Visitors in Al Ain

We have K's brother and family staying with us right now. The kids are on easter hols and we are chillin out together. We have been to the park and the pool and chatted and read books and generally relaxed. It's been wonderful. I have a tma due; when do I not? and I am supposed to be taking today to write it while they visit Dubai but I have stalled again and am really too tired after a lousy night's sleep last night. Poor K is working and has not been able to hang out with us much. He is working really hard right now and I can't wait for the inspections to be over and us to finally get a little time together.

Kiki just asked me how to spell Alex as she was drawing a picture of Lexy and she wrote it beautifully. Her drawings are great too. She is such a little cutie but she is so bossy and manages to have everyone running to her beck and call. She now has mastered the DVD remote and pauses at will while she goes to get things, that is of course if she has not commanded someone else to get her things for her. If you ask any of the other kids why they give into her they just claim it's easier that way. She even had her cousins under her spell this week. TJ sticks up to her sometimes but even he gives in a lot. Apparently she is so compliant and lovely at school and never bosses her friends around. It's reassuring to know she can be nice when seh wants to.

Mother on the loose

I got in a ruk with an aussie bloke at the school today. I am usually so non confrontational but something about his manner just set me off. He was reprimanding TJ for throwing a rock in the playground but I had already told TJ off and in my opinion the matter was dealt with. This guy sought him out and started on at him. So I tried to politely intimate that I was the boy's mother and that it was dealt with but he wound me up and I ended up coming across as a loony mother I am sure.

The thing is I am a loony mother I have no problem reprimanding my children when they are in the wrong but I like to do it in a way that doesn't draw attention to their mistakes. I have this weird thing where I like to give my kids the benefit of the doubt. Trust them not to behave badly again, not automatically assume that they have done something once so they are bound to do it again.

I know that is crazy. It certainly feels that way some days.

I must add I do not condone the throwing of rocks in school playgrounds in any way.

Is she coming or going

I blogged last week that Clo was about to be home educated. Well, that's all changed again and she is glad to be back at school. I gave her a week off "sick" as she kept saying she wanted to be home educated again and we tried it out. She loved it but missed her friends and some of the clubs at school. I think she has now realised that the things she likes about school outweigh the bad things.

It is a nice school in many ways but they do expect a lot of homework. Clo is not so keen on homework. I'm not a believer in homework for homework's sake myself and find it hard to encourage her to do some of the tasks set.