We spent the afternoon watching the Grand Prix, Athletics and Football and had a 'pot (something I made and put in the freezer) luck' dinner, which turned out to be beef stroganoff. We also booked hubbies flight to join me in the UK in 2 weeks, which will only be the 2nd time in 5 years we've visited the UK together. Just need to book car hire and hotels for the first few days, as hubby has a meeting and can't join me till 2 days later. I'm going to visit child no 3 and catch up with some friends in Manchester, Leeds and York.
Day 235 #onedailypositive #lighting #fmsphotoaday #MultiColoured #snaphappybritmums #project365 Dubai Ice Rink nice and cool in the summer
On Monday I went to the expat lady coffee morning, there was only 3 of us, as many are still away escaping the heat of the summer in Dubai. I had a stroll round the shops, collected hubby from the train station and with the teen we sat down and watched a movie together. I spent the afternoon sewing and making scarves and bags that my sister and BIL will sell for me to raise funds for my visit to South Africa in October.
I also started a new blog this week. Boarding School Parents. I was criticised last week by a stranger who said 'what's the point of having kids if you're going to give them away' a bit harsh, especially as she doesn't know me or our situation. I've been joining in with several linkys this year and while I enjoy them and have built a great network, it hasn't left space for my thoughts and my blog is a mish mash of travel, family life, animals, gardening, life as expats, raising teenagers. It's all such a mess at the moment, that I'm going to also move my expat posts to another new blog 'Looking at the world through tinted glass' We have another 3-5 years in Dubai, 4 years previously in South Africa and potentially another foreign posting, we will at some point have to return to the UK and I'm sure by the time we return after so long away that it too will take some adapting to and be strange with it's own set of problems. I also wrote about how my plans for the future have been affected from living as an expat, that all I can do right now is dream.
Day 236 #onedailypositive #OnMyDesk #fmsphotoaday #bricks #snaphappybritmums #project365 as an #expat we move a lot, in our 4th home in 5 years, not including long stays in hotels also. We don't exactly travel light, but we travel well and we are extremely organized. Despite no kids at home anymore we have 7 crates of Lego that's been lugged from the UK to South Africa and now in Dubai. Every time we move we end up finding bits of Lego that have escaped the boxes.
Tuesday was spent clearing up last nights mess from the sewing, there was a months worth of washing to do from the teen who returns to the UK tomorrow, I wrote up the 2nd post for Boarding School Parents on 'back to school' and my blog post for Animal Tales about home made dog toys, annual jabs and stray cats. I sorted out photos on my phone and laptop and in the afternoon hubby came home from work early so we popped out to Starbucks. I then watched a movie with the teen and in the evening we went to Dubai Marina to the teens favourite restaurant for his 'last night, going home' dinner.
Day 237 #onedailypositive #TwoThings #fmsphotoaday #abstract #snaphappybritmums #project365 packing mine and sons suitcases, he's returning to the UK tomorrow and I'm following in 2 weeks. I currently have half of my luggage allowance in Christmas gifts and although I can accommodate the weight, the volume is proving difficult. Son is near his weight allowance due to bringing his computer over for the holidays but has volume. So the two things are 2 cases and the abstract is, it does not seem possible, but we'll do it.
Wednesday morning was spent finishing the packing of the teens case. He bought an entire computer out with him, which had to be dismantled and carefully bubble wrapped and packed. He kept taking my stuff out of his case, but I got it all back in. We love flying with Emirates as they have a generous 30kg luggage allowance and both this flight for the teen and my flight next month were booked with air miles that hubby and I have accumulated over the years. In fact I don't think we've paid for the last 3 flights for the teen.
The goodbyes at the airport weren't so hard this time we're seeing him again in 2 weeks, it'll be the leaving the UK that will be difficult as we won't see him again till December. I know we have Skype, face time and whatsapp, but it really isn't the same.
I've been fairly active in a couple of forums recently where I've been slated for being a Boarding School Parent. I don't like the assumptions that have been made about us being lucky and our son being privileged. We've worked hard for where we are today, no one dropped a bag of money at our door and said 'it's a bottomless bag' I don't really care much what opinion you actually form of us, all I care about is you get your facts straight before judging.
Day 238 #onedailypositive #charming #fmsphotoaday #window #snaphappybritmums #project365 Taking a break from the housework, in my own private space, where I blog, surf the internet, read and look out the window waiting for winter when I can sit outside.
Thursday we had an appointment at the bank and went for coffee afterwards and paid some bills, hubby went off to work and I set about tackling the teens bedroom and restoring my sewing stuff back to it's rightful place. It took me the best part of the day to complete and apart from an odd sock I found there is no sign he was here at all (insert sad face) Todays Time Traveller post was a camping trip in a township in Mamelodi, in South Africa to take part with an arts project with the teen.
Day 239 #onedailypositive #communicate #fmsphotoaday #tiles #snaphappybritmums #project365
The main reason for our trip to the UK next month is to see the children, we're trying to get all 7 of us together for the first time since 2007. We're very much looking forward to spending time with our eldest, as she is profoundly disabled and we struggle with her on our own, we will be able to do many more things with her this visit. One of our biggest problem when out and about is her sight, she views lines on the ground as vertical drops and comes to a sudden halt, it takes a lot of coaxing to get her to walk, so we tend to take her wheel chair out with us, so she can push it and not see the lines. The other issue is the weather as it's a battle to get a coat on her and she will not keep the hood up if it's raining so we tend to visit malls and supermarkets, it's harder work then with the tiled floors.
When she wants to communicate with us she does something different from what she was doing. Stops eating, cries, sits down, laughs or lashes out. It is then a process of elimination to work out if she needs her nappy changed or whether she is in pain.
The main reason for our trip to the UK next month is to see the children, we're trying to get all 7 of us together for the first time since 2007. We're very much looking forward to spending time with our eldest, as she is profoundly disabled and we struggle with her on our own, we will be able to do many more things with her this visit. One of our biggest problem when out and about is her sight, she views lines on the ground as vertical drops and comes to a sudden halt, it takes a lot of coaxing to get her to walk, so we tend to take her wheel chair out with us, so she can push it and not see the lines. The other issue is the weather as it's a battle to get a coat on her and she will not keep the hood up if it's raining so we tend to visit malls and supermarkets, it's harder work then with the tiled floors.
When she wants to communicate with us she does something different from what she was doing. Stops eating, cries, sits down, laughs or lashes out. It is then a process of elimination to work out if she needs her nappy changed or whether she is in pain.
Friday was an early start with a trip to the lakes in the desert with Bob, I've seen on social media that people with dogs are starting to be asked to move on from the lakes. Currently dogs are banned from all the beaches, it would be a shame if we can't take Bob to the lakes. The main reason they are banned is because people don't pick up after their dog and I spend most Fridays collecting piles of dog poo and plastic bottles left over by visitors. Even when I walk Bob in the evenings there is dog mess everywhere. The afternoon and evening was spent at The Irish Village for HopFest 2015. I've been sorting through old photos looking for inspiration for #HDYGG?, this weeks post is about choosing shrubs and climbers for the garden in autumn,
Day 240 #onedailypositive #DailyLife #fmsphotoaday #smile #snaphappybritmums #project365 It was 36c outside and 65% humidity but needs must and the beer garden it was.
Saturday was a day at home, with a lie in followed by a full English breakfast, as we're going away shortly, we've decided to use up the contents of the cupboards, fridge and freezer so haven't done any food shopping this week. Cabin fever kicked in just before the football and the realisation there were no snacks in the house, so a trip to the shop was needed and we had a coffee out.
Day 241 #onedailypositive #handwriting #fmsphotoaday #freedom #snaphappybritmums #project365 I love it when hubby comes home from work with a pile of letters. I keep 4 ring binders with every letter ever sent since we started our lives as expats. I also photo copy every letter I write to create a journal of our lives abroad that just one day may be of interest to future generations.
