First Post from Kisumu

We are here! We are here!

My brain is still muddled due to jet lag and the business of getting settled, but I wanted to start the habit of posting updates. We are sharing the lap top until Deron's computer arrives and Micah needs to clean up, so this will be short.

Kisumu is wonderful. We are still very much in the settling in process, but part of the wonderful is the great sense of community here. People have brought us meals and our neighbors even took Deron shopping and helped guide him through the products here (I stayed at home with the boys since Tiras was being a little clingy yesterday). There was a welcome dinner last night where we got to meet some more of Deron's colleagues here and it has just generally been a wonderfully pleasant start to life in our new home.

And speaking of products, my "washing powder" has cleaning guidelines that read, "Sort your wasing into piles of A) not too grubby and B) rather grubby." Now I ask you, how can I possibly not be so very charmed by the use of the word "grubby" and just generally by my "washing powder" box that every time I do laundry I get a happy smile on my face. I cannot. It's a small detail, but it is one of the fun things of being in a new place.

Hmmm, Micah is taking out his Curious George activity book. Clearly he knows that my "short" update will start to ramble on about things like cute wording on laundry detergent, so he has time to play. :-)

Just a few snapshot moments:
*Last night I saw a gecko on my wall--a very welcome guest since they eat mosquitoes and are very cute and charming in their own right
*One of our neighbors is celebrating a birthday so there was a party for her in our compound courtyard. I get the feeling there are many such gatherings and it is quite wonderful.
*During this gathering, Tiras looked positively delighted when he got to pet one of our neighbor's dogs.
*During this same gathering, Micah started kicking a ball around with an older boy, who very sweetly encouraged Micah to play. They were actually doing some soccer and Micah went on to tear up and down the lawn with the soccer ball and a look of pure bliss that I want to burn on my brain forever
*Our washer and dryer are located on an enclosed patio, so when I am not smiling over my charming detergent box and the word "grubby", I am smiling over the hibiscus and cool breeze surrounding me
*Tiras is thinking more and more about taking steps and when he is cruising will often let go and try out a step or two.

Tomorrow I will make my first ever foray to the famous Nakumatt to go shopping. (Famous in the sense that every CDCer who has ever been out to Kisumu for work mentions that that is the place we will be doing our shopping and Deron had told me about it from his time here back in 2005.) Looking forward to seeing it for myself and getting our household up and running.

The plan is to post pictures here, but for now we have been too busy getting settled to take any.

Off to take my rather grubby son upstairs for a shower. (See how I am expanding my vocabulary already?)

Much love to you all--thanks for your emails and FB posts. It definitely helps lessen the distance!