Sri Lanka.... again

Last month during mid-term break we headed to Sri Lanka for a third time, but the first time with Frankie.
We rented an amazing villa in the south, just outside of Galle with two other families, all up 6 adults and 7 children under 6.

It was a fabulous holiday with lots of laughs, champagne, fresh seafood, swimming and relaxation.

If anyone is considering travelling to Sri Lanka, do it, I could not recommend it enough. Of all the travelling we have done it ranks in my top 2 favourite countries.

The villa we rented was called Auraylia, right on the beach with about 2 acres of gardens, swimming pool and several pavilions for relaxing and dining in the evenings. It also came with lots of house staff, a chef and security guard, very luxe but worth every bit of it.

After a lot of beautiful weather and far too much food we left the south and headed to the capital Colombo. We have never stayed in Colombo in the past other than airport hotels while travelling so this was a first for us.
I am so mad we have not discovered just how awesome Colombo is underneath its grimy, confronting exterior before now. Homewares shopping heaven, friendly people and unique places, the Cricketers Club was a fabulous hidden gem for a cold beer and lunch after a morning of shopping.

Love Affair

These two. Together always.
If Frankie is awake, then Lily is right behind her, all day.
Of course Frankie drives her mad, pulls her ears, her tail, bashes her with the odd toy. But most of the time, the two live harmoniously side by side.

Hot Nights and Hotter Days

I couldn't think of another title on the fly, but given the weird and unusual google searches that somehow send people to my blog, I am a little concerned what sort of traffic will wind up at this post, disappointed.

We are now just over a week out from the official beginning of summer and it is hot, hot, hot!
Today marks the official beginning for me. When I walked out of the office and my sunglasses fogged over from the humidity for the first time this year - I knew summer was here. But hey, at least I am not pregnant this year!

Naz has entered the Dubai International Half Ironman in November. So ironically as the weather heats up his training schedule is ramping up also. The crazy man has started cycling at night, and as it gets hotter intends to get up and train between 3am and 5am.
Luckily there is an 85km cycling track out in the desert, not too far from home (pictured above on the morning after a sandstorm), but it's really far out into the desert so I am not that keen on his training plans. He has already stopped running outdoors and moved onto the treadmill, and there is probably 3 more weeks before the sea is too hot for swimming and he will be stuck doing laps in our pool. He is a crazy man I tell you, all of the above is his idea of fun.

Last weekend I joined a girls only stand up paddleboard group for a combined paddle and fitness class on the boards..... which I completely underestimated. I could barely walk the next day - there were muscles hurting I forgot existed. The class is out on the Palm, how freaking cool is that, to paddle around the Palm in Dubai - one day I am going to miss some really awesome things about living here.

Piper's school year is coming to a close, only 5 weeks left before summer holidays. She has bounced back from her operation and you wouldn't know it was less than a month ago. She is back to her usual crazy self - tonight our conversation in the car went a little like this:
"Mum I really, really want to go to school more days a week, I want to go to school on Thursdays too"
To which Naz and I proceeded to tell her 'no way' and explain that this was the last chance she got to hang out at home and have Daddy days, sleep in, go to the beach and just be a kid etc. We told her that in September when big girl school starts she has to go to school 5 days a week forever - until she is all grown-up.
Her response '"umm I only want to go to school on Thursdays because they have spaghetti for lunch".

Frankie is continuing to grow and entertain us. She finally nailed the rolling thing again after giving us the false start weeks ago and then stopping. She is sitting with a little help and is growing so strong - both physically and mentally. She is a fierce and determined little one. At 6 months old she is eating 3 meals a day and snacks in-between, she definitely inherited Naz's appetite. She almost eats more than Piper already!
The one thing Frankie doesn't like.... babies. Hates them. Screams her lungs out if she is put near them. Potentially a by product of spending a lot of time with her Dad and not out and about with other babies, but at least she will be able to name every NBA team and player by the time she is 1.

Then there is the story about the crazy Aussie in purple pineapple shorts who put out a substantial house fire before the fire brigade arrived and then promptly disappeared...... but I will keep that one for another day!

A Catch-Up

The weather here is out of control and I am completely over it, it has never been so unstable. One minute it is heating up and we are preparing for the onslaught of summer, and the next it is raining non-stop overnight and the next day. Yes, rain in Dubai again.... it has been such a crazy winter with at least 10 days of rain.
Yesterday with the rain and wind, for the first time EVER in nearly 3 years of living here, I put the heater on in my car!

I am not enjoying this time of year, the threat of summer arriving creates a sense of panic - a rush to fit in all the outdoor activities you can before the intense heat arrives.
Our first summer was novel, it was a challenge to survive and create ways of avoiding the heat. The second year it was a bit of a hassle, we far from welcomed it, but like all expats we planned a trip and escaped for a month during the fiercest of summer and hid out in Europe. This, our third year, is so different. We know what is coming, we hate it, it is not fun or novel, it is bloody hard work and restricting. I am dreading summer and the thought of it makes me want to cry.

I am blaming my father in-law Mike who arrived 2 days ago for bringing the Melbourne rain and weather with him. Grandpa is staying with us for the next 3 weeks and Piper could not be happier. She is ecstatic to have Grandpa here and does not leave him alone. He is exhausted by 8:30pm but I doubt it is the jet lag, I think it is the Piper effect.

Last weekend I finally got back on a paddle board and I couldn't be happier. I finally feel 'normal' after Frankie's birth and my complications. I still have a bit of work to do but it is all easy from here.

We have lots of fun things planned over the next few weeks while Grandpa is here and before the heat, a trip to Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World (minus the roller coaster that broke my Dad's sternum), a road trip to Oman and Naz has a triathlon next weekend on the Palm.

Frankie - 4 (and a bit) months

Our bub is growing up more and more. She is proving to be more stubborn and strong willed than Piper at the same age, and yet she is also the happiest baby I have ever known.

Stubborn Frankie stopped sleeping through the night several weeks ago, she now likes to wake anywhere between 3am and 6am. Sometimes she will gurgle, take her dummy and go back to sleep, sometimes she will want  feeding, and other times we wake to Frankie laughing and squealing with happiness in her bed..... at 3:30am! But the real issue is that several nights a week she does not settle back to sleep, instead she wants to play and chat and giggle for hours.
Last weekend at 4am poor Naz was out with the pram cutting laps of the lake in the middle of a sand storm!

It is nothing but a phase but OMG the shock and difficulty of going from an 11hr a night sleeping baby, back to broken sleep is horrible (not to mention I have to get up and go to work each day).

In the meantime she continues to crack us up daily, surprise us with her strength (she has rolling over and over down to an art now) and melt our hearts.

We have a special guest arriving in just a few more sleeps to stay for a few weeks. I am going to love sharing our growing Frankie with more family members and Piper could not be more excited - so do NOT miss that flight Grandpa!!!!

First Family Photo

Today while visiting the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi we realised we had not taken a family photo since the arrival of Frankie 4 months ago. So here it is, our first photo together as a family of 4!

Yes, I am wearing an Abaya it is not a post pregnancy cover-up. Our trip to the Grand Mosque was amazing, lots more pics and stories to come, I just couldn't resist sharing this one now. 

Frankie - 3 1/2 Months

Our little Frankie is growing up fast, I would do anything to slow this down.

Her biggest smiles and laughs are reserved for her big sister. Her love for Piper is beyond anything I could of imagined could exist for a 3 month old baby. Her eyes follow her every move and in the heat of a hissy it is Piper that can calm her best.

Frankie loves to play on the floor with toys, talk to the lights on the roof and watch Lily. She can roll onto her side and on the rare occasion, all the way over, but mostly her arm gets stuck underneath and prevents her - she is yet to work this one out.

She is sleeping through the night from 7pm and like most babies, she is at her best in the mornings and some afternoons are harder than others.

While the weather is cool enough we are spending lots of time outdoors and Frankie loves being in her pram. Soon the weather will be hot and a water baby like her sister she will become.

A New Kind of Normal

Well here we are mid way through February already! After an amazing 6 weeks home in Australia we are back in Dubai.

Goodbyes are never easy and this time it was harder than ever to depart. In fact where possible, I just totally skipped the goodbyes this time.

This week is a big one for us - the beginning of our new 'normal' life and routines. I returned to work on Sunday and so far we are surviving. There were a few tears, mostly mine and surprisingly, a couple from Piper. It turns out our Daddy's girl has enjoyed having me around these last few months more than we had realised.

Frankie seems to be doing what she does best - cruising along and taking it all in her stride. She is as chilled out as ever, and thankfully still sleeping 10 - 12 hours straight at night.

All in all we are happy, healthy and looking forward to some adventures and a fun year!

Below are some more pics from our time at home with family and friends x

Four generations

Shelly Beach, Phillip Island

Beautiful day for paddleboarding..... if only my body was up for it!

Cousins

Fire fighter for a day

Last week Naz organised a day for Piper and her cousins to visit his fire station in Melbourne and play fire fighters for the morning.
I have to say I was blown away by the effort Naz and his colleagues put in to the morning. It was an awesome insight into their jobs and life at the station.
There are no words to describe how much the kids loved their adventure at the fire station.