Catching Up!!!

Note: Edited to add that on November 21, I finally added some photos. Above are some scenes from Micah's first day of school. That's him "looking smart" in his uniform. I have come to find out that for the Kenyan sensibility, this uniform is rather casual and come next September, the kiddos will be sporting uniforms with a much more traditional British look.

Greetings All!!!

Well, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men...I HAD planned to post pictures from our Mara trip and then go back and add pictures to other previous updates. And I HAD thought that would be really doable and a really good record for us to have. BUT, between erratic internet connections and massive volume of work for Deron (who is my photo connection), the photos have not happened.

And, there has also been a dearth of any kind of posting whatsoever because, just for added fun and excitement, a lightning strike fried our router leaving us with only one computer with internet access. I am usually too busy with the boys (and recently leaks and water pressure and pump issues necessitating repair crew visits have been added to the mix) to get online during the day. And, due to the aforementioned massive volume of work for Deron, come night when kidlets are down, top priority goes to Deron tackling work stuff. Which means not much time for me to blog lately and I have missed it!

I miss posting because it really does feel like a connection to those who are so far away. So now, as Tiras naps, I am going to do a massive bullet catch-up post:

• Micah had a very good first day and has continued to have good days at his new school.



• The school is British and there are two "houses", called Tilapia and Perch. The whole house thing is just like Harry Potter--well, short of the sorting hat and the cool train and candies and photos that move and all that, but I was all kinds of grins when the two houses were introduced at the first assembly and only just barely managed to avoid blurting out loudly, "Like Harry Potter--how cool is that?!!!".



• One of their school rules states "Do look smart in your school uniform" and if I thought "grubby" was charming on the laundry detergent box, you can bet I thought that particular rule was delightful!



• The teachers, all being Kenyan, speak British English. Micah came home singing a new song for me and, while he still speaks conversationally with an American accent, he was happily singing the chorus just as it had been taught to him, "Peetah, Pattah, Raaaaindrawps". I am not sure if he even knows he is singing "Pitter Patter". It's pretty cute.



• Tiras is a fearless and physical little kiddo and keeping him in one piece is still a big part of my day. He is also a very jolly kiddo and has made a new friend who is only a few months older than he. She has siblings at school with Micah and Tiras and I have enjoyed having playdates with her and with her mom. Nice for Tiras to have a buddy his age and very nice for me to have another at home mom friend around during the days!



• Tiras is adding more and more words to his vocabulary and DEFINITELY comprehends a whole lot more of what we are saying than it seemed he used to grasp before. While "no" and "uh un" reign supreme as favorite words in his little lexicon, "shoe" is very imporant to him as well. (Perhaps because it usually means getting to go outside and run around? Or maybe he just has a little Carrie Bradshaw in him because sometimes he is happy just to sit on the sofa and have me place shoes on his feet. He seriously BEAMS over having his shoes put on!)



• He has recently added "gook" (book) and "gulk" (milk) to his vocabulary. I am happy to report that he is still saying "thike you" (thank you) as well. And every now and then, on rare occasion, we might once again hear "yes", one of his first words but one that was so utterly eclipsed by the joy of saying "no" that it is hard to believe he ever once answered yes to anything resembling a question, even when not addressed to him.



• We went away this past weekend with several other families and drove through the hills and passed fields of sugar cane. Once at our destination, Kwiesos House, there were many beautiful views to drink in and there was fun to be had such as horseback riding and swimming by a waterfall. I love all the chances Micah has to be adventurous here. It just seems like a great place to be a kid and it's exciting and wonderful to watch his delight as he fords a little stream, or navigates a steep hill on his own. One of my favorite memories was watching Micah running across the grounds with the other kids kicking a soccer ball. Their ages ranged from two and a half to almost eight and they were having so much fun together. Smiling faces and the full and sincere laughs of kiddos at play are among the most wonderful things to behold and to hear, I think. It was simple and outdoor fun and I love that Micah has so much of that here.



• Here is a link to the brochure for this wonderful retreat!http://www.homalime.com/Kwiesos_House_Brochure.pdf



• In other news, Deron rang in a new decade this month. I rang in my 40th with a six week old baby last year and this year Deron rang in his 40th on a new continent. Pretty wonderful ways to kick off our 40s! We are thankful indeed!



• Speaking of aging and time and such, I just saw in the comments that my friend since kindergarten, Julie, has a daughter who attended a middle school dance!!! Julie and I were attending OUR first middle school (although back then it was called "junior high" and grades 7 and 8) dance seconds ago, weren't we?! And though I suppose I realize that that was indeed ages ago, at the same time, it is so close in memory. Blows me away sometimes as our kids hit these milestones!!!



• After the Mara, we had occasion to stop in Nairobi and stayed at Tribe again and it is just so gorgeous there! AND, we went to the shopping center next store and visited Dorman's Coffee. I had a Masala Mocha and I am STILL dreaming of another cup and just looking for an excuse to trek to Nairobi again!!! The ginger with the chocolate and mocha is sooooo yummy!!! I am thinking of emailing Pe.et's Coffee to suggest they add it to their line-up because it seems like something they would appreciate and handle really well!



• As for the Mara, I don't think I can do the experience justice with just words. If you are Face.book friends with either Deron or me, Deron posted an album with lots of great captions and you can access that album on either one of our profile pages. You can also email me for a link to the album if you don't have a FB account and want to check them out.



• Sorry for the lack of edit that is going to this post. If it reads like a breathless burst of chatter, well, it's cuz I am frantically typing before heading out to pick up Micah and part of me wants to get the memories down before I lose any more detail than I have already lost by being so sporadic in my updates. (Not because I think you all are at the edge of your seats enthralled by my every word, but because I think it will be a nice family memory to have for us years down the road when we are no longer in Kenya and the small details might othewise get lost forever. And I want to remember. I want to remember Kenya and I want to remember the boys at this stage.)

Happy September to all! Autumn has ALWAYS been my favorite season and it's about to hit with all its crisp, football filled, gold, crimson, and orange hued awesomeness soon! Enjoy!!!

Another Short Update

Note: Added a few shots on November 21. I thought a few iconic animals as well as a couple photos typifying the boys would do well here. Micah was entranced and eagerly scanned the horizon with Daddy's binoculars. Tiras snuggled with Mommy and often snoozed during our game drives.


We are back from our adventure on the Maasai Mara and more details will follow on that, but for now the following summary will have to suffice: spectacular, breathtaking, amazing place!

Micah starts school tomorrow (actually, later this morning as I have stayed up reconciling our cash expenditures in Kenyan shillings with my bank records--it became an addictive quest). He's noted that he is a little nervous. He loved his old class and teachers and I am sure this year will be great for him as well, but I'll be happy for him to have the newness factor and unknown behind him.

Our last shipment of belongings arrived. We have been busily unpacking and getting settled ever since. Given that more than three months have elapsed since we did that packing and given that some items were suitcase bound, others in the air ship, and still others designated for storage, we had actually forgotten a lot of what might be arriving. There's still a goodly amount left to do, but between the happy reunion with my file cabinet and the difference a couple rugs make in upping the comfort and coziness factor, a sense of "home" is within sight!

One last item arrived Sunday...our long awaited car!!! It was so rainy here today that we didn't venture out for an inaugural drive, but Deron is most pleased to be driving himself to work in his own vehicle come tomorrow.

Happy remainder of Labor Day!

Visitors, and Photos, and Safaris, Oh My!

Our first visitors arrive tomorrow, and we are quite thrilled! We are off to the Mara and then to Mombasa. Updates to follow. Hoping to include photos in the near future as well!

Thanks for your comments and emails and FB posts--you have no idea how much they mean!

16 Years Ago Today...

I met Deron. And my whole life changed. We could never have guessed what the next 16 years would hold on that day we were just meeting. And I could never ,ever have imagined gratitude and thankfulness and joy beyond words such as I feel today.

My cup runneth over.

Truly.

Aaron Sanchez, Our Hero (The Recipe and Euphoric Rambling About Said Recipe Post)

Who is Aaron Sanchez, you might ask? And why the hero status? Well, this past Friday we had a goodbye party for our compound neighbors who are off to the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. We knew they'd be leaving come August, but it still came too fast and we are all going to miss them. Thusly, it was necessary to send them off in style and the compound hosted a party with a Latin cooking theme.

There were taco shells that had been purchased in Nairobi; there was salsa and guacamole; there were refried beans, enchiladas and a taco fixings bar and many other yummy, yummy foods. I made a kid version of sangria (alcohol free) and I also made Mexican Brownies. And this where Wonderful, Genius Aaron Sanchez comes in. My brownies were courtesy of a recipe of The Food Network's Aaron Sanchez and they were DELICIOUS--this is a wonderful recipe and that is why he is a hero! (Note: While living here makes me acutely aware of how fortunate we are just to be well fed each day, my taste buds do sometimes crave things we can't get here--like salsa and Mexican foods. Hence the excited post. But please don't think I have lost sight of the reality that we are so lucky to be able to eat all we need!)

It took some doing to secure the cocoa powder. We have exactly one unsweetened cocoa powder option and it is in the drinking cocoa section at Nakumatt rather than the baking section. I initially scoured the baking section and surmised that bar chocolate must be all that was available for baking and thus sadly conceded defeat and headed home with plans to contribute sosmething else to the party. After some asking around, I was told to try the drinking cocoa section for the Cadbury unsweetened cocoa contained therein. It took me two trips to get my ingredients, but Cadbury did right by me with their unsweetened cocoa option and thus we have a happy case of all's well that end's well.

I followed the recipe to the letter, right down to using a wooden spoon, and the result was a really chewy and fudgy and YUMMY brownie. I think this is the only brownie recipe I will ever use again!!! And I certainly won't be going back to the box (even when boxes brownie mixes are again an option).

There is cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper (the latter just adds a little warmth to the end of the brownie bite) as an homage to Mexican style chocolate and it is really good and it was REALLY satisfying to be able to bake this here. I have been craving baked goods and cheese lately because they are a bit hard to come by and between this brownie and splurging on Edam cheese at the deli section of Nakumatt, I have had a really, really nice fix!!!

I have included the recipe here, in case my excited ramblings inspire brownie cravings in my readership! :-) Also, so that I can always access it! I suspect that today might include a trip to Nakumatt for more butter so we can make another batch!

Aaron Sanchez's Mexican Brownies
Recipe courtesy Aaron Sanchez for Food Network Magazine
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-sanchezs-mexican-brownies-recipe/index.html
Serves:
18 brownies

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
1/4 teaspoon pequen chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.

Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing

Life's Little Joys

I woke up just dog tired Saturday. I'd been having insomnia bouts during the week and it all seemed to come crashing down on me Saturday morning. I love my boys and we yearned and prayed for those boys for years, a reality of which I have not lost sight. Still, overflowing thankfulness or no, when sleep deprived, the energy to keep up with those two very active boys can be lacking. And thus Saturday found me a wee bit grumpy.

You know what quells grumpy? Kid cuteness. Grumpy just cannot prevail in the face of kid cuteness. So I am posting this to capture these moments:

• I was in the (very messy) playroom with the boys and Micah came over to me with his etch-a -sketch and told me he had drawn exactly what we needed to clean up the room. There I beheld a robot vacuum. Micah excitedly pointed out the three wheels on his robot and showed me his two hands and explained that there were two more just like it on the other side. My favorite part? Micah explained that after vacuuming everything up, the robot would then "spit everything out just where it belongs." Upon learning I could not purchase such a robot anywhere, Micah then proceeded to cheerily pick up all his building blocks. Without even being asked.
• As if the robot vacuum were not enough, Micah then came back to me with the etch-a-sketch and he had designed a hidden picture search for me. Because his artistic phase has been abstract (but very intricate to my eye), imagine my surprise to see a very realistic toilet plunger hidden in and amongst other shapes. The cuteness of Micah copying the hidden picture searches he enjoys in his High Five magazines, and the surprise that he can draw such realistic objects, and the amusement that he chose a plunger of all things (and knows what a plunger does) all conspired to chase away any and all grouchiness.
• Tiras can give a big grin and laugh that is just infectious. But what I also love is his look of delight that is not interactive, but just Tiras caught up in the awe and enjoyment of a moment. I was holding him and putting lotion on his back and tummy and he was very interested in the lotion, so I put a tiny dollop on his hand and he gazed down at the lotion on his hand with such a pleased and interested smile. I love that look!
• Another grace note of the day was finding myself in the middle of a cross breeze. Nothing like a gentle lake breeze unexpectedly whispering a bit of cool into the day!

Happy moments. I may not be able to articulate them in a way that does them justice. But I hope they will trigger the memory for me down the road when my kidlets are no longer wee kidlets.

Friday This and That

Note: Adding several images of the boys doing their swim lessons with Teacher Mark in August since I first mentioned their swim lessons in this blog entry. In October, Micah swam by himself for the first time. There is also a video at the end of this post depicting Micah happily going under the water, which was a big breakthrough for him at the time!

*

We are all breathing a big sigh of relief at the peaceful election that occurred here Wednesday. There is an interesting article in the New York Times for any interested in reading a bit more about what has been afoot here. August 4 may prove to be a very historic day for Kenya.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/world/africa/06kenya.html?_r=1&ref=africa

Micah started swim lessons this week and really likes his teacher. We started with semi-private hour long lessons with our neighbor and switched it up yesterday to a half hour private lesson for each kidlet. They both did really well with the new format and Micah announced to me yesterday, "Mark's a really good swim teacher." Tiras is scheduled to start his swim lessons next week. He LOVES the water and is ready to dive in even now, so I think swim lessons could prove to be a huge hit with him.

Speaking of Tiras, he is over his diaper changing antics. His energies are now directed to adamant self feeding. It's a messy time, but he is surely determined to get this skill. He also says "thank you" on such a regular basis, which is cute. (He pronounces it: Thike You!) He also said "walk, walk" the other day and headed over to his stroller. I was quick to oblige the request and off we went on a walk outside the compound. So exciting to have him using words. He is really a fun and jolly little kiddo. He thinks it is hilarious to hide from me in the curtains, etc. His other passion is kicking the ball around. Last week, a couple of our daytime guards would kick the ball to him and he would just giggle and run all over dribbling the ball with his feet. Hard to believe he was just CRAWLING when we arrived and now he runs around like he's in the World Cup!

Micah is such a fun and sweet mix of old soul and exuberant kiddo. He loves playing with other kids and I think he is going to really enjoy having school start in September and getting to meet even more peers. He has suddenly started saying "antimals" for animals and airily dismisses my pronunciation corrections with, "Well, that's how I say it." He also made me laugh today when he finished macaroni and cheese at lunch (brought back from Atlanta by Deron and dubbed "Atlantic Macaroni and Cheese" by Micah) and with utter delight and glee said he was going to be chubby like Winnie the Pooh!!! His joy and exuberance is just infectious and I wish I had a video camera running all the time so I could capture that big smile and the dancing eyes.

Deron remains really busy with work, but is out in the field today and always loves getting those opportunities, so the week is ending on a particularly satisfying note for him. As for me, there have been many happy moments this week. Today, I am proud of myself for a) finally breaking down boxes that have been sitting around here for weeks and b) soaking my potatoes in veggie wash so that they will be ready for chopping tonight come dinner preparation. It's the kind of thing I could see myself forgetting to do and then being flustered when I have to slow down the cooking and chopping process to do the more lengthy cleaning prep required over here.

In literary news, I have switched from my 700 page book on Africa to the 550 page book, Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles. I look forward to reading the former down the road, but I just could not resist the book endorsed by Alexander McCall Smith and with a forward by Chinua Achebe. Have so far only read the forward because days somehow are so full and fast here, but am excited to read more. And you gotta figure 1250 pages of history and anecdotes is going to find me no expert, but certainly knowing a lot more than I do now and having some better context for taking in the world around me.

Happy weekend to all and here is a day early celebratory wish to my parents: congratulations on 45 years of marriage!!! Your love for each other is inspiring and you created such a warm and loving home for us! Sending tons and tons of love to you from across the miles, on this special day and always!!! Happy Anniversary and thank you for being such a wonderful blessing!