Dancing Elephants

Talia drew these elephants wearing high heels (she didn't get that idea from me) and dancing in the water.

"They are scaring the crocodile away" she said, "but the duck can stay to play and splash around."

Seen in Abu Dhabi 7

Have you ever seen pomegranate molasses?

International experiences at the park in Abu Dhabi: Who Needs the Same Language to Play?

Abu Dhabi is an awesome place for a blending of an estimated 200 cultures and languages. This is always evident to me at the parks and playgrounds.

I recently saw this in action: A little girl about Talia's age was jabbering away in a language I couldn't figure out. My best guess would be Russian... She didn't speak any English and Talia didn't understand a word she said either- But they were still communicating! It was fun to watch them communicate in 'kid language' jumping up and down and laughing at each other and pointing at stuff and running and chasing without knowing the same words! When we had to leave Talia waved and said "bye" and the girl waved and responded.

Who needs to speak the same language to play and have fun!? Apparently, not children.

Kids Unscripted; Chapter 14

Talia: (to Ben with her play food set) "Would you like a big tonk of icecream on a cone?"
Ben: "What's a 'tonk?'"
Talia: "A big 'ole scoop!"
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Talia: "Why don't they make high-toed shoes instead of just high heeled shoes?
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Me: (to Ben as we are driving back from Dubai) "I wonder if Elias is hungry..."
Elias: "BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE!" 
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 Talia: "I'm an 'iguala!"
Me: "What's an 'iguala'?'"
Talia: "It's like an iguana and a koala at the same time!"
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Ben: (to Talia) "I wonder what you'll look like when you're 25..."
Talia: "I guess you'll just have to wait and find out because I don't know either."
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Me: (to Talia) "Do you want some spicy pasta?"
Talia: "No, because it might make me catch on fire!"
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 Me: (to Elias) "Do you want to sit up here?"
Elias: "DOWN!"
Me: (later) "Do you want to go up stairs?"
Elias: "DOWN!"
Me: "What's the opposite of 'up,' Elias?"
Elias: "DOWN!"
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 Talia: "I want to use all of the colors of the alphabet!"
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Talia: "When I was little, I had surgery and the doctor took out the bad chimney so it wouldn't mess up the good one."
Ben: "Chimney!? Do you mean 'kidney'?"
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Talia: "I'm going to draw this with 'pork dots.'"
Me: "What are 'pork dots'?"
Talia: "Like polka dots, but with little pigs everywhere!"
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 Me: "What are you drawing, Talia?"
Talia: "Something fuzzy-armed and toady-eyed!"
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Ben: "Talia, are you made out of questions?"
Talia: "No, I'm made out of a little piece of my Mommy, a little piece of my Papi and dirt."
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Talia: "Why doesn't a toad have a neck?"
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Talia: "Mommy, do we have some sort of telescope bone, like behind our eyes or something?"
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 Talia: "This lotion smells yummy! But I guess I won't eat it since it's not a food like mashed potatoes or something..."
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 Talia: "Do a lot of people have straight hair?"
Me: "Yes."
Talia: "Do a lot of people have curly hair?"
Me: "Yes."
Talia: "Well, I guess that just means there are a lot of people..."
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Me: "Talia, how much soup do you want?"
Talia: "Enough so that I don't have too much..."

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon 2013

The beach has been blocked off for a couple of weeks now in preparation for something big... but I wasn't sure what. Today, we found out, it was for the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon.

Aileen took this photo of the cultural dance at the finish line of the triathlon, making it a unique Abu Dhabi experience.