The Cousins Reunited

Tate and Jack were thrilled to be reunited with Michael, their cousin in Colorado, for the summer.

Finally it's a done deal!

So midway through the summer - it's official, we're staying in Dubai for another year....as we finally we renewed our lease on the Palm Jumeirah Island.

Cabin Time

Shots from the cabin this summer... The kids and I spent time hot tubbing, hiking, camping, visits from family & friends, and trips into nearby Estes Park. With no cell phone coverage, no internet or television, no washer/dryer or lawn to do, it is a place of relaxation! The only thing missing was Craig, so far away from us in Dubai. :( The river is just beyond the fence.

Beautiful Colorado!

Here are some more camping shots...

How We Spent Our Summer

If I had to use one word to describe our summer, it would be "cabin"! The kids and I spent just about every weekend at our cabin in Estes Park, camping, among other things. Note the humming birds on our porch! When I say camping, it was sort of pseudo-camping. There is a great campside, Peaceful Valley, about 3 miles from the cabin. We camped during the day and into the evening, but returned to sleep in our comfortable beds! Our favorite campside is shown here on the Middle St. Vrain Creek. Craig is shown here getting ready to fly fish our river in front of the cabin. The fishing was just so-so, but I guess when you try to fit all of the year's fishing into only one trip, you will take whatever the river will give you.

The Little Things...

We missed the rain while living in the desert. Here are pictures of torrential rains and golf ball-sized hail at our house in Denver. Our lawn was so green upon our return that it looked a bit like Ireland! Never before can I remember arid Denver being so lush and green!

Where Did the Summer Go?

So clearly I have been out of touch on our blog for many months! I admit it...as soon as we arrived back in Denver, I was focused on, well, Denver! It was wonderful to reconnect with family, friends, our house and our cabin. Craig flew back with us, stayed a week, and then returned to Dubai for the scorching hot summer. The kids and I had a glorious time for 2-1/2 months, but missed him terribly. It's funny, I forgot how wonderful Colorado is after being in Dubai for nine months. I celebrated all the things in our house that I used to want to change. I couldn't wait to see neighbors, take a walk around the block, and bask in the glorious 10-15% humidity, rather than 95% humidity and 120 degree temps just before we left! God I love the US! I also got the chance to return to work for six weeks for a great client of mine, and I felt incredibly empowered to be able to care for our kids, but also feel like I was contributing to our family in my old ways and be stimulated professionally. Saying we had a fabulous summer doesn't even begin to cover it! I guess our little guy is growing up - he took this picture of me - wow!

The Bur Dubai Souk

Located along the Deira Creek, the Bur Dubai Souk is old town Dubai shopping at its best. Long before the advent of Dubai's many huge shopping malls, this was the preferred way to shop. Thankfully my dear friend, Chantal from London, has lived in Dubai on-and-off for over ten years, and was able to show me the ropes. I was especially anxious to meet the one-armed Iranian antique dealer!

A Middle East Hotel

Shown here are shots of a hotel we discovered in the middle of the Bur Dubai souk area. It is run by a local American woman, and has a beautiful open courtyard. Check out the legs and arms dangling from the ceiling in the first shot, the entrance to the hotel. Also shown below is a Dubai glass gallery where I spent entirely too much money.

So We're Leaving Dubai?

I knew that the kids and I would be coming home for the summer, but I was surprised when Craig said we were most likely not returning here, but moving on to another overseas assignment. So what to do?  Go shopping! There are great souks in Dubai (souk means "market" in the Middle East), including the gold souk, textile souk, spice souk, and my personal favorite the Bur Dubai souk. You can find everything from fabrics, spices, fresh flowers, clothes, shoes, and housewares, to truly unusual antiques. The Bur Dubai souk is on Deira Creek as shown here, and for a dirham (about 4 dirhams to a dollar, so equals an American quarter), you can take an abra boat ride down the creek. Also shown here is an Islamic Mosque, with Muslims removing their shoes and attending service up to five times per day.

Jack and Moses

Jack is shown here in his KG-1 classroom with his friend Moses.  Moses?  He and his family are from the Phillipines. Jack has kids in his class from Italy, Germany, the Phillipines, Pakistan, Korea, New Zealand, among others, his teacher is from Pakistan but lived in London, and the teacher's assistant is Australian. Dubai American Academy is truly a melting pot, and very cool for the kids to experience.

The School Year Winds Down...

Is it possible that it is early June here in Dubai, and the school year is coming to a close? It's interesting to see what the end of school brings, like these Grade KG-2 little mice, and Pre-K stars, for a school assembly at Dubai American Academy. Tate is also shown here with her First Grade teacher, Alice Pippett, while Jack (second from right in boys' picture) is shown with all of his KG-1 (pre-school) class on Heritage Day (quite the mixed bag at this school, with 80 countries represented). As you will note, Jack is always the tallest in his class, in the 95th percentile on height and 90th percentile on weight. He looks as though he is 7 years old, although only 5-1/2. The school in Dubai has been outstanding for the kids, and they have come SO far this year!

Let's Do It Finally!

Ready for a wild ride?

An Interesting Aspect to Middle East Skiing

Have you ever felt like you were invisible, perhaps when you were pretending as a kid, or more appropriately a parent being ignored? Well, the Middle East adds a whole new dimension to that phenomenon. Note the gentleman in the dishdash (traditional garment worn on the head by men).  Note the look of his wife next to him, and better yet check out the two women below in the very fashionable Michelon tire coats like I used to wear during frigid Michigan winters. Whether you are trying to talk to the public, or worse yet take a picture, this is pretty much the reception you will get as an ex-pat. It's so nice to be loved! Actually I met a few lovely Muslim women, but most would not make eye contact or converse with me. As one ex-pat woman told me, "To them, you do not exist. Get used to it." How nice....That's ok, as Al Franken used to say, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it, People Like Me!"

A Long Journey to go Skiing...

How ironic is it that we had to leave Colorado, travel half-way around the world to the middle of the desert, with 120 degree heat to get our kids to enjoy skiing?  Ski Dubai seems like a strange fit for Dubai as you first see it while strolling through the Mall of the Emirates, but actually is a blast.