Here's avocado in your eye, kid!

Literally.

Smile-ah tried avocado for the first time today.  My friend Rae always started her little ones on avocado, and I was always so jealous!  It is packed full of wonderful things for the babies, and yet Little A and T N both rejected it.  T N rejected it again today (as our 'official taster' he feels the need to come and test every new food that is served in the house).

Smile-ah loved it though.  I wanted to give her some more for supper, but she fell asleep, in Peter's famous egg roll wrap.

Egg-head

The avocado is a great starter, especially since I am having great difficulty finding 'starter' baby cereal.  Rice is plentiful, but rice has caused major constipation in both my other two little ones, and so I have sworn not to inflict this on Smile-ah.  I know she'll tolerate the rice (it's in her genes), so I am looking for a single grain:  wheat, oats, millet...we'll see what I'll be able to find.

Obviously this picture was not taken last night

Last night was awful.  Smile-ah was actually SCREAMING and crying (with tears) and refused to take milk. I tried the salinol (for gas) and then later tried the camomilia (for teething) followed by the emidol (like baby tylenol)--for SLEEP!!  Once I got her settled, Little A came into my room, having to pee (no diapers now--her first bed-time without diapers was Wednesday night), and sweaty with a fever.  After she relieved herself, I placed her fevered little body into the crib, hoping the comfort of having me near would help her fall asleep faster (along with the emidol).  However, when SHE fell asleep, Smile-ah was back up again--screaming and inconsolable.  I believe I got about 5 hours of sleep in total last night (from 10 to 1, and then from 5:45 to 7:15).  Yet--I am not all that exhausted right now (Peter suggested that I go to bed at 6:30--but I just can't do it!!).

Pudding painting on Friday

T N had speech therapy today.  Sara tried to massage his cheeks and tongue (which he did not like very much).  She also tried to get him to identify himself and his 'mama' (which he wouldn't do), and to differentiate between a cow and sheep (again--not doing it).  At home, I am supposed to work on all of these things, in addition to trying to get him to use a straw...we'll see how it goes.  I must share that today I got my very first KISS from T N (he obviously knows who 'mama' is) b/c I said "Give Smile-ah a kiss" and he did.  Then I followed with "Give mama a kiss" and he stretched up his sweet lips to mine--it brought tears of joy and love to my eyes.

Looks like the screaming will continue again this evening.  Smile-ah has been fed (avocado) and is once again bucking the breast.  I have salined her nose, given her some emidol and Peter is giving her a bath, while I put little A to sleep (we are currently eating cookies).

I hope they all feel better soon!

Burnt Popcorn

The aroma still pervades our home.

It is the end of another weekend, and all I can say is I wish I had taken some pictures of something OTHER than my HAND (but b/c I didn't, here's a hand picture).

As you can see, the skin renewal stage is continuing.

It has been a really great weekend, and I have some great mental pictures to share:

1.  Breakfast buffet:  I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed our breakfast this morning.  The food was the same--great!  However, today I was overjoyed to share our breakfast with so many people.  We had Ginnie and her two children (Josh and Zoe), new arrivals to Abu Dhabi.  They were followed by Yang and Juergen--still waiting on their housing (offer pending).  Drica stopped in, as her family has just bought a membership to the Shangri-la hotel, for the beach and pool.  Then, I even saw Amal, who had to rush off to make sure that Alex picked a good table.  There was so much conversation and happy energy at our table--I was buzzing off it for the remainder of the day!

2.  NB S (whom I have also nicknamed 'Smile-ah'--she is so smiley!) is learning to spit.  It's a new thing--she takes her tongue and is actually managed to spray out saliva.  She delights in it, and her bibs are working overtime to compensate.  She turned 6 months this weekend, and we celebrated by giving her a few spoons of coconut water.

3.  On Saturday morning we joined Drica's family (minus Drica, who had to work) poolside.  We had a lovely time, but I have had to talk to myself about loving little A for who she IS--the little girl who loves nothing more than to hang out beside me--instead of trying to push her to be someone she is not (the little girl jumping, screaming and splashing in the pool).

4.  In the afternoon we (I with the help of Malou) managed to sort out the storage closet in the garage, and then we ventured out to Daiso and Lulu at Mushrif Mall.  God--I have GOT to keep away from Daiso (which in my mind is Japanese for "thank-you Japan").  I managed to buy a whole bunch of things (a few of which we actually need) and got a jump start on loot bag items for T N's birthday.

5.  Little A watched "Mulan" for the first time.  We were all pretty tired once we came home on Sunday, and so we figured 'popcorn and a movie'.  Don't ask me how the popcorn burned--I  have made it sooooo many times--but this time the corn all managed to pop without making any NOISES--VERY unusual.  Doesn't it always make noise when it pops?  When I finally lifted the cover on the pot (yes--it's old-fashioned popcorn making for me) to figure out what was taking so long, I was shocked to find a pot full of popcorn--and then of course--the burning smell began.  Though I shut off the heat immediately, it still lingers there (very subtle though) today.

6.  Today I left all three children at home for an hour and went to a book swap.  It was poorly attended, and I actually returned home with less books than I left with.  It was great though, because I managed to spend some time with my Irish friend Sally, whom I met before Smile-ah was born, and sadly have not seen since.  It is great to see how much she has settled into life here (and we were both shaking our heads at how much time has passed since we last got together!).

Little A is feeling a bit under the weather today.  She has a cough which has irritated her throat and now her voice is funny.  I have given her honey and put am trying the vicks-on-your-feet-with-socks home remedy.  She is such a good little sick person.  Doesn't really complain at all.  Hopefully she'll recover by tomorrow.

This is going to be a busy week:
Monday:  speech therapy
Tuesday:  Dance
Wednesday:  Boogie Bears, possible evening coffee visit with Drica & Antonio
Thursday:  AM-visit with Mirha, PM-Dance

I am still going to try and squeeze in a play-date for T N too (I have found a new friend for him--Omar--via Shariza!!).  Let's see--that might have to go to next week.  

Ramadan Kareem!

It is the first day of Ramadan here in Abu Dhabi, and we have so many things to be thankful for.

In addition to a wonderful little girl, it looks like our new addition is going to be a little boy (at least on our first ultrasound in Dr. Yuliya's office). We have a more thorough ultrasound in early September, and I'm hoping that will set my mind at ease, as far as any health issues surrounding the new baby.

We spent the first day of Ramadan with friends, watching a Rugby match between Australia and New Zealand. With two Australian couples (

**********just found this incomplete post in my drafts and decided to publish it anyways**************

Incomplete Post

Is it wrong that we spend the majority of our free time (weekends) shopping? Just so this isn't misconstrued as a sexy and exciting activity, let me add that we are GROCERY shopping.
Today we have gone to 'the co-op' (Abu Dhabi Co-operative Society in Mina Centre), the fruit and vegetable market (the ports area) and LuLu Express (Al Raha Mall). All in the search of food.
And it IS exciting. Every time we find a familiar North American brand, like "Kraft" or "Dole", it's like winning the lottery. Today's big prize: it's a draw. Was it the Newman's brand salad dressing (no Italian sadly) or the Starbuck's Frappacino beverage? Or maybe the Mott's jar of applesauce? I'll let you decide.
We did end up FINALLY find the perfect complementary couch for our living room (2XL), and a cabinet to help tie everything altogether. I am very excited to be getting our TV storage unit from IKEA, tomorrow night. Not only will we have a media centre, but more importantly, we will be able to unpack and get rid of a few more boxes!
The fruit and vegetable market was interesting. If A hadn't been tired (shopping is as much her thing as it is mine) we would've gotten out of the car and walked around a bit more. As it was, we did a 'drive-through' the market. Lots of fresh produce. P brokered a deal that net us not only delightful Turkish grapes (they are tiny, sweet and seedless...like big juicy raisins really) but also a free box of cucumbers, and two free

***sorry--just found this in my drafts and have decided to publish it 'as is'--just because...****

Pieces of Me

I am leaving behind bits of skin all over my keyboard as I type.  What will Peter say when he goes to clean it and finds all these pieces of me??  At least he'll be able to provide a bountiful sample of DNA in the case he ever needs to clone me.  I feel like a snake, shedding my skin, and I had to struggle to find a soft finger to put barrier cream on NB S's delicate little cheeks before bed-time.

It's 8 pm, and I'm going to have my first cup of tea of the day.  I guess it's been a busy one.

The morning started somewhere around 6-ish with the maiden voyage of the 'twins' in the double stroller.  The weather was brilliant--maybe 25 degrees--with the most beautiful breeze.  Of course, the maiden voyage was not without its bumps--not only did the tires need to be inflated (something I discovered only AFTER they were loaded up), but my bug screen seems to be MIA (thus, the lovely yellow cover--the flies were also out full force this morning, enjoying the great weather!).  NB S seemed to enjoy the stroller (and she generally doesn't) which I attribute to having a seat-mate beside her.  We managed to leave and return before little A even woke up (apparently she was up around 4, and switched into Peter's bed).  

Then we head off for our appointment with the speech therapist.  Sara (the pronunciation rhymes with little A's name) is from Morocco, and seems like she will be enjoyable to work with.  She tells me that T N has 'moderate' delays, but she didn't seem overly concerned.  I, too, am not overly concerned.  I know he has delays, but he seems to be catching up, and for that I am most proud and grateful.  

We missed our first class of Boogie Bears for T N--the first time I was going to take him to something just for HIM (little A and NB S would play in the play area with Malou).  Fortunately, Alice has said we can join in on Thursday (just for this week).  We'll see how it goes tomorrow.  

Then it was lunch-time--and here is T N enjoying some vanilla pudding with QUINOA (which always makes me remember my friend Kimberly).  I tried to sneak the quinoa into little A's pudding too--but she wouldn't go for it.  They are sooooo different!

After a much needed nap (by me), we got down to the business of pudding painting (which was why we had vanilla pudding in the first place).  I assure you, despite the photos to the contrary, SOME of T N's pudding actually got onto the PAPER!  Little A has always loved pudding painting, but never seemed to get as much ON or IN her as her little brother.  

Dance Club

Is it Dance Club, as in a club for dance, or rather Dance-Club, where the focus is on club-style dancing...which I deem entirely inappropriate for my 4 year old daughter.  We will have to wait and see.

Today was Little A's first day of Dance Club, where the school claims she will be exposed to a variety of dance styles (jazz, tap, hip-hop, ballet, disco).  Fortunately, Expressions (our new dance school) managed to secure the dance studio at Garden's Plaza, which is only a FIVE MINUTE DRIVE (yahoo!).  I was hoping the drop-off would be much like last week, where Little A went with no-muss, no-fuss with her teacher Ms. Abby.  It was not to be, as I literally peeled a teary-eyed and frightened little girl off of my leg and passed her across to sit on the lap of Ms. Eloise (today's young teacher).  I am hoping that in time, she will enjoy these new teachers as much as she enjoyed her relationship with Ms. Jesse.

On the finger front, things are improving.  Today has been a big peeling day.  You know what it's like when a strip of velcro gets stuck on your clothes and you have to pluck it off...and it's sticky and scratchy and requires a bit of effort.  Sometimes it even leaves little snags behind....?

Well--that's what my fingers are like.

I'll spare you the pictures of my digits, and instead just leave you with a video of little A (far right).  Obviously, you can see that little A settled into her class very nicely.  I had to have the Filippina who was manning the reception desk film this for me, as I didn't want to disrupt little A's groove (if she had managed to attain one) by entering her line of sight.

White Birch Tree

I remember learning in one of my classes that the bark of the white birch had been used as paper (or perhaps it was my ancient Indian ancestors working through me), and so, when I was younger, I confess to tormenting these trees in my neighbourhood by slowly peeling back strips of bark of the tree.  I always tried to be slow and gentle, to try and get nice, thick strips to write on (though I don't really remember anything that I actually wrote).  Sometimes, the bark peeled off so very easily--it was nice and dry and crackly--the tree was obviously ready to let it go.  There were other times though, when I could feel the moisture still in the bark, as I flayed back the resistant cover--and I swear I could feel the tree wincing...

I have gained new sympathy for the White Paper Birch Trees.  To all the trees I have stripped in the past (and the ones my children may strip in the future):  mea culpa.

As the skin on my hands is slowly healing, new holes are appearing, with the hardened crazy-glue like skin giving way to soft, pinky skin.  There is the contrast in feelings between the 'old' skin (where I feel nothing) to the 'new' skin (which is raw and very sensitive).  My fingers have all these rough edges on them, and the dry skin catches on EVERYTHING (making diaper changes another kind of torture!!).  YOWCH!!

Today I am feeling much better.  Unlike yesterday, where I spent the entire day in bed (with Malou bringing NB S in for feedings and sleeps).  My body does not ache, I can lift things (including my own head) and I have not been vomiting.  These are all things that make today great.

We (the entourage and I) took T N for his appointment with Drs. Wasti and Zaineb at SKMC.  Dr. Wasti won my heart by asking me why I was bringing such a healthy and intelligent little boy in to see him.  They were very pleased with his progress, and I believe they down-graded the severity of his condition to 'level 3'.  They did write me a referral for a speech therapist, and basically just encouraged me to keep monitoring his progress and to continue to stimulate his growth.  We ended with the 'usual' (follow-up appointment in 6 months), except this time Dr. Wasti made it clear that the skills of the physio department head were no longer required for T N.  However, he told me that if I did want his involvement again, all I had to do was request a referral.

Arysha's 4th Birthday Party

We have been preparing for Arysha's birthday for a few weeks ago.  We bought part of her gift in Canada, and little A even used her fairy craft book to make a painting to put on Arysha's card (that she actually gave Arysha one of her precious fairy arts is a testament to their friendship).  This morning, little A was VERY excited (once she got over the jealousy factor--she was a bit put out that it wasn't HER birthday again) to dress up like a princess and go.  Once there, she was stuck to me like glue, but she had a good time and really was overjoyed to get her loot bag (and of course, all the other great gifts Aunty Shariza bought for her 'just because').  We had a nice time meeting more of Shariza and Arul's friends--they are all so very friendly and easy-going.

My hands seem to be improving (slowly though--too slow for my liking).  Now, my throat is sore and muscles are aching (possible from carrying around T N and NB S for a few hours today).  Hopefully Marci's hot orange juice remedy (and some tylenol) will send this malady packing by morning (optimistic!!).

Just had a quick visit with Shariza, who was sweetly coming by to drop off some left-overs for us.  How did we get so lucky--we have such wonderful friends in our lives!!

A green dinosaur, because "green is my favourite!"

Friday

I should watch that movie.  It would make me laugh.  I realize that it's been a while since I've actually had a good, hard belly laugh.  I smile, and smirk, and laugh on the inside (mostly when I watch Parks N Rec), but the good old fashioned guffaw has eluded me for some time now.

The hands are still feeling like they are made of paper, and coated with crazy glue.  Yech!

Had a good breakfast.  One of the chefs tried to tell me that they did NOT have hollandaise sauce, and thus could NOT make my regular, but another chef came over and said something to him, and my eggs were delivered to my table ten minutes later (PHEW!).  We were accompanied by Uncle Pete, and saw Yang and Juergen (briefly though).  We even managed to meet a new family today.  We had fun watching all the children swarm and play together.

Lisa came over for a visit this afternoon and all of my children were slightly OFF.  There were a lot of screams, whining, tears, and generally uncooperative noises.  I would have liked a more pleasant, quiet and calm visit with her, but it wasn't to be.  However, by supper-time (after she left of course) they were all back to their normal and pleasant little selves, and are now all tucked away for sleeps.

Peter is off to Al Ain tonight for the Moose's brother's wedding.  He has taken Uncle Ajay along (just for the experience).  I hope they enjoy their night and the camel they will most likely eat.


*****USUALLY, what happens in Al Ain STAYS in Al Ain, but you know this techno-crazy world we live in...there are cameras EVERYWHERE.  We managed to get a video of our own Uncle Pete taking up the cane wedding dance challenge.  Ahhh..I can only imagine how he must've worked a polyester leisure suit in the 70's...*****

I am going to have my cup of tea and watch some tv.  I haven't managed to shake this sore throat for a long time now, and there is always an annoying cough that comes at night.  Perhaps the tea will help loosen things up.  

Who would have ever imagined...

Today, my new friend Yang came over to the house.  She is originally a doctor of sports medicine, from Beijing.  We met her, and her husband Juergen, at our usual breakfast place.  They are temporary residents of the hotel (in transition, while moving here) and hopefully, future residents of Al Raha Gardens.  They are from Germany, and have a daughter who is going into her second year of University (Fidelia).  Like a lot of the European expats around here, they have lived in many places (including a year in Canada), and it is reflected in their open, friendly personalities.

I was told by Juergen that Yang loves children, especially babies, and was first attracted to us because we brought our three to breakfast.  Spending time with her today, I realized that she really LOVES children.  She is probably the most physically affectionate Asian person I have met (with the exception of Peter--or actually--maybe not).  She was so happy to snuggle T N, and even got down to his level to play with him (and she was wearing a long, navy dress, so this was not easily done).  She was happy to let him climb all over her, and laughed when he got his head stuck in the sofa.  When I went to put the older two down for nap-time, she welcomed NB S, and cradled her in her arms and cooed to her softly, trying to get her to relax enough to sleep.

I came downstairs, and I had one those moments, where you step outside of yourself and reflect on the mysterious ways of the world.  Here was this wonderful and kind lady, my new friend, swaying and whispering softly to my  littlest one.  When she was a young woman in China, would she ever have imagined that one day she would be standing in a villa in Abu Dhabi, with an 'Indo-Canadian' girl, rocking her lovely little baby?  Nor would I have ever imagined myself here, in this life:  married to Peter, a 'stay-at-home-mom', with three children, living in a Muslim country.  And yet--I honestly believe that we are all where we are meant to be--that our lives were always meant to converge.  If it didn't happen here, it would have been somewhere else.  Is it true, what they say, that everyone that comes into your life, comes in for a reason?

Before I get too deep and heady--let me just say it was a pleasure to meet and spend some time with Yang. She was so thoughtful that once I had two children down for naps, she quickly got together her things, asked me how to get a taxi and then left, so that I could go and have some rest as well.  She seems like she is a very 'old soul'--and obviously someone that I can learn a thing or two from.

The hands are recovering.  The puss-bubble is almost completely drained, and the itching has mercifully stopped.  Now, once some of my fingers stop feeling like they are covered in crazy-glue, everything will be back to normal.

I THINK I found the culprit.  I feel that perhaps the reading that I've been doing in bed while nursing NB S might be the trigger.  The books are old (and probably dusty) and I'm wondering if the amount of pressure I used to hold the books (at an awkward angle) may have caused the irritation, that triggered the eczema.  All the signs (left hand affected more than right, the blister coincides with where I applied the most pressure holding up the books, fingertips on the right hand have only minor eczema) point to this.  I won't know for sure, but I think I might buy myself a Kindle, just to be safe!

And, it seems that it is raining early babies.  Our friends Mark and Kristy welcomed a baby boy (Kai) on the 8th (almost a month early).  Today, my friend Sharon had her baby (there go the baby shower plans!!)--a girl that they named Lily.

Radioactive Spider-Bite??

Not really sure that the picture does it justice, but there is a lovely and large puss-filled bubble on my palm (at the base of my thumb).

On Friday morning, I woke up with a mysteriously red and very itchy spot on my left hand.  If you asked my mom, this meant that I should buy a lottery ticket, as I was going to be coming into some money very soon.  On Saturday, the spot had spread, and was now becoming wrinkly.  On Sunday, the wrinkles continued, but something was changing. and becoming painful, so I stopped at the pharmacy where they suggested I had a bug bite, and gave me an antihistamine cream.  Which did nothing.  On Monday night I took Tylenol for the pain, and woke up to the afore-mentioned puss-bubble, which throbbed off and on during the night.

So, I loaded up NB S and head over to the KCA SEHA clinic (hours of operation, for those who are interested, 8 am to 11 pm Monday to Thursday, 3 pm to 11 pm on Saturdays, and closed on Fridays).  I had to take a chance on the opening hours (you have to get there early, or expect a LONG wait), and decided that if it WASN'T open at 8 am, that I would drive home, and go back again for 9.  Luckily for me, starting time was 8 am (which means that they got things rolling around 8:15) and about 10 minutes later I was in with the doctor.

Who had no clue what was wrong with my hand (but she thought maybe Lyme disease...?).

So she got me to pick up NB S (who I had carried in with her car seat as it was less painful than shifting her to the stroller) and carry her all the way to the opposite end of the building, to see the SURGEON (who was obviously the SEHA go-to person).  She showed HER my hand, AND...

She had no clue what was wrong with my hand (but she took some pictures with her phone and told me to go to the New Al Noor Hospital, and she gave me the name of a dermatologist who was the head of the department and told me to go and see him), AND...

He wasn't there anymore.  He apparently has not been there for over two years (as the receptionist who had been there for just over two years had never heard of him).

However, after a 90 minute wait, I got to see Dr. Rehad, who appears to be a competent doctor and a great lady.  She laughed off the Lyme Disease suggestion (apparently it has a variety of other symptoms), and told me that I was experiencing an ACUTE eczema episode, likely brought on by some soap or lotion that has irritated my skin.  After going through a list of things with me, all I could come up with was it must be something that I used from Peter's bathroom, as I think I showered in his bedroom on Wednesday and Thursday (due to sleeping children).  While she was talking with me, she managed to calmly pierce the blister (and let me tell you, I appreciate her sneakiness as I had no time to get scared and I didn't feel a thing).  I was most disgusted by the splurt of liquid splattered out (and got on my pants).  It reminded me of that disgusting gum they had in the 80s, with the liquid in the centre that gushed out as you chewed it--I never liked that stuff.  She gave me two creams--one medicinal, and the other to be used afterwards to create a barrier on my very delicate skin.

She also made me laugh, by telling me the 'old' name for the malady my hands are suffering:

Housewife's Eczema

(seriously--you can google it).

NB S was fabulous the entire time, and being with her, alone, reminded me of when I first moved to Abu Dhabi, and little A was the one who accompanied me everywhere.  She was the Tonto to my Lone Ranger-and for the longest time, she was my only friend while Peter was working--keeping me busy, giving me company and someone to smile with, while we passed the hours til Peter came home from work.  NB S looks so much like little A--sometimes, I feel like I'm back in time...

But, little A and T N stayed home, and when I returned they were starting lunch.  T N was intrigued by my band-aid, and kept squeezing it (probably helping more of the blister to drain out).  Little A was watching a show and happily eating her spaghetti with Maggi dip (her favourite, which she has not had for a while).

The hand already feels a lot better, and I will be sure and use my medications appropriately.

Some other highlights of my day:

**little A's dance class is a go at Garden's Plaza
**helping to plan a baby shower for my friend Sharon.
**my friend Shariza is back in town!!  Yahoo!!  I cannot express the joy when I saw her name on my call display today.
**my new friend Yang is going to come and visit tomorrow.  I am going to enjoy getting to know her.
**Peter reminded me of a girl we went to school with, Carmella Zawada (spelling most likely incorrect) who I went to Junior high with (and Peter went to Elementary School with).  Carm (as we called her) was an outcast, who suffered from acute eczema, and I remember NOW how her hands had exactly the same rippled and wrinkly appearance that mine do.  She was a nice girl, but did not fit in with any crowd, and it was junior high...things must have been awful for her (though I must say, I was always friendly and nice to her).  I hope that where ever she is now, that she has found some friends, and has a happy life.

P.S. in the case that Dr. Rehad is WRONG, and it IS a bite from a radio-active spider, I will let you know if I wake up with super-powers in the morning.  

In the doghouse...

literally.

That's my son, in Phinn's kennel.  EVERYTHING is a toy in our house.  

Barbie in India

Indian Barbie (and her new doll)

Peter came back from India late last night (around 10:20 pm).  This morning, after a lovely breakfast, we came home and discovered what treats Papa brought back.  There was a toy truck, books, a dvd (Chota Bheem), and to little A's sheer delight, an Indian Barbie, dressed in a sari, sporting a bindi and bangles.  I had to put Indian Barbie's hair into a low ponytail--how is she supposed to do all the work that Indian women do for their families with all that hair in her face??

Buddha beads--welcome to the team!

NB S has been mouthing everything, fussing and drooling more than usual.  Today we put on her amber teething beads for the first time.  Let's hope they give her (and the rest of us) a reprieve.  Also, NB S has graduated to 9-12 month clothing today (she'll be six months old in a few weeks).  Buttons keep popping open on her diaper shirts, and I have finally conceded that she is outgrowing her tiny baby clothes (sob! sob!).

In this video you will see what greeted us in our garage, when we returned from breakfast.  This beetle was HUGE (the size of a quarter/dirham) and I have no idea how s/he managed to meander into our garage.  S/he seemed to be wondering the same thing, as it was so hot and dry in there.  Later, we discovered her/him flipped over, legs kicking in the air, trying to enter our house.  I imagine s/he got a good dose of the D-Gel that I have left for visitors of this kind!  Peter channeled his inner chinaman, and kicked it off the stoop with his bare foot (BLECH!!).

Tonight we are having my friend Shariza's tofu-quorn recipe, with rice.  Shariza et al are in Malaysia, and should be coming back soon.  I miss Shariza and being here in Abu Dhabi is not as enjoyable without her.

T N has not slept much today, and hopefully all three children will fall asleep quickly so we can get some rest!  NB S has a head-start as she has rocked herself to sleep in her swing.  I tried to get a picture for the blog, and inadvertently ended up waking her--I guess she wasn't in as deep a slumber as I had thought.  

Cleo the fish

Is acting very strange.  Yesterday I found him/her trapped (or at least pretending to be) in the fake greens in his/her bowl.  I got very worried, and so now I have been watching him/her.  I am noticing that s/he is not as playful, and is spending more time hiding.

Cleo is my favourite fish to date (and the survivor of the bunch).  I don't want anything to happen to Cleo.

Peter is arriving back from India tonight.  After discovering that he had the wrong city (he originally thought he flew into AD, when really he flies into Dubai), he then learned he also had the times incorrect (instead of being home by 9 pm, he'll actually get into Dubai at that time).

We have had a good week.  The most annoying thing has been this chapped throat I have, which acts up most at night.  The children have all been great, and it has not been over-tiring with Peter gone.

Looking forward to tomorrow morning and breakfast.  I'm sure the hollandaise sauce will fix my throat up!

Coconuts & Y Bikes

While Peter enjoys all that India has to offer, we have been keeping busy ourselves in Abu Dhabi.  We were thrilled to find young coconut at Lulu that pleased our resident coconut expert, Malou.  At a price of 2.75 aed per coconut (can you really go wrong?) we left the store with four.

Here she is splitting the coconut to get the water out for T N to drink.  She was surprised to find almost 2 cups of water, that was sweet and clear.  The meat was still very soft and pulpy, and she put it aside for him to eat with his yogurt.  Now, I can feel peaceful buying and using the coconuts only for their water, knowing that nothing is wasted.  (Kim--it's a little different than going to Costco and buying a case...but it'll do I think...) ;-)

Also, here is T N trying out his new wheels (the y bike).  I was pleased to find this for him second hand (and in great shape).  It is supposed to help him build coordination, balance and muscle strength.  He seemed to enjoy it from the first push, and hopefully this will alleviate the pressure that has been placed on our plasma car!  Little A's first comment:  "We like to SHARE everything in our house, right mommy?".

check out the new wheels!

Just a boring day...

Appointment at SKMC for T N today.  Dr. Jamal Al Jubeh is 'getting off the bus' so to speak, and is discharging T N from his care.  Seems the pediatric endocrinologist is ready to wash his hands of my son.  We did get a referral from him for an ENT and Pediatric opthamologist (seems T N is a little tongue-tied and we need to check his eyes again).

When we got home, I got a call from SKMC letting me know that I have an appointment TOMORROW with Dr. Eva (the general pediatrician).  I was going to cancel (b/c COME ON!  I was JUST THERE TODAY!!) but it's all about continuity of care--and I think that will be with Dr. Eva now.

First two users of the baby bassinet

 I seem to have a headache and a tummy ache today.  Not good.  Peter is leaving tomorrow for India.  I'm sure he'll come home with a tummy ache (if not a headache as well).

Obvious why T N is no longer allowed in the bassinet, isn't it?

 
Managed to sell the baby bassinet, a rocking chair and the belly bandit too--feels good to clear out some things we are no longer using.  I did take a moment to reminisce though, remembering when I was pregnant and Peter and I went to Kids Furniture Gallery to pick out the bassinet.  Three  babies later it is still like new (owing to the fact we always put a blanket on the bed to catch and spit-up or diaper leaks) and it seems to have found a great new home with Jaziea and Simon, a young couple from Wales.

Still fits...but not for much longer

Eid Mubarak...the end of another Ramadan

The Great Ones

This is the third Ramadan that we have spent in the Middle East, and the FIRST Ramadan that I have not been pregnant (thank-you Allah!).  Peter got some extra time off, so we just took it easy.

The Dubai Look
 (who knew we were taking one of the Village People with us??)

We opted to stay in on August 30 (the first day of Eid) to avoid all the mayhem that must have been going on around us.  We chose to go to Dubai on Thursday, to Ibn Battuta Mall, just to get out and do something. We were so happy to be joined by our friend Lisa (seriously a person who accompanies a family with three children under the age of five on a short road trip is either: (a) someone who must be out of their mind bored OR (b) an awesome friend--Lisa is DEFINITELY option B.  She laughed about all the looks she received while pushing around two of our children in the pink tandem race car and diaper changing NB S, acting as our 'white nanny'.

We stayed in, and were joined by Lisa for dinner.  She paid me, the burgeoning chef, the ULTIMATE compliment by arriving with the ingredients required to duplicate a recipe for fried halloumi with pomegranate salsa, which I had made for her on a previous visit.  We ate, talked and just enjoyed each other's company (not bad considering we'd spent the bulk of the day together already).  Hanging with her is just so easy...I'm so glad she (and soon her family) are back in AD.

Today was the usual breakfast buffet, except today the Shang was PACKED.  Apparently it has been chock-a-block with kanduras and abayas since Ramadan ended.  I can't wait until it gets back to it's usual hum, as it was much too busy for my liking today.  Afterwards, we came home and just relaxed some more. Little A and I made some ice angels from a fairy crafts book she received for her birthday (thanks Kris!!) and afterwards, Peter took TODDLER N (hereinafter referred to as T N) and little A out into the pool.

NB S continues to be sweet and lovely, with excessive drooling and inability to stay asleep for long periods of time being her biggest flaws.  Sadly, I don't think her eyelashes will reach the lengths achieved by her elder siblings, but if the 'vocals' we've heard to date are any indicator of what's to come, I believe we may have another DIVA (think Mariah) on our hands!!