One evening we went to the marina for dinner at Nando´s and a stroll. As we were waiting for our food A's teaching assistant Mrs. S came walking past and she stopped by to say hello, always so lovely and friendly. A thought it was very nice to have met her outside of school....sweetheart!

 

After a year and a half in Dubai we finally went up the Burj Khalifa. Its something Im happy to have done but it really was nothing special and I wont be going up again any time soon...

 

The kids were very happy to show my mum the slide pool. We spent a full day there and even went down to the beach and sea.

 

the kids favourite in the pool, here its J being thrown

 

 

 

....4 months later

 

Today was the day for the anniversary picnic, which also marks the end to the things we as parents have to take part in for the anniversary. It was a lovely picnic, well organised, and we managed to get a spot in the shade!

 

This is a busy week with the 50 year anniversary. Apart from the production we were also invited to J´s class to help her with an art project about an hour before school finished. We got to help the kids decorate a photoframe with a photo of the class dressed up for 60´s day and then play a bit in the classroom. Very cozy and intimate. J was of course very happy that R could also make it to her class today!

 

Today it was finally (if you ask A at least) time for the year 1 school production. They did the star faced crocodile and his class were frogs. It was a lovely show, the kids were great and the teachers had done such a great job.

 

 

 

Back home and showered after an evening kettlebells class. I have said it before, and I will say it again, what an amazing way of exercising! Today I felt extra good, I could see that I was not the one using the least weight and when some others had to but the weight down before the time interval was over I kept it up until the end. I dont think ppl compare and judge, they just focus on their own workout. I have never felt out of place even though Im much bigger than anyone else in the classes and the only reason I compared today was to boost my confindence a bit, how good doesnt it feel not to be the "worst"? Apart from that I got three (!) compliments from M, the trainer and of course that feels terrific too. Dont know if I really have the guts to write this down, but Im on a roll right now :)

 

As part of the DESS 50 year anniversary today is "60´s day". Unfortunately its not us driving this morning but we just waved these hippies off....

 

Our garden is watered with timed sprinklers but every now and then I use the hose and soak the plants a bit extra. Today was that day and as I was unrolling the hose it got stuck under the car wheels. I had parked a tad bit too much forward so there wasnt lots of space to move back and forth so I tried to pull it loose. Obviously it came loose unexpectedly and I scratched my hand on the facade, which is like rough sand paper. It doesnt look that bad but hurt like hell! Has been stinging on and off all night, any water hurts and where its positioned it hurts whenever I open or close my hand :S

 

Found these forgotten photos from out trip to Al Ain.

 

Today was Heroes and Villains day at DESS.

 

One of our friends in Malta (married to an ex collegue of R who is also friend from when they were stuying to become a pilot in Spain, they both came all the way to sweden for our wedding) emailed me last night to tell me that her father in law died earlier that day. Shot outside his workplace. I cant even begin to imagine what they are going through right now and sometimes you just feel like you are too far away....

 

 

A pool with no less than three (!) waterslides is like paradise to the small (and big) children of our family...

 

 

Today when I arrived for my Kettlebells class I went with the usual routine, put my water and towel on a mat, checked the board for exercises to know what weights I needed and placed the kettlebells by the mat. At this point one of the old timers showed up and says: "Oh are you on that mat? Its my place". To be honest I thought she was joking but just to be polite I told her "yes, but I can move if you want". She didnt reply but started putting her kettlbells infront of that mat so basically I had to move. Didnt have time to think more about it but I was very surprised. When another old timer came in they stayed chatting and I didnt listen but I heard the end of the conversation when the person that I moved for said "yes, someone was on my spot too" and I realized that they had discussed one of the other new ones that was apparently also standing in "someone elses spot"! The level felt like primary school...I mean what the heck? "my spot? What kind of difference does it make where you stand? I had no idea that they had their own places and they havent even been there every time I have been and since there are only as many mats out as needed someone else has to stay in that spot so how on earth are you supposed to know if they are coming or not? And these are supposed to be grown up women?!?!

 

 

I have seen this lovely bird around our compound. When its sitting down it looks really "plain" but as soon as it opens its wings its this amazing blue mellatic kind of colour. Have no idea what its called and never had the camera with me when I saw one so when there was a not so shy one outside the hotel I couldnt resist. Maybe someone can help what its called?

 

On our second day we went to the centre of Al Ain, to see the Al Jahili Fort