Getting ready for Christmas

This is our first Christmas with out visitors or a trip so we have three leisurely weeks ahead of us.  Here's how we spent our time before Christmas.

There was a fun Santa show at the Emirates Palace Hotel.  Our school had discount tickets so it was a fun, inexpensive way to get into the Christmas spirit.  There was a little show about how the (funny, musical) elves and Rudolph helped saved Santa.  It snowed foam bubbles at the end and the girls (and our friend, Ameera) could meet Santa afterwards.

We took some good friends to the airport in Dubai and while we were there, we picked up my new golf clubs (*my* Christmas present!), had dinner at the Dubai mall and enjoyed the water fountain show there.   We also fit in several bike rides (although it's harder now as Regan has outgrown her bike and it fits Jane better these days).

We also thought hard about how to help some of the less fortunate here in Abu Dhabi.  In addition to donating money to our school that hosts a Christmas dinner at a labor camp and sending supplies to the Philippine safe house (for runaway/ endangered housemaids), we got presents for a Secret Santa program at our beach club for the employees (most of whom are from the Philippines, India and Bangladesh).

We also made holiday care packages for the 26 employees of the complex where we live (security, maintenance and cleaning crew).  The girls all went shopping with me and we got them a a nice fluffy hand towel, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, fresh fruit and homemade cookies.  The girls made some lovely art that said thank you on it, too.  We loaded up a stroller and our arms and had fun delivering them in person.  Even though these workers have jobs, they don't pay very well and they are often supporting an extended family back in their home country - so any money they can save by not buying toiletries means more money they can send home.  And they only get to go home for a month every two years.  One of our favorite security guards has an 18-month old daughter he has never seen.  :-(

For fun, there was a kids' golf tournament at our favorite golf course.  Jane came in 1st (out of the 5 in her group).  Regan 2nd and Meredith 5th (it was clearly a small casual affair!).   Even better was that the prizes that they all received (two sleeves of golf) were worth more than the entry fee - so they basically paid us to come play that day!

We went back to Dubai for Jake to get fitted for new golf clubs (he got new ones for Christmas, too!).  While he had his club fitting session, the girls and I hit the Dophinarium show.  We were the only bidders for the dolphin art - so now the girls' room has fun dolphin art on the wall.  They were thrilled with their souvenir and commented as we were leaving that their memorabilia would last longer than the balloons that cost about as much as our art.  Hopefully we can continue to develop that eye for value!

We found time for fun in the unseasonable warm weather, too, and hit the beach club.  We usually stick to the pool but spent all afternoon the other day on the beach - building sand castles, gathering pretty shells.  Regan, Jane and Meredith braved the chilly water and played with the stand up paddle board and kayaks.  It really was a lovely, relaxing day.

It's almost Christmas!

Ho! Ho! Ho!  The girls with Jane's friend, Ameera, visiting
Santa after the show at Emirates Palace Hotel

With Charlie the Elf

With the girl elf - we've forgotten her name!

Funny Santa trying to learn their names - he finally decided that
they were Fred, Jamie, Randolph, Andrew and Martin!

We have a tradition of tackling a 1000-piece puzzle over the holiday.
This year we received two as a hostess gift from one of Jake's co-
workers.  The other one is hard so it's not finished yet.  A picture to come later!

The Dubai mall fountain show after we took Sara and Ameera to the airport.
It's lovely and Anna says that the fountains were "shaking their hips!"

Our little golfers!

Jane getting her 1st place award!

Guess who got to lick the beaters after I made chocolate Christmas cookies??

Poor little tired Anna keeping me company in the kitchen 

Nine batches of cookies for the workers - we had a few leftover
for friends (and for us!)

Thank you artwork from the girls for the workers.

26 care packages for the workers

Delivering our Secret Santa gifts to the beach club workers.  The
tiny boxes included movie tickets as going to the movies is
a luxury not many would splurge to do.

Off to deliver the care packages.

Enjoying our many bike rides during the nice weather.

Art by two talented dolphins in Dubai!

Playing it safe on the paddleboard at the beach club.

Meredith got brave and gave it a whirl

Regan and Jane got braver and tried standing up.  They only fell off
when Jake gave them a big push to make it surf "faster"

On top of Anna's favorite playhouse at the beach club.

Nice Christmas art on our front door.

Look - it's me!  I exist, too!