It hasn't been difficult to find holiday cheer this Christmas season. Though a Muslim-majority country, Jordan is embracing Christmas traditions. There is no shortage of Christmas festivities, holiday lights and markets, and skinny Arab men in red Santa suits, held up with designer white leather belts, and fluffy, cotton ball beards pulled over wiry, rough black Arab beards.
The Sunday after Elise returned from India, she had to report for parenting duty at 8:00 a.m. sharp for Clementine's holiday performance at school. They were to perform a song and dance Clementine abhorred. As you can see in the clip below, she never took her eyes off of the camera and never was shy about rolling them for dramatic effect!
After the performance, they returned to the classroom for some holiday goodies and a craft (they're bid on crafts in first grade!).
Finally, after the snowball pit, was wine!
Elise and I had been wanting to check out the J.R. Experience at the Boulevard for some time. We had never really intended on doing the wine tasting with the kids, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Anna Lyn has taken three weeks off to be with her own family in the Philippines, forcing Elise and I to bring our three small companions with us on our date night-like outings.
Clementine, as she does with most everything, hurtled herself enthusiastically into the process. Not tasting the wines, but eagerly participating in filling out our score cards. While Peter and Sam were initially grumpy and reluctant, we were able to chalk that up to hunger and once we got some pizza, bread, cheese, and warm spinach dip into them, their moods improved quickly.
The Sunday after Elise returned from India, she had to report for parenting duty at 8:00 a.m. sharp for Clementine's holiday performance at school. They were to perform a song and dance Clementine abhorred. As you can see in the clip below, she never took her eyes off of the camera and never was shy about rolling them for dramatic effect!
After the performance, they returned to the classroom for some holiday goodies and a craft (they're bid on crafts in first grade!).
School was soon out for winter break, and Elise fully rested from her week exploring Chennai (yeah, right!) was thrust into the role of having to entertain three high-energy kids from sun-up to sundown. First up, making of Christmas cookies.
Not exactly sure why Peter doesn't have his shirt on in this shot...
Or why Clementine is handling her rolling pin like a bludgeon in this shot...
According to Elise, things weren't under as much control as they seemed...
Our first big holiday outing took us to the Boulevard at Abdali Mall, a brand-new, mixed-use center in the heart of Amman. It is sleek, ultra modern, and really unlike anything or anyplace else in Amman. Not entirely sure that is a good thing, but it was to be the epicenter of holiday cheer in Amman with strings of holiday lights, a life-size Transformer robot, a sledding hill, and snowball pit.
First stop was the sledding hill. Though only Peter could muster up enough courage to take on the run.
After the sledding hill, was the snowball pit.
Finally, after the snowball pit, was wine!
Elise and I had been wanting to check out the J.R. Experience at the Boulevard for some time. We had never really intended on doing the wine tasting with the kids, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Anna Lyn has taken three weeks off to be with her own family in the Philippines, forcing Elise and I to bring our three small companions with us on our date night-like outings.
Clementine, as she does with most everything, hurtled herself enthusiastically into the process. Not tasting the wines, but eagerly participating in filling out our score cards. While Peter and Sam were initially grumpy and reluctant, we were able to chalk that up to hunger and once we got some pizza, bread, cheese, and warm spinach dip into them, their moods improved quickly.
1 comment:
Love all of this❤️❤️❤️❤️
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