Writer, journalist, blogger, mother of boys, A380 pilot's wife, sun-worshipper and distracted housewife surrounded by souks, skyscrapers, shopping, sea and sand.
If you like my blog, please click the cover to find out about my book!
Meet all sorts of characters straight out of daily life in Dubai: Helicopter Mum, the Atlantis Tooth Fairy, Shopaholic Katie and many more. Includes Travel with Kids: The Bad & the Worse and the popular short story Cupcakes & Heels
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Category Archives: raising children in Dubai
Move over Mary Poppins – meet the Granny Aupairs!
Worried about leaving your kids with the housemaid? An older nanny with wisdom and a sense of adventure could be just what you need Bobby’s dream was always – should she be alone after retirement – to spend time abroad … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Family, Parenting, raising children in Dubai
Tagged alternative to housemaids in Dubai, au pairs Dubai, au pairs UAE, aupairs Dubai, aupairs UAE, childcare Dubai, expats in UAE, German families in Dubai, Granny Aupair, Granny Aupair Hamburg, granny aupairs in Dubai, help in Dubai, household help UAE, live-in helpers Dubai, mature au pairs, Michaela Hansen, nannies in UAE, older nannies, Western au pairs Dubai
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The big shop (kill me now!)
Catherine the Great presents me with a list on a square sheet of paper. She’s really good at writing out the shopping list and giving it to me with a hopeful look on her face. “We’re running out of everything,” … Continue reading
Posted in baseball field Dubai, Children, honest motherhood, Parenting, raising boys, raising boys in Dubai, raising children in Dubai
Tagged grocery shopping, grocery shopping for a family, hungry boys, shopping lists, supermarket, supermarket shopping, supermarket shopping at the weekend, the big shop
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Dubai set to go Orlando-tastic!
For a while now, I’ve been aware of some goings-on down the road: the construction of a massive building with mosaic walls; an escaped dinosaur on the loose; signs that the race to open a whole raft of theme parks in … Continue reading
Posted in Dubai, Parenting, raising boys in Dubai, raising children in Dubai
Tagged dinosaurs in Dubai, Dubai aims to rival Orlando as theme park hub, IMG Worlds of Adventure opening in Dubai, Marvel and Cartoon Network rides in Dubai, theme parks in Dubai, things to do in Dubai, tourism in Dubai
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House-hunting in Dubai (not for the faint hearted)
So, we’re trekking round Dubai looking at homes – not because we want to (see previous post), but because we’re being evicted and thought we’d better check out all the options. Secretly, I absolutely love noseying around other people’s villas … Continue reading
The eviction email
After months of rumours that wouldn’t go away, my husband’s company hit several hundred staff members with an eviction notice on Thursday. It’s always a Thursday, the last day of the week here. And it’s always a shock when it … Continue reading
Posted in Dubai, Parenting, pilot's wife in Dubai, raising children in Dubai
Tagged Dubai pilot families moving to Meydan, Emirates accommodation, Emirates eviction, Emirates housing, Emirates moving staff, Emirates relocating staff, Layan and Cedre villas moving to Meydan, Meydan, Meydan South, pilot's wife view on Emirates housing
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Fascinating glimpse of a Dubai school in the 1970s
Son2’s school is turning 40, which in Dubai time is quite ancient! Anyone who lives here will know this age is impressive and deserves to be marked, especially as four decades ago the school was just a small huddle of … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Dubai, Dubai schools, Expat, Family, Parenting, raising children in Dubai, School
Tagged Dubai's first schools, JESS Dubai, JESS Dubai celebrates 40th birthday, JESS Dubai in the 1970s, JESS Dubai turns 40, the opening of JESS Jumeirah, what school life was like in Dubai in the 1970s
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What a three-day weekend means to a pilot’s wife
“Mummy, what time is D coming for his sleepover?” Son2 prized my eyes open. It wasn’t even 7am. Ugh! Jumping on top of me, he pulled the duvet off and checked to make sure he’d fully woken me up. “I’m … Continue reading
CIRCLES IN THE SAND … Marianne Makdisi 