Birthday at Atlantis, The Palm

We celebrated Mason's birthday this year at the Atlantis, The Palm.  Rod and I took Mason one day after school and spent the afternoon at the beach, followed by a delicious dinner at Nobu sushi.  The twins and another family joined us the next day at the Aquaventure Waterpark.  Here are a ton of pictures of our fun in the sun!  

 View from our hotel window

 Mason collecting sea shells

We found a starfish in the water!

 Beautiful sunset from our window

 

Our private cabana at the waterpark

Mason getting lost in the kids zone!

The "Leap Of Faith!" Fearless Mason rode this several times!  Eeek!!!!!

The kids loved the lazy river and the rapids!

 Cash and Lucia taking a break from the sun

 Cash chilling with the boys

 Early morning fog but we ended up having a beautiful day!

 Cash and Jake taking a mid-afternoon snooze

 Giacamo and Mason playing football

 Jake enjoying his watermelon

 We had the perfect cabana that was located right below the hotel metro, aka "Choo Choo" to the boys!

Celebrating Gangam Style!!!

Time Flies

Time flies when you are having fun!  It's crazy to think we have been in Dubai now for 16 weeks and have approximately 4 more weeks until we return home.  We have all been so busy, which makes the time fly by!  

Mason is keeping super busy at school and all of his extra-curricular activities.  Between play groups after school, basketball, golf, rock climbing, birthday parties and the big brother program, he's been going nonstop!  He also just received his progress report at school and is doing excellent! I am so proud of his resiliency and ability to adapt.  Going back and forth between Texas and Dubai is probably the most challenging for Mason, but he's handling it like a trooper - most of the time :)  Many have asked about the MMA class he took last year, and unfortunately that program is no longer offered this year.  No worries though, he's making up for it with all the wrestling with daddy and his brothers!

Photos around campus at ASD

One of the playgrounds, and our home away from home.  The twins also love to play here!

 Mason at a birthday party enjoying the bongos and entertainment from Dubai Drums!

We've been swimming nearly every weekend!

The twins are also having a blast and constantly learning something new!  This has been a great experience for them, and they encounter people from various cultures and dress every day.  The traditional Arab dress used to frighten them, but now they are used to the women in all black and men dressed in white. They have become friends with all of the staff here at the hotel, and everyone knows Jake and Cash.  They have also have quite the well-rounded palate and are especially enjoying Indu's curry! 

 Silly Jake!

 Cheeky-monkey Cash loves his hummus!

 Getting a good-bye kiss from Shyla (Bhupat and Caroline's daughter)

 Silly Jake loves to put things on his head!

Valentine's card!

Mommy and Daddy are having a great time here as well.  Godolphin is doing extremely well and just reached over 200 Group One wins, which is very impressive in the horse racing world!  They have had an excellent meet this year, and hope to top it off with an equally impressive finish at the Dubai World Cup on Saturday, March 30th.   www.Godolphin.com

I am also enjoying my time here and have made some great friends with moms at Mason's school.  There is a lot of parent involvement, and a very vibrant and energetic campus.  I started taking a TRX class with some other moms, which is an intense suspension fitness training program and I love it!  We've been trying to do a dinner date night with Caroline and Bhupat and friends at least once a week.  There are some amazing restaurants here, so it's exciting to try something new each week!  

Photos from Al Qasr Brunch on Feb 15th with Caroline and Bhupat

Dinner at Prime 68 Steakhouse at the JW Marriott Marquis, which is now the tallest hotel in the world

Enormous bottle display with my friend Marina

...Only In Dubai...

There are a lot of things here in Dubai that feel and look like back home, but there are plenty more that make me scratch my head and say, "only in Dubai!"

Dubai is very westernized, and we feel completely safe and free here.  The rule of thumb is to cover your shoulders and your knees and with nothing too revealing or see-through while out in public. Malls have introduced a modesty code for shoppers, but you will still see some too revealing outfits! It is respectful of the local culture to make an effort to cover up when out in public. When out for the evening anything goes although you may want to have a wrap to cover up en route, and beach wear must only be worn on a beach or around a pool.

Driving here can be quite intimidating, and it gives a whole new meaning to defensive driving!  You have to keep in mind that you are sharing the roads with people from many countries with different standards.  It is completely normal for someone driving in the fast lane to flash their brights and honk their horn if they do not feel you are driving fast enough. And keep in mind the speed limit is at least 75 mph. If drivers are coming to a quick and sudden stop, they turn on their hazards to let you know they are slowing down. I even had a guy mimick a flashing sign with his hand, just in case his flashing hazard lights and him slamming on the breaks was not enough for me! Ha!  The law requires people sitting in the front seat to wear seatbelts, but this is rarely enforced.  Nor are children or babies required to sit in a car seat. Often times the baby sits in someone's lap and the toddlers are free to roam throughout the car. It's not uncommon to see kids hanging out of the sunroof of their parents luxury SUV or sedan...Only In Dubai!

Another tidbit that just blows my mind, is some people here cover their car seats with plastic, as in the plastic your grandma would use to cover her nice couch! I have heard of people taking their brand new Range Rover, Mercedes, Lexus, etc to a particular place for the special plastic wrap!  Some say it's so you will know they are driving a new car!  Jeez...Only In Dubai!

Mason likes to play the game, "let's see how many Ferraris we can spot today!"  He has a classmate that gets dropped off every day in a red one, and we usually see several more on our drives to and from school! This is probably more common in the larger cities back home, but I can guarantee you we don't get to play this game back in Fairfield, TX!!  We are used to seeing suburbans, pick-up trucks, dually trucks and tractors!

It is not uncommon for kids at Mason's school to get driven to school by their driver and escorted in by their nanny. Some large families even have more than one nanny, a driver, house maid, cook and yard boy!...Only In Dubai!

There is almost every fast food chain here such as McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, KFC, Baja Fresh; however, all of these restaurants deliver around the clock!

The grocery stores have come a long way over the last couple of years, and it's becoming a lot easier to find American made products.  But we often joke, that if you find something you must have that you need to buy as many as possible, because there is a very good chance it will not be there tomorrow or ever again!

The Twins

Jake and Cash are as funny and silly as ever, and now they are really starting to play with each other.  They love to listen to music and dance, play chase, hide & go seek, wrestle with Daddy and Mason and ride on their cars.  The boys have adjusted very well to life in Dubai.  They spend a couple of hours in the morning playing outside at our hotel playground, come in for lunch, nap for a couple of hours and then back to the playground (either at the hotel or at Mason's school).   We do play dates at the local parks, go swimming and for walks around the complex.  Everyone here at our hotel knows and loves the twins!  From the hotel concierge, all of the cleaners, security guards, nannies, desk clerks, etc, etc!  Life is good for Jake and Cash, and we have the sweetest nanny named Indu.  She loves the boys and they love her!!

Their personalities continue to vary as much as their looks do!  Jake is silly and loves to make people laugh.  He uses a special deep voice when playing and throwing the ball!  Jake likes to shout "down set hut" then runs fast with the ball.  He loves to tackle, throws EVERYTHING and has a wicked side arm.  He will wind up when giving a high-five, so watch out! Jake is also a Momma's boy, is very shy in big groups and it takes him a while to warm-up to new people.  Jake tends to be more cautious than Cash, but he is a very good climber!  He is also my big talker and does a lot of repeating.  Some of his favorite words are: Momma, Dadda, "Dash" (Cash), "May-May" (Mason), more, thank you, no-no, down, bye bye, night night, and calls his friends Liam and Shyla (Eeemmm and Lyla).   Jake does not like to get dirty and says "Ewww" whenever he gets into sand or dirt!  Jake plays really well with the other kids and is a super sweet boy!

Cash on the other hand is my wild child!  He's got several nicknames: Crazy Cash, Crash, Casharoo and Jake calls him Dash.  He loves to climb and jump off of anything and everything.  This kid is tough as nails!  He's always trying new stunts, and I have a feeling we'll be making numerous trips to the ER for various broken bones.  He can also be very sweet and wins the hearts of everyone!  He was the first to give kisses and hugs but it's always on his terms ;)  He has no problem in large groups and takes off the second we reach the park.  But for a kid that is super tough, he's got super sensitive skin and something here in Dubai really aggravates his skin.  We've been to the doctor several times for his eczema, hives and allergies!  He also got Hand-Foot-Mouth when we first got here, but it did not slow him down much.  He loves to terrorize Jake, take his toys away and wrestle with Mason.  Cash is just a cool kid!

 Play time at Mason's school playground.  Mason and his friends play here at least twice a week after school, and the twins have just as much fun playing too! 

 Ewww, I don't like Cheetos on my hands!

 More Cheetos please!!

 Boys hanging out before bedtime!

Don't speak or look at me while I'm in time-out!!

 Chicken and rice sure was yummy!

We just discovered the Teletubbies!  It's odd and good at the same time :)

The "Safest Way!"

There is a grocery store here called The Safest Way, and it is well known for carrying some good ol' American items that you cannot find at the local stores!  Their product selection varies on a daily basis, and what is there one day might not ever be there again!  So stock up if you find something that you cannot live without!  Mason and I made a trip there today to get a few essentials that we have been missing from back home.  And these are the real deal - made in the USA!  Not the American products that are manufactured in the Middle East with English and Arabic writing!  Trust me, Coca Cola Light does not taste the same as Diet Coke!  Now, these items come at a hefty price and are nearly three times the cost of what we would pay back home.  For example, my Clorox wipes (that I cannot live without) cost nearly $10!  And Mason's Life Cinnamon cereal was almost $8!!  The crazy price we'll pay to have a little bit of home!  My only disappointment was that I was not able to find any Diet Dr. Pepper or corn tortillas!  Maybe next time :)

SOME OF OUR ITEMS FROM THE SAFEST WAY!

AMERICAN / ARABIC PRODUCTS

Mason in Dubai

Mason started at a new school in December, and is now going to the American School of Dubai (ASD).  He was on the wait list for a few years, and he finally got in this year!  This school was founded back in 1966 and was the first American school established in Dubai.  It now has over 1,500 students and offers grades Pre-K through 12th grade.  Mason was excited to learn that several of his classmates from his previous school had also transferred to ASD, which made the transition much smoother.  His classmates were also so excited when he arrived!  They made a special welcome card and banner for his first day, and there was a group of girls giddy with excitement with the new kid from Texas finally arrived in their class - ha!  He got to be part of the Christmas Concert and their class Christmas Party!  Next week he will sign up for the After School Activities, and he wants to try out the soccer and basketball programs.  

CLASS CHRISTMAS PARTY AND CONCERT

Do you see Mason?  He's in the center with a swirly santa hat :)

Mason and Austin acting silly after school

Mason had a two week Christmas holiday and enjoyed every minute of it!  He did a lot of swimming (yes, it's warm enough to swim here - crazy, I know!) trips to the Dubai Mall and arcade, playing at the park, football with daddy, visits to his favorite Dubai restaurants: TX Roadhouse, Noodle House, Bentoya Sushi and KFC!  He also had a fun time at Kidzania with his friend Austin.  Kidzania is an indoor theme park that is built to look like a city for a child.  Here they can earn money by working at places like a doctors office, Coca Cola, McDonalds, fire station, dentist, etc.  And then they can spend their money at shops and entertainment.  He and Austin had a blast!

TRIP TO KIDZANIA

 Flipping burgers at McDonalds!

 Emirates Airlines pilots

And last but certainly not least, Mason got to cheer on the Texas Aggies as they "killed" OU in the Cotton Bowl.  Mason's favorite phrase is "They killed them!" And that they did!  We woke up at 6:30 on Saturday morning and Face Timed with Aunt Demar. She placed her iPad in front of her big screen, so we could watch the second half of the Aggie game.  I knew we could listen to the game over the internet, but Mason was insistent on actually watching the game!  He is now counting down the days until the 2013 rankings are released and the next season starts.  Mason predicts A&M will be in the top 3 and a repeat for Johnny Heisman Football!!  

Happy New Year!

It's been a while since I last updated, but I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!  We live right across the street from the world's tallest building, The Burj Khalifa, and they put on an amazing fireworks show every year!   Fireworks literally shoot off the sides of the building as well as off the rooftops from nearby buildings.  They estimated that nearly 1.7 million people were in attendance to watch this spectacular show!  A window table at Atmosphere, a restaurant on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa (1,350 feet up) went for $4,300 per person!   We opted for the less expensive route and had dinner at a neighbors then walked out to the pool patio to watch the fireworks show.  Here are a few of my amateur photos.