A Few New Photos to Share with Everyone...

Daddy...Daddy is flying!!!

Christmas Photos or maybe Halloween!!!

Our first try of taking Christmas photos this year was a bit disastrous. Daddy did not blink this time and mummy was looking the right way and yet...Skye kept frowning and frowning and frowning, more like the Grinch stopping Christmas.

We will try again later.

Skye has a cold...

So, what's new? Well, Skye has a cold and we are trapped indoors doing lots of colouring, playing indoor games and, and, and...watching BARNEY!! Oh, did I say that loud? It is too much to handle, all that singing and dancing and the same episodes over and over again. I mean Barney is fantastic, very educational, don't get me wrong but after 2 weeks of being trapped indoors, your eye starts to blink and you talk in rhymes!

Anyways, Skye is on a new antibiotic, hopefully that will chase her demonic germs away!

Aquathon:

I decided to participate in the Aquathon race which was a lot of fun. Because it was my first time and I was not sure what to expect, I went for the half Aquathon, but next time I am definitely doing the full one. I ended up 5th in my category.

The Dubai Tri Club organised the first of a series of three Aquathons (swimming and running) at Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa on October 3. The second and third rounds of this event will be held on November 21 and May 1.

A lot of interested runners and swimmers from across the UAE were invited to participate in this unique series of races which are open to all juniors and adults, novices and professionals.

The Half Aquathon was a 400 metres swim followed by a 2.5 kilometres run while the Aquathon proper was an 800 metres swim followed by a five kilometres run.
Both categories also allow for a relay event where one athlete does the swimming leg and another the running.

Spectators and families were welcome to come and cheer but at getting at 5:00 in the morning, Michael and Skye had to cheer for me from their beds.

Fall is Here...

This is the first day of cooler weather. We actually managed to sit on the balcony for once and not only that, we managed to go to the beach. We thought it would be too hot to meet our friends so we were not dressed for the beach but Skye does not seem to agree because she ran straight in the waves and leaped in the water with her clothes on. The waves were up to her neck! I have no pictures to entertain you though I have been a bit lazy with the camera to be honest. It has been such a lovely windy day and the visibility was stunning. I bet if you could look closer you can actually see Oman. Well, it seemed like that to me, anyways.

1st Day at School...

To be honest, I actually dreaded Skye's first day at school because I remember how I dropped my sister's to school for her first day...Let's say it was quite dramatic for both of us. She screamed the skies down and I will never forget it, it crushed my heart and shattered it into a million pieces.

When it came to Skye though, she was actually not bad the whole week, astonishingly, except for the last day of the week when it dawned at her and she realised that mommy actually leaves the classroom.

You see, Skye was too preoccupied with all the new toys and the kids around her that she did not even notice me leaving but I guess after a few days she caught up and cried a bit not dramatically but it still made me feel sad.

Skye's school is phenomenal, so organised and well maintained. Teachers have quite an interesting and busy curriculum and they keep you posted as well. It is a very colourful nursery, full of activities and toys. Every time you walk in, you can hear music, you can see painting and kids' smiles on their face.

The first week, Skye went for 2 hours only everyday so she can get used to it. Meanwhile, I escaped to the gym. Once she 's settled she will be going 3 days a week for approximately 4 and a half hours.

The teacher was quite impressed with her appetite and laughed at her 'oh la la' expressions.

Have you been on the Metro?

Yes, Dubai skies lit up last night for the launch of a futuristic metro on the 9-9-2009.

They say it is one of the cheapest metros yet and the longest automated system in the world with Wi-Fi, air conditioning and fancy compartments.

I personally have not tried it yet but I have seen it. It has over 29 stations.

I am not sure if a lot of people will ride it especially when the stations are so far from each other, when the price of a tank is around 25 cents and when most people have cars if not fancy ones. I know if I were rich I would not park my Maserati and ride it everyday. But I know some of my friends are going for a ride this week end just to see it and try it. It sounds a bit daft though...

'What are you doing this week-end?'

'Oh, not much, just thought I will go for a metro ride.'

Hmm...

We Are Back!

At last, we are back! What a summer!

I am not sure where to start! Hope you all had a great summer too.

Well, let's see, we started off by visiting family in the U.K.

Then Michael left for a kitesurfing holiday with his friend to Egypt while I continued to Lebanon with Skye to visit my own family. We were supposed to stay there for 2 months, but we could not stay apart for that long. So, we decided to book an earlier flight to come home.

Once back home, we came straight into a new place because obviously our flat has been completed, therefore we moved into it straight away. There were times when I got up in the middle of the night wondering where I was. We were worried about Skye adapting to all this change, travelling and moving around, but guess what? She is just fine and I would even go as much to say that it was even good for her. Skye has learned so many things this summer, it is unbelievable.

Summertime in the U.K. is just gorgeous, we really enjoyed our time, between walking the dog in open fields and checking out the horses. It is just so different from where we are living. And as always, we get spoiled by good food and great company from the Mirfields. Skye enjoyed walking with her grandad who was proud showing her off to his mates in the village. Granny was just very caring and confident with Skye... as if she has done this before... Anyways, she makes it all look so easy which gives you your confidence back and that we are actually doing a not so bad job. Granny Violet who showered Skye with hugs and toys was so thrilled to meet her, actually, for the first time and Marie, who popped down all the way from Scotland for a visit and with whom we had lots of fun with her great new man. Paddy, on the other hand, was also pleased to share his rug with Skye but drew the line at his fake bone.

Once in Lebanon, it is the other side of the family, again spoiling Skye with kisses and hugs. Here, there are no open fields where we live but lots of ocean and swimming pools which is a great balance between both holidays. The weather was just magnificient, quite windy, fresh and crispy. Skye learned to imitate her Teta by saying 'Oh la la'. Fadi taught her how to bark and shake hands and Caroline taught her how to squeeze so hard when hugging. All in all, it was a great experience.







Once back in Dubai, we walked in into a new flat full of mountains of boxes...

Maintenance work is done at this point that is why I am able to take care of my blog a bit after neglecting it for so long, but the internet connection took a while as well.

So here we are back in Dubai, all settled in , no more boxes lying around the house, and Michael has done a great job painting the walls with very beautiful crispy colours, orange, blue and yellow.

Skye's room is very pretty and child friendly, she always has a smile when we return home from somewhere. It is full of butterflies and flowers.

We were all sick last week with a cold, nothing major and the time before that we had a few sleepless nights with Skye teething, her molars are coming out and they say that is the most painful part of teething!

Anyways back to normal now and hopefully once Skye is 100% better we will start going to the pool. We did not have any neighbours for a whole month, so we were playing ball outside the corridor, now people are moving in and we have to be a bit quieter.

We met new neighbours with kids' Skye's age. New friends for mommy, daddy and Skye...

Skye will start nursery soon, 3 times a week, it is good for her to be around kids her age and I am sure it is good for me as well . Our baby sitter/maid left the country for good so we are searching for someone to baby sit every 2 to 3 weeks so Michael and I can be able to go out for the night.

Skye is feeding herself now, the place looks like a bomb site but it is cute and she is learning....Sometimes I wish a had a garden with a dog who would lick all the food and I don't have to clean after her! Well we are happy and missing everyone, we still have the holiday blues once in a while.

Skye is asleep now but she 's about to get up so I should get ready with her majesty's milk.

Completion of our Flat!

Hallelujah! Our flat is ready! We will move in July, looking forward to it, to be back in Dubai and see all the old places where we used to hang out, looking forward to seeing our old friends.

Our flat is in central town with a fantastic view. It has large windows everywhere instead of walls and a great pool, not to mention the squash courts and the few gyms. Looking foward to it.

But first we are going on a summer holiday to visit family, here and there, so take care and have a great summer!

Photographs by Clark Little...

At the Beach on a Stormy Day....

Happy Easter Everyone!

Happy Easter Everyone!!

We celebrated Easter with a few friends, some great people put a lot of work organising lots of activities for the kids;

from a cookie decorating and frosting area...



to a crafting and decorating your own egg basket area...



not to forget the final egg hunt at the end which got all the kids running around laughing!

Just Having Fun...A Lot of Fun...

Look Who is One!

In just one year, our love for you grew, to one for all time, that none could undo. From Dad

Joyeux Anniversaire joli papillon. De Maman

She is one today. What a day! The excitement started 10 minutes before the party...She actually decided to make her first step! Michael and I both looked at each other with a massive grin on our face!

Daddy...Our hero.



Hmm, yummy, her first taste of chocolate cake.

A rainbow cake for a colourful little butterfly.

One, two, three...Blow...

Skye received so many wonderful gifts, thank you all, from pretty dresses to home made cookies and hand knitted clothes, to books, toys and a hilarious funny red stuffed toy camel dressed in a devil. Then, you can imagine the rest: a room full of balloons and cakes, oh, and yes, I almost forgot to mention the screaming children hooked on sugar and sweets. Everyone had fun. Wish you were here.

Sleep Walk...

Bad Day at Work:

If you think you've had a bad day...Think again!

Pollution...

What a significant word, a word which I despise so much. I try not to think about it, whether it is noise pollution (which is the one that annoys me the most) or the smog, not to forget the garbage, etc...and the list goes on!
In very polluted countries, youngsters could develop asthma, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections.
The sad fact is that Cairo is currently on top of the list for the most polluted city in the world, number two is Delhi then comes Kolkata.
I still believe that one person cannot change the way the universe think but governments and leaders should start applying strict rules and regulations or else our children will never have what we had. The planet will vanish sooner than expected.
I remember once watching a futuristic movie about the end of the world and through all the mayhem, a child lays his eyes on a magnificent creature which he has never seen before. You can obviously feel him questioning his father who in return answered: " A bird...a bird".

Visitor of the U.A.E.

Michael's sister dropped by for a few days. So we decided to play tourists. My advice to the visitors of the U.A.E.is if you are here on a short visit, here are some of the places you should see...The Burj and the majestic Burj Al Arab of course, the Sharjah aquarium, AlBastakiya with its galleries and don't forget its spice shop, the Gold Souk, the Karama souk, there are so many malls, it is hard to pick one but my favourite has to be the Emirates Mall. If you are a seafood fan, you should visit a fish market and experience the hustle and bustle of the local fishermen. I just love it.





A visit to the U.A.E. is never fulfilled without a picnic or even a camping trip to the desert, a drive through Sheikh Zayed Road's highway or a walk on the beach.
Well, my head is spinning right now from going around all these places. Hope to catch there. See you all.

Baby & Toddler Group:

Skye just loves to go to the meetings. She enjoys playing with other kids. To be honest, I also believe it does me good as well. She received her 1st valentine's heart this week! We also go to a music group which is quite fun. We just dance and sing. It makes you feel like a kid again. I wonder who enjoys it more, the kids or the adults! Hahaha

Playing with Daddy...

Daddy is always playful...Getting dragged in a cardboard box is not so bad...

Fun Neighbours:

A neighbour of mine has a baby who is quite too young to use his own bike, so they insisted on giving it to Skye for a while. The only thing she wants to do, first thing in the morning, is ride that bike. The last thing she wants to do before going to bed is ...of course, ride that bike. We know what she wants for her birthday! Yes, already! She will be one year old in March!

Who says Women Cannot parallel park!!!

Check this one out!

A Walk in the Park...

We are just enjoying the nice weather and having a picnic outdoors.

Don't you feel like a labrador should just leap in these pictures??

Idiot of the Year:

Too Sick...

I guess we take our health for granted...Well, never again! This has been the worst 2 weeks. All 3 of us got sick and not with a simple cold but a crippling fever that gets you shaking and shivering all night with sweat. Michael was unable to go to work for a whole week. Poor Skye still cannot breath properly but her fever is down and under control. I am telling you what a week! I am still shaking and sweating at night fighting the fever. We are on antibiotics. I am sure we will get there.

Mass Migration of Stingrays:

Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea, thousands of Golden Rays are seen here gathering off the coast of Mexico. The spectacular scene was captured as the magnificent creatures made one of their biannual mass migrations to more agreeable waters.
Gliding silently beneath the waves, they turned vast areas of blue water to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. Sandra Critelli, an amateur photographer, stumbled across the phenomenon while looking for whale sharks.
She said: 'It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind.

'It's hard to say exactly how many there were, but in the range of a few thousand'

'We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge of the school and we could see many under the water surface too. I feel very fortunate I was there in the right place at the right time to experience nature at its best'
Measuring up to 7ft (2.1 meters) from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden rays are also more prosaically known as cow nose rays.

They have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in front of their high-domed heads and give them a cow-like appearance. Despite having poisonous stingers, they are known to be shy and non-threatening when in large schools.
The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as 10,000, clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan.

Merry Christmas...

Wishing you all the best this Christmas...







Santa Claus...We salute you.

Christmas at Hamleys at Dubai Mall!!

I wonder who has more fun at toy stores...Adults or kids. Wanna guess?
So Michael was so excited about the opening of Hamleys in Dubai and off we went on another adventure! It was so much fun.

Dubai Mall was decorated nicely with a huge Christmas tree and all sorts of glittery decorations. We also visited the aquarium which really turned out to be massive. The fish are so big, I have never seen anything like it before.

Formula One Power Boats Championship!

The crowd gathered up over the weekend, restless to watch the championship. The conditions were just perfect. The teams travelled from all over the world with their fancy high tech boats, ready for the challenge. You can even hear their engines reving up across the land! Fantastic...I wish my brother can see this, i am sure he would have loved it.

The Dubai Mall:

You really have to see it to believe it. This place is HUGE, I mean humongous! It is one of the largest malls ever containing 1200 stores, a giant aquarium and an ice rink! It is a city by itself. We have not been there yet but we are looking forward to check it out soon.

It received the Guiness Book Record for having the largest acrylic panel made yet.

The aquarium is a proper large size, containing a large variety of exotic fish and even a alrge turtle!

Creative Friend:

This is a great picture which a creative friend took a while ago and I would love to share it with you...

Happy Holidays:

Hello, we hope everything is peachy and lovely with you. We hope that 2008 has treated you as well as it did with us. So many life changing events happened this year. We hope that you are not so badly affected by the economy fall and we hope that you are in good health with good warm company this holiday.


Michael is successful & happy at work. His job is less stressful than the last one. He always comes home on time to play with Skye, give her a bath and read her a bedtime story. He even has time for the gym and he is still a non-smoker…Hooray!

Our flat in Dubai is still under construction. They ‘say’ it will be ready in January, let’s see. Actually, it was promised last April…

Myself, I am still not working; we decided that I would go back once Skye goes to school. Motherhood is fantastic and so much fun. Oh, and yes, full of surprises. I wake up everyday and wonder what will happen: a new tooth, a new laughter? And the list goes on. We got rid of her evening feeds long time ago. I thought I would never say this!
I am driving these days, it gives me my independence. I am braver on the roads now. I am also back on my windsurf which is a fantastic feeling being blasted by the wind and the wave spray! I am also updating my blog, not so often with a baby but it is alright.

As for Skye, she is enjoying every moment of the day. She is 9 months now and learning how to crawl. She has 4 teeth and loves to grin at everybody. She is a good eater and a healthy one too, hates jar food and loves daddy and mummy’s cooking: salmon with carrots, spaghetti bolognaise, braised beef…We go to a mother and baby group every week which she enjoys and she gets to interact with other babies. We also go to the beach almost everyday but we don’t swim if it is cold. We just play by running away from the waves which makes her giggle like crazy!

This is her first Christmas and Santa did not scare her like the rest of the kids. Instead, she was intrigued by his white beard. I am sure she is too young to understand fear. Hope it stays that way. Skye’s face lights up every time she sees a Christmas tree. She is such a character!

I guess that is all for now…But, we hope you spend a magnificent Christmas and a Happy New Year surrounded with family and friends. Cheers!

The Joy of Motherhood...

Ahh...Well, as you can see by my busy blog, we have our hands full, indeed. Michael is doing great at work and he gets time to check the wind forecast so he can catch a ride on his kiteboard. I get to escape to the gym once in a while with her in her play pen...Yes, I take her and her whole big play pen packed with toys through the elevator and up to the rooftop where the gym is. She is happy and I am happy. It is a great idea while she is still immobile.

Skye is such an adorable baby. I find it strange that some people actually stop me on the street just to peek-a-boo her and tell me she's so cute.

It is so easy to meet other mothers when you have a baby. The mother and baby group is so much fun. We are invited to a birthday, our first party...Should be interesting, never thought that would be exciting.

Skye is hilarious, her toothless grin makes you want to burst out laughing. Actually, she is teething these days and quite in pain, poor baby.

She is such a healthy eater, she would swallow anything you put in her way: creamy fish, braised beef, chicken casserole, lentils savoury, etc....

I enjoy cooking for her and watching her reaction. She is also learning to master the art of finger food eating, or shuld I say gobbling, sometimes she spreads it all over the kitchen which looks like a hurricane zone.

...She just loves her strawberries...

She enjoys helping her mum with the laundry.

I am glad we are all settled now. We have our own routine and everything is in place. She knows her room, her parents, we know her habits, her likes and dislikes. We understand each other. So far so good! It is a shame for an expat though, to raise a child away from the family, her grandparents, uncle and aunts must miss her terribly! It would be great to meet quite often.

We are getting ready for our first Christmas...My favourite time of year. We have a few decorative projects on the way. Will keep you posted for sure.

Skye's First Halloween:

I guess no comment...The pictures speak for themselves!