Getting back into the school groove

After non-stop travel during the summer, it always takes us a month or so to get back into our routine here.  It's still quite hot so we hit the pool a lot.  

We also joined a new beach club.  We had joined one our first year but decided that we didn't use it enough to get our money's worth.  I did find that I missed it occasionally on days the kids were off from school but not sure I missed it enough to rejoin.  So we joined a less expensive one -but one geared only towards people who live here (our other one had a lot of tourists) so it just generally suits our needs better.  They even have a library - which is great for books and movies and a place to beat the heat.  They have lots of kids' classes but we're really just enjoying the beach, the two pools, the library and the inexpensive restaurants (some have nice views!).

Gradually the kids' activities have started up.  Regan, Jane and Meredith are all doing golf lessons.  This is Meredith's first year to join the big girls and she is really enjoying it.  They make the kids program at the Saadiyat Golf course very fun and it helps that there is usually a nice breeze off the ocean making it a slightly cooler spot.  The three big ones are also continuing their swim lessons.  We had hoped that Regan and Jane would try out for the swim team but Regan is horrified by all things competitive ("But, Mom, people watch you if you are in the swim team and there are winners and losers!").  Jane wasn't too keen without her big sister.  Hmm, maybe we can talk Jane into next year!  In any case, they have a great swim coach in their lessons and are making great progress.  We're so amazed at the progress Meredith has made in the last year and Regan and Jane's strokes are looking really good.  

We have a high school aged native Arabic speaker come once a week (or less sometimes) to practice Arabic with Regan and Jane.   And school soccer starts up for Regan and Jane in a few weeks.  Regan sings in the school elementary choir (called the ACS Players) and that meets once a week after school.

Regan and Jane also set a personal goal at school.  Jane's is learning how to knit (which is very convenient as we have a built-in teacher in her big sister).  Regan's is archery.  So we plan to head to an archery field once a month to help her improve.

We also continue to do Awana at church (I'm teaching Regan's class again this year),  Jake and I tag-team on a rotating schedule to teach Meredith's children's church and I'm helping out with a ladies' bible study at our church (it's a Beth Moore study on James and is wonderful - I'm really enjoying it!).  Board work at school is also keeping me busy.

So all in all, we're busy in a fun way.  We tried a ballet class for Meredith (and Regan and Jane tried a gymnastics class - just because it met at the same place and same time as the ballet class).  Meredith ended up deciding against ballet but Regan and Jane loved that gymnastics class and still ask if they can take it.  Regan also wanted to do girl scouts, but I don't think we can handle anything more at this point though!

Here are a few pictures of some of our early fall fun.

Happy to be back at our pool!

Enjoying the slide at our new beach club.

Jane's friend Brenli, Meredith and Jane (Meredith was sad about something
as they climbed up on this ledge - she wanted to be first).

Jane and Brenli on the squirty snake

Regan at archery - her goal at school has to be measurable
so we went to the archery field to get her baseline
prior to her goal-setting meeting.

The archery guy even let Meredith get in on the action
a little bit.

I'm trying to peek in the window at Anna's first ballet class.  The
little 3-year olds are adorable but she stopped to wave
anytime she saw me peeking in the window!

Jane's first purchase with her allowance money - a toy
horse that she named Pegasus.  It's been a good
purchase so far and goes just about everywhere with Jane.

Meredith will kill me when she is a teenager for sharing this picture - but
this is me helping deal with a bout of lice that Meredith brought
home from school.  Yuck!