You Can Never Be To Glam To Play Basket Ball

In typical Maddy style you can never be too dressed up for anything. Here she is in heeled plastic dressing up shoes playing basket ball. Not sure how we have avoided A&E. Oh and yes it was warm enough for a strappy top today!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas everyone. We have failed miserably with cards due to a shortage of stamps and no trip back to England. For those who didn't receive cards we promise to be more organised next year, however, it really is difficult to get into the Christmas spirit over here.

Happy Christmas and all the best for 2012

Love

Vania, Rich, Isy and Maddy xxx

Love the determination in this photo!

More Cross-Country Success - Well Done Isy

What an amazing day, Isy woke before 6 excited about today's big cross-country race. It was pretty warm today and many of the girls she was racing she didn't know. Isy had a great start and led for most of the race with another girl right on her heels, she was overtaken in the last 200m and took 2nd place. The 2 of them ran a fast race well ahead of the rest of the field and Isy ran 1225m in 4 mins 41 secs which is brilliant. She was gutted she was 2nd but is so pleased with her time. Even better Rich made it to support, think he will be grinning from ear to ear all day.

A few people have suggested Isy goes to the athletic trials at main site school so we may look into that.

We are all incredibly proud and impressed and a little worried that she is faster than us. I asked Isy last night what she thought about when she ran, did she have music in her head or anything she replied "I just think about winning Mummy".

Well done Isy you should be extremely proud of yourself!

Baking Nightmare

As someone who enjoys baking and finds it quite therapeutic the last few months have been quite interesting.
Vanilla extract is not available here(alcohol).
Brown sugar comes in a solid lump (assume this is a heat thing) and you have to bash it with a rolling pin but it still has lumps in it or blitz it in the food processor. See the photo above of the sugar after lots of bashing with the rolling pin.
I can only find wax paper and have had to get Rich to bring baking paper from the UK. When I baked cookies on this paper, which says it can be used for this on the packet, when I opened the oven door it was smoking. If used on cakes I can never get them off the paper.
Eggs are a strange size so you have to add extra and hope you have the right amount in.
I cannot even start to explain the oven!
Oh and if you can figure out the cream, mainly whipping cream here, good luck as it must take days to whip.

Alas, things are getting better with practice but the lemon almond and polenta cake leaves a great deal to be desired, this one has never sunk before. Guess I will not be trying to do "The Great British Bake Off" from here.

Isy's Cross Country

Today the school ran cross country trials in which each KS2 year group boys and girls raced each other. Isy's race was over 1225m and all the children have been training for the last few weeks, I suspected Isy might do quite well but she was amazing and won by a massive distance. We are all incredibly proud of her. I was a little concerned without any of the boys in front of her she would struggle to pace herself, however she just ran and kept going.

Afterwards they children received medals and certificates and it was a great event. Isy is so pleased and now is running against the children from the Main Site British International School on Wednesday. Go Isy!

One extremely proud Mummy xx

Maddy's Year 2 Sports Day

Unfortunately, due to heavy rain Maddy's class were unable to travel to the main British International School for Year 2 Sports Day, instead the 2 classes from Salwa ran their own sports day here. The children had a great time as did the competitive parents who also dressed in house colours and actively supported the event.

So so Cold

Oh my goodness after nearly 3 months of wearing sun dresses everyday and only the occasional need for a cardi on a couple of evenings today was absoloutely freezing. The forecast said it might go down to 22 degrees but I helped someone do a yard sale this afternoon and had to wear a North Face Down jacket. Infact this evening I went out in a wool no with leggings and boots. This was not in the contract when we came here.

Perhaps it will warm up tomorrow.

Vania x

(have actually turned the air con off in the bedroom too, must be cold)

The children play on the new trampoline

We have bought a trampoline, fills a very large space in a very sparse front garden. The children are really enjoying the new toy, I am sure there is some statistic about adults causing all the accidents on trampolines so perhaps we should limit Rich's time on the new toy.

How many people get to see camels from the bedroom window?

Ok perhaps not the most scenic view but we can see for miles. Spotted camels from the bedroom window the other day.

Maddy has been learning to roller-skate

With help from me, Isy and Isy's friend Eva Maddy has been learning to roller-skate. She was only allowed out with all the pads on, unfortunately, for her that did not include a bottom pad as that night she said a her bottom really hurt after landing on it so much. Anyway she did really well and with loads of perseverance has started to master it. Sorry no real action shots, I will try and get those at a later date.

Driving through the desert

Some photos taken from the car as we drove through the desert.

Off Roading

A group of us recently went off roading in the desert. We didn't have to drive too far and the girls had an amazing time climbing up and over rocks with the other children. We all had a picnic and the children ended up so filthy and proud of it. They went digging for what the hoped might be diamonds, sadly not much success but they collected lots of rocks with sparkly bits in them.

Bonfire Night

We were invited round to friends for Bonfire Night for sparklers, BBQ, apple bobbing and fire pit. Tempting as it was to wear hat, scarf and gloves it was far too warm.
Please not the trepidation with which Maddy is holding here sparklers, the cycle helmet is on because she had been on her bike not for extra safety around sparklers bought downtown.

Happy 31st October

Because all our stuff had not arrived we had to improvise and use an IKEA sheet torn in half, obvious that Isy is a ghost but in case you are confused Maddy is the Bride of Dracula who died and came back as a ghost (not dressed in a toga!

A note from Maddy

Today I am very excited and happy because after giving a speech to my class they have voted for me to represent them on the School Council.

I planned my speech over the weekend and thought carefully about what was important.

I have spent a lot of time jumping up and down today because I am so happy! My friend Logan is the other Class Rep.

Love Maddy xxx

Sunset from the patio

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but this how it looks virtually every evening from our patio, becoming a little cooler in the evening but still haven't needed a cardi yet.

Photos of the house

For those interested some photos of downstairs in our house, please remember it looks pretty sparse as we still only have what we brought in bags on the aircraft,

There is loads of space and with so little in the place echoes. Please also note Isy is very kindly modelling using the WII in our lounge with lots of room to do WII Dance.

The girls have started football club

Isy was so pleased to find that there was a football club here on a Tuesday evening. Unfortunately, the first week we were turned away due to a lack of shin pads; however, after another shopping trip both girls went armed with shin pads.

Maddy thought an hour and a half of football was a bit too long but did enjoy it and Isy was just thrilled to be playing football. Isy is desperate for a football shirt but I am being hard nosed over that and saying no! This weekend we had to buy the socks and the girls reckon they need boots if they want to play matches against other teams.

What a shocking mother I am, Maddy wanted to do ballet at the beginning of term didn't manage that so football instead

Is it a bit early for mince pies?

I have just bought 3 jars of mincemeat (obviously without added booze) to make mince pies nearer the Festive Season. Cannot believe I have bought it so early and am so pleased with my purchase, however, it really isn't something you see out here a great deal and I have learnt quickly if you see something imported and you like it buy it in bulk fast as you may never see it again. Since arriving here I have seen only one bottle of tonic (which I obviously purchased) on the supermarket shelves and to be fair I have visited a fair few different supermarkets since I arrived.

Just need my stuff to arrive so I can actually make the pastry for the pies!

Vania x

(very frustrated baker with no baking kit, made bread yesterday guessing the weight of the flour etc)

Maddy's Class Bear came to stay last week

For the second time this term we had the class bear. Have to admit the fact that it is only overnight makes it a bit of a flying visit. Anyway we took him to the pool to sunbathe, didn't think he would like the pool so managed to keep him dry.