Eliza's Firsts

September was full of first for Eliza!

First day of gymnastics! This was her first "non-Mommy and Me" class.  She took gymnastics in Houston, but I was always with her.  She ran right in without a bit of hesitation.  She was so excited to go!

First day of 3 Year Old preschool September 2, 2014.  Sadly, Daddy was out of town and couldn't go with us on her first day.

So excited!!

This is from last year,  funny how similar these two pictures are!

Olivia really wanted to get into one of the photos :)

Walking into school

This one was HUGE for Eliza.  She had been just dying to go to ballet, just like big sister.  She was super excited the day had finally come!

She had a ball!  She came out with an enormous smile afterwards

And finally, Eliza is out of her crib and into a BIG GIRL BED!!!!!  

I, unexpectedly, had a really hard time with this.  It was so sad for me to say goodbye to such a big part of being a baby, sleeping in a crib.  I was so sad rocking her in the glider the night before her big girl bed arrived.  I knew it would be one of the last times I got to rock her before bed.  Like her sister, she wants to read and snuggle in her bed and not in the rocking chair anymore.

This was one of the last pieces of "babyhood" that we were still hanging onto.  She was ready, Mama was not!  Not only was I sad to say goodbye to the crib, but I was also worried that Eliza wouldn't be like big sister and stay in her bed.  Turns out, I was wrong!  She has done really well and has not gotten out once (well, one time she told me that she got up and opened the door and then got back in bed). My sweet baby is no longer a baby, sniff sniff.

First Day of FIRST Grade!

My baby is a First Grader!!!  She was so excited to start school again and to be in First Grade.  She got to meet her teacher the last week of school last year and she couldn't wait to be in Mrs. Bulluck's class.  She is an absolutely lovely woman and we couldn't be happier with her.  She is from North Carolina and has her Master's in teaching.

 One of my favorite all-time pictures with my big girl!

 Daddy went with us on the first day.

At her table!  She sits next to Hugo and Akash and across from her good friend, Naia.

August Fun

We arrived back in Abu Dhabi in early August and I was slightly worried about how I was going to keep my two little girls entertained for 3 solid weeks of 100+ heat, nothing going on, and most of our friends still gone for the summer.  It is almost even too hot to go swimming.  But, we actually had a really great time.  We had been on the go for 2 solid months and were all just thrilled to be home with nothing to do.  We slept late (well, as late as Eliza knows how to sleep), stayed in our PJ's all morning, played with toys, and just relaxed.  The first night I put Olivia to bed in her bed, she said, "Oh, I am just so happy be be home and in my bed".  We all felt the same way.

 On the way home from the airport, I called our favorite arabic food place that delivers and ordered all of our favorites that we really missed this summer.  It arrived 5 minutes after the taxi dropped us off.  Best idea ever!!!!

 Day 1 destruction, after we awoke from our jet lag coma--the contents of the Barbie drawer and Calico Critter drawer all mixed together...makes me itchy just revisiting this photo! :)

 Our housekeeper stays at our house to take care of Maya while we are gone.  She always cleans out the refrigerator, but it has never looked this empty.  This is what happens when you leave your husband at home for weeks on end!

 The girls got a hair cut and blow out at the mall

 Day 2, Playroom destruction.  To say they missed their toys would be a huge understatement! 

 It warms my heart that Olivia loves reading and can read books to Eliza now.  It is really sweet!

 Olivia is Rainbow Loom OBSSESSED!  I finally gave her the Rainbow Loom that I bought her before we moved.  Not sure what I was waiting on.  She could watch Youtube videos all day long creating bracelets and other things.  She LOVES it!

 Out to eat

We had fun with new birthday present Legos

 I did not get a storage container for her Rainbow Loom bands, so this is what we started with.  We now have three large ones full of bands!

 We went up to our beach club to swim a few times.  It was really really hot if you weren't in the water.  Thankfully, the water is chilled.

 We went to our new favorite restaurant, Chamas, a Brazilian steakhouse.  They bring around skewers of meat and shave off pieces onto your plate.  You flip your coaster to green when you want more meat.  My two little carnivores were in heaven!

Carefully grabbing her slice of meat

 O's favorite part, grilled pineapple

 We went to a mall one weekend and stumbled upon this children's area.  We were the only non-nannies there.  It is designed for you to drop your kids off with your nanny while you shop.  They had all kinds of activities: crafts, faceprinting, movies, rides...it was all free.

 Afterwards, we went and had a yummy treat at Magnolia Bakery

 Olivia and I took Eliza to get her first Mani/Pedi.  Too funny to watch them, each with their team of nail ladies

 The finished product

Sweet spa girls

 We got coffee and treats at the mall a few times

 They both thought Mike looked ridiculous in his Nomex.  He had to go out to site one morning and they had never seen him in all of his safety gear.

 I can't blame this on anything, jet lag or too much wine.  I went to the corner store one night after putting the girls to bed to get milk, whole milk for weekend biscuits, buttermilk for pancakes, and grapefruit juice.  I got up the next morning and couldn't believe what I saw.  I LEFT IT ALL OUT ON THE COUNTER ALL NIGHT! I came home and unpacked the groceries ad just left them on the counter.  I even put the grocery bag back in my car, but didn't put the groceries in the refrigerator!  I was dumbfounded at myself!

 We also got an annual pass to Yas Water World.  We all just love this water park.  We have a total blast every time.  I love that my girls enjoy playing with each other.  I love seeing them hold hands and pal around together.  They can be so sweet and loving.  

 Enjoying a yummy watermelon

This killed me.  So, you have this guy who is one of the hairiest guys I have ever seen coupled with a huge pot belly and it is his wife who has to cover up head to toe.  That guy is the one who should be covered up!!

 We spent a lot of our time inventing games like "surf boarding bow and arrow shooting" :-)

 Naked yard watering is always fun

I finally got back to the gym a couple of times.  Eliza LOVES the kid's club there.  She always tells them that she is cold so they will go get her a beach towel to snuggle under.  Too funny!