Curly Updates

Hi! Apologies for the lack of posts lately.  

Some updates:

- Neva is now crawling.  It is so adorable to see this little person cruising around the house. She has a bit of a tough time getting any traction on our tile (slippery marble like) floor so we can't wait to see her speed on carpet. 

- We had an exciting week when 3 of her top teeth were coming in at once. We had one pretty rough day but otherwise she is doing really well.  I'm still not sure if she is fighting a virus or dealing with teeth. Who knows with these little puzzles.  

-  She still LOVES to eat and will often cruise the floor looking for morsels. 

 

- Bruce and I are doing well. He is busy with work and I am busy with my courses. I have started up my masters program again after a year leave. I am taking an ethics course and an alliance course (counselling skills). They are quite interesting but I am finding it tough to get my rusty brain working. No comments from the peanut gallery please. :)

- We have had some great weekends away. Most recently we met our friends Anna and Brian at Atlantis to partake in the Aqua-adventure Park (waterslide type thing). We had a lot of fun and managed to keep both babies cool. 

Other stuff: 

We have had a lot of comments about Neva's hair. I thought I would post a few photos as an "Ode to the Curls." 

Here we have a picture just to show you how long her hair actually is (or was a month ago). 

Next we have a series of shots where I have combed out the curls. It is one of my favourite things to do...not really sure why. Perhaps I am curl envious. She really does get some great loft and yes she loves to eat blueberries. 

Here is a shot of her cruising around. She is not much into walking but likes to kick and stomp on things. 

I bought a cheap splash pool thinking we could enjoy a little time outside in the afternoons when we both need a change. The pool is fantastic and she loves it. There are rings that go on the these thingies on the side - she loves to rip them off and throw them around. Too bad I forgot about our lack of cold water in the summer.... 

Take care. 

Love the Laughlins

whaddya mean?

Whaddya mean these aren't a chew toy? (Thanks Auntie Christa for the glasses, and Auntie Michelle for the hat)

Whaddya mean I can't grab the camera ? 

Whaddya mean these aren't my clothes? 

Whaddya mean babies can't read? 

I LOVE to read. 

** Notice the picture under her elbow Karny? 

We are all doing well. I am working away on my 2 courses and just to "spice things up," decided to host the mums group this past week. Nothing says chaos like a living room full of mums and babies.  Forgot to take any pictures...sigh.

Water Man

Transcript of April 26^th , 2009

We have a water guy who comes every week to deliver the big bottles of water. He didn’t show on this particular week so they sent out another guy. The street numbers in our part of town make no sense at all. They are no particular order and the numbers can change several times as you drive down that same street. For people to find our place we have to give them directions and then stand outside to flag them down. 

Conversation between Andrea (A) and Oasis water delivery man  (O).

O: I come to your house. Where are you?

A: Take “A” road, turn right at 1^st roundabout and another right at 2^nd roundabout. We are beside big pile of rocks (random huge rubble pile). Call me when you are at the 2^nd roundabout and I will come out.

O: Okay, okay I be there in 20 minutes.

A’s phone rings once and then stops. 

**This is common practice done in this part of the world. The service or delivery man will call and hang up, just to let you know they are near by. Took me a while to figure this out :)

A walks outside to guide water man. 

A: Oasis man?

O: Yes, you see me?

A: No, where are you

O: wah?

A: WHERE ARE YOU?

O: I am driving, you see me?

A: No.

O: You see me now?

A: You turn right at first roundabout?

O: Yes

A: Right at next roundabout?

O: Wah? Okay okay, right at second roundabout. You see me?

Surprisingly I DO see him, driving the wrong direction. I am yelling and waving.

A: You just missed me.

O: Wah?

A: Turn around you going wrong way.

O: You see me?

A: Turn around.

O: Right or left? I turn? Where are you?

A: Stop van and go other way. 

O: Wah? I come to your house. Where are you? 

A: Where are you now? Tell me where you are and I can give you directions.

O: Wah? You see me?

This carries on for 5 minutes or so.  A is exasperated and ready to hang up when shockingly, sees him at the roundabout,

A: SLOW DOWN! TURN RIGHT!

O: Wah?

Driver goes straight through intersection.

A: COME BACK COME BACK

O:Wha?

A: COME BACK!

O: You see me?

A: NO TURN AROUND

O: You see me?

A: COME BACK

O: OH okay. I come back. You see me? – said 20 times.

A: I see you! SLOW DOWN. TURN RIGHT…no no RIGHT

Driver misses turn and goes around roundabout twice before making the correct turn.

Finally water is delivered. I think I drank 5 litres of it after standing outside in 40+ degree heat. I was a wee bit sweaty. 

 

As Promised

We have now seen 2 cars with this gold plated look. 

We LOVE Bananas!

Now watch what happens when you take it away. :)

Passport size pictures

I recently had to take some passport type pictures of Neva. I had a great time trying to get her in a neutral expression and sitting still. I thought it would be easier than the first time we tried this...just a little easier but not much.

I'm not too sure what happened to her hair in the following shots...

Crazy Thursdays

***This story not recommended for Grandma L*** :)

Weekends here are Friday and Saturday. This means that everyone goes crazy when they are driving home Thursdays after work. These are usually the days where I say things like,

"oh look, there is a Porshe SUV racing another Porshe SUV who is also racing a Mercedes, all at top speeds." 

or 

"I didn't know Hyundais could drive that fast."

or

"Bruce, I saw this beautiful car but I don't know what it was because it passed me at lightning speed."

and of course

"Bruce, I saw this man racing down the road in a candy pink SUV with his dish dash flapping out the window"

This past Thursday I had another exceptional experience on the road.  I was driving home on a main highway type road and moved out to the passing lane to overtake a slow truck.  As I was overtaking this truck a large SUV came up behind me. This SUV wasn't there the second before, which gives you an idea of how fast they were driving. They were honking their horn and flashing their lights - a common thing done here to say "GET OUT OF MY WAY." 

Fortunately the slow truck moved one lane over so that I could get out of the fast lane (phew) - I hate being in the passing lane anyway and usually avoid it.

BUT, just as I started to change to my right lane a blankety blank Nissan 350Z that was driving behind the truck sped up to pass me on the right side. This gave me no where to go because as the nissan was passing me on my right, the impatient SUV was already overtaking me on the left.... 3 cars, 2 lanes with me in the middle straddling the white dots.  I calmly said things like:

"Shoot, darn it, lord love a duck." You know, the usual phrases when driving in the UAE. 

Fortunately everything turned out okay and I was able to get far far away from that passing lane. 

Happy weekend and belated Easter. 

p.s. this weekend we saw a Land Rover that looked like it had been plated in gold. A little over the top I think. will attach picture soon.