Basketball, Science Fair, St. Patrick's Day and Anniversary

It had been one crazy interesting week.

Seth was supposed to leave for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates very early Wednesday morning with his Girls' Varsity Basketball team for the ISAC tournament.  However, just hours before they were supposed to leave they received notification that they did not have visas. Unfortunately, he new visa process was quite difficult for Egyptians.  Our Athletic Director and travel company as well and many other people quickly submitted the new information for the visa applications and tried very hard to push the process through quickly.  Long story short, it was several very LONG days of waiting hour by hour for new updates.  Seth's luggage sat around the house and Sokkwi, who doesn't like the site of luggage and always sleeps on/in it in hopes of keeping us home or wanting to be taken with us, didn't leave the suitcase for three days.

They pushed back their plane tickets several times in hopes of just a few more hours they would receive their visas.  After three days of this and having already missed and forfeited several of their games at the tournament, they finally decided to call off the trip.  This was very unfortunate and the team did not take the disappointment very well at all.  I however, am a little selfish and glad they didn't travel so that I have my husband around for St. Patrick's Day and more importantly our 2nd Anniversary, which is today.  Although, now I don't get the great guilty gift from Abu Dhabi.

This week was also the 4th-6th grade science fair.  It was the second year they have done this and I was impressed with how much the projects improved from last year, showing that the kids really learned what a good experiment looks like.  You can sure tell which kids have help and which don't.

Our high school principal and his wife have had the tradition for over 30 years of throwing a huge St. Patrick's Day party.  They have been international teachers for quite a long time in many different countries.  Their St. Patrick's Day party is so well known that every time I've gone to another school I've meet another coach that has worked with them at some point and asks about the party with fond memories.  Frank makes his own corned beef, clearing out his refrigerator for 21 days ahead of time to brine the meat himself.  And you can be sure there was green beer aplenty.  We were all looking forward to this so much that some teachers were e-mailing each other every hour that day with e-mails that just said," T minus 4 hours till green beer!" then "T minus 3 hours till green beer!" etc.

Frank has worn this same sweater on St. Patrick's Day for over 30 years. 

It has now become tradition to take a picture of Malcolm with his green beer.

Seth and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary today.  It was a wonderful day especially since we weren't even supposed to be in the same country today.  We were very happy to be able to spend the day together.