Random autumn fun

Just a few photos to share of our autumn adventures and fun.

We are invited to be a test family for an Imagination Playground set up in preparation for the annual Abu Dhabi Art event.  Jane, Anna and Jane's friend gave it a thumbs up.

Brenli and Jane making a giant marble run

The completed marble run construction

The first meeting of Meredith's new book club - Halloween themed.

Cheering Regan's soccer team along in 2nd to last games of the season (sadly they lost both games).  Friend Becky brought pom-poms and a clapper which were a lot of fun.

Girls wanted a photo of this.  We made red velvet whoopie pies for desert on desert night - yum!

Little sisters on the school playground.  This spinny thing has always been a huge hit for all my girls and now Anna can finally reach it, too.

I took the girls to a new food festival called "Taste of Abu Dhabi."  This is about how thrilled the girls were to be there.  It was hot, there wasn't much shade & the girls were *really* hungry when we got there (a giant long walk to get there) so they weren't too excited about exploring the booths.  I got some yummy food though!

Static hair on the slide!

Meredith and her friend Gwyneth at Yas Waterworld.  Cameras and water parks don't work so well together so I only took a few photos of our wonderful day there.  It was a teacher work day at school so it was a great not-so-crowded day for many ACS kids to hit the waterpark.  The three big kids ventured out on their own with friends a lot which was a new experience for me and fun for them.  I could stay in the little kid section with Anna.  Anna bravely tackled the middle level slides that she was too afraid to do last year when we went.

Happy friends

Another friend whose husband works for the owner of the waterpark arranged for us to get a shady cabana which was wonderful to have as a home base since all the kids were going in different directions.  This is Meredith hugging Breece, Gywneth and Anna

Meredith, Regan and Anna in the cabana looking out towards the wave pool

Jane has an idea.  Water balloon with the leftover Halloween balloons.  Look at that gleam in her eye!

Bombs away!

There is a new playground near our house but it's been very crowded.  Taking advantage of parent/ teacher conference day we had it almost to ourselves.  Here is Meredith with friends Maya and Avni.

Anna and Carter.  Carter is the little brother of friends of Regan and Jane.  He is a year older than Anna.  Our families spend a good amount of time together and *every* time, Carter initially seems a bit miffed to have to be matched with Anna.  But once he realizes that a younger girl is really his only playmate option, they end up playing amazingly well together.  I took Carter and one of his big sisters to our house after the playground outing and he and Anna played Legos quietly together for over two hours.  They are such good buddies but it is so funny how Carter isn't usually very excited about Anna at first!

Anna on the wobbly bridge

Meredith, Jane and Carter

Six kids at our house for lunch and a playdate (Regan had school this day).

When the weather gets nice, I haul down our bicycles to take them to the shop to get serviced.  Being outside in the heat from May through October is rough on them.  This year, we found a little surprise on Regan's bike!  So we'll wait to get her bike serviced once these little ones hatch.

Regan's bike with the new bird's nest on her handlebar

Anna doing a little sashay in ballet

Look at this wonderful action shot of Anna doing a "puddle jump."   She's getting so long and lean and has lost her toddler chubbiness....

And look at it in black and white!

Working on a curtsy