BFFs

New Curtains

This month we have lived in our flat five years. I have not changed the curtains, bought new sheets, or bought new towels in that time. I arrived back a few months ago, and it was clearly time! 

On our back veranda we have bright yellow curtains that make me feel happy when the morning light shines through them. Here is our crisp, new curtain (of the same material as the old) next to our weather worn, ugh, slightly faded, little bit dirty curtain.

You don't realize how bad it's gotten until you put the original standard next to it. 

Just like we don't realize how sinful we are until we are put next to the standard of Jesus.

A strange letter

I recently saw this note written on the table in our living room. I thought, "What on Earth was going on?" With some concern I asked Ellie why she'd written that note. She calmly informed me that they had been playing baby Moses and she had to write pharaoh a letter so he wouldn't kill Moses. Makes sense.

St. Nicholas day. (Dec 6)

Happy St. Nicholas day 2014!

This year the mrs. Half of our family's st. Nicholas did some planning ahead of time so I think our gifts were a bit better this year. :) st. Nick seemed to focus on oral hygiene, clothing, and learning activities. :) and thoughtful St. Nick even got us new containers for the kitchen!

Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving is bittersweet here... And by Thanksgiving I don't mean the act of being grateful, but the holiday. It's bitter to miss family back in our passport and birth countries...and when we first moved here we missed certain foods...I guess I could still go for a good Watergate salad.... But it's also very sweet to have ones we love here that are like family who we have formed new traditions with. 

This year my contribution to our feast was a roast chicken, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs and apple dumplings. I took a picture of my eggs, not because I thought they were beautiful, but because I wanted to show my brother who loves them, and my aunt who usually makes them. :)

Puzzles

What do you do when you are a three year old boy and mommy can focus on just you for a little bit? Puzzles! .... And then we made chocolate cookies... And played on the roof... :) 

Allergic reaction

It's no fun to have your daughter wake you up in the middle of the night having an allergic reaction. I'm thankful it wasn't worse and that we had a friend/ doctor in town to help!

Carrying a Baby

Ellie learned well from her koko'okini (grandma) how to carry babies!

Mostly Sleeping Kids

 

More pictures from my friend's camera. She will admit that she finds babies irresistible.... I think she likes sleeping kids the best! :)

And we're off..... 2014-15 School Year

It's so fun to get to do school with friends. Having lots of levels going at once is complicated, but manageable.

First day of school, and someone decides not to smile for the camera.

Someone else will, though.

Our morning board.

Getting our school boxes all personalized. I used to be able to manage all the supplies, but now with four kiddos each having their own set of workbooks, we needed school boxes!

Thanks to the awesome lady who took these photos. :) It's a gift to have you and your camera in my life. :)

Henna

Often on the roof we spend time with my landlord's daughter who is looking after their house while they are away. One day she put henna on my kids' hands.

I didn't get Abe's results because shortly after this it was time to go in and I still had to take the laundry down and make dinner for the guests that were coming in 15 minutes! :) He chose an A (for Abraham) on one hand and an F ("for daddy") on the other hand! :)

On the Roof

Almost every afternoon before the second to last call to prayer, we go up on the roof to play and spend time with our neighbors. Here's a few photos from the last few weeks.

The kids love to play with their sister and she loves to motor around in her walker.

We have a staircase now, because our roof has two tiers... the kids have figured out how to use it as a slide.

Ellie loves to take pictures with my phone.

Here's a selfie she took.

And here's one she took of me after she did my hair and put her hat on me. I'll spare you the other 20 photos she took of the process she went through to do my hair! :)

RUET

We've been here about a month now. So far once a week we have taken a walk to the closest University where there is space to run and ride bikes without getting run over by a rickshaw!

The kids get a chance to stretch their legs and run a little ways...

and run a long way...

I think Ana enjoys getting out and seeing the different sites, too.

Of course, if we take the bikes, we have to navigate the roads on the way to and from the University. I am hoping that this will become easier for the kiddos the more we do it.

It was a very funny experience to go to RUET for the first time when we got back. When we left, Ellie would walk and Abe was in the stroller! Now i have a new baby in the stroller and Abe and Ellie ride bikes! What a difference a year makes!

Creative Uses of Space

We have a small apartment. Even though we have outgrown it, we want to stay here because we love our landlords and neighbors. So, we are trying to use our space wisely. Today Franklin figured out a way to hang the kids' bikes so we won't trip over them every time we go take a shower.

The kids saw Daddy's design and thought it was so good, they tried it with their scooters. Unfortunately, it's on the door to the back veranda, so it's not quite so out of the way. But they are trying!

Contextualized Barbie

We don't have to be embarrassed about Barbie's clothes anymore. :)

Different Reactions

Abraham and Ellie had different reactions to Fiddler on the Roof.

A bit of Ana

Playing with toys... some passed down and some new.

Sleeping on a blanket made of my old ornas....

Sleeping in the hammock.

 

Spending time with her sister (her biggest fan...)

 

Sitting in her high chair spending time with us while we eat.

 



Toy boxes

We are visiting my dad now during our last week in America. He still has the toy boxes he got Matthew and me when we were kids. I think Ellie and Abe take way more advantage of them than Matt or I ever did.

What's in the microwave?

It's a good thing Abe doesn't know how to turn on the microwave.

Rest Time Reading

Abraham is at that awkward napping stage where he still needs a nap but kind of doesn't, so like his sister he starts rest time with books. Who knew that a two year old would be so into Anne of Green Gables? :)

Ellie is serious about her book choices for rest time and looks at books the full 60 minutes until her timer goes off.

Loving kiddos

Abe's first words most mornings: can I hold Ana?

Abe's first words after a nap: can I hold Ana?

Franklin jokes that since Abe was a "mommy's boy" before Ana was born, we thought he might deal with jealousy when Ana arrived. Instead Abraham thinks that he and I share the responsibility of taking care of her. :)

Ellie loves to help out, too. This is her bouncing Ana to help her stop crying. Ana loves to be held by Ellie, and Ellie has learned to be gentle enough that Ana will stay on her lap for quite a while.

It's fun to be a family.

Two Months

Two months old and we love her smiles and her efforts at "talking". She is so alert and loves her brother and sister. We are starting to figure out her rhythms. What a wonderful girl!