Our Arizona visit went way too fast.

Sunday morning I decided to get up and walk. I showered once I got home and we talked about going to church. Then we all decided to watch church on television. The church my parents attend when they live in Branson is called Woodland Hills and they do a live podcast each week. So we all settled in for an hour and a half and had church. 

Once we finished, the kids, Stuart and myself headed to Ken and Maytee’s for the day. We stopped at Target and picked up some cheese and pork products, as well as a coconut cream pie. We spent the entire afternoon chatting, eating and drinking. The kids were in and out of the pool, and generally had a wonderful time together. 

We got home around 5:30 pm. The kids headed off to take a shower and were then fed supper. There was a lot of chilling the rest of the evening and the kids went to bed early, which turned out to be a bad idea for Jack since he woke up at 2:30 am and proceeded to turn on the hall light and the living room light to find his iPad. I was quickly up to tell him he was to go back to bed. Then, of course, I stayed awake for another hour and a half. 

My alarm went off at 5:30 am and the kids were dressed and ready to go walking with me. As much as I love that time to myself, I hate to discourage them if they want to exercise with me. Stuart went as well so he could relieve me by taking the kids home if they decided they didn’t want to walk the full three miles. Millie made it 2.5 miles and Jack made it the entire 3 miles in 45 minutes. When I was their age my folks MADE me get up every morning to run/walk at an indoor track in my home town. I hated it! But, now look who still exercises. And I’m convinced the reason my parents can still hike in Sedona at the ages of 76 and 80 is because of that healthy living throughout their lives. So I suppose I should thank them for making me do some things I didn’t want to do.

My dad had a doctor appointment that would last the entire morning. So I went to have coffee with my former principal, Diane, and a teacher friend, Lisa. We didn’t get to be together that long, but it was quality time catching up. Unfortunately, because this time in Arizona is so short for us, I have really not planned any get togethers with friends unless they have initiated the contact. Because we are having my 50th birthday celebration on Friday, I have invited everyone to that evening. At least I will get to see those who are able to come. 

After coffee I came back to the house and picked up Stuart and the kids. We headed to our storage unit to put in a bag of things we had brought home specifically to store. We then made our way to Ross and TJ Maxx, as well as Famous Footwear. We were in search of trainers for Jack for the coming school year. The mission was accomplished and then some. 

We hit Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch, before heading to Millie’s 6 year appointment. I realize she is almost 7, but we didn’t go to her6 year appointment last year because we didn’t come home last summer. She had asked me if she was going to get shots. I told her ‘no’ and that her next shot would be when she was 11. Well, I was wrong. It seems she was going to need a Hepatitis B booster.  Oops! She was a trooper and didn’t even whence when she got jabbed. After the doctor we hit Dairy Queen on the way home. 

At her appointment we discovered, as we have always know, that she will always be a petite little girl with a huge personality. If trends continue, she will only be about 5 feet 2 inches when she is grown. 

We got home and my dad was napping and my mom had gone to the grocery store. The kids played on their electronics while Stuart and I sorted out the shopping. Then we played on our electronics as well. Ha! We had a gorgeous dinner of salmon, potatoes, wild rice and a green bean concoction that was delightful. The kids were then ushered to showers. We were going to play Old Maid, which is always a riot with Millie, but then she fell asleep on the sofa, so instead we attempted to teach Jack to play Pitch. Stuart and I killed my mom and dad. Jack went to bed and we rounded off our night with Family Feud in television. It’s a nightly ritual at my parent’s house. 

I got up early and went for a walk with my dear friend Sue. The kids walked with my parents and it rained in their walk. I hit Wal Mart on my way back to the house. I bought some adorable fabric for my classroom for next year. I showered and then we headed to Arizona Mills Mall, an outlet mall across town. We were still in search of dress shirts for Stuart. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe, which is too expensive, but someone has to pay for those animated gorillas I suppose. We ended our shopping trip at the Dillard’s outlet, where Stuart got new dress shirts for the new school year. 

We didn’t get back to the house until after 4 pm, just in time for Stuart and I to get spruced up to go to sushi with my friend Liz. We met her just after 5 pm and had a lovely catch up. She had just been on a mission trip to South Africa and brought me this gorgeous glass necklace. We made another Wal Mart run and Liz was with us. She pointed out some new protein bars and I stocked up. We ended our evening at Starbucks, as you do. When we got home we watched Family Feud!

Wednesday morning I woke up at 4:30 am, read some messages from some of my teachers and a Head of Faculty that was reassigned to my old school, then decided to just get up and do my run/walk for the day. No kid was with me. I think they have had their fill of walking. When I got back, Stuart had made a grocery list for Sam’s Club. The party was quickly approaching and the shopping had to be completed. 

I sat on the porch and drank my coffee while Stuart went for a run. When he returned we cleaned up and got ready for our Sam’s run. Grammie made the kids waffles and I had one of my new protein bars, Glazed Donut. It was yummy! 

We did our Sam’s run which was not cheap, but it would be worth it. After all, it was for my 50th birthday. We got home and unloaded the car. We headed out again for some items we couldn’t get at Sam’s. We went to a place called Sprouts, we also hit Target and Wal Mart, again. 

In the afternoon Jack, Dad, Stuart and myself went to play golf. There was a monsoon that was rolling in, but it ended up going around us. We only made it nine holes, but we all had fun, despite the heat and aggravating shots. Millie and Grammie took a trip to Jake’s Unlimited, an entertainment place with rides and games. They ended up eating there. So once they were home, Millie just needed a shower and she was ready for bed. 

Jack loved driving the cart. 

The evening provided a little nap for all of us and then some leftovers for everyone. We had a bit of a chilled evening. The kids had showers and everyone ate leftovers. It was a relatively uneventful evening. 

I got up at 5:30 am on Thursday to walk. When I got home I jumped in the shower and got ready to go to Vicki’s house. Jack was so excited to see Gavin. Unfortunately, Maddax, her youngest had been sick and that tummy bug had lingered. So we had to cancel that visit. It’s tough to see everyone when we are only here for 9 days. 

Once everyone had eaten breakfast, Stuart and I snuck off to Target for some spices and a few more items, such as headphones for the kids. They would need those for the car journey cross country with Grammie and Pop. 

When we got back, we decided to repack our bags. As always, our bags were starting to fill up quickly with things that are much cheaper here than in the UAE. We were trying to pack the kids’ stuff to go with Grammie and Pop, as well as packing our things for Chicago. The struggle was real. 

We had lunch at MOD pizza with our friend Brian. He is one of my oldest friends in Arizona. It’s always such fun to see him. When we pulled into the parking lot, we saw a Tesla car. Stuart said, ‘I bet that’s Brian’s car’. I giggled. Well, wouldn’t you know, when we came out after eating lunch, Brian announced that he was driving that Tesla. He took us for a ride. It was such a cool car. It was a wonderful lunch with a fun car ride at the end. 

We got home and watched some television before getting ready to go to dinner with our friends John and Jenny. We picked them up around 6:30 and headed to Scottsdale to a Thai restaurant. We had some very delicious food and wonderful company. 

I got up to walk and then went to Wal Mart to get some milk. Between Jack and Pop we could hardly keep the milk supply up at the house. I packed and tried to get the kids packed for their road trip with Grammie and Pop. 

At 9:30 I went to a drumming class. It was such a laugh. I went with my friend Sue. It was so much fun! I really wish they had a class like this in Al Ain. I may figure out a way to start one. 

I stopped at Walgreens on the way home to get Jack some plantar wart medication and some little gifts for Grammie to give the kids on their road trip. I then returned home. Stuart was cooking like a fool for my birthday party. 

We both showered and got ready for the party. Guests started arriving and the fun began. I saw friends I hadn’t seen in a long while. One of my guests, Krys, brought his guitar. Christian, Maytee, Ken and I sang and he played his guitar. It was a very pleasant surprise. I had such a fantastic evening. I think I’m going to like 50! It was an epic night. 

Saturday I slept in until almost 8 am. We spent most of the day getting ready to leave Arizona. My mom and I took some beer and food back to Sam’s Club, Target and Wal Mart. We got back to the house around 11:00. We had a Christmas and birthday celebration where we all received season passes to Silver Dollar City, an amusement park in Branson. So in the two weeks we will be there we will be able to go as much as we like. The kids are very excited. 

I spent the afternoon with my bunco babes, which was full of laughter! I don’t know that I’ve ever had a more unique group of women as friends. They are different from one another, but like minded in so many ways, and boy do they make me laugh! Stuart had dropped me off at the party and then he came back to pick me up at 6:30. When we got home, it was time for Millie to go to bed. Jack followed shortly after and was a bit weepy saying, ‘I’ll see you in three days, Mama’. Oh, he is his mother’s child. Bless him. We put our last load of laundry in the dryer and hit the sack. Arizona did not disappoint. See you in a few years! 

Work is almost over and it’s time for holiday!

I didn’t sleep well Saturday evening. I think I was worried my alarm wouldn’t go off. Stuart got permission from his principal to be off for the next three days, whereas I didn’t have the nerve to make such a request. So I was going to have to drive back from Dubai to go to work each day. 

I left at about 5 am, and got to school to discover my principal wasn’t even at school. I decided to leave around 10:30 to get some things done and head back to Dubai. No one really cared if I was there or not. I went by the Rugby club to pick up hats for Josh and Matt. I went to the bank to cancel my account. I stopped at the mall to get Millie some sandals, which she didn’t like and I ended up taking them back. I then stopped by the house to get Stuart some work clothes. It seems he will have training on Tuesday, so will have to go to work after all on Tuesday. 

I got back on the road around 12:30. I was thinking I would get to the lounge just as they were opening for afternoon tea. Oh, but that wasn’t due to start until 3 pm. I thought it started at 2 pm. I purposely didn’t eat anything so I could enjoy that spread. Oh what to do? Do I wait for an hour or do I join the family at the pool? I got a cup of tea and then joined the family at the pool. This extra charge for the lounge may not be paying for itself. 

After the pool we came upstairs and hit the lounge for a beverage and a snack. We didn’t eat much, except for Millie, who ate her weight in fish fingers. Once we were back in the room, Jack decided he wanted to order spaghetti from room service. After he snarfed that down, we crawled into bed and everyone was asleep before 9 pm. 

We were up at 6 am, as we had to get to Al Ain for the kids to have their assessment at Brighton College. We got there just in time for Millie to go into a Year 1 class to play, and Jack to take his computer assessment. I saw a lot of people I knew and they all congratulated me. It was such a good feeling to come into the school and be able to know I was going to work there next year. I was also a bit nervous about the experience. 

After their assessment, we hit the road to go back to Dubai. This weekend has definitely been exhausting as far as travel is concerned, but it has been so nice for all of us to be together. 

We got to the hotel and changed into our swimmers. Josh, Matt and Stuart came to the room for a bit and then we all headed to the pool. We stayed there for a while, then back up to the room for showers in order to get ready to go to Hunters, the best steak house in Dubai. 

After dinner it was night time. Everyone was exhausted. We woke in the morning to another muggy day. We had breakfast in the lounge and then Stuart was off to a meeting he had to attend. The kids and I hung around a bit longer, and then decided we had might as well get back to Al Ain. Halfway back we discovered that Millie had left blankie somewhere other than her back pack. Matt looked and I called the hotel, but no luck. She handled it pretty well. Stuart promised her we would get her a new one. 

On the way home we stopped and had Millie’s hair cut. It looks a lot like mine now. She’s a pixie for sure. We got home just after 11 am. I unpacked and then started packing again for our summer adventures. It was all too exciting to be leaving in a few days. 

Claire came over to stay with the kids until Stuart got home from his meeting. I had to go to Brighton to meet one of my new students next year. Transitions are not always easy for this little guy so everyone involved thought it would be a good thing for us to meet before the first day of school. I was told he loves Lego, so naturally I took pictures of my two Legos that I have completed so that I could show him. I also took him two of the little figurines to give to him. I’m not stupid. If I need this boy to trust me and let me help him, then I know the tricks. After I met with his teacher from this year and a few of the other key players, I met this delightful young boy who brought me his Lego to show me. When I showed him my pictures, he was totally engaged and then started, every so slightly, interacting with me. It was such a good feeling. He reminded me of my all time favorite, yet most difficult students, whom I also named my son after.....Jack. The whole experience made me even more excited about the year ahead. I know God has led me to Brighton College. I look forward to the adventure. 

I got home just before 3 pm. Stuart then decided to take Jack to get his hair cut and pick up some groceries for dinner. We didn’t want to buy much, as we would not be there many more days. Millie decided to go with them to the store. I continued to pack and keep laundry going. 

Once they were all back, Jack played on his PS4 and Millie listened to music in his room on her phone. It was peaceful. Both kids showered just before 6 pm, had dinner, and then Millie decided to watch the new movie version of Benji. Stuart and I got sucked in as well. She went to bed a bit later than normal, but it was okay. 

When I got up on Wednesday morning all I could do was dread going to school. When I got there I discovered again that my principal wasn’t going to be there again that day. It was easier to be there, but I was still bored out of my head. I left at the normal time and picked he kids up from school. We got home and just chilled out. The Richardsons came over for dinner. It was our last dinner together and was sad, to say the least. 

I stripped our bed on Thursday morning. I always like everything clean and today before going on holiday, mainly because coming home to a dirty or messy house makes me crazy. At school we had a party and celebration at school. Many teachers were not going to be there the following week, so it seemed appropriate. 

These are the gifts they gave to different teachers who were getting married or moving into a new home. It never ceases to amaze me of how over the top the UAE is!

I got home just after noon and started getting the rest of our bags packed and animals organized. I gave Duke a bath and noticed a rash on his belly. I decided to take him to the vet before delivering him to our friends, Jane and Bryce. It turned out to just be a heat rash. 

When I got home, the kids and I took Duke to his vacation home. We had prepared envelops for their boys that had money in them. I knew Jane and Bryce wouldn’t take the money for keeping Duke, so I gave it to their boys. 

We went to have dinner with Mandy and Cathy at the rugby club as a final farewell, at least for Mandy. We would see her again in London in August. She is moving there with her new found love. 

We got home and everyone showered. We headed to the airport around 8:30 pm, turned in the car and then had to wait for nearly an hour before we checked in. The kids were so tired, but were troupers. They didn’t complain, even though Jack had developed a stye in his eye. Poor kid! He was in pain but still carried on. 

Once we were through security it was nearly 11 pm. Millie decided she wanted a Happy Meal, and she ate it all, while Jack slept on my lap. We were able to go to the gate at 12:45 am and then boarded the plane, premium economy, at 1 am. How we managed to get into premium economy is beyond me. I clearly am married to a travel genius. We were served drinks in real glasses and the cutlery was real as well, not plastic. There was a ton more room and it was just a step above what I’m used to. 

The flight was relatively uneventful. Millie slept the entire 7 hours, but I had to convince Jack to go to sleep about 3 hours before we landed. His eye was still bothering him when he woke up, but he said it did feel better. I’m hoping it passes soon. 

Once in London, we headed to the Aspire Lounge for coffee and to relax. We had a 6 hour layover so we needed something to pass the time. We were granted 3 hours of lounge access with our credit cards, which made everything free. We all had a bite to eat and coffee, well, the kids had juice and soda. It was an easy way to spend three hours. After we left the lounge, we did some walking around for a little over an hour, until finally the gate was open. 

We boarded the plane and the reality of sitting in premium economy was awesome. The seats are a bit bigger and a lot more motivating to sit in for 10 hours. I watched a few movies, as did the rest of the family. The kids slept quite a bit, but I just dozed. Stuart seemed to sleep some. All in all the flight was uneventful and comfortable. Millie slept so much she didn’t eat any of her meals. 

When we landed in Phoenix, we went through customs without a hitch. We thought we might have issues, but not a word was said. Our flight landed at 2:40 pm on Friday afternoon and were waiting for our bags by 3 pm. Waiting for the luggage was the long part. We finally got through to the waiting area at 4 pm. The kids were elated to see Grammie and Pop. They ran straight to them and wouldn’t let go of them. It was so sweet. Grammie, as usual, brought gifts for the kids. 

We piled the bags into my dad’s truck and were off towards Queen Creek. The kids rode with Grammie and Pop, while Stuart and I drove the truck. We unloaded the bags and then headed to the T-Mobile store to get SIM cards for our phones. Then we had our usual meal at Chipotle. We headed to Target for some shopping, mainly for toys for the kids, and then we were back to the house to unpack the bags, take showers, and try to convince the kids it was time for bed. 

We were awake several times in the night. We finally resigned ourselves to getting out of bed at 5 am. We tried to be as quiet as possible, and quickly were reminded that Millie doesn’t know how to whisper. I had my coffee on the porch, as is my favorite thing to do at my Mom and Dad’s house. The kids had some yogurt and cherries, and were fascinated by the dew on the grass from the sprinklers. It’s amazing the things you forget your children have possibly never seen. 

Stuart and I met our friends Sue and Tim for breakfast. The kids stayed with Grammie and Pop. We had a great time with Tim and Sue. It’s always so good to visit with those friends who are lifelong friends, no matter how short the time. 

Once we left our favorite breakfast spot, The Farmhouse, we headed to Wal Mart to get Stuart some undershirts. When we got home, Stuart and I decided to go to the outlet mall to do some more, you guessed it, shopping. I was looking for closed toed shoes, as next year I will not be allowed to wear sandals to work. Boo! We found a few treasurers for much cheaper than we could ever buy them in the UAE. 

When we got home, the kids, Grammie and Pop we’re heading to Wal Mart to get some sandwich stuff to have on hand for the week. So we sorted out our shopping while they were gone. When they returned, Stuart decided to take a nap. Before long we were all asleep in our respective spots. At about 5:30 pm I woke the kids up and forced them to shower. Millie fell right back to sleep and she was down for the night. 

Stuart and I headed to dinner at Cantina Loredo with our friends Ken and Maytee. We had a great night with them. We decided to hit the casino and give them some of our money. When will I ever learn? We made a random stop at Wal Mart so Ken and I could get some Little Debbie snack cakes. We are troubled eaters for sure. We were hopeful that our jet lag had passed and we would be able to sleep through the night. Our holiday has just begun and so far we have enjoyed every moment. 

Dinner!

Gelato!

My friend Maytee!

Oh what to do!

Sunday at school, I monitored an exam. I ended up leaving at 11:30 to go try to sort out my exit process. What a pain in the butt that was. I closed one of my bank accounts, and then met Stuart for lunch. I went to get my refund from our school deposit, just to discover it was non-refundable. I will be going to speak to someone about that situation, as you would guess. 

Millie and I made cupcakes after school to celebrate Millie’s early birthday at school on Monday. I iced them and she used the sprinkles to decorate them. What a sight they were. 

Millie and Jack both showered, ate dinner and went upstairs to watch television. They fussed over who was going to sit on our new oversized bean bag. In the end, Millie was sent to bed early. She is not the most obedient child that ever walked the earth. I’m hoping she will learn to play the game a bit better as she gets older. 

We got up Monday morning and Skyped Grammie and Pop. In Arizona it was Pop’s 80th birthday! The kids spoke with them both for a while, while I rushed around to get lunches ready, breakfast sorted, and finish getting myself ready for school. Then we were off to school. 

I marked exams instead of monitoring the last exam of the year. We then had 5th grade graduation. It lasted way too long and cut into our marking time. The pressure was on to have all of the exams marked and reported by Tuesday at noon. 

I left and went to the bank to ask their advice on how to sort out my car loan once I started the exit process from my current employer. It is a bit tricky here. Sometimes they think when you cancel your visa, you are leaving the country without settling up your debt, so they hold any money in your account. I tried to assure them that this wasn’t the case. In the end, I think I resigned myself to not worrying about canceling my visa until we returned. It will end up costing me a bit more money, but it will be better than having my bank account closed. 

I then went to Brighton College to turn in all of my required documents, as well as the kids documents so I could get them enrolled in school. I stopped quickly at the supermarket and got the kids chicken fingers for dinner. When I got home, Stuart and the kids had gone to the rental car company to trade Stuart’s rental car. When they got back, Jack wanted to go to Ian’s house, but was quickly sent back. The kids had dinner, but Jack surprised me by taking a shower before he came down to eat. He was very pleased with himself for taking the initiative. Naturally, Millie wasn’t up for taking a shower just then, so she went after she ate. 

They both headed upstairs around 6 pm, and then Millie was in bed by 6:30. I heard Jack call for me around 7 pm. He said Oreo had seen something in the bathroom. It turns out, Oreo saw a gecko and caught it, eating it all up. Such is life! The night was called early because of sleepiness. Wow!

I got up and walked by myself on Tuesday morning. I finished grading exams for the year and got them all recorded. I was called to the office to do planning for next year. Uh, why would I want to do planning for next year? So the principal and myself politely declined. The principal let us go home at 12:30, which was a nice treat. Three of my EMTs and myself went to the food court at the local mall to have lunch. 

Once I left the mall I went back to ADEK headquarters to ask about canceling my visa. Why can’t I figure this out? I came out more confused than ever. 

Once I got home, Stuart and I decided it was best to cancel my visa so that when I returned to the country there would be no issue with me going to my new job the first day. It is illegal to have a visa from one company, yet be working for a different company. 

I left to have dinner with Leanne, and Stuart decided to take the kids to the pool and then feed them at the club. On my way to meet Leanne, Rochelle called me and told me that her friend’s daughter was just informed she would be in my class next year. They told all of the children on Tuesday. So I guess it’s for sure!

When I got to the mall, I found a table at the restaurant for Leanne and myself. Leanne is one of my friends who lost her job this year. She and her husband were both advisors to the English staff. Since the Ministry of Education doesn’t have those positions, all of them lost their jobs. That means they are both without jobs. She seemed to think something would turn up. She was very positive and uplifting. I sometimes feel guilty that there are quite a few people looking for jobs. I already had one and then decided I wanted a different one. It seems it was all too easy for me, while others are struggling. I guess it was meant to be. 

When I got home, I went upstairs and kissed Millie goodnight. Jack was watching television in the loft and then came down to sit with us for a bit before he went to bed. Stuart followed shortly after, but I decided to stay up and watch my brainless shows. 

I got up Wednesday morning and waited for 5 minutes for Lara to show up. Then I was off on my own to walk. She messaged later and said that she had forgotten to set her alarm. 

School was beyond boring. The hours dragged on. I took a card around for people to sign for one of our teachers who is getting married this summer. We decided to present her the card at our end-of-year meal out that evening.

After school, I made one more trip to the bank to make sure they knew all of the details of my new employer. Then I went to the Zone (ADEK headquarters) and canceled my visa. It was all too real now.  

I then went to the post office to pick up something I ordered in January. The postal service is a bit slow here. Ha! I then met Stuart and the kids at the mall. We let the kids use their free Bounce passes while we sat and had coffee. It was nice. 

Stuart took the kids home and I went to my end of year party. When I got home Cathy was there. She had come over for dinner. We stayed up talking to nearly midnight. Then it hit all of us that we had to go to work the following day. So Cathy went home and we went to bed. 

Lara actually got up to walk with me on Thursday. I got to school and the Arabic staff had a wedding celebration for our English teacher, Ruquayah. I met with my English teachers and passed out my silly certificates. I left school at 12:30 to pick up my canceled visa. 

When I got home I got ready to go to the club. Thursday night was our end of year Splash Bash. I was worried about the event, but it turned out to be a huge success. Event planning may be my next career. It was so exhausting, yet so much fun. 

Dunk tank

Baby pool

Candy floss


After we dumped the water from the dunk tank and the slide, everyone had a blast. 

Friday morning we got up and went to the grocery store. We bought a lot of dog food, cat food, cat litter and some snacks for the weekend in Dubai. Stuart’s brother Matt and our nephew, Josh, were coming to Dubai for a few days and we were going to stay with them. 

We had one last dinner with the O’Reillys and the Richardsons. We decided to order curry. They all came over around 4:30 pm. Everyone was gone around 9 pm. As you would guess, I cried. This is definitely the down side of the expat life. 

I had to go put my striped shirt on in order to fit in. 

Saturday we were up and off to Dubai to see Uncle Matt and Josh. We arrived around 9:30, went up to the room Matt and Josh had, dropped off our stuff and headed to the pool. We stayed at the pool most of the day. We decided we would pay a little extra to get the club lounge access, which meant food and drink for most of the day. 

The pool we love so much at the Le Meridian. 

Starting the weekend with cold brew. 

When you go to play rugby in the grass, sometimes a bush jumps out and attacks. 

A bit of lunch for the worn out kids. 

Showers for all and a bit of down time. 

Why do my children always look a little less normal than others. 

Dinner, before Josh fell asleep. 

We came back to the room around 4 pm to shower and get ready for dinner. We went to the club lounge at 6 pm and poor Josh fell asleep at the table. The jet lag was setting in. 

We all ended up back in our rooms at 7 pm. Josh and Matt went to bed, and so did we. We sat and watched television. Millie went to sleep at 7:30. Jack followed at 8:30, and I dozed from 8:30 until about 10:30 when Stuart turned the television off. It was the beginning of a busy few days. 

Guess who got a new job?

Sunday we got  up and spoke to Grammie and Pop. Since we didn’t have school it was a perfect time. However, we had to cut it short as I had a hair appointment and we had to go to the hotel to collect Stuart’s car because he had left it there the day of the brunch. 

My salon appointment was at 9 am. Gina, my hair dresser, didn’t arrive until 9:30 am. When she got there, it was decided to color all of my hair as I had decided I was too cheap and lazy to keep up my highlights. I also decided on the total summer cut and the keratin straightening. The bad part about these treatments is they take a long time. I was hopeful I would meet Stuart and the kids at the mall for lunch at noon. Unfortunately, it was closer to 2 pm. 

Once I was at the mall, we had lunch and did a bit of shopping. The kids each bought a rubics cube and Stuart bought a book. Since it was Father’s Day, Jack decided he wanted to buy something for Stuart, secretly of course. Well, thank goodness for technology. I just messaged Stuart and told him to point out some things he wanted in American Eagle, and then walk out of the store so the kids could pay for it. He acted surprised and the kids were thrilled. 

We got home just before 4 pm and the kids decided to go upstairs to watch television. The rest of the evening was rather chilled. I was anxious as the next day I would face my principal and I had no idea what that would look like. 

School on Monday was filled with a lot of love from the teachers I had not seen in 5 weeks. Sadly, my principal barely spoke to me. I really do feel sorry for her. She has obviously not been treated well somewhere in her life to treat others this way. 

After school, I headed to buy items for the rugby club Summer Splash Bash. I bought water balloons, baby pools, sponges, water cups and small prizes. When I got home, I checked my email and saw that I had received my evaluation. Some of the comments made were not even read to me before she published it. It was so personal and hateful. I immediately wrote an appeal. 

Tuesday school was not much better than Monday. I continued to score writing exams, but at least I didn’t have to see the principal and kids were still not in attendance. We know they will only show up for exam days. That means of the last 12 days of school, they will only be here 4 of those days. The principal left at 10:30 am and we had a staff meeting at noon. I’m pretty sure she has checked out, which is fine by me. 

After school I picked up the kids. They went upstairs to watch television. We later went to the club to deliver the items I had purchased for the end of year party. We decided to have dinner. In the meantime, I forwarded my appeal to my cluster manager who told me I now needed to contact the new executive principal of our building. It turns out it is my favorite Vice Principal from my old school. What a little blessing that will be, if in fact I end up staying in my current position. She knows my character and will know the things said in my evaluation are fabricated.  

When we got home from the club, the kids showered and Millie was off to bed. I finished up the article I write every month for a local publication called Oasis Living, and then sat down to watch some television. 

Jack came into our room at 2:40 am to tell me he had a bad dream. Naturally, he had gone downstairs and turned on all the lights. When he saw the time, he came back upstairs, not turning off any lights, and came into our room. I took him back to bed and then lay awake until 4:20 am, thinking about the nastiness of my principal. All I could do was pray, literally. I sang a song in my head that I grew up with in church. The lyrics are ‘Jesus, be Jesus, in me. No longer me, but Thee. Resurrection power, fill me this hour. Jesus, be Jesus, in me’. I must have sang that song 100 times to try to convince myself that I need to send love her way instead of doing what I wanted to do. When someone does you so dirty because of their own shortcomings, you are really tested as to what kind of person you are. Do I return hate for hate or love for hate? I know the right thing to do, and continue to ask God to help me do the right thing. But the human side of me wants her to recognize and correct her misdoings. I’m not sure that will ever happen, and that is the hardest thing to take. She’s said untrue things about me that may effect my livelihood and it is all out of bitterness and spite. But, to use an old saying, I must let go and let God. He is in control and will be in control in this situation. The struggle is real. 

I finally fell back to sleep and ended up getting up a little later than normal. I arrived at work and noticed my principal was not at school. It made my stress level go straight down, which was nice. The students were at school as they had an exam on Wednesday. However, they were dismissed and went home at 10 am, when the exam was over. 

Before the exams started, I sat down and spoke to my Vice Principal, Shaikha. Shaikha is my kind of person. We don’t agree on everything, and when it is all said and done, I will always do what I am told to do. I have disagreed with her, but if I have needed to, I have apologized and we always move on. She doesn’t take anything personally and she starts each day new. She is friendly and a good person. 

I started the conversation by telling her that I wanted to clear the air. I told her I wanted to make sure she knew that any issues the principal and I had, had nothing to do with her. I also wanted to assure her that I respected her and what was happening between myself and the principal was personal. I informed her there were things written in my evaluation that I was not aware of, even though they were to read all of the comments to me. She seemed aware of the situation and looked embarrassed. We left the conversation on a good note. I told her I was excited about next school year and I knew it would be a good one. 

Once the exams were over, we waited for the answer documents to arrive. Prior to them arriving, I noticed our new Executive Principal was sitting in the Vice Principal’s office. I went in and started speaking with her. It seems she was at the school to speak to several of us about our issues with the principal. I felt so much better after my conversation with her. She is going to be such an asset to this school for next year. 

I went out to get a few things since the students were bussed home after the exams, and we still hadn’t received the marking scheme for the exams. Jaime, one of my grade 1 teachers went with me. We were back at school and marking exams at 12:30 pm. All of the English teachers were in the room making sure all students had a fair assessment of their test. These tests are a large part of their final grade, and for grades 4 and 5, if they don’t pass, they don’t move on to the next grade. 

I went to pick the kids up from school and then it was home time for a bit. We got ready for date night. This was the night I was going to get to try out my new clubs. This week all 4 of us went on a date. We all went to play golf. Jack got frustrated, like his Uncle Russ and his mama, and Millie just thought she was the greatest player ever, as she twirled around and talked the entire time. It was fun, but my new golf shoes wore blisters on my heels, so they will need some more wearing in, obviously. We then went to eat sushi at the golf club restaurant. When we got home, the kids showered and went straight to bed. I was exhausted as well and fell asleep on the sofa at 9:00, I think. I finally went upstairs at around 10:30. 

Like pros



Lining up the ball, I think. 

Thursday morning we were out the door and at school to endure another day of exams. I dreaded seeing my principal and now just avoid her, as I’m sure she does the same to me. I was to monitor the exams in grade 5, again. I sat in the hall while they took the exam. Guess who walked by? She always has her Bluetooth headphones in her ear, which I find to be rude and unprofessional, but there you have it. I spoke to her and she spoke to me, and then let me know that she had approved my sick leave. For some reason, she feels the need to sit on things because that somehow gives her the power. I hate to inform her, but in this country, I don’t care what your title is, if you are not from this country, you have no power. Oh, and she also was released from her contract. So why does she insist on going out in this fashion. Again, just continuing to pray for her. 

Once the morning exams were over and the students were gone, we continued to mark the previous day exams. I met with Shaikha, the Vice Principal to decide what teachers would be teaching the following year. I, too, will be teaching, so if course I was interested in what the decisions would be. I was thrilled that she was making me a big part of the decision making. 

I got home and started in on preparations for the party that would fall upon our house that evening. We were having a surprise leaving party for the Turners, O’Reillys and the Richardsons. They knew they were coming for dinner, but they didn’t know we had invited a house full! It was sure to be a wonderful night. Geraldine, a common friend, decided we would have a curry themed night, which was fine by us. She came over earlier than the guests to help me get ready. We asked that all guests arrive at 5 pm and then told the guests of honor to be there at 5:30 pm. 

Before Geraldine got there, I got a call from the head of the junior school. He officially invited me to be a Year 2 teacher at Brighton College. That is 1st grade in the states. Yes, you read that correctly. I am up for the challenge and it is time for this change. Once I had finished speaking with Mr. McArthur, we called the kids down and I told them we had a surprise for them. Jack immediate said, ‘Are we going back to Brighton College next year?’ I said, ‘What makes you ask that?’ He said, ‘I heard you speaking to Mr. McArthur on the phone.’ I call this selective listening, considering Jack was upstairs in his room and I was downstairs in the lounge when I spoke to Mr. McArthur. 

Both kids screamed with delight. I then ask them how it would be possible for them to go back to Brighton College. You could tell the wheels of their brains were turning. Then Millie said, ‘Did you get a job there for next year?’ I told her yes, and in fact, I would be teaching in the same year group she was going to be in. She squealed and said, ‘You could be my teacher.’ To which I responded, ‘Uh, no way!’  All the same, we were all happy. 

The guests arrived for the evening, as did the guests of honor, finally. They were surprised, and we all had a fantastic curry evening.  I believe the last guests left just after 11 pm. The kids went to bed dirty, and I knew the daunting task of clean-up would be the thorn in my side the following day. The kids had left an absolute mess in the loft, but they had fun so that was the important part. 

We got up Friday morning and went to breakfast with the Richardsons. Then we helped them take things to the house they would be staying in for the next two weeks. Moving from this country is quite the job. 

I resigned on the computer and messaged my principal. Guess who is my bff again? She was so friendly and helpful via messenger. I don’t get her, but it doesn’t matter. The process had begun and I was well on my way to my new job. 

We ended up going home just before noon and having lunch. Then Scott and Clare dropped their kids off around 3:30, as well as their dog. They went back to their house to do some last minute things, then returned to a leftover curry dinner, bringing punjabis and samosas. 

They were gone around 7:30 pm and at that point Jack hopped in the shower without even being told. Millie took a little more persuasion, but got in the shower in the end. She then went straight to bed. Jack played his PS4 for another 45 minutes, while Stuart and I sat in the living room with Sean, listening to music. We turned in shortly after 9. 

Saturday morning I got up and changed our sheets on our bed. The kids ate breakfast, I had my usual 3 cups of coffee, and we got ready to go and pick up Henry and May. Stuart had volunteered to help Scott with the movers, while I volunteered to take all the kids to see Incredibles 2, have lunch, and go back to ours to play until Scott and Clare could come and collect them. 

These were the random camels walking in the road as we drove to the cinema. 

The film was so cute, as expected. Lunch was at the ever nutritious McDonalds, where three of the four children were either too tall or too old to play in the Playland, yet that didn’t stop them, and back at the house there was more playing.....and possibly some arguing and screaming, which is normal with those 4 kids, and probably most kids. 

Clare came to pick up her two around 4 pm. Stuart went to help Scott some more and then he headed to the Rugby club to watch the international rugby game between England and South Africa. He got home around 8:30 and then we were off to bed. It was another great weekend.