Big Brother Training 101

I have been trying to get Meer used to the idea of having a new baby around the house… I put a teddy bear in a baby carrier sling and walked around the house... The first couple times Meer was quite disturbed by it and would instruct me to take the teddy bear out, and put Meer inside instead!! So I did, and lugged Meer around in a back breaking sling pretending he was my “tiny little baby straight from the hospital”! We have a rule too – “Baby’s don’t talk.” So if he is playing baby – he can’t use any words. That makes the game last only so long, before our Big Boy is back and eager to show us how tall he is! We pretend we are all shocked that a baby could grow up so fast, and everyone has a good laugh.

I have been looking for a “brown” baby doll to use instead of a fuzzy teddy bear, but was unsuccessful until last week, when I found a brown baby doll at a grocery store across town. The quality isn’t there (of course!!), but for the $20 it cost, I think it is still well worth it, if only to get Meer desensitized to the look of a little baby around the house. It’s kind of a cute doll too – it has a squishy body, and cries if it doesn’t have a bottle or pacifier in it's mouth.

Now when Meer is playing, or is engrossed in some activity, we make the baby cry and ask Meer to help us make the baby stop crying. Meer will stop what he is doing right away to come over and instruct me that the baby needs milk, and will push the bottle right into the baby’s mouth and hold it there, and say, “Stop crying baby... it’s OK.” It is SO cute!! Originally the baby used to make a sucking sound, and the bottle would move up and down a bit, but with Meer’s help to feed her, it now just makes a mechanical groaning noise and the bottle doesn’t move one bit. I went back to the grocery store and bought another one – so we have a spare for when this one breaks... which seems inevitable and in our near future!!

About 5 days into the experiment Meer now isn’t possessive of me when the baby is around. He has figured out that the baby is just more work for someone, and this morning even suggested that I hold the baby while it drinks it’s milk instead of putting in it’s bed.

Naturally we applaud him like crazy for being caring towards the doll, and he is really relishing all the praise he gets for being “such a good big brother”!! Here is a picture of Meer the first time he gave the baby doll it's bottle...

Meer's First Day of School

Well - HOW EXCITING! Meer has a fantastic first day at school! He was a bit shy - didn't want to play in the same room as the rest of the kids. But was totally happy hanging out without Kasimbi and I for about 2 hours straight! Then he wanted Kasimbi - I think mostly because he was hungry. After a snack, he was fine going around with the teachers.

Tomorrow they asked me to just drop him off - Kasimbi and I both not stay with him. I basically said NO, and suggested that Josaphine stay with him instead. I mean - my version of school for Meer at this stage in his life (he turns two at the end of June), is purely enjoyment. And any sort of seperation anxiety is absolutely unacceptable at this stage in his development!

The rest of the kids are super cute and great - only 11 students total, so it is a nice small group. There are a few charmers - sweet little talkative girls, and couple boys that don't want to really speak, but want to stand very close to me! Sweet little hunnies.

I scooted off for a bit this morning - sans Meer. It was SO freaky! I can't even say that I liked it. I felt all weird and guilty - like I was a bad mom, or something! Well - not really, but it was weird. I found myself speedwalking through Nakumatt so I could get back "just incase" he needed me... which he didn't!

The rest of the kids are between the ages of 3 and 6. So Meer is the definately the youngest. His attention span is short as well... about 5 minutes, and then he wants to see something new. Having about 10 different rooms with new stuff in them doesn't help! Apparently one of the other young girls did the same thing for the first month that she was there - just going around from room to room exploring. After the month, she began to follow the group and participate with the rest of the kids.

Meer is enrolled in the morning class - 8:30 - 12:30, Monday to Friday. We are going again tomorrow morning - with Josaphine in tow! Let's see if he keeps on enjoying it as much as he did today!

And WHAT am I going to do with my TIME?? I will have practically FIFTEEN HOURS A WEEK all by myself... IMAGINE! Weird...

Well - I am TRYING to upload a photo or two for you, but my connection is too slow... sigh... HEY! Maybe I will take my laptop and go and sit at Java House for a few hours tomorrow morning! They have free wireless internet - and it is faster, and really close to Meer's school! Yet another brain wave hits me!

Love and light...

... is it still 2008??

Yes - I KNOW - long time, and no update what-so-ever. Horrible of me. True. In any event - we are all alive and well - and happily back in Kenya!

Life in Kenya is wonderful. Absolutely great. Meer is LOVING it! Today we went to see a new Montessori preschool that is nearby... it was 4pm when we got there, so all the kids and teachers had left for the day, but there was an askari who let us in, and then an employee dude of some sort showed up to tour us around.... A good thing, considering Meer had already cased half the place!! ha ha ha! They have converted a house into a school, basically. Every room has a different theme: Nature, Human Body, Space, Numbers, etc. There are cubbie holes for the children's shoes - with their names and pictures on cute laminated cards on each cubbie. (and we all know how many points I assign for proper laminating! ha ha ha!)

So Meer walked around everywhere looking and saying the words excitedly for everything he saw. He found these marble type plastic beads that can be sorted out into a compartmentalized tray, and that was the end of it - we couldn't peel him away or get him back intothe car without a HUGE protest! I always imagined driving away from preschool to the sounds of a screaming child - but I always thought it would be because I was leaving them behind, not taking them with me! ha ha ha!!

I called the head of the school when we got home and asked it Meer could join them for the last month of the semester. The school is really for 3 - 6 year olds, but Meer has been welcomed to join them - starting tomorrow!!! NATURALLY Kasimbi (our houseman) and I will stay there with him. Half day runs from 8:30 until 12:30, so let's see how long Meer lasts! I have this fantasy of dropping Meer and Kasimbi off at school, and then going to the gym for a yoga class... IMAGINE!

The school is small - probably around 12 kids? One of the pictures on the cubbies was of our neighbour's daughter - Yein. (Korean) So this afternoon I saw her mom out in her yard, so we had a chat over the fence. I was all happy to tell her that Meer will be going to school with her daughter tomorrow, and she was like, "Oh REALLY? You no tell me! I get you discount!! The owner is Korean!!" HOW HANDY!

Anyway - that really IS the latest!

Thanks for kicking me in the butt and getting me to post again.
Love to all...

Indoor Safari Trail

Yes - I sure did!! I bought a "family" of each different animal - one family per step!! And of COURSE I have a little tiny baby of each animal - to add to our wall when we adopt our daughter!! Anyway - Meer wasn't too impressed with it at first, but now he points to each different type of animal as we go up the stairs - like a safari!! Naturally his favorite are still the fish! But it's good. He wants to hear the names of each animal, so it is a good learning experience... I figure, anyway! ha ha ha!! And YES - they are from www.ocramgirap.com ...except we shop at the store, not online! ;-D

Tile Wall Transformation

Well - THIS is what we have done with our new patch of off white tiles in the kitchen! Not TOO bad, hey?? We have a cup of white board crayola markers hanging on the wall - incase our little Picasso gets inspired! Although so far he is only interested in tossing the markers on the floor, and then putting them back in the cup! ;-D

Toddler Activites - Wall Cups

So this is actually my own brilliant idea!! I saw our plastic cups in the cupboard, and was like - OH YA!!! So I taped them up on the wall, and Meer just LOVES emptying and filling them with various things - keeps him busy, that's for sure! In the same breath, I am also sure he will get sick of it soon, but if it amuses him for a week or so - I will be thrilled!

The Big N.O.

So yes - it has HAPPENED. Meer runs around the house saying, "Nah! Nah!". I ASSUME it is him saying NO!!!!! (gasp) Yup. But I really did enjoy the week that he only said, "Yeah"... ha ha ha!!!

Drive-by Munching

This is Meer munching down on his puffed wheat! He eats like a champion since I filled his bilibo with cereal – he eats by the handful! Who knew! I tried butting him in a big bucket, and poured the cereal around him, but he thought that was just weird and wanted to get out immediately!! There are a few cups inside for filling and pouring – he just loves it! Apparently you let the kids play with it for a few days, and then give the remaining cereal to the birds…

Picture of the day

Meer was drinking milk from his doidy cup and eating peas...

Budding Vocabulary

So Meer is really beginning to talk – it’s just a matter of us adults understanding which words he is saying! The first word he said was LIGHT – his favorite thing at the time. And then he said THIS, and then THAT. His recognizable vocabulary includes:

Light
This
That
Mama
Dada
Danger
Flower
Dog
Tortoise
Yes

Sawa (Swahili for ok)

Good

Nice

Two

Out

Shoes

I am just THRILLED to hear him say YES before learning the word NO! For some reason it is all important to me to minimize the amount of times he hears "no". Apparently it is shocking how often we hear it as children. NOT that I don't direct his behavior, but luckily with Meer, he is sensitive enough to be guided with facial expressions and little grunts! Well - that is me for you - all weird!! Anyway - he is really beginning to speak up a storm - it is SO enjoyable to hear! ;-D

Rationing of the Tylenol...

So we're here - having a GREAT DAY! No Tylenol usage yet! Yesterday was a 4x day - which put a serious dent on our rationed Infant Tylenol and Panadol supplies! Even had to slip in some local Panadol - imagine the injustice! Poor Meer swallowed it, though. Anyway - nothing so far today! Hoping the DHL supply from my mom arrives by Saturday. We have about 2 doses of the good stuff left, so I am hoarding it for a true teething emergency!

Well - there you have it - another day in the life. I will be back tomorrow with a FULL blabbering of everything juicy and fun! Until then, MUCH love...

;-D

Sunny Sunday

So we made it to church – for a new record of FOUR Sundays in a ROW!!! Not joking. Meer really likes seeing the other kids in the nursery, and apparently Kush enjoys listening to the sermon! How handy is that?? Shocking, I know.

We go to a church called, “International Christian Fellowship”, which is non-denominational and meets in the theatre of a local private school near the UN. It’s a small gathering – about 100 people, or so. It is a good mix of people – and even about 5 or 6 families that have gone through, or are going through, the adoption process here in Kenya.

Anyway – it is a great way to start the week. Good people. Good feelings. Good times!

I am trying to find a link to the church, but have come up blank! Anyway – if you clic on the title of this post, you will go to the website for Rosslyn Academy...

This is for the Birds

Ah – it’s nap time around here again! Phew. Today our project is making Suet and Peanut Butter Bird Food Feeders! Seems birds are Meer’s favorite thing to go and look for around the house (yes – on his circuit!), so we are trying to increase the population. The handy thing is that there are SO MANY birds around, that we can almost ALWAYS see a bird sitting on a power line, or fence post.

Anyway – we went to the butcher this morning and got half kilo of beef suet, and then bird seed from the pet store… The jist of the recipe is to melt the suet, stir in a small jar of crunchy peanut butter, and then add a cup of bird seed, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sunflower seeds, and oatmeal. It turns into a kinda gloopy mess, but doesn’t smell as bad as it sounds!

So you fill molds – we used a paper milk carton with a stick poking through both sides for a perch - and chill them until they are set. And then cut out little windows on both sides above the stick for the birds to access the suet inside. The leftovers I heaped onto a pie plate, and suspended on the hedge close to where the birds already hang out in the mornings. So far no takers, though… OH! Have two little chirpers sitting on the power lines above the pie plate… should be soon…

;-D

Dawn of the Triple C Circuit...

Wow. So Meer’s new thing is driving in his Cozy Coupe Convertible – up the driveway – down the driveway-over the ramp - onto the lawn-over to the dogs - back to the staff quarters - around the laundry lines – back around to the swing- over the curb-past the cars – back up the driveway – over the ramp… onto the lawn…. Over to the dogs… and I am talking ALL DAY LONG! Luckily the car had a metal handle, so Meer just sits inside and gets pushed the whole way – he LOVES it!! Terribly serious. Anyway… it’s EXHAUSTING!

He’s sleeping now. No big plans for the afternoon… Bela is bringing dinner over, so I don’t have to cook! How lucky is that??? I know. I know.

So I called Little Angel’s Network this morning to find out when the LANS Committee is meeting – not before next Wednesday, basically. Possibly the Wednesday after that. So it will still be awhile before we get word. No biggie – since we have 4 months from the date of the letter to select our daughter, and we want to do that IDEALLY in January.

Apparently the elections have been moved to December 28th, so people can vote when they are back at their villages. I dunno! That is the logic, though. So if we aren’t here for the elections, we aren’t here for Christmas either… and that sucks! Christmas is such a fun time for children… oh well – time will tell! No point worrying about it yet.

Well – that is all that is new… not much of anything other than a firm counter-clockwise circuit around the house!! Ha ha ha!!

Hope all of you are well…
;-D

100 Days

Happy 100 Days Birthday Meer!!!!
We love you SOOooOOOooOOooooOOoo much!!