Seen in Abu Dhabi 24: Camels in the Western Region

Ben had a chance to visit one of his student's camel training sessions for races. The visit included a nice tea break in the tent and some good memories from the Western Region.

Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins

With the new mall in Ruwais, an option I finally have again is sweet potatoes! One of our favorite ways to use them besides regular mashed or baked potatoes is to make sweet potato streusel muffins.

Seen in Abu Dhabi: 23

Kithul treacle:

"Kitul treacle is made from sap extracted from the inflorescence of the kitul palm, Caryota urens, which grows in Sri Lanka. The treacle is made from pure sap boiled down to a sweet, dark brown syrup, thick and sweet in flavour, with a taste resembling dates with a slight hint of caramel. It is traditionally eaten with curd, a traditional Sri Lankan buffalo yogurt. When the sap is cooked, it also produces a crude sugar called jaggery."

Kids Unscripted: Chapter 23

Elias: (dropping toys in the bucket and mostly missing and making a mess) "Mama, mess!"
Me: "Did you make a mess?"
Elias: *nods*
Me: "Go pick it up..."
Elias: "Mommy's turn!"
Me: "I don't think so!"
---
Talia: "The thing about this paper airplane is that I know it doesn't have any feelings, but it sure is acting tired."
---
Talia: "If I draw 'x's side by side and make them hold hands at the top and the bottom they make beautiful diamond shapes!"
---
 Talia: (with a measuring tape) "Is this a cillimeter?"
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Talia: "I'm going to make frog dressing, like flies grinded up: the kind of dressing frogs eat... so that when I get a pet frog he can eat it! I bet frogs would like fly pies, too."
---
Talia: "Understanding means just not dis-understanding..."
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Talia: "How do you know if it's a fig tree or a maple tree, because both have 5 points on their leaves?"
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Talia: "Mommy, do you want me to tell you a kindful story?"
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Me: "Elias, what did you do with the blueberries?"
Elias: "Round and round!" [blender]
Me: "What are you going to make with them?"
Elias: "Pockles!" [popsicles]
---
Talia: "If, when I grow up someone asks me to be queen, I will be a queen of discipline instead of violence."
---
Ben: (to me) "Mama, don't tell Talia, but I love her a LOT!"
Talia: "Why would you tell Mama not to tell me?! That's a lovely thing to say!"
---
Elias: "Lias, monkey!"
Me: "Elias is a monkey?"
Elias: "Yeah! Mommy, bear!"
Me: "Mommy is a bear? What's Talia?"
Elias: "Cracker!"
Me: "What's Papi?"
Elias: "Banana!"
---
Me: (to Talia) "Thank you for eating your supper even though you didn't like it."
Talia: "Yeah... I think the only way to fix that one is to just not make it."
---
Me: "Elias, did you poot?"
Elias: (shaking his head no) "Cat poot!"
(We don't have a cat...)