Noodle NO-No's

This was quite an interesting dinner kaia had with her furry little friend kyra.
I suppose like other things during lifes many questioning moments...instead of lending a hand..or maintaining normal routine..I find myself caught in a web of awe while watching the many-a- antics little ones find themselves in.

New Lens

kaia...was finally able to be captured looking at me...I see her eyes..an opening to something that I haven't really been able to record on film yet. She will absolutely not look at the camera. But, now with a highly powered camera..I am able to capture multiple shots a second. Finally splurged and got la camera....ooh, it's like buttah!

Found pic

I feel so bad...don't have many pics of granny...we all wanted to get fancy ones it seemed all the time...and well..now, I am searching for any!!
 
Granny and kai...making kisses and cuddles after granny bath.

Wanna join our club

 
Jeff's new skimboarding crew...aren't they cute...and young???
They are heading to DUbai in order to complete the next chapter of their Video that they are making for your viewing pleasure. PLease stay tuned to a YouTube near you !!

Old but cute

 

JUst found this picture.....this is when we first arrived. Kaia re-kindling her bond with Aunty.
SUch a lucky girl to have been able to explore her family throughout the world!!

Welcome to Dreamland

So, realizing that the last posting was a bit on the crabby side, now trying real hard to win my viewers back. I suppose that's just part of the ride, I mean I wouldn't tell you all what my darkest dirtiest secrets are, well, I guess I don't really have any. Well, I we all do but that is not for the Blogging readers ,Nonetheless, that is what this Blog, or why I decided to do this blog. Recording the good times and well, the shitty ones as well. ANd yes, there are bound to be those anywhere you go. I tell you what, this place will give the new meaning to Road Rage...but that is another post.
We took a lovely road trip to Umm Al Quwain, one of the 7 Emirates, which is an easy 2 hour drive. It's on the West side, so you hug the coast most of the trip.
After, a jolloping, cheerful car ride with my friend Leslie and her two boys and kaia we arrived safely to a soon to be very evenful and wet afternoon. Kaia had 2 older boys to keep up with, which I think is great for her. She, indeed can keep up with 2 boys. She went on most of the water rides, and one of which I thought surely she would have had a problem with. THe slides that have 4 and go straight down with a little dip, all tubes, I got pushed before her, and her tube stuck on the top, so she went down alone on her tube. Being that she is tiny tank, her tube swirled around and around and around and all you heard was little blond girl on POltergeist screaming into her closet...the longest highest pitch scream one ever did hear. SHE UBER-loved it!!! once she got spit out of the slide coming in for a clean landing, she signs MORE and yells it at the same time. THat's my brave little mama....Frickin Fearless!!!!!
She went on most of the rides with Jeff since I was just a nervous wreck worrying about water splashing in her face the wrong way, or hair in her eyes, I am certainly a pansy mom for this kid. At once, Kaia got pawned off on Leslie's Mom, simply because I was tired and too stressed out to enjoy myself. What a freak!!!
WHen kaia decided to have a blow out in her swimmer is when I got to partake in more activities. SUper.....can't wait. THe day was great, the water was getting warm and we decided to pack it in, oh after kaia would not let go of a tree branch and wanted to hang on and continue up it.???
We stopped at the discounted LIquor store, where you don't need to have a license, and got some tasties, paid for them US prices. We just don't really drink anymore, because it's just too expensive, so we took advantage, as did many others in the discounted alcohol. We casually noticed that the Locals were parked on the backside of the store...Oh, how outrageous, Yah, we couldn't tell by the Tinted Mercedes taking up 3 parking spots with the OUd seeping outta the windows that you were local??? GOodness...funny people we are!!!!!!
Lotsa love, lotsa hugs we miss you all.please skype,

Agggh, yes and we got a flat tire too. THat was fun. JEff changed that baby in record timing, I think he did it in less than 4 minutes.

Super salt soakin Psycho

My words...my thoughts could go on and on. This has been by far the worst weekend I've had since we have gotten here. Many reason why?? Could easily have been prevented, but alas, live and learn I suppose. This is why we try to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. We were to go to Oman this weekend to get visas:as they are only good for 60 days. We pushed this one up to the limit,for other reasons. I happened to get sick the night before we were planning on going out there. We did not exactly have anything in particular planned, but we were going to go along the Northern Shore In Musandam Oman. If you look at a map, you can see that the mountains there are really jagged, and the area itself looks really old and mysterious. There are wooden dhow(long boats)that you can take in between fiords, last time we went when I was here alone, dolphins raced next side of us. It is really gorgeous and I am dying to get kaia in her life jacket that we so terribly needed to get her before we left. Haven't used it once. I know that she would love to be on a boat. So....I wake up the morning we are to leave, my head pounding from illness setting into my bones, spine sore, and throat razor blade shut and killing me to swallow or even talk. I have no choice in the matter, I HAVE TO GO. So, we decide that we are literally going through exit UAE and get omani visa and turn around and come back. All and all about a 3 hour drive, That is if you DON"T get lost. If we had a GPS, I bet we'd still get lost. If anyone knows Jeff and how he is when we get lost, it's not a picnic party. We decided since we were going to Dubai anyways, that we get Jeff's driver's license since now he has his Residence visa and labor card, one last step will make him legit. So we finally arrive, I nearly vomited while we passed a cat with its poor little insided dangling out for every one and their mothers rubber tires to stamp. God, please don't make me have to look at that again. HA HA.

iCatsplats

We make our turn and pull up to the ATA sign..drop him off and put the car in park and wait there. Rest my mind and body while this happens. RIn RIng "Oh have to take my eye test across the street." So NOW I am finally appreciating those little strip malls we have with everything next to the other. I also want to make out(well not really)with all of the construction guys for making posting and signage so obvious like putting the sign out before the turn and not after vice versa!!!in the US that is. So they say "go cross the street." Ah, fart that's an hour right there." ANd sure enough it was about half an hour just to get across the street due to well to the fact that nothing is marked, we are in DUbai and there are waaaaay too many cars(suv's) and the fact that we had to pass inside cat splatter again! I said Honey I'm gonna kill someone if we have to pass that cat one more time. OH crikes, road block, crap, we have to turn around again...Ok, so now that's 3 times have passed the inside cat, gonna call it ICS. Have to go back again..so we are there jeff found out that he's nearly blind in the left eye. Surely, as we pass the cat for the fourth time not blind enough to not see poor little ICS baking in the sun. We go on in, and get his off-centered out of focus driver's license.WHOPPEE!! Let's go see our little friend, ok 5th time smokey the bandit and we are outta here off to the border we go.

Too much congestion

Such a change Dubai is from little Abu Dhabs. It really is like it's on steroids..Dubai has 10% of the cranes in the world. Okay, so we missed our turn to Hatta border post..and got way off track...and ended up in one traffic jam after the other. It was truly a nightmare. We FINALLY got back on track, and I was able to rest my sore little body. Love the banana pilllows. We finally arrive at UAE border exit, I wipe the drool from my face, anything that will cover my arms up and walked up to window. He said 2 days overstay!!! I guess I was never really good at math, but gollee now this is costing me. Our visas were good for 60 days, once you go over, they kill you with penalties and can charge you whatever they want no question, and if you argue with them-LIke I did, then they can limit you visa stay..so I gave them the money 45 minutes later, and they let me through. We get to oman, get our visas..and turn around and come back through the border no problem we are legit for another 60 days. Jeff is sponsoring us, and everything is pending.
We finally push off for a 3 hourh u-Turn, Kaia was a champ, nearly slept the whole way...and thank you thank you, Hiyao Miyazaki for your power to produce such amazing visuals to keep my 2 1/2 yr entranced over and over.!!!

Let's go crazy

Well all lessons learned.A couple days late..we are safe..visas re-newed. Off to the hot shower I go....slept..barely until the next morning where I found myslef getting checked into the hospital. Nice...getting some antibiotics. I think?? Sudanese doctor...not much english, but he pointed to my butt and I knew the answer was sure to be NO!! I'll take the pills thank you very much. I took my receipt and off to the pharmacy I went. NO insurance..just a visa, checked into the Urgy-Care, pain meds to boot and some zithromax 200 dirhams later. WOW, that's about 60 dollars....for all!!
gotta love it.

Bloomin Pantalones

This little path to the beach was a pretty one, or shall I say IS a pretty one.
Just carry on and move through the heat onto the beach.

I like to be healthy

So On our last day before we are to go back to work...we went to the beach. I thought the sun would help the healing time of illness. So I just sat and endured the sweet salty sand and wind brush against my swollen glands. Oh, thank goodness I have medicine

Up high

Is where I think most of the time...for now, today. Is the day to let down, embrace and yes..give in to gravity and relax!! I will blog more later..tomorrow is the start of a new week, and after that only one more. Waiting for my second interview for Publishing position. If I get that, I will have my summer off. Keep you all posted. Miss you all dearly, and am glad that you are all enjoying the blog.

Super Coaster

I suppose you could say that I have been a little busy. Now I understand how much time I really did have when I wasn't working. I was able to coddle my blog, baby and many other things. Now,I feel as though I am in a whirlwind of energy and can't seem to sit still long enough to blog. So, here I sit, write..looking over I see little jeffesters sniffling. We were finally hit by the sickness...not so bad. Just a snot-infested tidal wave of sneezing, nothing more. We finally got a car, renting a car that is. But, I feel emancipated...you just can't get by here without a car, no question. We got our first car..took it down the block and I swear Jeff could have jumped out and ran fasted than this thing was going burning rubber. We took the mutha back, of course it was not to be that easy. Everything here is so difficult. And when it is finally easy, you get smacked in the face 10 folds/and it inevitably ends up being a major pia. I got a call today...being a DU(phone)VIP customer,,they will give us 2 Bon Jovi tickets..Oh great, I hated him in the states, but suddenly love him now and all his name reminds me of is fresh lemonade and tear stained cheeks from the night before I was left on the side at the roller rink in Maplewood. Amy is going to be taking those tickets...she was more of a butt rocker than I will ever be.

Kaia's 1st Recital

Started out as sorta've junk show....kid's crying, kaia jumped out of her seat when she saw us....and ran towards yelling "mommy mommy" It was hilarious. LIttle tear..when she started singing. The songs were simple and full of gestures. Needless to say, it was entertaining. Please enjoy some of the clips to the side that I have uploaded for your viewing pleasure, hope it touches you like it did us.

Great feelings getting through my performance

A Todd Expression

wow...that reminds me of a picure that was taken when Todd was little and had his arms out like King Kong...standing on a Rock on Lake Superior. Funny, an expression can create such a vivid memory.

"Dad you lookin good in your tie."

So Is mama!!

Daddy is so proud of me.!!!!

FUn at the pool.....where I work.

Aggggh...

Oh ...so nice.

Senior Portrait

We were following the guests..this was a common posing site.

Fin away...

Well you can't really see it, but there is an island back there. We braved the crashing tides and went around this bay in order to get to Snoopy Island. SInce, we were at the hotel down the beach, we were to pay 3o dollars each to snorkel here. We decided to park in the Visitor's parking...for free at the cost of being swallowed by the crashing waves and stinging critters..ie:jellyfish.
Our spit I guess wasn't strong enough for the first use of our masks;therefore causing them to be very foggy and full of condensation. It was a weird experience. Since kaia, I have read too much..and seemed to have adopted a keener sense of what is smart and what is..not so smart. All I kept thinking was that, a shark was going to eat my right leg off. I started hyperventilating. Jeff was my eyes from below and I was the ones on the surface since my mask was fogging up so badly. I grabbed his hand..and started up with those legs of mine....finning my life away.
We finally got to the other side of the Bay...and the visibility got a lot better. We started in on our snorkel and saw all sorts of tropical fish..parrotfish, Nemo's and dora's. I swear I saw a sting-ray. Everything was going great until we encountered an array of baby jellyfish. Once again, I smashed the water away from me and turned around. Let's just go on back...and wait until we are cool enough to go and buy the Body Glove spandex head to toe suits to protect us from all this crap.
Needless to say, it was a good time.

Mojito me baby.....so deloshes

Heaven...I'm in heaven

Standing in front of our hotel on our way back to our place

Dibba` Indian Ocean

Our weekend getaway...was superb.Sorry it's been awhile since i've posted. My poor blog is getting ignored. Amy and Amira took care of little miss for the weekend, so we decided to take a weekend trip to Rotana Resort&Spa. We managed to muster up the strength to avoid any potential accidents or killing of pedestrians(believe me, it's easy to do.) The Road traveled was a confusing one, we were to avoid Dubai traffic so we took an alternate route. The signs..the roundabouts...that seemed to last forever made you feel like you were having another spout of deja-vu. We finally stopped, "Where are we"? Well, we were right, but our directions were "after roundabout, straight, straight and finger whip gesture suggesting a turn somewhere. We finally arrived to Dibba, and it was now 11:45 at night. As we were checking in, Jeff meandered to the Bar to notably discover a barload full of Harley Davidson's cruisers. He nearly crapped eggrolls. We were lead to our Room that was overlooking the Indian Ocean, slippers in front of the bed waiting to be cradled by our rough feet. I was in heaven...Boat trips to the local island, free sea-kayaking,snorkeling and waterskiing..and much more I was in instant overload mode. We decided to go down to the Pub for a coctail..and were greeted by a guy named Jerry who was from the Southwest parts of England. The vibe was colored by a funky band..and the leather worn by people seemed to remind me of home. Oh how we kicked back and enjoyed our evening while sharing stories with others from all over.

Potty Training with a twist..

We went a full day today with toilet breaks,flushes and classical conditioning that Pavlov would have been proud of. ALthough, lately the treats have been missing in the belly of dad. Kaia gets really upset when this happens, he gets a good scold,
"Daddy those are potty-treats." So, today we topped her off with a nice cold icecream cone.

More of Twin Trees

Still our main attraction; driving to the desert and enduring long hours of bbq riddened desert nights. The weather is still behaving itself..Not too bad, start a fire, crack out that shisha and get the tasty snacks going. Sorry, not all for words at this moment...kaia is sick again, in the chest this time. I was up all night with her while she coughed the hours away.We have managed to not get it both times. All for now, I will check in, in a day or so. Jeff started his Job today, looked like a Foxy-star walking out the door this morning. I start next week...met with the other teacher and my class size has nearly tripled since last time. Looking forward to it though.
All for now...chow chow.

VIDEO CLIPS

Hey, -- keep those video clips coming. They are fun. Pictures are lovely, but the antics make me laugh!
Love, Mom

Chillin with a soda in hand

Muscat, Oman

I just adore the country of Oman...the people are way cool and you definetely get a sense of the MIddle East here, the land, the architecture is simply exquisite. Please since, the HUrricane from last year, do not try to rely on any maps written pre-Hurricane. The roads have disappeared and turned into something else.