I miss my Ali!

Ali went on a school trip yesterday morning, Sunday, December 12th and won't be back until tomorrow late afternoon, Tuesday, December 14th.  Three days and two nights.

I MISS HIM!  IT HURTS!

Amal and Ali in Saudi Arabia in 1999.

On his new and first big boy bed.  Reading about his favorite subject:  DINOSAURS!!  He loved these things.  Learned all about them.  Now, we saw Disney's Dinosaur and we saw Aladar and Baylene after so many years.  We both looked at eachother and sighed.  Aaahhhh...

This was his official birth announcement.  What a pretty baby! 4.1 kilos.  You do the math.  4.1 x 2.2 (lbs) = 9.02 lbs.  Big boy!

Don't you hate the date stamped on the picture?  I do.  However, I am grateful for this very useful information.  This was taken here in Oman in Seeb at the now defunct Ostrich Farm.  He is holding a 'toddler'.  He is 5 years old!

Here in Muscat.  This is his 'Nanny McPhee' tooth!

Can you BELIEVE it!????  We are driving up the western coast of Scotland with so much beauty to look at and he and Amal are asleep!  The bums!  My face was smashed against the window!

This was his little friend's birthday and he put on a tie all by himself.  My God, what a doll!

His Kindergarten graduation!

Yay!  That darn tooth finally came out!  He had to have them both pulled!  He is dressed in Omani dress.

My kids were hit by a car while coming home from school on the bus.  He lost his sandal.  Never saw it again??  He dislocated his elbow.  Amal had a head injury and was upset that there was "nothing to show for it".  Ali milked his sling to death!  Scary afternoon.

Ali is so happy that I bought him designer shades in Italy outside of the Pantheon.  There is Seth on the left of the screen; Liz behind him and Grandma Betty on the right of the screen.  Great trip!

Here is Ali at St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy.  He is feeding the pigeons and freaked out about it!  Aw...

Ready for his uncle's wedding in Omani formal attire.

This is what I am afraid of.  See what a little tiny ant bite does to my boy?  It is an allergy that is prevalent here.  He has graduated to steroid shots and breathing machines.  Now, I sent him with two EPI pens and an inhaler and pills!

In St. Louis at a pet store holding something exotic.

He loves to do your hair.  Here he is doing his cousin Melina's hair in Cleveland one summer; maybe two years ago by the looks of the kids.  That is Sofia, my niece and Amal.

OMG.  Too  cute!  We were at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio, maybe two years ago and it started raining.  Rain is a novelty for my kids as it doesn't rain too often here in the Middle East!  Ali wanted to catch the 'fresh rain in my mouth'.  This was certainly a Kodak moment and thank you God that I had my camera ready.  Priceless!  Here we have Amal, Ali, Melina and Sofia all in an action shot!

This must have been 2008 when my Mom came to Oman.  Here she is with the kids at the Dubai Aquarium in Dubai!

Another priceless photo and memory.  Here Ali and my Mom are cutting the rug.  She is sooooooooo happy that he has that joie de vivre and loves to dance.  We all got worried about him at one point because he got so pink!  Unfortunately, he is no longer invited to mix with women now that he has passed age 10.  It's a Muslim thing.  Anyhow, he can cut the rug with my Mom any day of the year and with me too!

I went to Dubai with a friend a couple of years ago for the Dubai International Quilt Exhibition and bought Ali this really cool wig.  He took it to a friend's house and we have never been able to find it!  They looked but did not find it.  It disappeared!  You can't find wigs in Oman.  Every time I go to Dubai I look for a wig for this boy and can't find one!  I did not have a chance but did look around in St. Louis for one and couldn't find one.  I have to find one for my little man.  Here we are at home (no longer have this furniture or carpet, yay!) and he was chillin' and playing on his Nintendo when he zonked.  Priceless!

Ali, I hope you are having a wonderful time and I can't wait to see you tomorrow and hear all about it!  Love, Mami.