Time Out

We do our time outs on the top stair. Quinn decided to wriggle through the bars and got stuck! It was so funny. I actually was able to just turn her a little bit and she came right out.

Speaking of Quinn, she had a landmark event happen today! We were able to pull all of her hair up. I couldn't get it into just one ponytail but still...this is progress.

Night in Dubai

I was jealous that I couldn't go with Mark on his trip so I decided to surprise him with our own "Night in Dubai". I know-I'm a dork! I bought all the things I needed from the dollar store and decorated with paper lanterns and tissue paper. I used some old gold fabric that I had to drape over the chairs and an old tube of puff paint to make the designs on the edges of the placemats. We even used our china for the first time in our whole marriage!

I had arranged to drop the kids off at Rosa's house and be home and have the chicken tikka masala made before Mark got home. I made it to NE8th in Bellevue when the suburban just died. Luckily there was no traffic and I was able to coast to the side of the freeway. I had to ruin the surprise and have Mark come rescue us. I traded cars with Mark and drove the rest of the way to Bothell and home again, in the mean time Mark had the suburban towed to our house.

We got a late start on our date but Mark was able to help me cook and it turned out delicious. After dinner we watched Slumdog Millionare while we ate oreo truffles - yum! It was the next best thing to actually being in Dubai together.

India

Mark had the opportunity to travel to India for work last week. He spent two days in Dubai and eight days in Hyderabad. Mark had an amazing time. He said the people were so kind and the food was awesome. Hyderabad is sort of the technological hub of India and has grown up out of the slums. Juxtaposed between the skyscrapers and landscaped lawns of Microsoft, Google, Oracle and Dell is the squalor that existed before the city became what it is today. Hyderabad is notorious for their crazy traffic. Mark saw a man driving a motorcycle with his wife sitting behind him "side saddle" while holding a toddler on her lap - none of them wearing helmets!

Mark had a 24 hour lay over at the beginning and then again at the end of the trip in Dubai. Unlike Hyderabad which is mainly Hindu, Dubai is a mainly Muslim country and has a much more anti-western feel. Dubai is like the Las Vegas of the East. It has beautiful hotels, beaches and malls. Some things you can do in Dubai are indoor skiing, drive a formula one race car, visit the tallest building in the world or lay out on the man made beach shaped like the palm of a hand.

Ten days was a long time to have our Daddy gone! We are so glad that he's home now! He brought Gracie and Quinn home some sparkly bangles, Collin got a hand carved chess board and I got some carved elephants and some beautiful shalls. Let's hope it's a long time before he has to leave us for that long again!

I am a Child of God

Nice Weather

There is really no place I would rather be then Seattle when it's nice out! Today was one of those beautiful days, the kind that renews your energy and makes you want to get out and enjoy life and not waste a minute!

Mark and I took the kids to Country Village to get an ice cream cone and had the FUNNIEST experience! It was more of an ice cream stand and the guy working there was from India and didn't really speak english very well. When he gave one of the kids their cone I asked, "What do you say?" Immediately the guy working there answered "thank you". He thought that I was talking to him! I tried to explain but it was so awkward and emberassing for all of us. Mark and I laughed the whole night about it.

Quinn LOVED the rock wall. She has a very stubborn and strong willed personality and she seems to almost thrive when she is challenged. Even though that rock wall was very difficult for her to climb she did it over and over again the entire time. We always joke that she is an adrenaline junkie because she loves to go fast or high or upside down...whatever is the craziest.They got this really cool new pirate ship that has a cannon you can move around, ladders and flags and treasure etc. the kids loved it! Even though it was about 85 degrees today, Collin showed his true Seattle spirit and wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt!

Mother's Day Lunch

For Mother's Day this year I was invited to Collin's preschool for a luncheon. It was SO cute! His teacher is absolutely amazing. When I got there Collin escorted me upstairs and showed me into Debbie's dinning room where the table was set with a table cloth, nice plates and glasses and best of all a beautiful card that Collin made me! Next the kids took their mom's plates into the kitchen where Debbie dished us up a really beautiful serving of chicken salad (only one plate got broken in the process). While the mom's ate Debbie had the kids eat in the kitchen so the mom's could talk. After lunch, the kids cleared our plates and brought us in some delicious strawberry shortcake. While we ate the kids sang to us, and then gave us a necklace that they made and then Debbie read to us a list of questions that she asked the kids and the answers that they gave about us. It was such a special afternoon and I felt so loved and grateful for my children. Thanks Collin!

This is Collin and his buddy Seth (the only other boy in the class).
They just happened to be wearing the same thing.

This tasted as good as it looks!

Collin waited on me the entire time!
Collin was pretty shy during the presentation.

Here's a you tube video of the song they sang.

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