It has been an exciting week! I ended up heading to immigration ready for a 'fight' after being told some bizarre information about having original documents stamped in Abu Dhabi before I could continue the process to get Jason and the kids here. I was getting desperate at this stage that they wouldn't be here for Eid and as a result I would have to wait at least another week before I could get the paperwork done (everything closes for Eid holidays!). So I trucked up to immigration ready to argue the point. It was a good thing (for them AND me) that the person behind the counter, smiled, asked if this was urgent and proceeded to get the entry permits for my family sorted. By 7pm that night I had them all in my hot little hand and I have to admit to shaking with disbelief with what I had achieved in one day that I couldn't achieve in over a week...
Well...as I've mentioned before that's just the way things work here.
The next day it took a morning to email the travel agent and book Jason and the kids to fly out of New Zealand and arrive at Abu Dhabi Airport on Saturday 5 November at 5.30am. I was super excited, and even took a trip on Friday (our weekend) to the airport which is 1 1/2 hours away from my place just to make sure I did not get lost at 2am the next morning when I set off to get them. I had to arrive at least an hour before the plane arrived so I could pay someone to deliver the official entry permits to Jason so he could get through customs.
After a very long wait at the arrival doors (it took them an hour to get through the visa and customs area) my family were finally in my arms. Lily ran to me and threw her arms around me, and Ben was desperately trying to get rid of his dad in order to do the same. It was so awesome. Of course tears were shed. Lily's comment to me was funny (as usual). She said "Mama, it has been such a long time since I saw you". Ben's adoration of me lasted all of 5 minutes as he's become valcroed to his father in my absence! Reality came crashing to earth when I had to change Ben's number 2 nappy in the front seat of the car while Jason and the porter loaded the car with the suitcases. Hmmm, something I hadn't really missed.
So the last few days have been hectic. We've been woken a few mornings initially with two children running up and down the hallway laughing and giggling and playing at 3am. They of course have no clock to tell them that this is not the time for such hilarity. Hence it has been to bed early for all of us in order to get some sleep. As I write this Jason is laying on the couch, legs up, mouth open, snoring and fast asleep. They're all struggling with jet-lag and the cultural shock that I've had 5 weeks to adjust a little to.
In the first few days of being here, they've met some awesome friends I've made, played happily with other children, been to Jahili Park (one of the really neat parks here), been to Sharjah and Dubai, been to the Rugby Club, visited a few malls, done Jason's medical, played in the sand and been to the pools at the Hilton Al Ain. They're shattered and slowly adapting. I think the biggest kid is probably taking longer!
The looks on the faces of the kids when they saw their bedrooms was worth all the hard work. Lily in particular loves her room and all the things that I put in it. She's made herself at home and organised all her things and even taken all my clothes out of my drawers and organised them too. She's told me in no uncertain terms that I must not be so messy in the future. She's organised Ben's room too and shown him how to play with all his toys...you get my drift. She's an awesome little girl who is proving socially confident (thanks Children First Pre-School!) and already has made many friends. She already wants a sleep-over at my friend Jenny's place and is free with her hugs for our new friends.
Ben is totally into anything with balls and kicking and throwing. He magnetizes all who see him. The local people here are enamoured with his looks and his cheeky demeanour. We bought him a cricket set and today it did not leave his hands nor his side. At the rugby club he walked everywhere carrying it. He's prone to meltdowns when things don't go his way...so a regular almost-two year old. His speaking is developing every day and he has taken a shine to camels, to planes, to birds and to all the diggers and cranes around the place. So the next blog is a picture gallery of their adventures so far.
I love having them here and hope they will settle in to a new life and routine in Al Ain. Life for them will be so totally different to that in New Zealand. And different isn't always a bad thing. But it is something that will take time to get used to. Time is something we do have. Two years to be exact.
Well...as I've mentioned before that's just the way things work here.
The next day it took a morning to email the travel agent and book Jason and the kids to fly out of New Zealand and arrive at Abu Dhabi Airport on Saturday 5 November at 5.30am. I was super excited, and even took a trip on Friday (our weekend) to the airport which is 1 1/2 hours away from my place just to make sure I did not get lost at 2am the next morning when I set off to get them. I had to arrive at least an hour before the plane arrived so I could pay someone to deliver the official entry permits to Jason so he could get through customs.
After a very long wait at the arrival doors (it took them an hour to get through the visa and customs area) my family were finally in my arms. Lily ran to me and threw her arms around me, and Ben was desperately trying to get rid of his dad in order to do the same. It was so awesome. Of course tears were shed. Lily's comment to me was funny (as usual). She said "Mama, it has been such a long time since I saw you". Ben's adoration of me lasted all of 5 minutes as he's become valcroed to his father in my absence! Reality came crashing to earth when I had to change Ben's number 2 nappy in the front seat of the car while Jason and the porter loaded the car with the suitcases. Hmmm, something I hadn't really missed.
So the last few days have been hectic. We've been woken a few mornings initially with two children running up and down the hallway laughing and giggling and playing at 3am. They of course have no clock to tell them that this is not the time for such hilarity. Hence it has been to bed early for all of us in order to get some sleep. As I write this Jason is laying on the couch, legs up, mouth open, snoring and fast asleep. They're all struggling with jet-lag and the cultural shock that I've had 5 weeks to adjust a little to.
In the first few days of being here, they've met some awesome friends I've made, played happily with other children, been to Jahili Park (one of the really neat parks here), been to Sharjah and Dubai, been to the Rugby Club, visited a few malls, done Jason's medical, played in the sand and been to the pools at the Hilton Al Ain. They're shattered and slowly adapting. I think the biggest kid is probably taking longer!
The looks on the faces of the kids when they saw their bedrooms was worth all the hard work. Lily in particular loves her room and all the things that I put in it. She's made herself at home and organised all her things and even taken all my clothes out of my drawers and organised them too. She's told me in no uncertain terms that I must not be so messy in the future. She's organised Ben's room too and shown him how to play with all his toys...you get my drift. She's an awesome little girl who is proving socially confident (thanks Children First Pre-School!) and already has made many friends. She already wants a sleep-over at my friend Jenny's place and is free with her hugs for our new friends.
Ben is totally into anything with balls and kicking and throwing. He magnetizes all who see him. The local people here are enamoured with his looks and his cheeky demeanour. We bought him a cricket set and today it did not leave his hands nor his side. At the rugby club he walked everywhere carrying it. He's prone to meltdowns when things don't go his way...so a regular almost-two year old. His speaking is developing every day and he has taken a shine to camels, to planes, to birds and to all the diggers and cranes around the place. So the next blog is a picture gallery of their adventures so far. 
I love having them here and hope they will settle in to a new life and routine in Al Ain. Life for them will be so totally different to that in New Zealand. And different isn't always a bad thing. But it is something that will take time to get used to. Time is something we do have. Two years to be exact.
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