Five and Frozen, and 33

My darling baby turned 5. 

She turned five over a week ago.  I've been a bit behind with my family's visit for the Thanksgiving holiday.  And now it's December.  This year is flying!  So yes, our first born has now reached 5.  Something about that age means "older" and no longer a little kid.  Something about 5 means a lot more than 4. 

Aberly's birthday started the night before with a Skype call with GeeGee.  Nancy had given us a gift for Aberly to hold on to here in Oman, and she wanted to watch her open it.  We were happy to oblige!  

 

The next day, of course (along with every other girl on the planet this year, and certainly some boys too) we had a Frozen themed birthday party.  Six of Aberly's friends came over for dress up, dancing, games, cake, presents, and fun.  Emalyn was super excited to be a part of it as well.  They  had a super fun time, and we had a super fun time watching Aberly and her friends!

 

Aberly's big gift was an Elsa costume with crown and scepter.  Em wore Abelry's Frozen pj's.

 

Playing Pass the Parcel

 

Frozen Quiz time with Nana

 

Playing Musical Statues

 

Present time!

 

Make a wish!

 

The frosting was very blue!

 

The party crew!

And not to be forgotten, my wonderful hubby had his birthday on November 12th and hit 33.  We had a fun time at home with the girls doing gifts, then got some grown up time at a local hotel "English" pub to finish the celebration.

 

Aberly loved watching Daddy open his gifts

    

Bretta and Katie

 

Scott and Delana

 

The birthday boy

 

Thanks for the fun time, crew!  

 

Bonus gift from visiting relatives.  Real craft beer from the states!

 

Omani National Day

This past November the 18th was the 44th Omani National Day.  It is essentially the 4th of July in Oman. 

Just like in the US, the city decorates with the country colors.  Mainly they use lights and flags in red, white, and green.  This year, people went crazy putting decals on their cars, commemorating their beloved Sultan Qaboos and Oman itself.  For their parties, people wear their best abayas and traditional wear. And just like the US, there is usually a fireworks show somewhere.  Omanis truly love being Omanis.  The national pride here is extremely strong.

 

 

 

Here at school, the Omani staff, with help of others, put together outdoor tents for elementary students to learn about Omani traditions, while an indoor set up is done for staff and parents to come relax, have Omani treats, get some henna, and try on traditional clothes.  

Here are some photos from our fun day!

 

Aberly's class being served in the traditional Omani style with juice (instead of traditional coffee) and Omani treats

 

Having an Omani date

 

Dressed up in Omani clothes with Lara

 

Getting henna done

 

Seeing how kummas (men's head piece) are hardmade.

 

Seeing traditional bread being made.

 

Emalyn came down for the fun too.  The Omani musical group ladies loved her!

 

Em with her buddy, Cooper, who is sporting men's traditional wear.

 

Check out Omani Kelsey!  

 

Posing with my dear friend, Beata.

 

My pretty henna.  Always a treat!

We never cease to be blessed by the opportunities we have while here.  The cultural experiences that we and our children can have are life changing.  Experiencing other cultures and their traditions, whether here in Oman or through our travels, allows us to truly understand other people, other nationalities, and why they are who they are.  Our world view is something we do not, and will not, ever take for granted!

 

First storm of this (school) year

We always welcome rain and this past weekend delivered.  It was especially fun since it was right before noon so I could get some great photos during daylight. 

We heard rain was coming but didn't realize it would be such a storm.  Colin was off getting his haircut, Isla and Izzy were over to play, and I poked around the house enjoying some down time while Emalyn napped.

The storm started with some serious, howling, and screeching wind.  The girls and I enjoyed it for a bit outside.

My down time ended quickly once the rain started coming down hard.

 

The rain immediately started seeping in under the doors since the is no weather stripping.

  

The wind was still so strong that it whipped the rain around and our parking area quickly filled with water.

 

No drainage system means water collects and runs.  The muddy water raced down the street next to our place.

 

The real trouble started when our ventilation chute filled with water.  The water from the upper patios drains into this, and the drain at the bottom can't keep up so it fills with water above the windows.  This time, the water was too strong and pushed through the rubber stripping around the windows. 

 

I was really lucky that I had a few extra tubs around to collect the water before it filled the bathroom floor and spilled over into the living room.

 

Rain aftermath.  Always a lot of mud and rocks on the roads.  And standing water in the low lying areas of town, which you can't see here.

Despite the trouble it causes, the rain also brings a lot of joy to young kiddos.  The girls cheerfully watched the rain from Aberly's room while I took care of the water, and they finally got their real fun.

Worth it!