The Year is Planned - 2010

I have been busy planning our holidays ect for 2010 over the past couple of weeks.

As most of you know, Air Asia do cheap flights from Perth - Kula Lumpa, Kula Lumpa - Abu Dhabi (UAE). The flights are around $700 each and are a good option if anyone wants to come see us, but can't justify spending $1800 on a direct flight with Emirates.

Anyway, below are the dates and plans of our comings and goings so you know where we're at. Wink wink, Nudge Nudge. Lol

Alex's School Holidays/Easter/ Marec's Bday: Friday 2nd - Saturday 17th April

James will not have any holidays to use at this point in time, except maybe 1 or 2 days. So unfortunately the boys and I will be hanging around Dubai, waiting for the Easter bunny to get from Hamelin Bay to Dubai. Lets hope he doesn't get lost. If anyone is interested in coming to see us around this time, we would totally love it! Flights on Air Asia for this 2 week period are currently around $650.

France: Thursday 10th June - Saturday 19th June
We spend 3 days at Disneyland Resort, Paris. Spend a day having fun at the resort and the following two days exploring the city. On day 3 we'll then hire a car and spend a couple of days driving South towards Avignon and Fountain De Va clause for Alana and Anthony's Wedding. We will spend two days with Alana and crew then continue to drive south to either Nice, St Tropez or Marseilles. We would then fly home on the morning of Saturday the 19th.

Perth: Friday 2nd July - Thursday 26th August
I will be bringing the boys home for 8 weeks to escape the heat of Dubai.
James will come back for a holiday from 27th July until 6th August. Maybe a little longer if he needs to do any rig visits.

Kenya: Thursday 9th - Friday 24th September
We will spend 2 days in Nairobi to do some relaxing and visit the Elephant and Rhino orphanage. We'll then fly to Ambosliel NP, stay 3 nights at a lodge and enjoy some daily game drives. From there we head to Masai Mara NP to stay in another lodge for more game drives and hot air ballooning. The last 2 days we will spend on the coast in Mombasa where we plan to do a bit of diving and have some more R & R before we head back to reality in Dubai.

It will be a jam pack few months for us, but some really exciting times. We need to make the most of our time living so central to Europe, Asia and Africa, so I will probably only be bringing the boys home once a year from now until we head home permanently in 2013-2014. I really do hope that some of you can make it over to spend some time with us and see where we live over these next few years.

From Baby to Boy

Marec has definitely grown up heaps since we were home in August. He loves sitting on his potty with his jocks down around his ankles and is out the back under the sprinkler or watering the lawn (and Rigby) any chance he gets.

He has become very clear in his talking and now says O.K, car, thank you, mum, dad, brother, Alex, Rigby, Vigi, and a handful of other words and names.

He is a real little chatter box and is always yelling something out or babbling away to one of us. Even though we can't understand everything he says to us, he can understand every little thing we tell him. He follows instructions like a gem.

We got a new fridge a couple of weeks back and Marec can easily open the door. A couple of times a day he will come running to me with a yogurt in one hand and a giant soup spoon in the other. He bounces up and down in anticipation of his beloved petite miam.

At 2:00pm every weekday he hears me pick up the car keys and runs to get his shoes. He brings his shoes to me so I can help him put them on and says "Brother",then runs to the front door. He loves the trip to school to pick up big boy Alex.

He also loves to dance and will bop away any time music comes on, even if it's just an advert on tv. He loves Barney and sings the "I love You" song. I bought him a little guitar than plays 'Love Shack', Hot Hot Hot', 'All Star', and a few other songs. Well, it's actually from Father Christmas, so I can't wait until chrissy morning to see how much he loves it. One things for sure, we get plenty of fun and laughs out of him.

I've been slack!

It's been a while since I have given a decent update so here goes.......................

Yesterday was James and mine 3rd Wedding Anniversary. I can't believe it's only been 3 years as it feels like a life time ago. So much has happened over the past few years and if back then you asked me what we would be doing today, I would probably said we would still be living in Secret Harbour and James would still be slugging it our on the 104. I feel good and I think we all do, about the decisions that we've made.

Yesterday was also Alex's 1st day of his one week break from school, so I took him to the movies to see 'Where the Wild Things Are'. Enjoyable, but a little slow. Alex had a nice time and thought it was pretty good. We spent an hour tinkering about in the toy store after the movie and then headed home for some lunch. The afternoon was spent with Alex and I writing letters and filling in christmas cards.

James and I went to dinner at Apres Bar in the Mall of Emirates. It was a funky little bar with good music and great cocktails. The back wall was a massive sheet of glass that looked out over Ski Dubai. We had a delicious pumpkin and coriander soup for starters followed by mains; James had rib eye steak with shallots and I had a very nice English style fish and chips with mushy peas. We then enjoyed a liquor coffee and a chili chocolate martini, yummy!

After dinner we walked over to the movies (again) and went to the gold class viewing of 'New Moon'. The gold class was so comfy. There was around 20 massive leather recliners and a private cinema. We ordered a chocolate brownie for to share for our desert to come half way through the movie. The waitress came around and offered everyone little blankets to cuddle up to, so that was me done; I took off my boots, unbuttoned my top button and reclined back to enjoy the movie. So over indulgent, but we don't do it everyday.

What else has been happening.......

On Wednesday James played his regular monthly DOGS golf comp ( Dubai Oil and Gas Society). Later that evening we went to a big dinner at one of the players houses in a little suburb called Greens Garden Views. There was a great buffet and bar, but I was driving so was on my best behaviour. Jame's golf team didn't win anything :(

Alex has been a very busy boy. I spent all of last weekend running around after him. On Thursday afternoon he went to his little besties, Christopher, house for a play at their beach and a swim, then he was off to play ball. On Friday he had his "Girlfriends" birthday party, which was lovey. I stayed the duration and had a couple of glasses of vino with the other mum's and got to know them all a little better. Saturday we went to another little friend, Simone, going away picnic. It was pretty late in the day and I was buggered towards the end from running around after Marec. James stayed at home and had some quality alone time while we partied the weekend away, Lol.

So that's been our last week or so!
As I said earlier, James and Alex are on holidays for a week. We have been to lunch down on the boardwalk in the Marina today. We had a couple of very thin and crispy pizza's which actually were pretty good.

We are heading to Muscat, Oman, on Monday for a couple of days. The drive takes around five hours so I have plenty of toys and books packed up ready to keep us sane in the car. There really is only so much camel spotto you can play. We are staying at a hotel called Shangri La ( http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/muscat/barraljissahresort ). We will hopefully get a chance to go on a whale/dolphin watching cruise one of the mornings. Oman has 21 different varieties of whales and dolphins at this time of year, some which include the killer, sperm, minke, blue and humpback whale and bottle nose, spotted and spinners dolphins. The other day will no doubt be spent chilling at the beach and by the pool. I can't wait, should be bliss! James could really do with a break away from the hustle and bustle of it all too.

Growing up in Australia......The 80's & 90's

I'm talking about hide and seek/spotlight. Hopscotch, four square, go carts, playing with the yacht sail that dad bought home to get clean and inviting everyone in the cul-de-sac to join in, skipping (double Dutch), handstands, elastics, footy on the best lawn in the street, slip'n'slides, the trampoline with water on it, or a sprinkler under it, jumping in puddles with gumboots on, mud pies, the smell of the sun, melted tar and fresh cut grass.

Hubba Bubba bubble gum, Mr Whippy cones on a warm summer night after you've chased him round the block. Pretending to smoke fags, the lollies was really cool!.. A dollars worth of chips from the corner take-away fed two people AND the sauce was free!

Being upset when you stuffed up a temporary tattoo from the bubblegum packet, but still wearing it proudly. Watching Saturday morning cartoons: 'The Smurfs', 'AstroBoy', 'He-man', 'Captain Caveman', 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', 'Jem', and 'Heeeey heeeeey heeeeeeey it's faaaaaaat Albert'.

Footrot Flats, The Never Ending Story, Cry Baby, The Goonies, Ghostbusters, ET (phone home), The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The little Mermaid Stand by Me, The Delinquents…….Being scared to death and not being able to sleep cause I sat in the hall way and watched Nightmare on Elm Street, Children of the Corn or Poltergeist

When around the corner seemed a long way, and going into town seemed like going somewhere. Where running away meant you did laps of the block. A million mozzie bites, wasp and bee stings, and prickles in the summer!

Sticky fingers, playing teacher, Barbie dolls, riding bikes and roller-skating till the streetlights came on and catching taddies down the creek and watching the grow into little frogs.

Summers spent swimming in the pool for what felt like all day everyday and bobbing up and down pretending not to hear your mum yelling at you to get out, drawing all over the road and driveway with chalk. Climbing trees and building cubby houses and being swooped by the magpies down the park.
When you could swim with the dolphins at Monkey Mia and Coobana Bay and feeding them a herring as a reward would land you a huge fine.

When writing 'I love....? on your pencil case, it really was true love : )......... "He loves me? He loves me not?" and daisy chains on the front lawn or on the school oval.

Running till you were out of breath. Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt.

Camping down in Hamelin bay, egg hunt on Easter Sunday, big Hamo Bay chips and roasted marshmellows on the fire.

Jumping on the bed. Singing into your hair brush in front of the mirror, making mix tapes...
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.

Water balloons were the ultimate weapon. Weetbix cards pegged on the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle. Collecting Garbage Pail kid’s cards. Oh Yeah!

Twin Poles, Jokers, or a Paddle Pop?

You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents! It wasn't odd to have two or three "best friends" and you would ask them by sending a note….. “Will you be my best friend?” When nearly everyone's mum was there when the kids got home from school

You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas Eve and tried (but failed) to wait up for the tooth fairy.

And last but not least………… When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at the local Chinese restaurant with your family.

Great Memories…………Thanks to everyone who had part in making them Xx

AFL Middle East

FRIDAY 9th October 2009

Today was the 1st session of Auskick. We traveled to the Emitrates Stadium which is on the Dubai – Al Ain road about 30 minutes from home. There were so many Australians there, I think most of the Aussies that live in Dubai were out for an afternoon of footy.

The kids, who ranged from 5yrs – 15 yrs old, were divided into age groups. Alex was put in the under 8’s. I set up my folder chair on the side lines with all the other mums while the boys went out to train. Alex was having a great time with his Dad and a few of the kids. They spent about 15 mins playing around with the ball then jogged half a lap of the oval before doing some stretches. All was going well until one of the coaches pulled Alex aside for a little one on one hand ball exercise. Needless to say that was the end of Alex’s training session. He freaked out and didn’t want to play anymore, “Come On Mum, I want to go home and I’m not coming back next week!”.

We ended up staying until the end and then watched a quarter of the adults game. I think it was the dragons vs. the heat. James sat and watched with a grin on his face, aspiring to become one the teams members. I told him to go ask one of the guys if they need anymore players, but like Alex, he was too nervous.

Next weeks session will be at Safa Park, which is Alex’s favourite park 15 mins down the road. The kids will be split up into teams and given a uniform each. I’m not sure when his 1st game will be, but I’m sure once he gets the hang of it all he will love it. The poor kid will have to love it………I can see James and I really getting into the whole scene. It looks like a really good crew that get together, they have regular barbies and social events through out the year and we will hopefully make a few new friends. God knows we could do with a couple of Australian mates.

Our New Villa

We are very happy in our new villa. Less than a Km away from our old one, we are still in The Lakes. We do have a lot more room to move and I loving being able to watch the boys run around inside and have fun while us adults don't feel like we may very well rip our hair out anymore. We've gone from a living space of 2900 sqf to 3300 sqf. We are a one minute walk to the park and communal pool, two minutes to the oval and a three minute walk to the club and shop.

We almost have all of our pictures and shelves on the wall, all the boxes are unpacked and I acutally had the opurtunity to spend the afternoon gardening yesterday. It's all coming together nicely.

A little Party in a Big City

I'm proud to say that I overcame my fears and managed to throw Alex a successful party for his 5th birthday. It was anything big just a small group of kids getting together for a play and a few games.

We invited 9 kids and 6 of them showed up.

Our Guest list included:
Christopher - Lebanese
Xabier - Spanish
Simone - South African
Yoonah - Korean
Elise - Australian
Rio - Malaysian

It was a funny feeling waiting for the 1st guest to arrive, the house was quiet and things were calm. Compared to all the parties we have ever had in Australia it was a breeze. Simple and small, short and sweet.

We served fruit kebabs, fairy bread, homemade party pies and honey joys (which were the big hit). We played pass the parcel, did a treasure hunt and had an egg and spoon race.



The birthday cake was a bit of a bodge up. I got a little carried away with the ice magic and ended up with a river of chocolate around the chocolate cake. I shoved a few dinosaurs around the plate and iced a number 5 onto the cake and it turned out pretty good considering.

All the kids had a great time as did Alex and all the Mums congratulated us on throwing such and controlled and lovey party. Apparently I am the 1st mother to make the birthday cake rather than having one made, so two of the mothers informed.

It was a great way to break the ice and meet some of the school mum’s. I can now stand outside Alex’s classroom at pick up time and have a conversation with a few different woman. Now all we need to do is have one of the kids over for a one on one play date and we’ll be rockin!