weekend snapshot # 29

A glorious Sunday to everybody! I share with you my snapshot of the tallest man-made structure in the world. I took this pic after visiting the huge shopping complex just beside the supertall skyscraper.

The Burj Dubai

The budget for Burj Dubai is US$4.1 billion. It will house residences designed by the famed Giorgio Armani. The height is currently 707 meters and the projected height is still being kept a secret. Based on this height, the total number of habitable floors will be around 162.

Thank you so much for the visit! I am excited to see all your WS entries as well. Have a fabulous week ahead!

coffee break # 14

Happy Thursday people! Andreas is watching a brilliant baby video while munching a piece of large peeled-apple. I grab the chance to join my other favorite meme. This week's Coffee Break asks

What are the simple things in life that make you smile?

I share with you my list.
1. my darling Ceasar
2. my big, big Andreas
3. Hubby and Andreas playing
4. a bottle of beer
5. a bubble bath
6. Christmas carols
7. a rainy day
8. Norah Jones' music
9. breakfast in bed
10. flowers in bloom

humor time!

Holiday Guidelines

For Doggies

1. Be especially patient with your humans during this time.
They may appear to be more stressed-out than usual and they
will appreciate long comforting dog leans.

2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts.
Do not assume that all the gifts are yours.

3. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you.
They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing
how you look with fake antlers.

4. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent
place and cover it with lights and decorations.
Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans,
so there are some things you need to know:

- don't pee on the tree
- don't drink water in the container that holds the tree
- mind your tail when you are near the tree
- if there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or
that have your name on them, don't rip them open
- don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall
to the tree

5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit
during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for
some discretion on your part:

- not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans
- don't eat off the buffet table
- beg for goodies subtly
- be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa
- don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach

6. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting.
Here your manners will also be important:

- observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's
houses. (4a is particularly important)
- respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house
- tolerate children
- turn on your charm big time

7. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from
your fireplace in the middle of the night.
DON'T BITE HIM!!

Mary Mom & Christmas

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart."

~ Marjorie Holmes, American writer.

weekend snapshot # 28

Happy Sunday visitors! Today i am going to share my snapshots on what's inside the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Center. These species were deliberately separated from the huge aquarium (which i posted on WS # 26) to protect them from the tiger sharks. Enjoy and do let me know which one would you have as a pet, given the chance.

Pig-nosed Turtle

Star Fish

Lion Fish

Giant Spider Crab

Seal

Penguins

Thank you so much for the visit. Take care everyone and have a fabulous week ahead. I will be blog hopping in awhile. Cheers!

greetings!

what evry child needs

A Little Boy Needs Daddy

by Oliver Matla

A little boy needs Daddy

For many, many things:
Like holding him high off the ground
Where the sunlight sings!

Like being the deep music
That tells him all is right
When he awakens frantic with
The terrors of the night.

Like being the great mountain
That rises in his heart
And shows him how he might get home
When all else falls apart.

Like giving him the love
That is his sea and air,
So diving deep or soaring high
He'll always find him there.

@#$% of the day

jean tonic

I'm a skirt and dresses girl. But when you have a ten month old cruising around parks and shopping malls, it's hard to bend over without giving an eyeful of your knickers. One morning, we headed for some jean shopping. Alas, all that is available now are skinny jeans. I always opt for boot cut or straight wide legs. Plus, hubby is not a fan of the Peter Pan look (skinny jeans and billowy blouse) so it was not an option. And boy, I was 12 years old the last time i wore stretch skinny. After giving birth and hundreds of ice cream gallons, i am not so keen to look myself in the mirror wearing them.

But it's time i embrace my new figure. My hips has absolutely grown bigger and thank goodness because i sorely lack them before haha. I am still 5 kg away from my ideal weight but I am in no rush to try Southbeach diet. So long as my stretch marks completely disappear, I am happy with my butt and boobies just the way they are hihi.

So i chose this black stretch from Mango. This would be my first new jeans in four years haha. Thank you darling!

Of course, like any girl, one purchase is not enough so i grab this white hip hugging jeans from H&M. I really must have it because the length on me is perfect.

weekend snapshot # 27

The cold winter wind begins to blow here in the desert. We were at Creek Park last Saturday enjoying the what's left of the autumn sun when suddenly, strong winds and a huge billow of dust blew across the entire city. Tree branches cracked, picnic goers rushed home, and desert sands were flying all over. The light sandstorm signaled winter has arrived. I share with you my snapshot of the park.

A blessed Sunday to my visitors! I am truly excited to see all your WS entries. Have a fabulous week ahead and thank you for your time. Cheers!

height talk

What Your Height Says About You

You are a warm, outgoing person. You are a very social creature. You value harmony, and you often play the role of mediator. You are a very real and honest person. You know how to kindly tell people the truth. You crave love and approval. Luckily, you are a very easy person to love. You are about as tall as the average Australian woman.

What Does Your Height Say About You?

runaway DH

S is our new house mate. She is pretty, curvy, and smart and it does not come a surprise when one of the local police fell in-love with her. We'll call the man DP. And he is married. But because Arabs are allowed as many wives as they can afford, DP is persistently pursuing her. Even making calls to her while vacationing with his first wife in Jordan.

Anyway, S says she has no intention of establishing amorous relationship with him. She still prefers kabayan to fall in-love with. But she does maintain friendship with DP because of the valuable information she can avail. You see, DP is assigned at the Dubai Immigration Department.

Enter another housemate named A. She has two years employment contract as house helper for an Arab family. Thinking the work was unbearable, A chose to leave the family she was working leaving her original passport behind. A stayed with her friends and tried to work as a helper also, this time for a Filipino family. Now that her legal employment contract is about to expire, A must find another employer but first she must go home to the Philippines. However, with no passport, travel was not possible.

A then decided to go to her former Arab employer to try and beg for her passport. When S hears about her decision, she consults DP and here is what he said.

If a person runs away from her/his employer, you must go and report the true story to Dubai Police. Do not go to your friends or relative for the blotter report is very important. If you fail to inform the incident, your employer will surrender your passport to the police. Worst they can make-up stories about you and this can lead to having your name on the wanted list or black listed in the UAE. If that happens, you will never set foot in UAE again. So make sure, the police hears your side of the story first.

DP said further that police here are aware of the helpers' predicament and that they do listen to throngs of women asking for help.

Party Planning 02

Andreas used to adore a smiling Mickey Mouse poster on our cupboard so i wanted a Mickey themed birthday cake. I tried to look around bakeshops but all i saw was Mickey's huge face. I want something tiered. Haha, i don't know. I like cakes that are tall and elaborate. I like them screaming with celebration. When I ordered for Andre's christening celebration, i specifically told the baker i wanted a two-layer chocolate cake.

Anyway, this morning i Googled and found a whimsical 4-tiered birthday cake especially designed for little boys. But it is sooo blooody expensive i have to check it out with hubby. So after dinner, I carefully told him i found this website where we can order online. He checked them out, and he too agreed the cakes were fabulous. There were Mickey mouse themed cakes, cars, ships, Barney, Pooh, and the rest of the super heroes.

"So what theme do you have in mind? I thought you wanted Mickey Mouse."

Yeah, but i guess he is too young to appreciate it, you know.

Okay, so what does Andre really likes? This Nemo cake looks good. He likes Barney right?

Yes but we can't have Barney right now. That was Gabby's first birthday cake.

How about we give them our own design? We can ask them to make a cake like Andre's favorite bulldog?

(No reply)

BJ! He likes BJ! We can ask them to make a cake shaped like BJ.

Honey, that would be more costly don't you think? They would have to make new molds, get new cake decors, etc...

Oh really?.....so what do you have in mind?

I just want something that emphasizes it's his first birthday.

Okay, we can have a cake shape like number 1.

(No reply)

Come show me what you have chosen

(After a couple of clicks, i showed him the four-tiered birthday cake).

That is awesome. It suits the event perfectly!

Darling, it's 10 thousand pesos.

Yeah, it's just too much.

So what are the other options?

(No reply)

Okay, we will have what you chose.

(I smiled at my reflection on the mirror)

Hubby turn to Andreas, hugs him and says, "Mommy has chosen your birthday cake. I hope you won't smash it haha."

weekend snapshot # 26

Happy Sunday people! We had an exciting weekend as we visited the recently opened Dubai Mall. It is currently the biggest retail center in the Middle East. Inside DM is the worlds largest viewing panel for aquarium which houses 400 tiger sharks, 33,000 living specimens including manta rays.

Thank you so much for the visit! My turn to blog hop later. Have a wonderful week ahead!

Aretha works it!

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am feeling really tired and sleepy but Andreas is so wide awake and happily watching Barney. Plus i still need to cook supper so i trawled You Tube to keep me awake. And here is what i found.


Aretha Franklin's version of Touch My Body. Have a good laugh!

booster seat

Andreas fast outgrew his rear-facing car seat. For a couple of months, i held him on my lap whenwe travel. We are aware it was very irresponsible on our part but hubby just took to himself about driving carefully.

Last week, hubby decided it was time for Andreas to have his booster seat. Off we went to Babyshop and we both fell in-love with a bloody red Ferrari.

Here is our 10-month-old prince seated on his F throne.

side-bar clean-up

I've been meaning to tweak my sidebar and only got the chance this afternoon. I decided to remove my blogroll widget and just keep the blog list i follow.

If you are among those links removed, let me know if you want to be added on my bloglist.

Cheers!

weekend snapshot # 25

A blessed Sunday to you! Hope everyone had a safe and spectacular Halloween. Planning for my son's first birthday started over the weekend. We visited Virgin Megastore for some party favor ideas and just before reaching the store, we chanced upon these artists whose drawing skills were absolutely amazing.

Have a look and maybe you can guess also the celebrity moms he sketched.



Thanks so much for the continued visits. I am excited to se your WS entries as well. Have a fabulous week ahead!

Andreas updates

Our little prince turned 10 months old last week and oh boy, he is always busy and an accomplished escape artist. He wriggles his way out of diaper change, booster seat, and high chair. Tell him to 'Stay there,' and he responds with a smile full of mischief.

Here are his other activities.

1. He loves posing for the camera. When Mom says, smile, he does so willingly and waits for the flash.
2. His interest to page his books increased. Reading can keep him quiet for several moments.
3. He likes strawberries!
4. He gulps his way through fresh squeezed orange juice.
5. He is no longer interested in eating his cereal. He prefers steamed veggies, rice, soup, fish and whatever else we are eating.
6. Still drinks Similac and Promil.
7. His vocabulary consists of dada, mama, tata, eta.
8. Anything round interests him. He tries to steer it like he sees his Dada driving.

At home in Jaffliya

9. He is now wearing 18 months clothes size
10. The stuff dog we bought from Ikea is his 'owie.' The sight of it comforts him so we bought him three.
11. He has two teeth on his lower gums.
12. He loves the songs Raindrops, I love you, I have two hands, Incy Wincy Spider, and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
13. He still adores his Barney and Brilliant baby videos.
14. Diaper change are always a wrestling match.
15. He now refuses to be carried. He cruises around the house, explores the vast grass at the park, or run back to us squealing in delight when he sees other kids at the mall.
16. His pedia says he is sociable and used to people. The last time we took him, Andreas smiled at him like he was looking at Barney.