Monday, December 24, 2007

Happy Christmas Eve!

HEY!!!
 
So yes - we are really enjoying our stay in Dubai - at a place called "Habtoor Resort and Spa"... have yet to see the "spa", part, though!  Really it is just a hotel with a big pool and private beach.  They have a bunch of stuff for kids - play area, pools, water slides, etc, so there are a LOT of other families here.  It's pretty good.
 
In the New Year we move back into an apartment we stayed at before (without a kids pool), so until then Meer is going to be water-logged from all the time we are spending in the pool!  Kush takes him down this water slide - it is SO great to see Meer so happy!
 
Wishing you all a VERY Merry Christmas...

Monday, December 17, 2007

Merry Christmas!

Yes - yes.  We actually ARE alive!!! 
 
We have been back in Nairobi for the past couple weeks - what a treat!  I mean - I love Dubai, but there is something so great about being back in your own house... ya know?  Speaking of which, we are leaving for Dubai again this week!  Just trying to find suitable accomodation, etc.  The good thing about being there for so long, is we have a big long list of suitable places - nice spots that offer 2 bedroom apartment type rooms.  Thing is - it's booked for the holidays!~ The best I could find still leaves us kicked out for the four days around New Years...
 
Anyway - that is that.
 
Adoption is still on the stove - just shoved onto a back burner until Kush is finished with his work in Dubai.  Hopefully in the early part of the New Year! 
 
So ya... that is the story.  On a GOOD note - I will be dragging my laptop with me this time - so I will still be in touch!
 
MUCH love and holiday cheer...
Christa.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Hhalloween

HEY Everybody!

SORRY for being MIA for so long - we have been in  Dubai  for the past month or so - time reeally flies!

Kush has a bunch of work here, so Meer and I have been  hanging out... toy stores, book stores with  children's reading areas, glass elevators, escalators -  those are the hot spots.  We even have a toy store with a bubble machine - so we go and play in the bubbles once or twice a day at  least!

We have even managed to meet some fellow Canadians here!  Mostly (ok - ALL) from the East Coast!!  One lady works for a company  that iis building a hospital here  for travel  tourism, and another lady is a fabulous real estate chic!  Anyway...

This morning we were playing around the business center of the hotel - it's a fancy marble aand  glass type deal, with  seating  on one side, and a suspended walkway through the center - tres chic, really.  Anyway -  Meer went running  over to his spot -  the wall  of windows with drapes behind the sofas - he  loves  to shake the snott out of the drapery  cords! 

Anyway - sitting alone on one of the sofas was this Arab woman -  covered head to toe in black.  Even her face was covered with a black  scarf.  I smiled as I ran past with Meer, and she moved a bit --  so  I  figured that was friendly!!  The she pulled the scarf up  over her head and started cooing at Meer!  Obviously she  was a grandma - she was making all these lovely soft clucking noises etc!  Anyway -  she was wearing this very  interesting thing - as I  have never seen underneath a woman's head scarf before - (forgive my ignorance please!!) - it was this beautiful golden object that coverd her mouth,  so  that when she spoke nobody  could see her lips... it is SOO  hard to explain!!!!  It also had a thin band of gold across her  forehead too.  I wish I could  explain  it better!  I told Kush about it, and he was like,  "Oh -  she's LOADED."'  (meaning  really really rich).  I  dunno!  Anyway - Meer ran off after his dad, and then  I  carried  him  back  to  say  bye too her.  I wish I spoke Arabic!!  I  don't  know what she was saying,  and it sucked.  I am  pretty  sure Salam means Hi or bye -  same as hebrew... that's what it sounded like, anyway.  So  there is a little snippet of a day-in-the-life...  you know when you are in the Middle East when... huh?? ha ha ha!!

Anyway... we are here for another week or two,  I think.

Missing you all...
Christa.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Toddler Activites - Nesting and Stacking

1) When choosing nesting and stacking toys for your toddlers, look for those that have only a few pieces. Toys with too many pieces to figure out can frustrate toddlers.

2) Make a nesting game for your children by collectintog paper cups in three or four different sizes. Place the cups, right side up, on a table. Show the children how to place the cups inside one another, starting with the largest cup. A set of measuring cups also works well.

3) Boxes make a nice nesting game. Set out three or four boxes in different sizes for your children to nest together.

4) Purchase plastic eggs in small, medium, and large sizes. Put one of each size together to make a fun nesting toy for spring.

5) A nesting set of pots makes a great toy. Your toddlers will love experimenting with them to find out just how they can nest together.

6) Toddlers especially enjoy stacking rings. You can purchase commercially make stacking rings or you can make your own. A small bathroom plunger and some shower curtain rings or large metal canning jar rings make a fun game.

7) You can also make a stacking rings game out of a wooden bottle-drying rack and some old napkin rings. Have your children put the rings on the dowels of the rack.

8) Make a different kind of stacking toy by cutting the tops and bottoms off plastic 2-liter bottles to make cylinders. Cover the cylinders with self-stick paper, if you wish. Show your children how to stack the cylinders on top of each other.

9) Collect several small plastic containers that are all the same size. Let your children stack and unstack them.

10) For an unusual stacking game, collect plastic cups and saucers. Show your children how to stack them by alternating saucers and cups, then let them try to make a two or three cup tower.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

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

Chess Challenge


So on Sunday we bought THE cutest chess set for Meer – made by Ocram Girap. It has the jungle animals as the chess pieces, and is SUPER CUTE!! Kush is quite the chess player, so he offered to play me a game… WHAT a SLAUGHTER. Not joking. And Kush being Kush – well – safe to say teaching isn’t his forte. So I looked online for some place that could teach me…

I found this super neat site – chess playing for kids, basically! It is at
www.chesskids.com and has a FULL resource section of Downloadable and printable BOOKS – lesson plans, really – for you to learn step by step!! They ask for donations, but you can also print out the books for free! By clicking on the title of this post, it will take you to the page where the free downloads are…

Friday, September 21, 2007

Exchange Rates and Money Info


Our Kenyan Shilling is worth about:

67ksh per USD

56ksh per Canadian dollar

88ksh per Euro

I know it says different rates on the internet and at your bank - but here it is pretty much constant. Also - bring large bills with you - like $100's. "Smaller Bills" (less than $50's) get a crappier exchange rate. Not joking!
The easiest way to convert it in your head (if you are Canadian), is to double the shilling amount (so if it is 200ksh - make it 400), and then move the decimal place over two places (so 200ksh would be $4.00).
The largest note we have here is 1000ksh - which is about $20.00 Canadian.
Also good to know: bank machines work well here for withdrawing cash from overseas accounts, and the fee is about... $3.00!! There is a maximum daily limit of whatever it is - $500, or something. Bank machines are available in all normal shopping complexes - easy as pie.
You will require $50USD cash at the airport to pay for your visitors visa. And bringing some cash with you is always a good idea - until you get yourself sorted out and know where bank machines are, etc.
;-D

Local Shopping - Infant Formula







Here is what the baby food isle looks like at our local Nakumatt store... sorry the one of all the formulas is blurry! (darn!) The best type of formula looks to be this SMA Gold - it's new. For cereals, it's Cow and Gate... for about 485ksh per box.

If you have any other questions - just let me know! ;-D

Toddler Activites - Ice Cream Colors


This is the most hilarious thing ever! It is a free print out thingy from a site called www.first-school.ws/ . (By clicking on the title of this post you will be taken directly to the ice cream page!!) Anyway - I made a set and used that bluetac stuff to stick it onto the wall, but Meer LOVED ripping them off SO much, I glue-gunned them on the wall with velcro! (a big tall strip vertically, and then horizontal strips on the backs of each scoop and cone) It is just hilarious to watch him be "destructive" - he just loves it!! Hope you enjoy it too...

;-D

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Toddler Activites - Bottle Toys


LARGE SODA BOTTLES

Toddlers love to shake and roll rounded objects. Take advantage of this natural curiosity and fill large soda bottles with interesting things to observe. Be sure to secure the top of the bottles, perhaps even gluing them shut, or wrapping them with tape.


BOUNCY BEANS – Put various large dried beans in a bottle for your child to shake and roll around, listening to the sound it makes.


RAIN BOTTLES – Put some rice in a bottle and make your child a rain bottle as they tilt the bottle up and down.


POP CORN POPPER – Put some popped corn in the bottle and encourage your child to roll in around the room, popping the corn.


FLOATING OCTOPUS – Blow up two very small balloons and tie. Place them in the bottle and then fill the bottle ¾ with water. The balloons will bob around and look like baby whales.


MINI TOYS – Look for mini cars, animals, balls, dice, etc. to place in a bottle.


BEACH SCENE – Place ½ cup sand in the bottle, along with some mini shells. Pour in some water, tinted with blue food coloring.


BUBBLES GALORE – Pour in some water, tinted with blue food coloring and some dish soap or some bubble bath. Shake up the bottle to make bubbles.


GLITTER BOTTLES – Drop in some glitter, sequins, metallic confetti, glass jewels. Fill ¾’s with water and shake.


FEATHER BOTTLES – Fill the bottle with ten or twenty small feathers.

BOWLING PINS - Empty soda bottle make great bowling pins for toddlers.
Set up three to ten soda bottles.
Have your child stand back and roll a ball towards the bottles.
How many did he knock down?