Kids were invited to go to school in "traditional dess" or UAE colours

 

The kids wrote their wishlists for Christmas. Here is A´s extensive list:

 

1. a book (for himself to read)en bok

2. a supercar (according to him a car that be turn into a train or plane)

3. sticker book

4. cool muffincases

5. nice clothes

6. seeds for cucumbers

7. boardgame

8. a robot

9. a ruler

10. number book up to 100

11. a cursive writing practice book

12. a difficult spelling book

13. his own computer

14. tricky jigsaw puzzle

15. nice frame

 

J´s list is not as long.....

Remote controlled car (a girly one!)

Fun robot

Seeds for tomatoes

Muffin cases

Cape

Octonauts book

Frame

 

 

I know photo quality sucks, but what can I do?

 

 

 

 

Corner trees in place to help figuring out positioning of the trellis

 

 

Birthday b´fast with apple juice and hot chocolate and a cookie

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch I played some boardgames with the kids but the fun doesnt last long, when things dont go A´s way he starts crying and complaining.....Now he´s busy writing emails to my mum and dad instead :)

 

 

 

 

 

Max really have Sweden´s tastiest burgers and I look forward to the opening. Hopefully they will be the first burger chain in Dubai to offer glutenfree bread too!

 

 

 

 

Yesterday we went to Old Dubai, visited the Dubai Museum and then we crossed the creek with an abra to visit the spice souk. It was a little bit too hot to be comfortable but now we bought our saffron and vanilla to prepare for the xmas baking so all´s good :)

 

Our gardener was supposed to come, or send someone over to come and prepare for us planting the flowers and trees on saturday. He was going to dig up the grass around the perimiter and put bricks as a border. We had explained how important it was for it to be ready on thursday (since friday is their day off) and why (since sat is A´s birthday and we wanted to plant together). Gardener said no problem 18 hours before the work was supposed to be started. He said he would start work at 9 in the morning, even if we were out. When we came home from our outing no works had been carried out! R called him up and he said Im coming on saturday. R reminded him how he promised and why etc and I totally lost it so R told him he would have to call back about saturday. R took his lunch and I was so angry, upset and dissapointed that I went up to have a good cry on the bed. You always want the best for your children, and even more so on their birthdays and then you involve someone else and they just ruin the plans you´ve made. We discussed what to do and R called him back only to find his mobile switched off. At this point I prepared myself for not doing the garden this weekend and stated looking for another gardener but shortly after the doorbell rang  and the gardener was there. It appeared he had "found" someone to do the work anyway so instead of morning the works were carried out in the afternoon but they are done so we can plant tomorrow! (provided the plants arrive as agreed!) I´ve written it before, and i will write it again, its so tiriing to always have to get upset and fight for what has been paid for/agreed upon.

 

We did have a good end to the day, my dad and I took the kids to the pool and then bbq for dinner!

 

A year after we moved to Dubai my dad finally got here yesterday night. The flight went ok and so did the taxi ride (but it was hard finding the actual house in the dark, especially since neither they or the taxi driver knew exactly where it was)

 

Yesterday we had a fairly relaxed day, they caught up on some sleep and then we went to Mirdif City Centre for some groceries for dinner. After kids came back from school we went to the plant souk to buy the plants that we will be planting on saturday. I dont know if I mentioned this before but A will get "a nice garden" for his birthday, just like he wished for. When he first said that he wanted that for his birthday I was not quite sure, it felt like he should wish for something that is only for him, and not for the whole family to enjoy. The more I thought about it though I felt we should encourage such unselfish behaviour, its not like he isnt going to get any presents to unwrap or anything that´s "only for him". My mum, my dad, R´s parents and sister have things for him and we bought him a couple of small things too of course. He loves watering plants and harvesting things so Im sure this will be a success. And I can just imagine how proud he will feel when he looks out at "his" garden :)

 

 

Yesterday was really our bad luck day. A seemed fine in the morning so we went bowling at Mirdif City Centre. When we were leaving and R reversed out of the parking he reversed into another car that was also reversing out. It was a small VW Golf that he didnt see in any of the mirrors and not even through the back window cause it was so small compared to our car. We werent moving fast so thankfully no one was injured but we had to waste an our of our lives to make the police report with hungry kids. Even though both cars had been reversing the police decided that it was our fault as our car was much less out of the parking box! :O In my opinion a crazy decision, the other car could have come out really fasat and thefore gotten further out but that´s how things are here, you have no say (and in this case R couldnt say anything since he never once saw the other car) and in the end its the insurance that will pay. Only issue I guess, will be that we have to pay a bit more for the insurance next year.

 

In the afternoon A got fever again so today he is home from school. He will need a fever free afternoon before he can go to school, we cant judge by morning. R took J to the pool and I cooked while I cooked. Tried a (for us) new dish, asian style fried rice and I have to say that even though it was a bad luck day the food was really good :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the result

 

 

Works in progress, putting his desk together

 

 

 

The painting is his own, from the school trip he went on just the other day