It's Beginning To Get To Me

Well that's Joey and I all set to fly home tomorrow morning: the alarm is set for 4am, the three stuffed to the brim suitcases I brought with me for the Don to set up home have been reduced to one semi-full, and another three have been packed using the Russian doll technique.  We need as many as we can in Midland for when the rest of us travel.

Speaking of which, it now looks like our house is now being packed up this coming Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to make sure US customs can be completed before the boat leaves the States to arrive in Abu Dhabi and clear customs here before Christmas.  Which is, like, I don't know, two or three weeks earlier than I had mentally planned, which gives me (not counting Saturday becuase it's a busy day and I'm just home and Oma is leaving) two days to get the house in order, and deal with jet lag, and exciteable children, and working out what we'll actually still need for 9 weeks without furnishings but still schools, Awana, piano, ballet, swimming etc to attend.

And I don't have a single picture to show for my week here.  What I do have is some advice: if you ever even think about possibly coming to Abu Dhabi at any point in the next year, then apply to schools for your children straight away.  Don't hang around, don't wait till you've had school visits, don't weigh pros and cons while trying to decide, just fill in as many application forms as possible, as early as possible, paying as many registrations fees as possible.  And pick later.  If you don't, you'll not find a school that has space for all, or even two out of three, of your children.

Oh, and remember, if you and your kids are on an L2 (dependents) visa, then it is illegal for you to remain behind in the States and for your children to attend school when the L1 visa holder (your husband) has left the US and works elsewhere.

That's right, it's been one of those weeks.

Being with the Don for five evenings and nights has been good though!