When Hell Freezes Over!

Bad weather in Dubai is as much a rarity as seeing good news about Paris Hilton. So, the weather forecast of 60-70% chance of rain and thunderstorms had everyone talking. The last time we got rain here was January of last year during Bush's visit and the streets were flooded everywhere and Kel had to work from home.

The excitement about impending inclement weather was unbearable for me. I hadn't seen a cloudy sky for months and real rain for at least a year.

Wednesday was the big day. I woke up to sun and my disappointment was palpable. During the early afternoon the clouds started rolling in and my excitement doubled. But no rain. After I put Dylan to bed, the wind started picking up and sand was blowing everywhere. But no rain.

My friend came over that evening to have a drink and just after she arrived I heard heavy drops assailing the kitchen window. I grabbed my camera (nerdy I know) and opened the back door which faces west (toward the ocean side) and was immediately pelted by HAIL! Yes, my friends, hail in the desert. My friend dashed out to move her car under cover and I took pictures and a few little videos. I knew that no one would believe that this actually happened.

I'm sure people driving by thought that the girl laughing and dancing around in the hail with a camera was insane. Maybe not insane, but definitely a little tipsy.

I IM'd my good friend down the street (also from Texas) and he said "what is it they say? oh yeah, when Hell freezes over." So, there you have it. The high for the day was 99 and it hailed. Go figure.

That's the hail. Bigger than pea, smaller than dime. Crazy. The green thing is my water hose.

Nautical Inaugural

Today was monumental. Especially for the Aiken side. Dylan made his first appearance on a boat! And, true to the Aiken side, he absolutely loved it! Our wonderful friends in Qatar took us out on their boat in the Arabian Sea for a quick little tour around the area. Dylan loved the wind in his air and didn't even mind his girlie life jacket.

Kel was prepared to stay behind with D while Louise, Chris, and I rode around, but a really nice guy in the next slip overheard our dilemma about lack of appropriate life jacket size for Dylan and dug out a kid's jacket from his boat to let us borrow. Never mind that it was hot pink!

As we tied off and got off the boat, Dylan threw a screaming fit and went limp because he was not done yet.

Grandpa Rich, get ready!!

Bribery: Truly a Mother's Best Friend

A few nights ago at dinner...

Me - Eat your chicken.
Dylan - No, no, no while emphatically shaking head in case I miss the message.
Me - Eat your chicken. It's good for you.
Dylan - No, no, no - again shaking head. Dammit mom, didn't you get it the first time?
Me - Eat your chicken. See, mommy eats chicken. Yummy. Now, Dylan's turn.
Dylan - No, no, no.

Meanwhile...Kelly has finished his dinner because he has not been cajoling and pleading with an almost 2 year old and gets a cupcake out of the fridge.

Dylan - Cupca? (long 'a' sound at the end - his word for cupcake...he miraculously learned that word in a day)
Me - No cupcake. Eat your chicken.
Dylan - No, no, no. Shakes head. Cupca! Cupca! Banging hands on tray and knocking food off tray.
Kelly - You can have some cupcake if you eat a bite of chicken.
Dylan - Eats bite of chicken. Reaches for cupcake.
Kelly - Good job buddy. Here's a bite of cupcake.
Dylan - More, more, more....please!
Kelly - Ok, but you have to eat a bite of chicken first.
Dylan - Eats bite of chicken.

I happily finish my dinner and sigh. I've been waiting for this day!

You want that cookie honey? Here's some broccoli!