The king is coming, the king is coming ....

Saudi Aramco was celebrating their 75th anniversary this last week. So King Abdullah, the 6th king of Saudi Arabia was visiting to participate in the celebrations. He was almost 9 years old when the company was started in 1933. Due to celebrations and demonstrations at Aramco Dhahran (main camp) as well as other venues in and around Dhahran on Tuesday, we had a virtual day. This meant our students stayed home and used blackboard to particiapte in either online classes or download worksheets set by their teachers. Teachers were meant to be at school for the day but this turned in to a half day only as we had reports of roads being closed completely. Meant we left school at 11:30, sat in traffic for an hour but at least we got home !

We heard on Wednesday that the king would be visiting KFUPM on Saturday and so we scheduled a half day for school...... Saturday was spent completely at home though because late on Friday we received reports that roads would be closed much earlier and so it wasn't worth getting everyone to school only to be stuck indefinitely.

Don't you just love royalty and the way they affect your life ;)

Farewell Kiwi

My baby boy is missing .......

He was last seen on Sunday the 11th. In the three years he has been with us, he has never not slept in our bed ! So when he didn't turn up on Monday .... something must have been wrong !

We have walked the compound up and down, inside and out, several times a day, calling him. Now some of you might say, but cats don't come when they're called - Well ours do, especially Kiwi, in fact he will call you back :) ! We have signs up everywhere, we made all the necessary phonecalls to check on whether he could have been "found" and taken elsewhere, nothing !

We are choosing to believe our boy has been adopted (imo forcibly because I can't believe he chose not to come home - afterall he was king of the castle here hehehe) into another home because his vanishing into thin air is just too much of a puzzle.

So, farewell my beautiful boy, hope you're happy where ever you are now
xoxoxo

**of course if you should ever manage to find your way home, you'll always be welcomed with open arms**

Luau 2008

Next stop on Thursday was the compound organised Luau - kindof end of year function at the main pool. It started at 2pm, so when Andre and the girls left me at school they went straight there and I joined them after work.

There were organised games, the inflatable island, wonderful food and well just relaxing by the pool. An altogether fun-packed afternoon. The evening events were adults only but we did not attend so I can't comment on how that went ;)

Aimee and Andre competed in the island dash, Aimee made it to the end but not in a winning time. Sadly Andre fell off the side - kids were allowed to throw wet spounges and bounce the island while the dads tried to race. Andre also competed in the raft race at the request of his daughters - after a very sinking start, he managed to finish 4 out of 6 :) And then also at the request of the girls, we all took part in the mixed doubles raft race - Aimee and I paired together and Andre and Lucy paired together. Wow the length of a pool is long ! We didn't win but Aimee and I did manage to beat Andre and Lucy, and that was a win for us !

Student-Led Conferences 2008

And here we are again, just exactly where the year drained away to I have no idea but once again we prepare for the annual student-led conferences.

I was busy with my middle school students and the presentations of their very successful electronic portfolios - we used blogger this year and it worked so very well, I am so proud of their efforts.

After Andre had taken Lucy to swimming lessons, they came in to school just in time to have lunch with me. Sadly the cafeteria was not open so our only option was muffins and milkshakes at Joffrey's. Not very healthy but hey when you're hungry, you're hungry hehehe. After lunch we headed down to the classrooms. First for Lucy's conference which went really well. She has come a long way since the begining of the year, still a way to go but we're getting there. We then headed upstairs for Aimee's conference. She did well, has thoroughly enjoyed her year and done some excelent work. We even got to have a sneak peak at the scrapbooking pages she's been making in a scrapbooking club she's been going to after school.

All in all, how could we not be proud of our girls !

Happy Birthday Honey

Very quiet birthday for Andre on the 17th, just us at home for a special dinner and ice-cream sundaes to blow out the birthday candle :)

My darling has entered his final year in his 30's, and of course has chosen to take up cycling again - is this a bid to appear to stay young ?? ;)

Other than his beautiful bike as a birthday present, we want to thank The Sharks for delivering an awesome winning performance against the Chiefs for his birthday, now they just have to follow through against the Waratahs.....

Moms 'n Muffins

Our annual Moms and Muffins was held on Tuesday May 13. The girls and I headed to the cafetorium to enjoy some yummy muffins, listen to some singing by the elementary students (Lucy's grade level sange first, followed by Aimee's), look through an art display and then a display of mother's day and other creative writing.

A lovely morning spent with the girls. Here they are with some of their art, writing displays and their performances on stage.

Mother's Day 2008

Momisms
Here is list of most common and popular momisms from http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/. These motherly advise transcends the borders of time, space, language and culture. For kids are kids everywhere and Mom are always Mom...caring, concern, all knowing and full of love.

• Money does not grow on trees.
• Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position.
• If I talked to my mother like you talk to me....
• Always change your underwear; you never know when you'll have an accident.
• Be careful or you'll put your eye out.
• What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?
• You have enough dirt behind those ears to grow potatoes!
• Close that door! Were you born in a barn?
• If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
• Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been!
• Be careful what you wish for, it might come true.
• Don't eat those, they will stunt your growth.
• If you don't eat those, you will stunt your growth.
• What's meant to be, is meant to be.
• It doesn't matter what you accomplish, I'll always be proud of you.
• I hope that when you grow up, you have kids "Just Like you"! (Also known as the "Mother's Curse")
• Because I'm your mother that's why.
• This is why we can't have nice things.
• If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times.
• Eat your vegetables, those children in China (Africa, Vietnam) would be happy to have some broccoli to eat!
• If you fall out of that tree and break you leg , don't come running to me.
• "Cheer up, the worst is yet to come." (usually said before the punishment is announced)
• Someday your face is going to stick like that.
• Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
• Yes, I *AM* the boss of you.
• Because I said so.
• Just wait till your father gets home.
• No dessert till you clean off your plate.
• I brought you into this world and I can take you OUT !!
• I've got eyes in the back of my head, that's how
• Get that thing out of your mouth! (or nose)
• Just you wait until you have kids of your own - then you'll understand
• You tell that bully to cut it out or you'll tell the teacher...
• I slave for hours over a hot stove and this is the thanks I get?!
• Honestly... You'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed on!
• Bored! How can you be bored? I was never bored at your age.
• Who'll end up walking, bathing and feeding it...?

I Said A Mother's Prayer For You

I said a Mother's Day prayer for you

to thank the Lord above

for blessing me with a lifetime

of your tenderhearted love.

I thanked God for the caring

you've shown me through the years,

for the closeness we've enjoyed

in time of laughter and of tears.

And so, I thank you from the heart

for all you've done for me

and I bless the Lord for giving me

the best mother there could be!

Author Unknown

Happy Mother's Day to all the special "Mommys" out there !

And to my mommy - I love you so very much and wish I knew just how to thank you for everything, you are just too special for words !

Rastanura - Triathlon #1

Some of you may recognise the name Rastanura because Andre worked at the Rastanura Aramco refinery for the first 3 years of our stay in Saudi. On Friday (05/09/08) we left before the crack of dawn - well maybe not literally but it felt that way to head out to Rastanura for a triathlon, so it was 5:40am ! There are no photos to go along with the post not because we weren't allowed to take photos, not because we had nothing to photograph, but because .... because my darling husband rushed us out the door so early we were on the road before it 'dawned' on me that I'd left it at home.
So... Andre has been going to spinning class twice a week for the past month or so and this was to be his first triathlon in mmmmm 6 years :shock: He was only going to do the cycle and run though because swimming is just not his thing.
I keep saying going to, was, instead of did, anyone notice that ? Andre bailed 16kms (sorry Andre has corrected me....it was 16.8kms) out of 20kms on the bike :( seems an empty stomach and Isostar do not go together and he ended up, very unceremoniously throwing-up along the route, and not feeling up to continuing. I would like to say as the girls enjoyed the beach and splashing around in the water, I sat feeling just a touch warm wondering why on earth anyone would even want to be putting themselves through the exercise in this heat hehehe
He did look good and there is always next time. Needless to say the girls are chomping at the bit for 'next time' and a chance to visit a clean, western beach that looks and feels a little more like home :) AND one where mom doesn't have to wear an abaya ! AND AND 'next time' we may just have some pictures to share !

Aimee's ECG

We went to the doctor a week ago to get Aimee's prescription filled and he asked when last she had had an ECG and her blood checked ? Of course we had to answer never, as no one had asked before. From the conferences and research I have done on ADHD, I knew this was becoming common practice to keep tabs on the long term affects of Ritalin but none of the doctors we had ever seen had requested it. So off we went to have our very first ECG - Aimee practicing to say electrocardiogram to be able to tell her friends at school. She had an issue keeping still at first - strange how when you have to you just can't huh ? And then the blood - that didn't go down as well as the ECG, might have had something to do with needles and 2 testtubes that needed filling ;)

So we all tested out and good to go now.