Eneloop batteries

I feel like all the juice has run out.

Did I mention I slipped and fell in the bathroom last night?  If 'clumsiness' is something hypotonics suffer from, then I am most certainly the genetic contributor to N's hypotonia.  I have slipped and fallen more times as an adult than any other adult I know.

Today little A was unwell.  There was a fever, and some crying...and a request for a doctor's appointment (which I made and then cancelled when she started to perk up a bit later in the afternoon).

My parents are coming on Saturday morning.  I look forward to some quality nap-time, while the grandparents play with my children.  Perhaps Peter and I might even venture out for a night on the town--just the two of us...

N--2.0

Like most mothers, I think that my children are amazing and beautiful.  Before I had children, I had not realized how much love I was capable of feeling.  After I had my own children, I found myself reevaluating my own relationship with my parents, factoring in my new found knowledge of the love between a parent and a child.  It is like no other love.  

That said, allow me to share with you N's new look--it's him, only just SOOO much cuter.  

This morning we had two appointments.  First, was N's audiologist appointment, where Jino was able to perform the OAE test on N WITHOUT SEDATION (and here's a big one finger salute--mature, I know-- to the chief ENT at SKMC, who said N would have to undergo general anaesthetic because he was "too active" to sedate).  This test was consistent with Jino's original ABR findings, and confirmed a mild hearing loss (which I guess is unfortunately not temporary, as he suspected).  However, it IS mild (and not moderate to severe) and Jino is recommending that we follow up with another test (which he will also try to perform without sedation in two weeks time), to determine which frequencies are missing from N's hearing range.  Normal speech occurs at a frequency range of 400 Hz to 5000 Hz.  Jino said if N's frequency loss is outside of that range, then we won't pursue any kind of treatment, as he will be able to hear all the sounds required to develop normal speech.  

This got me curious, and of course, researching on-line, where I found this neat little test to check my OWN frequency of hearing.  If you want to check yours, turn up yours speakers and try this HEARING TEST.  The last one I could hear was 16 kHz and YOUCH!!  it sure bugs the ears!!

After this appointment (which started almost an hour late and ran almost an hour long), I packed up my hungry and tired little guy and went to pick up his glasses.  It just didn't make sense to drive all the way back into the city again tomorrow.  The pick up was quick and easy and we zoomed back home.  

I thought we might have some problems with him keeping the glasses on, but he was a superstar.  He kept those glasses on his head and toddled and played around.  He was a little upset after nap and bath-time, when I put them back on, but it was just a little cry, and then back to sweetness for this little guy.

N is truly just an angel.  For all the crap that he's gone through in his life so far--all the poking and prodding, the blood tests, the ct-scans, the doctors visits, the therapies--I can only shake my head in awe at him.  At night, when I go to sleep, I think that I should aspire to be more like my son.

17 aed will get you...

THIS smile, and THIS Ariel hooded towel.

When we were on the school tour yesterday, there was a group of KG-1s lined up to go swimming (b/c the school has TWO pools--one with lanes, and a smaller one for for the little tikes--both heated.  Private education dollars at their best me thinks!).  I thought Little A would be so excited to see that swimming would be part of her curriculum, as it is something she enjoys very much.

Well, apparently she was a little MORE excited about the prospect of owning one of THESE towels, which I guess one of the little girls had in the line-up (little eagle-eyes noticed and stored it away in her memory).  She was thrilled to see it at Carrefour today, and I was happy to get it for her (hey--it's not another doll, and towels are very useful).

Snotty noses and poor sleeps are continuing trends here.

I have hot water on the stove--and all three wees ones in bed.  If I get off the computer asap, I might have time for tea, a little read (aka "mental break"), and in bed by 8:15!

Chinese New Year came down and Valentine's Day decorations went up today.  Thanks to nanaji and naniji for all their shopping to help our home prepare for this holiday.

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As soon as I shut off the computer, I realized that I forgot to address the soul who makes Feb. 7 so very significant for me.  My dear Oliver--not a day passes when I don't think about you and love you.  Like I tell my children:  "you are part of me, and you are always in my heart".  The words "we lost him" haunt my memories, and yet I remember to 'have hope'.  Ollie forever. xx

Little A goes to school

I can never really tell what time is my official 'wake up' time.  Smile-ah wakes up so much during the night, that I'm never really sure if I've ever actually gone to sleep.  THIS morning however, was a doozy.  Little A pitter pattered into my room at 3 a.m., after wetting her bed.  So, I had to get up, pull off all the sheets, change her clothes, and then set-up another mattress on the floor for her as a temporary bed.  From her last 'wet the bed' night, I learned that she should absolutely not be 'sleeping' in my bed after an 'accident'--for the simple fact that she does not go back to sleep!!

At 3:10, I was all ready to sleep again (keep in mind that Smile-ah is just in one of her precious temporary sleep phases during all of this), when A comes in again.  "I'm scared!".  As I am shaking my head at her (or more in sadness for me), I just tell her to get in the crib and go to sleep.  I don't know if she slept, but at least she did not keep rolling around on my bed, and so I had at least another hour of sleep (factoring in the amount of time it takes me to fall asleep), before Smile-ah woke up again.  At least THIS time, she had someone to play with her.  Little A kept Smile-ah happy until around 5:30--when I texted Malou, and called her in.  Then I power-slept until 7:45.  

At 10, we attended a school tour, for Little A's school (did I mention that 5000 aed 'reserved' her a place at the American GEMS school, which is a five minute drive from our villa?).  As you can see from the picture, the school is enormous, and doesn't look like any school I have ever seen experienced before.  Check out the 'reception' area--it looks like a hotel!  Despite having some anxiety ("will there be other children there? I'm scared of other children.", "will you walk with me?", "will you hold my hand?", "will you stay with me?", "you aren't going to leave me there, are you?"), little A seemed to really like the school tour, and she enjoyed seeing the classrooms and the library.  I plan on taking her a few more times, so that she gets to feel comfortable in the space.  One less thing to be anxious about when we go for her 'assessment' sometime in March or April.  She will be starting KG-2-5 (which is Kindergarten for 5 year olds--the first mandatory year) in September.

Outside the school

The reception area

Smile-ah has been pretty miserable the last two days. She is congested, and has a runny nose (love that!).  She is not sleeping well, and I think her gums are bothering her too (though I don't see any teeth on the horizon).  Thus, she has not been a happy girl.  I continue to administer saline drops, pain relievers and salinol/ovol drops to her regularly.  I hope she is better soon!

Little Man--Big Changes

This week has been filled with lots of changes for our little N.  

We started with his first 'big boy' haircut (if you recall, I retired my scissors after the last cut).  Peter thought that his hair was a bit long and he needed some more shape for our family photos, so I packed him and A up (while S was sleeping) and off we went to the kid's salon at the pink shops.  There, we met Ahmed "sorry baby, little English", the hairdresser, and he worked his magic on N's hair, for 35 aed. Ahmed also taught me that Arabic cars say "da-rum, da-rum", as N drove around during his hair-cut.  We have received many comments on this new haircut, most of them indicating that N now looks like a 'real boy'.  I guess my mom-cuts weren't as great as I thought.  

Obviously N doesn't know he can't keep this toy.

Thank-you Ahmed!

On Thursday we met Earncy, our NEW speech therapist at the British Institute.  I wish I had found this place months ago!  Though it is really expensive (in an 'out of pocket' kind of way) there are a few things that make it much better than the Well Health Medical Clinic:

1.  The therapist seems to be very positive about all the things N CAN do.


2.  She seems to understand that the activities need to be 'age appropriate' for N, and does not have 'should be able to sit and concentrate at a desk for 45 minutes' as one of his goals.


3.  She feels that SHE is the therapist and is responsible for the therapy.  As such, she is requesting that I should stay OUT of the therapy session, b/c I will be a distraction for N.  At our previous shop, the therapist wanted me to sit in on the sessions, and went so far as to videotape a session where I led the therapy.  Her feedback to me afterwards indicated that I had failed as a therapist to my son.  


4.  The therapist indicated that N did not act like a child with any hearing loss.  If she did not already know the back-story, she would never refer N for an audiological exam, based on his response to auditory stimuli, and his reactions during the session with her.  She also informed me that disagreements between ENTs and audiologist is in fact the norm (in this region--or everywhere?), and that when in doubt, it is best to stick with the audiologist's feedback.  


5.  The therapist suggests that we attend no more than 1 hour a week (or two thirty minute sessions--which are more expensive, and so I am hoping 1 hour a week will work).  She feels anything more is too much for a child so young.  


6.  The British Institute is a five minute drive, on local roads, with little to no traffic.  It is a much safer drive and allows me to still have the energy and time for my OTHER two darling children, when I come home from speech therapy.  

I am hoping for good things!

This morning, we went to find N some specs.  We did find Majzoud Optical, on the corner of Khalifa Street, across from the NBAD building.  He tried on these two pairs.  Although I like the shape of the blue glasses, they are too big.  So he will be wearing the rounded pink version--but in BLUE.  Sadly, the Middle East does not carry the same colour range of Miraflex as North America.  However, they are super light, and durable, and as you can see--he is ADORABLE!!

700 aed and one week...his glasses should be ready for pick-up!

We had a great time at Yang and Juergen's housewarming bbq.  They chose to have an afternoon event just so that we could make it.  We chose to leave all of our little ones at home, and thus we were able to enjoy some delicious food and some adult conversation, without interruption.

Peter is jetting off to London again tomorrow morning.  He will be back on Saturday.  Let's see what this week brings us...hopefully better sleeps for S (and thus for me too!).

Hello Kitty

No...Pussywillow is not back.  

Here is something I saw on the side of the road, while driving N to his eye test this morning.  It made me smile, and so I pulled out my iPhone and captured the memory for everyone to enjoy.  Please don't misunderstand--my point is not to make fun in any way--but just to have a smile at two things that so OBVIOUSLY don't belong together.  

Hello Kitty and...

Sardarji....???

 Only in Abu Dhabi.  

N has been diagnosed with accommodative esoptropia (don't worry--his eyes look nothing like the picture in the link, and in fact, we have only seen it wander like that once or twice, when he is tired).  He will need to wear glasses to help his eye muscles to relax, so that his eyes do not cross.  Hopefully, he will outgrow this condition.  Until then, he will look just as sweet in his glasses (if not sweeter).

I am thrilled to have found a place in Abu Dhabi that sells Miraflex frames.  According to my research, these are perfect glasses for little ones, as they are light, comfortable, and virtually impossible to break (as I expect they will get flipped off of N's head more than once during the 'adjustment' phase).

S is teething like a crazy baby.  Her gums seem to be itching, and sleep (what little she chooses to have) seems to be her only reprieve.  Do they make Gold Bond for baby's gums?

A has been absolutely lovely the past two days.  However, she told me that she would not dance with N, because he would not be handsome in his glasses.  She is going to need to adjust that attitude.  There are only two options in our family:  love each other, or love each other A LOT!

Our family photo shoot was a trying experience.  Neither Smile-ah or N were particularly cooperative.  However, A was in her element, and was thrilled to model so many of her dresses.  She did much better than our first photo session, where we spent the first hour just trying to get her to smile.  Hopefully, we will get some good shots regardless.  Watch this space.  

The Giants of Golf

After being 'partied out' this weekend (two chidren's birthday parties--one each day), we spent last night enjoying some adult-time with our friends, Shariza and Arul.

After WE (the ROYAL 'we) broke bread (literally--I hit the jackpot when I arrived at Safa just as their buns were coming out of the oven), and picked all the meat off the wings of our feathered friends that we could, we ended our meal with some tea and apple crisp.

Arul had his first experience with "Lady Grey Tea", which he enjoyed for it's light bergamot taste, complemented by citrus notes.  My choice of teas--a choice I made out of sheer laziness, as I have not made the effort to go upstairs and replenish my Earl Grey supplies, spawned an entire discussion about British nobility and titles.  With a brief bit of research on wiki (and yes--we've paid our five dollars this year, have you?), Arul decided that Twinings of London should repackage this tea as "Countess Grey Tea".  

However, this just shows how a little bit of information can be a dangerous thing.  

This morning, I woke up bright eyed and bushy-tailed, and decided to investigate the matter a little more.  I am relieved to discover that my friends at ToL are indeed CORRECT in their naming of one of my favourite teas:

"An earl has the title Earl of [X] when the title originates from a placename, or Earl [X] when the title comes from a surname. In either case, he is referred to as Lord [X], and his wife as Lady [X]. A countess who holds an earldom in her own right also uses Lady [X], but her husband does not have a title (unless he has one in his own right)." 

Thank-you to Wikipedia (seriously--five dollars...cheaper than a set of encyclopedias and you don't even need to clear shelf space!).  Now I can relax and enjoy that cup of Lady Grey so much more, knowing that they have given the correct title to their tea bags.  

Phinn's 'war wound' from his trip to the vet

This morning, after my trip to the vet for Phinn (whose hair loss may indeed be caused by an underactive thyroid gland--I will just need to spend 500 aed MORE to be sure about this...), we (Malou and I) packed up the kids, called a silver cab, and spent some time at the Abu Dhabi golf club, where they are hosting the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.  I have no love of golf, but must confess I have really enjoyed the marketing campaign for this tournament:  "The Giants of Golf...".  

A went with Peter on Friday, and returned home QUITE disappointed.  There were NO giants there--all the people (including the one we call 'Tiger') were normal sized.  Apparently, she was also expecting the "Tiger" to be orange...

So today, we had a much more happier result.  Not only did she come away with a butterfly on her cheek, but we also scored our OWN photo.