Amazing Uncle Andy

So we had a quick visit from Uncle Andy over my birthday, and we all had such a wonderful time with him.  This is a guy who has never told one of my kids "no".  Not once.  ("Uncle Andy can we watch funny cat videos on youtube?"  "Uncle Andy will you play hand ball with me?")  So they think he's the best ever.  And when they had to be at school, he cheerfully accompanied me everywhere (except my exercise class which is women only) and got to have a nice little look around Muscat.  The first few days after he left were a bit lonely for the kids and me...And after we dropped him off at the airport Tommy and Lizzie were inconsolable for quite a while.

(Sadly, most of these photos are crappy. Sorry.)

Handball

Tour of the new airport

Grand Mosque

Youtube cat videos

I'm 40! Can you believe that?

Guess what? I'm 40.  I was a pretty hot mess for the week or so leading up to the big day, but the evening before Eli had a dinner for me at a restaurant I love with my friends and Andy, Brett and Chinka.  It was such a lovely dinner and I had SUCH a nice time.  Eli asked my friends to say what they like about me and it was so sweet.  I didn't want it to end.

TAISM ball, Beach and a Podcast recommendation

YOU GUYS. Where have I been for the past two years? Stuck in a podcast rut, I suppose. (That's not fair, I absolutely love the podcasts I listen to. But I do run out of material sometimes which is okay because then I just listen to the Killers, but still, I love podcasts.) Anyway, I read about Alec Baldwin's podcast called "Here's the Thing" and I JUST LOVE IT. He talks to such interesting people and he is a talented interviewer. I recommend trying an episode or two. My favorite so far is his interview with Ira Glass, but as I type this I'm listening to him talk to Paul Simon. Yesterday I listened to Amy Schumer and Kristin Wiig.

On Friday night, we went to the TAISM ball and I had so much fun that I made Eli stay up much too late (as he had to go to work in the morning). About the picture of Eli and me below: I have noticed lately that in photos my left eye is often not quite as open as my right eye. (I KNOW. WTH?) Anyway, I look creepy because I was making an effort to have equally open eyes.

Creepy eyes.

Twins.

The guy who took this photo must've been a little bit drunk - this is the end of the evening.

The next day, I took the kids to the beach.  Lizzie wanted to go to the Hyatt and she kept screaming, "I'M NOT GOING!" when I told the kids to put their swimsuits on for the beach.  After a nice pout on the beach mat, she decided that she would play with her friend Sophie who happened to be at the beach as well, and later confessed that she had so much fun.  My kids are ridiculous.

Sophie's big brother and Tommy practicing their kayaking.  This was SO MUCH fun.