These boxes were made for posing...

...and that's just what Anastasia did upon coming home to boxes in every room;
Talula couldn't believe the closets were empty and made use of those.

2013 Dance Recital: Wonderful World of Disney

Anastasia's tap-ballet-jazz class performed "I wanna be like you" from the Jungle Book in some pretty cute outfits.  Her performance was 18th of 22, but the Disney theme kept the girls' attention a bit better than last years' "In the Garden" show.  Talula is taking Baby Ballet but her class was considered too young to perform; Talula definitely disagreed.  She seemed eager to get up on stage and loudly said "good bye" to every group as they finished their performance.

Talula and Randy reading the program

Anastasia stood to see us while all the dancers waited for their awards 

showing us her award at the end

Leaving Abu Dhabi and Noy

We have been discarding unnecessary items since signing the employment contracts for Lahore American School in Pakistan.  Movers will come to pack up our remaining belongings next Sunday, 16 June and then we live out of our summer suitcases until we fly out on Thursday night the same week (after which we live out of them more legitimately for the 6 weeks we're home visiting family in the USA).  We have tried to prepare the girls for the move by talking about Paxitan (as Anastasia calls our next home), promising a bike and kitty cat shortly after arrival and sharing the shocking information that even Talula will get to go to school there.  

We have today off for Israa and Miaraj Night (an Islamic holiday) and I decided to spend it by focusing on Noy, our nanny of three years.  We started by photographing Anastasia, Talula and Noy frolicking at the Khalidiya Park and then after a quick and necessary bath for the girls, Noy videotaped herself reading 3 new books on Zoodles with one of the girls on her lap for each.  I'm very happy to know we have good photos and a couple of videos that the girls will be able to look at when they miss Noy. We may all need those photos and books :(
 link to album to view photos

Favorite photo of the morning