In my 20s, I had no clue it was possible to finish the weekend so tired! I might have thought I did – what with all those lie-ins, long lunches and pub trips. On Sunday night, as I flopped onto my cream sofa in my single-girl London flat with a take-away and a pile of magazines, I thought I was exhausted.
I was wrong. Oh, how little I knew then!
Fast forward a decade, and my weekends look nothing like they used to.
The little people in my life call the shots. But my tiredness tonight – a happy tiredness I’m glad to say – could also have something to do with the fact that we spent much of the weekend swimming.
I’m also grateful that we’ve moved on from our early days in Dubai, when BB was terrified of water and would rather roast round the edge
A pirate ship bouncy castle had been installed by the pool, with a slide into the water, and inflatables such as a Wild Rocker (which lived up to its name), 4-seater dinghy and kind-looking killer whale were provided to keep the kids amused. Amused is an under-statement. The kids went crazy.
Imagine a water-based episode of the comedy game show ‘It’s a Knockout’ for under 6s and you’ll be thinking along the right lines – the pool wafted by lush palm trees and the mums wearing an array of flatteringly cut swimwear and slipping into pretty, linen dresses in all the colours of the rainbow as the sun went down.
So, whilst I might only have enough energy left tonight to wash the chlorine from my hair, and my fingers started resembling raisins this weekend, I’m feeling pretty lucky that we have such great pools here in Dubai – along with the sunshine to use them (until it gets too hot and they actually have to chill the water!).
Once LB learns to swim too, I’ll be hopping onto a sun lounger and taking the plunge only to frequent one of Dubai’s swim-up bars!
It that the view from your house? Is that your back garden? Don’t tell me if it’s not. I’m going to refer to you as my posh friend in Dubai from now on 🙂
Hahaha! Your comment really made me laugh.. 🙂 I’ll try to be your posh friend in Dubai..will try to not let you down, but I fear I don’t tick all the boxes! Now, I must go for a swim in the garden (or nearby at a posher place) – see, I’m not telling!!
Oh I am longing for sunshine and a pool party after reading your post. Officially jealous.
You won’t be jealous by July, I promise!
That sounds like great fun. There are some compensations for living in a super-hot country!
There are! Tho we just had BB’s swimming gala at school, at 9.45am – an hour later, all the parents were sitting round the edge sweating and the kids were rushed indoors as soon as they’d finished to get them out of the sunshine! The AC is now officially on until November!