It didn't get done.

Showing off his bottom teeth
missing!

Best part of the gap between the two bottom teeth!

Mommy enjoying lemon mint ice!

               .         

 It was a LONG week.. I started off the week exhausted and it didn't seem to get better even with extra rest. It was teacher appreciation week, the last full week of school (Ramadan begins next week severely limiting our teaching schedule) and all grades were having their end of year party Thursday afternoon before Ramadan begins next week. In addition to the exhaustion that comes with a week of anticipation, the weather made a shift to really hot (104f/40c) and then a dust storm graced us at the end of the week making indoor recess the new normal. In addition, I needed to get all of my end-of-year assessments completed in order to write reports this weekend. That didn't happen.  With our less-than-normal schedule and the teachers also knowing this was their last full week with their kids, assessments were started, but not finished. I guess they'll wait for Sunday.

Adam and I have been planning for months to get a painting to take with us to Poland. We've made a habit of collecting paintings when we travel to new places and we've yet to get one here. Our goal is always to get a painting by a local artist of something unique to the place. We'd intended to go to the Souk (old market) to search for a painting as the place we have seen them no longer had any last week. I was way too tired.. way. too. tired. to go to the Souk, but decided at the last minute to go anyway, grab the painting, gifts for family/friends, dinner and then come home to relax while Adam went to the final graduation at his school. Adam decided to stay home with Phoebe as she was in no mood to shop (the week's business got to her too). Marek decided to come along and make a date of our time together.

Marek and I set off as soon as we got home from school. Traffic is always a headache getting there, but we made decent time. Marek insisted we go straight to his favorite restaurant for some juice before shopping.  He had his favorite mango juice and I had a lemon-mint ice, one of the local things I will miss when we leave. We ordered food while we waited, Marek's favorite - shish tawook (chicken) with french fries and my favorite - fattoush and hummus with Arabic bread. I threw in an order of kebbeh just because. It's likely the last time we'll be at the Souk, so we were excited to grab one of our favorite meals.

Dinner!

Then, we started shopping for the painting and gifts. Well.. below is what we came home with. No painting, no gifts, just dinner and a couple treasure for Marek and Phoebe to ship to Poland. Sometimes that's just how it is. At this point, I hate "wasting" time, but tonight, a date with my little man was just what he needed and while I didn't check anything off my "before we leave" list, just what I needed as well. 

Mare picked this out for Phoebe. 

Marek's been wanting a magic box.