past 7 am, but quite often I am super silly in my thinking. By half past 6 both were up and Millie was making her usual amount of 'I really am not aware that anyone might be sleeping' noise. 

Stuart golfed Friday morning while the kids and I went to church and did the grocery shopping. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE grocery shopping with my kids? Oh, that's right, because I don't enjoy it even a tiny bit. However, today they were fine, and we spent so much money that we were entered into a raffle to win millions of dirhams in groceries. I am thinking I will win. Something like that would be helpful for the bottomless pit we find Jack to be these days. 

We spent the afternoon just relaxing. We all had dentist appointments on Friday afternoon/evening, like you do on a Friday. The first appointment was at 4:30 pm and the last was to be at 7:30 pm. However, when Stuart got home and we discussed it, we decided to cancel the last appointment, which was his. It seems that he really is deathly afraid of the dentist. I thought he was always kidding, but not the case. He told me he wanted to speak to the dentist before he let him look into his mouth. 

We got to the dentist just before 4:30 and no one was there. As in the states, we waited to be seen for nearly 30 minutes. However, very different from the states, we all went in at the same time, there were no X-rays, no cleaning, and a rough guesstimate as to what needed to be done with our teeth. The dentist was obviously trained in either the states or the UK. So, Stuart actually sat in the chair and let the dentist assess his teeth. He was very detailed as to what he thought would need to be done. The thing is, here, everything has to be sent to the insurance company prior to anything being done, even X-rays. I know I have a bad filling that needs a root canal. With insurance approval, I was told today that, my root canal and crown will cost me the equivalent to $40. Tell me that medical and dental care in the states is not an absolute racket and I will surely call you a liar. 

Stuart needs a great deal of work done and has actually agreed to it now. The main thing is he needs mouth guards to stop grinding his teeth at night. The wear is starting to show on his bottom teeth. In the states he was told he needed all the work done first, then they could help with the grinding. But here he is being told that stopping the grinding is the most important thing so that no further damage is done. 

A week from Monday we should both be on our way to better teeth, for next to nothing. Thrilled!  Jack is going to get a protectant on his 6 year molars once they have come in completely. They should be in by this time next month. 

When we got back from the dentist the kids got their jammies on. I bathed them before we left because the plan was to pick Claire up to babysit after our dentist appointments. However, Kayleigh had prom on Friday evening and Cathy and Claire were taking pictures so Cathy just brought her to our house after the limo picked up Kayleigh and her group of friends. 

Our dentist adventure didn't take as long as we had anticipated, so everything worked out perfectly for all of us. When we got home I took this picture. Below the picture is an explanation of its significance. 

Here is how the conversation went:

Me: Ooo, Millie, I love your handbag.

Millie: Thanks. (Long pause) I have a phone in it (said super smugly). 

Me: That's great. 

Millie: (with attitude) You need to take a picture. 

Me: Ok. (Thus, the picture)

Stuart and I went to Coriander, a nice Indian restaurant at Bawadi Mall. We walked around the mall once we were finished eating, and ended up getting a Starbucks. I found out that Starbucks here does not have sugar free syrups. What? Crazy and highly disappointing. 

The one thing that never ceases to amaze me is how late everything is open here, and that there are still so many people, of all ages, out until they are kicked out. We left the mall just before 11 pm and there were more cars there at that time than when we showed up at 8 pm. Nuts!  The mall is really not our favorite place to be after about 3 pm. Too crowded. 

Although the kids didn't go to bed until after 9, they were still up by half past 6. Bleck!  So, I guess that means I have to get up as well.  We sat in out Jammied until after 11 am, or at least I did. I guess Jack and Millie did get dressed shortly after they got up. I suppose I'm the only slouch, then. 

Millie was terribly cranky. As much as it is against my belief for a full night's sleep from her, I put her down for a nap at eleven. I then decided I should get dressed and get our weekly produce from Spinneys. 

When the grocery run was over, we got Millie  up and headed to Cathy's new place to help her clean. She had been told since the day she moved into her current flat that it would be temporary. Each of us is promised a certain number of rooms for our accommodations. When the housing department does not fulfill those housing accommodations to someone, then they consider the housing temporary and will move someone once a larger place becomes available, Inshallah! 

So she got her new keys last week, electricity was turned on Saturday, and we went to help mop and get the place ready. She is now much closer to us, which will be nice. 

After cleaning, we came home, bathed the kids and decided to make it a family

movie night. We selected a movie the kids had never seen, Chitty Bang Bang. Did you know that movie is 2 hours and 25 minutes long? I can hardly make it through something that long, let alone my 5 and 2 year old. So we decided to break it into two evenings and will continue it after school on Sunday. However, I have to admit I was impressed with how log they both made it without needing to go and play something else. 

When they did get restless, this is what they did. Oh, I know you have seen a similar picture last October because, yes, these are their Halloween costumes, now used for dress-up now. Small children never stop making me laugh, especially mine. 

Just another glimpse at Halloween 2013, but in June 2014. 

Supper and bed for the kids. Then Stuart and I made nachos. We are trying to remind ourselves what Mexican food tastes like, a food I can't wait to have in July. Five more weeks and we will escape the heat of the UAE.... to enter the heat of Queen Creek. We are all getting very excited!

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.