25-08-17 Second Last Day

Friday 25th August 2017

Second last day in Dubai before Kingsley and I set forth for Athens to see out the northern summer and swim till Greece’s warm end of Autumn. Kingsley will enjoy ten days of play in Saronida before preschool starts at Miss Sophia’s school. He doesn’t know it, however today and tomorrow will be the last times he watches anything on the iPad let alone telly. Poor love. But its for his own good (can’t believe I am one of those mummas to actually says that).

This late afternoon the lads spend quality time together – at Satwa swings and strolling through town. Kingsley insists on riding his scooter; he won’t have his daddy pushing him around in the pram any longer. So off they go with a bottle of water and some dirham for an orange Callippo later on. Erroll calls from the park – Kingsley is rolling in the sand and sweating hard from his crazed running around. There are a couple of local kids at the park but they are rough and (according to Erroll) leading Kingsley astray. Now I hear over the phone Kingsley calling for his daddy from on top of the climbing tower. Ciao, Erroll; see you back home.

The child will be getting in the bath tonight and I know that will cause tears. By 8 pm Kingsley runs through the door, his father lagging behind holding shoes, socks, and scooter. Both are dripping wet from sweat. And through his defiance, protests, negotiations and sheer bloody mindedness, Kingsley is forced into the bath. And guess what? He loves it!