Today I got to Skype with my family! I've Skyped a few times with my parents, but today my family was having their Christmas at my parents house, so I got to see all of their faces! It was really good to see them all! I've been missing home and you would think that seeing their faces would help with the homesickness, but it really made me want to be home even more!

  Here's everybody, minus little Remy! We tried to squeeze everybody in! It's a big group!

The best part was my niece, Piper, telling me that she loved me! I think she said it four or five times! And you should know, that back home, when I would be around Piper she wouldn't always be very nice to me! She would sometimes not let me look at her, and if I did, she would tell me, adamantly, "NO!"

 Here's Piper with Aunt Rachel. The camera was pointed the other way at my sisters and mom. Then I heard "I love you, Jenny!" So they turned the camera so I could see Piper!

 My niece, Georgia, really liked this idea of video chatting! I think not so much chatting with me, but seeing herself on the screen! As you can tell in these pictures!

Look at her smiling in this picture! I think she kept smiling for about 5 minutes after the picture was taken! She loved it!

 And look at all those other pretty faces! Even my nephew, Jackson, and the dog Pistol!!

I miss them all so much! It was great getting to talk with them and see their faces! But, like I said, it makes me miss them even more!

Well we've had a rough couple of days. Christmas was nice but all three of the boys weren't feeling well for a few days. We took them to the doctor yesterday and found out that Mason has bronchitis! Jake has a virus that's close to the flu. They have all been coughing and have runny noses. The doctor said there was nothing wrong with Cash but we sort of doubt that because he's the more fussy out of the three of them! Oh plus the twins are teething, so they weren't happy to begin with. As of right now, I have Jake in my room trying to get him back to sleep while the mom tries to settle down Cash!

Christmas was nice. We hung around the hotel Christmas Eve and got Noodle House for dinner. That's Mason's favorite! One fact about Dubai, everything delivers! Noodle House, McDonald's, and even the supermarkets deliver! It's very convenient but can also make you a little lazy because then you really never need to get out! But for us, we sometimes need the time to get out!! We also watched Home Alone that night!

Christmas day I woke up and went to the living room to find that the parents had been up with Mason for an hour or two and he had already opened all of his presents! Mason got a lot of toys to play with! He got a few more cars to play with, a couple nerf guns, a ball launcher, and a dart game! I feel like I have to be armed when I go in the living room now or else I'll be fired upon! After presents, we ordered room service for breakfast! Then we got cleaned up and later went to lunch at a restaurant here at the hotel. It's an international restaurant and they had a huge buffet spread of all types of food! After we ate, I took the kids to the kids room. We saw Santa, played some games, got a couple balloon swords, made some friends, and got some cotton candy! The rest of the day we just relaxed at the hotel.

You want to hear a funny story? The other day, when I was walking back from the mall, a guy asked me where the metro station was. I actually do know where one is and it's just down the street from the intersection where we were. I told the man that there was one about a mile down the road to our left. Some of you might not find this very funny, but after I told him where one was, he looked at me and just stood there waiting to cross straight. This was after I told him the metro was to our left. He probably thought I didn't know what I was talking about because I gave him a distance in miles and everybody here uses the metric system! Well we finally crossed the street and I heard him ask another man where the metro was. The man pointed down the street, exactly where I told the man it was!!! I forgot that everybody else uses the metric system! That's one thing I have to get better at! Being a math and numbers person and wanting to teach math, I always understood when math teachers said that we use math everyday. And living in a foreign country, I can attest to that! There are so many ways that I use math everyday here! For starters, the time! All the clocks here use military time. I know that doesn't sound like math, but it is numbers. The first couple times, I really had to think about the numbers to know what time it was! For example, looking at the clock and seeing 21:43. It took me a few seconds before it clicked in my head that that means it's 9:43pm. I've gotten better at it and can recognize the time quicker now. I've already mentioned that they don't measure in miles, they measure in kilometers. The temperature is also different. Measuring in celsius rather than fahrenheit. The conversion is 32F is 0C. So when the temperature reads 26C, it's 79F. Probably the most math that I have to use is converting the currency. Over here, the currency is dirhams. $100=367.25 AED. It's harder to keep track of how much you spend. I have to constantly count my cash to know how much I have left. And my mind doesn't comprehend how much something costs because my brain works in dollars not dirhams! So you teachers out there, I have just given you some good word problems for your students to work on!! For example, If you lived in Dubai and wanted to buy a shirt. The shirt cost 125AED and you have $30 do you have enough money. (The answer is no. The shirt would cost you about $35.) Also here they don't have sales tax. So if the shirt is priced at 125AED and you buy just the shirt, your total would be 125AED. Anyways, enough math for today!!

I've been reading a lot in my spare time, which doesn't really amount to much, but they don't have a lot on TV so I read. I have a kindle fire and have a few books on there. The problem is, I've read through most of my books. I'm looking for some more good books. Any suggestions? I have read all the Twilight books, read the Help, and I'm on the third book of the Hunger Games. Any other ideas?!?!

Merry Christmas!

It's weird to say that because it definitely doesn't feel like Christmas here! But I hope y'all are having a great holiday and have a fantastic Christmas!

Well, we've made it three weeks! I think we're finally getting settled and I feel more and more at home each day. Today, I had another day off. I went to the mall again! It's just so convenient with it being so close and there is so much to do there. So, first thing I did was find the lost and found. I talked to them about my camera, but no camera. Went to H&M again, but again still no camera. So I went up to the electronics part of the mall and bought myself another camera. I just bought the same one I had. Since I got the camera, I was able to take a couple pictures of some of the sights at the mall!

Above is a picture of the world's largest single-paned aquarium.

Below is a picture of a waterfall in the mall.

After getting the camera, I did a little shopping then went to the movie theater. I went to see New Year's Eve. It was a little different at this theater. When you buy your ticket, you actually pick out a seat. I really enjoyed the movie. I don't know if it was mainly because of the movie or the fact that I could sit in a comfy chair and loose myself in the movie for 2 hours! Not having to worry about crying babies, changing diapers, or playing "get me" with the older boy at the park! It was very relaxing! But I did think the movie was good!

When the movie was over, I did some more shopping. I wanted to get a couple things for Mason for Christmas. Again, it doesn't feel like Christmas. I think it's because I'm not spending time with family and it's not 30degrees! There are some decorations for Christmas out. We even have a tree and stockings up, but it still doesn't feel like Christmas. It'll be strange not being with my family for Christmas. I told them to skype me when they all get together! Hopefully they do, because I would love to see them! I've gotten to skype with my parents a couple of times but that's it.

Anyways, I found a couple things for the older boy. By this time, it was about dinner time. I decided to go to Macaroni Grill. The Dubai Mall has a big selection of restaurants and actually many that are in the states! Including; Macaroni Grill, P.F. Changs, California Pizza Kitchen, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse, even Texas Roadhouse! I was in the mood for Italian, so I chose Macaroni Grill. Now, I've been to the mall by myself a lot. In the states, I would always go to the mall by myself. And I've eaten at a couple fast food places by myself, even been to the movies by myself a couple times. But going to a sit down restaurant, this was a first. It was a little odd. I had my kindle, so I read a little, but it was still lonely. Hopefully, I'll meet people soon, make friends, and have people to do things with!

Dinner was delicious. After that, I did a little more shopping and then headed home! It was a great day off. And it's still not over! I got to skype with my parents tonight and after this, I'll get into bed, read a little, and go to sleep! Even though we are pretty much adjusted to the time, I still get tired and exhausted from being around kids all day! It'll be good to get to bed early and get some much needed rest!

Well I'll leave you with another interesting fact about Dubai! People in Dubai are given a license plate number according to status. For example, the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed's car is #1. Therefore, the lower the number, the higher the status of the person. So we've made a game out of it! See who can spot the lowest license plate number! I think the lowest we've spotted is 21. There you go. Another interesting fact about Dubai! 

This evening I had some time off. The Dubai Mall is right across the street and has pretty much everything. So I decided to go there. I had been twice before for short trips picking up things for the twins with the mom, but this evening, I went alone and was able to do a little shopping of my own. First off, the mall is the largest mall in the world. When we had been before I spotted some stores that I wanted to go to and I thought I would try to find them tonight. That proved to be harder than I thought! I should have used a pedometer to count how far I walked, because I think I walked at least a couple miles just trying to find all the stores! I walked to the first store, H&M, and walked around and came out right by the aquarium (the largest single-paned aquarium.) I reached into my purse to grab my camera and take a picture, but no camera.. I guess I should tell you that I knew I had my camera because while I was walking to the mall, I stopped to take a picture of the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world.) I must have dropped it along the way or back in the store. I walked back into H&M and went to the fitting room, no camera. Then I retraced my steps, still no camera. Asked the manager, she escorted me to security. They took my name and number and told me they would call me if it turned up. Still no call. So adios camera. Oh and this was my new camera that I got for a birthday/christmas present. Oops. Don't tell my parents that I lost it! So that was frustrating. Then I wasn't quite in the mood for shopping. And of course, everything that I was shopping for, I didn't find. And I had wanted to take pictures of all the cool things at the mall, but obviously that didn't happen either. Needless to say, it was not a very successful trip to the mall. I'm hoping that they miraculously found the camera and will call or I'll have to buy a new camera. 

On a more positive note, we went to a Souk the other night. A souk is a local marketplace. It's right by the mall and by the Burj Khalifa. In the middle of the buildings is a huge fountain area. The souk, the mall, and the Burj Khalifa all have restaurants with outdoor patios surrounding the fountains. At night, the fountains go off every 30 mins. The fountains were designed by the same guy who designed the fountains in front of the Bellagio in Vegas. I've never been to Vegas, so I can't compare the two, but these fountains were incredible!

We were opposite the Burj Khalifa. This is one of the best pictures I could get.

Mason was so excited to see the fountains!

Here are a couple pictures of the fountains!

Pretty cool, huh?

Santa Claus came to town!!

So Friday afternoon we went to a Christmas carnival at one of the American schools here in Dubai. The family has friends whose kids go there and they invited us to come! The older boy, Mason, decorated some cookies and made a gingerbread house. And they all got to take a picture with Santa!

It's not that great of a picture because I was off to the side, but you get the idea! Mason is the older boy. He's 5. Then there's Cash in the middle and Jake on the right! They make up the twins, and they are 5 months. We had a good time at the carnival even though it doesn't feel like Christmas when you're running around in shorts! It's been about 75-80 degrees during the day and a little cooler at night. So the weather is great!  It was definitely good to get out in the sun and away from the hotel!

The past fews days we've had our ups and downs! Mason gets bored and tired of being in the hotel so he's a little on edge. His dad took him out today just to get him away and out of our hair. The twins are still not all the way adjusted to the time, and on top of that, they're teething! So it makes for some rough nights. We had another girl helping us out for a few nights. But now it's just the mom and I. We think the twins are almost adjusted. They nap during the day but we started keeping the lights on and blinds open and not letting them sleep longer than 2 hours at a time. I think it's helping! Last night they slept from 11-6. So we're getting there! And since they slept so good, I got some much needed rest for myself! We're hoping that they can keep it up!

Well I thought I would give you some more information about Dubai. Some of the wonders of Dubai are the Palms. The Palms are chains of man-made islands that include residential and commercial properties. One of the Palms holds the Atlantis Resort. The islands itself are penisulas constructed of sand dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf. There are three different Palm islands; the Jumeirah, the Jebel-Ali, and the Deira. This is a picture from the Earth Observatory.

This is a close-up picture of one of the Palms.

In the first picture, you also see a cluster of islands they call The World. As you can see, it's because, from above, the group of islands look like the world.

The World islands are fairly recent. The construction of the actual islands was completed in 2008.The islands will be a combination of residential and commercial islands. They have already started construction on some of the already purchased islands.

 Maybe in a few years, you can vacation to Dubai and stay at one of the resorts on the World islands!



Today was a much better day! The family hired another girl to come help us out at night so the mom and I can trade off nights. This way we can both get some rest and be energized to take care of the kids the next day. So last night was my night to rest! I was still awake so I caught up on Facebook and emailing and then read a few chapters. I'm reading, or well I read the first book of the Hunger Games. I must say I didn't really have any interest in reading the books. I didn't want to get sucked in like I did with the Twilight Series. But my sister-in-law highly recommended it, so I tried it. And after the first chapter, I was hooked!! So now I'm done with the first book, anxiously anticipating the next!

Today I also learned that Tom Cruise is here!!! Mission Impossible 4 was filmed in Dubai and is premiering here at the Dubai Film Festival this week. Here is a picture of Tom Cruise and Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who is the ruler of Dubai.

One scene from the movie, that you might have seen from the trailer, is one of Tom Cruise jumping out of the window of a tall building. That building is in Dubai. (Actually across the street from our hotel!) Here is a picture and some fun facts about the tallest building in the world.(Burj Khalifa)

Burj Khalifa World Records

At over 828 metres (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa holds the following records:

• Tallest building in the world

• Tallest free-standing structure in the world

• Highest number of stories in the world

• Highest occupied floor in the world

• Highest outdoor observation deck in the world

• Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world

• Tallest service elevator in the world

Apparently, the Burj Khalifa is not the only world record set here in Dubai.

1.  Dubai Mall, now the largest shopping mall in the world based on total area (1,124,000 sq. m. or 12.1 million sq. ft.).

2. World’s richest horse race (the Dubai World Cup).

3.  World’s largest yacht (aptly named “Dubai”).

4.  World’s tallest hotel (Rose Rayhaan by Rotana)

5.  World’s longest parade of Mercedes-Benz cars

These are just a few of the current world records here. There are eight more that are expected to come in the next ten years. To see the list, go to http://www.milforddubai.com/eight-forthcoming-dubai-world-records.php

Hopefully, when we all get adjusted to the time and get on a normal routine, there will be more time to see all these world records! But for me, now is the time to sleep!

Hello all!

  Well I finally made it to Dubai! We left Houston about 6:30 and made it to Dubai about 8:00pm (Dubai time) The flight was a good 14 hours. The family I came with has one son who is 5 and then two twin boys who are 5 months old. The twins did great on the plane and slept most of the time. But that meant that when we got here in the evening they were not going to sleep the whole night! But they slept a good amount the next morning so we got some rest! The next day was a little rough because one of the twins wasn't sleeping much and was crying the rest of the time! Today was a little better but the past couple days have been a bit hazy because of the lack of sleep!  I don't have much to report because it's been pretty much the same. Feed the babies, play with the babies, put the babies to sleep. We haven't been able to explore much of Dubai since we've been trying to adjust to the time. But we'll have plenty of time to see Dubai in the coming months!