Party Of Five in Dubai: Growing Up: Mason

It's been so long since I last updated that I don't even know where to start. And now our time in Dubai is drawing to a close, so I can't help but look back and reflect on how much the boys have grown and changed since we arrived four short months ago. It's safe to say that this has by far been the best year and experience for Mason! Things just seemed to fall into place for him both academically and socially. I know transitioning back and forth between Texas and Dubai is probably toughest on Mason, but he has handled it like a champ this year!

It's no surprise that Mason's life basically revolves around baseball, but this season was truly exceptional for him! We met some really neat families and have certainly made some friends for life with them!! Mason has always spent a lot of time at the ball fields, but this year he took it to a new level with practicing for his league team and all-star team, private lessons and umpiring 2-3 games a weekend! His Fridays were always the busiest: 8:00-10:30 League Practice; 10:30-12:00 All Star batting practice; 1:00-2:30 Umpire girls softball. Mason's games were played on Saturdays at either 1:00 or 3:00, so he would always try to umpire one-two games before or after he played! This whole season has taught him so much more than just the game of baseball. He's learned about teamwork, leadership and responsibility. Umpiring has also been a great experience for him because he's been responsible for making his schedule, collecting his umpire fees and calling games with authority! Don't let his size fool you - this little dude means business!! Mason played for the Mariners and they were in first place, but lost to the Angels in the Championship game. The kids really came together as a team this year, and it was fun to watch them grow!

Mason also enjoyed his 11th Birthday Week here in Dubai! It started off with a Parents vs Players scrimmage (kids barely won 8-7!), had a dinner party with friends and a triple layer chocolate cake, he umpired his last game of the season, played in the 12U Championship game and came in 2nd, had birthday donuts at school and ended the day with a birthday dinner at Joe's Crab Shack!

Mason had some really cool experiences this year while at ASD. The 5th grade class took a field trip to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, where they toured the mosque and learned about its history and significance to the Emirati culture. They also went on a 3-day, 2-night camping trip to Hatta, which is a historic village located abut 1.5 hours outside of Dubai. The kids learned about UAE history, Arabic culture, archeology and astronomy. They camped, hiked, swam, toured a "Birds of Prey" center and had a bonfire. Mason's favorite night was Arabic Night, where they dressed in UAE national dress, ate traditional Arabic food and danced!

BASEBALL