Dalmatian Day!

"This Sunday, 12 October, is Dalmatian Day for the Nursery class at Kangaroo Kids. Please dress your child as a Dalmatian for school. Thank you!"

This was the sms Johan received on Thursday evening. A tad demanding don't you think? Ha ha. Anyway, I didn't really think about it until I remembered 'Dalmatian Day' on Saturday late afternoon.

Really, did they have to choose this time, while we're so busy packing, to create a costume for Sera???

Hmmm. We managed somehow ... with black duct tape, a white t-shirt, a pair of white socks and my black eye liner pencil.

Sera was a little amused but mostly puzzled at her outfit this morning. Her black snout wasn't well received though. She was horrified that her snout, I mean, nose had a black khol on it. She kept putting her head down, not wanting to look at the mirror. And when we arrived at school, she didn't want to look up at anyone ... she was totally self conscious and very embarassed. Oh dear!

But I think she relaxed a little when she entered her classroom and saw other strange looking polka dotted friends of hers. Dalmatian day ... come on??!!!????

Just arrived at school. I wanted to take a shot of her in her Dalmatian outfit ...

But this puppy wasn't happy at all!


"Hey sis, you think you have it bad? Look what Grandma dressed me in this morning ... she thinks it's so funny!"

However, the forlorn Dalmatian puppy was a boisterous puppy by the time I picked her up from school. I was just in time to see the pack of 'Dalmatians' coming down the stairs, all spotted, with tails and a pair of ears. ha ha. Sera felt right at home with her friends. She even excitedly proclaimed to me when she saw me, "Mama, I'm a dog ... woof, woof!". And she was woofing all the way to the car, in the car and woofed to grandma and even frightened Yasmin with her excessive woofing.

Hmm, guess what ... the next special day is 'Scarecrow Day'!!! Groan.

Leading the pack, with Ms Trish

The little Dalmatians

She does looks like a puppy huh? Ha ha

She was very happy with her tail and showing it off to me

She insisted on crawling up, on all fours, all the way up to the where I parked my car. Fine ... whatever you want sweetie.


Woofing to grandma and Yasmin. She got a little too carried away with her barking, so much so that Yasmin had a scare ...


Sera quickly hugs and apologises to Yasmin

Sera was very hungry and wolfed down her lunch. Must be from crawling up that flight of stairs after school.

Around our village

The weekend was spent clearing up the last of the 51 boxes. Big sigh of relief from all of us. It was hard work but together we did it! We took some breaks in between and spent it outside with the girls, in our little 'village'.

Hmm, lately Sera has gotten a bit fed up posing for photos. She gives this far away daze look if she's not in the mood.

That is the Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world. It is still under construction and the final height or rather storey is yet to be revealed. Yup, we live really close to it ... right at our backyard.

Sera loves this climbing wall thing ... just watch her go!

And the treat is the slide down ... weee

Yasmin enjoys being outdoors lately. And thank goodness this carrier is to her liking too. Phew! Still have to work on her car seat.

This photo came out strange but here's Johan with his two little girls

Out of the carrier and into Johan's arms ... check out that cheeky look on Yasmin


The girls in the morning, wide and bright eyed


Morning stroll ... and a sure way to get Yasmin to fall asleep


On her playmat. Everything within 25cm. ha ha.

Dip in the pool before dinner time

Morning roll overs and kisses from Sera

Since she discovered the fun in rolling over, Yasmin rolls over whenever she gets the chance and she's in tip top shape early in the morning. I'd turn her on her back and she'd roll over to the side and then to the front, lifts up her face (like a little cobra) and gives her cheeky grin. We would do this routine, hmm, about a dozen times over.

To the left, reaching out for Bedtime Bear (that was Sera's)

Almost there ...

Now, just have to wiggle my left arm out from under me

And I did it! One roll over and 11 more to go ...

Just had my bath, all decked out in my my vintage clothes ...

I say 'vintage' because they're all second hand clothes from my sis Sera ... it's all right, I can carry them. Check out my very cool 'Wadi Rum' tee (a gift to Sera from Oma)

Now, I'll just let my mama do her incessant photo taking. Here's my side pose.

Hah, here comes my big sis, Sera. She's in her school uniform. Ok, jie jie ... I'm all ears ... sing your heart out!

And before she goes off, a big kiss from her. See you later!

The unpacking begins

The 51, not 49, boxes have arrived from Doha ... finally. The real work really begins now. Ha ha. And can I just say how impossible it is to unpack with Sera and Yasmin around!!! So my darling Johan, don't come back home looking so confused that we've only unpacked two boxes!

We have been boxed in these past few days


Sera getting very excited as she realises that her toys are hidden in the sealed boxes

That's our kitchen and that's mama

Sera trying out her long lost clothes

Check out her patent boots, a gift from a neighbour in Doha. She refused to take them off and was tripping over everything

(Strange) conversations at the dining table

I have many conversations with Sera, sometimes silly and sometimes, like this morning, very strange.

She's having her usual chocolate spread with bread for breakfast. Yasmin was still asleep so I sat down with Sera while she ate.

"Yasmin is sleeping?"
"Yes sweetie, she's still sleeping."

She pauses and does a side-way/upward glance, as if thinking of what to ask next.

"Mama, you tired?"
"Yes, mama is tired ... as usual."
"Mama tired ... hmm."

She takes a bite of her bread, chews intently and looks up.

"Mama, Yasmin came from an egg?"
"Huh?"

Yes, yes what an intelligent answer but I was taken aback. I mean, it was only 7 in the morning and I was still half asleep. Was that a question or was she stating a fact? But before I could even say more ...

"Mama, Sera came from an egg?"
"Yes .... Sera do you like your bread?"

I know, such a lame excuse for an answer but what should I have said? Explain the whole reproduction process to a two-year old? Explain the excruciatingly painful but miraculous birthing process? I thought it better (for now at least) to let her think she came from an egg. She must have gotten that idea when we read her the story "Turtle Takes a Trip", whereby this little baby turtle hatched from an egg and took her journey across the vast oceans to finally nest. Well, technically or should I say, biologically Sera was conceived from an egg. So in a way, she did come from an egg. 'wink'.

Our Sera ... always talking, always asking, always exploring

At home with the girls

We stayed in today. Both girls were down with a cold and I think they were pretty fed up, tagging along with us while we ran errands, day after day. So the four girls just stayed home and played with each other, being silly and having fun.

Sera wanted to try 'aeroplane' with Yasmin but of course she didn't have the strength to do the original version whereby Yasmin would straddle over grandma's legs. So Sera is doing her own version ... the 'horsey'

'Up and down, up and down' ... Sera lifts her buttocks off the floor and down again, while Yasmin sits on her tummy. They had a great time.

Dinner time. Meal times with Sera, I have to admit, is always a pleasure.

This girl enjoys her food, even though the menu hardly ever changes.


What's with the beanie?


She wasn't complaining so I just kept taking shots of her


And one more of her in this crazy beanie ...

Grandma and Yasmin playing together

Sera and Yasmin paused from their singing session to pose for a shot

Sera and her 'peace out' sign

This is a 'awhhhh' moment ... sweet

Opa visits

Sera and Yasmin's opa came over from Doha, for a short visit. It was really nice to have him around, even for only a day and Sera kept him very occupied from early morning till after lunch. We look forward to his and oma's next visit.

This is the red windmill tee, which opa brought on behalf of uncle Hans and family

The girls playing with Johan. This bunny, named 'Bunny Tummy' by Sera, is kind of her favourite at the moment. Here she is trying to get Yasmin to 'kiss, kiss Bunny Tummy', but it isn't getting any of her love.

This photo says a lot. Firstly, check out how Yasmin is just so chilled, slouching on Johan. Sera is Miss Grumpy with strange fashion sense. She insisted on wearing this striped top with pink floral pant and Nike trainers. She was waiting to go out, not wanting to take yet another photo. Johan, as usual, is Mr Photogenic and me, well, I'm trying to keep my eyes open for the shot. I look tired huh!

Especially for grandma and oma

I know the grandmas will appreciate these photos of Yasmin. These photos were taken for her Dubai Resident Permit. The guy from the photo shop even came over to our place to personally take the photos (which I rejected, ha ha). These were taken by me, on my own camera.







And two more photos from this morning, just before her much anticipated bath time