The American school here has a big Breakfast with Santa event that is always a lot of fun (unfortunately Jake missed it this year as he was in the U.S.). Lots of pancakes for everyone (made by the principals and board members), lots of craft activities for the kids and a performance by the elementary choir (which Regan sings in). You are also supposed to get a picture with Santa included with breakfast but my littlest ones aren't too excited to get too close to the jolly round man in red so we kept our distance.
Regan's choir also sang at a big Swiss Market event here in town. Our three big girls performed with the children's church choir. They sang at a tree lighting ceremony at a local hotel and also at church. We were very impressed to see that Regan wasn't the only one actually singing - they all did a great job learning all the words and singing whole-heartedly.
Anna's nursery went a few days longer than the big kids so we took them for a round of golf one day. The Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is just a gorgeous course right on the edge of the Persian Gulf with beach and water views. I hear you can often see dolphins frolicking off the coast but we did not see any on our day out. Regan played the full nine holes. Jane played the first couple but either Jake or I made some kind of innocuous statement about her playing and she decided she didn't want anyone watching her anymore so she just rode in the cart after that (that child does *not* like attention). Mere made a few putts but also just enjoyed the ride on the cart.
Another fun outing was going to an ice skating show. It was a performance/ recital by the local kids who train in ice skating (and the son of some church friends was the Tangled male lead!). For a city known for its heat more than its ice skating, there were a lot of kids who did a great job skating and the girls really enjoyed the show. We also fit in some bicycle trips to the beach/ Corniche, playgrounds and playing in the sand. Winter is Abu Dhabi is all.....right.....!!
We hosted Christmas Eve dinner with some good friends (the Bartons with three boys and a little girl on the way). We had a wonderful evening with them - the kids got along well and the adults actually had a bit of a time to visit (not always a given with lots of small kids around). The kids played, did crafts, had a Christmas story read to them, opened one present each and watched a movie. We had a full spread of beef tenderloin, lots of traditional (and some not-so-traditional) sides and a frozen coffee-fudge torte with homemade warm vanilla carmel sauce on top (it was yummy if I do say so myself). The Bartons had moved villas just days before Christmas
We stayed up quite late so it wasn't difficult to get the kids to sleep in a bit on Christmas Day. The big kids emerged at 7:00 but were happy to play for an hour with the one toy they each opened the previous night. Regan got a 3-D puzzle of the Burj al Arab (the famous sailboat hotel in Dubai) and Jane happily played with her life-sized human body puzzle (skeleton on one side, arteries/ veins on the other!). I accidentally gave Meredith the wrong present on Christmas Eve (she opened one from Gaga and Grandpa Carl instead that was a cardboard castle that she could put together and decorate). It actually worked out really well because she loved it and was probably happier playing with it than with the puzzle I planned on her opening.
Christmas morning was really a lovely morning. The three big kids loved everything they received. Anna honestly really didn't need any presents as she was just happy to tag along after her sisters and play with their things but she eventually came back to her presents and opened (and played with) them!
Our traditional Christmas morning breakfast of overnight French toast was a big hit and we really went all-American and cooked up a bunch of bacon as well (specially bought from one of the only two stores that carry pork here!). We happily spent all of Christmas Day hanging out as a family and enjoying all the lovely gifts that Santa brought as well as the gifts that came from afar from thoughtful family members. We briefly went to a dessert party at a friend's house that evening but it was late, our kids were tired and we didn't stay long.
Another very Merry Christmas for the Puryear clan in Abu Dhabi. Merry Christmas everyone!
 |
| It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... |
 |
| With four prolific artists making Christmas ornaments, we may need another tree sometime to hold all our wonderful ornaments they make (although our pace of creation has slowed since we arrived here!) |
 |
| Ta-Da! |
 |
| The stockings were hung on the..... red-antique-Chinese-cabinet with care |
 |
| The ACS Players (elementary choir) performing at the Swiss Market at the Beach Rotana hotel here in Abu Dhabi (Regan has long ruffled shirt on) |
 |
| Mere at the ice skating show |
 |
| Breakfast with Santa (outside and sunny!) |
 |
| Anna getting into the Christmas spirit at Breakfast with Santa at the American Community School |
 |
| Crafts at Breakfast with Santa |
 |
| The ACS Players serenade us at Breakfast with Santa (Regan is front row, roughly the middle with a white shirt and a Santa hat) |
 |
| Hand painting! |
 |
| Children's choir at church |
 |
| Jane (middle in red shirt) |
 |
| Fun family outing along the Corniche - bike ride, lunch outside overlooking the water and playground stop |
 |
| Regan trying to fly at the 1001 Inventions Science Festival |
 |
| Science show at the science festival |
 |
| Mere singing loud in the church choir |
 |
| Golfing with the family at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (where the girls and I take lessons) |
 |
| Regan lining up her drive |
 |
| Jake and Regan - our golfer. Jane is a pretty good golfer, too, but she doesn't like anyone to see her play |
 |
| Our melted snowmen cookies |
 |
| The table for Christmas Eve dinner |
 |
| Eric helping with the crafts |
 |
| A very Barton and Puryear Christmas Eve |
 |
| Wow. A present! This is so exciting! |
 |
| Liam and Matthew |
 |
| Eric reading the "Real Night Before Christmas" |
 |
| Jane was *very* excited to see a new friend hugging her stocking on Christmas morning |
 |
| Regan *loved* her 3-D puzzle of the Burj al Arab hotel. We got really busy after Christmas with visitors so I will post another picture when she finishes the top of it |
 |
| Here come the kids to see what Santa brought! |
 |
| Jane literally tackled her new dog "Sydney" |
 |
| The puzzle is almost as big as Mere and Jane |
 |
| Jane has had "Barbie Jeep" on her list for three years - Uncle Dan and Aunt Susan came through for her! |
 |
| All the girls are enjoying the plasma-car that Meredith got from Uncle Dan and Aunt Susan. Anna has her new clothes on from Gammy - each girl got an adorable outfit with a matching doll outfit. The girls love them (and Meredith puts her doll outfit on Angelina Ballerina, her favorite friend) |
 |
| Meredith *loves* her castle that she put together and decorated (from Gaga and Grandpa Carl) |
 |
| Jane's gorgeous gingerbread house that her friend Ameera's mom took them to do before Christmas |
 |
| Anna enjoying her "magic straws" that have these chocolate candy beads that stay in the straw and turn regular milk into a decadent chocolate milk on its way up. Yum! (thanks, Aunt Mary Ann!) |
 |
| Jane working on a "Book About Me" from Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Bob (of course, dogs mad the page on favorite things) |
 |
| Jane's completed "All About Me" book |
 |
| Meredith in the matching girl/ doll clothes that Gammy and Poppy sent. I forgot to take a picture on Christmas Day of al the girls and their dolls and can't get all four of the outfits clean on the same day but I'll get a picture of all four soon!!! |
No comments:
Post a Comment