The week of Telford fun continues.

Sunday morning we kind of staggered our breakfast time, but all met up at the beach just after 10 am. Louise and James decided to hire a cabana so we could have a central spot for all of us. That reminded me that I needed to book a cabana for later in the week when we went to Atlantis. So, while we sat enjoying the breeze off of the water, I did just that. 

I traveled to the pool a few times with the kids, and then finally ordered them some food around 1 pm. We had arranged a late check out and had our change of clothes in the swim bag. So after the kids ate, I headed up to sort out our bill. 

After having our things taken to the concierge desk and completing check-out, I went back to the cabana to see what everyone else was doing. The Telford men had rented a bumper tube for themselves and the kids. Millie was too small so she built a sand castle with Auntie Anna and Auntie Kate on the beach. 

Stuart and I ordered some food around 3 pm. Because it was a dry day, the adults were going back and forth to the room for some adult beverages. Around 4 pm the ladies went for some tea in the executive lounge, while the men went to the room for a beer. Stuart and I stayed with the boys. Millie went to high tea. 

Once everyone had returned to the outside we went to the pool for a swim. The kids crawled all over the dads, moms, aunties and uncles. I had a coffee and then sorted some towels for our crew. 

Around 6 pm we decided we would get cleaned up and go to the restaurant on the beach. It had a feel of Greece. It was delicious. The kids sat at a separate table from us, were fed first, and all but Millie, laid down and fell asleep. So getting them up once we decided to go was quite fun. 

We stayed at the restaurant over two hours, just chatting and enjoying our shared seafood dishes. It was wonderful. 

The time came when we had to leave. We wouldn't see Murray, Kate, Barnes and Anna again as they were flying home on Monday afternoon. Our intention was to drive back to Dubai on Monday after school. However, once we got home, just after 11 pm, we decided the kids would not cope well with another late night, and quite frankly neither would we. 

So once the kids were in bed, laundry was started, and we were cleaned and ready for bed, Stuart messaged his brothers saying we would not be coming back after all on Monday evening, but instead we would see them on Tuesday when they came to Al Ain. 

Monday morning came WAY too early. The kids were not as difficult to get up as I had anticipated. Millie was out of bed before Jack, which is super rare, especially on a school day. 

We all dragged a bit, but got off to work and school just fine. I knew I had very little to do at work so was just hoping the day would go by quickly. 

I left work early because I got a bit dizzy just before lunch. I had the same dizzy feeling on Saturday and had to sit down for a bit. It passed, but it was a bit concerning. 

Once I was home I took a little snooze and waited for Millie to come home. When she did arrive she was asleep in the car. It wasn't surprising considering the way she partied over the weekend. 

She slept for over an hour and a half. I usually worry about her napping during the day because typically that messes up her bedtime, but that day it made no difference at all, thank goodness. 

Stuart had gone to pick Jack up from his Performing Arts class. They arrived home and Jack looked exhausted. It would definitely be an early night for both kids. The plan was to have dinner around 5:30 pm and then bed would follow shortly after we ate. 

Stuart made a delicious meal and we actually sat down together and ate. We had chicken wrapped in bacon, cauliflower mash, and broccoli. Millie ate everything. She's the picky eater who, once she turned 5, decided she would start eating what we put on her plate. As Jack would say, 'I'm not really sure what God has done to Millie, but she's changed.'  Bahahahaha!

Millie had an earlier night, although she had a lengthy nap, and Jack followed about thirty minutes later. Both kids were beyond wiped out. 

Tuesday work was a buzz because of a fight that took place in the parking lot after school. I called my principal to see what had happened, and I quote, 'It was off the chain!'  Apparently there was a lady in a military uniform beating a lady in an abaya and shayla (local dress), and a man in a kandora (local dress). We think maybe there was an affair involved. Super haram!  It was the talk of the school on Tuesday. 

Once I left school I went to the grocery store to get some pickies for when the Telfords arrived. They got to the house just after 3 pm and the manic fun began. Drinks were flowing and kids were upstairs playing. 

We shuttled to the rugby club around 4:30 pm, just as it started to blow and rain! Really? It rains four days out of the year and this is one of them? Jack was so excited to show his cousins and uncles his rugby skills, so I was glad when the weather calmed down and actually cooled off a bit. 

After training, the kids jumped in the pool for about an hour. They had so much fun together. When they got out of the pool, Stuart paid the bar tab and we headed to the golf club to have dinner. Stuart, his brothers and I had the stone-grill steaks, while Louise and the kids ate from the bistro buffet. The kids then had a run around outside before we headed home just after 9 pm. I knew the kids would be hyped and it would be difficult to get them to bed, but their cousins only came to town for a week so we can suck it up and rest once they've gone. 

Jack loves Billy!

The boys slept in the loft while Millie complained and cried about sleeping in her room. She finally relented and went to her room, yet wandered downstairs around 10:30 pm and fell asleep in Uncle Matt's arms. The boys, on the other hand fought it until the bitter end. Joshua was the last one awake and the first one up on Wednesday morning. Billy and Jack had found their way into their parents' bed before the morning and I didn't have the energy to make him go back to the loft. 

We had stayed up and played Trivial Pursuit. Stuart and Matt won and were super smug about it. Stuart knows so much useless trivia, but it really pays off when playing games. We had a great time just talking, ribbing each other and laughing until midnight. 

I still got up to walk, although it was difficult. I was late to school because Jack wasn't feeling so hot and needed his mama. The kids were not super impressed that they had to go to school while their cousins got to stay home, but they knew we were heading to Dubai after school to another resort, so they dealt with it. 

Once I was home from school, last minute packing and organizing occurred. I sat and had a cup of coffee and waited for the kids to come home. 

The kids arrived home around 2:30 pm. Matt, Josh, James, Louise, and Billy had already headed to Anantara in Dubai. We brought Zoe with us because her car seat wouldn't go into the cab. The base had anchors and the cab didn't have the proper seat belts to accommodate. 

She was an angel in the car, but needed a bottle on the way. I do not miss baby days, and she's an easy one. 

We arrived at our next resort destination, Anantara. We had visited last October when James was visiting for the first time. He was determined we would stay at Anantara at some stage and Wednesday was the day. What a phenomenal resort we landed in. We were greeted with Arabic coffee and dates. Once we were checked in a tuk tuk took us to our room. 

The grounds are gorgeous and the views like no other. Jack and Millie have truly lived he spoiled life with this in the mix. I'm not sure a Super 8 will ever pass any kind of inspection with my children. We could walk down steps from our back patio, straight into the pool. 

This was the swim out from our room. 

The beach at sunset was picturesque. 

A family photo in front of a beautiful scene is not a bad thing at all. 

Once we were settled in our rooms we headed to the main pool for a swim. It was virtually empty. We stayed there for a little over an hour. The kids got an ice cream and the adults had a beverage or two. 

There was a giant chess board by the pool, naturally.

Zoe, Stuart and Uncle Matt enjoyed a dip in the pool at sunset. 

We then decided we had better feed the kids. So we returned to our rooms to get a shower and get dressed. We decided to go to the Thai restaurant and had some lovely food. Millie even ate a lot of her Pad Thai. She has really surprised me with he eating habits in this week. I think she's trying to impress family, which works for me. 

We returned to Louise and James' room and sat on the deck for a while. Stuart scooted off to our room, got his swimmers on and swam over to their patio. Unbelievably spoiled!

We headed back to our room around 9:30 pm and everyone got into bed. We were all asleep shortly after that. This could have been a dream. 

Nope, it wasn't a dream! I woke up to the same spectacular view and decided to go to the gym on the grounds. I rode the exercise bike for an hour and there were only two other people in there at 7 am. I can only assume that the week/weekend we chose for this holiday is very quiet. Everyone is in school, or at least they are supposed to be (like us). Stuart and I took an emergency day on Thursday so we could spend more time with the Telfords. 

Andrew and Lyn came to our hotel around 11 am, but Louise and I had booked a massage and didn't arrive back to the room until almost 1 pm. When we got back everyone was sitting on Louise and James' veranda. 

We swam from their place and ended up getting the kids ice cream from the bar boat that came around in the pool. It was quite clever. 

At the pool bar happy hour started at 3 pm. We didn't arrive until almost 4 pm. At that time, Andrew and Lyn went back to their hotel. They were flying out of Friday so that would be the last time we would see this on this trip. Everyone said goodbye and we proceeded to the pool bar. We then decided to move our party to the gulf. It was beautiful!

We had made dinner reservations at the Australian restaurant, but in the end we decided we would rather eat at the Beach Club because we could sit on the beach, eat and smoke sheesha. I have only smoked sheesha one time before this night. It's a fruity tobacco that doesn't taste like tobacco until the following morning when your voice is raspy and you have a headache that could disable a small child. I also might have had one too many Bloody Mary's, which I did swear off on Friday morning.

Once we were back in our room I showered the kids, again, because they had been in the sand, and then they went to bed. Stuart and I went for a late night swim but that ended shortly after it started. It was a bit chilly and we were the only ones out there, plus I was tired and not feeling so hot. 

I forced myself to get up and go to the gym at 6:30. My head was pounding but I pushed through. After breakfast we headed to Atlantis for our third resort of the week. We checked in and were able to go straight to our rooms. We had paid for an upgrade so we could have breakfast included as well as access to the Imperial Lounge during happy hour, which included drinks and food. 

Once we were settled in our rooms, we headed to claim our cabana at the water park. We spent the entire day at Aquaventure, and all of us had a great time. We managed to keep Zoe out of the sun, but it was quite hot for her. 

After our day of water fun. We ventured back to the hotel to clean up and go to the Imperial Club Lounge for free drinks and food for the kids. We had made dinner reservations for 8 pm at Saffron, one of the buffets, but decided the kids might be sleepy by then and they should eat ahead of time. 

We came back to our room before dinner to Skype the boys' mum. The kids got all wired and everyone ended up in a bed, under the covers, and it was the bed I was going to sleep in. Not all of us had taken showers after the day at the water park (Matt) so there might have been some sand or dirt in the bed when Jack and I got in later that night. 

After our chaotic Skype session we headed to dinner. The kids sat at a different table and played their electronic devices, while the adults ate. I had some sushi and everyone else indulged in sushi as well as some of the other delightful items on the buffet tables. We did sneak some sushi to Jack and Billy, and some beef to Josh. After we finished eating, we returned to our rooms for the kids to have ice cream that we had stolen from the buffet. Oops!

We were all in bed before 10 for a good night's sleep. Stuart got up Saturday morning and met his brothers for a coffee. Time with his brothers is so precious. I love seeing them all together. 

Once Stuart was back in the room we waited for everyone to go to breakfast. Once in the Imperial Lounge for some food, we made a plan for the day. Millie and I went to the shops with Louise and Zoe. I ended up buying the kids some new flip flops. The boys and their dads went to the water park for a couple of hours of fun. We all met up at the pool around noon and swam for about an hour. We then went to the pool bar so the dad's could have a beverage and the kids got ice cream. 

Just before 1 pm I decided to go to take the kids to the room to shower. We had to check out by 1 pm so we needed to get clean.  In the time I was gone, which was about 30 minutes, Matt and James had talked Stuart into going with them to the Maldives for the next 4 days. Actually, it wasn't quite that easy. When he got to the room he shyly said to me 'James and Matt said I should come with them to the Maldives'. I told him he could go if he wanted to. Does this mean there are more holidays at school? Nope, just making his own holidays and missing school. Oh well!

Matt and James had it all figured out and the flight booked as soon as Stuart gave the go ahead. He was so excited. Initially he was worried about going and leaving me. But when I told him this would mean I could do a girls' trip, it was all better and he started making a list of things he needed to do when we got home. 

We visited the aquarium at Atlantis, then ate a very late lunch at Gordon Ramsey's restaurant in Atlantis. Once lunch was complete, the kids and I said our goodbyes, while Stuart said 'see you all soon'. He would come home with us, do laundry, repack, get his passport, some more sun screen, his snorkeling gear, and get a cab back to the airport for 2 am. What a whirlwind of a day it became. We stopped at the outlet mall to try to find Stuart some swim trunks, but had no luck. 

When we did arrive home just before 8 pm, we moved into action. Stuart unpacked all the dirty clothes, separated his stuff out, and got it in the washer. The kids had fallen asleep in the car on the way home, which helped us to get everything else organized a lot faster for Stuart's return to Dubai. 

I was totally unpacked and showered before 10 pm, then watched television while Stuart repacked and waited for his clothes to dry. Fortunately they were dry about 30 minutes before his taxi arrived. He felt inclined to iron his shirts for the trip, although everything I have ever read says the Maldives are all about shorts, t-shirts and flip flops. He is sure to be a way overdressed, excited man. All I know is he had better bring us some sweet souvenirs. 

Life continues to throw excitement our way. 

 

The fun continues, and the Telford clan is coming to Dubai!

It seems that we have a full teaching staff. We even have someone to cover for our English teacher out on maternity leave. So, my fear of having to be in a grade 1 boys' class did not come to pass, thank goodness. My job on Sunday was to finalize the books we still needed. Just before school was out, I went to another school and collected more books. Now, we are only missing 4 reading sets. That's not too bad considering we were missing about 100 books, initially. I'm sure those other four will show up at some stage, Inshallah!

I got home just before Millie was dropped off on Sunday. Once she was home, she did her reading and then sat down to watch a little television. Stuart got home just in time for me to go and pick Jack up from swim squad. Once I was home with Jack, he started his homework and I was off again. 

Since I sold my car, I needed to get the title changed. But of course the lady that told me all I had to do was bring the buyer up and change the names on the registration was no where to be seen when I was told differently on Sunday. It seems that the insurance needs to be changed to the new owner. That should have been easy, but since we got our insurance online it was a bit more challenging. In the end we would have to go back another day. Oh well, so it is. 

Once I was back from the registration place, I changed clothes and headed to the rugby club to meet the kids and Stuart. The kids finally got their rugby kits, and they looked so cute in them. 

I walked and ran 4.5 miles in an hour, which is a exited for me, I'm pretty sure. I had to combat the cashews I had eaten that afternoon. I also chatted with some folks, and then we headed home for supper, showers and bed. Now that Jack is 8, his bed time has been moved to 7:30 pm. Actually, he has never needed as much sleep as Millie, but the decision to officially move the time was easier for both of them to handle because we attributed it to him turning 8. Well, this is all well and good unless you get home from rugby at 7 and are not finished eating until 7:30. At that point it doesn't seem special because your little sister is going to bed at the same time. 

I love my mornings now. Although I'm late to school everyday, I get to spend about 30 minutes with the kids before they are picked up for school. Their breakfasts, teeth and getting dressed is complete and we sit in the living room until Mr. Brian picks them up. It's great. Clearly, Pumpkin likes that time as well. 

Monday I was in meeting most of the morning. Our Cluster Manager, although he came to our school, had been deleted from emails the previous day. So basically he no longer had a job. In this country your contract can be terminated at any time. They also can release you after you are 60 years old. He knew this might happen and he was prepared. It seems unfair, but we all know what we have signed up for so that's how it goes. 

After school the teachers were supposed to meet with their Arabic counterparts, but instead we threw a surprise baby shower for one of our English teachers. We showered her with diapers to last at least a few months. She was embarrassed, but very grateful. 

After school I headed to Heritage Village to celebrate DeDe's birthday with her and a few of her friends. I stayed for a little over and hour and then headed home so Stuart could go to rugby training. 

When I got home I received a message about an incident that happened at Jack's birthday party. It was a bit of a shame because it seems that the three boys involved had three different stories and one of the moms thought her son's story was gospel. In the end I just said that I was sure the boys could sort it out and I was sorry. What else can you say at that point? 

Jack's second night staying up until 7:30 was a bigger deal on Monday night. He laid on the sofa at 7, watching yet another episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks, and announces, 'It's not 7:30 yet. Mama, thanks for making my bedtime later.'  He was very pleased that he was being given more time awake. 

Oreo was pleased that he was awake longer, as well. 

Once Jack was in bed, I continued watching trash shows on television. His being up later has curbed that for me a bit. Boo!

Stuart got home from rugby, had dinner, and we were both in bed by 10 pm. I hadn't felt brilliant all day and I blamed the humidity. For some reason it has been unseasonably humid the last week or so. I'm really ready for it to cool down. 

Tuesday Stuart stayed home from school with back spasms. However, an injection from the hospital fixed him all up. 

School has settled down a great deal and the new Vice Principals are starting to prove their worth. They have taken on a lot of duties that I used to do, which were the things I didn't like to do. It's awesome!  

I covered in a grade 4 girls' class on Tuesday. It was so entertaining. One students said she had been singing English karaoke. She started singing 'Let's Marvin Gaye get it on', which I'm pretty sure would qualify as haram. 

When I got home from school I helped Jack with his homework. I then rushed off to get the title of the car I sold changed over to the new owner, finally. That was a bit more of a hassle than I had thought it would be, but it's done now and we are back to being owners of two cars instead of three. 

Jack had play rehearsal and I informed the director he would not be there, after Wednesday, for the following four practices. She was not happy, but that was too bad because Stuart's family was coming into town and family time is more important to us than a play. I'm sure him missing rehearsal is not going to totally screw up the play, or at least I hope it doesn't. 

While he was at rehearsal I went across the street to Gift City, again. I found so many items there that are cheaper than anywhere else. This place is a little bit like a variety store they had back in the day. They have every thing you can think of and more. I had a great time shopping. I picked Jack up at 6:30. He had already had 2 pbjs and a bag of Cheetos, but still when we got home he wanted to eat. He's a growing boy, I suppose. 

Stuart and Millie had rugby practice and was home, bathed, and had eaten when Jack and I returned. So she scooted off to bed while Jack had a bite to eat. 

Wednesday morning I had an observation. Our pregnant teacher is due any day now and we had to get her first term observation completed before that time. 

While at school I got a panicked message from Ciera's mom, a little girl in Millie's class. She needed us to collect Ciera from school as the person who normally picks her up was unable to do so and they didn't know until mid day. So thankfully, Brian was able to help us out. I'm not sure how we would make it here without the kind expats that surround us. 

I ended up picking Jack up from his soccer practice. He was super chatty on the way home about what he had been learning in school. We are so thrilled that both kids are so happy at their new school. It makes the money we spend on the school fees totally worth it. 

Jack had rehearsal Wednesday evening and Millie had to go with us because Stuart had training. Millie was weepy after school and didn't really stop until she was asleep that evening. She was clearly tired.  She sounded as if she was getting a cold, so that didn't help. 

Once we were home, Jack ate and showered. Millie faked being asleep so I would carry her to bed. She had already had a shower before we left for rehearsal. Once I was back downstairs she came out of her room and asked if I could come and sing her a song. Cheeky!  

Millie was watching a movie at Starbucks while Jack was at rehearsal. 

Thursday was full of angry parents. I was not involved in any of the meetings, which was so nice. These meetings are often volatile, but have become more manageable with the new Vice Principals. They seem to put people in their place, and they have the wasta (power) to do so.  

When I got home Cathy came over for a cup of tea. We decided we would go to the rugby club. Kids had a swim

We chatted with the Richardsons, Sean, Mandy, Cathy, and Nick, Stuart's rugby coach. Since the restaurant is still not finished at the club, attendance on the weekend is still a bit low. 

We left the club just before 9 pm for showers and bed. Jack had a slight meltdown about his rubics cube, which made no sense at all other than he's 8 years old. He finally hit the bed around 9:30 pm and fell fast asleep. 

We were up Friday and I packed for our two days in Dubai. The Islamic new year gave us Sunday (October 2) off so we were thrilled because we were going to take the day off anyway to hang out with the Telfords coming from England and Australia. 

A boat trip had been arranged for Sunday, but was quickly moved to Saturday when the Telfords discovered Sunday would be a 'dry' day because of the holiday. Crisis averted! 

Friday morning I went to get a pack and play from our rugby friend's house for my new niece, Zoe. When I arrived home I discovered the kids had built a fort.  I ate some breakfast Stuart saved for me and then asked the kids to clean up their mess.  After they cleaned up the fort they were off to Sam and Michael's for a play. 

I headed to have the car cleaned, get gas, and money for our weekend. I also had to hit the grocery store for a snack to share at my Travel Treasures 'favorites' party for Friday evening. 

Stuart and Sean were so excited to wear their kilts after their match in Dubai. They were so excited. They got killed, but it was okay since they had their kilts. 

Kayleigh came over around 5 pm and I headed out for my night out. Stuart had left for his rugby match around 3 pm. It was in Dubai and he wouldn't be home u til late. I had also been invited to a wedding. This is the first wedding I have attended where I actually knew the bride. 

So after a very fun 'favorites' party, I came home and got changed, then headed to the wedding. I wasn't sure if I would see anyone there from school or not. The bride is one of our teacher assistants. 

I arrived at a location that did not seem like a wedding venue, but it was the place Amina had pinned me. I put my hazards on and sat in a parking space for a bit. Before too long a boy, about Jack's age, came up to the car and tried to answer my questions. The conversation went like this:

Me: Is this Amina's wedding?

Him: No English. 

Me: Wedding? Girls? (Pointing toward what sounded like a party) Benat? ('Girls' in Arabic)

Him: (pulling out his iPhone to have me speak into his google translate app)

Me: Wedding (speaking loudly into the iPhone)

Him: Men

Clearly I was in the wrong place. I headed my car to the wedding venue I knew and looked for my principal's rental car. I parked and went in. It was more crowded than I had ever seen in a wedding. I then found out there were three brides there. Wow! Amazing!  

After sitting there for a while, the brides finally started coming in. As each bride came in my principal and I would comment 'that's not Amina'. We did that for each bride. Yes, you guessed it, we sat through an entire wedding at the wrong wedding. We both just laughed and said this could only happen and go unnoticed in the UAE. 

Once I was home I showered, finished packing, watched some television and waited for Stuart to get home. He went up to bed and I did my usual, watched television through my eye lids. 

We got up and headed to Dubai after getting ice for the much needed beer in the gigantic cooler we had borrowed from the club. We got to the hotel around 10:30 and we're able to check in. However, there was no room available that early so we went to James and Lou's room. The kids reunited and all the fun began. 

Jack, Billy, Millie, Josh and Zoe; the Telford grandchildren reunite. The only one missing is Hope, Stuart's daughter. 

 

We headed to the marina just before noon and boarded the boat. It was Stuart's dad and step mum, his step brother (Barnes) and wife (Anna), his brother (Matt) and son (Josh), his brother (James), wife (Louise), son (Billy) and daughter (Zoe), childhood friend (Kate) and husband (Murray). It was a full boat and a whole lot of fun 

We cruised for 4 hours, had adventures on a banana boat, jumped of the side of the yacht, had a BBQ and drank a lot of beer (not me, of course). 

The whole crew was ready for an adventure. 

I was so happy to see Louise and the entire family, especially our new sweet little niece, Zoe. 

The boys and their dad, together again. 

Stuart and his brothers are really close. Stuart might have needed a larger life vest. 

The banana boat was a hit with the kids and the adults. 

And nothing ends a perfect trip like a good BBQ. 

Look at those sweet babies of ours. 

Barnes took the ultimate selfie!

Once we were off the boat, it was a race to get back to the pool bar before they stopped serving drinks. We had quite the time because taxis refused to put up those needing a ride back to the hotel. The marina is a horrible place to get around and if the cab driver knows you want to go to another place on the marina they will avoid the fare. So I did two trips to the hotel in our car. 

Once back at the hotel, we hit the pool bar. By the time the bar closed, the Australian crew were wiped anyway, decided to head up for showers and then a bite to eat in the buffet restaurant downstairs. 

While we were eating with Louise and James, the gave us the ultimate honor. They asked us if, while we were in Australia, we would be a part of Zoe's christening and be her god parents. I nearly cried. I know we life worlds away from each other, but I do feel as if we are close to James and Louise. I was so touched and so thrilled with being that big of a part in her life. I'm so excited!

On that high note, we headed up to our room with Kate, Murray, Barnes and Anna, even though the kids had fallen asleep in the restaurant chairs. We carried them up, put them to bed and enjoyed a good conversation for over an hour. 

They left and Stuart and I called it a night. What a great way to start our week with the family!

Millie's pictures from this week at school. 

All the students have returned, and the Telford family might be too busy for our own good.

School on Sunday was totally crazy. It was obvious that a full moon was upon us. We had two grade 2 boys get into a fight. I happened to be walking by their pod when it happened. My teacher for this class is new to the boys' side, and seeing these boys fight can be upsetting. My poor little teacher cried when she saw me. I told her that it was okay and the boys would be fine. She said she just felt bad because she should have been able to do something. But here, you often times can't predict when a fight will break out. The main reason is because you can't understand the language and don't hear the verbal clues. It can be very unsettling. 

On another note, I caught up on things I had needed to do for my teachers since school started. It was nice to actually feel accomplished again. 

I picked Jack up from Swim Squad. He felt like he did really well. He was excited to be a part of the swim team. He now has three after school activities and the first one was Sunday. On Mondays he will go to Performing Arts and on Wednesdays he will play football, or soccer. 

When I picked him up I noticed a folder with reading books inside his locker. I asked him what it was, and as he closed the locker, acting like it wasn't his, he said, 'I don't know'. I opened the locker and said, 'Well, it's yours because it has your name on it.'  After going back and forth with him, he finally vowed to my demand of putting it in his back pack. 

When we got home I sorted out that these books were his reading books for the week. Each week he will get two books at his instructional level and will have to read them. Then they are to be returned on Wednesday morning and new ones will come home on Thursday after school. I also emailed his teacher to clarify the reading books. I received and email back explaining the process that I explained above. When I asked Stuart if he knew anything about the books he said that he had read about them in the weekly bulletin we get via email. Oops! Needless to say, I may have seemed a little clueless to Jack's teacher. I think he thinks I'm 'that parent', my biggest fear. 

The kids had rugby training so Stuart and I drove separately. Once Millie was finished we headed home for sausage rolls, chips (fries) a bath and then bedtime. Millie was exhausted and was almost asleep before her head hit the pillow. Once Jack was home it was the same routine for him. 

I had decided I would get up to walk just two miles Monday through Thursday mornings. Getting up 45 minutes early is a more tollerable thought than an hour and fifteen minutes early. I had mentioned wanting to walk 2 miles in the mornings while we were at rugby practice. Lara, our neighbor, said she'd go with me. So that was my push to actually do it. 

The alarm went off at 4:30 am and I was up and out. Lara met me in front of my house at 4:45 am. We walked out two miles and were healthier for it. I got home, showered and had a difficult time waking the kids up. Millie is always difficult, but Jack is usually awake just after 5 am. I suppose swim squad and rugby training in one night can wear a fella out. 

Everyone was out the door and on their way to school. It was another Monday, as usual. I ended up leaving school at 2:30 and heading to the grocery store to buy ingredients so the kids and I could make cauliflower pizza. I'm such a domestic goddess. 

Millie stirred. 

They both put the little piles of mush in the tray. 

They were not beautiful, but they tasted wonderful. They were supposed to have pepperoni on them, but we couldn't find any. So we had to settle for hot dogs and salami. 

Once the kids were in bed, I made candied cashews with cinnamon and stevia. They had a bit of an after taste, but they were nice for a change in my diet. When Stuart got home, he ate some of the 'pizzas' and actually enjoyed them. 

Tuesday morning when Lara and I walked we got to a dumpster on the opposite side of our villas and had two kittens follow us back to the entrance of the Village. Cats are all over this country. There is a big problem with feral cats. The large wild cats are not even approachable and wouldn't dare come close to humans. But these babies followed us for almost a half mile. We decided that they had to be domesticated and had been dropped off when the owner felt they could take care of themselves. It was so sad. They were so sweet! Did I just say that? What has happened to me? I've become a cat lover! 

At any rate, they didn't follow us into the compound. They stayed right at the entrance. I told Lara that if they followed me home, I knew myself all too well, and I would end up taking them in as well. I could not allow myself to be a 'cat lady'. Fortunately, because they stayed outside of the compound, I dodged that bullet. 

When I got home I told Stuart all about them. He insisted we couldn't have two more cats, which I knew to be the case, at least in my head. I headed up to take a shower and it was school and business as usual. 

I left school early to go to a curriculum meeting for Jack's class. Stuart met me at home and we went together.

Here the kids are, waiting for us, patiently. 

After the curriculum meeting we picked the kids up from school and had a meeting with Jack's teacher. As I suspected, Jack wasn't listening in class as much as he should. He was formulating what he wanted to say before he listened to the directions or ideas of others. As I was speaking to his teacher and Stuart and I were telling him that we supported everything that he was doing to teach Jack, I realized that the fruit didn't fall far from the tree. My son is exactly like me. As I start to see this clearly, I say it out loud to Stuart and Mr. Seedat, his teacher. I start laughing at myself, realizing I have only myself to blame for his behavior. Now that I can see this, I know I'm going to start treating him differently. Instead of being mad at him, I'm going to train him to act differently. I hope it's not too late. I really have no right to be angry at him. I should be angry at me if I am angry at anyone. I've had some self discovery moments lately. I think your own kids reveal who you truly are and sometimes it's not so nice to see. Ugh!

When we got home from my personal 'epiphany', aka the meeting with Mr. Seedat, we fed the kids a snack. Jack showered and did some of his reading homework. He then got ready for play practice. It was only an hour on Tuesday so I promised him we would get something to eat after it was over. 

Stuart and Millie went to rugby practice while Jack and I were at play practice. When Jack and I left the rehearsal we decided to hit Rosie Lee's Tea Room for a bite to eat. Jack got scones and a chocolate milkshake, while I ordered an entirely too large pot of tea. 

Our obligatory selfie. 

On the way home from the tea room, we saw the kittens, that had followed us in our walk, at the entrance of our compound. I immediately messaged Lara. You see, she had planted the seed with her husband that morning so that once they reappeared they came to the gate and were prepared to take the kittens home with them. I was so excited. They have three boys who were going to be beyond thrilled. 

Stuart had Made dinner for me, so by the time I was home, had Jack in bed, and showered myself, I could sit down and enjoy my cauliflower mash. We also had sprouts and a mango sausage that we used to buy at Sam's Club. It is one of my favorite meals and reminded me of home. 

Wednesday I had a training regarding our national tests. On these days the meetings only last around 2 hours and I don't have to go to my school before or after the meeting. It's awesome. After the meeting I did a little shopping at the mall before heading home and waiting for Millie to get home from school. Jack had football (soccer) after school so I picked him up just after 3 pm. 

Jack had play practice from 5 pm to 7:30 pm on Wednesday evening. I picked up Louie and Jake, two boys in our neighborhood who are also in the play. Their mum is alone at the moment because her husband is with his sick mother in New Zealand. I figured she could use a few hours on her own. Millie and I had a Starbucks time together.

She watched a movie while I sat and drank coffee. After practice we headed home. Jack is apparently a funny character in the play, which Jake informed me of on the way home. 

Thursday was Jack's birthday. He got up and came into my room to tell me it was his birthday. He was so excited. He opened his presents from Grandma and Grandpa, Grannie, and Hope. These were gifts we brought back from the UK this summer. 

He headed off to school in a great mood with muffins for his classmates. Apparently he had a good day, that is, until he got home and I asked him where his reading folder was. Millie came right in from school and got her reading folder out. I asked her if she wanted a snack before she read and she said, 'when I'm finished with my homework'. She felt so grown up since she had homework now. 

Jack finally admitted to me that he didn't bring his reading folder home because he knew that if he had to do his homework, then he would have less time to play with his friends over the weekend. I told him he needed to remember that our home rules were there would be no screen time (television or iPad) until homework was completed for the day. Since he didn't bring his homework home, he couldn't possible complete it, therefore there would be no screen time for that evening. Fortunately for him, there was a school-wide picnic Thursday evening and we were able to get his reading folder. 

We were going to go for ice cream after the picnic but decided to go by the rugby club instead. It was quiet. There were not many people there, yet we still stayed for a couple of hours. The kids and I went home while Stuart stayed and helped sort out the new rugby kits that were delivered while we were there. 

Friday morning we got up and lounged around the house. We made a batch of brownies and a carrot cake for Jack's birthday celebration that would take place on Saturday morning.  We then went to a new church that I heard had a great children's program. We all liked it. The music was great and the pastor was an older man from the United States. 

After church we went to Circle Cafe for lunch. Jack had sushi again, but not as much as the last time we were there, and Millie had sweet potato fries and grilled chicken. After lunch we went home to do the kids' reading for school. 

Later in the day, Millie had been invited to a birthday party, as had Jack.

This little girls' dad is Emirati, so her party was off the hook. 

There was a magician, of course. 

Doesn't every 6 year old have a buffet like this at her birthday?

Initially, Jack didn't want to go, but in the end he decided to go with us. Stuart was at the club all day and had a match with the 1st team that started at 7 pm, but there were two matches before his. We made it back for part of his match. 

We stayed at the club until just after 11 pm. Because the club restaurant is being remodeled, it seems that club attendance is down this fall. However, we faithful still keep the party going. 

Once we were home, the kids took showers and went to bed. Their heads barely hit the pillow before they were asleep. It was the same for Stuart. 

We were up Saturday morning and preparing for the big party. It was finally here. I gathered all the paraphernalia needed for the lunch and desserts, and we took two cars to the mall. Jack had play practice after the party, so Stuart would bring Millie home. 

The kids loved Fun Block. We actually planned it out very well. I thought we would be able to put all 13 kids in the trampoline area, but it seems their regulations only allowed for 11 at a time. So we split them up into two groups. We ended their time at the mall with pizza, brownies, carrot cake and a treat bag when they left. Fun was had by all. 

The bouncing boys. 

Cake for the birthday boy. 

After Jack's party, we were to head to play practice. I thought I could slip in a quick trip to Urgent Care for an X-ray for Jack, who had been walking with a limp for the last few days. We thought it was a result of the fall at the pool party he went to the previous week. But when we got to the radiology department it was 2:30, the time play practice was to start. So I asked the guy if we could come back after play practice. The answer was a big yes!

So I enjoyed my regular Starbucks stop while Jack was rehearsing. After he was finished, back we went to the hospital, radiology department. The convenient thing is that the hospital is where they meet for play practice. This is the only place in the world that you can have the medical staff wait for you instead of the other way around. After two different trips to radiology, because the X-ray tech didn't X-ray the right part of the hip, also the only place in the world this would happen, the radiologist determined nothing was broken and that it must just be a deep bruise that is still bothering him. She told us to keep an eye on him and bring him back in a week or two if it persisted. 

Jack got a clean bill of health and we were off to start our nightly routines; bath, dinner, books, a song and sleep. Stuart and I ordered curry and Sean, our chairman of the rugby club and a friend of ours, came over to eat with us. Cathy came over as well. We sat and talked, halfway watched Gladiator, and then called it a night around 10 pm. 

Another fabulous week in the UAE has been had by all.