TGIF has a different spin in Saudi. Friday, is the end of our weekend. Alhamduillah, we had a  nice weekend.

Wednesday night two of my neighbors (Thank God for them) and our families hung out at the community center. We sipped on tea with sage (who needs alcohol this stuff gave me the giggles) and I played SCRABBLE for the first time that I can remember ever playing.

The really cool part is that we used every single piece.

It goes with out saying who won!

Thursday was Father’s day at Adam’s School

See why my husband does not want them to study English here. Anyway, it was interesting because at first I didn’t realise that Father’s day was on the weekend. I asked one of the teachers if mother’s were allowed to come too.

* I have not had the best experience with having my man around Saudi women. As much as I hate to say this, but some of the working and educated Saudi women can be very aggressive and forward. Once we had to go to the clinic to have blood drawn. The kids and I were in a separate area and the lab techs heard us talking in English and asked where were we from. When I said America, one of the women asked me if she could have my husband’s phone number because she wanted him to teach her English. As happy as I was that she did not ask me to teach her, I couldn’t understand why she would want him and not me or at least a female referral from me. I told her that he would not be interested and she smirked at me and asked, “are you sure he wouldn’t want to or are you just JEALOUS!” I couldn’t believe her nerves. Anyway, she asked if she could ask him herself, because she didn’t believe me. I told her I didn’t care. She followed me out and walked up to my husband and asked for his phone number and said that she had something that she wanted to discuss with him. HE GAVE IT TO HER and then was like ” what what I do?” I told him what had happened earlier and he said that he had no idea that he thought that I set it up since we were together and even defended her saying that maybe she didn’t think that I was a native English speaker. A few minutes later she called and he told me to answer the phone but I refused. Really, I’m not the jealous type but I know my tongue and even though I tolerate a lot of crap from people – I have a breaking point and may have snapped on her. So he told her he wouldn’t and had me give a referral for someone who could help her with her English.

The teacher seemed shocked that I would even consider that they would be there with the fathers. I guess the school board knew that having a school full of father’s whose wives are at home with the rest of the kids and some heavyly perfumed and eyelined school teachers intermingling would be a diaster waiting to happen. However, the solution was rather stupid. They opened the school on the weekend and board members did an introduction (I’m assuming because my husband was late getting there) and then left it up for the kid to show the father their class. My son is three years old and my husband had to call me to ask which class was he in.

Later that afternoon two friends came to visit me. One a single Saudi woman. She is my only non-traditional Saudi friend. The other friend who came to visit, I just recently met. My adopted Saudi family had us over for a welcome home dinner for those who went on hajj and she was in the hajj group that our adopted family organized.

She is such a sweetheart. She’s a Doctor and Proffessor at one of the girl’s colleges. She makes Umrah once a month and brought me back that lovely prayer rug (may Allah reward her every time it is used) and some ZamZam water.

Later that evening her family came with our family to the First Anual Book Fair for The New Saudi Reading Association, held at the Science and Technology Center.

Today, we chilled all morning because it’s Jumuah. I’m dealing with a baby who wants to test his Mama

It’s an open act of defiance I tell you! Really, each book he pulled out, he did it one at a time and threw it to the floor and would look up at me. Then he would repeat it, each time looking to see what – if anything –  I would do. Well, I pulled out my cell phone with camera and took a picture. He had the audacity to start crying. That’s how I know he knew he was doing something wrong, because why else would he start crying? He thought it was a punishment or something.

Other than that. I did my weekly grocery shopping and bought the girls a couple pairs of Cowgirl books that were on sale at City Max for 20SR! I got the boys some clothes that were on sale at REDTAG. These 70% off sales are the bomb!

That’s all folks.