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!

Freedom!

I was ECSTATIC when I found out that there was a spot for Dylan at a playgroup in our neighborhood! He started going the Monday after we returned to Dubai and we (especially me) love it! Dylan gets to hang out with a bunch of other kids his age and I get some time to myself! I am completely amazed at how much I can finish in just 3 hours twice a week!

Today Dylan came home with his first school art project! Of course I had to take a few pictures!

I can definitely tell that he is approaching 2. Just in the past month he has started saying "no" and shaking his head.

A Rare Cute Moment

Lately Dylan has been a permanent resident of the time out spot and extremely willful. I have been staring down the clock until it hits 1 and I can toss D in his bed for a nap! However, he has his moments of 'you just wanna eat him up', but they are few and far between. Here's one from yesterday.

I was peeking around the corner at him and saying "I see you". Well, he repeated it right away and now he's saying it all the time, typically while his hands and feet are on the floor and he's peeking through his legs.

I am DONE!

So far this week...

1. Dryer died the night before we left for the states, so after a few days back I sucked it up and called the repairman. I was lulled into a false sense of security after the phone call to set up the repairman's visit. I was told that someone would be there within two business days. So, the afternoon of the second day I call to find out when someone will really be coming and am informed that hopefully tomorrow "insh allah". Which basically means "I have no blanking idea when anyone will be there and don't really care."

The next afternoon I call again. "Sorry Madam, we are really busy, they will be there as soon as possible." Fine. The next morning three men show up at my door. After a conversation which involved not much english, I figure out that the men are there to take the dryer away so they can fix it and that I owe them 75 dhs. WHAT?? I get on the phone to the repair center and refuse to pay 75 dhs for a service call when no service is being done. They decide not to charge me and then I yell at them for making me wait four days just so they could pick up my dryer.

I get a call the next day and they have found the problem - the dryer needs a new thermostat. So I ask how long it will take to fix it and big surprise...the part is not in stock. At this point my hands are shaking and my eyelid is twitching. Sure, that's great.

2. I am trying to get my hair dried so that Dylan and I can run some errands. Halfway through, the dryer coughs, sputters, and starts glowing a fiery red. I turn it off, let it cool, and try it again. Nothing. Luckily, Tracy left me a blow dryer when she moved and I used that one to finish getting ready.

3. Next day I am drying my hair again (yep, a shower two days in a row...pretty good) and my head is yanked to the left. My hair has been pulled into the back of the blowdryer and now it's starting to cough and sputter. Two blowdryers in two days. That's gotta be a record somewhere.

Being back in the states will be nice.

Kilts and Cowboy Hats

Yes! All of that and more at the annual Oil Baron's Ball held at Emirates Golf Club this past November.

But, before we could get there, we had to solve the clothing dilemma. Kel had to rent a tuxedo, but without an Al's anywhere in sight, took a bit of effort. After going through my closet, and by closet I mean plastic storage bin under the bed (what closets here?), I decided on a strapless, floor length, red dress. And get this!! It was a BRIDESMAID'S dress! I actually wore it again! Thanks Melodi!

The theme was Stetsons, stilettos (another issue while walking on a golf course), and stars. Unfortunately the entertainment was the "Grease Experience", but the open bar took care of that little issue.

The entertainment at the end of the night was much more interesting!