Arabian Wildlife Centre and Outlet Mall

Grandma's first weekend of a holiday fortnight so we take her to the Arabian Wildlife Centre

The girls in the Petting Zoo

Lotte looking contemplative after feeding the goats

Much more exciting looking at the cheetahs




Rosanna insists on a trip to the Outlet Mall and heads to the fair while Lotte gets new school shoes

Wheee...I'm Cinderella!

Time to go before I turn into a pumpkin

When we get home it seems we have some new wildlife of our own - and christen her 'Rosie' (Rosanna's idea funnily enough)

Grandma settles down to what will become a nightly routine, cracking The Times sudoku

Easter Weekend (and Daddy's birthday)

Easter Sunday 2009 fell on the same day as Daddy's 40th (can you believe he is that old?!?). Rather than lie by the pool in Dubai, he suggested we try something different, like lie by the pool in Fujairah, the most eastern Emirate of the UAE, on the beautiful Indian Ocean.

Eggy Soldiers to start the day

On a white-hot morning, Daddy loads up the 4x4 and the Rolfes head out east

We arrived in Miramar Al Aqaa at the coast, where the sea meets the Musandam mountains

No time was wasted getting changed and into the pool

Everything to do here, swimming, snorkelling, diving, ping pong, boules (daddy's favourite), fitness centre, massages, beach volleyball. We're not going to have enough time!

Lotte taught me a few new tricks

She couldn't match my rocket slides though

Important to wrap up warm when out of the water

Night fell and the place got even prettier

Cartoons before bed

The Cherie Blair impersonation gets better every week

The hotel delivered a delicious chocolate cake

Can we come back again soon please Daddy??

A quiet(ish) day during the Easter Holidays

Can you believe Mummy hadn't organised anything for us one morning during the holidays??

Lotte starts dusting, or is that caning Rosanna?

Safer outside, Rosanna decides to clean the windows

Then we played 'feed the baby'

until Rosanna got really messy









Yoshua's party to the rescue after lunch!






High-brow stuff this, whatever happened to Pass the Parcel etc...







Mind you, it turned out to be the most tranquil 4th Birthday Party in memory...







Rosanna's masterpiece - "Our Fragile Planet"

Charity Polo Match & Picnic at Arabian Ranches

A sunnier day finally so we get a picnic together and head off to a Charity Polo Match at the local club

The men go hunting and gathering in Le Marche

A spectacular drive up to the clubhouse

Tucking into a tasty Japanese/Indian/Lebanese spread

Caught having a second chocolate pudding!

Maybe should have just had the one

Relaxing with our new sun hats





Pretty girl (apart from the food around the mouth!)

Nearly eaten everything

Oh, and there was a polo match going on too

Nicholas gets his first taste of divot-stomping during half-time

The Rolfes do their bit too, carefully avoiding the 'presents' the polo horses left behind

A Damp Trip to Burj Dubai & Dubai Mall

The weather last night was spectacular, and woke us all up. Daddy says he is glad he didn't buy that penthouse afterall

Still warm but not a pool day by any stretch so Daddy shows our guests the tallest building and the biggest mall (which are conveniently right next to eachother)

Too big for the camera lens

Almost squeezed it in




Oh to be the biggest...

The evening is spent Arab style down at the Ritz-Carlton

Maybe too much Lebanese wine...hic!

A lazy day at the pool with Nicholas

Just imagine you are an enormous plastic centipede Nicholas

and you swim by paddling with your many feet

rattles may also be used as buoyancy aides

Nearly ready for your first dive in

and this is the diving action...

Just jump in the deep end like me!

In at last, but wary of the goggly-eyed 7 year old