Who cries over fridge magnets?

Me!

It had been 11 weeks since the movers came and loaded our belongings up to be shipped to Dubai. It was such a relief to get the email to arrange delivery and we were all really excited to see everything again. James played a massive part in getting it here, I know that if he didn’t have the knowledge that he does of the shipping industry we would still be waiting.

The team that delivered it all couldn’t have been better. They unpacked and rebuilt everything for us which was great but I wanted to do it myself. This is something I need to get used to over here, everything is done for you. I did open and unpack a few myself in the end. I wasn’t prepared for the emotion that came with it, I was overwhelmed, for a moment I felt like I was back home, every emotion that I felt packing the boxes up came flooding back, tears started to form. The man that was unpacking Sienna’s toys (slower than she wanted, to her annoyance) just kept looking at me with a puzzled look on his face. Then the fridge magnets came out and that was it, I was gone.

So let me explain, before you think the heat and the humidity have gotten to me. Every magnet we have is special, whether it be from a holiday, a trip out somewhere or from a friend. We love a fridge magnet! They’re our reminder of happy times and each one tells its own story and holds a memory for us. I decided that rather than block out the emotions I was feeling and pull myself together, as I would normally, I would embrace it, it was ok to be feeling this way after what we’ve experienced these past few months, in this moment, it was ok not to be ok. I’ve been through so much emotionally in the last few months it was good to just let it be and know that all I needed to do now was find a nice new fridge magnet. 

Everything had survived the journey apart from James’s computer screen. We tried to claim on the insurance that we purchased from Pickfords, but it turns out it was as much use a chocolate teapot and not worth the money. Another reason I would not recommend Pickfords to people planning the move here. Thankfully, the Peloton seems to be in full working order.

It wasn’t long before Zach had found the only squishy ball in the boxes, popped it and had everything covered in slime, including his eyeballs! All whilst Sienna was quite happy roaming round on her hover board shouting her latest demands at us. It was great to have everything with us again, I do fear however that I’ve put a box in storage that should have been shipped and I’m regretting not sending the Christmas Tree and my door wreaths. We should have just sent it all but you live and learn as they say.  The villa is starting to feel more like home now, especially with our bits and bobs from home. They really have made all the difference.

Prior to all this Lynn and Ronnie had landed. We were all really excited to see them. First stop was breakfast at Lime Tree Cafe, a firm favorite of mine. We had a lovely breakfast followed by a day of catching up with plenty of beer and prosecco consumed in the process. We had a BBQ for tea and Sal Sucre for desserts which were delicious!

The day after we went to The Anantara Resort on the Palm for a pool/beach day. We chose here because you get money back for food and drinks when you spend the day there and the buffet is also buy one get one free on the Entertainer app. The buffet was superb and lots of cuisines to choose from. It was great for the kids too.

It wasn’t long before the sun was setting and we were ready to say our goodbyes to Lynn and Ronnie again as they were off to Thailand for a few weeks with friends. We’ll see them really soon though as they’ll be with for a few weeks on there way back to the UK.

We have a steady stream of visitors up until Christmas now and the next to arrive were The Taberners. They were spending a few days with us and a few days down on the Palm. It was so lovely to see them again, and we had plenty planned for there stay with us. The kids were in bed by the time they reached us but Zach, ever the nosey one, was out of his room as soon as the front door opened. You could see on his face how happy he was to see them, especially Liv. We had a few drinks and then headed off to bed as the kids were back at school and a 6am wake up call beckoned.

After the morning school run we went to SKMD which is on Townsquare Park and also another favorite of ours.

Fully fed and watered we headed to Al Seef and the Souks. We had a great morning shopping and haggling. We even found the shop where my engagement ring came from.

After this we got the kids from school and went to Dubai Hills Mall, Sienna was so excited to see Liv, she nearly knocked her over when she ran to her. We spent a few hours there and the kids went on the Adventure Park. Back home we had a BBQ and spent the evening catching up.

The day after we went to The Miracle Garden which was insane, there was an A380, smurfs, horses heads, all made out of plants and flowers. You defintly have to see it to beleive it.

Once we had the kids and James had finished work we went to the Desert for sunset. It was a beautiful evening and the kids had a ball messing about in the dunes. We’re still finding sand everywhere.

Next on the agenda was Halloween Brunch at Bread Street Kitchen. We were a little disappointed with the food on offer, there’s not as much choice as other brunches we’ve been to. The food we had was good though and I tried Oysters for the first time. It was great for the kids too and they throughly enjoyed it.

The following day we went to Aquaventure at the Atlantis. Weve bought annual passes for all four of us so we can go whenever we want. We get 25% off food and any guests we take get a discount off admission too. The adults were all a little hungover but we still made the most of our last day together. It was hard to say goodbye, it was lovely having them here, the kids all had the best time together. Hopefully, they’ll be back again soon.

I was a little unsure if things like Halloween were celebrated over here. However, they do celebrate Hallowee and as with everything in Dubai, bigger is better. I was not prepared for the amount of Trick or Treaters that we got and had to keep sending Zach for sweets. Townsquare had been set up really well with a slime station, face paining Station and plenty of photo opportunities. Sienna loved it and although Zach said he was too old to trick or treat this year he soon changed his mind when he saw Sienna’s bag full of sweets. Luckily he was suitabley dressed in his Everton kit (sorry James).

The rest of the week was quiet, James and Zach had flu, which is doing the rounds. Thankfully Sienna and I seem to have escaped it so far. The Dubai 30×30 challenge started on 29th October. 30 minutes of excersize for 30 days. After a few months of eating an drinking in excess I needed something to get me back on track. I’ve been walking and swimming mostly. I ran for the first time as well the other day. Having my Peloton back has been a bonus. Sounds silly, but I was so scared to get back on it after so long, but it was like riding a bike, literally. I feel so much better and have so much more energy.

I also took the plunge and baked for the first time. We made cupcakes and i’m told they were delicious. Sienna wanted to sell them for 2 dirhams each so she made a sign and set up a stall. However, the kill joy, security guard soon put a stop to it and we had a very upset Sienna. I get that he was doing his job but we were doing no harm.

Zach had to have two days off school because he had no voice and a really bad chest. He still managed to play for the school team, they lost 6-1 which put him in a foul mood but he did score the goal. Sienna had a great week at school, she did really well in the Aquathon that they held and got music star for the week. She’s really grown in confidence since we got here and has adapted better than we ever could have hoped for.

So, as the sun sets on another day in the sun, I have to be honest and say this is the most homesick I’ve felt since we got here. The feeling comes and goes, it’s been heighten this week as my Grandad has been poorly. Having said that though, I love our life here, I wouldn’t change what we did, im hopeful and excited for the next few months ahead.