Winter Festival

What's better than seeing a couple hundred kids dressed up in a Winter Wonderland theme sing Christmas songs?  Nothing!!  Especially when 2 of my babies are singing.  I've already told you how proud I get when my kids do something like that, well yesterday was no different.  I was beaming from ear to ear.  Boston and Olivia practiced for weeks to learn the songs, learn their speaking parts, and learn the movements for the songs. 

Boston's video is first.  He is in the 2nd group of kids that come up.  Pay attention to the boy on the far left.  He is too funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FT7UGwGIF0

Olivia's video is second.  She is in the 3rd group next to the boy who is scratching his leg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJG6Fo3fL8Q

The rest of the day was spent riding a camel or canimal as Olivia calls it, eating ice cream, cotton candy, and other treats from the various country booths, and Boston and Olivia got henna on their arms.  Boston has a mean scorpion on his bicep, and Olivia has pretty swirly designs on her hand.   Olivia's present for the end of the day was a .....stomach virus.  Hopefully no one else gets sick before we board the plane on Wednesday.

Conversation With Sophie

Sophie:  (as she's drinking the rest of my Coke)  Mom, mom?
Me:  Yes
Sophie:  That tastes gooood.

Sophia

I'm as proud as a momma bear when my kids do something special.  Sophie had her chance to shine this past Friday at church when her Sunday School class sang "Away In a Manger" and "Jingle Bells."  We were well prepared for the event.  Sophie practiced these songs for several weeks at church and at home.  I bought her new black shoes to wear with a pretty new dress.  The camera was ready.  Sophie even had her own picture session in front of the christmas tree before we left for church.  And most importantly, we left the house with plenty of time to arrive early at church.  I wanted to have the choice of seats near the front, so Sophie could see her proud momma and daddy.

Sophie's class, which consists of 1-4 year olds, walked in with such scared looks on their faces.  Sophie was nervously looking at all the people until she saw Daddy, Mommy, Boston, and Olivia looking excitedly at her.  The kids filed on stage and prepared to sing.  Now I had a pretty good idea of what Sophie would do when it was time to sing because of how she acted at home when we practiced the songs.  What do you know...my baby didn't let me down.  She didn't sing one single word!  She stood on that stage with her body turned away from the audience.  She was facing Andy directly which was good for the video.  Sophie is in the white and black dress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoX-waiyAvw

Enjoy the video.

Changing

In preparation for our upcoming visit to Houston, I thought it would be good to write about how the kids have changed since we moved.  The obvious is that they've all grown, but then there are some new things that aren't so obvious.

Boston
1.  learned to read
2.  learned to tie his shoes
3.  learned to ride his bike without training wheels
4.  learning French
5.  learning Arabic

Olivia
1.  learned to read
2.  very close to tying her shoes
3.  learned to ride her bike without training wheels
4.  learning French
5.  learning Arabic

Sophia
1.  talking more than when we left Houston (interesting conversations with this one)
2.  learned that she is a funny little girl
3.  learned some letters and some counting
4.  learned about time out!
5.  tries to sing the Arabic number song with Boston

Being in Dubai is still sad at times for the kids.  They really miss Allie, our dog.  Allie is a prayer request every single night.  However, they all enjoy their schools, teachers, and friends.  They also love going to the park, swimming, going to the beach, going on a bike ride, and driving their Power Wheels Jeep around the house.  So there is the update for when we come home. 

P.S.  Emily and Wiebe, you'll be able to talk to Boston and Olivia in French and hopefully teach them some more.

Conversation with Sophie

Me:  Sophie, you have clean sheets on your bed.
Sophie:  Sheeps?
Me:  Sheets.
Sophie:  Sheeps?
Me:  No, sheeetttts. (stressing the t)
Sophie:  Ohhh, nice.

Trick or Treat

What's more exciting than dressing up as your favorite of-the-moment character, trick or treating, and getting lots of candy?  Probably not much to kids.  Mine were so excited when their costumes finally came in the mail.  They had to wait a week before they could actually wear them.  Oh, the torture.  Finally Halloween arrived, and boy were they excited.  We came home from school, put on our costumes, and finished getting ready for our mini-party with friends. 

L to R:  Harriett, Annabel, Annika, Olivia, and Sophia

Harriet and Sophia

Lara and Boston added to the group

It was finally time for trick or treating after our mini-party.  Boston had a friend join us and off we all went through the neighborhood.  (He wasn't surrounded by girls the entire time!)  The kids had so much fun looking for the houses that were decorated and asking for candy.  We even had kids ring our doorbell even though I didn't decorate, but I did have candy.  As Boston was going to sleep, he reminded me to continue answering the door and make sure to give the kids some candy.  All in all the kids, their friends, Andy, and I all had a fun Halloween. 

Ants

Do you know the song

The ants go marching one by one hurrah hurrah....?

Well, I don't know all of it either because I didn't teach little kids, but I do know that first verse. Unfortunately, I sing that one verse constantly because of an awful ant invasion that I've had since I moved in.

At first those little boogers came from the dining room and slowly but surely made their way to the kitchen. So Andy sprayed. What happened after that? Those ants just changed to a new starting point to slowly make their way into the kitchen. So Andy sprayed. They kept moving to a new starting point over and over again. So Andy sprayed over and over again. I even called the property manager, and he sent out an exterminator that used a super strong, stinky chemical that I remember from my childhood. That super strong, stinky chemical didn't help those ants.

Every time I saw ants I pulled out my All Natural Antibacterial Kitchen cleaner (which smells really good) and sprayed those ants. The cleaner killed those ants quite quickly. But you know what? For every 20 I killed, here came 20 more. Over and over. For the past week or so I couldn't figure out where those ants were coming. I guess the spraying was working in one way.

Yesterday I became quite irritated about not knowing the starting point, so I conducted an experiment. I pulled out a beautiful white dish and filled it with several tablespoons of syrup. Guess what?!?!?! The ants came in droves to that plate. Then they got stuck in the syrup. Oh I was so happy to see all of those ants stuck. This is the conversation I imagined they had with each other:

"Go back. You'll get stuck. Go back. Go back. We can't move. Go back."

Before you think I'm crazy...during my studies of how to get rid of ants, I did read that ants emit a noise to the other ants when danger is near. The other ants did start running when their compatriots were sprayed with the antibacterial cleaner. I then had to move quickly to get those ants that were running away sprayed.

Anyways back to my story....I followed that ant trail from the pretty white plate with all the dead ants stuck in the syrup. Do you know where it led? Behind the dishwasher. I pulled out the dishwasher and saw hundreds of ants marching to the syrup. Andy arrived about 15 minutes after this discovery and sprayed that ant trail. The best news of all is that I haven't seen a single ant all day. Whoo Hoo!

Now I have to wait and see how long this being free from ants lasts. I'm really hoping that we are finished with the ants, but if not, then Andy will keep spraying, I'll keep spraying the antibacterial cleaner, I'll keep smooshing them, and I'll continue the constant lookout of crumbs on the floor and counter tops.

Facts I've Learned about My Ants:

1. They love meat. If ever a morsel was dropped, they swarmed it. I have 3 young kids. Morsels were dropped all the time.
2. They didn't like overly processed foods like Trix cereal.
3. They loved my gluten free muffins.
4. They loved the Princess and Winnie the Pooh cupcakes.
5. I could follow a trail fairly easily. Except when they disappeared behind the dishwasher.
6. They really can carry a lot of weight.
7. They carried each other. Twice I saw one ant carrying another ant. I don't know if the ant being carried was dead or had some other problem.

Dancing with The Stars

Tuesday evening 7:30 Dubai time:

Andy:  Do you want to watch DWTS?
Me:  Are you asking me out on a date?
Andy:  Isn't this what we do every Tuesday night?

The answer to the last question is yes unless Andy has a work function to attend.  The response to the 2nd question is...I'll take a date with Andy any way I can get it.  And of course the answer to the first question is YES.  DWTS is my favorite TV show.  Here's my take on the remaining contestants:

Florence Henderson:  (just voted off)  she looks amazing and she can move well for being 76. 
Bristol Palin:  she is a cute girl, but she won't make it to the finals.  She only has 1 facial expression.
Rick Fox:  he seems to be a down to earth, nice person but won't win.
Brandy:  she is a good dancer and has a nice figure, but i don't like her much
Jennifer Grey:  she is 50.  i want to look that good now!  she better win.
Audrina Pattridge:  she is a good dancer, but she isn't as good as Jennifer.
Kyle Massey:  I love him.  He is such a character.
Kurt Warner:  very dedicated and confident

Contestants that win have some similarities:

They are perfectionists
They are confident (no time wasted on building confidence)
They know how to control and move their body
They are dedicated to the amount of work necessary to learn the dances
Seem to be good, decent people

Athletes do well on the show because they contain the above traits.  The contestants that appear to have "good" characteristics tend to win.  This makes me feel that there are Americans who still appreciate honesty, hard-work, people who can grow from criticism, and perserverance.  Maybe I'm reading too much into the show, but afterall, it's my favorite show and the only one that I've watched religiously since it first aired.  I can't wait for Rock n' Roll week.  I wonder what they'll do?

A Very Smart Statement

While I was just about to put dinner on the table tonight, Olivia discussed in one sentence a concept that many people struggle to overcome.  She discovered this while she was eating lunch today.  This is her sentence, "My tummy told me I was full, but my mind said, Eat!"  Oh sweet Olivia, that is so true.  You should always listen to your tummy.

Kissing

Boston and Olivia are both having experiences with kissing and being in love with other children in their classes!  Yikes!  Here's the story.

A couple weeks ago I met the Mom of one little girl in Boston's class.  She is the first parent that told me of Boston's love for her daughter.  I apologized, she laughed, and even mentioned having a play date (Boston doesn't need a play date with a girl).  The next day I met the Dad of another little girl in Boston's class.  He overheard me politely urging my son to, "Hurry up."  He said, "Oh, so this is Boston."  I knew something was coming.  He told me of the hearts that he has from Boston to his daughter.  Again I apologized.  That evening Andy and I spoke with our little Romeo about listening to his teacher and learning what she has to teach, and to LEAVE THE GIRLS ALONE! 

Last week Olivia came home telling me about a little boy that always try to kiss her.  After several days of the same story, I spoke with the teacher.  Then I didn't hear anything until today.  Now it has progressed to the little boy kissing her on the lips!  Andy and I both told her to run away and tell the teacher.  I felt like telling her to start screaming as well but that might be a tad much.  I've also envisioned her giggling and thereby encouraging him to kiss her.  She better not be doing that.  She also informed me that this little boy wants to marry her.  I've had a chance to scope out this little boy while volunteering in the classroom.  He does have nice hair but likes to talk a lot.

My verdict is kissing and liking boys and girls are both on all of the kids' minds.  I've met another mom who told me her daughter always kisses the boys.  She told me this as her daughter and Boston were standing just a foot away from each other.  She must know the signs when her daughter is going in for a smooch!  I also have heard several stories of Andy being "in love" in kindergarten as well.  Maybe my children have inherited his romanticalness :)

P.S.  Yes, there is a made up word in that post.  My sisters and I like to use it.

On the Bike

Boston and Olivia are learning how to ride their bikes without training wheels.  Boston took off perfectly fine.  Sometimes he crashes into the bushes.  Olivia is learning, but she gets a little frustrated and wants to quit.  Enjoy the videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAzB7mP-Row
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slM09qr4gdg

Fall Fun

Here is my imagination of fall in Houston:

A crisp morning that makes you walk a little faster.
Beautiful, clear, blue skies.
A fabulous feeling inside knowing the dog days of summer are over.
Happines at wearing new fall-colored clothes.
Warm, cozy dinners like a casserole, meatloaf, or roast.
Beginning to prepare for the holidays by making lists and scheduling events.

Am I a little homesick?  Not too bad.  What is making me homesick?  Everyone on Facebook talking about the cooler weather.  The temperatures are still over 100 degrees here, but the mornings are cooler.  My consolation is that after Christmas when the miserable cold sets in in Houston, I'll have beautiful springy weather in Dubai.  Enjoy the fall!

Oh, Brother

This here is Big Bubba.  Big Bubba takes protecting his sisters seriously...as long as it falls within the parameters of what he wants to do.  Big Bubba doesn't want anyone to hurt his sisters...but it's okay if he hurts his sisters.  Big Bubba tells his sisters what to do....but don't let them tell him what to do.  Big Bubba takes being a big brother quite seriously and can be heard telling his sisters, "I'm the oldest."  Does it matter that he's the oldest by 1 minute?  Big Bubba is also not embarrassed by the term Big Bubba...but guess who is?  His momma.

When Boston was just a sweet, loving, innocent, fresh baby, my dad started referring to him as Bubba.  I told my dad, "Don't call him Bubba."  I didn't like it and only wanted Boston to use his real name.  My dad continued calling Boston Bubba and eventually taught Olivia and Sophia to call him Bubba as well.  I was in denial the first 50 times I heard Sophia calling Boston Bubba.  I would quickly correct her by saying, "Oh, you mean brother." 

Shortly before we moved is when Big Bubba came into existence.  Boston gave himself that nickname when speaking in the third person to his sisters.  I can't fight it anymore.  I have to now accept that Boston proudly calls himself Big Bubba because he has the job of loving and protecting his sisters.  Tonight Sophia wanted to take a shower with her brother.  Big Bubba sweetly helped her by setting the water temperature, warning her that the water might be too hot, washing her hair, and bathing her.  Andy and I proudly watched them in their sweet brother sister moment. 

P.S.  My mom's brother died 22 years ago.  My cousins and I all proudly called him Uncle Bubba.  My mom tells me stories of what it was like growing up with her brother.  The stories usually involve him hurting my mom and her sisters or them doing something mischevious like putting rocks in their Dad's gas tank.  I pray Olivia and Sophia will have plenty of childhood memories of their Big Bubba.  Of course, Andy and I will sweetly remind all of them of their childhood if they forget. :)

Gas

Andy's advice to me when we moved here was to never let the gas tank get below 1/4 tank because there aren't many gas (petrol) stations near where we live.  Yes, sir, Andy.  Well guess what he does on a regular basis?  He lets his gas tank get so empy the light comes on. 

Tonight before dinner he needed to get gas.  That means we have to drive completely out of the community.  This is so out of the way because we ate dinner across the street from our neighborhood.  Anyways as we are approaching the only way out, there is a huge line of traffic.  "Uh oh.  This isn't good," he says.  He checks to see how many kilometers we have left.  0.  That's right 0 kilometers left, and we still have to make it out of our community, 5 miles down the freeway, u-turn, and then 5 miles back up the freeway. 

First he turns off the rear air, then he turns off the radio, then he turns off our air.  So now we are still sitting in traffic with the windows down.  I start praying, "Dear God, please get us to the gas station."  I'm imagining Andy pushing his car out of traffic, me having to walk a long ways, being late for dinner, who to call to help us, getting ran over because of the crazy drivers.  Basically my nerves started getting to me.  I also start chewing Andy out about not taking his own advice about getting gas.  Poor Andy had to listen to me fuss for about 40 minutes.  Yes, 40 minutes with the traffic on 0 kilometers to get gas.

God answered my prayer because we arrived safely at the gas station and were able to turn the air back on as we coasted into the lot.  0 kilometers turning into 10 miles was a nice miracle. 

P.S.  we weren't late for dinner

Spa Day



Before my body scrub and massage

  In all of my 33 years I have never been to a spa.  What better way to experience the relaxation and grandeur of a spa than when my mom and sister visited.  After very little debate on my part about the many, many spas from which to choose here in Dubai, I decided on the Atlantis Dubai.  That was an excellent decision.  The hotel was exquisite and the spa was oh so delightful.  I'm ready for another visit!

In the changing room

Looking at the hot tub

The 2nd lobby for the spa

Outside the spa.  This is after which is why our hair looks funny.  That chandelier looks like a piece of fruit here.

In the hotel lobby

That is intertwined glass.  Isn't it beautiful?

Mom and Elizabeth outside the hotel

Mom and me outside the hotel

The FIRST Day of School

Boston getting dressed

What an emotional day!  Excitement, sadness, and nervousness.  It started with excitement for the kids getting dressed in their new uniforms, family pictures, and sadness hit when we were heading to school in the Warren Family Bus also known as the budget car and Mystery Machine.  Boston kept looking at me to see if I was crying.  I hid it from him but not from Olivia.  Andy and I were both crying when we left Olivia's classroom but had the tears under control by the time we made it down the hall to Boston's classroom.  We were pros by the time we left him :).  The nerves hit as I was shopping with my sister, mom, and Sophia.  I worried if Boston and Olivia were having a fun time at school.  They enjoyed school tremendously and are ready to go back tomorrow.

Olivia getting dressed

Eating breakfast

Boston eating breakfast

Ready for school

Ha ha ha

Izzy and kids

Nonna and kids

Headed to the car

Rockin' out to "Buttermilk Biscuits"

Olivia in her classroom

Olivia coloring

Boston in his classroom

The elementary side of the school

Meet the Teacher

Meet the Teacher Day serves several important purposes for the teacher, student, and parent.  Teachers like it because they can see what their students will be like, they use it to determine how much parental involvement their class will have, and it's a way to get excited about the school year.  I loved Meet the Teacher Day and Open House when I was teaching.  I was energized and ready for school after those events.  Students like it because they see what their new classroom will look like which also determines the type of teacher they will have, they see who their new friends will be, and also begin to calm the nerves that are always present at the beginning of the year.  Now as a parent I see it from a different view.  My nerves were somewhat calmed by talking to the teachers, finding out what to expect, getting a glimpse of procedures, and checking out the students and parents. 

Sophia's teacher is Ms. Francis.  Her classroom is small which was a little disappointing, but it was colorful and full of toys and books.  Nonna had to carry Sophie to her classroom but that's okay because when Nonna is around, she has to carry Sophie.  Sophie won't have it any other way.  After Sophie adjusted to the new teacher and kids, she played with the toys with her brother and sister.  Guess what she said when I asked if she was ready to leave?  "No!"  That's a good indication that she will like her new class.  I am concerned about how she likes to "love" on people.  Her "loving" usually leaves her classmates in tears.   I'll have to mention this to Ms. Francis.

Olivia's teacher is Ms. Leanne.  Ms. Leanne's classroom seemed to be completely ready for the 1st day of school.  She appears to be a laid-back teacher with lots of experience.  She spoke with the parents individually and allowed us to read the information sheet and then answered questions as they occurred.  Olivia played with play-doh while I filled out paperwork and wanted to stay in her classroom while Boston and I went to meet his teacher.

Boston's teacher is Ms. Fiola.  Her classroom was orderly but the bulletin boards were not complete.  She addressed the parents as a group and discussed each point in the handout.  She seems to be very particular on how things are done in the classroom.  Either she is quite orderly or she knows from experience how things work best for her class.  Boston played with trains and colored while his teacher spoke.

My opinion on their teachers:  don't judge a book by its cover.  I'll wait and see what the school year brings.  I am excited to see how the year progresses.  My prayer is that these teachers will instill a love for school and learning in my children.  They are young and impressionable, and I want the person teaching them to exude patience, love, kindness, and peak their interest.  They have a lot of schooling ahead of them, and I want them to embrace education.  

Visit

My mom and sister are here which has left me little time for blogging.  Possible upcoming posts:  Ski Dubai, visiting with them, meet the teacher for all 3 kids, Burj Khalifa and who knows what else.  Ideas are swirling in my head.

Last Day of Lazy Summer

Back in May, I looked ahead to the 4 months of summer that my children would be out of school and wondered, "That's an awfully long time.  What in the world are we going to do?"  The kids and I were busy at first.  We had boxes to unpack, closets and toys to organize, house items to shop for, pools to explore, and the city to see.  Boston and Olivia had two weeks of camp in July, and then the lazy month of August arrived.  We settled into a relaxing routine of hanging out at the house, going to the pool, going to the grocery store, baking, and making dinner.  Not much happened last month, and it was so nice.  Now the lazy summer is ending.

My mom arrives Friday night Dubai time, and my sister arrives sometime on Sunday.  This week I've been preparing for their arrival by washing sheets and towels and making sure the house is spotless.  I want them to feel like my house is a relaxing hotel.  A place where they can throw their cares away and lounge in the soothing guest room that I created.  Is that an oxymoron with 5 year old twins and a rambunctious 2 year old?!?!?  I digress.....once they arrive, we will visit Ski Dubai, the Burj Khalifa, various malls, a Gold Souk, school orientations, mani and pedis, and hopefully a spa.  Not to mention a huge milestone for my twins....the first day of kindergarten also known as KG2 here. 

After that first day of school, there will be no more lazy days around the house.  No more looking at the clock at 9 am and realize that I'm still in my jammies, haven't even eaten breakfast, or *gasp* brushed my teeth.  This greatly saddens me.  Also, my mom and sister have to go home after school starts.  I would love for them to live with me, but alas, they can't.  This greatly saddens me as well.  I'm already worried about homesickness starting when they leave.  I wish I could prolong the summer and continue to anticipate their arrival so I won't have to face the difficult times ahead.  But my logical mind tells me, if you stop time and continue to live in the summer, then you won't ever get to go home.  That is true.  Little steps day by day.  That's how I lived when preparing for this move.  One daaaaay at a tiiiiime, Sweet Jesus.  Yes, you must go back and sing that sentence.  That's what I did when I wrote it.

I'll keep you posted on their visit, the first day of school, and my impending culture shock.  Please pray for us with these events happening.  I have to keep it together for my babies.  They don't need to see their mommy wallowing in the depths of despair when they start school and their Nonna and Auntie leave.  I'll save that for Andy.  He's so lucky!

Surprise

I never knew I would be so excited about what happened tonight.  I never knew I had such a desire until I had a small glimpse a couple of weeks ago of what this would lead to.  Several months ago Andy said it was a bad idea and too much work.  What am I talking about???????????????  The kids are bathing in their own bathrooms!!!!!  Woo hoo!!!!  No more sharing a bathroom with my children after 5 long years. 

A couple weeks ago, Olivia and Sophia decided to take their bath in Olivia's bathroom.  After much encouraging by Andy to Boston, Boston was finally convinced to take a shower in his bathroom.  I heard all of these discussions while I was cleaning downstairs and took off running upstairs to give the children everything needed for bath time that was in my bathroom.  Olivia and Sophia had their shampoo, conditioner, and soap.  Boston had his shampoo, soap, towel, and jammies ready to go.  And then something surprising (it shouldn't have been too surprising since we keep having odd problems in this house) happened.  The shower didn't work.  Water came out of the faucet but no water came out of the shower head.  I thought Boston would have been happy by such a development.  But noooo.  He flipped out.  Screaming, crying, crying, screaming.  All over a shower head.  All over a shower that he didn't want to take in the first place.  The drama.  As a result, he had to take his bath in his sister's bathtub. 

Fast forward to tonight.  Boston's shower is fixed, and he took a shower in there all by himself.  He was so darn cute and little in that shower.  I started singing, "Oh Happy Day!!"  He finished faster than I could get the camera, so no picture of Little Man in the shower.  A picture might also destroy his right to privacy! 

Hopefully having the children bathe in their bathrooms will continue because I'm really tired of sharing my bathroom.  At first, when the twins were babies, sharing a bathroom made sense.  I didn't have to go up and down the stairs to bathe them in the little bathroom, one less tub to clean, and I wanted to keep the new (5 years ago) towels new.  I'm now tired of picking up bath toys to take my bath.  I'm now tired of picking up their clothes.  I'm now tired of them being in my bathroom.  I've decided my room should be a sanctuary with no toys or any other item belonging to my children in there.  Andy has the responsibility of teaching them to clean up after their bath.  Hopefully they will learn to take pride in keeping their rooms and bathrooms picked up and orderly. 

Up for tomorrow night:  shower, bath, and brushing their teeth in their own bathrooms!!

Kids Swinging

Boston finally learns how to swing, and they all try something new.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/user/andychristi#p/a/u/0/6Sj7zglC4FE

Toy Story 3

Tonight we took a family trip to see Toy Story 3 3D. This is quite possibly the first time we've seen a movie as a family. Two reasons for this (1) I don't like going to the movie theater and (2) Sophie is just now at the age to take a chance on a movie. Sophie went to a movie when she was 15 months old and fell asleep for all of it. She stayed awake for the entire movie tonight while sitting and being cuddly on my lap.

Boston and Olivia were super excited about going to the movie theater. Olivia wanted to skip church so we could go straight to the theater. Andy said, "We can go to church and go to a movie." His response dumbfounded her. She said, "Really? We can do all of that in one day?" After church, lunch, and a quick nap, we headed to Mall of the Emirates for our movie. What makes this movie super special is that is was 3D and 4 of us wore our super cool glasses. Sophie refused to put on her glasses for the picture above and only briefly put on her glasses during the movie.

Toy Story 3 was very sweet and made Andy and me cry. Children moving away from home and starting their own life is bittersweet. I'm already experiencing nerves about my children starting kindergarten. Simply put...I don't want them to go. I want them to stay at home with me forever. Boston wants to stay at home forever as well. Olivia cried today about being gone so long for kindergarten. Even though I wanted to tell her she doesn't have to go, I put on my good mommy hat and reassured her that it will be the same amount of time as the days of summer camp.

I even convinced my wonderful hubby that we should eat out for dinner. But where to eat that wasn't crowded because of Ramadan? Johnny Rockets. We had hamburgers, french fries, 1 hot dog, and a milkshake. It was a delicious dinner that ended our family day rather nicely.

P.S. I think we'll all start going to the movies more frequently together. I'll put aside my feelings...fears....of sitting for 2 hours instead of doing something productive and the possibility of getting lice from that chair for the sake of creating family memories for my children.

Nighty Night

An interesting development occurred when we arrived in Dubai on May 21st. The children started sleeping in the same bed. At first it was because all 5 of us lived at the hotel for a week until we moved into our house. Our room had 2 queen size beds, so Andy and I had one bed and the kids had another bed. I don't know how them sleeping together developed at our house but it did and it continues...for better or worse.

Boston and Olivia shared a bedroom from the time they were born until they turned 2. Olivia and Sophia have shared a room since Sophie was born. All 3 would have a slumber party occasionally, mainly when my Mom spent the night, but slept in their own beds on a regular basis. Fast forward to our life here and every night they fall asleep in one twin size bed.

I think it is quite sweet that they do this, but I do have my concerns. Should they start sleeping in their own rooms when school starts? Are they becoming too dependent on each other? Will there be bedtime fits when and if I split them up? I don't have the answers to these questions yet, so they continue to sleep together with arms and legs tangled together.

P.S. Andy took this picture last night standing on top of Boston's bunk bed ladder looking down at the kids. He took loads of pictures before all 3 were all in the same frame.

P.S.S. Yes, they are all sleeping on the top bunk. Yes, that is Sophia on the edge. Yes, some government safety organization recommends children not sleep on top bunks until they are 5. Yes, Sophia is only 2. Yes, we are being unsafe parents. Yes, I did worry about this last night and what the grandparents would think.

Jerry, Princess, and Sissy Part 2

I've become quite fond of these little fishies. In fact their bowls are in the kitchen so I can see them throughout the day. Boston has asked several times to move Jerry to his room, and I keep telling him no because of my own selfish desire. What selfish desire can I possibly have towards these fish? Well I'm a quite talkative person by nature and since I don't really have any adult friends that I can talk to throughout the day, the remaining people to talk to are my children and Jerry, Princess, and Sissy. Talk to them? This phenomenon took me by surprise as well. Here's how it happened.

After we had the fish for a couple days, their cups became really dirty. I did some research on the Internet and learnt :) that these fish would be happier in a bigger bowl. I took the kids on a surprise trip to the fish store after camp one day and bought new bowls, water cleaner, and a fish net. I then set off to move the fish to their new home. Well as I was moving them, I started talking to them. Guess who responded the most to my sweet voice? Sissy. If you remember Sissy was the least active fish. In fact, Andy and I didn't think Sissy would survive long. I was concerned about these sweet fish making the transition to their new home, so it made sense for me to keep them in the kitchen to keep an eye on them. Right?!?!? That's how our relationship began.

As a result of my love, affection, and feeding, Sissy starts wiggling her little yellow body anytime I walk near her bowl. Her fins start flapping and she looks right at me. I chat with her for a few seconds and sometimes give her more food. Princess and Jerry don't pay much attention to me. Sometimes they don't even move, so I tap on their bowl to make sure they are alive. Then they move just a tad. Maybe their affection towards me will grow the longer I take care of them.

Other interesting facts I've learnt about Betta fish:
1. They build bubble nests when ready to mate. All 3 of have done this. Princess first, Sissy built a small one, and Jerry is currently in the process of building his.
2. They get fiesty when a mirror is placed in front of them. Sissy got the angriest. Her gills flared up over and over. The kids really liked this activity.
3. They only like a small amount of food. If there is food in the bowl 10 minutes after feeding, then they are getting too much food.

FYI: Boston, Olivia, and Sophia do help feed the fish most every day. They are also going to help clean the bowls tomorrow. I also tell them to talk to their fish. They haven't done this too much yet.

Jerry, Princess, and Sissy

Sissy, Princess, and Jerry

After somewhat adjusting to leaving Allie in Houston, I felt the itch for our family to have a new pet. The kids also want a new pet but what to get? Nothing that is difficult to keep because of our traveling schedule. What came to mind? A beta fish that we saw at a fish store by our house.

Once the decision was made that the kids could each get a fish, Andy decided that Boston and Olivia needed to buy their own fish with their allowance money. The problem with this is that I'm sporadic with the allowance which means they don't have a lot of allowance money. Boston and Olivia had such pained expressions while Andy and I discussed this. The solution? They could spend some of the money in their piggy banks. And of course, since they've never spent money from the piggy bank, they had enough. Even though they don't look super excited in the pictures, they really are jumping for joy inside their little bodies.

Notice Sophie's fish tilted over.

Boston and Jerry (named for Tom and Jerry)

Olivia and Princess (named because every girl loves princesses)

Sophia and Sissy (named after Olivia)

Smells Nice

Yes, this is a garbage truck with flowers on it.

Fun Facts

Fun Facts About the House

1. The kitchen and bathrooms have visible overflow pipes (?). I can hear the water draining while washing dishes or when finishing with a bath or shower. Something fun happens when I use too much soap.

2. Just about every room has its own thermostat for the A/C. I can control the temperature in every room which means some rooms get turned off while others (my bedroom) are nice and cool.

3. The property manager gave Andy a pouch when he moved in. What was in it? 17 sets of key rings. Each ring contains 2-3 keys. There are 43 keys (I just counted.) Isn't that wild?!?!?!? What are the keys for you ask? Maid room, store room, pump room, rear gate, front door, back door 1, back door 2, gas room, main gate, utility room, the remaining 7 sets are for bedroom and bathroom doors. Why so many keys if this is such a safe place?

4. The fabulous cooker which I really, really like is tempermental. I can't run the oven while using 3 burners. I've experienced this twice while cooking. At first I notice that the food is taking a long time to cook, and then I look at the switches and realize that the lights are off. Time to flip the breaker. I was making brinner the first time this happened and started running around wildly hollerin' for Andy to come see what was wrong.

5. There is an ant problem in the kitchen or anywhere else for that matter if food is left out. The kids are used to this and know not to leave food anywhere and help clean up if they make a mess. They've also learned to smoosh the ants. FYI...an exterminator has already come, and I spray the antibacterial kitchen cleaner on them.

Fun Facts About the Kids

1. Boston can do a flip into the pool.

2. Sophie has become my constant companion (that is not interested in the potty.)

3. They all sleep in Olivia's room on her bed and trundle.

4. Olivia hates cleaning her room. She once took a full day to get it cleaned.

Fun Facts About our Life

1. We have lived without a television for 7 weeks.

2. The kids and I go to the grocery store just about every other day.

3. We swim several times a week.

4. We have made "pool friends."

5. We are having fun living here and exploring the city but miss our family and friends.

Today's Accomplishments

Buying items for my house is taking priorty over everything else including clothes for the kids and me. After all, the kids and I don't get out that much during the week. CFBC softball t-shirts, boxers, and a swimsuit are my daily uniform.

Anyways...back to my house. I need curtains, curtain rods, pictures, lamps, etc. so I've been shopping for these things at the mall and Dubizzle. More about Dubizzle in a later post. And what do you know, there is a huge sale called Dubai Summer Surprises going on right now. It has to be a good price if it is on sale, right?!?!? The most important purchase needed at the moment are curtains rods since the curtains will be ready in a couple of days. I found all of the rods, double brackets, and extension poles a few weeks back but needed to get approval from the money man. I've been patiently waiting all this time because the money man does not make fast decisions.

While at the mall one night after work (Andy hates going anywhere after work), I discovered that the sale ends on Sunday. What to do?!?!?!? Andy still wants to price check curtain rods. We don't have time for that. I, of course, try to control my anxiety about whether or not I get to save 25% on everything while Andy just glared at me angrily. In his defense, the kids do act a little crazy when we take family trips to the mall. That does stress him out.

Did I get what I needed that night? NO. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel because on the way home, Andy asked for an estimate for everything that we need. What did I do? I made a quick chart and added up all of the rods, double brackets, and extension poles and gave my chart and estimate to the CFO. The answer, "You may go buy what we need." Yea!!!!

Olivia and I left early this morning to buy all of the hardware for the curtains and a trash can, candles, basket, planter, metal gazebo for the backyard, and an ugly pink flower lilly pad that Olivia wanted. Tonight my wonderful husband, who has a lot of work to do, hung curtains in the breakfast room for me. His response, "Curtains make a room feel dressed." That's right, baby.

P.S. picture of the house will come when I feel it is pretty enough to show.

Random Pictures

First day of summer camp.

Sophia modeling Belle dress and shoes. She did this pose all by herself.

Sophia scared to ride the elephant

Boston on the camel
Olivia on the camel. She was super excited.

Sophia's panda float.

Sophie looking pretty after Olivia put on her makeup and fixed her hair.

1st Tourist Stop

Our first touristy adventure was to the infamous, sprung a leak a few months back Dubai Aquarium. Andy and I surprised the kids last night because (1) I needed to go to a food store at The Dubai Mall, (2) I wanted Andy to drive me since I was tired of the stress of driving to a new place, and (3)the kids and Andy had already went to the pool and had a nap earlier in the day. Therefore Andy, Boston, Olivia, and Sophia would all be in good moods even while going to a mall.

We kept the kids in suspense for a couple of hours. Once the "surprise" was visible in the distance, Andy began watching the kids' faces. Olivia figured out what the behemoth blue thing was in the distance, but Boston was the first to put it in words. Needless to say they couldn't wait to walk through the tunnel. The pictures don't do this justice. The aquarium is packed with fish, sharks, eel, stingrays, and coral. There is also an underwater zoo, glass boat rides, scuba diving, and a cage encounter. It is really quite magnificent.

One of the sharks.

Taken from the outside of the aquarium.

The kids and me taking a break.

Look at those teeth.

Walking into the tunnel.

Sophie, "How'd he get in there?"

Family photo time.

This was a lot of fun for us, and the kids loved being so close to the animals. There was one fish lying on the bottom of the aquarium floor. We stopped to look at it and noticed that only one "eye" was moving. Boston said with great sympathy and sincerity, "Oh, look at that poor fish. His other eye was poked out." He said this over and over, and I agreed with him because it looked liked the fish was blinking. Smart Daddy walked up and said, "That's not his eye. That's how he breathes." Oh well. That's why daddy is around.

Stay tuned for our next tourist adventure. What will it be?!?!?!?