From Shamal to Chinook

In the Middle East, whenever the shamal winds blow, they tend to herald some change in weather.  Well, we have had these shamal winds blow us all the way back home again, to Calgary, Alberta.  Here it's all about the chinook winds, purported to make the winters milder and easier to bare .

Thank you chinook!

I have been on the fence about whether to continue my blog under the pseudonym of "Anu Dhabi"--as I am no longer a resident of Abu Dhabi.  I realize that after almost 12 years of living there, Abu Dhabi will always be a big part of ALL of our stories.  It was more than just a place where we lived; though it could never be our homeland, it was our home.  Despite its facade, we managed to grow our family there.  When we left Edmonton, there was just myself, P, little A and Phinn.  Over the years we added two more children, a few more pets (Chewbacca, Jingle and Zuzu Binx), and deeply mourned the loss of our beloved Phinn.  I joined the Parent Team, and worked my way up to (Madam) Vice Chair.  I managed to acquire "Junior Cat Lady" status, with some mentoring from my friend Lisa, as we loved, fed and cared for so many little strays in our neighbourhood (a special thanks to our amazing friends from Villa 4 who are carrying on with the love and feeding of Goblin', Hershey, Squishy, Spy and Sir Creamsicle Swirl--and our little Jonesy who was too feral to travel with us).  We have had so many amazing experiences over the years.  As our family grew, Khalifa City A also grew up around us, going from just Al Raha Gardens, a strip of Pink Shops and Etihad Plaza, to a fully functioning stand-alone suburb (with all the nurseries anyone could dream of!).  We mastered the Etihad Guest program and had the opportunity to travel to so many exotic places and see some amazing sights.  This experience has exposed us to a different world-view, which opened our eyes to how North American-centric our world had been.  Through the years, through laughter and tears (and beers), we have made friendships that we hope will withstand the time and distances between us.

I have needed to update this blog for a very long time--if only to wrap up the 'stories' for each of our children.  I can only imagine what occupied my time so much, that I didn't manage to sit down and write for over two years (and it isn't all to be blamed on 2020).  As I am writing, I find myself feeling very emotional and sad--as writing it down implies a finality and some kind of closure, for which I am most certainly not ready.  The experience of writing itself, is helping me to be able to process and work through some of my yet unaddressed feelings of sadness and loss--having left the country where I essentially "grew up" as a wife and a mother (who had a full-time helper).

I have discovered that 'attachment' is my Achilles' heel.  Which is not to say I am a hoarder (unless it is a really good deal--or it's toilet paper...which I know that I have to keep stocked up in Alberta in these special times). I feel like the anti-Kondo--when it comes to the people, places and things that I have loved--I cannot just thank them for the joy they brought me, and then let them go (or can I?).  I experience the loss quite deeply, emotionally--and it is something I  have to continue to work on dealing with (rather than denying).  A friend of mine once told me--"you cannot live in other people's pockets" as a well intentioned idiom, for not getting overly attached.  Yet, I am finding that with the majority of my friends being so far away, that I DO in fact, live in their pockets (in all the WhatsApp messages we exchange on our phones)--and it is a great place to be...

So--let's get to catching up these stories...

Pickle ended his last year at RIS, working with the most amazing soul--Ms. Jenni.  When I grow up, I want to be like Ms. Jenni.  It seems that Jenni had always been in my orbit--but not having children the same age, we had never quite connected.  When the need arose to find a new ILSA for Pickle, Jenni's name came up in conversation with a friend.  After a meeting with the head of school, (who as usual was supportive, but unhelpful), I came across Jenni having a coffee in the Raptor's Nest.  I interrupted, introduced myself, shared my story with her and offered her the job on the spot.   Jenni has such an amazingly kind and sweet soul--and I knew right away, how lucky we would be to have her accept the role--which she did.  She started grade four with Pickle, and he was so instantly connected to her.  I sent him to school every day knowing that she had his back, 100%, and all of her actions were guided by his best interests.   She was a huge part of his world, as he got along very well with her two sons--and formed his first real friendships with them.  To this day, he speaks of them on an almost daily basis.  He continued on with his swimming (and will eventually come back to it here as well).  He was blessed to have Ms. Deb to teach him, for all those years, and actually started being able to swim!  He has also become quite adept at building things (currently basements) in Minecraft.  Despite missing Ms. Jenni and the boys, he really enjoyed the school shut-down in March.  I took over his instruction (putting my degree to good use) and ensured that he continued working and growing.  He absolutely loved doing his work (when the school provided some) independently on the device (obviously with a few hiccups here and there).  

Magoo had a great year in grade 3--right off the bat she was thrilled to have Ms. Penny as her teacher.  Magoo loves unicorns, rainbows and baking.  She joined the cheer squad this year, and her ability to pick-up (and remember) choreography positioned her as the (unofficial) junior cheer squad team leader.  She was gorgeous in all her cheer glory, and her timing, spirit and commitment was unparalleled among her squad-mates.  In addition to choir, she also continued on with ballet, and was scheduled to take her RAD grade one exam--before all ECP's were halted.  Despite being in different classes, Magoo and Sho-sho (aka "Shy-shy & Sho-sho) carried on being besties, and enjoyed some after-school time together in the musical "We are Monsters".  We managed to have their first sleepovers--and I cannot imagine a better friend for Magoo to experience this with.  Right before the restrictions ramped up in AD, we were able to squeeze in a small (but very special) birthday celebration for her 9th.  We had swimming,  a sleepover and a lot of fun (just in the nick of time!). Magoo has been really very blessed, to have met her best friend on the first day of EY1, and I hope that with all the technology we have today, these girls will be able to live out their dreams of reuniting in Paris, with Magoo as Fashion Designer, and Sho-sho as her  model.  Witnessing the goodbye between these two friends was a devastating and heartbreaking experience.  All I could do was hold and cuddle little Magoo...and cry myself.   

Little A--well, "Not-so-little-A" anymore, enjoyed 2/3 of her second year of Middle School (grade 7).  She enjoyed it right up until March--when everyone went on-line.  While school was on-going, she carried on with the junior chorus group, singing at major school events (including a trip to Dubai).  She suffers from frequent bouts of rhythmic arm flagellations (which appear to accompany 30 second song bits).  She can often be witnessed making said arm and hand movements without music (and everywhere, including just standing around in line ups)--thank you Tiktok!  Ballet continues to be one of her passions, and she was preparing for the RAD Grade 5 exam this year (which was postponed).  She joined the school production of Shrek, but it seems this was the one thing ALL THE STUDENTS were delighted to have to put on pause...there seemed to be a lot of discontent around the production this year.  Though we for some reason categorize Magoo as the BRAIN, NSLA pulls her academic weight as well.  She is very studious and earned Honours standing (which the school made more challenging to achieve this year).  She is also well on her way to becoming a cat lady, after successfully campaigning to save ZuZu Binx (from a life in a Sheikha's palace), by adopting her ourselves.  She has surpassed me in height (but not brains...that's TBD)--and every day we still see a little bit of the sweet Little A she used to be.  Increasingly though, we notice she bares a  striking resemblance to the infamous Grumpy Cat (RIP).  Sigh!  We managed to host her an outdoor swimming party, with a very elite group of friends, which also served as a little 'farewell' for her.  NSLA hasn't been as lucky as Magoo, in the friendship department...every time she made a close friend, the friend moved far away.  I think she countered this by maintaining 'school friendships'--tending to keep people at a distance (before it was the 'government mandated' thing to do).  I thought this would actually make the news of our move easier on her, but I didn't realize how far she had rooted in the red sand of AD...I guess it was more fertile than I knew.  Maybe NSLA will be like me--I had some amazing friendships growing up, but it is only the friendships I made as an adult that have endured.  I never would have predicted that I would have to fly over 11 000 KM, and live for a few years in the Middle East, before making some of the best friendships of my life.  I know that there is someone waiting for her, here in Canada, to be her lifelong friend.

As for P, he continued to plug away at his job.  I would say that easily the highlight of his year (in addition to scoring a job that would repatriate us) would be attending the Superbowl LIV.  I am not a fan of American (or European) Football, but I have been assured that this is a very famous American football player.  That is also very likely to be a Superbowl Ring on his finger...His team, the 49ers did not win, but hopefully they will get 'em next time, babe!

Ramadan Kareem!

We are in another Ramadan--a time of fasting and religious reflection for Muslims.  Generally this is supposed to be a slower time...shortened school hours and quieter days, but the days seem to be going by in a blur.  It seems we have been busier than usual, just trying to fit everything into fewer hours.

We have had some transitions.  We have had to say good-bye to Ms. Chantal, Pickle's ILSA, and we welcome Ms. Nicola, whose timing of return to the work-world could not have been more perfect (for us).  It was sad to say goodbye to Chantal--as she and Pickle have their own relationship--separate to our family, and I am so grateful for the energy and love she has shared with Pickle over the years.  It was a very abrupt departure--nothing like ripping the band-aid off in one skin-tugging manoeuvre...painful but necessary.  Thankfully--I was so insanely busy with school, that by the time I was able to focus on finding a replacement (and work myself into a panic about it), Nicola was already on-the-scene.

 Above is a picture of Mr. Brendan--Magoo's favourite teacher--and one of the best teachers at the children's school this year.  We ran into him at the British vet, where we were taking sweet Phinn to get his eye checked.  Magoo was quite disappointed that she opted to stay at home, because she HEARTS Mr. Brendan...if I were a drinking lady (and one day I might still be) I would create a drinking game for everytime magoo starts a sentence with "You know, Mr. Brendan...".  Gentle kidding aside, I am so happy that she has had such a wonderful teacher and influence in her life this year.  Next year's teacher will have a tough act to follow...Mr.  Brendan is SO awesome, that he included Peter's life story in Magoo's reading folder at her Student-Led Conferences (below).

Change that "PH" to a "T"

Mr. Phinn still loves to crawl and hide in all kinds of 'caves'.  He was so easy to kennel train, because he loves small, enclosed spaces.  It is getting harder to slide him out though, as he isn't as stable on his feet, and he has a hard time getting up after he is asleep.  Also, since he is also hearing impaired now--waking him up (when he is half-way under the bed) is a challenge.

This is Jingle V(ivienne) Bell, making herself comfortable on my luxurious faux-fur throw.  We have noted that the stripey pattern actually matches her markings perfectly.  I am making good on my promise to provide her with a life-long home, now that she has survived the Parvo-virus.  Next week I will take her in to be spayed and vaccinated.  She is the most gentle and sweet cat I have met to date.

"Sadaqah" is the new arabic word we have learned, and it means 'voluntary giving'.  My friend Sharee told me about the 'sharing fridges' which have been set up around the UAE (and in our neighbourhood).  Families fill the fridges with food items, and drinks.  The fridges are open to anyone who is in need.  The children have really enjoyed putting together these packages, and delivering them to the fridge.  Pickle and I were very happy to see some men approaching the fridges (as we drove off)--we felt good donating something, in our own small way.

Mr. Pickle is saying goodbye to Ms. Hannah--his long-time O/T.  He started working with Hannah over four years ago, when she worked out of an empty office at GAA.  We followed her through to the opening of her own clinic, KidsFirst, in KCA.  Pickle always looks forward to his time with Hannah (best play-date of the week), as it serves as a reward for his speech therapy time (which is maybe not as fun).  We are fortunate that Hannah has transitioned him to Emma, and as you can see from the smile on his face--he is absolutely thrilled!  He will miss Hannah (once he realizes that she is gone), but he is very excited to work with Emma.  I am grateful that he will continue to receive these services, from someone who is "Hannah-approved."

I am Larry

So, I have started watching the old episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."  I quit watching because I found Larry to be a bit abrasive and unbearable at times.  Watching it now, as a mom of three children, the character that I can relate to and empathize the most with, is LARRY.  I really feel for him, as he manages to get himself out of one pickle and right into another.  Amazing what kind of perspective you can get from motherhood!

We kicked the weekend off with an after-school trip to Yas Mall Debenhams (the final days of the sale and we needed knee high school socks--which I found!!).  While in the store, they announced the Golden Hanger Contest, and with the help of a few friendly Kabayan, Mr. Pickle found the prize!  He won 125 AED to spend, and bought himself and his sisters some new clothes.  They are were all very excited.

Charlie Bucket

I spent the weekend hunting for head lice (I think we nipped that problem in the bud).  The kids were all pumped for a play-date with friends Friday (and I was pumped for them staying out of my hair so I could organize the second kitchen).  I was doing little Magoo's hair when...wait a minute...what's that?...and that's how it went down.  Four lice (and no eggs) later, we had all our heads inspected, treated and clear.  Despite a few tears, we managed to have some fun with the treatments--we all did them, which was probably unnecessary as the rest of us didn't have any bugs or eggs...but it was expiring in June...it was a sunk cost.  The Nice Lice lady, and her web-site helped me a lot--and I want to send props out to her in my home-town of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (I kind of feel like we are friends now).  We did re-schedule our play-date and dinner plans though, and spent the afternoon playing Monopoly (which Mr. Pickle won).

Borrowed Uncle Ajay's moustache for the photo-shoot

 On Saturday we had swimming lessons and a drive to and from Dubai for Little A's dance competition.  I do not enjoy driving to Dubai, but honestly, these dance performance are really enjoyable--great music and the time just flies by.  Little A has become an amazing little dancer...she says that she would like to pick up some more classes...so let's see how that goes in the next term.

I would have liked to post a video here, but the lighting was quite poor for video and the school had a very strict rule about no phone video/photography...now if I had Larry's chutzpah, I definitely would have had a video here to share.  In hindsight, I am disappointed with myself.

It seems you can find pictures of her show here though...they are so fast to upload them!

"Just two french braids and then twist them into a bun" 

With Ms. Amy after the show

Peter has been out of town on a 'business trip' since last (Tuesday? Monday??)...a few days anyways.  He flew into London, did some 'business' and then flew to New York yesterday where he will do more 'business'.  Please don't misunderstand the quotes--I am purposely keeping his 'business' ambiguous...

My friend Iris painted this and sent me the picture this morning.  I have shared it with 78 friends and now you...

This was the best Mother's Day present I got today.  Magoo let me pull out this tooth for her...as you can see she is beset with "shark-teeth" like her siblings.  This one has been wobbling for months now, and today she took a deep breath, cried some wet tears, and let me take it out (which, as you can see...it is so loose it could have been sneezed out!!). 

Beautiful Smile!

Happy Mother's Day!

Enter the Year of the Dog (and one kitten)

We had a very festive and busy day yesterday, ringing in the Chinese New Year.  This year belongs to one of my favourite animals, the DOG!  Here are some pictures of my dogs, getting ready for bed.

We started our celebrations with our annual trip to the Shangrila hotel, for their Lion Dance.  It was exciting to discover that my new friend Francesca, is married to the new GM of our favourite hotel in Abu Dhabi (possibly the world??).  

Next year we have to practice our hand gestures when we wish our friend's happy new year.  I have missed this point in my children's education.  Note to self:  do better.

We rushed out after the dance, and had to miss out on the Shangrila's new addition of the "Prosperity Salad".  Apparently, the challenge is to toss the salad as high as you can.  Winner gets...the best year of her life...?

If the Pickle can do it--we can all do it.  Look at that amazing smile!  He was so excited to wear this hat with the accompanying braid!

We rushed home to complete the above cake (woof!). Please note the pink tongue made from meringue, and the nose inspired by Pickle's toy, Belle-Gaston.  It took a lot of restraint not to cry in frustration when Little A bumped her hand into the ear, and smeared it all flat!  Fortunately, I am a MacGyver sometimes--and I managed to deliver it to the party without anyone but my crew (who were impressed with my mad icing repair skills) finding out.

Looks like Karma had "prosperity salad" on the agenda for me today.  Though I missed it at the Shangrila, I found another waiting for me at our friends Iris and Raymond's place--and I believe I won the toss.  It was a beautiful preparation (look closely to see the dog made out of pomelo, with a grape nose and strawberry tongue).  P says that he identified my hands because of my poor chopsticking (not a word).  

It was so nice to spend some time with friends today.  We ran into Francesca (and her husband, Ulf, who is now Pickle's new best friend).  Ulf invited Pickle to help him paint the Lion's eyes at next year's Lion Dance...something I am pretty sure he thinks Pix will forget in 364 days....so obviously he doesn't know Pickle that well yet....

Iris had us bring an even number of oranges (and gave us an ODD number back by mistake--I am damn lucky I won the prosperity salad toss otherwise that mistake might have cost me the entire year!!).  Thus, another new tradition was acquired.

Next year--hand gestures, oranges and prosperity salad will join our CNY celebrations!!

We had one more event--the reunion walk--for Chewbacca with his former family.  We met at the kids' school, and walked together for an hour.  The family is lovely (they brought Chewbacca's human grandmother along) and they seemed relieved that he hadn't spent the last (almost) 3 years pining away.  It seems that he had forgotten them--though he did respond to some whistles and Spanish (who knew?).  My kids made eyes whenever they heard him called "Albert", "Albertino" or (their personal favourite) "Albertini".

Once home we were exhausted.  It was all I could do to stay awake long enough to put some food in my stomache.  We were all lights out by 9:30 PM.

Did you say something about a kitten.....?

I DID!!

Meet Jingle V. Belle (the "V" stands for Vivienne).  She showed up in our colony before Christmas, sick and on her last legs.  Little A brought her in, we took her to the vet (who gave us a look that said "this cat is going to die" but I will give you meds, bill you and send you home anyways), and nursed her back to health.  

On Sunday she started acting quiet and strange, not eating, and having diarrhea and vomitting.  On Tuesday she was diagnosed with the feline death sentence of Parvo-virus.  The vet gave us that look again (which we know well), the meds (and THE BILL) and told us the next "24-48 hours" would determine her fate.  

It was disturbing, and I confess to shedding more than my fair share of tears with the girls (Pickle is much more pragmatic).  When you read the research on Parvo, particularly for unvaccinated kittens--which Jingle is  (I am not an irresponsible pet owner--she is just in between serious illnesses), the odds are not great.

However, I made her a promise:  Live, and you'll have a home forever.  

Of course, she started recovering instantly....she is bony, and eating very little...but it is Saturday, and she is still alive and getting more so every day.

And a promise is a promise....

Procrastinate much?

Happy New Year!!  (yes seriously...)

(please note:  this entire blog entry has been copied from an email I intended to send out on TUESDAY JANUARY 10, 2017.  The fact that it has made it to this blog INTACT, with only minor changes, is somewhat of a Christmas miracle--albeit an early one).

So--I will start this letter on a low note.  Many tragedies have occurred this year (the death of Prince and the election of Trump come first to my mind), but the most recent and most sad for me (yes--even sadder for me than the loss of Princess Leia) will be the death of George Michael, who passed on Christmas Day.  George was a major part of my childhood--as I bopped to Wake Me Up Before You Go-go, and I followed him up through my teens as he was my Father Figure, and sought his own Freedom.  And I listened without prejudice, into my University years.  On my wedding day, we danced into our reception thinking everything was Amazing.  When I landed in Abu Dhabi, his face welcomed me on the covers of the Abu Dhabi week magazine, announcing a concert for the 37th National day.  The first time I left Amara with someone (her dad) to "babysit" was to attend that very same concert, and unlike his contemporary Madonna, I was not let down or disappointed in any way.  His voice, even after surgery, remained strong and youthful--and with every note and lyric, I was transported to another place and time in my own life.  I was on the cruise ship--somewhere between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, when P broke the news to me (wi-fi was at a premium on this ship).  

Obviously, I didn't know George Michael personally.  Life has taught me that anyone with that kind of artistic talent has to dig out this gift from some darkness--the piper has to be paid.  I can only hope and pray that he will now be at peace and happy.  I would like him to know how grateful I am for the music he gave me to live my life by, and for all that he taught me about life and love--he was an amazing poet, and his words have carried me through laughter and tears.

So--onto the update.  We have been spending the month of December with celebrations--Christmas (which we celebrated on and off the cruise), N's birthday (for which we had three celebrations--two in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai).  We also went on a seven day cruise (stopping in Oman, Abu Dhabi (!) and Dubai.  December has been a big party!!

The PICKLE has just turned 7.  He has come a long way from the baby we brought home.  Through the help of growth hormone, and a great team therapists and teachers (not to mention loving and supporting parents and sisters) N has grown to be a tall, strong and energetic little boy.  His speech is growing more articulate.  He continues to make gains in the swimming pool and will now immerse his head (which as I understand it is the biggest barrier to his swimming).  He loves cutting up magazines (and thankfully everywhere we go in Abu Dhabi there are "free! Take me!" Magazines calling out to him.  He continues to be a kind and loving little boy, who loves meeting people and getting to know them.  He has new red glasses now, and I am so thrilled to get away from those little dents left behind by his old nose pads.

MAGOO is "so fancy" and loves to laugh.  She is always giggling and talking (another thing she loves to do).  She is now five years old (turning 6 in March), and is in EY2 (the equivalent of kindergarten).  She had a hard time adjusting to a new classroom this year (though they kept all of her old classmates together), but now she seems settled and is quite happy (most of the time).  S is a strong swimmer, plays piano and loves to dance--but at heart she is a homebody and loves to be home playing with family or friends.  S is already reading and writing quite fluently, and loves to listen to stories.   Her favorite thing in the world is ice cream, and she could eat it three times a day (if we let her).

As for MUNK, now 9, she continues to be made of sugar and spice and everything nice.  She is in grade 4 now, and had a bit of a rough start with school this year (she has had a revolving door of teachers--apparently it is quite difficult to find and hire teachers in Abu Dhabi--come on--we can't all be happy housewives now...can we?) but hopefully once we return from the holiday, this problem will disappear.  She is studying  piano, vocal, dances ballet and also is a strong swimmer (though we have come to an agreement that she will take lessons for only one term per year to keep up her skills).  Little A is very artistic and loves to make crafts and create things.  Most of the time she is a sweet little girl, but we get glimpses of the teen-monster lurking on the horizon.

P is doing well.  He continues on in his role, and through his work has met so many interesting people--some of whom have become good friends.  He has the opportunity to travel, and is racking up his frequent flier points.  Recently, we discovered that he has slipped some discs in his lower back, which has prompted him to renew his focus on yoga and stretching.  In September, we both completed a three week detox program (7 days of just juice), which left both of us feeling a lot leaner and cleaner.  For the most part, we have  been able to continue with healthier eating habits (with Thanksgiving and any dinner with friends being the exceptions!!).

photo courtesy Magoo

As for me--my position as "housewife" continues to keep me busy and challenged.  I am still managing to get to the gym regularly (which I confess to enjoying very much).  I have taken on a volunteer role with the school's parent team (which functions quite differently here than I would have expected).  I work with a great group of ladies, and have managed to meet so many nice people through this role.  Children's homework and after-school activities keep me pretty busy, but I still find time to do my favorite thing:  READ!!   Stranger Things (plus the entire dark marvel television trio) are my favourite shows to watch when I am chilling in front of the tv (which tends to be our evening wind down).  Doctor Strange was one of my favourite movies of the year (and I love Benedict in Sherlock too and am eager for the new season).





P and I have managed to get connected to the Abu Dhabi community a bit, and have attended a couple of comedy events and a spoken word poetry evening.  We went to the Abu Dhabi food festival, and attended a cooking class led by a "world-famous" Indian chef named Sanjeev Kapoor (perhaps you have heard of him, as I had not).  These are the kinds of things we used to enjoy very much in Edmonton.

Our family spent the summer in Vietnam, Bali and Kuala Lumpur.  We met some of P's family in Saigon, and despite the language barrier, they were so hospitable and kind to us.  I enjoyed Vietnamese coffee (with and extra shot of condensed milk thank you very much!!), and we stayed in a beautiful resort on the river, cradled in huge banyan trees.  We loved Bali, and shared our holiday with two sets of friends.  I got to drive my own quad, boogie boarded on the waves of Ku-de-tah beach, and ended the trip with a memorable case of Bali-belly (note to self:  sparkling NOT still water).  Kuala Lumpur was a wonderful holiday: the beauty of the city--a literal meeting of concrete and jungle--and for the experiences, and our friends who made our time there count.  We stayed in Bangsar village, known among locals as the "Beverly Hills of KL".  In addition to seeing the architectural wonders of the city,  we managed to head out to see fireflies, in a protected reserve (one from the bucket list).  We also had an amazing experience eating at a restaurant that specialized in "dining in the dark". I also developed a love for eating on banana leaves (instead of plates) at Raj's mamak stand.

P and I celebrated 12 years of wedded bliss in august.  Which seems like a lot--except we have actually been together for 22 years (should have just  gotten married in the first year of university...like Peter wanted to!!) ;-). More recently, we celebrated P's 41st birthday--a full day of birthday breakfast, family time and birthday dinner.   As a present, I have arranged a belated game of cards for Peter, with some new friends here, for the end of the month--his poker gaggle in Edmonton is seriously irreplaceable, and it was a grind bringing bodies to the table for this one!!

We very much enjoyed the visit with Peter's parents (the kids object profusely when I call them "my parents"), and it was sad to see them go.  We look forward to reuniting with them again this summer in LA--the first leg of our North American summer holiday.  Now we are back to "business as usual"--with the new year.  Back to school and trying to work more efficiently than last year.  My goal is to try and be better organized and let the children have more time to play--rather than just dividing our time between homework and after-school activities.

So--will there be an actual update anytime soon?

WATCH THIS SPACE....

Hashtag I'm with Her

hoodie modelling

When we moved here, 8 years ago, little A and I woke up one morning and my heart filled with joy, to see that Obama had won the presidency of the United States.  I didn't realize, until that moment, how certain I was that something would happen to prevent this from taking place.

It is my hope, that tomorrow when we all wake up, we will discover there is a woman president in the White House.

I am not American.  However, as a Canadian, I have grown up with Americana--and I know and love some wonderful American people.  I love the little ditty about Jack and Diane--and in another life, I would have been a cheerleader.  I know all the words to the American national anthem, and I envy the 'patriot love' that defines Americans.

I am feeling anxious about this election.  I feel that Donald Trump is the living embodiment of everything that we teach our children is wrong. Things that are bad, shameful and embarrassing--things we should never do or say.  What is happening to the world, when someone like Donald Trump (who magoo will tell you cannot even say "China" properly), can be president?

Life continues to be busy--kittens have all moved along to new families and Smokey Moon Face will go on December 1 to live with the Nobili family.  I think she will be much loved in their home, and my heart will miss her terribly.

The Parent Team keeps me quite busy--and already I am thinking that I cannot take on this much next year--I need to dial it back.

Peter is back from two weeks in New York, and heading out again on Sunday--the children will be very upset.

Hopefully they will be cheered up because Hillary Clinton the new president of the United States of America.

Ten Minutes...

What can I tell you in ten minutes about my life?

This morning, after packing lunches, doing hair (not my own) and slipping on my trainers, we were out the door (7:25 AM).  Pickles had a 'bad day' yesterday, and today's word is 'CO-OPERATION'.  I am expecting a great report from all of the wonderful people involved in his day.

On the drive to school we talked about....hmmm....cannot remember...but Abu Dhabi Classics was playing "The Bear Necessities" and we all tried to sing it in its jazzed up variety.

Pickles ran into Ms. Jan--his first shadow teacher, and a lady who so very obviously still holds a very big place in his heart.  She was so very lovely and kind to him, and I am glad that he no longer seems torn when he sees her.  He is happy to give her a big hug and head on with his day.

Little A is now content to walk a little distance on her own to her line up.  She has a third temporary teacher (the fourth and final teacher should be coming for November 1), who is very competent and with it.  I miss seeing my friend Gopa (the "Mumbai Madame") who used to watch Little A go in, and give her the sense of the familiar at school (while I trounced off to drop the other two in their spots on time).

Mugs is quite happy now (I think the princess pencil sealed it) and goes off happily to class, with Ms. Michelle, every day.  This really eases my heart, and the fact that we forgot her reader doesn't phase her at all.

Then, off to the gym, where I look very forward to seeing my friends--the morning crew.  Tabata was tough~  Gillian and I shared a lovely slice of vanilla cake from Circle (with real buttercream frosting) and we chatted away the negative vibes that stick around after a rough night with one's spouse.

Home again, home again, to shower, and do a little bit more for the volunteer role I have taken on with the Parent Team this year.  I managed to have some nostalgia time, watching an episode of the recently resurrected X-files...

And I am off again--for school pick-ups!

41

Let's Go Crazy

April 22 marked the end of my month-(plus-five-days)-long celebration of my birthday (March 17-April 17).  A group of friends (some old and some newer) came along for a Bollywood themed dinner, at the Ritz Carlton's Punjab Grill restaurant (located in their Venetian village).  HAH!

overexposed

The weather was beautiful (thanks in part to the seeded rain which continues to keep the mercury down), and we had a lovely full moon in the sky, perched above the water dividing Abu Dhabi island, from the rest of the Emirate.

I remember well parties of the past, where we have tried to include friends from all parts of our lives (personal and professional friends), only to discover clumps of people, in different parts of our home, only interacting with people they already know.  Something that I really enjoyed at my dinner, is how everyone made an effort to socialize with everyone else.  I am not sure whether to attribute this to growing up, or being ex-pats, but it sure made the evening relaxing, hearing everyone talking and laughing, and seeing that nobody was left-out.  I like to think that some strategic seating also facilitated this atmosphere (who knows seating plans better than teachers?)

There were many things to celebrate:  my birthday, Ricardo's birthday (which was actually on the 22nd) and Ajay and Isha's 2nd wedding anniversary (on the 24th I think).


The Bollywood theme was inspired by my goal to get as much mileage out of my Indian sarees as possible.  However, as a side effect of weight loss, not many of my blouses fit anymore (need to go to the tailor!), so I decided to try a saree that I have always loved and treasured:  my mom's.

I had to borrow my friend Gopa's plain black blouse though, as I am still not small enough to fit my mom's (I don't remember her every being that tiny).  Gopa was also kind enough to come over and help me get ready (Gopa can tie a saree in 5 minutes!).

We had a good laugh about how Gopa had to borrow all her Indian accessories from me (seems like nobody in India wears bindis anymore...as I had to lend one to all the ladies in attendance).  I have asked all my friends to send out an email to my mom, to tell her what a very proper Indian daughter she raised.

getting the lighting right

I think my sister-in-law, whom we lovingly refer to as the Bollywood Barbie would have been proud (and had she been here, she would have put us all to shame!).

it's not gulab jamun....but it'll do

Cristina is back, and has recovered from a terrible virus that she caught on her flight back from the Philippines (similar to the one I got on the way back from Phuket).  She watched the kids while we celebrated, who were excited for their very own sleep-over with their much-loved friend (she is indeed considered a friend by all three) Anoushka.  Pickle slept on his own, but the girls all slumbered together.  As the stories go, Magoo kept talking and the double A's worked very hard to tell her stories to put her to bed.  Would explain why it was a little past 3 AM when Magoo made her way to my bed.

Sleeping beauties

When we got home around 1 AM, I read the news that Prince had died.  I remember making up dances to his songs, when I was 10 years old, in Forestburg, with my friend Lana.  My mom used to always make fun of that hair, that always hung over his one eye--she always wanted him to push it back so he could see properly.

I still haven't seen Purple Rain...

A few of my favourite things...

In addition to raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

The week before Spring Break began was quite busy--and made more challenging as we were without Cristina, whom we had sent home for her annual vacation.

We had THREE Sports Days events, a Mother's Day spa, Magoo's FIFTH birthday party and a mini-break to Fujairah.  It was both exciting and exhausting!!

Magoo was very enthusiastic about her first Sports Day.  She was team YELLOW, along with her bestie Sho.  They had some great events--and it was so much fun, full of cheering and laughter.  It was well organized and very much designed for maximizing participation and minimizing competition.

the ANCHOR

Litte A had her Sports Day on Monday as well (I lived at school that day).  Team Yellow too.  She didn't participate much and continues to be extremely stressed out at sports events.  It was also very stressful for me, and I actually left the gym when she started crying that she could not do the obstacle course (which I had just seen a gym full of 4 and 5 year olds complete).  I have one picture of her to share, from the swimming event, where she is a pro (and should be, considering all the years of training she has done).

A in the middle

I had to leave little A's Sports Day early to attend a Mother's Day Spa (EY1), which made Little A SOOO incredibly jealous!  In addition to celebrating two birthdays a year, while living in Abu Dhabi I get THREE Mother's Days--British, UAE and North American.  The school celebrated the UAE's Mother's Day, with snacks, massage, make-up and nails.  Magoo was a perfect hostess and was adamant that I was to be given all the decision making power, for every activity.

That afternoon we rushed home, to prepare for Magoo's birthday party at Funworks.  It was crazy--as we sped home to get ready for the party, and get there before the other guests.  Once the kids were settled, I had to zip over to B&R to see if they would store the ice cream cake for us.  After that, I zoomed over to Geant to pick up water bottles, which were not part of the package, but were essential for all the kids bouncing and running around in the FunHouse.

Suffice it to say, I burned a lot of calories and turned a lot of heads: crazy lady running through Yas Mall with the grocery cart.

Magoo had a fabulous time though, and really enjoyed herself--which is what always makes it worthwhile.

On Tuesday, was Pickle's Sports Day (team GREEN).  He participated as much as he could, and really had a lot of fun.  I was sure (and kind of hopeful??) that his event would be rained out--as it had rained a fair amount that morning--but the show went on, and the cloudy day made for some very comfortable weather for the event.  

He was also the anchor, and you can see my FAVOURITE of Pic's teachers this year, Mr. Marcus, who hails from Devon, AB.  In this picture, he is encouraging Pickle to PULL the rope for the tug of war (which he mostly didn't quite get), by telling him to bring the rope to pass it off to him.  I heart Mr. Marcus!

Tuesday was a short day at school, and Ms. Claudia was so sweet to celebrate early for Magoo.  She got a birthday crown and a lovely little book from her entire class.

Entrusting our home and pets to Pernille, we drove to Fujairah on Wednesday (I believe I packed Wednesday morning) and continued our celebrations, at the Radisson Blu.  I was impressed by how much the landscape of the UAE varies from one Emirate to the next.  It was amazing to watch the flat desert change--to see vegetation emerge, followed by foothills which grew into rocky mountains.  Although I prefer the view from the Muscat side, our resort was also a beautiful combination of mountains and water.

Birthday cake (missing:  Little A--crying on sofa left)

Magoo's birthday wish:  Ice cream from Baskin Robbins.

There were many of them in the area, but we found this one in a mall in Fujairah.

Cookies n' cream, Baseball Nut and Mint Chocolate Chip

Peter took the following week off from work (holidays need to be used up).  We took the children to Dubai to see one of their favourite musicals, The Sound of Music.  It was another wet day, but we all loved watching the musical and comparing how it was different from the movie.

We spent one morning on the Donut Boats at the Eastern Mangroves.  It was quite windy, but we all loved it.  It was very quiet, and peaceful.  Pickles was quite keen on being the Captain and steering (so glad to get some mileage out of our hat purchase from the Netherlands), but did get us stuck on a cement block.  Peter saved the day by getting out and pushing us off.  We managed to spot a lot of water birds, and a very emaciated desert fox (who I hope someone will remove from that island sometime very soon--the experiment just isn't working...).

I bid a fond farewell to my Ameda breastpump.  These two benefitted the most from it--but mostly Pix--who was exclusively bottle fed breast-milk.  When I was cleaning out the backpack I found a map of Milan and some new batteries, which we must have had packed from our trip to Italy.  It was shortly after that trip that Pix was weaned onto formula, as my breast-milk supply was reduced due to my pregnancy.

I spent countless hours attached to that pump, watching movies to block out the suction noise and occupy my mind.  I didn't have to use it even once for Magoo--who was a breast-feeding pro right out of the gates. 

I passed it along to my friend Raquel.  I don't think it is working like it used to, and so I advised her to get the motor checked (and serviced if needed).  That pump was magic!

So many memories--all the way back to the Bonnie Doon Health Centre, where we met Laurie Reid, who helped me build back my milk supply (with this pump) and get Little A back on the breast.

Sho came back from her holiday to Vietnam with a beautiful dress for Magoo.  The PEACOCK dress!!  I loved that the day after they arrived home from their holiday, I got a call from Roscha, b/c her little girly was missing my little girly.  That was a crazy busy day too--but I made some time for the girls to get together--just because.

Guess who is going to Vietnam this summer??

We went to try out some climbing at Adventure HQ.  It was great to see how much progress the children made in their climbing skills in 30 minutes!  A special thank you to Dennis, who I designated to help Pickle exclusively.  As you can see--Pix loved him!

Little A shared her kimono project with us.  The grade 3 classes opened up their doors for parents to walk around and listen to all the students share their projects.  The mom in me was very proud and I couldn't stop beaming at my daughter the entire time.  The teacher in me was quite impressed that little A did not read her presentation directly from her board, but only referred back to it from time to time.  I enjoyed how the school chose to share this project; rather than having each child present individually, all the children did it at the same time, to whoever stopped to listen.  I think this took a lot of performance anxiety off of most of the children.

As I write, Peter is on a plane back from Hong Kong, and Cristina is back in her room resting.  Today was a good day--just the kids and I at home, busy, crazy, with lots of laughs (and tears for balance).  I wanted to go to the mall, but the kids were not keen, so I opted to do some cooking--mini-quiches for the week (it is the only way I can get eggs into Pickles as he doesn't quite connect that there are eggs in quiche).  Little A got caught up in what's apping her dad (reading their messages made me laugh out loud!).  So, these two were my primary assistants.  Magoo is quite good at cracking eggs.  

Pickles is not.  

In this picture I am busy stirring onions, shallots and spinach in a hot pan on the stove.  Magoo is screaming at me, and has egg all over her shirt, legs and in her hair--bc Pickles cracked the egg and it squeezed out all over her (by accident of course), all over him, and on the floor and the counter.  He is apologizing repeatedly to me, I am trying to just finish my stirring so I can take them both to be cleaned up, and I am talking and trying to convince Magoo to chill out--it was just an accident, and Chewbacca is licking up the floor as fast as he can.

When I turned my head and looked at her, just really took it all in, it made me laugh out loud (though I really tried hard not to).  It literally 'cracked me up'.

Which just made Magoo scream louder.

aftermath

The mini-quiches turned out great and we had them for supper with broccoli and homemade mac n' cheese (I found a great oatmeal elbow macaroni from Quaker!!).   The kids went to bed relatively early, and I relaxed and ate some dark chocolate with my matcha drink.   Since Peter is not here, and I cannot watch the Blacklist without him, I watched Supernatural and an episode of The Mindy Project (I love them both).

Go to bed!