More spring fun!

Here are some photos of our spring - between spring break and the last few weeks of school.

I got to chaperone these adorable kindergarteners on their field trip to the Fish and Vegetable market

In front of our shiny new air conditioned Farmer's Market (a little easier than the outdoor vegetable and fish markets out by the port - but a little light on the charm factor!).  The kids all had to find a specific vegetable and they had to find the ones from the closest country.  It was really cute hearing these five year olds trying to figure out if Holland or Egypt was closer!

Meredith's new preferred way of turning the lights off and on.  This child is obsessed with handstands and does them all. the. time.  This is our little yoga girl who loves her weekly yoga class.

Jake had an early Saturday morning flight out of Dubai.  At 3:00 p.m on Friday, we decided at the last minute we would all go to Dubai so that Jake could get an extra hour and a half of sleep and the girls could get in some fun swim at a hotel in Dubai.

Happy, happy kids at the giant hotel pool

A waterslide!

The kids even got me to go down it a few times (but no one got a photo - darn).  It took me about six tries to get the timing right on these so it would have been difficult to get my photo anyway.

More water fun.  The kids had a day off from school for a teacher workday so we went to Yas Waterworld.

So these slide racing thingies are way scarier than they look.  You loop around in a dark tunnel and then whoosh you come straight down that hill in the back.  I couldn't believe that Meredith and Jane were doing these over and over.  Who knew they were adrenalin junkies?!?!

My friend Maggie (left) came as an extra chaperone.  She was moving back the US the week after this day so she got to check another UAE thing off her bucket list before she left.  Plus she really is an adrenalin junkie (and gave me a LOT of grief for not doing the Liwa Loop with her - it's a slide with a trap door that just drops you down in a free fall.  No. thank. you.)

Maggie and Jane

Regan and some of her friends

Meredith, Jane's friend Victoria and Jane

We got a cabana as this trip was part of Regan's birthday present.  We loved having a shady place to hang out out of the sun.

Anna!

Anna jumping in at swim lessons (blue swim cap)

The ice cream truck.  This thing is a bit elusive.  The last time we had heard it was at 8:30 p.m. on a school night near our house!  Another time it came close to our house but not close enough.  One of Jane's friend's dad took off at a dead sprint to catch it.  It also plays tingly Christmas carols for its music.  Ahhh, the oddities of Abu Dhabi!

Another hotel stay - this time in Abu Dhabi for our school's big gala event.  They negotiated such good rates that we couldn't afford *not* to go!  It was my mother's day present.  Kids enjoying the pool.

Ameera (Jane's best buddy since kindergarten!), Jane and Meredith

Jake and I all dressed up for the red carpet gala event, auction and fundraiser.  We had a great time catching up with friends and hitting the dance floor.  It was a red carpet theme and they even had paparazzi on our way in.  Amazing event.

Another one of my mother's day gifts - a Starbucks gift card so I got a latte in a real mug and savored my gift from the girls

Mother's Day assembly at school.  These fourth graders made all the moms cry!  They made us beautiful tissue paper flowers and brought them to us in the audiance.  There were many poems about moms - so, so sweet.

Jane's mother's day poem

Kickin' back in the minivan while waiting on the science fair project

They tested different fabrics in the sun, shade and with a breeze to see if it made a difference on how hot they got

Visiting the friends who adopted the kitten (Bella) that we rescued.  We came to visit Bella and she seems to be doing great in her new home.

Anna telling Dr. Johnson (principal) all about the science fair project

Medals for the science girls

Meredith in the lower elementary choir

Meredith's very first swim meet.  She is so incredible nervous at this point.

After the back stroke - she did great!

Another bucket list item for Maggie whose time in the UAE has come to an end.  We took her to the Burj al Arab hotel (the iconic one in Dubai shaped like a sailboat).  Our view from our table with the Burj al Khalifa (tallest building in the world) in the background.  Not a bad view!

The ladies off to give Maggie a memorable night out on the town

Our sweet Anna (2nd from the left) in the Little Red Riding Hood performance at her ballet recital

 

Anna on stage.  She claimed that she wasn't nervous at all

Regan (left) and her book club buddies.  Many of these girls have been together for three years - 7 girls from 5 different schools